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Logan hated high school classes. The classes that were for the general populous of the public high school had to appeal to them to push them to actually satisfy the graduation requirements. Which meant they were weird.
Instead of taking a normal chemistry class as a sophomore, in order to fulfil his science requirement he had to take 'The Science of Baking'. Instead of a classroom with textbooks and homework he was in the home economics room, trying to bake and cook, and it was the one thing he wasn't that good at. Everything he tried to make ended up either burnt or undercooked.
The project for this class was the death of the nerd. A group project, in pairs, trying to bake one of the recipes at home - but improving it through changing the ingredients away from the written words somewhat. The only positive was that his partner was willing to do the work, so much that they were staying after school in the home economics rooms to cook it together.
"No-one would complain about more chocolate!" Patton Mendoza was short, tanned, with a head of curly black hair - but the way his voice projected could make him six feet tall. He at least knew what he was doing as he was stirring the batter with his hands and chatting away with his mouth, while Logan stood with his back to the counter and nothing to do.
"Miss Torres doesn't like chocolate, and Mrs Rosario said she's one of the judges. It might get us marked down for being too intense."
"But it's chocolate - it's meant to be intense!" Patton screamed back, looking up at Logan with wide eyes. Of course Logan was spending valuable study time arguing with a classmate over cocoa powder. The batter bowl fell (although it was placed down, so it did remain upright) on the counter and Patton turned away for a second, bringing out the cocoa powder along with a table spoon. "Hey, look, it's mine from home and it's not that strong. Try a spoonful and see what you think."
"I'm not that favourable of chocolate myself to be fair..."
Logan's soft rejection was met with... something. He couldn't quite describe it - but he could describe what it did to him in minuscule detail. Patton turned away from his tall project partner in a swish, his nose scrunching and dimples showing, and his voice made some kind of frustrated 'hmph' squeak.
The nerd felt like he was flatlining, before his heart started beating again with wild intensity. His face became hot and red, and his voice became a sharp inhale. His legs felt like they were going to lose balance until he calmed himself down, using one hand to grasp the counter and the other to cover his face. Instead of thinking about his math homework he had to complete for tomorrow, he thought about that sound and the face attached to it. A very pretty face that seemed none the wiser to the bullet Logan was just hit with.
"I... I'll try it." He managed to cough out after a few minutes of the spell. Patton turned his head towards him again, his hair bouncing as he grabbed the cocoa powder and the spoon. And he showed a wide smile that made Logan scream internally.
Logan had snapped. He wasn't arguing with a project partner anymore, he was a gay mess pining over a classmate.
*****
"You're not watching!"
"I have to finish this essay..."
Patton loved college more than high school. High school was fun, sure, Logan had become his friend after the Science of Baking project and they became inseparable best friends until senior year. But in senior year Logan couldn't hide it anymore. He kissed Patton out of the blue at Prom as they argued over what flavour the punch was, and the 'best friend' label became 'boyfriend'.
Now they were college juniors, studying subjects they loved - Logan studying business management and Patton studying education. And Logan was so beautiful when he studied. The only problem was he studied too much - he had asked for a movie night so he could have his boyfriend under his arm but he had yet to look up from his laptop screen for something that wasn't a chaste kiss on Patton's temple.
"Did you actually want to watch a movie tonight?" Patton asked innocently, but he could assume by the way his boyfriend was stroking his arm as it had been wrapped around Patton for the last ten minutes, Logan probably just wanted some affection and closeness.
"Once I finish this..." Logan whispered, his grip tightening and his thumb stroking Patton's forearm as the shorter man found a crook in his neck to lay his head. Another few minutes passed with the boyfriends in that position, until Patton knew he wasn't going to get his way until he acted on it.
Patton cupped his boyfriend's cheeks and stood from the sofa, bending so his eyes were level with Logan. "I'm here now baby. I want you." The kiss Patton gave was intense but slow, letting the couple get carried away until the education major's back started to hurt from his current posture. When he leant away he was met with Logan's soft smile and that look of love in his eyes. Unfortunately his words were not the words Patton wanted to hear.
