A/N—Hey! Finally getting a new chapter up. I haven't written anything in a few weeks, things just aren't slowing down over here, but I felt like posting anyway. I hope you enjoy, and thank you in advance for reading. Hope you're all safe and healthy!

The closer it got to June, the more stress crept into Logan's mind because time was running out. Logan knew that James should be turning in his world-changing assignment as part of his final for biology class, and as the end of May neared, he still didn't feel James was ready. Sure, James had amassed an impressive amount of knowledge over the previous two months, but enough to write the genius paper that Logan had read often enough to be able to quote from it? It was doubtful. The last day of school would be June 9th. As of two weeks prior to that, Mrs. Simmons had not handed out the assignment. She'd hinted at a project in addition to the regular multiple-choice test, something students could do to augment their final grade, but she hadn't given any specifics yet. Logan knew that had to be the assignment he'd been waiting for.

Unless the other side had chosen to alter Mrs. Simmons' actions rather than James'. That was a possibility that hadn't occurred to Logan before, and he wondered how he'd been so stupid to never consider it. If she didn't assign that project, James would have no reason to turn it in. Stop the problem at the root—it made perfect sense. What if instead of going after James, they went after Mrs. Simmons?

This idea hit Logan with full force during one of her lectures. He sat at his desk stunned, frozen in horror, unable to comprehend anything she was saying. What if she never assigned the report? Who could possibly influence her to change that?

The bell rang, signaling the end of the period, and the room became chaos. Students stood up to leave. James started packing away his textbook at the desk next to Logan. Logan stared around the room, wondering if any of these students had the power to change Mrs. Simmons' lesson plans, or even her mind. What would it take? A subtle suggestion for a better project? That could come from anywhere, even her husband. This was impossible.

"Loges? You coming?"

James was now standing with a backpack over his shoulder, watching Logan from under bangs that had grown too long. The future rested on this gorgeous being who had no idea he was going to save the world. Logan looked up with scared eyes.

"Hey, you okay?" Concerned now, James rested one knee on the seat of his desk to lean closer. "Logan?"

"Yeah, I'm...I think I'm just stressed. Finals are approaching fast and..."

"Dude, you're more than ready. You know that, right?"

He did know that. But was James?

No. Not even close.

"Come on. I'll walk you to history."

A loud laugh from the front of the room caught their attention. Linda was standing next to Mrs. Simmons' desk, her head bent over to continue whatever she was saying that had amused the teacher so much.

Linda. Teacher's Pet. The student who spent her lunch periods in here helping with lesson plans and grading tests for Mrs. Simmons. She also possessed an encyclopedia's worth of knowledge, almost as much as Logan from what he could tell. And she had access to not only Mrs. Simmons' lesson plans, but also her mind. Logan couldn't look away from them as his brain worked.

"Hey." James' voice was gentle in its worry. "Seriously. You okay?"

Logan shook himself out of the trance to reassure James. "Yes. I just got...look, you go ahead. I need to talk to Mrs. Simmons about something."

"About what?"

"Our final. I'm going to see if I can get any information from her about it, so we can prepare."

"She already said it'll be about everything we've learned this semester."

"But we don't know about the extra project, which I think you need to ensure your passing grade."

"Logan, I'm fine. I'm up to a C now. Almost a B!"

"Yes, but that final will be a lot to deal with all at once. I don't want to see you fail the class just because it's too much information to retain." James looked as if he was about to argue, so Logan said, "You need to go or you'll be late again. I promise I'm fine. I'll text you when I get to history, okay?"

"You sure? You still don't look good. I mean...you look hot in that shirt, it's my favorite color on you, but—"

"James," Logan chuckled. "Go. I'm fine."

James sighed but gave in. "You'd better text me."

"I will." He mouthed 'I love you' because even though they refrained from physical affection, he never wanted James to forget that he was loved and they still exchanged the words daily.

A goofy grin stretched across James' face. "Stop that, you know what it does to me."

"Bye."

By the time Logan had gathered his belongings, students for the next period were filtering in. Linda had run off to another class. Logan approached Mrs. Simmons at the chalkboard. "Can I ask about the project?"

