#he could have gone up to jan and tapped him on the shoulder but no he couldn't resist giving him a lil cuddle

[me-sploh-rada-imas]

for me?

[kaiisers]

BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA ꒰ dabi ꒱

none of the following works belong to me. credits to rightful authors. contains mature content, aimed for +18 audiences. reader discretion is advised. most of these works are f! or afab! reader. ALSO! minors + blank + ageless blogs will be blocked.

⿻ last updated: jan. 09, ‘23

⌕ LEGEND

personal favorites : ♡

reader discretion advised, read content warnings : ✧ 

a burnt rose. ──── complete

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟ You and Touya parted on bad terms. Six years later, he spots you visiting his father, a red-headed kid in tow. He’s determined to find out what you’ve been up to while he’s been gone.

cw. angst. single parent au. single parent, angst, violence, child loss, implied drug use

an ode to winter. ──── 14.1k

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟ touya todoroki had broken a lot of things, your heart, promises, your window a few times, but you swore he’d never leave your child feeling that way. but when he wants back into your life, will he take no for an answer? And do you even want to say it?

cw. angst, fluff, smut. MANGA SPOILERS IN THE EXTENDED ENDING. manga war arc!au, single-parent!au, unplanned pregnancy!au. heavy smut, ( literally 5k of it ),  mentions of pregnancy, mentions of semi-toxic!relationships, struggling with parenting, blackmail ??,  unprotected sex ( wrap it before you tap it, losers ), handjobs, oral sex ( female receiving ), fingering ( female receiving ),  choking, branding, squirting, spit!kink, needy touya

♡ antecedent. ──── 16k+

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟ following Touya’s arrest you try to navigate the world as it is flipped on its head. torn between your loyalty to him and what’s best for your son, new family is formed and hope is found.

cw. angst, hurt/comfort, sorta fluff. single (?) parent au. canon divergence:spoilers for touya backstory and chapters 349 onwards. AFAB reader (referred to as ‘mama’), established (kinda toxic) relationship,secret family au (post arrest), original child character (‘Kaiyo’; he is your shared biological child), parent todoroki touya, mentions of canon attempted suicide and canon child abuse, themes of generational trauma, family feels, todoroki family centric, villain rehabilitation, dealing with trauma and recovery, second chances

autumn chill. ──── complete

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟ You find yourself needing a place to stay after setting an apartment on fire.

cw. angst, smut. villain au, blood, panic attack, death (not main characters), 18+

biting down. ──── 5.3k

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟ He’s fast as he weaves through the trees, breath hot against your neck as he runs as if he has any need for breathing at all. You feel your shoulders drop in relief, tucking your head into the crook of his neck, the texture of his skin a comfort to you as you think about what could have happened if he hadn’t found you. Dabi is a vampire, a real, live (debatable), blood-sucking, sunlight-repulsed, creature of the night. You think you might be in love with him.

cw. f!reader, explicit content, some angst, violence, vampires, Dabi picks reader up, detailed descriptions of blood and gore (lots and lots of blood), blood kink, self inflicted harm (reader cuts her palm open), Dabi is a little mean sometimes, biting (he bites ur neck, thighs, chest he drinks ur blood he’s a vampire), pain play (biting to puncture skin, biting and drinking from already open wounds), drinking each other’s blood, fingering, (bloody) oral f!receiving, bloody sex, unprotected sex, marking, bruising, corny vamp dialogue

touya dabi isn't as smooth as he thinks he is.

can you feel my heart beating like a hammer? ──── 5k

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟ You watch from your spot, shoulders tense as you anticipate the arrival of yet another creepy clown or zombie when you see him.

He’s not like the other actors. He’s not quick with his movements and doesn’t yell or jump at anyone. His terror lies in the fact that he does none of those things, that he stands across from you and stares.

And then he grins.

Your stomach turns but not in fear.

cw. f!reader, explicit content, scare actor!dabi, Dabi is touya (quite literally he is not called Dabi in this at all ajhssjsjjss), sex in public, fearplay (kind of), multiple orgasms, overstimulation (very brief), oral f!receiving, fingering, multiple instances where Dabi rests his hand on ur neck but never chokes u, biting (shoulder, neck), ‘baby’ and ‘angel’ as pet names, use of ‘good girl’, frightening (debatable im not that good) depictions of scare actors and haunts, one description of gory makeup, fake weapons

✧ count for me. ──── 3.8k

cw. punishments, shibari, blowjob, face fucking, rough sex, squirting, degrading, some praise, dabi is mean to reader, spanking, minor burning/branding, it's all consensual.

hardly human. ──── 3.2k

cw. Touya x Cisfem Selkie!Reader. degradation (slut etc), praise, fingering, unprotected sex, maybe slight coercion but not really, maybe a little angst but mostly smut, bit of plot.

♡ heaven for nonbelievers. ──── 11k

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟ Fire is many things – forgiving is not one of them. Dabi finds absolution elsewhere. Allusions to domestic abuse(not to y/n), mentions of sexual abuse (not to y/n), mentions periods, mentions of food, explicit content, y/n can’t catch a break; sharing space, strange domesticity, gray morality to less gray morality, sometimes grief has teeth

cw. angst, smut, hurt/comfort. villain au + strangers to lovers

♡ I’m melting in your eyes, like my first time that I caught fire. ──── 13k+ (½)

cw. pro hero!au. explicit language, fluff, angst, shouto is a menace, touya has tattoos instead of scars

kingdom of ashes. ──── 12k

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟When you are suddenly uprooted from your life to enter an arranged marriage with Prince Touya you are unprepared for how greatly he defies your expectations, nor for how quickly you fall for him.

cw. AFAB FEM reader (referred to as ‘wife’ ‘daughter’ and 'my lady’), royalty au, prince todoroki touya, arranged marriage, no quirks, historical setting, perceived unrequited love, fictional contraceptives, horseback riding, fluff, angst, protected vaginal sex, vaginal oral sex (reader receiving), dubcon, strangers to lovers, loss of virginity, hurt/comfort, canonical child abuse, bathing together, outdoor sex, talk of not having children/preventing pregnancy

leather cushions. ──── 6.7k

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟ touya hates the couch in the living room, but for you, he’d sit on it every second of the day.

cw. smut. quirkless au, college au, roommates au, best friends to lovers. shitty frat/rich boy!keigo, reader tells keigo no & he ignores it, soft, sweet, consensual sex w touya.

♡ legacy of hurt. ──── 4.5k

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟ touya has enclosed his heart behind a thick wall with refusal to let anyone see it. but you are an unrelenting storm, and damned by your persistence, even the strongest cliff can break if weathered enough.

cw. NSFT, GN reader, friends to lovers, Dabi POV, pre-LOV, implied PTSD, mention of child abuse, angst, hurt/comfort, blood (he cries during sex), spit, unprotected sex, emotional sex, no power dynamic

secrets. ──── complete

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟ Life isn’t a fairy-tale and you find your soulmate through unconventional means.

cw. angst, smut. soulmate au. death mention, violence, spoilers (?) – set in PLF arc, abuse mention (not directed at reader)

she washes all of my wounds for me. ──── 15.2k

⌜ ୨୧ ⌟ “I called you by your name. Is that okay?”

“I don’t know.”

And it isn’t because he doesn’t want you to know his name. He’s already announced it to the world. Of course, you’re going to know it. It certainly isn’t because he hates the way your lips so easily form the two syllables. It isn’t because he no longer wants to associate himself with the name.

He’s simply afraid of his greedy soul becoming attached to the way you somehow manage to make something that used to cause his skin to crawl to now bring his heart a peace he’s never known before he saw your face.

cw. fem!reader. Smut (18+ only, minors DNI), fem reader (AFAB anatomy, femme pet names/pronouns), major spoilers for manga chapter 290, heavy religious imagery of angels/gods/heaven, one (1) instance of sir kink, so so much hurt/comfort, several mentions of past family abuse and trauma, mild blood and gore (Dabi tending to new burns/scars), verbal argument that has Dabi breaking furniture (reader does not get hurt) and being an overall asshole, alcohol use (Dabi is drunk and emotional), soft desperate-to-be-loved-but-too-scared-to-ask Dabi, oral and fingering (f!receiving), unprotected sex, creampie, very soft and emotional smut

soft interlude. ──── 1.4k

cw. AFAB GN reader (called ‘angel’ once), NSFT, established relationship, fluff and smut, bath sex, vaginal fingering (mostly clit stimulation; reader receiving), heavy petting, quirk use

unprofessional. ──── 5.1k

cw. smut. modern / business au. fem! reader, blow jobs, cum swallowing, humping, natsuo walking in on yall lmao, unprofessional work relationships, ceo’s son! dabi aka touya

[almondbiscotti]

Hard Knocks

Jan 2021. Possibly my favourite. So far.

I barely remember life before they came, unannounced, stomping through my front door, deliberately intrusive and demanding my attention. I tried everything to keep them out, I changed the locks, I added new locks, moved across the city, and even changed my name. But they are persistent, and they do not need to know my name to find me.

Monday is the loudest of them all. Blue like the ocean and dark as a storm. She ate everything I had in the pantry and terrified my neighbours. I wish she wouldn’t ask me questions I cannot answer. What is your fancy arts degree worth, inflation adjusted? Does your boss hate you? How many Zoom meetings can you take before you go clinically insane? I pretend I can’t see or hear her but she is too unpleasant to ignore. Her visits are the worst. I think she knows, and she enjoys my suffering.

Tuesday is best friends with Monday. They say they’re close, but I have never seen them in a room together. She says little but sits at my table and makes lists, things to do and groceries to buy. Lists I find scattered in random corners of my apartment, her reminders of how I have failed to live up to her expectations. I am more at ease when she leaves. If looks could kill, Tuesday kills me every week.

Wednesday is a depressing shell of a man. He is the only one that knocks, 3 listless taps even when the door is open. He leaves me alone mostly, crying silently on the couch. Sometimes he sighs loudly and sneaks furtive glances at me. Once he sang a song and I threw my cup at him. Nobody likes Wednesday and he only has himself to blame.

Thursday bursts in like the sun. She brings me flowers and fruit and nags when I skip lunch. She makes good Bolognese, and we watch re-runs of The Nanny till I fall asleep. When I wake, she is gone and all I can smell is the faint scent of rain and freedom.

Friday visits when the sun sets. He drinks endlessly and wears nothing but black. He drags me out and insists on introducing me to women. I secretly wish I was Friday, Friday could sell ice to an Eskimo. I wake just past midnight to pounding on the door and in my head. I open the door to a smiling Friday with a bloody, unconscious Saturday slung over his shoulder. I feel the back of my head throb and taste iron when I swallow.

Saturday is exhausted, beaten senseless by Friday. I crawl into bed with him and wish we were both dead.

I clean the house of Saturday’s blood and vomit while Sunday lazes and watches. Sunday says he’s a God-fearing Christian and observes the 7th day of rest. He tuts while I do the laundry, pointing out unmovable stains and criticises my choice of detergent. Sunday reminds me of Monday.

At night I lie in bed, hating Sunday for leaving me. The seconds drip away, and I know when I open my eyes, Monday will be here with her questions.

[stillebesat]

Code: Blanket (part 2)

Sanders Sides: Logan, Remus, Virgil, Janus, Patton Fic Type: Hurt/Comfort Prompt: “If you don’t know where to go, you can always come here.” with Anxceit? (platonic is 100% good for me) Blurb: A friendship doesn’t stop just because one person decides to act like a dick. Especially when said dick is obviously in trouble. Overall Fic Warnings: Homophobia talk, Neglectful/Abusive Parents implication, Capitol Riot references, Injuries Taglist in Reblog

Part 1

“Your son is sneaking out.”

If the weight of his husband settling on top of him in the bed hadn’t been enough to fully wake Logan from sleep, the gleeful tone of Remus’s voice in his ear and the words he spoke were certainly enough to do so.

He tilted his head to the side, squinting up at his husband’s shadowy figure looming over him, ignoring how his heart had jumped into his throat, leaving an aching cavity in his chest. “If our son is sneaking out after dark, Sir Night Owl.” He said, working to sound calmer than he actually felt. “Then that’s obviously your influence at work and your problem.”

Remus gave a low chuckle, kissing his cheek. “Lion Kinging me, Messire Early Bird? Fair enough. I accept.” He shifted to roll off the bed, only to pause as Logan grabbed his hand.

“Virgil’s never snuck out before.” He whispered, flinching as he heard the front door close. Why would his son feel the need to do--sure teenagers were known to be rebellious, but he’d been clear that Virgil could talk to him about anything, anytime. To have him just suddenly leave without a word to them, without any indication that anything was wrong--

Remus squeezed his hand. “I heard him say ‘The offer still stands, D.’ as he walked by our door, sooo~ secret relationship?”

Logan pushed up onto one elbow, breath catching. “You heard him say Dee?” He demanded. “You’re certain?” He hadn’t known the two were still in communication. The end of their lifelong friendship last year had been...volatile. Virgil had been miserable for months afterwards.

“Yes?” His husband tilted his head. “You know them?”

Logan nodded, rolling over so he could grab his glasses from the night stand. “So do you. It’s Janus. Son of the Daemons.”

Remus stiffened, hissing like a broken teapot. “What offer could Virgiepoo possibly make to that horrible family of--”

“They were childhood friends.” Logan interrupted his husband before he went off on yet another long winded swearing spree about the Daemons. “Janus didn’t always approve of his parents...antics.”

Remus snorted, pulling Logan to his feet. “Antics? Those Ultra Christian Karens on Manbaby Cheeto Horse Steroids nearly cost both of us our jobs because they couldn’t stand the thought of their son knowing two gay men.”

Logan smirked, shrugging on a robe, placing his phone in the pocket just in case Virgil called. “And how did that turn out? With them facing the best lawyer in the country?”

Remus leaned in for a kiss. “Not good.” He breathed against his lips.

“Exactly.”

“Soo…” Still clad in only his boxers, Remus entwined his fingers in Logan’s, pulling him out of their bedroom towards the front door. “Son of our Enemy. Virgil sneaking out in the middle of the night to see him. What exactly is this offer that he’s offering to the Villains who aimed to destroy our happily ever after?”

An offer that Logan had believed had been firmly taken off the table over a year ago. “Simply put. Sanctuary.”

Which begged the question. What had happened in the Daemon household to convince Virgil to offer their home, after everything the two families had gone through, to their son once more?

“Sanctuary.” Remus repeated like it was a foreign word. “To one of their spawn? Are you serious?”

Knowing how much of a giving and forgiving heart his son had? Logan pulled open the front door, unsurprised to see the two teens standing frozen on the porch.

He had good timing like that.

“Boys.” Logan greeted, attention drawn immediately to Janus as he tried to hide behind his son only to be stopped by Virgil’s tight grip on his arm.

Janus swallowed, a tremor visibly going through him as met Logan’s eyes. “Mr. L.” He whispered, the porchlight throwing his face, and therefore, the stark purple bruise and cuts by his eye into sharp relief.

Sanctuary. He could now totally understand why Virgil had chosen to reach out.

The crumpled state of the boy’s clothes, the mask -an unusual accessory for the known anti-masker, anti-vaxxer family- the greasy hair, all of the obvious signs of neglect, Logan mentally catalogued as he immediately reached out, drawing the boy closer to him. “Janus.” He breathed, hating how the boy flinched at his movement, how he trembled under his touch even as he leaned into Logan’s hand as he cupped the boy’s uninjured cheek. “What happened?”

“Well, I hope what’s happening is that we’re kidnapping the demon spawn for ranso--” Remus cut off, inhaling sharply as he too caught sight of the facial disfigurement. “Lo, lemme see that.” He demanded, gently pushing him to the side so he could take the boy’s chin into his hands, tilting his head this way and that in the porch light.

Virgil relaxed, even as Janus visibly tensed, trembling under Remus’s scrutiny.

For good reason. The young Daemon had to feel like he was stepping into the Lion’s den by coming here.

“It’s okay, Dee. Remus is a surgeon. The best. You’re in safe hands.” Virgil said softly, keeping a firm grip on his friend’s arm as the boy shifted his feet like he was debating about turning tail and running.

Something he’d never thought Janus would do. The boy took after his parents in being willing to face confrontation head on, no matter the odds.

Something definitely was wrong here.

“What happened?” Logan repeated, unable to hide the concern in his voice.

Janus’s eyes flickered between him and Remus, breath hitching as he opened his mouth. “I--I--”

Remus growled, eyes flashing as he turned to Logan, gesturing wildly with his free hand. “What happened?! He’s lucky the wound isn’t infected, Lo! It’s obvious it’s been untreated. Obvious that he’s been neglected, mistreated, abused!”

Janus flinched at every word. “Yes.” The word ghosted over his lips, barely heard.

Virgil shook his head, eyes burning with quiet fury. “It’s worse.” He slipped his phone out of his pocket, tapping on the screen and flipping it so Logan could see the tweet there. “His parents locked him in their unfinished attic for FOUR months, Dad. And then they left him to go harring off to D.C. to storm the Capitol!”

They…WHAT?!

Logan saw red as Remus swore, his husband pulling Janus into a tight hug, the boy letting out a startled squeak at the action. “I changed my mind, Lo. We’re not kidnapping him, we’re adopting. Surprise, my little rebel. You’re mine now.”

Janus’s eyes went wide, shimmering with unshed tears as he stood stiffly in Remus’s grip, fingers twitching. “Y-yours?” He whispered, in such a small voice that had Logan wrapping an arm around the boy’s shoulders as well. “I--I--but I’m---I’m--”

There’d been a time he’d considered Janus almost like a second son with how often he and Virgil had hung out at their house as kids. Logan wasn’t at all opposed to rediscovering that sentimeint.

“It doesn’t matter.” He whispered in the boy’s ear. “You have a home here, Janus, for as long as you need one.”

The boy shuddered in their hold, breath hitching as he bowed his head, not quite resting it against Remus’s bare chest. “I--I tried to---I couldn’t get out! I tried everything to bre--to break free and then they just….left me. Their SON. They--” He broke off as Remus pulled him closer, a soft sob escaping as his husband carded his fingers through the boy’s hair.

“It’s okay, Janny-boy.” Remus whispered. “You did what you could with what you had.”

Janus shook his head. “I--i should have---sooner. I couldn’t--I didn’t think they’d actually!! My own parents.”

Virgil pressed in on the group hug, gently freeing the face mask from the boy’s ear. “Dee. You couldn’t have known.”

“I SHOULD have though!” He growled, twisting his head to stare at Virgil, cheeks streaked with tears. “We’ve been friends for years, Annie! I KNOW you and Mr. L. and...and…but when things,” His eyes flickered to Remus and back. “Changed. The pandemic and everything---I didn’t...I sided with them and thought they had to be RIGHT this time, but then things...stuff happened and THEY LOCKED ME UP and treated me like I was A NUT CASE when I--I--” His voice dropped to a near whisper. “They wouldn’t listen to me.”

Logan exhaled, squeezing the boy’s shoulder as he met his husband’s furious eyes. “I’m sorry, Janus.” He said, keeping his tone soft. “Your parents have had their...good...qualities at times,”

Remus snorted, but kept silent as Logan shot him another look.

“And I know...they’ve only tried to protect you from their perceived evils in the world, but Janus.” He shifted his position so he could cradle the boy’s injured cheek. “What they did to you was wrong. So very wrong.” And bound to be worse when the whole story was told. “It’s monstrous that they chose to treat their own flesh and blood in such an abhorrent and inhumane manner just because you disagreed with them and I will not stand for it. You deserve better and you will be treated much better here than you have been there. I promise you that.”

Janus abruptly twisted in Remus’s arms to cling to Logan, resting his head against Logan’s chest, fingers digging into the folds of his robe, his thin body shaking with sobs. “Don’t make me go back.” He whispered.

Logan shook his head, pressing a firm kiss against the boy’s greasy hair. “Never.”

“I won’t let him.” Remus added, a growl in his voice. “I’ve adopted you, Jan. My word is law. No take backsies.”

Janus looked between the three of them, before focusing on Remus, licking his lips. “But. You...don’t know me--”

“You don’t know me either, kiddo. But no worries. We’ll fix all that.” His husband winked as he gathered both Virgil and Janus under each arm, letting Logan take a careful step back. “But FIRST.” He pointed a finger at the boy’s eye. “I’m getting you clean and stitched up while Logie here makes a little call to his Work Wife to figure things out. With luck, and I am rather lucky, there’ll barely be a scar when I’m done.”

Janus stiffened, glancing over his shoulder to Logan. “Work Wife?!”

