"Mhmm," Logan said.
Roman rolled his fingers on the table.
"That's unfortunate. But brilliant." Logan said, after a pause, as he scrolled through his phone.
Roman crossed his arms.
"I agree."
Roman sighed.
They were outside the main cafe, in a shaded area by the side. With the sweet ambiance and flowers all around, normally Roman would be off hunting for the perfect location for his Instagram. Yet, this Prince was not in the mood to enjoy the admittedly, rustic beauty of the place.
"You did good, Roman. A great accomplishment."
Said Roman banged his head across the quaint little table. "Drop it Logan. I stopped talking about a minute ago."
His friend had the decency to look embarrassed. "I- forgive me. You tend to go off and I really don't-"
"-Care as much as I towards my fandoms?"
Logan calmly straightened his glasses. "That is a matter of opinion. I truly did enjoy that kid's show you made me watch- space rocks, was it? Although I much rather enjoyed the other one. Where there's codes and Ciphers? The twist was a disappointment, however."
"What?! Gravity Falls is a masterpiece." The words rolled off his tongue easily, in an almost exaggerated tone to drive in a point. "Oh, don't pretend you don't know the titles. I heard you humming Jam Buds just the other day."
Logan opted to ignore the attempted jab. "It was almost too easy to deduce that there was another twin into the equation. One that appeared constantly through flashback and retelling that all seem to stem from Stanley's memory. Someone that looked like him but only remembered by him. Was that all they could do?"
"Logan, everyone predicted that even without watching every episode over and over again at three in the morning."
"There are clues hidden everywhere, Roman!" He said, louder than his norm. "How would I find them unless every detail is examined thoroughly?"
Roman didn't bother with a response as he took in the atmosphere of the little cafe. He peered into the window near them.
Soft yellows and blues covered the establishment from head to toe, a feat that miraculously didn't clash. If anything, the colors seemed to complement each other, both content with their own yet still managing to stand together and not apart. The tables are all wood, as with its chairs, the classic brown filling the place with almost a sense of homeliness.
Roman wouldn't admit it out loud, but he could see the appeal.
"Here's your order," A begrudging tone got Roman looking up faster than if someone dared to touch his vintage sword.
The waitress that took their order wasn't the one that brought their drinks. No, this was someone quite different, someone more memorable.
Roman caught his eyes, hidden underneath a veil of purple hair. One blue, and the other green. The difference in his eye colors weren't off-putting at all, if anything, Roman wanted to stare at them as much as was something intense there, and Roman wanted to figure it out.
Roman realized he was staring for way too long.
"Would that be all, sir?" The waiter seemed annoyed, and Roman flushed.
"Yeah."
The waiter rolled his eyes- delicately marked with eyeliner- then took his leave.
Roman bit his lip then turned to his friend, who seemed absorbed in his phone.
"You seem to come here often?" Roman prodded.
Logan didn't bother to deny it. "Yes."
Roman hesitated, but not for long. "Why? It's not because of one of the workers here, right?"
Logan's silence was more than telling.
Roman sighed. If his friend were to pursue the emo nightmare over there, then Roman would just avoid as much as interaction possible with the guy. Even if he was really cute.
He watched his friend sip his coffee. If he didn't know any better, he wouldn't notice the sudden softness of his friend's eyes, the serenity as he tasted his drink. It was absolutely peculiar.
He stared at his own drink in distaste.
The waiter was rude.
Roman tapped his fingers as he pondered.
Well, there was nothing wrong about befriending a potential friend of his friend, right?
Mind made, he bolted out of his seat and muttered an excuse to Logan, then went into the cafe.
Logan took one look at his coffee before diving in. The creaminess hit his tongue as it always did, filling, not too bitter, not too sweet. He didn't realize that there was an alternative to burning his tongue or waiting for his drink to cool off, but it only took one comment from him before his drink had decidedly, become infinitely better.
The soft screech of wood against the floor interrupted him. He looked up in time just to see Roman rushing off, with a mutter of, "I'll be just a sec, to the bathroom. Yeah, there."
He wondered why he was rushing, since it was a small cafe. Although, if he were to think about it, there is an advantage to going to the loo as quickly as possible; to avoid the inevitable lines. Early bird gets the worm and all that. He silently approved.
