#parental rociet

[noblest-roman-of-them-all]

I am working on the Rociet AU thats going to build into my Rociet addition to my Parent Collection and I am probably around half way done or so with the first draft and I implied Janus didn't like coffee by having Roman be surprised when he offers him some after he finally was up and out of bed following The Incident.

Now, this would be fine except I really enjoy planting Easter eggs throughout my AUs. I frequently include things like Logan being big into astronomy, Roman having nyctophobia, Patton having arachnaphobia, those things.

Now, Janus canonical is a wine drinker, and there in lies the tiniest snag. Both coffee and wine contain tannins, the ability to taste tannins, is actually genetic. So most folks who like wine and coffee can't taste tannins, because tannins are responsible for creating a bitter/acidic taste.

Now, logically, yes, someone could probably like one and not the other. But I have goblins in my brain who are so stuck on the tannins thing now that it's going to bug me. Janus likes wine so he should probably like coffee too.

[tranquil-space-ninja]

I Could Never Be Ready (Sanders’ Sides Human AU)

Ft. Parental Anciet, Rociet, and Demus, Parental Logicality, and a smidge of Mociet

Tw: minor character death, cursing, mention of a car accident, drunk driving, blood

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

Janus woke up in bed with each of the twins curled up at his sides. He smiled at his nephews a moment before his phone dinged. He glanced at it before pulling it off the charger and walking into the kitchen.

I don't care what that bitch's will said.

I want my kids back.

Janus sighed. He thought he blocked Diana's deadbeat boyfriend's number. He quickly typed out a response, though, to let that asshole know he wasn't coming anywhere near Roman, Remus, and Virgil.

First of all, that "bitch" is my sister, who died three months ago. If you actually cared about HER sons, you would have come for them earlier.

Janus took a few deep breaths to try and steady himself. He had told himself it wasn't Oliver's fault over and over. Oliver wasn't the one who was driving drunk, Oliver wasn't the one who hit Diana's car at three in the morning, Oliver wasn't the one who took a mother away from two five-year-olds and a baby. And yet......

They're MY kids. I made them.

If you think you can take them just because Diana said you're their guardian, then you've got another thing coming.

Hands shaking, Janus deleted the messages and blocked Oliver's number. Oliver might not have killed Diana, but his drinking habit and inability to hold a job had drained her college fund. He might not have hit her car, but he disappeared in the middle of the night and left her with nothing. He might not have taken his son's mother from them, but he was the reason she was out on the road that late.

And if he thought he could take Janus's nephews just because he was their birth father--

"Uncle Janny?" Janus turned around to see Remus looking up at him, sleepy eyed and clutching an octopus plushie. "Can I have some water?"

"Of course, sweetpea," he said softly as he walked to the sink. As soon as Remus had a glass in his hand, Virgil started crying. Janus hurried to their room and had a bottle for him in minutes.

Soon everyone was fast asleep again. Janus hugged the twins closer to him, heart pounding. His apartment was too small, Oliver was back in his life, and all his friends were either at University or settling down, too far away for him to reach. Janus had never felt so alone.

***

Roman was sobbing, Remus was holding his hand, and Janus was trembling. "W-what happened," he asked, staring at the blood covering Roman's knee and dripping down his leg.

"He tripped and fell hard on the sidewalk," Remus said. Janus took a deep breath.

This was bound to happen. Just go get some towels, or bandaids, or something.

Janus forced himself to put one foot in front of the other and get the supplies necessary to treat a hurt knee. When all the blood was cleaned up, the scrape wasn't that bad. Roman's tears slowed down and Remus's grip on his hand loosened. Roman gave Janus a hug once the bandaid was on.

"Thanks, Uncle Janny."

"Of course. I love you."

"Love you, too." Janus smiled. He was still shaking, but everything was okay now. His phone chimed twice, and he glanced at it. The first message made his heart skip a beat.

I've got a lawyer now, Pine. I'm taking them back.

How did he get around the blocking? How?

"We're gonna go back out and play again, okay," Remus asked.

"No!" The twins flinched. "I-I mean..... Why don't we stay inside and watch movies?" Remus and Roman exchanged a look, then slowly nodded. Janus smiled, pushing back the tears of relief in his eyes. "Okay! I'll make pizza and garlic bread. You guys pick a movie, okay?" Roman and Remus went to the media cabinet. Janus threw some frozen pizzas and breadsticks into the oven, locked all the windows and doors, and grabbed Virgil.

The rest of the night, every bump startled him. He never fell asleep, either, for fear of Oliver breaking down the door and taking the boys from out from under his nose. His phone went off twice more during the night. He left it, terrified that it was more threatening messages. And as the clock inched closer and closer to seven, there was only one thought in Janus's head.

I'm not ready for this.

***

Janus checked his phone on his break, struggling to keep his eyes open. There was nothing more from Oliver, thank God, but there were three unanswered messages from a number Janus didn't recognize.

Hey, this is Janus Pine, right? I'm Patton Hart.

I was your nephews' doctor when they lived in my area. I'm sorry I wasn't able to come to Diana's funeral. I didn't hear she died until last night. She was a good friend, though. I've known her since Roman and Remus were babies.

I just realized how late it is. Sorry.

Janus read over the messages a few times and smiled a bit.

Hello, Dr. Hart, he typed. I'm sorry I didn't answer your messages last night. I received some upsetting news.

Patton responded almost immidiately.

That's okay! I just thought you might want to hear from one of her friends. And, please, call me Patton.

Janus smiled. Then another text from Patton came.

I.... Also wanted to make sure the boys were okay. They're living with you, right?

Janus frowned. That was a little suspicious.

Yes, my nephews live with me, and they're quite alright. Why?

Janus had to go back to work again, but he'd be talking to Patton more once he was home.

***

Patton didn’t answer until Janus had finished washing the dishes from dinner.

No reason! They were friends with my son and I wanted to let him know they were doing alright. He’s been really worried.

Janus stared at the message, sensing bullshit from miles away.

You know about Oliver.

.... Has he been giving you trouble?

He has a lawyer and is trying to take the kids from me.

That fucking asshole!

Janus gaped at the last message. From what he could tell, Patton was fairly sweet and even-tempered. Then again, he didn’t really know him. They had only met today, and only over texts.

Sorry for that. He just makes me so mad.

Join the club.

Diana was too good for him. That deadbeat never did anything but drink, watch TV, and scare the twins. They stayed over here practically every other night for two weeks, then Oliver just up and left. Diana had to work and care for the boys on her own for months.

She was hysterical when she called. She was actually going to move her family back here and live with me before her car got hit.

Yeah. You shouldn’t have to worry about Oliver too much, though. I took Diana to get his parental rights terminated about two months before she left.

Janus laughed a bit, wiping tears out of his eyes. Oliver couldn’t take his nephews away from him!

Thanks, Patton. That makes me feel a lot better.

No problem, Janus!

You know, if you wanted, you all could stay with my son and I for the weekend. Logan would love to see his friends again.

That would be great. I’ll ask Roman and Remus.

***

Janus parked his car outside a small pale blue house with a wrap around porch. Roman and Remus shot out of the car. “LOGAN!” A small boy with square shaped glasses jumped down the steps and ran. The boys all collided into a messy group hug, practically sobbing.

“I missed you guys so much,” Logan said.

“We’re never going to leave you again,” Remus said firmly.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Janus said, carrying two suitcases and wearing Virgil in a baby sling. The door of the house opened, and a tall man with messy blond hair, crooked round glasses, and freckles all over his face and arms stepped onto the porch. His face broke out into a grin as he caught sight of Janus, and he bounded down the steps. 

“Hi!” Janus smiled a bit.

“Hello, Patton.”

“Let me help you!” Patton took one of the suitcases from Janus and started up the steps. “Why don’t you three go play in the backyard?” Logan, Roman, and Remus nodded and ran around the house. Patton showed Janus Logan’s room, where Roman and Remus would sleep, and the guest room, where he had set up Virgil’s crib. Afterwards, they ended up in the kitchen. Patton held Virgil, the small child hugging the doctor tightly.

