Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 49

Logan jumped and stared back at Pat. His face was a mask of pure panic.

"Uhm- I- uh- you- er-" He stammered over his words before sighing in defeat. "You, um, you really weren't meant to hear that."

"Well, I did!"

Logan nodded. "Yes, I know." He sighed again and slumped back against a tree, dropping Pat's hand. "I'm sorry."

"How long?"

"Pardon?" Logan glanced over at Pat. To his (slight) disappointment, Pat wasn't looking back at him.

"How long? Have you..." he swallowed, "y'know."

"Oh!" Logan thought back. He couldn't honestly remember. It hadn't been a slow change. He'd just been thinking and then suddenly 'oh. Oh'.

"A year? Or there-abouts."

"A year?!" Pat repeated. "Lo, this is bad. This is really, really bad. I mean, what'll your betrothed say?"

Logan shrugged. "Nothing. I highly doubt they'll say anything seeing as they're not real."

"Why would someone make that up?" Pat asked. He reached out and took Logan's hand. "No one would make up a whole person just to control you, Lo. Especially since you're so smart. You'd see through it either way."

Logan scoffed a little but smiled. "And that's why I'm running away." He said. "Real or not, I don't love my betrothed. Say that they're real, then I respect them. But as I don't know them, I can't be expected to care for them. They've been this weight held over me my entire life. They're not special. Not like you are." He gave Pat's hand a squeeze. "That's why I'm running. And that's why I hope you'd come with me."

"You really want me to go with you?" Pat asked. "I'm not smart like you are. I wouldn't know the first thing about anything we'd need to do."

"Neither do I. I've been sheltered my whole life! But, if you went with me, we could figure it out." Logan met Pat's gaze and smiled softly. "Together."

Pat glanced down, grinning and repeating the word to himself. "Together." He laughed a little. "Together sounds nice."

"So you'll go with me? You really will?"

"Yeah! I mean, obviously not right now," Pat amended, "we're kids. But, when I turn 16, we could go. I'd be an adult then!" He gasped. "We could go the very night!"

Logan's face clouded over. "Pat, I wouldn't want to take that away from your family."

"You wouldn't, don't worry. They love me, they'll understand." Pat said confidently. "Anyway, when we go, what will we go as?"

Logan shrugged. It was the barest lift of his shoulders. "What would you like us to leave as?"

"What do you?"

"I couldn't care less." Logan admitted. "If you're with me, I'm fine with whatever we do or don't become."

In truth, Pat didn't know. He had an idea of what he wanted to be with Logan but it seemed to soon. It seemed... odd.

But then again, everything about Pat and Logan was odd. A peasant and a royal. Couldn't get more strange.

"What about lovers?"

Logan stared at Pat and, though he didn't smile, his face seemed to light up. "You mean you-"

"Course." Pat shrugged. "Why wouldn't I?"

Logan hesitated and let out a breath that could've been a laugh. "I can think of a few reasons."

"Enlighten me." Pat said, leaning forward. Logan swallowed, cheeks going pink.

"Well... um- uh..." Logan closed his eyes and shook his head. "Could you not do that thing?"

"What thing?" Pat asked, confused. He sat back slightly.

"The thing you're doing with your face."

Pat laughed. "What, smiling?!"

"No! The... The thing..." Logan mumbled.

"Oh, this?" Pat leaned forward again. Logan let go of his hand to hide his face in his hands. Pat fell back onto his heels, bursting with laughter.

"It's not funny." Logan muttered incoherently.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." Pat said, trying to swallow down his giggles. "So, it's agreed?" He pried Logan's hands away from his face and took one in his own. "Lovers?"

Logan hesitated. "May I kiss your hand?" He asked, cheeks going pinker from embarrassment.

"Yeah."

Logan pressed a hesitant kiss to Pat's knuckles, making them both blush. "It's agreed."

Shit, I've made them too cute-
Bye,
Blaize