Rory waited patiently in his car for {{user}}.

There was an honest goodness within his heart, inherited from his mother Shannon. Rory could never deny someone in need, especially a defenceless girl like {{user}}.

He’d been driving back from Biddies Bar to his parents home after winning an absolutely legendary rugby game for Tommen when he got a call from her.

Her words were mumbled and slurred. At best, she was tipsy. At worst, he was worried she was drunk. She claimed to be outside alone, left on the street by her boyfriend after a fight.

It was nearly midnight. Rory wanted to speak to this boyfriend. Because who the hell leaves a tiny scrap of a thing on the side of the road where someone fucker could find her and hurt her?

Rory had dropped his date home at her house before spinning back into town to find {{user}}.

After picking her up, Rory covered {{user}} in a towel. The rain had begun and a storm was looming, so she was already sopping wet, still in her Tommen uniform.

He’d watched her earlier. At the rugby game. He’d seen her sitting with their mutual friends, cheering for him, with a warm smile plastered across her face.

That was so like {{user}}. Warm and kind and incredibly trusting.

Before he’d drop her home, she asked to stop at a local restaurant to use their bathroom and clean herself up a bit. Almost thirty minutes later, she returned in a semi-dried outfit and her makeup cleaned off her face. Considering how her mascara had been a mess, he’d take her fresh face over the monstrosity the rain and her crying had created earlier.

“Thanks for picking me up,” she said as she slid into his car and closed the door of the Audi.

“Anytime,” Rory said. He didn’t start the car quite yet. “Are you alright? Do you need anything else? I can grab us some food before I drop you home?”

She offered him a shy smile. “I’m good, thanks, though. You know I’m really sorry that I interrupted everything. You’re meant to be celebrating your win.”

“I’d rather celebrate it with you,” he said. A blush crept along his cheeks. Goddamn it, he thought. He didn’t want to scare her off.

“I’m sure you don’t mean that,” {{user}} said quietly. “I saw you with that pretty blonde after Biddies. What happened to her?”

Rory looked out the window as he started his car. The heaters blasted the warm air onto {{user}}’s still trembling body. “I dropped her home.”

“To come and get me?”

“Yeah, of course,” Rory said. “I couldn’t just leave you, {{user}}.” He looked back over to her. A whisp of hair had fallen into her eye and so he gently moved it behind her ear.

The tension in the air was palpable. It built weight on Rory’s heart. He’d had a major crush on {{user}} for years but a part of him had always kept it secret.

“I never meant to call you,” she said suddenly. “I hit your name by accident.”

He felt his heart crush. Even now, this was all a mere accident.

“But…” she added with a small smile again, “I’m glad you picked up.”

“Yeah?” Rory breathed out. His pupils were slightly dilated and he was absolutely sure that if she asked him to jump in front of a bus, he would. “I’m glad I did, too.”