Adrian nodded, understanding all too well. “Better because you could escape for a while,” he whispered softly, his fingers gliding gently over Logan’s, resonating with the unspoken feelings that he comprehended deeply, knowing he experienced it all within himself. “And worse because… because it reminded you how good it was. And then reality hit you again.”
Logan exhaled shakily, the memories heavy in his chest. “Exactly,” he admitted, his voice breaking slightly. “It’s like I’d remember every perfect moment, and then I’d wake up, and it was gone. You were gone.”
Adrian cupped Logan’s cheek, his hand warm and grounding. “It’s over,” he whispered. “We’re together now. That’s all that matters.”
Logan nodded, though his throat tightened with unspoken emotion. He hesitated, his words catching before he finally spoke. “I’ve been thinking about it these last few days. If things had been the other way around… if you’d been the one to leave me…” He paused, drawing in a shaky breath. “I tried to imagine it, but I couldn’t. I tried, Adrian. I pictured myself waking up in that cabin alone, and suddenly it hurt to breathe. It was… it was terrifying.”
Adrian kissed him then, pressing their lips together. It was like a gentle tale coaxing Logan out of the tumultuous spiral of his own thoughts, as if each press were a note in a delicate symphony, pulsing with unspoken emotions and vivid sensations. Logan let the phone fall to the bed, his arms tightening around Adrian as he deepened the kiss. There was nourgency, no rush—just love, pure and overwhelming, pouring from one to the other.
When they pulled apart, Logan rested his forehead against Adrian’s once more, his breathing heavy but calmer. They’d been switching roles these past few days, trading hope and despair like a fragile thread passing between them. When Logan’s positivity waned, Adrian stepped in, steady and reassuring, until Logan found his footing again. It was a dance, and one they’d mastered without even realizing it.
“Logan Vaughn,” Adrian whispered, his voice low and full of affection, his fingers threading through Logan’s hair. “If you’d decided we were meant to be together, there wouldn’t have been a damn thing I could do to stop you. I could have walked a million kilometers away from you, and you would’ve tracked me down and demanded an explanation.”
Logan smiled faintly, his lips curving against Adrian’s cheek as he listened.
“And no matter what I said,” Adrian continued, his voice warm with amusement, “you’d argue your way right back into my life. You’re Logan. You’d charm your way into winning that argument.”
Logan let out a soft laugh, the sound vibrating against Adrian’s skin. “Damn right I would,” he affirmed, his smile widening as he kissed Adrian’s temple. He knew that Adrian was trying, as always, to lighten the heavy mood. Adrian had a way of easing the weight of the world, even when it was his own shoulders bearing it. Logan reached and picked up the phone again. Together, they scrolled through the captured moments of their past, letting the glow of the screen fill the space between them with memories that were bittersweet and beautiful.
Later, as Adrian’s friends began trickling into the house, the atmosphere shifted. The living room buzzed with life, the sound of laughter, clinking glasses, and easy banter filling the air. Logan stayed close to Adrian, sitting beside him on the couch, their hands often finding each other’s between bouts of conversation. Each time their fingers intertwined, Adrian would glance at Logan, his eyes brimming with something so pure it made Logan’s heart skip a beat. That look—like Logan was the most perfect thing Adrian had ever seen—never failed to send a flush of warmth across his cheeks and a surge of love through his chest.
Snacks and drinks passed from hand to hand as jokes flew between English and Hebrew, the occasional laughter leaving Logan grinning even when he didn’t understand the words. Dean and Adrian took turns translating whenever the group got tired of switching languages, though Dean’s translations often came with exaggerated dramatics that left everyone rolling their eyes.
Adrian chuckled and shook his head, glancing at Dean. “So… translating for Logan now, huh? Things really have changed.”
Dean smirked and gave Adrian a playful shove. “Just doing it so I can take the Maserati for a spin.”
“That’s it?” Logan teased, digging into his pocket before tossing the keys to Dean. “There you go, big boy. You can drive the grown-up’s car. Just be back by midnight.” The room erupted into laughter, with the other guys cheering and teasing Dean.
“Fuck you, princess,” Dean shot back with a smirk, the keys spinning in his hand.
