#third wheel aragorn is the best aragorn

[tathrin]

Oh no help, why is my brain suddenly full of an RAF (or RFC) AU where Legolas is a pilot who gets the nickname “Greenleaf” because of how lightly and acrobatically he flies (and also he should probably be Irish or Scottish so the Brits can be derisive about his “more dangerous and less wise” people hmm? ooh or Indian! doesn’t really matter as long as he wears a lot of green so the nickname makes sense lmao) while Gimli was too short for the army but is a fucking amazing mechanic and basically single-handedly responsible for how amazing this unit’s planes are and how no matter how wrecked their planes are if they can get them back to base at all he can fix them, and Legolas fell in love basically the first time he saw Gimli work his miracles with that wrench and Gimli is not in love thank you, he is very very annoyed by this chipper pilot who keeps getting holes shot in his fucking wings and he definitely doesn’t like him at all and certainly doesn’t go out of his way to tinker with Legolas’s plane all the time and make sure it’s the absolute best machine in the air oh no nope definitely not dammit and he certainly doesn’t fret every time Legolas flies off into battle or comes back with his engine smoking again that fucker oh how Gimli loathes him! until one day he finally hops out of a just-barely-landed-successfully plane that is literally on fire Legolas what the fuck you idiot and oh and he stumbles what’s wrong oh no is he hurt oh no and Gimli runs over to help him up and instead they kiss right on the runway oh fuck—!

And the whole unit has been taking bets on this forever, so Commander Strider has to come break up the fistfight between Éowyn-who-definitely-isn’t-using-her-brother’s-ID-and-the-whole-unit-doesn’t-know-she’s-secretly-a-girl-NOPE and Boromir over who now owes whom money before Boromir’s little brother, the only one in the unit who hasn’t figured out that Éowyn is a girl yet, does something stupid trying to stop his brother fighting with “the fellow” he definitely doesn’t have a crush on Boromir please—!

Strider is so tired. He didn’t sign-up for herding idiots in love, he’s just trying to win the damn war, do you lads MIND???

Lord Mithrandir is sitting in his office watching the show from the window and laughing so hard, he fucking loves his deranged pilots so much. He has pulled  so many blatant cover-ups for their hijinks, and everybody in high command knows that he’s tossing aside regulations left and right, but his units are the most successful pilots in the damn skies so nobody can do anything about it dammit. (He’s also definitely in cahoots with General Galadriel, who pulls his ass out of the fire every damn time somebody tries to bestow some kind of reprimand or punishment, and who gets regular “briefings” about his pilots that absolutely aren’t just gossip in disguise, and which she certainly doesn’t pass along to her granddaughter who’s engaged to Commander Strider, who definitely isn’t royalty in disguise, nope nope and also nope.)

[tathrin]

Another option: he noticed looooong before either of them figured it out...so long before, in fact, that he decided he must have been wrong (projecting because of how much he missed Arwen? yeah, that was probably it, SIGH!) and so when they finally DO start snogging at long long loooong last, he’s torn between “omg FINALLY!” and “wait, REALLY?” to the point of not even knowing how to react from the whiplash of it all.

it’s so funny to imagine either One: aragorn was aware of the fact he’s third wheeling legolas and gimli and he would just awkwardly be in the background of their cute couple moments respectfully looking away or Two: he never realised at all and is absolutely blindsided when they start kissing

[warrioreowynofrohan]

🌟 🕶 👑 ⚙ for the Middle-earth asks?

🌟starlight: you're allowed to live in one of the Elf Kingdoms of Middle Earth, which one are you picking?

I mean, visually Nargothrond is deeply appealing (I imagine parts of it being like Lechuguilla, with delicate shimmering crystalline firmations everywhere, and other areas being fantastically carved), and Finrod is there! but on the other hand I’d have to be around the Nargothrondim 😔.

Despite all the glories of the First Age, I still lean towards Lothlórien or Rivendell. Everything about the way Lothlórien is described is so beautiful to me, the mallorns, and living in trees, and the overall ferl of history. Rivendell is appealing for the combination of natural beauty is books and lore abd song and friendly elves. But I can’t sleep in the treetops there; I think I have to choose Lothlórien.

🕶 i care not: what common complaint about the movies or novels doesn't bother you?

They were right to cut Bombadil and, even mote controversially, they were right to cut the Scouring of the Shire. An action movie just doesn’t work the same way as a book does - you need to have a clear arc to the plot, you need to have climaxes and rising and falling actions at certain points. The book gives you time to breathe before the Scouring, that’s why it hits as such a shock - fully a third of ROTK (the book) happens after the destruction of the Ring. You can’t have two-thirds of an action movie be denoument if you want it to work dramatically, and they had even more to fit in it than the book did (everything in Shelob’s Lair) because the different sections of the plot are necessarily happening simultaneously in a movie, not sequentially as they do in the book. Sam’s rescue of Frodo from the orc-Tower happens at the same time as the Battle of Pelennor Fields.

Yes, I would have liked to see it, but not at the cost of the movie working as a movie. Different mediums are suited to different thing; a good adaptation, the best adaptations, don’t just reproduce everything verbatim, they translate it as best they can.

👑the silver crown: the war is won, the world is saved, the king has been crowned. Who are you partying with at the coronation?

Being a third wheel to Faramir and Eowyn and making everything very uncomfortable.

Probably hanging out with the hobbits.

⚙ technology: everything is exactly the same but you can give one character a modern invention. Who is it and what are you giving them?

Oh wow! what do I do?

I do think that in the First Age, the Elves could do many things, through what we would call ‘magic’ and they would call just being themselves, that we can do through technology, and do them more beautifully. So it’s hard to think what the modern world has that would improve upon it. The thing about Tolkien’s world is that it’s in a state of technological decline, not technological progress; there are many things from the First Age (and before) and even the Second Age that we would have no idea how to create. And I don’t really want to play Connecticut Yankee in Middle-earth.

On top of that, most modern technology is dependent on modern infrastructure. I almost said I’d give Aragorn antibiotics and vaccines after his coronation to share around Middle-earth, but the challenge is that without reliable, controlled-temperature refrigeration and freezing, what you can do is more limited. Ditto for anything dependent on electricity or global telecommunications systems or regular maintenance. Whereas in Middle-earth you can bury a sufficiently good sword in the ground for centuries to millennia and it’ll still be sharp.

I’d put together a collection of the best fanart and give it to the Hobbits when they’re finishing off the Red Book of Westmarch, how’s that? It’s nice and they would like it.

[ao3feed-tolkien]

A Slip of the Tongue

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/8y3iUFT

by Tathrin

A short snippet set after the Battle of Helm's Deep where Legolas is accidentally more honest than he meant to be. Fortunately it's a mistake that turns out for the best (although maybe not for Aragorn).

