(COMPLETE) The Teaching Elective - A Logicality Fanfiction

Chapter 27 - Follow Your Heart

Summary: After Logan's less-than-stallar day yesterday he has to reconsider asking Patton to Prom, so he gets advice from Roman. Roman's advice is to follow his heart - but don't let his head get in the way.

The next day, Roman pretty much sprinted into his creative writing class like his life depended on it. "Logan! Logan!" He shouted, breaking his speed by gripping onto the side ends of Logan's desk. Logan looked up from his book and nodded, his blue backpack beside him. "Did you get your bag from the front desk?" Logan looked confused and nodded again, gently kicking the bag beside him. "Did you notice anything missing from it?"

Logan silently looked down at his bag then up at Roman, then down again – then his eyes widened. "Wait – the cardboard!"

"The promposal sign! Patton found it!" Roman's voice was quieter now, sitting at his desk and leaning close to Logan. "He knows you're going to ask someone to Prom, he still thinks it might be someone else though. I swear that guy is more oblivious than me. But anyway – he knows, you know, it's the perfect time to pop the question at lunch!"

Logan shook his head. "I can't be that... impromptu." The nerd only said back, making the ecstatic one scowl and grumble. Introvert people gave the worst torture. "It's just a lot of pressure to ask. I might wait until after Prom to ask him out."

"And there won't be any pressure then?" Roman had his eyebrow raised as the class started and people around them took their seats. "Take it from someone that somehow has a boyfriend, Lo. If you keep on pushing it back, you'll never actually ask him! I know it can be scary, but you have me and Hot Topic – and Patton will still be friends with you even if somehow the feelings aren't returned. They are though – they definitely are."

Logan stared at the anthology he was creating in the class, but he wasn't focusing on it at all. A smirk came to his face imagining Patton reciprocating his feelings in any way, whether that be a handhold or a kiss on the cheek. Roman was right – he needed to be somewhat impromptu in this situation. "Roman?"

Roman was watching his friend with a knowing smile and a laugh. "Yeah?"

"How should I ask Patton to go to Prom with me? Or be my boyfriend? I'd preferably like to do both in one go." Logan expected that Roman would be bursting with creativity at this point, abandoning the schoolwork and creating a mind-map of different ideas that would make Patton's heart flutter and him do that sweet little giggle that made Logan's heart skip a beat. Instead, Roman was quiet, staring at his schoolwork before whispering lowly.

"You've gotta balance your head and your heart with it. If you're anything like me, your heart wants all the impulsive and daring things while your head knows Patton and knows what you can keep up with. You need to follow your heart with it - but think about something special between you and Patton."

It was pretty obvious that Roman wanted to take creative writing classes in college after that metaphor, but it made this treacherous world of asking his friend out a lot clearer for Logan. The Promposal sign was something everyone did, it didn't feel like something Logan did. Logan studies, he writes poems, and he plays with first graders on the regular... Patton also plays with first graders on the regular. They shared an amazing first grade class. The plan he was thinking about was daring and adventurous, but it would be special between him and Patton.

*******

No doubt, Patton was excited about lunch period. He got dressed in his nicest outfit, made sure to apply some lip gloss in case he got his first kiss, and now he was sitting in the library with Virgil beside him – preparing to get the best angle for a hidden picture at Patton's request. "So... What if he decides not to ask you to Prom right now?"

"He has to! He has the whole sign and everything, I'm so excited!" Just as Patton whispered the two remaining friends came from their shared Creative Writing class, Logan coming in first with a soft smile and his backpack slung over his back. Roman was behind him, shaking his head at Patton's excited face and doing the 'cut it' motion. It wasn't the day today.

But Logan looked pleased to be in the quiet library, and that made Patton smile himself. He sat cross-legged next to Patton and opened the Crofters sandwich he made every morning. Today was just like every other day.

"We have Education Placement tomorrow, don't we?" Logan started, disregarding any other member of the friendship group that wasn't the blond and curly haired Patton. The other two members didn't seem to mind as they fell into each other's arms straight away. Patton nodded with a face full of peanut butter and watched Logan bend his eyebrows in thought and stare down at his lunchbox. "We have recess with them?"

"Yep! Shall we organise a game to play with them together? They're really obsessed with Among Us at the moment, so maybe a good old game of Mafia?" Patton noticed that Logan was gently watching him, avoiding meeting eyes but facing him happily. He looked focused on some thought, but his eyes lit up at the word 'together' and he nodded.

Logan could feel all his worries drift away seeing Patton's cheesy smile at him at the suggestion they'd do something together. His dream was stupid – Patton must like spending time with him. He could ask just to get his worries completely over but that would be way too awkward...

"Hey, Lo?" Virgil caught Logan's attention, safely cushioned under his boyfriend's arm, and chewing on a chocolate bar. "Do you want to talk about why you seemed off yesterday? Like, we like eating in the library, you don't have to force yourself out to the cafeteria."

Perfect. OK, Logan took a deep breath and tried to gather his bad dream into words that didn't make him sound super obsessive and controlling over Patton. All Logan's friends noticed though was Logan staring at the floor, digging his arms against his arms and biting his lips.

"I had a bad dream that... That I was controlling you guys too much. It's, uh, my autism makes me prefer routine so I don't really think about what other people want to do so – yeah – that whole day was written off from the start." When Logan looked up, part of him expected apathy or immediate disregard of his intrusive thought. Instead, all three friends gave a sympathetic look and Virgil reached an arm out. He had tears in his eyes – of course he did. "Sorry, don't know why I'm crying, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise Lo, you can't help bad thoughts or dreams. Just tell us next time if that's OK?" Logan nodded, grabbing the tissue that Roman reached over to give. "I would lean over to give you a hug but I'm a little occupied at the moment." Roman shook his other arm that was held in place by Virgil. Virgil playfully hissed and whispered 'mine' while grabbing his boyfriend's arm.

But then Logan looked over to Patton, and he lost his voice immediately. Patton was gazing up at him with a look of distraught, probably wondering how he didn't spot it or whether he could have helped. And then came the feeling that Logan only felt around his Mama on his seventh birthday – but he was feeling it now with someone equally special to him. Logan wanted a hug from Patton.

"Can you hug me, please?" Patton attached himself to Logan straight away, his arms wrapped around his waist and his head rested between Logan's neck and shoulder. This felt amazing – Logan's heart was beating quickly, his face was hot and his hands was sweaty. He didn't want it to stop though... He wanted Patton to stay in his arms forever. "Thank you."

"No problem Logie!"