“Thank you again for this. I needed to get away.” Patton smiled.

“Of course! I’m glad to see the boys again.” And then the three small tornadoes blew into the kitchen. Logan held up a jar containing a cricket.

“Dad, look! Acheta domesticus!” Patton leaned closer to take a look.

“It’s a cricket!” Roman cheered.

“Can we eat it,” Remus asked. Logan glared at him.

“Of course not! We have to pin it to my board.” Remus grinned.

“That’s even better!” The boys blew out of the kitchen and ran up the stairs. Patton chuckled and shook his head. “I missed them,” he told Janus. “I miss Diana, too. I’m really, really sorry she’s gone.” Janus shook his head, a bitter smile on her face.

“Hey, you didn’t hit her car.” Patton nodded and looked at his feet. Janus sighed and closed his eyes. “I just wish I got to say goodbye, you know? Or that I knew what to do. I’ve got to take care of Roman and Remus now. I don’t have a clue what they need or what they want from me.” Janus fought the lump in his throat. “I don’t know what to do.” He turned his head and brushed the tears out of his eyes.

“Hey,” Patton said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I didn’t, either, when my ex and I had Logan. No one does. You just have to do what you think is right for them and hope that they don’t hate you for it in the end.” Janus laughed humorlessly.

“Thanks, that makes me feel great.” Patton laughed too.

“It’ll get easier,” he said. “I promise.” Janus rubbed his eyes.

“I wasn’t ready for any of this.”

“No one ever is.”

***

Janus woke up in the middle of the night with a dry mouth. He crept into the kitchen, peeking into Logan’s room on the way to check on the twins. He grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. After he had his drink, he found that he couldn’t sleep. He found a magazine in a rack by the recipe tins and sat down at the table. As he flipped through one, something fell out. Janus picked up the card. It was addressed to Dr. Patton Hart, and written in Diana’s handwriting. Against his better judgement, he opened and read it.

Dearest Patton,

First of all, thank you so much for everything you’ve done for my sons and I. You’ve been a better friend to me than anyone I’ve ever known. You stuck by me through everything with Oliver, and I can’t thank you enough or ever really repay you. That’s why I’m sorry to leave this way.

I have so much to say. There’s so much you don’t know about my past, my family, my hometown. I wish I could explain everything to you, but I don’t have the time or the space for that. What you really need to know is I’m taking my family and I’m going to live with my brother. I’m going to give you his phone number. If anything happens to me, please contact him. And whatever you do, don’t let Oliver take them from him.

I’m going to miss you, Patton. Give Logan my love.

Love,

Diana

Janus’s phone number was at the bottom. He couldn’t stop staring at the way she put a line through her sevens, or the way she still drew a heart over the dots on her i’s. And suddenly, months of pent up emotion suddenly burst forward, and he began sobbing. And then Patton’s arms were around him. Janus buried his face in Patton’s chest and felt tears falling onto the top of his head. “I-I’m sorry, I couldn’t s-sleep.”

“I couldn’t either.” Patton stood up and sniffled. Janus wiped away his tears. Patton looked at his feet, then at Janus, then at the ground again. “Do you.... Maybe.... Want to sleep in my room. With me. Tonight? I just-- you look so much like her and I don’t want to be alone tonight.” Patton exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry, that’s so weird.” Janus shook his head.

“I miss her, too,” he said. “You... You really don’t mind if I stay with you?” Patton shook his head. Janus took a deep breath, stood up, and grabbed Patton’s hand. “I.... I don’t want to be alone, either.” Patton smiled gratefully, and led Janus up to his room. They slid under Patton’s Steven Universe sheets. Janus cuddled close to him and rested his head on Patton’s chest. Patton wrapped his arms around Janus, and they fell asleep together.

-----

Taglist:

@kawaiikat54

[parkerthewaterbender]

Sanders sides ships as childhood memories, Parker edition

I’ve seen two posts where this was done, ( @solarsparkss and @dehumanizing-daydream go check ‘em out) I decided to give it a shot bc why not? Seems fun.

Prinxiety: the times when I wouldn’t eat one of my favorite deserts out of spite and stubborness.

Logicality: me thinking that frost was snow and my mother always saying it wasn’t

Demus: pranking my aunt alongside my father and putting fake spiders and scorpions in her drawers (ik it’s weird) 

Logince: trying to prove my grandmother wrong by saying that the directions left and right were switched in my native language (meaning that left was right and right was left in said native language)

Moxiety: making D.I.Y. Christmas ornaments and a Christmas tree made out of sticks with my mother because my cat was a menace and tore down the last xmas tree we had

Royality: making weird scenarios in my head like dreaming of being a mermaid AND a pony at the same time

Analogical: watching bats fly in the summer sky, featuring my mom and thinking of cool stuff

Rociet: my grandmother saying, “You are really special, you know that?” and me responding with “Well, if everyone said it too, I guess there’s some truth to that” with a cocky smile.

Lociet: my parents always knowing when I was lying because when I lie I smile, so much I couldn’t hide anything

Anxciet: Getting scared of a storm because a thunderbolt was too close and my grandpa laughing at my attempt at getting closer to the storm

Mociet: Pranking my mother by saying that a pigeon flew in the bathroom and took a shit, even though that wasn’t shit it was shaving cream I accidentaly dropped.

Intrulogical: saying that the bathroom floor of one of my mother’s friends was so ugly that my mom wouldn’t accept that

LAMP: McDonalds birthday parties. that’s it

[knottaghost]

Janus ships in a nutshell:

Mociet: divorced parents

Rociet: theater gays (very sassy)

Anxiect: Disney villains

Demus: team rocket.

Lociet: smexy middle school librarians

[wastelandcrown]

logan lark’s adventures in trying to appease his parents

CHAPTER 7: you matter to me (the terrifying tales of the grimm monarchy)

Summary: Logan Lark is a fairly average high school student. By all means, he should be impressing his parents on all grounds. Except...he doesn’t exactly have a social life. So after his parents give him puppy dog eyes, he decides to join the local theatre's youth production. Good grief...His life is about to get weird isn’t it?

Warnings: Potential ooc behavior, Mr. and Mrs. Grimm’s A+ parenting, panic attacks, unconventional sibling problems/dynamics, very brief disappearance (If I miss something please tell me!)

Notes: This fic is based off an idea from @under-the-blue-moonlight. If you wanna be tagged in chapters, please ask!! All feedback is very welcomed, I didn’t have anyone to beta so *sighs loudly*. This chapter is kinda angsty and opens up some fun new plot relevant strings. I also want to make it clear that I will be demonstrating Roman putting in work to fix his mess ups in later chapters as well! He’s got some loose ends to tie up, and he will do so. 

Pairings: Intrulogical, Eventual Rociet, Creativitwins

Tagslist: @under-the-blue-moonlight @why-should-i-tell-youu2 @im-actually-ok @hauntedturkeycalzonedreamer @croftersjam15 @rainbowsixth @snaketho @wasinotwantedatthisexactsecond @a-soul-among-the-stars @sweet-razz-tea @the-cactus-lord @genderlessfish

Janus’ eyes move to Logan, they seem to communicate without a breath between them. Logan takes nothing but his phone with him when he heads into the hall, but it’s far too late. Remus is nowhere in sight.

Roman takes a shuddering sigh, places his head in his hands, and leans against the makeup counter.

“I’m-I’m sorry-I don’t-I don’t know what that was-”

“Yes, you do.”

The room feels so uncomfortable, the tension could be cut with a knife. Roman knows Janus well enough to know his glare cuts sharper than any weapon could ever. Especially to him. His face stays firmly planted in his hands, hiding from the truth he’s been avoiding for far too long.

“Roman, look at me,” Janus orders. 

He listens and keels back in shame at the look of anger and disappointment on his friend’s face.

“Tell me the truth, why are you doing this?”

