#my poor toosie. my poor poor toosie | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

starryeyes-darkestnights · 4 years ago

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Shut Up and Drive

Part 3 of We Dance Together Now

An O’Knutzy au where Leo and Logan are still playing for the Lions, but Finn is a musician they met by chance on a roadie to Montreal.

Here are the first few parts!

Part 1 - Jingle Bell Rock

Part 2 - This City

I hope you like it!!! :):)

Also, this is getting kind of crazy long, so I’m going to stick it up on AO3 too :)

These beautiful characters and their world belong to the incredible @lumosinlove

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Finn was standing at his bathroom sink, brushing his teeth, when he heard his phone buzz in the other room. He wandered out to look for it, toothbrush hanging from his mouth. When it wasn’t immediately visible, he just shrugged and headed back to the bathroom. It was probably just his mom. She texted to say goodnight sometimes, which was adorable but didn’t require an urgent response.

But then the phone went off a second time while he was rinsing his mouth, and a third while he was pulling on his sleep pants. Definitely not his mom. Curious now, he grabbed his book off the nightstand and headed off in search of the mysterious messages. He padded out to the living room, spotting the phone on the couch and flopping down next to it just as a fourth notification went off. He scooped it up and swiped open his messages. He was surprised to see Logan’s contact come up. He figured they would be busy tonight after their game.

Logan: Finn!

Logan: FINN!

Logan: FINN ANSWER YOUR PHONE

Logan: We won!

Finn smiled at Logan’s excitement. He had actually seen the alert for the team’s win flash across his phone a few hours earlier. He’d set up notifications for Lions game results a few weeks ago, after an embarrassing evening of asking them how the game went, not knowing they had lost. He would only make that mistake once.

Finn: I saw. Congrats! 😊

Logan’s response was immediate.

Logan: You’re alive! Come celebrate with us.

Finn’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. That was unexpected. He knew that after winning games they usually went out with the guys from their team. That’s why he had gotten ready for an early night.

Finn: Aren’t you out with the team?

Logan: Yes! Leo says to tell you they’re cool if you join us. They want to see you again. They remember you from Montreal.

Finn chewed his lip, looking longingly between his book and the phone in his hand. Usually he would love to see them - the trio had become nearly inseparable over the past month - but he had been looking forward to reading tonight. He hadn’t had much opportunity since school had started back up. Plus, he had to be up early tomorrow.

Finn: Ordinarily I would be all over that. But I’m almost in bed

Logan: Your bed will still be there in a few hours!

Finn: But it looks so comfy right now.

Logan: Pleeeeaaase? Dancing isn’t fun without you any more

Finn melted a little at that one, his conviction starting to waver even as he texted back.

Finn: I don’t give in to peer pressure!

He watched the screen, waiting for an answer, when a message from Leo popped up at the top. A picture. He swiped it open, curious, and his jaw dropped.

It was a picture of Logan, taken from close up. His head was tilted, his messy curls falling over one eye, and he was pouting, his lower lip jutting out just slightly. He was looking directly into the camera, and his eyes… Finn took one look at the wide, green, puppy dog gaze, and knew he had just been made a liar. There was absolutely no way he was not going to do whatever Logan asked if this was how he asked it. He stood up and sent one final text.

Finn: Where are you?

---

Two hours later Finn was in the middle of a dance floor, sweat dripping in his eyes as he leaned over to put his hands on his knees, trying to stop laughing long enough to catch his breath.

His efforts were futile, as Logan chose that moment to expand on his interpretation of the Toosie Slide dance, one that had been getting more and more extravagant every time they heard the song at a club. As he slid dramatically across the floor, he almost knocked over a poor, unsuspecting woman. He hadn’t actually crashed into her, but it was close enough to scare her into turning toward him with a very angry look and Finn cackled as he watched Logan’s face turn from mischief to horror, nearly knocking her over a second time as he rushed to apologize. His amusement was short-lived, however, as the woman gave Logan a once-over and did a complete 180, from angry to impossibly seductive, in less than the time it took her to introduce herself. Finn looked to Leo, hoping for a distraction, only to find him in a similar position with the first woman’s friend.

Finn stood up, laughter draining quickly from his system as his smile turned wry. This was a familiar scene. Girls were not shy with Leo and Logan. And it’s not like he could blame them- he was painfully aware of how beautiful they both were. He just didn’t usually let himself get caught having to watch it. He had quickly learned to spot the girls coming before they did, to extract himself from the situation before he had to watch it unfold. This was the first time since that first night at the Burrow that he’d been caught off guard. And it was… painful. So much for keeping your feelings in check, I guess, he thought drily.

He waited for a moment, until Leo and Logan were both fully distracted, and took the opportunity to sneak away quietly, back to the table where he had been introduced to the team earlier. He slid into the seat he had previously abandoned, next to Kasey Winter, and shot him a quick smile when he welcomed him back. He pretended to be interested in the conversation he was having with Sirius Black, across from him, but his mind was elsewhere, and he jumped when a voice sounded in his ear.

“Penny for your thoughts?” He recognized Leo’s teasing voice and a small smile crept onto his face. “We lost you out there. Logan thought you might be getting a drink.”

Finn turned to look at him, taking in his dance-flushed cheeks and bright, dimpled smile. One thing he had learned after spending enough time with him, was that a genuine Leo Knut smile could light up a room. Usually that smile caused a warm glow in Finn’s chest, but right now all he could picture was the woman from the dance floor being on the receiving end of it.

Finn shook his head. “Nope, just needed a quick break.”

Leo’s brow furrowed at that, and his head tilted as he looked at Finn, assessing. His eyes flickered between Finn’s, and across his face, radiating kindness. His expression softened and he reached up to place a gentle hand on Finn’s shoulder. “Hey, are you ok?”

“Ya, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?” Finn tried to paste on his biggest smile, but he could tell Leo wasn’t fully convinced.

“Are you sure? You know you can talk to me, right? I –“

Whatever Leo was going to say was cut off by Logan returning to the table, loudly. Finn took a second to thank whatever divine intervention had prevented him from having to come up with an excuse for his moping, before turning his attention to what appeared to be a very passionate argument between Logan and Thomas Walker.

“I’m just saying Talkie, that can’t possibly be true.”

