Chapter Text
Logan
Logan looked round his pa’s front room and smiled. It was fit to bursting with family, a sight that always made him happy.
Haru and Grace had come back from Atara to visit, so Howlett of course had insisted he wanted the whole family together for dinner. That family, both blood and found, had grown so much that they couldn’t all fit round the dinner table at either Howlett's or Logan's home, so they had eaten at the Blue Moon and were now relaxing in Howlett’s front room.
Howlett and Flora sat on one of the loveseats, and Logan reflected again how good it was to see his pa so happy. Bill and Max, and Letty and Fang sat on the sofa. Max was relaxed against Bill, while Fang sat fairly upright, clearly still not quite comfortable amongst so many people. Logan had come to know the stoic medic better as he’d started seeing Letty and found that he had a keen mind and a sharp sense of humour once he did relax around people.
Grace and Haru had grabbed the other loveseat, so Logan and Owen were sprawled on the floor, leaning against each other. Isaac had taken the armchair and was holding Rose while Andy bounced between everyone. The only person missing was Cal, who was on a Civil Corps patrol that afternoon.
“So, we measured Rose ‘gainst the door,” Howlett announced to the room with a smirk.
“Oh yeah?” Haru asked, “I can’t believe how much she’s sprouted since we were last here.”
“Yeah, she’s taller’n both of you were at her age, actually.”
Haru laughed, and Logan looked at his pa in surprise.
“Well, Haru was always sawed off, ev’n at that age. But taller’n me? Didn’t you always say I was a lanky kid even then?”
“It’s marked on the door, if you don’t believe me.”
Logan headed to the armoury door and crouched down to look. Every six months as he was growing up his pa had marked his height off against it. When Haru came along, his marks were added. Made sense that Rose would be there too.
First mark for all three of them was at eighteen months, and at that age they were all similar. Then, you could watch as he and Haru had grown to their full heights. Rose’s mark for her second birthday was about half an inch higher than Logan’s had been.
He rocked back on his heels. “Well, with the height of both of you, shouldn’t surprise anyone if she ends up as tall as me. Didn’t you always say my ma was tiny?” he asked his pa.
“Mmm, ‘bout the same height as Max, I reckon.”
“Hey, I’m not that short!” Max piped up from the couch.
“Course you ain’t, darlin’,” Bill replied, kissing her on the top of her head. As always, Logan couldn’t help but smile at how fast Bill had lost his Ataran accent in favour of the Sandrock drawl, although he’d always had a touch of it, thanks to his pa never having completely lost his own Sandrock accent.
Andy was looking between them all in confusion.
“Why do you mark heights on the door?” he asked.
“So we’ve got a record and can look back on it,” Howlett replied. “All the family’s on there, there’s even a few marks for Bill and Letty when Bull brought them to visit as kids.”
Isaac chuckled. “Some things happen no matter where you are. Flora’s old bedroom back in Portia had her height marked on it, too. I got a picture of it before I sold the house.”
Logan looked at his pa and raised an eyebrow. Howlett caught on and nodded, biting back a smile.
“In fact, since it’s the family door, reckon it’s about time you were on there, kiddo,” Logan told Andy.
Shock and delight passed across Andy’s face. It was about eighteen months since they'd rescued him, and sometimes Logan got the feeling that he still couldn’t quite believe how things had changed. He’d come out of his shell a lot, and Jasmine calling him Andy rather than Andrei had stuck; now he preferred that. The only thing that remained was his more formal speech pattern, but even that was gradually softening. Logan doubted he’d ever sound like a native Sandrocker, but he was sure that eventually the boy would no longer sound Duvosian, at least. Which was good, because he wasn’t. His life had changed a lot when Logan had coaxed him out of that cupboard back in the ruin.
Glancing over at Owen, Logan smiled, realising that his life had changed a lot too.
“Yep,” Howlett agreed, “You’re family, you’re measured on the door. Go stand against it.”
Andy straightened his shoulders and stood as tall as he could. Logan grabbed a pen, and placed it against his head, lining it up and marking it off, then noting his name and age and the date.
“You c’n step away now,” he said, ruffling Andy’s hair. “Lessee…”
There were a couple of marks near Andy’s. One was for Logan, aged eight. The other was for Haru when he was twelve. As best they could figure, Andy had been eleven when they rescued him, and was about to turn thirteen soon.
