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"Logey-berry? Are you alright, honey?" Patton's words cut through the thick fog of Logan's mind as his head snapped in his boyfriend's direction, their eyes meeting. The insistent beating of his heart only seemed to increase feverishly, Logan's hand settled on the pocket containing very precious cargo, unmoving.
"Me? I'm perfectly fine. I'm simply excited for this evenings activity," Logan answered, his voice steady, even. Much steadier than he was actually feeling, and luckily enough for it to seem believable. Patton smiled at that, reaching over to grasp his boyfriend's hand, lacing their fingers together.
"I'm excited too! I can't wait, it's gonna be so much fun. I can't believe you got us reservations to such a fancy-smancy restaurant, considering what a reserved guy you are," Patton joked, nudging his elbow into Logan and earning a light groan in response. "Eh, not my best material. But seriously, hon, thank you. This place sounds so wonderful, and this car is so cool! I've never been in a limo before," Patton spoke eagerly, gesturing to the vehicle they were sitting in with a bright smile.
"Of course, Patton. I'm glad that you're enthusiastic about tonight. Showing you a good time really is something I should do more often." Patton shook his head, leaning closer to press a quick kiss to his boyfriend's cheek, earning, even after all of this time, a light blush from its recipient.
"Nonsense, silly. You show me a good time just by being around. But really, I feel like this is pretty out of the norm for us. I'm not forgetting something, am I? There's no special occasion that I'm failing to remember, is there? I know I can be a bit of a scatter-brain sometimes." Logan had to force himself to swallow down the uneasiness he was suddenly gripped by, settling for a bit of a forced smile as he gave Patton's hand a squeeze.
"Negatory, you haven't forgotten anything. I just thought that perhaps you deserved some special treatment." A smile settled onto Patton's face as he laid his head on Logan's shoulders, his eyes trained on the window as he watched the buildings pass by, the sun beginning to set.
"Aww, you're too sweet to me, Lo-Lo. I love you so much." Logan let out a sigh, his mind racing as he silently prayed that his irrational anxieties would ease up a bit before the evening was through.
"I love you too," he said, shutting his eyes for just a moment, taking in the motion of the car and allowing his mind to wander.
Before meeting Patton, Logan had prided himself in the lack of his need for emotional connection. Sure, he had a few companions who he was close with and he and his family got along as fine as any could, but he found himself lacking the usual need to have others present around him, epically that of romance. The fact that so many individuals felt the obligation to be tied down to a partner to spend so much of their time with and exhort so much valuable energy sounded positively exhausting. There were so many other things that people could be doing, but instead, for some mundane reason, they chose to consume their time with a said person or persons. He just didn't understand it. How was it that a perfectly functional individual could feel such an urgency to have someone with them constantly, in many instances a person that they met purely for the reason of starting some sort of a romantic relationship. Never had he felt this desecrate need, and most of the time, he was content in the thought that he never would.
His friend Roman, someone who he had been linked to since childhood and was widely different from himself, though their friendship was something he did not mind, explained his reasoning on the matter.
"It's finding your other half," Roman had explained with a certain poetic charm to his voice, as he was always one with a flair for the dramatic, "The person that you want to spend the rest of your life with. It's the person that understands you the best out of anyone, and you understand them. It's something so incredibly beautiful, hard to define but once you have it, you never want to let it go. It's someone you want near you all of the time because they complete you and make you feel whole inside. That, my friend, is love."
This explanation did very little for Logan at the time. None of this made sense to him; not once had he ever felt this way. He couldn't fathom how someone could think that another person could be attributed to "their other half." After all, everyone was a whole person, they were not an incomplete human who needed to search out human connection to feel sustained. In fact, he knew some people who didn't have partners and were perfectly happy with platonic relationships. He received pleasure from his career as a high school chemistry teacher as well as the relationships he had with his friends and family, it didn't seem like he could need much else to feel fulfilled. In the moment, he had chalked up Roman's behavior to his flamboyantly extra personality as well as the fact that he was currently in a relationship with his then-boyfriend, and now-husband, Virgil.
But now that he looked back on it years in the future he couldn't help himself, latching onto every single word Roman had said.
Patton and Logan's paths had crossed at a party of all places. Normally Logan didn't attend parties of any kind, they simply weren't his scene, but this was a special occasion. It was the celebration of Roman and Virgil's engagement, something Logan had no choice but to attend. He really did care for his friend and Virgil had become an important person in his life and one he was thankful to have. Though his understanding of love was lacking at best, he did know that it was important to celebrate with them and take joy in their happiness.
