AN: Writing is not coming terribly easily right now. I have a list of things to happen - I have a clear idea of where this is going, along with the twists, but just... it's been hard to focus and there's been a lot of distractions (work, we're finishing renovations on our new apartment are should be moving soon... so lots of little things to get done, being doing some extra work and I am also going away for the weekend... ) On other times I just feel like it's not original enough so I rewrite it a lot. So I apologize (I know you're going to say I don't need to, but it's fine - kind of apologizing for myself too) in advance for being not as consistent with my posts right now. It's not for the lack of wanting or to suggest that I am dropping this.


Chapter 142

March 15th, 2022

"It's just that I haven't felt this tender since...," Rory said, her mind going a million miles a minute.

Logan observed Rory in the dim light, feeling very confused all of a sudden, the unusual call to halt their activity having caught him by surprise. But because Rory seemed to have been overcome by something other than the need to continue what they'd been doing, which while disappointing, also caused Logan to become tentative.

"It could be nothing..," Rory hesitated, her hands still feeling her body for anything unusual.

"But?" Logan asked, needing some clue. He turned the water off, bringing quiet into the room.

"My breasts were freakishly sensitive when I was expecting Em. Like I hated wearing most bras - sensitive," Rory added, not wanting to add that she'd barely let Jess touch her breasts at all until half-way through her pregnancy. The tingling she felt now felt so familiar, and if this was anything like the last times it was only about to get worse. But right now, she couldn't wait for that, almost unbarebaly uncomfortable sensation. It seemed like such a small price to pay.

"You really think…?" Logan said, hesitantly, not quite believing it.

"If it is… I mean it's very soon, like very very soon.. I don't even think a test would show anything. I think it might have been around the 4th-5th, something like," Rory added, getting out of the shower, thinking back to the dates she knew to have been ovulation. And it was certainly not the lack of trying to make this happen during that particular weekend. There wouldn't be a lot of point to be taking the test for serveral days.

Logan followed her out of the shower, feeling like he should do something.

"I'm sorry…," she added suddenly as she turned, gently putting her hand on Logan's chest. She wasn't sure what to do - should she really let herself entertain the thought of this being possible?

"Eh?" Logan replied, unsure what she was thinking right now, but a 'sorry' seemed unfitting in this situation.

"For cutting this short.. I just..," she said, clearly feeling overcome by this possibility.

"It takes the right mental space, I get it," Logan replied, grabbing a towel to wrap around his hips. He was fluctuating somewhere between finding the possibility incredibly hot and scary as hell at the same time, part of him just wanting to kiss her again, part of him wanting to start bubble wrapping her. But her apologizing for it seemed just ridiculous. He wasn't sure what to think of this too, and this certainly took priority over their immediate physical need for release.

"I don't want to get your hopes up if this is nothing," Rory fretted, observing her carefully, almost feeling guilty.

"I want you to get my hopes up," Logan assured. He didn't want Rory worrying or being disappointed on her own, not this time. He felt he owed her all the support he could offer, in part also for not being around the last time. "Here," Logan said, wrapping a second towel around her shoulders. He tightened the towel firmly around her and pulled her close for a kiss, assuringly. His tongue swiped her bottom lip, soon allowing for their tongues to meet and the kiss to intensify.

"I love you, Rory," Logan murmured, holding her close, only barely breaking the kiss. Logan wanted to remember this night, this exciting possibility now looming in his mind.

Rory's both hands rested on his chest now. His chest was bare, even with a hint of goosebumps which Logan wasn't really sure was from the cool air, just getting out of the shower, or the possibility which already made his stomach feel all hollow.

She traced his skin upwards, reaching around his neck and demanded another kiss, allowing it to intensify again. She'd needed to hear him say it.

"I don't want you to start thinking I'm going to break…," Rory said, speaking rationally, and continued to kiss him, almost feeling like if she freaked out now he wouldn't dare to touch her again. It wasn't something she wanted to remind him of, but he knew how Jess had gotten all careful after they'd found out. It was not a good precedent. Both for the sake of her mental health as well as the sake of their relationship. It took a stern inner battle in Rory too - not to let herself get all scared, hoping fingers crossed - hoping nothing would go wrong. But she knew, and Paris had told her a million times, how there was nothing she'd done that last time to cause her missed miscarriage. That even if she still sometimes, involuntarily, trailed back to those negative thoughts. In part she needed to prove it to herself as well so that she wouldn't end up living in fear.

