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Logan should’ve known from the minute he sat down that Peter was up to no good.
It wasn’t the first time Peter had invited him out to eat, enticing him with a free meal by promising to cover the bill. The meals were usually fairly rare, though, happening maybe once every few months due in part to them not seeing each other very often, as well as Peter’s… rather limited budget.
Peter had been fighting the Rhino when Logan happened to be in the neighborhood, and Logan decided to step in and lend a hand. He hadn’t expected anything to come out of it since it had only been a couple of weeks since they last went out to eat. But then Peter had surprised him by once again offering to take Logan out for lunch, and Logan should’ve been suspicious that Peter felt confident enough to cover the bill again so soon.
If the timing wasn’t enough to tip him off, then the way Peter stared longingly at the little advertisement left on their table that showcased a limited time dessert definitely should’ve set off alarm bells. But Logan had been too busy looking at the menu, and then too busy eating, to pay Peter much mind. He listened as the webhead yapped, grunting in acknowledgement when necessary, but otherwise kept to himself.
Of course, when he finally did notice it, he made the mistake of mentioning it. So, really, the whole damn mess was his own fault.
“You gonna order that?” he asked when he caught sight of Peter’s longing gaze. Logan glanced at the advertisement - some sort of cookie with ice cream on top - and shook his head. You’d think it was an oasis and Peter was lost in a desert with the way he stared at it.
Peter sighed sadly before turning his attention back to his mostly gone chicken alfredo. “Can’t afford it,” he said morosely, and Logan couldn’t help but role his eyes at the melodrama.
“Then say it’s your birthday,” Logan suggested almost dismissively as he turned back to his steak. “No need t-”
“I already did that last week,” Peter cut in with a sigh as he slumped back in his seat.
Logan raised a brow. “Okay? I doubt they pay close enough attention, you could probably do it again.”
Peter shook his head. “Trust me, they pay attention,” he said with such confidence that Logan could only assume he was called out on it before. But then he perked up a bit, his eyes lighting up as he looked over to Logan. “Y’know, we could say-”
“No,” Logan instantly shut down as he scowled at Peter. His gut twisted with discomfort at the thought of people crowding the table and singing some song. Peter winced at the intensity of his rejection, as though only just then remembering Logan’s… complicated relationship with that day, and Logan forced himself to relax with a sigh. To avoid unnecessary pity, he quickly added, “If we did that, it would be my dessert. I wouldn’t be sharing.”
Peter relaxed as he pouted at Logan. “You’re no fun,” he grumbled.
Logan shrugged as he grabbed his bottle of beer. “You’re actin’ like you didn’t already know,” he said before he took a swig.
Peter was silent for a long moment as Logan drank and ate a bit more, sulking away as he stared at the advertisement. Logan was halfway tempted to pay for the damn meal himself so Peter could stop acting like a child and just order the dessert, but he was promised a free meal, and he refused to budge on that for something he likely wasn’t going to even get a bite of.
The prickly sensation of being watched had him finally turning back to Peter, and sure enough, those big, brown eyes were staring at him mischievously. Logan raised a brow, not trusting that look in the slightest.
“Y’know,” Peter began slowly as he sat up in his seat, “I’m pretty sure they also give free desserts to couples who get engaged.”
Logan’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell are you talking about?” he asked slowly, though deep down he knew exactly what Peter meant.
And sure enough, Peter nodded and said, “Yeah, yeah! I’m pretty sure I saw it happen here before! We could-”
“Peter, do you realize what you’re saying?” Logan cut in as he shot Peter an incredulous look. “That is one of the stupidest idea’s I’ve ever heard.”
“Oh, come on!” Peter argued. “A pretend engagement is a small price for free dessert!”
Logan scowled. “I’m not goin’ along with it,” he said sternly. “Not gonna go through that embarrassment for a dessert I won’t even get to eat.”
“What do you mean?” Peter asked with a furrowed brow and tilted head. “You’d get to eat it! They’d bring out two for the happy couple!”
Logan huffed and leaned back into his seat. Peter was being oddly stubborn about the whole affair, and Logan was tempted to get up and go. He’d eaten his fill, and he wasn’t going to pay anyway, so there was no point to him sticking around.
