A/N: Its been a long time since I’ve yeehawed with my favorite cowboy, so I was thrilled to get this request (and I laughed out loud at the “with clothes” part. Oh that poor man) so THANK YOU Angie!! My thoughts about Logan on a horse? I have many. But this is one that is a HC for all my Logans, and it’s... well, it’s a little angsty but he’s fine. And yes, I’m sure. Anyway, this takes place in the future for See You in New York Logan & Reader or as I like to call them, the most well adjusted ones on the LD masterlist.
Warning: mention of past trauma
*there is a criminal lack of photos of Logan on a horse.😠
By now, you’d learned to stop asking Logan if he was sure about things after he’d said them. Yes, he was sure he wanted to come see you in New York. Yes, he was sure he was happy about your new job in Los Angeles. Yes, he was sure he wanted you to be the one he told everything to, everything that happened, everything that he’d kept to himself, and yes, he was sure he was in love with you. It was almost surreal, being with this person who always seemed so confident in what he wanted and how he felt. But after everything the two of you had been through in the last two years, you’d come to learn that this was who he was. He was sure.
So when he told you that he wanted you to join him on his first trip back to Westworld since he’d nearly died there, you swallowed the question and agreed.
If he says he’s ready he’s ready. He’d grinned then, the kind that kept going into his eyes when it reached the limit of his cheeks, and leaned over to kiss you, the smile still on his lips. And if he’s not, I’ll be there.
Three weeks later, when you’d both been able to take vacation time, you stepped off the train with Logan, your fingers laced through his, the pair of you looking like every saloon owner’s worst nightmare. You knew that he’d be decked in black from what he’d told you about how he liked to play. He had no idea what you’d choose, though, his eyes darkening devilishly as you walked into the bar car in a pair of knee high boots over charcoal pants, a fitted maroon blouse, and a hat with an embossed design of thorns and vines in deep ebony. Tugging on his lapels, you stole a kiss and whatever breath was left in his lungs.
Yes Logan, I’m sure I want to go black hat with you.
You’d spent the first two days in Sweetwater, and it had been going fine. But you knew the things that haunted him weren’t there in town. His ghosts were out beyond the plains, out where there’s only sun and sand.
The third day, as you arrived at the stables, Logan was quiet and you knew why. The horses. You recalled the night he told you all of it, and how you only saw the first tear after he told you how hopeless he felt when his horse had died. You slipped your hand into his and squeezed.
“Hey, I’ve never ridden before. Why don’t we share a horse? You can show me.” And I can make sure I’m right there. With you.
Later, the two of you stopped astride your mount to watch the sunset, you felt his arm wind more tightly around your body to hold you closer. He kissed the skin behind your ear, keeping his lips there as he whispered your name. “Thank you.”
.
.
.
Thank you for reading! If you would like to be added to or removed from the tags please feel free to let me know :)
Tell me a random fact about SYiNY Logan, Whiskey and a character of your choice
Random facts about some of my all time favorite cowboys?! ALRIGHT!!
SYiNY Logan
See You in New York Logan has never been around a real horse. Dozens of mechanized horses sure, but the first real live horse he was up close and personal with was walking through Central Park with you and the strangeness of that fact was not lost on him- he made sure to file that away to bring up to you later because he knew you'd get a kick out of it.
Agent Whiskey
We know what Whiskey can do with a whip and a lasso. But he is also a DEADEYE with darts, billiards and horseshoes. Especially horseshoes. And when he finds out you are also good at horseshoes? oh boy.
Din Djarin
Din doesn't have a ton of memories from his life before the Mandalorians took him in- playing with other children in his village, the rich saturation of red fabrics, dry heat, and the melody of a lullaby... just the melody. He can't remember the words, wouldn't be able to with a blaster aimed at his head, but the melody of the song his mother would sing or hum to him when he was small and couldn't fall asleep has stuck with him his entire life. Despite not hearing it in roughly three decades, the first time that Grogu has a hard time falling asleep or wakes up from a nightmare Din finds himself absently humming the tune to get the kid to fall back to sleep. It's not until Grogu is asleep again that Din realizes his cheeks are damp.
are there going to be more parts to “see you in new york”? i love it, and i need to know what happens next! 😩😂
Hi anon!! I hope you're having a great weekend!
I'm THRILLED to hear that you are enjoying See You in New York! There are ABSOLUTELY more parts coming for that story. I have loose outlines for... i think three more main parts? And then a multi-part holiday mini-series for both Thanksgiving and Christmas that I have literally been planning for Logan and his favorite Buzzkill for years.
I kinda fell into a bad (read: the worst i have ever had) writing slump towards the end of 2020 and I'm still working trying to claw my way out of it. Unfortunately I don't have a timetable for when I might get back to this story, so I'm sorry about that, but what I can say with complete certainty is that I fully intend on finishing every single one of the series that I have started to post.
