Hello! It's been a while since I posted a fic, but ended up writing this due to @belovedroach Sherlock!Logicality art giving me motivation.
Beware, I'm a bit rusty and haven't written for these characters in a g e s, but still, wanted to write.
It's a Sherlock Logicality au set in the 1920s, that's been spinning in my head for quite a while now. I might continue this story in the future, but we'll see.
Click "Read More" to read it! :)
The old clock in Logan S. Holmes’s office was ticking quite loudly.
Back and forth the pendulum swung. Making the three men in the room very aware of the passage of time. The one least bothered by the sound was Logan himself, who was sitting in his dark brown leather arm chair, with his legs crossed.
To the right of him, on a wooden chair as he had kindly borrowed his own armchair to their client, Patton J. Watson sat. Unlike Logan, he wasn’t unaffected by the sound. He was impatiently tapping his foot, his journal resting on his knees, with a pen in his hand, eagerly waiting for something to write down that might be important.
The tapping of Patton's foot didn't match the rhythm of the clock, much to the annoyance of Logan.
The third man in the room hadn’t given the other two his name. He’d been sitting silently ever since Logan and Patton’s landlady, the somehow still unmarried, Miss Emily Picani had announced his arrival.
He, just like Patton, was fidgeting. His fingers were playing with the edge of his sleeve, whilst biting his lip. It didn’t take a genius to see that the young man was anxious.
Logan was a genius. He was studying the man in front of him, trying to glean whatever information he could from his appearance.
The first thing that stood out to Logan was the bags beneath his bi-coloured eyes. They were deep, indicating that he hadn’t received enough sleep. Presumably he rarely got enough sleep, based on the fact that he was squinting in the light of the office, as if he wasn’t used to daylight.
Further evidence that supported this idea was the fact that he was unusually pale.
He was dressed well, but he didn’t seem like the type who’d grown up in wealth. The fabric was visibly expensive, the clothes expertly tailored, and there were fine details that cheaper clothes never had. Despite the obvious quality of the clothes, they weren’t in the best shape.
Judging by the loose threads and wrinkles, the young man couldn't afford that many sets of clothes. Still, they fit him like a glove. Clearly meant for him and no one else. Someone must’ve gifted the clothes to him. His shoes, just like his clothes, were also of high quality but damaged.
Additionally, his hair was messy, which told Logan that he most likely had fallen asleep late, only to immediately head to Logan’s office when he woke up. He’d probably slept in the clothes he was wearing.
In short he was someone who didn’t have a lot of money, who worked during the night at a place where a certain standard was expected, and who’d decided to go to Logan for help rather than to the police.
It all implied that whatever establishment he worked for was definitely illegal.
Patton’s tapping was really starting to bother Logan. "Stop that." Logan said sternly, as all eyes turned to him. The clock continued to tick.
The young man looked at Logan with big eyes. "Oh, sorry, I can stop, it's just-" He began to say with an anxious voice, but was quickly interrupted by Logan.
"Not you, your fidgeting doesn't bother me. It was aimed at Watson, I apologise for my rudeness." He turned to Patton. "Would you please stop with the incessant tapping, it's making it rather difficult to focus." He said, not unkindly. Although, to an untrained ear, his tone did seem cold.
Patton, who was very used to how Logan spoke, sat up straight. "Oh! Sorry! I wasn't aware that I was doing that." Patton replied, his voice as cheery as ever and stopped tapping his foot. Occasionally, Logan found himself thinking that Patton couldn't take anything seriously at all, but he knew him too well and was aware that it wasn't the case.
"Thank you." Logan replied. He tried his best to not sound too fond of the other, though he wasn't sure he succeeded.
He turned back to their client, who had gone back to biting his lip. "I fear I must ask you why you're here. You've been here for sixteen minutes exactly, and you have yet to say anything regarding your visit. I don't mean to rush you, but you wouldn't be here if there wasn't something we could help you with. So, I must ask, what's the reason for your visit?"
The young man shrunk in on himself and looked down at the floor. "Ah, sorry. I just tend to get nervous around strangers. Sorry about that." He replied, sounding a bit embarrassed.
"It's okay, there's no need to apologise." Logan said calmly in response. "Would it help if it was just me?"
"I can leave if you want, Holmes will just have to fill me in later." Patton suggested kindly. Truth be told, Logan always preferred when Patton was there, but if it might help their client then…
The man shook his head, his black hair following his movements. "No, no. It's fine, you can stay, I don't mind." He paused for a second. "You see, I'm just not quite sure where to start."
Logan nodded. "I see... well, I'll just start asking you some questions, if that's alright with you? That way, it might be easier."
"Yeah. That works." The man in front of him replied, sounding relieved.
"So, let's start." Logan said, relaxing in his arm chair. "What's your name?"
"Virgil Storm." The young Mr Storm replied.
"What do you work with? I won't report you if the job you're doing is illegal."
Virgil nodded, visibly relaxing. "I have two jobs." He said admitted. "During the day I work as a shop assistant, but it doesn't pay particularly well, so I have a night time job as well. The night time job, however, isn't legal, and that's why I can't ask the police for help. I will admit, I was worried that you wouldn't be able to help me, and that you’d report me instead. But I've heard from others that you don't, so. Yeah."
"What's your night time job?" Logan asked, as Patton's pen made a scratching sound whilst he wrote down the information. To Logan, that sound was oddly comforting.
"I, uh, I'm a bartender." Mr Storm replied, twisting uncomfortably in his seat. Clearly, this wasn't something he was used to saying out loud. "And I work for a speakeasy at the edge of town."
Logan smiled slightly. A speakeasy? That did make Virgil's clothes make sense. It was most likely owned by someone who did have quite a lot of money, and who wanted the establishment to have some level of class. It also further explained the dark circles. If it had just been a night time job, they wouldn't be that deep, but there was always more work involved in keeping that type of establishment running. Even if Virgil Storm was just a bartender. He, presumably, didn't get more than four to three hours of sleep each night.
"Oh? Did something happen at the establishment?" He asked, now more intrigued by his client than previously.
Virgil did a so-so movement with his head. "Er, sorta? It more has to do with another person who works there, and I think the owner might be involved?"
Patton's pen kept writing, dutifully gathering the information the two of them were given.
"What happened?" Logan asked, his mind running through every possibility. Black mailing? Murder? The possibilities were endless.
"Well, um, he's my coworker, sort of. He's a performer, a singer more specifically. Also, kinda my friend? Either way, that doesn't matter, but he just stopped coming to work one day. Haven't seen him in a week, and I know that he often gets busy with his other job, but a week? Without hearing from him? That's... that's just very unlike him, and I went to his apartment the other day, and he wasn't there. I fear something has happened to him" Virgil explained, now seeming a lot more comfortable, as the words just fell from his mouth.
Logan nodded slowly as he swallowed the information. This was, in fact, very interesting. The disappearance of someone. Kidnapping was a possibility. Murder was, still, a possibility. He tried not to smile. "And what's his name? If you wouldn't mind telling me."
"Roman Prince." Virgil replied.
Patton stopped writing. "Roman Prince?" He asked, repeating the name. Virgil nodded in response.
Logan looked over at Patton, seeing surprise written over his face. He cocked a brow. "Do you know who he is?"
"Yes." Patton replied. "I've talked about him before, really surprised you don't recognise the name."
Logan sighed. "I can't remember everything, everyone tells me. I have to delete some unnecessary information. You know that."
"Well, luckily you have me to remember the things you consider to be unimportant." Patton told Logan, pointing at him with his pen. There was a small smile on his lips. The one that only appeared when Patton knew things Logan didn't. It happened more often than Logan would ever admit.
Logan rolled his eyes with some annoyance. "Would you just tell me who he is?"
"He's an actor, a very well known actor." Patton said. "He's often in the papers, and he tends to perform at the Mindpalace Theatre, y'know, the one by the Grand Hotel? I've asked you if you've wanted to see him perform multiple times."
Ah, that made everything make sense. "I've told you, I'm not particularly fond of theatre. It's just a bunch of nonsense make believe." Logan replied, becoming slightly more frustrated.
"You say that, and yet, you enjoy opera." Patton said beneath his breath, and turned back to his journal.
Logan glared at him, and turned back to their client who had been silently watching the entire interaction. "Let's go back to the case, and we can discuss me not liking theater, later." He said, after taking a second to breathe. "Is that the same Roman?"
Mr Storm nodded yet again. "Yeah, it's the same." He replied.
Logan hummed. "Let me see if I understand this correctly. You work for a speakeasy, where you have a friend, called Roman Prince, who has vanished. I assume he vanished without a trace. You also think that the owner might be involved?"
"Yeah. That's, yeah, that sums it up." Virgil confirmed.
"What's the name of the owner?" He asked.
"Don't know, we just call him "Dee". He's a rather secretive person." Mr Storm replied.
Now Logan had to know more. This was a case worth his time. He felt that familiar buzzing in the back of his head. The buzzing that only appeared when a case actually was interesting. "Well then." He paused. "We're going to investigate this, and see what we can figure out."
"Really?" Virgil asked, sounding significantly more relieved.
Some of Logan's excitement must've been visible, as Patton gave him a stern look. Logan paid him no mind and got out of his arm chair, standing up. "Yes." He said.
Mr Storm stood up as well. "Thank you so much, I honestly wasn't sure of what to do."
"Don't thank me, we'll gladly help you solve this." Logan smiled, and walked Virgil to the door. "For now, you just need to give your information to Miss Picani downstairs. That includes your full name, where you work, names and addresses, as well as your own address. You can trust him, he won't report you either. We'll reach out to you at a later date."
Virgil gave him a smile, something he hadn't done during his time there up until that point. "Again, thank you, and yeah. That sounds good."
"That's all for now then," Logan opened the door. "Good bye for now."
"Bye." Virgil said, giving Logan a two finger salute, and left.
Logan closed the door after him, and allowed himself to smile more properly, which was a thing he rarely did. He was known for being rather unemotional, but when a case was interesting? Well, he just couldn't help it. "Patton!" He called, and turned around. "I need you to give me any and all newspapers that we have, in which Mr Prince has been mentioned."
Patton gave him a slightly disapproving look. "You know, I do like to see you happy, but you don't need to only express it when something horrible has happened. You could've kept the excitement down until the kiddo had left." He said, his arms crossed.
It wasn't often that the two of them were in these positions, but it did happen from time to time. Usually, Patton was the excited, happy person, and Logan was the stern, disapproving one.
Logan rolled his eyes, and pulled Patton out of his chair. "I quite honestly don't think he minded." He replied, but was calmer now.
Patton, who hadn't been at all prepared for Logan to grab him, stumbled a bit. "Still, you need to be considerate of people's feelings, Logan." He said, holding onto Logan's arm as he regained his balance.
"We can have that conversation later." Logan said, knowing fully well that he'd do anything to avoid that conversation. "For now, though, Watson, the game is afoot."
Despite his previous disapproval, and despite his words, Patton smiled.
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Couldn't stop thinking about the fact that the cat hoodie is a gift from Logan to Patton, and had to write a one-shot about it. (Might honestly write more on this topic in the future fhjfjf)
Basically, this is about Patton realising his feelings for Logan after the events of Moving On. Hope ya enjoy!
Patton was lying on the couch in his living room, surrounded by stuffed animals, as he played with the strings on his new cat-hoodie.
It had been really nice of Logan to give him it.
If Patton was honest, it'd have surprised him quite a bit. Logan didn't give away gifts, not unless it was a birthday, or for secret santa. He strictly followed the "rules" set for gifts. Only giving them when he thought it was appropriate.
Apparently, he clearly had thought it was appropriate to give Patton the cat-hoodie.
Patton knew, that despite what Logan said, that he hadn't given it just as a compromise. He also hadn't given it strictly as an apology. He'd also given it as an item that would bring Patton comfort, even if he wouldn't admit that.
Logan was far more caring for the others than he let them believe, constantly trying his best to support Virgil when his anxiety flared up. Constantly trying to encourage Roman to create something better, because he knew that Roman was capable of more than Roman himself beloved. He also just wanted the best for Thomas. Always wanting to find the solutions to Thomas's problems, even if he occasionally did overlook things by accident.
Patton knew, in his heart, that Logan cared for him as well. Even if, Logan tried to keep him at an arms lengths distance. Patton didn't know why he tried to distance himself. Maybe it was due to how long they had known each other. Maybe it was for another reason.
Still, Patton knew that he cared. The hoodie was clear proof of that. Somewhere in his mind, Patton did think that the hoodie was partially an apology for Logan keeping his distance.
Even if that wasn't clear to anyone but Patton.
The hoodie was oddly proof of how well they knew each other, he thought as he held out his palms in front of him. He quite enjoyed the print that made it look like paws.
It was soft, fit the colours that Patton liked to wear, was in line with the things Patton enjoyed, and was a bit silly.
Yes, Patton was aware that he wasn't difficult to read, but still. If Roman had given him a hoodie, it would've been filled with details that made it clear that he'd made it. If Virgil gave him a hoodie, it probably would've been in a darker colour. Not that Patton would've thought those gifts were bad.
But this hoodie?
It was just perfect for Patton, and it even had a pouch where he could keep an actual pet!
That was a detail he didn't expect Logan to consider, who always thought about the practicality of things. Who always valued things that were "serious".
This hoodie was specifically meant for Patton, and no one else. That meant more to Patton than he could properly say.
Patton smiled to himself. Of course Logan, as smart as he was, was able to think of the perfect gift for Patton.
A gift specifically for him.
Patton really admired Logan's intellect. He could solve basically any issue. He knew so much about so many things that Patton had never heard of. Patton found the things Logan knew to be simply fascinating, and he loved to hear him talk.
His voice was calm, soothing, deeper than Patton's own, despite the fact that they both had Thomas's voice. Logan just used his voice differently, and Patton found it particularly nice to listen to.
Patton quite honestly admired a lot of things about Logan, apart from how he cared, his voice, and his intellect. Patton admired his fascination for the stars, his rarely seen silliness that Patton knew existed, his ability to support his opinions with facts, and so much more.
Patton didn't want to have any side as a favourite, and he didn't, but the fondness he felt for Logan was just a bit... different.
Deeper, in an odd way. Most likely that was simply due to the fact that they'd always been there, since the very start. The two of them had coexisted since Thomas was born. Patton couldn't imagine living without Logan, and he didn't want to.
Logan was the one constant in Patton's existence, and always had been. For someone who didn't enjoy change, a constant to rely on was worth so much. It provided Patton with stability. Stability that he, as the emotional core, needed.
He needed someone who wasn't too similar to him, who could calm his impulsive moods. Or who, apparently, could comfort him when he was down.
Patton turned to the side, gently taking one of the stuffed animals from the couch, and began to half play with it as he thought about Logan.
To Patton, Logan was also rather attractive, as odd as that was. Patton had never said that he thought so. Mostly because he feared that it would hurt Roman, but also because...well they had the same face.
Yet, something about Logan, something that Patton couldn't pin down, just... was attractive. He always was.
Patto particularly liked Logan's smile. It was rare, and it was frankly adorable. He really liked Logan's smile.
Especially when it came from genuine satisfaction or happiness. That smile was the best in Patton's opinion.
When they were younger, Logan had smiled more. He had found Patton's puns funny, and he had often made a few himself. Patton didn't know why that had changed. It just had. Such was life, things changed.
Patton sighed, he didn't want to think about things that brought him down. Not at the moment. He hoped that Logan would, eventually, come back to being silly in the way Patton knew that he could be.
As he sighed, he breathed in the scent of the hoodie. The scent of Logan. Of books, clean linen, and that thing that was just so distinctly Logan.
Patton's heartbeat suddenly quickened. His face was oddly warm, and so was his chest. Odd. Not too odd, as he did react like that whenever his thoughts got stuck on Logan.
They often got stuck on Logan. Patton didn't mind it at all. He liked thinking about him, it made him happy. More than happy, in fact, to just think about all the things he loved about Logan.
About how much he loved Logan.
Patton kept playing with the plushie, making it do a silly little dance. He-
Wait.
Patton froze, making the plushie stop its dance. He sat up. He put the plushie back on the couch, his heart racing quicker than ever.
What had he just thought?
Patton blinked, an odd feeling filling his stomach. Butterflies. So many butterflies.
Oh.
Oh, he loved Logan. That was what he felt for him. That was his fondness he couldn't quite pinpoint. That was the thing. Oh, okay. Suddenly a lot of things made more sense.
Patton got up from the couch, shaking his arms a bit. The feelings were so much stronger than he ever could've expected, filling him inside and out.
The normally yellowish glow of his room had turned pink, and Patton knew that the room was reacting to his own feelings.
He looked around the room.
The picture frame on the wall were suddenly a sideshow of just Logan, flipping through memories of him, and things Patton liked, no, loved about him.
Inside of Patton, the emotions bubbled happily. Making him feel jittery, happy, weirdly anxious, and he just couldn't stop thinking about Logan. Everything he was, everything he had been, and-
Oh, apparently things Patton wanted to do with him.
Patton covered his face with his hands, feeling the heat of his blush beneath his palms. He couldn't stop grinning.
The butterflies in his stomach fluttered around happily, and he could feel them in his throat, in his mouth.
He gasped, and some butterflies flew out. They were white, faint, and glowing. Translucent.
