#also not me coming in with the sanders sides opinions despite barely being in that fandom lmao

[dandelioncasey]

My hot take of the day is that more ships should have specific platonic ship names

Like in the Sanders Sides fandom there's two characters who describe themselves as twins. Some people ship them together and that has its own specific ship name (i think it's RemRom? iirc?) but the platonic ship of the two of them as brothers has a separate ship name, which is Creativitwins

That way you don't have to risk the platonic and romantic/sexual fics getting caught in the filter for either tag (as often happens when the platonic tag is just 'platonic (romantic ship name)') because they're literally tagged as different ships!

This has been today's installment of Casey Rambles About Shit Nobody Else Cares About, hope you enjoyed!

[sign-from-god-complex]

(fake fic title) Four Seven Hate

Four Seven Hate

Summary: There were very few people on Logan’s shit list. He was pretty forgiving, as long as people went the proper lengths to apologise for any missteps, and he was much more likely to declare someone not worth his time than he was to take an active role in disliking them.

One person who was on that list, however, was Remy Wake.

Pairing: Losleep

A/N: Whoops! Looks like it’s not a fake fic title anymore. I’m so, so glad I’ve finally managed to write another fic cause I’ve been trying for like a week and all it’s gotten me was a lot more WIPs and a lot more frustration. But I did it! So here you go!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Logan was not sure why he showed up to this party. He barely knew anybody, he wasn’t interested in drinking and, despite his tendency to get work done weeks before the deadline, he did have actual studying to be doing.

He also wasn’t sure why, when pulled by the hand to join a small circle on the floor by Roman—the only person at the party he actually knew and the driving force that had landed him here in the first place—he didn’t immediately get up and leave. Circles at a party were never a good thing, not if you didn’t want to get roped into some party game you most certainly weren’t interested in, like truth or dare or never have I ever or-

Seven minutes in heaven. Apparently.

And, of course, it was just Logan’s luck that he was selected to go first.

After Roman had lifted him clean off the ground and shoved him into the closet—much to his loud protests—he had nothing to do but wait for his partner in this party hell to arrive. He had already tried the knob the moment the door had been closed behind him but it seemed as if this group must have located the host and obtained a key because it wouldn’t budge.

The wait seemed to take much longer than he had expected it to—if Logan was prone to paranoia, he would say that the selection of his partner hadn’t been quite so random but he wasn’t, so he didn’t—but soon enough the door of the closet opened again and a body was being shoved in beside him.

There was very little light in the closet but, thankfully, Logan’s eyes had already had time to adjust to the darkness and he got the chance to see his partner before they had a chance to see him. And he wasn’t pleased with what he saw.

Remy Wake.

The biggest slacker and most irreverent asshole Logan had ever had the displeasure of knowing.

Based on the scowl on Remy’s face upon recognising his cellmate, Logan would assume Remy had a similar dislike of his person, but as opposed to Logan, he thinks it’s unlikely that Remy’s opinions of him have any basis in fact. (He ignores the niggling thought in the back of his mind that, given their incredibly limited encounters, he’s not entirely sure that his opinions actually have much of a basis in fact either.)

Logan had already been certain that nothing was going to happen in this closet tonight but setting his sights on Remy had only made him doubly as certain.

“What a surprise,” he muttered, his face set firmly in disapproval—not that Remy could probably see it all that well with those sunglasses on in the dark closet, “There’s a party and Remy Wake is present. Surely, it’s unprecedented.”

Remy looked away for a moment, heaving out a sigh. “How the fuck would you know how many parties I’ve attended? It’s not like you ever come. And it seems even when you do you look like a fucking tax accountant.”

Something similar had actually been said by Roman when Logan had left the dorms earlier this evening but Logan hadn’t let it get to him then and he certainly wouldn’t let it get to him now. He simply smoothed out the material of his coat—strange to keep it on even in the house, yes, but he was always particularly susceptible to the cold—and resigned himself to seven minutes of tense, frustrated silence.

Against all odds, they did manage to survive the seven minutes—the time spent glowering at each other, rolling their eyes and making snide comments.

At one point, Remy actually removed his sunglasses. He was muttering something about trying to find a way out of here, blinking around the room with eyes much bluer than Logan had expected by any means. Logan couldn’t even figure out why Remy would even wear sunglasses with eyes that blue. When Remy caught Logan staring, though, he quickly shoved his glasses back on, seemingly trying to look like it hadn’t bothered him by throwing out some comment about Logan’s loss at his debate meeting last week. Logan wasn’t even sure how Remy knew he’d lost debate last week.

It didn’t matter though because they were back to arguing and by the time the closet door was opened, Logan could not be gladder to finally be rid of Remy Wake.

Of course, it didn’t stop there.

No, suddenly, Logan was encountering Remy all over campus. He was lounging about at Logan’s favourite coffee place, he was the new member of Logan’s study group, he was hanging off Roman’s arm, giggling in a way that was just so incredibly irritating.

Logan had tried to ask Roman why Remy had suddenly seemed to become his new best friend (in a way that he thought totally didn’t make him sound jealous or needy, thank you very much) but, in response, Roman just gave him that smile. That stupid smile that usually indicated that Roman thought he was incredibly socially inept—which, true, but why say it—and Logan had stormed off to fume.

Stupid Remy. Stupid Remy with his stupid smirk and his stupid flirting and his stupid laugh and his stupid hair and his stupid eyes behind his stupid sunglasses and the stupid way he hated him even though Logan wasn’t sure why.

Logan wasn’t really sure why he hated Remy either.

Sure, maybe he wasn’t the most invested in his studies but then, neither was Roman with certain classes, and that didn’t stop them from being—sometimes reluctant—best friends. There was just something about Remy that made him feel and, worse, made him feel things he didn’t understand. And Logan hated not understanding.

When he came out of his room, looking vaguely like he’d just gone through something of an emotional hurricane, Roman just gave him a pat on the back and one of the Crofter’s cookies he’d stashed away. Clearly, Logan’s revelation was only a revelation to him. And, hopefully, to Remy.

He tried to catch Remy at the end of the next study meeting, looming over his shoulder as he packed his bag.

“Uh, sorry, hon, but I got nothing to say to you, ‘kay?” Remy snarked, throwing his satchel over his shoulder and raising his eyebrows at Logan, “So why don’t you just get out of my way.”

Logan stood his ground despite Remy’s comment, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. Remy looked as if he was just about to push past Logan when he finally spoke up

“I’m sorry.”

At that, Remy looked… genuinely caught off guard and for just a moment his persona seemed to drop, leaving him confused and… something else Logan couldn’t quite identify.

He took a breath, his brow furrowed.

“I wasn’t… exactly sure why it was that I found you so frustrating. I had convinced myself that it was your lack of study habits and generally—” Logan waved his hand around for a moment—“flippant attitude towards school in general. Though, of course, that excuse fell apart as soon as you joined the study group and I realised that Roman is just as bad, if not worse, in engaging in his classes.”

Remy gave no reply, simply watching him as he took another moment to think.

He cleared his throat. “That is all to say, that I apologise for my behaviour towards you over the time we’ve known each other and I would appreciate the chance to metaphorically… start over, as it were?”

There was another moment of silence as Remy regarded him, lips twisted slightly but in a way that Logan hoped was more considering than it was cruel.

“Yeah, alright,” Remy finally conceded, a slight grin pulling at his features, “Starting over it is.”

Logan stuck out his hand for Remy to shake and at Remy’s equal-parts confused and amused expression, he elaborated.

“I… uh, I never got the chance to properly introduce myself, I don’t think. I’m Logan McKenzie, I like debates, books, astronomy and anybody who’ll give me the opportunity to ramble for hours about things they probably don’t care about.”

A grin spread across Remy’s face as he took Logan’s hand in his. “Remy Wake. I like coffee, cute boys, puzzles and anybody who’ll let me wake them up at three in the morning for a trip to get slushies.”

“Wanna go for coffee?”

Remy grinned, big and bright and real. “Yeah. Sounds good, nerd.”

—————

“So… uh, did you ever figure out why you did seem to hate me so much?” Remy asked, bumping his shoulder against Logan’s as they made their way out of the library.

Logan startled slightly. “Oh! Yes. I find you extremely physically attractive.”

Remy didn’t think he could be blamed for walking directly into the doorframe at that but with the sound of Logan’s laughter echoing in his ears, so pretty and joyful, he wasn’t really hurrying to explain himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tag list: @mutechild @super-magical-wizard @shadowsfromthesun @teadays @sandersships @camcam774 @autism-goblin @deadlyhuggles6 @romanthestarstruckqueer @whispers-stuff-in-your-ear @rainboots-are-for-snobs @sanders-and-sides @spirits-in-my-thoughts @hold-my-hat @goodandbadisallmadeupnonsense @stop-it-anxiety @figurative-falsehood @jadedfantasies231 @idosanderssidespromptssometimes @poisonedapples @sanders-screams @another-sandersidesblog @do-not-just-see-observe @mychemicalpanicattheemo @primaryyblogg @localtransgrape @fandomsofrandom @gattonero17 @airiervessel @ollyollyoxinfree 

and, of course, for the losleep, @sleepless-in-starbucks and @emo-disaster

[snowdice]

The Horror of Stereotypes (Part 2)[Dice Roll 6]

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Relationships: Remus/Logan/Patton with Remus/Logan focus (more pre-romantic considering the situation), Remus & Roman, Logan/Patton (established, but not at the forefront for most of it)

Characters:

Main: Remus, Logan

Appear: Roman, Patton, Deceit (but blink and you’ll miss it)

Summary: There had always been a certain stereotype about people like him for as long as anyone could remember. After the Heart War of 1963, those stereotypes had been legalized and places like this had been created to enforce the universal truth: everyone had a soulmate. One soulmate. No more and no less.

At least they were supposed to.

When Remus’s brother gets arrested because of his two soulmarks, Remus risks everything by infiltrating the facility he legally should be in as well due to his own two soulmates to save him. There he meets Logan and it turns out they have a lot in common: they both got hired this week, they both have two soulmates, and they’re both here for the same reason.

Oh. And as it turns out, they’re each other’s soulmates too.

Universe: Soulmate AU

Genre: Horror (Yeah, it’s a fun combo. The horror vibe is mostly contained to chapter 3 though. It’s all still horrifying, but that specific tone is pretty much only there.)

Notes: Torture, Torture of a main character, Dystopian, Blood, Guns, Gunshot wounds, Leg wounds, Mentions of Desecrating an Animal Corpse by a Main Character, Imprisonment, Mentions of Cannibalism, Genocide Suggested, Sexual Innuendo, Fear, A tasteless but not serious incest joke, Medical procedures.

This is part of my Roll the Dice Event which is where I do random ships, universe, and genres for the Sanders Sides fandom. For more details see this post. I posted a few days ago my results from this dice roll here.

You know when you have that one annoying coworker that can’t take a hint?

Part 1

Remus was careful to keep an extra special eye on one specific coworker all day and did his best to glean as much information about the man that he could from his other coworkers without seeming suspicious. They didn’t really seem to know him too well especially since they hadn’t been working with him for very long.

According to Remus’s office mates, Logan was cold and no fun but at the same time was one of the best engineers the government could find. They’d been chomping at the bit to hire him since before he’d even graduated college last spring, but he’d apparently insisted on applying to many different places even with everything the government had offered him. Silly, everyone Remus talked to seemed to think (sufficient survival instincts, Remus countered in his head), but he’d eventually accepted only two days ago after realizing how much of a lucrative career he could have here. Remus smiled and nodded along all while wondering what had happened to make the man suddenly willing to risk being in this place. He wondered if it was the same reason Remus was.

Also, Logan had apparently already met his soulmate. At least, according to Dennis over by the water cooler. Though Dennis (who was now on Remus’s would-let-you-get-eaten-by-a-zombie list) claimed that nobody could figure out why someone would love that stick in the mud, let him tell ya, but he had a butterfly filled in on his wrist to prove it.

That… probably explained why he’d looked so scared when Remus had touched his hand. He was probably worried that Remus would mention it and out him, either on accident or on purpose. It wasn’t often, but sometimes people would out their own soulmates especially if they themselves ended up not being a “multi.” There was even a movie last summer about a tragic tale of two people who both shared a soulmate making the valiant decision to turn their shared soulmate in. They ended up together in the end and Remus wondered why that was any better than if they’d all just made one big fuck pile, but everyone seemed to think it was a great ending.

Remus and Logan barely talked the entire day. They spoke briefly when Gavin stuck them together to brainstorm, but it was rough and stilted and not at all the conversation they both likely wanted to have. When they weren’t working together, Remus often caught Logan studying him with an unreadable expression. The times he caught Logan watching were the only times his face wasn’t completely blank, but the expressions were always gone before Remus could start to identify them.

They both stayed late, probably with the same thing in mind. Everyone else in the office went home by 5pm until the only people left were Remus, Logan, and, annoyingly, Gavin.

Remus didn’t like Gavin, he’d decided. Not one bit. He was annoying as hell, hung over everyone constantly to listen in to their conversations (which meant he was breathing down Remus and Logan’s necks when everyone else left), and he wouldn’t fucking leave.

Remus pulled out every strategy other than physically forcing the man out of the door to get him to go. He sprouted off the most horrible ideas he could come up with, quoting old horror stories he’d written in high school. That sort of think usually worked on everyone even if Remus wasn’t trying to get them to leave, but it didn’t work on fucking Gavin. He just smiled more and more at Remus’s stories as the evening progressed. He didn’t even flinch when Remus started to talk about blood and guts over the spaghetti they’d ordered in for dinner. Remus winced when he saw Logan subtly throw most of his dinner away, feeling a bit bad, but honestly, Remus himself had trouble eating more than a fourth of his plate and he was the one sprouting off the nonsense.

Gavin, on the other hand, just happily slurped up the noodles and chewed on the garlic bread while Remus talked about how much it looked like human flesh and have you ever tried cannibalism Gavin?

“You’re perfect for this place,” Gavin complimented him in a dreamy sort of way that made Remus’s blood curdle under his skin. “You’ll really be an asset against all of these multis.” He spat the last word like a curse.

“Well, that’s what I’m here for,” Remus said with a lavish smile and a wink.

“That’s what I like to hear,” Gavin purred. If Remus ever managed to take over the world, he’d be the first one with his head on a spike as a warning to all of the other assholes on the planet. “I like your brain buddy. Though, if I’m being completely honest, I think we should just kill them all outright. No offence to your chosen career path of course. I mean, I guess I understand why someone might want to try to get information from them first. You know, make sure we’re culling them all, but it just seems like a waste of time ultimately.”

“I’ll respect your opinion on the matter,” Remus replied cheerfully, absolutely unable to deal with this shit any longer. “Anyway. I think I’m going to go home now. Get a little rest in before coming back for a productive day tomorrow.”

“Oh, of course. I’ll walk you out,” offered Gavin.

…

“Great.” Gavin grabbed his car keys. Remus turned to Logan while he was distracted and mouthed ‘stay here.’ Logan blinked at him once and then turned back to his computer. Remus hoped that was agreement.

“Alright, let’s go,” Gavin said clapping him on the back.

Gavin led him through the facility toward the parking lot and Remus’s eyes caught on the bathroom right before the exit. “Hey, I’ve gotta go to the bathroom. So, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll wait for you,” Gavin offered.

“Ya know, it’s a stinker. So, you go ahead.”

Gavin looked at him with his cold dark eyes for a moment before shrugging. “Yeah sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yep!” Remus replied before ducking into the bathroom.

He waited in one of the stalls for around 10 minutes before poking his head back into the hallway. No Gavin. Remus sighed in relief and then went about retracing his steps to the office. This part of the building seemed like a normal office building, but Remus knew what rot it hid underneath its linoleum floors. That knowledge made the sound of his footsteps clanking in the dark vacant space send shivers up and down his back more than it normally would. He wished the monsters his instincts told him frequented these halls weren’t real.

He managed to get back to the office without meeting anyone else probably because it was after 9pm. He swiped his keycard and the doors slid open. Logan had thankfully listened to Remus and had not left. He was still typing on one of the computers in the office and didn’t look up when Remus entered. “Remind me to fucking stab Gavin if I ever get the chance,” Remus requested while walking into the room. “Do the world a favor.”

“You two seemed to be getting rather chummy,” Logan replied blankly.

Remus winced. “Sorry about all of that talk and stuff. I was trying to freak him out, so he’d leave but he just… like it.”

“He did,” Logan replied, and his hands shook just barely on the keyboard.

“And not like in an abstract way either. He actually. He wants to do it,” Remus shook his head and half collapsed on one of the seats near Logan. “He wants to do it and he can do it. What is wrong with these people?”

Logan paused, hands hovering over the keyboard. “I don’t know.” He turned in his chair to finally look at Remus with scrutinizing eyes. They stared at each other for a long moment. “Thank you for not saying anything to them.”

“Well, the mark on my forearm’s the one on my employment papers not the one on my back so I think that would have been bad for both of us.”

His shoulders dropped a bit in relief. “You are like me.” Remus nodded. The mask the other man had worn all day had cracked through their conversation and despite the tension that still pulled at his expression, Remus thought he could see a bit of the person he was behind the façade. His eyes bore into Remus’s and Remus wondered what he saw. “Who are you here for?” Logan finally asked. Not what. He clearly knew the only reason someone like them would willingly walk into these walls.

“My twin brother Roman,” Remus divulged. “He’s… like us too. Who are you here for?”