“Logan. Explain to me why it cannot be true.”

“No! You explain to me why it can be true!”

Finn caught on to what Logan was doing. He had seen him try it before, on Leo, and on himself a few times as well. But it had never worked.

“It was on the Discovery Channel Tremz! Why would they lie?”

“I’m not saying they’re lying, I’m just saying you haven’t convinced me that they’re telling the truth.”

Thomas’ jaw dropped at that one, disbelief on his face. “Logan, I-, what?? That’s- this is ridiculous! Aardvarks exist! Fucking Google them!”

Logan just shook his head cheerfully, popping a cheese fry into his mouth. “Nah.”

“Aargh!”

Finn couldn’t help but laugh at Thomas’ exasperated face as he stood from the table. “I’m going to the washroom. I can’t handle you right now.” He gave Logan a playful shove in the back of the head as he walked behind him.

Logan just laughed into his drink, looking smug.

“So,” Finn picked up his own drink, “is antagonizing your friends on purpose a personal hobby?”

“No.” “Yes.”

Logan and Leo spoke over one another.

Finn looked between them, amused, as Logan pretended to be offended.

Leo just looked at Logan, eyebrows raised and a corner of his mouth pulled up affectionately. “Getting people worked up is Logan’s favourite game, but he’ll pretend he doesn’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kasey, overhearing, leaned back over to Finn. “We’ve all just learned to ignore it. Talkie’s the only one he can still get to.”

Finn chuckled at that. “You know aggravating people on purpose isn’t very nice, right?” He cocked his head at Logan.

Logan just smiled innocently. “I have no idea what you mean.”

Leo gestured pointedly toward him. “See?”

Just then, there was a flurry of movement from the other end of the table as people started getting ready to go. As the three of them stood together to join them, Finn was reminded of something.

“Hey, before I forget, you guys have tomorrow off right?”

Leo nodded, shoving his arms through his jacket sleeves. “Ya, we do. What are we doing?”

Finn loved that it had become natural for them to just assume they would be doing something together on a day off. He started walking backward toward the door of the bar and grinned at the other two as they followed.

“We, my friends, are going on an adventure. Dress for being outside, and be ready at 9am sharp.”

---

At exactly 9 o’clock the next morning, Finn watched as Logan yanked open the door to his car and flopped into the front seat. His hair tousled, eyes bleary, he leaned back against the headrest with a groan. “Whyyy are we awake right now Finn?” His voice was still raspy from sleep. “Early bird gets the worm!” Finn chirped back at him with a smile. He gave a noncommittal grunt, but perked up as Finn passed him a coffee.

He took a sip, eyes closed. “Mmmmm. Ok you’re forgiven.”

“You’re welcome. Are you awake now? I need you to tell me how to get to Leo’s place.”

Finn had picked up the two of them from Logan’s place a few times over the past couple of weeks, swinging by on his way home from campus and driving them to his place to play video games or to Sid’s for dinner. He knew Leo didn’t live at Dumo’s too, but he had never actually picked him up from his own house.

“Why didn’t you pick him up first?” Grumbled Logan, his eyes still half closed as he tried to stifle a yawn.

“I picked you up first because I know where you live, and you know where Leo lives. It’s called logic. Now give me directions, Sir Yawns-a-Lot. We have places to be!”

“Mmm.” Logan grunted back in his still sleep-rasped voice. “I actually don’t remember where he’s staying right now, let me give him a call.”

Finn furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “What? Where he’s staying right now? Does he not always stay in the same place?”

But Logan waved him off as Leo picked up the phone, and Finn was left to wonder impatiently for the short duration of the call.

“Ok, he’s downtown. At the Hogwarts Hotel, right across from the arena. It’s like 5 minutes from here. You know it?”

“Yeees…” Finn dragged the word out, still trying to piece this together. “… can I ask why he’s at a hotel?”

It was Logan’s turn to look confused. “He’s always at a hotel? He’s a rookie, that’s usually what happens.”

Finn was caught off guard. “Seriously? Like for the whole year? Did you do that too?”

“Ya, I guess for the whole year. And no, I didn’t do it. I got really lucky the year I came, Dumo had an open room. He invited me to billet and I’ve just never left. They’re like a second family to me now.” He paused, running his finger around the lid of his coffee cup.

“I feel really bad for Leo though. It was hard enough coming here when I had Dumo’s family to rely on, I don’t know how he’s doing it.” He shook his head, looking up at Finn. “He tries to pretend it doesn’t bother him, bouncing around between hotel rooms, but you can tell he’s homesick sometimes, you know? I try and drag him over here to crash on my floor when he looks really down, but it’s still just another strange place for the night.”

Finn nodded. He knew how hard it had been for him moving to Gryffindor- the loneliness he had felt, exhausted from working hard all day and dreading coming home to an empty apartment. He had spent many sleepless nights talking himself out of dropping out and moving back home to his parents, his brother. June. It was during that time he had written This City, the song he had played at the Burrow the first time Leo and Logan came to see him play.

He thought about how Leo had responded to his explanation that the song had been about moving to Gryffindor. It wasn’t a happy song. Finn didn’t like that Leo could relate to it.

He put the car in drive, mulling an idea around in his brain as he headed to Gryffindor Hotel.

---

Leo

Leo sat in the middle of the backseat of Finn’s car, watching the roads they passed and trying to discern where exactly they were headed. So far all he could tell was that whatever they were doing, they weren’t doing it in downtown Gryffindor. He didn’t like not knowing things, it made him feel on edge. He sighed, deciding to try one more time. “Finn. We’ve been driving for fifteen minutes. Are you going to tell us where we’re going yet?”

“Actually, yes!”

Well, that was pleasantly unexpected. Finn had been denying Logan an answer since before Leo had even gotten in the car.

“Just one second…”

Leo watched from the backseat as Finn checked his blind spot, merged off of the entrance ramp, and…

“Ta-da!”

Leo looked outside the window. They were on a freeway. Was Finn… excited about the freeway?

He shared a glance with Logan, who looked equally confused.

“Finn,” Logan started slowly, “what do you mean ‘ta-da’? Is this where we are going? The freeway? You said to bring clothes for outside. We can’t go outside when there are cars driving by at 80 miles per hour.”

