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Roman and Remus were a handful on their own, but together they were comparable to a hurricane. As they’d grown up, they’d dedicated a good chunk of time to biking as far into the woods as they could get. The woods were littered with old pits and mines, trails, and abandoned houses.
It was inevitable that they’d find bits of the forest that didn't want them there.
Currently, that bit was surrounding an old train track. Parts of the train were still in the forest, most of it melted down or taken to museums, leaving individual carts there to be forgotten and rediscovered.
“Hey, take a lookie at this!” Remus is laying, belly down on the track. His shout has Roman turning around, just in time to see his brother lick the railing.
“...Why’d you do that!?”
“It tastes like rotten M&Ms!” He says cheerfully as he sticks his tongue out at Roman.
Roman is coming up with a smart response to his brother's comment when a sound rockets through him.
It was a fucking growl, for lack of a better word. Low and threatening and territorial and oh god-
As soon as he hears the noise, his vision tunnels. Electricity shoots down his spine, he feels like the breath has been knocked out of him. He can’t breathe enough. He feels the need to run, to get away, to leave. He feels his air rush out.
What the hell? What animal makes that kind of noise? He can't be there in the forest with whatever makes that noise!
He twists around desperately, so fast the forest and shadows blend together, he’s dizzy and the long shadows make him feel small-
“You good?” Remus's voice pierces through his panic, and it disapears into thin air.
Just like that, it’s over. He can breathe.
He feels silly, now that he's calm. What had happened? “I-I heard a growl?”
“Oooooo, are you scared?!” Remus is still by the rail when Roman turns back around.
“Of course I’m scared! We are in the woods, at night! The thematic atmosphere is just begging monsters to attack us!” Despite his quip, it still feels like his stomach is fighting with itself.
“Well, I think that adds to the experience!” After a long pause, Remus tilts his head. “Aaaare you scared somethings following us? A ghost? Vampire? Werewolf”
“Of course I'm scared of monsters! We are in the woods, at night!” He's repeating himself but he can't get over that fucking noise.
“Really? OMG, Roman, I thought you were brave!” Remus feigns shock at his exclamation. “Should we find the monster? Ya think it might have an eclectic collection of poisons?”
“Don't you dare run off.” Despite his verbal scolding, Roman is already bending down to tie his shoes, preparing for the inevitable run.
Remus merely shrugs. “Gotta go fast!”
Remus has been the blight of the track team’s reputation and their best sprinter for three years, so when he takes off he bolts. Roman follows after, but it’s clear he’s going to have to use stamina if he wants a chance to win. The moist dirt muffles his footprints, so Roman will have to keep him within sight.
Turns out, keeping him in sight is hard.
To be fair, Roman isn’t the more athletic brother. He’s not really athletic at all. He prefers the indoors, with some sheet music and Animal Crossing to keep him company. It’s not much of a surprise he got so far behind he’s lost, but it is disappointing it happened so fast.
It’s even more disappointing when he trips and eats dirt. His knee hits the ground hard, and at a harsh angle. He lets out a noise between a gasp and a scream, his whole body curling up and tensing. Time moves achingly slow, but even then, he’s been there less than a minute when he hears something.
He assumes it’s his brother's footsteps, and he lets himself chuckle, finding humor in the situation now that he’s safe.
The noise gets slightly louder, and a burst of hot, dry air hits his back.
“Please stay still.”
That voice is not Remus’, but before he could even start moving he feels the air around him move, and change. He lays there stunned, as the cold damp night is shaken away. The air turns hot and dry and it suddenly smells overwhelmingly like mint.
“I’ve put a barrier. You’re safe from him.”
… Did a fucking cryptid just try and protect him from Remus?
He tries to roll over, to get a look at whatever just put him in a bubble, but a hand is on his shoulder holding him still. “Don’t move yet, I need to heal you first.”
Roman wants to ask a few clarifying questions, ask how this cryptid has magic healing powers, and whether or not he’s a fucking fae or some shit and Roman will owe him his soul after this. Before he can, his leg goes numb.
Roman is not ashamed to admit he yelped.
“Shhhhh, quiet, I just needed to dull the pain. It’s healing quite well.” That stupid cryptid with his stupid monotone voice that doesn’t give Roman any clues to whether or not he’s going to be eaten or not.
