Please Don't Leave Me

Chapter 31

TW: Alcohol
Remus could feel his nerves clawing at his mind for the entire car ride. The events from the prior evening swirled with his potential fears for this lunch, causing his anxiety to rise. He didn't realize that he was shaking until he heard Patton's voice come from the front of the car. "It's going to be okay, Re. You're completely safe with us." Remus nodded before taking a breath. You can do this.

They small family soon pulled into the driveway of a beautiful brick house. Despite his growing anxiety, Remus couldn't help but look up at the large house in awe. "Come on, bud," Patton prompted from the front seat. Remus unbuckled his seatbelt and stood from the car, attempting to mask his obvious nervousness. Patton looked back at him with a softened expression before offering his hand to the boy. Remus took it gratefully, squeezing his Dad's hand lightly. "I'll be okay. Just nervous," Remus said softly. Patton smiled at him before leading Remus to the front door. Logan placed his hand lightly on Remus' shoulder as the stood in front of the door. "Are you ready?" Logan asked. Remus took a deep breath before nodding. Logan held his gaze for a moment longer before knocking on the door. The door opened quickly, revealing a bubbly man with a wide smile. Remus looked at him slightly in shock. He was a lot like Patton. Remus grinned at the thought. "I'm so glad you could make it! Come here, Lo. I missed you so much!" The man exclaimed as he pulled Logan into a hug. Logan chuckled lightly. "I missed you too, Dad." The man pulled back before turning to Patton with a wide grin. "It's so great to see you, Patton!" Patton smiled brightly before the hugging the man as well. Remus grinned at the interaction. The man stepped back before locking his eyes on the boy. Remus' anxiety spiked for a moment until he saw the soft smile that adorned the man's features. "And this must be Remus. It's so nice to finally meet you. I'm Jamie, Logan's dad." Remus couldn't help the slight smile on his face. "It's nice to meet you too," he said softly. "Come on in. Natalie is so excited to meet you!" Jaime exclaimed, locking eyes with Remus. Remus blushed slightly at the attention. Patton and Logan shared a slightly amused look before leading the boy inside. "Logan's here!" Jaime yelled into the house. "Logan!" a female voice yelled excitedly. Logan rolled his eyes fondly, smiling. A thin woman came out of the kitchen, a wide smile on her face. "There's my boy," she beamed as she walked over and hugged Logan tightly. Remus watched the interaction in a sort of awe. He'd never seen someone interact with their parents like that, and it was incredibly refreshing. "Oh my god," she said suddenly as she caught sight of Remus. Remus' face dropped at her words. This is where she asks why they adopted such an ugly and scarred child. "Why didn't you tell me he was so freaking adorable?" she exclaimed. Remus laughed in slight disbelief. "Thank you, ma'am," Remus replied quietly. "Oh, please don't call me ma'am. Natalie is fine." Remus nodded slightly. "Grab a seat! Lunch is in the oven right now. I'd love to get to know you a bit while it cooks, Remus," Jaime grinned. Remus nodded softly in agreement, letting Patton pull him over to sit on the couch. Remus sat between Logan and Patton, keeping Patton's hand tightly in his grip. Patton rubbed his thumb softly over the back of Remus' hand, soothing his nerves slightly. Jaime and Natalie sat on a slightly smaller couch that was perpendicular to the one that the three boys were sitting on. "So, Remus, how has it been living with these two goofballs?" Natalie asked with a playful grin. "I know it's kinda cheesy, but it's been the best time of my life," Remus admitted sheepishly. Patton squeezed his hand with a grin as Logan placed his arm around the boy's shoulders.  "That's the cutest thing I've ever heard," Natalie replied with a wide smile. "How's school going?" Jaime asked. "It's been really good," Remus answered honestly. "Logan mentioned something about you having a boyfriend..." Natalie trailed off with a knowing smile. "Papa," Remus whined playfully. "I'm sorry, but you two are so adorable. I couldn't resist," Logan grinned back. "So...Whats his name?" Natalie asked. "Dee," Remus replied as a blush covered his cheeks. "Tell us about him," Jaime urged kindly. "Well he's really nice. Like really, really nice. And he's really funny and caring and so, so pretty, and- I'm sorry, I'm rambling," Remus chuckled softly. "It's perfectly okay. It sounds like you really like him," Jaime responded. "Yeah, I do," Remus smiled softly. "This is so pure," Patton gushed. "How old are you, Remus?" Jaime asked after a moment. "I'm 15," Remus responded. "Ah, young love," Natalie smiled. A comfortable silence fell over the group, Remus smiling softly at how well the interaction went.

After a few moments, Natalie stood from her seat. "Lunch with be ready in a bit, but would anyone like a drink while we wait? I have a new bottle of wine that I can crack open." Remus' heart stopped for a moment. No. No alcohol. Please no. Remus' fear grew when Logan accepted. "I'll have a glass. Thank you, Mom." Remus zoned out, his heart racing, until Natalie returned with two glasses of wine, handing one to Logan. Please, Papa. Don't. Logan took a sip of the liquid, immediately sending a shiver down Remus' spine. Patton took notice of the movement immediately, connecting the boy's panic with the drinks quickly. Patton leaned down to Remus' ear, whispering softly so as not to frighten him. "Is the alcohol scaring you?" he whispered. Remus nodded shakily, gripping Patton's hand tightly. "Come on, let's go for a walk, yeah?" Patton asked softly, pulling Remus up once he nodded. "Can you go wait by the door, bud? I'm going to explain what's going on to Lo." Patton asked quietly. Remus nodded, moving towards the door shakily. Logan watched the interaction with furrowed eyebrows, prompting Patton to explain. "We're going to go walk for a few minutes. Remus needs some time to calm down," Patton explained. "Did something happen?" Logan asked in concern. Patton just looked down at the wine glass in Logan's hand before looking back up into his blue eyes. Logan followed Patton's glance, eyes widening when he realized what he'd done. "Oh, no," Logan mumbled. "It's okay, Lo. He's just a little freaked out. I'm going to go help calm him down, okay?" Patton reassured. "Should I come?" Logan asked quickly. Patton looked at him with a saddened expression. "I think it would be best if you stayed here. We'll be back soon." With that, Patton turned toward his now shaking son, wrapping his arm around the boy's waist and leading him out the front door.

Logan watched the pair leave with a heartbroken expression. He really messed up this time.