Comments | the_blank_slate: I heard a distant early warning

neptune_sleuth in the_blank_slate

I heard a distant early warning - but I chose to ignore it -

Jun 20, 2006 22:18

It had been a week since June 13th, and Veronica Mars wasn't in the habit of wallowing. Sure, she might get stuck on an issue, but that wasn't wallowing. It was persistence. But the fact remained that, a week ago, she should have graduated. And, yeah, maybe she had finally found a way to be forever free of Neptune High, but she would have preferred ( Read more... )

jim halpert, veronica mars, river tam, logan echolls-harkness

Leave a comment

Back to all threads

echolls_cursed June 21 2006, 18:32:36 UTC

Logan froze up a little when he spotted Veronica walking on the beach. He was barefoot and probably smelled a lot like weed, seeing as he hadn't found much else to do with his time (not that he'd really bothered to look), but after a moment, he jogged over to her and fell into step.

"You don't write, you don't call..." he started in a dry but teasing tone.

neptune_sleuth June 21 2006, 21:05:42 UTC

"I know, honey," she sighed dramatically, "but you know I have to go to these meetings, and the guys wanted to go out for a beer after. I just couldn't say no."

Over the salt tang of waves and sand, she detected a hint of another familiar scent and sighed. Making a bong was one thing, but if anyone could find drugs on the island . . . Well, she guessed she shouldn't have been surprised. "Tell you what, take the credit card and do a little shopping on me."

echolls_cursed June 21 2006, 21:26:44 UTC

Pretending to be excited, Logan clapped. "I just hope that black Gucci dress I've had my eye on doesn't make my hips look big..."

He was quiet after that, until he lightly bumped her with his elbow and stopped walking. "Look, I don't know why you've been avoiding me or whatever... but uh, I do think we need to talk. Here probably isn't the place though."

neptune_sleuth June 21 2006, 21:40:18 UTC

She stopped when he did, turning in a half circle to face him, head bent, expression bemused. "I haven't been avoiding you," Veronica said at once, her instinct putting her on the defensive. She paused, watching him for a moment. "What is it?" she asked warily.

echolls_cursed June 21 2006, 21:50:50 UTC

"Well, then maybe I don't know why I've been avoiding you," Logan offered with a shrug.

He ran his fingers through his hair and then scratched at the back of his neck. He glanced around, still not sure if this was the right place to talk. "I haven't done anything wrong, I just... There are some things I'd rather you heard from me then someone else," he said at last.

neptune_sleuth June 21 2006, 21:55:33 UTC

"I've been avoiding everyone," she said, shaking her head at him. "Every now and then, the world actually chooses to turn around someone other than you. I just haven't been in the mood for company."

Whether he wanted to tell her here or not, he was going to. She had no intention of budging. Instead, she folded her arms and cocked her head, waiting. There was no one else around and she was comfortable here. Here was good, and she would give him the benefit of the doubt when he hsaid he'd done nothing wrong - at least until he told her what he'd done. "Alright. Like what?"

echolls_cursed June 21 2006, 22:15:48 UTC

"Just give me a minute, alright? This isn't exactly something I want to just blurt out," Logan muttered, glancing away.

It was something delicate that had to be said just right... so it wouldn't sound so bad.

"You remember when we had that talk about taking things slow, and I told you I was having some... issues," he asked awkwardly.

neptune_sleuth June 21 2006, 22:21:34 UTC

"No, the island gave me amnesia," she joked, but her tone was as gentle as she could manage. Something was wrong here. "Remind me again - who are you?"

Something was wrong and she had no idea what, except she was starting to have suspicions, and it was getting hard not to get upset in advance. I'm trying, she told herself. Remember that. Give him a chance.

echolls_cursed June 21 2006, 22:28:45 UTC

Logan gave her a short look that made it clear that he wasn't finding her amusing or endearing at that moment. Though he was sure, soon, she'd be giving him a much colder look in return when he was done.

"I went to that party thing a few weeks back, and I was looking for you, but uh, I didn't see you... Then I ran into this guy, this, like, french guy and... Look, I'm not even sure how it happened. I had a few drinks," not nearly enough to get me drunk "and then we ended up back at my hut."

