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Logan paces hastily across the hideout stage, his flustered ramblings laced with an unyielding fire, "I've got half a mind to go back there right now and bring 'er here. Haru already tried talkin' me out of it. Speak up if you're thinkin' the same, Grace. She... she was supposed to be one of the best things that ever happened to that town, our silver lining in this… this mess. I mean... after everything, she must've said somethin' to you, you had to've talked with her, she... she can't be Duvos, can she...? You've told me time an' time again she jumps at every chance she's got to protect Sandrock, so why is it when I'm standin' right in front of 'er, public enemy number one, she looks me dead in the eyes a-and... I... I finally felt some ease knowin' they're in good hands, but… now..."

Exchanging a worried glance, it's clear to Grace and Haru that the events of this morning have sent Logan spiraling, they've never seen him behave like this before. They sit quietly and try their best to interpret his delirium, quickly realizing that his patience is wearing dangerously thin, his demeanor a long overdue consequence of the hefty burden he bears. 

"I mean, it ain't like I got a problem with Pen showin' up with a relic weapon you claim you knew nothin' 'bout, blastin' me an' that Water Tower sky-high. So he's a bad guy, I can't pretend like this is the first time it's crossed my mind. In fact, I might just consider that little exchange to be a boon for us, a free piece of information. But how come as I'm gettin' ready to clear out, the Builder has the perfect opportunity to take me down, no one else in sight, and she just... lets me go? Y-you gotta help me understand it, Grace, or so help me I..."

Right now, the implications of a loose relic weapon and a destroyed Water Tower feel unfathomable, each directly impacting Sandrock's future in intangible ways. This was without question, the last thing they could have ever prepared for and this mission's worst imaginable outcome. Yet somehow, in the face of it all, the one thing that may actually break Logan's psyche, is you. Today's encounter has left him reeling, his inability to decide if he trusts you or not means you've unexpectedly become his greatest problem.

"Logan..." Haru pleads, desperately trying to calm him down once more.

"No, Haru, enough!" Logan barks, his temper flaring. He suddenly stops, gripping the back of his yakmel horn chair as he turns to Grace for answers. Despite his fury, his gaze has never seemed so cold, "Grace... I need you... to answer me. Please, Grace..."

"Look," Grace begins tepidly, "I saw the whole thing, okay? I've never seen her freeze like that. I couldn't just go ask her what happened, I had to walk away because of our situation, remember? This entire time… you have no idea how difficult it's been to not say a word to her. I trust her, she's my best friend, it's just..."

Grace sighs and looks pleadingly at Haru for support, trying her best to appear unphased. The truth is, she's just as distressed as Logan, they both are, "you already know the answer. I don't need to tell you that it's a bad idea, plain and simple. I'm not going to let you ruin everything you've worked for, jeopardize everything we've learned, just because you're angry. Haru and I are angry too, you do realize that, right? Pen pulling that stunt is exactly why I'm terrified of compromising my relationship with her, I'm too close. I've always assumed the worst of Pen, but I never expected him to have a relic weapon. What if I'm wrong about her, what if she really is Duvos? I know she isn't, but can we risk it? Everything is entirely too suspicious right now and you know it, we have to be smart about this."

Logan groans in frustration, hanging his head briefly before shoving himself away from his chair. Deep down, he knows Grace is right. He hesitates for a moment, but resumes pacing, his discursive state abruptly returning, "alright, fine. You say you're her best friend, right? Give me one good reason that explains why she'd do that then. Why... why would she just let me go? There has to be a reason... she caught me by surprise... she... she had me..."

He trails off as his drifting thoughts consume him, pausing to sit down on the edge of the stage with a deep sigh. Defeated, he stares at the ground, his voice coming out weakly, "the look in her eyes... I can't make sense of it. Did... did she let me go on purpose...? But why, why would she...?"

Burying his face in his hands, he finally goes quiet. They look at him sadly, unsure what to say.

Moving to sit down beside him, Grace rests her hand on Logan's shoulder.

"Please Grace," Logan whispers, "please talk to 'er. Make sure she ain't Duvos, do whatever you need to do, just..."

She nods and lets a small, reassuring smile appear on her face, "I will, just give me some time."

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"Logan! Loooogan! Get ready!" Haru shouts distantly into the next cavern as he sprints ahead of you, his lead just large enough that you're unable to hear him clearly.

Hurtling yourself forward, you race after him and call out, "w-wait, where do you think you're going?!" 

Logan shifts impatiently in his seat as he watches you two speeding down the path towards him, promptly preparing for your arrival. Haru narrowly beats you and skids to a stop behind Logan, panting wildly to catch his breath. 

So… you're finally here, Logan thinks to himself, this has been a long time comin'.

Blindly rushing towards Haru, your attention briefly drifts to the other presence in the room, and who you discover causes you to stop dead in your tracks. 

Logan.

How can he… I… I can't believe it's him. Ged was telling the truth...

So much time has passed since you last saw him that you began to equate his existence to that of a ghost, the possibility of his appearance seemingly lost to the desert wilds. You instinctively drop into a defensive stance when he lifts his head to meet your eyes, the wave of anxiety that washes over you serving as a stark, unsettling reminder of the looming danger you're in. You never imagined that he would actually be here, and even now that you're standing in front of him, you still find yourself consumed with disbelief.

Logan's resounding voice echoes off the walls of the cave as he begins to speak, his callous tone startling you, "Builder... we finally come face to face... heard you're also a Corps member now, so you've come for my head. Well, I ain't gonna make it easy for ya."

Haru raises a hand to stop Logan, trying to warn him of his experience, "Logan, this Builder's a tough one, I think..."

"It's okay. Stay outta this one Haru..."

"... fine."

Logan leaps from his chair and lands threateningly before you, the dagger he's holding in his hand glinting in the sunlight. He motions for you to come forward and demands with a roar, "draw!"

You smirk and unsheath your own daggers assertively, determined to exude the confidence you so desperately need. The nerves you felt the last time you fought him have come flooding back, his presence was enough to make you restless then. Without Justice and Unsuur for support, you're scrambling to strategize how you'll face him alone. Dismissing the memory of his unwavering strength, you remind yourself that your defeat marked the moment that you vowed he, under no circumstances, would ever get the better of you again, the thought swiftly renewing your conviction.

"Heard you're all that, show me," Logan prods as he circles you. As your eyes trace his movements, you can tell that he's watching you closely, curious to see if you'll make the first move.

Uncertain if it's the arrogance in his voice or your mounting adrenaline, his inciting words cause your fears to recede in an instant. You feel yourself smiling as you conclude that you have never wanted to teach someone a lesson this badly, coming to terms with what you have to do.  

"Fine," you quip, unable to control your newfound excitement as you tighten your grip on your daggers, "I've been waiting far too long for this."

You launch at him with zero hesitation. Logan lets out an earnest laugh, impressed at your ambition as he easily deflects your first strike. In an act of preemptive kindness, he decides to restrain himself to let you test the waters, a strategic caveat to evaluate you one-on-one. His weak defense confuses you as he flits around you, but only momentarily. When you decode his intentions, you quickly shift tactics, allowing your advances to become increasingly aggressive to force him to heed to the rules of his own game. Logan grins at your perceptiveness and is satisfied enough to relinquish his patience, interpreting your actions as permission to hastily begin the onslaught you remember.

The metallic clashing of daggers rings out through the cave while Haru watches intently from the sidelines, his fingertips resting anxiously against his lips. When Logan first hatched this plan, Haru was a little nervous for you, he knew that Logan wanted to push you to the limit. A true test, he called it. To Haru, it never mattered how good of a fighter you were, he was always more interested in your skills as a builder. Grace's high-sung praises were ultimately why he even decided to go along with the idea in the first place. Now, with the day finally here, Haru's letting things play out to humor Logan, but after his interaction with you earlier, his bets of who wins this are on you.

The two of you readily fall into a rhythm as you feed off of each other's fevered maneuvers, the dizzying exchange likening to a well choreographed dance. Logan's surprised at you, every time he tries to rattle you by doing something new, you effortlessly hold your ground.

Camouflaged in the form of masterful strikes and perfectly executed dodges, you start to realize that Logan's militancy is intentional. Little by little, he's chipping away at you in an effort to see what you're made of, what you can do. He's relentless as he endures your deft requitals, there hasn't been a moment between his advances that he's retreated more than a few feet away from you and at this point, you're exhausted, every muscle in your body is begging for mercy. You aren't sure how much longer you can hold him off if things continue like this, but you steel your resolve and refuse to falter, ready to do whatever it takes, even if it means venturing well beyond the point of what you can handle. 

For Logan, it's been a long time since he's been met with such opposition in a fight like this, his mind presently engulfed by your skilled taunts. The ferocity behind his attacks stems from a place of eagerness, desperate to see if he can gain the upper hand. The brief moments you lock eyes, you're helpless to notice the fire in his. He's watching you with such intensity that you can't linger for long, his eyes swiftly taking note of every small movement you make with anticipation.

In the background, Grace sneaks in and takes her place alongside Haru on the stage with a nervous smile, bewildered at the frenzied scene unfolding before her, "uh... how's it going Haru?"

Haru smiles to himself, knowing that there is no denying that Logan is lost in the moment, having long forgotten what the true purpose of this "test" really was. Haru's subsequent observations of you intrigue him, he didn't anticipate seeing the mirrored stubbornness of his friend in you. It's evident that winning this match, for each of you, is now a matter of unshackling suppressed pride.

"I've never seen anyone hold their own against him like this, not since his sparring days with Howlett," Haru smirks and teases, "not even when he fought you when we all met."

Grace chuckles and rolls her eyes, but it doesn't take much for her to know he's right, she didn't expect things to get this heated between you two. She monitors your movements from the stage with folded arms, pacing slowly like an observant teacher. She tilts her head with an amused smile and winces playfully when you land yet another solid blow, "ouch… she's definitely not holding back is she? Serves him right for putting her through all this."

"How much longer do you think he's going to keep this up?"

"I'm not sure. I know we agreed that she should be a little hurt after her 'fall', but I can't have her going back to Sandrock in pieces. I think he's made his point."

"Maybe we..."

Haru trails off, not feeling the need to finish the sentence. Grace nods a little and sighs. It's time to put an end to this.

I'm running out of moves, you think to yourself, whatever I do he matches tenfold. I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up.

Unless...

You unexpectedly roll away from him to gain some distance, looking back defiantly with a mischievous smile. Logan looks confused, but smirks and warily watches you, readying himself to counter whatever stunt you're about to pull.

Have it your way then, you asked for it.  

Rocking on your heels for momentum, you're at his side in a flash. Despite his preparation, your speed catches him off-guard and he doesn't have time to react. He swings at you out of instinct, your daggers striking briefly before you pummel into him with everything you have. Your strength is enough to knock him to the ground and he slides for a moment, leaving a dust cloud in his wake. The fall rips Logan's mask from his face, leaving him temporarily exposed as he hurriedly adjusts it, the dust preventing you from seeing.

Impressed but not deterred, he stands and brushes himself off, keen to come to blows with you once more. You reposition yourself in response, impatiently awaiting his next move as your body provisionally forgets its exhaustion, enthralled with the challenge of it all.

Though it may be foolish, in the small moment that you stand there staring at each other, you decide to egg him on, "you still seriously haven't had enough? Not a very smart move from the bandit king… or is this part of your charm that I've heard so much about?"

Logan laughs heartily, unwilling to admit defeat and unsure what to do with you, he takes the bait and leaps back into action at full speed. You grin, dashing to meet him.

Just as you're about to collide, a gust of wind sends you both flying backwards and without warning, a blurred figure suddenly stands between you. Clumsily skidding to a stop, you steady yourself and look up, your eyes widening in disbelief.

Grace?! 

"I think that's enough," she says sternly to Logan with a glare, her hand resting scoldingly on her hip.

"Grace!" Logan exclaims with a huff, sounding like a child who's had their new toy taken away. Frustrated at the interruption, he shoots her a look and reluctantly stands down, sheathing his blades. Unbeknownst to you, seeing Grace is a sobering reminder of the real reason you're here.

Logan turns to walk away and you notice he's avoiding your gaze, his fiery demeanor has all but disappeared as he calmly replies, "yeah... I've seen enough. We picked the right person."

What just... happened?

You blink a few times to make sure you aren't hallucinating, desperately trying to catch your breath. Logan's abrupt departure coupled with Grace's appearance has left you dazed. It feels as though the ground beneath your feet has collapsed, the adrenaline inside you spilling rapidly into the abyss. It's becoming clear that the friendly rivalry you felt with him has ended.

