fic had perfect timing i was just crashing out this is the emotional support i needed :)) you are so appreciatedđ©·đ©·
YIKES, I'm so sorry! Crashing out and burnout is SO real right now, so I hope you're doing okay, bestie. <3
Recommended burnout cures include a nap, chocolate cake, and dog/cat cuddles (or pets in general, but I can't say I'd cuddle a lizard if I had one)!
(Also, thanks for the appreciation! I appreciate YOU, you're so sweet!)
YAY YAY YAY!!!!
New year, old stories to be completedâand three pictures that perfectly sum up this new chapter of Starboys đïžÂ
Characters belong to @lumosinlove
cw: I'm introducing Vaincre characters from here on, so please read only if you're comfortable with potential spoilers!
Happy New Year đ
The golden boy, the youngest glory
"Ready, Fish?"
With the back of his hand, Finn wiped the cold bead of water tickling the corner of his mouth. The half-empty bottle slipped from his grip and landed upright on the floor, narrowly missing the plastic box where Finn kept his beat-up tennis balls.Â
He blinked hard, trying to shake off the fatigue, and stretched out his back. He dabbed at his dripping forehead with the hem of his sweat-stained Puma tank top and rolled his tense neck with a satisfying pop.Â
It was a rare occasion when Finn and Alex were in the same place long enough to spend more than a few hours together, let alone an entire morning just for the two of them.Â
Back in New York, before Alex went off to college and Finn was selected to race in Formula 2 for the Scuderia Junior Academy, they had settled into a strict routine that Finn used to complain about all the time and now missed immensely. Weekdays began with a 5 a.m. alarm and a run under the early lights of an awakening cityâa specific path around the neighborhood that set the tone for their frenetic lives of school, friends, and responsibilities. A path that always included long talks about anything and everything, and quick stops for coffee on the way homeâhot when it was cold outside, to warm their frozen fingers; iced when summer mornings brought the sticky heat.Â
After two weeks of work at the factoryârushing between testing the latest upgrades, hard training, and repeating race simulations for the three upcoming Grand Prixâit had been a joy to come back to his brother in a place Finn had slowly come to call home.Â
That was until Alex had dragged him out of bed at six on a Saturday morning. They had run to the gym, following Finn's usual itinerary along the breezy promenade. Two hours of torturous exercise laterâdefinitely not payback for the early wake-up callâFinn had asked Alex to help him with his reaction drills.
"Your turn," Finn now said, stealing the two lime-colored balls from his brother's hands.Â
Alex was about to protest but Finn cut him off. He positioned himself in front of him, legs spread, a tennis ball in each fist, raised to shoulder height. His dark red eyebrows were arched teasingly. "Come on, you always liked it."Â
"Fine," Alex grumbled, mirroring Finn's position and slightly bending his knees. His smile hid a hint of nostalgia. "But after this, you owe me breakfast."
"Bagels?" Finn offered.
"Duh," Alex scoffed and made a whole scene of getting into position for the drill, hands outstretched and ready, hovering over Finn's. "Okay, let's do this. How bad couldâ"
Finn dropped the first ball from his right hand. It fell fast past Alex's grasping hands and hit the floor with a loud bounce.Â
"Heyâ"
Finn let go of the other. Alex reached out tentatively, but Finn caught it easily with a deft move, quicker than a blink.Â
"All right, Flash," Alex exhaled, rolling his annoyed eyes. "You've made your point. Can we go now?"Â
"Nope," Finn laughed. "One more."Â
He knew he was foolishly lingering, as impatient and excited as he was probably more than a little worried. But he could wait a little longer, just in caseâat least until Alex finally caught the small ball and aimed it threateningly at Finnâs head.Â
In moments like this, though, Finn was sure there was nothing to worry about.
They headed back to Finn's apartment, pretending to get in one last jog, but quietly settling for a brisk walk, discussing serious business under the faint October sun.Â
What do you mean, Al? Of course the Rangers have the best goalie tandem in the league.Â
It was half past ten by the time Alex sat on a stool at the kitchen counter, his hair a damp mess from the shower, and eyed Finn skeptically. "Are you making breakfast?"
Finn didn't look up from where he was carefully halving a sesame bagel. "If I told you where these came from, you wouldn't believe me."Â
"Hmm, let me guess," Alex laughed. "Was it Mom's or Dad's idea?"
"Both?" Finn guessed. He went to the fridge for smoked salmon and cream cheese. "I said once that I was craving those bagels from that place down the streetâŠ"Â
"Oh, no..."
"Uh-huh," Finn chuckled, turning back to the kitchen island. "I mean, it's not like I can cook anything else, butâit was a whole momâs Iâm-just-sending-you-a-few-things sized box, and now the refrigerator is completely stuffed."
Alex hummed quietly in responseâtoo quietly. He leaned over the counter, letting his head collapse into his hand. He picked up a fork and stole an uneven slice of tomato from the cutting board, giving Finn a funny look all the while.
"What is it?" Finn asked cautiously.Â
Alex shrugged and took a bite of the tomato. "Just waiting," he mumbled between chews.Â
"For?"Â
"Breakfast," Alex shot back when he caught Finn's suspicious look. "Oh, and for you to tell me why you're so jumpy today," he said around another bite.Â
Finn couldn't hide how desperately he'd hoped Alex would understand.Â
"Or, let's say..." At that, Finn was already laughing. "Whose second toothbrush might be in your bathroom, for example."
Busted. Finn smiled brightly. "She told you, didn't she?"Â
"Not exactly." Alex's voice wavered between guarded and uncontainable. "She texted me, 'You owe me fifty bucks,' and when I asked her why, she said I should ask you."Â
"You're both crazy," Finn snorted, then zeroed in on what Alex had just said. "Wait, you two bet on us? On your own siblings?"
"Noâno. I mean," Alex rubbed a hand over the rising blush on his face. "It started as a joke and... you know Noelle. She was dying for me to know, but..." Finn saw Alex, always the journalist, choosing his words carefully. "Is it true though? Has it finally happened?"Â
"Finallyâ"Â
"Come on, Fish," Alex grunted.
Finn set the knife aside and sank onto a stool. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a carefree laugh, somehow in disbelief.Â
"It's true," he said quietly, watching with a lump in his throat as a sparkle of excitement lit up Alex's eyes. "We finally admitted that weâuhâŠ"
"Are insanely in love with each other? This is shocking news to meâFinn!â Alex cackled as Finn threw a handful of capers at him. He stood up and stretched out his arms. "Come here, you idiot."
Finn stumbled towards him. How was he supposed to tell him how grateful he was? Alexâs hug was comfort, security in uncertainty. To Finn, having his brother by his side, supporting him every step of the wayâit meant everything, far more than he could ever begin to say.Â
There were sudden, burning tears in his eyesâhappy tears. And when Alex pulled back to ruffle his hair, Finn let them fall.
"Al..." his voice dropped to a whisper. "You think..." this is okay? Tell me it's okay. Am I allowed?
"You're okay, bud," Alex looked at him so proudly that Finn suddenly felt ten times lighter. "I'm so happy for you, you have no idea," Alex laughed giddily, voice cracking with emotion. "And I'm here for you, you know? We are, for both of you." He grabbed Finn's shoulders and squeezed them tightly.Â
"I'm..." Finn paused hesitantly. His thoughts raced back to Alex and Kaseyâthe injury, their sudden reunion after a long, odd silence. He had wanted to ask for a while, but hadn't known how. "I'm here for you, too. Okay?" He wiped at his own wet cheeks. "Anytime."Â
The frowny smile he got back, the quick nod... Maybe Alex wasn't quite ready.Â
"Thanks," was all he managed to say. So Finn padded silently back to his cooking station with what he hoped was a reassuring smile.Â
"Capers?" Finn asked then, busying himself again. He had his eyes on the food, but couldn't have missed the relieved look on his brother's face when he shot back a cheerful, "You know it.
The rest of the morning flew by. Around lunchtime, they found themselves sprawled out on the couch, scrolling through social media and the latest motorsports news. A classic. It was an old habit of Alexâsâdiving into the gossipy side of sports journalism was actually part of his job. Years ago, they would spend hours like this in one of their bedrooms. Slow weekends, hot chocolate, just sniffing around this much-dreamed-of world that had felt far away at the timeâfantasies of one day, maybe.Â
Now their names made front pages, and Finn's face graced magazine covers more often than notâcars, watches, fashion advertisements. Alex's signature was quiet beneath his pieces, yet striking, powerful, respected. Sometimes Finn wished he could stay as silent and just be. No more trending hashtags, no more crazy made-up theories about his love life every time he was spotted walking less than two feet from a woman. No more crowds waiting for him outside restaurantsâplaces he knew would be perfect nooks for unforgettable date nights.Â
That one small, family-run restaurant in Cap D'Ail, a spot of white, light browns and strings of warm, soft lights floating in the air, gently swaying with the sea breeze that swirled around the terrace. Built on a cliff, intimate, framed by crystal clear water and the infinite hues of the night. The perfect setting for Logan's green eyes to shine and...
"Does Leo know?" Alex piped up.Â
Leo. Leo's stunning blue eyes.
Finn's head snapped to Alex. "What?"
"About you and Tremz," he said, slowly pushing himself up against the cushion. He flipped the phone in his hands a few times before adding, "You're always together these days...the three of you," and glancing past Finn, through the picture window.Â
The question fell out of the blue, so close to Finn's wandering thoughts that it startled him.
"He doesn't," Finn shook his headâan imperceptible nod, more to himself than anything. Something heavy sank deep into his core. Was it guilt?Â
"Weâme and Lo, we... haven't talked about it yet. We were just thinking about telling you," he admitted. "You, Noelle, Aubrey, Syd. Our parents..."Â
Alex looked at him with curious eyes, a warm mirror reflection.Â
"But?" He prompted. Maybe he'd heard the unspoken words Finn was struggling to put together. And when he didn't answer, Alex pushed their elbows together.Â
"You can tell me, Fish," he blinked, offering him the safest of smiles.Â
Finn's phone buzzed where it lay unlocked on his thigh, giving him an unfairly convenient excuse to catch his breath before what felt like an imminent free fall.Â
He got a picture from Logan, a blurry shot of a bookshop window, the one Logan always took him to whenever they set foot in London together. But when a second picture popped up in the chat, Finn's heart did a complicated thing. At the sight of Logan's carefree smile, it fluttered in his chest. At Leo's matching grin, it began to race wildly. Where their cheeks were pressed together under layers of hats, hoods and dark sunglasses, Finn's heart settled peacefully. And then a bitter note of jealousy struck when he realizedâdid you two just go to Hatchards without me?? he typed frantically.Â
Logan's reply was immediate:Â
Got lots of books and stuff for you
Wait Leo says not to tell you
It's a surprise
<3
"Oh my God, look at you," Alex laughed loudly next to himâat him. "You're hopeless."Â
"Shut up," Finn muttered under his breath, suddenly embarrassed. His nervous fingers went to scratching the heavy stubble on his white-hot cheeks.Â
He looked at Alex again, willing himself to say something, anything. But his brother beat him to the word, once again. Â
"My next trip is in a month," Alex said. He was worrying the inside of his lips, his eyes unfocused. He was nervous too, Finn realized. "I'll stay here in Monaco for a while. At least while you guys are overseas..."Â
Finn stayed still and just listened.Â
"I can't let Nat go back and forth for three weeks in a row, and Kasey has rehab and doctor's appointments every other day, so... yeah," he looked back at Finn and gave a sharp nod. "It's been three weeks, but... they've been really, really good." Alex smiled, genuinely and sincerely. "And I tried to get out of the way, you know? I didn't want to... overstay my welcome or, like, intrude or anything..."Â
Again, the one thought that kept running through Finn's mind came up. "Have you ever... felt like that?"Â
"Never," Alex shook his head. "Not even once, and... I understand if you're worried that Leo might say somethingâ"
It was Finn's time to nod in disagreement. "I trust him," he said. "I know we both do."Â
How could they not?Â
"Then let him in. Let him choose. Maybe he doesn't want to lose you as much as you don't want to lose him."Â
â
Finn's flight was scheduled for the next day at five and, quite surprisingly, his suitcases were already packed and waiting by the front door. He wasn't really looking forward to the long trip, especially now that Kasey, Logan and Leo couldn't be with him. At Silver's request, Logan had to stay in Silverstone and travel with his team, while Finn's new teammate, Kasey's temporary replacement, had flown to Austin early to meet his family. Â
After Alex had left, Finn had taken some time to let the day sink in. He'd FaceTimed his parents while he cleaned up the mess he and Alex had left in the kitchen, and then got ready for an early night. But as the sky grew darker and only a faint golden light filled the living room, Finn found himself still on hold, unconsciously waiting for that one call that had kept distance less far, less lonely, for so long. Nights of rambling and rants about busy days, sharing thoughts, opinions and advice about everything that was going on in two so similar, so far apart lives.Â
Logan's voice, his carefree laughs at Finn's silly jokes, even in those weeks that always felt like a race against timeâthose moments had always been a calming anchor. And somehow they had gotten even better lately, when blue eyes and dimpled smiles showed up more often than not on the same blurry screen, between cooking dinner for two, sharing books reviews, and seriously, Harzy, where do you even find the patience with this one? He's so annoying, just to hear Logan's offended gasps next to him. Â
Finn waited, socked feet on the coffee table and book in hand, under the warm, yellowish light of the reading lamp by the couch. He sank into chapter after chapter of a fantastical wordâa novel Leo had lent himâuntil the insistent growling of his stomach became too distracting to ignore, calling for a quick take-out.
He scrolled through EatIn for a good five minutes. The notification of a message flashed across the top of the dim phone screenâa text from Kuny in the drivers' group chat, on top of five new emails and a pending software update. No call, no reply to his last text to Logan, left on read a few hours earlier.Â
Finally, Finn placed his usual sushi order and went back to reading, tossing the phone and his troublesome thoughts aside, just as the doorbell rangâonce, twice, three times.Â
"Coming," he called, wondering who the front desk had let through when he wasn't expecting visitors. But any concern was quickly silenced as he swung the door open.Â
"Sushi delivery," said a beaming Leo, whose blond curls poked out of a black Silver Racing cap. He held up a handful of bags from Finn's favorite downtown Japanese restaurant.Â
"That was quick," Finn blurted out without thinking, gaping at the bags.Â
And then a soft snort brought his eyes up to two hilariously perplexed faces. "What?"Â
What? "Oh," Finn realized he was still staring, dumbfounded. "HiâI mean, hi," he laughed at his high-pitched, surprised squeak, and almost leapt at Leo, looping his arms around his neck in a tight hug.Â
"Our dinnerâ" Leo tried to warn him between sweet chuckles, holding the bags out to Logan, who, Finn noticed, was delightfully looking at them with his head tilted to the side.Â
"How... what are you doing here?" Finn asked, pulling away from Leo's warm embrace.Â
"We brought you dinner, obviously," Leo said with a scoff, as if Finn had just asked something stupid.Â
"And presents," Logan lifted an off-white tote bag that seemed quite heavy even in his strong hands. The green embroidered logo on the front read Hatchards Books.Â
"As if you hadn't told him already," Leo drawled as he shot Logan a knowing look.Â
A devilish, very bite-able grin painted Logan's full lips, a little chapped from the English bitter cold, begging to be kissed better.Â
"You're so predictable, Lo," Finn snorted, reluctantly looking away and finally letting them in.
Logan blatantly ignored them, swatting Finn's ass with his bags on the way in. He waited for him as he locked the door and handed Finn the food with a sharp look and a soft whisper.Â
"Dinner upstairs?"Â
Ten short steps led from the living room balcony to what had once been a bare, spacious roof deck. The moment Finn had signed the papers to buy the attic, his father's keen eye and expert touch had redesigned it into a private sky lounge, a little gem overlooking the beating heart of Monte-Carlo and the features of a boundless coastline.Â
Finn turned on the patio heater. Its warmth added to the cozy atmosphere, blending with the light beige color of the lounge chairs and sectional sofa, and the wood accents of a large coffee table where Logan had chaotically placed three sets of chopsticks, along with a bottle of white wine, glasses, and various boxes of delicious-looking treatsâall Finn's favorites, it seemed.Â
The outdoor lights were dim, allowing a few faint stars to twinkle high above their heads despite the city's harsh reflections. Finn caught Leo standing next to the glass railing with his nose tilted skyward and a star-struck smile lighting up his peaceful face.Â
"I'd run for the dumplings," Finn said as he joined him, "if you want a chance with that one around."Â
They both turned in time to catch Logan red-handed with half a gyoza dangling from his mouth.Â
"Quoi?" he munch-mumbled. "I'm hungry!"Â
Their laughter blossomed in unison, louder to Finn's ears than the rumble of the plane passing low overhead, and the hum of traffic below.
Logan's green eyes, dark in the faint light of the night, narrowed on them.Â
"So very predictable, indeed," Leo said as Finn gently led him to the table. His hand wavered on the small of Leo's back, tentativeâuntil Logan flashed him a mindful look that sent goosebumps up Finn's arms.Â
"Whose team are you on, Knut?" Logan teased, making room for Leo on the sofa as Finn took one of the loungers.Â
"I'm afraid I'm legally obligated to say yours." Leo stretched one arm out over the back cushion, putting on a thoughtful expression. "Something about a non-compete clause in my contract, I'm not sure. Besides," he turned to Finn, nose wrinkled around a fine sheen, "my mama would probably disown me if I said otherwise..."
"Ha!" Logan pointed a mocking finger at Finn. Â
"...but my dad, on the other hand..."
"Excuse you, I'm right hereâ"Â
"Oh, no, no, no," Leo tutted. "We're not going there, nuh-uh. I hear enough bickering from those two. Feel free to discuss the matter with my parents next weekend."
"Are they coming to the race?" Finn asked.
"Yeah," Leo's smile grew so wide it must have hurt. "Haven't seen them in a while... and the U.S. Grand Prix is sort of a family tradition. Only this time..."
"You won't be on the stands," Logan said softly.
"Pretty special, huh?" Finn felt the hook of Logan's telltale gaze as their eyes metâheâs sweet.Â
"Three days Paddock pass-special," Leo nodded, and Logan whistled low under his breath, drawing a contagious laugh from both of them.Â
"I really don't know how they're gonna react when they meet you." Leo's ocean blue eyes were lost in the night sky, then suddenly hesitant as he spoke again, "Only if you... um, want to... of course."Â
Finn peeked back at Logan, who nodded briefly. There was still so much they could do for him. But for now, Finn was having fun. He crossed his arms and tipped his chin up in a very well practiced offended frown.
"I don't see why," he said in a low voice. "It's not like I'm everyone's favorite around here."Â
"Are you kiddingâ" Leo started just as Logan whispered, "He likes all the attention," loud enough for Finn to hear.Â
Leo kicked him in the shin with one of his long legs and snorted a laugh, "Wait till you meet Wyatt Knut. Oh, I know he's gonna lose it."Â
With burning cheeks, Finn crossed his legs on the soft cushion and grabbed a pillow for his lap. "Well," he picked up a box from the table and his chopsticks. "Let's hope the rookie doesn't steal my scene then."Â
"Oh, right," Logan said, casually stealing a salmon nigiri from Leo's plate. "Who's filling in for Kase?"Â
"Oh?" Finn frowned in confusion. "I thought the news was out. The team decided to give our junior driver a chance."
It was almost imperceptible, but Finn was sure Leo lost a little color in his face around a hard swallow. He reached for his glass and took a small sip of the bubbling wine Logan had poured for them.
"Really?" Logan sounded surprised. "Isn't Archer running in F2?"Â
"He's twenty-something points off the lead," Finn pointed out. "And his next race is Abu Dhabi. He might as well take a shot at this instead."Â
"Sorry, guys," Leo got up from the couch. "I need to use the bathroom. Be right back," he murmured before hurrying to the stairs.Â
Finn shifted just in time to see Leo disappear into the house. "Is he okay?"Â
"You're such a worrier, mon cĆur."
Finn's eyes followed the sound of Logan's soothing voice. "I know..."Â
"I missed you," Logan whispered, and warmth spread through Finn's veins, chasing away the brisk cold on his skin.Â
"I missed you too, baby. This is the best surprise ever."Â
"Couldn't wait until Monday," Logan's jaw twitched around a gentle smile. "And... we both kind of needed a breath of fresh air."Â
"Huh? What's going on?"Â
Logan shook his head, lips pressed into a hard line. "Silver's dropping the bomb about the Blacks and the partnership deal. Tomorrow. Press is going to be all over it..."Â
Finn leaned forward, elbows on his knees. One hand moved up to pinch his lips, to rub his jaw. He sucked in a lungful of air. "'What'd Sirius say?"
"He thinks we can divert any unwanted attention with the reveal of the special livery."
"And what about you two?"Â
"Leo should be fine, I think... And I promised not to curse at reporters this time." Logan's faint smile turned mischievous. "And to make it to Sunday without getting fined by the FIA."Â
Finn dug his thumb and forefinger into his eyes. "It's going to be one of those weekends, huh?"Â
"Ugh," Logan groaned just as desperately. "I really don't want to think about it." He took his glass from the table and tipped it to Finn, eyes growing soft, finally seeming to relax, but still tinged with concern. "At least I got you, non?"
