A/N: Another attempt at Viz. Someone's gotta write the stuff that no one wants to write…and perhaps read.
Warnings:
Mainly Fluff/Angst…Best combo and EXACTLY like a soap opera.
Things to know:
This fic is way too ambitious. Holy Jeebuzz.
Logan and Veronica are kaput; Freshman year is over, so it's summertime; Consider everything up until ep. 3.15 (Papa's Cabin) with the new relationship developments; Piz isn't hiding anything…he's really just a genuine good guy; And everything in italics is a memory…
Perfect Now
By: Modern-English
Veronica stirred in bed, shifting between the soft cotton that surrounded her. It was morning already. She could feel the warm sun putting her in a spotlight. The light tried persuading her eyes to open, bright red and orange mingling behind her closed eyelids. She frowned and mumbled something about being too close to the window as she buried her face into her pillow, hoping she could be ignorant and fall back to sleep. No luck. Restless, she turned on her side and inhaled deeply. The air around her smelled like pine and spice. She exhaled and smiled because she remembered where she was. One eye fluttered open to see the top of Piz's messy head of hair.
She decided to move closer to the boy sleeping next to her so she could whisper, "Hey, sleepy head."
Piz turned his face into his pillow and replied with a smothered 'go back to sleep'. Though the comment sounded indifferent, the corners of his mouth could be seen curling upwards. He was rarely discreet about his feelings.
It was the same every morning. She would wake up to the rising sun, the chirping of birds outside, and the familiar scent of the Piznarski summer cottage. It would be too much to say that she had gotten used to this routine. Usually, she would wake up to the honking of a car horn and the passing traffic before her alarm clock would start blaring its buzzer, calling her to get ready for school. Everything back home seemed to be bound by a clock, a schedule, a favour asked, a job, an assignment, a final exam. Responsibilities that drained her more than she thought they could. But, here, a remote campsite outside of Beaverton, time seemed to be the least of her worries. She left bed when it was dark, hiked aimlessly around the grounds, and swam and relaxed under the sun longer than she had ever done before. If she knew that she'd be doing this, months before, she wouldn't have believed it herself.
"I was thinking." Piz finally turned to face her, placing a hand on the piece of blanket swathed over her shoulder. "My pancakes. Blueberry this time. My mom's strawberry short cake. We only finished about half of that last night. Your snicker doodles. But, I'm not so sure that I'll be sharing. So, really, mine—"
Veronica pulled his face towards her and closed his mouth with a kiss. Sometimes, it was the only cure for his seemingly incurable overflowing mouth. She managed to elicit a soft 'wow' from him when she released him. A small smile spread across her lips over her monosyllabic effect on him.
"What—" Piz started.
"I'm happy." Veronica admitted and sighed.
Piz grinned to hear this and agreed, "Me too."
Veronica was mildly surprised that she confessed something so candid with such ease. But, this wasn't the first time she had done or said something that surprised herself. In fact, she had been surprising herself well before the impromptu trip to Oregon. Of all places.
-
A month earlier…
"What are you doing here?" Piz asked, sounding uncharacteristically indifferent.
He couldn't seem to keep eye contact for too long.
"I left school with every intention of going home. I was driving when I realized that I couldn't do it."
"It?" Piz asked, moving around her like she had developed a very contagious disease, his movements looked a bit awkward in the crammed radio station. He seemed to be moving around papers and vinyl covers and CDs and whatever else he could find to organize to avoid focusing his attention towards her.
"I couldn't let you leave Neptune hating me and I don't want you to come back after the break avoiding me either. I needed to say that I'm sorry." Veronica explained, craning her neck whichever way he was going.
Piz scoffed and Veronica felt her stomach twist. "Veronica Mars does not apologize for who she is. She could care less about what other people think of her." Piz finally lifted his head from the box of CDs that he was sifting through to face her. "You don't have to apologize. I should be the one apologizing, really. I should've known better. I was delusional to think that…never mind."
"You don't know—"
"Sure I do." Piz cut her off, looking annoyed. "I couldn't be happier for the two of you."
"It's not like that." Veronica insisted.
"I saw you two together." Piz said, looking away again. He bent down to grab things. "I have to go." He said. It seemed like her time had been cut short to explain and prove that she didn't fall for or fit the stereotype of being the other half of the 'couple that will always be a couple' with Logan.
"I know the difference!" Veronica blurted out as he passed her to get to the door.
