I'll Do Anything For You
Summary: James asks Logan to be his pretend boyfriend. When has Logan ever been able to say no?
Pairing: James/Logan, Logan/Kendall
Rating: M
AN: Post BTR, James is beginning his solo career. This idea would not escape my head, inspired heavily by Catheryne's "Mr. and Mrs. Bass". I tried writing the next chapter of Black Light Constellations but this came out instead. I need some light and fluffy Jagan in between some dark and angsty Jaganmille. Which is not to say the characters in this story will not deal with their fair share of problems. It's late, I'm rambling. Please review!
Prologue
"If there's anything to say, If there's anything to do,
If there's any other way, I'd do anything for you"
– Sufjan Stevens, "For the Widows in Paradise, for the Fatherless in Ypsilanti"
His eyes narrowed.
James stood before him, elaborate bouquet in one hand and a manila envelope in the other. James grinned from ear to ear, holding out the flowers to Logan.
"James." Logan warned. The flowers held out between them.
"I need your help."
Logan eyed him suspiciously. Damn James and that smile. When has Logan ever been able to turn him down?
"What is it?"
"A proposition!" James beamed.
"Do you even know what that word means?"
"Not really. But that's what Gustavo and Kelly told me this is."
"Wait, Gustavo and Kelly put you up to this?"
"No, well, yes." James looked thoroughly confused himself, "I think it might have been Griffin's idea. Maybe the marketing team. You know, I'm not really sure."
"Get to the point, James."
"Right, the point is, I need you to be my boyfriend." James flashed Logan his charming smile, like there was nothing unusual about the request.
Logan's eyes widen. There was no way James is being serious. Oh my god, he was.
It started as a scoff, then a chuckle, before long Logan was shaking with laughter.
James' face fell, red flushed his cheeks, clearly embarrassed. This was not the reaction he was expecting.
"Why is that funny?" He pouts.
It took Logan awhile to stop laughing, not until it registered that James might actually be hurt by his reaction.
"Wait, you're serious?"
"Of course I am!" James whined, "I even brought you flowers, jerkface."
Logan felt the flowers shoved into his chest.
"You're seriously asking me out?"
"Yes! I guess Griffin and the board members at RCM CBT Global Net Sanyoid think I need to clean up my image."
"Well, you do sleep with everyone in sight." Logan interjects.
"Not helping. I need to be a trustworthy face, Logan. Get all the fans to get unmad at me. That's what I think Kelly said. There was a lot of yelling on Gustavo's part. Basically, stop being a slut, get a boyfriend, prove I'm a nice guy."
"You stop being a slut?" Logan sneered.
"Logan! I'm serious. If my next album does not go platinum I'm being dropped from Roque Records!" James squealed. James does that precious thing where his eyebrows furrow and he pout. Logan feels his resolve already crumbling.
"What does this have to do with me?" He sighs. He already does not like where this is going.
"Because," James draws out all sing-song like, "You're my best friend. And who better to play pretend boyfriend than you?"
The words pretend does something to Logan he's not entirely sure he wants to confront.
"Um, Carlos?"
"Not gay."
"Kendall then."
"Not my type."
Logan swallowed. Does this mean he was James' type? Not important right now, he thinks. He has to find a way out of this before James' ropes him into something that will surely ruin his life.
"Please, Logan?"
Too late. James uses the magic word and Logan has never been able to deny the pretty boy anything.
"What do you want me to do?" He sighs.
"You'll attend all red carpet events with me, dinners at all the paparazzi hot spots, staged photo ops, you'll probably have to join me on tour, when you can." James smiled.
Logan opened his mouth to bring up the obvious.
"Oh wait, college." James does it for him, "You can still go to Harvard. Or Yale. Or Princeton. You know what? It doesn't matter. Gustavo can send you the private jet where ever you decide to go. We can make this work. I need you, Logan."
James needed him. James needed him. The pretty boy has never voiced as much.
But med school was his future. But what was his future without James successful and happy? He'd already given up three years to help chase the taller boys' dream.
"Fine." Logan decided, "I'll do what you need. I didn't get into med school anyways."
"Yay!" James jumped up and down clapping his hands, "Wait, what?"
"Yeah, I um, I didn't get accepted." Logan lied.
Actually, Logan had been accepted to eight schools in total. Eight heavy envelops waiting on his desk because Logan was too afraid to count on just one. Now he had his pick of the best. It's okay, he tells himself, he will just defer his acceptance until James' record goes platinum. Then they can go their separate ways and Logan can rest easy studying thousands of miles away from his billboard charting best friend.
"How is that possible? You're like, really smart." James pouts. God, Logan really wanted to kiss those lips. He brushes the thought away.
"Um, yeah. The Palmwoods school isn't much of an impressive education and med school wanted more extracurricular activities out of me. Ones that didn't involve singing and dancing like a guinea pig for the past three years."
"Logan, I'm sorry." James looked genuinely upset. He pulled Logan flush against his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around the smaller boy. Logan felt James' lips brush against his forehead, "Their lost."
And for however long this affection could last, Logan could not regret the lie. His hands were limp at his side still grasping the flowers.
"It's fine." Logan cleared his throat, swallowing the tears that were threatening to spill. Why was he so emotional? It's not like he didn't get accepted.
James pulled away, the manila envelope in his hand brushed against Logan.
"What's in the envelope?"
"Contracts."
"For?"
"The arrangement." James replied.
"The arrangement?"
"Yeah, um, Kelly and Gustavo drew them up, stipulations for being my boyfriend. No running to the media to reveal all this, no breaking up with me before I the album goes platinum, no dating other people…" James trailed.
"No dating other people?" Logan gasped mockingly.
"What? Who do you want to date?"
"It's not me I'm worried about, it's you. Are you going to be able to do this? I mean, granted I'm sure you'll sell a million albums within the first month and no trouble going platinum soon after but it could take up to a few months."
"Yeah, I don't care. I won't date other people."
"At least, in public. We'll have to be discreet about it," Logan reasoned.
"No, Logan, I'm not going to date other people."
Logan studied James, "Okay."
"And same goes for you…I hope."
Logan didn't know why it mattered but he agreed nonetheless, "Okay."
"I mean it, Logan," James stared him down, "Whatever you have going on with Kendall- "
"What?"
"I mean, I'm not sure but I see the way you are with each other and-"
"There's nothing going on with Kendall." Logan interjects.
James eyes him like he's not sure whether to believe Logan, "Okay. Good."
"Why me, James?" The answer might not be one Logan wants to hear but if he was jumping into this he just has to know.
"I trust you." James shrugged, "I trust you the most out of anybody."
Carlos and Kendall unspoken between them.
"You're the only one I trust enough to do without this stupid contract."
The manila envelope is tossed into the trash beside them.
"If it makes you feel better I can sign those." Logan offers.
"No. I trust you, Logan. Do we have a deal?" James extends his hand. Logan looks from the envelope in the trash to the flowers still in his hands. If James trusted him, he could certainly do the same.
"Deal," He swallowed. He put his hands in James' and asked no more questions.
Had he not wanted this relationship, however fake, just as badly or had there been any distrust towards James, Logan might have examined the contents of the manila envelope beside them. He might have found a stack of empty paper. And James' true intent.