Page 16

Chapter 16

Study Break

Logan was slogging his way through a biology assignment in the downstairs dining room, his textbook and half a dozen references scattered around his open laptop, when he vaguely registered the sound of the front door opening.

It was nine pm on a Thursday night, which theoretically meant all the guys were off partying somewhere. The house was eerily quiet in their absence, the silence only broken by the occasional sounds of whatever movie their house mother was watching in her apartment suite down the hall.

With his headphones in, Logan didn't notice Oz's presence until he slid into the seat nearby, turning the nearest library book a few degrees so he could scan the page.

"Hey, man," Logan greeted him, pulling out an earbud.

"Hey," Oz replied, pushing the book more or less back into place. "What are you doing here? Don't you have a party to be at or something?"

Logan grimaced. "Got a paper due on Monday. Besides, the party sounded boring."

"More boring than homework?"

Logan shrugged.

I mean, if it comes down to a choice of parting with Ashton and Noah, or getting another 'B is for Blowjobs' from you… he absolutely didn't say.

Just like he didn't have an answer for his professors when they delicately asked after Logan's 'new study methods', now that his grades were improving.

What — I'm supposed to drop a line straight out of a porno about how 'my tutor is pretty hands-on'…?

"This weekend's an away game," Logan explained instead. "Not gonna have a lot of time to work on it."

"So, you really chose homework over a party?" Oz frowned. "That doesn't sound like you."

"You'd rather I skip it to go get drunk and hit on girls? Maybe fail the class and be kicked out of school?" Logan asked, and…he couldn't keep the hurt out of his voice.

"I mean…getting wasted and laid on a Thursday night? It's kind of what you do," Oz replied offhandedly.

Logan stared down at his textbook, his stomach plummeting at Oz's assessment. But — it's not as if he could argue, was it?

"Don't get me wrong — as your official tutor, it's good to see you taking this seriously. But… " Glancing around them, Oz leaned in close, dropping his voice. "I know I'm a great fuck, but it's not like we're dating, y'know?"

"Yeah," Logan answered, his tone turning bitter. "I know. Just didn't want to go to a fucking party. Why are you on my case about it?"

"Dude, I'm not on your case," Oz replied, leaning back in his chair. "You can do whatever you like. I'm just…curious, that's all."

Logan looked up at Oz, his gaze searching. "Why?"

"You've been acting different lately."

"Different?" Logan scoffed.

Like…letting my gay roommate fuck me whenever he wants? That kind of different?

"Gee, I wonder what's so different about my life recently," Logan said instead. "Aside from my dick of a roommate being on my ass about everything these days."

"That's not what I meant," Oz whispered, thankfully catching Logan's meaning. "More like… The other night at your game, I thought I saw you checking out one of the other players on your football team."

"I don't check guys out," Logan replied a bit too fast, his eyes dropping back to his textbook. "That's your thing."

He froze.

"Wait — you were at my game?" he asked, peering up at Oz. "You never go to games. I figured the only sport you'd even consider watching is the one where knights run at each other on horseback holding those long sticks."

"Jousting," Oz muttered, ducking his head to rub at the back of his neck. "And I watch sports. Sometimes."

"Name one other time." Logan narrowed his eyes the second Oz opened his mouth. "And anything involving mandatory school assemblies or bows and arrows doesn't count."

Oz huffed, looking away down the hall again. "Fine. Then riddle me this: why were you looking at another guy's ass?"

"I wasn't looking at his ass!" Logan shot back just a hair too loud, before remembering where they were and lowering his voice. "Maybe he had grass on his butt. Or — Alright, maybe I was comparing. Why do you care? Like you said, we aren't dating, are we?"

Oz's right eyebrow lifted.

Logan's cheeks burned.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Oz frowned. "Fine. So how do I measure up then, straight boy?"

Logan snorted, looking away.

Fine. He wants to play? Then let's at least make it interesting…

"I'm here studying, aren't I?" Logan told him. "Trying to get a 'B' on this damn report instead of going to a party?"

Because 'B is for Blowjobs', Logan didn't say out loud; worrying that they'd just about pushed their luck too far as it was.

Oz's eyes widened gratifyingly as the penny dropped.

"Don't worry, Oz. You're enough of an ass for me," Logan whispered, shooting the other man a sly little smirk. "…For now."

Oz cursed. "Oh, you're gonna pay for that, you smug fucker," he hissed, reaching for the unopened library books and stacking them together. "Pack this shit away and get your ass upstairs. I'll help with your report after…"

Logan chuckled, hurrying to obey.