A/N—Not a lot to say about this chapter except that it wraps up the night of the party and the long discussion between James and Logan. Stay safe!

Oh and Btr luverz, I'm working on it! I usually post one chapter a week, though sometimes (like now) I surprise you with an extra. Enjoy! And thank you for letting me know you guys are liking the story!

While perched on the edge of Logan's bed, James watched Logan shimmy out of his jeans with such focus that Logan had to turn away. He swallowed and said, "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Scared. Desperate.

"Just to the bathroom. I'll sleep better with an empty bladder."

"Right."

Halfway out the door, Logan looked back with a smile. "I'll be back."

James nodded. "Okay."

When Logan returned to the room, it was to find James reclined in bed, the blankets pulled up to his chest but leaving enough exposed for Logan to know he'd removed the shirt. No no no, that is such a bad idea. Logan cleared his throat and turned out the light. It was easier if he didn't see what he was missing.

You'll feel it, though. All that warm skin pressed up against you.

He bit down on a whimper that wanted to break free.

"What's wrong?"

James knew him so well already, didn't he? How much time had they actually spent in each other's presence? Not enough that James should know him so thoroughly. "Nothing."

"Then come to bed."

That soft voice drawing him closer, it was like a rope trying to drag him. He licked his lips and peeled off his own shirt, leaving himself in what he hoped James was still clothed in—a pair of boxers.

"I won't...you know. Make a move on you. No matter how badly I want to."

Logan let out a breath; that helped.

"Or how badly you want me to."

"You just had to make sure that was mentioned, didn't you?"

"Hey, I can't be the only one suffering tonight."

Logan heard the grin behind the words and relaxed. James would keep his promise. He let the invisible rope pull him the rest of the way and slid under the covers that James held up for him. Before he knew it, he was settled against James' chest and wrapped in arms that made him feel safe in a way no one ever had, and silence fell between them as they enjoyed the feel of each other in such close quarters.

"Are you comfortable?" Logan finally asked.

"I am. This is nice. Just you and me together...you not talking for once..."

When Logan laughed, James joined in. Logan asked, "Do you really hate it that much when I talk?"

"Considering that ninety-nine percent of the time you're saying things I don't want to hear...yes."

Since Logan knew that to be true, he didn't argue. "And the other one percent?"

James pressed a kiss to Logan's forehead. "The other one percent...you're absolutely perfect."

There was no way Logan could let that comment pass. It meant too much to him that the man he'd always loved from afar now felt the same way about him. He lifted his face, lips running up James' neck and chin in a way that caused James to inhale sharply, and melded their mouths together. James shuddered, letting loose a whiny sound that weakened Logan's resolve. He pushed into James' mouth, James opening eagerly for him, while he let his hand slide up James' torso to feel the hair he'd been so entranced by before. James hummed then, obviously wanting more, and because Logan did too he pulled away just enough that their lips weren't touching.

James wasn't having it. He surged forward, not in a forceful way but so that his lips bumped into Logan's. Then he did it again. And again. It was as if his mouth was stumbling around looking for a place it could settle. Logan wanted it to find that place and stay forever. Over James' shoulder he caught sight of the clock on his nightstand. 12:01. "James," he whispered.

"Right here," James whispered back, those lips still exploring.

"James."

"Mmm."

"Hey." Logan pulled his head away and used a hand on James' chest to keep him from following. "Happy birthday."

That cleared James' lust-soaked brain enough to pause. "What?"

"It's after midnight," Logan smiled. "Happy birthday, James."

Wonder crossed James' face. "Holy shit," he murmured. "My wish came true."

"Your wish? You had a wish?"

"I had two." James laid his head on the pillow. Logan's own returned to its place against James' neck. "When I blew out my candles tonight. I knew I was leaving, but I wished for the impossible anyway."

"The impossible was us?"

"It was this. Kissing you. Being with you. The two things I wanted for my birthday were to be with you like this, and for my mom to get better. One came true; do you think the other might, too?"

He sounded so hopeful that it killed Logan to know it wouldn't come to pass. "I can only help with one," he replied. "I'm sorry. I wish I could make the other come true, too."

