Only one

The morning of the benefit

The sun was just beginning to rise over Los Angeles as Kendall stood in front of his bathroom mirror, the soft morning light filtering through the blinds. He should have felt excited-today was a big day. The benefit event for mental health awareness was something he'd been looking forward to, especially since Logan had agreed to be his plus one. It was a cause dear to his heart, and having Logan there by his side was supposed to make it even more special.

But as he stared at his reflection, meticulously trying to fix his tie, an unexpected wave of anxiety started to creep in. His fingers fumbled with the fabric, the simple task suddenly feeling impossibly difficult. He paused, taking a deep breath, but the tightness in his chest didn't ease. The more he tried to shake it off, the worse it got.

Kendall stepped back from the mirror, running a hand through his hair as he tried to understand where this sudden anxiety was coming from. Everything was supposed to be fine. He'd planned this day out, talked it over with Logan, and they'd decided on the best way to approach the event. So why did he feel like something was going to go horribly wrong?

He shook his head, chastising himself for feeling this way. *Come on, Kendall, get it together,* he thought, but the internal pep talk wasn't working. His heart was racing, his stomach was churning, and he felt a knot forming in his throat.

As he moved from the bathroom into the kitchen, the pressure in his chest only seemed to grow. He tried to distract himself by making coffee, but his hands were trembling so much that he spilled the grounds all over the counter. That small mishap was the final straw.

He leaned against the kitchen counter, taking deep breaths, trying to keep his emotions in check. But it was too late. The anxiety he'd been trying so hard to suppress overwhelmed him. Before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face.

He hated feeling this way-helpless, out of control. He knew there wasn't a specific reason for it, which somehow made it worse. It was just this inexplicable fear gnawing at him, making him question everything. What if something went wrong at the event? What if the public outing was too much for Logan? What if he wasn't strong enough to handle the pressure?

Kendall slid down to the floor, his back against the cabinet, knees pulled up to his chest as he let the tears fall. He felt stupid for crying, for letting this anxiety get the best of him on a day that was supposed to be important. He wiped at his eyes, but it didn't stop the tears.

Just then, the front door clicked open. Logan had arrived, right on time, in high spirits as he came to join his boyfriend for their big day. He had texted Kendall earlier to say he was on his way, but hadn't received a response. Figuring Kendall was just busy getting ready, Logan didn't think much of it.

He knocked on the door, but when there was no answer, he used the spare key Kendall had given him a while back. As he stepped inside, Logan called out, "Kendall? You ready to rock this event?"

The silence that greeted him felt wrong. Logan's smile faded as he walked further into the house, glancing around. He noticed the coffee grounds spilled across the counter, and his heart sank. Something was definitely off.

"Kendall?" he called again, his voice laced with concern as he moved towards the kitchen.

That's when he saw him-sitting on the floor, back against the cabinet, eyes red and puffy, looking more vulnerable than Logan had ever seen him.

"Kendall..." Logan's heart broke at the sight. He quickly moved to kneel in front of him, concern etched across his face. "Hey, what's going on? Talk to me."

Kendall looked up, guilt and embarrassment clouding his eyes. "I... I don't know," he stammered, his voice shaky. "I just... I'm sorry, Logan. I don't even know why I'm like this right now."

Logan reached out, gently cupping Kendall's face in his hands, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. "Hey, you don't have to apologize. It's okay. Just tell me what's going on in your head."

Kendall closed his eyes, leaning into Logan's touch, but the words were hard to find. "I thought I was fine... I really did. But now... I just feel like something's going to go wrong. Like I'm not ready for this, even though we've planned it all out."

Logan nodded, his voice soft and soothing. "It's a big step, I get it. We've been careful about how we've been doing things, and this is different. But you're not in this alone. I'm right here with you."

"I know," Kendall whispered, opening his eyes to meet Logan's. "I just don't want to mess this up. What if... what if it's too much for us?"

"It won't be," Logan assured him, his voice steady. "We're a team, Kendall. We'll face this together. And if it gets to be too much, we'll leave, no questions asked. You don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with."

Kendall took a deep breath, letting Logan's words sink in. "I'm sorry for freaking out. I don't want to ruin today."

"You're not ruining anything," Logan said, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to Kendall's forehead. "We'll take it one step at a time, okay? If you need to take a break, we take a break. But we're doing this together, and that's what matters."

Kendall nodded, feeling a bit of the tension begin to ease. "Okay... together."

Logan offered a small, encouraging smile. "Exactly. Now, how about I help you finish getting ready? Then we can get out of here and go do something good."

Kendall managed a faint smile in return, his heart warming at Logan's unwavering support. "Yeah... I'd like that."

Logan stood, extending a hand to help Kendall up from the floor. Once on his feet, Kendall took a moment to steady himself, looking into Logan's eyes with gratitude. "Thank you, Logie. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'll never have to find out," Logan replied, giving Kendall's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Let's get through today together, okay? We've got this."

Kendall nodded, feeling more grounded than he had all morning. With Logan by his side, he knew he could face whatever the day had in store for them. Together, they'd make it through.