Finn followed suit, raising his own glass in a silent toast. "Always, baby."Â
â
The Circuit of the Americas lived up to every driver's expectations. Finn was no stranger to the demanding, yet satisfying feeling of piecing together the perfect lap between steep uphills, tight hairpins and sequences of fast, flowing corners. Nor was he unfamiliar with the energy, the wild atmosphere that usually painted the entire weekend in shades of red, blue and white stars. From the grandstands and garages to the decorated run-offs of the track, everything mirrored the Lone Star flag waving proudly near the crest of the Turn 1 hill. Â
That's how Finn found himself walking around the paddock on Thursday morning in a bright red t-shirt and blue jeans, struggling to adjust the cowboy hat perched on top of his misbehaving hair. It was a bit of a clichĂ©, a tradition of the United States Grand Prix that everyone had embraced over the yearsâincluding a rather amused Remus Lupin, who was busy chatting with Lily Evans by the team hospitality entrance.Â
"Look who finally made it to work," Remus sneered when he saw Finn coming.
"Blah blah blah. I missed you too, Loops," Finn said, sidestepping to hug Lily instead. "What's up, Lils?"Â
"Looking good, O'Hara," she said, tipping the wide brim of her velvet camel hat. It matched Remus', sitting perfectly on his sandy blond hair.
"What are you two up to?"Â
"Gossiping, mostly," Lily said, beaming with faux innocence. "Oh, and technically looking for my husband. I kind of lost him between breakfast and the five minutes I was in the shower."Â
"Sirius left early too," Remus began, stumbling over his words as a faint blush crept to the tips of his ears. "I thinkâhe⊠uh. He texted me pretty early, yeah."Â
"Right," Finn said. He watched unconvinced as Lily failed, rather spectacularly, to hide a wicked grin. "Any sign of Logan? Leo?"
Logan had snuck out of Finn's room at dawn with a thousand kisses and the promise of more cuddles later that night, but no further explanation.Â
"Haven't seen them around." Remus shrugged, "But the event starts in..." He checked his watch. "About fifteen minutes. Maybe they're already at the Paddock Club orâ"
"Holyâshit," Lily's voice dropped to a breathless whisper, her green eyes wide.
Finn and Remus turned in sync to⊠quite the view.
"Did you... did you know about this?" Finn thought he heard Remus ask. To whom, he couldn't say.
Now Finn would have answered, if words hadn't deserted him. If the deeply unbuttoned shirt that fit Logan's shoulders under a fringed green vest hadn't been too distracting. Or the denim jacket and light blue bandana tied softly around Leo's neck, perfectly framing his sharp linesâa sliver of sunshine in a bright, cloudless sky. Leather boots, belts, and wide-brimmed brown hats completed the look of the four Silver boys as they casually strutted toward them.Â
A wave of searing heat spread from Finn's chest to his hips, slowly burning him from the inside out.Â
"Howdy," James greeted in firstâwashed denim jeans and a bad impression of a Southern accent. He swooped in to pull an awe-struck Lily into a hard kiss.Â
Behind him, Sirius, Logan, and Leo were quiet, looking somewhat embarrassed, confident, and resigned at the same time.Â
"Well, hello, cowboys," Lily laughed, her eyes flitting curiously between them. "Anyone care to explain?"Â
Finn had to glance at Remus then, who was also uncharacteristically silent. Their eyes met briefly and they both pretended they didn't look like someone had just slapped them hard in the face.Â
Sirius was the first to speak. Finn dared a closer look at Logan and then at Leo, eyebrows arching in interest at their twin smirks.Â
"A special livery requires special attire, doesn't it?" Sirius began tentatively, as if trying to convince himself. He pointed his thumbs at his loose black shirt.Â
"And, oh-so-casually," James spun around to show off his outfit, "we have a Hugo Boss collab to rock."
"And press to distract, apparently..." Leo added, crossing his arms and ankles in one elegant motion.
Very, very distracting indeed, thank you.
Logan pasted on his fakest smile. "Oh, and I'm retiring by the end of the seasonâow!â he grunted a laugh as Leo flicked the back of his head. "Knutty."
It struck him then, unbidden and consuming. A lightning bolt from the bluest of skies. An electric spike swept over Finn's entire body, this time tightening his chest. It was undeniable how Logan and Leo glowed next to each other. Whether it was on track, with Leo's firm voice listing strict instructions in Logan's ears. At night, sitting at a kitchen table, miles away from Finn, telling him bits and pieces of their days. And here, in the middle of a semi-desert paddock, dressed in glamour for no sensible reason at allâthose two shone like the brightest stars in the firmament before Finn's eyes.Â
Suddenly, Finn longed to feel how Leo so beautifully coaxed that rare bliss out of Logan, carefree laughs and heart-melting smiles that Finn knew were private, exclusive. Breaths he'd kissed from his mouth, yearned for and cherished. And intriguing tastes that Finn now secretly craved.Â
The most perfectly complicated knot of feelings.
"Fish?" Logan's touch was warm on his forearm.Â
"Yeah?"Â
"See you later?"Â
Finn could only nod, blinded by forest green and cornflower blue and the pungent scent of two perfectly layered colognes.Â
They all left, Lily in tow, snuggled between James' and Sirius' arms, abandoning Finn and Remus in a deafening silence that grew louder with every stray, passing voice.
"We should..." Remus cleared his throat.Â
"Yep, yeah."Â
"Okay. Harz," he muttered, his words muffled as he dragged a hand across his face. "You're off to... Sky Sports and Viaplay. Flash interviews. Then we're doing the track walk together."Â
"Always so romantic, Loops," Finn casually threw an arm around Remus' shoulders. "Hey, you know who's up for the drivers' press conference?"Â
"They want the new guy. You're boring old stuff, my friend."
"Damn," Finn sighed. "Not complaining, but... ouch."Â
"It's the circle of life." Remus elbowed him playfully before looking up with a small, knowing smileâsubtle. "We're screwed, huh?"
"Oh man," Finn huffed out a loud laugh. "Aren't we?"Â
â
"Espresso."Â
Natalie's voice broke the early morning quiet of the team's hospitality lounge.Â
"Macchiato," she groaned, flopping into an armchair in the coffee area where Finn was busy topping his cappuccino with cinnamon. "And make it double, please, and thank you."Â
Finn's free hand snapped to his forehead in an over-the-top salute. "Yes, ma'am."Â
"Fucking jet lag."
Finn grabbed a cup and started the coffee machine. "Up all night again?"
"I think I slept... like eight hours in three days."
"Yikes," Finn winced. He let a cloud of foamed milk swirl into the dark, fragrant brew, then sprinkled some cocoa powder on top. "This calls for extra sugar."Â
"Definitely," she mumbled.
Finn set the steaming cup on a saucer. He placed it on a small tray along with a teaspoon, a tiny basket of sugar packets, and a couple of warm, buttery mini croissants.Â
"There you go." He laid the tray on the glass table in front of her and sank into the nearest armchair.Â
"Wow, Freckle," Natalie marveled dozily, her words fading into a drawn-out yawn. "Five-star treatment."
"Seems much needed," Finn scrunched his nose as he reached for his own coffee.Â
"You and me both." She pointed between their faces, clearly noting the purple circles under his eyes. "What's keeping you up?"Â
"No clue," Finn lied, and Natalie shot him a look.Â
"You really think," she paused to take a small sip of coffee, unfazed. "You can hide something from me, of all people?"Â
Finn couldn't help the small, wry smile that twitched his lips. "You'd be surprised," he murmured around the rim of his cup.
"What was that?"Â
"Nothing," he blurted, unable to escape her inquisitive gaze. "I guess I'm just worried, that's all."
"Hm. And does that have anything to do with a certain hot-tempered brunet? Say, someone throwing threatening death glares at anyone with a microphone within a mile radius?" Â
"That's overprotective Logan Tremblay to you."
Finn omitted the details, of course. The past couple of nights spent with Logan curled up in his armsâa bundle of nerves. Jaw clenched, teeth gritted, falling asleep as morning light spilled through the window, voiceless and exhausted, with Finn's fingers still tangled in his hair, a familiar touch to hold on to.Â
"Is this about theâ" Natalie air quoted, "âBlack Gate? The cowboy thing didn't work out?"Â
Finn nodded briefly, utterly drained.Â
"Damage control for Sirius' sake." He shook his clouded head. "But of course everyone is hungry for more. It's a pretty big deal, the Blacks leaving Silver. Who would believe the sudden 'mutual decision' to end a ten-year partnership?"Â
"As if it was anyone else's business."Â
"And all forgotten by Monday, as usual. But in the meantime we're stuck with a couple of mad drivers in full guard mode."Â
Finn's fingers tapped nervously on the cooling ceramic of the cup, restless. "And then... there's Leo."
Out of his sunny, always catching energy.Â
"Leo?"Â
"He seems a little... stressed. I don't know."
Tired, maybe. Shadowed by a veil of worry that Finn couldn't chalk up to pressing media attention alone.Â
"I just wish there was something I could do to help."
Natalie studied him for a long moment, her brown eyes sweeping across his face. Finn saw the ghost of a wistful smile when she clicked her tongue. "There's something special about you O'Haras, huh?"Â
It startled a small laugh out of Finn, warm and incredulous. "I'm not sure where that comes from, but I'll take it as a compliment."Â
The front door cracked open. It caught their attention, revealing a bright, fresh face in the doorway.Â
"Buongiorno!" Jack Archer chanted in thickly accented Italian. He walked in, proudly wearing his brand new team uniform, complete with a red baseball cap flipped backward over his dark hair.
"Look at you go," Finn held out his arm for a quick fist bump. "Already embracing the team culture."
Natalie simply waved a hand. "Morning, baby rookie."
Archer smiled back at her as he leaned against the counter. "How's Kasey?"
"Oh, he's annoying me, so... way much better."Â
"Bet he wanted to come," he quipped.Â
"Ha. He tried to talk me into coming once or twice, but..." She took a steadying breath, then looked at Finn with such gentle, guarded fierceness that left him speechless. "I know for sure I left him in very, very good hands."
Jack nodded sympathetically, looking between them. "Glad to hear that."
"How about you?" Finn jumped in. "Ready for today?"Â
It was Archer's first ever Formula One qualifying. Finn remembered how emotional that feltâthe fervent, uncontainable energy, the anticipation, and the urgency to prove yourself worthy of the privilege of sitting in such a prestigious spot. He could see the same thrill glinting in Jack's blue eyes.
"So ready," he laughed, bouncing a little on his feet. "But hey, I wouldn't mind some good advice."
"Anytime. Actually, we can..." Finn began, pulling the phone out of his pocket. "Okay, I have to be somewhere in... shit, well, ten minutes ago, but," he stood up and patted Archer on the shoulder, already poised to sprint out. "Catch you before FP3?"
"Yeah, totally," Jack's eyes lit up. "Thanks, man."
"O'Hara," Natalie called. Finn had barely taken a step toward the door. "Are you sure you're not forgetting anything?"
"Jesus," Finn did a double take and grabbed the envelope she held out between her manicured fingers. "What would I do without you?"
Natalie rolled her eyes, the outline of a wry smile curling her full lips. "Get out of here."
The paddock was alive, too loud and too hot for mid-fall Saturday morning. Finn had to stop a few times for autographs, pictures and good luck wishes before he finally made it to the Silver Hospitality forecourt.Â
Leo spotted him in the distance and waved cheerfully. He looked better than he had all week, his eyes less somber, though still too weary for Finn's liking. But it was a welcome sight that somehow helped Finn calm his nerves.Â
Leo was holding a blonde woman close to him, chatting excitedly with a slightly embarrassed Logan. A tall, also blond man stood at their side. The fine features the three of them shared were unmistakable.Â
As it turned out, Eloise and Wyatt Knut were exactly as Leo had described them, a force of nature brimming with energy, high spirits and unbelievable kindnessâtraits Finn had long recognized in their son.Â
Leo had his mother's eyes and her same sharp wit. Finn had soon found himself wrapped in a motherly hug, warm and loving, as Eloise thanked him over and over for no particular reason. Though she didn't miss the chance to slip in a cheeky remark about him racing for the wrong teamâyou should really consider moving to Silver, honey. The three of you would make the best team out thereâcoloring Leo's light skin several shades of red.Â
Wyatt Knut was just as energetic, though a little more reserved. Finn could tell by the way he'd squeezed his hand in his own that he was holding back his excitement, while his well-worn Scuderia cap spoke volumes.Â
Finn and Logan had planned to surprise them upon their arrival on Friday, but by the time they had finished debriefing after the free practice, Leo had essentially kidnapped his parents and disappeared. He was glad, though, if Leo's better mood had anything to do with it.Â
Now, between conversations, Finn noticed Logan eyeing the envelope in his hands and nodding his head in encouragement.Â
"Boys," Eloise said with an angelic smile, "we shouldn't keep you any longer, I'm sure you're quite busy."Â
"Actually, Mrs. Knutâ"
"Finn, please. It's Eloise for you."Â
"Right," Finn chuckled, rubbing a hand over his neck as he sought Logan's eyes for support. "Well, these are for you," he opened the envelope Natalie had secured for him and pulled out two golden VIP passes.Â
"Guys..." Leo breathed, his startled gaze bouncing between them.Â
"Consider yourselves our guests of honor," Logan said. "For a full race weekend experience. You can do the grid walk on Sunday if you'd like. And watch all the sessions from our garages."
"Both," Finn added playfully, turning to Wyatt. "Whichever you prefer."Â
Wyatt clasped Finn's shoulder, then Loganâsâa silent, heartfelt smile tugging at his thin lips. Eloise's grateful embrace carried the same fondness Finn saw in Leo's glazed stare. He shot him a wink just as Logan bumped into his side.Â
"You shouldn't have to..." Leo whispered softly.
Finn felt the sudden urge to tell him that he'd do anything to see him this happy, always. He knew from the look on Logan's face, scenically playing the annoyed roll of eyes, that he was tightly holding onto similar thoughts.Â
But this was neither the time nor the place. Finn had already spotted a few TV crews creeping around and the last free practice session was about to start.Â
Besides, he had no idea what the hell was going on with him. What was he meant to make of any of these thrumming needs?
He accepted the tenth round of thanks, an invitation to dinner at the best steakhouse in town according to Leo, another warm hug from Eloise, and a fierce good luck, son from an ecstatic Wyatt Knutâthe silky lanyard of his pass already hanging around his neck.
Before he left, Logan put on one of those wicked smiles that Finn wished he could always bite off his lips.Â
"See you on track, O'Hara," he jabbed, making everyone laugh.Â
"Yeah," Finn smiled. It was a relief to see that some of the worry had slipped from Logan's scratchy, sleep-deprived voice.Â
Finn loved him. God, he loved Logan immensely. But right then he knew he had to focus on himself and his performance, to keep an overload of problems at bay.Â
After all, he'd made himself a promise. He had a championship to win, against none other than the man of his dreamsâand his race engineer at his side. Two people who somehow managed to make Finn feel so overwhelmingly good.Â
And helplessly confused. Â
"Good luck, Tremblay."Â
The car felt incredible, sharp and consistently balanced even on the hot track. The first two qualifying rounds had flowed as smoothly as water and Finn was confident he could secure a solid pole position, setting himself up for a much needed win tomorrow.Â
Now the lights in Finn's box were vivid, as urgent as his need to get back on track and run the car in those milder sunset shades for the last stint of the day. He sat in the cockpit and waited while the mechanics made their final adjustments.Â
As he peeled the smudged tear-off from his visor, Remus' voice crackled through the radio.Â
"Harz, we're putting on a new set of soft."Â
Finn pressed the yellow radio button on the steering wheel. "Sounds good."Â
"AndâI need you to improve the middle sector."Â
"What's the last lap time?"Â
"1:37.017," Remus spelled out. "Logan's is tied with James' at .214."Â
Good, but not enough, Finn thought. Logan had this innate, annoyingly brilliant ability to set the perfect lap with the clock about to run out. One last flying lap to get those couple of tenths out of nowhere, just when everyone else thought he didn't have the right pace.Â
"Archerâs going out first," Remus added. "He's instructed to give you slipstream if you think you'll need it."Â
Finn and Kasey had used the tactic countless times, helping each other secure at least one spot on the front rows of the grid. Jack wasn't new to these tricks, of course, and after a long talk that morning, Finn trusted him to deliver as well.Â
Archer hadn't needed advice, exactlyâmore like reassurance and a nudge to tackle the new challenge with confidence.Â
As presumptuous as it might have seemed, though, Finn didn't want Jack's help. He knew he held all the cards to perform at his peak. And maybeâjust like the young rookie he'd been a long time agoâFinn desperately needed to prove something to himself once more. Â
"Thanks, guys," he simply replied. Â
"Let's bring it home, man."Â
Amazing speed through the twentieth and final corner for Thomas Walker, but no further improvement. Nadeau, however, crosses the finish line with a fastest third sector and goes sixth to beat his teammate.Â
Logan Tremblay takes provisional pole as O'Hara starts his flying lap with the session nearing its end. Here comes Potter across the line to move up to secondâand we have a Silver front row for now. Halla does improve, but remains fourth behind Archerâan amazing Saturday for the rookie, who'll have the chance to start his first Formula One race from second row tomorrow.Â
Fastest sector one for Finn O'Hara as he makes his way through some traffic out there. Once again Tremblay vs. O'Hara for pole is our battle.Â
Absolutely phenomenal in this car, finding more time down the high speed straightâand it's another purple sector for the American driver.Â
More traffic coming in between turns 13 to 15 as most cars in-lap on their way to pit lane, butâwhooa, my goodness. That's a close call for O'Hara with his teammate going into Turn 16!Â
It was an instinctive reflex.Â
Finn hadn't fully registered what had just happened in front of him. He braked, hard enough to tip his car to the left, over the curb and into the run-off, narrowly avoiding contact. His flying lap was completely ruined.
"Remus," he gasped over the radio.
He'd sounded too calm to his own ears, even as blood began to boil in his veins, mixing with a wild rush of adrenaline. Someone had just cost him the pole. Someone had deliberately moved into the middle of his lap and almost caused a massive crash. Not just someone, Finn realized with a flash of clarity, but his own teammate.
Remus' voice was apprehensive. "Yeah, we saw that, Harz..."
"That was fuckingâ"
"I know, I know," Remus promptly cut him off. He knew better than to let Finn cause a scene that anyone could hear. "Just come back to the box, please. We'll discuss this later."
Not a single word came out of Finnâs mouth as he drove to the Parc FermĂ©. He jumped out of the car, steering wheel in hand, and quietly followed the other drivers to the pit lane. A cameraman tracked him all the way to his box, probably expecting him to react, or maybe snap like some drivers used toâlike Logan sometimes did. Finn just kept his helmet on and the dark visor down.Â
He had expected to find Remus there, ready to apologize for a mistake that wasnât even his fault. Finn knew he would try to explain with his steady, calming manner that there was nothing they could do. Whatever happened between teammates never got penalized by the stewards. It stayed between team walls.Â
Instead, standing outside his garage, shoulders hunched and a restless hand tormenting his soft-looking curls, was Leo.Â
"Harzy," he almost jumped on his feet when he saw Finn. "Are you okay?"Â
"Le?" Despite everything, Finn found himself smiling. He raised the visor to meet Leo's anxious eyes. "What are you doing here?"Â
"I..." Leo let out a long sigh of relief. "I'm so sorry, Finn. Are you hurt?"Â
"What? No," Finn undid the helmet and slid it off his head, along with the balaclava. "Leo, I'm fine. It was just impeding."Â
"I know, I..." he began, and glanced towards the mixed area where Archer was being interviewed.Â
So he'd made it to the top threeâŠ
When Leo turned his back to Jack, he looked even more freaked out than before. "You... It looked badâon screen. The bounce on the curb..."
"I'm fine," Finn repeated, reaching out to grab his arm reassuringly. "Are you, though?"Â
"Yeah. Yeah, sorry. I just..." Leo swallowed hard. "I wanted to make sure he didnâtâ"
"He fucking impeded you?!" Logan's thunderous voice made them both spin around.Â
"Lo," Finn shot him a warning look. "Not here."Â
"What the fuck?"Â
"I know." Finn took a deep breath. "I need to talk to Remus first, but... He's young, guys. Honestly Iâve seen senior drivers doing worse than that."
Logan crossed his arms, an angry frown tightening his lips. "Still."
"Listen," Finn ran a hand over his sweaty hair, his pulse suddenly jumping. The onslaught of feelings he'd experienced in the last forty-eight hours was surreal. He felt defeated, frustration still seething at the edges of his fist, clenched around the chin bar of his helmet. Exhausted for too many reasons at once.Â
And yet there stood a glimpse of hopeâfierce eyes staring at him⊠protectively, he realized.Â
"You two shouldn't worry about me, okay? I promise, I'm fine. I just need to put an end to this crazy day and get out of my head for a minute."Â
Leo nodded understandingly. "We can call off dinner if you'd ratherâ"Â
"Please don't," Finn said. It came out almost like a plea. "Dinner with the Knuts is exactly what I need right now."Â
"Ouais," Logan agreed, watchful eyes fixed on Finn's. He was trying to read between the lines, something he'd learned a long time agoâalways finding his way to Finn. "Me too."Â
A full, bright smile split Leo's lips. "Okay, one more thing. Then I better go before Sirius kills me," he said. He sounded a little giddy. "My parents want to invite you to stay with us next week, just so you know. They were over the moon about the tickets."Â
"Really, it was nothing," Logan said, and Finnâs heart melted in his chest.Â
"You don't have to say yes," Leo urged. He took a step back towards the pit stall, grinning innocently, "And you definitely didn't hear this from me. But we'd love to have you guys over."