Finn was unphased. “The freeway is our gateway to adventure, boys.” He explained cheerfully. “Everyone knows a road trip doesn’t begin until you get onto a highway.”

“We’re going on a road trip?” Leo’s interest was piqued. “A road trip to where?”

“I’m glad you asked!”

“We’ve asked ten times and you ignored us. NOW you’re glad?” asked Logan incredulously.

“Yes,” Finn explained patiently, “because I couldn’t tell you before. Not until the road trip started. Remember the rules of the list?”

“We decided that was bullshit!”

“You decided it was bullshit. I never agreed.”

Logan opened his mouth to retort, and Leo decided it was time to interject. “The road trip started now. Can you please tell us?”

He watched Finn’s smile through the rear-view mirror. Leo rarely had the opportunity to observe Finn like this, without him noticing, and he was trying not to make it obvious that he was taking advantage. But they were headed East, and the morning sun that came through the windshield was drawing out these tiny gold flecks in his wide brown eyes, and Leo couldn’t look away. He was just thinking that he wanted to see those flecks up close when Finn suddenly met his gaze in the mirror. He jerked his eyes away immediately, cursing himself as his heart skipped a beat. Then he realized that just made him look even more guilty, so he looked back up and raised his eyebrows at Finn, pretending that he had just been looking at him to hear his answer.

Finn held out for a dramatic pause before responding smugly. “I have found us the perfect adventure.”

Logan groaned, and Finn glanced over at him, sticking out his tongue. Leo noticed his cheeks had a flush that matched his own. He must have realized Leo was staring. Fuck.

The smug look fell away when he spoke again, and he sounded almost nervous. “So, there’s this town called Ilvermorny, over on the coast. I heard about it a while ago from a customer at the Burrow, apparently people love to go there because it’s super beautiful and you can walk around and explore the whole place in a day.”

Logan looked over at him, interested. “Sounds cool.”

Finn looked relieved for a second, and then an excited grin took back over. “I’m glad you think so. But that’s not the best part.” He wiggled his eyebrows excitedly. “I have received some excellent intel, that not only is this place all picturesque and shit, but, Leo…” he waited for Leo to meet his eyes in the mirror again. “They also have THE best authentic Cajun food this side of Louisiana.”

Leo felt his jaw drop, and he couldn’t stop the huge smile that he felt stretching across his face. He’s been so homesick for the food his mom made for him back in New Orleans. He leaned forward between the front seats. “Are you serious? Finn. Are you for real?”

Finn just laughed, eyes on the road.

“Logan!” Leo turned to Logan, who had one corner of his mouth quirked up into an amused smile as he watched Leo’s excited reaction. “If this is real- and I swear to god Finn this better be real or I might actually cry- I can finally introduce you to food from home.”

He flopped back into his seat, his mouth already watering at the thought of real, authentic Cajun food. “Not having a kitchen has been absolutely killing me in Gryffindor. I miss the food from home so much.”

Logan turned back to look at him, surprised. “Really? You’ve never mentioned that you like to cook.”

Leo groaned, his eyes closing. “I love to cook. I never mention it because it just makes me sad. But nothing can make me sad right now if you’ve just put shrimp étouffée on the table.”

“I have no idea what you just said, but I’m glad you’re happy.”

He heard the amusement in Finn’s voice and cracked an eye to see him flickering his eyes between the road and the mirror. “Best. Surprise. Ever.”

Finn looked so pleased, it made Leo’s heart swell.

“Now can you please talk about something else to distract me from the fact that I have to wait hours to get to this place?”

“Yes!” Logan jumped in quickly. “We can talk about what the hell this road trip playlist is.”

Finn startled, glancing over at Logan. “What do you mean?”

“What are we listening to??”

Finn looked scandalized. “It’s the Eagles, Logan.”

“The Eagles?! What are you, 60 years old?”

“They’re iconic!”

“They’re old. Now give me the phone cable.”

Logan didn’t wait for Finn’s response before unceremoniously yanking the cord out of Finn’s phone and plugging in his own, scrolling through his music library.

Finn wasn’t done defending his choices. “Being old doesn’t make you less iconic! Plus, I like the way they write. And so do like, a hundred million other people! We can’t all be wrong!”

Logan finally stopped scrolling and interrupted the incensed redhead. “Hey, Finn?”

Finn glanced over one more time. “What?”

Logan just grinned, and pressed play. The opening notes of Rihanna’s ‘Shut Up and Drive’ filled the car and Leo just smiled and shook his head as Finn’s offended spluttering was drowned out by the sound of electric guitar and Logan’s self-satisfied cackle.

---

When the boys arrived in Ilvermorny, it was only 11am. Finn had packed them a big breakfast for the car and they still weren’t hungry enough for a full lunch, so they decided to grab a quick snack for now and leave the restaurant for dinner. There was a bakery across the street from the Information Center they had parked beside, and as Logan headed in to get their order, Leo stood outside with Finn and looked around. Finn had been right, this was a super quaint little town, all brightly coloured shop fronts and cute wooden sidewalks. He winced as a cool wind blew by, regretting that he had chosen to wear a snapback instead of a beanie. He still wasn’t used to the winter weather here.

“Hey, trade me.”

He turned to see Finn tugging off his beanie and gave him a questioning look. “Sorry, what?”

“You’re cold already, it’s just going to get worse over the day. Give me your hat and you can have this one.”

Leo was caught off guard. “Oh, my god, Finn. No. I was the idiot who didn’t bring a proper hat. I’m not going to make you freeze your ears for my mistake.”

Finn just reached up and plucked Leo’s snapback off his head, dropping it onto his own before using both hands to pull his beanie down low over Leo’s curls. Leo immediately felt the warmth, both of the wool over his ears, and of the blush moving up his cheeks to reach the place where his skin tingled from the brush of Finn’s fingers.

Finn’s wide eyes were kind as he smiled up at Leo. “I have a hood,” he said, voice soft, “you don’t. I’ll just pull mine up if I get cold.”

“Thank you.” Leo swallowed, trying and failing to pull his gaze from where it was locked onto Finn’s. Those damn gold flecks were still there. The pull he had felt since the day he had met him had never been stronger, and he felt himself start to move closer when the chime of the bakery door startled both of them.

