So thanks for reading on! One of the reviews stated that they were confused about the Jagan part in this story. So to clear things up, I meant to say that the relationship between Logan and James is very strong, but there is no romantic aspect of it. Sorry for the confusion and thank you for the review! And everyone, please enjoy!
Today...
"So tell me again why I'm here with you, and not Kendall? Considering he's your boyfriend and all."
James stopped walking long enough to spin around and face Logan. Arms crossed, eyebrows raised, his question waiting to be answered.
"I just want to get a book, and I need you on look out duty." Logan replied, trying to maneuver around the taller boy.
James was not having this. If he absolutely had to be in a bookstore, then he was going to make this as difficult for Logan as possible. It was the principle of the matter.
"But Logan, were in a bookstore. A bookstore! These places are way to overpriced. Go to the library."
Logan flushed a shade of red and tried to get by James on his left side, and was defiantly blocked again.
"The librarians know me there. I don't want to check out a book about...you know...while there. That's just awkward. At least here I never have to come back again!" He took a step back and huffed, crossing his arms as well. "And you can't say anything. 40$ for a 3 ounce tub of hair gel? Please. Now, can you get out of my way? We're running out of time."
James smirked, loving how easy it was to make Logan feel so awkward and uncomfortable. He was so...easy.
"I don't know why you want to get a book about sex," James started, enunciating the word to watch Logan flush again, "when you told me you weren't ready yet." He let Logan walk by and continued next to him before taking note of where the romance paperbacks were located: three stacks away towards the back, right end of the store, next to the poster of Nathan Fillian holding a book with the caption Read.
"I'm not. I just...when I am ready I want to be prepared."
James rolled his eyes. That was just so typical of Logan. He had to prepared for everything.
"So why me here rather than Kendall?" James asked, following Logan to the Sexual Health section.
Logan huffed again. "Cause if Kendall was here, then he'd think I was ready, because I want a book about...it. But I'm not. I don't want to give him the wrong idea." Logan spun around to face the tan boy, his face carrying a look of desperation,"Please be my look out? And text me if you see them coming? I don't know how long Carlos can keep up with Kendall at the game store. His air hockey skills have gone down since the great Arcade Birthday party travesty of 7th grade."
Both boys shuddered at the memory. James placed his hands on his hips and stated, "Fine. But you owe me big time. And I mean Big Time like Big Time Rush sort of Big."
Logan narrowed his eyes in confusion, and began pushing him back towards the front of the store, "That makes no sense."
"Exactly." James stated, and brushing off the shorter boy, began walking away. After a few steps he turned back and didn't see Logan anymore. With a smile he turned and headed right.
He knew that Kendall and Carlos would be a while. They were both currently at the arcade at the other end of the mall, locked in an epic air hockey battle, which, now that James thought about it, was initiated by Logan...
"Ha! 700,000 points...beat that James" Kendall taunted, tossing his friend the toy gun that was
connected by a cord to the arcade game Zombie Smashers Three: If they're alive...you're dead...Again!. James let out a huff as he took the gun. He hated it when Kendall got into a competitive mood. His tall friend could hold onto a match for hours.
"Are you two done," came a voice from behind the two boys, which belonged to their smart friend who was currently walking towards them along with Carlos, ever present hockey helmet adorned with a corn dog in each hand.
Kendall let out a laugh as he draped an affectionate arm around Logan's shoulders, "What? Did Carlos beat you in hoops?"
Logan sighed and replied, "I just don't get it. I'm taller by three inches and Carlos still can get the jump shots in." He paused as Carlos took another bite of his corn dog. "At least if we were playing air hockey I know I'd win."
Carlos nearly choked on the breaded dog and shot back. "As if. I could totally take you!"
Logan laughed and crossed his arms, "Maybe. But Kendall here would definitely wipe the table with you."
Scoffing at his friends words, he bit off the rest of the dog before throwing the stick away, almost snarling, "I could take any of you...right here...right now!"
Kendall, never one to back down from a challenge, got into Carlos's face and said, "Well then Carlitos. Bring it."
To which Carlos, staring Kendall straight back, replied, "Oh...it has been broughten."
James didn't really realize Logan was dragging him out of the arcade until he felt his arm being tugged and Logan calling out, "We will be right back!"
Before James knew what was happening he was heading towards the Barns & Noble with a nervous Logan at his side.
His obsession with paperbacks hardly ended with his move to L.A. In fact, it was one of the more special aspects of his and his mothers relationship. Both traded paperbacks they found enjoyable, sending each other 'care packages' hidden with Lindsay Sands, Meg Cabot, and Sarah Dessen about once a month.
James liked hide his books among sheet music of songs they were learning with recent pictures and Cuda products. His mother would hide her books sent to him in new 'limited' product packages from her skin care line or stuffed in clothing he had left in Minnesota.
They both had similar tastes, but James began noticing that his books more often had men on the cover who were tan, bare chested with stunning eyes; while his mother still stuck with Victorian or Scottish Highlander series.
As he scanned the shelves filled with Tamora Pierce , Nora Roberts, Ann Brashares, he thought about what he would pick out next that his mother might like. They both shied away from the supernatural romances, though for some reason James always felt that if he was going to read one, it would be about vampires. And Sci-Fi was never really his kick either. While he did love robots and space invaders as much as any other 17year old boy, it was the romance that really drew James to the story, not so much the where and when.
Just as he finished reading the back of Thief of Hearts about an island resort for billionares who solve a murder while falling in love, he heard a loud shout, bang then CRASH!