With a soul-crushing wink, Leo walked away. Logan's sharp breath filled the next beat of silence.Â
"Rouge."
"Hm?" Finn whispered back. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Logan was staring after Leo, too.
They turned to each other, keeping a short distance between themâjust two drivers confronting each other after a tough qualifying session.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Logan asked.
"I love it when you call me Rouge."
"Finn."
"I told you, I'm fine."
"That wasn't fair."
"It wasn't," Finn admitted.Â
"Beginner's luck," Logan grumbled.Â
Finn's mouth shifted to the side, one corner lifting slightly. A bead of sweat slid from a rebellious lock of Loganâs dark hair onto his temple. Finn watched, mesmerized, as it traced its way around the crinkle of Loganâs eye, down to the corner of his full mouth, along his jaw, and finally dropped from his flushed face.
"Come on, Tremz. I'll overtake the rookie and chase you down as fast as I can. You have my word."
"Ah," Logan lost some of his fight at that. "Bet you wonât catch me, though."
"Oh-ho," Finn bit his lips. Something about that Logan smile drove him crazy. "Try me. I can give you a head start tonight," he murmured.
"Non," Logan laughed. "We have a race tomorrow, in case you forgot."
"Right," Finn inched closer. Logan didnât so much as blink.
"A race I'm going to win. And then..."
It wasnât much of a choice for Finn when it came to it. Had he imagined spending every second of their free time glued to Logan's side? Absolutely. Had Finn already pictured a beaming Leo showing them around his childhood home? Walking them through streets, corners, places he'd grown up in? Maybe.
Besides, they had already been thinking about a nice, short escape before flying to Mexico Cityâjust the three of them.Â
"A quick detour to New Orleans?" To Finn, it sounded like the perfect golden mean.
Green eyes glinted at him, almost in awe. The last rays of sun framed Logan's tan skin like gold.
"Parfait, mon amour."
idk if you only write the cubs but I love your writing so much and would love to read some rookie Sirius and Dumo hurt comfort OR some Sirius and Hope Lupin hurt comfort. I feel like all the family time around holidays would be tough for him at first but then he find out heâs so loved ya knowđ© thanks babes keep up the great content!!!
This is the SECOND ask for hurt/comfort Sirius and Hope Lupin. I wasn't planning on writing Coops or Sirius/Remus as main characters, but I am a SUCKER for a found family story. It warms my heart. PLUS, this one features the Black Brothers!
Thank you for the kind words, friend! Keep the prompts coming!
All credits to @lumosinlove !!
âSirius, Regulus, could you come here for a second?â
Sirius looked up from where he was sat in the Lupinâs living room, on the couch with a cup of coffee and a photo album Hope had handed him. Remus, Julian, and Lyall had gone to get the family Christmas tree- something Julian had been very excited about- leaving himself and Regulus alone in the house with Remusâ mom. She was standing in the arched walkway that lead to the kitchen, and was glancing expectantly at the both of him. Regulus bookmarked his page and gingery set the novel down.
âYeah, Mrs. Lupin?â he asked.
She waved her hand at him. âI told you to stop calling me that, honey. Hope is fine.â She jerked her head. âThis way, come on. I need to watch my cakes, so may you please both come to the kitchen?â
It was still weird for the both of them, Sirius thought, to be asked to do things instead of told to do them. Sometimes there was that element, in the way Hope had firmly told Remus and Julian to shovel the snow that morning, but always with a layer of humor and love behind it. They always had a choice in everything, and Hope would never make them do things they never truly were comfortable doing. Remus and Julian were definitely capable, and even liked, shoveling snow- theyâd just been a bit lazy and had protested doing it. But Hope had just raised her eyebrows at them, and sure enough, forty-five minutes later they had returned jostling one another, Julian stuffing a massive snowball down Remusâ back. Sirius had watched Regulusâ eyes follow them and was sure the same look was plastered on his own face; laughter had never really been all that common in their household.
They both stood and followed Hope into the kitchen, where she was monitoring what looked like some ginger cakes for the town Christmas dinner food drive she was donating to later that evening. She peeked into the oven, nodded in satisfaction, and then turned to them with a smile on her face. âNow,â she said. âI have a surprise for you.â
âQuoi?â Sirius asked. He and Regulus wore matching confused expressions. âYou do?â
âMmhm,â she said, as though it was obvious. She pointed to two boxes on the counter. Their names were written on little tags in cursive on the top. âThose are for you, dears.â
âOh,â Regulus said. He looked a little out of place. âThank you.â
âGo on, open them, Iâm excited.â
Tentatively, they both reached for their respective boxes and lifted the lids. Inside each of them was a round wooden ornament with a red ribbon running through the top. And engraved in the otherwise flat surface was-
âThe Leo constellation?â
âCanis Major?â
Regulus and Sirius both looked at each other simultaneously, realization dawning, and then at Hope.
âOh,â Sirius said. âThatâs us.â
âYouâre right, sweetheart,â Hope answered gently. She leaned onto the counter on her forearms. âEvery year, Re and Jules get a new ornament to decorate the Christmas tree with, and thereâs a theme every year. I got you each one of those kind this year, too, but I figured you needed some to start with. Re and Jules each got ones carved with their birth flower when they were born, and I thought- well, I thought that your constellations would fit you. The brightest star in the sky, and the heart of the Lion, yes?â
âYeah,â Regulus said. His voice was soft and his face red, but he looked Hope right in the eye. âThank you. Thank you.âÂ
And in a fashion very unlike himself, he walked around the counter and straight into Hopeâs arms.Â
âOh,â Hope laughed, surprised, but she squeezed him tightly back. âOh, youâre welcome, honey. Youâre so welcome.âÂ
Sirius watched his brother, his not-so-baby brother, fold himself, perhaps for the first time, in a loving motherâs embrace, and he wanted to cry. He wanted to hug Regulus, to hug Hope, to hug Lyall and Julian and Remus. He wanted to be a part of this family forever, wanted to take Reg with him. When Hope and Regulus parted, he didnât know what he must have looked like, but when Hope came around the counter all he could do was fall into her arms. He was much taller and weighed more, but she somehow made him feel tiny and precious in her embrace.Â
âThank you,â he whispered. âThank you, this means so much. You have no idea.â
âNo, I donât,â she replied, frank as always. âBut I hope you never will have to have any idea ever again.â
Sirius squeezed her tight and caught his brotherâs eye over her shoulder. Regulus nodded, a small, tiny thing, and he knew: this was what a forever home felt like.Â
hiii!!
i was wondering if we could get some overprotective cubs moments over each other ? they kill me with their cuteness and love for each other đ
thank u!! love ur works smmm!!
Awwww, you're so sweet!
I DID write a Logan attack dog fic, but I DEFINITELY do see Finn and Leo getting protective every now and then. I feel like Leo is mostly fondly amused, whereas Finn is kind of just like, "Um, exCUSE me?! That's MY LeLo, thank you very much, lemme kiss 'em and prove it." and is less of an attack dog than Tremzy.
All credits to @lumosinlove !!
Logan sank into the feeling of Finnâs hands on his hips, guiding him to sway to the beat of whatever song was playing over the speakers. He didnât recognize it; it was in Portuguese. But he didnât care- he was on summer break, he was in Brazil, and, most importantly, his boyfriends were with him.Â
Well, one was.
Finnâs nimble fingers ran lower over Loganâs stomach, rucking up his shirt to press a palm to his abs. Logan shuddered and leaned back to rest his head against Finnâs shoulder. They normally didnât go out to clubs like this, but Leo had been so excited to practice his Portuguese, and they hadnât gone out all together in so long. The place they were at was small, intimate, but big enough to be unrecognizable. And, as Logan had soon realized, very queer. His eyes darted to a lesbian couple a few feet away from them, locked in a close embrace and making out like nobody could see them. And everybody could, but nobody looked. Logan glanced around- nobody was looking at him and Finn, either.Â
He leaned into the kisses Finn was placing on his neck. They were warm and sloppy against his already hot body, and he felt sweaty and a little fuzzy from the dancing and the alcohol. Logan made a soft noise and turned to kiss him properly. Finn smiled against his mouth. âYou look so good, Lo, baby. So fucking sexy.â
Logan turned in his arms to get a better angle. He felt the beat of bass thrumming through him, accentuating the heat that was starting to pool in his hips. Finn began to kiss down his throat again and Logan let his head fall back, letting out a groan, eyes hooded. His vision was unfocused for a minute, too lost in Finnâs touch and smell, until it zoomed in on two bodies at the bar. He sucked in a sharp breath and tugged Finnâs hair. âRouge. Rouge.â
âYeah?â Finn hardly pulled away to gasp out the question before his teeth were back against Loganâs neck.
Logan let out a curse. âFish, Leo. Leo.â
Finn straightened. His mouth was red and wet. âHuh? What happened?â
âAllez, look.â
Finn turned his head to where Logan had gestured, eyes moving quickly for a second, before they widened, then narrowed. âHuh.â
Across the bar, Leo looked stunning. Heâd bought some Brazilian products from the store the other day, and his sun-lightened curls were defined and soft, softer than Logan had ever felt them. The colored lights of the venue bounced off them like light and glowed against his tan- so tan- skin, making his blue eyes stand out, even in the darkness. Leo thrived in places like this, Logan had found out this trip. Heâd been wanting to go to a queer venue for so long, but the hockey season made it difficult, and people were funny about that stuff when they recognized them. But here, nobody knew who they were, and Leo seemed to be taking full advantage of that and played the average tourist so well- except for the fact that he drew eyes everywhere they went because he was just so gorgeous.Â
Now, he seemed to be stumbling his way through speaking Portuguese at the bar with a man just as tall as him, with smooth skin and glitter on his bare, strong chest that reflected off of him whenever a light flashed. He seemed kind- he wasnât leering at Leo. But he definitely was taking the conversation to mean something more than it really did. After all, Leo had gone to get drinks for himself and his boyfriends.Â
Logan turned back to Finn. âWhat do we do?â
Finn shook his head. âLetâs wait. He might come back once he orders the drinks.â
They watched for a minute more, and the bartender still hadnât approached Leo, too busy with some folks on the other end. But the man seemed comfortable enough to make a move, because he put his hand on Leoâs arm. Leo looked down at it with a furrowed brow.
âOkay, thatâs it,â Finn said. He grabbed Loganâs hand and tugged him over gently. When they got to the bar, he slipped an arm possessively around Leoâs waist. âHi, sunshine.â
Leo turned to him, smile happy and a little tipsy. âHi, sweetheart. Having fun?â
Finn didnât respond, just tilted his head up to kiss Leo. Hard.Â
Leo made a surprised noise, but moved a hand to cup Finnâs jaw. Finn took this as an excuse to deepen the kiss, letting go of Loganâs hand with a squeeze to press Leo up against the bar, his hands roaming all over Leoâs body. Logan watched them for a moment before realizing they still had company, then turned to face the guy. He didnât even seem phased- mostly amused. âYouâre together?â he asked Logan in heavily accented English.
âOuais,â Logan said. âI mean, yes. We are.â
The man jerked his head. âYouâre lucky. Very cute. He speaks good Portuguese.â
Logan nodded. âMerci.â
The man clapped him on the shoulder with a smile and walked away. Logan watched him for a moment, chewing his lip, before he felt someone bump into him. It had been Finn, he realized. Leo had straightened, body up and away from the bar, to take Finnâs head in both of his hands as they kissed aggressively. Finn let out a whine, a sound Logan didnât hear frequently, and arched backwards at the leverage Leo had over him. Their heads bent together, mouths moving frantically, did funny things to Loganâs chest. Sometimes they looked so beautiful together he could barely breathe. He took advantage of their close proximity and pressed a hand to the dip in each of their waists.Â
Leo held Finn still for a long, lingering moment before pulling away with a smirk. His eyes were wide and his pupils were dark as he took in Finnâs flushed face. He looked like some sort of tempting angel in this light. âWell,â he said. âJealousy looks good on you.â
Finn licked his obviously-kissed lips. âI wasnât jealous.â
Leo raised his eyebrows. âYou werenât?â
âNo.â
Leo hummed. âThen you wouldnât have minded,â he began, gripping Finnâs jaw with his hand and kissing his neck wetly, âif he touched me like this?â
Finn groaned. His ears were red. âLeo.â
Leoâs smile turned wicked. He squeezed Finnâs jaw playfully before turning to Logan. His eyes kept Logan in place. âAnd youâre going to tell me you werenât jealous either?â
Logan shook his head. âI wasnât.â
âMm.â He nicked Loganâs chin with his finger, and Logan met his challenging gaze. Leoâs smirk widened. âYou know I only have eyes for you both, honey.â He dipped down to brush his lips, just barely, against Loganâs. âOnly you, baby.â
Logan closed his eyes and leaned in, expecting a kiss, but he was met with air. He opened his eyes, affronted, until he saw Leo had stepped back a few feet, looking them up and down while biting his lip, glowing in the dim light. Beside him, Finn sucked in a sharp breath. Loganâs heart dropped to his stomach. âSoleil, viens ici.â
Leo shook his head and looked between the two of them. He held out his hands. âCome. Come dance with me.â
And how could they do anything but follow?
***
Finn OâHara was many things at once. A brother, a son, an athlete, a teacher, a husband- one of the loves of Leoâs life. But, almost more than anything, Finn OâHara was, first and foremost, a chatterbox.Â
Leo looked at his watch and sighed. It was already close to eleven at night, and he and Logan had a game the following day. But Logan seemed content against his side, and Finn was⊠well, Finn was being his normal Finn self, Leo supposed.
His red hair caught the light across the room as he chatted with the bartender. She was new, Leo thought. The Lions had been renting out the top room of this restaurant for as long as he could remember, and he had never seen her before. She was pretty, her black locks done in a braid down her back, and she was tall, almost as tall as Finn. In another life, Finn probably would have asked her for coffee. But he wasnât in another life, and Leo liked to think that, even if they did live in an alternate universe, the three of them would be together, so he rendered that point mute in the back of his head.Â
The bartender was wiping a glass dry with a towel, sending Finn flirtatious glances from the side of her eye everytime she said something back to him, but he seemed blissfully unaware. He was probably talking about the drink he ordered, as tended to happen. He was a lover of the finer things in life, and that included good whiskey.Â
Leo felt an absentminded kiss being pressed to his shoulder. âSoleil.â
âHm?â Leo said distractedly. He looked down to find Logan staring up at him, bags under his beautiful eyes. He had smiles lines at the corners of them. It made Leo smile, too, and press a lingering kiss to his forehead. âTired, sweetheart?â
Logan nodded. He secured his arms tightly around Leoâs waist and pressed his nose into Leoâs neck. His eyes were closed. âOuais. Whereâs rouge?âÂ
Leo rubbed a hand up and down his ribs. âOver there chatting up the bar tender.â
Logan lifted his head to look over curiously. He watched for a moment, then a small grin broke over his face. He shook his head fondly. âIl est si mignon.â
Leo laughed, pressing his nose into the top of Loganâs hair. âHe doesnât even realize heâs such a flirt.â He kissed Loganâs cheek briefly. âStay here, honey. Iâll go rescue our husband.â
Leo crossed the room quickly, giving small smiles and nods to his teammates, his coaches, the training staff. But his sights were set on the bar. Finn looked so good in his teacher slacks and button down, glasses perched on his nose and reflecting the light. Leo always knew the look would suit him. He had a whiskey glass in his hands that he kept fiddling with, his wedding band and Leoâs engagement ring flashing in the light. Loganâs engagement ring shone starkly against his freckled collarbone.
When Leo got to the bar, he pressed close to Finnâs body, settling a had low on his back. His skin was warm through the fabric of his thin shirt. âHi, sweetheart.â
Finn immediately turned his head, smile as wide as it ever got when he look at Leo and Logan, and then turned his body to the side to look at Leo more squarely. âHi, baby. Look here, try this bourbon, Macy here said itâs made at a distillery not too far. Weâll have to go visit.â
Leo flashed his eyes briefly to the bartender, Macy, who was definitely pretending not to listen, as he took a sip and let the alcohol settle over his tongue. Finnâs brown eyes were as warm as the drink as they watched Leo over the rim of the glass. He nodded and hummed. âItâs good.â At Finnâs answering grin, Leo leaned over and kissed him. It was maybe too deep for a public setting, but Leo didnât really care.
When Finn pulled away, he did so with a little intake of breath. He looked happy, though, as he brushed Leoâs nose with his own. âWhat was that for, sunshine?â
âJust âcause I love you.â He looked over at Macy once more, then back to Finn. He leaned in to talk lowly in his ear. âAnd âcause youâre mine.â
Finn caught on immediately. He looked almost gleeful as he wrapped his arm tightly around Leoâs waist. âYou know I only have eyes for you and baby.â He leaned in closer. âMy sexy husbands.â
Leo hummed, kissing Finn languidly again, scrapping his teeth just barely along his bottom lip. âYou also forget what flirting is,â he whispered. âThe entire room wants you.â
Finn ran his tongue over his lip where Leoâs teeth had just bit. âFunny. I only care about two in this room wanting me.â
Leo smiled. âGood.âÂ
He kissed Finn once more, pressing their bodies together with his hands on Finnâs hips. Finn made a soft, wanting sound against his mouth before Leo pulled away. âWait, one more.â
Leo kissed him once, twice, three times more, hard. They broke apart and Leo reached a hand up to cup Finnâs cheek. âSpeaking of people wanting you...â At Finnâs raised eyebrows, Leo rolled his eyes playfully. âHush, thatâs not what I meant.â He tapped his thumb against Finnâs bottom lip. âThe other husband who wants you is tired, and he wants to go to bed.â
That got Finn to soften. âWhere is he?â
Leo took his hand and laced their fingers together. âWaiting for us. Câmon, letâs finish the whiskey and go home.â
Finn knocked back the rest of the bourbon with a flourish (and Leo certainly didnât watch the line of his throat as he swallowed), then rested the glass down hard on the countertop. He smiled at Macy. âThanks so much, that was delicious. You have a good night!â
She smiled back, although it was more reserved. âYou folks, too. Drive safe.â
Finn waved his free hand at her, then went at Leoâs tug on his other one. âIâm coming sunshine. Gotta get grumpy home.â
Leo laughed and squeezed his fingers. âYou know, you still got it after all these years, Heartthrob OâHara.â
Finn pressed close behind Leo as they stopped to let a waiter with a tray pass. He ran a hand slowly down the curve of Leoâs hips to his butt and gave it a pat. âGood. Gotta keep you and Lolo falling in love with me.â
Leo bit his lip around a smile as they began to move again, side-by-side. âOh, honey, we already are.â
âLucky me, then. Got the two hottest guys on the planet as my husbands. Fucking score.â
Leo stopped abruptly and turned sideways to cup Finnâs face. Finn stumbled in surprise, but leaned into Leoâs soft hold. âI love you,â Leo whispered, and kissed him softly.Â
Finnâs smile was everything. âI love you, too.â
Leo kissed him again, then turned to where he knew Logan would be waiting. He spotted him, all handsome in a maroon quarter-zip and khakis, brown waves falling gently over his head. His fingers were running absentmindedly over the rim of his almost-empty glass of rum and coke, green eyes surveying the room in that intense way they did. Leo stood for a moment, content to just take him in: the athletic line of his shoulders, his perpetually-tan skin, his sharp jawline- the way he smiled nervously as two definitely tispy girls came through the event room doors and approached him, stumbling in their heels.
