Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 101

Logan felt frozen. Some part of him had insisted that everything the sorcerer had told him had been a lie. Some part of him had believed against all belief and hoped against all hopes.

That part of him crushed itself into dust as he looked at Patton.

The heavy curtains hid most of the light coming from the sunrise so the only light in the room was from a small, flickering candle. In its dying glow, Patton looked almost otherworldly. His glasses had been gently removed and placed on the table beside the bed where he slept. He looked so peaceful, smiling slightly in his sleep and it broke Logan to watch him.

Could Patton dream, in this cursed sleep he'd had no choice but to fall into? Was that what he was smiling at? Or was he smiling in unburdened nothingness, slowly losing his memories?

That thought seemed to unstick Logan's feet from the floor. He crossed to the bed in a few mechanical steps and knelt down beside the bed.

Something hit him then. How did he do this?

The sorcerer had said something about waiting for true love. Logan swallowed. Well, here went nothing, he supposed.

"Pat?" He asked quietly. "Pat, it's me. Can you hear me? It's Logan." And then, smaller, more scared, "Do you remember?"

Nothing. Logan sat back on the floor, crossing his legs.

His sight grew oddly bleary. Logan pushed his glasses up into his hair and wiped his eyes. He sniffed and stared stubbornly at the floor, trying to force the tears back. He felt them shrink back and wiped his eyes again.

"What am I supposed to do?" He asked quietly, pulling his glasses back over his eyes. No answer. He jumped up. "What am I supposed to do?!" He screamed to the empty room.

"You've led me to him, now what?!" Logan shouted up to the ceiling. "What do you want me to do?!" He glared over at the sleeping figure, breathing like he'd just run a marathon. "What is this?!"

Logan pulled his jacket off and threw it at the curtains. He was getting suffocated in here. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think, desperation was clouding everything-

"I can't lose him!" And the tears were back. Only now, he couldn't force them back and they ran down his face and soaked into his shirt. "I can't lose him, he's all I have left!" He screamed, turning savagely to face the door.

He half-expected one of Patton's guardians to be stood in the door way. But no one was there.

He really was alone. It was really only him who could do anything.

And he had no idea how.

"What is this?" He asked, his voice failing to his tears. An idea dawned on him.

Please, God, no. Don't let it be that.

"True love's kiss?" He asked. "Is that it? Is that what's meant to fix this?"

Logan pushed his hair back behind his ears. He shook his head, clutching at the fistful of hair in his hand. He had the mad desire to pull it out.

"I won't." He said. He forced his hand out of his hair and behind his back. "I'm not doing it like this. Not this way, not without his consent. Do you even know what that means?!" He bit out, his voice rising wildly. "Is that a concept where you're from?! I won't do it, you hear me?!" He looked at Patton and his anger faded into complete and utter despair. "This can't be how a first kiss is meant to go..."

He went and knelt down on one knee by Patton again. He took his hand carefully.

He wouldn't forgo his morals and Patton's safety just because some curse demanded he had to. He hadn't sunk to that level yet.

"Pat, I once said I would wait for you for 100 years," Logan said quietly. He shrugged, tears choking his voice. He couldn't look at Patton's face. He couldn't watch this smart, brilliant boy forget everything. "I meant it. I will stay right here with you until you wake up." Logan swallowed. "And if you've forgotten me by then... Then I'll just have the honour of you falling in love with me all over again. And if you don't, well... I had that honour before. And that's golden. That's the luckiest I've ever been in my life. I don't even know if you can hear me but know I will be here for you. No matter what."

Logan felt his fingers run against something rough in the centre of Patton's palm. He turned the boy's hand over gently.

There was a small, dark scab in the middle of his palm. It looked like he'd pricked himself there.

Without really thinking, Logan pressed a gentle kiss to the small pinprick. He sat back on his heel and bowed his head. Tears dropped onto his shirt and trousers. It didn't matter. No one was here to see the stoic prince finally break, anyway.

I'm not crying, you are!
Bye,
Blaize