They skipped lunch, having replaced breakfast with lunch essentially, hence deciding for a larger dinner. While Logan cooked them some pasta with pesto and salad, Rory prepared, based on Logan's instructions, some aubergine bruscettas. The cheap Chenin Blanc they'd picked up at the corner store, was surprisingly crisp, relaxing them even further. It felt so comfortable being around each other, it hurt to think it hadn't been so in all those years. Being with her came effortlessly, the mind, body and soul connecting, almost as if on some subconscious level, many messages not needing to be spoken out loud.

After dinner, and half way through Logan's choice of movie "Good morning, Vietnam", she'd snuggled up even closer to him, her head resting on his chest and his arm wrapped around her back.

"Ace, I'm really happy that you stayed, that you gave us a chance," he whispered to her. That was an understatement, his heart wanting to burst with the sensation of her presence.

She looked up at him, smilingly. "I don't think I would've been able to leave if I wanted to. I still have no idea how I'm going to get on that plane tomorrow," she replied sensing the pain in her gut already.

"Well, I guess it's a little like the time I left to London for the first time," he recalled. "It's hard, but now we know we can survive things like that," he added.

"Two weeks," she repeated their agreement. She scooted herself upwards closer to his face, cupping it and brushing his stubble gently with her fingertips. His lips found hers, meeting them at a slow and inviting kiss, waking every cell in her body.

She lift her upper leg across his lap to straddle him, her hands on his neck and shoulders, continuing to kiss him. The bottom of her stomach was still like a swarm of unsettled butterflies, wanting to be let out. Her hands caressed her neck and shoulders, moving down his chest, while his stoked her thighs, grabbing on to them firmly. She could already sense his erection brush against her stomach, turning her on even more. His hands continued to devote their attention to her ass and thighs, wanting to pull her as close as possible, squeezing out all the air between them. She removed his shirt, leaving a trail of kisses on his chest, allowing his head to fall back and close his eyes momentarily still in disbelief that this was his reality now. The form of her hard nipples was clear even without removing her tanktop, and he gently bit at one of them through the fabric, making her gasp and the sensation. She rubbed herself against him through their clothing, teasing intensely both of them. Logan finally relented, unable to withstand it any longer. There was just something about her being in control that made him want her even more, and pushing down his pants he soon exposed himself. Rory scooted back a little, doing what he almost feared would drive him over the edge too soon. Her moist lips kissed gently the head of his arousal, licking lightly making him moan. Her mouth felt incredible, and it took just three-four delves into her mouth, before he had to stop her.

"Ace, stop, please," he said pulling her up to kiss her on the lips, tasting himself on her.

His fingers hastily pulled her panties aside, sensing the flood of moisture already at her center, only running a few fingers back and forth a couple of times, until she raised herself just above his member, slowly, appreciating every inch that entered her, she let out a whimper of pleasure. Instead of rushing it, they stared into each-other's eyes for a moment, as if reading each other's souls. It was Rory who moved first, slowly beginning to rock her body, beginning to resolve the deep ache within her. His lips rested at the side of her neck, breathing her in, as his mind was taken over by her movement. His one hand was wrapped around her narrow waist assisting her at the thrusts that made him lose sense of place. His other hand had moved under her tanktop, squeezing one of her breasts firmly, sensing the erect nipple in his palm. The plunges grew more rapid and deeper, her breathing deepening. Her hands held onto his arm and soulder feeling his muscles tense as he lifted her time and time again. Just as her body approached climax, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her forehead rested on his, feeling each-other's breaths as she finally came, her panting growing shallow and her body jolting a the thrusts that followed. He moved his hips along now, burying himself as deep as he could in search for his own release, found soon after.

They stayed like that for a good few minutes, him still inside of her, their arms wrapped around each other tightly.

"I love you, Logan," she whispered into his ear. Logan was still at a loss for words, still recovering, but he kissed her shoulder once more, as if in assurance that everything was as it should be.

