Drunk Logan
Chapter 45

A/N: This is a shorter chapter, but if I didn't cut it off where I did, I figured that it would be really long. Anyway, hope you enjoy it. And, I have to continue apologizing for no replies to the reviews. I've just not had the time to do much. Even posting the chapters has been late at night and then I'm too exhausted to spend much time on it. There are so many I've wanted to comment back on, believe me.

ALSO, just so you know, I don't own AFFECT or EFFECT. For the life of me, in 30 years I have not been able to get those two straight. And, I was just too lazy this time to look them up and try to decipher which one I should be using in the 2 instances I used them in this chapter. If anyone wants to enlighten me which spelling I should be using for each of the instances, you are more than welcome. I will change them so that they are not a nuisance to those who read in the future. THANKS!

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"Logan, I can't believe you are making me wear this to a New Year's Eve party. You'd better make sure Dick is no where near me." Veronica was lightly chastising Logan, although she trusted that he would protect her in any circumstance. She was just giving him a hard time since she was going to be parading around in her catholic school girl outfit in front of a bunch of 09ers.

"Aw, Sugarpuss! You'll be fine." Veronica rolled her eyes at the fact that Logan didn't seem phased at all by her complaints.

"Besides, have I told you how good you look in that little outfit of yours." He growled and his eyes swept up and down her body, emphasizing his point.

"In fact, I believe that this was one of my best ideas EVER." Logan chuckled at her 'unimpressed' expression.

"Yeah, and don't think I didn't notice your outfit, Logan." She looked pointedly at him.

"What?" His face was the vision of innocence, but she knew better.

"Don't think you're fooling me. I know that," she pointed at his clothing, "that is the same outfit you were wearing that day in the A/V room when we read Duncan's journal. You know, the same shirt that I said looked like it was made by the gods just for you." She had a twinkle in her eye.

Veronica thought it was hilarious that he felt the need to try to recreate a look that she liked. If he really understood how she thought, he would know that she thought he looked great in anything. In fact, everything he wore was a turn-on for her, but she was easily more turned on by a single look from him. He really had no idea how much of an affect he had on her.

It was funny, too, since he'd always had one of the biggest egos around. He never needed anyone to tell him he looked good, he always just knew it. Veronica knew, though, that his ego had deflated a bit when they first started to become friends again. He was so ashamed of how he'd behaved while they were enemies that he didn't feel like he deserved her. He was never as cocky after that. Veronica told herself, at that moment that she would make a point to tell him all of the time how attracted she was to him.

"You know, it's funny, really. That was at a time when I was so confused about what I felt for you and I was trying to avoid thinking about it. When I saw you that day, when I watched this shirt stretch across your back and arm muscles when you bent down to pick up that box of tapes for Duncan, I couldn't deny how great you looked." Logan was grinning almost shyly and listening intently to her words. Veronica knew that she was making him feel good and she loved it. She loved his response and the look in his eyes. Mostly, she loved that she had the ability to elicit that response from him. She wondered in awe, at the effect his feelings had on her own. She wanted nothing more than to keep that grin on his face.

"It wasn't until later that I realized that it doesn't matter what you wear, you look amazing in anything. From layers to sweaters to short sleeves to your swim trunks with no shirt as your getting out of the pool and the droplets of water are running down your body and the sun is shining down, highlighting your hair even more." She made a cat-like purring noise. "You're just yummy."

"Really?" His eyes widened as he chuckled.

"Of course, Logan. You just don't understand how attracted I am to you." She stood on her tip toes and gave him a chaste kiss, before being pulled into a bone crushing hug, with an equally passionate kiss. When they separated, they stood there, foreheads together just looking at each other, still wrapped in each other's arms.

"Are you sure we have to go to this party? I'm sure we could find something to do around here." Veronica was hopeful that she could entice him to just spend the evening with her.

"Yep, time to go. Don't worry, it won't be too bad," Logan said as he led her to his SUV.

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Lynn and Keith had left earlier in the evening for a dinner out. They were going totally low-key for New Year's. They would come home and maybe watch a movie before retiring early. Keith still needed to take care of his body and that included keeping up on his sleep. He was returning to work after the New Year and didn't want to get off to a rocky start.

Keith and Lynn expected the kids to be out for most of the night, but as long as they were together, they'd be safe. Over the previous couple of months, Veronica and Logan had made it their mission to care for and protect each other. New Year's Eve wouldn't be any different.

