CARRY IT ON.

⏤ LOGAN DANVERS. THIRTY-ONE. PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYER.

[logandanvers]

𝖠𝖲𝖯𝖤𝖭 𝖭𝖠𝖵𝖠𝖱𝖱𝖮.

The moment the words were out, Aspen almost wished she could’ve shove them back in. She fell silent, maybe for a moment too long as she found herself adverting eye contact. Licking her lips, she’d pressed them together, and pushed an ‘mhm’ from her throat. As the news sat an rightful panic within him, one that she could feel, sense, radiate off of him. After a few more seconds of avoiding direct contact with him, she’d let out a sigh and brought her attention back upon him. His question was a fair one. She couldn’t deny him that. Hell, at first, she had worried that she had gotten pregnant by her ex. If there was anything that made her more nauseous and genuinely horrified, it was that thought. But the dates haven’t added up, if she had been, she would’ve been further along when she found out. Not to mention as her son got older, there were traits and features her ex absolutely lacked that screamed Logan. “I’m sure.” She responded, “His name is Aiden.” As her attention fell upon the thought of her son, and the little facts about him, she felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth. The affection she felt for her son pinging at her heart. “He’s four.” The hint of a smile that had crossed her features only seconds before would come to be wiped completely as admitting that out loud seemed wrong. Wrong to know that it had been that long, that that much time had passed before she finally told the man before her.

“It’s–” She would begin, but immediately gave pause as another valid question lingered in the air. She knew, for the most part, why she haven’t mentioned this at first. But as the years went on, Aspen wasn’t quite sure why she remained tight lipped. Maybe because she had already dug herself into this hole, and the idea of trying to figure out a way to dig her way out left her at a lost. “Why I didn’t initially tell you is a long story, and I don’t– I don’t wanna get into that one.” She commented, “But I have no excuse for why I took this long, I should have told you sooner. But I didn’t want to trap you, and I’m really still not trying to trap you.” That was absolutely one thing she did not want, was for her son to be a burden on anyone. “He’s okay, we’re both okay. He’s just been asking about you, and he’s starting to wonder. And he deserves to know who that actually is, who you actually are. Not the one that people think it is.” She wasn’t necessarily pound of it, but her father and brother absolutely believed Aiden’s dad was her ex. It saved a lot of questions, and in the end, a lot of heartbreak for all involved. “I know you don’t believe me, and hell, I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t believe me either. If you want a test, you can absolutely have one. You can have whatever you need.” She assured, this time finally gathering up the courageous to take a few steps towards him. “But you have a son.” She repeated, an ease in her words this time around. A small smile founded upon her features, a hint of sadness lingering within in. “And he’s beautiful.”

Aspen’s answer in the affirmative was resolute. Inhaling deeply, drawing as much air into his lungs as he could, Logan tried to focus on her voice as his thoughts raced. He was a father. There was a little boy out there, four years old and named Aiden, and he was unwittingly, unknowingly, Logan’s son. For all of the musing the athlete had done in recent years --- over the course of interacting with young fans and looking after his friends’ children --- about what it might be like to take a step into the world of parenthood, no amount of theorizing or daydreaming had prepared him for this. It wasn’t the most conventional way of becoming a father, but if what she said was true --- and he had no reason not to believe that she wasn’t, because why would she have waited to tell him, otherwise? --- he had a whole new set of responsibilities before him. And he was ready to take it on. “We don’t have to get into the details right now,” he assured her. They’d have a chance to talk about it later, though he knew in the meantime the curiosity would gnaw at him until it devoured him whole. “This is a lot, and not just for me. It’s a lot for you to be sharing. I don’t think you’re trying to trap me, Aspen. That’s not a thought that would even cross my mind.”

