#BEEN A HOT MINUTE SINCE I MADE SOMETHING SANDERS SIDES RELATED

[cometalx]

[ayellowcurtain]

I love the song 1950 by King Princess, I don't have any idea how or what, but do you think you could write something related to it?

Will you write about the first time of robbe and sander without protection?

This is some not-too-graphic smut - and if you want to, please read it while listening to the song 

It wasn’t planned. Robbe and Sander wanted it to happen naturally. But it was clearly in the back of their minds constantly even though they never talked about it again since that first time.

If you think about it, and Robbe has done a lot of thinking since that day, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s a detail in the great scheme of things, not much will change, he thinks. And yet, he can’t stop wondering how it’s going to feel, how different it’ll be for both of them. Sander has some experience and it stings in the deepest part of Robbe’s chest but his experience is not with Robbe and he would like to think him being the other person will make Sander just as nervous as he is, no experience and all. It will feel more meaningful, better, hopefully.

“This place feels like a sauna.” Robbe’s brain registers Jens’ complaints, accidentally bumping into him while he takes his jacket off, throwing it at Aaron for him to leave next to him on the couch.

Robbe checks the time on his watch, almost midnight. Sander should be here any minute now.

He was with his friends at some other party, celebrating someone’s birthday. Any other time Robbe would make the effort to remember the conversation they had about it to discover whose birthday is, just not tonight. He can’t think straight tonight.

The universe seems to be moving in their favor again. Sander’s parents are both out of town for the whole weekend on some business trips, and Sander asked if Robbe wanted to stay at his place while they’re gone. Nothing odd about none of that: Robbe usually stays with Sander anyway, at his place or Robbe’s, especially during the weekends and his parents are very busy, work-driven people so they travel a lot.

Robbe shakes his head, trying to stop himself from thinking, drinking his beer before it gets weirdly soggy in a way and too warm to be enjoyable to drink.

It’s just sex. They have done that a lot, in so many different scenarios, places, times of the day.

“Look who’s finally here!” Moyo says over the dubstep music, clapping his hand to the beat of the song over his head, and Robbe doesn’t need to look over his shoulder to know but he does it anyway.

Sander is finally here. He’s saying hello to the girls a few meters from them, his smile still being the most beautiful and honest smile Robbe has ever seen, grabbing something to drink, and he introduces all his friends to them, both groups very excited to shake hands, analyzing each one with no shame.

His boyfriend leaves them back a little while they’re all still talking, walking up to Robbe that’s also sitting on the couch now, putting his head back, seeing Sander upside down.

“Hi...”

“Hello, you...” Robbe smiles wider with how soft his boyfriend’s voice goes when he’s talking to him, his eyes can’t focus on anything else except Sander’s lips meeting his for a quick kiss, his hand around Robbe’s neck in a way that shouldn’t affect him as much but there’s something about the way he’s very gently squeezing his neck.

And Robbe knows it has no meaning behind it, Sander is just trying to keep Robbe looking up so they can properly welcome each other with a kiss. Nobody is thinking that deeply about his hand softly around Robbe’s neck, probably feeling how fast his heart is beating. It’s just that Robbe is really on edge, thinking too deeply about everything.

Sander walks away way too soon to say hello to everyone else, shaking hands and giving each boy a half hug, half handshake. Aaron could very well get up to give them some extra room but he doesn’t really notice it so Sander makes room on the other side of Robbe, sitting with his arm already behind Robbe’s neck, talking about his night, and Robbe is just staring, trying to keep himself from staring with his mouth open, mesmerized and in so much need for more kisses and definitely more touch.

-

The night feels warmer than when Robbe got to that party, and it’s so much later. They’re as deep in the night and as far from the morning as they can possibly be and Robbe still feels a tiny bit too warm inside his clothes.

Robbe leans against Sander, the countless beers he drank tonight mostly out of his brain already, leaving him just a little bit sleepy and looser, looking at his hand up and against his chest, his fingers intertwined with Sander’s, their hands playing with each other a little, opening sometimes or holding each other’s hands tightly.

“For once I don’t have to worry if there are condoms waiting for us at home.” Sander makes a joke, smiling and Robbe feels every hair in his body stick up. That’s the first real comment they made about their unplanned plans for the rest of their night. And it doesn’t feel heavy or full of expectations. More like a conversation they’ve been quietly having for weeks in the shared spaces that connects their brains for being soulmates.

“Me neither...It feels nice.”

“Yeah?” Sander’s lips touch his hair when he whispers with a hint of a smile on his voice.

Robbe nods his head, not able to use his words for a second, swallowing hard to see if it helps, “Yeah, it feels more natural, I don’t know...”

They go back to quietly talking inside their brains until they’re home, Sander fumbling to find his keys, for once not needing to worry about keeping the lights off while they close the door, leaving their shoes and socks at the entrance, moving on to his bedroom on the second floor.

“Come on...” Sander whispers even though they’re alone. It feels like the right tone to use so late at night. He’s holding Robbe’s hand after a minute of settling, taking their jackets off, stretching a little, walking aimlessly around the bedroom, closing the curtains, turning on the lamps on both their nightstands.

They take their time taking their clothes off, leaving just their underwear on while they brush their teeth looking at the big mirror over the bathroom sink. Sander moves on first, standing on one foot while taking his underwear off, throwing it on the dirty clothes sack, turning the shower on, putting his hand under the water to check the temperature before standing underneath it, looking at Robbe with a soft smile on his lips.

Nothing really happens in the shower. They just take a very long shower, making sure to be completely clean throughout and that’s enough to make Robbe lose a little bit of the strength in his legs, very aware of how it makes Sander look up at him, a little smug smile right at the right corner of his mouth.

Robbe really shouldn’t be that affected by this because Sander is making sure to look and feel as surgical as possible, not hiding how this is just a careful preparation, means to a very long end that hasn’t even started yet. It doesn’t change that is him, touching Robbe under a very hot stream of water, bringing back some of the best memories Robbe has in his brain.

He leans against the wall behind the shower after Sander throws some hot water in it to make it comfortable for him and lets his boyfriend do whatever he feels like he needs to do to get both of them as clean as humanly possible, as relaxed as they can be for what’s to come.

Robbe is sure all of this is unnecessary, that Sander is just doing because it’s fun for him but Robbe lets him because it is good too, he’ll not complain. Ever.

“Sander...” he can’t help but say a few times, trying to check if Sander is still irreducible about making this shower this long. Sander ignores him until he thinks they’re both done with it, finally turning the water off next to Robbe, kissing his cheek.

Robbe doesn’t know how he can put one foot in front of the other and walk but he does it, throwing the towel on his head to dry a little bit of his hair just so it doesn’t instantly soak the sheets, leaving it to fall to the floor when he turns around, finding his boyfriend following him slowly, looking at him with the hungriest eyes Robbe has ever seen.

He’s not ashamed to instantly attach them by their mouths, dirty kissing while stumbling to bed.

“I’m-” Robbe needs to breathe again, his lungs don’t seem to be able to hold much air right now, “ ‘am not going to last....”

Sander smiles against his lips, nodding his head slowly, “Yes, you are because we’re going to take it slow. Even slower when you’re closer so” He licks Robbe’s neck from his clavicle to the back of his ear, “we can enjoy it for longer.”

Robbe whines, arching his back because he knows that’s how it’s going to be and he can’t wait another second. Sander smiles at him and kisses him again, a lot slower this time, telling Robbe all about their love without saying a word.

Sander keeps his promise and Robbe is so glad he does. It lasts forever and Robbe can’t seem to get enough. As soon as they’re done and slightly recovered, Robbe is ready to go again because he needs to feel everything he just felt all over again. Sander smiles tiredly and lets them start again.

It feels like Robbe is in the clouds in some way, his whole body feeling like a feather except where they’re connected, and when Sander’s hands are, holding his waist tightly but not tight enough where it hurts, it’s the perfect grip. His other hand goes up and down slowly every time, holding Robbe’s hands over his head, making him tilt his head up and keep it that way while Sander kisses and licks and bites his neck, playing with his hair while they try to kiss, breathing the same hot, heavy air.

Robbe knows he’s being loud, louder than he ever intends to be but he can’t control it and Sander seems to like it too, moaning with him sometimes, watching him close his eyes and contract every muscle in his body.

It feels like an out of body experience. There’s not enough Sander for him to grab, scratch, feel and Robbe loves him so much.

He arches his back and scratch Sander’s lower abs when he reaches his climax for the thousandth time, at least it feels like it is. He melts down, resting his forehead against Sander’s bony sternum, noticing how out of breath he and Sander are.

A heavy hand flops on the back of his neck and Robbe smiles, needing to just lie here for another minute. He doesn’t want to move, doesn’t want to let Sander slip out of him. This feels so nice.

“Fuck...” Sander exhales loudly, his chest still moving kind of fast under Robbe’s head.

“You said we were going to take it slow so it could last longer.”

Sander laughs and Robbe finally finds the strength to move his face just enough so they can see each other. Sander’s sweaty hair pointing everywhere, some sticking to his forehead and ears, his cheeks red for once, his lips swollen lips and dark eyes, he looks tired and so sexy.

“Was it good?”

“Do you need to ask?” Sander still has the strength to lift his eyebrows, a hint of a smile on his lips. Robbe shakes his head because he doesn’t but it would be nice to hear, “Best night of my life.”

“It’s not even over yet.” Robbe presses his lips against Sander’s chest in an attempt to kiss it.

They stay like that for a little longer until Sander is able to move them around. He gently takes Robbe off him and helps him lie down under the blankets, wrapping the heavy and warm comforter around him, cleaning what he can with the little strength and will he has before falling next to Robbe, putting his head on his shoulder, both of them falling asleep almost instantly.

[nbrook29]

but baby, it’s cold outside

So, I might have written a thing 🤭 Robbe’s photo related thing to be more specific.

Also on ao3!

----

“Wow, who knew making a fire could be so sexy?”

Robbe heaves a long-suffering sigh and looks at the sky above him in hopes it gives him strength to deal with the dork also known as his boyfriend.

“Don’t you sigh at me, Robin, you’d agree with me if you could see yourself right now.”

The tone of his voice is enough to let Robbe know Sander is currently in his teasing mood and lives to rile him up.

He looks very pleased with himself when Robbe turns his head to give him an eyeroll, even more so when he notices the smile tugging at the corners of Robbe’s mouth. At the eyebrow wiggle he then receives Robbe stops fighting the smile altogether and laughs quietly at Sander’s antics, his chapped from cold lips cracking a little.

“Will you help me or you’re just gonna stand there looking pretty, huh?” he lights another match but it’s immediately blown out by the wind and he lets out a small whine in frustration.

“But you’re doing so good on your own! I can cheer for you though?” Sander’s offer sounds almost genuine but the blossoming smirk acts like a tattletale and yes, Sander is definitely in the mood.

And Robbe can’t even be mad that he’s a little shit because he’s a sucker for him and that smile and they both know it. So he just shakes his head in feigned resignation, giggling when Sander actually does start cheering for him, whooping and clapping his hands, and just being embarrassing in general.

It’s getting noticeably colder with the temperature dropping significantly since they left Sander’s house over an hour ago. There has been a warning of a blizzard coming to Antwerp this evening but it feels like it may come sooner than anticipated.

They went for a long walk in the afternoon to get a bit of fresh air and to enjoy the dearly missed for years snow after being cooped up in their respective bedrooms for days and days on end, cramming for finals (Robbe) and finishing up projects (Sander). The sound of fresh snow crunching under their shoes felt like freedom at last, both of them instantly turning into 8 year olds, threatening each other with snowballs and making snow angels, soaking half of their clothes in the process.

For the artist inside of Sander, the winter wonderland-like scenery was like a wet dream, his fingers clicking away on his vintage camera every two minutes or so, making their walk extra slow. Robbe didn’t mind though, being long acquainted with Sander’s artistic habits and indulging him every time he turned his big eyes on him to request them getting off their track a bit to take a photo of yet another thing looking awesome covered in snow. And then after every picture taking his hands into his own to rub his freezing fingers in order to warm them up because Sander refused to wear gloves. Granted, they weren’t very practical for operating a camera but still. Robbe had a very personal relationship with these beautiful hands so it’s not like he could just let them freeze off. It was basically his duty. The sweet smile Sander shot him every time he did it was an additional bonus.

