Max waltzed into the penthouse with a frown on her face. Logan had called her and told her to come over quickly but never said why. It was not everyday that Logan called her without having a reason. In fact that never happened. What if Manticore had caught up with him and made him call her?... What if Lydecker was there now breaking all of his bones to show power...like he did with the X-5's?
Max hopped on her ninja and booked it to Logan's apartment.
"Logan!" she called while heading for the computer room where she expected him to be.
"In here!" Logan responded from the kitchen.
Max easily changed her course mid-stride and headed for the kitchen. When Logan saw her his face lit up and he smiled. Seeing him smile boyishly Max returned the smile ten fold.
"Hey what's up?" she asked forgetting the reason she was even here. Logan was the only one who could do that to her. She always had a smart comeback for everything but he could make her speechless.
"Hey yourself" Logan replied moving around the counter to stand in front of her. He gently tugged on her sleeve , causing her to dismount the counter, he then pulled her into a gentle yet firm hug. When he had first embraced her she was stiff and tense in his arms but after a moments hesitation she relaxed taking in his soothing scent.
After a few seconds Logan stepped back but still had his hands on Max's waist not wanting to break contact with her. Looking into her eye he smiled.
"What was that for? Not that I'm complaining" asked Max.
Logan grinned and blushed, "I'm just happy to see you and felt compelled to hug you."
Max grinned mischievously, "You should feel... 'compelled' more often."
Logan felt like he a grown two feet taller at Max's suggestion. For now he knew she did not mind his hugs and even enjoyed them ..to a point because she wouldn't have told him to do it more often if she didn't like it...right?
"I'll keep that in mind ... dinner is almost ready if you are hungry"
"Must you ask?" replied Max as she wandered over to the cupboard, extracted two glasses and handed one to Logan. She then randomly selected a bottle of pre-pulse wine from Logan's ever stocked wine rack. She handed Logan her glass and got the cork screw. Max effortlessly pooped the cork and poured wine into Logan's glass and then her own. She then re corked the bottle and placed it in Logan's ice bucket to keep it cold.
Logan handed her back her glass and raised his in a toast.
" To us" said Logan
"...To us" replied Max hesitantly.
They both drank from their respective glasses. When suddenly the stove timer went off, startling Logan and making Max smile at how easily he was spooked.
"A lil jumpy today aren't we?" teased Max.
Logan looked at her blushing slightly. "Naw just around beautiful women." He said then turned to attend to the food in the oven.
Max was grateful for Logan turning around because he never saw her blush. Logan Set the food on the table as Max watched still sipping on the wine. He then gently took her hand and led her to the dining room, where he pulled out a chair for her.
"What are you doing?" Asked Max with a raised eyebrow. Logan never pulled her chair out for her...not that she minded but she wanted to know what was going on in that cute little head of his.
"Max...I am .. Uh.. Courting you." replied Logan with a slight blush on his cheeks, he then went to sit at his end of the table which was directly across form her.
Max looked up at him with confusion in her eyes, "You're what?...what is courting?"asked Max while piling food on her plate.
"Well .. It is another way of saying .. I want to pursue an... intimate relationship with you." said Logan studying the food on his plate.
Max pondered the information and concluded. "So basically this is your round about way of dating me."
"Yes Max it is." said Logan smiling gently.
"Hmm... so does this officially make you my boyfriend?" asked Max with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"It makes me whatever you want it to make me."
Max and Logan then brought the conversation down a notch and talked about what they did that day. After dinner Logan cleared the dishes and led Max to the livingroom.
"I thought we could watch a movie or something before you had to leave... if you don't want to that's ok.. I just.."
"Logan shut up and put in a movie." interrupted Max. She personally thought it was cute when Logan was insecure and rambled but she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable tonight.
Logan smiled in appreciation and pooped in Honey a movie he found quite fascinating. He then wondered back to the kitchen and pulled a humongous bowl of pudding and whipped cream out of the fridge and prepared their dessert. He covered the pudding with the whipped cream, added strawberries, and sprinkled MM's all over it. Satisfied with his creation he grabbed 2 spoons and headed back to the living room.
As Logan entered the living room Max looked up to see the most glorious concoction she had ever seen.
Sitting down next to Max, Logan pulled the coffee table closer. Max moved closer to him trying to close the distance between her and the dessert. Logan turned the movie on via remote and then stuck his finger in the masterpiece . He then proceeded to lick and suck all the pudding and whipped cream off his finger. Max's eyes were transfixed on his mouth the whole time.
