Um, I have no excuse for this. I am just on a Logan/Quinn kick and so, yeah, plot bunnies galore. So, um, enjoy. The kiss I'm referring to is the one during Quinn Misses the Mark. I can never decide exactly how I wanted them to get from awkwardly kissing on the bench to starring into each other's eyes swapping compliments. So, you guys get this.
Also, I think my dislike of Mark is probably showing a bit in this fic. I try to, you know, treat him as neutrally as possible but, yeah in this one I gave him his comeuppance. Just this once.
(the five things that could have happened after Quinn and Logan kissed)
1.
(he's still Logan, only, different)
Logan is up earlier then he would like to be, or maybe it's better to say that he hasn't really been to sleep. He can't seem to shut his brain off and every time his eyes are open, or closed, he sees his most recent encounter with Quinn. He makes his way over to the gym, sure that a good work out is just what he needs to exhaust his body. Since he can't get his brain to stop talking, he'll just have to work out until his too tired to care.
He pushes open the door to the gym and is surprised to find that the lights are on, but there is no one in there. Each and every piece of equipment is empty and off. After a moment of confusion he realizes that there's music playing from the dance studio that opened when PCA first started admitting girls.
He's never actually seen anyone use the dance studio before and is curious to see who would want to use it at six fifteen in the morning. As he gets closer he can just make out that the song playing is Moves Like Jagger, one of his favorite songs, and he's glad that who ever he's sharing the gym with this morning at least has good taste in music.
He opens the door softly to find Quinn in the dance studio. He bites back a groan. The universe apparently hates him. He had come to the gym to try and forget about Quinn, not to watch her twist and move her hips in ways that leave his breathing kind of shallow.
He's always thought she was pretty, in a quirky sort of way, but today she looks incredibly sexy. Her hair is in a loose braid and she's wearing tight black pants and a tank top that hug her quite nicely. And Logan can't help but flush as he thinks of all the other different ways she could use her flexibility and hips.
The song ends and her movements stop and Logan is definitely sure that his breathing is heavier than it should be. Before he can stop himself he speaks. "I bet Mark had no idea what to do with you."
She jumps in fright, obviously not expecting anyone, least of all him, to be there. Her eyes narrow at him and he realizes he should probably explain himself a little more. "I mean that in the best possible way to you and the worst possible way to him."
"Excuse me." She still sounds irritated and why is she not nearly as nervous and confused as he is? That is totally not fair.
"I just-what I meant was-ugh!" He is not supposed to be this flustered around a girl and he's not really sure he's okay with it. "Sorry, I just spoke without thinking."
Her eyes soften and it almost seems like she's remembering the Logan that comforted her yesterday. "It's fine." She smiles lightly. "I'm pretty sure I know what you mean and I'm pretty sure it was a compliment."
He's glad she gets it; he doesn't think he could properly explain anything to her right now. His head and his heart are all mixed up and he kind of wants to push her against a wall and kiss her senseless, which is a normal Logan response to a girl. But he also kind of wants to wrap her in a hug and let her cry about Mark some more if she needs to and wipe away her tears, which is not a normal Logan response to Quinn.
"So, uh," Logan sticks his hands in his pockets, looking anywhere but at her, "what's with the…" he trails off, jerking his head in the direction of her boom box.
"Dancing helps me focus." She tells him. "I usually come here when I'm stuck on a Quinnvention or when I'm confused about something, like our…" She trails off and Logan flushes again as she nearly mentions the kiss out loud. "What are you doing here?" She asks, trying to cover up the awkward lull in the conversation.
"I was going to work out. I need to tire out my body since my mind won't shut up long enough for me to get some sleep."
Quinn's smile is tight and he gets the impression that she knows exactly what he's talking about. She bends down and picks up her boom box. "Yeah, well I have to go. Bye." She brushes past him and he puts a hand on her arm and stops her.
"We'll talk about this today. I promise." He's eyes are gentle and he can see that she's caught of guard by it. "Just…I need some time to think, okay?"
She nods, clearly as dumbfounded as she was when they broke away from the kiss on the bench. "Me too." She finally whispers.
And then she's gone.
Logan heads back to the treadmill and turns it on as fast as he can handle it. And as he's running and trying to forget, he can't help but notice that she has the prettiest eyes.
2.
(she realizes she's spent two years settling and thinks it's time to admit that to herself)
She finally makes it off the bench. It takes an hour, but whatever, she's just had her world flipped upside down twice so she thinks it's perfectly acceptable to take some time to figure out what the hell just happened. She immediately goes back to her dorm room and washes her now smeared make-up off her face. She changes back into her normal attire and braids her hair, deciding, as she looks in the mirror and smiles, that she looks the best she ever has. Happy, apparently, is a look that works for everyone.
