#bleepblop writes

[bleepblopbloop56]

100 things to do under the stars

(Analogical, no warnings)

1: stargaze

  Virgil dragged Logan out from the warmth of the truck and into crisp fall air. They were in the middle of nowhere, it was nearly midnight, and the clouds were practically nonexistent. There wasn't a light for miles, aside from the still dimming headlights of Virgil's pickup truck. They had to be in someone's backyard or private property, but with a field so vast and expansive who would know to say anything. 

“Virgil-” Logan started before swiftly getting shushed by Virgil. He jerked open the door to the backseat, pulling out piles of blankets and pillows. 

  “Lo, i'm gonna need you to ignore how sketchy this looks and help me pad the bed of the truck, there's a meteor shower tonight and i want you to see it.” Virgil tossed him some handfuls of quilts and stuffed animals. It seemed as if he found every even remotely soft thing in his apartment and shoved it in the car. They passed the truck bed and Virgil hoisted him into the makeshift bed, before bracing the side of the truck and hoping for himself. 

 They stayed silent as they got comfortable, that was Logan's favorite part about their friendship, they could just exist around each other without any pressure to perform social cues like small talk.. They could just be. Logan reached down and intertwined their hands, making virgil's heart skip a beat. 

“Thank you,” he mumbled, shifting closer to his friend “I needed this” Virgil swallowed roughly, laying his head closer to Logan’s as they watched the stars 

7: contemplate existence + 11: drink coffee

 “Do you think there's something else out there?” Virgil asked after a long stretch of comfortable silence. This time, they sat on the roof of the truck, coffee in hand and feet dangling off the edge of the truck. 

  “Be more specific.” Logan took a sip of his coffee, bringing it to his mouth with both hands. It provided a nice warmth against the chill of the night, something his black wool coat was vaguely failing to provide.

   “Life.. do you think we're alone here?” Logan wanted to say no with a definite certainty that Virgil was looking for, but that would be irresponsible to answer with a certainty he didn't have. 

   “Arthur Clarke once said ‘Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.’” he settled on instead. Virgil grimaced and pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged and turned his body to face Logan. He tried to make eye contact with him, but Logan continued to look up into the abyss.

  “That's not what I asked,” he said “I wanna know what you think.” Logan took another slow sip of his coffee to stall. Eventually, he brought it away from his mouth and turned to face Virgil

   “I dont know..” he admitted “it seems.. impossible that there's an infinite universe beyond our capability of comprehension that is simply empty. I don't believe there will ever be certainty on our end, so,” he put the coffee down and laid down, putting his eyes back on the stars “i'd rather not worry about it.”

32: question your own mortality *

   “What do you suppose the point of it all is Virgil?”  he had become rather acquainted with the empty field he and Virgil spent nearly every clear night in. They hadn't even got out of the car this time before Logan started their nightly talks.

   “I thought it scared you to talk about things like that.” Virgil jokes to mask that he didn't have an answer. He jerked open the door but didn't get out. 

    “Do… Do you ever question why we're here?” Logan knew the answer to that, and Virgil constantly thought about his life and his purposeless existence. Virgil took pity on him when he noticed his big brown eyes sparkling in the light the car turned on. So mundane, and yet Virgil had seemed to romanticize the smallest things around Logan.

    “Get out, I wanna show you something,” Logan followed wordlessly. “I think..” Virgil continued, once they were out of the truck and on top of it “that it's different for everyone. For me, I just want to spend my short existence here experiencing life for what it is. Good and the bad, mostly good.” Virgil smiled softly as he laid down on the roof “ look at that… all the stars feel so close i could touch and yet impossibly far away. I can't see a horizon from here, it feels like I'm in the middle of all of them, here with you.”

    Logan laid on his side beside him, still not fully getting it. “You think you were put into existence to look at stars?”

    Virgil hoisted himself up on his elbows, craning his head back to continue looking at the abyss. “I think that's what i'm choosing to do with my existence, what are you choosing to do with yours?” Logan stayed quiet for a long time, just looking at Virgil and thinking before he jutted his head forward and kissed him. Virgil pulled back, heart beating  a million miles a minute. 

“Logan?” he whispered.

“If we get to choose what we do with our lives then i wanna spend mine like this, with you, and i've wasted too much time thinking.” he almost had tears in his eyes as he leaned forward again, letting Virgil close the gap this time. 

* (+ 53: have your first kiss) 

65: and your second

72: and third

83: and many many more

99: propose

    They continued going to their favorite spot for years, when they got older they bought the plot of land that they called theres and built a tiny cabin on the edge of the field. And one night, after 5 years of dating, virgil pulled logan into the middle of the field, walking this time. Fireflies and the moon are their only real source of light so far out in the field. 

Logan giggled as he attempted to keep balance while Virgil swung him around 

“What's got you in such a good mood?” Logan laughed, getting pulled into a nervous kiss by his boyfriend 

    “Virgil!” he smiled a little wider, “what's the occasion?”

   “Look up, and name all the constellations you can see,” Virgil asked quietly, hands fisted in his jacket pockets. Logan looked suspicious before doing as he was told, listing all he could remember the name of. Just as he was getting to the end of his list, Virgil cut him off. 

“Hey Logan?” When he looked back, Virgil was kneeling on the ground with a small navy blue box in his hands. “Can I ask you something?” 

Logan did not consider himself overly emotional, he nearly prided himself on it, and yet he couldn't seem to stop the hitch in his breath and rush of tears to his eyes. He wordlessly nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

    Virgil opened the box and revealed a ring with a simple diamond in the middle of a black band with stars engraved into the side. He stayed silent as the tears started cascading down his face. “Do you remember when you said you wanted to spend your life with me under the stars?” Logan  had to pull his hands to his mouth to contain the sob of happiness he couldn't. Virgil was also crying, a wide nervous grin on his face “will you make that official with me?” 

    “Yes!” Logan choked out, nodding profusely and collapsing into Virgil's arms when he stood up to hug him. He pulled back and kissed him, he kissed him for the millionth time with all the passion and love of the first. He pressed his forehead into Virgils, having to bend a little to accommodate for the height difference. 

“I love you” he mumbled, tears starting to end their freefall, even if only for a minute. “So so much”

100: get married.

    Roman bustled around their small cabin with the kind of nervousness more reserved for the grooms than the best man. He had been preparing this day- well, night- for months and had been more of a bridezilla than either of the actual men getting married. Guests were starting to arrive just after the sun went down and the stars were starting to peek through the darkness. Fairy lights shone just enough to allow the guests to find their seats without hassle, but not too much as to outshine the stars. 

    “Are you sure everythings ready?” Roman asked Logan once again, meeting a hard eye roll with an exacerbated grin. 

    “Yes Roman, I'm positive.” He couldn't help the feeling of joy riding in his throat when he checked his watch. He was getting married… to the most beautiful man on earth, under the stars, in his own backyard with all his friends… holy shit

    “Logan!” Patton called from the doorway, excited to be helping even if he'd been there since noon “its time! Come on “ 

    Virgil was…. He couldn't think of the right word.. Gorgeous, ethereal, amazing, perfect, genius, beautiful, unreal, indescribable… Logan felt in his heart as he was walked down the aisle by the designated group dad friend. He wore a velvet deep purple suit with black trims and converse sneakers, hair freshly dyed from a week before, and on top of his head sat a small crown with diamond stars. As much as he despised wedding traditions, this was his “something borrowed” generously lended by Roman to tie in the night theme. The wedding was small, neither of their families even invited to attend, and their friend group tiny but close knit. Patton bounced down the aisle with Virgil's arm intertwined in his, Logan didn't think the concept of “handing off the “bride ``'' was appropriate here, but neither of them could deny Patton's puppy dog eyes. 

The rest of the night went off without a hitch, dancing, kissing, crying, a small potluck with a modest red velvet wedding cake, and in the center of it all was stars. The decorations, the rings, the vows and the night sky, all of it was perfect. When all the guests left, and Virgil and Logan were finally alone, Logan pulled out a wedding present he had gotten for virgil. 

“What's this?” he asked, still riding the high of “Holy shit i'm really married” 

“Open it.” virgil undid the navy wrapping paper, and opened the box. Inside, there was a book titled “100 things to do under the stars, by Logan Cade” 

Virgils heart jumped when he realised logan had used his new last name.  

[bleepblopbloop56]

Okay so like three of you wanted to see my shitty poetry so so does everyone else this is called Insomnia

[bleepblopbloop56]

When the pizza was delivered patton immedietly brought it to his son and their guest, logan. Despite the cardbord feeling hot against his arm, he still knocked polietly, remembering all the times his mother would just walk in and how annoyed hed be.

"Hey kiddos! Pizzas here!" He chirped, shifting the pizza to his other arm to let this one cool. From behind the door there was a loud thud and the paniced sound of moving before virgil yanked open the door.

"Thanks dad" he said quickly pulling the pizza into his arms starting to shut the door before patton stopped him.

"Now hold on kiddo, what was that noise?" He questions, logan was sitting up from where he was laying on the floor, looking very disheveled.

"Virgil was merely.. Excited about the pizza and i fell to the floor in his rush to open the door for you" logan winced, stepping up and brushing himself off. Patton noted his lips looked red and his face flushed.. As was virgil, with the added addition of missing his favorite hoodie and his hair mused..

Ohhhh...

"Ohhh okay" patton smiled knowingly, giving an overdramatic wink "okay you lovebirds, ill leave you two alone. Stay safe!" Patton giggled pulling the door closed, hearing the yelp of "DAD!" from behind the door.

When he made his way into the livingroom his husband Roman was already scarfing down their pizza. "Did i call it?" He asked with a smirk. Patton sighed and pulled out his wallet, handing over a ten dollar bill.

An idea:

Virgil and logan have a sleepover as teens

Virgil And logan are dating

Virgil’s parents do not know they’re dating

Roman and patton are his parents

He wants to keep it a secret from his parents

So logan and virgil are in his room kissing

Kissing a lot

Virgil’s never made out with anyone before

And its mess

But it’s fun

*knock knock* Hey kiddos! Pizzas here!

And he literally throws logan off his bed.

[bleepblopbloop56]

"Pull over," Virgil snapped his head to look at roman, before looking out at the rain. It had gotten dark and virgil had found the new rain nearly therapeutic. 

"What? Why" roman was already slowing down despite his obvious objection. " Vee its pouring" Virgil smiled wide at him, already unbuckling his seatbelt despite the car not being stopped yet. 

"I know!" When the car pulled to a stop, Virgil left out. They were alone on the road, they were alone for miles. They could see a town in the distance, lights casting a glow over the horizon. He threw his head back and let the rain pour on him, taking off his jacket and throwing it in the car. 

"Virgil what are you doing?" Roman seemed nearly giddy, shielding his hair with his flannel. 

