Title: Run
Main characters: James Diamond, Logan Mitchell
Side characters: Kendall, Carlos, Joanna Mitchell
Warning: Slash Jagan, Slash Kenlos
Alternate Universe (kids, BTR doesn't exist)
Summary: James Diamond was a boy who could not handle stress well. He got panic attack easily and when he did, all he wanted to do was run
Original prompt: James feels lost after his parents have a huge fight, usually he goes to Kendall to be comforted or Carlos to forget, yet he finds himself in front of Logan's house.
A/N: Big Time Exchange Gift for Dullahan Shadow. I'm not really satisfied with it, must be because I have loooong since written a story and I'm also sorry it's short. But I tried my best to finish it on time so I just hope you enjoy it. c:
James Diamond was a boy who could not handle stress well. He got panic attack easily and when he did, all he wanted to do was run. Run away to somewhere peaceful and quiet. Run away to a place he would not get scolded, judged, or pressured.
He'd call himself lucky to have found a perfect place for that. Up on the hill he climbed during boy scouting at his elementary school, there was a vast field of Zinnia flowers that took his breath since the very first time he saw it. Thank goodness his other friends weren't as interested as James about it so he could call the field as his own spot.
It all started when his parents had a huge fight, months ago. Feeling stressed out inside his house, James decided to visit the field. Somehow, feeling the gentle breeze and looking at the glistening colourful petals under sunlight could lighten up his mood greatly. Thus next time, everytime he felt upset about horrible grade, losing at a hockey game, or simply when he felt like needing peace, this place was the place he'd go to.
It was the third time this month his parents went shouting at each other as if in the world they were the only people who had ears; James could not take it anymore. Early in the morning he packed sandwich and some comic books to be enjoyed at the Zinnia field all day. He looked at the sky, smiling that it was bright and warm. Last time it was raining hard that he had to cancel going. When it's raining, the field would be all muddy and James definitely couldn't feel at peace knowing muds were all over his hair and clothes.
James frowned when halfway the hill he found construction bars and people with construction worker suits. What happened? His heart began to thump faster, silently praying that his field was not touched. Maybe they are opening some housing state around the field? If that was the case, it sure was great news. When he had job later and could earn his own money to buy his own living place, he'd buy a house here so he could go to the field everyday.
However the imagination had to crumble into pieces as the boy faced the sight in front of him. The colourful flowers and the lush green grass were all gone, replaced by building materials and more construction signs.
"What did you do to my field?" Crestfallen, he could only ask a worker weakly.
"We're building a grand mall here, boy." The man ruffled his hair and smiled. "Don't be sad. I heard they'll have an arcade inside and there's also a rock climbing track. You should be excited!"
They might be fun but it wasn't what he needed. His beautiful heaven, how could they take it away from him so suddenly like that?
Lifelessly James walked back to the city. Now where should he go? His brain worked as his legs moved on their own. His home definitely was the last place he'd want to step his foot onto right now.
Sighing he decided to go to Kendall's house. The blonde boy was the closest that he could call a best friend. He was his perfect hockey partner, a fun person to hang with. He was also leader-like somewhat, in the way he behaved and spoke, and usually he was the best person to cheer people up and motivate them, proven during each game lost.
Or Carlos's maybe? If Kendall wasn't home then he'd go to Carlos's place. He was Kendall's boyfriend, introduced to him only a month ago but James already felt like knowing the Latino forever. The thought of Kendall having a boyfriend didn't make James feel left out. When the three of them went together James didn't feel like the third wheel. Because Carlos was heaps of fun, James could totally see why Kendall was head over heel for him. There were times when Kendall wasn't around, it didn't make things awkward and James and Carlos could have fun together too. There were some silly logics only both, being childish and irrational they were, could understand and Kendall could only shake his head in exasperation when James and Carlos were being stupid.
Kendall's leadership could provide him comfort and Carlos's joyfulness could make him forget. Not good enough replacement for the beautiful field but it could help, at least.
Done with thinking, James's head cocked up to see where his legs had brought him. He frowned. It wasn't a familiar area, but he was sure he'd been there at least once before. Yeah, he'd ever seen this bus stop before. From here, in the past he turned left in that junction, then passed this house with a big Golden Retriever, then turned there... he walked following what he remembered, completely forgetting his previous destination. His feet finally stopped in front of a cream-painted house.
Whose house is this? When did I come here? What for?
The answers came in instant, as the owner of the house opened the main door and revealed himself.
"James Diamond?" The spiky-haired boy asked noticing James in front of the gate. "Hey there. What brings you here?" A warm smile was directed at him and for a second James was tongue-tied.
