Disclaimer: I do not own GG and there are some lines from the canon reworked to fit the story, and the continuation and reimagining if Rory and Marty continued to grow closer. Also there were unnamed guys in the original scene so I gave them names.

A/N: I am not sure where this will go yet, but I'm working on it, and I'm enjoying reworking these small moments for these two. I am trying to edit this also the best I can with some help from Grammarly.

Chapter 10

"So, judging from the snores, I'm guessing you love the theatre."

Marty looked at Rory embarrassedly as he had been caught sleeping. Rory picked up Marty from New York Port Authority station after Marty had called Rory saying that he was stuck at the New York bus depot with the next bus leaving in 6 hours towards New Haven. Despite a 2-hour drive, Rory volunteered to pick him up.

"That wasn't a snore, that was a groan."'

For the drive, Rory put on Yale Radio which was playing the audio version of the Good Goods by the university's alumni Christina Anderson. As into as Rory was, she grunted when she saw Marty asleep.

"It was not a painful play."

"Any play is a painful play for me. Sorry. Just not a theatre type."

"That's too bad because you're gonna miss out on some wonderful things."

"Yeah, like what?"

"My mom took me to see Caroline, or Change in New York, Tony Kushner's musical, and it was the most amazing thing we ever saw. Tony Kushner wrote Angels in America. What? Why are you looking at me like that."

"I just never pegged you for a theatre geek. I thought your knowledge was extensively based in literature and old movies." Marty leaned into Rory and whispered as they pulled up to the lit-up Yale welcome sign. "I'm sorry, I fell asleep."

"Ah Ha! So, you admit it! You did fall asleep." Rory said mock accusatorily.

"Yeah, when the monologue started, I just couldn't keep my eyes open." Marty smiled sheepishly as Rory parked in her assigned spot. "Hey, how's about some ice cream, as I beg for your forgiveness?

"Ice cream sounds great."

"Then, ice cream it is... Come!" Rory, barely got out of the car when Marty took her hand and pulled her quickly behind him with an idea.

"Marty, where are we going? Slow down!"

Marty had this shy, mischievous grin on his face. "If we slow down, we die."

"Yeah, but if you go too fast, you kind of die also."

Marty brought her to a random door in a corridor, he took out his keys and inserted one in the lock.

"Marty, what are we doing?" Rory whispered with a little anxious voice.

Marty, still sporting a mischievous grin, opened the door and pulled her in, with some newly found confidence. "We're getting you ice cream."

Rory noticed that they were standing in the school's dining hall.

"But the dining hall is closed. We're breaking in."

"It's not breaking in if you have the key...is it?" Marty asked as he held up his key.

"Well, I mean it's a grey area..."

"One of my many jobs is to clean the dining room after hours."

"Ahh, hence the master of keys."

"Exactly. Now, it is a little risky that I've brought you here, but I owe you ice cream."

"What happens if we get caught? Could we get suspended? They can't kick you out of school for this, can they?"

"No," Marty amused. "My supervisor is pretty easygoing and as long as the work gets done, he won't care."

Marty took Rory's hand and stroked it with his thumb slowly. Rory couldn't help but blush.

"Woah! I've never seen the cereal station completely full before. I'm never here early enough. I knew they had Cocoa Puffs!"

"You know, the Breakfast Crew is still active. We- I mean I could always save you some."

"The what?" Rory grinned knowing full well what Marty was referring to...

In the first-year dormitory that she shared with Paris, she woke up to hear Paris angrily storming into the room. Janet worked out in the morning in their common room and her alarm and the trampoline sounds woke Paris. And Paris being Paris, got annoyed and stomped in ranting about how she shut Rory's alarm off while being upset with Janet.

By the time Rory got a peak at the clock, she realized that there were only five more minutes left of the dining hall serving breakfast. In a state of panic, Rory did not care that she rushed out of the residence in her pyjamas, a robe and bunny slippers.

In the dining room, Rory grabbed a Styrofoam container and started filling it with whatever food item she could collect. The final disappointment of that morning was when she realized that the coffee canister was out of coffee. Not one drop left. What was she going to do? How could she start her day without coffee?

