AN: can't seem to stay away for long even if other tasks are breathing down my neck :). Enjoy!
Chapter 24
Weeks had again stormed past. Logan and Rory had continued to have their fun, both inside and out of the bed. At least on campus neither felt like they needed to hide their affection, except for one time Rory had seen Marty pass them while they were making out, in which case she'd toned it down out of respect just a little. But on her defence, with Logan it was very easy getting carried away.
It was also very easy for them to just go on and on about shared topics of interests - most often current events or books, and just end up in these cute little arguments that sometimes carried on for days, either going at it to prove the other wrong. But those were harmless.
What worried her a little was the fact that Logan didn't really show much interest in going to visit Stars Hollow. She had by now mentioned it twice, and her mother was pestering her about it as well, wanting to meet the him. Logan had never really said 'no', just things like 'we'll see' or 'maybe', and they'd usually just ended up doing something incredibly cool instead. They ate at the coolest restaurants in town, while Rory balanced things out by urging him to sample the best street food she knew but also spent time hanging out at each-other's dorm rooms a lot. They were both learning from each other - Rory to relax more in general, and relax more with money and Logan to enjoy a humbler existence, there being a lot he'd just never thought of like playing various games during movie watching or even something as simple as reading a book out loud to the other could be. But overall most things were not too difficult to convince him as they usually ended up including very little clothing at some point.
It was Friday Night Dinner and Logan had informed Rory a couple of hours ago he was now for the first time actually going to have to bring another female friend to a business gala in Manhattan that night instead of her. Rory hadn't enjoyed thinking about it, so she'd mostly just told him to do what he had to do, while not hiding her reluctance to talk about it.
What had helped steer Rory's mind towards other things had been the fact that Headmaster Charleston had called and was sending her a student from Chilton to explore Yale with her next week.
And that excitement certainly showed as she sat with her mother with her grandfather in the pool house having switched back to the former Friday Night Dinner arrangement - drinks with Richard, dinner with Emily.
"Well this is a very big honor, you know," Richard pointed out, after Rory had shared the news with him.
"Oh, I know," Rory replied.
"Of all the Chilton alumni at Yale, they're asking you?" Richard added.
"I know, I know," Rory replied.
"Well, have you thought about what kinds of things you'd like to show her?" Richard inquired.
"My classes, of course. And I thought maybe she'd go to the paper with me and then maybe a trip to the Beinecke Rare Book And Manuscript Library," Rory suggested.
"Oh, you're going to show her the Gutenberg," Richard said, approvingly.
"Steve?" Lorelai felt a little lost there.
"Bible," Richard replied.
"Right," Lorelai reflected.
"Then I was torn between taking her to Hewitt Memorial Quadrangle or the Science Center and Gymnasium," Rory pondered out loud.
"Huh, that is a conundrum," Richard replied.
"Yeah, especially since she'll be snoring by then. You'll just be dragging her dead body weight around the campus," Lorelai teased.
"Lorelai, these things are of great interest to any young person considering attending Yale," Richard noted.
"Oh, I'm sure," Lorelai said, not too seriously.
"I, personally, would enjoy every single thing on my list," Rory said.
"Yes, I know. But it wouldn't hurt to throw a little something fun in. I'm not talking a kegger, but just walk her by the crazy drama student yelling 'Give me a location' or something like that," Lorelai suggested, and took a drink.
"You know, your mother may be right," Richard agreed with Lorelai.
"Who heard that?" Lorelai joked, acting oblivious..
"Well, a good college experience is a well-rounded college experience. It's important for you to show her that Yale students have fun too," Richard added with a twinkle in his eye as if speaking solely to Rory. Surely he didn't mean the LDB, but maybe there was something she could ask the guys to help her out with. But instead he exclaimed, "Oh! Have her touch the toe!", leaving Rory a little confused whether he had, in fact, been talking about the LDB or their annex-events.
"Yeah!" Rory commented, excitedly, going along with the toe suggestion. It wasn't bad either, just very much her old self, the Rory of last year. With Logan around she had the privilege of being pretty clueless about what went on on campus beyond academics and all things newsworthy, so she was definitely going to ask Logan whether he had any ideas.