They grabbed a coffee from their favorite coffee shop at the corner of Sander’s street but the wonders that the warm liquid did to warm them up has been long gone by now. Robbe is pretty sure the sound that’s coming from his left side is actually Sander’s chattering teeth so he doubles his efforts and after a few attempts he finally manages to make fire pit lit up. His boyfriend lets out a loud whoop and then immediately comes closer, wrapping himself around Robbe’s small body from behind and holding his palms above the new source of warm.

“You know,” he starts as Robbe pokes at the fire a few times and throws a piece of wood in it and letting it burn before melting into Sander’s embrace and warming his own hands over the flames. “I already knew I’m dating a skater boy but I had no idea I’m also dating a scout boy.”

Robbe snorts. “Lucky you because otherwise you’d freeze to death. I’m expecting your gratitude anytime now.”

Hey, he can be a little shit too if he puts his mind to it.

“Well thank you, baby,” Sander purrs sweetly into his ear, placing a kiss on the spot on the side of his neck currently not covered with scarf causing a shiver go through Robbe’s body, only partially due to his cold as ice lips.

He tilts his head to the left and presses a lingering kiss to his mouth, his eyes closing and knees buckling a little within seconds when Sander licks into him, his hands landing on Robbe’s hips to steady himself. It’s slow and unhurried, a bit uncomfortable given the position they’re standing in but it’s not like either of them actually cares.

They do care though when the darkish grey clouds over them decide it’s high time for some snow so they’re forced to separate, Sander letting out a sorrowful sigh, burying his face in Robbe’s neck and circling his waist with his arms, refusing to let go.

“Come on, let’s go before it gets really bad,” he laughs quietly when Sander shakes his head petulantly, his fringe tickling Robbe’s cheek in the process.

“I don’t want to,” he groans but after a few minutes he lifts his head slowly, surrendering. But then he dips his head again under Robbe’s jaw as if to test something. “Hey, you smell nice. Is that a new aftershave?”

“Yeah, you like it?” Robbe asks expectantly.

Sander pretends to think for a second. “Wait, I think I need to check again,” he replies before burying his cold nose in the hinge of his jaw. Robbe lets out a high-pitched squeak at the sudden coldness and tries to squirm away, giggling as Sander instead of letting him go places little (cold) kisses along his jawline. Once he manages to kiss every square of it he backs out with a triumphant smile, barely dodging Robbe’s incoming elbow.

“After a closer inspection, yes, I do like it, I like it a lot.”

“Cool.”

“Cool.”

Robbe tries to hide his smile, pleased with Sander’s reaction because he wants to actually keep his cool but he fails and Sander sees right through him, chuckling when he realizes the slight blush on Robbe’s cheeks has little to do with cold. Surprisingly, he decides to let it go and not tease him about it which Robbe is lowkey grateful for because it’s embarrassing how gone he is for him.

Before they leave the lakeside, they both take a picture with their phones of the now extinguished fire, or actually what’s left of it. Robbe is first to post it but Sander’s photo is better, obviously, his skills at tweaking it to look just right far more superior than Robbe’s. Once Sander’s done, he puts away his phone with a tongue-in-cheek smile and Robbe is already dreading what he’s going to find in the caption. He taps on the app icon and groans.

Fire made by my firebreather 🌬️🥶❄️☃️💙 #scoutboy

“Ugh, you’re so annoying.”

Sander blows him a kiss, ignoring his scoffing as he entwines their fingers and pulling Robbe along to finally get them moving, the snow getting stronger the longer they stall.

Robbe forgets all about Sander’s embarrassing caption when he realizes they are still about 20 minutes away from his house and he’s almost soaked to his underwear. Sander’s in a better state than him, his leather jacket despite not giving much warmth keeping the snow from getting through, and so are his ankle reaching shoes.

They can’t exactly take a tram because the snow caused a huge gridlock, people honking at each other left and right with trams stuck in between. They try to run for a while but the pavement is too icy and it quickly turns out that one wrong move is going to cost them a broken bone. But Sander looks determined to get them to his house as quickly as possible once he notices Robbe’s soaked through clothes and his violently shivering body so they end up getting there in under 15 minutes.

Thankfully, his parents had left the heat in the house turned on before they went to the movies so once they cross the threshold they are bathed in a delightful warmth. They take off their shoes and jackets, but then Robbe lingers in the entry, aware of his dripping clothes and not wanting to make a mess at which Sander just rolls his eyes and drags him to the upstairs bathroom.

Robbe has troubles to keep his teeth from chattering and when he sees himself in the mirror, his lips are slowly turning a weird shade of blue so he peels off all the soaked layers while Sander turns the shower on, making sure the water is hot enough to stop Robbe from turning into a smurf. He has that deep wrinkle between his furrowed eyebrows and he’s acting like a man on a mission helping Robbe get off the soaked clothes and collecting a fresh share of his own for him to put later on.

“He-ey, calm down, I-I-I’m f-iiii-ne,” Robbe stutters out because when Sander gets all worried about him like this it’s best to squash that seed right away.

“Tell that to your lips,” he scoffs, worrying his own lip between his teeth. “Come on, get in.”

Robbe sighs and decides it’s probably best to just let him fret a little. He lets himself be maneuvered into the shower and then snorts at Sander’s unsure look on his face as he hovers near the shower door, clearly wanting to join in but not wanting to intrude.

“Ar-rre you seriii-oouus?” he asks, groaning in relief when the hot water hits his back. “What are you wai-iii-ting for, get in, you’re all wet too!”

That puts him in motion and Robbe laughs when he sees him shedding his clothes off in record speed, jumping on one leg when he tries to get off his wet skinny jeans, before joining him and pushing his face directly under the stream.

“Fuck, it feels so good.” Sander turns his head back and forth, letting the water wet his hair before he takes a good look at Robbe. “You’re feeling better?”

He delicately thumbs at his lower lip and the sweet gesture makes Robbe smile and give his finger a side kiss, then turning his head slightly to place another on the center of his palm.

“Yeah, I think circulation is back,” he jokes, wiggling his toes.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s my fault, if I hadn’t been fooling around we would have gotten home before it got so bad-”

“Sander, shut up, it’s not your fault it snowed harder we anticipated,” Robbe looks at him with disbelief.

Of course Sander would blame himself.

“But-”

“No buts. Period.”

Sander doesn’t look convinced so to avoid any further doubts, Robbe stands on his tiptoes, looping his arms around his neck and shuts him up with a kiss. It definitely helps to warm him up faster.

“So like... no butts at all?”

Robbe blames it on the almost-hypothermia that it takes him a few seconds to get the joke.

“Oh my god you’re unbelieveable,” he laughs into his finally smiling mouth and deepens the kiss, Sander’s wandering hands effectively erasing any cold-related feeling from his mind.

[the-friendly-struggling-writer]

Logan and Remus’ day in

Sanders Sides gift exchange present for @alicat54c. Hope you enjoy this story, happy Christmas and new year. @sanderssidesgiftxchange also posted on my main blog

Small warming contains:

blood, scalpels, dissection of the heart and lungs, food, and discussion of diseases.

Remus and Logan spend a nice quiet day together in the mindscape.

“Hey, Lo Lo,” Remus whispered in Logan’s ear as he popped up behind him, covering his boyfriend’s eyes with his hands. “Did you know that the ‘Black Death’ wasn’t originally called the Black Death; It was called ‘The Pestilence’ or ‘The Great Mortality’. Which rhymes with Morality. Almost spelled the same too.” Logan internally sighed of fondness. Softly breaking Remus’ hold over his eyes, Logan turned around on the couch. He had been sitting on it but the position that he had changed to was now kneeling on it, with arms braised against the back of the couch for support. The couch’s surface bending to adjust to Logan’s new position. Facing Remus, Logan slowly moved his head forward and kissed Remus on the lips, stopping him from talking for a moment.

“If you wanted to get down and dirty then you could have just said so,” suggested Remus as he winked one eye and then the other at Logan. Before he vaulted over the back of the couch to sit next to his gorgeous boyfriend. Logan in return let out a rare giggle that was reserved for Remus, and Remus only. Whenever Remus ended up making Logan giggle it made Remus’ insides all hot and sticky like they had become molten magma swirling inside the earth or maybe the melted insides of a chocolate brownie or maybe molten magma in a chocolate brownie, Logan and him could try and come up with a recipe for them. ‘That was a good idea,’ thought Remus.

“So,” began Logan as the giggling died down, “What have you got planned for this afternoon?” He asked as he set down the book on plagues that he had been reading for the past hour or so before Remus had shown up. The book must have been the thing that had given Remus the idea about the comment about the black death that he had made before he sat down next to Logan.

“I‘m not sure yet,” Remus thought for a second as he shrugged his shoulders before he next spoke, “I just came to see if you were busy or not. It looks like you aren’t so… I was wondering if I could give you something.” Logan didn’t even have time to respond before something was shoved in front of his face. Before that had happened, Logan was going to say that Remus could do so, but his boyfriend had done it before Logan could have even tried to get a word out. Sitting in a not so neat position in Remus’ hands, was a slowly beating heart, with fresh oxygenated blood running down Remus’ arms and onto the sleeves of the outfit that he was wearing. Because of its black colouring, any stains would not be noticeable at first. Well, until you caught wind of the smell of the dried blood.

“Here,” said Remus as he handed the still struggling heart to Logan, his sharp teeth being revealed as he smiled at his Lo Lo. As Logan carefully took to heart from Remus’ hold, blood began to run down the pale skin of his wrists and then down his arms.

Logan looked from the heart to his boyfriend, and then back at the heart. “Remus, is there anything pacific that you would like me to do with this?” asked Logan as he softly tilted his head to the side and brought it to eye level to get a closer look at it.

Remus gently shrugged his shoulders with a small smile written upon his face. If Roman was there he would have described the scene as his brother having love hearts floating around his head, even if they weren’t physically there. Roman would have also described Logan as having  shining stars in his eyes with the way that he was looking at Remus. Logan’s expression broke into another smile. “So it’s ok if we dissect it together then?” Remus’ own heart sped up that idea. Nodding his head in excitement, Remus almost ended up falling off of the couch. Almost. Logan carefully but quickly moved the heart into just one hand, and the other one, stained with blood, grabbed hold of Remus’ hand, pulling him up into a standing position. Saving him from falling on the floor.

“Come on then,” encouraged Logan as he pulled Remus along into the kitchen by the hand. As the pair arrived in the room Logan summoned a wooden cutting board, 3 different sized scalpels, and some plastic tubs. The last one just in case anything was needed to be put in a container or two. All of the items appeared in an organized fashion on the light brown kitchen table. The scalpel in size order on the left side of the board; The tubs on the right.

As Logan placed the heart down on the wooden board it finally stopped beating. Meanwhile, Remus had been dragging over two chairs that matched the table, getting bloodstains on the places where he had touched them. ‘I’ll clean that up later,’ thought Logan as Remus finished adjusting them in the place that he wanted. “Would you like to help me?” asked Logan, sitting in the chair to the left of the board.

“Naw,” Remus answered back to Logan, lightly bounding his forehead against Logan’s shoulder in a show of affection. Remus was just wanting to watch Logan take apart the heart, and then maybe some other things that he summoned up. “I’m good to just watch you,” he added before standing on the chair that was free and then crouched down so that he was at the same height as his boyfriend. ‘The perfect height to give surprises’, thought Remus, ‘such as this’, before Remus kissed Logan on the check. Red spreading across Logan’s face.

Logan smiled back at Remus and then turned his attention back to the activity in front of him. Picking up the biggest scalpel, Logan carefully pressed the sharp blade against the surface of the heart, slicing across the top layer of the muscle. More dark blood seeping out of the opening.

Gently placing the scalpel back into the position that it was in before, but before Logan did anything next a soft snap sound came from his right side. Turning his head, Logan to Remus who was holding a pair of plastic blue gloves. Handing them to his boyfriend Remus spoke up, ”You forgot these, I thought that you would want them.”

It was a little late if Logan had wanted to avoid getting blood on his hands, but Logan really appreciated the gesture coming from his boyfriend. Taking the gloves from Remus, both of their expressions lighting up at the simple but meaningful interaction between them. Sliding them on to his hands, Logan then held his hands on either side of the incision in the heart, pulling each side apart to get a look inside, with some of the chambers of the heart revealed.

