He tossed his keys onto the desk by the entrance and sighed, relived to be home.
He heard footsteps, loud, clicking ones and that sound caught his attention, his eyebrows raising as he turned to watch the approaching origin.
She emerged in her knee high leather boots, the diabolically constructed heels hitting the wooden floor of the apartment with a proud and sensual resonance.
"Oh-oh" he groaned "what do you want, Gilmore?" he asked, feeling an uncomfortable churning in his stomach as his eyes traveled over her body clad in the short gray mini dress.
"What makes you think I want something?" she asked, her voice sugary sweet, as she reached him, her hands going up around his neck as she pulled him into a greeting kiss.
He groaned as her lips touched his, her tongue dancing into his mouth as he showed no resistance.
She pulled away slightly and he exhaled a long breath.
"The boots" he pointed to her feet accusingly "You want something" he went on, his voice ironic.
"Now" she exclaimed with mock hurt, pulling out of his arms and taking a couple of steps backward in order for him to see her as she spun around slowly "I can't dress up for my man for no apparent reason?" she said, her voice low, seductive as she pulled her dress up ever so lightly, drawing his attention back to her legs. He licked his lips unconsciously, his mind already fogged over.
"What do you want, Mary?" he asked with a smile.
She smiled in return, and he couldn't help but think that it was the most naughty Rory could ever look.
"I want..." she said, lowering her voice and slowly approaching, her hands reaching out and coming to rest against his chest "to relax you..." her hands slowly slid down his chest as she lowered herself onto her knees in front of him "because you are too stressed."
His mouth dropped slightly as she quickly undid his belt buckle, freeing him of his pants.
"Rory" he groaned "what are you doing?"
"I thought it was pretty obvious" she snickered as his pants fell to the ground and her hands slowly pulled his underwear down.
He cursed, his eyes going up towards the ceiling, his mind racing to grasp the situation, but all conscious thought was gone as he felt her soft lips around his quickly growing erection.
"Fucking heavens" he swore again, his hands unconsciously going to the back of her head.
He felt himself sway slightly, the room spinning as the rush of adrenaline made him lightheaded, and he spread his legs carefully to gain better leverage.
She sucked on him with determination, her soft lips closing in around his hardening length as her hands pulled him closer to her.
He groaned as he felt her small hands squeeze his back, effectively pushing him deeper into her mouth.
It felt like heaven and he gave up trying to figure out her ulterior motives as his head fell back and another guttural moan broke from his chest.
"You like that?" he heard her whisper as she pulled back momentarily, her hand replacing the grip on him instead of her mouth.
He shivered at the sound of her voice.
"God, yeah" he breathed.
Her hand started a steady rhythm of stroking him and he opened his eyes to look down at her, seeing her looking up at him as her tongue darted out to lick his tip.
"Fuck" he exclaimed, his eyes squeezing shut again.
"Talk to me" he heard her whisper as she took him back into her mouth.
She drew him in even deeper and he felt himself slide down to the back of her throat, the constriction around him making him absolutely mad.
He felt her release him again, the ministrations stopping momentarily.
"Talk to me" she repeated and he opened his eyes to look down at her again, seeing her waiting motionless.
He sighed in frustration.
"Rory..." he pleaded "you know I can't fucking concentrate when you do that" he said.
She arched an eyebrow, barely noticeable and he sighed again.
"You're killing me."
"Funny, I thought I was blowing you" came her reply and he snickered, hearing her so outspoken.
He wondered again what had brought this on, but as his eyes drifted down to her, kneeling in front of him, he once again discarded those thoughts.
"You don't know how fucking hot you look right now" he whispered and she smiled at once, her mouth going around him once again.
He loved the fact that his voice, his words turned her on so much. He felt her suck on him again, with full force and his mind once again threatened to go blank.
"Your mouth feels like heaven on me" he grunted and felt her moan in return. Her soft vibration sent a new kind of shock to his cock and he hissed.
"You are so fucking soft and warm and tight around me" he went on, his hands tangling into her long chestnut hair.
"When you take me deep" he grunted, feeling her take him deep "god yeah, like that...it feels like I am going to explode any fucking second."
He felt her speed up, her moans showing her excitement.
"Fuck Mary, do you like that?" he whispered, his hands forcing her bobbing head deeper down on him.
"Do you like me cumming into your sweet little mouth?" he asked, his voice dropping to a feverish whisper.
She groaned at his words and the vibrations nearly pushed him over the edge.
"Of course you do..." he moaned.