"Hey, you did your part. The rest is up to Mom." James placed a gentle kiss to Logan's lips before settling down again. "I'm sorry I attacked you, but you started it."

"I totally did," Logan admitted. "It's fine, you asked me for a kiss before bed and you got it. You rang in your birthday with what you wanted most."

"A little full of yourself, aren't you?" James teased. When Logan didn't answer, he laughed. "I'm kidding, you are what I wanted most. I was just afraid to believe it would happen, and even more afraid that it would keep me here."

"You were right to fear that. It did."

"Yep." James blew out a breath. "And now I've doomed myself to daily study sessions with a nerd. How did that happen?"

"You got lucky," Logan grinned. "It's gonna be fine, James. Not always great, but you're gonna be okay."

"Just..."

"Yeah?"

"You said I'm stuck with you. That you're not leaving me alone through this."

"I'm not."

"Make sure it stays that way."

"I promise, James. I won't leave you as long as you need me."

The tension that had crept in dissipated; Logan felt James' muscles relax around him. Their earlier ardor dampened, they sank into that place of peace again. He wished they could sleep like this every night.

"So no more kisses?" James asked. "No more touching, no more holding hands?"

"Not after tonight."

James nodded. "I think that's best."

"Me, too."

"Just friends. Like...Carlos and Kendall."

In a way, Logan supposed James was right—they were two friends who wanted to be more but weren't. The difference was that they still had a chance to become that. "Right. Or like you and Carlos and Kendall."

"Fuck that, you're part of us now."

Logan was shocked by the feeling of excitement caused by those words. He'd never been part of anything outside of an academic nature. "Really?"

"Duh. They let you hang around, and I'm sure as hell not gonna chase you away."

"Not anymore, you mean."

"You know why I did that."

"I do. But I don't want to disrupt The Three Amigos."

"We'll find a new name. It's all good." James smacked his lips to Logan's temple. "You're one of us now. Get used to it."

Logan looked forward to it, at least temporarily. They'd fallen into silence again when Logan said, "Can I ask you something I've been wondering about for days?"

"What's up?" James was starting to sound drowsy.

"Out of everything this world has to offer, what is it about grilled cheese and chips that you love so much?"

"She told you about that?"

"Just that it was your favorite meal. I mean, is it something with the orange, and the tastes all work together? I've never had sour cream and onion anything, so I wouldn't know about that but—"

"You are the weirdest kid I've ever met."

Kid. If James only knew. "Why?"

"You've never had sour cream and onion chips?"

"I told you, my parents didn't eat anything processed or...delicious."

"We'll fix that. Carlos and I can catch you up real quick."

"He's already started," Logan chuckled. When James said nothing else, he pressed, "So are you gonna answer the question?"

James countered with another question. "She didn't know? My mom?"

"No. She seemed as baffled as I am."

"Figures she doesn't remember," James sighed.

Logan's eyes narrowed. He boosted himself up on one elbow to stare down at James as well as he could in the dark. "Are you saying it has to do with her? It's not the taste, it's more...sentimental?"

"Don't make me sound like a pansy."

"Okay, that's our first lesson. Being sentimental or sensitive doesn't make you a pansy." Whatever that means. Logan knew it to be a flower, but James made it sound derogatory so he felt safe stating that. "Tell me why that meal is so special to you."

"Stop looking at me and I will."

That was fair. Logan nestled into James again, enjoying the way James hugged him in. "Talk."

"Okay, so...when I was a kid, before my mom worked all the time and things got bad between them, we rented a camper and went on a trip."

"A...camper? You rented a person?"

"What? No, weirdo, a camper. Like...a big van. For camping. An RV?"

Still at a loss, Logan shook his head.

"Come on, like a big vehicle you drive out to a campground and live in while you're there."

"You mean camping like...going into nature? Getting away from cities for a day or two?"

"Right. Exactly. Ours was pretty nice, we had beds and a table and a fridge and a little hot plate thing. So Mom could cook, though she's never really been very good at that. But she made us all grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch every day we were there. With those sour cream and onion chips."

"And an orange," Logan guessed.