Piz dropped his head, stopping in front of the door and reciting a mantra to keep her out of his head. His feet betrayed him, turning him to face her to hear what she had to stay.
"I know the difference." She repeated quietly. "I thought I knew when I didn't, but I know now and I want you to know that."
Piz sighed heavily. "You know, I knew what I was getting myself into from the very beginning. I knew there was a past, I knew there were secrets and things you couldn't tell me because you thought I wouldn't get it or get you, and I knew it was going to be hard. I knew and I didn't stop myself. But, I didn't know that it was going to be this hard."
Veronica remained still as he attempted to close the intimidating space between them, her hands nervously wringing the strap of her messenger bag. When he was close enough, he bent down to kiss her on the cheek and said goodbye. She gulped a lump that formed in her throat and nodded dejectedly as he walked out the door.
-
"What are you daydreaming about?" Piz used his fork to poke the air in her direction.
Veronica mentally shook herself and blinked at Piz. "I, uh, was thinking of what colour the bridesmaid dresses were going to be. Pale salmon, don't you think? Yeah? No? I think so. Also, I was thinking that since you don't have any younger brothers or nephews, we should use Backup as the ring bearer. He's very well trained. Oh, and I know whose mother will love the idea of using her backyard gazebo for the ceremony." Veronica said brightly, her eyes wide.
Piz choked on the piece of pancake he was about to swallow. "You're almost funny. Really, you're almost a riot." He said hoarsely after he swallowed his food.
Veronica bit back a smile and attempted a serious tone when she said, "What? Every girl has a fantasy wedding. Mine happens to include a dog with a pillow strapped to its back, carrying the wedding bands. Now, would you like to hear my thoughts on the reception centerpieces?"
Piz shook his head, chuckling under his breath. "I heard your phone beeping from the bedroom when you were in the shower. You might have a missed call." He informed her.
"Oh, that must be my other boyfriend." She said lightly before sipping her orange juice. "I specifically told him not call me while I was here or, at least, while you're around."
"You know, it was funny the first couple of times you told me. We had a good laugh and I even joked about him sneaking into the bedroom while I wasn't looking. But, now it's starting to scare me." He half-joked.
Veronica grinned as she got up to peck him on the cheek. "He probably just texted me something dirty." She said and headed towards the bedroom.
Veronica slowly sat on the edge of the bed, staring intently at her cell phone's screen. The glowing text on the screen indicated that Logan called. Again. She had been getting calls from her father, Wallace, and Mac asking her benign questions about Oregon and Piz. But, out of all the calls, Logan managed to flood her incoming calls list and voicemail inbox the most. She was tempted to turn the damn thing off when it became incessant, but she knew that it would mean everyone else was blocked from reaching her.
"Hey." Piz entered the room. "Something wrong?"
Veronica shook her head, smiling, "No. Someone just keeps getting the wrong number." She said.
-
A month earlier…
"There's always going to be this between us, isn't there?" Logan asked, resting his forehead against Veronica's.
"Yeah." Veronica agreed, lightly touching her lips with her fingers. "But—"
"I know that you think that I make a lot of mistakes and that I need to be a different person for you to want me again. I get it, I really do. So, if you let me, I will be whoever you want me to be." Logan said, holding her face in his hands. "I miss you, Veronica."
"Logan—"
"Whoever you want me to be." Logan repeated, determined.
Veronica looked down, inhaling deeply. "I can't keep waiting." She said quietly.
Logan lifted her chin up so he could see her eyes. "What do you mean? You don't have to anymore. I'm right here—"
"I mean," She interrupted him, biting her bottom lip. "I can't keep waiting for you to screw up again. If we ever—"
Logan watched her swallow a dry sob, his stomach filling with knots. She looked down and then up again, her eyes red and glazed over.
"If we ever got back together, I'd forgive you for everything…because, it's you. I know that you'll try to change and we'd be in this perfect bubble of a relationship. No lies, no secrets, and we'd happy. But, there's this annoying, neurotic thing about me that will never go away no matter how hard I'll try to ignore it…I do not forget. For every happy moment, I'd remember something you did to break us up. Even worse, I'd keep waiting for you to do something new, something that'll drive us even farther apart. I can't keep waiting for you to screw up again, Logan." Veronica tried to explain, biting her tears back and failing. "I can't."
Logan dropped his hands from her face, pocketing them. "There's nothing I can do to…"
"No." Veronica deadpanned, shaking her head.
Logan could see her balled up fists shaking at her sides. He stepped closer when she stepped backwards. He stopped when he could dip his head near hers and kissed her. She let him.
