Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 80

Pat poked his head around his bedroom door, fizzing with excitement. He snuck across the landing (rather ungracefully) and crept down the stairs.

"Round the rocks the ragged rascal ran," he muttered to himself, grinning, "round the rocks the ragged rascal ran, round the rocks the ragged rascal ran, round the rocks the ragged rascal ran,"

He kept repeating it as he snuck into the living room. He fell silent as he turned around in a slow circle. If he was his Papa, where would he hide a dress made for his son?

The fabric chest? It was worth a shot.

Around seven years ago, Virgil had bought a huge treasure chest that Pat had loved to hide in. He and Dad and Uncle Remus had played hide and seek and pirates and hidden treasure in that chest. Pat loved to curl up small with Smoke and pretend they were hiding from evil princes and knights in there.

But that was all in the past. Everything was different now. The chest was filled with huge reams of fabric, Smoke mostly kept to the bedroom now and Pat was 16. 16! He was all grown up now and he wanted to find his dress.

As silently as he could, Pat opened the fabric chest, a breath caught behind his smile. Something about the fabric chest felt sacred. Magical.

Even now, when Pat knew time was scarce, he took his time. There was a layer of pink silk and some sort of shiny lace material at the top of the chest. He ran his hand over them carefully, grinning at the feeling of the knots of lace under his fingers.

No time for that. His Papa was due to wake up soon and Pat would need to find the dress before that or risk being caught.

Pat took a breath and lifted the silk and lace out of the chest, placing them next to it. Hopefully, they were unwrinkled.

A corner of bright blue caught his eye. He stared at it, pushing his glasses up his nose. Blue... it was certainly his colour. The same colour of his shirts only a better material.

Pat reached out and poked the corner of blue. It was smooth to the touch, almost silky. But it definitely wasn't silk. Pat knew enough about materials to know that.

Pat pulled another ream of (this time) yellow silk out of the chest. He could see some of the dress now. The corner that had caught his eyes was the skirt, now he could see about half the bodice.

It was beautifully crafted. The stitching was so minute that Pat couldn't even feel it when he ran his fingers over the seams. And the bodice seemed to shine in the light, like it had something embroidered onto it.

Suddenly, Pat felt fear strike his heart. He didn't know why, there was nothing to be afraid of. But he put all the material back quickly and closed the lid of the chest quietly.

Pat breathed deeply and a stray giggle escaped him. He clapped his hand over his mouth as one giggle led to another and another until he was a laughing mess. He jumped up and ran back up the stairs, still giggling.

Pat made it to his bedroom and dove for his bed, pulling the covers over his head and giggling into the back of Smoke's head. He had no idea what was so funny but he couldn't stop laughing.

"Lo! Lo, Lo, Lo!" Logan barely had time to clear the other side of the river before Pat hugged him tightly, twirling around and laughing. Pat tripped over Logan's foot and brought them both crashing down.

Logan lay on his back, partially winding, staring at the sky. "I'm glad to see turning of age hasn't made you grow up." He laughed weakly. Pat giggled and rolled over, snuggling up to Logan's side.

"As if anything could." He said, grinning into Logan's neck. He pressed a quick kiss to Logan's cheek before rolling away again, laughing.

Logan's brain froze, his heart doing wild gymnastics, and his face flushed hot. He joined in Pat's laughter quietly and sat up, fixing his hair.

"I'm never going to get used to you." He admitted. Pat grinned and jumped up. He held out two hands to Logan. Logan took them and Pat hauled him up.

"That's good." Pat grinned sunnily. "Means I get to still have my fun." He did a quick circle around Logan. "You're good, by the way. No dust or leaves or anything."

Logan smiled at him. God, he was so in love with this boy. "Good." He said. "It's my last day at the castle, I should at least try to look respectable."

"Yeah..." Pat's smile faded in a way that didn't look like Pat at all, "about that..."

This is where shit gets real
Bye,
Blaize