Words: 1756, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of The Wide Waters Not So Lonely Sailing

Fandoms: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings (Movies)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Legolas Greenleaf, Gimli (Son of Glóin), Aragorn | Estel

Relationships: Gimli (Son of Glóin)/Legolas Greenleaf

Additional Tags: First Kiss, third wheel aragorn, rated for innuendo not because anything actually happens sorry, also i never EVER write movie-verse so don't expect a follow-up to this moment i'm sorry, apparently covid puts my brain in movie-verse? idk, First time for everything I guess, no beta we die like orcs in fangorn

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/8y3iUFT

[tathrin]

how can you not love dwarves like so much. there's so much there to love. dwarves are the best why does everyone sleep on how much dwarves rule

[meteors-lotr]

Aragorn: I have a new hoodie!

Legolas: You mean WE have a new hoodie

Gimli, stealing Aragorn’s hoodie: Fuck you this is coming with me

[elvish-sky]

so um i’m kinda starting to realize that in EVERY legolas x reader fic i write aragorn is very much the third wheeling bff of both who just ships them wholeheartedly. this kinda just happened as i wrote and now i’m just gonna roll with it because i like it. so prepare for a whole lot of third wheeling. (dont worry i’m still writing other characters too!)

[batboymunson]

i've got my eye on you (ch.1) || e.m.

☾ synopsis; even after you graduated, you stuck around Hawkins to keep an eye out for Eddie. you never expected much, the most being a chauffer when his trusty van wasn't so trusty, but things never go to plan when it's the two of you together

☾ word count; 1705

☾ warnings; mentions of drugs

☾ a/n; here we go, folks! ST4 SPOILERS!

"SO." YOU PULLED INTO A SPOT IN the high school parking lot, shifting to park and looking over at Eddie. "Lunch? Or after Hellfire?"

"I got a deal to finish up at lunch." Eddie didn't look at you as he spoke, rummaging through his bag. "So after Hellfire, please."

Nodding, you drummed your hands on the wheel. "Gotcha. Am I driving just you or. . .?"

Eddie shrugged, zipping up his bag and placing it on his lap. "Maybe some of the pipsqueaks, depends on their situation."

"As long as they don't bring a shit ton of snack wrappers and crumbs along with them, that's fine," you warned. "You let them do that and I'm withholding your next tattoo sketch."

Eddie gasped, pressing a hand to his chest. You smirked at his dramatics, nodding as to drive the threat home.

"Now get going; last thing you need is another detention for tardiness." You waved him off. "I'll grab a movie if you're planning on hanging out afterwards."

Eddie scoffed. "What happened to you? We would always sit here in ol' Aragorn and smoke until third period. You're no fun anymore, (Name)."

"I graduated, Munson. I'm still just as fun," you teased, "but I know when to hunker down and be serious. You should try it sometimes, considering the fact now you've got those kids looking up to you."

Opening his door, Eddie swung his legs out and sighed. "I dunno, (Name). I'm trying my best here. Those kids should really look up to someone else, though. They got some good heads on their shoulders."

"It's because they have good heads on their shoulders that they look up to you, Eddie," you reassured. "I'll see you later. Try to -"

"Have a good day and stay out of trouble," Eddie finished, pushing himself out of the car. "No promises, (Name)."

Closing the door, he shoved his hands in his pockets and ambled amongst the crowd of students filing into the building. You waited til the parking lot cleared up before pulling out and starting the rest of your day.

First stop? The lovely café that was - and still is - your go-to spot for a caffeine kick. You greet the few baristas behind the counter as you enter, dropping money in the tip jar as you approached the register.

"No Eddie?" Judy glanced up from the till to take the cash from your outstretched hand.

"Not today," you replied. "I'm trying to kick him into gear to get his shit together, so that means actually going to his classes."

Judy snorted and handed you your drink. "Good luck with that. I just don't think he's the type of guy to take that sort of stuff seriously."

You frowned. "Look, I'll be the first to admit he's not the most school-oriented person, but I think he's actually willing to try if he gets his ass in line. I think he's got a good future ahead of him if he could only get out of high school."

"If only," Judy repeated, leaning against the counter and giving you a pitiful look. "You know, (Name), you're smart - you could be so successful if you did what all of us want to do and get out of this small town. Go to college, find a spouse, live the life!"

Your shoulders drooped a bit. "But I'm happy here for now. Maybe later in life, sure, but right now Hawkins is where I think I'm supposed to be."

"Just don't put your life on hold for anything or anyone - especially that Munson boy."

You bit your tongue and nodded curtly. "Have a good day, Judy."

Turning on your heel, you walked out and headed for your car. You stopped with your hand on the door handle, your whole day thrown down the gutter after that draining interaction.

"Fuck it, change of plans." You headed across the street where the town's Family Video stood, hoping that Steve had kept a copy of The Dark Crystal stashed away like you requested. Pushing open the door, you immediately turned and tossed your drink in the trash before browsing the shelves of tapes as you made your way to the counter.

"Got the goods, Harrington?" You placed your elbows on the counter and leaned forward, flashing a smile in his direction as he looked away from the computer screen at you.

"Yeah, yeah." He reached down and pulled out a copy, pushing it towards you. "Watching it tonight?"

You shrugged, running your fingers over the worn cover absentmindedly. "Maybe. Seems like today's just that kind of day."

Steve frowned, then brightened when an idea came to mind. "Why don't you come to the basketball game tonight? I'm going, gotta support Lucas."

You shrugged. "I don't know, Steve, I'm not the fondest of that place and you know that."

"Still, it beats spending your night inside, alone, and we can go grab some ice cream afterwards!" Steve offered one of his infamous charmer smiles and you sighed, shaking your head with a grin. "I'll take that as a yes! Let's meet outside the gym at six so we can get good seats."

You waved at him as you started to head back to the front door. "See ya then, Steve."

By the time you got back to your car, your watch read 10:32 A.M. With your whole evening set up for you, you pushed your movie night into a movie afternoon, heading home to curl up and shut out the world until it was time to get ready and head back out to Hawkins High.

The hustle and bustle of high schoolers and parents alike was all too familiar as you found a parking spot and made your way up to the open gym doors; luckily, Steve made it easy to find him, especially with the blonde on his arm. As you walked behind them, you winced at how humid the gym was thanks to the sheer amount of people crammed inside.

You tuned out a majority of the game minus whenever Steve would elbow you and try to get you involved and when Lucas was suddenly pulled off the bench, that's when things turned up a notch especially due to the overflow of excitement coming from Steve being the excited mom he was.

By the end of it, however, you were bouncing on the balls of your feet as you watched Lucas play and ultimately sway the tide of the game by shooting the winning shot. The wild, uproarious cheers and excitement swept over you as it did everyone else even as everyone was exiting the building.

"I'll meet you guys at the parlor," you called to Steve as you split from him and his date, heading for your own car. Twirling the keys on your finger, you weaved your way between people and found good ol' Aragorn(the name stuck after Eddie vetoed every other you could come up with). On the hood sat Eddie, impatiently searching the crowd, with an antsy Chrissy Cunningham standing off to the side.

"(Name)!" Eddie hopped off the hood and rushed to the passenger side, hurriedly waving you over. "C'mon, we gotta go before anyone decides to throw shit at me for being within breathing distance of Chrissy."

Eyebrows raised, you hopped into the driver's seat and started up the car, eyeing Chrissy as she slid into the backseat.

