Trigger warning: blood
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"What are you doing up, Roman?"
Roman lazily lifted his head from his arms, chugging down the rest of his water. "Good question, nerd" he replied groggily, rubbing his tired eyes and yawning in a way that made Logan's heart flutter.
"Why're you awake? Shouldn't you be cuddling Patton?" He muttered dryly, arising from his chair. Logan rolled his eyes, glaring at the royal. "You know we broke up" he remarked, Roman only flipped him off and vanished out of the room, leaving Logan alone with his thoughts.
Drifting into his room Roman kicked the door closed loudly, he didn't care if he woke anyone up. Deciding against sleeping he snapped his fingers, watching Mary Poppins appear on his tv screen. Snuggling into bed all thoughts of Logan drifted to the back of his mind until an inevitable later date.
"Roman! You're here!" Patton grinned, spotting the creative aspect standing in the doorway, a defiant expression on his face, arms crossed over his chest. "What would you like for b-"
"I'm not hungry" he cut Patton off, averting his eyes from Logan and leaving the room. Logan shook his head, "What was the point of coming here in the first place" he murmured to himself, annoyed at Romans behaviour.
Prince spent his entire day in the imagination, something he did on a regular bases, but Patton noticed it was an hour after the time Roman usually came back.
"I'm going to check on Roman!" He announced, smiling at Logan and Virgil who were having a civil debate. Logan paused at Romans name, glancing at his ex. "I am sure he is fine" Logan dismissed, trying to get Patton to not go after him but Patton cared for each of his "kids" equally so he skipped down to his room, peeking his head in.
"Roman? You okay, kiddo?" He called softly, walking up to the lump on the bed. Staring at it intently, he noticed it wasn't moving, pulling the blanket back he realised the lump was just pillows. Frowning, he looked around the room, Roman wasn't here.
Checking where he would be Patton started to worry when he couldn't find the flamboyant man anywhere. "Have you guys seen Roman?" Patton pondered, walking in the living room. Logan perked his head up, pushing his glasses up his nose. "You have not found him?"
Patton shook his head, "he's probably in the imagination still" Virgil mumbled from his corner in the couch, phone way too close to his eyes.
"This late?" Patton expressed his worry. "You can summon him" Logan suggested, hiding the infinitesimal amount of worry bubbling deep inside his stomach.
Patton turned to where Roman would appear, smiling. "Hey, Roman?" He called gently, "d'you wanna come up here?" Nothing.
Virgil sighed, waving his arm in the general direction. "He's not letting himself be summoned" Patton voiced, turning to Logan in hopes he would know what was going on but Logan was as lost as the other two - for once. "Or he is asleep" Logan nodded "are you sure he is not in his room? Or in another?" Patton nodded, "better not be in my room" Virgil muttered bitterly, he would act that way towards anyone who would enter his room without permission, though.
"I'm worried, why don't we check on him-"
"The imagination is a dangerous place. I am sure he is sleeping in one of the many villages" Logan waved off Pattons idea, knowing he would feel embarrassed if they found Roman perfectly fine, probably kissing a prince or princess he just saved, too.
It would crush Logan to see Roman kissing someone, but he knew for a fact he put Roman through the same thing.
The next day Patton kept glancing at the kitchen door in hopes of seeing Roman come through at any second but as time went on he accepted the fact that Roman wasn't coming.
"I'm going to find him" Patton announced, a determined look set on his face. Logan nearly choked on his coffee, "do not go into the imagination-"
"What if he's hurt?" Patton retorted, frowning. "I'm worried, Logan" Logan sighed, glancing at Virgil who shrugged. "The imagination is huge"
"Why're you so against this, dude?" Virgil muttered to his friend, eyes narrowed in curiosity. Logan opened his mouth, strangled gasps escaping as he thought of what to say. Eventually, his arm dropped and mouth closed, his reply only a meek shrug.
It was settled, they were going to find Roman.
In a castle far away from the entrance to the imagination was a strung up, twitching, panting Roman. His dry eyes focused on the dusty floor he was tied above. Every move he made was excruciatingly painful, but his inconsistent uncontrollable twitching didn't help his attempts to stay completely still. He breathed heavily through his nose, mouth gagged with an old, thick cloth he couldn't breath through.
He was a prince! Yet he was tag teamed by a bunch of creatures, tying him up and leaving him to rot in the castle tower. How had he allowed this to happen? He didn't fight back enough! He tried, but they were everywhere.
Eventually, he let his eyes drift across the dry blood covering his bare, clawed up chest. He didn't want to imagine what his back looked like.
Whimpering, he thought of the others, hoping they wouldn't come incase the same thing happened to them, he couldn't bare the thought of his friends getting hurt, especially Logan, the man he loved.
Thinking about Logan made his heart crack, images of him kissing Patton flashing in his mind, causing tears to well up in his stinging eyes, pouring down his cheeks and dripping to the floor covered in blood. His blood.
In the silence, he heard the doors to the castle creek open. Oh no, they're back! Stopping his tears, he tensed his body and ignored the immense pain, a glare forming in his tired eyes. He was ready for whatever pain they would inflict, nothing could beat the pain in his heart, anyway.
Lolling his head forward the rooms door opened, he expected to hear laughs but froze when he heard gasps of horror.
"Roman...oh..oh my gosh" he heard Patton instantly burst into tears.
Eyes opening, he was met with Pattons teary ones, hands shaking by Romans body but he was hesitant to touch him incase he caused pain.
"Jesus, Princey" Virgil breathed, hand clasped over his mouth, eyes wide as he took in his state. Roman let out a meek chuckle, coughing after.
Finally, he saw Logan standing in the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face.
Casting his eyes down Patton reached up, untying the gag in his mouth, rubbing his jaw gently, Roman appreciating it greatly.
"Thank you" he rasped, smiling ever so slightly at Patton who sniffled, sobbing at the sight of his "son".
"How should we do this...?" Virgil drifted, staring in sympathy at Roman.
"I...I can stand, just undo the bonds" Roman replied weakly. "You sure?" Once he nodded Virgil helped patton to untie his bonds, falling the few feet to the ground. Obviously, Roman couldn't stand but nor could be bare being tied up.
He would've fallen to the ground completely if Logan didn't catch him first, careful to not tug at the gashes across his upper body.
"Can you carry him?" Logan inquired Virgil, Patton was too much of an emotional wreck. The anxious side nodded and the two picked him up, carrying him carefully out of the castle while Patton held Romans hand softly, rubbing his own tears away every so often.
"Who did this?" Virgil questioned, staring at Logan. The logical trait shook his head, showing he didn't know. Worry increasing, they sped up their pace, wanting to be out of the imagination as quick as possible.
"This is my fault" Logan muttered, gently dabbing the infected cuts across Romans chest. "If I had not acted against finding you the night before..." he cut himself off, eyes closing. "How could I be so stupid?"
Roman chuckled in amusement, his hand shakily landing upon Logan's. "Don't blame yourself, nerd" he croaked, smiling gently at Logan who stared at him.
"I am sorry"
"Don't remind me" Roman smirked, "just kiss me"
Logan obliged, leaning over and kissing Roman gently at first, following the royals lead when he quickly filled it with passion.
"Aren't you glad I survived?" Roman grinned breathlessly.
Logan rolled his eyes, silently kissing him again.