Thanks again, anon, for reading and for dropping by to ask about SYiNY! I hope I'm able to get it up and running again soon!
... but uh... since you said you need to know what happens next... here's a snippet from an upcoming chapter:
You heard the grin in his voice. “We could start where we left off last night.” The mattress dipped as he moved to sit behind you, his long legs dropping down on either side of yours, one arm coming around your waist to secure you against him.
You hummed, chin tucked into your shoulder as you peeked over it at him. “That why you decided to stay two extra days?” You let your fingertips glide between the knuckles of his left hand, where it rested on your right hip. “More of that?” You felt a wave of warmth roll over every inch of your skin and through your whole body at his suggestion. Images from last night overwhelmed you, eyes fluttering closed to imagine his, dark and hungry, as he touched and tasted his way from your thighs to your throat.
His grip tightened and he pulled your back flush to his chest, his nose and then lips pressed behind your ear. “No,” he answered, right hand coming up to tuck your hair back, giving himself more access to your neck. You let a small sigh slip out as you felt his beard rake against your newly exposed skin. “I changed my reservation back in L.A. That had nothing to do with it.” He flattened his palm against your hip, fingers tracing circles on your side. His other hand fell from your hair to wrap around you, arms crossed over your abdomen.
You sucked in a breath as he nipped and kissed his way down your neck, just as shocked by his words as you were by his actions.
“Wanna know why I wanted to stay longer?” He worked his way back up to your ear, lips marking checkpoints along the way, his breath teasing your skin between kisses.
2,9,20,31 ... you know who i want, but since you aren’t ready to share that ... I’ll be perfectly fine with syiny Logan.
I do know who you want. S o o n. SYiNY Logan for now.
Logan Delos x Reader
2: Who wants to stay in bed just a little longer?
When you’re together? Logan. Wanting to spend the night with someone and then wanting to continue to lay in bed is very new for him. But he doesn’t question it in the moment. There are times when he wakes up before his alarm, and typically he’ll go to the gym or else scroll through emails or go over contracts. But if you’re there he won’t leave the bed until his alarm goes off. Sometimes that early morning sleep from 3-5 am when he chooses to slide his hands under the sheet to pull you closer instead of changing for a run or heading to his desk is the best sleep he gets all week.
When you’re not together Logan doesn’t like to spend time in bed if he’s not sleeping. You’ll take those extra minutes whenever you can snatch them though, and Logan knows that about you, so he’ll send you a text- I know you pressed snooze. Rise and shine, buzzkill- Something along those lines. He knows you work hard so he never actually gives you shit for wanting a little extra rest... especially because when you are together and it’s not super early and neither of you have morning meetings... well... 😏
9: Who accidentally pushes a door instead of pulling?
Neither. Both are very observant and confident and capable of multitasking. They both also spend a lot of time in a lot of different office buildings and hotels and banks and restaurants so doors don’t present a problem.
Hailing a cab or ordering from a hotdog cart in the city though? Logan is clueless.
20: What do they argue about the most?
So once you move out to LA and get settled, it doesn’t take long for the two of you to find a favorite date spot. You’re both super busy and having a low key go to place where you can just relax and enjoy each other’s company is important. The place you settle on is perfect because it’s almost equidistant to both of your apartments, and isn’t far from either of your offices. The most frequent argument that the two of you have is over who has the quicker route there- regardless of where you’re coming from. Logan swears his way is faster but you know it’s only faster if you catch every green light which almost never happens.
The biggest argument happens while you’re working with Juliet. I’ll give you one guess what it’s about.
31: Who has bigger cravings? What are they?
You really miss New York pizza. So Logan found a pizza place close by (well... not really close by but Logan doesn’t let mileage stop him from doing anything, especially for someone he cares about) that is owned by a family that moved out west from NYC. The first time you mentioned missing your favorite by the slice corner pizzeria, he had a pizza from this place delivered that night for dinner.
Non food related cravings? 😏😏😏 you already know.
(And short answers for the two you actually wanted- 2: Her. 9: lol Him. 20: a lot at first and then very little after a while. 31: A third party.)
I love Logan Delos - specifically SYINY Logan Delos and I thank you for bringing him into my life and letting me look at the stars on a boat with him.
Hi good morning! Happy Saturday! ☀️
Oh, Logan Delos. The man who makes the sun look like a 40 watt bulb when he smiles…
It makes me so happy to know that you love SYiNY Logan, because the whole series exists thanks to you not being satisfied with the hand smooch at the end of Services No Longer Required. So really I should be thanking you.
See You in New York is by far the Logan I have the most fun writing, because he’s the most far removed from all the horrible things that he’s been through. He’s the happiest, healthiest version of himself, he’s fixing his relationship with Jules and is the best Uncle to Emily and he’s completely smitten with his Big Apple Buzzkill.
