lumosinlove

[lumosinlove]

I don’t know. Something in me knew we’d need our spots. Some part of my brain was already taking out a map and putting a sheet of translucent paper over it to draw out the places where no one would ever find us. It’s a lot of closed doors here for a while. Ironic, when you consider that Logan makes me feel blown wide open.

[lumosinlove]

Not sure if you've been following Wimbledon but Jannik Sinner is giving FINN

I absolutely did and I was thinking this the whole time

[lumosinlove]

Silver springs is so angsty finnlo

“I know I could’ve loved you, but you would not let me”

“I’ll say I loved you years ago, tell myself you never loved me”

“Give me just a chance” “Was i such a fool?”

Ow ow ow (yes)

[lumosinlove]

The most wonderful stories to read through ❤️❤️ I have so much love for every single writer and reader!!

A major thank you for this week, now I know some folks work on a bit of a different schedule, if at any point throughout the year you write something O’Knutzy related, please tag me and I will share it out!

Thank you @lumosinlove for being wonderful!

[lumosinlove]

Diving In

I really can't help myself when it comes to AUs. Summer Olympics Cubs (which are perhaps a slice of a larger AU in the works) to round out the 2025 board! Thanks to @lumosinlove for the lads and @oknutzy-week-2025 for the fest <3 It's such a treat for my busy brain!

Prompt E4: Song of the Summer

How to tell a cute guy your boyfriend is allowed to kiss him and also you want to as well. Finn didn’t want to know what Google would come up with in answer to that. It was an interesting thought, though, made better when he caught green eyes staring and quirked a brow. The pool hid none of the dusk-pink that colored tan shoulders. It wasn’t like Logan would pull away if Leo went for it. Oh, he’d feel terrible unless they were explicitly clear (Finn wanted to do many explicit things with him) but that wasn’t hard.

Hi, Logan, he thought. Got anyone waiting for you in the Great White North?

Leo slid through the water like an otter, all strong cords of muscle from their rigid training regimen. He moved as if propelled by an unseen spirit, so smooth and coordinated it didn’t look real in certain lights. Logan might have glanced Finn’s way once, but he had hardly been able to turn his gaze from Leo in fifteen minutes. Finn didn’t blame him. Three years of partnership, a life spent in and out of the pool, and Leo was still the best swimmer he had ever seen. Graceful to an impossible degree. Razor perfect in his dives.

Matching him was Finn’s greatest challenge and greatest reward. Leo pushed him to be better, stronger, to a degree that made Finn marvel he’d ever even seen the bronze medal on his shelf without Leo’s dedication. He wanted gold, now, and not just for himself. Leo had already earned it. He wanted to win. Finn would get it for him.

He was smiling for Logan, like sunlight dappling the water. Swimming beside Leo made anyone look a fool, but Logan held his own with strong pulls of his shoulders and thighs to tread near the wall while they talked. Finn had never seen two people more ecstatic about a shared language. He didn’t want to learn if it meant losing the roll of their voices over his ears.

“Right, Harz?”

“Sorry, what?”

“We’re in slot three next week.” Leo’s eyes were heavy with subtext. “There shouldn’t be any interference with Logan’s competitions if he wants to come watch.”

“Yeah, for sure,” Finn agreed without hesitation. He kicked a bit of water at Logan with a grin. “We need a cheerleader.”

“It’s not cheerleading,” Logan warned. The heat in his voice made Finn’s stomach swoop pleasantly.

"You'd cheer for us, though, right?”

“Depends.” Logan kicked off the wall with one foot. “Are you coming to see me beat your boys on Thursday?”

“You can count on it.”

Finn’s heart beat and bled out of his control. It was a longstanding fault, but it had brought him the best thing in his life, tipping him head over heels for Leo’s smile from the first day. Logan hadn’t given them a full one yet. They’d only caught glimpses, ducked-down things that Finn wanted to kiss until the real thing broke through. It was dangerous to let himself want so much when they had so little time, but the Village made it seem so simple. Long-distance meant nothing while Logan still lived ten minutes from their door.

Leo would be more careful. He knew Finn’s heart and kept it safe, but only because Finn offered him the same in return. Logan’s chalk-callused hands steadied him on rings and bars and pommels—no matter how hard he swung himself through the air, they never let him fall. He could hold them. Finn knew it. Sometimes the best things came after a moment of free-fall.

Splashes and shouts from the distance swimmers in the main pool drowned out whatever song of the summer had been deemed most motivational this year and muffled Logan’s approach. The water had blackened Logan’s eyelashes to thick ink when he tugged on Finn’s ankle. “You’re missing out.”

“Nah, I got the best view in the house.”

Logan’s gaze darted to the mottled grout under his elbows. Water twisted his hair into loose curls the color of dark chocolate. If Finn got his way, he would spend the next hour and a half before training watching rivulets of water slither down Logan’s neck and into the dark hair on his chest.

“Quoi?”

“Nothing.” Nothing you get to know yet. Finn grinned down at him. “I just like hanging out with you two.”

Logan flicked his shin, but dipped the lower half of his face under the water. Leo did that when he didn’t want Finn to know he was smiling at some bad joke or another. Oh, Finn hoped they had that in common.

“We’re going to dinner around seven tonight, if you want to come,” Leo offered. He came to the edge on Logan’s other side, an inch or two closer than most would call ‘friendly’. Finn watched Logan’s cheeks redden.

“Where?’

“Just the cafeteria. Why, did you have somewhere in mind?”

Smooth, Butter. “Non, I—” Logan paused, disarmed. “I know some good places around here, sure, but…wherever you were thinking is fine.”

“You do?”

“I have family in Nice. We came to Marseille sometimes in the summer, too.”

“Summers in the south of France.” Finn whistled lowly, swinging his legs in the water. “Wow. And here I thought New York would be impressive.”

“How come you don’t compete for France, then?” Leo asked. He pushed himself out of the pool before Logan could answer; Finn watched the words die on Logan’s tongue. He wasn’t wearing his competition gear, but his more casual swim trunks didn’t cover much more. Anyone with a pulse would be tripped up by Leo’s bare back and legs.

To his credit, Logan made a valiant recovery. “I’ve lived in Canada my whole life.”

“Quebec?”

“Rimouski, yeah. By the lake.”

Leo made a quiet sound of understanding. “You swim like you grew up with it.”

Surprise brightened Logan’s eyes. “Merci.”

“Fishing?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Me, too.” Finn could have laughed at how easily Leo held Logan’s attention, and how excited Logan seemed to be the next one wrapped around his little finger. Finn had no qualms about sharing that place. Leo had big hands.

“Maybe we’ll try a different spot for dinner on Friday.” Finn dropped a quick wink when Logan tore his gaze from Leo to look back at him and was rewarded by Logan’s hand nearly slipping off the pool edge. “A Tremzy special. Our treat, to celebrate the end of your Games.”

There. Right there, a half-step out of Finn’s reach, but clearer than he had seen it yet. A smile. “D’accord,” Logan said. “That sounds good, yeah. I’ll find something fun.”

The curtain he kept up in front of himself was growing more transparent every day. Finn wanted to yank it down with both hands and pull him into the light. He stood and stole Leo’s towel to dry his lower legs, then bent and offered Logan a hand. It would be easier for Logan to push himself out, especially with back muscles like those, but Finn could dream.

Logan took his hand.

A pull, a push, and Logan was on dry land, dripping from the ends of his curls to the puddle of water growing at his feet. Green swim trunks, so dark they were almost black when they were wet, clung to him.

Finn risked a squeeze. Logan answered with one of his own before letting go, and grabbed the towel out of his hand to drop over his head and dry his hair. Oh my god, Leo mouthed behind him.

The towel hit Finn’s chest with a wet thump. The corners of Logan’s mouth tilted up in one of his small, secret smiles. “See you at seven.”

Logan wanted them. Leo wanted Logan. Finn wanted them both tucked under a blanket on the balcony, and also in his apartment, and also in the pool at every opportunity possible.

Finn waited until Logan was a safe distance away before he began to whistle Oh, Canada, oh-so-quietly under his breath, forcing Leo to muffle his laugh in his towel. “I’m feeling a sudden craving for maple syrup. You?”

Leo’s curls sprang to life under a pass of his hand. “We are so fucked.”

“I want a gold medal,” Finn mused, spinning his goggles around one finger. “And I really think we can fit three of them in the apartment.”

[lumosinlove]

Day 4. D5. Spring

Leo lifted his hand to show the glittering diamond in the sunlight peaking through the curtains of their bedroom. It fit his finger absolutely perfectly, and the gold so new and shiny looking that he almost felt guilty wearing it to bed. But he wanted to be like his momma with this, her ring was with her for every single thing she did. She wore it for everything, because why get an expensive ring to only wear it occasionally.

Leo felt a soft touch to his shoulder from the other side of the bed. He turned his head and met Finn’s gaze, his smile warm and tired from sleep still. His freckles nearly matched the color of his hair. The little point to his nose, his lips, oh Leo was in love.

“Morning sweetheart,” Leo said gently, Logan still fast asleep between them.

“Morning fiancé,” Finn said, hand stroking down Leo’s arm.

Leo grinned so widely, it hurt.

“Spring,” Leo whispered.

“Spring?” Finn asked.

“I want us to be married in the spring.”

Biggest thank you to @oknutzy-week-2025 for the event and @lumosinlove for these characters.

[lumosinlove]

Mob AU Blurb

More for @oknutzy-week-2025 with characters by @lumosinlove. AU conception on the Noot server, so big thanks for a lot of these ideas!

Prompt B4: Apologies

Finn always felt a little guilty when Leo left him dinner on the stove on his late nights or weekend workdays (“You work so hard at your job, and it’s no trouble”). But he couldn’t apologize without explaining that he wasn’t spending all that overtime working on his job, not really. His office just had more resources for tracking someone down, so he tended to do his personal projects there too. Well, just one personal project. The one he had been working on since graduating college.

Finding Milo… or whatever his name actually was.

Finn had considered that maybe Milo didn’t want to be found many times, but he kept coming back to the look on his face when Finn didn’t know he was saying his last goodbye. The desperation unusually evident in guarded green eyes that Finn had uneasily justified as knowing that they would be moving out of each other’s pockets for the first time in a while soon. It wasn’t his choice to go, to completely disappear from the face of the earth. Finn could just feel it. He tried to chalk it up to finely honed journalistic instinct. On most days, he succeeded in that denial, but there were some where he woke up expecting warmth at his side, finding none, and knowing that he would do anything in his power to get it back. What else do you do when you’ve met your soulmate?

But there were moments in Finn’s life now that made him question his self-imposed mission. Moments when Leo left him a handwritten note next to something delicious smelling that only needed a few minutes of heating, when they sat on opposite ends of the couch and didn’t hold back their reactions to their respective books, when Leo smiled at him over the rim of a coffee mug. Maybe his life didn’t need to stop just because Lo was gone. But how could he let go of the project that he had been working on for 7 years?

Finn shook his head and took a fortifying sip of coffee. He was on the clock now, and he needed to focus on the research that he was being paid for. His boss had popped into his office that morning with a promising story on a local tech corporation with an unusual CEO. He had already scrawled questions all over the papers he was handed earlier, and now it was time to start searching for answers: Who is this Tom Riddle?

[lumosinlove]

O'Knutzy Week Pt. VI

Well, here it is! This is my last day of O'Knutzy Week 2025! I know there is another day, but I like the way this story has been divided into six parts, so I decided to keep it that way. It's been a pleasure to write this story for you, and I hope you've enjoyed it!

Thanks to @oknutzy-week-2025 and @lumosinlove !! The FINAL prompt words are flowers and feather.<3

Part VI

London, England, UK, 31 May, 1969

Leo and Logan burst through the door of their dressing room, hand in hand and laughing. Finn followed behind them with a bright red face.

“Oh my God!” Leo gasped. “Did you see his face?”

Logan fell against Leo’s chest, laughing so hard he was shaking. “Oh, mon Dieu, that was funny.”

“No it’s not!”

Leo smiled at Finn, feeling his cheeks and stomach ache. “Oh, baby, that was hilarious. The preacher didn’t know what to do with himself!”

“Mon rouge, where did you get the idea to pinch our asses before we made it back to the room?”

“I don’t know!” Finn splayed his hands out and walked over to them. “You just- you look like that, and you walked back down the aisle in front of me, and I had a perfect view, and I just… I couldn’t help it. I didn’t know the preacher would be in the hallway!” He made a frustrated grunting noise. “I thought he’d be, like, back in his office or something.”

“Well, he clearly wasn’t,” Leo said. He wrapped an arm around Finn’s shoulders and drew him in to kiss his temple. “And he definitely is very confused now, and probably judging us a little.”

“I’m sorry,” Finn whined with a pout. “It’s not my fault your arses are so pinchable.”

“I am going to pretend I did not just hear that, Finn O’Hara.”

Leo turned his head to see his mother and father walking through the room, a teasing smile on Eloise’s face. Her curls were piled on her head in an elegant clip and bounced as she walked over to them. Logan and Finn moved aside so she could reach up and cup Leo’s face. “My baby’s married.”

“Mama, I already was.”

“I know, I still can’t believe it!” Eloise drew him down for a hug and kissed his forehead. “I’m your mother, let me enjoy this.” 

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Little brother!” Finn’s older brother, Alex, came striding in with his parents. The entire Tremblay family was right behind them. Alex grinned and scuffed the back of Finn’s head. “I think you’ve scarred that preacher for life.”

Finn rolled his eyes good naturedly, arm tight around Logan’s waist. “You’re so annoying, you arsehole.”

“Aw, you love me, how sweet!”

Leo turned back to his mother. “Are you okay?” he asked in French. “I know this is a lot.”

Her eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean, sweetheart?”

“I just…” Leo looked around the room. Wyatt was talking in rapid French with Duke Tremblay and Mr. O’Hara was with his sons, watching as Logan was basically tackled by his sisters and mother with hugs. Leo sighed and met his mother’s eyes again. “Are you sure this is what you want? Logan and I don’t have to sell any land, you don’t have to renounce your titles.”

“Oh, baby,” Eloise replied softly. “We know that.” She chewed the inside of her cheek. “You know, Logan talked to us, when he asked permission to marry you.”

Leo’s eyebrows shot up. He didn’t know that Logan had asked permission. They had already outlined the plan for his parents before they even started dating. “He did?”

“Ouais, he did.” Eloise reached up and tugged on a curl. “He made it very clear that this was our decision, but he also said he wanted to give us an opportunity to choose our own lives as much as he wanted to do the same for you.” 

Leo felt his eyes tear up as a smile spread across his face. “Really? He said that?”

“Of course he did, baby.” Eloise’s expression reflected his own. “He has so much love to give. Both of your husbands do.”

Leo sniffed and wiped a tear from his cheek. “Yeah. Yeah, they do.”

Eloise kissed his forehead once more before clapping her hands. “Now, where is that Alex O’Hara? I need to get a report on the full ass-pinching incident, and he seems to have all the facts.”

“Oh, Jesus, mama-”

Eloise just blew him a kiss and wiggled her fingers before crossing the room

Leo watched her go for a second with a fond shake of his head. Suddenly, he felt fingertips touch his arms, and he turned. “Oh, hi, Duchess Tremblay. And Mrs. O’Hara.”

Hayley O’Hara snorted. “You know better than that now, Leo, we prefer first names.”

Leo felt his face blush as he nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

“Mon Dieu, we’re not that old,” Duchess Tremblay teased. “I insist you call me Iva, sweetheart. After all, you’re family.”

“Oh.” Leo felt his heart skip a beat. “Um, thank you, that’s… wow, thank you.”

“Look, Iva, you got the poor lad all blushing,” Hayley snickered, nudging her. Leo had learned that for all Finn looked like his dad, most of his personality was entirely his mother’s.

Iva, in a fine display propriety, rolled her eyes so far back into her head Leo was sure she could see her skull. “Leo,” she said with a soft smile. “We just wanted to thank you.”

Leo blinked. “Huh?”

Hayley’s face was soft. She jerked her head towards the space behind Leo, where the rest of their families were. “Those two mutts over there would be nowhere without you.”

“Oh.” Leo wished he could call on his, frankly extensive, vocabulary, but no other words came to mind. 

“They were happy before,” Iva began. She placed her hand on Leo’s arm. “But they’re so much happier now.”

“So much happier,” Hayley agreed. “They were missing something, love, and it was you. They light up when they look at you.”

