I'll Protect You (Original Version)

Sweaters are appealing. Not shoulders.

My lovely bodyguard stared at his new wardrobe in absolute disbelief. Again and again he shuffled through all the new sweaters, jeans, t-shirts, jumpers, long sleeves and guy cardigans, his mouth hanging open, occasionally muttering the usual, "What the hell?" phrase.

"Sparrow, what the hell is this?" he asked, pulling out a white t-shirt of some brand company. Their names were stamped across the material, and nothing else was there. Why was Cross so upset?

"A t-shirt."

"I don't wear t-shirts. They're sloppy, unprofessional and ugly," he snapped. "There's a reason why I only wear dress shirts. It makes me look neat and experienced."

"Experienced in what, committing fashion crimes? You're, what, seventeen, eighteen? Look like one," I retorted. "If you keep wearing those stupid dress shirts your whole life, your enemies are going to start making jokes about you. 'Oh, you're going up against Logan Cross? The one who never wears anything but dress shirts?' I swear, that is how you will lose your undercover persona. Because you'll be the only guy who keeps dress shirts in his closet."

Logan scoffed haughtily before putting all of his dress shirts back into the suitcase. I had come over early this morning, six hours before our flight, my arms full of shopping bags while my hips towed my purple suitcase.

Then I had destroyed Logan's own suitcase and filled it with more appropriate clothes for a summer in Cimeria. And he had spent 3 hours sleeping after I woke him up, and another 2 hours eating and glaring at me, demanding to know why I kept the key. And an hour rummaging through his new clothes, unable to comprehend what was going on.

"I don't care what people think of me," he informed me while he rolled up his ties.

"So...you wouldn't mind if I thought you were a very dull person? That it seems like you're the worst person to have conversation with? That your personality is boring and would never leave a strong impression? That your soul is totally blank and empty? Great! I think Logan Cross is about the most unimpressive guy that I will ever come across with."

"You're pushing it, Sparrow."

"You shouldn't invite him to places. He'll just rain on everyone's parade. He preaches with boring speeches that would make me want to shoot my mind out," I continued loudly, noticing how his hands clamped the hems of his shirts while he bit his lip, almost as if he was reminding himself why he had to put up with this.

"Being his girlfriend was the worst decision I ever made. What in the world made me say yes to that unoriginal boy?"

"Alright!" he shouted. And, all of a sudden, he pushed me against the wall by his door before slamming the wood shut and glaring into my eyes. I could smell his freshly applied cologne--courtesy to me, since I was the one that ran around his room, spraying him with the contents of the room every chance I got.

"Don't. Call. Me. Boring," he growled. "And what do you mean by the worst decision you ever made was dating me?"

"That's what sent you over the edge? What about the part wiith your soul being blank or that you make me want to shoot my brains out?" I inquired, peering at him with suspicious eyes. "But you're telling me that you find it offensive when I tell you being your girlfriend sucks?"

He blushed and hurriedly averted his eyes, muttering about how I should just drop the subject. As if I would. Park Sparrow has just recently discovered a way to make Logan Cross blush. Like she'd give up that chance.

"You don't outburst about your personality, but you freak out about your relationship with me? What does that mean?" I pondered, an impish spark lighting up in my smile. Logan panicked and backed away from me, stuttering over syllables as he tried to get his reply out.