My infuriating shallow jerk
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my OC characters and that's debatable
Pairing: James/Logan
Rating: M (I promise sexy times later)
Warnings: Smut language
Dedicated to BtrCutie for making me flail
A/N: Wow I haven't done a shout out for a long time so let's fix that: fanmin, BtrCutie, ThisHendersonChick14, bmwstamps, jamesmaslowlover, DiamondDustK, Malachite, Darth Sethbek, ZheDoctursMinion115, KEALY KAMES, katpawsnh, henderlover, bmwstamps, Love and Heartz! I hope I didn't forget anyone! And of course to everyone else who keeps reading this THANK YOU PEOPLE! This is probably the simplest A/N I've ever written! Also this chapter will be posted back to back with the next giving you a heads up!
The moment Derek realized James kept on insisting that they eat dinner in his favorite fast food restaurant he knew that something was fishy. Also the fact that James didn't want to wait for Logan to catch up to them before they ordered their burgers was also a dead giveaway that something was wrong. When he tried to call Logan to see if he was on his way to meet them and James snatched the phone from his hands Derek flipped with frustration.
"You didn't invite him did you!?"
"No, it's just us." James was determined to come clean with Derek, tell him everything including things that would create enormous pressure for his and Logan's first date, if Logan was present to hear them. Derek of course thought they had another fight, and started bitching about it which in turn made James roll his eyes, and he wondered how does Brianna deal with her boyfriend's thick headiness.
"Will you calm down! People have been staring at me all day thanks to Kyle!" Derek immediately stopped his bitching.
"Oh, I get it you want to talk about how you gave Kyle the boot, and you don't want Logan to hear the details, totally understandable." Derek fell back on his seat all relaxed now, waiting for James to narrate the glorified story of how he staked the sparkling blood sucker. James who up until then was consumed with nerves and anxiety now started regretting the fact that he didn't have a professional camera to film this.
"I did give Kyle the boot, well, technically we were over two years ago, but I made it crystal clear that I wasn't going to have sex with him ever again for as long as I breathed." James smirked as he took his time to tell his friend the real reason they were there.
"Can't believe he came all the way here just to ask for sex, what a sleaze bag." James didn't comment that, because first of all Kyle doesn't ask for anything he either demands or takes it and second of all from James's point of view it was sort of understandable to go after great sex. At least that's what he would have done before he met Logan.
"Do not interrupt me ok? Or else will be here all night." Derek nodded stuffing his mouth with food.
"It was easy too, he was like let's have sex and I was like take a hike!" James made funny expressions with his face that made them both laugh although James was laughing for a whole different reason since he had now reached his point.
"And do you know why it was so easy?" Derek didn't even think before answering.
"Sure, you finally decided to grow up and stop whoring around." Behind the joke James felt his friends' pride and joy so out of respect he stopped laughing and looked Derek seriously in the eyes.
"Yeah but what made me change, the catalyst that made me realize I don't want to even look at Kyle ever again, I don't want to even look at anyone else really, is the fact that I only want to be with Logan." Derek shook his head like a wasp had entered his ear loudly buzzing and annoying.
"What did you say?" He must have heard wrong certainly or he was dreaming this, those realities made actual sense.
"I'm in love with Logan." Derek kicked him in the sheen, he dropped his burger on the plate stood up and started shouting.
"THAT'S NOT A JOKE DIAMOND!" James expected this reaction he didn't want to be right, but still he knew his brotherhood friend, he also came in prepared with certain counter measures to shut him up.
"SIT DOWN I'M NOT BREAKING UP WITH YOU!" James screamed back, the people around them that nervously glared towards their direction either started snickering or turned their heads away. Derek fell frustrated back on his seat.
"That wasn't funny either."
"Well, they think it was." James made a gesture to the people around snickering at them, but quickly turned back to the most serious topic.
"I am not screwing around about Logan though. I am in love with him." James repeated with conviction, Derek grabbed his forehead that had started sweating beyond his control.
"James seriously how can you say that? It's been barely a week that he came to live with us. You know him for eight days damn it!" James smiled warmly realizing the exact time it took Logan to completely conquer his heart.
"You called him brother just yesterday." Derek rolled his eyes.
"Yeah and I meant it, because me and him actually get along and have grown close. Every time I look away you're at each other's throats." James remained calm knowing that Derek was going to voice all of James's own inner fears and insecurities and rub them in his face, and he wasn't going to beat around the bushes either he was too angry to keep himself in check.
"It's not that different bro, you got to know Logan and you wanted to be his friend, I just want to be his future that's all." Derek took a long fry from his plate and started tearing it to pieces.
"Stop being corny, you just...it's a crush okay! A childish stupid crush!" Derek sounded so worried that James wished he could just rip his heart out of his chest and show him that Logan's name was written all over it.