"You like to swallow me whole, don't you? You like me to fill your mouth with my hot cum?" he groaned, his hand fisting into her hair as he pulled her off of him suddenly.
She looked up surprised, her hair in a wild disarray and her eyes a surprised sea of lust.
"But I'd rather fill something else with it instead" he panted as he ripped off his jacket, pushing her back onto the floor.
He pushed her skirt up, grinding his erection into her hips and watched her eyes roll back.
"Feel that?" he whispered, watching her get lost in the sensations. He could feel his body slowly slipping out of his control, her smell and feel making him go crazy with want. His hands grabbed her panties, pulling them off of her as she lifted her hip to help him with his task.
He moved down her body, pulling the black satin panties off over her boots.
"The boots stay" he groaned and raised an eyebrow when he heard her chuckle in response.
He moved up her body again, positioning himself between her legs.
"What's so funny Miss Gilmore?" he asked with a mischievous smile, thrusting into her with full force.
"Oh God" she breathed out as her eyes closed again, her hands automatically wrapping around him for support.
He reached back down, pulling her boot clad legs around his waist and she obliged, squeezing tight around him, pulling him deeper into her.
"God, Mary, you feel so good" he moaned into her ear "tight and dripping wet."
She moaned in return and it excited him even more.
Rory Gilmore was a fucking vixen in bed. He wondered if all those fucking socialites had any idea. He wondered if that stupid town had any idea. He wondered if anyone had any idea that her sweet innocent mouth could form sentences like he'd heard her say.
"Tristan, I want it harder" she moaned.
Fuck no, no one knew she could say stuff like that.
He stilled himself, enjoying the agony crossing over her features, even as his own throbbing need clouded his brain.
"Why?" he smirked.
Her eyes snapped open, her blue orbs reflecting shock and frustration.
"Talk to me" he repeated her request, barely able to hold back the smile spreading onto his face.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Tristan" she whined, squirming beneath him against his strong, firm hold.
"Talk to me" he repeated, his voice a notch deeper, all signs of teasing gone.
Her eyes met his again as he tried to hold back his ragged breathing.
She leaned close to his face, her lips almost touching his ear as she spoke.
"Because I love it when you bury your cock in me" she whispered and he groaned instantly, thrusting into her with full force.
She moaned in response.
"Because I love it when you fuck me hard and deep" she went on.
"Oh sweet Jesus" he groaned, his thrusts becoming stronger, faster.
No. No one could possibly imagine Rory Gilmore saying these things.
He lifted himself, supporting his weight on his outstretched arms as one hand guided her left leg higher onto his shoulder. He heard her pant harder as his thrusts reached even deeper into her with the new angle.
"Like that, Mary?" he panted.
"Oh God" she moaned, her words barely coherent.
He felt her clench around him and her whole body started to shake in light tremors, before all her muscles went rigid and a loud cry broke from her chest. She convulsed beneath him and he thrust into her with his last inch of strength before his own body started convulsing with his release.
He cried out her name, collapsing on top of her, panting hard as his heart raced faster than he could follow.
He rolled to his back pulling her with him, carefully untangling her boot clad leg from his neck.
"You okay?" he asked, checking to see if she hurt herself with the position.
She chuckled, her face in a serene state of bliss.
She nodded and he laughed, kissing her sweaty forehead.
"Please call me home early every day" he chuckled.
"You'd like that?" she smiled, scooting closer to him.
"Yeah, you were right, this was definitely important enough for me to leave early" he breathed as his body slowly came down from his high.
"Actually..." she started and his eyes snapped open.
He sneaked a peak at her.
She turned onto her stomach, her fingers playing with his shirt.
"Oh-oh... so there was something you wanted" he said accusingly.
"Uhm" she hummed, feigning innocence.
"I knew it, I knew it, the fucking boots weren't on for no reason" he scolded himself.
"It's still cold out, I need the boots" she reasoned.
"Right, it was only because of weather purposes, not in the least to seduce me" he arched an eyebrow.
"Besides, it's raining in Connecticut, there are puddles" she shrugged.
He held his breath and watched as she sneaked a peak at him sheepishly.
"No" he said getting up from the floor, pulling his pants up in the process.
"Tristan, come on" she laughed as she got up as well, straightening her skirt.
"I knew it! Those boots should be thrown out, they get me every fucking time" he murmured.
She laughed wholeheartedly now.
"Well, not every time" she smiled.
He sighed, watching her flushed face as she walked up to him, her body sliding against his chest.
