![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lodessaFandom: Veronica Mars
Title: Longing
Characters/Pairings: Veronica/Clarence Wiedman, Mac/Wallace, minor Logan/Veronica
Rating: light R for sexuality
Word Count: 3,222
Author's Note: This is sort of a sequel to my ficlet "Happy" but just don't need to have read that one for this to make sense.
Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
fandom_arcana's 9 of Cups Challenge.
So much thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
adelynne for all the help she provided me in writing this.
Veronica awoke with a start, covered in sweat, to find herself in Logan’s suite at the Neptune Grand. It was the third time this week that Veronica had woken from dreams about Clarence Wiedman… hot, steamy, sex dreams about Clarence Wiedman. Clarence Wiedman was a cold blooded killer, and Veronica didn’t even want to know what else, and in her waking life it wasn’t like Veronica found that at all sexy. Sure she might have to admit that, after they worked together to solve Amelia Delongpre’s murder, she admired his cool collected calm, but that didn’t mean anything other than professional respect. So these dreams, the ones where his hands had skills other than breaking and maiming, skills that had Veronica shuddering in ecstasy, they didn’t have anything to do with reality of course. Still Veronica flushed just remembering the sensations she’d experienced in her latest dream, when the Head of Security for Kane Software had taken her, up on a ledge while they were hiding from mobsters. Veronica reminded herself that it was a dream, and had nothing to do with the reality of the man she was with in it, that she had no way of knowing that he actually tasted of cloves and mouthwash; for all she knew, Clarence Wiedman was gay.
Her sudden movement must have woken Logan, because he was looking up at her sleepily. She allowed him to pull her down into his arms, leisurely kisses and caresses, that she returned, but her brain was distracted. Her breath fluttered as Logan sucked lightly at the base of her neck, thinking about different lips, and when she closed her eyes she could see Clarence’s hands on her breasts, dramatic contrast between the two. Veronica told herself that this was wrong. Logan, Logan’s hands were traveling down her body, and she told herself it wasn’t more erotic when she started thinking about it being Clarence Wiedman.
Veronica rolled over onto her back. Logan, above, her, commented on the rareness of her letting him be on top, but Veronica was slipping too far into her reverie about Clarence and her in the Kane estate to respond She could see the fire in his eyes and it was that, and not the skill of Logan’s movements that bought her to a climax. She was pretty sure she didn’t say anything incriminating in the moment, since Logan went happily back to sleep. Unable to do the same herself, and troubled by her mental infidelity, when she was sure he was soundly sleeping, Veronica slid out of bed, careful not to disturb her boyfriend, and pulled a robe over her before stepping out onto the balcony.
Mac was surprised when her cell phone started vibrating at 11:53 PM. She was even more surprised to find that it wasn’t Veronica calling to ask for a favor; instead, it was a Neptune number she didn’t recognize.
“Hello?” she answered, uncertainly.
“Hey Mac, it’s Wallace.”
“Oh, hi.” Mac replied, her chest tightening just a little bit, “What’s up?”
“I was thinking, unless you have some happing party plans, that we could go for the midnight swim we talked about at Veronica’s birthday…”
Mac was taken aback; she’d thought he was kidding, “Well… ummm I don’t exactly have a bathing suit.”
She did have a bathing suit; it was just old and unattractive and faded, and she certainly wasn’t going swimming with Wallace in it.
“Well you see Veronica thought you’d say that. So she had me pick one up for you. She says you looked really cute in it.” Wallace replied; Mac could almost see the grin on his face.
Damn that Veronica Mars. Last week when they’d been at the mall and Veronica forced her to try swim suits on Mac hadn’t had any clue that she was up to something, but now it was obvious.
“It seems like you thought of everything.” Mac conceded, with a resigned laugh.
“I’ll pick you up in 10 minutes.”
He hung up before Mac could argue, and Mac was left deciding whether shaving her legs before he got there was feasible, or if they were okay like they were.
The cool costal night was a welcome shock. It felt cleansing. Veronica was more than a little appalled at herself for fantasizing about Clarence Wiedman while being with Logan, both in the broader sense and the very literal one. She didn’t even like him, so what was wrong with her? Veronica slipped back inside to take a shower, hoping to wash away the images she couldn’t seem to get out of her head.
