I'm glad people are starting to read this, and I understand the apprehension of picking up on a new story, so I thought I'd give you guys some encouragement with a new chapter. I'm also going to give a shout out to one of my inspirations for this story, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube. If you like Jane Austen, I suggest you check it out.

I must encourage you all once again to review, whether you like or dislike the story. Public response is the best fuel for a writer, and your reviews keep me going. Thanks for that. I hope this chapter is even better than the last.

- Two -

Logan hopped down from the bed of Charlie's truck, as Charlie took the last bin into the house. It'd been hard to get rid of a lot of things, but he'd left most of the nonessentials in the apartment for the next person who lived there. All of the furniture was high-end, and anybody who argued against the most comfortable sofa on the planet didn't deserve to live in his bachelor pad.

Matthew Groves was handling the real estate end of things, and though he'd shown the house and the apartment to a few interested parties, his personal investment kept him from jumping on any offers. He'd had to sit through Jane's speech on the state of her dolphin mosaic after all.

Finally, Matthew had told Logan that there was a lead. A musician that was based in New York wanted to come to Los Angeles to write his next album, but wasn't sure about buying property. He also wanted to bring his mother and sister out from Minnesota to live near him, and was interested in taking up both properties.

Mr. Groves swore up and down that he had to keep the identity of his client confidential until an offer was made, but Logan's heart dropped as he remembered that Kendall used to talk about his roots in Minnesota. But what were the odds of the cosmos converging like this? It had to be somebody else.

The truck was unpacked, and Logan retreated to his newer used Ford Focus to get the last box out of the trunk. In it were various knick-knacks and picture frames, most of his mother and father, with a few of the Groves and Aunt Elinor thrown in. He took it in, carrying it to the basement before setting it down at the foot of the stairs, unable to move any further. Boxes were stacked from floor to ceiling.

He couldn't have asked for anything better than that little basement. It was finished, with a guest bedroom and bathroom just off the main room. The main room itself had a full kitchen and entertainment area, so it was basically an apartment. Maria had refused to let him pay rent, but he'd promised to make it up to her in cooking, cleaning, and babysitting.

Though he felt like doing anything but, he began unpacking as soon as he could. He knew that if he left anything unpacked, he'd wake up the next morning in a bad mood, and he'd had enough of that lately.

After taking care of five or six boxes, he took a break on the slightly-less-comfortable couch to call his mother as promised. She'd taken a plane to New York the week before. He'd spent the two weeks leading up to her flight convincing her of what she did and did not need to take with her. It was even harder to talk her into selling things, but many of the clothes she had hadn't been worn in years, and the local high-end resale businesses would go nuts. Logan was beginning to find that the lifestyle of a broke homebody suited him more than that of a spoiled rich kid. He even debated the idea of applying for an EMT position, but decided that he'd had enough life changes at the moment, and he'd think of it later on.

After arranging the picture frames along the mantle, Logan convinced himself that he could be happy here. As if to confirm his suspicions, Maria's boys, CJ and Ethan, ran down the stairs, using him to block their battle as Ethan, younger by a year and half, chased his brother in circles. Charlie was soon halfway down the stairs to chide them.

"Boys!" his voice rang out, and the boys stopped in their tracks. "I thought I told you to stay out of the basement. Logan's had a busy day, and he probably doesn't want you little animals in his way."

They both looked up at Logan, and he nodded with a smile, confirming that their dad was right. They looked apologetic, and he tousled their hair before sending them upstairs to tell them he had no hard feelings.

Once he was sure the boys were upstairs, he dropped onto the couch again, this time with remote in hand and decided to watch the news for a change. Instead, a tabloid show was on. He tended to avoid these, knowing too many of the people featured on them, but immediately he recognized the man they'd caught arriving at L.A.X.

"Superstar Kendall Knight arrived today in L.A. Rumor has it that he intends to move out here to record his new album. This comes after the success of his last album, which debuted at number three on the charts. When confronted about the rumor, Kendall had no comment," the cheery host said. Logan had to remind himself to breathe.

