Campfire and Mulled Sweets
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My Dearest Procyon
Masterpost
MDP Discord Server
Chapter 37
Original story based on this wonderful post by @underdog-arts
TW: Major Character Death, blood and cursing.
The blackness ebbed away slowly...
Patton’s brows furrowed. Why did Roman look so shocked? Patton always liked it better when he smiled. Roman had the third best smile among them. The first was Logan and then followed closely by Virgil,mainly because he didn’t show it often. Either way, Patton definitely liked Roman’s smile.
He should definitely tell him this.
Patton opened his mouth to do just that, but the only sound that escaped him was a gurgled cough as blood ran down his chin.
Roman’s horrified gaze lifted from the hilt of his sword.
Patton’s knees gave out.
He fell, body leaning forward.
The hilt of the sword struck first, the polished pommel catching in the dirt, embedding the blade further inside him.
Patton’s gaze lowered to the intruding metal, a hand lifting to touch the shining material.
Huh…
That’s right… He’d been stabbed….
He had expected it to hurt more….
………………………………………………………………………….
“NO!” Noname cried, turning to catch sight of his brother collapsing.
His gaze lifted towards the prince, the anger and pain of his loss swirling inside him.
“What have you done?!” he demanded voice raising as his words shifted into a monstrous roar. “I’ll kill you, myself! You bastard!!!”
Scales began protruding from Noname’s skin. The yellow of his gloves tearing away to reveal the same sickly color beneath him as Noname shifted into the oversized reptilian creature.
Unlike his brother’s dragon form, Noname was sleek and snakelike, muscles expanding and retracting to allow him to move. His wings extended out of the middle of his back, large white feathers covering the thin membrane that Roman had seen on Patton’s.
The dragon twisted in on himself, his movements far too quick for the prince to have time to react. The beast’s tail whipped around, smacking Roman across his midsection and sending him flying.
The prince’s body struck one of the remaining walls, the impact causing a loud thud before he crumbled unmoving to the ground.
“Roman!” Remus cried, already rushing to his side.
………………………………………………………………………….
Virgil could smell the earthy scent of freshly bruised grass.
Everything hurt.
All he wanted to do was go back to sleep.
No. He needed to open his eyes.
He needed to help...
Slowly, he forced open his gaze, eyes slitting just enough that he could peer through his lashes.
Light flickered before him...
The fire must still be going...
He could hear someone yelling?
Noname?
Why did he sound so pained?
Had they won?
“What have you done?!” he heard the vile man cry. “I’ll kill you, myself! You bastard!!!”
Who was he talking to?
Did it matter?
He had to get up...
He had to help fight...
He forced his eyes open wider, groaning at the amount of energy it took. He shifted, his hands moving to brace under his shoulders before pushing and...
He collapsed once more, muscles weak and giving out.
“Roman!” Remus cried.
Virgil’s gaze shot up just in time to watch as the prince smacked against a wall, the impact hard enough to send dust raining down as he fell to the ground below.
“Ro-” Virgil tried to call out, voice cut off by his own hacking cough.
He had to get to him...
He had to save him...
He braced himself once more…
...he took a breath….
...then another….
He shoved against the earth beneath him, crying out in pain as he shifted into a kneel.
….another breath...
...two mor-
A pained cry!
…………………………………………………………..
Logan couldn’t move.
He couldn’t breathe.
The pain was too much.
Slowly, however, ever so slowly it began to fade.
He didn’t hesitate to push to his feet as Patton collapsed, praying they would move faster...
He had to get to him...
He had to save him...
A cold feeling slipped through the bond. It was like he was slowly marching into a lake during early spring when the water hadn’t quite turned yet.
His toes were icy, but the rest of him was still warming in the sun.
The events unfolding around the two men were distant as Logan slid to a halt, gaze shifting frantically, hands lifted as he tried to figure out how to help.
“There you are…” Patton breathed weakly, offering a small smile, lips painted the deepest red.
“P-patton,” Logan stuttered, trying to blink back tears as he tried to pull power from the man. “Y-you shouldn’t talk. I’m going to fix this! Everything’s going to be okay-”
The usually abundant power flickered briefly before disintegrating.
He tried again.
Nothing.
Patton’s power was as unstable as he was, both quickly dying.
The witch tried again.
“DAMNIT!” he snapped, slamming his fist against the ground painfully.
