I don't anything but the plot.
Logan shut the door and sighed. This was the worst mistake he had ever made. He was regretting now that he had pushed James away, had ignored the flirting, the groping. But James was drunk and Logan just couldn't take advantage of him in such a state. He just had to live with the regret. This was especially bad because James hadn't shown any interest in Logan in a sober or drunk state of mind at all.
Today was the first time he flirted with the smart one. Never before had he even looked at another boy in that way, Logan was sure of that. James told him everything, each small detail about every date, crush or hook-up. And never once in all these stories did James mention the chance of getting it on with a guy, especially one of his best friends. For Logan that meant that tonight had been his only chance to get a taste of James, and he had blown it. He would just crawl into bed, mourn his lost chances and tomorrow he had to act normal, be the best friend James needed and deserved.
When the next morning rolled around Logan hadn't slept all that much but also couldn't stand to lie in his bed any longer. So he made his way to the kitchen, preparing a bowl of cornflakes and just sitting there and slowly eating his breakfast. It seemed like nobody was up yet which suited him just fine. That way he could still mope around some time before he needed to face everyone. After breakfast Logan decided to make himself a little presentable because a quick look at a mirror showed his red-rimmed eyes with bags underneath and an ashen complexion which would kill James if he ever would look like this. And again Logan couldn't stop his thoughts going to the pretty one of his friends. His life sucked.
When Logan came back from the bathroom he found a note from Mama K telling the boys that she and Katie left for a mother/daughter-friendship hunt. Whatever that meant. Kendall was still snoring in his bed and Logan was contemplating watching a cheesy movie and eating junk food, the girly version of heartbreak, or just lying on the couch and moping around. After some thoughts he decided on a compromise, he had the TV on for some background noise and pulled a blanket over himself while curling into a ball on the couch. He was nearly asleep again when someone pulled the blanket away and grinned at him.
- Good morning. What are you doing?
- Carlos. I was trying to get some sleep.
- Wow, you seem in a good mood, not. Whatever, I need to get going because I'm meeting someone and James is lying in bed, feeling miserable and wants you. He kind of told me to call you. Soooo, see ya later.
- Carlos, wait. I don't want to take care of James. I already brought him up here last night after the party.
- Well, he wants you to take care of him. And I need to go. Please, Logan.
Logan took a deep breath, the nodded and Carlos grinned. Then he patted his helmet and run out of the apartment leaving Logan behind. The smart one knew now he had to be the good friend again, stop his moping around and help his best friend dealing with a bad hangover. He took some aspirin, a bottle of water and some vitamins and made his way into James' room. There he found the boy with his back to the door on his bed, eyes still shut. It seemed like he was still asleep but the moment Logan placed the things on his nightstand he groaned something like Logan's name.
- Lgn.
- Hey, James. I have some aspirin for you. And maybe we should open the window so that you can get some fresh air, this will help you.
- Nooo. Then the sun will shine, I want darkness.
But Logan didn't stop his way over to the window and opened it a little. It was still dark enough in the room so that James wasn't disturbed that much. Then Logan came back to the bed and took a seat at the edge took the water and the pill and encouraged James to sit up.
- Come on, you'll feel better when you drink this. I promise. You can lie down immediately after.
- Urgh. I just feel sick, I don't want to move. I don't even want to speak.
- It's okay. Just drink this and then try to sleep again. And when you wake up after that I'll make you some hangover food.
It took some further convincing but finally James was sitting up, drinking his water and taking the pill and then was asleep right away again. Logan left him and walked to the kitchen, looking for the ingredients for the promised hangover-food. This left him with his thoughts once again. He knew that James wouldn't remember flirting with him and even if he did remember he was too preoccupied with feeling ill right now, but a part of Logan still felt bad because the pretty one hadn't mentioned last night. But then the logical part of his brain kicked in, telling himself that he was ridiculous. He had lived with his crush for nearly a year now, this was just another day. Nothing had changed. Just move on.
