I've received a few questions regarding this story's timeline. Believe it or not, it's been less than three weeks since Rory's return. Trust me, I could hardly believe it myself considering how many chapters I've already written. However, you have to take into account how eventful those first few days were. Right now, it's about mid-June.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.Chapter 25 – Doors, Perks, and Gates
"You're definitely the Mikey of the group," declared Rory as the credits began to roll. She'd come to that conclusion about halfway through the movie, but decided to wait until it was over to let him know. After all, The Goonies was not a film one interrupted with useless chatter—especially considering it was the first time Logan had seen it.
"Mikey?" he questioned. "No way, Ace. Kevin's the Mikey. I'm much more the loveable smart aleck. Corey Feldman aside, I think I'm more a Mouth than a Mikey."
She shook her head. "No. I'm going to have to disagree. The whole smartass thing you do is a façade," she stated. "It's a defense mechanism. Deep down, you are far too sweet to be the Mouth. You're definitely the Mikey. Besides, Kevin has that obnoxious, loudmouth thing down to a science. He's the Mouth." Her brow wrinkled in irritation at the mention of her brother. She may have forgiven Logan, but she was still a long way from forgiving Kevin.
Logan noticed the quick flash of anger in her eyes and the slight shift in her body language when she mentioned her brother and wisely decided to move away from that topic. He'd deal with that at a later time. Right now, he was far too happy just being with her like this. "So if I'm Mikey and Kevin's Mouth, who are Colin and Finn."
"Well, Colin's definitely the most levelheaded of the group so he's Data."
Logan nodded in agreement and smiled widely as he said, "That means that Finn is…"
"Chunk," she supplied seriously. "Finn is Chunk."
Logan burst out laughing. "I'm going to tell him you said that."
Rory laughed with him. "Well, no offense to Finn, and I'm not at all suggesting that he has any kind of a weight issue, but you have to admit, he does have a tendency to act a fool and get you guys into trouble."
"That's true," conceded Logan.
"And think about it," she added thoughtfully. "A comparison could definitely be drawn between Chunk's obsession with food and Finn's constant need for alcohol, and the trouble that ensues whenever either of them is in pursuit or possession of their chosen vice."
He laughed again. "You've put way too much thought into this."
"Well The Goonies is one of the greatest movies of all time, not to mention one of my all time favorites."
"Ah that Spielberg," he added half sarcastically and half out of true reverence.
"He is a cinematic genius."
"That he is."
"So you liked the movie?" she asked already knowing the answer.
"I loved it," he admitted. "I really can't believe I've never seen it before."
"Neither can I," said Rory, "especially since you own the DVD."
"These are Honor's movies," Logan defended.
"That's no excuse, Logan. These movies are in your house. Why you don't take advantage of Honor's great taste and the fact that there is a room in your house whose only function is to view movies in is completely beyond me. Seriously, it pains me to think about all the wonderful films you have yet to experience."
"Well, then it's a good thing you and I got together when we did isn't it?" he teased. "You can guide me down the path of cinematic righteousness."
"I'll do my best, but we have a lot of ground to cover," she said seriously.
Logan smiled at the thought of many, many more nights like this one. "I'm yours to command, Ace."
Rory returned his smile and placed a light kiss on his lips. "So getting back to our previous topic, if you're Mikey, who does that make me? Andy or Stef?"
Logan smirked finding great amusement in such a question and knowing the conversation as a whole could only take place with his Rory. Not just because Rory's knowledge of movies was second to none, but because no one in the world knew enough him and his friends to engage him in such a discussion. Even in the simplest and silliest of conversations, it was easy to see how well matched the two of them really were. He thought seriously for a moment before answering, "Neither."
Rory seemed surprised at his response. "Neither? But they're the only girls in the movie. I have to be one of them or I don't get a role. I want to be a Goonie," she whined.
Laughing wholeheartedly at the expression on her face, he replied, "Well, you can't be Andy because that would make you my older brother's girl and while I don't have an older brother, I know for sure that if I did, I would never go after his girl. Plus, Andy really isn't my type. Way too whiney," he explained. "And you can't be Stef since that would make you Mouth's girl. And since Kevin is Mouth that would mean…well we just shouldn't go there."
She laughed and accepted his reasoning. "Well who am I then?"
"I thought that would be obvious, Ace." He pulled her close to him. "You're the treasure," he whispered against her ear.
Rory looked into his eyes with a bemused look in her eyes. "What?"
"You, my darling Ace, are the treasure of Captain One-Eyed Willie," he repeated. "Sought after by many." Tristan. "Hidden for years." London. "Found by the most worthy." Logan. "You're the treasure, Ace. And since you so brilliantly declared me to be the Mikey, I'm the one that found you which makes you rightfully mine."
She gazed up at him and despite feeling her heart soar at his words, she rolled her eyes. "That was really cheesy," she said dryly.
Logan laughed out loud. "Yeah, but you loved it," he said smugly wrapping his arms firmly around her and kissing her forehead.
"But it was still cheesy," she said before bringing her lips to meet his.
"What are you doing tomorrow night?"
"Excuse me?" asked Joanna. She was slightly startled by the question. She and Kevin had been quietly, and rather pleasantly, watching a movie together in the Hayden's family room. They'd hardly said a word to each other since the movie started, which may explain why they were getting along so well.
"I asked what you were doing tomorrow night."
She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I don't have anything planned."