Leo felt himself growing even redder. “Well,” he said shyly. “I light up when I see them, too.”

“Bien,” Iva said. She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “We’ll leave you be.”

“I can’t believe we get to go to two weddings for you all,” Hayley chimed in, leaning up to kiss Leo’s cheek as well. Her eyes were bright. “Iva and I don’t remember the last two hours of the last one, and I hope this night ends the same way.”

Leo barked out a laugh. “Well, I hope so, too, Hayley.”

She sent him a wink and looped her arm through Iva’s to go back to their families.

“Salut.”

Leo felt arms go around his waist and he leaned back into a strong chest. “Salut.”

Logan squeezed him once, then he and Finn moved to stand in front of Leo, pressing close. Finn sandwiched Logan in between them and wrapped his arms around the both of them. “How are you, sunshine?”

“So good,” Leo sighed. “I’m married.”

“What a coincidence, we are, too.” Finn flashed the ring that had been slipped onto his left hand two weeks ago by Leo and Logan. “Whatcha think?”

Leo smiled. “I think it suits you.” He leaned over for a kiss, then looked down to meet Logan’s green eyes. “You asked my parents permission to marry me.”

“Ouais,” Logan said, running his hands up Leo’s chest to cup his jaw. “Of course I did. I asked Finn’s parents, too.” His eyebrows furrowed and he tilted his head. “Did you think I didn’t?”

Leo shrugged. “I don’t know. Mama just said that you did, and that you talked to her and dad about the whole… ‘giving up their titles’.”

“Ah.” Logan looked slightly sheepish and flushed. He cast his eyes down briefly; Leo would forever be amazed by how long his eyelashes were. “I just wanted to make sure they knew it was their decision completely. Even if we do something different.”

“Hey,” Finn whispered in Logan’s ear. He took Logan’s chin between his thumb and forefinger and twisted his face to kiss him softly. “You don’t have to be shy, baby.” He then directed Logan to look up at Leo and grinned. “Look how happy he is.”

Indeed, Leo felt like his heart was going to burst out of his ribcage. Sometimes he just wanted to carve a space in his chest and tuck Logan and Finn in, safe and sound, to be with him always. He replaced Finn’s hands on Logan’s jaw. “I’m so happy, sweetheart.” He bent down slightly to kiss him. “Merci.”

Logan made a soft noise and fell against Leo’s chest, leaning into his body and stealing soft kisses. His muscles, which had been tense since the night before, nervous for the public display of their “official” wedding- at least, official to the ton- seemed to finally relax. He broke away after a moment and rested their foreheads together. “Rouge.”

“Here.”

“Mm.” Logan reached behind him and cupped the back of Finn’s head, drawing him in to press their cheeks together. “Ouais,” he sighed. “This is all I wanted.”

 Leo didn’t think he’d ever stop being stunned by how gorgeous Finn and Logan looked together. Nor by how they looked at him, as if he saved them. Iva and Hayley might have been right about them being happier, about Leo being that light for them, but he would always defend that, really, they had caught him just when he had been falling. It felt, in a way, he guessed, that they had all saved each other.

“Salut,” came a voice from beside them. Noelle Tremblay was beside them with her husband, Thomas Walker. She smiled at them and nodded her head towards the door. “You want us to give you a minute?”

Leo looked down at Logan and Finn, who were soft, even under the bright lights of the room. He turned back to her and nodded with a slight smile. “Just for a few minutes, yeah,” he replied in French. “Merci.”

Noelle nodded and tugged Thomas to help her herd all of their family members away. There wasn’t much complaining or protest, save for a few knowing smiles and a cheeky wink from Alex, and in about two minutes they were- finally- alone. Finn began to rock them slightly back and forth. He had his face buried in Logan’s neck.

Leo leaned over to kiss his head. “What are we dancing to?”

“Dunno,” Finn shrugged. He lifted his head slightly to look at Leo. “I made up a melody in my head.”

“Of course you did,” Leo laughed. He ran a hand through those thick, red waves. “You and that beautiful brain of yours.”

Finn smiled and closed his eyes, settling back down against Logan’s body. Logan himself had his cheek resting against Leo’s collarbone. He shifted to press a kiss over Leo’s heart. “Soleil?”

“Hm?”

Logan pulled back slightly, both him and Finn opening their eyes to look at him. Logan rested one hand over Finn’s on his stomach, and the other he used as leverage on the side of Leo’s neck to stand on his toes and kiss him. “We want to go to New Orleans.”

Leo felt his lips part. His heart picked up. “Really?”

“Ouais.”

“Of course we do, baby.” Finn gave Logan’s cheek a kiss and moved to the side slightly to wrap an arm around Leo’s waist, pulling him close. He nudged their noses together. “We want you to take us home.” 

“Please?” Logan asked, tugging on Leo’s dress shirt slightly. “Take us home, soleil.”

Leo let out a disbelieving, almost tearful laugh. “Of course I will.” He brought them closer to him and bent to press all their temples together. “But sweethearts, I already am home.”

***

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA 24 October, 1969

“Leo!” 

Leo set down his suitcase and laughed as Cassie flung herself at him the moment he stepped through the bakery door. He picked her up and spun her around for a moment. “Hi.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re home!”

“I am.”

“Well, don’t hog him.”

Cassie stuck her tongue out at Cole, but let go of Leo and moved to the side so he could hug Cole and Layla.

“We’ve missed you, Le,” Cole said, slapping him on the back.

“I’ve missed you, too.” He gave Layla a squeeze and took a step back. He held out his hand for Logan to take. “And y’all remember Finn and Logan.”

“Your husbands,” Layla said. She opened her arms to give them each a hug. “It’s so good to see you!”

“We’re happy to be here,” Finn said with a smile. He looked around the bakery. “So this is the place.”

“Yup.” Leo wrapped an arm around his waist, the other around Logan’s shoulders. “This is it. These guys have been helping my parents out since they got back after renouncing their titles.” There was a noise from the kitchen and a French curse. “Speaking of.”

There was a rush of footsteps, and then Eloise and Wyatt were stepping through the doors of the kitchen with wide smiles. Eloise jogged around the counter with open arms. “My boys!”

Leo laughed and took her in his arms. “Hi, mama. How are you?”

“I’m so happy you’re here, baby.” She kissed his cheek. “Your daddy and I are so happy.”

“Eloise, you're smothering him.”

“No I am not,” Eloise retorted, sending a faux glare to her husband. But she let Leo go to hug Finn and Logan. “And how are my other boys? Ça va?”

“Ça va,” Logan replied, wrapping his strong arms around her waist. He smiled when she kissed his cheek, too. “Ouais, we’re so excited to be here.”

“We are, too,” Wyatt said. He came to give Leo a tight hug. “Welcome home, Le.”

“Merci.” Leo gave his father a final squeeze and stepped back. “How is everything? Do y’all need help in the kitchen?”

“No, no, no,” Eloise replied, shooing her hands at him. “You just stepped off a plane, sweetheart, you’re not helping in the kitchen.”

“Are you sure? Because I-”

Eloise clicked her tongue and turned to his husbands. “Finn, Logan, make him take you to the house so you can rest. I left some food in the fridge, so please eat. We can show you the bakery tomorrow.”

Finn laughed. “Eating isn’t a problem for us.” He walked over to place his hands on Leo’s hips. “C’mon, sunshine, let’s go.”

Leo let out a huff. “Okay.” He raised his eyebrows and turned to his parents and friends. “But if y’all need help-”

“Leo, oh my God.” Cassie’s eye roll was incredibly impressive. She put her hands on his arms and gave him a shove. “Go, go, go, we’ve got this. Layla and I are covering the front, and Cole is in the back. He’s learned to make some mean eclairs.”

Cole nodded. “I really have.”

Leo laughed at their insistence, but gave in. “Okay, okay, we’re going. Let’s go, sweethearts.”

They all took their suitcases in hand and moved towards the door, waving behind them as they exited the bakery and stepped out onto the street. Leo nodded his head to the left. “C’mon, house is this way.”

Finn and Logan looked around them, eyes wide in fascination. There were people bustling everywhere, and smells wafting through the air. They were in a section of the cities full of bakeries and restaurants. Leo smiled at every place he recognized, imagining sitting across from his husbands at all his familiar haunts, watching as they tried the foods from his childhood.

“Merde,” Logan breathed. “This is amazing.”

“Yeah,” Finn agreed. He let out an excited gasp. “I hear jazz!”

Leo smiled. “That’s from the square over there. People play there every day, and on the streets. Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of time to see it all.”

Finn’s grin was dreamy. “Because we’ve got months, don’t we, baby?”

“We sure do.”

Fifteen minutes later, Leo was fiddling with the lock on his house. The white beams of the deck shone in the midday sun, making him squint against the glare that reflected. He finally jiggled the key right and the door swung inward. He stepped back to hold out his arm. “After you.”

The fascination on Logan and Finn’s faces only amplified as they entered into the household. It was exactly as Leo remembered it: the sheer curtains letting in the sun, the large kitchen that was more well loved than anything else there, the slightly gaudy patterned chairs his father insisted on keeping because he found them “funky”. His mother had even left flowers on the table like she normally did, every week a different bouquet made from ones she found in the garden, or the park, or on the neighbor’s lawn. He smiled and felt a bittersweet feeling arise in his throat. He looked towards the winding staircase. “C’mere,” he said to his husbands. “I want to show you something.”

Curious, Finn and Logan followed him up the stairs, their feet padding softly on the carpet behind him. Leo smiled as they got to the landing, picking up his pace excitedly as they neared the door at the end of the hallway. It was ajar slightly and he pushed it all the way open gently with his hands, the familiar creak the only noise in the otherwise quiet room. 

It was just as he remembered it. Layla, Cole, and Cassie had been using it while he’d been away, his uncle taking up playing the piano for them. Cole’s drums were in their same place, Layla’s bass and Cassie’s saxophone in their cases against the wall. And on the left side of the room, catching the light coming through the window was Leo’s beloved piano, in all its well-used glory.

“Oh, mon soleil.” Logan’s hands came to cup his waist from behind as they all stepped through the doorway. “Mon amour, this is…”

“So very you,” Finn finished for him. He came up on Leo’s other side and reached out to touch the slightly yellowing keys of the piano. Leo watched his delicate fingers run over them. “So, so very you.”

“Yeah,” Leo sighed. He leaned into the kisses Logan was placing on his shoulder, soft as a feather. “God, I missed this place.”

“You gonna play us a song?” Finn asked.

Leo shook his head. “I want the first time I play to be with the rest of them.”

“Ouais.” Logan rested his forehead against Leo’s arm. “But you’ll let us watch you play?”

“Of course.” Leo opened his arms and they both came to tuck themselves into his body, their free arms around each other, completing the tight-knit circle of the three of them. Leo kissed each of their foreheads softly. “I love you so much.”

“Mm,” Finn hummed. He took his hand off of Logan’s waist to run his fingers through his hair, then through Leo’s. “I love you both more than anything.”

“Ouais,” Logan agreed. “More than anything.” He closed his eyes and drew them closer, his head tucked under Leo’s chin. “Je vous aime.”

They stood in silence, just breathing. Leo looked around the room he had called home for so many years. He had read hundreds of books here, played dozens of songs, shared thousands of smiles and laughs. But nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to what he felt at that moment. The rolling, calming, earth shattering love he had never dared to dream of when he was younger, then never thought he could actually have. Finn and Logan had been a distant dream, even when they were right beside him for those first two years in England. But now, they were more real than anything. Leo could feel the warmth of their skin, the tickling sensation of their hair, the warmth of their slow breathes that they exhaled onto his neck, tucked in close and safe. He tilted his chin down to find them both with their eyes closed, their faces pressed into his collarbone and neck. Leo closed his eyes and sank into bliss with them, tired from the journey but so alive from the moment. 

This, he thought, was just the beginning of his own great love story, of the rest of his life. And he couldn’t wait to see what it brought next.

[lumosinlove]

Smokey Bear (Cub)

It's not really a fest without some firefighter/ EMT AU, is it? The Cubs have appeared here before in Kindling & Embers, but Coops have a few other installments of their own :) Characters belong to @lumosinlove and fest prompts are from @oknutzy-week-2025! One more day!

Prompt C5: Mountains

“You’re not allowed to get mad.”

Three weeks fighting a raging wildfire, half of which Finn had followed solely on the nightly news because Logan’s satellite phone broke, and that’s what he came up with?

“For real,” Logan said, looking between them.

“I—okay, fine, I pinky swear.” Leo glanced at Finn as if he had the slightest clue what was happening. “Are we allowed to hug you now, or…?”

Logan reached into his left coat pocket and pulled out a cat.

Finn attempted to speak, and failed.

“It’s a baby,” Logan warned, as if it wasn’t obviously the smallest kitten Finn had ever seen.

Leo nodded slowly. “Gotcha.”

Finn knew what was going to happen the moment Logan reached for his other pocket. The second kitten was black and only a touch bigger than the first, wiggling its way toward Logan’s sleeve with the softest, most put-upon squeak in the world.

“Oh, give me one,” Leo breathed, holding both hands out like he was receiving a sacrament of some kind.

Logan handed the second over with more caution than Finn had seen him use for liquid nitrogen tanks. “We found them on the last day,” he explained. “When we were heading back. No sign of a nest or the mom. They were on the outer rim and the smoke was bad enough to scare everything else away.”

Finn watched the little orange puffball uncurl and dig tiny paws into the edge of his coat. “How old?”

“A few weeks, maybe.” He knew that look. Logan was using every bit of his green-eyed magic right now. “We’ve been feeding them with a syringe.”

“You’ve been feeding them with a syringe,” Leo corrected as he stroked the pad of his thumb down the kitten’s back. “I know you. There’s no way you let anyone near your pocket cats. Aw, you poor little baby, you’re still wobbly.”

Finn reached one leg out to gently kick at Logan’s ankle. “Why are you looking at me like I’m going to tell you we can’t keep them?”

Bliss split Logan’s expression wide open. “For real?”

“What—” Had everyone lost their minds in the last month? Had Finn? He had, but not like this. “Yes, of course, can I give you a hug because I missed you like crazy yet?”

It took two seconds for Logan to have both kittens on the rug and his entire body plastered to Finn’s. “This was a very dramatic and stressful way to tell us you wanted cats,” Leo murmured into Logan’s smoky hair. Laughter shook the three of them like a pinpoint earthquake, rippling from one to the next.

Finn kept his eyes shut and his forehead crushed to the bend of Logan’s neck, nestling him close. Leo had teased them for their turtledove tendencies two nights before Logan was called out to Vermont. They had folded him in with them between one breath and the next. The memory kept Finn up for a week.

Logan’s clothes would reek of sour woodsmoke for a few washes yet. If they spent long enough in the shower, under steam and newly-repaired water pressure, Finn was pretty sure they could work him clean. He needed Logan to smell like himself again, like the safety of their home.

 “Missed you,” he whispered. Logan’s face was still soft when he nuzzled his own against it, even after so long in the field. “Love you.”

Logan’s murmured answer cooled him to his core.

“I know your work is so important,” Leo began, as if he ever had to apologize for missing Logan. “I know you’re saving lives, I really do. But this one scared the shit out of me.”

He felt Logan’s groan of sympathy vibrating in his bones. “Crisse, I felt so bad when the phone broke. So bad. I’m so sorry.”

Fingers bumped Finn’s neck when Leo covered Logan’s mouth. “We’re just glad you’re safe. All of you.”

“I couldn’t give them to a shelter.”

“I know, honey.”

“They’re too little, still.”

“You are the best thing they could have found.”

“I quit.”

Finn felt every last bit of tension fall out of his body like a string had been cut. The breath pushed from his lungs with a small sound and Logan took all his weight without flinching. “Thank fuck.”

Leo took in a shuddering breath. “Are you serious?”

“Oh, thank you,” Finn mumbled again, peppering kisses to the bit of Logan’s neck he could reach without lifting his head. “Thank you so much, that is everything I wanted to hear.”

“I’ll be part of a ground unit,” Logan continued, but his hand found the back of Finn’s head in a light pulse. “No further than county limits. Houses and city parks only.”

Finn didn’t hear Leo’s response. He heard a quiet kiss, though, and that was good enough. “The kids are escaping.”

“I don’t think my hands will be free for another few minutes,” Logan laughed.

“No,” Finn agreed. “They will not.”