Fighting him was... exhilarating.

I know he felt it too…

… why did it have to end?  

"Let's talk."

Grace's distant voice frees you from your thoughts. She motions for you to follow with a sheepish smile, her eyes inspecting you carefully to make sure you're alright. Looking down with a nod, you slowly trail behind her, uncertain of what's to come.

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One by one, you each gather around the campfire, and the serious mood in the room leaves you uncertain on how to act. Credulously following Grace's lead, you make yourself as small as possible as you sit down beside her. You're doing your best to calm down, but your body is starting to show signs of its fatigue, proof to the three of them that you aren't as invincible as everyone says you are. Grace's acuity picks out the subtle redness that lines what little she can see of your palms as you try to hide your trembling hands, the result of your tight grip on your weapons during the fight.

Part of you is furious that she's here, but in a way, you couldn't be more thankful to see her. You look at her directly, your voice stern and uneasy, "Grace, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry…" she replies hesitantly, "I had no choice but to hide my identity. In fact, I've been working with Logan all along…" she sighs softly, unsure just how much to reveal, her eyes shifting to Logan as she continues to answer you, "I saw you fall off that cliff and followed you inside."

You glare slightly at her because you know she's not telling you the whole truth, your irritation fueled by the fact that she's your best friend and her act isn't fooling you, you see right through her. Biting your tongue, you try to appear cordial as you follow her gaze to meet Logan's. He's staring at her, but you can tell that he's keeping an eye on you, and you quickly discern that their silent conversation means that there's more to what she said than you realize.

Thanks to your quick thinking, you smirk softly and crack a small joke to distract from everyone's anxiousness, your true intention to bide yourself some time to digest the situation, "I knew Logan wasn't a bad guy!"  

Both Logan and Haru chuckle a little to themselves, surprised at your bold statement. For a moment, you feel Logan lower the invisible wall between you as he briefly meets your eyes and replies with a gentle tease, "I like this Builder already…"

You smile widely at him and shrug bashfully because of his riposte, happy that it seems to have done the trick. 

Grace smirks at your jesting, appreciative of your attempt to lighten the mood, using it as a prompt to give Logan permission to begin, "get on with it."

Logan sighs deeply, leaning forward with laced hands, his elbows resting on his knees. The atmosphere instantly reverts back to a pensive one as he looks from Grace to Haru, his voice heavy with trepidation, "let me start from the very beginning…"

That is the last cheerful moment you all share for quite some time as they delve into their solemn explanation of what's really going on in Sandrock. It is a heavy hearted tale, one that unequivocally makes you feel both deep-seated outrage and unbelievable sadness. Their story gives further insight into Howlett's illness and unfortunate passing, how he used his dying breath to urge Logan in pursuit of the truth. They speak of encrypted Duvos messages and an unknown individual operating under the alias of "Tiger," each of which signal possible war and hint at an extensive enemy infiltration of the Free Cities. They explain how Grace then came into the picture, uncovering her true identity as an Alliance spy, whereby she met the gang, their goals unexpectedly aligning. They even justify the rash kidnapping of Matilda and manage to implicate Yan, the latter coming as no shock to you.

The most striking part of their explanation is the mystery surrounding the town's water supply. Upon hearing of Pen's involvement in the Water Tower incident and subsequent shaky status, your eyes immediately pivot to Logan, astonished by the story's development. He timidly looks at you, his eyes failing to disguise an internal plea, one that begs for you to believe him. Logan holds your gaze for the first time since they began and you look at him apologetically, the two of you having a voiceless conversation of your own. You hastily avert your eyes after a moment, unable to process your thoughts. He curiously watches as your expression changes from confused to disheartened, attempting to decipher why the mere mention of that day caused you to be so unsettled.  

When they finish and request to enlist your skills to replicate the Antilock from Yan's blueprints, you have to restrain yourself from seeming too eager. You vehemently agree that they need you and you desperately want to offer your help. 

As you open your mouth to reply, Grace interrupts, "before you answer, do you have any other questions for us?"

You gently bite your bottom lip to stop yourself, pausing to glance at all three of them, mulling through what they've told you, "mhm… I guess just one." They eye you questioningly when yours land on Logan. Hoping that your simple question isn't misconstrued as rude, you decide to ask the one thing that's still on your mind, "I noticed that Haru took his mask off earlier, but you didn't… why do you wear a mask, Logan?"

He smirks and nods a little, intrigued by your choice to ask such an overly apt question. He expected you to take the opportunity to discuss something more pertinent, but he concedes and replies all the same, "I won't be able to face the world until my Pa's at peace…"

Though it may be a minor detail, it's important to you to understand it if it means earning their trust, his trust. You nod supportively with a small, reassuring smile, trying to express that you're thankful for his clarification. 

Pushing your internal monologue aside, you clear your throat and look back at Grace, attempting to sound cool and restrained, but you can't contain your growing smile, "so… to answer you, yes. I'll absolutely help you. I can make this, no problem. In fact, it won't take me long at all, I could probably have it done by tonight…"

An air of excitement quickly fills your little circle as they all celebrate, each happily thanking you for your support.

Grace kicks it off with an elated, relieved smile, "perfect! Thank you for trusting us."

Logan's almost beaming as he chuckles, "oh yeah! The posse's growin'!"

Haru smirks and shakes his head at them, looking at you a bit more seriously, but even he's smiling ear to ear, "we'll be countin' on you, Builder!"

Grace fields for any last words from Logan and Haru as she glances between them, but they only nod, giving their approval for her to conclude, "I think that covers most of it. I guess if you have more questions for us, we can stick around for a minute, but best to get back to town soon, before suspicions are aroused. When you're ready to go, head past Andy's old room to get back to the surface. I'll be right behind you."

You nod and stand when they do, watching the boys take their leave and wander to various locations. Grace doesn't flinch, her eyes remaining fixated on them as they walk away. When she's satisfied that they're far enough, she squeals and tackles you in a hug, almost knocking you over. You giggle, delighted that she finally dropped her guard, giving her your best bear hug in return. You hear Logan and Haru laughing in the distance.

Logan calls out from where he now stands by the large canyon opening, "finally…! She's been waitin' ages to do that!" 

You look at him comically over her shoulder and Grace waves her hand to hush him, collecting your hands in hers as she loses the spy interrogation facade, swiftly reactivating her best friend mode, "I'm so happy you agreed to help us, I knew I could count on you. What do you think, are they anything like what you expected?" 

Giggling a little as you pull her over to sit down with you again, "no, not at all actually. I'm ju–" You abruptly pause when you glance at Logan over Grace's shoulder, your voice deflating as you notice his vacant thousand-yard stare, a sharp contrast to his appearance a few moments ago. You force yourself to continue as you slowly turn back to her, "I'm… just… convinced that Logan tried to kill me earlier… he… well… he's an incredible fighter, I'll give him that. I guess I should thank you for jumping in when you did, I wasn't sure he was going to stop." 

Grace laughs, "well, you can be sure to thank Haru for that too. I honestly don't know what came over him, he's usually not like that." She sighs, "he… he has a lot on his mind these days. I wouldn't take it too personally, lately things have been… harder than usual for him. All of these new developments are exciting, but I imagine they dredge up memories of what happened to Howlett. Being constantly reminded of something like that… it does a number on a person. He doesn't like burdening others either. Like he said, he feels guilty about bringing you into this too."

"I'm sure you're right… I… I didn't think about it like that. It must be difficult, but I'm thankful he has you, a-and Haru of course… he seems so nice." 

"Yeah, he is. Some days we have to practically hold Logan down from running off to do something without asking us first. He means well, but sometimes…"

You giggle softly, "sometimes he actually lives up to the rebellious bandit name?"

She dramatically widens her eyes in agreement and you both start to laugh. You feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders, "I'm… I'm so happy I have you back."

Grace wraps you into another giant hug, profusely apologizing, "I'm so sorry I had to lie to you for so long… I'm sorry for everything."

Letting your worries go, you open up about what's been going on with you, the secrets you've been keeping from her. She fawns over you as you two catch up on your investigations, surprised to hear that some things she didn't know about, your one constant detail being that you really missed her.  

"I keep forgetting to ask you, what did you say to Andy back at the Civil Corps?"

"Oh, right. That. I just told him: 'act like I've put the fear of Light into you, and I'll get you out of this.' He put on a pretty convincing act! There may yet be room in our ranks for a conniving little triple agent with a heart of gold once he grows up a bit." 

You both giggle and you shake your head, looking down happily. Being able to spend time with her again eases your mind, almost to the point that you forget what you're even doing here, but the distraction doesn't last nearly as long as you'd like.

Grace looks down and speaks in a more serious tone after a while, "okay, okay… you'll have plenty of time with me when we get back. Go see those two, take the opportunity to get to know them a little bit better. Haru has been terribly excited to meet you, he's been interested in your building for a while now… maybe start with him? I'd give Logan a minute, he seems a bit… preoccupied right now." 

You smirk, poking your lip out to pout, but you nod in agreement, giving her another hug before you refocus yourself on your current situation.

Making your way over to Haru, who is already busily tinkering with something, you see him smile when he realizes that you've finished your conversation with Grace, waving you over. Immediately interested in what he's doing, you hurry over and chuckle softly as you reach him, "so apparently we share the need to fiddle with things, what is that fancy contraption anyway?" 

He happily shows it to you, it's an internal mechanism for some new kind of bomb he's working on. You take it from him carefully and your face lights up with excitement as you try to understand it. Haru quickly points out a few key components in more detail, and as you play around with it, he sighs softly and unexpectedly shifts his attitude to a more somber one, "Builder… I apologize for bringing you into this so abruptly. I wish there had been another way."

You look at him curiously, your eyebrows pressed together in confusion as you gently set his creation down, "Haru, you have nothing to apologize for, why are you sorry? This entire situation… it's not like we could have picked the circumstances to meet. If that were the case, I would've met you and Logan ages ago... I mean, I don't want to inflate your ego, but you're both quite famous in Sandrock, as the newcomer I've wanted to put names to faces since I arrived…" you chuckle a little, doing your best to cheer him up, "and wanted posters are not the way to do that my friend." You look at him sincerely, "I honestly should be thanking you. I'm grateful you all seem to trust me so easily… I… I haven't done anything to earn it."

He shakes his head and smiles warmly at your words, "you've done more than you know just by saying yes. We couldn't do this without you."

You smirk a little and nod, looking down shyly as you think of something else to say, "well, this is as good of a time as any to ask you… from the moment I arrived I've been fascinated by these ruins… they're so strange. What are they anyway? I noticed a lot of your traps are made from the same materials, you wouldn't by chance be willing to show me how they work, would you?"

Haru smiles widely at your interest and shrugs in agreement, motioning for you to follow as you start making your way back into the other room where you fought him earlier, "we found this place while we're out monster huntin' a long time ago. We'd use it now and again as a temporary base whenever we were in this area. Never thought we'd use it as a hideout though… I think this ruins used to be a playground for children back in the Old World. When Andy was here, he had a lot of fun with it. He was the one that came up with most of the current traps."

"That's incredible, Andy's such a smart kid," you laugh softly, "too smart for his own good some days… I can only imagine how exciting he made things with his wild ideas. I've made an effort to let him help me at my workshop when I can to put that brain of his to good use. I think he's enjoying it, more than I thought he would, but he often mentions how much he misses working with you." 

Logan's train of thought vanishes when he hears you mention Andy. He quickly whirls around, but realizes that you're already too far away to interject himself into the conversation. He wanted to ask you how he's doing. Logan sighs softly and makes his peace with the missed opportunity, solemnly returning to his frenzied musing.  

Haru's flattered to hear Andy's words, "I've missed him too, it's been strange working on things without him. Hopefully, we can be a gang again once this is all over."

You briefly bite your lip to hide your sadness at his comment and nod as you trudge back up the path beside him to his workstation. There, he gives you a crash course on how his technology works and you're delighted by it all, the two of you hitting it off surprisingly well. Everything he shows you is incredibly effective, but rudimentary in their mechanical design because he's limited by his access to materials. You're deeply impressed with how much he manages to make with so little and you can't help but wonder what he could achieve with more. Haru then begins to share his intricate knowledge of chemistry and you're absolutely blown away, it's evident that this is where his passion lies, and he has irrefutable talent in it. 