"I've always wanted to do this! I've always wanted to just.. .stand out in the rain" he spun around a few times on the side of the road, hopping in puddles and letting the rain drench him. Roman reached into the car and turned on the radio, all the way up so they could still hear even with the doors closed. 

Roman grabbed his hands, dancing him around to the rhythm, long since trying to save his hair and makeup. Virgil's hair curled with the rain, his tank top soaked through. He had to be cold, but did it really matter? Not to him. Not now. Virgil Jumped and headbanged to the song, flicking his hair onto roman and combat boots scuffing on the asphalt.

The smell of rain engulfed them,filling their heads with summer memories. With a particularly loud thunder clap" Virgil threw back his head and shouted a loud "whoo" to the heavens. They were alone and happy and free and virgil just couldn't contain it anymore. 

In romans head all he could think of was the word "storm cloud." My little storm cloud. My perfect angel from who knows where to enrich his life and make every second flourish. 

Roman met eyes with virgil, a wild and free look shining back at him, replacing that scared and lonely boy he used to know. It was invigorating. 

Virgil leapt forward into romans arms, grabbing his face and kissing him like there's no tomorrow.

[bleepblopbloop56]

I bequeath one of the prompts in my inbox that my brain wouldn't work with to you: prinxiety and logicality (if you wanna change the ships feel free to) movie night in the commons room.

It had taken an arm and a leg (and some bribing) but finally, after an hour of struggling, patton had rounded them all up in onesies and shoved them into the common room for a movie night.

“Okay so-” roman began, clapping his hands together once to get everyone's attention” picking up from where we left off LAST movie night, lets begin with peter pan!"

“Now now roman!” Patton Interjected, entering the room with 3 bowls of popcorn precariously balanced on his arms, “ you know the rules! Its logans turn to pick the movies this time” roman slumped his shoulders and made a face of absolute annoyance.

“But it was just his turn a few days ago!” Roman whined, plopping onto the couch in his lion onesie, the hood of his mane flopping off his head.

“Actually” logan said, adjusting his glasses,” it's been 3 months, 11 days, and 23 hours since my last turn.” Roman groaned and threw his head back, sliding down the couch as he held the noise.

“Well MY request was the entire disney animated line up, and were not done with that yet! So TECHNICALLY it'sh still my turn!” Roman stuck it'shongue out at him and made a face, snuggling into his boyfriend on the couch, eeyore onesie half buttoned up over his panic at the disco t shirt. “

“Hey princey, how bout you just let him have a turn for once” virgil smirked, pulling him into his arms “besides, maybe hell chose a horror movie and you can hide in my chest the whole night”

Patton sat himself down on the couch, laying his head in logan's lap and smiling up at him “your call logan, what do you wanna watch?”

Logan smiled softly down at patton, eyes tracing over every freckle splattered across his cheeks. “Well, i hope you don't mind us going slightly out of order roman” logan said, running his hands through patton's mop of curls, but i think big hero 6 is something we all can enjoy together”

[pathos-logical]

Sksldkksfklskdlskdalsskladksjdksldk???? I'm love this??????

I don't even know where to START, holy heck, I'm just in awe of how perfectly you've captured their personalities with so few lines, and more than that, I'm in LOVE

Okay okay so let's start with how you gave Roman stars in his eyes because I fricking LOVE THAT, and then let's continue with his expression, because holy frick!! It's so determined and hopeful, and I can absolutely see him gripping his sword and preparing for adventure

I can't quite pin down Deceit's expression, but that suits him anyway, so who even cares, right? It could be vaguely quizzical, or maybe faux-scandalized or surprised, or maybe even a "who, me?" But whatever it is, I absolutely love it!!

I have one word for Remus' expression, and it's SAUCY. The eye that's not winking is just a little too wide to be innocent, and the arching eyebrows all but scream "well, what were you expecting anyway?" It's so perfectly him, and I adore it

PATTON!! Heck, I absolutely adore his oversized glasses, and I LOVE his expression- he looks so excited and soft, though honestly I can also see them as shameless puppy eyes. Either way, I love it, and I love him!!

Jdkskfkskf Logan made me wanna laugh solely because of how clearly he's conveying exhausted exasperation with just his eyes, poor man. I want the story behind this expression and also the ability to hug him, stat

God, I absolutely LOVE everything about Virgil's expression here, because it's just? So fantastic? The arched eyebrows just SCREAM a wonderfully flat "are you kidding me," but could just as easily be suspicion. And the messier lines under his eyes stand in so well for his mascara, god, you just do such a magnificent job of portraying so much with so little and I think it's shown best right there

[pathos-logical]

God I hate the beginning of this chapter because it's just like, illegally cute? And then the rest of the story is like that?? Heck??? But yeah anyway I would die for Logan being a dad and also for Patton thanks for coming to my ted talk

"Powerless to resist that face, Logan picked him up and began to bounce him again. " Literally fifty percent of the beginning is just Logan being weak to his son and I'm SOFT

""This isn't a date, Virgil, this is a meeting between two friends to discuss the loss of… an acquaintance," Logan sniffed, but the shirt remained the way it was." I'm mentally throwing popcorn and booing because of how bad an actor Logan is oh my god

"Virgil effortlessly adjusted his hold on him before quirking a pierced eyebrow at Logan." Every single detail about Virgil being good with Patton despite Patton not liking him just... kills me

""I've seen enough telenovelas to know that this will end with a makeout session in the rain."" Virgil please let the man have his dignity

ROMAN AND REMUS JUST BEING SIBLINGS OH DEAR LORD I'M IN LOVE

"Amazing how even after twenty years they acted like they did when they were five." Beautiful

""Why the hell is everything you wear straight out of a clown's formal wear catalog?" Roman sneered" I'm screaming, I'm pretty sure this is still my favorite line of the fic

""I had planned on wearing pants," Roman scowled, thinking of how cold the walk back home could get, but he folded the skirt over his arm nonetheless." Cinematic parallels

Honestly the most unrealistic part of this fic is the idea that Remus would own a pencil skirt

Oh my god, the date was going so WELL, and then T H A T HAPPENS

AHHHHHHHHHH

The Murder in the Dressing Room

Chapter 3: 2 buttons

Chapter one, chapter 2, ao3

Warnings: slight suggestive content around the end (not too bad), murder/character death

As always @pathos-logical did an increble amount of work on this and everyone should go give her all the love

-

"Dada!" Logan could hear Patton's protest from the other room, which was quickly followed by the sound of unsteady footsteps that grew louder and louder until his one-year-old had run straight into his legs. He finished buttoning up his shirt before leaning down and lifting the child into his arms. Logan was the last person on earth you'd expect to want a child, and in a way he didn't. Or at least, he hadn't, not at first. About 16 months ago, his best friend had died giving birth to Patton, and all hopes of becoming "Uncle Logan" were thrown out the window and replaced with "dada".

His roommate Virgil walked in the room after the child, a small grin on his face. "The lil rugrat keeps getting away from me!" he laughed, sitting on Logan's bed. "I don't think he wants you to leave." Logan bounced the baby on his hip before handing him down to Virgil, earning a soft "nooo" from the child. 

"Thank you for watching him Virgil, I really can't tell you how much you're helping me." Logan shifted his attention back to Patton and smiled, poking his nose lightly. "Dada's gonna be gone for a while, okay?" The baby shook his head furiously, pouting before stretching out his arms and making grabby hands. Powerless to resist that face, Logan picked him up and began to bounce him again. 

"Pattttonnn," he sing-songed. "I gotta go, baby, or else I'll be late." He smiled at the boy clutching his shirt while trying to discreetly check his watch to see how long he had till he needed to leave. "Go to Uncle Vee now, okay?" Despite having lived with Virgil as long as he had lived with Logan, Patton had never really latched on to him the way he had Logan, deeming "Uncle Vee" as tolerable but not preferred- probably because of Virgil's piercings, tattoos, loud music, and overall gloomy vibe. 

Logan slowly pulled Patton off his shirt and placed him back in the arms of his roommate and friend. 

"Fix your hair before you go out," Virgil commented, standing up with the baby and tossing Logan's hair around with his hand. Logan looked in the mirror to see a "messy on purpose" look much more suited to Remy than him. 

"What was wrong with how I had it before?" he asked, flinching and covering his glasses when Virgil brought the hairspray to his hair.

"Too neat. If you really want this dude to like you, ya gotta loosen up." Virgil winked at him before unbuttoning the top two buttons of his dark navy shirt.

"This isn't a date, Virgil, this is a meeting between two friends to discuss the loss of… an acquaintance," Logan sniffed, but the shirt remained the way it was.

Patton let out a big yawn, arching his body before settling into Virgil's side. He seemed to have resigned himself to his fate and decided now was a perfect time for a nap. Virgil effortlessly adjusted his hold on him before quirking a pierced eyebrow at Logan. "Oh really? Your ex-boyfriend strolls into your life after you lose your mutual best friend, and now you're meeting up for the first time since the breakup." Virgil walked to the corner of Logan's room where Patton's small baby bed was set up, laying him down gently. "I've seen enough telenovelas to know that this will end with a makeout session in the rain." 

Logan rolled his eyes before stuffing his wallet and phone in his back pocket. He leaned down and kissed Patton's head softly, whispering a soft "love you" to the sleeping baby before making his way to the door. 

"Be home by 10!" Virgil called playfully, careful to make sure not to wake up the baby. 

"I am not a child, Virgil, I do not require a curfew," he joked, smiling back at his friend. He walked out the door and softly clicked it closed as he made his way down his apartment's hallway. 

"Is!"

"Isn't!"

"Is!!"

"ISN'T!"

"IS!" Remus shouted over Roman, laughing loudly before kicking his legs out, only to be silenced to a pillow to the face. 

"It. Isn't. A. Date!" Roman punctuated each syllable with another whack of the pillow, earning himself a kick in the gut. Amazing how even after twenty years they acted like they did when they were five. 

Remus kicked Roman again, shoving him into the floor and also probably leaving a considerable bruise. 

"Jesus fuck," Roman groaned, "do you always have to play so rough?" He lifted his shirt to observe the red mark on his stomach, flinching as he prodded at it. 

Roman ignored Remus' whiny "It's not my fault! You were trying to kill me!" and pulled himself up, picking through the mess on the floor to look through Remus' closet for anything he could pass off as acceptable fashion. Unfortunately, his twin's taste in clothing was… very different from his own, to say the least.

It had been three days since he and Logan had agreed to meet up, three days since Thomas has been murdered, three days since he'd last returned to his and Thomas' house. It hurt too much to go back now- he needed time. 

"Why the hell is everything you wear straight out of a clown's formal wear catalog?" Roman sneered, holding up a neon green polka-dotted suit jacket before dropping it in the trash can. Really, it was a wonder anything was hung up at all, considering the state of the house Remus was currently infesting. 