He spun around, cursing himself internally. Stupid, stupid. Get it together. He’s not into you. You can’t be into him.

A gust of warm air blew over him as Logan stepped out with an armful of drinks and baked goods.

“Hey guys, sorry that took a minute, they were out of chocolate croissants, so I had to get something different.” His voice trailed off as he spotted Leo’s snapback over Finn’s red locks, and his gaze shot up to where Finn’s beanie was now snug over Leo’s ears.

A strange look crossed over his face, so quickly that Leo almost thought he imagined it. But it was gone before he could figure it out, replaced by a happy smile as he handed out coffees and they set to walking.

---

Finn

The three of them spent the afternoon checking out every recommendation from a guide-book Leo had snagged from the Information Center.

They toured what was apparently one of the oldest functioning lighthouses in America, tried (and failed) to spot whales from coin operated binoculars on the winter-emptied fishing pier, and stopped to watch a local artist creating beautiful framed scenes out of ocean glass she collected herself from her front yard. Finn bought one of her pieces. “A memory!” He told Leo and Logan.

They meandered down the entire length of the boardwalk, perusing heated stalls selling local goods and goading one another into walking down to the icy shore to test the temperature of the calm ocean water. When they stuck their hands in, it was so cold that it burned. When they finally needed to warm up, they had gone back into the little town to wander in and out of the local shops, talking and joking with the owners and with one another.

When they walked out of their final store, a chocolate shop that Logan in particular had been itching to check out, the sun was just disappearing behind the cliffs overlooking the town. They must have been in there for a while. Longer than Finn had thought, for sure.

Finn stood next to Leo, who was checking out the guidebook again, and watched Logan walk out of the shop after them, a bag of carefully selected chocolates held in his hand. He took a few steps away from the building and stopped, closing his eyes and tilting his head back to pull in a deep breath of seaside air. Finn watched as he breathed out, relaxed. It was something he did often, just taking a moment to take in the fresh air after a long time inside. Finn had noticed him doing the first time they had met, back in Montreal, and it had become engrained in his mind as something quintessentially Logan.

Finn’s stomach gave a loud grumble then, and he pulled his attention from Logan to nudge Leo. “Hey. It’s getting late, no? Do you guys want to get dinner now?”

“I’ve been waiting all day for you to say that!” Leo joked. Logan came back over to join them, and Leo passed him the guidebook as he stretched his arms above his head.

“And Logan can double check, but I actually think we’ve checked off everything in that book now, so the timing is perfect.” He dropped his arms. “Let’s head over?”

Finn led the way through the cheerful streets, scanning storefront signs until he saw the one they were looking for. Feeling dramatic, he grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, bowing deeply to Leo. “After you, my Louisian Lord.” He frowned at the way the word sounded and looked up to Leo for help. “Louisianian? Louisianan?... Orleanian??”

Leo just looked at him. “You’re ridiculous.”

Finn stood and shrugged. “Maybe. But you still have to go in first. Lo and I don’t know shit about Cajun food. You need to make us look cultured.”

Leo let out a snort at that, but led them into the restaurant anyway, looking around happily as they were led to a table.

The moment they had menus in their hands, Leo immediately took to describing every dish with an over-the-top enthusiasm his composed self rarely showed, and Finn gave up reading his own menu in favour of leaning back and listening to his version of the dishes instead.

A few minutes later, Logan joined suit, closing his menu with a shake of his head.

“Nut, they should hire you to rewrite these descriptions. You make me want to eat everything.”

Leo’s eyes shined. “We should! Let’s just order a bunch of things and share them. There are so many things you need to try.”

Finn shrugged amenably. “Works for me. Will you order? I wanna go wash my hands.” He stood as Leo nodded, eyes still glued to the menu. “Get something with sausage, ok?”

Alone in the washroom, Finn sighed happily as he let the warm water run over his chilled fingers, looking up at his own reflection in the mirror and smiling dopily as he thought about how well his planned day had gone. His eyes moved up to lock on to where he was still wearing Leo’s snapback, and his smile dimmed a bit as he flashed back to the moment he had had with him this morning.

Despite having told himself regularly for the past month that he needed to keep his feelings in check, not let his heart get too attached, this was now the second day in a row that he had let himself get caught with his guard down. Somehow he was getting worse at it, instead of better.

He had a tendency to get lost in the bubble he shared with Leo and Logan whenever they were together, forgetting to remember that for them, it was different. That for them, he was just a friend. And he had still been feeling a little exposed after last night’s crushing reminder of that when he had, without thinking, pulled his own beanie over Leo’s ears that morning. Then Leo’s eyes had locked onto his with that look, that indecipherable look, and he hadn’t been able to dredge up the willpower to turn away. Or, you know. Breathe.

But, he thought to himself, smile returning, Leo hadn’t seemed to notice anything off, or if he had, he had let it go, and the rest of their day had been incredible. Only with Leo and Logan could a winter day in a beach town, of all places, be this much fun. He’d never had this kind of a friendship with anyone before. He dried his hands, wondering vaguely if this was what the characters in Friends felt like with each other. He figured if it was, then Leo and Logan must be his Ross and Chandler.

And he knew he would fight anyone, even his own heart, to ensure they could remain that way.

When Finn came back to the table Leo was just finishing up their order. As the waitress walked away, he relaxed happily back into is seat, the warm light of the restaurant lanterns caught his hair in a way that made it glow like spun gold. His eyes were shining as he looked up at Finn, his smile bright and content.

“Alright, Finn?”

“So alright. And so ready to eat.”

Logan snorted at that. “Nut just ordered half the restaurant, so I hope you’re serious about that.”

“Don’t be dramatic.” Leo rolled his eyes. “I ordered a completely reasonable amount of food.”

Finn smirked as a memory resurfaced. “Mmm. Completely reasonable in the way that Logan is a ‘completely reasonable player’?”

Logan gasped at that, looking offended. “Finn! Why do you remember that!”

Finn laughed openly as he dodged the sugar packet Logan threw at him. “How could I forget you beating up Leo on the streets of Montreal?”

Logan leaned back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest and a grumpy look on his face that only made Finn laugh more. “You still haven’t come to watch a game. You have no idea how totally reasonable I am.”