He knew that was more than likely the case since technically, they weren't supposed to be back from the Vineyard yet. And since Rory had been pretty much MIA the entire day, it was unlikely they'd made plans for the following evening. "So you're free?"
"I believe that's what I just said," she replied with a small smile wondering just where he was going with this.
Kevin looked around the room, his eyes flitting from one thing to the next for a few seconds before he finally set his gaze on her. "Do you want to have dinner?" he asked suddenly, and if she was hearing correctly, somewhat nervously.
"Yes, I was planning on having dinner tomorrow," she said dryly. "As I do every night."
Kevin rolled his eyes at her. "I meant with me, smartass. Do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow?"
Joanna deliberately kept her eyes on the television screen, not wanting to meet his gaze just yet. "I had dinner with you tonight," she coyly. "In fact, I've had dinner with you almost every night since I've been here."
Kevin smiled but refused to be sidetracked. "I meant have dinner with me…out…somewhere…"
"Somewhere?" she prodded in a teasing voice.
"Yeah…like at a restaurant…just the two of us?"
Joanna slowly turned toward him, met his eyes, and tried to read his expression. "Huh."
"What exactly does 'huh' mean?"
"Umm…nothing. It's just that what you're proposing," she paused and looked at him questioningly before adding, "sounds suspiciously like a date."
"No," he answered quickly. "Not a date. Definitely not a date," he reiterated. "Just a dinner. Just two friends having dinner together."
"But not a date?"
"No, absolutely not a date."
Joanna continued to study him. "I should say no," she thought. "I really should say no. I have no reason to say yes. And there are so many reasons why I should say no." She was about to gently turn him down when Kevin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. She resisted the urge to smile as he scratched behind his ear looking more uneasy than she'd ever seen him look before. Instead of flat out saying no, she asked, "What exactly is the purpose of this…non-date?"
He shrugged. "I'm just…I wanted to…" He met her gaze and was more than a little annoyed that her eyes seemed to be dancing with amusement—amusement at his expense. He was perfectly aware that his behavior the last minute and a half was very un-Kevin-like. He was hardly ever nervous, especially when asking out a girl for a date, or in this case, not a date. And even on those rare occasions when he was nervous, he never let it show. His eyes narrowed a bit and after taking a second to buck himself up, Kevin confidently said, "I just wanted to make up for my parents very rude behavior earlier this evening. Making you wait that whole time before serving dinner—honestly, I don't know what got into them."
"Ah," she nodded playing along with him. "So it's a make up non-date?"
"Exactly," he confirmed. "Besides I think you should experience as much American culture as possible on this trip and so far, I don't think you have."
"And what better opportunity to soak up American culture…" she began.
"…than an evening out with an all American boy," he continued.
"An all American boy such as yourself?"
He smiled his most charming of smiles. "Naturally. They don't make them more all American than me," he stated puffing his chest out in an exaggerated pose. "So really having dinner with me tomorrow is for your own good." That declaration was made in the cockiest of Kevin Hayden tones.
Joanna looked over at him in all his conceded glory and laughed. She couldn't decide if she was laughing with him or at him, but she laughed.
"Come on, Joanna. Go out with me tomorrow." All traces of nervousness were gone.
She wanted to say no. She knew she should say no. But instead she smiled at him and said, "Ok," before turning her attention back to the movie.
Kevin nodded and smiled very satisfied with himself. "Ok," he repeated before looking away from her and back to the television screen.
"Can you come see me tonight?" Rory asked in a small voice.
"Tonight?"
"I just…I need to feel close to you tonight. Can you…can you sleep in my bed with me tonight…please?"
Logan almost laughed at how desperately she was making that request. Didn't she know there was nothing he wouldn't do for her? Spending the night with her, even if all they were doing was sleeping, was a dream, not a chore. "Of course, Ace. In fact, I was planning on coming over tonight anyway. I was just about to tell you to leave your door unlocked for me."
"Were you?"
"In case you forgot, I love being in bed with you."
She smiled.
"But if I'm coming over tonight, I should probably get you home soon. It's getting late."
"What time are you coming by?"
He checked his watch. It was a little after eleven. "Why don't I drop you off and come back here to say good night to my parents, then you call me to let me know when the coast is clear and I'll head over."
"You're not going to scale the side of my house again are you?"
"How else would I get in?"
She giggled. "Well I thought I might let you in through the front door, or the back door, or any of the many side doors that open up into my house."
"Hmm…use a door? It's an interesting approach," he kidded.
"Not to mention a much safer alternative."
He nodded. "A door you say," he said pensively. "Well if that's how you want to do it, Ace, I'm game. A door it is." He got up off the couch and led her out of the screening room. "Now let's get you home and into bed. You've had a very long day."
As they exited the screening room, Logan noticed something move at the end of the hall. Based on where the movement came from, he knew it could only be one person. "We've got company, Ace," he whispered as he casually created some distance between their bodies. "Why don't you grab your stuff from my room," he said a bit louder than necessary. "I'll wait for you here."
She nodded and left his side to retrieve the wet clothing that was hanging in his bathroom.
"Hey, Dad," called Logan being sure to keep his expression neutral. "You mind telling me why you're skulking in the hallway?"
"I'm not skulking," declared Mitchum as he walked toward his son. "In case you forgot, I own this house and there's no such thing as skulking in your own house. I'm standing."
"You were spying," he corrected. "And frankly, you were doing a bad job of it."
Mitchum made no attempt to defend himself against Logan's accusation. "You two were in there an awfully long time," he said making a small accusation of his own.