Haru stops himself eventually, realizing he may be getting a bit carried away, "sorry… it's just nice to have someone who understands this sort of thing. Someday, maybe I'll get to see your workshop up close, it would be great to know how you do what you do too. Grace always tells me about your creations, how much you're helping Sandrock, but… for now, maybe you should go speak to Logan. He probably wants to discuss a few things with you before you leave." 

For some reason, the idea of speaking to Logan rattles you, and you aren't sure why. You sigh quietly to yourself and smile softly, "yeah, I guess you're right. I'll go talk with him… thank you again for showing me all of this Haru, that was fun. You really are talented, I look forward to the day that I get to give you a tour of my own." 

Haru instantly notices that there's a hint of dejection in your voice and he wonders what's wrong, but decides against asking as he escorts you back to the main cavern.

You do your best to shake your nerves as you approach Logan reservedly, noting that he hasn't moved an inch from where you saw him with Grace, still wearing the same distant, lonely expression. You find his brooding presence intimidating, but there's a part of you that's concerned, your anxiousness overcome by the desire to understand why he's so lost in thought. 

Pensively facing out into the canyon, Logan stands rigidly with folded arms, his mind far beyond the confines of the canyon walls. You quickly realize that he hasn't noticed you, so you softly say hello to get his attention. It takes him a moment, but when he finally responds, he catches you off-guard, exuding a friendly demeanor, the opposite of what you expected, "Builder, you're one of us 'bandits' now, how ya feelin'?"

You smile a little, shrugging shyly, "I just want to protect Sandrock."

He chuckles softly and gives you a curt nod, "you took to the town like a Sandfish in quicksand. Makes me proud to see an outsider like yourself come in and find kinship with the land I love. Lotta fairweather folk turned tail when the going got tough, but not you. They really threw us a bone, sending someone like yourself. Finally a little luck for our small town."

You aren't sure why you do, but as you listen to him, you start to pick apart his mannerisms. Your gut tells you something is off, he seems restless, his voice coming across as forced. Scrunching your eyebrows together curiously, you note a chaotic sadness in his eyes. 

When he finishes, you look down at your feet and thank him quietly, trying to ignore your thoughts. Daring to pry, you slowly meet his eyes again after a moment, "h-how are you doing then?"

Logan instantly sees the concern in your face. He sighs softly, understanding that he isn't deceiving you as well as he'd hoped. You feel the distance grow between you hearing his voice go flat, "don't worry 'bout me, you've got enough to worry about as is goin' back there."

Taking the hint, you set aside your suspicions, but still want to express your genuine appreciation for his protection of Sandrock. His new calmness tricks you into saying something stupid, something that upon its uttering, you wish never left your lips, "y'know… I fell in love with you at first sight."

Both of your eyes go wide.

You practically jump in place as you scramble to defend yourself, your cheeks flushing a deep red, "w-wait… that didn't come out right, I-I mean… uh… t-those might not be the best words, but, heh… what I meant to say was when we–"

Logan notices Grace and Haru behind you talking. Wanting to see what's going on, the distraction causes him to miss the latter part of your sentence, "huh...? But we've only just…"

Grace summons Logan, cutting you off as you speedily try to fix it, "c'mon we should go scout before she leaves. I don't want any surprises."

He looks at you strangely, calling over to Grace that he'll be right there as he pushes past you, his voice nebulous, "let's... save anything like that for after the mission."

"W-wait, but that's not…!"

He pivots in place as he looks at you distantly, almost as if you're invisible, feeling the need to finish what he wanted to say to you, "I think I've made myself clear. If you still have doubts, not sure what more we can say. We do need your help, though, Builder. I'll do whatever it takes to earn that."

You nod a little and look down sadly, deciding it's best to let him go.

Even during his conversation with Grace, Haru witnessed the entire uncomfortable exchange. Knowing Logan can be quite boorish when he's focused, Haru can't stand letting you two leave things like that, so he quickly comes up with a diversion. 

"Hang on a minute," Haru calls over to them.

They stop and look at him curiously as Grace responds, "what?"

"It's getting a bit late for her to leave, don't you think? There's barely any daylight left, we've spent the half the day just explaining everything to her… maybe she should stay tonight? It doesn't make sense to send her back if there's no one around to see that she's alright."

Logan and Grace share a wary look as Haru continues, "Grace, I know you need to go back and make sure your position is secured, but as far as they're concerned, she might never come back. She's pretty resilient, but after a fall like that… I think they would've been here by now if they sent anyone to come looking for her. We would have an entirely different situation on our hands if they did, but they didn't." Haru turns to you as he makes his case to all of you collectively, "so, I say we let her stay, just for tonight. We aren't packing up camp for a few days at least, so what's the harm in having our newest member stay for dinner? It's not like we're going anywhere, if they find her, they'll find us too."

Grace shifts her attention to you as she plays the scenario out in her head. You bite your lip and feel like you're imposing even though it wasn't your idea, but at the same time, Haru has a point and you know they both know it too. You stand there, wringing your hands together, giving your okay with a shrug and a small, shy nod, resembling a child who is at the mercy of their friend begging their parents for an unplanned sleepover. 

Logan smirks a little, puzzled by Haru's proposal, but he shrugs, imparting over his shoulder as he walks away, ready to busy himself with other things, "your call, Grace… better make it quick, he's right, we're burnin' daylight."

Grace groans and closes her eyes, rubbing her forehead impatiently, "okay, fine… fine! She can stay… I don't like it, but somehow, this isn't the worst thing I've ever heard in this cave…" she looks directly at you, "just know, if it backfires, I can't be there to save you, got that?" 

You nod again, your voice coming out quietly, but a little amused at her mother hen mentality, "yeah, I know."

Logan already left her behind, so she moves to walk away but stops and looks at you instead, scanning your eyes with concern, "I'll be here early to get you, you hear me? Early. I expect you to be ready when I return tomorrow."

You and Haru chuckle a little, though you do so more timidly, "yes ma'am, I promise I'll be good."

She rushes over and wraps you in a giant hug and you chuckle a little, squeezing her tightly back, happy that she isn't actually mad at you. She gives you one final stare down before waving goodbye, putting some of your apprehension at ease. 

"So, now that that's settled, shall we?" Haru asks happily, delighted that he has a chance to spend some more time with you. 

You smile widely, sharing the same sentiment, "I suppose we shall."

Studiously following Haru's instructions as you help him with dinner, you admire how easily he becomes absorbed in his preparations. Watching him, it's plain to see that his love for chemistry translates into his affinity for cooking. You make small talk when you can, surprised at how much you enjoy his company even though you just met.

He absentmindedly hands you a bowl with a few ingredients before he busies himself again with his own. You smile and decide to break his concentration, "Haru, can I ask you something?"

"Mhm...? Sure, what is it?"

You sit down by the fire and continue mixing the contents of your bowl with a small sigh, "how long exactly have you been planning to recruit me?"

He smirks and gathers what he was working on, tossing it into the warmed cast iron pan as he sits down beside you, giving it a stir, "something told me you were going to ask me that at some point... hm... well, we've been keeping an eye on you since the day of the Water Tower incident. Grace mostly..."

You quickly look up at him, taken aback by his words.

The Water Tower... has it really been that long? And what does he mean by "Grace mostly"...?

"Oh," you reply flatly, looking down to busy yourself again.

Haru hesitates for a moment, struggling to suppress a question he's wanted to ask you for a long time, "if you don't mind me asking... what exactly happened that day? Logan came back... different. Grace said you weren't yourself after that either." 

Oh.

You slowly stop stirring and set the bowl down gently, rubbing your freed hands nervously against the tops of your thighs. Stalling to fabricate a lie, you laugh a little and mockingly scold him, a pitiful venture to conceal your nerves, "Haru I swear if you ever breathe a word of this to him... I may actually have to kill you." You smile shyly and look down at your hands, "I know I don't know you that well, but I like you, so please don't make me..."

Haru holds his hands up teasingly with a soft chuckle, "alright alright, I won't. I promise."

"Okay, good..."

Your smile vanishes as you let the memory come flooding forward, your apprehension making it impossible to maintain your lighthearted spirit. Haru looks at you quizzically with a small feeling of regret, courtesy of the now ashen look on your face.

You close your eyes for a moment and grip your pants tightly, a feeble attempt to quell your emotions. The darkness you see is replaced by the vivid memory of Logan's piercing blue eyes, their appearance serving as a reminder of the mystified feeling you felt when they found yours. This happens every time, whenever you think back to that moment, it still feels like he's staring right through you. You're helpless to stop the small smile that tugs at your lips as you open your eyes slowly, staring into the fire.

Beside you, neither you nor Haru have noticed that Logan has returned from scouting. He stops in his tracks when he senses the seriousness of your conversation, deciding to retreat to not interrupt.

"Do you really want to know the truth?" You smirk and speak softly, entirely unnerved by the idea. Your words come slowly, you haven't shared this with anyone before. You're honestly impressed that you have the courage to say it at all.

Logan hears you as he starts to walk away and sighs, ashamed at himself for letting his curiosity get the better of him. Using his stealth to slip undetected behind a supply crate, he sits down quietly just out of sight, intrigued to hear what you have to say. 

"I know it sounds insane, Haru, but the way he looked at me... when I met his eyes..." you waver but decide to continue as your voice shrinks, afraid of confessing what you've repressed for so long, "something inside me just... switched. It hit me like a bolt of lightning... and I knew. I believed him, I just... did. That one, inconspicuous glance... it's... honestly, it's like in a matter of seconds he and I had the conversation we all had earlier, I just missed the details. It felt like... like I had surrendered a part of my soul to a cause that I didn't understand."

"It was infuriating. I had him, I had him dead to rights and he knew it. I know he did. I'll never forget the look of surprise on his face... but... I froze. That split second of hesitation will eat me up inside for the rest of my life. Without fail, I have always jumped into action whenever someone needed me, it's who I am. There he was, standing right in front of me, and I... I was so angry at myself, furious that my body wouldn't move. I just watched him leave and I was left with this... feeling, this nagging feeling. I felt... sad... and then it clicked... I just... I wish I could've told myself then what I know now."

"I was so torn, convinced it was probably the worst thing I had ever done. Despite what I was thinking, I instantly felt like I had let them all down. I don't think I've ever felt more remorse... you should have heard the disappointment in Justice's voice when he got past the train. He tried to hide it, but it was clear he just couldn't understand how I let him get away. It practically broke me when I noticed Grace... there she was, standing on the steps of the Blue Moon... she saw the whole thing... my best friend... I-I had hoped that she would come running over to see what was wrong... but she just... turned and went inside... I was convinced she hated me." You look down, overcome with emotion, your voice growing softer.

"She grew distant after that. Until now, I had no idea why. The worst part was that I didn't care. I committed myself to figuring out what was going on. That moment changed me... I'm not too big to admit that I thought about it all the time. I threw everything I had at finding a reason that explained why you two were innocent. I was desperate, I needed there to be a reason, a reason that I felt that way... I... I often wonder what he thought then, in that moment, if he was just as dumbfounded as I was at our reaction to one another. I guess you asking me means he must have mentioned it to you, although, I could never ask him myself... I suppose it's best if some things are left unsaid." You smirk sadly at yourself, realizing just how difficult it's been to keep this all inside, "anyway, I uhm, I don't think I've slept much since then. I'm sure you've heard the rest. One thing led to another and well... here I am... thanks to you."

Logan is frozen in place, shaken to the core by your words. That day, in his panicked rage, he never once stopped to consider that you chose to let him go because you were on his side. Now that he knows the truth, he regrets that he waited so long to bring you here, for not trusting you sooner. Removing his hat with trepidation, he bows his head and tries to collect his thoughts, focused on rejoining you, his already heavy mind from reliving the memory barely able to stay afloat.

The long silence that follows your conclusion is filled with the crackling sound of the fire. Gathering what little remains of your resolve, you timidly look over at Haru, dewy-eyed and apprehensive. As Haru listened to you, he was reminded of the bewildered frame of mind that Logan returned in that dark day, and he's curious to learn that his reaction was very similar to your own. Unsure what to think, he feels partly responsible for what they put you through, sorry now that he's heard your side of the story. The result of your interaction left Logan in a desolate state, one that lasted quite some time. It was enough to make Grace and Haru vow to never ask him about that moment again.

He greets your gaze with a small smile, reaching over to comfort you by putting a friendly hand on top of yours, squeezing it gently. You smile a little and nod, thankful for the gesture.

"Well..." he leans over to grab you a plate, handing it to you carefully, "here, before it gets cold."

You were so intent on surviving your explanation that you didn't notice Haru finished preparing dinner.

