Author Note: I do not own Gilmore Girls. Italics are Logan's inner thoughts.

Rory approaches with her eyes intent on the book she is reading. Just before she runs into a trash can, he calls out, "Look!"

She stops mid-step and says, "I don't remember that being there yesterday."

"Well, yesterday you came from the other way so you missed the trash can, but almost took out the bike rack."

"Thank God I have a guardian angel hanging out by the coffee kiosk." She walks toward him smiling.

"It's the only safe place to stand with a maniac like you walking around. Plus, here, I'm guaranteed to run into you at least three times a day. Your usual," he says as he hands her a cup.

"You've been hanging out at this coffee cart for a week."

She knows I have been here. Maybe she hasn't been avoiding me as hard as she was pretending to.

"Yes, it's sad. I'm officially a wuss. If I saw myself doing this, I'd beat the crap out of myself," he jokes.

"You really have nothing better to do with your time?"

"Nothing better than to try and get you back, no." This earns him a smile and a blush.

Rory deflects. "You're too slick for your own good, Huntzberger."

"This is not slick. This is a Nora Ephron movie. Louis Armstrong should be warbling as we talk," he quips. "So, come on. Please. Put me out of my misery. You promised me you would let me take you to dinner."

"How about Thursday night?"

YES! Wait…

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'll have turned in my article to the Daily News, and my Friday morning history class was cancelled this week."

"Okay, great. Thursday it is. 7:30. And do not think of backing out, because I will cry and eat a pint of Rocky Road while watching An Affair to Remember with Rita Wilson," Logan says with a smile.

"Of course."

"7:30?" he presses.

"Can't wait." Rory takes her coffee and begins to walk away, already engrossed in her book again.

"Eyes on the road!" he calls out as she almost takes out the trash can again.

Thursday. Two days to set the perfect date. Time to call Honor.

That night, he makes reservations, orders flowers, and buys condoms. Probably wishful thinking, but I should be prepared just in case.

He gets a text from Rory saying she can't meet for coffee in the morning, but can be there after her 1:00 class.

To his surprise, Rory is waiting for him on a bench when he walks up to the cart. She hands him a coffee. "Your usual," she says.

"Woah. This is a treat," Logan laughs.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about something. Sit."

Shit. Is she cancelling our date? Has she heard that I left that party with Cassandra? Oh God. Has my mother called her?

"Logan, it's okay. Just sit."

He stiffly sits down onto the bench, silently praying he will come out of this.

"I've thought about some things you emailed me, and something Finn said, and… we need to talk about Jess."

He exhales, looks her right in the eyes, and says "Rory, I don't want to know. I can't think about you with him, and I know, given my past, how hypocritical that is. As long as you aren't together right now, I just don't want to… You don't have to say anything."

"But I want to say something. I want you to know. I need to explain."

It can't be any worse than the visual in my head… I am such a hypocrite…

He nods his consent.

"I've never really told you about him, but not because I've been pining for him or anything. There just… isn't much to tell. We dated my senior year of high school. I was crazy about him. My mom and all my friends hated him."

Logan snorts.

"Hush. No one could understand why I broke up with Dean for him. But I just saw so much potential, and I thought I could be the one who helped him reach it. I believed there was so much more to him than the smartass he showed to the world."

"That sounds familiar," Logan sighs. "Were you guys serious?"

"I thought so. I thought that I might be in love with him, but… Looking back, he didn't treat me very well, and he never included me in any of the big moments in his life. He wasn't serious about me."

She pauses, collecting her thoughts.

"I think he has regrets. He wanted to be that guy for me, he just wasn't ready then. He periodically drops into my life with grand declarations, but I am not a naïve little girl anymore. His words don't move me like they used to. But this time was actually different. He wanted to show me his book. Let me know that I had been right about him and his potential. It wasn't about us, or me, at all."

Of course it was about you, Rory. He showed you the book to get you back in bed.

Logan remains silent.

"He showed up. I didn't invite him over while you were out of town. That was just coincidence."

He still says nothing.

"Logan, I did not sleep with him."

What? She didn't sleep with him?

He exhales. He is relieved, but his relief is quickly replaced with guilt. He cannot look at her.

"In fact, I've never slept with him. By the time our relationship had progressed physically, he left town, and we've never done more than… heavy making-out."

"Okay, I don't want the details," Logan finally speaks.

"I just want to make sure that you know that I didn't cheat on you. I would never do that to you."

He feels like shit. "Well, we were broken up. I wouldn't have liked it, but it would've been okay," he lies.

"No," she insists. "It still would've felt like cheating, and I didn't do anything. I just want you to know."

How can I ever tell her? I am such a horrible fuck-up.

"Did you think the whole time we've been apart, that I was sleeping-"

"Yes," he interrupts.

Rory looks away from him, and he looks down at the coffee in his hands. Her hand comes into his view as she reaches across him and takes his hand. This is the most physical contact they have had in months. He finally looks up at her.

"If we want this to work, we have to learn how to fight," she says quietly.

"I don't want to fight, Rory!"

"Obviously I don't either, but realistically, we will. We can't just shut down and make assumptions. I don't want to miss two months with you every time we disagree. We have to talk about things as they happen."

He sighs. "Well, that sounds entirely too mature."

"That's what we're trying to do here, right? A mature relationship?" she grins.

He lifts her hand to his lips and kisses her knuckles. "I want that more than anything."

Rory smiles, and they share a quiet look.

"I am actually glad that Jess came to visit though."

Logan raises an eyebrow.

"No, I mean… he just pointed out a lot of things that I was doing wrong. Dropping out of school, living with my grandparents, fighting with Mom-"

"The 'blond dick' you were dating?"

"No, Logan. Okay, on paper, you don't seem right for me. You're rich and pretty, and you can come off like an elitist asshole."

"Gee, thanks."

"And that's who you showed Jess that night. But that's not who you actually are. You're funny and smart. I mean, you read as much as I do. And you can be so romantic."

Logan feels his own face blush as he smiles at her.

The moment ends when her phone rings. "I need to take this," she says looking at the number. "I'm sorry. Hey Bill… She what?... Geez… Yeah, I'll come right now."

She hangs up the phone and turns to him. "I have to go. But I'll see you tomorrow? For our date?"

"Absolutely. I'll swing by your place at 7."

"Dressy? Casual?"

"Um, in between, I guess."

"I can't wait. I'll see you then," Rory says as she turns to leave.

He sits on the bench for a while, replaying the conversation back in his mind.

She was never with Jess. She would think she was cheating… which means she will think I cheated. Once we are back to normal, I will have to tell her… I guess this will be one of those fights we have to work through.

It is not something he is looking forward to.