He looked at them with wonder. He'd never seen them before. He'd never felt anything like this before. It was all so new to him. Yes, he now knew that those feelings had always been there. Or at least he assumed so, because he couldn't pinpoint when they had started.
Despite the fact that they'd always been there, realising what he felt made them stronger. More apparent. More... he couldn't think of what more, as his mind decided that this was the right time to wonder what Logan's lips might feel like.
Patton heard himself squeal, and he flopped back down on the couch.
The butterflies were flying around his room. Patton just watched them, watched how they looked against the pink glow that his room had never had before.
Sooner or later, Patton would have to do something about the glow. He would, probably, have to say something about his feelings.
In the moment, though, his mind was focused on things such as:
What would it feel like to hug Logan, would it be soft? Would the hug be stiff? Would it feel comforting? What would that be like?
Holding Logan's hand in his, which was something Patton suddenly, and desperately, wanted to do. He wanted to know what that felt like.
He was also thinking about date ideas. Maybe some day they could go stargazing, maybe Patton could get Roman to create a place for that in the imagination. Or maybe, one day they could bake together, Patton wasn't sure what, but he would really like to bake with Logan.
Or, maybe, another idea, they could binge watch Sherlock BBC at some point. They both were fond of Sherlock, and Patton knew that Logan enjoyed a bunch of adaptations, so maybe he should ask him about that at some point?
Patton pulled down the hood over his face, kicking his legs from pure giddiness, trying to calm down.
It didn't work. Now he was just surrounded by Logan's scent. Greedily, Patton drank it in, his mind swimming with everything it made him feel.
All of his thoughts were about Logan, and they just wouldn't stop. He giggled, this was so silly. This was so strange. Had any side felt this way about another before? Was this a new thing?
He briefly wondered what these types of feelings would do to Thomas, they must have an effect, and maybe he could as Logan about as Logan-
And he was back to thinking about Logan. He really wanted to just spend time with him. To appreciate him. To tell him a bunch of sweet nice kind words to him. He had so many things he wanted to say.
Patton removed the hood from his face, breathing in the air in his room. It tasted... sweet. Oddly like Crofters. That was also a new thing, apparently.
Even if Logan probably didn't feel the same way, Patton did think that Logan might find this all fascinating. Yes, he didn't really care about feelings, but... surely, he must find the fact that the mindpalace was doing something new to be fascinating.
Their rooms were usually fairly constant, and yes, Patton's was somewhat unpredictable, but all of this was new unpredictability.
So many new things. Patton suddenly found that these new changes didn't bother him at all. Surprisingly, he found quite a lot of joy in them.
It was as if the pain he'd previously felt over the break had been a harsh winter, and now, Patton was experiencing the sun. He was experiencing flowers blooming, growing in his chest.
It was rather beautiful. He hoped that he could share this with Logan. That he could let the other experience this wonderful experience. Because it was wonderful.
Patton sat back up again. He couldn't think of anything to do, anything to distract him, or to bring him back down to earth.
All he could think of was how much he loved Logan.
Blah blah blah, words words words, I'm sorry for this taking so long, but here's Chapter 6! Hope ya enjoy
The light in the room was dim, but the light pointed at the stage was bright.
The jazz band began playing. Something low tempo and sultry. Then the black velvet curtain rose slowly, uncovering the person on stage little by little. Logan and Patton found themselves staring at the stage, with a focus neither had expected to have.
They just couldn't look away, for reasons neither could explain.
Soon the curtain had risen, and Remus became fully visible to the audience. He was wearing a headpiece of a size Logan had never before imagined as possible, the green and black feathers on it swaying slightly as he slowly turned to the audience with a seductive smile.
"Oh, his poor neck." Patton whispered when he saw the headpiece. Logan couldn't help but to agree. His poor neck indeed. The headpiece must've been heavy, but Remus moved as if it weighed nothing.
They couldn't see the rest of his outfit as it was covered by a long dramatic cape with sleeves. Remus was holding it close with his hands as he moved towards the audience.
The cape was black in colour, with a fur trim around its edges in the same green shade as the head piece. It went all the way down to the floor, and had a train that, in Logan's opinion, was unnecessarily long. It dragged behind Remus's as he walked.
He stopped a little bit in front of the middle of the stage, starting to slowly remove the cape.
It fell to the floor, revealing the clothes underneath.
The dress he wore was floor length, it too was in emerald green, and completely bedazzled. It glittered beneath the lights of the stage, reminiscent of a star covered sky. He'd paired it with opera length gloves, an abundance of bracelets on his arms, and stacked pearl necklaces around his neck.
"Oh, his poor neck." Patton said again this time slurring a bit, as he seemed to have gotten stuck on the topic.
Logan turned towards Patton. He was staring at the stage, sinking further into his seat. He really needed to sober up. "Patton, maybe you should drink some wa-"
"No, shuddup, I'm havin' fun." Patton slurred, wrapping his arm around Logan's. "Now husshh, there's a perfror-performance happenin'."
Logan sighed. He really did want Patton to sober up, but as he couldn't force Patton to do anything, he instead went back to watching the performance just as Remus bent down.
Remus elegantly grabbed the edge of the dress with both hands, posing seductively as he pulled the edge up in a very calm manner, to reveal one long leg dressed in a thin nylon stocking. On his feet he wore shoes that matched the dress, they too were just as bedazzled.
He smiled at the audience letting the dress fall down, covering his leg again. He turned around, revealing the buttons at the back of the dress.
Then, they watched as he began to unbutton the dress. One button at a time, in an agonisingly slow manner. Each movement teasing.
It was all just teasing, forcing the audience to watch in anticipation.
No movement was too quick, no movement was too slow, and Logan honestly found it impressive. Remus had gotten it down to an art.
He glanced at Patton, who was absolutely transfixed. His eyes were stuck on the stage, whilst his breathing had turned odd. Heavy. Slow.
He seemed to have forgotten that Logan was even there, as his arm wasn't wrapped around Logan's anymore.
Part of Logan felt a weird form of hope bloom at Patton's transfixed state, and another part was clawing at the walls of his chest.
Remus peeled the dress off, stopping halfway. His back was bare aside from the pearl necklaces dripping down it. He was holding the dress up with his arms as he turned back to the audience.
He danced around on stage like that for a while, constantly pretending that he'd take off the rest. He was playing with them. Agitating them. Riling them up as much as he could, until-
He slid the dress off.
The audience applauded the removal of the dress, some laughing, some shouting, some whistling.
Remus was still wearing the gloves, the shoes, the pearl necklaces barely covering his upper body, and stockings with garters attached to the underwear he wore. Underwear, that was yet again in the same shade of green, and seemed to be made out of silk.
As the performance went on, it became clear that it was not just Remus undressing on stage. No, there were a lot of other things included.
Such as giant fans made out of feathers, which matched his head piece perfectly. There were acrobatic tricks Logan had not at all expected to see. Remus managed to do them with the headpiece still on, he didn’t seem to struggle at all. There was also quite a lot of comedy involved.
As it turned out, the performance was all around rather humorous. Whilst Logan was not particularly fond of comedy, Patton was, and from time to time he'd hear Patton giggle at something happening on stage.
Logan would occasionally find himself smiling, much to his own surprise.
"He's rather good." Logan whispered, either to himself or to Patton. Patton, however, wasn't listening at all, so Logan probably just said it to himself.
"He's rather good indeed." A voice came from Logan's right. Dee's voice specifically.
As Logan had not heard him coming, nor had he seen when he joined them, he did end up jumping at the sound of the voice. Dee was standing in the dark, covered by the shadows.
Logan had to squint to even catch a glimpse of him. All he could see properly was the faint glow at the end of Dee's cigarette.
"Roman was good too." Dee said calmly. "Not the same type of talent, of course, but a particularly good singer. The best, some claimed. I disagree though."
Logan did not know what to reply, instead he just listened as Dee talked. This was the most he'd properly said. It could be of use.
"I've heard better singers, though. Far better. Roman was talented, sure, but he would never be able to compete with Opera singers. Those voices... They're wonderful. Just, much better, don't you agree?" He asked Logan. As Logan couldn't see him, he assumed that Dee had turned towards him.
"I've never heard Roman sing." Logan replied as a matter of fact. Meanwhile, the audience laughed at something happening on stage.
He heard Dee chuckle. "No, I'm aware." Logan could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke. "But you do like the Opera."
Logan furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn't told Dee that. His mind ran through their interactions. No, he hadn't told him that at all. How-
"Oh, don't act so surprised, it was obvious." Dee said. Logan took a second to glance over at Patton, who seemed both too drunk and too caught up in the performance on stage to even hear what they were saying. Maybe it was for the best.
"You know, as well as I do, that it's the small things that tell you more than enough information about someone. Like what they choose to wear, how they dance, and what knowledge of musical instruments they have. I think... that we're not too different, you and I. Am I wrong?" He inquired.
Logan felt his brain buzz to life. He should've thought more about his actions and words.
He'd been careless. Caught up in everything that the speakeasy could offer, to even consider the type of place it actually was. To properly think about what type of person Dee was. He wasn't to be trusted.
In Logan's defence, he had never met someone like Dee. Someone so alike himself. Who thought in a similar way to the way he did. "No, you're right." Logan confirmed, nodding. "But why are you telling me this?"
"Why not?" Dee replied casually, more casually than Logan would've liked. It made Logan's mouth taste sour. "Maybe there's a reason, maybe there's none. You're clever, Mr Holmes. If there's a reason, I think you can figure it out."
Logan was silent, he was unsure of how to proceed. "Thank you." He said after a moment, deciding to accept the compliment instead of overthinking. He needed to pay attention, rather than getting lost in his mind. It would do him no good.
"Look at him. He's a natural. It's as if he was born for the stage," Dee said, sounding rather proud of Remus, as he swiftly switched topics.
"Born to be in the spotlight. A natural at getting people's attention. Roman was much like him in that regard. Whilst Roman wasn't the best singer I've heard, he did have a particular kind of charisma. He was... captivating. Impossible to look away from. Just imagine if they could've performed together. As a sort of double act. Now that would've been profitable. Could've been very profitable. All I have now is an economic loss."
Logan listened in silence as Dee talked, watching Remus's performance in the meantime. He had to agree with Dee. Remus did seem completely natural up there. "Born for it" was in fact a correct statement. That is, if someone could be born for something.
"You see, they never performed on the same days." Dee continued. "They were always against it. Er, well, Roman was against it. Remus could've cared less. Unfortunately, as Remus does have a good singing voice. I could've had nights where both performed, as well as nights were only one of them put on a show. It would've been better for the business as a whole. All I had instead was some days without performances, as they refused to perform unequal amounts. Do you see what I mean?"
"Yes." Logan replied, still watching Remus on stage. He couldn't focus on it entirely, though. Couldn't get lost in the performance again.
Then, from the corner of his eye, Logan saw Dee lean forward slightly, becoming visible to him.
The burn mark was facing Logan, whilst the undamaged part was almost hidden by the shadows. Their eyes met. Logan wanted to look away. Why he couldn't say.
"Remi did a rather good job with your make-up, it suits you." He said, his eyes scanning Logan's face. "I'm glad the two of you took some time to relax, to enjoy this place. Your doctor clearly enjoyed his time, judging by the state he's in. Did you have a good time?"
Logan nodded, swallowing thickly. "Yes." He replied. His heart was beating at an odd rate. He felt like a prey trapped under the watchful gaze of a predator.
Dee smiled as stood back up, the weird tension slipped away. "Good. That's all I wanted to know. Enjoy the rest of the performance." He said, but paused before walking away.
"Just... don't get too distracted." Dee added.
Then he walked away, disappearing into the shadows again.
There was something about how Dee had talked to him. Something that set off alarm bells. Logan's mind concluded that there were only two options as to why.
Either he'd been threatened.
Or he'd been warned.
Logan didn't particularly like either option. The sour taste returned to his mouth.
~
Logan soon found out that he couldn't return his attention back to the performance, as he was too stuck thinking about his conversation with Dee.
It was stuck in his mind. Occupying too much space. He didn't even notice when the performance ended.
Or, rather, he wouldn't have, if Patton hadn't turned to Logan as soon as it was over.
"That was fun." He said happily, seemingly oblivious to Logan's distracted mind.
"Hm?" Logan replied, blinking. The lights were back on. The music had begun playing again, and fewer people were on the dance floor.
Some guests had started putting on their jackets again, chattering with each other as they did. The establishment seemed to be slowly closing.
"Oh, um, yes. Fun." Logan said, now somewhat back in reality. Patton cupped Logan face gently.
"Somethin' wrong?" He asked. He had a worried look on his face. Logan watched as Patton's eyes tried to focus on him.
Logan shook his head, removing Patton's hands just as gently. "No, no. There's nothing wrong." He told him, brushing it off as he stood up. He began to collect his things. His mind couldn't stop thinking about the conversation. It was stuck.
Patton stood up as well. His balance was definitely not back, which quickly became apparent as he immediately sat back down. "Don't lie to me." He said, somewhat sternly.
"You, you somethin's wrong. You have that..." Patton gestured loosely in a direction vaguely close to where Logan was standing. "Look. That look, which you only have when somethin's wrong."
"I have a "look" for that?" Logan asked incredulously, putting citations around the word "look" with his fingers.
Patton nodded. "Yeah! It's when you make this face-" Patton copied Logan's expression in an exaggerated manner. "And it just... means, uh, that you've uuuuh..." He thought for a second. "Gotten stuck on somethin'. You're overthinkin'. Basically. That's what." He kicked his feet.
"It's nothing important." Logan said, wanting to move on from the conversation. He pulled Patton into a standing position. Patton's skin was warm. "Get dressed, we-"
"Stop lying to me! You wouldn't be stuck on it if it wasn't important." Patton said stubbornly. His hands were flat against Logan's chest, his eyes pleading. Logan felt his refusal to explain melt away.
Logan sighed. He would always give in, wouldn't he? "I'll tell you later." He replied, letting go of Patton.
"For now," Logan picked up Patton's jacket. "-I'd be rather happy to leave, as I don't think that this is the best place to discuss the topic." Logan held out the jacket to Patton. "Get dressed."
Patton seemed pleased with his answer, but didn't appear particularly happy about having to put his jacket on. "I'm warm, I don't wanna." He complained.
"You're drunk, and you've been dancing, of course you're warm. Get dressed. You're going to get sick otherwise." Logan told him, shoving the jacket at Patton. Logan's patience was wearing thin. Actually, he didn't think he had much patience at all currently, and if Patton-
"No, I don't want to." Patton shoved the jacket back at Logan. Logan didn't have any patience anymore.
"Get dressed, and stop acting like a God damned child!" He snapped, forcing the jacket into Patton's hands.
Patton didn't take it. Instead, he froze. His eyes immediately turned sad.
"You're mean sometimes." He mumbled, looking down at the floor. "I don't like when you're mean."
Logan didn't like it when he was mean to Patton either. He really didn't. This wasn't the time to think about that though.
He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He needed to calm down. He sighed.
"I'm sorry." Logan said as gently as he could whilst thinking of a solution. One that would make Patton happy.
Ah, of course. It was simple. "Let's compromise instead. I won't force you to get dressed now, if you'll put your jacket on as soon as we're outside. Does that seem agreeable to you?"
Patton was silent for a second, as he thought it over.
"That works." He eventually said, nodding happily. He took the jacket from Logan. "That works." He repeated, and began to fold the jacket gently. When he had folded the jacket, he held out his hand for Logan to take.
"Thank you." Logan said earnestly. He took Patton's hand in his. "Now, we just need to go over to Virgil. According to the note he left us, his shift should end right about...well, now."
They made their way over to the bar, their fingers interlacing at some point. Logan decided to not think too deeply about it. He couldn't allow himself to. Still, a small glimmer of hope couldn't help but appear. He tried to push it down.
Logan didn't pay too much attention to Patton's rambles, as he had seen the same performance. He also didn't enjoy the weird feeling that the words were creating in his gut.
It felt sour.
~
Virgil was wiping the bar down with a cloth when they arrived. "What happened to him?" Virgil asked immediately when he spotted them, continuing to wipe down the bar.
Logan sighed, something he appeared to be doing a lot lately, and helped the very drunk Patton onto a barstool. "Well, he ended up drinking quite a lot." He replied.
"Oh, was it the performance?" Virgil asked, as he placed some glasses back onto the shelf behind him.
Logan shook his head. "No, he started drinking before that, more specifically, he started drinking whilst we were interrogating Mr Remus Prince."
Virgil made a humming noise. Then said, "That explains it, Remus being Remus is bound to do that to anyone who's not prepared." He shrugged casually. "Probably should've warned you bout it. Sorry."
"No need to apologise." He glanced at Patton who was trying his best to draw something in his journal. Due to his lack of artistic skills, as well as his drunkenness, he was struggling quite badly. "It does mean that I'm stuck taking care of this-" He gestured to Patton, "Oversized child, but it could be worse."
Patton's head snapped in Logan's direction. "There's kids here?" He asked. "Oh, I love children! They're such wonderful little humans, and- wait... oh no, that's really irresponsible parenting, children should not be here-"
"No, Patton." Logan replied, steadying Patton's back so that he didn't fall off the barstool. "There's no actual children here, I was calling you a child."
Patton pouted at him, managing to make a comical representation of a sad face. "One, that's the sssecond time you've called me a child tonight. Stop doin' that. Two, I'm not a child!" He said, childishly. "'m an adult. I'm thirty five!"