The pair sat in silence until Remus broke it, no longer being able to stand it, before blurting out what he was thinking about. “I did you know that more blood goes to your kidneys,” he said as he poked Logan in the side, “Than your brain.” This time poking Logan’s head.

“Yes Re, I did. That’s because your kidneys filter waste products out of your blood so more does need to go through them than your brain. Did you know that the Heart on average only weighs about 11 ounces.” Answered Logan, “Also the length of time that this heart beat out of a body that you gave me was extremely accurate. Just about a minute or so.” Added Logan, as he was finishing up dissecting the heart.

“Hey Smarty, do you want to dissect something else?” Asked Remus, making it look like the heart pieces had vanished. Well they hadn’t, Remus had just moved them to his room for a project that he was going to make later that night. He didn’t know what that was yet but he would come up with something.

“What did you have in mind?” Asked Logan as he cleaned off the cutting board and the set of scalpels. Logan was happy to dissect anything that Remus summoned, as long as Remus was enjoying himself.

“Since they are related, why not do the lungs next?” Asked Remus, not expecting an answer but he got one anyway.

“Well one reason to not do the lung is,” But before he could finish that sentence he was cut off by Remus grabbing his blue and black tie, and ruffly kissing him. Which snapped him out of his train of thought.

“That wasn’t what I had meant, my Dork,” Said Remus as he pulled back. Logan’s skin heated up in embarrassment, but also from the kiss that Remus had just given him.

“Oh right,” half laughed Logan as Remus summoned a pair of lungs onto the board in front of them. Directing his attention back to the dissection in front of them, Logan then went back to work. “The name lung comes from the word ‘lunge’ which means ‘light,’ commented Logan as he cut apart part of the left lung.

“Really?” responded Remus, before he answered back with his own fact. “Lungs can float on water. Cause some air is still in there, even after you have breathed out. Also lungs are the only organ that can float in water. Well unless you drown them I guess, I’ll need to work that into an idea in the future.” Remus decided as he stared off to the other side of the room that they were in, trying to come up with a new idea.

As Remus was doing that, Logan was finishing dissecting the lungs after having a good look at them. But it was clear to Logan the Remus attention was headed somewhere else, so this was just as good a time as any to tidy up the equipment and the now dried blood stains, such as on the backs of the chairs that they were sitting on as well as the stains on the sleeve of Remus’ outfit. That would save Remus the effort of doing it later, and maybe from getting more blood on anything else as well.

“Re,” said Logan to get Remus’ attention onto him so that he was listening to him. Remus in turn made a small noise in acknowledgement of Logan. “So I was thinking since we have now done that, I was wondering if we shall get a quick snack before we move onto something else. Would that be ok dear?” Asked Logan before he stood up and tucked the chair under the wooden table.

“Yeah, of course.” exclaimed Remus as he sprang out for the chair he had awkwardly been sitting/standing on, the chair falling down and slamming it’s back against the hard floor. Remus then dashed to the cupboard to the fridge and then back to the cupboard again. This left Logan to pick up the chair and put it back into its right place. Shaking his head, Logan smiled with endearment for Remus as he watched him run about the kitchen like a headless chicken. Logan wondered if that was something that they could experiment with in the future together.

Going over to the cupboard that was next to the fridge, Logan pulled open the door and took out the half used jar of crofters. After placing it on the counter top, Logan set about making some toast for the jam to go on. Once Logan had assembled his snack, he turned to Remus who had just finished getting his own food sorted. His choice of food today was warm popcorn with some little bits of white chocolate spread across the top. It was one of the few snacks that both Remus and Patton could agree on.

Wrapping his arm around Logan's waist, Remus led the two of them into the living room. First Remus sat down on the dark coloured couch, his legs spreading across the rest of the couch. Pulling Logan to sit down in between them, Remus pulled his legs over Logan’s, trapping him there. Not that Logan wouldn't want to be there. Logan’s back softly comes to meet Remus’ chest.

“Lo Lo,” started Remus with bits of food almost falling out his mouth as he spoke, “did you know that there is a disease that can actually cause you to cough blood and stuff. Cool right?”

“Well I wouldn’t call it cool myself but Tuberculosis, if that is the one that you are talking about.” Remus quickly nodded confirming Logan’s thought process. Seeing Remus’ response Logan continued. “But it is interesting that about a third of people carry that bacterium that causes it but does not show any symptoms of the disease. Also only 5 to 10% of the third will be either sick or infectious with it at sometime in their lifetime.” Logan explained. Remus loved when Logan explained sciency stuff to him, and bringing up stuff like that always kicked off that type of conversation.

After the pair had finished eating Remus took his bowl and the plate from Logan, he then dropped them down on the carpeted floor. Leaving them to be picked up by someone else at a later time. “Oh yeah, what was the one that doesn’t let you sleep? Like at all once it starts.” Asked Remus wrapping his arms tightly around Logan’s chest. Logan then in turn moved his head into a better position that it was just below Remus’ chin.

“The one that you are thinking about is called Fatal Familial Insomnia. It stops your ability to sleep, this then makes the person suffering from insomnia to then slip into psychosis. That stops you from being able to tell what is real and what isn’t. Then over a period of time such as a few months it would kill them. There is also no cure or ways to try and treat it. Well at least not yet in any case,” Logan yawned as he finished speaking.

“Ok then, tell me about a really weird one. Like the absolute weirdest one that you are able to think of,” requested Remus as he too ended up yawning.

Logan thought for a minute before he responded to Remus’ inquiry. “Well I don’t know if it does have a name but in 1485 a disease broke out which caused people to sweat to death in a number of hours. It supposedly killed tens of thousands of people because it disappeared as soon as it had come. If that isn’t weird then I don’t know if you can get much weird when it comes to diseases,” Logan added.

“That is an interesting one,” Re commented before he summoned a green and dark blue blanket on top of the two of them. The blanket was thick and soft, spreading across the entire length of the couch. The pair both knew that there was no point in struggling to stay awake. So the pair snuggled into each other. “You want to know what Lo Lo,” Logan pushed deeper into his boyfriend. Remus yawned before he next spoke, “That I love you so much.”

Logan yawned too before he turned around onto Remus’ stomach so that he was facing his boyfriend, so they both wrapped their arms around each other. The blanket partly slipping off of them because of their movement “I Love you too, Re. I love you so much too.” Logan said as Remus readjusted the blanket back into its right place before the pair of sides slowly slipped into the darkness of the unconscious.

[franthehorsegir]

Logan and Remus’ day in

Sanders Sides gift exchange present for @alicat54c. Hope you enjoy this story, happy Christmas and new year. @sanderssidesgiftxchange also posted on my writing blog

Small warming contains:

blood, scalpels, dissection of the heart and lungs, food, and discussion of diseases.

Remus and Logan spend a nice quiet day together in the mindscape.

“Hey, Lo Lo,” Remus whispered in Logan’s ear as he popped up behind him, covering his boyfriend’s eyes with his hands. “Did you know that the ‘Black Death’ wasn’t originally called the Black Death; It was called ‘The Pestilence’ or ‘The Great Mortality’. Which rhymes with Morality. Almost spelled the same too.” Logan internally sighed of fondness. Softly breaking Remus’ hold over his eyes, Logan turned around on the couch. He had been sitting on it but the position that he had changed to was now kneeling on it, with arms braised against the back of the couch for support. The couch’s surface bending to adjust to Logan’s new position. Facing Remus, Logan slowly moved his head forward and kissed Remus on the lips, stopping him from talking for a moment.

“If you wanted to get down and dirty then you could have just said so,” suggested Remus as he winked one eye and then the other at Logan. Before he vaulted over the back of the couch to sit next to his gorgeous boyfriend. Logan in return let out a rare giggle that was reserved for Remus, and Remus only. Whenever Remus ended up making Logan giggle it made Remus’ insides all hot and sticky like they had become molten magma swirling inside the earth or maybe the melted insides of a chocolate brownie or maybe molten magma in a chocolate brownie, Logan and him could try and come up with a recipe for them. ‘That was a good idea,’ thought Remus.

“So,” began Logan as the giggling died down, “What have you got planned for this afternoon?” He asked as he set down the book on plagues that he had been reading for the past hour or so before Remus had shown up. The book must have been the thing that had given Remus the idea about the comment about the black death that he had made before he sat down next to Logan.

“I‘m not sure yet,” Remus thought for a second as he shrugged his shoulders before he next spoke, “I just came to see if you were busy or not. It looks like you aren’t so… I was wondering if I could give you something.” Logan didn’t even have time to respond before something was shoved in front of his face. Before that had happened, Logan was going to say that Remus could do so, but his boyfriend had done it before Logan could have even tried to get a word out. Sitting in a not so neat position in Remus’ hands, was a slowly beating heart, with fresh oxygenated blood running down Remus’ arms and onto the sleeves of the outfit that he was wearing. Because of its black colouring, any stains would not be noticeable at first. Well, until you caught wind of the smell of the dried blood.

“Here,” said Remus as he handed the still struggling heart to Logan, his sharp teeth being revealed as he smiled at his Lo Lo. As Logan carefully took to heart from Remus’ hold, blood began to run down the pale skin of his wrists and then down his arms.

Logan looked from the heart to his boyfriend, and then back at the heart. “Remus, is there anything pacific that you would like me to do with this?” asked Logan as he softly tilted his head to the side and brought it to eye level to get a closer look at it.

Remus gently shrugged his shoulders with a small smile written upon his face. If Roman was there he would have described the scene as his brother having love hearts floating around his head, even if they weren’t physically there. Roman would have also described Logan as having  shining stars in his eyes with the way that he was looking at Remus. Logan’s expression broke into another smile. “So it’s ok if we dissect it together then?” Remus’ own heart sped up that idea. Nodding his head in excitement, Remus almost ended up falling off of the couch. Almost. Logan carefully but quickly moved the heart into just one hand, and the other one, stained with blood, grabbed hold of Remus’ hand, pulling him up into a standing position. Saving him from falling on the floor.

“Come on then,” encouraged Logan as he pulled Remus along into the kitchen by the hand. As the pair arrived in the room Logan summoned a wooden cutting board, 3 different sized scalpels, and some plastic tubs. The last one just in case anything was needed to be put in a container or two. All of the items appeared in an organized fashion on the light brown kitchen table. The scalpel in size order on the left side of the board; The tubs on the right.

As Logan placed the heart down on the wooden board it finally stopped beating. Meanwhile, Remus had been dragging over two chairs that matched the table, getting bloodstains on the places where he had touched them. ‘I’ll clean that up later,’ thought Logan as Remus finished adjusting them in the place that he wanted. “Would you like to help me?” asked Logan, sitting in the chair to the left of the board. 

“Naw,” Remus answered back to Logan, lightly bounding his forehead against Logan’s shoulder in a show of affection. Remus was just wanting to watch Logan take apart the heart, and then maybe some other things that he summoned up. “I’m good to just watch you,” he added before standing on the chair that was free and then crouched down so that he was at the same height as his boyfriend. ‘The perfect height to give surprises’, thought Remus, ‘such as this’, before Remus kissed Logan on the check. Red spreading across Logan’s face.

Logan smiled back at Remus and then turned his attention back to the activity in front of him. Picking up the biggest scalpel, Logan carefully pressed the sharp blade against the surface of the heart, slicing across the top layer of the muscle. More dark blood seeping out of the opening. 

Gently placing the scalpel back into the position that it was in before, but before Logan did anything next a soft snap sound came from his right side. Turning his head, Logan to Remus who was holding a pair of plastic blue gloves. Handing them to his boyfriend Remus spoke up, ”You forgot these, I thought that you would want them.”

It was a little late if Logan had wanted to avoid getting blood on his hands, but Logan really appreciated the gesture coming from his boyfriend. Taking the gloves from Remus, both of their expressions lighting up at the simple but meaningful interaction between them. Sliding them on to his hands, Logan then held his hands on either side of the incision in the heart, pulling each side apart to get a look inside, with some of the chambers of the heart revealed.

 The pair sat in silence until Remus broke it, no longer being able to stand it, before blurting out what he was thinking about. “I did you know that more blood goes to your kidneys,” he said as he poked Logan in the side, “Than your brain.” This time poking Logan’s head.

