Camping (locked to Joe, backdated to Sept 29th)

[echolls_cursed]

Seeing as how he and Neil had been fighting about damn near everything all week, Logan had been more than a little eager to go camping with Joe by the time Saturday morning rolled around. So eager, in fact, that he'd already been to the compound to find a sleeping bag in the clothes box (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle themed no less), and had packed his make-shift bag before Joe had even come to find him.

For once Logan was ahead of the game, knocking on Joe's door to see if he was ready.

God, he'd never thought he'd be so eager to stare at trees for nearly forty-something hours.

"Hey, you ready?" he asked, knocking once and then pushing the door open a crack. "I grabbed some food for us to take or whatever... so, uh, I'm ready to go when you are man."

Comments

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"No argument from me, man," Joe said easily, knowing full well that he needed the time away. If nothing else, he just needed to escape from people for a weekend and not worry about how fucking insane he was going with every passing day.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"You, uh... You see him at all today?" Logan asked curiously, glancing sideways at Joe and knowing the older man would know exactly what he was talking about.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Not today, no. Not for a couple days," Joe said as they walked, shifting the bag on his shoulder. "How 'bout you?" And he figured Logan would know who he's talking about.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Not today..." Logan said quietly. "Saw him yesterday. Just a glimpse or whatever. He didn't say anything, he just looked t me."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Yeah?" Joe asked, chewing on his lip as he thought about Aaron. "That's so fucking weird. How they just... hang around sometimes and don't do anything."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Creepy," Logan said. "I think it's worse when he doesen't say anything. Feels less like I'm going crazy, and more like it's.... real or something."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

There was always the skeleton to deal with when he saw Bucky, so none of it felt very real to Joe, but he sort of understood and he nodded. "Think they'll leave us alone this weekend?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan just shruged a little and hitched his bag up higher on his shoulder. "I dunno, maybe. Maybe not. You can never know, right?"

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Guess not," Joe agreed, although he wished there was some way they could know. Beginning to walk up the incline, he glanced around briefly, making sure they were alone for the time being.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"You know where we're heading?" Logan asked as they walked on, figuring Joe knew the mountain better than he did. "You got a spot picked out or whatever?"

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, there's a spot about an hour or so up the mountain that I stopped with Billy last time," Joe said with a nod. He noticeably didn't mention King or the fact that he'd been there with them. "Works pretty good for camping, it's kinda enclosed."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Sounds good," Logan nodded, shifting his bag again.

He walked in silence for a little while after that, content to just take in the scenery as they headed up-hill. Eventually thouh, he spoke. "Me and Neil have been fighting a lot lately. Like, more than usual."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Yeah?" Joe asked, looking over at Logan as they climbed higher, his boots scraping against rock and kicking at the grass. "'Bout what?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Everything... and nothing," Logan sighed. "I dunno, it's just been really tense lately. Sometimes it's like... It's like I need him, but I can't stand him sometimes. He's always off meeting new people and getting involved in shit, and I just don't like that. I have this small circle of people in my life, and I don't want anyone or anything else."

He stumbled a little, but quickly caught his footing as he continued on. "I mean, I can't tell him not to make new friends. I know that would be fucked up. It's just getting to me."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"What bugs you about it?" Joe asked as they climbed, glancing over at Logan curiously. "You feel like he's... moving around alone. Moving forward or what the fuck ever?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"It's like... I'm not enough or something," Logan said. "Or he doesn't need me. I mean, I believe that he loves me, wants me even... but he doesn't need me."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Joe figured he could say the same thing about Dale if he thought about it, but he tried to ignore that as he listened to Logan. "You think you need him like that? Like you couldn't get along without him?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Well, yeah... But I guess I feel that way about most people I get close to. I'm, uh... co-dependent or whatever. A shrink told me that once, it was pretty much the only thing he got right," Loan snorted, thought it was obvious he was embarrassed by the confession.

"At the same time though, as much as I need him, I know I'd need anyone if I was with them. It's just how I am. When I fall for someone, that's it, man. I hang on until they push me away for good. Or, you know, die."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"It's not just you, it's a lot of people," Joe answered, trying to somehow make Logan feel better when he noticed his embarrassment. "Doesn't mean it's good or healthy or any of that shit, but it is a lot of people. A lot of people want someone to need them as much as they need other people."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"I know. It's really fucking things up though... I dunno how much longer he's gonna put up with my crap, Joe," Logan sighed. "Fuck, I don't even know how long I can keep just trying to ignore it."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"So what're you gonna do?" Joe asked, figuring Logan would be willing to at least try to do something to keep Neil around. Change was hard, Joe knew, fucking impossible in some cases, but sometimes even making the attempt made people stick around when they otherwise would've left.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," Logan said awkwardly. "I don't think that's something about me that I can chane."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"You tried?" Joe asked. "I mean, I'm not saying you're wrong, maybe you can't fucking change it, but it's probably worth a shot, eh? For Neil?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"I've tried," Logan snapped, looking a little insulted. "You think I don't care enough about my own marriage to try?"

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"That's not what I'm saying and you fucking know it," Joe answered with a snort, grabbing onto a tree branch to haul himself up further. "I just asked if you tried."