“My… Patton,” Logan replied.

“He’s your…?” Remus jerked his head at the man’s wrist where the butterfly soulmate mark was. Logan’s opposite hand went to cover the mark as though to hide it from the world. He just nodded. Remus took a breath. He wondered if that meant… Well, it didn’t matter at the moment. “Allies?” Remus offered.

Logan nodded. “Between the two of us maybe we’ll actually stand a chance here.” That is all they said about it that night.

Want to read more? Click below!

AO3 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

[mother-snake]

a guide to the other side pt 6

( okay, so same as normal, read the other parts to understand some of this. but i suppose this could be a stand alone. second i know the last bit of lyrics is missing. its intentional)

start: thursday previous: a guide to the other side pt5 next: a guide to the other side pt 7

-what was in the past stays there. but it always had its ups and downs for our scaled friend-

words: 5558 warnings: heavy angst and not as much fluff as planned. tears may happen(if im missing anything plase say somthing!)

It's quiet uptown

He looked around the room with panic, the light had faded but he could still feel the numbing pain that spread into himself. Who was he…? he shakily stood up in the room he was in. he knew it was his. He looked up at the wall to see pictures. People he barely remembered. But he knew their purposes… so what was his?

 He saw a blacked-out figure in each photo… he knew that was him. But not… at the same time.

Tears poured out his eyes. Who was he… who was he… who… he let out a scream and clamped his hands on his ears. He didn’t like this. where was his other half? He didn’t want to be alone. He needed the other.

He sobbed into his black jumper. Tucking his head into the necks sleeve. he cried himself to sleep that day.

He ignored the talking on the outside of the door, and stared blankly as tears poured down his face. He rubbed his eyes constantly trying to dry them. An inky black substance started to dry onto his hands.

He cried harder. He didn’t want to be alone.

There are moments that the words don't reach There is suffering too terrible to name You hold your child as tight as you can And push away the unimaginable The moments when you're in so deep It feels easier to just swim down

It was a week after his other half appeared. He stuck by their side. Despite being created later, he was almost a head taller. And protective. His first action had been to hug the other. And in that moment, he felt complete.

They had been as quiet as possible, walking past the orange and silver doors of their family. Knowing that they would end up hurt if they alerted them to their presence outside their rooms.

They had been doing this for the entire week. Sneaking out in hopes of having some adventures. Staying in the room had been boring for them both.

 They reached the mirror that lead to the imagination quicker than they had the previous days. Janus clung to the others pink jumper tightly. Not letting go as they stepped in and into the bright luscious green forest filled with light and colour. Very few black and greys.

Janus felt a small smile appear on his lips. he took his brothers hand and pulled him into the forest. Running at a speed that his brother could barely keep up. but both laughing joyfully.

They arrived at the tower they had found on their third day exploring. Hidden away by stone and vines. “hello!” Janus yelled. a low rumble could be heard from the top. A scaly head poked its head from above. A wide toothy smile showing sharp canines. the dragon spread its wings and soared down, a bright red light flashed and the dragon shifted from its normal form into one of a women with a pointy hat. “hello children, its good to see you again,” she smiled. “oh my, where did you get that nasty bruise Theodore?!” she fussed.

“pops’ aren’t the nicest, but its okay! Janus is fine,” he smiled brightly. “well come on the, ill treat it. I also have something with your name son it. come on now,” each side took a hand as he led them to their home.

She was kind. They hope she wouldn’t turn out like their dads… but they knew their chances were slim. They hope she’ll stay their friend

The sanders move uptown And learn to live with the unimaginable

It was cold that day in the imagination. They couldn’t stop shivering. The white stuff falling out of the sky froze their skin with each small drop. the dragon-witch had set up a fire for them to warm themselves up in. they were confused as to why she had hung giant socks above the fireplace. or why there was shiny things strung around a tree. Blinking away in a rhythm. She had laughed as they stared at them for several minutes. “they are called Christmas lights sweethearts,” she smiled as she wrapped a blanket around the two and handed them cups of coco. “I must ask, why do you come here so often? You must have friends?” “no, it’s just us…” Theodore said, getting a small nod from Janus. “I know some people who would love to meet you, would you be okay with that?” she asked.

The siblings looked at each other. Seemingly having a mental conversation. She could never understand how they did that no matter how long she’d seen them do it. “okay then,” Theodore said with a smile. “ill talk to them tonight,” she said and walked away.

They looked between each other excitedly. They hadn’t had a friend before. The dragon-witch could count, but she was more of a mother to them. Not that they minded.

 They had arrived later than they had wanted that day and could feel the emotions leaking into the room… they had stayed far too long and were going to go through another round of hell… they had tried to be quiet. They had almost made it to their rooms… both blacked out and woke away from the other. If wrath or insanity heard their pleas to get back to the others side. They didn’t come.

I spend hours in the garden I walk alone to the store And its quiet uptown I never liked the quiet before I take the children to church on Sunday A sign of the cross at the door And I pray That never used to happen before

They sat in a luscious green field. Theodore’s newly formed scales glittering away in the luscious sun. Janus’s black jumper had remained the same. Theodore wore a new bright pink one, replacing his old black one. Brining out his scales beautifully in Janus’s opinion. “do you think they would accept us?” Janus asked.

They were waiting on the theirs to arrive. The dragon-witch had dropped them off here, saying she would tell the others there were new sides waiting.

Janus had a half made carnation crown in his hands. They were white but the tips blushed with a light pink. He was working on looping the final one when he saw two figures burst from the tree line that lead into the field. Janus was sat atop of an old structure, Theodore sat higher than his brother.

The figures looked at the two of them with surprise. They walked forwards towards them. one was waring blacks and grey. A purple bandana kept their bangs out of their face. the other wore a bright green princely costume that belonged to a evil king or prince looked like it came out of the books the dragon witch let them read. “excuse me, who are you!” purple bandanna spoke. “I’m depression, this is my brother. His name is repression!” “I’m paranoia, this is imagination.” “come join us!” Theodore patted the wall next to himself.

Much to his surprise paranoia removed his hoodie and wrapped it around his waist. six spider legs appeared and he began to climb almost in humanely. imagination snapped his fingers to reveal tentacles that looked like they belonged to a sea monster. several friendships were formed that day. All would last only a year long.

If you see him in the street, walking by Himself, talking to himself, have pity

They had slowly begun to stand up to their captors, the two others and their mother giving them the mental strength to do so. They should have guessed they wouldn’t back down from a fight.

And it cost more than they were willing to admit. Virgil lost half of his spider legs… Remus barely had his sanity in-tact. Theodore lost both of his legs… replacing them with plastic ones that the dragon-witch created for him.

It was their fault. They had begun to argue during the battle that locked wrath and insanity away. Janus had removed any memory of them fighting insanity. Knowing it was for the best. But leaving them to remember wrath.

Janus right now was curled up into Theo’s side, who still was yet to wake up from the fight. This replacement legs sat at the side collecting dust. he whimpered as he clung to the other like a lifeline. And he was. He didn’t want to lose his other half. He wouldn’t let him go anywhere. No matter what. He would kick and scream if need be.

He knew that Remus and Virgil wouldn’t visit. They saw them as a danger towards Thomas and would hide them as best as possible knowing them.

It would be decades before the get their chance. And for now, Janus was okay with that. He still had his brother, mother and home. That’s all he wished for right now.

Thomas, you would like it uptown It's quiet uptown

He laughed as Theodore jumped on his bed. Shaking himself awake. It had officially been three years since their split. They laughed as they snuck away to the imagination, knowing they could stay there all year.

The tower was covered in pinks and yellow. It wasn’t filled with many people. Just him, his brother and the dragon-witch. But that was okay to him.

His happiness always seemed to infect the other two. He wasn’t sure why or how it was possible. But he tried to do it as often as possible. He knew his brother hid things from him. Like how his abilities took his toll on the other. so he made it his mission to make the other happier. Sure, he wasn’t very good at keeping his own emotions in check. But as long as his brother was okay that was enough for himself.

“happy birthday kids… you’re all so grown up. can I even call you kids anymore?” “we’re twenty. But were always going to be your kids. Don’t think that will ever change,” Janus said as he smiled.

A soft yellow scared wrapped around his neck. Despite his scales had just formed. only being a feint grey, yet to show their true colours.

He loved the colour yellow anyways. It always brightened a room.

He is working through the unimaginable

It had been a week. His brother said he would be back in two days. So, where the hell was he? Where was his brother?

He felt fear strike his core. What if he was taken, what if the others had found a way to escape?

He hadn’t realised that he had gotten of the track of where he was walking whilst lost in his thoughts. It was when he fell down the hill, rolling along the ground uncontrollably. Hitting his entire body of the hard ground. Getting cut by wild thorns, twigs and stones that scattered the ground.

Pain filled every part of his body. He wheezed as he tried to get air back into his lungs, he could feel small bits of blood dripping down from his head.

He whimpered and stared at the sky. minuets turned into hours… and soon the sky was a dark black. The pain still hadn’t subsided. He knew that something was broken. He had run out of tears to cry and his voice was horse.

Where was his mum… where was his brother? Had they forgotten about him? had they heard his plea of help?

It was when he heard that guttural roar in the sky. She was near. and he tried to scream. But he only let out a small whimper.

He heard leaved and twigs crunching behind himself. was rolled over onto his back. His brother looked at him with eyes that screamed panic. “Janus?! What the hell happened,”

He felt the breath leave his lungs as he realised, he had worried his brother. “m’sorry,” Janus mumbled almost inaudibly. “don’t you dare apologise for this. I shouldn’t have worried you enough to go looking for me. Oh, how the turn tables,”

Janus let out a chuckle, but tried to stop himself as pain radiated into his chest.

“come on, lets get you home,” Theodore smiled, “and I won’t leave you. No matter what. I promise.”

His hair has gone grey. He passes every day They say he walks the length of the city

“we can’t!” Janus yelled as he slammed his hands down on his desk. “what’s the harm in doing so! You’re not one of us anymore. Your Janus deceit sanders! Why should you be scared about us showing face?” “they hate us with a seething passion. You know that!” “its been seven years, we’ve hidden away for long enough,” depression growled. “I can’t do it.” “fine then,” Theodore turned and walked away.

 Janus sat alone on his bed that day, this was the longest he had gone without Theodor in ages and the fear was beginning to set in… what if he hated him? What if he didn’t return… what if he refused to be his bother anymore? his body began to rock back and forth, he was gripping his hair, ready to pull it out at any given second.

He hadn’t realised what he had done until he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. he snapped his eyes open to be met with a familiar grey hoodie. He sucked in a breath. “hay, are you a new side around here?” he asked gently as he pulled away from the hug. I only stared at him intensely…” Janus… my name is Janus.” “I’m Virgil. Its nice to meet a new side. What are you exactly then?” “I’m…” he froze before realising he only had one option, “I’m deceit, I help him lie his way out of potentially dangerous situations and lie to him so he can get want he wants,”

You knock me out, I fall apart

He sat in his new room. It had almost been a year… Christmas was coming around the corner and he was terrified. Had Theodore forgotten about him already? Was he doing better… did he care?

He shook his head and picked up his hat and placed it on his head. He wiped away the stray tear that slipped from his eye and stared at the door. he opened it and left for the dark side’s commons. A blank look on his face. It was better for him to hide his emotions. He looked around the space. Halloween tinsel hung on the walls. They didn’t have any other colour apparently. Not that they had minded all that much.

He walked down the hall, his shoes clicking on the floor as he made his way to the commons. He wouldn’t be celebrating this year. He didn’t know if he would be able to take the emotional turmoil.

His once childish appearance had been replaced for his sleeker clothing. He had taken on the villain look with a bit of a struggle. But if that’s what he needed to be to find a family. Then he would.

He hadn’t spoken much since he had arrived… well… ever since he had split, he hadn’t spoken much.

“you shouldn’t block those feeling you know,” Virgil said as he looked curiously at the other. “I’m not good at much else,” I muttered. “you always have time to change, everyone does,” he patted Janus on the back.

Can you imagine?

Janus slept in that Christmas. A heavy weight lying on his chest. A numbness he wasn’t aware a person could feel seeped into his bones. The sweet sound of his sobbing was the only thing to enter his ears.

He missed his brother. They had spent so long together… and now they weren’t. he didn’t know how his brother was. He hadn’t made the effort like Janus had to try and talk. it was like the other had vanished completely. as he lay tucked under the sheets like a burrito, he heard the knock on the door. But he didn’t answer. He didn’t say anything. whoever was on the other side still opened the door. He couldn’t tell who it was from his position facing the wall.

“Janus…” Virgil. of course, it would be him. He didn’t respond to the other. Instead he pulled the blanket further up. covering the lower half of his face. “Janus… please…we want to know what wrong; we can’t help otherwise.”

“am I a bad person?” Janus hushed. “what?” Remus muttered staring at the lump of blankets,” of course you’re not!” he growled. “heh… I wish I could believe that…” he whimpered into the blanket. “I don’t know where this came from or how long you’ve been thinking this. But you are one of the kindest people we know. And it would take a LOT for us to change our views,”

Janus let a weak smile form on his face as he sat up. he quickly rubbed his eyes. Normal tears falling from them. “thanks…” Remus laughed, “I think this is the first time we’ve seen you smile snake face. Keep it up and I might actually fall for you,” he sundered out of the room. “come out when your ready, there’s some things for you under the tree, and thanks for the new hoodie. I might start wearing it soon.” he walked out of the room. Leaving the other alone. And for the first time since he was created. He didn’t feel so alone without his other half. maybe he could make it through one year. but at least he had a family to do it with.

Look at where we are Look at where we started I know I don't deserve you, Janus But hear me out. That would be enough If I could spare his life If I could trade his life for mine He'd be standing here right now And you would smile, and that would be enough I don't pretend to know The challenges we're facing I know there's no replacing what we've lost And you need time But I'm not afraid I know who I married Just let me stay here by your side That would be enough

Virgil left… he was…gone. There one day. Gone in the morning. Janus locked himself in his room and screamed. He wailed and cried. He wanted his friend. He didn’t want him to leave. He was tired of people leaving. He wanted someone. He wanted someone who wouldn’t leave because he was always fucking up.

And then something in him went snap. he looked in the mirror and laughed. His eyes turning into black pools. His clothes shifting into the ones he had previously owned. His old childish look. His scales turning their deadly yellow and speckled with black.

He opened his door and slipped into Remus’s room, through his mirror and into the dark side of the imagination.

He ran and ran. He went as far as his legs could take him. His laughter rung in the air. Scaring away any beast that roamed the area.

The earth around him shivered in fear.

 When he finally stopped running. He found himself somewhere he hadn’t been in a long time. Between making sure the darks never found out about him and all the other things piling up on top. He was pretty packed down on time.

The vines grew thick on the rocks, hiding the entrance to his old home. He let his shoulders drop. a shaky breath left him as he made his way forwards.

And he froze.

His breath hitched and he surged forwards. The tower that once stood high and tall was shattered halfway up. he reached into the wreckage and dug away. How long was it like this? How long had his home been destroyed. How much more was he going to lose?

Then as he dug through the wreckage something pulled him back. Tugging him away, and he turned to face the other. emerald eyes that held unknown levels of sadness. The eyes belonged to Remus. “I… I can’t lose… I can’t…” and the wall that he had tried so hard to build between him and the world broke.

He screamed and cried into the others shoulder. He held on as tight as possible, fearing that if he let go, the other would leave. “you knew her, didn’t you?” “she practically raised me…” he whispered silently. Remus gripped Janus in a vice like grip. He connected his eyes with the other, “I won’t leave you. Either we go together or we don’t go at all. I won’t leave you alone. Not now. Not ever.”

If you see him in the street, walking by her Side, talking by her side, have pity

Remus had stayed true to his word. Despite all the opportunities. All their arguments… he hadn’t left his side. Hugging him when scared and letting him cry and not asking several questions in a spitfire fashion. and he returned the favour. He had been thankful for the other, that he never left his side. And then it happened. They had come up with a plan to join the light sides.

And it had not gone of well. It had taken all his mental energy when he realised, he’d been found out. “it’s me Virgil, aren’t we friends?” “I don’t think we are.

“I don’t like him and his creepy, snake face.”

“get out of here, jack the fibber.”

When he rose into the dark sides space he visibly shuddered before falling to his knees. he curled into the smallest ball… he wanted Theodore. He would know what to say… it had been so long… how much longer would it be until the other gave him a him he was alive and well? When would he save him from this hell, he was living in?

“Janus!” Remus yelled as he pulled the others hands away from his hair,” Janus stop!” his eyes sapped open the other stared at him with wide eyes. He slowly stepped back. He knew the other had snapped. But he didn’t know what would happen. “Janus…calm down for me, okay?” “I wanna go home.” He cried out. Remus looked at him with pain filled eyes. “I know, but for now you’ve just got me. And I know you want something better than me, but for now… you’ve just got to deal with this bag of dangerous ideas and existential crisis’s,” Janus pulled the other into a tight hug, “I love you Remus. Never forget that.” “friend zoning me?” Remus laughed. Janus stared at him with a sad smile before leaning forwards and pecking his cheek. “oh,” he muttered, turning every shade red.

Janus tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and averted is gaze. “i... I’m not good with emotions… I never have been, but… I’m certain about this and I know that you don’t- “

He was cut off by a pair of soft lips connecting with his own. they spent the night together curled together, content in one another’s embrace. And for now, he felt hole… maybe not for long. But that was fine.