"Touch the toe?" Lorelai repeated skeptically.
"The toe! The statue of Theodore Woolsey. It brings good luck to everyone who touches his feet and for that reason he has one left toe that's been rubbed completely shiny," Rory explained to her mother.
"Wow! That is fun. Make sure you get a parent consent form for that," Lorelai teased not too enthusiastically.
It was on moments like these Rory was convinced her mother would've totally enjoyed the company of Logan and the guys, especially had she been their age. And in that sense she truly felt bad that her mother had never had the chance to experience college like that - having been stuck with a preschooler at her age.
Rory was a lot more fun these days too - going to the pub with Logan and the guys, even if not always drinking, going on their little adventures and just letting them whisk her away - she just let things happen more and more often now. She'd been to race cars with them at Lime Rock Park, participated at an escape room with them, went to watch stand up comedy and mocked the performers ruthlessly (and for good reason) and with them, actually going out dancing hadn't felt like the worst idea, Logan's presence allowing her to get out of her head. It felt liberating.
But right now she was at hergrandfather's - she wasn't going to discuss those things here, was she?
"Oh, it's so exciting watching you at Yale," Richard said dreamily. "It was such a wonderful time for me. The people that you meet there will stay with you for the rest of your life, mark my words," he added. "Tell me, are you making good friends?" he asked.
"Yeah, I have some good friends," Rory assured.
"And what about Mr. Huntzberger?" Richard asked, raising her eyebrows a little suggestively.
For a moment Rory felt panic. He hadn't heard some campus gossip, had he?
"Who is Mr. Huntzberger?" Lorelai asked, being oblivious to Logan's last name still.
"Um… Logan Huntzberger is a boy I go to school with," Rory replied, making the fact evident to Lorelai, while trying to remain very innocent about the whole thing.
"A fine boy from a fine family," Richard commented.
"You know him?" Lorelai asked her father.
"His parents are very good friends of ours. Oh, you know… Mitchum Huntzberger, Lorelai?" Richard added.
"No," Lorelai shook her head.
"He's been coming to our Christmas parties for years," Richard pointed out.
"No," Lorelai repeated.
Richard went on and on about various linkages to Emily and how Lorelai should also know him but Lorelai clearly preferred to appear oblivious. There was a brief glance towards Rory from her too, Rory was just holding her breath now for whatever comment came from her mother about the topic later on. Maybe she did remember them? She could just sense there was something.
"Well, Logan is their son and I noticed that you two seemed to be hitting it off the other night," Richard commented, leaving Rory's heart already racing.
They weren't suspecting anything - were they?
Lorelai just took a large sip of her drink, not saying a word.
"He's also on the paper with me," Rory said instead.
"You know, his father owns some of the finest newspapers in the country," Richard said.
"I know," Rory said humbly, not loving the fact. She could already imagine people thinking how she used those connections to get ahead in the business and blame her for sleeping her way to the top."Not a bad connection, huh? Nope, not a bad connection at all," Richard commented.
About 15 minutes later the two women were outside by the pool, heading towards the main house. It was freezing that day, the temperature having dropped like 25 degrees during that same day, leaving Rory feeling rather underdressed for this weather.
"So Logan's a Huntzberger?" Lorelai asked, stalling her. Clearly she had an opinion on the matter.
"So you do know them?" Rory asked, her teeth beginning to chatter.
"Uh-uh, yeah.. I do. Unfortunately," Lorelai commented.
"What does that mean?!" Rory exclaimed, frowning.
"Well if you can imagine the most cocky… ''I own and control the world around me' and 'everyone hear me speak' and 'oh, how I love the sound of my voice' man alive? That would be Mitchum. And that wife of his…. Picture Ginger McKenna, add twenty ears and a few nip-tucks every year," Lorelai explained, clearly not having a very good impression of them.
"Well, you of all people should know it's not like he can pick his parents," Rory pointed out, not appreciating where she was going with this.
"Well, yeah… but still," Lorelai huffed, clearly not liking this even despite Rory's accurate comparison.
"I'm frozen now," Rory said, looking truly freezing.