I have SO MUCH that I want to get to for this pair and I promise you that this year I’m giving them the Thanksgiving I planned two years ago or I’m not allowing myself even one mashed potato and absolutely no gravy. I swear. 🦃
I’m so glad that you enjoyed your stargazing boat ride with Logan. Thank you for requesting it and for reading and for encouraging me to keep this story going. I frickin love you.
I was tagged by @markcampbells & @suchatinyinfinity (thanks Trai and Dani!) to share the first line from the last 20 things that I wrote. Some of them are different parts to the same story. Also, I don’t always write in chronological order (read: I never write in chronological order) so these may not be the first lines in the finished product, but they are the first lines in the WiP files... and none of them have been posted yet.
under the cut because 20 is a lot of sentences, even if most of them are short’ns.
“C’mon, you know the drill, yeah?” - From Part 12 of ISY
She thought it would be okay. - From Part 2 of Point of No Return
It was intimidating. - From Part 3 of Point of No Return
Navina stuck close to Firo’s side as he expertly navigated the crowded streets of Coronet City.- From Part 8 of Resol’nare
A dry wind blew across the arid lava flats, his cape whipping behind him as he focused the lens of his visor on the horizon. - From Part 9 of Resol’nare
He noticed right away. - From Hokan’yc, a Resol’nare One-Shot
She stared at the blip on the screen in utter disbelief. - From Part 3 of From Here, an ISY Companion Series
The sky outside the wide front window was turning a dark denim shade of indigo and the shop windows were either blinking out, or glowing with the yellow-orange halos that surrounded string lights and Edison bulbs.- From Part 6 of Passing Through, chapter title: Chain Laws
“What do you think, Logan?” - From Simplify: Forever
“Are you…” your breath caught as his fingertips gently skimmed over your temple, pushing a few wayward strands out of your face. - From Part 5 of See You in New York
His heart thudded to an abrupt stop as he read the word at the top of the screen. - From Accepted, a Core Drive One Shot
He squeezed the lime wedge from the rim of his glass into his drink, tossing the rind in to let it float with the ice cubes before raising it to his lips and taking a long sip. - From Core Drive 2.01
“Are you sure you shouldn’t,” he kissed the top of your head, hands moving up and down your arm and back as he continued to speak.- From Part 1 of Not If Its You, a TGTBT follow up
Emerging from your dream as though surging to the surface of the sea after spending too long below the waves, you bolted upright with a deep gasp that burned your lungs - From Part 2 of The Last Dream
Although several layers of fabric separated your warm skin from his, Caspian’s fingers moved carefully over the ribbing of your bodice, imagining how it would feel to glide over your rib cage instead. - From Part ??? of In the Arms of The Ocean
Billy pounded on the door in front of him with his left fist, his right scrolling swiftly through his phone to find the contact he was looking for.- From Part 1 of Damned if I Do
He rose before the sun most days, starting his routine in the early morning darkness. - From The Devil is in The Details
It had never happened before. - From The Sacrifice
The sky was too bright to call dark, lit up by innumerable stars. - From Part 1 of Nice and Spiced
You stared at the screen in front of you, unable to breathe, unable to blink. - From Recall
WOAH. I HAVE TOO MANY WIPS.
anywho, not tagging anyone, but if you’d like to play please tag me so i can read your sentences!!
A/N: WOAH ARE WE ALL CURRENTLY IN THE SAME HALLUCINATION OR DID I ACTUALLY UPDATE THIS STORY?! The first might seem more feasible, actually, but strangely enough its the latter. I’m sorry this story went on such a long hiatus and I am very happy to have it back on track...sort of...Anyway. In case you forgot because it’s been eleventy five years, you and Logan are on the ferry on your way to show him the sights from Liberty Island. Oh, yeah...and you have some news to share with him before that part of your day is up. How will he take it?
Word Count: 5,710
*parts 1-3 and the intro to this series Services No Longer Required are available on my masterlist under the Logan Delos tab*
Slow down, Delos. A few months ago, the warning would have come from you, reminding him not to get too drunk or too handsy, not to cause a scene. He would have rolled his eyes and groaned, displaying his distaste for censoring his behavior. But for once in his life, the warning came from himself. For once, Logan refrained from flinging himself headlong into the abyss of whatever new vice had taken hold, tried instead to take his time. For once, Logan resolved to take one step at a time, to be in every moment instead of skipping several steps ahead of himself. It’s worth it, she’s… He turned towards you. She’s different. I’m different because of her. With your hand on his thigh and your shoulder leaning into his, you anchored him in that resolve. He pushed away thoughts of pushing you up against the railing of the ferry and kissing you so indecently that even New Yorkers would stare. There’ll be time for that later, he told himself as you tucked a piece of hair behind your ear before smiling up at him. Plenty of time.
