(COMPLETE) The Teaching Elective - A Logicality Fanfiction

Chapter 32 - The Future

Summary: Years in the future, Logan and Patton are settled in their chaotic but calm life. Everything is settled and ready for retirement soon - but some previous students' lives are just beginning.

Thirty first grade math papers lay in front of Logan on the dining table. It was a normal Saturday afternoon and Logan had a lot of work to do for Monday. He couldn't believe that as a teenager he thought his perfect life would be solitude – now he spent five days a week surrounded by screaming six-year-olds and he loved it! Seeing their smiling faces and the moments when things made sense brought joy to Logan's life.

"Ah, ah, ah! I'm having half of these. I'll be a times tables genius!" Another amazing thing about Logan's adult life was having Patton. Patton had only got better since teenage-hood. He was still happy, cheerful and caring. But he now had smile marks and at age thirty-five a few grey hairs were growing in. He was also the best play therapist in the city. But most importantly Patton was always there to support Logan if he was overwhelmed, and he was an amazing hugger. He was amazing at other things too... But that stayed privately in the bedroom.

Patton halved the pile of math papers and sat opposite his husband, their three-year-old baby on his lap interested in her dad's glittery marking pens. And that sight was much better than staring at multiplication scribbles. Logan loved being a father.

It felt like yesterday that Logan and Patton decided to be fathers for the first time. The pair had just finished their college degrees and lived in a small apartment together. Logan had his first teaching job in a first grade classroom and Patton was in grad school. There was a child in Logan's class who was shy and scared, much like Logan was at that age, and they were in the foster care system. So, Logan came back from work one day, seeing Patton working on an essay, and blurted it out.

"I want a kid, with you." Patton looked up at Logan with furrowed eyebrows, such a cute look that Logan constantly replayed in his mind. "And there's this one in my class, they're adorable, you'll love them – I love them! I know I shouldn't have favourites, but this kid really needs parents." Patton didn't say anything, but the mischievous smile told Logan his persuasion was working. "So... I know it's a stupid idea because we're not the richest, and we're not even married – and I really want to marry you." Both men had blushing cheeks at that statement, but Logan continued. "Will you adopt a child with me?"

Now, five children and around thirteen years later, Logan and Patton hadn't stopped adopting the children they met that really needed some love. The pile of papers was getting smaller with Logan's class getting amazing results, and Patton had stood to check the mail. Logan noticed Patton's footsteps come closer with the envelope-sorting sound beside his ear. "Let me guess, another postcard from Roman and Virgil?"

"No, there's no return address on this one." Patton placed a small, brown envelope on the dining table. "Plus, Ro and Verge are FaceTiming us this evening, so pretty sure we don't need a postcard."

******

It had been too long since two fathers had seen their high school friends in-person (even though it was actually last summer). As adults Roman and Virgil couldn't stay in one place for too long though. The moment Patton and Logan realised their friends were moving though – that was a big deal.

Roman and Virgil used to have slumber parties round Logan and Patton's apartment, even in early adulthood, just like the good old days. Patton and Roman were in another room, rehearsing a script that Roman was working on as a freelance playwright. Patton and Logan's new child was helping the extroverts with their adventures. Virgil and Logan were in the living room, watching Netflix and chatting about work.

"I'm so glad that Gavin's a middle schooler now. I don't know how you can deal with little kids all day, especially kids like Gavin, he's very... Roman-like." Virgil sipped his hot chocolate. At twenty-five he had just moved in with Roman fully, kids were far from his mind and he was still in shock his best friends were Dads.

"Dealing with adults is a lot worse." Logan laughed back and sipped his drink. There was another silence for a couple of minutes before Logan spoke again. "So... You've moved in with Roman, what's the next milestone you two are going to reach together? I need my suit refitted to this new Dad body so don't get married too soon."

Virgil laughed and looked longingly into the other room, where Roman was helping Logan and Patton's child fly into the air like a bird. "Well, uh – that's actually something Ro and I were going to tell you about. But I'll give you ample warning now." Logan raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He didn't know what he expected – maybe he expected that Virgil and Roman already had a courthouse wedding in secret, or that they finally got that dog together they'd been joking about since college. It certainly wasn't the surprise it actually was. "The place we live in now isn't permanent. I've... got a new job in London."

A few months later, Roman and Virgil up-rooted their lives from sunny Florida to rainy and expensive London, but they thrived there. Virgil's new job was a charity ambassador, he had a lot of causes to believe in and got paid to promote them. And Roman's job as a playwright meant he could work anywhere – and he even got a job working at The Globe Theatre. Logan and Patton visited many times and their friendship stayed strong, even if it was kept up by very late or early FaceTime calls.

******

After dinner was screentime for the children and adults in the Croft-Baker household. Logan sat in front of the TV, playing some kind of Disney movie, and ticking off his to-do list for the weekend while Patton was cleaning up.

But Patton came bounding in soon enough and fell against Logan's chest, the mystery brown envelope in his hands. "We forgot to open this!" He cheered, giving Logan a soft kiss as Logan wrapped his arms around him – a normal position for the couple's evening. "Any more guesses on what it is?"

"Maybe Mama got one of us an un-birthday present?" Patton was opening the envelope like a gift on Christmas morning with an excited smile on his face. The envelope had a simple letter inside – with the heading 'Save the Date'... Wait who's getting married?

Virgil and Roman already got married a couple years after moving to London, and Gavin wasn't interested in romantic relationships, so he was off the list. Patton and Logan didn't know anyone else – they had a very closed friendship group. But both men recognised the names straight away and fell into an existential crisis when they realised.

Dear Patton Baker and Logan Croft,

We are pleased to announce the wedding of Thomas Sanders and Nico Flores on the 10th of October, taking place on the field outside of the elementary school where the children used to have recess. You were both an important part of bringing Nico and Thomas' life together, so we hope to see you at the ceremony to catch up and get to know you more, formal invitation is to follow.

With love,

Thomas Sanders and Nico Flores.

Logan and Patton hadn't seen their favourite shared students since the younger ones were in first grade, although Mama had seen them in Walmart as high schoolers holding hands and looking all cute. She would not keep quiet when she saw gay, young love. So of course they were going to attend the wedding! Logan was the officiant in the first wedding after all, it was predicted from the start that they would end up together.

Right now though – the older, married men were slumped on the sofa realising how old they had really become. "Thanks for reminding me to check on my pension." Logan grumbled, then giggled and gave the love of his life a kiss on the head. He would happily grow old like this, holding Patton tight, helping blossom lives together and never letting each other go.