"Movies tend to last for a while, Dad. And seeing as it is the screening room…"
"You're sure nothing's going on between you two?" Mitchum asked with a steady eye on Logan.
"For the millionth time, no."
Mitchum didn't respond verbally but gave Logan a cold, steely glare, one that let his son know he didn't believe him.
Logan hated when his father looked at him like that. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to wipe that smug, all-knowing look of his father's face. He knew the best thing to do would be to keep his mouth shut, but Logan couldn't help himself. Mitchum, once again, had successfully gotten under his skin. "You caught me, Dad," he began his voice dripping with anger and sarcasm. "Rory and I are secretly dating, have been for weeks now. In fact, I masterminded her entire fight with Kevin just to get her here so she and I could go at it whenever you, Mom, and Grandfather have your backs turned. We were actually just planning how I was going to sneak into her room later so I can have my way with her all night while Kevin, Lorelai, and Christopher slept down the hall."
Mitchum gave him a disgusted and disbelieving look.
"Is that what you wanted to hear, Dad?"
"What is the matter with you?"
"What's the matter with me?" asked Logan his voice rising a few decibels. "You asked me a question. I answered it. Yet you continue to ask the same question over and over and over. I just figured you might actually shut-up and leave me alone if I gave you a different answer—even if it's false."
Mitchum felt his blood pressure soar. Why did Logan always have to turn everything into World war III? "I've had enough of your attitude and you smart mouth, Logan. It's been very long day."
"Whatever," he muttered.
Honestly, Mitchum didn't know what to make of the situation. It was obvious that Logan cared about Rory. He had since they were kids. It was also obvious, based on the way he looked at the girl and the fact that he'd pretty much admitted it, that he was attracted to her. Yet, Logan continued to insist they were nothing more than friends. Given Logan's torrid reputation with women, his relationship to Kevin Hayden and what Mitchum knew of Rory's character, it would be easy to dismiss his suspicions—to admit he was trying to see something that really wasn't there. Yet, he knew in his gut that there was more to this than met the eye. Logan was far too difficult to read these days, especially now. Rather than pursuing the topic, which would more than likely lead to an argument, Mitchum decided to drop the matter for now. He'd just have to keep an eye on the situation. "Is she feeling better?" Mitchum asked.
Logan, stewing in his anger, didn't respond.
"I asked you a question," barked Mitchum. "Is Rory feeling better?"
"She's calmer," Logan said in a nonchalant tone. "I'm going to take her home and then I'm going to bed. I've had a very long day too."
"Yes, I'm sure driving back after almost two weeks at the Vineyard with your friends must be terribly exhausting," mocked Mitchum. Logan was about to retort when he heard Rory's approaching footsteps.
"Hi, Mitchum," she said with a shy smile.
"Hello, Rory," he said with a genuine smile. "You're looking much better." Mitchum noted her significantly calmer demeanor and the healthy color in her cheeks.
"Thank you. I'm feeling much better," she told him. She wanted to grab Logan's hand, seeing anger and frustration in his eyes, but resisted the urge to do so. Instead she added, "Thanks to Logan," hoping it would somehow help calm him.
It did. Logan resisted the urge to pull her into his arms right then and there even though he knew it would make him feel infinitely better. Just having her stand near him seemed to help his mood, despite the fact that his father was still standing there.
"Well I'm glad to hear it," said Mitchum. He looked the girl up and down trying to get some insight into the puzzling situation. Unfortunately, he didn't know Rory well enough to come to any sort of definitive conclusion. True, she did look awfully comfortable with Logan, especially now since she was dressed in his clothes, but that could be explained away by years of friendship. Mitchum knew with a great deal of certainty that growing up, Logan, Colin, and Finn regarded Rory like a little sister. In fact, he had a very fond memory of a nine-year-old Logan convincing him to run a photo of Rory's lost kitten in one of his papers. It was a silly request, but one he'd granted because of his son's persistence. Even back then, Logan was watching out for her.
"I'm really sorry for barging in on your dinner earlier," she said shyly. "I just…I was really upset…and I didn't know where else to go. I'm very sorry and please apologize to Shira and Elias as well. I promise it will never happen again."
"Nonsense, Rory. You're always welcome here."
"Thank you. But please don't mention my sudden and less than stellar appearance in your dinning room to either of my grandmothers," she joked trying to lighten the mood. The tension between him and Logan was palpable.
Mitchum chuckled knowing exactly how Emily and Francine would react to hearing of Rory's entrance. "I won't say a word. We all have our moments and I understand how difficult it can be to adjust when you've been away from home for so long. Did you know I was only ten when I went to my first boarding school?"
She shook her head.
"Well family dynamics are always complicated to begin with and when you step back into a situation after four long years, it's easy not to see the other person's side."
"It is nice to be back," she told him. "But it is a little weird."
"Just take it easy on your brother and your father—especially your father. I've known Christopher a long time and he really missed you while you were away. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for him to accept the fact that you're not the little girl that left Hartford four years ago."
She smiled appreciatively at him, but inwardly, she wondered how a man could have so much useful insight on her relationship with her father, yet at the same time, be so completely clueless when it came to his own relationship with his son.
"You'll be fine," Mitchum assured her. "And if it ever gets to be too much, you are always welcome here."
Logan shook his head in disbelief. It always blew his mind how Mitchum could be so genuine and caring with Honor, and now with Rory, but when it came to him, the man was a total ass.
"Before I forget, I know Shira's already talked to you about having dinner with us, but I wanted to make sure we do that soon."