"Shut up and take what you can get!" Remus snapped, coming up and scanning the closet beside his brother. He reached in and yanked out a black pencil skirt before shoving it into Roman's hands. "There, that'll get you some detective D," he leered, wiggling his eyebrows. It took every ounce of self-restraint Roman had to not fucking deck the man in the face.

"I had planned on wearing pants," Roman scowled, thinking of how cold the walk back home could get, but he folded the skirt over his arm nonetheless. After some more bickering and insults, Remus managed to dig up a plain red short-sleeved button-up for him from the bottom of his drawers. 

"Do you have any makeup?" Roman called from the bathroom, frantically smoothing out his shirt from where it was tucked into his skirt, trying to keep it from leaving any weird bumps or wrinkles.

"Why the fuck would I have makeup?!" Remus yelled back. ‘Probably for the best,’ Roman decided. ‘Spending another minute in this bathroom might be hazardous to my health.’ 

"I don't know," Roman complained, stepping out of the bathroom and pulling on a pair of Remus' shoes. "You paint your nails and own a fucking pencil skirt, it doesn't exactly seem like you've fallen victim to toxic masculinity." He very maturely stuck his tongue out at Remus as he took out his phone to check the time. He glanced down, and then again with disbelief. Shit. He'd spent way too much time bickering with his brother, and now he was running late. 

"If I'm not back by midnight, don't come looking for me," Roman winked. It was an old joke- they used to say that to each other every time they snuck out of the house for a date or to hang out with friends. 

"Aha! So you admit it's a date!" Remus cheered, leaning forward for effect. Roman simply slammed the door in his face and began his trek to the restaurant. 

The restaurant was bustling. Friday nights were the busiest for all of the restaurants in the area, especially the nice ones. Roman had picked the place, although the reason he would choose such a nice place for a friendly gathering was beyond Logan.

As per usual, Logan had arrived early and seated himself in a booth near the back of the restaurant. Today, however, he was regretting his punctuality for multiple reasons. First of all, the restaurant's dim lighting, supplied by fake candles and an overly gaudy chandelier, called back to other times he had waited on Roman at some fancy restaurant for date night, and the longer he waited, the harder it was to suppress those memories. Second, the more time passed, the more self-conscious Logan got. After seeing all the men in nice suits and ties pass by, he was starting to regret letting Virgil mess up his hair instead of sticking with the neat slicked-back look he wore on a daily basis. 

And third, Logan had been waiting for so long he was beginning to suspect Roman had backed out on him. Just as he was promising himself he'd leave after another five minutes, he saw a man in a red shirt and tight black skirt squeeze his way through the restaurant. 

"Hi, I'm sorry I'm so late!" Roman rushed out. His expression went from apologetic to annoyed in a second as he said, rolling his eyes: "Problems with my brother, he can be a real bitch sometimes."

The explanation startled a laugh out of Logan. Roman's exasperation looked so genuine that Logan couldn't doubt him, and… it was nice to see that Roman hadn't changed after all this time. He waved off Roman's worry, who smiled with relief before sitting down and picking up a menu. "Wine?" 

Roman giggled as Logan pushed him against his car. Okay, so maybe after a bottle of wine it was… more or less a date.

Logan's hands pulled at Roman's shirt, unbuttoning it and pushing his hands under the fabric. It had been so long since they'd kissed like this- far too long since Logan had kissed anyone, really, and Ethan had never used to kiss Roman like this, like he was the center of his universe. 

Logan ran his hands over Roman's stomach, accidently pressing on the fresh bruise. Roman winced and pulled away, pushing at Logan's hands.

Logan backed away immediately. "What's wrong?" he asked seriously, brown eyes wide and sparkling down at Roman with concern. Roman chuckled and pulled up his shirt, showing off the now red and blue bruise.

"Remus," he sighed wearily. "You know how he is." He leaned back in and connected his lips to Logan's, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and dragging him down in a much less heated kiss.

"Can we go back to yours?" Roman asked quietly. This was really what he needed after things ended badly with Dee. Even if they could just snuggle like they used to, it'd make everything seem okay again. 

Logan shook his head. "I can't," he winced regretfully. "I have a child now, Ro, and Virgil's still there with us…" He trailed off, fiddling with his glasses. Roman smiled softly and nodded- not pushing, not asking for more. They'd just have to wait. 

"I could give you a ride back to Remus' if you'd like," Logan offered instead. "Making you walk home after, ah, that, seems rude." He laughed a little awkwardly, his smile a little strained, but Roman only nodded and pulled open the passenger door he was pushed up against only moments before. 

When Roman returned home just before 1 am, it was to find Remus lying dead on the kitchen floor, a golden mask with a deep frown adorning his face. Just like how he'd found Thomas…

The murder in the dressing room taglist:

@cataclysm-al @theteenagetrickster @intrurality-fusion @katie-the-noble-fangirl @whizzie72 @grayson-22 @i-have-n0-idea-what-im-d0ing 'm-d0ing @winterwonderland7669 @missieluvsmurder @sign-from-god-complex @dragonindigo245 @angryfanboyscreaming @ninja-wizard101 @sombraookami @crystalistrappedintheinternet @imtooaromanticforthis @why-should-i-tell-youu2 @dragon-hair @satanblessi @spookilyfingergunsoutofexistence @skruffy901 @selectivereality

[pathos-logical]

Skdjksjdkd THANK, I LOVE YOU TOO

Remy assuming Thomas and Logan were a Thing is by far the funniest thing in the entire fic, oh my goodness. Though to be fair, I guess Logan's not really doing a great job of denying it. Also, have I mentioned I love Remy's voice here? Because I love Remy's voice here

ENTER ROMAN!!!

"It took every ounce of self-restraint for Logan not to offer his jacket to the poor man in "let's avo-cuddle" pajamas." I literally am never gonna get over Roman's pajamas, how tragic and hilarious is that

Hello Roman crying is illegal and Logan should get to fixing that, as he is a police officer and it is his job to stop illegal activities from occurring

""I'm okay," Roman lied, nodding violently. "We can keep going, let's just… Get this over with." He smiled bleakly at him, and his heart broke." Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch

"He took a deep breath, trying one last time to push down all those icky feelings, but it didn't work." A) nice reference, and B) NO SHIZ, LOGAN

"'Please don't leave, Logan… I'm sorry, I can be professional, I just.. need a familiar face,' he pleaded." ROMAN NO IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S HIM

Aaaand Remy continues to be my favorite character

"'well, we were roommates, I guess…'" Me, sobbing: oh my god, they were roommates

"Remy perked up, like he could sense the drama in the statement. Maybe they were getting off topic but things were also getting good. And hey, maybe it'd distract Roman enough to stop him from finishing the whole tissue box in one session." Skskkdkskdkkd how professional of him

"they had gone through all the questions they did (and didn't) need to ask." Again, amazing

"'we're meeting as… friends. As friends."'" Hmmmmm

Ahhh, this is already so engrossing, and yet it's clear to see that things can only get more intense from here!!!

The murder in the dressing room

Chapter 2: familiar faces

Warnings: some(all) of the depictions of legal junk is inaccurate. If that upsets you dont read it, and please dont comment about it

And as always @pathos-logical did 90% of the heavy lifting on this fic, and refuses to be called a cowriter, go show her some love

Read Chapter 1 first!!!  also on ao3!

Keep reading

[pathos-logical]

"...letting it ring until the caller gave up and left him to sulk alone" I've mentioned this to you, but this word choice kills me because- Logan. Logan. Buddy, you are G R I E V I N G, you are ALLOWED TO BE SAD WHEN TWO PEOPLE CLOSE TO YOU HAVE BEEN MURDERED AND MORE MIGHT BE ON THE WAY KFKDKFKLDLFL

"It was easier to lie to Roman than it was to lie to himself. And it was easier to tell Roman the truth about loving him than it was to pretend that he was over him. Things were just easier with Roman… Everything was easier with Roman."AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Roman wouldn't make it to the station." Hahahahaha wow I HATE everything about this section, I don't CARE that it uses the third person omniscient narration to the fullest extent and does so absolutely fantastically, I HATE IT and you NEED TO STOP

"The missing picture of him and Patton on the desk, creased down the middle and scribbled on." Literally every time I read this line, my blood goes cold, oh my god, it's just so horrifying

THE REPETITION?? FROM THE LINES IN THE FIRST CHAPTER?? THAT IS N O T O K A Y and YOU NEED TO S T O P

WHY ARE YOU SO GOOD AT THIS HECK OFF

Okay, okay, SO. Remy? Was my favorite character in this fic. Like Logan says, Remy's been an anchor for Logan since the very beginning. He's been the sorely-needed comedic relief throughout while keeping Logan on track because godammit there are murders happening here. And now he's GONE. I can't even explain how much this upset me when I first read this, oh my god, but basically skjjjakl;SKDJSKLAKSDJJSKL W H YYYYYYYYY

"'Or you'll kill me? Do it.'" *the longest FRICK NO ever* LISTEN. L I S T E N. Roman? Not exactly my favorite character here, but HE STILL DESERVES BETTER THAN THIS. We know from the last chapter he's definitely hit an emotional pit, and this just proves it, and GOD I just want him to be HAPPY

And I hate this so much, because Dee? Is written so so well??? Every single one of his lines is positively dripping in malice. He says things sweetly and wipes away Roman's tears, but you never get the sense that he's being anything less than soul-chillingly terrifying. He slams Roman's head into the walls and then kisses him on top of the sore spot (hahaha parallels to Virgil's death hahahahahahha), he calls him pet names while killing his loved ones and saying it's in the name of love... it gives you a picture of what their relationship was like that both makes Roman more sympathetic and makes this situation more terrifying

Anyway, I!! Adored!! This chapter!!!!

The Murder in the Dressing Room

Chapter 7: liar liar

Warnings: blood, death, emotional and physical abuse, implied past domestic abuse

Also on ao3

Special thanks to @pathos-logical who still, despite everything shes done, wont be listed as a co-writer 🦀 (the writing was done months ago, and shes been doing EVERYTHING since)

The sound of Logan's phone ringing shook him out of the daze he'd been in for hours, sitting on Remy's couch, staring at the yellow walls, and trying to think about anything that wasn't Virgil. He considered ignoring it, letting it ring until the caller gave up and left him to sulk alone, but he decided to at least look at the contact. Maybe if they were important enough he'd think about calling them back later.

But when he saw Roman's contact, his earlier numbness was replaced with urgency like a lightning strike. He picked up before he could think twice. 

"Hello?" he rushed out, but even that was immediately cut off. At first all Logan could make out was near-hysterical rambling- but then the words sank in, and so did the horror.