As the ferry cut through the gray blue water of the Hudson leaving white caps in its wake, you promised him the most amazing view of the city skyline. “It’s a good day for this, Logan. The sky is clear, so you’ll be able to see everything.”
He smiled, nodding. But even if the sky was full of clouds, even if rain fell in sheets to force the two of you to take cover, even if the wind whipped the water into choppy waves, it would still be a good day for him because he was spending it with you. The sun reflecting off the rippling surface made the whole river seem to sparkle and shine. It made the chipped paint and weathered, dated appearance of the ferry feel fresh and new, and Logan couldn’t help but compare himself to the old boat. I bet it’s seen some rocky waters, too. He shifted his eyes to the side, looking down at you from behind his sunglasses as his thumb moved slowly over the skin of your far shoulder. No more rocky waves for me.
There was still a lot about him and his past that you didn’t know, but the things that he had shared with you hadn’t scared you off, and he had no intention of repeating old mistakes or falling back into bad habits. He knew his limitations and he knew how to keep himself in check. In truth, Logan had been doing just fine before he met you. Finding stability on his own and regaining the control he’d lost over his company had defied nearly everyone’s expectations of him, and while when he was younger he found the lack of confidence from others to be discouraging, he almost welcomed the chance to prove people wrong now. He didn’t need anyone to quantify his happiness or to keep him in line. Getting this chance to have you in his life would simply give him the opportunity to share that happiness with someone else, someone who did believe in him, who saw him and didn’t flinch at the truth.
But that doesn’t mean I have to rush it. This is… He inhaled a deep breath through his nose as he felt you give a light squeeze on his thigh, calling his attention to the way that the sunlight was hitting the glass panes that made up the flame at the top of Lady Liberty’s torch. He glanced up at where you were pointing, the golden yellow beams refracting to make it look like real fire. But he was quickly drawn back down to you, to the way that that same light was igniting your eyes. To him it was just as stunning as the glass. Letting out the breath he’d held in his chest, he continued stroking his fingertips absently down over your bicep, slipping his pinky beneath the strap of your dress. We have time.
When Logan first realized that he had developed feelings for you, he tried to push them away. He was in the middle of recovering his public image from scandalous, albeit false, accusations regarding his behavior with female employees and coworkers, and so he knew that starting something with the very woman who had been brought in to clean up that mess was that last thing that he should be doing. For weeks he ignored the fact that every time you passed his office and flashed a smile or a polite wave, it made his pulse quicken. He shook off the fact that your laugh as the two of you ate lunch together was becoming one of his favorite sounds, even as he’d find himself storing up things to say to you in hopes that he’d get to hear it. He overlooked all of the signs that he was falling for the one person who was supposed to be off limits. And it didn’t work. Grinning to himself, he recalled the way it felt to bet high and go all in with you at the end of your contract, taking a chance and asking you to take one on him. Best way I’ve ever closed out a contract.
But even though things had ended almost exactly as he’d wanted them to, he’d felt rushed for time. He’d known that he had exactly one chance to show you that he was interested, and needing to wait for that one chance until the very last day of your contract had only made it feel more desperate and dire. But now there’s no expiration date, no last day. He felt a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the sunlight or the statue’s torch and everything to do with your hand on his leg and the chance you’d given him. Now we can...it can be normal. I can take my time.
Having to wait the two weeks between dropping you off at LAX and seeing you again at LGA had been tough. Logan was used to instant gratification. When there was something he wanted or needed he didn’t wait, he found a way to have it now. In some aspects of his life it had served him well. In business, it made him a harsh negotiator, and in his personal life it gave him a sense of accomplishment to be able to provide for himself at such a high level. It also meant that he dove head first into pools he would have noticed were too shallow had he only been more careful. It was, he knew, a trait that made him more prone than others to fall victim to addiction, and it was something he worked to balance within himself daily. Normally, a two week delay between the moment that he knew he wanted you and the moment that he actually got to have you would have been a deal breaker. Even if he’d looked past the waiting, the fact that this was about as long distance a relationship as two Americans could possibly have would have doomed it from the get go. Different time zones? All those miles? So many closer, more convenient options? Normally, none of this would have made any sense to him.
But with you, it simply did. Everything with you had been different from the very start. You’d taken the time to get to know him, the real him, not the Logan Delos in the papers, not the one in the boardroom or the ballroom or the bedroom. Him. You knew useless things about him, like which condiments he used on what food items, or that he only used yellow highlighters on paperwork. But you also noticed little details that pointed to parts of him that he wasn’t used to sharing. Like how you could tell from how he undid the top two buttons of his shirt whether or not he was stressed or just trying to get comfortable. If it was the former, he’d slowly trail his pointer finger horizontally under his chin. There wasn’t a scar there because the blade had just barely broken the skin, but when he was stuck on something or upset with an outcome, it was as though he could still feel the cold steel of the knife William had threatened him with in the desert. You’d only seen him do it once or twice when you’d made the correlation between the negligible motion and what he was thinking and feeling, and it took him completely by surprise. No one would notice that. Juliet doesn’t even know that, and she knows everything.