“Yes Re, I did. That’s because your kidneys filter waste products out of your blood so more does need to go through them than your brain. Did you know that the Heart on average only weighs about 11 ounces.” Answered Logan, “Also the length of time that this heart beat out of a body that you gave me was extremely accurate. Just about a minute or so.” Added Logan, as he was finishing up dissecting the heart. 

“Hey Smarty, do you want to dissect something else?” Asked Remus, making it look like the heart pieces had vanished. Well they hadn’t, Remus had just moved them to his room for a project that he was going to make later that night. He didn’t know what that was yet but he would come up with something.

“What did you have in mind?” Asked Logan as he cleaned off the cutting board and the set of scalpels. Logan was happy to dissect anything that Remus summoned, as long as Remus was enjoying himself.

“Since they are related, why not do the lungs next?” Asked Remus, not expecting an answer but he got one anyway.

“Well one reason to not do the lung is,” But before he could finish that sentence he was cut off by Remus grabbing his blue and black tie, and ruffly kissing him. Which snapped him out of his train of thought.

“That wasn’t what I had meant, my Dork,” Said Remus as he pulled back. Logan’s skin heated up in embarrassment, but also from the kiss that Remus had just given him.

“Oh right,” half laughed Logan as Remus summoned a pair of lungs onto the board in front of them. Directing his attention back to the dissection in front of them, Logan then went back to work. “The name lung comes from the word ‘lunge’ which means ‘light,’ commented Logan as he cut apart part of the left lung.

“Really?” responded Remus, before he answered back with his own fact. “Lungs can float on water. Cause some air is still in there, even after you have breathed out. Also lungs are the only organ that can float in water. Well unless you drown them I guess, I’ll need to work that into an idea in the future.” Remus decided as he stared off to the other side of the room that they were in, trying to come up with a new idea.

As Remus was doing that, Logan was finishing dissecting the lungs after having a good look at them. But it was clear to Logan the Remus attention was headed somewhere else, so this was just as good a time as any to tidy up the equipment and the now dried blood stains, such as on the backs of the chairs that they were sitting on as well as the stains on the sleeve of Remus’ outfit. That would save Remus the effort of doing it later, and maybe from getting more blood on anything else as well. 

“Re,” said Logan to get Remus’ attention onto him so that he was listening to him. Remus in turn made a small noise in acknowledgement of Logan. “So I was thinking since we have now done that, I was wondering if we shall get a quick snack before we move onto something else. Would that be ok dear?” Asked Logan before he stood up and tucked the chair under the wooden table.

“Yeah, of course.” exclaimed Remus as he sprang out for the chair he had awkwardly been sitting/standing on, the chair falling down and slamming it’s back against the hard floor. Remus then dashed to the cupboard to the fridge and then back to the cupboard again. This left Logan to pick up the chair and put it back into its right place. Shaking his head, Logan smiled with endearment for Remus as he watched him run about the kitchen like a headless chicken. Logan wondered if that was something that they could experiment with in the future together.

Going over to the cupboard that was next to the fridge, Logan pulled open the door and took out the half used jar of crofters. After placing it on the counter top, Logan set about making some toast for the jam to go on. Once Logan had assembled his snack, he turned to Remus who had just finished getting his own food sorted. His choice of food today was warm popcorn with some little bits of white chocolate spread across the top. It was one of the few snacks that both Remus and Patton could agree on.

Wrapping his arm around Logan's waist, Remus led the two of them into the living room. First Remus sat down on the dark coloured couch, his legs spreading across the rest of the couch. Pulling Logan to sit down in between them, Remus pulled his legs over Logan’s, trapping him there. Not that Logan wouldn't want to be there. Logan’s back softly comes to meet Remus’ chest.

“Lo Lo,” started Remus with bits of food almost falling out his mouth as he spoke, “did you know that there is a disease that can actually cause you to cough blood and stuff. Cool right?”

“Well I wouldn’t call it cool myself but Tuberculosis, if that is the one that you are talking about.” Remus quickly nodded confirming Logan’s thought process. Seeing Remus’ response Logan continued. “But it is interesting that about a third of people carry that bacterium that causes it but does not show any symptoms of the disease. Also only 5 to 10% of the third will be either sick or infectious with it at sometime in their lifetime.” Logan explained. Remus loved when Logan explained sciency stuff to him, and bringing up stuff like that always kicked off that type of conversation.

After the pair had finished eating Remus took his bowl and the plate from Logan, he then dropped them down on the carpeted floor. Leaving them to be picked up by someone else at a later time. “Oh yeah, what was the one that doesn’t let you sleep? Like at all once it starts.” Asked Remus wrapping his arms tightly around Logan’s chest. Logan then in turn moved his head into a better position that it was just below Remus’ chin.

“The one that you are thinking about is called Fatal Familial Insomnia. It stops your ability to sleep, this then makes the person suffering from insomnia to then slip into psychosis. That stops you from being able to tell what is real and what isn’t. Then over a period of time such as a few months it would kill them. There is also no cure or ways to try and treat it. Well at least not yet in any case,” Logan yawned as he finished speaking. 

“Ok then, tell me about a really weird one. Like the absolute weirdest one that you are able to think of,” requested Remus as he too ended up yawning. 

Logan thought for a minute before he responded to Remus’ inquiry. “Well I don’t know if it does have a name but in 1485 a disease broke out which caused people to sweat to death in a number of hours. It supposedly killed tens of thousands of people because it disappeared as soon as it had come. If that isn’t weird then I don’t know if you can get much weird when it comes to diseases,” Logan added.

“That is an interesting one,” Re commented before he summoned a green and dark blue blanket on top of the two of them. The blanket was thick and soft, spreading across the entire length of the couch. The pair both knew that there was no point in struggling to stay awake. So the pair snuggled into each other. “You want to know what Lo Lo,” Logan pushed deeper into his boyfriend. Remus yawned before he next spoke, “That I love you so much.”

Logan yawned too before he turned around onto Remus’ stomach so that he was facing his boyfriend, so they both wrapped their arms around each other. The blanket partly slipping off of them because of their movement “I Love you too, Re. I love you so much too.” Logan said as Remus readjusted the blanket back into its right place before the pair of sides slowly slipped into the darkness of the unconscious.

[lucidpantone]

Chapter 1: Visitations

Someone recently asked the tag if Sander and Robbe stayed together forever. Here’s a fic giving you the answer. Thanks for the inspiration.

Read the rest on Ao3.

Autumn always brought along rich tones of vanilla, cinnamon and all-spice into Robbe’s landscape. Robbe loved the autumn colors, shades of sun-burnt orange, vermillion and chartreuse sprinkle across the leaves that littered the pavement on his route to work. Its like he could taste the change of seasons ahead but it also gave him cause for concern. A visitation session was surely on the horizon. Sander was like a rolex watch when it came to anything Bowie related. Robbe was sure that cat was the love of Sander’s life. He found Bowie abandoned on the streets of Antwerp as a kitten and saved him from certain death. Robbe can still recall the day he came through the door with something nuzzled inside his leather jacket.

“Sander, we can’t keep it.” Robbe retorted as Sander gently cradled the kitty against his chest rocking it back and forth. “We just got this apartment I don’t even know if were allowed pets. I’m slammed at university, your never here, and your always at work or at the studio”.

Robbe knew this discussion was pointless. Sander just kept pouting at all of Robbe’s logical reasoning, flashing his puppy dog eyes at him and holding up the tiny kitten to Robbe’s face as a defense. Robbe just rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in defeat.  

“Ugh… okay …. Fine. God I hate you sometimes Driesen.”

“Love you too” Sander replied, pressing a soft kiss on Robbe’s jawline with a victorious smile plastered across his face.

“So, what are we going to name it?” Robbe asked looking down at the tiny creature who was literally the size of Sander’s palm.

Sander frowned. He almost looked offended by Robbe’s question.

“Bowie, of course. I mean his all black with a white lightening bolt on his belly. He's obviously a Bowie.”

Robbe found Sander’s response endearing. So much so he didn’t have the heart to tell him that that white striped looked nothing like a lightning bolt but he went with it anyways.

“Bowie, it is.” Robbe said as he leaned into Sander’s chest to pet the tiny kitten. Sander immediately cautioning him before he even laid a hand on the cat.

“Go slow, his sensitive okay”. Robbe couldn’t help but smile at his boyfriend’s protective reflexes.

There it was. The text Robbe had been dreading since the animal clinic called him earlier in the week to confirm Bowie’s appointment.

Taking Bowie to the vet on Saturday. I should get to Brussels around 7 tonight. Does that work for you? - Sander

7 works. - Robbe

Robbe grunted and slid down his desk chair.

“What’s up with you?” Lia asked.

“Oh nothing” Robbe quickly perked up and sat up on his chair. He didn’t want to be caught sulking at work.

“Do you think you can have the club estimation ready for next Wednesday?” Lia asked.

Robbe was the youngest architect at his firm. So he always felt like he was slightly faking it or suffering from imposter syndrome. He had only just completed his certification and was lucky enough that the firm he apprenticed at for two years offered him a full time job upon graduation.

Lia was the second youngest she had graduated a year earlier. They spent a lot of time together dealing with all the young trendy clients who wanted to do renovations on shoestring budgets.

“What time is it?” Lia asked Robbe.

“Half past 5” Robbe shouted back.

“On a Friday” Lia scoffed. “Let’s get out of here. I need a drink after this week.”

Robbe nodded his head towards the door and both of them sprung up off their chairs collecting their paperwork and turning off their computers.

Robbe began to take off his shirt and tie exposing his black tshirt underneath. He hated his nine to five attire but the firm had a strict dress code policy. Shirt and trousers.

“I hate this tie” Robbe grunted loudly as he forcefully ripped it off himself.

“Well you wouldn’t have to wear it if you weren’t so damn cool” Lia teased him.

“Firstly Thibaut is over exaggerating they are not neck tattoos. You can barely see them.” Robbe dramatically threw his hands up.

“I mean you can totally see them…..what are they again?” Lia asked sarcastically.

“Shut up” Robbe started pushing Lia towards the door.

Grabbing his black jacket and man bag off the coat rack on the other side of the office practically skipping towards Lia who was leaning against the door frame waiting for Robbe to hurry up.

As he got to her she held her hand against his chest examining the three tiny icons placed directly at the bottom of his throat underneath his adams apple.

“A lightning bolt, a half moon and….”

Robbe finished her sentence for her “ The other half of a ying yang. The white half.”

“How hipster of you” Lia said curiously.

“I guess, or better yet the mistakes of a misspent youth.” Robbe smugly replied.

“Misspent youth???” Lia laughed out. “Robbe your only twenty five”.

Robbe rolled his eyes he felt like he was thirty five sometimes. “Almost twenty six for your information. Come on now, I need a beer” he grabbed onto Lia’s hand and started dragging her out the door.

“We aren’t going to Belgica?” Lia shouted back to him as they walked down the street.

“Why not?” Robbed asked confused.

“Because your too pretty for your own good Robbe and we spend half the night fighting off every gay boy in there trying to get your attention.”

“Stop it Lia.”

“It’s true Robbe. You got that whole rebel rebel graduated up skater boy vibe and that damn mop of hair. Your like a billboard for shampoo or something. Plus your single.”

Robbe was blushing. Lia was too sweet she always made him feel special in her own teasing way. She was like the big sister he never had.

“Ok you choose” Robbe surrender.

“Noir it is” Lia responded.

Robbe looked at his phone and checked the time 5:42.

Robbe liked Lia but he didn’t want her privy to his messy love life. She had already lived through Robbe and Lucas’s break up.

Did she really need to know anymore about him.

Robbe paused for a moment and thought fuck it.

Meet me at Bar Noir at 7. -Robbe

********************************************************************************

As Robbe reached over the sink to grab some paper towels he simultaneously ran his right hand through his hair and looked up into the mirror. His eyes inadvertently darted towards the text peeking out underneath the sleeve of his tshirt. He inhaled sharply vividly recalling the memory of his nineteen year self play fighting with Sander because he wanted to see it.

“Show me,I know you got another one” Sander walked around his boyfriend inspecting Robbe’s body contemplating which part of him to undress first. As he slowly began tugging at his hoodie a huge cheshire grin appeared across Robbe’s face.

