Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything up to Jews and Chinese Food is fair game. Past that, it's just where my mind takes over.
Teaser: When Rory and Logan's arrangement goes prematurely sour, his friends take it upon themselves to intervene. Sequel to Keeping it Casual
Story Title: Nothing A Good Friend Wouldn't Do
Chapter Title: Away From It All
Rory laughed again, but it died down as she noted the gravity of his face. She looked into his eyes and felt something vibrate somewhere within her. He was much more serious than she'd realized at first.
"Get out of here?"
He nodded to confirm that unsettling feeling in her stomach.
She swallowed, and looked at him with scrutiny. "And go where?"
"Anywhere in the world. Where've you always wanted to go?"
"We have class tomorrow," she closed her eyes, as she shook her head at him.
"Classes will still be there when we get back."
"Are you doing this because you don't want to play golf?"
He sighed. "No."
"Then I don't get it."
"I want to be with you, away from all of this."
"All of what, school?"
"School, our families, our friends, people who want this to happen, people who don't want this to happen. I just want to be with you, to be able to take a breath," he rambled. "You could use a vacation, you need to relax more."
She sighed. "That sounds good, but."
"But what?"
"I can't take time off. I have class, and frankly, no money."
"You can make up the work, and I have plenty of money."
"Logan," she breathed, and he brushed his fingers up her cheek, winding them into her hair. Her eyes closed in sweet defeat, and he could feel her resolve diminish as she returned his kiss.
"For how long?"
"Just a few days, a week, whatever you want. Where do you want to go?"
"Anywhere without phones," she smirked.
"Done. Let's get your stuff."
XXXX
Rory sat next to her only piece of luggage, looking around the small hanger waiting area, her interest caught for mere moments on each object in the room before it flitted nervously to the next thing. Logan came back into the room smiling.
"Ten minutes, and we're off."
She gave a stiff smile and nodded. "Good."
He sat next to her, brushing his shoulder into hers. "You okay?"
"I'm fine. I just—shouldn't we tell someone we're leaving?"
"It's just a week."
"Okay, see, I don't think you understand how often my mother and I speak. We aren't just in close contact, we're in constant contact."
"If you call her, are you still coming with me?" he asked knowingly.
She bit her lip. "Yes."
"Call her."
"She's not going to like this," she shook her head.
"Look, Rory. I am never going to tell you what to do. I just want to spend some time with you."
"I'll be right back," she nodded, standing up. He caught her hand and held onto it for a moment, looking her in the eyes searchingly.
"I promise."
He nodded and watched her go back towards the hallway, leaving him alone with his thoughts as they waited for the plane to get fueled up. He knew that his father would see the flight ledger, and realize what he'd done. He couldn't imagine him blaming him for wanting to flee the situation, though he would blame him for a whole host of other things. It'd come on so fast, and with such strong feelings from all sides, he wanted to just focus on what this was between them. The feeling that was building was both different and enlivening. There were so many directions they were being pulled in, and just wanted to make sure that the one direction they weren't pulled was apart.
XXXX
"Hello?"
"Hey, Mom."
"Rory! Good, I was just thinking about you. Guess what's back?"
"What?"
"Thai week at Al's!"
"Already?"
"Well, it is very popular. Can you come by soon?"
"Uh, actually, I'll probably be missing it this time around."
"Oh, man. Luke won't go, he says Thai food is for girls."
"Jess liked it."
"I'll refrain from that dig, as it was simply too easy."
"Uh, so, the reason I was calling," she hedged.
"You need a reason now?"
"No, no, it's just, there happens to be one," she continued in her hesitant tone.
"You okay? You sound nervous."
"I am, sort of."
"Is this about this morning?"
"Well, sort of. I am sorry about that, I didn't mean," she began but got cut off.
"Honey, it's fine. I mean, you're grown up now, and things like that are bound to happen. I would prefer that you learn to shut your door so my eyes stay in their sockets from now on, but I get it."
"Right."
"How was dinner?"
"It was, intense. We had an argument afterwards, that's why I told him to take me home. But then he came in and we," she grimaced, searching for the best word to explain the scene delicately.
"Made up?"
"Yeah."
"So, we're on the same page now?"
"Not really. I was calling to tell you I was going out of town for a week."
"Out of town? Don't you have class?"
"We need a break."
"We?"
"It's just been really intense, with his family, and Grandma and Grandpa, and everything."
"Where are you going?"
"Fiji."
There was silence over the line, and Rory almost asked if she was still there. She knew her mother's heart had probably just stopped at the news that her responsible, studious daughter was blowing off classes for a week to head to some exotic locale.
"Rory," she began warningly.
"Mom, the plane is about to take off. I just wanted you to know where I'd be."
"Fine."
"Really?"
