Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 11 – I Like Her
Sunlight poured in through the windows of Rory's bedroom. It was early the next morning and Rory and Logan were in bed. She was sleeping soundly, using his chest as a pillow. He, however, was wide awake. Logan had set the alarm on his cell phone to go off about an hour before. He intended to be out of there long before anyone in the household was awake. He should have left already. He should have left when his alarm woke him almost an hour ago. But here he lay, with Rory in his arms, watching her sleep. Logan didn't have the heart to wake her. She looked so peaceful…like an angel.
Logan's cell phone beeped again. It was 9:30. He really needed to get out of there. If he waited any longer, Kevin would get back to the dorm before he did…and in order for his plan to work, he needed to get there first. Shifting slightly, he tried to move without waking Rory. He was half way out from under her when he was distracted by a strange sound. "Did that clock just purr?" Logan eyed Rory's furry contraption suspiciously. "That is the most ridiculous looking clock I've ever seen." As if on cue, it purred again. Not wanting to wake Rory, Logan tried to contain his laughter. However, the vibration of his chest combined with the purring of the clock was sufficient to bring Rory out of her slumber.
"Mmm…coffee," she mumbled automatically before even opening her eyes.
Logan chuckled lightly and kissed the top of her head. "Morning, Ace."
Rory, still weary from sleep, heard a voice. Forcing her eyes open, she saw Logan's smirking face. The events of the past two days suddenly came rushing back. Logan was now her boyfriend and they had spent the night together talking, laughing, and just enjoying each other's company. "You're really here," she said sleepily, smiling at him. "I'm glad you're here."
"Where else would I be?" he asked pulling her close once more.
"I was worried it might have been a dream."
"Nope. I'm real. And you're stuck with me."
Rory giggled and snuggled into him, burying her face in his neck. "What time is it?" she asked with a yawn.
"Just after 9:30. I have to go."
"No. Stay. Don't leave yet," she begged hugging him tighter.
"I don't want to leave yet, but I have to, Ace. I need to get out of here before your parents get up."
"It's Sunday. They won't be up till noon at the earliest. You can't get out of bed before noon on a Sunday. It's a rule."
"Sorry, Ace, but I have to go. I'm meeting your brother in an hour and I still need to set up."
"Set up? Set up for what? I thought you guys were going to pack up your dorm room."
"We are. But I'm also telling him about you and me this morning and I need to set up the room."
"Set it up how?" she asked curiously.
"Don't worry about it."
"Logan."
"I've got a plan, Ace. I promise, I'll tell you all about it afterwards, but right now, I have to go." Logan got out from under her and looked around for his shirt. He spotted it a few feet from her bed and smiled at the memory of their late night activities. All they did was kiss—at least for the most part—but it was far more intimate than any night he'd ever spent with a girl. He and Rory were up till dawn laughing and sharing stories before falling asleep in each other's arms. Logan still found if hard to believe he could have so much fun with a girl without it turning physical. However, another part of him was not the least bit surprised. He always liked being around Rory, even when they were kids. He had always enjoyed her quick wit and her unique sense of humor. She was one of the few people that could really make him laugh. Little things about her, like how easily she blushed, he'd always found amusing when they were younger. Now, he found them to be down right sexy. Everything he liked about her then, he loved about her now. He loved hearing her ramble on an on about nothing in particular. He loved the way she told a story. He loved the sound of her laugh. He loved the fact that he could make her laugh. And he especially loved that she could still make him laugh. He loved being with her. It was all so new to him, but it felt so right.
Logan put his shirt back on and was slipping into his shoes, when he looked up to see a pouting Rory. "What's that face for?" he asked playfully.
"I don't want you to go," she stated plainly. "Please don't leave yet," she whined batting her eyelashes at him
"Not the eyes, Ace. Anything but the eyes," he begged.
Rory giggled. "So you'll stay?" she asked giving him the full on Bambi eyes, combined with a pout.
