Rating: T/M for language and some sexual references.

A/N: I'm taking the plunge and writing something a little longer; I hope you like it.

Young, Married and Hot

"You know what?" Veronica questioned, throwing her hands up in exasperation. Her hands were trembling lightly and she looked at his hazel eyes with her blue ones, the eyes that always had him weakening at the knees. "I'm done." The words that escape her lips are low and threatening and Logan Echolls has to step back, his mind trying to contemplate her words. "I'm fucking done."

Logan tried to reach for Veronica's hand but she pushed it away aggressively, practically throwing it away from her. Right now, his touch was like a lighter; burning her every time he came closer.

"You … you don't mean that," Logan stuttered, running his left hand through his natural hair. His body suddenly grew clammy and the room they were currently occupying felt as if it was closing in on them. Logan, who was a naturally claustrophobic guy, stumbled backwards as he tried to regain himself and his sturdy posture. "Come on, baby … not after everything we've been through."

"After everything we've been through?" Veronica questioned, a thoughtful look masking her face. "After everything we've been through? What? The lying? The sneaking around? The secrets?" Veronica sneered, ticking off all that was wrong with her relationship with Logan on her fingers. "I … I can't lie anymore, Logan." Veronica brushed at her blonde-streaked hair, pushing strands away from her face to look at Logan sternly. Shivers ran through Logan as Veronica looked at him intently.

"We … we won't lie anymore, we can start telling people the truth, just … just don't do this." Logan clutched both of his hands together, his fingers lacing together as he practically begged. His posture weakened and he looked at Veronica with a look of determination in his eyes; a look of pure desperation.

"Telling people isn't going to change the facts," Veronica was yelling now and her hands were still moving around frantically. She looked about before flopping backwards onto a leather chair, the material squeaking underneath her in protest. "Because, all we've ever been is a lie, Logan and I'm sick of it … I deserve to be happy!"

"You do, Ronnie, you do … and I want to be the one who makes you happy." Logan stepped forward for emphasis. His hands grasping at the air, metaphorically trying to grab at Veronica who refused to even look him in the eyes, let alone let him hold her. "Let me make you happy." Logan's heart was beating erratically and the actual thought of her leaving him made his stomach churn aggressively.

He wasn't going to lose her.

He couldn't.

"I … I can't, Logan." Veronica hadn't realised but the tears were pouring from her eye-lids silently. She swiped at them clumsily, her eyes boring into Logan's now. It killed Logan to see Veronica's eyes all red and puffy; he hated seeing her hurt and it pained him even more to know he was the fundamental cause of her hurting. He couldn't stand the sight of her hurting, not when all he wanted to do was protect her. "I can't … I can't do this!"

Logan shuffled so that he was standing right in front of Veronica in her chair. He crouched down onto his knees so that he was eye level with the girl he loved, dearly. He knew if he tried to clutch her hands, she'd push him away so, he took to holding the chair's arm rests. His hands enclosed Veronica into the chair, restricting her from any kind of movement.

"Why not?" Logan whispered as Veronica sniffed back tears. "Why can't you do this?" Logan's heart was shattering from within as Veronica shied away from him, her back pressed tightly against the chair. "I love you; you know that … what's changed?"

"Everything!" Veronica laughed bitterly, her mouth curling up into a sneer-like grimace. "You're married, Logan!" Logan winced a little at Veronica's harsh tone; shaking his head dismissively. Veronica accentuated the word that the couple had avoided since the start of their relationship. It was a factor that they had decided to keep in the dark and mentioning the m word was like bring up Voldemort at Hogwarts; it was completely taboo.

Logan Echolls was married and that was the truth. He was Hollywood's greatest actor's son. The public adored Logan. They had watched him grow up in the spotlight and they all swooned at his perfect life. Magazines and gossip columns hadn't stopped talking about Logan since he was twelve years old. Now the teenage boy had transgressed into a man. Logan had married his 'childhood sweetheart' as the media put it, and according to them, the couple was happily married.

"Lily and I are separated, you know that." Logan touched Veronica's knee gingerly, however, her knee snapped backwards as if he had zapped her with an electric shock.

