Title: What Friends Are For
Author:
rachel_shanzCharacters/Pairings: Logan/Veronica, Wallace/Jane, Lilly
Rating: R for sex
Word Count: 3,368
Spoilers: Goes AU after 2x12.
Summary: Veronica gets a little help from her BFFs, living and otherwise.
Notes: Written for the
loveathons Cupid challenge. Thanks to the fantabulous
keepaofthecheez and
sarah_p for betaing. Oh, and this falls pretty far on the fluffy side of things. Not one single person dies, I promise.
“Hey, ghetto fabulous. Wakey, wakey!”
“Jesus Christ!” Wallace jerked upright, wide awake. The late, debatably great Lilly Kane had just appeared out on nowhere and was now sitting cross-legged on the bed beside him.
“Oh, get over it,” Lilly said flippantly. “I’m dead. I’m here. Blah, blah, hauntingcakes.”
Wallace stared at her for another second before squeezing his eyes tightly shut and starting to count slowly backwards from ten, hoping like hell she’d be gone when he opened his eyes. He had enough problems of his own, thanks. Late night appearances from a dead girl who wouldn’t have given him the time of day when she was alive were the last thing he needed.
“One,” he announced to the, hopefully, empty room. After all, if you believe a ghost isn’t there then they go away. Or at least that’s what the last episode of Ghost Hunters told him. He had to admit that he wasn’t all that surprised to see Lilly still sitting beside him, looking deeply amused.
She gave him a little finger-wiggling wave. “Still here, Wally.”
“Right,” Wallace said, deciding to try another tactic. He’d watched a lot of TV in Chicago when he was minus one intrepid girl best friend to keep him busy with morally grey activities. “You’re, like, some kind of message from my subconscious, right? I listen to you and learn something deep and introspective about myself.”
“Yeah, not so much. I am, however, on a schedule. So maybe we could hurry up the rationalization portion of the evening.”
Wallace sighed heavily; he was getting less and less sure that this was all just a figment of his imagination. “Sure,” he said, gesturing at her to keep going.
Lilly flashed him a brilliant grin. “Okay. Here’s the deal. My brother? Kind of an idiot.”
“No kidding,” Wallace snorted.
“He takes off with Lilly Jr. - which, could that name be any creepier? - and leaves Veronica here to deal with all the backlash,” Lilly continued, ignoring both Wallace’s comment and the curious look he gave her at the mention of her new namesake. Last he’d heard that baby had been named Faith. “She really doesn’t deserve that, even if it was her bright idea to start with.”
“This is what you came all the way up here to tell me? Because I figured that out all by my lonesome. Except for the part about it being Veronica’s idea -”
“Way to go, Wallbert.” Lilly cut in before he could finish speaking. “And no, I’m here because as Veronica’s best friends, living and otherwise, we have a sacred duty to help her get her groove back.”
“Well,” Wallace said, skepticism lacing his words. “You’ll excuse me if I’m not all that inclined to take advice from the girl who started the ‘leave Veronica alone and hurting’ trend.”
Lilly flinched slightly at his words, but she recovered quickly and her gaze was deadly serious when she met Wallace’s eyes. “I fucked up, I know that. Waking up dead every day is a pretty consistent reminder. But Veronica’s suffered enough for my mistakes, so has Logan.”
“Wait, what the hell does Logan Echolls have to do with this?” Wallace asked suspiciously, despite having a pretty good idea where she was going with this. And he had been just about ready to completely agree with her, too.
“He’s in love with her, even though he’s trying like hell to pretend otherwise. And she, well, she gets him. And she needs him, she just doesn’t know it yet. But, hey, that’s what she has us for.”
“Yeah, she gets that he’s a self-destructive asshole who’s going to break her heart. And she needs him to leave her alone.”
Look, Wendell, do you really think I’d be taking time out of my busy after-life to pay you a midnight visit if I wasn’t sure that I was right? I’m not doing this for the pleasure of your company, trust me.”
Wallace studied her carefully. He wasn’t completely sold on her knowing what the hell she was talking about. Hell, he still wasn’t sure that she wasn’t some kind of manifestation of his subconscious. But he supposed he could at least listen to what she had to say. “Alright, lay it on me. Oh, and my name? Wallace.”
“Duh, Walton. Now, here’s the plan…”
*****
“Hey, gorgeous.”
