A/N—Reminder that I don't own these characters and that all credit goes to the creators of "Big Time Rush."

And here's the aftermath of the date! Thank you all so much for the love on this story. It's turning out to be one of my favorites. :)

A text came in while James was lying in bed trying to fall asleep with an upset tummy. It was still early; he figured Logan would be out for hours with the hot hockey guy and was determined to not wait up for him. If Logan wanted to see someone else, fine. Let him.

Instead of the indifference he was deluding himself with, James reached for his phone eagerly.

"I'm home. I have a surprise for you tomorrow. Don't pack lunch. ;)"

The little yellow winky face brought a smile to James' lips. Damn Logan for being so perfect as to think of him even when on a date with someone else. Someone hot. Someone James wanted to hate but couldn't bring himself to because every time he looked at Kendall, he thought of Rush.

"Noted. How was it?"

"It was nice."

"Good. I'm glad."

James stared at the text before sending, wondering if he should add anything else. Maybe something like "Please don't fall in love with him, I need you and I don't know how to live without you. You're so perfect and deserve him but I don't care, I want you for myself."

Hating himself for thoughts like that, James sent the text as is.

"You doing okay?"

And why. Why did Logan have to be so amazing?

"Got any ideas on how to make a stomachache go away?"

"Depends on what caused it. Spicy foods? Stress?"

"Chocolate."

"Please tell me you didn't eat both of those boxes at once."

"I didn't."

"Thank god. So what caused it?"

"Well, I didn't eat them both at once. I spread it out a little."

The phone rang in James' hand and with a smirk he answered. "Don't start with me, I'm not up to it."

"Are you insane? You're going to be on the toilet for days. Too much chocolate can have a laxative effect!"

"You're the one who let me take two boxes."

"I told you to take one! One, James! What is wrong with you?"

My best friend's falling in love with someone else. I miss you. I'm terrified to live without you. "Nothing."

"James..." After a sigh came through the phone, Logan asked, "Did everything go okay with your girl tonight?"

"Yeah. She was great."

"Okay, good. Why did you eat so much chocolate?"

"I didn't feel like cooking."

"Well, now you're not going to feel like eating. For days."

"So...Pepto then?"

"It's a start. Don't take too much, though. Read the bottle. And don't be alarmed if your waste turns black, that's normal."

"I love that you know this. I swear you know everything."

"I love to learn. Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. Maybe I should make myself puke."

"No, please don't do that. Just drink some Pepto and try to sleep. Under no circumstances are you to use any sleep aids tonight. You need to be ready to sprint to the bathroom."

"Got it, Dr. Mitchell. Anything else?"

"Yes." There was a pause, and then, "Come early to my class tomorrow. I need to talk to you about something."

James' stomach started to revolt. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"Just show up about ten minutes early. I'll grab something light for breakfast so that your stomach can handle it."

"Fine. So...it was good?"

Logan's voice turned softer. "It was good."

"Cool. I'm gonna go try to find the Pepto."

"Okay. Take care of yourself, please."

"Duh. I do fine on my own."

"Not sure I agree with that, considering you ate two pounds of chocolate, but you'll be okay. Eventually."

"Night, Logan."

"Night."

"Hey. Thanks for calling."

"That's what friends are for."

"Yeah." Tears threatened and James had to hang up. "Bye." He cut off the reply with the press of a button, letting them spill over. "What the hell am I supposed to do without you, Logan?"

After taking the medicine and attempting again to sleep, James finally gave up after an hour. In the dark, he made his way out to the living room and turned on a lamp, then dug out a notebook. Within an hour, he'd written his second song.

Before leaving his car in the morning, James pulled up the email from Rush. He felt bad for not replying sooner, but he'd been too down on himself to face anyone except Logan (who he'd barely faced at all). His stomach was slowly recovering and with the help of a pill to hopefully keep him away from the bathroom for the next few hours, he read the message again through tired eyes.

Now how to reply to Rush without coming off like a needy asshole?

"Hey, it's cool. I hope things are okay. I'll tell you about the hot dude tonight. We still on for 8?"

There, that worked.

He exited the car and was reaching back in for the coffee when his phone vibrated in his pocket. After setting the drinks on the roof, he locked the door and was surprised to find an answer already.