"You don't play fair." Logan walked over, sat next to her on the bed, and placed a light kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry, baby, but I have to go. But I'll be back in a few hours to pick you up for our date," he offered hoping it would pacify her.
Rory smiled brightly.
"What?" he asked returning the smile.
"You called me baby," she said blushing furiously.
"Yeah…what you don't like that?"
"No, it's not that. It just sounded different. You've only ever called me Ace...but I like it," she admitted.
Logan smiled at her obvious embarrassment. "I like that I can call you baby, but as far as nicknames go, I think I still prefer Ace."
"Me too," she agreed. "Ace has a lot more meaning. Plus, there's a lot of history in that nickname."
"What are you going to call me?"
"Huh?"
"Well I already have two endearments for you. Don't you think you should have a nickname for me too?"
"I hadn't thought about it," she replied honestly. "What kind of nickname would you like?"
"Something unique…that encompasses my greatness yet at the same time expresses your undying devotion to me," said Logan in a cocky tone.
Rory knew he was goading her, but couldn't bring herself not to react. "How about cocky ass?" she suggested.
"How about Master and Commander?"
Rory burst out laughing. "Yeah good luck getting me to call you that."
"Aw come on, Ace. Don't you think it's appropriate?" he asked laughing with her.
"You are such a cocky ass," she said sweetly.
Logan pulled her close and kissed her tenderly.
"But you're my cocky ass," she whispered against his lips.
Logan crashed his lips into hers, ravishing her mouth. Rory laid back against her pillows pulling him with her until he was once again on top of her. The shirt he had just put back on was pulled over his head and was thrown on the floor yet again. Logan's hands found their way underneath her tank top. He caressed the skin of her stomach and the sides of her torso, moving his hands further and further up. He stopped just as his fingertips made contact with the swell of her breasts. Rory moaned at his gentle touch, encouraging him to continue. Logan moved his hands higher until he was finally cupping her breasts. Pure lust shot through his system and at that moment, all thoughts of getting out of bed and leaving Rory were gone.
Rory's body writhed underneath his, wordlessly begging him to move forward. His hands continued to gently massage her breasts. Rory, wanting to give him better access to her body, pulled her top off and threw it on the floor next to his. Logan groaned at the feel of her naked breasts against his body. He wanted to touch and kiss every inch of her.
Rory pushed at his shoulders and effectively reversed their positions. She moved her mouth to his neck sucking gently on a very sensitive spot she discovered the night before. At the sound of his moan, she sucked a little harder and moved her hands from his shoulders, to his chest, down his abdomen, and stopping at his belt buckle. After a moment of hesitation, she began to undo the buckle, but was interrupted when Logan pulled her hands away.
"Ace, we can't get too carried away…not right now."
Not easily deterred, Rory only pouted. She pushed herself up until she was sitting up straddling him knowing full well the effect this move would have. Logan stared in awe at the sight before him. Rory, naked from the waist up, was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She was perfect. Rory smiled at his reaction and moved to undo his belt buckle, this time without any objection.
Logan sat up and kissed the delicate skin between her breasts. He then began running his tongue along her naked flesh taking her right nipple into his mouth. Rory arched her back pushing her chest towards his eager mouth. By now, she had successfully unbuckled his belt and was in the process of unzipping his fly when he stopped her once more.
"Slow down," he begged as he gripped her wrists halting her movements. "We don't have to rush into anything." At the confused expression on her face, he continued, "I meant what I said last night, Ace. I don't mind waiting. I'm happy to do it. I want you more than anything, but not like this. Not rushed. If and when this happens, I want to make it perfect for you. I want us to be able to take our time. I don't want it to be rushed."
Rory sat before him, her upper half completely exposed, and did not feel even a bit embarrassed by the situation. She felt completely at ease with him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I just can't help myself when I'm with you."
Logan placed a gentle kiss on her lips. "Me either, Ace," he admitted as he pressed their foreheads together. "That's why I should probably go now."