"You okay?" You asked her, meeting her eyes in the rearview mirror. She nodded, keeping her head down low even as you pulled out of the parking lot. "You did a really good job tonight at the game."

Eddie looked at you incredulously. "That's where you were?"

"Yeah, Steve Harrington invited me to hang out and watch the game," you replied, heading towards Eddie's trailer. "It was fun, actually."

Eddie slumped in his seat. "Great, Harrington's got you under his influence just like Henderson. Who next? Gareth?"

You chuckled. "Yet here I am, stuck driving you home all the time."

Feigning hurt, Eddie put his hand in your face and turned to the backseat, flashing Chrissy an apologetic smile.

"Do you need anything?" You looked back at Chrissy again, noticing the fact she simply couldn't stay still. "I've got a water bottle in my bag if you want."

Hesitantly, she nodded. "Yes, please."

"Eddie, the bag at your feet, the water bottle's in there," you instructed, turning into Eddie's neighborhood and pulling up next to his van. "Be nice to her, she's obviously going through something right now."

Eddie nodded, hurriedly grabbing his stuff and getting out of the car. You turned around in your seat, giving Chrissy a small smile.

"You're gonna need a ride home, right? Here." You reached back and gestured to her arm. "May I?

She rolled up the sleeve of her jacket and you took the pen from your center console, carefully writing your house number on her forearm.

"I'll be home all night, so call me whenever, okay? Doesn't matter the time."

Chrissy nodded. "Thank you, (Name)."

"Yes, thank you, now c'mon!" Eddie opened the back door for her and held out his hand, helping Chrissy out of the car. "See you tomorrow, (Name)!"

You waved and waited until the both of them were inside safely before backing out and driving back to your house - you'd apologize to Steve about ditching him when you dropped off the movie sometime this week.

You tossed your keys on the kitchen table and made camp on the couch with a bowl of popcorn after rifling through some VHS tapes and settling on Ghostbusters to keep you awake. You would constantly steal glances at the phone, an odd feeling gnawing at your stomach as the hours ticked on.

Maybe I should go check on them. You put the popcorn down, then second guessed yourself. No, they're fine. They're grown. Everything's fine.

Still, you couldn't shake the feeling that you needed to go back to Eddie's trailer. You went and grabbed your keys and shoes, throwing open the front door only to collide with someone.

"Jesus, who the fuck - Eddie?" You furrowed your brows as said boy grabbed onto you, face red and panicked expression. "Woah, woah, woah, what happened?"

[tathrin]

Legolas, looking at Gimli : I could take him

Aragorn : who, Gimli? Yeah I guess so

Legolas :

Aragorn : ...you mean in a fight right?

Legolas : making heart eyes

Aragorn : you mean in a fight right?!

[ashdumpsterpile]

Idk about you but Legolas and Gimli give me old married couple vibes from their exchanges and bickering in the movies. Not as much in the book but there is still something there. I reckon after the events of LOTR there was a lot of "I told you so." and "Shut up Legolas!"

my laptop crashed twice while trying to answer this laskdfj so i think the brainrot on this one is terminal BUT HOLY SHIT YES LETS TALK ABOUT LEGIMLI

first of all power couple goals no one is doing it like legimli you wish you had what these lesbians have

haha poor aragorn third wheeling it sorry bestie thats your fault for being STRAIGHT

second of all playful banter (aka FOREPLAY)

oh my god the drinking game right ignore the boring bit in the middle we don't care aragorn GOD am i the only one getting a gay vibe from this scene?? JUST ME?? quick question guys what are you winning what is it that you're playing for what are you gonna do after this huh?? HUH???

OH MY GOD WE CAN'T FORGET THEM RENEWING THEIR VOWELS

holy shit holy shit holy shit you guys they had the best sex after this battle you fucking know it

anyway in conclusion these lesbians are MARRIED and i owe my whole heart and ass to orlando bloom and john rhys davis for this one because THEY UNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNMENT

GET A ROOM GIRLS STOP BEING GAY IN FRONT OF YOUR FRIEND GROUP

[tathrin]

So we talk about Third Wheel Aragorn a lot, and that’s good because he is one of the Classic Third Wheels Of All Time, and the period with the Three Hunters running around Middle-earth while two of them are falling head-over-heels for each other is just perfection. In fact, we should have more Third Wheel Aragorn stuff, because it’s frankly the best of his many (many) identities, imo.

But. We do not talk enough about Third Wheel Éomer and Faramir.

Because think about it! These two dudes were running Rohan and Ithilien when Gimli and Legolas were establishing their new dwarf and elf colonies. Which means that while Aragorn was busy being The Shiny New King Of Gondor, the Prince of Ithilien and King of Rohan (who yes was also busy being king, but surely had less Shit To Deal With because Rohan didn’t have a whole bunch of Huge Social And Practical Changes when Éomer got crowned like Gondor did, now did it?) took over management of his Two Idiot Friends In Love.

And depending on how long it took Legolas and Gimli to figure shit out...well. Just picture Éomer and Faramir meeting-up periodically to talk about political logistics and brother-in-law stuff...and eventually the conversation is going to turn to mutual friends, as it does. And one of them has this absurd poet dwarf running around waxing euphoric about pretty caves, and the other this weird half-feral tree-elf gremlin prancing around singing to the flowers. And both completely and absolutely obsessed with each other...and seemingly unaware of it. Would they commiserate? Absolutely. Would they try and wingman it? Ooh, probably. Would they somehow find a way to make things even more awkward, somehow? Almost definitely. And when Legolas and Gimli finally do get together, they can commiserate over that, too.

Just. You canNOT tell me that there isn’t bucket-loads of potential here for shenanigans and nonsense. And we need to see more of that, I think.

[iammikedee]

My coming out experience

When I was a little, little kid, I liked playing Barbies and other “girl things” with my friends. I liked playing as the Ken doll. I had lots of girl friends, but I never really felt like I was one of them. It almost felt like when I was invited to slumber parties I was there as an ‘honorary girl.’ I also liked “boy things” but had the same problem; I was a girl, so how could I expect to fit in with the boys?

When I was 11, I lived with my conservative, Baptist aunt and uncle. I told my aunt that I wanted a girlfriend. She said that she would not have a lesbian living under her roof.

When I was 12, I discovered Lord of the Rings, namely Arwen and Aragorn.

When I was 13 I went to high school and saw two girls holding hands. I didn’t know there were girls who held hands like that publicly. I made it my mission to be their friend, and declared to the world that I was totally, unequivocally bisexual.

When I was 16, I told my friends that I think I might be a guy. My girlfriend cried and begged me not to transition. My closest friends told me I definitely wasn’t a guy. I believed them and that was that.

I was the only girl to wear a tux in her senior photo.

When I was 17, a few weeks shy of turning 18, I watched America vote in favor of Proposition 8, the ban of same-sex marriage.

When I was 19, I entered a heterosexual relationship. I spent five years living in a 3-bedroom apartment with him and his 9 family members. I spent every last cent of my inheritance on them because none of them had jobs but there were three children to feed. We got engaged and I spent my time trying (and failing) to go to school while I took a fuckton of opiates and other drugs to cope with an undiagnosed illness and my self-induced depression. He broke up with me twice and took me back twice. The third time he left me I refused to take him back. He destroyed my family heirlooms, thanked me for the money I spent on his family, said “I hate you,” and never spoke with me again.