"I will call her tomorrow to settle on a date," said Rory.
"Excellent. I heard nothing but high praise from everyone in our London office about you."
"I had a great time there."
"I want to hear all about it when you come over for dinner. And I want to talk to you about continuing to intern for me at one of our offices here."
"I would love that," she said smiling widely.
"There's a paper in Stamford I'm in the middle of acquiring. It's small, but it has a lot of potential. And it's not too far from New Haven so it would be a perfect for you," said Mitchum. He turned his attention to Logan and added, "And you too."
Logan rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Dad."
Hating Logan's attitude, but not wanting to get into an argument with him in front of Rory, Mitchum chose to let his insolence slide. "Well it's getting late and I have an early meeting tomorrow."
"On a Sunday?" asked Rory feigning surprise although she had heard him set up the meeting from inside the hall closet.
"The news waits for no man," he informed her.
"Goodnight, Mitchum," she said with a smile. "Thank you again."
"Goodnight, Rory, I'll see you soon." His entire expression changed completely when he addressed Logan. "I'm going to bed, son, so try not to make to much noise on your way in."
"My room is on the opposite side of the house," he said in an annoyed tone. "You wouldn't hear me if I stomped the entire way there."
Mitchum's eyes flashed with anger and he was about to reply when Rory physically stepped in between them and said, "Can we go, Logan? I'm getting really tired." She met his eyes and silently willed him to walk away.
Mitchum recognized her actions for what they were and stepped back. Yes, he would definitely be keeping a close eye on those two. He mumbled a goodnight to them both and headed down the hallway.
Logan wanted to scream. His father never missed an opportunity, no matter how small it was, to berate or belittle him. As if sensing his mood, Rory threw her arms around him the second Mitchum was out of sight. With that embrace, she asked his body to relax against her own. "It's ok," she whispered. "I'm here, baby."
The gentle tone in her voice calmed him immediately and he let the tension leave his body. Logan wrapped his arms around her breathing in her scent. "God he is such a…"
"Shh, it's ok." Despite her ever present hero worshipping of the great Mitchum Huntzberger, Rory was well aware of how strained his and Logan's relationship was. It was hard to miss the abrupt changes in tone and expression when Mitchum addressed Logan. How he spoke to her was so different from how he spoke to Logan. With her, Mitchum was genuine and attentive, at times even warm. With Logan, he was cold and blunt, brutal even, as if he was speaking to an employee instead of his son. It pained her to see how easily upset Logan became in his father presence. Earlier that evening, it had been Logan that was comforting her. Now, it was Logan who needed comfort and Rory easily slid into her role. "Everything's ok. Just think, in just a few minutes, you and I will be together in my room and we can forget about all the bad stuff that happened today."
"Yeah?" he asked loving that idea.
She pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. "We can take a nice, hot, relaxing shower and then we can go to bed and sleep till noon."
"That sounds perfect."
"Come on, baby. Let's go back to your room and pack a bag for you. I don't want you to have to come back here tonight."
It was exactly what he needed to hear. He didn't want to come back to the house, his father's house, even if it was just to wait for her call. They ran to his room and quickly threw a set of clothes and his toothbrush into a bag. The drive back to the Hayden's was short and silent. Logan pulled into their long, arched driveway, and kept the engine running.
"I'm going to park a few blocks down," he told her. "Call me when the coast is clear."
Rory responded by leaning toward him and engaging him a soft, slow, and sensual kiss. It was meant to bring him comfort, and while it achieved that goal, it also succeeded in exciting him. "Thank you, Ace," he murmured as he buried his face in her hair.
"You don't have to thank me. I'm your girlfriend. It's my job."
He smiled for the first time since running into his father. "Your job?"
"Yes, it's my duty as your girlfriend to kiss you and make you feel better."
"Really? Wow! Who knew having a girlfriend came with so many perks?"
"And we haven't even gotten to the really good perks yet," she said with a teasing pout.
He loved that pout. Logan took a moment to nibble on her bottom lip before asking, "And what might those good perks be?"
"Well," she said began in a playful tone, "I don't want to get into too much detail so as not to ruin the surprise, but I will say this. Perks are a lot like swear words." She paused, gave him a meaningful look, and placed a hand on his thigh. "All the good ones are more than a little bit dirty."
Logan chuckled, but before he had a chance to comment, her lips were on his again in a hungry kiss. He tried to pull her closer to him, but she resisted. Instead, she opened the passenger door and stepped out of his Porsche carrying his overnight bag.
"I'll take your bag in for you. Now go park. I'll call you in a few minutes." She leaned in for one more quick kiss before entering her house. Most of the lights were off, but she saw the flickering of the television from the family room. When she closed the door behind her, she head a voice call out.
"Rory, is that you?" asked a familiar British voice.
Rory smiled thinking it was just like Joanna to wait up for her. She walked into the family room, but stopped abruptly at the entrance when she saw Kevin was in there as well. "Hey, Jo."
"Hi. Are you ok?" She aimed the remote to the television and hit the mute button.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm tired, but I feel better."
"Did you go to Logan's dressed like that?" she questioned as she eyed Rory's attire.
Rory had forgotten she was wearing Logan's clothes. She looked down at herself and acknowledged how strange her wardrobe choice might seem. "Oh…umm…no. We were taking a walk when the storm hit and got soaked, so I had to borrow some clothes.
"Oh. How's Logan? Are you two all right?"