"No," she whined as he got out from under her. She reached for him, trying to coax him back into bed.
"I need to get out of here…and fast. You are entirely too good at distracting me." Logan quickly zipped his pants back up, buckled his belt, and pulled his shirt on. "You stay where you are, missy, and put this back on," he ordered handing back her shirt. "I can't have you distracting me with your nakedness."
Rory gave an exaggerated gasp, "You don't like my nakedness?"
"I love your nakedness. And don't worry," he assured, her kissing her forehead, careful not to get too close, "I plan on enjoying more of you and your nakedness very soon. But I have to get going. I need to get to the dorm before Kevin does and I still have to stop to pick something up. I'll see you tonight?"
"We're going on a date," she squealed with excitement. "Where are you taking me?" asked Rory as she pulled her shirt back on.
"I don't know yet. It depends on how well Kevin takes the news…and whether or not I'll have fully functional legs," he joked.
"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you so we can tell him together?"
"I'm sure, Ace. Besides I have a plan remember?"
"This plan of yours…does it involve anything dangerous or illegal?"
Logan thought seriously for a moment. "Dangerous? Not really. Illegal? Technically…sort of, but you shouldn't worry."
"I shouldn't worry?"
"No, I'll be fine as long as everything goes according to plan."
"And you're sure you don't want to tell me about this plan?"
"I'm positive. Besides…that way you can honestly say you had no prior knowledge of the bad act," he told her with a smirk. "I believe the legal term is plausible deniability."
Rory glared playfully at him. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"That you have a boyfriend looking out for your best interest? I should think you'd be grateful."
Rory smiled at how easily he said the word boyfriend. "You think I should be grateful? Because you're not disclosing any details of whatever felony you're about to commit?"
"Let's not refer to it as a felony, but rather…a legal indiscretion," he replied as he pulled her into his arms.
Rory looked at him with an amused expression. "Whatever helps you sleep at night. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? He may take it better if we're both there."
"I need to do this myself, Ace," he stated with a sigh.
"Fine…but call me if you change your mind."
Logan kissed her once more. "I had a great time last night," he said abruptly changing the subject, "and this morning." It was their last few minutes together and he didn't want the conversation to be centered on Kevin and the task ahead. He wanted to end their night on a high note.
Rory blushed at his admission. "Me too. We should do it again."
"Spend the night together? Count on it, Ace," he whispered in a husky tone before kissing her one last time.
Rory let herself melt into the kiss. It was hard to believe this was all happening. After all these years, she and Logan were really together. "I'll see you soon."
"Absolutely," he said. "Go back to sleep, Ace. I'll call you in a few hours."
Rory nodded and got back under the covers. She watched Logan walk to the door and poke his head out to make sure the coast was clear. He sent a smile and a wink her way before finally exiting the room as quietly as he entered the night before. Smiling widely, Rory pulled her blanket over her head and almost immediately fell back to sleep.
Logan opted to use the back stairs and the side door rather than scaling down the side of the house. Even though Rory claimed her parents never got out of bed before noon on a Sunday, he didn't risk going down the main staircase or the front door. He was prepared to face the wrath of only one Hayden today. He made it out of the house with no problem and whistled as he walked the three blocks to where he parked his silver Porsche.
He drove into New Haven stopping to pick up some coffee and another necessary item for his talk with Kevin. It was ten minutes to 11 when he made it back to the dorm. Logan had just enough time to set up the room exactly how he'd intended before Kevin walked in.
"Hey, Logan," said Kevin. After looking around the room, he asked confused, "Why did you move the furniture?"
Without warning, Logan lunged at Kevin, taking him completely by surprise.
"LOGAN!" he yelled in protest. "What the hell are you doing?"
Logan had successfully tackled him to the ground and was attempting to drag him toward the section of the room he had cleared out. After a few minutes of struggling, along with a myriad of profanities from Kevin, Logan had successfully completed his goal.
"I'm handcuffed to the radiator," stated Kevin. "Logan, why am I handcuffed to the radiator?"