"Once I've finished this essay you have me all to yourself." Logan kissed Patton again with equal intensity, but broke the kiss to look back down at his laptop. "It's for my English class and due in two days. And it's your birthday tomorrow so I want all attention on you for that day."
"I could have an early birthday celebration." That was just met with a low chuckle and taps from the keyboard. Patton's finger continued to stroke Logan's jawline for a few seconds until he brought his boyfriend's face up again so they were looking at each other. The next sentence was said in jest as Patton's face scrunched. "You're lucky I love you."
The next two seconds Patton knew he had gotten his way. He didn't know how he managed it, but there was always a moment where he could break Logan in half during an argument and get anything from him. It was how he got his first kiss, anyway. Logan's face became bright red at the words he heard and he took a quick gasp in, a sheepish smile on his face as one of his hands reached out to grab Patton, the other discarded the laptop to the side. His eyes travelled up and down as Patton settled on his lap, like he didn't know every inch of his boyfriend already. His hands held Patton's body like he'd disappear at any moment.
"Fine, you have my attention now. Do what you'd like."
*****
Patton couldn't believe he had this life. He was in the kitchen, cutting up fruit, looking outside into the garden. And Logan was out there - looking beautiful as always - kicking a soccer ball around with the little being that they had together. Virgil was a welcome addition a year after the pair got married, once they were settled in jobs and had a house they used Patton's cousin as a surrogate to get probably the cutest kid out there. Now Virgil was four years old, a full-on energetic child, and the summer break Patton got off from work meant the family were together all the time.
"Vergie - your snack's ready!" Patton called into the garden as he opened the door. Virgil jumped in place for a second before running inside, Logan a pace behind a little out of breath. The child got his energy from his other father, Logan always said.
"Is it strawberries?" Virgil asked as he climbed onto his chair on the dining table, soon joined by his other father who got a bottle of water.
"No, sweetheart, it's bananas and blueberries." Patton sat close to his husband, appreciating how Logan automatically moved his arm to be around him without a word said. He was watching their son with immense proudness.
Virgil, however, pouted as soon as the bowl of fruit was presented in front of him. The trait he had gotten from Logan was his fussiness. "I don't like bananas!"
"You do, honey." Patton started the argument he always had with the four year old when the snack of choice wasn't strawberries. "Two days ago you had strawberry and banana, and you ate all of it saying it was your favourite."
"Strawberries are my favourite." The child assured a fact both fathers knew very well, crossing his arms and staring at Patton with a pout. Logan couldn't help but smile seeing such a cute thing and knowing that was a mix of himself and the person he loved.
He didn't expect the next bit. Patton was used to standing his ground against young children as a teacher, so being a father of a fussy child was no different. But Virgil had a new tactic this time. He kept eye contact with his father, scrunched his face, and did a very loud 'hmph!'.
The noise only confused Patton and caused Logan to burst out laughing. "What... What was that?"
Virgil did it again, louder this time, causing Patton to turn to his husband in even more confusion. When Logan calmed himself down he had a wide smile. "He's copying you." The smart businessman managed to say through his gasps for air.
"Since when did I 'hmph'?"
"When you want to get something from Dad you do it." Virgil retorted, answering for his father who was still recovering his breaths like he ran for a marathon. "Like when you didn't wanna wash the dishes yesterday. You did a 'hmph' and Dad kissed you and did the dishes for you."
Patton's eyes widened as he watched his husband. He knew there was something he did - well, many things, but one thing specifically - that Logan enjoyed. Ever since high school he could diffuse an argument or his husband's stubbornness in a second. He had gathered the face scrunch over the years, but the noise he made must have been the missing power that made Logan do whatever Patton wanted.
"I... I didn't even notice I did that!" Patton exclaimed, half mortified at the amount of times he must have done that in public. Logan wrapped his arm around him tighter as if it were an accomplishment.
"I noticed." He mumbled, replaying every moment that 'hmph' was heard that made Logan fall in love again and again. He knew a lot more of those noises were coming with Patton's knowledge now - and he wasn't going to complain about that.