Janus, do you like it uptown? It's quiet uptown

It was after the court room that Logan had started appearing around the dark scape. the two had been startled by his sudden appearance one day but now it felt almost… natural to have the other around.

Janus had been the first to realise the other had started what he had done so long ago. Block away his feelings from everyone else. he had been quick to confront the other about it.

They suppose it was after that did, they realise that they had fallen for the logical side. Remus and Janus spent time when Logan was asleep on their laps gushing about how cute he looked.

Then Remus’s time to shine arrived. and they knew that this was happening for two reasons. Get Remus accepted as apart of Thomas and get Logan the acknowledgement he needed desperately without him knowing their plan.

It had, much to his surprise, worked. Remus’s door shifted over to the light sides area. He waited as he watched everything from Thomas’s eyes. Laughing when Remus almost summoned him on purpose.

When all was done and said, he sat patiently. Five minutes became ten and ten became an hour. he felt his lip quiver as he cried silently. He wasn’t coming back… of course he wouldn’t… his tears poured from his eyes. H curled in on himself. Remembering every moment, he had been left. Was this worth it? was it worth being alive if he was always going to end up on his own… thought swirled dangerously in his mind.

Warm arms wrapped around him. Then another pair. He sobbed harder. He looked to his left, Logan’s familiar black shirt in view. He turned to his right to catch his shoulder piece. Remus was back.

His breath shuddered as he realised. that yes, indeed. He wasn’t alone. They had come back… they’d returned for him.

“I promised I wouldn’t leave without you. Roman just wanted to talk for a couple minuets but he lost track of time. I’m sorry for leaving you this long sunflower,” he sounded so guilty it sent a spike of regret into Janus. “i.. I would like to help. And I think I know how to do it,” Logan said. the two turned to face him with wide eyes. “how?” Janus asked. “Thomas will be emotionally vulnerable during the period after the wedding. He doesn’t want to go. But I have a feeling the others will try and get him to lie to himself,” he paused for a second, “if things go south on my end, drag me out and replace me. Try and get through to Thomas.”

Janus stared in awe at Logan before leaping onto him with a hug. He quickly pulled back and leaned in and kissed the side on the lips. Logan froze for a second before kissing back.

When they stopped to breath, Remus began to laugh loudly. A blush on both Logan and Janus’s cheek. “I thought you two were- “ “were open to a poly,” Janus replied slyly. “only if you want to dork,” Remus grinned. Logan’s lips twitched into one of the widest, blinding smiles they’d both seen, “I’d love to.”

They spent the night in the dark scape cuddling, Remus and Logan’s body warmth sending Janus to sleep as the documentary played in the background.

He is trying to do the unimaginable See them walking in the park, long after dark Taking in the sights of the city

He stared at the space where his door used to be with a wide smile. He held both Logan and Remus’s hands. it had been several months since then. He was now one of the others, contributing when needed. Sure, roman and Virgil were wary of him… but that was okay. He had his bluebell and poison ivy by his side.

“it’s strange…” Remus muttered. “what is?” Janus asked staring at a part of what made him whole. “I… just feel like this isn’t over is all… that something big is coming. I can’t place why,” he said grimly. “well… that’s the future, for now… lets go and get some sleep tonight.” “come on… you enjoyed last night,” Remus said wiggling his eyebrows.

Janus laughed and elbow him in the side. Logan laughed at them. “I’m with Janus on this one. Sleep does sound nice today.” “fine,” Remus drawled.

Janus wrapped his arms around their waists and lead them out of the dark sides area. a wave of nostalgia hit him with every turn… “do you mind if I show you guys something?” he said as he stopped walking. “sure, I don’t mind a small detour,” Logan said. “of course my dear sunflower,” Remus grinned.

Janus grabbed their hands and sprinted as quickly as he could, dragging the other two behind himself. they only took a couple more turns before coming face to face with a large mirror. It didn’t show their reflection though.

He adjusted their hands in his grip and walked into the mirror.

Look around, look around, Janus

They arrived in the forest that he hadn’t seen in years. A small segment that even the twins couldn’t get to. Only accessible by someone who was a nightmare. not that he would tell them that any time soon. he pulled them along quietly, pulling them along a trail that seemed to have barely been disturbed by the surrounding land.

And there it was. A clean field with an open canopy of stars glittering in the sky, ouroboros lit the sky in beauty and style.

“is that… how,” Logan marvelled to himself. “how did me and roman not find this?” Remus muttered to himself.

They laid down and stared at the sky. The sky seemed to almost hypnotise all three of them but all for different reasons.

“are you okay?” Logan asked as he turned his head to Janus. said side reached his gloved hand up to his face. Wiping away the tears that seemed to fall as quickly as he tried to get rid of them.

“I’m fine…I promise,” he could taste his own lie… his mother had been the one to show Janus and Theodore the incredible view on that birthday night long ago.

Logan cuddled into Janus along with Remus. All three fell asleep in a silent slumber. Anything that had been troubling them forgotten.

Janus’s final thought crossed his mind…happy birthday brother. one final tear escaped as he slipped into sleep.

They are trying to do the unimaginable

He stared at his bedroom wall. It had been around a month since he had woken up. still bed ridden thanks to his leg. He stared at the door longingly with his one eye…

Would he come? Would he show himself and help him get through this like he had done for his brother all those years ago? a feeling flooded him. For the first time… he laughed sadly to himself and he stared at the celling. for the first time. He knew, he knew the other wouldn’t come. Why wate hope on the impossible. he was forgotten by the other. All the times they’d spent together were blurry to the other now. Barely any memories remained from when his brother was by his side.

He couldn’t make himself hate him though. As much as he would love to punch the other in the nose… that wasn’t him. He couldn’t hurt him no matter what happened. “I’m sorry,” he whispered lightly as he stared at the celling. a weight seemed to lift of him in one fowl swoop. Why did he bother thinking about something that would never happen?

He may have wanted his brother, but that doesn’t mean his brother wanted him. And that wasn’t fair on Theodore.

Patton opened the door and looked at the other with wide eyes, “what happened? Are you in pain? Do you need Logan or Remus?” he fussed as he moved the blanket further up Janus. “I… think I’m going to be okay eventually, it might take a while. But I might be okay one day,” he smiled weakly at the other.

He had a family now… if his brother didn’t care about him. Then that was Theodore’s loss. Not his. If he didn’t care about Janus. Then he didn’t care. Not anymore.

His brother made his decision long ago. Now he had made his.

He unconsciously rubbed the two rings on his finger. A happy smile on his face as he looked over to Patton. “can you get my two idiot fiancé’s in here?” Patton laughed, “of course, don’t worry they will be here within seconds.” “…Patton?” “yes?” “thank you for everything. I know im not the most honest person at the best of times… but I still thank you for trusting me despite all of that,” “no problem kiddo,” he ruffled Janus hair and left.

He had a new family now.

There are moments that the words don't reach There is a grace too powerful to name We push away what we can never understand We push away the unimaginable They are standing in the garden Theodore by Janus’s side She takes his hand

They sat in the commons. Logan wore a black suit along with Remus, Janus was wearing a white dress, the knee length showing his legs. a wide smile on his face as he chased Remus who had run of with his bouquet of bluebells, sunflowers and fake ivy.

Laughter rang in the air like a beautiful melody. Patton and roman watched on with enthusiasm Virgil was taking pictures of everything. Thomas stood next to Logan talking about the day that he had gotten together with the other two.

A peaceful aura surrounded them all.

Theodore peaked his head from behind one of the trees that lead to their childhood forest with a smile wide on his face. “congrats baby brother,” he whispered, small tears falling from his eyes as he saw how much his brother had changed.

Janus paused and looked around for a couple seconds. But as his eyes laned on the tree line, Theodore was gone. he shrugged and continued to chase Remus once again. Surrounded by everyone he loved.

It's quiet uptown

[whatwashernameagain]

Keep him safe - Chapter 27

You can read the previous Chapters here: Ch 1, Ch 5, Ch 10, Ch 15, Ch 20, Ch 25, Previous Chapter, Ao3 Link, Lo’s, Pat’s and Virgil’s aesthetics, Fantasy AU You are Magical, I’m dying to be with you

Pairings: Logan/Patton, Roman/Virgil

Words: 5.708

Warnings: wrestling and restraining, knifes, mild violence

Summary: Detective Logan Sanders and his best friend and dorky partner Roman Prince have made a dear friend in the lovely pattisier Patton. Logan however feels a lot more than friendship for the sweet man, even though he knows he cannot possibly have him. Their routine is broken abruptly when Logan finds bruises on Patton’s fair skin and slender wrists he could hardly have received from his costumary clumsiness. Meanwhile his partner Roman has his own demon to fight, which comes in the form of a little delinquent who seemed to have been pulled into a street gang quite against his will. Roman is determined to help the strange young man. It would be so much easier though if he just stopped hissing at him!

Notes: This is just a little feelsy chapter to show how Ro and Virgil handled Patton’s situation. More will follow soon.

Special thanks to @poisonedapples for helping with the idea of this chapter and to all of you who had suggestions or wishes. I love hearing your opinions. And of course, my betas have helped me every step of the way! @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 and @hanramz-the-fander you two are my heroes.

Chapter 27

The day Patton had been brought home to them had been a difficult one. Even if his arrival in itself had been a joyous occasion, his state had not been.

Virgil recalled having had a bad feeling from the moment first Patton and then Logan had shortly after hurriedly left the cafe. He knew he worried too much and that on one liked to be controlled or followed around by an overly attached, needy ex-gang member, especially not Patton who needed their respect now more than anyone. Trying to be helpful and to trust Logan, he’d locked the cafe up with his colleagues and taken the pets home. He had also called Roman to see if his partner had returned.

Unable to provide more information or reach Logan, Roman had given Virgil and the animals a lift to the flat. His deep voice had been reassuring while his big hands had closed around the steering wheel firmly, safely taking them home. The youngest member of their household had tried to listen. Logan had gone after Patton, so how bad could things really be? He’d never let the patissier down. Clinging to the feeling Logan’s calm protection still gave Virgil, he hoisted the fat raccoon clutching and grooming a chirping kitten higher in his arms and pressed his cheek to the cool rat riding on his shoulder. It nuzzled him.

“Voice-mail.” Roman muttered upon trying his partner’s phone after hanging up his fashionable wine-colored coat, going for an unconcerned tone and missing narrowly. He was a good actor, marvelous even with his brave smiles and honey-smooth voice, but Virgil’s dark eyes, used to watching men’s smiles for hidden agendas, watched closely and missed nothing. Though it caused him to juggle the too many pets in his arms a bit and hold a hissing Cat upside down for a few seconds, he managed to extract the kitten and settle it against the broad chest with a hopefully indifferent look. Roman’s expression was as warm as sunshine on dark wood as he closed his hands over the small animal. It kneaded his nice shirt with a rumpled purr. The tall detective mourned the loss of his lovely dark blue silk shirt with the tiny red rose pattern and resigned himself to adding another article of clothing to the growing pile in the wicker basket between the sofa and the desk. Logan’s indigo cashmere sweater as well as his oxford-blue dress pants had already found an undignified ending in there. Cat, insulted by being held upside down, made its way there now and buried itself in several hundred dollars worth of high thread count.

“How about this dashing prince puts on some water to make us a delightful chocolate chai-latte? Us hard working all-American men deserve sugar!” He exclaimed, hoping to tempt a smile out of Virgil. He knew the young barista was worried and might need some space, but sometimes he just didn’t deal well with the oppressive silence creeping into the nooks and crannies of the flat when no one interacted with him. He needed people to pay attention to him, to smile at him. Not because he thought he deserved to be looked at by everybody all the time, but because the familiar, heavy feeling that had followed on his heels as an inadequate, ignored child tiptoeing though echoing, too large rooms made itself known the moment Virgil turned away from him. He knew he wasn’t trying to hurt him, he was just anxious and probably suffering, but Roman couldn’t help feeling pushed away and lonely, like a child that just wasn’t enough once again. It was his fault. He had failed at cheering Virgil up because he wasn’t finding the right words, doing the right things. He felt unloved and lost suddenly.

Shaking his head, he squared his broad shoulders and put on a beaming smile. The kitten stretched up on wobbly hind-legs to lick his chin. It would be alright, a prince would not dwell on gloomy thoughts, he had water to boil and sunshine to spread.

Both stilled as the sound of a key being slotted in the front door announced the return of Logan. Neither voiced their hope, but both men wished for Patton’s smiling presence to follow the detective into the corridor, ready to beam at them and spend a cheerful and comforting evening on the couch or the now sun-bathed balcony, throwing furtive, pining looks at Logan when he looked away while receiving the same looks in return.  

The image of a bright, smiling Patton clashed so hard with reality, it left both men frozen with uncomprehending expressions for a long moment. Logan was cradling a small, crumbled body in his arms, hiding him almost entirely in a pale blanket. There was blood in his hair, crusted on the side of his face which was swelling from the impact of a truly terribly anger.

The look on Logan’s face as he spotted them, lost and hurting and fearful, told them all they needed to know. Before either of them could force their feet to move, the door fell closed behind the detective with an audible click. Patton flinched hard in the arms that held him so safely, utterly silent despite his shock. He blinked his tearful eyes open and spotted Roman and Virgil on the other side of the room, two of the people that loved him more than anything. With a strangled, shameful whimper, he hid his face in Logan’s neck, wordlessly pleading with him to hide his bruised face. The detective looked as if he’d been slapped.

Virgil and Roman were left behind in the silence of the living-room that felt so loud, it seemed to press on them from all sides.

Tears filled Roman’s pretty, green eyes. He clasped a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle the sounds that wanted to escape. His beloved, sweet, innocent Patton. The young detective squeezes his eyes shut and tried to breathe through the pain. Allowing the bedroom door to close quietly behind Logan and separate them from his sweetest friend felt like it cut him off from everyone he wanted to be close to.

A movement, nothing more than a misplaced current of air touched by a silent creature, made him open his eyes. Virgil hat slunk into the kitchen like a shadow. Fearing his poor wildcat’s reaction, Roman settled the kitten in the basket on top of gray fur peeking out, turning just in time to see the younger man reach the counter on the opposite wall.

Virgil’s mind had filled with loudly rushing, deafening static, drowning out all other thoughts, all rational inhibitions. He prowled into the kitchen, vision red with rage, trembling with it, and grabbed a knife. He was back in his worst days, filled with feral, uncontrolled anger.

Men.

They took and hurt and destroyed everything pure and he wanted to cut through their restraining hands and free Patton from his selfish, groping hands forever. He would not allow him to use his friend again, to beat and choke and degrade him and leave nothing but a cold, worthless hull of a person.

Not Patton.

The metal was cold in his hands, lifeless just like he would be when Virgil was done.

Roman gasped in shock upon seeing his expression. It, more than the long blade in his pale hand, drove home what Virgil was about to do. Throwing himself in his way, he grasped for words.

“Virgil, please wait! I know you are angry and hurting-”

“He’s fucking hurt and I’m done!” The delinquent snarled at him, nimbly slipping past his larger form like water through Roman’s clumsy fingers.

Panicked, the detective tried to reach for him, succeeding only in having his hand nearly injured by shining metal cutting though the air between them.

“Virgil, you can’t- you can’t just- just kill him! It’s not right, please, you’d be thrown in jail and-”

Roman’s pleading was cut off by a truly arctic voice. Remorseless. He’d never spoken to the gentle man like that.

“You think I’ll let you find the body?” He hissed, wild. Dangerous. His hands were perfectly steady. A primal, old fear settled in Roman’s body. Virgil looked nothing like the elfin creature he’d fallen so naively for the moment he’d laid eyes on him. He looked inhuman, sleek like a beast that was build from flexing muscle wrapped in tar-black fur that stalks through high grass in the twilight. Eyes cold and claws ready to tear into soft flesh.

“Try to arrest me or stay out of my way.” He growled, half turned away from Roman already, who barely managed to find his voice, grasping for words – for the right words.

“You can’t do that to Patton, he wouldn’t want that! Virgil please, he’s here now, he left-”

“He’s never going to get away from him!” The delinquent spat the words at him with cold, harsh certainty, pushing against Roman’s chest so hard the force of the shove and the words knocked the wind out of him.

“Don’t you get it, you naive moron? He’ll always want to protect that fucking piece of shit, he’ll pull him back with his pathetic whimpering and Patton will fall for it because he’s a kind, selfless fool and he will die there and I won’t let that happen.”

The words were spoken with the finality of a sniper steadying his rifle to shoot. Even the slightest tremor of nerves, the smallest hitch in ones breath, the tiniest hint of a merciful heart could mess up the shot, and Virgil displayed none of those weaknesses.

Roman froze in horror.

The moment’s hesitation was enough for the slim form of the deadly little thing that was Virgil to eat through the distance between him and the door with hungry strides.

“You’ll break him.”

The young man paused in the door, leaving nothing but his inky shadow in the apartment while his body was turned outwards, towards a steep descend into revenge and violence, barely hearing the last, desperate effort Roman had to make.

“You know I’m right.” He spoke softly, approaching the armed young man slowly, like a small creature would a predator, knowing about the sharpness of its claws and the fragility of its patience.

“He can survive insults and pain, even abuse, but what you’re about to do with the wish to protect him...”

He was close now, just on the other side of the slim opening in the door Virgil had slipped through like a fox in the night.

