Age-plot (For Joe)

[echolls_cursed]

When Logan woke to find all his limbs a little shorter, his hair a touch longer and blonder, and his body just a touch scrawnier, he had smiled. Turning his head, he'd looked at Neil, noting that he was smaller too. Much smaller. And for a moment he'd been tempted to wake the other boy just to show him.

After all, who didn't like getting to be small again?

But no, in the end he'd simply let the other boy sleep.

Climbing out of bed, he looked down at his race car pyjama bottoms, noting that they looked a lot better than they had the night before. Last night they'd been lame and childish, but today? Today they were awesome. Race cars always were. On top of that, for whatever reason, Logan knew he was five and a half. Nearly six! Maybe simply because children always know those things. However, as he pulled on one of his smaller shirts (now ridiculously over sized), he couldn't help the rush of memories that came flooding back.

Six had been a very bad year for Logan. Six had been when things went from bad too worse.

When he was just a little older than five and a half, Aaron had taken his first real swing at him, knocking him over hard enough that he'd lost a baby tooth. Logan shivered at the memory and cupped a hand over his mouth, trying not to remember the rest. He'd stopped talking after that, just... stopped. He didn't say a word for nearly six months. In fact, it wasn't until Aaron finally lost it, taking action by stubbing a cigar out on his arm, that Logan had started talking again.

Arms folded over his chest, he stared at Neil for a long moment, and then headed out the door, vowing not to say a word unless he had to. He'd be quiet and invisible, and eventually this would all be over. The memories would vanish again and he could forget it all once more.

He stood outside Joe's hut for what felt like an eternity, eventually peeking his head around the door for a look. Joe was alone and still fully grown, sleeping soundly by the looks of it.

Quiet at a mouse, Logan snuck inside, crawling onto the bed and curling up at Joe's side, cuddling the older man stealthily.

At least with Joe he felt safe. Protected. The weekend would be fine as long as he stuck close to Joe.

Comments

[jdick.livejournal.com]

When Dale had left in the morning, Joe had managed to pull himself out of sleep long enough to acknowledge that he was leaving, so when the bed moved slightly, he felt it, frowning just a bit. Still half-asleep, he couldn't quite seem to make his brain understand that Dale had gotten up, so it couldn't be Dale making the bed move. Especially not like that. He was a hell of a lot less clumsy than Joe, but he sure wasn't a small man and the movements in the bed were tiny. Barely there at all.

Which meant Ozzy had probably climbed into the bed with Joe.

Groaning softly, he cracked both eyes open, looking down at himself, fully expecting to see the dog there, when instead he saw a small, blond boy. For a second, Joe almost thought it was Christopher Robin who'd... come back, maybe, and crawled into his bed by accident instead of Ray's, but then he recognized the little build.

"Logan?" he asked, voice hoarse with sleep and he suddenly, desperately thankful he'd actually worn something to sleep in the night before.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan wasn't sure he was supposed to be in Joe's bed, and he tugged the blanket up around himself as he looked up at the older man. Even in his new found youth, Logan struggled to look completely innocent. There was always that underlying hint of mischief.

And Joe? Joe was suddenly huge. Even huger than the last time this had happened...

Logan chewed his bottom lip nervously and nodded.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Jesus, you're tiny again," Joe said with a soft laugh, lifting one hand to rub his itchy eyes before he looked down at Logan again. Tiny was an understatement. He was even smaller than he'd been the last time and Joe rested his hand on top of Logan's head.

"How old do you figure you are this time?" he asked. Maybe five. He looked about the same age Billy had looked when he'd ended up as a kid for the weekend, too. "Five? Six?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan seemed to think about it, and eventually held up five fingers, resting his head on Joe's chest with a small sigh.

he squirmed a little, trying to get comfortable, little legs kicking as he fought with the covers and curled up against Joe. He wrapped an arm around the older man as best he could, and he held on tightly.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I figured about five," Joe agreed, smiling a little at the way Logan cuddled up against him. It hadn't struck him yet that Logan wasn't talking, maybe because he was still half-asleep or maybe because he was just sort of pleased with the fact that he was a kid again. Closing his eyes briefly, Joe relaxed, his hand still on top of Logan's head.

A moment later, his eyes opened and he asked, "What about Neil? Is he normal or a little kid, too?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan sat up a little at that and indicated that Neil was small with a gesture of his hands.