Exasperated, Rory turned around to see a familiar guy approaching her.

"Rory?"

"Marty."

With a shocked tone, he answered. "You remembered."

"Well, I wasn't the one passed out in the hallway, so I had a better shot." Rory looked down nervously.

"True. Very true." Marty nodded. "So, I see you're a little late for breakfast."

"Yeah, my alarm was turned off," said Rory.

"Hey, you want some eggs or something?" offered Marty hopefully. "I always take enough for 10. I blame my brother. He always took the biggest piece of chicken."

"And left you none?" inquired Rory.

"No, there was more. I just wanted that big piece."

"Well-" Rory considered her options.

"I want you to meet the breakfast crew."

"I'm kind of -" said Rory awkwardly, indicating her messy being.

"We all just started eating breakfast together every morning, so someone came up with the name 'The Breakfast Crew'. I mean it's not like an official club or anything. There's no hats. At least not until we can all agree on a colour," rambled Marty nervously as he guided Rory to the table with his friends. "Uh, excuse me, guys. I want you all to meet Rory."

"Who?" said Glen.

"The robe," Marty said quickly.

"Oh, the robe. Nice to meet you," said Glen, and his friend, Pete nodded.

"I told them about your act of kindness," explained Marty.

"It was nothing, really," said Rory dismissively. She was slightly awkward about acknowledging the incident.

"I wouldn't say that. That was one nice robe," interjected Glen.

"We all took turns trying it on," confessed Peter.

"No, not true. Ignore him," debunked Marty. "I'm sorry I haven't gotten it back to you, yet."

"Oh, it's okay." Rory waved dismissively.

"Nice bunny shoes." Their other friend, Mark leaned over to comment.

"Thank you. It was nice meeting you all. I actually have to go so..." excused Rory as she turned towards the exit.

Marty followed. "I embarrassed you."

"It's fine."

"I'm sorry. I was just so relieved that I could finally approach you," Marty said, earnestly.

"Why couldn't you approach me?" asked Rory, confused.

"That night was really humiliating... So, every time I saw you after that, I just hid. But then, when I saw you, this morning show up like that, I thought, 'Here's my chance to even the playing field.'"

"Marty, this is not as embarrassing as being totally naked," Rory trying to make sense of his shyness.

"No, it's not," agreed Marty. "But it's close?"

Rory was at a loss for words and wanted to say the right thing, but she still felt awkward around him. "Well, consider the playing field levelled."

"Good. See you, Rory." Marty smiled.

"See you, Marty."

"The Breakfast Crew, you remember Pete, Mark and Glen..." answered Marty, oblivious to Rory's trip down memory lane.

Rory still remembered how awkward she was that day, and how basically it was after that and some other run-ins on campus that they became close acquaintances and eventually friends. They made plans to binge-watch movies or old tv shows either at her dorm or his. They bickered about which of the Stooges was the funniest, debated which Hitchcock film was the best, and argued which is better: sweet or salty snacks. He was her Marty. At some point during these casual hangouts, Rory had grown fonder of him and started to actually like him. It was like they fit perfectly together. Rory was suddenly aware of Marty's hand still in hers. She looked down momentarily at it and bit her lips while stifling a coy smile.

"Of course, I remember, Marty," Rory said in a low voice. She leaned into him, looking up to find him looking at her. And without, giving it another moment's thought, Rory closed the distance in between them.

Marty was a tad taken aback but quickly recovered as he started kissing her back. Rory deepened the kiss and suddenly their hand-holding ceased only for Rory's arms to settle around the nape of Marty's neck. Marty reciprocated by settling one hand on Rory's waist drawing her near and the other on the back of her head.

It was unknown how long they lip-locked in the middle of the dining hall as Rory tried to convey how appreciative she was he approached her bravely that day and the developments since then.

When their lips finally broke apart, Rory teasingly demanded, "Hey, are you ever gonna give me back my robe?"

Marty's confused face melted into the goofiest grin. "Come on, let's get you that ice cream..." and led her to the freezer.

"Marty, that wasn't an answer..." she laughed as she followed.