It was the end of January, when Rory and Logan had finally gotten the paperwork settled on the new house while Sean took care of the sale of the Gilmore house. With some of their personal stuff still in boxes at Honor's or Lorelai's, packing up and moving the things from their apartment was hardly a lot of work. The same couldn't be said about emptying out the Gilmore house. Emily had already removed everything she wanted to keep, leaving rooms full of things she wanted to donate. Rory had gone through everything just in case, but only taken a few furniture items, paintings and a couple of boxes of books with her. It was a little painful letting go of the place, both Rory and Lorelai shedding tears, but they'd done it. It was time.
Having moved in, Rory was still spending her evenings online shopping for missing pieces of furniture, insisting they didn't need anything fancy hence leaving Logan with a bunch of IKEA furniture to assemble during the weekends. The house was beginning to look like theirs: books everywhere and their respective desks placed prominently in their living room facing each other at the back of the red velvet couch. For now they were the couple who brought their work home, their work was home to them. It was who they were. And it was what they shared, helping and pushing each other.
"Take a look, what do you think?" Logan asked, sending over the syllabus of his Digital and Data Driven Marketing course starting the following week at Yale.
Rory opened the file. "This is for the graduates, right?" she confirmed.
"It is, but undergrads can technically enroll if they want," Logan replied. Teaching an actual course was something he'd never done before, surely he'd had smaller lectures and presentations but this meant actually sticking to a schedule, meeting the learning outcomes, and keeping track of his students. His students - that alone sounded weird. The actual course content he could speak from the top of his head, hence only really preparing a series of graphs, tables and images to show in class. The topic was exactly what he had been doing in the HPG and was doing on a smaller, narrower, scale now at Yale University Press, the only problem was that he always preferred the student's side of college - the carefree and fun side. In that context he didn't quite feel like being the enforcer of deadlines and rules. Optimistically he wanted to think of his students as his friends or colleagues.
Rory took her time reading through the syllabus before adding, "you realize you'll need to give them either more reading or more difficult assignments to actually meet the minimum independent work hours, right?"
"They'll study longer for the exam or something," he suggested, thinking back to his own college days. "I don't want to be one of those stuck up lecturers that makes people give up their Friday nights for studying," he added, smugly.
"People pay good money to go to Yale, they expect to be educated. They don't pay to have Friday nights off. And I think that especially applies to graduate school," Rory noted insightfully.
"True," he noted, adding "I suppose I can add a few articles."
"Do you know how many students you'll have?" Rory asked, looking over the independent tasks.
"So far there was 20 who were enrolled early, but they still have the shopping week," he noted.
"That's going to be a lot of reading," she said, raising her eyebrows at the 8000-word data based marketing project assignment.
"I know, but that's what these things are in real life, no point sheltering them if they want to work in the field," he explained.
"Yea, but you'll be the one going through all of them, and this is not just reading through them but you'll need to spot mistakes and comment in a way so they can actually learn from it and improve," Rory added.
"You sound like you've been teaching for years, Ace," he laughed, reconsidering changing the individual assignment to group work instead.
Rory gave a sideways smile. She'd thought about the way teachers and lecturers worked ever since her mother had dated, almost married, Max Median. She'd tried to figure out the way they wanted to test their student's knowledge, soon realizing they all had a slightly different strategy, and by knowing what they wanted to see, studying for each class had suddenly become much easier.
"Maybe you should have them review each other's assignments?" she suggested.
"Now, that seems like a good idea," he replied thankfully.
"Do you think I should be worried about training my own competition?" he asked after a few moments. His ground was not as stable as it had been, with Barney's impending return before the year was through, and frankly the entire business was changing. He knew it, so did Mitchum.
"Well unless you aim to magically give them ten years of work experience, I wouldn't worry about it," she replied. Seeing Logan worry about his own job prospects was not something she'd expected. He was always on top of his game, having learned both his book- and street-smarts from the very best, and he certainly had a talent for it as well. This became abundantly clear also when he had helped her negotiate her book deal with the Brick.