“We’ll make a run by the pet store before dinner. Look at you and your good timing.”

“I can back as soon as I could.”

“Oh, Lo.” Another kiss, somewhere above him. “I know you did.”

Finn didn’t want to turn the news on for another month, at least. He wanted nothing to do with wildfire reports or damage control. Their little life, new additions included, would be the sole recipient of his attention until his legs recovered from wearing a groove into the floor behind the couch. “Do they have names?” he asked after a few more minutes of pure distilled Logan.

“Not yet.”

“Do you have ideas?”

“Been a little busy, rouge.”

Finn squeezed him around the chest. Real, and sturdy, and his. “You are so kind. The world is so lucky to have you. Thank you for quitting your job.”

A kiss found the shell of his ear. Logan’s grip hadn’t eased up, either. Finn would wake up to this in the morning, and the one after that, and after that. There was no countdown clock to the next call. They could have opposite shifts for months, and Finn would still be happier knowing Logan was within the lines drawn on a local map instead of lost in the mountains somewhere with only his crew and a pair of kittens for company.

His hair was satin-soft under Finn’s fingertips. “I’m excited about the cats,” he said, in case Logan still wasn’t sure. “Honest.”

“I know.”

“I’m more excited you’re home.”

“You have no idea, mon amour.” He was playing with the neckline of Finn’s shirt. The kind of tugging that came with rolling the fabric between the pads of his fingertips, not the pull of twisting it in nervous swirls. Logan nosed along his neck until chapped lips found space on his neck for a kiss. “Mon beau, mon choupinet.”

“You’ll French for me now that you’re back, right?”

“For and with,” Logan confirmed.

Logan had plenty of fire of his own. In Finn’s humble opinion, he didn’t need to chase anyone else’s anymore.

“We’re calling this one Smokey.”

Finn turned his head and cracked one eye open. Leo had both cats, now, and held the black one up like a prize fish. Logan sighed heavily. “Seriously? Cliché, much?”

“I love him,” Leo countered. “You were gone for three weeks. I literally watched to make sure you weren’t dead on the news. I’m naming the cat whatever I want.”

“That’s fair. Thoughts on the other one?” His chest shifted. “Harz?”

Finn hummed. “It’s orange?”

“Oui.”

Logan’s jacket smelled like him around the collar, after everything. Finn soaked it in for a long moment while he thought. “Orange Juice.”

“Yes.” Leo sounded thrilled. Finn smiled to himself. “That’s the spirit.”

“Esquire,” Finn added.

“Fuck yeah. Last name Pocket, so we don’t argue.”

“Woah, no,” Logan immediately argued. “I picked them up. I kept them alive. I scheduled their vet appointment. They should get my last name.”

God, Finn couldn’t wait for him to stay.

[lumosinlove]

O'Knutzy Week Pt. V

The penultimate chapter! I am SO EXCITED for this one, it has some of my favorite scenes! I hope you like!

Thanks to @oknutzy-week-2025 and @lumosinlove. Prompt word today is objection. <3

Part V

London, England, United Kingdom 12 March, 1967

Leo hummed to himself softly as he perused through the novels on the shelves around him. The bookstore was unusually quiet for a rainy day. Leo smiled as he briefly passed the ‘O’s and saw Finn’s latest novel on display. It had been an overnight success when it was released at the end of January. He was off doing a book tour now around the country and on the continent. Logan was doing a stint back in Wales for lambing season, which left Leo to his own devices for a few weeks. 

He ran a finger over the spine of a paperback, about to take it off the shelf, when he felt a tug on his wrist. He spun around, heart racing for a brief moment, before he came face to face with, quite frankly, one of the last people he’d expect to see in a bookstore. “Jack?”

Jack’s hair was damp from the rain and he had stress lines around his eyes. “I need your help.”

“What?”

“Just- Leo, I need your help.”

“What the hell? Jack-”

“It’s my father.”

Leo shook his head. “Jack, I can’t help you with that stuff, you know this.”

“I think you can.” At Leo’s confused expression, Jack let go of his wrist and took a step back. “I think my father knows that we…”

Leo’s heart picked up again. “What?”

“He found one of your sweaters in my wardrobe.”

“My sweater? What the hell, how did you get-”

“You left it at mine one night,” Jack interrupted, having at least the decency to look a bit sheepish. “And, um. I kept it. Totally forgot, but… yeah.”

Leo let out a frustrated breath. “Jesus, Jack. And he knows it’s mine?”

Jack chewed the inside of his cheek. “Well… I mean, not specifically-”

“Jesus.” Leo snagged the book he wanted from the shelf and made to leave the aisle. “Move, Archer.”

“Leo,” Jack hissed. “He’ll figure it out, he always fucking does. We need, like, a public distraction or something, I don’t know-”

“Oh my God, Jack.” Leo whirled on him again, pulling himself to his full height. Jack looked small, much smaller than he ever had before. “This is ridiculous, and paranoid, and crazy.”

“Keep your voice down.” 

Leo sucked in a breath. That was the same tone Jack had used with him a thousand times. Back up, Leo, we don't want them suspecting. No, don’t sit here, sit by your friends. Sh, Le, someone might hear us. Get the lights, get the lights.

Leo clenched his jaw and stepped into Jack’s space, voice low. “I am not scared of you, Jack. And I’m not scared of people knowing who I am. And if you are, that’s fine, but don’t drag me into it unless it directly involves me. No fake scandals, no distractions, nothing, you got it?” Nostrils flaring, Leo took a step back. “And stay away from me, Archer. I don’t want to see you anymore.”

Jack didn’t say anything, just nodded his head minutely. His face was pale and pinched. It was kind of pathetic, and gave Leo a twisted kind of satisfaction. He hadn’t been angry at someone in a while, and had to admit it felt good. Leaning into that feeling, he turned on his heel without looking back, and went to pay for his book.

London, England, United Kingdom 28 April, 1967

“Leo,” a soft voice whispered. “Mon coeur, wake up.”

Leo opened his eyes drowsily, lying on his front on the mattress in his New Orleans bedroom. The bed was bigger, he noticed, but it felt the same. The air was warm, slightly humid, like it always was mid-spring. He blinked to clear the sleep from his vision and realized his head was turned to face Logan, who was smiling at him softly in the morning light. Leo smiled back and stretched his legs. “Bon matin.”

Logan leaned over to press a kiss to his forehead. “Sleep okay?”

Leo nodded. “Mhm. Where’s Finn?”

“Here.” Finn came walking through the door with a large tray in his hands, which he placed on the end of the bed. He climbed in on the other side of Logan. “Eloise sends up pancakes, eggs, and bacon.”

“Mm,” Leo hummed. “Smells good.” He went to sit up and reached for one of the plates stacked on the tray, but a freckled hand stopped him. He looked at Finn, confused. “What?”

Finn shook his head. “Nothing. Just didn’t get my morning kiss yet.”

Leo smiled and leaned over Logan’s body to meet Finn’s mouth. Finn cupped his jaw gently and kissed him softly, in long pulls of their lips. He pulled away after a moment and rested their foreheads together. “Love you, baby.”

Leo kissed him again. “Love you, too.” He felt fingers pinch his waist and looked down to find an expectant Logan, watching them from against the pillows. Leo laughed. “And you, I love you, too.”

Logan said nothing, just grinned and reached up to lace his fingers through Leo’s hair. Leo let himself be drawn down into a warm, needy kiss that just filled him right up. He shifted to straddle Logan’s thighs, shaking the breakfast tray slightly.

“Careful,” Finn laughed. “Eloise worked hard on that spread.”

Logan just hummed, grinning, and ran his hands down Leo’s butt and thighs as he sucked beneath his jaw. “Eat you for breakfast,” he whispered.

Leo nipped his neck. “My mother would be insulted.”

“Worth it,” Finn said. He had a hand on each of their bodies and joined Logan in decorating Leo’s neck. “You are very tasty.”

Leo laughed, arching his back into the movement of Logan’s hands on his hips, before he took a deep breath. “We have to eat. Before it gets cold.”

Logan made a dissenting noise. “Non.”

“Ouais.”

“Ouais, fine, but then we eat you.”

Leo sat back on his heels to look at them both. “I like that plan.”

“I love that plan,” Finn said. He shifted down the bed to grab a piece of bacon. “Here, Le, take it.”

Leo shook his head fondly and took the bacon from Finn’s fingers with his teeth.

Leo jerked awake with a sharp inhale, heart pounding from his dream, face and body flushed. He was slumped awkwardly on the couch, book fallen against his chest. He tried to point out what had awoken him, then realized the phone was ringing.

“Merde,” he muttered, standing up quickly to go pick the phone up from its receiver. “Hello?”

“Salut.”

“Hiya!”

Leo smiled. “Hi. How are you?”

“Absolutely splendid!” Finn said, voice cheery. “The lambs are adorable.”

“Ouais, they’re very fluffy,” Logan chimed in. “Just like you, Leo.”

Leo rolled his eyes. “You’ll never let me live that down will you?”

Finn just made a bah sound into the other end of the line, which made them all laugh. There was a moment of silence before Logan spoke again.

“Today is my last day here in Wales, and Fish is done with his book tour. We come back to London tomorrow.”

Leo perked up. “Yeah? Well, I can’t wait to see you. It’s been a while.”

“It has,” Finn said. “How have you been, Le?”

Leo licked his lips. He thought of Jack, in the bookstore; the spring events he had been to, chatting with other people his age there, but never the same as with Finn and Logan. He had found a good group of acquaintances this past spring: Thomas Walker, Remus Lupin, Sirius and Regulus Black. Logan’s sister, Noelle, was engaged to Thomas, and Logan and Finn’s university friends, Will Morgan and Percy Marshall, had sought Leo out to talk to him, so it had felt like he still had some connection; but he wanted them by his side. He wanted Finn whispering extra commentary in his ear, Logan sneaking him dessert he’d paid the kitchen staff to give him. Spring had been simultaneously full of parties and good food and good company, yet still Leo felt almost as lonely as he had when he first arrived.

And there was the matter of the dreams he seemed to keep having. He didn’t know what to make of those.

He cleared his throat. “Um, yeah, I’ve been good. Lots of spring parties lately, because the weather has been nice. I talked to Noelle the other day, Logan, she seems good. Happy.”

“Ouais, she is.” Leo could tell there was a smile in Logan’s voice. “They want to get married in the fall.”

“Oo, outside of the season, how scandalous,” Finn said. “Anything else new, Le?”

“Um,” Leo said hesitantly. “Not really, no.”

“What’s wrong?” Logan asked.

Leo snorted. “How do you know something’s wrong?”

“I can hear it in your voice.”

God, Logan Tremblay was going to be the death of him. Heart pounding, Leo brought the receiver closer to his mouth. “I, um. I ran into the guy I knew from New Orleans a few weeks ago.”

“Jack Archer?”

Leo blinked. “Finn, how do you know his name?”

“I asked around. Wanted to know exactly who treated you badly. It’s not that hard to match a face to a name in high society.”

Well, if Leo died, now there would be two guilty parties. “I- Finn, you didn’t have to do that.”

“I know.” 

“What did he say to you, Le?” 

Leo closed his eyes briefly at the way Logan talked to him so gently. “His dad found one of my sweaters in Jack’s wardrobe.”

“Your sweater?” Finn sounded incredulous. “But, he must have had it with him for ages!”

“I know, it’s weird.”

“Really strange,” Logan agreed. “And so his dad knows?”

Leo shook his head. “No. His dad doesn’t know it’s mine, but Jack was all paranoid, said we should create some other public disturbance or scandal to distract his dad from the topic.”

“That’s crazy!” Finn exclaimed. “Surely you told him that.”

“I did, yes.” Leo sighed. “I hate that he still gets to me.”

“Well, I won’t let him,” Logan said, voice defiant.

“We.”

“Ouais, we. We won’t let him get to you.”

Leo’s heart tugged. “You don’t have to do that.”

“But we want to,” Finn said. He was always so sure of himself.

Leo smiled. “Okay. Well, then I guess I can’t stop you.” He laughed. “You are pretty stubborn after all.” He checked his watch. “I should go. I’m cooking dinner tonight so the staff and my parents can rest.”

“You know,” Finn said. “You’ve got a heart of gold, sunshine.”

Leo felt his breath catch in his throat. “Sunshine?”

“You’re new nickname,” Finn said. “Lo came up with it.”

“But I said it in French, so it’s better. Soleil.”

Leo swore that any minute now he would melt into the floor. “Well, thank you. That’s very kind.”

“We’re very kind boys, Leo, even your ma says so.”

“She does.”

“Allez, soleil, we’ll let you go cook dinner. We’ll see you in a couple of days.”

Leo smiled into the receiver, his stomach fluttering against his will. “Yeah. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”

London, England, United Kingdom 1 May 1967

“And to the season!”

There were cheers from around them as Finn, standing amongst the crowd, raised his beer above his head, voice loud even for the bar. Everyone raised their glasses and began to drink. Leo shook his head in amusement and bent to talk in Logan’s ear. “I can’t believe he still has this much energy.”

Logan swallowed the last of his beer. “Me neither.” He grimaced. “This tastes like shit.”

Leo laughed and nodded his head towards the door. “C’mon, I need some air.”

They left Finn, who had an arm around Thomas and Remus each, to entertain the other people their age who had escaped the start of season party and exited through a side door of the pub. They stepped out into the alleyway. Leo took a deep breath, inhaling the slightly smoky London air. 

“You can’t see the stars here,” Logan mused.

“Non, you can’t.” Leo leaned back against the brick wall. “Not like you can back home.”

“New Orleans?”

“Ouais.” 

Logan nodded and leaned on the wall next to Leo, head tilted up. “The stars in Wales and France are beautiful, too.”

Leo admired the sharp cut of his jaw for a moment. His green eyes were dark, yet somehow still shone. “Ouais, they are.”

Logan turned his head first to look at Leo, then his whole body, crossing his arms and ankles. “Do you miss home?”

Leo nodded. He felt an ache somewhere in his chest. “All the time.”

“What about it do you miss?”

Leo shrugged. “The bakery. The food. The music.” He sighed. “Mostly the people. My friends and family.”

Logan hummed. “Moi aussi.” He tilted his head. “You’re doing okay, though?”

“Ouais, why?”

Logan’s eyebrows furrowed. “You didn’t ask for this life. It’s hard.”

Leo forced a smile. “I know. I know, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.”

“There must be something.” At Leo’s defeated look, Logan took a step closer. “If you could, would you?”

Leo suddenly realized how close they were, chests almost pressed together. “Would I what?”

“Leave this life.”

Leo didn’t even have to think. “Yes.” He ducked to meet Logan’s eye. “But I would miss you. And Finn.”

Logan’s smile was soft in the lamplight. “We would miss you, too.” He opened his mouth to say something else, then stumbled over his own feet. “Merde.”

Leo laughed, grabbing onto Logan’s shoulders to steady him. “You’re drunk.”

“No, I’m not, I-” Suddenly, Logan looked a little dizzy. He let out a breathy laugh. “Là, I guess I am. It’s the beer I swear.”

“Logan, Leo!” Finn came out the door in a flushed frenzy, briefly bringing with him the sounds of chatter from inside. He stopped when he saw them and smiled. “Well, y’alright?”

“Yeah,” Leo said. He let go of Logan’s shoulders. “Someone here is a little tipsy.”

Finn’s expression turned amused. “Oh, Lo, baby.” He placed an arm around Logan’s shoulders. “I think it’s time to go to bed.”

Logan groaned, nodding. “Ouais, I think so.”

“Let’s go, I’ll take you back to mine.” He looked up at Leo. “You want me to walk you home?”

Leo shook his head with a smile. “No, it’s okay. My house is just a couple of streets down, I’ll be fine. You’re very chivalrous, though.”

Finn pretended to tip his hat. “I am a gentleman. Call us when you get home, okay? I want to make sure you get back safely.”

“Promise, as soon as I step through the door, I’ll head straight for the phone.”

Finn’s freckles crinkled around his smile. “Good.” He jostled Logan a bit. “Alright, my love, let’s get you in the shower, you reek of beer.”

Logan just groaned. “Your fault.”

Finn just winked at Leo and turned towards the door. “Let’s move, lads. We’ve all got a date with nice soft mattresses.”

London, England, United Kingdom 2 May, 1967

“I liked that record,” Finn said. “Who was it again?”

“John Coltrane,” Leo replied, fiddling with the needle on the record player as he flipped the disk. “My friends and I play a lot of his stuff. It’s got another side, hold on.”