Veronica didn’t take a cold shower; having taken too many of those unintentionally, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead she turned the hot water on all the way in hopes of scalding the impure thoughts out. It worked, only in the sense that she was now making up, graphic sex scenes between her and Clarence, while awake. She could almost feel the slickness of his wet body against hers. Veronica turned off the shower, clearly it wasn’t helping. When she walked back into the bedroom, Logan was still curled up like the innocent little boy he both was and was not, and Veronica had to wonder, why she was fixated on perverse fantasies about Clarence Wiedman, when she had what she’d always wanted right here. It was clear she wasn’t going to get back to sleep though, so Veronica got dressed, deciding to go for a walk to clear her head.
She didn’t intend to end up on the rooftop. She ended up there though, remembering the pained expression on Beaver… Cassidy’s face just before he jumped. She couldn’t bring herself to feel sorry. Somehow she had assumed she would, even though he had killed people, even though he had raped her, but she didn’t.
“Veronica.” She turned to find Clarence Wiedman standing beside her.
“Clarence.” It was all Veronica could be to keep from blushing like mad, remembering the vivid fantasies she’d had of him.
Mac slipped out the side door of the house. It wasn’t like she was sneaking out. She was 18 and no one had told her not to go out; she just didn’t relish bringing the fact that she was going somewhere with a boy alone at midnight to her parents. After all, the last boy she’d brought around had turned out to be a murderer and committed suicide while they were supposed to be together. Besides, her parents would read way too much into this. It wasn’t like it was a date; Wallace was just being friendly.
“Are you ready to have a good time?” Wallace grinned, and Mac couldn’t help grinning back.
She hopped into the car and they drove off, like it was some kind of movie. Mac liked the moments where her life felt like fiction, like the music on the stereo was a soundtrack.
“So the parents didn’t want to grill the guy who wants to take their daughter out so late?”
“I didn’t exactly tell them I was leaving.” Mac confessed.
“What? Ashamed to be seen with me?”
“Please. With my tack record, being seen with a hot shot basketball player is the least of my image worries.”
After being the girlfriend of a serial killer who offed himself, nothing really was going to be that humiliating.
“You mean that wouldn’t ruin the whole counter culture theme you have going on.”
Mac laughed, “My parents would be the ones doing that.”
“What? You mean to tell me that your parents aren’t extremely hip and with it?” Wallace joked.
“My parents are… well they might as well be complete strangers.”
That was putting it mildly.
“Don’t you think you’re laying the teen angst on a little thick there?”
“No. I mean literally.” Mac explained, wondering why she felt the need to tell Wallace about the mix up, “I had Veronica do some research and my parents… well they aren’t my parents.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. Apparently, I was switched at birth. I kid you not.”
“You know…” Wallace sighed, “Before I moved to Neptune, things like that were unbelievable.”
Mac felt a smiled creeping across her face, “Before I met Veronica Mars… things like that were unbelievable.”
“I think you might have a point there.”
“This in an unconventional place to find an 18 year old girl, by herself, at night, but then again you never are where one might expect, are you Veronica Mars?”
Veronica turned to face him, “Tell me Clarence Wiedman, do you feel anything about the people who are dead thanks to you?”
“Veronica Mars, do you ever even consider that maybe you shouldn’t say every snide remark that pops into your head,” he replied blankly.
“No need to get defensive Mr. Wiedman. I don’t have wiretap, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Veronica laughed; the false levity was second nature by now.
“I am not worried about anything.”
“Just answer the question,” Veronica did her very best flippant pose and tried not to think about her desire to press herself against his body. When, she had to ask herself, did Clarence Wiedman become someone that was hard to keep her hands off of; because, he certainly was now.
“You didn’t kill the Casblancas, boy Veronica. There’s no reason for you to feel guilty.” Clarence replied; which could be construed as an attempt to offer comfort.
“You see that’s really sweet of you to say, but don’t feel guilty.” Veronica retorted, “That’s just the thing. I keep expecting to think to myself that if I’d only said something when he asked why he shouldn’t jump he wouldn’t be dead and to feel bad about it… but I don’t.”
