Logan Gets in Hot Water
Summary: Logan is faced with gay panic after getting asked on a date with an extremely attractive man, whilst also coping with his two crushes on the local baristas.
Pairings: Logince, Logicality, Analogical, Moxiety, LAMP, platonic Virgil/Remus/Janus
Warnings: a couple swears
Logan stopped at his usual coffee shop at precisely 9:45. Although he did have the day off, he didn’t want to stray too far off his normal schedule. It was abnormally quiet today, the usual couches and tables empty. Logan mentally logs the occurrence and saunters up to the counter.
“A large black coffee, please.”
At the register was a new barista that he’d never seen here before. He had brown hair with purple tips and a downcast look on his face.
“A dollar ninety-five. Do you want a receipt?”
“Please.” Logan handed over two dollars in cash. “Keep the change.”
Logan waited patiently, watching the barista methodically pour the coffee, some dripping off the sides. He began immediately apologizing to his supervisor, who began to reassure him.
“No, no, you’re doing great, kiddo! Just slow down and wipe down the sides when you’re finished pouring.”
Patton noticed Logan waiting and he gleefully smiled at him. Logan responded with a polite smirk.
“Well, good morning, Logan! I thought it was your day off?”
“It was, but I didn’t want to stray off routine.” Although Logan detested small talk, he found himself looking forward to his conversations with the barista before his coffee. He was surprised Patton remembered it was his day off, though he shouldn’t have. Patton has always been very thoughtful.
“Well, I’m glad you still stopped in this morning, I always love to see you!”
Logan quickly looked around the room to find something to change the conversation and to call attention away from his blushing. His eyes glazed over to the violet barista. “Is he new?”
“Oh, yeah. Virgil started this week. He’s pretty quiet, but he’s actually a natural at latte art! You should get one this week!”
While Logan hardly ever changed his coffee order, he was enticed by this Virgil. “Sounds excellent.”
“Uh, here you go.” Virgil placed the cup down on the counter.
“Thank you, Virgil.” Logan picked up the cup and began to head out the door.
“See you tomorrow!” shouted Patton. Logan nodded and headed off to his next engagement.
Since Logan had the day off, he thought it an excellent day to catch up on some reading at the park. Normally he prefered to read in the comfort of his own home, but the floor was being fumigated and it was nice outside. There were a few college kids quietly playing ultimate frisbee, and a couple moms with their kids. Logan found a park bench under a tree and pulled his book and a granola bar out of his bookbag.
As Logan began to read his newest Agatha Christie novel, he found himself unable to focus. He understood his feelings towards Patton, though he knew those were just silly daydreams. But now the new barista? He could hardly stand feelings towards one of them, but two? Statistically speaking, he didn’t have half a chance with either, so falling for both were not very good odds. But still, he couldn’t stop thinking about them. Dammit! Why do all of the employees there have to be perfect?
Logan’s mental debate was interrupted by a pigeon landing on his shoulder. To be completely honest, it wasn’t the bird that interrupted his thoughts as much as a young man with a camera yelling at him to be still.
“Hey, Poe? Would you mind if I took a picture? The bird and the whole librarian look is too good not to shoot.”
Logan would never admit this, but he appreciated being compared to Edgar Allen Poe, almost as much as he appreciated the exceedingly handsome man paying him attention.
“I don’t see why not. But I think you may also have to ask the bird.”
The laugh that came out of the photographer was enough to make Logan blush. Surely the joke wasn’t that funny, but his laugh was amazing.
“Could you look right at the camera? Yes, yes, perfect!”
As soon as the pictures were done, the bird flew off to pick up some crumbs in the street. Logan watched the bird disappear and turned around to see the photographer sitting next to him.
“Wanna see?”
Logan was amazed at what he saw. Sure, Logan was just an ordinary guy. But these pictures with the bird made him look majestic.
“These are amazing! I swear, you could be a model.” For the third time today, Logan was uncontrollably blushing.
“Well, thank you. Your pictures are also adequate. Are you a professional?”
“Oh, no,” the photographer laughed. “Hopefully one day, but I’m still a student.”
“I believe you have the skill set to be able to achieve that one day. You have an eye for these sorts of things.”