Finn closed his eyes and smiled as the music started up again. “You know, sunshine, you’ve got fantastic taste in music.”

Leo winked at him. “New Orleans, baby.” He settled back in his armchair across from Finn and Logan, who was on Finn’s lap on the couch. He gestured between them. “We didn’t get much of a chance to talk last night. Book tour was good? Lambing season, too?”

Finn nodded. “It was a bit crazy, honestly. I didn’t really see much of each city, either, just hotel rooms and restaurants and book shops.” He squeezed Logan around the waist and kissed his cheek. “But I saw lots of Wales with this one.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Ouais,” Logan said, leaning into Finn’s lips. “The lambs are so cute. There were so many this year.”

“That’s good.” Leo took a sip of his gin and tonic. There was a knock at the door, and he swallowed, standing. “Excuse me.”

He walked through their parlor and to the front door, opening it. There was nobody there, nothing except a pamphlet with a paperclipped note attached to it on the doorstep. Leo looked down the street; there was one in front of every house, but not all had extra papers. He frowned and bent to pick it up and step back inside. His heart dropped to his stomach when he read the note. I’m sorry, it said.

Leo swallowed, detaching the small piece of paper. The pamphlet was the first Whistledown of the season, the script elegant at the top. Below it, however, was a picture- Whistledown never included pictures. Leo blanched as he recognized his own face. “Oh my God.”

There, plastered on the front of the most-read news source in high society, was himself and Logan outside the pub the night before. Logan’s back was to the camera, his face not visible, but Leo’s clearly was. He was smiling down at Logan, his hands on Logan’s shoulders, and they were pressed close together. Leo scanned his eyes down the page to the article. It was short, the shortest article he had ever seen in Whistledown, but it was enough.

Dearest reader, 

It seems as though the first night of the new season is already giving us a fresh look into what the most intriguing romance shall be. Leo Knut, the American-born future Viscount of the ton, was seen outside of a pub with a mystery man late last night. It seems as though the witching hour really is full of magic, if the look in Lord Knut’s eyes is anything to go by. But just who has him so infatuated? I assure you, dear reader, that this author is up to the task of revealing the face of the subject of Lord Knut’s affections- and that I already have a sneaking suspicion as to who it might be. With any luck, this mystery shall be solved promptly and, as always, in the fullest detail one can possibly imagine.

Greeting and salutations, dearest reader, and welcome to the start of what surely will be another dazzling season,

Lady Whistledown

Leo felt like his soul had left his body. His fingers were shaking as they held the pamphlet. He tried to will his body to move, but couldn’t.

“Le?” Finn called. “Who was it?” There was the sound of footsteps, and then Finn was at Leo’s side, a hand going to his back. “Leo? Leo, oh my God, are you okay?”

Leo just looked at him. He felt his breathing go ragged and his eyes tear up. “I’m so sorry.”

“What? Leo…” He took the pamphlet from Leo’s hands and his jaw dropped. “Oh, Lord. Oh my goodness.” He turned and jogged back into the living room. “Lo!”

“Quoi?” Leo heard Logan ask. “What is it?”

“Read.”

There was silence and then the sound of Logan’s gasp. “Non.” Footsteps sounded again, then Logan was in front of Leo face, hands going to grip his arms. “Leo. Soleil.”

Leo closed his eyes and a tear slid down his cheek. “It was Jack.”

Finn was there, too, pamphlet in hand. “What?”

Leo sniffed. “It was Jack. He wants to confuse his father, I’m sure of it. The pamphlet came with this note.” 

Logan and Finn each read the paper Leo held out to them. Logan’s eyes turned dark. “I’ll kill him.”

“No you will not,” Leo said firmly. “You will not do anything. Your face is not visible, so you do not have to do anything. I will fix this.”

Finn’s eyes were concerned. “Leo.”

“I will.” Leo sniffed again and pushed past them to the living room, pacing in front of the fire. “I will find somebody to marry. I will have my parents look, and we will find me a husband. There are loads of men with dark brown hair, it will be fine.”

“Leo, non.”

“Ouais, Logan.” Leo waved his hands around. “That is what you do in this society! If I have learned nothing else, I have learned that! I will find someone, hopefully a nice man, and I will marry him, and then we will all be safe. I might even grow fond of him, with time, but I will not let Jack do this to you!”

Finn looked upset when he stood in front of Leo, preventing him from pacing. “Leo, stop. What if you just talk to Jack?”

“Because then he will do something, Finn!” Leo yelled, clenching his fists. “He always does, he always finds a way! His father is a powerful man, and he has been here longer than my parents have. I cannot have my parents destroyed because of this, because if Jack does something to hurt them, I won’t be able to live with myself.” He turned to look at Logan. “And I’ll be damned if I let him do something to you.”

Logan’s eyes were angry when they met Leo’s own. “Leo, non.”

“Yes,” Leo gritted out. “You don’t have a say. I am the one visible in the photo, and so it is my life that is now public. So I will find a nice man to marry, and that will be it. There will be no objections.”

“I object.”

Leo stepped closer to Logan. “No.”

“Ouais, I object, of course I object!” Logan let out a huff. “I don’t want you to do it.”

“You don’t have a say!”

“I don’t want you to marry a man that doesn’t love you!”

“Who says he won’t!” Leo wanted to break something. “Who says he won’t, and who says I won’t grow to love him? It happens, Logan, and I can’t do nothing.” He took a deep breath. Tears began to slide down his cheeks as he looked between Finn and Logan. “You’ve found love. You’re so lucky. And I want you to be able to keep that love, even if I might not be able to have it.” 

“Leo,” Finn whispered, his own eyes watering. “No, don’t say that.”   

Leo just shook his head, biting his lips and looking down at his feet. He could feel his heart breaking. “I think you should go before my parents get back from the country tomorrow. I’ll need to talk with them.”

It was silent for a moment. The air felt heavy around them, weighed down with sadness, or maybe something deeper. Leo fiddled with the hem of his shirt, unwilling to move his eyes from the floor.

“Marry me.”

Leo jerked his head up. “What?”

Logan swallowed, but his face was determined. “Marry me.”

“Absolutely not,” Leo said. He looked at Finn, who was uncharacteristically quiet, arms crossed and biting his lip. He turned back to Logan, eyes wide. “No, Lo, are you crazy?”

Logan took a step closer. “Marry me,” he repeated.

“No,” Leo gasped out. “Oh my God, no, Logan.”

“I don’t want you marrying someone you don’t love!”

“And I won’t have you doing the same!” Leo yelled. “No, Logan, that’s insane!”

“No it is not!” Logan took a step closer. “I am a member of the French aristocracy. I can protect you. And then you won’t have to marry a stranger.”

“He will not be a stranger.” Leo took a step back. “I will court him properly, and that is that, Logan! There is a way to do these things-”

“Fuck that.”

“Logan!”

“Leo,” Finn finally said, eyes pleading. “Listen to him, maybe-”

“No!” Leo gripped his curls. He felt like he was going insane. “How many times do I have to tell you? Logan, you will not marry me because you are in love. You are in love with Finn, and if you marry me, that gives you no chance to ever be with him, do you understand? Ever. I will not let you put that all out on the line for me and marry me, because you do not love me!”

“Who says I do not love you?” Logan shouted.

Leo froze. Logan was standing in front of him, strong chest breathing heavily. Finn was looking between the two of them, face cautious, as if waiting to see what Logan would do next. Leo tried to find words. “No, Logan,” he said, voice breaking. “No, I will not-”

Logan let out a frustrated grunt. He marched towards Leo, face as determined as Leo had ever seen it, and in one movement he pushed Leo down onto the couch, straddled his hips, and kissed him right on the mouth. Leo gasped, breaking away with a wet sound. Logan’s face had gentled and he cupped Leo’s jaw tenderly. Leo realized they were both shaking.

“Who says,” Logan whispered, green eyes open and raw. “That I do not love you.”

“Oh God,” Leo breathed. He looked frantically to Finn, waiting for tears, or rage, or something like that. But instead, he was met with a gaze so tender, so fiery, that he felt himself begin to burn up on the inside. Finn had stepped closer, a little off to the side so he had a view of both of them. He was thumbing his lip, eyes dark and ears flushed. His gaze traveled up and down their bodies before he gave Leo the slightest of nods. Leo turned back to Logan, and inhaled shakily. “Oh God,” he whispered again, wrapping his hands tightly around Logan’s waist before leaning in once more.

Logan’s kiss burned like a fever. His mouth was firm against Leo’s own, desperate and wanting, his tongue tracing Leo’s bottom lip gently. Leo let him in with a soft moan in the back of his throat. Logan kissed with his whole being, his torso and hips shifting against Leo’s, one hand moving further up to grip Leo’s hair. Leo chased his mouth and body and felt heat begin to pool at the base of his spine. It felt divine, being beneath Logan, just taking and taking and taking what he had yearned for for so long.

Suddenly, he felt gentle fingertips on his jaw. He breathed in through his nose as Logan moved down to suck on his neck and opened his eyes. Finn was kneeling on the couch beside him, back straight, forcing Leo to look up to meet those warm, hungry brown eyes. He wrapped long, delicate fingers around the base of Leo’s jaw, thumb rubbing his throat. Leo gasped and let out a sound he had never heard himself make before. “Finn.”

Finn leaned down to meet his eye. “And who says I do not love you, too,” he whispered. Then he kissed Leo so hard it felt like a deliverance.

Leo didn’t know what to do with his body, where to place his hands. All he knew was the feeling of their lips against his skin, their hands on his jaw and wrapped around his neck and gripping his hair. Time didn’t mean a thing, nor did any sort of place, not when Leo felt transcendental beneath their attention. He couldn’t form words, could only open his mouth and let sounds out as he felt them. There was a moment when both Logan and Finn pulled back and Leo got to watch them kiss each other, up close for the very first time, before they went back to kissing him, and it made him feel dizzy. 

“Fuck,” he finally said against Logan’s mouth. “Mm- wait.”

He was pulled into one more kiss by Logan, then Finn, before they all put a few more inches of space in between them, their chests heaving with their breathing. 

Leo covered his face with his hands and had a brief, serious mental talk with his body. “Oh my God.” He peeked through his fingers to find both Finn and Logan smiling at him. “Oh my God.”

Finn winked. “The name is Finn, actually, but I know it gets confusing.”

Leo couldn’t even find it in himself to chastise Finn for the awful joke. “You- I- what the hell just happened?”

Logan laughed, his smile sheepish, and he shrugged. “We love you.”

Leo’s heart stopped. “Oh my God.”

Finn snorted. “Leo, I know you have more extensive vocabulary than that.”

“I know I do, but- how-” Leo shook his head with a disbelieving laugh and rested his hands on Logan’s thighs firmly. “What?”

“Quoi? What do you mean, ‘what’?” Logan asked. He played with the back of Leo’s hair and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “We love you.”

“Really?”

“How many times, sunshine?” Finn teased. 

“Sorry. I guess… I didn’t think you felt that way.” Leo cocked his head. “When did you start to feel that way?”

Finn and Logan looked at each other, talking without so much as saying a word. Logan nodded to Finn, who turned to look Leo in the eye. “Um, after New Year’s for me. Last year. Like, the first party your parents threw. I knew immediately when I watched you play the piano.”

Leo gaped. “Oh my God.” He tapped Logan’s thigh with his thumb. “And you?”

Logan blushed. He suddenly looked sheepish. “Ah. When you were nervous to ride horses. In Wales.”

That got Leo to burst out laughing, throwing his head back against the couch. “Oh my God, that’s so embarrassing! I was so nervous!”

“Non, you were cute.” Logan knelt up straighter to be able to look at Leo directly, cupping his jaw in his strong, calloused hands. “You and Finn looked so beautiful in the mountains.”

“Mm,” Leo hummed. He leaned up and nipped Logan’s lip. “I remember thinking the same thing about you and your thighs in those pants.”

“Finally, someone I can talk to about Logan’s sexy thighs without it being socially unacceptable.”

Logan tisked and settled back down, reaching out a hand to draw Finn closer. “Don’t be so lewd.”

“Leo started it!”

“Hm.” Logan kissed the back of Finn’s hand. His eyes flitted between them, more solemn than before. “I have an idea.”

Leo sucked in a breath. In all the rolling emotions, he’d almost forgotten. “Lo…”

“Non, listen, please.” He cupped Finn’s jaw with one hand, Leo’s with the other. “I love you both so much, please listen.”

“Okay, baby.” Finn was rapt with attention, obviously surprised by Logan’s earnestness. “We’re listening.”

Logan settled his gaze on Finn for a few more seconds before turning to Leo. “I still think we should get married.”

Leo shook his head. “No, Logan, I won’t let you-”

“It will be just for show.” Logan winced. “Ah, non, not that it wouldn’t be- that what I feel for you isn’t-” He dropped his head back with a grunt, then met Leo’s eyes with determination. “I think I can get you back to New Orleans.”

Leo couldn’t help the sharp gasp he took in. “What?”

“Yeah, baby, what?” Finn asked. He settled his hand over Leo’s on Logan’s thigh. “What do you mean?”

Logan took a deep breath. “If you marry me, I will become a future viscount. And if your parents give up the title, then I am one. All the land you own will belong to my family, too.”

“Okay,” Leo said, nodding. “But, that just means it stays in your family.”

“Ouais, but that means it’s also mine to give up.” Logan sighed. His eyes were sad when they met Leo’s again. “You said you would give up this life if you could. I want you to have that choice, and I…” He blinked harshly. His irises were a little wet. “I would give up my life, too.”

“Logan,” Finn whispered, voice a little frantic. “Baby, what- what are you saying?”

“I don’t belong in a dukedom,” Logan said in a rush. “I want to do something good, with my hands, in the fields, with animals and people. I don’t want to be a part of high society, I just want to be.” He sniffed and wiped under his eyes. “If Leo and I got married, and his parents wanted to give up their titles, we would become viscounts, and his land would be my land, too. My family is more powerful, which means it would be easier to sell and give up our own titles.” He took Leo and Finn’s hands and began to play with their fingers. “We could give up possession of it or sell it to Sydney and Ffion, or one of my other sisters. But they would be the easiest, because Ffion is a Welsh Duchess, so Sydney is a Welsh Duchess, and they are also part of my family. So it would stay under both the French aristocracy and the British crown, and we could still work the lands if we needed to.”

Finn snorted. “Stupid fucking British imperialism, making a Welsh Duchess part of the British crown.” He took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly, before opening them again. “But it does make sense.”

“Ouais,” Logan nodded. He brought his hands up to lace in Leo’s hair. “Soleil?”

Leo let his eyelids drop at the gentle way Logan said his name. “I don’t know.”

“I want you to have the life you deserve, mon coeur,” Logan whispered. “And I think this could help. You would be free.”

“Yeah,” Finn agreed, placing a hand on Leo's thigh and rubbing soothingly. “And then you could do whatever you want. You could go back home, or you could stay.” 

Home. Leo hadn’t heard that word in so long without feeling a sharp pain dig into his chest. Home was his parent’s bakery, and the humid summer air, and the sound of jazz music, and the smell of spices wafting from the restaurants. Home was late night dancing with his mama and dad and his friends, their laughter ringing in his ears, and Louisiana French spoken loudly, spoken softly, spoken everywhere it could be spoken because it was part of who he was, of who came before him. Home was a place he had missed even before he’d left, before his world had been turned on its head in the worst and best way possible. Home was where his heart was.

But now, Leo thought as he opened his eyes, he wondered if his heart didn’t just have a home in New Orleans. 

“Okay,” he breathed. “I will do this, but on one condition.”

“Quoi, mon soleil?” Logan asked, expression halfway between giddy and anxious. “Quoi, anything.”

Leo looked at Finn. “It has to always be the three of us, and it has to work out.” Finn swallowed, and Leo took another deep breath. He needed them to understand. “I realized I was in love with the both of you the second I stepped out of Finn’s house the night we met. For two years, I have been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for this feeling to just go away, but it won’t, and I can’t say I don’t want it to.”