Logan did not answer his question. Instead he snatched Kevin's cell phone off his the clip on his belt, closed all the blinds, and locked and then barricaded the door.
Kevin watched him do all this and was beyond confused. He stared at his best friend of nearly 20 years and seriously considered the possibility that Logan may have suffered some sort of nervous breakdown. "Logan," he said slowly, "are you feeling ok?"
Still not saying a word, Logan brought over a pillow and handed it to him along with the coffee he purchased earlier.
"What's this?" asked a still very confused Kevin as he accepted both items from Logan.
"It's your usual, black with two sugars," he answered.
"What's with the pillow?"
"Oh…it's to make you more comfortable," explained Logan. "We may be at this for a while and you're sitting on the floor."
That made very little sense to Kevin, but he decided to just go with it. "Uh…ok…thanks I guess. Wait…what do you mean we may be at this for a while? We may be at what for a while?"
Logan took a deep breath. "I need to talk to you," he stated gravely.
"Ok...um…sure. But first can you tell my why you handcuffed me to the radiator?"
"I need to talk to you," he repeated.
"Ok, Logan, I get that you need to talk to me, but why did you handcuff me to the radiator?"
"I handcuffed you to the radiator because I need to talk to you and I need you to listen. And I need you to stay calm while I talk and not try to...kill me."
"Kill you?" asked Kevin. Suddenly his eyes widened in panic, "Oh God what did you do to my car?"
"Your car?"
"Is my car ok?" asked Kevin. The black Porsche was a high school graduation present and he adored it. That car was his baby. "What happened? Did you dent it?"
"I didn't do anything to your car," Logan declared. "This has nothing to do with your car. Will you calm down?"
"My Porsche is ok?"
"Yes, your Porsche is perfect. I saw it not 20 minutes ago when I parked my car next to it. I'm not here to talk about your car. This is important and I need you to relax and pay attention."
"Ok," said Kevin calming down a bit, "as long as you swear my car's ok."
"It's fine."
"Ok…can you uncuff me?"
"No."
"Logan…"
"Seriously, Kevin, can you just be quiet and listen to me please," interrupted Logan. "I really need to talk to you. It's something important and I'm pretty nervous right now and I'd really appreciate it if you just shut-up and let me get this out."
Kevin eyed him suspiciously. He had never seen Logan look so wound up. Taking the pillow Logan had given him and placing it on his back, Kevin leaned against the radiator and resigned himself to the situation. "Fine…I'm all ears."
"Thank you. Now…Kevin, you and I have been friends for a long time…almost 20 years. We've been through a lot together. We've saved each other's asses dozens of times. You know everything about me and I trust you more than I trust anyone."
Kevin nodded in agreement, "Yeah, Logan, me too."
"You trust me?" asked Logan.
"Of course. What is this about?"
Logan ran a hand trough his already messy hair and took a deep breath. "How would you feel about me dating Rory?"
Kevin instantly paled. His eyes widened and he stared blankly at Logan.
After a few moments of silence, Logan spoke. "Kevin?"
"I'm…I'm sorry…I think I just hallucinated. Can you repeat that?"
Logan looked him in the eye and repeated, "How would you feel about me dating Rory?"
Kevin stared back at him in disbelief. "No."
"No? What do you mean no? No you've never thought about it?"
"I mean no, I've never thought about it. And no, you're not dating Rory."
"Kevin…"
"No!" he repeated. "No! No!! No!!! No!!!!" His voice became louder with each successive no.
Logan took a seat on the floor and faced Kevin. He made sure to stay out of arms length before saying, "Kevin, you're my best friend and I'm really sorry you feel that way, but Rory and I…"
"Rory and I? Rory and I? Since when is there a 'Rory and I'?"
"Since the night before last," admitted Logan. He watched Kevin's face closely trying to gauge his reaction.
Kevin's eyes narrowed into angry slits. "Uncuff me," he demanded.
"Kevin…"
"Uncuff me now."