You didn’t even know the whole story of what had happened on that trip to the park, but you picked up on one of the residual phantoms from it that Logan still carried. I’ll tell her. I’ll… she needs to know. All of it. The ferry began to turn towards the slips at the end of the dock on Liberty Island, and you pulled away from him to sit up straight, gathering your bag and making sure you had all of your belongings. But not… it doesn’t have to be all at once. He let his hand slide down your arm before unwinding it from around your shoulders, bringing it up to comb through his hair. It’s not a rush. I can...we can take things slow. You turned back to him then as you slung your bag over your shoulder, and he had to hold back a throaty groan at the way your lips pressed together before spreading into a grin, cheeks disappearing under the lenses of your glasses. Damn. He was thrilled to be out with you, carefree and relaxed. But I can’t wait to get her back to that hotel room tonight.
“What’s that look for, Delos?” You let your smile curve up one side of your face until it was a smirk.
Oh you know exactly what it’s for. Logan pulled his sunglasses off and folded the arms to hang them from the neckline of his tee. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, buzzkill.” He shrugged, trying and failing to keep from giving himself away, laughing as you playfully smacked his arm.
The boat lurched as the captain maneuvered it further to completely dock, and Logan took advantage of the shift and the way it drew your attention elsewhere to wrap his arms around you again, crushing you close and swallowing your laughter with a kiss. Sucking your bottom lip between his teeth, he bit down with gentle pressure as your fingers curled in the material of his shirt. You hummed as he pulled away, and the sound was almost enough to launch him into another, more involved kiss. Slow down, damnit. He brought one hand up to your ear, eyes focused on the earring you wore and the way his sudden attack had caused it to flip around.
“What are you-” you sucked in a breath as he used his thumb and pointer finger to fix the earring, your eyes falling closed as his touch ran down the side of your neck.
“There.” He smiled as you blinked up at him, enjoying knowing that he’d just put that look on your face, and that there wasn’t any other face he wanted to see that look on but yours. Damn. Standing, he reached for your hand and pulled you to your feet as well, deciding that if he didn’t get up that second, he wasn’t sure if he could justify moving from that bench on that ferry with you. “C’mon, you promised me some views.”
You laced your fingers tightly through his and squeezed. “And I always deliver on my promises.” You paused long enough to wink and he was sure you heard the groan in the back of his throat as he wondered what other types of promises you’d make to him. “Let’s go.” Good idea.
Logan let you lead the way off of the ferry and onto the island, following a crowd of tourists towards the base of the enormous green statue. Shit, it’s a lot bigger in person than you think it is… He felt his eyes widen in genuine appreciation for the massive structure in front of him. People built that. He gave a minute shake of his head, staring at one large sandaled foot where it stood planted on the multi-storied pedestal you were leading him towards.
“Speechless already, Logan?” You tugged on the hand that you held and he tore his amazed expression away from the statue and looked down at you. “Wait until you see it from the top.” With that, you changed direction and started leading him towards a different entrance.
“Where are we-” He looked back over his shoulder at the line forming in front of the main entrance.
“That’s the general admission entrance,” you explained, a hint of mischief coloring your voice that excited him. “But I pulled some strings and called in a favor I had with a friend of mine who...well really he’s a friend of Cynthia’s, but,” you sighed through a smile, reaching up to remove your sunglasses as you stepped into the shade. “Long story short? We’re not waiting in any lines.”
You shoved your sunglasses into your purse and dug around for your phone, pulling it out and scrolling through your email to find the digital passes you’d been sent that would get you inside and up to the top without having to share the experience with dozens of strangers. You showed it to the guard at the door you’d lead Logan to, and he nodded, saying something into the walkie he had clipped to his shoulder as he opened the door for the two of you. “Wait right inside, Byron will be right down, he knows you’re coming. You two enjoy your visit,” he said as you both stepped inside.
You both thanked the man as he pulled the door shut again, and Logan’s surprise only grew as he turned to you. “I thought you said you were showin’ me the real New York.” He cocked his head in the direction of the long lines out front. “Doesn’t that mean-”
“No,” you cut him off holding up one finger and waving it before you pressed it to the middle of his chest to pull a chuckle from him. “First of all, real New Yorkers don’t come here because it’s always full of field trips and family vacations and there are plenty of other places in the city to take pictures. But,” you pulled the finger away from his chest and waved it once more. “If we have to partake in the touristy side of the city, we do it in style. I’m doing this for you here, Delos, not, oh!”
“I know.” He’d pulled you quickly to his side then, lips landing near your temple. I know you are, and I… no one’s ever done anything like this for me before. “Thank you.”
