Logan felt a soft pressure on his shoulder, then the warm, wet flick of a tongue. Awareness of his surroundings was starting to fill him, radiating outward from his trapezius muscle, blanketing him like a balmy bath, the waves lapping over his skin. Her body was pressed flush against his back, one leg wedged between his. At some point during the night, Rory had become the big spoon and he wasn't hating it.
Her hand brushed over the side of his rib cage. Her palm was hot as it pressed against his flesh, winding its way to the front of his chest and trailing down lower…lower…lower.
"Ace," he breathed out as she reached her destination, her fingers wrapping around his member and squeezing lightly. His pelvis thrust involuntarily into her grasp.
"Merry Christmas," she whispered into his ear, her grip firming up as she stroked him up and down.
"Merry," grunt. "Fucking," grunt. "Christmas," grunt. The words came in tandem with the movement of his hips.
"I hope you don't mind that I didn't wrap your present," Rory replied, releasing her hold on him so he could turn over and look at her. She was completely naked, the blankets bunched up down by her ankles. She was propped up on her right forearm, her left hand draped lazily over her lower abdomen like in that renaissance painting, Venus of Urbino.
Somewhere in his sleep and lust addled brain, he was happy to see how quickly she seemed to be getting over her body image issues. They weren't gone completely; he noticed she would go in the bathroom to get changed more often than not and he'd frequently find her smoothing a hand uncomfortably over her midsection or shrugging out of his hold when he'd wrap his arms around her from behind. But she seemed to be able to lose herself in the moment and let go of her insecurities when the lust took over. Though he had to admit, her greeting him like she was at that moment was an unexpected surprise.
"Jesus Christ," he muttered at the splendid sight in front of him.
"Was born this day," she smirked. Under other circumstances he likely would have continued to engage in some blasphemous back and forth but his body was waking up far faster than his brain so instead, he leaned forward to press a kiss to her lips, completely unconcerned with morning breath. "I think I can forgive you, although unwrapping this would have been quite enjoyable," he managed to reply.
"Mmm," she mumbled her agreement. He placed his hand on her hip, caressing over her ass for a moment before pulling her body demandingly into his. His lips moved to her neck, sucking gently. She let him continue for a few minutes, his lips roving, his hands exploring, their bodies gyrating together to create a delicious friction.
Finally, she pulled back, reaching her hand out, her palm unyielding against his chest until he rolled over onto his back. She climbed on top of him, straddling his waist.
"I think Christmas just became my new favorite holiday," he confessed as he looked up at his girlfriend in all of her glory. His hands were resting possessively on the swell of her ass, his fingers digging wantonly into the flesh, his thumbs brushing over the jut of her hip bone. His hardon was pressing up into her. She was all soft, warm curves that he coveted as much today as he did when they were 20.
She bent down to begin placing open mouth kisses to his chest and as she did, her center shifted back, sliding over him and eliciting a guttural groan. She continued to lick and suck, her body, her breasts pressed cozily against him; flesh sliding over flesh as she worked her way down his torso.
The sensations were incredible and the view was nothing to scoff at either. Her hair was splayed out in every direction, whispering over his skin and hers. She reached up to pull it tidily over one shoulder, providing him with an uninterrupted display of her smooth, flawless skin; the bow of her shoulder blade, the slight protrusions of her spine extending one by one down the curve of her back and ending in the arch of her lumbar region, her deliciously round ass thrust up into the sky.
She reached a hand between them griping his member in a loose grip and letting her thumb flick over the tip. Her mouth nipped hungrily at the sensitive flesh around his navel. Causing him to thrust up into her hand. "Fuck," he breathed out. He could feel her lips curve up into a self-satisfied smile as she continued to tease him; stroking and squeezing as her mouth made its way closer and closer.
Her head was right above him and he prepared for the feel of her tongue sliding along his hardened shaft. Just as her mouth was about to make contact, three sharp raps rung out through the room. He looked down to see her startled blue eyes open wide, her mouth still hung open, her fist wrapped around the base of his cock.
"Hey, sleepy heads," Lorelai's voice echoed into the room. "Time to get up. You're parents now, no more of this sleeping in on Christmas business."
Rory still hadn't moved; her face was a mixture of panic and mortification. Her grip on his thighs had tightened considerably. "We're up, Lorelai," he responded, trying not to laugh, lest Lorelai catch on to what they were doing.
"Good, get your asses downstairs. It's present time, I want to spoil my granddaughter."
