Disclaimer and Spoilers: See Chapter 1
A/N: Those of you who thought we were finished… sorry about that, but this fic won't finish until chapter 12. In case you forgot where we were (sorry for not updating sooner) – Max and Logan finally ended up kissing in front of the fireplace. That's where we're going to continue.
As usual - thanks to Kasman for the beta :-)
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10. IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT
"Logan?" Max asked later. They were still lying on the floor in front of the fireplace, but now they were spooning, with Logan lying behind Max.
"Huh?" he murmured, completely relaxed and already half asleep.
She put her hand on his arm that was encircling her, and squeezed it gently. "We didn't return the skis."
"We didn't?" Logan asked, but then remembered the events. Ah, of course we didn't. We had that lovely encounter in the bathroom and then her seizures started. "Oh, that's right we didn't. I was really pissed when we came home, right?"
"Right."
"Do you want me to take them back now?" he asked.
He would take them back alone because he's thinking I'm still too weak? It really must be a bother for him to return the skis but still he'd do it. But that's not what I was trying to say. "Nah, it's too late and I was just thinking…maybe we could go skiing tomorrow morning, before we leave for Seattle..."
"You want us to?"
"I'd love to," Max smiled.
Skiing again? Sounds great. "Okay, why not," Logan agreed. "I don't think Chris really needs his skis back right now."
"Neither do I."
She turned around in his embrace, now facing him. When she saw his tired eyes, she smiled lovingly. "You look so tired."
He smiled back. "I am. This has been a hell of a day." First the guys, then Max in the bathroom, Max's seizures, our little quarrel and more seizures. Well, and finally this. Gee, this day's enough for a month.
Max nodded. "So you better go to bed, 'cause I want us to be the first on the slopes tomorrow morning. Gondola opens at 08:00, so that's the time to go."
"Did you just say eight o'clock?" Logan reassured himself grinning. "'Cause if you did, it's really time for me to go to bed."
Sighing he gave Max a last kiss and sat up, leaning against the couch.
"Ready to get up?" she asked.
Logan looked over to where his wheelchair waited next to the blankets that he had placed on the floor earlier. Great, now I'm going to crawl over the floor with her watching me. But maybe it's better if she finds our right away. And I'm sure as hell not letting her help me.
He looked up to her. She had already stood up and smiled down at him. "Need help?" Max asked carefully, not wanting to offend him.
The look he gave her over the rims of his glassed was angry at first, but he melted inside when he saw the smile she gave him. She just asked. It was just a simple question, nothing to be offended, he told himself.
"Nah, I'm fine," he answered. "Just don't laugh too loud, okay?"
Laugh? Why would he think I'd laugh at him? Max looked at him irritated, but Logan ignored it and scooted backwards over the blanket to his chair. There he crossed his legs and transferred to the seat. When he had placed his feet on the footrest and leaned back, he looked at her and blushed, realizing that she had been watching him all the time and was now looking seriously at him.
I like it when he's that stubborn. When he needs to prove that he doesn't need my help. When he pulls himself backwards like that, you can see his arm and chest muscles working, even under that thick pullover. No wonder I feel so safe in his embrace.
"I would never laugh at you," she said quietly. "I'm much too proud of you to laugh."
Proud? She's proud of me?
When Max saw the question in his expression, she nodded confirming. "I am. You've really been through so much the last week and still you're the incredible person you are. Don't worry about it, Logan." Then she added grinning. "I think it's really sexy when you prove that you are as independent as you want to be and if it involves you showing some muscle play it's even sexier."
Logan couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, it's so damn sexy, me crawling over the floor," he said. "You'd have had a lot of fun when I started rehab with Bling. He made me crawl around my apartment for days. Told me I'd not only need to know how to get along in a wheelchair but also on my butt."
"Looks like Bling did a good job."
"Yeah, he did," Logan nodded, his mind traveling back to the time after the shooting. Then he shook his head and shoulders as if to get rid of the thoughts.
"It's really time to go to bed," Max said. "And I promise not to come running into the bathroom this time."
Logan smiled when he wheeled to the bathroom, then turned his head around and said, "I'm gonna tell you when I'm done."
The next time Max heard him when he called "Done!" from his bedroom. She smiled and put on her pajamas before going to the bathroom. When she was done, she thought about it for a moment, then carefully knocked at the door to Logan's room.
"Yeah?" he answered.
When she opened the door she saw him lying on his bed, his back against the backrest, the covers pulled up to his chest and he had obviously been reading the book that he still held in his hands. The room was only illuminated by the small bedside lamp on the nightstand and when Logan looked over to where Max stood, he thought that she truly looked like an angel in the dim light and in the long white T-shirt she was wearing.
He expected her to spread her wings and fly away every second, but instead she smiled and said, "Hey!"
"Hey!"
They looked at each other for a moment, and the tension increased when neither of them spoke a word.