Virgil chuckled, twisting Janus’s mask in his fingers. “Not an actual wife, Dee. Dad has a fellow lawyer friend.”

“Rival.” Logan corrected.

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Rival that he constantly works with, so Rem calls him his work wife since he’s usually either with him or us.”

That wasn’t exactly true. He did go to other places and work with other people that weren’t Patton or his family. It just so happened that Patton ended up involved in a lot of the same sort of cases as him and so collaboration made more sense than going it alone.

Logan pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts. “Needless to say. I’ll take care of it, Janus. You can trust me on that.” He smiled to the teen before turning his attention to his son. “Virgil, send me a copy of that tweet as soon as you can. And Remus,” He grimaced as his husband paused, raising an eyebrow. He could see him practically vibrating with the need to stitch the kid up now. “I know you want to treat Janus ASAP, but I need photographic evidence of every single injury and sign of neglect before you do anything.” An unfortunate delay, but he needed the evidence recorded before it vanished. He hit call, placing his phone by his ear. “As soon as you’re done--”

“It’s straight to the shower, JanJan. Or a long hot bubble bath. Either way.” Remus said, ushering the teens towards the door. “We need you to get squeaky clean while Lo here does his thing, and then I can treat those wounds of yours without them getting infected. Okay?”

“I--I---uh...Okay?” Janus asked, sounding half strangled as they vanished inside.

The phone clicked. “Hello?” A sleepy voice asked over the line.

Hopefully Virgil could smooth over any further confusion for Janus until Logan could come back and reign Remus back from going full Mama Bear on the boy. “Hello, Patton.” He said, leaning against the wall, listening as the crickets began chirping again. “It’s Logan.”

“Lo?” He could hear his fellow lawyer and work rival stifling a yawn. “Wassup?”

“My apologies for calling so late, but I need your help with a case. Right now. If you’re able.”

The silence on the other hand wasn’t at all encouraging. But then again. It was late.

“...My help? With a case? Now?”

“Yes.” He’d already said that. Hopefully Patton’s brain would kick into a higher gear sooner rather than later or else this conversation would be lasting ten times longer than necessary. “You remember the Daemons?”

“Mmm….yah? Your fight with them had you fired up for ages with all their nonsense.”

“Exactly.” Logan exhaled. “Their son, Janus, just showed up at my house in an obvious state of neglect. Injured. Possibly abused. More than implied that it was his parents who put him in his current state. And I am, unfortunately, too visibly involved with the Daemons in a negative light to be considered an adequate impartial representative for him, especially if I house him in my home for the duration.”

Patton made a noise of surprise. “House him?”

“Virgil was--is a friend of his and he offered him sanctuary here when he discovered that Janus was in trouble. I’m not refusing him a safe place.”

“Safe? You just said--”

Logan closed his eyes, resting his head against the side of his house. “I know. I’m not on good terms with his parents.” They could go rot in a tar pit for all he cared about them. “But I’ve known the boy since he was six, Patton. He’s been to my house multiple times before. Been friends with my son. I won’t hold a grudge against the child for the actions of his parents.”

“Ha. I doubt his parents would appr--”

“His so-called parents Locked. Him. In. Their. Attic. For. FOUR. Months.” Logan interrupted, unable to hide the fury in his voice.

Patton sharply inhaled. “They WHAT?”

Exactly. It was good to hear his work rival taking the same tone. Patton had a soft spot for kids. “They locked him up and then abandoned him, Pat. I don’t know the exact circumstances just yet on why they felt that this was justifiable behavior, but no child should be treated like a prisoner by their family and no so-called parent’s opinion on where or who their son stays with should hold any weight if they’ve failed to provide decent care for their child in the first place!” Logan took a breath, forcing himself to relax his fingers on his phone before he cracked the screen. “Regardless, if the boy wishes to go elsewhere I won’t fight it. But he needed a safe place to go to and he chose to come here. That has to mean something considering the history between our two families.”

“It--I’d have to look into it.” Patton whispered. “This isn’t--the circumstances--”

“Are abnormal. I understand.” Logan nodded, staring off into the night. “Will you come?”

Patton huffed a laugh. “It’s not every day--ah night--you say you need me, Lo.”

That was true. They were more often rivals in the courtroom than collaborators these days. But still, he wouldn’t want any other lawyer to represent the boy if he couldn’t do it himself. “I need you, Pat.”

The sound of keys jangled in his ear. “Be right there.” Patton promised as the line went dead.

[mrpenguinpants]

Albedo HCs: Coming Home [Christmas Celebration 🎉]

For the Christmas Celebration Requests, please read this [we have 2 more days but I’ll possibly extend the deadline to Jan 10. I’m tackling all the Mondstadt rq first before moving onto Liyue]

---

Ohhh, I love idea a lot (might have gone overboard anon haha). No worries about being specific, I love getting specific requests. I just finished a super depressing fic and I’m back at it again. Though I will do my best to make this one happy because that Mona fic hurt me. But I’m glad to hear you love my writing haha 💕💕

I also know nothing about Albedo and have never written this man in my life but I’m going to ignore everything because these are happy hours. I love his man so much so this is some self-indulgent stuff (if you couldn’t tell from the word count) istg hcs have turned into fics just without the dialogue. I took many liberties lol what the hell is formatting?  

Also, shoutout to @asheseiler​​​ A beautiful human being that started chatting with me because we both love Childe haha. But seriously, I appreciate you 💕💕💕

---

[taglist]  <- if you want to be added, please read this first.

@hanniejji​​​​​  @mikeysbike​​​​​ @unionwitch​​​​ @musekala​​​​ @twistedsunnshiii​​​ @stanzastic​​​ @akaasea​​​ @xoneaboveallx​​​ @adoring-ghost​​​ @asheseiler​​​ @childelover​​

---

Albedo HCs: Coming Home

As you finally reached the hill top by the Stone Gate, you could just make out the stone walls of the City of Freedom in Mondstadt. You were almost there and the butterfly’s racing through your stomach only seemed to fly faster. You had been on a long trip away by travelling between Liyue and Inazuma. From practicing your alchemy to finding new secrets, it had been awhile since you last saw Mondstadt. While it had been fun going from place to place and seeing all the new arts and techniques, you couldn’t stop the feeling of loneliness of not having an occasionally smug but talented ash blond companion at your side.

You hadn’t seen Albedo since Master Rhinedottir had left and sent Albedo to Mondstadt with a letter of recommendation. You travelled with him to the City of Freedom but you only stayed for a few nights before you departed to Liyue. Your master had different plans for you and you didn’t know how long your own journey would take but you both promised to stay in touch through letters. 

He was now acting as the Chief Alchemist and Captain of the Investigation Team of the Knights of Favonius. He managed to get a lab from Alice and he even had an assistant named Sucrose. He sent over some sketches for you and even if the bottom half of “Sucrose” was just a stick figure, you were happy that he wasn’t alone and cooped up in his lab all the time. You were, however, worried about these “Klee disasters” but happy that he still had the energy to write to you. At first it was hard, you found yourself talking to the air as if Albedo was still there but even after all these years, you couldn’t help but miss him. The occasional letter you received did help to lighten the mood however and you always made sure to store them carefully.

It seemed that your dapping mood was noticeable because even the ever stoic Zhongli asked if you were okay. He was nice and easy to talk to, even if he had a problem with Mora that you sometimes had to bail him out off, but you trusted him so you explained to him your growing loneliness. Which he simply replied that if you missed someone, you should go see them.

So here you are right outside the gates. The knights at the front were nice enough and let you through with ease once they checked that you didn’t have anything destructive. Now the hard part was actually finding Albedo. The knights had mentioned that despite being a highly respectable alchemist and one of the Captains, no one really knew where he was most of the time. Originally, you were thinking of planning some sort of surprise, even had made an entire game plan, but now that you were here. You just wanted to tackle the man, pride be damned.

You began to wander around the city, in comparison to Liyue it was quite small but so much more lively and warm. Christmas was right around the corner so everyone was rushing around hanging up lights and finding presents but it was nice. Everyone seemed to know each other and unlike Liyue, you didn’t need to be afraid if the walls were listening. You looked around for a man with bright teal eyes and ashy light blond hair, even asking around, but no luck. No one seemed to know where he was and if he was even in Mondstadt right now. You were beginning to loose hope and that your trip might have been in vain when you felt a small tap on your shoulder and-

Sweet jesus, what the fuck?

You were almost jealous at how good he looked now. He was always handsome when you were both younger but now it felt like cupid decided to descend from the heavens, laugh at you, then riddled you full of arrows. Was your pulse working? Brain still computing? You knew you had a small crush on Albedo when you were younger- who were you kidding, you were in love with this man since he helped you create cecilia flowers from a dead denro slime - but this was just unfair!

“Albedo! I was looking around everywhere for you. This place is actually a lot bigger than it se-”

“You’re back.”

Albedo was surprised to see that it was really you. He only caught a small glimpse of your profile but he knew it was you. He almost suspected that his vision was tricking him or that he might have accidently set one of his sketches of you to life but you were here. Albedo has always treated friendships with a constant degree of distance, always working or traveling to gathering materials to avoid social interactions even if it wasn’t intentional. He also had no memory of any family, only adventuring deep within the domains with his master and you. But when his Master left with one assignment left for him he couldn’t help but feel a bit hollow, but you were always there to lift his spirits up even if on the outside he didn’t appear upset.

But then you had left and gone on your own journey.

“Hm? Oh, sorry I didn’t mention it in my last letter. It was a bit of an impulse trip. But I’m not intruding in on anything right? You’re happy to see me...right?”

“You’re here.”

At first he was alright with it, even encouraged you to set off to Liyue since it was the closest. Promising that you would both keep in touch even if he found relationships a taxing cycle. But when a few months had passed and it began to settle in that you weren’t anywhere near him. That he couldn’t talk to you about new discoveries, that he couldn’t hear you voice anymore, that he had even forgotten how to sketch you. It felt...weird. He knew what he was feeling was loneliness, he wasn’t deluded or naïve, but even when he had Sucrose or Timaeus it wasn’t the same. But now you were here. He could see you and how the lines in his sketchbook were wrong whenever he attempted to re-create you. He could feel your warmth that sketches he brought to life couldn’t do. He could feel your presence and how it slowly but surely filled the void in him until it was bursting at the seams.

“Albedo? Are you alright?”

“You’re here.”

You were almost afraid that the holidays had broke Albedo. You knew he would sometimes get too deep in thought and wouldn’t register his surrounding but it was just you two. With the sun slowly going down, the snowflakes dancing around you both, and the Christmas light reflecting off his unique blue eyes. You took a slow blinked at him. Once. Twice. The same way you would when you were studying something, trying to unveil its secrets. Before sighing amusingly and opening up your arms to him. He was still the same. 

“I’m here.”

The final assignment Albedo received was too hard, too complicated, far beyond his own limits and he was worried that if he never completed it, would he ever see his teacher again? When you took your first step outside the walls of the city, waving back to him as you set off on your journey, he couldn’t help but feel that like his teacher, you were leaving him too. But when you looked at him with those warm but understanding eyes, opened your arms to him, he let go and stepped into your embrace. He was sure he was borderline crushing your frame but you hugged him back just as tightly. 

“My apologies. I got overwhelmed. Come with me, let’s get out of the cold first.”

You tried to hold it in but you laughed at his statement. He didn’t seem to mind as you felt him smile into your neck. Even with those words he hadn’t let go or slackened his grip in the slightest. So you both stayed there outside in the cold, the christmas lights reflected off snow, the sounds of laughter and singing playing in the background as you both embraced each other. 

I’m home

You’re home

---

Although Albedo was happy to see you again, he was wondering why out of all the years you had been away, all the other holidays you had missed, you decided to come to Mondstadt today. You were at his lab and marveling at all his new devices when he popped the question. You flushed a bit but quickly brushed it off, saying that after all the letters he sent you were finally curious as to what Mondstadt was like and the people he met. Plus, Liyue and Inazuma didn’t celebrate Christmas as much as Mondstadt so it would be nice to finally celebrate the holiday again.

He simply smiled smugly and nodded along before you eventually caved, because that look could steal your heart away, and revealed that honestly, you just really missed him and wanted to spend Christmas together. There wasn’t anything wrong with that was there? So what if you missed him? It was natural. It wasn’t like you were wondering what he was doing on slow days in Liyue. It wasn’t like you we- 

“You can stop laughing at me. I know you’re doing it even if I can’t hear it Albedo.” 

“I’m sorry you must be mistaken. Perhaps your observational skills have rusted?”

You huffed at him before turning your attention to a small but worn sketching book. It was different from the ones he had showed you and much smaller compared to the ripped out sketches he sent you. Albedo noticed your curiosity and almost flushed before striding over and showing you what was inside. It was either he do it now or you would constantly eye ball it until he finally let you see what was inside. 

He took out the old sketchbook and flipped all the way to the first page. They had been sketches of you. When it had just been you, Albedo, and your teacher he would often ask to draw you but he never showed you the finished product. What was surprising was they were all full sketches. No simple lines or unfinished colours. His interest in things, especially when he draws, were fleeting leading him to always create unfinished or basic lines. 

“Wow, was this your first sketchbook? Did you draw anything else? Oh, like your assistant perhaps?”

“No. I only drew one thing here. It’s been sitting here ever since but I tend to make sure it’s in good condition. Should I ever need to draw in it again.” 

Albedo almost reached for his pencil to sketch your smug but bright smile. But set his hand down. While he wants to capture moments so they remain forever with him, he felt that perhaps, it would be nice to live in them. Just for a moment. 

---

I never write at the bottom of my fics but I wrote too much at the start haha (plus tagging my screaming doesn’t work anymore). Not gonna lie, this was going to be different and you and Albedo would have role reversed AND I WAS GOING TO WRITE MONA IN but that didn’t happen. I made it so disgustingly sappy at the end that I want to throw up but when do I not? 

But I kind of like this version more. He’s super out of character but I don’t care and you’re gonna have to take this hcs out of my COLD DEAD HANDS. But I hope you enjoyed this and I’m using this as my Albedo catalyst so come home elevator boy. (cough celebration hcs are still open if you wanna feed me 👀 this )

[folerdetdufoler]

What are Magic 8ball Evak doing today? I miss them.

xo

hey, sorry, you sent this a few weeks ago i think and i really got hung up on it.

usually this kind of thing would be fun to think about but because of the way time works i didn’t know how to write around it! like, when you sent it it was late august, and technically that had like, just happened in the story. we’d just had a late august, so i couldn’t figure out if i should write another “late august day” almost a year after the story finished, even though i only finished the story back in april. that felt like too much of a time jump though, and i hadn’t given isak and even enough time to grow after the story ended. someone else had asked for an update in the comments on ao3 and i couldn’t give them one, not the same way i have been doing for mondays. but i do want to do something, so…

even’s birthday fell on a sunday. it was the first one isak would be celebrating with him, so isak wanted it to be special. but so did sigrid, and she worked faster than him. she invited them to their house for dinner months in advance, which annoyed even. the saturday before, when they were all hanging out at elias’s apartment, even spent most of the time grumbling about it.

“i thought things were getting better with you guys?” elias asked from his throne.

even sighed. “yeah, i mean, we’re fine. this guy is her new bff.” even patted the head of curls sitting against the couch between his legs. “but i just know it’s going to be this over-the-top thing that i don’t want to have to deal with on my birthday of all days. i don’t want that attention.”

isak paused the race he was playing against mikael and whipped around. “you love the attention.”

“yours, not hers.” even gave that same head a correcting tap and isak returned to the game. “if she actually wanted to celebrate my birthday with me then she would ask me what i would like to do, and then maybe it would be something i would enjoy.”

isak scoffed but didn’t pause the game this time. “if she did that you would just tell her to leave you alone.”

“happy birthday to me!”

“then you should just tell her no, you don’t want to spend your birthday with her.” elias doled out the reasonable and obvious advice.

“i would have, but she invited both of us and isak accepted immediately. besides, it’s kind of a regular thing now, sunday dinners.”

“that’s cute,” mutta noted as he walked in from the kitchen with a bag of pretzels and jar of peanut butter. mikael pointed to the coffee table, a silent command to place the snack within his reach.

isak felt a little guilty then, but he kept it to himself. they kept playing their game until it was mutta’s turn, and then isak pushed himself to his feet. he gestured to even to follow him to the kitchen.

even had a big smile on his face as they stepped away, because he was probably thinking isak wanted to kiss him in the privacy of another room. isak did pull him in close by the waist, but it wasn’t for kisses. “we can skip tomorrow,” he offered instead.

even froze for a second, but then shook his head. “no, no, we can go. i would only make it worse by skipping.”

“i would be happy to tell her we’re skipping but take her out to dinner on her own another night, smooth things over.”

even chuckled. “i absolutely love that you feel comfortable having one-on-one dates with my mother but it’s really not necessary. I’m just…complaining. and i’ll complain a little bit more in therapy, and then i’ll work through why i’m complaining and then i’ll be in a better mood for tomorrow. okay?” he reached up and rubbed isak’s shoulders in reassurance.

“will you tell me about it when you get home?” sometimes even shared what they’d talked about and sometimes he didn’t. isak was getting better about asking permission to cross the ever-changing border.

even’s eyes shifted to the side. “it depends on what we dig up.”

isak accepted this. “okay.” he leaned in to kiss even’s cheek, physically changing the subject. “my next question is…how angry do you think elias will be if i steal the big pillows?”

―――

isak had moved into even’s apartment right before christmas, hauling bags and suitcases back and forth over a few days until most of his belongings were at even’s. he fit a desk and his nice chair in the bedroom, and somehow all of his clothes fit in even’s closet. the giant pillows he’d bought had stayed at elias’s apartment, mostly because they would get more use there; the boys still gathered on saturdays and needed the extra seating. but after even left for therapy this was isak’s chance to make the steal without ruining his surprise.

mikael helped him carry them to even’s apartment, since he was ready to leave around the same time as isak. they didn’t talk much on the walk over, but isak knew that that was mikael’s preferred level of communication, and they were both comfortable with it. isak would much prefer a mikael at peace than a mikael ready to launch an attack.

they deposited the pillows in the living room and mikael turned to leave. “we should be here at six?” he asked over his shoulder.

“yeah. i don’t know how late we’ll be but if we leave early then that would be a good time.”

“okay. and elias still has his key?”

“yup.” isak followed mikael down the stairs to their shoes.

“aight. we’ll see you tomorrow then.” mikael offered his hand for a casual slap-shake goodbye, the most physical intimacy isak had ever experienced with him.

“thanks for the help!”

mikael disappeared. isak went back upstairs to find his phone and finalize plans with kari anne in the group chat.

―――

isak dressed nicely for dinners at sigrid & jan’s house. this time he had a red fair isle sweater and dark wash jeans, and some chunky socks keeping his feet warm in his leather boots. even wore something very similar, but his sweater was cream with a different pattern. “do you think she’ll want to take pictures of us again?” even wondered while he combed back his hair, then gently mussed it into a style.

“of course. it’s your birthday. and we look handsome.” isak was applying a dot of concealer just because he could, though he would have to ask emma for more if he wanted to keep up this routine. even put his comb bak in the drawer then leaned in to kiss isak on his opposite cheek. he added a smack to his ass on the way out.

isak liked to dress up a bit because it felt like sigrid and jan dressed up too. it was the polite thing to do, but also isak knew that conversation would flow better if they were all on the same page, even with their appearance. they were all putting the same level of effort into the gathering, and then no one would feel out of place. and it wasn’t too much extra effort, because they would just save the same outfits for work the next day…as long as they didn’t get any stains on them.

they gathered their outerwear as they walked down the stairs, pulling hats and scarves and heavy coats from the hooks along the walls. isak checked in with even right before they left. “are you sure?”

even nodded and smiled and isak didn’t doubt the honesty of his response. he’d shared that his session yesterday had gone well, and they’d talked about certain behaviors from sigrid and himself that he wanted to avoid. “like i’ve been remembering things she’s said and reacting to those instead of what she’s actually doing now. when i feel ready to discuss those past…transgressions, then i need to have a conversation specifically about those moments, versus whatever might be triggering those memories now, whether they’re related or not. otherwise it’s kind of like these mixed messages. she won’t understand what’s actually upsetting me.”

on the way over isak suggested a dinner with just his parents, where isak stayed home. “would it be easier, or give you more of an opportunity to discuss those things without me there?”

