Excuse

== Revised text ==
Date/Timing: 5 December 2015
Setting: Park in Brisbane
.
Logan half-dozes in his favourite puddle of shade, sprawled on the grass in the neighbourhood park, hands tucked under his head.
""Hey.""
He ignores the familiar voice.
""Hey."" Jack nudges his ribs with a foot.
Logan cracks an eye, drags it over Jack. "Still have no fucking /clue how you do that and live."
"Do what?" Jack plunks on the grass beside him, folds his legs.
Logan sits up. "It's thirty degrees out here and you're in long sleeves. How're you not /melting?"
Jack shrugs. "Got no heart. No blood."
"Lily tell you that?"
Jack winces.
"I heard about it. Good riddance. Never liked her."
"Because she creamed you with a bat when you broke into her flat!"
"Strikes me as a valid reason for disliking someone," Logan sniffs.
Jack takes a deep breath, eyes skyward.
"To what do I owe the honour of your presence?"
"I want you to come with me."
"Where?" Sneers, "To Port? Over my d—"
"The States. Alaska, specifically."
"A—! Wha—? You—? /Why?"
"I'm joining Defense Corps. The training course's up there."
"You are completely. Fucking. /Loopy! Alaska?! The /army?! And you want /me t'go with you?" Logan furrows his brow. "How much've ye drunk today?"
Jack frowns. "I'm stone sober, Logan. And, yea, you, me, Alaska."
"Need someone to protect your nerd ass?"
"Not expecting much trouble."
"Then why d'ye need me?" Grins. "I'm nothing /but trouble."
"Nanny and I think it'll keep you alive and outta jail."
Logan bristles.
"You know they're waiting for you to slip up one last time. That's all it'll take now and you know it."
"I can take care of myself," Logan huffs.
"'course you can—" Jack offers a weak smile. "—but you're running outta places hide, yea? That's why you called Nanny last week."
"So you two cooked up this crazy-ass army plan together?"
"The plan's mine, but she thought it was a good one and that I should ask you." Big smile. "We figured you'd jump at an excuse to try yourself against a bunch of wannabe heroes and maybe giant sea monsters."
"Might be an interesting change of pace."
Jack sighs, says—
"No, Jack, I don't know what went wrong with me." Logan shrugs. "I've never been right in the head."
"I know." Rubs his neck. "So ... are you in?"
"I guess." Logan pushes to his feet, offers Jack a hand up.
Jack accepts, brushes off the seat of his trousers.
Logan rolls his eyes. "When do we leave?" Shoulders his backpack.
"That all you have?"
"Like to travel light."
"We fly out from Sydney at the end of the month—" Jack aims for the nearest the train station. "—but we need to finish the paperwork first." Stops. "You have any open warrants?"
"Nope. I'm clean at the moment." Logan preens a bit. "A right proper model citizen, even."
Jack sighs, resumes walking.
Logan grins, falls into step.
"Well, 'til we go, you can stay with me and help empty my flat."
Logan stops mid-step. "Oi! I'm not working for free!"
Jack keeps moving. "You're not. You're working for your rent and plane ticket, mate."
Logan huffs, starts walking again. "How'd you find me, anyway?"
"Nanny told me where to look."
Logan grumbles.
"What was that?"
"She promised she wouldn't say anything."
"She decided this was an emergency."
"'course she did," sighs Logan.
.
== Original text ==
Excuse
5 December 2015
Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Logan cocks his head. "I dunno how y' do it."
"What?"
"It's thirty fuckin' degrees 'n yer in layers 'n long sleeves. How've ye not melted?"
"Got no heart. No blood."
Logan snorts. "Lily tell ye that?"
Jackson winces, doesn't take the bait.
"T' what do I owe th' honor of yer presence?"
"Want ye t' come with me."
"Where?" He's wary, then he sneers, "Back t' Mum 'r Dad's?"
"Alaska."
"A— Wha—? Ye—? Why?"
"Joinin' th' Defense Corps. Trainin' course's up there."
"Yer fuckin' loopy! Alaska?! Th' army?! 'n ye want me t' go with ye?!" A beat. "How much've ye drunk this mornin'?"
Jackson frowns. "'m stone sober, Logan. 'n, yea, ye, me, Alaska."
"Need someone t' protect yer nerd ass?"
"Nah. Wanna keep you outta jail."
Logan stiffens.
"Y' know they're lookin' fer ye t' fuck up one last time. That's all it'll take. Y' know it."
"I kin take care 'a myself."
"'course. But ye need an excuse t' leave, ay?" Jackson gives a half-smile. "'s why y' called Nanny last week."
"How d'ye know that?"
"She told me. Figured I might be th' one t' help." Jackson shrugs. "So I tracked ye down." He smiles. "Beatin' on wannabe heroes a good enough reason? How 'bout protectin' yer brother's nerd ass from wannabe heroes?"
Logan grins. "'spose it'll do."
They shake hands.
"When d'we leave?" Logan shoulders his backpack.
"That all ye have?"
Logan nods.
"We leave at th' end 'a the month." Jackson starts toward the train station, Logan falling into step beside him. "'til then, ye can help me empty my flat."
Logan stops. "Oi! 'm not workin' fer free!"
"Yer workin' fer yer housin' and plane ticket, mate."
Logan huffs, starts walking again. "How'd y' find me, anyway?"
"Followed th' trail 'a broken noses."
Category:Ficlet
Category:Logan
Category:Logan's POV
Category:Logan (ficlet)
Category:Jackson
Category:Jackson (ficlet)
Category:Brisbane (setting)
Category:Nanny (mention)
Category:Jackson is always cold
Category:Lily (mention)
Category:Logan has an antisocial personality disorder