“Logan, you’re…” your voice came out as a strained whisper before you cleared your throat. “You’re welcome.”
The elevator at the end of the small hallway dinged as the doors slid open before he could say anything else, a man in a uniform similar to the one the guard was wearing emerging from the car. He gave you a bright smile and greeted you by name. You introduced the man to Logan, explaining that you’d met him a handful of times through Cynthia, who had known Byron since their college days.
“Thanks again for doing this for us, Byron, I really do appreciate it.” You followed the man as he headed back towards the elevator he’d come from.
He laughed. “Of course, it’s not every day a woman like Cynthia comes calling for a favor, and once I heard that it was for you, darling?” Byron flashed a large, good-natured grin. “I was happy to do it.”
“What exactly is goin’ on?” Logan couldn’t help but ask the question as he stepped into the elevator with you and Byron. I thought I knew what today was gonna be like but… this… He glanced over at you to catch your smile widening.
“She didn’t tell you?” Byron’s eyebrows flew up on his forehead as he pointed to you, and Logan shook his head no. The other man laughed, the sound hearty and genuine. “Oh then you’re in for a surprise, Mr. Delos.”
Logan was about to press the issue further when you spoke. “Just hang in there a few more seconds, Logan. You said you trusted me to surprise you, right?” I sure do. He nodded, and without missing a beat you reached up to fix a strand of hair that had fallen over his eyes. “Okay, so trust me.”
He heard Byron’s muffled laugh as the man tried to cover it up with his hand but his eyes were focused on you. Damn. The way she… “Okay,” he nodded.
“Okay,” Bryon pointed to the lights above the door, the top floor lighting up just as a soft ding sounded. “Here we are. I’ll be just outside here, you’ve got about twenty minutes between tours so,” the elevator door opened to show a small vestibule area, and a set of doors with a small sign over the top that read just one word: crown. “Enjoy.”
You thanked him again and pulled Logan towards the door, but he paused, pointing up to the sign, one side of his smile pulling his cheek further up his face than the other. “The crown? That mean we’re-”
“No one gets to come up here alone, Logan.” You grinned, your smile changing your voice to make it lighter. “Well, no one but us.”
Us. The small word sent a big rush through him and he inhaled through his nose as he let you pull him the rest of the way through the doors and into the observation deck of the crown level. He was overwhelmed by the combination of big things and small gestures, special moments and mundane ones all mixed together. And it’s not even...it’s just noon and we’re…
But his thoughts were completely scattered as he took in the sight before him, mouth dropping open and a breath slipping out. Damn. The inside of the Statue of Liberty’s crown was far less glamorous than the outside, exposed steel beams and grated flooring making the small room feel more like a construction zone than a monument, but it was the arched window panes and the light coming through them that caught and held Logan’s attention. Beyond the glass he could see the river the two of you had just crossed, glittering between the island and the city, and he felt himself drawn towards the view, glancing back once at you before stepping up to the windows. “This is…” He leaned his hand against a beam and looked out.
“Yeah,” you stepped up next to him, ducking under the arm he had propped against the beam, looking out the window and leaning into him slightly. With a sigh you continued. “It’s pretty beautiful, isn’t it?” Something in the sigh made him snap his attention down to you, but you’d already moved on to the next set of windows before he could bring it up. What was that? “I’m gonna,” you waved your phone and rolled your eyes. “I’m gonna play tourist and take some pictures. You should look out over there,” you pointed to a particular window. “The view facing that direction is-”
“Alright,” he decided to let it go, figuring that you’d tell him if anything was wrong. What could be wrong, anyway? We’re… this is… she’s amazing.
He watched you turn back towards the window you’d been walking to, eyes drawn to the way that the skirt of your dress twirled around your knees, and it was difficult to peel them off of you and train his vision back on the skyline and the reason that you’d brought him here. She’s the real reason, though. He felt another warm rush pulse through his chest as he let himself get lost in the view and the woman who had lead him to it.
After a few minutes had passed, Logan straightened up and took a step back from the window. He turned towards where you stood, still gazing out on the far side of the curved platform. The view that had just stolen his breath, of the sun reflecting in diamonds off of the river and the shrunken city on the other side, had been one of the most impressive things he’d ever seen. And that’s saying a lot. Logan had had no shortage of unique, once in a lifetime experiences- things most people, including you, could only dream of. But this is different. This wasn’t new or cutting edge or high tech. Yet it was something that he hadn’t even thought to dream of- precisely because of what it wasn’t. He could only see half of your face as you continued to soak up your city from above, but he could tell that you were smiling from the slight rise of your cheek. I never would have done this if it weren’t for her. “Hey,” he added your name, loving the way it rolled off his tongue, and you turned, sunlight streaming in from behind you.
“Hi,” you answered, darkening the screen on your phone and stepping over to where Logan stood.