“Three abs in one peck, if you’re stealing my fucking leg I swear-”
A remarkable cooling sensation replaces the numbness in his right leg, instead of the pins and needles feeling Roman expected.
Okay. He shifts his leg around, and it feels… normal. No longer cold, numb, or in pain. So, he can stand up. He can look at the cryptid. Should he? They could be like the fae, where you have to look them in the eye. Or like an enderman where you can’t. Goddammit, why is he thinking about Minecraft right now?
“I -thank you. Sorry for getting mad.” Roman stumbles to his feet, keeping his eyes on the ground. They probably weren't going to kill him, considering they bothered to heal him, but better safe than sorry.
“It was no issue for me. You may know me as Logan if you would like. You look upset … you understand I won't take offense if you look at me, correct?”
Roman feels his face flush. “I knew that,” he mutters as he glances up.
Logan is exceptionally tall, easily 6’5, but the first thing that Roman truly notices is the cat ears. They’re small and circular and covered in fur and a black-spotted pattern that looks a bit like freckles. His whole body is covered in an odd sort of skin, slightly leathery and covered in a small amount of fur. A tail sways behind him, Roman realizing it's a lot thicker and bushier than he expected a leopard tail to be. Holy fuck, Logan is a leopard. He looks up and sees a face with glowing golden eyes, and whiskers above his eyes and on his cheeks.
As much as Roman sees with his eyes, he feels energy floating off from Logan like a wave. It almost feels more tangible than what he sees.
“... oh.” Why does Roman have to be such a romantic, falling in love with a fucking cryptid in ten minutes.
Logan is unbothered by his awe and stands there tail flicking back and forth.
Roman still can't get over how literally magical just standing within five feet of Logan feels.
“... Since I've put in the effort to keep you safe, I could accompany you back to a human hive, er, pack if you'd like. I could prevent that other human from chasing you again.”
Roman’s not going to point out how bizarre “human hive” sounds so instead he responds, “Remus? He’s just my brother, we were chasing each other as a game.”
Logan’s eyes go wide and his tail stops flicking. Is he embarrassed? Roman doesn't really know how tail-communication works. “I hope you were enjoying your game. I also request you try to show more caution around tripping hazards.”
Roman laughs. “Don’t worry, we will.” He pauses before continuing.
“... Is there anything dangerous that might bother us on our way home? We’re um, just walking along the tracks.”
Making eye contact is always overwhelming for Roman, but looking right at Logan’s golden eyes was enchanting and hair-raising.
After a long moment, Logan answers. "Don't stop in the clearing. That’s it. Then you’ll be fine.” Roman ponders how common it is that his curiosity is now screaming at him to find this off-limits clearing. Is this why people did that whole Area 51 thing?
“Which one?”
“You'll know.”
Roman doesn’t want to seem rude, so he tried making a lighthearted jab. “Why? Some evil monster lives there? Your rival lives there?”
Logan’s silent, staring at the ground for long enough that Roman feels anxiety build in his gut.
“Not quite. If you enter, I’ll have to kill you.” Roman assumes Logan is joking and lets out a chuckle before he realizes that Logan is still looking at the ground.
Roman has been enjoying Logan’s company, to the extent that he almost forgot what Logan is. Actually, he has no clue what Logan is. And this mystery monster just threatened to kill him. All of the warm atmosphere has vanished.
“I hold no malice. I don't want to hurt you. But I’m obligated to defend the clearing. I'll have to. I protect his grave, that's what I do.”
Oh.
Roman is curious as hell now.
Curiosity courses through him, and he makes an impulsive decision. “If I stay out of the clearing, can I come back? I'd like to know more about you.”
Logan blinks, and it strikes Roman that that's the first time he's blinked this whole time.
“I don't believe I’ve ever had a visitor. It… would be a welcome change.”
Something seems to vibrate in Roman’s chest in that sentence, and he grins wildly.
“Anything I need to know? Like are you only visible at night or something? Are you nocturnal like a cat?”
Logan answers “I'm visible when I want to be, and I’ll be here when you are.”
Is he being vague on purpose or is he really just filled with conflicting abilities? Is he flirting?
“Okay,” He mutters awkwardly, but earnestly. “I’ll be back.” It’s a promise.
Logan walks up to him and raises his hand to his heart. “Well, it was enchanting to meet you.”
Roman blushes, hard, and turns around, and walks back into the forest.
Roman is simping for some sort of zombie, Remus is never gonna let him live this down.