ACHOOO!

Logan jumps up when he hears a sneeze behind him. He turns around a sees James dabbing his nose gently. "Dude," Logan says. "Are you getting sick?"

"No," James protests. He tosses the tissue out and folds his arms. Logan lays his head back on the sofa and smiles. "Then why did you sneeze?"

"I don't know," says James. "Stop playing doctor." He walks away, leaving Logan alone in front of the TV. A few minutes later, he hears James sneeze again from his room. Logan shakes his head, smiling to himself.

Logan isn't sure how he's going to tolerate the next two weeks. Kendall has gone back to Minnesota with his mom and sister, leaving the motley crew of Logan, Carlos and James to watch the apartment. As much as Mama Knights hates this, Gustavo would not let all four of them go. So now Logan is stuck with two dumbest guys in the band. What is he going to do with Kendall?

It isn't too long until he hears yet another sneeze from James's room. Logan looks over his shoulder and calls out, "Sounds like you're getting siiiiiick!"

"No I'm nooooot!" James sings back to him from behind the bedroom door. Logan laughs quietly and watches the television for a long while. James stays in his room and Logan wonders why he is in such strong denial about getting sick. What would be wrong with admitting that?

A few hours later, Logan eats something quick for dinner and decides to head to bed. He still hasn't seen James since he disappeared to his room. Carlos eats with Logan for a little while.

"Cooking for myself is hard," Carlos complains.

"It's not so bad," Logan says. "It can be a challenge, but you have to learn at some point."

"Yeah well, I don't wanna learn."

Logan sighs real loud and puts his face in his hands. This week will be impossible! Carlos clangs the fork on his teeth clumsily and Logan groans to himself.

"What's up?" Carlos asks.

"N-nothing," Logan sighs. It won't do any good to tell him.

"Okay. So like, I was wondering if you could help me out with something."

"What's that?"

Carlos scoots closer to Logan and winces, speaking quietly. There's no reason to watch the volume of his voice though, since nobody can hear him other than Logan. "I wanna go see somebody while Mama Knight ain't here."

"Somebody?" Logan asks.

"Yeah, just somebody. So I'm gonna be gone for a day or two I guess. Can you not tell her?"

Logan makes a zipper across his lips, but then it occurs to him that he will be alone with James. "Thanks, buddy!" Carlos smiles and pats his friend on the shoulder. "You're the best."

"Uh, haha, yeah something like that." Logan wrinkles his forehead up and shoves a spoonful of microwave potpie into his mouth. He's going to lose his mind being alone with James. "You're um, leaving now?" Logan asks.

"Yep." Carlos tosses his plate in the sink, brushes his hands off and starts to get his shoes on.

"Woah, wait. Now? Now now?"

"Siiiiii. What's the problem?"

"Nothing," Logan says quickly. He bites his lower lip in anguish. "But who are you going to see?"

"Just some friend," Carlos says. Without a better explanation, he picks a backpack off of the floor, slings it over his shoulder and walks out of the apartment. Logan wonders what he's up to, but there's only so much he can think about. He decides to call it a night and heads off to bed.

When he wakes up in the morning, it surprises him that he doesn't see James right away. The tall guy always like to get up early so he can take his time in the bathroom without the other boys complaining. Maybe since this is the first day without a lot of people in the apartment James knows he isn't on a timer. It's still strange, though.

As Logan fixes a bowl of cold cereal for himself and plops down at the kitchen counter. Then he hears James sneeze from his bedroom. He is sick, Logan thinks.

After he's done eating, he decides to see how his friend is doing. He knocks on the door and says, "James? You okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine," James answers quickly, giving Logan barely any chance to hear how congested he is.

"Sure?" Logan asks.

"Uh huh." He sneezes.

"You're getting sick, man."

"No I'm not," James argues stupidly. He sniffs real loud and it's way too obvious now.

"Can I come in?"

"Nu uh!" The tall guy yells.

"Why not?" Logan asks. He's getting irritated and realizes that arguing with James is fruitless. He goes inside anyway.

"HEY"! James yells. He pulls his bed sheets up over his chest. "I said nu uh!"

"James, you're catching a cold," Logan says calmly. "Why not just admit it?"

James mumbles to himself something inaudible.

"What's that?" Logan asks.

"I said I can take care of myself."

"I wasn't asking to take care of you. It's just, well, sometimes you don't make the best choices. Having a pre-cold means taking preventative steps to ensure that it doesn't get worse. Make sure you stay warm and take lots of vitamin C."