“So you are worried because you aren’t having unhealthy, morbid, fits of irrational blame?”
Veronica paused, looked out off the edge of the rooftop, before turning back around and asking in mock horror, “Am I a freak, am I a soulless bad seed for not being a weepy mess like any ordinary girl would be?”
“Well, Veronica. You are anything but ordinary,” Clarence replied without a hint of irony.
“Clarence…” Veronica hesitated; this was insane, she was certain.
“Yes.”
“There is something else.”
Veronica could have sworn she wasn’t breathing air at all, thanks to the pain in her chest, as anxiety filled her over what she was contemplating.
“What is it?” Clarence was composed as ever.
Veronica just did it. She pulled Clarence’s head down to her own and kissed him.
When Wallace stopped the car in a ritzy part of a town about 40 minutes up the PCH and pulled up to a beachfront cottage, Mac looked at him quizzically.
“Courtesy of Veronica’s boyfriend. Apparently his psychotic father used to take nubile young females up here…”
“Classy.” Mac wondered if everyone was in on the scheme to get her in a bathing suit and it they were all going to jump out of the bushes yelling surprise and any moment.
“Beats getting arrested for sneaking into the community pool after hours… oh wait. We don’t have one of those anymore do we?” Mac gave a sort of half laugh, “Well the swimsuit’s in the back, what do you say we get changed?”
When Mac got to the bathroom and looked in the bag, she discovered that Veronica had selected not the fairly covering tankini that Mac had thought was best, but the bikini top with the low waisted boy shorts that Veronica had insisted was cute on Mac and Mac had insisted looked ridiculous on her.
Mac hoped for low lighting, and possibly alcohol, as she braced herself to go out and join Wallace, towel firmly wrapped around her body. She also reminded herself to get revenge on Veronica.
Veronica let go of Clarence, embarrassed and hoping he’d be too apathetic to remind her about this. But then, instead of moving away, Clarence pulled her back towards him, forceful yet precise as he recaptured her lips, and oh he did taste of cloves and mouthwash after all.
Logan, Veronica knew that she was with Logan and this was called cheating. She knew she was against cheating and that she wasn’t just another Lilly, that even if Clarence Wiedman wasn’t a dangerous man it would be completely wrong and unacceptable for her to be making out with him, passionately like she was the heroine of an action movie, her whole body tingling in anticipation. It was so very much like her dreams though, as she gasped for breath, that she could almost convince herself it wasn’t real, and was therefore okay.
Clarence’s arms were strong and Veronica knew their destructive powers, but the possibility of his danger seemed an aphrodisiac. Aaron Echolls’ lawyers had lied to make it seem like she’d manipulated the guys in her life to frame him for Lilly’s murder, but they’d had one thing right, one thing that Veronica would never admit. All the boys in her life since Lilly’s death (they were all boys not men, even Leo… or maybe especially Leo) she had possessed the upper hand with. Troy had lied to her and deceived her, but in the end she’d outsmarted him, and he was the one asking for her to give him a second chance. Leo, well she’d been using him from early on, and the way he jumped at her call in the spring just confirmed that things were still the same. Duncan and her hadn’t been like that before; he’d broken her heart after all, but Veronica would have to admit, if she was honest with herself, that it wasn’t the same when they got back together, that she’d never really reinvested. Duncan’s entire existence was determined now, by the getaway plans that Veronica had made for him, and Veronica was dating his best friend. Logan, the best friend, well he was sleeping in his cushy suite while his girlfriend was moaning against someone else’s skin.
Veronica Mars was smarter than them. She wasn’t smarter than Clarence Wiedman though, or at least if she was the advantage was so small that it was eclipsed by the fact that he could kill her without much effort at all. He wasn’t killing her though; he was kissing her, in a fashion that could be described as ardent.
“You were kidding about the intense water sports were you?” Wallace panted, catching up with Mac at the end of the pool.
Mac laughed, “So I take it you don’t want another chance to redeem yourself?”
“I’m still a bit winded from that one.”
