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“Greetings, is this Mr. Hart?”
Patton’s eyes narrowed. He’d never gotten a call from the school before.
“Yes, this is Patton Hart. Is something wrong?”
The voice paused on the other end of the line. “Uh, yes. I’m calling to inform you that your son has gotten into a fight. He’s in the nurse’s office currently with a few bruises, nothing too serious. Are you able to come pick him up?”
His jaw dropped. Roman had never been anything near violent before, especially not in school. This went against everything Patton had ever taught him. It just made no sense.
“Uh, yeah. I’ll be right there.”
Patton rushed to the front desk, panic evident in everything about him. “Hi, I’m here for Roman? Roman Hart? I got a call 10 minutes or so ago? Is he alright?”
The receptionist stood and slid out of her desk, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Your son is perfectly fine, Mr. Hart. However, his teacher, Mr. Croft, would like a word with you. Just to clarify a few things, I think.”
Patton’s eyes widened. He’d met Logan Croft only a few times before during teacher conferences and PTA meetings, and the only thing that had registered in his mind about the guy beyond his staggering good looks was how oddly intimidating he was. It felt surreal, somehow, that he was going to talk to Logan one on one, kind of like meeting the mayor.
It wasn’t as terrifying as it would’ve been a few months ago, at least. Roman seemed to look up to him quite a bit, and as far as he could tell, the teacher had a slight affinity to him as well. It was comforting to know that, even if he was a bit intimidating, he was at least a favourite of Roman’s.
He must’ve nodded his compliance, for the next thing he knew, the receptionist was leading him down the hall and into a dark, empty classroom.
“Here we are,” she said. “Mr. Croft is in the nurse’s at the moment, but I’ll tell him you’re here. Won’t take a minute.”
Nodding, Patton mustered up a smile. “Thanks.”
One last glance at him, and she turned to leave, cracking the door behind her.
Patton surveyed the room for a good place to sit. It was a small ish room, mostly taken up by desks crammed into rows and heaping with binders and textbooks. Two walls were covered completely in whiteboards, the front holding a smartboard and a large calendar. The corner opposite the door had a single, slightly larger desk covered in folders and papers and staplers. It was plain compared to the overzealous string of posters on the walls of most classrooms, but it seemed to fit what he knew of the teacher.
There was one thing behind the desk that caught his eye, something he hadn’t caught the first time he’d been there. A small rainbow flag taped onto the wall under the American flag. Patton carefully manoeuvred himself around the desk to get a better look. Written on it in the same crisp handwriting as the mess of papers were the words “V’s First Pride 2019.”
Patton smiled, running a finger across the flag. He wasn’t quite sure if V was Logan’s child or his partner, but it was a sweet thought regardless. His first pride had been one of the best days of his life, but it had ascended to another level when he finally adopted Roman and took him too. There was something so magical about sharing pride with someone else, and he was elated that someone else got to enjoy it with them.
“Can I help you with something?”
With a jolt, Patton spun around to find himself crashing headfirst into a large, solid chest. He groaned, and the figure took a step back holding up a placating hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you- oh.” His eyes bore into Patton’s, flashing with recognition. He straightened and adjusted his glasses. “Mr. Hart. Thank you for coming.”
Patton gawked at him. Logan averted his gaze. It was the opposite of everything he knew about the man, for him to be acting so timid. One glance told Patton he’d been shaken to the core. It made him wonder what exactly had happened out there.
Logan slipped past him and into his chair, indicating an empty desk for Patton to pull up. “I won’t keep you too long. I know you’re anxious to see your son, there’s just a few things I’d like to discuss.”
“Roman’s a good kid,” Patton blurted before Logan could go on. “I don’t know what happened, but he had to have had a reason. He’s never done anything like this before, I promise you.”
Logan just nodded. “I’m well aware. Roman is one of my most creative and well-behaved students, when he isn’t talking incessantly. I have no doubt in my mind that this was no fault of his.”
Patton narrowed his eyes. “Oh. Well then, what happened? The front desk said there was a fight.”
“That there was.” He sighed, reaching for the rubix cube and fiddling with it subconsciously. “You see, I do happen to have a few… problem students, I suppose I should call them. Children with closed minded parents, those who shun anything slightly different than what they consider normal. We try our best here, but the fact is…” he hesitated, obviously finding this to be harder to say than he’d thought, “...most teachers here don’t give a shit about the bullying policy.”
Patton’s blood ran cold. “Is Roman-”
“He’s fine, I assure you.”
“He’s never mentioned anything like that! Why would he hide something like that from me?”
Logan closed his eyes, taking a steadying breath. “Roman has never been the target of much besides a few cruel words, and he’s always more or less taken them in stride. As far as I’m aware, none of my students have ever so much as pushed him before today. The instigator of this incident wasn’t after your son. He was after mine.”