She's also still feeling a little miffed at her ex-boyfriend. Not because he lied to her, well yes that too, but mostly because now that she's free of him she can see how much time she wasted on him. She loved him; she supposes, but not the real, forever kind of love. If it had been that kind she doubts it would be this easy to move on.
She doesn't want to make a scene, she knows that it's not worth all the trouble it will cause, but she still feels like she needs some closure, because it was two years of her life, after all. Since she can't go and talk to Mark directly, she pulls out a pad and pen and begins writing.
Dear Mark,
I know you'll never see this, but there's some things I need to get off my chest. I forgive you for lying to me. I don't want to be with you, ever again, but I do forgive you. I suppose you must have thought it was for the best; maybe you were trying to spare my feelings. Either way, be happy with Brooke. Hopefully you are better for her than you were for me. That's what I needed to tell you, actually. And I'm sorry if this hurts your feelings.
I can see now that we were never really a good couple. I did really like you, back in the beginning. But I'm beginning to realize that after two years, two years when you wouldn't kiss me, that I was just clinging to the idea of the boy I thought you were. Because you were a lot of good things, but the truth is none of those things was really good for me.
I know you didn't mean to, but I can see now that our relationship was more give on my part and take on yours. I did everything for you, supported you through every endeavor you half-heartedly tried to complete, and the only thing I got back was a detached agreement to help with my experiments. You're sweet and I, for the most part, genuinely enjoyed our relationship, but I can see now that it is for the best that we are going our separate ways.
I, personally, am too emotional, too passionate to be with someone as lack luster as you. I don't mean any harm and I have no intention of hurting your feelings, but it's the truth. You are completely impassive when it comes to every subject. You don't know how to really treat a girl and I hope that with Brooke that changes. You are kind, if not a bit misguided about relationships, and you do deserve happiness.
So, while I am upset at the way you did it, I have to thank you for breaking my heart. Because you didn't actually break it and it wasn't until I thought you had that I could realize you hadn't and what that all meant. I now realize that there is someone out there who can be all the things you were to me and all the things you never managed to be. I couldn't realize that until you had let go of us. So, honestly, thank you.
I also have to tell you that I never loved you, not really. I thought I did, but sitting here, reflecting on everything that has happened, not all of which you know about, I can admit that I didn't. That I probably didn't even really like you as much as I thought I had, not after a while at least. I probably should have suspected it after it took you nearly two years to kiss me. But I was so comfortable in our relationship and so afraid that I would never find someone else who could like me, quirky, weird, and sometimes dangerous (with my Quinnventions) me, that I ignored it.
And that's the harshest truth that I have to tell you. I was settling with you. Settling because I didn't think I could find someone better. You are perfect for someone, I'm sure, but you were far from perfect for me and I was so afraid of never finding anyone else that I settled for that. For less than who was best for me. And that part is my fault.
But I'm not afraid of that now. Even if I don't find someone right away, but I'm young and not anything close to actually as heartbroken as I thought I was earlier, so maybe I will. And maybe it will last forever, but it probably won't. Either way, it will be a better relationship than what we had because I will make sure that the next person is better for me.
Because sometimes better means finding someone who will do the whole "push-pull" thing. Maybe better is finding someone who teases you for things you do, but likes you anyways, rather than being indifferent to everything. Maybe better is finding someone who seems to be the complete opposite of me, but can make me smile even when I don't want to.
I don't know if those will actually be better, but they are nothing like what you were, so I think I'm going to try them out.
From,
Quinn
She picks up the two sheets of paper and smiles at them. She feels better already and now she is certain of what she wants. She takes the letter and a lighter outside and stands just outside her dorm, not near any grass of course, and lights the corner of the letter on fire. She grins in satisfaction as it and her ties and feelings for Mark go up in smoke. From across the way she sees her ex, walking hand in hand with his new girlfriend. He turns to face her and she meets his gaze, her eyes shinning with a sort of triumph that probably confuses him.
Because Logan was sweeter to her in ten minutes than Mark had been their entire relationship.
Logan had made her feel things with one kiss that Mark had ever been able to make her feel, no matter what they did.
Logan had found a way to kiss her when she wasn't expecting before they'd even gotten into a relationship.
Plus, Logan had an adorable nose.
3.
