My Hero
Soulmate September Day 30: when both you and your soulmate look in a mirror, you can see each other
Pairing: logicality
Tags: angst, fluff, whump (I think this counts), hurt/comfort, kidnapping, organised crime, Logan is BAMF, protective and loving husbands, deaf Logan, hurt Patton, happy ending, kissing
Words: 4347
Summary: the moment Logan woke up that morning, he knew something was wrong. He rolled over in bed and a jolt of fear shot through him. His husband was missing.
Patton has been kidnapped by a crime syndicate trying to threaten Logan into silence. What they didn't account for is that Logan would watch the whole world burn if it meant keeping his soulmate safe.
Notes: You know that trope where the bad guy kills the hero's sweet and lovely wife and the hero goes fucking ballistic? This is like that but with slightly less death and more gay. My sincerest apologies to Patton for making him suffer so much this month.
Also speech is "like this", thoughts or emphasis are in italics, signing is in bold, and mouthing words is 'like this'. I hope that isn't confusing.
Warnings: threats of death and violence, violence but not very graphic, blood mention, mentions of bombs and fire and guns
AO3
The moment Logan woke up that morning he knew something was wrong. When he rolled over and saw his husband Patton was no-longer in bed, he wasn't worried. That is until he realised he didn't remember him coming to bed at all.
Only then did the spike of fear shoot through him.
Patton worked late most nights, and often wouldn't be home until after Logan had gone to bed. But Logan was a light sleeper and the shifting of the mattress combined with Patton's customary good-night kiss would always wake him up long enough to give a return kiss, no matter how exhausted he was.
And Logan did not remember kissing Patton goodnight last night.
Logan pulled himself out of bed quickly, grabbing his phone to check if Patton had said anything. But the last text he'd sent was an estimated time of when he would be leaving work, at nine o'clock in the evening. There wasn't even a text from when he left work, let alone one saying he'd left early this morning.
Not bothering to get dressed, Logan rushed downstairs, his entire mind screaming at him this wasn't right, this cant be happening, Patton cant be gone.
But there was no-one downstairs. And there was no-one in any of the rooms Logan checked. And no-one in the garden.
And Patton's car wasn't there.
It had rained in the night and there was no dry patch on the drive where Patton's car should have been.
He never came home last night.
Logan rushed back upstairs again, grabbing a hand mirror frantically. They were soulmates, so if Patton happened to be looking in a mirror at the same time, they would be able to see each other. It was a long shot but he had to try.
For a moment Logan saw his own face staring wildly back at him, and then the imaged warped and what Logan saw made his blood run cold.
-----
The first thing Patton was aware of was that his head ached. The second was that he was cold. The third was that he seemed to be moving.
Patton groaned and sat up, holding a hand to his head, and blearily took in his surroundings.
Oh no.
His wrists were tied together, and he was in the back of a very small, windowless van, with some chicken wire separating him from the front seats.
Patton shut his eyes and forced himself to breath calmly, trying to remember what must have happened for him to be kidnapped. He remembered leaving work not long after midnight, and heading to his car, getting out his phone to tell Logan he was coming home and then...there had been an exploding pain on the back of his head and darkness.
Oh god, Logan must be so worried!
And knowing his husband, he would stop at nothing to find him. An angry Logan was a force to be reckoned with and he'd probably tear the world apart if anything happened to Patton, if he didn't tear himself apart first.
Patton tried to keep breathing calmly and focus on what Logan would do, twisting his wedding ring between his fingers to ground himself. As long as he wasn't in any immediate danger, he needed to take stock of his surroundings.
The ropes on his hands were inexpertly tied and Patton figured he'd probably be able to get them off quite easily with his teeth. But he wasn't going to do that yet.
The driver didn't seem to have noticed he was awake, nor had the thug in the passenger seat. Patton resolved to try and keep it that way.
Through the chicken-wire and out the windshield Patton could see they were driving through the suburbs of a town and it was dawn. There wasn't much to tell him where they were, but he thanked heavens he was wearing contact lenses because it meant he could at least see.