The night that followed was restless, not quite wanting to miss a second of their time, despite knowing that they ought to get some sleep. Their bodies rested interlinked, and got ever so easily caught up by a few more rounds of lovemaking, both of them just barely awake. It came so naturally, so instinctively, the intensity varying from a sleepy comforting release to an almost desparate pounding as if angry at the time they'd missed, leaving Rory a little sore in the morning.

Their goodbye at the airport was tearless, somehow more hopeful than dreading, even to their surprise. Even just the idea of his phone number in her phone and hers in his, felt comforting.

Rory's second workday back felt like a neverending round of meaningless motions, working on a piece on home schooling families in New York. The topic really didn't speak to her, but she did the best she could. She was just about to start leaving work that day, when a thick FedEX envelope arrived by courier. She hastily opened it, finding a letter inside.

"Ace, please open the rest of the package when you get home. Love Logan"

She rushed down to the subway, travelling just the few stops and hurried down the street, up to the fourth floor, forgetting her take-away she had ordered in advance from the Chinese place across the street. She'd been tempted to open the package several times along the way, but she trusted him, and had complied. Once inside her small one-bedroom apartment, she dropped her messenger bag and jacket to the floor, hastily pulling the package apart.

"Read this first," read the second note inside.

"Rory, when you open this I don't want you to panic. This is not a stupid joke, and ultimatum or anything in between. I've screwed this up so many times already that I just refuse to do that anymore. What it is, what it means, will be entirely up to you and in your own time. But at the very least it is a promise that I will never walk out on you, I will not give up on you. I love you. Logan."

She unwrapped the roll of bubble wrap to find a thin ring box. It wasn't overly flashy, not even velvety, and it didn't need to be. Inside was a small solitaire salt pepper diamond on a thin and minimalistic gold ring. Rory sank to her kitchen floor, the ring between her fingers. For once he had done everything right.

For the next two weeks they texted and called daily, however not once mentioning the ring itself. It was not that neither of them didn't want to, he'd promised not to push and he kept his word, Rory, on the other hand, needed it to be something she addressed face to face. It was Friday evening when Rory's doorbell rang.

"Yes?" she answered the buzzer.

"It's me, Ace," Logan replied.

She buzzed him in, nervously pacing at the door, waiting for him to climb up the stairs.

He ran the stairs perhaps a little faster than he had aimed, arriving slightly out of breath, wrapping his hands around her without a word, burrowing his nose in her neck, hugging her close. As he looked up to kiss her, his eyes landed on the line of boxes lining the hallway, a roll of tape resting on top of them.

"Is that…?" he began, looking at her, expectantly.

"I'm moving out, I put the place up for rent. I already have a co-worker lined up who wants it," she announced.

It was only then Logan felt her palm on his and the sense of cool metal on his skin. He looked down to see the ring on her finger. He didn't wait for her to say anything, instead just leaned in to kiss her soft lips. The kiss was feverish, burning, full of longing that had finally come to an end.

"And so where are you, or we…, moving exactly?" he asked, as the kiss parted and he began to analyze the situation, being practical like he was.

"I talked to my boss that my heart wasn't in it as much as I wanted it to be, and instead of letting me walk out the door he suggested I work freelance for them," she explained. "And that I can do from anywhere, until I figure out what else I want to do. So I guess I'm jumping with you. I'll travel with you, Hamburg, London...wherever," she said. "I would've done it even if I had to quit, just so you know," she added.

"You're amazing, Ace, you know that right?" he sighed.

"And Logan," she began. "This," she said, holing up her hand with the ring, "I do consider as an engagement ring, but on the condition that we don't rush with the wedding. It will happen, I promise you, but in time, okay?," she said with no doubt in her voice. He didn't have to ask her again and she didn't have to hear it.

"That's absolutely fine, Ace," he replied with a wide grin. "I love you," he added.

AN: Thank you for reading. I might add an epilogue, I'm not sure yet. Let me know if you would like me to.