Chapter 14 - Honor, Love, And Jealousy

Logan didn't have long to wait before Akihiro showed up with Jana, and after a little chuckle, Logan waved him forward. "I'm gonna give you a few minutes alone. Do anything stupid, and you won't live to regret it."

"Don't worry," Akihiro replied. "I know what I'm going to do, and I won't even use any chemical assistance." He gave his father a wicked sort of smile, which did nothing at all to ease Logan's mind before Logan started toward the doors.

"Give me a few minutes first," Logan said, holding up one hand so he could talk to James before Akihiro could screw it up. The lab was empty except for James and Tyler, and when Logan came in, he was sure to give Ty a look. "Take a walk." Tyler, of course, frowned slightly at the directive, but silently got to his feet to step outside and give Logan the time he needed with his son.

James looked up at his father, fully expecting a tear down, but when Logan took a seat at the foot of his bed and simply held his gaze for a long moment, suddenly, James wasn't so sure.

"What you did in that lab was nothing short of amazing," Logan said slowly. "And I know that everyone's gotten after you in every way possible about how stupid it was, but you and I both know they're using their hearts. They're reacting out of caution and fear. And I'd like to think that you were trying to do as I taught you — and live for the moment."

James's shoulders relaxed when he realized that his father wasn't going to dress him down.

"But," Logan said, holding his gaze. "You applied that in the wrong way," he said gently. "The idea isn't to live recklessly when it's not necessary. That's undisciplined. That part of the code that I know you thought you were living up to only applies when something needs to be done. When it's life or death. This wasn't anythin' pressin' enough that you needed to be reckless." Logan let out a breath. "I failed in makin' that clearer to you -" James shook his head and tensed up again before Logan held up his hand to silence him before he started. "You're young. Everyone misses the point of that part of the code, but they don't do it with a trans-dimensional portal. I'm not angry with you on the size of this or the scale. It was a simple mistake in application. My mistake was forgettin' what it's like to be so young and so single-minded. So I'm gonna try to amend that right now."

Out of everyone that had spoken with James, none of them had gotten him looking so desperate to backpedal as Logan had already. "Dad, this didn't have anything to do with you—"

Again, Logan held up one hand. "The samurai code I taught you was a way to live, yes. But I thought you understood that, in our application, it's more to how we present ourselves to the world and how we handle threats. You live the most important parts of that code. But you didn't stop to think about if it was necessary to risk yourself." When James started to protest again, Logan rested his hand on James' wrist. "You need to consider that. And not just for the others' sake. If you died today, would you be happy with what you've done in your life? You've done a lot of good, but would you think it was enough for the potential you know you carry? Not for what anyone else thinks is possible. You. What you know to be your potential." Logan continued, emphasizing the last few words individually.

James held his gaze for a moment before he gently shook his head. "No." But on letting the admission slip from his lips, James was once again plotting out a course to leave.

"I'm gonna send someone in to let you up," Logan said slowly. "I know if I do it right now, you'll bolt. That's what I'd do. Try … to be smarter than that." With that, he got up and rested a hand on the side of James' head for a moment as he leaned in and touched their foreheads together. "You'll be fine, I know. You're just young. You're allowed to screw up, even when everyone is panickin' about it. I just want you to only take the risks you actually need to take. When the time is right."

James nodded and Logan turned to leave him to his thoughts for a long moment. And while James stewed in it, and could honestly see where he'd screwed up, he got a new visitor that was smiling almost proudly at him.

"You have all of them up in arms and ready to keel over," Akihiro laughed with his hands in his pockets. "I couldn't be prouder."

"Oh, shut up."

"No, really. I didn't realize you were playing a long game this whole time. I actually thought you were the precious little prince they all made you out to be. But really … it looks like you've been setting them up for a fall." He dropped down in the chair next to James. "I haven't seen our father look this guilty since I had him strung up and ready to die."

James looked as if he'd been slapped for a moment before he just got mad. "What do you even want, Akihiro?"

"I want to know when we're leaving," Akihiro said easily, leaning back. "Clearly, I was mistaken. You and I have much more in common than I thought." Without any more prompting, he made his way over to undo the restraints. "Come on, little brother. You and I could do some serious damage together."

