too pretty to keep secret; john logan
summary: Dating John Logan in secret would be easier if he knew how to act normal around you. Unfortunately, Logan is hopelessly in love, terrible at hiding it, and one affectionate comment away from exposing your entire relationship.
pairings: john logan x FIGURE SKATER! reader
RIN'S NOTE: I am so glad you guys enjoy the first part! I didn't expect it will liked by so many people, I appreciate it so much! Sorry that I take a long time to post the part 2, I kinda have to brainstormed a bit this one hehe. I hope you guys enjoy this! Love lots! <3
Nobody on campus knew you and Logan were together. Which meant your relationship existed almost entirely in small moments.
Like the coffee sitting inside your locker every Monday morning. Still warm.
You opened the locker one morning only to immediately smile at the familiar cup resting beside your books. A sticky note was wrapped around it messily.
Donât say I never do anything for you.
â your favorite hockey player
You laughed quietly under your breath before quickly glancing around the hallway. Empty. Safe. Then you pulled your phone out immediately.
youâre literally the only hockey player i know
Your phone buzzed almost instantly.
A smile tugged at your lips before you could stop it. Unfortunately, someone cleared their throat nearby. You nearly jumped.
Logan appeared around the corner at the exact same moment Dean walked down the hallway.
Both of you immediately straightened. Your smile disappeared so fast. Logan casually shoved both hands into his pockets like he hadnât just been staring at his phone waiting for your response.
Deanâs eyes narrowed slightly. Hmm.Â
âMorning,â Dean said slowly.
âMorning,â you answered quickly.
Logan nodded once. âHey.â
Dean looked between both of you. Then kept walking. The second he disappeared around the corner, you both looked at each other again before quietly laughing.
âSmooth,â you whispered.
âYou looked guilty too.â
âI learned from you.â
Logan grinned. God, you are so pretty.Â
Keeping the relationship hidden quickly turned into a game. A dangerous one sometimes.
Because Logan looked at you too softly without realizing it. And you smiled at him too automatically. Like during lectures.
You sat two rows ahead of him while pretending to pay attention to the professor, phone hidden beneath the desk.
Then your screen lit up. Logan.Â
this professor hates me personally
you slept through class yesterday
You shouldnât have. You knew you shouldnât have. Still, your eyes drifted back toward him anyway. And there he was already staring at you with a lazy grin.
Warm brown eyes. Messy hair. Completely distracted.
Your stomach flipped instantly. Then Garrett leaned toward Logan to say something, forcing Logan to look away quickly before either of you got caught.
Unfortunately, Dean was sitting nearby. And Dean noticed everything.
Especially the way Logan smiled at his phone before looking at you.
Especially the way you immediately ducked your head afterward to hide your own smile.
Dean leaned back slightly in his chair as he tried to stop from grinning. Looks like his friend is been trying to hide something from them.Â
The rink became your favorite place to exist together. Mostly because it felt private even when it wasnât. You were sitting on the bench one evening after practice, frustrated while aggressively messing with your skate laces.
âThese things hate me.â
Logan looked up from his phone immediately. âWhat happened now?â
âYou said that ten minutes ago.â
âBecause they still are.â
Logan sighed dramatically before standing and walking over toward you.
Before you could protest, he crouched down in front of you automatically, hands moving toward your skates like this was the most natural thing in the world.
Which honestly? It kind of was.
You watched quietly while he retied the laces carefully. Focused. Gentle.
His large hands worked surprisingly delicately against the white laces while the rink lights reflected softly against the ice behind him. You couldn't help look and admire at his handsome face.Â
âYou know,â you mumbled, ânormal boyfriends buy flowers.â Logan glanced up immediately.
âI bought you mozzarella sticks yesterday.â
âThatâs not romantic.â
âBaby,â he said seriously, âthatâs devotion.â
A laugh escaped you before you could stop it. And Logan immediately smiled hearing it.
Both your heads snapped upward instantly. Tucker stood near the rink entrance staring directly at both of you. Your soul almost left your body. Logan stood so fast he nearly tripped over the bench.