“maybe another time. sundays are nice with you.” he gave isak’s hand a squeeze.

they held hands in public now, while they were commuting to work or grocery shopping or walking over to elias’s or meeting emma for dinner. if isak happened to catch a stranger’s curious look, he might tense up a bit, but he didn’t let go anymore.

sigrid & jan’s house was a tiny thing that they’d moved into after even went to university. its yard was bigger than the actual house, but it was completely filled with jan’s garden. another nice thing about going to visit was that they always came home with plenty of seasonal crops. and in the winter it was usually canned fruits, jams, or pickled veggies. sigrid greeted them with big hugs and jan immediately presented two very small jars of “blackberry jam! i got just enough off of that bush at the back.”

“i thought it had died!” even exclaimed, the genuine shock and delight at the gift lifting his voice.

“it’s definitely on its last legs…uh, roots.”

“he was out there every day scouring the brambles.” sigrid shook her head but she was clearly proud of his efforts. then she took isak’s hand and pulled him to the kitchen. even and jan went to the tall closet at the back of the living room where jan stored his jars. “you both look so cozy today. remind me to take a picture later.” she brought him to the stove where she had two large pots simmering. she pointed to one. “i need you to blend that while i get this bread finished.”

“what is it?”

“that’s butternut squash, and this…is a ministrone. kind of. i’ve taken some liberties.”

isak picked up the immersion blender that was sitting next to the stove. sigrid had gotten it started but it was still chunky in spots. while he stood there and mixed the soup she sliced a loaf of bread and laid it out on a baking tray. each slice got a thick spread of butter. isak stepped to the side so she could open the oven and slide the tray in for a quick broil.

she flicked her eyes toward the living room and then leaned toward isak’s chest. “how has he been?”

sigrid asked this question every time they were together. isak had thought it was just general curiosity about the new relationship, but once isak revealed that to even he had rolled his eyes. she was asking isak because it was the nervous curiosity that even had tried to distance himself from years ago. eventually he told his mother to stop using isak to get answers about her own son. that turned into an argument where sigrid nearly started crying about how even wouldn't answer her so she had no choice. she excused herself from the table and jan was left to host the boys through the rest of a very quiet dinner.

at this point isak was comfortable pushing back to defend even’s boundary. “sigrid, you know i’m not going to speak for him. how’s this, is it smooth enough?”

she glanced into the pot. “yes, that looks good.” isak’s deflection seemed to work. “now grab some bowls from the shelf for me please. thank goodness he found a tall one to bring home,” she muttered to herself. isak blushed but easily picked four bowls from up high.

even and jan came to the kitchen shortly after, with jan still talking as they headed to the table. isak passed them the silverware and glasses to set out at each seat. then he helped sigrid carry the pots to the table. before she sat down she dropped a kiss on the crown of even’s head. “how are you doing?” she asked as casually as she could as she moved to her chair. isak sat on the other side of the table, so the couples could look at each other directly. isak studied even as he answered.

“i’m fine, mamma. a little nervous about pappa’s grand scheme over here, but everything else is okay.” isak couldn’t hear any tension in his voice so he relaxed a little bit.

“oh, is he trying to get you on his side about buying a van?”

“how else will i transport my vegetables, sigrid?” jan sounded exasperated by her skepticism.

“dearest, you don’t even have the stall permit yet. don’t put the cart—excuse me, the van—before the horse.”

“catch me up?” isak requested of the table in general. jan gleefully started from the beginning with his grand plan to join the farmer’s market that summer, with the full list of his crops and ideas for clever names for his backyard farm.

most of dinner was spent discussing this great undertaking, with even contributing creative enthusiasm and sigrid sprinkling it all with caution and logic. then they pivoted to jan’s work at the office, and how he found his attention shifting so easily in the warmer months. jan and sigrid lived comfortably and were starting to entertain plans for retirement. that led to talking about the cabin, which turned into the perfect segue by the time they were clearing the table for dessert.

Isak fetched smaller plates from an even higher shelf, and even clapped when sigrid revealed his cake. it was a tall layer cake draped in swirls of light blue icing. there were six candles on top and even’s name written in a shaky, dark blue script. “do you remember that picture you put in the folder for me? the close-up of his face?” sigrid asked isak. he nodded. every few weeks he picked a photo (with even’s approval) from his phone and uploaded it as a wordless update for his parents. that one had been from early december, when they went out for lunch on a random tuesday, just to get some sunlight. “i zoomed in on his eyes and picked the blue color from there.” sigrid twisted to even and cupped his cheeks with her small hands. even leaned into the adoring gesture and those blue eyes crinkled up with a smile. they shared a silent moment of connection and then she released him to stand in front of her chair. isak stood up too. jan struck a match to light the candles.

even laughed and gamely clapped while they sang the birthday song. he watched isak spin around with a little flare, and isak genuinely enjoyed performing something he used to roll his eyes at. then even paused to make a wish and blew out the candles. isak knew he would ask him what he wished for later.

the cake was delicious, and they each had two slices. even tried to flick icing across the table at isak but sigrid threatened him with a spoon. “if you get icing on my wall you are cleaning it up, birthday boy.” even agreed to those terms and kept trying. then jan left the table for the bedroom, and returned by sliding a tall, skinny cardboard box through the kitchen. it had a blue bow stuck on top, which was enough, since it would’ve taken an obscene amount of wrapping paper to cover the whole thing.

“eh?” even stood to look at the box.

“happy birthday, dearest.” sigrid looked very proud of the gift and was enjoying even’s puzzlement. jan stepped back and let even walk around it. they had to hold it at the top so it wouldn’t fall over.

“it’s heavy….” even’s eyes scanned each side. “is…did you get me a bed?” he gripped the box to turn it around, showing sigrid and isak the diagram on the other side. it was, in fact, a bed. “thank you,” even whispered, without much conviction.

“it looks like a nice bed,” isak added, coming around the table to look at the dimensions. “we can get the guys to help us carry it upstairs.”

“oh no! no!” sigrid nearly yelled. “it’s not for—it’s for the cabin. you don’t have to carry it anywhere. pappa and i will take it up on our next trip and build it in your room, so now you’ll have a proper bed for when you and isak visit. i didn’t want those flimsy beds from when you were a kid stopping you from staying in ålesund.”

even’s face relaxed as his mother explained and the bed made more sense. he leaned the box against the nearest counter edge and moved around it to give sigrid a hug. “thank you,” he said again, with actual gratitude. “that’s such a lovely gesture for the both of us.” he pressed a heavy kiss on sigrid’s cheek and isak saw her squeeze her eyes closed. she was going to cry. she let out a tiny gasp when even pulled back. he went to jan to give him a hug as well, and sigrid turned away from them to hide her tears. but isak stepped in and opened his arms for a hug as well, and she fell into his chest and let loose against his sweater.

“thank you, sigrid. that means so much to us.” he rubbed her back to calm her down. “let us know when you’d like a family vacation and we’ll try to clear our schedules for it, okay?” her blonde hair scratched at his chin as she nodded. isak knew it was a big promise, committing to a vacation with his boyfriend’s parents, but that seemed to be the least they could do since they bought them a bed. aside from the literal comfort they were providing, it felt like a grander statement since the gift would serve both of them. isak felt like it was his birthday too.

when even and his father separated, jan peeled off the bow and stuck it to even’s chest. they shared a low chuckle, and then jan slid the box back to the bedroom where it had been hiding. “you know, if we have a van, it will be a lot easier to transport this up there!” he sang as he left. isak let go of sigrid and spun into even’s arms. she plucked a napkin off the table to wipe at her tears while isak was crushed into a hug with the bow.

“we’ll keep the little mattresses, of course. you never know when elias and mutta and mikael want to come for a visit too. but yes, this will be a nicer frame for you both.”

“it’s such a thoughtful gift, mamma. thank you so much.”

“you know…i thought of it as soon as you came back from your first trip, when you brought back the clean sheets and blanket. it might’ve been presumptuous but if…if isak was having a nice time then i thought he might want to come back, and then i wanted it to be ready, and you two could have your own space.”

isak laughed as he pulled out of even’s hug. he kept to his side though, and wrapped an arm around even’s waist. “you were very right to presume. though i suspect i would’ve had a wonderful time even if i had to sleep on the floor.”

sigrid looked horrified when he suggested such a crime, but that just made even laugh. jan reappeared. “oh i forgot to bring these out.” he was carrying a colorful quilt and coordinating linens, also with a blue bow on top. even let go of isak to accept them, and both boys admired the pattern.

“pappa helped me pick those out. they were on sale after christmas. oh, and if you bring them back to the city to wash, you could just use them on your regular bed too. everything fits.” sigrid returned to her pleased homemaker attitude, with any remaining tears in her eyes only there out of pride. she’d surprised her son with a useful and enjoyable gift, that doubled as a reason for him to visit her at the cabin. it was a very successful birthday dinner.

―――

they enjoyed a little bit of champagne in the living room before they left, relaxing on the couches and catching up on the skiing gossip from sigrid and jan’s most recent trip. isak disclosed that he hasn’t skied since he was very young, which sent even giggling, picturing his boyfriend flying down the slopes. “this might be even better than my skateboarding fantasy.” luckily neither sigrid nor jan inquired further into what that fantasy actually was.

when isak noticed the time was getting close to seven he made the gentle suggestion to head home. sigrid and jan were happy to let them go, having enjoyed the whole bottle together and noting their earlier bedtime now that they were getting older. but she also demanded photos once they were standing, so isak took a few pictures of even with his parents and then jan took a few of isak and even alone. they had to brainstorm a way to take a picture of all four of them together, but then sigrid cleared a small space on the fireplace mantle to rest a phone. Even set the timer, they lined up with the boys in the middle, and they wrapped their arms around each other. they smiled.

after another round of hugs and kisses they bundled up and went home. isak carried the new linens in an oversized shopping tote over his shoulder. “that went well, yes?” isak looked over to see even nodding into his scarf. he pressed the button for their stop.

“it was really lovely. i had to, like, constantly remind my brain to not interpret what she was saying negatively, but that’s…what i’m supposed to be doing.” they stepped off the bus carefully, navigating the packed snow on the sidewalk. “maybe after a few more visits it will be less of a conscious effort. but even as it was, i enjoyed myself. i liked seeing you with my parents.”

“speaking of me with your parents, i kind of promised sigrid we would go on a family vacation with her to ålesund.”

isak could barely hear the chuckle underneath the scarf but it was there. “i think that was a given. that was the whole point of the bed. it was quite clever on mamma’s part.”

“mm,” isak agreed. “so we’ll have to start looking at our schedules. and now we have the weekend farmer’s market to take into account.”

even’s laugh was louder and drew his mouth up above the warm wool. “he really has leaned into his gardening in the last year, jesus. if you had asked me five years ago what hobby i thought my dad would pick up next, i never would’ve thought ‘fruits and vegetables.’”

“forget hobbies; he’s halfway to his own business.”

they approached their building. isak had his own key now, and he unlocked the first door for them.

“what are you thinking about?”

isak was thinking about the surprise that was waiting for them upstairs, feeling nervous that he didn’t have any texts with updates, even though he didn’t ask for any. but he quickly thought up a work excuse that would explain his distance. “um, how maybe someone from jakob’s team might be interested in profiling jan. has there been a surge of home gardens lately? what’s the process for joining a farmer’s market? how profitable is it to bring produce into the city from a farm versus urban, hyperlocal crops? what resources are there for farmers when it comes to direct-to-consumer sales?” he felt ridiculous spitting out these ideas because they were rushing out without a filter yet they sounded somewhat legitimate. he really should be putting these questions in a voice memo, but even was climbing the stairs in front of him and that was��well that took priority.

the bag of linens landed with a light thump on top of isak’s pile of shoes. they removed their outerwear slowly as they climbed, hanging everything back up. isak listened for noises but didn’t hear anything over the shuffle of their own clothes. there wasn’t any light coming through under the door. and even—even was still undressing. isak reached up and tugged at his belt. “what are you doing?” he hissed. even threw his sweater and undershirt over his shoulder, and they skimmed isak’s head as they fluttered down the steps.

“getting naked. wanna help?” even was still climbing and his hands were at his belt buckle.

“even, no!” isak was torn between holding his boyfriend back and trying to reach for his shirt, while also not pulling them both down the stairs.

“what…what’s going on? you love when i get naked.”

isak blushed, praying whoever was on the other side of the door was far enough away to not hear them. maybe they were hanging out in the living room. even undid his belt but he did stop climbing to look at isak.

“do you want me to blow you down there?” he pointed down to the graffiti door and isak was going to melt from the flames burning his neck.

“shut up, no, just….” he stumbled down the steps to fetch the sweater and chucked it back up at even. “put this back on. we can’t be naked.”

“why not?” even was seriously confused but he did as isak asked. “we always get naked.”

isak pinched the bridge of his nose. “not tonight, okay babe?”

even dropped his sweater and his jaw. “is this…is this the first time you’re saying ‘no’ to a fuck?”

“even! i’m not—that’s not what this is. just please put your clothes back on until…until later or something.”

even reached into the pocket of his sagging pants and pulled out his phone. “i need to document this. for the record.” he snapped a photo of isak staring up at him with an annoyed look on his face. “this was the first time isak denied me.” even snorted. “it looks like you’re about to give me a very angry blowjob though.” he showed isak the photo.

if he weren’t so frustrated by the situation, isak would’ve laughed. that’s exactly what the photo looked like with that angle. unfortunately isak’s face just made even want to persuade him even more, so even tucked his phone under his chin and promptly shoved his pants down to his ankles. he was wearing bright red boxer briefs and he shook his ass in isak’s face. then, before isak could get a grip on his body, sexual or otherwise, even waddled up the few remaining steps and reached for the door. isak screamed, “NO!” at the same time as their kitchen, full of friends and coworkers, screamed “SURPRISE!” at a nearly naked even.

maja screamed, marius howled, and mikael took approximately 50 photos, the flash of his phone camera lighting up the kitchen like a red carpet. isak was so embarrassed he sank down behind even’s legs. even laughed and made no move to get dressed.

“pull up your motherfucking pants even! i came here for your birthday, not a peep show.” kari anne's booming voice had a hint of a laugh in it.

it did not occur to isak until just then that all of their friends were not just seeing even in his underwear—they were seeing even’s boner in his underwear. so despite isak’s desire to melt into a puddle right there on the steps, he now felt enough possessiveness to lunge forward and pull up even’s pants from behind. it was a challenge to dress someone blind, especially when that someone was a giggly, wriggly mess. isak got a flash of the kind of future where he was getting a toddler dressed, but he had no time for that future right then. he got even’s jeans up to his butt and then he had to forcibly turn his boyfriend around in order to navigate his bulge.

“looks like dinner with the parents went well, then!” elias shouted out, making everyone laugh again and isak’s cheeks turn an impossible red.

“oh, babe.” even finally noticed isak’s general struggle. he took over with his pants and hefted them up to his waist. “i’m sorry. i should have listened to you. but this was amazing and hilarious. are you okay?” he buttoned his jeans and cupped isak’s jaw.

isak was still too flustered to say anything. his eyes darted from even’s face to the gleeful faces behind him, checking to see who was still laughing. “come on, bedroom.” even started walking isak backward toward the privacy of their bedroom. “five minutes!” he announced to everyone else.

“i thought you only needed two!” someone else shouted back.

―――

the laughter and voices faded as soon as the door closed. isak spun around and flopped himself on the bed face first. “surprise,” he mumbled. even collapsed on top of him, blanketing him with rough denim and warm skin.

“this was the best surprise ever. i’m sorry i embarrassed you with my penis.” even added a little thrust as if that would convey sincerity. the heat that flushed isak’s cheeks now was a slightly different kind. even nuzzled his face against isak’s cheek and gave him a few kisses. “i’ll get dressed and we can hang out with my favorite people.”

even pushed up and went to the closet. he swapped out his jeans for grey sweatpants and put on a white t-shirt. isak kept his jeans but opted for a clean white t-shirt too. even swept isak into a hug before they went through the door. “i love you in general and i love you for this. thank you for such a nice gift, and the perfect way to relax after the family dinner.” he squeezed across isak’s back and then shifted his head in for a kiss. isak demanded tongue as part of even’s apology and he got it, a nice open, wet kiss that tasted like champagne. even grunted when they parted. “um, yes. friends first, but then we’re definitely revisiting the naked thing.”

isak agreed with an aggressive grip on even’s ass. even kissed his way out of it and wiggled toward the door.

the kitchen roared with another greeting when they appeared, birthday wishes thrown from every direction. even opened his arms and accepted all of them with a wide smile. “thank you all for coming. this is such a fun surprise, and i clearly had no idea.”

“it was a fun surprise for us as well,” kari anne smirked.

“since we’re all here and there is a grotesque amount of alcohol behind mutta, have we agreed to absolutely ruin our sunday night?” another cheer went up. isak moved around even to get to the counter by mutta.

as requested, everyone bought the alcohol isak had assigned them and paid for. he couldn’t bring much into the apartment on his own without raising suspicion, so he spread out the drinks, food, and decorations among their friends. maja and marius picked up a cake from a bakery on their side of town. mutta and kari anne brought most of the alcohol. sana and yousef brought food from mamma bakkoush, enough to last them at least a week. elias and mikael were on decorations & entertainment duty. their friends had started drinking, as was to be expected when you’re trapped in an apartment for a couple of hours. since everyone had helped themselves to the juice and ice in the fridge, isak didn’t bother with setting anything else up. he searched for sana in the small crowd, who was chatting with mikael by the entrance to the hallway. when he caught her eye he nodded a question and she held up a full glass in response. with her taken care of he mixed up a dark & stormy for even.

“here you go, babe.” he only interrupted even’s conversation with marius and maja to put the cup in his hand. then he went back to the counter to assess the food. yousef joined him to point out the options.

“all of even’s favorites. mamma didn’t leave the kitchen all morning. this…this tray is okay. these two should be reheated a bit.”

“okay, thanks.” isak reached over to start the oven.

“and this we actually eat cold sometimes, so it would be fine as is.”

they figured out the food and then isak moved on to the living room. everyone was still in the kitchen, so isak got to see the decoration efforts as intended. streamers looped colorfully from even’s shelves, carefully taped as to not disturb his toys. balloons hovered at the ceiling, their strings becoming vines that dusted isak’s shoulders. on the coffee table was a pile of markers and a large brown envelope. he went right to the envelope to see what was inside. “yesssss.” isak dumped out the contents and spread them out. he had found ten particularly embarrassing photos, a mix of recent shots from isak and childhood ones from sigrid, that he’d ordered temporary tattoos of. he had a good feeling that this group was going to get very creative with the placement. in the very least he knew exactly where he wanted a tattoo of even on his own body. he practically skipped back out to the kitchen to get water and a sponge.

everyone had started eating, so isak joined the queue for a little bit of the bakkoush cuisine. no matter how full they were, isak and even would always make room for mamma’s food. isak refreshed even’s drink and then led some people into the living room to eat, for more seating. even stayed in the kitchen at the table with sana, yousef, and kari anne.

maja screamed again when she saw the tattoos. she and marius abandoned their food immediately and took the sponge to the bathroom. three minutes later marius returned with at least four evens plastered across his face. then he dared mikael to do even more. after that, it was chaos.

elias tried to tie a balloon to the back of sana’s hijab. kari anne was the first one to get a tattoo of even on her ass cheek. mutta and mikael started doing shots, and marius and maja were caught making out in the stairwell when it was time to break open the markers on the door. their defense was that maja could stand on one step above marius and they would be a closer height for kissing.

“like my apartment is the only place with steps, get the fuck out.” isak shoved marius against the door. but that’s exactly where everyone stayed. they all shared the markers and wrote silly birthday messages to even on the door, reading old ones and laughing, and recording new jokes that they now all shared. the graffiti door was due for an update and everyone got a chance to leave their mark. isak made sure no one wrote over his original “shithead,” and he added a couple more questionable names wherever they fit.

unfortunately marius convinced maja to paint her lips with marker ink and kiss the door, but then she was stuck with deep purple lips. sana immediately dragged her up to the bathroom to start exfoliating. isak had to console maja from the doorway. “i’ll get emma to give me some lipsticks that would cover it up if it doesn’t come off.”

“matte,” sana instructed.

isak opened his recording app and noted that: “matte lipsticks from emma for maja.”

