The Logical Exception

{ Chapter 43 - Changing the Rules }

It was only due to Virgil's hand in his, that Logan didn't spiral the entire trip. Each time he began to slide down a thought path that pulled his mind to his parents, Virgil would give his hand a gentle squeeze, grounding Logan. He would be pulled back to the present, the fear slipping to the back of his mind for just a moment. Logan was just barely holding it together.

As they reached the house, everyone looked back at Logan before quietly getting out of the van. They didn't know what to say, and he didn't know what he wanted them to say. He didn't like all of their attention on him. Logan was used to slipping into the shadows, being ignored, having space to think!

"Logan breath, slow deep breaths, follow me."

When had he stopped breathing?

Virgil took Logan's hand, slowly placing it on Virgil's chest as he exaggerated his breathing.

"We are still alive."

Facts, beautiful grounding facts.

"As a group, we are stronger."

Debatable, but it was still helping.

"Your parents are without their powers, it will be harder for them to hurt Roman and Remus."

But his parents still had knowledge, and wasn't knowledge a cruel and terrifying thing in the wrong hands?

"You are brilliant. You have protected the twins multiple times. You can do it again."

"I didn't protect you." Logan choked out as soon as his breath had caught up to him. A poor choice as the minute he spoke his breathing became irregular again.

"You and I remember that very differently, Specs. I probably would have died without you. Yeah my powers are different now and I'm not super happy about that, but that's not your fault."

Logan closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath. "There was a statistical probability that you would have lived without my intervention."

"And how likely was I to live with your... intervention."

Logan smiled weakly. He knew what Virgil was trying to do and it was helping a lot. "The- The probability of your survival was marginally more, but..." A breath of hesitation as Logan drew in much-needed oxygen, "enough that the risk was worth it."

"So then I probably wouldn't have survived without you." Virgil had a cheeky grin on his face and Logan couldn't help but roll his eyes, smiling fondly. His hands were shaking but his vision was clearer and more focused. His breathing was a bit more stable.

"I do not count this as a win for you." Logan felt a bit of calmness that he knew was his own, rather than the manufactured calm of Patton's powers. Virgil was right, they were stronger together, and Logan had saved the twins before. "Virgil, may I ask you a question?"

Virgil shrugged, "I might not answer."

"You have that right." Logan took in another deep breath. "Why did you trust me when I first came to your apartment?"

"I didn't, but you needed help."

"Then why did you trust me not to lead you into a trap?"

Virgil pulled at the threads of his jeans, thinking about his words, "I don't think it was that simple, but as you were planning, you seemed so earnest. Anytime I had a question you answered it. I don't think I really started trusting you until you saved my life, because I saw the way he treated you. I know what that's like."

Logan nodded, his eyes glazing a bit before Virgil brought him back with another squeeze of his hand.

"I know it's hard but focus on right now." Virgil leaned against him. "We can worry about the future and the past tomorrow, and trust me, I worry a lot," He joked.

Logan let out a short puff of air. "Yeah, I guess."

"My turn to ask you a question. Why come to me?"

"There was never anyone else."

That obviously took Virgil by surprise as he let go of Logan's hand. "What?"

"Although we were always playing the role of hero and villain I always thought that, under different circumstances, you and I would have been a strong pair. You have a specific way of looking at the world that allows you to see potential problems. I typically do not see all of the problems during a situation, I do better with information that has been given to me ahead of time. I believe we would have balanced each other out well, so I gathered more information on you. Then I learned we would possibly be compatible relationally as well, so when my hour of need came, you were the only one I could have gone to."

There was also the fact that Logan knew he might be able to convince Deceit to turn on his parents, but even before he had known, Virgil was always his choice.

Virgil was silent for a while before asking. "Do you still think that?"

"That we would make decent partners? I wouldn't stick around in this group if I didn't."

"No, that we are relationally compatible."

"More so now than ever before."

Logan wasn't sure what happened, but the next thing he knew, Virgil's hand was on his face. Then Virgil's lips were on his and Logan was certain that his brain had short-circuited. All thoughts left his mind other than Virgil, and there was nothing in the world except for the man in front of him.

Closing his eyes, Logan kissed back, resting his hand on the seat between them so that he could lean more into the kiss. It felt like forever. It felt like an instant. All Logan really knew was that it felt right. When Virgil finally pulled away, Logan's mind still hadn't fully restarted yet.

"Don't get used to that L, but, maybe, I might be interested in pursuing something with you." His smile was soft and reassuring, but there was an anxious look in his eyes. Logan barely caught it as Virgil began to climb out of the car, leaving him to sort out his thoughts. His fingers gently ghosted over his lips. Logan had lost a lot today, he had lost the battle, he had lost his powers, but at this moment, this one singular moment, he couldn't be bothered to care. A sigh left his lips once Virgil was gone and he tried to control the blush on his face. This day really would change everything.