âShe had a skate issue,â he said immediately.
You nodded too quickly. âYep.â
Silence. Then Tucker frowned slightly.
âWhy are you both acting weird?â
âWeâre not,â you and Logan answered at the exact same time.
Tucker stared another second. Then shrugged.
The second he walked away, you collapsed forward laughing into your hands. Logan groaned loudly beside you.
âWeâre terrible at this.â
âYou almost fell over.â
âBecause Tucker scares me.â
You laughed harder while Logan watched you with that familiar soft look in his eyes. For a while, things stayed like that. Warm and easy.Â
Until the night he forgot to pick you up from the rink.
The first sign that something was wrong was that John Logan stopped texting back.
Which, honestly, shouldnât have been alarming. People got busy. Hockey practice ran late. Classes existed.
Still, you found yourself checking your phone again while sitting on the edge of the skating rink bench, your skates half unlaced and your bag resting beside you. The rink had already started emptying out around you, the usual post-practice noise fading into silence one person at a time.
You stared at the screen.
Usually, Logan waited for you after practice. Not openly, of course.
Your relationship still lived in stolen moments and hidden routines. Heâd sit somewhere near the back row of the rink bleachers pretending to scroll through his phone while secretly watching your entire practice with that soft, hopeless expression he only ever wore around you.
Then afterward, heâd walk you halfway back to your dorm. Not too close. Not too obvious.
But close enough that his shoulder brushed yours every now and then. Tonight, though, there was nothing.
No Logan. No dumb texts. No terrible dad jokes waiting for you afterward.
The disappointment settled in your chest slowly, heavier than you wanted it to be.
âNeed me to lock up?â one of the rink staff asked kindly.
You blinked, forcing yourself back to reality.
You quickly finished unlacing your skates, trying not to feel ridiculous about the whole thing. It wasnât even a big deal.
Still, by the time you stepped outside into the cold night air, your chest ached in that quiet way disappointment always did.
And somewhere across campus, John Logan was realizing he had absolutely screwed up.
Logan barely looked up from his locker.
Garrett frowned from across the locker room. âYouâve checked your phone like twelve times in thirty seconds.â
âYou literally just did it again.â
Logan sighed dramatically and unlocked his phone anyway. Then froze.
Three missed calls. Seven texts. All from you.
I have practice today, u can come by to watch
I keep failing at my jump :((
Nvm, I am already at my dorm.
His stomach dropped so fast it physically hurt.
Garrett blinked. ââŠWhat?â
Logan stood so abruptly his locker slammed shut behind him.
âI forgot something.â
The realization hit him all at once, followed immediately by guilt so sharp it made him wince. He knew you waited for him.
You probably stayed at the rink thinking he was on his way while heâd been stuck laughing with the guys after practice like an idiot.
âOh my god,â Logan muttered, dragging a hand through his hair. âOh my god.â
Garrett stared at him like heâd finally lost it.
Logan was already typing frantically.
I got stuck after practice.
He stared at the screen. Delivered. No response. Logan groaned loudly and leaned his forehead against the locker.
âYeah,â Garrett said slowly, âyou definitely look like a man in crisis.â
âYou donât understand.â
The worst part was that he knew exactly why youâd be upset. You never asked for much from him.
You didnât ask him to post about you online or parade your relationship around campus. You didnât complain about keeping things private even when Logan knew he made secrecy difficult just by existing.
You only asked him to show up. And tonight? He hadnât.
The next morning, you were polite. Which somehow felt worse than anger. Because anger meant emotion. Anger meant yelling, irritation, frustration.
Politeness felt distant. Logan hated distance. Especially from you.
âMorning,â he said carefully when you walked into class. You glanced at him briefly. âMorning.â
No smile. No teasing. No hidden text message appearing on his phone two seconds later.
Logan felt physically ill.
You sat down two rows ahead of him, pulling your notebook out quietly. Usually by now, Logan would already be texting you something stupid.
thinking about becoming a figure skater.
do you think hockey skates can make me elegant.
