Kendall noticed him wince as he got in the car. "Your ass hurts, doesn't it?"

"Oh yeah." he glanced shyly at the driver. "But… it was totally worth it."

A smile spread across his countenance as he shifted into gear and rolled through his gates. "You were so weird yesterday. In a really, really, really good way."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. My nerves are shot, though."

"Sorry."

*teehee* "No, metaphorically speaking."

"Ohhh…never mind then."

"It takes a lot to approach you, Kendall."

"So I've noticed."

"You think anyone's gonna bug us today?"

"Dunno. I kinda hope they do; I'd love to bust someone's face open right about now."

Logan shivered. He really thinks that's normal, doesn't he?

Apparently there was an assembly scheduled for the day. Throngs of students made for the auditorium, and of course Kendall had no problem shoving a few kids out of his way once he spotted the timid little brunette shuffling along.

The boy had his head down, avoiding making eye contact with anyone. He was quite aware of the group of rowdy seniors he had somehow managed to get between. Jocks being jocks, their idea of fun was horsing around. A shove here, a push there, it didn't make much impact on their two-hundred-plus pound frames. Logan stumbled and had to even catch himself on the wall a few times, but he was so good at staying invisible that they didn't realize they were hitting him. One of the defensive linemen rammed his shoulder into his friend, who bumped Logan, who flailed as he fell backwards. He thudded into something leathery and solid. He jumped and turned around.

"Hey."

He let out a shaky breath. "Hey, Kendall." The football players turned around and their eyes went wide, mouths opening and closing like fish. They took in the way the delinquent was holding onto the smaller boy and fumbled.

"Uh-uh, Kendall! I'm sorry! We didn't see you there! Our bad! Our bad!"

"It's fine boys, no harm done. Jus' be careful, will ya?"

"Yeah, yeah sure. Our bad, guys, for real." They grouped together and headed to the opposite section of the auditorium.

He snorted. "Fuckin' pussies.". They dropped into adjacent seats and sat through the presentations. There were several clubs that patronized for new members. Then came the heads of the different departments in the school, who promised that they were going to try to make their classes less boring.

Logan whispered in Kendall's ear, "You know I actually think the science department is doing pretty well this year."

The blonde grimaced. "I think that's just you."

The coaches were up. A good twenty minutes of shouting and fist-pumping ensued, and then the disciplinary figures got on stage. Logan could hear the guy with an arm around him snicker, "This should be good."

A few kids from the drama club acted out different scenarios of unapproved situations. "Violence is never the answer, and we all know you're better than that!" To follow up their anti-bullying campaign, public displays of affection were reprimanded: "There are better ways to show you care.". Kendall took to petting his boy-toy's tresses, leaning his head on the other and snoring lightly.

"So what'd I miss?" he asked later.

"Umm…they went over parking passes, informed us that being tardy is inexcusable, and made sure we understood that weapons are prohibited."

"Oh, cool."

"Any of that strike a familiar chord?"

"Umm….nope." a grin.

***

"I still can't believe this."

"Well yeah, why not?"

"But, it's so…."

"Cliché?"

"-not dangerous." he finished.

Kendall looked down at him. "Well, yeah. But I thought it'd be fun still."

"It is, it is!" Logan reassured him. They twined hands and walked through the mall. It wasn't glamorous, but luckily for the younger generation of Sherwood they didn't have a dump to shop at, either. Almost the entirety of the local teenagers was there on that Friday. The blonde's presence alone was enough to attract attention, and his new arm candy didn't cease that, regardless that they had been together all week.

"So…did you wanna, like, go into any stores?"

"I can't think of any. Did you wanna go somewhere?"

"Well, I kinda need ta pick up somethin' I ordered."

"Oh, okay. Can I ask what you ordered?"

"Brass knuckles."

"What?"

"A nice pair of brass knuckles! They're actually white gold; I do have some class yanno."

His chocolate eyes were bugging out. "Kendall, that is so terrible."

"Hey, you know I only go for people who're askin for it. Sometimes literally."

"I can't believe I submit myself to this."

"Oh, but you love it." he smirked, pulling him into a store titled "Just What You Need".

How appropriate. Logan thought.

"Hey, there he is! My favorite customer!" a burly man in a sleeveless jean jacket exclaimed.

Kendall used his free hand to shake the other's over the counter. "How's it goin, bro?"

'Bro'? The man has to be at least forty! And he has a beard! And studded wrist thingies! Logan surveyed his surroundings. There were a few other men in the shop, all similar to Mr. 'Bro'.