"And an orange. Every time I eat that meal, I'm right back in that place where things weren't perfect but they were close. Mom complained about the bugs and the dirt and how the campfire made her eyes burn, but she had fun. Laughed a lot. Dad...he would take me out to fish and we'd hike together on the trails. We went to a waterfall once. No, twice, because the next day we made Mom come and see. It was that beautiful. I remember sitting around that fire eating grilled cheese and chips, tossing orange peels into the flames, and listening to my dad tell me about times he went out there with his grandpa." James swallowed, and Logan knew he was getting choked up. "That's my favorite memory from childhood. That's why I eat what I do."

Logan attempted to soothe him with a kiss to the jaw. "Is there a drink that goes with it?"

"Sprite," James smiled. "We had cans of Sprite. Dad had his beer, but Mom and I mostly stuck to Sprite and water."

Logan would have to research Sprite, as it surely wasn't a type of fairy. "Does it have to be Mom who makes that for you? Or...could anyone?"

"You should try it and find out," James hinted. "But the soup comes first. I've been craving that soup for over a week."

"We'll make it happen," Logan promised. "I just have to remember what I put in it."

"That's not even funny. Don't joke about that."

"I'll find the recipe again." He closed his eyes. "Thank you for telling me that. I feel like it's something nobody else knows."

"You're right. Let's keep it that way."

"Your secrets are safe with me, James. We should get some sleep."

"Yeah. I wouldn't mind if morning never came, though."

"Yes, you would. It's your birthday!"

"True, but once we go to sleep, that's the end of our kisses."

"Then let me give you one more. Since I didn't buy you an actual present."

James let Logan join their lips before saying, "This is all I need from you." They kissed for as long as they dared, most of it gentle and soothing. "I'm really gonna miss this," James whispered.

"Me, too. Just focus on the future. On your mom."

James never replied to that. Instead he tightened his grip on Logan, and together they relaxed into an exhausted sleep that was nevertheless the best each had had in weeks.

The following Sunday morning fell like no other—Logan woke up with a warm body wrapped around him. He felt James pressed up against him from behind and for awhile didn't move; it was everything he'd dreamed of.

Well. Almost everything.

He didn't let the absence of sex ruin what was the best night of his life. He'd never truly believed he'd get even this, considering his mission was to guide James from afar. This was the furthest thing from "afar" he could conceive of, but there were no regrets. There couldn't be with James' arm around his waist and James' breath against his hair every few seconds.

Eventually James woke up enough to shift to a more comfortable position. Logan followed, turning onto his other side and pulling James toward him. He liked the feeling of being the protector, of knowing James was safe in his arms. James apparently liked it, too; he let out a quietly content sound and burrowed closer to Logan before dozing again.

"Happy birthday," Logan whispered. There was no answer. That was okay; he'd let James sleep while he just enjoyed the time in bed doing nothing. There was no book that could compare to this.

His thoughts turned to their situation, or rather his situation. He felt James was safer now that he knew they'd be spending most of their time together, yet since the trophy had been won he also knew the danger had increased.

Or had it? The trophy needed to be in the house where James would eventually reside, far from Duluth. So James had to live long enough to get it there, right? But the enemy couldn't afford to wait for that because by then, the "damage" would be done. His formula would be known and their plan foiled. Maybe he was placing too much emphasis on the trophy.

They have the yearbook photo, Logan. That tells them where he is, too.

But the yearbook wasn't published yet. And now that he thought about it, he realized they knew the name of the school only because Mrs. Simmons would tell them that. In the information she would send in (in James' name, of course), she'd include his yearbook picture.

The whole thing gave him a headache. So many "what ifs" and fears that every move he made could ruin the future. Were there alternate timelines or just one that he had to worry about? It was too much to think about on a perfect, cozy Sunday morning with James in his arms.

You have to think about it, though. The enemy might be here. Possibly right under your nose. You have to protect him. And if you can't, have Kendall and Carlos do that.

But that would mean letting them in on the truth, and Logan wasn't allowed to do that. He was on his own.

Or...was he? What if there was a way for him to plant the idea in their heads that James was in danger? Then they'd protect him. It would be three people doing that job instead of just one, who admittedly wasn't very strong.