"He did it- Logan, Dee killed them, it was him!" Roman was shaking so badly it was a challenge to keep the phone in his hands. "Dee, he- he sent me a picture of- of the two of us together, he didn't want me to leave him- Logan… I don't know what to do," he hiccupped, voice cracking on Logan's name. Logan's previous grief-induced apathy had fled as soon as he had heard the call, but now heart was pounding, a lump caught in his chest like he was going to either puke or scream. 

"Roman, where. Are. You." Logan had always been a serious type, but never like this. Despite how often his line of work put him in danger, the life-or-death part of it had never hit quite this close to home. If his entire world was flooding, Roman was the only one with a lifeboat. 

"God, I don't even know…" Roman muttered to himself, pausing to glance around him and even his breathing. "Some shitty Holiday Inn? I'm not too far from the police station."

Logan had jumped into action the second he heard Roman’s voice, frantically pulling on his shoes and throwing on one of Remy's jackets that was hanging by the door as he stormed out of the house. "Roman, I need you to meet me at the station." He heard Roman sniffle and whisper a soft agreement, followed by the sound of movement. "And Ro?" The shuffling stopped.

"I love you… and we're going to get through this, okay?" It was easier to lie to Roman than it was to lie to himself. And it was easier to tell Roman the truth about loving him than it was to pretend that he was over him. Things were just easier with Roman… Everything was easier with Roman. 

"I love you too," Roman whispered, but it came out choked and broken, like it was all he could do not to cry. "I never stopped loving you, I'm sorry I ever left, if I just stayed with you then none of this would've happened- god, this is all my fault- "

Logan hushed him, starting his car and pulling out of the driveway without looking. "Everything's going to be alright, okay?” Keeping his voice steady was a challenge, but he needed to be strong, if only for Roman.  “I'll see you soon." 

--------

Roman wouldn't make it to the station. Hell, he barely made it out of his hotel room before a hand pushed him in again. 

And even if he did, he wouldn't have wanted to. 

------------

Logan went straight to his office when he reached the station, not bothering to greet the few people mulling around. Remy had been promoted to head detective on the case after Logan had dropped out, and Logan knew he’d been working late nights since. He must’ve been in Logan's office for hours now.

"Remy, I have the answer!" Logan began, swinging open the door with the kind of energy more typically associated with his partner than him. Remy didn't react, facing the board Logan had set up for the case. In the back of Logan's mind, it registered as odd that his head was lolling forward instead of leaned back to look up at it.

But that wasn't what made Logan stop dead in his tracks. No, that would be the blood that was absolutely everywhere- splattered across the walls, pooling at Remy’s feet-

Remy. 

Logan rushed over to look at him, only sparing the briefest glance at the sunglasses on the floor. But suddenly he'd never missed their absence more keenly on Remy's face than the moment when he saw Remy slumped in Logan's chair, quintessential glasses replaced by an all-too familiar mask frowning up at him. 

Through blurring vision and rising nausea, Logan took in the rest of the scene. The board, now covered in red from more than just yarn. The cold air coming in through the open window. Remy's torn baseball tee, so drenched in dark blood that not a speck of the original white and black fabric remained visible. The coffee cup, contents long gone cold, that somehow lay untouched on his desk. The missing picture of him and Patton on the desk, creased down the middle and scribbled on. 

In red marker were two crudely drawn masks covering Logan's and Patton's faces.

Logan felt his whole world come crashing down. He had been holding on to Remy's stability through all of this, and now that was gone. Remy was gone…

Remy Murphy was dead. 

Remy Murphy was dead

Remy Murphy was dead. 

And Logan screamed.

------

"Hello, Roman~" Ethan sing-songed. "Where do you think you're going?" He smiled, sweet as poisoned honey, walking forward and forcing Roman to back up until his legs hit the bed. Roman scrambled away from his touch until he was against the headrest, but Dee simply leaned over him. "How are you, baby? It's been far too long since we've chatted." 

"Dee," Roman choked out. "Please don't do this." He let out a violent sob when Dee grabbed his chin and pulled it forward, forcing their eyes to meet.

"Someone's been a little tattletale huh?" Dee smiled. It wasn't anything like his old smile. He'd used to smile like he owned the world. This smile said he was about to destroy it. 

"Gone off telling your little boyfriend about me, huh?" Roman shook his head, gasping and swallowing his sobs in an attempt to keep quiet. 

"LIAR!" Dee shouted, shoving Roman's head into the wall. Ignoring Roman's cry of pain, he continued, "Why is everyone such a dirty fucking liar?! Do you think I'm an idiot?" Roman was openly sobbing now. Dee's face softened, and he pulled Roman into a hug he was too afraid to pull away from.

"I'm sorry, baby, you know I didn't mean it" he cooed, petting Roman's hair right where his head had hit the wall. "Do you forgive me?" On instinct Roman nodded, hands balled into fists in the sheets.

Dee pulled back and kissed Roman's forehead, putting on a fake pout when Roman flinched away. "We're gonna go home now, alright? And we're not gonna run, or yell, or get upset, okay baby?" 

"Or what?" Roman dared to ask, but the question came out too breathless to have any real bite to it. "Or you'll kill me? Do it. End all of this, Dee. I give up. Kill me if you want, just stop this," he begged. "Kill me. And let them find me with that fucking mask on just like everyone else, but never fucking touch another one of my friends or family again." 

Dee stared at him for a moment, and Roman couldn't tell if he was confused or if he was contemplating if it would be worth it.

"Oh no no no, baby." Ethan ran his hands over Roman’s cheeks, gently wiping away his tears. "I love you, that's why I'm doing all this! I just want you to be with me." 

"Then what'll you do?" He clenched his fists tighter. He wanted to pretend it was to put on a show of bravery, but in reality he was trying to keep from shaking too hard, afraid Dee might notice and get angry. 

"Then I'll kill your little love bird! You're such a cheating whore sometimes, baby," Dee crooned, cradling Roman's tear-streaked face, "but you've had your fun now! And now we're going home!"

Roman tried to think back to the first time he met Dee, to remember if there were any signs to any of this when he had let himself get swept away by those initial promises and gifts. Nothing in his memory held any clues to how he would end up here, with three people dead and his soulmate's life on the cutting board. 

"Did you bring anything with you, sweetheart?" Dee’s soft hands petting over Roman’s face contradicted his eyes, alight with something more than poison behind them. Roman shook his head no- all he had on him was his wallet and phone. "Good boy. Now let's go. One hand on me at all times, alright baby?" 

Roman nodded, and held out his hand, trying to ignore the way Dee gripped down too hard, the opposite of Logan's gentle hands leading him to the car after the restaurant only a few days ago.

"One more thing." Dee stopped him as he was getting in the car. "Give me your phone. You don't deserve it anymore."

Roman’s breath seized. Dee had always let him have his phone. No matter the scolding and yelling about who he was talking to, the constant searches through Roman’s steadily dwindling messages, the deletion of social media and surrender of passwords, he was still allowed to have it. Part of him wanted to protest, to cling to his one link to the outside world- to Logan- but he was in no place to make demands.

With shaking fingers reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone, a cheap sparkling case barely protecting the shattered screen, the result of being chucked against the wall one too many times in one of Dee's fits of rage. Dee snatched it out of his hands and stuffed it in his pocket before starting the engine and pulling out of the parking lot.

There were a million thoughts whirling through Roman's head as Dee drove them to wherever he had been hiding, but for some reason his mind kept circling back to his phone. So small, in the grand scheme of things, but he couldn't help but feel he'd given up more than just that when he'd handed it over.

The murder in the dressing room taglist:

@cataclysm-al @theteenagetrickster @intrurality-fusion @katie-the-noble-fangirl @whizzie72 @grayson-22 @i-have-n0-idea-what-im-d0ing @winterwonderland7669 @missieluvsmurder @sign-from-god-complex @dragonindigo245 @angryfanboyscreaming @ninja-wizard101 @sombraookami @crystalistrappedintheinternet @imtooaromanticforthis @why-should-i-tell-youu2 @dragon-hair @satanblessi @spookilyfingergunsoutofexistence @skruffy901 @selectivereality @nonbeenary-enbee @imbasicallyshakespear @cats-vetal-miking-vomit @incoherentfangirl @oofmood @nonbianary-pineapple @royalnerd829 @unicornlogansanders @magma-llama

[pathos-logical]

"pulling up wants he couldn't even admit to himself." ahhhhhHHHHHHHHHHH

"And god, Roman wished he could have the excuse that he was drunk that night, to say he wasn't thinking clearly..." Hi hello yes, this whole paragraph?? KILLED ME???

"The first of many "worst mistakes of his life"." This line always GUTS ME, oh my lord

"thumb rubbing in small circles but not moving any farther up his leg like they usually did." >:(

"Dee took his eyes off the road to wipe off the tears, and despite being a sweet gesture, Roman could only read it as a threat." Literally all of this <i>kills me,</i> okay? Dee taking his eyes off the road? BAD. Dee taking his eyes off the road to wipe tears off Roman's face that he put there?? VERY  BAD.

"He was lying, but he had a feeling saying "no, I want to go back to Logan and I want you to leave me alone forever" would make Dee slam the car into a tree." YEAH SEE THIS? THIS IS WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. VERY VERY B A D

"Roman's mind was racing a million miles an hour. Marriage? He had been trying to work up the courage to break up with Dee for weeks, and now he thought it was the time for marriage?" This hurts my heart hurts everything HURTS

"He had to have been earnest in the beginning. Roman wouldn't have gone with him if he wasn't. Right?" :(((

The whole flashback with Virgil and Logan is so WHOLESOME and that just makes everything W O R S E

"Remus, Virgil, Thomas, Logan- all of them were clawing out of his brain and finding their way down his face." Do you hear that? Do you hear me screaming?? Because I AM SCREAMING

"'Dee? Dee, our room is back there, Dee where are we going?'" If I could tell you just how quickly my stomach DROPPED, I would, but basically I can sum it up with akkjvbhjkdsaldjfxkslAKsjdakAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"’Please, I promise I won't leave, Ethan-’” Okay, so I noticed Roman calls him Ethan instead of Dee when he's lying to Dee but trying to hide it, and AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH- like, he says "'I'd love to, Ethan,'" when he accepts the proposal, and he calls him it again- it feels like a reflection on how Roman stayed in the relationship, but he never truly loved Dee. If he had, he would've used the nickname all the time, but he doesn't- he calls him Ethan in the worst moments between them, and wow my everything hurts again

OKAY THEN :) THOSE LAST TWO PARAGRAPHS :) THIS IS FINE EVERYTHING IS F I N E :)))))

The Murder in the Dressing Room

Chapter 8: Because I Love You

Just a small note: im so excited for you guys to read this one you have no idea. going through the editing process this week has somehow made it my favorite chapter in the whole story i swear. Alright also need the routine stamp of Edited By @pathos-logical who made this what it is today i swear

Warnings: unsympathetic deceit, abusive deceit, manipulative deceit, toxic relationships,slight blood mention, slight medication mention, unwanted kissing, a litttlleee bit of unwanted touching.

