𝚌𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 ━━━ ❄

“Sweetheart, I can talk my way out of anything,” she drawled back to him, flashing a confident grin to add to her statement. And it was true. She had a way of fabricating truths to her own advantage, otherwise known as lying, and Logan knew exactly how to work people into giving her what she wanted. Was she proud of it? No. Never. However, living by scraps and handouts often made one fall into desperate measures. She had sunk so low that even clambering back to the surface was far more difficult than staying in place, slowly drowning. It was easier in her world of deceit.

Hearing the word kinky come out of Nick’s mouth was the event that snapped Logan out of her self wallowing, quickly whipping her head towards him with an arched brow and wide eyes. Kinky and Nick Kerrigan were not cohesive -- or so she thought. Maybe it was the chinos or the way his hair never seemed to be out of place. But, she then noticed his daunting smirk and the mischievous glint in his eye. Oh, he was joking with her. She cocked her head to the side, dragging her stare away from him as she sat at the table, suppressing a smirk. However, as he claimed that he was only finishing the meal on his own accord, she let her smile unfold. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. I’m a great cook. You just distracted me, that’s all.” Another lie.

As he cooked, they mostly stayed silent. Sure, she would peer over his shoulder every now and then, attempting to learn what cooking was all about, or she would roll her eyes at the absurd amount of vegetables he had sauteed. He had finished cooking rather quickly and as Nick set a plate of steaming food in front of her, Logan was positive that she had moaned out of relief. She wouldn’t apologize for that absurdity, either.

And then her face fell as she saw the number of vegetables he had given her. Like a damn child. The pout that had unfolded across her face could have put toddlers to shame. She let Nick see the full extent of it, too. Still, Logan’s stomach rumbled and she sighed and grabbed her fork, digging into the food.

She hated that it tasted so damn good.

Nick was a decent cook, she would give him that. She wasn’t used to eating homemade meals made from scratch, her mother never cooked for them and when Logan did cook, it was always something with directions on the back like mac and cheese or something as simple as sandwiches. Envy flashed before her, hating herself that she was jealous of a man who didn’t know her, or her story due to her own fabrications. She dug herself into her own grave, now she had to lie in it. So, she ate silently, finishing most of the pasta and even a couple of the vegetables, although that was a desperate attempt. She still crinkled her nose when eating them, unfortunately. She enjoyed the zucchini and that was about it.

Throughout dinner, when night slowly started to fall across their small cabin, Logan found herself grower colder with every passing second. First, it was just a chill every now and then, as if a breeze flew through the door. However, it eventually became constant shivering and she wrapped her arms around her chest, sinking into herself to preserve any bit of warmth while also not wanting to give Nick the satisfaction of seeing her struggle.

She was surprised to see him grab the firewood, though, and attempt to get a fire going. Even without any pestering from her. And he did finish dinner for them both…

No, the dick locked her outside of the cabin with a damned bear. He was the spawn of Satan and Logan wouldn’t think otherwise. Couldn’t think otherwise. Her hatred for Nick was all the leverage she had here, she wasn’t going to toss it after one night. She was a hurricane and he was the steady calm of a storm. They would never align.

Even with the fire blazing, her bones felt as if they had turned to icicles. She hated Alaska. She hated Nick Kerrigan.

Hearing his voice over the roaring in her ears, Logan shifted her eyes to him, pressing her lips together to keep her teeth from chattering. And there was that stupid nickname again. Shortstack. “N-no, I’m f-fine, you i-idiot.” Yeah, a real solid attempt at being threatening there. Nice one, Logan. “I’m j-just going to h-head to b-bed, okay?” She pushed herself away from the table, bringing her plate to the sink and trying her best to control her shaking hands. With gritted teeth, she turned towards their shared bedroom, throwing on a knitted cardigan as well as another pair of socks. She climbed into the large bed and quickly dissolved underneath the many blankets the cabin offered. They smelled of mothballs and campfire. Nothing like the scent of the city, how the rain would cover the world in a thick, earthy scent. How the smell of the pizza shop down the corner would sometimes make its way into Logan’s room.

Even though it wasn’t much, she missed home. She was worried about her mother, but mostly her siblings.

Footsteps sounded outside of the door and Logan, with a swarm of blankets up to her chin, growled at the impending doom of her fiance. “No,” she started, trying her best to not stutter with the ravaging chills that ransacked her body. “S-stay o-out you o-oaf.”

Of course, he did no such thing. Nick listening to her demands was about as rare as her eating a vegetable.

“Lucky me,” Nick muttered as Logan waved her fake engagement ring in his face. Like he needed to be reminded that he was stuck with her for the foreseeable future. He batted her hand away from his face, slightly worried that she would smack him again.

Nick hadn’t really intended to lock the door behind her when he’d decided to give her the last piece of chicken, it was merely a spur of the moment decision to prove that she wasn’t the only one who could make life miserable.

And perhaps locking Logan outside in the cold with a bear on their front lawn was a bit cruel. But in his defense, she had gone out not once, but twice to feed the thing. She was basically asking to get mauled. And it’s not like he would actually let anything happen to her, even if she was incredibly annoying.

He smiled at her through the windowpane as she banged on the front door. “Well now you’re just drawing attention to yourself,” Nick noted as Logan let out a spew of curses at him. “And you’re the one that wanted to hang out with a bear! I’m just giving you a much more authentic experience.” He glanced behind her to see that Logan had indeed caught the bear’s attention as it sniffed the air toward her and took a tentative step forward. Nick rested his chin in his hands as Logan continued beating on the door, finally stopping with a pointed fuck you. “You wish, shortstack,” he told her with a cheeky grin.

Watching her try to reason with a bear was honestly the highlight of Nick’s year. Logan talked to the thing like it understood every word she said, and honestly to give her credit it kind of seemed to be working. The bear wasn’t growling or rearing up to charge, Nick surely would’ve intervened if that were the case, but it was just staring at her with curiosity. Then he couldn’t help but laugh as the girl tried to then throw him under the bus and propose he was the one the bear should eat instead. “Aw, you think I’m beefy?” He asked, smother another laugh. Though his face dropped when she started mocking the way he stood. Rude ass.

Then the bear plopped to the ground and rolled onto its back like a dog wanting its belly scratched. Nick could barely believe his eyes. And Logan no longer looked nervous about being in the presence of the large animal, but instead noticed that the bear was in fact female and she decided that it now needed a new name. “Why does it need a name in the first place?” Nick asked as Logan mulled it over. Nick rolled his eyes as she settled on the name Clementine, and unlocked the door because sitting there watching her make googly eyes at the animal wasn’t his idea of fun.

“You’re the only person I know who could talk themselves out of getting mauled by a fucking bear,” he told her as he pulled open the door. Honestly, if he weren't so annoyed by her all of the time, it’d be kind of impressive. But Logan just strolled back inside the cabin without a care in the world.

Nick raised his eyebrows as she threatened him. “Oh, that sounds kinky, promise?” He asked with a faux seriousness. He had no doubt that Logan would pay him back for his little stunt, but for now, at least, she didn’t scare him. Especially not when he stood a full foot taller than her. Though maybe that was a miscalculation on his part.

He did go back into the kitchen though once she sat down at the dining table. “And I’m not doing this because you told me to,” he said as he stirred the pasta and resumed chopping vegetables. “But because I’m afraid you’ll burn the house down the next time you get anywhere near the stove.” That was true. He wasn’t sure he’d be trusting her to cook again any time soon.

It took less than fifteen minutes to finish cooking what remained of their dinner. When he started plating the meal he was sure to add an extra helping of vegetables on Logan’s plate, setting it in front of her with a sideways smile. "Bon appétit." Nick was most definitely walking a dangerous line by continuing to irritate the girl but there was nothing else to do, and that at least was entertaining.

The food wasn’t terrible, though the quality was nowhere near what he was used to making in his own kitchen, but he’d done what he could. And he’d felt much better after eating, less irritable. But maybe that was because Logan had seemed to fall silent, which he would’ve been ecstatic about has he not noticed that she had started shivering. Which, to be fair, he had locked her outside in the snow without a coat on. Yeah, that had probably been a dick move.

Thankfully, Nick had brought some logs in from their front porch earlier with the intent of starting a fire since their heat was still out. So he grabbed a couple of pieces of wood and threw them in the fireplace. He struggled for a good ten minutes to get a flame going—he wasn’t a damned Boy Scout—and finally returned to the table. She was still shivering.

“You want a blanket or something?” He didn’t want her to see that he was actually concerned. Nick felt like showing any weakness in front of Logan Shaw couldn’t lead to anything good, but he didn’t want the girl to freeze to death because of something he’d done. “Because you’re shaking like a chihuahua, shortstack.”

Logan decided that pissing off Nick Kerrigan was her favorite thing about Alaska.

Even as he called her a dumbass under his breath while she stepped onto the snow covered porch, tossing the large animal their dinner, she still relished in the fact that she was getting under his skin. But, even through her triumph, Logan would make sure that the fucker would pay for that insult later.

After the bear inhaled the chicken, already sniffing the air for more, Logan dusted her hands and proudly strolled back into the cabin. However, seeing that Nick didn’t even so much as reach for his phone to take a picture, her expression quickly turned into one of contempt.

And the asshole had the nerve to call her insane and a dumbass. Ha, he hasn’t seen anything yet. They were just skimming the surface of the real Logan Shaw and all her glory.

She sauntered up to him and patted his cheek a few times, the last pat ending with a little more force than the first, smacking his cheek. “Strap in, Kerrigan. I’m now your dumbass.” She wriggled her left hand mockingly, flashing that god awful ring wrapped around her finger.

Hearing him offer up the last piece of chicken for the bear, Logan wasted no time in snatching that piece as well and rushing back out into the snow to feed it to Clark. “Here, baby!” she called, tossing the chicken right in front of Clark’s large paws. Just like the first one, Clark scarfed down the piece of chicken within seconds, barely chewing. “Good boy,” Logan cooed.

Logan started to head back towards the house, ready to give Nick another earful, when suddenly the front door slammed right in her face. She exhaled sharply, her breath fogging in front of her as her eyes grew wide.

Oh, no he did not.

“Nick!” she snapped, banging a fist on the wood door. She glanced over her shoulder at the bear, fear slowly flooding her as the beast became to lumber towards the cabin -- towards her. She pounded again, “Damnit, Nick. Open up!” Behind her, the muffled noises of Clark grew closer, louder, and panic started to set in. She kicked the door, imagining it was Kerrigan’s face, but, much to no avail, it stayed shut. “Fuck you!” she screamed.

Whipping her head towards Clark, Logan put out a cautionary hand, as if that would keep the creature at bay. “Listen, I fed you dinner, okay? I am not dinner.” Logan talked to the bear hesitantly, furrowing her brows and trying her best to ignore the cold that was biting at her skin. Of course, she didn’t wear a coat, she didn’t consider the fact that she would be locked out of her own home while trying to bribe a grizzly bear to not make a meal out of her. “Look, I’m nothing but skin and bones.” She gestured dramatically to her small frame. “He is the one you want, trust me. All beefy,” she mocked Nick’s stance, curling her arms, “and definitely way more delicious than I would be. I’m a smoker, you know.”

Maybe it was a smart move on Nick’s part in not letting her in, he surely wouldn’t survive the encounter.

The bear suddenly plopped down before her and lazily rolled onto its back, feet perched in the air and its large paws gripping them. Clearly, Logan’s babbling seemed to have an effect on him. Clark’s head craned towards her as he laid on his back, looking about as menacing as a mouse. Or an incredibly large puppy.

Logan then realized that Clark was not a boy.