Listening to her talk about her son --- their son --- grounded him. Aiden was asking questions, and she was right: he deserved answers. The boy deserved to have his father in the picture, and Logan wasn’t going to deprive him of that. Even with a present father, his own childhood had been spent chasing the affections of a man who measured his love by his son’s successes, and it had formed Logan’s understanding of what fatherhood shouldn’t look like. He would do better than Joseph Danvers had. He wouldn’t repeat his father’s mistakes. “How do we do this?” he asked slowly, unsure if anything he was saying was phrased right. This was all new to him, and while he felt completely unprepared, he took comfort in knowing they would be doing this together. There was no guidebook, no blueprint to follow; he knew he would have to be there, be present, and listen to her. She knew Aiden. “Does he know about me? Does he know... anything? My name, who I am?” I’m a father, he thought, and kept repeating it over and over in his head as she stepped closer, everything she said about a test lost as the gravity of the news took root in his mind: I’m a father. Aspen’s smile was warm, but he could see sorrow in her eyes. Reaching out, his hand finding her shoulder, he mustered a comforting smile. “We’re gonna figure this out.”

[logandanvers]

𝗪𝗬𝗔𝗧𝗧 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗚𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗬 & 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗠𝗬 𝗕𝗔𝗬𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗙𝗘.

Somewhere along the car ride, somehow, Bellamy was able to drift off into a sleep as the group drove down the highway to one of the happiest places in the world. Between Noelle, Briar, and Logan in the backseat, there was really no chance to catch up a few extra moments of sleep. But she tried. God knows Bellamy tried. Everything happened so quickly that Bellamy wasn’t sure how it all snapped into place to easily ; all Bellamy remembers is the night before when Briar was overflowing and spilling with excitement that she was completely unable to fall asleep at a reasonable time. Her daughter went from jumping on her bed, attempting to help her mother back their bags by simply stuffing random pieces of clothing into one bag, begging for Bellamy to call Noelle’s home so that they could talk about the day they were going to have, back to jumping on the bed, then finally tiring herself out and falling into a coma where Bellamy quietly continued packing well into the night and possible even past then - she didn’t want to think about it. Though, at that point, the single mother had been so worn out that she can’t remember what she has and hadn’t packed. She more than likely didn’t do nearly as good of job as Briar could have, if she wanted to be honest with herself. Thankfully, Logan had been kind enough of spare her the torture of sitting in the backseat with both girls since Wyatt opted to drive to their destination. It was also quite fun and adorable to see Logan crammed in the back and Bellamy certainly didn’t spare him mercy when she snapped a few photos. But, whether it seemed that Logan meant to or not, he was getting his payback. Half asleep, Bellamy could hear him talking to Briar and Noelle. By now, she knows well enough what is about to happen, and yet, she holds onto hope that it doesn’t The blonde gives a groan before whispering, ❛ Oh, God. Please, no. ❜ Shortly after, the three humans in the backseat belt out their question, causing Bellamy to jump in her seat as she wasn’t ready for the sound to be so damn loud … ❛ – - I’m gonna kill them … ❜ Bellamy swears under her breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. Rolling her head to one side, pleading green hues look over to the driver. She asks, ❛ We’re close, right? We have to be. ❜ 

wyatt montgomery.

Wyatt was convinced that the Elsa braid he did for Noelle was a one-time thing, but once the Disney World plans had been made she insisted on wearing her Frozen shirt and having her father replicate the braid that he did for the mall meet-and-greet. Checking his blind spot as he merged, the man chuckled to himself as his friend and daughter sang along in the backseat, accompanied by Briar. “How about we play something besides the Frozen II soundtrack, sweet pea?” he asked as he glanced at his daughter in the rear view mirror. “We all love Anna and Elsa - and Sven, in Briar’s case. But Uncle Logan really would love to hear something else. Don’t you, Uncle Logan?” Wyatt prodded, almost begging the hockey player to say yes. Truth be told, he didn’t know how much more of Idina Menzel’s voice he could take. He gripped the steering wheel, totally anticipating  the question that was bound to come. “This is our exit, actually. We’re only three minutes away,” he assured Bellamy, a devilish grin playing upon his lips. “Just enough time for… one more song,” Wyatt promised, immediately clicking on ‘Remember Me’ from Coco. “This is Uncle Logan’s favorite song, it makes him feel a lot of feelings. Doesn’t it, Uncle Logan?” Wyatt prodded, giving Bellamy a knowing smirk in the passenger seat. “Noelle was so excited for this, she’s always excited for Disney but she’s usually gone with Sophie’s family in the past. She’s just excited because we’re all going, and she gets to take photos with Briar. She already asked if she and Briar can get matching mouse ears,” Wyatt laughed, noticing the traffic sign that indicated that Magic Kingdom was straight ahead. “Here we are. Before we park the car, we need to go over some rules. Noelle, stay with me at all times. Briar, do the same with your Mom. No running around, don’t talk to strangers,” he instructed in his usual firm but warm tone, turning to Bellamy apologetically. “I’m sorry, I think I just went teacher mode on your daughter.”  @logandanvers​