Leo groaned. âOh, for Peteâs sake.â He tugged Finnâs hand firmly, dragging him along even when he let out a noise of surprise. âI canât take you two anywhere.â
Finn was laughing softly as they cleared the last few feet between them and their husband shortly. One of the girls jumped a little when she saw them, taking a step back. âUh. Hi.â
Leo smiled exaggeratedly. âHi there.â He gestured with his head. âIf youâll excuse me, Iâm just here to take my husband home.â
The second girl, the one who was standing closer to Logan, blinked hard in surprise. âHusband?â
Leo nodded curtly, still smiling. âYes.â He sidestepped her and put his hands on Loganâs hips. He let his face relax a little bit as he met soft green eyes. âHi, sweetheart.â
âSoleil.â Logan looked tired, but amused, as he cupped the back of Leoâs head and stood on his tiptoes. âĂa va?â
Leo just craned his neck down to kiss him firmly. He could hear the girls behind him now moving on to Finn (honestly, what was Leo going to do with him?), but he let them down quickly enough. âOh, no. You both seem kind, but theyâre both my husbands, that Iâm very much in love with. You got a ride home?â
Leo didnât really pay attention after that. He was too focused on the heat of Loganâs body pressed against him, on the way it felt when he scratched his blunt nails across his scalp. Logan made a soft sound into Leoâs mouth before pulling away. He laughed lightly. âMon coeur, ça va?â
âYouâre mine,â Leo whispered. He felt a little frantic, high on adrenaline, and took a deep breath. âYouâre mine.â
âOuais, all yours.â He turned to face Finn, who had come to press against their sides. âAnd yours.â
Finn waggled his eyebrows and kissed Logan briefly. âOo, yay, lucky me.â He wrapped an arm around each of their waists. âI sent them off with one of the waiters to call a cab. Got too deep in the margaritas, it seems.â He pressed his lips to each of their cheeks. âHome?â
âYeah,â Leo nodded. âLetâs go home.â He huffed. âThen I can have you all to myself. I mean, whatâs with all these people?â
That made Logan smile widely, teeth and all. He swayed into Leoâs hold. âYou know, soleil, I like you jealous.â
âYeah, now Iâve got two guard dogs for husbands,â Finn contributed. âIâm a lucky, lucky man.â
Leo rolled his eyes and blushed. âYouâre my husbands, and I didnât like people all over you. Iâm not a guard dog.â
Finn nuzzled his cheek. âWoof woof, baby. Câmon. I remember saying something about going to bed. Big time cuddles, letâs go.â
Finn led them out of the restaurant, whistling softly as they headed down the stairs. Logan was holding tight to Leoâs hand. When they got to the bottom few steps, Logan stopped him with a tug. He was two steps above Leo, and this way Leo had to look up at him. He looked almost like a prince from a movie, with the restaurant lights and chandelier in the background, his smile soft and loving. Leoâs heart stopped at the sight of him. âYou know, soleil,â Logan whispered, âthat youâre the only ones for me.â He leaned down to press their foreheads together. âToute ma vie.â
Leo let his eyes fall closed. âOui. Toute ma vie.â He kissed Logan softly, and it felt like gentle electricity. âI love you.â
âJe tâaime, mon coeur.âÂ
âHey, gorgeous husbands! Letâs go, itâs cuddle time.â
Leo felt Logan smile as he pressed one more kiss to Leoâs mouth. âOuais. Coming.â He pulled away and kissed Leoâs hand gently. âAllez, soleil. Weâve got a sexy redhead waiting for us.â
âDamn right,â Finn said. He was waiting for them, opening the door with a flourish and his signature grin. âAfter you, babes. But I gotta warn you, thereâs an exit fee.â
Leo stepped into his space. âOh yeah? Whatâs that?â
âWhy, a true loveâs kiss of course, from a prince. Or two, Iâm not fussy.â
Leo complied, kissing him happily. âI love you.â
âLove you.â He hummed when Logan kissed him, too, then followed them out into the parking lot. âAll right, youâre allowed through. But thereâs an entrance fee to our apartment, too. And to the bedroom. And the living room and the kitchen. Actually, anywhere you go thereâs an entrance fee, Iâve decided. No breaking the law.â
Logan and Leo smiled at each other. Leo took Loganâs hand in his right, and Finnâs in his left. A deep warmth settled in his chest. âWouldnât dream of it, honey,â he said to Finn, kissing the side of his head. âWouldnât dream of it.â
I agree with Leo- we have to put some more respect on ratatouille. No more of this rat-patootie stuff.
Enjoy fluffy reunion!!!! All credits to @lumosinlove !!
âDo you find me wise yet, nutter butter baby?â
Leo snorted at Finn, whose arms were wrapped underneath Leoâs from behind and attempting to help cook. He was stirring the pot with his left hand and holding the zucchini with his right as Leo chopped it.Â
âI really donât think this is effective, Harz.â
âBut Iâm stirring the onions and garlic! So they donât burn, like you taught us. And, at the same time, youâre chopping the zucchini and we are cuddling. Win-win-win solution.â
âWhatâs the third win?â
Finn bonked his head against Leoâs back. âThe first is the cuddling, obviously.â He bit at Leoâs shoulder when Leo laughed again. âIâm not done. The first is the cuddling, second is the stirring, and the third is the zucchini chopping.â
âIâm pretty sure we could stir and chop standing separately.â
Finn groaned. âNutty, but then weâd be standing separately. Now we get to be a homogenous blob.â
That got a real laugh out of Leo, one of his tinkling ones that shook his whole body. âI donât know if itâs wise, sweetheart, but itâs sure ingenious.â
âWell, youâre engaged to this genius, baby. So no take-backs, no return policy.â
Leo finished chopping the zucchini and put it in the pan. âIâm pretty sure that only applies after we sign the wedding certificate.â
âTomato, tom-ahto, point is youâre stuck with me for eternity.â
Leo paused his movements and turned in Finnâs arm to plant a kiss on his mouth. âWhat a shame, then.â
âHm,â Finn hummed, plying Leoâs lips open with his own. He broke apart. âShoot, sorry, I stopped stirring.â
Leo giggled. âI got this, honey. Go pour us some wine?â
Finn stepped back with a kiss to Leoâs shoulder and a shimmy towards their wine cabinet. âSpeaking my language, baby.â He took out a red. âWhat are we having again? Rat-patootie?â
Finn couldnât see Leoâs eye roll, but he knew it was there. âThat joke gets less funny every time you say it.â
Finn grinned at his back. âItâs a good movie. Endless possible quotes.â
âWhatever you say, OâHara, just no disrespect on my ratatouille,â Leo retorted, opening the oven to check on the rosemary chicken.
âWouldnât dream of it, Le,â Finn said, pouring each of them a glass. âWhenâs Lo supposed to get here?â
âHe said eight,â Leo replied, adding tomatoes to his pan. âHeâs going to take a cab. I offered to pick him up at the airport, but he said they were going to the hotel first to watch some tape, so heâll be here after that.â
âThatâs right,â Finn said, leaning on the counter and appreciating the view of Leoâs back. âOur little Canadian rival.â
Leo sent him an exasperated smile. âYou say that like itâs a dramatic novel or something.â
Finn shrugged. âMaybe it is. Enemies to lovers? Friends to lovers? Strangers to friends to lovers to friends to falling in love with a hot ass rookie goalie to lovers?â
That drew another laugh out of Leo, which made Finn smile. He loved making Leo laugh, loved making his curls shake and his dimples show themselves. He looked so good, in his maroon shirt and jeans, making dinner for themselves and Logan on a cool early-October night. Like a romantic angel.
âYou wanna write that novel, Harz?â
Finn bit his lip around his happiness. âNah, baby, Iâd rather live it.â He blew Leo a kiss. âI love you.â
That made Leo blush, which in Finnâs opinion was just as good, if not better than making him laugh. âYouâre lucky I love you, you romantic sap.â
âNo returns.â
They were still giggling when the sound of keys scraping the lock sounded at the door. Both of their heads jerked up just as Logan entered, all gorgeous in his traveling suit pants and a white button-down, his overnight bag and jacket hanging from his shoulder. He looked up and smiled at them. âSalut.â
Finn let out a whoop and ran over to scoop Logan up in his arms, lifting him excitedly off his feet by the waist. Logan was laughing in his ear delightedly, and was still smiling when Finn set him down to kiss him deeply. Finn broke apart to press his lips all over his face. âBabyâs home, babyâs home. Missed you, baby-baby.âÂ
âOuais, rouge, missed you, too,â Logan sighed. His hand was scratching Finnâs scalp and Finn leaned into the touch briefly. âSoleil?â
âOver here, honey.â
Leo was still standing by the stove and watching them as Logan took off his shoes. He slid over softly and stepped gingerly onto Leoâs feet, wrapping his arms around Leoâs neck to pull him into a kiss. Finn followed with an arm around Loganâs back, pressing soft kisses to Loganâs shoulder. Logan sighed contentedly as Leo moved down to kiss his neck. Leo wrapped his arms around Loganâs waist to hug him. âMissed you, Tremz.â He sighed into Loganâs skin. âLove you.âÂ
âMm, je tâaime,â Logan said. He rested his lips to Leoâs shoulder. âWhatâre you making, Le? Smells amazing.â
âRat-patootie,â Finn said, smirking.
This time, Finn got a full few of Leoâs eye roll. âRatatouille, Fish. And roasted rosemary chicken.â
âDĂ©licieux,â Logan said, pressing a few soft kisses to Leoâs neck. âAllez, Iâm going to shower and change. Ten minutes.â He gave each of them a last kiss before grabbing his bag and heading towards the bathroom. Along the way, he stripped himself of his pants, shirt, and undershirt, leaving a trail of clothes behind him with a smirk. Finn narrowed his eyes.
âYou trying to start something there, ten?â
Logan just bit his lip and looked up through his lashes. âNon. Je vais juste prendre une douche.â He disappeared into the bathroom.
Finn breathed out heavily. âThat little fucker. Leaving a mess and totally getting away with it.â
Leo just looked at him. âYouâd let him do anything as long as he did it naked.â
âWell,â Finn said. âUsually he does fun things when heâs naked.â He grabbed Leoâs hand, spun him, and pulled him to his chest. âYou, too, if memory serves.â
Leo kissed him briefly. âMm, it does.â He pulled away and turned to the stove. âBut right now I am making a masterpiece, so clothes will be staying on.â
âDamn.â
While Leo set about finishing dinner, Finn threw Loganâs discarded clothes in the hamper and got out the plates and silverware, lighting a few candles, too. He poured himself another glass of wine, and one for Logan for when he returned. Then he sat by the counter, making gentle conversation with Leo as he tested the chicken with a thermometer and toasted some fresh rolls from the bakery down the street. Finn loved these nights, the domestic and quiet ones, where there was nowhere to go and nothing urgent to be done. He loved it even more when they were all together, Loganâs mere presence in their apartment settling something in his shoulders. He could tell Leo felt the same; he smiled more freely when Logan was around, jaw less tense, and sleep came easier. It was hard sometimes, being separated, especially with Loganâs contract extended. It hadnât looked like the Lions were going to make a successful offer, so they had decided that it was better that Logan stayed where he was instead of taking a gamble that could send him potentially across the country. It was better than most alternatives, but Finn still cherished these moments when his home was full. Full of love for his boys, for their smiles, the way they smelled, the way they laughed. He himself was so full of love sometimes he didnât know what to do with it.
Arms wrapped around his shoulders, and he turned to find Logan in Leoâs navy sweater and dark jeans. âMon rouge.â
Finn leaned his head back onto Loganâs shoulder. âI love you, baby.â
Logan kissed him upside down. âJe tâaime.â He looked at Leoâs back. âSalut, soleil.â
Leo turned to look at them. âHi, honey.â He tilted his head, a small smile on his face. âMissed seeing you together.â
Finn smiled, too, as Logan pressed a kiss to his cheek. âYou look good, peanut.â
âOuais.â
âBet Iâd look even better without clothes, huh?â
Logan and Finn laughed as Leo turned away, fussing with the pans before turning back. âCâmon, bring the plates over. Iâll serve it from the stove.â
It was delicious, as all things Leo cooked were. Finn could taste the thyme of the ratatouille, the juicy dark meat of the chicken leg, his favorite. Logan kept making appreciative noises. His first bite had had him moaning, eyes closed. âMon Dieu, soleil. Missed your cooking so much,â he had said, before promptly going in for a second, larger bite.Â
Leo looked pleased with their feedback, as he always did when they complimented him. His cheeks flushed red, and his shoulders did a happy little shrug. It was unbearably adorable.
After, when Logan and Finn had cleaned the kitchen, they set about getting ready for bed, anxious to be close to one another again. Logan sought out a pair of Finnâs pajama pants and Leoâs sweatshirt, both of which pooled at the ends of his limbs. He had wrapped his arms around Leoâs waist while waiting for the two of them to finish brushing their teeth, pressing kisses to Leoâs spine and Finnâs shoulder. Finn just smiled at Leo in the bathroom mirror.Â
When they finally made it to the bed, Logan squished himself in the middle, pulling Finnâs head to his chest and tucking himself into Leoâs side. He sighed happily, closing his eyes briefly. âFeels like so long since Iâve been in our bed,â he murmured.Â
Leo, who was tracing patterns on his abs, pressed a kiss to his shoulder. âYeah, sweetheart, I know.â
Logan sighed heavily. âDo you ever thinkâŠâ
At his tone, Finn looked up, pushing himself up on his forearms and steadying himself with one hand on Leoâs torso. âWhat, Lo, baby?â
Logan pushed his head further back into the pillows. âDo you ever think that itâs- itâs too hard doing this sometimes?âÂ
Red lights flared in Finnâs head, and Leo took in a sharp breath. âHoney, what are you-â
âLogan,â Finn blurted out. âLogan, uh-uh.â
Logan shook his head hard, eyes widening in realization. He looked up at Leo. âMerde, dĂ©solĂ©. Non, non, I wasnât going to say that.â He took Finnâs head in his hands, pressing a hard kiss between his eyebrows. âRouge, dĂ©solĂ©, Iâm sorry. Non, non, not ever.â
âJesus,â Finn said, flopping down on Loganâs chest. âYou almost put me in cardiac arrest.â
Logan laughed a little. âNon, non, we canât have that.â
âLo,â Leo interrupted, eyes still serious. âWhat did you mean, seriously?â
Logan sucked at his teeth briefly, pausing. âI meant- what if I retired?â
Finn couldnât help the gasp. âWhat? No, Lo, you donât need to do that.â
Logan looked at him, brow furrowed. âBut I- itâs hard, non? Living apart for so long,â he said. âAnd us not being together is not an option.â He grumbled the last bit, in that Logan way that was somehow grumpy and loving at the same time.
Leo just looked at him, eyebrows raised. âYou donât need to go zero to a hundred, Tremblay.â
âOuais, je sais,â Logan said. âI just- I miss being home with you guys. And it is hard. I just- I donât know how many years I can keep doing this.â
âWell,â Leo said, holding himself up on one elbow. âLetâs set a time limit, then.â
Finn and Logan looked at him. âQuoi?â Logan asked.
Leo cocked his head. âLetâs set a time limit. Iâll be a free agent at the end of three years, and Logan, your contract only has three more years on it as well- both including this year. And FinnâŠâ he paused. âWell, yours is up at the end of the season, so we can see about renegotiating a contract with Gryff, or if not, then with New York.â His eyes focused. âWe are together- the league knows that. Whether or not they like it, that is a factor in our contract negotiations. And weâve been doing the distance thing for just over 3 years now, which hasnât been easy. Weâve done our time.â He put a hand on Loganâs hip. âBut none of us are ready to throw the towel in quite yet, nor should we have to. So, letâs say about three years. Three more years of this, of riding out whatâs left for each of us with our respective organizations, and then we renegotiate. Together.âÂ
Finn considered for a moment, then nodded. âOkay. Okay, yeah, we can do that. I can do that. Lo?â
Logan traced a hand down Leoâs cheek. âYouâre so smart, soleil.â He looked at Finnâs eyes. âThree more years.â
Leo let out a shaky breath. âI know itâs not ideal, butâŠâ
Finn brought him down for a kiss. âNo, but itâs a plan. Itâs an ending.â He kissed Logan, too, then smiled. âI love hockey, but I have my limits. We have our limits. And weâre getting married.â He traced patterns on their skin. âYou both are more important to me than anything else, and like it or not, Iâm always gonna put you before some stupid, made up game.â
Logan gasped, then pinched his side. âNon, Harzy. Ne dis pas ça.â
âNom nom nom.â
Leo laughed. âYou got your point across, Harz, I think.â
Finn laughed at the burst of kisses Leo pressed to his neck. âIâm very wise, Leonardo.â
That made Leo full-body laugh again, and he laid himself down on the other side of Loganâs chest. After a minute, he began kissing along Loganâs ribs, open-mouthed and hot against the skin. Logan flushed. âSoleil.â
Finn was getting warmer just looking at them. Leo looked up from a mark he was making on the outside of Loganâs torso, his signature sly grin on his face. âI think Finn said something about fun, naked acitivites.â
They both moved their gazes over to him, and Finn gave a serious set of nods. âYes. Yes, yes I absolutely did.â He kissed down Loganâs neck. âNaked, very naked activities. Fucking gorgeous boys.â
And with Logan laughing breathlessly under him and Leo kissing along his spine with a smile, Finn thought that this was the wisest decision of them all.Â
hiii!!
iâm living for angst recentlyâŠ. give us anything at all thatâs gonna make me sob please!!! perhaps something tremzy centric because i love making him suffer!!!!
thank you!! đ (sorry iâm heartless)
Damn, y'all are really making poor Tremzy go THROUGH IT lately, give my guy a breeeeeaaaaaaak!!!!!!!!
Have some angsty recently married Cubs bringing Lolo to NYC for the hockey season. :(
I LOVE seeing all your messages and asks, I smile so big when I see the notifs!
Credits to @lumosinlove
âOkay. Okay, you got everything? Nothing left in the car from yesterday?â
âOuais, soleil.â
âAnd youâve got your tea in the cupboard. I bought you your tea, right?â
Logan smiled from his place at the kitchen counter, leaning back into Finnâs chest. âOuais, mon amour.â
âGood.â Leo spent another moment fussing through the kitchen cabinets before he turned towards them, nodding satisfactorily. âGood, alright, youâre all set. You call us if you forgot anything, okay?â
âMhm.â Logan reached out a hand. âIci, Le.âÂ
Leo walked around to stand beside them, leaning down to cup Loganâs jaw. His eyes flitted over Loganâs face, a bit sad at the edges, even though he was smiling. Logan could feel the cool metal of his rings against his jaw, and he reached up to rub his thumb along them. Leo let out a breathy laugh. âYouâre so gorgeous.â
âMm,â Logan hummed. He tilted his head up for a soft kiss. âYou have to go,â he whispered against Leoâs mouth.
Finn squeezed him tighter with a shaky breath. âNo.â
âOuais, yes. Leo has his first practice tomorrow. You have to go get your classroom ready.â
âNo.â
Logan bit his lip against the oncoming tears. âFinn-â
âWe just got married.â Logan could feel Finnâs tears falling against the fabric of his shirt- Leoâs shirt. âItâs not fair, we just got married.â
âSweetheart,â Leo said gently, reaching out to run a hand through Finnâs hair. âLoâs right. We donât want to drive home in the dark.â
âBut home is right here.âÂ
âMon rouge.â Logan boosted himself out of the chair and turned to face Finn. He cupped his cheeks, red from his crying, and wiped away the tears sticking to his skin. âSh, mon rouge, câest bien. Itâs okay, baby.âÂ
âI donât want to leave you.â
Logan drew him into a tight hug. âI know, sh, I know. Mon mari.â
Leo pressed against Loganâs back and they stood there for a few minutes, just breathing. This part was always difficult; Logan had had half a mind to move back to New York all by himself this year, but Leo and Finn had shot that down quickly enough, and so the day before they had accompanied him to move all his stuff. Logan couldnât say he wasnât grateful for them coming, and was certainly grateful for today, when theyâd spent the whole day inside, wrapped in each othersâ bodies. Newlywed bliss was as heady and lovely as Logan had imagined, but he felt he had spent the whole summer with a clock floating above his head, waiting for the hand to strike midnight when they would have to separate and navigate being husbands- husbands- across distance. And now, with Finn shaking and falling apart in his arms, and Leoâs chest heaving as he not-so-subtly began to cry as well, Logan momentarily cursed the love he had for the sport that he played.
âDâaccord.â Logan kissed the side of Finnâs head firmly. âDâaccord, it has to happen sometime.â
Leo nodded against his neck. âWeâre gonna miss you. Call us every morning.â
âMon soleil,â Logan said, reaching back to scratch a hand through Leoâs curls. âIâll call you every hour.âÂ
That made Leo laugh wetly. âOkay. Okay, that sounds good.â He bent his neck slightly and Logan craned his to meet him, brushing their lips together. âI love you so much.â
Logan smiled against his mouth. âI love you, too, Le.âÂ
Finn made a wounded sound against his neck. âLo.â
âSh, sh, Finn.â Logan laced his fingers through Finnâs hair to pull his head up and look at him. His cheeks were wet again and Logan kissed the purple under his eyes. âJe tâaime. Je tâaime, toujours, je tâaime.â
âI love you,â Finn gasped. âI love you, I love you both so much. This is-â He let out a groan and let his head fall back into Loganâs touch. âThis is so hard, I donât want to do this.â
âHey,â Logan said. He tugged on Finnâs waves gently, even as tears began to roll down his own cheeks. âIâll call you every morning and every night. Iâll send you a picture on every run I take, of every new bistro I go to, of every new drink I try and donât like because you didnât make it for me. Dâaccord?âÂ
Finnâs eyes blinked slowly and he nodded, studying Loganâs face. âPromise?â
âPromise.â
âOkay.â Finn leaned down and kissed him hard. âI love you,â he whispered, voice shaky.Â
Logan ran his hands down Finnâs arms until they could lace their fingers together. âJe tâaime.â
Leoâs arms squeezed once around his waist. âItâs time.â
Logan nodded, kissing Finnâs hands before turning and stepping on Leoâs feet gently. He wrapped his arms around his neck and brought him down into a hug. âDrive home, please,â he whispered in French into Leoâs ear. âHeâs going to fall asleep in the car.â
Leo laughed. âOuais, he is.âÂ
Emotionally exhausting days made Finn tired, whether they were happy or sad. The day of their wedding, in the middle of the reception, Leo and Logan had had to take him into the dressing room at their venue and coax him into taking a nap on the too-small couch.