It was stupid to believe what they said on these shows, but combined with the knowledge that Matthew was dealing with a musician from Minnesota made it almost too good to be true. Could it really be Kendall that was moving into his apartment? How could he do that, knowing all the memories of their relationship it held?

But maybe that was the point. Was it possible that Kendall was over him? Not in the resigned way that Logan loved him, but completely and truly over him. As unreal as it seemed, Logan had to confront that as a possibility. Immediately, his excitement turned to resolve. Maybe he couldn't have Kendall back, but that didn't mean he couldn't see him. Finally, they'd be on the same coast again, and maybe seeing him again would dissolve Logan's foolish notions.

As Logan fell asleep in the comfort of his new bed, it occurred to him that even though seeing Kendall might put an end to his feelings, it could just as easily stir them up again.


A week later, his suspicions were confirmed when Mr. Groves asked him over to his home office to discuss the offer he'd gotten. He admitted that it was Kendall Knight that he'd been talking to, and after touring the house and apartment, he'd decided to take both properties. Matthew noted that he'd been extremely curious about the previous owners, and that he'd asked about Logan personally after making the offer.

"He sounded like he knew you," Matthew said, reordering paperwork distractedly. "I have to ask. When could you have run into Kendall Knight?"

"We…knew each other. When we were much younger," he admitted. Mr. Groves shrugged, really not caring for more information.

"Well, I told him that whatever personal connection you had wasn't enough to get the real estate for the offer he made—" Logan stopped him.

"Give it to him. Whatever the offer is, give it to him," Logan said, unable to discuss Kendall long enough to argue.

"But you'd be taking a loss," Matthew argued. "I mean, it's a fair sum, but not nearly what the property is worth."

"No," Logan confirmed. "At least that way I'll know that things are being taken care of. I know him enough to trust him with it."

Mr. Groves seemed aghast, but seemed to understand the sentiment, and promised to deliver the paperwork the next day. Logan went back to his "apartment" to come to terms with what he'd just done.

If there was anything he was sure of, it was that he would never get the smell of Kendall Knight out of his couch, or the memory of him out of that apartment.


Logan's strength was tested once Mr. Groves told the family about his celebrity client. He made it clear that the Knights were going to become good friends of theirs. Though Kendall still had a few friends from the time he'd spent in L.A., his mother and sister had never been here before, and could use some companionship.

Maria promised to make them comfortable, but only after remembering that she'd met Kendall once before. They'd been eating a dinner Logan had made. He was still serving when she came to that conclusion, and he nearly dropped the casserole on Mrs. Groves.

"He was performing in some little coffee shop. Logan! You remember, don't you?" he stopped, unable to look up, and busily went to cutting the casserole and serving it to everything.

"Should I?" he asked, trying his best to get her to drop the subject.

"Logan!" she exclaimed. "We did. We wandered in there one night, and you couldn't take your eyes off of him. After he was finished, you ran right up there and asked if he had a CD available. He pulled one out of his guitar case and signed it for you, then you asked where his next show was—"

"Well I know good music when I hear it. I can honestly say that I've bought every album since," he said, hoping to deflect the conversation.

She'd been describing the night they met, when he fell in love as soon as he saw Kendall bent over his guitar, singing a cover of some old country song. He'd never been attracted to a man before, but he knew the second Kendall spoke to him that he was in love. Kendall must have been too, because what Maria thought was an autograph was really a phone number. They began dating a few weeks later.

Sure enough, Maria was done recounting her tale, and he wandered back into the kitchen to grab the last dish. Before he went back, he had to pause and take a deep breath. Had he really chosen to subject himself to this torture? An image of Kendall's eyes, filled with tears as he walked away, reminded him that he had. He deserved every second of it.

The next night was even worse. Mr. Groves came home with the exciting news that they were invited to a housewarming party at the house that had only a short time ago been Logan's. The Groves realized this just a few moments too late, and when Logan's mood suddenly plummeted, they took this to be the reason.