He flicked his phone open without a flourish as he sipped his drink.
Hands blocked his vision. A deep voice greeted him, "Guess who?"
"You may release me, Patton."
"How did you guess?!" Just like that, the peppy voice was back, the falsetto dropped. "Good morning!"
"Salutations as well."
"Oh, there's no need for that aloofness. We're all friends here." Patton released his hold with a smile.
Logan opened his eyes to see the brunet's curls pinned in place by a hairband with cat ears. He raised an eyebrow.
"What's the matter Logan? Cat got your tongue?"
"Did you wear that accessory just to make puns?"
"Catxactly." Patton nodded his head. "Meow's the time for action! You're not leaving here without a smile, Mister!"
"I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm ignoring all that wordplay." Logan said as he sipped his caffeine, "The usual is fine, thanks."
"No sir! I've made it my mission, and you shall receive."
"You still haven't accepted my suggestion?"
"Well your ideas seem to be a little extravagant. A simple sorry and thank you will do! And besides, I've already forgiven you about the incident. In fact, I would like to think that your clumsiness brought us together!"
"But it might have ruined you a shirt," Logan reasoned.
"I can get a meow one!"
"I could help out here to make up for it."
"Paw that's silly! We're fine, thanks."
"Perhaps I could-"
"Logan, you made a mistake, and I've forgiven you. It's that simple, and you can't do anything about it." He grinned. "You could say its... catnip under the bridge. It's been WEEKS!"
Logan really didn't know what to make of his newest friend. The guy seemed to let things go or handle things as they come, as easy as he was breathing. If he were asked outright, he would say it is a bit unsettling. But not to Patton's face of course. But maybe, just a tad bit, he could admit inside that the trait is quite endearing.
"Well maybe I won't make up for it," Logan lightly held his chin as he considered, "But perhaps you'll let me do something nice for you?"
Patton pretended to consider it, before bouncing lightly in place. "You really don't have to! But what do you have in mind?"
"I'll plan a day out. If it's not in conflict with your work and you don't have anything else to do of course, any prior engagements, I wouldn't want to intrude-"
"That sounds fun!"
Logan thought for a second. "Would you be opposed to going to the amusement park set up near the beach?"
"That would be cool!"
Logan's posture slumped in relief. "I'm glad. I wouldn't want to bring you somewhere you won't like. So next week?"
"I'm free on Saturday."
"Then it's settled. I'll pick you up at, say, nine?"
"Sure!"
Logan picked up a small card from his bag. "You can call me here if there's anything you want to ask, or if anything comes up. I wouldn't want our day out to start off as catastrophic."
Patton gasped. "You made a cat pun," he said in awe, as his eyes shined not unlike all of the prowess of the sun.
Despite himself, he could feel a smile coming on. "That was clearly unintentional. It was in the word."
"You mean punintentional?" Patton wiggled his eyebrows.
"Still ignoring that."
"Oh Logan," Patton sighed dramatically, "There hiss no shame in admitting you like puns!"
"Now that's more of a snake than a cat." Logan complained.
"Purrsonally I think it's fine."
"And you've recycled a few puns now. Frankly, I'm disappointed."
Patton didn't miss a beat. "It's not all total trash."
A pause. Logan coughed up air then turned his face down as he trembled.
Patton patted his back in concern, only to realize that the silent shaking... was Logan laughing.
Logan met his eyes for a moment and saw stunned confusion. The sight only lifted his spirit more, filling him with a sense of warmness that he haven't experienced in a long time, and a sound reached his ears: he wasn't just silently laughing.
Patton's eyes was wide. A stifled gasp escaped him, and he could feel the way his heart loudly pounded in his chest.
While Logan calmed himself easily enough, he knew his eyes were still crinkled.
Patton was still smiling, but it was softer, somehow. "That was... beautiful."
Logan didn't think much of the complement, but he did think about how Patton's lashes seemed to be closer.
A flash of purple was all that he needed. Roman's eyes scoured the small set-up, and his heart thudded in his chest as he finally caught the color.
