As Logan stood with his spine pressed against the wall, arms tied together at his back, with Roman at his side, he wondered what he could’ve done differently to change this outcome. 

“I don’t understand.” Roman muttered, shaking his head. “This is a joke, right? You two are pranking me?” 

“Shut up.” Patton growled, dialing a number on his phone. “I swear to god, I’m going to shoot you right in the fucking mouth.” He sneered, holding the phone up to his ear.

Logan exhaled shakily. Maybe this was it. Maybe his recklessness had finally killed him. It was only a matter of time, considering how much he had been getting into gangs recently. 

“Hello?” Patton murmured into the phone. “It’s me. He found out.” He paused, presumably listening to the person on the other end. “No, he’s still alive. For now.” He glanced at Roman, who paled.

“Oh, god.” Roman whispered, breathing going a bit erratic. “We’re going to die.”

“Don’t think like that.” Logan quickly told him. “We’re going to be fine, okay? We’re not gonna die.” 

“You don’t know that.” Roman shook his head, looking over at him. “How...how long have you been keeping this from me? How long have you known that my best friend killed my brother?” 

“I only found out today.” Logan reassured him. “I haven’t been keeping this from you.” 

“I don’t understand.” Roman squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head again. “Why? Why?” 

“I’ll explain everything to you once we get out of this, okay?” Logan promised. “I need you to take a deep breath. Calm down.” 

“I can’t.” Roman curled in on himself. “I can’t do this--” 

“Yes, you can.” Logan asserted. “Your name is Roman Prince, you are fine. Can you say that for me? Your name is Roman Prince, and you are fine.” 

“M-My name--” His breath hitched in an attempt to keep the incoming panic attack at bay, “--My name is Ro-Roman Prince, and I’m fine.” 

“Say it again. Can you say it again?” 

“I’m Roman Prince, and I am f-fine.” He opened his eyes, which were glassy with tears. 

“Deep breaths, Ro. You’re doing great.” Logan wasn’t sure why he was so calm. Maybe it was because this wasn’t the first time his life was in immediate danger. Maybe, in some morbid way, he had gotten used to it. 

“Do you really think everything is going to be okay?” Roman asked him, desperately seeking reassurance.

“I’m positive.” Logan nodded. “You trust me, right?” 

“About as far as I can throw you.” Roman laughed humorlessly. “But I’ll trust you right now, okay? Promise you’re not lying?”

"I--"

“Shut. Up.” Patton snarled, glaring at the two of them. His gaze lingered on them for a moment, before he returned to his phone call.

Roman paled, and Logan scowled.

Distantly, he wondered what Remus was doing in the current moment. Maybe he heard the commotion in the hallway? Maybe he was still waiting for Logan to return?

The thought was somewhat sickening. Remus, someone who had been isolated for a whole year, finally finding someone to talk to, and then being abandoned by them right before they saved him from his eternal isolation.

He needed to get back to his apartment, for Remus’ sake. 

“Why are you doing this?” Logan asked Patton. “Anne-Marie Ågren is in prison. She won’t be able to pay you.” 

Roman’s face lit up in recognition. No doubt remembering when Logan mentioned her a few weeks ago. 

“Do you think you’re the first person to put her behind bars?” Patton rose a brow, hanging up his phone. “She’s been in prison plenty of times. It’s only a matter of time before she’s released and comes hunting you down.”

Logan frowned. "Released?"

“Eyes and ears everywhere, Lo-Lo.” Patton smirked at him, then turned his attention to Roman. “This must be quite a shock for you.” 

“Understatement of the century.” Roman said, and it might have been funny if he wasn’t on the verge of hyperventilation. “So you’ve just been...watching me? For all these years?”

“Well, I’ve been doing a little more than that.” Patton scoffed. “Your brother sacrificed his life for you, I was left to pick up the pieces.”

“What?” Roman’s eyes widened. “Wh-What--That--What do you mean?”

Patton hummed. “You really are clueless, huh? How cute.” 

“What do you mean by that, Patton?” Roman asked again, something desperate in his voice. “For me? What do you mean he sacrificed his life for me?” 

Patton didn’t respond, an emotion akin to pity in his eyes. 

Logan looked away from Roman.

“You’re lying.” Roman laughed incredulously, his breathing speeding up. “You’re lying. I spent so long thinking that it was my fault, are you telling that--that I was right?” He shook his head, tears building in his eyes. 

“Roman, no.” Logan murmured. “It wasn’t your fault, Ro. It wasn’t at all.”

“Wasn’t it?” Patton rose a brow, crossing his arms. Logan glared at him. 

"You shut your mouth." He growled.

“If Roman wasn’t in the picture, maybe Remus would still be alive.” Patton shrugged. “The same could be said about the Jakobsen brothers.” 