The shindig wasn't too jampacked with people, as it was held at Roman and Virgil's apartment, but it was still individuals Logan was not familiar with, many of which being Roman's friends from theater, yet another facet of society he did not understand. Though Logan prided himself on his indulgence and use of Logic, his social-skills were certainly something that could use work, and he found himself feeling much like a fish out of water, crammed into a corner with a drink in his hand as he watched his companions socialize, leaving him to his thoughts.
That night Logan received a surprise he never could have been anticipating and one that would change the course of his life forevermore.
"Hiya! Whatcha doing here all alone? That's no fun. How's about I keep you company. I'm Patton!" Logan had locked eyes with what was possibly the most beautiful person in the entirety of the world, he was fairly sure he had scientific proof to back up said claim. His hair was a rich Carmel, his stature slightly shorter than that of Logan himself. His face was smattered with a generous helping of freckles and he wore eyeglasses, looking to be the same pair that Logan owned, actually. His smile was brighter and more inviting then he was aware a person could be, and his eyes seemed to hold more stars than the universe could contain.
Logan, upon seeing this bubbly young man, had been stricken, for what seemed like the first time ever, completely speechless. His face had gone red and hot within a matter of seconds and his hands had felt strangely clammy. For a moment Logan considered the possibility that perhaps he had fallen ill, taking to note the number of symptoms he was suddenly harboring. He even considered warning this beautiful man who'd said his name was – Patton, yes that was it. Now, why did it sound like the most pleasant name Logan had ever heard? – that there was a chance that he was sick and that he did not wish to get him ill as well.
Logan had never felt this sensation in all of his life and it felt as though an alien force had hijacked his system. No single human person had ever seemed so captivating, and not once had he been left in such a remorseful state. Regaining his bearings had not been easy considering he had realized how long he'd been gawking at this man, snapping out of it and ignoring the idea that he was ill because that was ridiculous, he hadn't felt this way minutes ago, and announcing that though Patton could join him, he may not find him all that interesting. At this Patton had expressed that that was ridiculous, and he was sure he and Logan could get along just fine.
Throughout the chore of that evening, the two discussed a great many things, being more social with this perfect stranger than Logan was with most people in general. He found out that Patton was also a teacher, though he taught elementary, kinder and first grade. In all honesty, he had a great deal of respect for someone who could work so well with young children, his high schoolers were much mellower and at a mature level than the students, Patton taught. He also learned that Patton had a deep affection for making puns, something Logan had always found irritating, though when Patton made them they seemed to be far more tolerable for whatever reason.
By the time Logan arrived home he had Patton's phone number and a dopy smile he couldn't seem to wipe off his face. Though he may not have been aware of it, Logan was smitten from the start, and Patton was just as star struck by Logan. The pair became fast friends, much to the amusement of Virgil and Roman, who could see their affection for one another grow by the day. The spent many a day together, relishing in each other's company and becoming fonder friends, though they were both plagued with incessant bouts of ignorance.
Logan had many doubts about the nature of his feelings. They felt so foreign and strange, unlike anything he had ever previously experienced, he oftentimes wondered if he was even himself anymore, getting lost in the beautiful lines of Patton's face and the gleam of his smile. Getting caught up in his bubbly laugh and sunny-disposition that on anyone else, would seem cheesy. But not on Patton, god no. Though he wouldn't admit it, Logan found Patton exquisitely close to perfection, and the person he wanted to be with all of the time. One he'd actually navigated his feelings was when the doubt had crept in from all sides. The foolish belief that Patton could never see him as anything more than a friend blinded him, making him feel sick inside, and so he kept quiet about his growing admiration for his friend.
Patton's doubts were similar in the sense that he too thought that his friend could only see him as a platonic part of his life. Logan being interested in him seemed positively out of the question. How could someone so intelligent, so beautifully brilliant and incredibly gifted see him as anything but a friend? Patton was content with their friendship, and Logan was too, but mutually they pinned for one another, longing for something greater.
Luckily for the both of them, Virgil and Roman had become impatient with their lovesick pals, and the married couple had hinted at the others' feelings, expressing that it was about time they got a move on and got to smooching.
When it actually came down to the confessions, they were award and stumbling, words being tripped over and eyes more or less a little teary, but it had all been for the best. The two of them had already been so entangled in their love for one another. Loan's mind and heart were suddenly swamped with unprecedented amounts of overwhelmingly positive emotion – it was quite a lot to take in, but despite everything, with time he embraced it fully.
They grew and changed together over the four years they dated, strengthening as people as well as a couple. Through being with him, Logan had learned so much about Patton as well as himself, and he had come to learn that his life had never been so fulfilling. In turn, he'd also realized that despite how different things were then he ever thought they would be, Logan couldn't imagine living any other way, in fact, he couldn't stomach the idea of going back to how things had been before he met Patton. That's what tonight was all about, after all.