"You're sure?" Logan hesitated, but fought a crooked grin, almost having expected her appetite to have died off completely after something like this, but on his side he was still definitely turned on by all of this, mixed emotions left aside. There was something inherently beautiful in this, and just the mere thought of a piece of him being inside of her, beginning to grow, only made his love and hunger for her more evident.

"Let's just go to our bed, let's just be… let's see," Rory replied, her inner battles still ongoing. Besides, it was getting chilly, standing out there like that, her hair still dripping slowly down her back.

As they gathered up their clothes and snuck back into their own room, it almost felt like stepping back into some other reality. Like for a moment that entire scene in their guest bedroom hadn't happened, like they'd just imagine it.

"You know I'm happy just holding you, right? You don't have to prove anything..," Logan said as they met again under the blanket of their own bed. One could just barely make out the glimmer of the other's eyes in the darkness, but the smoothness of her bare skin, having just cast the towel aside, was unmistakably hers.

"I know. I feel safe with you," Rory whispered. "I don't think I've ever felt this safe.., "she added, saying not quite what Logan had expected. Frankly, he'd never thought otherwise, but he got a feeling, rightfully so, that this was about more than just generally feeling safe.

It was such a sharp contrast to what Rory had felt the last time she'd begun suspecting she'd been expecting his child - alone, scared, a little ashamed… Now there was nothing like that. She didn't know what exactly she was feeling, but safe and cared for were certainly a part of those things.

"And I am not going anywhere," Logan assured, his voice sounding deep and sensual.

"I love you," Rory replied and caressed his stubble, and soon her lips pressed against his again, just barely opening her mouth at first to use her tongue. It was a little like their first kiss had been. I just want to know what it would be like.

Logan's arm went around her waist as if it was the only natural place for it to be, and feeling her cool body press against his felt incredible. So pure, so natural. His body was warming rapidly, as blood pumped through his veins, unable to feel anything but desire for her.

Rory raised her leg over his hip, just desperately wanting to be close to him. Even though she didn't yet have concrete proof of something going on inside of her - what she felt now, was almost like there was heat radiating from her abdomen. Her sensitive breasts, brushing against him, reminding her of what she'd learned already before. All these things combined… After all she'd been in this position not just once, but twice, and despite not quite daring to fully say it. She just knew.

They kissed for a long time, not caring what time it was - likely regretting that in the morning. But it felt like being in a joint bubble with Logan - a hideout with their little 'maybe'.

Rory could feel his erection rising again, brushing against her inner thigh, and it only really took her a slight nudge with her hips to position it at her sweet spot. Gentle, tentative rubs along her slit, over her lower lips and across her clit, made sure they were both moaning through their wet open mouthed kiss just a couple of minutes later. The kissing never really stopped, if only to continue kissing at the side of their necks briefly. The gentle rocking motion of their hips, teasing both him and her, to get them to the point of that earlier neediness felt all-consuming and along with that their breathing grew more erratic. There was just something intense about feeling one's lips grow reddened as Logan's stubble rubbed against her skin, not caring if it showed. Like the time when they'd made out at a club in Manhattan once.

"Agh…, I need you so bad," Logan hummed against her ear, feeling like he was just going to lose all control if they kept this up.

The hot air against Rory's ear felt amazing. And this was exactly what she'd wanted, she wanted him to want her like that even if she was expecting… she didn't want to be just the vessel.

Rory nudged him onto his back, positioning herself on top of him but not pushing her body upright, feeling like she wanted to remain as close to him as he could.

Logan adjusted himself a little, making sure his cock pointed towards her center and she wasted no time to lower herself onto it, letting out a low gasp of appreciation as she did. A low guttural moan escaped Logan's lips as well, the lengthy foreplay having made him incredibly sensitive.

