Mistakes are my own because I'm sick of editing this. Thanks for all your reviews, you guys blow my mind.
2 Chapters to Catherine!
Logan woke to an alarm he'd forgotten to turn off the night before. He felt a weight on his chest and tried to keep his breathing even in his panic. He recognized his own apartment, but there was definitely a woman on his chest. It took him a few minutes to realize he was still in his sweatpants and t-shirt and that the brown hair splayed across his torso was Rory's.
The next wave of panic hit him, but it subsided even faster than the first. Rory wasn't naked, but simply asleep. She really hadn't been kidding when she said that a sugar coma was less painful than a hangover, but no less an effect on short term memory. However, as he lay there, hoping to allow Rory a few more minutes of sleep, he remembered his need for the sugar coma and the support Rory had given to his ideas.
Carefully he extracted himself from her sleeping body, pausing as she groaned and simply rolled into his pillow. He couldn't hold in a grin at the adorable picture she made as he moved to start the coffee maker. As he tapped his foot waiting for the pot to finish, his mind was stuck on the comfort he was feeling knowing that Rory was asleep in his bed. Logan could remember most of the night, most of the conversations and the ease in which they'd huddled together under his blankets. It was the last that had him smiling and acknowledging that something had shifted in their relationship during their trip to the Vineyard and the subsequent week-long separation. Bare footsteps against the tile floor alerted him to the new occupant of the room.
"Morning, Ace."
She mumbled something incoherently in response and he turned to watch her plop into one of the stools at the island and drop her head onto her arms. Logan chuckled and she lifted her head high enough to shoot him a glare. She didn't look up until he placed a mug of coffee in front of her.
"Now I can start to say good morning," she said after gulping down the whole mug. "I have to make it back to my place before heading into the office."
"I don't have anything until this afternoon, I can drop you off at home and then run you to the office if you want." Having woken up with her and knowing that he was looking for a good opportunity to explain Catherine to her now that he had started to open up, he really didn't want to separate from her.
"It's okay, my car's downstairs," she said, taking the liberty of refilling her mug and raiding his fridge for cream. "I do, however, need to call Honour and tell her I'll probably be late."
"It's really no problem, Ace."
"I know that, but my car's still parked downstairs," she reminded him. "I'll just finish this cup and get going, okay?"
He tried not to allow his disappointment and reluctance to show as he agreed.
"We're still on for tomorrow though, right? Weekly Thursday breakfast?" she inquired, noticing the way his face fell when she told him she'd be going by herself.
Logan had completely forgotten about that and brightened at the thought of seeing her in twenty-four hours. "You bet, Ace."
"Good," Rory said, taking the last three gulps of coffee. "I'm going to run and pack up my stuff."
Logan followed her into the living room. "Leave the garbage, I'll grab it later," he said.
Rory looked up at him and reluctantly nodded. "Okay. I think I'm just going to leave most of the stuff then if you have room? That way I only have to restock for the next time."
He loved how sure she was that there would be a next time. "I'm sure I can find room in my cupboards," he promised.
She smiled. "Fantastic. In which case, I should head out if I want to shower before heading in and not being too late."
He hoped he wasn't imagining the reluctance in her voice. "You sure you don't want that third cup? I'm sure I have chocolate in a cupboard somewhere."
She mock groaned. "The fact that you know my weakness is suddenly seeming horribly, well, horrible. Make it while I grab my clothes?"
He grinned, happy that she'd agreed to stay. "You're on, Ace."
"Rory! There you are! I've been looking for someone to dance with all night!"
Rory grinned as Steph entered her line of sight. She hadn't been out with Logan and his friends in a while and had taken the first opportunity to say yes. In fact, she'd even come on her own tonight after Steph had apparently dug her phone number out of Logan's cell and called to invite her. Even Colin and Finn were smiling at her appearance.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Rory called back over the pounding music.
Steph squealed and the girls headed off onto the floor. "And you said you didn't fit in with us," Steph yelled.
"It's weird!" Rory responded. "I actually missed you guys."
Steph smiled knowingly. "We've missed you too! Logan doesn't bring you around so much any more."
Rory laughed. "Not for lack of trying, I assure you. I've needed to go home and spend some time with Sophie so I haven't had the chance to go out at night in a while. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret the fact that I haven't been out in a while, it's just weird that I've really missed you guys."
"No worries, we've missed you too. Finn keeps asking Logan when you're going to come out next," Stephanie confided.
"Finn?"
"What can I say, you've made an impression. Now we're all waiting for you and Logan to just get together already and put us all out of our damn misery."
"Sorry?" Rory asked in surprise.
"Logan's mopes when you're not here with us. Barely even talks to another girl."
There was no way Steph was telling the whole truth. Rory knew she didn't have that much pull on Logan and his moods, right? "Maybe he just had a bad couple of days. You know how he can get."
"Not as well as you do, and we don't have the same ability to cheer him up, apparently. We heard about the movie night you basically treated him to."
Rory blushed. "He baby-sat Sophie for a weekend in the Vineyard, the least I could do was try and cheer him up after he gave everything up," Rory defended.
Steph nodded. "Heard about the babysitting too. I was impressed that he dropped everything to do that for you. You've got him wrapped around your little finger."
Rory's blush, if possible, intensified. "Steph…"
"Seriously, Rory. We've seen him change since he's met you."
"I'm not that impressive!" Rory exclaimed.
"Are you kidding me?" Steph asked incredulously. "You've known Colin and Finn for how long? Honey, they'd already lay their lives down for you, Finn especially. I know he's called and invited you out."
Goodness gracious, Rory thought to herself. How much of their lives to these four share? "So what? I'm sure he invites a number of girls out."
