AN: Thank you everyone, the love. You guys are too kind. I do want to clarify, Rory's declaration of love was strictly platonic. She loves Logan as a friend, she likes him as more, but she is not in love with Logan (yet?). Anyway, here we go. Read, review, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls of Holidate

Part Eleven - August 3, 2021

Logan smiled as he listened to her. Rory had always been insistent. She had been insistent about what their arrangement was every time they had attended something together. Before they left, there was always a reminder that they were friends, they cared for each other as friends and nothing more. He watched as she worried, he hated to admit that he liked watching her lose control a little bit, it was endearing to watch a woman who was always so put together and so meticulous fall apart under a controlled circumstance.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Rory glared at him, she had been talking so fast to keep herself ahead, to make sure she said everything she needed to say before he could get a word out, before he could tell her he didn't feel the same and now all he was doing was smiling at her. Rory stood up and stared at him for a moment before walking to the patio door and looking outside. She didn't know what else to say, and he wasn't saying anything. She smiled as she heard him move and noticed he had sat up a little more in his chair. "You're mean," Rory joked as she walked back over to Logan and stood in front of him, "are you going to say anything?"

"Ace," Logan smiled as he took her hand and pulled her towards his lap, Rory laughed as she she put her head against his chest and Logan pulled her in for a hug. "I have missed you, and I am sorry everything got so fucked up."

"You don't hate me?"

"I don't think anyone has ever hated you," Logan countered as he kept his arms around her, "have I told you that you look great tonight."

"You have," Rory assured him. "I don't know how I can make this up to you."

"Ace, you don't have to make anything up to me," Logan told her honestly as he placed a kiss on the top of her head. "That is the thing with being friends. We're not always going to agree on everything, in fact, sometimes we'll fight…but you can't just stop answering the phone."

"And what about…" Rory paused, thinking of the rest of her declaration, her admission that she had feelings for him, "what about the rest?"

"We'll figure the rest out, not today, not at a wedding. This weekend isn't about us, but we'll figure it out. If we try to figure it out right now, it's going to be tinted with the rose coloured glasses of all the romance around us. We need to make a decision together, based on our needs, our expectations."

"Oh," Rory pursed her lips, not really sure what he meant by his answer, it sounded so technical, so business like.

"Rory," Logan gave her a small squeeze before he released her and they both stood up, "come to breakfast with me on Sunday. Or brunch. I will pick you up, I'll pick the place, we'll go and have fun. Nick already mentioned that you were taking the train, so come to brunch with me, and I will drive you back to Manhattan."

"Monday is a holiday," Rory bit her tongue, "and there is the brunch here…"

"Skip the brunch here, do you really want to see those lovesick fools tripping all over each other?" Logan joked. "I have a thing I have to do in Manhattan on Monday otherwise I would say I'll drive you back Monday."

"Fine," Rory agreed.

"Don't meet a guy tonight," Logan kissed Rory on the cheek, "or tomorrow. Just give me until Sunday."

xxx

Rory was standing at the altar watching as her friend essentially floated towards her. It was sunset, there were lights everywhere and Rory was grinning like an idiot as she watched Abigail walk towards the love of her life with the biggest smile that Rory had ever seen in her life. Rory was wearing a black Hayley Paige bridesmaids dress with spaghetti straps and pockets, she looked amazing, but not quite as beautiful as the bride with her stunning, v-neck Hayley Paige dress with a keyhole back. Rory took the bouquet from Abigail and smiled at her best friend, telling her how much she loved her.

She didn't expect to cry during the ceremony, but she did. Tears fell down her cheeks as she looked out at the group of people gathered to celebrate and her eyes settled on Logan. She blushed as she saw that he was watching her and Rory gave him a quick, discrete wave, he winked in response and Rory was sure that her cheeks had just gotten more red than they already were. She almost didn't notice when she had to hand over the ring and Abigail laughed when she saw what Rory was distracted by. Rory mouthed an apology to Abigail and handed her the platinum band that she was going to place on Nick's ring finger and returned her attention to the bride and groom. She smiled and laughed as they signed the marriage license and more tears fell when Rory saw them kiss again and begin making their way back down the aisle to applause from their friends and family. Rory followed, of course, with the best man and hugged Abigail once they were outside the ceremony venue, "Abs, I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you," Abigail smiled.

"You too," Rory hugged Nick, "married man!"

"Can't believe we did it," Nick laughed.

"You wanna tell me about that?" Abigail asked, referring to the momentary snafu during the ceremony.

"After you're back from your honeymoon," Rory promised, "we're friends," she shrugged.

"Sure," Abigail laughed, "come on, picture time, but later…you tell me everything."

"Promise."

By the time Nick and Abigail were enjoying their first dance, Rory was certain that her feet were going to fall off and she might also master sleeping in a standing position. She smiled as she felt his body behind her and Rory immediately relaxed her body ever so slightly into him, "hey."

"You look," Logan whispered in her ear, "like the most beautiful woman in the room."

"Don't let Abigail hear you say that," Rory told him, "they're so happy. Pretty remarkable, isn't it?"

"Just a few months ago we were watching them get engaged, and now they're married."