“Fair enough.” Finn acquiesced, still chuckling. He caught sight of a server walking toward them with a gigantic tray of food, and his eyes widened in alarm. “But if you and Leo have the same definition of reasonable, I’m thinking it’s going to be an interesting game.”

At that, Leo followed Finn’s gaze and let out a moan so obscene that Finn was sure he would be thinking about it for days. “Oh my god, you guys. Best. Day. Ever.”

Finn just grinned and prepared himself to feast.

---

Logan

Leo ordered too much food.

Despite joking about it while he ordered it, Logan had actually been surprised when their order was dropped at the table. Leo was usually so concerned about food waste, but there had hardly been room for their plates with everything the servers delivered. He knew they were definitely not going to be able to eat it all. He had almost teased him about it, but then Leo had taken his first bite of the jambalaya that he claimed to be ‘exactly like home’, and there was no way Logan was going to say anything that might take that look off of Leo’s face.

But now, after trying to eat as much of the excessive, and admittedly, phenomenal, food as he could, Logan was feeling very full, and very much less inclined to indulge Leo’s desires, which at the moment involved ‘sitting back and letting it digest’. Absolutely not. He needed to move.

It only took a few minutes of pleading to get them standing up, and Logan led them out of the restaurant and onto the street before flipping open the guidebook. “Ok, so Finn said there’s a lookout around here somewhere that we can walk up to. They don’t have it listed as a thing to do in here but I think this is a picture of it. It looks like it’s supposed to be more for watching the sunset, but I think it’ll still be cool to look down at the town, even though it’s already dark.”

Leo voiced his agreement from where he was leaning against the wall of the restaurant. “Let’s do it. Finn, do you know how to get to it?”

“Ummm,” Finn pulled out his phone. “I don’t remember exactly, but I know it’s a trail, not a road to get up there, and it starts closer to where we parked the car.”

“Ok cool,” Logan stomped his feet against the chillier evening air, “lets go to the car then, and we can pull up a map once we’re closer. We should start moving before we get cold.”

Leo pushed off the wall as Finn tucked his phone back into his pocket, and the three of them started moving back down the sidewalk- much more sluggish than they had been before dinner. They didn’t really fit three across, and Logan let Leo and Finn pull in front of him as they talked about the history of Cajun cooking. Logan wasn’t particularly interested in the topic—he couldn’t cook, like Leo could, and he wasn’t all that interested in history, like Finn was—so he let his mind wander as he fell into step behind them.

Seeing the two of them side by side reminded him of this morning, that weird moment outside of the bakery when he had felt, for a moment, as though he was interrupting something. Between them.

It was the way they had both looked vaguely flustered, Leo taking that step back, away from Finn, that had triggered his imagination. He had brushed it off almost immediately; he knew he was projecting, letting the old feelings for Leo that he had been pushing down for so long, and the new ones he was trying desperately to avoid for Finn, make him see things that weren’t there. They had clearly just switched hats, which explained it. It was ridiculous, really, and he knew that. But…

As he walked along behind the two other boys, Logan allowed himself to picture it, just for a moment. The idea of the two of them being together. He thought it would make him sad, but he was surprised to realize that it didn’t. That he liked imagining it.

At least, he liked it until he remembered that if the two of them had each other, there wouldn’t be a place for him anymore. The thought made his heart twist. Even though he knew he would never be able to have either one of them the way he really, truly wanted them, he loved having them like this. As friends.

It was funny, he thought to himself as he watched Leo and Finn chatting casually in front of him. He and Leo had gotten along well from the time they met, but they were definitely closer now. Something about Finn and his chaotic open-heartedness had made them more open too. And as a result, they had gotten closer not just with him, but with each other as well. He would die before he would admit it, but he was glad Leo had dragged him up on that stage.

“Hello, earth to Tremzy?” Logan jolted himself out of his thoughts with a flush, realizing they had reached the car without him noticing.

“Sorry, I got distracted. What’s up?”

Finn was holding up his phone up with his usual cheerfulness, waiting for Logan to look at the map he had pulled up.

“Look, we found the trail head!”

He pointed off the side of the road, where they could just see the very top of a short sign sticking out of the snow. It was very clear that nobody else had gone up to the lookout that winter. The snow was deep and untouched.

“I’m thinking that maybe we could throw on our snow pants and give it a try? And if it turns out to be impossible, we’ll just turn around and roll back down.” Finn tilted his head at Logan and Leo, lips pulled up into an eager, hopeful smile. It was adorable. “What do you think?”

Logan couldn’t help but smile back. “Well, we brought snow pants, might as well get some good use out of them.”

---

Finn

Ten minutes later Finn could hear Logan cursing as he sank in the snow.

“Tabarnak! This is insane! Why am I in the front?? You both have longer legs than me, this snow is over my hips!” He complained.

“You’re Canadian, Tremz. I thought you would know how to handle snow.” Leo was focused on the ground in front of him, picking his way carefully through the trail Logan broke for them. “Plus,” he added thoughtfully, “this is the first time you’ve ever admitted to being short.”

Finn laughed as Logan whirled around with a glare, bending to grab a handful of snow. Leo ducked, laughing, as the snowball flew past his head.

“He’s got goalie reflexes Lo, you’re gonna have to do better than that!” Finn called up over the sounds of Leo’s bright laughter. Logan lifted a hand over his head to flip them off without turning around and they continued their trek up the hill.

By the time they reached the observation deck all three boys were panting.

“Oh my god, it’s hot.” Finn whined as he made his way over to the railing, pulling down his hood. He opened his mouth to say more, but his complaints stuck in his throat as the sight below them came into view.

“Whoa.” He breathed out the word.

He felt Leo and Logan lean against the railing next to him.

“It looks like a postcard.” Leo sounded as awed as Finn, and a quick glance at Logan showed he felt the same.

The town glowed softly below them, the warm light of the streetlamps sparkling prettily off the blanket of snow that covered every peaked roof. The lighthouse they had visited earlier that day was lit up, sending a beautiful reflection rippling through the waves of the never-ending blackness of the ocean in front of it. The moon was full, and the sky was clear, and Finn felt like they had just stepped into the fairy tale. He almost wanted to hold his breath.

The spell was broken when Leo took a step back from the railing to unwind his scarf. He looked apologetic as the other two turned to watch him. “I’m sorry guys, I’m just too hot.”

