A Lesson in Practicality

Time to Talk

Patton grabbed the food and leaned back. "I'm not dying, Logan. Really, I'm okay."

"You're always okay, Patton, that's why I'm worried. You were the one who taught me that it's okay to not be okay."

Patton looked up at Logan and smiled, patting his hand down on the couch. Logan took his spot back and Patton pulled him into his blanket. "It's not your fault, Logan."

Instead of answering, Logan just sighed and held onto his half of the blanket keeping his distance. They sat for a moment before the tv flickered to life, causing Patton to jump. "Pick a movie, Patton."

"Oh, sure." He went to move up out of the blanket when Logan reached over and stopped him with his arm.

Logan shook his head and pointed to the small DVD collection. "Just pick something, I'll take care of it." His eyes started to faintly glow and Patton found a small stack of DVD cases placing themselves on the coffee table.

Patton looked at the pile back to Logan with a curious expression but decided not to ask for right now. He picked up a case from the pile and held it up. "How about this one?"

Roman returned a few hours later, tired and trying his best to remain quiet. He found Patton and Logan on the couch, a blanket around Logan and lying down as Patton sat at the end, watching tv. He clicked the door shut and Patton looked up, smiling over at him. He waved and made his way into the kitchen, Patton carefully following.

"How was your day, Roman?"

Patton had no time before Roman spun around with a huge grin. "I don't care, how was yours? Spend the day cuddled up watching movies on the couch with Logan?" Roman wiggled his eyebrows. "Sounds cozy."

"What? Oh." Patton looked over his shoulder to see the faint glow of the tv lighting up what little he could see of the couch. "I think I scared him today."

"Scared, Logan? Really?"

Patton nodded and looked down bashfully. "Thomas came over earlier." Roman perked up at the news before tensing up. "It didn't go so well, but it wasn't his fault!" Patton looked determined to prove his point. "It was an accident and I'm okay so-"

"Wait, did you get hurt?" Roman placed his hands on Patton's shoulders, pulling him in closer to check him over. "Are you injured anywhere? Virgil is super paranoid, I'm sure he has a first aid kit we could use!"

Patton placed a hand on Roman's and tugged it off. "No, I'm okay. A little tired but fine."

"Patton, what happened?"

"Promise me you won't go out and do something stupid if I tell you?"

"Patton-"

"Promise me. You're not going to go after Thomas for this, okay?"

Patton glared at Roman who sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Fine, I won't. I promise."

Patton paced back and forth, mindful of his volume to let Logan continue napping as he recalled the incident a few hours before.

"It was weird at first, like a warm blanket fresh from the dryer placed on my arm, you know the feeling? It kinda started to tingle but then I started getting dizzy. Next thing I knew I got really cold and the world was spinning and Logan caught me before I fell. I even tried bringing out Pat Two but it just sort of... hurt? Like that part of me was shut off or taken out." Patton placed a hand on his chest and rubbed it. "I feel fine now like it never happened. Just kind of tired."

"Kind of like how I have this fuzzy feeling I use to focus mine, but somehow it felt like someone reached in and took it away?"

"Or started to, yeah." Patton looked back over to the couch. "Logan handled it pretty calmly but when we got back to the apartment I could tell his was worried and panicking, but I'm fine really. He kept insisting I relax so I just let him do what he needed to feel better."