If Kevin hadn't been there, Rory would have filled her in on all the details however, under the circumstances, she remained tight lipped. "He's fine." She paused. "We're fine." She'd never admit it, but she added that last part as much for Kevin's benefit as for Joanna's. "He just dropped me off. Were you waiting up for me?"
She shook her head. "We just finished watching a movie," answered Joanna. "Oh and there's some pot roast in the fridge if you're interested. You missed a very entertaining dinner."
"Tell me about it in the morning. I'm going to bed." Rory turned to leave without bothering to give her brother a second glance—something that did not go unnoticed by Joanna.
"Wait," she called out. "I'll walk up with you. Kevin, are you staying up much later?"
Kevin looked over at his sister who was doing her utmost not to make eye contact with him. "No," he said to Joanna, "I'm pretty tired myself. I'm gonna head up too." He took a calculated pause before adding, "Up to my very, very, very messy bedroom."
Joanna shook her head and groaned.
Rory turned and met his gaze. Angry blue eyes met stubborn blue eyes. "Do you have something you want to say?" she asked her tone suddenly taking a sharp tone.
Kevin crossed his arms over his chest taking a stubborn stance. "Just that my room is a mess and I'm still waiting for you to clean it up."
"Well, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you," she snapped back.
"You're going to clean up that mess, Rory."
"You keep telling yourself that, Kevin." She turned to head toward the stairs, but Kevin overtook her and blocked her path.
"Listen, Ror, I don't care if it takes the rest of the week, the rest of the summer, the rest of the year, or the rest of our lives. But you will clean up that mess and you and I aren't going to be okay until you do."
Rather than engaging in a pointless shouting match with him, one that would lead nowhere, Rory rolled her eyes and walked passed him. She didn't have time to argue with Kevin, not tonight, not when Logan was waiting for her outside. Tonight was about them. "I'm going to bed," she muttered. "Good night, Joanna."
"Night, Ror," Joanna answered weakly. When she was safely out of earshot, Joanna turned reprimanding eyes toward Kevin.
"What?" he asked feigning innocence.
"You couldn't leave it alone? Even for one night?"
He shrugged.
She sighed. "Let's just go to bed."
Kevin gave her a lascivious grin. "Was that an invitation?"
Joanna slapped him on the arm, but she was smiling when she did it. "In your dreams."
Kevin sighed as he watched her ascend the stairs having a deliciously tempting view of her backside. "You have no idea."
Rory waited a few minutes before creeping back downstairs, making sure to peek down the opposite hallway to check that Kevin's door was closed. She quietly opened the front door to reveal a smirking Logan.
"This is very exciting," he whispered.
"Shh." Rory held a finger to her lips and motioned him in. After locking the door behind him and re-setting the alarm, Rory treated him to a quick peck on the lips before pulling him toward the stairs.
"I like this 'using a door' tactic, Ace," he whispered. "Although it feels far less secret-agenty than scaling the side of the house and climbing in through a window."
Rory bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing out loud. "Hush you."
He smirked and tickled her sides as they continued to climb the stairs. Rory suppressed her giggles and tried unsuccessfully to bat his hands away.
"I like this game, Ace. Can we try this at my house tomorrow?" he asked jokingly. "I'll leave a window open, you put on a black cat suit and…"
Rory clapped a hand over his mouth and pulled him the rest of the way to her room. Once the door was shut and locked behind them, Rory glared playfully at him and said, "You do realize that staying quiet kind of goes hand in hand with the concept of sneaking in don't you?"
Logan wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his body. "But my way made it so much more exciting," he argued.
"You say that now, but if we'd gotten caught by Kevin or Dad you'd be whistling a different tune."
"Yeah, but we didn't get caught and…"
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
Rory's eyes widened in panic and she motioned him into the closet. Once Logan was out of sight, she took a calming breath before opening the door. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Joanna.
"Hi, I thought I heard something. I just wanted to check to make sure you were all right," said Joanna as she walked through the door.
Rory looked apprehensively toward the closet as she closed her bedroom door. "I'm fine, Joanna. Just really tired."
"Do you need to talk…about Logan or Kevin or anything? Because if you do I'm…"
"No," she interrupted, "I'm ok. I'm just tired. I just need to get some sleep."
"Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about something. I think Kevin…"
"I don't want to talk about Kevin," she said sternly.
"It's not about you and Kevin, I…" Joanna suddenly stopped talking to eye her friend suspiciously. "Are you sure you're all right? You're acting…very strangely."
"I'm not acting strangely," she defended. "I'm just exhausted and I really need to go to bed."
Joanna knew Rory well enough to know something was off. Her keen eye looked around the room, flitting over an overnight bag that was at the foot of her bed. Joanna recognized it as the one Rory had carried in with her, but didn't remember ever seeing it before. She watched as Rory's eyes kept moving to and away from the closet. "Ahh…I see," she said with a knowing smirk.
"Did you need to talk to me about something?" Rory asked nervously.
Joanna smiled and shook her head. "You know, I did, but I think it can wait until morning." She walked toward the door. "Good night, Rory." She opened the door and turned to leave but before she did said, "Good night, Logan."
"Good night, Joanna," replied the muffled voice of Logan from behind the closet door.
Joanna laughed when she looked into Rory's blushing face. "We'll talk tomorrow. Have fun."
Rory locked the door behind her before opening her closet door to find Logan looking through her clothes.
"Why do you still have all these pants in here?" he asked. "Didn't we decide that you weren't going to wear these any more?"
She laughed at the face he was making.