“Yes, I do have an eye for beauty,” the photographer said with a wink. Shit, now they were both blushing.
“Oh, where are my manners? Pray forgive me, I’m Roman.”
“Logan. Pleased to meet you.”
Roman bit his lip and took a small breath. “I hope I’m not overstepping, but I would love to take more pictures of you. You’re very photogenic, you know.”
This stranger wanted to spend more time with him? Maybe he was just cursed with all of these attractive guys.
“Oh, um, thank you. I don’t have any other engagements, so-” Before Logan even finished his sentence, he was being dragged to the nearest fountain.
Logan couldn’t believe how much he enjoyed being photographed for two hours. Pictures were never his thing, but Roman made him laugh more times than he could count on his fingers. They finally stopped to grab some pretzels at a stand.
“Would you mind holding Maria?”
“What?”
“Oh, sorry. That’s the name of my camera!” Logan smiled at his endearing nature and took the camera in his hands. When he looked back up, Roman was gone.
He better not be paying for both of them.
By the time Logan made his way over the pretzel stand, Roman was holding two pretzels. “You want mustard?’
“You didn’t have to pay for me, I could have paid for myself.”
“Come on, microsoft nerd, the gentleman’s always supposed to pay on the first date.” Roman then realized he said that comment out loud. Both of them mirrored the other looking like a deer in headlights.
“I-I meant to say on the first day! We’ve ever met! Because we met, you know, today,” Roman stammered. Shit he’s cute.
“So, mustard? Heh.“
“Why are you the gentleman? Both of us are males.”
Roman began to laugh uncontrollably. “Fragile ego, much? Next time, you can pay then, Specs.”
Next time. Logan liked the idea of next time.
“Oh, look at the time! I’ve got a seminar tonight. Could I have your number? So, I can, you know, send the pictures.”
“Sure.”
The two exchanged numbers and went their separate ways, and neither of them could stop thinking of the other.
A few days went on of them exchanging flirtatious text messages when they finally decided to meet up again.
Prince RoRo: When am I finally going to see your marvelous face again?
Logan: We video chatted last night.
Prince RoRo: No dummy I mean in person :)
Logan didn’t quite understand why his stomach was hurting, but he didn’t exactly hate it. Roman wanted to see him again. Logan quickly ran his schedule through his head.
Logan: I’m pretty busy this week, but I stop for coffee every morning at 9:45 in Beanie’s.
Prince RoRo: Sounds like a date ;) see you tomorrow!
A date. Huh. Logan hadn’t been on a date since high school when he was still pretending to be straight. What does one wear to a coffee date? And since when did Logan care about his wardrobe?
Logan woke up at 6:30 out of anticipation for his date. After trying on all of his clothes in his closet, he decided on a black polo and a blue tie. He then combed his hair to perfection and took an ibuprofen to calm his nerves.
At 9:42 Logan waited outside of Beanie’s for Roman, wanting to be polite. Where is he? Did he forget? Did he bail? Logan knew these thoughts were foolish, but he couldn’t help but think them. Luckily, he didn’t have to worry for long; Roman walked up to Beanie’s at 9:44. Wow he’s hot.
“This is the place, huh? It’s pretty cute.”
“They have good coffee.”
Roman suppressed a laugh and held out his arm for Logan to take. Logan’s stomach started to hurt again.
“Shall we then?”
Patton’s face lit up when he saw Logan walk through the door, but immediately dropped when he saw Roman. Patton shook his personal feelings out of his demeanor and put on his customer service face.
“Hey, Logan! Who’s this?” Patton asked politely. In all honesty, he didn’t really want to know. Though, the new stranger was handsome.
“I’m Roman! Excellent to meet you! Logan says this is his favorite place for coffee and I had to check it out!”
Patton’s face lit up at the favorite coffee part but dropped again when he heard them bantering about who would pay.
“Nonsense. I said I would pay next time when we got pretzels. It is next time.”
“Fine, Book Germ, you can pay. This time.”
Patton’s heart sunk to his stomach. This isn’t their first date. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his favorite purple barista with the same sunken look.
“Uhm, Logan, the usual?” Virgil asked.