(he tells Michael, because damn it, he has to tell someone or he might explode)
He bursts into his dorm room hoping that one or both of his roommates will be there. He only finds Michael and while he's pretty sure he'd rather have James' unbiased opinion, Michael knows how Logan and Quinn operate and it's going to color his whole view of the events, he'll take who ever he can get. Besides, it occurs to him as he waits for Michael to get off the phone; maybe the fact that Michael knows them both so well will be a positive thing.
"I kissed Quinn!" He blurts out as soon as Michael shuts his phone.
Michael drops said phone, both because he hadn't seen Logan come in and because of the boy's previous statement. "I'm sorry," he says as he reaches down for his phone, inspecting it for damage, "what did you say?"
Logan takes a deep breath because admitting it once was hard enough. "I kissed Quinn. Today."
He's never seen Michael's eyes so big and he's not sure if he should be offended or not. "Dude!" He runs his hands through his hair in frustration. "You have to help me!" He's shaking the boy in front of him, because he's frantic and panicking in a way that he never has before.
"Okay, okay." Michael breaks out his grasp and puts his hands on Logan's shoulders. "Calm down. Deep breaths." He demonstrates, inhaling deeply and releasing it slowly. When the boy mimics his actions he speaks again. "Why did you kiss Quinn?"
"I don't know." Logan confesses. "She was sitting on a bench crying and I stopped to talk to her. She was telling me everything that had happened with Del Figgalo and then, I don't know, she look so dejected and sad and I just didn't want her to feel like that anymore," Michael smirks at this, but Logan takes no notice, "so I was telling her what a loser Del Figgalo was and that she shouldn't compete with Brooke and then, I don't know! We just kissed until this horse rode by!"
It looks like Michael is trying very hard not to laugh at him. Logan's eyes narrow. "What?"
"Dude, that was me on the horse. I was taking Zoey to class." Logan looks confused at this, but Michael continues on without explanation. "Also, I think you might like Quinn."
"What?" Logan scoffs. "No!"
"I dunno man." Michael picks up his clackers; "I've watched Chase love Zoey for three years. I think I can tell when a guy likes a girl."
"But it-it's Quinn!"
"And you like her." Michael tells him simply. "The faster you admit it the faster you can deal with it."
Logan's shoulders sag in defeat and he slumps onto his roommate's bed. Michael is a bit surprised that he's surrendered this easily and claps him on the shoulder. "Hey man, it's cool." Logan looks up at him. "I mean, it's kind of weird, because it's you and Quinn, but if you like her than that's what matters."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Plus, Quinn's hot." Logan's eyes narrow and Michael holds up his hands in a surrendering gesture, laughing at him. "Chill man. I meant it in a purely platonic way. No need to get jealous."
He's being laughed at, but Logan figures this conversation could have gone a lot worse. He flops down on Michael's bed. "What do I do?" He groans, because, for once in his life Logan Reese is not sure how to handle a girl.
Michael shrugs. "Telling her might be a good start. Since you've already kissed her it's not exactly like you can pretend nothing has changed."
"I know you're just going to laugh some more but…I honestly have no clue what to say to her."
Logan is wrong. Michael doesn't laugh. His jaw does drop though. "Wow, dude. I never thought I'd hear you say that."
Logan rubs his eyes with the heel of his palm. "Yeah, I know that. But this isn't just a random girl to make out with. This is Quinn. She's our friend. And she's never really given in to my charm before. Plus it's not exactly like she's going to go away if she rejects me."
When Michael hears the 'r' word, because Logan never, ever, uses the word reject, he knows his poor roommate has it bad. "Look dude," Michael sits down next to him, truly sympathetic to his friend's plight. "She just got out of a relationship with Del Figgalo." Logan scoffs at the name of Quinn's ex-boyfriend. "And yeah, I know the dude was a total loser, but Quinn liked him. So whatever you do, take it slow. Like what do you like about her?"
Logan removes his hands from his eyes and looks thoughtful. "Well, I told her today that she was smart, pretty, and fun. Those are all things I like about her, I guess."
Michael smirks, he may sympathize with his friend, but that doesn't mean he doesn't enjoy being the one helping Logan with his girl problems for once. "Dude," Michael pats his leg before getting up and heading to the door, "just start with something like that then. Only maybe more specific."
Logan uses his elbows to prop himself up as he watches Michael grab the door handle. "Huh?"
Michael pulls open the door, turning to face his roommate one last time before leaving. "Just tell her is has the nicest eyes you've ever seen."
Then he's gone, leaving Logan alone with his thoughts.
4.