But upsetting Peter would mean no more free meals. And loathe he was to admit it, he liked the kid’s company.
“And how do you plan to propose without a ring?” Logan asked, hoping that it would be enough to knock some sense into Peter.
It seemed to work at first, as Peter let out a low, “Ah,” as he frowned and ducked his head down. Unfortunately, Logan wasn’t even given the opportunity to smirk over the victory before Peter perked up, grabbed his butter knife, and began to bend it.
Logan scowled as he watched Peter try to turn the knife into a ring. The scowl turned to an outright glare when Peter then looked up at him and asked, “Hey, could you use your claws to cut this? It’s a bit too long.”
“You gotta be kidding me,” Logan deadpanned instead of answering.
Peter had the gall to bat his big eyes at Logan. “If you really don’t wanna go through with it, you could just leave,” he said with a sort of faux-innocent singsong voice that did nothing positive to Logan’s mood.
Once more, Logan was tempted to do just that.
Instead, Logan grumbled as he snatched the “ring” out of Peter’s hand. Peter gave him a smug smile, and Logan responded by simply using his middle claw to cut the ring. Peter stuck his tongue out at Logan but otherwise took the insult in stride.
“So, who’s proposing to who?” Peter asked as he leaned over the table to watch Logan work.
Logan grunted, not looking up from where he was carefully cutting the ends of the butter knife so it could be properly shaped into something that vaguely resembled a ring. “I like these pants, bug,” he said. “I don’t wanna get them dirty.”
Peter huffed. “Guess I’m proposing, then,” he muttered before jerking forward. “Hey, wait, don’t cut it so short, then!” Logan paused in his work to look up and shoot Peter a glare. Peter rolled his eyes and quickly elaborated with, “If I’m proposing, you’re the one who’s gonna wear the ring. You gotta make sure it fits your girthy fingers.”
Logan blinked, the tension in his shoulders going slack as he stared bemusedly at Peter. “…what?” he found himself asking.
Peter stared right back, his eyes widening slightly as he registered what he said. He blinked and glanced down at Logan’s hands, and Logan followed his gaze. His hands looked… well, how they’d always looked. Logan hadn’t really given them much thought, in all honesty; beyond the claws that lay beneath the skin, his hands were just… his hands. But when compared to Peter’s hands, which weren’t all that small to begin with, Logan’s were… quite large.
Peter thought his hands were large.
Logan looked up to Peter again, who blushed and looked away.
“Just make sure it fits you,” Peter muttered as he fell back into his seat.
Logan shook his head. “Fine,” he grumbled as he got back to work, trying his damnedest to not think too hard about Peter’s off-handed (pun not intended, damn it) comment.
It took a bit more carving and bending, but eventually Logan was able to get the butter knife to look something like a ring. It was a ring that was ugly as all sin and definitely wasn’t going to fool anyone, but when Logan slipped it onto his left ring finger, Peter sat up and beamed.
“It looks nice on you!” he said brightly. Logan gave Peter a flat look, and Peter shifted in his seat before hastily adding, “I mean, you can’t even tell that it was a butter knife!” He then began to laugh nervously.
Logan sighed. “I don’t know if this is worth it, Peter,” he said slowly.
The nervous laughter came to an abrupt halt. “Oh, c’mon,” Peter urged, “we’ve already come this far!”
“You’re making it weird,” Logan shot back, and instantly Peter flinched back into his seat. He looked wounded, and Logan could only roll his eyes as he pulled off the ring. “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with.”
He tossed the ring to Peter, who caught it with ease. “It’ll be worth it,” Peter said with such confidence that Logan almost believed him. “Trust me!”
“Peter, I trust you more than anyone else I know,” Logan said honestly. Peter blinked at the confession, a small, wondrous smile gracing his features. It quickly fell, though, when Logan added, “I just don’t trust you about this. Don’t think any dessert is worth all this trouble.”
Peter rolled his eyes. “You’ll see,” he said simply in that same singsong voice.
And before Logan could argue further or get up and go, Peter stood up as noisily as he could and moved around the table so he stood in front of Logan. “Logan,” he began, speaking loud enough to draw the attention of the other patrons, “we’ve known each other for a long time.” Logan resisted the urge to roll his eyes again as Peter spoke; he was not much of an actor, his words sounding over the top and forced. Logan managed to hold his tongue, though, and didn’t outwardly react as Peter grabbed his left hand. “And during that time, we’ve had our share of crazy adventures. But tonight, I’m hoping you’ll join me on our craziest one yet.”