He couldn't just come out and say "I think someone might want to kill James." They'd think he was insane, because they didn't know what he did; they didn't know James was going to save the world. And he couldn't tell them that. So how to go about this?

Use your brain, Logan. It's your best weapon.

First he had to figure out who the enemy was. He'd toyed with the idea of it being Mandy, and that was still possible. James breaking up with her at least decreased her opportunities to harm him. But if she'd been here since the beginning of senior year, why wouldn't she have done something by now? Even if she'd waited for James to officially date her, she'd had more than a month at her disposal. Plenty of time to do it, and from what Logan had heard, plenty of that time alone with him. It made no sense to wait until Logan showed up, when it would be harder. Then again, she might not know Logan was sent here to stop her. There was no guarantee that the enemy had known, it was just an assumption on the team's part.

Still, why wait so long? Mandy had had more than enough time and chances. He'd keep her on the list (and away from James), but he had to expand his choices. Who else was James close to?

The members of the hockey team fell to the bottom of the list as well, for the same reason—they'd had ample opportunity. Now that hockey season was over, even less. And James seemed to like them all, from what Logan was able to pick up, but none other than Kendall and Carlos had gotten close to him.

James' world was actually pretty small, which was surprising for someone so intent on being famous. While he had many admirers, there were only a few he allowed into his inner circle. The Knights, The Garcias, his mother...

Me.

That was something to be proud of; he'd made it into the inner circle. It was a damn good thing he wasn't out to hurt James, because it would be too easy.

It could be a teacher. Someone who hadn't attempted to get close to James. That opened up another set of possibilities Logan didn't want to think about unless he had to. It could be anyone.

The truth of that made him panicky, so he shied away from it for the moment to focus again on who else might be close to James. Really, there was no one else. James trusted very few people. He didn't allow others to be near him or get close. Now that Mandy was gone, that left no one outside of him and family, so perhaps the enemy hadn't made a move yet. Maybe it would be someone who would take advantage now that Mandy was no longer standing in the way.

Someone like Denise, who had apparently fooled them all into thinking it was Carlos she wanted. The second James was free, though, she'd swooped right in to "console" him. She'd tried to get him drunk, which hadn't worked, and then attempted to get him away from everyone. Alone.

Logan sat up fast, heart racing. What did he know of Denise? Not much. Logan's first day in Duluth, Carlos had mentioned her as someone who was "giving him looks." In person, she'd seemed to have eyes only for Carlos. She'd given him her phone number the night he'd joined them to see James home safely. By all indications, Carlos was her goal.

And yet...she'd done nothing to directly move that relationship along. Every time she'd interacted with Carlos, James was around. She seemed to spend a lot of her time with Mandy and Mindy. But how long had that been going on? Had they always been friends, or only since Mandy started dating James?

The smartest thing to do in the enemy's position would be to gain the trust of those closest to the target. Logan had done that, purposely inserted himself into James' inner circle and it had worked like a charm. If the enemy was female, though, it wouldn't be quite as easy. She'd have to go a more indirect route because James had girls throwing themselves at him on a daily basis; it was like being a needle in a haystack. In the future, no one had any idea that James had leanings toward men. Sending back a female to manipulate him would have seemed a good idea to the other team.

And if I was in her position, I'd do exactly what she's done; if I couldn't get close to him, I'd get close to the people he's closest to. The ones he trusts. I'd befriend the girlfriend and try to be near the best friends. And then I'd wait for the chance to take someone's place. I'd strike at the earliest opportunity, like when he dumps the girlfriend.

It worked. The idea worked in Logan's head. This didn't mean for sure that Denise was sent from the future, but she was doing all the right things to accomplish the task the enemy was sent to perform. She'd almost had her chance last night, hadn't she? She'd come so close. Logan would bet that was the first time Denise was alone with James.

And he'd ruined it for her.

Logan gave himself a mental pat on the back. If Denise was the enemy, he'd saved James without even trying.

It wouldn't do good to focus solely on one person, though. He had to keep his mind open to everyone as a danger to James. If Denise was a suspect, then so was Mindy, who was actively trying to win Kendall over in the same way.

What if there are more than one of them? What if the others sent back an entire team to do the job?