Instead, he spent the entire lecture staring miserably at the back of your head while internally suffering.
Dean noticed almost immediately as he slightly smirk. Tucker, meanwhile, leaned over slightly from the other side of the row.
âDo you think Logan failed the assignment?â he whispered. Dean stared at him like literally stared at him.
âNo, dumbass. Heâs in love.â
Mostly because Logan normally walked into class like he owned the building. Today, he looked like somebody had kicked his dog.
Dean leaned back slightly in his chair. âWhy do you look pathetic today?â
Logan glared at him. âMind your business.â
âOh, definitely girl problems.â
âYou look emotionally devastated.â
Deanâs eyebrows lifted slightly. That sounded suspiciously sincere. Ten minutes later, Loganâs phone buzzed. His head snapped downward so fast Dean nearly laughed. Except the message wasnât from you. Is from Garret.Â
Logan stared at the text with visible betrayal. Meanwhile, two rows ahead, you were trying very hard not to notice the way Logan kept looking at you.
It wasnât working. You could feel it.
Every glance lingered a little too long, heavy with apology. And annoyingly enough, you were already starting to soften. You love him too much. Â
Because Logan looked genuinely miserable.
But you were stress and exhausted that day, not only from training but also from the bloody college, especially to some professors who are usually not present at class and then have a test afterwards, fantastic, truly. It drains you so much, and he makes you wait until almost midnight.Â
Still, you stayed quiet. Let him suffer a little. When class finally ended, students immediately began standing and packing their things.
You gathered your notebook slowly, determined not to cave too quickly.
Then, while walking past Loganâs desk, his fingertips brushed lightly against yours.
It barely lasted a second. Tiny. Automatic. But the apology inside it felt immediate.
Sorry. Please donât still be upset.Â
Your fingers reacted instinctively before your brain caught up. And from two seats away, Dean watched the entire thing happen.
From Dean's eyes, that confirmed everything. Dean slowly turned toward Logan with the smuggest look imaginable. Logan immediately noticed.
Dean smiled innocently. âNothing.â
Logan narrowed his eyes. âDean.â
The smirk stayed firmly in place.
âInteresting hand communication, though.â
Logan went still for half a second before looking away too quickly. Which confirmed everything. Dean almost laughed out loud.
Over the next few days, Logan tried everything. Unfortunately for him, Tucker witnessed most of it.Â
Specifically when Logan shoved snacks into your locker one afternoon while thinking nobody was watching.
ââŠWhy are you feeding her?â
Logan nearly slammed the locker shut on his own hand.
Garrett choked on his drink nearby. Logan looked deeply offended. âSheâs not a stray cat.â Tucker frowned thoughtfully.Â
âOkay, but you gave her like three snacks this week.â
Coffee mysteriously appearing outside your classroom. Your favorite snacks left inside your locker. A tiny sticky note tucked into your skate bag:
Please stop being mad at me. Iâm emotionally fragile.
You stared at the note for a full ten seconds before smiling despite yourself. Then immediately stopped.
No. Stay strong. Stay mad.Â
Still, the note stayed folded carefully inside your jacket pocket for the rest of the day.
And Logan noticed you hadnât thrown it away. Which honestly gave him more hope than it probably should have.
By Friday, Garrett was beginning to lose his mind. Mostly because Logan spent the entire week looking emotionally devastated.
Tucker, however, had reached a completely different conclusion.
âAre you dying?â he asked Logan seriously during practice. Logan stared at him tiredly.
Tucker nodded like that made complete sense.
And somehow, he still didnât figure it out. He just pat Logan's shoulder trying to comfort him as Tucker leave giving Logan a space.Â
Because Logan was acting weird. Not normal Logan weird. Specific weird. The kind of weird that only happened when feelings were involved.
Garrett fully realized it during hockey practice. Specifically when you walked into the rink. You werenât even there for Logan. You were talking to another skater near the entrance while adjusting your gloves.