Patton bit back a gasp, but if Logan noticed, he didn’t show it. “Your… your son?”
He nodded, an air of bitterness entering his tone. “Virgil’s never been the most social, and he's found it hard enough to trust anyone since my sister-in-law kicked him out. I’ve tried so hard to make him feel safe, but…” he caught himself. “Anyway, earlier today, a few students cornered my son and decided it might be funny to… make light of certain aspects of his identity, as it were. I wasn’t there, but according to him, Roman, and a few others, the things they said… I’ll never understand how someone could be so cruel. After everything Virgil’s been through, this kind of thing should be clearly crossing a line, even to the rudest of children.”
Nodding, Patton reached across the desk, palm open and upturned. Logan stared at it for a moment as if unsure of what it meant before setting down his rubix cube and gingerly taking the hand. “I’ve been in Virgil’s shoes. It’s so hard to hear those things coming from peers, but as long as you have someone on your side, it’s harder for them to get under your skin.” He squeezed Logan’s hand. “You should know how much it means to him that you’re still behind him. I would’ve given anything to have a parent on my side, or a teacher, for that matter.”
When Logan raised an uncertain eyebrow, he continued. “When it feels like the entire world is against you, it only takes one helping hand to make everything slightly better. At the beginning of high school, I came out as gay to my parents. They didn’t kick me out or anything, but they certainly didn’t approve of it. There were a few months where I was completely alone. But when my younger brother came out to me later that year, I had someone I could rely on. It changed everything. And I don’t think any kid could have a better support, from what I’ve heard and seen. I know it feels like you aren’t doing enough, but you’re certainly a hero in his book.”
Logan squeezed his hand back, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Well, it seems I’m not his only hero.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it would seem that your son saw the incident unfold and decided to step in. He was the first to throw a punch, but I’m told he held his own remarkably well, given the circumstances. Had Roman not stepped in, I’m not sure what Virgil would’ve done.”
Patton’s eyes widened. “Wow. Janus was right; those boxing lessons paid off.”
“Janus?”
“My brother. His husband thought it was a good idea to teach him self defence; he’s absolutely insane, but I guess it turned out useful.”
Logan sighed in relief, though Patton wasn’t quite sure why. “Yes, it would appear so. I just wanted to personally thank you. Your son is truly extraordinary, and it’s quite apparent where he inherited that.”
Patton blushed, suddenly noticing a stunning intensity in his eyes that he was certain wasn’t there before. It didn’t necessarily mean anything. But it certainly didn’t mean nothing.
“I-I think that says more about Roman than it does about me.”
Shaking his head, Logan leaned forward. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Roman. Most everything he is was seeded by you, from his perfect moral compass to his effervescent personality. You seem to be selling yourself a bit short.”
“Roman seems to be selling me a bit… long.”
“I thought the same at first. He makes you out to be nothing short of a superhero, and I was certain he was being hyperbolic. But now-” Logan’s eyes trailed downward and then back up again, “-I’m not so sure.”
Patton’s eyes flicked down for a moment too, glancing down at Logan’s soft lips. “You’re too sweet.” He leaned forward too, until they weren’t more than six inches apart. It took everything he had to keep his eyes locked onto Logan’s. “Though I guess I can add that to a very long list of things you’re great at.”
He wasn’t quite sure which of them had gotten closer, but they were practically nose to nose. Patton listed his head to the side, and Logan’s lips parted seemingly unconsciously.
Footsteps thundered through the halls outside, snapping the both of them out of their daze. Patton reeled back, blushing, and he could’ve sworn he saw a rosy shade of red tint Logan’s cheeks too.
“We- we should probably check on the children,” Logan stammered, standing abruptly. “They’ve been given the rest of the day off, so you’re free to take him home.”
Shaking off his embarrassment, Patton pushed out of the side of the tiny desk. “Uh, yeah, thanks.”
The walk down to the nurse’s office was tense and silent. Patton was certain there’d been something between them in the classroom, but the teacher was wholly unreadable. He walked fast enough to leave every inch of his face out of sight, no doubt on purpose.
Was it possible he’d misread the situation? Perhaps Logan wasn’t doing anything past being nice, and he’d projected his fantasies onto the moment. Logan was openly gay, that much he’d learned from Roman, but he had no idea whether he was seeing someone or was married or anything of the sort. And there was no real reason for an apparent genius like him to be even remotely interested in someone like Patton.
His heart sunk the tiniest bit, though he wasn’t quite sure why. After all, he barely knew the guy. But something in his gut told him that this was the man he was meant to be with, his soulmate. And something in his gut told him the feeling wasn’t quite one sided.
His gut had never led him astray before.