“And Olaf,” Logan interjected, adding to the list of Frozen characters that members of the car enjoyed. Truthfully, he had heard enough of the movies and their soundtracks to last multiple, consecutive lifetimes, but the girls adored them, and he wasn’t one to skirt the opportunity to cause his friends a little good-natured grief. Unfortunately, there were some occasions when his well-intentioned antics came back around, and there was something in Wyatt’s voice when he suggested a change of music that Logan didn’t trust. In their years of friendship, he’d learned the other man’s idiosyncrasies, including the telltale lilt in his voice that signalled a brand of mischief that ran counter to Logan’s own. When the opening lines of “Remember Me” began to play over the car stereo, all sense of relief about their impending arrival at the park was wiped out by his indignation for Wyatt’s well-played, albeit unfortunate method payback. “C’mon, man!” Logan complained, resentful his friend knew firsthand just how emotional it made him as he smacked the back of Wyatt’s headrest. “You know what this song does to me.” 

Thankfully, the song was on the shorter side, and it wasn’t long before the entire car was subjected to the high school teacher’s instructions. Logan groaned as he tried for what felt like the hundredth time to reposition himself in the backseat, eager to get out of the car and stretch. “Uncle Logan’s gonna be feeling this car ride for days,” he said to no one in particular as he reached down to press his fingertips into the back of his calf, willing the blood to circulate. The pins and needles only seemed to amplify. “Not to be dramatic, but if I don’t get out of this car soon, you guys are gonna be pushing me around in a stroller today.”  @bellamybaycliffe​

[logandanvers]

𝖢𝖮𝖬𝖬𝖴𝖭𝖨𝖳𝖸 𝖢𝖤𝖭𝖳𝖤𝖱, 𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗧 — with @andynolton​​.

“So did I hear that right? It’s your first time skating?” Lifting the lid of the brand new CCM skates he’d brought along --- a gift, in the requested size, as part of the hockey lesson he’d donated to the local hospital’s charity gala auction --- Logan pulled the boots from the box one by one, loosening the laces before passing them to Andrew to put on. The rink was cold, a refreshing climate compared to the sweltering heat outside, and he was eager to get back on the ice. It had been a few weeks since he’d last donned his skates, and packing his bag for the private instruction made him realize that, no matter how many hockey seasons he cycled through, the excitement of impending pre-season training would always be there. In a month’s time, he’d be back on the ice with his teammates for their preseason training camp, and he could hardly wait. Turning to his protégé, seated on the bench next to him in the empty arena, he asked: “You want me to lace 'em up for you? First time or not, some people are really particular about their their skates, so I don’t wanna overstep.” 

[logandanvers]

𝟯𝟮 𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗬, 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗪𝗡 — with @cliodhnamcgrath​.

“There’s too many options,” Logan complained, looking up from the massive glass display case filled with dozens of types of gourmet artisanal ice cream. He had only visited the creamery downtown twice during his five-year tenure in Monleon, and both times he’d spent far too long deciding on a single type, only to leave with a monstrosity of a sundae made up of clashing flavors. Glancing over at Clio, the unwitting passenger on his journey to settling on a single flavor, maybe even a double-scoop of two different types, he asked: “What are you thinking? I’ve got a shortlist of, like, nine. And the longer I think about it, the more I start to question ruling out some of them. Like Pomegranate Basil, or Toffee Candied Bacon. Carrot Habanero Pepper sounds good, too. They've even got Tiger Tail --- I didn't even think you could find that outside of Canada. I used to get that shit all the time in Vancouver.” Tapping the glass lightly in frustration, he uttered a quiet “fuck!” and immediately shot the cashier a sympathetic look. “Maybe I should just stick with two scoops of French Vanilla. That’ll be my punishment for trying to be adventurous.”

