Logan stared at the front door. The world around him froze as his gaze fell to the last spot he had seen her, before she ran out of the shop without looking back. He had seen her leave the café countless times before, sometimes angry and sometimes pleasant, but he had never seen her leave in the matter of which she did just moments ago. She was hurt. He saw it in those deep blue pools of her eyes. She was normally impossible to read, but this time, he could practically feel the pain that reflected from those pools. The worst part was, he felt responsible for it all.

"Um, hello? Earth to barista? You still there blondy?" The women in front of him began waving her hand in his face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Huh? What?" He asked as he shook his head to clear his mind.

"I told you I wanted a mocha latte and you just sort of…zoned out there." The women slid her arm closer to him, and brushed her fingers against the bare skin of his arm. Instantly, he jerked his arm away from the women's touch, as if he was just burned.

"Mocha latte. Coming up." He spat at her, then turned and walked over to the brewing machines, ignoring the insulting expression the women gave him. He prepared her drink as quickly as he could, making sure to put the liquid in a to-go cup. He did not even bother to write her name on the cup, not that he even knew what it was. Instead, he handed her the plain cup, charged her for her order, and did not even stay long enough to watch her leave.

How could he have been so stupid? Here he was, crushing on this girl on one side of the room, while allowing another girl to shamelessly flirt with him on the other. Not the best way to have a girl notice you, that's for sure. As he began to wallow in his own self-pity, he noticed a very familiar item left in a very special spot. Stepping out from behind the counter, he made his way over to that spot and picked up the item with his hands. A shimmer of hope shined though him as he realized what this meant. She was coming back. She had to come back. It would be his chance to explain himself and finally make his move. His mood made a complete 360ᵒ as he walked back behind the counter with the item in tow. His dream was still possible, and he owed it all to this little purse.

Rachael could not believe she was actually going back there. Her heartbreak she had experienced was still raw, so returning to the source of her pain was not ideal. However, the need for her purse and the wallet inside of it outweighed her personal reluctance. As she walked down the city street that led to the café, she began to take notice of the hour. It was after nine in the evening, and she was sure the shop was closed by now. She had walked all this way (from her apartment five blocks away), just to have to return empty handed. Today was just not her day. She decided to finish her trek anyway, hoping that by some miracle he would still be there.

As she walked up to the shop, she could still make out the soft glow of the inside lights and the silhouette of the young man that worked there. He was sweeping the floorboards, swaying back and worth as he moved gracefully across the floor. The sight was almost endearing, until she remembered what that same man did to her not five hours earlier.

She pulled down her shirt, flattened her black leggings, and fixed her hair. She put up her mental walls and forced herself to be as hard as stone. Once she was ready, she pulled open the door to the café, surprised that it had been left unlocked. The sound of the tiny bell brought the man's attention to her. He awkwardly moved toward the counter, where he had an iPod and speaker set up playing a song she had never heard before. He laid the broom stick against the counter's edge and fiddled with the device, causing it to turn off. He then looked back to her with a sheepish grin, and began rubbing the back of his neck anxiously.

"Um, uh, hey there Rae, I – "

"-chael." She growled at him.

"What?"

"My name is Rae-chael, not Rae, not Rae-Rae, not Rae-bear, it's Rachael."

"Uh, oh right. Uh…sorry Rae, I mean Rachael." He stuttered out.

"I came back, because I left my purse here. Did you happen to see it?" She asked him in her usual gravelly voice.

He nodded his head. "Yeah I saw it. Just one second, I put it behind the counter so no one would take it." He explained as he scrambled behind the counter. Rachael folded her arms over her chest as she waited for him to return with her purse. She looked around the café, now completely deserted with the chairs stacked on the tables and the floor swept. For the first time, she observed the minimal lighting of the café, and noted the near romantic ambience it gave. With her looking around, she hardly noticed him return with her purse tucked safely under his arm.

"Alright Rachael," His sudden voice made her jump, but he did not notice. "I have your purse, but before I give it back and you run out of here for good, I just wanted to apologize for what happened today." He looked her in the eye and watched for her reaction.

Her face broke into a scowl. "I don't know what you're talking about." She denied.

He was a bit taken back by this, but then again, he should not be surprised she was trying to hold on to her pride. "Look, I just wanted you to know that the girl that came in today, she made to first move. I wasn't trying to flirt back either, I was just trying to be friendly, but I know it probably looked bad so I am really, really sorry."

She had never known Logan to be the apologetic type. His normal smug demeanor had finally faltered, and now he was practically begging for her forgiveness. The only question is why?

"While I appreciate your apology, I do not see how it is necessary. You are a young, single adult male who can engage in any activities you wish to partake in. It's not like I am your girlfriend or something."

Her last comment surprised both of them, and now they stood awkwardly in the empty shop, starring at each other unsure of what to say next. Un able to handle the silence any longer, the man let out a sigh as he leaned against the wooden counter. "I suppose you're right. We aren't dating, are we?" It was a facetious question, but she still felt her head nod, confirming his statement. There was a strange feeling of regret bubbling up inside of her, but she did her best to suppress it. "This might sound crazy, and I doubt it will change anything, but I need to at least get this off my chest before you go."

He turned to face her, but she could not meet in intense blue gaze. Instead her eyes fell to the floor as he spoke. "I like you, Rachael."

His confession hit her like a ton of bricks, but she simply stayed as still and emotionless as a statue as she waited for him to continue.