"And who's this little fruit pop?" the man asked good-humouredly.

Kendall squeezed the brunette a bit more and gushed, "This is Logan. He's my partner."

"Aah…" you could see the confusion on the man's face, for clearly the blonde wasn't usually this attached, but he was happy for his acquaintance nonetheless. "Lucky guy, lucky guy. So, I figure yer here for your shipment?"

"Thaaat's right."

"Aiight, come on around back and we'll get it off the shelf for ya. Had Bruiser guardin' it since it got here; almost ripped a guy's arm off yestaday. "

"Sure thing. Logan, you uh…" he could tell the terror that had come over his face at the mention of the dog. "wanna stay here an' look around fer a sec while I go get it?"

"S-s-sure…"

"Be right back." the two tumblers disappeared behind the curtain and Logan was left to pretending to be interested in the display of whips on the wall.

A voice came from behind him, "You know…he is a lucky guy." Logan gulped and slowly turned to face the culprit. To his undying relief, it wasn't one of the older men, but a guy in his late teens. Admittedly, he was quite good-looking. His sandy hair fell to frame his handsome bone structure, and standing at six-foot-tall, he towered over the boy who possessed significantly less muscle definition. Piercing blue eyes were glued to him, and Logan registered that his proximity was indeed closer than most strangers normally stood.

"Umm…okay." he slipped around him, attempting to appear quite intrigued by the array of combat boots.

"It's Logan, right?"

"Yup." he snipped, resenting the reproaching dude.

"I'm Trevor." he stepped next to him, "But you can call me whatever you like."

"Great, thanks."

"Hey: you don't look like you belong in here. Why don't we go someplace else?" a hand had come to his shoulder.

"No thank you." he spat, swatting the hand away and striding back to the counter.

"Aww, come on, baby, don't be like that…" he had followed him, "you'd have a good time, I promise." a wink.

Logan crossed his arms. "I highly doubt that. For your information, I'm not interested, so please leave me alone."

"Aww, come on…that guy? I mean, I just moved here, but I don't see what's so great about him."

"Lots of things are great about him. Go away."

"Sweet cheeks, I'm a model. He's…what? A rock star wanna-be? I mean he's hot, but he doesn't look like he'd give ya what ya wanted if you begged him."

Logan hissed in his face. "He's unbelievable., so I don't need you! Please leave me alone!"

"But I don't wanna lea-"

"Yo." Kendall and the man swept the curtains back, the former flaunting his new present to himself. "What's the issue here?"

Another burly male happened to be walking by. "Pretty boy here thinks he's gonna rumble you for ya boy here, Kendall, but he ain't havin none of it."

"Oh, really? 'ppreciate the input, Sam, thanks. I'll settle this." he stalked around the counter and looked the model square in the eye. "You hittin' on my date, surfer boy?"

"Hey, he's fair game, man."

"Get your arm off of me!" the brunette huffed, voice rising in exasperation. He scuttled away from the guy and hid behind Kendall, who blew a kiss at him before returning to his discussion.

"Yeah, he looks real intr'sted. Listen, maybe you don't know what yer doin here. That's fine." his sarcasm left him when he got in the other teen's face, and a growl rumbled out instead: "But you better remember when I say that any miserable fuck who tries to mess with Logan is makin that decision with his own blood. Ya got that?"

"Oh please-aagfhhh!". He keeled over the counter clutching his bloody face. Kendall had swung the weapon on his fist just so it hit the kid's nose and mouth. He was spitting the redness everywhere, and three teeth were lying in the oozing mess on the counter.

"Aw, Kendall….really?"

"Sorry, Mitch", the brunette learning the salesman's name for the first time, "jus' wanted ta help him have a way of remembering a little better."

"No big thing, I'll get Angie ta clean it up in the mornin'."

"Glad ta hear it. Whelp, thanks for these," he wiggled his fist in the air, "they sure do work." Mitch laughed and waved them out.

Logan's face was frozen in shock the second the boy had hit the counter. As Kendall walked them out, he tried and failed to find words. How do you describe something like that? So much pain…

His partner glanced down at him, "You okay, there?"

"That…looked like it hurt…a lot."

"So you chose me over him?"

God he is so cocky. "Yes, of course."

He ran the back of his fingers over the brunette's jaw line as they went. "I heard you call me unbelievable."

"Uh, well-well… I only meant you wouldn't figure being d-dominated to be so…so-"

"You're so pretty when yer flustered, Logie."

"I-. Don't try to- ugh." he sighed. "Thank you."