"No, we need to talk about this."
Kevin lunged at him only to be halted by the radiator he was currently handcuffed to. "AAAHHHH!!!" he screamed in frustration and anger.
"Calm down," ordered Logan.
"Uncuff me!" he yelled.
"No! Not until you calm down."
"Calm down? Calm down? You want me to calm down? You attack me, handcuff me to a radiator, and tell me there's something going on between you and my little sister. I'm gonna kill you!" Kevin tried desperately to free his wrist from the metal cuff holding him prisoner. He forcefully tugged leaving a series of bruises on his wrist.
"Kevin, please calm down so we can talk about this." Logan knew he would be angry, but he didn't think he would be this angry. Kevin looked like a caged animal ready to attack at any moment. Honestly, he had never seen Kevin so enraged. He was genuinely afraid.
"Uncuff me!"
"No! Let's talk about this."
Kevin continued to struggle for a few minutes. His wrist was discolored and had already started to swell. After giving one last desperate tug and final frustrated groan, Kevin took a deep breath in an attempt to force his body to calm down. Closing his eyes, he focused on the pain of his wrist rather than the rage he was feeling towards his best friend. "How could you do this?" he whispered.
"What?" asked Logan.
Kevin opened his eyes and looked directly at Logan. "How could you do this?" he demanded.
"Kevin…"
"How could you do this? She's my sister, Logan."
"I know, but…"
"No buts, Logan. This is Rory we're talking about. She's my sister. She's my little sister. How could you do this?"
The look on Kevin's face cut through Logan like a knife. Anger he could handle. He was prepared for anger. But Kevin's eyes were no longer filled with anger as they were a few minutes ago. What Logan saw looking back at him were eyes full of pain and disappointment. Logan knew that look all too well. He had seen it countless times on Mitchum's face. Over the years, the effect this expression had on him dwindled. However, right now, seeing that expression on Kevin's face hurt more than all of Mitchum's pointed glares combined.
"Kevin, I didn't do this to hurt you. I swear. Me and Rory….it just happened. It was nothing I expected…it just happened."
"It just happened?" spat Kevin. "And what I'm supposed to be ok with it?" He was yelling by this point. "I'm supposed to be ok with screwing around with Rory? God, the thought of you two…"
"Woah hold on," Logan yelled back. "We're not screwing around. It's not like that. You were in the room yesterday when she told us about why she and that asshole broke up. Rory's not like that."
"Yeah but you are," snapped Kevin, glaring furiously at Logan.
Logan glared back with fire in his eyes. He knew that was coming and as prepared as he thought he was for it, it still hurt. "Not with her," he said quietly staring at Kevin point blank. "I wouldn't be like that with her."
Kevin was genuinely surprised at the sincere expression on Logan's face, not to mention the humble, almost desperate, tone in his voice. He felt his anger decrease a tiny bit—a very tiny bit. "And I'm supposed to just believe that?"
"I wouldn't lie to you, Kevin."
"You've already lied to me," he pointed out. "The night of the party, the two of you disappeared for like an hour and then you brought her back here. I thought you were keeping an eye on her for me. I thought you were being a friend. To think I actually felt guilty about leaving her with you that night. And the whole time you two were probably… oh God I'm gonna be sick. I trusted you. Why would you do this? You can have any girl you want, Logan. In fact, you've had every girl you've ever wanted. Why Rory?"
Logan ran a frustrated hand through his hair. Taking a deep breath, he looked Kevin in the eye and decided to go with the truth. "I like her, Kevin," he stated simply.
Kevin saw the sincerity behind that statement. He did his best to keep his level of anger up, but the look of pure vulnerability on his best friend's face was really starting to get to him. "You like her?"
"I like her," he repeated.
"Why?" Kevin wasn't sure why he asked this question. After all, it didn't matter why he like her, he wasn't dating her.
"She's smart…and sweet…and stubborn…and funny. She makes me laugh…and I mean really laugh. She gets me, Kevin."