It’s a good question. For all it’s worth though, he doesn’t know. Which seems like the cop-out of the century, but truly...he has no clue at the moment. That, however, is not an answer Janus will accept and not one he will accept of himself. 

With a deep breath, he thinks “Alright, Roman. Be honest. Why are you doing this?”

Within moments he gets it and it is the easiest conclusion he’s ever come to. The twins have always had a very sturdy dichotomy. Remus was a messy and wild child growing up, while Roman was clean and polite. When they played, there was always a good and just prince and an evil conniving duke. There were good marks and bad marks. Good ideas and bad ideas. Clean and messy. Good and evil. Something nice and something terrible. Even in the eyes of their parents. It didn’t matter to them as children, Remus even seemed to enjoy it on occasion. Looking back, he only ever liked being “bad” when he got to choose it. When they played in their yard and there was a choice between swimming in the pool and scooping water onto the grass to “drown the bugs”, he was the happiest child in the universe. When the school called their father and told him that Remus had been in another fight, he looked like someone had ripped his soul from his body. It didn’t matter the reason he was fighting, he was “bad”. Roman had always thought the merit of the fight was dictated by why you were fighting in the first place, but apparently, he was wrong. 

The dichotomy they played into was fun! It was! For a while, at least. Then Roman began being berated by everyone around him for acting similarly to his brother. Then Remus was the new social outcast months before they hit middle school. Then it wasn’t fun anymore. Being “good” was stressful and lonely. Teachers, classmates, friends, family, everyone equated “good” with perfect. Perfection is a hard burden to bear alone and twelve years old. Roman’s mind drifts to when they split up. When the dichotomy became less of a two-person game played for fun, and more of an ugly sweater from an aunt that they had to wear to every formal event. It was hard, it was always much too hard. It hurt him. Recently, he realized the much heavier burden of being “bad”. The stress and loneliness must be tenfold when everyone beats into your brain that you are the perfect example of the “Evil Twin” trope. Even your own brother. Your twin. 

“Everyone told me,”

They had been a pair once.

“‘Roman, you’re such a good kid, you’re good at everything.’”

They were a good pair. Even now. He’d worked with him just a month ago to put something together and it was amazing.

“‘There is nothing you can’t do!’”

A few months ago, he was doing something he hadn’t thought possible and making amends with his brother.

“To them, I was independent and self-sufficient,”

He wasn’t either of those things, not then and not now. He had always been a pair.

“I was perfect. I had to be.”

The catch is that he gave up the only person who didn’t care if he was perfect.

“I thought it was true, I-”

The catch is that now his actions dawn on him fully like a wave over the shore.

“I needed them to be right.”

His breath shakes, “Who am I if I’m not that?”

The wave of grief and guilt crashes into him, and all he can think about now is how much he wants to take back every single mean thing he’s ever said about his brother. He feels the sea of emotions that he’s held back take him in and drown him with ferocity. Janus sighs as Roman stares at him through watery eyes.

“Roman. You were doing so well with Remus.”

He’s right, Janus is always right about these things. Two months ago, he had been doing so much better. He and Remus were still bickering in public, but it was fun to him. Though when Remus had “glue-and-feather’d” his makeup bag, he had thrown a little fit, he laughed about it later. Remus had laughed with him. It was light and fun. May, June, and most of July were the most fun he’d had with Remus in years. They’d spent time together, helped each other with chores, ridden to the theatre together. Little, minuscule things. Things that made such a tremendous difference in Roman’s confidence. 

“What happened?”

The same thing that always happened. His mother came home

There was always something different about his mother. When he and Remus had befriended Janus in elementary school, they met someone else's mother for the first time. He realized the day he had met her what made his mom so different. Lillian Devine, or as they called her Mrs.Lilli, was quite possibly the strangest woman they had ever met. The first time they saw her, Janus had seen her outside the school and made a beeline for his mother’s arms. She took him up into her arms, gave him a spin, and hugged him tightly. Roman doesn’t remember much from being that young, but he can remember the first moment he felt jealousy was when Lillian took Janus into that hug and loudly announced that she missed him. Only gone a day at school, and she missed him enough to announce it to the world. He remembers going home to a very big, very empty house. He was grumpy, clutching Remus’ hand like a lifeline as their nanny ushered them into their room and told them she would collect them at dinner time. When she collected them, Roman asked if she had missed them. She said, “I’m not your mother, am I?”.

His mother was different. When she came home, she would offer Roman a hug and give him a big kiss on the cheek. Every time, even the most recent. Like clockwork. Roman, sometimes accompanied by Remus, would wait outside the door for his mother’s car to arrive. She would exit and her heels would clack along the stone pathway. She would kiss him on the cheek when she got up the steps, offer him a quick hug, then begin to speak about her latest adventures in Paris. If Remus stood with him, she would give him her coat. Roman would always take it from him, hang it up, and follow his mother wherever she went. Recently the thought of their mother handing Remus her coat made Roman want to puke. 

They’d had dinner together one night in July. On her most recent visit, she told stories of her new revolutionary fashion line. He told her all about the newest theatre show. Remus made an effort to sit with them, and it was a labour for Roman to look at his mother when he spoke instead of Remus. He was there for all his anecdotes but he would still hang off of every word just to find something to prod at. Remus stood, and his mother’s words echoed in his brain.

“Remus, dear,” His mother begins in her shrill voice, “If you’re not going to eat with us, at least go and shower. Your smell is unbecoming.”

He latches onto that conversation, that’s really when the downfall started. 

“Mother, that was quite rude…” He says softly, keeping his eyes on his plate.

“Sometimes you have to tell the truth, my darling.” She laughs then, and Roman wants more than anything to get up and chase his brother.

“Speaking of your theatre production,” He turns his attention back to her, “Your father is thinking of coming this year.”

All thoughts of defending his brother leave his brain entirely. His mouth dries and he feels the onset of excitement and pure panic. At that moment he is consumed by selfishness and tries to push away the panic and think only of this dream come true. 

“He’ll be happy to hear you got the lead again,”

“But Mother, I told you, I’m only-”

“Yes, the understudy. You’ll change that, won’t you, my darling? I didn’t raise you to get second place, did I?”

He was good. What he was doing was good. He couldn’t disappoint his mother, let alone his father. Truth be told, he barely even spoke to the man except for their short and brief calls on the major holidays. He hadn’t seen him in person in nearly two years. He’d outgrown the excuse of him being busy but hadn’t outgrown the fire that a visit from his father lights inside him. It became even worse when after two feeble attempts to be rid of Logan, his father called him. Unprompted, unscheduled, and entirely without cause. He buzzed when he picked up the phone. 

“Roman.”

“Hello, father.” He can barely contain the happiness buzzing around in his throat.

“I have made time in my schedule to come to see your stage performance at the request of your mother. She has told me you landed the lead role again, I can’t say I’m not impressed. This is the sixth year in a row she has asked me, you know. I hope there is some merit to your casting director’s choice.”

He can barely keep himself sat down, the urge to jump around is so intense that he nearly dies. “Oh, certainly! I won’t let you down! Oh! And neither will Remus, he’s entirely spectacular in his role this year, I really think you’ll love-”

“I am not attending this production to see your brother. I trust you won’t let me down, because unlike him, you are not a failure. I will see you then, goodbye.”

In one fell swoop, his father had crushed his mood and strengthened his resolve. 

“My father is coming to the production. He called me himself to confirm.”

“The man who talks to you on average thirty minutes a year is coming to our show? Please tell me you’re joking.” The shock is evident in Janus’ voice as he searches Roman’s face desperately to ensure he’s lying.

“I’m not. My mother, she-she told him I got the lead. He told me-He told me that he was impressed with my track record. Then I-Well I started talking about Remus’ spectacular performance and he...He said he wasn’t coming to see Remus and that I-” Roman is on the verge of tears, he feels the urge to crumble like a war-torn kingdom.

Janus places a hand on his shoulder, meant to be a comfort, “That you what?”

