"So?" he murmured, taking Oz's hands properly, glancing up at his face.
"So?" Oz huffed. "So —people might think something's up between us. They'llknow, Logan."
And the idea… It didn't scare him, this time. In fact —
This deal of ours would be so much easier if we didn't have to keep sneaking around. Hell, I don'twantto keep sneaking around. Don't want it all to be just because of our deal, either. Would be worth seeing if this could be real — out loud, in the sun —
"Would that be so bad?" Logan whispered.
Oz grimaced, scowling down at their joined hands. "You…don't know what you're saying," he said, his tone flat and dark.
"Y'know, I've been thinking…" Logan began.
"Did it hurt much?" Oz's eyes flicked upward to find Logan's as the corner of his mouth tipped into half a smile, taking the sting out of the words.
"Shut up." Logan grinned. "But really, Oz — what if we, uh… What if we stopped sneaking around?"
Oz threw Logan a long, haggard look. "You calling off the deal?"
"No," Logan assured him. "I… Maybe?" he corrected himself. "I…"
"Logan?"
Logan couldn't handle the rawness Oz's voice gave his name. He took a deep breath. "Could this work without our bargain? Would you want to go out for — for real, sometime?"
There. He'd said it.
"Like… a date?" Oz asked quietly.
"Yeah," Logan answered, looking up to meet Oz's eyes as hope and fear swirled in his gut.
"…With me?" Oz's tone was doubtful.
"Uh, yeah?" Logan replied, now less sure he hadn't somehow fucked this up.
"Aguy?"
"Um… yeah?" Logan replied again, feeling confused. 'I'm assuming."
"Are youstupid?" Oz hissed.
"Hey!"
"You can't just 'go out' with a guy, Logan!" Oz snapped. "They'll all think you're gay or something!"
Logan frowned. "So?"
"So?" Oz glared. "What -- you gonna try and tell me you've caught a case of 'gay for you'-itis or some shit?"
"If it is, then apparently I'm 'gay for Eli' too. Hell, throw in a good tenth of the guys in that club. Maybe more." Logan shook his head. "This is more like 'Hey, so it turns out I'm bi, and I don't know what to do with that information'. Like some 'I don't even trust myself with this, but I trust you'type of shit. It's — It's how during a game, I don't have the experience; I can't see the whole field, right? I just have to depend on the Coach to call the play. Can't that be enough?"
"You can't want this," Oz argued. "If you go down this road, if you — It's not easy, Logan."
Logan barked a laugh. "You think any of this has beeneasy?"
"Says the man who's been hiding in his room the past few months, getting blown by his roommate on the sly. But maybe that's it, that's what's got you thinking coming out will be a cakewalk. I mean, one mouth's as good as another, huh?" Oz huffed. "But you can't just add a rainbow stamp to your straight card and expect nothing to change."
"I don't!" Logan snapped. "I'm not… Please, Oz, I — I don't know what I'm doing here. I can't pretend it doesn't scare the hell outta me. I've always told myself I'm straight, I'm straight, I'm straight. But you made me realize… I shouldn't have to be telling myself that if I justam, right?"
