Sometimes long distance is about the little things. And sometimes it's about the big things. But it's ALWAYS about showing up in any way you can when your partners, or partner, need you. Have some angsty, fluffy, and in-love long-distance boys. All credits to @lumosinlove :)
Leo had had a bad day, and just needed something to make him feel better. Actually, it had been a bad week, or two, if he was being honest with himself. The days were short, in December, and every day he woke up to darkness and left the rink looking at the stars. Logan loved it, the cold, the obscurity, the significant lack of thunderstorms- but Logan was in New York, not here where Leo and Finn wanted him. They had barely been able to fit in a visit two weeks ago during the Thanksgiving holidays, and they wouldn’t get a chance before Christmas, which would still only be for a few days. They had played the Rangers in October and weren’t playing them again until mid-February, and it was in these cold moments, especially, that Leo felt Logan’s absence acutely, that he missed his New Orleans house more and more with each passing day of snow and little light.
He was standing at the stove, making some butternut squash soup. Not exactly on the preapproved meal plan, and it definitely didn’t have enough protein for professional athletes, but it was warm and aromatic, and he had just put some homemade sourdough bread in the oven to bake for the second time out of its Dutch oven. He had scored it with a little design, the classic line down the middle and the leaf pattern, but also with three little birds, like sketched seagulls, in the top left corner. Leo guessed that his longing even translated into his cooking.
Finn came out of the bedroom just then, walking to the door to put his shoes on. He always looked so good in the winter, with his long buttoned coats and dark pants, boots, scarf, and beanie. More often than not, too, he wore his glasses in the winter. He looked so cozy, and so gorgeous all the time it was sometimes difficult for Logan and Leo to concentrate when they went out into the city together. Now, he was also bearing a little bit of winter scruff, just a day or so worth, and if Leo hadn’t been so tired and sad, he would have asked him to dance in the kitchen just to be close to him for a little while under the soft lights.
Patting his pockets for his belongings, Finn looked up at him. “I’m going to the pharmacy, sunshine, gotta pick up some more tape for my thigh. Can’t go running without it, Layla said, after last game’s strain.” He walked over, putting his arms around Leo’s waist. “Need anything while I’m out, baby?
Leo just shook his head, biting his lip and looking to the soup he was stirring on the stove.
Finn looked at him with a furrowed brow. His voice was hesitant but gentle when he spoke. “Peanut, what’s wrong? You’ve been… upset lately.”
Leo lifted his gaze as Finn reached a hand to cup his neck. “Just sad, I guess. It’s dark, and it’s cold, and I miss my parent’s house, and I… I really miss Logan.”
Finn’s shoulders sagged and he looked at Leo sympathetically. “I know, baby. God, I know it’s hard.” He let out a sharp breath. “And I know it doesn’t help to say that we’ll see him in a few weeks when he’s not waking up in our bed every other day.” He kissed Leo. “How about you finish your soup, yeah? Lo said he has a late practice, but we can call him after and cuddle in bed. I’ll read to you both, how does that sound?”
Leo nodded, trying to be strong, but his voice came out small. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”
Finn just drew him in. “Oh, baby.” He kissed Leo’s forehead firmly. “You want me to stay? I don’t have to go to the pharmacy, I can go without running tomorrow.”
Leo shook his head. “No, no, go. I’ll be okay for a bit. Just…” Leo glanced down at him. “Hurry back?”
Finn nodded and kissed him firmly, then softly, holding Leo there by his cheeks. “I love you, Le, baby. So does Lo.”
“Love you,” Leo said. “I love you.”
With one last kiss, Finn pulled away and opened the door. As he closed it behind him, he kissed his fingers and flashed them at Leo. Leo felt his mouth tug to the side, but as soon as the click of the lock sounded, he sighed and turned back his soup. The timer went off for the bread, and after determining the crust good enough, he put it on a rack to cool for a bit before he would slice it and toast it for their dinner. Then, he set about cleaning up what he could of the kitchen before Finn got home, turning on the kettle to make a cup of tea.
