Chapter Text
“You are glowing.”
Logan looked up from his phone over at Nana, who was grinning at him. His gaze dropped down to the group chat he and he boyfriends used. There wasn’t a lot of words in the most recent texts, just a lot of hearts and a picture Virgil took of Roman and Patton cuddling on the couch.
Self consciously, Logan ran a hand over his cheeks. He felt a little bad for not talking so much, especially since Kris and Thomas left to visit their friends about an hour ago.
“Am I?” he asked.
Nana nodded before taking a sip of her tea. “I thought you looked happy when you brought Virgil to Kristie's wedding,” she said. “But now, you look… Well, you look-”
She looked away out towards the window, her smile just a touch melancholy. “You look like your father,” she said. “When he looked at your mother.”
Logan’s heart clenched. But that was all. Before he met all of his soulmates, those words would have sent him into a spiral. He would have panicked. Been afraid. Been terrified of losing them. But now he just felt… Nostalgic? The word did not seem right, but it was the closest he could come.
“You love them very much, don’t you?” Nana asked, turning back to him.
“More than anything,” he answered automatically before flushing. “I do not think that words can describe what I feel for them.”
“I was the same way with your grandfather,” she said. She paused, contemplative. “You know, I was always afraid when I was a kid.”
Logan blinked at his grandmother. He could not imagine Dorothy Sanders being afraid of anything . Logan recalled a moment when she had used a rake to scoop up a snake and deposit him elsewhere. She killed spiders for Thomas, even the big ones that sometimes freaked Logan out a bit too. His Nana just laughed, “Don’t look so surprised, hun. Even I get afraid sometimes.”
“I apologize. I am just curious.”
“I grew up without a soulmate,” Nana said with a shrug. “In a world where that was very much not okay. You can’t even imagine what your grandfather and I had to do just to get married.”
Logan had never even thought about that. Marriage had not always been an option for non-soulmate couples; it was a law passed in 1956 that legalized it in America. He never really considered that it had affected Nana and Grandpa. “We were the first non-soulmate couple to get married in Washington,” Nana continued. “Took it all the way to the Supreme Court.”
Logan did not bother to hide his surprise. Then he narrowed his eyes at her. “Why are you telling me this?”
Nana reached across the table and patted Logan’s hand. “The world has changed, Loganberry, but people are still going to try and invalidate your relationship. They’re going to do it for the rest of your life. But you are going to change so many minds. All of you.”
Logan opened his mouth to respond when the doorbell rang. Nana smiled and if Logan was not mistaken, she looked borderline conspiratorial. “Why don’t you get the door?” she said before she pushed back and to Logan’s bafflement, started making more tea. Was she expecting guests?
“Okay,” he muttered.
He answered the door slowly, not bothering to check out the window or peephole. Redwood was a small town and he was sure he would recognize anyone on the other side. And then he stopped cold.
His three boyfriends were all grinning at him on the other side of the door. “Hiya, Lo-lo,” Patton exclaimed before he launched forward.
Logan caught him in a hug only by instinct. Virgil offered a shy wave and Roman planted his hands triumphantly on his hips. “You said you wanted us to come with!” Roman said loudly.
Logan did not know what to say, finding himself at a complete loss for words. His chest and throat felt tight. Patton nuzzled his cheek with a giggle. “Happy birthday, Logan!” he whispered.
“Who’s at the door, Loganberry?” Nana called from the kitchen with a knowing tone.
Oh that witch . Logan would bet anything that Thomas and Kris had been in on this as well. “Are you okay, L?” Virgil asked.
Logan did not understand why he was asking until Patton pulled back and wiped away the tears from his cheeks. “Yes,” he said with a bitten off sob. He smiled at his three soulmates. “I am more than alright.”
He didn’t protest when his other two soulmates also pulled him into one large group hug. He just buried his face into Roman’s shoulder and allowed himself to be enveloped.
“Loganberry!” Nana’s shout came from inside the house. “Are you going to introduce me to your boyfriends or what?”
Roman and Patton giggled while Logan rolled his eyes. His gaze met Virgil’s over Roman’s shoulder and Virgil smiled. “I see Mrs. Sanders is as chipper as ever,” Virgil said.
“ You ,” Logan hissed though there was no malice behind his words. “You told her.”