Mac suspected that Wallace might be affecting more fatigue than he felt in order to flatter her.
“So your mom seriously lied to you about who your dad was?” she asked, going back to the topic they’d been discussing before Wallace had proposed to race.
“Yeah. I mean I get why she did it, and he did raise me. It’s just… finding out really shook up with trust in things.”
Mac nodded, “Yeah. I definitely can relate, although I think things are actually better with my family now that I know. It took some time though. I was so pissed when I first found out.”
“Yeah well, I mean at least my mom was actually who I was brought up to think she was. Your situation is way crazier.”
Mac bit her lip, “So does that mean I win?” she said jokingly.
“I guess so.” Wallace confirmed, leaning against the side of the pool next to her.
“Do I get a prize or something?”
“Well I don’t know. Did you have something particular in mind?” Mac blushed. She shouldn’t be thinking about the possibility that Wallace was hitting on her, because surely he wasn’t, “Because I have some ideas, but it’s supposed to be your prize, not mine.”
Mac swallowed.
They were both panting by the time that Clarence pulled back, arms still supporting Veronica, whose legs were wrapped around him. Veronica went to recapture his lips, but he leaned away.
“I’m not much of an exhibitionist; it you’re going to keep rubbing against me like that we’re going to need to get a room or something,” He told her, like there’s nothing strange about the fact that his hands were under her shirt.
The room suggestion reminded Veronica of the Amelia Delongpre case. She found herself angry, suddenly remembering how dismissive he was when she’d gone to him looking for answers.
She de-entangled herself from him, expression hardening.
“I’m not quite that easy.” She snapped and left him standing there alone. He didn’t follow or try to stop her going.
The elevator was available but Veronica took the stairs, right past Logan’s floor and down to ground level.
“Well thanks. That was fun.” Mac said, standing out in front of her house, saying goodnight to Wallace.
“Yeah.” Wallace replied, “It was cool to hang one on one… at least I thought so.”
“Yeah.” Mac reddened and looked at the floor, “Well I guess I should go in now.”
“Yeah…”
Neither of them moved.
“Oh. I should give you your jacket back.” Mac said, starting to slide Wallace’s letterman jacket off her shoulders.
“It’s okay… keep it.” Wallace shrugged, “looks better wrapped around your shoulders anyway.”
“Ummm…”
This wasn’t what is sounded like, Mac was sure. It was only in old teen movies that having someone’s jacket was a sign of coupledom.
“What are you doing Friday?”
“Nothing. Why?”
“I was thinking maybe we could, you know, do something.”
The corners of Mac’s mouth hurt from the grin she was resisting, “I’d like that.”
The silence was awkward and full of excitement as Mac slowly backed towards the door.
“So, see you Friday.”
“Yeah. I’ll call to talk specifics tomorrow.”
“Well. Good night.”
Mac closed the door behind her and proceeded to collapse against it in disbelief. Had Wallace seriously just asked her out? She really wasn’t a type of girl he’d ever liked. Not cute and blonde like Jane and Veronica, and certainly not sophisticated and sexy like Jackie. She was just… Mac. Maybe she was just misreading things, and Wallace meant hang out like friends. Friends were good right? She didn’t have to read way more into any male of relative attractiveness being friendly to her. Mac sighed and leaned against the door, face buried in Wallace’s jacket, which still smelled like him. She found it sort of soothing.
Clarence Wiedman looked perplexed as her opened the door, “Veronica Mars…” he started.
Veronica stepped inside and shut the door behind her.
“The hotel room was just too much of a cliché.” She said as if it explained not only why she was there but how she’d found his unlisted address.
“And I’m not?”
Veronica pressed her body against his, hand reaching either side of his face, and kissed him. Her whole body was on edge, sensitive to touch, as they stumbled towards his bedroom, leaving items of clothing like a trail of bread crumbs. Then it was warm skin against skin as they tumbled down onto his bed. Frantic lips caressing salty skin, Veronica whimpered beneath him.
Fingers curved at just the right angle, and Veronica begged, “Please.”
Fervent yet somehow withholding, his body covered hers with the power she had felt and longed for longer than she’d care to admit.