When I was 23 I met the best man in the world: John. It took him a year to say “I love you” and he did so on our one-year anniversary at an Applebee’s parking lot. I still make fun of him for this. 

When I was 24, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. This is the same year I was properly diagnosed and began to ween myself off of all medication, which was successful.

When I was 27 John proposed to me from the top of a ferris wheel at a fair. I said yes.

In October 2018 I told John I was a man. I expected him to leave me. He didn’t. 

During this time I reconnected with the very same friends from high school who advised me against transitioning. Long story short, I am still friends with all of them, and every one of them is 100% supportive. 

In June 2019 I got my first dose of testosterone. I couldn’t administer it myself because I was too afraid. John did it for me.

Now it’s National Coming Out Day and as of this year I’m starting to pass. Most people assume I’m a guy at first glance now which is AMAZING. And so today, I will be asking my friends and family not to openly tell others that I’m transgender. Stealth mode: activate. 

So what will this next year bring? Planning our wedding, hopefully. More facial hair. More exercise. Getting insurance and booking top surgery if I can. But ultimately? Just living as a man.

Happy National Coming Out Day. If ANYONE needs someone to talk to, I’m there. Anything you tell me is confidential. Whether you need advice, just someone to listen to you, or both, I am a resource. And remember, if you aren’t in a safe place to come out or you just plain aren’t ready, you are still valid and you are still worthy.

[goldenmessenger]

TS Actor AU: Eye of the Storm

Summary: In New York City, Patton has some big plans, and Virgil's got his back. Logan is oblivious. But very quickly the night changes into something none of them expected.

Takes place at roughly the same time as IronWoman359's "I've Got You Brother" and my "Aftermath"

Read on Ao3 here.

A/N: Hey everyone! It’s Em, back with more Actor AU! This is #4 from my ideas list, where we get to see what was going on in NYC with our other boys during Remus’s disastrous interview. I’m very happy with how parts of this turned out. And this is a whopper, my longest one yet at 6026 words. Never written quite this much in one go, so I hope you guys like it! 

Next, more of Thomas and Virgil figuring out their relationship, then we get to meet the kids! Or some of them, at least.

As usual, let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

Content Warnings: Panic, tempers, irrational thoughts

*************************************

Patton paced back and forth in Virgil’s hotel room, nervous energy filling every fiber of his being. What if something went wrong? What if he screwed up? What if Logan disliked it so much that he never wanted to see him again or— 

“Take a breath, Pop Star.” Virgil’s voice broke through the haze of anxiety weighing Patton down. “You’re going to wear a hole in the carpet. You’ve gone over every step of this, it’ll be perfect.”

“You sure?” Patton said, flopping down on the bed next to Virgil. “What-what if I forget what I want to say, or I trip and break my nose, or I trip and break Logan’s nose—”

“Breathe, Pat.” Virgil said, maintaining his calm tone. “You’re grinding again.”

Patton inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. Virgil placed his hands gently on his friend’s shoulder. 

“You and Logan might not have been together very long, but I can tell that he loves you so much. Even if things do go wrong tonight, he’ll still think it’s all perfect, because you’re there with him.” Virgil said. “And you guys have already adopted two kids together, and that’s one of the biggest steps you can take as a couple. What’s one more?”

Patton smiled thankfully at Virgil, then stood up.

“He’s probably going to be ready to go soon.” Patton said, looking at the door that connected Virgil’s hotel room to his and Logan’s. Patton turned back to Virgil. “How do I look?” He asked, feeling nervous again.

Patton had picked out a light blue floral sundress, with a skirt that was higher in the front than the back, and was wearing a pair of light brown flats with them. Virgil had done his makeup, light on the foundation so as not to hide Patton’s freckles, which Logan adored, and with glittery silver eyeshadow. The lipstick was simple as well, a nice rosy pink. Patton’s curly hair, which he always kept shoulder-length when not filming the show, had been pulled back into a simple side braid.

“You look gorgeous, Pat.” Virgil said firmly. “And I know Logan will agree.”

“Know Logan will agree with what?”

Virgil and Patton both turned to find Logan standing right next to the door between the rooms. Patton’s jaw dropped. Logan was wearing white slacks and black shoes, but the star of the otherwise simple outfit was his top. It was a off the shoulder button-up top that was dark blue, but glittered like a sky full of stars.

“I was just telling Pat that you’d think he looks absolutely gorgeous.” Virgil said, grinning at his lovebird friends.

“Virgil is absolutely correct, Patton.” Logan said. “You look absolutely stunning.”

“So do you.” Patton said, beaming at his boyfriend.

Virgil pretended to gag at how cute the two were, but they both knew he was only joking.

“You two better shoo,” Virgil said, “Pat has a pretty full date planned, and I don’t think you’ll want to miss any of it.”

“What are your plans while we’re gone?” Logan asked.

“Gonna watch Remus’s interview when it airs, go to bed. This is his first one for the show, after all. Gotta show some support.” Virgil said, then frowned. “I wasn’t kidding about the shooing guys, we’ve got free time right now, but we’ve got an absolutely hectic day of interviews tomorrow. You’ll both want your sleep.”

“Don’t worry, Virge!” Patton said cheerily. “You’ll barely even notice we’re gone!’

Virgil smiled. 

“I doubt that. Now go. I’m gonna FaceTime my boyfriend so I’m not feeling like a third wheel.”

*************************************

“That was quite a well-done show.” Logan said, and Patton smiled up at him, doing his best to contain the nervousness that had come back with a vengeance.

The evening had gone very well. Dinner was at a rather expensive steakhouse where Patton had gotten them reservations, and then they had gone to watch the musical Hadestown, where they had perfect seats right in the middle of the orchestra.

And now they were in the car, with their driver taking them back to the hotel. Or, at least, that’s where Logan thought they were going. Patton’s hand tightened around the object in his pocket. It was going to work, Virgil was right, there was no reason to be nervous. 

And yet, Patton still was.

“The effects were spectacular and I was quite impressed with all of the actors.” Logan continued, not seeming to have noticed Patton’s nerves. “Though the ending was very sad. It was certainly foolish of Orpheus to turn around like that—”

The car stopped suddenly, and Logan blinked in surprise.

“This isn’t the hotel.” He said, bemused.

“No, it’s not.” Despite his nervousness, Patton couldn’t help but let a smile spread across his face. “Come on Lo, let’s go inside.”

*************************************

The Hayden Planetarium and the museum that contained it were usually closed by this time of night, but the management had been more than happy to let Patton use it once he explained his plan (and, of course, offered the museum a not insignificant donation).

Patton led Logan to the planetarium. When they entered, the ‘sky’ lit up, filling with stars.

“Patton,” Logan said, “what is all of this?”

“Well,” Patton said, stepping backward into the planetarium, “I wanted to do this with a sky of stars above us, but since we’re in the middle of a city, I thought that this would be a close second.”