Tonight, however, he would be the feverish kind of tired and would no doubt fall asleep as soon as they hit the highway. It would be safer for Leo to drive, even if that didnât provide Logan comfort, either- when Leo was emotionally exhausted, he couldnât sleep. During away games, Logan knew he often didnât. Until Finn retired, Leo hadnât slept in a hotel room without one of them since making it to the NHL. At least Finn, when Leo was on the road, got to come home to a familiar apartment, or he went to visit Logan for the weekend. And Logan was used to it; heâd slept in the same room with different teammates since Harvard, and now he roomed with Alex on roadies. But Leo⊠Logan hugged him harder at the thought of him alone in an unfamiliar bed.Â
âMon soleil,â Logan said urgently. âYou have to call me, dâaccord? When you- when you canât sleep, when youâre alone on roadies. I donât want you to be alone.â
âI promise.â Leo squeezed him just as tightly, his cold nose seeking out the warmth of the skin of Loganâs neck. He pressed a smile there, too. âOh, I love you so much. Mon mari.â
Logan smiled, too, and pulled back to look at him, blue eyes crystal clear and bright, even in the hard moments. Logan never thought heâd be so grateful for that. âOui. Mon mari.â
When Leo kissed him, Logan shuddered at the warmth that washed over his body. Leo had one hand in his hair, one wrapped around his waist to draw their bodies together, needing to be closer. Logan let his arms drape over Leoâs shoulders and arched into his touch. It was the kind of kiss he had definitely seen in a movie- a desperate goodbye, happy and sad and in love in equal measure. Logan moved to hold Leoâs face firmly in his hands. He brushed his thumb over his sharp jaw, under his eyes where the skin would turn purple and puffy later tonight, along the slightly textured skin of his cheeks that Leo hated but Logan loved, because everything about Leo was absolutely beautiful.Â
Logan kept Leo close to him for one more lingering press of their lips. He didnât let them pull away very far from each other, just enough to touch their foreheads together. âJe tâaime.â
Leo kissed him once more, quick but sure. âI love you. Iâll see you in a few weeks, right? Preseason game?â
âOuais.â
âAnd youâll see Finn in two weeks, when he comes to visit?â
Logan smiled at Leoâs rambling. He was a bit tense under Loganâs hands. âOuais.â
âI left you some leftovers in the fridge. Please remember to eat, Lo, and you call me if you need help, âkay? Iâll help you cook, Iâll send you recipes, Iâll-â
Logan interrupted him with one more kiss, feeling as Leo finally relaxed into him. âI will. I love you.â
âOkay.â Leo pressed his lips to Loganâs forehead softly. âI love you. See you in a few weeks.â
Logan hummed, running his hand through Leoâs hair. A noise from their sides made them both look over. Finn was standing there, his fist pressed to his mouth, as more tears rolled down his cheeks. The fact that he was still beautiful broke Loganâs heart. âRouge.â
âSorry.â Finn sniffed and wiped his eyes. âGod, Iâm sorry, itâs just- the sight of you two together, I just canât.â
Leo held his arm open. âCome here, sweetheart.â
Finn just about fell into them, one arm gripping Leoâs waist and the other up around Loganâs back, coming to clutch at his hair and press their temples together. âI love you so much.â
Logan kissed his cheeks. âJe tâaime. Iâll see you in two weeks.â
âTwo weeks.â
âMhm.â Logan brought their mouths together. Finn always kissed differently when they said goodbye: a little desperate, a little frantic. It was the only time when Logan and Leo had to direct him into what he wanted, too upset to do so himself. Logan rested his thumb firmly against Finnâs chin and dipped his head down. Finn responded beautifully, his mouth going softer, more heated. With one last sigh and deep press of their mouths, Logan pulled away and kissed his forehead. âTake care of each other.â
Leo nodded. âAlways, Lo.â He let them go to grab the duffle bag he and Finn were sharing, hefting it onto his shoulder. His eyes were wet as he looked at the two of them, but he still smiled. âOkay. Time to go.âÂ
Logan took Finn by the hand and walked him over, then took Leoâs and brought them to his mouth, kissing their rings. âI love you. Call when you get back to Gryff.â
âOuais.â Leo opened the door and turned to face them, holding his hand out to Finn. âLetâs go, sweetheart.â
Finn nodded, his lips still in that little pout that meant he was really upset. Logan stood on his toes and kissed it. âJe tâaime.â
âI love you.â Finn drew him in for one more hug, laced their fingers, then reached his other hand out to take Leoâs. âSee you soon.â
Logan squeezed his fingers. âSee you soon.â He looked up to Leo. âHave a good start to the season.â
âYou, too, honey.â Leo leaned down and kissed him softly once more. âI love you.â
âI love you.âÂ
Finn held onto Loganâs fingers until he physically couldnât. âLove you.â
Logan smiled and leaned his head against the doorframe. He felt like his chest was starting to become cold. âJe tâaime.â
He watched them until they disappeared into the elevator, Leo waving goodbye once more. Finn was leaning heavily into his side, obviously trying to hold back any more tears until they got to the car. Leo kissed the top of his head lovingly. That was the last image Logan had of them until the elevator doors closed.Â
With a heavy sigh, Logan closed the door and leaned against it, running his hands through his hair. His fingers twitched. He needed something to do to stop the ache in his chest.
Eating dinner was simply just going through the motions. It was early still, around five in the evening, but Logan didnât really know what else to do to occupy himself. He didnât want to play videogames. He didnât want to watch a movie. Instead, he sat in silence at his counter, letting the warmth of Leoâs bolognese sauce settle over his tongue. Every now and then, his phone lit up with a notification, and he got to look at the lock screen. It was of Leo, Finn, and himself at their wedding. Logan was in between them, his favorite place, one hand laced with Finnâs behind him and one hand on Leoâs chest, looking up and smiling at something Leo had said to make him laugh. He could feel the phantom warmth of Finn on his back, the sure grip of Leoâs palms on his hips. The photo hadnât even been staged- Noelle had simply caught them at the right time with her phone camera. It had been just before dinner, when the sun was still out, and they hadnât worn themselves out talking and dancing and eating and laughing. Logan wanted to go back to that moment and exist in it forever, just a little bubble of their own making.
He yawned. It was definitely not even six oâclock, but he felt like he needed a nap. An hour would do the trick- then he would be awake for Leo and Finnâs phone call. He put his dishes in the sink to be washed the following morning and went to change into a pair of Finnâs boxers and Leoâs Saints sweatshirt that heâd left him. Leo would encourage him to get ready for bed now, even if he was planning on waking up again. He knew Logan hated waking up with a bad taste in his mouth.Â
Brushing his teeth alone was still a feeling that made the hairs of his neck stand on edge. Logan was waiting for Finnâs hand to run through his hair, for Leo to bump their hips together from beside him. He missed the way Leo would break them each a string of floss, something that Logan and Finn had, admittedly, not started doing until they started dating him. What Logan would do to have Leoâs bright white smile flashing at him in the reflection of the mirror. To have Finn make fun of the water he dumped on the sink counter when he washed his face, or the way he laughed when Logan inevitably got soap in his eyes and pleaded for a towel. The way Leo would take moisturizer on his knuckle and dot it over Loganâs cheeks, sealing the cream with a kiss on his nose.Â
Loganâs head throbbed. He let out a soft groan and reached into his medicine cabinet, flapping around for his bottle of ibuprofen. He popped two pills into his mouth and drank from the sink faucet, forcing them down his throat. He winced- he hated the feeling of pills going down his throat. Finn had been making fun of him for it since theyâd met.
Logan sighed, then turned off the light and dragged himself to his bedroom. Leo had left his childhood stuffed duck, Charlie, on the pillows. Logan had been embarrassed the first time Leo had brought Charlie over, but he had become essential during the lonely nights when Logan needed something to hug. Charlie was tiny, and wasnât as warm as either of his husbands, but he was the same color as Leoâs hair, and Leo had stitched an âFâ and an âLâ over his heart as a surprise for Logan last Valentineâs Day, when it had corresponded with the All Star break. Logan smiled and pulled back the covers, squeezing Charlie to his chest and pressing a kiss over the letters. His eyes started to shut against his will, his body heavy and warm underneath the blankets.Â
Between one moment and the next, without even realizing it, he was asleep.Â
***
Some time later, Logan awoke to a pitch black bedroom. He grunted, wincing when his back popped as he stretched, Charlie still firmly held in his hands. Logan let him fall to his chest and looked at him with a soft smile. He was sat and slumped over, obviously worn a little with love. Logan went to reach for his phone to send a picture to- Leo. He was waiting for Leo, and Finn, to call. He sat up straight and picked up his phone from his bedside table. 11:30.
Logan cursed. His boys were definitely home, and Finn, at the very least, was probably asleep. He sat up a little bit, pulling Charlie to sit in the crook of his elbow, and opened his messages with Leo. You awake?
The response was almost immediate. Yeah.
Logan hit the video call button less than a second later, tapping his toe anxiously. When Leo answered, he was in their living room, dark circles under his eyes. He smiled softly. âHi, sweetheart.â
âSalut.â Logan shifted to slouch further against the pillows. He tilted the phone down. âRegarde, look who I have.â
Leo smiled wider. âAw, look at you two. You fall asleep?â
âOuais, Iâm so sorry,â Logan said quickly. He shook his head. âI was exhausted.â
âIâm sure,â Leo laughed gently. âYou and Finn both fall asleep when you have tough days.â
Logan made a noise of dissent. âIt wasnât all tough. Not the morning.â
Leo softened. âNo. No, it wasnât.â His eyes flitted over Loganâs face. âDid you eat?â
âOuais.â
âDid you get ready for bed?â
Logan narrowed his eyes. âOuais. I know what youâre doing.â
âI will force you to take care of yourself, even if we are three hours away, sweetheart, you know this.â He winked. âYou married me.â
Logan felt the hard sensation in his chest melt a little. âOuais. I did.â He looked at Leo for a moment before licking his lips. âFish?â
âAsleep, honey. We barely finished dinner and he was nodding off.â
As if on cue, a slightly panicked voice sounded from off the screen. âLe?â
Leo winced. âYikes, shouldnât have left him alone in bed.â He stood from the couch, his eyes looking over the phone as he entered their bedroom. Logan admired the sharp angle of his jaw and chin as he smiled reassuringly at Finn. âHi, sweetheart. Iâm right here.â
âIs that Lo?â
âYeah, hold on.â There was some shuffling, the click of a lamp turning on, and then Logan was watching as Leo settled down onto the bed, pulling Finnâs head to rest against his chest. Finn also had purple under his eyes and his hair was mussed in the way it got after heâd slept heavily. He blinked slowly and yawned. Leo kissed his head. âSay hi, honey.â
Finn let out a heavy sigh, his cheek squishing against Leoâs chest as he tried for a small smile. âHi.â
âOh, mon rouge,â Logan cooed. âYouâre so sleepy.â
âMm. Miss you.â He shifted to look up at Leo. âDid you sleep, baby?â
Leoâs cheeks reddened. âNo.â
âHm,â Finn grunted, then pushed himself up and away to shift onto his side. âCâmere.âÂ
Leo let out an oomph and a laugh as Finn dragged him back against his chest. They were sideways on the bed now, and Logan got to look at both of their tired, beautiful faces. He could feel the phantom sensation of their feet tangled with his own if he tried hard enough.
Finn pressed an exaggerated kiss on the back of Leoâs head and made a happy little sound. âBone.âÂ
âMon chĂ©ri,â Logan sighed. âNon, ton français n'est pas trĂšs bon.â
âNom nom nom.âÂ
Leo giggled and snuggled further under their covers, blue eyes peeking out from under his curls. âYou okay, sweetheart?â
âOuais,â Logan nodded. âJust miss you.â
âYou still got Charlie?â
Logan held up the toy and wiggled it in front of the camera. âRight here, soleil.â
âGood.â He shifted a bit. âIâm going to prop you up on a pillow, hold on.â He fiddled around for a minute, then had both of his hands free to hold Finnâs forearms, which were wrapped around his waist. âThere. Now we can talk until we fall asleep.â
âMm.â Logan shifted onto his own side and propped his phone on a couple of throw pillows, hugging Charlie close to his chest. He looked at Finn, who had his eyes closed and nose in Leoâs hair, then at Leoâs open eyes and their dark circles. âHow do you feel, soleil?â
Leo sighed. âTired. Awake. You know.â
âOuais,â Logan whispered. âI know.â He smiled softly. âHow about I tell you a story?â
Leo smiled back, sleepy and content. âOuais. Sounds good. Fish?â
âMm.â
Leo laughed, squeezing Finnâs hands and then looking at Logan. âThatâs him saying yes, and that he loves you. We both do.â
Loganâs heart fluttered. Years and years of loving them and his heart still fluttered. âI love you, too. Close your eyes, mon soleil.â When Leo complied, Logan shifted to get comfortable, then took a deep breath. His husbandsâ faces were peaceful on the other side of the screen.
âOne day, Luke and I went running in Central Park. It was beautiful, sunny- the kind of day where you wanted to sit on the grass and tan. It was a month before I proposed to you. I had the rings and everything, buried in my sock drawer.âÂ
Logan saw Leo smile and heard Finn let out a content sigh, his hands flexing around Leoâs waist. Leoâs eyes blinked open briefly, like he couldnât help it, before they shut again with a flutter of his golden lashes. Logan reached out and thumbed the screen, as if to touch them.
âThere was a woman selling flowers. She sold them individually and in bouquets, I think. Lots of people were there buying them; when Luke and I went to look, they were all gone. Except two.â He bit his lip- against a laugh, against a sob, he didnât know which. âJust two. A bright yellow daffodil and a red rose.âÂ
Leo made a sound in the back of his throat. âLo.â
âSh, mon soleil,â Logan hushed. Leoâs eyebrows were furrowed. âItâs all right.â
Leo nodded, then settled down again. Finn held him tighter. It made Loganâs heart ache.
âI bought them,â he whispered. âAnd I cut the stems like you showed me, Le, and put them in water in the tallest mug I had, because I donât have a vase. And I sat and looked at them every day until they wilted. Or, they almost wilted.â He cleared his throat. âI left a gift for you. Under the bed, in a brown paper bag. Open it tomorrow, ouais?â At Leoâs affirmative sound, Logan laughed slightly. âItâs to remind you how much I love you.â He got closer to the camera and talked in a more hushed tone. âI love you, I love you, I love youâŠâÂ
He whispered to them until he saw Leoâs chest even out in sleep, then closed his own eyes, Charlie the duck held close to his chest.
***
The next morning, Logan awoke to a text and a picture in their group chat from Leo. It was of his and Finnâs forearms next to one another, the bracelets Logan got them on their wrists. They were made of brown cord with a dry preserved petal bead each: sunshine yellow that perfectly matched Leoâs golden skin, and deep red the exact same color as Finnâs hair.Â
Thank you, sweetheart, Leoâs text read. Weâre up, we love you, and call us when youâre awake.
Logan smiled and hit the video call icon once again.
Finn made a noise in the back of his throat. âEnough of that question.â He hooked his chin over Loganâs shoulder to look Leo in the eyes. âYouâre just too gorgeous. We canât resist you
THE IDEA OF LEO BEING RELUCTANT TO ACCEPT COMPLIMENTS OR AFFECTION BREAK MY HEART
As promised, the bombardment continues!
This was a very interesting prompt to work with, because you can be reluctant to accept love for a myriad of reasons. And there is a huge difference between accepting love and affection, and accepting and being confident in your sexual orientation, which Leo seems pretty sure of (as far as we can interpret from SW, C2C, and Vaincre). If this is you, I understand it's difficult, and you're not alone. Your FinnLo is out there waiting (if that's the relationship you desire, of course)!
Enjoy some Lovernut appreciation! All credits to @lumosinlove <3
Leo hummed quietly to himself as he turned onto the sidewalk. Viv had made a fresh back of ciabatta, and had texted him this morning to come down to the bakery and grab some for sandwiches that week. His boys had kissed him goodbye as they went for a run and he had begun a slow meander down to the park and then the bakery, enjoying the peace of the Gryffindor summer morning. He smiled as he walked back the long way through the park again, watching as the ducks quacked softly in the pond. Their chicks were still young, retaining some of their fluffy feathers, and he broke off a bit of bread to toss to them. They ruffled their feathers and approached him, waddling slowly over to where he was standing on the waterâs edge. He cooed softly at them and then stood, leaving them to their snacks. As he was walking away, a sharp whistle sounded behind him.
âWhatâs cookinâ good lookinâ?â a voice called.
Leo rolled his eyes and turned around to see his boys jogging slowly up to him. Finn was smirking sharply as Logan laughed beside him. For the last few meters, Finn sped up and launched himself at Leo, laughing, wrapping him up in his arms and pressing a slightly sweaty kiss to his cheek. âNutter butter baby!â he sing-songed.
Leo was blushing and a little sheepish. âSweetheart, youâre gonna cause a scene.â
Finn just gripped his waist and picked him up off the ground slightly, leaving him suspended in the air for a few seconds. His teeth were spread in a bright white smile. âJust let me love you, baby.â
Leo felt his face heat up even more and he ducked his chin with a grin. âFish-â
âUh uh,â Finn said. âNope, none of that.â He set Leo back on the ground and opened up his other arm for Logan to tuck himself against their sides. They were both smiling at him lovingly, Loganâs head against Finnâs shoulder. Finn reached up to stroke Leoâs hair. âWe get to love you wherever we want, nutty baby. Youâre just too pretty.â
âOh, stop that-â
âNon,â Logan cut in. He kneaded the skin of Leoâs hip with one of his hands. âFinnâs right. Youâre just too pretty.â He stood up on his toes to kiss Leo soundly, and Leo felt warmed through and through. âThe prettiest boy in the world.â
***
Finn watched Leo laughing with the tiny older lady in the grocery store, helping her to reach the zucchini and arugula that were placed on the higher shelves. She commented on his height, then on his strength, which got him blushing good-naturedly. His accent was always stronger with strangers, a lot of âyes sirsâ and âyes maâamsâ accompanied with his bashful small talk. He wasnât as outgoing as Finn, not by a long shot, but he was charming, particularly with elderly people, and was always willing to help. Finn leaned his forearms against their shopping cart and smiled adoringly.
âThere you go, maâam,â Leo said, placing the final bag of vegetables in her basket. âCan I help you reach anything else? You need me to carry something out to your car for you?â
She laughed. âNo, dear, but youâre sweet.â She shook her basket and patted his arm. âJust needed a few extra things my husband forgot to get me the other day. Iâm off to find some breadcrumbs. You have a lovely day!â
Leo smiled brightly at her. âYou, too, maâam.â He waved her off, then turned to Finn. âSorry about that honey. What were we looking for, some squash- mph.â
Finn had taken Leoâs face between his palms and kissed him gently, in long, slow strokes that made his body tingly. When he pulled back, Leo was smiling, a bit embarrassed and flushed, and Finn leaned in to kiss him softly once more. âI love you so much, baby,â he whispered. âYouâre so good.â
âOh,â Leo said. He shrugged and blushed even more. âThatâs very sweet, thank you.â
âHey,â Finn urged. He kissed Leo once more, rubbing a palm gently up and down his side. âYou are good. Youâre so good, and helpful, and kind, sunshine. Lo and I love that about you, okay?â
âOkay,â Leo replied. He rested his forehead on Finnâs shoulder briefly. âI love you.â
âLove you so much.â Finn scratched his scalp a few times then looked at the list in his hand. âSquash time? Then some peppers.â
Leo lifted his still-blushing face from the crook of Finnâs neck. âYeah,â he said, kissing Finnâs cheek. âSquash time.â
***
Leo looked gorgeous in the golden hour light, Logan thought, tall and tan in the dying summer sun. Theyâd gone to the local courts to shoot some evening hoops, and now Finn was over at one of the stands in the park getting them some ice cream. Leoâs phone had rung and he had excused himself to talk to Regulus about their plans to go to an amusement park the next day. He was laughing, his head thrown back and his curls long and wild. He had taken his shirt off, too, while playing basketball, and had yet to put it back on. Logan roved his eyes over his body greedily, trying to forever internalize the feeling he got just from looking at him. Leo caught his eye briefly, waving with a wide smile, before saying goodbye to Regulus and hanging up the phone. Really, Leo smiling was a feat that should be illegal: his dimples were deep, his teeth white as snow, and his eyes so bright they could light up the darkest room. Logan sucked in a breath and walked up to him.
