Chapter One of Two
Title: More Than Words
Author: Jaime
Characters/Pairings: Logan/Veronica (yep, another one...), with a very brief appearance by Wallace
Rating: I'd say about PG, but it's pretty tame- no swearing that I can find so far, and minor physicality.
Length: 2595
Spoilers: None really. This fic could kind of stand on its own, though there is reference to an event in Leave it to Beaver (S1 finale)
Summary: [I really, really suck at summaries. Here's a rough description though, and keep in mind it's purposefully undetailed] - When Logan makes a confession to Veronica, she doesn't react in quite the way he'd hope. She begins to avoid him as a result, leaving Logan feeling confused and alone.
Notes: My song was 'More Than Words' by Extreme. Yep, I chose the same name for my fic, but that's just 'cause it worked so well. This is the first ever VM fic I've posted, so feedback (constructive or otherwise) would be greatly appreciated. I'm always interested in improving my writing! :):)
Hope you enjoy...
With every second that ticked by, Logan wished more and more that he hadn’t done it. In all honesty, he still wasn’t even sure why he’d done it. When it came to such monumental events, he usually preferred there to be more planning. More finesse. More thought.
But he’d gotten ahead of himself. A balloon had swelled and then popped within him, spilling its contents out into the world before he could stop it. He didn’t regret what he’d said. Every word had been plucked from his heart, dressed in a tailored tuxedo, and presented with all the sincerity his soul possessed. He just wished they’d had a different effect.
Things had been deteriorating between him and Veronica for the past two weeks now. It was as if they each had a grip on one end of an elastic band, and were walking in opposite directions. So far, the thin strand of rubber had withstood the increasing tension, but Logan knew it wouldn’t be much longer until it snapped.
Perhaps what made this situation so unbearable though was the acidic irony of it. What he’d said should have served to bring them closer together. Instead, it had hurled them apart, and left them with no way of getting back to where they’d been.
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“Oh please,” Veronica muttered, brow crinkling in disbelief.
“What?” Logan inquired from around a mouthful of popcorn.
“There’s no way that explosion could’ve been that big. There were, what, a couple of cars and a gallon jug of gas in the warehouse?”
“You obviously don’t know the rules of action movies,” he commented with a chuckle.
Veronica turned to give her boyfriend a questioning look. “The rules of action movies?” she inquired, eyebrow cocked in curiosity about the concept.
“Well, you don’t think people watch them for their captivating dialogue, do you?” he grinned. The girl in his lap tipped her head back and forth, weighing the logic of that explanation. “Besides, why do you think the acting is usually so bad? It’s because the filmmakers save money on actors so they can use it to pay for all the fiery fun.”
“So…” she put her finger on her chin as a counterargument cooked in her mind. “If that’s the case, then where exactly did your dad’s multi-million dollar fortune come from?”
“Sequels, baby,” Logan said with an enthusiastic smirk.
“You mean he didn’t earn it by merit of his acting skills?” she asked with wide eyes, as if the thought were inconceivable.
“I’ve been told that I’m to have no opinion on that particular subject.”
“They’re that bad, huh?”
“Again, I have no comment,” he insisted, the smile hiding between the corners of his lips growing a little larger.
“Ah, I can read between the lines,” Veronica nodded knowingly.
“That was the idea,” he agreed. “Now, less talk, more explosion,” he said, motioning at the television with his head.
Veronica smiled, rolling her eyes at his typical guy-glued-to-action-movie behavior, returning her head to where it had been pillowed against his chest. She always found it amusing how in most other situations, the majority of the male population could be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. But put them in front of a screen with explosions, tanks, and guns going off every five minutes or so, and they’re captivated.
On most occasions, it wasn’t really an issue for her. She enjoyed action movies as much as the next guy. Well, maybe not as much- but she didn’t hate them either. Their little line of conversation had put a small jolt of energy in her though, and she was finding it difficult to focus on the television, despite the sound effects being blasted at her from Logan’s surround sound system.
Feeling playful, when she saw him reach into the popcorn bowl in her lap and pull out a single kernel, then toss it in the air, she snatched it before it could reach his mouth. Popping the fluffy treat into her mouth, she grinned up at him. “Cool trick. Thanks.”
“Oh, you think you’re funny, do you?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Quite,” she confirmed, nodding.
“Veronica Mars, comedienne extraordinaire,” he said dryly.
“You bet. I’ve even got business cards.”
“I don’t think comedians generally have business cards.”
“The ‘extraordinaire’ ones do.”
“My mistake,” he muttered with the ghost of a grin, turning his attention back to the television.
This time when he reached into the bowl, Logan chose not to set his piece of popcorn airborne. Even still, as he directed it toward his mouth, Veronica plucked it from between his fingers, though this time she didn’t look at him. Instead she stared straight ahead at the screen, a mischievous smile brushing the inner edges of her cheeks.
“Are you gonna do that all night?” asked Logan, a tinge of frustration in his voice.
“Maybe,” she responded with a shrug.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, he snatched the remote off its perch along the couch back, and paused the movie. The jerkiness of his motions gave her the disturbing impression that maybe he really was angry.
A moment later though, she felt his fingers dig into her sides and begin wiggling back and forth. Veronica let out a squeak, flexing her body in the opposite direction of his evil digits. There wasn’t really anywhere she could escape to though. She wasn’t sitting in his lap so much as she had her bum wedged between the couch’s arm and his thigh. Plus, the boat of popcorn she was holding meant she couldn’t tip too far in any direction.
“Wait!” she gasped. “Wait, wait,” she pleaded between breathless giggles.
“Why?” Logan challenged as he continued to tickle her.
“The popcorn!” she responded, holding the bowl up. “You were worried about one or two pieces- you don’t want me to spill the whole thing, do you?” the blonde girl further explained once he’d stopped his attack.
“You’re right. It would be tragic to lose so much gourmet snack food,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm, though he still allowed her to sit up.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the couch, Veronica leaned out to set the bowl on the coffee table. A split second after it touched down though, she vaulted up from where she’d been perched. His fingers clawed at her hips in an attempt to catch her, but she just laughed as his attempts fell flat, veering down the nearest hallway without looking back to see if he’d follow.
Of course, she’d known from the beginning that she hadn’t had much chance of escaping for longer than a few moments. She and Logan had been dating for just over five months now, and she still couldn’t quite navigate her way through the labyrinth that was the Echolls’ home.
Finding a staircase, she scurried up it, attempting to make as little noise as possible even though it was carpeted. Veronica knew there was more than one way to get to the second floor, so if he heard her going up he could follow without being seen. Stopping at the top, she listened for the sound of footsteps. Hearing nothing, she continued down her unmapped escape route, deciding her best bet would be to duck into a guest bedroom where she could huddle into a closet or squeeze under a bed.
However, there was more than one hallway in the upstairs area. It wasn’t quite as confusing as the first floor, but it still had a crossroad or two. So of course, when she rounded the next corner, the last thing she expected was to be sideswiped by another body. Muscular arms cinched around her waist, lifting her off the ground in the process and dragging her- squirming with verbal protests the whole way -into the nearest bedroom.
Falling with her as he dropped her onto the bed, Logan used his body to keep her in place while he resumed his tickling assault on her.
Veronica squealed as she tried to roll away from him, her hands doing little to protect her, weakened in their current state of tickle-induced paralysis. “All this,” she said in a strangled voice. “Over a little popcorn?”
He just chuckled. “Never. And I mean never,” he said, wiggling a couple of fingers against her neck- another of her sensitive spots, he’d discovered -for emphasis. “Come between a man, his food, and his action movie,” he warned, grinning as she continued to struggle beneath his ten-fingered attack.
Only when she choked out the words, “Can’t… breathe…” did he finally let up. His fingers remained fused to her body though, roaming over her petite but irresistible form.
“Oh my God,” she groaned, heaving a sigh of relief. At her side, Logan laughed, leaning in to kiss the bare surface of her shoulder.
“Fun for you too?” he inquired, mouth trailing a few butterfly-light footsteps over her soft flesh, stopping when he reached the column of her neck. He then pulled back, head flopping onto the mattress beside hers.
“Yeah, if you call agonizing torture ‘fun’,” she said, turning her head to face him with a thoughtful gaze. “Of course, I wouldn’t be surprised if you did,” she muttered, poking him in the side.
Furrowing his brow at her, his bottom lip jutted out. “Are you accusing me of being evil somehow?”
“Nah, just of being a closet sadomasochist.”
“‘Cause that’s so much better,” he bit back.
“Well, at least it’s kinkier,” she offered as a substitute, tacking an innocent smile onto the package. He grinned back at her, the tips of his fingers now trailing up and down the outer edge of her arm.
In a simultaneous movement, they then leaned into each other. Their lips met in a tender but intense embrace, parting at almost the same moment. Logan’s hand captured the side of her face, pulling her closer as his tongue began to explore the velvety caverns of her mouth.
Veronica rolled over, climbing on top of him between kisses. Hands splaying over his hardened pectoral muscles, they traveled along the expanse of his torso until reaching his stomach. At that point, she curled her fingers into his flesh, lips arching into a malicious smile.
He bucked underneath her, letting out a short, sharp laugh in response to her tickling. “I thought we’d finished with that part,” he grumbled with good humor, eyes shimmering with contentment as he looked up at her.
“Yes, we finished with the you tickling me part. No one said I couldn’t exact a little revenge though,” she responded with a grin.
“Ah yes. The ‘you never prohibited it so it’s still legal’ clause. I guess you’re forgiven then.”
“Hey, never underestimate the manipulative abilities of a Mars,” she said.
“Like I haven’t learned that a million times already,” he replied with a playful eye roll. “Congratulations on your ability to state the obvious, Miss Mars. You must be proud of yourself.”
“You know, I kinda am,” she agreed, holding his gaze for a full three seconds before each of them laughed at the absurdity of their conversation. Veronica reached up to plant a quick, chaste kiss against his lips before pillowing her head against his chest, fingers toying with the seams on his shirt.
Still smiling, unable to do anything else when he was around this girl, Logan wrapped his arms around her petite form in a gesture that was both protective and loving. After planting a soft kiss on the top of her head, he nestled his cheek there. “I love you,” he murmured, giving her a gentle squeeze in the circle of his arms.
Time stopped for Veronica. Those three teensy words charged through her ears and rammed into her brain, sending her every muscle, organ, and thought process into a momentary spasm. Her heart stuttered. The stream of air she’d been inhaling was strangled, forced back out of her body before it even got a chance to get in.
I love you.
The words ricocheted around the catacombs of her mind, only serving to magnify their effects.
He loved her? Had it just been a passing, casual comment, infused with the same significance he’d use in addressing a good friend? Or did he really mean that he…
And if that is what he’d meant, did she love him back yet? She’d never really sat down to think about it.
Working her way through the labyrinth of confusion and panic in her psyche, Veronica took hold of her bodily functions once more. Lifting her head from its human cushion, she looked up at him with curious eyes, forehead crinkled by a somewhat furrowed brow. “What did you just say?” she asked in as neutral a tone as she could manage, using all of her willpower to hide the nervous reverberations that should’ve been there.
“Hmm?” he responded, as if genuinely perplexed by her question.
So he was going to make her say it. “Did you…” she paused midway, taking a steadying breath. “Just say that you love me?”
When she finished her question, his eyebrows lifted up, like he was just as surprised to hear the words as she’d been. A wave of comprehension fluttered over his features only a second later though, and he smiled. “Yeah,” he said, following it with a soft, giddy laugh. He reached up to brush her hair behind her ear, fingers caressing the peaks and valleys of her face. “I guess I did”.
At her somewhat troubled expression, his forehead crinkled with concern. “Is that okay?” he asked, unsure.
“Yeah,” Veronica responded with a glowing smile. Despite the terror his words had instilled, they had also filled her with all the warmth and peace of a summer day. “Of course. I just…” she paused, eyes roaming around the room in avoidance of his own. “I don’t know if…”
“You can say it back?” he finished for her.
She met his gaze for a mere moment before it fluttered away again. A nervous laugh rattled out of her. “It’s just that I’m… not sure yet if-”
“Veronica,” Logan’s voice nudged hers out of the way, his hand cupping her shoulder at the same time. “Hey,” he prompted, causing her to look into his eyes again. “It’s okay,” he said, smiling and sincere. When she still seemed confused by how undisturbed he was by her failure to reciprocate his confession, he explained further.
“Really. I don’t want you to feel like you have to say it,” he said, returning to the task of weaving his fingers through her hair. “I mean, it’s not like we’re keeping score or something,” he added. “No pressure, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay,” she agreed, though his words had served to unravel only a small patch of the now twisted fibers in her mind.
“So, shall we return to the slightly less brain-stimulating world of big guns and bad dialogue?” Logan asked, bringing her with him as he sat up. He realized that his admission was having a somewhat unpredicted effect on his girlfriend, and he figured that returning to emotionally neutral territory was a good bet.
Relief flickered through the bright smile and nod she responded with. “Sure.”
Kissing her on the forehead, he lifted her up and planted her down on both feet, standing up in the same motion.
“By the way,” Veronica began as she laced her fingers through his. “Next time we do this, I get to pick the movie,” she said with raised eyebrows.
Logan just laughed, pressing his lips against her temple. “Deal.”
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...End Chapter One
[Hope you enjoyed so far! I really, really adore comments, so if you've got anything to say, I'd love to hear it! :) Thank you very much for reading thus far]
Author: Jaime
Characters/Pairings: Logan/Veronica (yep, another one...), with a very brief appearance by Wallace
Rating: I'd say about PG, but it's pretty tame- no swearing that I can find so far, and minor physicality.
Length: 2595
Spoilers: None really. This fic could kind of stand on its own, though there is reference to an event in Leave it to Beaver (S1 finale)
Summary: [I really, really suck at summaries. Here's a rough description though, and keep in mind it's purposefully undetailed] - When Logan makes a confession to Veronica, she doesn't react in quite the way he'd hope. She begins to avoid him as a result, leaving Logan feeling confused and alone.
Notes: My song was 'More Than Words' by Extreme. Yep, I chose the same name for my fic, but that's just 'cause it worked so well. This is the first ever VM fic I've posted, so feedback (constructive or otherwise) would be greatly appreciated. I'm always interested in improving my writing! :):)
Hope you enjoy...
With every second that ticked by, Logan wished more and more that he hadn’t done it. In all honesty, he still wasn’t even sure why he’d done it. When it came to such monumental events, he usually preferred there to be more planning. More finesse. More thought.
But he’d gotten ahead of himself. A balloon had swelled and then popped within him, spilling its contents out into the world before he could stop it. He didn’t regret what he’d said. Every word had been plucked from his heart, dressed in a tailored tuxedo, and presented with all the sincerity his soul possessed. He just wished they’d had a different effect.
Things had been deteriorating between him and Veronica for the past two weeks now. It was as if they each had a grip on one end of an elastic band, and were walking in opposite directions. So far, the thin strand of rubber had withstood the increasing tension, but Logan knew it wouldn’t be much longer until it snapped.
Perhaps what made this situation so unbearable though was the acidic irony of it. What he’d said should have served to bring them closer together. Instead, it had hurled them apart, and left them with no way of getting back to where they’d been.
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“Oh please,” Veronica muttered, brow crinkling in disbelief.
“What?” Logan inquired from around a mouthful of popcorn.
“There’s no way that explosion could’ve been that big. There were, what, a couple of cars and a gallon jug of gas in the warehouse?”
“You obviously don’t know the rules of action movies,” he commented with a chuckle.
Veronica turned to give her boyfriend a questioning look. “The rules of action movies?” she inquired, eyebrow cocked in curiosity about the concept.
“Well, you don’t think people watch them for their captivating dialogue, do you?” he grinned. The girl in his lap tipped her head back and forth, weighing the logic of that explanation. “Besides, why do you think the acting is usually so bad? It’s because the filmmakers save money on actors so they can use it to pay for all the fiery fun.”
“So…” she put her finger on her chin as a counterargument cooked in her mind. “If that’s the case, then where exactly did your dad’s multi-million dollar fortune come from?”
“Sequels, baby,” Logan said with an enthusiastic smirk.
“You mean he didn’t earn it by merit of his acting skills?” she asked with wide eyes, as if the thought were inconceivable.
“I’ve been told that I’m to have no opinion on that particular subject.”
“They’re that bad, huh?”
“Again, I have no comment,” he insisted, the smile hiding between the corners of his lips growing a little larger.
“Ah, I can read between the lines,” Veronica nodded knowingly.
“That was the idea,” he agreed. “Now, less talk, more explosion,” he said, motioning at the television with his head.
Veronica smiled, rolling her eyes at his typical guy-glued-to-action-movie behavior, returning her head to where it had been pillowed against his chest. She always found it amusing how in most other situations, the majority of the male population could be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. But put them in front of a screen with explosions, tanks, and guns going off every five minutes or so, and they’re captivated.
On most occasions, it wasn’t really an issue for her. She enjoyed action movies as much as the next guy. Well, maybe not as much- but she didn’t hate them either. Their little line of conversation had put a small jolt of energy in her though, and she was finding it difficult to focus on the television, despite the sound effects being blasted at her from Logan’s surround sound system.
Feeling playful, when she saw him reach into the popcorn bowl in her lap and pull out a single kernel, then toss it in the air, she snatched it before it could reach his mouth. Popping the fluffy treat into her mouth, she grinned up at him. “Cool trick. Thanks.”
“Oh, you think you’re funny, do you?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Quite,” she confirmed, nodding.
“Veronica Mars, comedienne extraordinaire,” he said dryly.
“You bet. I’ve even got business cards.”
“I don’t think comedians generally have business cards.”
“The ‘extraordinaire’ ones do.”
“My mistake,” he muttered with the ghost of a grin, turning his attention back to the television.
This time when he reached into the bowl, Logan chose not to set his piece of popcorn airborne. Even still, as he directed it toward his mouth, Veronica plucked it from between his fingers, though this time she didn’t look at him. Instead she stared straight ahead at the screen, a mischievous smile brushing the inner edges of her cheeks.
“Are you gonna do that all night?” asked Logan, a tinge of frustration in his voice.
“Maybe,” she responded with a shrug.
Letting out an exasperated sigh, he snatched the remote off its perch along the couch back, and paused the movie. The jerkiness of his motions gave her the disturbing impression that maybe he really was angry.
A moment later though, she felt his fingers dig into her sides and begin wiggling back and forth. Veronica let out a squeak, flexing her body in the opposite direction of his evil digits. There wasn’t really anywhere she could escape to though. She wasn’t sitting in his lap so much as she had her bum wedged between the couch’s arm and his thigh. Plus, the boat of popcorn she was holding meant she couldn’t tip too far in any direction.
“Wait!” she gasped. “Wait, wait,” she pleaded between breathless giggles.
“Why?” Logan challenged as he continued to tickle her.
“The popcorn!” she responded, holding the bowl up. “You were worried about one or two pieces- you don’t want me to spill the whole thing, do you?” the blonde girl further explained once he’d stopped his attack.
“You’re right. It would be tragic to lose so much gourmet snack food,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm, though he still allowed her to sit up.
Swinging her legs over the edge of the couch, Veronica leaned out to set the bowl on the coffee table. A split second after it touched down though, she vaulted up from where she’d been perched. His fingers clawed at her hips in an attempt to catch her, but she just laughed as his attempts fell flat, veering down the nearest hallway without looking back to see if he’d follow.
Of course, she’d known from the beginning that she hadn’t had much chance of escaping for longer than a few moments. She and Logan had been dating for just over five months now, and she still couldn’t quite navigate her way through the labyrinth that was the Echolls’ home.
Finding a staircase, she scurried up it, attempting to make as little noise as possible even though it was carpeted. Veronica knew there was more than one way to get to the second floor, so if he heard her going up he could follow without being seen. Stopping at the top, she listened for the sound of footsteps. Hearing nothing, she continued down her unmapped escape route, deciding her best bet would be to duck into a guest bedroom where she could huddle into a closet or squeeze under a bed.
However, there was more than one hallway in the upstairs area. It wasn’t quite as confusing as the first floor, but it still had a crossroad or two. So of course, when she rounded the next corner, the last thing she expected was to be sideswiped by another body. Muscular arms cinched around her waist, lifting her off the ground in the process and dragging her- squirming with verbal protests the whole way -into the nearest bedroom.
Falling with her as he dropped her onto the bed, Logan used his body to keep her in place while he resumed his tickling assault on her.
Veronica squealed as she tried to roll away from him, her hands doing little to protect her, weakened in their current state of tickle-induced paralysis. “All this,” she said in a strangled voice. “Over a little popcorn?”
He just chuckled. “Never. And I mean never,” he said, wiggling a couple of fingers against her neck- another of her sensitive spots, he’d discovered -for emphasis. “Come between a man, his food, and his action movie,” he warned, grinning as she continued to struggle beneath his ten-fingered attack.
Only when she choked out the words, “Can’t… breathe…” did he finally let up. His fingers remained fused to her body though, roaming over her petite but irresistible form.
“Oh my God,” she groaned, heaving a sigh of relief. At her side, Logan laughed, leaning in to kiss the bare surface of her shoulder.
“Fun for you too?” he inquired, mouth trailing a few butterfly-light footsteps over her soft flesh, stopping when he reached the column of her neck. He then pulled back, head flopping onto the mattress beside hers.
“Yeah, if you call agonizing torture ‘fun’,” she said, turning her head to face him with a thoughtful gaze. “Of course, I wouldn’t be surprised if you did,” she muttered, poking him in the side.
Furrowing his brow at her, his bottom lip jutted out. “Are you accusing me of being evil somehow?”
“Nah, just of being a closet sadomasochist.”
“‘Cause that’s so much better,” he bit back.
“Well, at least it’s kinkier,” she offered as a substitute, tacking an innocent smile onto the package. He grinned back at her, the tips of his fingers now trailing up and down the outer edge of her arm.
In a simultaneous movement, they then leaned into each other. Their lips met in a tender but intense embrace, parting at almost the same moment. Logan’s hand captured the side of her face, pulling her closer as his tongue began to explore the velvety caverns of her mouth.
Veronica rolled over, climbing on top of him between kisses. Hands splaying over his hardened pectoral muscles, they traveled along the expanse of his torso until reaching his stomach. At that point, she curled her fingers into his flesh, lips arching into a malicious smile.
He bucked underneath her, letting out a short, sharp laugh in response to her tickling. “I thought we’d finished with that part,” he grumbled with good humor, eyes shimmering with contentment as he looked up at her.
“Yes, we finished with the you tickling me part. No one said I couldn’t exact a little revenge though,” she responded with a grin.
“Ah yes. The ‘you never prohibited it so it’s still legal’ clause. I guess you’re forgiven then.”
“Hey, never underestimate the manipulative abilities of a Mars,” she said.
“Like I haven’t learned that a million times already,” he replied with a playful eye roll. “Congratulations on your ability to state the obvious, Miss Mars. You must be proud of yourself.”