Everyone sitting at the surrounding tables were looking at them, as well as a good chunk of the staff. The room was oddly silent, and it made Logan’s stomach twist with unease.
Peter got down on one knee, and several people let out quiet gasps.
“Will you marry me?” Peter asked, his voice quieter and wavering a bit as he spoke.
Logan was quiet for a moment. Part of him wanted to publicly reject him, hoping the humiliation would prevent Peter from pulling such a stunt ever again. But as the silence stretched on and Peter’s smile became strained and his big, brown eyes began to fill with hurt…
Logan forced a closed mouth smile and nodded.
Instantly, relief filled Peter’s features as he lurched forward to pull Logan into a fierce hug. Logan allowed it, bringing his arms up to return it, while the people around them clapped and cheered. Then Peter pulled away and stood, slipping the ring back onto Logan’s hand before holding it up for the others to see, his smile wide and theatrical.
Their waitress approached them right as Peter put the theatrics aside to sit down once more. “Congratulations, you two!” she said brightly. “How about a free dessert for the happy couple?”
“Yes, please!” Peter quickly agreed, practically beaming.
Logan sighed and nodded, embarrassment churning in his chest. He only just managed to force a smile when the waitress looked his way, and it somehow was convincing, for she smiled right back.
It wasn’t long after that that their dessert was dropped off to the table, and Logan wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or shout when it turned out to not be the cookie Peter wanted. Instead, they were each given a slice of white cake with a buttercream frosting, topped with a chocolate ganache and some strawberries.
Peter didn’t seem to mind one way or the other, happily digging into his slice without any complaints.
Logan grimaced when he took his first bite. It was ridiculously sweet. “This is not worth fifteen fucking dollars,” he grumbled under his breath.
“And that’s exactly why I wanted it for free!” Peter said brightly.
“This isn’t even what you wanted!” Logan snapped as he glared at Peter, who shrugged.
“Free dessert is free dessert,” he said simply, and Logan could only sigh. He couldn’t argue with that logic, since it was the whole reason he was in this mess to begin with.
Still, Peter seemed content enough that he didn’t try anymore funny business as they finished their meal. He paid the bill, just as he promised, and soon enough they were outside and away from prying eyes.
The instant they were out on the street, Logan slipped the ring off his finger and shoved it into Peter’s chest. “Never again,” he growled up at Peter. “Got that?”
Peter hummed and nodded, prying Logan’s hand away from his chest so he could take the ring. “Sure thing,” he said distractedly as he looked down at the ring. “Thanks for helping with the free dessert!” he then said brightly as he smiled down at Logan. “Til next time!”
And with that, Peter spun around and walked away, and Logan was left standing there wondering why he didn’t stab Peter while he had the chance.
Those big, brown eyes danced through Logan’s mind in answer to his pondering, and Logan sighed.
It was a little over a month later when Logan ran into Peter again. This time they were both somehow roped into saving the day by the Fantastic Four. As far as Logan could gather, some science experiment had gone wrong and opened a portal to the past, resulting in Times Square being overtaken by velociraptors-
“They’re actually utahraptors!” Spider-Man had corrected Wolverine in the middle of the fight, webbing up one that had jumped onto Wolverine’s back after he had tackled another one to the ground. “Velociraptors were turkey-sized, not human-sized like in the movies!”
“I don’t care what the fuck they’re called!” Wolverine shouted back as he struggled against the one he held. He wanted nothing more than to stab it or snap its neck, but Reed had insisted the raptors were captured alive so they could be returned to their own time. “Just web this bastard up!”
It was a long and eventful day, to say the least.
When all the raptors were captured or tranquilized, the heroes involved began the process of cleanup: namely gathering all the dinosaurs to one spot so they could be shoved back to the past. Wolverine had just helped Daredevil deposit one to the cage Reed had set up when Spider-Man approached, whistling a merry tune with a raptor in his arms. He dropped his off next to the one Daredevil and Wolverine had just dropped before turning to them and leaning against the cage.
