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Someone shrieks, and Logan opens his eyes.
It's followed by laughter and muffled arguments, and he rolls over. Too many voices to be his grandparents?
He slips out of bed and grabs his glasses, debating on getting dressed before he leaves his room. He doesn't want to, though. Last night was nothing but running and lifting, and his body is sore. He works out more in a different dimension, and it's kind of sad.
He rubs his hands as he makes his way down the hallway and to the noise. As he gets closer, he can make out who is arguing and laughing, and what they're saying.
"I paid for those, you know! You can't just do whatever you want with them," Tyler says loudly.
"Calm your tits, I can pay you back," Aiden replies casually, not one to engage in an argument with Tyler.
"That's not the point," Tyler snaps as Logan rounds the corner. He stands by the doorway for a moment to take in the scene, because they haven't noticed him yet.
Tyler looks like he's covered in something wet and sticky. It takes Logan a moment to realize that he's covered in raw eggs, and so is Taylor, but she's laughing and washing her hands and arms in the sink. Aiden grabs another from the carton, but Ashlyn snatches it out of his hand when he rears his arm back to toss it. "Knock it off, or we won't have enough to finish," She mumbles, squinting.
"Oh, so you'll listen to her?"
"Duh," Aiden rolls his eyes and walks after Ashlyn, putting his arm around her shoulder. "She knows better than you do, anyway."
Tyler is about to reply and he runs his hands though his hair before cringing when they come back covered in raw egg. He glances in Logan's direction, then does a double-take when he spots him. "Oh,"
"What?" Taylor asks, still washing her hands.
"Happy birthday!" Tyler says loudly, and Ashlyn winces. "Sorry," He adds. "Happy birthday, Logan. You sure slept in."
Logan feels warm, and he plays with his fingers as all eyes turn to him and say some sort of happy birthday. Ben just waves, but the message is clear. "What time is it?"
"Like, 10," Aiden says, bumping into Ben when Ashlyn pushes him away.
"You had a bad night, don't listen to him," Tyler rolls his eyes.
"W-what are you guys doing here?" Logan asks, finally walking behind the counter to join in on the chaos.
"We're trying to make you a cake." Ashlyn says, pointedly glancing at Aiden, but he just grins and shrugs.
"Why?"
"Because it's your birthday, you loser. And you wouldn't let me tell you at midnight." Tyler reaches out to do... something, then pauses when he realizes his hands still have egg on them.
Logan didn't let them wish him a happy birthday at midnight because they were in the phantom dimension, and it felt less real. That place didn't deserve that kind of warmth, in his mind. It didn't deserve to know. He glances at the counter and picks up some powder, reading the label.
"Lemon?"
"You're favorite, right?" Tyler asks, and Logan swallows.
"Uh, yeah," His face feels warm. He's only mentioned it once in passing, to Tyler only. He doesn't know how he remembers. "Thank you. How's it going?"
Ben gives him a thumb up from the stove, where he's prepping a dish to put the cake into.
"Alright," Taylor says, grabbing a bowl from the counter and beginning to mix it again. "I think a little bit of the egg got into the batter," She whines.
"That'll just make it moist," Aiden shrugs.
"That's not how a cake works," Ashlyn mumbles, adjusting her earbuds, and Aiden turns to her.
Logan turns to Tyler, the only one who isn't busy, mostly because he's washing his hands. "And Aiden decided to pelt you with eggs?"
"Taylor, too," He grumbles. "Eugh, it's in my hair."
"And on your shirt," Logan points out, smiling when Tyler makes an undignified sound and looks down at it. "Oh, there's shells too, come here," Logan instructs.
He grabs Tyler's shoulder and Tyler leans his head down to let Logan grab the little bits of eggshell out of his hair. There's not much, but they're all in tiny pieces, so it's hard to get. Especially with all the egg whites mixed in with it.
Logan makes a sour face, putting the bits of shells in the sink every time he manages to get them out of Tyler's hair.
"All done," Logan says when he's finished, and Tyler leans back up and cranes his neck from side to side. His face is a bit red, but he's probably just upset at Aiden, and maybe because he had to crouch down for so long.
"Thanks," Tyler says. He glances up and glares at something over Logan's shoulder. When he turns, Taylor and Ben are watching them. Ben looks down and starts stirring the batter, but Taylor just smiles at them. "You should go get dressed," Tyler puts a hand on his shoulder as he walks past. "We're almost done, and you're not allowed to help."
"Okay," Logan says. He should probably be a little annoyed, but he feels warm. They remembered his birthday, showed up to bake him a cake, and Tyler remembered that his favorite flavor was lemon.
Logan walks back out with an extra sweater. This one is darker, just in case it gets stained, and he holds it as he watches the group. Ben and Ashlyn wipe down the counters of the mess, Aiden is sweeping (probably forced to), and Tyler and Taylor doing the dishes.
"I brought an extra shirt," Logan sits down on the stools facing the counter and sets it down.
"Oh," Tyler says, and Taylor elbows him. "Thank you," He adds, elbowing Taylor right back.
While the cake is in the oven, Logan makes some popcorn and they all huddle on the couch. Ashlyn sits in the corner, Aiden right next to her, and she rests her legs on his lap. Ben is on the floor in between Aiden and Taylor, and Logan sits next to Tyler on the other end. He leans his head back and lets Taylor pick the movie, because it's her turn tonight.
"She's probably gonna choose a rom-com," Tyler whispers in Logan's ear, and he shivers.
"I love rom-coms," Logan whispers back.
Tyler snickers. "You'd be the type."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It just seems like you'd like that kind of stuff."
"Some of them can be good!"
"I know," Tyler agrees. "But a lot of them are just the same cliches with bad love interests."
Logan hums. "You just gotta find the right one."
An hour and a half later, they're all eating a slice of cake and watching the two main characters in the movie kiss.
"Finally!" Taylor says, then squeals. "I thought they never would!"
The two men hold hands in between them and glance at it, and Logan tries to wipe his eyes before anyone notices. Tyler does because he stares at him, but he doesn't say anything, and instead angles himself to the side and moves his arm to wrap around Logan's shoulder. He pulls him closer to lean on him and Logan takes it, folding his legs on the other side to finish the movie.
Tyler is very warm - he knew that, of course, but most of the time Logan just assumed it was adrenaline, because every time they've touched it was when there was a near-death experience. Except when they shared a bed in Savannah, but it's not like that lasted very long. But no, he's just a human heater apparently, and Logan takes it openly because he's always cold. And Tyler is wearing his sweater, which is a little too small on him, but still comfortable nonetheless.
"Is he asleep?" Aiden asks a few minutes later.
He was, Logan wants to say, but he's hoping that they'll just leave him be and turn on another movie if he doesn't say or do anything.
"Think so," Tyler says absently.
"Want me to wake him up?" Aiden asks, a little too eager.
"Leave him be," Ashlyn and Tyler say at the same time. "It's his birthday, and we all had a long night. We have a long one ahead of us, too." Ashlyn continues.
Tyler hums.
"Alright, alright. Is it my turn to pick, now?"
"No, it's Ash's."
"He can pick." Ashlyn mumbles.
"Yes!"
Tyler rubs circles into Logan's shoulder where his hand still rests, as if he knows he's awake. Logan settles in deeper, readjusting himself, and falls asleep to the noise of fighting from Aiden's movie and Tyler's warmth acting as his blanket.