“Ha!” she shouted, pointing at the bear and turning her head towards the door as if Nick could see her and the miraculous discovery. “Clark’s not a Clark at all!” Logan eyed the bear as it rolled in the snow, looking as if she were about to fall asleep right next to their front door. Lazy beast.

With her hands on her hips, Logan eyed Not-Clark and asked, “What should we call her now?” She made sure her voice was loud enough for Nick to potentially hear through the wood, but considering they were in the middle of fucking nowhere with only an obese bear to keep her company, Logan didn’t particularly care if she looked absolutely mad, screaming into the forest.

“Hm…” she started again, chewing on her bottom lip while Not-Clark started to snooze in front of her. “Aha! We’ll call you Clementine. You’re round, super sweet since you didn't eat me, and the only type of fruit I can tolerate. It’s perfect. Do you like it?”

Clementine snored in response.

“It’s settled then.”

As she turned towards the door, Nick thrust it open, looking entirely pissed off and shocked as hell -- just how she liked him. With a flick of her hair, Logan sauntered back into the cabin, kicking the door shut with her boot.

She casually headed into the kitchen once more, making sure to land her eyes on anywhere and everywhere, except for his own. “If you ever lock me outside in the snow with a bear again,” she started, finally turning on one heel to face him and pointing a wooden spoon in his direction. “I will tie you to the bed and unleash myself and Clementine on you.” Her voice was deadly calm and while she smiled softly, there was no denying the threat that laced her words. “Now,” she headed towards the dining table, chin up high, “finish making me dinner.”

“I like Froot Loops too, I’m not a monster.” He grumbled, but he looked down to see a box of Raisin Bran amongst the other items in his cart. Everybody shits on Raisin Bran but it was by far the most underrated cereal, in Nick’s opinion. Though he trailed Logan to the checkout line feeling more self-conscious than he cared to admit about his cereal choice as he unloaded his own cart to check out.

The walk back to the car was freezing and Nick knew he wouldn’t get much reprieve in that department since the truck was still without heat, he was thankful at least that Logan had scheduled that appointment at the mechanic. He wouldn’t tell her that, of course, but he could think it. And the walk to the car wasn’t entirely for terrible since he was the one that got to drive them back to the cabin, and that meant not having to put up with Logan’s shenanigans behind the wheel.

The drive home had been relatively quiet and uneventful except for Logan’s fidgeting—apparently, his driving was too boring for her. Then the latter half of the drive was filled with the sound of crinkling as Logan broke into a box of PopTarts, and of course, she got crumbs all over the seat. “You're going to be the reason we get bugs and shit in here,” he mumbled under his breath, but she didn’t seem the least bit phased by his comment.

It had definitely taken them longer to get back to the little cabin with Nick driving — though he would argue that was a sacrifice he was willing to make since the drive into town had taken years off his life. But it seemed that both he and Logan were working toward a common goal—dinner. Nick realized that he hadn’t had anything to eat basically since the airport the day before and he had to admit that he was starving. And Logan looked like she was about five seconds from tearing into another bag of snacks.

They managed to agree, which came as a mutual shock, on chicken and pasta—simple enough—and the two of them fell into a silent rhythm as they prepared the meal. Nick could admit that when Logan wasn’t talking complete shit, she wasn’t horrible company.

He surprised himself by actually laughing when Logan said she made a mean mac and cheese. She had been right, Nick definitely wasn’t used to eating that. At least, not since he was a kid—similar to the whole PopTart thing really. His family had been all about home-cooked meals at the dinner table while Nick was growing up, and his mother didn’t really tolerate a lock of snacking or processed foods. Something he carried with him into adulthood. Then, after his father had died, learning how to cook for himself when his mother refused to get out of bed.

“You’ll have to make it some time then.” Another statement that surprised even himself. Nick knew that he could stand to be a little more open-minded, so he was trying. He didn’t want to spend the next few months miserable because he was too stubborn to try and act nice, even if Logan was infuriating sometimes—okay, most of the time. Still, this new dynamic that they found themselves in was easy—it was maybe even fun.

“Oh my God, you’re dramatic, they taste good!” He told her when she said she’d only eat vegetables if she plugged her nose. “I bet that I can make a vegetable that you like.” Nick was sure that he could, but he was also sure that even if Logan did like what he made her, she more than likely wouldn’t admit it.

While their attention had been off the stove, the pan with the chicken had started burning and then smoking. It only took a few moments for the entire kitchen to be hazy, but when Nick reached the door and saw the bear sitting just beyond their porch he froze. The sound that he made was wholly and completely undignified. And frankly, the fact that he’d done it in front of Logan made him want to walk into the open jaws of the aforementioned bear sandpit himself out of his misery. He was never going to live this down.

“Ha. Ha. You’re very funny.” Nick barely let her insults register as he slammed the door shut again, and he watched the bear through one of their front windows. It was just sitting there. A massive, hulking silhouette that he would most certainly be having nightmares about tonight. Nick didn’t know exactly when he’d developed a fear of bears, and he hadn’t even been entirely aware that he even had one until that night, but he definitely did not appreciate the fact that these big ass killing machines would be in his backyard for however the fuck long they were in Alaska for. Why did anyone live here?

“That thing is like five fucking hundred pounds, it is not starving,” Nick retorted as Logan ogled the creature through the window. She was acting like it was some big puppy in a pet store, not something that could literally maul them whenever it felt like it. Then, of course, Logan said she was going to feed it. “Logan, do not.” Nick narrowed his eyes, trying his hardest to sound authoritative, but he was pretty sure that ship had sailed once he’d screamed like a little bitch just moments before.

Nick wasn’t exactly expecting her to listen to him, but he really didn’t think she was stupid enough to feed a fucking grizzly bear right off their front porch. “You’re literally the biggest dumbass I have ever met,” Nick mumbled, watching through the blinds as Logan held the piece of chicken in her hands. He narrowed his eyes again when she called him Nicky and did not so much as reach for the camera when she asked. Nick watched as she tossed the chicken in the bear’s direction and saw it sniff it, then swallow the whole thing in one bite.

Logan waltzed back into their living room, claiming that the bear now had a name. “You’re fucking insane, do you know that?” Nick looked back over to the pan of chicken, that still had one piece left, and handed it over to Logan. “Might as well give Clark that too since we’re not going to eat it.” And as soon as Logan had crossed the threshold of the door, Nick closed it softly behind her and slid the lock into place.

“Okay, now I’ll take your picture,” Nick told her with a pleasant smile on his face.

Logan knew that she wasn’t the easiest person to get along with.

Her harsh and overzealous attitude hadn’t rewarded her with very many friends. She was loud, messy, reckless, and she tended to act irrationally a majority of the time. She could be undeniably petty and was never the one to hone in on her own self-control.

Especially now. With Nick Kerrigan.

Logan was vaguely aware of the fact that the boy was getting under her skin with his stupid lopsided grins and his reminders of their first morning together -- all limbs and messy hair entwined on the large and chilled mattress. It was the fact that he was so pleased with himself was what made her grit her teeth and glare at him as they paraded through the small Alaskan town. The air was freezing, but standing by Nick and dealing with his smug antics was making her feel incredibly heated. Her self control was indeed tossed out into the wide stream that neighbored the town and she was left with nothing but fists shoved into her jacket pockets and a pep in her step as she tried to put as much distance between her and Satan himself.

However, even with his annoying grins and his stick-up-the-ass attitude, there was some part of Nick that left Logan on edge and slightly flustered nearly every damn time she looked at him. She hated him, there was no doubt about that. She hated him so much that her stomach twisted and fluttered and her cheeks grew red.

Her first engagement wasn’t exactly going as planned, to say the least.

After she had finagled her way into scoring them both a job at the run down pub, ignoring Nick’s snide remarks for the most part (except for the fact that she had stuck out her tongue to him like a child), Logan knew that her sour attitude was partly because she was starving. It was one thing being in the presence of Nick on normal circumstances, but being around him while hungry? Well, even a cigarette couldn’t help her there. It also didn’t help that Logan noticed the familiar smell lingering across Nick as they made their way to the grocery store. God, he was even starting to smell like her cigarettes after spending so much time together. Smelling cigarettes on her own self was one thing, but smelling them on Nick absolutely enraged her, as if he had stolen something from her.

“You are a master of being a full pain in my ass,” Logan grumbled back as they reached the small market. “You’re welcome, by the way.” She shot him a deadly glance, wincing as he once again called her ‘Shortstack’ and hastily pushed the door open as she followed him inside. She made sure to suck on her candy as loud as she could, just to be spiteful.

As she wandered through the aisle, shoving her favorite foods into the tiny cart, Logan merely scoffed at Nick’s comments and proceeded to fill up the basket with whatever she damned well pleased. “How has your head not fallen off from being so far up your ass?” She watched him look over her PopTarts and she cocked a brow, offended by his comments on her favorite snack of all time. “Maybe that’s why you’re such a grump. I would be too if I hadn’t eaten a PopTart in like… fifteen years.”

As Nick left the aisle and went on his own way, towards the fruits and vegetables like the boring man he was, Logan continued to file through the aisles and grab the usuals. Frozen pizza, bags of chips, candy, and ranch. Lots of ranch. Sifting through the different foods sent a tinge of homesickness through her chest and Logan swallowed the tightness that threatened to well up in her throat. Despite how comedic it might be, seeing the array of snacks reminded her of her siblings -- her family. It reminded her of eating potato chips and ranch as she watched Jurassic Park marathons with her younger brother or toasting the strawberry PopTarts for her sister before she headed off to school.

While nostalgia flooded through her, she jumped when Nick found her once more. Quickly masking her somber expression with one more suitable when dealing with Nick Kerrigan, Logan scoffed and brushed past him towards the cashiers, bumping his shoulder purposefully as she did so. “Of course. I left the Raisin Bran and the Cheerios just for you.”

As they checked out and Logan made the attempt to ignore Nick’s judgemental glances towards her groceries, she was very surprised that the boy had offered to bring up the car. Even if he practically snatched the keys as soon as they emerged from her pocket, she still was taken aback by the gesture.

Then, she realized that he was not trying to be gentlemanly in the least bit. He just wanted to make sure that she never got near the steeling wheel ever again. Logan huffed and crinkled her nose at him as he loaded up the groceries and claimed that he would be the one driving them home -- which in turn meant no fun, no donuts, and the drive probably taking a lot longer than it would have if she were the one behind the wheel.

God, he was insufferable.

Logan was exactly right about the drive home. It was agonizing and she had cracked open a box of the PopTarts on the way, due to the fact it took them nearly an hour to get home with Nick’s driving and she was growing hungrier by the second. Hell, she had even offered to help Nick cook dinner once they arrived home. At this point, whatever put food on the table in record speed was something she could shove her pride down for -- even if it did involve Nick.

Hearing Nick ask her if she did indeed know how to cook, Logan merely passed the boy a sly glance as she readied the ingredients and tried her absolute best to not wrinkle her nose in disgust at the vegetables. “I can cook, just probably not the meals you’re used to eating. I make some mean mac and cheese, you know.”

Once they had both decided on a meal -- some sort of pasta dish with chicken -- Logan quickly claimed her spot at cooking the chicken whilst adding an array of spices Nick grabbed at the store. She wasn’t familiar with most of them, but that didn’t stop her from adding an ungodly amount within the pan. “Maybe if I close my eyes and plug my nose,” she retorted to Nick’s jab about the vegetables. But, even through their banter, they both seemed to be laughing with each other and not at each other -- an act that made Logan’s shoulders relax slightly and her standoffish personality to waver slightly.