"Totally! Have a good day. Catch you tonight. ;)"

The wink somehow reminded him of their talk about blowjobs and what the result of that had been. James had to admit, talking to someone about sex had been a turn-on. Not just about sex, but what was happening at the current moment. Maybe they could revisit that topic tonight.

With the promise of Rush to look forward to, James refused to be sad about Logan. He slipped into the classroom and as usual, found Logan preparing an assignment for first period.

"Hey, loverboy."

"Stop," Logan blushed. "It was one date."

"One good date. You gonna see him again?"

Logan hesitated and James' stomach dropped. He kept the teasing expression on his face so that Logan wouldn't know how much he was dreading the answer. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Thanks," he added as he reached for his coffee. "I got muffins today. No chocolate."

"Come on, that's the best kind!"

"It's also what got you into this mess. How are you feeling?"

"Better. Took some of that stuff you gave me last time I had the uh...bathroom issues."

"Good. You'll need to take more at lunch."

"I know. So what kind did I get if not chocolate?"

"Cheese. It's the antidote to chocolate."

"Seriously? How did I never know this? I love cheese!"

"I know," Logan laughed, then his expression sobered. "So um. About Kendall."

Already fearing this would be a tough discussion, James slid into a student desk. "You made plans with him for Sunday, didn't you?"

"No, of course not. Sundays are our days."

"Weren't you the one telling me you have to put your relationship first?"

"That doesn't mean I have to give up my friendship. I treasure our Sundays and don't want to lose that."

"Great," James replied, feeling a little better. "I was worried about that."

"I know. And I know how hard all of this is on you, but you did say you wanted me to be happy, right?"

"I do," he nodded with feeling. "That's the most important thing."

"Good. Because I can't be happy without my best friend in my life. But I'd also like a boyfriend, you know?"

"Of course."

"So...it would mean a lot to me if those two people got along."

"Logan, I'm trying. I really am, I swear."

"I know. You're doing so much better and I really appreciate that you're trying for me. I'll do the same when I meet your girl."

James said nothing, instead sipping at his coffee.

"So we still have our Sundays, but...I invited him to the movies Friday."

And there was the dread causing his stomach to erupt. "Oh."

"I'm sorry. I just really want this to work."

"I get it. You guys have to date sometime, and Friday makes sense. He'll have hockey games on Saturday, and you're busy with your teacher stuff, so it's the perfect day. Maybe we can do movies on Sunday instead. Unless you don't want to do that twice a week."

"No, James...I still want you to come. I want you both to be there. It would be a great opportunity for you two to get to know each other a little better."

Logan wanted him to suffer through two hours of watching them together? There was no way he'd survive that. "No."

"Come on, James, please give it a chance."

"No. I'm sorry. You can date him as much as you want if it makes you happy, but I don't need to see it."

"You see it in the lounge every day."

"It's been one day, and that was bad enough."

"Is that why you hardly talked yesterday? Because you hate him that much?"

He should just admit it. He should just tell Logan the truth now, because otherwise Logan would continue to think him an unfeeling asshole. He opened his mouth to speak at least a partial truth, but what came out was, "Yes. I hate him that much."

"Look, he told me last night that he's been judged a lot since the accident. That people just like you are disappointed in him and it hurts, okay? It hurts him a lot."

"I can't help the way I feel."

"No, but you can help the way you act. I need you to do this for me. To try."

"I am trying!" James stood up, voice rising as he did. "What if I dated someone you hated? Would I expect you to suddenly just be okay with him?"

"Him?"

James let out a frustrated noise. "Him, her, whatever! I said him because we're talking about Kendall. And I wouldn't expect that, I would understand that you have your reasons."

"It would still upset you and make you feel like you were going to lose me over it."

That brought James' tirade to a halt. "Is that what you're afraid of? Why you're forcing this on me? Because you're afraid you're gonna lose me?"

"Of course I'm afraid." Logan settled onto his desk across from James. "I'm terrified. We have this great thing and I don't want to ruin it. But I'm lonely, James."

"I know that."

"Me dating someone you can't stand is going to put a strain on it."

"Obviously."

"I just...I can't lose you, okay?"

The fight went out of James when he heard that Logan was close to tears. "You're not going to." When he stepped up to the desk, Logan went willingly into the embrace. "I promise. Not by my choice."