“Do what?” Logan questioned, and Patton smiled and took Logan’s hands in his.

“Logan Clarke, two years ago today you decided to throw all caution to the wind and ask me out, and I will never stop being glad that you did.” Patton paused for a breath, suddenly distracted by his phone buzzing in his back pocket. Then Logan smiled at him, and gestured for Patton to continue, and Patton forgot all about his phone.

“I love you more than almost anything else in the entire world,”

“Almost?” Logan questioned teasingly and Patton grinned back.

“Yeah, you’re tied with the kids.” Patton said, and Logan laughed. Feeling a new surge of courage and love burst through him, Patton decided to ditch the rest of his speech. He didn’t need it. Letting go of Logan’s hands and pulling out the small box that had been burning a hole in his pocket for the last three months, Patton went down on one knee. He was vaguely aware of his phone buzzing again, but he ignored it. Whoever it was could wait.

“Logan Clarke, will you marry me?”

Logan smiled a big smile, the kind Patton had only seen on his face three times. First, when Logan had asked him out, the second when they had decided to move in together, and the third when the adoption papers for their children had been finalized.

“Yes.” Logan said softly, then pulled Patton up to his feet and the couple kissed. Patton pulled back and took the ring out of the box.

“I think you’ll be wanting this.” Patton said with a smile. “I was going to go for a custom ring, but I consulted the kids, and Piper and Hazel both thought that you’d like this.”

The ring hadn’t been very expensive as engagement rings go, but Patton knew that Logan wouldn’t want anything huge. Logan was a huge fan of Lord of the Rings, and so the kids had convinced Patton to buy a replica of Aragorn and Arwen’s engagement ring. From the smile on Logan’s face as Patton slipped it on his finger, Patton knew that he had made the right choice.

The couple kissed again, arms entwining around each other.

Suddenly, Patton’s phone buzzed again.

“Is that your phone?” Logan asked.

“Yeah,” Patton frowned. “That’s the third or fourth time it’s buzzed in the last several minutes. I should probably check it and make sure that it’s not Dot and Larry calling about the girls.”

Reluctantly, the two pulled apart and Patton pulled his phone out.

5 Missed Calls From: ‘Dark Strange Son’

“Five missed calls from Virgil?” Logan said.

“Yeah, he knew I was going to propose, maybe he was just excited to hear how it went?” Patton suggested. But as soon as he said it, both he and Logan frowned.

“That’s not really like Virgil.” Logan said. “Maybe Roman or Thomas, but not Virgil. He would’ve waited for us to call him.”

“That’s a fair point—” Patton began, and suddenly Logan’s phone began to buzz. Logan immediately pulled it out.

Incoming call from: ‘Virgil Matthew Bailey’

Logan instantly picked it up and put it on speakerphone.

“Virgil, what’s going on?”

“Thank goodness I finally got ahold of you.” Virgil’s voice burst through in a panicked rush. Patton and Logan both exchanged worried looks. They both knew Virgil well enough to tell when the younger man was on the edge of a panic attack.

“I’m really sorry to interrupt your date, but you guys need to come back to the hotel room now. Remus’s interview—it’s hard to explain—”

“No need.” Logan said promptly. “We’ll be right there.”

*************************************

They’d watched the interview on their phones on the way back to the hotel.

Logan couldn’t say that he blamed Remus for losing his temper. In the early days of Season One, when the prying questions seemed to come at Roman every other interview, Logan had stormed out of quite a few interviews himself, sometimes dragging Roman out with him. So Logan couldn’t say he’d behave any differently from Remus.

The whole ride home, Patton was curled into Logan’s side, all too quiet. Logan knew that was a bad sign. Where Virgil’s anxiety could be louder, with panicked rambling and hyperventilating, Patton’s was very quiet. He would shut down, trapped under the swirling chaos of his own thoughts. Most people wouldn’t even realize that Patton wasn’t ok, because he would fly under the radar. 

Logan wasn’t most people. 

He knew his boyfriend’s—his fiancé’s tells very well. Patton wouldn’t want to talk right now, and the best Logan could do was be here for Patton until he was ready to talk.

Logan began to mentally prepare himself for their arrival at the hotel. As long as at least one of them was calm, Virgil and Patton were pretty good at grounding each other. But if they were both freaking out, then they would feed into each other’s panic and escalate it. Logan’s job was to be the calm mediator between the two. Or at least, to do his best.

Finally, their car arrived at the hotel. Logan and Patton were upstairs as quickly as their legs would take them. 

When they entered Virgil’s hotel room, Logan could already tell that Virgil had worked himself into a state. There was an abandoned plate of food on the coffee table that looked like it hadn’t been touched. So it looks like Virgil hasn’t eaten. Since lunch, I’m guessing. That’s not a great sign.

Logan was about to talk things over with both of them when his phone rang. It was Thomas. Logan stepped to the side as Patton and Virgil sat on the bed, silent.

“Salutations, Thomas. I presume you’re calling about the interview?” “Yeah, it’s a bit of a mess, isn’t it. How are Pat and Virge holding up?” Thomas asked. Logan wasn’t offended that his friend didn’t ask about him, as both men knew that while Logan was worried, he’d be fine. Patton and Virgil on the other hand….

“They’re pretty quiet right now,” Logan said, “which is worrying me a little. But I think they’re doing ok.”

“That’s good.” Thomas said. “Keep an eye on Virgil for me, will you? I know he gets really worked up about this sort of thing, and it can be hard to help him to calm down. I’d be there myself but—”

“I understand.” Logan said. Thomas had been meant to be in NYC with them, but something had come up with one of the Studio’s other shows, so Thomas had stayed back to help Joan take care of it.

“Thanks Logan. Tell him I’ll call when I can, and let them both know that I’ve already got the PR department working on how to spin this.”

“I will.” Logan promised. Logan began to be vaguely aware that Virgil and Patton were talking, but he stayed focused on Thomas.

“Thank you. Also, I wanted to check in with you, as it’s likely that your interviews tomorrow will probably bring up what happened with Remus tonight. So I recommend that the three of you come up with a game plan on how to handle it.”

“I’ll discuss it with the others as soon as I’m done talking to you—” Logan paused, suddenly catching a snippet of Virgil and Patton’s conversation.

“I’ve been looking up last second flights online in case Dillon’s private jet can’t take us for some reason. The soonest doesn’t leave until tomorrow morning.” Virgil said, barely looking at Patton, focused on the laptop screen in front of him.

“Morning isn’t soon enough!” Patton said emphatically. “I’m sure Captain Benson could get the jet ready in a couple of hours if I gave him the heads up.”

“Logan, you still there?” Thomas asked. “You trailed off for a second.”

“Thomas,” Logan said. “I’m afraid I’ll have to cut our conversation short, as it sounds like you brother and my boyfriend are about to make a rather rash decision.” Logan heard Thomas sigh heavily.

“They want to come back to LA, don’t they?”

“Yes, it would seem so.” Logan confirmed.

“Well, I’ll let you go so you can try to talk them down. Tell Virgil that, as his brother, I understand where he’s coming from, and that he’s just worried about his boyfriend. However, as his boss, I need the three of you to stay in New York. It will only make the bad press worse if you three abandon interviews to come back.”

