Hi, everyone! OMG, I am SOOOOOOO sorry about not updating this story in over a freaking YEAR! You've probably thought that this story was dead, right? Well, none of my BTR multi-chapter fics are dead; they're just...resting. Yeah, that's right; resting. LMAO! XD Anyhoo, I really hope you like this new chappy because I've worked hard on it for the past 25 days! :D PLEASE REVIEW! :D
Chapter 5: Let's Just Talk
The next morning when Logan woke up, he felt a sense of warmth and safety surrounding him. He was still wrapped in Kendall's arms from the night before, which was something he was very thankful for. The events of the past few days had all but drained him emotionally, so it was nice to feel safe for a change. When Kendall held him, he felt like maybe, just maybe, he could get through this.
The brunette boy was loathe to leave the warmth and security of his boyfriend's arms, but the longer he lay there, the more prominent the call of nature became. Carefully untangling himself from Kendall's loose hold, he stretched out his tense muscles and walked sleepily over to the adjoining bathroom. After he had finished relieving himself, he stepped over to the sink to wash his hands, and he flinched when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. The bruises on his face were beginning to fade, but they were still there, and they only made him more self-conscious. He hadn't left the apartment since all this had happened because he didn't want anyone to see him. He felt like if he set foot outside, everyone would stare at him and they would know what had happened.
Shaking these thoughts from his mind, Logan finished up washing his hands, and began the process of brushing his teeth. Once he had finished this, he placed his toothbrush in its original place by the sink, and was about to walk out of the room, but stopped abruptly when he saw Kendall standing in the doorway.
"Morning, sleepyhead." he said as he surveyed the blonde's slightly-disheveled appearance.
"Morning." Kendall replied with a warm smile, "How you feeling?"
"Okay, I guess. I'm still kinda upset from last night, but I'm okay." Logan answered with a halfhearted smile.
"You wanna talk about it?" Kendall asked.
"Na. I'll just get to crying again, and I don't feel like getting emotional this early in the morning." Logan said.
Kendall nodded in understanding, and stepped forward to pull the smaller boy into a gentle embrace.
"I love you, Logie….no matter what." he whispered.
Logan felt that tell-tale twinge of tears in his eyes, but fought them back as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's neck.
"I love you, too." he whispered back.
The two of them stayed like this for a moment or two before pulling back and sharing a brief but tender kiss. The kiss warmed Logan's heart, and perhaps healed one of his emotional scars to know that Kendall still loved him and wanted to touch him after what had happened.
After both of them finished up with their morning routine of relieving themselves, brushing their teeth, and getting dressed, they made their way to the kitchen where Mrs. Knight was busy fixing breakfast. Before they even entered the room, they could smell the delicious aroma of bacon, eggs, and pancakes cooking.
"Morning, boys." Mrs. Knight greeted in her usual cheerful demeanor.
"Morning." Kendall and Logan answered almost simultaneously.
"Logan-dear, I made your favorites: blueberry pancakes and toast. I figured it would help cheer you up." the auburn-haired woman behind the counter said.
Logan smiled at the kind gesture.
"Thanks." he said.
"Don't mention it. You boys can go ahead and start eating if you want to; it'll probably be a half hour or more before James and Carlos get up." Mrs. Knight said, motioning to the plates of already-cooked food on the counter next to her.
Their stomachs growling with morning hunger, Kendall and Logan didn't need to be told twice. They both entered the kitchen, and started helping their plates with the piping-hot breakfast that Mrs. Knight had made for them. They then took their usual seats at the table, and Logan began the process of fixing up his pancakes just the way he liked them by smearing them with butter, then smothering them with syrup. The thick, caramel-colored liquid spilled over onto his toast, making his mouth water at the sight. This was just what he needed after the stressful and emotional time they'd experienced the night before. But this sense of calm, unfortunately, was not to last….
About ten minutes later, James and Carlos entered the room, both still wearing their pajamas(as they usually did).
"Morning, sleepyheads." Mrs. Knight greeted as the two boys entered the room.
"Morning. Ooo, something smells good!" Carlos said eagerly, instantly snapping out of his sleepy state.
The others couldn't help but giggle at this.
"Hey, how come there are muddy footprints in mine and Carlos' room?" James asked as the Latino boy bounced into the kitchen.
Before anyone could answer, the clatter of a fork hitting the table echoed through the room. Everyone's eyes fell upon the source of the noise: Logan. The brunette boy had a look of horror on his face, and he looked as if he wanted to bolt out of the room.
"Wh-what did you say?" he asked in a shaky, terrified voice.
"I asked how come there are muddy footprints in mine and Carlos' room." James repeated.
There was a moment of tense silence before Logan jumped up from the table and practically bounded down the hallway. Everyone shared a confused glace, and instantly followed him. When they reached the open doorway of James' and Carlos' room, they saw Logan just standing a couple feet inside the room, unmoving. Kendall was the first to step forward. He approached Logan cautiously, not wanting to scare him or upset him inadvertently. As Kendall walked around to Logan's side, he saw that same terrified look he'd had moments before at the dining table.