She'd first told the Brick she was willing to go with her real full name, followed by a list of conditions and a word of caution how several other publishing houses were expecting her reply as well. The conditions Logan had insisted she add had included keeping the rights to publish the book digitally in other platforms than the Brick's, if she wanted to, after two years, giving her full approval rights on the final version and most importantly enabling her to take a four month break from the actual physical marketing activities, so she could spend some time getting acquainted with her baby. He'd also seriously haggled the percentages she'd get from the sales, almost taking the role as her agent momentarily. He'd also managed to word it just right with the help of Colin so there was only one line mentioning anything related to the HPG, that essentially being that she couldn't just take her half-finished book and take it over to the HPG owned companies during the publishing process. Nevertheless Jonathan Brick had signed the deal with a wide smile on his face, leaving Logan also feeling victorious. Rory had no trouble sticking to her writing schedule, she'd spend mornings doing her day-job and evenings writing her book. The only trouble was the pregnancy wasn't making sitting in one place too comfortable. Hence Logan had insisted on getting her a desk with adjustable height and several seating options, from a sitting ball to a kneeling chair.
"Logan!" an angry voice scolded through the phone. It took him a few seconds to realize who he was speaking to, having picked up his phone just as he was hastily packing up his things at his office to head home.
"Honor, how's London?" he asked, ignoring her tone momentarily. As far as he knew she had no reason to be upset with him.
"You didn't tell your own mother you got married?" she bellowed in disbelief. She was in London for business for a few weeks, catching up with her parents on the side.
"I told dad, he told me he would tell her," he explained. But then again that conversation hadn't exactly gone according to plan, he'd simply hung up.
"Well apparently he didn't, but she knows now. I can presume you'll soon be getting a call from her," Honor warned.
"You talked about me?" he inquired.
"She asked where you were living these days and I told her that you just purchased this lovely place where you'd spent your honeymoon," she explained.
"Right," Logan sighed, taking a deep breath. "How did she take it?" he asked a moment later.
"What do you think?" she stated, adding, "No change since Christmas. But I think she was more hurt about the fact that you hadn't told her, than the actual marriage. In her world babies and weddings are usually linked," Honor noted.
"Did you talk to dad at all?" Logan asked, curiously.
"Not much, just at breakfast the other day. He's been working a lot, but that's nothing new. He's distant, I don't really know what he's thinking these days," she replied.
"I told him I wasn't coming back to the HPG after I told him about the wedding. After that he just hung up and I haven't heard from him since," he said, recalling how strangely liberating that moment had been. That was three weeks ago.
"You what!?" Honor exclaimed.
"He was playing mind games again. He told Rory at Christmas that he wanted me back in London in a couple of months and Rory should start nudging me towards returning if she really loved me suggesting the only way to do that was letting me do the job that I was meant to do," he explained.
"I had no idea," she relented, surprisedly.
"I get it, Logan, he shouldn't have done it like that, but you do realize he's counted on you returning, on you taking over, ever since you were born," Honor replied.
"I know that, but that's what he gets for doing things his way," Logan said.
"Why do you think he wanted you back so soon? He hasn't mentioned anything about retirement," she wondered.
"I wish I knew. Rory thought it might be his health or something, but you know how private he is about things like that," Logan replied.
"He looked alright to me, just a little bit more quiet than usual," Honor added.
"Alright, sis, I've got to get going home, unless of course mom calls first," he said, dreading the latter. It had already been a long day.
"Say hi to Rory for me, I'll take her shopping when I'm back," she added, disconnecting the call.
It was a Saturday evening when Rory was just getting out of the shower, drying herself off.
Logan couldn't help but to catch a glimpse at her, as she did, closing the book he had been reading. Other than her belly, she almost looked like she always had, except perhaps now she had slightly larger breast. All those things combined certainly looked more than good to Logan. He put down his book on the side table, and went to lean against the on-suite doorway.
"What?" she asked, noticing him, sounding slightly annoyed. She wrapped the towel around her body tightly, barely covering her hip.
"Just looking at my gorgeous wife," he noted smugly, pulling her close.
"Come on, Logan, I look like manatee," she dismissed his words.
"Ha, Honor told me this moment would come," he commented, trying to recall what she'd told him right after.
"What, me looking like a manatee?" she inquired bluntly.
"No, the identity crisis," he replied laughingly, knowing too well there was no point mentioning her self-esteem if her self-image was flawed. Honor had told him this happened at some point during most pregnancies.
"I can't believe this is just barely half-way," she commented uneasily, stroking her barely 20 week bump over the towel.
