Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been two months, fourteen days, seventeen hours, forty-nine minutes, and roughly fifty seconds since Virgil had last seen Logan. He ought to know. He had a timer.

    When Logan had heard he had been picked to be on the next space shuttle headed towards the International Space Station for routine repairs and some observation, Virgil thought his geek of a boyfriend was going to literally explode from the curiosity and excitement. And Virgil didn’t even think that was possible.

    Because Logan? Logan loved his job. He came home every day brimming with stories to tell, invested in the littlest of things. The glimmer in his eyes talking about the filter reset he had assisted with from the ground was the same as the one when he was talking about the new rocket ship being constructed. Virgil looked forward, every day, to the seemingly dull yet eternally amusing story Logan would bring home as he plopped down on the couch or at the table.

    The day he had been chosen, however, had been something entirely different. Virgil had been busy cleaning the house when he had gotten a single text from his boyfriend, asking if he could hug him.

    Confused, Virgil had responded he was welcomed to if he could get to him. He then put his phone away and the random text out of mind.

    Barely a minute had passed before he understood the purpose behind it. He hadn’t even heard the door open before someone was lifting him up from behind, spinning him in a full circle before dropping him again.

    Virgil had barely been set down before he was being turned around, revealing his mysterious spinner to be Logan before he was being twirled around again. This time it was more of a dance, ending when the backs of Logan’s knees hit an armchair and he let them buckle, Logan collapsing onto chair and Virgil onto him. Their faces only inches apart, Logan didn’t hesitate to close the gap and pull Virgil into deep and breathless kiss.

    “Babe, what has gotten into you?” Virgil asked after he had pulled away, Logan grinning almost drunkenly at him. Logan was a relatively emotionless man, showing happiness with an upwards quirk of the lip and sadness with a downturned one. Not that Virgil was complaining about happy-go-lucky Logan, but it was slightly disconcerting to see him so open and giddy.

    “I got the job.” Logan answered, as if that explained everything. His words were breathy as he continued, carefree as a child, “Oh, Virgil, I got the job!”

    “What job?” Virgil pressed, trying to figure out what job could be better than the one Logan already had.

    Logan’s smile somehow grew even wider. It was almost unnerving. “The next trip to the International Space Station, they needed a tech, and they asked me! Virgil, I’m going to be going to the International Space Station! ”

    Virgil took a moment to process the words before he also broke out in a smile. “For real?”

    Logan nodded quickly.

    “You know what that means.” Virgil said, gripping Logan’s arms, now also excited. “You’re going to be an astronaut! I knew four-year-old Logan was onto something.”

    Logan groaned, but he was still smiling. “I still wish I had burned those drawings before my Mother showed them to you.”

    “Burning prophecies is probably blasphemy. She couldn’t do it Lo.” Virgil replied cheekily before continuing, “But, come on, give me details. When do you leave? How long?”

    Virgil internally flinched when Logan’s expression immediately sobered. He sat up a little straighter so they could look at each other better, taking Virgil’s hands in his own. “That’s the one problem. Promise me you won’t hate me?”

    Virgil frowned. “Of course not, Logan. What’s wrong?”

    “We leave in a month.” Logan started. “And we’ll be up there for three months.”

    “Okay?” Virgil responded, trying to decide where his hatred was supposed to come in. “I mean, I’ll miss you of course, but this is such a big opportunity-”

    Logan shook his head slightly. “I’m worried about that, too, but… Virgil, I’ll miss our two-year anniversary.”

    Virgil’s eyes widened at the realization. “You will. Oh.”

    “Oh?” Logan repeated, unsure. “Is that your only reaction?”

    “Well, I mean… it’ll suck, sure, but Lo, this is the sort of chance that comes once in a lifetime. Hell, taking this trip might lead to more excursions into the final frontier for you. I’m not going to ask you to lose all that for one anniversary.”

    “Are you sure?” Logan pressed. “I don’t mind staying if you want me to.”

    Virgil laughed. “Logan, you just came in here and spun me. Twice. I’ve never seen you that happy over something ever. I’d be a pretty awful boyfriend if I wanted you to stay.”

    Logan smiled again and pulled Virgil into another kiss. “You are the most wondrous companion I could be forced to go through life with.”

    “So wordy.” Virgil replied with another laugh before he pushed himself off the chair, dragging Logan up with him. “Now come on. I’ve got a month to spoil you. Crofter’s and waffles for dinner?”

    “That is incredibly unhealthy.”

    “I doubt they’ll let you have Crofter’s in space.”

    “...Crofter’s and waffles for dinner sounds great.” Logan conceded after a thoughtful pause.

    Virgil pecked a kiss to Logan’s cheek with a smile. “I knew it would.”

    That had been over three months ago. Thinking about how broadly Logan had smiled all through that night, Virgil felt a pang of longing in his heart. Not that it was anything new. He had been having those since he had let go of Logan two months, fourteen days, seventeen days, fifty-one minutes, and roughly twenty-six seconds ago.