"It's not a crush. I love him, I love everything about him. Yes we piss each other off and yes sometimes he makes me wish that it wasn't true, but I'm so in love with him that even now I just want to get up and run home so I can just see his crooked little smile. Damn him, that smile kills me." James ran his fingers through his hair and Derek saw the longing burning in his eyes, it calmed him down for a few seconds but then the re-precautions jolted him back to life.
"Fine let's say for argument's sake what you are feeling is indeed real, and I still think it's a crush, have you given any thought at all about what this could do to Logan if you act on it? He has no experience in this things James it could turn out really badly, for him and for you." James laughed loudly it was the only thing he could do; he bit his lower lip scandalously and nervously shook his head.
"You are not going to like this." He started playing with his eyebrows.
"Crap! You already did something stupid didn't you Chum-Chum?" Derek glared and started drinking his refreshment making sure to empty it or else he would have ammunition to splash on James's face.
"I started fooling around the day we met, he was like this feisty little puppy dog that barked loudly at me, so I started messing around, throwing insults and flirting just so I could see him spaz..." Derek made a face.
"When did you flirt with him? Where was I?" James's patience was running low.
"Mars your home planet apparently! And save the questions for later dude or I swear I'll drop kick you! But anyway I thought he was this kid trying desperately to come out all big and strong and threatening at me. And then BOOM he walks out of the shower day two and my jaw hits the floor shattering to pieces like the plate I dropped because he isn't a kid anymore. He's this piece of hot hunk that I just want to..." Derek made a silent plead at James to skip the details but James purposely ignored him mostly to piss him off but also to clear up how Logan makes him feel.
"... bang on the tiled floor. But then at the same time he's more than that. Most of the time he's like a deer, you make a sudden move and he runs away and doesn't stop until you can't keep up with him. And that thirst for knowledge he has, he really looks at things, not just on the surface, he wants to know everything there is out there. I'm jealous of him sometimes. He's so humble and kind and forgiving. And all the heartache, when he told me how he grew up, how he lost his dad, the bullying...I wish there was a way that I was there somehow growing up right next to him, be his friend, protect him. Then we could take our time falling in love. It would have been so much easier if I knew him back then." Derek cleared his throat to make James go back to the actual story and stop naming the things he loved about Logan, silently though he had changed his mind, if anyone who heard James talk with such melancholic passion and still believed that this was just a crush had to be truly heartless.
"See, I start talking about him and can't control myself! Ok back to the facts, first I notice he's hot and then I give him that much needed haircut and he realizes it too, so he starts to flirt with me and we almost kiss. Your fault we didn't by the way!" Derek had a flash back at how angry they were with him when they left the house to meet Brianna for dinner, his mouth gaped.
"Oh, don't worry I got my kiss the next day. After our jog we talked about our lives and I fell for him even harder than I ever thought was possible. When I realized he hasn't been kissed yet, I threw away all sense and caution. I just wanted to have his first; I want to have all of his firsts. And we kissed and God I can't describe it, I don't know how I've survived without his lips since that day." Derek pinned him with an angry look he had to interject on this point.
"You went on a date! That very same day you took off and you spend the night with someone else! You gave him his first kiss and what you got scared that it was real and left him pining! What sort of behavior is that James?!" Derek expected James to change his expression to one of guilt and shame, James burst out with anger instead.
"He pushed me away! I didn't ask for the date, this girl Melody from school texted me and Logan saw it and he just...I know we could have handled it better, but he was so jealous that he lashed out on me in the cruelest way possible, he looked like Kyle I swear Derek, same disgusted look, tone, everything. So I went and had sex with this girl just so that I could hurt him back. It didn't work either because the only thing I kept on wishing the whole time was that I was making love to Logan instead! And If Mel wasn't such a great person she would have killed me on the spot because I was obvious about it too!" James buried his face crying in his palms scared by the realization of how close his immaturity and stupidity had brought him to lose Logan. Derek hid all his sympathy away he had his friends to protect, both of them.
"You just proved my point James; you're just not right for each other man. You're too different, too scared, too immature. You haven't even started anything serious and you've already hurt each other like this." James wiped his tears raised his head and locked his eyes into Derek's fiercely.
"No!"
"No what James? Can't you see this is just the previews?" Derek still smiled though he knew that expression James Diamond had, only it was far more brilliant than any other time Derek had ever seen it.
"No, we're past this! We forgave each other; we want this more than anything else. No more running away, no more fear, no more jealousy, no Kyle, and not even you can stop us now! Saturday me and him, we're going on a date, a real one, try to make each other happy and the rest of the world can go to BLAZES!" Derek fell off from his chair laughing, James's cheeks flushed red. He hadn't even noticed that he had shot up from his own seat at some point during his booming declaration. He felt the people staring at him with disapproving burning looks. He saw the manager come at them bloodthirsty for making a scene, panicked he gave him a nervous smile and a hurried finger wave picked up Derek who was holding his stomach still laughing uncontrollably and started running for the door.
