Work Text:
“Are you serious?” Logan signed. He couldn’t help but be a little pissed off at Keegan. Why the fuck would Keegan run off and tell his parents he had a boyfriend when he didn’t?? Not only that, but also tell them that his boyfriend was Logan?
Keegan huffed in response, “Look, just do this for me okay? It’ll just be this once. In a month or two I’ll tell them we broke up.”
Logan shook his head, signing, “I don’t understand why you lied in the first place. Why me of all people? They aren’t going to like me.”
“They were on my ass about not having a partner and not doing anything productive with my life. I figured they’d lay off if I told them I had a boyfriend and I guess the lie went too far,” Keegan replied, “You’re my best friend, and they will like you. They don’t care who my partner is as long as I'm not ‘wasting my life in the military’.”
Logan facepalmed in response. This was absolutely ridiculous. But Keegan was his friend so he felt kind of obligated to help even if he knew he wasn’t. “Fine. What time are you picking me up?” Logan signed with a heavy sigh.
He was seriously concerned his parents weren’t even going to like him. He couldn’t even speak and there was no way they would know sign language.
“Really?” Keegan said in a surprised voice, “Umm.. probably around 5:30.”
Logan nodded. God this was going to be hell.
The night finally rolled around. Logan didn’t know what to wear so he hoped a regular T-shirt and jeans would suffice. He tucked in his shirt and added a belt, hoping that it would make him look more cleaned up.
He was a bit anxious. He had met his partner’s parents before and none of them liked him very much. But him and Keegan lying to them made it all the more worse.
He heard the sound of Keegan’s car pulling up and the horn. He grabbed a jacket and tossed it over his shoulders before he stepped out, getting into the passenger seat.
He looked over to Keegan. Damn. He looked nice. It wasn’t often they both got cleaned up and saw one another like that. Keegan cut him a glance as well, assumingly thinking the same thing.
“You look nice,” Logan signed with a soft smile on his face. Might as well try to make the best of this night as he can.
Keegan replied easily, “So do you.” Logan’s heart couldn’t help but flutter from that comment. He was hopeless. They weren’t actually together. He shouldn’t be feeling this way.
The ride felt really, really long and it was filled with deafening silence. Logan was extremely nervous and he wasn’t sure why. It’s not like he’d ever see Keegan’s parents again, right? So why did this matter so much?
When they finally arrived, Keegan spoke, nudging Logan lightly on the shoulder, “Look, just be yourself, okay? You’ll be fine. And thanks for this.”
Logan nodded. Did it soothe any of his nerves? No. Not really. But what mattered was that Keegan tried.
They walked in together, immediately being greeted by Keegan’s mom and dad. As Logan suspected, neither of them knew sign language. They were still very sweet to him though and neither of them infantilized him for being mute. That was refreshing.
Keegan’s mom forced Keegan to help her with dinner while Logan and his dad attempted to have a conversation… Logan couldn’t talk and Keegan’s dad didn’t know sign. So for a little while they sat in silence watching the tv before Keegan’s dad got an idea.
He grabbed a notebook and a pen and handed it to Logan. “Is it okay if we talk like this? I speak and you write your answer down?” He asked, his voice curious and kind.
Logan’s heart squeezed. This was the first time that this has happened. Nobody ever really even tried to converse with him since it was always a hassle. He understood but this was the first time he actually felt.. heard in a sense.
He nodded quickly in response, taking the items from him.
They had a pleasant conversation. They spoke mostly about Keegan and where they met, how they got to know each other. Stuff like that. It was nice.
Once Keegan was finished helping he sat down beside Logan, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. They still had to act like a couple even if they weren’t one.
Logan leaned into him. They didn’t touch that often but.. Keegan was warm and soft. It was nice.
Keegan’s mom yelled for his dad to come in to help her with something. He did as she asked, leaving Keegan and Logan there alone.
“You owe me for this,” Logan signed to him with a huff following.