James pulled at his hands, trying to keep Akihiro back. "Don't touch me!" he snarled. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

Akihiro smirked. "That's good. Protest more; they won't know for sure that we're together that way."

"You idiot, I already told you I'm not going anywhere with you," James said, which had Akihiro pausing, his hands on the restraint on James' left wrist as James tried to get him to let go.

Akihiro narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "Fine. Leave." He pulled at the buckles on James' left hand. "And when you go, know that I'll step in and fill that hole for our father — just to make sure that our other little brothers have someone to look up to. Go ahead and emulate our father, running away from his every misstep." The restraint fell, the metal pieces clanking against the bed as James stared up at Akihiro, silent and furious but unmoving as he held Akihiro's gaze until Tyler returned.

"What the h- who let you in?" Tyler said when he saw them.

"Is there some new rule about family not being allowed to visit?" Akihiro had to ask with a completely troublemaking smile.

"I make it a point not to let my patients on the brink associate with stupid."

"I'm not going anywhere, Ty," James said evenly, glaring at Akihiro the whole while.

Tyler took a moment to consider James, though since he wasn't lying, he almost smirked. "Great. You can help me walk him out," he said, moving to undo the other restraint and checking Akihiro in the shoulder as he did.

"I doubt he needs both of us, but if you're going for distance …"

"Thirty yards, what do you think?" Tyler said, the smirk widening.

"Thirty-five with a tail wind," James said as he quickly got dressed, though Akihiro was looking more and more smug.

"Don't bother," Akihiro said, almost chuckling on his way out. "There are easier ways to get your hands on me."

Tyler rolled his eyes before he turned to James. "How do you not stab him all the time?"

"Dad asked me not to," James said.

"Yeah, alright, that's decent," Tyler said with a sigh. "Want to head up and see what your girlfriend made today — or would you prefer I keep my face away from you?" he asked with a slight teasing smirk.

"I'm not as egocentric as my ugly brother," James said. "I can take the company and not try to turn it into a date."

"Yeah, we'll see," Tyler said, gesturing for James to lead the way out. "All the same, you're walking ahead of me so I know you're not checking me out."

"Oh sure, so you can check me out. I see how it is," James said in a drawl, doing a fair imitation of Akihiro.

Tyler made a face. "Don't do that. It makes me want to stab you."

"Go ahead if it makes you feel better," he said. "Just gonna break something on a rib and have to explain the mess."

"Oh yeah. Hey Logan, James was doing too good of a job being Daken. So I stabbed him to make it stop." Tyler smirked. "He'll say that's the only solution, really."

James nodded. "He'll say 'Reasonable excuse' and then thunk the back of my head."

"Pretty much," Tyler agreed with a little chuckle, though the two of them parted ways at the table when his twins rushed over to attach to his legs — and Kari teleported over to attach to James.

"Are you okay?" she blurted out, her eyes wide.

"Of course I am," James replied as he gave her a little hug back.

"Someone said you were down in medical — how bad was it?" she asked, still looking totally worried.

"It wasn't bad at all. It was just a preventative thing. Testing."

She bit her lip and nodded before she threw her arms around him again. "I come home for, like, five minutes and you're in medical! How am I supposed to hug you if you're all… quarantined or whatever?"

"I don't have a sound answer for that," James replied.

Kari tipped her chin up, sniffed, and then let her expression melt as she hugged him again. "So, I'm doing an opening night book signing in Salem Center this weekend. Pretty exciting, right?"

"Yeah?" James said with a little smirk. "This your big sketchbook thing — diaries of the artist and all that?"

She grinned and nodded. "Mom helped me write up a lot of the behind the scenes and notes and stuff. I'm not as good with words… and Kamala read over it and made it sound less like … someone who's terrible at words," she admitted with a little blush.

"You're not terrible with words," James said with a little laugh. "You're just so much better with art that if it's not perfect, you don't think it's any good. Come on."

"Well, it sounds so nice in my head, and then as soon as I try to write it down, it's just… gone," Kari said, shaking her head.

"Just gotta write faster."

She laughed. "Clearly," she said, looping her arm through his. "Come on. The kids are totally attacking anyone that dares come into the kitchen."

