All I Want

Front Page Rumor

It was a dream. Tristan was sure of it. The world around him couldn't possibly be shaking. Everything was too perfect right now. He had all he could want lying beside him in his arms. But the insistent shaking kept on until he could ignore it no more, the beauty of his situation interrupted by the sharp jab in his ribs. Slowly Tristan's eyes came open, and he realized it had all been a dream. Rory wasn't lying beside him, nestled in his arms, and the only thing in front of him now was what appeared to be a very upset Lorelai.

"Finally, just exactly how drunk are you, and where the hell is Rory?" Lorelai asked, her temper only being held in semi-check by her worry for her daughter.

Tristan rubbed his eyes as he sat up. Where was Rory? It was a nagging thought in the back of his mind that he knew, but the accusation in Lorelai's eyes was causing a fog that he couldn't entirely break.

"Rory?" Tristan parroted.

"Yes," Lorelai answered impatiently. Tristan seemed out of it, and it made her mind crazy with all the possible worst-case scenarios.

"Oh...um... she's upstairs in your bed," Tristan offered, not trying to be cryptic but also not trying to confess what a debacle the entire night had become. Still, Lorelai's death stare made him begin to sweat. "She had her reasons, he began to explain, but the tension in the room had him looking instead for an avenue out. "You know what? I should probably get going. It's a long drive home."

With a sigh, Lorelai offered Tristan the unthinkable. " It's okay if you want to stay the night. I suppose I owe you at least that for cleaning the house after your party.

"Wha... how did you know?" Tristan couldn't keep himself from asking.

"Lesson number one. Never clean the house too good... it's the ultimate way for a parent to know you've had an out-of-control party." Tristan nodded in understanding at Lorelai's offered advice.

"I'll know better for next time," he replied. "To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't know this time... you don't seem like the non-party throwing type."

Tristan couldn't figure out why, but he didn't want to lie to Lorelai, so he settled for a little altered honesty. He hated admitting to himself, much less anyone else, how little his dad cared about what he said or did as long as his actions didn't besmirch the family name.

"I could tell you some stories, but you already don't like me, so let's leave it at lack of parental concern means you don't usually have to clean up your messes.

There was a maturity to Tristan tonight that gave Lorelai a sense of unease. She wanted so bad to ask him what had 'gone down,' but she was sure there was no way he would tell her. The question that circled in Lorelai's mind was, 'was he protecting himself or her daughter.' Her gut told her it was the latter. Lorelai suspected that when the truth finally revealed itself, Rory would be the one who won the disappointment award from her, not Tristan.

I was serious about you staying on the couch for the night. I can get you some pillows and a blanket. "

I appreciate that, but I have a paper due tomorrow, and unfortunately, it's at home. So it will be easier if I go now rather than rush to get it tomorrow before class."

"Okay, well... please drive safe."

It was uncharacteristic of Lorelai to state any concern for his well-being, and it got Tristan right in the feels. Maybe tonight hadn't been such a disaster if he was coming out of it with Lorelai letting down her walls about him, even a little.

"Thanks," Tristan said, and in the next split second, he grabbed his jacket off the hook by the door, and he was gone.

As soon as the door shut behind him, Lorelai headed up the stairs. She needed to see Rory for herself, and sure enough, as soon as she entered her bedroom, she saw her all tucked in nice and cozy in the middle of her bed. Relieved, Lorelai took off her shoes and crawled in beside her, pulling the small number of covers not wrapped around Rory over herself. She'd intended to just gently yank over enough so she wouldn't freeze to death in the middle of the night.