Title: On the Fast Track
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Logan Echolls/Ryan Wolfe
Fandom: Veronica Mars /CSI: Miami
Rating: R
Author's Note: Continuation of Go With the Flow.
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Logan Echolls or Ryan Wolfe, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.

***

Ryan closed his eyes for just a moment as he fumbled with the zipper of Logan's jeans, hoping that he was doing the right thing and not rushing Logan into something that the younger man wasn't ready for yet. But if he hadn't wanted this, Logan would have said no.

He could still say no, Ryan told himself firmly. If Logan didn't want this, all he had to do was let him know, and he would stop immediately. He wasn't going to do anything other than undress Logan and lie down next to him, to feel their naked bodies next to each other.

Yes, he wanted more. Anyone would. Ryan didn't believe that anyone could look at Logan and not be attracted to him; he was absolutely beautiful, and there was an air of vulnerability about him that was more appealing than Ryan could put into words.

He wanted to keep Logan close, to protect him from anything that could possibly hurt him, and to find out what it was in his past that had sent him running to Miami and away from everything he'd ever known and been familiar with. But there was plenty of time for all of that.

He was sure that the sexual abuse Logan had endured from his father wasn't the only reason he'd left his hometown. There had to be more to it than that -- after all, the man was dead now, and Logan wouldn't be threatened by him any longer.

No, there had been other secrets that had driven Logan away -- but Ryan couldn't say that he wasn't glad they had. If not, he might never have met Logan; he wouldn't have known what it was to take one look into someone's eyes and fall so dizzyingly hard.

Ryan kept his gaze focused on Logan's face, feeling a twinge of guilt as he looked down at the young man. Logan was so obviously unsure about this, no matter how much he said that this was what he wanted. That uncertainty was written all over his face.

And he seemed afraid to touch Ryan, as though that might unlock the floodgates and bring some kind of unwanted attention down on him. He'd have to move slowly, Ryan told himself, be sure that he didn't do anything to make Logan uncomfortable in any way.

It only took a moment for him to have Logan's jeans down to his ankles, then pull them off and toss them aside. Sitting up, Ryan fumbled with his own belt buckle, aware that Logan was watching him with wide eyes and parted lips, as though he was afraid of what he would see.

"If you don't want me to take my clothes off, then I won't," Ryan murmured, stopping his movement and leaning down to stroke Logan's cheek with gentle fingertips. "I don't want to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, Logan. Just say the word, and I'll stop."

Logan shook his head, slowly at first, then with more certainty. "No, I want you to," he said softly, his dark eyes meeting Ryan's, fear still lurking in their depths. "I trust you not to hurt me." He swallowed hard, closing his eyes for a moment, obviously trying to gather his courage.

Ryan nodded, returning to what he'd been doing, quickly unzipping his jeans and shedding them. Slowly, cautiously, he lay back down on the surprisingly comfortable couch beside Logan, resting one hand on the younger man's bare chest.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed, unable to take his eyes from the sight in front of him. Logan's body was dazzling; he'd never seen anyone who had such a combination of sculpted muscle and soft, glowing skin. All he wanted to do was feast his eyes on Logan for as long as he could.

How had he gotten so lucky as to meet someone like this? Fate must have decided to smile on him to bring a man like Logan into his life -- and he meant to repay fate in every way that he possibly could. He was going to treat Logan like the priceless, rare jewel that he was.

Slowly, carefully, he moved his hand down Logan's body, until his palm was resting on the the young man's hip, then slightly lower, curving his palm around one rounded, firm ass cheek. Logan moaned softly, closing his eyes and arching his body into Ryan's touch.

That was encouraging; at least Logan wasn't resisting or pulling way from him. Ryan carefully turned onto his side, pulling Logan into his arms and holding him close, moving his other hand down to gently cup the other firm, rounded cheek in his palm.