Over the past few weeks of Logan coming in here, Virgil had come out of his shell and usually engaged in conversation. Now it feels like the first time it came in here. Logan didn’t know why that made him upset. He already has Roman.
“That’d be fine, Virgil. Thank you.”
“And for you?” Virgil asked the letterman jacket clad stranger.
“Hmm, I’ll take an iced mocha almond milk latte, please and thank you,” Roman answered excitedly.
“Coming right up.”
The coffee shop was quieter than when Logan usually came in, with an uncomfortable tension in the air. As soon as the drinks were prepared, Patton and Virgil excused themselves to the back. Virgil totally didn’t see Patton’s eyes well and Patton definitely didn’t see Virgil legs shaking.
V-card: plan’s off. he’s got a bf
Dirty Rat: wuts ur point
V-card: I can’t do that to him I should just be happy for him
Dirty Rat: date both of them
V-card: I should’ve texted Janus
Dirty Rat: cant he’s getting his butt cheeks glued together rn
V-card: omg
Virgil didn’t really know why he was texting Remus when Patton was right there. Maybe because it was clear Patton felt things for Logan too. He didn’t need to hurt himself more than he already was but he also didn’t like it when Patton was upset.
“You okay, Padre?”
Patton plastered on a smile and brushed the tears away. “Sure am, Kiddo! Just allergies, that’s all.”
“Maybe they’re just siblings.”
“Siblings who hold hands?”
“Yes?”
“Maybe kiddo. Want a cupcake?”
“Only if you have one too.”
Virgil smiled up at Patton and Patton beamed. Things were going to be okay.
Logan and Roman sat at a little tea table and drank their coffee, but Roman could tell something was off with Logan.
“What’s up, Lo?”
Logan was startled out of his thoughts. “Oh, nothing important. The barista’s are just different today.”
“Not the usual people?”
“No, they usually talk more to me. Is it the tie?”
Roman looked over at the counter at the two eating cupcakes and side-eyeing Logan.
“Specs, you really are clueless.”
This got Logan’s attention. “What?”
“They like you. For good reason too, they’re almost as cute as you are.”
Logan didn’t know what to do with this information. For one thing, Roman called him cute. Secondly, the baristas might like him back. And for a third, Roman thought they were cute too. Do they like him? Logan mentally goes through all of their conversations every morning.
“Oh. Huh. Well. Uhm.”
“Full sentences, Lolo. You think they’re cute too, don’t you?”
Logan hesitated. Was this a trick? A test? Be honest or give the answer Roman might want to hear? After a moment of silence, he quietly answered, “yes.”
Logan expected Roman to look disappointed, but for some reason, he looked brighter.
“You got a pen?”
He knew by now not to question Roman’s antics and slowly handed over his blue ballpoint pen. Logan watched as Roman scribbled something on a post it note and ran up to the front.
“Here, for both of you!” he proclaimed as he slammed the sticky note on the counter.
“Oh, um, thanks.” Virgil and Patton went up to the counter to read what was on the note. From what he could see, it was two phone numbers and a winky face.
“What just happened?”
“I dunno, Pat. Did he just ask us out?”
Patton just smiled from ear to ear. He looked over and waved at the couple at the table, Roman smiling and waving back, and Logan looking like a deer in headlights.
As the two of them walked out the door, Logan left a ten dollar tip and Roman winked at the pair of boys behind the counter.
KittyPat: hello? You gave us your numbers today?
Prince RoRo: Hello there, fair lad! Glad you got my note :)
V-card: who’s the other #
Prince RoRo: It’s Logan, ofc! He kinda likes you both :3
Logan’s stomach started to hurt again. Why do they have to hurt his stomach so much?
V-card: ...
KittyPat: Logan?
Logan: I suppose I should confirm that it is true.
All at once, Virgil, Logan, and Patton stopped whatever they were doing and just stared at their phones.
Prince RoRo: So, dinner tomorrow night? :)))
KittyPat: sure! <3
V-card: I’m down.
Prince RoRo: Logan?
Logan stared at his phone once more. Was this really happening?
Logan: Sounds nice.
KittyPat: :D
this was really cute !!!! I also love the tiny ways you represent the different characters, like the contact names, it’s cute
Thank you so much for the love!!