Normally, the bold colors of red and gold would be the one he sought, but not today! He followed the trail of the grapes of wrath and finally caught up, with the waiter who currently washed his hands at the sink at the bathroom.
Roman strode up. "My friend," he greeted.
The man looked at him with what might be confusion or thinly veiled irritation. "Are you talking to me?"
Roman smiled brightly. "Of course you! the powerpuff girl reject. This is just to jump start the inevitable friendship that's gonna blossom between us one way or another."
"And you think that because?" He drawled out the word, as he waited for the other to elaborate.
Roman was more than happy to explain. "Well I would offer my condolences, but it is my friend we are talking about. Love is in the air and I would be very glad to see it blossom from platonic into something more."
If this was supposed to ease the mind of their waiter, it didn't work. Instead, the darkness clad antihero only narrowed his eyes in distaste, before saying, in the most unimpressed tone, "Seriously?"
Roman's smile faded. "Excuse me, good sir?"
"Well you can't blame me for being surprised. But I suppose, even his standards are low. What did you do, make puppies appear from thin air? Cause I know he'll absolutely love that."
While offended, Roman was more confused than ever. "What are you insinuating? That you have bad taste?"
"Dumb too, that's a bonus." The man still had that unimpressed look. "For the record, I have excellent taste, considering your Nice Guy persona."
Roman's face heated. "How dare-"
"-well I guess there's no accounting for him having an actual type, but I can't believe you're this insufferable."
"Now wait a sec, I could say the same to you! I've been nothing but polite and you've been nothing but rude."
The snarky waiter waved his hand into a semi-bow. "What's stopping you?" He gestured to the exit. "If you find me so unpleasant, then..."
Roman huffed. "I'm reaching my limits but I know there's something inside that deep, dark clothing and even darker soul. Otherwise, no one would have liked you. Let me guess, you're a poet? Of course Logan would fall for those uptight wordsmiths. I came to hopefully reach an impasse as we might be more intertwined."
"Intertwined- Look, and I'll be very clear, I don't trust you. I don't like you. I don't want anything to do with you, and I would honestly prefer to never see you again. And who's Logan?"
"Oh my stars, it's even worse than I thought." Roman gasped. "You haven't told each other your names yet!"
The waiter seemed to have a permanent glare. "Could you leave now? If anything I say didn't move you, even a tiny bit, then obviously you're too wrapped into your own fantastical world-"
Roman smiled, understanding. The man in front of him only seemed more agitated. "Friend, I understand. With your prickly personality I would too, never would have made a move. But my dear Logan has been stuck in his prejudiced to believe in romance! So tell me, what is your name?"
"I'm not telling you that. And if you do want to pursue Patton, leave me alone. And why do you keep talking about yourself in third person?"
"Who's Patton?" Roman blinked. Were they even discussing anything at the same wavelength?
The waiter bit his lip, before asking, "You're not the coffee guy?" He then ignored Roman's clouded face in confusion, to stalk outside in the bathroom.
He could vaguely hear a protest, as the prince wannabe behind him spouted nonsense as he, indiscreetly, ended their conversation.
Virgil heard his stalker gasp behind him, as they both took in the scene.
Patton smiled brighter than ever, as a reserved man wearing a tie smiled.
Two pairs of eyes widened as Patton leaned forward and planted a kiss on the tie guy, who immediately blushed.
"Does that guy kisses people platonically, or..." Prep stereotype looked to him in question.
"I- no? I don't think so. He's never kissed me. We're friends."
Virgil shoved his hands in his pockets as he mulled. That solves the mystery of Patton's coffee crusader. But that doesn't answer who-
Virgil flinched as the prep beside him spoke in glee, "I was right about one thing!" He was smiling, way too proud for someone who had been wrong about everything so far.
Knight wannabe continued, "We are totally gonna be the bestest of friends! You're friends with that guy, and I'm friends with my favorite nerd!" He held out a hand. "I'm Roman Prince. Nice to know Logan likes someone more suited!"
Virgil scoffed at the pre-offered hand. "Nice try, Princey." Somehow, the nickname felt right. "Still not telling my name. And thank whatever real deity that Pat didn't fall for you."
As Virgil left the dramatic prince to figure if that was an insult, he couldn't control the smirk that slid on his lips.