“anything from a maroon to a magenta should cover it up.” isak added that. “in the meantime, here, you can use this.” sana pulled a tube of lipstick out of her small crossbody bag and opened a drawer. she plucked an alcohol wipe from where even kept them next to the tweezers and cleaned off the tube and used lipstick. she handed it to maja and maja looked like she was about to cry from the gesture. sana nipped it in the bud with a glare and a single finger held up in maja’s face. “just be glad your friends are so clean.”

isak blushed, assuming sana knew that they had those wipes to clean their toys. but then marius burst into the bathroom, shoving isak aside. “baby, it looks like we just kissed too hard for a little bit. ‘cheer up! a hickey from kenickie is like a hallmark card,’” he quoted in his best american accent. this actually made maja cry so isak excused himself and went to get more alcohol.

eventually yousef was tasked with getting mutta and mikael home. marius gave maja a piggy back ride down four flights of stairs and across the city. they found kari anne had removed her pants and crawled into their bed, so they left her there. sana, even, and elias collapsed onto the couch and giggled their way through a nonsense conversation the way siblings do. isak put the food away, got water for them all, and then joined them on the floor with his giant pillows. even found grease on the tv and they watched and sang along with the few bits they knew. then isak fell asleep, his fingers wrapped lightly around even’s ankle and his head resting against even’s knee.

[the-sympathetic-villain]

I Know What You’re Going To Say - Chapter 3

AO3 | First | Previous | Next | Masterpost

Description: A Beauty and the Beast style Vampire AU. Vampire!Virgil has picked up  Logan off the street and is holding him captive under the threat of killing his friends if he tries to escape.  

Word Count: 4275

Chapter Warning: Mentions of Parental Neglect/Control, Mind Control, Crying, Corruptions, Mentions of Police (Let me know if I missed anything!)

---

    Janus stirred the coffee in front of him quietly as he peered out the window of the decrepit all-night diner. He felt a tightness welling in his chest as he traced back the night's events that had somehow ended with him here. Rain pattered on the window. Each wet streak glowing with the reflections of the bright pink, neon signs that the owners had seen fit to hang on nearly every surface of this godawful place. His lips twitched with disgust as he glanced down at his watch, checking the time yet again as he stared down the near empty streets.

    The kid was late. Ten minutes. The simple thought made his stomach twist with anxiety. After leaving Virgil, finding his prisoner’s friend had been almost comically easy. Virgil had his home address. A quick flight had him peering through the man's windows in under half an hour, but the passing glance he'd gotten was enough for him to guess where man had gone.

    He was already half the way down the street when a message from Virgil confirmed that the man’s work address. Less than an hour after leaving Virgil, he was being served by the very man he for which he'd been searching. Janus smirked at the simplicity, humming to himself contentedly as yet another car swept by outside sending wave of dirty water onto the curb.

    Still, Janus could hardly complain. Virgil had certainly sent him on worse missions, and though the dingy, over-lit diner was an eyesore, the man serving him was putting on quite the show as he flitted between the glistening, chrome surface of the bar. The subtle eyeliner flared to a perfect point as winked at the cook through the serving window.

    Janus smiled, eyes lingering a bit too long on the handsome waiter as he distracted himself from the empty streets outside. Truly, he was grateful for the late night hours as the lack of customers meant minimal effort for him to keep prying eyes away from his all to recognizable face. Being a vampire had its perks, after all. On a mere whim, the other customer’s gazes slipped over him like he was a mere shadow. Only the charming waiter he was currently staring had been allowed to catch a glimpse of him sitting alone in the booth.

    The waited with the golden hair had immediately recognized him upon bouncing up to the table to take his order, but fortunately, the guy didn’t seem to be the squealing type. A note which Janus would very much be filing away for later as he watched the man melt under his control. It had only taken a few, short words to make the man forget he had recognized Janus and hand over his phone.

     Janus bit his lip at the memory. The sight of the flamboyant waiter suddenly soured in his mouth as he remembered why he was here. The texts he’d read on the man's phone had indicated the kid was supposed to be here at midnight. His eyes flicked up to the retro-looking clock as it read a quarter past the hour. From the texts he’d gleaned that the kid's parents had reluctantly agreed to drop the kid off with his starry-eyed server, Roman, but the mystery of the late-night hand-off had not been resolved by the golden boy's texts.

     Janus tapped his fingernails on the cheap plastic tabletop as the golden boy himself glanced up at clock above the bar nervously. He stared curiously as his façade of nonchalance broke for the first time, revealing the underlying anxiety brewing behind the sweet smile. Janus blinked as the man disappeared behind the bar, allowing his attention to drift back to the rain-soaked window once more. He stirred his coffee absently as watched the glowing headlights rush past.

    The rain had slowed to a light drizzle, barely obscuring the hazy view of the streets outside. He'd almost turned back to watch the golden boy when a slim black car caught Janus’ attention. The sleek, tinted windows of the strange car stood out among the tattered, worn down streets. Janus sat up straight as the car pulled up next to the curb and the back door popped open to reveal the reddish-brown hair of the kid he'd been waiting for.

  Not a moment was spared on goodbyes. The kid immediately bound to the door of the diner, slamming the car door behind him. Janus didn’t see that it mattered however, as the car was gone before the kid even made it to the door. He let out a soft breath, turning to watch as the golden boy gleefully rush to the door with a slightly manic look in his eyes.

    The interaction should have filled Janus with relief. Seeing the kid in the man’s arms meant the most difficult part of his job was done. All he had to do now is watch the kid for a few days, but something about the simple interaction he'd just watched set him on edge.

    Janus’ tension only seemed to ease as he watched the golden boy sweep the boy up into his arms, whispering to him in hushed tones. They stayed like that for a solid minute, before the bouncing waiter finally started to drag the kid to a booth. A few moments later, they were walking towards his booth and his former human instincts and he averted his gaze. Logically, he knew their gaze would pass over him, but the compulsion to be polite seemed to be far stronger in his brain.

    “Where’s your coat, Pat?” The man whispered as he guided the kid into the seat behind him.

    “He—uh, he didn't let me take it.”

    The kid’s mumble was almost incoherent as the man stopped abruptly next to the booth, staring as the kid slid onto the vinyl seat behind him.

     “What?”

     There was a long pause as the golden boy stared down at the kid. Janus could almost feel the heat in the kids cheeks as he squirmed behind him. “He said, if I thought I was an adult, I could act like it—and my stuff would be waiting when I came to my senses and went back.”

    “What a goddamn asshole, Pat.” The golden boy whispered in disbelief. Immediately, he seemed to backtrack until the kid interrupted him. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t swear in front of y—"

    “They also said some nasty things about Lo before I left.” The kid's voice trembled as he tapped on the cheap plastic table

    “It wasn't true. Whatever they said, Logan has done nothing but care about you.” The golden boy's deep voice reassured him. “He has everything set up. You won't have to worry about a thing.”

    “I know. I just—”

    Janus' heart twisted with guilt at sadness in the kid’s voice.

    “Where is—"

    “Listen, I'm going to grab my jacket for you, Starlight. You’re absolutely shivering. I'll be—” The man stopped him abruptly. “I’ll be right back. Okay?”

    “Okay, Ro.”

     Ice seized Janus' heart at the confused tone of the kid's and he jerked his head around to watch the golden boy’s head disappear behind the bar.

    He doesn’t know his brother is missing.

    The realization hit Janus like a brick wall as he glanced over his shoulder at the back of the kid’s head. His shoulders were slumped as he leaned forward to fidget with the basket of sugar in front of him. Janus blinked as he turned around, barely able to process what was happening. As he slunk back into his seat, Janus slowly pulled his phone out of his pocket and pulled up Virgil in his phone.

    J: Got eyes on the kid.

    V: he's safe?

    J: He's fine I think.

    V: what does that mean?

    J: Kid doesn’t know his brother’s missing, Vee.

    V: what

    V: wait how close are you?

    A sudden, sweeping motion in his periphery caught Janus’ attention and he turned his head to see the golden boy making his way back in their direction.

    V: Jan what's happening?

    J: Update later.

    Janus bit his lip guiltily as he typed the quick response, shoving his phone back in his pocket. His phone immediately buzzed a response. He turned his head, casually reaching into his pocket to silence his phone as he watched the pretty waiter make his way back to the table. The man was effortlessly balancing three plates on top of carrying the jacket he had swung over his arm. He moved quickly across the room and only stopping to gracefully slide the plate across the table to the kid and throw the jacket at him.

    “Eat up, Pat.”  The charismatic waiter’s voice almost seemed deflated now. His tension seemed to release now that the kid was here, replaced by a much more somber tone. “I'm taking off early tonight so we can get you to sleep at a decent time.”

   “Where’s—”

   “—I'll be back in a minute to grab you.” Janus’ stomach tightened as the golden boy tactfully brushed off the kid’s question. “Hopefully the rain will let up for the walk home not to be a miserable affair. I don’t want you to get sick.”

    “Okay.” The kid whispered, sounding a little deflated.

    “Hey, don't be like that.” The waiter's incredibly charming voice echoed in his ear from behind him. Janus could feel a scuffle in the booth behind him as the waiter ruffled the kid's hair. “It’s good to see you here, Starlight, but please just try to cut me a little slack tonight.”

    “Sorry. I promise to be patient.” The kid’s shy whisper shook slightly as if taken off guard by the waiter’s light reprimand. “Thanks again for letting us stay with you, Ro.”

    “You don't ever have to apologize to me, Starlight.” The golden boy seemed to tense slightly at the kid's change in demeanor. “Even if it weren’t for Logan, my door is always open to you. You’re family, kid.”

    Janus heart twisted at the bittersweet sentiment. This kid really had no idea what was going on and Janus wasn’t even sure the server planned on telling him. Stirring his coffee absently, images of the kid's brother tied tightly in Virgil’s binds flashed through the front of his mind. His eyes flicked to the side as the waiter backed away from the table, still talking with poor child.

    Soon, the server returned to his duties, leaving a heavy silence hanging over him. A bitter taste settled into the back of Janus' throat as his thoughts fell into a dark spiral. Virgil could be feeding on the guy now, as his brother innocently picked at his food. Even if he wasn’t, Janus could still see the red, irritated welts on the guy’s wrists perfectly in his mind. He—

    “Excuse me.”

    Janus nearly jumped out of his skin as the kid tapped on his shoulder from behind him, somehow breaking straight through his glamour. Fortunately, his instincts kicked in and he dropped his head, keeping his face hidden from the child leaning over the barrier and into his booth.

    “Can I borrow your ketchup?”

    “What?” Janus incredulous tone must have registered as odd to the kid, because he suddenly started to explain the simple question.

    “The bottle at this table is almost empty and I—”

    “Yes. Take it.” Janus snapped, cutting off the kid's explanation as he hastily shoved the red bottle into the kid's open hand.

     “Thanks.” The kid's voice sounded almost hurt and almost certainly taken aback at Janus’ abrupt cut into his attempt at a friendly inquiry. “I'm sorry to bother you, sir.”

     Janus' stomach twisted as the kid turned back around and slumped back into his seat. He cast a quick glance back at the kid, stilling as the kid’s  body language slouched. He knew for a fact, it wasn’t worth getting involved, but despite his wariness, Janus was getting the idea this kid was used to being shoved aside and he didn’t want to be the one to do that to this kid.

    Fuck. Virgil is going to flay me alive.

    “You didn’t bother me.” Janus whispered hesitantly, forcing himself to keep staring forward as the kid turned toward him.

    “What?

    “You surprised me is all.” Janus muttered. “No harm done, kid.”

    “Patton.”

    Now, it seemed it was Janus’ turn to turn back over his shoulder, dumbfounded, but the kid had already faced forward.

    “And I'm not a kid.”

    Janus smirked, turning forward to stare out the wall of windows. “Come now. You look like you can't be more than fourteen.”

    “I'm sixteen.”

    Sixteen.

    Janus blinked in disbelief at the kid's age and chewing his cheek at the kid’s slight defensive tone. “Still it’s a little late for someone as young as you to be out and about on this side if town .”

    “Legally, I'm adult.” Patton muttered. “I'm—I'm emancipated.”

    “Legal don't mean shit here, kid.” Janus stared down at his coffee, remembering the look of despair on the kid's brother's face as Virgil had loomed over him. “You’re going to have to learn that real quick, if you plan on staying here.”

    “I'm staying.”

    “No offense, kid, but I saw the car that brought you here.” Janus whispered, stirring his coffee absently. “The streets are going to eat you alive, if you aren’t—”

    “My brother knows what he's doing.” The kid snapped, though he seemed to be losing steam. “He's got a plan. I know he does.”

    “I sure hope he does, Patton,” Janus paused, chewing on his thoughts as the kid’s name passed his lips.  Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the boy’s new guardian making his way back to his table, so he quickly pulled out his wallet and tossed a twenty on the table for the coffee he had hardly touched. He tensed with resolution as he moved to leave the booth. “But even if he doesn’t have a plan, I think you’ll find he has allies in unexpected places.”

    “What?”

    Janus could hear the kid turn around as he stepped out of his booth, but he didn’t even pause. He straightened his hat on his head as flared up the collar of his long coat.

    “Don't give up, kid.”

    “Wait—What are you talking ab—”

    The kid's call died out as he strode out of the restaurant, pushing past the concerned waiter who was rushing back to the table to collect the kid. Janus sighed, frustrated as he pushed open the double doors of diner and swept down the street, taking a swift turn into the alleyway behind the restaurant.

    Janus’ breaths came in short gasps as he paced the alleyway with a fierce intention. Fury flared in his chest as his body filled with indignation on the kid's behalf. His pace had nearly peaked when he shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out his phone. He snarled as he noticed the already lit screen, barely resisting the urge to smash the phone into the wall as he caught Virgil’s name on the screen. Janus' pacing stilled. His anger burned white-hot as he considered letting Virgil worry, but his sudden desire for a fight won out as he clicked the green button and snarled into the receiver .

    “What?”

    “What the hell, Janus?” Virgil growled into his ear. “You don’t get to just ghost me whenever you feel like it—”

     “I can’t do this.”

     The line went silent for a long minute as Janus breathed into his cell. He sighed, releasing a bit of his anger as he leaned into the wall.

      “This kid is already asking questions about his brother. It’s only a matter of time until he realizes he's not coming home.” Janus hissed. “Even this guy’s friend seems like a decent human. He's still planning on taking the kid in even knowing his friend’s gone—”

    “Janus—”

    “No. Tell me, Virgil. When did we start doing shit like this to good people?” Janus leaned off the dumpster behind him as his diatribe intensified. “I didn’t sign up for th—”

    “Maybe, if you gave me a chance to speak, I’d—”

    “Where’s my brother, Roman?!”

    The blood-curdling shriek sent Janus flying behind the dumpster. He'd barely managed to crouch out of sight he heard a scuffle at the entrance to the alleyway.

    “Quiet!”

    Janus hesitantly peeked around the corner to catch a glance of the golden boy dragging the kid into the alley. His fangs started to extend as the full-grown man pressing the kid into the wall of the other building, covering his mouth with his hand so he couldn't call for help. Adrenaline shot through Janus’ body as he prepared to lunge into action.

    “I need you to relax, Pat.” The waiter’s deep voice sent shivers down Janus’ spine, but his tone was kind and patient. “I'm going to tell you, but your father can’t hear about this. If he does, you’re going to end up right back at home.”

    Janus’ muscles eased as the golden boy's grip slackened, even though the kid seemed far from settling as he squirmed in the man’s arms. Feeling the tension drop, Janus edged further into the shadows as he glanced at his phone, grateful that Virgil seemed to have picked up that he needed to remain quiet.

    “Come on, Starlight. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.” The man’s voice trembled, nearly fading to silence. “I'm lost, too.”

    The kid, Patton, seemed to go slack in the man's arms at the slight tremble in the man's voice. Janus’s heart ached as he stared at the kid. The wet streaks on his face glistened in the light of the streetlamp and he looked even younger than he had in the diner.

    Just a kid.

    “I don't know where Logan is, Pat. He disappeared last night.”

    Janis could feel the energy in the air shift as the kid started to shake his head violently. He threw his whole weight into the man holding him against the wall, knocking the man's hand free of his mouth.

    “No—no, no, nonono—”

    “Don’t panic. We're going to find—”

    “What happened, Roman?”  The kid's voice cracked as he backed away from the man, swaying unevenly on his feet.

    “I don’t know, Patton. We were walking home from the diner last night and—” Roman hovered close to the kid, desperate to comfort him but cautious about antagonizing him. “I don't know what happened after that. I woke up in my bed, and—and Lo never came home.”

    Janus leaned closer, staring as his fangs slowly retracted. Patton continued to sway dangerously until the man came up to steady him from behind.

    “What did the police say?”

    Janus watched curiously as the man's expression shifted and he suddenly gripped the kid tighter. “I couldn't call them, Pat.”

    “What?!”

    A shiver ran down Janus’ spine as the kid's shriek filled his ears and it a was a long moment after that before he even processed the man's words. He glanced down at his phone, knowing Virgil was probably listening as intently to this conversation as himself.

    The guy didn't call the cops.

    “Logan was very clear about what he wanted me to do if something happened to him. His priority was always making sure you were safe first—”

    “Not if he's missing, Roman.”

    “He told me exactly what he'd want me to do if he went missing, Patton” Roman whispered staring over at Patton. “and that means making sure the police don't find out he's gone.”

    “Why—”

    “Your father has the police under his thumb,” Roman stepped closer to Patton, wrapping his arm around him. “One of the conditions of your emancipation was having a place to live with your brother. If he’s gone, the judge could throw out the decision, especially with a district attorney whispering in his ear."

    “He knew?”

    “God, no. Pat, he wanted to be here waiting for you. He planned to be at the diner when you arrived,” Roman stepped forward, gripping the kid’s shoulders as he forced him to make eye contact. “but Lo spent hours planning for anything that could possibly go wrong. He wanted to know that you were taken care of, even if something happened to him.”

    Patton continued to stare at the ground, shaking. “Roman, he could be hurt—”

    Janus sucked in a breath through his teeth, glancing down at his phone.

    “I've already got Rem on it. We're going to find him.” Roman whispered. His voice dropped quiet enough that Janus could barely make out the words. “I'm not giving up on him. Okay?”

    The kid's face paled and Janus could only guess he was barely standing by the way he continued to sway. Silence hung over them for longer than Janus was comfortable with, but the man holding his shoulders waited patiently until the kid responded.

    “Okay.”

    “Good,” Roman turned the kid's shoulder to walk him out of the alley. “Now, let’s get you to bed."

    “Ro—” Patton slowed

    “Don't argue, Pat. You’re not going to do Lo any favors by depriving yourself of sleep.” Roman placed a hand on the Patton's back in gentle reassurance. “We'll meet up with Rem first thing in the morning and go from there.”

    “’Kay.”

    The kid's mumble faded as they left the alley and Janus rose out of the shadows as they turned the corner out of the alley. He bit his lip, staring after them as he unmuted his phone and lifted the receiver to his ear.

    “Do you feel like an asshole yet?”

    “You know,” Virgil’s voice growled in his ear. “Your biting sarcasm loses its charm very quickly.”

    Janus bristled as Virgil brushed him off. “I'm done, Virgil. Return the guy or I'm—"

    “No.”

    Janus snarled silently. “Fine, then I'm out. Best of luck with whatever bastard plan you’ve—”

    “Stop.” Virgil muttered, his voice full of reluctance. “Please, just hear me out.”

    Janus' thumb hovered over the button, but the subtle plea in Virgil’s voice gave him pause not to hang up. He sighed, raising the phone back to his ear. “You have exactly thirty seconds to change my mind, Virgil.”

   Virgil didn’t hesitate a second with his response. “Do you remember when I got into that fight a few years ago?”

    Janus paused, taken aback by the sudden change in topic. He slowed his pacing, staring curiously out the alley in the direction the kid had left as he replied hesitantly to Virgil. “Yes, I do.”

   Virgil's let out a long breath into the receiver. “This guy is the guy I fought, Janus.”

    Janus blinked, mouth hanging agape. “Oh.”

    “I know how this looks, Jan,” Virgil breathed quietly. “but this dude put me in the hospital because I said something he didn't like. However upset the kid is about his brother being missing, he’s safer without this monster.”

    Chewing his lip, Janus paced back and forth in the alley. His body tensed as he tried to process his friend’s words.

    “Janus?”

    Janus let out a long sigh, pressing his thumb into his temple. “I'm here, Virgil.”

     Static crackled in the phone's speaker as the silence hung over them. Janus glanced up at the amber street light tapping his fingers on his arm as a group of people passed the alley. Their laughter broke the fragile silence, grating against Janus’ ears.

    “I'm not the only bad guy.”

    “You’re not—” Janus repeated back without hesitation. “You’re not a bad guy.”