Title: Longing
Characters/Pairings: Veronica/Clarence Wiedman, Mac/Wallace, minor Logan/Veronica
Rating: light R for sexuality
Word Count: 3,222
Author's Note: This is sort of a sequel to my ficlet "Happy" but just don't need to have read that one for this to make sense.
Written for
fandom_arcana's 9 of Cups Challenge.So much thanks to
adelynne for all the help she provided me in writing this.Veronica awoke with a start, covered in sweat, to find herself in Logan’s suite at the Neptune Grand. It was the third time this week that Veronica had woken from dreams about Clarence Wiedman… hot, steamy, sex dreams about Clarence Wiedman. Clarence Wiedman was a cold blooded killer, and Veronica didn’t even want to know what else, and in her waking life it wasn’t like Veronica found that at all sexy. Sure she might have to admit that, after they worked together to solve Amelia Delongpre’s murder, she admired his cool collected calm, but that didn’t mean anything other than professional respect. So these dreams, the ones where his hands had skills other than breaking and maiming, skills that had Veronica shuddering in ecstasy, they didn’t have anything to do with reality of course. Still Veronica flushed just remembering the sensations she’d experienced in her latest dream, when the Head of Security for Kane Software had taken her, up on a ledge while they were hiding from mobsters. Veronica reminded herself that it was a dream, and had nothing to do with the reality of the man she was with in it, that she had no way of knowing that he actually tasted of cloves and mouthwash; for all she knew, Clarence Wiedman was gay.
Her sudden movement must have woken Logan, because he was looking up at her sleepily. She allowed him to pull her down into his arms, leisurely kisses and caresses, that she returned, but her brain was distracted. Her breath fluttered as Logan sucked lightly at the base of her neck, thinking about different lips, and when she closed her eyes she could see Clarence’s hands on her breasts, dramatic contrast between the two. Veronica told herself that this was wrong. Logan, Logan’s hands were traveling down her body, and she told herself it wasn’t more erotic when she started thinking about it being Clarence Wiedman.
Veronica rolled over onto her back. Logan, above, her, commented on the rareness of her letting him be on top, but Veronica was slipping too far into her reverie about Clarence and her in the Kane estate to respond She could see the fire in his eyes and it was that, and not the skill of Logan’s movements that bought her to a climax. She was pretty sure she didn’t say anything incriminating in the moment, since Logan went happily back to sleep. Unable to do the same herself, and troubled by her mental infidelity, when she was sure he was soundly sleeping, Veronica slid out of bed, careful not to disturb her boyfriend, and pulled a robe over her before stepping out onto the balcony.
Mac was surprised when her cell phone started vibrating at 11:53 PM. She was even more surprised to find that it wasn’t Veronica calling to ask for a favor; instead, it was a Neptune number she didn’t recognize.
“Hello?” she answered, uncertainly.
“Hey Mac, it’s Wallace.”
“Oh, hi.” Mac replied, her chest tightening just a little bit, “What’s up?”
“I was thinking, unless you have some happing party plans, that we could go for the midnight swim we talked about at Veronica’s birthday…”
Mac was taken aback; she’d thought he was kidding, “Well… ummm I don’t exactly have a bathing suit.”
She did have a bathing suit; it was just old and unattractive and faded, and she certainly wasn’t going swimming with Wallace in it.
“Well you see Veronica thought you’d say that. So she had me pick one up for you. She says you looked really cute in it.” Wallace replied; Mac could almost see the grin on his face.
Damn that Veronica Mars. Last week when they’d been at the mall and Veronica forced her to try swim suits on Mac hadn’t had any clue that she was up to something, but now it was obvious.
“It seems like you thought of everything.” Mac conceded, with a resigned laugh.
“I’ll pick you up in 10 minutes.”
He hung up before Mac could argue, and Mac was left deciding whether shaving her legs before he got there was feasible, or if they were okay like they were.
The cool costal night was a welcome shock. It felt cleansing. Veronica was more than a little appalled at herself for fantasizing about Clarence Wiedman while being with Logan, both in the broader sense and the very literal one. She didn’t even like him, so what was wrong with her? Veronica slipped back inside to take a shower, hoping to wash away the images she couldn’t seem to get out of her head.