"Logan! You're still here."

"Yeah, sorry. Um...so I was thinking that James might want to do that report you've been hinting at. For extra credit. I know he's doing better but—"

"Honestly, Logan, he's like a new person. When he first got into my class I saw some of that in him, the passion for the subject. Since you've taken over helping him study, he's blossomed so much."

"I know. I'm really proud of him. But I'm worried the final might overwhelm him and we know what stress can do to test scores. So I'd like for him to turn in that report as well, just in case. Can you give me any hint as to what sort of project it might be?"

"Logan, you know I can't give you an unfair advantage over the other students."

"No, not for me. For James. The more I know, the more I can prepare him."

Mrs. Simmons studied Logan while deciding. He thought she wasn't going to bend, but then she said, "It's not so much an essay or report as it is a...an opening of the mind, so to speak. I want the students to bring me new ideas in the field, ones that have never been posited before. And I want them backed up with scientific data. Mostly I just want to know that the student understands the material they're discussing and is thinking outside the box. I like to think that one day my students might change the world with new ideas. This is a push in that direction."

Logan nodded slowly, his chest opening up so that he could breathe again. "I think that's a wonderful assignment. And it's one James can definitely accomplish. Thank you, Mrs. Simmons."

He was about to walk away when she said, "Logan, I'd love to see what that brain of yours can come up with, too. You don't need the extra credit, but I think you might be one of those who can change the world."

"Maybe someday," he smiled. His goal was the opposite, to keep the world the way it was. It was James who would bring about change. "I'll think about it."

"I'm going to announce the project Monday, so that will give you all two weeks to work on it. It's due on the day of your final, you'll be turning it in before taking the test."

"Perfect. Thank you," he said again. "I look forward to it."

"So do I. It's my favorite assignment that I give every year. I love reading the radical ideas the students come up with. A lot of them aren't feasible, and others are ideas that have already been suggested but not among the public. But if anyone can come up with something new and exciting that hasn't been tried yet and might actually work, I think it's you."

The compliments were making him squirm. He cleared his throat with a nod. "See you tomorrow, Mrs. Simmons."

Logan texted James just before stepping into his next classroom. "I made it to history. I talked to Mrs. Simmons. Everything is fine."

And so far, everything was. It felt like things were right on track.

His mood much better by the time lunch rolled around, Logan greeted Kendall and Carlos with a wave. The sight of them holding hands always made him smile.

"Mom's getting off work early today to take us," Kendall stated, continuing whatever conversation they'd been having on the way to the library. "And since we're doing so much better in our classes, she said she'd buy us dinner at the hot dog place."

"Sweet!" Carlos grinned. He let go of Kendall so they could take their seats, then high-fived James in greeting. "Sup, mis amigos?"

"Same old thing," James shrugged. "Except Logan's stressing over finals now. Like he has any reason to worry."

"It was five minutes," Logan pointed out. "I'm fine now." Wanting to change the subject, he asked the other two, "Where are you guys going after school?"

Carlos sat up straighter with a smug expression. "We're going to get fitted for tuxes."

Kendall rolled his eyes. "I don't know why we can't just wear jeans. It's for one freaking night."

"Kendall, dressing up is part of the whole experience! Just think how great I'll look! I've already pictured you in yours, and..." Carlos shook his hand as if he'd touched something hot.

James frowned after taking a sip of water. "So you guys are definitely going? To prom?"

Carlos scoffed at the idea they'd do anything else. "Duh. It's like a rite of passage. Wait, did I use that phrase right?"

"You did," Logan chuckled. Prom. He'd been hearing about it for weeks but had never considered actually going, probably because as far as he knew James didn't do that. Or...wouldn't do that. There was no sign that James ever did. And the way things stood now, it wasn't as if they could go together. James sure as hell had better not be planning to go with someone else.

"Aren't you guys?" Carlos wondered. "I mean, I know you're not an official couple or anything, but you're still coming with us, right? It wouldn't be fun without you!"

"I think parts of it could be fun without them," Kendall smirked.

"Yeah, the dancing."

"Uh, Carlos, we are not dancing. You know I don't dance."

