A spring heat wave had Maris wanting to get out of the city. She was slightly hesitant to ask Rory to come along. She had never brought anyone to her grandfather's beach house and she was left wondering what exactly a weekend getaway meant the moment the invitation left her mouth, but her excitement overode everything else. Especially when she managed to get the last convertible when she rented a car to drive up the coast. Delaware had a bit less to do than the Jersey shore but the beaches were less crowded and free of meatheads with spray tans.

Maris' grandfather preferred the fishing. She preferred the quiet. Since she drove, she took control of the radio for most of the trip. The pair listened to mostly Billy Joel (her father's favorite) and Elton John (hers) on the way up, Maris even singing along once or twice. Despite shooting down offers to go to karaoke with their coworkers as soon as they came, her voice wasn't half bad. Just rarely used.

After a day at the beach, they headed back to the house (essentially a cabin within walking distance to the beach, cozy but not cramped), Maris giving Rory a quick kiss when they got in the door. "You can take a shower first." Normally she would have gone right in there with her, but she had a surprise in store.

"I'm making dinner. I'll call you when it's ready. The tv room's at the end of the hall or there's a ton of books around here. They're probably mostly non fiction and Tom Clancy novels but I'm sure you'll find something," she said, playfully pushing Aurora toward the bathroom before she had a chance to protest.

"Oh, rinse my flip flops for me too, will you?" she asked, tossing them at her playfully.

Since Rory had started cooking for her (and occasionally showed her the ropes in the kitchen), Maris was determined to reciprocate. Spaghetti was hardly a culinary feat. It was pretty much impossible to screw up.

Which was exactly what Maris was counting on. Tossing her sunhat onto the kitchen table, she ducked under the counter to grab a pot and get to work.

"Here goes nothing," she mumbled, turning on the sink.

Cloud nine wasn't even remotely the right terminology for how Aurora was feeling of late. It was as though she finally got the terminology behind hitting the ground running, when the pavement was already rolling ahead so she had to sprint to keep up. And, she was glad for the work-out it was. Every time she was with Maris and thought that she would be able to hold some semblance of "cool" she used to think she was great at, it wasn't exactly so. Case in point: There wasn't a moment's hesitation when Maris invited her up to her uncle's beach house. Sure, she could pass it off as a need for vacation, the pull of the ocean, or any number of other things, but in actuality all she wanted was to spend uninterrupted time alone with her ... girlfriend? That sounded about right, though labels weren't exactly high on her list of priorities. She was with her. That was enough.

Even the drive up had felt idyllic, her excitement growing the closer they got, her hand oft times finding itself in Maris'. The distance from school just gave her the opportunity not to hold back when she wanted to touch her. Even some terribly-belted Tiny Dancer felt like it was the perfect accent to the trip. She felt carefree in the actual meaning of the world.

"Oooh, look at you." Her tone was only half teasing as she pulled her band from her hair, shaking out a bit of residual sand outside before walking into the house. "Spoiling me with those culinary skills." She smirked as the words were spoken against Maris' lips, stealing one, no, two more quick kisses to her lips before she took towards the bathroom. She only tossed back a playful glare as the flip flops clattered to the floor next to her, but scooped them up just the same.

She could feel the residual sunshine on her skin as she stepped into the shower, taking a cooler shower than normal. She often took lukewarm showers in the summer, preferring them to the hot ones of the winter. The semi-cool water felt good on her skin, which reminded her to layer up with maybe a little more sunscreen tomorrow. Best not to go full lobster, no matter how well she tanned.

Rory took her time with the shower, unhurried even if she did want to get to Maris as soon as possible. She reminded herself to give the other woman time to really put those basic cooking skills she was trying to impart on her to work. When she was finished, she put Maris' rinsed flip flops on the ledge of the tub and toweled dry, letting her hair air-dry down before padding across the hall to their room.

While she seriously considered coming out to the kitchen stark naked (and had full intention of spending much of the weekend exactly that way), she instead figured it best they'd enjoy dinner before getting to their version of dessert ... then maybe walk to go find ice cream at nightfall.