Then some random guy started flirting with you. Garrett noticed two things immediately.
One: you looked politely uncomfortable.
Two: Logan looked one inconvenience away from committing homicide.
âJesus,â Garrett muttered.
Loganâs jaw tightened. âWhat?â
Logan nearly snapped his hockey stick in half.
âSheâs just talking to somebody.â
âYouâve been glaring at him for thirty seconds.â
Logan finally looked away. Garrett blinked. Then slowly grinned.
âJust tell her you love her.â
Logan froze. Garrett kept talking casually, completely unaware heâd already won.
âSeriously. Youâve been acting insane for like a week.*
âItâs not like that.â
Logan rubbed a tired hand down his face.
âWeâre already together.â
Logan blinked. Then realization hit. Slowly. Terribly.
âLie?â Garrett grinned. âYeah. And you fell for it.â
Logan looked genuinely betrayed.
âYouâre secretly dating the figure skater?â
âThatâs definitely not the important part right now.â
Garrett laughed loudly before his expression softened slightly.
Logan sighed. Then, surprisingly, answered honestly.
âI forgot to pick her up after practice.â
Garrett winced immediately. âOuch.â
âAnd sheâs still mad?â
âShe says she isnât.â
Garrett snorted. âThat means she definitely is.â
Logan dropped his head back with a groan.
Garrett bumped his shoulder lightly.
âThen stop doing apology drive-bys and actually talk to her.â
Logan glanced toward you across the rink. You were laughing softly at something another skater said, cheeks pink from the cold.
His chest tightened instantly. God. He missed you.
Even when you were standing right there.
âParty at my place tonight!â
Deanâs announcement about the party barely registered to you at first. The hallway around him exploded immediately with excitement, people talking over each other while hockey players shouted across the corridor about alcohol and rides and who was bringing speakers this time.
You stayed leaned against your locker, half listening while fixing the strap of your skate bag over your shoulder.
Parties werenât really your thing. Especially not hockey parties but you go to the parties sometimes, is just depends on the mood.
Across the hallway, Logan was talking to Garrett, but every few seconds his eyes flickered back toward you automatically. Like instinct. Like breathing.
Dean noticed that too. Of course he did.
Which was probably why he suddenly appeared beside you out of nowhere.
âYou should come tonight, pretty.â
You looked up in mild surprise. âUh⊠I donât think parties are really my scene.â
Dean hummed thoughtfully beside you, hands shoved into his pockets. âThatâs tragic.â
âWell,â he said casually, âmy man over there has been staring at you like a Victorian husband watching his wife board a warship.â
Your eyes widened immediately. Dean grinned. Across the hallway, Logan looked over just in time to see Dean leaning close to you. Dean winked at you and go back where he came from. His expression turned suspicious instantly.
âWhat was that?â Logan called.
Dean didnât even look guilty.
âIâm always smiling.â
You tried not to laugh while Logan kept glaring at Dean from across the hallway like he was two seconds away from physically removing him from the conversation.
And honestly? It was kind of adorable.
You stood in front of your mirror for nearly ten minutes debating whether showing up was worth the emotional damage.
Because if you went, youâd see Logan.
And lately, being around Logan felt dangerous. Not in a bad way. Just, difficult. Because every time he looked at you with those soft guilty eyes, your irritation weakened a little more.
Which was unfair, honestly.
Still, somehow, a few hours later, you found yourself standing inside Deanâs party while music shook through the walls. The party was already in full chaos. People packed every room shoulder to shoulder, laughing loudly over the music while hockey players moved through the crowd like they owned the entire building.
The air smelled faintly like alcohol, cheap cologne, and pizza. You stayed near the kitchen at first, mostly because it was easier to breathe there.Â
And because Logan was across the room.
You noticed him instantly. As usual.
He stood near the living room wall talking to Garrett, one hand shoved into the pocket of his jeans while absentmindedly nodding along to whatever Garrett was saying.
But every few seconds, his attention drifted back toward you automatically.