[logandanvers]

⏤ @danverslily​.

[logandanvers]

𝖨-𝟦 → 𝖣𝖨𝖲𝖭𝖤𝖸𝖶𝖮𝖱𝖫𝖣 — with @bellamybaycliffe​​​ & @wyattmontgomery​​​.

Folded into the backseat of the sedan and wedged between two car seats, Logan could feel his legs beginning to grow numb as the impromptu concert in the car reached fever pitch. In hindsight, he’d realized that they could have rented a larger vehicle --- one with enough space to comfortably transport three adults and two children, along with the supplies necessary to get them through the day --- but the excursion to Disneyworld had been something of a last-minute arrangement. And in the chaos of securing passes and packing for the day trip to Orlando, all considerations that weren’t obvious in priority had fallen by the wayside. Considerations including, but not limited to, the leg room available in Wyatt’s vehicle. Once it had been determined that the teacher would be their chauffeur on the way to the parks, Logan felt a responsibility to offer the passenger seat to Bellamy, leaving him to cram his limbs between his friends’ daughters. But the raw excitement radiating off of them made the cold prickle of pins and needles in his body worth the trouble, so he kept quiet, occasionally shifting around to help the blood circulate through his legs. “Good job, girls,” he said, offering them each a hand for a high five as the song playing over the radio came to an end. “It’s been a minute since we checked, so why don’t we ask Mommy and Daddy our favorite question?” His suggestion garnered giggles from both Briar and Noelle, who looked across him at each other before shouting out in unison to their respective parent in the front seat: “Are we there yet?!”

[logandanvers]

𝖡𝖤𝖫𝖫𝖠𝖬𝖸 𝖡𝖠𝖸𝖢𝖫𝖨𝖥𝖥𝖤.

Over the course of four years, Bellamy has never truly witnessed Logan’s anger despite hearing about it from media outlets, but for as long as she’s known him, she can only assume that it has come in many different shapes: sometimes it could be soft and familiar, like a stone the river has caressed for so long - familiar, because as many don’t know, she understands anger just as much as the next person; sometimes, it could be sharp like a knife that could cut through anything - as sharp and alert when waking up in the middle of the night from a bad dream; sometimes, perhaps, it could be a radiating star, pushing into all directions. Tonight, it was intense and protective and Bellamy could feel it. She could see it as her eyes look over his features and sense it in his voice as he tried to keep it at bay. It didn’t necessarily scare her, more than worry her. No matter how anger is felt, soft or dangerous or quiet - it can be calamitous with it’s repercussions.

Bellamy smiles, but she also can’t help but roll her eyes before giving her nose in playful distain, ❛ Now I know you’re just lying to make me feel better. Unless you’re a member of Black Sabbath, no one looks good in raccoon-like eyeliner. ❜ When Logan reaches up to wipe away the smudge mascara from under her eyes, she can’t help but still for a number of reasons. The action is so casual on his end, so she tries to her best in reacting the same way. Though, she can still feel her brows twitch softly and the heat rise over the bridge of her nose. For Bellamy, the act was much more intimate than usual and she curses the God above that created her heart with be a hopeless romantic, paired with a skeptics mind. It also brings back flashes of Max bringing his own palm of her face whenever he felt the need to remind her that she held no power. In the end, Bellamy clears her throat and does her best with continuing on with the conversation as lightly as she can. ❛ Oh, yeah? ❜ She laughs, arching a brow, ❛ And have the both of us look like idiots? I won’t let that happen. ❜ She really hoped he was joking, even though the imagine being entirely funny to her. The humour Logan brought was another good focus for her. 

