Disclaimer: Like in the beginning, I don't own the characters or the concept. I'm just trying to have some fun here, no need to sue me!
A/N: See at the very end!
EPILOGUE
Max picked the lock like she always did. Of course, she could ring the bell, but most of the time Logan would probably be so engrossed in his work that he wouldn't hear it, and when he did hear it he had a tendency to ignore it. Besides, this way she saved him the trouble of having to come to the door.
She considered those reasons for a moment while the lock clicked open. No, that wasn't the truth, not the entire truth anyway, she admitted to herself. Her walking into his apartment whenever she wanted spread an air of trust and silent understanding. He had never complained about it, and the way he looked when she leaned against the doorframe of his office made her feel welcomed, like he was happy to see her- any time. He could be in the worst mood ever, but when he saw Max there was something in his eyes that made him look happy, even if only for a short moment. Maybe she just imagined it, but what if she didn't? What if, for some weird reason, she meant something to him, something special?
Yeah, it was good the way it was. No need to change the habit.
Max walked straight towards his office where he was already typing away at his computer. She wondered if he had been to bed at all. At least he was wearing something different, and his hair was still slightly damp.
So he had taken a shower. That was something, she decided.
A mug filled with coffee stood next to him on the desk, so chances were he had actually eaten some breakfast.
God! He was an adult- she didn't have the right to worry about those things. He was responsible for his own actions. And if he wanted to work all night or refused to eat, so be it. After all, who was she to judge?
"Morning." Max leaned against the desk, closer than usual. He did look tired, she thought. "How are you?" she asked tentatively, it was hard to judge what kind of mood he was in. Sometimes a simple question like that was taken as an attack, other times he just accepted it.
"Fine, I guess I just didn't get much sleep last night." He scratched his beard, which was a little longer than usual. Apparently he noticed that as well as he frowned at it.
He pushed back from his desk, favouring the injured arm and watching the screen in front of him intently. After a moment he snapped out of his daze and sighed as he turned to look at her. "The hospital called earlier this morning. Randy died." He shook his head in disbelief. "He didn't make it."
"I'm sorry." Max felt helpless. The pain in Logan's eyes was more obvious than she was used to, and it disturbed her. Usually he managed to hide it very well. She caught glimpses of it every now and then, but she could always be sure that a moment later he had hidden it again. This time it was still there, even after blinking twice.
"Yeah." He bit his lower lip. "Me, too. He didn't deserve this, Max."
"I know. Sometimes life just ain't fair." She felt like she was stating the obvious. After all, to Logan this adapted better than to anybody else. Life hadn't been fair to him either.
Another sigh followed, as if he needed the time to collect himself. "I'm just glad he didn't know what has happened to Brad, what he had done."
"Not nice to know what siblings are capable of, huh?" she referred to her own family.
Logan didn't react on it. "You know, I'm just wondering if I did the right thing." Sounding like a lost child who needed comfort and assurance, he looked down and watched the long, slim fingers of his left hand wandering over the rim of his wheelchair.
"You did." Max didn't hesitate a single moment. She was absolutely convinced.
"Yeah?" His hand was now brushing through his hair, and the spikes that made him look much younger reappeared, but this time he didn't look any younger. "It's quite a burden, you know. Getting to decide who gets to live and who doesn't."
"You did the right thing, Logan." Max repeated insistently. "You couldn't let it get too personal. There were innocent people dying so some morons could make money out of it. You just couldn't let that go on."
"But I killed a friend," Logan's voice almost broke.
"And you saved God knows how many other people; people that have loved ones who would have gone through so much pain if they had lost them like that."
"I guess." He looked up at her, forcing a smile on his face. He didn't seem to be convinced, but at least he seemed to be willing to try and believe her. "You got time to grab a cup of coffee somewhere?"
"What? You wanna go out in the middle of the day? Got no work to do?" she feigned shock. "Who are you and where's my Logan?"
Logan looked up at her at the choice of words. Had she really said "my"? Had she meant it? No, it couldn't be. "I think I need a break," was his short response. He didn't allow his confusion to show in his voice.
"Then sure. You lead the way!"
Logan had just put on his leather jacket when the phone started to ring. For a moment he considered ignoring it, but eventually, with an apologizing glance towards Max, he wheeled over to his office and answered it.
Max strolled after him, taking her usual position, leaning against the door frame while she watched him deep in thought.
"Yeah, I see….Okay, great…I'll tell her…All the best. Bye, bye." He put the phone back down and turned to head out of the apartment.
"Who was that?" Max asked when it seemed like he wasn't going to tell her.
"Sorry, I thought you had listened. You looked like you were concentrating."
Max felt herself blush. He had caught her staring at him! "I ain't gonna eavesdrop on private conversations, you know."
"Yeah, right," he chuckled. If Max hadn't listened, why had she been looking at him like that? "Anway, it was Juna. She wanted to let us know her husband made it. And Mackenzie is hoping we're going to visit them one of these days. She invited us for dinner sometime next month, when her husband's back home."
"Sounds good." Max grinned, following Logan towards the elevator. She hesitated for a second and then gently rested her hand on his shoulder while they waited for the door to open.
Logan's gaze wandered to the small hand the moment he had felt the touch, then up to Max's face. He answered the shy smile she gave him and took a deep breath.
This felt just right.
THE END
Well, one last time, a million thanks to somebody's angel who made this story a better one. And I'm sorry there isn't more shippiness in this one. It just feels right this way; I didn't want to go for some unrealistic, idealistic, fluffy ending. But you never know, one day, in a story in the future it might feel right!
Everybody who read this story until this point: Get over yourself and write a M/L story of your own, we need some more!!!!