"Logie?" he asked softly, "Baby, what's wrong?"
"The footprints! I told you he was here! It wasn't just in my head!" Logan said hysterically, sounding as if he were about to have a panic attack.
"What's he talking about?" James asked.
Before Kendall could answer, Logan butted in.
"JASON! Last night when you guys were out, HE WAS HERE! I'm not crazy, he was here, and there are his footprints!" the brunette boy cried, pointing to the muddy footprints marring the once perfectly-white carpet near the door leading to the small balcony outside.
"Oh, my goodness, should I call the police?" Mrs. Knight exclaimed.
"What for? They don't even believe me!" Logan cried as tears started to spill down his cheeks.
"Logie-baby, calm down; you're gonna give yourself a panic attack. It's okay. We all believe you." Kendall comforted, holding Logan gently by the shoulders.
Logan just stared into his boyfriend's eyes for a moment before a helpless little whimper escaped his lips, and he fell into the blonde boy's arms.
"Why won't it just stop?" he cried, his voice muffled by Kendall's shoulder.
"It will. Everything's gonna get better, I promise." Kendall comforted as he rubbed the smaller boy's back in a soothing manner.
Deciding that the two boys needed some privacy, Mrs. Knight ushered James and Carlos out of the room, leaving Kendall and Logan alone.
"I-I thought I might h-have a relatively good day today, and n-now its all ruined." Logan mumbled into his boyfriend's shoulder.
Kendall wished he could say or do something to help Logan feel better, but he was just at a loss. All he could think to do was just to hold the smaller boy and whisper comforts to him. That is….until a seemingly brilliant idea popped into his head.
"Hey, Logie." he said, gently coaxing Logan back a bit so he could see his face, "Why don't I give that Daniel guy a call? He seemed really nice and he cares and he knows what you're going through. Maybe if you talked to him, it would help you feel better?"
Logan sniffled and thought for a minute before giving a simple nod. Reaching over to pull a tissue from the box on the bedside table nearby, Kendall tenderly wiped the tears away from his boyfriend's reddened eyes, and placed a light kiss to his forehead.
"I'll be right back." he said softly before turning to exit the room.
Logan just stood there for a few seconds, the only sound in the room being that of his occasional sniffles. He reached over and pulled another tissue from the box on the bedside table, and seated himself on the edge of James' bed while he waited for Kendall to return. Logan's small form was still trembling slightly from his emotional outburst moments before, and he reached up to wipe away a few stray tears. He knew he must look terrible what with his still-bruised face and his eyes red and puffy from crying. He just wished he could catch a break and be able to go more than an hour without having a breakdown.
A few minutes later, Logan heard a set of footsteps approaching out in the hallway, and Kendall walked through the door shortly after.
"I just got off the phone with Daniel, and I told him about everything that's been going on, and he said that he would be over in about twenty minutes to see you." the blonde boy announced when he entered the room.
Logan gave a halfhearted smile, but did not say anything. Concerned by this, Kendall stepped over to sit on the bed next to his troubled boyfriend. He didn't say anything; he just wrapped an arm around Logan's back, and placed a tender kiss to his tear-stained cheek. At this point, nothing really needed to be said; they both had a pretty good idea of what was on the others mind, so they just sat there in silence. The gentle hand running across his back provided some slight comfort in the haze of fear and confusion Logan was experiencing. But what comforted him even more was the fact that Kendall was there and he loved him unconditionally. Whenever he looked into Kendall's eyes, he could see just a tiny glimmer of hope that maybethis whole mess would get better, and maybe their lives would get back to normal.
They didn't know how long they sat there, but several minutes later, they were broken out of their thoughts by the sound of the noisy doorbell echoing through the apartment.
"That's probably Daniel." Kendall said, giving Logan's shoulder a light squeeze.
Logan nodded, and stood up and wiped the last stray tears from his eyes before heading out the door, Kendall following close behind him. When they reached the main part of the apartment, they saw Mrs. Knight greeting a familiar and welcome face.
"Hello, boys. Nice to see you again. Well, aside from the circumstances, that is." Daniel greeted.
"Hi." Kendall and Logan both greeted almost simultaneously.
"So, Logan, I was thinking maybe we could go for a cup of coffee and talk about what's been going on? If that's okay with you." Daniel explained to the brunette boy.
"Th-that sounds good. I know a great place down the street." Logan answered in a small voice.
A second or two after he said that, Kendall pulled him close into his side, and placed a light kiss to his temple.
"I'll see you later, baby. It'll be good for you get out instead of being cooped up in here all the time." he said.
"Bye." Logan uttered as he stepped out of the safety of his boyfriend's grasp.
With that, he and Daniel walked out the door, and made their way down the hall to the elevator, which they rode down to the lobby. Daniel stepped out of the elevator as soon as it dinged and the heavy metal doors opened, but stopped when he realized that Logan no longer stood next to him. Looking back, he saw the brunette boy still standing in the elevator, looking rather uneasy, or perhaps, a little scared.
"You okay?" Daniel asked.
