I think this fandom needs to rethink about Patton's entire character. He's not the perfectly jubilant and innocent character we portray him as. He has firm beliefs and has issues with repression. Yes, he is a happy man and would fight 100 bees to make someone smile and definately doesn't know where babies come from, he's not exactly squeaky clean. He has flaws like every other character/person and it's more than just a once in a while sadness. I feel like we're just using the optimal portrayal of Patton and that's not right. We should explore his entire character, faults and all, especially the ones we've learned about in DWIT and Selflessness vs Selfishness, I know I reversed the order don't @ me.

Patton is controlling and firm in his beleifs. He is morally stuck and knows what his right and wrong is and refuses to let anyone cross those lines, even if there's a a chance of it being beneficial. I could go on a rant about this with various references to both the series and Joan's Tumblr but for now I will write stories....

STORYTIME!

Ah, there he is. Logan Met a man at the top of this very hill sitting on a lone yellow bench. He was maybe a year or two older than him, yet he still carried the hearts of a chil a decade younger than him. Logan just got out of college, and this man had just gotten out of a relationship. 

This man never went to college because he was meant to be a House Spouse. At least, that's what he says his calling is. The two met when Logan as searching for a solitary place and found this amazing man. They talked about a great many things, and this became their favorite pastime.

It was five forty five in the evening, the sun setting in a few moments. It was a gorgeous setting over the hill facing west. Logan climbed the hill holding a book in his arms with a tote bag draped over his shoulder. He was surprised to see the thirty three year old man smiling at the sunset wearing a yellow cardigan and a red ribbon in his hair.

 Yellow was his favorite color. He as a total Xanthophile. Logan taught him that term on their first meeting. Apparently your favorite color is a much better ice breaker than Logan once thought. That was what Patton taught him.

"Salutations, Patton."

The man turned his head and smiled. His freckles were as pro inant in ever with his smile spreading over his mouth. Logan couldn't help but allow his lips to curl upwards at the corners. He was working on making a fully functional smile, he hasn't done that in a while, but he still working in it.

"Hey Logan! Are you going to come and talk to me again? Because I really love talking to you! You're so smart!"

The compliments this guy gives Logan somehow, without fail, makes his chest feel warm inside. Sort of similar to the stimulation that metaphorical butterflies in your stomach would induce. Logan sat down next to Patton, setting his bag on the ground and setting his book in his lap. Patton glanced over at it and grinned.

"If I Was Your Girl? So you did take my novel suggestion! I know it's not your reading niche but I promise you it's a good one!"

Logan chuckled. Last time they were here Patton talked about this novel that his Aunt's friend's sister wrote. It was a book about a MtF Teenager named Amanda adapting to her new life and struggling with love and family after coming out.

"Yes, I have begun reading the nove, and found it to be quite the realistic experience. I can also relate to Amanda's struggles myself for various reasons I prefer not to explicitly explain. Thank you for the recommendation, Patton."

Patton smiled warmly, knowing he did something well, before looking back out at the sunset. Logan did the same thing, contemplating on what he wanted to talk to Patton about today. Though, comfortable silence sounded nice too.

"Hey Logan, what do you think about love and relationships?"

Oh jeez  that topic. Patton had brought it up before when talking about his ex-boyfriend. His ex boyfriend was quite the character. Was there a reason that he was bringing it up? Logan turned his head and met his eyes, waiting for him to elaborate on a reason why. Ain't nothing but a heartache, tell me why! Ain't nothing but a mistake, tell me why!

"Because I think that relationships are supposed to be two people coming together to form something better. Both parties are supposed to be happy and support eachother and put eachother first. A relationship is supposed to be something beauitful."

That didn't sit right with Logan. Patton  smiled st his words twiddling his thumbs and feeling warm. Logan didn't know exactly why that was so off putting, despite the fact that he couldn't detect any prominent falsehoods. Logan reran the Words through his head and found why. In fact  he found several contradictions to what the truth would be.

"Yes, however you should never put someone else above your own needs. You come first and are the most important. You should never put another person first, no matter who they are to you. Your own personal health means more than another person's temporary happiness that your service can be easily substituted for."

Patton frowned and turned his head, staring at Logan. But there was no way Logan was done. Patton had brought up the topic, but now it was his turn to listen. It's Logan's turn to teach and to help the divorceé see a new perspective that can aid him through future relationships, romantic, platonic, or otherwise.

