CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT !

[ real life ]

- ❝ TAKE CARE OF HER FOR ME ❞ 💌

ʳᵉᵃˡ ˡⁱᶠᵉ !

he's not sure how he's been talked into this, but somehow chris has ended up skipping class with rory. he doesn't particularly care about missing class, especially because they currently have health class or some other irrelevant class, but it's strange that rory is willing to skip. he's called her nerd for the past few years for a reason, namely that her grades are always annoyingly good and she's determined to get into college. it's very unlike her to want to skip, which is exactly the reason he agreed to this in the first place. there has to be something wrong, and he wants to make sure she's okay.

he kind of feels like he owes it to her after everything that's happened. he's wasted so many years hating her and times like these are chances for him to try and get at least some of it back.

which is exactly why he's currently following her down the hallway. he was confused as to where they were headed at first, but he's now realizing that they're going to the backstage area of the auditorium. it's always desolate except for after school, when the theater kids raid it and go absolutely crazy in here during rehearsals. chris sometimes hears them yelling after lacrosse practice because the auditorium is located right by the handicapped bathrooms where he and matt always change, and it honestly scares him a little.

he's got no desire to find out what they're doing, so he usually just walks away as quickly as possible, deciding to change out of his sports gear once he gets home.

lucky for him though, there's no scary theater kids here right now. it's just him and rory, the girl taking a seat on the floor next to a large rack of costumes. she picks up a hat from the floor and holds it above her head, posing.

"how do i look?" she asks him, grinning.

"dumb," he replies, sitting down cross-legged opposite her. rory rolls her eyes, placing the hat back down. "hey!" chris says. "you looked pretty with it on."

"you literally just said i looked dumb," she deadpans, but she's still smiling ever so slightly.

"can't someone look dumb and pretty at the same time?" he asks.

"i suppose," she nods. "...considering you manage to do it every day."

chris rolls his eyes, but smiles all the same as he shuffles over, closer to her. he can't help but feel a little vulnerable around her, after everything he told her yesterday while they were stranded at the gas station. he meant every word he said, but it's still nerve-wracking to know that she now knows it.

for the first time since sixth grade, the two of them are able to sit there in a comfortable silence. for once, there's no secrets, no lies, no hatred, nothing between them besides this moment, right now.

they continue to sit there in silence in the dimly lit backstage area of the auditorium, their silence a stark contrast to the usually-bustling hallways. chris can't get over how strange he finds it that rory is willingly skipping class.

he turns to her, his eyes filled with curiosity and concern. "rory, why are we skipping? you're usually the last person to miss a class."

rory lets out a sigh, her usually vibrant brown eyes reflecting a sort of deep sadness that almost pains chris to look at. she looks down at her hands, fingers fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "i just... i couldn't face it today," she confesses, her voice trembling ever so slightly.

chris raises his eyebrows, before moving closer and resting a hand on her thigh. "i know i haven't exactly acted like it for a while, but you can always talk to me," he tells her, offering a pathetic smile that he knows doesn't reach his eyes.

rory bites her lip, nodding her head slowly. after a moment, she finally speaks again, her voice still shaky.

"i'm..." she begins, stopping and contemplating whether or not to continue. chris looks at her, staying quiet and waiting for her to go on. rory looks away for a second, before placing her hand on top of his and looking back at him.

"i'm forgetting my dad," she says finally, and chris' eyes widen. "he's not even been gone for a year and there's already things about him that i can't remember anymore."

and just like that, chris' heart sinks as he realizes what's been going on. he's been selfish enough to forget, even with everything else going on between them, their friends, at school, all this time she's still been dealing with the loss of one of the most important people in her life.

"i'm sorry, rory," chris says softly, feeling pathetic but he honestly doesn't know what else to say.

tears welled up in rory's eyes as she continues, "i'm forgetting his voice, his features, the way he used to act - it's all fading away."

"i'm sorry," he repeats. there's nothing else to say.

rory wipes her eyes and looks at him, her expression softening. "it's okay, chris," she says, smiling weakly. "just... thank you for being here."

chris nods. "is there anything i can do to help, at all?" he asks, but she shakes her head.