"Thank you," you oblige shyly. Taking a bite, your eyes widen and your jovial nature immediately returns, "Haru you're amazing, this tastes incredible!"

He chuckles and blushes a little, "thanks. I'm glad to hear you like it." He looks over at you and sighs softly, "and thank you… for telling me. I'm really grateful we have someone like you in the gang."

You feel a sense of relief as you settle in and eat dinner in a comfortable silence with him, thankful for the hospitality of your new friend.

"It smells good, Haru, whatcha cook up for our guest tonight?"

Logan's voice startles you both. He walks in with an air of confidence, a facade he's presently beside himself to maintain. Aside from the culpability he feels after hearing your conversation, he's struggling to ignore what he has on his mind.

Haru casts you a worrisome glance, at the ready to mitigate your uneasiness. Logan is cautious to avoid looking at you as he approaches, knowing full well that his guise will crumble if he meets your gaze.

Standing to greet Logan, Haru moves to fix him a plate, "hey, you're back. We made beef noodles, our Builder here is an excellent sous chef."

Shifting uncomfortably in your seat, you continue to stare at the campfire. You don't need to look at Logan to notice that his voice sounds different from before, there is a subtle anxiousness to it as he speaks to Haru behind you.

But... why? Is it because I'm still sitting here?  He was gone for a really long time... maybe he waited to come back because he'll have to take off his mask for dinner...? He made his reason for continuing to wear it pretty clear...  

Haru returns to his seat beside you and you're thankful for his unintentional positioning between you two. You watch Logan sit down warily out of the corner of your eye, his gaze fixated on his plate. You can't help but feel guilty about the cold shoulder you're giving him, so you stifle your behavior and try to act normally. Even with the best of intentions, it doesn't last long. 

You put on a friendly smile, looking up from the fire, "so how did scouting..."

Logan lifts his head and convinces himself to behave, "how have you two been gettin'..." 

Haru winces at your overlapping voices.

Awkward.

Logan's eyes swiftly meet yours and you both find yourselves at a loss for words. Precarious as your emotions may be, neither of you have the will to look away, searching each other's faces hoping to find the answers you both so urgently seek. 

Haru clears his throat.

Logan looks down at his plate and you follow his eyes, noticing he hasn't touched his food. Your anxiety kicks in and you stand abruptly, the trainwreck that is your thoughts comes careening out of you, "I, uhm... y'know I should probably turn in for the night anyway, I'm... I'm honestly exhausted... I'm sure you both have a lot you need to talk about and I'd bet you'd appreciate some space. I wouldn't want to intrude... plus, I-I gotta be up early tomorrow and Grace will kill me if I'm not ready to go on time, we all know how impatient she can be... s-so..."

You look at Haru and do your best to pretend you're fine, "it was nice talking with you tonight, Haru, thank you for keeping me company... dinner really was delicious."

He smiles at you, but shakes his head sorrily on the inside, "yeah, anytime. Thanks for yours as well and for your help."

You pivot to Logan and your voice comes out much softer, "... goodnight, Logan."

"G'night..." Logan replies quietly. He turns to watch you walk away, and when you disappear around the corner into Andy's old room, he yanks his mask down with a frustrated sigh.

Haru leans over and swats his arm, causing Logan to jump and glare at him. Haru quickly scolds him, "what was that about, and where have you been?"

Logan groans and rubs his temples, "I'm not in the mood, Haru." 

"Fine, don't tell me... but you still need to eat."

They sit in silence as Logan slowly eats. Haru knows that there isn't anything he can say to change Logan's mentality right now, even if he wanted to, he's known him far too long.

Logan finally mumbles, holding the now empty plate in his hands, "thanks for dinner and thanks... for keepin' 'er company..." 

Haru sighs deeply and nods. He can't help but wonder what that little moment meant between you two, but he knows asking will get him nowhere.

After a while, Logan and Haru get ready for bed without speaking another word.

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Chapter Text

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You groan, tossing your arms above your head as you flop onto your back with a frustrated sigh. Lying in bed, you stare exasperatedly at the ceiling, coming to terms with the fact that the mental war you're currently waging against yourself is a losing battle. You've been trying to convince your mind to quit its incessant badgering for what seems like hours, your thoughts aggressively looping through the events of the day, playing everything you've learned on repeat. 

I give up. I'll never get to sleep like this… I need some air.

You get up slowly and try to move as quietly as you can, leaving the security of the dim Old World lights into the pitch-black, softly shuffling your feet to navigate the ground beneath you. When you reach the entrance into the main chamber of the cave, you're immediately grateful for the glow of the campfire and distant illumination of the moon. You decide it's best to not even glance in the direction of Haru and Logan, although out of the corner of your eye, you notice a lone light still shining.

Despite your stealthy attempt, Logan spots you almost instantly, hearing the sounds of your not-so noiseless footsteps echoing into the cavern. He slowly lowers the book he has in his hand, just enough to see you over the top of it. Furrowing his eyebrows together sulkily with a heavy exhale, he tries to ignore you as he returns to his reading.

Now that you have some light, you're able to move more quietly as you begin to make your way past Rambo and Merle. A soft, happy bleat comes from Rambo as he rises from where he was bedded to greet you. Merle merely glances your way before laying her head back down to face in the opposite direction, unwilling to be bothered. 

From the other side of the fence, Rambo gently nudges against your coat pocket, his lips playing with the zipper like he's trying to open it. You chuckle and gently pet his head, whispering softly, "no fooling you, is there?"

Hearing Rambo pulls Logan's attention once again and he quickly looks over with an irritated sigh, "what in..." Cutting himself off when he sees Rambo standing there with you, desperately searching for something, Logan relaxes and watches you curiously. He doesn't want you to notice him, but he can't bring himself to look away, so he decides to prop the book up on his chest, readying himself to play coy if you spot him.

You giggle, quickly biting your lip to shush yourself as you hand Rambo a single roasted rutabaga that you accidentally kept from this morning. Rambo bleats happily and you wince, holding your breath in suspense to see if his excitement woke the boys up. When nothing happens, you let out another soft giggle, sighing sharply with a huge smile as you beggingly whisper, "Rambo! Shshshs… please, please, please be quiet… you'll get us both in trouble! I don't have any more I swear…!"

Logan chuckles softly to himself, skeptical to believe what he's seeing. He isn't even trying to hide behind the book anymore, barely even aware that he's still holding it. He's so focused on figuring out what you're doing that only the sound of Haru repositioning in his sleep snaps him out of it. Logan nervously glances over, sighing a deep sigh of relief when he sees that he isn't awake. 

Heedfully pushing away Rambo's nose to stop him from continuing to rummage through your pocket, he relents and quietly fusses, laying back down with a huff. You giggle and shake your head in amusement, "good boy, Rambo... I'll bring you more next time I see you, I promise." You glance at Merle and tease her softly even though she seems like she could care less about your existence, "and you miss, I'll ask Haru what you like for next time too, okay?"

You easily make the final leg of your journey over to the ledge that borders the large opening where you spoke to Logan earlier, internally celebrating that you finally made it.

Oh... I see, Logan surmises, she can't sleep either.   

You plop down on the cold, dirt floor with a small shiver. Pulling your legs to your chest for warmth, you rest your chin on your knees and take in the view with a deep sigh. As you look out into the canyon, your mind begins to wander, the gentle winter breeze tickling your skin.

The weight of what you learned today and what's to come pulls your focus for a second time. Your responsibilities to your friends, to Sandrock, and to the gang suddenly overwhelm you. It doesn't take long for your thoughts to become clouded with an uneasy feeling, and you find yourself left with more questions than answers.

How did things end up like this, how did it get this bad without anyone noticing?

Can I really forget everything that's happened, ignore how far we've come?

Am I supposed to turn my back on my friends... everything I know...

... just like... that? 

I...

It's too much.

The pounding of your heart begins to amplify your frustrations. You desperately pull your legs tighter to your chest in an attempt to ease your growing panic. The once quiet night comes alive in front of you, the faint fluttering sound of the leaves seeming to scream in your ears. You beg for the noise to stop, but it's no use, your mind and body aren't listening. 

Why did Grace wait so long to tell me, did she not trust me?

With a sharp sigh, you bury your face in your arms, your vision blurring with tears.

Did she think I was with them?  

You squeeze your eyes shut as tightly as you can, trying to stop the inevitable.

I'm such a fool... I knew something was wrong...

Too late.

Why didn't I do anything, I should have done more... maybe that's why they waited so long to trust me. Maybe that's why...

The sudden image of a face comes rushing forward and instantly quiets your thoughts.

Logan.

Oh, Logan...

You look up into the night sky and hastily wipe your tears. Your heart aches for him, for everything that he's been through. Now that you know the truth of what happened, you can't seem to bear it. You feel sick to your stomach as your mind fills with the sacrifices they've been forced to make.

He lost everything and here you are, crying over your problems?

I wonder how Haru is, staying by him through all of this couldn't have been easy… he truly is a good friend.

Your dejected mood reminds you of how you felt so long ago. You harbored your guilt from that moment so deeply, you forced yourself to swallow your feelings until tonight when you spoke with Haru. You smile a little at the difficult memory, briefly amused by your current, similar sorrow.

Who are you kidding... you've believed in him for so long now. That moment, after the Water Tower... it changed everything. Sandrock hasn't been the same since and you know it.

Why fight it?

He has no reason to lie to you, it's not like he would gain anything if he did.

He asked you for your help, you should at least try to put on a brave face…

"Here." 

A gentle voice quietly calls out from the darkness behind you. Startled, you inhale sharply and turn to see Logan standing before you with an outstretched hand, offering a small piece of cloth for you to take. Through your tears you see him slowly inspect you as he tries to figure out what's wrong, his watchful eye unable to avoid coming to see you any longer.

"Thanks," you whisper with a small sniffle, delicately taking the cloth from his hand to dry your lingering tears. You do your best to evade looking at him directly, desperately trying to hide any evidence of your pain.

He timidly takes a few steps forward and looks at you more intently, the glow of the moon catching the deep blue in his eyes now that he's stepped out of the shadows and into the light beside you. Unable to stifle his concern, he softly asks, "can't sleep?"

Forcing yourself to meet his gaze, you're momentarily ensnared by the light accentuating his features, even those obscured beneath his mask. Quickly shifting your attention, you look down at the ground and smile half-heartedly, shaking your head, "no, you?"

"No."

There's a small, slightly awkward pause.

You sigh deeply and motion for him to come sit by you with a friendly pat, "do you want to join me then? I could use the company..."

He doesn't move. You notice him hesitating, but he eventually nods a little, still fixated in place, "... sure." 

Fighting your watery eyes, you try your best to put on a smile, "I hope I didn't wake you when I came out here, I honestly couldn't see a thing."

Logan shakes his head and smirks. You can hear the smile growing in his voice as he responds, "you didn't... although, even if it wasn't for Rambo, I could've heard ya stumbling through the dark leagues away... I'm surprised the commotion didn't wake Haru." 

You let out a small chuckle and groan softly, "oh no… you saw that huh? I guess my dream of being a super spy is ruined. Grace would be so ashamed of me… I really was trying hard to be quiet." 

Logan watches you carefully as you wipe a few final tears. Despite your playful disposition, there is a deep sadness to your expression. He knows something is wrong and you're deflecting, but he can't quite put his finger on it. He wants to ask, but doesn't want to upset you either. Deciding against it, he finally sits down beside you, trying to be respectful and keep his distance when he does so, "no, I... I couldn't sleep either... not that I sleep much these days..." he sighs softly and smirks a little, "even still, I... I think I feel like you do right about now." 

He turns to stare out into the night as your eyes fall on him, intrigued by his comment.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asks softly. 

You shift your eyes to where he is looking and nod, smiling a little larger this time, "it is, I couldn't think of a better remedy than this view."

Another moment of silence settles between you before Logan breaks it with a soft smirk, "Rambo seems pretty keen on you, he's usually not like that with strangers." 

You laugh a little and sigh, reaching into the pocket Rambo was playing with to pull out a lone rutabaga leaf. Logan takes it from you to inspect it, chuckling when he understands what it is. 

Smiling as you take it back carefully and twirl it between your fingers, you smirk and shrug, tossing it into the wind, "sorry to disappoint, I wish it was just because he liked me. I was happy to know that our plan would've worked though…"

Logan nods a little and goes quiet.

"... do you want to talk about it?"

"Hm?" He looks up at you, his eyebrows pressed together in confusion.

"You said you feel like me right about now, so... what's on your mind?"

