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Logan whimpers. He feels…just awful. His head hurts, his stomach knotting, his throat burning, his whole-body aching. He knows he should be getting out of bed; knows he needs to be getting ready for school but he just can’t. He pulls the covers back up, a shiver wracking his body.
The last time he felt like this, his foster mom told him being sick was an inconvenience for the whole family. She reminded him that she had to make money to take of him and he was being selfish by wanting to stay in bed. So he went to school. His teacher tried to send him home but he ended up crying and begging her not to call. She understood his situation and let him stay to sleep on the cot in the nurse’s office. He remembers her checking on him, kindly running her hand through his sweaty, fevered hair. He remembers wanting to stay with her but the nurse ended up calling his foster mom at lunch and she came to take him home, yelling at him the whole way.
Logan knows Mr. Patton and Mr. Roman are busy. Mr. Patton works all day at the day care, Mr. Roman working during the day at the town diner and then at the theater in the evenings. He knows they have to work so hard to pay for him and they’re going to be just as mad as his foster mom was if he tells them he doesn’t want to go to school today. A shiver runs through his body triggering a cough making his stomach hurt even more. He has to get up, he has to go to school.
“And voice keeps saying, this where I’m meant to be…”
Mr. Roman’s melodious singing permeates into his room. Normally, Logan enjoys hearing it. It’s leagues better than any other wake up routine he had at his other homes. And honestly, Logan’s pretty sure Mr. Roman’s the best singer he’s ever heard. But today, it makes him cry. He should be brushing his teeth now, Mr. Roman walking in and trying to get him to sing along though he never knows the words. Tears fall slowly down his face. How mad will Mr. Roman be when Logan’s not on schedule? When he has to tell him he can’t go to school?
“I’ll be there some day, if I can be stro—wait. Where are you mini-maestro?”
Logan briefly wonders if he can disappear completely into his blanket. Then Mr. Roman would think he went to school with Mr. Patton (even though Mr. Patton left almost an hour ago).
“Logan! You ready?”
There’s a knock at the door but he doesn’t respond. Maybe if he’s quiet enough Mr. Roman will leave.
“I’m coming in,” Roman sing-songs pushing the door open. He’s beaming ear to ear at first, before he sees Logan. The smile drops and he rushes over, placing his hand on Logan’s bare forehead. He sees Logan’s tears and squats down. “Not feeling so good?”
“I-I am sorry,” Logan coughs, squeezing his eyes closed. He doesn’t want to see Mr. Roman cross with him. Things’ve been so wonderful here, he doesn’t want to mess it up. “I th-thought it would go away.”
“What do you mean go away? How long have you been feeling like this?”
“S-since 2:17 am,” Logan replies slowly opening his eyes and looking right at Mr. Roman, “B-but I-I just k-keep feeling w-worse.”
“2 am? Jeez, Logan,” Roman sighs pulling his hand back. Logan’s definitely warm, fever undoubtedly ravaging his body. Roman slowly begins to run his fingers through Logan’s hair, “You should have told us as soon as you weren’t feeling well.”
Logan can’t help but sob. He’s so tired and achy now to know that he’s disappointed Mr. Roman…
Panic hits Roman. “Oh, no…don’t…oh…you don’t have to cry…” Patton will kill him if he finds out he’s made their 11-year-old son feel worse about being sick than actually being sick. He didn’t mean to, Logan’s normally so calm never really showing much emotion, how could he have known this would set him off? Logan starts crying harder, his whole-body trembling. Roman’s got to make him stop or at least calm down but this is Patton’s thing! Roman is the fun dad, he doesn’t know how to deal with a sick kid or more specifically a sad, sick kid…what is he supposed to do? Movies, games and karaoke wouldn't soothe Logan and they certainly won't make him feel better. He takes a breath, he has to focus...what would Patton do?
“I-I-I’m sorry…”
Roman can’t think about this anymore. He’s the parent, even if he’s only been one for less than 6 months, he’s got to try something. So, he does the only thing he can think of. He climbs over Logan, pressing his back against the wall and pulls the child into him. Logan hugs him tightly, his whole body feeling like a furnace against Roman’s red and black diner uniform. “It’s ok, petite professor. You just need to rest and I will give you the best of care!”
