Mahogany and Teakwood

Chapter 20: Hyacinth

and even though the moment passed me by

i still can't turn away

They waited.

Logan; straight-backed and stiff on the hard bench; Virgil, practically curled up in a ball; Roman, sprawled out, phone in hand. It wasn't as tense as the car ride, but Logan didn't speak, and Roman's mouth was a flat line of discontent.

"You mentioned a friend in Arcadia once before," Logan mused aloud. "I take it Patton is that friend?"

"Yeah." Virgil was once again impressed at Logan's memory for detail.

"Is he always so...?" And for the first time since they'd met, Virgil witnessed Logan fumble for a word. "Effervescent?"

Roman snorted. "Trust Teach to default to something with four syllables."

"I am not a teacher, Roman; I do not understand why you insist upon calling me that," Logan grumbled.

"Yeah, Patton is pretty much the sweetest person on the planet," Virgil said. "Even Deceit couldn't drive that out of him."

Virgil's heart seized in his chest.

"Shit." He dropped his head into his hands. "Deceit was Patton's master, too."

Roman sucked in a breath, and Logan's mouth compressed. Deceit had already given them the slip once. Anyone Virgil encountered could be in danger, but especially one of the faery's own escaped thralls.

"We will have to warn him," Logan declared.

As if summoned, the waiting room door creaked open and Patton entered, pulling a mask from his face. Logan leaped to his feet.

"Will Nic be okay?" he demanded without preamble.

"Whoa, there." Patton chuckled, catching one of Logan's outstretched hands and guiding him back to the bench. Virgil felt a small pang of jealousy over how easily Logan allowed himself to be handled; the half-faery himself looked a little bemused about it. Then again, this was Patton. Nobody could resist those eyes.

"First of all, yes, Nic is going to be fine. None of his injuries are currently life-threatening." Patton smiled. "So, if it's okay with you all, I think we should take a moment and introduce ourselves properly."

Patton turned to Roman. "I already know Virge, and Mr. Ursae introduced himself already, but I don't know your name yet."

Roman grinned and made a grand bow. Virgil quietly snorted.

"Roman Reis, at your service."

The two shook hands, and Roman shot a delighted look at Virgil.

"You call him 'Virge'?"

Virgil groaned and, denied a hood to hide under, covered his face with his hands.

"Uh...yeah?" Patton cocked his head.

"And he lets you?" Roman chortled.

"Does he not let you?" Patton's eyes shone huge and innocent behind his glasses.

"I didn't know his actual name until this morning!" Roman glared at Virgil, who glared back.

"Which never stopped you from coming up with a never-ending stream of insulting nicknames for me," Virgil pointed out.

"No...hey...I've been trying to be nicer..." Roman protested, sounding genuinely stung.

Virgil, who'd meant the jab to be sarcastic and not hurtful, knocked his knee against Roman's. "Relax, dude. I've noticed the effort. We're good right now."