If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought that cooking with Nick Kerrigan was actually fun.

However, despite the bonding that was occurring between them, Logan was growing bored. She wasn’t used to her meals taking longer than a maximum of fifteen minutes. Eventually, the girl had tired of watching the chicken sizzle in the pan and Logan decided that toying around on her phone was much more entertaining.

It also seemed that Nick had the same idea because within a matter of seconds the kitchen was encased in smoke, and not the kind she favored, either. “Oh my God!” She squealed, dropping her phone and running towards the burning pan. Nick had rushed to the front door while she snatched the pan off the stove and waved her hand in front of it furiously. Even through the thick smoke and their blazing kitchen, Logan chuckled to herself. “If only it were the damned vegetables that caught fire!”

Her laughs were suddenly cut off by the high pitched wails of the fire alarm. Wincing and resisting the urge to cover her ears, she started scanning the room for the alarm, eager to turn that son of a bitch off. But, upon further inspection, Logan realized that it was indeed not the fire alarm that was making those ear-splitting wails, but none other than Nick Kerrigan himself.

The man was screaming. Out in the snow. Like a little bitch.

“Holy shit, I am never going to let you live that down! I think I went deaf in one ear. Even I don’t scream like that, although you will never be lucky to hear me make such a noise. But honestly, were you a soprano in high --” Nick’s cursing interrupted her insults and Logan furrowed her brows towards as he locked the front door and was breathing raggedly. He was staring out of the window wide-eyed and even more uptight than he already was. “Um… You good?”

As Nick claimed that there was a bear out in their front lawn, Logan couldn’t help it. She tossed the pan on an unlit burner and began laughing hysterically. Belly gripping, chest rumbling laughter to the point where her eyes watered and her cheeks hurt from smiling. She quickly rushed over to his side and peered through the window, which only resulted in more giggles to erupt from her.

“Oh my God, you weren’t lying! I thought it was just you being dramatic, as usual, but there really is a bear!” She tilted her head and continued to eye the animal, the wide grin still across her lips. “Awe, he’s kinda cute.” While the bear was large, the animal was merely sitting and staring at their cabin with a dazed look on his face. She saw his wet nose sniff the air, as if he knew they were making dinner, or at least attempting to. Quickly, Logan rushed back to the kitchen, snatched the burnt chicken with her fingertips, and scurried back over to the door. “Nick, he’s hungry! Look at the poor thing, he’s practically starving.” Her eyes landed on the burly bear again. “I’m gonna feed him.”

Passing Nick a devious glance, Logan hastily began unlatching the front door and within a matter of seconds, she burst through it, holding the chicken in the air and completely ignoring Nick’s protests as she did so. “Nicky, take my picture!” She beamed back at an awestruck Nick before tossing the chicken towards the bear. “There you go buddy, just ignore him, that’s what I do anyway.” Logan talked to the bear as if it were a puppy, cooing and whispering to the large beast confidently.

Slinking back into the house, Logan stood in the doorway for a moment, a proud look on her face, before she eventually shut the door softly. Still smiling, she turned to Nick and stated, “I’m naming him Clark.”

The only thing Nick knew for certain was that he would not be letting Logan drive home.

He didn’t care if that meant stealing the keys from her or holding the girl upside down by her feet and shaking her until they fell out of her pockets. He would rather walk back to the cabin than get back into that death trap with her. Hell, at this point, he’d rather call the mob himself and schedule his own murder than get back into a car with her behind the wheel.

On top of that, he was fairly certain she was only driving this recklessly because she was trying to get back at him for something. Whether that was the accidental entanglement they’d found themselves in that morning, or if it was the way her cheeks had flushed when she’d walked in on him getting ready for his shower. He’d felt rather good about himself when she had stopped and openly gaped at him when he was half-naked and had felt even more triumphant after because he’d made her squirm. But now, after her third or fourth donut made in retaliation, he just felt sick.

Once Logan had finally parked and Nick had quickly made his escape from the vehicle, he had to physically restrain himself from kissing the ground just to make a point. “Apparently you can since you drive like a fucking speed demon.” He grumbled but had to choke back a laugh when he saw her nearly bust ass on the ice-covered concrete. And when she told him she would retaliate if he called her shortstack again he felt his lips twitching up into a smile but he knit his eyebrows together as if the thought distressed him. She wasn’t exactly intimidating when she was slipping around on the ice. Though he didn’t doubt she would follow through with that promise if provoked. “Do that and you’ll be cleaning my vomit off the seats,” He said jokingly, though it was a threat of his own.

The pair walked into the tiny hardware store and Nick let out a thankful sigh when he felt the warmth of the place greet them at the door. They’d been in Alaska for less than twenty-four hours and this was the first place they’d been to with any central heating, and he would happily sit in this store all day if it meant avoiding the bracing cold waiting for him outside — or back at their cabin. They really needed to call someone about that. Especially if they wanted to avoid more uncomfortable mornings like the one they’d just experienced.

He scowled when she called him Bob the Builder and then proceeded to shoo him away. God, she was infuriating. He opened his mouth to make a retort, but she was already striding away toward the counter at the front. He grumbled to himself as he perused the aisles, picking up everything they needed plus some things Nick figured would be useful to keep around. Nick’s arms were full by the time he made his way to the check out counter and was surprised to see Logan with an actual smile on her face as she talked to the old man who ran the store. Nick was beginning to think that the girl was incapable of the expression, and it caught him off guard.

She actually looked…No, those were not thoughts he could have. Not about Logan. She was the literal spawn of Satan sent to Earth to torture him, and thoughts about how cute her smile was or how he actually liked the way her eyes crinkled at the corner when she did it were not welcome ones. He swallowed hard and tried to keep his attention on the man at the counter. Nick laid out the supplies on the counter and smiled at the man as well, extending a hand to introduce himself. “I’m Nick Kerrigan, I see you’ve already met my fiancée,” He emphasized the last word if only to get under Logan’s skin a bit. Besides, if they were supposed to be living here under the guise of an engaged couple, they might as well start acting like it. And to further drive the point home, he draped his arm over Logan’s shoulder as they exchanged pleasantries and the man finished checking them out.

As soon as they left the store, Logan pulled the bags from Nick’s arms and made a comment about the number of tools he bought. “You’ll be happy I bought them when the place isn’t completely falling apart,” He grumbled, more than happy to let her carry the bags if she was so intent on it. “Better than being stuck in that cabin together without any heat,” He pointed out. “Unless you want a repeat of this morning?” Nick asked with a raised brow. “That at least kept us pretty warm.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and gave her a lopsided grin. He knew he was playing with fire, and it was only a matter of time until he got burned.

The little town was actually pretty nice. Nick hadn’t thought that he would like it when they had driven through the night before, but in the morning light, it was charming. The brightly colored buildings on the water stuck out in the snow, and the streets were pretty busy with locals milling about. It was apparently obvious he and Logan were out-of-towners simply by the way that everyone was looking at them as they walked down the street, and it was becoming clear that they were underdressed for Alaskan winter. Everyone around them had on heavy coats and snow boots and Nick’s coat wasn’t doing much to keep the wind and cold from chilling him to the bone. He smiled at people as they passed by, trying to seem friendly. Who knew how long they would be there, and he’d need some acquaintances other than Logan if he wanted to keep from going insane.

They stopped outside a corner bar with a ‘Help Wanted’ sign in the window. Nick scrunched up his nose in faux disapproval when Logan lit a cigarette and let out a puff of smoke. There was nothing more he wanted at that moment than a cigarette, but he wouldn’t let Logan know that. “Happy to,” He called out after her as she disappeared inside the bar. Nick went to the side of the building and leaned against the wall, patting the inside pocket of his coat for the pack of cigarettes he’s stashed there, pulled one out, and lit it before taking a long drag. He sighed, savoring it.

He’d been trying to quit for years — since he was a teenager, mostly to no avail. Though he had been doing really well before he’d met Logan, before all this madness, when he’d packed up his life…he’d thrown in a pack of cigarettes too. He figured this was probably going to be the most stressful time of his life and he didn’t see that as a good time to quit smoking either. He knew he should, and he hated it. The wanting didn’t ever really go away and that lack of control was infuriating. But here he was, smoking again and being a ridiculous hypocrite because he’d sure as hell given Logan enough shit over it since they’d met.

He took another drag as he heard the front door to the bar creak open. “Shit,” He muttered under his breath, letting out a cloud of smoke and dropping the cigarette on the ground. He ground his shoe on top of it to put out the embers and waved his hand around in front of his face trying to clear the smoke before Logan would see. Nick quickly shoved his lighter and his hands in his pockets as she approached and shoved a pack of papers against his chest. He took them, confused, and started leafing through them, following after her down the sidewalk.

“I didn’t ask you to find me a job,” He snapped. Nick didn’t know if he was more annoyed by his cigarette break getting cut short, or if it was the fact that Logan had made this relatively big decision for him, or if it was the idea that he’d now have to not only live with Logan but work with her too. He ran a hand through his hair then folded the papers, shoving them into his pocket. “They must have been desperate to hire you,” He paused for a little longer than was necessary. “And to hire some guy they didn’t even interview,” Nick finished. He rolled his eyes at her bow and cocky attitude at scheduling their mechanic appointment and the first day of work together. “You’re a master of time management,” He said flatly.

The two of them stopped outside the grocery store and Nick narrowed his eyes and let out a sound of protest when she called him Nicky. “Thirty minutes sounds good to me, shortstack,” He shot back to her. He now definitely needed to get the keys from her or else he knew he’d regret that jab later when she made good on her promise. Nick made a disgusted face as Logan popped yet another piece of candy into her mouth — he had never met someone with a bigger sweet tooth than this woman. Nick pushed the door open to the store, not stopping to hold it open for her, and pulled his hands from his pockets, flexing his fingers as they unthawed in the sudden heat.

Nick grabbed a cart and started for the produce and vegetable side of the store only to see Logan quickly divert course and head straight for the cereal and breakfast aisle. The girl then proceeded to fill the basket up with the most colorful boxes — and likely the most sugary options. “How have your teeth not rotted out of your skull?” He asked, picking up a box and turning it over in his hands. “And how old are you? I literally haven’t had a PopTart since I was like…eight.” He tossed the box back into the cart. When Logan showed no signs of leaving the sugar-ridden aisle, Nick went to get his own basket and started shopping for himself. Logan could load up on sugar and carbs all she wanted but Nick didn’t want to live like a petulant child whose parents went away for the weekend.

He shopped like he would have if he were back home. He got meats, fruits, vegetables, and whatever else he needed for some relatively healthy meals. Nick liked to cook, and he was actually pretty good at it, so he picked up some seasonings and spices as well — since he figured those would be the furthest things from Logan’s mind. And when he finally met back up with the girl, he saw that he had been right. She had filled the cart with even more snack foods and sugar. “Was there even anything left in that aisle when you were done with it?” He asked. Maybe he was judging her a little harshly. The government was giving them a decent amount of money to help get them on their feet, and she could spend hers however she saw fit, and he would do the same, but still, he’d met children with a more refined palette than Logan had.

Their thirty minutes were up and the pair had made it through the checkout and back out the front doors into the cold. The car was a couple of blocks away and unless they stole the shopping cart, the two of them wouldn’t be able to carry all of the groceries there in one trip. “Give me the keys and I’ll go get the car,” He said, snatching them from her once she’d brought them out of her pocket. It was less a gentlemanly gesture, and more a way of commandeering the car so she wouldn’t be the one driving home. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was still a little nervous she would make good on her threat and he was getting really tired of near-death experiences.