He groaned, closing his eyes.
"Rory" he sighed " you wanted me home early to go to Stars Hollow?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
She cast her eyes down, even as she smirked.
"And you thought giving me head was going to make me say yes?" he continued his scolding.
"No" she shrugged, her eyes darting every which way "I just thought it might maybe get you in a better mood, when the question would have been stated" she explained.
"Really?" he asked.
"Well, does it?" she retorted smiling.
He groaned.
"What are we doing there now anyways? Is there some dumb ass town festival this weekend?" he murmured.
She smiled.
"No" she said, her voice becoming serious "I want to show her the book."
His frustration disappeared at once as he recognized the insecurity in her eyes, the forced smile on her face giving her away.
She was nervous.
He knew that she had been procrastinating this for a while now, no doubt worried about what her mother would think of the book. Lorelai seemed to sense her internal struggle and kept her inquiry about the novel to a minimum and Tristan didn't mention showing the finished product to her family either, knowing she would do it in her own time.
Apparently it was time.
She had finished the final draft with Emma a couple of weeks ago and already looked at publishing schemes. They didn't have the final product yet, but he knew that it would be getting to print in a couple of weeks time. So far all she had is a preliminary print, but it was printed and it was final and she was ready.
His hands went up the side of her arms in a reassuring gesture.
"Okay" he whispered, not needing any more convincing.
She smiled a thankful smile as she turned to go towards their bedroom.
"But change first, your mom will know what you did to convince me when she sees you like that."
"I got the spare clothes laid out on the bed already" she replied coyly, not missing a beat.
"Connecticut puddles, my ass" he murmured smiling as he watched her disappear into the foyer.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He followed her up through the lawn avoiding the discarded toys and the puddles that did in fact litter the yard. The front door swung open and he stopped in his tracks.
"Kirk got himself a Kubota tractor and ran over Babette's new cat while mowing the lawn" Lorelai shouted with apparent glee.
"Oh poor cat" Rory pouted as she climbed up onto the porch.
Tristan sighed and followed.
"Oh don't worry, it was a genetically mutant cat with three legs, Babette adopted it through some cat-help service" Lorelai shrugged "probably didn't have a long life expectancy."
"Oh" Rory's face became even more worried as she followed her mother into the house.
Tristan groaned as he closed the door behind them.
"Apparently it's a program to give sick cats a chance to experience a warm an loving home before they die because of their internal organ dysfunctions" Lorelai went on with the explanation.
"This is really disturbing, mom" Rory pointed out.
"Tell me about it, I've had to listen to this story 47 times in the last two days" Luke came in groaning.
"Well, I feel like I've heard this story 47 times too... no wait... it was just 46 similarly stupid stories" Tristan grumbled and Rory shot him a look.
He sighed, not missing Luke's half smile of camaraderie.
"She is so mad that she's got Maurie hunting after him with a baseball bat" Lorelai snickered.
"Oh come on, the cat would have died anyway" Rory said, her mouth still in a frown "Kirk probably did him a favor."
"That's not how Babette sees it, she is supposed to get graded on the care she gives to the adopted cat by the cat-help service" Lorelai continued.
"Poor Babbette" Rory furrowed her brows.
"Nah" Lorelai shrugged "Taylor wouldn't have let her adopt another one anyway. He thinks it's scaring the tourists away."
"I think it's Taylor's idiocy scaring the tourists away" Luke grumbled.
"I thought it was the collective idiocy" Tristan joined in.
"Hey" Lorelai and Rory shot at him simultaneously.
He shrugged collapsing onto the sofa.
Rory sat down beside him.
"Hey what's up with grumpy, I thought you were gonna give him the boot-miniskirt combo to get him more motivated" Lorelai sat down across from him.
Tristan turned to Rory with shock evident on his face.
He watched as she winced, then gave her mother a scolding look.
"Mom" she hissed.
"Oh my god" Tristan groaned.
"Do I even wanna know?" Luke said as he joined Lorelai.
"No!" Rory and Tristan shouted in unison.
Lorelai chuckled.
"So how are things in the Big Apple?" Lorelai asked "Did someone finally convince Donald Trump to just go and take it all off?"
"No, apparently he's still got a couple of years worth of combing over to do" Rory retorted.
"Oh wow, good for him" Lorelai nodded.
"How is work, Tristan?" she turned to him but then didn't even wait for an answer "oh my god, that was just like Emily Gilmore, I am officially becoming my mother, I will start wearing reasonable heels and pearl necklaces soon, won't I?"