Rory settled on a red tank top with nothing underneath it (why, vacation right??) and a pair of black canvas shorts. All light and summery, and maybe just that they accentuated her long legs. By the time she arrived in the kitchen, there was already an aroma of food cooking. "Smells good. Not a scorch mark in sight." She teased as she slid her arms easily around Maris' middle, her chest against her back and lips quickly finding the curve of her neck to drop a kiss there. "Can I help?"

Maris was so caught up in cooking dinner that she jumped when Rory put her arms around her. She played it off with a nervous laugh before leaning back into her."Mmm... well, if you stay that close distraction's sure to follow either way, but nope. You're not allowed."

She turned around in her arms to kiss her properly, grinning as she pulled away. "Course they do say a watched pot never boils so..." She pulled Rory in for another kiss. "Ugh, you smell amazing and I'm probably half sweat half sand." But it didn't stop her from kissing her again, hand sliding down to caress her bare thighs as her tongue slipped past her lips. Nudging Rory against the counter across from the stove, she murmured, "Have I mentioned how glad I am you agreed to come with me?"

Laughing as Maris jumped, Rory gave her a little squeeze in response. "Oh wow, you're really going deep into spoiling me aren't you?" Her grin seemed constant; there was this lightness to the entire dynamic between them that she'd felt from the minute they got into the car together. There was certainly a sense of excitement in sneaking around with Maris when they were home, but freedom held with it such a different feeling. She was freer, and unabashed in anything they did - not just behind closed doors. While Rory didn't mind (and certainly understood why) the secrecy, it felt good to just be.

Rory was already greedy by the time Maris turned in her arms, her fingers smoothing through her hair as she readily accepted the kiss from the other woman. "No, you smell good. Like sunshine." She smiled into her lips, humming a soft sound as their lips met again, her own parting instinctively to deepen the kiss. She already felt her body heat rise as she was caught between Maris and the counter, a warmth in her cheeks as she wondered just how mad Maris might be if dinner was all but forgotten for a while. "Mm, I could stand to hear that again." Her own hands slid along her sides before circling around her to pull her in closer. "But you've been showing it even better, actually."

"Good, I'm glad. But I'm also pretty sure I can think of a few more ways to show my appreciation." Maris smirked as her thumb slid upward, under Rory's shorts to stroke the soft skin of her inner thigh as she deepened the kiss.

The world tended to fade away the moment their lips (or any other body part) touched, but her grandfather's cabin was pretty isolated, which was why the sound of a car crunching on the gravel outside registered, vaguely in the back of Maris mind, but she didn't think much of it until she thought she heard footsteps on the front porch.

"Hold that thought," she mumbled, giving Rory an apologetic look. "And um, watch the spaghetti?"

She didn't expect to be more than a minute or anything other than someone who had gotten lost on the back roads. She certainly wasn't expecting to see her grandfather with his fishing rod in hand.

One look at Adam would tell you where Maris had got her height from. He was tall, though he'd shrunk a bit in recent years due to his age. Though some very bushy eyebrows were the first thing you noticed he was still handsome. He had nearly a full head of hair, which made him popular with women his age (though he'd never quite gotten over Maris' grandmother). It was wavy, formerly black but white for as long as Maris could remember. Though he was usually a sharp dresser (Maris had inherited her love of nice, tailored clothes from him too) he was dressed casually for his fishing trip in a tee shirt and jean shorts.

"Pop, I-"

"I know you're borrowing it for the weekend, I just need to grab my spare reel. This one busted." He held out his fishing rod to show Maris the damage.

"Oh, well, I can get it for you," she said quickly, keeping her back pressed against the door. "Where is it?"

"You wouldn't know. Come on, Mari, when's the last time you went fishing?"

"You took me fishing a lot when I was small."

"Until you suddenly thought it was gross."

"Well, it is a little barbaric once you realize fish are sentient beings."

"Harsh," he said, grabbing his chest playfully. "Come on, Mari, let me in. You don't have a woman in there do you?" he joked.

Maris grimaced, sucking her teeth. "Yeah, well...."

"Oh, then I'm definitely going in."

They were both very aware that Maris had never introduced a girlfriend before.

Adam had technically met Izzie, the first girl Maris had ever fooled around with because they hung out at his shop after school, but that hardly counted, especially when she'd never told him she was more than a friend.

