9.1. "Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action."
Benjamin Disraeli

Co-written with obscuritenoire & lotterylucky
[Follows THIS, THIS and THIS]

Rory looked at the chocolate croissant in his hand, first wondering why croissants were actually that shape, and then wondering how the hell he was going to eat it without spreading pasty from arsehole to breakfast all over the Bachelor Pad of Plenty. He probably should be wondering if Buffy would mind if he stole one of them from her stash, but he really wasn’t. She had buggered off to go buy pigeon porridge, or just run away to hide from the awkward... either way, she wasn’t here. Rory was here, and he was here with one of her chocolate croissants. The only thing was, he knew he wasn’t actually here alone. Apparently GI Joe had come home sick that morning, but other than hearing him go for a few rounds with the Porcelain Goddess in the bathroom up the hall around lunchtime, Rory hadn’t actually seen him since the morning before when he pulled a white ninja routine and left to escape the dodgy conversation.

( But he was just about to bite into the pastry when the door of the main bedroom finally opened and emitted Saving Private Ryan, who looked about as scary and intimidating as a well-worn gumboot... )


Word Count | 3,287

8.1. "Each betrayal begins with trust."
Phish

Co-written with lyricalembrace
[Follows THIS and THIS | Simultaneous to THIS]

Rory stood in the middle of his living room that now looked much like a bomb had just hit it. Not a bomb, however. Just a vampire in a rage that could only be tamed when she reigned her own emotions back in. It was pointless for Rory to even try or he could have gotten hurt. Instead, he had just let her get through it, knowing that waiting it out would be the best thing in that situation. He couldn’t even get clear answers out of her beyond the fact that Xander and Buffy were involved on some level. Whatever it was, Airlie was extremely upset and Rory hadn’t seen her like this is a long time.

( Now she seemed to have calmed down a little, standing by his mantle, breathless as she pushed her fiery red and now dishevelled hair out of her face... )


Word Count | 1,836