Tears track down Roman’s face as he sits and slumps over to physically display his guilt, “That I’m not a failure like him, so I won’t let him down.”

“I am internalizing so much anger at the moment, please give me a second.” Janus takes a deep breath and screams angrily out loud. Roman takes it as initiative and screams as well, but much more wet and sad. 

Janus pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers. 

“You didn’t think to tell anyone any of this?” Roman shakes his head and sniffles.

Janus mutters to himself, “Right. Of course, you didn’t. You fool.” 

“We all know you’re not an absolute prick Roman. You’d obviously just pick on Logan for no reason you’re totally not super stressed or something.” He recoils at that, Janus’ face falls.

“I’m just-Roman-You can talk to me,” Janus speaks with an air entirely too soft for him.

What gets Roman’s attention is the tired and slightly sad, “Lord knows that neither of you does enough.”

“I’m here for you, even if you do some very morally shifty things. Especially if it’s all because you’re all stressed out and your daddy issues are taking centre stage in your mind.” He sits beside him now, taking Roman’s hand in his.

“I know how passionate you are, and I can tell that this isn’t how you want to do it. So, you don’t have to. You have...lots of things to make up for and apologize for. But there is still time. As long as you mean it, and you want to do better.”

Weakly, he mutters “I do.”

“Then find a way to apologize and fix it the way you always do.”

“And what way is that?” He asks with a soft smile, to which Janus chuckles under his breath.

“Facing every and all challenges with courage and honesty. Obviously,” Janus raises a thumb and wipes the tears from Roman’s cheeks with a genuine smile. 

So it was settled then. Roman needed to apologize. To everyone. He was already thinking of ways to express his sorrow and regret properly, his brilliant brain spitting out lavish and somewhat laborious ideas. Janus can tell from the way the passionate light returns to his eyes and he smiles. There is work to be done. 

The door slams open and an entirely too panicked Virgil stands in the doorway, “Janus-”

Work to be done later. Virgil’s breath is coming in whooping waves, his body is shaking, makeup smudged from anxious tears rolling down his face. Janus moves with purpose, approaching Virgil like a particularly protective guardian. Virgil grabs the fabric of his hoodie and tries to breathe.

“That’s it, Virgil, you’re alright,” He coos, gently placing a hand on his head.

“We can’t-” Virgil speech is messy and laboured, “We-We can’t find Remus-He’s-He’s not picking up his phone-I’m-We-”

Roman’s blood runs cold. Remus has done this before, sure. But it’s always been silly and fun and not motivated by weeks worth of stress and terrible feelings. Roman knows his words were the cherry on the cake, and nearly slaps himself for still being sat there while his brother was who knows where.

Roman grabs Remus’ bag from the floor, opening it to find his phone. There are almost fifty missed messages, most of them from a contact labelled “The Sexy Kind Of Spider” who he can only assume is Virgil. 

“His phone’s still here,” He sifts through the bag some more, “Along with his jacket and his car keys.” 

“Well, I’d say he can’t have gone far, but we all know how crafty Remus is,” Janus says with a drained expression on his face which only inspires Virgil to clutch his shirt even tighter.

There’s a fire in Roman now, an urge to find his brother’s newest hiding spot and somehow make it up to him. He slings the bag over his shoulder and approaches the pair.

“No need to fear, Virge! I’ll find Remus and bring him back to us as quickly as I can!”

Virgil only nods in response, prompting Janus to gently ruffle his hair. Roman leaves, knowing that the Virgil situation is in very capable hands. On to finding his brother. 

He sends a quick text to Thomas debriefing the situation, playing it off as a “typical Remus situation”, and leaves the building. If Remus had been outside the theatre, he certainly wasn’t anymore. Potentially unfortunately from Roman, a certain nerd was out there looking instead. When they made eye contact, Logan approached. He looked...frazzled. Much more so than Roman had ever seen. 

“There you are. I was wondering when you would come help. Remus is missing and hasn’t answered his phone.”

“He left it here, but I’m going to go and look for him.” 

Logan mutters something under his breath about the inefficiency of something-or-other, but Roman does not have the time to care. Him and Logan talk for another minute, Logan even gives him his number to call when he finds him. Logan says he’s going to get more people to look, Roman only nods. He’s focused in, there’s hope for a new start still and he’ll be damned if he loses it to Remus randomly disappearing forever. He piles into his car with Remus’ bag and starts his search.

Hope turns to fear after the third hour with no signs of his brother. He had checked his house, all the old spots Remus used to love, their whole neighbourhood, Janus’ house, every department store near the theatre. Nothing. It was like a magician cast a spell to make his brother disappear. He’s on the verge of panic. His hands are shaking like a bitch and his breathing wavers with each word he mutters to himself to ease his anxiety. He has to pull over into the parking lot of the convenience store near his home. It wouldn’t be safe for him to drive anywhere anymore. He wonders for a moment how in the hell his brother disappeared so quickly. He only had about thirty minutes on foot ahead of them, how had nobody found him? He almost cries sitting at the wheel. What if he’d been kidnapped? Murdered? Taken for ransom? Wait, that’s the same as kidnapping, isn’t it? God, it didn’t matter now! His brother was gone. For nearly ten minutes he lets the situation hit him hard. Tears roll through his body and he sobs. If Remus was gone forever, what would he do? What could he do? 

A worker from the store comes out from the front. They see Roman and Roman sees them. Roman couldn’t care less that they now look incredibly uncomfortable. They move to the back of the store and from Roman can see, they’re talking to someone. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t know why he’s watching. He’s still crying like a baby. The thought of having lost his brother to the universe is still making his head pound. The worker gives whoever they’re talking to a smile, walks back inside the store, and from the till inside they give Roman a reassuring smile as well. He gives them a thumbs up. He takes a deep breath. He needs to pull himself together and find-

When Remus turns the corner from behind the store, Roman goes for the door handle before he can think. The sight of his shivering, tear-stained, obviously upset brother has him moving. He rips the door open and scrambles out. He trips over the edge of the car door and it doesn’t even matter. His palms and knees scrape against the concrete, ripping the skin on his hands and hurting his knees. He doesn’t care. It stings and he doesn’t care. The second he’s on his feet again he bolts at Remus and throws his arms around his chest. His head is firmly locked between Remus’ neck and shoulder, he’s grabbing at his shirt like a lifeline. His breathing is erratic, the tears are back now and back with a vengeance. His knees are shaking. He hadn’t even recognized how terribly and horribly scared of losing his brother he even was. Feeling it now was like the first breath of autumn air in your summer lungs. Remus stands there, just stands there. For a moment, the buzzing of his mind recognizes someone saying his name. Then there are arms around him. He’s being squeezed within an inch of his life. He doesn’t mind. He will never mind again. 

All Roman’s scared voice can squeak out is a loud and cracking, “I’m sorry!”

They stand together in the chilly late-august afternoon air, in full sight of any neighbours or employees at the store, for five minutes. They sway slightly. Remus doesn’t say a word. Not one passes through his lips. Remus pulls away, only to take Roman’s hand and drag him to the car. 

“C’mon you crybaby, let’s go home.”

Roman just nods and doesn’t comment on the tears on Remus’ cheeks. Remus takes the driver’s seat and Roman piles into the passengers’ side. He holds his brother’s bag in his lap, he squeezes it tightly. The drive home is only a few minutes, but Roman’s breathing calms enough to the point where he can rationalize texting. Janus, Logan, and Virgil all get a very simple text, but it’s enough to explain the situation.

‘Found him. We’re going home. He’ll call you in a bit.’

They pull into the driveway, shuffle into the house, take off their shoes. It seems weirdly unreal. It’s like Roman has entered some twilight zone where he and his brother get along. A twilight zone that Roman hopes to make a reality. Like he’s an upset kid again, he takes his brother’s hand and remains resolute in not crying again as he leads him through their empty house. The maid is there, she sees them pass. She doesn’t say a word. She watches the obviously upset twins make their way down the hall and into Roman’s room. Remus lets Roman take him by the shoulders and sit him on his bed. They stare at each other for a moment, unsure of what to say. 

