Sanders Sides Parenting/Kids One-Shots

(102) New Foster Home - Teen Logan (and ThomasxNico)

The room was plain and boring as expected. A single bed with red, yellow, and green cushions but the rest in white; a birch wardrobe and dresser; a desk with a few of those 'positive messages' notepads and a window with dark blue curtains and a rather large windowsill. Large enough to sit on. The view from the window was the road Gina had her car, showing neighbour's houses and people just walking past living their lives. The whole environment seemed so quaint and normal.

"Hey kiddo?" The door knocked after a few minutes, showing the previously black-wearing man now dressed in a normal polka-dot shirt in rainbow colours. "Sorry about the chaotic introduction but I'm Thomas Sanders. I just want to make sure you like your room." Logan could tell he was this family's first placement straight away by his nerves. This was Logan's fifteenth.

"It's good." Logan hated talking to new people but unfortunately he was destined to a life of that in foster care. He just wasn't good enough for a proper placement. "Um... Why were you dressed like an emo archetype?"

Thomas laughed softly and sat on the bed. "I'm a YouTuber and I make sketches with different characters - so I dress up a lot. You won't be on camera don't worry." Logan had never even heard of Thomas Sanders before - that was something to look up later. The man then perked up for a second watching the teenager. "You actually remind me of one of my characters actually from what Gina told us. You're a nerd just like him, quiet, introverted, oh I think you'll like the jokes I pull with the character..." After having a half dozen placements with young children involved Logan was used to hearing wild stories from the imagination and just politely nodding along. It was weird to have a thirty year old tell him stories though.

Soon enough Nico also appeared in the room with the exact same soft smile. "Oh you got Tom on a tirade. Tom?" Thomas immediately silenced hearing his lover's voice and smirked. "We'll probably carry on filming if you don't mind Logan. Or we can watch a movie if you want to spend time with us..."

"I need to unpack." Logan interrupted, standing from the windowsill and facing the birch wardrobe with his trash bag. It will only be a matter of time before he packs again but he liked to be organised. It sounded harsh when he was sharp with new foster parents but it all resulted to nothing in the end. He'd just be moved on to yet another 'all loving' foster family that will replace him for a younger child in a few months. It was just a cycle. But at least Nico and Thomas seemed to understand that and leave him alone.

*****

It was 1am and Logan had yet to fall asleep. He hated the first nights at new houses. There were cars driving by loudly, probably people returning from work, and the street lights were shining through the curtains. So Logan had to give up, sit up, and make his way to the kitchen for an early breakfast. That seemed like a good plan.

Logan was used to walking around strange houses in the dark by now, as well as going into the fridge without a care as long as no-one was awake. In previous houses people wouldn't ask him whether he'd stolen food in the night as they were scared he'd fit the violent, broken, teen boy stereotype. So he was free to do as he liked at night as long as he was quiet and cleaned up after himself. When Logan reached the kitchen he immediately opened the fridge maybe expecting to see some cold milk for cereal or a rogue, forgotten yoghurt. 

Wait... They had Crofters. This was his favourite foster family now.

Just as Logan began stuffing his face with jam he spotted Thomas, buttering a piece of toast beside him with a soft laugh. "It's alright Logan, this is your home too." Logan shrugged again and sat on a nearby barstool to eat. "You struggling to sleep?" Logan nodded. "Anything I can do to help?"

"No." He said quietly, wondering whether Nico was the only person in the household with a normal sleeping schedule. "Do I have school tomorrow?"

"Only if you want to go." Thomas yawned and inhaled an entire slice of toast before making another. It already felt weirdly comfortable being with this weird man - or at least more comfortable than previous families he lived with. "I heard you're moving to the local high school instead of staying at your old one?"

Logan shook his head. "Nope. Gina said I'm still at the same school as I was with my previous family, I was only with them for two months so..." His voice trailed off by itself as he remembered the foster family he was with before this one. He was the fifth kid, they were ultra-Christian, and they were hurt by Logan's sexuality. Or even the fact he was questioning it. He was apparently the most influence his kids had ever had.

Thomas seemed to read the teen's mind and possibly nodded to himself quietly. "You've been in a lot of placements I've heard..." Ah, yes, that conversation. It always happened with new foster families as the more and more houses he moved between the more and more people believed he was some kind of rebel. Now was the time for Logan to validate his own feelings about every placement he'd been on since he was six. He just wanted no judgement - for once.

"It's what I get having an unreliable mother I guess..." Now Logan's voice was becoming soft as he spoke, and gentle. "She promised me I'd only be without her for nine months - in first grade - but she's working on it."

When Logan was six he had hope his mother would get better. She had mental health issues along with financial issues and addiction. She was improving financially slowly but the addictions were a huge part of her life, bigger than her only child at least. Now at sixteen Logan wished the social workers listened to him when he said he wanted to be adopted by someone else. Anyone else. He just wanted stability.

"I'm sure she's trying her best." Thomas looked so caring and gentle at that point, trying to say the best thing to comfort the boy he only just met. Maybe he'd listen... Maybe Logan will finally be heard.

With a sigh Logan said the five words he'd said under his breath for years every time he left meetings with his mother. "I want to be adopted."

Instead of calling Logan ungrateful and telling him to keep up hope for his mother, Thomas just nodded and finished the last toast in the pile. Before even hearing the response Logan was reassured. "Well, I'm sure we'll see what we can do."