“So, Wolvie,” Peter began, and Logan heard Daredevil snort behind him, “you hungry? I know a nice diner not far from here that have some of the best burgers in the city.”
Logan crossed his arms. “Yeah? They got good apple pie too?” he asked.
He could hear the smile in Peter’s voice as he said, “Well, it’s not bad.” Logan scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Oh, c’mon, Wolverine!” Peter pleaded. “I’ll pay!”
“Not if you’re gonna pull the same crap you did last time!” Logan said sternly as he stepped forward and poked Peter roughly in the chest.
“What?” Peter gasped as he pressed a hand to where Logan had just poked him. “I wouldn’t dream of it!”
Daredevil chuckled, drawing Logan’s attention. “He’s lying,” he told Logan simply.
“Yeah, I figured,” Logan said with a huff at the same time Peter shouted, “Traitor!” in mock offense.
Daredevil’s comment did make Logan pause, however, as he wondered just how much Daredevil knew. Spider-Man was one hero Daredevil was consistently on good terms with, so there was a good chance Peter had pulled the same stunt on him before. Logan knew he wasn’t the only hero Peter had treated to a free meal before, so who knew how many people he’d tried the engagement shtick with.
Somehow, the thought of Peter proposing to someone else made Logan’s stomach twist unpleasantly.
Or perhaps that was just hunger, for the twist soon shifted to a low rumble.
Logan sighed. “Fine,” he gruffly agreed. He then grabbed the front of Spider-Man’s suit and pulled him in close. “But if you try that shit again, I’ll squash you like the bug you are!”
Daredevil chuckled again before repeating, “He’s lying.”
Logan growled as he let go of Peter’s suit and grabbed the nearest item he could throw that wouldn’t kill anyone: an empty soda can. He chucked it at Daredevil, who sidestepped it with ease. The soda can soared through the air before hitting Johnny Storm, who had been chatting away to the press with the rest of the Four. A loud yelp echoed through the square, though it was quickly drowned out by Daredevil’s and Spider-Man’s laughter. Logan barely had the chance to register it all before Peter wrapped his arms around him and swung them away.
“C’mon,” Peter said around his laughter, “let’s get out of here before Flamebrain decides to get revenge!”
Logan huffed but allowed himself to be carried off.
They split up only long enough to change to their civilian clothes, and then Peter led them to the diner. It was a quaint place, though surprisingly busy considering the dinosaurs that were running in the streets not even an hour beforehand. They were ushered to a booth and were able to quickly make their orders, a cheeseburger for Peter and a mushroom swiss burger for Logan.
Peter had a smile on his face, one that was an odd mix of smug and mischievous, and Logan sighed. “Lemme guess,” he grumbled as he leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, “you kept the damn ring.”
Peter’s grin grew. “Actually, no,” he said as he reached into his coat pocket and dug out a box. Logan raised a brow when Peter tossed it over to him. “I got a new one.”
Logan opened the box, and his other eyebrow rose. Inside was a silver-colored ring with intricate carvings along the surface that looked like vines curling toward the front where three tiny diamonds sat. Logan blinked at it for a long moment, wondering just how much Peter spent on it… and just how often Peter planned to fake propose to him.
He brought the ring up closer to his face to get a better look, and his nose twitched. “Is that made of adamantium?” he asked incredulously.
Peter opened his mouth to answer, but then his eyes wandered to something over Logan’s shoulder, and he began to frantically gesture for Logan to give the ring back. Logan did so reluctantly, and Peter quickly tucked the box back into his coat pocket just in time for the waiter to arrive with their meal. They smiled and said thank you, and the instant they were alone, Logan hit Peter with a hard look.
Peter sighed. “It’s not like the stuff you got,” he explained, his voice low to prevent others from over hearing. “Something similar that Reed let me have. It can still be broken and bent, but it should be strong enough to not get sliced by your claws.”
Logan blinked, surprised by the thought that Peter had put into it. “Why?” he asked, and Peter shrugged.
“Thought it’d be a good idea,” he answered easily. “Just in case we were attacked while out eating.”
Logan scowled and said, “Right. Because you’re still gonna use me to get your free dessert.”
Peter shrugged and gestured to the diner’s front door. “You’re free to leave at any time!”
