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]

"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.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Why do you worry? I'll be fine, I'm not really little Joe," Logan said, paddling around in the water happily.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Maybe your brain isn't, but your body is little," Joe insisted with a bit of a grin, sinking down until just his head was above the water. "Just let me have that."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Okay," Logan agreed, swimming over to Joe with the busy and awkward movements of a child.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Grinning as Logan swam over, Joe held out his hands again, offering his arms for Logan to hold onto if he needed. "You getting hungry yet?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"No," Logan chirped, hanging onto one of Joe's arms.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"You sure?" Joe asked, swinging Logan around in the water a little bit. "You're gonna fucking pass out if you don't eat."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"I wont!" Logan insisted, squeaking happily as Joe swung him around.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"I'm gonna make you eat sometime," Joe decided, grinning as he watched him swing back and forth.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Can we have cake?" Logan asked hopefully. "Or ice cream. I like ice cream, Joe."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"There's not much cake on the island," Joe replied, dipping Logan into the water a little. "But Anne might have some ice cream if we can track her down."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Okay," Logan agreed, letting go of Joe's arm and splashing back into the water with a wet 'plop'.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Joe arched an eyebrow at that, watching Logan in amusement before he swam away just a little bit, giving him more room to move around in the water if he wanted to.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan swam and splashed until his arms were tired, and then lazily floated over to Joe. He didn't say anything, he just held out his arms to be lifted, bobbing up and down in the water like a little rubber duck.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"C'mon," Joe said easily, reaching out for Logan, collecting him out of the water and held him up against his hip again. "You about ready to get out?"