The fact that she'd never really had a relationship serious enough to warrant bringing someone around her family certainly played a factor. As did the fact that she cared about their tiny unit more than most people would give someone as cold as herself credit for, but honestly? She was a little embarrassed by the fact that it was sort of incomplete. She'd never longed for her mother and knew she was probably better off without someone who didn't want to be in the picture but explaining her absence was awkward, especially when she was pretty sure she was the reason her mother had left to begin with.

Besides, it was too fast. She and Rory hadn't even figured out what they were yet, a conversation she was hoping to have during their trip if it came up easily enough. This well...this was entirely too much.

But being so standoffish with her grandfather felt wrong and Maris softened as she saw him smiling on the porch. She sighed, raking a hand through her hair. "Come on, I'll introduce you." She bit her lip before calling for Rory.

Rory liked to think that she could play things fairly cool, much of the time. She had a pretty great way of compartmentalizing when she needed to. This whole thing she had going with Maris definitely challenged her 'cool'. No, they hadn't had some big talk about what they were or what they meant to each other, but Rory felt like they were on the same page. She wasn't exactly chill when she could note the amount of time they had been together down to the day, the hour if she really thought about it. Oddly enough, there hadn't ever been a moment where she was concerned about some passing fancy or that they just were heading for something inevitably disappointing. She wanted to spend her days with Maris, and very well got the impression that Maris felt the same. People talked about not needing labels and she understood that wholeheartedly, even more so lately when she was simply content to be inside the bubble of how good this thing felt with Maris. Still, she caught herself more than a couple of times wanting to call Maris her girlfriend, or something of the like. They were moments that made her roll her eyes at herself, finding it so juvenile but still … sweet.

A dramatic huff came in direct response to Maris putting space between them whatsoever, her lips twisting together as she nodded and leaned back into the counter. Whether it was leaving her to go investigate someone interrupting their time together or just leaving the bed to get water, Rory always felt it palpable when there was distance between them. "I'll watch, but I won't touch it." She teased with a playful glare in her eye.

In the few minutes Maris was gone, Rory did shut off the water, just as the timer went off. She was mid-stir (okay, she couldn't be that hands-off) when she heard Maris calling for her from the front. Actually, she should have been slightly worried that she had been gone a few minutes and it wasn't just a quick thing.

Padding barefoot towards the front porch, her pulse quickened for whatever reason as she caught glimpse of someone talking with Maris. Her first instinct was maybe a neighbor coming to borrow something, but there was a familiarity in his kind eyes as she approached. "Hello," She greeted with a smile, fighting the urge to seek out Maris for a kind of comfort just to wrap her hands around hers. Rory wasn't naturally a nervous person, but she felt a kind of gravity before she had any real right to.

Maris chewed on her lip for a moment, suddenly very aware of how much damage her day in the sun had done to them.

"Rory, this is my grandfather, Adam."

She had never really introduced her grandfather to anyone, lover or not and was sort of unsure how to go about it. Using his first name felt strange because she rarely did.

As she opened her mouth to tell him just who Rory was, Maris realized she had never introduced her to anyone either. "Pop," she inwardly cringed, feeling a bit silly for using the endearment in front of Rory. Everyone had a name for their grandparent(s), of course but something about using it in front of someone not in her family felt a bit...intimate and slightly childish. "This is Rory. She works at my school."

While it was the truth, it still felt wrong. Rory was more than a coworker to Maris and she knew the other woman felt the same way about her. Like Rory, she also cared very little for labels but the introduction made Maris start to feel the need for one. Not calling Rory more than a friend made her feel like she was selling them both short.

"I think I need to get a job down at that school. Look at the beautiful women they're hiring." Adam smiled at Rory, giving her a nod of acknowledgement. "Lovely to meet you, Rory. I won't intrude for very long. I just need to grab something before heading out on my boat again."

"Adam." Rory repeated, a mixture of some weird relief (that they weren't going to be murdered out in the cabin, maybe?) and then a whole new surge of nerves along with it.