"I know Patton, we're the same age." Logan responded with his arms crossed. From what he could see, Patton must have tried to draw a cat. At least he assumed so. It didn't really look like one in all honesty.
Patton shook his head. "No, no. Logan, Logan, I'm slightly older than you." He corrected, leaning against the bar."Your birthday is in the fall, so...you're currently just thirty four."
"That's hardly important. We're virtually the same age, and-" Logan began, somewhat irritated.
"God, you guys are old." Virgil interrupted, now placing some bottles back to their correct spots.
"Excuse me?" Logan said, feeling rather offended. He wasn't old.
"What he said." Patton agreed, who didn't seem offended, but hurt instead. Logan assumed that the alcohol was starting to mess with Patton's feelings quite a bit.
Virgil laughed at their reactions, turning to face them. He leaned over the counter. "I said, you're old." He whispered and smiled mischievously.
Logan was unsure of what to do in this interaction.
"How old are you?" He ended up asking, as he couldn't come up with another response.
"Twenty three." Virgil replied casually with a shrug.
That did make Logan feel old. He already knew that Virgil was young, but twenty three? For some reason that surprised him.
"Dear God, we are old." Patton said, staring at the bar in front of him. He seemed to be facing a minor existential crisis. He held up his hand, twisting it around, as if it could show him how old he was.
Logan nodded silently in agreement. "We are indeed." He said. He usually didn't feel particularly old, but at this moment, he did. He did feel old.
"Told ya." Virgil replied, then pulled out a menu filled with drinks, placing it in front of the other two. "You're both old. Anyway, can I get ya something? Last order."
"Yesss!" Patton cheered, happy to change topics as he swayed in his seat. Luckily, Logan still had his arm around his back, so Patton wasn't going anywhere. "Gin and tonic!"
Virgil's eyebrows rose in surprise.
Clearly, he either hadn't expected Patton to order more alcohol or he hadn't expected Patton to order a non-sweet drink. "Okay..." He hesitantly replied and turned to Logan. "What about you?"
"I'll take the same." Logan shrugged. He didn't have the energy to come up with something else.
"Okay, three gin and tonics, coming right up." Virgil said, turning towards the shelf filled with alcohol.
"Three?" Logan asked. They hadn't ordered three.
"Yeah, well, I want one as well." Virgil replied, and grabbed three glasses from the shelf.
Their orders were made quickly, as gin and tonic isn't a particularly difficult drink to make, but Logan did notice that only two were actually gin and tonic. The third seemed to just be water and tonic.
Virgil slid the last mentioned drink over to Patton, whilst handing one of the other two drinks to Logan, keeping one for himself. "Thank you." Logan whispered quietly, so that Patton wouldn't hear it.
Virgil shrugged. "Don't mention it, he just seemed to need water." He whispered back, just as quietly.
Patton happily drank his drink, none the wiser.
"So, Mr Storm-" Logan said.
Virgil held up his hand. "Just call me Virgil, or Virge. That title stuff ain't for me." He replied.
"Ah, okay, Virgil then." Logan responded, then went back to what he was going to say. "...I'd prefer if we didn't interrogate you here, actually."
Virgil sighed. "I agree. I thought it over whilst working, and it just... didn't seem like the best idea, y'know? You just never know who's listening here."
"I've noticed." Logan said, glancing out at the room that was slowly emptying.
"Wait for me outside, I still have some work to do before I can leave." Virgil told him, and finished his own drink in one swoop. "Sounds good?"
"Sounds perfect." Logan replied.
~
"So... "Patton said when they were out on the street again. "Where are we going, kiddo?"
"To my place." Virgil responded, pulling the scarf over his head so that it formed a hood. "It's not far from here."
"Lead the way." Logan said.
Patton hooked his arm with Logan's, and the three of them walked down the alley to Virgil's house.
It didn't take them long to get there, as it was close by, just like Virgil had said. The house wasn't in the best shape on the outside, looking rather rundown.
There was a fire escape on the front, clothes lines attached to it, and a few of the windows had been nailed shut.
Logan and Patton, who both lived in a fairly well off area of the city, were the type of people you'd assume would want to do anything but enter a house in the state Virgil's was in.
However, they weren't exactly regular people.
Both of them had spent quite a lot of time in abandoned and rundown buildings. Plus both were more than capable of defending themselves if they were to run into danger.
Most people would assume that Patton specifically, was unable to defend himself. He did appear to be very nice and soft at first glance. Which wasn't wrong. He was an incredibly sweet person all around. Kind in a way most people definitely weren't.
This, however, didn't mean that Patton was weak in any sense. No, Patton was actually a rather talented shot.
Logan had seen it firsthand.
Either way, neither of them were worried about entering Virgil's house. To them, it was simply just an apartment building. There was nothing about it that actually said that it could be dangerous, and was clearly just somewhere people lived.
Virgil opened the door to the building, and they stepped inside without hesitation. He led them up the creaky staircase with a broken light, until they reached the fourth floor. There he stopped outside of a dark brown door. It clearly had been painted at some point, but the paint had almost entirely peeled off. Only small pieces of blue remained.
Virgil fished up a keychain from his pocket, and unlocked the door. He stepped inside as the other two followed. "Well, welcome to my home." He said, turning on a lamp.
Now, with the apartment somewhat illuminated, the place was visible. It was a rather cosy home, in Logan's opinion.
It had heavy curtains by the window that seemed to have been made by Virgil. They were purple in colour, with spiderweb like stitching at the bottom. Against a wall, there was a couch in another purple shade. It was sunken in after years of use, and appeared rather comfortable.
There was a small kitchenette, a door leading to what was presumably a watercloset, and another door that was open, showing the view of Virgil's bedroom.
Soon, a pet made itself known. It appeared in the shadows of the bedroom, and immediately made its way over to Patton.
It was a black cat, small, and with a little tear in its ear, but it did appear rather healthy. It struck its back against Patton's leg, who looked at it with wonder.
"Oh, hello sweetie." He said gently to the cat.
"Hello, Charcoal." Virgil greeted it, and bent down to scratch it behind its ear. "Curious about our guests?"
The cat meowed in reply, as Vrigil picked it up from the floor. He held the cat in his arms, so that Patton and Logan could greet it. "Mr Holmes, Doctor Watson, this little gal right here, is Charcoal." He said.
"Oh, she's so cute." Patton cooed, who had already fallen in love with the cat.
"Nice to meet you." Logan said, scratching her under her chin with his finger. Charcoal closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the scratching.
"Want to hold her?" Virgil asked them.
Patton smiled like he couldn't believe his ears. "Yes!" He immediately replied. "Yes please, I'd love to hold her."
Virgil chuckled slightly, as Patton, who hadn't let go of Logan since they left the speakeasy, quickly let go of Logan. Patton held out his arms, and Virgil gently moved the cat over to him.
"Hi angel." Patton whispered softly. "You're so pretty."
Patton wandered over to the couch, completely focused on the cat in his arms. He sat down, and started to pet her, smiling the purest form of smile someone could smile.
Logan watched him with fondness, smiling absentmindedly to himself at the sight.
"Well." Virgil said and clapped his hands once, which immediately brought Logan back to reality. "I'm going to make myself some food, do you want anything?"
"Something to eat would be nice." Logan replied, shrugging off his coat.
Virgil, meanwhile, took off his scarf, removed his jacket, then his suit jacket and waistcoat. Lastly he put his outer jacket back on. His posture relaxed significantly, turning into a slouch.
He threw the clothes he'd taken off on a chair that was already covered in a mountain of clothes. "I've got some cans of soup and some bread, does that work?" Virgil asked.
Logan hung his clothes on the clothing hanger by the door. "Yes, that sounds perfect. Oh, and maybe... some more water for Patton?" He asked.
"Oh, yeah. That sounds like a good idea." Virgil replied. They both looked over at the still drunk Patton who was now crying over the cat. "I'll get started with the food then, feel free to make yourself at home."
"Thank you." Logan replied, and took a seat next to Patton. "How are you doing?"
Patton looked up at him with wet eyes. "She's so cute." He responded, pouting. "So adorable, look at her."
Logan nodded. "She's indeed cute." He said. "By the way Patton, maybe you should take off your jacket."
"Oh. Would you look at that, I'm still wearing it." He said and giggled. For someone who had loudly complained about wearing it in the first place, he quite clearly didn't mind wearing it at all.
"Indeed you are." Logan replied, and helped Patton, who couldn't stop petting the cat, with his jacket.
The cat was happily purring in Patton's lap. She looked up at him and blinked slowly.
"She likes me." He cried to Logan. "She's so adorable."
Logan went back to the clothing hanger, hung up Patton's jacket, and returned to his seat. "Mhm." He hummed. "She's cute."
Patton leaned against Logan. "We should get a pet." He whispered.
Logan started to pet Charcoal as well. "Maybe we should." He said thoughtfully.
I wrote another chapter! I'm having so much fun with this, you wouldn't believe! (Or maybe you would, idk fjfkfk)
Anyway, here's a chapter properly focused on Remus, hope you enjoy!
Logan was about to start the interrogation back up, when Dee cleared his throat.
"I'm sorry gentlemen, but I fear that I have to leave." Dee said, sounding just the right amount of apologetic.
Logan's eyebrows furrowed. "We still have questions to ask you, unfortunately. Are you certain that you have to go?" He asked, feeling Patton nudge him harshly in the side.
"Don't be impolite." Patton whispered.
Dee smiled. "Yes, I do have to go, detective." He straightened his bow tie. "I'm at work, you see, and I can't afford to waste more time on these questions. Afterall, time is money."
He tapped Remus on the shoulder to get the other to stand up, and got out of the seat. "I wish you the best of luck with this case, I hope my answers were of some help to you." He said.
He glanced out into the room, a cane in his left hand -Logan had not seen where it came from- and with his head turned to the side, he looked... familiar.
The part of his face that didn't have a burn mark was eerily familiar to Logan, who was sure he'd seen it before. Where though? He didn't remember faces unless they were important to him, in one way or another.
Dee must've felt Logan's eyes on him, because he turned back, and gave Logan an odd look. "Bye then, it was a pleasure talking to you." He said, and bowed down slightly.
"The pleasure was all ours." Patton responded, with a very genuine smile.
Logan didn't say anything. He was too busy studying Dee's face, trying to place why he seemed familiar.
Dee smiled at Patton, a certain fondness in his smile that appeared more genuine than Logan would've liked, and left.
"So." Remus asked abruptly, interrupting Logan's thoughts. He somehow managed to sound tired of an interrogation that hadn't yet started.
"What do you want to know? Like, come ooon, you're killing me over here. Actually," He paused with a mischievous glint in his eye, "that'd be fun. Why don't you-"
Logan cleared his throat. "I don't know where that sentence is going, and I'm not particularly interested in knowing-"
"Ew, boring." Remus complained.
"Therefore, I'll just start asking some basic questions. Is that alright with you?" Logan asked, as he adjusted his glasses.
"Yeah, duh. That's why I'm here, apparently." Remus rolled his eyes. "Unfortunate, because I think I could have a lot of fun with the both of you. Wouldn't you agree? I'm very skilled in bed, pure magic, lemme tell ya."
Patton made a weird noise, grabbed his drink -that had remained untouched up until that very second- and drained the glass. Then he slammed the glass back onto the table, making a very regretful face. "God, I should not have done that."
Logan looked at him with wide eyes. "Yeah, you probably shouldn't have." He replied in agreement.
Remus cackled. "Someone likes to party! That's more like it." He nodded in approval with a big grin on his face.
"I do not like to party." Patton mumbled miserably, still very clearly regretting his decision.
"Anyway, so, Remus." Logan addressed the man across from him. "You're Roman Prince's twin brother, correct?"
"What else would I be? His clone?" Remus asked sarcastically, playing with the rings on his fingers. He didn't appear at all interested in what Logan was saying.
Logan ignored Remus's question, and continued with his own. "And you work here?"
Remus nodded, impatiently tapping his foot.
"What do you do here, exactly? All I know is that you're entertainment, somehow, but what does that include?" Logan asked.
"Well... I'm a burlesque performer." He replied mischievously. He stretched out his legs, as if to show them off. It didn't have the intended effect, due to the simple fact that he was sitting in a weird position, and he was wearing trousers.
"I'm very talented, maybe you should stick around for my performance later." Remus winked at the two of them.
Patton paused, having written down the word "burlesque" in a very misspelled way. More specifically, he'd written "berrlesck".
"I'm sorry, but what is that, exactly?" He asked, rather innocently.
"Well, it means-" Logan began but was interrupted by Remus.
"It means," Remus purred. "That I get to stand on stage, in the most glamorous clothes that anyone has ever seen. Then, I slooowly start to take off my clothes. Little by little, revealing more of my body, bit by bit, by bit.. until all that's left is my birthday suit. I get to tease, excite, titillate the audience just by moving my body in a seductive manner. If I do my job well, which I do, then by the end... there's at least fifty hard cocks in the room."
"One of them could be yours. Or what do you say, daddy?" Remus smiled at Patton, leaning over the table slightly. His eyes were gazing deep into the other's.
Patton, who usually didn't mind being seen as people's father figure, had an expression that made it very clear that he did not at all like the way Remus had used the word "daddy". He also seemed to be thoroughly regretting asking the question.
Patton's day was just full of regrets. "Ah." He said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Okay. Um. Then I know."
He was silent for a second. Then he grabbed Logan's drink and downed it as well. Logan blinked at Patton. "Are you alright?"
"Nope." Patton replied with a choked voice as he shook his head. "Let's just. Keep the interrogation going? Please?"
Logan turned back to Remus, but glanced quickly at the very uncomfortable Patton. "Okay." He said, and cleared his throat again. "Would you mind telling me about your relationship to your brother?"
Remus sank back into his seat. "What a boner killer." He said. "But alright. We're not particularly close."
Patton was back to writing in his journal, but his hand was a bit shakey. Logan, who wasn't looking at him, could hear it by the very un-rhythmic scratching. He felt slightly bad for him.
"Elaborate, please." Logan said, ignoring the urge to comfort Patton instead. "What do you mean?"
"Well, he's all..." Remus gestured wildly, the pearl necklaces and jewellery clinking together as he did. "Proper, and good, and just so... disgustingly perfect, y'know? A proper goody-two-shoes. I'm a flaming youth, and yeah, sure he's a fairy, but... he just ain't like me."
Logan nodded, and decided to light another cigarette. "I see, and how does that affect your jobs? Is the fact that you're different a good thing, or a bad one?"
Remus ignored Logan's question, as his eyes focused on the cigarette. "Got anymore of those? I could use a ciggy."
Logan sighed, but shrugged. "I don't see why not." He gave one to Remus.
Meanwhile, Patton called a waitress over.
Patton smiled politely at the waitress. "Could you give me another one of these? Actually, could you give me three more, and then two for the others?" He asked. "I think they're called Bees-Knees?"
Logan furrowed his brows, wondering just what state Patton was in. "Are you sure you want more?" He asked.
Patton nodded. "Yeah. If I want to get through this interrogation, I do think I want it." He responded in a determined tone.
The waitress wrote down what Patton had ordered. "He's an adult, ain't he?" She said, suddenly. "Then he can decide for himself if he wants more hooch or not."
Logan frowned. "Yes, but you see, he doesn't... generally drink." He explained.
The waitress shrugged. "Well, that's his problem, not yours." She concluded, and walked off.
Logan wasn't entirely sure he agreed with her statement, as he'd be the one who'd have to get Patton home later. Plus, he felt that he did not want Patton to end up in a dreadful state when he woke up the next day.
Not much he could do about it, though. He turned back to Remus. "So, how does it affect your jobs?" He asked again.
Remus took a long drag from his cigarette, closing his eyes as he did. "We're different types of performers." He said. "But, y'know, people do generally enjoy him more. Not because my act is bad, or unpopular, but because he's a well-known guy."
"And?" Logan had a feeling there was more to the topic.
"And, it does make me jealous, at times." Remus replied as if it wasn't a big deal. "Sometimes I do want him to vanish."
"Oh." Patton whispered. "I'm sorry but-"
Remus was quick to guess where Patton's question would be going. "I don't have anything to do with his disappearance." He said. "I might find him painfully boring at times, I might get jealous of him, and I might occasionally wish that he'd vanish off of this planet, but I don't want him to actually disappear. He's my brother. Hate him or love him, he's family."
"You were the last to see him, from what I know, is that true?" Logan asked.
Remus shrugged. "Hell if I know, might've been." He responded gesturing with his hand, as he leaned back again. "I can say that he did act off, though."
Patton and Logan glanced at each other. Now, that was new information. "He did? Dee said that wasn't behaving strangely." Patton replied.
Remus cackled. "Jan might think so, and Jan might be clever, but baby, there's certain things only siblings notice." He responded. "He'd been acting weird for a few weeks. To me, he seemed worried. Not that he'd let anyone know."
"Worried, how?" Logan asked, right as the waitress placed the glasses on their table. He took one for himself, whilst Patton immediately claimed three.
Remus was silent until the waitress had left. "Worried in the way you are," He began, pausing dramatically to take a sip from his own drink.