---

"Hey there, beautiful~" A handsome stranger in a yellow button up smiled down at him, sliding into the stool at his right. "Can I buy you a drink?" Normally Roman wouldn’t have thought twice about refusing the offer, but the irritation lingering in his chest made him reckless. He traced his eyes over the man’s face, gaze catching on his green eyes. He couldn't tell what it was, but something in them made Roman want to say yes, want to listen to every word he said. 

… Just one drink can’t hurt, he decided, requesting just a diet coke while raising his eyebrows at the man. He didn't complain, which Roman took as a good sign.

"I'm Ethan, but you can call me Dee," he introduced himself, offering his hand.

"Roman," he said, taking the hand and holding it for a moment longer than necessary. He couldn't help it- those eyes were sucking him in and putting him in a daze. 

"So what are you doing here, Roman?" The way the man- Ethan- said his name made his heart skip a beat. "Looking for anything from tonight?" The way he smirked made it clear he didn't mean anything so much as anyone, and he was looking at Roman like he was the most beautiful man in the world. It felt good to be flirted with. Logan sure as hell didn't do that too often. 

Logan… 

"Me and my boyfriend are fighting," Roman chuckled nervously. “I just wanted to have fun for a bit and forget about him." Roman scooted away, suddenly rethinking coming here. He loved Logan, he just… got so frustrated with him sometimes. He'd spent nearly every day at work for the past few months, even his days off. He worked and worked and left no time for Roman. All he wanted was some attention. That wasn't too much to ask, right?

Ethan frowned like Roman had just told him Logan had locked him up in a tower. He leaned forward a little, seemingly unconsciously bridging the space Roman had put between them. The shifting lights of the club shadowed his eyes and threw the scar on his face into sharp relief for a second, making him look… dangerous. "You deserve better."

Roman laughed purely out of shock, a little taken aback by how serious he sounded. He tried to deflect, to take some of the blame off Logan, but Ethan steamrollered right over him. "You look lonely. Don't you want to forget yourself and be someone else for a night? Don't you want to the star of the show for a change?"

Ethan had seen right through Roman- hell, he'd practically read his mind, reaching down into his soul and pulling up wants he couldn't even admit to himself. Roman wanted to move back and put some distance between himself and Ethan- or maybe just the uncomfortable truth- but then Ethan smiled, slow and deadly as any poison. "A guy like you shouldn't be lonely tonight."

Roman’s breath sped up against his will. A hopeful grin crept across his face in a way he hoped didn't look too eager. "Maybe…" He leaned in, maybe a little more than he should. "Could you… could you make that happen?" 

Ethan… no, Dee, quirked an eyebrow at him, his smirk deepening to something lethal, and struck the killing blow.

"Anything you want…" 

And god, Roman wished he could have the excuse that he was drunk that night, to say he wasn't thinking clearly when this man pulled him away into his huge house and made him feel like he was the most precious treasure in his collection. To say he was high or drunk or drugged when he woke up in another man's arms wishing this movie star life could always be his. He wanted to say that he didn't enjoy that night, that he thought of Logan the whole time, that he didn't mean any of it. But he couldn't lie to Logan… Not like that. 

Street lights lit up Dee's face as he drove down the winding streets. He'd been quiet since they'd left the hotel; whether that was good or bad was anyone's guess. Roman sat beside him just as silently, lost in thoughts of the night everything went wrong. The first of many "worst mistakes of his life". Without even realizing it, tears began to slip down his face.

Dee's hand rested on Roman's knee, thumb rubbing in small circles but not moving any farther up his leg like they usually did. He glanced over and put a fake pout on his face, the kind he was so good at. It made Roman sick. 

"Why are you crying, baby?" Roman stayed silent. "We're going home! Don't you wanna go back home with me?" Dee took his eyes off the road to wipe off the tears, and despite being a sweet gesture, Roman could only read it as a threat. Everything Dee did now felt like one- he'd never be safe around him again, not after this.

He forced himself to nod his head slightly, sniffing and wiping at his own eyes. He was lying, but he had a feeling saying "no, I want to go back to Logan and I want you to leave me alone forever" would make Dee slam the car into a tree. Dee smiled at him, turning back to the road.

“Why are you doing this, Dee?” Roman asked quietly. He didn't know what he was expecting to hear. Maybe “because I'm evil’ or ”because you’re mine”- something he could understand, something that would make sense, at least with Dee’s twisted worldview in mind. What he did not expect was the soft “because I love you” that came from the man, sounding as genuine as it had all those months ago.

“Because I love you, Roman,” Dee smiled, cupping his cheeks in his hands, "and I want to marry you." Dee hadn't waited for an answer after proposing- he’d immediately slipped the ring onto Roman’s finger, pulling Roman back in when he stumbled back in surprise. He leaned down and kissed Roman, not caring that he didn't reciprocate, ignoring how Roman tried to squirm out of his grip.

Roman's mind was racing a million miles an hour. Marriage? He had been trying to work up the courage to break up with Dee for weeks, and now he thought it was the time for marriage? 

"Don't you think that's a little fast?" Roman tried nervously, putting his hands on Dee's chest in an effort to keep him away without showing it. "I mean- Dee, baby, we've only been dating for a year," he chuckled, trying desperately to keep his voice light. He looked down at the ring. The bright diamond caught the light, a promise of more of this picture-perfect life to come… The sex, money, clothes, attention- all of it was right in front of him. Everything Roman had ever dreamed of, and all he had to do to get it was say yes.

"Do you not want to marry me?" Dee's eyes held something dangerous in them, and Roman read the question for what it was- not a question at all, but a threat.

Roman stared back at him, trying to make his mouth form any words that weren't "of course I do" trying to say that this had gone too far, that he wanted to go home, to see his friends, family, Logan, all the people Dee had made him cut ties with. 

"I'd love to, Ethan," he smiled wearily, standing on his tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

Even at that moment, he’d felt like he’d made a deal with the devil, and every time he looked at that ring he was reminded of the price he paid.

"How's your head, baby?" Dee asked. "I have some ibuprofen in the glove box if you need it." Roman wasn't all that willing to take anything Dee offered, but he was reluctantly grateful to hear it- getting slammed into a wall hadn't exactly left him feeling peachy. It could've been worse, I suppose, he thought. At least he didn't hit hard enough to dent the wall… or my skull.

He reached in the glove box, muttering a meek thank-you as he did. His hand hit against something long and thin wrapped in cloth, and when he peered in to get a better look, he was met with the sight of spots of dark red covering the fabric. He almost jerked his hand out and slammed the glove box shut, and only the knowledge that Dee was watching kept him from doing it. He slowly pulled out the bottle of pills, shaking so badly that he almost couldn’t unscrew the cap.

When his hands finally steadied, Roman took three and popped them into his mouth, wincing as he swallowed. While mumbling out another thanks to be safe, he vaguely made the connection that when Dee had apologised, it was specifically asking for forgiveness, not to make Roman feel better. Had it always been like that? No… He had to have been earnest in the beginning. Roman wouldn't have gone with him if he wasn't. Right? 

"Why are you so quiet, my prince?" Dee cooed, glancing over every few seconds to look at his love. His Prince Charming… 

"Hey, Prince Charming!" Virgil called, throwing a pillow across the room at the pair. "Back off on the PDA, I have virgin eyes." He dodged the pillow when Logan threw it back at him, laughing. He had started calling Roman that after he’d walked in on Roman serenading Logan with Disney songs in the kitchen, and Roman would be lying if he said he didn't like it.

Roman dropped to a knee, bowing to Virgil with a look of mock regret on his face "Oh King Virgil the Virgin, how will you ever forgive my misdeeds?!" He threw a hand on his forehead, flopping onto his back like a Victorian mistress who’d just gotten a whiff of her vivid green wallpaper. "My only hope is that you continue to let me rule over this humble kingdom under you!" Roman kept his eyes shut tight, trying not to break, but when Logan of all people started snickering, he burst out laughing and let the act drop. Virgil was laughing too, they all were, and that was the best thing about them. They were always laughing, everything was fun with them.

And now Virgil was gone… 

And now he was back with Ethan… 

Now he'd ruined it all.

Roman let his tears fall freely. Sitting beside the murderer of his best friends and his brother, it occurred to him- not for the first time in the relationship- how completely and utterly trapped he was.

"I'm just… thinking about Remus," he whispered, wiping his tears with the top of his shirt. It was only partly a lie; he wasn't just thinking of Remus, he was thinking of everyone. Remus, Virgil, Thomas, Logan- all of them were clawing out of his brain and finding their way down his face. But Remus was family, and hopefully that was someone Dee would allow him to grieve for…   

But Dee didn't look sympathetic. "You didn't need him," he said coldly, pulling into their house- no, his house. Roman didn't belong there anymore. "I did you a favor, Roman. Now you can focus on me." Roman must've done something with his face, because Dee's coldness turned right back to sweetness. "Now we can focus on us."

Roman nodded even though he knew that wasn't right, stomach twisting in knots at the reminder that he was the reason people died- that no matter how indirectly, it might as well have been him who’d killed them. That he was only here so Dee wouldn't hurt anyone else

"Remember the rules?" Dee asked, staring down at his passenger before unlocking the doors. The light, casual malice in his voice made Roman think of the knife in the glove box, and he nodded jerkily, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from crying. They'd gone over them three times in the car; they’d been drilled into his brain by now. He thought he’d break down if he had to hear them out loud one more time, but- "Say them," Dee demanded, and Roman obliged. 

"One hand on you at all times." He started with the easy one, voice strained to the point of breaking to keep from bursting into tears. "If I run, you'll kill Logan. If I scream, you'll kill Logan." His voice was cracking. "If I call for help, you'll kill Logan…" Dee smiled at him, leaning in and kissing Roman sweetly as he unlocked the doors to the place Roman had once called home. Hand on Roman's back, Dee pushed him gently through the house. They walked through the living room, spare bedrooms, the small library, passing everything until they were in the very back. Roman almost lost himself in the haze of familiar scenery for a few minutes, but then-

"Dee? Dee, our room is back there, Dee where are we going?" Roman couldn’t help how his voice pitched up in terror, and his attempts to dig his heels in were to no avail; Dee just shoved him forward more forcefully. He threw open the door to the basement- the one room in this huge house Roman had always been too afraid to go into, the one that locked from the outside. 

"I have some business to do, my prince, I'm going to have to leave you here for a bit," Dee said with a fake pout. Nonsensically, almost hysterically, Roman thought that all his expressions were fake- nothing about him was real. Not anymore.