Keegan only gave a quiet laugh, “I know I do.”
God, Keegan’s parents were spoiling Logan. They had given him a great meal and they had given him quite a bit to drink. He wasn’t drunk but he was certainly getting there. He wasn’t used to drinking alcohol which is why his tolerance was so low.
“Okay he’s definitely had enough to drink,” Keegan said, taking the glass from Logan’s hands, “I better take him home.”
Whenever Keegan made it to Logan’s house, he helped him out and through the door.
“Kee…” Logan whined quietly. He didn’t typically tak much but he wasn’t sober and definitely couldn’t sign coherently if he tried.
Keegan sighed, “I’m right here, Logan. Let's get your sorry ass to bed.”
Logan grumbled as Keegan helped him lay down, sitting down on the bed next to him. Logan felt like shit. Now he remembered exactly why he didn’t drink. It made everything so much worse. Plus, now he felt sick. But he wasn’t drunk enough to throw it up.
Keegan helped Logan take off his belt, shoes, and jacket but did nothing more. He tucked him in and got up from the bed when Logan grabbed him by the wrist. “Wait… Don’t leave..” Logan pleaded quietly, “You owe me.. so stay.”
Keegan sighed, tossing off his own jacket and shoes, “Fine. I’ll get you some water. Sit here.” He then walked out.
Logan was struggling to keep himself awake for Keegan. He knew he needed the water but he was so sleepy.
Keegan came back a few minutes later with a bottle of water. He helped Logan sit up with gentle hands. He tilted Logan’s head back and held the water bottle to his lips.
Logan took careful sips, not wanting to accidentally spill the water all over himself. “That's it,” Keegan praised quietly… words that were doing something to Logan.
Logan pulled back, wiping his mouth off before then lying down in the bed. Keegan lied down beside him as well.
It was nice to know Keegan was near and that Logan was safe. He shut his eyes, sinking into the soft mattress beneath him.
The next morning, Logan woke up pressed against Keegan, his arms wrapped snugly around him. Logan groaned. God, his head was killing him. “Keegan..?” He murmured, rubbing his hand over his forehead.
“Yeah?” Keegan replied quietly, rubbing his back softly, “Head hurt?”
Logan nodded, “Mhm..” he nestled his head against Keegan’s chest.
Keegan rested his hand on Logan’s head to try and help with his headache. “Do you need me to get you medicine?”
“No.. it's okay. I’ve had worse,” Logan mumbled, shaking his head. All he really wanted was to stay with Keegan.
Keegan nodded in response, “If you can handle it. How do you think yesterday went?”
“I like your parents,” Logan mumbled genuinely, “They actually treat me like a person… It’s nice.”
Keegan smiled, “They like you a lot too.”
Silence dragged on between them. Logan just didn’t really know how to respond.
Keegan eventually spoke up, “Look, Logan.. I..- my parents really like you.. and-“
“You want me to keep pretending to be your boyfriend,” Logan interrupted with a small sigh.
Keegan hesitated, “Not.. exactly.. I um..”
Logan was confused. If Keegan didn’t want to continue pretending then.. what did he want? He waited for Keegan to continue.
“I wanted you to.. actually.. be my boyfriend,” Keegan admitted. It was so sweet.. so vulnerable and very unexpected. Keegan was the last person he expected to want him?
“Really?” Logan replied, looking up at Keegan with a surprised expression. He sat up in the bed and so did Keegan. Keegan averted his gaze quickly from him.
“Yeah..” Keegan nodded, squeezing at his own arms to calm his anxiety.
Logan leaned against Keegan’s shoulder, wrapping an arm around him. “Yes, I want to be your boyfriend,” he said with a shy smile.
Keegan let out a heavy sigh, resting his head on top of Logan’s. “So.. do you want to come over on thanksgiving?” Keegan asked.
“Yeah. I’ll go thanksgiving,” Logan answered easily with a small nod.