A rogue tear slipped down Finn’s cheek. “Oh, Le…”

Leo took their hands in his own and kissed the back of them. “From the day I met you I could just see how much you loved each other. How much you wanted each other. And I- God, I hated that with every fiber of my being. I wanted what you had, but more than anything I just wanted you, in any way I could. Don’t you see?” he asked, sniffling as he took them in, their hair and eyes and skin glowing in the firelight. They were soft, and patient, and so beautiful Leo could barely breathe. “This has to be the three of us, and it has to work out, because I can’t have it not. This is it for me. You could move on, or want something else, and I will always be right here, because there is nothing after you. Absolutely nothing, do you understand? I will never love anyone else.” He wiped a tear from his own cheek and tilted his chin up to meet Logan’s gentle gaze. “So I will marry you, but we will court first. Publically. And it will be just for show, not because I don’t want you, but because I want you both or nothing at all. And if you want to get engaged to be married to me, you and Finn get engaged first, and then you both get engaged to me, or all three of us do at the same time, and we all get married beforehand. And we must talk to my parents about this whole thing first. Then, if you want, someday the three of us can be public, and we can renounce our titles and go to New Orleans, or stay here, or move to South America, I don’t care, but it will be all three of us. Every public action we take, Finn will be right there, because I will not leave either of you behind.”

For a moment, they just stared at him. Logan’s chest was heaving and Finn’s face, for once, was unreadable. They looked at each other, then back at Leo, the only noise in the room being the sound of their breathing and the scratching of the record player, the last song having trailed off at some point. Leo suddenly felt embarrassed and tilted his head down to look at his lap, eyes hot.

Finally, Finn broke the silence. “Oh, baby.” He let out a shaky breath, then a laugh, and then was wrapping Leo up in his arms and tucking Leo’s face into his neck with a hand in his hair. “Oh, my love.”

Logan was there, too, still a warm weight on Leo’s lap. He wrapped his arms completely around Leo’s lower back and pressed his forehead to the back of Leo’s head. “Mon amour.”

“I’m sorry,” Leo sobbed. “I’m so sorry if I said something, I-”

“Sh, sh,” Finn hushed. He kissed Leo’s temple. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. Oh, Leo.” He pulled back to press a hard kiss to Leo’s mouth. He was smiling. “You’re just the sweetest thing.”

Leo couldn’t bring himself to say anything, throat too blocked with anxious tears. Logan seemed to realize and kissed his cheek. “Mon soleil, je t’aime.” He let out a sigh. “I think that’s a good plan.”

“Y-You do?” Leo stuttered.

“Yes, baby,” Finn reassured. His smile was wide, even though his eyes were red. “Oh, God, we’re gonna love you forever.”

“I just-” Leo’s breath hitched. “I don’t want to do anything without the both of you, I- I couldn’t stand it if you were just pushed to the side, Finn, I couldn’t do it.”

“Sh, sh, I know.” Finn drew Leo in again and squeezed him around his shoulders. “I know, baby, and I love you so much for saying that. But I know that that’s how it might have to be, at least for a little while.”

“We don’t have to hide anything, Le,” Logan added. “Let the town think what they want. Or we can wait for a while to do anything, but it’s okay. C’est bien, mon chou, we want you.”

Leo pressed his nose harder into Finn’s sweater covered shoulder. “Ouais?”

“Ouais.”

“Okay. I want you, too.” Leo pulled back and wiped his eyes, grateful that they kept their hands on him. They each had an arm wrapped around each other, too, he noticed. “But I don’t want to get engaged right away. I want to date you first.”

“Don’t you mean court?” Finn teased in a fake posh British accent.

Leo barked out a wet laugh. “Yeah, court. God, we haven’t even started courting and we’re already talking about an engagement and a wedding, this is crazy.”

“Well, we can slow down,” Logan said, reaching up to brush away some of the residual wetness on Leo’s cheeks. “We can date for as long as you like, no matter what people say. I don’t care what they think.”

“Le, baby, Lo and I have talked about this over and over for more than a year.” Finn took both of Leo’s hands in his own and kissed his ring finger on his left one. “We want you forever baby. We’re so sure about that.”

Leo bit his lip around a smile. “I want you forever, too.”

Finn grinned back. He kissed Logan deeply, then leaned forward slightly and settled his capable hands around Leo’s ribs. “You know what else we want?”

Leo was pretty sure he could guess, but he met Logan’s eager, playful gaze for a minute before looking back at Finn and responding anyway. “What?”

“We want,” Finn murmured, tucking his thumb under the bottom of Leo’s sweater to massage the skin. “To take you upstairs, turn on the warmest lamp light you have, and lay you down on top of the sheets and kiss every beautiful inch of you.” 

Leo let his eyes close. Intimacy, for so long, had been shadowed by darkness and paranoia. And here were two boys, two gorgeous, kind, funny, absolutely ridiculous boys, who wanted to love Leo in the real world and kiss him in the light. His heart was so full he was shaking. “Please,” he whispered. 

Logan’s low laugh was pleased as he bent to kiss Leo’s neck. “There’s so much of you to be touched, mon coeur.”

“Please,” Leo said again.

Finn began to kiss on the opposite side of Leo’s neck, right under the hinge of his jaw. “Could probably spend hours worshipping you, baby.”

“Please.”

Logan’s mouth was breathing softly right by his ear. “Je t’aime.”

“Please,” Leo gasped out a final time. “Finn, Logan, I love you so much, please.” 

Finn let out a low hum against his neck, and Logan pressed his smile into Leo’s cheek. “Allez, mon coeur,” he whispered. He stood and held out his hands to each of them, pulling them up and towards the stairs. “Let me take both of my lovers to bed.”

[lumosinlove]

yearning

O'Knutzy Week 2025 - Entry 4

prompt: patisserie

1940s UK au (nothing explicitly violent), established lionfish, logan centric

thank you yet again to @lumosinlove & @oknutzy-week-2025 !!!

loosely inspired by the incredible works of @iluvchick3nz 🥺 (ive also fallen victim to bridgerton since your writings, so i couldn’t help but write a period piece of my own!)

>

He's been delivering bread ever since he, himself, was delivered into this feeble corner of the world.

Even after escaping France with merely the clothes on his back, forced to leave his family and life behind amidst the treacherous conditions of France's capture, Logan has fallen into a... thoroughly familiar pattern. Running from a German-occupied Paris was one thing, but getting to Britain for a hope of some semblance of safety -- or, lest he be hopeful, protection -- was another endeavour entirely. Fortunately, the Brits rather favoured the French rebellion members, all things considered. There were informants from the front lines, however unarmed and desperate; information was invaluable amidst the war, Logan knew. It was what had pushed him to make the ultimate sacrifice to evade German authorities -- to live when he very well should have been put to death -- and leave his loved ones behind.

More fortunately still, he's found a job. It pays as well as one can with the state of the European world, but Logan enjoys it all the same; if nothing else, he's privy to pretty pastries and even prettier views.

"Lo," heeds Leo in his oh-so-endearing Southern-American drawl, practically drenched head-to-toe in upchurned flour; he mindlessly adjusts the apron tied around his hips and, if he were any stronger, Logan might've dragged his gaze far away from those nimble fingers. (Alas, he's a weak man.) When Leo lifts his head to grace him with a blazing smile, Logan nearly lets his knees take him to the ground. He'd happily bask in the generous haunches of Leo Knut, baker extraordinaire, sunshine incarnate. "I told you not to rush. You aren't due to start for another--"

"I enjoy being here," Logan tells him in earnest and, judging by the fond roll of ocean blue eyes, the sincerity is palpable. "With you. The quiet is... c'est horrible pour moi. Unsettling."

Leo's soft smile turns sympathetic, even as he reaches out to clasp gentle fingers over Logan's aching shoulder. "You don't have to justify anything to me. To anyone."

Logan can't help the twinge of laughter that bubbles out of him; he's too far out of his element to be composed, in truth, but Leo doesn't need to know that. Not when he's so graciously opened his and his roommate's (read: secret boyfriend) flat to Logan, even knowing the risks and their stranger status in the beginning. It'd been a blessing in more ways than one, however disguised. "I think Finn'll still ask. He doesn't exactly have an off button when it comes to curiosity."

"No, he doesn't," Leo muses with a brilliant, glowing grin. Unbeknownst to him, Logan's fighting every urge to stare unabashedly at his plump, kissable, rosy lips; he can see the minutely bruised state of them, likely the fault of one Finn O'Hara, casanova and literature enthusiast, his "roommate" and otherwise partner in crime at the patisserie. Leo idly leans one hip against the front counter, gazing wistfully over Logan's shoulder at the mountain of novels to be shelved alongside the other handful the "Reader's Patisserie", as Finn unofficially dubbed it several months prior, holds in store. When Leo sighs, Logan frustratedly stamps down every flutter of his racing heart. "It's what happens when Oxford takes an already brilliant mind and encourages it to seek more. He's truly something, isn't he?"

As if on cue, Finn himself strolls through the front doors, the sweet jingling of the overhead bell wafting through the quiet morning at the entrance. Logan stares, truly and thoroughly unable to hide it, at the slight furrow of his brows, the curly, though disarrayed state of auburn hair from however many hours of rest he'd gotten; he's well aware there's very little that can rouse Finn from sleep. It's a talent, if he's being honest, even if it does leave red curls in a crazed state in the morning. He and Leo have spent one too many sleepless nights laughing over such a thing and yet, Logan still wishes to run his finger through the bedhead -- not to tame it, but to explore it as it is.

Finn's beam brightens tenfold at the sight of them and, if not for the way Leo's blushing a beautiful shade of scarlet, Logan might've been able to muster a word. (He is a weak, weak, weak man.)

"Good morning, love," comes the Scottish-accented quip, fluid and delighted all the same. "Hey, Lo!"

"Bon matin," Logan replies. How could he not, with the enviable state of lovestruck brown eyes?

When Finn reaches the till, Leo is in his arms at once -- really, Logan ought to feel like he's intruding, with the way Finn's hands dart tightly to the jut of Leo's hipbones. When they lean in, it's to brush noses, even with the open state of the cafe and shiny windows behind them; one of these days, Logan had had to remind himself of the risk of involving himself amongst their peaceful paradise. Then he witnesses this, and knows they're all risking something. At the very least, they should be happy in the meanwhile.

"Butterscotch?" Finn muses, licking a small stripe across Leo's cheek that has not only Leo's chuckles turning sickeningly sweet, but also sends Logan's heart straining hard against his weakening ribs. It's like a painting -- to see, to admire, but never to touch, never to have. A daydream.

"How do you always know?" Leo says, grinning brighter than the sun, and Logan doesn't know how he'll ever get over the yearning so fully seeped into the very foundations of his being. Every day is spent living for them. For this. Do they even know?

Finn casts a glance over at Logan, unexpectedly, and his eyes softened infinitesimally. "Just had a feeling."

Logan won't deny how his heart picks up its pace at the once-over he receives.

(And if they end the night in a tangle, lips and bodies pressed close between bookshelves and behind cash registers, who's to say it's undeserved? Wrong? When there is nothing that feels more right than this, than them, than letting loving overcome his senses and wield his fickle fear into protectiveness, into loyalty, into devotion?)

>

[lumosinlove]

Sugar Boy

Tremzy, that sweet tooth needs a license. More fluff for day 5, because fests are for fun and I love it when these three get a little break from their regularly-scheduled suffering. Characters belong to @lumosinlove, fest prompts are from @oknutzy-week-2025 :)

Prompt A4: Summer

Summers at home were a rare treat Leo was learning to savor more each year. Travel without a strict schedule had been fun for the first few seasons; they could go anywhere they wanted, free of game obligations and nutritional advice. He refused to think about recommended daily calories when French butter was involved. Seeing the world with his favorite people was nothing short of unbelievable, and Leo held it in both hands with care. Italy, Spain, Wales, Austria, Brazil…it didn’t feel real. They had tried to fit as much as they could between trips to see family and training camp, but they always came home and Leo always ended up wondering why they had ever left.

The house helped. Always a project to be done here or there, a sense of long-lasting permanence Leo was unaccustomed to. This, flipping an omelet while Finn sorted their photos from Tulum for the photo album in the breakfast nook ten feet to his right. This, chopping an extra bit of green onion while the birds discussed all manner of things outside the open window above the sink.

They had forgotten the can of paint on the porch last night. It was a pale, pretty blue, and growing smooth as Logan applied a second coat to seal it. The rain wasn’t supposed to come for another two days and Leo had wanted to set up the porch swing before it arrived. If worst came to worst, they’d wait until next week. He had no plans at all.

“Harz?”

“Mhm.” Finn set aside a stack of pictures and crossed the room to take his omelet with a kiss for Leo’s cheek. “Thank you, baby, this looks amazing.”

“Well, see how it tastes.”

Finn fixed him with a look of teasing disbelief. “Come on.”

“I used bacon grease instead of butter,” Leo admitted. “And the green onions are fresh out of the garden.”

“God, I love you.”

“You better.”

His pans were just where he wanted them, and just what he needed for any dish. It was ridiculous, but there were times that they would be halfway across the world and all he wanted was his skillet for a late-night grilled sandwich. Did it make him spoiled to be glad they weren’t going abroad this summer? It felt silly to think.

“You both got so tan,” Finn muttered, back in his nook. “Do I look like a ghost all the time?”

“No, sweetheart, only when there’s sun out.”

“Ha-ha.”

Leo grinned, leaning out the window above the sink. “Lo! Breakfast!”

“Merci!” came a shout from the porch. Logan had apparently decided laying flat on his belly with a paintbrush was the best way to do things this morning. His attention to detail was devastatingly sweet.

Speaking of…

Leo turned the stove off and slid Logan’s omelet onto a plate beside his own, reaching for their shelf of mugs. Finn had started the coffee when he came downstairs that morning in his usual routine, but he always made a fresh half-pot if they had a later breakfast. The container for the cream was a little light when he took it from the fridge. Leo weighed the merits of stopping by the grocery store in the afternoon versus waiting for the farmer’s market on the weekend while he shuffled his various bits of cookware out of the way.

Logan Coffee Sugar. A relic of their old apartment all three had been passionate about keeping. I don’t want to go drag the whole bag out every time I have coffee, Logan had argued. You are so fucking cute, Finn and Leo had agreed. It was nothing but an old glass jar with a duct-tape label across the front, but it was Leo’s favorite thing in the entire kitchen.

(That was a lie. His alligator-shaped casserole dish won by a landslide. Thank you, Finn.)

Logan Coffee Sugar was a very, very close second, though. And he did have to admit, it was a convenient and creative solution to the secondary problems that arose when Logan originally used a salt shaker for the same purpose. Logan’s chief complaint was that it took too long to get the appropriate amount, while Leo was more concerned about accidentally seasoning his dinner with cavities. Thus, the honey jar was freed from the junk cabinet and enlisted for a new purpose.

He set the lid aside and eyeballed two heaping spoonfuls into the nearest mug. A dash of coffee to dissolve it, cream to temper the heat, and then more coffee to fill the remaining space. He poured himself a cup as well before moving to the nook; Finn shifted the album and photographs over before he made it two steps, lifting his legs to make room for Leo on the bench seat.

“Good morning,” Finn said happily. “We’ve been on some really cool trips.”

Leo hummed his agreement around a bite of omelet. “What’d you find?”

“Nothing you haven’t already seen,” Finn said, though he was already moving his coffee to spread a few pictures out. “Remember that part of the wall? And here’s your shark buddy, I found our snorkeling pictures in my backpack.”

The front door creaked open and closed with a heavy thud, followed by the familiar clomping and jangling of Logan coming home. Leo pressed his smile into the side of his mug. “We’re looking at pictures from Tulum, cher. Breakfast and coffee are by the stove.”

Logan gave an audible sigh. “Parfait, you’re a godsend.”

“Done with the porch?”

“Just about. We can’t leave through the front for another couple hours, sorry.” Logan settled across from them and stretched his legs out until his ankles found Leo’s, already craning his neck to see the photos. “Qu’est-ce que c’est?”

“That one’s the castle, and Finn found the underwater camera stuff in his bag.” Leo tapped the edge of a picture from the top of the ruins. Glittering water bloomed below, surrounded by shades of green a camera couldn’t hope to catch accurately. “This one’s from the ruins.”

“Mm, I remember.” Logan blew on his coffee before taking a sip. “This is fantastic, wow. Have you put the book together?”

“Thought we’d do it together,” Finn explained. “I got the photos sorted by days, though, and then the snorkel ones are separate.”

“Good thing you painted up to the door,” Leo noted. Can’t leave for a few hours, his heart trilled. The back door would remain shut, too, if he had his way.

Logan caught him immediately, darting a grin across the table. “Oh, was someone excited to stay home?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Uh-huh.”