âHi, sweetheart,â Leo said. âSorry, I was just talking to Reg. Iâll be taking one of the cars early in the morning, if thatâs okay?â
Logan didnât say anything, just gripped the back of Leoâs hair and pulled him down into a kiss. Leo made a startled noise, but quickly settled into it, cupping Loganâs hips gently with his hands. Logan sighed, his body listing into Leoâs, his kisses deep and sloppy and, more than anything, irrevocably in love.Â
When they pulled back, Leoâs brow was furrowed, as if trying to chase Loganâs mouth, but he was smiling. âWhat was that for, sweetheart?â
âBecause I love you.â Logan tilted his head. âWhy do you always ask that?â
Leo took a surprised breath, but didnât have the chance to say anything as Finn approached with their ice cream. âOkay, I got a couple for us to share: chocolate and Moose Tracks, your favorites, babes.â He stopped talking abruptly upon looking at their faces. âWhatâs wrong, whatâs happening?â
Logan just pulled Leo closer. âWas just asking Le why heâs always so surprised.â
Finn was confused. âSurprised by what?â
âWhen you show me affection,â Leo said warily.
Finn looked between the two of them before settling his eyes on Leo. âAre you surprised when we show you affection? I didnât think you were.â
âNon.â Logan shook his head. âLike, when we surprise him with it. When we donât⊠je ne sais pas-â
âWhen thereâs no reason for it,â Leo finished for him. He took a deep breath. âIt surprises me when you show me affection when thereâs no reason for it.â
Finn looked a little shocked and he set their ice cream down on a picnic table beside them. âWhat- we need a reason for it? Baby, the reason is because we love you, I- do you feel like you only deserve affection when you- when youâve earned it?â
Leo bit the inside of his cheek, eyes nervous and flitting around the park. His red cheeks and silence were all Finn and Logan needed.
âWhoa,â Finn said. His voice was a little panicked. âWhoa, Le, baby, thatâs not true.â He took Leoâs face in his hands to force him to look at him. âThatâs not true.â
âSoleil,â Logan said. Leoâs pulse was fast underneath his thumb. âWhy do you think that?â
âI donât know.â Leoâs voice was small and timid. He rolled his eyes at himself. âIâm sorry, I donât know.â
âIs it Jack?â Logan asked, voice low. He couldnât help but see red. âDid he make you feel that way?â
âI- maybe. Yeah, probably.â Leo took a shaky breath. âHe only ever showed me affection if I did the right thing for him.â
âThe right thing?â Finn asked.Â
âLike,â Leo started. He was clutching at Loganâs lower back as if to gound himself. âLike, if I helped him with homework. Or if I didnât touch him in public. Just doing things by his terms and his rules is what got me affection, so I guessâŠâ He paused, looking down at his feet. âI guess I feel I need to earn it. To deserve it somehow.â
Finn sharply inhaled and brushed Leoâs cheek with his nose. âOh, my love,â he whispered. Logan looked up. Finn only called them each that in the most delicate moments, and only ever in private. âOh, Iâm so sorry. Iâm so sorry he made you feel that way, but thatâs not true with us. You donât have to do anything for us to love you- we love you for who you are, sweetheart.â
âOuais,â Logan agreed softly. He tucked his face into Leoâs chest. âMon coeur, mon soleil. Je tâaime, I love you just as you are. Je tâaime, je tâaime, je tâaime.â
Leo let out a defeated breath and rested his head on top of Loganâs. âIâm sorry.â
âNo,â Finn said firmly, shaking his head hard. âNo apologies. Weâll make sure to tell you more, make sure to do more, to let you know how much we want you. Just for you. We want you just as you are, nothing more, nothing less.â He kissed Leoâs blushing cheek. âYou are perfect for us just the way you are, Le.â
âParfait,â Logan whispered with a kiss to Leoâs bare skin. âTu es parfait pour nous.â
âI love you,â Leo said. He pulled back and kissed them each gently. They didnât stray far from one another, Logan and Finn with their arms around Leoâs body and Leo with an arm around each of them. âIâll⊠Iâll work on being better at accepting love, I think. I want it- I like it.â
Finn smiled up at him. âGood, baby.â He bit at Leoâs neck. âBecause I plan on giving you a lot of it.â
âMoi aussi,â Logan said. âMoi aussi, mon coeur. You deserve all the love.â
Leo just smiled, then nodded to their ice cream. âLetâs eat this before it melts. I didnât just bear my feelings to then let my Moose Tracks become a soup.â
âOuais,â Logan laughed. âThatâd be a shame.â
âCâmere, lovers,â Finn told them. He sat down at the picnic table and held up a singular spoon with a mischievous grin. âIâll even feed it to you.âÂ
Logan and Leo laughed, sitting beside one another across from Finn and accepting spoonfuls of slightly melted ice cream on their tongues. It turned Leoâs kisses sweet and chocolatey, and Logan couldnât get enough. When they eventually finished it all, Finn and Logan made a big show of kissing his cheeks before grabbing their backpacks and making their way back to their apartment.
The entire way, Finn and Logan had their arms wrapped around Leoâs waist and Logan, for one, didnât want to move ever again. He smiled and leaned against Leoâs shoulder as the city got darker, watching as Leo accepted periodic kisses to his neck by Finn and turned to press his nose into Leoâs bicep. And when they eventually got into bed, showered and in pajamas, Logan laid himself on top of Leoâs body and watched as Finn watched them both, a palm rubbing up and down Loganâs side and the fingers of his other hand in Leoâs hair. Leo was gazing back at him, quiet, but eyes a shining blue in the dark.
âIâm so lucky,â Finn whispered. âYouâre so gorgeous.â He kissed each of their foreheads gently before laying his head on his pillow with a gentle smile. âGonna give you all the loving.â
âOuais,â Logan sighed. He closed his eyes and nestled into Leoâs chest. âOuais, mes amours. All the love. All the love for you always.â
Then they fell into their most contented sleep of the summer, a loving tangle of limbs and bodies, with no alarm set for the morning.
best part of me reading your new fics when i first wake up and am still half asleep (at like 6:30 so i literally went back to sleep after bc i dont wake up until 8) is that i was so tired that i barely remember and get to re experience how wonderful they are
Haha, you're so sweet for this! I'm so glad you like them and so grateful you read them! :)
I feel like this is a big ask so you do not have to do it if you donât wanna but maybe a soulmate au?? Like soulmate identifying marks?? Just cause Iâm thinking about Harvard finnlo angst where they already know theyâre soulmates and choosing to ignore itđ„Č and also thinking about leo somehow seeing both of their marks and choosing to hide his anyway idk I just think it would be really angsty and romanticđ„čđ„čđ„č sorry for rambling hopefully this made some sense THANK YOUâ€ïžâ€ïž
I think this takes the prize as my favorite prompt EVER! This idea just flowed so well to me, and I LOVE this AU! Definitely one of my proudest fics for you all. :)
All credits to @lumosinlove !! <3
Gryffindor, December 2019
Leo brushed his sweaty hair back from his face and placed his goalie mask on the bench. It was getting long, curling down towards the base of his neck. He'd need to cut it again soon.
He considered to himself, as he stripped off his pads, what exactly would happen if he cut it shorter on the sides instead of just trimming it all around. He'd always liked that style on curly hair, shorter on the sides and fluffy and defined at the top, but hadn't allowed himself to do that in years. Now it was so much to manage, especially with the more intense NHL schedule. He ran a hand across the side, imagining how it would feel- then his fingers touched the raised skin behind his ear and the thought vanished completely.
Leo's soul mark had always branded him a bit âdifferentâ. There were three, like fine-lined tattoos, nestled just behind the shell of his right ear: a sun, a fleur-de-lis, and a fish, like the outline of a Goldfish cracker. At first, it hadn't been a big deal. He wore it out, like everyone did at a young age, his hair not bothering to hide it. But as he got older, people started to ask questions. And at twelve years old, when he realized he liked boys, he'd decided that enough was enough. He started to grow his hair out, just enough to cover it, and that was that.
Leo scratched his fingers over it and looked around the locker room. Nobody, that he was aware of, had three marks, just the normal two. Some guys wore them out: Pascal, Sirius and Remus, Thomas. Some others kept them covered: Kasey, even though he had a girlfriend, Kuny, Jackson- Finn and Logan.
Leo tried not to let his face flush too much at the thought of the last two. It was bad enough being gay and having a distinct soul mark that would surely ostracize him; he didn't need anyone discovering the little crush he had on his two teammates who were definitely into one another. Leo had seen the looks, the longing- he wasn't about to get in the way. He sighed and turned to grab his towel for his shower.
Boston, MA, February 2015
âFucking yes, Tremzy!â
Logan whooped as he allowed himself to be pressed into the boards by his teammates, watching as hats rained down on the ice.Â
âHatty hatty!â Percy yelled. âBeanpot Finals, here we come, let's go!â
Logan laughed, skating away towards the bench for a shift change. There were only three seconds left on the clock- overtime against Northeastern had barely been avoided.
He felt a smack on his butt from a stick as he climbed the boards. âWay to go, Lolo.â
Logan rolled his eyes and looked at Finn, who was grinning at him mischievously through his mask. It was his assist that had allowed Logan to give them the lead. âNice pass.â
Finn hopped the boards, too, and gave Logan's helmet a tap with his own. âFucking magic, we are.â
Yes, Logan thought as he watched the clock wind down. Fucking magic.
He was kept behind for quite a few interviews afterwards, the other boys having long gone to get dinner in the meal hall the stadium was providing them with before getting the bus back to campus. Logan sighed as he stripped his Under Armour and jock strap off, left bare in the empty locker room. He rolled out his neck and looked down at his body. He ran his thumb over the fleur-de-lis tattoo on his left. It was dark against his skin. On his other hip the thin bandage and strong tape he used to cover his soul mark was peeling off.Â
He looked around carefully- nobody was here. Normally, he showered with it then removed the bandage once he put on his clothes, out of sight from anyone else. But now, with no one to disturb him, he felt an itch to wash the sweaty skin underneath. Carefully, he stripped it off and threw the waste in the trash can, grabbing his towel and some soap and heading to the showers.
The water was warm against his aching muscles. Logan washed himself then tilted his head down, back against the spray. He loved his teammates, the game, the fans, but sometimes he needed a moment to collect himself. English still had him fumbling his words in interviews, and it exhausted him to be surrounded by the noise and fanfare, no matter how well-intentioned it may be. Logan liked his time to himself, with nobody else around him.Â
Well, maybe nobody else except-
A sharp gasp made him look up, covering himself with his hand. It was Finn. He was staring intently at Logan's right hip. Logan furrowed his brow. âHarz, what-â
Then he realized. The soul mark.Â
Logan's wide eyes looked up, trying to catch Finn's attention, but he was standing still, more still than Logan had ever seen him. Then suddenly, as if someone lit a match under him, he turned and walked out of the room.
âMerde,â Logan swore, shutting off the water and reaching for his towel. âFish!â
Logan hurried after him to the locker room. Finn was pacing, chest heaving and mouth covered by his hand. He was quiet, so unlike himself, and Logan was beginning to get worried.
âFinn,â Logan said. âWhat's wrong?â
Finn still didn't say anything. He stopped in front of Logan with his fists clenched at his sides. His eyes were hard and desperate, and Logan could feel the heat of his skin this close. It made goosebumps trail up his bare chest.
âFinn,â Logan whispered, just to say his name.
Slowly, ever so slowly, Finn plucked at the bottom hem of his own shirt. Logan watched as the skin was revealed, freckles dotting his shoulders, his muscles lean and strong. When Finn finally pulled the fabric over his head, he was looking at Logan expectantly.
âQuoi?â Logan asked. âI don't-â But his breath caught in his throat. There, along the side of Finn's ribs, where his arm was moved to display the skin, were three tattoos in a vertical line: a sun, a fleur-de-lis, and a fish.
Logan let out a small gasp, staring at the mark for a second. A hand cupped his jaw, one going down to his right hip. He leaned into the touch and watched as Finn moved the towel down with his thumb, revealing the cluster of Logan's identical marks. They were breathing harshly against one another, their chests brushing as Logan lifted his head to meet Finn's eyes. They were open and raw, asking him a question. Logan only nodded slightly, and then Finn was leaning in.
When their lips met, it was grace and relief as Logan had never felt. Finn was soft and gentle at first, but then Logan ran a hand over his ribs, over his mark, and then Finn was gripping his jaw and hip more desperately, a soft noise leaving his mouth as he kissed Logan harder.Â
Logan reached his other hand up to lace in Finn's hair, soft and thick and the subject of an embarrassing amount of daydreams. Finn took that as an invitation to kiss down Logan's neck, his lips hot and wet. Logan didn't realize he'd closed his eyes until they opened abruptly at the sound of a door opening, him and Finn jerking apart.
âHarz, Tremz!â Will called. âTeam meeting during dinner, let's go!â
Finn and Logan were both still panting as they took each other in. Finn stared at Logan's mark for a second, then at his face. âLoâŠâ
The way Finn said his name was going to make Logan melt. He jerked his head towards the door. âAllez, Will's calling.â He turned towards his stall to find his clothes. âI'll meet you there.â
There was the sound of a frustrated sigh, then footsteps and the door as Finn left. Logan closed his eyes against the tears and pulled on his boxers.
Gryffindor, March 2019
Leo heard the door to his and Finnâs apartment slam. He jerked up from where he'd been reading to find a wet and shivering Finn staring at him with his arms crossed. His running clothes were soaked through and his lips were purple.Â
âJesus, Finn,â Leo said, standing up and going to the bathroom. âI thought you were out with Logan.â
Finn shook his head, his teeth chattering. âN-no, he c-c-cancelled.â
Leo rushed towards him with a towel. âIt's pouring. You were gone for hours, what happened?â
Finn shrugged, but Leo saw him try and duck away. âN-needed to th-th-think.â
âIn the rain?â
Finn just looked at him, shivering. âP-Peanut, I'm cold.â
âOkay, okay,â Leo hushed. âI've got you.â He reached his hands out and grasped at the bottom of Finn's T-shirt. âIs this okay?â
Finn nodded hurriedly, letting the towel drop to the floor as Leo lifted his shirt over his head. Next, he helped Finn out of his shorts and socks and shoes, just left in his thermal undershirt and briefs.Â
âOkay, last layer, then I'll warm up the shower for you, okay?â
Finn nodded. ââKay.â
Leo helped him pull the final layer over his head, the wet and clinging fabric sticking to his face briefly. When he was freed of the clothing, Finn immediately started shivering harder, skin exposed to the air. Leo leaned in to hug him. âI've got you. Geez, Fish.â
âS-Sorry.â
âNo, don't be, it's okay.â He leaned back, arms still around Finn's freezing waist. âShower.â
Finn nodded, leaning down to pick up his towel from the floor. As he was bent over, his arm shifted, and Leo got a peak at some dark marks on his ribs. Leo thought it was a tattoo, but then he looked closer, eyes widening. He couldn't help the gasp he let out.
Finn looked up, alarmed, until he saw Leo looking at the soul marks. A sun, a fleur-de-lis, and a fish. He smiled a bit sheepishly. âSorry.â
Leo shook his head quickly, a little dizzy. He hoped Finn didn't notice the flush on his cheeks. âNo, I'm sorry.â He hurried away. âI'll go turn on the shower for you, then get you some comfy clothes.â
Finn quietly said his thanks from behind. Leo put his hand over his mouth and tried to fight against the tears.Â
Harvard University, June 2016
âLo, c'mere. I've gotta go.â
Logan just continued to stare down angrily at the wooden table. Finn sighed and sat across from him. He looked gorgeous in the early morning light, the golden sun streaking across his brown hair. When he looked up to Finn, his green eyes were sad. âNon. You're not leaving.â
Finn bit the inside of his cheek. âDon't make this harder than it already is.â
âBut you're leaving-â
âAnd so will you, in a year! I graduated, you'll graduate, hopefully be drafted like me. And I-â Finn sucked in a breath. âLo, I already miss you.â
Logan closed his eyes tightly, fighting against obvious tears. Like he did almost every day, Finn thought about the marks along his ribs, on Logan's hip, and that kiss over a year ago. They didn't talk about it. It was agony, sometimes, and since then they'd kissed a few more times: after a playoff game, when Finn got drafted- one memorable time not three days earlier, watching the sunset on the grass together. They'd laid and kissed on the grass on the hill they liked to drive to until it got dark, until they were interrupted by Alex calling Finn. When he'd ended the call, Logan was already waiting for him in the passenger seat, eyes down and cheeks flushed with embarrassment. They'd driven home in silence.
Finn knew he had to try and push one last time. âLogan. Logan, look at me.â When Logan looked up at him, a tear fell down his cheek. Finn reached across to wipe it with his thumb. âI want you.â
Logan immediately shook his head. âNon, Finn-â
âWe're it, Lo, it says so on our skin!â Finn whisper-yelled. He didn't want to wake the rest of the house up. âWhy are you denying yourself-â
âThere's three.â
Finn stopped, his mouth hanging open. âWhat?â
âThere's three,â Logan said again, more forcefully. He stood up and out of Finnâs reach, pulling down his waistband to reveal the marks. He placed his thumb over each of them individually. âUn, deux, trois.â
Finn shook his head. âThat doesn't mean anything, they're the same.â
âYes it does, Finn.â Logan sat back down and took a shaky breath. âWho do you know that has three? Who? Everyone else has two.â
Finn could feel his eyes getting wet. âNo one. Lo-â
âIt means there's someone else out there for you.â Logan's face was heartbroken, devastated. âSomeone better for you.â
Finn's mouth fell open with a soft, sad cry. âNo, Logan, don't say that.â He pushed his chair back and went to kneel at Logan's feet. He rested his hands on the back of Logan's calves and Logan's fingers came down to grasp at his hair. âYou're perfect for me, you're everything. I want you.â
But Logan wasn't to be deterred. âBut this is your dream. And it's my dream.â He looked at Finn so softly. âI can't take that away from you. From myself.â
Finn rested his forehead on Logan's thigh and breathed deeply. âI know.â He glanced up again and met Logan's green eyes. âBut weâre supposed to be together. And- and maybe there is someone else, yes, for me, but also for you. They're the same mark, Logan.â
Logan nodded. âI know. Merde, I know.â To Finn's surprise, Logan leaned down and kissed him. âBut our dream won't let us, Fish. It just won't.â
âSo what?â Finn asked. âWe just ignore it? Be lonely?â
Logan shook his head. âNon, you find them. You find them.â
Finn's eyes widened. âLogan-â
âFind them, Finn.â Logan's eyes were pleading. âPlease. I just want you to be happy, please.â
Finn let out a breath and knelt up higher, dragging Logan down into a hug. He kissed the side of Logan's head. âI'll miss you every day.â
âI know.â
âI'm still going to call you.â
âI know.â
âYou're still my best friend.â
âI know.â Logan turned his nose into Finn's hair. âYou're mine. Allez, Gryffindor is waiting.â
And in one motion, Finn squeezed Logan tightly, stood, grabbed his backpack, and tore out of OKN. He looked back and saw Logan watching from the doorway. They looked at each other one last time before Finn opened his car door and put the keys in the ignition.
Winnipeg, April 2019
Logan laughed as Leo landed one last smack to his face with a pillow, falling back against the hotel bed. He'd started it, throwing a pillow at Leo as Leo showed him a thirst trap someone had made of Logan that he'd come across. They'd been scrolling through Instagram side by side. Logan had groaned, taking one of the throw pillows from his own bed and throwing it across to Leo's, smacking him in the chest. Leo had just raised his eyebrows, stood, and used his own pillow to smack back. From there it had been an all out war on Logan's bed as they tried to best each other.
âMerde,â Logan panted from his spot against the mattress. âAllez, allez, you win, fuck.â
Leo sat back against his heels, satisfied. âJust because I don't have siblings doesn't mean I just take it, Tremblay.â
âThat's obvious,â Logan grunted, propping himself up on his elbows. âMon Dieu, you've got a fucking arm.â
Leo laughed, standing to go and gather his pillows, setting them neatly on his own bed. âMerci.â
Logan hummed sleepily. Leo glanced back to see he had his eyes closed. Logan had a small smile on his face, too, starfished on the bed, tired from their victory against the Jets. He was just in his boxers and a sweatshirt, the hem riding up to display his lean body. In the scuffle, his underwear had slid down, displaying the top of his fleur-de-lis tattoo on his left hip, and on his right-
Leo had to cover his mouth and bite his finger to hold himself back from making a sound. A sun, a fleur-de-lis, and a fish. Leo's head was reeling as he climbed into his bed.
Logan opened one eye to look at him. âĂa va?â
âMhm.â Leo pushed a hand through his hair, then realized it was shaking and hid it beneath the covers. âJust tired.â
âNon,â Logan said. He turned on his side, his boxers riding down lower, and reached across to press a hand to Leo's shoulder. His touch burned. âNon, Leo, what's wrong?â
Leo just stared at his hand, then glanced briefly at the marks. Logan's eyes followed his and he flushed. Leo shook his head. âI'm sorry.â
Logan sighed. âNon. Non, it's okay.â He laid back on his own bed and looked at Leo softly. âDo you everâŠâ
Leo stared back, biting his lip. âDo I everâŠ?â
Logan let out another sigh and closed his eyes, as if it was too much. He spoke in French. âDo you ever feel like everything you want is right in front of you, and yet you miss it anyways?â
Leo ran his eyes up and down Logan's strong body. This couldn't be happening. âAll the time.â
Logan opened his eyes again. âWhat do I do?â
Leo snuggled further underneath the covers. âI think- I think you have to care about it enough. Whatever that may be.â
âEven if I have to let it go?â
Leo ducked his nose into his sweatshirt neckline. âYeah. Yeah, even to let it go.â He breathed deeply. He needed Logan to understand. âBut sometimes you shouldn't. Sometimes you should take it.â
âOuais?â
âOuais.â
Logan looked at him. âHave you let it go?â
Leo could feel tears welling up in his eyes. âI don't have it.â
That made Logan's eyes go sad. Despite it, he smiled. âYou deserve it, Leo.â He cocked his head. âI'm happy you're here.â
âThank you,â Leo said shakily. âThank you, Lo.â
Logan nodded, then reached up to turn off the light. âBonne nuit, peanut.â
âNight.â
In the darkness, Leo finally let the silent tears fall.
