Logan Echolls lay in his bed watching Veronica sleeping against his chest, her blond hair cool against his chest, she was nestled up against him and he felt his heart ache. He was afraid to sleep encase this really all was just a dream and he would wake up and find her gone. Loving her was desperate, he belonged to her, every fibre of his being, he wanted to wrap himself around her like this forever and protect her, but she was the kind of girl who always took care of herself. She didn't need anybody to look after her… except he needed her to.

"You're staring at me again" she said sleepily.

"I never stop staring at you" he chuckled, caught in the act. He wrapped his arms around her tighter and pulled her to him.

"Which can be a little unnerving" she told him, opening her dreamy eyes, her voice was soft and she yawned a slightly.

"Yeah, well you do have this habit of dodging me sometimes… seems I don't know quite what to do to keep a hold of you" he teased as she stretched and they rolled over, him spooning into her back.

"Yeah? I think you figured out a pretty effective way to keep me right where you want me when we were on the couch" she reminded him, as he cuddled up against her.

"I still think I want to tattoo my name just here…" he said as he kissed her shoulder. "Just so you don't forget" he joked. He couldn't remember a time in his life that he had ever felt this happy or content. True she hadn't told him she loved him without also calling him an idiot in the same sentence yet, but at least she was here, and he had been an idiot. He had been a fool to ever think this was something he could live without. His life often felt like he was constantly treading water, always trying to surf against raging seas… and here with her cradled against him, it was still. He could just lay back and enjoy the waves and being perfectly present in the moment.

"I think my dad would have something to say about that" Veronica giggled. Keith Mars wasn't Logan's biggest fan, he hated him in fact. It might have had something to do with the fact he was the son of the murderer who had single-handedly ruined the man's career. Aaron Echolls. A List Movie Star.

"Invisible Ink…" He teased, cupping her breast in his hand and kissing her neck. "I wish you could come back here after class" he sighed as he looked at the angry red letters on his digital clock, school was starting soon.

"My dad's back today" Veronica reminded him.

"I know…" he replied sadly. "Still doesn't stop me wanting you to come home to me"

"You are still suspended" she sighed. The fight with Duncan Kane, her ex-boyfriend yesterday had resulted in Logan being suspended from school for the next three days. She would have to face the 09ers and the rest of the student body and their rumours alone when she went to class.

"You could bring me my homework?" he teased, rolling her hardening nipple around in his fingers. They only had 40 minutes before the alarm would go off. "Or you could home school me?" he suggested, tracing his other hand over her stomach past her naval and down towards her legs. She smiled at his naughty proposal but shook her head.

"So Mr Clemmons can call my dad?" she asked and he pouted, pulling her buttocks against his throbbing shaft.

"Damn Veronica… you just have that effect on me" Logan sulked. His mind was thinking of a hundred other ways he wanted to spend their day, most of them involved taking her into his kitchen and feeding her breakfast using their bodies as impromptu plates, climbing into the hot tub and taking his time making up for the last few months he had been missing. He hugged her tighter, there was so much uncertainty in his life, his father's trial, what was going to happen with the PCHers at school, whether or not the Felix Toomes murder investigation was truly behind him… but the one certainty he had, was how he felt about her. This moment, this thing between them. She made him feel giddy. He always lost his cool when she was around, with other girls, he had game, he could be charming and smooth, but with her he could be reduced to a tongue-tied idiot. His world felt brighter when she was nearby. He wanted her to be his leading lady. "Can you blame me? I just want to wake up with you every morning.. just like this" he whispered.

Veronica felt butterflies in her stomach, the previous evening had been completely unplanned, unexpected and more than a little part of her was screaming to run. This thing between them… it was so intense, so electrifying and their chemistry was explosive. No wonder they had spent so much time arguing with one another, when a tornado met a volcano, what other reaction could there possibly be?

"If we are going to do this again Veronica… I am not letting you go this time" he had promised last night. She knew he had meant every word… and in the moment she had made the decision to go all or nothing… but this morning, the force of their connection was scaring her. Not that she didn't love him, she did. It's just love... and the trust and exposure that came with it made her want to bolt out the door. It was a liability. Love was like handing someone a roadmap to your heart and handing them the combination to leave you a hollowed out broken shell. She prided herself on making smarter choices than that… on not being a mark.

Logan Echolls wasn't a mark… he had the potential to be the greatest scar she would carry.

"You wanna head out with me and we can get breakfast?" she proposed, looping her fingers around his and bringing his wandering hands back to her stomach and away from their teasing. He smelled the nape of her neck and whined a little, he didn't want to get out of bed.

"I have a kitchen you know… I think I remember how to make pancakes" he countered, cuddling her. It was endearing that he didn't want the day to start, yet she was eager to get some space to collect her thoughts.

"Although if memory serves… you don't have the Java Juice Mermaid Supreme I need to start my day with so much citrusy goodness and pulp" she replied jokingly.

"Oh.. you are killing me Mars!" he chuckled, but he didn't let go of her. "You are already a genius… do you really need to spend another day back in classes?" he pleaded.

"If I don't go… however will I get your assignments to bring over later?" she smiled, turning to face him.

"But if you do go… however will I survive the day without you?" he flirted, he had a happy easy-going smile on his face and it made her heart do a blissful little dance in her chest.

Ok, she may have had her doubts about last night in the cold light of morning… but seeing this sweet side of him again, the one she had fallen for, she could surrender some of her more knee jerk reactions and just enjoy the moment. He was still hard against her thigh, so she smirked and pushed him onto his back, straddling him.

"I think I have an idea on how to tide you over…" she gasped as she sank herself onto the length of him, filling her, his eyes widened in surprise as he grabbed onto her hips and growled as she devoured his lips.