Summary - It's the day Logan and Patton are planning to adopt their first child. Patton is very idealistic about it and enthusiastic, whereas Logan is a lot more cautious and slowly allows their son to open up.
Words: 1774
"Should we call the middle school before we get him?" Logan shouted from the bathroom where he was brushing his hair. He could hear the pattering of his husband's feet running around the house. Safe to say his husband, Patton, was over-excited about all this. They had been trying to adopt for almost 5 years and had finally met their perfect son. He was a little older than they expected but that didn't matter, they were ready for this.
Patton burst in the bathroom - the noise of the door slamming against the wall making the nerd jump. He had been doing a late shift at the hospital the previous night - he was head emergency medical doctor at the nearest hospital in the city while his husband was a paediatric nurse that had taken paternity leave the last few days. This meant his husband was always awake and energetic, while Logan was mostly half asleep. "Will he like this blanket Logie?" The excited blondie held a knitted black and purple blanket. Patton loved knitting and did it a lot as a past time, which was why they initially planned to adopt an infant, toddler or young elementary school child. But they were assigned an older child - and they had no right to say no.
"Remember he is 13 years old honey... He might want to be treated like an adult." He reached for his tie, preparing to take his time to tie it. He wanted to look the best for meeting the new member of his family. But Patton had a different idea and was trying to drag his husband away.
"Pleeeaaase! Come on!" Patton screamed back, but struggling to drag the man opposite him. "We have to get there sometime today!" Patton was quickly silenced when Logan brought an arm around his waist, kissing him gently with his tie half done. In all honesty Logan was probably more nervous than his lover, this was his first time being responsible for a child and it was his child. Well, his and his amazing husband's. Patton fell into mush beneath him, holding onto Logan's tie before leaning away. "Are you excited sweetie?" He mumbled, kissing Logan's cheek.
Logan's soft smile was one of Patton's favourite things. "Very. I love you." Patton cupped his face, gazing up at him with an equally corny look of love and happiness. Today would be the most important day of their lives and they were doing it together.
"Really? I couldn't tell."
*****
Logan parked in the group home's car park, taking a deep breath. He had been shaking with nervousness the entire trip while his husband was clutching the purple blanket between his hands and shaking in excitement. When they left the car they held each other's hand, Patton was jumping up and down even as they met the social worker and went into the office for their last meeting with their new kid before he packs his bag and moves in.
The social worker was sat opposite the couple and letting them finish the last of the paperwork. Logan was struggling to write even his own name - Patton was trying to calm him with Dad jokes and puns. "Save a few for our son Pattoncake." Logan whispered, before hearing a knock at the door. The social worker stood and let the person in - and there he was.
A small early teen carrying a trash bag, wearing a completely black outfit with a giant purple hoodie. He could see Patton gasp realising the purple hoodie and hiding his purple blanket under the table. The teen looked shyly at the couple and then at his social worker. "Do I have to speak to them Scarlett?" The social worker, Scarlett, nodded and guided the teen further towards them. "Um... Hi - Logan, Patton." The teen, Virgil, had previously met the couple twice before so they weren't new people to him - but he wasn't exactly talkative.
"You ready to go Virgil?" Logan spoke gently as he stood, offering to take Virgil's 'suitcase' but he shook his head. Patton also stood with the widest smile Virgil had ever seen - Logan saw an equally wide one on their wedding day. Virgil looked over at Scarlett again before Patton leapt forward.
"I have a present for you kiddo!" Patton almost screamed and Virgil flinched and raised an eyebrow. Logan chuckled to himself knowing this was already his kid. Eventually he brought out the small purple blanket, only an A3 paper size, and gave it to Virgil. Virgil slowly took it in his hands, glancing at him confused before bringing it to his chest.
"Thanks..."
"It's no biggie kiddo!" Patton cheered back, giving him a hug, Virgil looked desperate to escape. "Come give your old Paps a hug! We've missed you so much! Are you excited about this? It's a whole new start! You'll start a new school and get lots of new friends and..."
"Patton." Logan said quickly, ushering his husband away from the teenager. Logan could see all the nerves written all over the child, he encountered that look a lot at work. Patton glanced at him confused. "Let's not overwhelm him - take a breath... Shall we get home then Virgil?"