    He could hear Virgil’s breathy snort through the phone as he stifled a chuckle. “You seem awfully sure about changing your tune so quick.”

    “I am.” Janus muttered, stepping towards the street.

    “Janus,” Virgil’s sharp inhale stilled Janus pacing as he awaited Virgil’s response. “we're good?”

   “We're good, Virgil.” The corner of Janus' mouth twitched up at the relief in Virgil’s voice.

   “Good.” Virgil’s voice wavered with emotion and Janus smiled at the subtle show of vulnerability. “Now please, make sure that kid gets home safely.”

    “I will.” Janus smiled, leaning into the stone wall across the alley from the diner.

    “Thank you.”

    Janus paused for a moment, smile faltering as the situation that had just unfolded before him continued processing in his mind. "Vee?"

    "Yeah, Jan?"

    "He didn't call the cops."

    "I know. Something's up with these people," Virgil's voice dropped as he let out a long sigh. "We'll figure out what's going on, but for now, let's just be glad we don't have heat breathing down our necks. Okay?"

    "Okay." Janus nodded absently, trying to relax. "You're right."

    "It'll be fine."

    "Right. I know."

    "Jan, relax." Virgil whispered patiently. "You're safe. There ain't nothing bigger or badder on those streets than you."

    Janus cracked a smile, chuckling as he stood up from the wall. "Oh, I know."

    "Keep me updated."

    Janus grunted an affirmation, and a moment later, the line disconnected. He sighed, quickly dropping his phone from his ear into his pocket, feeling a familiar numbness settle into his limbs as stepped out onto the sidewalk. The scent of the golden boy’s cologne was easy enough to catch as he turned down the street towards his target. He swept around the next corner, thoughts wandering as the streets began to blur together. He bit his lip, shoulders curled forward even though he couldn’t feel the sharp bite of the cold. The amber lights illuminated him as he closed the distance between him and the kid, not that he noticed the buildings as they blurred past as he disappeared into the night.

General Taglist:

@somehow-i-got-an-account @justanotherhumanstuff @im-an-anxious-wreck

I Know What You’re Going To Say Taglist:

@theoddkidnextdoor @ace-in-a-shopping-cart @im-actually-ok @justanoymous

[lasting-inkpressions]

Why not me? (Chapter One)

Summary: Denali has been single all his life, and has always been secretly envious of everyone around him being able to find love so easily. Rosé proposes the perfect solution for his best friend. The tricky thing about perfect solutions?

They’re not always perfect.

Note: I lost count of the number of times I rewrote the first half alone just trying to figure out the style I wanted to write this in and what sounded good. Writing is hard when you're severely out of practice.

Prefer reading it on AO3?

The sunlight sifted through the blinds, and an odd mix of blaring cars and birds screeching seemed to almost echo in the bedroom. A figure almost completely buried beneath thick blankets groaned and curled up into an even tighter ball, wanting to ignore the world outside. He felt warm and secure where he was, but the dull throb of his hangover was starting to increase to a pounding in his head. Taking a deep breath, the young man registered the familiar scent of smoke, stale beer and dried roses. He wrinkled his nose, snuffling into the blanket for a good few seconds, before whining at the next particularly aggressive car honk outside.

It wasn’t his first time getting hammered, but that didn’t make the experience any more enjoyable.

Whimpering a little as the pounding in his head increased and at how his stomach was starting to roil a little from all the alcohol he had consumed last night, it took Denali a while to realise that there were fingers gently caressing his back, fluttering gently up and down his spine.

“Denali, baby…”

He stilled for a second as he felt the fingers on his back slowly trail up to gently comb through his hair, before turning around. It was then did he realise that he wasn’t alone in bed, nor was he even in his own bed. The blanket shifted against his body, and that’s when he made his third discovery of the morning.

He wasn’t even wearing any clothes.

Denali blinked at his state of undress and shot up, instantly regretting his decision as he bent over, groaning in his nausea and discomfort. He heard a deep raspy chuckle from his right, and blindly smacked at the source of the laughter. Ignoring the other man laughing at his expense, Denali frowned while struggling to recall last night’s events.

“Rosie, why am I naked?”

The chuckles stopped then, and the room fell silent, except for the distant sounds of cars and the world outside. Denali swallowed, suddenly feeling scared. Why wasn’t Rosé saying anything?

“You don’t remember what happened last night?”

Denali slowly turned to face Rosé, eyes steadfastly glued to his face and ignoring the older’s very much bare chest. “What do you mean by what happened last night? What happened?”

Rosé chuckled and combed his fingers through Denali’s hair again, before trailing down and cupping his cheek. “Baby, I’m hurt. And here I thought we had such a good time together.” Rosé replied smoothly, his thumb stroking Denali’s cheek as the younger gawked at him.

“Wait a minute, what?!”

The younger boy scrambled out from beneath the sheets before unexpectedly slipping off the bed with a yelp, landing painfully on his back. He groaned and opened his eyes, finally realising that he was still in his underwear, and the only thing sore about him was his back from the fall. A second later, hysterical laughter sounded from the bed as Rosé began to laugh hard. “Oh my god, Denali, you should have seen your face when I said that! It was pure gold.”

Denali rolled his eyes and sat up, wincing at the pain in both his back and his head. He tugged at the pillow at the edge of the bed and threw it at Rosé, satisfied when it hit him in the face with a thump, effectively stopping his laughter. “That wasn’t funny! I really thought that something happened last night.” Snorting, Rosé pushed himself to the edge of the bed and gave Denali a hand.

“Well, I wasn’t really lying when I implied something happened last night. It’s just not what you thought had happened.”

Denali frowned at Rosé’s vagueness, scratching his head. “Wait, so something did happen?”

Eyes twinkling, Rosé shoved the blanket off him and got out of bed, revealing that he was also only half decent, sporting a pair of briefs. He stretched a little before ruffling Denali’s hair, ignoring his indignant yelp. “Let me fill you in after we both wash up and have some food in us, because I refuse to have this conversation with my boyfriend on an empty stomach.”

Winking, Rosé playfully tapped Denali on the nose as he walked past him, heading for the bathroom while the younger boy took a moment to process what he had just heard.

“Wha- Did you just call me your boyfriend?”

Denali trailed after him before promptly having the bathroom door shut in his face. He pouted and went over to the other bathroom in the house, knowing the toothbrush that he had just used last week would still be there. He’d stayed over at Rosé’s often enough that he knew where everything was in his guest bathroom, from where the spare towels were to how his own shampoo and shower gel bottles were shoved in the corner of the shower.

He had just gone through the motions of brushing his teeth and relieving his bladder, when he took a quick sniff of himself, grimacing at how he could smell the lingering smell of smoke and alcohol. He hopped into the shower, knowing Rosé wouldn’t mind, and took a quick shower, humming as he let the warm water wash away the sweat and grime from last night. When he was done, he snagged a towel from the side cupboard and wrapped it around his waist, having thrown his underwear into the laundry basket (he swore he’d help with the laundry later). Denali exited the bathroom and went back to Rosé’s bedroom. He ignored his pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the bedroom and instead rifled through Rosé’s drawers, snagging a pale pink hoody and pair of black shorts. He drew the line at borrowing his underwear and chose to go commando instead.

Following the smell and sounds of sizzling bacon, Denali shuffled off to the kitchen and saw Rosé over at the stove, a loose green t-shirt thrown on over soft grey track pants. He went over to the older boy that was carefully flipping over the pieces of bacon and hopped onto the counter. The toaster pinged a second later, and Rosé fetched the slices of toast and put them onto the two plates of eggs that were already done, sliding the cooked bacon onto the plate too and handed one full plate to Denali.

Rosé hopped onto the counter top next to Denali and passed a fork over to him before they both started on breakfast, savouring the taste of warm greasy food and the quiet morning. Once they were done, Denali helped Rosé with washing the dishes while the older dried. The quiet stillness didn’t last though, with how Denali was buzzing with anticipation, the food having helped with the nausea and the aspirin he had popped into his mouth earlier now kicking in. With the last dish put away, Denali dragged an amused Rosé by the wrist to the couch in the living room, sitting the both of them down.

Knee bouncing in anticipation, Denali could now finally get some answers. “Now that we’re both clean and had our fill like you wanted, tell me exactly what happened last night.”

Rosé frowned, “You really don’t remember?”

“No! Why would I ask you if I did?” Denali whined. “Come on, Rosie. I’m dying to know! You know how my memory gets when I’m drunk! I’d forget my own head if it weren’t attached to my body.”

Rosé laughed, “You have a point there.”

“Right? So tell me!”

The older rolled his eyes at the younger’s whining. “So bossy. Don’t pout at me like that, it’s true! Okay, so how much do you remember about last night?” Rosé asked, leaning back against the couch as he watched Denali trying to recall the events from the night before.

“Well… I remember drinking a shot or two-“ Rosé snorted, “Really? Just one or two? More like nine or ten.”

“Okay, fine I lost count after the fourth one. Anyways, I remember going to the dance floor and dancing with Mik and Kandy. I think you were at the bar talking to Jan? And then Olivia and Utica joined us later, then…”

Pausing, Denali scratched his head before continuing. “I think I went to the bar to get another shot, and then I sat down with you because Jan had gone off… Oh.”

He remembered now. He remembered why he went to the bar after Olivia and Utica had joined them when they were dancing.

They had been dancing hard, and were generally having a good time, swaying and dancing with each other to the beat when the music transitioned to a slower number. Kandy and Mik had jokingly began slow dancing, and Denali had been laughing at their antics when he noticed Olivia and Utica had begun dancing closer, arms wrapped around each other. Utica was whispering into Olivia’s ear and the other boy was giggling at whatever Utica was saying, hiding his face in the taller one’s shoulder shyly.

The display of affection had struck a chord in Denali. It was something he had never experienced himself so far, a romance of sorts like that, something that he had secretly wanted to have for a long time but never actually quite knew how to. He turned back to Kandy and Mik, and noticed that the pair had disappeared somewhere. Faced with the choice of dancing alone awkwardly in a sea of couples, Denali instead tipsily stumbled through the crowd and headed back to the bar. Jan must have wandered off because Rosé was now alone, the stool next to him vacant. Denali plopped down next him, a full on pout coming on as he ordered himself a shot.

Rosé turned to face Denali, noting the younger’s down expression. “Okay baby, who hurt you, and who do I have to kill?”

Denali shook his head, eyes staring gloomily at the bar’s counter top. “No one, I’m just being dumb, that’s all.” The bartender dropped the shot off in front of Denali, before attending to another customer at the other end of the bar. Picking up the shot and downing it, Denali barely shuddered at the taste, having been numbed to it a good half hour ago. He toyed with the glass in his hands, before sighing as Rosé looked at him expectantly, his own glass of scotch held loosely between his hands.

“I know this is going to sound dumb, but I just feel sort of lonely, that’s all.” Rosé blinked at Denali’s admission, confusion painted on his face. “Lonely? What do you mean by that?”

“It’s nothing, it’s just… I don’t know Rosie, I mean look at all those people dancing on the dance floor. Look at Olivia and Utica.”

Rosé turned to look at the dancing couples, then their pair of slow dancing friends, and finally understood.

“Oh, you mean that kind of lonely.” Denali sniffed miserably in response, calling the bartender over for another drink, this time asking for a gin and tonic. The bartender fixed up his drink and passed it to Denali, swiping the empty shot glass in the process as he moved on to the next inebriated customer. “Yeah, that kind of lonely. I guess I’m just sick of being single. Everyone seems to be able to find love so easily. I mean, look at the two of them!” He spun in his stool so he was facing the dance floor with Rosé, and gestured at Olivia and Utica. “And then there’s Gigi and Crystal, Brooke and Vanjie, heck even Kandy and Joey!”

Rosé scoffed. “Baby, Kandy and Joey are not exactly the best example. For one thing, they’re not even together, and I’m pretty sure Joey would get a restraining order against Kandy if he could.”

Denali smothered his laughter and smacked Rosé’s shoulder. “Your’e terrible, but that’s not the point! I’m just- Is there…” He got a little quiet, suddenly feeling vulnerable under the older’s probing eyes, and traced the condensation on his glass. “Is there something wrong with me? I mean there has to be if no one’s even taken an interest in me, right?” Denali heard the sound of a stool being dragged and suddenly a hand was on his right thigh, Rosé’s thumb rubbing soothing circles.

“Denali, you know that’s not true. You’re an amazing person who’s crazy talented and so incredibly gorgeous. Anyone out there would be lucky to even go out on one date with you.”

Sniffing, Denali raised his glass and drained it, relishing the burn of it going down his throat and feeling the fogginess in his mind increase even more. “Sure, that’s why I’ve been so single all my life. Face it Rosie, no one wants me.” He mumbled, slurring a little. Rosé went quiet at his statement, and Denali took that as his cue to leave. He placed his empty glass back onto the counter, and moved to push Rosé’s hand off his thigh when the older caught his hand instead, and looked him straight in the eye.

“Then why don’t you just go out with me?” Denali froze, glazed brown eyes staring back into clear green ones. There were several beats of silence before Rosé tightened his grip on his hand. “Denali?”

“Are you- Are you serious?”

Rosé nodded, beginning to play with Denali’s fingers, though his eyes never left his.

“Sure, I mean that’s what you want, right?” Denali frowned, revelling just a little at the feeling of Rosé’s calloused fingers tracing the lines of his palm, before replying. “I want… To date you?”

Chuckling Rosé moved closer to Denali, now holding both his hands. “No baby, you want to know what it’s like to be in a relationship right? Then why not just go out with me? It wouldn’t really be too much of a change between us, and you trust me, right?” Denali looked down at their clasped hands, then looked back up at Rosé. For a split second, he thought he saw nervousness in his eyes, but it was soon replaced by another look, something Denali couldn’t quite put his finger on. He bit his lip, unsure of how to respond. Rosé saw his hesitance, and squeezed his hands, before moving his right hand to cup Denali’s cheek.

“I promise that I’d never hurt you.” Denali shuddered, suddenly hyper aware of Rosé’s presence. “I- So how would that work? If I said yes, would that make you my boyfriend?”

Rosé nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching. “If that’s what you want, we can do that. I’d be as much as your boyfriend as you’d be mine.”

“But for how long?”

“As long as you want, baby.”

Denali swallowed, his brain trying to work against the fog that was clouding his mind as Rosé pulled away to take another drink of his scotch, though his eyes were still trained on him. “What if I said I wanted to try it out for just a month or two?” Rosé shrugged, “Then we’ll do it for a month or two.”

“What about a week?”

“Then we can do it for a week.”

“What if I wanted I wanted it to just be a day?”

“Then we’ll do it for a day.”

“What about an hour?”

Rosé chuckled, hearing the mischief in Denali’s voice.

“Then we’ll make it the most amazing hour ever.”

Denali threw his head back in laughter, dimples in full display as he turned to face Rosé fully. “Rosie, have I told you how much I love you?” Rosé smiled softly in response. “All the time.” Smiling tipsily back at Rosé, he tilted his head as if in thought, before nodding. “Okay.”

“Okay to..?”

“Okay, I’ll be our boyfriend, and you can be mine.”

Hours later back on Rosé’s couch, Denali was holding his head in his hands, cheeks a bright red as he shook his head in disbelief.

“I am never drinking again.”

“Wow, not even a day has passed and you’re already regretting asking me to be your boyfriend?”

Denali glared at Rosé. “First off, you know that’s not what I meant, and secondly, wasn’t it you that asked me to go out with you?” Shrugging, Rosé reached over to grab his phone on the coffee table.

“Well, the offer still stands. After all, it’s Insta official now.” He tapped his screen several times before showing his Instagram story feed to Denali. In the next few stories that played, it showed Denali taking selfies and shaky videos with Rosé, proclaiming how he was officially taken and that they were boyfriends now. Denali tapped to his own profile and saw that there was even a blurry shot of the two of them. Rosé’s arm was wrapped around his shoulders and Denali was leaning against him with a large grin stretched across his face. While Denali was looking at the camera, Rosé was instead looking down at Denali with a smile on his face. The caption simply read “Besties to boyfriendssssssss”. He returned the phone back to Rosé, ignoring the 34 comments that he’d decided to read later.

He could always play it off as a joke, but still, he was curious. Denali knew that Rosé had a lot of experience with relationships and love, having witnessed firsthand his best friend being in a relationship just a year ago, and being there for him when it had ended. Before then though, he remembered how Rosé had been a very supportive and attentive boyfriend, and there were moments when Denali had caught himself wishing that he could experience that too. He shifted on the couch before looking back up at Rosé, who was looking back at him expectantly.

He was still waiting for a reply.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out Denali’s answer.

“A month or a two right?”

“For as long as you want.”

Denali nodded then, a small smile on his face.

“Boyfriends it is then.”

-------

Not too sure how many chapters this will end up being. I have several ideas dancing in my head, so I'll have to map them all out first. In any case, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. (:

[brandstifter-sys]

Not a Secret

Word Count: 1218                      (Ao3)

Rating: G

Pairing: Moceit

Characters: Patton, Janus, Virgil

Warnings: Food Mention

Patton is having a bad day and Janus is ready to give him the attention he needs. (So I posted this back in May 2019 on my old blog and it’s still cute, I just updated Deceit’s name and made room for the duke.)

---

The den of nostalgia, also known as Patton’s room. It was usually happy, warm, and glowing gold with memories. But not today. Patton wasn't feeling happy, warm, or glowy, he was just lying in bed with the covers over his face. Sometimes he was just feeling sad, and despite admitting that and promising to be more open, he really didn't want the others to see him like this.

“Patton, dear, you know better than to hide your hideous face under the covers.” a familiar voice cooed as a new weight settled on the bed. Those covers came down to his shoulders so he could see the face of the only side who seemed to have a sixth sense. Janus had to have an internal alarm for days like this. He always appeared.

“Hey Jan, good to see you.”

“My sweet turtledove, you know I can see through your lies.” Janus chuckled, “You don't want to be seen.”

“Then you know I want you to leave, just for a little while.”

“Yes, but I'm not going to. I can't leave you completely alone in good conscience.”

“Conscience?”

“I hardly ever listen to it, but I assure you I have one. Why else would I show up?”

“Because you secretly like me and want to talk to me.”

“Secretly? My dear, it's not a secret.” Janus chuckled, “Now you rest, mope, whatever it is you want. I'll be back with some food. We can't have you going hungry.” He got off the bed and navigated his way to the door through the clutter. Patton smiled softly when he left.

“Patton what the heck?!” Virgil snapped when he burst through that same door not a moment later. The smile fell.

“Virge, don’t yell, please.” he whined. Virgil took a deep breath, and sighed. It was one of those days and he was making it worse.

“Why was he in here just now?” he hissed.

“Janus?”

“Uh, yeah!” Patton internally cringed at the exasperation in his voice.

“He was just checking in, saying hi. Nothing bad.”

“You know, you can come to any of us if you feel down, you don't need to resort to that slimeball for help.” Virge pouted and rubbed his neck. Patton could see right through him; he was worried about his best friend. He was worried that a compulsive liar was more important to him than him.

“I know. I love you guys and I said I would be more open. Right now, I just need some space, unless you need something, kiddo.”

“No, not really. Lemme know if you’re not gonna come to movie night. Lo and Ro already canceled.” Virgil replied and left. Patton sighed. He was definitely canceling too, to give a certain strained duo some time alone to do whatever. He wasn’t in the mood to chaperone. All he wanted to do was lay around and mope. Too bad he couldn’t do that, even with Virgil gone.

“Morality.” Janus called and knocked on the door before coming in anyway because Patton was expecting him. Patton didn’t mind, it’s not like he had the motivation to stop him. He had a tray balanced on one hand as he entered. It held a glass of milk, a peanut butter sandwich, and a few cookies.

“I didn’t cut the crusts off,” he hummed, coming to rest on the edge of Patton’s bed. Patton pouted–he hated eating the crust!

“Now that is a face I could just smother in kisses.” Janus droned sarcastically, “Sit up so I can start.” Patton begrudgingly shifted and squirmed from under his covers. Janus set the tray on his lap and waited for his reaction.

“Thanks, Jay.” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. The sandwich had been cut into two heart shapes with a cookie cutter.

“I thought you said—”

“Patton, I didn't cut them off, I simply didn't need that part.” Janus chuckled, “Now eat up so I can give you your space.” Patt tentatively took a bite of the sandwich and eyed Janus curiously.

“Are you really going to go?” Patt questioned, somewhat ruefully.