"How insensitive of us Logan!" Mrs. Groves said, in one remark both chastising and apologizing for their behavior. "Of course we won't go. I couldn't imagine going to a party at that house without your mother as the hostess."

This remark was especially kind, because it was a rare occasion for Mrs. Mitchell to invite the Groves to anything. She was disappointed with the kind of people they were, down-to-earth people who had simply fallen into a small fortune. They'd been so kind to him, and he could tell in their faces that they would decline the invitation for him, but they would still be disappointed. After everything they'd done for them, he couldn't disappoint them.

"Thank you for thinking of me, but you don't have to do that. The Knights need to meet people, and I couldn't imagine them finding a better group than you," he smiled, to show them he meant it. "It can't be that bad. They haven't even had time to tear out the dolphins."

After they all agreed that there was no good reason to decline the invitation if Logan was fine with it, it was decided that they'd all go.

As the date of the party loomed, Logan's nerves began to get the better of him. They'd have to speak. As much as he'd like to become a selective mute, he'd already recognized a connection between them. Besides, there would be the niceties, complimenting his house and his mother's décor, then a request for Kendall to play a song. He wasn't sure he could take that much, and began to list possible emergencies he could be called away by.

Come the night of the party, Logan's silent prayers were answered, and an excuse presented itself in the form of CJ Groves. The kid came home sick from school with a fever, and it was decided that he was too sick to go to the party.

"I never get to go out, and now it seems like I'll be home again," Maria complained. She was already dressed for the party, and when Logan looked from her to CJ, he knew what he had to do.

"I'll stay with him," he offered, to which she immediately refused, but he'd already formed a list of reasons in his head, and began to count them off on his fingers.

"For starters, I'm a medical professional. I don't get to use my training often, and I would genuinely like to take care of him. Also, I haven't even begun to get ready, and would probably make you late. I wasn't set on going in the first place, and I'd rather just stay home with the boys and play video games. Ethan won't be able to do anything without his brother there, so I'll put CJ to bed, keep Ethan amused, and before you know it you guys will be home."

Maria opened her mouth to argue, but was unable to form a rebuttal. Instead she showered him with thanks, as he helped her find her shoes to get out the door.

As soon as they were gone, he made soup for CJ and brought it upstairs. The kid was really disappointed. He'd told all the kids at school that he was going to meet the Kendall Knight, and wouldn't be able to face them on Monday. Logan promised him that it would be worked out, and Kendall would probably send him a signed CD or something. It sounded like something Kendall would do. He got up and found the flu medicine in a medicine cabinet, and came back to give it to CJ.

"You know Uncle Logan, I'm glad you're here," he said, half asleep from exhaustion. Logan bent down and kissed his forehead.

"So am I," he said, getting up from the bed. "Now get some rest slugger."

It was nearly ten, and as excited as Ethan was to have both Logan and the house to himself, Logan knew that it would only be a matter of time before he ran out of energy. After twelve games of Mario Kart and half an episode of Power Rangers, Logan carried the little boy to bed, tucking him in before turning out the lights and heading downstairs.

He had the house to himself, but he was still most comfortable in the basement. After a few hours of aimlessly flipping through channels, Logan ultimately decided to go to bed early. He got ready for bed quickly, and jumped in his bed, ready to sleep.

Instead, he was met with thoughts of what he was missing. What had Kendall done when the Groves had made his excuses? Had he been disappointed or relieved? Or had he cared at all? Logan played every scenario through his head, unable to target the one that seemed most likely. After all, Kendall had done nothing but surprise him lately.

