Love is When... - Logince & Prinxiety

Chapter Six

Love is when the whispers turn into shouts, and the hugs turn into iron grips that leave a mark.

"Logan!" Roman shouted above the din of the high school hallways. The young man in question turned at the call of his name and the sight of his boyfriend running towards him greeted him. With a pant, Roman grabbed his hand securely before falling into step with him.

"Roman? For what do you need my assistance?"

Roman paused before answering, heaving in huge breaths while grinning up at Logan. "Hey, Nerd."

Logan sighed but smiled nevertheless. "Salutations, Prep."

Yes, the names had lost their bite (if they ever really had any) now that the two had become so close. Alas, old habits die hard, and they couldn't quite break their habit of rallying back nicknames.

"So, Nerd, now that we're boyfriends, I've decided it's time you meet my friends," Roman announced as they made their way to Chemistry together.

"I have already met Patton?" Logan recalled, a questioning tone at the end of his sentence.

Roman scoffed. "Patton? Of my friend group, he's the tamest. Don't get me wrong, I love him to death but trust me, my other theatre friends are way crazier than him."

"Well, I suppose if they are your friends, then I will be pleased to meet them," Logan said, squeezing Roman's hand slightly when Roman grinned at him widely.

The pair worked through their Chemistry lab, and soon, it was lunch, where Roman was eagerly dragging Logan through the busy cafeteria towards what was easily the loudest table in the room. Five people were sitting at the table. Well "sitting" wasn't quite the right word as they were clambering across the table, snatching bits of food from their friends' plates while they shouted conversations, occasionally even slipping into song. At Roman's presence, however, they graciously paused for all of two seconds to call a "Hello!" before immediately going back to their food wars.

It was only when Logan said "Hello" back did they freeze for good. They stopped and stared at him, analyzed him, and picked him apart. They took in what he was wearing compared to them and how the way he held himself was tall and unslouched whereas they stood relaxed with their shoulders back. They saw how Logan was so very different from their group.

Then, they saw Roman shift and rub his thumb over the back of Logan's hand, bringing attention to the fact they were intertwined. They saw Roman send him a small, reassuring smile full of an affection that they had never seen fill their friend's eyes. They saw Roman shift his posture, totally relaxed at Logan's side. They saw their best friend as the happiest he'd ever been, and they smiled widely at the newcomer.

"So you're the gay, huh?" a purple-haired, sunglasses-wearing student piped up, only to be smacked by his friend next to him.

"Remy!"

"Oh, I meant guy," he sarcastically corrected.

"Don't be mean," the friend scolded. "Heya, Logan!" he greeted. "I'm Patton, we've met a few times," Patton said, smiling.

"Yes, I remember. Good to see you again," Logan replied, politely.

"So, I just thought Logan could sit with us for lunch, yeah? Logan, this is Remy, Thomas, Patton, Terrence, and Valerie. They're all in the cast for the winter musical, except for Pat, he's on costume," Roman explained, pointing at each of his friends when he said their name, some waving, others smiling or throwing their hand into a salute.

"You all did wonderfully in the fall play," Logan said as they sat down.

"Oh, thanks!" the girl, Valerie, replied. "Thanks so much for coming, it was so fun to do."

"Yes, well, as Roman's significant other, I am sure my presence was required. As it will be for the musical. In the Heights, yes?"

"Obviously, you're coming, starlight," Roman assured, pecking Logan's cheek before turning to his friend. "Remy?" Roman asked, making eye contact with his friend. "Behave."

The rest of the table chuckled while Logan sat confused, unsure of what the joke was. He understood, however, when Remy replied with a pout and said, "Okay, daddy."

"Remy!" Patton scolded.

"Just saying," Remy said with a small shake of his hips before sitting down again and snatching one of Roman's chips as he did so. The table laughed, including Roman, and Logan felt his skin prickle.

Though Roman tried to curb Remy's flirting, he was relentless, and while it was obviously more polite than it would have been had Logan not been there, Remy's incessant pick-up lines and winks were starting to bug Logan. However, for the rest of the table, it was just Tuesday. They knew that Remy didn't mean anything by the flirting, in fact, Roman and Remy's friendship was the strongest in the whole school. They thrived off each other's energy, and as they got older, the flirting grew until it was so over exaggerated it was laughable.

Except, Logan was the only one not laughing. Quite the opposite.

As soon as lunch ended, Logan grabbed hold of Roman's wrist and yanked him up from the table bench.

"I truly apologize," Logan said through gritted teeth, "but Roman and I must be going. It was a true pleasure to meet you all," he stated, accentuating the words so much that the table knew it wasn't genuine. He quickly turned his back and pushed his way out of the cafeteria, forcing Roman to follow him.

"Logan! Logan, let go!" Roman cried as he was tugged along the hallways until they reached an empty classroom. "Logan, you're hurting me!" he shouted.

Silence.

Roman glanced up at Logan, fingers soothing the angry red mark left on his skin where he had let go. Fleetingly, Roman wondered if Logan had only let go because they had reached their destination and not because Roman had been in pain.

"Roman, I-I am so sorry," Logan said softly.

"'s fine, not a big deal," Roman muttered.

"You just make me so angry sometimes!"

Roman's head snapped up at the accusation, the quick change in demeanor giving him whiplash.

"You promise me that you are mine, and yet, you go flirt with Remy as if it were nothing. I am your significant other, not him, you know."

Roman, sensing Logan's unhappiness at once, quickly tried to console him. "Logan, of course, I know that," he said fondly, hands reaching towards Logan placatingly. "Remy's just... a bit extra. But he doesn't mean anything by it, we've been best friends for forever."

Logan softened his gaze when he saw Roman's fearful eyes. "Can I see?" Logan asked, gesturing to Roman's wrist.

He offered it to Logan who gently stroked the mark in an attempt to dispel the inflammation. Mere moments ago, Logan had been shouting at Roman, but now, he was back to loving him again?

Maybe he just lost control of his emotions. It happens to all of us, Roman told himself.

Logan carefully lifted Roman's wrist to his lips, placing a caring kiss on the injury. "Roman?" he asked quietly, still holding on to his wrist.

"Yes?"

"You know that you mean a significant amount to me, right?"

"Of course. You mean everything to me too."

The grip on his wrist tightened for a fraction of a second. "Then, do not flirt with Remy ever again."

Roman could only nod.