"From the moment, you first walked into the café I knew I found you attractive." She blushed at his comment, but stayed silent. "Then I'm not going to lie, you came off as rude at first, but for some reason I found it fun to mess with you a bit. I never meant for your feeling to get hurt, I just wanted to have some fun with you is all. And when we started our little game with the notes, and I learned more about you, I realized all I wanted…all I want now, is to learn every little thing about you. You're like a puzzle I can't walk away from." He paused for a moment to gage her reaction to his confession. She was still avoiding his gaze, but her face had turned red from her incontrollable blush. He took his chance, and stepped forward so that their bodies were only inches from each other. He took her hands in his, forcing her to look up at him. He met those eyes before, but never this close. He just noticed the dark, violet hues that mixed with the dark blue of her irises. Those big, wide eyes that made her all the more beautiful, were like little orbs that held all the answers he was looking for. It donned on him that he could easily spend the rest of his life searching those eyes.

"I know you're mad at me. I know you probably hate me right now. I'm not going to ask you to forgive me. All I ask, is that you give me a chance to make it up to you. I'm not finished with our game yet."

And there it was, the irreplaceable, extraordinary, classic Logan smile. Rachael felt her heart beat race, her legs grow wobbly, and her palms start to sweat. She had spent all her life living in the background. She was the quiet, anti-social, plain women that no one bothered knowing. She used to be okay with that, heck she had preferred it. Now, however, she had a taste of what being cared about was like, and she became addicted to the feeling. Sure, this man could irate her to know end, but it was worth if it meant he cared. That someone out there genuinely cared.

Then she remembered what the cost of caring was - hurting. If she allowed herself to care for this man, what guarantee would she have that he would not hurt her like he did earlier today? What if she were the one to hurt him? Everything has a price, including love. Could she really afford the chance of heart break? Was the payment worth the gain in return?

When she looked into his sparkling eyes, and saw the pure and raw emotions that shined through them, she thought she knew her answer.

"May I have my purse."

The line came out before she could even register what she had just said. She fell into autopilot, which meant not allowing herself to crash, even if she wanted to. The man blinked at her, his smile falling into a frown that could make the most innocent person feel guilty. He released her hands, much to her disappointment, and walked back over to the counter where he had laid down the purse. His hand shook as he reached over to grab the small bag. He slid it close to him, then shut his eyes, holding back his tears. She wanted to correct herself, to admit she had fallen for him as well and that she would happily accept his request, but as per usual she was her own worst enemy. She waited for him to lift the purse and hand it to her, but he never moved. Instead, he held on to that silly bag as if it were the most precious object in his life. Then his head shook and his voice came out horse, but firm.

"No."

It was her turn to appear confused. "I'm sorry?" She questioned him.

He shook his head again. "You can have your purse back, but on one condition."

She felt her mouth go dry and her eyes widen in anticipation. He relaxed his grip on the purse, and used his free hand to grab his iPod that sat mounted on the speaker. He tapped the screen a few times before setting the small device back on the speaker. Then he turned to her, and walked up to her with an outstretched hand.

"We dance." He said, as he took her right hand in his left, and wrapped his right arm around her waist, pulling her close. She stood rigid at first, shocked and unsure of how to respond to this change in development, but as he gently rocked their bodies to the rhythm of the melody, she found herself melting in his arms.

She slowly raised her right arm, and wrapped it over his neck, running her fingers through the short blonde hairs on the back of his head. She then laid her head gently against his shoulder and in the nook of his neck. She could feel him smile and lean his head close to her's. Their feet stepped in small circles as they swayed to the song.

"And up until now I had sworn to myself / that I'm content with loneliness / because none of it was ever worth the risk / but you are the only exception."

She listened to the words, absorbing their meaning and allowing a contempt smile to grace her lips. What she was feeling now, was surreal. She decided then and there, that she would head the words of the song, and enjoy her only exception.

"You are the only exception / And I'm on my way to believing / Oh, and I'm on my way to believing."

As the music began to fade, they continued to move across the floor, neither willing to move from their close contact.

"So, Rachael, what do you say? Will you go out with me?" He whispered into her ear.

"Hum…on one condition." She whispered back. He grinned at her.

"Anything."

She lifted her head, looked him in the eye, and said with a smirk. "You buy me some honey."

He laughed thoughtfully at her demand, and hugged her closer, still swaying to the imaginary beat.

"I'll see what I can do."

Author's Notes: Well that's a wrap! I know, this is the longest chapter yet! The song featured in this chapter is titled, "The Only Exception" by Paramore. I recommend listening to this song while you read the dancing scene. It's my favorite song and I always imagine Gar and Raven dancing to it. I can not be more excited to have reached my goal of completing a multific by the end of the summer. I am just beyond ecstatic! I want to thank everyone who reviewed this story in its entirety! Your reviews kept me going and were a major factor in allowing me to achieve my goal. I would also like to thank my friends Golem and Bearhow for their endless support throughout this project. Both are amazing author's who I highly recommend to anyone looking for quality fanfiction. I would like to take this opportunity to make a plug for my next project in collaboration with Bearhow tilted, "Every King Needs a Queen." We are keeping the major details under wraps, but I can say it will include my OC Arella Logan (daughter of Gar and Raven) and Bearhow's OC Landon (King of Hell). It will be filled with action, romance, angst, and adventure! So be on the look out for that one! As always I ask that you leave a review. This is how I know you liked the story or not. Remember you can review each chapter individually, so if you haven't done so already, please review each chapter. I love hearing from you guys, so please send me your feedback. You have all been wonderful and I thank you so much for the support! If you guys are really nice, I may also include an epilogue later on. ;)

Until next time,

jhwlgh

P.S. I have changed my name on Tumblr to Lou Buggins. If you have a Tumblr, I would love to have you follow me! You will see exclusive posts and drabbles that I did not post on this site. Also, I will try to change my name on here as well. So, if you see work from Lou Buggins (or LB for short), that is written by me. ;)