“Janus and Virgil?” Roman drew his brows together. “What--?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about your brother, Ro.” Patton spoke in a sickeningly sweet voice. “He had a lot of secrets.” 

Roman apparently didn’t know what to say to that, staring at Patton with an emotion that Logan couldn’t quite decipher. 

“So what are you going to do with us, huh?” Logan asked, changing the subject. 

“Me? Nothing.” Patton shrugged. “The guys I just called, though? Well, I’d worry more about them.” 

“Wh-What are they going to do?” Roman asked shakily. 

Patton grinned. “Just imagine the sob story I’ll have. My best friend and neighbor, killed in a robbery.” 

Roman paled, looking frantically between Logan and Patton. “What?” 

“What about the security footage?” Logan questioned quickly, ignoring the spike of fear that had seized him. “Won’t they see you pull a knife on us?” 

Patton rolled his eyes. “Silly, Lo-Lo. Do you think I’m dumb?” He laughed. “I memorized the locations of the cameras years ago. I kept my knife hidden from the one in the hallway.” 

Logan grit his teeth, trying to keep calm. 

“We’re going to die.” Roman had gone dangerously pale, eyes glassy and defeated. “I’ll never...I won’t...I won’t get to go on Broadway.” 

Logan frowned. That’s what he was concerned about?

“What?” Patton barked out a laugh, apparently finding Roman’s statement just as odd as Logan did.

“I promised him--I said--You have to let me go!” Roman was trembling, tears spilling over his eyes. “Please, I can’t die here! I’ll have failed him!” 

“Oh!” Patton’s eyes widened, before he sighed. “That’s what this is about? Even in death, Remus’ influence on you is unparalleled, huh?” 

Logan furrowed his brow. Remus?

“Please!” Roman begged, dissolving into sobs. “I’ll do whatever you say! I-I won’t tell anyone about this--I’ll act like nothing happened!”

“Can’t do that, I’m afraid.” Patton shook his head. “Sorry, kiddo.”

“Please, Patton. I’ll do anything!” Roman pleaded.

Patton paused. "Anything?" He echoed.

Logan frowned. Roman just had to say that, huh? 

Patton smirked. “Well, this just got interesting.” He mused, examining Roman critically. 

Roman shifted anxiously, but maintained eye contact with Patton.

“Would you even kill Lo?” Patton asked curiously, and Logan had seen that coming from a mile away. Honestly, it didn’t even alarm him anymore.

“What?” Roman’s eyes widened. “I--”

“You said you would do anything. Is that really true?” Patton tilted his head. 

“I--” Roman had gone terribly pale. “I could never. Lucille is my friend.” He told Patton, though he was shaking like a leaf.

Logan frowned. Seriously? He couldn’t even get his name right now? 

“Isn’t Remus important to you, though?” Patton smirked. “You’re willing to abandon the promise you made to your twin brother for some guy you barely know? What would Remus say?”

If Logan had to guess, Remus would probably say something along the lines of: ‘Promise? What promise?’

“Remus wouldn’t want this.” Roman shook his head. “He wouldn’t.”

“Are you sure?” Patton asked. “How well did you know your brother? Did you know about his real job? What about Dr. Emile Picani? Or how about Ms. Ågren?”

“Didn’t you say that we shouldn’t be using their names so flippantly?” Logan sneered. 

“Well, you shouldn’t. I can say them all I want.” Patton shrugged.

“Remus was a good person.” Roman glowered at Patton. “He was generous, he was brave, and he was my brother. He wouldn’t want this.” 

“You’re in denial.” Patton sighed, as if he felt pity. “The Remus you knew wasn’t real. He was lying to you, Ro. Open your eyes.”

“You’re wrong.” Logan spat. “You didn’t know him.”

“And you did?” Patton scoffed. “Or do you know the ‘ghost’ of him, the one living in your apartment?” 

Roman glanced at Logan unsurely, as if just remembering that he had claimed to see ghosts.

“I wasn’t lying about that.” Logan asserted. “He really is there.”

“Are you listening to him, Roman?” Patton turned to him. “He’s completely delusional.” 

Roman pursed his lips. “I trust him.” He mumbled, though he didn’t sound quite as confident as Logan would have liked.

There was a knock at the door.

Patton’s expression lit up. “Oh! They’re here!” He chirped, walking over to the door. 

Logan and Roman both tensed.

“Stay calm.” Logan murmured. “Don’t freak out.” 

“Okay.” Roman forced out, though he was very clearly freaking out. 

Patton opened the door, and the smile slipped from his face. 

“Hey, Patton. Do you know where…?” He trailed off, looking inside the apartment, directly at Roman and Logan.

Janus furrowed his brow.

A/N:

SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG