Thanks to BritMum for the beta.
"The date is the 25th of December. Do you seriously not know what holiday it is?" Logan could see Max racking her brain, trying to think of the answer. "It's Christmas, Max."
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Earlier that day, Max had been on a run for Jam Pony and had just arrived back at the headquarters when her boss, Normal, had informed her that she had a telephone call. She then realized she had forgotten her pager that afternoon when she had gone to visit Kendra. Max had been in such a hurry to get back to work that she left her pager at Kendra's apartment. Max scolded herself as she dialed Logan's cell number, but she couldn't resist smiling when Logan said, "Hello, Max." Logan reminded her that they were getting together that night. A 'date', he called it. Then Max told him that she was going to run by to check on Original Cindy, who had been sick the past few days.
Max knew OC liked Pop tarts, so she had brought some with her. OC's face lit up when she saw the gift that Max had brought her, especially because she knew Pop tarts were hard to come by after the Pulse hit and everyone looted the stores of food. Most companies lost everything and were forced to shut down. Only a few companies still existed that made packaged food like Pop tarts, and only the wealthy could get them. Logan had managed to get some for Max's last birthday. How, she hadn't asked and frankly didn't care. All she knew was that it was her little rectangle of sweet Heaven. Cindy thanked Max profusely and told her that she hoped Max had fun 'getting busy' with Logan. Max rolled her eyes and reminded OC that she and Logan weren't like that. And with that, Max began making her way to Logan's penthouse on her motorcycle, exceeding the speed limit the entire way.
Before Max knew it, she was standing at Logan's front door. She knocked and waited impatiently for what seemed like hours until she finally heard Logan's wheelchair roll up to the door. The door slowly opened and she saw his perfect face. As if in slow motion, her eyes moved from his beautiful green eyes down to his mischievous smile. She smirked as she began imagining the muscles hidden under his baby blue polo shirt.
"Whatcha up to?" She said with eyebrows raised.
"Oh, just saving the world, one superhuman at a time. Come in, Max. You know you don't have to knock." Logan watched her face, looking for some kind of explanation for the sudden politeness.
"Well, I was feeling all mannerly…" Max began.
"Did they teach that to you at Manticore?" Logan joked.
"Yeah, right along with 'How to date a cyber-journalist'." Max smiled. "I aced that class."
"It was the best class they offered." Logan grinned and rolled his wheelchair into the dining room where he had set up a candlelit dinner. Max followed him and her face scrunched up in confusion at the sight of the feast Logan had prepared. She tried to think of any special occasion she might have missed. Logan's birthday? No, that was last month. Our anniversary? No. My birthday? Not for another…Wait. Is that WINE? Max's eyes widened in shock, but she was still confused about the occasion.
"What's all this for, Logan? Do you have some news about Manticore or something?"
"Well, not exactly." Logan couldn't figure out why Max didn't know what holiday it was. "Do you not know what today is, Max?"
"Yeah, it's Wednesday." Max gave him a look that said 'so what?'
"The date is the 25th of December. Do you seriously not know what holiday it is?" Logan could see Max racking her brain, trying to think of the answer. "It's Christmas, Max."
"Christmas?" Max's face scrunched up in confusion, and then she understood, "Oh, Christmas." That's why everyone at Jam Pony was trying to convince Normal to let them off work early.
"Yeah. Did you not see the decorations on the way over? No Christmas tree at Jam Pony? No one has asked you what to get you for a gift?"
"I have other things on my mind, Logan. And you know Normal wouldn't let us put up a tree. And YOU never asked me what I wanted." Max pouted, angry with herself for not remembering such an important holiday. Well, it wasn't as important to her as it was to other people. She hadn't heard about it until she had escaped from Manticore, anyway, so she was nine years behind everyone in learning about pop culture.
"Max, I didn't ask you because I didn't need to. I knew exactly what I wanted to give you." Logan was sweet like that and always knew what to get a girl to make her happy.
"Well, you could have reminded me, Logan. I didn't even get you anything." Max felt horrible and she didn't know if Logan would ever forgive her.
"Max, it's fine. Really." Logan glanced away, then looked back up into Max's deep brown eyes. "Let's eat. You must be starving."
"Well, as a matter of fact…Yeah, I'm starving. Haven't had anything since breakfast."
Logan already had everything on the table, so all they needed to do was sit down and enjoy the food. As they ate, they gave each other funny little looks, like there was something they wanted to say, but just didn't know how to say it.
After they were finished eating, Logan told Max to close her eyes. He wheeled himself over to the fridge and took something out. Then he came over beside Max and put that something in front of her. "Open your eyes, Max." Max opened her eyes and there, right in front of her, was a cheesecake. She couldn't believe it. She had only had cheesecake once before, at a fancy dinner for an Eyes Only undercover mission, and it had tasted like heaven to her.
"You made this, Logan?" Max knew he was a good cook, but she didn't know his baking skills were also top notch.
"I made it for you, Max." Logan said proudly. The look on her face meant everything to him and he was glad he could give her this one little token of his love.
"I don't know what to say, Logan." Max was still in shock.
"Just think of it as my gift to you, Max. I hope you enjoy it."
"Oh, you know I will." Max said with a grin. "Come on, let's not just sit here and stare at it! Let's eat it!"
After they had finished the cheesecake, Logan and Max cleaned up the kitchen and sat down in the living room. They sat there in silence, staring outside at the building across from Fogle Towers, until Max and Logan both looked at each other in excitement.
"Is that…" Logan started.
Max walked up to the window just to make sure. "Snow! Do you know how much we're supposed to get?"
"I don't even think they were calling for any. It must just be a freak storm of flurries that will pass in a few…minutes." Logan's eyes widened at the sight of all the snow outside. It was like the flurries had turned into a blizzard.
"Well, if it keeps up like this for much longer, I'm not gonna have to go to work tomorrow." Max said mischievously.
"You're welcome to stay here, Max." Logan said with a grin.
"I don't know. I don't want to get you in trouble with your significant other." Max joked.
"Don't worry. I'm sure she won't mind." Logan wheeled his chair over to where Max was standing and pulled her onto his lap.
"Merry Christmas, Logan." Max kissed Logan gently and stared back into his beautiful green eyes.
Logan grinned and said, "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Cale."