"Okay, let's go," Lorelai relented with a deep sigh.
When Rory got back to Yale that night, she got a surprise phone call which made her smile broadly.
"Logan?" Rory answered, seeing it was his number.
"Any chance you'll be back from dinner any time soon?" Logan asked, having a sneaky tone to his voice.
"Um.. I'm just getting back now actually, just walking to my room now," she explained, having gotten stalled by her mother, who'd been insisting they must go to Luke's before Rory headed back to her studying for the weekend.
It was just on that moment's Rory turned the last corner to reach her room, and a broad smile crept onto her lips.
"I didn't dare to knock in case Paris was in there," Logan said, humbly, holding a bag of takeaway, his phone still in his hand.
"You're back early! How are you back early!" Rory chimed and jumped at him, her hands going around his neck automatically. "Hell, I don't care why…," she replied, kissing him the minute she'd wiggled the door lock open.
"Sometimes it's easier to slip out the bigger the party," Logan hummed, barely breaking their kiss.
"I hope you didn't get to wait long," Rory replied.
"Worth the wait," Logan mumbled.
She switched on a table lamp by feel, not wanting to hit her legs on the coffee table again, while Logan pretty much threw the takeaway onto the table in question.
Rory was dressed humbly that night - a boat neck black sweater with beads around its neck and a simple mini skirt. Her red coat got tossed onto the couch, and Logan, who was dressed in yet another tux, made sure his coat and jacket were quickly shed as well.
"Um… why is it so cold here?" Rory said, breaking the kiss for a second, suddenly realizing this place was colder than she'd expected, the coat having given her at least an illusion of being warm after the coffee she'd had in the car on her way back.
"The heater must be broken or something…," Logan commented, for a moment observing his surroundings, realizing it was indeed chillier than it should've been.
"Yup. Ice cold," Rory commented, touching the heater by the windows, letting a shiver run through her body visibly.
Even before Rory had asked or pondered about the fact further Logan was already on the phone to building maintenance, whom he apparently knew by first name. Rory loved this part about him - sure, he wasn't handy by fixing things himself, but he knew people. He knew just whom to call and usually treated them very nicely, even if at the end of the day there was surely some money exchanging hands. But Rory was beginning to get used to Logan traiting his money and influence against conveniences. She even liked how he did it so casually that one hardly noticed any money changing hands.
"Okay, the entire building is down, they're fixing it now. Should be up and going in a few hours and if it's not they're offering some alternative housing or possibly electric space heaters.
"Should we just go to your place then?" Rory asked, thinking what to do. She really wasn't a big fan of the cold.
"Nah, Lanny has company. I wasn't supposed to get back today, I hate to mess up his plans," Logan explained, showing surprising consideration towards his roommate, who's very existence in his life was due to his father wanting to teach him the life skill of sharing and consideration. Logan didn't seem to require that lesson much in Rory's eyes.
"I don't think I have all of my warm sweaters here yet..," Rory recalled, having left a couple of boxes home.
"If it comes to it we'll just head for the Hyatt," Logan shrugged.
Rory made a face, still not liking unnecessary splurging, being able to think of a number of cheaper options, including driving back home if it came to it.
"I do know another good way to get warm…," Logan suggested, seductively, stepping close again, his hands already tracing the hem of her sweater. "Besides, that tent was way colder than this...," he added, huskily, even if that might not have been entirely accurate.
His lips touched that special spot on her neck then which made her stop fighting - Logan had a tendency to be very warm blooded - and his touch was already making her warm.
"Hmm…," Rory hummed, enjoying his touch, despite the cold. "Perhaps I could be persuaded to believe that," she replied, smilingly, enjoying his warm touch.
They made their way towards the bedroom, just for caution shutting the door behind them. His bow tie was no longer present, a couple of top buttons of his shirt already unbuttoned, but it was really not a bad look on him, it almost made Rory believe he was dressed up for him even though she knew he wasn't.
The undressing was not really glamorous, simply wanting to get that part done quickly and slip under the warm and fluffy blanket on Rory's bed. The fact that the bed was narrow, generally didn't bother them much as there was no actual sleeping involved, though that too had happened on more than one occasions by Rory having very good methods of persuasion to keep him close all night.