"I said I can take care of myself!" James snaps and follows with a cough.

"Okay, okay. Fine." Logan shrugs and turns out of the bedroom. He gets washed up for the day and takes his usual roost in front of the TV. Who the hell is Carlos spending the night with? That question has been on his mind all morning. It's really strange for Carlos to act like that. Maybe he's finally growing up.

"I'm going to the gym," James says. Logan turns around and sees his wiping his nose.

"You don't want to do…no you know what? Go ahead," Logan says with a stiff breath of air. "You can take care of yourself after all."

"Thank you," James says. He gives a small smile, clears his throat a few times and pops out of the apartment. Logan folds his arms behind his head and grins. Alone at last, he thinks. He can't help but worry about James though. Going to the gym will make him sicker. Oh, stupid James!

Later in the day, James comes back from the gym. Logan is now sitting with his tablet computer, going over his social media sites. As the tall boy walks through, he covers his mouth and silently shuffles off to his room.

"James?" Logan calls out, keeping his eyes focused on the computer. A bedroom door slams shut. Logan puts his tablet down and sneaks over to James's bedroom. He puts his ear along the threshold and eavesdrops. He hears James blow his nose and cough a few times. Logan frowns. James is so stupid, but what else is new?

ACHOOOO!

"James!" Logan can't help but call out.

"What?!" James snaps.

"You're sick!"

"Logan!" James yells. His footsteps grow close to the door and he swings it open. "I said I can't…cough cough."

Logan folds his arms and looks at James. "What?" the taller boy says. He sniffs real loud and a line of snot rolls from his nose. "AH!" He pulls out a tissue and wipes it away instantly, terrified that it looked ugly.

"James," Logan says, nodding cutely. "You need to relax."

"But I can take care of myself…" James whines quietly.

"Why are you so adamant about that?"

"'Cause, erg…'cause…" James frowns real big and folds his arms tightly. He kicks at the ground and sniffs loudly again. Logan raises an eyebrow. "'Cause Kendall said I wouldn't be able to take care of myself with you helping me."

"HA! What?!" Logan giggles and his face turns red. He touches his own mouth with a few fingers.

"That's we he said! And I said NO! I can take care of myself! But he just…cough…laughed!"

"Well he's right," Logan says rather as a matter of factly.

"No, he's not. I can to take care of myself." James backs up and turns into his room again. The door is still open and Logan hangs out there for a second, just watching him. James coughs a few more times and blows his nose into another tissue.

"Go to bed early," Logan says. James looks over his shoulder but says nothing. "Drink plenty of water." Logan closes the door and walks away.

Some time goes by and it's becoming evening. Logan hasn't seen or heard James since they last spoke, so he decides to go see how he's doing. Since James hasn't come out of his room, he obviously hasn't been drinking enough. Logan grabs a big glass from a kitchen cabinet and fills it high with water. He takes it down to James's room and comes inside unannounced. James is splayed across the bed wearing only a tank top and black briefs. Logan's face turns hot when he sees his body. He looks warm. Logan walks up alongside the bed, clutching the cold glass of water in his hands and looks James over. His firm muscles sparkle with a thick, uncomfortable haze. The honey glow of color that normally radiates across James's face is flushed pale, and even though he is clearly feeling poorly, something looks beautiful. Logan bites down on his lower lip without realizing it. James's chest rises and sinks slowly with his heavy breathing. Logan doesn't want to wake him up, but somehow he does. James opens his eyes and startles when he sees Logan standing over him.

"What are you doing," James mumbles.

"You're sick," Logan says.

"Yeaaaaah, maybe," the taller boy sighs. He blinks hard and keeps his eyes focused on Logan. "I just hate it when Kendall's right."

"But Kendall is always right," Logan says quietly. He holds the glass of water out to him. "Sit up and drink this."

James rolls his eyes but sits up anyway. He reluctantly takes the water and sips on it. "Ttcchh," he groans. "My throat hurts."

"Why did you go to the gym?" Logan asks condescendingly, causing James to make a puppy dog face.

"I always go," he says. Logan sighs real loud. "Cut it out 'til you feel better. Make sure you go to bed early, okay?"

"Oooookay," James sighs. He finishes the water, despite the roughness in his throat and gives the glass back to Logan. He takes it and smiles.

"I'll let you go back to sleep," Logan says. James nods. "Try to sleep as late as possible."

"K, thanks." James rolls onto his side and curls his strong arms around a pillow. Logan looks over his shoulder as he leaves.