Rory had grabbed the blanket which was balled up at the foot of the bed, and was starting to wrap it around herself. "We'll be there in fifteen," Logan said, then, turning his attention to his girlfriend, said, "We're not done here." Rory glared at him, then threw a glance at the door.
"You're being timed," Lorelai warned. "We will start unwrapping without you."
He waited a beat to give Lorelai a chance to walk away before addressing Rory who was starting to get out of bed, the top sheet draped around her like a toga. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes at him. "To get dressed. You heard Mom, presents in 15 minutes"
"Yeah, but we're not done with my present yet," he grumbled. "And fifteen minutes is plenty of time."
She chuckled, shaking her head in amused vexation. "Later," she promised.
"All I want for Christmas, Ace…" he reminded her.
She walked back over to the bed, her hand clutching the sheet to her chest. She leaned down to give him a conciliatory peck on the lips. "Later," she assured him.
"I have ways of making you stay, you know," he replied with a twinkle in his eye, grasping for the sheet and tugging it off of her.
"Logan," she whined playfully, grabbing the sheet back, "'No' means 'no,' Mister."
He collapsed back on to the pillows. "Fine," he sighed. "But I expect you to pay up on that 'later' promise."
She threw a glance at him over her shoulder as she walked towards the closet, an impish smile on her face. "Oh, I assure you," she purred. "All debts will be paid…with interest."
"Are you sure you don't want to change her first?" Emily asked fretfully.
"Of course not," Rory insisted. "The dress is perfect." Lila was dressed to the nines in a designer outfit that Emily had put under the tree for her that morning. The top was black velvet, the red plaid skirt poofed out over a layer of green crinoline, and a red, silk bow adorned the waist. A matching bow was perched atop the baby's head.
"Not for long," Emily sniped, taking in the potentially very messy scene before her.
"We're going to be documenting this for posterity, she needs to look her best," Logan informed his daughter's great grandmother. "The dress will be fine, she's wearing a bib."
"Yes, and what a lovely bib it is," Emily rolled her eyes, her voice ripe with sarcasm.
"What's wrong with the bib?" Loreali asked, playing dumb. "It's just stating facts."
"It's blasphemous," Emily insisted, sweeping her hands out towards the infant in the highchair
Rory looked at her daughter in the 'Go Jesus, it's your birthday,' bib and giggled. "It's cute," she insisted.
"Besides, Mom," Lorelai chimed in. "When did you become super religious? I'm pretty sure this morning was the first time you've been to church since Easter."
Emily huffed. "It clashes with the dress," she argued.
"Emily," Logan interjected in his most charming voice, "We love the dress. Lila looks adorable in it. And this is a big moment. When she's all grown up and dating, and we pull out these baby photos to embarrass her with in front of her boyfriend, we can say—'that dress was a present from your great-grandmother Emily.' You'll never be forgotten."
This seemed to assuage the elderly woman a bit. "Fine," she relented. "But is she gets sweet potato all over it…"
"The dry cleaner will get it out," Logan assured her. "Now relax and enjoy the cuteness of your great granddaughter celebrating Christmas with her first solids."
Rory poured a little pumped breast milk into the bowl full of sweet potato puree and mixed it together with a Frosty the Snow man themed plastic spoon. She looked at the bowl, then up at Logan, then to Lila, and then she slid the bowl across the tray of the highchair. "Go ahead," she urged Logan, nodding him along.
"Really?" he asked, looking up in surprise. "Me?" He had just assumed that Rory would get the honor of the first feeding.
"Yeah," she nodded. "I've gotten most of the other firsts so far," she admitted somewhat uncomfortably. "This one should be yours." It was true that she had been witness to far more of Lila's firsts than he. He wanted to be there for all of, it, but that was the nature of joint custody and his work schedule. But he also knew she was thinking of some of the other firsts he'd missed through no fault of his own; her first kick, first ultrasound, first moments in this world.
He reached across the highchair to grab her hand giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You sure?" he asked.
"Ugh," Lorelai replied dramatically. "If one of you doesn't stop making pathetic eyes at each other and take the damn spoon. I'm going to do it."
Luke rolled his eyes at his wife. "Go ahead," he told Rory and Logan, nodding at Lorelai. "I'll take care of Kanye over here."
Rory looked up at her stepfather in confusion. "Kayne?" she asked. "What do you know about Kanye?"
"I don't live completely under a rock, you know. Besides, your mother bought a book about him and felt the need to do live reenactments of some of the more colorful parts. At least I hope that was as colorful as it gets."