Nick pulled up to the front of the grocery store and helped Logan pile the groceries into the back before returning the cart and holding the keys up. “I’m driving, hope you don’t mind,” He mimicked the words she’d told him that morning with a smirk plastered on his face and slid into the driver’s seat. The leather was cold and even inside the car, Nick could see his breath. He would be so damned glad to get the heat in this thing fixed.

The drive back to the cabin had been much less eventful than it had been on the way into town. There were exactly zero donuts made, they went the speed limit, and Nick arrived back at the house without the overwhelming urge to throw up like he had when Logan was behind the wheel. And maybe she was right, maybe he did have a stick up his ass, but he would much rather err on the side of road safety than end up dead in a ditch because they spun out while doing a fucking donut.

After they’d brought the groceries inside, Nick started laying out ingredients for dinner — and to his surprise, Logan said she would help. “You know how to cook?” He asked, the shock evident in his voice. He definitely wasn’t going to deny her help, since he was sure that would only cause him more problems in the long run, and maybe this was something they could bond over. It would be nice to not constantly be at each other’s throats, even if arguing with her was fun at times.

Nick wasn’t used to sharing the kitchen. He wasn’t used to sharing anything really, but he was trying. He’d been an only child and lived his adult life pretty much on his own — hell, Logan was actually the first roommate he’d ever really had. But he had to admit that even though he wasn’t a fan of Logan, it was nice to not cook alone. “So, if I make vegetables are you going to actually eat them?” He asked with a sincere laugh. The thought of Logan eating anything green seemed like a long shot.

While his focus had been off the stove, one of the pans started smoking and in moments the kitchen was hazy and smelled of smoke. “Shit,” He muttered, reaching for the door and started swinging wildly trying to get the smoke out. Then he saw it. There was a big ass bear just beyond their front porch. And he wasn’t proud of it, but he screamed. Like a little bitch.

“Fuck!” He’d never seen a bear before, what else was he supposed to do. Nick slammed the door shut and locked it — like that was going to do anything — and moved to the window to keep an eye on it. The thing was just sitting there, staring into the house, unmoving. “It’s a fucking bear,” He said over his shoulder to Logan who was full-on laughing at him. “It’s not funny.” Though if the roles had been reversed he’d probably be laughing too. The sound that had come out of his mouth had not been manly, and once the adrenaline settled down he was sure he’d be cringing at himself later. “Logan, there is a fucking bear outside, what do we do?” He wasn’t sure why he was asking her. She’d proven that she wasn’t good in crisis situations on the night they’d met, and while Nick usually was, this was definitely uncharted territory.

God, he hated Alaska.

The drive into town was full of Logan sipping her 90% creamer-coffee, as Nick had stated in the kitchen, and her relishing in it pissing him off. She made the glorious attempt at seeming overly eager as she took each sip out of the thermos, making eye contact with Nick as she did so and profusely complimenting her coffee-making skills and insulting his own boring taste.

That’s what Logan had discovered about Nick throughout their unholy time spent together thus far -- the kid was boring. Well, to her anyway. Of course, arguing with him had grown quite fun, even entertaining at times. But, compared to her wild and wayward lifestyle, he was inexcusably safe in his own. He dressed nicely, a stark contrast between her own rugged get up. Every section of his life seemed to be sculpted perfectly. His hair, his clothes, his body --

Logan cut off that exploratory thought with a wince, hand gripping the steering wheel and sending another quick rounded turn in result, throwing Nick against the car door in revenge for him infiltrating her thoughts unannounced. That was the second time she had thought about him this morning, and in a way that did not indeed make want to strangle the control freak. He was attractive, and by the way he smirked deviously at her in the bathroom, he knew it.

So, Logan had to be petty enough to make the drive into town hell for the boy. It was the least she could do. Seeing the kid grip the ‘oh-shit’ handle and fear for his life while the pummeled through the Alaskan snow was a picture she wanted hanging on their shitty, not-heated, living room wall.

“Looks like I can reach the pedals just fine, it seems,” she grumbled as she pulled into the parking space then practically throwing herself out of the car and onto the slick cement. Boot slipping on the ice, Logan caught herself by clutching onto the mirror, gasping once. “And, by the way, if you call me shortstack again,” she started, brushing herself off and adjusting her jacket, “I’ll do seven more donuts on the way back home. Don’t tempt me, stiff.”

As she questioned his handyman capabilities, Logan scoffed and rolled her eyes and followed him into the hardware store, rubbing her hands together to warm them from the cold. Thankfully, the store was heated and Logan decided that she would spend the rest of the day trapped inside this small store with Nick if it meant that her toes wouldn’t get frostbite. “Well then, Bob the Builder, go grab the supplies while I go talk to the manager and see if he can give me a lead on a good mechanic.” With a flick of her wrist, Logan shooed him away and strode up to the cashier's desk and plastered a sweet smile on her face. The old man passed her another soft smile and introduced himself as Ben. He owned the store as well as a few other shops in town -- family businesses, it seemed. After directing Logan to the only mechanic in town, which was his son, so it seemed, Logan beamed at their decent luck.

After making an appointment for tomorrow afternoon and paying for the array of household tools, Logan dragged Nick out of the shop and snatched the heavy bags from him. Her arms sagged at the weight and she hauled the supplies through the snow and back to their car. “Holy shit, we are fixing up a house, not building one,” she snapped to him, as she shoved the bags in the truck and turned back around to face him with a huff. “I got us an appointment with a mechanic -- 2 pm tomorrow so we’ll be stuck in town for a while.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket and started to lead the way towards the gritty pub that sat on the corner of the street.

They really did stick out like sore thumbs in the midst of all the locals. While Logan’s clothing was more within the style range of Ketchikan, Nick on the other hand patrolled around like it was a fashion show. Despite their differing tastes in style, there was no denying the fact that they were not dressed for the weather. If she did indeed get this job at the bar, her first purchase with her newly acquired paycheck would be a thick coat and a large bottle of vodka.

Pulling out a cigarette and quickly lighting it, Logan took a puff and left Nick in her dust as she hastily walked to the pub. “Feel free to wait out here, this shouldn’t take too long,” she called back to Nick. Logan didn’t exactly want him to overhear that she was indeed familiar with bartending and that was how she put food on her family’s table. Her throat tightened at the thought of her siblings, and Logan didn’t look back as she strode into the bar, finishing her cig as she did so.

Within a matter of ten minutes, Logan returned with a smug grin, a packet of papers in hand, and an even greater sense of confidence. Shoving the papers against Nick’s chest, Logan started down the sidewalk and towards the small grocery store. “Congrats, you are now employed at…” she swiftly turned on a heel and walked backward, staring at the old wooden sign protruding off of the bar’s roof. “ ‘O’Mally’s Hideout’...” Logan crinkled her nose at the name but she kept walking backward -- allowing the locals to move themselves out of her path. “It seems like they were more desperate than I had thought,” she chuckled. “I also managed to have our first day begin tomorrow, right before two o’clock -- perfect timing for our appointment at the mechanic.” Logan took a dramatic bow and stopped in front of the grocery store, peering through the windows.

Logan knew she was a judgy person at times, especially about Nick Kerrigan. However, this would be the ultimate test on whether or not she would surely smother the boy in his sleep tonight. If he didn’t like the same foods as her, well, Logan might have one less roommate by morning. “Okay, thirty minutes tops in here, is that a deal, Nicky?” She tilted her head at him as she took out a small piece of candy she had found in her pocket. Flinging off the wrapper quickly, Logan popped it in her mouth and entered the store, passing Nick a quick wink.

She didn’t hesitate to grab a small cart and make her way down the first aisle she saw. Rows of sugary cereal and breakfast snacks appeared as she scooted the cart down the aisle and Logan stopped to admire the beautiful sight. Eyes wide, she started to fill the cart with an array of brightly colored cereal and way too many boxes of PopTarts.

She was in heaven -- even Nick’s piss poor attitude couldn’t kill her vibe.

“You feel violated? I feel violated! I’ll remind you that you had your hands all over me.” Nick watched as Logan reached down to scoop up something off the floor and tried to dodge out of the way as she flung it at him from across the room. He did not succeed. The boot connected with his thigh and his leg throbbed hard enough to make Nick wonder if those boots had steel toes. “No shit you’re not weak, I’m going to have a bruise,” He mumbled, quickly fumbling for the doorknob to the bathroom and escaping inside as she chucked the other one. It hit the door with a thud, and the doorknob itself came off in his hand. He’d deal with that later.

Nick twisted the handle in the shower and steam began to fill the bathroom. Thank god the water was hot. It would at least be a slight reprieve from the constant cold he’d felt in his bones since the plane landed. He pulled off his t-shirt, trying to ignore the fact that it still smelled like Logan, and trying to then ignore the fact that he even noticed in the first place. As he was about to completely strip down he heard Logan’s voice on the other side of the door and rolled his eyes at her use of expletives — but he hadn’t been expecting for her to slam the door open.

“Excuse you!” Was the only thing he could muster to say in his shock, but he had to admit he didn’t mind the dazed and mildly impressed look on her face as she saw him standing there half-naked. “You’ve got a little drool,” Nick made a little motion on the corner of his own mouth. “Right there,” He teased, a smug smile plastered across his face. “You know, Logan, if you wanted to see me naked all you had to do was ask.” This felt like baiting a predator and Nick knew if he didn’t stop soon that Logan might end up smothering him in his sleep — but he liked to see her squirm.

Nick rolled his eyes when Logan told him to hurry up, and at that, he knew he would take his sweet ass time, hell, maybe he’d see how long it took for the hot water to run out. Logan slammed the door shut when she left. “And you could try knocking next time, you know.” He yelled through the door, grumbling about her lack of manners while he stripped and stepped into the shower. His muscles relaxed under the steady stream of hot water, even if he did have to duck down to wet his hair under the comically short shower head.

Ultimately, he decided to not start their day off on an even worse note by stealing all of the hot water — but he did make sure to take his time in the shower, just to get under Logan’s skin a little. Though as soon as he left the bathroom he regretted his decision to not be petty once she opened her mouth. “If I were trying to seduce you, you’d know,” He sneered before turning to the dresser to pull out clothes for the day. Reluctantly, he invited her to come into town with him. Nick wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of spending the day with her, but he figured if he took the car keys and bailed he would never hear the end of it.

Logan surprised him by actually agreeing to come, but he had to stifle a laugh at her admission for never working at a bar but figuring it couldn’t be hard. As he was about to comment on that statement, Logan shut the bathroom door — the conversation was over apparently. Nick wondered if Logan actually had the right idea. He’d spent the better part of his adult life throwing himself completely into his work and now that he was unemployed again he didn’t know what to do with himself. He was used to a routine, used to being busy — the prospect of lounging around this cabin until they waited for their lives to go back to normal seemed depressing, and frankly, unrealistic.

While his unbearable ‘fiancée’ showered Nick quickly changed into the most casual clothes he owned, a pair of charcoal chinos and a pullover sweater. He would likely need warmer clothes too, especially if they didn’t get the heat in this place fixed soon. Nick then went into the tiny, outdated kitchen and made a pot of coffee. He leaned against the counter drinking his cup and relishing in the warmth of it when Logan came out from the bedroom. He grimaced as she poured herself a to-go thermos and proceeded to dump a metric ton of sugar and creamer into it. It was a miracle her teeth hadn’t rotted out of her head with the number of sweets she ate on a daily basis. “Why even bother with the coffee when your cup is 90% creamer?” He asked, sarcastically.