Wonder why she came here? Logan wondered. I hadn't expected to see her until tomorrow morning, but now she's standing there…Should I ask her to stay? Here?
What am I doing here? Max asked herself. Why didn't I use the other door and go straight to my bed? Now I'm standing here, not knowing what to do. Should I kiss him good night? Or just say it? Or should I ask if I can stay? I wish I had a chance to wake up next to him.
Logan was the one to break the silence when he asked, "You wanna come here for a second?" and motioned to the empty space next to him on the bed.
Max nodded slowly and sat down on the mattress close to him. She crossed her legs Indian style and smiled at Logan. He reached out for one of her hands and took it in his before he asked, "You okay?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Seizures seem to be gone. Took some more tryptophan."
He smiled back and said, "I didn't mean the seizures."
"Oh," she said surprised. "You mean…with us?"
Logan nodded. I just hope the reason she came here was not to find a way to deny this.
"I didn't know if I was supposed to come here before I go to bed, or not," Max admitted. "I'm new to this, I don't know what you expect me to do."
"I don't expect anything," Logan told her. "I was glad when you came in. I already missed you." He said the last with a warm and loving smile that shone over his whole face.
"I'm so afraid that when I wake up this will all turn out to be a dream." She looked down at their hands and added, "Sorry, I'm being stupid."
Logan shook her head and pulled her hand until she looked at him. "You are not stupid. I feel the same way too. This is just a little too good to be true."
"Don't leave me, okay? I couldn't stand loosing you."
He pulled back his hand only to put it on her shoulder. "Come here," he pleaded, indicating that he wanted her to lie next to him. Max followed and stretched her legs out, then put her head on his shoulder, snuggling closer to him. "Do you want to stay here?" Logan asked carefully. "If you don't want to…"
I want her to stay but I definitely don't want to ruin our relationship by forcing her to do something she doesn't want to. Hope she knows that.
Yippee, yeah, yeah, he asked. Of course I want to stay, want to sleep next to him, but I do not want to sleep with him. Not now. Not yet. Hope we agree about that, too, 'cause I'm not going to tell him that.
Max raised her head and looked into his loving eyes. "I do want to. And if you're still there when I wake up I'll know that I haven't been dreaming."
Logan held up the cover to let her slide under it and whispered, "No dream, I promise."
Max smiled and reached over to switch off the light while Logan scooted down and put his head on the pillow, then wrapped his arms around her. They lay in complete darkness, holding each other tight.
"Wow, " Max said softly after a little while. "This feels really great."
Logan laughed at her comment and Max silently thanked Manticore for her night-vision that allowed her to see the sparkle in his eyes when he confirmed, "Yeah, it feels great."
Max let the arm that had been wrapped around Logan's upper body carefully travel over his T-shirt, slowly caressing him. Logan did the same with the hand that had been placed on Max's back and laughed, when she suddenly purred like a cat. "What's that?" he asked.
She shrugged. "My feline DNA, I guess."
"So you like it?"
"Of course I do. Silly boy."
He used both of his strong arms to pull her face up to his and kissed her.
"Good night, Max."
She smiled, kissed him back and placed her head on his shoulder again. "Good night, Logan," she said, her voice muffled against his T-shirt.
Logan smells really nice. Can't quite describe it, but really really nice. Sexy, maybe?
He continued stroking her back, making her purr every once in a while, and she continued caressing his chest until she felt his hand stop moving. His deep and steady breathing told her that he was finally asleep.
I can't believe that this feels so right. I really should have done this sooner. Step to the real with Logan, I mean. It's incredible how long it took us to get here, but now that we're finally here, I don't want to go back. Never. This feels so good. Even though I don't have the slightest idea of how this relationship is supposed to work. But I guess that something you never know until you've tried it.
Max turned around so that her back was to Logan.
It feels so good to lie here with him. To be so close to him. To know that he wants me to be here. This day started so horrible but this evening turned out to be one of the best of my life. I hope I can have more evenings like this without the foreplay we had today. I guess time will tell. I don't know where we go from here. Sure, tomorrow we'll go back to Seattle, but then? Will I stay at his penthouse every night? And will we continue working together? I wouldn't want to give up my crib, but I could live with not staying there every night if this is the alternative, she thought. And I wouldn't want to stop fighting the good fight with him. I kind of got used to it. Yeah, believe it or not, X5-452 got used to fighting the good fight. To know that you can make a difference is something Logan taught me. Something I'll be forever thankful for. Even though I'm not going to admit it when he's awake.
She turned back to face him and entangled her legs with his.
I'm really happy that he didn't pull back after today's events. I'm really happy that we've finally been honest. I've never before felt so safe and relaxed. I think I could even sleep a few hours tonight.
Max wrapped her arm around Logan's body again and kissed him quickly on the cheek. He stirred but didn't wake up, and only minutes later Max fell asleep next to him.