Carlos groaned. "Come on man, we have to do at least one slow dance together! It's the prom tradition!"

Logan was focused on his sandwich, purposely ignoring the contemplative stare he felt coming from the right. James couldn't be considering this, right?

"You know..." James started.

"No," Logan said immediately.

"I've always dreamed of being prom king. Carlos is right, Loges. It's a rite of passage."

"It's a distraction we don't need."

"It's one night out of our lives. Just like Kendall said."

It would bring them into contact with too many people, way more than any of the birthday parties or hockey games had. Logan shook his head. "We're so close, James. You've done well and we're so close to getting through this. This dance will take up too much of your attention."

"Oh, for what? Renting a tux and doing my hair? Logan, you're being ridiculous. I want to go to prom."

For once, Carlos was quiet and stayed out of the conversation. Kendall did the same.

"James, we can't even go together."

"So? We can still both be there. We can sit together. Dance...sort of together. It would be fun!"

"James..."

"Come on, Logan! I want to see you in a tux. Don't deprive me of that."

A sudden vision of James in a tuxedo flashed through Logan's mind. He'd seen that before, on a much older James attending charity functions. This version of James, though...that lean, muscled body, the long luxurious hair...the thought of it was enough to make Logan's mouth water. "Look, I just don't think it's a good idea. Our biology final is the same day, we need to be focused on that instead."

"We will be! We'll study our asses off and pass that final and then blow off a little steam at the dance!" When Logan gave no indication of caving, James turned to Carlos. "It's not too late to buy tickets, right? We can still go?"

"Yeah, totally. You guys can even come with us today to shop for tuxes if you want! Mama Knight won't mind."

"We have a lot to study today," Logan pointed out.

"We have a lot to study every day," James huffed. "Please, I've done everything you asked and I'm slaving over books and it's working. I'm doing so much better. Don't I deserve this? One night to just have a good time?"

He did, but Logan knew it was a bad idea. For so many reasons. "James, I'm sorry. We can't afford to risk losing focus. Not when we're so close."

James nodded as if hearing what Logan was saying and debating it. "Well, here's the thing, Professor. It's my life. I appreciate everything you've done for me, but you don't control me. I want to go to prom. So...I'm going. Obviously I'd prefer you were there, but if you don't want to go, that's fine. I'll go by myself."

The thought of James being alone in a room with so many possible threats made Logan's blood run cold. "James, please...you don't...you can't. You can't."

"I can. And I will. Guys? Count me in after school today. Logan and I can take a day off from each other."

With that, James dismissed Logan completely and faced the table to eat his lunch. After two months of such closeness with James, it felt like having his heart ripped out to be ignored. Sadness like he hadn't experienced in a long time overwhelmed Logan. He stood up to gather his belongings, fighting to keep the tears at bay at least until he could get away from James.

"Where are you going?" Kendall asked in concern.

Logan didn't answer. He zipped up his backpack and stormed out of the library, fully expecting Kendall to chase after him and wishing for once that his friend wasn't so caring.

Kendall didn't follow, though. It could be that James told him to give Logan the time alone to think, or perhaps Carlos had been the one to stop him. Maybe Kendall himself had realized that Logan needed solitude. For whatever reason, Logan entered the nearest bathroom by himself and then hid in a stall to release the hurt James' dismissal had inflicted upon him.

He'd worry about the danger of it all later.

Nobody met Logan at his locker after school that day. There was one text from Kendall during their last period, asking if he was sure he didn't want to come. Logan said he was, and that was that. He considered going to Brooke's as usual, but showing up without James would bring questions he didn't want to answer. Instead, he checked in with her to make sure she was okay and then explained that James was out with Carlos and Kendall for the afternoon. When she didn't press him for more information, Logan assumed James had already explained the trip to the mall.

He spent the afternoon alone at home, trying to focus on homework and not what it would mean if James went to the dance. There would definitely be some sort of photo taken there, right? Nothing had turned up in the future, and Logan reminded himself that even if there was, the assignment would already be turned in. James' fate would be sealed—as long as nothing happened along the way to change Mrs. Simmons' actions, of course.