"Work is good, Lorelai, how is the insane asylum?" Tristan sighed.
Rory punched him in the side.
"Gotta love the boy's sense of humor" Lorelai raised an eyebrow.
"I brought you guys something" Rory blurted out, and Tristan didn't know if she wanted to change the subject or if she just wanted to get over with it.
"Oooh" Lorelai clapped her hands "Is it shiny? Is it sweet? Is it made of cashmere?"
"Yeah, we thought Luke would appreciate an edible cashmere necklace" Tristan murmured.
"It's my book" Rory cut him off and he relaxed, turning to watch her squirm in her seat as the room fell silent.
"Wow...wow... you finished the book?" Lorelai asked, her voice serious for the first time.
"Uhm, yeah. I did actually and I found a publisher... well, a publisher found me" she chuckled glancing at Tristan.
He squeezed her hand reassuringly.
"Truncheon is going to publish it" she said, her eyes cast down.
There was another silence over the room as Luke and Lorelai's eyes darted from Rory to Tristan.
"Jess?" Luke asked faintly.
"Yeah... he read it and thought it would be a good pick for their lineup this year" Rory replied cautiously.
"Wow" Luke said.
"Yeah, wow... I mean... I didn't even know you... finished it" Lorelai said, her voice faltering.
"Yeah... it's only been a couple of weeks really, with the revisions final" she shrugged.
"Wow" Lorelai repeated.
"Yeah, uhm" Rory said, turning to her bag "here it is. Well, this is just a manuscript, but it's the final version and it's going into print, so we should have a copy real soon" she said, and Tristan realized she was rambling, her nerves showing through.
"Wow" came Lorelai's reply.
"I'll leave this one here. In case you want to read it" she shrugged, and Tristan recognized the insecurity returning to every part of her.
There was a moment of stunned silence and then Lorelai reached for the manuscript.
"Can I read it now?" she asked, her voice careful, unsure.
"Yeah, but you don't have to, I mean it's not really short and it's not very..." Rory rambled once again.
"Go ahead Lorelai" Tristan said, giving Rory's hand another squeeze before he felt her relax in defeat.
Lorelai raced out of the room.
"Oh my god, my daughter is going to be a published writer" came her voice as she retreated.
Tristan looked at Rory and smiled reassuringly.
"Wow, so Jess?" Luke asked again, carefully studying Tristan's expression.
"Yeah" Rory smiled nervously.
"WHAT?!" they heard Lorelai's shriek.
"Well, I guess she finished the first line" Rory sighed and Tristan chuckled, turning towards the hallway to see Lorelai race back in.
"Excuse me?!?" she cried.
"Mom, calm down" Rory sighed.
"My mother died when I was four years old" Lorelai read, her face astonished "That's the first line of your book???" she asked.
Rory sighed.
"Yeah?" she tried, squinting.
"You kill me in the first sentence?" she shrieked.
"It's obviously not autobiographical" Rory sighed.
"Well let's hope" Lorelai murmured "Maybe it's a metaphor. Are you trying to tell me I wasn't there for you?" she asked becoming crazy.
"Mom" Rory sighed again.
"Lorelai, why don't you go read some more" Tristan said laughing "and me and Rory will take David for a walk, okay?"
"Fine, go, leave" she said in mock hurt "It's obvious how you all feel about me."
"God this was a stupid idea. I could have just not showed her at all. Could have just published under the name Tallulah Fornton" she said.
"Alright, Tallulah, get your ass off the couch, will ya?" Tristan pulled her up laughing.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tristan walked out of Rory's bedroom, heading towards the kitchen.
He saw the light on and frowned as he walked in, finding Lorelai stare ahead at the cupboards as she sat by the kitchen table.
He stood in the doorway watching her carefully.
"Hey... what are you doing up still?" he asked glancing at his wristwatch. It was almost two a.m.
She didn't move and he realized she had the manuscript in front of her.
He sat down from across her.
"You read it?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
Lorelai's eyes focused on his and he saw the tears shining in them.
"Yeah" he murmured, having a faint idea of how she could feel.
"This..." she started, her voice faltering.
"Yeah" he nodded.
"This is..." she tried again, falling as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"...is an ode to you" he finished for her.
He heard Lorelai cry softly.
"I..." she shook her head, seemingly unable to formulate words "... she has so much sadness in her... I never thought."
Tristan listened to her silently.
"She was always so balanced and happy and I thought I did a good job at giving her everything..."