Logan glanced toward the door and almost stood to go… but his stomach rumbled once more, so he instead picked up his burger with a huff before taking a large bite out of it.
The meal continued as it usually did, although this time Logan glared at Peter the entire time. Peter seemed unbothered by the daggers being shot his way, happily chatting about the dinosaurs they had helped to subdue that day and trivia about those Jurassic movies.
When both their plates were empty, Peter gave Logan a wide smile. “Ready for dessert?” he asked as he reached back into his coat pocket.
“Do I get a choice in the matter?” Logan asked flatly.
Peter merely raised a brow and nodded to the door. He waited for a beat, and when Logan didn’t stand, he did.
It went about the same as last time, only more eyes were on them, which had Logan shifting uncomfortably. This time, however, after Peter slipped the ring on his hand and hugged him, he then followed it up with a kiss to Logan’s cheek. Logan blinked, barely registering as Peter raised his left hand in the air to the applause of those around them. His cheek burned where Peter’s lips had touched him, chapped and itchy due to his stubble but also soft and warm. It took all of Logan’s willpower to not lift his hand to touch the spot, as well as to fight off the scowl he wanted to make at the sensation.
This time, the waiter hesitated as he set down a large slice of pie with a scoop of ice cream on top with two spoons for the “couple,” staring at Logan and his forced smile with uncertainty. Logan forced the smile wider as he picked up the spoon and took a large bite of the pie, and the waiter decided to let them be.
Peter was beaming across the table, digging into his half of the pie. “Worth it this time, right?” he asked with a mouthful of food, and Logan glared when some spittle hit his face.
“No,” he growled before taking another bite. The apple pie was far from the best he’d ever had, and the ice cream was too… icy for his taste. And the fact that they had to share it was a definite downgrade. “…but I do like it better than the cake,” he admitted under his breath after he swallowed.
Judging by the smug grin Peter gave him, he had heard the confession and counted it as a victory.
When they left the diner, it was a mirror of the time before, but this time Logan said nothing as he shoved the ring to Peter’s chest. He stormed away with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders hunched up to his ears, trying hard to not think about the way his stomach twisted and how his cheek burned.
“See you later!” Peter called behind him, and Logan walked faster.
The next time they ran into each other, it was by pure chance only a few weeks later. Logan was leaving a bar he had planned to spend the night in before some of the other bargoers got on his nerves, while Peter had been making his way home after work. They only just managed to miss bumping into each other, and Logan felt his stomach twist at the way Peter’s face brightened.
“Oh, hey!” Peter greeted as he pulled Logan off to the side so they were out of the way of the foot traffic. “Fancy running into you here!”
Logan’s eyes narrowed. “You followin’ me, Parker?” he asked as he shoved his hands into his coat pockets.
Peter reeled back in surprise. “No?” he answered bemusedly. “Why on earth would I?”
Logan huffed and shrugged. “I dunno. You’re in the mood for a brownie or somethin’?” he asked, and he didn’t bother to try and hide the bitterness that seeped through his voice.
“Oh, please,” Peter said as he rolled his eyes, “you’re acting like I twisted your arm!”
Logan scowled. He knew Peter was right and he could’ve left at any time, he just wasn’t a fan of it being pointed out.
Peter then smiled. “Actually, I just got off work,” he said as he looked down at his watch. “I haven’t eaten yet, if you want to…?” His voice trailed off as he sent Logan a hopeful look.
“Seriously?” Logan asked incredulously.
Peter blinked. “What?”
“Don’t you ‘what’ me!” Logan snapped as he poked Peter’s chest.
“I swear, I won’t do the dessert thing this time!” Peter lied, making Logan scoff.
“Right, and I’m just supposed to believe you this time?” Logan said before shaking his head. “What if I just buy the damn meal? That’d make this a whole lot easier, and you’d get your dessert, budget be damned.”
Peter actually had the gall to pout. “But the other way is more-” he began but was cut off when Logan held up a hand and said, “Please don’t say fun.”
There was a beat of silence where they just stared at each other, Logan glaring while Peter silently pled. After a moment, Peter sighed and said under his breath, “Fine.”
Logan huffed before walking past Peter, shoulder checking him as he did. Peter grumbled at the bump, but he followed behind Logan all the same. They walked in silence as Logan led them to a nearby restaurant that he liked, not bothering to mention it to Peter. They arrived there with relative ease, though when Logan tried to enter, he was prevented from doing so by Peter grabbing his arm.
