AN: So I'm not entirely happy with how this turned out but I'm actually posting my writing for the first time in forever, so it's a start. Happy New Year, folks.
"Dance with me."
It's not a question, it's a rescue as she drags him away from the verge of letting Gia know exactly what he thinks of her.
"Oh god!" He mutters but makes no attempt to resist.
"When I dreamed of this moment, "I've Had the Time of my Life" was always playing." He inhales deeply, "What can you do?"
She purposefully avoids eye contact as she slings her arms around his neck. Her master plan of dragging him to the dance floor has but one flaw – they're expected to dance.
His hands come to rest at her waist and they make the briefest eye contact. They look away simultaneously but somehow it's enough for them to set in to a steady swaying motion.
What is this song?
I don't want to hurt you
Her eyes meet Logan's and she feels like such a sap for immediately relating the lyrics to them.
I don't want to make you sway
And now he's avoiding her eyes, like he's realising the relevance of the lyrics too.
Like I know I've done before
She looks straight ahead as his eyes continue to find any place to settle that isn't her.
I will not do it anymore
And something in that line allows his eyes to fall to hers. And he's giving her this look. Or maybe it's just the fact that they're actually holding eye contact for the first time since - for the first time since summer.
I've always been a dreamer
She can't look away. She doesn't want to look away.
I've had my head up in the clouds
They are communicating everything and nothing. She's attempting to remain indifferent and yet she finds herself searching his eyes for some sort of confirmation.
But now that I am coming down
Have his lips been this close the whole time?
Won't you be my solid ground?
She sighs heavily and he blinks. The moment passes. She takes the chance to look away and quickly unloops her arms from around his neck.
"Veronica."
She almost stays at his voice. Almost.
And then she's out the door, all but running for the safety and isolation of her car.
"Veronica, would you just stop?"
She's almost at her car and he knows it. So she spins around to go off at him and is alarmed to find he's much closer than she'd anticipated.
Her mouth falls shut as she finds herself backed up against the car with no escape. Is she even looking for an escape?
And she's not at all sure how it happens, one moment she's standing there glaring at him and the next moment their mouths are fused together, desperate and needy. Another moment passes and she finds herself straddling him in the back seat of the LeBaron, squashed together and hands everywhere. She hates to think where they'll be in another moment – and then she's gasping as their tongues clash for the first time in months.
His hands roam up her back and begin working the pins out of her hair and uncoiling the tight bun. Her hair is longer than it was last summer but they won't mention the difference as his fingers twirl in it and pull her closer, closer still.
She finds her own hands trailing down his chest and sliding under his shirt. God, the muscles are so familiar and yet they seem firmer since the summer. It's one more difference for them to ignore.
His hand not preoccupied with her hair makes its way to the small of her back and slips under her own shirt, coaxing her closer. And when she rocks against him they both gasp and break apart. Because they know this is the difference they can't ignore.
She doesn't even know why either of them should care but for some reason they've caught each other's eyes and there's an understanding there. Things got heated over the summer but they never went that far. Not after she'd just discovered that her traumatic sexual assault was less assault and more a barely consensual mistake. He hadn't treated her like a victim but there was no way in hell he could bring himself to push her after what she'd been through.
And that's the root of their problem now. Summer was before she found it in herself to trust Duncan with something she hadn't given Logan. It was before Logan became fuck buddies with a married woman. Summer was before they individually acknowledged that perhaps they didn't need each other as much as they'd thought.
He untangles his hand from her hair and refuses to meet her eyes. They're both well aware of everything that has changed. Part of her feels it should make this easier but that part is trapped behind the remainder of her being yelling the opposite.
She opens the door, climbs off his lap, and gets out. He follows her shortly after. She's trying not to meet his eyes but he turns her chin to look at him and kisses her gently. He's surprised she doesn't push him away, he's not surprised that she barely returns the kiss.
He looks like he's about to say something but eventually decides against it. Instead, he brushes his lips against her cheek briefly, then heads back towards the school.
Veronica leans heavily against her car and mentally slaps herself. For what exactly, she's not entirely sure.
And yet, somehow it feels like a weight has been lifted. Few words were exchanged but she gets the distinct feeling that summer is finally over.