‘ Fuck all of that stuff … You don’t have to be okay … ’

Bellamy has always felt like she’s had the Danver’s siblings on her side. But, there are times such as these one’s that knowing she has them in her life until the very end has her heart aching with love and a hopefulness that she sometimes forgets to poses herself. She brings her bottom lip between teeth as she listens to his words ; they’re kind and caring and filled with compassion, just like him. Bellamy found herself lucky to be able to know this side of Logan, as most only got to see the star on the ice or the kid with bloody knuckles. It was moment like this where Bellamy wanted to say screw anyone who has ever said a single bad thing about Logan. They didn’t see this side of him and they didn’t deserve to. It was this sort of vulnerability and raw kindness that she wanted to protect. He also possessed an innocence, in Bellamy’s eyes, that many didn’t know how to comprehend due to his stature. He thought and felt and acted. Logan is and was only himself, always. In the moment and unable to speak about herself, it was easier to focus on Briar, of course, and she smiles gently at the image of her daughter pretending to sleep when the babysitter checks on her, when really the little girl was waiting up for her mother. ❛ That kid loves you, you know. ❜ She shakes her head in disbelief. It seemed like most kids did. It was possibly because he, when it came down to it, was just a big teddy bear. ❛ She’s lucky to have a support system like you in her life. We’re both are. Truly. ❜ 

‘ can i give you a hug? ’

The question makes Bellamy tilt her head to one side. Had he sensed her stillness when he had placed his hand on the side of her face earlier? Bellamy chews the inside of her cheek, mostly trying to hide an amused grin. ❛ Yeah. Of course … I’d like that. ❜ In a movement, before Logan could do anything, Bellamy steps forward and she wraps her arms around Logan’s waist, palms lay flat and light against his back as she presses against him. Then, a moment later, her arms squeezed a fraction tighter and Bellamy breathed more slowly, her body melting into Logan’s as every muscle lost its tension to the comfortable embrace. The hug of strong arms that tells everything that you’re going to be okay. It’s also the hug of gentle arms that still gives the space to breathe and Bellamy gives a content sigh. ❛ For future reference, you don’t have to ask me for a hug. ❜ 

Logan’s mouth quirks in a smile as she accuses him of lying about the eyeliner. Feigning hurt, he clutches his chest as a light gasp tumbles from his lips. “She thinks I’m lying,” he says, unable to keep up the charade before his mock seriousness is interrupted by laughter. He’s always been like this, even in his youth --- the court jester, desperate to inject levity, to make people laugh, to win the affections of even the most hardened individual. In Logan’s mind, life was complicated enough without spending most of it despairing; he was willing to make a fool of himself if it meant that he could pull someone out of their own head just long enough to win a smile. The fact that he was able to make Bellamy smile as the last vestiges of distress faded from her features would be counted as a win in his book. “To be fair, you haven't seen me in eyeliner. I might look devastatingly good, maybe even better than the boys in Black Sabbath. Nobody’s cooler than Ozzy, but I could get dangerously close to it, and then you’d have to apologize to me.” He swipes his knuckles gently across her cheek to brush away the wet mascara-tinted tear tracks and grins down at her. “We can’t have that, now, can we?”

His expression softens when she tells him that Briar loves him. His sister’s joked for years that his ease with connecting with children is due largely in part to his own childlike nature: “they like you because you’re one of them” --- a loving, lighthearted jab at his bouts of immaturity and impulsivity, but something he knows to be true. Leaving home to pursue a career in professional hockey had afforded him opportunities to meet people, travel and explore the world that existed outside of small-town Idaho, and as his career took off, he was able to step out from the long shadow cast by his father’s hopes and dreams. On that journey, he had committed himself to trying new things and meeting opportunities with zeal. Living, and not just to collect accolades or titles awarded for points earned or league rankings. His father had stolen his childhood, ripped away the time that should have been spent skipping rocks at Payette Lake and riding bikes with kids in the neighborhood, all so that he could mold his only son into the athlete he couldn’t be. There was no way of getting that time back, but he could do better. He could be a better person than his father, he could use the resources he had to help others, and he could entertain the imaginative whims of his friends’ children during their formative years. “I’m not going anywhere,” he says, “so she’s gonna have to put up with me drinking all of her invisible tea and styling her hair. And I guess you’ll have to put up with me, too, eating all of your real cookies and being better at braiding her hair." His friendship with Bellamy and the bond he’s built with Briar are among his most cherished connections made in Florida --- his heart feels like it’s going to burst every time her daughter looks up at him, eyes bright and wide, and calls him by the nickname she’s chosen for him: Lolo. “It’s gonna be tough, but I know you can handle it.”