“You don’t have to apologize for being warm, Leo,” said Finn, smiling at him and taking the opportunity to look around the rest of the platform they stood on.

The observation deck was surrounded by the pristine sparkle of a fresh snowfall, and Finn suddenly had an idea. He trudged through the snow to the other side of the deck, hoisting himself up on to the railing as Logan and Leo looked on in confusion. “What are you doing?” Logan eyed him suspiciously. “I,” he grinned down at them, “am cooling off. And so are you. Come on!” He felt his smile widen as he watched the two boys look between him and the snow on the other side of the railing and connect the dots. To his surprise it was Leo who grinned and climbed up next to him first, looking back at Logan expectantly. “Absolutely not.” Logan shook his head from where he stood resolutely on the deck floor. “It’s gonna be cold.” “Come on Lo,” Finn pouted at him, “it’s not like we’re jumping in the ocean. It’s a snow pile. You have a winter clothes on. Get up here!” Leo joined in, eyes twinkling as he teased his stubborn teammate, “Come on Tremz. All your friends are about to jump off a cliff. Aren’t you gonna do it too?” Logan snorted. “The edge is on the other side of the deck. You’re going to jump ON to a cliff. And no. No, I’m not.”

“I remember saying something similarly ‘no’-like when I was being peer pressured into leaving my nice warm house yesterday.” Finn reminded him pointedly. “I’m sure you will recall how that worked out for me.” “I do.” Logan’s expression suddenly shifted into something more mischievous and his voice turned teasing. “And what made you give in, Finn?”

Finn felt his face go warm as Logan held his gaze. Was he…?

No. He was just trying to get him worked up. Leo had said Logan loved to push people’s buttons. Finn had seen Logan do it. But being on the receiving end of that look was sending a burning feeling straight down to Finn’s core, and he needed to change the subject before it became a much more noticeable problem. “I looked up the menu.” He blurted out. “They had cheese fries” Smooth. Idiot. Finn mentally facepalmed as he put on his best fake haughty expression and looked anywhere but at Logan for a moment as he reined himself in.

Thankfully, Leo came to the rescue, laughing at Finn before looking back at a now grumpy Logan, who was upset that his goading hadn’t worked. “Please Tremz?” He held out a hand, giving him a very exaggerated pout. “You know you want to jump with us.”

Logan looked back and forth between the two of them for a second before rolling his eyes and dropping his arms.

“Fine.” He sighed, resigned. “But if I get sick I’m telling coach both of you threw me in.”

Finn, calm now, beamed at Logan as he batted Leo’s hand away and climbed up on Finn’s other side. “That’s the spirit!”

“Shut up.”

But Finn could see the smile Logan was hiding now as he looked down at the untouched snow below them. “On the count of three?”

They looked between one another as Leo took the lead.

“One. Two. THREE!”

They jumped in sync, screeching as they cannonballed down into fluffy drifts.

Leo immediately scrambled to his feet, eyes sparkling with excitement as he looked down at Finn and Logan. “Again!”

Finn chuckled at that, rolling around to find his own leverage. “Alright then.”

---

The three boys spent the next hour of the evening concocting ever more complex dives into the deep snow. Finn was delighted to find that apparently when it came to snow, it was reasonable, level-headed Leo who was the instigator of the most ridiculous ideas. It was him who came up with the idea of catapulting one another off the railing, making a game of who could knock the snow from the highest branches.

After one final jump, which brought him absolutely nowhere near the record-holding branch, Finn let himself flop backward into the snow, tipping his head back and closing his eyes. “My entire body is exhausted.” He groaned. “How do you guys do this for a living?”

Leo and Logan joined him on the ground as Leo responded to him, amusement in his voice. “You really need to come and watch a game if you think this is what we do for a living.”

Finn just laughed. “I meant the exerting yourself part, not the jumping in the snow part. I’m not completely oblivious.”

“Mmhmm. Whatever you say, O’Hara.” Logan was smiling as he leaned back to join Finn looking up at the sky.

Leo laid down on Finn’s other side and the three of them stayed in comfortable silence for a few moments, catching their breath again.

Finn could see their faces in his periphery, the moonlight glowing on Logan’s tan skin, reflecting off of Leo’s golden curls. He felt peaceful, relaxed in their quiet company.

It was Leo who broke the silence, his quiet voice carrying through the late evening calm.

“I haven’t seen the stars like this since I was home.”

Logan leaned up on an elbow to look at him, on the other side of Finn. “Really?”

“Ya.” His voice was almost a whisper now, and Finn turned to look at him too, catching the wistful look in his eyes as he watched the sky. “You can see so many of them at home. I didn’t know I would miss them so much.”

“Knutty…” Logan made a move as though he wanted to reach out, but stopped himself, simply looking at Leo for a moment before lying back down instead. “I didn’t know.”

“I never told you.” Leo responded gently; his eyes still turned up.

Finn followed his gaze up to the glittering ceiling, so high above them. “I get why you would miss them. You never see anything like this in the cities. It’s beautiful.”

“It is.” He agreed, his smile sad.

But then his voice turned playful again, and he smirked as he sat up to look at Finn and Logan, flat on their backs next to him. “Too bad you have to freeze your ass off to see them here. Time to go!” He dug his hands down beside him, flicked handfuls of snow up at both of them, and was up and running to the car before either of them could register the shock of the cold sliding down their faces.

---

The drive back home that night was peaceful. Logan and Leo relaxed in their seats, listening to Finn singing quietly along to the radio as he drove. Logan had teased Finn for knowing all the lyrics to every song that came on (“it’s literally my job, Lo.”), but he had also been the one to ask him to keep singing as he dozed off against his window in the backseat. All three of them were pleasantly sleepy from the day spent out in the cold air.

When they arrived back in Gryffindor, Finn drove past downtown, where Leo’s hotel was, to drop off Logan first. When Logan questioned him about it, Finn simply replied, “You get picked up first, you get dropped off first. I don’t make the rules Lo, I just follow them.”

Logan seemed to be too tired to argue with that logic, so he just shrugged and carried on singing softly with Finn until they reached Dumo’s driveway.

“See you guys later.” He clapped their shoulders, looking tired but happy as he climbed out of the back seat. “Thanks for today, Finn. I had fun.”