“…it will shatter him for good.” He promised with soft voiced certainty.

Finally rounding the wooden, steel enforced door, he spotted the other, his thin form that had all of its former softness beaten and starved out of it, leaving nothing but a toughened body of a young man pushed to his limits, pushed too far by the suffering of what he had loved with the last innocence he had left.

The detective’s hand shot out, closing around the slender wrist and twisting it around, yanking him back inside with unexpected force. Virgil was fast, and feral, but Roman was ready to suffer, he was ready to fight. Shoving the door closed with click of heavy metal interlocking that sounded final, he roughly cornered the angry beast he’d captured against the wood with his body and forced his arm behind his back, the knife glistening cold and metallic between them. Virgil snarled, too angry to scream, pushed too far for words. He clawed against the door Roman pushed his front against, writhing like an electric eel. It was as if the detective felt the shocks bite at his body, painful whips of agony.

He twisted the knife free. It landed on the floor with a quiet clatter.

Roman felt Virgil’s arm protest against the way it was twisted, felt his shoulder blades like sharp-boned wings where he pushed his back against the taller man’s chest, trying to writhe his way out of the firm grip. His arm wrapped around a heaving torso. He buried his face in the pale neck and held on, in more pain from the brutal way the limb between them was forced up at an unnatural angle by the attempts to escape than Virgil.

The former gang member shook and jerked in his grip, a desperate predator choking in a net. His sob was an animal-like sound, like the pain had overwhelmed all humanity and left only a thing running on instinct alone. Roman released the wrist in his grip and turned the restraining hold into a hug, sinking to the floor and folding around the mangled little body.

His chest hurt with regret.

Crumbled on the ground and too tired to fight anymore, the knowledge of the mistake he had been about to make dawned on Virgil with cold, sudden clarity.

Roman was right. He was right. Patton would be shattered by that monster’s death. Virgil knew he was still trapped by him, by his lies, his demands, the things he had him believe – they were spun around Patton like an invisible spider’s web. Inescapable. And still, what he had been about to do would have damned the man he cared so much about more than anything Trevor could have selfishly done to him. He would blame himself and he would- he would-

Virgil could hardly imagine the suffering he would have caused. He could not believe how far he’d sunk.

He folded into himself on the shiny hardwood floor, staring at the hands he hardly recognized.

Defeated.

“I didn’t used to be like this.” He muttered tonelessly.

“Tell me about him, then. About the old Virgil.” Roman asked gently, daring to run a hand over his slender arm.

How was he supposed to answer this request, when he could barely remember him?

Closing his tired eyes, he held on to Roman’s question, following his wishes lest his traitorous, broken mind came up with more destructive ideas. He could not trust himself anymore.

Young Virgil Rain.

“He… he used to care about everything. So many things interested him, he needed to… to find out how things worked, I guess. It was all so fascinating to him, so full of potential. He had so many things to build, to fix. He thought he could fix the whole fucking world. He was naive. Had no idea about how dark it is out there. How little he could do. How fucking powerless he would become.” Virgil muttered, half there and half far away.

“Hey, none of that, my dear.” Roman chided him softly, brushing a tentative hand over his cheek.

“Tell me more about his character. About what made him laugh and what he dreamed of.”

Virgil turned his face away from the hand that offered tenderness and forgiveness.

“He was...” He sighed, running a shaking hand over his face. So tired, suddenly. So tired of himself.

“He was passionate about shit. When he wanted something, to perfect a new floor routine for his gymnastic training, start a science project or to learn about quantum mechanics or renewable energy systems he emerged himself until he drowned in it. He was methodical about it, and patient. A fucking idealist. And he was kind. He cared.”

“He sounds lovely.” Roman commented gently. “What would he do now?”

Virgil tried to think about it. His head hurt with the effort it took to cast his mind back so impossibly far, into another person.

“He’d find out what went wrong, locate the problem and make a plan, step by step, to get to the root of the issue. He’d start with the most pressing one and work his way down the list.”

“Then that’s what we’re going to do, you and me, alright?” Roman asked kindly, offering his hand.

“We’ll get your notebook and write down everything we know, everything we need, and every way we and others can help until Logan lets us know what we can do. Are you with me?”

Virgil stared at him for a long moment, his mind utterly blank. Then, slowly, the process Roman suggested began to form in his mind. They’d need a new notebook with plenty of subsections for mental and physical health, documentation for the police, support networks to contact and legal steps and requirements Patton might have in order to stay with them. The cafe needed to be taken care of and he had to call Remy and Emile and get them to help with a therapy plan. And his finances needed sorting. He’d be damned if any financial pressure or demands made him dependent of this piece of shit. Who knew how deeply he’d entangled himself in the organisation of the Pat-isserie? If he had part-ownership or if he’d used it as surety for his fucking business ideas or made Patton stand in for his losses. All of his experiences from doing the paperwork and dealing with the banks for the Scorpions gave him a clear picture of what needed to be done.

He took Roman’s hand.

They made a mind-map of things they needed to deal with - health, therapy, paperwork, housing, long and short term goals. Then they took care of Patton’s immediate needs – cooked tea for Logan to take to him and called his co-workers to close the cafe until further notice and sorted out clothes for him. Virgil called Remy who had him do a breathing exercise over the phone the moment he’d heard him utter the first words and ordered him to drink some water. He and Emile would work something out to support their friend.

The planning calmed Virgil. He got lost in the possibility of doing something good. He felt useful. Now, with some distance between himself and his own actions, he was baffled and ashamed at himself. There was so much Patton needed now, how could he have believed it wouldn’t matter if he got himself locked away for fucking murder? How could he have overlooked that protecting him from harmful influences was not the same as helping him? Especially he, who’d depended so much on the approval of a monster himself, should have known better. It was as if, after all the violence he’d endured, it had become his first response to any problem and he hated it. He hated what he’d become. A stupid, ruthless, dangerous thing. When he’d gotten so utterly lost in helpless rage, there was only one man that had dared to bring back traces of a person he used to be proud of being. Someone who had believed in him.

He looked up from writing down a list of things they’d need to purchase to gaze at Roman. He had settled on the ground next to the desk in his room, surrounded by notes and art supplies and was marking pages in the notebook with colorful washi-tape so they’d find them easily.

His chest felt full as he gazed at the shining, caramel hair pulled up in a messy bun, some of the locks escaping to fall into his face. Roman had saved his life from his own, brutally learned impulses. What did one say to express how much his intervention meant to them?

He stayed silent, intimidated by the depth of his emotions.

Roman looked up, feeling eyes on him, and smiled. Virgil’s breath caught on his thankfulness, his awe, on the sudden tenderness he felt for his selfless, gentle man, for his patience, his forgiveness, his strong hands that had restrained him when he’d needed it and soothed him when he hadn’t deserve it.

He slipped to the floor next to him without consciously choosing to do so, transfixed by the green eyes that still, impossibly, looked at him - after he’d literally tried to murder a man in front of a cop, as if he were innocent.

“You’re the most obnoxiously naive moron I’ve ever met.”

The words escaped him quite without his consent and mortified him the moment he’d said them, especially because he’d spoken them not harshly but with such wonder, such softness. He hid his face in his hands, half expecting Roman to snap at him or finally grow angry at his ungrateful, terrible behavior - or laugh at him.

Instead, he complained in an apparently scandalized tone that was a little too dramatic to be real.

“How dare you, you little… fiend!”

Virgil shrieked in surprise as his side was suddenly tickled. He was a little shocked at the sudden contact but had grown comfortable enough with being touched not to freak out, especially since Roman kept his large body a respectful distance from Virgil’s. Until the barista growled and tackled him.

All of the nervous electricity still thrumming through him, harmless remains of his murderous anger, made him itch for a way to use all that youthful energy vibrating in his veins. His young, lean muscles had hardly exhausted themselves in his brief fight with the detective, leaving him with the primal need to pounce, to roll around and wrestle and burn it all in a way that did not draw blood.

Roman yelped in surprise at suddenly finding himself on his back with the shy creature he’d barely dared touch without ample warning suddenly on top of him. Seeing the wild, playful glint in his dark eyes, he took a deep breath and a leap of faith and pushed back, carefully flipping him over. He was not sure about this decision at all and half expected to be bitten right there and have to live with the shame of having frightened his poor kitten again, however he’d hardly turned them around before Virgil squirmed like a snake and twisted out from under him, delivering a mean little poke to his ribs.

He gasped in surprise, whirling around – and promptly getting the arm supporting his torso pulled out from under him by nimble, mischievous hands. Landing on the fluffy rug with an ‘oof’, he found Virgil climbing on top of him, fluid and graceful like water and looking far too smug.

With a playful growl the young man could feel all the way to his bones, Roman reached around the narrow waist and grabbed him. His smile was so bright it blinded Virgil for a crucial moment, distracting him with how handsome the detective was when he was disheveled and happy and trusting, costing him the moment he needed to slip away.

He was on his back again. Despite the sudden rush of light and giddy feelings, he would not stand for this proud grin above him for even a second! This moron clearly needed reminding who used to be a prized gymnast.

Pulling his legs up between them nimbly, he wrapped his tights around the unsuspecting detective’s neck and pushed him back, making him yelp like a startled puppy and flail like a duck out of water.

Having him trapped between his legs and interlocked ankles was a heady feeling. Virgil was very aware of how powerful Roman was, taller and stronger than him in every way with his broad shoulders, long limbs and his firm built. He allowed himself to look more often now, despite having been caught a few times. Never had his interest been followed by a degrading comment, groping hands or a gaze that undressed him though. Instead, Roman had smiled and preened, even blushed sometimes, and always innocently enjoyed the attention. He’d never seen it as permission to take anything from Virgil. Even now, his hands weren’t rough and careful to be respectful as he tried to wriggle free, with little success. The former delinquent smirked at him gleefully.

He, in turn, seemed to need reminding that Roman regularly trained with Logan.

Flipping his legs over his body and rolling backwards, the detective twisted out of the firm hold of those strong, lithe limbs. His hair was helplessly disheveled and escaping from its bun, yet he was proud to have freed himself from his clever lynx. However, he was rudely denied the chance to gloat as he was tackled again with a fierce war-cry. Laughing joyfully he was helplessly swept up in the much needed distraction, rolling around the floor with Virgil like overexcited children. His thundercloud’s chucking was like music filling up the space between them that had been soaked in mournful silence.

Upon being tickled in retaliation for starting their match, Roman screeched helplessly and flailed to get a hold of those dangerous fingers. He ended up pinning Virgil under his body quite in self defense, panting from laughing so hard.

The younger man stilled for a moment, drawing in deep lungfuls of air, finally exhausted from pushing against this man that might as well be an excited golden retriever happily yapping at him. His wrists were pinned by the man-child straddling his hips to keep them away from his apparently vulnerable sides.

Lying there under a man larger and stronger than him, finally trapped securely, the urge to bite and scratch arose in his chest from sheer habit alone. He wasn’t because he was afraid – he wasn’t. Not while he was seeing Roman above him, awed and careful with green eyes bright with joy. Instead of curling his fingers to draw blood on the large hands restraining his wrists, he relaxed them, knowing he could escape if he choose to. Not only because he was well used to being in this position on his back and knew it was a simple matter of bringing his knee up in a very painful manner, but also because he realized that he had never been in this position quite like this before. He wouldn’t need to fight his way out. A word would suffice.

Despite being towered over, overpowered, Virgil didn’t want Roman to leave just yet. He had gotten beaten because he’d allowed it instead of resorting to the violence he’d hurt the other with so carelessly in many small ways before. He hadn’t hurt him this time though, even if it had caused him to loose their little wresting match and end up restrained by gentle hands he trusted. The defeat he’d accepted readily felt like a victory of the youth he used to be over the man he’d become.

Roman seemed to read some of his feelings on his face, stilling his body to wait for what Virgil wanted from him. He was warm over him, close enough that the tips of his escaped locks brushed Virgil’s cheek. Noticing how little space he’d left him, the detective pushed himself higher, fearful of frightening the usually so distanced creature willingly trapped between his knees. He was amazed at how close he got to be. For Virgil’s sake, he tried to ignore how much he liked this position. He got to keep the lovely being where he could hold and protect him and he wanted to spoil him with all of his tenderness, here in his grasp where nothing bad could touch him.

The movement drew Virgil’s attention to the way his body shifted, strong and attractive and built in a way young, flustered Virgil Raine would have fallen all over himself for in helpless awe. No one his hot had ever played a role in his life back then. This once feeling grateful for not being as innocent as he used to be, the former gang member managed to remain fairly calm despite the warmth and excitement rising in his body, coaxed out by the weight over his hips and the well cared for hands closed around his wrist, pinning them next to his head. He used to have such a weakness for men with strong arms and shoulders broad enough to easily throw him over. The fact that he was beginning to enjoy those qualities again was still a surprise to him, considering just a few months ago he had scrubbed his skin till it bled and had wished to never be toughed by a man ever again.

An uplifting thought came to him. He might not be the person he used to be, but at least got to enjoy having this handsome, overgrown puppy in his life.

Only a slight shift of his thin wrists was enough to make Roman pull his hands back and clamber off of him respectfully.

Virgil accepted the help and let himself be pulled up. Feeling a little unsteady from the sudden momentum, he staggered a bit. It had been a long day. Roman wrapped an arm around him securely, bringing him against his side with the pale hand still clasped in his. Running a soothing thumb over the back, Roman gazed at him patiently, searching his face. His look was oddly intimate.

In the renewed quiet of the flat, the severity of the situation crept back into the forefront of their mind, demanding attention with the sinking feeling it brought with it. Patton had probably been crying and in pain while they’d been rolling around like fucking imbeciles. Shame crawled up Virgil’s neck hotly. He turned his face away.

Roman took a loose hold of his chin before he could escape under his hoody and worry about his mistakes until he felt physically sick. Tilting his head up, he promised gently, “There is nothing wrong with sharing a moment of happiness when the suffering becomes too great to handle, my dear.”

Virgil scoffed at him and poked him in the ribs for good measure (and for calling him ‘my dear’, what the fuck). Roman’s yip made him feel slightly better though.

They returned to the living-room so they could easily be found. The larger room offered less distractions, less safety from the pressing misery and fear though. Patton was just next door, yet he felt a world away. The knowledge that he was too ashamed to allow them to help hurt even more acutely from how very clearly Virgil understood the feeling. Both men were helpless to stop the dark thoughts from creeping in. What had they done wrong to be kept away now? Had they hurt Patton?

Noticing their uneasy, Cat warbled in displeasure and turned her sharp teeth on the leg of the desk next to her basket to alleviate the stress that spread through the tense room. The nice, dark wood bruised immediately under the sharp little teeth. Swearing, Virgil rushed forward and extracted the raccoon with gentle hands. The cool rat sent a disapproving glare in her direction from where it was curled up in its cage.

The marks on the furniture made the barista guilty immediately. Even after all the care the detective had invested, damage done by him or his pet still made him nervous and a little frightened. Keeping his voice soft, he briefly spoke to Cat in the way he only ever addressed his anxious pet. It seemed to sigh in his arms, deflating into a heavy, furry form folding in his embrace.

The silence seemed to fold around everything like a heavy, cottony fog, yet it cut Roman like a knife. Silence was the sound of his childhood and he handled it badly. On bad days it left him sad and lonely even when surrounded by people. He thought it wasn’t doing Virgil any favors either to get lost in his head now, so he looked for a suitable distraction. Anything to fill the quiet distance between them and lighten his poor raven’s broken heart.

His gaze fell on the coffee table where he’d left another island over ever expanding beauty products slowly colonizing Logan’s flat. Yes, that would do nicely.

A few minutes later found the two with the raccoon settled on its back in Virgil’s lap, getting its pointy claws filed and painted in the fetching burgundy Roman had used for his toes. It rumbled contently, ignoring the kitten’s attempt to make it play while getting nail-polish all over its fur. Virgil was unwinding a bit but still found it hard to form words with the memory of his terrible behavior still so fresh in his mind. Roman tried his best to fill the silence with idle chatter, light and pleasant. He wondered where the detective found the strength to try to create such a calm atmosphere when Virgil himself felt ready to crawl under his covers and cry until everything went away.

Roman did not look as calm as he sounded though. His brow was furrowed in worry, his shoulders tense. Even his smooth voice seemed to have lost some of its confidence. Worriedly, Virgil gathered the strength to scoot closer. He had no capacity for speech left in his suddenly tired limbs. Everything felt heavy. He was drained to the bone. Instead, he hesitantly brought their sides together on the sofa and leaned his head on the detective’s shoulder.

Roman’s stream of words died down slowly. The silence that followed seemed to feel less lonely, as if the points of contact to the slender body by his side tethered him to the present, far away from large marble-floored halls he dared only cross on his tiptoes to avoid any unnecessary sounds.

They’d ended the night in the master-bedroom, curled around Patton who smiled at them so bravely. He’d been so strong, so selfless even as he’d flinched away from Roman. The fear on his bruised face had nearly brought the large man to tears. He’d hated himself in that moment, himself and his useless, inadequate body. All he’d wanted was to protect his smallest friend, and he’d only succeeded in hurting him. Irrationally, he’d felt rejected.

Patton had radiated love though, and pulled him in, his body tiny in his arms – and trusting.