“You know, I kinda am,” she agreed, holding his gaze for a full three seconds before each of them laughed at the absurdity of their conversation. Veronica reached up to plant a quick, chaste kiss against his lips before pillowing her head against his chest, fingers toying with the seams on his shirt.
Still smiling, unable to do anything else when he was around this girl, Logan wrapped his arms around her petite form in a gesture that was both protective and loving. After planting a soft kiss on the top of her head, he nestled his cheek there. “I love you,” he murmured, giving her a gentle squeeze in the circle of his arms.
Time stopped for Veronica. Those three teensy words charged through her ears and rammed into her brain, sending her every muscle, organ, and thought process into a momentary spasm. Her heart stuttered. The stream of air she’d been inhaling was strangled, forced back out of her body before it even got a chance to get in.
I love you.
The words ricocheted around the catacombs of her mind, only serving to magnify their effects.
He loved her? Had it just been a passing, casual comment, infused with the same significance he’d use in addressing a good friend? Or did he really mean that he…
And if that is what he’d meant, did she love him back yet? She’d never really sat down to think about it.
Working her way through the labyrinth of confusion and panic in her psyche, Veronica took hold of her bodily functions once more. Lifting her head from its human cushion, she looked up at him with curious eyes, forehead crinkled by a somewhat furrowed brow. “What did you just say?” she asked in as neutral a tone as she could manage, using all of her willpower to hide the nervous reverberations that should’ve been there.
“Hmm?” he responded, as if genuinely perplexed by her question.
So he was going to make her say it. “Did you…” she paused midway, taking a steadying breath. “Just say that you love me?”
When she finished her question, his eyebrows lifted up, like he was just as surprised to hear the words as she’d been. A wave of comprehension fluttered over his features only a second later though, and he smiled. “Yeah,” he said, following it with a soft, giddy laugh. He reached up to brush her hair behind her ear, fingers caressing the peaks and valleys of her face. “I guess I did”.
At her somewhat troubled expression, his forehead crinkled with concern. “Is that okay?” he asked, unsure.
“Yeah,” Veronica responded with a glowing smile. Despite the terror his words had instilled, they had also filled her with all the warmth and peace of a summer day. “Of course. I just…” she paused, eyes roaming around the room in avoidance of his own. “I don’t know if…”
“You can say it back?” he finished for her.
She met his gaze for a mere moment before it fluttered away again. A nervous laugh rattled out of her. “It’s just that I’m… not sure yet if-”
“Veronica,” Logan’s voice nudged hers out of the way, his hand cupping her shoulder at the same time. “Hey,” he prompted, causing her to look into his eyes again. “It’s okay,” he said, smiling and sincere. When she still seemed confused by how undisturbed he was by her failure to reciprocate his confession, he explained further.
“Really. I don’t want you to feel like you have to say it,” he said, returning to the task of weaving his fingers through her hair. “I mean, it’s not like we’re keeping score or something,” he added. “No pressure, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”
“Okay,” she agreed, though his words had served to unravel only a small patch of the now twisted fibers in her mind.
“So, shall we return to the slightly less brain-stimulating world of big guns and bad dialogue?” Logan asked, bringing her with him as he sat up. He realized that his admission was having a somewhat unpredicted effect on his girlfriend, and he figured that returning to emotionally neutral territory was a good bet.
Relief flickered through the bright smile and nod she responded with. “Sure.”
Kissing her on the forehead, he lifted her up and planted her down on both feet, standing up in the same motion.
“By the way,” Veronica began as she laced her fingers through his. “Next time we do this, I get to pick the movie,” she said with raised eyebrows.
Logan just laughed, pressing his lips against her temple. “Deal.”
|#|--|#|
...End Chapter One
[Hope you enjoyed so far! I really, really adore comments, so if you've got anything to say, I'd love to hear it! :) Thank you very much for reading thus far]