It was so unfair that he blushed that easily for them. He was a homeowner, for fuck’s sake. Wasn’t that supposed to grant him emotional stability or something? Leo took a pointed bite of his omelet before speaking again. “I love going on vacation.”

“Never said you didn’t.”

Logan was wiggling his foot up the leg of Leo’s pants. “And sometimes I also like a bit of downtime.”

“Translation, with love,” Finn began, still flipping through the photographs. “You’re an incurable homebody with an abiding love of your home base, and truly you would flourish as a hobbit in another life.”

“Oh, look,” Logan said, pointing to their plates. “It’s second breakfast and everything.”

“I like traveling,” Leo insisted. Arguing any of the other points would be both futile and false.

“You can love traveling and also be visibly gleeful about literally being painted into the house,” Logan laughed. He caught Leo’s hand across the table and kissed the back. “Merci beaucoup, soleil. This is delicious. Did you use the onion from the garden?”

He noticed. Of course he did. Leo’s cheeks hurt from containing his smile. “I did, yeah.”

“It adds something.” Logan collected their plates and forks and brought them to the sink, but returned in mere moments to nestle himself against Finn’s other side and open the photo album. “D’accord, where do we start?”

[lumosinlove]

a warm morning (it's only ours)

O'Knutzy Week 2025 - Entry 3

prompt: heatwave / summer / sunburn

canon compliant, possible SW/Vaincre spoilers!

thank you to @lumosinlove & @oknutzy-week-2025 for making this possible!!! (:

late but we're doing our best!

>

"Mon dieu," comes Logan's thirteenth grumbled complaint in three minutes, "what have we done to deserve this hell?"

Leo sleepily chuckles against where his cheeks are smushed against Finn's bicep. "Heaven."

Logan grumbles, and Finn can't help but grin.

"Oh c'mon, grumpy," Finn muses, rolling minutely onto his back to entangle an arm around Logan too. The brunet follows willingly, pressing his forehead to the pit of Finn's bare stomach with a disgruntled huff. Fortunately, Leo reaches over and plants nimble fingers amongst sweaty brown curls. "The AC's already all the way up."

"He'ps n'ne," Logan murmurs and, not for the first time that summer, Finn remembers exactly why he fell for these boys.

"Yes, well, give the thing some credit. Sounds like it's gonna explode if we turn it up any more."

Finn grins, nose brushing along the outskirts of the crown of Leo's head, tickling blond tresses in its wake. "Do you get more Southern the further we are from home?"

Basking in Leo's golden laughter, Logan lifts his head, propping his chin upon the dip of Finn's stomach. Green irises reflect the same emotion Finn feels so intimately here in Nice: joy, unbridled and whole and true. Moreover: love.

"I want to spend forever with you," Logan says, sincere and low, and Leo's face burns a brilliant scarlet despite the brightening of his effervescent smile. A recently-tanned hand extends to cup one of Logan's nearly-sunburned cheeks and, at the contact, Finn's heart trips clean over itself; intent green eyes delicately flutter shut.

"You will," Leo tells him, promises, voice barely teetering above a whisper yet it resounds so wholly in Finn's ears, he might as well have shouted it to the rooftops. Maybe Finn could convince them to do that on their next hike - everyone would surely hear them, the birds and the towns and the fish and whatever higher powers above, from a clifftop. It is their honeymoon after all, what is there to do besides be happy and stupidly in love?

Finn takes Leo's free hand into his own, drawing the glowing expanse of its back to his lips. The slivers of silver gently encircling Leo's ring finger has his heart leaping, as always, at the reminder; Leo's his, they're both his, and he's theirs.

He plants soft lips to the silver band Logan picked out for Leo, watching the sunlight cast through blond curls; if anything, it makes Leo look tenfold more like an angel, with a halo to match. Leo smiles and, below, Finn can feel attentive green eyes fixated upon the rings decorating his own occupied hand. He reaches out, taking Logan's nape into careful hands, and gives a comforting squeeze; the punched-out sound it leaves in its wake only makes Finn's smile widen ever more.

"I love you," Finn says, shouts, to the sun, to the moon, to the stars and the sky above, to the birds and the trees and the critters scurrying along outstretched branches. To the heartwarming music carried along gentle breezes, to the shells overturned by even gentler waves, to the glow of ocean irises and forest ones alike. To Leo and to Logan, to his husbands, eternally and beyond, he promises, "I love you."

And they say it back, again and again, until his heart and soul sings with it: I love you, I love you, I love you.

>

[lumosinlove]

O'Knutzy Week Pt. IV

Part IV! Enjoooooooooy!

Thanks to @oknutzy-week-2025 and @lumosinlove! Prompt words today are anatomy and patisserie. <3

Part IV

London, England, United Kingdom 18 February, 1966

“Oh, God, I’m so full.”

“Ouais.” 

Leo laughed from his spot on the couch, glancing at Finn, who was sprawled on his back on the carpet, eyes closed and arms above his head, and Logan, who was slouched in the most comfy armchair in Leo’s living room. Eloise laughed from her perch on Wyatt’s lap on their other armchair. “Good dinner, sweethearts?”

“The best,” Finn moaned. “Do you eat like this all the time down in New Orleans?”

Wyatt nodded, smile wide. “In our house, at least, yes.”

Logan let out a groan. “Je veux un autre beignet. Délicieux.”

“I’ll get it, Lo,” Leo said.

“Non, non, too full.”

Leo and his parents laughed. “Well, why did you say you wanted another one?”

“If I could- comment le dit-on? Développer?”

“Expand,” Eloise supplied.

“Ouais, I need to do that. To my stomach. To fit another beignet.”

“Oh, honey,” Eloise said. “There will be some for breakfast.”

At that, Logan perked up. “Breakfast?”

“Of course,” Wyatt said. “You two can stay the night, we’ll fix you up a nice New Orleans breakfast, too.”

Logan let out another groan, letting his head fall back and his eyes close. “Merci.”

“We’re never leaving,” Finn said.

Eloise smiled at them both before standing. “Well, I think it’s time for us to go to bed. Leo, is there anything left to clean in the kitchen?”

Leo shook his head. “I did it all, mama.”

“Wonderful.” She walked over and kissed his forehead. “Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you.”

“Love you.”

Her eyes flickered to both Finn and Logan, who looked half asleep. “They’re very sweet boys.”

Leo smiled back. “They are.”

She kissed his forehead once more before bidding goodnight. Wyatt ran a hand through Leo’s hair as he passed, and then it was the three of them. Leo kicked Finn’s foot lightly. “Finn.”

“Mm.”

“Bed.”

“Mhm. One sec.” He opened his eyes and held out his hands. “Help.”

Leo stood and took his hands, pulling him. Finn stumbled a bit, falling into Leo’s chest, hand automatically going to Leo’s waist. “You’re strong.”

Leo grinned. “I do my pushups.”

“Mm. Good for your anatomy.”

“What?” Leo laughed.

“Good for muscles. Arms, chest, back. Anatomy.”

“You’re not making sense.”

“I’m so full.” He dropped his forehead to Leo’s shoulder for a moment before pulling back to look at him. His smile was soft and sleepy. “Thanks for dinner. And dessert.”

“Of course.” Leo felt a bit unsteady on his feet with Finn this close. He jerked his head to Logan. “I think he’s almost asleep.”

Finn turned to Logan. His expression was fond- and in love, Leo now knew. “Lo.”

“Non.”

“Lo,” Leo whispered, jostling his shoulder lightly. “Time to go to bed.”

Logan stretched and blinked open sleepy green eyes. When he saw them both above him, he smiled. “Salut.”

“Salut.”

Logan closed his eyes, but he was still smiling. “I can’t move.”

“I’ve got the bed made,” Leo said. “And clothes out for you both in the room next to mine.”

Finn made to help Logan up, but Logan suddenly sat up straight, batting his hands away. “Quoi?”

Finn turned pale. “What? Lo, what’s wrong?”

Logan’s eyes darted between them before settling on Leo, a little frantic. “The room?”

Leo met his gaze. He nodded minutely. “The room. A room”

Finn, seemingly catching on, let out an involuntary soft gasp. “Leo.”

“You know,” Logan said.

“I do.”

“How?” Finn asked.

Leo looked between them, cheeks flushed as he ducked his head down. “I saw y’all. On New Years. I wanted to go up to the roof at midnight, but…” At Finn and Logan’s nervous looks, Leo offered a small smile. “It’s alright. I’m, um… I’m the same.”

They obviously hadn’t been expecting that. Finn’s eyebrows shot up high, almost halfway to his hairline, and Logan’s mouth hung slightly open.

Leo took a breath. He couldn’t explain why it was so important that they knew. “I like boys. Only boys.”

They both looked him up and down. Logan’s chest was breathing in a steady rhythm. Finn just stared at him a moment longer before smiling. “Well,” he said. He reached down and nudged Logan’s jaw with his knuckle softly. Logan looked at him with an expression so relieved, so unguarded it made Leo’s breath catch. “I guess we’re sleeping in the same room then, huh, Tremblay?” He took Logan’s hand and pulled him up and flush with his body before looking at Leo once again. “And your parents…?”

“They’re okay with it,” Leo said softly. “They don’t know about you, obviously, but… they’re okay. With me. And they would be, with you, if you want them to be.”

Finn nodded. “Okay. Lo?”

Logan was looking at Leo now. His eyelashes were long and dark in this light. He didn’t say anything for a moment, but then he sank into Finn’s body, placing his hands on Finn’s rib cage like it was second nature. Finn almost looked relieved.

“Thank you,” Logan whispered. “Merci, Leo.”

Leo nodded. “You’re welcome.” He jerked his head towards the staircase with a smile. “C’mon, I’ll walk you up. You need to build up energy to tackle breakfast tomorrow.”

Nice, France 24 May, 1966

“Oh my God, put the knife down!”

Finn obeyed immediately, throwing his hands up in defense as the knife clattered to the chopping board. “Knife down.”

“Finn,” Leo sighed. “You’re going to cut yourself.”

“How?”

“You need to hold the carrot with a claw grip, or else you’re going to bleed all over my ingredients.” Leo nudged him with his hip. “Go, go mix drinks or something, please. I’ve got this.”

“Are you sure? Because I can-”

“Rouge,” Logan laughed. “I think you should listen to Leo.” He walked around to stand next to Leo. “I’m better at chopping, anyways.”

“Miles better,” Leo agreed.

“Uh, it’s kilometers here, Knut,” Finn pointed out. He stepped up behind Logan and kissed the back of his neck. “Fine, fine, I’ll go make some martinis, how’s that?”

“Perfect,” Leo said. 

The sound of the shaker started up a few minutes later, just as Logan had finished chopping up the vegetables for their salad. His forearms were tan from the time they’d spent in the French sun, on the beach just outside the Tremblay home. Leo had never seen a place so beautiful, particularly the kitchen. Finn and Logan practically had to drag him out of there the night before so they could go eat at a restaurant instead of Leo cooking for them.

Leo hummed along to the Nat King Cole record he had put on as he and Logan worked side by side. Logan watched his every move carefully, fascinated, those devastating green eyes of his focused on Leo’s fingers. Leo bit his lip around a grin.

“Quoi?” Logan asked. He was smiling, too. “Why are you smiling?”

Leo smiled even wider. Even Logan’s French sounded just much more him here, in his hometown. “Nothing. I’m just happy cooking. In France. Away from the balls, and society, and Lady Whistledown, my goodness.”

“Mm, ouais, moi aussi.” He glanced over his shoulder at Finn, then looked back up at Leo from underneath his unfairly long eyelashes. “Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you for having me.”

“And thank you for… you know.” Logan sighed. “It feels good. To be with him.”

“Of course, Lo,” Leo said softly. “I’m so happy for you. And so grateful I can be a safe space for you.”

Logan nodded absentmindedly for a moment before meeting Leo’s eye. Those irises were so intense sometimes that Leo felt frozen beneath their gaze. “It feels good to be here with you, too, Leo.”

Leo nodded with a smile. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a precipice. “Ouais, it does. Feels good to be with you two, too.”

Logan just smiled at him again, tapped the counter, then walked over to Finn at the bar cart. Leo watched their bodies fit together and bit back a heavy feeling. He turned back to his own cutting board to finish trimming the fat off the steak.

London, England, United Kingdom 1 September, 1966

“Leo!”

Leo laughed as Cassie launched herself through the doorway and into his arms, Cole and Layla right behind her. Cassie squeezed him around his neck before letting him go. She slapped his chest. 

“It’s been too long!”

“I agree,” he said, leaning down to hug Layla, then Cole. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

“Leo, we’ve missed you,” Layla said, bringing him down for another hug and swaying them. “God, it’s not the same without you.”

“I should hope not. Come on, I’ll help you with your bags.”

Cole whistled lowly as Leo led them through to the living room. “This is one hell of a house.”

“It’s a mansion!” Cassie squealed. “Oh my God, Leo!”

“I know, I know.” Leo smiled. “Pretty crazy, right?”

“Wow,” Layla said. She pointed to the piano. “And that’s where we are playing tonight, right?”

“Yup.” Leo led them up the stairs with their suitcases. “Breakfast is in the kitchen, and then you’ll probably want to get some sleep before the gig tonight. It was a long flight.”

“So long,” Cole said. “But, it was free, so.”

Leo snorted. “Yeah, you can thank my past aristocratic British relatives and the inherited wealth for that one.”

“Hey,” Layla said. “I’m willing to have you pay for my plane tickets any time.”

Leo smiled at her as they reached the end of the hallway. “Cole, Layla, you’re here. Cass, you’re in this one. Just come down when you want breakfast, Alice is keeping it warm.”

“Alice?” Cole asked.

“Our maid. She and her husband Frank work for us. But they take parties off because we hire outside people, so they’ll be mingling tonight with the rest of us.”

“Wow,” Layla said. “Welcome to high society, I guess.”

Leo just rolled his eyes good naturedly and ushered her through the doorway to her room.

***

“So you’re all the American friends!”

“Oh God,” Leo whispered.

Finn just winked at him. “Hiya, I’m Finn. This is Logan. You play great jazz, by the way.”

Layla, Cole, and Cassie all raised their eyebrows in amusement at Finn’s energy. Logan was behind him, face slightly embarrassed and flushed, but Leo knew the fondness that always lingered was hidden behind that mask. 

“Salut,” Logan said. 

“Hi!” Cassie jumped up and embraced each of them. “It’s so nice to meet you! We’ve heard so much about you!”

“Oh, have you?”

Cole leaned in to talk more softly with Leo. “These are the ones you told us about, right? The Irishman writer, and the French duke.”

Leo snorted. “He’s not a duke. He’s fourth in line to be a duke.”

Cole rolled his eyes. “Sorry, my mistake.” 

“And you must be Cole,” Finn said, moving down the line to greet each of them. “Drummer extraordinaire.”

Cole pretended to tip his hat. “That’s me.” He held out his hand. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“You as well.” Finn took a step back, then threw his arm around Logan’s shoulders. “It was nice to meet you. We are going to get some drinks and we’ll be right back.”

“Ouais,” Logan said. His accent sounded thicker, like he was nervous. “It was nice to meet you all.”

Leo watched them go with a soft smile. He noticed the way that, when Finn dropped his arm from around Logan’s shoulders, he briefly touched his lower back. It was a split second, nothing that couldn’t be played off as an accident, but enough. Leo furrowed his brow a bit. Jack had never even let Leo do anything as innocent as high five him, much less something as significant as a secretive touch, fleeting yet so full of meaning. 

“Hey,” Layla whispered. “I know that look.”

Leo turned to her. “What look?”

“That’s your Jack Archer look.” 

“Sh,” Leo hushed her. “People will talk.”

She looked unimpressed. “Leo.”

“He’s here, Layla.”

“You told us, he’s in London.”

“No, he’s here here. His father wants to do business with my dad, it’s a whole thing,” Leo said, waving his hands vaguely in the air. “And with Whistledown always around, you never know.”

“The gossip paper?” Cassie asked. “What does she know?”

“Nothing,” Leo whispered. “And it will stay that way.”

Cole looked at him, conflicted. “He treated you really badly, Le.”

Leo let out a sigh and closed his eyes briefly. “I know.” He straightened his shoulders. “But, even if it’s now officially accepted in society, that sort of news deserves to be shared on the person’s own terms. Even if we don’t like them.”

Layla narrowed her eyes. “You’re a lot nicer than I would be.”