"- when someone is out to get ya. When someone is looking for a chance to put a bullet through your head. To bash your skull in. To cut you into pieces, and then to hide those pieces all over town, like a gory puzzle set." He responded, grinning like a maniac as he somehow managed to bore his eyes simultaneously into both of the other men. "That way. That's how he seemed worried."
Patton looked nauseous, somewhat ironic for a doctor who used to be in the army. Meanwhile, Logan felt intrigued, which was unsurprising for him. "Do you think someone did that?" He asked in a low voice.
Remus grinned. "Someone could've. A lot of things could've happened. Someone could've eaten him, someone could've ditched him in the river, someone could be torturing him in a basement as we speak. All I know is that he seemed worried." He said.
Patton, who quite honestly seemed to be about to throw up, downed one of his glasses. The glass hit the table with a thud. "Can we please just move on?" He said as kindly as he could.
Logan sighed, but nodded. "Thank you for answering." He told Renus earnestly.
"Any time, baby." Remus responded. "Either way," He stretched in an overly dramatic fashion. "I'm bored, would either of you be interested in banging? I'd love to have one of your cocks in me. Or both."
Patton quickly downed yet another glass. He smacked his lips. "I'd rather not." He said, frowning, as he wobbled slightly in his seat.
Remus pouted. "Shame, it would've been a lot of fun. Why not though, are you a celibate or something?" He asked.
"No, I'm just not... interested in men in that way." He responded. He was still trying his best to remain polite, despite being obviously uncomfortable with the topic.
Remus gave him a once over, taking in how close he was sitting to Logan. "Uh-huh, and I'm the president." Remus rolled his eyes. "Are you sure? We could have fun. I could show you so many things. I could make you scream."
"Yes, I'm sure." Patton said sternly, for once dropping his politeness. He gave Remus a disapproving look. It probably would've been more effective if he hadn't been unable to keep his eyesight steady.
"Back to the questions," Logan said, who did not want to hear the conversation in the slightest. "We never got the chance to ask Dee this, but I suppose you'll do. What was his relationship to Roman like."
Remus then did something that surprised Logan. Something that was barely noticeable, as it only happened for a fraction of a second.
He hesitated.
"Professional." Remus said, as if the hesitation didn't happen. "Boringly professional."
Logan decided not to ask further questions on the top, as that hesitation had given him what he wanted. Confirmation that there was more to Dee's relationship to Roman. Besides, he doubted that Remus would give him more.
Next to him, Patton suddenly began to giggle about nothing. Logan would've asked what he was giggling about, if the reason why hadn't been obvious.
Patton was drunk.
"Remus, when did-" Logan was about to ask a question, when Patton grabbed his shoulder, shaking him just slightly.
Logan turned to him, a bit irritated at the interruption. Then he saw that very specific spark in Patton's eye.
The one Logan knew far too well. Better than he ever would've liked.
'Oh, no.' He thought. 'It's starting.'
"Oh, no." He said.
"Yknow, Logan." Patton said. "You see those lamps?" He pointed across the room at one of the lamps in question.
Logan sighed, but nodded. "Yes, I do." He answered, hoping that it would end quickly. That it would not go on forever.
"Well, you see..." Patton sipped on his last drink. "They make this room have something in common with me."
"How so, Patton?" He asked, already feeling rather bitter.
Patton paused for effect, his smile even bigger than before."We're both illuminated." He giggled and almost fell out of his seat.
Logan sighed again, but caught Patton's sleeve before he actually got a chance to fall."I'm so sorry for this." He told Remus.
"Sorry for... what? The joke?" Remus asked, slightly confused.
"No, worse." Logan informed. "That's not the only joke he'll make. If it was just that one it would be... okay. He's going to keep making them. He finds it funny. I find it torturous. Again, I'm so sorry."
"Oooh!" Remus responded clearly not sharing Logan's distaste for puns. He glanced at the not at all sober Patton with some interest.
"No, no, nonono, no. Logan, you've got it wrong. I don't find them funny." Patton replied, with a poor impression of a serious face. Correction, with a tremendously poor impression of a serious face. "I find them... punny."
Logan groaned in despair. "You make that specific pun too often, and it has never once been funny." He replied.
"I think it's punny." Patton responded casually, then turned to Remus as he wobbled yet again. "Hey, hey, hey Remus?"
Remus was, unlike Logan, quite clearly finding this entire thing rather entertaining. Therefore he decided to dignify Patton with a reply. "Yes?"
"You know what I have in common with your cigarettes?" Patton asked with a small smile, gesturing to the cigarettes in Remus's and Logan's hands.
"No?" Remus responded in anticipation.
"We're... lit." Patton grinned, clearly pleased with himself.
"Someone help me." Logan whispered.
Logan was not having a good time. He was, in fact, having the opposite of a good time. He was having a downright awful time. "Your puns are usually more clever than this, can you please stop?" He pleaded.
Patton placed a hand on Logan's shoulder. He tried, but failed, to make eye contact with him. Despite the circumstances, the touch sent a bolt through Logan's body. "Yknow, Lo, during this case," He paused for a second. "We've met a lot of cases."
Logan just stared at him in disbelief, whilst Remus cackled at Patton's state. Patton turned to Remus. "Woah, I'm seeing double." He said to Remus. "It's making me believe that you have a twin."
"He does have a twin, that's why we're talking to him!" Logan complained. He was getting more and more agitated by the second.
"Shhh, Logan, no need to wine about it." Patton tilted his glass at Logan.
"You're not even drinking wine!" Logan replied.
Patton stared at his glass, as if he just then realised that he wasn't drinking wine. "Oh, you're right." He said, sounding somewhat disappointed.
Then he smiled. "And I'm left." He held up his pencil, to demonstrate that he was left-handed.
Logan sighed. "Yes, Patton, you are left handed. Well done."
Patton smiled at him, with the smile he only gave Logan if Logan gave him a compliment. That is to say, he smiled like a ray of sunshine.
"Well." Remus said, grinning like somebody had given him the best present in his life. "Whilst this is funny as fuck, I gotta get ready for my show. Sorry, but I've got people to titillate. Those cocks won't do that to themselves.” He paused and thought for a second. “Or maybe they would,” He shrugged. “Either way, gotta go. Byeee!"
Then he walked off, spinning around a few times as he went.
Logan sighed. There were more things he would've liked to ask, and it was rather bothering him that he wouldn't be able to. Well, he wouldn’t be able to ask them that night, he could always come back at another time, but still.
Remus had been a bit more helpful than Dee though, first of all he-
"Why do I suddenly want to see his show?" Patton asked, his elbow was on the table and he was leaning his head against his hand. "Does that make me weird? Am I being weird? I just...really want to see it, for some reason.
Patton was watching Remus as he went, his eyes strangely focused on him.
This time, it was Logan's turn to down his drink. Just to be able to push down a nasty feeling bubbling in his stomach. It only helped somewhat. He placed the glass back onto the table, much more gently than Patton had done.
Then, he grabbed Remus's untouched glass and took a sip from it. "No," He said bitterly. "It doesn't make you weird, it just means that you're drunk."
Patton flopped back against the booth, relaxing against Logan's shoulder. Logan didn't comment on it. If he did, Patton would move immediately.
Patton sipped his drink. "So it does..." He said distractedly, still watching Remus. "So it does..."
He didn't seem to be fully aware that he was repeating himself, nor did he seem to be aware that his drink was almost gone.
Logan resisted the urge to slide his hand into Patton's. "Yeah." He breathed. "It does indeed."
They sat in silence as they finished their drinks. There was not much more to do than to wait for the young Mr Storm to finish his shift. They could always interrogate other people, but the unpleasant feeling Logan was feeling did not particularly motivate him to continue.
Then, suddenly, Patton turned to Logan with a serious expression on his face.
"Logan." He said, glass now empty. "I want to dance."
Logan tilted his head to the side. "Then do so? There's nothing stopping you from dancing, you can do that if you'd like." He replied, placing his own empty glass back onto the table.
Patton shook his head. "No, you're not understanding me." He pouted. "I want to dance with you."
'Oh.' Logan thought intelligently.
"Oh." He said, just as intelligently. A small feeling of hope bloomed in his chest, effectively killing the nasty feeling in his gut.
Here's a few facts that contributed to Logan’s surprise at Patton's request. First of all, Patton wasn't the type to dance with other men. It wasn't a thing he did. He could dance with women, especially the waltz, but dancing with men?
The only time Patton had ever danced with a man was when Logan taught him how to waltz. That was the last time Logan danced, and it was strictly teaching purposes only. No other reason. It was also the one and only time Patton ever danced with a man.
Secondly, Logan just... didn't dance. He didn't enjoy it, and whilst he could, he found it to be rather silly. Something not worth his time.
Third of all, they were in public. Their rather close friendship was kept behind doors. Neither of them flaunted it publicly, that was aside from Patton praising Logan's deductions, of course.
Logan looked out into the room, seeing the people dancing together in front of the stage.
None of them seemed to be able to care at all. They all seemed so joyous. Part of him longed to join them, another wished to leave the speakeasy immediately. The latter option seemed much more preferable.
Unfortunately for him, Mr Storm was still working, and they couldn't leave without interrogating him as well. Besides, Logan was rather intrigued by the case, so leaving just wasn't an option.
Patton sat silently beside him. "Is something wrong?"
Logan shook his head, fixing his normally perfect posture that had turned into somewhat of a slouch. He adjusted his tie.
"No, no. There's nothing wrong, but Patton," He said to the other, ending up locking eyes with him.
In the light of the room, Patton's light blue eyes were deceptively dark. Still, there was that sparkle that never seemed to vanish. It made his eyes glitter like precious gem stones. "You and I, we don't dance. Me especially. It's not a thing I do, it's rather silly in my-"
Logan was immediately interrupted by Patton holding his hand.
Patton tilted his head to the side, the soft curls of his hair following his movements. "Logan." He said, and the way he spoke sounded more intimate than Logan could handle.
"I'm drunk, very, very, very drunk. And I want to dance. This one time, I want to dance with you. Would that be so bad?"
No, Patton was right. It wouldn't be so bad.
Maybe, this one time, they could allow themselves to let loose. This one time, Logan could pretend it was a thing they did. This one time, he only needed to ignore the fact that Patton wasn't queer, that Logan would still wish for something he couldn't have, and that this was a one time thing only.
"No. I suppose you're right, it wouldn't be bad." Logan sighed, shrugging off his black overcoat and suit jacket. He smoothed down his waistcoat. "But I'm only doing it this one time. Just because you're drunk, and will pester me about it for the rest of the night if I don't."
Patton beamed at him.
He jumped out of the booth, letting go of Logan's hand. Logan mourned the loss of Patton's hand in his. "Oh, thank you!" He cheered happily. He shrugged off his brown beige outer jacket, keeping his knitted sweater on.
Logan was about to comment that he'd end up getting warm, but Patton rolled up his sleeves before he got the chance to do so. It felt weirdly scandalous to see Patton's forearms.
"Come on, Logan, you lovely lad!" Patton said, pulling Logan out of his seat, making him stumble a bit. Patton quickly spun him around before Logan managed to regain his balance, and caught him when he stumbled a second time. Logan's heart fluttered.
"Let's let loose!" Patton smiled at him with an infectious giddiness.
Silently, Logan hoped that nobody would steal their items, but he found that he couldn't care. Not when Patton was dragging him to the dance floor.
Logan sighed with a mix of fondness and annoyance. The things this man made him do. One day, he'd learn to deny him.
Welp. I apparently couldn't help myself and just...had to write the next chapter immediately-
Hope you all enjoy! This one has Janus in it! *jazz hands*
There were newspaper clippings pinned to Logan's wall.
Miss Picani had shrieked when she first saw it, the way they covered the entire wall, and had told Logan to take them down. Whilst she was used to Logan's occasionally odd behaviours, she'd never seen him cover an entire wall with newspapers.
Logan had calmly explained that it was necessary, that the wallpaper beneath it was fine, and that he'd pay for any damage that might've happened.
She, in turn, told him that the wallpapers weren't any wallpapers, they were real Morris wallpapers, and they hadn't been cheap "and dear God Logan, you're going to give a gal a heart attack," and so on.
Eventually though, she had calmed down, and had listened to Logan as he explained the case.
Now, Logan was alone, staring at the newspapers as if they could somehow help him figure out the case. They couldn't, of course. He'd been staring at them the entire day, and there was no new information to find.
"Logan, I'm home!" Patton cheered, as he opened the door to the living room. The living room that they usually referred to as an office, even though it actually wasn't. "Oh, so that's what you wanted to do with the newspapers." He stopped and stared at the wall.
"Hm?" Logan replied, not hearing Patton. He was too busy creating a game plan in his head. They had done as much research as possible without going to the speakeasy, so the next step was-
Patton sighed, but did find the entire thing rather endearing. "I said, I'm home." He repeated, effectively snapping Logan out of his trance.
"Oh, hi." Logan replied, turning to look at Patton. "How was Mrs Allen? Was her hip in good shape?"
Patton, who worked as a doctor outside of their cases, put down his briefcase by their coat hanger. "Yes, she was in tip-top condition. Seems as if it has healed well."
"That's good to hear." Logan said, somewhat absentmindedly. He walked across the room to the oak desk in the middle of it. He stared down at the information Miss Picani had left him earlier that day. "I feel that it might be time to head to the speakeasy."
Patton headed over to him. He peered over Logan's shoulder at the paper. "You didn't find any clues?"
Logan shook his head. "No, I did not. There's no leads in the newspapers, at least, there's none that I can currently find."
"Well then. Not much more to do, than to head to the juice-joint." Patton responded, as his arms gently wrapped around Logan's waist.
He was often like that. Often, he found one reason or another to give Logan affection. It seemed natural to them. Second nature, in a sense.
When they were alone, neither thought much of it, but out on the streets they kept their distance. It wouldn't do if the wrong person saw it. Their casual affection was bound to be seen the wrong way at some point.
Besides, Logan was almost certain that Patton didn't view the gestures the way Logan did. Logan might've been a queer, but as far as he knew, Patton wasn't.
It didn't stop his heart from drumming up a storm when the other was close though.
"Indeed." Logan agreed, slipping out of the shorter man's hold. "Time to investigate."
~
It didn't take them long to find the speakeasy when they eventually reached the edge of town.
That is, it didn't take them long, since they had very detailed instructions given to them by Mr Storm. To anyone else, it would've taken them ages. If they would've even found it at all.
Thankfully, Mr Storm had given them the password to the establishment as well, and soon they found themselves inside of the speakeasy.
What they saw was a place that didn't match the run down alley outside at all.
The place was an art deco palace, the walls covered in black and yellow, with gold decorations everywhere. The gold could've come across as tacky, but it was rather the opposite, it was all very tastefully designed.
Whoever had thought it out had an eye for interior decor. In the middle of the room a chandelier hung. It was grand, and did make Logan wonder just how heavy it was. The light from the chandelier was dim, which made the room bathe in a soft glow.
Around the room there were various statues of dancers, all of them women. Their clothes made it seem as if someone had frozen them mid dance. Other than the statues, there were also lamps, these ones, unlike the chandelier, were fully turned on. Still, they didn't light up the room too much.
At the end of the room was a stage, heavy black velvet curtains hanging on either side. In front of the stage the floor was cleared, and a variety of couples were dancing. Women dancing with women, men dancing with men, some somehow managing to be in pairs of three, some were cross dressing, and some were just women dancing with men.
The women's skirts and hair were short, their dresses sparkling, their stockings were rolled scandalously low, showing off painted or rouge knees. Their joyful dancing made Logan want to join them. This was despite the fact that Logan very much didn't dance.
The air was filled with laughter, cigarette smoke, jazz music, and the unmistakable scent of liquor. Across from the stage was a bar, it too, decorated in the same style as the rest of the establishment.
All in all, the place was magnificent.
From the corner of Logan's eye, he saw Patton's blue eyes widen. He seemed to be a tad bit uncomfortable with the environment. "Oh Lord." He whispered.
Logan adjusted his glasses. "I don't mean to make any assumptions, but I do think whoever was in charge of the interior of this establishment, was rather fond of yellow." He joked, hoping it'd make Patton relax.
If they seemed too uncomfortable, someone was bound to become suspicious of them.
Patton glanced over at him, and smiled a bit. "Funny that you should say that, I had a similar feeling." He replied, more at ease now.
Logan smiled back. "Shall we start our investigation?"
Patton nodded, making his blonde curls bounce slightly. "Sounds like a good idea."
"Glad to hear we're figuratively on the same page." Logan's eyes wandered around the room, searching for Virgil. It was no surprise that he spotted him by the bar.
The two of them headed over to the bar, which took longer than expected, as they did their best to not bump into any of the drunk people stumbling around the room.
Virgil's eyes lit up when he saw them. "Mr Holmes and Dr Watson, glad to see you." He greeted. Despite his nervousness in Logan's office, he was visibly more relaxed in the speakeasy.
There were some other minor things Logan noticed as well, such as the experimental eye shadow beneath his eyes and on his lids. The purple lipstick on his lips. His hair was combed, but, despite the current fashion, he'd let his bangs fall in front of his eyes.
His clothes also seemed as if they'd received some touch ups, as the loose threads and wrinkles were gone. His sleeves were rolled, held up by black bands on either arm.
"Mr Storm." Logan greeted, and gave him a curt nod. "You appear to be feeling better than last."