“B-but y-y-you have t-t-to work and work i-i-is im-important,” Logan stutters clutching Roman tighter. He’s so sorry for being sick, for costing so much money, for being such a burden. “I-I am m-m-making you m-m-miss it.”
“That’s what’s got you this worked up?” Roman asks, shaking his head but closing his arms in tighter. What the hell was his home life like before this? Who the hell were his parents to make him feel so ashamed of being sick? “Logan, work is definitely not more important than you and it never will be.” Logan doesn’t respond, Roman not really expecting him to but Roman doesn’t know what to do now. Sure, he, himself, has been sick before but he’s never had to take care of a sick tween. Does he just give him over the counter meds? Does he take him to a doctor? Maybe he should call Patton. Patton knows just about everything about being a dad. He’s always been dad-like. Plus, he and Logan bonded almost instantly when Logan moved in.
Logan hasn’t been a difficult child. He listens and is respectful. He is kind to others but he’s distant with Roman. They’re very different, Roman preferring everything creative and Logan seeming to shy away from that and focus on information and facts. Roman’s brought him to auditions, rehearsals, plays he was not a part of and Logan seemed uninterested, preferring to keep the walls up. But Patton, Patton had no issue. He adapted easily, inserting himself into Logan’s interests with his loving and understanding nature and Logan—despite being less than enthused with all the hugs and attention—let Patton in.
Roman feels Logan cough and whimper against him, forcing him back into the present. He can’t tell if Logan’s still crying but it’s obvious, he needs rest. “How about you try to go back to bed?”
Logan nods. He is tired, but he doesn’t want Mr. Roman to leave. He is like a large heating pad, and he makes Logan’s body not hurt so bad. Would Mr. Roman think he is childish if he asks him to stay?
“Wonderful,” Roman says, feeling Logan’s hands tighten in the back of his shirt. “Would you prefer I stay?”
Logan nods again and Roman’s heart explodes in his chest. Is he breaking through a wall? “Then stay I shall but…” Roman pulls Logan away from him, forcing him to lie on his back. He then fixes the covers for Logan, laying atop them so he could get up later without disturbing him. Finally, he scoots closer, tucking Logan’s head under his chin wrapping an arm around him. “This is better for you to sleep. Now, go ahead and close your eyes. Oh! I shall lull you to sleep with my wondrously melodic voice.”
Logan brings one hand to Mr. Roman’s arm, holding it gently. He wouldn’t mind a song…he’d seen children on TV get sung to and it seemed helpful. “Th-thank you.”
Roman kisses Logan’s temple, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Of course. Now what shall I sing? Mary Poppins? Lion King? Lilo and Stitch? No…oh! How about some Tarzan? Have you seen that movie?”
“No…”
“No? Well, that’s going on the movie night list for sure! No matter, ‘You’ll be in My Heart’ is a classic and I sing it better than Phil Collins anyway,” Roman chuckles, “You’re so lucky to be sick today. You get a personal concert but you have to close your eyes first.”
Logan closes his eyes, slightly worried that when he wakes Mr. Roman will be gone. But his eyelids are heavy and he does want to hear the song. Mr. Roman starts singing and Logan listens closely to the lyrics, soothed by the thought that Mr. Roman means them just for him.
~~~~~~
Patton’s not freaking out. He’s not. That would be dramatic and he’s not Roman and he’s not freaking out. Is he worried? Yes. It’s not every day he gets the absence robocall from the school that his child should be at and then another call from his husband’s work looking for him. Despite how much he hates that job, he’s never once missed it. So, Patton called Roman…who didn’t pick up. For hours. So, his worry is completely understandable and driving like a race car driver is completely warranted as is his running through their empty living and dining rooms. He darts down the hallway, flinging open Logan’s bedroom door…
“Oh…” he whispers, seeing Roman and Logan asleep in Logan’s bed. Despite being a full size mattress, Logan is tucked impossibly close to Roman who’s arm is tightly wrapped around the tween. They're both sound asleep. Patton takes a moment to appreciate Logan finally letting Roman in, to fall more in love with Roman (seeing him as a parent…it’s everything) and to perhaps take a picture that he’s going to use as his phone background for years.