Virgil too had silently suffered through his own thoughts. Patton had wrapped him in his arms like he wanted to keep him safe from any pain, yet he had no idea how terribly Virgil had been about to harm him. He didn’t deserve this fatherly kindness. They all wanted to help him, yet he could to nothing for them in return. He should leave. Clearly Logan, who’d wrestled with his temper so often, had the situation under control much better than he did.

Roman’s arm settled around Patton, drawing both the patissier and the ex-criminal against his chest. He was strong and safe and held on to Virgil as if he needed him.  

_________________________________________

More exciting things than this will happen next chapter. As always, I’d be happy to hear from you!

ART or IDEAS:

Check out this lovely idea about the way Roman’s story might continue. A lot of smart people had wonderful additions to it!

Next Chapter

[thegalacticmoth]

Sanders Sides Tangled AU (LAMP/CALM) Chapter 20

Prompt: "Virgil and the others run away from palace life for a day"

"Where did you put the note?" Logan asked as the four of them casually walked through the forest outside of the kingdom.

"I put it in crack between the doors to their room, right above the door handles," Virgil said. "they can't miss it." He added.

"Good, we don't need them panicking." Patton said.

"Well, my dad did say we could go out for a bit and chill for a day," Virgil said. "We just didn't tell them when, and only left a note now that we have." He said with a smile, although he felt a little anxiousness and a bit of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

"That's true," Logan said. "Although we should get back before nightfall." He said.

"Yeah, we probably should." Roman agreed.

"Where are we going exactly?" Virgil asked, looking around at the forest that surrounded them.

"To this cute little meadow-like clearing we found a while ago." Patton said. "It's quiet and has a little creek near by." He added.

"Sounds nice." Virgil said.

The group walked for another few minutes before stepping out of the trees and into a small clearing.

"It's so pretty." Virgil said softly as he looked around the small clearing.

Patton beamed. "I knew you'd like it." He said, "come on, there's a really nice tree to sit under in the shade where you can see the creek." He said as he grabbed Virgil's hand and excitedly lead him across the lush grass that tickled at Virgil's bare feet.

The four of them settled down underneath the shade of a small tree that overlooked the clearing and the small creek off to the side.

Roman was curled up against Virgil's chest and Logan had his head in Patton's lap as the other carded his fingers through his hair, Logan's glassing sitting on the ground next to him as he relaxed with his eyes closed.

"We should come out here more often." Roman said softly as he snuggled closer to Virgil, who had previously looped his arms around his torso.

"I don't think we can afford sneaking out of the palace on a regular basis." Logan said, humming softly as Patton gently massaged his scalp.

"Once a week."

"No."

"Every other week?"

"No."

"Once a month?"

"..."

"Is that a yes, Specs?" Roman asked with a grin.

"I suppose." Logan said after another short pause.

"You two are so silly," Patton said softly.

"You're one to talk." Roman said with a grin.

Patton blushed and smiled at him. "I guess you got me there." He said.

A small snore drew their attention to the oddly silent male leaning against the tree next to them.

Virgil had fallen asleep as they had chattered, having felt content and relaxed as he sat there against the tree and held Roman, listening to them talk.

The others each smiled softly and decided to let him sleep while they continued to chatter quietly amongst themselves.

Virgil woke up an hour or two later, feeling his body being moved to lay against something warm and softly.

He hummed softly and snuggled closer to what he assumed was one of his boyfriends, nuzzling against what he assumed was his chest.

"Why hello there," Logan said as he carefully held Virgil in his lap, feeling the other male shift and snuggled closer.

Virgil mumbled softly and reluctantly slid an eye open to look up at him.

"Hi." He said softly.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Logan asked as he reached up to gently card his fingers through Virgil's hair.

Virgil hummed softly and leaned into the touch as he nodded, closing his eyes again.

"Sorry we woke you," Logan added. "Patton and Roman wanted to go play in the creek and we decided to move you into a more comfortable position since we needed to move you to let Roman up anyway." He explained.

" 's fine." He mumbled, his words a little slurred from the sleepiness that still clung to him.

It was a quite for a few moments, only interrupted by a distant shout of "I FOUND A SALAMANDER" that sounded like Roman, followed by small scream and loud splashing, along with what sounded like Patton laughing.

"When was the last time you slept for more than five hours?" Logan asked.

Virgil hesitated.

"...'dunno." He mumbled with a shrug, hiding his face in the crook of Logan's neck.

"We need to work on that."

" 'M fine." Virgil protested.

"Not in my opinion."

Virgil huffed. "Whatever you say Specs."

Logan rolled his eyes playfully and smiled a small bit.

They sat and chatted quietly, Virgil still snuggled up to Logan, who eventually moved his hands to massage at Virgil's shoulders and back, making the other male relax against him and hum in appreciation at how good it felt for his tense muscles to relax.

Parton and Roman came back over to them after a while, their sleeves and pants rolled up but they were still wet despite that.

"Did you guys have fun?" Virgil asked softly, mumbling a little bit since his face was pressed against Logan's stomach.

"We did," Patton said with a bright smile as Roman nodded in agreement, "did you guys have fun as well?" He asked.

"It was quiet nice to relax in the shade, and Virgil was able to take a decently long nap." Logan said as he moved his hands to gently massage Virgil's scalp, feeling the slightly younger teen turn into putty at the touch of his hands.

Virgil groaned softly as Logan massaged his scalp, and hid his blushing face in Logan's shirt.

He felt a second pair of hands gently land on his lower back, beginning to gently rub there as well, and then a third pair of hands were on his thighs, and he hummed again, barely able to hold in a small moan as the persons fingers began to methodically dig into his leg muscles, relaxing him even more.

"Guys....." he mumbled softly.

"You don't need to do that, I'm fine." He said as he tried to sit up and wave their hands away.

"Nonsense." Roman said as he gently pushed Virgil back onto his stomach from where his hands had been on said male's lower back. "This is something we want to do, let us help you relax and make you feel good." Roman said as he dug his fingers into the tense muscles of his lower back.

"Your fingers are cold though." He mumbled, before humming at the feeling as his skin got used to his cold fingers.

He wanted to just relax, but he also didn't want them to feel like they needed to do this for him, it made him feel bad and like he was spoiled.

"You really don't need to," Virgil said as he gently pushed his hands away. "I don't want you to pamper me or something." He said as he sat up.

"But what if we want to pamper you?" Patton asked as he wrapped his arms around Virgil and pulled him into his lap.

"What if we want to make you feel good." He asked asked, his mouth close to Virgil's ear as he pressed a kiss to the crook of Virgil's neck.

"I-I..." his face turned bright red, the words sounding to imply something more intimate then just a massage.

"Shhh," Patton said. "Let us help you relax, let us take care of you." He said as he gently slipped his hands under Virgil's shirt. "If this is okay with you that is." He added, gaining a shy nod from Virgil.

Logan coughed softly from next to them. "As much as I agree with Roman and Patton, I believe we should be heading back to the palace," he said. "It will be getting late soon, and we don't want to make your parents worry by not getting back while it's still light out." He said.

"But we can start this back up again when we get back to Virgil's room." He added.

Patton pouted, but slipped his hands out from under his shirt and relaxed his hold on Virgil as he nodded. "Alright," he said, before pressing a kiss to Virgil's cheek.

The four of them eventually got up and dusted themselves off before beginning the trek back to the castle, chatting as they walked through the woods.

The sun was setting by the time they got back, and they quickly cleaned up and changed before heading down to have dinner with Virgil's parents, telling them they had had a nice day and that they were sorry for the short notice of their trip and all.

"Well, I'm glad you boys had a nice day of exploring the woods, but please do tell us in person next time." Virgil's dad said as they finished dinner and went to tuck in for the night.

"We will," Virgil said. "Good night," he added.

"Goodnight."

The four of them then went up to Virgil's room, but the guards told them it was to late and that they needed to go to their own rooms for the night.

-

Virgil has just finished getting out of his more formal clothes, and was about half way done with getting into more comfortable clothes -only having a pair of loose and soft pants on- when there was a tapping sound on his window.

He smiled and rolled his eyes, it hadn't even been twenty minutes yet.

Walking over to the window he waited a few seconds before pushing the curtains away and opening it up, taking a few steps back as Roman, Patton and Logan slipped into his room.

"Why hello," He said with a coy smile.

Patton grinned and stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Virgil's waist.

"Hello," He said as he leaned his mouth down to kiss at Virgil's neck.

"Now," He began, "Back to what I was saying earlier."

Note: feel free to continue putting in requests if you have any, I'm open to requests at any time. You can also put in multiple requests if you want. And you can ether comment them or pm me, I don't mind either way.

[perspective-series]

A Third Perspective (18)

By: @arc852 and @hiddendreamer67

Warnings: fear, cages, and slight guilt

(Check the reblog for the links to the previous chapters!)

 Logan groaned, locking his front door and briefly hitting his head against it. Why did Virgil have to come back now? If it had been any other time, Logan would have been able to explain himself. Patton would probably have helped. But no, Virgil just had to arrive moments before Logan left for class.

 Logan tried to convince himself he was doing the right thing. After all, both borrowers wouldn’t fit in his pocket, and Patton had suggested the two should have some time alone.

 It felt...wrong to lock the borrowers up like that after seeing their reaction, but what choice did he have? If Logan simply let them have the run of his apartment they’d surely escape. There had even been an attempt before his very eyes.

 And Logan couldn’t let them leave. After all, the world was a dangerous place full of humans who would want to do them harm. Logan was only serving as a barrier to such threats.

 “Oof!” Logan accidentally ran into one such human. He glared, now having a name to put to a face for his obnoxious upstairs neighbor. “Oh, you again.”

 “What’re you doing here?” Roman said incredulously, barely recognizing the student he had bumped into this morning.

 “I live here, you dolt.” Logan scoffed, walking past him and out the door.

 “Well, you don’t have to be rude about it.” Roman rolled his eyes, heading inside and up the stairs. “Honestly, it was just a simple question…” The mention of questions made Roman remember what awaited him back in his apartment. Though he was a bit uneasy answering all of Virgil’s questions, Roman was prepared to do it. After all, this was the most guaranteed way of gaining Virgil’s trust. Then it would be only a few short steps to finding Patton. Hopefully.

 “I’m back!” Roman announced himself to the empty apartment. He walked into the kitchen, not spotting Virgil where he left him. Roman glanced around a bit, wondering where Virgil could have gone. After all, he wasn’t very big.

 “Virgil?” Roman called out, walking from room to room. He began to look under the furniture, wondering if perhaps the borrower was hiding.

 “Virgil, this isn’t funny.” Roman started searching in more ridiculous spots such as the microwave or his pillowcase, trying to find any trace of his new friend. No luck.

 Roman tried not to panic as he called Virgil’s name over and over with no response. He combed the entire apartment twice with no success. Where could the borrower have gone? First Patton, and now-

 …

 “Hang on a moment,” Roman said, putting the pieces together. Though he was the last one to arrive to the correct conclusion, Roman’s run in downstairs made him finally realize what had happened. That other guy, the one who had run into him twice now, was there right before both Patton and now Virgil went missing. He was the missing link!

 Roman dashed down to the fourth floor, knowing this must be where the guy lived. This neighbor was the only one who Roman hadn’t met, after all. The guy was too much of a hermit.

 “Open up!” Roman called, banging on the door. There was no response, only for Roman to smack himself on the forehead. Of course, there wasn’t, Roman had just seen the tenant leaving the building.

 Instead, Roman pulled a spare bobby pin out of his hair and began jamming it into the lock. “C’mon, this always works in movies!” Roman huffed, twisting it back and forth. A moment later the pin nearly snapped in half, and Roman realized perhaps it would be best to stop before he permanently broke the lock entirely.

 “Alright, think.” Roman began to pace in front of the door, trying to think of other ways he could possibly get inside. Preferably something that played up to his talents. Eyes widening, Roman got a brilliant idea. He dashed upstairs to grab a spare set of glasses from a leftover costume. Looking in the mirror, Roman made a strangely convincing lookalike to the nerdy stranger.

 Now properly equipped, Roman took the stairs all the way down to the first-floor lobby. Man, all these stairs were getting ridiculous. Why didn’t this building have an elevator?

 “Ah, good afternoon miss.” Roman greeted the woman behind the counter, pleased to see it was not someone he recognized. Or more importantly, someone who would recognize him. “I seem to have locked myself out, do you think you could help me? I live on the fourth floor.”

 The woman looked up some information on her monitor, turning to him. “You’re Logan Sanders?”

 So that’s his name. “Yes,” Roman said with a smile.

 “Alright, I can lend you a temporary key for the day.” The woman explained. “I’ll need to see some ID.”

 “Wonderful!” Roman handed over his ID before he even fully realized what he was doing. The woman looked between it and him.

 “This says your name is Roman Sanders?” She raised an eyebrow. Roman paled.

 “Logan’s….my preferred name.” Roman quickly fibbed, grateful that fate had blessed the two of them with the same last name.

 “Gotcha.” The woman seemed pleased with this request, typing out some more info. “Alright, I’ll just keep this here, and you get this.” She put Roman’s ID in a cubby, handing over a metal key. Roman sighed in relief, clutching it tightly.

 “Thank you, kind soul,” Roman said, quickly dashing back up the stairs.

 “Uh, you’re welcome?” Her response was barely heard as Roman hurried along. After all, he had already spent a large amount of time searching for Virgil, and he had no idea when Logan would be back.

 Roman turned the key in the lock, peering his head around the door like some sort of secret spy wannabe. Man, Logan was a nerd. There looked to be more books here than at the local library.

 “Virgil?” Roman hissed quietly, looking around for any sign of the smaller beings. “Patton?” Roman combed through the living room and kitchen with no success. He paused at the bedroom door, feeling like this was an invasion of privacy. Of course, he had already come this far. And there could be lives at stake!

 Roman entered, eyes immediately coming to land on the cage sitting atop the desk.

 Virgil had just finished his story when the door suddenly opened. Both borrowers expected Logan and were shocked to see that it was...Roman? With glasses on?

 Virgil shook his head, this was not the time to be focusing on that right now. “Roman?” He called out. He was almost happy to see him. At the very least he was better than Logan. Patton, however, had a different opinion about Roman and squeaked in fear as he saw him.

 “Virgil! Patton!” Roman cried happily, rushing over. He put an arm on either side of the cage and crouched down to look at eye level with them sympathetically. “You poor things, what happened?”

 “Logan’s what happened. Stupid jerk trapped us in here.” Virgil explained, happy to see he had regained his bite in Roman’s presence. Patton glanced at Roman before burying his face into Virgil’s side. Admittedly, he wasn’t very happy to see Roman.

 “Don’t worry, I’ll get you out of there.” Roman quickly unlatched the bars, reaching a hand in.

 As Patton’s grip grew tighter, Virgil glared at Roman. “Roman! No grabbing!” He said, scooting back a little to put more space between them. Patton tensed. Now he knew how Virgil had felt when he had been buddy with Logan. What was Virgil doing?

 “I wasn’t!” Roman’s face flushed, not admitting that he had indeed forgotten about that in his excitement. He put his hand down instead. “See?” Roman insisted.

 Virgil rolled his eyes and moved to stand up, but found he couldn’t as Patton was still clutching onto him, holding him down. Virgil’s eyes turned sympathetic. “Pat, it’s okay.” He murmured to his best friend. “He may not be the best, but he’s better than Logan. He actually listens for one thing.” Patton was silent for a moment.

 “He never listened to me…” At his words, Virgil felt a fire ignite in him. He knew it. He glanced back to glare at Roman, before turning back to Patton.

 “I know, but please Pat, we’ve got to go before Logan comes back.” Patton didn’t move, but when Virgil tried to move him along, he came. Virgil pulled them both onto the hand.

 “I’m... sorry.” Roman went to rub a finger along Patton’s side, but halfway there he thought better of it. Instead, he pulled both borrowers out of the cage and against his chest, trying to keep them both equally supported.

 “Okay, so- I may not have come here with a complete plan,” Roman admitted, glancing towards the front door. “Any thoughts on how to avoid the whole ‘hide the borrowers while in public’ rule?”

 Virgil groaned. “I hate to ask, but do you have any pockets?” While he didn’t like being in a pocket, it was preferred over being out in the open,

 “Uuuuh…” Roman looked down at his outfit, which only contained two very tight pockets in his jeans. “No.”

 Virgil bit his lip, looking over Roman, but everywhere else he could think of either wouldn’t work, or was too dangerous. “...Fine. Keep us close to your chest and I swear if anyone sees us…” He trailed off, glaring at Roman.

 “I can’t be blamed for that!” Roman said indignantly, but he held up his other hand to cover the borrowers and hurried out into the hall.

 As they were along for the ride back to Roman’s apartment, Patton couldn’t help but think. Despite Virgil’s story and Logan’s actions and behavior towards the end...there was something in his eyes as he left. Something that made Patton want to hear whatever explanation Logan had. Sure, he was scared, terrified even, of Logan now...But Virgil also had told him that Logan had changed his mind about showing them off to the world. That had to count for something, right?

 But Roman...Patton had no good memories with Roman. Virgil seemed fine with him and he did seem to be listening...but what if he was just doing it to get his way? Lying about having changed, to get them to stay forever?

 Patton leaned more into Virgil, shaking.

[forever-forgotten-angel]

Strange But Familiar (Prologue)

Summary: Virgil Sanders is offered a second chance at life after dying to protect his host. The trouble is, he can’t tell anyone it’s him. Waking up in the recently deceased body of Thomas’ (annoying) neighbor is startling enough. Now he has to try to form a bond with his grieving host, brothers, and boyfriend without them getting suspicious. He can only hope that Roman’s insistence that they are soulmate holds true, as his soul is the only part of him left on earth.  