Then Patton saw the rear-view mirror and got an idea. It was a bit risky but if he moved to the side a little to get in view of the mirror then he would just have to wait until Logan realised what was going on and looked in a mirror himself. Then they would be able to see each other and probably communicate, at least to let Logan know he was safe.
Patton remembered Logan once telling him that if you and another person were looking in the same mirror, if you were at such an angle that you couldn't see the other's reflection then they wouldn't be able to see you either. So with that in mind, Patton carefully and quietly shifted himself so he couldn't see the driver's reflection, but could see his own.
When neither of the other two man in the car noticed him, Patton breathed a sigh of relief. As the sky began to lighten, Patton settled in to wait, twisting the wedding ring again. He could only hope Logan would wake up soon.
-----
Patton had been kidnapped. Kind, sweet, loving, funny, adorable Patton had been kidnapped.
In the mirror, Logan could see Patton's face, small and scared, and partially obscured by chicken wire but immediately relaxing in relief.
What happened? Are you hurt? What did they do to you? Logan signed, movements slightly erratic in his worry.
Patton raised his hands to show they were tied, though the knot looked loose enough for him to untie. He glanced to somewhere diagonally to the side that Logan couldn't see and then looked pointedly at the ropes, putting his head to one side in a question.
Ok do not untie the rope. I do not want them to know you can or they may hurt you more. Can you mouth the words instead so I can read your lips?
Patton dropped his arms and nodded quickly, glancing again to that spot to the side of the mirror.
Where are you?
'I don't know exactly' Patton mouthed, 'but I am in the back of a moving van.'
From that Logan could assume he kept glancing to the side to check the driver hadn't noticed him.
Can you tell which direction? Where is the sun?
'On the right of the car' he gestured for emphasis.
Then you are heading North. What time did they kidnap you?
'Around midnight. I was just leaving work and was about to text you when they got me.'
Logan tried to picture where they might be. It was seven-thirty now so driving northward for seven and a half hours non-stop...they could be so far away by now.
Suddenly Patton stiffened and lent forward a little, making the mirror flicker and return to show Logan's own face now he wasn't looking into it. Logan barely had any time to worry what might have happened before the image changed back again and Logan sighed with relief at seeing his husband unharmed.
'I just saw a road sign!' Patton looked almost excited. Logan squinted and focussed as Patton rattled off the names of the two service stations he'd seen signposted. Logan signed them back again to check he'd got them right and then allowed himself to be confused.
Logan could work out pretty much where they were, but the journey should only have taken three hours at most so they couldn't have been driving for the entire time.
With a sinking feeling Logan got an idea of where they were headed.
It was an old industrial area, one Logan knew too well. He'd only been there a few weeks ago when he'd witnessed the getaway car from an armed robbery enter one of those warehouses, and clearly seen everyone who went inside. He thought he'd gotten away before anyone had noticed, but now he knew he should not have been so complacent.
It was looking more and more like the crime syndicate had worked out who he was, but had decided to kidnap Patton instead, most likely to threaten Logan into keeping quiet. The tactic made sense - if it were his own life on the line Logan might have been more inclined to risk it, but there was nothing he would risk for his husband.
I will take the day off so I can stay with you until you arrive where you are going. Logan signed, heart breaking a little at the relief on Patton's face that he wouldn't leave him alone. Tell me as much of your surroundings as you can, but do not put yourself in any danger. Once you are no longer in the mirror, I will still keep an eye out in case they give you another one.
Patton frowned. 'Why would they give me a mirror? Surely that would make it easier for you to find me?'
Logan sighed. Firstly, they are unlikely to know I am deaf so will not realise we know sign language. Secondly I have...a theory as to why this has happened.
Logan steeled himself. He hadn't told Patton about what he'd see, firstly because he hadn't believed they were in any danger, and secondly because he just forgot about it. And now Logan didn't know how his husband was going to take the news that his own carelessness had put him in danger.
Two weeks ago I was passing through that industrial district and I saw the getaway car for an armed robbery, and the three men who left it to go into one of the warehouses. I fear the crime gang has kidnapped you to threaten me to keep quiet. I am so terribly sorry I never told you Patton, believe me I did not keep it from you deliberately.
