Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Veronica Mars, although I really wish I did.
It's split second contact, feather light and one of the most chaste kisses he's ever received, yet all the same, Logan feels the warmth of it straight down to his toes. He starts to pull away but she pulls on the lapels of his jacket, angling him closer to her.
"If you move," She whispers, her eyes not meeting his, but darting out the window to the action in front of the motel. She licks her lips inadvertently, and he has to suppress a shudder. "They'll see me." Finally she looks up at him, her eyes wide and full of fear, and they lock onto his, pleading without words, begging him to understand. "And if they see me, our cover is blown." So? He wants to scream to do…something, because she's too close. They're too close, and he doesn't know how much more of it he can take. But then she bites her lip, the look in her eyes so desperate that he tries to pretend the motion doesn't send him reeling. In all honesty he's surprised he's lasted this long. "Which means that I don't get paid, and this my…" She trails off, but he knows. Finally understands. He can finish the sentence for her. College money. "Oh God," She murmurs sighing more to herself than to him, and the tiny whisper hits him square in the collarbone, sending rippling sensations through him. "They're moving. Lean towards me a little." Her voice is low, focused, and it kills him that she isn't feeling the way that he is. "I'm sorry about this," She whispers, and for a fleeting second he thinks she's talking about the trip.
"Hey, don't worry about it." He replies, trying so hard to keep his love for her out of his voice. "I really needed to get out of Neptune." He chuckles lightly, and she smiles a little, but shakes her head, one of the elastics falling from her messily constructed coiffure. He reaches to grab it without thinking, his fingers lightly brushing the skin on her shoulder.
"I know this has to be uncomfortable for you. After…" She trails off again, looking away, and moving a scant inch closer because of something he can't see, something outside the window. "And I know that you're…not…I know that this was asking a lot, and you're being really great about it." Her eyes are filled with gratitude, and at the sight of her, can't even begin to control the torrent of anger flowing through him.
"Wait." His voice is icy now. He can't help it. "You're apologizing for this?" Out of view of the window, he waves his hand, gesturing towards the two of them. She is taken aback, confusion filling her pretty blue eyes.
"What did you think I was apologizing for, Logan?" She asks softly. "You're doing me a huge favor." She takes her eyes from his, checking the rearview for the actions of their targets. "I know you're not my hugest fan." She smiles at him tightly. "I was…I've been terrible to you. But your doing this like it's nothing…it means a lot to me." He's cooling down a bit, trying to keep his anger in check. Can she really be that oblivious to how much he loves her? "I know that Duncan appreciates it too." She smiles-that small private smile of hers, and he can feel the world crashing about his ears.
"Duncan?" The word is like lead on his tongue, his tone numb. Dead. Her eyes widen, and he can tell that she wants to move back, get away from him, but she can't. If she moves, their cover will be blown.
The smile that crosses his features at that can only be termed as evil.
"Yeah. He couldn't come because of League Meets." Although still soft, her voice has an edge to it. Hearing it, he's absurdly pleased. At least he isn't the only one getting riled up. "What am I going to do? Get mad because my boyfriend is teaching 10-year-olds how to play soccer?" She points a finger at herself, the look on her face self-deprecating. "That would make me the uncool girlfriend, and that's not exactly what I was going for." There is a war waging inside him. Your boyfriend isn't playing soccer, Veronica; he wants to scream. Wants to shake her until she understands that if anything, Duncan's learning, not teaching, and from someone whose just a little older than 10. He can't though. He knows that with a sprinkling of those few, choice words he could have her sobbing in his arms; probably his bed. But he doesn't want her that way. Despite the fact that he craves her, needs her, like that it would be unacceptable. This might be your last shot with her, Echolls; the voice inside him screams, but he knows better. He won't be the inconsistent one for once. He loves her, and when she's ready for it, he'll be there, like always.
A/N: I know. That sounds like an ending, doesn't it? It would be so easy to end here. But I won't. And then, later on, when the story becomes tedious and too hard to write, I will think back to this reprieve that I could have had, and laugh scornfully. I'm sorry it took so long by the way, folks. School-and the lack of work I've done for it this semester has finally caught up with me. Oh by the way, so you guys can get a kick out of it, that last line was originally supposed to be, "He won't be the inconsistent boy scout for once". But then it struck me that he isn't. Like, even though it would've probably fit really well, he isn't the inconsistent boy scout. Duncan is-in this story at least. But yeah, also, now as I look at it for the second time I'm thinking it would've looked kind of hokey, so I'm glad I didn't keep it in.