Patton's POV: 

Soon, we had all been assigned our respective rooms. 

The bedroom I was staying in was large, with newly painted walls a light shade of dusty rose. There were two beds, placed at opposite sides of the room with night tables next to both. The covers and pillows were creamy white, with a warm grey sheet underneath. 

Windows spotted the place, letting in shimmering moonlight that shone on the room and illuminated everything inside. It was beautiful, a positively lovely place to spend the night. 

As we didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable, everyone who was family was sleeping together. So that meant Logan and Virgil, me and Remy, Remus and Roman, and then Janus and Emile-- who weren't family but had lived together long enough to make it work. 

It all seemed okay, though I couldn't help giggling a little bit at Roman's crestfallen expression when he had been told that no, he couldn't cuddle with his boyfriend that night. 

He and Remus were sleeping in the other room, next to Emile and Janus's bed. 

I, myself, was excited to sleep in a hotel again. There's something about the air of a hotel that makes everything you do there so much more fun. Eating breakfast? Sure. Eating breakfast at a hotel? BAM that waffle maker better be ready. 

Laughing softly, I dropped onto my back, feeling my weight sink into the cushions. I turned over, grabbing a pillow and dragging it to my chest, sighing happily. Logan looked up at me from his book, curious. 

Instantly, I froze. Did he think I was acting weird? Am I acting weird? Oh no, I'm probably acting weird!

After sitting back up, I glanced away, flushing slightly. It had been so much harder to talk to him after we had kissed at the zoo. I had mostly been pretending it hadn't happened, and at the beach I had been too preoccupied to think about it, but now that we were stuck in a room together my mind was running wild. I couldn't even make eye contact. 

Virgil had gone to console Roman and they ended up going to get a coffee together. I was sure they wouldn't be back anytime soon. Remy would have been here, but he had gone outside to take a call from another friend. 

Meaning that we-- me and Logan-- were together. Alone.

My heart was beating quickly, so fast and hard I could hear it. That and the slow flip-flip-flip of pages were the only things I could hear right then. 

I groaned in discomfort and flopped back onto the bed, laying there my body sink into the plushy mattress. Logan looked up again. "Is everything alright, Patton?"

He didn't seem troubled by anything that had happened. 

I looked up at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

A pause filled the air between us, and then Logan shut the book hard, making me yelp. "You are obviously not," he sighed, slipping off the bed and stepping closer. "You have had five cookies and a soda today, and yet you are not overexcited at all, which is most unlike you."

He leaned over me and pressed a hand to my forehead. 

I'm pretty sure I squeaked at that very moment. Not very loud, but loud enough for me to register it and blush redder than a rose. "I-- I feel fine," I yelped, quickly moving backward on the bed. "Never better!"

Logan didn't buy it. He sat on the bed, looking closer at me. "You seem to be, ah," he hesitated, "blushing quite vividly."

Biting my lip, I prayed to anyone who was listening to let me calm down. "Sorry," I mumbled, casting my eyes downward. 

"Does it have to do with the arranged date at the zoo?" Logan bluntly asked. 

I curled into myself, willing myself not to scream, and grabbed the nearest pillow to muffle my voice. "It was not a date, Logan!"

He blinked. "But we kissed. What else would you call it?"

Ready to jump out of the window, I took several deep breaths instead and looked hesitantly at Logan. "I don't know... I guess we hung out? Maybe?"

Logan sighed, pushing up his glasses. "That is completely avoiding what happened. Would you like to talk through it?"

Yes! Yes, I...

But no. What happens if something goes wrong??

Argh, I'll just mess this up, won't I?

I rocked back and forth in the bed, conflicted. "I mean... sure..." I finally mumbled, my cheeks bright pink. "What's there to talk about?"

He tilted his head. "Lots of things."

Rolling my eyes, I smiled. "How specific," I teased. "Tell me more."

"Well, there's the why of it. As in, why did you kiss me?"

I looked up from where I sat. "...okay... do you not know?" I asked, squinting in disbelief. "Logan... you... you don't..." I began laughing, falling back with a soft plop on the covers again. "How do you not know?"

It's so easy for him to make me laugh, I thought with a smile, propping myself back up. 

"Well," he admitted, grinning softly. "Feelings aren't exactly my forte."

Smirking at him, I nodded. "I've gotten that much. But to be completely honest... I kissed you because I wanted to."

"What... do you mean?" he asked. "You 'wanted to'? What does that mean?"

Looking up at him, I smiled. His brown eyes, hidden by the square glasses, looked at me, lost. "Oh, Logan," I sighed, feeling my face warm up again. I glanced down at the bed, fidgeting nervously. "You're an idiot."

"I was not aware of that," he replied. "Also, completely inaccurate."

I laughed. "Sure, sure."

He shook his head, confused but still startlingly handsome, his face framed by short, wavy black hair that swirled in the wind coming in from the open window. 

It's now or never...

"I love you."

---

Well. 

At least it was quick. 

He'll reject you, you can cry and get on with your life. 

It's over. 

I breathed deep, trying to banish the thoughts from my head. "Logan?" I whispered, looking up at him. "Are you okay...?"

He was still looking at me, frozen in shock. "...Patton?" he finally replied, quiet and disbelieving. "You..."

"Yup," I laughed sadly. "Sorry. It's okay, though, you can go if you... if you want." I tried to stop the tears from coming, but couldn't hold back a small sob. 

Something warm and soft squeezed my hand, making me look down. Logan was holding my hand tightly, his pale fingers smooth and gentle from a lifetime of handling books. 

I blinked, startled. "...what?"

"You're not giving me a chance to respond?" he asked wryly. "You're not even aware of what my response will be."

Raising an eyebrow, I tried to loosen his grip, but his hand was firmly curled around mine. 

Logan smiled at me. "Did I run off after our kiss at the zoo?"

I was stunned into silence. "...no," I admitted. "But that doesn't mean--"

"Did I complain when you leaned against me at the beach?"

I yelped, nearly jumping. "I did what?!"

He laughed gently. "I wasn't even sure if you were aware of it. Well." Logan adjusted his glasses. "Does it not, then, seem as if the feelings were mutual?"

"No!" I yelped. "Normal people don't assume that!"

He tilted his head like a puppy. "Why not? Well. I'm not normal, in any case, and I don't believe you are either. You are wonderfully, perfectly unique." He raised my hand to his mouth and kissed it, soft and sweet. 

I blushed, flustered. "L-Logan! Quit it!"

He laughed. "You should not attempt to deny it."

I couldn't lie, that made me smile and giggle too, just a little bit. 

Leaning closer, I kissed him again (again! I can say that now!), laughing between the twined fingers and warm faces and the thump-thump-thump of beating hearts. Drawing back, I set my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes and pulling us both down, so we were laying on the soft linen sheets.

We lay there for a few minutes, my hands grabbing onto his, grinning as if a thousand butterflies had flown in from the window and landed around me. 

"Oh, Logan Storm, how I love you," I murmured, scooting closer as if I never wanted to curl away. 

Outside it was dark, a lush indigo night pouring into the room and enveloping me with the quiet beauty. The moon glowed, the shimmering stars twinkling like diamonds in the velvety expanse. 

Who knew a crush could grow into something this beautiful?