Logan felt shame rise up in him as his vision went blurry with guilty tears. It was all hitting him now, the enormity of the situation. His soulmate, the love of his life, the most loving and understanding person in the whole world, was at the mercy of some very dangerous criminals and it was all his fault.
I am so, so sorry Patton. I've put you in danger because of my own stupidity-
He broke off as Patton glanced at the driver and looked back into the mirror with an expression Logan couldn't read. There was urgency there certainly, but he couldn't decipher if it was overlaid by anger or fear or both.
Suddenly light filled the van, Patton turned from the mirror, and the connection cut off.
A few tears rolled down Logan's cheeks before he angrily brushed them away. He had no right to be crying now. His husband had clearly just reached his destination and Logan had no idea what they were going to do to him.
Logan dressed hurriedly, grabbed an apple by way of breakfast and got halfway to his car before realising he needed a plan. He was going to damn well save his soulmate if it was the last thing he did.
-----
The doors suddenly opened behind Patton and he whirled around, desperately hoping they hadn't seen him looking in the mirror.
"How long have you been awake? Get out here." The driver growled at him.
Patton hastened to obey the order but wasn't fast enough. The thug grabbed his arm and pulled him roughly out, dumping him on the concrete, and making him squeak in pain.
"Wh-whats going on? Where am I? What are you doing-"
"Quiet!" There was a slap and a stinging in his cheek as the man hit him, almost hard enough to send him sprawling.
The false confusion (and very real fear) seemed to convince them he hadn't been awake very long though, for they didn't ask any more questions just dragged him along to the back door of a warehouse, Patton struggling to keep up on numb legs.
He tried to look around himself for anything to help him Logan directions if he needed them, not that Patton knew what Logan could possibly do about this situation. Patton felt a pang when he thought of his soulmate. he must be so upset, he thought this was his fault and had been cut off in the middle of his apology, so Patton hadn't been able to reassure him that he wasn't angry.
Patton distantly wondered if he should be angry at Logan for not telling him, but he was sure Logan had been about to give more of an explanation, so he was trying not to jump to conclusions. Patton always saw the good in people, put blind faith in them too easily, and now he was wondering if this was why people always said it would get him hurt.
He was dragged through a storage room, and down a corridor, until they stopped outside a door. Only the driver went in, the thug holding Patton's arm tightly. The door swung shut and Patton could hear some faint voices for a few minutes before the door opened, two different thugs came out, and he was led further down the corridor, to another room.
They shoved him in and he fell, scraping his cheek on the floor. He was immediately grabbed again and dumped on a chair. The ropes around his hands were cut carelessly, nicking the side of Patton's hand in the process, then his arms were pulled roughly behind his back and tied much more tightly to the chair.
It seemed to him to be a bit overkill to have three enormous men doing the job when he was so small. They were probably trying to scare him, and honestly it was working.
He was shaking as the men stood back to sneer at him. What were they going to do? Was this just to make Logan keep quiet or were they trying to lure him here too so they could- Patton tried desperately to focus on anything other than worst case scenarios but it wasn't working.
The two thugs were muttering to each other...wait two? Where was the other?
Then there was another exploding pain across the back of his head and Patton was dragged into darkness once again.
-----
Logan was glaring lasers out the windshield as he sped towards the old industrial district. He'd already left it too late to leave the house and find Patton but when he'd gotten to the car he'd realised he couldn't just go into this with no plan or weapon of some kind.
At one point the thought had crossed his mind that he should probably have gone to the police about this, but he knew they wouldn't help. He didn't have any solid evidence (no-one else would be able to see Patton in the mirrors) and anyway the cops had probably already been paid to turn a blind eye.
But Logan was definitely going into this prepared. So now he was booking it down the highway, with a baseball bat and a makeshift incendiary device on the passenger seat, the illegally obtained blueprints to the warehouse saved to his phone, and a hand mirror resting on the dashboard where he could see it at all times.