(he thinks that boys who make girls cry are the worst, and the ones who lie are the lowest of the low)
He gets off the bench shortly after they kiss. One of them has to leave or he's pretty sure they'll end up kissing again. And while he is not opposed to this, he's smart enough to realize that, since Quinn is his friend and since he's spent the last ten minutes being as un-Logan as she's probably ever seen him, they both need to take some time to think before doing any more kissing.
After a few minutes of the both of them trying to disappear into their respective sides of the bench, Logan realizes that Quinn is not going to move. He can't really blame her. She's probably had a far more traumatic day than he has. So he gets up instead, avoiding her eyes at all costs, which isn't hard as she seems to be doing the same, and climbs onto his Jet-X, before zooming off into the distance.
He knows from Zoey, who had been telling James and Michael, she assumed he wouldn't care, that Mark had told Quinn that he wanted to take a break. So, as he's riding towards the cafeteria, he recalls how surprising it was when Quinn told him that Del Figgalo had fallen for Brooke Margolin. Because, in Logan's book, that's lying and he had never pegged Del Figgalo for a liar.
Logan doesn't like guys who make girls cry, but he absolutely hates the ones that lie to them. Especially when they're his friends. Especially when they're as unique and special as Quinn. Because, even though Logan isn't known for monogamy, he's also not known for wanting relationships at all. What you see is what you get with Logan. He wants a date, maybe two if they're really interesting, and a good make-out session. No one at PCA believes differently and he's never given them reason too.
Logan likes to lie about a lot of things, but he would never lie to a girl about his intentions. And for the first time since he met him almost two years ago, Logan genuinely hates Mark.
Which is why when he sees Mark and Brooke sitting at a table in the quad, he finds himself stopping his Jet-X and getting off. He marches up to them and, before he can talk himself out of it, taps Mark on the shoulder. As soon as the slightly taller boy turns around, Logan raises his fist and slams into Mark's jaw.
There's complete and total silence in quad as everyone gaps open mouthed at Logan who is standing with his arms crossed and Mark who is cradling his face with both hands.
"Only real assholes lie to girls, Del Figgalo." He hisses quickly, because he can already see campus security running over. "Don't talk to Quinn again. You sure as hell don't deserve to."
He lets security escort him to Dean River's office, knowing he's going to be in a lot of trouble for what just went down. He doesn't care though. It was worth it and his dad donates a lot of money to the school; and while he knows this is worse than an angry voicemail, he still can't imagine he'll be getting anything too serious.
oOo
He's right. Of course he's right, his Logan for goodness sakes. He gets two weeks worth of detention but that's it. He doesn't even have to pull the "my dad donates a million dollars a year to this school" card to get out it. As soon as he tells Dean Rivers the reason he hauled back and clocked Del Figgalo he can see it in the dean's eyes. As a man, Dean Rivers actually agrees with what he did, but as an educator he can't. So, because this is Logan's first serious offence, because it was only one hit rather than a full scale beating, and because Logan didn't put up a fight when campus security took him to the dean's office, he walks out with two weeks worth of detention instead of an expulsion.
He's dad's cutting his allowance in half for a while, but Logan's not too worried about that either. He could hear it in his father's voice over the phone. He might not have been proud of how his son handled the situation, but he was proud that Logan had stood up for one of his friends.
He runs into Quinn, who he's pleased to note is back in her normal attire, just outside of the administrative building. She stops when she catches sight of him, her eyes wide with shock and concern, but no anger. He nods in her direction, smiling slightly before taking off towards his dorm to attend to his bruised hand.
He refuses to give in to the temptation to look back, so he completely misses how she watches him walk way, a huge smiling blossoming across her face as she does so.
He doesn't find out that she had run to the administrative office to see if he was okay. That she doesn't mind seeing Mark with a bruised jaw and nearly broken nose. Or that she would hate if anything had happened to him.
5.
(he doesn't say anything, just lets it happen)
He's body is clearly on autopilot. That's the only explanation he has for how he gets off the bench and back to his dorm. It's also how he gets through dinner and an evening of video games with Michael. Michael does find it suspicious that he beats Logan more than he loses too him, but he doesn't say anything. He crawls into bed much earlier than normal and doesn't even make a crack about needing his beauty sleep. He just strips off his clothes, wordlessly puts on his pajamas, and climbs into bed, throwing the covers up over his head.
All while his mind stays blissfully blank.
Once the lights go off, a sign that both James and Michael have settled for the night as well, images flicker to life behind his eyelids, like a TV being turned on, and he can't, for the life of him, figure out how to turn them off.