"You're missing the point here, Hayden. All three of those guys are watching us right now to make sure we're still okay. I don't know how you've done it, but you've got the three most eligible bachelors in Hartford, probably in Connecticut and possibly up the east coast at your beck and call."
"You're exaggerating."
"I'm understating what Logan would do for you too. Did you know when I raided his phone for your number I noticed a distinct lack of numbers in his address book?"
Rory scrunched up her nose. "He's probably got his own little black address book anyway, why would he want to keep that kind of evidence in his phone?"
"Because his father won't go through his phone? Look, Rory, the point is that he deleted all of those numbers save those that are important for business, mine and yours. Those are all the women he has in his phone."
"Steph, I really don't have that kind of pull. You're exaggerating."
"I'm not. Rory, you forget, I grew up with those guys, I've known them since diapers. I know the way they work and the ways they operate and I've never seen them act with another girl like they all act with you, Logan especially. You've left a mark, they adore you."
"They barely know me!"
"They know enough to understand that you're sweet and caring and you're good for Logan. As much as the three of them go on and on about not settling down they'd like to see it for each other," Steph replied wisely.
"You're insane," Rory exclaimed.
Steph just laughed. "Look at the company I keep, I'd have to be nuts!"
"I don't have the pull you say I do, Steph. Logan and I are friends, I'm barely acquaintances with Finn and Colin."
"That's not true and you know it. Plus, would you deny that you want Logan?"
"Of course I want Logan, every girl in a thirty foot radius wants Logan."
Steph gave Rory a knowing look. "And that's what it comes down to, doesn't it? The fact that you think he'd make you one of the many."
"Steph…" Rory started warningly.
"That's insane, Rory. I just told you, he emptied his phone book. He spends more time with you than he does with the guys or with me. Hell he sees Honour so much more often simply because he's dropping by the office to see you. His secretary knows your number by heart to the point where she doesn't answer any more, just patches you through."
"You're seeing things you want to see, Steph."
"Come on, Rory! You want to date the boy, date the boy!" Steph was getting frustrated and it showed.
"You said it yourself. I won't be one of the many. I'm a girlfriend girl, he's not a boyfriend boy."
Steph rolled her eyes. "He'd change for you. He already has! He dates less, flirts less, and rarely returns phone calls of girls who call him. Look, Rory, put the boy out of his misery."
Rory shook her head stubbornly. "No." Then said the one thing she wasn't sure if she'd regret later. "If he wants me, he can come to me."
"Ask her out yet?" Colin asked nonchalantly as he and Logan watched Steph and Rory on the dance floor. It was obvious that Rory and Steph were in deep conversation, even as their bodies moved to the beat around them.
Logan rolled his eyes. "Be patient."
Colin looked over at Logan, surprised at the admission. "You mean you're actually going to do it?"
"Honour ripped into me at the Vineyard about her. Said some things that got me thinking and the next thing I knew, I was admitting to myself that dating Ace, just Ace, maybe wouldn't be so bad."
Colin shook his head mockingly. "If your father could see you now. Are you telling me Logan Huntzberger's maturing?"
Logan laughed. "Look, Ace is everything we look for in a girl to marry, right? She's smart, she's interesting, she's rich in her own right… She's real. Like Honour said, I know if I start something serious with her that it won't be about my money or my name. It'll be about me, that's it."
Colin took note of the absolutely serious tone of Logan's voice. "We know she's good for you," he acknowledged.
"We?"
"Finn, Steph, me… hell, half of our Yale friends know about her by now. As much as we were all about what freedom we could gather you know that what we all want is for each of us to find someone like Rory. She fits into society and she's removed enough from it to give you some semblance of reality."
Logan was surprised at Colin's assessment. "I never thought of it that way."
Colin shrugged. "We humour Finn but we all know what we want is someone who can calm him down and help him see the positive side of his destiny. Rory does that for you."
"Mates! What's with the serious chatter?" Finn asked, sliding in beside Colin having returned from hitting on a redhead at the bar.
"Logan's finally admitted he's going to ask Rory out," Colin summarized.
Finn looked over at Logan, suddenly extremely sober. "You sure about that, mate?"
"What?" Logan asked in confusion.
"Hey, don't get me wrong, we love Rory and we love the girl with you, but are you sure you're ready for that?"
Logan looked to Colin. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Finn shrugged. "Look at it this way, you've never been a one gal guy. She's only ever had that. Are you ready to give everything up for her, 'cause if you're not, drop it now and leave her be."
"Where's this overprotective streak coming from?" Logan asked in surprise and confusion. Had Rory managed to weasel further in with his friends than he'd thought? Has she already inspired such loyalty? The thought made Logan's heart warm slightly.
"Rory's special, we all know that, just like we'd all kick Colin's ass if he ever did anything to hurt Steph," Finn tried to explain.
"Hey!" Colin said indignantly. "There's nothing between me and Steph!"
Finn waved the comment away. "Not yet mate, but Steph's your Rory. Anyway, we're not talking about you and Steph, are we?"
"No," Colin said sullenly.
"Exactly. We're threatening Logan with bodily harm should anything happen to Rory."
"Bodily harm?" Logan asked, suddenly slightly afraid for his life.
"We get that she's special, but none of us want to see you hurt her. Don't screw this one up, it could be your only shot at some sort of sanity."
"You know Finn, that was pretty profound," Logan said trying to lighten the mood a bit.
Finn shrugged, slipping easily back into his drunken happiness. "We want to see you both happy and it happens to be with each other. Now, redheads call and I must answer. Happy hunting, gentlemen."
Logan looked to Colin. "That was almost creepy."
"But right. Don't screw this thing up with Rory, Logan."
Logan met Colin's eyes straight on. "I don't plan on it."