“Got him” Sander thought. He finally managed to get Robbe’s hoodie off when he saw the cling film wrapped around Robbe’s right bicep. Sander grabbed Robbe’s right wrist turning it upwards to face him and lifting it slightly to uncover the text on Robbe’s inner arm. It was a simple three word phrase but it was “their” phrase and what Robbe repeated to Sander when things got overwhelming for him. In a slightly hushed voice Sander read the phrase out loud “minuut per minuut”.

Robbe broke out of his daze. Pulling himself out of the memory.

Robbe headed back out the bathroom into the boisterous Friday night afterwork bar crowd.

Another shot of whiskey? Lia shouted from the bar.

“No,no” Robbe was signaling to her. He wanted to make sure he was somewhat sober for his impending meet up with Sander. They hadn’t seen one another since Chernobyl at the beginning of the summer.

Robbe snaked through the crowd till he reached Lia at the bar. They stood shoulder to shoulder as she knocked back her shot and chased it down with some beer.

“You should know my ex is probably going to show up here any minute now”. Robbe swiftly mentioned.

“You and Lucas are talking again?” Lia said with optimism in her voice.

Robbe quickly broke eye contact and shook his head. It still stung to hear Lucas’s name. It had been a few months but everything was still a bit raw for him.

“No the other one.” Lia instantly scowled at Robbe’s omission.

Robbe jokingly tapped her shoulder with the back of his hand as they walked towards a bar table with their beers in hand “come on don’t do that… you don’t even know him”.

“I don't need to know him, I know his type.” Lia shouted over the crowd as she scooted herself onto a bar stool.

“Extremely good looking” Robbe acknowledged that as Lia counted Sander’s qualities off with her fingers.  

“Mysterious but in that deeply troubled kind of way” Lia formed a peace sign with her hands at her second observation.

“Mindblowing sex” Lia held three fingers up towards Robbe’s face now.

“Oh and let me guess” Lia leaned into Robbe’s face real closely. “He broke up with you?”

Robbe chuckled “You know me too well Lia”.

“No I don’t. Like I said I know the type” She stated as she chugged down more of her beer.

“Speak of the devil”. Robbe gestured towards the door.

Lia looked up wide eye. Robbe was used to this reaction. Years of seeing others getting enamored by Sander’s beauty.

His lunar white hair a relic of the past. Sander was a brunette now. His natural copper tone brown hair framed his perfectly chiseled face. A jawline for days.

“Oh now I get it. I would have chernobyl(d) with him too”. Lia said a little too enthusiastically never taking her eyes off Sander as he spotted Robbe and started walking over to them.

Lia broke her gaze and quickly looked up and down Robbe’s body. “So what is your dick made out of gold or something” Lia questioned Robbe.

Robbe scoffed. “What”

“I mean you obviously attract a type. Smoking hot with pretty eyes” leaning her body slightly towards Robbe and opening her hand up like she was begging for Robbe to tell her his secret.

Sander reached their table.

Lia let out a barely audible “God I wish my exes looked like yours” as she raised her glass of beer to her mouth.

“Hey” Sander said as he took off his leather jacket exposing his arms covered in intricate tattoos sliding onto the opposing bar stool across from Robbe. The table was one of those cylinder bar tops that had Robbe and Sander awkwardly rubbing shoulder to shoulder both looking strait on towards Lia.

Sander looked at Robbe for a second too long waiting for him to introduce him to his friend.

Robbe’s mind finally caught up with his manners.

“Lia this is Sander, Sander this is Lia. We work together.” Sander reached out to shake Lia‘s hand.

“Nice to meet you” Sander responded.

“We’re just going to finish up our drinks and then we can head out” Robbe explained to Sander.

“Yeah that's fine. Gives me time to roll” as he pulled out rolling paper out of his back pocket and placed it on the bar table.

“How was the driv...?” unbeknownst to Robbe, Lia abruptly cut him out of his own conversation. “You drove here?” she questioned Sander. Sander nodded. Her eager curiosity getting the best of her. “Where from?”

“Antwerp, I live there” Sander responded flaty. He could tell Robbe’s friend was a little curious about him. God knows what Robbe had told her about him.

“What are you doing in Brussels?” Lia questioned some more.

Sander attempting to look busy as he rolled a joint.

Sander hated people trying to figure him out. He was the private type didn't like to give strangers to many details about himself but this was Robbe’s friend so he had to play nice.

Sander rested his right forearm against the table as he sprinkle tobacco onto the rolling paper.

That’s when he noticed Robbe’s friend attentively examining the tattoo on his wrist.

“It's a constellations.” Sander responded in a curt tone.

“Yeah I know what it is” Lia explained. “I see it everyday. It's the same one Robbe has on his wrist right?”

Robbe’s eyes found Sander’s. Sander smirked back at him.

Robbe suddenly turning red at Lia’s discovery.

Sander finished rolling his joint licking it together. When he shifted his body towards Lia.

Robbe thought to himself “here we go”. He had seen this typical Sander performance before fueled with charm and bravato.

“Yeah it's one of mine” Sander shot a flirty smile at Lia as he stuck the joint behind his ear.

“I mean the design of course, not the person.” Sander winked making Lia giggle like a teenage girl.

Sander leaned straight into her personal space. Making her slightly pull back. Sander was making her nervous.

“If your interested I have a tattoo shop in Antwerp I could ink you sometime. You can get this exact tattoo or something personalized from me to you.”

Sander slowly pulled away from Lia’s orbit leaving her slightly flushed.

Robbe chuckled a little to loudly. Sander shot him a boyish grin in return. Well aware that Robbe knew what game he was playing.

Robbe found these exchanges very amusing. It took Sander a mere 5 minutes to get his coworker from denouncing him to having her completely giddy and wrapped around his little finger.

When Robbe was younger these interactions use to really bother him. Make him feel insecure like Sander could get anyone he wanted what was he doing with Robbe.

But now it was just amusing to Robbe. It solidified what Robbe already knew which was no one really knew the real Sander. What Lia was seeing now was Sander peacocking at his best.

Lia broke out of her spell as she fumbled through her words a little and stated. “I think I want something custom. It’d be weird if we all had identical tattoo’s?”

“Oh there not identical” Sander stated as he grabbed Robbe’s beer off the table and took a large gulp into his mouth. Robbe gawked at him unimpressed.

Can you spot the difference? Sander suddenly took a hold of Robbe’s hand and slammed both their forearms onto the table towards Lia direction.

Robbe’s coworker leaned in super closely to examine their forearms as their hands were clasped together.

It didn’t take long for Lia to uncover what made each tattoo unique. Each forearm had a perfectly placed red planet in the middle of it (maybe Mars) with an orbital belt surrounding it. There was a moon and stars and another distance planet in the background(maybe Saturn). There was one thing that looked out of place but also really beautiful. A large blossoming tree was growing out of the large center planet. There was also some cursive text placed horizontally on both Robbe and Sander’s wrist. Lia recited the text from left to right it started from Robbe wrist “All the way” and ended on Sander’s wrist “or no way”.

Lia's brow furrowed. As she looked at both males. “I don’t get it, what does it mean?”

Sander finally spoke up locking Robbe into his glare as the words slowly dripped out of his mouth. “All the way or no way”.

Robbe let go of Sander’s hand almost violently and spoke. It felt like he had kept quiet throughout Lia and Sander’s entire conversation. Like he just disappeared for a moment.

Robbe shot Lia a calculated smile.

“It doesn’t mean anything. Just something we use to say to one another when we were younger.”

Robbe began to get up and collect his jacket. Obviously implying that this little meetup was now over. It surprised Lia, Robbe was never this brash, almost rude. Lia was about to make some silly joke about ruining the night when Robbe sensed it and he did something he only ever did with clients. He gave Lia one of his stand down asshole smirks that halted anymore conversation. That let their clients know that negotiations were now over and this transaction had come to a close.

Lia scanned Sander’s face for some explanation. She saw a hint of reaction towards Robbe sudden harsh change in demeanor but it amused him. He seemed to like it.

Robbe finished putting his jacket on and soften again leaning into Lia to give her a kiss on the cheek and bid her good night. Flashing that calculated smile at her again.

He glanced back at Sander. He hadn’t moved.

“Get your jacket” Robbe demanded.

Sander began to get up and collect his things. Never breaking eye contact with Robbe a dark tonality hidden behind his eyes.

Lia was so confused. It’s like these two were speaking some unknown language only they understood but it was so strange. Lia knew Robbe but she rarely saw this side of him. It was slightly distance, spikey, but confident almost captivating. Its like this sweet, thoughtful and warm human morphed into someone else in front of her eyes but she couldn’t explain what he morphed into.

She wasn’t sure what she was looking at.

“Text me when you get home” Robbe whispered into her ear as he gave her one final kiss good night and walked towards the exit never looking back at Sander to check if he was coming with him.

Sander leaned in towards Lia giving her a kiss goodnight. Perfectly placing it a little too close to her mouth. It gave her butterflies she could almost taste him as he pulled back.

Lia's eyes followed him towards the door.

She sat there bewildered, puzzled, thinking to herself.

What was that? or better yet, who was that? and she wasn’t talking about Sander.

[callboxkat]

Merry (part 3)

Author’s note: I finally have wifi, so I get to post the last part of this! I hope you guys like it.

Warnings: talk of poor family relationships, food mention

Word count: 1451

“Ready to go?” Patton asked brightly. He was standing on the doorstep of Logan’s apartment, wearing his favorite pale blue sweater and a hat with cat ears. Logan, standing before him, nodded.

“Certainly. Would you mind helping me carry out my bags?” he asked as he pulled on his own plain black coat.

“Not at all!”

Patton and Logan carried out the luggage together, loading it into Patton’s car.  This would be the second Christmas that Logan spent with his friend. When Patton had found out the year before that Logan wasn’t going to spend the holiday with his own family, he had invited him on the spot. Logan had been reluctant, but after Patton called his mom and made sure she was okay with it, he had relented.

Logan and his parents didn’t talk. He hadn’t even seen them since he’d left home at eighteen, and he had no plans to see them any time soon.

Patton’s family was much closer-knit. They actually liked being around each other, and they didn’t only get together for holidays out of a sense of obligation. The love they had for each other was clear to see. Logan couldn’t relate.

At first, partially due to his unfamiliarity with most of the family, he had felt rather out of place. Patton’s parents clearly hadn’t known how to act around him, especially since his presence wasn’t anticipated. They had also seemed a little off-put: Logan knew his mannerisms were a little odd, but he couldn’t help it. That was just how he was. Patton’s parents had soon figured this out, though, and things had gone well from there on. And Patton had been so overjoyed to have him there.

Logan had never really properly celebrated Christmas before, at least not in the way that many other families did. In the few days leading up to that Christmas, he and Patton’s family had partaken in a number of activities that Logan previously had thought only happened in sappy movies. They made Christmas cookies, put ornaments on the tree, watched Christmas movies, and even made a snowman in the yard. Logan remembered how Patton had started giggling uncontrollably when he put a business-like necktie on one of the gingerbread men they had decorated.

Logan had paused, the forgotten icing pipet still held aloft, and looked at his friend. “Did I do something incorrectly?”

“No—no no no,” Patton had giggled. “He’s perfect.”

“Oh,” he had said with a relieved smile.

“He looks just about ready to go to the gingerbread prom,” Patton’s mother had joked. “Why don’t you give him a suit jacket to go with the tie?”

Logan smiled at the memory, hefting his heavier suitcase into the car beside the lighter one that Patton had already deposited there. He removed the backpack from around his shoulders and added that as well. Even with Patton’s suitcases and the collection of stuffed animals his friend was bringing home, there was plenty of room remaining.

“I have one more thing to fetch if that is unobjectionable to you.”

“Sure, buddy,” Patton said. “I’ll start the car. Go ahead and make sure you’ve got everything while you’re inside.”

“Thank you.” Logan turned on his heel and walked back inside. He grabbed his phone off the desk, did a once over of the entire apartment, then grabbed a large box and headed back outside.

Patton turned around in his seat as he loaded it in the back of the car, trying to get a look. “Oh, what’s that?”

