Title: On the Right Path

Author: Bru Cardoso

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. I do own the plot. You know the drill.

Summary: Optional sequel to "On the Side" or "Back on Track". A scene to show how sweet life can be. Fluffy. One-shot. Lit

A/N: Reviews are highly appreciated – as always. Huge thanks to Hallon for the beta. It can be an optional sequel to "On the Side" or "Back on Track".

This is to Alexia who asked for a sequel to "Back on Track", well here it is… I hope you enjoy. And this is the last sequel, added chap or whatever to "On the Side", so please don't throw anything at me, okay: )

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On the Right Path

He kisses the back of her neck lightly and nuzzles her hair with his nose. She moans and tries to cover her head with the blanket, shut out the world outside – and more specifically what is trying to wake her up. He laughs quietly and sits on the bed beside her, watching as realization finally downs on her – as he knew it would – and grins when she jumps up excitedly.

A moment later she is smiling and giggling and throwing her arms around him, all at once. He can't help but laugh himself. She seems so much like the girl he fell in love with four years ago; so naïve and sweet, truly unprepared for the tricks life can play on you. But then he sees that her eyes have lost a bit of their glint, the sparks are faded and her smile is a bit forced even though it's sincere. And he hates the one who made her change like that; but then again it was all her choice.

She hugs him tightly and sighs in relief, "I wasn't sure if it was a dream. I wanted to stay up all night until you came, so I could be sure it wasn't a dream, but I was so tired…" She sighs again and holds him even tighter. "I was so scared it was just a dream," she repeats to herself.

"Hey, hey, calm down. I can assure you I'm real and I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, I know that. If you try leaving this room I'll just lock the door and chain you to the table."

He chuckles and looks into her eyes, closing the gap between them tentatively. He brushes their lips together carefully, his eyes wide open, just like hers. He deepens the kiss and closes his eyes and she follows him. When they break apart there is a goofy grin on their faces and their foreheads rest against one another.

"Wow," she whispers.

"Yup," he agrees.

"I didn't remember it being so…"

"Then again, we haven't in a long while…"

"Still, it's just… wow!"

He chuckles, "Yeah, you said that."

"But isn't it?"

"Hey, I couldn't agree more!" he defends.

Her grin grows bigger and she hugs him again, breathing in his unique scent that she has missed so much. "I've missed you so much," she whispers into his neck. "More than you can imagine."

He closes his eyes contently and lies down with her. "Do you have any classes now?"

"I can afford to miss one day."

"Rory…" he says in a warning tone.

"I've never missed a day," she defends. "And besides, it's for a good reason."

He buries his face in her neck and throws an arm around her waist, pulling her close. She chuckles and runs her hand through his hair, "I'm so happy right now that I won't even ask how you got into my apartment."

"Good, you wouldn't want to know," he smirks up at her. The smirk. That same smirk that used to drive her crazy and shy and make all those butterflies dance in her belly.

She finds it still has the same power over her as she feels her heart pound faster and her breath catch in her throat.

He gets on his side and holds his head up with an arm, watching her lying in front of him, like he thought she never would again. His fingers play with the hem of her shirt, slowly pushing it up, just enough to show some skin. She shudders, his eyes starve.

"You still think it's me?" he asks, confirming her confession from a phone call so long ago.

Not trusting her voice she simply nods and watches his eyes turn from mysterious dark to soft chocolate.

His fingertips run lightly over her pale skin as he asks, "And we are still talking about the same thing? Between us?" His fingers touch the flesh over her hipbone and she gasps and nods again, not breaking eye contact. He nods too.

His lips move to kiss the spot on her hip his fingers were touching just a moment ago. He looks up at her from where his head rests, somewhere between her hip and her legs. "Then I guess I should tell you I love you," he whispers.

Her whole body shivers, overwhelmed, and she bites her lip, willing her tears not to fall.

"And taking into consideration I'm already lying on your bed I think you can trust me when I say I'm not telling you this to get you in bed," he tries to make light of the situation, but she knows better, knows how serious it really is.

She takes his hand in hers and brings it to her lips, kissing his palm and whispers against his skin the same words he just offered her. And just then he lets it go; the whole bad boy act and the walls he has built around himself, the uninterested attitude and any second thoughts he could possibly still have about this. He smiles like a fool and kisses her on the mouth, wiping her happy tears and kissing them away.

When she comes back from her high of happiness to the nestled bed she looks up into his eyes, "You'll have to go back home?"

"For a while at least. I don't know how it's going to be…" he says, completely lost in her smile and too baffled by his emotions to think straight.

She bites her lip, afraid of her next words, but knowing she has to ask them. She tries them out in a small voice, "Are you coming back? To me?"

He smiles and traces her lips with a finger, but his eyes don't leave hers, "Don't I always?"

"Is that a promise?"

As response he whispers, "I think the exact words were 'All along it's been you'. And it has. I won't let you get away again… this is it. This is us. And it's for good."

She smiles dreamily, "And it's all I ever wanted to hear."