“You get some good pictures?” He pointed to the phone you held, but his eyes hadn’t left your face. You nodded. “Good. C’mere.” He reached for you and took the phone from your hand, explaining himself before you had a chance to ask what he was doing. “Need one more.” At that he brought up the camera app and held the phone out in front of the two of you, pulling you close enough to kiss but refraining and snapping the picture in the seconds before his lips met yours. That’s gonna be a good one. He hadn’t checked it but he didn’t need to, and he slipped your phone into your purse where it hung from your shoulder without even breaking the kiss. When he finally did pull away, you hummed and placed both hands on his chest to steady yourself. “Ya know,” he leaned in to run the tip of his nose over yours before pressing his lips against your cheek. “I think I’m really startin’ to like New York.”
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Shit. You stiffened in his arms and you knew that he felt it, even if he continued to let his hands roam over your waist and shoulder, and his lips claimed every inch of skin between your mouth and your ear. You sucked in a breath as he walked you back slowly until your back touched the cool glass of one of the window panes. The sensation of the glass and his hands on your body was almost too much, but you couldn’t let it eclipse what he’d just said. Or what I have to tell him.
“Oh?” You managed the one word question between kisses, letting your hands travel up over the plane of his chest to his shoulders. He responded by humming an Mmhmm against your skin, making you shudder. “And…” your breath hitched as you clutched his shirt. “And what makes you say that?”
“The company,” he answered, moving one hand from the small of your back to the front of your body, letting it climb up the side of your ribcage. “I can see myself comin’ back to visit,” he nipped at the earring he’d fixed earlier before speaking around it. “Often.”
Shit.
Before you could say anything else, he surprised you by continuing to alternate between speaking and dragging his teeth over your skin. “I like that I get to come see you.”
“Logan…” You knew you couldn’t let the moment go on without telling him about your move, but you weren’t sure that he heard you. You could barely hear yourself from the way that he was leaving you breathless.
“Leavin’s gonna fuckin’ suck,” he pressed his nose into your hair and inhaled before changing positions to give the same attention to the other side of your neck and your other ear. “But,” he ran his teeth over the outer shell of your ear and you hissed. “It’ll mean I have somethin’ to look forward to, comin’ back here. And it means I’ll have to be patient. And you know what that means-”
It was time to earn your nickname.
“Logan, I...I have to tell you something.” You groaned as his thumb found the triangle of exposed skin at the top of your abdomen, his lips roaming the slope of your shoulder before he took the strap of your dress between his teeth. But if you keep doing that I…
“Yeah?” He released the fabric from his mouth and the hand he had on your hip came up to the base of your skull, the thumb of his other hand still pressing lightly into your flesh. Your grip on his shirt tightened as he walked you back another step. “Go ahead’n tell me then.” You could feel him smiling as he said it, lips pressing to the top of your shoulder again as you felt the cool glass behind you.
Closing your eyes, you tried to quiet the thundering beats of your heart but they only seemed to echo in the empty observation deck. But between his touch and the diminishing space between your body and his you could feel yourself losing that battle, and it was only a matter of time before his chest was pressed to yours, only a matter of time until he could feel it for himself. You let out a sigh as your head tilted to the left, and you felt yourself give up. Can’t… not when he’s…
“Thought you hadta tell me somethin’.” His beard brushed your cheek as his warm breath tickled your ear. “ What is it?”
“You’re not-” Your words were cut short as he leaned his hips forward, pinning you in place. Shit.
“M’not what?” He kissed the skin behind your ear and for a moment you thought about abandoning the confession entirely. But I have to… He needs to know and…
“You’re not gonna like it, Logan.” Your voice was thin, barely a whisper as you opened your eyes.
He pulled away then but didn't take his hands from you, palms relaxing but maintaining contact. “Hey,” his dark eyes found yours and locked on, softening. “What is it? You’re...worryin’ me a little here.”
“I’m sorry, I,” you shook your head and let out a breath. “I don’t… you don’t have to worry, I just… Look.” You sighed and brought both of your hands up to your head, combing your nails back over your scalp as Logan dropped his hands from your body. “I know why you like this… why you like New York, and why you like that I live here and not…”
He spoke your name and tilted his head. “What are you...what do you-”
“I know you, Logan.” I do. “I know that you like the distance because it means we can’t… that you can’t rush into something, or that we won’t burn out and spend too much time together too soon or-”
“Kinda blew that one before he had a shot though, didn’t we? Spent every day together for six months.” He brought one hand up to your face to tilt it back up to his, and you saw questions swimming in his eyes. “So what is it?”
“Logan, I’m…” Just say it for fuck’s sake. “Remember when I told you that Cynthia had me on a new project?”
“Yeah, of course.” His eyebrows came together as creases formed in his forehead and small crinkles gathered in the corners of his eyes. “But…”
“She promoted me, Logan. She wants me to run a new office and I’ll have to relocate.” Why are you drawing this out? Just say it.