 “I’ll tell him.” Logan promised, and the conversation ended. He turned to Patton and Virgil, who seemed to have heard at least Logan’s half of the end of the conversation.

“We’re not making a rash decision.” Patton said, indignant. Virgil nodded in agreement. 

“It’s simple facts.” Virgil said, tone leaving no room for disagreement. “We need to get back to LA as soon as possible.”

“I know both of you are worried about Roman and Remus,” Logan said, “but we have a commitment to go to those interviews tomorrow. We can’t just abandon that.”

“To hell with interviews!” Virgil said, angry. “I couldn’t care less about what the media thinks.”

“Roman and Remus need us Logan,” Patton said, pleading, “we need to be there.” “I know that this is stressful for both of you,” Logan said, keeping his voice calm, “but panicking isn’t going to help anyone.”

“But—” Patton began, but Logan interrupted. 

“Have either of you actually tried to call Roman or Remus? Or even Dillon?” Logan asked. Patton shifted in his seat and Virgil wouldn’t look at Logan.

“....No.” Patton admitted finally. Virgil stayed silent, which was answer enough.

“First of all, this isn’t the first time, or the last, that the twins will have to handle bad press. Second, I just got off of the phone with Thomas, and he says that they’ve got it handled. He also said we need to stay here for now.”

Patton and Virgil remained silent. Patton looked like he was about to burst into tears, but Virgil looked downright mutinous. Logan sensed they still weren’t convinced. He was beginning to get a little frustrated. Why was it so hard to convince two grown men to make a sensible decision?

“I’m sure that while Roman and Remus would both appreciate your support, they would agree with me that for now, you both need to stay here.” Logan stated, which finally got a reaction out of Virgil, who shot to his feet.

“You don’t know that!” Virgil argued. “You haven’t even talked to them, how would you know what they want us to do?”

“Neither have you.” Logan reminded Virgil, but it came out more forcefully than he would’ve liked. Logan stopped. He felt like he was on the edge of losing his temper, and that wouldn’t help anybody if he did. Logan took a deep breath to try to ground himself, then an idea occurred to him.

An obvious one, in retrospect. 

“There’s an easy solution to this.” Logan said.

“And what would that be?” Virgil demanded, rather petulantly. “Because I don’t see one.”

“Don’t be mean, Virge.” Patton chided. “At least hear Logan out.”

“Oh, so now you’re siding with your boyfriend over me, huh?” Virgil demanded.

“I-I, no, I’m not siding with him—” Patton began to stammer, and Logan realized he needed to take control over the situation before it spiraled out of control again.

“The simple solution,” Logan interjected. “Is that we call Roman and Remus, and wait to make a decision until we are aware that our drastic action is needed. Does that sound satisfactory to you both?” 

Silence. Eventually both men gave their begrudging assent to Logan’s plan.

“Good. I’ll make the call, and while I do that, you two need to take care of yourselves.”

When both men began to utter protests, Logan cut them off.

“Virgil, I saw the plate of food on the counter, it looked like it hadn’t been touched. Have you even eaten a thing since lunch?”

“...no.” Virgil mumbled guiltily.

“What?” Patton said in shock. Logan could almost see Patton’s mothering instincts redirect from the absent Roman and Remus to Virgil as this new information registered. “Virgil, it’s past midnight now,that was nearly 10 hours ago!”

“Fine, fine, I’ll eat.” Virgil grumbled. “But I’m just doing it so you’ll leave me alone, not cause I’m actually hungry.” Patton looked like he was about to argue with Virgil on that, so Logan cut in.

“And both of you need to drink some water. Since Virgil forgot to eat, I doubt he’s drank much either. And, Pat, I know you’ve had nothing but soda to drink since dinner. Maybe that will help both of you to destress a bit.”

“There you go again with that extremist water agenda.” Virgil muttered, but he was already headed over to the kitchenette, Patton on his heels.

Logan watched them for a second, then picked up his phone, and found Dillon’s number.

*************************************

It was about two in the morning. Logan had been trying on and off to reach Roman, Remus, or Dillon. No luck yet.

Virgil and Patton were both collapsed on the couch. The three of them had migrated to Logan and Patton’s room, which, unlike Virgil’s, was a full suite (Virgil had been offered one, but he opted for a smaller room as he didn’t think he needed all of that space). Patton and Virgil had been watching cartoons while Logan made the call. They both seemed to have calmed down quite a bit, but were still quiet and on edge. Both men looked like they were nearly asleep, but both were fighting to stay awake to hear if Logan would have any success.

Logan was exhausted as well, but he couldn’t sleep. He needed to make sure everything was ok. He told himself it was to reassure Patton and Virgil, but he knew that on some level, he needed it too. Logan shifted in the armchair he sat in, trying to get more comfortable. He looked over at his friend and his fiancé, and silently prayed he could get them some answers soon.

Finally, Logan tried to call Dillon once more. This time, it worked, and Dillon picked up the phone. 

“Salutations, Dillon,” Logan said, “So you know, you’re on speakerphone.” Out of the corner of his eye, Logan saw both Patton and Virgil perk up from where they sat on the couch, instantly awake and listening intently.

“Logan, hello.” Dillon replied, matching Logan’s formal tone. Despite the tone, Dillon sounded as exhausted as Logan felt. “I’m guessing you’re calling about Remus’s interview tonight?”

“Yes, I am.” Logan said. “It was mutually agreed that out of Patton, Virgil, and myself that I would be the best candidate to call at the moment.” Logan heard Dillon sigh heavily, and clearly the kids were rubbing off on Logan, because Logan’s distinct thought was ‘mood’.

“Let me guess, Patton and Virgil have both gotten themselves into an anxious frenzy over the interview?”

Logan saw that Patton’s expression had become rather sheepish. Dillon knew him all too well.

“Yes, they’re pretty worked up about it.” Logan admitted. “Virgil is this close to buying a plane ticket to flying out of New York City first thing tomorrow to be by his boyfriend’s side, or getting the private jet to take us back. And Patton isn’t far behind. But I convinced them that we should communicate with one of you first, and make sure that it’s needed.”

Patton and Virgil were hanging on every word that was spoken, waiting to hear something that would reassure them, or prove them right.

“Tell them that while the gesture is appreciated, it’s unnecessary.” Dillon reassured Logan. “Roman and Remus are both doing fine. They talked about it, and now they’ve fallen asleep on the couch. I’d wake them up to talk to you, but I think that they both needed the rest. You should all finish the round of interviews up there, and we’ll be fine until you return.”

“That’s good to hear—” Logan agreed, but Patton interrupted.

“Tell Dill to take some photos, that sounds adorable!” Patton gushed. Virgil shrugged in agreement.

“Patton is demanding photographic evidence of this occurrence.” Logan informed his friend, smiling a little.

“I’ll send it once we finish talking here.”

“Splendid.” Logan said.

“Tell him I said thank you.” Patton told Logan. Logan nodded.

“Patton says to thank you for the photo in advance.” Logan said, passing on the message. Then Virgil finally spoke.