They reached the office quickly with Logan’s long, quick strides and Patton’s nearly jogging to keep up. When the door opened and they shuffled inside, a figure immediately shot towards them and wrapped Patton in a hug.
Roman was taller than him by at least 5 inches, and he had to stoop down to properly hug him, but he still went under as if he were the tiny 7 year old Pat had adopted all those years ago searching for comfort wherever he could find it. He squeezed hard enough that Patton felt himself being lifted slightly off the ground.
“Please don’t be upset, papa,” he said hurriedly, like he’d rehearsed this several times already. “I didn’t mean to nail that guy in the groin; it was just a knee jerk reaction. Literally. And you always taught me to stand up for what I believed in, right? So really, this is your-”
Patton chuckled and ruffled his hair, cutting him off. “I’m not mad, kiddo. I’m proud of you.”
Roman pulled away, shocked. He had a black eye and a swollen lip, but otherwise he looked no worse for the wear. “Really? I thought you hated violence.”
“Oh, I do. But you’re right; I raised you to stand up for what’s right, and I don’t regret it.” His eyes narrowed. “But you’d better not make a habit of picking fights, you hear me? You were lucky this time. I don’t want you getting seriously hurt.”
He nodded earnestly. “Got it. I’ll try to be careful.”
Beside them, Patton watched a smaller kid in an oversized black hoodie grab hold of Logan’s hand and lean against him with a tiny smile. He looked a lot worse than Roman did physically- there was a bandage on his forehead and wrapping both of his palms, and he walked with a limp- but he didn’t seem all that bothered by it either. At least, not anymore. His eyes were red like he’d been crying for quite a while, but now they were dry and filled with comfortable gratitude.
“Sorry, L,” he muttered, quiet but carefully enunciated.
Logan shot him an affectionate glare. “How many times have I asked you not to apologise for things that aren’t your fault?”
Virgil’s smile grew by a fraction of an inch. “63.”
“And how many times have you actually listened?”
“3.”
Logan sighed. “We’re definitely going to have to work on that ratio.”
“Good luck with that,” he snorted, but his tone was teasing, all joviality. Logan cracked a smile for the second time that day, using his other hand to ruffle Virgil’s hair.
Patton turned back to Roman, who was smirking at him knowingly. He rolled his eyes, blushing, and asked, “So, kiddo, you’ve got the rest of the day off, and I think you deserve a reward, just this once. Any requests?”
Roman perked up at that, then glanced at Virgil, who shrank into his hoodie at having all eyes on him. “Actually, I was telling Virge about the bakery and how you have the best macarons in the world, and he said he didn’t believe me. Can we take him so I can prove him wrong?”
Patton looked over at Virgil, who looked embarrassed but shrugged, then up at Logan, who was surveying the scene with a sort of surprised amusement.
“Are you alright with that?” he asked him.
The teacher bit his lip, suppressing a grin. “Of course. Just don’t overdo it, Virgil. And make sure to save something for me.”
Virgil rolled his eyes and elbowed him in the side, but the comment gave Patton an idea. He locked eyes with Logan, flashing him a wide smile. “Do you want to come too? I could always use a little company.”
Hesitating, Logan raised an eyebrow. It felt almost like an odd challenge, like he was seeing whether Patton would rescind the invitation or whether it was merely a polite gesture. Patton waited, keeping his eyes and smile trained firmly on him.
At last, his expression softened. “I don’t see why not. I have a substitute taking over for me the rest of the school day, and I am curious. Roman seems to mention your fantastic baking skills quite regularly, after all.”
Patton blushed. “I hope I don’t disappoint.”
“Ha!” Roman shouted, aiming a giddy look at Virgil. “Be prepared to eat your words, Surly Temple!”
Virgil relaxed at the nickname, letting go of Logan’s hand and sticking his tongue out. “I think I’ll save my appetite for the actual food, thanks. Though your melodrama might just make me lose it, Princey.”
Roman gasped. “Melodrama? How dare you!”
“You’re just proving my point, dude,” he hummed, crossing over to stand next to him.
Roman shoved him lightly on the shoulder. “You’re the worst.”
“Can’t argue with that.”
Roman groaned, exasperated. “You’re not supposed to agree with me when I say that!”
Virgil just smirked. “Apologies, your Highness.”
Patton smiled, shaking his head. “Alright, kiddos, enough bickering. Let’s get out of here before someone kicks us out.”
The second Patton parked in his spot in front of the Sweet Harts Bakery, Roman was dragging Virgil inside faster than a bolt of lightning. Patton chuckled, making sure Logan was beside him before making his own way to the door.
It was a tiny place, wedged between a Subway and a Hair Salon, but it got good business. It had five star reviews all around, which warmed Patton to the core, and most of its customers came back monthly if not weekly for another taste.