He keeps replaying earlier today in his head like maybe there's something he missed. Like maybe it wasn't him who sat down on the bench next to a scantily clad and crying Quinn. Like maybe it was someone else who was comforting her and telling her she was pretty and all the other things he thought but had sworn never tell her. Like maybe it was someone else who had felt the air shift around them and nervously looked at her lips before leaning in to kiss her.
Every time he thins about it he comes to same conclusion though. He had done all those things. And he kind of wants, no, really wants to do them again. Of course Quinn is probably still heartbroken about Mark and she had looked absolutely horrified when they had pulled apart, so the "doing it again" thing clearly was not going to happen.
He groans and flips over, as the scene replays in his head yet again.
"I don't hate him. I mean he's an idiot for breaking up with you."
"Why do you say that?" That part confuses him. Does she really not see how amazing she is? They don't even spend much time together and he knows that she's one of a kind.
"I don't know. I mean, look, we all know you're weird." She'd rolled her eyes and turned away. Didn't she realize he was trying? He touched her shoulder to get her attention. He wasn't done yet. "But you're smart, you're pretty, and you're kind of fun."
Why? Why had he even opened his mouth? Better yet, why had he even stopped when he saw her sitting there on the bench? He sighs and flips over again, glaring at the wall as if it was the source of his problems. He signs again and his gaze softens. The truth is, he knows why. He just doesn't want to think about it. Won't, can't admit it.
Because he's Logan Reese and she's Quinn Pensky and he's pretty sure they go together like oil and vinegar.
…Wait, that's not right. He shakes his head, trying desperately to clear his mind. When it becomes obvious that that isn't going to happen any time soon he just stops moving completely and focuses on breathing slowly and steadily. Maybe he can trick his body into sleeping.
Eventually this works and he drifts off to sleep where, over and over again, he pushes Quinn's glasses back into place and smiles, meeting her brown eyes for what might be the first time in their entire friendship.
oOo
The next day he finds her sitting on a bench, leaning against the wall and looking thoughtful. Before he can stop himself, this happens a lot around Quinn, he walks up to the bench and sits down next to her. She's startled out of her musings and turns to look at him.
His staring into her eyes again, damn it, he should turn away. He's got more control of his senses when he's not looking at her. But he doesn't. Instead he smiles, pretty ridiculously, he might add, and since when has a girl been able to do this to him? He waits for her to freak out, to start throwing questions his way, because this is Quinn and there is no way she can not have a million questions right now.
Surprisingly, she just smiles back at him and he forgets every coherent thought he had, so it's probably good she isn't asking questions.
(and the one thing that didn't)
Quinn sits on the bench after Logan leaves her head spinning and tears still falling. Logan, though undoubtedly a better kiss than Mark, has done nothing but remind her of what she doesn't get to have anymore and it just makes her want Mark there with her even more.
She appreciates that he tried to make her feel better, but his kiss was empty and she didn't enjoy the feel of his lips against hers or his hands cradling her face. And now all she feels is this horrible guilt, like she's cheated on Mark or something, because even though he broke up with her, she still loves him. And sharing a part of herself with Logan that used to be only Mark's, because she still loves him, feels like cheating. Even if it shouldn't.
She puts her head in her hand and continues to cry, wishing that Logan Reese had never stopped to comfort her at all.
(no matter what happens next, the one that doesn't is her regretting opening up to Logan about her problems)
oOo
Logan hops onto his Jet-X and drives away, hardly daring to believe what he's just done. This new Quinn had unnerved him. She was hot in ways that Quinn wasn't supposed to be. It had caught him off guard and while he'd wanted to comfort his friend, he had definitely not planned on kissing her.
He's not sure what he's started, but he's knows it's going to be a huge mess. Quinn is going to be upset, which in turn is going to make Zoey and Lola upset, which will mean that James and Michael will be upset too. He honestly hadn't meant to do it.
And, honestly, he knows he doesn't want to do it again. Quinn is nice and kind of fun like he'd said, but she isn't his type. He doesn't want commitment or a relationship. He wants to make out and have fun. He knows that Quinn isn't like that. And while that's fine for her, it guarantees that anything between them would just end badly.
He groans and can't believe the mess he's accidentally created.
(no matter what happens next the one thing that doesn't is him regretting that he kissed her)
Phew, finally done. This snowballed way, way out of my control. Each section was supposed to be like 500 words tops. And, of course that didn't happen at all. Still, I hope you enjoyed it.
Let me know what you think!