Kevin continued to stare at Logan in disbelief. He knew exactly what Logan meant by that last statement. The two of them had talked enough about girls over the years to know what that line meant. In their world, most girls didn't see past the last name and everything that came with it. Stacey, for example, was dating him purely for the sex, the gifts, and the other perks that came along with dating the Hayden heir. She didn't really care about him nor did she care to get to know more about him. Kevin was ok with this because he didn't really care about her either. He didn't care because Stacey would never, could never, understand him. To say that someone 'gets you' means that person sees beyond the name. It means they see you as a person, as an actual human being, not an extension of your parents. In their world, people like that are few and far between. Therefore, saying someone 'gets you' has humongous implications, especially if that someone is a girl.
"She gets you?"
"Yeah."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. Believe me it was a big shock to me too."
"Why? It's Rory," he pointed out. Kevin didn't know why he felt the need to point this out, but he did. Rory was one of the nicest, most genuine people out there and he was proud of her for being so. "She's never really been your typical society girl. You know she doesn't care about the money or the…"
"I know," Logan interrupted, grateful Kevin was no longer yelling. "I'm not surprised that she gets me. She always did. It's one of the reasons I've always liked your sister. That's not what surprised me."
"Then what?" asked Kevin.
"I've known Rory forever. You're my best friend and she's your sister. But the fact that she's your sister isn't why I liked her. She's real…and you and I both know that there aren't a lot of people like that out there. Having said that, Rory has known me her entire life. She knows all about the parties, the arrests, the girls. I'm surprised because she's actually willing to look beyond all that…to see past the image and the reputation. She's actually willing to forgive it. She wants to be with me not because of the name and despite the reputation. She wants me…just because I'm me. Can you understand that?"
Kevin could feel his anger slowly dissipate. He did understand it. He understood it perfectly. "It's Rory," he stated simply. It was all he could say. He expected nothing less of his sweet little sister. "Logan, I get what you're saying, but I'm not going to let you add Rory to your harem. I can't."
"You don't get it. I would never put her in the same category as those girls. When I said I wanted to date her, I meant only her."
Kevin stared blankly at him. "Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"As in boyfriend and girlfriend?"
"Yes."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah…and enough with the 'seriouslys' Izzy. It's getting on my nerves."
"Who the hell is Izzy?" asked Kevin.
"Never mind," said Logan. "The point is, Rory and I want to be together and I need to know how that's going to change things between us."
"You're really serious about this…about her?"
"Yes. Do you honestly think I would risk damaging our friendship if I wasn't serious about her?"
"What if I said you had to choose between being my friend and being Rory's boyfriend?"
Logan looked absolutely terrified at that thought. "Is that what you're saying?" he asked slowly.
"I don't know. But if I did, who would you choose?"
Logan's mind raced. He looked at Kevin, the boy he grew up with, the friend whose always been by his side. Then he thought of Rory and he couldn't imagine not being with her. "I don't know," he told Kevin truthfully.
"Whatever happened to bros over hos?"
"She's not a ho. It's Rory," he stated simply. "Any girl…any other girl in the world, I wouldn't think twice about choosing you and our friendship, but it's Rory. Do you really think I'll ever do better than her?"
Kevin didn't know how to respond to that. He loved Rory more than anyone in the world. She deserved the best. But she wanted Logan. Logan was Kevin's best friend and he loved him like a brother. But he was still Logan. Logan had a terrible reputation when it came to girls, a reputation that was well earned. But Kevin knew he was a great guy. They were best friends after all. He honestly didn't know what to think anymore. "I wish I could be ok with this, but she's my sister."
"I would never purposely hurt Rory."
"I know that."
"Than what's the problem?" asked Logan.
"What happens if you two break-up?"
"What?"
"What happens if in a few weeks or a few months you decide you can't do the whole relationship thing? Where does that leave Rory? And where would that leave you and me?"
"That's not going to happen."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do."
"How? How could you possibly know that for sure?" demanded Kevin.