"See and now I'm the innocent victim of this drama of yours! I just lost my favorite burger joint" They had ran across the street both laughing like children, it took them a few minutes to settle down because every time they did one look at each other and they started cackling all over again.
"So, you think you can be okay with this?" James was scared but not half as much like the fear Logan made him feel in a daily basis, still he wanted his best friends' support.
"Doesn't matter what I believe, can't stop you anyway. Neither of you I think. You both are pig headed idiots and you've already lost your heads. Your hearts too." James threw an arm around Derek's shoulder and pulled him for a hug, they started walking down the street back to the apartment Derek was constantly thinking back at all the obvious signs.
"You think Brianna knows?" He asked with a scrutinizing expression.
"Bet you my lucky comb. The way she and Logan hit it off, she probably consulted him back in the restaurant. She hasn't said anything about it has she?" James smiled knowing that she'd rather take Logan's secrets to the grave or at least risk a serious fight with her boyfriend; he knew she would do the same for him too.
"No, but you're right probably, she keeps asking how's Logan, and they keep talking on the phone I think it's him at least, I even started thinking that she was actually interested in him in more than just a friendly way. Damn, I'm the last one to know! That hurts dude!" He was even half-serious about it.
"Here's the deal, date goes horrible and Logan does break my heart I come running to you for comfort? How does that sound?" Derek turned around to face him with a mock of Logan's crooked smile and James wanted to punch the living daylights out of him.
"Annoying actually or you break his heart and I help him hide your body! Deal?"
"Ha, ha, what kind of friend are you anyway?" The sarcasm game continued.
"The underappreciated kind apparently! As soon as we get home I'm guilt tripping Logan!" Derek threw a menacing finger in the air.
"Go five, no ten feet near my Loggie and I'll wring your neck!" The game of empty threats continued all the way home.
Logan forgot to eat dinner; he made the mistake of going through some of his study notes after he settled down from James's surprise and got lost in the wonderful world of skin cell decay. He even tried to will his rumbling stomach to stop complaining about food, promising it pizza later. But when he heard the door he closed the book immediately and opened a browser in his laptop trying to act all chilled and bored.
They're back! My baby's back. Don't do anything freaky Mitchell act coy. You're a cool cat now. Just like dad! Keep it together and don't go jumping in his arms screaming like a school girl.
"Hey Logan..." Derek came in Logan's bedroom smirking and all innocent.
"Hi! Did you guys eat I was ready to order some food." Logan slouched back on his chair placing his hands behind his head.
"Yeah we ate. I did at least finish my burger. James didn't, too busy talking about his Saturday plans." Logan smiled giddily.
"Yeah we're going shopping, I forgot to ask, do you want to come along?" Logan had of course already talked to Brianna over the phone earlier, she apparently had the day off which meant he was safe to play the nice courteous roommate card.
"No, no, I'll go out with my girlfriend, you have fun with yours." Derek dropped the act, Logan dropped off his chair.
"You want any sex tips Juliet I'll be down the hall." Derek turned around to leave but James had sneaked behind him smiling like a serial killer. He threw a warm look over at Logan making sure his accident prone object of affection was alright, and grabbed Derek by the ear pulling him out of the room.
"Oh crap! Let go Lancelot!" James threw him out the door kicking him on the ass for good measure and returned quickly to Logan who was lifting himself up.
"Order me a veggie pizza, we'll eat and I'll tell you what happened with Kyle." Logan stared panicked and bombarded James with questions.
"Wait you met Kyle, and you told Derek it's a real date and he's fine with it and..."
"Yes, genius everything's fine." Derek shot his head in the room.
"Until you two numbskulls screw yourselves this weekend that is."
It was Logan who threw a book at him making him give a panicked screech and run to the living room for cover.
"You're sure he's fine with it?" Logan walked and lifted his book up; he turned to face James still concerned.
"He's working on it, just like us." James came up to Logan and it was difficult to suppress the urge to kiss him lock the door and throw him in bed, Logan saw the burning lust in the hazel eyes and shot him the crook smile.
"LOVED the note..." James lost all of his skin color and left pacing hurriedly out of the room.
Yeah! I'm a cool cat now!
When the food arrived Logan and James sat on the living room floor taking advantage of the fact that they didn't have a coffee table anymore, James had closed the lights and if he had any candles he would have lighted them too, he settled for the mute television instead. Derek made a few jokes and initially sat between them, so Logan texted Brianna who took an immediate break from work and gave Derek an angry call to stop getting in their way. Derek ignored her at first and hanged up; the second call though ended up in a childish argument so Derek lost all of his appetite and locked himself in his room.
"We should take a moment to think about the women and children." Logan joked but James shrugged it off.