"Do I have any other choice here?"
"I guess not."
"Be safe."
"I will. Bye."
Rory hung up the phone and stared at it on the receiver for a beat. She could hear the jet engines start up just outside, and she let out a breath.
"Ace? We're ready," Logan called, and she turned to join him and get on the plane.
XXXX
Rory'd said nothing for the last two hours. She was lying on the couch in the jet, feigning sleep. Logan got up from his seat and moved to sit next to her hips, looking down at her open eyes that faced in towards the couch.
"Penny for your thoughts."
She smiled and turned to look at him. He smiled back and took her hand in his, tapping their joined hands against her hips. "Remember how my mother was liking you?"
He nodded.
"This might be counteracting your charm."
"I can just work some more magic on her—I'm very good with the ladies."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. She held it in, but she was not happy about this."
"It's not her decision."
"I know."
"Do you wish we hadn't gone?"
She looked to their hands that he now rested on her hipbone. "I just think maybe we should have just faced everyone. You should have talked to your dad, and met everyone at the club for golf and drinks, and listened to them argue over if this is best for us or not, and I should have listened to my grandmother drone on about the best way to make a better impression on your family the next time I am subject to the interrogation that is dinner with your family."
He shook his head and put his free hand over her mouth. "This is what I'm talking about. Your shoulders just hunched up, and all your muscles are tense, just talking about it. We need to regroup and find a way to make it not affect us."
"What does that mean? How is the even possible?" she asked, not understanding. "They're our families. Mine are obsessed with seeing us together, and yours are obsessed with some society girl that will pop out babies and stay at home."
"Are you interested in hearing what I want?" he asked, trying to catch her attention.
Her eyes sparkled, and she nodded.
"I want someone whose entire world doesn't revolve around me and my work. I want someone who can keep up with me, and challenge me. You can do all of those things, and so much more. I see things in you that I know I want to keep around me, and that is why I'm doing all of this."
"Can I ask you something?"
"It's not like I can leave the room to avoid you," he smirked.
"Are you going to do it?"
"Do what?"
"Take over for your dad."
He let out a long sigh, and he felt her grasp tighten on his hand. He knew her intent gaze wasn't going to be distracted by any charm or affections he might unleash on her. The balance of power had shifted to her as he squirmed under the weight of her stare.
"It's inevitable."
"But, is it what you want?"
He shrugged. "I've come to grips with my future a long time ago. I don't have a choice in what I'm going to be doing, but I'm not going to let them take away the choice of who I'm going to spend my life with."
"It doesn't have to be that way, you can be whatever you want. What are your other interests?"
"Travel, you," he smirked, moving to lean over her, causing her to giggle.
"So, you must be pretty happy right now," she teased.
"Like you wouldn't believe."
She closed her eyes at the feel of his warm, soft lips on her neck, shifting slightly underneath him to unconsciously invite him closer. "This is just what we needed, Ace," he whispered into her ear, soothing her worries and lulling her out of her contemplative mood and into the clouds with him.
XXXX
Hours later, they found themselves right on the beach in Fiji. They walked into their private accommodations on the beach, clearly somewhere he was right at home. She noted the lack of technology—no television, no phone line, no radio. She smiled as she opened the window, letting the ocean air envelop her. She felt his hands slip around her waist, and she could feel a different kind of heat brush over the top of her ear.
"So, what's the verdict?"
"I've never seen anything so breathtaking."
"I have," he murmured, kissing the side of her head. "You want to hit the beach?"
"It looks so secluded, I don't see any other places on this area of the beach."
"That's because this is a private beach."
"I should have known that, right?"
He shrugged. "Let's go," he urged.
"What are we going to do all week?" she blurted out as he took her hand to lead her out to the white sandy beach.
"I think you'll find me surprisingly versatile in my entertainment value."
She blushed a little. "How many times can one have sex in a week?"
"Well, I've never kept count before," he mused, to which she kicked sand up on him with her barefoot. "But I promise you this, if at any point you're bored or dissatisfied in any way, I'll take you home."
She seemed to be considering the offer and nodded. "I'll hold you to that," she said with a coy smile and broke free of his grasp, racing down the beach ahead of him. He gave look of surprise before tearing after her, not stopping until he tackled her into the soft sand. She let out a happy howl of protest, squirming as he roamed his hands over her, tickling her with his light pressure.
"Thank you," she said, kissing him with fervor.
"What for?"
"For not freaking out, for making me feel like this is going to work."
He smiled and brushed her hair that the wind had whipped over her face behind her ear. "I've never been more sure of anything else in my life."
She leaned up to catch his lips again, the white sand warming her back, and his tan skin warming her stomach. They reveled in their spur of the moment getaway, forgetting everything they had to do outside of getting to know one another even better.