Smiling a little, Logan bounced a little on the bed, testing it before getting to his feet and bouncing a little harder. Suddenly he had all the energy in the world at his disposal.

It was a pretty great feeling.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"How come you're not talking?" Joe asked, finally noticing when Logan didn't answer his question. Not that he expected much of an answer, since it was sort of obvious by now that Logan simply wasn't talking.

It was hard not to grin at Logan as he jumped and Joe reached out, tugging at his little ankle a little, trying to knock him back down to the bed.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan let out a surprised squeak of a sound when Joe tugged his ankle, hitting the bed with a thump and a scowl. Pulling his ankle away, Logan glared at the older man, still refusing to say a word.

He could be silent if he wanted to be, he decided, tilting his chin up stubbornly... and then kicking Joe's leg as hard as his little legs would allow.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Oh, fuck," Joe said with a laugh, reaching down to rub his leg. "What was that for?" It was for knocking Logan over, he knew full well, but he figured if maybe he kept asking questions he'd eventually get the boy to actually speak. Or maybe not. Maybe he just liked fucking with him a little bit.

"Seriously, how come you're not talking?" he asked again, giving Logan's ribs a light poke.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan sulked a little and swatted at Joe's hand. Puling his knees to his chest as he fussed with his pajama bottoms.

After a moment, he shrugged a little, acting as if he didn't know why he'd gone quiet.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Just don't feel like it?" Joe supplied, although he didn't think that was what it was. He wasn't sure what it was, but it wasn't that. Reaching out, he tugged gently at Logan's pajamas, checking out the race cars.

"You just leave Neil sleeping?" he asked, suddenly wondering who else was small. Maybe Dale had taken off because he was a teenager again.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Logan said quietly, deciding he could spare one word for Joe. He let Joe look at his pajamas, no longer embarrassed by the tiny cars.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"He speaks," Joe said dryly, flopping back in the bed around and wrapping his arm around Logan's shoulders, trying to tug him down with him. "You gonna kill any crabs this time around?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan flopped when Joe flopped, though he was obviously getting antsy, the energy building up inside him as he turned to look at Joe.

"No," he said simply, resting his chin on Joe's shoulder. "Dunno how well I can swim like this," he admitted, voice quiet but steady.

"I don't really want to play in the ocean."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"You wanna do something, though, eh?" Joe asked, noticing Logan getting a little more energetic. He stretched a little and then yawned, kicking the blanket off.

"You wanna try swimming in one of the pools? Or, fuck, I dunno, going for a walk? Bet Ozzy would like you more now that you're more her size."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan wasn't sure he liked Ozzy now that he was more her size, but he didn't say that.

"I need clothes," he said simply only saying that much before going silent again. He stayed flopped on his side as he watched Joe though, pressing his face into the other man's pillow.

It smelled like dale.

Scowling, he shimmied over so he could have the one that smelled like Joe instead.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"You want me to help you find some stuff to wear?" Joe asked, grinning as Logan shuffled over closer. "We can walk up to the Compound and find you something to wear and then do something else."

Or maybe they'd just lie there. Joe was pretty content to lie in bed all day, although he figured Logan might get bored.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan nodded, because that sounded okay, and wrapped his arms around Joe's pillow.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"You like my pillow better than you like me?" Joe asked with a grin, reaching over to ruffle Logan's hair again gently. "C'mon, let's get up."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Okay," Logan agreed quietly, still holding Joe's pillow as he got up, reluctant to let it go.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Gonna take my pillow with you?" Joe asked, getting up from the bed and grabbing his jeans, pulling them on. "I need it back at the end of the day."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan just held the pillow tighter, pressing his face into it. He knew it would be silly to carry it all day though, and eventually he put it back down.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"You can take it with you," Joe said with a shrug when Logan put the pillow back, finding a shirt and tugging it over his head. "Just make sure I got something to sleep on."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan shook his head no, if only because he didn't want to get Joe's pillow dirty. Instead he wandered over and held his arms out. The universal child sign for: 'Carry me, carry me now!'

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Getting his boots, Joe put them on, then reached out and lifted Logan up, settling him onto his hip. "This good or do you want on my back again?" he asked. He was lighter this time around, smaller and easier to carry.