Logan hid around the corner of the nurse’s office. He didn’t have the guts to go visit Dakota without permission. He didn’t know if he would have if he did have permission. The guilt ate at him so bad he wanted to throw himself off the bridge again.

He didn’t have a plan as to what he was going to do when he came here. If he could see that Dakota was safe, then he might feel a little better. At least be relieved that Matthew hadn’t hurt him too bad. He just wanted to know if Dakota was okay.

He leaned against the wall and rested his head back when he felt his phone buzz. Curious, he opened it not expecting much when his heart dropped. 

[Dakota] I know you’re outside.

Logan looked around as if he was going to catch someone stalking him. Or some spy camera. 

i’m sorry. r u ok?

[Dakota] Stop apologizing. Come here.

Logan looked around once again as if he were being punked. With a shuddering breath, he walked around the corner and shamefully stepped inside the nurse’s office.

The nurse, as per usual, wasn’t in sight. Of all the times Logan had gotten into fights or gotten hurt, he hadn’t seen the nurse except for one time when he was in middle school. This time wasn’t any different. The room was quiet and small. There was a window, but it was covered with a thick curtain. There was a desk when you first walked in and then to the right there were two beds separated by more of the same thick curtains.

One was pulled back to show an empty bed. The other was closed halfway. 

Logan swallowed thickly, calming his racing heart as much as he could, but it didn’t matter. He knew it would start racing again once he saw Dakota. 

Movement came from behind the curtain. He slowly walked toward, not realizing he’d been holding his breath until his lungs started to burn. He let it out as the curtain opened.

“Hey,” Dakota said, nasally.

Logan caught his breath. “Hey.”

The bridge of Dakota’s nose was covered with a Blue’s Clues bandaid. Cute, Logan thought. The rest of Dakota’s face, not so much. The skin surrounding his nose was badly bruised, already turning a dark blueish purple. His face lacked color which was funny to think because Dakota was normally pale as a ghost. His dark hair was pulled back from his face. It was the first time Logan had seen it so. Two little clips held his bangs from his eyes.

Logan hated that the first time he could clearly see Dakota’s face it was like this. In the nurse’s office after he’d been attacked. Logan clenched his fists and staved off his anger by biting the inside of his bottom lip. 

“This is my fault,” Logan breathed. “If I’d been paying attention, I would have—”

“I told you to stay away.” Dakota’s voice was angry. Logan couldn’t exactly tell what he was feeling. “I don’t want you to be some bodyguard.”

“Is this about what Matthew said?” He was intentionally vague. He was asking about both. About Matthew saying Logan was Dakota’s bodyguard and that they were…faggots.

Dakota shook his head then winced. “Ah.”

Logan moved to Dakota’s side. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

“No. I’m fine. Just can’t move too quickly.” He placed a hand to the side of his face, eyes closed as he waited for the pain to subside. “Yes, it’s about what Matthew said, but also no. I don’t want to be the weak one you have to protect.”

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Logan argued. “I like protecting you.”

He’d done it selfishly at first, but he did start to like it. He was paranoid something bad was going to happen to Dakota. Protecting him, always being by his side, meant he could make sure it didn’t happen. 

“It doesn’t have anything to do with it being wrong or right. I don’t like it. Not anymore.” Dakota lowered his head. 

Logan watched him for a moment. His hand inched close to Dakota’s. Close, but not touching.

“I can…teach you.”

Dakota looked at him from the side. “Teach me what?”

Logan blushed. “How to fight. I’ve got a lot of experience, you now.”

A moment passed, then Dakota snorted, smiling. “I think I do know. Half the time you were beating me up.”

Logan sputtered. “That’s not what I—those times are different. I mean actual fighting.”

He stopped, looking away in shame. “Those times with you weren’t fair. That was just me hurting you. I was in the wrong.”

A cold hand guided his face to turn back toward Dakota. “I’ve already moved past that. You can keep making it up to me by listening to what I say.”

Logan was too weak-willed. He almost went in to kiss Dakota.

“Yes,” he breathed. “Anything.”

Dakota smiled widely.

The next time they went out to the shed, things had greatly changed. It wasn’t just the fact that Dakota had a bruised face, but also that Logan had fully realized how deep his feelings for Dakota went. It made it dangerous to be around the other boy. Every moment slipped Logan deeper into feelings he didn’t know were possible. More than that, it hurt knowing there was nothing to come of them.

The heat had spiked. Logan couldn’t stand to wear his hoodie any longer. He stripped from it at school and threw it inside his locker. It’d been the first time he’d used it all year. 

The sun couldn’t be blocked from the shed windows. Dakota unlocked the padlock and opened the door. Logan immediately turned around.

“It’s too hot inside. We’ll do it in the shade.”

Dakota still wore his thin jacket, though it had been unzipped the entire time. It had fallen off one shoulder after Logan had taken his bag from him again. Logan sat that bag on the steps that went up to the shed. 

Logan was going to tell Dakota to take his jacket off, but he didn’t need to. Dakota slipped it off and tossed it onto his bag. He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and was about to pull that off too.