"Seriously, Ace, get rid of all these pants. It's an absolute crime to cover up those legs of yours. Plus pants just get in the way."
Rory walked into the closet and closed the door behind her. "I'm wearing pants now," she argued.
"Yes, but those are my pants. And I can't even begin to tell you how good you look in my clothes."
"So I'm allowed to wear pants as long as they're yours?"
"You are such a smart girl," he teased.
"What about when it gets cold?" she asked as she moved toward him.
"We'll worry about that in the winter. Right now, it's hot and I expect to see these legs." He patted the outside of her right thigh. Logan let his hands slide over her butt and slipped them into her pants. He groaned when they made contact with her naked skin reminding him that her panties were still tucked safely away in his pocket. "How would you feel about a no underwear rule?"
Rory shook her head feeling both amused and slightly offended by the suggestion. She reached into his pocket. "Speaking of underwear," she said as she reclaimed hers.
Logan immediately snatched them away. "Oh no, Ace. These are mine."
"But, Logan…"
"No way. I'm keeping these."
"What are you going to do with them?"
"I was planning on having them bronzed and then hanging them over my bed," he said seriously.
"Logan…"
"Just kidding. I promise, Ace, no one will ever see these but me. I just want to keep them."
"Why?'
"As a souvenir."
She rolled her eyes, but consented. "You're weird, but I like you."
"Good to hear," he said smiling down at her.
Rory looked up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."
"How can I not be feeling better when I'm out of that house, away from him, and in a closet with you?"
She giggled as she looked around. "Why are we in my closet?"
"I don't know. You're the one that brought us in here. I thought maybe you wanted to relive all the fun we had in the hall closet earlier."
Rory blushed and playfully slapped his arm.
"I'm all for that, Ace, but I had other ideas."
"Other ideas?"
He nodded and licked his lips in anticipation as he said, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe I was promised a nice, relaxing shower?"
"I do remember saying something about a shower," she said coyly. "And I do want to wash the rain off me."
"Ah the rain," he happily reminisced.
"It was a very lovely storm."
"Yes, it was." Logan kissed her head and buried his face in her hair breathing in the scent of rain water, perfume, and Rory. "Can we get out of the closet and into the shower now?"
Rory reluctantly moved out of his arms, led him out of her closet, and into her bathroom. There, she stripped him of the clothes that she'd dressed him in earlier that evening. Logan kicked off his shoes and took great pleasure in having her remove his shirt, then pants, then boxers. He stood before her completely naked without a hint of shame—not that he had anything to be ashamed of. Physically, he was near perfection, tanned and toned and perfectly sculpted. Rory lifted his legs up one at time so she could remove his pants and boxers from around his ankles. She gazed up at him and watched as his eyes darken with lust. She blushed as she realized the implications of her position. She was, after all, kneeling in front of her naked boyfriend. Rory leaned into him and placed a wet kiss on his hip bone, an area of his anatomy that she found to be incredibly sexy. Logan groaned as her mouth moved closer and closer to his growing erection. His heart was racing when he felt her warm breath on him, but when he looked down at her, he was surprised to see uncertainty in her eyes.
"Ace?"
Rory looked up and met his eyes. "I…I've never…"
Logan sighed and pulled her up off the floor, though it nearly killed him to do it. "Come on, let's get in the shower." He peeled off her clothing, or rather his clothing, and let his hands slide over her body. He kissed a trail from her shoulder to neck as he steered them under the running water. For the first few minutes, they just held each other as the warm water washed over their bodies. They washed away, the drama of that day: her trip to the police station, his seeing her with Tristan, her fight with Kevin, his fight with Mitchum. All of it was washed down the drain until all that remained were their happy memories of that day. He washed her hair, taking great care to massage her scalp. She washed his hair, making sure to press her body against his as she did because she knew he loved to feel her against him. It was only when Logan began to run a loofah over her back that Rory broke the silence.
"Logan."
"Hmm?"
She turned around to face him and Logan was only too happy to run that loofah over her front. "Earlier…I was going to…did you not want me to…"
When she began to speak, Logan wasn't quite sure what she was getting at, but then it dawned on him. "Oh…umm…Ace, you don't have to…"
"You don't want me to?" she interrupted.
"It's not that," he insisted thinking how amazing it would feel to have Rory's warm mouth on him. "I just don't want you to do anything that you're not ready for and from where I was standing, it didn't look like you wanted to…"
"But I did," she interrupted him again. "I mean…I do. It's just that I've never done that…and I don't want to…do it wrong."
"Ace, look…"
"I want to do it for you," she insisted.
"Yeah, but…"
"Don't you want me to?"
"Of course I do," said Logan with determination. He would later wonder why on earth he would even think about trying to talk her out of performing that particular act considering how fond he was of it. But at that moment, it seemed like the right thing to do, the noble thing to do.
"Good, because I…" She pressed her lips against his neck and began sucking on the spot where his neck met his shoulder. Logan relaxed accepting her actions and with his last rational thought, repositioned them in the shower so that her back was to the water. Rory licked the wet skin of his neck, down his chest, over his abs until she was once again kneeling in front of him. Just like before, she ran her mouth and her tongue over one of his hip bones. Her hands gripped his ass and she used that hold on him to steady herself. As her mouth moved closer and closer to his erection, Rory moved her right hand to grip his base and stroked him a few times as she worked up the courage to move forward with the task at hand—literally at hand.