He pictured Kendall as he found Logan's teenage bedroom. It was really nerdy, and he was sure that Kendall had smiled, whether he'd wanted to or not. There was a poster of Einstein over his rather cluttered desk, and he had floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with action figures. He'd thought to pack things up, but part of him wanted Kendall to see it. He'd had such a hard time letting him in during their relationship, the least he could do was show him why. He could picture Kendall walking over to his bedside table to pick up the picture of his dad he'd left there. It was a picture of them together, when he was seven or eight, and had been one of the last taken. Next to it stood an action figure of Batman, one much too hold to have been Logan's. He'd assume correctly that it had been his dad's, and that Logan kept it as a guardian, an embodiment of his father's spirit. Logan almost regretted leaving it, but realized that he was too old for such things, and that it more than anything else in the room would provide Kendall with some sort of explanation.

He looked over at his current table, where the same picture stood, albeit in a more modern frame. He wondered for a second what his father would think of Kendall. Deep down, he hoped that he'd approve, if not of their relationship, at least of the person he'd fallen for.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Charlie and Maria coming in. He heard light steps on the stairs that had to be Maria, and he immediately began to breathe deeply so she'd think he was asleep. Sure enough, she opened the door a crack, probably to tell him what he'd missed, but when she saw he was asleep she crept back out.

As soon as she was gone, he opened his eyes again. Part of him never wanted to sleep, because in the morning he'd be unable to avoid the stories. Now they'd all met him. They'd seen how beautiful, and kind, and handsome he was, and now they would never shut up about him. As if Logan needed to be reminded of how perfect Kendall was.


The next morning, Logan was up early after a restless night's sleep. He'd dreamt once again of where he'd be today if he hadn't rejected Kendall all those years ago. Mercifully, he'd forgotten most of the dream by the time he woke up this morning.

By the time he made it upstairs, Charlie had left for work, and Maria was reading the paper at the kitchen island. She took one look at him before pointing to the coffee maker, and he nodded his head before pouring himself a mug. As much as he didn't want to hear what had happened last night, he knew she was waiting to tell him, so he broke the silence.

"And how did last night go?" he asked, hoping his sleep deprivation masked his disinterest.

She didn't seem to notice, and soon was recalling details. It seemed that Kendall was charming as ever, and he had been more attractive than any of the women could believe. Theresa had hit it off with Kendall's mother, who was lovely and kind, but also in need of friendship. Katie Knight had a mixed review, and though she was abrasive, she was also witty. Logan had a feeling that he'd like her if they ever met, but part of him wondered if there was a chance of that.

"He was so charming," she repeated, her natural tendency toward gossip evident. "I'm a married woman, and even I had a hard time resisting. Poor Lucy never stood a chance. He chatted her up the whole night."

Logan could feel a pang of jealousy as he gripped the handle of his mug a little tighter. Kendall had always had a very flirtatious personality, but that didn't mean he wasn't attracted to Lucy. She was really quite beautiful, but had never been what Logan was looking for. But who's to say that Kendall wasn't looking for that kind of girl, if he was, in fact, looking for a girl? Logan had taken years to come to terms with his sexuality. Though he hadn't ruled out marrying a woman, he also knew that he was more attracted to men. Kendall may have come to the opposite conclusion. It was entirely possible that Kendall had gone through a phase, but deep down Logan knew that wasn't true. Still, the truth was that he had no say in whomever Kendall was attracted to, and he could only blame himself.

He became a silent conversation partner, and eventually asked if Maria had checked on CJ since last night. When she shook her head and got up to do so, he waved her off and said he'd do it himself. He made oatmeal and grabbed the medicine, before going upstairs.

Before waking him up, he checked CJ's breathing and temperature, both of which seemed to improve overnight. With that in mind, he woke CJ up slowly, shaking him and calling his name out in a soft voice. When he was finally able to sit, Logan gave him the medicine then asked if he could feed himself. CJ nodded, but asked Logan to stay. With nothing better to do, Logan agreed.

Midway through a debate of DC versus Marvel superheroes, both looked up at the sound of the doorbell. It was still relatively early, and normally it would only be Matthew and Theresa, who wouldn't have bothered to knock. Maria's voice rung out, a tendency she had when company was over, and Logan only had a moment to deduce who it could be, before there was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Come in," he answered, immediately regretting it as the doorknob turned and Kendall Knight walked in.