"I love him but I warned him fair and square, he shouldn't butt in, I don't want to get you any more nervous than you already are."
"I'm not nervous." James giggled but Logan was serious.
"I'm not James; I'm just excited about it. Sure I was afraid that Kyle would do something to you or with you but now you're saying he's out of the picture. So I can focus on what was it? Oh, yeah get your cute little ass naked." Logan smiled shyly James licked his lips.
"You don't have to worry about Kyle anymore. He's nowhere near the picture; you're the picture, the whole picture." James leaned over but Logan pushed him back gently.
"You're rushing! James please we have to wait..." James shook his head and Logan stood up.
"Please James stop. I want this too but we keep on going from one situation to the next and that's why we keep on messing it up. Let's wait for the date please." James didn't need much coaxing to rein himself, one look in the puppy eyes and he was sold. He got up holding his pizza box and sat on the couch giving Logan a nod to sit back on the floor. Logan mumbled a thank you and sat a small distance away from him; he also let a long sigh slip out because he wanted James to be sure that this was hard for him too.
"Let's get the Kyle thing out of the way just in case, he came up to me in school I read him the rap sheet, told him I don't want anything to do with him and I left." Logan turned and positioned his head on the couch pouting.
"You're sure he won't come back?" James imagined that Logan had a tail and was wagging it happily so he ruffled his hair a bit.
"He told me he'll stay in town for a week waiting for me to change my mind, I don't give a damn if he chains himself on the front door." Logan though had now started to feel the anxiety come back, Kyle didn't seem the type to just give up and stay in the corner sulking.
"Hey, and if he comes back you can rip his head off, I'll help and we can go to prison together." Logan turned smiling back to his food.
"Then I'll have to fight all the prisoners trying to rape you in the shower, no thank you I'd rather give you up to Kyle now." They laughed a little and changed the subject James asked how Logan's day was but soon regretted it when instead of his social accomplishments Logan started talking about his classes. The clock ticked away and they started feeling sleepy, so they cleaned up and were ready to go to their separate beds, they were saying their goodnights when James suddenly had a stroke or that's what it looked to Logan at least.
"I know how we can deal until Saturday! Movie night!" Logan actually bounced.
"And we can have Derek chaperone us!"
"We can take turns in picking the movies!" James added.
"It's perfect you're the genius!" Logan lost his control; he fell on James's chest and kissed it lovingly.
"Or I can just take you right here, right now!" James tried to wrap his arms around Logan but the other pushed him back and ran to his room locking the door behind him.
"GOODNIGHT JAMES!"
Damn so close!
James snapped his fingers with disappointment and went to bed.
The plan worked perfectly, in the mornings they woke up to eat their breakfast and flirt a little, as much as either of them would allow not crossing any boundaries, Logan even went to jog with James once more, they got so tired and lost track of the time, both lost their morning classes, neither regretted it. They were safe during the day far away from each other lost in their busy schedules, they even started to exchange sappy texts full of playful subtext, Logan started writing it down on paper like poetry. Movie night was a raging success James found Logan's taste impeccable, Logan didn't watch one full movie until the credits he watched James instead lost in the roles taking mental notes, quietly mumbling lines. Derek invited his friend Nick over and they threw popcorn at them every time they noticed the other two getting too close. Nick and Logan hit it off finally, James got a little jealous because he had made out with Nick once in a drunken party but Derek calmed him down and assured him Nick was straight and over any curiosity stage. So the rest of the week passed like a breeze, no problems, no fights, no heartache, they had started dating without the label on, both knew that and accepted it. When Friday night came Derek saw them fall apart obviously by nerves and silently took a step back to enjoy the show.
"Why do we have to wake up so early?" Logan moaned and James rolled his eyes.
"Because I want to get a head start in the cashiers' line! We wouldn't have this problem if you would allow me to take you in the nice stores instead of the mall!" Logan gave him an angry grunt.
"James we talked about this, I can't just wear designer outfits! First of all I can't afford them, and second you want another butter accident?" James looked at Logan eyes filled with rage.
"I haven't forgiven you about that, seriously who cooks wearing a two hundred dollar pants? What were you thinking?"
"You should have thought of that before you gave me half the closet. Those are my pants now; I can burn them if I want to." James shuddered when he realized how close Logan was on mastering the smug smile.
"Well, you're an ingrate!"
"Oh my God! He owns a dictionary!" Derek took a scoop of ice cream perched on the kitchen counter and fought back his laughter waiting for his cue.
"You know what? Maybe this is a bad idea! I want to be appreciated by my boyfriend." James trailed off and Logan went running the other way holding down his answer, because really, he had overused the word fuck in the last few hours since they started fighting.
"Ten hours until your date!" Derek bellowed from his spot. They both stopped solid and looked at each other like they were looking at a miracle. They smiled, apologized and went to bed counting the minutes and seconds for the morning to come.