"She's so happy," Rory smiled as she said it again, her voice was almost wishful as she watched. Logan was supporting her now, she was fully pressed against him and he rested his head on her shoulder as they watched, "do you ever think you'll have that?"

"I think so," Logan told her honestly, "I don't know when, and I don't know if it will look like this…but I think there is love out there."

"You don't want to get married? Don't you have to get married?"

Logan laughed in her ear and it sent goosebumps down her arms, "I don't have to get married, I mean, I think my parents would like me to, but…there's no rule that says I have to to take over the business. What about you? Do you want to get married?"

"I don't know," Rory admitted, "I don't not want to get married, but I also don't know that I need it. I mean, Abigail and Nick are the real deal, and this is perfect for them, but more than a wedding, I want a marriage, or a partnership. It doesn't have to be official on paper."

By now the first dance had ended and the dance floor had filled with other people, "dance with me?" Logan suggested as the song changed.

"I'm a terrible dancer," Rory laughed as Logan pulled her to the dance floor and put his left hand on her hip and his right was holding hers, he kept their intertwined fingers between their chests, in a way it was to keep him from getting too close, from getting too lost in the moment.

"Not possible," Logan assured her with a smile. They had danced before, they had danced before many times, but this time it was different. They weren't in a group of spastic and sweaty bodies in a club, this was Logan asking Rory to dance. "When I see people like Honor and Josh, or Nick and Abigail…I wonder if marriage might be in the cards," he admitted quietly, his voice just loud enough for her to hear as they floated on the dance floor. "But then I see my parents who barely tolerate each other, or Colin…his dad has been married like six times."

"And it all seems a lot less intriguing when you see the other side of it," Rory could understand that. "My parents…it hasn't always been perfect, but they love each other so much. I want that. I want to be with someone who in thirty years still thinks I'm the most beautiful woman in the room, someone who makes sure that my newspaper arrives every day, and someone who wants to talk to me after everything else is done…I want a person who will be with me. I don't need a wedding, I don't need a party, I just…I just want to have a person to come home to."

"You could get a dog," Logan joked, "I hear that love is unconditional."

"Stop," Rory laughed, "I guess I should add that I don't want to have to clean up poop either."

"That is a promise that no man can make."

"Stop being gross!"

"Sorry," Logan smiled as the song ended and they pulled apart, "come with me," he told her as he intertwined their fingers as he had many times over the course of the last nine months.

"Logan," Rory breathed. She could feel it, she could feel it as well as he could. The shift in the air, the ground underneath them shaking. "We are having brunch tomorrow."

"I want you to come home with me," Logan told her, his voice was low and husky, his eyes were mixed with desire and desperation, pulling her to the side of the large tented reception area.

Rory shook her head, she wanted to say yes. Of course she wanted to say yes, but she couldn't say yes. He had said it himself, they needed to talk, "if I go home with you, we both know what will happen and we won't have clear heads about this."

"My head is clear," Logan countered with a childlike grin.

"Your head," Rory kissed his cheek, "is cloudy with scotch."

"You're turning me down?"

"I'm not turning you down," Rory clarified, placing a quick and gentle kiss on his cheek, "I will see you at brunch."

xxx

Rory smiled as she watched Logan order his meal after she had placed her order, she had chosen french toast and a mimosa while Logan ordered an omelet and a mimosa. "Did you enjoy last night?" she asked him with a smile.

Logan nodded, "it was a fun wedding, a good night."

"I agree."

"So…"

"This was your idea," Rory laughed, "I said what I had to say."

"And what you had to say was that you have feelings for me?"

Rory nodded, relieved that for a change she didn't feel her face turn red, betraying her ability to keep some of her more innermost desires private. "I did say that, I do…"

"And I told you last night I'm not sure if I'm the kind of guy who is going to get married…"

"I never said I wanted to marry you," Rory countered with a smile as the drinks arrived and she gratefully took hers, enjoying a sip of the cocktail.

"Ok, I'm putting words in your mouth, but lets pretend we date…we're not teenagers, what do you see yourself wanting?"

"I want a partner," Rory told him honestly. "I want someone who doesn't complain about having to go see my family," she thought of how Jess hated spending time in Stars Hollow and hated Hartford even more. "I want someone who wants to stay in and watch a movie, but also someone who will come with me to a work thing and be able to hold a conversation and maybe even enjoy themselves. I'm not looking for a husband, or a baby daddy, I'm looking for a partner."

Logan nodded his head, "and you want that to be me?"

Rory couldn't help but laugh, it was such a typical man thing for that to be what he had taken from the conversation. "Logan, I think you're attractive, I think we have fun together, I think you are a very good kisser and gifted in bed, but…I don't have your picture with hearts all over it taped to the front of a notebook. If we're meant to be friends, we're meant to be friends. But…if there is a part of you that wants to see if there is more, if there is a part of you that maybe likes me that way too…"

"There is," Logan interrupted her, "there is a part of me that likes you too. But…" he paused and swallowed, "I like being your friend and this past couple months without you has sucked…and now, there is another part of me that wonders if one day you'll just run and stop answering my calls."