He had to suppress a shiver of excitement; it had been a long time since he'd been so close to another man. Yes, he'd had lovers, but he'd been in a profound state of celibacy for the last few months; he hadn't felt as though he wanted to be intimate with anyone.

But Logan had come along and torn down all those walls that he'd been building up so carefully around himself; with one glance, all of them had come crumbling to the ground, dissipating into dust. And Ryan knew that those walls wouldn't go back up again.

Logan's arms were wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him close for a kiss; when their lips met, Ryan could swear that he heard sirens and saw fireworks in the darkness behind his closed eyes. He'd never kissed anyone who aroused him as much as Logan did.

If he'd had his way, he would be inside Logan now; they wouldn't just be kissing and touching each other, they would be making love, their bodies joined in the most primal rhythm possible, united into being, their physical selves melded until they exploded together.

But Logan was in no way ready for that kind of intimacy yet, Ryan told himself reluctantly. It was enough for the moment just to have this beautiful young man in his arms, to be here with Logan and let him know that he was treasured and cherished.

He didn't think Logan had gotten a lot of that kind of love in his life, and he was determined to make up for that. He wanted to keep this young man safe and protected, surround him with love and affection, and see him blossom like a flower opening its petals to the sun.

Logan's hands moved down his body, making Ryan gasp with pleasure; he wanted to thrust his hips forward, but he managed to hold back the movement. Instead, his arms tightened around Logan, pulling the other man close against him, squeezing his buttocks gently.

"That .... feels good," Logan whispered, his voice a little shaky. He snuggled against Ryan, settling more comfortably into the other man's embrace, making Ryan wonder if he could keep holding back his physical reactions for much longer.

"It's meant to," Ryan told him with a smile, feeling more at ease now that he knew Logan liked being touched. "I'd never do anything that you said didn't feel good, Logan." He wanted to reassure this young man that there was nothing to fear or to be apprehensive about.

Logan nodded, his dark gaze locking with Ryan's, as though he was trying to read something in the other man's eyes. "Ryan .... would you .... ummm .... would you like to stay here tonight?" he blurted out, a blush rising in his cheeks as he spoke.

Ryan's heart seemed to leap in his chest; he hadn't expected to be asked that question, but he knew the answer before his lips could form the one word that he knew Logan needed to hear. "Yes," he managed to whisper, feeling as though his heart was overflowing. "Definitely yes."

"I don't want you to leave," Logan whispered, burying his face against Ryan's shoulder. "I didn't think that I was ready to get this close to you, but now that we are .... I don't think I could deal with you getting up and leaving. I'd feel like you were abandoning me."

"That's never going to happen," Ryan said, his tone strong and firm. "Never, Logan. I'm here for the long haul. Even if there might be nights when I can't be with you because I'm working, I"m never leaving you. I know that might seem like an empty promise, but --"

Logan raised a hand, pressing his fingers against Ryan's lips to quiet him. "It doesn't sound empty," he said, his voice very soft in the still air of the room. "It sounds like a promise for what we're going to be. And I believe you. More than I've ever believed in anyone."

Ryan could feel his heart constrict at those words; he wouldn't have believed them if he'd heard them spoken by anyone else, but somehow, they meant more coming from Logan's lips then they ever could if they'd been said by any other person.

"I'll do everything I can to live up to that trust," he murmured, taking Logan's hand in his and kissing the young man's fingertips. "And on that note, I think we should go to bed. Not to do anything but sleep," he added hastily, in case Logan might get the wrong idea.

Logan nodded, disentangling himself from Ryan's embrace and standing up to hold a hand out to the other man. Ryan was struck again by how beautiful he was; how could it be possible that he'd actually found someone like Logan? He felt like the luckiest man in the universe.

He rose from the couch, taking Logan's hand and following him to the bedroom. Even though nothing was going to happen between them tonight other than sleeping in each other's arms, Ryan knew that they were on the fast track to a future that he couldn't wait to begin.

***