"Please don't leave me here, Dee," Roman cried, trying to follow him up the stairs. "Please, I promise I won't leave, Ethan-" but the door slammed shut, and the lock clicked behind him.

---

One thing that Ethan didn't mention was that no matter how closely Roman followed the rules, no matter how good and obedient he was, Ethan had always planned on killing Logan. Nothing Roman could do or say would've convinced him otherwise. 

Ethan was in love with the idea of Roman, in love with having someone beautiful to wake up beside and do everything he said. He loved having his little plaything, and one person was trying to keep that from him. And that just wouldn't do… 

The murder in the dressing room taglist:

@cataclysm-al @knightinsoftpastels @intrurality-fusion @katie-the-noble-fangirl @whizzie72 @grayson-22 @i-have-n0-idea-what-im-d0ing @winterwonderland7669 @missieluvsmurder @sign-from-god-complex @dragonindigo245 @angryfanboyscreaming @ninja-wizard101 @sombraookami @crystalistrappedintheinternet @imtooaromanticforthis @why-should-i-tell-youu2 @dragon-hair @satanblessi @spookilyfingergunsoutofexistence @skruffy901 @selectivereality @nonbeenary-enbee @imbasicallyshakespear @cats-vetal-miking-vomit @incoherentfangirl @oofmood @nonbianary-pineapple @royalnerd829 @unicornlogansanders @magma-llama @chumo-cookie

[pathos-logical]

"At first he’d almost thought it was some sick prank, simply because Virgil didn't look like the others did.... But Virgil would seem to be merely asleep if it weren’t for the blood trickling from his throat onto Logan's pillow." I don't even know if I'm more upset for Virgil or for Logan, god

"A police officer walked by, and Logan kept his eyes on the ground." Something about this line kills me? This whole fic feels like it deserves to be played out on the big screen, and visualizing this scene hits hard. Logan's just hit a new low, and he can't even count on his fellow police officers, and something about the way that's summed up here is just striking

"He had known Virgil well, but now wasn't the time to break down in front of his little brother." Emile... is a good dude

"Logan wanted to say..." Logannnn :(((

"'Tell Patton I love him when he gets up, okay?'" :')))

"although with his luck whoever the murderer was would just burn down the entire fucking hotel after locking all the doors." Someone PLEASE give Roman a hug, oh my god

I? Am going to kill Roman's ex????

I literally cannot deal with Logan's messages, because okay listen, I keep thinking about how they're sent, and ALL OF THE POSSIBILITIES HURT. I'm not listing them because it's not going to be coherent, but please understand I am hurting for and with Logan

Literally everything about the last scene is just so horrifying, GOD. It's just?? I don't even have the words, but it's just so so so good and so so so painful

The Murder in the Dressing Room

Chapter 6: Blood and Tears

Warnings:abusive deceit, murder mention, throwing up, some stalker-like things

Specail thanks to @pathos-logical this fic is litterally our baby im not even kidding, weve both poured alot into this.

Also on ao3

"Logan? Logan, slow down- what are you saying?" Emile had just put Patton to bed after a long day of playing in the park, eating more ice cream than Logan probably would've allowed, and binging cartoons. As long as you kept Patton nearly constantly busy, he wouldn't cry for his dada too often, and overall it seemed like he was having fun. He knew Logan took being separated from Patton about as well as Patton did, so he hadn’t been surprised from the call that came almost as soon as Patton had gone to sleep. He’d expected for Logan to immediately ask about how Patton was doing when he picked up, but instead he'd been greeted with nearly incoherent panic from his brother.

"Logan- Logan, you're scaring me," he cut in, knowing it would get Logan to stop speaking. "Deep breaths, and when you can talk, start again,” he said firmly, not giving him a chance to try to continue. He heard an audible gulp of air over the line. Emile could instinctively tell Logan was still panicking, but there was barely a pause as Logan started to talk again.

"Virgil," Logan choked out "He- he's been murdered, I… I need you to keep Patton for a while longer." He forcefully kept his breathing as steadily as he could, hands shaking. He was standing in the hallway to his apartment, trying to rationalize what he’d seen there.

At first he’d almost thought it was some sick prank, simply because Virgil didn't look like the others did. The first two victims had been stabbed repeatedly in the chest, the crime scenes left a blood-splattered, sickening sight. But Virgil would seem to be merely asleep if it weren’t for the blood trickling from his throat onto Logan's pillow. It wasn't until he had checked for Virgil’s pulse for the fourth time and found nothing there he’d believed he was gone. Touching a body before pictures were taken and a medical examiner was in sight was a big no-no, but he didn't care about any of that. 

"Murdered?" Picani gasped, stepping into his own room away from Patton resting on the couch. "Logan, are you okay?”

Logan rarely took deaths this hard- he had become desensitized after seeing so much of it in his profession. And yet these three murders had stripped away his usual professional sense of detachment from him. Like they hit too close to home to keep a straight face.

Logan sunk to the ground, voice shuddering. "Emile, what would've happened if you didn't take Patton away? What if he was in the house, or if I picked him up from daycare before I came home?" He was rambling now, clutching the phone with both hands to keep it steady. A police officer walked by, and Logan kept his eyes on the ground.

"That didn't happen, Logan. He's safe, he's here with me," Emile said softly. He had known Virgil well, but now wasn't the time to break down in front of his little brother.

"Will you check?" Logan whispered. It was irrational, he knew that Emile would never lie to him and that his kid was safe and sound, but…

Emile paused for a second before softening. "Of course I will, Logan," he whispered, strolling into the living room and looking at the sleeping child snuggling a Tweety Bird plushie nearly as big as he was on Logan’s spare crib. "He's safe, Logan. Everything's going to be fine." 

Logan wanted to say "no it's not," he wanted to say "I haven't heard from Roman in two days and I don't know if he's safe," he wanted to say his life was rapidly dissolving into a bloodbath of innocent lives who had nothing to do with any of the pain and suffering this murderer was causing. But he just stayed silent, sniffling and trying to keep his breathing even.

"I know," he said finally, nodding despite knowing Emile couldn't see him. Remy stuck his head out into the hallway, motioning for him to come in the room before popping back through the doorway. "Emile, I need to go… Tell Patton I love him when he gets up, okay?" 

It wasn't that Roman didn't want to return any of Logan's calls, it was that he couldn't. Successively losing his friend and then his brother, so quickly and in such a gruesome way to boot, had left him practically incapable of leaving bed. He had rented a room in some shitty hotel to avoid having to move in with anyone again, although with his luck whoever the murderer was would just burn down the entire fucking hotel after locking all the doors.

Roman couldn't stop feeling like it was all his fault, and he guessed it was in a way. Someone was after him. He only wished that they'd just kill him and be done with it, not grossly terrorize his friends and family. 

He wished Logan was here. He knew he'd come if he was asked, but he didn't want to make him a target… Roman wished things were back like they used to be. The days when he was the only person who could get Logan to dance around the bedroom in boxers and a t-shirt, music from his phone blaring some slow song Logan didn't recognize. The days he'd sleep over at Logan's and laugh off the glares from his roommate about their lack of shirts. He missed the times like snowball fights outside the apartment and how the snow would get stuck in Logan’s hair and complement the flush on his face.

Roman missed the days before the young man with a scar on his face had tempted him away with the promise of money and love and the perfect life, before Ethan had convinced Roman to leave Logan for him. He'd phrased it like forbidden love, Romeo and Juliet, when really all it was was the biggest mistake of his life. 

He'd tried, he really had, to make it work with Dee. He'd accepted his early proposal. He'd done everything he once did with Logan with Dee and ignored the ache in his heart. Ignored the blackmailing and threats Dee would spit any time he so much as thought about Logan. Ignored how Dee had told Roman to quit his job, to stop talking his to friends, to focus on him and him alone… 

His phone buzzed again. It was probably another message from Logan asking where he was.

He pulled himself up by the headboard and grabbed the half-empty water bottle on the nightstand, chugging it all and tossing it on the floor. He glanced over at his phone just in time to see 3 new messages flashing before fading into darkness. 

Logan: Where are you? How are you feeling after all of this? I know this must be hard on you. 

Logan: Roman? I would appreciate a response soon. Now is not the time to be "playing hard to get," as Remy says.

Logan: Roman, although a text might not be the best way to figuratively "break the news," it seems my roomate Virgil has become the next victim… Please call me when you are able.

Roman felt his bottom lip begin to tremble. Even locking himself away from everyone wouldn't keep them safe. He felt like his entire chest was caving in on himself, that awful feeling of being so anxious and scared he needed to puke rising in his stomach and chest. 

He dropped his phone and ran to the bathroom, nearly bruising his knees as he collapsed in front of the toilet. But the nausea would only come back stronger when Roman saw the next messages he'd just received.

Dee😘😘: *sent a photo* 

Dee😘😘: uh oh! :(

When Roman clicked the notifications with trembling fingers, a photo of Roman and Logan kissing against Logan's car would light up his screen, the bad angle and quality unable to hide how Logan's hands were under Roman's shirt and how Roman was pulling Logan's face into his… 

And Roman's stomach would sink, all the pieces slotting together into one, horrible, picture.

The murder in the dressing room taglist:

@cataclysm-al @theteenagetrickster @intrurality-fusion @katie-the-noble-fangirl @whizzie72 @grayson-22 @i-have-n0-idea-what-im-d0ing @winterwonderland7669 @missieluvsmurder @sign-from-god-complex @dragonindigo245 @angryfanboyscreaming @ninja-wizard101 @sombraookami @crystalistrappedintheinternet @imtooaromanticforthis @why-should-i-tell-youu2 @dragon-hair @satanblessi @spookilyfingergunsoutofexistence @skruffy901 @selectivereality @nonbeenary-enbee @imbasicallyshakespear @cats-vetal-miking-vomit @incoherentfangirl @oofmood @nonbianary-pineapple @royalnerd829 @unicornlogansanders

[pathos-logical]

GASP I love him

His expression and pose are so cute! And honestly, that outfit looks FINE, I love it!

And you know what else I love? That! bumblebee!! Tattoo!!!

OK then, might I request a punk Logan in like, a leather mini skirt and crop top? Leather jacket too if you're willing. Thank you in advance, I adore your art!!!

