A/N: This fic is in response to a suggestion by Nate. He said someone should write about Rory being... by herself. I don’t know if this is what you had in mind or not but here is my attempt at it. Hope everyone likes it!

Thoughts

Rory shook her head, trying to concentrate on the book before her. She was still reeling from seeing the one and only Tristin DuGray at the party her grandparents had thrown earlier that night. It was quite a shock seeing him there. She should have known he would be back since school had let out. What had she expected? For him to stay in North Carolina? At first she was dreading speaking with him, thinking he would be the same cocky guy that had left so long ago. He frustrated her more than anyone ever had. He was such a jerk most of the time but then there were those times when he seemed almost human. Maybe that’s what drove her crazy the most. If he were always Mr. Arrogant then it would be easy for her to write him off as a spiteful socialite and that would be that. But when she did catch a glimpse of that vulnerable side, she couldn’t help but feel the need to take care of him.

And he looked good. Military school had done wonders for him. His hair wasn’t quite as messy as before. You could tell it was growing out from a buzz cut. His skin, what she could see of it due to the semi-formal wear, was tan and you could tell they had pushed him physically from morning to night. When he took off his jacket at one point, she could see the muscles tighten below his shirt and her heart couldn’t help but flutter.

Wait! Why did she keep thinking about his muscles? And his eyes? Before they had finally approached each other he had been throwing her glances all night. What was in those glances? Was it hate or... longing? When they finally spoke, she knew it wasn’t hate. After a tentative first few minutes they had picked up almost where they had left off. She found herself smiling at the familiar banter. Only now it was more of, dare she say, flirting then fighting. Then she had taken him per request on a tour of her grandparents home. She really hadn’t intended on ending up in her bedroom with him and when she realized that they were there, alone, with everyone else downstairs, her whole body tensed up. She prepared herself for his usual sexual innuendos, except they never came. Instead he simply smiled and moved away from her bed, commenting on the decorating her grandmother had done.

She liked the new Tristin. Eventually they had ended up on her bed. They lounged there talking about what he had missed at Chilton during their last year and about his experiences in military school. She found herself sad when her grandmother had found them, telling them that his parents were ready to leave.

“Ok, Grandma.” Rory answered. “We’ll be right there.” Her grandmother left them alone once again.

“Well... I guess I should go.” Tristin said.

“Yeah.” Rory toyed with a seam on her comforter. “I’m really glad you came. I mean, it’s great to see you again.”

“You too. We should... do this again sometime?”

“Sure. Just give me a call.”

“OK.” They got off the bed.

Tristin stopped her before they reached the door and leaned in towards her. Rory held her breath, not knowing what he was going to do. He put his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. She let the breath out, almost disappointed, but returned the hug. As he pulled back, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. Little sparks of electricity shot throughout her body.

“Goodnight, Mary.” He said in that low, husky voice of his. Then he was gone. And she was left there, trying not to think of his lips on her cheek or his body pressed against hers. She wasn’t supposed to be thinking of these things.

She lay back on the bed, her book forgotten and thought about the other time she had felt his kiss. On the piano bench at Madeline’s party. If she hadn’t been just starting to deal with her break-up with Dean, she could have really enjoyed that kiss. Then her mind wandered to their almost-kiss during the Romeo and Juliet scene they had in school. As much as she had said she wanted nothing to do with him then and acted like it was a big hassle, she had been plagued with anticipation the whole time. Her dreams had been invaded with his lips. And when they had the practice at Miss Patty’s and they were deep into the scene, it was driving her crazy having him above her like that with Dean standing there watching. He was purposely teasing her by almost telling everyone about their little secret. And then there was the almost kissing. Hovering over her, breathing his sweetness on her, lips inches from hers and then... NOTHING!

She shifted on the bed, frustrated and tired, deciding that maybe sleep would purge these thoughts from her mind. She set her book on the night stand, threw on the pajamas her grandmother had laid out for her, turned down the light, and climbed under the covers, sighing as the coolness of the sheets sild across her body. After tossing and turning for fifteen minutes she let out a loud angry growl. She wasn’t sleepy and she still couldn’t get him off her mind. It had been so nice laying on her bed with him that close to her and talking earlier. She finally gave up, closing her eyes and letting her mind and her thoughts take over...

Tristin scooted closer to her on the bed, reaching out a finger to trace her jaw line. “I missed you, Mary.”

“I missed you too, Tristin.”

“I really regretted not kissing you goodbye when I left, even if your boyfriend was standing there.”

“He’s not my boyfriend anymore. So maybe you should make up for it and kiss me hello.”

He smiled at her then slowly leaned in. The kiss was gentle, as it had been the first time, but she could only stand it so long before she had to deepen it, running her tongue along his lips, silently asking for entry and was pleased when he allowed her. They breathed each other in, not wanting to come up for air. He put those well toned muscles to good use and pulled her to him until their bodies were pressed flush against each other. It was then that Rory felt just how much he had missed her. He gasped as she pressed against him harder. Soon he was reaching under her skirt, caressing her thighs as he gently sucked and kissed her neck. She moaned as his hand brushed against her panties.

Rory’s eyes snapped open. She had almost forgotten that Tristin had gone home hours ago. Her face flushed as she realized it had been her own hand against her panties and not his, but she couldn’t stop and didn’t want to. She shrugged off her embarrassment as her mind drifted back to him and the thought of his hands that, in this fantasy of hers, were currently working those panties down over her hips...

He tossed them out of sight and worked his hand back again watching her face contort with desire as he finally touched the tangle of hair there. She let her head fall back onto her pillow as the electricity shot from his touch through her body and straight to her nipples which ached to be touched. While he continued to tease her, she wiggled her dress above her head and threw it, giving him even more of a canvas to work with. He ran his tongue along her breasts, tracing circles around her nipples without touching them. She grabbed his head trying to force his mouth onto her. When he finally gave in, taking her nipple between his teeth, she panted with the sudden rise of pleasure that caused her to ache and beg for release.

His hand fought furiously against her hips as she sought her release. Rory bit her lip, trying to suppress a moan that was quickly building up within her. She could feel the heat finally rolling through her in waves and tightened up against it trying to make it last and his hand slid in her and against her.

As her orgasm slowed she reluctantly opened her eyes to her empty room. One hand on her breast, the other still resting between her legs. No longer frustrated, she turned to her side with a satisfied smirk of her own and closed her eyes. Rory couldn’t help but wonder as she drifted off to sleep just what Tristin would think of his little Mary now... if only he knew. She slept, satisfied for the moment and anxiously awaiting his call.