“Oh,” He let his expression relax. “That’s... that’s great! Congratulations! Don’t...I can still...it doesn’t have to be New York, you know. I’ll come see you anywhere.” He narrowed his eyes and let a small smile seep into them. “I have a ton of miles, I can use ‘em whenever.” I’m sure you do. “So,” he leaned in and kissed you quickly. “Where are you off to? Miami? Is Cyn finally goin’ International?” His expression changed to one of excitement. “London?”
“Los Angeles.” You answered, closing your eyes and feeling his hands drop from your body again. Yeah, that’s what I… “She needs me to run the West Coast office, Logan, she…”
“L.A.? You’re…” his eyes widened. “You’re movin’ to California?” You nodded, eyes still closed as he took a step back. “When?”
Blowing out a breath you opened your eyes to see him staring at you. “Soon. Next month. But it doesn’t have to-” It doesn’t have to change anything.
“You didn’t wanna tell me?” His expression was a mixture of serious and confused, and you wanted desperately to make him understand everything.
“What? No, of course I wanted to tell you, I just… I know that…” Your heart pounded in your chest. This isn’t… I ruined it. The day, the trip, all of it, it’s-
“You thought I...wouldn’t want to hear it?” He shifted his weight and leaned his shoulder into the steel beam to your left. “Thought I’d get…”
“I thought you’d think it was too soon for me to… even though it isn’t- I’m moving because of my job, not because of…” you gestured at the space between your bodies. “Not because of this, I...this is still...we just...I wouldn’t try to rush anything like that, Logan, it’s just...bad timing.”
“Bad timing?” He blew out a small breath that was almost a laugh, and then he shocked you further by stepping close again, both hands finding their way back to your waist. “You think it’s bad timing that the woman of my damn dreams is movin’ to my city, and I only have’ta wait a month?” He searched your eyes with his as a smile curved his lips.
What?
You were sure that Logan would have reacted differently, and you wanted to make sure that he wasn’t holding anything back. Even though I know he always… “You’re not...worried? That it’s…”
He leaned in then to quiet you with a brief kiss, his fingers squeezing into your waist as your hands came back to his shoulders. “No.” He kissed you again. “I’m not worried, ‘cause I know you’re not gonna… I know you’re not movin’ because you’re tryin’ to…” he laughed then and brought his left hand up to wiggle his empty ring finger. “Look. I get it. It’s a business move, out of your control. I did like the fact that you bein’ here meant that I’d have to… take things slower than normal but... “ He gave a small shake of his head. “I don’t see why we can’t…”
“Logan,” you nodded enthusiastically. “We can. We can take it as slow as...we don’t have to spend every day together just because…”
He laughed again and pressed another kiss to your lips. “No, we don’t, that’s right, killjoy.” You rolled your eyes, his lips still against yours so that you could feel his breath on your face. Damn, this wasn’t what I expected but… you laughed. But none of this was expected. “Plus, you’re gonna have your plate full, runnin’ a brand new office. I bet you won’t even have time for me for weeks.”
“See? You won’t have to see me any more than if I was still living he- oh! Logan!”
He pulled you into him then, winding his arms around you to speak into your ear. “You think I’ll get sick of seein’ you?” He didn’t wait for you to respond before he answered his own question. “Not gonna happen.”
Relief flooded your system then as he tightened his hold on you just to let it go. That’s one half of the news down. Now I just have to tell him who my new client is. You knew that part was easier said than done, and though he’d reacted far more favorably than you could have imagined to the news of your move, that luck simply wouldn’t extend to his feelings towards learning that you were to become very involved with his sister’s ex-husband. But… later. That’s I’ll tell him later, not...it’s too much all at once. I’ll…
As though he hadn’t just confessed to being...excited? Happy? About your impending move and what it meant for your brand new relationship, as though he hadn’t put your mind and heart at ease all at once, he blinked twice and smiled. “You hungry? Think I saw a sign for a cafe downstairs? They had pizza and-”
Despite the way that your emotions had just gone on a wild ride, you had to laugh. “No way I’m letting your first experience with New York pizza be from a glorified, overpriced snack bar, Logan. You deserve far better than that.” You rose on your toes to kiss the tip of his nose and you traced your fingertips over the line of his beard where it met his cheek. “C’mon,” you grabbed for his hand just as Byron poked his head back inside to let you know that your time in the crown was up. “There’s a hot dog cart down on the island. That’s how real New Yorkers do lunch.”
He chuckled and let you pull him back towards the elevator where Byron was waiting to see you both out. “Sounds delicious, Ms. West Coast Office,” he whispered into your ear and you thought you heard a sense of pride as he teased you with your new title. “After you.”
Standing in line at a hot, metal cart, waiting for a vendor to pass you a hotdog with Logan Delos, you couldn’t help but wonder…
Could it really be this easy?
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