Oh my fuck im sorry this took so long i know you requested it like forever ago im sorry ive just not been wanting to draw… anything really 😖 im sorry

@theincediblesulk @illogical-anxieties @big-bang-holmes @logicallyanxious @sausysanderssides @just-fic-me-up @pathos-logical @im-hopelessly-crushed @iris-sanders-athena @donetta12 @shesavampirequeen @elnonbinaryprince @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @accio-hufflepuff-power1 @sticksandanxiety @adultmorelikeadolt @allycat31415 @ajdraws0430 @jinxdoeslife @mycollectionofnuts @kawaii-smol-bean13 @accidentally-logince @rap-on-my-grave @tinkslittlebelle @ihateitwhenyourejustvague @cuddly-lester @bloopadoopadoopa @dewdrop828 @stormcrawler75 @minamishipsit @fuck-perfection-be-a-mess

[pathos-logical]

Years later, when they're older and have settled as a family (and maybe some adoption papers have been filed), imagine Virgil knocking a picture frame onto the floor again

And for a second, just a second, he freezes

But then Patton comes swooping in to make sure there's no glass (there isn't, it just cracked), surrounding conversation barely stops, and Patton claps a hand on Virgil's shoulder and says it won't be a problem to replace ("The picture's fine, that's what matters! And you know Logan, he's got backups for backups for everything-" "Hey!")

And Virgil gets to be the one who puts the photograph back in the frame, an impromptu group shot Patton took at a birthday party where everyone but the birthday boy is laughing because Roman hates a) frosting and b) ruining his face, so without fail they smear it on his face every year- a picture of his family

And Virgil can smile, because he knows the only shouts he's going to hear are Deceit yelling at Remy for stealing his nail polish and Logan half-heartedly reprimanding Roman for changing Logan's ring tone

(His family is stronger than a pane of glass, and it'll take more than a fall for it to shatter.)

Picture Frame

notes: i haven’t edited or read over this at all so here we go, also keep in mind i am not a writer. this is for my blanket fort au and i should mention that there is implied child abuse, panic attacks, and slight blood mention as well as angst (obviously)

stay safe peeps 

———–

“Can you find another edge piece rem?” Patton asked, pouring over the puzzle sitting in front of them. Logan was in his study and roman and Virgil were playing in the living room, leaving remy alone with Patton to work on a puzzle of golden retriever puppies in a toy wagon. Usually remy would be all for playing with roman and virgil, chasing them around the house with toy swords or “playing soccer” in the backyard (they weren’t playing soccer. They don’t even know the rules of soccer. It’s just three little boys running around throwing and kicking a ball for fun) however, this morning he had been feeling sick and patton said maybe it’d be better to take it easy. Remy had just managed to snap the last edge piece into place when romans footsteps frantically made their way down the hall.

“ dad dad dad! Virgil broke a picture frame and now he’s crying and i don’t know what to do!” Roman looked more confused than panicked and patton tried (and failed) not to let the fear show on his face. 

Patton ran into the livingroom to see virgil crying, breath coming out in stutters mumbling “oh no oh no oh no” again and again and again.

“Virgil? Oh nononono baby don’t touch that!” Patton swooped up virgil, away from the broken glass he was frantically trying to fix. This only served to scare virgil more, him almost screaming before beginning to hiccup out apologies.

“NO! NO! Im sorry !!!! m’ sorry m sorry i didnt- i didnt mean- mean to! I’m sorry M’ sorry ” the poor boy looked like he was about to throw up or pass out he was crying so hard. Patton noticed the boys standing in the hallway and the glass still very much covering the floor.

“Hey hey its okay its okay. Logan can you come in here and clean this up please! Boys go to your room for a little while please, just until daddy gets this taken care of” the boys scampered off to their room as patton set down the shaking virgil on the counter. Logan came down the hallway and immediately went to work on the broken glass.

“I’m sorry i’m sorry i’m sorry i’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I can clean it up i’m sorry” virgil almost looked like he was trying to hide from him, shrinking into his jacket and covering his face.

“Hey shh shh it’s okay kiddo. Are you hurt? Here lemme see your hands okay” as patton checked his finger tips for any glass or cuts he couldn’t help noticing how virgil flinched as he held out his hands, like he was expecting a slap on the wrists or something. Logan disposed of the glass and placed the broken frame on the bookshelf out of children’s reach to be dealt with later.

Logan bends down to get to eye level with virgil as he continues crying hysterically, breaths barely coming and snot running down his face. Its wasn’t pretty, but crying never is.

“Virgil, i’m going to pick you up now okay?” logan asks, waiting for a tiny nod and grabby hands before swooping him up. He instinctively bounces as he carries him, like you would do to shush a newborn who woke up during the night.

“Shhh it’s okay. Breathe Virgil. Breathe in” he pauses to take an over exaggerated breath and feels virgil copy it the best he can “and out” this goes on for a couple of minutes, patton looking like he’s fighting back his own tears as virgil clutches onto logans shoulder. The boy weighs considerably less than his own two, being shorter and much thinner.

“Here let me take him you go get the first aid kit” patton said, peeling virgil out of logan’s grip and setting back down on the counter and crouching down again.

“Virge? Are you okay? Did you cut anything?”

“M’okay..” He says, wiping his nose off on his hoodie sleeve smearing snot across the black fabric. Patton synced and wets a washcloth cleaning his face.

“You’re feet are bleeding. Do they hurt?”

“No” patton doesn’t believe that but decides to let it go.

“Can you tell me what happened?” He seems to shrink in on himself again and patton quickly follows it up with “it’s okay! Its okay Virge, i just wanna know. I’m not mad.”

Virgil looks down at the counter, kicking his feet off the side as patton grabs water for the boy.

“Me and roman were playing and i accidently bumped into the wall and knocked down the picture… i didn’t mean to mister patton! I would have cleaned it up!”

“Hey hey shh it’s okay virgil. I’m just happy you’re safe okay?” Logan returned with the first aid kit and patton got to work bandaging his feet.”is there anything you need?”

“No”

“Virgil?” Logan warned, sensing the lie. Virgil apologise and looked down again

“M’ really sleepy..” Virgil mumbled. Wincing and pulling his feet away when pattin tried to wash the cuts.

“ i’ll tell the boys to stay quiet and you can rest on the couch. Anything else?” Patton said, standing up straight again and washing his own hands.

“ can i have a hug mister patton?” Virgil asked quietly. Like he’d never asked for a hug before, let alone ever got one.

“Sure thing kiddo” patton mumbled, swooping him up into a fatherly hug before carrying him over to the couch getting a sore blanket and draping it over him. The poor thing looked exhausted, far too much eye bags for anyone even close to his age. Virgil drifted into sleep pretty much immediately, but patton knew as well as anyone how much crying tires you out.

Later that night, when virgil had gone home and roman and remy were tucked into their bunk beds, patton would cry into logans chest. Cry about how much it wasn’t fair how virgil was being treated at home. Cry about how worried he was about virgil’s safety at home. Logan would just hug back until he went to bed.

And whos to say logan wasn’t just as terrified as patton…

[pathos-logical]

Hello! I am crying! I love them so much and I love this so MUCH!!!!!!!!!!

"Pull over," Virgil snapped his head to look at roman, before looking out at the rain. It had gotten dark and virgil had found the new rain nearly therapeutic. 

"What? Why" roman was already slowing down despite his obvious objection. " Vee its pouring" Virgil smiled wide at him, already unbuckling his seatbelt despite the car not being stopped yet. 

"I know!" When the car pulled to a stop, Virgil left out. They were alone on the road, they were alone for miles. They could see a town in the distance, lights casting a glow over the horizon. He threw his head back and let the rain pour on him, taking off his jacket and throwing it in the car. 

"Virgil what are you doing?" Roman seemed nearly giddy, shielding his hair with his flannel. 

"I've always wanted to do this! I've always wanted to just.. .stand out in the rain" he spun around a few times on the side of the road, hopping in puddles and letting the rain drench him. Roman reached into the car and turned on the radio, all the way up so they could still hear even with the doors closed. 

Roman grabbed his hands, dancing him around to the rhythm, long since trying to save his hair and makeup. Virgil's hair curled with the rain, his tank top soaked through. He had to be cold, but did it really matter? Not to him. Not now. Virgil Jumped and headbanged to the song, flicking his hair onto roman and combat boots scuffing on the asphalt.

The smell of rain engulfed them,filling their heads with summer memories. With a particularly loud thunder clap" Virgil threw back his head and shouted a loud "whoo" to the heavens. They were alone and happy and free and virgil just couldn't contain it anymore. 

In romans head all he could think of was the word "storm cloud." My little storm cloud. My perfect angel from who knows where to enrich his life and make every second flourish. 

Roman met eyes with virgil, a wild and free look shining back at him, replacing that scared and lonely boy he used to know. It was invigorating. 

Virgil leapt forward into romans arms, grabbing his face and kissing him like there's no tomorrow.

[pathos-logical]

Hello I've already screamed about this but now you have to deal with it again :)

THAT WAS FRICKING BEAUTIFUL AND IT WAS SO SO GOOD I LOVE YOU SO MUCH???????????

"that was logan's favorite part about their friendship, they could just exist around each other without any pressure to perform social cues like small talk" Peaceful coexistence is at the CORE of analogical this is so GOOD

"“Thank you” he mumbled, shifting closer to his friend “i needed this” virgil swallowed roughly, laying his head closer to logans as they watched the stars" Do you ever SOB (Logan's like "god Virgil's such a good friend" and Virgil's like "CUTE BOY PROXIMITY ALERT??????")

God this means Virgil saw news about a meteor shower visible in their area or something and went "Logan's been looking sad lately I know what to do" amdjskfjsmfkksfksjfkskdkskkd

"They had to be in someone back yard or private property, but with a field so vast and expansive who would know to say anything" Also this is very good, be gay do minor crimes and stargaze baby

"It seemed as if he found every even remotely soft thing in his apartment and shoved it in the car." This is SO soft, pun freaking INTENDED

"“Life.. do you think we're alone here?” Logan wanted to say no with a definite certainty that Virgil was looking for, but that would be irresponsible to answer with a certainty he didn't have." Oh he's so good.... they're so good..... Logan desperately wanting to believe in aliens but not wanting to betray his own values in honesty or lie to Virgil..... I DIE.......

Also the quote he used was so good :')

I didn't notice the stupid asterisk the first time at 32 and dksmfmsknfksjfkskfkskfkskdkskdkdkdkd

"So mundane, and yet virgil had seemed to romanticize the smallest things around logan." <33333

"“I think..” virgil continued, once they were out of the truck and on top of it “that it's different for everyone." I really really REALLY love this, I think it matches up very well with my own philosophy and :')

"all the stars feel so close i could touch and yet impossibly far away." If you somehow aren't aware yet, this is my constant mood

"I can't see a horizon from here, it feels like I'm in the middle of all of them, here with you.”" Wow can you believe they invented romance :'))))))

“I think that's what i'm choosing to do with my existence, what are you choosing to do with yours?”" ahhhhhHHHHHHHHHH

"“If we get to choose what we do with our lives then i wanna spend mine like this, with you, and i've wasted too much time thinking.”" WOW CAN YOU BELIEVE THEY INVENTED ROMANCE!!!!!!!!!!