Logan groaned at the contact and willed his eyes to stay open and on her. He wanted to watch her. He told himself it was in case she had second thoughts, but really it was because he wanted to watch as his Ace—his beautiful, innocent, angelic Ace—perform such an intimate act on him. It was doubly gratifying knowing this was the first time she'd done it, that he'd be the first to experience this with her.
Rory began by tentatively kissing the tip of his erection. The kiss itself was fairly chaste if one didn't consider what part of his anatomy she was kissing. Still, it was enough to make Logan groan. Taking that as a sign of encouragement, Rory began placing less innocent kisses along the length of him. After her lips had made contact with just about every square inch of his very erect penis, Rory put her tongue to work. She slowly ran her tongue over his throbbing member from base to tip and back again. That earned her a deep moan from a very grateful Logan, who ran his fingers gingerly through her hair as her name escaped his lips in a breathy whisper. Taking that as more encouragement, Rory gripped his base more firmly and gently slipped the head of his penis between her lips.
Logan balled his hands into fists and resisted the urge to thrust further into her mouth. He used one hand to brace himself on the shower wall and he kept his other hand on her head, stroking her scalp and playing with her wet locks.
Rory had no idea do this could be so arousing. Logan had performed oral sex on her on more than one occasion and while she enjoyed every second of it, she always felt a little bad that she wasn't doing anything for him while he was doing that to her. If this is what he felt while his mouth was on her, she would never feel bad for him again. Having Logan like this, being in control of his pleasure, was more than a little satisfying. Rory squeezed her legs together and found herself moaning with him. She swirled her tongue over his head and briefly tasted tartness. She looked up at him only to meet his dark, lust filled eyes. Logan gave her an encouraging nod and Rory took a breath before she began moving her head back and forth sucking him. At first her actions were tender, taking only the very tip of him into her mouth. As her confidence grew, Rory took more and more of him in, swirling her tongue as she moved in and creating a tight suction as she moved out. Once she'd settled on a comfortable rhythm, she let her hands come into play moving the hand she had at his base in concert with her mouth. She placed her other hand on his ass using it as leverage to more effectively move back and forth.
To Logan, the world had ceased to exist. The only thing that existed at that moment was Rory and the pleasure she was giving him. As her actions became less and less gentle, his pleasure became more and more intense. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to keep his body in check. When Rory's hands entered the equation, his remaining self-control disappeared and he involuntarily began pumping his hips to meet her mouth—her warm, inviting, glorious mouth. When Logan felt his climax approaching, he tried to speak, to warn her, but his mouth couldn't form any coherent words.
Rory noticed his ragged breathing and sensed he was approaching his end. Rather than slowing down, she redoubled her efforts bringing as much of him into her mouth as she could handle. She felt him begin to thrust harder against her encouraging her to suck and swirl and squeeze harder. Suddenly, Logan threw his head back and grunted. She felt his cock pulsate as a warm wetness filled her mouth. She began to swallow before she could even think about it and she would have stopped moving all together if he hadn't begged her to continue.
"Don't stop, Ace."
At his words, her hands and mouth resumed their previous actions until Logan's hips slowed down and he stopped moving completely. His arms were braced on either side of the shower walls. They were the only things keeping him vertical. As he struggled for breath, Rory took a moment to wipe the excess of her mouth. It was warm and tart, like nothing she'd ever tasted before. She couldn't say why, but she liked it—she liked what it signified and how it made her feel. Powerful. Exhilarated. She took a few seconds to catch her own breath before looking up at Logan again. His eyes were shut and he was still struggling for breath, but the look on his face could only be described as bliss, sheer bliss.
"Was that ok?" she asked in a small, teasing voice.
Logan opened his eyes and looked down at her sitting on the shower floor. He knelt down next to her and pulled her into his arms. "That was amazing," he breathed into her ear.
"Really?" she asked smiling against his chest.
"You…are a very talented girl."
She giggled finding immense pleasure at his assertion.
"Oh my God, Ace." His heart was still racing. Logan turned his head so that his face was pressed up against her wet hair. "Come on. Let's finish up in here so I can get you into bed and return the favor." He rinsed them off quickly and wrapped her petite frame in a fluffy towel. As Rory brushed her teeth, he wrapped a towel around his waist still feeling slightly euphoric from the blinding orgasm she'd given him. Rory had barely finished brushing her teeth before Logan was whisking her into the bedroom and whipping the towel off her body. Over the next hour, Logan did indeed return the favor. Twice actually. Rory experienced two earth shattering orgasms first at his hands and then at his mouth.
They were lying on the bed, his head resting on her stomach as she stroked his damp hair. Rory looked over at her alarm clock. It was now approaching two in the morning. "That is an incredible way to start a day," she commented.
Logan fought his heavy eyelids and sore muscles and forced himself to sit up. "Don't you mean an incredible way to end a day?"
"No," she corrected. "It's almost two in the morning, which means it's tomorrow, hence new day."
"But we haven't slept yet so it's still the same day," he argued yawning as he did.
Rory yawned when she saw him yawn. "I'm too tired to convince you that you're wrong."
"Cause I'm not wrong," he said sliding up beside her. He reached over for his bag and pulled out a pair of boxers.
"Why are you getting dressed?" she asked. Rory was looking forward to sleeping naked with him.
"I need to brush my teeth. Besides, as much as I would love to, I don't think I should sleep completely naked, just in case I need to make a quick exit."
"Oh yeah," she acknowledged.
"And I don't think I can handle sleeping naked with you tonight."
"Why not?" she wondered.