Their eyes met, but Logan couldn't find an emotion to cling to in the depths of those green eyes. In his own heart, he was struck with the feelings that he'd pushed so far down inside him that it was physically painful for them to bubble up again. For a moment, his mouth hung open, wanting to say something, anything, to make this moment hurt less. Thankfully, Kendall's gaze broke away, over to CJ who was smiling immensely.

"I heard that you were disappointed you couldn't meet me last night, so I thought I'd come over and see how you were," Kendall smiled. It's as if Logan no longer existed. He had become furniture.

Kendall hesitated, and Logan immediately realized that he meant to sit on the bed, so he jumped up and flew near the doorway to make room, putting Maria between him and the situation at hand.

He took the moment to examine Kendall, as he answered every question CJ could come with and made out an inscription on the CD he'd brought. He'd missed Kendall's smile, and even though it wasn't for him, the twitch at the corner of his mouth made a dumb smirk appear on his own face. His hair was shorter, darker, and he had the appearance of a tan, probably recent. Logan even treated himself to quick glimpse of his fingertips, the calluses reminding him of every touch…

He suddenly realized that the attention was back on him, and swallowed hard as he was forced to look at Kendall as they were reintroduced.

"Logan, I was telling Kendall that I wondered why you hadn't kept in touch. You really seemed to hit it off that night at the coffee shop," Maria said, completely unaware of what she was doing to him.

Kendall laughed, but his eyes bore into Logan's heart, "Come on now Maria, I was a broke musician. I didn't deserve his attention."

And there it was, everything Logan hoped had disappeared, yet somehow he wasn't surprised. It would take a lot more than time to heal the wounds he'd inflicted. As if Kendall would ever allow Logan to treat them.

"I loved your new album," Logan said, trying not to show the way the statement had affected him. "I hope you're making progress on the next one."

Kendall forced a smile, "I'm still trying to put things in order, but I'm working on it. The apartment is making me more productive. That couch…"

Behind his eyes, Logan could see a flash of recognition. Before the pause could become awkward, he managed, "You can't buy comfort like that."

Kendall's mouth formed a tight line as he nodded. Logan knew that half of the subtext was imagined, but there was more going on in the room than Maria could begin to imagine.

There. Logan told himself. We can make small talk. That's one hurdle. As long as I don't show the way every syllable rips at my heart, we'll be fine.

There was an obvious break in the conversation, and Maria pulled out her phone to take a picture of CJ with Kendall for him to show his friends. Once CJ was satisfied with the picture, Kendall got up to leave. Maria apologized for taking up his time, but he was insistent that it was no trouble.

Maria asked Logan to walk Kendall in the door, once again unaware of what she was asking. He nodded, unable to come up with an explanation as to why he couldn't. Kendall stayed a few steps ahead of him on the stairs, and when they reached the bottom, Logan knew he had to say something.

"You know, it really meant a lot to him, what you did," he said, unable to go anywhere near his emotional no-no zone. "We appreciate it."

Kendall smiled, seemingly glad for the distraction, "It was no problem. I was on my way over to the studio, and it's on my way."

"Still, you didn't have to," Logan insisted, and both stumbled into the wall of etiquette. Logan opened the door, assuming this was it.

Kendall turned to leave, but stopped at the last second, facing Logan. He was sure his heart had stopped beating as he waited for what Kendall had to say.

"Listen Logan, I'm sorry about your financial trouble. If you really need the help…" he began to offer, but Logan shook his head.

"It's been humbling, I'll admit," he said, knowing the weight of his words. "However, it has really started to align my priorities."

Kendall nodded, suddenly closed up again. He took a look at his watch, and whether he was actually running late or just running away, he left. As soon as he was gone, Logan took a deep breath.

There. He'd survived their first meeting. He was alive. He was breathing. Though Kendall's defenses were up, they at least had the ability to hold a conversation, albeit a conflicted one. He still had no idea where they stood when it came to their former relationship, but one thing was certain. Logan Mitchell was still very much in love with Kendall Knight.