“We’re going to eat here?” Peter asked incredulously as he stared at the steakhouse in front of them with wide eyes.
Logan shrugged. “Sure. If I’m payin’ for the food, I wanna make sure the meal is one worth paying for,” he answered blithely.
Peter blinked before shaking his head. “You’d really rather pay for an overpriced steak than do a little act for free dessert?” he asked before gesturing wildly at the building. “This place is always booked, anyway! How do you plan to get us a table?”
“I know the owner,” Logan quickly dismissed with a wave of his hand before narrowing his eyes at Peter. “Why the hell are you so insistent about the whole engagement thing, anyway?” He pointed at Peter’s pocket, where the outline of the box could be seen. “You even got a damn ring that you carry with ya everywhere! What’s with that?”
That made Peter pause, his arms falling limp to his sides and his brow furrowing as he thought over his answer. Logan blinked, not expecting such a question to stump him, as the smart aleck always seemed to have an answer at the ready for his more… eccentric ideas.
Peter huffed after a moment, crossing his arms as he looked off to the side. “I’m… not sure,” he admitted quietly after a moment. “I wanted it to be authentic, I guess.”
Logan frowned. “Authentic? Peter, the only people getting a good look at the ring is the two of us.” He paused, allowing Peter the chance to counter, but all Peter did was hunch his shoulders a bit and scuff the front of his shoe against the sidewalk. Logan sighed. “Besides, I know you got the material for the ring from Reed, but I know he sure as hell didn’t make it for you. How much money did it cost? Could’ve just used that to buy 50 mediocre pies.”
Peter’s shoulders hunched up more, but he still said nothing.
Logan felt a small smile crack on his face, and he gently bumped his fist against Peter’s arm. “Sheesh, kid,” he said teasingly, “you wanna marry me that badly?”
Instantly, Peter stood up straighter, his face flushing a bright pink as he looked at Logan with wide, surprised eyes. He sputtered a bit before managing out an affronted, “Absolutely not!”
But Logan could hear his heart pounding. He raised a brow, and Peter’s face grew redder, almost matching the vibrant color of his mask.
And then… things began to click into place for Logan.
“Peter…” he began slowly, fighting down the smirk that his mouth so desperately wanted to make. “There are easier ways to ask someone out-”
“I know!” Peter instantly cut in, his heartrate picking up a bit as he took a step back. “I wasn’t trying to!”
Logan’s lips twitched into that smile, despite his best efforts. “Oh, so after proposing to me twice, and thinkin’ about doin’ it a third time, now I’m suddenly repulsive?” he teased. “Is that it?”
“No!” Peter answered as he frantically shook his head. “No, of course not!”
“You even made me a ring out of cheap dinnerware before getting me a fancy new one that’s resistant to my claws,” Logan continued, laughter filling his voice. “I’m gettin’ some mixed signals here.” Peter didn’t even bother answering, just buried his face into his hands and let out a low groan. Logan chuckled and shook his head. “Alright, c’mon. Get your ring ready, I know for a fact this place has cake that’s actually good.”
Peter lowered his hands, revealing his beat red face, but he still refused to meet Logan’s eyes. “I don’t think I want to do that anymore,” he mumbled.
“Ahh, come on!” Logan said as he once again bumped his fist against Peter’s arm. “Don’t get cold feet on me now! You’ve already done it twice, what’s one more?”
Peter took in a few deep breaths as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, his heartrate slowing down and his flush disappearing as he calmed himself. He still refused to look Logan’s way, but he nodded and did not protest when Logan linked their arms together and led them inside.
The steakhouse was packed, almost every table filled, but Logan was able to talk his way into them getting a table. It was a small one, designed specifically for couples on a date who did not feel like giving each other personal space. Logan happily sat down and opened the menu, while Peter slowly followed his lead. He seemed nervous with the tight space but was too lost in thought to do anything about it. The whole dinner was a quiet affair, and while Logan was equal parts amused and worried by Peter’s uncharacteristic silence, he still enjoyed the peace while he could. The steak was delicious as always, and Logan had to hold back outright laughing at the way Peter’s eyes fluttered closed and how he let out a small, pleased moan with his first bite. Logan wanted to tease, just a bit, but the way his stomach fluttered at the display had him holding his tongue. Peter relaxed after that, but he still did not talk, his entire focus on finishing his meal.
