Patton paced restlessly in his room. Logan would be here any moment, and he knew there was no reason to be nervous. He'd literally just seen the man today, and it wasn't like this was the first date he'd gone on since Liz, but he couldn't stop his unruly heart from racing at the thought of finally going out with Logan.
"Dad...? Hey, Dad? Why are you all dressed up?" Thomas stood in is doorway, a small frown on his face. Parker bounded into the room, tail wagging, and Patton ordered him back out with a point of his finger. The pup happily trotted over to plop next to Thomas in the doorway, tongue lolling out.
"I'm going out tonight, kiddo. I'll be back in a few hours, I promise."
"Oh...I thought we'd be hanging out tonight..." Patton's heart twisted in his chest.
"Do you need me to be home? I can always reschedule, if you need me." Thomas thought about that for a second, then pasted a sunny smile on his face. Dad didn't go out often, and he wanted him to have fun. Besides, he had Parker and Aunt Val! He'd be okay. He'd be fine!
"...No. It's okay, Dad. I'll be okay."
"Are you sure?" Patton pressed, wanting to be certain. He couldn't leave if Thomas wasn't okay, he just couldn't. Thomas ran up to him, throwing his arms around his waist in an enthusiastic show of reassurance.
"Yeah, Dad! I'll be good. We'll spend time together tomorrow, though, right?" Patton hugged him back, pressing a small kiss to his hair
"You bet! Tomorrow's my day off, and we're going to spend all day together doing whatever you like. I promise."
"Can we watch Disney movies?"
"As many as you want."
"WOOHOO!!!" Thomas raced out of the room, thrilled beyond measure, with the dog following close behind. Well, that's one crisis hopefully averted. He heard the doorbell, the faint murmur of Val's voice followed by the lower tones of Logan's. He heard Thomas go flying down the stairs, and he smiled as he slowly followed. The "oof" of Logan receiving one of Thomas's very enthusiastic hugs made him smile.
"DOCTOR PLANT!!! Are you going to build another arbor?! Or plant more flowers? I missed you!" Thomas cried happily. Logan chuckled, bending down to properly return the hug. Patton barked a greeting, and Logan reached down to scratch his ears with a smile.
"Hello again, Thomas! I missed you as well. No, I'm afraid we've built enough arbors and planted enough flowers for Valerie. How did that work out, by the way? You never said." He glanced at Val, who beamed at him.
"Oh, like a dream! Even she couldn't find anything to nitpick about...although I did have to spill some iced tea on my blouse when she asked me about those flowers in the back because I couldn't remember the name of them."
"African violets?"
"That's them!"
"Honestly, Valerie...oh! Hello, Patton." Logan smiled at him, and Patton couldn't help the quick once over. Good grief, the man was gorgeous! He was wearing what absolutely had to be a custom-tailored suit, navy blue with a crisp white shirt underneath. No tie, the top button was undone, revealing the hollow of his throat.
"Hey, Logan. Alright, Thomas, you be good for Aunt Val, okay? Say goodbye to Doctor Plant."
"Awww, but he just got here!"
"I'm terribly sorry, Thomas. Perhaps you and your Dad can come visit my house someday. I have a lot of gardening work that needs doing around there, and I could always use some help. A skilled unpaid worker like yourself could prove invaluable." Logan grinned at him, and Thomas immediately looked to Patton with a pleading expression.
"Oh, please can we go, Dad?! Please?!" Patton laughed and ruffled his son's hair.
"Yeah, I think we can arrange that. Have a good night, kiddo! And remember, if you need me, all you have to do is call."
"Okay, Dad. Bye Doctor Plant!" Something flashed in his son's eyes, a quick expression that was foreign and familiar all at once. Patton couldn't quite place it, but he felt a niggling sense of doubt worm its way into the back of his mind. Thomas quickly beamed a smile, waving happily, but the unease didn't abate.
"Goodbye, Thomas. Valerie." Logan's hand on his back slowly eased him out the door, and Patton tried to let go of his worry and enjoy his first date in a very long time.
"Have fun you two!" Val waved as they headed out, and Patton almost stopped short at what was sitting in the driveway.
"...A Pinto, Logan, seriously? I didn't even know they MADE them anymore!"
"I don't believe they do, to be honest. But it was my mother's and I inherited it. It's still in good working order, so I see no reason to change." Logan seemed slightly embarrassed, and now Patton felt awful for saying anything.
"Hey, I didn't say I minded. It's vintage!" Patton grinned, sliding into the passenger seat. Logan started the car and started the car. Patton smiled, finding that watching Logan drive was infinitely more interesting than what was out the window.
"So, why did you go into botany? What sparked the interest in the first place?"