"Don't worry 'bout it," he replies curtly, kicking a heel out uncomfortably in the dirt. 

"Oh, I'm… sorry…" you bite your lip and look down nervously, worried that you crossed a line from his tone, "you definitely don't have to tell me… I-I know you don't know me, so… I just wanted to ask, because if you really do feel like me, well… I'm sorry for that more than anything."

He exhales sharply, lifting his hat to run an anxious hand through his hair, and pauses. You can practically see the wheels turning in his head.  

"Look, I…" he begins faintly, "today just…" 

You watch him with big eyes, staying as still as possible as you patiently wait for him to continue.

"I've been up all night readin' one of my Pa's old journals… not one of them monster huntin' guides he wrote, but… one 'bout our family, our life. Today's got me thinkin' too much about the past is all…" 

Timidly monitoring his expressions as you politely turn to face him properly, you're astonished that he's opening up to you, and you commit to your silent support by laying your chin down onto your folded arms that rest across your knees.

"You know the truth of it now, so you might guess that I'm combin' through it all, lookin' for clues about anythin' that has to do with Duvos... though… this is probably the hundredth time I've read it these last two years… maybe... maybe I should just accept there's nothin' there." He smirks and shakes his head sadly, taking his time to string together his words, "and the only reason I'm tellin' you this is because I… I can't start out knowin' you like this… I don't like lyin', keepin' secrets… I… I heard you earlier… that conversation with Haru, 'fore I walked in? I heard every word. I'm sorry, it wasn't right. I should've let y'all know I was there… i-it got me thinkin' about my Pa, h-hence the journal, he'd be ashamed if I didn't fess up… so… I am sorry, sorry for all of it. Not that it probably matters to you much, but... I... I don't have the most fond memories of that day either… I-I won't bore you with the details…" 

Your cheeks flush with heat, your heartbeat skyrocketing into your ears, "oh… it's… it's okay… you were bound to find out someday anyhow…"

Logan turns to you and his eyes are riddled with guilt. You scrunch your eyebrows together and look away, your voice mousy and nervous, "I… I guess this might be the best chance I'll have to fix that horrible comment earlier…"

"What comment?" 

You smirk and rub your forehead, grinning uncomfortably at the thought of accepting the embarrassment of repeating yourself, "ohhhh… that uh, that very poorly worded love at first sight comment I said to you earlier… y-you left before I could explain. It uh, it was the worst possible way of saying it, but… what I meant was that I fell in love with you at first sight, b-because of that day. If you heard me, then it won't take much for you to understand that I meant it because… because of the path our little exchange sent me down. Love in a respectful sort of way, not actual love. I'm still mortified it came out that way, especially because Haru asked you right after for me to stay… I mean what luck."

Hearing your explanation actually softens him and to your surprise, he laughs, "oh, c'mon that? It's fine, but… honestly, I'm glad you explained. I already have Lumi, I didn't need you too. I know 'bout that shrine of hers… heard the stories, but... never seen it in person."

You giggle and look at him with your eyebrows raised playfully, "oh, I've seen it."

He looks at you with wide eyes, his voice lighthearted as he tries to hide his shock, "are you serious? Does it actually exist...?"

"Hey, you can't knock the girl, it's kind of impressive. I mean, what else could a war stricken princess ever want? Its textbook. You symbolize the righteous protector that could swoop in and fix her problems, and have the bad boy trope to boot… hellooo, it has forbidden love written all over it." You laugh a little and tease him, "who knows, maybe someday when you get to tell your side of all this you can say she was a love interest or something." 

Amused by your candor, he laughs harder with you, "hey now, wait a minute... how is it fair that you know so much about me, but I barely know anything about you, hm?" 

You chuckle and shrug, but humor him and decide to provide the short version of your life, sharing details about where you grew up, your family, how and why you became a builder--the works. You readily gush over Sandrock and its beauty, explaining that you took a chance on the job here and fell in love the moment you stepped off the train.

Logan is quickly impressed with how passionate you are, taking comfort in knowing that he got you right. He's always wondered if the person who's taken to his hometown was who everyone said you were, especially because most of what he knows about you has been learned through Grace. It's clear to him now that you've made his home your own, confirming the sentiment that you've captured the hearts of everyone in it along the way. He puts aside the worry he's worked himself up over and happily chats with you, inquiring about various details you said about yourself, listening intently to every word.

"Honestly, when I decided to take this job, I just wanted to make a difference... Sandrock seemed like somewhere that people forgot, but to tell you the truth, it's the kind of place I dreamed of being. I've heard about this town since I was a kid, I mean who could forget the one, true legend of the Eufaula: Martle's Oasis… it was such a shame to hear what it's become. I mean, the mere existence of it is an inspiration, a-and now that I'm here, I've found that I'd rather be exploring the desert than doing anything else these days. I can't picture myself ever leaving it..."

"Y'know, I saw you once," Logan smirks, "you were out just past the Shonash, at the base of Mt. Rocksand near the ruins. I was makin' my way back here to the hideout, jus' before nightfall. I'd made it 'bout halfway up, trekking towards the Bend to bypass town. Haru and I often use that path to get into the deep Eufaula. We don't need the bridges like everyone else, perks of havin' the goats, there's nothin' they can't climb."

You turn towards him curiously, "oh yeah? Well... I've never noticed you out that way. I usually swing by there on my way back from Gecko Station."

He can't help but laugh, "yeah, probably a good thing you didn't or I'd have to question my integrity as a bandit an' as a monster hunter, wouldn't I?"

You blush a little and reply shyly with a small laugh, "alright, alright, point taken, my mistake... although, I'll admit that on occasion I'd catch myself scanning the ridgelines, days I could've sworn you'd be there... never quite figured out what I would've done if you were though." Giggling a little, you shrug, "taking on the infamous Logan alone didn't sound too appealing at the time."

He chuckles and looks at you teasingly, "you've been a problem for that very reason since the day you arrived. You're the only person I've ever had to worry 'bout bein' that far out at any given time, Mi-an comin' in at a close second, but she never ventures out nearly as far as you. Grace has told me the stories, I don't know where you builders get the energy, sounds like you never stop."

You scoff with an earnest laugh, "well, actually, I take that as a compliment, so thank you! Believe it or not, I happen to be good at my job too, y'know... it doesn't matter to me how far I have to go to mine or collect what I need, that's just part of the adventure." You scrunch your eyebrows together and tease him back, "and, if I may be so bold, what was I doing that day anyhow other than being an inconvenience to your super stealth, oh wise bandit king?"

He starts laughing again at your sarcasm, shaking his head scoldingly, "well, I'm not sure if I'm honest. You were minin' some kinda orange lookin' stone. Opal, right...?"

"Yeah, around there that's the one. I usually grab some for X on my way through, but... why was that so exciting to you?" 

"Haru and I split up that night and planned on meetin' up closer to town, so when I heard you, I thought it was him. Truthfully, you piqued my interest after a few Tripion challenged you. When I caught wind of your plans to take on the Geeglers, to run 'em outta town, I didn't know what to think. Hearin' that you were joinin' up with the Civil Corps, that only confused me more. Back then, I don't think anyone knew just how well you could fight until you succeeded, so I almost intervened when they came your way, skeptical of the stories of how you an' Justice took 'em on alone... needless to say, I know now that it was nothin' for you, but that night... I was impressed, never seen a builder fight so well... then again, I really only ever had Mason to compare to..." 

You chuckle and shrug slightly, "I never had the chance to get to know him, but... thanks. Good to know I'm exceeding expectations even for those of you outside of town."

Logan leans back on his hands and smirks, "I always hoped I'd run into you again after that whenever I'd pass through, but... I never did. When we were comin' up with a plan to get you here, I wondered if things could've been different, what would've happened if I had the chance to ask you to join us then." 

You look down with a small smile, a little caught off-guard that he thinks so highly of you already, but then again, you'd argue you feel the same way about him given all that's transpired, "I'm not so sure it would've gone as well... despite the fact that I'm not from Sandrock, I've come to be fiercely protective of it. It's starting to become more of a home to me than Highwind. I'm happy with the way things turned out, but... it really would have been nice to know you then, now that I do..." you smirk softly, "guess knowing that we had the opportunity, I wish you would've jumped in that night... running into you surely would've been a good fight, if anything..."

He laughs heartily and for the first time since he joined you, he looks at you with a comforting warmth, speaking candidly, "listen, I wanna thank you, for doin' this... it feels like I finally have hope again. These last few years without my Pa have been difficult to say the least, and it's been even harder turnin' my back on my home. I was startin' to think I'd never set foot in that town again, not without handcuffs that is." He chuckles for a moment before becoming serious again, "with you on our side, helpin' the cause, I feel more at ease than I have in a long time. An' I know you haven't done anything yet per say, it's just that... maybe our gang doesn't have to be so alone anymore. Maybe... maybe we can finally do some good like we intended. Things got too messy. I don't expect anyone to believe me after what I've done, but I don't need them to. I've done wrong an' I know it." He looks down at his hands and clasps them together with a small, curt nod, "if I can save Sandrock, that'll be enough... he'll find peace then, and so will I."

You can't help but feel a bit humbled by his words, the overall gravity of them sinking in as you reply timidly, "well... you're very welcome... thanks for, uhm… having so much faith in me..." you trail off before smiling widely and looking at him with a glimmer of excitement, "hey, y'know what might be fun, maybe you can take me around town sometime, show me life in Sandrock from your perspective, and, come to think of it, maybe we could even pair up as partners at the Showdown this time next year, given that fight earlier..." you giggle a little, "I don't know about you, but after today I'd say we'd make a pretty good team, they won't know what hit 'em."

"Yeah," he says softly with a smile, slowly searching your eyes, "I think I'd like that."

Looking down shyly, you decide to follow his lead and speak freely yourself. There has been something that has been weighing on your mind for a while now, ever since you learned what happened that night to Howlett, you just haven't had the courage to say it.

"Can I, uhm... I... I have a small confession to make..." your voice shrinks despite your growing courage as you draw little circles into the dirt nervously with your index finger.

He smirks a little at your sudden change of tone, looking at you curiously, "okay... what is it? We already got through that little mix up earlier, can't be that bad," he chuckles worriedly, "... can it?"

"I've..." you hesitate, pausing with a deep sigh. You squeeze your eyes shut, telling yourself to just spit it out already, consequences be damned, "I visit him. I've visited Howlett for quite some time now... it... uhm, well, it started when Vivi asked me to bring some fish to Mort, which turned into Mort asking me to help Fang, y'know because he's always so kind to help clean the headstones... a-at first, I did it just as a favor to Vivi, but as time passed, well... I enjoyed their company so much that I kept going back."

You look down, wringing your hands together uneasily, forcing yourself to continue in spite of the deafening silence, "it then turned into me, uhm... having a bit of a routine, saying hi to the folks that I recognized... o-obviously, Howlett was one of the first names I knew... I... I just figured, you clearly haven't been able to drop in and I'm sure he's missed you... so... I've been letting him know that you're okay, the good a-and the bad..."

Embarrassed, you continue to look down, avoiding Logan's gaze as you conclude softly, like a nervous little kid, "I hope that's okay, e-even if it isn't I... I just... I wanted you to know. I'll… I'll never do it again if you don't want me to…"

Logan's eyes go wide listening to you, and when you finish, he stares at you for a long moment in utter disbelief.

"Thank you, that's… well, that's mighty kind of you," he finally says just above a whisper, the weight he placed in his words serving as an answer enough for you. Nodding a few times, you stare at the ground for a little while longer, enjoying the brief moment of relief now that it's off your chest. 

"C'mere. I want to show you somethin'..."

Confused, you look up at him as he stands. He wanders out into the canyon opening, motioning for you to come over onto the second ledge, just a little bit farther from where you already are. You agree with a timid smile and a single nod, walking over cautiously to him.

What you see unfold before you is a magnificent array of stars, a sight painfully beautiful to behold. Your eyes light up and a huge smile spreads across your face, captivated as you try to take it in all at once. Logan chuckles at your reaction, laying down on his back, carefully situating himself on the overhang, "don't be shy, wait 'till you see it from this angle…"

Giddy with excitement, you rush to lay down beside him and gasp, quickly unable to tear your eyes away, "how… you mean to tell me that I was this close to this view that entire time?! What a difference a few feet makes… Logan, this is… it was already incredible, but this…"

He can't help but grin at you and he chuckles harder, amused by the delight on your face as you process it all, "I had a feeling you'd like it… I love comin' over here on nights like this. Thinking 'bout all the places I've come to know, I think this view might just be one of my favorites." 

