This is my first Dalton fic! Also my first contribution to Dalton Riot 2013. If you haven't read Dalton by CP Coulter, go. Read. Now. The characters used come from there and it'll explain some of the stuff written here as well. Plus, it's really amazing so you should just read it.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or their backstory. That belongs to CP Coulter. And Dalton (the school) comes from Glee. This is me just playing with their belongings!
"Jules, are you sure this was a good idea? You and Logan didn't exactly part on friendly terms last month." Derek cast a glare at a girl walking quickly towards them with a look of determination on her tanned face.
"Derek, don't be ridiculous. It's his birthday. We would be terrible best friends if we didn't show up at his door and force him to spend the day eating junk food and watching bad television with us." The actor adjusted his designer sunglasses. "And stop scaring away my fans. She was cute" Julian shot the girl a wink.
"Oh, no. This was your idea, buddy. You made me sit on that plane for six hours so we could surprise Logan for his birthday. We are not going to be late just because you wanted to flirt."
Julian gave Derek an incredulous look as they slid into the taxi, but made no comment.
They rode in silence for serveral minutes before Derek repeated his earlier question. "Julian, are you really sure this is a good idea?"
Julian sighed heavily and removed his sunglasses, looking Derek directly in the eye. "Derek, it is Logan's eighteenth birthday. We are not leaving him with his father." His words were crisp, clear, and mildly condescending. His reassuring smile was completely fake.
"You're completely avoiding the question. And I've known you for four years. I can tell when you're lying to me."
Julian's cool facade slowly slipped. "I didn't want that to be goodbye."
Derek's expression softened as the taxi pulled up to the gate leading to the Wright Estate. "We'll walk from here." Julian shoved a handful of money that was far too much into the taxi driver's hand and dragged his suitcase and Derek out after him. Derek squeezed Julian's shoulder in silent understanding as he punched in the security code.
As Julian silently pushed the front door open a couple minutes later, Derek yawned loudly. Julian shushed him.
"We're breaking into his house at seven in the morning. He'd better have good coffee." Derek mumbled. Julian's laughter echoed through the foyer.
The Wright Estate was empty and eerily silent so early in the morning. The boys stifled their giggles as they crept into Logan's bedroom.
Sunlight filtered through the thin white curtains and illuminated the airy room. Books were stacked on nearly every surface and stuffed tightly and haphazardly into solid, wooden shelves. Sheet music was scattered on top of the piano in the corner of the room. A pair of thick rimmed glasses rested on the night stand, next to Logan's iPhone, which was playing soft music into the large room.
Logan was sprawled on his stomch in the middle of his queen sized bed. Blonde hair too-long and tangled around his forehead. His head pillowed on his arms.
Derek and Julian exchanged glances and grinned. The next few moments were a flurry of silent of activity as they kicked off shoes and dropped luggage onto the floor. They walked to the bed, lifted the blankets, exchanged devlish grins and snuggled tightly on either side of Logan.
Logan woke slowly to a strange warmth and a soft snuffling. He sighed and burrowed closer to the body next to him.
Wait...
Body? Logan jerked to full alertness with a startled yelp and a shove. Another yelp filled the room as the person hit the floor.
A sleep-slurred voice from behind him startled him and he turned around quickly. "Was' goin' on?"
"Derek?!" Logan turned back around. "Jules?!" Julian had climbed to his feet and was rubbing the back of his head.
"Good morning to you too, Lo."
"What are you guys doing here? More importantly, what were you doing in my bed?"
"Uh, happy birthday?" Julian smiled.
A small smile flickered across Logan's face. "You flew all the way from LA just for my birthday?"
Julian sat back onto the bed next to him. "Didn't want you to spend it all alone."
"Jules! You shouldn't have!" Logan pulled him into a tight hug.
Derek pulled the blankets tighter around himself from next to them. "I'm only here for the coffee." Julian smacked him.
Logan threw back his head and laughed. "Nice to see you too, D."
"Please tell me you have some coffee."