Roman takes the first step, “You scared me, Remus.”

Remus looks away, “I didn’t think you’d care, really…”

“Of course I’d care! Remus, I-I always cared! And I meant it when I said that I am truly sorry!” He’s crying again, and frankly, he feels a little stupid. 

“I kinda figured when you ran at me crying like a crazy person,” His brother picks up the end of his blanket and wipes his face with it, “You’re crying a lot today.”

“I’ve had a quite terrible afternoon, I think a little emotional distress is warranted.” He huffs and crosses his arms over his chest, Remus smacks the blanket gently across his cheek. 

Remus ushers him in again, nudging his head against Roman’s stomach and wrapping arms around his back. Roman stands between Remus’ legs and holds his head like the precious thing it is. 

There’s a shudder of a breath from each of them. Both of them are so painfully aware of how long it’s been since the last time they sought out each other for comfort like this. There’s something so familiar in it. The warmth that Roman remembers from a childhood spent at each other’s sides. They used to be so close that they shared a bed by choice. He spent nights asleep and calm holding onto his brother. This feels like that. Something so personal and so old. Remus starts to cry again and it’s a messy sob that makes Roman’s ears ring. He squats down to look Remus in the eyes, taking his hands in his. 

“I didn’t mean it, Rem. I don’t think you’re a failure-I-” Remus cries harder, he does his best to wipe the tears with his fingers.

“You-You mean much more to me than I’m sure I've let on in recent years.” There’s a tenderness and honesty in Roman’s voice that feels good and right.

“Mother and Father have been driving me insane, pressuring me to say and do things that I frankly don’t believe in.” The feelings he’s sharing now are lightening something in Roman’s chest, and from the look on Remus’ face, his words are more than on the right track. 

“Not anymore. I promise to you that from now on I am going to do everything I can to make up for the terrible things I’ve done.” 

Remus smiles at him, teary-eyed and covered in snot. It’s not gross to Roman, not right now, because Remus looks better. 

“Can you start by getting me some water?” Remus’s hoarse voice coughs out, Roman is on his feet and goes to the kitchen as quickly as he can. 

With two glasses in hand, he hurries back. He stops at the door. Inside, he hears Remus talking. He’s on the phone with Janus, who sounds more than upset. He goes in, gives Remus the glass, and turns to leave for privacy reasons. His brother grabs at his wrist and tugs him back. He sits beside Remus and they drink their water. He keeps his mouth shut and listens to the ways in which other people love his brother. Janus is angrier than anything else. The heart-palpitating rant that ensues is wildly emotional. He talks about how much the incidents of this afternoon scared everyone, goes off on tangents about the risks of running off and not telling anyone, tells him with the most love in his voice that he was worried about him. Remus promises not to do it again, Janus only sighs in a loving way. Janus brings up his talk with Roman, emphasizes his support of both of them, and lets Remus be on his way. Virgil is next, and he’s quiet. The call is full of little silences, Virgil takes breaks between sentences. Stops mid-word to take a breath and keep his wits. He tells Remus that he scared him. Tells him that he cares about him, no matter what. That he loves him and wants the best for him. He doesn’t use those words exactly, but Roman reads between the lines. 

They’re fairly average calls considering the circumstances and their relationships. Roman sees Remus hesitate as his fingers ghost over the call button under Logan’s contact. He’s saved as “Boobear” with a blue and green heart. It’s by far the most normal of the names on his list. It’s by far the sweetest as well. 

“Something wrong?” He asks, and Remus gives him a shaky smile.

“I’m worried about what he’s going to hate me now or something,” 

It’s almost the stupidest thing Roman had ever heard. He might not get along great with Logan, but he’s not blind. The little nerd is wrapped tightly around Remus’ finger. He’s seen Remus hang off of Logan and say all kinds of crazy and vulgar things, only to get a small reprimand or occasionally an annoyed-but-loving smile. Remus can spout off in a rant about nothing in particular, only to have Logan hang onto every word and provide commentary and factual corrections. There is nothing in the world that could shake away the Logan Lark who was smiling and dancing in a field with his brother only a month ago. 

“With the way he looks at you,” Roman chuckles, “I wouldn’t be surprised if this made him love you more.”

Remus blushes furiously, and instead of dignifying Roman with a response, he hits the call button.

Logan picks up the second it goes through as if he was waiting by his phone for Remus to call him. The intense emotion in his voice makes the twins do a double-take. He’s normally so straight and narrow. Measured. Collected. There is an air to the typical Logan that has vanished now. Roman wonders why he couldn’t show this side on stage more often. 

“Remus? Please tell me this is you.”

To cover up his anxiousness, Remus flirts terribly, “Heya hot-stuff, what’re you wearing?”

There’s a relief filled laugh on the other side of the phone, “There’s my answer. Are you alright?”

“M-hm! You’ll never guess who made me feel better with a shit ton of groveling!” There’s an air to Remus’ voice that conveys humour.

“Remus.” Logan sounds so serious, Roman watches Remus sigh and roll his eyes at the care.

“Yeah, Logie. I’m okay. I mean it.”

Logan speaks again, that same serious voice, “I’ve been worried all afternoon.”

“Yeah...” 

It’s quiet for a second, there’s a tension of the unspoken affection the pair have for each other floating in the room. 

“I feel this is as good a time as any to tell you that I don’t think you’re a failure at all. You-I...In truth, I find you quite interesting to be around. You...You are...immensely talented in my humble opinion. I...While I understand we haven’t been friends for long- I hope it is not presumptuous to say that we are friends-But our relationship is...important to me. I enjoy your company and all you do for me. It...It is a true pleasure to be in your company, Remus. I-” 

Despite the blushing on Remus’ cheeks, he softly mutters “You’re ranting again, Lo-Lo.” 

“My apologies,” Logan nearly whispers out, there is affection seeping from his voice, “However, I meant everything I said.”

“I think you’re the shit too, babes. Sorry for worrying ‘ya.” There’s that affection again, Roman has never heard his brother sound so affectionate.

There’s another pause, Remus speaks again “I’ll make it up to you.”

“If you make a sex joke at a time like this-” Logan scolded, they could almost see his grimace.

“No, I mean it,” Remus laughs, “We can do something together. To make up for it.”

“I’d like that.”

Roman looks to his brother, the phone, and then his brother again. To him, it sounded as if Remus had just asked him out on a date, but he knew well enough that Remus and Logan were probably too dense to understand the implications.

“I’ll uh-I’ll talk to you ‘bout it later then, kay boobear?” Remus asks while staring at Roman, confused about the ‘oh-my-god-you-totally-like-him’ look he’s getting.

“Alright. Goodnight, Remus.” Logan’s voice drips honey and roses as he wishes him goodnight, there is so much Roman can hear wrapped up in that simple sentence and it’s a wonder to him.

“Goodnight.” 

The call ends and Remus lets out a dreamy sigh. 

Roman winds back and smacks Remus with a pillow in excited fervour. 

“You did not tell me you were that in love with Logan!” 

“Wha-You asshole!” Remus takes the pillow and smacks him back, “I am not in love with him!”

“Yeah right! That was the gayest conversation I’ve ever heard!” He nearly shouts, getting up and grabbing more pillows from the collection at the head of his bed.

“We didn’t even say anything juicy!” Teases Remus, grabbing pillows at lightning speed, preparing for what he knows is coming.

“It was in the tone! And don’t say juicy like that you dolt!” 

Remus hits Roman with a pillow to the face. With an excited cackle, Roman launches an attack, throwing as many of his numerous pillows at his brother as he can. There is an all-out war within seconds. Both boys are shrieking and laughing. By the end of the pillow fight, they’re breathless and more joyful than they have been all day.

“How do you feel about a sleepover?” 