“I… um…” Logan rubbed the back of his neck, looking into the open box. “I can’t help but feel indebted for your and your family’s kindness, both this holiday season and the last. So I purchased a few offerings to indicate my gratitude for that, as well as for your friendship.”

“You got us Christmas presents?!” Logan could hear the joy and surprise in Patton’s voice.

“Yes,” he confirmed, before shutting the trunk and joining Patton in the front seat, bringing a couple of books with him. It was nearly an eight-hour drive to Patton’s parents’ house, so he’d brought several novels in addition to his textbooks.

“That’s so sweet of you!” Patton beamed.

They were on the road. It was three-thirty in the afternoon, but by Logan’s calculations, it would likely be midnight before they arrived, accounting for breaks. Logan read for a while, bearing with Patton’s chattering at the same time. He had purposefully chosen books that he had read before for this precise reason. Occasionally he would chime in, nod, do something to indicate that he was paying attention. After a while, he got absorbed in his book, and Patton had turned on the radio, probably well aware that it wouldn’t disturb Logan when he was really immersed.

…

“Hey, Logan? Lo?”

Logan opened his eyes and blinked slowly. It had gotten too dark to read pretty early in the drive, so he’d put away the books. He hadn’t meant to actually fall asleep, though.

“Hm? Yes, I’m awake,” he responded, rubbing at his eye and sitting up straighter.

“Did you want to get dinner soon?”

Logan turned on his phone, the light illuminating the car. It was nearly seven at night. A decent hour to dine, as well as a fair time to switch drivers.

“Sure. Is there an exit coming up?”

“Yep. I was thinking we could just grab something and get back on the road.”

“That sounds acceptable,” he agreed, turning the phone off again. He rested his chin on his hand, looking out the window as they continued down the road.

They arrived at the gas station about ten minutes later. Patton agreed to refill the car while Logan picked out food. Patton had said he didn’t mind what Logan got him so long as itd took his vegetarianism into account, and of course, included a cookie.

Logan returned to the car with the bag of their food. Patton was just finishing up paying for the gasoline.

“Hi!” he chirped when he saw Logan.

“Hello,” he replied. “I got you a ‘veggie hummus wrap’—no carrots—and a double-chocolate-chip cookie.”

“That’s perfect. Thank you.”

“Would you care to switch drivers? I can take over for the time being. I really only need you to navigate for the final hour or so.”

“If you don’t mind, sure,” Patton agreed.

The rest of the drive was rather uneventful. Patton dozed for most of the time Logan was at the wheel, so to him the time must have passed rather quickly. During the final hour, Patton insisted that they put on a radio station playing somewhat obnoxious Christmas music. It didn’t take long before Patton roped him into singing along, despite his perhaps slightly fallacious claims that he ‘did not like to sing’.

They pulled into the driveway of Patton’s house at 11:57 precisely. Patton assured Logan that they could unpack the car after they greeted his parents, who were bound to still be awake despite the hour.

Logan hovered behind his friend on the doorstep as he knocked on the door, right in the middle of the thick, green-and-red wreath that hung there. The entryway light flicked on, and then the door swung open. The smell of peppermint and the excited barking of Patton’s beloved golden retriever greeted them. Logan watched the cheerful reunion between Patton and his parents while the dog did her best to jump in the middle. He smiled at the sight, but then he was pulled into an unexpected hug.

Patton’s mom was hugging him.

Logan wasn’t sure what to do, so he just stood there until she let go. She didn’t seem offended by his lack of reciprocity, just smiling at him through a curtain of ginger curls.

“We’re so glad to have you both here for Christmas,” she said. “I’ll help you get your things inside.”

They had been delighted when they saw his box of gifts, and Patton’s father had admitted that they got him a present, too, having assumed that he would be joining them.

Twenty minutes and a quick cup of hot chocolate later, Logan was lying on the Foster family’s couch, looking up at the ceiling. The Christmas lights, which he had insisted could remain on, cast a kaleidoscope of colors above him.

Logan wasn’t home, this was still true. He didn’t really have a home, outside of his apartment at school. He hadn’t seen his parents in years. But he was here, with Patton, and he wouldn’t rather spend the holidays anywhere else.

Logan pulled the heavy fleece blanket up to his shoulders, turning onto his side. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.

Tag list: @patton-loves-coloring @starryfirefliesbloggo @purplesoul-at-hogwarts  @lotusthatexists-festivestyle @quoth-the-sparrow @awesomelissawho @amuthefunperson @faithfreedom @heck-im-lost @gayfandomsaremything @bunny222 @syndianites @astraastro @momolinia @captainswan618 @hamilin-manuel-miranda @goldenkiddos @afilhadehades-blog @virgeofselfdestruction @theresneverenoughfandoms @iris-sanders-athena @super-magical-wizard @rainbow-sides @thefallendog @fanficptsd @zodiac-awesome @lookitsthatquietgirl @soft-boy-patton @nerd-in-space @pearls-of-patton @ab-artist @angered-turtle @im-so-infinitesimal @enby-kiddo-with-a-blog @raygelkitty @dr-gloom @whats-going-on-kiddos @spider-parker14 @oh-star-how-the-mighty-fall @fillyourteacup @kittiebrick

[aj-the-psycho]

The Hour: A Sanders Sides Story - Chapter 5

LONELINESS AND TOGETHERNESS

TW: None

Summary:  Patton and Logan went on their fifth outing. Damien is lonely.

AO3 Link

���Uuuughhh… what is wrong with me?!’ Logan was going to meet Patton again in two hours. He wasn’t usually nervous. This was the fifth time they had these outings after all. So why was he nervous now? ‘This isn’t even a date.’ Logan told himself. Logan had told Patton at their first meeting in the coffee shop that he didn’t want a serious relationship yet. He didn’t want to force Patton into a relationship as it could end horribly. Plus, he didn’t want that end for himself either. They never went anywhere expensive, so there was no pressure there, but it’s always memorable. This time was Logan’s turn to pick the place. Of course he’s going to choose one of his favorites; The planetarium.

When Logan had told him that they were going to a planetarium, Patton was a bit worried. See, Patton wasn’t really the type of person that likes education-type learning where there are facts and lots of logic. Because of this, people always assume that Patton was stupid and shallow, but of course he’s so much more than that. Patton values learning greatly, it’s just that he learns by doing and not listening, so he doesn’t learn well from lectures or reading textbooks.

What he’s worried about most is that Logan often explain things verbally. That would make it more difficult for Patton to understand things. Especially, with space and planet stuff that he had very little interest in. He didn’t want Logan to think he’s stupid or that he’s bored when he wasn't paying attention. He didn’t want to let Logan down.

Remembering their past hangouts though, Patton became a little less worried. Logan always has a way of making almost everything more interesting. Patton doesn’t know what makes it that way, it just does. Logan has that charm about him when he talks about science or mathematical things that makes it interesting.

Now, two hours later, Damien stopped his car in front of the planetarium to drop Patton off. The planetarium was a magnificent building with cream glossy paint at the front and a dome structure a little bit to the back that’s so big it could be seen from the entrance of the building. There were massive planet statues at the garden of the museum to the left and right of the building, scattered throughout the museum grounds. It was a nice morning too. Not too hot or too cold, and not too sunny or too cloudy. Just right.

Patton was too nervous to actually appreciate his surroundings. Damien, ever the observant, noticed that his brother was shaking slightly. Patton was not moving to get out of the car.

“Pat, you’re fine. You’ve done this a few times before, it’s gonna be alright.” Damien said, wrapping his hand around Patton’s reassuringly.

“Okay, I’ll see you later.” Patton got out of the car and shut the door without looking back. It was peculiar sight to see Patton become a little stiff like that. Damien was amused rather than worried. He’d seen Patton like that many times during their middle and high school years. Patton always turn a little stiff whenever he’s scared or nervous, but mostly when he saw or interact his crush. Damien knew not to worry.

----------

Damien zipped out of the museum grounds and headed home. The drive wasn’t long, only seventeen minutes and twenty two seconds. Yes, Damien knew that because he was bored. He got his phone out and set a timer.

As children, Damien and Patton were always thought of as a unit. Patton was able to break out of that once they were in fourth grade. He was a very bright child and very social. He still is. He was able to find his own friends, while Damien was left behind. Of course, Patton always include him in absolutely everything, so Patton’s friends ended up adopting Damien as their friend too.

Now in their adulthood, their personalities are very different. Patton knew a lot of people and he has many friends even though not all of them were close friends. Patton was that one friend who’s always laughing and making jokes. Damien was different. He's the quiet type. Most people know him only as ‘Patton’s twin.’

“Hey, you know Damien Harvey?”  they’d ask.

“Harvey? Oh, isn't that Patton's brother?” Another would answer.

“Yeah, he’s always alone,”  they’d continue.

Yes, Damien was always alone. No, Damien do not like being alone. He always wished that he has many friends like Patton. He wanted someone to appreciate him and see past his cold exterior. At first, he wasn’t too excited when his parents told him about soulmates and he always thought he didn’t have one. He thought he was right to predict that he doesn’t have a soulmate when he didn’t get his hour on his nineteenth birthday. He didn’t mind and he didn’t care. Of course, part of him wished he wasn’t alone anymore. But he didn't think about it too much.

When he finally had his hour a few months ago, he was secretly thrilled. Finally, someone who could appreciate him, someone who he could depend on and for them to depend on him in return. But his hopes were crushed when he realized his match wasn’t even from the same country. Sure, that’s super cool that his soulmate was from an entirely different continent and speaks a totally different language than him, but it would take forever for them to find each other.

Damien was lonely. Damien didn’t like being lonely.

----------

Logan looked at his watch again for the sixth time in two minutes. He didn’t actually look at the time. He did that to give himself something to do other than wait for Patton nervously. When Logan spotted Patton at the museum entrance, scanning the place for him, he couldn’t help but think that Patton looked cute. He pushed the thought away and approached Patton.

“Hello again, Patton. Beautiful morning, isn’t it?” Logan said, standing next to Patton, looking neat and prim.

“Heya Logan!” Once he saw Logan, his nervousness seemed to melt away, replaced by his usual bouncy self. “Let’s start!”

“I thought, we should start at the stars section. They’re quite interesting.” Logan led the way to the section of the planetarium dedicated to constellations. It was a massive room with a high ceiling with many smaller sections for all the different stars and constellations. Everything inside were dark starting from the dark blue carpet that appear black, up to the black-painted ceiling. There were many small light bulbs put up here and there to simulate a starry sky. It was an incredible sight. “Let’s look at that one.” Logan pointed to their left.

They went into an area with horoscopes constellations painted on the wall with phosphorous paint, so they glow in the dark with the help of black light.

“When is your birthday Patton?” Logan asked, eyes still glued to the paintings on the wall.

“January twenty-fourth. Why?”

“You’re an Aquarius then.” The way Logan said it sounded more like a statement rather than a question. Patton just nodded in response.

“Well, did you know in the Aquarius constellation, the brightest star is called the Beta Aquarii,” Logan began his chatter. “It is actually a double star, which is one the reasons it’s the brightest in the constellation.”

“What’s a double star?” Patton asked, starting to get more interested.

“A double star is essentially two stars that appear as if they are a single star with the naked eye. But when you use a telescope, especially a strong one, you could see that they are in fact two stars.” Logan explained. “Another example of a double star is Sirius, part of the canis major constellation.”

“The Beta Aquarii is also known as Sadalsuud. In some mythologies such as the Egyptian, Persian and Islamic mythologies, the Sadalsuud is associated with to the rising Sun when winter has passed. It is said to be associated with luck or good fortune.” Logan continued his explanation while pointing to the referred star in the painting of the Aquarius constellation for Patton.

“Wow… I guess it makes sense since that basically means the return of warmth after cold.” Patton said with a smile.

“I didn’t think of that before. But yes, I supposed you are right.” Logan didn’t know Patton could be quite insightful.

Logan continued his chatter about Aquarius constellations. What they mean and symbolize, everything about it. That’s when Patton realized. This was why everything Logan say was interesting to him. How his eyes light up with excitement when he speaks about something he is passionate about. His lips slightly upturned, forming a ghost of a smile. How he gestured vividly that would never bore Patton. How his hushed, low voice would sound soothing to Patton’s ears. And how Logan would raise his voice just slightly as he gets more excited.