“Hey, what’s up?”
Wallace leaned casually against the locker next to Jane’s. “I need a favor,” he said, being sure to throw in one of Veronica’s patented head tilts for good measure.
“Oh, really?” Jane asked. She pulled a couple of books out of her locker and slammed it shut.
Wallace took the books from her, tucking them under his arm with his own. “Yeah, it’s not big deal. Logan Echolls is in your history class, right?”
“Um, yeah, I think so. Why?”
“Because I have a mission for you,” Wallace said. He wrapped his free arm around Jane’s shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear as he steered her down the hall. This was going to be a piece of cake. As long as Veronica didn’t kill him, that was.
*****
“Did you get it?”
“You make it sound like a drug deal,” Jane laughed. She rummaged around in her backpack and produced a slightly rumpled sheet of notebook paper. “Now will you please tell me why I’m stealing Logan Echolls’ homework?”
Wallace glanced at the piece of paper. “This is a list of different kinds of alcohol. Damn, did I miss something on the sign-up sheet? Was there a listing for AP Bartending?”
“I was in a rush,” Jane shrugged. “It’s the only thing I could find that wasn’t either a flyer for a party or some kind of dirty drawing. Although most of those had Dick Casablancas’ name on them.”
“Somehow, that does not surprise me,” Wallace said dryly.
“So, really, what are you going to do with that?”
Wallace rubbed his hands together. “I’m just gonna help our boy Logan write a little note.”
*****
“Veronica, wait up!”
Veronica turned around to see Wallace jogging across the parking lots towards her. “Hey, don’t you have a hot date?”
“You know it. Jane and I are about to head to the library and get our study on.”
“So that’s what you kids are calling it these days.”
“You’re funny. Anyway, I found this in my locker,” Wallace said. He handed her a folded up sheet of paper with her name scrawled across the front in sloppy handwriting.
“It has my name on it…”
“And that’s why you get paid the big bucks.”
“Did this by any chance happen to fall open in such a way that you couldn’t help but read it?”
“Naw, but not for lack of trying, it’s taped shut,” Wallace said, shrugging. “I gotta run, my lady awaits.”
Veronica gave Wallace a distracted wave. “Later, ‘gator.”
She waited until she was safely ensconced in her car before pulling out a nail file and slicing carefully through the piece of tape holding the letter shut. Let’s see who’s leaving me love letters in my best friend’s locker.
When she opened the letter, which was less of a letter and more of a hastily written six word note, her eyes were instantly drawn to the name at the bottom. Of course.
*****
Logan hit the down button on the elevator for the third time in the last forty-five seconds. Didn’t these people know he was in a hurry? Ok, so that was a lie, he wasn’t meeting Dick for another half-hour. But still, was speedy elevator service too much to ask?
When the doors finally slid open another thirty seconds later, Logan was somehow not in the least bit surprised that Veronica was standing behind them.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked as she stepped off the elevator.
“Um, you asked me to come,” Veronica said, waving the note at him.
Logan snatched it out of her hand and glanced at it quickly. “Yeah,” he said, flicking it back at her, “I didn’t write that.”
“Well, that’s your name and your handwriting-“
“Maybe if I were drunk.”
“You’ll understand why I don’t think that’s out of the question,” Veronica said, but her voice was lacking the sharp edge he’d come to expect.
“You’re the Nancy Drew here; it shouldn’t be that hard for you to make the leap to forgery.”
“I prefer Trixie Belden, and why would someone forge a note like that?”
“No clue, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for a very important date,” Logan replied. He gave her a wink and a nod and turned to make his exit. Well, not so much “make his exit” as “ignore her while waiting for the elevator. Again.”
Thankfully, the doors opened almost immediately. Logan pressed the button to close the door as soon as he could reach it, but he wasn’t fast enough, Veronica had already slipped in behind him. With a sigh, Logan leaned against the back wall of the elevator and studied the ceiling intently, hoping she would take the hint. She didn’t, of course.
“Date? You know, it would probably be a lot cheaper to ixnay the dinner and movie and just pay Mrs. Casablancas for her other services.”
Logan opened his mouth to point out that charging for what he and Kendall did would quite possibly be a violation of his parole, but he didn’t get the chance. The elevator jerked violently and came to a halt, throwing Veronica against him.