The next two hours Logan went to the supermarket, bought some food, helped Kendall pick an outfit for his date with Jo and made some bacon, pancake batter and prepared the table for their food. When James finally emerged from his room, still looking slightly ill, Logan started making the pancakes, toast and eggs. James sat at the table, watching Logan and still groaning every now and then. Other than these sounds he preferred to stay silent which was weird for him. Normally, he was telling Logan all about the party, the girls and who had absolutely no taste in fashion. Logan was concerned about the silence but decided to wait till they were eating to question his friend. So when he brought everything to the table and they started to prepare their food, Logan also started a conversation.
- Did you see Rachel's dress yesterday? I had to hold myself back to not tell her it was the worst dress in the history of clothes. I mean, if I could see that, how couldn't she?
- Hmmm. Yeah, was really bad.
- Did you see when Jett was flirting with Camille and she slapped him? It was hilarious. The look on his face.
- Yeah, funny.
- James, is something wrong?
- No.
- Really? Cause normally you'd be telling me all the good stuff that happened at the party.
- Maybe yesterday nothing good did happen.
- But there is always something. It was a party, there is bound to be something worth telling.
- You were there, weren't you? So you did see it all.
- I didn't see you all the time. I mean, you didn't even kiss someone yesterday?
- No. The person I wanted wasn't willing. Shot me down.
With that James stood up, took his plate with him and disappeared in his room once again. Logan was left behind, feeling extremely confused. Did James really remember his encounter with Logan? Or did he mean someone else who turned him down and this was the reason he came onto Logan? Was he pissed at Logan for turning him down? All of Logan's thought came back to one question which James had to answer for him: Did he remember flirting with Logan, telling him that he wanted to kiss the smart boy, have sex with him? For the first time since last night Logan felt a little hope that his dream could come true, that James was really interested in him. Now he only needed to find the courage to speak to James.
Logan tried and tried and even came as far as the door to James' room but couldn't find the courage and decided he needed a better plan than just to confront James. After thinking about it nearly all day he finally came up with a plan that would be easy enough and not too embarrassing if he had misunderstood the pretty one. He would just subtle flirt with his best friend, some compliments, a lot more touches. This way he could see how the other reacted and would not come off as creepy, he hoped. And he had the perfect opportunity to set the plan to work this evening. Carlos and Kendall had decided that they wanted to have a guy's movie night. For that even James came out of his hiding place and joined his friends. When the other three had settled on the couch Logan came over and sat next to James, a little closer than was necessary on the big couch. However, James didn't seem to notice or mind which Logan took as a good sign. They stayed that way till halfway through the movie when James leaned closer to Logan and started whispering into his ear.
- I'm so sorry for being an idiot early. I was still sick and moody. But that's no apology for behaving like a dick. I'm really sorry, Logan.
- It's okay, don't worry.
- And thanks for making this incredible breakfast.
- No problem. I like our ritual on mornings after parties.
- Me too. I won't be such an idiot the next time, I promise.
When Logan smiled at James and said that he wasn't angry James started visibly relaxing. His rigid posture was abandoned and he started to nearly lie on the couch like usually. But because Logan was sitting close by the pretty one layed his legs over Logan's lap without a care. The smart boy naturally didn't mind. Shortly after the position change he found that James' pants had a slight tear at the knees and there was a loose thread hanging from it. So Logan started playing with this thread while watching the movie, nearly caressing his best friend's knees in the process. But when Logan looked at the pretty boy James only smiled, a wide and carefree smile.
This night Logan was feeling a lot better than the last night. He still wasn't sure what James had meant with his comment during breakfast but there was a shimmer of hope. He just needed to flirt with James and maybe everything would turn out okay. For a short moment the smart boy thought about telling Kendall about his problem and asking him for advice but he quickly dismissed this idea. If James wasn't interested it was hard enough without having to deal with a helping but annoying Kendall. No this was a problem which he did not want to discuss with his friends.