"Secondly, relationships aren't always beauitful. There are going to be arguments and disagreements in every relationship no matter what context it Is in. No two people are the exact same psychologically nor physically so there will always be some sort of focal point of tension. Fights are inevitable."

Logan refused to look over at Patton, not wanting to be distracted by him during his train of thought. He was speaking directly from both the mind and the heart for once, rather than just from the mind. This is new.

"Lastly, Patton, I want to stress how much that a relationship is exactly what you said: two people coming together. They form a relationship for the benefit of both people, including yourself. Only by balancing selfishness and selflessness can a healthy relationship. The two individuals are exactly that, two individuals. You need to remember that a relationship is very complex, takes work, and takes communication. Both parties need to invest in the relationship for it to stabilize."

Logan finally glanced over to see Patton's venerable and melancholy expression. Patton was listening Intently to Logan, trying his best to learn a lesson that if he learned long ago he wouldn't have never stayed with a boyfriend who wasn't willing to make a relationship work. 

Logan watched as Patton turned his head, corners of his mouth pulling downwards in shame. His bottom lip quivered as though he was about to cry. The last thing he wants is for Patton to cry, though he knows bottling those emotions is unhealthy and is repression. Repression is never good for your mental health.

"Hey Logan? What about your take on relationships. Not just the objective look on it."

Logan's look on relationships? With the context of the conversation it was safe to assume that Patton meant romantic relationships. Logan actually had to think hard on this one. He had never experience or even considered a romantic relationship of his own. He always considered himself unsuited for one considering how insensitive he can be. The last thing he wants is to be abusive by accident.

"Personal opinion? They aren't exactly my figurative cup of tea. I find myself to be a person unfit for s romantic relationship with most people. I don't have a personal chemistry thst matches with the majority of the population's personal chemistry, therefore a romantic chemistry would not be abstained."

Patton nodded slowly, understanding where Logan was coming from. Logan appreciates the intellectual conversations the two had, even when on other days they'd can talk about something that two eight year olds on a jungle gym would talk about. It was quite pleasant for Logan at the very least.

"Well, I think you'd be a wonderful person in a relationship. You are willing to listen and debate from what I've seen. You're willing to both teach and learn from someone, no matter how trivial the lessons. I think you're really awesome, Logan."

He beamed a grin at him, an awkward silence enveloping the two. Patton stared at his legs as he swung them under the bench. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, red and purple mixing in the sky with the sparkling stars to make a gorgeous color gradient. Logan always appreciates the natural wonders of this world, and he also appreciated the compliment Patton had just bestowed upon him.

"Thank you, Patton, those words... are quite meaningful."

Logan stared at the ground, debating amongst himself if he should take the iniative in this scenario or not. Patton was staring st him with the shine of all the stars in his eyes, including the sun. The frames of his glasses matched his cardigan and the lenses reflected the golden lights. He was absolutely stunning, aesthetically pleasing to Logan. He took a sharp inhale and reached the conclusion: 

He should.

"Patton, since we are on the subject of romantic relationships, I was wondering if tomorrow around our normal merting time we could... change both the context and scene of our outing? In simpler terms if that statement finds you oblivious.... Wouls you go out on a date with me?"

Patton gasped, covering his mouth and shifting his sleeves to give himself sweater paws. His eyes were filled woth lights as the light of the sun took itself away, dragging all warm colors with it under the horizon. Logan felt himself smile fully as Patton screeched his answer into the night, taking the fellow man into a loving embrace.

"YES!!!!"

1600 Words

I am very sorry for the rant at the begining of the oneshot. I just really wanted to vent on the character after reading through an ask on Joan's Tumblr about Patton giving Thomas his permission to think intrusive thoughts and Joan went to explain how Patton's is still a part of Thomas and grew up in a strong religious environment where most things explicit is taboo and stuff like that and it really made me rethink Patton's entire character and I wanted to go through that rant.

The advice I had scattered through the oneshot. Relationships of all kinds take work, it doesn't matter what kind of relationship. Familial, Platonic, Romantic, exetera. All relationships take work from both sides. If someone isn't willing to make a relationship work, doesn't sacrifice enough, or is pressuring too much on you then you need to leave. You have to go. You don't deserve to be in a relationship that's less than what you deserve with s person who doesn't retreat you right.

Amen.

Internet hugs and blow kisses!

~Eva