Why are you so worried about this? It'll be done, the assignment finished and delivered. It will be too late for anyone hoping to stop him. Sure, they could hurt him (and that thought was scary enough), but his theories will already be passed on. If he doesn't put them into action, someone else will.

But that wasn't how it was supposed to happen. Until the moment James turned in that paper, everything was guesswork. There was no road map, no guide to follow, and Logan was working on pure instinct. Once that step was taken, though, there was a blueprint. At that point Logan should be able to relax and let nature take its course. Everything should happen just as it was supposed to, as it had in the biographies and documentaries written about James.

And in those biographies, there was no mention at all of a prom. No pictures. His senior portrait, sure. Someone had even dug up a picture taken on his graduation day, snapped by Brooke most likely, of James accepting his diploma on stage. That photo was flashed up in every documentary when relating that James had graduated from Denfield High. Everything would happen fast once that assignment reached the right people, but it would happen according to a plan that Logan already knew.

What wouldn't happen? Prom.

And that's why it scared Logan. Because it didn't fit in with the timeline. If James attended prom, that would mean that the timeline had been altered, and even the slightest change could have disastrous results.

Logan had to stop James from going to that prom.

The problem with that was that James currently wasn't speaking to him. Logan had texted James upon arriving at home, just to let James know where he was and to say "Tell me when you're home and I can come over and cook dinner."

As of five o'clock, Logan had still not received an answer. Were they back to this again?

I don't have time for this. We're down to a few weeks, there is NO TIME FOR THIS!

At seven, Brooke texted him. "Why aren't you here for dinner?"

Logan was holed up in the bedroom. There had been no word from Carlos or Kendall either, so he assumed they were still out. "I told James to text me when he was home so I could come over and cook."

"James has been home for over an hour. I ordered out. I assumed you were on the way but dinner's here now and you're not."

James was home? And hadn't told him? Logan sighed in dismay. They were back to this. "Did you ask James?"

"Just now. He said you're not coming and he's not hungry. What's going on, Logan? Are you two fighting again?"

Apparently they were. "Can you please tell him to call me after dinner? He won't answer my texts."

A minute later she replied. "Well, he just told me to mind my own business and slammed the bedroom door in my face. Logan, fix this. I want my boys back together."

Yeah, she wasn't the only one. "I'm going to give him tonight to cool off. Let me know if you need anything, but otherwise I'll see you tomorrow. I hope."

"You WILL."

Carlos didn't show up until almost nine o'clock, having spent the evening at Kendall's studying after their shopping trip. He gushed about the tuxes (mostly about how good Kendall looked in his) before giving Logan peace and disappearing into the shower. Two minutes into that, Logan was shaken from a doze by the buzzing of his phone.

Please let it be James, please let it be James.

The sight of the name he'd been praying for made his stomach flip over. James was going to yell at him, which wouldn't be fun, but was definitely better than the silent treatment. Logan answered the call warily. "Hey."

"I'm sorry."

The tone wasn't at all what Logan had been expecting. It was scared, desperate, pleading. Logan sat up in bed. "What? James, are you okay?"

"I'm sorry. I just...I really wanted to go and you wouldn't even consider it and I've been trying to get up the courage to ask you for weeks but I knew what you'd say, I knew you'd be like that and I wanted us to go so bad but you never even—"

"Whoa, hold on. Slow down. Take a breath." Logan waited while James did that, then said, "Start over. You're upset because you knew I'd say no?"

"Well...yeah. Every time I thought about asking, I'd imagine you being all...Logan. And I'd chicken out. So when the guys brought it up today it was the perfect time but you did exactly what I thought you'd do, you wouldn't even try to see things my way, and it hurt. But I'm sorry I was rude to you, and I need you, and please don't hate me. Please."

"Hey, I don't hate you and I'm not going anywhere. How many times do I have to tell you that before you believe it?"

A sniffle reached Logan's ear through the phone. "I don't know why I'm such a dick to you when you care so much about me. All I do is push you away."

"No, James, you haven't done that since March. April? It doesn't matter. For the past two months you've been the best friend I could ask for."

"And then I ruin it because you won't go to prom with me."