The next week Logan and James spend a lot of time together, even more than they normally would without either one acknowledging it. Logan stayed at the pool during prime tanning time and James would stay to do homework every day after dinner. Also Logan tried to touch James as often as possible without seeming creepy. Till now his plan was working quite well even though James did not react in a way that helped the smart boy figure out his feelings. He took all compliments with a smile, had no problems with touches and Logan invading his personal space but never did he start something himself. It frustrated the smart and analytical boy to no end. If James had flirted back or did stay away he would have understood the reaction but this was just not helping. Maybe he needed to be clearer in his pursuit of love. But what exactly should he do?
The next week Logan didn't only spend time with James and compliment him, he also tried to make himself as hot as possible. He used the clothes from his swagger episode and put a lot of effort into his hairstyle. Unfortunately this also did not result in a reaction he could work with. Slowly Logan started to believe that James had not meant him when he talked about the rejection. The smart boy decided he would try one last thing before giving up. For Camille's birthday party next Saturday he would go all out. He needed a new outfit and he knew exactly how he could be sure that James would like it.
- James, I have a favour to ask. Would you go shopping with me? I need a new outfit for Camille's party. I wanna look really hot.
- Sure. Let's go tomorrow after rehearsal.
- Thanks, you're the best.
- Who do you want to impress with your hotness on Saturday?
Logan chocked on his own salvia at this question. Did James just say he was hot? And how could he answer without giving away too much information. Maybe he needed to bring out the big guns. While Logan was thinking about the answer to that question James was looking at him. He seemed a little intrigued but also kind of mischievous. This was all very confusing.
- I'll tell you a secret, James. But you have
to promise to not tell anyone, okay?
- Sure thing, Logie.
- Ok, ahem, I kind of … please, don't be mad …ahem, I might be … it seems like …
- You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But Logan, you know, you can tell me anything. That's what best friends are for.
- Okay. I have a huge crush on a guy I know. And I want to impress him at the party. I want him to see me as something more than just a geeky friend.
- Oh.
- Are you mad? You're still my friend, right? Please, James, I don't want to lose you. I knew I shouldn't have told anyone.
- Logie, sure, I'm still your friend. Nothing has changed, you're still you. I didn't know that you're into guys. Ahem…are you gay? I mean, there is nothing bad about it. I just wanted to know if …Do you only like guys?
- I think I might be bi. It's only this one guy that I can't get out of my mind.
The conversation had helped Logan insofar that he knew his friend would at least not abandon him because of his sexual orientation. This was a good sign. But he couldn't shake the feeling that James' reaction of his declaration should have been less surprised. This meant that all his flirting the last two weeks had been for naught because James hadn't even realised it as such. So his last chance was the party. There he could ask James to dance, show him that he could be hot and maybe learn from the girl's behaviour how to flirt properly with James. But for now he needed James' help with the outfit.
The next day at the mall Logan slightly regretted asking James for help. After two hours of going in and out of stores, having tried more shirts and pants on than he ever even possessed in his life and not having found anything he was willing to give up on his plan and just forget the perfect outfit. Unfortunately James wasn't willing to abandon the outfit. He was telling Logan that the perfect outfit needed some sacrifices and till now nothing had looked just right.
- Dude, I can't shop any longer. Please, there must have been something I can use. I think some of these pants had been okay. And I still have the leather jacket. Isn't that sufficient?
- Logan, you asked for my help to look the absolute best and I am finding the best outfit possible. And till now nothing was perfect. But I now know exactly what to look for. You need dark skinny jeans. Tight, but not too tight.
- Please not as tight as your jeans. I can't walk in them.
- No, they are not right for you anyways. You can't compare my style to yours. We are different types, therefore we need different styles. Didn't I teach you anything?
- Ok, skinny jeans. What else?
- I'd say a bright v-neck and a dark jacket. Not your leather jacket, we're going to a party at the Palm Woods. Oh, this jacket. Let's try it on.