"I'm sorry," Rory told him again, it was obvious that her timing had really messed with him, "so…" she exhaled, "what if we go on a couple of dates, and we see how it goes. I won't run Logan, I won't run. I will talk to you. If something happens, I will tell you and we can figure it out together, as friends, as people who are dating…whatever. But I promise you I won't run."

"That is a big promise."

"I can assure you running isn't my thing, Gilmore's aren't very athletic."

xxx

"Let me take you to dinner," Logan told her as they neared her building.

Rory shook her head defiantly, as she had through most of the drive, "you took me to brunch."

"Come on, brunch was business, dinner can be a date or whatever."

"A date or whatever? Wow, you do know how to charm the ladies," Rory joked, "no, if it's a date, then I need more time to get ready. I can't go on a first date like this," she looked at the casual white romper she had been wearing.

"And here I thought all this time you were so low maintenance," Logan joked as Rory raised an eyebrow at her, "alright, final offer and if you say no, I will take the hint. I'll drop you off, you can get settled, I'll go home, put in a load of laundry, and then I will order us Indian food, with extra samosas and pakora," he told her, knowing how much she liked both, "and walk over and pick it up, then meet you at your place and we can just hang out."

"Hang out," Rory repeated.

"Dateline, a movie that has been made in the last fifteen years, the news, your pick as long as it isn't Real Housewives of anything. Honor made me watch it and now I think she's taken years off my life."

"You have yourself a deal," Rory agreed, "but no funny business."

"Me?" Logan grinned, "no, absolutely no funny business. I will be a perfect gentleman."

"That is what I'm worried about," Rory told him as they pulled up in front of her building and she waited a moment before she unbuckled her seatbelt, "so I'll see you soon?"

"Before you know it," Logan nodded as they both got out of the car and Logan retrieved Rory's bag from the car, "text me if you want anything specific."

"Thank you," Rory smiled as their hands brushed when he handed her the suitcase.

"Goodbye Ace."

xxx

Rory was frantically running around her unit. This is what she had wanted, wasn't it? She and Logan were at the very least back on track with being friends, and they were going to explore what being in a relationship meant. So why was she running around her place like he had never seen it before and it had to be perfect? Rory found herself shoving the contents of her suitcase into hampers and tidying her bathroom before he texted saying he would be about twenty minutes and then she started frantically worrying about what she was wearing. Was it too casual? Was it too revealing? What kind of a grownup wore a romper anyway? And maybe more so, what kind of grownup called themselves a grownup? Rory shook her head to try to get herself to relax and opted to pull on a white racerback tank from Lululemon and a pair of black Lululemon leggings, she was tired, her legs ached, and she didn't want to worry about getting dressed up. If that suddenly bothered Logan, it was best he find that out now, not later. She washed the makeup off her face from their brunch that morning and quickly brushed her hair out before she heard a knock at the door and the immediately she felt calm. She walked to the door and smiled as she swung it open and Logan stood in front of her with a bag of food in each hand, "hi."

"Hi," Logan smiled as Rory ushered him in the door and ultimately took a bag from him, "I'm not too early, am I?"

"Nope," Rory assured him, popping the p at the end, "what can I get you to drink?" she asked as Logan began unloading the bags and opening the containers to smell the contents.

"Water?"

"Really?"

Logan laughed, "I have a breakfast meeting tomorrow, which is why I had to come back today. I don't always drink, Ace."

"I know," Rory smiled as she grabbed him a bottle of water and tossed it gently to him, "so I guess it'll be an early night for you tonight?"

"It should be," Logan nodded, "you look good." Rory smiled at him, whenever he paid her a compliment, it was like she could feel it in her stomach. She had been called beautiful by many people in her life, but something about how it felt hearing Logan Huntzberger tell her she looked good, beautiful, gorgeous, or even decent, was different. It was like he meant it more, or maybe it was because she knew that there weren't many women who truly knew Logan, and so for him to notice her like that was on a whole other level than the other women who thought they knew Logan. "Come on Ace," Logan put his water on the counter and stepped towards her, "you know you're gorgeous, right? I cannot be the first person to tell you this."

"You're not," Rory assured him, "but it feels different coming from you."

"Oh?" Logan smirked as he put his hands on her hips, "I like these pants."

Rory rolled her eyes and smiled at him. She could see where this was going and she was determined to keep her wits about her, she wasn't the kind of girl who had sex with a guy on a first date, and Logan was no exception to that. However, just because she didn't plan on having sex with the man, didn't mean they couldn't have fun. "I thought you might."

"You," Logan kissed her quickly, "are," he kissed her once more, nipping ever so slightly at her bottom lip as she closed her eyes and put her hands around his neck, "incredible."

"Oh yeah?" Rory kissed him once more, her tongue pushing into his mouth as he pulled her close, she knotted her fingers in the hair at the base of his neck.

"Yeah," logan breathed as he pulled away, "but I really do have an early meeting, and those pants, and your ass, and the way you smell is a recipe for me skipping that meeting, so I'm going to need you to restrain yourself around me for at least tonight."

"No promises," Rory winked, placing one more chaste kiss on his lips before she took her arms away from his neck. "Hungry?" she asked him with a grin.

"Starved."