    Today, that pang was joined by the haphazard jolt of anxiety. Today was their anniversary, and it was finally dark enough Virgil stood a chance to see the Station. He was parked in the middle of a forest, sitting in a small clearing in the trees while he fiddled with Logan’s telescope. Out here, the chance of light pollution obscuring his view of the space above was much lower.

    He had a small table set up next to the telescope, holding the propped up timer, a pen, four backup pens, and a Morse code cheat sheet. Logan had told him he’d need the sheet.

    For now, however, Virgil was just watching the Station as it came into view, knowing they’d only have a few minutes before it was gone again- four minutes and thirty-eight seconds, to be exact.

    Everything seemed normal enough to Virgil as he adjusted the eyepiece again. Suddenly, all the lights on the outside of the Station flickered off. They came back on a moment later, but instead of remaining solid or blinking periodically, they continued to flicker, sometimes waiting only a second before turning off again, sometimes three.

    To the casual observer, it probably looked like the Station was malfunctioning. Virgil, on the other hand, was busy scribbling down the dots and dashes. The message was simple- ‘I love you’- but Virgil was okay with that. It meant worlds to him.

    And it gave him even more time for his own message.

    Taking a deep breath, Virgil pressed the button on the laser attached to the side of the telescope. It wasn’t a big laser, but it was powerful- it had taken a lot to get a light source visible to the International Space Station, but it had all been worth it. The small pack attached to it was ordering it’s blinks and pauses. The pace it set to send the signals was fast, so that Virgil could send it all before Logan was out of sight, but that was okay. Virgil knew it wasn’t too fast for his boyfriend.

    For a solid minute, there was no response. Virgil’s worry only grew as he checked the timer, knowing they only had a few seconds left before Logan would be out of sight. He knew there was a chance Logan hadn’t expected him to respond, that he wouldn’t have caught the message, but Virgil had asked one of the men going up with Logan to make sure he saw. He had to hope the crew member had delivered on his promise to do so. 

Then, just as the Station was bordering the edge of the telescope’s sight, Virgil caught a flurry of light flashes. They weren’t as even as the first message had been, the timing no longer perfectly on the dot, and Virgil missed the end of the response.

But the ‘Y-E’ he had gotten told him enough.

~~

Virgil squeezed his arms, his open hand tapping fingers against his arm while the other remained tightly grasped around a small, velvety box. He had been standing outside of the release building for fifteen minutes, and every second that Logan didn’t come out the doors just made him even more anxious.

In Logan’s defense, however, Virgil was fifteen minutes early.

But after three months, two days, nine hours, eleven minutes, and roughly thirty-seven seconds of not so much as seeing his boyfr- his fiancé, he’d rather be anxious with a chance of seeing him one minute sooner than on time.

Logan, being so predictably Logan, however, was pushing open the door exactly on the dot of the hour, duffle bag over his shoulder, looking around. He spotted Virgil just as the nervous wreck was flinging himself into his arms, knocking the two of them onto the ground.

He pulled the space nerd into a kiss as passionate as the one from four months ago, curling tightly around Logan as he did so, before Virgil moved to stuff his face in the crook of Logan’s neck.

“I missed you.” He admitted, the words muffled.

Logan chuckled, the way his chest moved up and down with the action not nearly familiar enough. “I missed you too.”

Silence reigned the conversation for a minute, neither of them wanting to get up as they remained tangled together on the ground. Finally, clearing his throat, Logan continued, “I, uh, got your message.”

Virgil smiled. “I got both of yours.”

“I- I fear they are not ample given the weight of your own.” Logan said, stumbling over his words. “Yours...Virgil- I’m honored to- no, I’m blessed- no, I... “ He cut himself off before saying in a tone of awe equal to that of him talking of the discovery of a new planet, “We’re going to be married.”

“Yep.”

“And I’m going to be your husband.”

“Yep.”

“And- and you’re going to be mine.”

“That is how this whole marriage thing works.”

“I’m not sure I deserve being married to someone as wondrous as you are.” Logan said quietly.

“Well, you said I deserve the best, right?” Virgil asked, moving his head so he could look at Logan. The geek had a look in his eyes that suggested he wasn’t looking at Virgil, but instead a flurry of stars. Virgil wondered if he had a similar expression. “So that’s what I’m getting.”

A faint blush rose in Logan’s cheeks before he kissed Virgil again. They were broken up when the door to the building beside them opened and the person exiting made a sound of disgust. “Get a room.”

Logan glared over Virgil at the man standing over them, smirking. “Like you and Damien haven’t done worse.”

“At least it’s not where everyone can see.”

“You two were caught shirtless in the hallway last week!”

The man crossed his arms defensively. “That’s an entirely different matter.”     “Is it really, Roman?”

Roman huffed. “I did not come out here to be attacked.”

“Then why did you come out here?” Logan asked. “You’re supposed to be patrolling HQ right now.”

