Disclaimer: I don't own BTR.
Notes: I wrote this for a friend on twitter who wanted Hurt/Comfort fic with Sad!James. This is set pre-show since they're both 13 here.
A Quiet Place To Rest My Head-
Logan's getting ready for bed when he hears a soft knock on his window. He turns in surprise, eyes wide and heart thudding loudly in his chest, expecting some kind of crazed axe-murderer to be peering at him through his window. Instead he finds James, floppy haired with a nervous smile on his face.
He rolls his eyes and quickly crosses his room to the window, unlocking it and pushing it up, "Normal people use doors, ya know," he says in annoyance.
"Can I stay here tonight?"
Logan blinks in surprise then shrugs, "Yeah, sure," says taking a few steps away from the window to give James room to climb in. He maneuvers around James afterward to close and lock the window securely. "Let me go tell my mom so she can get some extra blankets for you."
James quickly grabs onto Logan's wrist, tugging him back when Logan tries to walk away. "No, wait," he says and Logan looks back in surprise, "Don't tell your mom I'm here."
Logan's brows furrow in confusion, "Why?"
"Because she'll call my parents and I don't want to be home right now."
Logan blinked in surprise, brows raising high on his forehead, "Your parents don't know you're here?"
James looks away and shakes his head. "No."
"James, they're going to be worried about you," Logan reprimands, frowning at the other boy.
James scoffs and finally lets Logan's wrist go. Logan instantly misses the warmth of James' fingers against his skin. "No, they won't. They won't even realize I'm gone. They're too busy fighting with each other."
Logan bites his bottom lip, "I'm sorry," he says softly, not knowing what else to say. His parents were still happily married and he couldn't imagine what it must've been like for James.
James shrugs, "It's not your fault they fell out of love."
"It's not your fault, either," Logan says softly, placing his hand on James' shoulders.
James tenses under Logan's touch before he relaxes, shoulders sagging gently, "I know…"
Logan doesn't know what else to say so he doesn't say anything, walking to his dresser and pulling out a pair of pajama bottoms for James to wear. They are still relatively the same height at the age of thirteen, though James was starting to grow a little, gaining a few inches on Logan, much to his annoyance.
"Here," he says, tossing them to the other boy now sitting on his bed. James catches them against his chest and smiles gratefully.
"Thanks," James says, toeing off his shoes before getting to his feet.
Logan shrugs, "No problem," he says and stands awkwardly as James starts to strip, unzipping his jacket and letting it fall to the floor before getting to work on his jeans. Logan flushes and quickly averts his gaze as James' pants slide down his legs.
His heart is hammering in his chest and his mouth feels dry all of a sudden. They're reactions he's been getting a lot lately when it comes to James and he doesn't know what to make of them yet. But he knows it's not the time to be analyzing it, not when James was in troubled and in need of a friend.
He busies himself by re-arranging the things on his desk, straightening his papers, restacking his books, moving his cup of pencils to the other corner of the desk, anything until he hears his bed creak and looks over his shoulder.
James is laid out on his bed, feet still planted firmly on the floor, one arm draped over his eyes. He leans against his desk and watches James for a few moments, before breaking the silence, "Do you want to talk about it?"
James sighs, "Not really," he says, letting his arm slide down to drape across his chest instead. He lifts his head and gives Logan a pitiful look.
Logan chest tightens with sympathy and he chews on his bottom lip, not sure what else he should do. He doesn't understand why James came to him instead of Kendall or Carlos. They would know how to make James feel better.
But even though he's never been good at comforting people, he can't help but feel happy that James came to him, pleased in a way he can't describe. "I'll go get you some blankets and a pillow," Logan says eventually, turning towards his closed bedroom door.
James sits up, "Wait," he says and Logan pauses and glances back at him curiously.
"What is it?"
James gestures towards his door, "Well, your mom or dad might see you and ask you why you're getting more blankets and stuff."
Logan frowns slightly. He knows what James is saying is true. His parent's room were right by the closet that had all the extra blankets and pillows. And he couldn't lie to save his life, especially to his mother, so if he got caught, he'd have to tell her about James. "Then where are you going to sleep?"
"We can sleep together. You know, like we used to…" James looks at him earnestly, looking up at him through his fringe of hair, biting his bottom lip gently.
Logan swallows thickly, stomach tightening with nerves, "Uh, o-okay," he mumbles then nods his head firmly, "Yeah, okay, that's probably best."
James grins and flops back down onto Logan's bed, head landing on Logan's pillow. James pulls Logan's blanket from under him, body arching off the bed and Logan instantly starts to regret his decision. Once under the blanket, James looks at Logan expectantly, folding his arms behind his head, "Come on, Logan. I'm tired."
Logan huffs out a breath and rolls his eyes, studying James for a moment, trying to figure out how to get into bed without having to climb over the other boy. He finally walks over to the foot of the bed and crawls onto it, settling down beside James once he reaches his pillows.
They lay awkwardly for a moment, shoulders and arms pressed together before James leans over and turns Logan's lamp off, before shifting onto his side, facing Logan. Logan turns as well, and they curl under the blankets facing each other, knees touching and faces inches apart. Logan can feel James' breath fanning across his face and feels a flutter in his stomach that has his heart racing.
His eyes slowly adjust to the dark, the dim light coming in through his window where he had forgotten to close his curtains making it easier than usual. Logan feels warmer than he should be as he notices the way James' eyelashes fan across his cheeks. He swallows softly before clearing his throat, "Can I ask you a question?"
James' opens his eyes and blinks at Logan, eyes guarded. "Yeah, sure…"
Logan hesitates for a second, but he needs to know, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Why did you come here? Why not go to Kendall or Carlos?"
He immediately regrets speaking when he sees the hurt that flashes in James' eyes. James pulls away slightly, body stiff as he says, "I can leave if I'm bothering you."
Logan reaches out and grabs onto the front of James' tee shirt, gripping the fabric tightly, "No! That's not what I meant. I'm glad you're here," he says quickly and releases James' shirt, smoothing the fabric out gently.
James is looking at him, eyes wide in surprise and Logan feels his face heating up, embarrassed by his outburst. "It's just that Kendall and Carlos are better at this kind of thing…" he finishes awkwardly, averting his gaze.
James sighs and Logan feels him relax once more, "Kendall would try to fix it," James starts and Logan's attention snaps back to James' face. "He'd try to make me feel better by telling me it's not my fault. I know it's not my fault. And Carlos would probably just end up crying and I'd feel worse. I just needed someplace quiet to get away. I needed you," James falls silent and he's staring at Logan so intently that Logan feels hot all over.
"Oh…" he says softly, then clears his throat quietly, licking his lips nervously. "Well, you can come over anytime you need to then," he whispers into the small space between them.
James smiles, "Thanks," he says softly and places his hand over Logan's where it's resting between their bodies. James' hand is warm and soft over his own and Logan's fingers twitch gently at the unexpected gesture.
Logan smiles crookedly, fingers curling around James' to give them a small squeeze, "Anytime."
END