"being here is enough," she mumbles quietly. "it means a lot."

they fall back into a peaceful silence, the weight of their shared past and this newfound vulnerability hanging in the air. in the midst of the quiet, chris finds his mind wandering back to a specific moment, something he's never shared with anyone.

chris takes a deep breath as he walks down the hallways of the hospital. he puts his hands in his pockets to stop them from shaking as he follows his parents, walking in between nick and matt. they're visiting rory's dad today. none of them have had the courage to see him after his terrible crash with a drunk driver a few days ago, not until now.

even so, chris is still hesitant to visit, for two distinct reasons.

firstly, his longstanding hatred for the man's daughter makes this a tad awkward, even though chris and her dad have been close for years. he adores the man and sees him as a second father, but it's still strange knowing he and his daughter despise one another. the other reason is that chris is deeply worried about what he's going to find when he enters that hospital room.

none of rory's family is here today. it's just him, matt, nick, and their parents. chris' mind slows as he enters the room, the walls already feel like they're closing in around him. upon seeing him, his mom and nick can barely even say hello before their eyes well up with tears and they leave once again, not wishing to make him upset. so now, it's just chris, matt, and their dad in the room.

the room is dark, quiet, and cold, a complete contrast to the warm and joyous personality of rory's dad. it's difficult now, for chris to believe that the animated man he knows is the same person as the mere shell lying on the hospital bed before him. he and matt stand by the bedside, too nervous to speak and only offering weak smiles, while jimmy at least manages to start a conversation. rory's dad replies easily, fragments of his usual self still lingering in his words, but there's a certain sadness in them that makes chris' heart break.

as the hour-long visit time draws to a close, a nurse enters the room and politely informs them that their time is up. they begin to gather their things, ready to leave and say their goodbyes. chris sighs, about to walk out of the door when rory's dad, despite his weakened state, calls out.

"chris," he says in a soft voice. "can you please stay... for a moment?"

chris is taken back, his heart feeling uncomfortably heavy. he watches as his family exits the room, before turning around. holding his breath, he steps forward, closer to the man who has become a fatherly figure to him over the years. chris feels his heart beating faster. the man before him is merely a shadow of his former self.

he remains by the side of rory's dad's bed, the only sound in the room being the droning whirr of the medical machinery around them, combined with the shakiness of the man's breathing.

as rory's dad extends his trembling hand towards chris, a profound sense of vulnerability washes over him. he hesitates for a short moment, his own emotions threatening to overwhelm him. in that fragile, unspoken connection, he reaches out, gently taking rory's dad's frail hand. a wash of emotions floods over chris as their hands meet.

he wants to be strong, to offer comfort and solace, but the sadness in the man's eyes is almost too much for him to bear. as the seconds pass, he finds it more and more difficult to remain composed as the weight of the moment comes crashing down on him.

all he wants to do is run away.

his thoughts are interrupted as rory's dad manages a weak but heartwarming smile, squeezing chris' hand as tightly as his weakened state allows him.

"chris," he repeats. "i need to ask you a favor."

the sixteen-year-old boy shifts uncomfortably in his seat, the anticipation of the man's wish already making him anxious. he fears whatever is asked of him, he won't be able to live up to it.

"of course," chris murmurs, unable to think of anything else to say. rory's dad's hand is cold against his, and the soulless room around them offers little comfort.

"my daughter," the man begins, before taking a deep breath. "take care of her for me."

chris' eyes widen at that. "me?" he questions. "i'm not sure that's-"

"i know the two of you aren't each other's biggest fans," her dad chuckles, before his expression turns solemn. "but she loves you, and she needs someone like you with her when i'm not around anymore."

the boy's heart is beating faster than ever before, and he knows that if he weren't currently holding the man's hand, it would be shaking. his mouth opens to say something, anything, to let him know that he is not the right person to take care of rory, but her father begins speaking again before he has the chance.

"i can't think of anybody i'd rather astoria be with."

his words are followed by a moment of silence, before the man's smile grows as he takes in chris' shocked expression. his amused look interrupts the boy's worried thoughts, and he smiles too.

"okay," chris says, but it's enough. his eyes well with tears as the two of them look at one another. it's quiet, but not the cold kind, or the sad kind. it's a moment of acceptance, woeful as it may be.