Logan Mitchell, the name of this house's owner, was the smartest guy in his class, the president of the students union. When James got typhus and laid on the bed for one whole month late last year, Logan was the class representative to visit him and help him with his notes and quizzes. When James recovered it was vacation week so he felt obligated to return the notes by coming to his house.
Other than those two chances, they never spoke to each other before.
"I- kinda got lost. I feel familiar with this way and just walked, it's actually the way to your place, eh."
"Want to come in then? It's far from your place. Now that you're here, you can hang in here. If you have no other business, of course." Logan himself seemed awkward. "But I've got to throw this first," he looked down at trash bags he was holding.
James didn't know why he agreed to that.
Logan then opened the gate and after throwing the bags into big trash bin at the corner of the street he returned and invited the pretty boy in.
It was the first time James went inside, the last time he refused to go in. It was a medium-sized house, the interior was minimalist and simple but it looked comfy. Far different from James's, huge but he'd been wishing to move out from there had he had enough money to survive. He also saw a lot of family portraits hung on the wall at the living room. Looks like a happy family. Do his parents ever fight at all?
"James have you had breakfast? My mom's cooking in the kitchen. James? Hello?" Logan waved his hands in front of James's face, calling him back from spacing out. "Tsk no kidding when you said you're lost."
The boy just gave a toothy grin. "I brought sandwich actually."
"Okay then let's eat together."
Mrs. Mitchell looked happy to see a guest and welcomed James warmly. Together they ate and Mrs. Mitchell asked him a lot of questions, sounding so interested about him, which he happily answered. James always liked it when the attention was on him afterall. But the best part was that he got treated like a member of Mitchell family. He couldn't remember when was the last time his own mother asked him about how his school was.
And Logan wasn't a horrible company. James had thought geniuses like him were boring and nerdy-like, but Logan was nothing like that. He might look dull and be seen reading a book most of the time, but behind all that James actually found him quite funny, cute even. Logan's easy-to-get-nervous-ness, Logan's seem-to-try-to-fix-things-but-mess-them-up-more stories... James felt like getting to know someone completely new.
Finished eating, they went to Logan's room to spend few more time since James claimed that he had nowhere to go and he didn't want to come home. Usually he wasn't easy to spill out his feelings, but somehow when Logan asked what was wrong in his home, James easily ranted his burdens out. James told Logan how his parents were in the verge of divorce, how they both refused the right to take him with and neither listened to what he had to say about it, how he felt unloved and unneeded in his own family, how he envied a loving mother-son relationship like the other boy had. James also told Logan about his destroyed paradise, that he was now lost without a place o run away to.
Logan just listened patiently to that long crap of rants, occasionally nodded in understanding and patted James's shoulder. And James knew he had made the best choice to stay here instead of going to Kendall or Carlos. He was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to talk this freely with Kendall; James had too much pride to break down in front of a Kendall. And even if he did, all Kendall would do perhaps interrupted sometimes to give comments in agreement how James's parents were bitches and at the end tried to give solution. It wasn't what James needed. With Carlos, there would be no talking at all. They would just do stunts or play video games and even though he had fun, he'd remember his stress once he went back home.
While with Logan here, a stranger to him, James could let them all go. Once he's done talking it was as if his burdens were lifted up.
"I feel much better now. Thanks, Logan."
"I didn't do anything. That's what friends are for."
James didn't know why Logan would call him a friend when all he did was suddenly visiting to eat and to rant, but he found himself happy and a bit proud to be able to call Logan a friend too.
Zinnia field might be gone but today James had found a perfect replacement. Even better, because not only in the calming and soothing aspect, Logan's smile also beat the beauty of the flowers, in James's honest opinion.
James Diamond was a boy who could not handle stress well. He got panic attack easily and when he did, all he wanted to do was run. Run away to somewhere peaceful and quiet. Run away to a place he would not get scolded, judged, or pressured. Run away to where he was loved.
It never changed even though he was now seventeen. He was a successful solo singer now, staying in a house-apartment of Palm Woods in Los Angeles given by his producer in Rocque Records. The pressure of being an idol was sometimes getting too much and James wanted to run, run away back to his safe haven in Minnesota. He missed Logan's calming voice, talking to him, but a phone call sometimes wasn't enough. He also missed his gentle embrace, his addictive touches and kisses... James missed his boyfriend so much.
But the last phone call from Logan made his heart beat in anticipation.
"Don't run here. I'll run there to you. I'm going into UCLA so wait for me, James." James could hear a crooked smile through his voice and he felt much calmer than before.
He'd call himself very lucky to have found Logan.
-End-