“You’re welcome, Lo. Anytime.” Finn smiled at him.

“See you in the morning, Tremz.” Leo added, and the two of them watched as Logan walked up the front steps.

When Logan was safely inside, Finn started the short drive back to the hotel. Leo was still quiet, looking content with his head against the window, studying what little he could see of the stars now that they were back in the city.

Finn kept sneaking glances at him as he went over a plan in his head. He had a reason for dropping Logan off first- he wanted an opportunity to catch Leo alone. Had been waiting for it all day. But now that he had it, he was nervous, and before he knew it they were pulling up in front of the hotel.

“Thanks for today Finn, I had an incredible time.” Leo smiled sincerely at him and turned to open his door. Finn panicked then, not wanting him to leave, and practically screeched his name.

“Leo, wait!”

Leo jumped, eyes wide in confused surprise as he looked back at Finn.

Goddamn, those eyes. Finn had never seen eyes so blue. He had to look away to find his voice again.

“Uh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell that.”

“That’s fine, Harz. What’s up?”

Finn took a breath to steady himself and brought his gaze back up to meet Leo’s.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were living in hotels?”

Leo’s expression grew even more confused.

“I don’t know… I guess it never came up. It’s not a big deal, rookies do it all the time.”

Finn nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay…” Leo nodded too, waiting for Finn to speak again. When he didn’t, Leo turned to the door again. “Well, thanks again for today, I’ll –“

“You should come and live with me.” Finn blurted it out, and then held his breath as he waited to for a response. He hoped he hadn’t crossed a line. But it made him so sad to think of Leo, kind, sweet Leo, all alone in strange hotel rooms every night. Especially after tonight, after seeing how homesick he really was.

Leo’s eyebrows shot up, and he opened and closed his mouth several times before managing to stammer out, “I- what?”

Finn looked back down at the steering wheel, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. He spoke quickly, nervously. “Obviously you don’t have to do that. I don’t want you to feel like I’m pressuring you or anything, that’s definitely not my intention, I just- I mean, I have the space, you know that… and just, the idea of you not having a place that you can call home right now…” He paused for a moment. “I don’t know. I don’t want you to have to experience that. Not when I can help.”

He kept his gaze focused on the steering wheel, the stitching of it suddenly very interesting.

“Finn,” said Leo softly. Finn swallowed once and forced himself to look back up at the younger boy. There was an odd look on his face. Finn hoped it wasn’t a bad sign. “Thank you, for offering.”

Finn nodded, swallowing again even though his mouth felt desert dry.

Leo looked out the window, up at the façade of the Hogwarts Hotel, thoughtful. Finn would have given anything at that moment to know what he was thinking. Leo and his stupid goalie face.

After a moment, he turned back to him. “Are you serious?”

Finn nodded quickly, his confidence starting to return when Leo didn’t laugh at him. “Of course. I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. But I’m also serious when I say I won’t be offended if you’re not interested. I know sometimes people don’t like sharing a space.”

Leo let out a breath through his nose and chewed his lip as he considered Finn for a few more moments.

“I think I would like that.” He said, his features softening as he started to smile.

“Really?” Finn was pleasantly surprised. “You would?”

Leo laughed. “I would.”

“Sweet! Ok. Tell me which room you want and I’ll make sure it’s all cleared out for you. Whenever you want to come. You could literally come tomorrow. I have nothing scheduled in those rooms”

Leo leaned back against the seat, shaking his head fondly at Finn’s trademark earnestness. “I’m booked in here until the end of the week. I was supposed to move to another hotel on Friday. Is that too early?”

“No! That’s perfect.”

“Well. Alright then. I guess I’ll be there on Friday.”

“Cool.”

“Cool.” They smiled at each other awkwardly for a second, and Leo burst into laughter.

“Okay, now its weird. Goodnight Finn.” He stepped out of the car.

“Goodnight, Leo.”

Finn couldn’t stop grinning the whole way home.

#sweater weather lumosinlove #lumosinlove #Coast To Coast #o'knutzy

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furynewsnetwork · 7 years ago

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Will Ricciardella

Every morning, prominent news outlets like Axios, Politico, The Washington Post, and The New York Times email their newsletters to thousands of people across D.C. and beyond. And every weekend, The Daily Caller News Foundation searches for the most outrageous examples of bias in each one.

From claiming federal bureaucracies that are completely insulated can best help the people they’re supposed to serve, to alleging there is a secret cabal of Trump advisors that have to save him from himself, the establishment media makes my job easier.

Below is a list of the most egregious examples from the past week:

New York Times Daily Briefing:

1. NYT doesn’t mention that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is outside the purview of officials in Congress or the executive branch, and has virtually unlimited, unconstitutional power.

As the Trump administration pushes for deregulation, one body, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, may be too popular to cut.

“It is an agency about protecting the little guy, and that is tough to oppose,” one policy analyst said.

2. In a nation where government is involved intimately in the economy, this is business as usual. And if there is no evidence, why is this displayed so prominently in the newsletter?

In a series of emails in 2015, a business associate of President Trump’s promised to engineer a real estate deal, with the help of Russia’s leader, that he said would help Mr. Trump win the presidency.

There is no evidence that the associate, Felix Sater, delivered on the promise [emphasis mine]. But the emails show that, from the earliest months of Mr. Trump’s campaign, some of his associates viewed close ties with Moscow as a political advantage.

3. They said the same thing when Reagan wanted to win the Cold War and instituted some of the same policies in the 80s.

Japan denounced North Korea’s latest provocation today, a missile fired over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido that landed in the sea. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that he had spoken with President Trump and that the two countries’ stances “are completely matched.”

The U.S. is overhauling its own nuclear arsenal, and the Air Force has announced new contracts for cruise and ground-based missiles

The Trump administration has embraced the programs, but critics warn against a new arms race and billions of dollars squandered.

Axios a.m.:

1. Summary: Trump can’t do anything right. Here are all the things he can’t do right. Irony alert: this definitely isn’t journalism done right.

President Trump’s understaffed, self-conscious administration faces a cascade of crises and heavy lifts this fall that it’s ill-equipped to shoulder simultaneously:

The once-in-a-century (or even millennia, per CNN meteorologist Tom Sater) Houston flooding could mean disruption and agony for months in the nation’s petrochemical capital, with national economic repercussions that could disturb the current fragile reverie.

