"JO!"
Kendall shoots awake with his heart racing. Beads of sweat run down his forehead and he gropes around the bed sheets for some kind of reassurance of reality. His heart settles and he checks the clock. It's only three am.
"Oh, my God," he mumbles to himself. His nerves are so rattled that he can't focus on getting back to sleep, so he pretty much as to get up. He rolls out of bed and drapes his robe over his body. It feels cold in the room.
Careful not to wake Zoe or Logan, Kendall tiptoes downstairs and into the kitchen. He takes a bottle of whiskey out from one of the cabinets and pours a shot. He downs it quickly and pours another.
"Damn," he mumbles under his breath, but his word is countered by another voice.
"Mr. Knight?"
Kendall turns around in an instant and sees Logan standing in the threshold to the kitchen.
"Sorry," Logan says quietly. "I heard someone up and I worried."
"It's cool. Thanks for checking it out."
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah," Kendall lies but the swirling of his whiskey in the glass makes it obvious. Logan has been working there for a week now, and Kendall has told him very little more about his personal life.
"Are you sure?" Logan asks, taking a few steps closer.
"Well, funny you should ask," Kendall says with a sad smile. He finishes the drink and puts the glass on the counter, then turns his back to it and folds his arms. "Just been thinking about my wife."
"Sorry," Logan whispers.
"You don't need to apologize. It's not your fault."
Logan walks up to Kendall quite close now and puts his back against the counter, too. He looks at the blond man in the darkness of the night.
"You say that like it's somebody else's fault," Logan says.
"Mmm, right," Kendall mutters. He decides to pour himself yet another shot. "You want anything? Nobody will care if you have a little alcohol here. You aren't going anywhere."
"That's okay, but thank you," Logan smiles and blushes a bit. He stands there awkwardly for a moment, then clears his throat and says, "Well, anyway. If everything is fine then I'll go back to bed now."
"Sleep well," Kendall sighs. He watches Logan go back to his room then takes another sip of his drink. The kitchen is lonely.
"I think your daddy would like sleeping a little later today," Logan tells Zoe as he gets her out of bed.
"Why?" she asks in a tiny, tired voice.
"He was up very late last night."
"Ohh."
Zoe walks past Logan and heads off to her bathroom. Logan helps her brush her teeth and get dressed, then they go downstairs and start on breakfast together.
"What do you feel like eating?"
"I don't knoooow," Zoe hums. Logan sits her up into her chair and she balls up her fists, making an innocent face. "I don't knooow."
"How about um," Logan swishes over to the fridge and swings it open. Glancing over the selection, he names a few things and Zoe decides on eggs. They need to go shopping soon.
After Logan fries up a few eggs and sits down at the table with the girl, Kendall grumpily comes down the steps in his robe.
"Good morning Mr. Knight," Logan says with a smile.
"HI DADDY!" Zoe yells. Kendall winces and mumbles something indeterminable.
"Would you like some breakfast?" Logan asks.
"No." Kendall groans and keeps going down to the basement. "I'm gonna swim," he calls out as he takes the steps.
Logan looks back at Zoe and chuckles. "You think we should go swim with him?"
"Yeah," Zoe agrees.
"You do?"
"Yeah!"
"Alright. You have a bathing suit, right?"
"Yup."
They finish up eating and go to get changed. Zoe puts on a little pink one-piece and Logan changes into swim trunks. Together they go into the basement and through the glass doors to the swimming pool. Kendall is doing laps, but stops and comes to the edge when they walk through.
"What are you two up to?" Kendall asks with a big smile. He looks over Logan's body with a bit of guilt; the young man has a gorgeous shape, without a doubt. There's something funny on his tummy but he can't quite tell what it is.
"We thought it would be nice to join you," says Logan.
"Sounds fun, come on in."
Zoe toddles off to one side of the pool where she has an inflatable inner tube. She holds it awkwardly then hands it to Logan.
"Is this yours?" the boy asks.
"Yeah!" Zoe excitedly tells him.
"Just plop it into the water and slip her in the middle," Kendall says. Logan nods and does so.
"Hi daddy," Zoe says when she's safely supported in the inner tube. She flails her legs about and floats closer to her father, who smiles real big and splashes around her. Then Logan gets in the water, too.
"You uh," Kendall starts, looking at Logan awkwardly. "Do you have a navel piercing?"
"Yeah," Logan admits. "Is that okay?"
"I don't really care. It's just different, that's all. I've never seen a guy with one before."
"I got it on my 18th birthday. I thought it was cool." Logan's face lights up at the idea of Kendall looking at his body. He treads water in his hands and paddles over to the edge of the pool, where he supports himself by his elbows.
"It's…different," Kendall says with a smile. He turns back to Zoe and tugs on the inner tube. "Wanna come out to the deep end, sweetie?"
"Yeah!" Zoe giggles and claps her hand as Kendall starts to tow her across the pool. Logan stays against the side of the pool and watches them thoughtfully.
After a little while of swimming, Zoe starts to get tired so they all get out of the water. Kendall gives her a bath then lets her have a little nap. Once the girl is out, Kendall comes down to the kitchen where Logan is tidying up and starting to plan lunch.
"She's a handful, but definitely a lot of fun," Logan tells him.
"Yep. That's true." Kendall folds his arms and walks over to the stove. Logan puts a pot down on one of the burners.
"I think we're getting a long well," Logan says.
"You are. She likes you as whole lot." The blond clears his throat. "Uh, say Logan, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"It's been a week now, and this whole time I haven't noticed you having friends or anything. Are there people in your life at all?"
"Yeah, I have a few friends." Logan takes a pack of chicken breasts out of the fridge and sets them on the counter. "When I graduated high school, they all moved away to college and stuff. I was the only one that was left, so I still talk to them but I rarely see them."
"Ohh, I see," Kendall says, nodding. He watches Logan as he peels back the plastic on the chicken, takes a piece out and slices it into strips on a cutting board.
"It doesn't bother me," Logan tells him, cutting the meat with a sweet smile. "I mean, if that's what you're asking."
"I guess. I don't know. It just seems unusual."
"Well maybe I am a little unusual." Logan glances at Kendall through the corner of his eyes.
"Unusual in a good way, though," Kendall adds. "A very good way."
"Thanks."
"So when's lunch?"