Leo laughed. “I know.” He shrugged. “Plus, I don’t want Whistledown writing about me, either. She had enough to say on my sweater vest last week.”

Cassie balked. “What was wrong with your sweater vest last week?”

“Said it clashed with the black pants.”

“Well what color was it?”

“Navy blue.”

Cole winced. “Yikes. Harsh.”

“I know.” Leo smiled to himself. “It’s funny, Finn made fun of me for my sweater vests the first night I met him and Logan. Said they weren’t proper enough for British society.”

“But he’s not British,” Cassie pointed out.

“That’s what I told him,” Leo said, shaking his head. “He’s a funny one, Finn O’Hara.”

“You don’t think he’s Whistledown, Leo, do you?” Layla asked.

Leo almost laughed. “No. He’s successful enough as an author as it is, he doesn’t need a gossip column. And besides, he hates Whistledown. Says it’s too revealing. So does Logan.”

Layla tilted her head. “You really like them, don’t you?”

Leo looked at her, frowning a bit. “What do you mean?”

“They’re good friends?”

“Of course.” At her furrowed brows, Leo nudged her. “What?”

“Nothing,” she said, shaking her head. Her eyes were open and honest when they looked into his own. “I just don’t want you getting hurt again.” 

Leo brought her into a one-armed hug. “I won’t, I promise.” He jerked his head. “C’mon, it’s the end-of-season party. I had the caterers make a New Orleans special.”

Cole perked up. “Really?”

“Gumbo, jambalaya, etouffee, the works. And patisserie.”

Cassie narrowed her eyes. “And they won’t mess it up?”

“Nope,” Leo said proudly. “I gave the chefs my grandmother’s recipes with instructions not to change a thing.”

Layla nudged him. “You can’t take the New Orleans out of the boy.”

“No, you certainly cannot,” Leo said, standing. “Let’s go, y’all, I’m starving.”

London, England, United Kingdom December 31, 1966

“Last chance to go find a party to go to,” Finn said, whiskey tumbler dangling from his fingers. He was sitting up on the couch, Logan lying down with his head in Finn’s lap.

“Oh, hell no,” Leo replied. “I have had enough of big parties.”

“Ouais,” Logan agreed. He looked up at Finn’s face and smiled. “At least now I can kiss you without hiding on the third floor.”

“I’ll drink to that.”

“Honeys!” Eloise called, her pants swishing as she walked into the room. “Do you need anything? Any more cake, champagne?”

Leo looked at Finn and Logan, who shook their heads. “No thanks, mama. You and dad going to bed?”

“Yes,” Eloise sighed. “I am just so wiped, honey, all these parties.” She smiled at Finn and Logan. “You’re both always welcome, though, of course. I set up the guest bedroom for you already.”

Logan grinned at her. “Merci, Eloise.”

“Well.” Eloise clapped her hands. She kissed Leo’s cheek. “Happy New Year, baby, I love you. I’ll see y’all in the morning for breakfast.”

“Night, mama. Say goodnight to dad for us.”

Eloise kissed her hand and tapped his forehead, then did the same to Finn and Logan before turning on her heel and walking towards the staircase. 

Finn smiled after her. “I love your ma. And your dad.”

“Moi aussi,” Logan agreed. He let out a soft grunt and stretched his toes to the end of the couch. “They’re so kind.”

“Well, they love you, too,” Leo said, taking a sip of his own whiskey. “Are y’all sure you don’t want champagne or anything?”

Finn shook his head. “No, thanks, Le. I think we’ll get our New Year’s kiss and go to bed. Gotta rest up for breakfast.”

Leo nodded. “Ah, sounds good.”

Logan looked at him curiously for a silent second, as if deep in thought. “Have you ever had a New Year’s kiss, Leo?”

Leo choked on his drink for a moment, a little bit dribbling down his chin. He used the sleeve of his sweater to wipe it away. “Sorry.” He met their eyes. They looked soft in the firelight. “Um, no, I haven’t yet. I tried, once, but it… you know. Never happened.”

Finn cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

Leo took a shaky breath. He drew his knees up and planted his socked heels on the edge of the chair. “Remember the guy I told you about, the first night we met? The one who didn’t treat me well?”

“He denied you a New Year’s kiss?” Logan asked.

Leo nodded. “Yeah.”

“Leo,” Finn whispered softly, tone hesitant. “What happened?”

“You really want to know?”

Logan looked him up and down. “Only if you want to.”

So, Leo took a deep breath and told them. Told them about the first kiss they had, hesitant and searching in the storeroom of Leo’s bakery. About how Jack had made him feel something, how he was Leo’s first everything. About the missed plans, the shady excuses. About the town events they both went to, and how Jack didn’t want them even near each other, but at sunset would ask Leo to take him home, take him to bed. About how Jack told Leo how much he wanted him one moment, and was skittish and barely acknowledged Leo’s existence the next. About how he never let Leo sit next to him on the bus, how he only ever loved Leo in the dark.

“And every time we… you know, in bed,” Leo whispered. “It was always at night, sheets over our bodies, curtains closed. Not even a lamp light.” He took a deep breath in, closing his eyes against the memories. “He never even kissed me with a light on.”

“So when you two…” Finn started. “He never saw your body?”

Leo shook his head. “No.”

Finn looked him up and down, eyes indecipherable. “That’s a damn shame.” 

Logan watched Finn for a moment before looking at Leo again. “And he never wanted to tell anyone?”

Leo shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Not his parents, at least. But that wasn’t even what bothered me, even though I did want to tell my mama and dad.” He sighed. “It was more like I didn’t have a say in… in anything. He controlled our relationship. There was never a conversation of the future, never a conversation of telling anyone, never a conversation about what would happen if someone found out. Nothing.” Leo felt his eyes start to heat up. “I don’t know, sometimes I feel like he just saw me as someone to… you know…”

“You’re not,” Logan said firmly. He sat up and met Leo’s eyes. “You’re not just someone to use like that.”

Leo nodded. “I know.” 

But that didn’t seem to be good enough for Logan. He let out a huff, then stood. He kissed Finn’s forehead, then crossed the room to stand in front of Leo, looking down at him. “You’re not.”

Then he took Leo’s face in his hands. Leo felt his heart thumping beneath his skin and tried to quiet his breathing. Logan bent down a bit, beautiful green eyes searching Leo’s face, before he pressed a soft, silent kiss to Leo’s cheek. “Là,” he whispered. “A New Year’s kiss. Now you have one.”

As if one cue, the grandfather clock in the corner chimed the hour. Leo didn’t say anything, just watched with careful eyes as Logan lowered his hands and turned back to Finn with a soft smile. Finn smiled back and held out his hand. “Come here, Lo, baby.”

Logan laughed as Finn gently tugged him down to sit sideways across his thighs and right into a kiss. One of Finn’s hands was looped around Logan’s lower back, the other resting on his thighs, rubbing them in a soothing pattern. Logan cupped Finn’s jaw like he had Leo’s, gentle and sure, as he kissed Finn in long, happy draws. They were both smiling. Leo felt his heart begin to ache.

With a final burst of light pecks, Finn and Logan pulled away. Finn cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

Leo waved his hand. “No, no, it’s, uh… don’t be. It’s okay.” He smiled, but it felt forced. “You’re in love. You should kiss at midnight.” He looked at them, bodies and souls tangled, and suddenly felt tired. “I’m going to go to bed, if that’s okay.”

Finn nodded. “Of course. We’ll be right up.”

“Ouais,” Logan said. “Go to bed, Leo, I’ll put out the fire so it doesn’t burn the carpet.”

“Merci,” Leo whispered. He downed the rest of his drink and stood. “Um, goodnight. Happy New Year.”

Finn smiled. “Happy New Year, Le.”

Leo nodded, then walked towards the stairs, beginning the ascent. He wondered what to make of the fact that, with each step upwards, with every bit of distance he put between himself and the two boys on the couch, he felt as though he was leaving a piece of his heart behind, waiting to be stamped out along with the fire in the hearth.

[lumosinlove]

Beneath the Milky Twilight

O'Knutzy Week Day 4! Celebrating our halfway point with some famous Finn kisses (trademarked by L. Knut and L. Tremblay). Thanks to @lumosinlove for Cub details and @oknutzy-week-2025 for the prompts!

Prompt D5: Spring || Prompt A3: Dystopian

TW for making out

The edge of Finn’s book dug into Logan’s back, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. It was where he began and ended, paper spine to bone, a bright point of pain to keep him grounded on the earth when spring-rain kisses tried to sweep him into the deep below.

Finn tilted his head half an inch to drag a kiss over the corner of his mouth, the hollow of his cheek. Teeth teased the curve of his jaw before Finn returned to where he was wanted most in a burst of kisses like crystal sugar. He wouldn’t let Logan push for more. Wouldn’t let him past a swipe of tongue, even when Logan made a low, frustrated sound. He made up for it in volume and a firm hand holding Logan’s face still.

“Don’t you—” Finn broke off when Logan nipped his lower lip to make it bloom rose. “—wanna know what I’m reading?”

“Something dystopian,” Logan guessed, nudging his nose to the cold point of Finn’s before planting a lighter kiss to where he was starting to swell. “Tragic and painful.”

Finn’s smile was as sweet as his mouth. “Maybe. I could tell you about it.”

His face must have done something sour and needy and altogether quite hilarious, if the way Finn threw his head back to laugh said anything. Logan took the chance to get at his neck and the soft places under his chin, where Finn’s pulse was calm despite how fast Logan’s own was beating. He managed to leave half a dozen kisses and two faint marks on a paper-pale throat before Finn brought him up again, and over, and folded Logan beneath himself in a smooth twist of his hips. The book landed on the coffee table with a dull sound.

Logan couldn’t help the noise that broke in his mouth. His anchor was gone; it was him and Finn and the couch, alone in the black hole opening up beneath him. Finn’s full weight kept him down, helped along when Logan hooked his fingers in Finn’s belt loops and pulled. He didn’t need their clothes off but he needed more. He needed to be bitten and kissed until he couldn’t breathe. He wanted Finn to hold his chin like a porcelain vise, delicate and unyielding.

“Finn—please—”

It fizzled out between them in the space of five tiny pecks to the peaks of Logan’s upper lip. He chased Finn’s mouth and came up empty. Again. Perpetually. An attempt to nip him found empty air as Finn dodged to kiss his cheekbone instead. Logan could feel him laughing, still. The happy hitching things that made Finn’s belly shiver. He had watched that laugh melt whipped cream down the sides of his waist before when Leo had enough of his strawberry thievery.

Kiss-kiss-kiss so fast Logan could hardly keep up. Another sound slipped out, louder and wordless in his open mouth. It was the first time in his life he had Finn’s slender hips nestled with his own and couldn’t even think long enough to get half-hard.

Finn left him in a rush, scattering Logan’s thoughts like a cold breeze. Logan wished he could do anything but stare up at him, struck dumb and gaping like a fish. Finn’s smile was impish. His thumb swept over the bottom of Logan’s lip. It was more sensitive than he thought. “Bone-joor.”

“Hnm.”

Biceps. Flexed biceps, right on either side of his fucking face. Gravity brought the front of Finn’s hair down by his eyes in a heavy auburn curtain. It brushed Logan’s forehead when he leaned down to bump their noses. “Aren’t you cute.”

Logan could only lick his lips and try to remember how to swallow. He understood why Leo had had cartoon hearts pouring off him when he got off the ferris wheel with Finn last week. His face had been pink-splotched and warm to the touch when Logan pretended to check him for a fever, having stayed on the ground to win them a stuffed animal himself. He caught Leo staring at Finn at various intervals throughout the rest of their day. Just staring, without any explanation to be found.

This was a plenty good explanation, Logan thought. Finn slid his hands gently down to take Logan’s wrists and pin them next to his ears. He met no resistance. Was there a good way to tell Finn he’d take whatever was given to him right now? It felt as if someone had reached into the messy wiring of Logan’s brain and simply switched off a few lobes. Low power mode activated. Tremblay #4 would be out of commission for an undetermined period of time.

Breath rushed out of him when Finn bent his head—and stopped. Logan took a stuttering gasp in, warmed by the faintest touch of Finn’s lips to his own, not even a millimeter away but not on him. He kicked one leg, purely vexed, beyond capacity to be any kind of truly annoyed. Did Finn want him to beg? He would.

Finn closed the distance on an off-beat of Logan’s heart, with a kiss so hard the couch shifted below him. At last. Logan groaned into his mouth and matched him pressure-for-pressure, hoping against hope Finn would feel the please, please, please of it all and not pull away. But he wasn’t listening (probably, definitely, on purpose) and Logan felt the shift where their hips were flush first.

He darted up in a last act of desperation. His nose sparked at the impact with Finn’s cheek and he paid it no mind, too focused on the measure of Finn’s lip trapped once more between his front teeth.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Logan tried not to blink.

“I need that,” Finn said, though it came out muffled. It was uncharacteristic, but Logan bared his teeth in response and didn’t let go. His neck was starting to hurt at this angle. Finn’s laugh huffed across his skin. “Hi, Knutty.”

“Gimme what I want.”

“You crawled into my lap. I’m trying.”

Logan released him and let his head fall back to the couch cushions. “Pulling away,” he complained, winding a leg around the back of Finn’s thigh. “It’s brutal.”

“Brutal,” Finn repeated. “Right.”

If Logan had his wrists, Finn would already be under him. The principle of it all kept him from leveraging Finn over just like this. He could. Finn knew it, too. Holding his hands down was little more than a show. Deep brown eyes skipped across his face and made Logan’s skin prickle pleasantly at the attention. The weight on his wrists grounded him like the book had, except Finn would never bruise him like that.

Finn took a long breath in and let it out slow. “You’re so gorgeous.”

Logan smiled. Finn’s whole face softened. The next kiss lingered, resting quietly. Butterflies careened through Logan’s stomach in a freshman-year flurry. Finn’s kisses were a luxury more treasured than gold or silk or saffron, to him and to those lucky few others who had ever been allowed to indulge. Hockey or not, Logan was the richest man alive.

He loved watching Finn gift them to Leo, too. As with every other thing that allowed him to slide under Logan’s skin from their first night, Leo got it. He understood how precious it was to be Finn’s and to have him in return. Fast goodbyes and long hellos had equal value; Finn was a drop-dead excellent kisser and some of the very best ones were also the most casual. Logan closed his eyes for another long one. All the oxygen on Earth could run out and he would breathe these instead without issue.

“You’re so lovey right now,” Finn whispered into his cheek. He liked that spot. It had a beauty mark, and for reasons lost on him they were both obsessed with it.

Logan squeezed his thigh around Finn. “I love you.”

“I know, you’re just all squishy and teddy bear.” Finn loosed his wrists and laid his head on the pillow beside Logan. “Love you, too. Everything okay?”

The return of his hands was all the permission Logan needed to roll them over. He took Finn’s face in cupped palms and tilted it up for a proper kiss that made a soft sound when they parted. “You’re cute when you read. Like a librarian. Tell me about your book.”

The kisses were dewdrops, then a sudden storm, and they were nothing next to the way Finn’s eyes lit up.

[lumosinlove]

Stardust AU: Chapter 1

I really didn't think I would continue this story, but I was possessed by some sort of demon last night and could not stop writing until 2 am. For day 3 of O'Knutzy week, I have Chapter 1 of the Stardust AU that follows the prologue that I posted last year. Thank you to @lumosinlove for the characters and @oknutzy-week-2025 for the fest!

Prompt E1: Feather

Since they were boys, Finn and Logan had been hiding out in the alcove in the trees by the Merrylakes’ field. They had stumbled upon it out of pure necessity, running from some other kids who decided it would be fun to practice fencing with sticks and defenseless opponents. It had seemed to open up just for them to dive in, and everyone else ran past none the wiser. That magic, luck, or whatever you believe in was preserved as they grew, as anything they left there was exactly how they found it when they returned. If they were paying a little bit more attention to their surroundings than just each other, they might have also noticed how it grew in size with them. It became the witness of existential musing, hushed secrets, uncontrollable laughter, and heart-hammering confessions.

Now, a Finn of 9 and 10 years was sitting leaned back against his hands in the moss and staring up at the pinking sky through the feathery leaves of the tall bushes that kept him hidden from all but one (and the stars, of course). He tried to revel in the peace that this place brought him, but it did not work quite as well when the weight of the small box in his pocket felt as if it belonged to a sizable cube of lead. There was at least some comfort in his preparations for the evening. The picnic basket at his feet contained all of Logan’s favorites plus the sweetest bottle of champagne they had in the shop. Finn was ready… he just didn’t know if Logan was too.