They caressed their bodies with guileless enthusiasm, no longer needing much guidance eboug each-other's bodies. It was the beginning of a relationship - each time they went at it being a chance to explore their wants and desires, their youth just not yet elaborating those needs to all the things they didn't yet know they wanted. Yet it was simple, passionate, sometimes a little desparate, but almost always playful and practical… but no longer nervous.
Rory enjoyed the radiating heat coming off of his palm no matter where it rested - her breast, her soft and tender flesh being cradled like that always made her feel incredibly secure for some reason. She lived for the first moment he, almost assertively, slipped down between her legs, while keeping his eyes on her, cupped her mound almost like he owned it. In that moment he could have it, making Rory bite her lip.
His thumb pressed down on her clit, beginning to make small circles, and she really held nothing back and allowed her crotch to start grinding against his hand. There was no more hesitance in telling him what she craved.
Rory too had come a long way in satisfying him, being no longer scared of oral or a simple hand job or fingering, both the giving and receiving, even if that was all that it would be. That evening she had, however, no intention of doing anything that required risking losing the blanket that covered them, and just let his kisses fall on her, his touches to take her little by little towards that delicious limbo between blinding hunger and sweet release.
He was gently stroking her rift, already wet from anticipation, while she made sure he too got some attention. Their tongues intertwined, forgetting themselves in their little cocoon.
The fact that he was here, not at some gala, nor a fancy hotel room or some exclusive club in Manhattan felt like the biggest compliment, feeding her self-esteem too. He'd chosen to come back for her.
Soon her shallow breaths told the story of someone in deep pleasure, her whimpers filling the room. It really was a good thing Paris was not home, or she'd hear about this at breakfast.
Her legs went around his hips already, wordlessly begging for more.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Logan raised his eyebrows at her, already sensing himself very close to her core, almost dangerously so, being in the grasp of her thighs like this.
Rory just bit her lip, seductively, knowing well what was forgotten, but it didn't mean she wasn't already impatient and slightly annoyed.
"I've just always wondered what it would be like...," Rory replied hesitantly. It was the warmth that she wondered about, having time and time again felt the hotness of his member against her thigh by now. Condoms were fine, taking the moment to look for one didn't stop them from enjoying their time nor reaching their high, but they always felt cold and clinical.
"Wondered what it would be like…?" Logan reflected, teasingly, that smug smile creeping onto his lips, building the anticipation even more. He'd told Rory one time how dirty talking, coming from her, was the ultimate expression of sexy.
"I want to feel your heat from the inside," Rory whispered against his ear, blushing slightly.
His fingers continued to caress her, making her nearly delirious form want.
"You're on the pill or something?" Logan asked, between kisses against her neck.
"Uh-uh," Rory nodded, not wanting to outright tell him she'd been to the doctor pretty much that same week when they'd first started dating. She like to be prepared for accidents. To make it more clear she added a "yes".
"You know, I've never done it bare either," Logan admitted, trying that hot air against her ear thing in resverse and that truly gave her chills, the good kind. And that really was the biggest assurance he could give her about being clean, despite having way more experience.
"Me neither," she replied, the statement being unnecessary from what she'd said earlier, though clearly she wasn't thinking that objectively anymore.
Logan then moved to hover her, but let the anticipation carry a little longer. It was kind of cool actually that they both had something common to explore.
His fully erect member was positioned between her legs and the radiating warmth from it was driving her mad. Being all slick from her juices he just slid himself back and forth a little, hitting a very good spot from her considering her eyes kept falling shut at each touch, her mouth being open more than it was closed.
As he filled her, she could just feel her stomach flutter. Like a tingling sensation almost, the biggest kaleidoscope of butterflies in their stomach, and that on top of everything her sensitive nether regions were experiencing. It did feel different - hot, for one. What she hadn't expected though, how much more intimate it felt to be together like this with nothing in between.
The need for traction unexpectedly replaced to something that could almost be called tantric, even though neither of them had every really though about sex as something by that name. They moved slowly, savoring this sensation.