"My mother. I was always intelligent. I was a freshman in college by age 14, graduated with my PhD by the time I was 20. I could have done it faster, but I chose to take my time." Patton stared, his jaw slightly dropped.
"That's incredible, Logan!" The man in question glanced at him, offering a small smile and a head tilt of acknowledgement.
"If you say so. When I was a child, I had no interest in any of this, but my mother always did. I can remember her spending hours in the backyard, tending to her many flower beds. Everything she planted had meaning, every bed told a story. She was an artist with flowers in a way I can only aspire to be. She was thrilled when I chose botany as my major. I only wish she could have seen what Minny's Garden is today." Patton reached over and placed one hand on Logan's arm.
"She would be so proud of what you've done, of how hard you've worked, I'm sure of it."
"Thank you, Patton. I...that is good to hear." Patton went to take his hand back, but Logan reached out and took his hand, placing their linked fingers on the gear shift. His heart fluttered at the sweet gesture.
"What about you, Patton? You're the man with all the secrets." Logan grinned at him, and Patton laughed, enjoying this, and him.
"I don't know as I have many secrets, Lo. I'm sure you already guessed that I was married before?"
"Yes, I had assumed. I'm not the first person you've dated since...?"
"No, not the first, but I am...careful. There haven't been many." Patton answered quietly, gently rubbing his thumb over Logan's.
"I'm honored to be among the lucky few, then. How did she die, may I ask?"
"Commuter plane crash. She was on her way back from an art show. I had the TV on and there was a bulletin. They didn't say any names, but I knew it was Liz's plane. I knew before they came to tell me."
"You know what you were wearing when you heard the news, what you were doing, where you were standing." Logan's voice was quiet, wistful. "You know every detail about that day."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because it was the worst day of your life. You might be a little hazy on the day before, or the day after, but you'll never forget a single detail of that day."
"You're absolutely right." Logan's intuition touched him. "Have you lost someone?"
"No, not in that way. But a man like you wouldn't get married and have a child unless that person was at the center of your life. If something rips the center out of you...well, you never forget it."
"No, I certainly won't." It was carved into his heart, a scar that would never truly fade. "That's the most insightful, accurate and comforting expression of sympathy anyone has ever given me." And maybe his heart was scarred, but the warm glow currently suffusing it was going a long way towards making him feel whole again.
"You may have lost his mother, but you've built an amazing life for Thomas. That takes work. I respect parenthood, in all its forms. And I respect you." Patton's eyes stung a little, and he blinked back tears.
"That...means more to me than I can possibly say." His voice was thick, and he quickly forced a smile on his face to lighten the...oh. Oh no. That was it. The look on his son's face that he couldn't quite identify. Liz used to wear that same look when she was hiding deep unhappiness. Patton could kick himself for not recognizing it sooner!
"Logan, I'm so sorry, but I need to check on Thomas. I just realized something." He pulled out his cell, and Logan merely cocked a brow in curiosity. The phone rang once, twice, and as soon as Val picked up he knew something was wrong.
"Val, what's wrong?"
"I don't know! He just started crying and it's like he can't stop! Pat, honey, I know how much this date means to you but..." Patton covered the mouthpiece, turning to Logan.
"Logan, I'm so sorry, but can we take a raincheck? Thomas really isn't doing well tonight, and I need to take care of him."
"Of course! One moment, I'll turn around at the next light."
"Val, I'm coming home right now. Tell Thomas I'll be right there, okay?"
"I'm sorry, Pat!"
"It's okay, honey, you didn't do anything wrong." Patton hung up, sighing heavily.
"What's going on? Is Thomas hurt? Sick?" Logan quickly glanced at him before pulling a U-turn and heading back the way they'd come.
"He's...losing his mother took a lot out of him. Most of the time he's good, he's fine, but sometimes he has bad days. Today was a bad day. I can usually pick up the signs, but it's subtle and I missed it. He must have been trying to hide it so we could still go out."
"He needs grounding and reassurance, I take it?"
"Yes, exactly. He'll be fine, he just needs me to be there."
"May I propose a solution, if you would be amenable? And Thomas, of course." Patton raised a brow, intrigued.
"What did you have in mind?"
"If Thomas wouldn't mind, perhaps we could all spend the evening at my house? I would be more than happy to cook dinner, and we could watch a movie with Thomas? He did express interest in seeing the house, and it would also allow us to spend time together. That's only if you wish, of course. If you'd rather I leave, and we pick this up another time, I certainly understand. Thomas must be your priority."
"You...you wouldn't mind that? Turning this into a family evening?" They pulled back into Val's driveway, and Logan parked and turned to him.
"Patton, I am very much aware that you and Thomas come as a package. If I weren't interested in that, I wouldn't be here."