Prinxiety, Side Logicality, Platonic Virgil and Thomas. 

Warning: Temporary Character Death

Hello. Yes, I am again starting yet another chapter story. When will I end this madness? Who knows. This story was originally going to be for another pairing but my brain kept screaming at me to make it Prinxiety instead and my brain (as usual) won. Hope you enjoy!

He wishes it had been a dark and stormy night when it happened, he would have appreciated having the aesthetic to match his final moments.

Instead it is a fairly sunny afternoon without a dark cloud in sight. Four sides and their host are walking towards the restaurant they had made reservations for a late lunch at. Virgil himself is walking hand in hand with Roman, and attempting to appear as if he isn’t enjoying holding his boyfriend’s hand as much as he truly is. His act is not fooling anyone who actually knows him.

It is not so long ago that publicly walking together in the real life sunshine would have been an impossibility. It has only been a few months since Thomas told his fanbase that the sides were actually real. Some had already guessed, Thomas was far from the first human to be able to manifest their sides, though he was the only one to make a webshow about it to date.

He and Roman are walking parallel to Patton and Logan while Thomas takes a bit of a lead. Virgil is content with that. It is easier to keep an eye on him with him in front.

It isn’t long before they are walking through a large wooden door into a small, homey restaurant. They are seated quickly in a booth near the front. Patton and Logan sit on on side with Virgil in the middle of his host and his lover on the other.

They chatter for a few minutes, barely even glancing at the menu. They came here fairly frequently and all pretty much knee what they wanted. It isn’t long before a waiter arrives to take their drink orders and bring them some rolls. The waiter is rather attractive and Thomas suffers some teasing for most definitely checking out his ass as he walked away despite the YouTuber’s denial that he did any such thing.

Virgip is just taking his first bite of one of the warm, buttery rolls when it all starts to go wrong.

It’s like the scene of a bad movie. Something Roman would come up with at three in the morning just to see Virgil huff a laugh and roll his eyes fondly.

A silver colored car plows through the wall of the restraint, sirens sounding loudly on its tail. A woman with a gun jumps out of the driver’s seat one the car skids to a stop, another out of the passenger’s side. The first woman darts behind the podium the restaurant’s hostess stands behind. The hostess attempts to move out of her way but is pulled back.

Outside the police have arrived, also exiting their vehicle. Virgil can hear them calling for the two women to come out with their hands up. His heart tightens as he can see that is clearly not going to happen. He desperately tries to think of a way for his family to escape without notice but there is none. He can only sit here and hope for the best.

That hope proves futile mere minutes later. A little girl who had been in the restaurant's restroom came out right into the middle of the tense scene. Virgil supposes it’s too much to expect that a the child would be able to remain calm. She doesn’t screaming and running. The first woman threateningly aims her weapon at the tiny girl. From his side he hears a cry of “No!” leaving his kind-hearted host’s lips and he can see movement in his peripheral vision.

Sure enough when he looks over, Thomas is lurching forward as if automatically, his eyes wide in fear for the innocent kid. Virgil’s brain runs through scenarios and picks the most likely one in a fraction of a second, and it is not good. He is sadly right, at Thomas’ cry the first woman’s accomplice spins around and seeing him moving as if to come toward them, raises he weapon. Virgil gets in front of the host just in time, the shot ringing in his ears. A sharp pain pierces his chest.

He isn’t sure exactly what happens next. Fear grips him as he falls, waiting to hear another shot fired indicating his sacrifice was not enough. The sound never comes.

The next thing he knows his head is being cradled in his crying host’s lap, Thomas barely managing to inform him the police were now taking care of the two criminals between sobs. His boyfriend is at his side, following a shaky Logan’s instructions on how best to help his wound until the ambulance gets to them. He can see Patton making a weak attempt at a smile and assuring him he was going to be okay.

The lie is so obvious that Virgil half expects Deceit to show up.

He can feel himself shutting down. He is scared and sad but it’s worth it. He did his job. He protected his host and his family. He grieves, knowing how much they will miss him and he them, wherever he ends up. He looks at them all, making sure he has their faces memorized, though he intends to remember them much happier than they are now.

He knows for certain it’s over when Logan gives up with an anguished, choked sob. Telling a desperate Roman he needs to stop, that it is useless and only causing Virgil extra pain. The princely trait ignores him, refusing to concede until the very end, like a true brave knight. Virgil manages a small, lopsided smile at that though.

It takes effort but he lifts one hand and places it on one of Roman’s arms. His boyfriends head whips towards him and their eyes meet. “Come on Princey, you’re the drama geek. Shouldn’t you be giving me one last dramatic kiss, just like a movie?” His voice doesn’t quite match his usual teasing tone, but it’s the best he can do.

The creative side glances back at his wound, Virgil gives his arm the tightest squeeze he is capable of right then and Roman’s rigid body slumps, seeming to finally acknowledge the inevitable. The tears in Roman’s eyes spill over as he turns back towards Virgil, making a failed attempt to speak before simply leaning down to comply, though there is not a single sign of the joking nature that wove through their relationship evident in the prince’s frame.

Figuring he should address the rest of his family if this is the last time he’ll see them he gets out a quick “I love you all.” before his boyfriend’s lips crash against his.

The kiss is desperate and clingy and he can feel Roman’s hot tears dripping down onto his cheeks from above him. It is still a great kiss in Virgil’s totally unbiased opinion. He can feel the love his lover has for him and tries to send just as much back.

It is probably odd that his last thought as he fades with warm lips still pressed against his own, is that the sunlight streaming through the window should really be a bolt of lightning, to perfectly complete the somber mood. He mentally chuckles as he thinks he may have spent too much time around his boyfriend. Not that he regrets it.

Scant seconds after that last silent laugh, Virgil ‘Anxiety’ Sanders is no more.

[serpent-face-and-flowering-heart]

Lets Start at the End - Chapter 8

Alternate title is Journeys End but I don't what people to think this is the last chapter while also having a small spoiler for the chapters name. Also this has been ready for a while and I apologise for that I just didn't want to leave this chapter with a large gap between the next. On with the story...

He pressed his back against the wall he was hidden behind. The first thing he needed to do was go and talk to Patton. Deceit quietly groaned into his hands, he needs to get Virgil to leave the door first, there was no way he was getting in with him there. There was the easy option of asking, but that had a strong likelihood of not working.

So, because easy is off the table, next is the stupid idea. If Patton was here, Deceit would make a joke that it isn’t just the easy option that’s ‘off the table’ because the only other thought that came to mind was picking up one of the plates in the kitchen and smashing it into the ground. Virgil would be too worried and investigate the noise, leaving a small window of time for Deceit. The footsteps getting closer sent him into his plan.

His sudden appearance clearly frightened the fatherly trait. “Deceit? What are you doing in here? I’d rather be left alone if that’s okay with you.”

Deceit ignored what he said not hiding it at all, instead, walking over and holding Patton’s jaw in his hands studying his cheekbone. “So, I would say you know about the new bruise.” The side in question pulled back placing a hand on his cheek, hissing a bit. “Or maybe you don’t?” He sighed to himself thinking, ‘I hate this part.’ He forced himself to stand straighter, looking down at Patton. “I’m not like the others as you know, I’m not soft, or kind, or caring, or any of that. But I am someone who doesn’t like being lied to, especially when I can tell. So Morality, you are going to tell me what is wrong with you or I will extract the truth, and trust me it is very painful. What will it be?”

Patton suddenly lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Deceit’s waist, holding him tight, and burying his face into the soft fabric of his clothes. “They won’t stop appearing, and it hurts, it hurts so much. I know why it keeps happening, it’s because I-I’m...broken, I’m broken.” He sighed sorrowfully, and whispered through tears “I am…” Before Deceit could even get a word in Patton started wailing again. “I know what I’m supposed to do. Do what’s right, always, even if your friends don’t agree, but what do I do? I stay quiet and run away. You want to know what’s right, letting two people be in love and let them be together happily.” Deceit felt his face redden. “I haven't done anything, and I let the problem get worse.”

Deceit pulled back frightened, realising what has been happening. “Patton, have you not been following your morals?” The shakey nod he received would have been enough to break hearts made of the toughest stone, even his. That’s why he couldn't help but wrap his arms around Patton’s neck, pulling him close, and run his gloved fingers through his hair.

Patton hugged him back, his head falling against Dee’s shoulder. The action caused a shock to go through him and realise what he has to do. Deceit glued his eyes shut, as did Patton, attempting to keep their tears at bay. Deceit mumbled softly to Patton “Don’t worry, this won’t be a problem anymore, you won’t have to do anything.”

—————————————

After the dilemma with Patton, Deceit found himself outside of Roman’s door. This was a new low, even for him, but this isn't about him. Deceit forced himself to take a deep breath, attempting to shake his uneasy feeling as he knocked on the regal door. He felt sick, whether it be because he had to face Roman, or what will follow.

The door swung open to reveal Logan standing in the doorway, both to Deceit’s dismay and fortune. “Care to explain what you are doing here?”

“Obviously I took a wrong turn, and despite the clear contrast to my aesthetic, I thought this was my room.” Logan glared at him, with his icy gaze he slammed the door on his face. Muffled voices rose from behind the door. The quiet plight of “What is he doing here!?”, was the only audible sentence he could hear from behind the door before the door swung open dramatically.

“What do you want, you snake!?” Roman’s body blocked the entrance to his room as if he wanted to be in there.

“I came to make a deal with you,” Roman had already stepped away from the door to close it. “One where I don’t benefit at all.” The slight smirk and raised eyebrow were all that was needed to destroy his world because it was too late to back down now.

————————————

And now he was brought to the final room. He could barely snap out of his trance, but a hand on his shoulder seemed to work. “Deceit, you’re not going to do this alone. I’m here and this time I’m on your side.” Patton’s eyes seemed to be begging. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Yes, he does.” Deceit tried to restrain himself from punching the arrogant Prince’s teeth out.

At least I don’t think I’m the only one, Virgil’s fists were balled up so tight it could become a meme. “Princey, if you’re going to be an ass, then I suggest you back out of this deal or quit it. Keep in mind this is happening because of you.”

“Can we get this over with? I don’t know how I feel about this.” Logan had to join the conversation, because without his opinion on everything then the world would end. But still, Deceit had grabbed onto the doorknob, unable to keep stalling forever.

————————————

Remy lay on his bed sideways, pondering if he should take a nap. Giving up on the idea as his door opened hesitantly. “Hey, bumble… what are you all doing here?” He wanted to ask about Deceit’s change of clothes, back to his old outfit, seeing as he has been borrowing Remy’s since they started dating. He assumed it was best if he dropped it for now.

Deceit, who had been staring at his shoes and had his face hidden by his hat, looked up at him with a soft smile, standing up straighter. “Good news, I made a deal with Roman. I’ll try to be as honest as possible with them and we can be together. Come here.” He had his arms open wide which Remy happily ran into.

Remy balled the cape in his hands squeezing his boyfriend so hard that he worried he would explode. “I’m so glad, I actually missed you, idiots.” Over Deceit’s shoulder, he watched the others. Roman was smiling, Logan had his arms crossed and looked indifferent, while Virgil and Patton were hugging. “Aww! Pat, you’re such a softy.”

Virgil held the back of the fatherly sides head so it rested on his shoulder. “Yeah that’s our Patton, but ignore us, we don’t want to interrupt.”

Once that was said Deceit pulled back, cupping Remy’s face. “He’s right, don’t let them ruin this moment.” He leaned forward, intertwining their lips in a tender kiss. One of Deceit’s hands moved down to wrap around his waist as the other travelled to the back of his head. While the kiss itself was fine there was a weird taste to it, Remy tried to pull away to ask about it, but he was held on to tightly. He tried again with more effort but Deceit ended up pulling him in closer. It took more strength then it should have to even lift up his arms, so when it came to pushing away, there was little success. His glasses fell off, which happened to give him a better look at Dee. His eyes were squeezed closed and his expression was pained. With the last of the strength he had left in his body, Remy lifted his hand to rest on his cheek, brushing away a few stray tears. Only then did Deceit pull back, but he didn’t let go, thankfully, because the world wouldn’t stop spinning. “I’m sorry, I would ask for your forgiveness but I know that’s not possible.”

Deceit watched Remy’s body fall limp. He moved the hand that was once behind his head under his knees, lifting and holding Remy bridle style. His body hung lifelessly in his arms.

He brought him to his bed, laying him down gently. He brushed the hair out of his eyes. “It’s done, you’ve got him back. Tell me, are you happy Roman?” He didn’t have to look back to know who the person that stomped out slamming the door was. The same goes for the sympathetic hand resting on his shoulder, which he hit away instantly. “You were the ones who did this, there is no use in trying to comfort me. If you actually gave a damn then you would have told Roman to stop, not just at the start but an ANY point.”

Patton’s lip trembled, his watery, puffy red eyes letting a few tears drop. “Please listen, I-I’m sorry, I’m a-a bad person-”

“No, you’re a good person. You had full knowledge of what was going to happen and decided to do nothing about it and watch. How is that bad?!” Deceit sunk out, not saying another word.

Virgil yelled out into the air, “He isn’t bad! Pat, you need to listen to me, you’re a good person.”

“No, I'm not. That's the truth.” He rubbed at his eyes, hoping to keep back the tears. “I can’t do anything right. I keep hurting people, my friends, my family. I-” He inhaled sharply falling forward onto Virgil. Patton shook like a leaf, gasping for air, no longer able to keep the tears at bay. Only just mumbling out a few words. “I’m sorry, so so sor-”

Virgil let out a large curse as Patton slipped out of his grip falling to the floor. “Pat? Pat! Patton Sanders, you get up right now!” Shaking his unconscious body was all his panicked mind could think to do.

If anyone can tell me why I wanted to name this Journeys End. I will give you a shout out.

[honeycoloredcorduroy]

Cakes and Ties - Part 3

Title: Cakes and Ties

Summary: “Logan Sanders is a divorce lawyer given the task of being his twin brother Roman's best man for his wedding. He doesn't care for the endeavor much, although Roman's fiance, Virgil, seems kind enough. Everything is going smoothly until he meets the peppy, sweet-as-can-be cake baker Patton given the task of being Virgil's best man. He's adorable, irresistible, and excites Logan in a way that he hasn't felt since the accident.”

Ships: Romantic Logicality, Romantic Prinxiety

Word Count: 1753

Warnings: Minor character death, mild alcohol consumption (in future chapters), swearing, food, divorce

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 4

Three Weeks Before the Wedding

Despite Picani's pep talk, I continued to hope with every fiber of my being that I would be able to avoid Patton as much as possible. I mean, sure, he would be at the wedding, but I could avoid him for the most part, right?

Wrong.

Since he was Virgil's best man, he was around 24/7, helping to keep everything running smoothly (and also to prevent Virgil from having an anxiety attack, but that was neither here nor there.) He and I spent the majority of our time together, planning and organizing and helping the ever-flamboyant couple choose color schemes that they'd inevitably change within the hour. I had to admit, being around him was quite nice, and having a friend could be beneficial, but I had decided that nothing more could come of it. I couldn't have another relationship, not after what happened before.

But, nonetheless, I had decided that spending time around the overexcited baker wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Today was the only exception to his constant company since he had stayed to work at his bakery this morning. Roman and Virgil understood since they didn't have much to accomplish today and Patton still had a business to run. I had stayed behind, helping a very anxious Virgil pick out flowers.

"So, do you think Roman would like the lilies or the roses more? Because he gave me roses on our first date, but lilies were the flowers he gave me at the restaurant when he proposed."

I sighed. Loudly.

"Virgil, aren't you overthinking this just a little bit?"

He chuckled and nodded, "Roses it is."

I took a note of his choice in my binder I had been carrying around to stay organized. Just as I did, I heard my phone ring in my pocket. I pulled it out and read that it was an unknown number.

"Hello?" I answered the call tentatively.

"Hey, is this Logan?" I heard Patton's sugary voice echo through the phone speaker. He sounded nervous, almost panicked, "Roman gave me your number a few days ago in case of an emergency."

"Yes, this is Logan. Is everything alright?"

"Well... I kind of have an emergency."

"What is it?"

"It's a funny story, actually," he mumbled, "I completely forgot about an order someone sent in yesterday, and now I have to bake five dozen cookies in the next hour and I really need some help. I'm sorry if I'm being a bother, I didn't know who else to call."

I considered it for a moment and chuckled lightly, "You're not bothering me. And I believe that Virgil and I just finished what we had to get done for the day. I can be over there in... about 25 minutes."

"Can you make it any sooner?"

I looked down at my wrinkled work shirt and coffee-stained khakis, "If you have a change of clothes for me, I can avoid stopping at home and be there in ten."

"Done," he responded, "I'll see you then."

He hung up the phone and I told Virgil that I had to take off.

He chuckled and leaned back in his seat, "Don't let me stop you. Go to him, lover boy."

I growled at him, "I do not have a crush on Patton if that is what you're implying."

"I never said anything about a crush."

I huffed weakly. Not really angry, but not wanting to let Virgil know that, I shut the door of his apartment and hurried to my car.

Ten minutes later

I pulled into the parking lot of Patty Cakes and practically leaped out of the car. I pushed the door open to hear loud noises coming from the kitchen. I burst in to find Patton on the floor, an empty cookie sheet on his torso and flour smeared across his apron.