He started at the rustle of leaves behind him, but had not even turned around before, “Just me, Fish,” reached his ears. As if it could be anyone else. Finn did not have to understand or even believe in magic to be certain of that.

Finn’s nerves eased and flared at the same time, but he could never not smile at the presence of his love, “Hello, mo fhíorghra.”

Nose wrinkling as he sat down, Logan chuckled, “As I keep telling you-”

“Yes, yes, French pet names are far superior because they sound soooo much prettier.”

“What? You don’t agree, mon coeur?” Logan moved closer and Finn felt his face heat. “Mon cherí,” his voice lowered, “mon amour.”

Finn pushed his face away, laughing, “Yeah, yeah, I concede,” but he pulled Logan right back in to kiss him firmly. “I love you, bear.”

“I love you too, fish.” Logan pressed their foreheads together for a touch longer than usual before turning to the basket. “So, what did you bring for me?”

Grateful for the distraction, Finn launched into descriptions of each item as if he was presenting before a king and laid out the meal. When they were almost too full to move and the sun had fully set, he lit the candles and popped the champagne. He almost spilled his glass watching the bubbles pop under the shine of Logan’s eyes in the flickering light.

Half-finished, Logan’s glass was set on the rock behind him. “D’accord, let me give you your anniversary present now.” He pulled out a box from his pocket and Finn’s heart almost leapt from his chest.

No, it was the wrong shape. He did not know whether to be relieved that he could still enact his plan or be disappointed that they had not been on the same wavelength, as they almost always were. Those feelings were dismissed as soon as he opened the box to see a necklace whose pendant was a triquetra knot with a fleur-de-lis in the middle, all wrought in shining silver. “Oh, Logan…” Finn felt tears prick his eyes.

“I made it in Papa’s shop. Had to get his help of course—it was pretty tricky—but look! You can put the flower from your mom in the band here.” And sure enough, the band of the fleur-de-lis extended out to create just enough space to slot the stem of the flower through to rest over the pendant. Logan was one of the few people that knew the truth of Finn’s mother—or at least, the truth that Finn knew. The snowdrop that she had given to his dad was kept tucked away in a jewelry case, but Ramsey caught little Finn sneaking in to stare at it enough times that he promised the flower would be his if he could keep it safe and hidden. He had kept it inside a hollowed book on his bedside table ever since. Finn was not quite sure why he had to hide it, but he trusted his father.

“Lo, I cannot- this means- thank you, thank you so much.” Tears were rolling down Finn’s face as Logan fastened the necklace on him, but he did not care, tackling Logan to the ground and smothering him with kisses.

“You are so welcome, rouge,” Logan was smiling, but his eyes were bright too.

Finn sat back up suddenly and started fumbling to get the box out of his pocket. His chest could not even begin to contain all of the emotions flooding through him, and all the carefully planned words had fled his brain, “My love, you are everything to me, and I can no longer wait for our future together, I-” Finn’s hand froze in his pocket when he saw Logan flinch. “What is it?”

Logan said nothing, only turned his head away.

The flood in his body was freezing glacier water. “Lo, what is going on?”

“I did not want to tell you this on our anniversary.”

“Bear, you are scaring me.”

Logan finally faced him again. His hands were trembling, and tears had spilled onto his cheeks. Shakily, “I thought I could hold myself together for one last perfect night, at least.” His self-deprecating laugh held no joy, and he took Finn’s hands. “I will be leaving for France in two weeks.” He paused, but Finn could say nothing. “I am to start an apprenticeship under the royal jewelers.”

“What? I do not understand. I thought you would take over your father’s business here… and we could-”

“I was chosen. This-” Logan’s eyes flashed in anger through the tears, and the next word came out through gritted teeth, “opportunity cannot be refused.”

“Says bloody who!?” Finn blew up.

“Says the king!” Logan glared.

“Oh, yeah? What is he going to do about it from fucking France?”

“He could shut down Papa’s business, Finn! It does not matter where he is—one bad word, and no one will ever buy from the Tremblays again, even in the damn English countryside. Not to even mention my family still in France.”

Finn felt the fight leave him as quickly as it came. “You really are leaving.” He met Logan’s eyes, which had softened as well, “for how long?”

“I do not know for sure. Papa told me these apprenticeships last longer than normal, five years… at minimum.”

Five years. In five years, Finn had thought they would be married and living in a house of their own, somewhere in town halfway between their respective family shops. Maybe they would have a pet, maybe even a child. Now, in five years, Logan may not even be in the same country. “And after your apprenticeship, will you come back?”

“I might be able to come back,” Logan took a shuddering breath, “but if I am chosen as a royal jeweler…”

“Then never.” To think, the tears on his face mere minutes ago were those of joy.

“Finn-”

“I’ll come with you,” Finn interjected.

“Rouge, no, you have your father’s shop. With Alex away at university, he needs you.” Logan cast his eyes down, “And besides, you would grow to resent me.” He kept speaking over Finn’s sound of protest, “I would take you away from your family, your home. The travel to Paris alone would use up all your savings—and for what? I will be living in the apprentice quarters spending all of my time learning and working. We would hardly ever see each other.”

The faint outlines of hope on the plans that Finn had been hastily thinking up were fading quickly. Logan had to go. Finn could not. Logan would be chosen as a royal jeweler (how could he not?) and live in Paris for the rest of his life. Finn would never see him again.

He had been planning to propose tonight.

“Fish,” Finn looked up to see Logan crying in earnest, “you have to know that I do not want to leave you. I have tried to think of alternatives, but I see no other way.”

Whatever was left of Finn crumbled, “I know that, mo fhíorghra.” He pulled Logan into him.

“I made you the necklace so that you would always have a piece of me with you. Please do not ever take it off,” Logan pleaded.

“It will stay against my heart forever,” Finn murmured into Logan’s hair. He wanted to give Logan something too, but pulling out the ring would only make both of them feel worse. He pulled back from Logan and retrieved his lucky coin from his coat pocket. He had found the strange coin while playing near the wall with Alex years ago and put it in his pocket every day since. Something about the seemingly innocuous piece of metal called to him, and it felt like good enough of a token. “Take this. To remember me by and bring you luck.”

Logan took it from his hand and pressed it to his lips, “I will never need aid to remember you,” but he tucked it into his pocket anyway. Finn opened his mouth, but Logan hurried to add, “I just want to enjoy the time we have left.”

There was still more Finn wanted to say, but Logan wanted to drop it. Besides, he could hardly think anymore, and the reality of the situation had not fully sunk in. “Stay here for the rest of the night?” Logan nodded, and Finn laid his head down on his lover’s lap.

Logan’s fingers ran through Finn’s hair where he was pillowed on his soft thighs and gazing into the night sky, but Finn could not feel the calm their sacred space usually brought, too aware of the fleeting time. Suddenly, he saw a star fly across the sky. It burned so brilliantly that it felt seared into his mind. Finn was unable to pull his eyes away as he wished for forever with Logan. He wished they didn’t have to worry about familial duty or money. He wished that love, pure star-bright love, was enough.  What he did not know was that Logan made a wish on a star of his own, falling down at a slightly different angle, having been accidentally knocked down by the star that Finn had just wished upon.

[lumosinlove]

O'Knutzy Week Pt. III

Part III! Hope you like it!

Thanks to @oknutzy-week-2025 and @lumosinlove !! Prompt word for today is mountains. <3

Part III

London, England, United Kingdom 1 June 1965

“Honey, are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you? Just for a bit? I could ask for another lamb pop appetiser, even though Whistledown will have a field day analyzing the supposed contents of my stomach, let me tell you.” 

Leo smiled up at his mother, taking a sip of his red wine. “No, mama, it’s fine. Finn and Logan should be coming over soon, they’re at a different table.”

Eloise didn’t even try to cover the joy in her expression. “Those boys are so sweet, aren’t they? Tell them to come say hi before you all go to Finn’s tonight, sweetheart, okay?”

Leo nodded. “I will, mama. Go, I’m sure Lady Lupin and Lady Walker are looking for you.”

Eloise kissed Leo’s cheek and walked off, her dress swishing. Leo snorted lightly behind his wine glass. Lady Whistledown might not have any content regarding his mother’s stomach, but she would surely comment on the length of Viscountess Knut’s dress, as she had been since their first event a month ago. Eloise had just rolled her eyes and muttered where Lady Whistledown could direct her comments, causing Wyatt to snort up his morning coffee. Even Frank and his wife, their maid, Alice, hadn’t been able to contain their snickers.

Leo had just finished taking another sip of his wine when he felt hands on his shoulders. 

“Future Viscount Knut, I’m such a fan!” a voice whisper-yelled in his ear. 

Leo grinned and spun in his chair to meet Finn’s eyes. “You know not to call me that.”

Logan cuffed Finn upside the head. “Leo doesn’t like that.”

“Decorum, Tremblay.”

Logan just rolled his eyes and took Leo by the hand to pull him up and towards the bar.

Beddgelert, Wales, United Kingdom 16 August, 1965

“Logan, I am going to fall off.”

“Non, you’re not, Le, it’s fine.”

“This horse won’t be able to hold me, then, I’m too tall.”

“Leo Knut,” Finn chastised playfully from atop his own steed. His freckles were dark from the summer sun. “Get your arse on that horse before I run you over with mine.”

Leo glared at him, making Logan laugh. He looked different here, hair a bit lighter in the summer sun, arms strong and tan. It was the first time Leo had seen him outside of formal clothes. He had on riding breeches and a green, flowing shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. He was holding the reins of Leo’s horse, Samantha, in one hand, the other held out to Leo. “Allez, Le, let me help.”

Leo looked at him skeptically for a moment but took Logan’s warm, calloused palm in his own, sticking his boot through the stirrup and grabbing the saddle horn with his free hand, boosting himself up and over Samantha's back. She stumbled a bit, but Logan held her steady. He let go of Leo’s hand and patted her side. “Allez, ma petite.”

Leo laughed. “She’s not small.”

Logan just flashed him a grin and handed Leo the reins. “You remember what I taught you?” he asked in French.

“Ouais,” Leo said. “I’m still not sure about this.”

“I’ll keep you safe,” Logan replied. He clicked his tongue and his horse, Colette, trotted from where she was grazing over to his side eagerly. Logan smiled and stroked her nose before hoisting himself up. He looked over to Finn. “Finn, ça va?”

“Oo-ways,” Finn said, giving his horse a pat. “Chester and I are ready to go.”

Logan smiled, then turned to Leo. He looked almost ethereal against the Snowdonia backdrop, Leo thought, then quickly tried to brush the thought away.

“Allez,” Logan said. “I’ll lead. We’ll ride through the meadow and in between the mountains, ouais? Not too far.” He nodded to Leo. “Let me know if you feel uncomfortable, d’accord? You can sit on Colette with me.”

And wouldn’t that be something, Leo thought. Pressed up against Logan’s defined back, arms around his waist. Or sat in front of him, Logan’s strong chest breathing against his shoulders. 

“Hey, look,” Finn said, snapping Leo out of his reverie. He was smiling, a light breeze ruffling his red hair, which he cut a bit shorter for the summer. The sun made it glow a bright bronze. Leo followed to where his finger was pointing towards a flock of sheep peacefully grazing. “They look like you, Le!”

Leo just shook his head as they all laughed and began to ride off towards the mountains.

London, England, United Kingdom 31 December, 1965

“Happy New Year!”

“Jesus,” Leo swore as Finn threw his arms drunkenly around his neck from behind. He wobbled a bit on his piano stool. Leo reached up to pat Finn’s hands. “Not yet, Finn.”

“But almost! Ten more minutes!”

“Finn.” Logan was there, then, pulling Finn off of Leo. “Merde, Leo, sorry.”

Leo waved him off. “It’s fine.” He turned back to the piano. “Y’all want anything specific?”

“More jazz,” Finn said delightedly. His face was flushed with alcohol. “I didn’t know you played jazz.”

Leo raised his eyebrows. “You knew I played piano.”

“But not jazz!”

“I’m from New Orleans. We do jazz better than anyone.”

“Yeah, you do.” He spun around and stepped more into Logan’s space. “You want more jazz?”

“Whatever you want, Finn,” Logan said, smiling softly. “But maybe after midnight, ouais? Let’s get you some water.”

“Oo, yeah, good idea.”

Logan nodded, green eyes looking almost melted in the firelight. He turned to Leo. “We’ll be right back.”

“Sounds good.”

Leo watched them head to the kitchen, Logan with a hand on Finn’s back to guide him through the crowd. He had to admit, his parent’s first party was a major success. So far, the only people to have gone were those with young children, but most had stayed. And Finn had been right- everyone had loved when Leo had entertained them with his jazz piano, laughing and attempting to dance. It had felt good to play for an audience, even if many were too tipsy to fully appreciate the music in its complexity.

Leo reached for his glass of water only to find it empty. He sighed, standing and walking towards the kitchen.

“Leo, do you need anything, love?”

Leo smiled at Alice. “Just going to get some water, Alice.”

“Oh, I can get it for you! No worries.”

“No, really,” Leo said, touching her arm briefly. He jerked his head to the rest of the people. “Why don’t you join?”

She looked shocked for a minute. “But, I’m not dressed appropriately.”

Leo just winked. “I set some of my parents’ clothes out for you and Frank. They’re in the guest bedroom on the second floor. Come join us.”

Her face was red, but her eyes were twinkly. “Really?”

“Of course. Mama, dad, and I will help you clean up and take care of the guests. Plus, we have hired workers for the evening, too, and you and Frank are here every day. You deserve to have some fun.”

“Oh, that sounds lovely!” She took his hand between two of her own. “Thank you, really.”

“Of course.”

Alice hustled off to find Frank and Leo continued through to the kitchen. He poured himself some more water, giving a polite smile to the kitchen staff. He peeked out the window. The sky was unusually clear tonight, almost like back in New Orleans. The previous New Years, he, Cole, Cassie, and Layla had sat on his parents roof and watched the stars, passing a bottle of champagne back and forth. Leo had invited Jack, but he hadn’t come. Leo had felt stupid, feeling hopeful for the possibility of finally having a New Year’s kiss and then being let down. His friends hadn’t asked, but they’d known something was wrong, he was sure of it. Cassie had given him an extra long hug goodbye when she left the following morning.

Leo swallowed, setting his dirty glass on the counter. He glanced back towards the party. Finn and Logan had most likely returned, because they weren't in the kitchen or at the bar, and were probably looking for him, but he had little desire to rejoin. Leo checked his watch. Three minutes until midnight. 

He sighed, biting his lip as he went out the second, more secluded door of the kitchen that opened at the bottom of the staircase to the second floor. He climbed it and then crossed the second floor landing to the other set that led to the third floor. From there, he would be able to climb the roof and look at the stars. Maybe, he could pretend like they were the same ones from back home.

However, when he was ascending the second set of stairs, he was met with a sight he’d never thought he’d have the opportunity to witness in any lifetime. There, tucked just in the shadows of the third floor hallway, barely visible above the stairway railing from his position, Leo was met with a full view of Logan pressed against the wall by his hips, Finn kissing down his neck in a way that could only be described as hungry.

“Fuck,” he heard Finn whisper. “You’re so gorgeous.”

“Rouge,” Logan gasped. “Rouge, the party.”

Leo stood, hand over his mouth, as he watched Finn kiss his way up to Logan’s mouth again. “I don’t care. I want my New Year’s kiss.”

Logan melted against Finn’s body, one hand coming up to grip those red waves in a way that made Leo’s stomach twist in a way he didn’t know was possible.

“Finn,” Logan breathed. “Rouge, je t’aime, je t’aime.”

“I love you,” Finn whispered. “Oh, Lo.”

Leo sucked in a silent breath. That was his cue to go.

He padded down the stairs as quietly as he came, careful to not make a sound until he made it to his bedroom and slammed the door behind him. He was breathing hard and his face was definitely flushed. He pressed his palms to the hot skin of his cheeks and hurried across the room to throw open a window. The air that hit his face was ice cold, but welcome. He stuck his head out and panted. He could hear people below him shouting. So the hour had come.

Leo couldn’t have explained, in that moment, why, when he turned his head up to look at the stars, a salty tear slipped down his cheek.