“No. I’ll hide under your bed and scare away the spiders.” Janus teased, “I'm staying in this room, catching up on my reading, distorting a few minor memories the raccoon had too much influence over, and keeping you company.”

“But I don't really want company” Patton said as he finished his sandwich. It sounded a little distorted due to the peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth, but it was understandable as well as adorable. Janus chuckled and shook his head.

“What?” Patton pressed, going for the glass of milk.

“You are a liar.” he hummed, “And I know exactly what you want, so lying to me about it is fruitless.” 

“Hm, and what do I want?”

“You want company—company that doesn't need you to be happy and the voice of positivity. You want to be near people who won't treat you like a fool or a child, people who can see you as you truly are in every aspect without judging or treating you differently. You don’t think Logan and Roman take you seriously, and you don’t want Virgil to worry. You believe what you want is out of reach.” Janus answered plainly. Patton choked on his drink.

“Don't be surprised, Patton.” he chuckled and patted Morality's back to ease the coughing. He was fully capable of honesty, it wasn’t like deception was his only purpose!

“Thanks.” Patt cleared his throat once he caught his breath, “That doesn't explain why you're still here, though.”

“I know the truth, I know you better than the others. The sorrows, the anger, the lingering angst, as well as the joy, the love, and the childish glee. I have the clearest picture of you, and I must say, you are a masterpiece.”

“Thanks, Jay, but I'm a mess.” Patton sighed and bit into a cookie, snapping it in two.

“Mess is the soul of art, duckling.” he cooed, rubbing gentle circles on his back, “You are a vibrant, multifaceted individual who has my unending respect and admiration.”

“Jay,” Patton whined, setting the other half of his cookie on the tray. He wasn't hungry anymore, “Could you move this to the desk? I'm full.” The snake did as he was asked, smirking as he whittled away the front Patton put up.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?” he asked upon his return. Patton tapped his chin and pouted adorably. There was one thing, but he was afraid to say it. He didn't have to.

“Do you want me to sit with you and cuddle?”

“Please.” Patt whimpered. Janus smiled and climbed under the covers, pulling Patton to his chest. Patton leaned into him and closed his eyes. He was so warm, a welcome heat source for the snake. It was like a dream come true, simply to be this close to the kindest, most welcoming side.

“Would you like to hear a secret?” Janus breathed, tickling Patton's ear.

“Sure.”

“I love you.”

“My dear, it's not a secret.” Patton giggled and snuggled closer. His smile fell immediately afterwards, but that was to be expected. Cuddles wouldn't change his mood right away, but they helped.

“Not anymore.” Janus chuckled and kissed his forehead.

[bang-and-a-blintz]

Caught in the Web

This one is for our wonderful @hiphop-gir​! I sort of got a little carried away with this lol I’m sorry, it’s just that when I think of this delicious blonde serial killer version of Claes - my mind can’t help but to automatically lean towards more...twisted things. 😇

An interrogation goes...wrong in all the right ways?

Cheers!

Fandom: The Girl in the Spider’s Web

Relationship: Jan Holster//Reader

Rating: Explicit (18+)

Warning: Um very smutty and sort of dark. Some kidnapping, a bit of choking, and light threatening. 

Word Count: 2,651

~Caught in the Web~

A loud bang made you jump as the door burst open, bouncing off of the wall behind it. You couldn't see anything through the darkness of the sack covering your head, but you knew you were no longer alone in the musty room that your captors had placed you in.

Your wrists burned from the zip ties wrapped tightly around them and your shoulders were beginning to ache due to the awkward angle of having your hands tied behind your back. 

"Well, what do we have here?" A cold, deep voice cut across the room like a knife. You could hear the thumping of footfalls coming closer. "Relieve our…guest of those restraints."

Someone dashed over and you were temporarily blinded from the sudden brightness as the hood was ripped from your face. While you blinked, trying to quickly focus on your surroundings, the same person made work of the ties around your wrists and cut them free.

When your eyes finally adjusted and you rubbed the circulation back into your limbs, the first thing you saw made your throat go dry.

It was him. 

The spider who takes those unfortunate enough to fall into his trap and then makes them disappear.

Jan Holster.

You had only heard stories about the terrifying assassin that stood in front of you. Whispers in the wind of a man turned death machine for the Soviet's special ops before going rogue. Not many lived to tell the tales...but you had certainly heard stories, so it wasn't an entirely impossible feat.

Only no one spoke of how damnably attractive he was and you weren't sure how you felt about that.

"Leave us."

The man who cut you loose quickly scurried away. 

What remained was a nearly unbearable silence. You cautiously looked up to see the infamous killer staring at you with furious intent.

Jan was statuesque. His towering form seemed to take up the entirety of the cramped, dilapidated room. He was shrouded in a pitch-black long leather coat and endless dark layers of clothing. Protection from the bitter sting of the arctic temperatures. The shock of blond hair and icy blue eyes were stark in contrast. 

What really caught your attention was how his face was littered with several scrapes and bruises, as though he had just gotten out of a fight. You had the sneaking suspicion that he had won.

He looked scary as hell, intimidating, rugged, and downright feral. By all accounts, you should be very afraid, but the blasphemous heat pooling in the pit of your stomach spoke otherwise.

The severity of his stare pinned you in your seat. He placed his gloved hands flat on the table and leaned down, slowly and deliberately licking his lips. 

The predator eyeing his prey.

"Tell me," His voice was guttural, "Why were you running, kroshka?"

You swallowed thickly and shook your head, "I wasn't running, I swear I don't kno-"

"Shh," He cut you off, holding a finger up in warning, "No, no, no, ptichka. Do not lie to me. You saw their faces and you know where they are."

His words were clipped, barely concealing his frustration. The use of those sweet little pet names was like poison dripping from his mouth.

"I told you, I - I don't know."

"TELL ME THE FUCKING TRUTH!" Jan roared, his hands grasping the withering chair before him and threw it with all his might against the opposite wall. You flinched as it broke upon impact, scattering pieces of splintered wood across the floor.

"Please, I swear! I don't know anything!" Holding your hands up, you tried to plea with him to see reason, that you really were innocent in this whole ordeal. You were just someone who was at the wrong place and at the very wrong time. "Look, when that apartment exploded, those people disappeared before I knew what was even happening. There was so much smoke and the fire was taking over the entire building, it was all I could do to run before it took me too! Then your asshole goon squad threw me into the back of their van and brought me here. I don't know what the hell happened!"

He walked around the table slowly, coming to a stop directly behind you.

"Forgive me,” He sighed, “My temper sometimes gets carried away."

Finger by finger, he pulled off his leather gloves with precision and dropped them on the table in front of you. Then his cold hands were resting on your shoulders, though they were surprisingly gentle as he held you still.

His breath was suddenly against your ear and you fought to control your racing heart. It felt like it was going to jump right out of your chest and it nearly stopped when those large hands gave you a sharp squeeze.

A warning.

"I do not enjoy being lied to." He tutted as you tried to speak, "It makes me feel as if I am being treated like a fool. Do you think that I am a fool, kroshka?"

"N-no."

"I could not hear you."

Those freezing hands gripped you tightly now, the contrast of his cold fingers against your burning skin was regretfully delicious. You chided yourself for being so affected by this man.

"No!" You ground out with a hiss, squirming in the seat and pressing your thighs together. A weak attempt to alleviate the sudden ache you felt.

"Good." He hummed, tapping his digits slightly against your collarbone. 

Before you knew what was happening, Jan pulled you out of the chair and slammed you against the wall. The moment your back connected with the plaster, one of his hands wrapped around your throat to hold you still while his handsome face loomed over you with a dark expression.

You had never been so turned on in your life. 

The taste of danger made you insatiable; your morality and finite self-concern were now long gone.

"Let's try this again, hm?"

"Please, I -" You weakly tried to bite back a moan as he tightened his hold on your neck. To your embarrassment, Jan heard it.

He froze, blue eyes widening for a moment before sliding down to observe this new position. Almost as if he wasn't aware that he was the one who put the two of you there in the first place.

Your bodies were flush, his broad chest was completely encompassing as he pinned you to the wall. You couldn’t help but to arch towards him, thrumming with anticipation.

Now he was curious.

Testing the uncertain waters, Jan tensed his fingers again and you knew he could feel your pulse beating erratically beneath his hand. You sucked in a breath and shut your eyes firmly, trying so very hard to fight the blush rising on your cheeks.

When you finally opened them again, you were almost frightened to see his reaction, but to your surprise, his brows just rose. A small, devious smirk quirked his lips.

"Ah, I see." His voice dropped an octave and you felt goosebumps rise along your flesh. With a quick movement, he slid his own leg between yours and pressed it hard against your center. "You like this?"

The delicious tease of friction made you bite down on your lip, but you refused to respond.

"Answer me." He bounced his leg and you felt shocks shoot up your spine. The hand around your neck gave another squeeze, forcing you to meet his gaze.

His pupils were blown wide with lust and you could do nothing but groan, breaking down and grinding your hips slowly along his thick thigh. 

Desperate for anything he could give.

"Yes," You gasped, finding courage in the way his eyes fluttered shut when your knee lightly brushed against his crotch, "And it seems that you do too, Spider."

Growling, he snapped his eyes open and sent you a look of warning. He then pushed you harder into the wall, halting your movements entirely. "Where did they go?"

Was he still on about that? You fought an eye roll.

"I. Don't. Know." You hissed, snatching a fistful of his shirt and dragging him closer till you were just a breath apart. "And, to be honest, I don't fucking care."

His jaw ticked, but you stared at him defiantly, not backing down in the slightest. He didn't move. He didn't say a word. Jan just studied your face silently, searching.

Releasing his shirt, you brought your hand down, keeping your eyes locked on his, and gripped him through his pants. He was thick and big and undeniably hard.

"Is this really what you want?" Jan said, rather gruffly. His jaw clenched tightly as he fought control. 

This time you actually did roll your eyes. "Are you done interrogating me?"

You gave his cock another squeeze and he bucked, lips suddenly crashing onto yours to steal a searing kiss. It was a rough, demanding, teeth-gnashing, biting mess and when he pulled back you were completely breathless and absolutely wrecked.

It took a moment to understand why he stopped, as you tried to chase his venomous lips but he kept pulling back, just out of your reach. When you looked up in irritation at the deadly man, you realized what he was truly waiting for. Your consent.

"You want this?" Jan asked lowly, his chest heaved with his ragged breath and his bright eyes were wild. 

A man never looked more edible.

"Yes, I do. I want you to fuck me. Right now." You spoke, gazing up at him through hooded eyes, barely comprehending the unadulterated sultry tone of your own voice, "Now shut the fuck up and get to it, kozyol."

He needed no more convincing as he swung into action, latching onto your lips again and tugging you back over to the table. You jumped up to sit on it while he maneuvered himself in between your legs, not for a second breaking the consuming kiss.

The man was everywhere, his hands grabbing and pawing with a desperate vigor, his mouth was wet and sloppy and delectable; you took everything you could get. The tension that dominated his body gave you the hint that this sort of release was long overdue. You were happy to help with this investigation in any way you could.

With a rough tug, you ripped out his belt and made quick work of unbuttoning his pants. He was heavy, hot, and positively swollen underneath your palm. The pad of your thumb swiped the precum pooling from the tip and he groaned deeply, snapping his hips into nothing, desperate for some sort of friction.

The next thing you knew, one of his cold hands were down your pants, and without warning, two of his impossibly large fingers slipped inside you.

"Holy fuck!" You gasped, breaking away from his lips to suck in a deep breath. A third quickly followed, opening you up even further. You moaned loudly, body pliant to his attentions as he curled up against that spot that made you see stars.

Then they were gone just as quickly, but before you could whine in protest, he lifted you up further onto the table and ripped your pants off entirely. You could hardly take another shuddering breath as the cold air hit your bare cunt before he was back on you and teasing your entrance with the tip of his cock, gently sliding back and forth along your slick folds.

He paused, looking you dead in the eyes while his free hand came up to stroke the line of where your neck met your shoulder. Shooting you a villainous smirk, Jan yanked down the collar of your shirt, bit down hard on the sensitive flesh of your neck, and sank into your warmth. Your body curved up into his embrace and you cried out, the shock of both primal pleasure and scorching pain sent your nerves into overdrive.

Immediately, Jan set a bruising pace, the brutal intrusion was exactly what you wanted, what you fucking craved. You matched his thrusts and gripped his jacket, just to hold on to something, anything to keep you upright.

It was viceral. It was vicious. It was deliciously punishing as you both fucked each other as if your very lives depended on it.

He replaced his teeth with his hand once more and squeezed down on your windpipe, his mouth edging over until he was panting into the shell of your ear, "This is what you needed, hm? You needed a good fuck."

Changing the angle, he delivered a sharp thrust that stole your voice.

"You wanted someone to take control, to use your body, to possess your very soul." He growled lowly, "Glaza boyatsya, a ruki, hm? You fear it and that drives you fucking wild."

You moaned loudly, too far gone to care about his biting words. With every pleasurable sting, you felt yourself drawing closer and closer to the precipice. The pit deep in your gut burned and boiled and was surely going to explode if he kept up with that filthy mouth of his.

“Yes, that’s it.” Jan grunted, a bead of perspiration trailed down his face from his efforts, “You desire someone who would wreck you from the inside out and make you beg for more."

"Fuck, yes, bistreye! Faster, please, I - oh, fuck!"

The man's hips were like pistons; relentlessly slamming into you, filling you to the brim before pulling back out just to bury himself inside again, deeper and deeper. You nails tore at his shirt as you shattered around him, coming almost violently and nearly choking yourself as you writhed against his hand.

He let go of your throat and stole what little breath you still had away with his lips, blocking your cries and moans from traveling too far outside the small room. Your body was wracked with trembles as you rode your high, letting wave after wave of sinful delight roll over you.

The Spider doubled his efforts, his hips stuttering in a punishing rhythm and his hands were gripping your flesh so hard, you were certain there would be an endless amount bruises waiting for you later. 

With a roar, he came, chomping back down on the sensitive and abused spot of your neck, gripping you tightly against his shaking body. He pumped once, twice more before exhaling a deep breath and falling to his elbows around you.

The tension seeped from your bones as you collapsed back onto the table. Blissfully sated. Nothing but the sounds of your gasping breaths filled the room as the both of you struggled to maintain normal oxygen levels.

That might have been the best sex of your life. 

It was worth it to come undone beneath the brutality of this devilish man, despite the lingering fear of your own impermanence. You supposed the thrill of temporality was a wonderful aphrodisiac.

Suddenly his lips were on yours. This time the kiss was soft, gentle, deep, and full of strangely unfamiliar feelings. Jan delicately plied your lips open, his velvet tongue circled yours, and he groaned as you lapped back cautiously. The hand that threatened to squeeze the life from you was now stroking a calming pattern against the swell of your cheek.

He pulled away after a moment, tucking himself back into his pants and slicking any errant blond hairs back in their place. 

Once satisfied, he looked at you with a cunning little smirk. "This information will suffice. Thank you for your…assistance."

Before you could even blink, he was gone.

The door slammed shut behind him and you sat there, stunned. Rather than rushing to dress and flee back to your home, which would be the logical course of action; all you truly wanted now was more time caught up in the Spider's web.

Welp there it is! Inspired by that sexy scene where he’s all bloodied up and looks tasty. Someone stop me.

*my attempt at writing with the Russian language - if I got anything wrong, I apologize*

kroshka - little one

ptichka - little bird

kozyol - bastard

Glaza boyatsya, a ruki - The eyes are afraid, but the body still commands. (You feel the fear, but do it anyways)(Russian proverb)

bistreye -  faster

Tagging:

@vissidarte213 @hyacinth-meadow @gabesprincess​ @festering-queen​ @thebeautyofdisorder​ @hoefordarkness​ @allis143​ @torntaltos​ @guardianbelle​ @greenisms​ @cam-bang​ @feralstare​ @profiler-in-courage​ @enchantedfleur​

(just in case anyone else was interested - feel free to message me if you’d like to be removed or added)

[snowdice]

11) "I crave your affection, but I crave your silence even more- shut up." Gives me powerful Janus/Remus vibes. Choose your universe, feel free to make it platonic if it fits better.

It ended up being not an established universe. Can be read as platonic or romantic really, but either way they’re close, and Janus is rather clingy while under anesthesia.

From the GRUMPY AFFECTIONATE STARTERS prompt list.

Warning for mentions of surgery (and appendectomy in particular) and anesthesia.

Remus tapped his foot nervously as he sat in the hospital waiting room. Logan had come and informed him that Janus’s appendectomy had gone smoothly, and he was waking up from the anesthesia, but there was still a bit of anxiety he didn’t think he’d be able to shake until he saw Janus for himself.

He looked up as footsteps stopped at the waiting room door and saw Logan. “He wants to see you,” Logan informed him.

“He does?” Remus asked, perking up.

“He’s been insistent,” Logan confirmed. “He even went so far as to threaten me and the nurse if he didn’t get to see you soon.”

“He always is an angry drunk.”

“And how often have you gotten my younger brother drunk?” Logan asked, unimpressed.

“Before or after he was legal?” Remus asked.

Logan just made a frustrated growling sound in the back of his throat. “Do you want to go see him or not.”

“I want to go see him.”

“Then come with me,” Logan instructed. Remus scrambled to his feet to follow him out of the waiting room and down the hall.

They stopped outside a door and Remus breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Janus sitting up in bed.

“Fucking finally,” Janus ground out upon seeing him. “No one would listen to me.”

“Aw! Were you missing me, Jan?” Remus asked. Janus just stuck out both arms with a cross look on his face.

“I’ll be in the cafeteria getting myself something to eat,” Logan said. “You have my number if you need anything.”

“I got it, nerd,” Remus said, walking into the room as demanded until he could take Janus’s outreached hands.

Janus yanked him closer until Remus relented and sat on the bed. “You,” Remus said. He bopped him on the nose. He tried to swipe him away, but he was far too slow and hit nothing but air. “Are still a little bit drugged, huh?”

Janus glared at him. “Lay down,” he demanded.

“Aw, does someone want cuddles?” Remus teased.

“Shut your mouth,” Janus growled, but he still shifted closer when Remus carefully reclined on the bed. “I don’t want to hear your stupid, grating voice.”

“You invited me in here!” Remus reminded. “You asked for me specifically because you loooove me!”

“I crave your affection,” Janus admitted, curling into him and laying his head on his chest, “but I crave your silence even more- shut up.”

Remus chuckled and leaned down to kiss the top of his head. Janus’s shoulders relaxed and he closed his eyes. He was dozing again under the effects of the anesthesia in moments.

Want to read more? Click below!

My Master Post

[arya-skywalker]

Starved for attention Part 2 (Sanders Sides Fanfic)

Notes: Aiming for 3-4 parts total, hopefully. Sorry for the wait and hope you enjoy! This one’s a bit fluffier.

Also thanks to the TSS Fanworks Server for bouncing ideas around! Apply here to join.

TW: imprisonment, starvation, malnutrition, touch starvation, bathing (implied nudity, no details)

Part 1

~*~

Janus stirred and rubbed his eyes groggily. It was difficult to tell time down here, but something told him it was roughly morning.

“Hey, Fangs.” Virgil was in the cell with him, curled up a few feet away with pillows and blankets. “Lo said you’re touch starved?”

Janus stiffened slightly. “When did you get here?”

“While you were asleep, obviously. Logan let me in,” Virgil said with a half smile. “You look cold. Can I at least give you a blanket?”

Janus nodded slowly. “Yesss.... pleassse.”

Virgil edged closer and gently draped the blanket over his shoulders. “We move at your pace. It’s alright.”

Janus huddled under the blanket, nuzzling the soft fabric. God it felt good. He looked back over at the anxious side. “Sssit next to me?” he asked, hating how small his voice sounded.

Virgil nodded and did so, leaving a few inches between them. “You can... uh... lean against me if you want,” he said.

Warm warm WARM! Janus waited a few minutes to get used to the idea that another person was so close, then hesitantly rested his head on Virgil’s shoulder. “Mm. You’re warm,” he mumbled into the hoodie.

Virgil laughed softly. “Yeah. I know. Do you want my arm around you or nah?”

Janus nodded, closing his eyes and nestling close once he felt the comforting pressure. A good warm. “I misssed you.”

Virgil was silent for a moment. His body tensed ever-so-slightly, but he didn’t let go. “I’m sorry. I was... scared. And I didn’t know.... I didn’t think it would get this bad. How long have you been like this?”

“Sstopped keeping track,” Janus muttered, pulling the blanket closer. “Better not to know.”