"Yeah, I can see why…" you reply softly, your smile slowly fading as you become increasingly absorbed by the view.

He smirks softly, slowly looking away to enjoy it with you. There is a small moment of silence that falls between you until Logan breaks it, his voice quiet, "my favorite has always been Orion, the hunter. See 'im, right there?" He leans a little closer to you to line up where he's pointing his finger with your eyes so you're looking in the same place, "that. That, right there, that's Orion, just gotta look for his belt… it's those three in a line, right there."

"I think I've heard of him, but… why is he called a hunter?" You ask him sincerely, completely fascinated by everything he begins to tell you.

Logan explains that long ago, there was a legend about a hunter named Orion, one so skilled that he caught the attention of the hunter goddess named Artemis, and they fell madly in love. She was tricked by her brother, a god named Apollo, to kill Orion in a fit of jealousy. Apollo felt that it was unfair that his sister was in love with a famous earthborn. Upon his death, he was placed among the stars to honor his legend, to remind the world of his talent.

"Now, some say that his appearance is accompanied by rain or stormy weather, 'round this time of year is when he shows up. If I'm honest, I'm not so sure I've ever noticed a difference, but it's how the legend goes, or so my Pa told me anyhow..."

He continues on about various other constellations and star clusters that he's learned to navigate by, spending time showing you each and every one of them. He opens up about Howlett and some of their adventures, how he taught him when he was young to navigate home, and you're quickly lost in his stories, feeling like you could listen to him forever. You find his passion enchanting, surprised at Logan's wild streak that you discover woven within them. Much like the Eufaula, you grew up hearing the rumors of the famous monster hunter's prodigal son, but until now, you never realized just how much of this life is truly a part of who he is. Listening to him regail the tales of his youth, it's easy to see why his father was the guiding light in his life, causing you to feel even more sorry that he lost him the way that he did.

"Some days I look up there and wonder if he's there too. Maybe I shouldn't believe in that sort of thing, but if there was ever a person that deserved it... it was him."

He looks at you and exhales sharply, getting a little embarrassed at the fact that he's been talking for so long, "I'm sorry, you shouldn't let me drone on like that… I've been told it's a bad habit of mine."

You chuckle softly and look at him warmly, shaking your head slightly, "no… please don't apologize. I enjoyed every minute of it, it's... really nice to know that side of you. Thank you for teaching me… Howlett obviously raised a good son."

He smiles a little and nods as he tries to steer the conversation back to you, "s-so... h-how is everyone back home anyhow?"

"Well, they're all about as good as they can be... but, what do you want to know?"

Logan of course asks about Andy first, taking the chance to do so to make up for the missed opportunity earlier. He's happy to hear that he's settling in well and is absolutely shocked when you tell him all about his crush on Jasmine, "I'm telling you, he follows her around like a lost puppy and it is the sweetest thing I have ever seen." 

Your townsfolk update never makes it past Andy though, because Logan's excitement launches him into another bout of storytelling, and you're just as happy to sit and listen. You've quickly discovered in your short time with him that he wasn't lying, he's an absolute chatterbox once you get him going, and a painfully funny one at that. There is something so charming about the way he carries on in a conversation, he leaves you hanging onto every last word. You found him so funny in fact, that you both often needed to make sure you hadn't woken poor Haru with your fits of laughter.

But like all things, eventually, your conversation slowed and a comfortable silence settled between you, the starry night above capturing both of your attention once more.

The sudden, unexpected sound of quiet humming interrupts the easy silence. Amused, you scrunch your eyebrows together and look over at him with a soft chuckle. You pause to listen for a moment, impressed at how good he sounds, but unfortunately for Logan, you can't help but tease him, "wow... well that confirms it, you really are a yakboy aren't you?"

He scoffs playfully and turns to look at you wearing your same amused expression, trying his best to sound offended, "now what is that supposed to mean?"

You shrug, attempting to explain yourself through your giggles at his reaction, "no, no, no, wait, it's not a bad thing, I swear! I just... you claim you don't want to be this 'bandit outlaw', but here you are, I mean look at you! You fit the bill so well, stargazing, humming a sweet desert tune, the yakhorn adorned hat..." 

He chuckles heartily and dramatically tips his hat down to cover his eyes, tossing an ankle to cross over the other, tucking both of his arms behind his head, settling in with a smile, "whatever, Builder." 

You shove him playfully, starting to laugh again with him as you groan teasingly and fold your arms across your chest. As you turn to look back up at the night sky, Logan quietly resumes humming beside you, his gentle tune carrying out into the evening air. You're helpless to smile with a content happiness, slowly shaking your head at him for a final time. 

After a while, his serenade stops and a solemn stillness takes over. You're a bit sad when you realize you didn't notice that the moment had ended, regretting that you didn't praise his talents sooner. 

"Hey," you start quietly, "all kidding aside, I seriously don't know how you can resist this view, I'd be over here every night..."

You don't get a response. 

"Logan...?"

You look over at him curiously and a huge grin spreads across your face.

He's fast asleep.

His eyes are hidden from the probing moonlight by the tilt of his hat, the brim shielding his face perfectly, just to the edge of his mask. You roll your eyes slightly to yourself and whisper, "typical... what a yakboy."

Watching his easy breathing, you admire how relaxed he looks, a welcome change from his usual vigilance. You don't dare wake him, the dark circles under his eyes told you he's been exhausted for hours now. After everything he's told you today, you're just happy that he's finally getting some well deserved rest.

Forcing yourself to look away, you relinquish your mind to the quiet night as a slightly protective feeling settles over you, and one of Logan's simple tunes pops into your head, one you find yourself humming softly.

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A few hours pass and the distant sound of a Rockyenaroll howl causes Logan to stir. He stretches slightly with a dull groan as he moves his arms from behind his head to lace his hands together across his chest, desperately trying to keep his mind quiet enough to get back to sleep. He quickly starts dozing again, his now unsupported head slowly rolling to the side. Feeling as it falls, he sighs softly in frustration, catching himself just before his cheek hits the ground. Shifting his body in place to settle in, he moves his elbows out to keep himself balanced, hastily relacing his hands with soft plop. This time, he immediately notices a soft, foreign sensation against his palms. Forcing his eyes open, he lifts his head and looks down in confusion, only to discover that a blanket has been carefully draped over him.

How did...?

Instantly, he remembers that he was with you. In a small rush of panic, he begins to look around for you and is pleasantly surprised when he doesn't have to go very far. He finds you fast asleep beside him, curled up in a ball still facing out into the canyon with your back to him, right where he thought you'd be. He chuckles softly as he sits up to look at you, wincing at the sudden, sharp pain in his neck from staying still for so long, reaching up to rub it gently. 

Sleep must've finally caught up to 'er… how long was I out?

Thankful to see that the puffiness around your eyes has disappeared, he finds himself momentarily bewitched by your tranquility, slowly tracing over your every feature as if he's committing each and every one to memory. There's a slight tug at the corner of his mouth when he circles back to your eyes, thinking of the day he first saw you, reminiscing about how kind you looked, even then. He begrudgingly accepts that he's awake again, letting the events of the day mull through his mind as he tears his observant eyes away, leaning back on his hands to turn his attention to the vastness of the night sky. 

If I only knew then what I know now, he tells himself with a soft, slow sigh. 

In true Eufaula fashion, a strong, cold, prevailing gust of winter wind kicks up without warning. As it slams into the walls of the cave, it cuts through Logan like a knife. You audibly shiver and try to curl into an even tighter ball in your sleep. He peers out into the night, watching as the trees in the ravine dance in the moonlight and the windmill pick up speed, the sudden breeze showing no signs of subsiding. Looking back to you concernedly, he figures that if he's cold, you certainly must be.

He hesitates, contemplating on what he should do, until he notices that you're trembling. He calls out to you quietly, but you don't even flinch. He tries once more to no avail before deciding that it might be best to move you himself instead. After all, you were considerate enough to stay with him, he feels like it's the least he can do in return. 

Tossing the blanket over his shoulder, he slowly gathers you in his arms, treating you like you're a delicate piece of porcelain as he desperately tries not to wake you. You respond to the immediate rush of his warmth by curling into his chest with a shaky sigh, one of your hands clutching a fold in his jacket. He stands still for a moment, just until he's sure you've settled, before making his way back to the other side of the cavern. 

Following the path he knows by heart, Logan moves quietly to reach the side of Andy's bed. He's worried about you, your whole body hasn't stopped trembling even now that you're out of the wind. Laying you down as slowly as he can, he feebly removes your hand from his coat, taking the blanket off of his shoulder to cover you with it.

"You're s-so w-w-warm.... d-do you h-have to go?" You can barely open your eyes through your stutters, the soft shuffling sound of the blanket hitting the bed sheets causing you to wake.

He freezes with a soft, defeated sigh, smirking to himself at the shaking in your voice, "c'mon, let's get you back to the fire. I didn't want to wake you, figured it'd be warmer in here than out there..."

You sit up slowly and pull the blanket tightly to you around your shoulders, "n-no, I-I'll be f-f-fine... y-you go back and get some r-rest. Thanks for b-bring-ing me back h-here..."

"Uh huh... sure you will." He points at the blanket, "and why didn't you have that on earlier? You wouldn't be so cold..."

You look down and smile, your guilt making you blush, "h-hey, n-no fa-fair. Th-this is the only one I c-could find a-and I ch-hose to give it t-to y-you. T-this i-i-is n-normal for m-me, always c-cold, gets-s-s w-worse when I'm really t-t-tired."

He chuckles a little and looks at you with caring eyes as he fights a yawn, "so why didn't you wake me then, hm? Besides, I'm used to sleepin' outside in the winter, you clearly are not. Though, I'll admit, even I was a bit cold out on that ledge with the wind." 

"I couldn't j-just l-leave you... you were nice enough to k-keep me company a-all n-night."

"Hm, but I was already up, remember?"

"B-but, still, you didn't h-have to..."

He pauses with an impatient sigh, staring blankly at you. Your eyes go wide and you get concerned, maybe even a little nervous, trying your best to guess at why he suddenly went quiet.

"Alright, that's it, scoot over then," he commands, "I can't stand hearin' your teeth chatter anymore, you're fixin' to break 'em at this rate."

"W-wait, no, Logan, you don't need to..."

"Yes, I do, you bein' so stubborn and not listenin' says so. At this rate we won't get any shut eye arguin', and plus, even with the fire, you got nowhere to sleep out there and you aren't goin' back on the floor, I'm not that cruel. So, like I said, scoot."

You can't help but giggle because of what pops into your head, watching as he starts unbuckling his holster belt, "i-is this our f-first fi-fight?"

He lets out a small, hearty laugh and disapprovingly shakes his head, grumbling as he reaches down to slip off his boots, "this might jus' be easier if I ignore you…"

You laugh a little back and decide to follow his lead, handing him your gear as you lean down on your belly to carefully set your boots down next to his. You both smile a little to yourselves seeing them together like that.

This moment should be intimidating, but somehow, things have never seemed so calm. You retreat back to where you were sitting and watch as Logan reaches up to remove his hat, gently placing it on top of everything else on the chest next to the bed. He combs his fingers through his hair, tidying the few wayward strays that fell. Mentally and physically, you freeze, the shaking stops, and a thought comes rushing forward:

How have I spent the entire day with him and not noticed how...

You try to ignore thinking it, hearing how ridiculous the thought sounds even in your head, but it forms anyway.

...captivating he is, until now?  

The sudden realization makes your heart pound. Here you are, having known this man for a matter of hours, yet it feels like you've known him your whole life. In a day, he's managed to so deftly alter everything you thought you knew about Sandrock. It's no wonder his disappearance hurt everyone so deeply, he's magnetic. He exudes strength, charisma, and effortless kindness. He is not even close to being the fearsome bandit he's prophesied to be and you feel a deep regret for ever thinking otherwise.

It barely registers that he's now looking at you, his eyebrows furrowed with concern, "what's wrong...?" 

You don't reply, unsure what to say. Instead, another more pressing thought comes to mind, one you feel compelled to address, "are you okay... s-staying with m-me?" Your voice comes out shaky and shy, just above a whisper.

"Why wouldn't I be, look at you, you're shakin' like a leaf. I can't just leave you here alone, can I? Here I thought we finally settled this..."

"I guess... y-you're right, t-thank y-you." Failing miserably at trying to hide just how cold you really are, you curl into an even tighter ball, attempting to stop the trembling that has returned and is starting to get worse.