James stepped back as much as he could before he picked up the two little ones that had latched onto his legs and balanced them on each hip. "Lead the way."

Kari just laughed at the scene of three Howlett boys together before they ducked into the kitchen and into all of the activity going on there.

When Kari got to Lucas's place, he was standing there, waiting for her with his arms crossed and a solid glare marring his usually gorgeous features. She had no idea why he would have been in a bad mood, but she put on a smile for him all the same, immediately trying to cheer him up.

"Anyone I can hit for you?" she asked. It was an old tease in her family, because she came from superheroic stock, but she figured the sentiment was universal.

But obviously, that wasn't what Lucas wanted to hear. His glare deepend, and his crossed arms flexed, so that she could see the definition of his muscles. "I could ask, but I doubt you'd do it," he said, still glaring.

"It was a joke," Kari admitted, blushing. "But if there really is someone bothering you-"

"You're the one bothering me, Kari," Lucas said, his tone one Kari had never heard him use before. Not toward her, anyway. She'd heard him speak with the same venom about the fanboys that followed her around, but she hadn't minded that much. She knew protectiveness usually came from a place of love, and honestly, she was flattered that he was already willing to go to bat for her.

But now, staring up at him, she could see his nostrils flaring and his jaw working, and she couldn't figure out how to backtrack. She didn't know why he was so angry with her.

What had she done wrong?

"Lucas," she said softly, reaching toward him, but he batted her hand away and spun on his heel, gesticulating wildly as he vented to her.

"I thought that things were going well between us, Kari, but I'm not blind. I know who you run to every time you want to talk about anything — good or bad," Lucas said through his teeth. "And it's not me. And I don't appreciate being second best when you're supposed to be my girlfriend."

Kari felt her heart drop into her stomach. She wished that she could reassure him as completely as she knew he needed him to, but the truth was, she had nursed a crush on James on and off for years. Even now, even when they were best friends, she knew she would date him if he asked. But it was just a crush. It wasn't the same pining and longing that Chance had done as long as she could remember. It was just… it was admiration and attraction.

"Lucas," she said again, and he spun to face her, fire in his gaze as he stalked toward her, towering over her.

"Do you have any idea what that's like?" Lucas demanded, his voice loud enough to ring in her ears. "Are you my girlfriend or aren't you?"

Kari winced away from him, her eyes wide and her tail still and straight behind her. "I'm not trying to make you jealous," she said softly. "He's just a friend."

"Bullshit." Lucas took a step closer to her, and she took a step back instinctively. "Do you do this to every boy you date? Do you string them along and make them smile while they're cuckolded?"

"I promise, it's nothing like that," Kari said. "I'm not cheating on you!" Her eyes were filled with tears by then. "This is just a misunderstanding. He's been my best friend since we were kids. I swear we've never even dated."

Lucas narrowed his eyes at her, and then, when she dropped her gaze, convinced she'd ruined their relationship somehow, he finally let out all his breath in a woosh. "I'm sorry," he said, and she glanced up to see him rubbing the back of his neck. "I shouldn't have yelled. I just don't want to be played for a fool." He gave her a half smile. "That is the expression, isn't it?"

Kari pressed her mouth into a smile as well and nodded. "Yeah, you got it."

He let his shoulders drop and held his hand out to her. "Come on. Let me make it up to you with a nice dinner," he said. He paused. "I really was worried, you know. You're beautiful, and I know if I was in his place, I'd have already tried something."

"He's not like that," Kari promised.

Lucas turned her way, one eyebrow raised. "Are you sure?"

"I've known him forever. I think I'd know if he was going to be the piece on the side," Kari said. "And for that matter, I'm a little insulted you think I'd do something like that."

"I know the look on your face around him," Lucas said, stepping into her space with his hands on her shoulders. He reached up to cup her cheek. "I'd prefer if that look were only for me. Shouldn't it be mine?"

Kari could see that he wasn't going to let it drop, so she sighed and stood on her toes to kiss him, relieved when he seemed to cheer up and even ran with it, playing with her hair and getting downright playful once they got well and truly distracted — the dinner temporarily forgotten in favor of reminding each other where their relationship stood.