One week.

One entire week had passed since Patton's brother died, and things were honestly just getting worse.

The days were always the same- Patton would wake up clinging to his husband for dear life, who would have to carry him out of bed and downstairs when they were ready to get up. Patton would then stand in the doorway of the kitchen so he could watch Logan make breakfast without actually having to enter the kitchen. Why didn't he want to enter the kitchen? Well, there were knives in there. And knives meant death. And death meant Logan dying. Or... at least that's what Patton's brain told him. His mind told him he wasn't allowed to go into the kitchen, and the one time he did try to step in he started to get a headache, so it was just better to stay out.

Then, they would eat, on the couch, with the TV off. Per Patton's request. If another one of his family members died, he didn't want to have to find out through the news. He didn't want to find out at all, honestly. Just... he could pretend it never happened.

Their afternoon activities would differ, but most days they'd end up taking a nap together before dinner. Rinse and repeat their breakfast routine for dinner- and for lunch- and you had their evening. By the time night rolled around, Logan would carry his husband up to bed again and they'd go to sleep. Not before Patton slipped into a daydream, of course.

Once again, Patton was starting to daydream more and more often just because he couldn't sleep without it. It got to a point where it was natural for him, and as soon as he laid down in bed and closed his eyes his brain would put him in a better world. He also would find himself daydreaming sometimes during the day, too, when he was stressed. And a lot of the time he would get the urge to start doing it- especially when he was watching his husband cook food- and have to stop himself.

Patton's life... was a mess. Sometimes that's all he could think about, too. Like right now, as he laid in bed, waiting for his husband to wake up from their afternoon nap.

He tried to keep his mind as still as his body as he waited for Logan to open his eyes, which was hard. Eventually, though, Patton felt a hand start to twist and play with the curls of his hair, and he sighed, leaning into the touch.

Patton turned on his side and flopped himself on top of Logan, burying his head in the crook of his neck. Logan held him close, still playing with his hair with one hand while the other sat on his back.

"How was your nap?" Logan asked quietly after a bit of silence.

"Okay." Patton answered him." Uh... do you know what time it is?"

Patton felt Logan's hand leave his back, and he guessed Logan was grabbing his phone. A few moments later the hand returned to his back. "It's eight."

"Oh. We slept a while." Patton chuckled quietly.

"We did." Logan smiled. "Would you like to get up?"

Patton was still for a few moments. He knew he definitely should get up, but he didn't want to. He simply shrugged.

"We should eat. I'll carry you downstairs."

"Okay."

Patton rolled off of his husband who quickly sat up, moving an arm underneath his husband's back and under his legs. He picked him up bridal-style, and started to carry him downstairs. He put him down right outside the kitchen, and Patton stood, watching as Logan walked in and began to make grilled cheese sandwiches.

Patton blinked a few times, staring at the change in flooring from the small hallway he was standing in to the kitchen. He then looked up, watching as Logan moved swiftly around the kitchen, moving from counter to counter and ingredient to ingredient.

It would be nice if you had a kid, and then the kid could come running downstairs-

Patton swatted the thought away. Not now.

Logan eventually finished making food and walked out to his husband, handing him a plate. Patton held the plate along with his husband's arm, and they made their way to the couch and sat down. Patton took a bite of his sandwich, staring forward.

His eyes locked on a certain group of pictures. One of him and his husband, one of him and Roman...

...and an empty slot on the wall where a picture of him and his brother used to be.

Logan had taken the photo down and hid it away in their laundry room the day after Janus had died, because when Patton came downstairs the next morning and saw it he instantly burst into tears. But now, all Patton could do when he saw it was think about how it used to be there. And now it wasn't.

Patton sniffled.

Logan noticed, and he quickly wrapped an arm around his husband's shoulders, holding him close. Patton leaned into the touch, slowly taking a bite out of his grilled cheese. Logan kissed the top of his head, non-verbally telling him that he was there for him.

As Logan brought his head up, Patton could feel Logan staring at him for what felt like a solid minute.

"Hey... love?"

"Yeah?" Patton looked up as he finished off his grilled cheese, making eye contact with Logan. Logan sighed.

"So, please don't take this the wrong way, but..."

Patton's mind raced. He raised his eyebrows, scared for what Logan would finish his sentence with.

"...what would you think about possibly getting a therapist for you?"

Patton blinked. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again.

"...A therapist?" Patton echoed.

"Yes. Just because you've been really sad lately, for obvious reasons... and I want to help you. You know I'm not that good with emotions, so this is the best thing I can think of." Logan chuckled gently. "I think it would help. I really just want to see you happy... and I'll do whatever I can to make that happen."

Patton face twisted up as his mind began to race, again.

A therapist is... a stranger. Strangers are bad. Strangers come and kill your husbands and family members and then they traumatize you for the rest of your life. Patton didn't want a therapist. No, not until he knew the streets were clear from the awful man that was currently on the loose.

But how could he put that into words without seeming suspicious?

"Eh... I don't know." Patton shrugged.

"You don't?"

"Just... I don't know the person. That kind of scares me, I guess."

"Well, the first session will likely just be getting to know the therapist, so maybe you could try it out? Just once?"

Patton grimaced. "Ehh... but then we'd be, like, giving our address and phone numbers to a business that we don't know, and that could like..." he trailed off.

"Okay, you don't have to. You don't have to if you're not comfortable with that. It was just a suggestion. I don't want to push you into anything you don't want to do." Logan assured. Patton smiled gently, letting out a huff of air and nodding.

"Okay... thanks for the idea, though."

"Of course."

Logan finished off his sandwich and stood up, taking Patton's empty paper plate from him. "I'll go throw these away."

"Okay."

Patton watched from the couch as Logan walked into the kitchen. He leaned down slightly next to the trash can as he deposited the plates, and when he leaned back up, his eyes locked on something on the kitchen counter. He took a step back, surprised, and then stepped forward.

"What the..."

Patton stood. "What? What is it?"

"Oh, I- uhm- n-nothing."

Patton started walking, over to the kitchen. He got to Logan, and-

STOP

Patton stopped dead in his tracks and looked down at his feet, realizing he had taken a step into the kitchen.

STOP. LEAVE. GO.

"but-" he whispered underneath his breath.

NOW.

Thoughts rushed into Patton's head, and his ears rang loudly. He carefully stepped out of the kitchen, Logan watching slightly confused as he did so. Patton hugged himself, his eyebrows furrowed.

Hold Logan extra tight tonight.

Right... right, of course.

"What, uh... what did you find?" Patton finally asked after a moment.

Logan stared at him, before glancing to the piece of paper he was now holding, and to the trash can. He glanced between the latter two multiple times before gulping.

"Uhm..." he breathed out, "I... h-here."

"Oh?"

Logan held out the piece of paper nervously, and Patton had a very brief flashback to a day about ten years ago when Logan had held a bouquet of followers out to him, nervously asking if they could officially become boyfriends. Patton smiled gently at the memory before quickly taking the note.

He gasped.

My darling Patton,

Hello, my dear. It's been so long, hasn't it? We used to be so close in high school, what could have driven us apart? Well, I think I know. It was the whole murder thing that I so obviously did, apparently. Sure.
Now, I know you're probably mad at me for killing your brother, but I was really just trying to get you to seek me out. But you didn't, did you? You stayed cooped up in your house for an entire week. That's why I had to sneak you this little note.

Do you remember the lovely field that you and your little husband are so attached to? The one he proposed to you in? Yeah, that one. I want you to come meet me there, right now. And I mean right now.

Come alone, please. I'll be waiting. I love you, so much.

~R

The paper crumpled in Patton's hands, and once it was in a ball he dropped it.

"...Patton-"

"I have to go."

"What?"

Clearly, Logan didn't think Patton would be up for it- going to a field at night, to meet his worst enemy. But Patton had to. This was his chance.

...This was his chance to kill him.

For once, his mind eased up. His mind told him that it was okay to enter the kitchen, to take a knife from the knife drawer, and it was okay to think and plan about all the ways he could possibly stab Remy.

"Patton, I- let me go with you."

"No! No, Logan, it says he wants me to come alone!"

"That's what he wants, obviously. Look, I'm sorry, but you can't deal with him on your own. He's a murderer. You're not."

"W-Well, you're not, either. So let me go."

"Patton-"

"No. Logan... I want you to be safe. He's trying to kill you."

Logan stared at Patton with a broken expression. "I... then why didn't he invite me to the field? Why does he want you to come?" Logan mumbled.

"Because he still- he still likes me. He loves me, even, which is stupid. He's stupid. He's so stupid. So- so I'll deal with him. I'll get him out of your hair."

"How?"

Patton knew how. But he wasn't telling that to Logan.

What would Logan do when he found out Remy was dead, though, obviously by Patton's hand?

...

Maybe he'd be proud.

Patton wasn't sure. He didn't want to think about that right now, though. Facts were facts, and the fact was that Remy needed to be ridded of this Earth, and he needed to be ridded of this Earth now.

"...I don't know. But I'll figure it out. Just... let me go."

Logan stared at him. He groaned, burying his face in his hands for a moment before looking back up.

"I- fine. Fine. Go ahead. I won't stop you. But before you go..."

"What?"

Logan stared at him for a moment before stepping forward, out of the kitchen. He wrapped his arms very tightly around Patton, hugging him as tight as he possibly could. He ran his fingers through Patton's hair and kissed his forehead, his cheeks, lips, jaw, and even his nose, desperately.

"...I love you. I love you so much, okay? Don't forget that. Please, don't ever forget that. I love you."

Patton smiled gently. He leaned in and kissed his husband, who kissed him back, needily. They pulled apart.

"I love you too, Logan. Now and forever. Always."

Logan kissed his forehead one more time before stepping back. He sighed, slowly.

"...Alright. You should go get a hoodie, it's cold and I think it might rain soon. I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick, and then I'll see you out, okay?"

"Okay."

Patton watched his husband walk to the bathroom, and then he bolted upstairs. In his bedroom he rummaged through his closet until he found a gray hoodie, which he slipped over his blue and white striped polo shirt. He flattened out his khakis, and then made his way back downstairs. He walked over to the kitchen.

He stepped in, and immediately flinched, but he was fine. He took another step in and then walked over to the knife drawer. He quickly opened it, grabbed a knife, and slipped it into his pocket. He walked over to the front door and idled, waiting for Logan to come back from the bathroom.

When he came out, he walked over to Patton, and he hugged him, again. He hugged somehow tighter than he had before, kissing him all over on his face. When they pulled apart, Patton gently patted his husband's chest and smiled.

"I love you," Logan said, his lip trembling slightly.

"I love you, too. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

"...Alright."

And Patton slipped out the door, without hesitation.

•~~~~•

Logan watched his and Patton's shared car pull out of the driveway, and he sighed, idling as it drove down the street. Once he was out of sight, engulfed by the night, Logan huffed and walked over to the couch.

He sat down, and his life practically flashed before his eyes.

"...Oh my god. Oh my god, that was a mistake."

Logan whimpered gently and he stood up, beginning to pace the living room.

"He's alone. He's all alone. God, I can't believe I let him do this! He's- he's going to die! He's doesn't know how to talk to a murderer! Er- he- he doesn't know how to talk to a murderer who wants to kill him!"

Logan bit at his nails anxiously. And that's when he saw it.

Logan's eyes traveled up to the kitchen, where there was a drawer open. Not just any drawer, the drawer where they kept all their knives.

Logan gulped.

"...Oh my god, he's going to try and kill him."

Logan let out a long, loud sigh, putting his hands on his knees. He started pacing again.

"He- he doesn't know a single thing about murder. He doesn't know how to kill people!"

Logan stopped pacing.

"...Right? I- right. No, of course he knows nothing. Just because he was out of the house for no reason at the same time that three of your friends were killed doesn't mean he killed them, Logan." Logan talked to himself. "When we moved in together he accidentally killed a fly and wouldn't stop bawling for half an hour. If he can't kill a fly without bawling, he can't kill a human. God, I- I need to stop jumping to conclusions, I need to get my life together, I need to make things right in the world, I-"

Logan glanced at the front door, and he sighed.

"...I need to save my husband."

Logan huffed.

"I'm going after him."

Logan slipped his phone into his pocket and he walked out the front door. He held his hand up in the air and realized it had started to drizzle, and considering the way the clouds appeared it would probably start pouring any moment. But that didn't matter.

Logan looked around. He spotted his bike, one that he hadn't used in years- sitting up against the outer wall. He sighed, and walked over to it, getting on. He was pretty sure his helmet was in the house somewhere, but he didn't have time to go and get that.

Logan quickly remembered how to ride a bike, and he set off. He knew he'd end up getting to the field a while after his husband, which was dangerous, but as long as he would be there at some point, it would hopefully be fine. Logan just hoped he'd get there before anything bad happened.

As he sped down the street, Logan realized Patton had brought a knife to a gun fight. He just hoped that Remy hadn't actually brought a gun to the fight.

Though...

Logan would take a bullet for his husband.

•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~•
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See ya in the next chapter!🔫