“Reckon you’ll end up about the same height as Haru,” Howlett said, “but you’ve still got time for a growth spurt.”
Andy stood and studied the door carefully.
“If this is family,” he said carefully, “then there are people missing.”
“Oh?” Howlett asked.
“You. Mutti, Tio, Grandpa…” He looked round at all the adults in the room, knowing that he’d won.
The adults looked at each other, realising that they would have to get measured.
Howlett pulled the stepladder out of the armoury, and helped Andy climb up it. Each of the adults stood against the wall in turn and allowed him to mark their heights. Howlett, Bill, Fang, Logan and Owen were all within a couple of inches of each other, with Flora, Isaac, Grace, Letty, Haru and finally Max in turn below them. Haru was just a little taller than his previous mark, the one they’d done before he left for university at seventeen; Bill had grown several inches, but his last mark was from a visit when he was fourteen. Letty was pretty much the same height as she had been on that same visit.
Looking pleased with himself, Andy jumped off the ladder towards Logan, who caught him and spun him round, making him giggle. Remembering what Andy had been like when they’d found him, Logan knew he would never tire of hearing him laugh like a child should.
“Can we measure Errol as well, Tio?” he asked as Logan set him down.
“Next time we come over, we’ll bring him, can do it then, how does that sound?”
“Thank you! Errol’s family, too! So’s Macchiato!”
“I think you might be able to get Errol to stand still long enough to measure him, not sure about Macch, though,” Owen offered.
The evening drew to a close, and Andy was curled up asleep on the sofa. Howlett and Flora had given him the room that would have been Logan’s if he hadn’t moved in with Owen, although Andy did sleep at Logan and Owen’s house sometimes as well. Both couples had discussed adopting him, although Andy seemed happy having two families. Tonight however, he was spending time at his grandpa’s house where Haru and Grace were also staying.
“He’ll probably wake up about midnight with a full load of energy,” Logan warned Haru as he handed Andy over to him.
“It’ll be fine,” Haru replied, ignoring Owen’s laughter from behind them.
Owen
The house was quiet when Logan and Owen got back. Errol was snuffling quietly in his basket, that odd sleepy noise that was somewhere between a bark and chirp. Macchiato was no doubt out somewhere roaming around with Captain and Banjo. It took a while after they adopted her, but they’d managed to figure out a cat flap that Macch could use but Errol couldn’t no matter how much he might try.
“Is that us officially family now?” Owen asked as they settled on the couch together, Logan stretched out as normal with his head on Owen’s lap. “I’m on your pa’s doorframe forever.”
“Guess so,” Logan replied. “We never did talk on it past that first conversation, did we? Ev’r’thin’ just kinda fell into place.”
“Like I told ya then, whenever you’re ready to make it official, we can,” Owen said, unfastening Logan’s hair tie.
They sat in peace for a few minutes, Logan enjoying the soothing feel of Owen’s fingers running through his hair.
“You wanna?” Logan murmured finally. Owen stilled his movements. Did Logan mean what he thought?
“Do I wanna what?” he asked with bated breath.
“Make it official. Haru’n Grace are here for another couple of weeks. Uncle Bull and Aunt Shar will fly down, can bring your folks with them, an’ I’m sure if’n we ask Adrian to officiate, he’d move mountains to be here.”
“I know you’re happy with me callin’ the shots,” Owen said, running his fingers through Logan’s hair again, “but this time I need to hear you say the words.”
Logan rolled off the couch and knelt in front of Owen, resting his chin on Owen’s knee.
“I ain’t got a ring or anythin’, an’ you’re the one that does all the fancy words, but Owen Solomon, I love you, will you marry me?”
“Don’t need fancy words,” Owen said, reaching to cup Logan’s cheek, “just honest ones. And yes, I absolutely will marry you!”
Logan
They walked into City Hall the following morning, hand in hand. Howlett and Flora both looked up and nodded a greeting at them.
“What’s up, boys?” Howlett asked.
“Want to ask a coupla favours, Pa,” Logan said, grinning. “Can we use your telegraph, and can we use your tree as well?”
“What’s up with the tele–” Howlett started to ask, but Flora, who was quicker on the uptake, talked right over her husband.
“Finally? That’s wonderful! Congratulations!”