As he stood at the counter, closer to the residual warmth of the slowly cooling stove, sipping his mint tea, his eye caught on the picture frames by the door. The largest was of them in the locker room after the Stanley Cup win with the Lions, Finn kissing Leo’s cheek as Logan and Leo looked at each other. Logan had his arms wrapped around Leo’s waist, backwards champion hat on his head keeping his long hair out of his face. He was smiling so widely at Leo, having said something to make Leo blush and Finn coo, leaning in to wetly press his lips Leo’s skin just as someone had clicked the camera. Leo remembered feeling invincible in that moment. He had proven himself, his first NHL season, but more than that he was so high on being in love with his two boys that it had overshadowed their Cup victory. He knew he wouldn’t have felt that happy to win if Logan and Finn hadn’t been right beside him.
Below that photo, though, there was a newer one, taken on their most recent trip to Nice, to Logan’s mother’s childhood home that she shared with her brother. It was of the three of them on the beach. Thomas and Noelle had been staying at the same time, and had suggested going down to the ocean for sunset in the boiling French evening. Never one to turn down the opportunity to see his boys by the water, Logan had gifted them new swimsuits with a sly little grin on his face. They had been almost two small to wear in public, Leo had thought, but Thomas had taken one look at the three of them, wolf whistled, said something about inseam length, and that had sealed their fate.
They had gone to the beach in their new swimsuits, definitely drawing eyes. One particular group of girls had really gotten along with Finn, which had definitely made Logan prickly; but what had actually made him snap was a tall, dark, and handsome French man coming to flirt with Leo while he and Finn had been reading on their towels. Logan, having just gotten back with Noelle and Thomas from finding some fruity, alcoholic drink, had seen the man looking Leo’s sun-tanned body up and down and immediately given his drink to Thomas to hold. Rushing over, he gave the man a glare and plopped himself right down on Leo’s lap, grabbing his shoulders and kissing him deeply. When he pulled away after an indecent amount of time, the man was gone and Finn was laughing beside them. Logan had just scowled, pulling him in to be kissed hard as well.
In that moment, Leo had watched them, in the light that was just beginning to set over the Mediterranean, and thought how he had probably seen nothing more beautiful. Finn had pulled away laughing, pinching Logan’s side and making him smirk, then smile sheepishly with a blush. With a shout from Noelle, they’d all turned, Logan moving slightly sideways in Leo’s lap and Finn’s head resting on Leo’s shoulder, to smile for the camera. That was the last time Leo had remembered feeling truly warm before coming back to not only play ice hockey again, but to see Logan off to New York for another season.
He didn’t know how much time he had spent staring at the photographs, but his tea had gone cold in his hands. Sighing, he put the kettle on to boil more water, even if only to pour into a mug to hold. He checked his watch. Finn had been gone for a long time, longer than a trip to the pharmacy required. He tapped at his phone screen, but there were no new messages. He supposed Finn had just gone to another store, maybe to get some more dirt for their windowsill garden. They were running out of soil.
Just as he was pouring his second mug of tea, the sound of keys scratching at the door reverberated through the apartment. Leo closed his eyes and sighed, grateful for the time alone, but desperately wanting to collapse into Finn’s arms. He would understand the ache Leo felt in Logan’s absence more than anyone.
He was just finishing adding honey to his tea, about to turn to the stove again to heat up the soup for dinner, when footsteps echoed as they walked through the door.
“Bonjour, soleil.”
Leo’s head snapped up. There, standing in front of him, was Logan, smiling widely. He had one of his hand’s laced with Finn’s, who was also grinning at Leo and carrying Logan’s bag, and was dressed in one of Leo’s sweatshirts and Adidas pants. He looked a bit tired, a Rangers hat on his head to tame what were undoubtedly his wild mid-season waves. Leo thought he’d never looked more gorgeous, waiting for him with Finn in the light of their apartment. “Oh.”
Logan took a step forward, and that was all it took for Leo to meet him the rest of the way, arms wrapping hard around his waist to lift him up. Logan’s legs were clutching his hips hard, arms encircling his neck and hands cradling the back of his head. When Leo had regained some of his sense he realized he was crying, making the edge of Logan’s sweatshirt- his sweatshirt- wet and salty. He knocked Logan’s hat off of his hat, hearing it hit the floor, and threaded one hand through his hair, the other underneath his thigh. Finn had come up and put a hand on each of their backs. “Surprise, nutter butter.”