"Because I just do," declared Logan. "Am I scared about being in a real relationship for the first time? Yes. Am I worried about messing up? Yes. I'll admit that. But am I worried about losing interest in Rory? No. In fact, I'm more scared that she'll lose interest in me. I can't even begin to tell you how I feel about Rory. I can't describe it. I can't explain it. But I know it's real and I know it's not going to go away. And you're just going to have to trust me on that one. If you're worried about someone losing interest, you don't have to worry that that someone is going to be me. Because it's not going to happen."
Kevin could not believe those words were coming out of Logan. He had lost count of the number of times Logan had surprised him that morning. "Ok…what if she does lose interest in you?"
"What?"
"What if Rory is the one who loses interest? She just got out of a relationship, if you recall. What if she decided she can't handle another one? I can see how much you like her, Logan. What happens if she breaks your heart? She'll still be my sister. What happens to you and me then? Do we stop hanging out? Would you still come by the house? What then, Logan?"
"I don't know. I guess I'll just have to be such a good boyfriend that she'll never want to break-up with me," he answered smirking confidently.
Kevin laughed despite himself. He shifted his legs trying to find a more comfortable position. He and Logan had been at this for a while and he was still handcuffed to the radiator. "You are a cocky son of a bitch you know that?"
"Yeah, Rory said the same thing this morning," he said laughing before he realized his mistake.
"This morning?" asked Kevin. Suddenly, he was hit by a realization. "When I called you last night, where were you?"
Logan cursed under his breath. They were doing so well. Kevin hadn't looked homicidal for almost five minutes. Determined not to lie, Logan said, "I was with Rory."
Kevin took a deep breath trying to control the anger that was once again rising to the surface. "Where?"
"At your house," he answered reluctantly.
"Where in my house?"
"Kevin…"
"Where in my house?" he repeated raising his voice.
"We were in her room."
"Until when?"
"Until this morning."
"You spent the night with her?" he asked bitterly through clenched teeth.
"Yes."
Kevin lunged toward Logan only to be held back by the radiator he was cuffed to yet again. "AAHHHH! Damn it! Would you uncuff me already?"
"Ah, no, I don't think I'm gonna do that yet."
"Logan…"
"It's not what you think. We didn't do anything," he declared.
"You expect me to believe you spent the night with my sister, alone in her bedroom, and nothing happened? I'm not stupid, Logan. And I know you too well."
Logan couldn't help but see the irony of the situation. Yesterday, last night and that morning, it had been him who had prevented things from going too far. Rory would have been happy to let things progress physically, but he insisted they take things slow. Yet despite that, Kevin was practically accusing him of taking advantage of Rory. "Ok…I admit I've kissed her…a lot, but that's as far as it's gone. Relax, I swear you're sister is still a virgin."
"Ah…gross!" said Kevin. "Too much info, Logan. I can not believe you just said that. You have no idea how disturbing this is to me. I will never be comfortable with the idea of Rory and sex, let alone Rory, sex and…you. Oh God, I'm in hell."
"Kevin…"
"Would you please uncuff me?"
"Not yet. Not until I know you and I are ok."
"You do realize this is a crime don't you? Kidnapping. False imprisonment. Assault."
"This is self-defense," argued Logan.
"I haven't been able to lay a hand on you. How the hell is this self-defense?"
"It's preemptive self-defense," answered Logan with an amused smirk.
Again, Kevin laughed despite himself. He had never been able to stay mad at Logan for too long. "You're really not going to let me out of here until I give you and Rory the green light?"
"Yes."
Kevin took a deep breath, closed his eyes and began to think about the situation. Logan watched as he remained silent and still for almost ten minutes. When he finally opened his eyes, he turned to Logan and said, "Ok…the way I see it, if you and Rory are really determined to be together, there's very little I can do to stop you. True, I could beat the crap out of, which I'll tell you right now, I really, really want to do. But if I do that, I'll only end up hurting our friendship and pissing off my sister. The alternative is to let you two give this relationship a try. I figured if Rory breaks your heart, I can laugh and say I told you so, but I'll still be there for both you because she will always be my sister and you will always be my best friend. I also figured that if you break Rory's heart, I can beat the crap out of you, laugh and say I told you so, and still be there for both you because she will always be my sister and you will always be my best friend."