"* (+ 53: have your first kiss)" MY HEART NEARLY EXPLODED OUT OF MY C H E S T SCREW YOU???????

THE FRICKING. EVERYTHING ABOUT "AND YOUR SECOND / AND YOUR THIRD / AND MANY MANY MORE" MJFKDKFKSKKFKD JUST TAKE MY HEART ALREADY WOULD YOU IT'S ALREADY BLEEDING

They really.... they really bought the field and built a cabin there..... gay mf rights..........

"Fireflies and the moon are their only real source of light so far out in the field. " This is the only ambience that's real actually

Fricking. Virgil distracting Logan by making him look up and list the constellations. And only pulling out the ring when he gets near the end of the list (and that must've taken quite some time indeed). And what that implies about how long it took him to get up the courage to interrupt. And maybe just taking a second to revel in Logan listing the things he loves while lit by the moon. And. And oh my god Ghost oh my god

The navy blue ring box was already so so good but god the description of the RING like AHHHHHHH

"“Do you remember when you said you wanted to spend your life with me under the stars?... will you make that official with me?”" STOP STOP I'M ALREADY DEAD???????

"having to bend a little to accommodate for the height difference." :)

Roman being more nervous than Logan was so fricking GOOD

"Fairy lights shone just enough to allow the guests to find their seats without hassle, but not too much as to outshine the stars." This sounds so PRETTY I am going to get married just for this aesthetic thank you for the idea

"He was getting married… to the most beautiful man on earth, under the stars, in his own backyard with all his friends… holy shit" This is so good this is so good this is so good this is so g

"He wore a velvet deep purple suit with black trims and converse sneakers, hair freshly dyed from a week before, and on top of his head sat a small crown with diamond stars." I. Love. EVERY SINGLE DANG THIS ABOUT THIS. First of all the suit sounds so GOOD, and then he's wearing CONVERSE and he just dyed his HAIR and he's wearing a STAR CIRCLET?? THAT HE BORROWED FROM ROMAN??? This is so GOOD Ghost I'm kdkdkdjskdkks

"Logan didn't think the concept of “handing off the “bride ``'' was appropriate here, but neither of them could deny Patton's puppy dog eyes." This is so SWEET I'm so happy for Patton kdkdkdkskdk

"and in the center of it all was stars. The decorations, the rings, the vows and the night sky, all of it was perfect." Ohhh my goodness oh my goodness

THE FJSKJFKSJFKSJDKSBDMSMFMKSKSKSLD E N D I N G

OKAY???? OKAY????? OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS AND I LOVE YOU!!! SO SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!

100 things to do under the stars

(Analogical, no warnings)

1: stargaze

  Virgil dragged Logan out from the warmth of the truck and into crisp fall air. They were in the middle of nowhere, it was nearly midnight, and the clouds were practically nonexistent. There wasn't a light for miles, aside from the still dimming headlights of Virgil's pickup truck. They had to be in someone's backyard or private property, but with a field so vast and expansive who would know to say anything. 

“Virgil-” Logan started before swiftly getting shushed by Virgil. He jerked open the door to the backseat, pulling out piles of blankets and pillows. 

  “Lo, i'm gonna need you to ignore how sketchy this looks and help me pad the bed of the truck, there's a meteor shower tonight and i want you to see it.” Virgil tossed him some handfuls of quilts and stuffed animals. It seemed as if he found every even remotely soft thing in his apartment and shoved it in the car. They passed the truck bed and Virgil hoisted him into the makeshift bed, before bracing the side of the truck and hoping for himself. 

 They stayed silent as they got comfortable, that was Logan's favorite part about their friendship, they could just exist around each other without any pressure to perform social cues like small talk.. They could just be. Logan reached down and intertwined their hands, making virgil's heart skip a beat. 

“Thank you,” he mumbled, shifting closer to his friend “I needed this” Virgil swallowed roughly, laying his head closer to Logan’s as they watched the stars 

7: contemplate existence + 11: drink coffee

 “Do you think there's something else out there?” Virgil asked after a long stretch of comfortable silence. This time, they sat on the roof of the truck, coffee in hand and feet dangling off the edge of the truck. 

  “Be more specific.” Logan took a sip of his coffee, bringing it to his mouth with both hands. It provided a nice warmth against the chill of the night, something his black wool coat was vaguely failing to provide.

   “Life.. do you think we're alone here?” Logan wanted to say no with a definite certainty that Virgil was looking for, but that would be irresponsible to answer with a certainty he didn't have. 

   “Arthur Clarke once said ‘Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.’” he settled on instead. Virgil grimaced and pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged and turned his body to face Logan. He tried to make eye contact with him, but Logan continued to look up into the abyss.

  “That's not what I asked,” he said “I wanna know what you think.” Logan took another slow sip of his coffee to stall. Eventually, he brought it away from his mouth and turned to face Virgil

   “I dont know..” he admitted “it seems.. impossible that there's an infinite universe beyond our capability of comprehension that is simply empty. I don't believe there will ever be certainty on our end, so,” he put the coffee down and laid down, putting his eyes back on the stars “i'd rather not worry about it.”

32: question your own mortality *

   “What do you suppose the point of it all is Virgil?”  he had become rather acquainted with the empty field he and Virgil spent nearly every clear night in. They hadn't even got out of the car this time before Logan started their nightly talks.

   “I thought it scared you to talk about things like that.” Virgil jokes to mask that he didn't have an answer. He jerked open the door but didn't get out. 

    “Do… Do you ever question why we're here?” Logan knew the answer to that, and Virgil constantly thought about his life and his purposeless existence. Virgil took pity on him when he noticed his big brown eyes sparkling in the light the car turned on. So mundane, and yet Virgil had seemed to romanticize the smallest things around Logan.

    “Get out, I wanna show you something,” Logan followed wordlessly. “I think..” Virgil continued, once they were out of the truck and on top of it “that it's different for everyone. For me, I just want to spend my short existence here experiencing life for what it is. Good and the bad, mostly good.” Virgil smiled softly as he laid down on the roof “ look at that… all the stars feel so close i could touch and yet impossibly far away. I can't see a horizon from here, it feels like I'm in the middle of all of them, here with you.”

    Logan laid on his side beside him, still not fully getting it. “You think you were put into existence to look at stars?”

    Virgil hoisted himself up on his elbows, craning his head back to continue looking at the abyss. “I think that's what i'm choosing to do with my existence, what are you choosing to do with yours?” Logan stayed quiet for a long time, just looking at Virgil and thinking before he jutted his head forward and kissed him. Virgil pulled back, heart beating  a million miles a minute. 

“Logan?” he whispered.

“If we get to choose what we do with our lives then i wanna spend mine like this, with you, and i've wasted too much time thinking.” he almost had tears in his eyes as he leaned forward again, letting Virgil close the gap this time. 

* (+ 53: have your first kiss) 

65: and your second

72: and third

83: and many many more

99: propose

    They continued going to their favorite spot for years, when they got older they bought the plot of land that they called theres and built a tiny cabin on the edge of the field. And one night, after 5 years of dating, virgil pulled logan into the middle of the field, walking this time. Fireflies and the moon are their only real source of light so far out in the field. 

Logan giggled as he attempted to keep balance while Virgil swung him around 

“What's got you in such a good mood?” Logan laughed, getting pulled into a nervous kiss by his boyfriend 

    “Virgil!” he smiled a little wider, “what's the occasion?”

   “Look up, and name all the constellations you can see,” Virgil asked quietly, hands fisted in his jacket pockets. Logan looked suspicious before doing as he was told, listing all he could remember the name of. Just as he was getting to the end of his list, Virgil cut him off. 

“Hey Logan?” When he looked back, Virgil was kneeling on the ground with a small navy blue box in his hands. “Can I ask you something?” 

Logan did not consider himself overly emotional, he nearly prided himself on it, and yet he couldn't seem to stop the hitch in his breath and rush of tears to his eyes. He wordlessly nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

    Virgil opened the box and revealed a ring with a simple diamond in the middle of a black band with stars engraved into the side. He stayed silent as the tears started cascading down his face. “Do you remember when you said you wanted to spend your life with me under the stars?” Logan  had to pull his hands to his mouth to contain the sob of happiness he couldn't. Virgil was also crying, a wide nervous grin on his face “will you make that official with me?” 

    “Yes!” Logan choked out, nodding profusely and collapsing into Virgil's arms when he stood up to hug him. He pulled back and kissed him, he kissed him for the millionth time with all the passion and love of the first. He pressed his forehead into Virgils, having to bend a little to accommodate for the height difference. 

“I love you” he mumbled, tears starting to end their freefall, even if only for a minute. “So so much”

100: get married.

    Roman bustled around their small cabin with the kind of nervousness more reserved for the grooms than the best man. He had been preparing this day- well, night- for months and had been more of a bridezilla than either of the actual men getting married. Guests were starting to arrive just after the sun went down and the stars were starting to peek through the darkness. Fairy lights shone just enough to allow the guests to find their seats without hassle, but not too much as to outshine the stars. 

    “Are you sure everythings ready?” Roman asked Logan once again, meeting a hard eye roll with an exacerbated grin. 

    “Yes Roman, I'm positive.” He couldn't help the feeling of joy riding in his throat when he checked his watch. He was getting married… to the most beautiful man on earth, under the stars, in his own backyard with all his friends… holy shit

    “Logan!” Patton called from the doorway, excited to be helping even if he'd been there since noon “its time! Come on “ 

    Virgil was…. He couldn't think of the right word.. Gorgeous, ethereal, amazing, perfect, genius, beautiful, unreal, indescribable… Logan felt in his heart as he was walked down the aisle by the designated group dad friend. He wore a velvet deep purple suit with black trims and converse sneakers, hair freshly dyed from a week before, and on top of his head sat a small crown with diamond stars. As much as he despised wedding traditions, this was his “something borrowed” generously lended by Roman to tie in the night theme. The wedding was small, neither of their families even invited to attend, and their friend group tiny but close knit. Patton bounced down the aisle with Virgil's arm intertwined in his, Logan didn't think the concept of “handing off the “bride ``'' was appropriate here, but neither of them could deny Patton's puppy dog eyes. 

The rest of the night went off without a hitch, dancing, kissing, crying, a small potluck with a modest red velvet wedding cake, and in the center of it all was stars. The decorations, the rings, the vows and the night sky, all of it was perfect. When all the guests left, and Virgil and Logan were finally alone, Logan pulled out a wedding present he had gotten for virgil. 

“What's this?” he asked, still riding the high of “Holy shit i'm really married” 

“Open it.” virgil undid the navy wrapping paper, and opened the box. Inside, there was a book titled “100 things to do under the stars, by Logan Cade” 

Virgils heart jumped when he realised logan had used his new last name.