Good. Remus feels very good about a sleepover. That night while laying in Roman’s dumb red sheets, cuddling up to his brother in the way that little kids do, he feels happy. Really happy. Genuinely happy. Logan had told him that it was hard to love somebody when they didn’t act as if they loved you back, and he was right. The smartass was always right. Now though, he felt it. His brother had cared, ran for him like he was the only thing that mattered to him in the world. He loves Roman. Apparently, Roman loves him too. His brother hugs him closer in his sleep. That’s more than enough for his brain to quiet tonight. 

Addendum; August 20th -

Remus went missing this afternoon. It worried me greatly, but he turned out alright. Things between the Grimm twins seem to be better. On August 21st, they arrived to practice bickering but holding hands. They both appeared near ecstatic all day, needless to say, it was tiring. There will be no more need for the “Roman Incidents” section of this notebook.

Circled in red pen, written largely at the bottom of the page, underlined three times over. 

Note: Investigate your true feelings for Remus Grimm.

[infinite-hearts-333]

Masked Love Chapter 1

Sander sides, Rociet, Human/Magical AU

WARNING: mentions of past dehumanising, reference to PTSD flashback??, um bullying reference. 

Masterpost

~~18/5/2022 6:37am (Present time)~~

“Janus?” 

Janus grumbled, pulling the weighted blanket over his head more as what sounded like his mama's voice filled his too-tired, half asleep brain. “Noooooooooo….”

“Janus! JANUS! I know you're awake up there!!”  

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” Janus groaned back, pulling the blanket tighter over his head. 

“JANNIE IF YOU DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER I’LL COME UP THERE WITH THE COLD BORE WATER AGAIN~!” Came the singsong voice of his mom, and Janus full on scrambled out of bed, covers sent flying and he had to double check his claws to ensure they didn’t ensnare on anything through his half sleepy, half panicked daze. 

“COMING! COMING!! Yesh….” he called, before grumbling, yawning, completely use to the soft popping of his unhinged jaw, forked tongue tasting the air. Waffles…. Mmmmm…. 

He quickly got ready, body automatically from routine, getting changed into his clothes- a lime turtle neck, black jacket with pins and patches attached, sunflower yellow beanie, skinny black jeans and his boots. He hummed a loose tune as he moved, alike to clock work, moving to turn to his bed, tugging the poor flinged sheets back into the right position, snatching up his stuffed dragon that had fallen onto the floor and placing it on top of his pillow gently. 

Janus’s room was, in fact, the attic. His mum and mama weren't… expecting him when he showed up, but they took him in and loved him all the same. The rickety old house they had didn't have enough rooms for Janus to move into when he got older, so his parents spent ages rebuilding the attic for him. You could tell in some places- the seams where the wall met the roof weren't all the same size, the floorboards ran crookedly rather than straight, there were chips in both the walls and the floor where the wood wasn’t smooth.

But janus loved his room. It was cosy- there different metals and CD disks strung up which glinted like precious gems under the sky window, he had a large rainbow flag hanging over his bed in the corner, fairy lights stuck on the wall all around the room. Boxes upon boxes peeked out of his bed, filled to the brim with the most random things, leaves, feathers, stones, shells, bones, name it, Janus probably had it. 

Walking to where his room ended, a wall with a human sized hole in the floor, he paused by the mirror, only to wrinkle up his nose in disgust at what he saw staring back. Janus was actually pretty handsome, nice clear tanned skin, brilliant eyes that shined lime and forest green and firefly yellow all at the same time. Chestnut hazel hair that hung in ruffled curls framed his face. He was strong, a little buff and according to his mother and mamma, quite the personality. But there were two things.

Janus’s jaw. It faded into the most horrid shade of olive green, splotches of lime, deep forest green and the colour of dying cactuses for scales, littered across the bottom half of Janus’s face. Two gross dusty pink scars ran from the corners of his mouth, stretching out and curling, nearly to touch his ears, one on each side. Darting in and out of his abnormally large fanged mouth was a forked blue tongue, fading into pink at the back of his mouth, the slightest sign that janus was once human. 

He softly sighed, turning away to wander to the wall, and so the holes well, jumping through it to land on the couch flawlessly. “Morning.” He mumbled to the two females cooking and giggling at each other. “Morning' darling~!” called Mamma, smiling brightly. “Did you sleep well, little snek-a-doodle?” Teased his mum, smiling warmly as she parted from her partner to ruffle her adopted son's hair. 

Janus smiled back up at her, and couldn't ignore the pang of happiness when all he found in mum's eyes was love. “We made waffles for your big day!” Chimed Mamma, beaming as she worked at the stove. 

Ah. Right. High school. Janus groaned, leaning back to painfully donk his head against the wall. “Do I have to go?” He whined. “Yup!” his mum said, popping the ‘p’. Janus rolled his head off the wall, allowing his eyes to drop to problem number two in his life. His hands. Or well…. Talons.

Janus’s hands, a lot like his jaw dyed into that horrid olive colour, splattered with scales. He had four ‘fingers’ instead of five, each ending with a large sharp claw that was almost an ivory green if held in the right light. Scars lined his hand where the scales started, signs that janus wasn’t born with these abnormal features. 

His mum then slapped him over the head with a rolled up newspaper. “OW! Hey!!!!!” snapped Janus. His mum raised an eyebrow. “You were pulling the face you make when you're judging yourself. And I'm having none of that. You're beautiful, fullstop.” she narrowed her eyes at him, daring him to prove her wrong. Janus chuckled. “Guilty as charged.” he hummed, standing to walk over to their small island counter. 

His mom huffed, nodding, walking alongside her son, combat boots making a soft thumping noise on the tiles. Janus hid a wince as the sound of clicking heels entered his mind. 

Click, click, click. 

He swallowed, sitting.  “Here you go!!” chirped Mamma, smiling as she placed the plates down. “Thank you dear.” Mom said softly kissing Mamma’s cheek on her way past. “Thanks mamma.” Janus chipped in, trying not to show his teeth while he smiled. Mamma beamed, swirling around to plop down in her seat. 

Janus reached out to grab the berries, randomly dropping them over the waffles. He was cautious, ensuring he didn’t open his mouth too wide, taking in small little bites. Mum started talking about what she would be doing while Janus was at school, working on the new barley crops. “Those darn aphids! They've been going off everywhere!!!” Janus slowly chewed on a piece of blue berry. 

“I think you're gonna need to get some pest spray mum.” Janus pointed out. Mamma nodded. “Do you want me to pick some up honey? I’m going into town anyway for some more mango seeds.”

Janus smirked against his milk glass, washing down the waffles. “Again with the Mangos Mamma?” 

Mamma shrugged, smiling. “I want to make some jams! And maybe I might try making mango sorbet again.” Janus grinned. “Yes please!” His gaze flickered to the clock on the wall, and he sighed. “Well, as much as I hate it, I should go.” he said with a huff, shovelling the last of the waffles into his mouth and drowning the milk. 

“Okay darling, have a nice day!” Mamma said with a smile. “See you this afternoon ‘kay snek-a-doodle? You’ll help me with the cows again?” Janus smirked, collecting his plate and glass. “Absolutely.” he stated, placing his dishes in the sink. “See you this afternoon!” he called, snatching up his gloves and mask off their hanger and then scooping up his bag.

He swung his bag half on, fumbling to put on his yellow gloves. They were bulky and too big to allow room for his claws, a black band around the start of the four fingers and wrist to prevent slipping and looked ridiculous, but it was better than exposing his features to the world. He had to be careful, pausing to ensure none of his scales got caught on the fabric. He then put on his mask, a simple also yellow fabric that covered his mouth and nose. He then twisted to reach into his front pocket of his bag, pulling out his earphones and lime mp3 player, shoving the buds into his ears and turning it on, blasting the music at the highest volume. 