Logan smiled. There was definitely some logic to that ramble. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. I still need to talk to Rory. I need her to understand that you were my best friend before you were her…boyfriend…" he said having particular difficulty spitting out that last word.
Logan laughed. "You get used to saying it," interjected Logan.
"…and pending some vile or horrific act on your part, you will still be my best friend if or when you are no longer her boyfriend. As long as you both understand that I don't want to lose either one of you, and that I have no intention of choosing sides in arguments, I guess…I can get used to the idea. I don't like it…but I can get used to it. Ok?"
"That's more than I hoped for," admitted Logan.
"Just promise me one thing?"
"What?"
"Could you two not…you know…touch each other in front of me? Cause seriously, if I ever see you with your tongue down my sister's throat, I'll vomit," declared Kevin. "Correction, I'll be forced to separate the two of you, punch you in the face, then I'll vomit."
"No PDAs. Duly noted."
"Ok."
"Ok?"
"Ok…now could you please uncuff me?"
"Are you gonna try to hit me?"
"Yes," answered Kevin.
"Kevin…"
"Logan, you are my best friend. But you lied to me, tackled me, handcuffed me to a radiator and held me prisoner. All those I could forgive, but you, my friend, admittedly made out with my baby sister. Now, I don't have a copy of the best friend handbook in front me, but I'm pretty sure that act alone, grants me at least one free shot," argued Kevin.
Logan thought for a moment and couldn't find a flaw in that argument. Kevin was entitled to that shot and according to those unwritten rules, Logan had to stand there and take it. "All right," agreed Logan. He got and walked over to the kitchen to get the key he had hidden in the coffeemaker. He was walking over to uncuff Kevin when a loud knock sounded at the door.
"Open up, Mates," demanded Finn.
Not eager to take the hit, Logan walked to the door and began to un-barricade it. He opened the door and let Colin and Finn in. As usual, Finn was the first to speak. "Kevin is handcuffed to the radiator," he stated. "Kevin, why are you handcuffed to the radiator?"
"Yeah," added Colin, "we didn't interrupt some twisted Brokeback Mountain thing did we?"
"NO!!!" both Kevin and Logan yelled in unison.
"Logan, would you uncuff me already?"
"Fine, fine." Logan reluctantly tossed him the keys.
"What the hell is going on?" asked Colin.
Kevin freed himself and rubbed his bruised wrist. He got up off the floor and stretched before walking over to Logan. "Where do you want it?"
Taking a deep breath, Logan prepared himself for the hit. "Not the face," he requested. "We're going on our first date tonight."
Kevin let out a disgusted, but amused laugh. He reached back and punched Logan in the gut…hard. Logan wrenched forward and when he did Kevin hit him in the jaw causing Logan to fall backwards onto the floor.
"You got a jaw of steel, Huntzberger," complained Kevin has he massaged is hand.
"I thought you said one shot," yelled Logan while rubbing his injured jaw.
"I said at least one," said Kevin smugly.
Logan attempted to smile but winced in pain. He slowly got up off the floor. Rubbing his jaw with one hand, he extending his other hand out in a fist and asked Kevin, "We good?"
Kevin pounded Logan's fist with his own and answered, "Yeah, we're good…for now."
"Ok. Let's get this place packed-up."
"Ok." The two head off to their own bedrooms to pack up their belongings.
Colin and Finn watched the scene before them. "Do you get the feeling we missed something, Mate?" asked Finn.
Colin rolled his eyes and headed toward Logan's room. "You interrogate the brunette," said Colin pointing to Kevin's door. "I'll take the blond."
"Right," answered Finn.