Manners were a big thing growing up, where her parents often stressed the proper way to greet someone, how to make people feel comfortable around you. If you are hosting company, Aurora, it is your responsibility to make everyone feel welcome long beyond their arrival. This felt wildly different, though her instincts did kick in. She smiled and glanced between the two of them. Her smile maybe faltered just slightly as Maris stumbled over their introduction. Yes, it made complete sense and Rory didn't even know if she was out to her family, but it still drove home the point that they hadn't talked about what they were to each other yet. Still, works at my school hardly spoke much to their connection at all. It would be silly to be disappointed by that, but it was real estate she'd give to her feelings later, when she wasn't trying to make a good impression.

The last thing that Rory wanted to do was make this awkward for Maris, so she did keep a little bit of distance between them - though, probably not enough, considering she took her entire opportunity to be as close as possible to her when she could. Oops. "Lovely to meet you, too. Thank you for the cabin, it's wonderful."

Stepping aside so Adam could fully come in, she chuckled a little late at the beautiful women comment. It was such a quintessential parent/grandparent thing to say. As he moved into the house, she bumped Maris' shoulder with her own, a small smirk on her lips as she lowered her voice. "Do you want to invite him to stay for dinner?"

Maris would have been lying if she said she wasn't relieved that her grandfather was taking it easy on the teasing front, especially since their conversation on the porch implied that Rory was more than just some girl she worked with. But her nerves were still shot. With no frame of reference, she had no idea how her grandpa would act around someone she was seeing, let alone how Rory would take having one of her relatives sprung on her. She wanted to keep an eye on both of them, but missed the way Rory's smile faltered when she introduced her because she turned her attention to Adam immediately after.

Her eyes widened at Aurora's suggestion. It would have been just plain rude to not invite an acquaintance to dinner with them, let alone family but manners had (strangely) been forgotten in her attempt to keep everyone comfortable. She wavered slightly, not just worried about the prospect of her grandfather asking too many questions or sharing embarrassing stories. She wanted to make sure this wasn't too much for Rory. Having Adam show up felt wrong, like she'd broken some sort of unspoken promise between them.

She had hardly agreed to meet the grandparents. But would she have offered to have him over for dinner if she didn't want to?

"Sure," she said back. "Um, if you like." She shot the other woman a look that she hoped conveyed how sorry she was at his sudden appearance.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Pop? I made spaghetti."

Adam laughed. "Does Vinnie's deliver all the way out here?"

"No," she said a bit too tersely, a hand on her hip. "I really did."

Adam raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed before whispering to Rory conspiratorially. "I nearly lost my brownstone the last time she cooked. I never did get the burn marks off the ceiling."

"I was twelve!"

"Which is old enough to know how to make more than macaroni and cheese, Mari."

Maris blushed. "Yes, well, no one can be good at everything."

"But you sure try." He ran a hand through his hair, studying the girls' expressions before nodding. "I probably should eat something before I head out. I'd love dinner. Just let me wash up?"

Maris walked over to Rory the moment her grandpa disappeared down the hall, panic very evident in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she hissed, punctuating the last one with a kiss. "He just showed up and..."

On one hand, this was actually kind of a welcome scenario. If it was going to happen, Rory meeting someone that was so important to Maris, she could probably be really glad that she was doing it without days or weeks ahead of time to get so into her head about it. Sure, the circumstances weren't ideal and they hadn't fully been able to suss out the situation between the two of them before Adam came into the picture, but Rory was nothing if not adaptable. Little disappointments about titles aside, her gaze kept returning to Maris to gauge how she was feeling. Whatever she felt, her worry returned to Maris. Classic Rory when she cared that much about someone.

So Maris' reaction to her suggestion oddly enough eased some of her own tension. Rory bit her lower lip to stifle a laugh, her brows raised quizzically. It seemed polite at least to offer her grandfather a meal, not in the least because they were using his cabin. Of course, it meant she had to be on her best behavior, which being around Maris at all was a struggle in that regard. Maybe she was a little curious, too, and Adam seemed to be a very affable sort.

Rory couldn't help but grin as she watched the pair of them banter back and forth, her eyes sparkling with amusement to that little tidbit of a story. "Wow, my lessons are really going a long way, there's no flame in sight." She teased, turning from Adam to Maris and giving her a sly wink. "I didn't know I was taking my life into my hands here by letting you cook."