It had always been a dream of Patton’s to open a bakery, and even as Sweet Harts approached 2 years of successful business, it was still just as magical as he’d ever imagined. It never mattered to him that the place was small and their reach was limited; he touched people’s hearts with his baking. That was all that mattered.
Patton held the door open for Logan, who froze just beyond the doorway. His wide eyes traveled from the small tables scattered around the place to the fairy lights adorning the baby blue walls to the rainbow counter where Roman and Virgil were chatting with Joan, one of Patton’s oldest friends and his most reliable, if a bit spontaneous, employee.
“You own this establishment?” Logan asked, sounding oddly astonished. Patton felt his cheeks heat up.
“Yup! My happy pappy bakery!” Nervous thoughts started to creep into his mind. “Why? Is there something wrong?”
Logan’s head whipped toward him. “No! No, not at all! It’s just… truly remarkable. The atmosphere is so calming, and the pastries smell delicious. It’s amazing, what you’ve done here.”
His words held such awe that it sent a jolt of electricity down Patton’s spine, and he couldn’t suppress an anxious giggle. “I’d wait until you actually try the food before you go making assumptions like that. It isn’t that amazing.”
Logan shook his head, smiling incredulously. “You’re selling yourself short again. Not even considering the product itself, the design of this place is absolutely perfect. I’m not sure how, but I can feel your unique personality in every aspect of the decoration. I can’t find a single thing to critique, and as a teacher, that’s my job. This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been, I’m sure of it.”
Patton’s heart skipped several beats. He forgot how to breathe. Was he reading too far into it, or had Logan Freaking Croft just called his personality perfect? That couldn’t possibly have been what he meant. Could it?
He stammered out an awkward thank you and quickly rushed into the back room, making up a large assortment of pastries in an attempt to distract himself before his heart thumped its way right out of his chest. The variety of cookies created a nice little rainbow on the tray, something Patton absolutely loved doing. He waved a quick hello to Emile, another employee who was currently putting a new batch of macarons in the oven, then braced himself to go back out.
“-why the birds aren’t real,” Joan was saying, absolutely serious. Roman looked genuinely intrigued, but Virgil was rolling his eyes. Both forgot all about their conspiracies when they saw Patton emerge with the giant plate. Logan was sitting at a table with only two seats to it, watching him with calculated curiosity.
Patton grabbed 2 smaller plates and filled both of them with cookies. He handed one to Roman, shooing them away to another table, then gave the tray to Joan so they could put the rest of the cookies into the display. Finally, he picked up the other plate and brought it over to where Logan was sitting.
Setting the cookies down in front of Logan, he slid into the other seat. “Take your pick.”
Logan bit his lip, delicately taking a royal red macaron and popping it into his mouth.
His eyes lit up. He chewed slowly, staring at Patton with something entirely new, something Patton couldn’t even begin to describe but that looked uncannily familiar.
“Patton,” he said, barely above a whisper, “this is nothing like anything I’ve ever tasted. It’s incredible, absolutely incredible, nearly as incredible as you are.”
And that was the moment he placed Logan’s expression. It was how Janus and Remus looked at each other, how his parents had looked at each other when he was a kid. Heck, it was how he was looking at Logan right then.
Pure, unadulterated love.
Logan must’ve misinterpreted his silence, for he immediately back-pedalled. “I’m sorry, did I cross a line? I’m not the best with social cues, I didn’t mean to make you-”
“Logan?” Patton asked quickly before he could talk himself out of it. Logan stopped his nervous ramblings, curious.
“Can I kiss you?” Patton asked.
Logan’s eyes widened to the size of quarters. Frantically, he nodded.
Patton surged forward, latching his arms around Logan’s neck and pulling him closer. The world melted away as their lips connected, and suddenly it was just the two of them, sharing one brilliant moment in time.
At first when they broke away, Patton was too entranced by Logan’s shining eyes that the rest of the world might as well have been a blank slate. Then, a cough sounded in his ear.
“Well, I was coming over here to tell you that Virgil just admitted defeat, but it seems you two are a bit busy.”
Patton’s head snapped up, and he blushed as Roman shook his head at them.
“Virge,” he called, “Fork it over.”
Sighing, Virgil walked over too and handed Roman a ten dollar bill. He shot a glare at Logan. “You couldn’t have waited a week?”
Logan’s face was redder than the macarons on the plate. “Have I not taught you never to bet on my impulse control?”
“No, I’m pretty sure that was next week’s lesson. I thought you were the smart one?”
His eyes locked back on Patton, and he smiled. “I think we can safely assume that my mind has been rather preoccupied today.”
The baker bit his lip. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Logan smiled, planting a quick kiss on his forehead. “I’m more than willing to devote a few braincells to you.”