That was too much for Logan to contemplate so early in the morning. It was an overwhelming idea. He laid down again, James humming in his half-sleep and dragging him closer once he was settled.

Enough heavy thoughts for today. It was James' birthday, and they were going to enjoy it.

Logan was dozing lightly when the buzz of his phone interrupted his peace. He picked it up off the nightstand to see Carlos was texting. "R u guys awake?"

"I am. James is still asleep. When are you coming home?"

"Moms picking us up now. Keep James in the room til we say he can come out."

"What if he wakes up and has to pee?"

Logan waited longer for the answer, imagining Carlos thinking it over. "Kendall says distract him."

A smirk lifted Logan's mouth. Yes, he knew how to distract James. They were supposed to be done with that, though. "Why?"

"Its a surprize. C u soon!"

Surprize. Oh, Carlos. We'll have to work on your spelling and grammar next. Logan was smiling, though. He'd come to adore his new brother and took a moment to thank the future team for giving him something he'd never known he was missing—family.

"Whozat?"

Logan jolted at the unexpected sleepy voice in his ear. James shifted closer to nestle his face into Logan's neck. "Hmm?"

"Mom? Is Mom already bugging you?"

"No." The press of lips to the back of his neck sent shivers down Logan's spine. "Kendall asking what books he needs to bring for the study session." He returned his phone to the nightstand, face down.

James opened one eye long enough to peek at the clock. "They're up early."

His voice was gravelly in a way Logan had never heard. It was a sound he wished he could wake up to every morning. "I'm sure that was Sylvia's idea. She probably has a lot to do today and wanted to get them home before she starts it all."

"Mm." James dismissed the subject and scooted even closer to Logan, who bit his lip at the feel of all that muscle and power against him.

"Carlos was right. You are a bed hog."

"He said that?"

"Mm-hm."

"Want me to back up?"

The tone suggested that James knew better and was very aware of Logan's enjoyment of their current position. Logan kept quiet.

"That's what I thought," James smiled. His lips explored Logan's neck again, feather-light kisses traveling from one side to the other before moving toward his shoulder.

"James," Logan whispered. "We're done with that, remember? Last night was it. I can't..." He groaned when James' mouth fastened harder to the skin and applied a sucking pressure. Logan was definitely awake now.

The pressure let up. "We haven't left the bed yet. This is still part of last night."

"And we still can't have sex." But holy crap, Logan wanted to.

"Who's talking sex? I'm just exploring while I can. I'll follow your rules once we get out of bed." He moved away to forcefully roll Logan onto his back, then "explored" the terrain with his mouth. Logan's stomach quivered with each touch.

"James..." Logan gasped. "Please. I'm loving this, you know I'm loving this—"

"I'm definitely aware of that." James moved so that his cheek caressed the part of Logan that was most awake.

"James!" He shot back toward the headboard, sitting up to put distance between them. "Please. I'm sorry, you know I want this but I can't...I only have so much willpower, okay? We don't have a lot of time left to be together, can't we just—"

"I know we don't." James was somewhere between hurt and desperate. "That's why I'm getting what I can now."

"And I'm telling you that the more you get now, the harder it will be to resist later. Trust me on that. It's better to not know what you're missing."

"So what, I'm just supposed to never have sex? I'm going to live my life always wondering what I'm missing with a guy?"

"No, of course not." It pained Logan to say it, but he added, "There will be someone for you, I'm sure. Later. After high school, after you take your next step. And nobody has to know about it. For now, though...we've talked about it. Graduation needs to be your focus."

James stared at him for a long time, eyes a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions he kept under lock and key. "Do you want me, though? At least tell me that. If I was somebody else, would you still say no?"

Logan's heart cracked. He reached out a hand to gently pull James closer until their faces were almost touching. "There is nobody else, James. You are the only thing that matters to me in this world."

James licked his lips. "I don't know how that's possible, but when you say things like that...I believe it. I see it in your eyes, you actually mean it."

"With all my heart."

This time when James kissed him, Logan allowed it. James settled between Logan's legs, and though each of them wanted more, the kisses were enough. "I love you," Logan whispered after a time. James was too overwhelmed to answer the truth he heard in the words, so he expressed his reply without them.