The moment Adam was gone, she didn't have time to say a word before she was readily accepting Maris' kiss. She laughed into her lips, kissing her again for good measure. "Hey, it's fine." She smiled softly, reaching for her face so her thumbs could brush over her cheeks. In all the time she'd known Maris, she couldn't really count a time that she had seen her go into full panic mode, or whatever this was. It was endearing as hell.

"We're going to have dinner. I'm going to get at least ... mm, three embarrassing stories out of him about you, and when he's off you can make it up to me." Her lips quirked into a smirk as she leaned in and kissed her again, quickly, a little too quickly for her liking. Brushing her thumb over Maris' lips, she dropped her hands to her sides and grinned -- one that spoke maybe a little too much of mischief. "This is gonna be fun."

Maris made a face, clearly offended at the idea that there was more than one mortifying story about her floating around, but she kissed Rory's thumb, then her lips once more for good measure, hoping one more kiss would help soothe the both of their nerves.

Her grandfather reached the end of the hall just in time to see the tail end of it, but didn't let on that he had, walking in only when the two women parted.

Once the table was set with mismatched china and drinks were poured, Maris sat between Rory and Adam.

"So, you work at Maris' school?" he asked, smiling over at Rory.

Maris nodded, shooting her a smile of her own. "She's an english teacher. We've been working on a lot of joint projects lately, it's really fun."

She meant every word. The lessons she'd been collaborating on with Rory were almost as enjoyable as what they'd been getting up to after hours and she had a feeling the kids liked them too. They were a good match in more ways than one.

"A reader, huh? Maris' grandmother always had a book in her hand, it was one of the things I liked most about her. And probably how Maris and my son got to be so smart."

Maris smiled, turning to Rory as she twirled some pasta around her fork. "Well, he's no slouch either. Pop owns an antique shop in Brooklyn, so he knows a little bit about just about everything."

"You should come down! Always glad for a bit of company. Breaks up the day."

Though the moment was a surprise and a bit of a wrench in the plans they did have for the next little while, there was nothing about it that had Rory immediately want to run for the hills. Never mind that she'd probably get lost and die in the woods. Meeting Maris' family member might not have been something she thought would happen at present, but it was something maybe she'd thought about a couple of times. She'd certainly thought about what it might be like to bring her home to hers.

Not that she'd cop to that, of course.

As if she were silently saying she wasn't going anywhere, her hands squeezed Maris' hips once as she kissed her that one last time before they were off to set the table. She'd behave herself, yes.

"It really is, Maris is a great collaborator. I think she's upped my teaching game, actually." Rory didn't say anything to merely be complimentary. She meant what she said, and enjoyed the hell out of their brainstorming sessions. Whether they were in the office or in bed. In fact, just the other night she'd jumped out of bed after they were brainstorming on a project for their students in the middle of the night, stark naked but in dire need of a pen just to make a note. She'd leave that out with Adam.

"Oh really?" She leaned in conspiratorially as she grinned at Maris, her gaze turning to Adam. Rory could so easily picture a younger version of Maris, book in hand, hiding away in little nooks just to get alone reading time. "A whole family of readers. It's like finding my tribesmen." She chuckled, leaning back in her seat as she took a sip of her water and then finished another bite of her spaghetti.

The invitation had Rory's gaze darting back to Maris, like she was trying to gauge what she thought about that. "I'd love that, I'm a sucker for hidden treasures."

As they ate, she dropped her hand just to brush her fingertips against Maris' leg, for no other reason than she missed touching her, and finding out more about her family, and where she came from just highlighted how much she felt about her already.

"So other than the books, what was Maris like as a kid? I am sensing some Tom Sawyer antics in there somewhere..."

Adam paused for a moment, considering his answer. "There's no denying she was clever. She could always talk her father in I into getting her ice cream or letting her stay up, but she was a good kid. If anything, I almost wished she would get into more trouble." He smiled at his granddaughter. "She was brilliant, obviously. Teachers loved her even if though she would argue with them occasionally, which is why I hope her students give her a little hell as payback. When she went to Berlin, her host mother didn't want to send her back!"