"You did a good job, Lorelai" he cut her off, his words calm.
She looked up at him frowning.
"Do you honestly think that?"
He sighed, not really knowing what to say.
"I think that maybe you did too good of a job" he said slowly, choosing his words carefully.
Lorelai looked at him questioning.
He sighed again, hating to have to choose the words for something he felt strongly, but couldn't quite voice right.
"You raised her in a bubble..." he started and Lorelai opened her mouth to protest, but he raised a hand, signaling her to let him go on "you raised her in a bubble of love and warmth and protection... But she had to get out of it eventually, to be able to live her life. To be able to find herself. And I think that was a hard transition for her, because she wasn't quite ready for the world being a more difficult place than this house, than this town" he said, gesturing around him.
Lorelai sank back into her chair, listening to his words in defeat.
"It's like when you left Hartford. You were lonely and scared and alone and there was this whole world you were shielded from that you had to face on your own..." he said and he knew she understood, because her eyes dropped to the table, shining with unshed tears.
"It was the same for her in a way" he went on "that was the toughest lesson for her to learn... that she shouldn't take all the warmth and security for granted... because she got it effortlessly for the whole of her childhood, but in the real world, she has to work for it..." he said, trying desperately to not cringe at his own words "like you did".
"I don't know" he shrugged, suddenly not knowing if he was making sense, if any of his words could ever make sense like the thoughts in his head.
"You are right" she murmured.
"Maybe I should have..." she mumbled, her voice broken.
"You did everything right, Lorelai" he cut her off "you made her who she is. You taught her everything. Don't you see?" he asked, his fingers tapping lightly on the manuscript in front of her.
She looked at it, her eyes sad, but proud.
"This" Tristan pointed at Rory's novel "is her talking about what made her who she is... all the things she's learned growing up... In the novel, it's this strenuous process, because she has to do it on her own, and has to find it in memories and memories of others, and through intuition... in real life, she had you to teach her all that."
There was a moment, both of them staring at the manuscript in front of them, the quiet darkness of the house falling around them like a shield.
She looked up into his eyes again.
"God, I've got a great kid, don't I?" she chuckled as more tears rolled down.
"Yeah, she's pretty stellar" he agreed, leaning back in his chair as his chest became lighter.
"I had no idea" she shook her head.
"What?" he chuckled "That she loves you more than anything? That you taught her all she's proud of?" he asked her softly.
There was a sound breaking from Lorelai, something between a sob and a chuckle.
"God, it's so sad" she sniffed "and so beautiful... the way she learns about the mother she never had... it's me... and her... and my mother... and all mothers" she ranted and Tristan smiled as he realized that perhaps he wasn't the only one inadequate to express his awe about Rory's work.
"Yeah" he replied soothingly.
"God" she sniffed, trying to blink back the tears "is she asleep?"
"Yeah" he chuckled "but why don't you go ahead and wake her anyway? I have a hunch she's not going to be pissed" he smiled.
"Thanks, Tristan" she said as she stood up heading towards Rory's room.
"For everything" he heard her add and he knew she was looking back at him without having to turn around.
He nodded.
"You're welcome" he murmured hearing Rory's bedroom door open and close softly.
He sighed, feeling calm as he replayed their conversation in his head. He thought about all the silent fights he'd had with Lorelai, all the anguish he thought she was the source of. He realized that there was never just one person to blame, that things never were quite that simple. Rory taught him that.
He smiled as he walked to the fridge taking out the bottle of water he came out for in the first place, already hearing Lorelai's excited and Rory's drowsy but happy chatter from her tiny room.
xxxxxxxxxxx
He threw the keys onto the desk by the entrance and sighed. Rory brushed passed him carrying her own bag.
"God, does New York get further and further away with every trip?" she groaned.
He chuckled.
"Yeah, it's scientifically proven."
They spent the rest of the weekend in a cabin in the woods, the first signs of spring beautifully unfolding around them. He loved the smell of it, loved the early morning shower storms that wet the trees and fueled the greenness around them. And she loved Rory struggling with the forces of nature. The shoes ended up breaking her feet and he had to carry her back to the cabin this afternoon on his back when she refused to walk anymore. She looked more than relieved to be getting back to the big city as they said goodbye to her mother and her family.
It was already late in the afternoon as they got back to the city, the last rays of the sun bathing the town in an orange glow.
She groaned as she collapsed onto his leather armchair.