Once their plates were empty, though, all that relaxation was gone. Peter’s heartrate picked up and his cheeks grew pink once more as he glanced over toward Logan.
“You really wanna do this here?” he asked quietly, his voice barely audible over the din. “Won’t the owner know something is up? Since he knows you?”
Logan leaned back in his seat and shrugged. “We aren’t exactly best friends,” Logan answered. “He doesn’t know my personal life and I don’t know his. You’re fine.” He then nodded toward Peter’s pocket with a smirk. “Go on, then. Sweep me off my feet, just like last time.”
Peter huffed and rolled his eyes, but his heart hammered as he pushed himself out of his chair. He was quieter as he got down on one knee in front of Logan, his actions less theatrical than before. As such, when he grabbed Logan’s hand and began to speak, not many people were looking their way.
“Logan,” Peter began, his voice shaking a bit, “we’ve known each other for a long time, and during that time, we’ve had our share of… of adventures.” The words were the same as the previous two times, but Logan was surprised that for once they actually sounded genuine. “Tonight, I’m hoping you’ll join me on our… our most exciting adventure yet.”
A hush fell over the room as the crowd around them realized what was happening. Logan could feel dozens of eyes boring into him as he watched Peter pull out the small box. Peter fumbled a bit to open it, revealing that same silver ring, but he steadied himself with a deep breath before looking up at Logan with his big, brown eyes.
“Will you marry me?” Peter asked, his voice wavering only slightly.
This time, instead of the forced, closed mouth smile, Logan allowed himself a wide, toothy, and very genuine grin. He grabbed the front of Peter’s shirt, pulled him in closed, and kissed him. Peter was stiff against him for just a moment before melting into it, and around them the room broke out into cheers. Logan pulled away before he could really appreciate the feel of those soft lips against his, though it was surprisingly difficult to do so. He wasn’t expecting the dazed look that had taken over Peter’s face, and he felt his heart swell with pride at the sight.
Peter blinked rapidly before coming back to himself, and he blushed brightly once he registered what had happened. “I, uh, take that’s a yes?” he asked.
Logan rolled his eyes. “It’s not a no,” he responded before pulling the ring out of the box and slipping it onto his finger. He took a second to look down at it, admiring how it looked on his hand and how snugly it fit. Peter really did go all out, for it looked like an actual engagement ring.
This time, they got two slices of red velvet cake, and Logan was, for once, happy to eat it. Peter once again did not speak the entire time they ate, although now it was with the added bonus of him doing his best not to look at Logan as well. Every now and then, though, Logan would catch Peter glancing his way, but Peter would always look away the instant their eyes met, his face flushing almost as red as the cake.
Once the, admittedly outrageous, bill was paid, the two made their way outside. Peter made to quickly walk away, but Logan grabbed his arm, silently asking him to stay. Peter sighed but obliged.
“Here,” Logan said as he slipped off the ring.
Peter frowned and shook his head. “Maybe you should just keep it,” he suggested.
“Nah,” Logan said as he forced the ring into Peter’s hand. “Now where’s the fun in that? You keep it, just in case.”
“In case of what?” Peter asked incredulously, though he pulled the box out with his free hand as he did so, slipping the ring inside.
Logan shrugged. “You tell me,” he said. “Though, next time? Just ask me out. Goin’ straight to engagement on the first date is skippin’ quite a few steps.”
“…it wasn’t a date,” Peter said quietly as he looked away.
“Sure, it wasn’t,” Logan said with a small laugh as he shook his head. “Whatever you say, kid.” He then leaned up onto his toes and placed a quick peck against Peter’s cheek, smiling at how it got Peter’s heart pounding all over again. He wasn’t surprised to see Peter’s face had once more gone a bright red when he pulled back, but he smiled at the sight all the same. “See ya later,” Logan said before turning and walking off.
As he walked away, his steps surprisingly light and wearing a smile that refused to leave his face, Logan found himself hoping that they were able to eat out again soon. And maybe, with any luck, he’d even get to see that ring again too.