Patton stared at him for a long moment, then surged forward and kissed him, hard and fast. The zing of pleasure that shot up Logan's spine nearly froze him in place, and he couldn't help the small, involuntary sound he made when Patton broke the kiss and beamed up at him. "I know I was supposed to save that for the end of the night, but after hearing that I just couldn't help myself."
"I have no objections to you doing that as often as you deem necessary." Logan replied dryly, and Patton laughed as he got out of the car. As soon as he walked in the house, he went straight to the living room where Thomas was curled up under a blanket.
"Thomas, sweetheart? Can you come out, please?"
"No! I ruined it, I'm sorry, Dad!"
"You didn't ruin anything, Thomas." Hearing Logan's voice, Thomas popped out from underneath the blanket, his hair a mess and his face red. He hiccupped a little, and Logan's heart melted.
"You...you came back! I thought you were going home so Dad could go on his date?" Logan and Patton shared a look, and Patton turned to him with a sunny smile.
"Actually, kiddo...Logan was my date." Thomas went very still for a moment, staring at them both.
"...You can do that? Date boys?" Thomas practically whispered it, eyes wide.
"Of course you can! You can date anyone you like, Thomas. In this case, I really like Logan, and he likes me."
"That's SO COOL, Dad!!! Doctor Plant is the best!!! But...but I made you come back..." Thomas's lower lip quivered, and he looked absolutely devastated.
"As I said, Thomas, you ruined nothing. In fact, we were talking and realized that an outing without you simply wouldn't be as much fun. Therefore, I was hoping you would consider coming to my house tonight for dinner?" Logan offered gently, and Thomas froze.
"It's okay if you don't want t-" Patton never got to finish the sentence.
"YES!!! Can we really?! Do you mean it?! When do we go, can we go now? Can Parker come, too?!" Thomas's entire face lit up and he threw off the blanket, beaming at the prospect of a night with his favorite people. Patton smiled and pulled him into a hug, throwing a questioning look at Logan.
"Parker is most welcome to come along. I've always had a fondness for dogs." As he spoke, the pup in question quietly padded up to him and huffed a greeting, pushing against his leg for attention. Logan chuckled, leaning down and giving him a quick pet.
"Oh, Logan, are you sure?"
"Definitely."
Patton slowly drove up the long driveway and released an involuntary gasp when the house came into view. Oh my god! It was the Dream House!
"Dad! It's the dreaming house!!! From grampa's pictures!!! Doctor Plant lives here?!" Patton sat for a minute in dumb shock, unable to respond. His father was a master carpenter, and while Patton's summers growing up had been spent outside sweating for his cousin, his winters had been spent indoors helping his father with his construction business. Years ago, on one of his visits to see Patton when his wife had been alive, his father had pulled out his phone and shown him pictures of a gorgeous old mansion, crumbling but still beautiful. He'd fallen in love with that house, calling it his "dream house". Somehow that had been translated to "dreaming house" with Thomas.
The mansion was huge and white, with a large porch that swept around the front and both sides with rockers, a porch swing, and pots and baskets of flowers arranged among them. He could see the second story terrace, with more rockers and flower pots - oh he was falling in love - then he looked to the landscaping and fell a little more.
Logan was doing shrubberies in the terraces-Japanese andromeda with its urn-shaped flowers already in bloom, glossy-leaved bay laurels, the fountaining old-fashioned weigela, and a gorgeous range of azaleas just waiting to burst into bloom.
And clever, he thought, reaching for his seatbelt and finally exiting the car, clever and creative to put phlox and candytuft and ground junipers on the lowest terrace to base the shrubs and spill over the wall.
He'd planted more above in the yard, a magnolia and a dogwood blooming Easter pink. On the far side was a weeping cherry. Patton idly unbuckled Thomas, picking him up and carrying him while Parker trotted obediently next to them. There was a meandering pathway leading from the driveway to the porch, anchored with dwarf trees. Lovely. There should be a table there-and there. A garden bench near the weeping cherry, maybe another path leading from there to around the back. He stopped himself as he stepped up onto the porch. Logan would have his own plans, he reminded himself. Logan's house, his plans. No matter how much the place called to Patton, it wasn't his.
Logan was standing in the doorway, smiling at them, and for a second Patton could almost see it, like a hazy vision of the future. Coming home to this house, to this man. He blinked it away, shoving that entire idea as far down into his heart as he could. It was too soon, and now was not the time.
"I'm in love with your house, Logan." He loved watching the way Logan's eyes warmed to a lovely whisky color, the corners crinkling with genuine happiness.