He watched her with a worried expression as she pulled off her shoes with apparent discomfort.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I have blisters" she murmured "this camping crap is... crap."
He chuckled.
"I am surprised your mother likes it so much" he replied.
"That's because she has proper camping gear. And two Danes men clouding her judgment" she groaned as she walked towards their bedroom, limping in the process.
"I have band aids in the bottom drawer in the bedroom" he shouted after her.
"Thanks" she mumbled. He chuckled as he heard her mumbling from the other room.
"Hope they're extra large" she went on "it feels like my feet is one large blister... how is that even possible? I bet they make the shoes especially so the blisters get..."
He lifted his head as he heard her stop talking suddenly. He furrowed his brows trying to determine why she suddenly stopped mid sentence.
Then he realized.
The bottom drawer. Fuck.
He dashed across the living room and down to the bedroom, coming to stop in the doorway, his heart racing in his chest as he tried to steady his breathing.
Rory sat on the floor, the bottom drawer of the chest pulled out as she stared at the opened box in her hand.
He forgot about the stupid ring.
"Rory" he called her name calmly.
"You still have this?" she asked, her voice small as she looked at him, her eyes in turmoil.
He sighed, walking in to drop to the floor across from her. He watched her look back at the ring, her face flushed from the evening chill and her hair slightly curly from the mist outside.
He felt all his strength gone as he sat, watching her struggle with the emotions.
"I thought you..." she trailed off, her voice shaking.
He gently took the jewelry box from her hand, trying to swallow a frown and not looking at the engagement ring that still made his stomach turn.
"Yeah" he sighed as the box finally closed, making it a bit easier for him to breathe "there was a very distinct possibility that it was going to end up at the bottom of the Hudson..." he chuckled wryly, trying hard to force a smile to his face and failing miserably.
He was suddenly reminded of the pain, reminded of the tension in his chest that he managed to forget.
"Tristan" she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears "I'm sor..."
"Rory, don't" he shook his head, tossing the box back into the drawer "please don't apologize. We are passed this, okay?"
She stared at him, her eyes showing guilt.
He had to look away, it made the nausea return.
"Tristan" she called his name again and her voice was weak.
"I should have taken it back, I don't know why I held onto it" he murmured.
"Because it's my ring" she whispered, tears silently sliding down her cheeks.
His eyes shot up to hers and he felt his jaws set as a shimmer of rage flooded and left his body. He wanted to not be angry. He wanted to not feel any rage. He sighed, deliberately relaxing his body.
"Yeah, well..." he shrugged.
"Do you ever think about asking me again?" she asked, her voice frail, her eyes downcast.
His eyes shot up to her face again, the wave of rage once again passing through him. He had to take a deep breath to calm himself. He furrowed his brows, not knowing what to say.
"Rory" he sighed.
She nodded, as if not wanting any more explanation. Another tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it away, trying to compose herself.
"I don't care about rings, or licenses. You are here and that's enough and..." he sighed again as he saw the hurt on her face.
"I blew it so bad" she mouthed the words, barely audible.
He felt a pang in his chest and he couldn't breathe for a second as he stared at her, then back at the drawer. He closed his eyes, registering every single feeling in his body. The rage, the tension, the guilt, the insecurity.
When he opened his eyes to look at her broken face again, all of those were gone. He took a deep breath.
He reached back into the drawer, taking out the box.
He felt her eyes on him, her intensity soothing the nausea that he felt come on as the velvet box lay in his hands.
He took another deep breath opening it.
The ring sparkled in the last rays of the sun filling the bedroom and he winced, not sure he could let all the connotations go as he stared at the diamond sparkling as though it didn't have all the pain and suffering he had to live through indented in the smooth planes of it's shiny surface.
He took the tiny ring out from its confine, the delicate structure weightless despite all the burden attached to it.
He looked up into her eyes as he saw her tears cascading down her face.
"Rory" he said as she held her breath "I don't care about rings. I only care about you. But if you feel this" he held up the ring "is yours, then it's yours" he said slowly sliding it onto her finger.
Her eyes followed the path of the ring and she gasped softly as it came to rest on her own. There was another sob breaking from her chest and Tristan watched with quiet worry as she stared at her hand.
She looked up finally and he willed himself to not feel panic.
With tears still cascading down her face, she smiled at him, brilliantly and lightly, her eyes lighting up in the process.
"It is mine" she nodded "You are mine" she continued, launching herself into his arm.
He released a breath he didn't know he was holding, squeezing her close to himself, so close he worried he was going to break her.