Veronica didn’t take a cold shower; having taken too many of those unintentionally, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead she turned the hot water on all the way in hopes of scalding the impure thoughts out. It worked, only in the sense that she was now making up, graphic sex scenes between her and Clarence, while awake. She could almost feel the slickness of his wet body against hers. Veronica turned off the shower, clearly it wasn’t helping. When she walked back into the bedroom, Logan was still curled up like the innocent little boy he both was and was not, and Veronica had to wonder, why she was fixated on perverse fantasies about Clarence Wiedman, when she had what she’d always wanted right here. It was clear she wasn’t going to get back to sleep though, so Veronica got dressed, deciding to go for a walk to clear her head.
She didn’t intend to end up on the rooftop. She ended up there though, remembering the pained expression on Beaver… Cassidy’s face just before he jumped. She couldn’t bring herself to feel sorry. Somehow she had assumed she would, even though he had killed people, even though he had raped her, but she didn’t.
“Veronica.” She turned to find Clarence Wiedman standing beside her.
“Clarence.” It was all Veronica could be to keep from blushing like mad, remembering the vivid fantasies she’d had of him.
Mac slipped out the side door of the house. It wasn’t like she was sneaking out. She was 18 and no one had told her not to go out; she just didn’t relish bringing the fact that she was going somewhere with a boy alone at midnight to her parents. After all, the last boy she’d brought around had turned out to be a murderer and committed suicide while they were supposed to be together. Besides, her parents would read way too much into this. It wasn’t like it was a date; Wallace was just being friendly.
“Are you ready to have a good time?” Wallace grinned, and Mac couldn’t help grinning back.
She hopped into the car and they drove off, like it was some kind of movie. Mac liked the moments where her life felt like fiction, like the music on the stereo was a soundtrack.
“So the parents didn’t want to grill the guy who wants to take their daughter out so late?”
“I didn’t exactly tell them I was leaving.” Mac confessed.
“What? Ashamed to be seen with me?”
“Please. With my tack record, being seen with a hot shot basketball player is the least of my image worries.”
After being the girlfriend of a serial killer who offed himself, nothing really was going to be that humiliating.
“You mean that wouldn’t ruin the whole counter culture theme you have going on.”
Mac laughed, “My parents would be the ones doing that.”
“What? You mean to tell me that your parents aren’t extremely hip and with it?” Wallace joked.
“My parents are… well they might as well be complete strangers.”
That was putting it mildly.
“Don’t you think you’re laying the teen angst on a little thick there?”
“No. I mean literally.” Mac explained, wondering why she felt the need to tell Wallace about the mix up, “I had Veronica do some research and my parents… well they aren’t my parents.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. Apparently, I was switched at birth. I kid you not.”
“You know…” Wallace sighed, “Before I moved to Neptune, things like that were unbelievable.”
Mac felt a smiled creeping across her face, “Before I met Veronica Mars… things like that were unbelievable.”
“I think you might have a point there.”
“This in an unconventional place to find an 18 year old girl, by herself, at night, but then again you never are where one might expect, are you Veronica Mars?”
Veronica turned to face him, “Tell me Clarence Wiedman, do you feel anything about the people who are dead thanks to you?”
“Veronica Mars, do you ever even consider that maybe you shouldn’t say every snide remark that pops into your head,” he replied blankly.
“No need to get defensive Mr. Wiedman. I don’t have wiretap, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Veronica laughed; the false levity was second nature by now.
“I am not worried about anything.”
“Just answer the question,” Veronica did her very best flippant pose and tried not to think about her desire to press herself against his body. When, she had to ask herself, did Clarence Wiedman become someone that was hard to keep her hands off of; because, he certainly was now.
“You didn’t kill the Casblancas, boy Veronica. There’s no reason for you to feel guilty.” Clarence replied; which could be construed as an attempt to offer comfort.
“You see that’s really sweet of you to say, but don’t feel guilty.” Veronica retorted, “That’s just the thing. I keep expecting to think to myself that if I’d only said something when he asked why he shouldn’t jump he wouldn’t be dead and to feel bad about it… but I don’t.”