Logan sighed. "I'm sorry. I just don't think we should."

"Because of studying. Because of our finals."

"Right."

"And that's exactly what I knew you'd say." James didn't sound angry about it anymore so much as frustrated. "But Logan, what is one night? Just one night of our lives?"

How to convince James without telling him the truth? "What would be the point? We can't dance together. You wouldn't want to be seen doing that with a guy."

"I know, but...who says we have to dance? We can hang out together anyway, get our pictures taken...you could look super hot in a tux...then after we could go with Kendall and Carlos to the lake."

"The lake?" Logan's brows drew together. "What lake?"

"The lake, Logan. It's where everyone goes after prom."

"Is that the name of the place or is it an actual lake?"

"Oh my god, I forget that you're a nerd and don't know about this stuff. It's the actual lake outside of town; it's tradition to go there after prom."

"And do what? Surely it's not open that late. You guys don't break in, do you? That sounds illegal."

"Logan, it's a lake. It doesn't close. We don't go there to swim, okay?"

"Well, what else would people do at a lake at midnight? If you're not there to swim, what..." It sank in suddenly, Logan's body simultaneously going cold and heating up. "Oh."

"Took you long enough to figure out, Professor. Nobody actually gets out of their cars at the lake."

Logan swallowed hard. "We can't...we agreed that..."

"Our last two finals happen that day. Biology and...I think it's math for me. Or P.E.? The point is, we'll be done with school then. All those finals, then the prom, then we're done until graduation. There's nothing left to focus on, Logan. No more tests to study for. We can finally just...relax and...you know. Be together." When Logan said nothing, James added, "You promised. Make it through school, and then we can be together."

Logan couldn't breathe. Again, he was being offered his deepest wish on silver platter, and he had to turn it down. It just wasn't fair! "James...there's still the fact that I'm a minor. No sex until I turn eighteen. That's not until September."

"I knew you'd throw that in my face," James groaned. "But look, nobody's gonna tell. Kendall and Carlos can keep a secret."

"No, James, it's not about that, it's..."

"It's what, Logan? What? I've done everything you asked, why can't you give me this one thing we both want so bad? Unless..."

He trailed off and Logan's heart sank. "No, that's not it."

"Are you sure? Have your feelings changed? If you don't want me anymore, I guess—"

"James, no, I swear. There's no one I want more. That's never going to change."

"Then what? What are you so afraid of?"

Changing the timeline. Ruining your life. Sending humanity to its doom. Why was all of this so complicated? "It just doesn't feel right. I don't know how else to explain it. Please, James. Try to understand."

"I can't when you won't explain it."

"I know." Logan closed his eyes on a sigh. "I wish I could."

After a stretched-out silence, James said, "Okay. I respect your wishes. You don't want to go, I won't make you."

Logan huffed out in relief. "Thank you."

"But I'm going. I got a tux today, and I look damn good in it, and the world isn't going to miss out on that. I'm just sorry you will."

Logan had two weeks to figure out how to sabotage this for James. He wasn't looking forward to it. "Me, too," he said honestly. "I'm sure it would be a beautiful sight."

"Yep. So um...you forgive me? For being a dick today?"

"Of course."

"I really am sorry. I know I hurt you. But you hurt me first, and...I guess that's just what I do when someone hurts me. I want to hurt them back."

"Not the most mature way of dealing with pain," Logan pointed out.

"Nope."

"But understandable. I love you, James. I'd never hurt you intentionally, and not without good reason."

"I know. See you in the morning?"

"Yeah."

"Can we have your soup for dinner tomorrow night? I think we still have that loaf of Italian bread, it should still be good."

James insisted on the soup once a week, and it made Logan proud. It also gave him warm fuzzies, because he sensed that it was a symbol of Logan's love in James' mind. James needed the reassurance after their argument. "That sounds great. I think your mom's getting tired of it, though."

"She can deal with it. If she hates it that much, we'll order her something."

"Okay. See you tomorrow, James."

"Night, Logan. I love you."

It never failed to make him smile. James wasn't one to say it often, but when he did it carried so much feeling that Logan's chest warmed. "Night."