Virgil shrugged, as he cleaned the glass in his hands. "Some giggle-water is bound to do that to you. It eases the nerves, y'know."
Patton pulled out his journal. "You drink at work?" He asked.
Virgil smiled, shaking his head "You don't think that I would be able to do this type of work without it, now do you?" He asked. "You saw me in your office, imagine how overwhelming this all is when I'm sober."
Patton frowned, but nodded, and didn't comment further on the topic. Nor did he write anything down.
"Mr Storm," Logan said. "Would I be wrong to assume that it's better if we interview you after work? It seems to be rather busy."
"And how. Busy it sure is." Virgil responded in agreement. "I would suggest interviewing my boss though, as I said," He lowered his voice to a whisper, leaning over the bar so the other two could hear him, "I think he has something to do with it. And-"
He was interrupted by the voice of another. "Virgil, who are these friends of yours?" The man who joined them asked.
He was dressed in black and yellow, from head to toe. His clothes were clearly expensive, in perfect condition, and at the top of his head, he had a bowler hat.
He smiled at Logan and Patton, one half of his face covered in a burn scar.
"Dee." Virgil said, his expression souring. "This is Mr Holmes and Dr Watson. They were asking me some questions regarding Roman's disappearance."
Dee's eyebrows rose in mock surprise. "Oh were they now? How queer! A croaker and a cop, asking questions? In my establishment?" He kept smiling, in a way that was honestly rather unpleasant. It showed his teeth in a predatory way, as if he was moments away from attacking one of them.
"Actually," Logan said. "I'm not a cop, I'm not affiliated with the police in any sense."
Dee shrugged. "Cop, peeper, detective, investigator, op, sleuth… whatever you call it, sweetie, it's all the same to me." He responded casually.
Patton was quick to interrupt the conversation, clearly uncomfortable with the animosity between the three men.
"No, really! We truly don't mean any harm, we're just here to help. We don't want to cause any trouble, but we would very much like to ask you a few questions. You see, I'm a frequent visitor of the theater Roman performs at, and when I heard he'd gone missing, I felt that we had to find out what happened to him." He said, trying his best to diffuse the tension by explaining.
Dee studied him silently for a second.
Something about his suddenly neutral, sceptical face sent chills down Logan's spine. He'd never seen a man switch between moods like that before.
Then he smiled again, and it didn't put Logan at ease. His smile was calm, charming, strangely seductive. If he was the type of man Logan found attractive, he would've told him anything. "Well aren't you a doll?" He asked Patton. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to answer... a few questions."
Something about how he said those last words, made it clear that he was flirting with Patton.
Logan, who was used to seeing Patton avoid any and all types of flirting, especially from men, did something very strange. He blushed.
"Oh? Thank you very much, that would be so kind of you." Patton answered, a shy smile playing on his lips.
Logan decided that he did not enjoy the interaction happening in front of him. He cleared his throat with a cough. "Yes, it indeed would be kind." He said bitterly. Patton turned to look at him with furrowed brows.
Virgil watched the interaction with some interest, still leaning lazily against the bar.
Dee smiled at Logan. There was something about the smile that told Logan that he'd given Dee the very reaction he'd been looking for. "I'll get us a table then. Somewhere private."
"Thank you." Logan replied, with forced politeness. Patton, meanwhile, gave Dee a genuinely thankful smile.
"Oh, and Virgil?" Dee said, as he adjusted his yellow gloves, not looking the other man in the eyes.
"Yes?" Virgil said, now standing up straight.
Dee glared at Virgil. "Do your damn job." He told him sharply, narrowing his eyes. For once, his mask seemed to be off. "I don't pay you to stand there and gawk."
Virgil, rather apologising, scoffed and crossed his arms. "Dry up, Dee. You allow Remus to do whatever he wants to."
"Well, buddy, his job is entertainment. Yours," Dee paused for emphasis, his heterochromatic eyes boring into Virgil's. "-is to be a bartender. To sell drinks. Are we clear?"
Virgil rolled his eyes in response.
"I said, are we clear?" Dee asked again, impatiently.
Virgil relented with some resistance. "Yeah." He replied, and went back to cleaning the glasses, muttering beneath his breath as he did.
"Good." Dee turned back to Logan and Patton. When he spoke again, his tone of voice was perfectly charming again, as was his smile."Pardon that little exchange. Now, how about that table?"
Dee walked away to find somewhere to sit, leaving the other two where they were. Both took a second to breathe. Letting themselves process what had just happened.
"Well." Patton said after a few seconds. "He could've been a bit nicer, I think."
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Yall. I don't know what happened. This is the first time I've updated a fic within less than 24h. This is also the longest chapter.
So far.
Anyway, uh, hope you enjoy.
Generally, Logan didn't dance. It wasn't a thing he did. This time was an exception.
On stage, the band was playing, the roaring music filling the room. In front of the stage, people were dancing energetically, spinning each other around, and doing tricks that Logan quite honestly found impressive.
Meanwhile, he and Patton did their best to keep up with the fast paced dancing to the fast paced music. For Logan, this was somewhat of a struggle, as this wasn't his type of dancing at all.
He was used to slower paced dancing, to calmer music, that followed rules he could easily remember. Patton, on the other hand, took to it like a duck to water. This was much to Logan's surprise, even if it did make a weird amount of sense.
The fast pace, the joy in the dance itself, and the way the rules seemed to be more suggestions than rules, was incredibly natural to Patton. Even in his inebriated state. Unlike when Logan taught Patton to waltz, Patton was the one leading this time.
Which was slightly interesting, as Logan was the taller of the two. Still, they made it work. For once Logan allowed himself to relax. To just follow along with the music, to not think so much about what he was doing as he moved.
That's not to say that he didn't, occasionally, start to think too much about what he was doing. It still happened. Slightly more than he'd like, quite honestly.
"Logan." Patton said softly, his voice surprisingly steady, despite their dancing. "You're thinking again."
Logan, who had not noticed that he was, in fact, thinking again, looked up at Patton. He'd been staring at their feet, trying his best to copy Patton's moves. "Apologies, Patton-" He breathed, significantly more out of breath than Patton. Despite the fact that Logan was rather fit, he did fence afterall, he didn't seem to have the correct stamina for this type of dancing. "I wasn't aware that I was doing that, it's just-"
Patton interrupted him by spinning him. He caught Logan quickly, and spun him around a second time. Logan's train of thought abruptly stopped.
"Don't think about the music." Patton whispered, holding Logan close to him. "Allow yourself to feel it."
Logan was about to ask him what he meant by that. He did understand what it meant when it came to playing music, as he had to do that when he played the cello, but-
Oh. Of course. The answer was simple. All he had to do was to enter the same state he was in when playing music. Dancing and playing were of course much more similar than he'd considered.
Bit of an oversight on his part. It was obvious, incredibly obvious, that the two were linked. That meant-
He was thinking again, wasn't he? He shook his head. That didn't matter. All he had to do was to let go.
The music filled his veins, and suddenly, he was much more able to keep up. Patton laughed. "Now you've got it!" He cheered, as their steps synced.
His heart was beating in time with the music, his mind lost in the moment. There was a type of joy, pure and warm, filling him from the inside. Making each second feel precious. Before Logan even realised he was doing so, he began to smile.
He couldn't do anything else but feel. Feel the music. Feel how his body moved. Feel electricity flow through his body, reacting to Patton's touch. His legs were aching, his feet were getting sore, his breathing was the same as if he'd been running, and he couldn’t be happier.
Patton's touch was gentle, but firm, leading Logan as they danced. Logan let him. Let him spin him around. Let him do moves he had no clue he even could do. Let himself just follow the other, without thinking at all.
He'd never been able to experience something like this. The way it felt like an odd chase. A game, of sorts. To see how close they could get, before separating, only to end up close together again.
Logan swore he could feel Patton's heart beat through the other's hands. He had to have lost his mind just a bit, because it felt like it was keeping the same tempo as his own.
"Having fun?" Patton asked in a whisper, when their bodies ended up momentarily pressed against each other.
Logan could feel the hot air of Patton's breath on his neck. He shivered. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but-" They separated for a second, but then came close again. "Yes, I am."
Patton's eyes sparkled. "Good." He smiled, and he looked divine.
Logan could feel the ghost of Patton's touch all over his body. He felt it in his hands, his arms, his back. Felt how Patton's legs occasionally brushed against his. Felt how Patton's chest pressed against his own.
Nothing mattered to him, but the fact that they were dancing.
"Glad I could get you out of your head for a little while."Patton said, slurring his words a bit. "Y'know, I might be drunk and this might sound weird, but you're rather pretty when you smile like that."
Logan did not know what to say. His mind had gone blank. Still, he was somehow able to keep dancing. "Oh?" He said, breathlessly, and felt Patton dip him down for the hell of it.
Patton nodded. Suddenly, Logan became aware of just how strong Patton was. Logan was fairly lean, but that didn't mean that he was light. Yet, Patton was able to support his entire weight without it being an issue at all. "Yeah." Patton replied. "My dear detective, you are pretty."
If it wasn't for the fact that they'd been dancing for some time now, Logan was certain he'd be blushing. Thankfully, his face was most definitely already red, so he didn't have to worry about that.
Patton slowly, without any effort, helped Logan back up again. The music kept playing, people kept laughing and talking, their feet tapping against the wooden floor.
But Logan couldn't hear it. The noise surrounding them was drowned out by the silence between him and Patton.
They were so close that Logan could've counted the freckles on Patton's cheeks and nose. He could see every single one. Even the ones that were rather faint. He could see each line in Patton's face, which he'd gained during his thirty five years of life. The laugh lines by his mouth. The crow's feet in the corner of his eyes.
They were faint, of course, as the two of them were only thirty five, but Logan suddenly found them fascinating. He found it fascinating to see the proof of life on Patton's face.
The red in his cheeks, the smile on his lips, and the tears in his eyes from how much he'd laughed during their dance.
Oh, his eyes. How weak they made Logan feel.
The range of emotions they could express, from deep sadness to the purest joy. The shade of blue they were, a shade Logan had slowly started to think of as his favourite, despite generally preferring dark colours.
If allowed, he'd be able to get lost in them for hours. In fact, he was already drowning in them.
Patton reached out, his fingers brushing against Logan's cheekbones. There was something thoughtful in his eyes. A thought he didn't seem to be able to fully grasp, though, it was hard to say if it was due to the alcohol, or due to something else.
"My detective..." Patton whispered, seemingly unaware that he'd done so.
Logan wondered what he was thinking. He wanted to know each thought in Patton's head. The good, the bad, all of them. He wanted to know what Patton was seeing. What Patton was feeling.
Patton's hand settled against Logan's cheekbone, cupping his face lightly. Logan's breath hitched.
Logan felt as if he was about to die.
All of it, all of it was overwhelming. Suddenly, it all became too much. The music came back from nowhere, Logan more aware of it than before.
It felt like a steam train had run into him. He needed to sit down. His head was spinning, the sound was too loud, the lights were too much, despite being dim, he wanted to run.
It was all just too much.
"Are you okay?" Patton asked, his voice now oddly drowned out by the noise around them. He must've seen the change in Logan's expression.
Logan nodded, his hand clinging onto Patton's arms, despite not at all feeling okay in any way. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just fine." He felt himself hunch, folding in on himself. He squinted involuntarily.
He stumbled.
Patton withdrew his hand from Logan's face, electing to support Logan's back instead. "No, you're not." Patton said firmly. "I think you ought to sit down."
Logan hated when this happened. Hated when everything became too much. When his mind was unable to process the information around him. Hated how it made him feel.
It made him feel icky. Abnormal.
He nodded. "Okay." His words weren't working. His mind was shutting off, and he felt so small. Like a child in desperate need of support.
"Come on." Patton took his hand, and led him to a table, a bit further away from the dance floor.
Thankfully, that table was in a dimmer spot. Thankfully, that table was further away from the noise. Thankfully, there weren't any people sitting by the tables next to it.
Logan sat down, Patton helping him to do so. Sweet Patton, who always helped when something like this happened. Logan leaned his head against the still standing Patton. "Thank you."
"Of course." Patton replied, calmly playing with Logan's hair. "Do you need anything? Water? Something to eat?"
Logan shook his head, trying his best to think of what he might need. He struggled to think. He hated when he couldn't think. "I don't-" Then two words popped up. Water. Coat.
"Wait, no. Um, could you please get my coat?" He asked, suddenly wishing for the weight of his coat. Occasionally that did happen, but he'd never been able to figure out why.
Patton nodded. "Yeah, of course, anything else?" He asked. His voice was steady, and if he was worried, or if he pitied Logan, then he thankfully didn't let it show.
"Water?" Logan asked, looking up at Patton.
Patton nodded, gave Logan a tight hug -which did make him feel better- and let go of Logan's hand that he'd been holding the entire time. "I'll be right back." He said, stumbling just slightly as he walked away.
Logan sighed, and took off his glasses. He was rather annoyed at himself for interrupting their dancing.
It had, despite the fact that Logan still didn't dance, been fun. Really fun. He had wanted to keep going, but... he wasn't able to.
Patton came back as quickly as he'd left, putting the coat over Logan's shoulders. He sat down in the chair closest to Logan. "Here, drink." He said, giving Logan a glass of water.
It was cold to the touch, and it made Logan's brain feel slightly more alive to just hold it. "Thank you." He mumbled. He sipped on the water.
Oh, he hadn't even realised how thirsty he was.
"Do you want me to stay, or would you rather have some alone time to just," Patton gestured vaguely, looking for the right word. It took him a second longer than usual, as he was still, clearly drunk. "Relax?"
"The latter." Logan responded, avoiding eye contact by staring at the floor. There were pieces of golden confetti on it.
It wasn't that he necessarily wanted Patton to go. Quite the opposite, he wanted Patton to stay, but he just... couldn't. Despite what he wanted, he needed some alone time.
Patton nodded, sounding somewhat disappointed when he spoke again. "You sure?"
Logan nodded as well. "Yeah." He looked up at Patton, needing to squint slightly as Patton was closer to him than the floor, as Logan didn't see particularly well up close. "Yeah, I'm sure. I just need to restart my mind."
"Okay, I'm going to go back to dancing, but please lemme know if you need anything." Patton said kindly, touching Logan's arm.
God, how Logan was thankful that Patton's never touched him in that light, weird way other people occasionally did. The way that made his skin crawl.
"I will." Logan replied.
Patton breathed in, as if to say something, but paused, mulling over some thought in his head. He wobbled slightly, then spoke. "I care about you a lot, okay?" He said, saying it in the earnest way only a drunk person can.
Logan smiled softly. "I know, Patton." He was more than aware, especially regarding their past.
He'd experienced Patton's care more than once. Far more than once. When they were younger, and only new acquaintances, it had been what saved him from himself.
Patton had been there. Had stayed for his worst moments. Had helped him out of the hole he'd been in.
Had helped Logan see that it was more than okay for him to feel. To live.
Patton smiled back, as his cheery attitude returned. "Good, I just wanted to make sure that you knew, because I don't want you to ever forget it." He said.
"I won't." Logan replied.
"Do you," Patton leaned forward, and looked at him with a drunk, serious look. "Promise?"
"I promise." Logan promised.
"Good, good. Thank you." Patton approved, then looked out at the dancefloor. "I'm going to go back to dancing, but again, tell me if you need anything."
"I will." Logan said, a second time.
"Good." Patton said, who'd gotten stuck on the word "good".
Then he got up, and left Logan alone by the table.
Logan sighed, pulling out his cigarette box. He picked out one cigarette with shaking hands. He lit it, and took a long, deep drag. The nicotine flooded through his body, calming the nerves that were on fire. He exhaled, a translucent cloud of smoke appearing from his mouth.
He watched Patton on the dance floor, who was currently being taught how to do the charleston by three flappers. They were taking turns showing him how to do the steps, and Patton copied to the best of his abilities.
It took him a moment, but eventually he got the hang of it. The three flappers applauded him happily, and joined him in his dancing.
It looked fun, and Patton seemed to be having a great time. Logan felt the oh-so-very-familiar fondness in his chest, feeling oddly proud of Patton. He smiled to himself, taking another drag of his cigarette. He was beginning to calm down.
The music didn't feel as overwhelming anymore, the light had become softer, and the weight of his coat was helping him back down to planet earth.
He sat there for a while, just watching.
"You like him, dontcha?" A female voice asked him from his left.
Logan, who was now able to be social again, turned to the voice. "Sorry?" He said.
A flapper was sitting by the table next to him, dressed in a sparkling black dress with silver details, long black gloves, and surprisingly, sunglasses. "You like him." She said, opening her purse to take out a mirror.
"Oh, um, yes?" Logan responded, unsure of what she meant exactly.
She began to apply lipstick with a little brush, somehow managing to do it with an attitude. "Oh, don't sound confused. I'm just asking the obvious." She shrugged, smiling at him.
Logan nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for asking, but why are you talking to me?"
Despite not being able to see her eyes, he could tell that she rolled them. "Because I want to, obviously. Why else?" She replied. "Plus, you're in a social place, people are gonna talk if ya hadn't noticed."
She spoke to him as if he was stupid, and Logan felt that maybe he should be offended, but he didn't really care. "Fair point." He replied.
They sat in silence for a second, then Logan asked. "What's your name?"
The young woman stopped applying lipstick. She pulled down her sunglasses ever so slightly, and gave him a look. She appeared kind of offended that he asked, as well as surprised that he even asked the question. "You serious?" She asked.