Max, thinking turnabout was fair play, picked out a strawberry and dipped it in the pudding. She slowly licked all the chocolate off causing Logan's eyes to bug out and his pants to suddenly become uncomfortable. She then offered the strawberry to Logan taunting him shamelessly.
Logan took Max's hand and bit down on the fruit causing the juices to run down her hand which he licked off.
Feeling they were going too fast too soon, Logan produced the spoon from behind him and handed it to Max, along with the bowl and then pulled Max into his lap with her back to he chest.
Max smiled at him gratefully because she also felt they were going to fast. She then snuggled closer to Logan and got into the movie while eating the glorious dessert Logan had made for her.
An hour later the movie finished and Max let out a satisfied sigh, and stood up stretching. Both immediately missing the warmth and security of the other. Logan also stood up and wrapped his arms around Max's small frame from behind. Max turned into him to give him a hug. Logan rested his head on top of Max's. A moment later Max stepped out of Logan's arms and wrapped her own arms around herself trying to retain the warmth of Logan's body.
"I'd better go I'm on curfew, ... um tonight was nice.. We should do it again sometime." said Max blushing slightly.
"How about tomorrow? It's Christmas eve and I thought ..I dunno we could ...you know ... chill out or something" asked Logan a little insecure.
"Sure I'll be here."
Max turned and headed for the door, then as if on an impulse she turned around and covered the distance between her and Logan and gave him a kiss. After a few seconds she broke the kiss and placed her finger on his lips to stop him from commenting.
"I'm gonna go, but I am not running...I'll see you tomorrow, I ain't emotionally overwhelmed or overloaded, noone's dying or any of that stuff, so I won't act like the kiss did not happen. And finally..." Max stopped talking , removed her finger and gave Logan a final kiss. When Logan ran out of breathe Max broke the kiss
"I'll see you tomorrow" said Max winking.
Logan just grinned and took her hand, walking her to the door. They each said their goodbyes and then Max left.
Logan wondered back into his apartment, wondering what he did to deserve such a beautiful angel as his best friend and maybe even girlfriend.
Meanwhile...
Max got on her ninja with a huge smile on her face. She drove to her favorite place..next to Logan's that is., the space needle. She went there to think and all she could think about was Logan and the step, no the jump he had taken with their relationship. She was so excited and scared at the same time.
"Crap! Tomorrow is Christmas eve and I don't have anything to give to Logan... what do you get a guy who has everything?" Max thought out load.
Realizing it was getting really late and Original Cindy was probably worrying her head off, Max climbed down and sped home.
When Max got home she was greeted with the sight of Original Cindy pacing a hole in the floor.
"You've been hanging around me way too much." joked Max, smiling at her friend.
"Hmmmm mmm and where have you been?" asked Cindy with a hand on her hip. "Original Cindy has been worried sick that them black helicopter dudes got you or something, so you better give me the low down."
"Well, you see I was at Logan's and we watched a movie had dessert, kissed ..." Max replied speeding the last part up a bit.
But Original Cindy caught it and started grinning like a fool.
"Run that by Original Cindy again."
"We kissed ...you know lip to lip... it's not like nobody does it... arrrgghh, never mind!" said Max turning bright red.
"Finally, girl Original Cindy and the whole Jampony crew have been wondering when you two would finally cut the crap and admit you are into each other."
"What! You guys talk about my love life when I'm not there?" asked Max trying to change the subject.
"Yeah"
"W/e" Max said then she smiled, she had just said 'love' life and was referring to Logan.
"Oh and uh, Original Cindy can you help your boo out? I need a gift for Logan for Christmas, and I don't know what to get him."
"Don't you worry Original Cindy knows just the thing, some red lacy panties and a bra to match with some whipped cream and chocolate sauce and those cherries and strawberries that taste sooo good... that is what you need.
Max just grinned and shook her head.
" Why did I even bother?" asked Max with a laugh.
"What about that picture you have of the two of you at the wedding ,you know the one with you in front of him and your leaning back against him and his arms are around your waist and his head is on your shoulder and your both smiling and look like you guys just..."
"OKAY, I get the picture, but that's my favorite... I mean my only picture of us." said Max.
"Well then you'll just have to wait till the boy asks you to either move in or marry him, to get it back... and it's not like you'll never see it, your over there more then here so I don't see why your complaining sooo much." countered Original Cindy.
'Beep beep beep'
Max's pagers went off. She looked down at it and when she saw the number she unconsciously broke into a goofy grin. It was Logan.
Original Cindy studied her for a moment and then looking at her watchless wrist claimed, "Zena's on" and retreated to her room leaving Max alone to call her man.
Max grabbed the phone off the stand in the livingroom and carried it to her