*****
Veronica stifled a surprised gasp as her body made contact with Logan’s, pressing into him from shoulder to hip. He wrapped his hands around her upper arms, keeping her from falling but also not letting her move away. Veronica suddenly couldn’t breathe.
She had spent months staying away from him, not touching him, avoiding the way all her senses went on Logan alert as soon as they made even the smallest physical contact. Except for that unfortunate incident with the couch and the argyle, she had been successful. Well, until now, obviously.
Now Logan was all she could feel, the heat of his body was almost overwhelming even through all of their clothes. Veronica was aware of each breath he took, of the way he shifted slightly with every inhale. Her heart was pounding in her ears and she was pretty sure that if she concentrated hard enough, she would be able to hear Logan’s beating along with it.
“Veronica? Are you ok?” Logan asked, his breath brushing against her cheek and sending a shiver dancing down her spine. But he didn’t loosen his hold on her arms.
Veronica nodded. She focused on a point right over his heart and stared at it intently. Her whole body was screaming at her to look at him, to make eye contact, but she didn’t. She didn’t trust herself not to kiss him, not to press her lips to his and let the taste of him wash through her.
“Veronica?” Logan repeated, his voice softer this time. Taking one hand off her arm, leaving a cold space where the warmth of his fingers had been, Logan put a finger under her chin. Slowly, he lifted her head up until she had no choice but to meet his eyes with her own. His brown eyes were dark, shadowed with some emotion that Veronica was afraid to put a name to; because that would be admitting it was real. The air around them was still and quiet, but it was charged with so much tension that Veronica was surprised it wasn’t sparking and bursting into flame.
He looked at her for just a second too long and Veronica suddenly knew what was coming. She knew she should move or speak or do something besides tilt her head back further and welcome his mouth as it gently covered hers. She could hear herself whimpering softly when Logan ran his tongue teasingly across her lower lip. She parted her lips slightly, letting his tongue slip past them to swirl against hers.
Veronica squirmed in frustration. She needed to be closer too him, she needed to feel him against her. Almost as if he was reading her mind, Logan slid his hands down to her waist and spun them around, pressing her into the elevator wall. She wrapped her arms around his neck, winding her fingers through the back of his hair as she pulled him closer.
“God, Veronica,” Logan breathed, breaking the kiss to press his forehead to hers. But Veronica didn’t want to talk. If they talked then she might stop him, stop this, and she didn’t want it to stop. She wanted him, badly, but if she thought about it for too long she would start listing all the reasons why it was a bad idea.
That really wasn’t what she wanted to do, so she silenced him with another kiss, open-mouthed, rough, and a little frantic. She slid her hands under his shirt, his skin burning against her fingers as she traced them over the tight muscles of his stomach. He pulled his mouth away from hers again, this time to jerk his shirt over his head and toss it to the floor. Veronica took the opportunity to shrug out of her jacket and remove her own shirt before reaching out and pulling Logan back to her, gasping out loud at the sensation of his bare skin sliding against hers.
He pressed a soft kiss to her lips, and dropped his head to run his tongue lightly along her collar bone. He nipped gently at her pulse point, tearing another gasp from her throat, before kissing the area soothingly. Veronica was so wrapped up in what he was doing with his mouth that she didn’t even notice he had managed to unhook her bra until it fell away, exposing more of her skin to his touch.
Logan cupped one of her breasts in his hand, flicking his thumb across her tight nipple. Veronica’s head fell back against the wall as she arched helplessly into him. He leaned in and pressed his lips to her ear. “I want to fuck you, Veronica.”
“Yes,” Veronica whispered.
Logan smirked at her. “Yes what?”
Veronica reached for the button on his jeans, popping it open, but he caught her hands in his before she could slide down the zipper. “Yes what?” he said again, slower this time.
“You’re such an asshole,” Veronica ground out; she wanted him so badly she could barely see straight and he was fucking asking her questions.
Logan kept hold of her wrists with one hand, letting the other drop to pull at the hem of her skirt. “That’s not an answer,” he murmured.
“Fuck me, Logan,” Veronica finally managed to get out when his fingers started working their way up her inner thigh.
Logan grinned. “That’s what I thought.” He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her underwear and pulled it down her legs in one quick movement.