Rory pushed herself up on her arms just a little, even the gentle rubbing of her nipples against his chest having felt a little too sensitive for her liking, again reminding her of what she sensed.

"Fuck, you feel amazing," Logan groaned, caressing her hips and thighs as she began to rock her hips. He was more gentle than usual, however. There was no pretending the possibility of a baby wasn't making him be more careful with her, but it was still very primal. It felt like being ridden by a goddess. There were not a lot of things that were better than this, he thought.

Rory closed her eyes, not that in the darkness of the room there was much to see in the first place, and let the tension build in her core. Suddenly she grabbed Logan's palm, placed it onto her abdomen, and allowed him to feel himself move through her skin. In no time, Rory's body shuddered, and Logan could feel her spasm through her entire body, his palm still remaining in place. There was just something incredible in knowing he could cause that - and by sensing it both from the inside and outside - was otherworldly, pushing Logan over the edge as well.

The two sticky, sweaty bodies remained tangled there under their covers, Rory not even knowingly climbing off of him. Yet somehow, by the morning they had - Rory ending up sleeping on the opposite side of the bed, on her stomach, Logan still on his back, feeling utterly content yet drained of energy.

They were woken by Em's weak voice.

"Mommy? Loki peed on the floor," she said, through the door she'd pushed half-open. Rory's bare back was towards her and Em voice just barely making her stir.

"Ugh?" Rory mumbled, still sleep-hazed.

Logan stirred too, but to a more of a shock, realizing he wasn't exactly dressed underneath that blanked.

"What times is it?" Rory groaned, her eyes still closed.

"Oh, cr…, it's 8," Logan replied, glancing at the time. They'd overslept.

"It can't be 8!" Rory muttered, still in disbelief.

"Em, why don't you go get ready. I'll be in a minute to clean up after Loki. Try not to step in it," Logan replied, surprising himself how easily yesterday's drama had been pushed to the back of his mind. Right now he just wanted the little girl out of their room.

"Okay," Em replied, thankfully and left, though leaving the door open.

"Ace, you got to get up, we overslept," Logan shook Rory's shoulder.

"Did you say 8?" she responded, the answer finally hitting her, and lifted her upper body off the bed. "Did she?" Rory asked, asking whether Em had seen her naked.

"Kind of, but thank god for blankets," Logan commented.

"Crap, I'm going to be late," Rory exclaimed, and not caring for a moment that the bedroom door was ajar, jumped into the bathroom to shower. This morning was not going to be one for dwelling and assurance, it was just about going on with their lives.

Logan figured the showering could wait in his case, and quickly dressed in yesterday's clothes and headed over to Em's room to clean up after Loki.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked, as he knocked, just in case because the girl was getting dressed.

"Yeah," Em replied.

Logan nearly stepped into the puddle by the door, the dog himself having already made his way downstairs. Logan used a rag to clean up the mess quickly, while Em finished brushing her teeth.

"I think I'm going to have to drive you to school today, your mom's running late as it is. Do you think we could be friends again?" Logan asked, deciding to put this into kid terms. He knew that there'd be a lot of embarrassment she was likely feeling, the joke having not exactly come out the way she'd hoped it would. Nobody had laughed or applauded, and many of these things were only really enjoyable afterwards if someone did. But the 'no candy' rule he was still determined to make sure carried, feeling there needed to be something to make her remember. But he also now felt like that was his limit - unless a life was potentially put in danger or it was severely threathering a property - he didn't want to feel like that again, he didn't want to be this strict, not fun, guy. He required tools to accept these things as there seemed to be a lot more of these situations to come. In part he just needed to take precautions to avoid similar situations altogether.

Rory hadn't asked him to take Em to school, but he felt like it was what he needed to do to help her, and now this morning he genuinely wanted to do it. He wanted to do everything to make this, all of this - their joint life - easier for Rory.

"Uh-uh," the girl nodded, her toothbrush still in her mouth.

"Okay, good. I'll make breakfast to go then," Logan replied, suddenly feeling more hopeful now that they'd figured this out. Besides, he had a lot of reading to do now.