And now I'll be off playing some beachvolleyball and enjoy my summer (which is quite rainy over here, but well…can't have everything!)
A/N: See at the very end!
EPILOGUE
Max picked the lock like she always did. Of course, she could ring the bell, but most of the time Logan would probably be so engrossed in his work that he wouldn't hear it, and when he did hear it he had a tendency to ignore it. Besides, this way she saved him the trouble of having to come to the door.
She considered those reasons for a moment while the lock clicked open. No, that wasn't the truth, not the entire truth anyway, she admitted to herself. Her walking into his apartment whenever she wanted spread an air of trust and silent understanding. He had never complained about it, and the way he looked when she leaned against the doorframe of his office made her feel welcomed, like he was happy to see her- any time. He could be in the worst mood ever, but when he saw Max there was something in his eyes that made him look happy, even if only for a short moment. Maybe she just imagined it, but what if she didn't? What if, for some weird reason, she meant something to him, something special?
Yeah, it was good the way it was. No need to change the habit.
Max walked straight towards his office where he was already typing away at his computer. She wondered if he had been to bed at all. At least he was wearing something different, and his hair was still slightly damp.
So he had taken a shower. That was something, she decided.
A mug filled with coffee stood next to him on the desk, so chances were he had actually eaten some breakfast.
God! He was an adult- she didn't have the right to worry about those things. He was responsible for his own actions. And if he wanted to work all night or refused to eat, so be it. After all, who was she to judge?
"Morning." Max leaned against the desk, closer than usual. He did look tired, she thought. "How are you?" she asked tentatively, it was hard to judge what kind of mood he was in. Sometimes a simple question like that was taken as an attack, other times he just accepted it.
"Fine, I guess I just didn't get much sleep last night." He scratched his beard, which was a little longer than usual. Apparently he noticed that as well as he frowned at it.
He pushed back from his desk, favouring the injured arm and watching the screen in front of him intently. After a moment he snapped out of his daze and sighed as he turned to look at her. "The hospital called earlier this morning. Randy died." He shook his head in disbelief. "He didn't make it."
"I'm sorry." Max felt helpless. The pain in Logan's eyes was more obvious than she was used to, and it disturbed her. Usually he managed to hide it very well. She caught glimpses of it every now and then, but she could always be sure that a moment later he had hidden it again. This time it was still there, even after blinking twice.
"Yeah." He bit his lower lip. "Me, too. He didn't deserve this, Max."
"I know. Sometimes life just ain't fair." She felt like she was stating the obvious. After all, to Logan this adapted better than to anybody else. Life hadn't been fair to him either.
Another sigh followed, as if he needed the time to collect himself. "I'm just glad he didn't know what has happened to Brad, what he had done."
"Not nice to know what siblings are capable of, huh?" she referred to her own family.
Logan didn't react on it. "You know, I'm just wondering if I did the right thing." Sounding like a lost child who needed comfort and assurance, he looked down and watched the long, slim fingers of his left hand wandering over the rim of his wheelchair.
"You did." Max didn't hesitate a single moment. She was absolutely convinced.
"Yeah?" His hand was now brushing through his hair, and the spikes that made him look much younger reappeared, but this time he didn't look any younger. "It's quite a burden, you know. Getting to decide who gets to live and who doesn't."
"You did the right thing, Logan." Max repeated insistently. "You couldn't let it get too personal. There were innocent people dying so some morons could make money out of it. You just couldn't let that go on."
"But I killed a friend," Logan's voice almost broke.
"And you saved God knows how many other people; people that have loved ones who would have gone through so much pain if they had lost them like that."
"I guess." He looked up at her, forcing a smile on his face. He didn't seem to be convinced, but at least he seemed to be willing to try and believe her. "You got time to grab a cup of coffee somewhere?"
"What? You wanna go out in the middle of the day? Got no work to do?" she feigned shock. "Who are you and where's my Logan?"
Logan looked up at her at the choice of words. Had she really said "my"? Had she meant it? No, it couldn't be. "I think I need a break," was his short response. He didn't allow his confusion to show in his voice.
"Then sure. You lead the way!"
Logan had just put on his leather jacket when the phone started to ring. For a moment he considered ignoring it, but eventually, with an apologizing glance towards Max, he wheeled over to his office and answered it.
Max strolled after him, taking her usual position, leaning against the door frame while she watched him deep in thought.
"Yeah, I see….Okay, great…I'll tell her…All the best. Bye, bye." He put the phone back down and turned to head out of the apartment.
"Who was that?" Max asked when it seemed like he wasn't going to tell her.
"Sorry, I thought you had listened. You looked like you were concentrating."
Max felt herself blush. He had caught her staring at him! "I ain't gonna eavesdrop on private conversations, you know."
"Yeah, right," he chuckled. If Max hadn't listened, why had she been looking at him like that? "Anway, it was Juna. She wanted to let us know her husband made it. And Mackenzie is hoping we're going to visit them one of these days. She invited us for dinner sometime next month, when her husband's back home."
"Sounds good." Max grinned, following Logan towards the elevator. She hesitated for a second and then gently rested her hand on his shoulder while they waited for the door to open.
Logan's gaze wandered to the small hand the moment he had felt the touch, then up to Max's face. He answered the shy smile she gave him and took a deep breath.
This felt just right.
THE END
Well, one last time, a million thanks to somebody's angel who made this story a better one. And I'm sorry there isn't more shippiness in this one. It just feels right this way; I didn't want to go for some unrealistic, idealistic, fluffy ending. But you never know, one day, in a story in the future it might feel right!
Everybody who read this story until this point: Get over yourself and write a M/L story of your own, we need some more!!!!
And now I'll be off playing some beachvolleyball and enjoy my summer (which is quite rainy over here, but well…can't have everything!)