Logan laughed out loud. He could absolutely see Lorelai pretending to co-opt Taylor Swift's moment at the Grammy's...and playing both parts herself. "Okay," he said, refocusing his energies on the task in front of him. "You ready for this?" he asked the family, scooping up a tiny helping of orange goop. "What do you think, Bean?" he turned to his daughter. "You ready to try something super yummy?" he started zig-zagging the spoon towards her mouth, slowing it down as he got right up to her face. Lila reached out and grabbed the spoon enthusiastically with her little fist.
"Yeah? You like that baby girl?" Rory asked, leaning in excitedly as Lila contemplated the brightly colored mush. Apparently she decided she didn't like it, as a moment later she pulled down on the utensil and then let it go, flinging sweet potato all over her mother. An eruption of giggles burst from the baby as Rory wiped the food from her face.
Logan turned to Emily. "And here you were worried about the baby's dress," he commented dryly, suppressing a smile.
Rory glared at him. "This is your fault," she informed in a not so happy tone of voice.
"Hey, you're the one who trusted me with the spoon. That's all on you."
Lila, now intrigued by the neon-colored substance that her brought her such joy, reached out to grab the bowl, dipping her fingers messily into the goop and bringing it up to her face, stuffing her entire fist into her mouth. She giggled again apparently enjoying the taste, and reached out for the bowl once more.
"Woah there, Bean," Logan said, grabbing the bowl and pulling it away from her before she made an even bigger mess. "That's not how we eat."
"She gets her table manners from you," Emily snarked at her daughter.
Lorelai contemplated this for a moment. "Yeah," she nodded her head in agreement. "That's fair."
"Give me that," Rory replied, reaching for the bowl of sweet potato. "I'm taking back control. This is the last time I let you be in charge of anything."
"Whatever you say, Ace," he grinned at her. "I'm always happy to let you be in charge."
Logan wasn't really sure of the purpose of the creations on display. Half these so-called Christmas trees weren't even trees; like the one in front of him which appeared to be made from the helms of ships of various sizes stacked together in the conical formation of a fir.
But The Festival of Trees was one of the few activities to do in Nantucket in the middle of winter, it supported local small businesses and charities, and all the Christmas ornaments and brightly colored baubles that decorated the hand crafted works of art were keeping Lila happily engaged and would hopefully have her tuckered out and ready for her nap by the time they got home.
"Hey, look," Rory pointed out. "It's Poseidon." Logan followed her finger to a large tree decorated with seashells, pieces of coral, and porcelain fish ornaments. The head of an old, bearded man wearing a crown was perched on top and a large gold trident extended from the floor pointing upwards into the sky.
"I'm sorry, but how do you not find that creepy?" he asked Rory. "His little, beady, plastic eyes are staring right at us. And it doesn't even make sense. His body is a tree. Poseidon is king of the sea; trees don't grow underwater. And I imagine merpeople have their own religions and holidays, it's highly unlikely they even celebrate Christmas."
"Well, I agree with you about celebrating Christmas," Rory laughed, "what with them not being real and all."
"You know what I mean."
"You mean you've actively started the process of turning into a curmudgeonly old man who hates everything and yells at little kids to get off his lawn?"
"Yeah, that," Logan laughed.
They moved along to the next tree—which was entirely made out of teddy bears. Lila's eyes lit up from her spot strapped to Rory's chest and she reached her little fist out to grab for the abundance of stuffed animals. As soon as Rory realized what was happening, she took a step back, Lila's little fingers just barely grazing the felt of one of the bears' paws.
"Maybe we should give her one of her stuffies to hold on to," Rory suggested.
"Mmmhmm," Logan nodded. "Great idea. And who's going to bend down every five seconds to pick it up when she drops it?"
"You're really feeling the Christmas spirit today, aren't you?" Rory teased. He knew he was being a grouch but he couldn't help it.
"I'm sorry," he explained. "I guess I'm just not looking forward to going home. I don't like knowing that tomorrow night I'm going to be sleeping alone again."
"Hey," she said soothingly, reaching a hand up to graze his cheek. "Soon," she promised. He did smile at that, but the truth was, it just wasn't soon enough for him. He'd gotten pretty used to being with her and Lila all the time. Going back to his apartment all alone didn't really appeal to him anymore. And it didn't help that he had to go on a business trip right after New Year.
"Did you tell your Mom yet?" he asked. They'd been keeping the whole 'moving in together' secret for several days now. And part of him knew timing was everything, but part of him wanted to shout it to the world.