As Nick went to reach for the car keys, Logan snatched them from the counter. Nick groaned when she stated matter-of-factly that she was driving. He really had no reason to mind if she drove, he’d never seen her drive — but he had a gut feeling he was going to regret this. “Can you even reach the pedals, shortstack?” He teased. Logan really wasn't that short, but Nick was almost a full foot taller than she was.

The two of them made their way out the door to the cabin and Nick pulled on his coat as the cold air hit him. At that moment, Nick thought that this frozen landscape might actually be Hell and that he was being punished for something — it seemed very likely. That theory only seemed to prove itself when he slid into the passenger seat of the truck and remembered that it didn’t have heating either. “Wow, for the first time ever, I actually agree with you.” The words almost burned in his mouth, but he was willing to swallow his pride and admit she was right if it meant they got the heater fixed.

Nick had been right. Logan was a terrible driver. He had witnessed a literal murder and he had never feared for his life more than when Logan was driving that truck. When she’d first peeled out of the driveway he’d known he was in trouble, but then she started doing donuts in parking lots and Nick had been sure she was going to flip the car. “I’ll remove the stick when you start driving that a normal human being,” He was trying to sound unbothered, but he was white-knuckling the the ‘oh, shit’ handle and gripping the dashboard like his life depended on it — because he was pretty sure that it did.

That drive had taken nearly half an hour and Nick was certain it had taken years off of his life as well, but he sighed when Logan started driving relatively normally once she entered the little Alaskan town. Nick had to admit that Ketchikan had a bit of small-town charm. It was freezing cold outside, but there were still people milling about on the street and the colorful buildings on the water look warm and inviting against the snow. He wished they lived closer to town than in the middle of nowhere, but given the circumstances, he guessed he couldn’t complain.

“I know enough,” He shot back at her. While Nick wouldn’t admit it, he had grown up in a little farmhouse in the country with his parents and had helped his dad in the barn or around their property on occasion, but he’d died when he was young so he hadn’t learned too much — but he was hoping it was enough to at least fix up a few things in the cabin. Nick pushed open the door to the truck and pulled his coat a little tighter around himself. “You coming in or what?”

“I wanted to get you something that matched your personality,”

If Logan were a strong and well-collected woman she would have easily brushed off his snide remark and would be the bigger person. She would keep her mouth shut and maintain whatever composure she was able to muster up while being in the ungodly presence of Nick Kerrigan.

However, Logan was the opposite of a well-collected woman and before she knew it her foot collided with his back harshly and she kicked the sorry son of a bitch off of the mattress with hopes of sending him tumbling to the dust ridden floor. But, unfortunately for her, that little act had only seemed to anger Nick even more and he had scooped her up into his arms, even through her squirms and protests.

“What the? Put me down!” She kicked and thrashed like a child, but his tight grip didn’t waver and just as Logan was about to resort to biting the annoying man again, he had plopped her onto the couch. The furniture creaked at the contact and a large cloud of dust overtook the small living room. Coughing hysterically, waving a hand in front of her face, Logan growled an array of words that rhymed with ‘block trucker’ and dusted herself off.

Stomping dramatically with clenched fists at her sides, Logan entered back into the tiny bedroom and gave Nick a deadly look. “You move your sorry ass or I will shave your head in your sleep,” she snarled, her short hair in a wild disarray from being manhandled. She hesitantly made her way over to the bed once Nick had thankfully formed a wall of pillows between their two sides.

Sinking into the sheets, Logan sighed and rubbed her temples, trying her best to ignore Nick’s words but failing miserably. “If you so much as touch me again I swear to God…” But her words drifted off as she heard Nick settle into bed and her own exhaustion took over.

If this was any idea of how her new life was going to be, Logan didn’t know if sleeping for a hundred years would be able to save her.

-----------

She was warm, and that was all that mattered.

Logan wrapped her arm around the pillow and she gave a soft hum in delight. Fading in and out from consciousness, she was only aware that she was in a bed, that the thick blankets were heavy on her form, and that her pillow smelled like pine and citrus. A soft smile appeared on her full lips as she nuzzled into the scent, arms wrapping tighter around the form next to her.

Wait a minute.

Pine and citrus.

Before Logan had time to react, she was thrown across the bed, the comfort of the sheets being ripped away from her and allowing the crisp air to sting her skin. She shot upwards from the bed -- hair sticking every which way and her eyes wide with surprise. Panting heavily, she then took in her surroundings and reality hit her like a brick.

She was in Alaska. She was in a fake engagement. And she had just shared a bed with the man she despised most -- the man she was just cuddling with. Full-on head on chest, arm wrapped around his waist, legs entwined.

“God I’m going to be sick,” she said exasperatedly, placing a hand on her forehead. Logan knew it was absurd to think so, but obviously, all of this had to be Nick Kerrigan’s fault. There was no other explanation for the horror that had just ensued. “I feel so violated. I am not some weak bitch that you can just feel up whenever you so please!”

Without hesitation, Logan reached down to the chilled wood floor and fumbled around blindly until her fingers connected with familiar leather and she hurtled her boot towards Nick, gritting her teeth as she did so. His unruly voice that sounded through the room caused her to immediately reach for her other boot and she readied her arm to chuck it towards him once more. However, unfortunately, the shoe made contact with the bathroom door instead of his back. She wrinkled her nose and shoved off the remaining blankets and stomped towards the door.

Hearing him call her a menace, Logan growled and she slammed onto the door with a flat hand. “Fuck you, Kerrigan!” But, as her hand made contact with the wood, the door flew open, sending the doorknob clattering to the floor and revealing a stripping Nick and a steam filled bathroom.

She was an excellent liar, but there was no hiding the shock on her face.

Mouth hanging open and traveling eyes that scoured his bare and muscled chest that wandered to his hands on his cotton shorts hanging low on his hips. God how could someone look like that. “Oh shit…” She whispered, staring at him for a moment until common sense kicked in and she shook off her daze. Crinkling her nose and plastering an annoyed look on her face once again, Logan met Nick’s blue eyes, however not so confidently as before. “Just just --- hurry up, prick. I smell like you, it’s making me sick.” She turned her head and snatched the door and slammed it shut, well, as much as it could anyways. The door couldn’t fully close and Logan had to delegate her gaze to anywhere and everywhere besides the bathroom door.

She wandered into the living room, but the room was filled with so much dust that almost as soon as she sat on the couch she began to sneeze. Grumbling, she headed back into the bedroom and laid on her stomach, facing away from the bathroom. Thankfully, the princesses’ shower was done and she could finally get her turn -- Logan was chilled to the bone thanks to the frivolous snowstorm they had received the night before.

Hearing Nick exit the bathroom Logan sighed with relief -- thankful to finally warm up with a hot shower. Unfortunately, her excitement was shortlived as she turned around to face a nearly naked Nick once again. “Jesus Christ!” She snapped, throwing herself off the bed and grabbing an old towel before hurdling herself into the bathroom. “Next time warn a bitch before you try your hand at seducing me -- although it’s not working out in your favor.” She cocked a thin brow as she leaned in the door frame of the bathroom, heat from Nick’s own shower beckoning her. As he invited her to head into town, Logan merely nodded, clutching her towel tightly. “I’ll come. I saw a bar with a help wanted sign. I’ve never had a bartending job, but I’m sure it can’t be that hard,” she lied, not leaving any room for Nick to comment as she shut the door in his face.

Her shower was long and peaceful. She was short enough that the low hanging shower head wasn’t that much of a bother to her, but she chuckled at the thought of tall Nick trying to finagle his way into this small space. The image brought a sense of smug satisfaction to her and she left the bathroom with a smirk and towel wrapped firmly around her damp body. Logan fished out a pair of black jeans and a thick emerald flannel from the dresser and changed hastily, needing something separating her skin from the chilly air. After pulling on thick socks and snatching the only winter hat she had brought, Logan waltzed into the kitchen while she braided her hair to the side.

Making herself a thermos full of coffee with enough sugar and creamer to put a candy store to shame, Logan grabbed the keys to the truck before Nick had the chance to and passed him a teasing smile as she rushed out the door, grabbing her jacket as she went. “I’m driving! Hope you don’t mind.”

Sinking into the fresh and thick blanket of snow that covered their small cabin, Logan jogged towards their old truck and stepped on the front tire to give herself a lift to step into the driver's seat. One of these days she would want to soak in the beauty that was Alaska and their new view -- but her hair was damp and she wanted nothing more than the beat Nick into the truck.

And then she forgot there was no heat.

“Shit!” Logan sighed, slamming her hand on the steering wheel while Nick climbed into the passenger seat. “First thing we are doing is making an appointment to get this damn truck fixed,” she said, jamming the key into the ignition and revving the engine a few times with a giddy smile on her face. She began to peel out of their dirt driveway, which was now covered in dense snow. Perfect for snowballs -- Logan made a mental note to make sure to chuck one at her new fiancé's head later.

Logan rolled into town smirking profusely at an angry Nick. Apparently, he didn’t appreciate her driving and her wanting to pull over to random parking lots to do an endless amount of donuts in the snow. “You really need to learn how to remove that stick up your ass,” she told him, finally parking near the hardware store once they arrived in town.

The drive took almost a half-hour considering the heavy layer of snow they received the night prior. While the truck seemed to be a beast trudging through the slick roads, it still was practically unbearable sitting next to a grumpy Nick the whole drive and Logan swore that if they would have spent any more time together in close quarters one of them was going to end up hitchhiking on the side of the road. Once they reached town, Logan was pleasantly surprised at how many people were out and about, despite the weather. The buildings were bright and colorful and sat right on the water and, even though large forests and mountains loomed behind the town, it seemed to be decently populated with stores and a few restaurants.

Eyeing the hardware store, Logan glanced over at Nick as he exited the truck. “I take it you don’t know the first thing about tools?”

The cabin was bad enough. It was small, dirty, and outdated. But the prospect of living in it with Logan was even worse. Nick wished that the government had done them the decency of at least sending them to separate ends of the country when they uprooted their lives and shoved them on a plane. Unfortunately for them, they were stuck together until further notice. And to make matters worse, they were to pretend to be engaged. Nick had to fight the urge to gag at the thought when the federal agents had told them that bit of information.

Nick scoffed when she told him that she would get the bed and he could sleep on the floor. “Yeah, like that’s going to happen.” He’d rather go sleep in the freezing cold truck than sleep on the dirty, insect-ridden floor of their cabin.

Their cabin.

God, he couldn’t believe this was actually happening. For the first few days after the murder, Nick had half expected himself to wake up in a cold sweat in his bed, all of this having been a dream — he hadn’t been so lucky.

As he rifled through his bag, putting away clothes in the minuscule closet and dresser they would share, a small box came into view and he chuckled. While they had been at the airport waiting for their flight, Nick had walked around the shops and found a collection of cheap jewelry and picked out a ring he figured Logan would hate the most. It was a joke, more than anything, but he figured if they were to act like they were engaged then he’d play the part to the best of his ability. He pulled the gaudy thing out of the box and tossed it to Logan, aiming for it to hit her in the back, but she turned at the last minute and it hit her in the face instead.

“Shit, my bad,” He winced at the impact but couldn’t help the smug grin on his face when she picked it up and began examining it with a look of disgust. “Logan Shaw, will you do me the honor of making me the most miserable man in the world and become my fake-fiancée?” Nick spoke the words with mock sincerity. Then when she spoke he feigned disappointment and a pout. “That wasn’t romantic enough for you? I’ll really have to step it up for the vows then,” He joked putting away the remainder of his clothes. Nick plopped down on the edge of the bed with a yawn and leaned over to look at the ring on Logan’s finger when she stated that it was ugly. The thing looked like it weighed Logan’s whole hand down, and he just smirked at her. “I wanted to get you something that matched your personality,” He drawled as she shoved him off of the bed with her foot.