Virgil raised his hands, gloveless, with a smirk. “I didn’t plan on us showing up unannounced.”
“I did!” Roman exclaimed.
Patton raised a hand sheepishly, “I was the one that decided we should tell Tomothy and Kris.”
Logan decided to let the “Tomothy” thing slide, just this once. Instead, he laced his fingers together with Patton’s. Roman and Virgil were already holding hands, he noted, and as much as he’d like to hold one of their hands as well, there wasn’t much practicality in trying to shuffle through the door like that. So he just gripped Patton’s a little tighter, as if by some weird soulmate dynamic, that it would spread to Roman and Virgil as well.
“I suppose I should introduce you to Nana.”
“You’ll love her,” Virgil said to Patton and Roman.
And she was going to love them too. Logan smiled fondly at his soulmates before leading them through the door. “Nana,” he called into his childhood home. “These are my soulmates.”
The air was growing warmer, but it was still very chilly in the early morning when they all woke up to go to their destination. Logan and Thomas’s birthday was tomorrow, but there was one tradition of coming to Redwood that Logan would never let go, even with his soulmates here.
Logan pressed in a bit closer to Roman than usual as the four of them passed through the gates to the cemetery. Virgil and Patton were a step behind them, leaning into each other tiredly. They’d all stayed up way too late the night before, though Logan honestly blamed Roman more than anything. Patton had declared it the “best slumber party ever” before Roman pointed out that Patton had never had a slumber party. Patton still stood by his statement and Virgil backed him up, even though his only slumber parties had been staying over at a friend’s house after a party.
Logan had to agree though: it had been a wonderful night. They must’ve run through the entirety of the Sanders’s board game collection and watched every Disney movie under the sun before promptly passing out in various places in the living room.
For Logan, that place had been with Virgil on the couch. Logan woke up with his hand in Patton’s, who was curled up on the armchair, and with Virgil’s hand in Roman’s, who was sleeping on the ground. It had been a wonderful way to wake up, even with the ache in his body from sleeping in an unusual position,
But that lovely feeling had immediately sobered up when he remembered their plans for that day.
Logan felt a little silly, honestly, introducing his soulmates to his deceased parents. He did not believe in an afterlife and, if he was honest, did not think that his mother and father would be able to hear the introductions. But this did feel right, he decided as they passed by gravestone after gravestone. It felt like a sort of closure.
He stopped in front of the gravestones he knew so well. The weeds had been pulled and there was a wreath of flowers on each slab of rock. Someone had been there recently, probably Thomas the day before. The two of them rarely came on the same days, which seemed a bit unusual to outsiders. It made perfect sense to Logan. He and Thomas both had very different relationships with their parents’ deaths and very different views about what happened next.
Silence fell over the four of them. Logan did not usually talk when he came to see them. But, for the sake of his soulmates, he forced out a very small, “Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.”
“Hello, Mister and Missus Sanders,” Roman greeted, just as warmly as he spoke to a living human being.
Logan’s cheeks burned. Yes, this all seemed very silly. Patton stepped forward and started to see the bouquets down. He said something to the gravestones very quietly, so quietly that Logan did not hear him. Virgil snorted, immediately flushing when Logan turned to look at him.
“What did you say?” he asked when Patton moved back, snaking a hand into Virgil’s hoodie pocket, where Virgil’s hands were.
Patton gave Logan a cheery smile. “Oh, this and that.”
Logan felt like there was some joke he was not in on. Roman’s grip tightened on his hand as he shuffled closer to Logan. “Are you going to introduce us?” he asked. Logan expected there to be a note of teasing, a hint of laughter. But there was none. He was completely serious.
“Oh, um,” Logan shuffled. “Mom, Dad, these are my soulmates. You have already met Virgil, of course.”
Logan glanced back at Virgil, who gave a small nod and offered a soft smile to Logan. Logan took a breath and continued. He waved his and Roman’s clasped hands a little at the gravestones. “This is Roman Carroll.”
“An unequivocal pleasure,” Roman said with what could only be described as a bow.
Patton came to stand next to Logan, dragging Virgil forward with him. Logan immediately reached for his hand and Patton wasted no time twining their fingers together. “And this is Patton Blumenthal,” Logan said with a bit more confidence. Patton dropped his head on Logan’s shoulder. Logan could feel the lump rising in his throat, his chest tightening. “I love them all very much, Mom and Dad. More than I ever thought possible. And-and-”
He was not sure what else to say. All four of them shuffled in closer together until they were all touching in some way. Logan fought against the sobs starting to build, but they came anyway.