Logan quickly realizes what you're hinting at and he sits down on the edge of the bed beside you, the added weight causing the mattress to slope.

"Look... I don't ever let my guard down like this 'round just anyone. I keep tellin' ya, I ain't felt this... stable... in a long time. A-ask Andy or Haru they'll tell you, I'm first up every mornin', last to get to sleep at night. As a sure-fire detriment to my health, I am always on edge, I never stop schemin', makin' sure nothin' sneaks up on us, nothin' is able to catch us by surprise..." He trails off with a sigh and looks at you sincerely, "my point is... it's late, just... just let me stay, if you'll have me, that is. I can leave too, I'll... I'll do whatever you want."

You can't help but smile at his words, looking down to hide the deep blush forming on your cheeks. He has no idea how much it means to hear him say that he's willing to stay, causing your nerves to quickly subside. You scoot over to make room, patting the bed lightly, "o-okay..." you smirk, shakily lifting the blanket to cover your lap as he climbs in to join you, "b-but I will say, this whole t-t-thing is a little h-hilarious if you t-think about it. Earlier today I was c-convinced you wanted to k-kill me, and then I thought you h-hated m-me b-b-because you wouldn't even l-l-look at me, and n-now..."

He pauses in the middle of getting comfortable. Hovering slightly above you, he observantly searches your face for the answer, his voice unexpectedly low and forbearing, "now...?"

Even under the guise of darkness, you're helplessly drawn to his bright blue eyes. There is a faint spark in the pit of your stomach, an inkling you presently don't understand. The subtle exchange causes the two of you to surrender to a part of yourselves you've each hidden deeply, a harbored sentiment that you've shared since the day you met, one lost to each of your subconscious. His lingering gaze and tenuous change in tone cause your eyes to show everything you're unwittingly hiding away, all vehement acts of vulnerability.

But of course, neither of you even realize it, for that would simply be too easy. 

A large shiver interrupts the impassioned moment and you inhale sharply, biting your bottom lip with a frustrated groan as you slink down under the covers.

"Hold on, hold on..." Logan hurriedly finishes laying down on his side with a soft chuckle, tucking his arm under his head to give you the pillow. He pulls the blanket up over your shoulders, respectfully draping his free arm against himself, trying to give you as much space as he possibly can in the twin sized bed. You're both too tired to comprehend just how close you are to one another right now, and even if you did, somehow, it doesn't seem like it would matter.

"N-nothing..." you finally manage to whisper with a shudder, your voice shakier than ever, "i-it's just b-been... really nice g-getting to know you t-tonight. A-and t-thank you for n-not letting me t-turn into a p-popsicle out there, I o-owe you o-one." 

"Anytime," he smirks softly and looks down at you worriedly, moving a bit closer, a meager attempt at giving you more warmth. He accidentally yanks on the end of his mask as he moves, causing it to fall slightly. He reaches up to adjust it and you swiftly grab his wrist, your hands ice cold. 

"N-no, please," you timidly hide your head beneath his chin so you can't see his face anymore, releasing him to fold your arms together against your chest, "I p-promise I w-won't look, not e-even in the m-morning. I-I know what it m-means to y-you... p-please, j-just for tonight. You n-need to g-get some s-sleep..."

His eyes go wide at your gesture and a small smile begins to play at his lips. He hesitates for a moment before conceding with a deep exhale, slowly tugging his mask the rest of the way down so it's around his neck, thoughtfully rotating it so it doesn't bother you. You notice that he's a little closer this time as he settles above you, feeling the faint tickle of his stubble against your skin as he murmurs a soft goodnight into your hair, delicately reaching over you one final time to make sure you're safe beneath the covers. Numb to the steady drumming of your heart, you slowly allow yourself to sink into his radiating warmth, your heavy eyes easily drifting closed as you wearily submit, your forehead softly landing on his chest. 

It takes a little while, but Logan is relieved when he finally feels you beginning to relax beside him. By now, you're half asleep and he's going cross-eyed trying to keep himself awake, the inevitable compulsion of exhaustion subduing you both. Hearing you sigh contently and your breathing progressively deepen, he considers it permission enough to cease his dutiful watch, letting his anxiousness quickly dissipate and his eyes droop closed in a hurry. It's been quite some time since he's last slept in a real bed and he can't fight it's invitation any longer. Almost instantly, his breathing considerably slows, his body slacking beside you, as he mumbles something you don't quite make out.

"Mhm...?" you ask, scrunching your eyebrows together as if it'll help you hear him better. 

He doesn't respond. You feel his head bob a few times as he tries to stay situated on his arm, but ever so slowly, he nestles against you, and the muffled sounds of soft snoring provide your only answer. You can't help but grin, gradually using the top of your head to angle him upwards, hoping to help him lay more comfortably. Quieting for a brief moment, you slowly hear his gentle snoring return as he draws each breath with a growing heaviness, absolutely dead to the world. You chuckle softly to yourself and relent, finding unexpected relief in the sounds of his easy, clearly much needed, slumber. You lie awake there for a little while longer, until eventually, the rising and falling of his chest lulls you to sleep. 

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A makeshift alarm clock rouses Haru early the next morning. Rolling over to silence it with a sigh, he notices that Logan's bed is empty. Sitting up to put on his boots, he shrugs it off, assuming that Logan left to do some scouting in preparation for you leaving today. It's not out of the ordinary that Logan is up before he is, he normally enjoys getting an early start, but lately it's been just the opposite. Haru has grown used to falling asleep to the glow of Logan's reading light when he can't get to sleep, and Haru lets him rest in the morning when he can, because most nights, he's only slept a few hours if he's lucky. He inhales deeply and gets up, starting to gather things to make breakfast. Glancing over towards Andy's room, he wonders when Grace will be coming to get you and how you fared last night after you said goodnight.

Rounding the corner as she enters the hideout, Grace is incredibly focused on updating all of you about what's going on back in Sandrock. Deciding to go and see if the boys are up first, she walks by and glances your way, but quickly stops dead in her tracks as she does a double take, her attentive eyes catching a glimpse of Logan's white hair in the darkness. 

Confused, she carefully sneaks closer to get a better look.

You both are still sleeping soundly, blissfully unaware that you've been discovered. Grace stands there for a moment, trying to process the scene before her. Logan's arm is still serving as a pillow, but the other is now protectively strewn across your waist under the blankets. You've nuzzled closer to his face and body, your slightly upturned head now places you perfectly beneath his, his nose buried in your hair and his lips resting inches from your forehead, just close enough to kiss. 

Grace quietly squeals with excitement, throwing her hands to her mouth to prevent the sound from coming out. Practically tiptoeing back down the ramp, she moves as quickly as she can, dashing over to get Haru in the other room. Frantically waving him down, he spots her and is concerned by her urgency, putting down what he's doing as he hurriedly trots over to her. 

All Grace can do is point and Haru's eyes go wide as he looks from you, to Logan, and back to her with a confused smile, whispering as it grows into a grin, "so, that's where he went… look, he even has his mask off..." 

They collapse into a fit of silent giggles, celebrating that you both unknowingly fell for their devious plan. They've been secretly plotting your introduction, reporting back to one another whenever you and Logan would come up in each other's conversations, trying to anticipate how you two would behave when you met. They agreed to gently push you two into at the very least becoming friends, taking the opportunity to continue your questioning of one another in every one of the aforementioned discussions. After the Water Tower incident, anytime Grace came by to drop off supplies or attend a meeting at the hideout, the first thing Logan would ask about was you. During that time, Grace was keeping extremely close tabs on you and heard all about your investigations, not only because she had to, but because she was worried about you. She never heard anything about Logan directly from you, but she knows how deep of a rabbit hole you went down, and in the grand scheme of things, figured it was safe to assume that it meant something more, even if you didn't realize it. 

Haru smirks and whispers, "we knew something like this was going to happen eventually, they haven't stopped talking about each other for months now... I think it's safe to say our little plan succeeded after all, though it honestly took a lot less time, and persuasion, than I anticipated."

"Well, we clearly can't barge in there and wake them, not like this… what do you think we should do?" Grace questions, trying to contain her elation.

As if on cue, you stir slightly at the sound of their voices and they panic, dashing clumsily to hide just out of sight around the corner, fighting like children for one last glance.

"I don't know, maybe… maybe we should give them their space… either way, we'll find out soon enough," Haru remarks more seriously after a moment as he starts to walk away, tugging gently at Grace's shirt.

She replies hesitantly with a mopey sigh, turning to follow his lead, "fine, you're right… we have some time before we need to leave anyway, we can let them rest a bit more…"

Your subtle movement wakes Logan from a deep sleep. He inhales sharply and lifts his head with a soft, startled groan, his still heavy eyelids refusing to open. Stretching slowly, you smirk at his grumpiness and groan teasingly back, quickly hiding your face in the bedsheets so he can't see you smiling. He props himself up carefully on his elbow, groggily whispering as he squints down at you with a smile, "well... good mornin' to you too."

"Hmph… five more minutes…" you sass sleepily in response, grinning at the deeper tone of his voice.

Desperate to ignore the looming new day, you melt into his warmth once more, keeping your eyes closed as you rub them gently. Logan looks at you curiously, staying as still as he possibly can, admiring how relaxed you seem to feel with him. It only takes a few seconds before you're fast asleep again, your softly parting lips giving it away. He smiles widely at you, shaking his head scoldingly with a silent, hearty chuckle.

Leaning back slowly against the headboard to keep himself upright, he lays down on his back and settles at your side, glancing around the dimly lit room. Even in your sleep, you're immediately aware of the small gap between you and move closer to him in response, your head retreating to the safety of his chest. He freezes and watches as you curl a hand up to grasp at his jacket, his eyes going wide when you exhale with a soft, relaxed whimper. Lying motionless, he holds his breath with his hands cautiously hovering above you, uncertain on how to proceed. With a hard gulp, he timidly yields to his wildly racing heart, deciding that for some strange reason, he doesn't seem to mind letting you stay like this. His gaze softens when he notices a displaced strand of hair on your cheek, scrunching his eyebrows together in concentration as he tucks it ever so gently behind your ear.

The quiet moment comes easy, Logan can't remember the last time he paused to enjoy a morning like this. He slowly adjusts himself to support you, resting one hand on his chest, the other carefully on the small of your back. As his mind starts to wander, his eyes drift closed and he begins to doze, telling himself that he'll wake you in a little while.

Eventually, the smell of breakfast wafts in from the main cavern and puts an abrupt end to the serenity. Logan's eyes snap open, realizing the privacy you shared from the night before is now gone. He looks down at you with a small frown, warily lifting his mask back up over his nose, reaching beside him gingerly to retrieve his hat.

"Hey..." he whispers, gently shaking your shoulder.

You jump slightly and sit up quickly, smoothing your unkempt hair before letting it fall to hide your blush stricken face, embarrassed that he had to wake you, entirely unaware that you were asleep on his chest. "I'm sorry..." you reply hastily, "I didn't mean to force you to stay with me all night, o-or, fall asleep again…"

"Don't be, I didn't mind." Logan pauses for a moment, convincing himself to share his thoughts out loud, "in fact, you didn't make me do anything..." His voice is kind as he moves to sit up alongside you, the bed creaking slightly beneath you.

You look at him, confused by his words. Your eyes flicker briefly to his mask, noting that he's wearing it again, but your attention easily falls back on his darkly rimmed eyes. Unable to see it, you hear the smile in his voice, "it definitely wasn't enough, but... those were the best few hours of sleep I've had in years… although, I suppose we shouldn't have stayed up so late..." he motions with his head to the other room, "I'm also worried that we might have some things to answer for..."

Hearing Grace's voice in the distance, your eyes widen in panic, "oh no… she's already here?"

Logan smirks, nodding a little, raising his eyebrows as he shoots you a look. It takes you a second, but then, all at once, it registers that Grace had to pass by you to get to where she is, instantly realizing that she must have seen you with him. Hiding your reddening face in your hands with a groan, you both start laughing quietly. 

"Please tell me this is a nightmare…" you whine. 

Logan chuckles and stands up with a huge yawn, starting to grab his gear, "… 'fraid not." 

You look at him with conviction and scoot to the end of the bed, promptly slipping on your boots, "w-well, maybe… maybe she didn't see us. I mean, you could've just come in here to wake me up, right? Maybe we just go with that?"

He starts laughing again, a little harder than before, "mhm-hm, sure, right... she's a spy, there's no way she didn't see us, I'm gonna assume we aren't gettin' out of this one that easy..."