And every single time your eyes met, something in his expression softened. Your stomach flipped annoyingly.
You looked away first. Which only made Garrett notice. Then Dean noticed Garrett noticing.
Tucker remained completely oblivious.
Actually, Tucker watched Logan staring at you from across the room for a full minute before leaning toward Garrett.
âWow,â he said quietly. âLoganâs being weirdly protective tonight.â
Garrett slowly turned toward him.
Dean physically looked away to hide his laughter. Tucker, meanwhile, remained painfully oblivious.
At some point, a guy wandered over and started talking to you while you poured yourself another drink. He seemed nice enough. Cute, probably.
But you were only half paying attention because Loganâs stare kept brushing against you from across the room.
The guy leaned casually against the counter.
âSo you skate competitively?â
âA little?â he laughed. âYouâre being humble.â You smiled politely. Then his attention dropped briefly toward your outfit before returning to your face.
Definitely flirting which makes your eye twitch in irritation at how the guy look at you. And apparently, Logan noticed too.
Because the second the guy leaned slightly closer, Logan moved. You felt him before you properly saw him.
Warm hand against your wrist.
Your head turned immediately.
Logan stood beside you now, close enough that his shoulder brushed yours lightly. Then, without even asking, he handed you a fresh drink.
Your usual order. Exactly the way you liked it.
The realization hit your chest softly.You hadnât even asked. Logan simply knew.
The guy beside you glanced awkwardly between both of you before immediately deciding he wanted absolutely no part in whatever was happening.
âUh⊠Iâm gonna go find my friends.â
âProbably smart,â Dean muttered while passing by. You almost laughed. Once the guy disappeared into the crowd, you looked down at the drink in your hand.
ââŠYou already got this for me?â
Logan looked confused by the question.
His brows furrowed slightly like the answer shouldâve been obvious.
âYou always want this at parties.â
The words came naturally. Easy. Automatic. Like memorizing your habits had become second nature to him. And somehow, that hurt your heart a little.
Because even after the argument, Logan still noticed everything about you. Then he caught the look on your face.
You shook your head softly, hiding your smile behind the cup.
âNothing.â Logan narrowed his eyes suspiciously but gently guided you away from the kitchen anyway. Away from the crowd. Away from the noise.
The hallway was quieter. Not silent, exactly.
You could still hear the bass vibrating faintly through the walls, muffled laughter echoing from downstairs, the occasional shout from the living room.
But it felt private enough. For the first time all week, it was just the two of you. Logan leaned back lightly against the wall, watching you carefully.
ââŠYou know that was obvious, right?â you asked.
âI donât know what you mean.â
âYou literally rescued me.â
âHe was annoying me.â
Your eyes narrowed slightly as you slightly grin.
Logan looked personally offended.
âYou absolutely are.â
âIâm experiencing mild emotional distress.â
The laugh escaped you before you could stop it. And immediately, Loganâs entire expression softened.
He missed that sound. Missed you.
Even when youâd been right in front of him all week. His gaze lingered on your face for another second before turning quieter.More careful.
âIâm sorry.â The teasing disappeared completely. âFor forgetting you.â
Your smile faded slightly. The memory of sitting alone at the rink returned immediately. Cold benches. Empty parking lot. Checking your phone over and over.
âI know,â you said softly. Logan swallowed.
âNo, seriously. I felt horrible.â
There was no defensiveness in his voice. No excuses. Just guilt. Logan stepped a little closer.
âI kept thinking about you waiting there alone."
Your chest tightened slightly.
âI didnât mean to hurt you.â
You looked down at your drink for a second before sighing quietly. âI think what annoyed me most is that I knew you didnât do it on purpose.â
âYouâre justâŠâ You huffed softly. âAn idiot sometimes.â Logan let out a startled laugh.Â
âYou make me worry and then show up looking sad enough to qualify for a medical diagnosis.â
âOnly because the love of my life ignored my texts.â
Your eyes widened slightly. Logan froze. Then immediately pointed at you.