“I’m sorry,” Patton attempted, giving another small gurgling cough. “I’m so s-sorry, Lo-lo. I-”
“Shh shh…” Logan hushed, forcing his anger away and lifting his hands to the other man’s cheeks. “It’s okay, Patton. It’s okay…” he lied, the tears starting to fall without his consent.
Silence fell between them for a moment as Patton’s usually piercing blue gaze grew foggier.
“Hey!” Logan demanded. “Hey! Stay with me!”
Patton gave a small wheeze the witch assumed was supposed to be a laugh.
“Two w…” the dragon began, breath hitching for a moment. “Two weeks… Six and a half days.”
“What?” Logan mumbled, wiping away his tears.
“Two w-”
“Two weeks and six and half days, yes?” the witch rushed, causing the dragon to incline his head, a motion Logan assumed was a nod. “I don’t understand.”
“I… I forgot how old I was…” Patton explained, confusing the witch further.
“Patton-”
“I.. forgot… because it didn’t matter,” the dragon continued, He shifted, his gaze sluggish, palm turning outwards. Logan’s eyes followed the movement before he quickly placed his hand in the smaller man’s.
“I still don’t understand, Patton,” Logan repeated, voice cracking.
“Y-you…” Patton breathed, voice growing weaker. “You matter… T-two w… weeks… six-”
“-days!” Logan laughed wetly, finally realizing the significance behind the words.“Two weeks, six days, fourteen hours, and approximately fifteen minutes, judging from the position of the moon.” The witch’s tears returned as he reduced all their moments, all of their banter, all of their bickering, all of their laughter into the inadequate measurement of time.
Patton’s smile blossomed as he stared vaguely down at their intertwined hands.
Logan could feel him slipping.
The cold had gone, replaced by…
nothing.
Their bond was no longer there to annoy him, to make him feel all those unwanted emotions. The only feeling he had left was the emptiness of his sudden solitude.
It was just him again.
“Tell me…” Patton began in a hoarse whisper. “Tell me about the baby and its brother again… I-I… I can’t see it…. I can’t see the stars…” his voice began to sound panicked. “Logan… I can’t see the sky!”
“S-shh!” Logan urged, breath hitching in a small gasp as he failed to control his tears. “It’s okay… It's okay, P-Pat… I’ll be your eyes,” he reassured, his other hand dropping to sandwich Patton’s between them. He shifted to sit next to him, glancing at his face once more, and trying to imagine it how it usually was…. Always smiling…full of life… not this cold pale blankness now adorning his usually soft features.
He turned his face upwards.
“L-Lo?” Patton asked.
“I’m still here!” Logan reassured with a sniffle. “Can you feel me? Feel our bond?”
“You… You feel…” Patton whispered. “Happy.”
A broken sob escaped the witch.
Patton couldn’t feel his depression…. That was good.
“That’s because I am…” Logan lied. “I’m so happy I get to tell you about all my favorite things,” he reassured.
He waited for a response, but none came.
He could feel the numbness still there, still on the other side of their bond, but it was closing in.
Patton was fading fast.
“T-the sky… The sky is a bit cloudy tonight,” Logan began, gaze turned upwards. “B-but if you… if you look t-toward the constellation of Canis Minor,” he managed, giving a small sniffle before continuing.
The numbness drew closer.
He pressed closer against his dying partner, leaning a cheek against the top of Patton’s soft pink curls. Yet another one of Logan’s mistakes.
Patton smelled of campfire and mulled sweets, just as he had that night so long ago.
“N-nestled next to the constellations of…” another sob escaped Logan.
The darkness was closing in on him.
The bond was snapping.
Patton was already gone.
“Of Cancer a-and Gemini,” Logan went on, his sobs intensifying.
Death closing in on him.
“The brighter star is Procyon A, which is a spectral class.”
He felt dizzy.
“Which means… which means it’s a … it’s a baby star…” he cried, barely managing the words.
“T-though the human eye can not perceive it….”
His tears stopped.
Why had they stopped?
“There is a white dwarf… just beyond Procyon A, known as Procyon B…”
His voice was soft…
Barely a whisper…
“A..” he fought to keep his eyes open. “A tiny b-baby friend for…”
What had he been saying?
He collapsed against Patton’s side…
Huh…
At least it wasn't cold anymore…
Good…
He never really liked the cold…
To be continued....
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