You hit him playfully in the shin with one of your boots and chuckle, "oh that's nice, thanks so much for the confidence."

His smile begins to fade as he finishes collecting his gear, sitting down again to put on his boots with a soft, distracted sigh. Too frazzled to notice, your rambling continues, "y'know I may have actually thought of something worse than whatever we're about to walk into," you chuckle, "I honestly don't know how I can go back and just pretend that we never met… I mean, after everything that's happened? I can and will, but… man, someday, I can think of quite a few people who are going to kill me for hiding this… you'll defend me, right…?"

Logan barely hears you, presently consumed by the grim thoughts at the forefront of his mind. He's staring at the ground beside you, gripping the edge of the bed tightly, his knuckles starting to turn white. You trail off and search his face, your heart stumbling at his scared expression. You softly call out to him, but he won't meet your eyes.

No amount of planning could have prepared him for the powerlessness he feels in this moment, unable to cope with the sudden realization that everything he's been working towards is finally here. Meeting you signifies the beginning of the end, and just like that, you're leaving. This was his choice, it's his mess. He doesn't find it fair that he's knowingly sending you back there into the lion's den without him, subsequently worried that one night wasn't enough to convince you to place your faith in him.

"Logan, look at me."

He hesitates, but reluctantly agrees, turning to you with an oppressive fear in his eyes that breaks your heart. Looking down for a moment, you sigh softly and bite your lip as you rapidly think through everything you want to say. Pushing aside your trepidation, your voice comes out strong, ready to relay the message you know he so desperately needs to hear. 

"I need to say something to you and I need you to listen, okay? I know we just met, but… in the short time we've spent together, somehow, I feel like I've known you my whole life and… I… I think you're remarkable. I'm honestly not sure you understand just how much strength you possess, what it takes to do what you've done. You have put the burden of so many on your shoulders and made enough sacrifices to last a lifetime… a-and I know… I know you don't care about clearing your name, but I have never met someone who deserves it more. Your choices are what's going to save that town, not what I do, or Grace, or Haru… it all falls back to you. I'll do my best to make sure everyone in the Free Cities knows that once this is over, even if you never believe it yourself."

The urgency you feel to convey your thoughts overwhelms you, and whether it be from exhaustion or conviction, your eyes well up with tears. Without thinking, you reassuringly take his hand in yours, "from now on, I have your back no matter what. I'm so sorry that I wasn't here a few years ago, but… I am now. As embarrassing as it sounds… I'm in awe of you, Logan. It takes an incredible person to stay true to who they are in the face of such adversity. Haru is a testament to that, they all are. Everyone so desperately wants to see through the lies you've spun for yourself, they want to believe in you… so much so that I did before I even met you, remember? At the end of this, we may not like what we discover, but I can guarantee that every single good, honest person in that town will welcome you back with open arms."

"S-so… I guess what I'm trying to say is… thank you. Thank you for trusting me and for letting me call you my friend... I'll… I'll do whatever I can to repay you. I know… after I leave we have to act like none of this ever happened… but… just know, Sandrock will never truly be home to me without you now."

Logan's eyes are hidden by his hat, his gaze firmly fixated on your hands as he struggles to find the right words to say. No one has ever said something like that to him before, he's never truly understood the gravity of his decisions until now. 

"I-I'm sorry… I just… I wanted… to make you… feel better…" 

He hastily pulls you forward, enveloping you in a massive hug. Hurriedly wrapping him in your arms, you hold him tightly and squeeze your eyes shut for a moment, one of your hands beginning to soothingly stroke the hair at the nape of his neck. Straight away, you feel his eyes flutter closed as he heavily leans into your touch, his eyelashes brushing against your skin as he nestles into your shoulder, eagerly letting himself melt into your embrace. You gladly cradle all of his weight, immovable as you patiently listen for his quiet, labored breathing to subside, determined to comfort him for however long as he needs.

"Thank you," he murmurs softly into your ear, reluctantly releasing you after quite some time. You watch him with big eyes as he stands and beckons for you to follow, hearing a subtle hoarseness in his voice, "c'mon... let's get this over with."

The moment you both enter the room, Grace and Haru know something is different, it's palpable. With your eyes shifting anxiously, the two of you put on your best faces in an attempt to distract them from your nerves. They do their best to behave, but quickly begin to pick out subtleties in your behavior. Subconsciously, you're watching each other's movements closely, your mannerisms inadvertently revealing just how heavily you're relying on one another as you try to hide your secret. It's clear that there's a fairly deep bond between you that has manifested overnight, an unspoken loyalty, one that they're desperately trying to understand as you approach. 

As you start to get closer, Logan begins to slowly trail behind you, a hand casually resting on his holster. You lick your lips to fight your smile, annoyed that he's sending you out in front, doing your best to prepare yourself to reach them first. He smirks softly and dares to look at the back of your head, practically able to see your lighthearted rage. 

Grace decides to break the silence, "there you are… guess what? You coming back will be more fun than I originally thought, they're holding a funeral for you this morning. Matilda is going to preside over the service after her morning sermon."

Logan can't help but laugh a little, "I'd pay good money to see their faces when you show up." He puts up the front he needs to, but quickly turns to you, scanning your face to gauge your reaction. You use the opportunity to glare at him for what he did earlier, but smirk softly, a small blush creeping into your cheeks from his concern. He simply smiles, folding his arms as he attentively stands beside you, listening to your conversation with Grace. 

Only Haru notices just how closely Logan is watching you as Grace fills you both in, it's almost like he's become your shadow and you his deft right hand. Beginning to pack a few things for you to take with a smile, Haru hands them to you in a small cloth bag. You smile widely and thank him, hugging him fiercely as you say your goodbyes.

"Okay, okay, c'mon, we gotta go! We'll barely make it back in time at this rate...!" Grace flits as she starts to walk away towards the exit, rushing you along.

You walk side by side with Logan as he escorts you over to her. To both of you, it feels like she's miles away, but still not far enough.

Joking quietly, you try to ease your shared apprehension, "well... that was a whirlwind, huh?" 

He sighs anxiously and suddenly freezes beside you, his nerves getting the better of him, "you're sure you'll be alright?"

You stop, looking up at him with a small, reassuring smile when you hear the hesitancy in his voice, "I'll be fine, Logan. I promise."

He nods and softens, though you see your words do little to pacify him. Your eyes follow his as you watch his gaze slowly drift across your face before landing on a small tear in the shoulder of your coat. He carefully reaches out, your breath silently hitching as his fingertips timidly attempt to push the fabric back into its rightful place. Mesmerized by the gentleness of his touch, your eyelids flutter in tandem with your now rapidly beating heart. In this quiet moment, the two of you begin to feel like you're the only ones in the room, completely oblivious of the onslaught of bewildered stares from your friends.

Mustering the strength to interrupt him, your shy voice comes out so softly that only he can hear you, "courtesy of you, I believe..."

Grace and Haru can't avert their eyes, the seriousness of things beginning to click. That one, small gesture irrefutably proves what they've suspected would happen from the start, your body language giving everything away, more than either of you will ever know. Haru focuses on you and thinks back to what you said during your conversation at dinner and everything quickly makes sense as he realizes that you two really have been drawn to each other from the moment you met. 

Furrowing your eyebrows together, you try to ground yourself, looking at him sadly, "when do you think I'll see you again?" 

You watch the corners of his eyes crease from his smile as he answers you, letting his hand fall languidly to his side, "things go according to plan, I'll see you back in Sandrock, jus' like we talked about."

Spinning so you're facing him, you take a few small steps backwards, your eyes locked on his, "I'll let things cool off for a few days, but I already have everything I need, so make sure you're ready... I guess I can say, I'll see you soon, then?"

He gives you a single nod, almost tipping his hat to you, his eyes relaxing when they find yours again, "see you soon, then."

Skewing your mouth to one side as you fight to hide your growing smile, you turn away from him on your heels and start walking towards where Grace is waiting for you, keeping your head down to avoid her baffled gaze. Looking over your shoulder, you wave one final goodbye to Haru, unable to prevent your eyes from settling on Logan's one last time just before you disappear around the corner.

Once you're out of sight, Grace giggles and laces her arm through yours, pulling you close to her. She can't contain herself any longer, "okay seriously, now that we're alone, what did I miss?! I mean how... what… just… happened?! I've never seen him like that, or, y'know, maybe you'd care to explain what I saw when I got here?!" 

A huge smile spreads across your face, so big it hurts. You giggle a little and shush her, biting your lip guiltily to hide your grin, your cheeks flushing a deep red, "I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about. If anything, you're the one who encouraged me to stay, so quit! There isn't anything to say, and even if there was, who says I have to tell you, hm?!"

"Oh don't give me that, I saw–!"

"You saw nothing!" Your voice comes out high pitched and slightly giddy from Grace's contagious excitement as you cut her off. You do your best to look at her seriously and reply as calmly as you can, "Grace, I love you, but drop it. He's just... officially a good friend, okay? We hit it off last night, it was nice to get to know him and that's all, I promise!"

She rolls her eyes and releases you with a dramatic huff, "fine... but don't you dare think I'm through with you."

Back in the cavern, Haru teases Logan from across the room, amused that he hasn't moved a muscle since you left him, "I guess she passed, huh?"

Logan yanks his mask off and chuckles hard, pointing at Haru sternly as he starts walking towards him with a grin, his mask bundled in his hand, "oh no, don't you start... I don't wanna hear another word outta you."

Haru can't help himself, "Grace and I said you'd get along with her really well… looks like we were right. How did you manage to go from being weird at dinner to... whatever that just was?"

Logan hurls his mask at him and they both laugh, plopping down together by the campfire to grab some food. Passing some over to him, Haru smiles, noticing a light inside his friend has returned, one that has been missing for a long time.

Reaching the hideout entrance, you finally make your way outside and give Rambo a quick pat before sending him on his way. You trudge tiredly behind Grace as she continues to fill you in on everything that's happened while you were gone. 

Digging in to make the long trek back, you crest the canyon's edge and turn to face the eastern horizon, watching as the sun begins to spill down over the mountains into the pale purple morning sky. As the fleeting night gives way to the new day, you find that your pace slows, your attention absorbed by the beauty of the fading moon. Squinting into the growing sunlight, you're not sure if your exhaustion is playing tricks on you or not, but in an instant, like a bolt of lightning, you swear you catch a glimpse of a few falling stars.

⊹ THE END ⊹

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Chapter Text

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Hello everyone,

This was my very first crack at writing, so it means a lot to me if you made it here.

When I initially had the honest conversation with myself and decided that I actually wanted to try writing, I planned on finishing this one and stopping. So, in some ways, I consider "Falling Stars" to be a stand alone work. This is in part because it was originally going to be the lone story I posted, but now that I've committed to making this a series, this is the only one that doesn't "truly" explore a romance with Logan. I feel that their relationship could be considered platonic if you try really hard not to read between the lines...!

All stories from here on out will be more intentional in their goal of building up to a relationship with him and I'm very excited to share what I'm working on behind the scenes! If you're interested in seeing what's in store and haven't found it already, all additional titles for the next installments can be found in the description of the series. The thought is that each one will become more and more head canon heavy, but all of them will still be tied to the MTaS main storyline (except for the last one!).

Oh - and something random but fun to keep in mind as you read: I plan on hiding the title of my works somewhere on the "last page"... this one should've been pretty obvious to find! 

On one final note, I also wanted to bring "more" to these works by adding accompanying songs for your consideration. See below for the lyrics! 

Now for the preview...

The next title will be "Coming Home" which follows the unraveling of the Duvos plot (aka the "Fall from Grace" mission) and subsequent "initial" return of Logan. I won't spoil too much, but I'm eager to see how many parallels you lovely readers pick up on because there will be a lot of them. Any of the ideas and little phrases that transcend between the two are intentional, I promise! As for the flow of "Coming Home"... let's just say things really start to click for these two and heat up a bit more. Don't let me fool you either, of course there will be lots of teasing from our two favorite trouble makers!

Stay tuned for the next update!! Thank you so much again for reading!

- DeerAle 𖹭

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"Astronaut" by Gregory Alan Isakov

I work mornings in the old yard

Digging in the ground

but I moonlight as an astronaut

Mostly just sit around and howl

Won't you come to my house tonight

We could sleep on the floor

I got this window that looks out to Orion

I paid extra for

Oh, forget about the sun

He's forgotten us by now

⊹

Kiss me so I remember how

⊹

We'll turn these sorrows into strangers

Buy them a ticket on the train

Drop 'em off at the station

Watch 'em ride far away

Far away...

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