Charlottesville has torn open a topic that won’t go away with a few free-expression rallies or statue removals. The issue promises to haunt the country and taint Trump.

Trump’s response has also opened a deep wound within the administration. Economic adviser Gary Cohn, SecState Rex Tillerson and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin have been more public than others with their personal responses. But there is a deep sense of unease in many quarters.

The special counsel’s work is becoming increasingly visible as he issues subpoenas, with real risks to the White House as he reportedly delves into financial transactions touching Trump and his family.

Most in the West Wing don’t have a good sense of what’s coming with the Mueller investigation. But veterans of past administrations warn that it’s going to make the internal battles thus far look like child’s play once the possibility of legal liability is in the mix.

The Hill agenda for September is punishing, with colossal fights on debt limit, government funding to avoid a shutdown, and the budget (to provide a reconciliation vehicle for a tax overhaul). Steve Bannon called it the “meat-grinder” month.

These fights will require complex tradeoffs, with the House and Senate leadership in the driver’s seat. So the path to even getting to a tax reform bill is long and precarious. And Trump has little political capital outside his shrinking base.

The United Nations General Assembly in New York, with the year’s biggest matrix of heads of state, hits in mid-September.

Chief of Staff John Kelly has made rapid progress in shaping up the West Wing, but the internal ecosystem is still gelling.

What Trump is thinking, per a source: “The president’s state of mind is that he is doing fine, and the media/establishment are in denial.”

Why it matters: Alumni of past White Houses say this torrent would be daunting even for a White House with a coherent team and smooth processes in place. But it threatens to be debilitating at a time when the Trump White House is short on bandwidth, goodwill and momentum.

2. The guy that worked in an administration that may be partly responsible for the technological advances North Korea threatens us with now, turns around and blames Trump for the crisis.

Ned Price, a National Security Council spokesman in the Obama administration, argues for Foreign Policy (“Trump’s Nuclear Crisis Was Of His Own Making”) that Trump’s “fire and fury” threat provoked “an entirely manufactured crisis magnified by an irrational response from an American president eager to display bravado and bluster on the world stage.”

3. Never heard of this “Committee to Save America” that is supposedly running the country. Have you? Also, maybe, just maybe, Trump doesn’t demand absolutely loyalty. Throwing that out there as another possibility.

“Away from the cameras and apart from the nonstop drama of the White House, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has come to play a role unlike any other Cabinet member,” the WashPost’s Greg Jaffe and Dan Lamothe write on the front page:

“The retired Marine general has become a force for calm, order and, in the eyes of the president’s critics, quiet resistance to some of President Trump’s most combative and divisive instincts.”

“Mattis has maintained this air of independence without directly provoking a president who demands absolute loyalty.”

Be smart: Mattis is a linchpin of what we call the unofficial Committee to Save America — administration and congressional leaders who see themselves as playing a behind-the-scenes role in protecting Trump and the nation from some of his instincts.

Politico’s Playbook:

1. Well, so long as Mexico doesn’t have to deal with their most vulnerable citizens (poor, unskilled, uneducated) because they cross the border into the U.S., why would they agree to it? Just an idea: maybe that’s something you can add to your report?

MEXICO TO TRUMP: WE’RE NOT PAYING FOR THE WALL — CNN: “In response [to a Trump Sunday tweet], the country’s foreign ministry released a statement saying Mexico would not pay for a wall or other physical barrier at the border ‘under any circumstances.’ ‘This determination is not part of a Mexican negotiating strategy, but a principle of national sovereignty and dignity,’ the statement said.” http://cnn.it/2xq6VIA

2. Because Donald Trump represents the sovereign interests of the country that elected him over countries and international bodies that have not, no one wants to offer help…and that’s all his fault. Out of the realm of possibility is that these nations just might be unreasonable.

ON THE WORLD STAGE — “World in no rush to offer Trump help post-Harvey,” by Nahal Toosi: “As soon as Hurricane Harvey hit, Mexico — a country described by President Donald Trump as a source of rapists and drugs — stepped up to offer boats, food and other aid to the United States. Another offer of help came from Venezuela, a country in severe political and economic crisis that has been repeatedly sanctioned by the Trump administration; it said it could give $5 million in aid. The European Union has proudly noted that it is sharing its satellite mapping with U.S. emergency responders dealing the Harvey’s devastation. This despite Trump’s chastisement of European countries he views as overly dependent on the U.S. military. Then there’s tiny Taiwan, which has reportedly offered $800,000 in aid – a number likely calculated to annoy China as much as to curry favor with Trump.

“But compared to past crises, the list of foreign governments lining up to help the United States this time is relatively short for the time being. And the few countries that have raised their hand may get more out of it – politically, at least – than the U.S. The relative dearth of global goodwill, some analysts say, may stem from anger at Trump over his ‘America First’ approach to the world [emphasis mine], which has irked even staunch U.S. allies.” http://politi.co/2vPoCPL

3. Most economists would also say that increased profits would encourage entry into the marketplace, putting downward pressure on prices. This would benefit those income groups most vulnerable in our economy. Stupid economics.

THE BIG PICTURE — “The reality beneath Trump’s tax reform talk,” by Brian Faler: “President Donald Trump’s tax plans hardly match his populist rhetoric. Though he sold his plan to rewrite the tax code as a boon to the average American worker in a speech Wednesday, he mostly focused on the taxes paid by America’s largest corporations. Trump argued that his plans to cut the 35 percent corporate tax rate for the first time in 30 years would benefit regular wage earners by putting more money in corporate coffers, which he said business leaders would then use to hire more people and raise wages.

“But most economists say companies’ shareholders would be the primary beneficiaries of a corporate tax rate cut. That’s because it would make companies more profitable [emphasis mine], which would boost their stock price while also leaving them with more money to pay out dividends. The official Joint Committee on Taxation, as well as the Treasury Department and the independent Tax Policy Center, all say shareholders bear roughly three-quarters of the burden of the corporate tax, and therefore would be the main winners were it cut.” http://politi.co/2vumf9T

Follow Will Ricciardella on Twitter and Facebook

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