He even had a plan, broadly speaking. Currently it was: bust your way in, set the timer on the bomb, fight anyone who gets in his way, grab Patton, get out of there, then probably leave the country. It was a very hazy plan but he would figure the rest out when he got there.
He was half way in only an hour when suddenly the mirror flickered. Logan had a split second dilemma of whether his driving safety or getting to Patton quickly was more important before he pulled up on the hard shoulder.
Patton looked a wreck and Logan was instantly filled with the burning desire to get revenge.
He was blinking blearily at the mirror, fear and confusion and pain clear on his face even without the clues in the rest of his appearance. His hair was matted at the side with something dark, there were bruises and scrapes on his face, his lip was split and his ankle was at an odd angle.
Someone had hurt his husband. Oh there was going to be hell to pay.
He was tied to a chair in a small, dim, near-empty room. There was a tiny window just above his head through which Logan could see enough the fire escape and a no entry sign on the building behind.
There must have been someone else in the room for suddenly a large piece of cardboard was placed in front of Patton.
We have your husband. You know why. Hand yourself over to us and we wont hurt him.
Logan didn't believe the words for a second. They had already hurt Patton badly so there was no way Logan was going to put himself into their hands when they might just kill him anyway.
I shall not let them hurt you again, I promise Patton. Stay strong darling, I am coming to get you.
Patton got a wild panicked look in his eyes at Logan's signing. 'No please don't put yourself in danger, these people will hurt you! I'm not worth you risking your life!'
Logan almost growled as he read Patton's lips. That is preposterous Patton, of course you are worth it. I would do anything for you, and right now that means getting you out of there. I know you don't like violence but I for one do not care who I hurt if it means you are safe.
As Logan finished signing, he saw Patton glance away from the mirror for a second before he looked back again, tears starting to well up in his eyes. He didn't know what had been said that had Patton bursting into tears, but it only served to fuel his anger more.
He pulled back onto the road and floored the accelerator.
Logan would burn the whole world to the ground for his husband.
-----
As the connection broke in the mirror, Patton broke down into sobs. Someone removed the sign and then he was left alone in his room.
The words that thug had said kept replaying over and over in his mind.
Your husband is going to come to us, don't bother persuading him not to. He'll do anything to protect his precious soulmate. The moment he comes to bargain for your life, we're just going to kill him. You can even watch. Maybe we'll kill you too if we're feeling nice.
Logan was going to die and it would all be Patton's fault.
He didn't have any reasoning behind why it was his own fault but Patton was exhausted and everything hurt and he was so so scared.
He didn't know how long he sat there, sobbing and shivering, rubbing his thumb across his wedding ring, dipping in and out of consciousness. It was probably less than an hour but it could have been days, or months for all Patton knew.
He was very suddenly jolted into awareness when he heard a shout and a crashing somewhere in the warehouse. Adrenaline shot through every nerve and he instinctively started struggling with the ropes.
What was happening? Was Logan here? Was someone coming to hurt him again? Was it something else entirely.
Quick, heavy footsteps sounded down the corridor, there was another shout, a lot of banging and crashing, more yelling, then something started slamming into his door.
Patton was shaking in fright as one last crash sounded, and the door was flung open. At the sight, Patton's heart leapt while his stomach made a quick descent towards the floor.
Standing there, holding a baseball bat, with fire in his eyes and shaking with rage, was Logan.
-----
Patton looked utterly terrified.
He was even more of a mess than when Logan had seen him in the mirror, tear tracks blending with dirt and blood on his face.
But he seemed to be shrinking away even from Logan. Oh god what had they done to him?
It's okay Patton, Logan signed, dropping the baseball bat and crouching to look less intimidating, I'm here now, you are almost safe. We do not have very much time so let me remove the ropes and we will get out of here. His husband looked a little less scared but he was still shaking. I promise you no-one is ever going to hurt you again. We are going to get out of here and we will both be safe. Logan didn't want to try and touch Patton until he was ok with it so he waited until Patton nodded before he dived for the ropes.
He made quick work of freeing Patton, before he scooped him up into his arms. His heart broke yet again, this time as how Patton would usually squeal and giggle when Logan picked him up, but now he just held on tight and buried his face in Logan's shoulder.