He didn't finish the story, he was sure he wouldn't have to.

"I met someone else too, but not at the party and... it wasn't, it wasn't the same so... Look, I just thought you should hear it from me and not someone else."

neptune_sleuth June 21 2006, 22:49:00 UTC

Without thinking about it, she took a step backward. Her face grew hard as she swallowed and tried to push away a recent memory. 'I told him. I tell Jay everything.'

And look where it got you.

"Well, thank you," Veronica said darkly. "That's very considerate of you. I'm just glad I don't have to hear it from whoever the island's version of Carrie Bishop is, because, from your mouth, it's such a relief to hear."

echolls_cursed June 21 2006, 22:53:31 UTC

"I told you I had things to figure out," Logan replied in his defense. "You knew what I was talking about when I said it... Besides, Veronica, what am I supposed to do? Play house with you until someone better turns up? We both know that if Duncan or Leo or one of your other knights in shining armor turned up tomorrow, it wouldn't be me you picked. It's never me until you run out of options."

neptune_sleuth June 21 2006, 23:02:15 UTC

"What are you supposed to do? What are you supposed to do?" Veronica shook her head. "Don't play me, Logan, that's what. I am not going to be on a string here, and while I understand your burning need to figure out one of your many issues, I don't want to be your last option either. What do you want me to say? That because you want to take it slow, I feel just swell about your sleeping with someone else? Don't tell me I'd leave you for Leo or Duncan and make that your excuse, because, according to you, we're not even together. And it's not like I couldn't find someone else right here on this island. But I don't want to. I'm not waiting for someone better, Logan - you are."

She'd cut her strings, she'd cut them all when she came here. She wasn't going to be pulled along anymore - not by a staff of writers and not by Logan Echolls.

echolls_cursed June 21 2006, 23:10:32 UTC

The thing was, Logan did feel bad. He knew he was doing her wrong, and he knew that this time it was all on him. It just wasn't in him to say that.

"Funny how you only bring up my issues when they get in your way," he said dryly, shaking his head. "You know what, you do that then. Find yourself some nice island boy to hold your hand and do what you say. And when you get tired of it, and you know you will, Veronica, you'll know where to find me."

He took a step back himself and shook his head. "I wasn't lying when I said I need you. I just... I'm not like you. I can't just sit there and say 'what if'. Maybe you have it all worked out, and maybe you know who you are and what to do... But I don't."

neptune_sleuth June 21 2006, 23:20:56 UTC

Maybe you only need me because they made you. Left to his own devices, maybe he would be fine on his own. And maybe it was time to just let go of the last thing they'd written for her that still had its hold on her life.

But she couldn't and she didn't want to, and she didn't really care if it was because someone had decided to make her that way.

"What, because you want me to play psychiatrist to you the rest of the time?" Veronica swallowed, looking skyward before turning her gaze back on him, hard despite the flicker of hurt. "It wasn't a threat, Logan. I don't want someone else," she said again, insistent and annoyed. He wasn't hearing her. "I was just pointing out the fact that I'm not the one looking for something more." Put that way, it didn't sound like something to be pleased about anymore ( ... )

echolls_cursed June 21 2006, 23:29:45 UTC

Logan was quiet for a long moment.

"I'm sorry," he said at last. "I want to tell you it won't happen again, but I don't know. I don't expect you to wait for me or whatever, I just... I'm not ready for this. I'm not ready to try again. I want to be, you have no idea how badly I wanted you back, but I can't do this. Not when I know I'm going to hurt you."

neptune_sleuth June 22 2006, 00:04:22 UTC

You're hurting me now, she thought and Life can't always follow a script and Fuck you. Veronica had told herself, when he showed up, that she didn't want him and didn't need him, and she hated to be proved wrong.

And it hurt to hear him say he didn't want to hurt her. "What do you think you're doing now?" she asked dryly. "Whatever. Do what you have to."

It was colder than he deserved, and despite herself she was remembering Chase, but it was hard not to sympathize with Jay now.

Back to all threads