Chapter Text
Stupid.
It was all stupid. This whole idea. This trip. Stupid.
Maybe, and that was a big maybe, if Valerie was getting married for real, and not the masquerade they knew it to be, going to test the waters by looking (illegally!!) for her future husband might have been justified.
But for that, they would have to find him. Find anyone, in fact.
Because, of course, they were lost.
Janus looked as unenthusiastic as Logan himself, and maybe even more so, for being cold-blooded in Borealis’ autumn couldn't be comfortable. Roman and Remus were confident, Remus probably because he loved being lost, Roman because he was still convinced that they would miraculously stumble upon the fiancé, alone in the middle of the forest, and that they could pick him up in a tree or something.
As most of the time, Patton was doing the best. He was just happy to take a walk in the woods with his friends.
The experience was not a total waste of time for Logan, though. They had seen little wildlife, but the flora here was fascinating.
Ehem. And he could also admire his friends.
Roman's almost princely clothes stood out splendidly against the dark green of the foliage. Patton, meanwhile, was beaming with joy and adorably curious. Besides, they weren't openly affectionate towards each other, sparing Logan the usual touch of jealousy and melancholy.
And, oh. They had found someone. Wow.
***
Logan wasn't by any means an expert when it came to emotions, but it wasn't normal to be scared like that, right?
It had started relatively innocently. Virgil had been adorably shy as he introduced himself, before falling silent as they walked towards the village. When it became clear that they would not be finding the fiancé today (which he told them so!), Logan managed to convince the young Borealian to tell them about the local flora and fauna. Virgil had a delightful little blush when they referred to "his" forest.
Logan spent the next few minutes analysing any and all information he managed to extract from the young man, who was surprisingly hesitant for someone who knew so much.
He started to suspect something around lunchtime. There could have been several reasons why Virgil wasn’t eating, but added to his surprise when they mentioned it, his thinness and his categorical refusal that they shared, it became increasingly worrying. Logan thought of a cultural nuance they didn't understand, until he saw Patton's expression.
He had made a mistake in judgment not even an hour ago, assuming that Virgil's light clothing only had to do with his habituation to the cold, and he had had to press against him to realize he was frozen. Seeing him curled up in Roman's coat was very satisfying (he had rubbed his face on the soft fabric of the sleeves a few times when he thought no one was looking at him), and Logan wanted to content him with the food as well. But he refused.
Once he noticed it, he couldn't get it out of his head, and he couldn’t stop seeing other details. Virgil was shy to the point of fear, always assumed they were addressing someone other than him, apologized too much. He clearly enjoyed their company, especially playing Werewolf, where he was playful and delighted, but at times an exhausted and empty expression took over him, exacerbating his dark circles and the thinness of his face.
He didn't mention any family or friends.
By the time they had to leave, Logan's thoughts (and that of the others, most likely) had little to do with Borealis, or the fiancé.
Showing his usual pride, Roman pretended not to be cold when Virgil gave him back his coat, which was pretty funny, but Logan, too, wished he had some clothing to offer him. It wasn't good for him to have cold fingers like that for so long. At least Patton quietly offered him some food.
When the young man raised his hand one last time to wave them off, Logan caught a glimpse of a mark where his sleeve had rolled up.
The young humanoids remained silent for long minutes as they walked towards the creek.
"We'll see him again at the wedding," said Roman at last.
"We're going to do more than see him," Patton promised with determination.
“Oh no, please don't tell me we're going to adopt him,” Janus whined, but he fooled no one.
Remus' silence was starting to get worrying, but Logan tried to remain optimistic. As soon as they returned to Sylve-Terre, they could share their discovery with an adult, probably Thomas and Tamara, and set up a game plan before they returned North for the wedding. Hopefully, this was just a misunderstanding.
Strangely, that didn't stop Logan from wanting to turn around, go find Virgil and bring him back with them.