Logan took off at a run. He'd snuck in and set the incendiary device before running off to find Patton, and he had managed to go almost undetected until right at the end. He wasn't sure which would get them first - the guards when they ran to find out what the noise was about, or the fire, or the resulting explosion - but he didn't want to risk anything.
He took the first pair of guards by surprise, barrelling straight into them and knocking them down, still holding Patton tight in his arms.
Then they were through a pair of double doors and charging straight across the main warehouse floor, towards the main doors on the other side. There were more gang members in this room, and they obviously hadn't been expecting Logan to be running though there for there was a mad scramble for their guns. Logan ignored them, running as if all the hounds of hell were on his trail.
Out the corner of his eye he saw someone finally get a hold on their gun and aim it at him before they jumped and looked around confused. Logan saw Patton press his hands to his ears and figured the fire alarm must have just gone off.
But he didn't care. he was already halfway to the warehouse doors, then only two hundred yards, then ten feet, and then finally, lungs screaming in protest, he burst through the front doors, thanking whatever dumb luck he had that they weren't locked.
He kept running across the parking lot, wondering if his bomb would go off at all.
As if on cue there was a flare of heat behind him and suddenly the world was bathed in orange light.
And still Logan ran, not even looking back to see if anyone else had made it out until he was across the road and heading for the side street where his car was parked. Then he glanced over his shoulder to see flames licking the sky clear blue sky...and no-one following them.
They were in the car and Logan was speeding off into the night before he was able to process what had happened. He'd done it! Patton was safe, and those criminals would not be messing with him again. (They never would, they knew not to mess with Logan or his soulmate.)
-----
Patton stared at his husband as he drove, still shivering slightly, arms wrapped around himself. He didn't know what to think about this, and everything was only just starting to sink in.
He felt the tension and fears slowly leaving him as he watched his husbands face. The memory of Logan's hurried explanation of why he'd been kidnapped resurfaced in his mind and Patton found himself fiddling with his wedding ring again.
He really needed to talk about this, to get a full explanation of why this had happened and also how on earth Logan had succeeded in getting him out, and what their plan was now. But Logan was so focused on the road, he didn't dare try getting his attention for fear of making him jump.
It was a long time before Logan pulled into a quiet side street, parked the car, shut off the engine and turned to face him.
Patton, I am so sorry, Logan began to sign. When I saw that armed robbery I swear I intended to tell you, but I simply did not realise anyone had seen me and the lack of urgency meant I forgot by the time I got home.
Patton frowned. How do you forget witnessing organised crime? He signed back.
I do not know. All I can say is I am so, so sorry. You have every right to be angry at me, and I most certainly do not expect any forgiveness, but please know that I never, ever meant to put you in danger.
I'm not mad, Logan. Patton sighed at his husband's incredulous expression. I cant be mad at you for an honest mistake. Besides, you've kinda already earned your forgiveness.
How? What could I have done already to warrant you forgiving me? Patton you almost died!
But I didn't, Patton reminded him, with a gentle expression, and neither did you. You saved my life Logan. I told you in our wedding vows that you're my hero, now you've just proved me right.
Logan's hands were still in his lap as he stared at Patton, eyes welling up with tears.
Patton lent forward a little, cupping Logan's cheek. He touched the fingers of his other hand to his own bottom lip and then to the apple of his cheek, can I kiss you?
By way of an answer, Logan just leant forward and closed the gap, pressing his lips gently and reverently to Patton's own. They had been married for ten years and Logan's kisses still made Patton melt into a puddle and the sheer love he poured into them. When they broke apart, the flush on Logan's cheeks told him he felt the same.
I love you Logan, I always will.
I love you too.
~~*~~
I don't know how this one ended up so fluffy. When I got the idea I was like "yeah! Logan being badass!" And then I started writing and I was like "what about angst!" But then obviously that had to be fixed so its soppy now I guess.
Wow, the last of the Soulmate September prompts. I really hope you liked this one, I am so gosh darn proud of it. Thank you so much for reading!
@tsshipmonth2020