"I'm already losing you. You won't even come to the movies with me."

"Because you changed things. Movie night with my best friend and his boyfriend isn't what I signed up for."

"I know. I get that. But I'm trying, too. I don't want you to feel excluded."

"It's gonna happen. It's part of dating, your focus shifts and there's someone new that becomes the priority. I get it."

"What do you know? You've never even been on a date."

"Thanks for the reminder."

"Dammit, James," Logan sighed. He hugged James tighter. "She's out there for you. Are you meeting your girl anytime soon?"

"We're uh...taking it slow."

"Kendall suggested you invite her along, like a double date."

"It's too soon."

"That's what I told him. Please, James. I need you there with me."

Fuck. Logan always knew just what to say to get to him. "You're sitting in between us."

"Deal." Logan backed out of the hug. "You'll do it? You'll go?"

"You're also buying snacks and drinks. I want the large popcorn."

Logan's smile made everything worth it. "You got it."

"And don't expect me to sit through dinner with him. A movie and nothing else."

"Fine. That's...I can handle that. Maybe we can grab dinner first and just meet him at the movies."

"Won't that seem weird to him?"

"He knows how much you mean to me and how close we are. He understands."

"Really? Because I probably wouldn't."

"He's amazing like that."

"Right. The Amazing Kendall Knight, who nobody can compare to because he's got it all."

Logan raised a brow at James. "Jealous much?"

"Whatever. Give me my muffin."

With a smirk, Logan reached into a bag and pulled one out. "I'm rethinking our lunch. It won't be good on your stomach."

"Where did you guys end up?"

"Chinese."

"Oh hell, you brought me orange chicken, didn't you?"

"Maybe. Take care of your stomach and you might be able to enjoy it."

"I love you."

James had said the words numerous times over the course of their friendship, and Logan never allowed himself to believe they were more than in a buddy way. They certainly weren't now and never would be. Still, it felt good to hear, and he grinned.

"I know. Now get out of my classroom."

"Or what, Mr. Mitchell? You gonna give me detention? Spank me with a ruler?"

"You know, one of these days you're gonna screw up and say something like that in front of a student."

James leaned in to whisper into Logan's ear. "I'll take my chances."

As his best friend sauntered out of the room, Logan let a shiver break free. Damn James and his ability to flirt effortlessly.

This time Lucy opened the door herself when Kendall knocked. "I'm here for our...appointment?"

"Hell yeah you are, get in here." As soon as she closed the door behind Kendall, she pounced. "You're glowing. It went well. Did you kiss him? Maybe get a handjob in there?"

"Damn, do you even know what a filter is?"

"Who's got time for that?" When Kendall sank into the chair, she hopped up onto the desk in front of him. "Spill."

"We had dinner. That's really all it was." Lucy silently waited, so he added, "We kissed goodnight."

"Yes! Get it, Knight!" She reached out for a high five, Kendall blushing but meeting it. "So did you hit it off, then? You're gonna see him again?"

"I am. We agreed not to rush it, that we want to just date for now, but...yeah. We're gonna see each other again."

"I'm so proud of you! You saw something you wanted and you went after it. No hesitation."

"Well, there was some hesitation. I was really scared he'd say no."

"I thought he might, too."

"What? You told me to do it!"

"I know, but I still wasn't sure he'd actually say yes. Which makes it even more awesome that you took a chance. Tell me everything."

"Why? Why do you care so much about my love life?"

"Because I like you and I have no love life of my own. Let me live through you."

Kendall chuckled. "There's not a lot to say. He picked me up, we had dinner, he dropped me off, and he kissed me."

"Wait, he kissed you?"

"Yeah. He was so cute about it, trying to get up the courage and then when I was about to step out of the car, he just...planted one on me. It was awesome."

"Wow. I might really have to rethink my opinion of Mitchell. He's surprised me twice now. Well, three times if you count him actually saying yes. What kind of kiss was it?"

"What kind? It was just a kiss, Lucy."

"I know, but was it like...sleazy? A lot of tongue?"

"No, there was no tongue! Why are you like this?"

"Why aren't you? Stop being so scared to go after what you want."

"You literally just praised me for doing that."

"Yes, but...didn't you want tongue?"