He scowled at her as she sprawled out in the middle of the bed and reached to turn the lamp off. Nick looked out into the living room and saw the couch did look to be in bad shape, as Logan had said earlier, but it also looked to be about a foot and a half too short for Nick to sleep on — but it would be perfectly sized for Logan. So, without another word he scooped the girl up off the bed ignoring her protests and squirms to get out of his grip and he plopped her down on the couch, a puff of dirt and dust expanding around them. “See? The couch isn’t so bad — goodnight,” He told her before collapsing on to the bed for himself and pulling the covers around him. Nick groaned when he heard Logan re-enter the room. What he would give to be sleeping alone in his king-sized bed back in his own apartment.

“Fine,” He sat up and arranged a majority of the pillows on the bed into a wall splitting the mattress into two sides. “Is that better?” Nick flopped over on his side of the bed, ready to put the entire shitty day behind him. “If you snore I'm throwing your ass back on the couch,” He mumbled as he felt her settle into the bed.

————

For one disorienting moment, Nick thought he was back in his apartment and awoke with a start when he opened his eyes to the dingy cabin he was living in now. What was even more disorienting was when he realized there was a woman curled up next to him — her head was on his chest and her arms wrapped around his torso. It was even more terrifying to realize that it was Logan he had been cuddled up with. Nick quickly pushed Logan away from him and scrambled out of the bed, his face was flushed and he shuddered against the sudden cold of the cabin now that he was out of bed.

“What in the shit was that about?” He asked accusingly. Nick hated the thought of the two of them having been tangled up with one another last night, but he had to admit that the body heat had been nice since the cabin was freezing cold. He hated Alaska with every fiber of his being.

Nick didn’t even see it coming when Logan reared back and threw one of her shoes at him as hard as she could. He cursed when it hit him in the leg. “You were all over me! I’m the one that should be mad,” He shouted but fled the bathroom and shut the door behind him when Logan reached down to throw the other one, he heard the shoe collide with the door. “You’re a menace,” He yelled through the door, going to lock it only to have the handle come off in his hand. “I fucking hate this place,” He grumbled to himself, setting the doorknob on the countertop and turning on the shower.

As he waited for the water to warm up, he tried to rid himself of the memory of Logan in his arms, of the smell of her hair — slightly fruity with a twinge of smoke. God, he needed a cigarette. Nick stepped into the water and immediately banged his temple on the low-hanging showerhead. He felt like the government was setting out to kill them rather than the mob. Nick had to duck to finish his shower, the water was hot at least. He stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and pawed through the dresser to find clothes for the day.

“I’m going into town today, you can come if you want,” He mumbled in Logan’s direction. This house was a death trap, and not only did they need cleaning supplies and groceries if it was even going to be livable, but now he needed tools to fix the damned doorknob to the bathroom. Plus, the thought of spending an entire day with Logan cooped up indoors sounded god-awful. Nick was also mildly curious to explore the town they’d be stuck in for the foreseeable future.

He’s dead, Logan. He’s dead.

While Nick’s words rang through her ears clear as day, she still had difficulty processing the whole ordeal. This was just supposed to be a hookup. A pointless interaction of sloppy kisses, telling lies, and a quick getaway. Logan had just met this guy not even an hour ago and they were already being thrust into a whirlwind of chaos with shitty bourbon, kicking of shins, and smoking guns.

With his arms wrapped tightly around her, holding her back from making some very stupid decisions, Logan swallowed a small sob in her throat as she stared at the man’s lifeless body. Nick was murmuring in her ear, breath hot against her neck, but her eyes remained on the shadow lying on the ground.

And then on the shadows coming right towards them.

As they scrambled behind the building, the crunching of gravel and the harsh and hissing voices of the group growing more and more prevalent, Logan instinctively reached for Nick’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Surely, the act was done out of fear and anxiety and whatever slew of emotions she was facing, but a small part of her felt comforted as he squeezed her hand back. Even if he decided to insult her and call her an idiot when they were seconds away from having their lives possibly ended. The ringing on his phone as he finished dialing 911 caused Logan to whip her head back towards him, making eye contact as he uttered that word she had been dreading to hear.

Murder.

They had witnessed a murder.

If the police didn’t hurry, they would be next.

-------------------------------

After the week she had, Logan was second guessing herself on having Nick Kerrigan call 911. Surely, death would have been easier than dealing with the hellhole they were now both thrust into.

Logan wasn’t perfect. She had her fair share of run-ins with the law once or twice. Mostly were from petty speeding tickets or shoplifting when she was a teenager, however, she did punch a bouncer in the face for calling her friend fat -- but that was a story for another time. It was safe to say that her relationship with the police wasn’t exactly a great one. To make matters worse, federal agents soon became involved due to the fact that the murder they had witnessed was done by the mob. The fucking mob. Her life of cheap cigarettes, working late nights at the pub, and playing board games with her younger siblings were now tossed out the front door. Within a matter of days she and the idiot Nick were forced to pack up their belongings, which for Logan wasn’t much, and get on their way to where no one knew their name, their face, or anything about their lives.

They needed to become strangers to themselves.

Hell, that’s who Nick Kerrigan was to Logan, even. A damn stranger, and a painfully annoying one at that. He always had to one-up her and shoot comeback after comeback to her. Granted, she most definitely deserved it at times. Logan wasn’t known for keeping her mouth shut and while she lied often, her distaste for Nick was nothing but the truth. Even worse, to make their story more believable, they were requested to become engaged. Like, full-on in love.

That was a hard pill to swallow.

Throughout the past week, she had only realized two things about the smooth-talking and control freak of a man. One: he had more clothes than Logan and her entire family combined. Two: he always smelled like pine trees. Pine trees with a hint of citrus. She hated herself for enjoying it.

It was unbearable leaving her family. Logan had cried the entire day before she and Nick were ushered onto the plane with nothing but a suitcase and an order to stay away. She was the sole provider for her family. Sure, some of her siblings were old enough to take on work and after the wake up call Loan had given her mother, the woman seemed to be more keen on finding a job. But, still, guilt ate away at her as she sat on the plane next to Nick. The flight had been silent, thankfully. For once, Logan wasn’t in the mood to talk and the only attention she gave Nick was a weak insult here or there, just to put him in his place when she felt it was needed.

She had never been on a plane before and she had hoped her first time would have been filled with excitement and a taste for adventure. Now, all she felt was loneliness, grief, and a pool of anger.

Upon arriving in Ketchikan, Alaska, Logan was met with a gust of freezing air and darkened skies. It was barely late afternoon and already the town was cloaked in the oncoming night. Pulling her leather jacket tighter against her body, Logan exited the plane, snagged her suitcase, and piled in their newest shithole of a vehicle. A rundown and rusted scarlet-colored pickup truck that had creaky doors and no heat. The trek to their new home in the woods was filled with chattering teeth, rubbing of hands, and a whole lot of colorful language.

Their cabin, surprisingly, was right up Logan’s alley. It was small and cozy with a simple looking kitchen and plain furniture decorating the place. There was one bathroom and one bedroom. Logan crinkled her nose at the door, she wasn’t expecting having to share a house with Nick Kerrigan, let alone a room -- but she would make due. For most of her life, she had shared a room with her sister Jenni, and she was about as much of a neat freak as he seemed to be.

And then she opened the door.

And saw one queen size bed.

“Oh fuck me,” she said, at the same time as Nick spoke his own thoughts about the single bed. Thankfully, his reaction was the same as her own. They were silent for a moment as they stared at their impending doom of not only living together but sleeping together at that. Seeing him toss his bag onto the bed, a light layer of dust puffing off the blankets at the contact, Logan narrowed her eyes and parted her lips.

“Are you kidding me?” She started, quickly tossing her bag onto the bed as well and rounding the corner to claim her side. “There is no way in hell I’m sleeping on that couch. I’ve seen roadkill look more pleasant than that death trap.” She began to kick off her boots and throw her hair up into a messy ponytail. “I get the bed. You can sleep on the floor.” Logan began rifling through the contents of her suitcase, unpacking her belongings in the wooden dresser that sat opposite of the bed. She needed a sweatshirt and sweatpants -- the house was absolutely freezing. She swore she could see her breath fog in front of her face from time to time.

“Have fun on the fucking floor,” she smirked to herself as she finally placed the last of her clothes in the dresser. Satisfied with her work, she turned back around to face the bed, ready to crawl under the warmth of the thick, flannel blankets.

However, as soon as she spun on her heel, a large rock pelted her in the face.

Immediately clutching her nose, Logan shot a guilty-looking Nick a ‘what-the-actual-fuck’ look. The idiot was smiling, for Christ’s sakes. “What the hell was that?” She growled, glancing down at her sock covered feet to find the shiny weapon. Plucking it off the wood floors, Logan examined the object. It wasn’t a rock at all, at least the kind she had been expecting.

The fucker had gotten her a ring.

“You know,” she told him, trudging across the room and sitting on the edge of the bed, “I was expecting something a little more romantic. Something like you begging for me on your knees, blubbering like a baby, a thousand dollars in one hand and a puppy in the other.” Eyeing him under furrowed brows, she slipped the ring on her left hand. It looked wrong -- out of place. Surely, it was fake, but she had never worn something so flashy. She actually didn’t wear much jewelry at all. “It’s ugly,” Logan said as she kicked Nick off the edge of her bed with her foot and took her place in the middle of the mattress, sprawling out with a heavy sigh.

“Alright, I’m heading to bed. Enjoy the living room rug. I think I only saw four spiders and a mouse carcass on it when I walked in so you’re in luck.” She reached over to the bedside table to turn off the small lamp that illuminated the room. It was early for bed, but the darkness and early night that made its home in Alaska had severely messed with her sleep schedule. That, and the horrific plane ride.

Pushing Logan against a wall and covering her mouth to get her to stop talking was maybe not Nick’s finest moment, but what else was he supposed to do when she literally wouldn’t shut her mouth? Though he’d quickly realized the error of his ways when he felt her chomp down on his hand like a feral cat. He might have seen the bite coming if he hadn’t been so distracted by her eyes, and by the very real group of gangbangers causing trouble across the street.

Nick couldn’t help but scoff at Logan’s crude comment. “One, I literally made you dinner,” He shot at her, still cradling his throbbing hand. “And two, don’t flatter yourself — it won’t happen again.” He tried to tell her about the guys across the street, tried to at least keep her from going out alone into the parking lot beside his building until they were gone — but she kept pushing his buttons and it was really starting to piss him off. “Oh fuck off, you probably live in a trash heap of clothes and take out containers, that screams serial killer more than a clean apartment,” But as he argued back his eyes wandered again to the ominous group and saw the vague outline of a gun. “Oh shit, I think they have a gun,” He muttered, trying to back a little farther into the shadows of his building.

His apartment complex had been an upscale one built in between the good and bad parts of town — he’d been able to afford it because the location was less than ideal. But he had been young, and it didn’t really bother him to make a short commute, plus the view had been amazing. However, now he was really wishing he’d gone for the smaller place closer to the office, at least then he wouldn’t be in this situation. Or better yet, he wished he’d never swiped on Logan’s profile at all. At least then he’d be upstairs drinking bourbon and totally oblivious to events happening below.

Logan finally seemed to heed his warning and looked, however exasperatedly, across at the group before trying to say that she didn’t see anything until a shot echoed down the street. The sound caused Nick to flinch and duck his head for cover before he looked up at the group again, someone was holding a smoking weapon, and a man was on his knees grabbing at his chest before slumping forward, unmoving.