Instantly dropping the book he dashed over to the sex health section where he last left Logan, silently praying that Kendall and Carlos had not come back earlier than he had anticipated.
The sight of Kendall holding a store employee up against a shelf, his fists balled into the man's shirt with a particularly angry look etched onto his face said that God had stepped out for a minute.
"I-I-I'm sorry I didn't realize you two were together," the employee stuttered, his name badge shaking with the rest of his body. He couldn't of been much older than James and his friends, and he was sporting a douchey looking soul patch that did nothing to compliment his petrified face.
James inwardly groaned. Kendall was way, way to overprotective of his boyfriend. Said boy was currently watching the scene and looking like he was about to throw up.
"Kendall let him go." James stated, walking up to the two and putting a hand tentatively on Kendall's shoulder.
"He was hitting on Logan. I saw him." Kendall all but growled, not even turning his head to regard his friend.
"And I'm sure he's sorry. Aren't you...," James paused to grab the mans convulsing name tag, "Tim."
"Y-Yep. Really very, very sorry." Tim gripped Kendall's fists, trying to breath.
"See?" Carlos, who was standing next to Logan cut in. "All better. Now can we please go cause I think security is going to be here, and you know how much they love us." He had been silent during the whole scenario, but he had seen the other employees on their phones and didn't want security to get involved. They already had their pictures on the "Delinquents" board in the security office. Carlos knew they were close to being expelled from the Mall, and he did not want to get banned. They had some of the best corn-dogs in L.A. in their food court!
Kendall dropped the man, gave him one more glare, then turned and grabbed Logan's arm, practically dragging him out of the store.
Carlos and James helped Tim up, both muttering "sorry" and "high-strung" and "haven't taken his pills yet," before following their friends out the door.
They nearly had to run to keep up with Kendall and Logan, finally stopping when they came upon the two in the outdoor foyer near the large water fountain in the shape of dolphins. Kendall was talking to Logan loudly, gesturing his arms and pointing.
Logan looked downward and just listened.
James felt for his friends. He really did. He knew that their relationship couldn't be easy, at all. After Jo left, Kendall was devastated and it took months to get him even relatively back to his normal self. But he only got back there because of Logan. Logan, who had been with him every step to support him, be it good or bad.
The one area that Kendall never seemed to get over, though, was Jo leaving in the first place. James always knew that Kendall had bad abandonment issues because of his father, and could be very protective of his mother and sister because of that. But Jo leaving hit him hard. Hard and rough because Jo leaving was the right thing to do. She would never have been happy staying at the Palm Woods if her career was always going to be put on hold for Kendall. She loved Kendall. But she loved acting. And being an actress was her dream, not being another famous persons girlfriend.
And that abandonment was what brought Kendall and Logan right back to the scene they were at now.
"I swear I was only asking him a question. That's all Kendall. He's an employee there. It's his job!"
Logan shot his response back to Kendall with his fists balled up and his voice unsteady. Besides Kendall's overprotective nature, the boys hardly fought. They had known each other to long. And, being roommates for over a year allowed them to learn each others likes and dislikes, boundaries and pressure points. There was some adjusting to the 'newness' of their relationship, but for the most part, both boys had fallen into the role of 'boyfriend' with surprising ease.
"Then why were you in the sex section with him?" Kendall exclaimed, stepping forward to Logan. He looked down at him with desperation in his eyes as he gripped his boyfriends arms.
Logan's ears turned bright red and he looked down at the mosaics in the water fountain, seeming to try to choose his words before replying. The redness had spread to his cheeks when he looked back at Kendall, "I...cause...I know that you want...you and I to...you know...and I'm not ready but when I am...I...want it to be...I want to be...ya know...good for you," he trailed off, not knowing how to say the words without stumbling all over them. "And bleep-blop-bloop."
Kendall's expression instantly melted.
James suddenly realized he and Carlos had been eavesdropping on a conversation that should really be private. He grabbed his friends arm and said, "C'mon lets leave them alone."
Carlos, who was watching the exchange with more interest than when he watched his Novellas with Mrs. Knight, shook his head. "I wanna see what happens."
James turned back to the two, watching as Kendall pulled Logan to his chest, the word "sorry" tumbling from his mouth over and over again.
"You don't need to worry about that at all," Kendall eventually said, pulling down Logan to sit with him on the edge of the fountain, draping an arm around his boyfriends waist "It will be amazing, whenever we decide to do it. And you know why?" Logan looked up at Kendall, shaking his head. "Cause it will be between you and I. And that's all that matters. That's all we need." Kendall pulled Logan the last few inches closer and then leaned down to capture his mouth.
James had to smile at that sight. He was immediately brought back to the world of romance in his mind, and thought of how many stories ended with the two lovers making up after a fight. The dashing prince, or highlander or...pirate...whoever, in a jealous rage taking back his mate in a passionate display raw love.
However, Kendall and Logan were no real life romance story. The two hardly ever were mistaken as a couple in public. It was rare to see the two ever have any PDA outside the apartment and studio. Logan was to shy and Kendall didn't like flaunting his personal life. Whatever raw displays of romance was more often shown behind closed doors.
James didn't care much either way, but right now he was just glad the two had made up.
Carlo's made a loud "Awwwww" and brought the two lovers out of their romantic world, blushing and pulling away, yet hands still intertwined. James couldn't help giving his friend a quick WHAP on the head for ruining the moment.
I apologize for any mistakes or grammatical errors!