Leo inhaled Logan’s scent and leaned back. “I mean- how… you had practice? And your car, did you drive here? The snow, Lo, you guys just got quite a bit the other day-”
Logan just shook his head, smiling at him. He tugged Leo’s hair a little to bring their mouths together, and Leo instantly relaxed. The tension left his body, and he let Logan’s fire, always bubbling, completely consume him for a few moments. Logan was warm, Finn’s hands on his back were warm, and he finally felt so warm he didn’t know what to do. His kisses grew desperate, trying to make up for lost time, and he felt Finn’s mouth on his shoulder, probably watching them together with his gorgeous brown eyes. Leo loved them endlessly.
Eventually, their kisses grew softer, Logan pulling away with a few more light pecks. “Oh, soleil, j’taime. I missed you, mon couer.”
“I- I missed you, too, sweetheart. I love you.” He jerked his head a little bit, mouth parting. “But how- what about practice?”
Finn laughed at Leo’s lingering confusion, and Logan just leaned in to kiss him again, smiling into it. “Non, no practice. I never had practice.” He looked up at Leo through his dark lashes. “And my car’s in for inspection, so I flew.” His eyes turned somber. “Finn said you’ve been sad.”
Leo looked at Finn, who was staring at him, maybe a little guiltily. Leo just kissed his forehead and then touch their temples together. “Yeah, yeah I’ve been sad. It’s just been-” He could feel himself starting to cry again. “It’s just been the cold, and the darkness, and missing my parent’s house, and- and missing you.” Leo took a shuddering breath in. “I really, really missed you sweetheart.”
Finn’s arm squeezed around his waist, and Logan made a small noise in the back of his throat and tightened his limbs around Leo's body. “Ouais, I missed you to, soleil. Missed you both.” He leaned towards Finn for a light kiss, then placed one on Leo’s mouth, too. “Finn told me, and I figured I could surprise you. We have a couple days off after our roadie, and I’d rather be here with you than in my apartment.” He looked up at him, green eyes searching. “Une bonne surprise?”
Leo smiled at him and closed his eyes as Logan leaned their foreheads together. “Ouais. The best.”
“Oo-ways.”
Logan and Leo laughed at Finn, Logan drawing him in for a few sloppy kisses. “Oh, mon rouge. Ton français est terrible.”
Finn winked, kissed him again, then kissed Leo firmly. “Happier now, peanut?”
Leo tiled his head, gazing at Finn’s eyes behind his glasses. “Yeah. Yeah, thank you. I love you.” He turned to Logan. “I love you both.”
Logan just hummed and laid his head on Leo’s shoulder for a brief moment before Leo squeezed his hip and moved to place him on the counter, parting with a kiss. Finn replaced Leo between Logan’s legs, his back to Logan’s chest and Logan’s arms around his waist, hands clasped in the front. It made Leo’s heart jolt to see them together like that again in their kitchen.
Logan peeked out at him over Finn’s shoulder. “What did you make?”
Leo smiled. “Butternut squash soup. I’ll toast the bread in the oven, too, I made sourdough. Even made a design, see?”
He picked up the loaf and showed it to them. Both Finn and Logan hovered their fingers over the crust, eyes going to the three birds. Finn looked up first, grinning. “Aw, you cut us into bread.”
“Scored, sweetheart.”
“I don’t know about bread scoring, but you can score tonight if you want, peanut.” Finn’s eyes sparkled, then his nose crinkled. “Butternut. You’re our very own butternut squash!”
Logan snorted quietly, pressing a burst of kisses to Finn’s neck. Finn just smiled sharply at Leo, who was shaking his head in fondness. “I try and do something sentimental, and this is what I get.” He kissed Finn’s cheek. “You’re all trouble.”
Finn just winked at him.
“I like them, soleil,” Logan interrupted, reaching out to bring Leo’s face to his to kiss him. “Les trois oiseaux.”
Leo smiled. “Oui.”
“You know, French is a lot sexier when you're saying it in my ear, I gotta say.”
Logan smacked Finn’s hip lightly and Leo leaned back, laughing. As he heated the oven up and sliced the bread, he couldn’t bring himself to slice through the three birds. He smiled down at them as he listened to Logan and Finn’s bickering, at the feel of Finn’s hands on his hips, Logan’s warm body at his side watching his hands work the knife. He would freeze that section, he decided, and take it out and toast it on another cold day.
Because today… today he was warm.