His intimate kisses against her throat, eyes closed and arms wrapped around her body, while her fingers just felt his strong shoulder and neck muscles, his hair feeling surprisingly soft in contrast. Her legs wrapped around his body. If this wasn't what defined 'becoming one' in all those books she'd read, what was?
"Ugh… Logan," Rory gasped, feeling the need swelling in her gut.
The feeling of fullness together with the mental turn on being this intimate added was doing the work for her, having not even needed additional stimulation, before she was already climbing towards her high.
The way she was clasping onto him with every body part, Logan knew where she was headed, and made his best attempt, aiming for more friction up towards the front of her vagina. And that did it.
She came in a series of quakes, not very loud ones but vocal enough, her entire body showing her pleasure. The smile that crept onto her lips, her cheeks turning even more flushed than they'd been before, spoke of gratitude.
After a brief moment of simply observing her, Logan continued to move - it almost looked like he was holding off, which was kind of cute. She surprised him, however, by trying to replicate what an orgasm had felt like, having a lot more sharply felt the way she'd contracted around him.
She flexed her inner muscles just then, having read about it being something guys appreciated. She could just feel that doing it for her again, pushing her over her edge so easily yet again. It really was all that Logan needed right then, his groan expanding and then dying down, indicating his release. Rory hadn't known what to expect from his release, however, never having experienced the feeling of actually doing this without a condom. She could just feel an overwhelming feeling of fullness - moist, warm and incredibly unhurried. What this enabled as well, was him to stay within her a little longer, his cool lips lingering on hers even after his climax had subsided, staying intertwined with their entire bodies.
"Man…," Logan exclaimed in a low guttural exhale.
"You like?" Rory asked, sneakily.
"Have you been reading again?" Logan teased, Rory having told him that she liked to do her homework, including in all things sexual.
"What?" Rory asked innocently.
"That clasping thing you did…? I mean I would've gotten there in a minute anyways… everything is just so sensitive without the rubber… but that… wow!" Logan explained, slipping out of her, his breathing still heavy. "You… like sucked it out of me," Logan added.
"My, thank you," Rory replied, not really knowing how to take a compliment like that and giggled, snuggling into his side, her arm going across his chest, remaining a lot more under the blanket than he was. She was just glad it had worked. Apparently on learned a lot of things in college.
Logan chuckled, appreciatively.
"I'm glad you came back," Rory said.
"I am glad too. Trina had some fight with her boyfriend, she was on the phone like the entire time… I just figured it was easier to just say she wasn't feeling well and pretend to do the gentlemanly thing and take her home…," Logan explained.
"Ah…," Rory nodded, actually loving the fact that his date happened to have a boyfriend herself.
"You still okay with this whole thing..?" Logan asked.
"Well… I mean, it isn't perfect, but if the girls don't get any ideas... I don't really have much to complain about, do I?" Rory shot back, feeling pretty special tonight. The fact that he'd come back for her, and the fact that he'd trusted her enough to try this new thing with her was making her smile near-constantly. He'd taken her word for it and from all the stories she'd heard form her mother about gold-diggers hooking guys like that... she felt special for him having taken than chance.
"I got so lucky with you…," Logan replied, kissing her forehead.
"Aw..," Rory teased, but slipped out of bed.
"Hey, where are you going," Logan complained, reaching after her.
"I have an idea..," Rory replied, and wrapped herself into a bathrobe hastily. What she hadn't really accounted for was the slickness that began to pour out of her. This definitely called for some more cleaning up than she'd realized. But it was kind of a sexy feeling at the same time.
Rory returned, having remembered Paris having a stack of clay flower pots in her crafts corner. There were also left over tea candles from one of Logan's successful attempts at a romantic dinner at home for them from last week.
"You develop a green thumb all of a sudden?" Logan asked, crooking his eyebrow, now leaning onto his elbow and looking over her fuss around with lighting candles and placing them under upside down flower pots.
"My mom used to do this when I was little. Sometimes when it got really cold… the place where we lived - it just had this simple cast iron furnace - didn't really hold warmth very well… this sometimes helped," Rory explained.
"Where did you live? That house of yours?" Logan asked, having by not gotten at least a glimpse of her home.