“Jan. You know this isn’t good, right? You’re so fucking skinny, I could count all your bones.”

“Oh really? I hadn’t noticed,” Janus drawled, then hummed thoughtfully. “Can I move to your lap? Floor’s cold.”

Virgil sighed. “Sure, whatever.” He gently helped Janus onto his lap, holding him to make sure he didn’t fall. “You know you can’t stay down here much longer.”

“Mmm. You have a better idea?” Janus curled up on his lap, head on Virgil’s chest, soaking up the warmth. “This issss my room now. The ‘dark side’ commonsss are a messs. Any other room could corrupt me, you know that.”

“At least you’d be in an actual bed!” Virgil scowled, then bit his lip. “Unless.... unless we make this place more habitable?”

Janus hugged the pillow and squinted up at Virgil. “Thiss iss a cell. It’s not ssupposed to be comfortable.”

“Who the fuck cares? You’re hurting, Jan. You need help.”

Janus looked away, watching the chains sway. “It could hurt you if you try. I won’t die. I’ll be fine.”

“Janus, look at me. You’re hurting yourself and it sucks. Let us help you.”

Janus’s tongue flicked out, then he sighed and looked back at Virgil. “If the cell fights back, you stop. Clear?”

Virgil smiled grimly. “Yeah. Clear,” he said. “Roman should be able to make some furniture or whatever.”

“Ssstay with me. Pleassse.” Janus closed his eyes tiredly, clinging loosely to Virgil.

“I’m here. Just get some rest, alright?”

Janus wanted to protest, but it was so soft and warm.... He found himself dozing off before he could say another word.

~*~

Janus burrowed into the pile of blankets and pillows. Soft and warm. Exactly what he needed.

But Virgil was gone.

He frowned slightly and sat up, wrapping a blanket around himself. “Virgil?” Janus asked softly. But there was no answer. “Virgil!”

He’s gone. He left you again. He still hates you.

Janus shook his head, hugging a pillow tightly. No. He just.... went to get some food. That has to be it.

Footsteps. Roman’s footsteps.

“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!” Roman sang, twirling as he approached.

“Mmm. And what if I prefer to sstay coiled up in my nessst?” Janus countered.

Roman huffed. “I brought you more food! And some tea. You like tea better than coffee, right?”

Janus nodded slowly. “Did Virgil....?”

“Yes! He told me all about it! We’re going to make this place fit for nobility,” Roman said, beaming.

Janus shrunk into his nest of pillows. “Nothing too fancy. We don’t want to push our luck,” he replied.

“Ridiculous! You deserve the best, and I will give it to you!”

Janus groaned. “Roman, pleassse!”

Roman blinked. “Oh... you’re being serious?”

Janus glared at him. “Yessss I am.” He sighed and rubbed his face. “Jussst... baby steps. Ssee how the cell reactsss.”

“Well.... I guess,” Roman grumbled, then created a key and opened the cell door.

Again, Janus stared at the doorway. It was so easy for them to open it. Why couldn’t he just...? It wouldn’t hurt anyone... Maybe he could...

Roman strode inside, created a small table by the door, and set the food down. Then he clapped his hands and grinned. “Let’s get started! You’ll need a bed and a chair and a desk and a closet and a fireplace and—“

“Ssstop!” Janus held up his hands, then sighed and shook his head. “Sslow down, Your Highnesss. Remember, keep it ssssimple!”

Roman pouted. “But mon python, you deserve the best!”

“Thiss iss not going to work if you fight me every ssstep of the way,” Janus hissed, glaring up at him. Dammit, he felt so small.

He clenched his jaw, then carefully gathered his feet under himself and used the wall as support to stand. It hurt. His legs wobbled. His head spun. This was a bad idea.

Roman rushed over and caught him. “Whoa now! Careful, my frail flower,” he chided, holding him close.

Janus whined, but clung to him. This was embarrassing. He was Deceit. He was Self-Preservation. It shouldn’t be this hard to stand! “I’m fine,” he spat.

Roman scooped him up, which certainly didn’t help. “Here now, I’ve got you!”

Janus squeezed his eyes shut, hiding his face in Roman’s sash. Too fast. Too high. He felt Roman tense as the prince realized his error.

“Oh. Do you want me to put you down?”

“Mmm. Make a bed and put me down on it. A sssimple twin bed. Nothing fancy.”

“How boring!” Roman complained, but with a flourish he did so. “Fine. How’s that?”

Janus took a deep breath and looked at the bed, running his hand across the blanket. It was not too hard, not too soft. Certainly better than the floor and pillow nest. Luckily not too fancy either— light yellow cloth, metal frame with vague snake designs. “Thank you. This is perfect, my prince,” he said, resting his head on the pillow.

Roman beamed at the praise. “Oh goodie! What next?”

Janus hesitated, looking around the cell that had been his home for.... he didn’t even want to know how long. “I don’t need much, my prince,” he said.

Roman tapped his foot. “I know! Lights!” He snapped his fingers, making a large iron candelabra appear with half-melted candles, as well as twining fairy lights around some of the chains.

Janus sighed. “Very pretty, Your Highnesss, but I don’t—“

“Books! You like to read, right? You need a bookshelf!” Roman made a bookshelf appear. “What sort of books? Classics, of course....”

Janus felt a smile tug at his lips. “Forbidden love? With a side of anarchy?”

“Of course, charm snakelet!” Roman beamed, filling the shelves with various books. “What about music?” A record player materialized on top of the bookshelf.

“My prince, you ssspoil me rotten.” Goodness, when was the last time he had actual entertainment? He reached for Roman’s hand. “Come here, pleassse.”

Roman immediately knelt by the bedside and took Janus’s gloved hand, kissing it lightly. “I’m here, treasure,” he said.

Janus looked around the cell. It was already so much better.... but yet, the grime from before remained. “My prince?” he asked quietly.

“Yes charm snakelet?” Roman replied with a dazzling smile.

Janus blushed faintly. “I.... if you don’t mind.... do you think you could.... help me bathe?” He asked sheepishly. “I know I’m disgusting at the moment but...”

Roman snapped his fingers, making a claw-foot bathtub appear, already filled with steaming water and floral-scented soaps.

Janus sank into the bed. “Oh thank goodnessssss.....”

Roman gently helped him to the bath. “You’ll be shining like the sun in no time!”

“Mmmm.... thank you,” Janus murmured, carefully slipping into the warm bath. Clean. He would finally be clean again.

Roman’s touched was light, as if Janus were made of glass that could break at any second. But the bath was soothing as any massage. Once done, Roman wrapped him in heated towels before helping him change into clean clothes.

“Thank you, my prince,” Janus murmured, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

~*~

Logan visited yet again. “May I take your vitals now?” he asked.

Janus sighed. “We are imaginary. I don’t know what you think you’ll find,” he muttered.

“Your metaphysical state reflects that of a human. Well, in your case, half-human and half-reptilian. We cannot die, but we can become ill. If I find an issue that can be remedied, you will recover sooner.” Logan adjusted his tie.

Janus stared at him for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. “Very well. Do what you must.”

Logan opened the cell door and stepped inside. Janus looked away to avoid staring at the taunting path. He remained still as Logan checked his pulse, his lungs, his reaction times, and anything else that he could.

“I... have a hypothesis,” Logan said slowly.

“Do sshare with the classss,” Janus drawled.

Logan frowned. “There is no class—“

“Figure of speech. Continue, please.”

Logan cleared his throat. “I believe that observing some memories of when Thomas has utilized your function may help expedite your recovery,” he said carefully.

Janus blinked. “Watching memories of him lying and putting himself first and such?” he clarified.

“Yes, exactly.” Logan reached into his briefcase and pulled out a small box. “I have one here.”

“Does Patton know?” Janus looked at the box warily.

Logan adjusted his tie. “No, not yet. I made sure to choose a memory related to his education so it would be less suspicious.”

Janus took a deep breath and held out his hands. “Alright. Let me sssee it,” he said.

“Please tell me if you feel anything... strange,” Logan said, then placed the box on Janus’s open palm.

Janus opened the box, trying to ignore how much his hands were shaking. A warm light filled the room and the memory played out before his eyes.

Thomas, laying in bed, coughing— definitely a fake cough— begging his mother to let him stay home from school. Somehow she believed it. But as soon as the door closed, Thomas bolted to his feet and ran downstairs. He made himself breakfast of frozen waffles piled high with various sweets and put on the tv to watch The Office. A mental health day. Thomas was playing hooky to a day to himself. And apparently catch up on homework, but whatever.

Janus gasped once the memory faded and closed the box, feeling a burst of energy.

“Did it work?” Logan asked.

“I... think sssso,” Janus said slowly.

“How do you feel?”

“As if I downed an expresso with a chocolate pastry. A jolt of energy that will likely come crashing down in the not-so-distant future.” Janus tightened his grip on the box. “May I keep it?”

Logan wrote something down, then frowned. “Of course not. I must return the memory to Patton. Please hand it over.”

Janus hissed, recoiling with the box in his arms. “Sssay you losst it!”

“I will not engage in falsehoods if it can be easily avoided. Deceit, give me the memory, please.”

Janus glared at him. “Don’t want to.”

“You are being unreasonable.”

“Don’t care.”

“Deceit—“

Janus bared his fangs. “Get out!”

Logan took a step back. “I am only trying to help you without hurting Thomas or Patton. Surely you understand?”

Janus glared at him, holding the memory close to his chest. His tongue flicked out. “One day,” he said finally. “Let me keep it for one day. Then I will give it back.”

Logan hesitated. “You should not watch it too many times. Thomas might notice and begin obsessing over the memory.”

“Noted.”

Logan bowed his head and left, once again locking the door behind himself. Janus waited until the logical side was gone before rewatching the memory. His strength would return in time. He simply had to be patient.

[storytellerofuntoldlegends]

Ooooo prompt time! "You're safe with me. I'll protect you." With familial Virgil, Deceit, and Remus?

A/N: okay so… I got carried away. also this turned into a bit of a found family superhero au that I really should revisit in the future! Enjoy!

Warnings: morally ambiguous Deceit (his name is Eden- edit: this has been changed to Janus), morally ambiguous Remus, vaguely implied abuse, mentions of troubled childhoods, kidnapping mention (sorta), death mention, violence, implied broken bones, nightmares (sorta), blood mention

-

Janus crouched on top of the building, glaring down at the facility in front of him. According to his sources, the Academy had locked away some sort of weapon inside. If he could get the weapon before the Academy used it against rogue supers… it would mean turning the tide for everyone the Academy deemed unworthy of training. 

The Academy was a ruthless organization that tore young, superpowered children from their homes, and if they weren’t worth their time to train, they would be thrown out on the streets to die. Janus hadn’t been one of those kids, but instead once was a highly trained super from the Academy… only to realize that they had turned him into a weapon, not a hero.

So Janus had ran- or teleported, rather. His superpower was being able to disappear into a flurry of golden sparks, then reappear anywhere as long as he could see it or clearly picture it. He had taken his best and only friend Remus along with him, as the young electrokinetic had become like a younger brother to him. Remus did have a biological twin brother… but neither of them knew what had happened to him. All they knew was that he had been taken with Remus, thinking that he had powers as well, and when it turned out that he was just a regular little boy, he was cast out. So nowadays, Janus and Remus were determined to bring down the Academy, find Remus’s twin brother, and maybe end up with a normal life. But it would be a long time before then.

“Ready for a blackout, Jan?” Remus’s voice asked through the communicator.

“No, I thought I’d sit on top of this building for a bit,” he snarked back. Remus cackled, and Janus soon heard the unmistakable crackle of Remus’s electricity. The facility’s lights flickered out… as well as all the buildings in the city block. Janus chuckled, tapping the side of his goggles to engage the night-vision mode. He spotted Remus crouching in the shadows beside the Academy’s once secure facility, and a smirk came to his lips as he disappeared in a flurry of golden sparks. He reappeared next to Remus, who gave him a lopsided grin.

“Nice of you to join me,” he teased.

“Supposed I should show up. You wait out here while I secure the weapon,” Janus said, his dry tone shifting to a firm order in a matter of moments. Remus nodded curtly, green electricity buzzing between his fingertips. Janus hoped that he wouldn’t get cocky and jump the gun on the Academy agents… but on the other hand, the less agents Janus had to deal with, the better.

“Good luck. And… be careful,” Remus said, tone strangely serious. Janus allowed a small smile to slip onto his face.

“You too,” he replied, and with that, Janus darted into the building. 

The first few corridors seemed empty, but as Janus made his way closer into the belly of the beast, there were more and more agents he had to avoid. He didn’t want to engage them unless absolutely necessary- he was no good to the rogue supers of the world if he was caught. So sneaking around it was, and if worse came to worse, he would teleport away. It just was a bit riskier, since he didn’t completely know the facility. If one of his teleports went wrong, he could end up causing severe harm to himself.

Luckily, he made it to where the weapon was being held. Unluckily, the doors were heavily guarded. Two agents probably twice Janus’s size were standing in front of the doors, arms crossed over their chest. They carried no physical weapons, which meant that their powers must have been pretty substantial. Janus rolled his shoulders back. No way he could teleport into the weapon room- he had no idea what it looked like beyond the doors, and he couldn’t risk it. So he had no choice but to fight his way in.

“Pardon me, but I believe it’s time for the changing of the guards?” Janus announced, strolling into open view.

“It is?” one of the agents asked. The other agent smacked them on the back of the head.

“No it’s not, idiot! He’s an intruder!” the other agent snapped. They reached for their communicator, but Janus teleported over and snatched both of their communicators, then teleported away again.

“Oh, there’s also a new rule being enforced- no communicators, so you won’t be needing these,” Janus taunted, dropping the communicators and crushing them beneath his foot.

“Hey!” the first agent cried indignantly. Janus rolled his eyes.

“Oh? What are you gonna do about it?” he snarked. Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, as the agent lunged forward, their hands extending out at Janus and wrapping around him. Of course, this agent just had to be an elasticity super. Their stretchy limbs tightened around Janus, and he struggled to breathe for a moment or two- until he remembered that he could just teleport out of the super’s grip. He disappeared in a flurry of sparks, then reappeared right over the agent’s head, delivering a swift kick to their face before backflipping away from them. The agent crumpled to the ground, and Janus looked down at them with a self-satisfied smirk.

His moment of triumph was interrupted when something slammed into his back, and he fell to the ground with a grunt of pain. He laid on the floor, too out of it to try and get up. Someone else made that decision for him, as he was grabbed by his wrist and was pulled up so that he was face to face with the other agent. Their face (as well as the rest of their body) had turned to stone, and Janus was coherent enough to swallow nervously.

“Listen here, punk. What are you planning?” they growled.

“You must be as thickheaded as the stone your face is made of if you haven’t figured out what I’m trying to do,” Janus scoffed. Too late, Janus realized that this was the wrong thing to say, as the agent’s face twisted with fury, and they tightened their grip on his wrist. Janus felt something snap in his wrist, and he screamed in pain as white-hot agony blinded his vision for a moment or two. He dimly felt the agent’s other hand come up to grip his chin and force his gaze to meet theirs.

“I’ll give you one more chance. What are you- augh!” the agent suddenly cried out in pain and dropped Janus. He managed to roll away before the agent suddenly fell forward. Janus began to push himself up to his feet, only to find someone above him, holding out their hand.

“Remus,” Janus gasped in relief.

“Bet you’re glad that I followed you in,” Remus replied with a grin as he helped Janus up. He draped Janus’s good arm over his shoulder and let the other super lean on him as they made their way to the door. But when Remus shoved the door open so they could step inside… neither of them were prepared for the sight that met them. The only thing that was in the room was a control panel of some sort that was hooked up to a large glass cylinder in the center of the room. And inside the cylinder? A seemingly normal boy, sat on the floor of the cylinder and hugging his knees. He was wearing dark jeans and a threadbare long-sleeved purple t-shirt, and he couldn’t have been more than eight years old.

“Remus, the cylinder must have its own power source, can you shut it off and get him out?” Janus asked urgently.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Remus replied, yet again strangely serious. He gently dislodged himself from Janus, and walked over to the control panel. He examined the panel for a moment or two, then slammed his fists down on top of it, sending green electricity rocketing through it. A section of the cylinder swung open, and in an instant, Janus felt a wave of fear shoot through him. It was powerful enough to send him to his knees, and he was greeted with a flurry of horrifying images. Remus sprawled out on the ground, a dark pool of red around him and his trademark chaotic smile nowhere to be seen. But it wasn’t just Remus- it was hundreds, maybe even thousands of bodies of people- no, children. All those that were cast out by the Academy.

Janus blinked, and the horrifying vision was gone. He glanced over to see Remus, the real Remus curled up on the floor and gripping at his hair. Janus looked back to where the child had been sitting before, and found him in the same position. Janus struggled to his feet, and began to stagger towards the boy.

“Go away!” the boy cried, voice distorted and echoey. Janus felt another pulse of fear, and promptly realized that it was the boy who was causing it.

“It’s okay! We’re here to help you! My name is Janus, what’s yours?” he asked, taking another step forward. There was another shuddering pulse of fear, but it seemed weaker. That, or Janus was just getting used to them.

“I- I’m Virgil,” the boy said, peeking up at Janus. His eyes were pitch black, but they were filled with as much terror as the boy was causing. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Virgil. Would you like to come down from there? My friend, Remus, and I can get you out of here. We just need you to calm down a little bit first,” Janus offered, trying to keep his voice as soothing as possible. Virgil perked up a bit, head cocked to the side curiously.

“Could… could I see the sun? And trees? And grass, and, and- the real world?” he asked, voice sounding slightly less distorted. Janus smiled.

“Yes, yes! We’ll show you everything, it’ll be like an adventure,” he said, holding out his arms. Virgil still looked a little hesitant, but he took a deep breath and stood up. Janus felt most of the fear ebb away, until he realized that his own fear was all that was left. Virgil hopped down from the base of the cylinder, and he took a few trembling steps forward.

“You promise you won’t hurt me?” he asked, sounding like a normal, scared boy for the first time since he had begun speaking to Janus.

“You’re safe with me. I’ll protect you,“ Janus said firmly. The barest of smiles grew over Virgil’s face, and he rushed into Janus’s arms. Janus froze for a moment or two, but quickly recovered and held Virgil close to his chest, despite his injured wrist. A hand was placed on Janus’s shoulder, and he looked up to see Remus grinning down at him.

“Looks like you’ve made a friend!” he cooed. Janus looked back down at Virgil.

“Something tells me that our bond will become much more than that. Welcome to our little family, Virgil.”

-

Tag List: @4amanxiety @adorably-angsty @alix-the-skeleton @allthemetalsoftherainbow @armageddonhascome @backatthebein @bangthekobrakid @bloodropsblog @cefinitely-rolo @coffeestudylive @cosmic-chu @cyndaquil17 @dani-jeanso @didsomeonesayprince @emphoenixcat @every-day-insomniac @fandomsandanythingelse @flix-net @freekiphotography @freepaperie081 @giant-motha-fuckin-snake @hanramz-the-fander @hhhhhhhhhhfjaskfsagfhasfgdsakfsa @i-need-a-social-life-2710 @i-really-dig-the-purple @ironwoman359 @justanotherpurplebutterfly @kanejandkruge @kitsuneprideleader @kittycake574 @le2712 @littlemiracle05 @loganpatton @look-its-meme @loverofpizzaandallthingssweet @lynlinked @mewsicalmiss @midnightcandy @moonstonefox @musicsavedmefromdeath @mystrangedarkson @nightmarejasmine @not-as-smart @of-treble-and-dragons @punsterterry @purplepatton @quoth-the-sparrow @radioactivehelena @royallyanxious @ruuworld @sanders-trash-4ever @save-me-oh-dream-of-mine @shadowsfromthesun @shygirl4991 @sleepyssnail @softbludemon @softnic @sombraplayslazertag @sos-fandoms @that-one-garbage-nerd @theatresweetheart @the-fandoms-are-takin-over @thelowlysatsuma @theresneverenoughfandoms @thisrandomperson102 @thuriweaver @vigilantvirgil @virgilantanon @yetanother-fangirl 

[eighth--wonder]

hehe @fruity-dean i wrote the first lil part and @romano-hottopic i saw in the notes that if someone wrote it you wanted to be tagged so here :)

pairings: moceit and eventually prinxiety

warnings: ask to tag

based off this post

~

“You ever realize that Janus and Patton would probably be good as a couple?” Roman asked.

He and Virgil were just sitting on the couch. Nothing had prompted this question, but Virgil found himself thinking.