Logan wondered why she asked that. Of course he was serious. Why would he have asked otherwise? "Yes." He said, furrowing his brows.
She clicked her tongue. "Wow."
Suddenly it dawned on Logan that he must've been talking to one of the so-called "It-Girls."
That did explain why she seemed a bit offended. She was clearly well-known, a celebrity of sorts, and Logan just behaved as if she was no-one of importance.
He did find it a bit funny.
"Well babe, my name is Remi Nightingale, if you didn't know." She pushed her sunglasses back up, and went back to applying lipstick.
She then audibly smacked her lips, checked her appearance in the mirror, decided that she liked how she looked, and put it back into the bag .
"Ah, pleasure to meet you, Miss Nightingale." Logan said, tapping away ash from his cigarette. "I'm Logan Holmes." He held out his hands for her to shake.
She shook it, and smiled at him. "Ooo, Logan Holmes? Aren't you that detective who's in the papers all the time?"
Logan nodded. It always made him feel a bit odd when people recognised him. "Ah, yes." He coughed. "Yes, I am."
Remi smiled, leaning forward. "What are you doing here? Did something happen? Does it have to do with the talent that went missing? Got any chin-music a gal ought to know?" She whispered, intrigued by his mere presence.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you." Logan responded, and took another long drag of his cigarette.
"Ugh, boooooo." She complained. "Come on, just give me something!"
Logan shook his head, finding that he did find her rather funny. "No, I can't." He said.
She silently gave him a once over. "Well," she said. "If you can't give me anything, then why don't I do your make-up?"
Logan froze. He'd never been asked that question before, and he wasn't sure of what he thought. He'd never worn makeup. He had never once in his life even considered trying it. Nor did he really have an interest in it. Though, it wasn't as if he'd be the only man with it if he said yes. The speakeasy was filled with all sorts of men, some of them wearing makeup. Like Remus. Or Virgil.
"Why?" He asked.
Remi shrugged. "Because I feel like it, and I wanna. Why else?" She replied as if he was being idiotic.
Logan wasn't entirely pleased with that answer. He just wanted to know why, specifically. "I just don't understand why, do you think I need it?"
She sighed dramatically. "No, sweetface. Your pan is water-proof, but... I do want to make you look ritzy. Also it'd be a fun story, to have done Logan Holmes’s makeup." She explained. "Nobody else will be able to say that they've done that."
Logan thought it over. Was he willing to let her do his make-up just for a fun story? Yes, he was. The night was already strange enough, so this small thing honestly didn't matter that much to him.
"You know what, sure. You can do my makeup." He said, and put out his cigarette.
Remi clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, amazing!" She got up from her seat, taking her purse with her over to Logan.
Then she sat down in his lap.
"Oh, um, miss Nightingale, I'm not-" He began to say, not wanting to give her the wrong idea, but she cut him off immediately.
"No, it's quite clear you're not at all interested in women. I wouldn't sit here if you were, because I'm not interested in men." She responded, pulling out various things from her purse without a care in the world.
Oh. Well. Logan honestly should've thought of that. "Oh." He said.
She giggled. "That didn't occur to you at all, did it?"
Logan shook his head. "No, it didn't." He replied.
"Well babe, know you know. I'm a gal who likes gals." She said, and took a hold of his chin, though not in a particularly harsh manner. "Now, sit still."
And Logan sat still, feeling her apply make-up to his face. It was a rather odd experience. He also did exactly as she told him. He turned his head to the side, closed his eyes, opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, did a weird face with his mouth, it was all around just very odd to him.
Then she stopped. "There! Now you're looking spliffy. Want some oyster pearls as well?" She asked.
Logan shook his head. "No, I think this is enough for me."
Remi pouted. "Awe, come on! Don't be a wurp!" She complained, whilst putting her make-up items back into her purse.
"Miss Nightingale," Logan said sternly, putting his glasses back on. "I don't mind the make-up, but I do not want any more things. Thank you though."
She was about to say something, when Patton suddenly came stumbling. They watched him stumble for a second. "Oh, he's shot." Remi said.
"He's been shot?" Logan asked worriedly.
Remi hit the back of his head with her palm. "No, idiot, I meant that he's drunk." She replied, she watched as Patton regained his balance.
"Oh. Yes." Logan agreed.
"Logan!" Patton said happily, stumbling again. Thanks to Logan's quick reflexes, he managed to grab the stumbling Patton by his arm, stopping Patton from falling.
"Patton, why don't you-" Logan was about to tell him to sit down, but Patton's eyes noticed Remi sitting in Logan's lap.
"Oh! Hello!" He greeted happily, then stopped. He stood still, and swayed slightly, as he slowly seemed to realise that Remi was sitting in Logan's lap. "Why are you sitting there?" He asked, sounding... oddly annoyed? Suspicious?
Logan couldn't put a finger on what it was in Patton's tone of voice, but there was definitely something odd about it.
"Babe, I'm sitting here because I did his make-up." Remi replied, sliding out of Logan's lap. She adjusted her dress when she stood up, and fixed her rolled stockings, to be better able to show off the starry sky painted on her knees. "Don't worry, I wasn't flirting with him. I like women."
"Oh." Patton said, dumbly. Then he seemed to process what she'd said, and turned to look at Logan more properly.
He leaned forward, and cupped Logan's face. Internally, Logan silently wished that Patton wouldn't dislike it. Patton studied Logan's face intensely, blinking more than a person usually would, then nodded. "S'good." He said, very approvingly. "Very good. Kudos."
Remi smiled, pleased with herself. "I know. Thank you, babe."
Patton stood back up, and stumbled again. To fix this, he decided to sit down in the closest seat, which just so happened to be Logan's lap.
Remi giggled silently, covering her mouth with a gloved hand.
Logan was not at all sure about what he was supposed to do. He could tell Patton to get off, but he honestly didn't mind. Also, Patton did seem rather pleased with where he was sitting.
Patton swayed again, and Logan wrapped an arm around his back. Well. Guess they were sitting like that then. Patton looked at Logan's face again. "I like the..." He gestured with his hand. "The, the blue ssstuff on the lids. S'good."
"Glad you think so, thought it'd look nice on him. It's a pretty colour and it suits his face." She said, studying her work.
Patton nodded. "Yes, he's got a pretty face, mhm." He replied. Logan felt himself blush. Patton was drunk. There was nothing more to his compliments. He was drunk.
Remi sat down in the chair Patton had sat in earlier. She took out a cigarette, and lit it. "You make a cute couple." She said.
"Oh, we're not-" Logan tried to say, but it seemed as if his night was filled with interruptions.
"Thank you." Patton said happily, much to Logan's surprise. Oh, dear God, how much had Patton drunk?
Remi blew out a cloud of smoke. "How long?" She asked.
Patton thought for a second. "Time, it's been..." He paused, as if the words he was saying didn't make sense to him. "Sss, t's been a loooong time. Many of them, years."
Logan had resigned himself to just sit in silence with a drunk Patton in his lap, as the drunk Patton informed an apparently well-known woman that the two of them had been a couple for years.
How did he end up here, exactly?
"I can see that." Remi replied, knowingly. Watching the way they sat. "Well, I gotta go dance. A gal can't sit still for too long, or her legs will rust, so bye! We'll probably never meet again, but thank you Mr Holmes for the funny story!"
And so, she left their lives as quickly as she had entered them, a trail of smoke following behind her.
Patton was still in Logan's lap, and he was still studying his face. He nodded again. "Mhm, pretty face." He said. "My pretty detective." He added happily, relaxing against Logan.
Logan knew that when they woke up tomorrow, that Patton would regret the words he'd been saying that night. Logan knew that even if he enjoyed the compliments, that they didn't mean anything. Would never mean anything. Patton was just drunk.
"Patton," Logan said. "Earlier, when I became overwhelmed, you seemed fairly alright, so...what is this about?"
Patton giggled. "That? Oh, that's, that's doctor mode. Thing that happens. Apparanently." Patton answered, not really answering Logan's question.
"No, I know about doctor mode, that's not what I'm asking about." Logan sighed, about to run his hand over his face, but remembered that he was wearing make-up. "I'm asking, how come that you're in this specific state now? Did you drink more?"
Patton nodded. "Oh yeah, loads." He responded. "Those, whatcha, whatchamacallit, those uuh, flap-...flapping, flaps- flapperss, they gave me more. Gin n tonics. That's what."
Of course. Logan berated himself internally, he should've kept a better eye on Patton. Should've made sure that he didn't do anything stupid, but of course, he didn't. "Of course." He mumbled.
"S fine though, don't mind this." Patton said, beginning to play with Logan's hair as if he was a child. He went silent for a second. Then his eyes widened, as if he realised something important. "Maybe... I do like to party." He gasped.
Logan rolled his eyes. The silliness was becoming just a tad hit too much for him. "Patton." He said, trying to get the other's attention.
You'd think it'd be easy for him, as Patton was sitting in his lap, and was playing with his hair. The problem was that Patton was too focused on Logan's hair, and seemed fascinated by it. Logan didn't have particularly fascinating hair, at least not in his opinion. His hair was just straight and dark brown. Nothing particularly interesting about it.
Patton seemed to think otherwise as he apparently couldn't stop playing with it.
"Patton." Logan said again, eventually gaining the other man's attention. He felt a strong urge to grab Patton's arms, shake him a little bit, and tell him "For goodness sake Patton, you're thirty five!"
But he knew that it wasn't an option, and he knew that Patton was just behaving in the way drunk people did. That is to say, in a silly manner, and in a clingy manner.
This time, Patton seemed to have heard him. "Yes, starshine?" He said.
Logan ignored what that nickname did to his feelings, pressing it down into a little, figurative, box. This was not the time to dwell on it. "I'd like to go back to our booth." He said, as kindly as he could.
"Oh! Okie-dokie! We can do that." Patton smiled, jumping out of Logan's lap. He stood up, and Logan followed. Logan straightened his tie.
Then Patton slid his hand into Logan's. "To the booth!" He cheered, yet again dragging Logan across the room. It appeared to be becoming a habit.
Logan just followed him. When they got back to their booth, Patton sat down immediately. Right when Logan had sat down as well, Patton pointed at something on the table. "'S yours?" He asked, slurring the words together.
On the table, there was a cigarette box. Logan's eyebrows furrowed. "No, that's... no, mine is in my pocket." He patted his pocket, and sure enough, there his was.
He picked up the box. It had a simple, clean design. The only thing of note was the cigarette brand, which was a kind Logan didn't recognise. Surprising for him, as he'd memorised two hundred different brands.
It said "Aithôn's Cigarettes." Logan turned it over, but there was nothing of note on the back.
He put it in his pocket. Someone must've left it there by accident. Most likely, it belonged to Dee or Remus, and he'd have to ask them about it later.
Patton grabbed his arm. "Logan, it looks like it's starting." He said, as the lamps dimmed even further.
The music had stopped playing, people were taking their seats, and the room went silent. Logan first couldn't understand what Patton meant, but then he realised.
Yaaaay a new chapter! Uuuh... I'm exhausted, hope ya enjoy.
There were bowls filled with oxentail soup on the table, three cups of tea, and three plates with bread. One of each for the three men seated around the wooden table in Virgil Storm's living room.
The black cat, affectionately named Charcoal, was still happily purring in the lap of Doctor Patton J. Watson. He seemed unable to stop petting it.
"Virgil." Logan S. Holmes said, putting down his spoon. "I think it's time to start with the interrogation, is that alright with you."
Virgil nodded, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Yeah, we can start." He responded.
"Should I... uh, do that thing, um- uh, take notes?" Patton asked, who was still drunk, despite the food he'd eaten. He truly was a lightweight. A lightweight who had had far too much to drink.
Logan shook his head. "It's not necessary, I can take the notes this time, and I'll give them to you later. All you need to do is eat." He told him.
"Oh, okay." Patton replied, who didn't seem to mind in the slightest. He pulled out the journal and pen from his pocket, careful not to disturb the cat in his lap, and gave them to Logan.
"Thank you." Logan said, as Patton went back to petting the cat. Logan opened the journal. "Virgil Storm, you're a bartender for a speakeasy called "Eden's Garden", owned by a person only known as "Dee". One of your coworkers, Mr Roman Prince, worked as a singer for the speakeasy, as well as an actor at the "Mindpalace Theatre." His twin brother, Mr Remus Prince, works for the speakeasy as well, as a burlesque performer. You came to us, as Mr Roman Prince has gone missing, and you believe that your boss, Dee, is involved. Does that sound correct?"
"Yes." Virgil replied, and shifted his sitting position on the floor.
"Very good." Logan said, quickly writing down the facts. "Why do you think that Dee is involved?"
Virgil tilted his head to the side. "Well, um, he and Roman never really got along. Or well, it's complicated. They sorta did, but also didn't, y'know?"
"Would you mind elaborating on that?" Logan asked. "You see, Remus said that their relationship was quote, "Professional", end quote, and Dee spoke rather well of Roman."
Logan decided to omit the fact that Dee had said that Roman wasn't the best singer he'd heard, but that information wasn't something that was important for Virgil to know.
Virgil laughed. "I can't really call their relationship "Professional", Logan. Far from it." He replied.
"Elaborate, please." Logan said.
"Well, uh... where to start..." Virgil was silent for a second before continuing. "Well, okay, they used to be in a relationship."
Oh? Now that was interesting. An employee and their boss, in a relationship? That did make it make sense why Remus had been so quick to call their relationship "professional", and why he had hesitated slightly.
It also explained why he called Dee "Jan", as he must know him better than either said. Though, that was already clear from their behaviour around each other.
Logan wrote the piece of information down in a calm manner, despite being happy that they- well, he, was getting somewhere. "Used to, you say?"
"Yeah, used to.” Virgil said, he fidgeted with the jacket's sleeves, pulling them halfway over his hands. "When they were in a relationship, they were constantly arguing. I mean, they kept arguing when they broke it off, but the arguments were non-stop whilst they were together."
"What were the arguments about?" Logan asked.
"The speakeasy, mostly." Virgil picked up his teacup and sipped some tea. "Roman didn't really... like the fact that there's so much, um, criminal activity involved in running it, y'know? Ja- Dee, on the other hand, never minded it. He always argued along the lines of "Of course, it's a speakeasy, what did you think? I can't run this legally, some crimes will be committed and blah blah blah," which didn't make Roman particularly happy. And like, yeah, I get it, it can't be run legally, but uh... I do think Roman did have a point. There's... more than just alcohol smuggling and bribes involved. I'm not fully comfortable with all that's going on either, but I'm not stupid. I wouldn't say that to the owner."
Logan had noticed Virgil's slip up. So, he had lied? He did know Dee's name? Interesting. "What types of other crimes?" He asked. Better not to point out the mistake.
Better to let Virgil think that Logan hadn't heard anything. But humans are humans, and they make mistakes. Virgil had made a mistake.
Virgil's teacup rested in his palms. "Uh... see, that's what makes me suspect that Dee could be involved. Occasionally people who weren't... careful, would go missing. Later, they often turned up dead."
"You think that Dee killed him?" Logan asked.
Virgil shook his head. "I don't think he bumped him off, at least not like... personally? He doesn't like to have the blood on his hands, so he makes other people do that. Still, while he might not have killed him directly, I do think he could've made someone else do it, or he could've made him go missing."
Logan tapped the pen against the journal. "Roman wasn't a careful person, was he?"
Virgil sighed, and something wistful appeared in his eyes. "No, he wasn't. Often said too much, too loudly. Dee usually told him to shut up in one way or another, which of course just made Roman louder. He was quite dramatic. Loud, boisterous, and incredibly ridiculous at times, but... he was kind. Charming. Much to my own annoyance I did like him." Virgil's voice was fond as he spoke of Roman.
Virgil's tone of voice told Logan that they certainly were closer than just coworkers. Virgil had called them friends, but he clearly had a different kind of fondness for the missing actor.
Maybe Virgil suspended Dee out of jealousy as well. Whilst everything he'd said did make sense, Logan, despite not being an expert on feelings, knew that it was foolish to disregard sentiment.
He'd have to discuss the topic with Patton later.
"I hear what you're saying, but... I do have a question," Logan said, taking a moment to sip some tea. "Roman was clearly an important source of income for the speakeasy. He's famous, charming apparently, and supposedly a talented singer from what I've, so why would Dee try to get rid of him? Wouldn't that hurt his own business?"
"Staying safe is much more important than the profit." Virgil replied with certainty. "The speakeasy is thriving with or without Roman, you saw it, that's not a place that's struggling. To Dee... it's just a momentary setback. Besides, people can be replaced, and Dee is... incredibly good at manipulation. He could easily find someone more willing to perform there, someone who doesn't care about the darker parts of the business."
Logan hummed. He had to agree, Virgil was right. There were other singers, other actors, people who wouldn't care. Still... something about it just wasn't...
He decided to ask Virgil another question. "What is your relationship with Dee like?" He said.
Virgil's face turned uncertain. Somewhat uncomfortable. "It's weird, to be honest." He admitted. "I don't really know what he thinks of me, one day he's nice, the other he's not. He constantly tries to raise my pay, and such, but like... I just don't... trust him, y'know? You can never be sure with him. He's so changeable."
"He tries to raise your pay?"