Once he had a cup of coffee safely in his hands, Derek snuck out of the kitchen. A tense silence filled the room. Julian focused intently on the countertop under his fingers, refusing to look up.
A cup of coffee slid onto the counter between his hands and Logan slid onto the stool next to him. "Jules..."
"Lo..." Julian began at the same time. They laughed nervously. Both taking deep breaths and watching their coffee cups intently, they spoke simultaneously. "I'm sorry."
Green eyes met brown. Coffee was abandoned in favor of a hug. Julian mumbled into Logan's shoulder, clinging tightly to his best friend. "Logan, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean it. I swear I didn't. I was just frustrated and worried and angry." He took a deep breath to keep going, but Logan shushed him softly. "Jules, I deserved it. I knew that would cross the line and I said it anyway."
Ever since the fire during Junior year, Logan had been a lot calmer. Less angry. Nothing had changed significantly between the two since Julian's forced confession. But they had grown closer and fought a lot less harshly, though as often as they always had.
The last day at Dalton, right after graduation, Julian had been in his room packing the last of his things when Logan had found him for one last goodbye. Their playful bickering had quickly turned into fighting, both strung high on the emotion of leaving the only place that, despite everything, had ever truly felt like home. One harsh word had led to another until Logan had shoved Julian and loudly informed the entire house that Julian didn't even care about leaving anyway.
"Everything else about you is fake!" Logan's eyes widened as the words crossed his lips. "No. Jules. I didn't..."
The actor went completely still. His face drained of all emotion and his next words were cold as ice and intended to bite. "Maybe I am. You're right, I don't care about leaving. I could see why you would though, as neither of your parents wants you around." He turned back to his suitcase, placing the last of his belongings inside. "I don't want you around either."
Any trace of apology drained from Logan's face. "Fine then, I guess it's a good thing we're leaving."
"Guess so." Julian didn't even look up. He could hear Logan's steady breathing, but ignored his presence, zipping the suitcase. After several tense minutes, Logan turned on his heel and walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Logan pulled back from the hug, looking Julian straight in the eye. "You aren't a fake."
"I am. But I really do want you around, Lo."
"You aren't a fake, Jules. We were both just stressed and irritated. We didn't mean anything we said."
Julian broke eye contact. "Are we okay?"
"We're okay." Logan smiled.
"Happy birthday, Logan."
Derek poked his head through the door. "Is it safe to come in?" Logan nodded, returning to his coffee. "Did you two idiots work out your issues?"
Julian grinned. "Derek, how sweet of you to care."
"I don't." Derek shrugged as he refilled his coffee cup. "But if you're going to be fighting all day, I'm going to need A LOT more coffee."
Logan pushed past him and emptied the rest of the pot into his own cup. "Your addiction is unhealthy."
"It is not an addiction, " Derek insisted, for what was probably the millionth time.
"Acceptance is the first step to recovery,D." Julian joined the two of them by the sink and shot a wink at Logan. Before Derek could react, Julian had casually grabbed his coffee cup and was halfway across the kitchen. "Julian. What are you doing?"
Tossing another wink over his shoulder, Julian took a gulp of the stolen coffee and exited the kitchen. "Staging an intervention."
"Julian!" Derek ran out after him. "Jules! Julian, please! Jules, c'mon! Jules! Give it back!"
Logan threw his head back and laughed. Even through stalkers, fires, deaths, coma's, and now moving on into the realm of college and adulthood, one thing Logan was absolutely certain of. His friends would never grow up.
So, Logan's tamer now. That's something I'd really like to see happen when CP starts updating again!
If you see any spelling errors (I'm bad at spotting them, sorry!) please let me know!
Also, I have this little headcanon that Logan is a closet nerd and reads anything he can get his hands on, especially older books. (Which explains the bedroom packed with books.) And I have this other little headcanon that he has problems with his eyes and wears these really thick rimmed glasses when no one's around because he likes them. But he only wears his contacts when people are around.
Hope you liked it and please leave me some feedback! :)
~Donna