Rory shook her head. "I thought it would be best to do it at home," Rory informed him. "Away from Grandma," she added, then gave him a meaningful look. "Maybe with you on another continent." He knew Lorelai was probably not going to be dancing a jig about this news. He and Rory's mother were in a good place these days, all things considered, but he knew he was still far from Lorelai's first pick for her daughter. And the idea of Rory moving in with him; sharing an apartment, a bed, a life; having her granddaughter grow up with all the luxuries he could afford…it wasn't what she wanted for them. But she was just going to have to deal, because this was what Rory wanted; what she had asked for. And that was all that mattered to Logan.
"So you'll tell her when I'm in London?"
"Tell who what when you're in London?" Rory jumped at the sound of the voice. Logan turned around to face Lorelai. So much for that plan.
"Oh, well, I umm…it's just that…Well…Logan's getting a cat."
Lorelai furrowed her brow in confusion. Logan gave Rory an amused look and suppressed the urge to make a very inappropriate joke about the addition of a pussy to his living situation.
"I'm sorry, what?" Lorelai asked.
"A cat," Rory repeated cagily. "For Lila. It's good for her immune system."
"She has Paul Anka."
"Right," Rory nodded her head with a bit too much enthusiasm. "But cats are better than dogs. Medically speaking, I mean. Not that Paul Anka isn't great. Because he is. And Lila loves him. But…"
"Why are you being weird?"
"Excuse me?" Rory asked feigning innocence…badly.
"Ace," Logan laughed. "I think the jig is up."
Rory sighed, apparently able to tell that he was right and there was no longer any point in trying to keep her secret. He shoulders slumped in defeat and her eyes flicked up to her mother's.
"I'm moving in with Logan," she admitted, reaching to grab his hand and intertwine her fingers with his.
Lorelai's posture stiffened subtly, her eyes just a touch wider than was natural. "Oh."
"I'm sorry," Rory said. "This isn't how I wanted you to find out."
Lorelai gave a stiff nod. "When?"
"As soon as I get back from London," Logan stepped in.
She gave him a cool look, then turned back to her daughter. "Into his apartment?" she asked.
"Temporarily," Rory affirmed. "We're going to get a house when his lease is up in the summer. We want Lila to have a yard to play in as she gets older."
"She as a yard now."
"Mom, I'm sorry, really. You know how much I appreciate everything you've done for Lila and me. And you're still going to see us all the time. You'll hardly noticed I'm gone I'm going to be there so much."
Lorelai was quiet for a moment, her eyes flicking back and forth between the couple, the muscles of her jaw clenched tightly. "Your grandmother is curating her history of whaling spiel in a few minutes. It's in Gosnell Hall over on the other side of the museum. Luke and I are headed over."
"Mom," Rory pleaded. "Can we talk about this, please?"
Lorelai shrugged. "What's there to talk about? You're moving out in a week. You've clearly made up your mind. It's not like my opinion matters."
"Mom!" Rory said one more time as Lorelai turned and walked away. He knew Lorelai was being snarky, but she wasn't wrong. They had made up their minds. And while it would be nice if Lorelai could accept that, in the end, her opinion didn't matter. But he didn't think that was what Rory needed to hear right now.
"Hey," he said, tugging lightly on the hand that was in his and pulling her into him, their daughter snuggled tightly between them. He reached his free hand up to cradle her cheek. "She'll come around," he assured her. "She's upset. Can you blame her? Her two favorite people in the universe are leaving. But she loves you and she wants you to be happy. She just needs a little time."
"Maybe we can buy one of those big family compounds and she and Luke can move into their own house on the property," Rory joked. At least he hoped it was a joke, sometimes it was hard to tell when it came to Rory and Lorelai.
"I think they call that a cult, Ace," Logan laughed it off. "How about we settle for 'designated guest room'?"
"Fine," she grumbled, pulling away and starting to head toward the direction of the Gosnell room, pulling him along with her. "Now we just need to figure out how to break the news to Grandma that we're moving in together but we're still not getting married."
Logan shrugged. He could deal. It wasn't like they hadn't been through it before.
AN: So don't hate Lorelai too much. She doesn't do well with change and things not going her way but she almost always comes around in. the end and she will this time too. She's not going to create a lot of drama with the whole moving in process, I promise. Mostly because there are only 2 chapters and an epilogue of this story left.
Sad, I know.
But if you need something else to help you with your GG fic fix, you could always go read Family Affairs. I'm telling you, once you get into it, all your resistance will melt away. And also, I post the first chapter of my new fic last night because I was too impatient to wait for this to actually be over before moving on to something else. It's called "Missing Pages." So go check that out too. And make sure to review!