"And yet, you still wear that and I hate you for it!" Veronica hissed, pointing towards the golden band around his left finger. Every time she saw his wedding ring, she felt as if it was silently mocking her: cursing her for her deeds, telling her that what she was doing was wrong, reminding her that Logan belonged to somebody else. "You don't get it … I can't live the rest of my life stuck in this, what-if phase. I'm twenty-four, Logan … and, I'm stuck in a relationship that's going nowhere. My dad is already trying to set me up with deputies at work and I can't keep saying no to him!" Veronica sighed heavily, her head dropping.

Keith had tried setting Veronica up with the likes of Leo and Lamb from Neptune's Sheriff's Department and each time he propagated the idea, Veronica had rejected it. She couldn't exactly confess to her father – who adored her – that she was dating a married man. Deep down, Veronica knew if she did tell her dad, he'd be disappointed in her. He had raised her with a certain set of morals and values and she knew, getting herself into this mess was something Keith would look down on her for. "He wants grandchildren and a son-in-law and I can't give him that when I'm with you."

"You know I wear the ring for the sake of publicity, you know that … you also know that it means nothing to me. It's just a piece of metal to me, Veronica. Nothing more." Logan growled at the image of Veronica being with men that weren't him. He loved her and picturing her with other men made his blood curdle dangerously. He'd seriously injure somebody before they got the chance to even consider going on a date with her.

"It's not just a piece of metal to me though, Logan." Veronica had envisioned a picturesque wedding for herself when she was younger. She had dreamt of walking down the aisle, her father's hand clutching onto her arm tightly. An ivory dress, a yellow and white rose bouquet, a beach setting, her hair pushed away from her face into a bun, a veil flowing down her back; she had pictured it all. She had conjured up the image of absolute love, happiness and joy. What Veronica hadn't anticipated was getting herself caught up in a sticky marriage; one that wasn't even her own. "That ring symbolises a lot in my eyes and the fact that you still wear it-"

"I told you, Ronnie, I have never ever felt anything romantic towards Lily. Yes, she'll always mean something to me … we grew up together but the only reason we got married was because our parents wanted it, not us!" Veronica was tempted to roll her eyes. She had heard this exact story many times yet the story never seemed to justify why Logan or Lily hadn't proceeded to legalise their separation. Neither of them had filed for divorce because apparently "their parents wouldn't understand." "Our parents and the 09er society would be devastated if we got a divorce and I only wear the ring as a façade, one which I've been holding up for years!"

"Yes, a façade, an act; one which I'm sick of playing along with. Logan, I'm not happy anymore because all I can think of when I look at you is you and Lily. You may not have agreed to the marriage but it doesn't change the fact that you're still in it. You are still legally bound together which basically tells me you don't want to be with me because you can't have it both ways. I can't live like this anymore: it's me or her and … it seems like you've already picked." It hurt Veronica that Logan had always placed Lily before her and right now, she was sick of it.

Veronica worked honestly; she was a waitress at the Java Hut, Neptune's most popular (and only) cafe. Her job didn't exactly pay millions but it was enough money for Veronica to afford to pay for her Private Investigation test fees and rent her own place whilst she got through Hearst. Veronica's life wasn't bucket loads of fun but it was … enough. Her life was enough to make her happy and getting romantically involved with Logan had resulted in her normal life toppling over drastically. From everything that she had been through, Veronica had realised that she was worth a lot more than she had previously thought. Veronica was a person with real feelings and yes, her life wasn't exactly a whirlwind but Veronica wasn't a bad person and she deserved somebody who was going to love her for that.

She wasn't going to come second anymore …

"What? No!" Logan was shouting just as loud as Veronica now; desperate to get his point across. "I want you, so damned bad. Lily isn't what I want, she never has been. We spend our nights in two separate rooms, for God's sake! I've only ever loved one person and that is you."

"Life doesn't work like that; you can't be living with Lily and coming over here to be with me." Veronica looked around her small bedroom. It was … well, small: a bed, a dresser and a dingy little window that out looked the street. It wasn't much; actually, the fact that it was so minimal always comforted Veronica. However, not today. She felt secluded and stuffy in the small space and she was pretty sure her heart was pounding at a scientifically impossible rate. "You don't get the best of both worlds, Logan."

"Tell me … Tell me what you want me to do." Logan gambled and placed his hands upon Veronica's bare knees. Logan didn't even register Veronica's weak pleas to make him move his hands because he realised something … she was burning up, drastically. Her skin was awfully hot and Logan held onto Veronica's small knee caps, his eyes clouding with concern.