"Ace, I am not lying to you, I think you look amazing," he assured, trying to look her straight in the eyes. She tried to dodge the glance, but yielded as he stroked her chin gently.
He leaned in for a kiss, gently brushing his lips against hers just barely grazing them with his tongue.
Despite the momentary electricity between them, she parted from his embrace, getting her hair brush from the vanity table and beginning to brush her long hair. She knew well what effect Logan had on her, it would've been just minutes until he would've had her standing nude in front of him. But she just didn't feel sexy enough to do that right then and there, under full lighting.
"Have you thought about names?" she inquired, changing the subject.
"I sort of figured you already had a name thought out," he replied, not sure if he should touch the gentle subject after recently selling the Gilmore house, especially as it was so close to Richard's birthday.
"You mean Richard?" she said.
Logan nodded.
"I haven't ruled it out, but it doesn't have to be. He can have more than one name," Rory noted, placing the hairbrush back on the vanity, switching off the light, and walking past Logan towards the dresser.
"Alright, let's throw some names around," he suggested, taking his seat on the bed again, his eyes still observing Rory who was about to change into her pyjamas.
"I sort of always liked Hugo, but I don't know maybe it's strange if it's actually a name of someone we know," she said.
"I know a lot of people, Ace. That would pretty much eliminate most of the names if we followed that rule, maybe leaving us only with something like Casper or Lyle," Logan replied laughingly.
"Oh.. Casper the friendly ghost, I kind of like that, he was cute," she awwed, pulling her silk pyjama top over her towel to Logan's disappointment.
"How about Arthur?" he added, more seriously, pulling off his t-shirt to get ready for bed.
"Not bad, I just think maybe that'd be difficult for him to pronounce," she added. The long line of last names was going to be a challenge as it was. She pulled on a pair of panties, only then hanging her towel out to dry.
"Sebastian is kind of nice, too," he said.
"And then there's always Finnigan," Rory laughed, realizing they weren't probably going to decide on anything that evening. She climbed to bed next to her temptingly good looking shirtless husband.
"Well it would be a good way to get Finn to babysit," he joked.
They looked at each other quietly for a moment.
"Hey Ace," he said, breaking the silence.
"What?" she asked.
"I really think you look beautiful, you know," he added, inching closer to her.
This time her lips touched his, in gratitude, adding a little tongue. He ran his hand up her arm to her neck, gently cupping the back of her head, kissing back passionately. She was a goner, she'd hardly ever been able to fight it when he kissed her like that, his scent and his toned chest adding to it relentlessly. Soon his nose followed the delicate curve of her neck, leaving a trail of kisses across her collarbone. He would've gladly continued down her breasts after removing the top, but settled running his fingers across her breasts instead, swirling around her firm nipples through the smooth silk, while continuing kissing her intensely on the mouth. He didn't want to make her do anything she didn't feel comfortable with.
She stroked the front of his boxer shorts with her palm, clearly finding it already bulging.
"Rory," he moaned hoarsely, breaking their kiss briefly. He repositioned himself slightly, not wanting to make this about him. He just wanted to make her feel as amazing as she looked to him.
He let his lips wander down her neck again, teasing her nipples gently with his teeth, as she gasped. Soft kisses continued down over the side of her bump, over to her panties. There was no denying she would've needed to change them anyways. He swiftly removed them for her, adoring the sight in front of him. He positioned himself between her knees, lifting her legs over his shoulders. His tongue stroked her determinedly, over and over, until she moaned his name, followed by a deep shiver that ran through her body. Doing that to her made him feel powerful, and the glow that came upon her face after, shattered at least briefly all of the self-doubt she had had, leaving him with a wide smirk.
They lay there lingering for several minutes, Rory partially covered with a sheet, their fingers entangled, and his lips resting on her forehead.
"Auch," Rory suddenly jolted up from her comfortable sideways position.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"I think he kicked me, like seriously kicked me," Rory said, in disbelief. Until now there had been mostly tiny flutters and tingling sensations. She grabbed his hand and placed the hand onto the spot. They waited.
"I wonder whether that means he liked or disliked what we just did," he joked a few quiet minutes later, thinking it wasn't going to happen again.
The next moment his palm felt a nudge.
"That wasn't as strong, but it was him," she noted smilingly. It felt good to finally share this with Logan.
He smiled back.