Before he can move to envelope her in a hug, her permission granted, she closes the distance between them and winds her arms around him, hands steady as she presses them against his back. In the seconds that separate her embrace and his reciprocity --- his arms drawing her closer, pulling her flush to him --- he can’t help but feel proud of her and of the progress she’s making, working through the things she’s alluded to in pieces over the years but has yet to delve into. It’s not something that can be rushed, and he’s content to just be there, be present, until she’s ready to talk. Whatever’s happened, whatever’s happening, he’s dead-set on standing by his friend, however that looks for her and in whatever capacity she needs him. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he replies, rubbing her back absentmindedly. A silence settles between them and he can hear the steady thrum of his own heart as he holds her competing with the trill of cicadas and the booming live jazz music flowing through the hotel. “Everything’s gonna be okay, Bell,” he says, and means it. As long as he’s in the picture, he’s going to do everything in his power to help and support her. “I promise you that.”

END.

[logandanvers]

𝖤𝖫𝖫𝖨𝖤 𝖳𝖧𝖮𝖬𝖯𝖲𝖮𝖭.

“So that means you’re good with a bow and arrow, huh? Like Legolas or Robin Hood,” she smirked. “Sagittarius are really cool, very relaxed.” Ellie said. “If you had known the hour of your birth, I could have made your astral chart for you. It’s a chart that shows your sun sign, moon sighs, where the other planets were when you were born. Basically, it’s an astrological birth map to know why you are the way you are. Planets have influence on us. I mean, you must feel strange the nights of full moon, more cranky, or sentimental, you cry for anything or the opposite, everything makes you angry.” Since she arrived in Monleon the most popular “products” in her shop were the tarot card readings and the natal chart. Women were more into it than boys and sometimes they draged them and they stared in a corner with a bored look on their face until she offered a free palm reading and then they would just stare at her with a surprised look on their faces. “By retrograde, means that a planet its moving backwards in the sky. It’s much more complex to understand, but if you know how to use that to your advantage, it can be a very powerful tool,” Ellie said and then looked for her phone when she heard her ringtone. “Excuse me,” she answered the call and smiled. “I’ll be there, give me five minutes,” she ended the call and stared at Logan with a smile. “Come by the shop when you have time and bring your sister with you. I know she likes to take pictures of the crystals,” she took ther cards and put them inside the velvet bag again. “It was nice talking to you, Logan.” 

“Or Katniss,” Logan added thoughtfully, the character’s name coming to mind as he tried to envision himself as an archer. “I’ve never actually held a bow and arrow. That sounds like fun, though. There’s gotta be some kind of archery place around the Bay --- maybe I should try it out.” In truth, he knew very little about his own astrological sign apart from what it was and what various publications said about the week or month to come for him and fellow Sagittariuses. “A birth map with stars? That sounds rad as hell. I didn’t know the planets had such an impact on people. And they move backwards?” Logan whistled lowly, simultaneously impressed and also mildly concerned. It didn’t seem normal for such a thing to occur. When her phone rang, he gestured that it was alright for her to answer. As she spoke to someone, he sat motionless, trying to absorb all of the information she had just relayed to him. There was a lot he still had to learn --- about the world and about himself. Pulled from his reverie when she spoke to him, he heeded her invitation to return to the shop with a nod. Bringing Lily along would pose a unique challenge, given how the conversation had gone following their first visit to the shop, but it was one he was up for. His sister wasn’t a believer when it came to phenomena of this sort, but that didn’t deter him from forming his own opinions of it. “I’ll be sure to do that,” Logan said, rising to his feet with her as she moved to leave --- the polite thing to do, that he’d been taught from a young age. “It was nice to see you too. Enjoy your night, okay? And thanks for the reading. I owe you one.”

END.