She was only this hot when she was ill, badly ill. "Babe, you're running a high fever."

"Don't … don't touch me." Veronica hopelessly kicked Logan away but he didn't budge an inch. Actually, he moved forward to touch her cheek. Her cheek was equally as hot as her legs. "Logan," Veronica breathed out softly as he caressed her cheek softly. Her voice was meant to come out stern and demanding but … she couldn't, not when he was touching her like that. His touch was gentle and had sparks emanating throughout her. "Logan, stop it."

"No." Logan all-but growled at her. He stuck his hand through his jacket pocket, rummaging through the tuxedo coat to find his phone. He was shaking, just a tad: she was sick. Logan didn't want that for her. She meant everything to him – whether he was married or not – and it worried him to think of Veronica being ill. "I'm calling a doctor."

"No!" This time, Veronica touched Logan willingly. She seized the hand that held his cell phone, restraining his movements. "No doctors, please."

"You're ill, Veronica, your body shouldn't be running a temperature that high." Logan scolded her like a father would to his daughter intimidatingly. "I'm calling a doctor and that's final." Logan got up off his knees so that he could head towards Veronica's land line in the adjacent room.

"I said no." Veronica was tugging at Logan's arm tightly now, pulling him forcefully towards her. He stumbled over his feet and landed back in the position he was in only seconds ago. The movement was abrupt and Logan gripped at Veronica's chair to steady himself. "I can't afford a doctor, Logan." She whispered softly; a contrast to her screams earlier.

"Is that what you're worried about?" Logan crouched in front of Veronica, his face inches away from her as he stared at her intently. "If you're ill, I'll pay for doctors … money isn't an object, Veronica, as long as it makes you better." Logan moved forward to rest his forehead against Veronica's. Her skin was so hot; Logan flinched as they made contact. This couldn't be natural … she was way too hot, and he didn't mean that in the literal, crude way.

"No, I don't want to see a doctor … I don't need to." Veronica muttered, directing her gaze lower.

She was a stubborn person and she was going to stick by her decisions. Also, the fact that Veronica had been supporting herself from an early age meant that she wasn't okay with somebody else paying her bills; it was unnecessary. She had been fending for herself her whole life and she was going to continue to do that now.

Veronica didn't want any favours from Logan … especially when she was trying to break up with him.

"Fine." Logan said curtly, his hands curling under Veronica's knees. It was a spot where Logan knew Veronica was ticklish and she squealed as he pulled her into his arms; bridal style. As an instinct, Veronica wrapped her arms around Logan's neck, pushing her body closer to his as she clung to him. "We'll do this my way."

"Logan!" Veronica yelled, kicking her legs through thin air like a child. "Put me down! What are you doing?"

Veronica watched as Logan just silently walked her out of the room and towards her white-washed bathroom. Her face contorted with confusion as Logan kicked the door closed, forcefully, behind them. Once he was sure the door was closed, he placed Veronica back onto the ground. Logan was prepared because just as Veronica tried to side-step him, he nudged her backwards. Veronica's back came into contact with the shower cubicle. "Logan, I'm serious," Veronica tried to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Logan. His body was pressed tightly against hers and her breathing was slowing down drastically as he pushed his lower half into her. "Logan, stop."

"Tell me you don't feel this …" Logan's fingers brushed Veronica's exposed neck, as he did so, his fingers flicked at the buttons on her plaid, button-down shirt; exposing more of her glossy skin. "Tell me that what we have, is, wrong." With every word, Logan opened a button. His eyes were roaming her skin lustfully, his pupils concentrating on the rise and fall of her chest. She was nervous. "Tell me you don't want to see me ever again." Once Veronica's shirt was completely open, Logan decided to take the same sinful path from her neck down to her belly button … this time with his lips.

"Logan." Veronica's hands rested against Logan's shoulders as she tried to push him away.

She didn't have it in her to do so.

"Veronica, I love you and my relationship with Lily, it means nothing." Logan whispered gingerly into her ear, his breathe blowing her baby hairs around wistfully. "Let me take care of you."

After minutes of painstaking silence, Veronica spoke in the smallest voice she could muster.

"Okay."