Veronica Mars - Necking


Title: Necking
Characters: Veronica/Beaver (yes you read that right & no I haven't completely lost my mind)
Prompt: #8 - Weeks
Word Count: 1,344
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: As always, my undying gratitude to dueling betas partner, storydivagirl
Spoilers: Through 2x01 - Normal is the Watchword


It’s been almost a week since I broke my heart. Six days and seventeen hours, to be exact, but I’m not keeping track. What do I mean by breaking my heart? Well, I had to end a relationship with someone that I am in love with. I didn’t want to end it, but until Logan gets his act together, I can’t be with him.

Granted, breaking up with him hasn’t stopped me from worrying about him. In fact, I’m probably more worried now because I’m not there to keep an eye on him. But he’s a big boy and there is nothing I can do for him.

“Veronica, there’s a boy here to see you,” Shannon says, startling me out of my reverie. I wonder if it’s Logan. If what I said when I broke things off has finally sunk in and he’s ready to stop acting like an idiot and have a real relationship with me.

I walk in the direction Shannon indicated, looking for that trademark smirk. Instead, I find a shy, nervous smile.

“Cassidy, what can I do for you?” I ask, trying to hide my surprise.

Is he blushing? His neck looks red. That’s kind of cute.

“Hey, Veronica, I wanted to stop by and say hi and see how you were doing,” he says in that unassuming way of his.

Did I really just think that one of the Casablancas brothers is cute?

“Oh well, you know how it is, I’m only happy when I’m embroiled in some huge town scandal,” I reply sarcastically. This hasn’t exactly been the greatest summer of my life. Between almost getting killed, my dad almost getting killed, Logan being arrested for killing Felix and the media coverage about Aaron Echolls being Lilly’s murderer, I haven’t had a moment to breathe.

The look on Beaver’s face makes me wish I hadn’t been quite so flippant though. “Veronica, I want to tell you again that I’m really sorry for not coming to you sooner about Logan leaving Mexico early the day that Lilly was killed. When I heard that his dad had done it and had tried to kill you, well, I regretted keeping Logan’s secret even more than I did before. If I hadn’t kept it, maybe the police would have figured Aaron out sooner.”

I check my watch and notice that I still have ten minutes left on my break, so I sit in the chair across from Beaver and look him straight in the eye. “Look, Bea… Cassidy, I appreciate your concern, but the police had a signed confession from Abel Koontz, so they weren’t looking anywhere else. Your information would have made me look at Logan sooner, and, well, if I had done that, I might not have figured out that it was Aaron.” I feel my cheeks get slightly warm, but I deftly avoid the topic of my relationship with Logan.

Beaver is definitely blushing too. It’s really adorable, and I kind of hate myself for thinking that. After all, I’m still in love with Logan.

“Well, I’m… I’m glad you’re not mad at me, Veronica,” he stammers. “I know it’s kind of my fault you and Logan broke up,” he adds quietly.

I wonder what Logan has been telling his friends about our breakup. They were all surprised that we stayed together after his father was arrested. They were even more surprised that I stood staunchly by his side when he was charged with Felix’s murder. But by the time things started to settle down, I had made an uneasy truce with most of the 09ers. Depending on what Logan is telling them about our recent breakup, though, I’m guessing that truce is over.

Beaver clears his throat and I look up to see a worried expression on his face. I realize that I haven’t said anything back to him yet. Oops.

“Oh, it had nothing to do with you,” I tell him. “It had to do with Logan’s immaturity. I refuse to stand there and watch him throw his life away.”

“Well, as long as you’re not mad. I’ve always thought you were cool and I still feel guilty about what happened at Shelley’s party last year.”

Shelley’s party. The night when Dick carried me, unconscious, into a guest room and put me on a bed so Beaver could lose his virginity. Lucky for me, Beaver is a good guy and didn’t take advantage of the situation. Unlucky for me, he was naïve enough to believe that I would be safe sleeping it off in that bedroom.

I try really hard not to think about Duncan. Ever since my revelation that we aren’t brother and sister, he has been trying to get me to go out with him again. I don’t know how to explain to him that it doesn’t matter that we aren’t related, that I can never forgive and forget the fact that he had sex with me at Shelley’s party, after breaking up with me because his mother told him I might be his sister. Oh sure, we were both under the influence of GHB, but the next day, when he woke up and realized what we had done, instead of staying and explaining it to me, he bolted, leaving me to wake up alone and missing my underwear.

However, none of this is Beaver’s fault and I certainly don’t want him carrying around the guilt because of it.

“Look, Cassidy, you have no reason to feel guilty about any of that. You weren’t the one that spiked my drink, you weren’t the one that carried me into that room and you weren’t the one that took advantage of me in my unconsciousness.”

I really didn’t think it would be possible for his neck to get any redder. But it did.

He mumbles something that I don’t quite catch.

“What?”

He finally meets my eyes and I see a combination of emotions swirling on his face.

“I sometimes wish I would have,” he repeats, barely loud enough for me to hear.

Mark this day on your calendar, folks, because Veronica Mars is actually speechless. I have no idea how to respond to that. First because Cassidy Casablancas is quite possibly the one 09er at Neptune High that is more naïve than I used to be and second, because I realize my neck is getting warm.

“Cassidy?”

“You hate me now, don’t you?”

“Actually, no. But would you mind clarifying that?” Because somehow I really, really doubt that Beaver literally meant that he wished he had committed date rape.

“It’s just that… well… I’ve always sort of had a crush on you,” he mumbles, staring at the table as though it holds all the secrets to the universe. “I always figured you were way out of my league because you were with Duncan.”

Veronica Mars, out of the league for an 09er? Cassidy really is naïve. But in the grand scheme of things, that doesn’t really matter. Because at this particular moment, I am finding myself very attracted to him.

“Do you still have a crush on me?” I ask softly.

It’s obvious I startled him with my question. He meets my eyes again and I see a spark of hope in his eyes.

“Yes,” he answers, gulping.

I smile and tilt my head. “I get off work at eight.”

He blinks a few times, obviously trying to figure out if I mean what he thinks I mean.

“Pick me up. We can hang out somewhere and figure this out. My break was over five minutes ago.”

Mutely, he nods, his expression still blank. I reach over and rest my hand on top of his. “I’m glad you stopped by today, Cassidy,” I say before standing up.

A huge grin breaks out on his face. “So am I, Veronica. I’ll see you at eight.”

I watch him leave, unable to keep my own grin in check. Six days, seventeen hours and twenty minutes after I broke my heart, I can feel it starting to repair itself.