Chapter 16: Can You Ramble Please?

They've been in New York's city center for a while now and even though Liam was rushing everywhere with excitement and happiness, Logan couldn't make himself be the same.

    He didn't have a good feeling and kept looking back to check if anyone was following them or if someone looked suspicious. His instincts never failed him before but for once, he wanted it to fail. He didn't want to get proven right.

    "Come on Lo!" Liam rolled his eyes when Logan fell behind him for the thirteenth time but his grin never faded. "Keep up."

    Logan considered telling Liam about his concerns but didn't say anything. He didn't want to ruin this for Liam. He deserved to feel happy and normal after everything that he went through but at what cost? Not being cautious and getting into deadly troubles?

    "Sorry, love," Logan said. Unlike his affectionate tone, his face was the same blank face that he wore most of his life. He just couldn't let strangers see this side of him. He wasn't ready.

    "Let's go buy something." Liam looked around and when his eyes caught the sight of food, he instantly took Logan's hand and led him toward a MacDonald. "Oh god. I'm so hungry."

    "You know," Logan finally looked around himself. "I can afford a perfect restaurant."

    "Yes, yes, I know you're rich. Now let's go and get a cheeseburger." Liam was quick to dismiss him. "Nothing can ever take MacDonald's place. That place is some classy, old, yummy shit."

    "Okay…" Logan said. He was a little bit unsure. What's so magical about MacDonald anyway? His mother likes it so much too.

    "I can see and feel you doubting my type. Just trust me on this. It's so great that you will beg me to come to eat here every day and I'll say no because fast food is not healthy for every day and for once, I'll be the rational one."

    Liam smiled happily. He knew that this would be Logan's first time having a MacDonald despite his mother being a MacDonald fan like him. It was weirdly exciting to share this moment of his first MacDonald. It was nothing special and Logan may even not like it―as unusual as it sounds—but Liam will be happy nonetheless. Nothing can ruin this day for him. He won't let it.

    "If I don't like it," Logan said. "Will you get sad?"

    "What?" Liam suddenly stopped and then grinned. "Where is your mind at? I know I make everything look like a big deal sometimes and I can be a bit overdramatic but―"

    "Not a bit. More like very." Logan smirked and Liam rolled his eyes.

    "BUT you don't have to worry about small shits like this. I don't care if you don't like the food that I love. Except for ice cream. Please for Goddess's sake, like that!"

    "Don't worry." Logan chuckled. "I love ice cream."

    Liam hummed approvingly and stood on his toes to kiss Logan's cheek. A couple of people gave them weird looks but every place has trash so Liam didn't pay attention.

    But when Liam turned around, Logan looked back only to glare darkly at the twenty-something man who was still looking at them with clear disgust and the man quickly averted his gaze from the eighteen-year-old boy.

    "I ordered." Liam walked back to where Logan was standing. "We are number sixty-nine."

    Logan suddenly laughed when he realized something and Liam just stood there confused as to why his mate was suddenly showing public emotion.

    "Shit." Logan laughed. "You don't even realize it." And then he suddenly stopped. "Come here, Liam." He said quietly and he had this very carefully made calm face on his face.

    "What is it?" Liam suddenly felt something on his back. It was like a chilly feeling you get that goes down your spine and make you shook your shoulders. But Liam didn't move.

    "Carefully come and stand beside me," Logan said with a smile. Liam knew well that it was fake. "Pretend I said something funny. Or just talk about something. Doesn't matter what. But do not look back."

    "Okay." Liam smiled his fake smile. He wasn't scared, to be honest. More like concerned about whatever that he felt moments ago and whatever that Logan saw and whether it would harm his mate in any way.

    "Okay," Liam repeated. "Something to talk about. I really don't know what to talk about. Like I have literally no idea what to say and I usually talk a lot. I never ever went out of words in my entire life. There was even this time when I was talking to my aunt Kelly about how the Alpha Radcliff's daughter, Lucy, slept with the janitor. But he was thirty―not that old and he looked way younger and hot so I don't blame her―but it was all a rumor or that's what Alpha Radcliff said. I mean… that was for the best, right? Maybe she didn't though.

    "I mean… who am I to judge? But rumors are fun to talk about. As long as no one gets hurt of course. Because there was this time when I heard someone killed herself and it was partly because of the rumors about her. Or maybe that was a book I read… Yes! Thirteen Reasons Why. I watched the show too. I don't want to be rude to the author or anything since the book was pretty great and it was the whole reason, I watched the show but the show had an advantage and that was the gay in it.

    "I love it when the gays get a part in shows more than just the MC's best friends and they ACTUALLY get a happy ending. Why don't people always insist on a sad ending for queers? We need more happy ending couples on the damn Netflix. Like―"

    "They're gone." Ligan sighed and hugged his mate tightly. "I was so fucking worried. I knew something was going to happen. At least it didn't get bad here." He sighed again. "I was so fucking afraid. If they chose to attack then I couldn't do anything to protect you alone."

    Liam slowly turned and saw the nearly full street was noticeably less crowded. Somehow, everything looked way softer and cleaner. Somethings were sparkling here and there.

    Liam suddenly noticed something. The street looked like something out of a painting. So beautiful and so complete and clean. So sparkling. So perfect. And yet, despite all those things, it looked weird, sad, and inhuman. So incomplete.

    Liam sucked in a breath. "Oh, Goddess…" He looked at Logan with wide eyes. He could see Logan's eyes reflecting his and they were both shocked and stressed. "Were they―Where here―Those you saw…. They were…" He couldn't let out the word. The magically and beautifully but also scary word.

    "Yes," Logan confirmed. "They were pixies."