“I’m… not going to ask how you know my rounds.” Roman responded before pulling a thumb drive out of his pocket. “Patton gave this to me. Says it’s something Virgil requested? Assuming you’re Virgil, and Logan’s not just smooching a stranger into the ground.”

“Because that really seems like something I’d do.”

“Yes, I’m Virgil.” Virgil said before the two could keep bickering. “Tell Patton thanks, would you?”

Roman rolled his eyes as he handed over the thumbdrive. “I’m not a messenger boy.”

“You are now.” Logan replied. “Go be a messenger.”

The security-guard-turned-messenger-boy shook his head but headed off regardless. Once he was gone, Logan quirked an eyebrow at Virgil. “What’s on the thumbdrive?”

“I’ll tell you later.” Virgil responded, pushing himself up slightly. “We should probably get going before Roman comes back to mock us anymore.”

“Agreed.” Logan said, standing up with Virgil. He paused as he hefted his duffle up, looking at the box in Virgil’s hand. “What’s that?”

Virgil glanced at the box in his hand, surprised he could have forgotten, flushing slightly in embarrassment. “Oh uh… here.” He more or less crammed it into Logan’s hand, looking down. “It’s probably kind of stupid but… I think you’ll like it.”

Logan still looked confused, but he opened the box regardless. His eyes widened when he saw what was within- a silver ring, inset with three dark blue sapphires in the center. Around the left half of it was etched a handful of simple, five-point stars; around the right, seven little pinpoints clustered together.

“Pleiades?” He asked, quietly. Virgil nodded.

“Look on the inside.”

Logan turned the ring, finding words etched on the interior.

“I am in bed alone with you.”

“It’s, uh, Sappho’s Midnight Poem.” Virgil explained as Logan stared at the etching. “Which is a little stupid I guess, actually the line is really cheesy but… I felt like it fit.”

Logan slipped the ring on his finger. “It does.” He said factually, but he was smiling softly.

Virgil chuckled and wiped at his eyes, trying to dispel the happy tears before they could fall. “You’re an absolute dork.”

“You just gave me a constellation ring.”

“Shut up.” Virgil replied, fighting a smile. “I just got it so I could re-propose to you at a bunch of restaurants and get free desserts.”

Logan frowned. “But your anxiety…”

“You’re cute when you’re worried.” Virgil responded. “Besides, if it means I can propose to you another ten times, it’ll be worth it.”

“Do you even know ten restaurants you want to propose at?”

“Nah but I figure we can make it up as we go along.” Virgil said. “I was thinking we see how many people are disgusted by me trying to propose in McDonalds first.”

Logan laughed. “Sounds satisfactory.”

“Great.” Virgil said before stealing another kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Logan replied without hesitation, taking Virgil’s hand in his own. “Shall we try and get our free McFlurry now?”

“Only marrying you would make me happier.” Virgil said as they started to walk towards the parking lot. Logan chuckled softly.

“Good thing you get both, then.”

Chapter Text

Patton giggled as he turned on the camera, pushing Logan to keep looking out the window. He wasn’t sure exactly what Virgil was planning, but when Logan’s boyfriend had pulled him aside before the launch, he had sounded panicky as he made Patton swear to keep Logan looking out the window, and to capture the moment.

Logan squinted out the window, trying to figure out what Patton wanted him to see before scrabbling to grab a pen, beginning to jot dots and dashes on his arm, keeping his gaze focused through the window.

Finished, he started to go back over the long line across his arm, filling in the letters. Patton scooted closer behind him, focusing the camera on the words.

“There’s only one person I want to be forced to go through life with.

Logan Silva, marry me?”

Patton placed a hand over his mouth as Logan finished the message. He looked it over, as if he hadn’t been reading it as he wrote it. The other man’s eyes widened big enough Patton was tempted to make a joke about him needing to put his space helmet on before they popped out. He decided it wasn’t the time.

Logan went mostly limp, slowly falling backwards and floating away from the window, expression frozen in shock. Patton moved over to him, poking his face but receiving no response.

“Logan? Logan, what’s your answer?” Patton asked, pretty sure he already knew what it was, but wanting to be sure. They’d be out of sight from earth quickly. Patton didn’t want Virgil stuck waiting for a response until the end of the month.

The love-struck astronaut ignored him, however, looking at his arm again. “Yes. A million times yes.” He whispered towards the words, as if Virgil was there. Keeping the camera trained on Logan, Patton waved at the other astronaut.

“Quickly!! Send yes!”

They stumbled to do as they were told, glancing at the chart attached to the wall by logan himself as they fumbled out a response. They turned back to Patton after a moment. “I think he got it.”

Patton nodded. “Good!” He turned back towards Logan, grinning. “Hear that Lo? You’re officially engaged to Virgil!”

Logan mumbled something incoherent, but from the silly smile that was starting to grow on his lips, Patton decided he was fully aware of what had just happened.