It was clear that Logan was going to do something stupid so Nick grabbed her by the wrist and pushed her back against the wall of the building, trying to keep her out of sight. Nick wasn’t exactly used to witnessing crimes, but he was good in high-pressure situations — something that clearly Logan was not. The girl was shaking uncontrollably under his hands, yet she was still able to wriggle her way out of his grasp mumbling something about helping the man. If he had been capable of it, he would have laughed.

“You’re going to get us killed,” He growled, instead. Logan had managed to sidestep him and stumble forward into the light of the road before Nick wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back toward his apartment building. She still squirmed and was near yelling now. “He’s dead, Logan. He’s dead. We have to go, have to get out of here.” He murmured in her ear as he attempted to quell her thrashing — but it was too late. They’d heard them. Heard her. Nick was going to get killed for this girl’s damned stubbornness and her hero complex.

“We have to go, now,” Nick set Logan back on her own two feet as the pair began to back away cautiously from the group that was now quickly advancing before they turned on their heels and bolted for the back of his building. “Shit, okay, okay,” He fumbled in his pocket for his phone, noticing now that his own hands were shaking as he dialed the number. “I’m the idiot?” He asked in a harsh whisper. “You’re the one that went running toward the men with a gun,” Nick stated as the line rang. Within seconds a voice sounded on the other end. He and Logan hugged the building, trying to stay in the shadows as he talked. Nick locked eyes with Logan once again, “I’d like to report a murder.”

————

The last few days had been a blur of police stations and federal agents. Apparently, he and Logan hadn’t just happened to witness any old murder, but it had been a hit by the goddamn mob. The cops had made it to the scene before he and Logan had gotten caught by the thugs, and they’d been scared off, for now. But they’d seen their faces, seen where Nick lived, and what car Logan drove — the feds made it perfectly clear that they wouldn’t be safe in the city anymore. And since there were so few living witnesses of this particular boss, Nick and Logan were to immediately enter the protection program.

They had to quit their jobs, inform their next of kin that they’d be going away for a while, and pack a single bag of belongings — Nick felt like his life was being derailed. He’d worked so damned hard for that job just to get it ripped away from him in the span of a single night. It pissed him off more than anything. Well, almost more than anything. The fact that he and Logan were supposed to be shipped off to the same place and forced to assume new identities together was almost worst. He kind of wished he’d just been shot in the street.

They hadn’t even been told where they were going until they were on the plane there — to fucking Alaska. Nick and Logan had basically been in constant company for the last few days as they answered questions and tried to remember what the guys looked like, and it had been a time filled with jabs and smartass comments toward one another — he was now entirely sure that she had been put on the Earth to torture him. But sitting on the plane next to her made it shockingly clear that they were going to actually be stuck together, and for a while at that, according to the feds.

The first thing Nick realized about Alaska, was that it was really fucking cold — and he hadn’t had room in his suitcase to bring his good coat. The second, was that where they would be staying would certainly not live up to the standard of living he was used to. The cabin he and Logan now stood in front of looked nothing more than a wooden shack in the middle of the woods. Even the shitty excuse for a town they were near was a good half hour drive, in the snow, from their cabin.

It was worse when they went inside. It was evident that the place hadn’t been lived in, in years. It could have been worse, sure, but Nick was used to stainless steel appliances and marble countertops, not cobwebs and dirt in every corner of the house. And it was cold. Apparently the heater was out, but they’d get someone out to work on it in a couple of days — if they didn’t freeze to death first. But the real cherry on top of the cake that Nick discovered as he explored the place, was that there was only one bed.

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Nick sighed running a hand through his hair. Like this situation could get any worse. “I think,” He turned to Logan and threw his duffle bag on the bed. “That I should get the bed since you’re the one that almost got us killed.”

Logan knew she shouldn’t laugh, that she had already done enough to prove her distaste for the fancy-schmancy big shot that was currently tossing her out of his place like a stray cat with fleas. However, she was a weak woman at times and as Nick clutched his injured shin and hobbled outside of his apartment dramatic as ever, she cackled. A lot.

Biting her bottom lip to suppress more giggles, Logan rolled her eyes and popped her sucker out of her mouth, dangling it between her fingertips. He was right, she might be a little insane.

Oh well.

“My foot slipped,” she feigned innocence, fluttering her eyes for dramatic effect. “Take a shot of your shitty bourbon, I’m sure afterward you’ll be fine.” Logan quieted her laughter, popping the candy back in her mouth and turning on one heel to leave him in her wake. Well, she tried to at least. He seemed to be undeniably stubborn like herself and as he stalked after her, Logan peered at him from over her shoulder, furrowing her brows in disgust.

She ignored his comment about her maturity, only rolling her eyes and crinkling her nose. Yes, Logan Shaw wasn’t the greatest at confrontation and her mannerisms weren’t exactly top-notch, either. She knew she was difficult -- that was fairly obvious.

She didn’t feel bad about it.

“Oh go press charges, dick. What are you going to tell them? A girl hurt your feelings? You’re pathetic.” She waved him off with a flick of her wrist and her boots scuffed through the gravel towards the parking lot. Only a few more feet, then she would be inside the safety of her car, windows up, and out of Nick’s presence in no time. “To be honest, I didn’t want to fuck you anyway. I swear you have more product in your hair than I have in my entire house and you clearly don’t know enough about decent liquor. Just because it says it’s top shelf, doesn’t make it taste any less like nail polish and gasoline had a damn love child. And you know what? Your --”

Logan’s rattling was cut off by a harsh shush coming from Nick. She stopped in her tracks, eyebrows raised and mouth gaping open. “Did you just shush me?” This stiff couldn’t be serious. He drags her to the curb like he’s taking out the trash, calls her immature, and then tries to shush her.

She wanted to kick him again. This time in the other leg.

As he mistakenly told her to shut up, Logan huffed out an annoyed breath and snapped her head back to drawl a, “Make me.” She fumbled with the array of keys on her keychain and grumbled to herself. Damnit, where the hell was her car key? She was pissed. Pissed that tonight turned into a shitshow, pissed that Nick kept shushing her, and pissed that her key car had taken flight and left Logan looking like a damn idiot outside of this stupid apartment with this stupid man and his stupid bourbon still on her lips.

Stupid. All of this was fucking stupid.

“Ah finally!” She whispered to herself, holding her car key in her fingers. Logan took a step towards her vehicle when a heavy and large force slammed into her, sending her against the brick wall of the apartment building. Her keys fell to the ground with a clatter. Along with her sucker. “What the--” She hissed until Nick’s hand went over mouth, silencing the slew of curses she was going to throw his way.

He was close. Too damn close.

Nick’s legs against her own, chest pressing against hers, pushing her back so hard into the brick that she was sure she would have scrapes through her shirt, Logan breathed heavily. Sending him a glare that would hopefully answer his obnoxious question, Logan struggled against his tight grip. Curse him and his large hands. Trying to squirm out of his grasp, she was about to rear her leg back to send another kick his way until she caught his stare. His brown eyes bore into hers and Logan stopped resisting against him. Her body went slack in his grip and she relaxed against the wall.

Damnit, he had very nice eyes. Of course, he had to have nice eyes.

Logan didn’t like the fact that she enjoyed being this close to this toolbag of a Tinder hookup. That epiphany had to change, and stat.

So she bit him. Hard.

Laughing at his cut off words and Nick clutching his injured hand to his chest, Logan quickly slid out and away from his cage he had her ensnared in and began to make her way towards her car once more. “If you’re going to shove me against a wall, I suggest you at least buy me dinner first.” Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, Logan readied her car key and continued on her way, until Nick’s voice echoed throughout the lot again, causing her to spin on her heels and snarl at him. “The only sketchy guy here is you. With my luck, you’re probably some deranged serial killer. There is no way in hell a normal man keeps his apartment that clean.”

As Nick mentioned a gun, Logan’s volume dwindled and she followed his gaze over to the warehouse that sat across the street. A small group of men sat outside of the building, one man positioned in the center of the mass. “I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about, Nick. I don’t see --”

And then a shot rang out.

And the man collapsed to the ground.

Logan only knew that she was screaming due to the fact that Nick’s hand once again wrapped around her mouth, silencing her. Chest panting and eyes wide with fear, she was quickly pressed against the brick building, this time much more forcibly than the last. Logan’s fingers were shaking intensely and she managed to wriggle herself free from Nick’s hands to propel herself towards the warehouse. “I -I need to help him,” Logan stammered, her face pale and her mouth dry. The man that had been shot was now on his knees, hands clutching his chest before his entire body fell forward onto the gravel.

No other cars were around. No other people

She and Nick were the only ones who witnessed this. She and Nick were the only ones who could save him.

“Let go,” Logan snarled as pulled her hand away from Nick’s attempts to confine her. However, despite her best efforts, Logan barely made it to the road until arms wrapped around her form, pulling her away from the scene and lifting her back towards the shadows the apartment building provided. “I said let go!” She called again, squirming in his clutches. “We need to help him! Let me help him!” Her voice defied her and Logan knew that her wavering tone wasn’t convincing enough. She was scared -- terrified, even. And, watching the group that had once encircled the man now turn towards her and Nick, Logan’s body froze.

They saw them.

And they were coming this way.

“C-call 911…” She whispered, trying to snake herself alongside the brick and make her way towards the back of the building with Nick right on her tail. “I said call 911 you insufferable idiot.”

“Who the hell lights up in someone else’s apartment the first time you meet them?” Nick yelled right back at the girl — who honestly looked like she was trying too hard to be edgy in that classic rock t-shirt.

Nick didn’t have time for a relationship. He had a firm schedule that didn’t allow himself much free time, except for on Fridays — hence his usual Friday night ‘dates’. He’d all but given up the idea that he would meet a woman who was okay with coming second to his work life, which is why the online dating thing worked so well. It didn’t take too much out of his schedule, he didn’t get nagged about making time for whatever girl he was seeing, and the only thing he had to sacrifice was his usually pristine apartment. So, it wasn’t like Nick was new to the whole Tinder hookup scene, but Logan was the first girl who he’d invited over and who he had immediately wanted to leave the moment she stepped through his front door.

Nick had spent the last hour getting ready. He had a bit of a routine when it came to his date nights. Nick always made a low-key dinner, turned on a movie, set out the good bourbon, put on nice slacks and a button-up, and pulled back the curtains to show off the pretty spectacular view of the city from his balcony. Every other girl he’d ever had over had practically swooned at the effort, but not Logan.

He could admit that she was beautiful, he wasn’t blind, and he hadn’t even really minded the whole ‘I used to shop at Hot Topic as a teenager and I never really grew out of it’ vibe she had going on — but it was the lack of basic manners that immediately got under his skin. She hadn’t taken her shoes off, she’d thrown back his expensive bourbon like it was a cheap shot at a bar, and the cigarette she lit had been the last straw.

Sure, he probably shouldn’t have ripped the damned thing out of her mouth, but he’d been a little on edge since he’d quit a couple of weeks ago. All he’d wanted for the past few days was a cigarette, but he was determined to quit this time — for good. So, when he’d seen her light up in his apartment he’d maybe overreacted, but would he admit that to her? Absolutely fucking not. “My whole fucking apartment is going to smell like an ashtray thanks to you,” He grumbled, escorting her out of his building. Though, ‘escorting’ was maybe too nice of a word. Nick had basically told her to get out — a sentiment he still stood by. He was just glad the night hadn’t progressed any further, he’d rather not spend another second with her and was glad to have an excuse to get her out of his hair and never see her again. Nick barely knew her and she flared his anger worse than anyone he’d ever met.