"I didn't even think about it! There was no time, he just kissed me and it happened and then before I left, I kissed him again but it wasn't...there was no tongue. No sleaze."

"I guess that makes sense, with Mitchell. He's probably not into that sort of thing."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you with that information," Kendall droned. "Are you mentally fourteen?"

"Sometimes, sure. That's probably why I relate to these kids so well."

"Is that why you wanted to be a guidance counselor? Because you relate to teens?"

"Nah, my uncle got me this job. I wanted to move to L.A. and be a stuntwoman."

"Are you kidding me? That was your dream?"

"Hey, don't judge me. Hockey isn't all that."

"I'm not judging you! Your uncle made this happen?"

"Yeah, he's the superintendent. My mom begged him to give me a job doing something because she was afraid of me getting hurt out there. Jake's cool, he accepts my weirdness, and he likes me. So when he said he needed a favor, I couldn't say no. He actually told me he thought I'd be good at this."

"At what, exactly?"

"Helping people. Guiding them. Steering them into good choices."

Kendall's lips pursed. "How well does he actually know you?"

"Shut up, he's my favorite family member. You can't repeat this, but he's gay, too."

"I know. With Coach, right?"

"Teague, yeah. That's how I knew I'd like you, because Teague did. He's really good to my uncle."

Kendall nodded. "He's a good man. So should we get to work on your turret?"

"Not so fast, we're still talking about your date."

"Do we have to?"

"Yes. When are you gonna see him again?"

"Friday. I'm going to the movies with him and James."

Lucy's face morphed into shocked amusement. "Both of them?"

"Yeah. Logan wants us to get to know each other."

"Oh my god. This is...so you're really spending a few hours with both of them at the same time?"

"Yes..."

"Wow, if I could be a fly on that wall..."

"What do you think is going to happen?"

Lucy shook her head. "Why isn't James bringing a date?"

"I don't know, I guess he doesn't have one. It's more of a friends thing."

"Really. So then...you could bring a friend, too?"

"What? No, I don't have any...oh, no. No, Lucy. Absolutely not."

"Come on, it would be so much fun! I like movies!"

"No. James is already having a hard enough time with all of this, he hates me and—"

"Of course he does. Please, Kendall, let me go with you. I can distract James."

"What do you mean?"

"Logan's gonna be all worried about James' feelings, right?"

"I...maybe? I would hope he worries about mine, too."

"If I keep James occupied, that's more Logan time for you. And less tension."

"Aren't you gay?"

"I'm not going to make out with him or anything. It's just friends, you said it yourself."

"No. No, Logan would never go for it. Didn't you say you made James cry once?"

"Almost. He almost cried. Two more minutes and I think I would've had him."

"You wanted him to cry?"

"Yes. He keeps it all bottled up, he needs to cry."

"Lucy...no. I'm sorry, I can't just randomly invite someone along."

"Why not? He did."

"They were already going, from what I understand."

"It's only fair. Let me be the distraction that you need. Don't you want to kiss Logan again?"

"He said not on Friday."

"Really? Why not?"

"Because of James, I assume. He said he doesn't want an audience."

Lucy snorted. "Take me along. You'll get your time for a kiss."

That gave Kendall pause. "You think you can make that happen?"

"I know I can. At least two minutes, guaranteed."

Kendall thought that over. "Neither of them will want you there."

"So? Ask anyway."

"I still don't understand why you want to go."

"Just do this already! I promise I'll make it worth your while."

After another minute of debate, he asked, "Promise you won't make James cry?"

"Ugh, fine. If you insist. I will be on my best behavior."

"I'm not sure that's very comforting."

"I promise. No crying. I'll be nice to both of them."

He really did want to kiss Logan again. "I guess it can't hurt to ask. But if he says no, the deal's off."

"Of course. I'm not going to force myself where I'm not wanted."

"Riiiiight. Give me your number."

Lucy did, then Kendall said, "He's in class right now. I'll run it by them at lunch and let you know what they say."

"Cool. So I'm giving up on the turrets for now. I thought we'd work on Hagrid's hut today."

Kendall could barely keep up with her ever-changing train of thought. "Hagrid's hut. Sure."

Lucy smiled at him, and Kendall sighed. She was borderline insane, but he liked her. It was good to have a friend.