“I mean, kinda.” He answered. 

The two were definitely dynamic. Patton was very soft and fluffy, figuratively speaking, while Janus was, well, the opposite. Patton cared about people, Janus not so much. Patton loved sweets, Janus didn’t care for them. Patton was very affectionate, Janus was not. You get it, right?

Roman gasped and looked at Virgil. “We should set them up!” 

Virgil shut off his phone to ponder the idea. I mean, they definitely could. It wouldn’t be hard, just ask them to go places then bail and leave them together. Yea sounds do-able.

“Yes,” Virgil said, pointing at Roman. “But when?”

Roman scoffed. “Oh, that’s easy. Now.” 

Virgil sputtered. “Now?” He sounded surprised. 

Roman laughed. “Yes, now! What better time?” He said, spreading his arms out and doing a little spin like he was basking in something. 

Virgil rolled his eyes. 

“A better time for what?” Patton asked.

Roman and Virgil looked at each other and nodded. 

“The amusement park!” Roman smiled. “Me and Vee we’re just about to go. Wanna come?”

Virgil nodded. “Yeah, you can bring someone if you want.” 

Patton clapped excitedly. “Oooh, yay! I’ll go get Jan and ask him!”

After Patton had left to retrieve Janus, Virgil and Roman quietly celebrated. 

“Oh my god, that actually worked!” Virgil exclaimed. 

“Yeah! It did!” Roman nodded. 

The two waited for Janus and Patton to enter. Patton was wearing a variation of what he usually wears, a light blue t-shirt and khaki pants. Janus was wearing something more casual, a black t-shirt with a yellow pocket and trim, a black jean jacket, and black ripped jeans. He went without a hat. 

Virgil wore his regular outfit, a dark purple t-shirt with his classic hoodie and black skinny jeans. Roman wore a red t-shirt and a tan corduroy jacket with light blue jeans. 

They walked out the door and started walking towards the park. Janus and Patton walked ahead, leaving Virgil and Roman slightly behind them. 

“This park has one of those ‘Tunnel of Love’ rides, right?” Virgil asked.

Roman thought for a moment. “Yeah, I’m like 96% percent sure they do.” 

Virgil nodded and looked at Roman, who was smiling stupidly. 

They purchased 4 tickets and proceeded to wander around the park. 

After they had gone on a few rides, including the ferris wheel, a carousel per Patton’s begging (“Look at the horsies!!”), and the bumper cars, they had stopped for some drinks and snacks. They ordered funnel cake and lemonade.  

“Oh look! One of those scary ‘Tunnel of Love’ rides!” Roman exclaimed, pointing to a ride across from them. Most Tunnel of Love rides were sweet and romantic, but some weren’t. The purpose of the not-so-romantic ones were to scare the riders and make them cling to each other, and if Roman and Virgil knew anything about Patton, it's that he scares easily, and Janus doesn’t. 

Patton smiled. “It is! We should all go one together!” 

Janus let out a small laugh. “It would be interesting. Sure.”

The three of them piled into the semi-long line for the ride and waited.

About 5 minutes into the wait, Patton tapped on Roman’s shoulder. 

“Uh, Jan said his stomach hurts. Do you guys mind if we sit this ride out?”

Virgil looked at Roman, and they both seemed to understand the same thing:

They would have to go on this ride themselves. Patton and Janus would be incredibly suspicious if the two also decided not to go on, and would realize they were trying to set them up. But, if Roman and Virgil did go, no one would be suspicious and their plan would be somewhat intact. 

Roman smiled. “Yeah, that’s fine!” 

Virgil laughed nervously and nodded. “Tell Janus we hope he feels better.” 

Patton smiled and apologized before leading a supposedly sick Janus in the direction of the restrooms. 

Virgil and Roman stood in line awkwardly. 

“Maybe we could dash at the last moment? I really don’t want to go on this ride.” Roman shifted his feet. Surprisingly, scary things, well, scared him. Real bad. 

Virgil turned to Roman with a smug look on his face. “Oh? Did I just hear that Big Strong Princey is scared of a wittle wide?” Virgil said, despite the death stare from Roman.

Roman just rolled his eyes. “A little, yea! It’s all dark and there are jumpscares and stuff. It’s scary!” He said, a small shiver showing through the shudder of his shoulders.

Virgil playfully punched him in the arm. “I’m just teasing. I won’t tell anyone.”

Roman sighed, annoyed.

“Next!” The ticket person shouted.

The two stepped onto their cart. A few glances were thrown at them and the two realized they were the only two gays on this ride.

The boat lurched forward. Roman was already nervous and was fidgeting with his jacket sleeves. Virgil tried calming him down to no avail. 

They were only 2 minutes into the ride and Roman had already latched onto Virgil’s arm. With every little noise that came from behind them, hell even in front of them, Roman let out a small whimper. Virgil laughed quietly, only to hear a small insult followed by another shriek coming from his sweatshirt sleeve. 

Virgil found the ride quite amusing, if he could look past the shivering being next to him. The animatronics were mediocre but the scenery was nice in a way. It had spooky trees and a light fog coming from a distant fog machine. The lighting was sharp purple's and green's.

The boat pulled into the clearing at the end of the ride. Virgil shook Roman’s shoulder. 

“Hey scaredy cat, the rides over.” He said.

Roman lifted his head and looked around. He cleared his throat and adjusted his jacket before stepping out of the ride. Virgil laughed and followed him off the cart.

The two wandered around the park, stopping at small snack stands and petting peoples dogs until they found Patton and Janus sitting on a bench. They were having a small conversation and both seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"Oh, Roman!" Janus said upon seeing him. He waved to both of them.

"So how was the ride?" Patton asked.

Virgil laughed as Roman shuddered.

"Never again." He said.

Virgil smiled. "Ol' Princey here is scared of the dark."

Roman gasped and hit Virgil softly on the shoulder. "You said you wouldn't tell!"

Virgil's smug look returned. "Well, I lied."

Roman smiled and rolled up his sleeves.

"You little-" He attempted to tackle Virgil but in reality he just looked like he was trying to hug an angry cat as Virgil kept swatting at him trying to get him off him. Both of them were laughing.

"Oh c'mon. Don't kill eachother yet." Janus said.

The two stopped fighting, if that's what you want to call it, and sat down on the bench next to Janus and Patton.

"So, you feeling better?" Roman asked.

Janus was confused for a second before responding.

"Oh! Right. Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that funnel cake doesn't sit to well with me."

"Ah," Virgil said.

There was a comfortable silence before Patton spoke up.

"I'm pretty tired. If you guys are ready to go home?"

"Sure! That ride really tuckered me out." Roman said.

"Yeah, I'm sure all the screaming wasted your energy." Virgil muttered.

Roman stuck his tounge out at him.

The four of them chatted on the way home. It was relatively dark and the air around them was getting a bit cold.

"Oh darn, I forgot a jacket." Patton said, rubbing his bare arms for warmth.

"I told you to bring a jacket." Janus said, taking off his own. "But I guess you can borrow mine."

Patton giggled and put on the jacket. The two walked fairly close to eachother and if it had been a little brighter, Virgil and Roman might have seen Janus's arm around Patton's lower back.

[sadsappylee]

Bad Day

--JANUS FIC JANUS FIC JANUS FIC--

I am in love with Janus as a character so I'm finally writing for him...plus like.....I'm a major lee......and he has SIX HANDS.......

Plus, like, who doesn't want some wholesome love....from the physical EMBODIMENT of self-love???

Anyways, I'm rambling.

Janus x Reader

This is a tickle fic, if you don't wanna read that, scroll.

"What do you need? Come on, sweetie, I'm trying to help here."

Of all the ways this could've possibly worked out, you didn't expect this.

Sure, you and Janus were close (he was the only one who knew about the tickling thing), but you were still a bit shocked whenever he seemed to really, genuinely care if you were alright.

You sighed. There was, quite literally, no point in trying to lie. "I just- it's been a rough day, I've been up to my ass in work, and I keep screwing everything up!" You exclaimed, frustrated with yourself.

"Well, is there anything I can do to help?" He asked kindly, (clearly a leading question) and you shook your head, despite yourself.

"No, it's alright Jan."

The moment it left your lips you could tell he was disappointed. You supposed that's what you got for lying to a man who could literally sense lies, but it was still worth a shot.

"Oh, honey, you know I can tell when you're lying. You know, if you don't tell me I'll just be forced to read your thoughts," he said with a smirk. Even trying to help, he was a devious person.

"Wha- you can't do that!" You exclaimed. There was absolutely no way he could do that.

He scoffed. "How do you think I know when people are lying?" It was a rhetorical question, but also one you'd never considered. "Fine. If you won't just tell me," he trailed off, sightly annoyed.

"Wait, that is so not fair-"

-Ijustwantyoutowreckmeandtellmethatitsnotallmyfaultandthatsimdoingfineuntiliforgettodayeverhappenedand-

He mentally 'awwe'd for a moment before smirking. Your face glowed red a small, nervous smile was starting to work it's way to your face, ushered on by the teasing look in his eyes.

"Really? That's all you wanted? Well, you should've just said so, it would be my pleasure," he said, and you started to figit, already anticipating what would come. "Come now, darling, there's no reason to get coy now," he spoke as he grabbed your hand in one of his and moved to lay on the couch, patting the spot next to him for you to lay down with him.

Unsurprisingly, you found yourself doing just that, lying next to Janus as he wrapped an arm around you comfortingly.

"Now, little one-" he started, slithering the hand around you under your shirt to trail softly around your stomach. "You must know that having a bad day isn't your fault. You're okay, you will continue to be okay, and you've done all you can for today."

"ihihihihi- ihihi guehehehess," you giggled quietly, closing your eyes and starting to relax for the first time that day.

He smiled, you couldn't see it but you could hear it in his voice when he spoke. "Good, darling, perfect. Now, arms up for me sweetie, if you can. We're gonna play a little game, hmm? Is that what you want?"

You flushed and nodded, knowing what was coming and knowing the game he was referring to but raising your arms above your head anyways, as another of his arms raised to hold yours in place.

"Now, tap my arm twice if you need me to stop, alright sweetheart?" He spoke, and you nodded.

Your giggling was already wildly out of proportion to what was happening, but the anticipation was killing you. It always was when Janus was in a playful enough mood to suggest playing this particular game.

Soon another of his hands was tracing lightly up and down from the insides of your elbow to the hollow under your arm and your giggling kicked up even further, already feeling like you were going out of your mind.

"So, tell me, darling, why are you getting so down about one long day? Of course you have the right to be upset, but why to this extent? Why today?" He asked, continuing his gentle torture as he spoke.

You felt your face burn and you squeezed your eyes even further shut. "Ihihihihi dohohohohon't knohohohohow- ihit's beheheheen aha lohohong weheheheek, ahand i-" you cut yourself off with a squeak when a fourth hand started lightly spidering across your thighs and the backs of your knees. You could practically hear his smirk.

"Please, do continue. If I'm trying to help, I think I should know the root of the problem~" he purred, and you shook your head, still only barely laughing but feeling like you were going mad. Janus getting so many spots at once so lightly was too much and not enough at the same time, and you (loved) hated it.

"Ihihihihi cahahahahahan't- Dehehehehehee!" You giggled wildly, and his heart warmed at the old nickname. It was so sweetly and childishly cute, and though he hadn't really gone by deciet since he'd revealed his real name, the simple moniker of 'Dee' that you had dubbed him was just precious.

He grinned. "Another lie, honey? You really shouldn't do that so much! You very clearly can, in fact, you are!" He teased, and if you had the control at the time you would've rolled your eyes. A fifth hand teased lightly around your neck, shoulders, and ears- when did that happen?- and you squealed, inadvertantly pushing back into Janus' chest in an attempt to escape the tingly feeling.

"Jahahahan- nohohohahaha-" you giggled, shaking your head, knowing what was coming next. This was always Janus' favorite part, the anticipation always made you crumble, and it was adorable.

He rolled his eyes and smirked, continuing his gentle tracing at each of your most easily accessible, worst spots. "Now, sweetie, you know what happens next, right?" He purred, and you shook your head almost desperately (despite the fact that this was exactly what you'd wanted the whole time).

"No? Come on! It's so simple, all you've gotta do is count down from three for me darling," he finished, and you flushed even brighter, if possible.

You braced yourself (as much as anyone could) and kept your eyes shut, trying to ramp down your anticipation (and failing) like some kind of torturously slow cat and mouse.

"Ohohohone," -you squeezed your eyes shut even further- "twohohohohoho," -your giggling had already gone up in pitch and desperation- "threeheHEHEHE-"

As soon as the number 'three' left your mouth the hand at your stomach stopped his light, gentle tracing and dug harshly into your skin, just under your belly button.

"DEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEE NOHOHAHAHA-" you practically shrieked, thrashing in his grip and feeling yourself start to forget about how shitty your day had been.

He smiled, softly, admiring your laughter. It truly was beautiful. "I still need you to count for me, honey," he teased, and just his voice made it so much worse and better and you were losing your mind.

Obviously, he knew you wouldn't be able to do that. He wasn't stupid, after all.

"IHIHI CAHAHAN'T!" you laughed, and your stomach was starting to hurt from laughing and there were tears in your eyes and you were thrashing and it was perfect and this really was exactly what you needed.

He smiled fondly at your desperation. "Fine, fine, little one, I'll count for you then, hmm? So, one," he started, and there was the anticipation again. "Two," your face was burning. "Four~" he drawled, and you swore in that moment, that once you regained your strength you'd kill him.

"Three."

He purred the number and this time the hand at your neck deviated from the light tracing as he conjured a feather and started twirling it around your ears.

You snorted, laughter kicking up a notch and shaking your head in desperation.

"JAHAHAHAHAHAN NOHOHOHAHAHA-" you were going out of your mind, everything was so intense, you couldn't think.

The shittiness of your day way already forgotten.

"thhhrrreeeeeeeee, twooooooo, one!" He counted down again, and he dug into the skin under your arms, just above your ribs and you couldn't take it, it was so much, so overwhelming- he really was ruthless when it came to this game.

You didn't think you'd ever laughed this hard in your life; squeaky, loud, and close to going silent- completely uncontrollable. It tickled madly, every single nerve in your body was tingling with electricity and sparks, and It really was so much.

"Just once more, sweetie, you can do that, can't you?" He teased, delaying the inevitable and killing you in the process. "You can handle a little bit of tickling!"

"NOHOHOHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Tears of laughter threatened to spill over your eyes and it was almost close to being too much, yet you didn't tap out. It was overwhelming, yes, but it was a needed distraction.

He rolled his eyes.

"Alright, little one. One, two," -your whole life flashed in front of your eyes- "three."

His last hand by your knees and thighs stopped it's light tracing and switched to sporatically squeezing up and down the muscle and chuckling at the squeaks and snorts it drew out of you.

After about 30 more seconds he stopped, and you panted, desperately trying to regain breath while his hands stopped their tickling and started to do things he knew helped calm you down, massaging your shoulders, playing with your hair, pulling you close to his chest, and scratching at the crown of your head.

As your residual giggles started to subside, he switched on the TV and looked down on you fondly.

"Anything in particular you want to watch darling?"

You tried to calm your breathing to answer back hoarsely- "....Community?"

He smiled. "An excellent choice."

And the day was better.

[androgynousberry]

Wisdom Tooth Surgery (Part 3)

12 Jan: Removal of the left upper and lower wisdom teeth

I wasn’t so frightened of this one as I was with my previous. Perhaps it was because I was psychologically prepared, and knew I was going to be in for. 

Or so I thought. 

Things didn’t quite start off so well though. The torrential rain in Singapore caused a few traffic accidents on the road that I didn’t foresee. Dr Hong had very kindly scheduled me to be his first patient as he was doing walk-ins that day, so I didn’t have to wait so long, but the heavy traffic caused me to arrive late. JY was driving me, and I had to sheepishly text Dr Hong before that, and ask that he see other patients prior to my arrival. Upon my arrival, the receptionist told me off for being late, but I was really fortunate that Dr Hong was kind enough to see me still.  

After the usual signing of T&Cs, I informed Dr Hong that I was on my period, and to see if he could provide me with a different cocktail of medications. (This doesn’t seem important, but apparently plays a role later). After we worked out the different medications to consume, the surgery began. Like how it previously was during my first surgery, it went without a hitch. As usual, Dr Hong’s gentle, non-threatening presence was a huge help, since moments when the needle was piercing the gum were still flinch-worthy. 

“We’re done now! Just going to unwrap you and be careful, the light’s quite bright,” Dr Hong coaxed, as I felt the tugging and loosing of cloth over my eyes. “You can come over here and have a look at the tooth if you really want to see it,” he continued, turning away from me and back to his table.  

Groggily, I opened my eyes. The world seemed more sepia-coloured than usual, and the room seemed to swim. Pulling myself into a sitting position, I lamented my decision almost instantly. I was sure I was sitting upright, but the world seemed to be tilted somehow. I remember burying my face in my hands, willing the world to right itself. All of a sudden, I felt a tap on my shoulder. “You alright?” a voice asked. It was Dr Hong. “Yea, I’m very dizzy,” I muttered. “Take your time yea? Don’t worry” he replied. I remember nodding, and glancing to my right. The tray of tools - the ones that plagued my dreams were there, neatly packed. Light glinted off the metallic bodies. They were rolling... very quickly, towards the left. Why... what’s happening... I tried to think, my brain clouded by my own confusion. 

All of a sudden, I felt a firm hand grab my forearm. I remember what seemed like a few seconds. “I’m okay,” I uttered on instinct, even if I wasn’t okay. I remember hearing the shuffling of feet as the room seemed to move into action around me. One moment, I was sitting up, the next, I felt like I was being pushed backwards on to a chair. I struggled to open my eyes, but they felt glued together. “Don’t worry, it’s okay, “ I heard Dr Hong’s voice. It cut through my fog of confusion like a hot knife through butter. I opened my eyes, and found 3 worried faces gazing down at me. “Vasovagal syncope,” I heard someone say. “Momentary blackout... fainted... “ I heard other voices say. I could only remember feeling very cold, but perspiring. And I remember myself gasping for air. 

The next few moments felt like a dream. Not because it was perfect or ideal, but because I can’t seem to recall them with much clarity. I recall him elevating the dental chair, I remember nurses and other doctors (?) bustling in and out. I heard Dr Hong calling for a female nurse, and I remember him commenting about the lack of a fan in the room. I also remember making an awful joke about how adding a few additional fans meant that he’d be surrounded by his fans in the future, which got a dry laugh. I remember Dr Hong telling me that he’s almost fainted himself in the past from standing too long, and that he’s seen many types of patients, included those who have cried and screamed in his room. I admitted that things sometimes get complicated during that time of the month, and it was a particularly heavy day. He asked if I had plans to see the ob/gyn, but when I hesitated and said I wasn’t sure if that was necessary, he mentioned that he understood. He shared that it was worrying that I’d faint from this, because he had seen patients faint in dangerous situations and end up with fractured noses and jaws. 

Then I remember being ushered out of the surgery area into another nurse’s room. I remember the nurses hoisting me by one arm each and Dr Hong grabbing my hand so that I didn’t topple over. On hindsight, I couldn’t have been more grateful to all 3 of them. I wish I knew the nurses’ names, but I only managed to get one (Thank you, Staff Nurse Cuilan!). I was incredibly embarrassed by the commotion I caused, but eternally grateful they were there to catch me and ensure I was safe. 

A little more lucid now, I recall all 3 asking me to pick between the bed or the chair, and I can’t quite recall my answer; something along the lines of going with the bed because I could decide whether I wanted to sit or lie down. I seem to remember Dr Hong asking me to move back to the chair because there was a lower risk of falling, and asking me to lie down. I remember a warm blanket or towel. I also remember Dr Hong asking whether I wanted a sweet drink, to which I turned down as I didn’t think I needed it. Dr Hong left me in the nurses care, as he had to return back to the clinic. 

JY came in shortly after. He had missed all of this, but bless the nurses who went to get him from the waiting room. He suspected something had happened, given that I had taken a very long time. In between offering me water, and heading out to make payment (using my card xP), I lay on the bed, staring at the tiles on the ceiling. I couldn’t believe that this entire sequence of events had happened. It was disconcerting at best and life-threatening at worst. When I eventually left the hospital, I knew that even if things hadn’t gone according to how I hoped, and that even if I wasn’t lucid about a lot of it, one thing remained the same - my dentophobia had been cured. 

And I had the team of surgeons and nurses at NUCOHS to thank for it.