He’d been leading her out by her elbow when she snapped at him to let her go and he held up his hands in a ‘don’t shoot’ motion — because honestly, he was kind of afraid that she might. As soon as they’d left his apartment, Logan had pulled a sucker from her bag and put it in her mouth — how fucking old were they?

Once they’d finally made it to the street he was going to wave her off and make sure she wouldn’t be allowed back inside his building when she reared back and kicked him in the shin. Nick doubled over and jumped on his good leg trying to get weight off of his throbbing shin.

“What the actual fuck? You are literally fucking insane, you know that?” He growled at her, steadying himself and immediately feeling a shooting pain up his leg. “And yeah, touching you is literally the last thing I’d want to fucking do after you just assaulted me.” Nick had known this girl for less than twenty minutes and he was already pretty sure that she was put on this Earth to be his nemesis. He scoffed at her comment about his bourbon — like she’d know a good bourbon even if it bit her on the ass.

“You have to actually be mature to enjoy a good bourbon, and maturity is something I really think you’re lacking,” He challenged, and while he couldn’t wait for her to get out of his sight, when she started walking away he actually found himself following her. “And you know what? I might just press charges. You can’t just go around to people’s apartments, light up your fucking ‘cigs’ and then kick them when they tell you to leave,” Nick was usually not into confrontation, he’d much rather remove himself from the situation and stew about it in the privacy of his own house — but something about Logan brought out the worst in him.

He was about to open his mouth to yell some more when he caught a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye. Nick glanced across the street into the dimly lit parking lot across the street, it was to some warehouse that had sat empty ever since he moved there, and until tonight, he’d never even seen anyone hanging around it. Nick heard Logan continuing on with their argument as the figures across the street seemed to be getting into it as well. He was getting a bad feeling about this. And of course, Logan kept talking, so he shushed her. Which only seemed to make her even angrier.

“Shut up, Logan,” He growled, not even glancing over to her as he tried to better assess the situation. More figures were emerging from the building now, and Nick noticed that it was only him and Logan and the thugs across the street for as far as he could see. The other figures surrounded a single person who, even from a distance, looked terrified about the situation they'd found themselves in. Logan was still rambling in his ear.

Before he had even really thought about it, Nick pushed Logan up against the brick wall of his building and had covered her mouth with his hand. “Can you not keep your mouth shut for like five fucking seconds?” He growled quietly. They stayed like that for a moment, Nick scanning her eyes while also trying to straighten and listen to whatever situation was happening across the street. “I think something bad is—OW,” Nick quickly pulled his hand away, clutching it to his chest and seeing teeth marks on the flesh of his palm.

“You’re a child,” He shot at her, still trying to keep his voice down. “I was trying to tell you that there are some sketchy guys across the street and you should keep your voice down,” Nick told her as he turned to see the guys across the street again, only now, one of them had a gun. “Oh, shit.”

“It’s a damn cigarette, not fucking meth!” Logan shot back at what was supposed to be another one of her pointless hookups filled with sloppy kisses, wild hair, and around two hours of pretending to actually care about what came out of another undeserving man’s mouth.

This was her usual Friday night occurrence. Scour Tinder, say all the right things, lie about her job, social status, money, or anything else she needed to. She would put on just enough makeup, she would do her hair just the right way, and then she would be out of their place an hour or two later with a satisfied smirk on her face. No feelings, no honesty -- nothing of the sorts. Logan had her ways of making sure everything always worked out according to plan. Tonight, she was a hopeful girl in nursing school, not a messy and disorganized woman who worked at the local hole in the wall bar some fifteen or so blocks over on the rougher side of the city. Arriving in a baggy band tee with holes, ripped up black jeans, and a pair of black boots, she definitely had no business walking into a building of this sort.

She hadn’t expected Nick to live here. Surely, a man only of twenty-four wouldn’t have the means nor the money to be living in one of these exquisite and industrial apartments that Logan would never in her lifetime be able to afford. Even though she lied to others, Logan wasn’t able to hide the truth from herself as she stared up at the large and expansive building with a knot in her stomach and a dire need for a cigarette.

The feeling didn’t go away and that’s how they ended up here, arguing outside of his apartment complex. All because of a damn cigarette. That she lit. In his apartment.

For someone who seemed to have everything, Nick certainly lacked a lot of fucking patience.

The idiot had practically ripped her teeth out with how fast he snatched the cig from her mouth, leaving Logan in a coughing fit and even more on edge than before. She was here to get a release, not to take on a damn headache from an overdressed stiff with a stick up his ass and an undeniable need to control everything. She was pleased with him at first, he was cold, unreadable, and was willing to skip the pointless small talk and get on with the damn show. But upon further introduction, he already had a plan set in stone for the night. She noticed that right off the bat when he already had a glass of bourbon lined up and ready for her, a movie playing on the television, and a spot on the couch designated for her to sit at.

She didn’t like bourbon.

But she drank it anyways, Logan had a feeling that she was going to need it.

Sure, maybe it was her lack of manners and not taking off her shoes right when she walked in, or maybe it was the fact that she downed the few fingers worth of bourbon like a shot and not a drink that she should be nursing. Or maybe it was the fact that within five minutes of talking to him she had lied more times than she could count on one hand. Sure, it was small stuff, just about how her day went and how school-that-she-was-not-attending going. Petty and simple things. But still, lies.

It was hard, leaving Nick’s place. Well, he was more of less escorting her out by her hair. It was hard, because unfortunately, he was stupidly handsome.

“Let go of me you, dick.” Logan snarled at him, releasing her arms from his grasp as they finally strode out into the chilled night air. Only a small slew of cars passed by their angered forms and Logan thanked her good fortune. The less witness that would see this sorry excuse for a dick appointment get his ass handed to him by a woman in a Led Zepplin tee shirt and a sucker now in her mouth. If she couldn’t smoke, she might as well do something enjoyable. Logan had a sweet tooth worse than a five-year-old on Halloween -- she even acted like one at times. Like now, for instance.

When she kicked him.

In the shin.

“Don’t touch me or my cigs ever again you reprehensible twat.”

Logan determined that she has had hospital visits less painful than breathing the same air as Nick. She didn't even know his last name, but she for sure knew that he had a death wish and should be thankful her kick wasn't more strategically placed. Like a little higher and between the thighs, for instance.

Tonight certainly hadn't worked out in her favor. It was barely even past 10pm and she was already heading home from her not-hook up. Granted, she never stayed the night with a man anyways, mornings were way too awkward and intimate. She never spent a full night next to anyone for that matter. Sleeping means cuddling and cuddling means feelings, something which Logan wasn't too interested in currently, considering her last breakup had been a doozy. Yes, she pulled the whole "Crying while watching The Notebook" act for a whole week straight, her siblings had thought Logan had grown soft. But, after her small fit of groveling, Logan dusted herself off, chopped her hair, and remembered whole the hell she was.

Logan Shaw: part-time liar, full-time pain in the ass.

"Your bourbon sucked, anyways," Logan snapped at him, rounding the corner of the bricked building towards the parking lot where her car sat, waiting to save her from the prick that was... following her? "In case you didn't get the picture, ass wipe, I'm leaving. Now."

NICHOLAS JAMES KERRIGAN

nick • twenty-four • heterosexual

Everyone who has ever met Nick could describe him in a couple of words: high-strung and ambitious. He grew up in a small, rural town where everyone knew everyone else’s business and where the residents were born and buried in the same acre lot. That never sat well with him. While his parents were happy living in their little farmhouse, living paycheck to paycheck their entire lives, Nick wanted more. Though after his father died while he was in high school, he kind of went off the deep end. He got involved with a bad crowd and saw the future he’d always imagined for himself passing him by. He cut out everyone in his life that he didn’t see fitting into that future, busted ass in school, and eventually got into college on a full-ride. After that, he moved to the city and hasn’t looked back.

He recently got a very lucrative job making more money than he ever dreamed of and dedicates most of his time to climbing the corporate ladder. However, that lifestyle doesn’t really lead to many close friends. While Nick is charming and doesn’t have a problem making acquaintances, those that stick around long enough to see what Nick is really like tend to label him as aloof or emotionally unavailable. The truth is, he doesn’t have time for friends or relationships. He knows what he wants and he isn’t willing to stop until he gets there.

Nick likes to keep his life as uncomplicated as possible. Everything in his life has a place and a purpose and the things that don’t, he doesn’t tend to keep around for very long. Nick can be a bit of a control freak, but he’s more afraid that if he doesn’t micromanage every aspect of his life then he’ll fail at the life he planned. He’s afraid that he will find himself falling back into those old self-destructive ways, and that he won’t be able to pull himself out again.

Nick stands around 6’ 2” with dark hair that is almost always styled perfectly and light brown eyes. He takes his physical health very seriously and tries to work out every morning before work, so he’s pretty decently built. On workdays, Nick is usually found in a suit, and on his days off he’s still usually seen in slacks and a button-down. He doesn’t own very many ‘casual’ clothes. Nick tries to appear as put together as possible around other people, though his work ethic and his constant obsession with appearances often leave him extremely stressed out. When he’s stressed he tends to fall back into a habit he had when he was younger: smoking. He never tells anyone about this habit and has been trying to quit for some time.

━━━━━━━━━ ↟ logan mae shaw ↟ ━━━━━━━━━

twenty four • heterosexual • scorpio

appearance: logan is a girl of average height, standing at about five feet and four and a half inches (yes, the extra half an inch matters). she has shoulder length hair that is a warm brown with overgrown blonde pieces scattered about -- due to the time she had tried to give herself highlights in the comfort of her own bathroom. she has large and round hazel eyes that contrast her paler skin tone. logan seems to always look like she is up to something and her full lips are usually turned upwards in a smirk. she doesn't pay much attention to cosmetics, only the layer of mascara and chapstick, and you'll be lucky to catch her with her hair brushed half of the time. she likes to dress herself in distressed jeans, baggy shirts, and her signature pair of boots. (outfit examples: one, two, three, four) tattoos also riddle most of her left arm as well as an array of piercings in her ears.

personality: there are many words to describe logan, however subtle isn't one of them. she is loud, messy, and curses too entirely too much. her entire life she has felt somewhat out of place due to her chaotic and careless demeanor. she has given up on trying to find her place in this world and has learned to love it. not to mention she has a terrible lying problem. it started out as lying about her family's background, due to trying to protect them, however, one lie turned into another and now she finds it almost as easy as breathing. logan isn't exactly proud of it, but it's become a part of her and she is too comfortable and slightly terrified to quit. despite her unruly and stubborn nature, she actually does have quite a large heart, of course, when no one is looking. logan can be incredibly selfless and isn't afraid to speak up for what is right, even if it has no benefit to her.

background: logan grew up as the oldest of four siblings, the youngest now being seven. her father had left the picture when she was twelve, leaving a distraught mother and a broken family. trying to be the glue to keep her siblings together, logan took on work at an early age to become the sole provider for her family. her mother grew lazy and without any drive to parent, let alone bring home any support for her children. not only was logan the oldest sibling, she was now the only parental figure they had. having to grow up so young left her to become a very independent and strong woman on the outside, however on the inside logan is crumbling away piece by piece. she had done her best to hide away any real truth about what happened to her mother, her family, and herself throughout her life -- partly because of embarrassment, and partly because of knowing how vicious and cruel this world could be to people who had so little.

likes: cigarettes, rock music, sunrises, candy & junk food, old cars, animals, and anything covered in ranch.

dislikes: small spaces, early mornings, confrontation, mostly all vegetables, routine, self absorbed asshats, vulnerability.