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]

Joe tried not to laugh at that, then drew in a deep breath himself and stepped back through the waterfall. It pounded down on them for a moment, but, as promised, he kept a tight grip on Logan until they were through on the other side.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan let out his breath and grinned happily. "Can we do it agin?" he asked, bouncing just a little.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"You just wanna go right back under?" Joe asked, unable to hide his amusement. After all that, he just wanted to go under again.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan just nodded and smiled, as if that were totally normal.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"You're such a fucking goof," Joe said with a laugh. "Okay, another deep breath and we'll go back under."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Grinning, Logan screwed his eyes shut again and held his breath, holding onto Joe as tight as he could.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Drawing another breath of his own, Joe made sure Logan's eyes were closed, then headed back out under the water, feeling it pound down on his head and his shoulders.

"Happy yet?" he asked when they were on the other side, lifting one hand to wipe water out of his eyes.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Laughing happily, Logan nodded, throwing his arms around Joe's neck.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Joe grinned a little, keeping his arms tight around Logan as he waded through the water. "You're not doing much swimming," he pointed out. Not that he minded carrying him.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Put me down then, I can do it," Logan insisted, wiggling again.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"You sure?" Joe asked, setting him down in the water, but keeping his hands out to make sure Logan didn't do floundering under the water.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan flailed a little at first, struggling with his much smaller body, but soon he was floating and bobbing around in the water, happily paddling around in circles.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Joe watched Logan carefully, not moving too far away from him just in case he ended up going under and needing helped, but he seemed okay. "See? This is when the island turns out to be pretty fucking great."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Maybe," Logan agreed, swimming in a little circle around Joe. "I like being small."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I like it when you're small, too," Joe agreed, turning in a circle as Logan swam around him. "Would you've crawled into my bed this morning if I'd been a kid, too."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"I dunno," Logan replied. "Probably not," he admitted, bobbing up and down in the water before taking a deep breath as he slipped under the water.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Joe had been about to reply, but then Logan was under the water and so he just stood where he was, watching him through the clear water, waiting to see what he was going to do.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Holding his breath, Logan stayed under as long as he could, his toes touching the bottom as he counted. He barely made it to twenty before he started kicking and flailing his way back up, taking a deep breath as he broke the waters surface with a frown.

Usually he could stay under for way longer. Having little lungs sucked. "Not even twenty seconds!" he told Joe with a frown.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"You can stay under longer when you're bigger, eh?" Joe asked, reaching out for Logan again, hands under his arms just to make sure he didn't sink again.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"I'm still big," Logan reminded Joe, splashing a little in the water. "Just smaller now. I can stay under longer if I try."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, how about we leave that game until you're actually big again," Joe suggested with a snort, not wanting to be the one to time how long Logan could stay under.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Why?" Logan asked, still splashing a little as he looked up at Joe.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Because I worry about you at the best of fucking times, so when you're this size and trying to hold yourself underwater, it's worse," Joe pointed out. "So let's not give me a fucking heart attack."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan seemed to take that information in and then think about it, still looking up at Joe curiously.

"Why?" he asked again.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Why what?" Joe asked, ducking down into the water a little bit. "Why do I worry about you or why don't I want to have a fucking heart attack?" He thought both questions had pretty obvious answers.