Virgil nodded, and followed the couple silently. He held the blanket close to him. He had never had something like this to hold - something handmade with obvious love and seemingly personalised. Maybe Patton asked Scarlett what his favourite colour was. The couple seemed nice - Patton was wild while Logan was calm and patient. Patton did seem to want an immediate attachment but Logan knew better and allowed Virgil to take his time with things. He did have a baby blue bedroom though, that needed changing immediately to his taste.
*****
It was a Monday, and Virgil's first day at school. Both Logan and Patton offered to take him to and from school but he said no, he didn't want them to worry and fuss over him and wanted some time away.
Logan was slicing celery and humming to himself, having snacks of Crofters and crackers to wake him up a little more as he'd just returned from work. Patton was playing music from the living room and knitting extra baby-grows that he donated regularly to the maternity ward in the hospital they worked at together. It was adorable how much his husband cared about kids.
Then Virgil walked in, home from school. The pair expected him to come in happy and want to tell them about his day but that wasn't what happened. Virgil came in growling and grumbling, slamming the front door and marching upstairs. Logan watched him curiously but said nothing while Patton stood and ran to follow him with calming words.
The words could be heard clearly as both their volumes slowly got louder. Patton was trying to calm him down while Virgil was screaming at him to stop, to leave him alone, to go downstairs. Then there was a slam of another door, and Patton's tears were heard as he walked downstairs. Logan beckoned him over and put an arm around his shoulders. "I-I just wanted to see if he was alright..." Patton whispered through the tears, Logan gave him a hug and sighed.
"It's alright baby, just give him time." He whispered back, stroking his husband's hair and kissing his head. As both of them were doctors in a city hospital it was normal for both of them to cry over things, they were great at comforting each other. After a while Patton snuffled and calmed, going back to his knitting.
After about an hour the dinner was cooked, and Virgil hadn't come downstairs again. Logan took a serving and carried the meal upstairs, calmly knocking on the door. "I won't disturb you Virgil, I've got some dinner here for you. I'll leave it outside your door." He placed the plate down, and heard Virgil's sniffles before hearing sharp, sudden breaths. His instincts kicked in.
"Help..." He heard Virgil mumble, and Logan opened the door. Virgil was sat at the corner of his bed, clutching the purple blanket and mid panic attack with his neon purple headphones fastened to his head. Logan leaned opposite him and spoke clearly.
"4 seconds inhale... 3 seconds hold... 5 seconds exhale..." Logan said softly, letting Virgil copy at his own pace. It took a few minutes, but eventually he calmed his breathing. Logan brought his meal to Virgil in silence, but giving him a smile. Virgil smiled back.
"Thanks..." He took a bite of the food. "Wow, this is good..."
"Thank you." Logan smiled wider, glancing around the newly decorated bedroom instead of his son just in case Virgil was still nervous. The room was definitely different - pitch black walls with punk bands everywhere and stars in crevices of the walls. Virgil ate quickly and didn't talk. "I'll leave you now kid..."
"Are you going to take me back now? To Scarlett?" Virgil asked curiously, as if he actually believed that. Logan returned to his side and shook his head. "That's what happened when I shouted at the last family, I was deemed a danger to their younger kids..."
"Well it's a good thing we don't have any younger kids." Logan chuckled at first, making Virgil smile but retract into a ball. He pushed the roast potato around the plate. "And, in regards to Patton... He can get a little excited. We've been waiting for a kid for a while but I'm sure he understands we need to be patient with you." Virgil smiled wider, taking a bite of the potato he was procrastinating eating before. "Anyway, I should let you eat. Feel free to leave your room if you feel like it but at the same time you're free to stay up here." Logan stood and walked towards the door as he was speaking, Virgil watched him focused on a particular thought.
"Thanks... Dad." Virgil mumbled just as Logan's hand lay on the arch of the door. Worry then seemed to set in his face at Logan's silent, but happy, response. "Can I call you that?"
"Of course - as long as I can call you son." Virgil smiled at that and nodded. And later Virgil did come downstairs while Patton and Logan were mid-documentary, and sat with his family watching TV with them. His life was definitely different now, and scary too, but he was glad this change was happening. It only took another week for Virgil to call Patton Dad too, and he was very happy when it did.