Most importantly though, he loves how Logan would relate everything he talks about to Patton. With the stars, Logan talked about Aquarius, Patton’s star sign. Last week, he talked about Patton’s coffee, saying how the first person who mixed coffee, chocolate, sugar and cinnamon must have been crazy. It was very thoughtful of him.

Logan was still talking about the stars, unaware of Patton's thoughts about him. Patton would look at the paintings and star diagrams, but he was much more interested in watching Logan talk. He likes it when Logan is at ease, relaxed. It made the whole atmosphere more entrancing and with the fake stars surrounding them, it felt magical and enchanting.

“Woah… that’s really cool, Logan.” Patton said once Logan finished what he was saying.

Patton truly didn’t know how he should feel about Logan. Since he was a child, he was always the type of person who falls for someone easily. However, something about Logan made him hesitate. It wasn’t because he didn’t like Logan or because Logan wasn’t interesting. Logan was smart, cool and he appear confident. But that’s the problem for Patton. He felt Logan was very much out of his league and that it was strange for the universe to set them up as soulmates.

Logan was watching Patton silently as he looked at the paintings of the constellations and stars. He had always avoided his emotions. He doesn’t hate his emotions, but he prefer to avoid them, because he didn’t know what to do with them, leaving him to be a little emotionally constipated. Something about Patton puts him at ease and he couldn’t help his feelings. The problem is he doesn’t know what he was feeling. He thought it’s cute how Patton would sometimes ask questions and make little comments. He couldn’t help but feel… something, he doesn’t know what.

“Would you like to move on to the planet and space exhibit?” Logan asked.

“Sure.”

----------

Damien is once again alone in the apartment. Patton had been out for almost three hours with Logan. At first, Damien had been cautious about Logan. However, Patton would talk about Logan a lot. He would tell Damien that Logan is this or Logan is that. Patton would always be happy and excited when he talks about Logan, too. So, Damien decided that Logan was good for his brother.

But now he’s lonely as ever, sitting on the sofa that felt too big just for himself. He’s not jealous that Logan got to hang out with Patton. No. He was jealous that they both found each other. He crave that feeling of wholeness, being with someone who actually wants to understand him, not forced to. He wanted something secure.

“It would take me a lifetime to go to Russia. Plus, I still have to find the guy once I’m there.” Damien said to himself, desperation and frustration lacing the words.

Damien reached into his front pocket, taking out a piece of paper that looked like it had been folded and opened over and over many times. Damien read over the page with his soulmate’s handwriting for the millionth time and traced the letters with his fingers lightly. The note is very brief, but it means a lot to Damien. It’s what gave him motivation when he’s down. It’s what calms him down when he’s angry or frustrated.

~~~

Remus Galanicheff (19)

Yes, I’m Russian. And yes, I can speak English.

See you whenever I’ll see you.

~~~

The note is so painfully short. Damien wished that it was longer.

“Who are you?” Damien muttered under his breath. He looked at the note and read it again. He flipped the paper and was surprised when saw something he had overlooked before. Another writing. It was small and a little faint, at the bottom of the paper. It was written in Russian, but it still gave Damien a little spark of hope and excitement.

терпение, дорогая

terpeniye, dorogaya

He took out his phone and typed the phrase for a translation.

When he read the translation on his phone screen, he had to read it again multiple times before the meaning registers. He stared at his phone screen willing the words to come alive and caress him somehow. How could a simple phrase mean so much? At moments of desperation like this, the words felt so painful, yet it was a reassurance. Damien laid back on the sofa and closed his eyes. He held the note close to his heart, repeating the small phrase in his head over and over.

Have patience, darling.

**********

I put Patton's (and by default, Damien's) birthday to be 24th of January instead of 15th of January. It's weird, but I counted the difference in day between Morality's b'day and Deceit's b'day and took the middle of it. (hope that makes sense?)

Sorry all my chapters are really short, that's why I try to update as soon as possible. I'm trying to write longer chapters without messing up the quality of the writing. As always, please leave comments.

---

Russian stuff: терпение, дорогая terpeniye, dorogaya [Have patience, darling]

терпение (terpeniye) could mean 'patience' or 'have patience' дорогая (dorogoy) could mean 'sweetheart' 'darling' or 'honey'

[thefantasysuite]

Arie’s Bachelor Preview

Finally. Maybe it just seems longer because I didn’t post much during ette or paradise, but it’s about time we got some new info on the OG of dating shows. The cast has finally been released. I’m going to assume that like me, your heart skipped a beat when you got that google alert stating as much. I glanced at a few pictures, but have held off reading anything about any of the ladies to make sure I captured first impression. You wouldn’t stand out there greeting each as she comes out of the limo and then get black out drunk and not remember what you first thought the next morning. Unless of course you are a contestant on this show and have already stalked the bachelor for months on end. In that case, pass the alcohol.

If you’ve followed this blog at all you know I like to stay away from off season drama. You had your 15 mins of fame. As Mr. Wonderful eloquently puts it:

But since it’s the season of giving I’ll give you a quick update on last year’s bachelor, Nick. Him and Vanessa broke up. The end. But seriously, this is what they looked like right after they were able to make their ‘arrangement’ public:

Yeah. Good job convincing everyone that was going to last.

Alright Moving right along. The bachelor this year is Arie Luyendyk:

I don’t remember feeling strongly about Arie one way or another when he was on. I do remember feeling strongly about the bachelorette that he was chasing after however:

Back to Arie. He comes from a family that likes to race cars. The F1 circuit to be precise. For all intents and purposes I’m going to group that in with NASCAR because the jokes are easier. Matt and Trey got 22 minutes out of making fun of NASCAR:

I can do a season of the bachelor.

Arie’s bachelor announcement doesn’t come without some controversy. He may have broken up with girlfriend right before he became the bachelor:

http://www.etonline.com/exclusive-arie-luyendyk-jrs-ex-girlfriend-says-she-was-blindsided-bachelor-casting-their-breakup

It also appears Arie has a type when you look at his ex compared to the former bachelorette:

Enough about Arie. Let’s see the skanks that will be racing after his heart (get used to a bunch corny puns relating to his former profession)

Ali

Ali is a personal stylist. Got a quick tip for Ali. Next time ABC offers to have their professional stylist help you out before your headshot, don’t say “I got this”. The most embarrassing thing she listens to is Nickelback. While unrelated, please check out this clip of another Chad Kroeger fighting his local government to keep house parties a god given right:

The Beastie Boys would be proud

Amber

3 people dead or alive you’d like to have lunch with. You can tell a lot about a person in how they answer. Starting your list off with Kim Kardashian says more than enough. What can you possibly ask her in which the honest answer isn’t “sex tape”? How did you get so famous? Sex tape. How did you break into the industry? Sex tape. What drove your step dad to become a woman? Sex tape

Annaliese

I feel like Annaliese misunderstood the question 5 things you can’t live without. She listed 3 different types of food and 2 emotions. I think the producers are looking for you to say something like wi-fi and your favorite hoody. She also listed Miley Cyrus and Chrissy Tiegan as people she would want to be. Guessing there isn’t much going on upstairs with this one

Ashley

Ashley looks super boring. Doubt she makes it past night 1. She hates doing laundry because it takes her a week to go from washing her clothes, to folding, to putting them away. Pft. I leave that shit in the dryer and go grab a pair of socks and underwear as needed. Amateur

Becca K

Becca has quite the jawline on her. Hopefully she has a smokin hot body. Becca is a publicist. You know who was also a publicist? Fucking Shauna:

Something tell me Becca is publicizing people more like Johnny Drama and less like Vincent Chase

Bekah M

Bekah is very intriguing. This might be a first, but her age isn’t listed in her bio. And I really want to know what it is. Her profession is nanny so I would assume she’s pretty young. But past contestant Corrine also had a nanny and she was pretty old. I know it’s because of the hair, but I’m getting a Morena Baccarin vibe:

I’ve got my eye on this one

Bibiana

I’m guessing Bibiana has quite a bit of personality. This has to be the girl other girls hate, right? She’s an executive assistant and former NFL cheerleader. I vote Bibi as most likely to tell everyone that she isn’t there to make friends and to start calling Arie her man

Bri

Bri is a sports reporter. I needed to look it up to be sure:

Now I’m not saying someone that’s already been on TV can’t fall in love with someone else on TV. But if she gets to the final 3 this season, fans like her, and a sideline job happens to open up with ABC she may have her eyes on a prize other than Arie

Brittane J

At the risk of making an off(on)-color joke, I’m going to guess that is a new way to spell Brittany. And is she winking? Lunch with 3 people dead or alive she went with Whitney Houston, Bernie Sanders, Beyonce. When the bill came Bernie made sure that Whitney Houston’s estate paid for her meal before the new tax bill gets rid of the death tax. (Hey. She got political, not me)

Brittany T

Seeing her listed as Brittany T confirms that the previous girl does pronounce it as Brittany. This Brittany would like to have lunch with Chris Evans, Hillary Clinton (shudder), and Beyonce. When Chris Evans goes on a coke binge he better hope he stays away from the bathtub to relax afterwards (See Whitney Houston above). Also, do you think Hillary ordered a side of beef at lunch? I remember when she got chucked into a van like a side of beef at a 9/11 memorial ceremony:

#neverforget

Caroline

I’m out on Caroline. She doesn’t have a dog yet, but can’t wait to find someone to “co-parent” a dog with. You would be a dog owner, not a parent. I bet she also can’t wait to “play house” with Arie. She’s going to be that girl that Arie tries to have a serious conversation with and can’t stop giggling while talking about how much fun they have together

Chelsea

Chelsea is boring and generic. Sticks out in no way. Not pretty. Not ugly. Thinks France is the most romantic city. Listed grade school sports as something she did competitively (read: unathletic). Likes warm weather, but not too warm. I don’t see anything here. I suspect an early pass (racing jokes) from Arie

Jacqueline

I’m trying to figure out who Jackie looks like. Right now I’m stuck on a poor (very poor) man’s Winnie Cooper:

I don’t think that’s the right answer, so I am open to suggestions. I also kind of wanted to look up Danica McKellar so I’m not mad. This will never work out though. She keeps talking about her career and how important it is to her. Career first women don’t win. They usually become the bachelorette. Not that I’m suggesting that will happen. Just that she has no chance

Jenna

Jenna is a social media manager from Indiana. Speaking of, I need to fire mine. When she eventually reads this post I expect https://twitter.com/thebachtweets to be updated with the new season flair. Jenna’s favorite show is Friends. I’m going to diagnose her as Monica. Looks like she is bubbly, can provide some comic relief when necessary, and probably has a nerdy brother named Ross that keeps finding ways to screw up everything with his much hotter girlfriend. How you doin’??

Jenny

Jenny’s most afraid of picking the wrong person to marry. I guess you can’t make that mistake if the bachelor picks you. She probably has nightmares about being the bachelorette. Many of her answers indicate that she’s outdoorsy and loves adventure. She looks just the opposite. Maybe her idea of camping is hanging out in a motor home watching netflix while a fire burns outside

Jessica

Jessica’s occupation is television host and I immediately couldn’t wait to look up which show. Then I saw she was from Canada, which isn’t real tv. Is Degrasi still on? But then I looked her up and it’s worse than Canadian tv host. She has a youtube channel called Jessica Carroll TV.......(So what if I watched the video ‘Get Pool Party Ready). So we have smoking hot girl living in LA that’s used to the camera. Guess who might get called out first for not being there for the right reasons

Kendall

I feel like Kendall has a drink in one or both hands of this picture. This chick is weird. If she could be any animal she went with bat. Most romantic gift was an alligator hand holding an iron heart in a jar because she collects taxidermy. As long as it wasn’t an alligator holding a human hand. Carl Weathers would have been pissed:

Krystal

Krystal is one of those fitness nuts. I feel like that’s a profession/hobby that never does well on this show either. She says she is most afraid of unused potential. Lol. She must moonlight as a life coach. Trying to remember back to when Arie was on the bachelorette he didn’t strike me as a real go getter. I feel like Krystal is going to push him to be better and Arie will end up channeling his brother in name and hit her with:

Lauren B

I think Lauren B goes far. Pretty girl. No weird answers. What is my first rule about going on this show? Don’t be weird. She has a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. By the way, whatever happened to Billy Blanks?