"Thank you, Patton. Come in, please." He gestured them inside, and Patton was floored again by how stunning it was. The woodwork, the furnishings...everything about it screamed elegant, but there was still a homey feel to it. Patton put Thomas down, and Parker sniffed at a few things curiously.
"Is there anything in particular that you would like for dinner, Thomas?"
"...Can we have pasta?" Logan smiled, and gestured for them to follow him. Patton couldn't help the little happy sound he made when they walked into the kitchen. It was massive, with a huge island and professional grade appliances. Enormous windows showed off the huge backyard, and Patton was itching to go through the French doors and explore more of the grounds, but he knew he could save that for another time.
"How does lasagna sound?"
"Ooohhhh, yeah! That sounds awesome!" Logan smiled and started pulling out ingredients and items he would need.
"I made my own sauce yesterday, hadn't decided what I was going to do with it."
"YAAAYYYY LASAGNA! Can Parker and me go play outside? You have a big yard!"
"It's Parker and I, Thomas." Patton gently corrected, and Thomas smiled sheepishly. Logan gestured to the doors, his eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Sure, so long as you stay out of the flower beds." With a whoop of delight, Thomas was out the door and running into the yard. "COME ON, PARKER!"
"I wish I could bottle some of his energy." Patton grinned, watching his son run around the yard.
"If you managed, you could be a millionaire." When he turned back, Logan had his suit jacket hung on the back of a chair and was rolling up his sleeves. That shouldn't have been sexy, but oh god, it really was. He slowly peeled his tongue from the roof of his mouth to continue the conversation.
"Are you sure you aren't? This house is fantastic! My dad worked on this, didn't he? I can see his mark all over the place." Logan's brow lifted a bit, but he continued making dinner.
"I don't discuss my net worth, as a general rule. Suffice to say I am comfortable, and leave it at that. Yes, your father has been an enormous help to me. He's taught me a great deal, and helped me often. The house is my winter project, when things slow down a bit. You should have seen what it looked like when I bought it. The town was ready to tear it down, so I got it for the cost of the property." Patton whistled at that, and Logan's grin turned sly. "I would wager they rather regret that deal now."
"I'll bet they do! Anything I can do to help you, by the way? I feel like a bum just standing here watching you work."
"You could fix a salad, if you'd like?" Patton nodded, and bustled about the kitchen going where Logan directed him. They chatted as they worked, and Patton silently marveled at the easy flow between them, how they worked just as well together here as they did in the shop. Like two puzzle pieces clicking into place. Once the food was ready, Patton called Thomas in and helped him wash his hands before they all settled down for dinner.
It was certainly an experience, and one which, in Patton's opinion, Logan handled remarkably well. He didn't appear to have a problem with boy-speak. In fact, at one point over lasagna, he got the feeling he was the odd man out. He could normally hold his own on comic book conversations, but the two of them were taking it to a higher level.
Thomas ate like a pig, made an unholy mess, and was so overstimulated by the time dinner was over that Patton half expected him to start a riot. Logan handled it all brilliantly, with a calm, easy smile. When they trooped into his living room, Thomas wasted no time picking a movie on Netflix and settling in like he'd lived there his whole life.
Logan seemed easy with Thomas, and you had to give a grown man points for seeming to enjoy a movie with talking monkeys. Halfway through, Thomas's head began to droop, his eyes closing for longer and longer periods of time.
"Alright, Pasta King. Time for us to head home."
"Noooo..." Thomas whined softly, but put up no resistance when Patton scooped him up. Logan followed them out, watching as Patton buckled Thomas back into his car seat and loaded the dog into the car. When he turned back around, Logan reached out and took his hand, gently bringing it to his lips.
"I very much enjoyed our date tonight, Patton."
"I did, too." Oh god, his voice should not be that breathless! But that gentle brush of lips against his knuckles had warmed him, just as watching Logan laugh and play with Thomas tonight had soothed him.
"I would like to see you again, like this. Soon." Logan stepped closer, and Patton could feel the warmth of his body, read the restrained heat in his eyes. His eyes dipped to his lips and shot back up, and Logan smirked before swooping down and gently kissing him. It was soft and achingly sweet, an unspoken promise for more, and it took every single ounce of willpower in Patton's body not to surge forward and take everything that promise offered and more. But Thomas was sleeping in the backseat and this was only their first date. He hummed in pleasure before gently breaking away and stepping back. He was a patient man, always had been.
"I think it's a safe bet we'll be doing this again as often as possible, if I have my way." Patton beamed at him, and Logan chuckled but stepped back, understanding that now was not the time. Patton wished him goodnight and climbed into his car, and as he stared a little longer at the gorgeous man in his rear view mirror, he idly reflected that while patience was always something he'd been good at, in this particular instance it may very well kill him.