Las Vegas, NV, October 2019
âNut!â
Leo reached up above Finn's head to grasp the small ball tossed from Remus, jumping out of the pool to dunk it in the small hoop. The hotel pool in Vegas was a team favorite, and James had discreetly packed a portable pool hoop to bring with them this time. Their matinee game had been rough and physical, but Remus had his first NHL goal and Leo had a shutout, so the energy was wild and fierce. Coach had told them, exasperated, to go work their energy out before bed, which had James grinning widely. He'd instructed them to go to the pool, scurrying away to go find the box he'd stowed away in his luggage. Now, Leo was reconsidering his NHL career. Maybe the NBA would take him.
âFuck off!â Sirius shouted. âThat's not fair!â
Remus jumped on his back, pressing a kiss to his forehead. âYou're such a baby.â
Sirius just leaned back to dip him then let go. He and James were both red-faced and frustrated they were losing so badly.
âSeriously, Knut, what the hell is up with those octopus arms?â
Leo turned to find Finn looking at him, his lean, freckled chest on display. Leo swallowed, trying to get a grip. âI can't help it.â
âI'm a fan,â Logan chimed in. His green eyes and smile made Leo warm all over. âIf it makes you lose, Fish.âÂ
Finn rolled his eyes and splashed water over Logan's face. Logan spluttered and Finn laughed before turning to Leo. He was smiling. Leo realized what was about to happen. âNo, no, I just washed my-â
But it was too late. Finn cupped his hands and threw water over Leo's head. Leo blinked hard and squinted through the chlorine. Logan was talking in fast French as he and Finn splashed each other. âLeo, allez!â
Leo laughed, running his hand across the water to get it in Finn's face. Finn gasped, staring at him incredulously. âOh, it is so on, Nut.â
He lunged, trying to get his hands on Leo's shoulders and dunk him. Leo leaned back, trying to push him off, but slipped on the pool's slippery bottom. He and Finn both fell, chest to chest. Leo felt the water proof bandage Finn used to cover his mark as he scrambled for purchase, Finn's hands still on his shoulders. He kicked hard, breaking through the surface with a gasp, using both hands to push his hair back. He needed to pull himself together.Â
âYou okay?â
Leo opened his eyes to find Logan and Finn smiling at him softly. They looked so gorgeous that Leo had to take a deep breath. âYeah. Water's just heavy in my hair.â
âWhy don't you cut it?â Finn asked.Â
Leo shrugged, his heart rate picking up. âDon't know,â he fibbed.
Logan tilted his head. âIt looks nice pushed back.â
âYeah,â Finn said. âI like it like that. You usually don't wash your hair in the team showers.â
Leo bit his lip. âToo much work. Don't feel like bringing my creams and stuff.â
Logan scrunched his nose around a laugh. âYou're probably the only hockey player with a haircare routine.â
Leo flushed. âI like my curls.â
âThey're very nice,â Finn said. Alarms went off in Leo's body as he approached. He touched the side of Leo's hair. âYou know, I think it'd look nice if you cut it a little on the-â
He stopped suddenly. Leo could feel himself breathing hard. Finn's fingers were brushing right by where he knew his soul mark was now definitely visible, the hair pushed out of the way and transparent enough to allow it to be seen. Finn's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open slightly.
Leo grit his teeth. âFinnâŠâ
But Finn just looked up at him, their eyes meeting. Leo stepped back and Finn's hand fell. He backed away towards the steps.
âFinn?â Logan asked, looking worriedly between them. âWhat's going on?â
Leo didn't wait for Finn's response. He grabbed his towel and room key and jogged out the door.
***
Finn watched as Leo ran away, flip flops slapping against the bottoms of his wet feet. His head was reeling.
âFinn? Finn, allez, what's wrong?â Logan appeared in his line of sight and grabbed his shoulders. âFish.â
Finn blinked, shaking his head. âShit.â He looked to Logan, then at the door through which Leo had disappeared. âShit, shit, shit.â
He ran out of the pool and grabbed his towel, some of the guys yelling questions. He could hear Logan behind him as he ran through the door.
âFinn, what the hell-âÂ
Finn turned and faced him frantically in the hallway. âWhere is your room?â
Logan looked confused. â170B. Fish, what-â
âLeo has the mark. Behind his ear.â
Logan stared at him for a moment before his face paled. âNon.â
Finn nodded. âYeah. Yeah, fuck, we-â He pressed his hands over his eyes. âWe have to find him.â
Logan looked hesitant, shrinking into himself. âFinnâŠâ
Finn let out a frustrated noise and backed Logan into the nearest wall, just beside a supply closet. His voice was shaky. âNo, no, you don't get to do this! You don't get to ignore it, or push me away, or tell me to go off and be with him, because it's us, Logan. He has the three marks, it's the three of us.â Logan's eyes were wide and vulnerable. Finn pressed their foreheads together. âI thought I was going crazy when I first started wanting him, because I still wanted you with everything I am. I love him, and I love you, and I will not let you take this away from me.â
Logan's breathing was quick. When Finn pulled back slightly, he saw that Logan's eyes were teary. âYou love me?â
Finn nodded. âI do. God, I've been in love with you from the moment you walked into that shitty house your freshman year.â
Logan pressed his lips together. His hand came to cup the back of Finn's head. âI love you, too. I love you.â His green eyes fitted across Finn's face for a moment, searching. Then, to Finn's amazement and delight, he kissed him.
Finn felt like he could barely breathe, or maybe like he was breathing for the first time. Logan was so soft against him, needy and panting. His lips were working frantically against Finn's own, that fire that was always beneath his skin bubbling to the surface. Finn cupped his jaw firmly, slowing them down with deep presses of his mouth and tongue. Logan shuddered and melted into the wall behind him. It felt like his body was overheating under Finn's hands. With a few more soft kisses, Finn pulled away, albeit reluctantly. Logan's eyes were still closed.
âI love you,â Finn whispered. âAnd it's okay. It's okay now.â
Logan nodded, opening his eyes slowly. âOuais, it is. I thought-â He took a shaky breath and Finn kissed his cheek. âI thought I couldn't want this. But now Sirius and Remus, and- and you and I were drafted to the same team, that can't be a coincidence. And Leo-â Logan let out a soft sound, forehead dropping onto Finn's shoulder. âI love him. I love him, and I love you, and I'm tired of not taking what I want when it's right in front of me.â
Finn's breath hitched at his words, heart beating as fast as it had the first time he'd seen Logan's mark. He stepped back and grabbed firmly onto Logan's shoulders. âYou mean youâŠâ
Logan smiled and nodded. âI want you. I want you both.â
Finn let out a teary laugh and kissed Logan hard. They were smiling against each other's mouths, light and happy and in love, Finn realized. They might have kept kissing forever had Logan not pulled away roughly. âLeo.â
Finn jerked his head up. âShit. Shit, you're right.â He took Logan's hand and laced their fingers. âLet's go.â
They ran to the nearest stairwell and bounded up to the next floor. Logan's hands were shaking as he scanned the room key, grabbing the handle and shoving the door open roughly. âLeo?â he called.
Finn came in after him, looking around frantically. He poked his head in the bathroom. âLeo?â
When he came out, Logan was standing still and looking at the ground. Leo's suitcase was thrown open, his wet swimsuit on the floor. Clothes were disorganized inside it, which was so unlike him. He must have grabbed some and ran. Beside it was his room key. Logan knelt down briefly and picked it up. He looked at Finn. âFish.â
Finn leaned in and hugged him. He felt the first of Logan's soft, hitching breaths underneath his hands. âBabyâŠâ
âHe's not here.â Logan was shaking. âHe's not here, and we love him.â
âOkay,â Finn said. He pulled away and gripped Logan's hips. âHe's probably still here somewhere, he's just really freaked out.â
âWe have to find him.â
âI know.â Finn wiped Logan's cheeks and kissed his forehead. âLet's get changed first, okay? Then we go find Leo.â
âSoleil,â Logan said.
Finn looked down at him. âWhat?â
Logan closed his eyes and a tear slipped out. âWhat I will call him. Soleil. Sun.â He opened his eyes and leaned into Finn's chest. âHeâs like sunshine.â
Finn nodded. âHe is.â He brushed Logan's hair back from his face. âAnd what am I?â
Logan reached up to run a hand through Finnâs damp hair. âRouge. Red.â
Finn kissed him.
***
Logan watched as Finn pulled on one of his high school sweatshirts and a pair of sweatpants. The sweatshirt was a little short on him, the sleeves not quite reaching his wrists, but he looked so soft and cosy in Logan's clothes that Logan could only go up and kiss him.
Finn kneaded the skin of his back, just above where he'd put some shorts on. âGo put a shirt on, baby, then we'll go find Le.â
Logan nodded, kissing Finn once more before making his way towards his own suitcase. He had a sweater in there, one from France, but it wasn't as bulky and cosy. He needed something to swallow him, to settle the aching feeling in his chest.
He looked to Leo's suitcase. He always traveled with two sweatshirts: a Lions one for the locker room and cameras, and then one from home for the hotel room. He must've grabbed the Lions one in his rush, because the one left in his suitcase was purple and had the name of an ice cream parlor. Logan assumed it was the one he and his dad visited after Leo had a good game in high school. Finn saw him looking and put a hand on his back. âI don't think he'll mind.â
Logan nodded, kissing Finn's shoulder before kneeling and picking up the sweatshirt. He pulled it over his head. It was thick and soft and reached down to his thighs. It smelled like Leo's cologne. Logan turned his nose into the neckline and breathed in the scent.
Finn kissed the side of his head, lingering and gentle. âI've got the room key. Let's go get our sunshine.â
***
Leo squeezed his knees closer to himself in the cold hallway. He didn't know which floor he was on, one of the top ones. The hallway had ended in a T, with no rooms on either side, just big windows with a nice view of the city.
Leo sat against the opposite wall, gazing at the lights below him. He imagined he could hear and see people laughing, friends dancing, couples kissing. He wondered if there was anyone else like him, but happier; someone who was in love with two people, but actually had them. He could imagine dancing like that with Finn and Logan: Finn at his back, his chin on Leo's shoulder, arms around Leo's waist; Logan against Leo's chest, smiling up at him, his hands resting on the back of Leo's neck, maybe one in his hair. He closed his eyes as a sharp pain ran through his chest. He felt a tear escape.Â
âFuck,â he whispered. He pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes. âOh, fuck.â
How could he have been so careless, so stupid? He thought of Finn's horrified face and the fact that Logan definitely knew by now. If they hadn't confessed their feelings to one another, they certainly had after that display, and Leo would never forgive himself if he was the cause of such an emotional and difficult conversation. Coming out was hard enough on its own, but coming out to your best friend? The one you were in love with? Leo could barely imagine that talk they were probably still having without feeling a weight settle in his gut. He'd caused that. And now he was making their lives more difficult, and the whole team saw them run out, and Leo didn't know what to do. He really didn't know what to do.
He sat there shaking for he didn't know how long, blankly staring at the lights of the city. It was almost calming; peaceful, even, save for the rapid rhythm of his beating heart. He pressed a hand to his chest and closed his eyes.
Suddenly, behind him, he heard some frantic whispers.
âI don't know, Lo, we've looked everywhere.â
âCherchez-en devantage, encore une fois.â
âI don't speak French.â
âLook again.â
âI'm trying!â
Leo clenched his teeth, eyes widening. He quickly but quietly shuffled his way to the corner, trying to remain out of sight, but he knew he was a sitting duck. He only hoped they gave up before they found him.
What would he even say if they did? I'm in love with you, but you're in love with each other. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I'll leave you be.
No, he couldn't do that. He wasn't strong enough to do that, to let them go completely, nor to ruin a friendship like that that was so intertwined with love and lust and laughter and life- a friendship that had bones, that had history. Leo bit his lip once again at the tears that threatened to claim his vision.
âLe?â
Leo sighed heavily and turned his head. When he opened his eyes, he found Finn and Logan looking at him carefully. Their hands were intertwined.
âHi,â he said. His voice was rough, even to his own ears. âHi.â
He saw Logan squeeze Finn's hand and let go. He came to sit beside Leo, criss-crossed and facing him. He was wearing Leo's sweatshirt. If this ended poorly, Leo didn't know if he'd want Logan to keep it or to keep it himself and smell Logan's scent guiltily every time he wore it. He looked so cozy.Â
âĂa va?â
Leo just blinked at him. Logan sighed, dropping his head down to look at his fingers, which he was twiddling in his lap.
Finn came to sit across from them both, back against the window. His eyes were soft. âHow long have you known?â
Leo shrugged. He looked out past Finn's shoulder at the city lights. âSince you came home from that run. In the freezing rain, and I had to undress you and put you in the shower.â
âQuoi?â Logan asked.
Finn's cheeks were flushed. âYou and I were supposed to go to lunch. But you went home with a girl from the bar the night before and then I didn't hear from you the next day.â He shrugged. âI needed to think, so I ran. It was cold and wet.â
Logan looked at him so sadly it was breaking Leo's heart. âRougeâŠâ
Leo's stomach jolted. A nickname. A sweet one. Red. So they'd obviously figured themselves out.
Finn nudged Logan's thigh with his socked foot. He was wearing Logan's sweatshirt and sweatpants, Leo realized. âIt doesn't matter now.â He looked to Leo. âAnd Logan's? How'd you find out?â
Leo turned back to look out the window. He smiled sadly. âWe had a pillow fight in our hotel room. Logan's boxers slid down and his sweatshirt rode up, and, wellâŠâ He looked to Finn. âHe asked if I knew if what I wanted was right in front of me, but if I still missed it.â He bit his lip as his eyes watered. âThat's when I knew he was in love with you.â
Finn was looking with wide eyes at Logan, who was in turn looking intently at Leo. âYou knew?â
Leo sniffled. âOf course I knew. Y'all think you're discreet, but you're not.â
Finn nudged him with his toe. âSo if you knew, why didn't you say anything? About you.â
âI couldn't do that to you,â Leo said. He put his hands over his eyes. âFuck, I couldn't do that to you. Your love radiates off of you, and I just figured- I just figured I was the universe's backup. If you didn't get together, one of you would find me.â
âQuoi?â Logan asked. âLeo.â
Leo groaned and buried his face in his knees. âNot everyone ends up with their soul mate. My grandma's died when they were teenagers, and my grandpa didn't have one. But they loved each other, and were happy, and I-â He felt his throat closing up. âI had to care about you enough to let you go.â
He heard Logan take in a sharp breath beside him. âNon. Non, Leo.â He knelt up and wrapped an arm around Leo's upper back, pressing his forehead to the back of Leo's curls. âLeo, non. Non, it doesn't have to be like that.â
âI told you it can be, Lo,â Leo said. âThat night. With the pillow fight. You're supposed to be with Finn, and I'm supposed to let you go.â
âYou are not supposed to do anything like that, Leo.â Finn's voice was thick with tears. âWhy would you say that?â
Leo sat up. Logan shifted back, but their thighs were still pressed together. âI didn't want to wreck you. You have history, years of it, and I owed it to you to let you figure out your feelings on your own time.â He looked between them. âEveryone deserves that. I'm sorry if I forced you to do that today.â
They both softened at that and looked at each other briefly. Finn shifted over to the side to be more squarely in front of Leo. He leaned forward and took Leo's hands in his own. They were shaking. âWe already knew.â
Leo sat up straighter. âWhat?â
Logan rested his chin on Leo's shoulder, hand rubbing at his lower back. âOuais, we figured it out years ago. We just hadn't met you yet.â
At Leo's still-confused look, Finn began to speak again. âIt was after Logan scored a hatty in the Beanpot Semis, my junior year. We won, and he stayed late for interviews.â
âOuais,â Logan said. âNobody was there, in the locker room, so I took my covering off to go shower.â He let out a laugh. âFinn walked in and saw my mark.â
Leo hummed. âAnd what happened?â
Finn smiled. âI freaked out, Logan followed me to the locker room. Long story short, I showed him mine, we kissed, we got interrupted. We kissed a few more times before I left. We didn't talk about it, not until the day I came to Gryff. But we knew.â
âWhat we couldn't figure out,â Logan said. âWas you.â He sighed heavily. âFish tried to talk to me, the day he left. But I told him to look for whoever else was for him- for us. Someone who deserved him.â
Leo touched their temples together. âBut you do.â
He could feel Loganâs smile. âOuais, I know that now.â He shifted, wrapping his arm fully around Leoâs waist. âBut I didn't know how to make how I felt work with hockey. With our dream.â
âWhat changed?â
âYou did, sunshine.â
Leo looked at Finn. He let out a surprised laugh. âWhat?â
Finn smiled at him. âSunshine. It's what weâre calling you.â
âSoleil,â Logan corrected.
âWell I'm not French, am I?â
âNeither am I! Canada's different.â
Finn rolled his eyes playfully. âAnyways.â He reached out to pluck at one of Leoâs curls. âYou came along and made us realize that avoiding what we desired was silly. And that there was so much more to want. To love.â
Leo closed his eyes briefly in a slow blink. His heart was pounding.âReally?â
âOuais, soleil,â Logan whispered. âItâs because of you.â
Leo nodded. âAnd are you okay? You figured yourselves out?â
Finn laughed. âYeah, literally, like, a half hour ago. We kissed, we talked a bit, whatever.â He brought Leoâs hands to his mouth and kissed them. âBut then we came looking for you.â
Leo felt his heart kick. âYou did?â
âDon't be surprised,â Logan said. âWe want you. We love you.â He touched just behind Leoâs ear. âYouâre ours. Our soul mate.â
Finn reached one hand out to brush Leoâs jaw. âDo you want that, sunshine?â
Leo closed his eyes again. He felt the heat of their bodies beside him, the softness of their skin. Loganâs nose was pressed to his jaw, obviously impatiently waiting, and Finnâs thumb was tracing soft patterns on his skin. They were handsome, and kind, and good- and Leo was so in love with them.
âYeah,â he said. He opened his eyes and caught Finnâs gaze. âI do.â
âLeo,â Logan whispered beside him. He nudged at Leoâs cheek, obviously asking. âLeo, je tâaime.â
Leo smiled and turned into him. âI love you.â And then Logan was kissing him.
It was the most gentle kiss Leo had ever received. Loganâs lips were warm and soft, softer than anything Leo had touched, and he kissed like he moved through life: a fierce, focused intensity that burned Leo up from the inside. He started out slow, then peaked with faster, deeper, rougher presses, his hand coming up to grip Leoâs hair, then settled again when Leo rubbed his hip, right over the soul mark. Logan fell against his chest a little. When Leo pulled away, Logan let himself go completely, his head resting on Leoâs shoulder, eyes closed. He looked like he was about to fall asleep.
Finn was looking them both up and down. His pupils were a little blown. When he caught Leo watching, he smiled. âI would like to record that and put it on a loop to watch forever, please and thank you.â
Leo laughed a little, felt Logan do the same, before he slouched back against the wall. Logan was gripping the fabric of his Lions sweatshirt lightly in between his fingers. They both looked at Finn softly as he got himself onto his knees and leaned forward with a smile.
âI love you,â Finn whispered.Â
Leo could count each one of his freckles. âI love you, too.â
Finn kissed like he moved through life, too, but it was different than Logan. Finn was motivated by a goal, directing Leo into exactly what he wanted, somehow. He gripped Leoâs jaw gently and firmly at the same time, Leo helpless to do anything but accept what he was given. Leo sighed heavily. Finn kissed him deeper still, and Logan began to kiss up Leoâs neck and jaw. Leo whined, pulling back to catch his breath. âFuck.â
Finn raised his eyebrows. âMaybe later.â
Leo laughed and rested his head against the wall behind him. âNo, our first time will not be in a hotel. I still smell like chlorine.â
Finn let out a huff through his nose. âThen when will it be? I've gotta mark my calendar, clear my schedule.â
Leo bit his lip around a grin. âIn your bed. If you want.â
Finn sucked in a breath. His ears were bright red, and Logan reached up to thumb the shell of one. âOh, I so want.â
âOuais,â Logan said. He pulled Finn down into a kiss. Leo loved how they looked together. âBut now we sleep.â
âWhere?â Leo asked.
Logan hummed. âMy bed. It's the closest to the door.â
Leo snorted. âNot by much, sweetheart.â
Logan just sighed happily again and snuggled further into Leoâs body. Leo kissed the top of his head. Finn was looking at them both fondly.
