Vices and Maces

Chapter 71: Hey Logicality Angst!

CW: intrusive thoughts, mentions of shootouts and death

"Alright, thanks Daffodil," Remus spoke into the phone. "Stay safe, don't get caught."

"Did she find the room?" Janus asked.

"Yeah, she did. She's going to be watching from afar with her team. We'll tell Virgil in the morning, see if he wants to get in contact or not. But now that we've found her and we know she's safe, we can get back to work."

"That's a relief. I'm glad we were finally able to find her, Virgil's been stressing out all day."

"I know, it's made Roman stressed out too. Speaking of which, I'm gonna go see if he's awake and tell him. Thank you Kayden, this has helped us a lot. Now head on to bed, 'kay?"

Kayden nodded. "It's no problem."

The two of them left the room but went in different directions. Remus sighed in relief, Sal will do her best to protect Anna. Now that they know she's safe, and should stay safe, they can finally do some real work. Making a plan to take Black down.

~~~

Patton found it hard to fall asleep. He had been twisting and turning, hugging his pillow and flipping it around when it got uncomfortably hot. The longer he was awake, the more frustrated he got that he wasn't falling asleep.

But he knew why he couldn't fall asleep. Even though Logan was right next to him, already fast asleep, Patton couldn't help but worry. Worry about the future, worry about Logan's job. About Patton's job. It's a miracle Logan hasn't found out all these years. But their jobs conflict too much, he's going to find out eventually.

It could be messy when it happens, or it could happen if Patton got hurt. Ever since joining, he's become a better fighter. He's trained with Remus sometimes, using the axe he was given a long time ago. The axe that can shrink and grow with just a few words thanks to the symbols carved into it. But sometimes that's not enough.

Even if he wasn't working with Bleeding Rose, Patton still didn't like it that Logan worked with the police. He couldn't stop thinking about it since the elf's parents had brought it up. And when Logan had first begun working as an officer, he still hated it back then. Couldn't understand how he could join the police force.

It wasn't just the gangs, though they were a big part of it. The police were so... awful! The whole system was. When Logan first started working there, Patton saw how horribly it weighed on him. So much so that he almost went to the station several times to give everyone there a piece of his mind, but he knew that wouldn't have helped and only would have made things worse. Patton knows what it's like to be called names and heckled at just for who he is, he didn't want that for Logan. So he just couldn't understand why Logan would work at a place where he's called "halfie" all day.

Maybe- maybe it would be better if the city was safer. But with the war escalating between Bleeding Rose and Wolfsbane, it was getting worse than ever. It's only a matter of time before there's a huge shootout. And maybe Patton will be caught up in it. Maybe Logan will be... and who's to say they'll survive?

What if Logan died? What if he's killed in action? The thought tore up Patton's heart. He couldn't stand to lose him. His future husband, one of the first people he ever came out to as a trans man. If something ever happened to him, Patton would break. Nothing is worth that risk.

Hot tears pushed their way into Patton's eyes. Logan is already mixed in with all of this. He went to talk to Noble's sister earlier about his 'disappearance.' Patton knows that the dragon is with Roman and Remus now, that he's safe. But Logan doesn't and will be looking for him now. As well as still trying to figure out how to take down the gangs in this city. He's going to get caught up in a fight at some point...

Patton pressed his face into the pillow and tried to hold back the tears, but quiet sobs still escaped his throat. Logan will be fine, he has to be fine. These are just his fears getting to his head, he has to stop thinking about them. Nothing has happened yet- nothing will happen.

"Patton, are you okay?" Logan asked as he woke up, his voice quiet and deep with sleep. There was movement from behind Patton's back as the nymph tried to keep himself still. A small light turned on, the lamp next to Logan's bed, as the elf grabbed what sounded like his glasses.

Patton finally turned around and wiped his tears away. Logan looked down at him with worry, reaching over and wiping away some more tears with his thumb.

"Hey dear, what's wrong?" he asked.

Patton reached up and grabbed his hand. "I'm scared."

"About what? Did you have a nightmare?" Logan sat up, and so did his fiancé.

"No, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't st-stop thinking." The tears continued to drip down Patton's face, growing thicker as he spoke. "I don't wanna lose you."

Logan took Patton's hands. "You're never going to lose me."

"You don't know that." The nymph looked away. "You're a police officer. And-and this town... there are so many gangs. So much is happening, I think something bad is going to happen soon. I don't want you to get caught up in it."

"What do you mean?"

"I've noticed there's been a lot more violence lately. I think something is happening between Wolfsbane and Bleeding Rose. The car factory exploded, Dr. Noble was near it and hurt, then he disappeared from the hospital."

"I agree, something is happening, but I think things will be less dangerous now that the factory is destroyed. I think it was a weapons factory, though it hasn't been confirmed yet."

"I just really don't think it's safe for you to be a police officer. I don't want you to work there anymore."

Logan frowned. "I can't quit, I've hardly done anything! Just one thing, I want to do just one great thing to help this city."

"But at what cost? I can't lose you!"

"Patton, you're not going to lose me. But I'm not going to quit, not when I just started."

"It's been years, you haven't just started! We can get you a safer job, it'll be better. Safer."

Logan shook his head. "I'm not quitting. You're not going to lose me either. It'll be okay, I don't think anything is going to happen."

Patton closed his eyes, trying to push the tears back. He wished that he could tell Logan what he knows, but what then? Logan will never trust him again and the wedding will be off. "Okay," he whimpered.

"I love you, Patton. Now let's get some rest." Logan took off his glasses and set them next to the lamp, turning it off.

"I love you too," Patton mumbled as the room was filled with darkness yet again.