[ 🎶 Looking for an exit in this world of fear

I can see the path that leads away

Mama never left, and daddy needs me here

I wish the wind would carry a change

Looking through the window to a world of dreams

I can see my future slip away

Honey you won't get there if you don't believe

I wish the wind would carry a change 🎶 ]

He wandered through the fields of crops and fields of animals, waving a hello to the farmer next door. Michel, his name was, he grows the best peaches. He guessed that there was a satisfying crunch as Janus jumped from a small ledge down onto the orange autumn leaf-covered road. Wandering along the side of the road, Janus quietly hummed along to his music all the way to the bus stop. He quickly checked the suns position, having done it many many times, relieved to find he was on time and the bus should be here any minute. 

[ 🎶 I've had enough

I'm standing up

I need, I need a change

I've had enough

Of chasing luck

I need, I need a change 🎶 ]

Sure enough the death machine, painted yellow and screeching nearly as loud as its passengers came swerving around the corner, somehow audible through Janus’s music, metal rusted gears screaming as the beast came to a halt. That thing was definitely gonna kill people one day. Janus huffed, climbing the rickety steps and flashed his card at the bus driver, who looked like he had been going for six months without sleep and would snap someone's neck.

They traded nods, having known each other since Janus first ‘moved’ to the country. They never really spoke to each other, but traded nods, ‘hey’s’, and ‘mood’s’ so he was cool. Janus sat right behind the bus driver, dumping his bag next to him so no one would take the seat next to him. Not that it was necessary, everyone actively avoided him. He then maintained his death glare, slipping it on as easily as putting on his mask. 

Some kids, janus found, take enjoyment in throwing things at the bus driver, so janus took it upon himself to protect the bus driver from the nuisances, and in return, once the bus driver found out, he would keep the passengers from taking the spot so Janus wasn't forced to sit next to anyone. 

[ 🎶 I'm setting fire to the life that I know (I know)

Let's start a fire everywhere that we go (we go)

We starting fires,

We starting fires till our lives are burning gold 🎶 ]

Janus sat, guarding the busdriver and spacing out till he felt the bus sharply halt. Hip hip hooray for hell. He sighed, standing up and wandered off the bus, bidding farewell to the busdriver with a small nod of the head. He turned his attention to his new problem. 

The school's shadow engulfed him standing tall over him, and a part of janus feared it may crumble and crush him. People were chatting, boys flirting and betting, bullies shoving random people and dropping curses. Janus’s personal hell. Well, here goes nothing!

[ 🎶 I've had enough

Of chasing luck

I need, I need a change 🎶 ]

[5-falsehoods-phonated]

Seems like a good time to bring this back up. Under the cut will be a title, applicable ship, and a small summary of all my wips. I got an ask recently to add someone to a taglist so I’m putting this out: these are all my projects. If you want to be tagged for individual stories, for bad things happen bingo, a certain ships or any and all in general let me know! Of course if you have requests you’ll be tagged anyway but barring that hit me up if you wanna.

Experimental Socialization- Intrulogical- Logan was raised by the government to be nothing more than an experiment and a weapon, utilizing his unique abilities as a mutant. When he finally escapes things are much different than he imagined they’d be but thankfully finds others like him willing to help guide him right where he needs to be. Requested Prompt: Not Used To Being Free

Bad Things Happen Bingo

To Cure The Inevitable- Logince- Roman si so tired of endangering himself and everyone around him everytime he changes. Logan promises to help cure him, an old agreement never straying far in his mind. Requested Prompt: Painful Transformation

Restricted- Platonic DRLAMP- Witches are only granted mercy for being caught by owing service to a household for the rest of their lives. There aren’t many houses that are kind when they take on a witch, a fact that is all to clear to Logan and his found coven. Requested (but modified) Prompt: Hurts To Breathe and Whipping

Rage Against The Machine- Intruloceit- Rage finally breaks down the locks and bars present on his door and is decidedly not happy. Unfortunately, Logan is in the way. Requested Prompt: Lifted by the Neck

Faulty Logic- Platonic DRLAMP- Remus is bored and no one’s seen Logan in a while. He’s probably just shut up in his room...right? Requested Prompt: Locked in a Cage

The Perfect Manicure- Familial Rayality- Patton was so happy he got to spend time with Roman since both of them are usually so busy. Though when he said he couldn’t wait to show Remus and Logan his nails, Patton didn’t think he meant by mail. Requested Prompt: Finger in the Mail

Hold Onto Me- Intruality- Patton rushed to the construction site as soon as he heard the building collapsed. All he can do is hope he isn’t in the emergency team’s way as he holds onto Remus’ hand. Requested prompt: Pinned Down by Wreckage

Space To Breathe- Loceit-  Janus is angry and silences a bit too forcefully cutting off not only voice but air supply as well. Prompt: Hurts To Breathe

Trees Are Shit- Familial LAMP- Roman taunts Virgil, Virgil takes the bait and Patton stays on the ground. Logan and Janus know that nothing good can come from hearing all three of their children start screaming. Prompt: Doesn’t Realize They’ve Been Injured

Fear Will Be Your Enemy- Familial Anaroyality- When Virgil accidently tips off the monsters their trying to sneak around and Patton ends up hurt, he can only sit and watch helplessly as everything falls apart. Prompt: Empathetic Healing

Catch and Release- Analogical- Stress can cause all sorts of symptoms if it isn’t taken seriously, but Logan isn’t stressed, he just caught something from work. Virgil has to be the one to step in and say that no, tea and anti nausea pills are not a substitute for actual rest. Prompt: Definitely Just A Cold

Pretend To Hurt- Intrulociet- Remus often suffers from migraines which makes it incredibly hard to do his job. He isn’t sure what keeps triggering them but at least his loving boyfriends are always there to take care of him. Prompt: Trying To Wake Them Up

Stress Enough- Prinxiety- Roman can feel a cold coming on but Virgil has been so stressed lately he knows the other will be coming to him for comfort. Desperately he tries to work through it so he can still be there for his boyfriend. Prompt: Damaged Vocal Chords

So It Goes- Demus- All Janus wants to do is wear a dress but Xyr mind won’t shut up long enough for xem to do so. Xe has never been so grateful for Remus’ constant need to be background noise. Prompt: Body Image Issues.

Oveflow- DLAMP- Logan always felt useless if he wasn’t doing something but doing things required energy that  he sometimes just didn’t have. The others try and get him to understand that resting does not equate to laziness. Prompt: Anger Born of Worry.

Measured Steps- Anxciet- Soulmate au where the counter on your wrist shows how many times you’ll see you’re soulmate, subject to change. Janus gets concerned when his counter suddenly goes down to one and tries to find his destined person. Virgil isn’t one to trust fate in the midst of panic. Neither realize they are their own foils until it's too late. Prompt: Get It Over With

Close- Familial Moxiety- Virgil doesn’t care about destruction of property as long as Patton is safe. His son comes first, always. Prompt: Hysterical Strength

One Shots

Cold, Hard Bitch- Anxciet- When Janus falls ill and isn’t strong enough to sink out to get help, Virgil has no choice but to travel on foot to the light sides’ space. If only the twins weren’t bitter idiots with the way they seperate the domains. Prompt: Hypothermia.

No Strings Attached- Rociet- Roman doesn’t know how to say no, Janus is happy to teach him. 

To Support and Comfort- Logicality- Patton is autistic and has certain “unconventional” things he does because of it. Logan’s parents don’t understand that but thankfully Logan is there for him no matter what.

Drumbeat- Intrulogical- Thoroughly fed up with the way his and Remus’ ADHD manifests and makes their lives more difficult, Logan sets up a date to try and find a solution to their problem. Thankfully it works out for both of them.

Laughter Is My Love Language- Analogical- Virgil loves each and every one of Logan’s laughs and strives to hear them as much as possible. Logan pretends not to notice.

Safe- Mociet- After staying with his boyfriend for several years Patton realizes the things he endured in childhood definitely weren’t okay. Janus is there to make sure he knows he’s safe.

Quiet Knight- Rociet-  Janus is going off to college in a different state and Roman goes with him to the airport. Neither of them want to leave quite yet.

