Patton said goodnight to the prince and shut the door and raced down the hallway. Though his legs were moving quickly, he made not a single sound. After years of walking around the palace, he knew how to get by without drawing any unwanted attention to himself. There was only one person he wanted attention from right now. 

He reached the end of the hall, and in front of him were the doors to the royal scientist's lab. No one was permitted to go in besides Logan, the king, and the royal scientist himself. Though Dr. North was definitely sleeping in his chambers by now. His age has been catching up to him recently, and he most often can't keep his eyes open very long after dinner. 

He opened the door slowly, and it made a loud creak. The boy winced, and quickly squeezed his small frame through the door. The heavy door shut behind him with a click, and the young blonde immediately began to make his way up the stairs. He was eager to see his friend, so he even skipped a step each time. 

After flight after flight of stairs, the exhausted boy finally made it to the top of the tower. He peeked cautiously through the doorway and saw Logan completely focused as he added a glowing blue liquid into a dark violet liquid. 

Upon the two mixing, a soft hum echoed throughout the laboratory. The liquid turned bright pink and gas particles floated up into the air. They swirled around in the dark, lighting up the room. The young apprentice looked up at the mist and smiled, his eyes reflecting the pink light. Patton felt his heart melt. 

"It's beautiful," Patton said quietly as he walked into the room. Logan's eyes widened as he faced the boy. The mist turned bright orange with his surprise. No doubt an experiment linked to emotion. When the apprentice saw Patton, he smiled, and the mist turned a pale red. 

"I'm glad you think so, Patton." 

The blonde smiled and ran across the floor, wrapping his arms around the taller male. His hands, tired from the constant work, found their way around Patton as well. The two stood like that for a few moments, and the mist glowed as bright as daylight. Logan let go of his friend and walked back over to the mist. He grabbed a cork and placed it over the glass vial. The mixture slowly faded to a dull brown, and the mist disintegrated into the dark. 

Patton frowned. "Why'd you do that?" 

"It was too bright," Logan whispered as he walked back over, "If Master North would wake up and you were here, he would definitely see you in such light. We must meet in shadows, remember?" 

The young servant sighed. "I know.." 

Logan leaned his forehead against Patton's. Their faces were but inches apart. 

"I've longed for you all day." the apprentice said simply, making the servant's heart jump. 

"You saw Roman and I merely five hours ago." The blonde said, his voice barely above a whisper. 

Logan chuckled softly. "You know what I mean." 

Patton smiled. "I do." He loved how he was the only one who could crack this boy's cold exterior. How each smile on Logan's face was his and his alone. Every time he laughed it was like a symphony. 

"Do you..I-I mean, would you--"

"Yes." The short boy interrupted. A smile danced on Logan's lips before they met his friend's. Though friends was only what they were when the sun reigned over the land. As soon as it disappeared beneath the horizon, they were lovers. Completely infatuated with each other, they risked not only their jobs, but their lives, just to hold each other in the dead of night. 

Each kiss was laced with a love so intoxicating it made their knees weak. Logan lifted the other boy onto his work counter and sat him down gently, without parting their lips for a second. Secrecy was a necessity to their relationship, but the longer they had to hide, the more desperate they became. They knew they had to make the most of each night before the sun rose once more, and they had to act as if they could part without a second thought. 

When in reality, they were always on each other's minds. 

Finally, their lips parted as each boy gasped for air. Their eyes met, grey clashing against bright blue, and they smiled. 

"I love you so much.." Patton whispered between breaths. 

"I love you as well, Patton. With all I am capable of and more." 

After they caught their breath, their lips immediately found each other's again. After many minutes passed, it began to grow more heated. Patton's night shirt had been discarded, and Logan was practically all over the blonde. He reached around his lover, trying to lift him back up to take him to his chambers, when he knocked over a large glass vial. It shattered and leaked all over the counter and onto the apprentice's hand. The liquid burned at his skin, causing him to hiss. He quickly lifted Patton with one arm off the counter before the substance could reach him. 