"I went to Germany for an exchange for a few weeks in high school," she explained quickly before turning to address Adam. "And that woman was a religious nut. She only liked me because I wasn't boy crazy. All the other girls were acting like the program was some kind of international dating service."

Which is why Maris' memories of her trip were mixed. She had never been one for religion and had never been overly fond of Christians, who by and large seemed hell bent on forcing their religion down everyone's throats. Her host mother, Marlowe had been living proof of that and she seriously doubted the woman would have adored her if she knew she was a gay, atheist jew.

"She prayed before brushing her teeth! I had to play nice. It wasn't like I had anywhere else to go."

But her grandfather had a point. Adults usually adored Maris when she was younger because she never really acted that way. She had always been a mini adult, a strange, serious child who was impeccably behaved, apart from occasionally too bossy for her own good. Her peers were the ones she had trouble winning over.

"Either way. Honestly, Rory. She was a bit boring. Debate team, chess club, but she really loved her cello. For a while there I thought she'd be a musician. Her bow was practically fused to her hand."

When Adam brought up music, Maris' smile softened because those memories didn't have a downside attached. Though she loved to play, she was too practical to ever really consider making it a career. It was just too hard to make ends meet. Her pragmatism was also why she'd slowly stopped playing. Good grades and college applications eventually seemed more important.

"She's always loved history though. The woman at the bakery said she was the only kid she'd ever had come in and ask for an Amelia Earhart bat mitzvah cake."

"Well I had to do something! I went to five Star Wars ones that year. Excuse me for thinking outside the box," she teased.

Whatever nerves there might have been, all seemed to be less and less the more she sat there with Maris and Adam. She loved learning about who Maris had been, all of the little things that made up her childhood, her adolescence. It made her acutely aware that she wanted to have more in depth conversations. Not that they didn't, but rather, they found one another incredibly distracting. She wanted Maris to know everything about her. She wanted to confide in her and share with her all the things that made up Aurora, too.

Everything that Adam told Rory about Maris, she drank it all in. A smile seemed etched across her features as she pictured everything. "She really dodged a bullet with you, I get it." She grinned, wondering what stories she could get out of Maris when they were alone, about the girls she may have fallen for in Germany, or just what else she got up to.

For her own part, Rory had never really gone through an entirely reckless phase. She wasn't boy crazy either (obviously) and didn't get bogged down into high school parties and sneaking out all the time. As a result, her mother gave her a lot of freedom. She was responsible; taking care of her younger sister, throwing herself into her studies and extra curricular activities.

Rory wondered what it might have been like if she'd met Maris all those years ago. Would they be academic rivals or fall madly into some teenage romance? Hard to tell, maybe both.

"Ohhhh the cello! I'm going to ask you to play for me, you know." She didn't mean to let her gaze linger on Maris for as long as it did, but she eventually averted her eyes to stir her spaghetti and take another bite.

Rory's grin grew even wider at the idea of Maris' birthday cake. "I. Love that. It feels very you. Star Wars is overrated when there's a real historical mystery. I think it's cute." Shit. She didn't mean to flirt or talk like that, but it just seemed to bubble right to the surface the more they talked. Best to stuff her face with the rest of her pasta.

Once Adam left, Maris made a beeline for the shower. His visit may have gone well, but it was still out of the blue and surprises always left her a bit tense.

Feeling much better once the hot water had rinsed the day's sweat, sand and tight muscles away, she made her way into the bedroom, squeezing out her hair with a slightly threadbare blue towel.

"Have I mentioned you're amazing?" she purred, the words buzzing against the curve of Rory's neck as Maris slid into bed and wrapped her arms around her.

"I know that wasn't on the agenda but it was...kinda nice."

In the wake of their unexpected visitor, Rory had some time to ruminate alone as she got ready for bed. It wasn't so much getting ready as it was slipping out of her shorts and staying in nothing but her tank top and underwear ... actually even those felt like over-dressing, all things considered.

She wasn't anywhere near sleep as she lay in bed waiting for Maris to join her, her eyes only closing as the other woman slipped in behind her to fully relish the feeling. Her body instinctively sunk into her embrace, a soft humming sound coming from her as she reached for one of Maris' hands just to bring it to her lips to kiss.

