Plenty of Treasures

drabble 1: a phone call

prompt: "Help..."

requested by TheSammel

pairing: platonic logince

word count: 678

warnings: major character death, swearing/strong language, blood, stabbing, and mention of ambulances,
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He'd just been reading when his ringtone startled him out of the storyline.

Fumbling slightly, he doesn't check the caller ID before accepting the call. His voice, gravelly from lack of use, echoes through the phone. "Hello?"

"Ro... Roman."

Immediately, he feels sick. "Logan? Is everything alright?"

It takes longer than Roman is comfortable with for his friend to reply. His best friend in the entire world, who Roman can't and refuses to live without. "Help..."

He's on his feet, heading for the door, shoes and jacket half-on. The phone is hot against his ear as he books it out the front door and into the street. "Tell me what's wrong."

And God, Logan sounds so confused as he tries to properly explain what had happened, but the pain is probably making it difficult to even breathe. "Was mugged... n' stabbed. Hurts."

Fuck. Jesus Christ, no this can't be happening. He wants to scream and he wants to cry, and absolutely destroy whoever had mugged his absolutely incredible best friend who he will not be losing today!

"Alright, just, uh, breathe as deeply as you can and try to put some pressure on the wound. To try and stop the bleeding. Where are you?"

Only a second later, there's a high-pitched whimper as Logan, as smart as ever, tries to press something against the injury. He's sobbing and Roman can feel a heavy wetness running down his cheeks. "Fuck, it's going to be alright, just tell me where you are."

Logan's whimpers gradually subside and his voice is slurred as he replies. "J'st outside m' building..."

Roman understands that by 'building' he means his apartment building and quickly runs in that direction, grateful that it's only two blocks away. There's a low thump from the other side of the phone and Roman almost doesn't want to say anything so he can stay in a world where his best friend is still alive. Still scolding him for being too loud in public places, but laughing along with his theatrics afterwards. "Logan? Can you say something?"

"Mhm..."

"Stay awake for me, okay?"

There's a heart-stopping pause. "Roman...?"

Roman swallows. "Yes?"

A couple of jagged breaths are his only reply a few seconds. Shaky in, raspy out. Choking on red and staring up with an expression Roman doesn't even want to think about. He'll get there and they'll call for an ambulance. Shouldn't he do that now actually, and then call his friend back? But what if he can't answer?

Shit, how close is he now?!

"Thanks... for helping... I won't be upset, if you... if you don't get here."

It's become a lot more difficult to swallow. "Have you called nine-one-one yet?"

"Yeah..."

Oh, thank God. He's always been so prepared for any emergency, instantly knowing what to do and how to do it. Logan has always been such a brilliant man! "I love you, Lo."

He's crying even though he's got to be strong, because Logan has always been his rock. Someone he can count on. And right now, Roman needs to be the same thing for him. "L've you too... "

"I just want you to know that right now, Logan. That you're loved. And that you've never not been loved. Because, God, you're my fucking soul mate. I know you don't believe in them, but it's true. Whatever the  science-y thing that equates to a soul mate is, that's what we are," he bawls into his phone, desperately trying to sum up ten years of friendship in one phone call.

There's nothing but sirens and shuffling on the other end until a loud static-like sound films his ears. "Excuse me, who is this?"

He can't breathe. "Roman Sanders. His best friend, is he okay?"

"I'm so sorry, sir, but I'm afraid we found him already passed on. Would you like to-"

He hangs up the phone.