When the pair made it to the restaurant Patton was in awe to say the very least. The building was gorgeous, embodying some old-world charm and remaining far classier than most restaurants he had recalled ever going to and the food was absolutely delicious. He was a bit wary about the high cost, but Logan had expressed that it was no issue and that he didn't mind spending a little more on him.
Though Logan had tried incredibly hard to remain calm and not get ahead of himself, even someone as he couldn't help but be a nervous wreck, fumbling with his words and dropping his utensils multiple times due to shaky hands. And of course, it didn't take Patton all that long to realize there was something the matter.
"Lo-Lo? Are you alright?" Patton asked after a long beat of silence. Logan felt his face go flush as his eyes met Patton's sympathetic ones. He patted his pocket and took a deep, nervous breath grabbing for Patton's hand.
"Patton, dear. I'm afraid I haven't been altogether truthful with you," he spoke, voice a bit shaken. Patton quirked a concerned eyebrow, his gaze softening.
"What're you talking about?" Logan cleared his throats, trying to calm the incessant nervousness that crowded his thoughts.
"Darling, there's a reason that I brought you here tonight. I just couldn't tell you until now." Patton's eyes darted around slightly, his expression morphing into one of confusion.
"Why couldn't you tell me? Wait...is this a surprise for something?" Logan took a deep trembling breath, his chair groaning as he pushed it out and let go of Patton's hand, repositioning himself so that he was on one knee in front of his boyfriend.
"You could say that," he said, trying to speak calmer and with more fluidity than he actually felt, his face a deep crimson and voice wobbling. With a tremoring hand, he reached inside of his pocket, retrieving the black velvet box and popping it open to reveal a silver ring with an aquamarine oval encrusted in the middle, two white pearls on either side of it. A couple of nearby restaurant attendees made noises of surprise as they noticed what was going on nearby, but no one's reaction was nearly as important to Logan as Patton himself. His boyfriend gasped loudly, slapping a hand over his mouth, his eyes immediate filling up with tears.
"L-Logan...o-oh...oh m-my god," Patton sputtered suddenly breathless, his heart beating a mile a minute, almost as fast as Logan's.
"Patton I...well I really do hope I can articulate this correctly here," Logan said with a sheepish smile, his eyes locked onto Patton's watery ones, "I must confess I am e-excessively nervous but we're just going to try and p-push on through that regardless. I love you. I love you more than I know how to fully describe and that is probably the most frightening thing I could try and wrap my mind around. Because...I never thought that my life could change so drastically o-or that I could grow so fond of a person. I didn't know that...that I-I could love this easy or that anyone, especially one as kind and t-thoughtful and incredibly as yourself could love me back. B-but I do, and you do too, and it's astounding. Every single day I spend with you I know that it's for the better and that you brighten the world around me. Y-you're the sunshine that I didn't know I needed to keep myself alive and here and...and you make me feel whole. When I'm not around you I feel...l-like I'm missing something, or rather someone. Because, as Roman put it so long ago, you're my other half. I found y-you and your everything I didn't know that I needed."
Logan gasped quietly as he felt slivers of tears pooling in his eyes, realizing how emotional he was becoming. Crying wasn't something that was natural for him, but in the circumstance, it was understandable. Patton's face was now a mess of red with fat hot tears running down his cheeks as he tried to suppress a sniffle, his hand having been removed to expose a shaky smile.
"Lo-Lo...s-sunshine oh my goodness..." Patton could hardly get a sentence out, his strong emotions taking over him.
"Since the night we met I knew you were something special, and now we're here. So, if you see fit," Logan continued, grabbing Patton's hand and lacing their fingers together, "I'd like to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to-to have children and grow o-old with you and take part in all the clichés I never thought would be present in my life because I am so deeply in love with you and a life with you is all I could ever wish for. Patton Foster, would you grant me the utmost honor of becoming my husband?"
Within seconds Patton was nodding up and down as quickly as he could manage, muttering "Yes's" and "I love you's" between his tears. Logan let out a sigh of relief, rising to his feet as Patton joined him in standing and cupping his now-fiancée's face, kissing him deeply. Some of the attendees of the restaurant gave whoops and hollers of congratulation, others clapping, but the happy couple was too caught up in their celebrating to notice. Logan slid the ring on Patton's finger shortly thereafter, tears still very much present underneath both of their spectacles.
The couple went home feeling more content than they had in a long time and so full of love. The rest of the evening was quiet, spent cuddling on the couch watching movies together and sharing chaste kisses. That night they fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms, all of the plans they were gonna make present in their dreams. All was well.
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