[logandanvers]

𝖣𝖤𝖱𝖤𝖪 𝖢𝖠𝖫𝖣𝖶𝖤𝖫𝖫.

      Staring at the offered ice pack, Derek eyes it suspiciously for a few seconds. He thinks he can tell if Logan’s lying at this point. And if he wanted to finish him, he’s sure the job would already be done. Unless it was a long con. Exhausted from the mental gymnastics he was doing, Derek gives him a half smile and takes it. Pressing it against his bruised flesh, he lets out a sigh. “Thanks. For this. You totally didn’t have to. I would have managed just fine. Probably.” He frowns the more he thinks about it. Thinking seems to get him into trouble. “She fucked you up over tarot cards? Who are we fighting next? I’m already warmed up.” Derek does a few practice swings and ducks before breaking into laughter. 

      Swallowing, Derek feels his cheeks flush as he looks down and away. “Aw, c’mon, man. Don’t call me out like this. I’m wildly all over the place and you look nice in that suit. Red’s definitely your color.” He makes a show of looking him over, hopefully taking some of the heat off his shoulders. It easier to focus on other things. Logan is a welcomed distraction. “You bring a hot date? I don’t need someone busting through those doors to assault me next.” 

Derek’s right --- he didn’t have to do anything. He could have minded his business and went about his evening, but that wasn’t Logan. For someone with a reputation as a bad boy in the professional hockey world, he didn’t feel like he had been living up to that title recently. He’d had his share of scraps during the playoffs, including a brawl with the assistant captain of the Leafs, but even social media had noted that he’d been more reserved with his fists in the last season. It wasn’t something easy to explain. His thirtieth birthday had ushered in some change in the way he conducted himself; with age, and with the numerous injuries he’d suffered over the years, ranging from broken fingers to a grade one concussion, he had started to think before he swung --- a feat, given his propensity for dropping his gloves. The fact that he had managed to avoid taking part in the spat between Derek and Cason would have made him prideful of himself, if he hadn’t damn-near missed the entire thing and only rushed over as shouts echoed through the ballroom and a crowd quickly assembled. “I didn’t have to, no, but... it felt right,” Logan explains. “Your mug’s busted enough as it is, nevermind the swelling you’d get without the ice.” The remark about the tarot cards, followed by the practice shots Derek administers to the air, earns a grin from the hockey player. “Apparently I’ve got a Judas in my circle. Somebody’s gonna fuck me over. Not the best news to get, but I was scared she was gonna tell me when I was going to die, so I’ll settle for the betrayal. I guess.”

Logan tucks his hands in his pockets as he regards the chef, amused by the sudden bashfulness that forces the other man to look away. “'Wildly all over the place’ is one way of putting it.” The compliment doesn’t fail to register with him. He opens his mouth to respond, but finds himself holding back the suggestive comment. “No hot date tonight. I came with Lily and one of our good friends. Nobody’s gonna come swinging through those doors. Promise. You don’t look like you could go a second round, anyway.“

[ssweeneys]

[logandanvers]

LOGAN 📲 LILY.

LILY: A will is where you lay out what you're leaving everyone when you die... not an actual person named Will.

LILY: I don't even want them to pick you up anymore. I like it here. But they do have the best mascot in the game. No. I paid a lot of money for it. I'll wear it as your best man at your wedding.

LILY: NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOGAN: OH, okay. I think Adrienne mentioned that to me once. I should get one, yeah?

LOGAN: Yeah, I like it here too. It's nice not having to pack up every two years. Better knock on wood before the universe gets any funny ideas.

LOGAN: You're not wearing the Gritty costume to my wedding, Lilypad.

LOGAN: 🥴🥴🥴

[logandanvers]

𝖤𝖫𝖫𝖨𝖤 𝖳𝖧𝖮𝖬𝖯𝖲𝖮𝖭.