Veronica barely had a chance to process what was happening before Logan slid his hand under her ass and picked her up. Fucking Logan against an elevator wall had so not been on her to-do list that morning, but as she wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and felt him pressing firmly between her legs, she was suddenly very glad everything didn’t always go according to plan.
*****
Logan worked one hand between his and Veronica’s bodies and traced his fingers over the soft skin of her inner thigh. She was watching him intently, her cheeks were flushed and she was breathing hard and Logan was pretty damn sure it was the sexiest thing he had ever seen.
He brushed his thumb lightly over her clit, enjoying the soft mewling sound she made. He did it again and this time she rolled her hips against his, clearly wanting more.
“Logan, please,” she whimpered, and he could hear the need running underneath her words.
He yanked down the zipper on his jeans and pushed them out of the way, along with his boxers. Gripping his cock in one hand, he leaned his forehead against Veronica’s and slowly pressed into her. Holy fuck, she was hot and wet and felt so goddamn good as he slid into her an inch at a time until he was completely inside her.
She moaned his name softly as he captured her mouth again and set a quickly escalating rhythm. Every time he thrust into her it was like coming home, which was a cheesy sentiment, but that didn’t make it any less true.
“Ohgodohgodohgod,” Veronica was mumbling against his lips as she got closer and closer to the edge. He slipped a hand between their bodies and twisted her clit sharply, that was just enough to pull her apart around him. Her muscles tightened, her body arched, and he thrust inside her one last time before his vision went black around the edges and he lost himself completely in Veronica.
After a minute, Veronica dropped her legs from around his waist and slid down the wall to sit on the floor, pulling him along with her. He pulled her across his lap and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, smiling when she leaned her head against his shoulder. They sat for a moment in silence, but she broke it all too soon.
“We’re not totally okay now, Logan. We’re going to have to talk about this.”
“Right now? Because I don’t know about you but I’m not sure I can form complete thoughts.”
Veronica laughed, pressing her mouth against his skin; it was the best thing Logan had heard in awhile. “No, not now. But soon.”
“Okay,” he agreed, drawing her closer. “Soon.”
Veronica pulled away from him and reached for her shirt. “We’re still in an elevator.”
“I seem to remember noticing that at one point.”
“We should probably get dressed before this thing starts moving again, I’d really prefer that the nice people in the lobby not see me naked.”
Logan stretched lazily and picked up his own shirt. “If you insist.”
*****
Wallace slid further down in the seat of Jane’s car when Veronica finally emerged from the hotel, hand in hand with Logan.
“Well,” he muttered, “I guess it worked.”
Jane smiled at him. “They’re cute. It totally makes the whole caper with the bellboy and the bribery worth it. Although, you should probably watch some more James Bond movies before you try it again. Bond would have never dropped the bribe money.”
“He might have!”
“Not twice.”
Wallace rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help the grin playing around the corners of his mouth. “Ok, fine, I am still lacking a few ‘smooth operator’ points.”
“Don’t worry,” Jane said, lacing her fingers through his. “I won’t tell anyone.”
Wallace watched as Logan gave Veronica a quick kiss before opening the door of her car for her. Veronica was smiling and Wallace had to admit she looked happier than he had seen her since he came back from Chicago. Maybe Lilly had been right, after all.
*****
“I told you.”
Wallace hadn’t even bothered trying to sleep; he was wide awake and watching I Love the ‘90s when Lilly appeared beside his bed.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “What, do you want a cookie?”
“Ew, no. Calories much?”
“You’re dead.”
“Whatever. Look, I just came to tell you that you did the right thing. For Veronica.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
Lilly rolled her eyes. “Logan loves her.”
“Doesn’t mean she loves him.”
“Maybe not, but she could. If she wasn’t so fucking stubborn.”
“She told me once that she learned that from you.”
“Well I taught her well then,” Lilly said. She smiled mischievously. “Let’s hope Logan shows her all the things I taught him.”
“Oh, gross.” Wallace recoiled slightly. “I so do not need those images in my head.”
Lilly tilted her head at him. “I could have taught you a few things, too,” she drawled, running her eyes over him slowly.
Wallace stared at her for a second, grasping for words. But before he could find any, she gave him a bright smile and a wink. “Be good, Wallace. Veronica needs you.”
Then she was gone.
Cross-posted to
fic_from_mars,
loveathons, and
veronicamarsfic.