“So you are worried because you aren’t having unhealthy, morbid, fits of irrational blame?”
Veronica paused, looked out off the edge of the rooftop, before turning back around and asking in mock horror, “Am I a freak, am I a soulless bad seed for not being a weepy mess like any ordinary girl would be?”
“Well, Veronica. You are anything but ordinary,” Clarence replied without a hint of irony.
“Clarence…” Veronica hesitated; this was insane, she was certain.
“Yes.”
“There is something else.”
Veronica could have sworn she wasn’t breathing air at all, thanks to the pain in her chest, as anxiety filled her over what she was contemplating.
“What is it?” Clarence was composed as ever.
Veronica just did it. She pulled Clarence’s head down to her own and kissed him.
When Wallace stopped the car in a ritzy part of a town about 40 minutes up the PCH and pulled up to a beachfront cottage, Mac looked at him quizzically.
“Courtesy of Veronica’s boyfriend. Apparently his psychotic father used to take nubile young females up here…”
“Classy.” Mac wondered if everyone was in on the scheme to get her in a bathing suit and it they were all going to jump out of the bushes yelling surprise and any moment.
“Beats getting arrested for sneaking into the community pool after hours… oh wait. We don’t have one of those anymore do we?” Mac gave a sort of half laugh, “Well the swimsuit’s in the back, what do you say we get changed?”
When Mac got to the bathroom and looked in the bag, she discovered that Veronica had selected not the fairly covering tankini that Mac had thought was best, but the bikini top with the low waisted boy shorts that Veronica had insisted was cute on Mac and Mac had insisted looked ridiculous on her.
Mac hoped for low lighting, and possibly alcohol, as she braced herself to go out and join Wallace, towel firmly wrapped around her body. She also reminded herself to get revenge on Veronica.
Veronica let go of Clarence, embarrassed and hoping he’d be too apathetic to remind her about this. But then, instead of moving away, Clarence pulled her back towards him, forceful yet precise as he recaptured her lips, and oh he did taste of cloves and mouthwash after all.
Logan, Veronica knew that she was with Logan and this was called cheating. She knew she was against cheating and that she wasn’t just another Lilly, that even if Clarence Wiedman wasn’t a dangerous man it would be completely wrong and unacceptable for her to be making out with him, passionately like she was the heroine of an action movie, her whole body tingling in anticipation. It was so very much like her dreams though, as she gasped for breath, that she could almost convince herself it wasn’t real, and was therefore okay.
Clarence’s arms were strong and Veronica knew their destructive powers, but the possibility of his danger seemed an aphrodisiac. Aaron Echolls’ lawyers had lied to make it seem like she’d manipulated the guys in her life to frame him for Lilly’s murder, but they’d had one thing right, one thing that Veronica would never admit. All the boys in her life since Lilly’s death (they were all boys not men, even Leo… or maybe especially Leo) she had possessed the upper hand with. Troy had lied to her and deceived her, but in the end she’d outsmarted him, and he was the one asking for her to give him a second chance. Leo, well she’d been using him from early on, and the way he jumped at her call in the spring just confirmed that things were still the same. Duncan and her hadn’t been like that before; he’d broken her heart after all, but Veronica would have to admit, if she was honest with herself, that it wasn’t the same when they got back together, that she’d never really reinvested. Duncan’s entire existence was determined now, by the getaway plans that Veronica had made for him, and Veronica was dating his best friend. Logan, the best friend, well he was sleeping in his cushy suite while his girlfriend was moaning against someone else’s skin.
Veronica Mars was smarter than them. She wasn’t smarter than Clarence Wiedman though, or at least if she was the advantage was so small that it was eclipsed by the fact that he could kill her without much effort at all. He wasn’t killing her though; he was kissing her, in a fashion that could be described as ardent.
“You were kidding about the intense water sports were you?” Wallace panted, catching up with Mac at the end of the pool.
Mac laughed, “So I take it you don’t want another chance to redeem yourself?”
“I’m still a bit winded from that one.”
