Snake Boy

~ Chapter Six ~

{Possible trigger warnings: minor deception/lying

If I miss something, I apologize and please let me know}

"I'm here, I'm queer, and I'm in need of a peer!" Roman announced loudly, walking into the basement.

Logan grabbed a pillow off the bed and chucked it at him without preamble. "Must you be so ridiculous every time you show up somewhere?"

Roman dodged the pillow quickly, grinning. "Well obviously. I need everyone to know my beauty is gracing their presence- hey!"

A second pillow had sailed at him from the other corner of the room. Not expecting it, Roman hadn't dodged the projectile. Logan snickered and picked up the book that he'd dropped to grab his weapon of choice.

"Ah yes, our resident reptile-"

"Roman. Volume."

Roman pulled a face and lowered his voice. "How are you, Mr. Slytherin?"

"Leave him alone." Logan rolled his eyes. "He was trying to nap before you showed up."

Dorrian blinked tiredly, looking incredibly annoyed with Roman. He snuggled deeper into the pile of blankets he was tucked into, hissing quietly when Roman returned the pillow to the papasan.

"Dear god, he's feral."

"He's not feral, he's tired." Logan sat down at his desk. "There's a fold-out chair leaned against the wall."

Roman grabbed the chair and pulled it over, turning his computer on and setting it next to Logan's. "I've got the whole thing written out and I'm pretty confident in it, but I just want a second opinion on the way it's been set up. And if you find spelling errors or anything that's always appreciated as well."

"Yes, yes." Logan nodded, looking over Roman's shoulder as the other boy pulled up his paper and sent copy to the little printer under his desk. "Give me fifteen minutes to read over it, then I'll go through it again and see what I can find."

"Awesome. And when you're done can you sign it? Like, just across the top corner?"

Logan gave Roman a weird look. "Why?"

Roman grinned. "Teach said if I get it looked over by you I don't have to do the final peer review on Monday."

"You just want to get out of class?"

"No!" He huffed and slouched down in his seat. "Virgil's my class partner right now, and it's tech week, I just can't deal with that criticism at the beginning of all that."

Logan grunted, taking the freshly printed papers from the machine and placing them on his desk. He stood to grab a little cup of pens and highlighters from the shelf above his desk. "And what is Virgil doing?"

"He and Pat are doing a triple read-over. Patton reads it, gives his input, Virgil takes that input and rewrites anything that could be changed. Then they do it two more times."

"I see. Well, this will take me twenty minutes at the most."

Roman crossed the room to flop onto Logan's bed while he went to work. For several minutes the room was enveloped in blissful silence.

"So has he done much?"

"Roman, I am trying to concentrate."

"Sorry... but has he?"

Logan put the pen down, turning partially so he could see both Roman and Dorrian.

"No. I suspect he is recovering from whatever they may have put him through in that tent. He sleeps quite a bit, and I fear I may need to get a heat lamp for him as his skin is always cold."

"Been touching his skin a lot?" Roman grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

Logan gave him an annoyed look. "He has a cut across his back. I wasn't going to just let it heal on its own when I have no clue what conditions caused it."

"Riiiight."

With an irritated huff, Logan returned his attention to Roman's paper. he was about two thirds of the way through it, so he'd be done soon.

When he finally finished and looked up from his desk again, Roman had gone over to the papasan and was crouching next to it, staring at Dorrian and standing very close.

"Give him some space, you neanderthal."

"What? He's asleep, and I'm not going to touch him."

Logan rolled his eyes. "I don't want him to freak out if he wakes up. Come over here, I'm done and I want to talk you through some of these notes."

~~~ An Hour Later ~~~

Roman graciously declined the dinner he was offered at the Emory household, explaining that he and Patton had plans and his boyfriend would be incredibly upset if he missed them. Logan leaned in the front door until his friend's car had pulled away from the curb, then went to join his parents at the dinner table.

"Emile, dear, did you see the news today?" Logan's dad asked as he handed Logan a bowl of mashed potatoes.

"The ten o'clock story?"

"That would be the one, love."

Pop nodded. "I did. Can't believe someone would do something like that... I mean, even if you disagree with circuses as a general practice, breaking and entering is still a crime."

Logan's heart skipped a beat, but he kept his features schooled into one of half-listening interest as he filled his plate quietly.

"Think they'll find their missing attraction? That snake boy?"

He allowed his head to pop up. "The snake boy is missing?"

Pop nodded, taking the bowl from him as he passed it on. "Apparently someone broke into the circus on Friday and when they checked the next morning to see if anything had been taken, that big cage had been unlocked and left open."

"Oh." Logan sat up a little. What would he say if he wasn't involved in this situation.

It hit him and he felt a little smirk cross his face.

"Well I hope they never find him."

Dad chuckled, shaking his head. "Of course you do. If I didn't know my boy better I'd say you broke him out yourself."

Logan forced a little laugh, but several warnings screamed in his mind. He still had the padlock, he had Dorrian's clothes in the basement...

He'd have to be very careful, to make sure no one suspected him.

Shouldn't be that hard, right?