“True, that would be too easy and the plan is for you to notice this person and face the challege that comes with it. It won’t be easy,” Ellie made a pause. “I know how hard is it to have someone close betraying you.” Especially if you were that person, she should have added, but now was not the time nor the place to talk about the past. Never in her wildest dream she thought she was going to end up cheating on the love of her life with his best friend, but it happened. She did something she would have hated Cason to do if he had been in her place, but there was no going back. Ellie left Alaska for a reason, she traveled to Monleon for a reason and strangely, she met Cason there, for a reason or not, they were bound to see each other once more, even after he declared she was dead to him. How he got her number? She had no idea, but she told him to burn whatever he wanted from the things she left behind. She thought he would have done so already. Ellie shook her head and smiled at Logan. “Since I was about ten years old. My aunts taught me the arts and I’ve been doing it since,” she smiled. “You have to be careful. There are a number of planets that will be in retrograde next week and its going to be hell for all of us. Oh! What’s your sign, anyway? Do you know the exact hour of your birth?” 

Logan appreciated that she had gone to great lengths to demystify the messages sent by the cards that had been drawn, but the reiterated presence of a challenge in his life involving someone close to him and a betrayal had begun to put a damper on his mood. He wished he could suppress the feelings that were brewing in his chest --- confusion, heartache, suspicion and dread, all competing for his attention --- but he’d always been one to wear his heart on his sleeve. And so he resorted to humor to mask the hurt. “Can’t have life being too easy, right? Gotta play it on X-Games mode,” he joked. There was a sincerity in her eyes when she offered her own comfort in the form of commiseration. Someone had hurt her, betrayed her --- that much he could pick up, but he didn’t want to pry. He let the conversation take its course, shifting to her experience in the work she did. Impressed, he whistled lowly when she disclosed that her aunts had taught her from such a young age. “So you’ve been doing this for a while, huh. Retrograde? What’s that mean, for the planets? Are they, like... out of whack?” His eyebrows shot up in surprise when a thought occurred to her, and she asked about his sign and time of birth. “I’m a Sagittarius --- December 10th. I think I was born in the morning? I was supposed to be a New Years baby but I showed up early. My dad loves to remind me that I ruined Christmas that year. Does that mean something? The hour you’re born? I thought it was just the day. That’s all they list under each sign in the horoscope section of Cosmo.”

[logandanvers]

LOGAN 📲 LILY.

LILY: Please tell me you're joking, right? You're pulling my leg? Telling a funny?

LILY: I'll make shirts. I'll wear my Gritty costume.

LILY: I told you I was going to shit on everything you love if you even look at my plate.

LOGAN: No????? Why.

LOGAN: You're never going to let me rest until Philly picks me up, are you? It's time to retire the Gritty costume.

LOGAN: CAN YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT SHITTING??

[logandanvers]

LOGAN 📲 LILY.

LILY: I'm in charge of your funeral, not mom and dad. Put it in your will. They can't contest that.

LILY: Fuck. I need a drink.

LILY: I guess I'm picking Taco Bell up on the way home, Logan.

LOGAN: I don't know a Will? Why would they make my funeral a contest? That's kinda sick... but I guess also kind of fun.

LOGAN: FUNeral.

LOGAN: I can't believe you bathroom shamed me and now you're bringing up Taco Bell.

[logandanvers]

LOGAN 📲 LILY.

LILY: It does fit you to a tee. Should we throw a rager in your absence? It seems only appropriate.

LILY: Get your head out of the clouds, Logan.

LILY: I will shit on everything you love if you touch even one asparagus on my plate.

LOGAN: That's all I could ask for. I'm sure mom would want a service but I'd prefer it if you threw a kegger instead.

LOGAN: OK now you sound like Dad.

LOGAN: Jesus Christ......

LOGAN: I'm still gonna eat your food if you're not back in time.

[dankmemeuniversity]

[logandanvers]

LOGAN 📲 LILY.

LILY: You're white. You'll be fine. You can be the final girl. Enjoy the spirit rager. Rage on with them in the afterlife. Play them some Toxic (2003) -- Britney Spears.

LILY: It's probably a draft from the balcony.

LILY: Do not touch my food.

LOGAN: How about you play that song at my funeral since you're about to send me to an early grave with this spirit disrespect?

LOGAN: There's balconies??

LOGAN: It's mine if you're not here. That's an unwritten rule -- whoever doesn't get back to the table on time loses claim to their food.