I know that you would love them too .
He did not say it— could not say it—but for some inexplicable reason, he felt as though they had heard him. And for Logan, that was more than enough.
Logan adjusted his tie and looked at himself in the mirror.
Nearly a year had passed since he met Patton and Roman, since all four of them came together. And he had to admit that it had been the happiest year of his life. He suspected that many, many happy years would follow and for once, he was unafraid of the prospect of the future. Of the future he would spend with them by his side.
“I honestly just want to rip that tux off of you,” Roman said as he stepped behind Logan and wound his arms around his waist.
Logan flushed, his words catching in his throat. He did not think he would ever get used to any of this. He did not think he wanted to either. Roman looked completely dashing in his obsidian tux, with a vest so dark red it almost passed for black.
He looked at Roman’s reflection in the mirror and gave him a faint smirk. “You can,” he said before turning around in Roman’s arms and giving him a small shove. “ Later .”
“You two better not being making out without us!” Patton exclaimed as he flung open the door.
Patton’s smile was bright and warm and Logan’s smirk turned much more fond. Patton had opted for the brightest vest out of all of them, of course, a light baby blue that complimented Logan’s navy blue very nicely. Their tuxes were also black, of course, though Logan wore a navy blue tie and Patton a baby blue bowtie.
“We’re going to be late,” Virgil said quietly from behind Patton.
Logan stepped away from Roman, who was looking at Patton and Virgil with utterly starstruck expression. “You cannot wear your hoodie to a wedding,” Logan said as he stepped forward.
Virgil huffed and rolled his eyes. “I was cold, ” he muttered as Logan unzipped his hoodie to reveal a dark violet vest.
Patton bounced across the room, grabbing Virgil’s coat. Roman caught Patton around the waist and started peppering kisses on his face. Logan and Virgil watched them with small smiles. “Did you ever think you’d be this happy?” Virgil asked softly, so softly that the other two didn’t hear over their giggles.
Logan looked over at Virgil, who tore his gaze away from Roman and Patton to look up at him. “No,” Logan answered honestly before he wrapped an arm around Virgil’s waist and pulled him closer. “But I could not ask for anything more.”
Virgil fell into Logan’s kiss without hesitation and Logan did not notice the other two approaching them until Patton clapped his hands together. Logan and Virgil startled away from each other. Patton just smiled at them. “Okay, now we are really going to be late.”
“We’re already planning on being there forty-five minutes beforehand, Pat,” Roman said. “I think we’ll be fine.”
Patton whirled around to point a finger to Roman. “That is where you are wrong, dear Prince Charming.”
“Patton is right,” Logan said as he reluctantly pulled away from Virgil. “I cannot afford to be late.”
“We should probably get a wiggle on then,” Patton said, effectively shoving them all out of the door. He handed Virgil his coat and grabbed the keys and Logan had to admit that he was impressed with Patton’s efficiency today. “Tomothy will likely kill all of us if we make his best man late.”
“You could all just come later,” Logan suggested for the hundredth time since the plans were made.”
“Nonsense!” Roman declared. “We must escort you to the wedding.”
“And we need to make sure we get good seats,” Virgil muttered.
Logan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “What for?”
Virgil gave Roman a little smirk over his shoulder. “To take pictures.”
“ Virgil ,” Roman whined, stomping his foot. “You weren’t supposed to tell him that.”
“What are you taking pictures of?” Logan asked as Patton hurried outside and shut the door.
Patton whirled around with his brightest smile yet. “Of you, of course!” he said, waving the camera he’d gotten for his birthday in front of them. Logan sputtered as Patton raced to the front of their group and latched onto Logan’s hand. “C’mon, let’s get this party started.”
The wedding was inside because it was early December, after all, and nobody felt like freezing during the ceremony. Logan bid farewell to his soulmates, an act that took much longer than it should have, and hurried down the halls of the venue until he found the room he knew Thomas was in.
He was surprised, however, to find the room emptied of everyone except for his twin. Thomas was staring out the window, tugging at the sleeves of his tuxedo. He had not stirred when Logan opened the door.
“Thomas?” Logan called out softly and Thomas turned.