"Help" was all he said, and I ran over to pick him up off the ground, chuckling.

"How's it going?"

"Terrible. The first batch I tried to make while panicking ended up being burnt. and now I have to make more dough.

"How can I help?"

He smiled at me faintly in his dazed state, "You can go get changed into something easier to move around in," he pointed to a chair with a change of clothes set on top of it, "I hope those fit, Virgil left them here when he moved out."

I picked up the outfit, it consisted of a light gray t-shirt and black skinny jeans. A blue apron sat at the bottom of the pile.

"You can change in there," he pointed to a bathroom at the left wall of the bakery. I smiled and stepped away.

I quickly shut the door, pulled my clothes off, and within a minute I was dressed. The outfit was a bit tight, but nothing too unbearable. I pulled the apron over my head, tying it neatly around my waist.

I opened the door and walked back to Patton, "What do you think?" I asked sarcastically, not expecting him to actually respond.

He didn't need to respond verbally for me to see that he had an opinion about my current attire. His gaze shifted up and down slowly like he was seeing me for the first time. It felt intimate, even though it was probably just unusual to see me dressed like this. I felt my cheeks go red and I shuffled my feet.

I didn't know if I liked it or not. On the bright side, it made butterflies fill my stomach. On the downside, it made butterflies fill my stomach.

"Get it together, Logan," I thought to myself.

I coughed into my hand, and saw Patton physically snap out of whatever about me was holding his attention.

"What are you waiting for, Pat? Let's get baking."

Over the next hour, we both ran around the already crowded kitchen, making cookies at lightning speed. Once I got the hang of it, it became much easier and Patton and I fell into a pattern. He would make the dough and I would ball it up on the tray and put them in the oven to bake.

Before I knew it, we were boxing up the cookies and Patton was selling them to whoever ordered them. He waved goodbye to the customer and stepped back into the kitchen.

"You know, you're pretty good at baking," he said with his signature kind smile, "I'd love to have someone helping me out every once in a while."

I smiled at him weakly, exhausted from the hour of baking, "If I wasn't in the middle of a heated divorce case, I'd honestly love to quit my job right now and come bake with you every day. Today was... really fun. Even if I couldn't do it very frequently or as a permanent career, I'd love to come here sometime again to bake with you."

He lit up again, he looked so happy at the thought of me working with him. I was being completely honest with him, too. I hated being a divorce lawyer. Everyone was always so hostile. I then let a crazy idea slip into my mind momentarily.

"Why not quit your job and bake with him?"

I thought about it for only an instant before finding every visible flaw in the plan. First of all, I barely knew him. Despite spending practically every waking moment together in the past few weeks, and staying up late watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. reruns together every night, I wasn't ready to give up my entire career for him.

Although I had promised myself I wouldn't get too close to the boy, I couldn't help but learn more and more about him. I found out that he was 28, and used to be Virgil's roommate until Virgil moved in with Roman. Now he lives alone in the apartment above the bakery with his over-excited golden retriever named Cupcake and a bazillion houseplants. He wanted to be a weatherman as a child, but after an incident a few years ago, he chose differently. He had seemed so sad when he talked about his decision, and I had no idea why.

Well, I wanted to learn more about him, so why not ask?

"Why did you decide to become a baker anyways?" I blurted out almost accusingly. He jumped slightly at my outburst, but after he had processed my question, he sighed and brushed his curls out of his eyes.

"Are you sure you want to know? I'm a pretty terrible storyteller, and it's honestly kind of depressing."

I nodded eagerly, "Of course, I'm sure it'll be a great story if it's coming from you."

He sighed, hesitated, and began, "When I was a kid, my dad wasn't around all that much. Not because of anything bad, he just had to work late most days. And so my mom and I would spend our weekends baking, since we didn't have anything better to do and because it was a relatively cheap hobby that made my mom happy."

He paused to breathe, "She would always ask me to try some new, wacky recipe. It didn't always go as planned, but I never really minded too much. I was just happy to be around her."

He looked down and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his apron, "She passed away a few years ago. She had problems with her heart her whole life, and she was pretty old, so my dad and I knew it was coming." His voice cracked on the last word of his sentence, and I felt my heart jolt.

"When we were going through her things after she died, I found her old recipe book and decided to open up this shop. Patty Cakes was the nickname she gave me when I was little, and I thought, what better way to honor her, right? I thought that maybe, if these recipes made her so happy, then maybe they would make everyone else happy too."

He sniffed and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater, just now noticing the few tears that slipped from his eyes, "Sorry for getting all sappy on you, I'm not usually this emotional about it."

I shook my head, "No, don't be sorry. I'm always here to listen. Besides, you're really good at storytelling."

He smiled a little and nudged my arm, "Awe, you're too sweet."

I smiled back, growing less and less fearful of being around him. I wasn't sure what it was about him, but I couldn't help the feelings I had for him. Who knows, maybe falling in love with him wouldn't be so awful after all.

"What the hell are you thinking?" I thought to myself, "You can't do this again. Not after everything."

I considered it for a moment. Maybe, just maybe, I could open up again.

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[prinanalogicality]

New Year’s Kiss

Hello all! I am indeed alive! I know I haven’t written much of anything as of late, that is because I am on break from university due to the holiday season. Like the cotton-headed ninnymuggins that I am, I forgot my laptop back in my apartment, in which I live on campus and that is over three hours away. May my laptop rip. But hey, while I am home I convinced my mother to let me use her laptop, so since I didn’t write wholesome holiday content, I am here to produce wholesome New Years content. Enjoy!

AO3 link here.

Summary: Virgil doesn’t understand what is so important about a New Year’s kiss. Logan shares his confusion, so he proposes an idea so they can both figure out what the fuss is all about. Or, the one where Logan uses science as an excuse to kiss Virgil, and maybe Virgil does too.

Pairing: Analogical. Logan Sanders / Virgil Sanders. Strap yourselves in laddies and prepare for some fluff.

"There is nothing quite as magical as a New Year’s kiss. Well, of course a New Year’s kiss with me is the pinnacle of magic, it is downright bewitching, but that is besides the point. For the commoners of the world, sharing a moment of love and passion with one another to welcome the new year with open arms and positive memories is simply fabulous. I could not imagine a better way to move forward in life than sharing a smooch with someone important enough in your life to be your chosen liplocking companion. Ah, just imagining dipping back a lovely dancing partner to sweep him off of his feet and kiss the breath from his lungs - it really butters my eggroll.”

Virgil raises an unimpressed eyebrow in Roman’s direction, feeling completely blase over the other side’s argument in favor of a New Year’s kiss. He should have known that coming to ask the romantic trait for reasoning behind the craze of a New Year’s kiss would just be the same explanation he gives for everything involving romance, which is that everything is magical and loving and like fireworks taking place in one’s circulatory system.

“Okay, how about you try explaining the concept to me without a bunch of overused and hyperbolic phrases.” He deadpans, pulling the sleeves of his hoodie further over his hands. His fingers take to fiddling with the frayed ends of said sleeves, tugging on the loosened threads subconsciously. Patton has noticed Virgil’s actions and has taken to fixing up the boy’s sleeves with a sewing kit, but with how often Virgil fidgets Patton’s efforts are for naught.

Roman returns Virgil’s blank stare with an indignant one, one hand coming up to rest upon his chest as he huffs. “What do you mean hyperbolic phrases? I am not overstating one single thing! You have come to me for an answer, an answer that I have already given to you, Han Woe-lo. What makes a New Year’s kiss so special compared to any other simple peck is that it is a sign that one wishes for their year to start with their partner. Through the marvelous act of affection with another, people are able to come together and welcome someone into a new chapter of their lives, and in light of the holiday, the new chapter is a new year. It is mighty romantic.”

With a roll of his eyes and his shoulders, Virgil rises from his spot on the stairs landing. “Look, yeah, you may be right. It may be a more fantastical experience than normal kisses, I guess. But still, I am not at all convinced. I would probably be more convinced if you didn’t describe every romantic encounter that way, but hey, sometimes the physical embodiment of creativity can even run short on descriptive vocabulary.” Turning away before Roman can see the slight smile playing on his lips, all due to Virgil’s teasing of the prince, he makes his way up the staircase at an unhurried pace.

“Excuse me, how dare you insult my creative ability. I know plenty of descriptive words, just you- ugh. If I cared enough about what you think then I would totally argue that I have loads of vocabulary words at the ready, but hah, joke’s on you, Tracy Turn-brat. I don’t care, and I especially don’t care that you do not understand the power behind a New Year’s kiss. Good day to you, sir. Good day!”

Virgil almost wishes that he had been facing Roman just to see how red-faced and heated the male had gotten, but he supposes listening to Roman’s voice rise several pitches throughout his little outburst is enough.

Within Thomas’s mindscape, there is a replica of Thomas’s apartment. Considering it is where the male sees as home, that is the home of the sides. Though each facet of his personality has their own corner of his mind, also referred to as their room, there is a place where each side can go without being affected by the functions of one another. Typically, they exist in the common area of the mind so that they can spend time with one another if they so choose. They are also able to influence Thomas from the common area, which makes existence easier so they do not have to actually interact with Thomas’s conscious mind to do their jobs.

Though Thomas lives in a one bedroom apartment, the sides exist in a mindscape, so things are able to appear differently than they really are. When opening the door to what would normally be Thomas’s bedroom, the room within the mindscape is actually Virgil’s. It does not affect the others in any way if they enter, and it looks like a normal bedroom, bed and dressers and all. A normal closet is Patton’s room, a study is Logan’s room, and a different closet is Roman’s room. That is the good thing about living in a mindscape, nothing about their home has to abide by true physics. They can change the structure of their home at any moment, if they so choose.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Virgil purses his lips in thought. Patton is likely to give a mushy answer much like Roman’s, if he gives an answer at all. Sometimes Virgil wonders if Patton simply acts naive or if he truly is that innocent, but he isn’t invested enough to figure the truth out. Patton is fine the way he is, whether he is more knowledgeable than he lets on or he is not. So, Patton is out of the question for Virgil to go to.

That leaves Logan.

Virgil supposes that Logan is a good choice. The male’s response will undoubtedly be entirely objective and will probably cover the psychological effects of human affection that he will manage to correlate to the excitement of new experiences, but it will be an answer. An answer that Virgil expects, but at least Virgil genuinely enjoys the company of the left brain-centric facet.

Logan’s droning can increase the heaviness of Virgil’s eyelids and lead him to hibernation, that is true, but that doesn’t stop Virgil from wanting to actively be around him. Sometimes, when he and Logan are on opposite sides regarding a topic, he even offers his own opinions, backed up by logical reasoning. The fire that blazes behind Logan’s eyes despite his cool and collected demeanor makes Virgil’s own fire flicker to life within his chest, a feeling that the male has come to associate exclusively with Logan. Roman frustrates the bejeebies out of Virgil, there is no denying that, but no one else can garner Virgil’s full, undivided attention quite like Logan can. Virgil oftentimes finds himself disinterested or distracted by his own mind in most situations, but conversations with Logan are always higher level and require thought and attention, something that Virgil finds himself giving to the logical trait easily these days.

Taking a few steps to the left so that he stands in front of Logan’s door, Virgil takes a brief moment to hesitate before knocking, the sound just barely muffled by his sleeves making contact with the door. Almost immediately, he second guesses his decision. What would Logan think of his question? There is a chance that he will find it unimportant and turn him to Roman’s direction, but Virgil has already been there. Should he change his question to something Logan would find more suitable, such as what stars are visible in the sky this time of year? That is sure to pique Logan’s interest, the male loves astronomy. Maybe that’s what Virgil should ask, but then again, he does sincerely want his own question to be answered. Virgil really hates how his mind is his own devil’s advocate.

It takes Logan only a few moments to answer the door. It is afternoon, so Virgil knows that there is no way the logical side was asleep. Most likely he was sat at his desk, reading up on some new theory or grading the tests that he gives to his classes. Virgil finds it quite endearing, really, how Logan has his very own world that he has crafted, one where he does things that he enjoys. If one is to open his closet, they would enter a school building, where Logan goes to tend to and teach students in a variety of grades, depending on his mood. It is amazing, really. Roman has done the same thing, building his kingdom, and even Patton has his own world, one where he is a father that lives in the suburbs. Virgil doesn’t have a false reality for himself, he has always been too nervous in order to do so. He does not want to create some Silent Hill or Resident Evil situation.

“Virgil.” Logan’s voice immediately garners Virgil’s attention, in which Logan raises an eyebrow at him. “Do what do I owe this visit? You do not come by my quarters often. In fact, it is a rare occurrence.”

Shrugging off Logan’s mild surprise, Virgil crosses his arms loosely over his chest, thumbs pressing against the fabric of his sleeves and pressing it against the side of his index fingers. “I just- uh. I had a question, so, yeah.”

The glasses clad male nods and steps back, gesturing his arm in a welcoming manner. “I see. Well, I suppose I could take time to answer whatever is on your mind.”

Virgil steps into the bedroom, breathing out a quiet sigh. He makes a beeline for the foot of the bed, where he plops down. Logan is right, Virgil does not come to visit him in his room often, but whenever he does Virgil sits in the same exact spot. Logan has long since stopped complaining about Virgil ruining his pristinely made bed. “Okay. So, uh. My question is- ugh. I just have to use the band-aid technique, let’s go.” Raising his arms to cover his eyes, the question is blurted from Virgil’s lips rapidly. “What is so special about a New Year’s kiss?”

Logan’s demeanor does not change in the slightest. Taking his place at his desk chair, he spins it around so that he is facing Virgil, pausing to take a moment for thought. “Hm. Though I am surprised that you would come to me with such a question, there is an answer. I would have expected you to go to someone like Roman, but I imagine you have already been there and you were exasperated by his skipping record player-esque reply.”

One side of Virgil’s lips creeps upward at that. “Pfft, yeah. I got the ‘it’s magical, love is so grand’ spiel and a couple new insults to add to the books. In fact,” Virgil waves his hands around for a brief moment, a notebook and pen appearing in his hands. He jots down Roman’s remarks and waves the items away with a snort. “There we go.”

Logan’s eyebrows drawl up in that way when he finds out he is right, the muscles in his jaw flexing just so as he tilts his chin up. His expressions are subtle, but Virgil can read him like a book. He is obviously pleased knowing both Virgil and Roman so well.

“Well. It is a phenomenon that I do not quite understand, but I can aim to remedy your thoughts. People crave acts such as kisses because they serve a purpose in connection. Oftentimes in the beginnings of relationships, lip to lip contact serves as a segway towards more intimate circumstances, whether those are sexual encounters or otherwise. Not only that, but due to the closeness involved, people oftentimes find themselves becoming more familiar with the mannerisms of their partner. Pheromones play a large role in attraction, and when in close quarters with another people are better able to sense and potentially crave subjection to such pheromones. Kisses serve as a form of reality because it builds trust and intimacy among participants. They become the metaphorical building blocks for relationships.”

Virgil nods. He knew all of this. Well, maybe not with all of the fancy jargon, but he knew the basic gist of what Logan is saying. That doesn’t keep him from listening in, though, particularly intrigued by Logan’s remark of the phenomena not making sense to him. So Logan and Virgil are both on the same page, wondering what is so special about a New Year’s kiss. Huh.

“So, the psychology behind a kiss coupled with the effect of excitement in a human must be what comes together to form the New Year’s kiss craze. When excited, the amygdala is triggered and chemicals such as dopamine are released, stimulating the frontal lobe of the brain. The prospect of a new year can bring about excitement, so people take it upon themselves to kiss another to increase their serotonin levels. I also do not quite grasp the great thing about a New Year’s kiss. Considering the fact that I have never experienced one myself, or a normal kiss for that matter, I cannot give a definitive answer for you. That would require experimentation and monitoring of the vitals.”

Blinking his eyes a few times, Virgil shifts in his seat. “Looks like we’ll both be living in the dark for the rest of our lives, huh?” He chuckles in a humorless manner, fingers again playing with his frayed sleeves. This time, a thread comes loose and he finds himself wrapping it around the tips of his fingers, watching as the skin changes colors.

“We do not have to.” Logan’s words come out a tad slower than before, and Virgil lifts his gaze to settle it upon the other. “As I said, it would require experimentation in order to discover the physiological result of what eludes us. In only a few hours the clock will be striking midnight, signifying the coming of the new year. I am willing, if you are, to participate in the experiment. In short, you and I will be kissing at midnight and gauge whether or not it appears to be out of the norm or not. Does that sound acceptable to you?”

Virgil simply stares at him for several long moments, and for once, he is glad that he has pale foundation on. It serves to cover the immense heat surging to his cheeks, though he is almost positive that Logan can still see it, though his expression does not read anything different. His expression is completely collected, lips pursed as he awaits Virgil’s response.

“I suppose I could ask Patton for his assistance. I find it hard to believe that he would turn down a chance at intimacy among the members of our group-”

“No, no. Don’t ask dad. I’ll do it. I mean, you can go to dad if you would prefer him, but I’ll do it with you. The experiment, I’ll do the experiment. For science, right?” Virgil’s fingernails scratch lightly over the back of his neck, the area becoming suddenly itchy as his anxiety kicks in slightly.

Logan breaks the eye contact that they had been holding, and Virgil watches as his jaw flexes, corners of his lips twitching minutely. “Excellent. Patton will want all of us within the living room of the mindscape for when the time draws near. I will resume my grading so that I may be finished and my mind shall be clear as our experiment approaches.”