"Oh I'm fully aware how amazing I am." She laughed softly, turning enough that she could look at Maris' face. "It was really nice, actually. It was an unexpected surprise but ... a really good one." She punctuated her comment with a kiss to her lips, one that she meant to be quick but she got a little too into and let it linger.

"I did really like getting to know a lot more about you. Even if it was kinda forced out of a third party." She laughed, bringing her hand to brush against her cheek. No time like the present to make confessions, even little ones, right? "It made me realize I really want to know everything about you."

"And so humble! No wonder I like you so much," Maris teased. Her lips twitched into a half smile when Rory said she wanted to know everything about her. "Everything? You sure you don't want to brew a pot of coffee because that could take all night."

Despite her teasing, Rory's confession had struck a chord with Maris. She was a private person, but she would have been lying if she didn't try to be mysterious., especially with women. She liked attention and there was no better way to get or keep it than to always keep someone wanting more.

Then again, it was entirely possible her theory had a few holes when less than a handful of someones had really stuck around to get anything other than a brief fling out of her.

"What do you want to know?"

The question was earnest, but her tone was slightly uneven. Talking about herself felt wrong.

Especially when she was beginning to realize she was much more interested in hearing about Rory.

"You know what? Fuck that. You heard about me all day. I think it's about time you offered up some information of your own, Ms. Berlanti? Like is that Italian? And if so, why haven't you been getting us discounts on all that takeout at Vinnie's?"

"Oh yeah, I was voted most humble in school." Rory wrinkled her nose at the terrible joke, laughing a little as she shook her head. "Here I thought we'd have other means of keeping you up all night."

Every opportunity she had, Rory seized it to steal another kiss from Maris. The whole evening made her feel warmth that felt different than the burgeoning heat that always lay just beneath the surface for them. There was a kind of earnestness to it that surprised her, but it felt deep like it actually meant something.

Before Rory could answer Maris' initial question, she snapped her mouth shut. "Oh, the tables are turning huh?" She laughed, shifting her body so she could face her a little more directly, her body purposefully shifting closer, too.

"Berlanti is italian, yes. And if I told you that we were all connected ... well, the mob is very unforgiving about these things. And notoriously stingy with their garlic rolls." She laughed, biting at her lower lip as she considered what about herself she could offer. "I still have family in Italy, but I haven't seen them in a really long time." It edged into negative territory, solely because it circled around to the topic of her father. "I forgot to tell you I'm very impressed by your pasta skills. Which are apparently a huge improvement, according to your grandfather."

Maris raised an eyebrow when Rory mentioned her family in Italy. Her great grandparents had come over from Greece years before and it stood to reason she still had relatives there, but no one, not even Adam had ever gone back to where it all started. She felt a pang of jealousy at the idea Rory had and the woman beside her seemed her just a bit more... exotic, worldly than she had moments before.

"Yes, because we're all Julia Child when we're 12 coming home from music practice," Maris said dryly, quickly changing the subject when she realized expanding the story wasn't going to make her seem any less pathetic.

"I mean it though," she said firmly. "You really handled that like a pro. It's not like you signed up for meeting anyone. This was a trip for debauchery, not family dinners." She grinned against Rory's neck, letting her teeth graze the soft skin she found there.

It was probably a silly thought, even lying in bed with Maris, to wonder what countries the pair of them could explore together. She might not have been back to Italy since she was a kid, but she remembered enough of her favorite places. If she closed her eyes, she could so vividly see a world where she'd walk hand in hand with Maris on old streets, kiss her beneath street lights that would feel like they were in some old movie. File that one on the back burner for later plans.

"I could believe it." She answered with a wry smile. Truth be told, every day, Rory felt more and more moon-eyed over this woman. It almost scared her a little, how quickly and sincerely she'd been falling for her.

Rory exhaled slowly, entirely too affected by Maris' lips and teeth against her skin, as also evidenced by the goosebumps that raced down her arms. She curled into her a little more, her hand sliding over her waist and dragging her short nails over the curve of her hip. "Family dinner was an ultimately very nice time, thank you for noticing how excellent I am with grandparents..." She grinned, bowing her head to brush her lips over her shoulder. "And now I think we return to our regularly scheduled debauchery."