"Logan, are you alright?" Patton asked, his face still flushed from moments before. 

The tall boy nodded, though it took him everything in his power not to scream in pain. Unsure of what to do, the servant grabbed his lover's hand and guided him down the stairs. The apprentice said nothing, as he couldn't completely focus on what was happening around him. Before he knew it, they were in Patton's small chambers. 

The short boy sat the apprentice down on his bed while he reached under his bed and opened a small medical kit. Most servants had nothing like this, but Roman insisted his friend have one just in case. 

Inside was enough to treat almost any ailment: stab wound, stomach bug, and sure enough burns. Patton took out the special chemical and doused a small cloth in it. With a gentle and loving precision, he wrapped it around Logan's hand. He put both hands around the injured one, and the two said nothing as the chemical worked its way into the damaged skin, healing what had just been destroyed. 

"No servant gets access to this chemical. Master North only makes it for the royal family." Logan said, as the pain finally became less and less. 

"Yeah, Roman made this for me. He's a really good friend." Patton smiled softly, though worry still ate away at him. His thoughts were displayed as clear as day on his face. The apprenticed placed his good hand on his lover's cheek. 

"I'm alright, Patton. Thanks to you, it will be in working condition by morning. It will leave no trace, not even a scar." 

"Still, I--" 

"Patton." Logan stopped him. He pulled the blonde onto the bed with him and the two laid aside each other, holding each other close. The servant's quarters had no heat against the cold night, so they had to use each other for warmth. They each climbed under the thin brown quilt. 

"How much longer must we pretend?" Patton asked after a while. 

"For as long as we reside here. You know what they'd do to us if they found out..we must appear as mere acquaintances." 

"But you are so good at pretending it almost feels...real. I fear that one day you might be tired of hiding, and our love will be burned away by the day." 

"Don't say such things, Patton," Logan closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around the small boy. His hand was no longer in any pain. He planted a single kiss on the blonde's lips, "You are my air, Patton. Without you I cannot breathe. It pains me to part with you during the day, but I could never live without your love. Please believe me when I say that I will never tire of these nights with you." 

The blonde smiled, cherishing each word. For such an intellect, Logan always had a way with words. The servant remembered one time where he tried convincing his lover to become a poet. He only got a laugh in response. 

The taller boy yawned, exhaustion seeping its way into his mind. Though he didn't want to sleep. He wanted to get as many minutes with Patton as he possibly could. 

"I must return to my chambers soon. Master North will be outraged if I'm not there by sunrise." 

Patton whined. "Please stay..I can never sleep when you leave." 

Despite knowing it could get him in dangerous trouble, Logan couldn't say no. Perhaps if he were less drowsy he would've made a more sensible decision. However, his eyes drifted shut and the two fell asleep side by side, their love warm against the chill of the night. 

When the stars faded away and the sun began to rise, Patton's eyes fluttered open. He shivered, cold despite the blanket draped over him. He turned over, searching for the warmth of Logan, but he was already gone. He left no trace behind but the smell of pine and mint. The servant's heart ached as a single tear fell down his cheek. He inhaled the sweet aroma for only a moment before he wiped his tear away. 

He threw on his clothes and walked down the hall to Roman's room to wake him. He saw Logan walking down the hall with a plate of food no doubt for his master. The two passed each other, and Logan nodded his head in Patton's direction. 

"Good morning, Patton." he said simply, with no hidden meaning. With their situation, they couldn't afford hidden meaning. Though some could be fooled, there were definitely a few who would catch on quickly. 

"Good morning, Logan." Patton forced a happy smile as he made his way into Roman's room. 

And so began another day of pretending. The two boys counted down the hours, the minutes, the seconds..

until they could breathe in the shadows once more. 

- 

(The song I put I listened to the entire time whilst writing this. Give it a listen, it's really beautiful. The original version is really nice, too. Anywho, Ima throw in a couple of these chapters in for an insight on these for when I feel like it. Hope ya enjoyed! -Manzana)

Word Count: 1666