Veronica couldn't help but think of how convenient it was that her father wouldn't be seeing her in her outfit. If he'd been home, she probably would have opted to wear another outfit when she left the house and then change later. As it was, she brought a second outfit to wear home just in case her dad wasn't asleep when they returned.

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After leading her to the Xterra, Logan walked over to his side of the SUV and climbed in. Turning to Veronica, he asked her, "do you trust me?"

She didn't hesitate. "Of course. I trust you with my life."

Her response warmed him. It wasn't just her words, but the look of absolute trust that shined back at him. He knew that she meant it and even if he didn't deserve it after how he'd treated her the year before, he was determined to work every day, until he did.

"Okay. Then, I need you to put on a blindfold." When she raised an eyebrow at him, he continued. "I just want it to be a surprise."

"Where, then, is this blindfold thing you speak of?"

Logan pulled it out and she helped him secure it into place. When the blindfold was on, Logan watched as Veronica sat back in her seat, facing forward, with a smile of excitement on her face.

'She really does trust me,' he thought to himself. He always thought that she was beautiful, but seeing the look on her face and the absolute trust spelled out in her body language made her even more beautiful to him.

Before he could stop himself, he was leaning across the center console and capturing her lips with his own. She was surprised at first, but quickly turned toward him and began to participate fully in the kiss. When they parted, they both had huge smiles on their faces.

"Wow! What was that for?" Veronica asked Logan, who was still mere inches from her face. His hand was still caressing the end of her hair and she could feel his warm breath on her face.

"Just for being you. You are amazing and I haven't told you that enough lately."

"Awww, you're so sweet...now MOVE, Jeeves. I have a date to get to." Logan chuckled and just shook his head at her antics.

They'd been driving for about ten minutes, by Veronica's estimation. Even as much as she tried to calculate their location by logging the turns Logan had taken, she had to admit that she was completely lost. All she knew was that ten minutes of driving still kept them in the 09er district, which she had expected anyway. Logan had always partied at one of his friends' house on New Year's Eve. She just couldn't figure out which one and it was driving her crazy.

Did it really matter which of his obnoxious 09er friends' house they were going to? No. Although she trusted Logan completely and had really learned to relax a bit while living at the Echolls' house, she still couldn't avoid trying to solve a mystery. This date, as big or as small as it was, was a mystery. It was her natural instinct to try to decipher the timing of stops and turns that they were taking.

When they finally pulled to a stop, Logan leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He gave her leg a little squeezed as he whispered into her ear that they had arrived. Veronica could hear the excitement in Logan's voice and it made her giddy.

"Stay right there, I'm going to come around and get you, okay?" When she nodded, he moved to leave the vehicle, but turned around to address her again. "No peeking, not yet."

Veronica smiled and giggled in nervous excitement as she waited for Logan. She had no idea why she should feel so happy. They were going to be around all of the kids that she'd hated with a passion for so long...and to top it off, she was in costume! She couldn't help it though, Logan's excitement was rubbing off on her.

She heard her door open and a hand grab her arm. "This way, my love."

She followed Logan's voice and when she got out of the Xterra, he wrapped her protectively in his arms from behind. He walked her forward, his solid frame wrapped around her, the entire way. Finally, they stopped and she heard him open a door. She stopped him when he began to move them forward again.

"Logan, where are we? Where is everyone and the music?" She knew that they were, well, somewhere, but there were no sounds that you would generally relate to that of a party.

"Just one...more...minute." Logan replied as he prodded her forward.

"Ooh, it's nice and toasty in here." Veronica was happy to feel the warmth on her skin. They may have lived in California, but it was still the middle of winter. The little outfit she was wearing did not do much for keeping her warm.

"Ah, finally," she exclaimed when she felt Logan tugging at her blindfold. She was ready to see what it was that he had in store for her.

When the blindfold came off and her eyes focused, she gasped. "Oh, Logan. It's beautiful. Where are we?"

She was awestruck, but then remembered something else and became more serious, "And where is everybody else?"

"Nope, not going to tell you where we are yet. As for everyone else...this is it. It's you and me, sweets," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her once again.

"Really? Just us? Don't you want to party with all of your friends?"

"Not really. I always have the best time when I'm with you. Plus, you've become my best friend. We've spent so much time together...I don't need to hang out at a big party to have a great time. Just you and me. Besides, you didn't think that I was actually going to dress up my girlfriend in that outfit and parade her around, did you? Noooo, this pleasure is all mine."

"Oh, Logan," she breathed out. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

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