“Could you ask Dillon to have Roman call if he gets the chance?” Virgil asked nervously, wringing his hands.

“I will.” Logan promised, and returned to Dillon. 

“If he’s feeling up to it in the morning, however, would you mind having Roman call himself? I think both Patton and Virgil would feel a little better if they were to hear from him. If he isn’t, however, I believe hearing from Remus would suffice.” “I’ll ask as soon as they wake up.” Dillon promised.

“Good.” Logan said briefly. He was about to continue, but Patton stood up.

“It sounds like we’ve decided on staying then.” Patton said, matter of fact. Virgil made a face.

“Maybe you guys have,” Virgil muttered, “I’m still not sold on it.”

“Oh, don’t be such a Grumpy Gus.” Patton said, frowning.

“I’m not being grumpy, I’m just worried.” Virgil insisted, folding his arms. Logan sensed the beginning of an argument brewing, so he decided to cut in before it got worse.

“Why don’t you both get some sleep?” Logan suggested. “I think we’re all feeling rather stressed, and we do have a full day tomorrow.” Virgil looked like he was going to argue, then shrugged.

“Fine.” Virgil grumbled. “Sounds like you guys have made the decision for me anyways.” Patton stood up.

“Come on V,” Patton said, “I’ll make us some tea to make up for calling you a Grumpy Gus, how does that sound?”

“Logan, are you still there?” Dillon’s voice came through the phone, slightly startling Logan, who had briefly forgotten that Dillon was still on the line. 

“Yes, sorry about that.” Logan apologized, feeling embarrassed about leaving Dillon waiting like that. “Patton has just dragged Virgil off into his hotel room. I managed to convince them they both need to get some sleep, as it’s rather late here.” 

“Right, it’s almost 3:00 in the morning there, isn’t it? Shouldn’t you be getting to bed too?”

“Yes, you are right about that.” Logan paused, then something occurred to him, “I did want to talk to you without the two of them present.” 

“What about?”  Logan sighed. So this is how they were playing this. He’d just have to be blunt.

“You’ve been very calm through our whole conversation,” Logan said gently, “which is unusual for you. Which means you’re plotting again.” “What? Me?” Dillon said, as innocently as he could manage, though Logan knew that they both knew that Dillon was full of crap. “I don’t plot. I do.” 

“You can’t get revenge on every reporter who asks a question that you don’t like.” Logan scolded.

“It’s more than just not liking the question and you know it, Logan.” Dillon argued. “Besides, I wouldn’t call it revenge. I’m simply going to use my status as one of Hollywood’s A-List celebrities to get an appearance on several of Osborne’s rival shows, as well as…  encouraging… my fellow stars to do the same. Maybe it won’t affect him at all, or maybe he’ll happen to get low ratings for a little bit. Maybe it’ll give him some time to think about why you shouldn’t ask invasive questions.” Logan groaned, but he knew that there was no stopping Dillon once he was set on a plan of action. And as Dillon’s plans of revenge usually went, this was actually fairly mild.

“Alright, I know I can’t stop you,” Logan conceded, “but as your friend, I’m asking you to be careful. The PR department already is going to have to do a lot of work to smooth things over after Remus stormed out. And his reaction tonight is only going to attract those who seek out drama. What I’m saying is that the last thing we need right now is a repeat of the Wine Incident from the Season Two interviews.” There was silence on Dillon’s end of the line, which let Logan know that his words had hit their mark. They didn’t talk about the Wine Incident.

“You’re right, I did go too far back then.” Dillon admitted, and Logan had to hold back a snort. ‘Too far’ was putting it somewhat mildly.

“But you don’t need to worry too much,” Dillon continued, “Remus is calm for now, but tensions are still high. I think I’m going to have my hands full with keeping him from decking any reporters who get nosy.”

“That’s good to hear.” Logan replied. Unexpectedly, he yawned. It caught him off guard, and for the first time it really began to sink in just how late it was. Dillon clearly heard the yawn too, from his next reply.

“You should get to bed.” Dillon suggested. “I hear you have a long day of interviews tomorrow.”

“Yes, you’re right.” Logan agreed. Another time, he might have argued that he would be fine, but he was too tired to. Though there was one more thing Logan needed to take care of. “If you need to talk about any of this, though, I’m here for you.”

“Me?” Dillon said in surprise. “I’m fine. Roman and Remus are the ones having to deal with their painful past being dragged back into the media’s line of fire.” “Dillon.” Logan said, not unkindly. “You may not be as entangled in it all as the two of them are, but I know it affects you. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Remus is your husband, and Roman is practically your brother. And you’ve been there for both of them through a lot of the harder moments. Remus often tells me that he doesn’t think he would’ve made it through college alive without you. You’re just as invested in all of this. I know that if Patton was involved in something like this, it would affect me as well.”

What Logan didn’t say was, I know where you’re coming from. You and I, we’re problem solvers. We’re good at being emotional stabilizers for others. We’re good at taking on all of the problems of those we love, and being their constant. What we aren’t good at is letting people do that for us.

“You’re right.” Dillon admitted, and Logan smiled. There was a time nearly two decades ago that Dillon wouldn’t have admitted that so willingly. “I shouldn’t bottle up my feelings. I’ve told Pat that enough times and I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t take my own advice. I am fine right now; I’ll let you know if that changes.”

“Good.” Logan said, and hoped his tone got across how much he truly cared. For Dillon, and all the rest. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Logan saw Patton perched on the edge of the couch next to him. His fiance was dressed in his pajamas, and had two cups of tea in his hands. Patton smiled at Logan, and Logan realized that Patton was probably waiting for him. Logan saw the clock as well. It was already 3:00 in the morning.

“I should be off to bed.” Logan told Dillon.  “Please tell Roman and Remus we called, and we’re all here for them. For all of you.”

“I will.” Dillon promised, and the conversation ended. Logan hung up the phone, and turned to Patton, who pressed a mug of tea into his hand.

“Come on Lo,” Patton said, “Let’s get some rest.”

*************************************

Light streamed into the quiet hotel room. Not a single sound entered Logan’s ears except for the soft breathing of his fiance. Patton was snuggled into Logan’s side, arms wrapped around him. Everything was calm and peaceful compared to the panic of last night.

Or, this morning, to be more accurate.

Patton had been out as soon as his head hit the pillow, but Logan hadn’t been able to fall asleep for at least another hour. Actually, he couldn’t remember if he even had fallen asleep. But he must have, right? Logan would remember if he hadn’t.

Logan looked over Patton’s shoulder and saw that the clock on the nightstand currently read 9:01. Oh no. They’d totally overslept. Their first interview was supposed to be at 10:00, and they were told to be there by 8:00. Logan began to get up in a panic, accidentally jostling Patton awake.

“Lo?” Patton mumbled sleepily. “What’s going on?”

“It’s 9:00, and we’re supposed to already be at the television studio by now, and it’s a 20 minute drive without traffic, but this is NYC, so there will be traffic, and we still need to get dressed and—” Patton gently set a hand on Logan’s arm, which halted Logan’s rambling in its tracks.

“It’s fine, Lo.” Patton said calmingly.