Virgil nodded. "Yeah. He knows that the shop I work at doesn't pay me particularly well, and that I- um...either way the second part doesn't matter, but yeah. He constantly tries to give me more money, or he tries to convince me to work at one of his other places." Virgil said, biting the side of his thumb.
"He owns other establishments?" Logan asked. That was interesting, he had assumed that Dee only had the speakeasy. In hindsight, it wasn't all that odd that the business was bigger.
"Oh yeah, loads. He's got a lot of them." Virgil replied, shrugging. "Some are shops, some are movie palaces, he's got another juice joint or two I think... and then there's some other stuff as well. Can't remember all of it to be honest."
Logan hummed, writing it down. He would have to look into that at some other time. "You say that you don't trust him, but I'd still like to know more about why you don't want the money. Wouldn't it benefit you?"
"Well, to me it feels like he's trying to trap me in the business. Like he wants me to become reliant on him, so that he can constantly keep an eye on what I'm doing. I don't want that. I'd still like to have some form of freedom, somewhere where he's not constantly breathing down my neck." Virgil responded, looking down at his hands.
"I see... and what about your-" Logan was right about to ask another question when he was interrupted by Patton sneezing.
Patton didn't just sneeze once, not twice, but three times.
Logan turned to look at him as he sneezed. "Bless you." Logan and Virgil said in unison.
"Thank you." Patton replied, sniffing. His eyes were red and watery. He sneezed again. "Oh gosh, sorry."
"Hayfever." Logan said, taking in Patton's less than optimal state. "Are you doing okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, it's just-" Patton interrupted himself with another sneeze. "A bit annoying. Sorry."
"You don't have to apologise." Virgil said, and stood up to take Charcoal out of Patton's lap. She seemed a bit annoyed at being moved from her comfortable position. "You can lay down and rest in my bedroom, if you like. It's a bit messy, but yeah. Uh, only if you want to, though, I'm not-"
Patton pouted as the cat was removed from his lap. "Thank you, kiddo." He sneezed again, and stood up on wobbly legs. "I promise you though, I'm not sick, I've just got hay-fever and-"
Logan rose as well, and helped Patton stand. "Patton, you don't have to explain anything." He said gently. "You're been drinking quite a bit, exhausting your energy, so you're already in a fairly weak state. With the additional factor of the hay-fever, it'd be optimal if you just took a moment to rest."
"Yeah, you really should rest, old man." Virgil said, walking into his bedroom. There was a clicking sound as he turned on a lamp, with the cat still in his arms.
Logan helped Patton over to the bed. "I'm sorry for not... being the best assistant today, Logan." Patton whispered, lying down on the bed. His words were quiet enough that only Logan could hear them.
"It's okay, I don't mind." Logan whispered back just as quietly. He grabbed a folded blanket from the edge of the bed and pulled it over Patton. "Just take this time to rest. I'll wake you up later."
"But-" Patton was about to say something in response, but Logan cut him off by petting his hair.
"Hush, don't argue with me." Logan replied gently. "It's better if you rest."
"Okay." Patton said in response, yawning a bit. He nodded. "Okay."
Logan watched Patton close his eyes before leaving the room, just to make sure that he'd do as Logan had told him. No other reason.
Then he left the room, as Virgil turned off the lamp.
The two of them sat back down on the couch. It was silent in the small apartment. The only sound was the cat purring in Virgil's arm, as he gently stroked its back.
"Why does he call me kiddo?" Virgil asked, sounding as if he'd been thinking about it the entire day.
"He says that to everyone who is younger than him, if he's fond of them." Logan replied. He was so used to it that he didn't even consider it as a thing anymore.
"Yeah, but uh- I was more asking because well, uh, I don't really view myself as a woman, y'know? I'm..." Virgil trailed off, seeming a bit uncomfortable. "I know that people do, and I mean, I was born as one, but I don't...um..."
Oh. Right. Logan hadn't even thought of that fact. "Oh no, no that's not why he's doing it. I can assure you of that. Yes, I know that kiddo refers to a young woman, but Patton uses it in a way someone would use kiddy." He explained. "I've told him, in the past, that he's using the word wrong. He told me that he thinks it sounds better. Essentially, it's a term he uses for anyone younger than him, regardless of gender."
"Oh. Okay." Virgil replied, sounding rather relieved. His posture relaxed. "Thank you."
Logan hummed. "Of course." He said, sipping his, now cold, tea. It still tasted good.
"Roman would've liked him a lot, honestly." Virgil then said, much to Logan's surprise.
"Oh?"
"Mhm. He would've immediately started seeing him as a father figure, despite the fact that Patton is just... eight years older than him." Virgil said. "They're both just really social, y'know. Similar personalities, although Patton is a fair bit nicer. Roman would've liked that as well. Despite what it often seemed like, he was rather insecure, constantly wanting approval. I think a friendship with Patton would've been good for him."
"I can confirm, a friendship with Patton is... surprisingly beneficial." Logan replied, somewhat jokingly.
Virgil laughed a bit at that. "Oh, I believe you." He said. "But I mean, you two aren't just friends, are you?"
Logan froze. What was it with today and everyone assuming things? Was it the fact that the speakeasy was filled with all kinds of people, such as couples consisting of just men and just women? Couldn't people see that they weren't a couple? Had Logan's feelings been that clear?
"Virgil... um, Patton and I... we aren't romantically involved with one another. It's strictly platonic." Logan replied, somewhat awkwardly. His clothes suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if he could feel every stitch. He adjusted his tie. It felt like it was strangling him a bit.
"You're not?" Virgil asked, his eyebrows raised. Clearly, just like everyone else that evening, he didn't believe it. "You sure do act like it."
Logan's hands suddenly felt sweaty, the cup in them feeling as if it was about to slip. He sat it back down on the table. It made a soft sound as it touched the wood. He wiped off his palms on his trousers, hoping that the action wasn't too obvious. "No, no, we're not." He paused. "What do you mean "we act like it"? We don't act like a couple."
"Sorry, it's just... everything. The dancing, the softness, the constant touching, the fact that you live together... I mean, it really looks like it." Virgil pointed out, and Logan had to admit, he could see his point.
"Fair enough, but I assure you we're not an item." Logan said. He adjusted his tie again.
"Okay, look I really don't mean to overstep, and I know I'm being kinda invasive, but why aren't you? You're goofy for one another, and um, again sorry for overstepping, but why not?" Virgil asked, the cat rolled around in his lap. She seemed to be bored of the petting.
"Patton does not feel that way for me." Logan said, feeling a bit agitated. He knew that he could tell Virgil to stop. That he could end the conversation if he wanted to, but...
"Are you kidding? He's head over heels. You're the most observant person I've met, you can't say that you haven't seen it." Virgil replied, gently setting Charcoal down onto the floor.
Charcoal stretched in the way cats do, the way that looks so incredibly comfortable, before wandering away.
Logan laughed humourlessly. "He's not."
"He is, I'm sure of it." Virgil argued.
"No. He's not." Logan stated. "He's not someone who's interested in men in that manner."
"Logan, he very clearly is."
"No, he isn't." Logan snapped, crossing his arms. His heart ached. It stung. "He isn't." He repeated with a whisper.
Virgil paused, then asked, very quietly. "What makes you so sure?"
"Because I asked him."
"What?" Virgil said.
Logan sighed, running his hand through his hair. He looked over to the window. "In the past, before I, um... developed feelings for him, I asked." He said. "I had assumed that he was a queer, that he was like you and me. Still, I wanted to be sure. I wanted my suspicions confirmed, so I asked."
"What did he say?" Virgil asked with furrowed brows.
Logan looked at Virgil. "He told me it was a sin." He said.
Virgil's brows drew together, his expression turning bitter. "He called it a sin? That's-"
"It's not something either you or I agree with." Logan cut him off, not wanting Virgil to go on an angry tangent aimed at Patton.
"I understand why you're upset, I understand your anger." Logan continued calmly, remembering how he'd reacted. How hurt he'd felt. The sting of betrayal. "When he said it was a sin, I became frustrated with him. Incredibly frustrated. I told him that I was- am- a homosexual. I told him that if it bothered him, then I was done with our...friendship. I said that if he was uncomfortable with homosexuality, uncomfortable with me, then he should leave."
"Essentially, I became incredibly upset. Still, Patton responded with patience. He listened to me as I ranted, and said that he didn't have any issues with me at all. He told me that even if it was a sin, he didn't judge me. He didn't perceive me in a bad way. That he would never judge anyone for it. He said that afterall, he'd been in the army, he'd seen countless of homosexual relationships. Seen the love between those people. He never judged anyone for it. However, he was raised in a rather religious household, and therefore, he..."
Logan trailed off. In his memory, Patton had behaved awkwardly. Though, never when he spoke about other men being attracted to men. He'd only been awkward when it came to the idea of him as a homosexual.
"Oh." Virgil said, sounding as if he wasn't sure of what he should say.
Logan continued. "I was still angry with him. In fact, I was angry for quite some time, and it did take me a few days to calm down. In the end, Patton remained patient, calm, and accepting. He never, not once, judged me. He always supported me. Despite his view of homosexuality as such, he's always kept an open mind. If it bothered him, then he wouldn't be my friend. He wouldn't have gone to the speakeasy. He most certainly wouldn't have stayed for Remus's performance."
It was Virgil's turn to sigh. He rolled his eyes. "Listen, I hear what you're saying, but, y'know, it's still..."
"Not an optimal situation." Logan said, who really didn't enjoy the subject in the slightest. The memory of the conversation still hurt. It always would.
Even if Patton was his closest friend, the person who'd treated him with more kindness and patience than anyone Logan had ever met. Who'd always been there for him, ever since the beginning. Who'd given Logan more affection than Logan knew what to do with. The memory hurt either way.
"Besides, he's been in relationships with women on occasion." Logan concluded, trying his best to control the feelings inside of him.
"Okay, but... he could still be interested in men. I mean, Roman likes both men and women, it could be a similar case." Virgil said, and fidgeted with his sleeves. "He might just be repressed."
Logan smiled sadly at him. "I understand what you're trying to do, and I do appreciate it, but please believe me when I say that Patton is not attracted to men." He replied. He took off his glasses and wiped them off, before sliding them back on. "I can't allow myself to have any sort of naive hope about this."
"So... you're just... carrying a torch for him, then?" Virgil cautiously asked.
Logan's eyebrows furrowed. "Carrying a torch? I don't have any torches with me? I do have torches at home, but I certainly am not carrying one around." He said, rather confused. Why would he be carrying a torch?
Virgil shook his head. "No, no, I mean... your feelings are unrequited, then?" He clarified.
That did make more sense. "Ah, yes. Unfortunately, that's the situation I've found myself in." Logan replied.
Part of him wanted the conversation to be over, another part wanted to keep talking. He'd never discussed the topic with anyone else, but for reasons he couldn't understand, he trusted Virgil with the information.
Maybe it was due to the late hour. Maybe it was due to how long Logan had carried the weight of it all by himself. Maybe he simply just did trust Virgil.
"I'm so sorry." Virgil said apologetically, sounding as genuine as anyone ever could. As if he wanted to help Logan with the issue.
"I appreciate the sentiment, Virgil, but you really don't need to apologise." Logan said. "It's just the way it is."
And it was.
Logan didn't have a say in the matter, and if he did, he would've gotten rid of the feelings a long time ago.
Afterall, he had tried.
~
Virgil and Logan kept talking for a while after that, but they never went back to the interrogation.
Why, Logan wasn't sure, but the reason was most likely due to a very simple fact.
It was late.
Neither had the energy, and they could pick it back up another day if needed. Besides, Logan had gotten enough information to start properly forming theories. He did need time to think about them, which he did best at home. So for now, Virgil and Logan just kept talking.
Logan enjoyed Virgil's company quite a bit. As it turned out, neither were particularly social people. Neither were overly optimistic. Neither were impulsive. Neither were particularly polite, clingy, or silly.
All in all, Logan couldn't help but to see himself in the other.
Which wasn't odd, but it also wasn't good. Logan couldn't afford to become attached to Virgil. To become fond of him. Despite how much Virgil reminded Logan of himself.
Virgil was a client.
That meant that when the case was solved, and this all was over, Logan would never meet him again. They'd become strangers, and the attachment would just hurt.
Besides, becoming fond of him could mean that it'd make Logan biased, that he'd be unable to see if Virgil was suspicious in any way. Needless to say, Logan really couldn't afford to form attachments.
Logan didn't get attached. It wasn't a thing he did. He wasn't even attached to Miss Picani, and he'd known her for a long while. She'd been his landlady since before he even met Patton.
He still didn't know her particularly well, he made sure to keep it that way.
Somehow, though, Patton had managed to slip through Logan's walls. He was an exception to the rule. An exception Logan didn't necessarily want or need, but he was one all the same.
Speaking of Patton, as well as how late it had become, Logan did need to wake him up. They needed to come home at a somewhat reasonable time. They both needed to get up in the morning.
"Well." Logan said with a sense of finality. "I think it is time for Patton and I to return home."
Virgil glanced at the clock on his wall. "Yeah." He agreed. "I think so too."
Logan rose from his seat, adjusting his waistcoat. "This has been very pleasant." He said, as it was the truth. Even if the topics they'd discussed had been uncomfortable, it had still been a nice evening.
Virgil smiled at him. "It has."
Logan then went over to the bedroom, opened the door, and woke the sleeping Patton.
"Wassit?" Patton mumbled sleepily, opening his eyes half way. He squinted at Logan.
Logan allowed himself to pet Patton's hair, as he knew that it was unlikely that he'd be able to do so any time in the near future. "Time to wake up." He said. "It's very late, or early depending on how you look at it, and we do need to make our way home."
Patton sat up, yawned, stretched. "Oh." He breathed, managing to open his eyes fully. "Okay."
He slumped against Logan, who steadied him. "Come on, let's get dressed."
Patton nodded. Then nodded again. "Yeah, yeah... I'm, I'll- yes."
It didn't take long to get Patton out of the bedroom and over to the door, even if he stumbled the entire way. He was clearly still sleepy, and still rather drunk.
Despite Patton's state, the two of them were soon fully dressed. Patton was leaning against Logan, who was supporting his weight.
"Thank you for tonight, Virgil." Logan said. "Hopefully, we'll return with good news shortly."
Patton snapped his fingers twice, gestured vaguely, and yawned. "Yes. That- mhm." He agreed.
Virgil smiled at both of them. "Thank you." He said earnestly, petting the cat that was now back in his arms. "Good bye for now, then."
Logan nodded. "Bye for now."
"Bye." Patton added. "Oh, and bye-bye to the kitty. She's very, very, very cute. Good kitty."
Virgil held out Charcoal to him, so that he could pet her one last time. Then, Logan and Patton left, Virgil closing the door behind him.
Right. It was time to get the half asleep Patton home.
~
Well outside, Patton's energy seemed to return, and instead of Logan leading Patton home, Patton took charge.
He walked with surprisingly steady steps, his arm laced in Logan's. "The cat was my favourite part." He said.
"Oh, really? I would've never assumed that." Logan replied, as he placed a cigarette between his lips.
His gaze wandered over the buildings surrounding them, memorising the area they were in. Some were clearly completely abandoned, some had stores, and some people seemed to live in.
"Oh hush." Patton said in a joking manner, as he tried to not step on the cracks. It did look a bit funny. As if he was performing some strange dance.
Logan kept studying their surroundings, methodically placing anything of note in his memory. Desmond & Sons, Restaurant, Shirley's Shoes, Prometheus's Books And Office Supplies, Johnson's Groceries, Aëtos's-
Logan lost his focus on the shop's signs as Patton suddenly tripped.
"Are you alright?" Logan asked him, crouching down to help Patton up from the pavement.
"Yeppers." Patton replied, rolling over to lay on his back as he'd fallen on his face. "Just stumbled over my feet."
Logan held out a hand, which Patton immediately took. He helped him back into standing position, brushing off any dirt that had ended up on his clothes. Patton wobbled slightly.
Maybe it was a better idea if Logan paid attention to Patton instead. He could always return another day. The shops would still be there, and-
Patton stumbled again, and Logan managed to quickly support him. "Let's get you home, doctor." He said.
Patton giggled. "I feel like a new born deer." He laughed, almost falling back down, and almost pulling Logan down with him.
Thankfully, Logan was steady. "Mhm." He hummed. "Can the new born deer walk home?"
Patton nodded happily. "I can." He said as he resumed his pace.
Logan hooked his arm with Patton's again, and they kept walking. Luckily, Patton did not trip a second time.
~
They arrived at 221B Bakerstreet right when the sun was starting to rise.
It had taken them quite some time to get back home, as Patton kept stopping randomly to tell Logan about how much he adored Charcoal.
He'd also chatted a lot about how fun he'd had, how much he'd enjoyed the speakeasy, how nice he found Virgil, and so on. Logan, meanwhile, had just listened, slowly smoking cigarette after cigarette.
If Patton had been sober, he would've told Logan to stop.
However, Patton wasn't sober, and this became an issue yet again, when the two of them finally made their way into the house they lived in.
Patton paused by the stairs, then stared at them with wide eyes. "Woah." He said. "That's a lot of stairs."
Logan sighed. Right. How was he supposed to help Patton up the stairs? Patton's room was above his, and as it was, Patton wasn't in a state well enough to make the journey up them on his own.