Lauren G

Lauren has the real descriptive occupation of executive recruiter. Her favorite tv show is ‘This is Us’. I’ve never seen an episode, but based on the people that watch it and from what I’ve heard it sounds like one long ass chick flick. It’s like tv networks needed to try and scoop up the ‘Parenthood’ audience that loves mushy feel good/make you cry stories and we ended up here. Those shows are the worst (And no, the bachelor is not the scripted reality version of those shows).

Lauren J

Lauren is honest. Asked if she’s neat or messy, she concedes to being messy. Doesn’t like playing games with guys, just tells them how she feels. Eats full meals in bed. Can’t live without mascara. She’s also 33 so no time to beat around the bush. I think she’ll end up getting super jelly when she sees Arie making out with other girls. I’m gonna say she ends up in the top 5. Arie wants a young girl to parade around for a little while. Lauren is probably trying to have kids tomorrow

Lauren S

The run on Lauren’s continues. We’ve got another social media manager on our hands. It’s funny thinking back to the first season of the bachelor and knowing how that job wouldn’t have even existed. When asked if she could be anyone in the world she went with ‘anyone in Taylor Swift’s girl squad’. You wouldn’t want to be....I don’t know....Taylor Swift instead? Not very lofty girls for this one. She’s an early out

Maquel

Maquel? Whatever. Guess we are just making names up at this point. Her favorite holiday is Halloween. She loves dressing up and creepy/scary stuff. I’m guessing she is more Cady and less Regina:

Marikh

Maybe the weirdest answer to a question that I’ve seen:

What? So you don’t want to accidentally confirm an incorrect assumption? Keep in mind that she was asked this question, had time to think it over, decided to go with that. I think Marikh might break down if asked where she wants to go to eat. “I love Olive Garden but I hate their breadsticks and salad and pasta so let’s go there”

Nysha

Nysha looks like she’s embarrassed to take this photo and have an official Bachelor headshot that will live forever. I don’t see Nysha doing real well this season. Her answer on favorite tv show and fictional character comes off as a bit “I don’t need no man”. Try not to make a scene when you don’t get a rose

Olivia

Olivia is 23. She looks even younger than that. Favorite book is 50 shades of grey. Not sure she was old enough to read that when it first came out. Do you think she secretly hopes Arie has a sex dungeon? Probably would have been a good intern for Matt Lauer. 

Seinne

I’m going to guess that Seinne is this year’s Rachel (you know what I’m getting at). Favorite tv show is Game of Thrones. I don’t care for the show. Watched the first season and couldn’t believe I wasted that much time. Don’t get the appeal at all. If I hear Dilly Dilly one more time I’m going to fucking lose it

Tia

Tia could win this year, be the girl that everyone hates, or be the next bachelorette. I’ll know by the end of the first episode, but right now I have no clue. I’m looking for key things in her answers and she says ‘sassy’ as well as having gone to a swingers resort. I’m going to go with the one everyone loves to hate. But I reserve the right to change my mind

Valerie

Valerie is a server in Nashville (failed country music artist). She’s 25 and has over 50 Halloween costumes. Maybe she celebrates it multiple times a year. I just hope she doesn’t have that thick twang when she talks. That’s so annoying

There they are. The desperate fame whores looking to make their mark January 1st. I do wonder about airing the premiere on the 1st. I know there isn’t a ton of crossover between individuals when it comes to the bachelor and college football, but I can imagine a fight or two between couples when it’s the football semi-finals vs bach premiere. The game airs on ESPN which is of course owned by ABC’s parent company of Disney. I would suggest holding off a week but the national championship game is played that next Monday. 

See ya after the premiere

- Nick

[aj-the-psycho]

The Hour: A Sanders Sides Story - Chapter 6

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: HE’S NOT HAPPY

TW: None

Summary: Roman finally had his hour.

AO3 Link

Roman was excited. Ever since that announcement about the original theater production, Roman couldn’t help but think about it all the time. He got distracted a lot, thinking about the plot lines of his first original play. The professor never said it should be a musical, but obviously he’s making it a musical, because who could live without ever hearing his wonderful singing voice?

It was almost midnight and Roman was still hunched on his desk, writing ideas and creating scenes. He had always liked writing romantic or heroic tropes, be it poems or stories. Princes and knights saving damsels, fighting evil and dying an honorable death. Or perhaps, little scenes with romantic gestures where the hero would woo the girl and they would fall madly in love with each other. What people don’t expect though, is that Roman loves stories where the villain turns good and be the hero. He thought the most noble deed anyone could do is to own up to their mistakes and change themselves for the better.

Roman had been at his desk for six hours. His shoulders felt like it was made out of concrete; heavy and stiff. His fingers were jellies; weakly holding a pen and dancing across the paper in an erratic pattern. His eyes sting from the bright white light of his desk lamp. Roman ignored his discomfort and continued his writing, imagination still running wild.

‘I should maybe start writing at least one scene. What good are ideas if I don’t use it? Which one though?’ Roman paused for a moment. ‘Oh, that part at the near-ending is a good one.

‘How should that scene start? Oh, I know…

~~~

“You took a bullet for me.” the villain stared at her as she gasped for a breath that didn’t quite reach her lungs. “That was a stupid move.”

She wished she had something to say. An excuse. She wished she had had a plan, but he had done it out of instinct.

She wished she had something to say. A witty comment. Something smart. But every word she wanted to say died on her lips. Everything hurts.

The villain stepped closer, looming over her. For a second, everything was silent. Nothing moves, the wind holds its breath, the birds didn’t sing their happy songs. The villain scooped her up and leaned him over the large tree behind them.

“Why did you have to be so stupid?” the villain said, desperation dripping from the words. “Stay with me. Don’t you dare leave me. Please. If you stay, I promise-I promise I will tell you everything. I promise I’ll be better. Just… please don’t go.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” she said. Her breaths were getting shorter…’

~~~

‘I think that’s good for now.’ Roman thought, satisfied with what he had worked on for now.

Roman would never admit it, but he would often imagine himself being the hero who people adore. Well, one person would be enough for him. Roman have always wanted someone who he can protect and shower with gifts and kisses. Someone who doesn’t demand anything from him. Someone who he can love.

Suddenly, Roman felt a dull pain at the back of his head, like someone had punched him at the back of the head. He ignored it in favor of writing more ideas. He felt another pain, more intense this time. Roman threw his pen on his desk in frustration. Why can’t he just work in peace?! He held his head in his hands, closing his eyes, waiting for the pain to go away. After the pain had receded, he opened his eyes and was greeted by an unusual sight.

“¡Qué mierda! Where am I?!" Roman exclaimed in his surprise upon finding that he was no longer in his bedroom. He found himself seated on a bed with extremely soft sheets and heavy blanket. Roman didn’t do anything for a little while, just looking around without thinking.

He stayed on the bed for about ten minutes before he started processing his situation. ‘Am I dreaming?’ He looked around him again, now choosing to internalize his thoughts. ‘I don’t think I like this dream. I want to go back. How do I go back?’ Roman looked around some more without leaving the bed. The first thing he noticed was that everything was dark. By that meaning whoever decided to decorate this place has a dark aesthetic. That’s not the right word, but Roman didn’t care.

‘Wow… even the pillow smells edgy.’ Roman stood from his perch on the bed. He walked over to the bookshelf to the left of the bed, taking a closer look at the book collection. They were mostly poetry books, dated and modern. There are some other things too, three or four books about linguistics and two other books about space. ‘An emo nerd. That’s a weird combination.’

Roman dropped one of the books he was holding, so he bent down to pick it up. He almost instantly felt that something was off. He couldn’t place it. Something was off and he didn’t know what. ‘Wait…’ Of course. Usually, when he bend down to pick something up, the distance from his head to the floor was longer. ‘Am I shorter? I’m shorter.’ Roman told himself after reaching the conclusion then immediately back-paddled “¡Qué mierda! I’m shorter! How in las tierra is that even possible?!”

Roman paced back and forth in the small, dark bedroom, thinking about how he had gotten himself into this nonsense situation. He wished his nerdy friend was here to help him think. Logan would have known what is happening. ‘Think. How can this happen? What did I do? What did I do to the universe that it does this to me. Oh… the universe—oh… oh no. No, no, nononono! This is not happening!’

Of course it’s the hour. Of course the universe loves to mock him. Of course the universe would know the one thing he hated most. And of course the universe decided to give him that one thing that he hated most; a soulmate.

‘What time is it now?’ He took the phone at the bedside table to look at the time. When he saw the lock screen picture he froze. ‘Uuuuumm…’ he furrowed his brows and pursed his lips, thinking hard while staring at the picture. ‘That’s—that’s Remy. The Russian dude in my class?’ The picture was of Remy and another guy—who Roman thinks is super cute and immediately shoves the thought away—standing back-to-back looking straight at the camera, both having a neutral expression.

Roman would agree if someone said Remy was an attractive guy. Perfectly mussed auburn hair framing an oval face with ungodly jawline, sunglasses covering half his face which gives a mysterious vibe—until he talks, that is—and the classic ‘t-shirt, leather jacket and jeans’ combo that he usually goes for. Yes. Remy is positively hot. However, Roman was unsure about having him as a soulmate though. He looked down at himself—technically it’s his soulmate—and back at the picture.

Roman looked at the time once again. ‘I still have thirty minutes. Why can’t this just end right now?’ He walked out of the bedroom to find the bathroom. He marched in and faced the mirror. ‘Oh, I knew it was impossible for Remy guy to be my soulmate.’ was Roman’s first thought upon seeing the reflection in the mirror. His second thought was… well, it took time for him to form another thought. A pretty long time.

Roman could see the resemblance between his soulmate and Remy. They are undoubtedly related. Pale complexion making the skin look smooth and milky, striking steel grey eyes that pops against the soft-purple dyed hair, chocolate brown hair peeking at the roots. Noticeable cheekbones and killer jawline, subtle muscles framing the thin body perfectly. Roman dared to lift the loose black t-shirt to peek, revealing the same pale, milky skin. He stared at the mirror once again and noticed the dark under-eye bags.

Roman couldn’t help but think that this person was enchantingly beautiful. He immediately shook his head, as if by doing that he could banish the thought out of his head. No! This can’t happen, it’s not possible. Roman hates soulmates and nothing will change that. He doesn’t need a soulmate, because soulmates are not true love. He is not going to fall into that trap. He furrowed his brows while still staring at the mirror and leaving the bathroom with a sour mood.

‘Everything sucks.’ Roman stomps back into the bedroom. He didn’t know what to do. He never wanted this. He still didn’t want this. So, he decided to write a note.

Roman walked the short distance from the door to the desk at the corner of the room and angrily wrote a note.

~~~

Roman Cascales.

I never wanted this, still don’t want this. Don’t look for me.

If you ever see me, walk the other way.

~~~

He left the note, written on a post it, on the desk and sat on the bed again. He scrunched his face in annoyance. Why did the universe, or whatever being or force that created the universe decided that it was a good idea for soulmates to be a thing? Everything is a lie. Many people are trapped in loveless relationships just because they’re soulmate. Other people take advantage of their soulmate status to manipulate their match for their gain. Roman wanted to give a long lecture to whoever make soulmates an actual concept and maybe give them some murder charges for those whose life was taken because of that concept—literally and figuratively. Many people have had their lives ruined because of soulmates.

Roman looked at the phone once again to look at the time. He realized that the other boy in the picture was his soulmate. The realization made him want to punch something and just burst with red hot anger. ‘Ten more minutes. Just ten more minutes, hold on Roman.’ Roman tried to cool himself down.

When he felt a familiar pain at the back of his head, he embraced it. He wanted this to end right now.

Roman launched himself to the bed. His chest rising up and down quickly. He screamed into his pillow to muffle the sound and clutching the material of his thick blanket tightly in contained anger. His excitement from an hour ago was forgotten.

In the morning, before he left the apartment, he found a note on his desk.

~~~

Virgil Dudnickov (19)

Not much to say about me.

~~~

With the additional of email address and phone number, there was nothing else written.

After reading the note, Roman left his apartment in a foul mood.

**********

Roman's vocab (please tell me if I made any mistakes with these):

¡Qué mierda! [What the fuck!]

Las tierra [The world; the Earth]