Logan was startled by the sheen over his brother’s eyes. He closed the door and stepped further in, raising his arms in offering. Thomas stepped into his hug without hesitation. “I do not think you are supposed to cry before the wedding,” Logan said, woodenly holding Thomas. He tried to rub up and down Thomas’s spine, but he doubted it helped.
Thomas pulled back with a small wet laugh. He wiped at the tears filling his eyes. “I was just thinking,” he said and Logan understood what was going on.
“About Mom and Dad?” Logan asked as Thomas returned to the window.
Logan went to join him, staring down at the New York City below them. They were not very high up by the city’s standards, but it was still a nice view. “Yeah,” Thomas muttered as he wrung his hands together. “Do you think they’d like Kris?”
Logan peered at Thomas with a raised eyebrow. “Do you believe that they would not?”
“No,” Thomas shook his head. “I think they would, but we’ll never know, will we?”
“No,” Logan said as he turned back to the window. “I do not suppose we will.”
Thomas looked over at Logan with a warm smile. “You know, Loganberry, I’m really happy for you.”
“What?”
Logan’s eyebrows furrowed. Why was Thomas saying this now on the day of his wedding? He should be more concerned with his own happiness at the moment. Thomas just gave a small shake of his head. “I was worried,” Thomas said. “When we were kids. Especially when all of your soulmarks showed up and you just… Shut them away. Anyways, I’m happy for you. That you have people that love and understand you even better than I do. I’m happy that you’re happy.”
Logan could not do anything except for blink at Thomas’s words. It was true. When they were younger, Logan thought that no one could possibly understand him as well as Thomas did. Thomas was always there when he needed him. He always knew what Logan needed, sometimes before Logan did. And even now, Thomas was here , telling Logan that he was happy for him on the day of Thomas’s wedding.
Sometimes ago, Logan would have latched onto Thomas’s words as a sort of lifeline. He would have accepted it as truth because his twin said it, not because he believed it.
But there, in that little hotel room, Logan thought of his soulmates.
He thought of Virgil. Of Virgil singing and playing the guitar, or any of his other instruments. Of Virgil’s long fingers and dark eyes and soft, gentle smiles. Of his light chuckles and unexpected snorts and constant vigilance. Logan thought of the way he made drinks and how he knew what Logan needed and wanted and thought. Of their friendship that had always been something more.
He thought of Patton. Of Patton’s bright smiles, grins that put everyone else’s to shame. Of the unexpected tattoos lining his arms or the way he created entire worlds and stories from nothing but his mind. Of his big blue eyes and the constellation of freckles across his face. He thought of Patton’s hidden depths, how he cared too deeply sometimes. Of how he would always be there to catch Logan when he stumbled and how Logan would always catch him too.
He thought of Roman. Of Roman on stage, too bright, too dramatic, too engaging to be on such a small scale stage. Of how Roman looked at the world straight on with an attitude of someone that could not be stopped. He thought of Roman’s orange-red hair, the strands soft as Logan dragged his hands through it, and of Roman’s green eyes, so green it startled Logan sometimes. Of Roman’s tenacity and strength and stubbornness, of his unexpectedly quick-wit that would always keep Logan on his toes.
And Logan thought of himself. Of a boy once scared to love. Of a man that now loved more fiercely than he ever had. Of how, yes, Logan was completely and utterly happy.
Logan wanted to run back down the stairs and shower his soulmates in kisses. He wanted to tell them how much he loved them, embrace them and hold them and be with them. But instead, he turned to Thomas, who was beaming at him now. Thomas’s smile faltered a bit when Logan reached into his pocket and withdrew a small trinket, a little plastic dinosaur he got as a kid at an arcade. “I believe the term is ‘something borrowed’?”
Thomas laughed and accepted the dinosaur, stuffing it into his pocket. “Thanks, Loganberry.”
“Now,” Logan smiled softly at Thomas. “It is time for you to get married.”
“ Finally ,” Thomas said as they left the room.
Yes, Logan wanted to be with his soulmates every moment of every day.. He wanted to wake next to them and go to sleep with them. He wanted to help them rise and catch them when they fell. He wanted to love them, more ferociously than he had ever loved anyone for the rest of his life.
But right now, Thomas was getting married, and honestly? Logan knew that the four of them had nothing but time.