âSo,â he said. âDoes this mean weâre in love? Weâre doing this?â
Leo smiled at him and nodded. âYeah. Yeah, weâre doing this.â
Finnâs expression was nothing short of elated. âFuck yes.â He leaned down to kiss them both hard. âBest day ever.â
Leo and Logan both laughed. Leo held out a hand. âHelp us up, OâHara.â
Finn grasped onto each of their hands, pulling them from the floor and towards him. When they stood, Leo tried to walk down the hallway, but Finn tugged him back. âWait.â His eyes, when they met Leo's, were serious. âI just want you to know how much we want this, Le. You aren't some- some âthirdâ in a relationship already involving the two of us. You're not a second choice.â
Logan nodded, stepping into Leo's space. âOuais, mon coeur. We're equal- all of us, or nothing.â
Leo took them both in for a second. Finn, with his gentleness and his heart on his sleeve; Logan, with his firm, yet loving, touches and the obvious desire and want that was constantly simmering under his skin. They were looking at Leo like he was everything. Leo didn't know what to do with that quite yet, but he figured telling them how he felt was as good a start as any.
âI want you, too,â he said. He cleared his throat. âWhen I- when I said I was letting you go, it wasn't because I didn't love you. Or because I didn't want you. I just⊠I thought loving you would cause you more pain when you were obviously already hurting for each other.â
Logan shook his head firmly. âNon.â He leaned up and kissed Leo. âNon, we love each other because we love you.â
Finn nodded, kissing the back of Leo's hand. âYou helped us find you and each other, baby. No take backs, okay?â
Leo nodded, smiling with a blush. âOkay.â He stepped forward a bit to bring them closer together. Logan rested his head on Leo's collarbone, and Leo touched his and Finn's temples together. âLet's go to bed.â
Finn nodded. âMhm. Sleepy time.â He kissed Leo quickly, then ducked to kiss Logan's cheek. âBut mark your calendars. My mattress, as soon as that plane lands tomorrow.âÂ
Leo laughed, and Logan made a happy sound into the fabric of his sweatshirt. âSure thing Harz,â Leo said. âI'll rearrange my schedule.â
âYou fucking better. C'mon, let's go.â
They walked back to the room, Finn holding each of their hands tightly even in the stairwell, which was a little logistically difficult, but they managed. They each took turns showering to get the chlorine off, Finn swiping Logan's toothbrush with a smirk. Logan just rolled his eyes and kissed him.Â
Leo came back from his shower to find them both huddled in Logan's hotel bed. Logan still had Leo's sweatshirt on with the hood pulled up, his hair fluffing out in the front as he laughed at something Finn said. Finn was straddling Logan's thighs and talking about something- what, Leo didn't know. Finn talked a lot.
When they heard him come through the doorway, they both looked at him and smiled widely. Finn swung his leg over Logan's hips to settle on the bed. He patted the space in between them. âC'mere, sunshine baby.â
Leo knelt on the end of the mattress and crawled to them. âIs that my new name?â
Finn nodded excitedly. âAmong others. I'm workshopping a few. How do you feel about lovernut?â
Leo laughed as he settled onto his back. âWhatever you want, honey.â
Finn smiled at the pet name and leaned in to press kisses to Leo's cheeks. âYou're so sweet.â
âOui,â Logan agreed. He grunted and rolled over to flop on top of Leo with a content sigh.Â
Finn tapped his butt hard. âI knew you'd be a koala, you youngest-of-four baby.â
Logan just peeked out at him. âShould I not?â
âNo,â Leo said. He kissed Logan's curls. âWherever you want to sleep, sweetheart, it's okay.â
Logan bit his lip innocently and continued to roll- right in between the two of them. He pressed his nose into Leo's neck. âMm, c'est chaud ici.â
Finn scoffed. âI thought Leo was in the middle.â
Logan just reached back for Finn's arm. âIci, rouge.â
Finn melted a little bit. âFine. Fine, but we have to take turns, okay? Gotta try out all the positions.â
Leo laughed. He reached across Logan's body to brush Finn's hair out of his face. âYou just can't help yourself, can you?â
Finn kissed his palm. âNo. I'm telling you, it's all I'm going to be thinking about.â He settled down, throwing an arm and a leg across their bodies. âI love you.â
Leo smiled. âI love you.â
âSleep.â
Finn bit at Logan's jaw. âSay it back, you grump.â
Leo felt Logan's smile against the skin of his neck. Logan kissed his soul mark. âI love you,â he whispered. âI love you, I love you, I love you.â
your writing is getting me through finals weeks rnâŠwhich leads me to a prompt of one of the cubs being stressed with comfort from the other two, could be work related, could be not, whatever you want!!
I hope you are having lovely holidays/vacations! Sorry for the delay in posting- I was hiking for a few days and had limited WiFi, but I am BACK!! I have SO much written so please be prepared to be bombarded with some Cubs, and please keep sending in prompts! This blog is as much for you as it is for me, so whatever visions of stories you have, please send me an ask!
Without further ado, some lovely Cubs! This is an official F-YOU to the US visa process and the fact that polygamy is not legal in this country. We should always be hoping and pushing for a better, more inclusive, and more intersectional future! Credits to @lumosinlove ! <3
P.S. I hope your finals went well!! Sending you love, friend!!
Logan Tremblay did not consider himself a highly stressed out person. There really wasnât anything for him to stress over, at least not anything physical or superficial. He was lucky, he knew that, one of the last people to want for anything. And any sort of stress, really, was always tied to hockey, which he was grateful for.
The U.S. Visas and Immigration process, however, was enough to cause a lifetime of stress for just about anybody. Or so he reckoned.
âMerde,â he muttered under his breath. Every Google search, every document he found on his hard drive made him more confused. âShit.â
Finnâs voice called out to him from their bedroom, the sound of footsteps echoing through the halls as he approached the living room where Logan was sat. âLo, baby, have you seen my purple sweater? I was going to wear it for dinner with- oh. Oh, sweetheart, whatâs wrong?âÂ
Logan looked up at his husband with a pinch between his brows. âJust looking at visa stuff.â
A confused expression washed over Finnâs face. âWhat are you doing that for?â He came up behind the couch and put a hand on Loganâs shoulder. âBut, youâre on the professional athletes, visa, right? So weâve got nothing to worry about.â
âNon, but when I- when I stop, we will,â Logan said.Â
âWhat do you mean?â
Logan sighed. âI wonât be able to stay here without a green card. So Iâll need to get a visa.â
âOh,â Finn said with a breath. âOh, that makes sense.â
Logan flipped through another folder on his hard drive. âMais, I have all the documents my parents and I used for my student visa. But a lot has changed since then, and the student visa is different- Iâm just not sure what to do, really.â He rubbed a hand over his face. His head was killing him. âIâll figure it out, donât worry, rouge.âÂ
Logan turned back to his computer, squinting his eyes against the glare of the screen. He didnât want to even think about retiring from hockey at the moment, but he knew it was coming in the next few years. They wanted to settle down a bit, be together more- hockey had been a part of their relationship for almost ten years, since the very beginning. And now that Logan and Leo were both with the Lions, spending all his time back in Gryffindor had Logan thinking of the future more often than not. If they had a house, a pet, a child or two (or more), he wanted to be present and not be worried about the legalities. The route to get there, however, looked more complicated than he had originally thought.
All of the legal English was starting to tire his brain, and he blinked hard before letting out a sigh. He jumped when he felt a hand card through his hair, and looked up to find Finn just watching him. Heâd gotten better, over the years, at letting Logan come to him with words. Sometimes, though, Logan still wanted him to push. âQuoi, rouge? Tell me.â
âI justâŠâ Finn started. He huffed and came around to sit beside Logan and look at the computer. âI guess I just hadnât really thought about it, is all. That youâre not a U.S. citizen.â
âNon,â Logan said. He pressed a kiss to Finnâs cheek. âBut itâll be fine. Iâll figure it out.â
âLo-â
âI will, I promise,â he interrupted. Logan felt so unlike himself, so restless and jumpy, and he could see concern written all over Finnâs face. He set the laptop down on the table. âIâll find a professional to help me, or Iâm sure the NHL has someone-â
âWhatâs going on?âÂ
Logan and Finn both jumped at Leoâs voice. He, too, came and sat down on Loganâs other side, arm around the back of the couch. He smiled at them, then took a glance at the computer, and the smile immediately faded. Logan didnât like when it did that.
âWhatâs going on, honey?â
Logan leaned a head on Leoâ shoulder and sighed. âVisa. Iâll need one when Iâm done with hockey.â
âOh,â Leo said, in the same way Finn had. âWell, that⊠that makes sense, I guess.â Leo turned to look down. âWhatâs the face for, Lo? Everything alright?â
Logan nodded. âOuais. Ouais, itâs justâŠâ He paused, taking Finnâs hand and pushing harder into Leoâs shoulder. âI could do the green card, I think, but I donât know where to start, and not all my student visa stuff can be used. OrâŠâ
Leo nudged him gently. âWhat is it?â
Logan could barely stand looking at Finnâs brown eyes. âOr I marry one of you.â
Finnâs eyes flashed to his wedding and engagement ring, confused for a moment. Logan watched the realization dawn on his face. It looked exactly how Logan felt- happy and guilty at the same time, wanting it with everything he had, and yet knowing that it wasnât fair.Â
Based on Leoâs sharp inhale, he had realized as well. âYou marry⊠one of us.â
âOuais,â Logan whispered.Â
Finn groaned, pitching forward to press his forehead into Loganâs. âI hate that. I hate that.â
âOuais, me too,â Logan said shakily. All of a sudden, tears pressed at the edges of his eyes. âI-I donât like that we arenât legally married. That we canât be.â He looked at the computer screen, the words tumbling from his mouth uncharacteristically. âI donât want to have to make that choice. I hate that thatâs an option, for me to stay with you, but to choose one of you. And then if we want children- I donât want just one of you, I want both-â His voice broke over his words and he groaned as the tears fell.
âWhoa, whoa, hey,â Leo hushed him gently. âHey, hey, sweetheart, itâs okay.â
âNon, non itâs not, Le. I wonât do that to you-â
But Leo just wrapped his arms around him, pulling him back against his chest. Logan fell, burying his face in the crook of Leoâs elbow. Finn gasped tearily, too, their temples touching gently. Logan was shaking now, sobs wracking through his body. It was stress, it was anger, it was sadness at the thought that the world wanted him to choose between things he physically couldnât. It was the fact that it took him so long to get here, to accept the fact he wanted not just one boy, but two, to be comfortable loving them in the open, letting them love him in private, letting himself love them in private. Logan couldnât help the sounds that left his mouth, desperate and wet and frustrated as he fell apart in his husbandsâ arms. He could feel Leoâs chest shaking underneath him, Finnâs wet skin as he brushed their cheeks together. It brought a new wave of emotion over him, and he gripped Leoâs forearm hard.
âOh, Lo,â Leo said softly. âOh, sweetheart, Iâm so sorry.â
âCe n'est pas juste-â
âSh, sh, I know. I know, itâs not fair.â
They sat there and rocked him gently for what felt like hours. They would periodically press soft kisses to his skin, always gentle, always loving. Logan closed his eyes, almost sleepy in Leoâs hold as he let his head fall heavy against Leoâs body. Leo just squeezed him tighter.
âLogan,â Finn said quietly. âLogan, look at me baby.â
Logan lifted his head from his nook for Finn to take between his palms. To his surprise, Finn was smiling at him.Â
âItâs going to be okay,â he said. âIf you had to- if you had to legally marry one of us, that doesnât mean you love the other any less, okay? We know that, baby. You promised us forever, you donât get to take it back now.â
Logan made a whining, desperate noise in the back of his throat. âNon, Fish-â
âNo, Lo, listen to me.â Finn got his knees under himself to sit up. He looked at Leo briefly before turning back to Logan. âIf we want all of those things- the house, the kids- we need to make that decision, yes. But right now, for this particular thing, we donât have to do it if you donât want to. Okay?â
âYeah,â Leo agreed gently. âWe can ask for an advisor, we can first try to do it without the whole legal marriage thing.â Leo kissed his head. âBut if we had to, at some point, we would talk about it, okay? And itâd all be fine.â
But Logan still couldnât be convinced, and another sob fell from his mouth. âIâm so sorry, Iâm making this hard for you-â
âNo,â Finn said firmly. âNo, you are not. Do you hear me? Okay, listen, Lo. Both of you, listen, please.â He gripped Loganâs cheeks and pressed a hard kiss to his mouth, then to Leoâs. His eyes were firm and loving, and so fiery it was burning Logan up. âI waited for so long to be had by the both of you, even when I didnât want it, even when I didnât know it. It was always going to be us because we are supposed to be together forever, do you hear me? Forever.â He laughed, but he was crying slightly, too. âWe are married, point blank, period. That piece of paper would be a law, nothing more. And I know that means itâs significant, I donât want you to think I donât know that.â He sighed, cupping Loganâs jaw with one hand and reaching up with the other to tangle in Leoâs hair. âBut that does not change how much I love you, nor how much you love me, okay? Thatâs whatâs important, that we love each other, and I would choose this life with you over and over again if I could, do you understand? Without a second thought, I would choose the both of you.â
âMe, too,â Leo whispered. Logan tilted his head enough to look at his face, blue eyes lined with red from his tears but not any less beautiful. âYou both are everything, and I- I wonât let you go.â He let out a shaky breath and dipped his nose into Loganâs hair, eyes trained on Finn. âIâm not letting you go.â
âNot in a million years, sunshine,â Finn said. He leaned in to kiss Leo gently. âMy sunshine baby.â
âNotre soleil.â
Finn ducked down to smile at Logan. âYouâre right. Our sunshine.â He breathed deeply. âAnd youâre ours, too, okay? And Iâm yours. Iâm all yours, totally, completely yours. You both have me.â He kissed Loganâs forehead gently. âSo we are going to figure this out, okay, baby? We will talk to someone, make a plan for the next few years.â Logan felt him smile against his skin. âAnd maybe we make a plan for the few years after that. Tiny human plans.â
Leo laughed. âOuais. Tiny human plans.â
Logan hummed. âI like tiny humans.â
âI know you do,â Finn said with a chuckle. âA tiny baby girl, Lo, howâs that sound?â
Leo snorted. âWe donât get to choose their gender.â
âI know,â Finn nodded. His eyes were twinkling. âI just have a feeling.â
âI donât care who they are,â Logan sighed contentedly. âI just want to love them.â He settled back into Leo and leaned into Finnâs hand that was still cradling his face. âI love you.â
âLove you,â Leo replied. âI love you so much.â
âForever,â Finn said. He kissed them gently. âI love you forever, and one more forever as well.â He leaned back and slapped his hands against his knees, looking at Loganâs computer on the coffee table. âNow, letâs see what weâre dealing with.â
And in Leoâs warm embrace, with Finnâs chatter in his ear, Logan closed his eyes and tried to imagine a future. A future tomorrow, a future in ten years, a distant future in thirty. And in every single one, the brightest thing he could imagine was that he was in love; deeply, madly, free-fall love with his husbands for forever. He smiled- and, he decided, one more forever, too
If you don't know how to do a life skill, like cooking, then you should learn so your partner can have a break. At least, that's what Logan and Finn did. And they're getting there, in time. Leo just loves that they try for him, in all their honest, loving chaos. :)
Enjoy our Lovernut getting a little break and being treated with some high-end breakfast for dinner!! All credits to @lumosinlove !!
âOi,â Finn said. âWatch it with the whisk, Tremblay.â
âNon, you watch it,â Logan retorted. âI need space, allez.â
âThere is no more space, and Iâm the one with the butter you need, anyways.â
Logan grumbled in French, but pressed a kiss to Finnâs shoulder and moved out of the way.
Leo smiled from his spot on the couch. It was mid-October, the air crisp and cool for the start of his second season as a Lion. They had had a light morning practice and were sent home with instructions for an âactive rest dayâ before their crazy schedule the following week; Logan and Finn had surprised him, insisting that they could make a ânice homemade meal, sunshineâ and he could have a day off. The sentiment was nice, Leo thought, but the execution was- questionable.
âCan I please come see what youâre doing?â he called.
âNo!â came Finnâs voice. âSit there and look gorgeous, please. Weâll be done soon.â
âSeriously,â Leo said, making a move to get up. âItâs alright, I can help you-â
âNon,â Logan said. He jogged around the counter and into the living room, sitting heavily down in Leoâs lap. Leo fell back onto the couch with an oof and gripped Loganâs hips. âNon, now you canât move.â
Leo raised his eyebrows. âYou do realize I could just pick you-â
But Logan interrupted him with a hard kiss. âDistract.â
âWait, thatâs not fair,â Finn whined. âI canât even watch.â
âBetter hurry up then, Harz,â Logan retorted. He was leaning in to Leo once more.Â
Finn huffed, but Leo heard him turn back to whatever he was doing in the kitchen. Logan kissed Leo slowly and sloppily with his hands in Leoâs hair. Leo melted back into the couch cushions and sighed against Logan's mouth. He couldn't remember the last time they'd done this- kissed languidly, no pressure, no running around to games. Leo ran his hands up Loganâs warm back and held him gently. He pressed his hands lower, directing Loganâs body towards him, and felt Logan relax and fall forward just a bit. Logan sighed and pulled away slowly. His eyes were closed and his face was relaxed, his body going slightly limp in Leoâs arms. Leo coaxed him to rest his head on his shoulder, tucked against one another like two puzzle pieces. Loganâs breath was hot on Leoâs neck and his hands gentle in Leoâs hair.Â
âAw, I like this,â came Finnâs voice from behind them. He came around into Leoâs field of vision and lean down to run a hand up and down Loganâs back and place a kiss to his cheek. âHello, lovers.â
Leo smiled. âYouâve got to stop calling us that, or people are going to get some weird ideas about our relationship.â
Finn grinned back and kissed his forehead. âLet them. Theyâre just jealous âcause Iâve got two gorgeous boys to cuddle when we go to sleep.â
Leo let out a satisfied sound and closed his eyes when Logan scratched his fingers through his scalp. Logan was still heavy in his lap but leaned his head back to kiss at Finnâs jaw gently. âSalut, rouge.â
âHi baby,â Finn said, gazing at Logan adoringly. âYou hungry?â
âOuais,â Logan replied. He leaned back and stretched his arms above his hands, and Leo placed his hands on Loganâs ribs. It made Logan smile and squint at him through his stretch. âSoleil?â
âYeah, Iâm hungry,â Leo said. He patted Loganâs thighs. âTime to see what catastrophe awaits me in my kitchen.â
âOur kitchen,â Finn said.Â
Leo laughed and reached a hand up to brush through Finnâs hair. âYou might help pay for it, but how much do you actually use it, sweetheart?â
Finn scoffed but kissed his palm. âYou ungrateful little peanut.â But he tugged at Leoâs hand insistently. âUp, letâs go. Donât want it to get cold.â
Logan stood up with a grunt and Finn pulled Leo up from the couch with a short kiss. He ushered Leo onto a stool by the counter beside Logan, then scurried around to grab some plates. Leo furrowed his eyebrows with an amused expression. âEgg sandwiches?â
Finn scoffed. âNot just any egg sandwiches, lovernut. These egg sandwiches are special.â
âOh?â Leo asked with a smile. âDo tell.â
âFirst,â Finn said, counting on his fingers. âLogan and I found the nice eggs from the farm stand that you like.â
âOuais,â Logan nodded, resting his head on Leoâs shoulder. âMs. Adeline says hi.â
âRight,â Finn continued. âSo, fresh eggs. Scrambled with water and butter, so theyâre fluffy, of course. Next, weâve got tomatoes, arugula, and bacon. And everything is on a fresh bagel from the bakery down the street.â
âAnd,â Logan said. âYours has that nice hot sauce that you brought from New Orleans.â
âYup,â Finn agreed. Then his eyes lit up. âOh! And we roasted and seasoned potatoes, like you taught us, Le.â He surveyed his handy work before looking up at Leo. âGood?â
But Leo was already smiling, so hard his cheeks hurt. âThank you.â He laughed and turned to kiss Loganâs cheek hard, then reached across the counter to cup Finnâs face and kiss him, too. âThank you. I love you. I love you so much.â
He could feel Loganâs grin against his shoulder and watched Finnâs from across him, his teeth flashing white against his freckled face. He looked pleased. âWell,â he said, his eyes flashing to Logan. âWe love you, too. You always take care of us so good, and we just- wanted to return the favor, letâs say.â
âDâaccord,â Logan said. He nudged Leoâs cheek with his nose. âEssayez-le.â
Leo picked up the sandwich and took a bite, then speared a potato and popped one into his mouth. He hummed, his eyes crinkling, and swallowed. âItâs good. Itâs really good, thank you, sweethearts.â
âYou hear that, Lo?â Finn jested. âFinally got something Knu-pproved.â
Leo rolled his eyes. âItâs not gonna catch on, Fish.â
Finn shrugged and took a bite of his own sandwich. âYou donât know that.â He nodded his head with wide eyes and turned to Logan. âYou know, we didnât do a bad job.â
âNon,â Logan agreed. He dove in for some more of his own sandwich. âItâs actually pretty good.â
Leo snorted. âShould I be concerned about the surprise in your voices?â
âSh,â Logan hushed, but he was smiling. He kissed Leoâs shoulder. âEat your sandwich, soleil.
Just for the joy of writing! She/her đłïžâđ
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