“How can it be fine?” Logan demanded. “We can’t afford to be late, not after the bad press we’re likely to get from Remus’s interview last night, and this will look bad on us and the studio—”

“Lo.” Patton interrupted again. Patton sat up, and gently took Logan’s hands in his, and pulled Logan down so that he was sitting on the bed next to Patton. “It’s ok, honey. Thomas called about two hours ago. He’s had the PR department rearrange our interviews for today, so we don’t have to be at the first one until one. We can relax for a little longer.”

Logan felt his panic slowly fade, and leaned his forehead against Patton’s, letting Patton wrap his arms around him. Logan was so tired. Now that he knew that he didn’t need to rush out, he wanted to just fall asleep. But first, Logan needed to ask Patton something.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Logan murmured softly, pulling back and looking Patton directly in his eyes. Patton smiled.

“I thought about it, but I knew that you were still awake after I fell asleep, so you got even less sleep than Virgil and I did.” Patton said. “Virgil and I both agreed that we should let you sleep.”

“I’m fine.” Logan protested mildly. “I’ve gotten by on less sleep before.” 

“That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.” Patton chided. “And I knew that if I woke you up then, you wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep.”

“It wouldn’t have been on purpose.” Logan mumbled.

“I know, honey. I knew that you can’t fall asleep during the day, but you would have been exhausted and irritable. You did such a good job of taking care of Virgil and I last night, so now let us take care of you. You can’t help anyone if you run yourself ragged, isn’t that what you always tell me?”

“You have a point.” Logan admitted.

“Besides,” Patton said with a smile, “I thought it might be nice to spend a lazy morning with my fiance.”

Logan’s eyes widened as he remembered, and he looked down at his hand. The silver ring with its two snakes entwined together sparkled in the light, the emerald eyes gleaming.

“I completely forgot about that.” Logan murmured in wonder. “With all the craziness last night, it slipped my mind.” “Mine too.” Patton said softly. “And I was the one who planned it.” 

Both men were lying back against the pillows now, Logan leaning into Patton’s side. They sat in silence for a bit, both looking at the ring on Logan’s hand.

“We’ll have to get you a ring too.” Logan said. “Maybe before we announce it.”

“When are we going to announce it?” Patton said softly. “I mean, with everything that’s happening right now.” Logan shrugged.

“Maybe we should wait until everything gets a little quieter, and everyone’s not so on edge.” Logan suggested. “Right now we need to focus on getting everything to calm down.”

“Yeah, I was kinda thinking the same thing.” Patton said. 

“But I think we’re headed in the right direction.” Logan said. “Dillon’s a lot calmer than he was the last time this happened. So, at least we don’t have to worry about another Wine Incident.”

“Thank goodness.” Patton said, shuddering. “That was a total mess to deal with.” “Figuratively and literally.” Logan agreed.

“It kinda looked like a scene from Carrie,” Patton recalled, “I’m not even sure where he got ahold of all of that wine so quickly.”

“It’s a good thing for the world that your brother is on the side of good.” Logan chuckled softly. “Otherwise, we’d all be in trouble.”

“Very true.” Patton agreed.

The two of them sat in silence again, but it was the comfortable kind. The kind you can only attain when with someone who you love and trust unconditionally, and who you know returns it. The silence was interrupted by the loud rumbling of Logan’s stomach.

“Sounds like someone’s hungry.” Patton said with a smile. “I haven’t eaten either, so why don’t we order room service?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Logan replied. “Then we can think about beginning to get ready for the interview.”

“We could,” Patton said, slowly, “but we still have a lot of time to fill before the interview…”

“I could think of a few things we could do to fill that time, darling.” Logan said suggestively, catching on to what Patton was suggesting.

Patton smiled back at Logan, and then leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. Patton pulled back, and stood up.

“I’ll go get the room service menu, I think it got left in the living room.”

As Patton left, Logan smiled. He honestly didn’t know how on earth he got as lucky to end up with someone as wonderful as Patton. Logan didn’t know what he would do without him.

Patton was his center, his driving force. His calm in the middle of the storm.

 In a couple hours, they would need to get ready for the interview.

In a couple hours, they would need to talk to Virgil and review the document that Thomas had forwarded to them that outlined how they should handle any questions about Remus’s interview last night.

In a few hours, they would have to navigate an interview carefully and calmly, and refuse to rise to any bait that might be sent their way.

But for now, Logan and Patton could let things be calm, and take refuge in each other in the eye of a slowly gathering storm.

*************************************

Taglist:

@ironwoman359

@galacticguppy

@trashpanda-remus 

@atticusfinchthelegend

@ravenclawunicorn1

@voidvirgil

@dogwithpants

@dreaming-about-kittens

@ro-arts-blog

[arofili]

Maybe w, X, y and z?

W - 5 favorite ships and 5 kinks you like best for said ships

😳 ok.... i’m uh. not gonna go with just kinks, i don’t feel, uh, qualified for that, but i will do tropes!

1. Russingon: fealty dynamics, secret relationship, telepathic intimacy, The Rescue From Thangorodrim, and bonus actual kink: we, as a fandom, do not take enough advantage of Maedhros having a stump at the end of one arm... interpret this how you will

2. Kiliel: political drama, I Thought You Were Dead, disapproving parental figures, star symbolism, and bonus actual kink: Kili discovering that elves’ ears are an erogenous zone

3. Gigolas: third wheel Aragorn, enemies to lovers, accidental marriage/LaCE as a plot device, Gimli The Stud Of Erebor, and bonus actual kink: Gimli’s beard fascinating Legolas

4. Halenthir: awkward!Caranthir and competent!Haleth, secret babies, miscommunication leading to shenanigans, epistolary fic, and bonus actual kink: Haleth domming Caranthir

5. I’m gonna do Courferre from Les Mis for this last one: mutual pining, friends to lovers, background Enjoltaire subplots, Oh My God They Were Roommates, bonus actual kink: their first time together

X - top 5-10 characters who are yoUR PRECIOUS BABIES AND YOU WILL DIE DEFENDING THEM

Tauriel, Maedhros, Maeglin, Gimli, Fili, Kili, Finrod, Turgon, Caranthir, Aredhel

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)

everything @buffintruder blogs about tbh! also tma (i’ve listened to the first season but haven’t got any further yet) and the usual suspects like marvel, star wars, etc.

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged)

i love the silm fandom so much, especially that we have so much canon and sort-of-canon material that we can pick and choose from and have different verses and AUs and everyone is really enthusiastic about everyone’s different interpretations and it’s so encouraged to create different versions of the legendarium!!

[courtjester69420]

Someone else has definitely made this post but I think it’s Eru’s funniest little joke that Aragorn (in the movies at least) was broken up with and then immediately sent on a death quest where he ended up third wheeling a new couple

Like you’re the rightful heir to the throne of Gondor and the king who would unite man under one banner but LMAO you have to walk behind your best friends on the sidewalk cuz they wanna hold hands

[terrasilvershade]

I love the trope of Aragorn fully knowing Legolas and Gimli are in love and being the exasperated third wheel.

It’s the best when they both talk to him about the other unknowingly and he’s like “Oh my GOD just elope already!”