"Uh, d-do you mind if we go out the back door? I don't want anyone to see me all bruised up like this." Logan answered, whispering the last part.
Daniel's face softened, and he stepped back into the elevator, reaching out to place a comforting hand on Logan's shoulder.
"I know this may seem hard, but facing people is part of the healing process. Trust me, if you walk through that lobby even though you might be scared to, you'll feel a million times better knowing that you cleared that one small hurdle." he explained.
For a second, Logan just stared at him, not knowing what to do. But, when he thought about what Daniel just said, it made sense. Taking a deep breath, he nodded, and stepped out of the elevator. When he rounded the corner and saw the crowded lobby, his heart wrenched in fear, but he didn't let it show.
'You can get through this. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. Just get through the lobby. You can do this.' he kept telling himself as he took each step forward.
He repeated these words over and over in his mind, and before he knew it, he had successfully crossed the lobby…..and when he thought about it, no one stared at him!
"See there- you did it. Now don't you feel even just a teeny bit better?" Daniel asked when Logan released the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.
"Yeah, I actually do." the shorter boy answered, genuinely smiling for the first time since all this had happened.
He knew crossing the lobby in front of everyone was a small accomplishment, but it was an accomplishment nonetheless, and he felt damn proud of himself. Now that his confidence was boosted slightly, he was actually looking forward to getting a cup of coffee with Daniel. The two of them made their way across the parking lot to where Daniel had his car parked, then proceeded to drive the short distance(about a mile-and-a-half) to the coffee shop the boys always frequented.
The coffee shop was mildly crowded, as usual, but Logan and Daniel didn't have to wait in line for very long. After getting their coffee and a couple glazed donuts to snack on, they sat down at one of the few vacant tables. They chose a table near the back of the coffee shop so no one could eavesdrop on them, seeing as they would be discussing a rather sensitive subject.
"So, how have you been doing since the last time we talked?" Daniel asked as Logan raised his paper cup of coffee to his lips.
"Okay, I guess. Like, how good can you be after someone violates your body for no reason?" Logan answered, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"Kendall told me you had some trouble last night. What did he mean?" Daniel said.
"Well, the storm we had last night made the lights go out, and I'm terrified of the dark, so that put me on edge to start with. But then, I went looking for Kendall because he was taking a while finding a flashlight, and…." the brunette boy's voice trailed off as he recounted the traumatic tale of the night before, "…..I saw Jason. I didn't just see him in a flashback or something; he was there! He was in the apartment, like, he's stalking me or something. He climbed over the balcony before Kendall got there, and it made me look like I was seeing things. I'm not crazy; he was there!"
"I know. I believe you. That's his trademark: he stalks his victims until he can get them alone again." Daniel said.
"What do you mean 'get them alone again'? What does he do?" Logan asked in fear.
"He rapes them again, then kills them." Daniel answered, lowering his voice to make sure no one else could hear him.
Logan didn't say anything, but Daniel could tell that this had disturbed him just by the look in his eyes. The next thing Logan did was sniffle lightly, and bury his face in one hand. Daniel reached out and placed a comforting hand to the brunette boy's free one. At the contact, Logan sniffled louder, and his breath hitched.
"I d-don't wanna die." he muttered, obviously crying, "I'm o-only sixteen. I haven't even g-graduated yet."
Logan paused for a moment to reach for a napkin to wipe his teary eyes before he spoke again.
"And…..I l-love Kendall so much…..and I don't want him to be the one to find my body a d-dumpster somewhere." he stammered.
"I know you've probably heard this a hundred times, but everything is gonna be okay. My group works with the Special Victims Unit, and we believe you. We know who did this. We have his picture, we have his name, and we have his DNA. We know who he is; we just have to find him. I promise you, we're gonna find him." Daniel explained, "And when we do find him, I bet prison will be the least of his worries because Kendall is gonna want a piece of him."
Logan giggled through his tears at that last part.
"That's true. O-one time when we were little, this older kid pushed me off the swing at recess, and Kendall saw what happened. The older kid went home with a black eye. Kendall got detention for two weeks, but he said it was worth it because he wasn't gonna let anyone push me around." he said, his spirits lifted a little.
"You're really lucky to have someone like him. I can tell he really loves you." Daniel said.
Logan smiled, and wiped at his slightly-reddened eyes before taking another sip of his coffee.
The two of them sat there for about half-hour more, talking, drinking their coffee, and nibbling on their donuts. After Logan's small bout of crying, they quickly changed the subject, and just got to know each other more. When they finished their coffee, they got up from the table, and made their way across the bustling shop to the front door. They then got in Daniel's car, and drove back to the Palmwoods.
As they drove through the crowded LA streets, Logan had mixed emotions. On one hand, he felt better after having talked to Daniel, but on the other hand, he was terrified to learn the fate of Jason's prior victims. He tried to keep the positive thoughts foremost in his mind, but the fear and uncertainty was ever present right there in the back. Would he meet the same fate as Jason's other victims?
A/N: Well, there it is! This chappy is so long overdue! :'( PLEASE REVIEW! :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D