“Good idea, I guess.” Virgil shrugs, hoping to come off nonchalant, standing up. He pats the bed to iron out the creases he had made before backing up towards the door. “So, that’s it? Because if that’s it I’m going to get in some sleep before Patton tries to keep all of us up for the next decade.”

The look he receives is one that he is unfamiliar with, from Logan or otherwise. It looks like a normal blank stare from Logan, but Virgil is too good at reading him to be fooled. The look is tender, more than tender than normal, and Virgil shifts from foot to foot and looks away before he can allow any butterflies to find their way to his tummy.

“All right. I shall see you at, say, eleven pm? Is that acceptable? That is the time Patton asked us all to meet for his celebration, I believe.”

“Yeah, that’s what he said. That sounds chill to me, so- I’ll see you at eleven.” With a small bow, Virgil turns and exits Logan’s bedroom, gently closing the bedroom door behind himself. As soon as the door is shut, he breathes out a heavy sigh, his eyebrows furrowing. Did he seriously just agree to kiss Logan? And he is completely okay with it? Honestly, Virgil finds the fact that he is okay with it more confusing than Logan bringing up the experiment to begin with.

For once in his life, Virgil doesn’t want to think. He doesn’t want to key into his thoughts that are running a mile a minute, asking why Logan wants to do this experiment and why Virgil is even excited to partake in it. He steps away from the door in favor of going towards his own, wanting to hole himself up and lie down to rest. Maybe, if he can do that, he will wake up and this will all have been some weird dream where Logan definitely did not suggest that they kiss.

Flopping onto his bed, Virgil glares at the ceiling.

He hates the disappointment that wells in his chest at the idea of this all being a dream.

“Virgil! Oh golly am I excited to see you. We are all going to have the best time ever, I just know it. 2018 is going to have so many fantastic things and the fact that I get to start it off with all of you is so- so-”

“Sublime? Remarkable? Superlative? Outstanding?” Logan supplies a few ideas, though his thoughts are drowned out by Patton’s outburst.

“Great! It is just diddly darn great, guys. Super nice.”

Logan sighs exasperatedly before turning his attention towards Virgil, who sits upon the left side of the sofa. Roman has settled against the right side, where he has his phone out and he is taking selfies of himself making a variety of facial expressions. With only a moment’s pause, Logan joins the two on the sofa, sitting closer to Virgil’s side so that they may engage in conversation.

Virgil notices that Logan does not mention the experiment once. Normally, when Logan sets his heart on a new experiment, he is a bit more energetic and he is always ready to discuss the specifics. This time, however, he engages in small talk with the other which makes Virgil feel suspicious, but he is not worried enough to actually ask about it. He also knows that Logan dislikes small talk. When engaging in small talk, Logan prefers to get straight to the point and highlight the specifics of what catches his interest. However, in this instance, they talk about mundane things such as the weather, the hot chocolate that Patton made everyone, and how grateful they are that Thomas is not drinking alcohol this year.

“The time is drawing near. Are you all excited?” Roman grins out at the group, his phone now face down on the table, per Patton’s request. He only knows the time because of the clock on the television, where they have a news station on that shows a countdown. It is currently 11:57, only a few minutes from when the ball is supposed to drop and signify the beginning of a new year.

“Heck yeah I am! Thomas is going to absolutely thrive this year, I just know it. He’s gonna win so many more awards and he is gonna make such good videos, ah. I’m just so excited!” Patton is the only one who answers verbally, and Roman does not seem bothered by the lack of response from the other two traits, instead turning his attention to the fatherly trait.

“Are you prepared to engage in the experiment?” Logan finally brings up the idea of what he and Virgil had discussed previously, and Virgil simply shrugs his shoulders, gaze looking anywhere but directly at Logan.

“I mean, yeah, I guess. I said that I would do it, right? I’m not going to back out.” He presses his lips in a thin line and peers at Logan through his bangs, watching as the male’s calculating gaze meets his own. Logan is definitely trying to read him, to gauge how he is feeling, and Virgil feels a small bit of his resolve crumble, his nerves showing in the way his teeth make an appearance just to nibble at his lower lip. He tears his gaze away quickly, fixating it on his sleeves that are worse than before. He might have to ask Patton to fix them this time around, because the threads are coming out in small chunks now.

A hand wraps around his wrist and Virgil’s shoulders jump at the small bit of contact, lips parting and eyebrows twitching. “You really should find an alternative for yourself. I know that you have stated that you do not understand fidget spinners and cubes due to their immense popularity and that you have an affinity for coming off as unique, if not obscure, but I do believe that having such items would be beneficial. If not for your sake, for the sake of your clothing items.”

Before Logan had grasped his wrist and spoke, Virgil did not notice how close he had gotten. Throughout the hour that they have been speaking to one another, Logan has gotten much closer, close enough that Virgil’s knee is pressing against Logan’s thigh. At some point, Virgil had turned to properly face the male, his back now against the armrest and legs criss-crossed. He should feel cornered like this, being backed up to the corner of the sofa. But strangely enough, he doesn’t, and he doesn’t even take his hand from Logan’s grip.

Looking up, Virgil’s eyes meet with Logan’s, and wow. Their bodies are close, but their faces are even closer. Virgil has awful posture, and with how he is slumping forward towards Logan he is much closer. Logan typically maintains excellent posture, but this time he is actually leaning in close to Virgil, eyes filled with raw intensity. The look makes Virgil’s heart race, but not in a way that makes him want to run. It is quite the opposite, really. He is not used to seeing such pure emotion on Logan’s face. It looks good, and yeah, they all technically have the same face, but Virgil knows that each side has their own mannerisms that distinguish them from one another. They all use their facial muscles differently, they all give people different looks. And though Logan has never looked like this before, the look is somehow so Logan to Virgil that it doesn’t bother him or scare him in the slightest. He knows Logan. He enjoys being around Logan more than anyone or anything else.

“One more minute!” Patton’s excited squeal is nothing to Virgil as he feels Logan’s hand shifting from his wrist to instead gently rest in his hand. Unfurling his fingers, Virgil swallows thickly and feels Logan’s fingertips drifting across his palm before his other hand joins in, grasping Virgil’s other hand. Bringing them in, both of Logan’s hands cup Virgil’s, thumbs rubbing small circles into Virgil’s skin, no doubt an attempt to calm his nerves. The action is small, but in this moment it means the world to Virgil, knowing that he must look like a deer in the headlights. It is embarrassing, really, knowing what an open book he must be right now compared to how collected Logan is.

“Are you positive that you wish to go through with the experiment?” Logan’s words are soft, and he is so close that Virgil smells the hot chocolate on the other’s breath.

“I don’t think I have ever been so sure of something in my life.” Virgil’s eyes flicker from Logan’s eyes to his lips and back, and Virgil swallows thickly, teeth digging into his lower lip. Almost immediately, he can see Logan’s eyes honing in on the action and one of Logan’s hands reach up to caress Virgil’s chin, thumb gently pressing beneath the male’s lip to free it from between his teeth.

“You shouldn’t bite your lips like that. It can result in oral fixation, bleeding, and chapping of the lips.”

Even in a moment like this Logan finds time to harp on Virgil. Instead of rolling his eyes and pulling away, though, Virgil snorts and uses his now free hand to tentatively rest upon Logan’s thigh. “Trust me, my lips are just fine. Whether or not they’re chapped should be the least of your worries.”

Roman’s and Patton’s voices blend together as they merrily begin the countdown, cheer obvious in their tones.

“Five!”

“The least of my worries? Then what should be at the top?” Logan asks, a hint of amusement creeping into his typically cool voice.

“Four!”

“I can’t help but to notice that you didn’t even bring anything to monitor our vitals with, making this a flawed experiment.” Virgil grins.

“Three!”

“Well, you see, the lack of equipment was purposeful on my part. Do you know why?”

“Two!”

“I’d say it’s because you just wanted an excuse to kiss me.”

“One!”

“I’d say you are right.”

“Happy new year!”

It takes only a few mere moments for the two to close the gap between them, eyes closing as lips press together. It was slightly clumsy, considering they bumped noses, but neither seem to care as their lips make contact. It isn’t exceptionally long or grand, but it is just enough for the two of them. Logan is the first to pull away, and he even smirks at the way Virgil subconsciously follows him to continue the kiss.

Realizing what he had done, he leans back, face and neck undoubtedly flushing. However, Virgil cannot find it in himself to be embarrassed when he opens his eyes and is met with the sight of Logan practically glowing. The male isn’t full blown grinning, he isn’t yelling out his happiness, but Virgil can see it in the crinkles beside his eyes, the tender look he is receiving, the way Logan’s lips are stretched in a small sign of happiness.

“You know, your experiment is super flawed.” Virgil speaks in a teasing manner, his expression mirroring Logan’s.

“How so?”

“I mean. Obviously you didn’t monitor our vitals and all that jargon, but you know.” He hums, reaching up to brush his fingertips along Logan’s jawline. “Even I know that for an experiment to be done right, several trials have to be done. Not only that, but it isn’t like either of us have any past experiences to compare this to.”

“What are you proposing?”

“Looks like we need to repeat the experiment again, particularly on days that aren’t New Year’s. That way we know the difference, to see what is so special about a New Year’s kiss.”

Logan’s smile widens minutely. “What an astute suggestion. I most definitely agree.”

[pxiao]

Could ya give your thoughts on Zexal as a whole and tell is it really bad. can you?

As a whole post? Seems a bit vicious even for me. But as a whole I’ll say it, z-xal fans look away because as this is my pure opinions as a Z-xal hater. My opinions could be wrong and they can annoy you but remember this is my opinion and just as you have a right to be annoyed, I have a right to my opinion. Don’t whine if you find something you don’t like on a Z-xal hate piece.  

The show is textbook at best and at worse just annoying with some horrible lessons. When the it first aired, I was willing to give it a try despite initially being put off by the character designs, if not just because I thought the fandom was being annoying. I got up to the cat girl episode till I just felt it was boring as all get out and stopped watching. It wasn’t a conspicuous decision either, I just didn’t feel like watching the next episode and I honestly forgot the show existed till Zexal 2 started and well by that point I didn’t give a damn. But I started to hear things about the show and well I honestly found it annoying and I watched it and I was right. Yoshida doesn’t seem skilled at creating characters, world building or even plotting. 

Plot wise, a lot of the logic is ignored for trauma and angst. And I know that in Yu-Gi-Oh!, logic isn’t exactly common anyway but you still need some logic in people’s actions or there really isn’t any point in watching a show. If you watch the Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged series, LittleKuriboh is doing a good job of pointing out the flaws of the Orichalcos season written by Yoshida. Like Atem’s duel against Rafael was started by Atem deciding to answer his challenge for rescue Professor Arthur … who was released for no reason before Atem even dueled Rafael and for no real reason either. Zexal is the same, a lot of episodes don’t do anything to advance the story, characters or even the world. It’s just duel of the week episodes which rarely have any effect on the world at all. Zexal’s story is generally duels of the week, some plot, more duels of the week and then final battle. There isn’t any rising action, it’s just exposition and then overdrawn climax. His attempts at “foreshadowing” are laughable. They don’t hint, they spell it out to the point we know what’s going to happen 99% percent of the the time. And lets face it, people like to watch shows that have some surprise as otherwise the show becomes a checklist and that was what Zexal felt like at times. It was less of a show and more of Yoshida’s checklist of the tropes that Yu-Gi-Oh! has done. A major plothole I found in the Barian onslaught was Shark’s attitude throughout the arc. Why did he go straight into war mode if he “knew Yuma’s feelings”. Yuma who spent the arc freaking out at the death and war that was going on, if Shark actually knew Yuma, he should know that a war is the last thing Yuma would ever want. But he spends the arc angsts over how he has to betray his friends. Why couldn’t he TALK to Yuma, while Astral is iffy, he should know how much of an influence that Yuma has on the alien and thus maybe a deal can be made. And if it couldn’t be, he could have at least tried before he lead a war that lead to his “friends” dying like a REAL ruler. 

World building, ha. He doesn’t build worlds, he builds a blank slate that the characters “live” at. Heartland has no personality at all, despite being the city of the future there was nothing unique about it. Astral world and Barian worlds are just factions at war with that represent the concepts of order and chaos and that’s from the show TELLING US. We only see the Astral world dying and nothing about it’s people, the Barian world is just not shown at all except for some red rocks. If I had to compared Astral world and Barian world to say Arc-V’s worlds, it’s depressing. Arc-V has a bit of Chaos vs Order in the form of Academia and the Resistance and the difference in writing quality is depressing. Academia would is order and we get a taste of how messed up their ideological is from Sora, Serena and Edo. We see how the public openly supports their ideas, the children believe the lies that they’re making a better war and when they’re in danger they freak out as they thought of it as a game. Hell we see how they take their ideology to the extreme in the BB arc when Sanders and the students beg for Sanders to be carded as it follows their ideals. The resistance is chaos, as Shun states they had trouble creating a defense in time and it shows. The flashbacks show duelists not in any uniform, just attacking without any formation or plan, their bases are just tents huddled together and the Resistance didn’t even have a main base, it was different branches and by the time we see it, it’s all but dead. Maiami is defined by how free the setting is, there are a LARGE variety of dueling schools from You Show, Gongenzaka Dojo, LDS, the many different schools Yuya saw and Ryozanpaku. Each having a variety of philosophies and how the public acted show they had a healthy mix of positive, loving Entertainment duels, and negative traits, their bullying of Yuya in the past. 

His characters are the worst, they aren’t really characters, just personality traits put together in the hopes of being a working personality. Most of the time, they’re just 2D cutouts. Don Thousand is a perfect example. In a story, the most important characters are the protagonist and the main enemy of the series as they shape what the show is. The worst thing you can do when making a main villain is making them easily replaceable. In the manga for Z-xal which was pretty similar to the anime Don was replaced while the story was going on because the artist didn’t like him and Yoshida EASILY replaced Don Thousand. That just proves that Don Thousand didn’t have a personality if he could be replaced by another villain so easily. In comparison, you can’t replace Zarc or Leo, they have shaped Arc-V plot and setting that if you take them out, the plot will change. He generally makes his protagonists overally perfect like what he did to Yusei in season 2 of 5D’s. Yuma is a horrible attempt to fix this, he had flaws for sure, but instead of Yuma growing, Yoshida made the show bend over backwards to make a flaw a virtue instead. The infuriating part is the show actually did a good job of showing his flaw but then everyone even the people that called out him earlier are telling to not change. You don’t make good characters that way, you destroy your show. Yoshida doesn’t do enough to build up the relationships that are supposed to form the backbone of the show and it feels hollow. A direct example is Yuya and Yuzu relationship vs Yuma and Kotori’s relationship. The couples are both childhood friends but the difference between their bonds is clear as day. Kotori is a side thought to Yuma at best and we never get an explanation of why Kotori and supposedly Yuma like each other. Their relationship development is Kotori screaming for Yuma and her getting jealous over him. Yuya and Yuzu? The first few episodes show how they understand each other the most and when something is up with one of them, they’re the first to realize it. Despite being separated for most of the show, Yuya and Yuzu continuously show support and love for each other while Yuma and Kotori barely interact despite being next to each other for the majority of the show. Arc-V shows plenty of times when Yuya puts her safety above everything and that includes his own ideals. Yuzu also puts Yuya’s safety over her own and her speeches are the only thing to reach him as the Zarc vs Ray/Reira duel showed. Fan reaction proves this, Yuya and Yuzu is one of the most popular ships in their fandom while Yuma and Kotori is hardly liked at all. And how he writes girls … Look Yu-Gi-Oh! isn’t going to win awards on how to write women unless you include Season 1 of Arc-V. But Yoshida is the worst at them, nearly every women he writes is obsessed over romance and plays little to no part in the story. Rio appeared as an independent girl that didn’t want to seen as part of Shark. And she became just that, she never made her own decisions ever and everything that came out of her mouth was about Shark and that’s it. She became his angst magnet. And based on how Aoi was written, I doubt he’s changed in Vr–ns.

Next I don’t think Yoshida understands the idea of a card game show. While card game shows are generally shonen series, they don’t have the same rules as a general shonen series. An enemy having a broken power in a regular shonen is accepted because the point of shonen is to make things unfair for the protagonist so the audience can feel something when they overcome it. That doesn’t work with card games, there has to be a SENSE of balance as card games are meant to be a game first and foremost. Otherwise the enemy comes across as overpowered to the point of ridiculousness. Don Thousand was overpowered to the point I was rolling my eye when he was literally breaking the rules of the game. From easily causing 50,000 points of damage, to summoning monsters with 10,000 and later 100,000 attack points. Don didn’t feel powerful, he felt like the writers were trying too hard to make him dangerous and instead came off as annoying.  

But the worst part of this is how Yoshida never changes. Everything that he works on has a basic plot and character types and he never varies. His writing has the same ideas in the seasons he writes. And I’ve seen how some people defend him on this because of his writing style. I strongly disagree, authors can have similar themes and ideas but they should never make a series the exact same. Kasumi Ono was the director for 5d’s and Arc-V while there are similarities in themes and character points, it’s impossible to say they’re alike at all. Or the writer for Type-Moon, compared Fate/Stay Night and Fate/Extra. They take the same concept and play with it so the story is different.  Authors don’t have to make everything original but the problem is Yoshida rarely changes the details at all.