"can i ask you another question?" he asks, to which chris immediately nods. "do you love my daughter?"

while the man expects chris to freeze, to shake his head, to immediately deny, the boy just sighs. he sighs once, his blue eyes full of honesty when he nods, "yes."

and all rory's father can do is smile.

the man breaks eye contact then, his eyes drifting from chris to the direction of the door. chris follows his gaze, turning around and freezing when he finds rory standing in the doorway. she doesn't even look at him, her brown eyes fixated on the sight of her father.

it's a strange look, one that chris finds difficult to figure yet. it's a mixture of happiness to see him, but sadness to see him like... that.

chris drops the man's hand, giving him a short nod before turning away from the hospital bed and beginning to walk towards the door. he and rory make brief eye contact as he passes her by, but chris opts to say nothing as he exits the hotel room.

it's only once he's gone, far enough down the hall where nobody will be able to see him, that chris leans against the wall, exhaling sharply. he closes his eyes, shaking his head rapidly.

he knows that's the last time he's going to see rory's dad.

he only wonders when it will be the last time she sees him.

"i'm sorry."

rory furrows her eyebrows, confused. she frowns at him, and chris knows his expression is glum. the memory overwhelmed him, filled him with such deep guilt and regret that those two words were all he could think to say.

"what?" she asks softly, shuffling closer to him. she places a hand on top of his, the one still resting on her leg.

"i..." he begins, stopping himself as he wonders whether or not he should tell her about that moment, the last time he saw her father.

"yes?" she says, her voice so calm and understanding that his heart almost breaks right then and there. chris sighs, looking up at her.

"the last time i saw your dad," he starts, watching as rory's eyes immediately widen, her expression turning from concerned to curious in an instant. her whole body has stiffened, and it almost makes him feel worse.

"that day, he asked me to take care of you," chris says quietly. "he said, i can't think of anybody i'd rather astoria be with. so i'm sorry... that i wasn't there for you."

rory is frozen now, shaking her head.

"i feel like i failed him," chris admits. "and you."

rory continues shaking her head, moving even closer and resting her head on his chest.

"you were always there," she whispers. "always."

chris finds his face breaking out into a smile as she gazes up at him. unable to stop himself, he presses a soft kiss to her forehead, and she beams, nuzzling back into his chest.

"what else did he ask you?" rory asks, her fingers tracing up and down his t-shirt. chris blushes, grateful she can't currently see his face.

"um," he mumbles, embarrassed. "he asked me if i uh... if i love you."

rory tenses, looking up at him again. she narrows her eyes at him, slightly tilting her head to the side.

"oh? and what'd you say?" she grins.

"yes, obviously," chris shrugs, watching as the girl stares at him, a look of disbelief on her face. "oh, come on," he continues. "is it really that hard to believe?"

"uhh..." she answers, and he rolls his eyes.

"i literally poured my heart out to you at the gas station and just now and you still don't believe i love you?" he questions, raising an eyebrow.

"no. no! i believe you," rory says defensively. "it's just... strange, that's all."

"why?"

"i don't know, i guess i just never thought it would happen."

chris grins at that.

"so you've been fantasizing about it?" he says smugly.

"no!" she gasps, before shaking her head and lightly smacking his arm. "shut up."

"you've so been fantasizing about it," chris laughs. "god, that is so embarrassing for you."

"fuck off," rory replies, crossing her arms.

chris laughs again, before leaning forward to plant a soft kiss to her lips. she smiles into it, her hands gripping the fabric of his shirt to pull him closer. meanwhile, one of his hands moves upwards to rest in the crook of her neck. the kiss is only short, but to the pair of them it means everything.

they both pull away, leaving chris awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. rory narrows her eyes at him, honestly a little confused as to what the fuck he's doing.

"what," she says, just waiting for the dumb comment.

"um, i think we're forgetting something..." chris muses, struggling and evidently failing to hide the smile attempting to form on his mouth. rory rolls her eyes.

"yes?" she asks, crossing her arms. chris' smile finally makes an appearance.

"well, you haven't told me that you love me yet," he tells her. "and there's only five minutes left of this period, so..."

"of course i love you, you fucking idiot," she sighs, honestly struggling to believe that she had to clarify.

"there it is," chris grins, placing his hands on her hips and leaning in to kiss her again.

this chap is kindaaaa depressing but it's really important for the plot so i had to include it

awww rory and chris (FINALLY) L worded ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ cheesing rn

━ ava ᥫ᭡