Mac suspected that Wallace might be affecting more fatigue than he felt in order to flatter her.
“So your mom seriously lied to you about who your dad was?” she asked, going back to the topic they’d been discussing before Wallace had proposed to race.
“Yeah. I mean I get why she did it, and he did raise me. It’s just… finding out really shook up with trust in things.”
Mac nodded, “Yeah. I definitely can relate, although I think things are actually better with my family now that I know. It took some time though. I was so pissed when I first found out.”
“Yeah well, I mean at least my mom was actually who I was brought up to think she was. Your situation is way crazier.”
Mac bit her lip, “So does that mean I win?” she said jokingly.
“I guess so.” Wallace confirmed, leaning against the side of the pool next to her.
“Do I get a prize or something?”
“Well I don’t know. Did you have something particular in mind?” Mac blushed. She shouldn’t be thinking about the possibility that Wallace was hitting on her, because surely he wasn’t, “Because I have some ideas, but it’s supposed to be your prize, not mine.”
Mac swallowed.
They were both panting by the time that Clarence pulled back, arms still supporting Veronica, whose legs were wrapped around him. Veronica went to recapture his lips, but he leaned away.
“I’m not much of an exhibitionist; it you’re going to keep rubbing against me like that we’re going to need to get a room or something,” He told her, like there’s nothing strange about the fact that his hands were under her shirt.
The room suggestion reminded Veronica of the Amelia Delongpre case. She found herself angry, suddenly remembering how dismissive he was when she’d gone to him looking for answers.
She de-entangled herself from him, expression hardening.
“I’m not quite that easy.” She snapped and left him standing there alone. He didn’t follow or try to stop her going.
The elevator was available but Veronica took the stairs, right past Logan’s floor and down to ground level.
“Well thanks. That was fun.” Mac said, standing out in front of her house, saying goodnight to Wallace.
“Yeah.” Wallace replied, “It was cool to hang one on one… at least I thought so.”
“Yeah.” Mac reddened and looked at the floor, “Well I guess I should go in now.”
“Yeah…”
Neither of them moved.
“Oh. I should give you your jacket back.” Mac said, starting to slide Wallace’s letterman jacket off her shoulders.
“It’s okay… keep it.” Wallace shrugged, “looks better wrapped around your shoulders anyway.”
“Ummm…”
This wasn’t what is sounded like, Mac was sure. It was only in old teen movies that having someone’s jacket was a sign of coupledom.
“What are you doing Friday?”
“Nothing. Why?”
“I was thinking maybe we could, you know, do something.”
The corners of Mac’s mouth hurt from the grin she was resisting, “I’d like that.”
The silence was awkward and full of excitement as Mac slowly backed towards the door.
“So, see you Friday.”
“Yeah. I’ll call to talk specifics tomorrow.”
“Well. Good night.”
Mac closed the door behind her and proceeded to collapse against it in disbelief. Had Wallace seriously just asked her out? She really wasn’t a type of girl he’d ever liked. Not cute and blonde like Jane and Veronica, and certainly not sophisticated and sexy like Jackie. She was just… Mac. Maybe she was just misreading things, and Wallace meant hang out like friends. Friends were good right? She didn’t have to read way more into any male of relative attractiveness being friendly to her. Mac sighed and leaned against the door, face buried in Wallace’s jacket, which still smelled like him. She found it sort of soothing.
Clarence Wiedman looked perplexed as her opened the door, “Veronica Mars…” he started.
Veronica stepped inside and shut the door behind her.
“The hotel room was just too much of a cliché.” She said as if it explained not only why she was there but how she’d found his unlisted address.
“And I’m not?”
Veronica pressed her body against his, hand reaching either side of his face, and kissed him. Her whole body was on edge, sensitive to touch, as they stumbled towards his bedroom, leaving items of clothing like a trail of bread crumbs. Then it was warm skin against skin as they tumbled down onto his bed. Frantic lips caressing salty skin, Veronica whimpered beneath him.
Fingers curved at just the right angle, and Veronica begged, “Please.”
Fervent yet somehow withholding, his body covered hers with the power she had felt and longed for longer than she’d care to admit.