Logan’s phone buzzed in his pocket. “It’s Ada Mae,” he said. “I have to take this, baby,” he added as he kissed his temple and then stood.Cat-calling and whistling erupted in the room, with the guys making exaggerated kissing noises and saying, ‘I love you, baby!’ to one another, mimicking them. Adrian grabbed a couch cushion and hurled it at Sergi, muttering a curse in Hebrew while the others laughed.
In Adrian’s bedroom, Logan answered the call, listening as Ada Mae detailed the logistics. The flight was booked for late Friday night, and the hospital in Seattle was ready to admit Adrian the moment they landed. Logan thanked her for the hundredth time, gratitude heavy in his voice, and he was glad he had already emailed human resources about the bonus check and raise to her salary. As he slipped his phone back into his pocket and turned to head back to the living room, the door opened, and Dean stepped in, leaning casually against it.
“We need to have a little talk,” Dean announced, his tone calm but laced with something sharp.
Logan nodded as he pushed his phone deeper into his pocket. “Okay.”
Dean’s eyes, piercing and unrelenting, locked onto Logan’s. “The only reason I forgave you is because you’re the only one who could get Adrian to fight for his life,” Dean began. “I tried for months to convince him to start treatment, but he wouldn’t listen. Then you showed up, and now he’s finally agreed. I was right, you’re the only one who could get through to him.”
Logan opened his mouth to speak, but Dean raised a hand, cutting him off. “But don’t think for a second that I’ve forgotten what you’ve done to him. He may have forgotten what you did, but I haven’t.”
Logan’s breath hitched, and he dropped his gaze to the floor as Dean continued. “Four times, Logan. Four times you’ve wrecked his life.” Dean’s voice cracked slightly, but he pressed on. “The first was when I flew to Australia to see him after you left. That wasn’t my friend in that room, it was a shadow of him. He was losing his mind. At the beginning, he’d told me it was nothing more than a crush, but I knew better. I saw it the day we met you. He was gone for you, completely gone, and you…” Dean shook his head. “You left him. Then, two months later, he disappeared for three days. When he came back, he told me he’d gone to your wedding.” Dean’s voice grew quieter, but the edge in it was unmistakable. “He was wrecked, Logan. Tom and I had to scrape him back together. And then…”
Logan swallowed hard, his voice barely audible. “And then?”
Dean exhaled sharply, as if the memory itself was painful to recall. “Then I heard the song,” he said. “It was brilliant, painful, beautiful, heartbreaking. But it was proof he wasn’t okay. I filmed it, I put it on YouTube and Facebook, trying to maybe get to you, trying to make you realize what you’ve lost, and maybe try to get him some fame, some good things in his life. And when he turned down treatment? I knew it was because of you. And now…” Dean’s eyes darkened. “The fourth time was the day you came back. He didn’t think you ever would, and when you did, it tore him apart all over again. I saw it, the anger, the sadness, the stress. He’s sick, Logan. And he’s good at hiding it, but I know him better than anyone. He’s sick, and if you leave him again…”
Dean stepped closer, his voice lowering to a dangerous whisper. “If you leave him after everything you’ve put him through, if you turn his world upside down again and abandon him while he’s going through this hell, I swear to God, Logan, I’ll hunt you down. I’ll put a bullet in your head, and I’ll do the time without a second thought.”
Logan’s jaw tightened, his chest aching as he looked up at Dean. “I won’t leave him again,” he said firmly, his voice steady despite the weight of Dean’s words. “Never. I swear to you, Dean.”
Dean studied him for a long moment before nodding, the fire in his gaze dimming slightly. “You better not,” he muttered, stepping back toward the door. His voice softened as he added, “You know, it’s good you’re back. I haven’t seen him this happy in a long time.”
Logan smiled faintly and crossed the room, pulling Dean into a brief hug. “Thank you, Dean,” he said quietly. “For sticking by him when I didn’t.”
Dean didn’t say anything, just gave Logan a firm pat on the back before stepping out. Logan lingered for a moment, the weight of the conversation settling in his chest. Then he turned, took a deep breath, and went back to the living room to find Adrian. He was home now, and nothing would take him away again.
