Fire. Cream. Flower petals. Emeralds. All four came together to form Logan Belle. Fire so hot and so bright it burnt your eyes as it surrounded her face. Cream skin so soft and smooth you yearned to reach out and touch it, and when you finally did it was even better than you could ever imagine. Amidst the cream floated two flower petals, soft and gentle, begging to be kissed. Finally, the emeralds. They sat above the petals, wide and bright green windows to her soul. Never had I seen a woman so beautiful.

“Hello.” She said, her voice like water over river rocks. It was soothing, slightly deep, but feminine.

“Oh, hi.” I managed out. I managed to take my eyes off her face for a moment. I couldn’t tell you if I gasped or my mouth dropped open. She didn’t say anything if I had. She had changed from her usual dress to something…else. And just like everything she wore, she was gorgeous.

“So, uh…are we going to get going?” She asked, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

“Right, yes.” I took a deep breath. The town. I was supposed to take her out on the town to get her mind of her dreams. Get it together Ezra Levi. “Let us go.” I smiled at her and motioned for her to go first.

**************

“What do you think?” I asked as we came upon the clearing. She looked around, her sparkling eyes wide. I could stare into those depths forever if she’d let me. But she was shy of love, of people. She put out a strong front, but I had held her close after her walls had come down.

“It’s beautiful. How did you find this place?” She asked, reaching down to touch a flower. Her skirt hem got dangerously high and I looked away.

“Uh.” I calmed myself and took a deep breath.

I could not mess this up. Not that she would ever love me. She swore she would never love anyone. But her trust was something I liked to think I had, and I wouldn’t lose that for the world.

“Well, I found it on one of my surveys of the area. I run through the whole village throughout the week making sure no Simerica government Weres have come to town.” I smiled at her, “I’m still your protector you know.”

Logan rolled her eyes. Gnome, she was beautiful. “Yea, whatever. There’s not much to protect me against. Besides, I can beat you easily in our spars now. I could probably even beat da-“ She paused, catching herself.

Beautiful and broken.

She took a deep breath and turned away from me, walking towards the river bank. “Why are you doing this Ezra?” Her voice carried back to me.

“Doing what?” I asked, jogging to catch up.

“This, the day out, everything. Why did you sit outside my door for two weeks, why do you let me crawl into your bed at night without asking anything in return?” She paused, meeting my eyes. “Why do you look at me like that?” She looked away.

“Like what.” I asked her, stepping closer.

“Like I’m perfect. Like I’m the answer to everything. Like…like my dad looked at my mother.” She turned her back to me again.

I wanted to reach out to her, to pull her close, to spin her around and kiss her. I wanted to see her smile, to see her whole again. But I couldn’t do that, not now. Logan was like an injured wild animal. I couldn’t make any sudden movements, any bold gestures or she’d dash into the brush, never to emerge again. I had worked so hardtop get this far, I couldn’t get greedy now.

“Did I ever tell you about how I came to be here? Here, in the resistance, learning under your father, protecting you.” I asked. Logan shook her head, her red hair catching the fire, flickering like a candle. I sat down on the river bank and leaned back. After a moment Logan sat down near me.

“When I was 10 my mother, father, and younger sister were killed by the government. I had shown my sister how to create a trail of sparkles in the air. She had shown a friend at school. Someone had seen it, reported it, and that night the came to my house. I had snuck out about an hour before to walk down to the local park. When I came home it was too late. Gavin came and got me and from that time I jumped around to other people in the resistance. At 17 I found your father and begged him to take me in and train me. He denied taking me in, your house was completely full, but he did train me. For a year he trained me. At 18 he asked me to watch over you, 12 at the time. That was the first night I saw you.”

I glanced over to Logan, her deep eyes were watching me, the darkness that she held onto apparent in them now. She held no smile on her face to chase it away.

“So from then on, your 13th birthday, Rowan and I watched over you. I was there when you made straight A’s and decided to skip the bus, instead running all the way home, that grade report tight in your hands. I was there when Ruben shoved Maya into the sand outside the school and you taught him to never mess with her again. I was there when Hans gave you your first kiss underneath the slide.” I looked over and smiled at her.

“I was also there when you found the baby bird that had fallen from its nest. You tried to help it but it died. I was there when you accidently scared the neighbor’s cat and it ran into the street, getting run over by a car. I was there when you and your father got in the crash. I pulled you from the wreckage before the Weres got you. I was there those nights that you cried in bed, holding you tightly, whispering that you weren’t alone. I was there when Alex gave you your first drug. I was there when Alex took you to his house for your first…time.”

I glanced at her again. Her steady gaze was still on me, non-judging.

“Don’t worry. I stayed close enough to protect you but far enough to give you as much privacy as possible. Rowan and I, we never watched through windows or anything. You have to understand Logan, when you went through all of this, we were under strict orders to never show ourselves unless you were in a life or death situation. There were times…” I paused, my hand digging into the dirt, “There were times I almost went against those. Times Rowan had to physically hold me back from marching to you and getting you out of whatever situation you had gotten into.”

“What does this have to do with now?” She asked. I smiled in reply.

“Well, all of that, it showed me that you were strong. You were a fighter. You never gave up, even when your future looked bleak. You kept yourself together and pushed through it. You are a stronger person than I could ever be, Logan Belle.” I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close.

“So, to answer your question. I look at you like you’re perfect because you are. You are the answer to everything; Persevere, be strong, and you can achieve anything. And I look at you like your father looked at your mother because…well, because I see how special you are.”

“You’re foolish.” She whispered. I looked at her from the corner of my eye and frowned. “If you keep thinking like that you’re going to fall in love with me. I’m not someone you want to fall in love with, Ezra.”

Too late, I thought. Out loud I just laughed. “Now you’re the foolish one.” I replied.

Logan pulled away and stood up. “Come on, let’s go get some food. I’m starved.”

It was getting late, I noticed. I stood and followed her back to the road, smiling as fire, cream, flower petals, and emeralds climbed through the broken fence, oblivious to how loved she was and always would be.

AN: I apologize for the weird lighting and vague poses. The lot I was on I wasn’t able to buy so I couldn’t use poses on it I hope it’s okay!!