“W-Wait! Are you really that hot?”

Dakota gave him a confused look. “I don’t want to get sweaty.”

He couldn’t really argue with that. He didn’t like getting sweaty either and to have to put the same sweaty shirt back on would be awful. Unless he wanted to come up with some bullshit excuse, he couldn’t do anything when Dakota took his shirt off and threw that too onto his bag. 

Logan avoided looking at him. That was tough because he was going to have to talk to him the whole time with his eyes anywhere near him. He hoped he wouldn’t notice.

“First, I want to know how strong you are. Start by punching my arm.” Logan turned to the side and patted his bicep.

Dakota’s brows furrowed. “But that’s going to hurt you.”

“That’s the point. Don’t worry. This part is tougher than anywhere else and it won’t be near any of my organs.” He patted his arm again. “Hit me as hard as you can. I can take it.”

Dakota gave him an incredulous look. He sighed then pulled his fist back. “Okay.”

He swung and barely hit Logan. The two looked at each other once then started laughing.

“That’s it?” Logan doubled over he was laughing so hard. 

Dakota shoved at him. “I’ve never thrown a punch before!”

“How is your eyesight that bad? We’re literally standing in front of each other!” 

Logan’s laughs trailed off. His cheeks were sore from smiling so much. “Okay. Let’s try again. Actually hit me this time.”

He straightened and held out his arm for Dakota again. The other boy straightened too and wound up his arm for another hit. This time, he practiced his aim by extending his arm to tap his fist against Logan’s arm.

“Pff.”

“Shut up.”

Logan was trying to hold his laugh in when Dakota hit him once again. The hit shocked the laugh right out of him. 

He backed away, still laughing, and started to crouch onto the ground.

“Are you serious?” Dakota came up behind Logan and pushed him over. Logan rolled onto his side, clutching his arm. “I can’t possibly be that weak!”

“No, no. It’s just that—” Logan kept laughing. “—I don’t know why I’m laughing so much. I swear it hurts! It hurts a lot!”

The pain wasn’t at all funny. Dakota was a lot stronger than he looked and Logan wondered if he worked out. At that, he couldn’t resist looking at Dakota’s naked chest. There was some definition, but he wouldn’t say it was a lot. His arms looked decent enough.

Logan caught himself staring. He abruptly stopped laughing and hauled himself off the ground. 

“That’s good. We can work with that. Now kick me.”

Dakota gawked. “Are you a masochist?”

Maybe, Logan thought, then mentally punched himself. 

“We’re doing this to find your strengths. If you’re stronger in your legs, then it makes sense to use that to your advantage, right? Okay, aim for my thighs. Please don’t hit me in the shins.”

Dakota nodded. Logan thought the boy might as well have stuck out his tongue he was concentrating so much. 

When Dakota finally kicked him, hitting him just above the knee, and then lost his balance and fell to the ground, he could confidently say that Dakota’s legs were not his strong suit.

“Got it. We’ll work on punching then.”

Logan was drenched in sweat by the time the sun was setting. He wiped his brow, panting as he braced himself on his knees. 

Dakota was just as worn out, but he wasn’t as sweaty. “What’s the matter?”

Logan pinched his shirt and fanned himself. “Hot.”

Dakota tilted his head. “Take it off.”

Logan’s breath hitched. “What?”

“Take it off. You’ll feel much better,” Dakota said as he lifted his arms and placed his hands behind his head.

The expanse of skin was downright cruel. Dakota’s mouth was already dry, but now it was parched to the point of painful. 

“Nah. I’m good.”

Dakota snorted. “Come on.”

When Logan didn’t return the smile, he frowned. He breathed deeply a couple times before he spoke. “Are you self-conscious?”

Logan wiped his face again, buying time before he had to answer. The seconds drew on too long and then it was too late to respond. The silence got deeper, making it harder to get the words out. 

It shouldn’t have been a big deal. It was just the awkwardness that made it seem like this was going to be the end of the world. 

“We’re done anyway.” Logan turned his back to Dakota and started toward the shed. “We have a little daylight left if you want to paint—”

Logan was slammed into from behind. He had just a second to grab the frame of the door before he was lifted into the air and tackled down to the ground. Dakota hadn’t used full force, but enough that Logan stood no chance when he was caught off guard. 

He was expecting to hit the ground hard, but Dakota had lifted him enough that he didn’t. As they fell, Dakota rolled them over into the grass and pinned Logan to the ground. 

He grinned down at Logan who was too stunned to speak. 

“Got you.” 

Logan’s mouth parted. Dakota’s eyes had darkened with the setting sun. Logan’s body burned from where they touched.

He shoved Dakota off him in a panic.

Dakota resisted at first, holding Logan firm with his hands, but when Logan shoved him again, he got up. 

Logan felt the awkwardness and didn’t want it to last. He pinned Dakota into a headlock and pressed his lips to Dakota’s ear.

“I win,” he whispered, letting his lips selfishly linger.