"No," Rory replied. "Mom worked at the Independence Inn at the time, and we had this maintenance building in the back… It was a potting shed originally. But mom made it nice for us - painted a few walls, filled it with this really cool second hand furniture, and of course Mia, the owner of the place..., helped however she could. So we basically had this one beg with a big pile of blankets, a small VCR television, a bathtub - separated from the rest with this gorgeous flowery curtain, a very minimal kitchen with just a mini fridge and microwave. I mean to you that probably seems like something incredibly crappy but it was home at the time. It felt like home," Rory explained, and slipped back under the blanket to join him, leaving the robe on though not bothering to keep it very tightly tied.
"Wow…," Logan nodded thoughtfully.
"What?" Rory asked, observing his face change. Should she have told him?
"It's just hard to imagine, you know. It's something I am used to reading in a book, and mostly even there it's something people are born into, that kind of poverty - I guess that's what I should call it - or something terrible has happened to them that made them lose their home. Or an era thing... But in your case I know your mother left at her own will. Right?" Logan discussed.
"Yeah, she did...," Rory exhaled.
"She must've really wanted out of that life…," Logan added.
"Oh yeah.. She still does," Rory replied, adding, "and that's also the reason why I really want you to get to know her, or well... Mostly at this point mostly her to know you. I need her to see you're not just this stuck up rich boy, I want her to know you," hopefully.
Logan hesitated, his hesitation being evident to Rory.
"I've mentioned going to Stars Hollow now a few times and I know you can think of a million cooler things to do… I can even understand that you don't find some small town of interest to you, and that is fine… but my mother is my best friend. Even if she doesn't love your family or your background or upbringing, I want her to at least not hate some inaccurate image of you…," Rory explained.
"It's not that I am not interested in the town. By everything you've said it sounds light a sight to see. But I am just not so sure I know how to impress your mother. Especially if you're saying she doesn't exactly love my family or the type of people that I am. That's just something I am, usually it is what impresses people. I assume she knows my parents too, right?" Logan replied.
"She just implied it today, sort of. But she did seem to realize that one's parents don't define the person. And she herself is a prime example of that," Rory continued.
"I'd like to say sure 'let's do it', I can see it means a lot to you… but honestly I am not that confident she won't still hate me after meeting me. And as you said, it is important to you that she doesn't hate me," Logan explained. "What if she does and just out of spite goes and tells your grandparents and they tell mine?" he pondered.
"She's not like that," Rory replied.
"I trust you, but do I trust a parent… I am not so sure," Logan shrugged. But Rory was relieved to at least have some answers. At least he sounded like he was being honest.
"Okay… I won't push it," Rory relented, at the same time feeling like her mother might just read into him not seeing her just the same.
"I will, eventually… I promise," Logan assured and kissed her temple. His assurance was believable, and she did get his point. Most college boyfriends were now exactly rowing up to see someone's mother whom they'd just been dating for a little more than a month.
"Hey, you know what?" Rory said, switching topics.
"What?" Logan asked.
"Now I'm sort of hungry," Rory hinted at the takeaway which she'd forgotten to bring.
"You're the one wearing a robe," Logan complained, clearly not wanting to get out either, even though the self-made heaters were slowly beginning to work.
"Huh? Drive the girl out into the cold? I think not! I thought you men were supposed to be the providers during the ice age," Rory complained, playfully.
Logan chuckled, but didn't argue. Instead he made his way quickly out into the living room for a moment threatening to take the blanket with him. But he settled on his boxers and one of Rory's oversized t-shirts, one with the Pink Panther on the front, she used for bed instead.
He returned with the takeaway - so what if a little cold by now and returned to climb back into bed for warmth.
"I'm getting a student shadow on Monday," Rory explained enthusiastically and went on to tell him about what she already had in store for her. It didn't matter that they were under the covers naked, it didn't mean they couldn't talk about whatever. It wasn't just a relationship based on sex.
Mostly Logan just listened, indeed giving her a few tips on some events to take the girl to. He even teased Rory that perhaps the guys and he could pull some kind of a prank on her, but Rory just sort of dismissed it, not thinking he was being serious.