"Cause if I wake up in the middle night, I might be tempted to have my way with you."
"So? That wouldn't be so bad. I told you I was ready." She'd been ready for him for years. "And don't you think this is an awfully comfortable bed," she pointed out.
"It is a very nice bed, Ace, but I meant what I said earlier. I want to plan something special for us."
She pouted at him.
"Plus I don't have any chocolate with me," he kidded.
That made her smile. "Do you want me to put on clothes too?"
"Never," he said seriously. "Whenever we're alone together, you should always be naked."
That made her laugh.
His smile faltered and his face took on a more serious tone when he said, "I really hate to say it, but you should probably put something on, just in case." A wave of fear washed over him as he got an image of Kevin and/or Christopher finding them naked and in bed. "We are kind of sneaking around after all."
"I know." She let out a sad sigh thinking how nice it would be to spend an entire night with him without having to worry about being caught. She was really looking forward to starting at Yale and moving into a dorm room. "It'll be nice when we're not both living at home any more. I can't wait for school to start."
"Yes," he agreed, "but you forget who my roommate is."
"So I guess that means we'll be spending most nights at my dorm huh?"
"Thinking that far ahead already, Ace," he teased.
Rory blushed slightly. "I just meant that…"
Logan laughed and placed a sloppy kiss on her bare shoulder. "Yes, Ace, chances are we'll be sleeping at your place quite a bit. I highly doubt my roommate will take too kindly to you spending the night at our suite on a regular basis."
She smiled feeling slightly ashamed for being embarrassed.
Reading the cause of her blush, he added, "It's nice to think ahead…to all the fun we're going to have together. I do it too."
Rory had being daydreaming about them for years, but she wasn't about to admit that to him. "Have I mentioned lately how good you are at this boyfriend thing?"
He smiled and pressed their foreheads together. "It's cause I like being a boyfriend."
"Do you?"
"Absolutely, Ace," he said with a devilish smirk. "Getting the job was a little complicated, but the perks," he thought of their time in the shower, "the perks make it all worth it."
Rory could see in eyes exactly which perks he was referring to. She flashed him a devilish smirk of her own and said, "Dirty."
"Exactly," he teased. "And you were right, Ace. The best perks are definitely the dirty ones."
Rory giggled and leaned into his warm body. They continued to laugh and joke until sleep started to overtake them. Rory put on a comfortable set of pajamas and Logan a t-shirt. Wrapped in each others' arms, they fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillows. It had been a very long day for them.
As it turned out, their fears of being caught were completely unjustified. The young couple slept peacefully all morning. In fact, everyone in the Hayden household slept in that following morning. Lorelai and Christopher didn't see fit to make it out of their bedroom until well past noon. Kevin had decided to forgo his morning run and spent a lazy morning in bed, mentally planning his evening out with Joanna. Joanna enjoyed a quiet morning with a book and a cup of coffee by the pool wondering what adventures the new day would bring.
A few streets down, the Huntzberger house was not nearly as calm. The head of the household was not in a particularly good mood as he prepared for his early morning meeting. Mitchum barked at two members of Shira's staff about the strength and temperature of his coffee. On top of that, his breakfast had to be remade twice as the new cook did not seem to be able to grasp the concept of 'over easy.' It was just before seven when he was entering the back seat of his chauffer driven town car.
"Good morning, John," he greeted his driver.
"Good morning, Mr. Huntzberger," answered the well dressed man as he closed the car door for his boss.
Mitchum usually did work the entire drive to his office starting as soon as he was situated in the car. However, that morning he happened to glance out the window and noticed that Logan's Porsche was not parked where it normally was.
His driver climbed into his seat and simultaneously started the engine and buckled his seat belt ready to take Mitchum on the all too familiar route to Huntzberger headquarters.
"John, was my son's car in the garage this morning?"
John was a bit startled by the question. He'd been Mitchum's driver for years and the man hardly spoke to him except to say good morning or good night and to let him know where to take him. "The silver Porsche?" he asked apprehensively.
"Yes."
"I didn't see it this morning, Sir."
"What time did you get in?" asked Mitchum.
"The usual time, Sir, just before six."
"Six?" muttered Mitchum. He doubted Logan got out of bed earlier than that. Mitchum pulled out his cell phone and called back to the house.
"Huntzberger residence," answered one of the maids.
"It's Mitchum. Put me through to George."
"Yes, Sir."
Mitchum heard a few clicks before the groundskeeper answered the phone.
"This is George."
"George, it's Mitchum."
"Yes, Sir."
"Can you tell me the last time the main gate was opened?"
"Of course, Sir." George hit a few buttons on the main security screen and pulled up the log. "The last time the gate was opened was at 5:54 this morning."
"That must have been, John," muttered Mitchum. "And before that?"
"11:32 last night, Sir."
"That's right around the time Logan drove Rory home," thought Mitchum. "Nothing in between those times, George?"
"No, Sir."
"And no one can enter the grounds without passing through the main gate correct?"
"That's correct, Sir. Plus the security cameras at the gates are closely monitored so we see who's coming and going." There was a fortune in art and antiques in the Huntzberger's home so security was of the utmost importance.
"Thank you, George," said Mitchum and he quickly closed his cell phone.
"John, Logan wasn't driving out as you were coming in this morning was he?"
The driver shook his head. "No, Sir. I would have noticed that."
Mitchum nodded and as the car passed through the front gate and turned into the street, one thought permeated through Mitchum's head. "Logan didn't come home last night."