âYou heard nothing.â A smile finally broke fully across your face. âOh my god.â
âIâm taking it back.â
âYou literally called meââ
You laughed again, softer this time. And Logan looked visibly relieved hearing it. Like your laughter physically reset something inside him.
âI hate when youâre upset with me,â he admitted quietly.
The honesty in his voice melted the last bit of tension sitting stubbornly in your chest.
âYou looked miserable all week,â you admitted.
âThatâs because I was miserable all week.â
Your eyes met again. And suddenly the distance between you didnât feel sharp anymore. Just warm. Familiar. Safe.
Loganâs hand brushed yours carefully. Tentative. Like he still wasnât sure if he was forgiven yet. This time, you let your fingers curl around his. The relief on his face was immediate.
âOkay,â Logan murmured softly. âI think weâre healing.â You laughed quietly.
Unfortunately, that was the exact moment Dean appeared.
His eyes immediately dropped toward your joined hands. Then he grinned. Pure evil. Before either of you could react, Dean shoved lightly against your shoulder.
You stumbled forward with a startled sound straight into Logan. And instinctively, your lips pressed against his. Everything froze.
Logan went completely still. Your brain short-circuited instantly. Dean looked thrilled.
âNice one!â Garrett yelled somewhere nearby.
ââŠHuh? Wait what? What is going onâ
You pulled back slightly. Logan stared at you like his soul had physically left his body.
ââŠYou just kissed me publicly,â he said weakly. You almost laughed.
Then, before you could overthink it, you leaned up again and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek.
Deliberate this time. Confirmation. The room erupted immediately.
âFinally!â Garret shouted. Dean looked unbearably smug. Tucker pointed aggressively.
âYou guys were datin!?â Tucker looked genuinely distressed. âSince when?!â
âNine months,â Garrett answered immediately. Tucker whipped around.
âYes,â Dean said. âWe all knew.â
Garrett pointed at Logan.
âHe literally stared at her like she personally invented happiness.â
âI thought he just supported women.â
âApparently,â Dean replied. Meanwhile Logan still looked stunned. But slowly, a grin spread across his face. Warm. Disbelieving. Completely in love. Then he looked down at you softly.
âThis means I can hold your hand in public now, right?â
"Huh?" Tucker still on the background looking shocked as he watch both of you from afar.
You laughed. And Logan immediately took that as a yes. He grab your drink before he pull you by your waist with his free hand as he lean in to kiss on your lips.
Of course, you kissed back.
For the first time all night, Logan kissed you without worrying who was watching as he smile through your lips and honestly, Tuckerâs crisis in the background only made it better.
âYou lie to me for nine months!â Tucker yelled.
âTechnically,â Dean said calmly, ânobody asked you.â
Garrett looked genuinely offended. âNot good ones.â
Tucker pointed aggressively at Logan. âYou carried her skate guards!â
âThat was your evidence?â Logan asked.
âI thought you were being supportive!â
âHe looked at her like she hung the moon,â Garrett said.
Tucker gasped dramatically. "Oh my god that's why he was miserable!"
Dean snorted. âCongratulations. Youâve reached consciousness.â
âWe know,â Dean replied warmly.
Everyone turned. Jules stood near the kitchen holding a drink, looking completely unbothered.
Logan blinked. âWhat?â
You immediately covered your face with your hands. Oh no.
Jules shrugged casually. âThere was a condom wrapper left in our couch last month.â
Silence. Garrett choked. Dean folded in half laughing instantly. Tucker looked like his soul physically exited his body.
Logan went completely rigid. âThere was a what!?â
âRelax,â Jules said. âAt least youâre safe.â
"First of all how did you even know that was mine?! It could possibly have been dean!"
"Facts" Dean said as he shrugged
âHonestly,â she continued thoughtfully, âthe real crime was thinking you two were subtle.â
Dean wiped tears from his eyes. âThank you!"
Tucker still looked devastated.
ââŠI canât believe the condom solved the mystery before I did.â