After four painful hours Logan had the perfect outfit. He thought that many of the clothes he had tried on in the first hour had been exactly as the ones he had bought after four hours but he did not complain any longer. If James was happy he could live with it. However, one drawback to the whole shopping tour was that James already knew how he looked in the new clothes. But Logan hoped that it would still be a wow-effect on Saturday when it was topped with a hairstyle and shoes. He just had to wait and see. For now he had spend time with his friend and even though it was exhausting it also had been a lot of fun. The two of them always had fun, no matter what they did.
Saturday Logan was the last to be ready for the party. The others all sat around on the couch, watching TV and waiting. Carlos joked about the girly behaviour of Logan's five minute response half an hour ago, but neither of the three really minded. When Logan finally emerged from his room, he was sure he looked the best way possible. He was rewarded with nothing but silence, not even a look, because his three best friends were totally into the movie which had a hot girl in a bikini as a protagonist. Finally, James looked up and saw Logan. His eyes widened.
- Wow, you look hot!
- Thanks James. You were right about the outfit.
- Dude, James is right, you look good. And we can finally go.
- Yeah, Logan, nice outfit. Let's go.
Kendall and Carlos jumped up and out of the door in less than a blink of an eye. James was a lot slower, coming up to Logan and slinging his arm around the other one's shoulder.
- I know I was right about the outfit. Never doubt my sense of fashion again. So, you ready to get your guy? Need any help?
James did not leave Logan's side and did not remove his arm all the way to Camille's apartment. Even when they entered he kept his position. Logan, however, was having an internal debate. Did this mean James wasn't willing to share Logan with anyone? For impressing someone it wasn't the best way to show up with someone else wrapped around your shoulders. But the smart one wouldn't stop James, because this was exactly the reaction he had wanted and even better than he had dreamed or hoped for. They had been standing at the entrance to Camille's flat for a minute, just observing everything when James talked again.
- Do you want to get something to drink?
- Sure, let's get something. I'm not really into dancing right now, are you?
- No, a drink would be better.
- Hi, James, Logan. James, would you like to dance?
- No, Rachel, I'm good. Just getting something to drink.
Then James dragged Logan away from the girl and over to the drinks. Logan was perplexed. Since when did James turn down a girl? Normally, he was the one who would dance with everyone that asked. Never in all their years of friendship had Logan seen James with this kind of behaviour. Maybe James was interested, could it even be that he was jealous? Meanwhile James had let Logan go to get two drinks and came back to the smart boy's side immediately. They sipped their drinks in silence. Logan was watching the partygoers, saw them having fun on the dance floor and occasionally a girl glancing their way, but nobody was approaching the two best friends. This was odd. Normally, all the girls were flocking around James. Then Logan realised that James was glaring at everyone who looked like he would come near them. The smart boy understood that maybe the point to talk with his best friend had arrived. No elaborate scheme to flirt any longer but just talk.
- Hey, James. Can we maybe get some fresh air?
- Sure. Let's go on the balcony. It doesn't look like somebody is on it.
- Ok. So, ahem, I've got something I wanted to talk about. You know that I wanted to impress a guy at this party, right? Well, this guy is you. I like you. And I know you've never shown any interest in me, or any guy for that matter, but I just wanted to try. I hope, you are still my friend.
- I don't know what to say. I've shown interest in you. Two weeks ago I finally found the courage to ask you and you shot me down. I really hoped that you meant me, when you told me about wanting to impress a guy but to not take any chances I stayed by your side tonight.
- Oh thank god. So you do remember making a move on me even though you were drunk.
- I wasn't that drunk, I only pretended to be so if you would reject me I could play it off.
- I rejected you because you were drunk. I thought you only wanted me because of the alcohol in your blood. We've wasted so much time.
- Yeah, Let's not waste anymore.
And with that James leaned forward and kissed Logan. It was a passionate and loving kiss, making Logan feel like he was flying. It was the best feeling in the world, finally having James kissing him. He was so glad that the pretty boy was interested, too. And it also showed Logan that he wasn't as helpless with flirting as he thought because in the end his plan had worked. James was his boyfriend. Who would have thought this was possible after the heartbreak two weeks ago. Yes, Logan was extremely happy.