Howlett turned and looked at his wife, who obviously had figured out what was going on faster than he had. A look passed between the two of them, and then Howlett’s eyes lit and he turned back towards Logan and Owen.
“We’re gettin’ married, Pa,” Logan confirmed as Flora came round the desk to hug them both, Howlett following closely behind.
“We’d like to use the same tree you an’ Flora got married at,” Logan explained. “An’ we need to telegraph Owen’s folks, Uncle Hoots an’ Aunt Shar, an’ also Adrian, see if he can officiate.”
“I think everyone else we need is in town,” Owen added.
Howlett stood with a hand on each of their shoulders, looking between them. “I’m so happy for you both. Took you a while, but some things are worth waitin’ for. When did you have in mind?”
“Depends when folks can get here from Atara,” Owen said, “but we were hopin’ next Saturday.”
“If that’s what y’all want, we will make it work,” Howlett told them. “I’ll telegraph Adrian’s office m’self, that’ll get it to his desk faster.”
The people of Sandrock fell into their normal habits, and before either Logan or Owen knew it, almost everything was planned.
Miz Vivi already had some outfits in mind, jackets and shirts in flattering colours, which she promised to have sewn up ‘lickety-split’. Mabel had offered to help Miya with the catering, and Max and Mi-an had agreed to revamp and decorate the wedding arch that Howlett and Flora had used.
“Been in the storage under the church since then,” Max told them. “Only place big enough to store it, to be honest.”
They were sitting on Max’s deck, watching the sun setting over the desert and sharing a beer or two with her and Bill.
“You know you’re makin’ me look bad here, Lo,” Bill groaned. “All I’m gonna hear from my ma when she arrives will be askin’ if I’m next.”
“Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean your ma will be asking if you’re next? She knows we got married, right?” Max said, and the glint in her eye made all three men shrink back.
“Holy shit, you’ve still not told her you snuck off to Walnut Groove last year?” Logan asked. He was fighting a laugh, but the look on Max’s face told him he’d better keep it firmly behind his teeth. “You do realise the longer you leave it, the worse it’ll be.”
“I know, but do you want to be the one to tell my ma she missed my wedding?”
“We all missed it, to be fair,” Owen said, endeavouring to change the subject and possibly bail Bill out of the soup. “Listen, Max, had meant to ask this earlier, but do you think you could make us some rings?”
Max’s head whipped around, but her glare softened as she looked at Owen. “I could, but really, you want Mi-an for that. She’s a lot better with metal than I am, unless you want wooden rings,” Max said.
“Fair. We’ll talk to her, then. Might oughta go do that now, actually, give her enough time to get to work on it.”
“Yeah, you two run along. My husband and I need to have a chat,” Max said, gaze hardening once again as she turned back to Bill.
Logan shot his cousin-in-all-but-name a look that said ‘You made your bed, buddy,’ before joining his fiancé in beating a hasty retreat. He’ll be all right. Max loves him to pieces. Do him some good to have some consequences for once.
Mi-an was on her decking as they passed on the way home.
“Congratulations!” she called out as they walked over to join her.
“Thanks, Mi,” Logan said.
“Got a coupla commissions for you,” Owen told her. “We need wedding rings, please. Gold with a sunstone for me, silver with a moonstone for Logan.”
Mi-an instantly switched into work mode, full of questions about design ideas, scribbling notes as she listened.
"So, gold will work fine for you, Owen, you've obviously got no issues wearing it in the kitchen already. Silver might be a little soft for you though, Logan, as much as you’re active outdoors. Too many opportunities for it to get damaged.“
"Never thought of that," Logan said. "Just feel the colour suits."
"Hmm, you trust me, don't you?" Mi-an asked. Both men nodded. "There's an Old World alloy I've been reading up on. Been looking for an excuse to try it, to be honest. Called Adamantium Steel. Would give you the silvery colour, but it's a lot stronger than silver. How does that sound?"
"That sounds good, but could you get it done in time? Wedding is hopefully Saturday week," Owen asked.
"Hmm, actually, that's a good point, since it’s a new material for me. Tell you what, if I can't get it done in time, I'll make you a silver and moonstone ring, free of charge, for the ceremony, and then replace it with the Adamantium Steel once I have it ready."
“You happy with that, Lo?” Owen asked.
“Sounds like a great idea. Thank you, Mi!”