There was also another issue.
Miss Picani was asleep, and Logan wasn't interested in disturbing her. "We need to whisper." He whispered to Patton.
"Whyyy?" Patton replied, his whisper not at all quiet enough.
"Miss Picani is asleep." Logan informed him, as he took off his gloves. "Let's not wake her."
"You can just call her Emily." Patton replied, not whispering. "You've known her longer than you've known me, and-"
"Whisper." Logan whispered.
"Whoops." Patton's whisper was too loud again. "I'll just be quiet, I think."
Logan nodded. "I think that's a very good idea, Patton." He replied, which made Patton smile happily at him.
Logan looked at the stairs, then looked at Patton who was currently struggling to stand, and then he looked back at the stairs. He thought for a second.
He did have an idea, but it would affect him badly. He tried to think of another solution.
Unfortunately, he didn't have a better idea.
"I'm going to carry you." Logan told Patton.
"What?" Patton replied in surprise, forgetting that he'd just said that he was going to be quiet.
"Quiet." Logan said, lifting Patton off the floor, soon holding him in a bridal carry.
Patton's face turned red. Logan decided to ignore that fact.
Patton's arms wrapped around Logan, as Logan started to walk up the stairs.
Logan grit his teeth. Out of the two of them, he wasn't the strong one. Out of the two of them, he tried to avoid carrying heavy things. Out of the two of them, he was the one who had mild scoliosis, which meant that his back would definitely hate him the later.
Still, he managed to carry Patton all the way up to his bedroom.
He gently helped Patton to stand again, as he felt a bolt of pain rush through his back. He tried to ignore it, but Patton must've seen his expression, as his expression turned into concern.
"I could've crawled up the stairs." Patton said. "I don't want you to put strain on your back, as your doctor, I-"
Logan grimaced. His back definitely hadn't enjoyed that. "As your friend, I know that you would've fallen asleep in the stairscase." He said.
"Yes, but-" Patton began to say, but Logan cut him off again.
"And as your friend, can you save this conversation for the morning? I'd quite like to go to sleep, and you definitely need it." Logan said, opening the door to Patton's bedroom.
Patton didn't seem happy about the fact that Logan wouldn't let him speak, but he didn't say anything else.
Instead he just stepped into his bedroom, and Logan followed.
Patton sat down on his bed, yawning, as Logan started to unlace his shoes. "Tomorrow, you're going to experience the consequences of your decisions, and I assure you, it won't be fun." Logan said, now removing Patton's scarf and jacket.
"It'll be fine." Patton shrugged, pulling off his sweater. He yawned again.
Logan shook his head. "I doubt you fully understand what those consequences entail." He said, hanging the jacket on the back of the door.
He pulled out Patton's revolver out of the pocket, model M1917, and put it in the drawer in the bedside table.
He was about to tell Patton to change into sleepwear, but... Patton had already laid down, and seemed far too tired to do so.
"I'll just have to experience them, then." Patton replied to Logan, as he struggled to pull his blanket over him.
Logan sighed, helping Patton with the blanket. "I suppose you will." He said.
Patton smiled at him as he tucked him in. "Mhm." There was something strange in his eyes, a fondness Logan occasionally glimpsed. "You're very kind, did you know that?"
"I'm not that kind." Logan replied, trying to ignore the way Patton's gaze made him feel. "I'm just helping you go to bed."
Patton continued to smile sleepily at him, as Logan removed and folded his glasses. "You are kind." Patton countered, watching him place the glasses on the bedside table.
"Go to sleep, Patton." Logan replied, moving towards the door. "We can have this conversation tomorrow."
"We both know that won't happen." Patton said, yawning again. "You always avoid conversations you find uncomfortable, and-"
Logan ignored him. "Go to sleep."
"I will." Patton whispered, finally succeeding at it. He dropped the topic. "Good night, Lo."
"Good night." Logan said, stepping out of the room, but not before he'd watched Patton's eyes close.
He lingered in the doorway for a second, fighting an urge to crawl into the bed, to curl up next to Patton. He looked so comfortable.
He'd fallen asleep immediately.
"Good night." Logan whispered a second time.
~
Logan stepped into the livingroom, glancing at his cello. He knew it was too late to play on it, but still, he had an urge to. His mind was running through every single thought he'd had that evening.
He thought about the speakeasy, thought about Dee, thought about Roman's disappearance, thought about his conversations with Virgil, thought about dancing with Patton.
There was too much to think about, points he needed to connect, information he'd discovered, and how Patton had behaved.
He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the thoughts.
There was no point in dwelling on any of it at the moment. Better to let it all rest. He pulled Patton's journal out of his coat pocket, placing it on the table.
His back still hurt. It would continue to hurt the next day, but he was used to it. It would feel better if he went to sleep, he knew that.
As he thought, he slipped his hands back into his pockets, to pull out his lighter and cigarette case, as well as the one he'd found.
However, the one he'd found wasn't in his pocket anymore.
He patted his pockets, frantically looking for it. He pulled off his coat, checking the pockets of suit jacket, waistcoat, and trousers. It wasn't there.
At some point, someone must've taken it from him. At some point, someone must've thought it important enough to take.
Or... had he given it to anyone?
He checked his memory quickly. No. Of course he hadn't. He definitely hadn't. He'd put it in his pocket, and hadn't removed it at any point.
The cigarette case had definitely been stolen, but why?
Maybe-
Logan shook his head again. No, this wasn't the time to think about it. He glanced at the clock on the wall. He really ought to go to sleep.
He let out a sigh, and went over to his own bedroom. He opened the door, throwing his coat in the corner, then sat down on his bed. He ran a hand through his hair.
Better to just go to sleep. He had a lot of things to think about the next day. Far too many things.
Plus, he definitely had to make sure that Patton would be able to deal with the consequences of his actions.Logan did not look forward to that.
He continued to sit on the edge of his bed, considering whether or not he should change clothes. In the end, he decided not to. He was too tired, and was much more interested in sleeping.
Just like Patton, he fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.
Helloooooo! Here's another update! I currently have a migraine, which is making this all take slightly longer... but I'm having so much fun w this au, that I can't stop writing.
I just. Gotta. Write. On. It.
Anyway, hope yall enjoy the fic!
Logan, Patton, and Dee were all seated by a table in a corner of the speakeasy.
On their table, three glasses stood, each containing the same pastel yellow liquid. The one in front of Logan was half full. The one in front of Dee, was nearly empty. Whilst the one in front of Patton, hadn't been touched at all.
The latter was just staring at his drink, seemingly considering if he really should drink it. Dee and Logan, meanwhile, were politely conversing about nothing important.
"Not to be impolite, but we really ought to get on with the investigation." Logan said, when the conversation about string instruments had begun to bore him. Not that he found string instruments boring. Quite the opposite, actually, as he was a rather talented cellist. That said, the topic wasn't particularly useful to him at the moment.
"Ah, apologies." Dee said, smiling at Logan. He, as it turned out, was a bassist. "I'm just rather fond of string instruments, and couldn't help myself."
Logan doubted that he couldn't help himself, and thought that the topic had just been brought up as a distraction. "It's perfectly understandable." He said instead of bringing attention to the obvious distraction. "They're beautiful instruments."
Dee hummed, and sipped some of his drink. "They are." He agreed. His gaze wandered around the room, distractedly watching the people dancing.
"Now," Logan said, as he felt his focus sharpening. His mind clearing out all the unimportant distractions. "I have some questions to ask you."
He lightly elbowed Patton in the side, who snapped back into reality and immediately pulled up his journal from his pocket.
Dee lazily leaned back against the booth, shrugging lightly. "Go ahead." He said, twirling the drink in his glass.
"What's your name?" Logan began, but didn't actually expect to receive an answer.
"Not important." Dee said, putting his drink back on the table, only to then pull out an art deco cigarette case from his pocket. "Just call me Dee."He pulled out a cigarette holder, placed a cigarette in it, and put it between his lips.
Logan hummed. "If I understand this correctly, Roman Prince was employed here. Is this true?"
Dee nodded."It is indeed true, detective." He held out the case of cigarettes to the other two. "Want one?"
Patton shook his head immediately. "No thank you, I don't smoke."
Dee shrugged. "That's alright, honey." He smiled. He turned his gaze to Logan. "What about you?"
Logan narrowed his eyes. Dee was definitely not to be trusted. His clothes said nothing about him. Not really. He was well dressed, and everything just seemed to be nothing more than clothes. High quality clothes, but that was all.
Of course, he did fit in with the speakeasy itself, but when Logan and Patton arrived, they'd already known that he was the owner. Virgil had told them so.
However,
The fact that the clothes didn't say anything about Dee, the fact that the buttons were plain, that his gloves were covering his hands, and that he'd appeared right when Logan and Patton were talking to Virgil, told Logan something else.
Dee had been expecting them.
"I do, on occasion." Logan replied.
Dee cocked an eyebrow. "And is this one of those occasions?"
Logan nodded, lighter already in his hand. "It is." He confirmed, picking out a cigarette from the case. He lit his own cigarette, then lit Dee's for him.
Patton frowned. As a doctor, he'd noticed how his patients that did smoke often seemed to have breathing troubles, whilst the ones that didn't, seemed to be in better shape in general.
He frequently informed Logan of this, but could never make an argument convincing enough. At most, he'd been able to make Logan smoke less, but that was it.
Logan ignored Patton's frown. "Dee." He said, blowing out smoke. "Would I be correct to assume that you use a cane?"
Patton turned to look at Logan with surprise.
He saw Dee's eyebrows rise, genuine, pleased, surprise colouring his face. "I do, yes." He responded. "How did you know?"
"You walk with a very slight limp, barely noticeable to most. In fact, it's so well disguised that I highly doubt anyone, but me, would notice." He said, pleased with himself.
There was a sparkle in Dee's eyes. "Well done." He replied. "What more can you tell me?"
Logan smiled. "That you knew that we were coming, didn't you?"
Dee took a drag of his cigarette. "I'm not denying that claim, but what makes you so sure?"
"Your clothes." Logan responded.
"His clothes?" Patton asked, journal still in hand, but the page was blank. "What do you mean?"
Logan gestured to Dee. "Look at him, what can you tell me, based on his clothes?" He asked.
Logan did this occasionally. Ever since the two of them met, he'd been slowly teaching Patton how he read people so well. He'd taught him how to look for the small details. The things people didn't pay attention to.
Patton's eyebrows furrowed. "I..." He trailed off, now studying Dee more intensely. "I can't tell you anything. Not more than what we already know."
"Which...?"Logan promoted, enjoying this as he always did.
"Which means that, oh!" Patton gasped. "He deliberately chose clothes that wouldn't tell us anything! Oh! That's-" He turned to Logan. "Have I told you that you're brilliant?"
"Yes, Watson you have, quite frequently actually." Logan smiled back, playing with the cigarette between his fingers.
"You make a cute couple." Dee commented, casually.
Patton paused, dropping his smile immediately. "Oh, um, we're not, I mean, I'm not-" He looked down at his journal. A blush rose on his cheeks, as he avoided eye contact, fidgeting with his pen.
"A nance?" Dee asked, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Could've fooled me."
Logan shook his head. "No, out of the two of us, I'm the only queer. We're simply just friends." He explained, whilst Patton kept quiet.
Dee laughed. "Sure." He didn't seem convinced.
"Either way, back to the topic," Logan brushed it off. He didn't particularly enjoy how ashamed Patton seemed to be. How uncomfortable the topic made the other. Patton always avoided it, and whilst he never seemed to have anything against Logan being a queer, he always began to act odd when someone assumed he was queer as well. Some part of Logan felt a bit hurt by that. Not that he ever said so. "So... I assume you know who we are?"
"You make a lot of assumptions, Holmes. You should be careful with them." Dee replied, but not unkindly. "You're right though, I do know. It's rather difficult to not know who you are. Your doctor does write about your... adventures in the papers."
Oh, right. Of course. Logan always forgot about that. "Right, of course." He replied, he glanced at Patton. "He does."
Patton had gone back to silently staring at his drink.
"So, forgive me if I don't particularly trust either of you." Dee said. "In the papers, you're often described as working with the police. I don't think you need me to explain why that makes me cautious."
"No, it makes perfect sense to me." Logan replied, tapping his cigarette to free it from ash. "Though, I will say that I'm not affiliated with them. I merely want credit for the cases I've solved before they take it. It doesn't always work, of course, but what can you do?"
"Personally, I have no interest in destroying what you've worked for, and all I want is to find out what has happened to Roman Prince. You don't need to trust me, but some cooperation and help would be very appreciated."
Dee took a long drag of his cigarette, squinting at them in silence. Then he sighed. "Very well," he said. "I suppose I'll help you a bit," He paused and let his eyes wander around the room again. "I'll answer your questions, but don't be surprised if I don't say everything. It can never hurt to be cautious."
"Thank you." Logan replied. "So, Roman is employed here?" He asked again, to bring the conversation back on track.
Dee nodded. "He is. He's a singer, a rather talented one I must admit, and his disappearance has hit the establishment rather hard."
Patton's interest was suddenly piqued. "So... you're saying that you're not involved?" He asked.
Dee's expression soured, seeming rather offended. "No, I'm not involved. What are you suggesting? That I decided to bump-off the person who brings in the most money?" He asked, slightly irritated.
Logan quickly decided to diffuse the situation. "Watson isn't suggesting that, we're just asking the necessary questions. As of right now, everyone is a suspect in one way or another, that includes you and the young Mr Storm."
Dee didn't seem fully pleased with the answer. "I see." He responded.
"Moving on," Logan said, as irritating Dee further didn't seem like a good idea. "When did you last see him? Was there anything...odd about his behaviour?"
Dee went silent, and thought for a second. "Well, the last time I saw him was about a week ago, right after his shift. He didn't appear to be in any sort of distress at the time, and he was behaving as he usually does, that is, he was being rather dramatic about everything. If something was troubling him, I wouldn't know. He's an actor, after all. Rather good one at that."
Patton's pen was scratching against the paper, which was now slowly filling with words. "Were you the last one to see him?" He asked.
Dee shook his head. "No, honey," he replied. "I think the last one who saw him was his brother, actually."
"His brother?" Logan asked. Now, that was rather important information to him.
"Yes, his brother." Dee confirmed. "More accurately, his identical twin brother. Didn't Virgil tell you? They both work here."
Patton shook his head. "No, Mr Storm only gave us some very basic information about this. Poor kiddo was rather nervous when he came to us, so it must've slipped from his mind."
"Well, that does sound like Virgil." Dee agreed.
Logan leaned forward. "You said that he works here as well? Would you mind elaborating on that?"
Dee shrugged. "You can ask him yourself, he's over there." He replied pointing his head to the left.
Logan followed the direction with his eyes, and saw a man flirting with one of the customers. He was sitting in the other man's lap, his hand cupping the other’s cheek, as he seemed to whisper something in his ear.
"Oh." Logan said, intelligently, just as the two men began to kiss.
Dee rolled his eyes, clearly used to the behaviour. "Remus! Bank's closed!" He shouted across the room.
The man in question seemed rather annoyed at the command. "Really, Jan? I was just starting to have fun!" He shouted back.
"Well, that's putting it lightly." Patton whispered under his breath.
"Get over here." Dee replied to Remus. "We've got two people who want to ask you some questions."
Remus groaned in annoyance, but slid off the other man who seemed disappointed at the interruption. Remus leaned forward, kissed the man on the cheek, and made his way over to the others. "This better be interesting, or I'm leaving." He said, sitting down next to Dee.
"Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Remus Prince, Roman's twin brother." Dee said, gesturing to the man next to him.
"Hello, gents." Remus smiled, leaning over the table slightly, to be able to shake their hands. "Are you looking for some fun? For something dirty? We could head to my dressing room, and-"
"Remus." Dee scolded, hitting the other on the back of his hand. "That's not what they're here for."
"Killjoy." Remus frowned, sinking down in his seat.
Patton coughed awkwardly, spinning his pen between his fingers. "Um, yeah, uh, we'd just like to ask you a few questions."
Logan inspected the man across the table. Up close, he quite clearly was the identical twin of Roman. They had the same face and the same build, but the similarities stopped there.
Whilst Roman was always dressed well in each picture Logan had seen, with his hair styled to perfection and with a clean-shaven face, Remus was the opposite.
He was dressed in an abundance of jewellery, pearl necklaces stacked on top of each other, with his shirt buttoned dangerously low. His shirt was a dark green, and his trousers were black. On his feet were a pair of kitten heels, sparkling in the light of the room, and he seemed to be wearing stockings. Hanging loosely over his arms was a black ostrich boa, with tassels at the ends.
On his eyelids, he had purple eyeshadow, and the surrounding eye makeup was very much according to the latest fashion, with an exception of his brows. His lipstick was also fashionable, and above his mouth he had a mustache.
The last thing that separated him from Roman, was the white in his hair, which did appear to be natural.
"Yes." Logan said. "We'd like to ask you some questions regarding the disappearance of your brother."
Remus sighed, and turned to Dee. "Really? That's why you called me over? Ugh, that's so boooring." He whined. "Daddy, can you at least give me a kiss first?"
Dee put up his hand. "Check." He responded. "Maybe later. Right now, this is more important."
"Fiiine." Remus said, pouting dramatically. He turned his attention to Logan and Patton. "Hit me, what ya wanna know?"
