** a reminder: NZ = (androgynous, nonbinary, they/them) Kaelin; OZ = Logan **

Prompt: Person A of your otp is dragged to a party they really don't want to go to, and then promptly abandoned there. Person B comes up to them and they get comfortable with each other and then start talking. Eventually Person B starts smirking when Person A's friend comes back to get them and introduces Person B as the host of the party... Which is really awkward because Person A has just been ranting for ten minutes about how they basically hate this party.

Kaelin, you could say, was really antisocial. And no, it wasn't some emo teenager thing (for one thing, they weren't a teenager). They just didn't like to deal with people. Being alone was better.

For some reason that Kae could not fathom, their cousin Arthur Kirkland did not feel the same way.

"You really need to get out of the house more, Kaitlin."

"Kaelin." Their expression darkened, arms crossed. Arthur rose an eyebrow.

"Sorry, love. But you really should." Arthur straightened his shirt. "It'll do you good. You should hang out with more people than just me."

Despite Arthur's uptight attitude, and the fact that he didn't always get Kaelin's pronouns right, he was their favorite cousin. The two of them tended to hang out, because Arthur's brothers were too much, and Kaelin knew no one else.

"Who knows." Arthur opened up Kae's closet and started looking through their clothes, for something good for them to wear. "Maybe you'll meet someone there."

Kaelin's eyes widened. Oh hell no. "Look, Art, I'm happy by myself like this." They said. "I don't want to date anyone. Period."

"Or not, then." Arthur huffed and pulled out a 21 pilots t-shirt.

"Just come because I care about you and I think it would do you some good." He got out a pair of jeans too.

Kaelin sighed. "Fine. But not because I want to or anything."

As they headed into the bathroom to change, Arthur rolled his eyes. "Of course not..."

Kaelin didn't know who's party it was. Probably some lame friend of one of Arthur's brothers. They didn't ask, and Arthur didn't say. The walk was short and soon the two of them were there.

Arthur just opened the door right up. Kaelin raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't we knock first?"

He shook his head. "Trust me, it's fine."

The party was loud. Kae could tell that immediately. Loud things were not their thing either, and they sort of had anxiety. But Arthur didn't know about this.

They didn't know anyone else besides Arthur. And as things were looking right now, they didn't want to leave his side.

"Bonjour, mon cheries," A smooth voice said smoothly behind them. Both Kae and Arthur jumped, the latter blushing.

"What're you doing here, frog?" Arthur crossed his arms.

Francis Bonnefoy crossed his arms right back at him. "I was invited. I don't know about you, though, I bet you just showed up for only god knows why." His eyes landed on Kaelin, immediately taking them up and down. "Who's this?"

"My cousin Kaelin, the one I told you about." Arthur said. Hopefully that was a good thing.

Francis extended his hand to them, with a slightly more genuine smile than the one he gave to Arthur. Though they knew both of them were secretly in love or something. "A pleasure, cher. I see you were unfortunate enough to inherit the Kirkland eyebrows, but you pull them off better than Arthur here."

Arthur slapped him on the arm. "Oh just shut up, no one wants to hear about my eyebrows." He then turned to Kae. "We're going to go get drinks. Sit down and we'll be right back."

Oh god. That anxiety. They swallowed. "I can come with you."

Arthur waved them off. "That's all right. Relax, Kae, enjoy the party."

And they were gone before Kae could protest anymore. They had literally no choice but to sit down on one of the crowded, sweaty couches, try not to be touched, and regret their life choices.

Besides, this party wasn't even that good anyway. It was just your stereotypical gross party. If Kae wanted to experience this than they could watch Seventeen Again--

"Hey, what're ya doing here alone?"

Kaelin jerked their head up in surprise, curly hair bouncing a little. They looked around. Surely no one was talking to them, right?

"...nah, mate, 'm lookin' right at ya."

Well that answered that question. The guy was their age, burly and muscular, with dark messy hair and bright eyes. He grinned, and he was missing a tooth. His nose also had a bandaid but that didn't hide the fact that his nose looked like it had been broken a few times.

Kaelin raised an eyebrow.

"Mind if I sit?" He had a sort of accent. Couldn't place it though. Without waiting for an answer, he sat down and stretched out. "'M Logan, pleasure to meet ya."

Kaelin gingerly shook his hand. "Kaelin. I'm sure it's a pleasure."

The aforementioned Logan paused. "Mate, if ya don't mind... Can I know you're pronouns? Don't mean to be rude, I jus' like t' not get them wrong or offend people or..."

No one had ever actually asked that. I mean not many people got them purposefully wrong when they were told but still. "No, you're fine. And, they them."

Logan grinned. "Cool. So, my dear Kaelin, whatcha doin' here all by your lonesome?" 

They rolled their eyes and leaned back into the couch. "I came with my cousin but he very kindly left me."

Logan's eyebrows shot up. "Dude! Not cool."

"Tell me about it." They didn't mention the anxiety thing. While he didn't seem like an asshole, that wasn't a reason to spill their entire life to him.

"Well, knowing most of the people here, your cousin might just be doing the do with someone in one of the back bedrooms." Logan wiggled his eyebrows and Kae pretended to gag.

Oh god, Arthur? Hell no. Francis was a flirt, true, but... "I doubt that. He probably got in a fight."

That made Logan laugh. "Damn. Hey, s'sorta stuffy in here. Y' wanna sit outside with me?"

"Okay, I guess." Kaelin shrugged and stood up like it wasn't a big deal. And it wasn't.

Logan fiddled with the sliding door's lock and when they both got outside, there were considerably less people. Kae let out a breath they didn't know they were holding.

Logan looked at them when he sat down on the back porch swing. "You okay?"

They nodded shakily. "Yeah, fine. I just... I don't really like crowded places that much."

Their shoulders brushed together as they sat down next to him. "Thought so," he said softly. "I mean, you just looked like you could use a little fresh air or something."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Nah," he said with a shrug. "Just picked up on it, relax." He winked at them and they rolled their eyes. Weird how comfortable they were. How he made them feel. Like mentioned, they were not a people person.

"Well, it's true. Piss and beer are not my ideal smells." They said drily.

"Bet the house is going to smell like it for the next few days. Or months." Logan snickered. Then he looked at them. "But hey. Besides th' piss and beer smells, y' likin' it so far?"

Kae turned to look at him. "You want me to be honest?"

"Nah, I want ya to lie." He said sarcastically.

"I don't like it." They shrugged and leaned back. "But I don't really like parties in general. They're boring."

Logan looked surprised. "Wait, what? Even this one?"

Kaelin nodded. "Hell to the yeah. Parties in general, remember? What do you think made this one different?"

Logan paused. "I...don't know."

They smirked and leaned back. "I guess it could be worse." They almost said, I met you didn't I? But that would've been too soppy.

"Mm." He nodded.

A hand on Kaelin's shoulder made them jump. "There you are! Francis and I were looking for you for ages. We have to get going now, c'mon."

Kae almost felt...disappointed? "Oh. Well, bye I guess."

"Thank you for the party, Logan," Arthur said, moving around them to shake his hand like the perfect little gentleman he was. "It was surprisingly lovely."

Hm, maybe he and Francis really did fuck in a room... Wait. What? Kaelin stared at him. "This is your party..?!"

Logan grinned lazily. "Yup."

Oh god, and they had just said all the stuff on how they hated parties, including this one! Shit shit shit... Their face burned.

"Well, c'mon, Kae." Arthur took their hand and pulled them gently along. And all they could think was how he probably didn't want to see them again because they were literally an idiot.

But that wasn't what Logan was actually thinking.