"There's always going to be this between us." Logan said before leaving her standing quite still in the middle of the student parking lot.
-
"How is this organized?" Veronica asked, searching through his CD collection.
"It is." Piz assured her. "It's sorted by significance."
"Hm." She nodded. "So, inquiring minds would like to know…" She let a finger hover over his music for a moment and then randomly selected a CD. "What is the significance of Al Green?"
"Ah," Piz grinned widely. "Next to Beach Boys, right?"
Veronica nodded slowly. "So…"
"Here, I'll show you." Piz said.
He took the CD from her and got up, shaking his sleepy legs from sitting cross-legged too long before he moved. He reached his stereo and popped in the CD. A smooth beat filled the room as Piz whirled around, singing and dancing. Veronica covered her ears, mocking pain. He jumped to her side and brought her up to her feet, twirling her as he continued to sing and dance.
"Loving you whether…" Piz sang. "Whether times are good or bad or happy or sad…" He dipped her, causing her to burst into a fit of laughter. She sounded so bright, he admired.
They didn't reach the second chorus when the song came to a sudden halt.
"I swear," Said the cause of the interruption. "All the men in our family are tone deaf."
Piz and Veronica turned to see an older woman in a large sun hat and bright yellow poncho standing in the middle of the living room. She looked curiously between the two of them.
"Mom?" Piz said surprised.
"Well, don't come greeting me all at once now." Lena Piznarski rested her hands over her hips.
Piz went over to her to give her a hug, but Lena moved passed him to meet Veronica.
"Hi, Mrs. Piznarski." Veronica said as Lena hugged her. She almost forgot how friendly and familiar she could be. She remembered meeting her for the first time and receiving the same warm greeting, regardless of what Veronica felt was an unannounced and intrusive entrance into her household.
"It's Lena." She said, shaking her head. "Call me Lena. I sound old when you call me that."
Lena pushed Veronica away, holding her by the arms. She looked puzzled when she said, "I still don't understand how you snagged such a pretty one." She turned to her son, waiting for an explanation. She let out a boisterous laugh when he shrugged. "Come here." She called him with her arms outstretched.
Piz kissed her on the cheek before he queried, "What are you doing here?"
"Oh," Lena exaggerated a sigh. "It's such late notice, but I guess I could stay for dinner just because you're insisting. Really, your hospitality amazes me, Stosh."
Piz winced at the use of his first name. "Mom…"
"Oh, don't get your briefs in a knot." Lena said and waved her hand feverishly so that her multi-coloured bangles jangled noisily. "I'm just here to drop off another care package. All your essentials: cake, cookies, and paczkis with extra filling."
"Mom, you're killing me." Piz grinned excitedly. "Thanks."
"You need a haircut." Lena said, pulling at Piz's locks. "You look messy." She said with distaste.
"She likes my hair." Piz gestured towards Veronica.
"She's your girlfriend, honey, it's her job to tell you a lot of things." Lena said with a sympathetic smile, cupping the side of his face.
"Here." She handed him a plastic bag. "These will last until next week. I'll be back with more."
"Mom, you don't have to—"
"Op! I don't want to hear it!" She raised an index finger to him. "I happen to like visiting my only son who left me all alone at home to rot for the whole summer." She said, smiling teasingly. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she read the clock she saw beyond her son. "Oh, shoot, I have to go if I want to make it for my six o'clock spinning class."
"I thought you wanted to stay for dinner. We have plenty of food." Piz said.
"Yeah, we'd love for you to stay, Mrs.—er—Lena." Veronica joined Piz's side.
"I just like being invited." She smiled amusedly, winking at the pair of them as they gave her confused stares. "Gotta run, kids." She said, pulling Piz into one last hug. "Throw the cake into the fridge, wont you?" She pointed Piz in direction of the kitchen and then turned to Veronica. "Walk me to the door?" She asked, looping her arm around Veronica's.
"You're something else." Lena whispered to Veronica when Piz left the room.
Veronica didn't know what to say but, "Oh."
"You should have seen the look on his face when he came home with you." She told her. "It was like he had never been more proud or happy about anything else. Now, that's definitely saying something, hun, believe me. You're something else, Veronica Mars."
Veronica nodded, smiling. "Thank you." She said.
Lena looked over her shoulder when they reached the front door and her voice grew softer when she said, "If you don't get to him now, he'll eat all the paczkis."
To Be Continued…