Black Licorice- Anxciet- Collab

Overgrown Metal Ch 4- Janus and Logan centric chapter

Dee Little Snake Ch 3- Patton walks in on a small Janus- and promptly gets apples thrown at him.

[bugoverlord]

rating sanders sides ships

ok, starting off with a classic;

Prinxiety (virgil x roman): honestly a very solid ship. it has the pull-in factor of the ‘enemies to lovers’ tension, and the sweet sweet make-up fluff in ‘accepting anxiety’. it was the first ship i shipped in SS, so im always gonna have a soft spot for it. but, roman has a hard time being comfortable around virgil bc of his fear of the dark sides. but that could just turn into some fun hurt/comfort shit so i don't have many complaints. 9/10 (i do ship, but not as much as other ships)

Logicality (logan x patton): such a fluffy ship. a staple in the fandom as well. they have a great dynamic, and you can tell logan is very soft for patton in almost all of their interactions in the earlier episodes. (not so much recently, bc logan is frustrated with the light sides), logan really does care for patton, and lets his guard down the most around him. its sweet to watch their banter, and i love how they are so fluffy. 10/10 (i will forever ship them, one of my fluffiest ships)

Analogical (virgil x patton): honestly they do have a great dynamic, and i can see the appeal. they are both analytical, and will balance each other out very well, and we have seen cases of that throughout the series. i don't really have any complaints, or much to say, but they are very cute. 7/10 (i ship almost all SS ships, this one is just a little boring. still cute though!)

Royality (roman x patton): cute! i feel like they would also be pretty fluffy, but would also get wrapped up in problems and it would be hard to find their way out. i.e. in the moving on ep when roman and patton were getting sucked into the nostalgia. they would be a nice couple, but light sides x light sides don't really do it for me much anymore. their dynamic is also a little basic and not very interesting. but i totally get why people ship them, and i wouldn't turn down reading a fic on these two! 6/10 (boring, but v v cute.)

Logince (logan x roman): its sorta like the prinxiety thing with the arguing and differences thing. they are complete opposites, so i get why people ship them. they are cute! they would also balance each other out really well, and i could see them being a very good couple! 7/10 (cute! nice dynamic!)

Moxiety (virgil x patton): this ship makes me very uncomfortable. if the show didn't make it so apparent that their dynamic is more on the family side like father and son, i wouldn't be uncomfortable, but we are constantly reminded of how they see each other as parent figure and son. i know they aren't biologically related, it just weirds me out. 3/10 (creepy and kinda incesty)

!DECEIT NAME SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! 

Mociet (janus x patton): ugh i love this ship! so so cute! has the potential for very good slowburn and angst! im always a sucker for forbidden love as well. very good dynamic, and janus does have a way of flirty with basically every side, so i kinda love this. 9.5/10 (CUTECUTECUTE! i love!)

Loceit (logan x janus): a big otp of mine. very very cute, and i love reading about Logan being fascinated by janus’ snake stuff. very fucking cute, and i love it so so much. logan would definitely be impressed with janus and his knowledge and shit so they would make a great pair. logan also isn't scared of him like the other sides so i like this ship a lot. 10/10 ( cute cute cute yes i love this one a little too much)

Anxciet (virgil x janus): I mean, i love all dark sides ships, so i like this one enough. i like it, but also there is a lot of resentment and a lot of hate between these two that its hard to watch it. but i love angst a lot more than fluff, so i guess its pretty alright. 6/10 (not really any big opinions on this one)

Rociet (roman x janus): once again hitting me with all the angsty ships, which i love. these two have some serious talking to do, and i don't really ship it much to be honest. what i do love though, are unsympathetic patton and roman. now that shit slaps. 5/10 (meh)

Dukeciet/demus (janus x remus): AHHHH i love this ship! their dynamic would be so fun to watch! i can't wait to get some fan service with these two. they have my favorite dynamic out of all the ships, and i love both of the characters so much. 10/10 (o t fucking p)

Intruality (patton x remus:) honestly, i kinda like this one. i feel like patton and remus would be a little funny to watch. patton would be uncomfortable, but would learn to love him. honestly cute as hell. 8/10 (fun pair)

Dukxiety (remus x virgil): i feel like virgil doesn't like remus, or did at some point but can't be around him now. remus puts virgil on edge like no other side, and i don't think that that would be fun to read about. virgil would be too on edge to let his guard down. 3/10 (bad dynamic)

Intrulogical (logan x remus): I? love? this? ship? so much???L:KDOI@EJ so cute! i love the dynamic! logan would def be able to calm remus down real quick. they would be very fun to read about and their dynamic is so fun! 9/10 (i love this one!)

Remrom (remus x roman) whAT FUCKING SICKOS MADE THIS SHIT UP??? they are twins! brothers! family!!!!! i could understand patton and virgil but i honest to god do not understand this one at fucking all. to anyone that ships this, i hope you THINK ABOUT THIS SHIT REAL HARD AND GOOD AND SEE IF YOU STILL SHIP THEM. -128188723/10 (ITS INCEST YALL)

any of the ships with remy and dr picani: i don't really like it? i mean i love the characters, but they aren't even in the same world so i have trouble connecting them. 4/10. 

any polysanders ship: i fucking love poly sanders so much. its my fav ship, literally fucking all of the combos. gimme gimme please. (except remrom. never remrom.) my fav is dlamp or drlamp. i just love the idea of them all being happy and in love after some nice slowburn angst. 10/10 (gorgeous, beautiful, lovely, cute, fun, ama-)

if i missed any ships let me know, but these are my ratings on all of the SS ships! (in no particular order)

i hope you had fun reading, and this is in NO way trying to bash anyones ships, (except remrom. fuck that), these are just my ratings!

<3

[theromnempire]

The Dead of Night

Title: The Dead of Night Word Count: 1,346 Pairings: Intrulogical, platonic DLAMP, (Platonic Prinxiety or Rociet if you look hard enough) Warnings: blood, kind of gore, ghosts, ouija board, cemetery, Halloween Summary: Logan didn’t believe in the supernatural the way his friends did, but with their luck, he should have known to expect even his precious science to betray him.

Logan knew better than to mess around with a Ouija board, or at least he should have.

He didn’t particularly believe in ghosts—he was a man of science, after all—but with his friends, the uncanny was to be expected.

“Come on, Lo, not scared, are you?” Roman teased, tossing the football that was part of his costume his way and chuckling when Logan fumbled it.

“Hardly,” he countered, tossing the ball back but misjudging it so it instead bounced off Roman’s knees. “I just think there are better things to do on Halloween.”

“Like give out candy to sugar-rushed fiends? Re-watch pathetic ‘horror’ movies while Patton complains about a stomach ache because he had too much chocolate? Where’s the thrill in that, the adventure?”

Roman grinned at his friend, clasping D’s shoulder while saying, “At last, someone is speaking my language.”

“And Logan, what of a new discovery? The damn scientific method?”

“Ghosts aren’t real,” Logan replied stubbornly, glancing to Virgil—the second most logical in the group—for support.

“Don’t know,” he shrugged, “could be fun.”

Surprisingly, Patton was the one to interject, “Maybe . . . maybe we shouldn’t. This is the one night a year the ghosts have off because everyone is too busy doing other things to summon them. They might get angry.”

“We’ll be quick,” Roman affirmed, offering both Patton and Virgil—dressed as Peter Pan and the headless horseman respectively—a hand to pull them to their feet. Then he took the lead, opening the front door with Dee following close behind. “Come on now, Geek Squad.”

What we’ll be is dead, he thought, shaking his head before pulling up the rear, picking up the Ouija board that the others had almost forgotten and closing the door behind him.

The cemetery wasn’t far, just down the street, so they went on foot. The sidewalks were packed with kids cloaked in fabrics of every shade from ghost-white to pure midnight black. Princesses, pirates, heroes, villains, and monsters ruled the night, running from house to house as their parents tiredly followed at a distance. They paid the teenagers no mind and likewise, Logan and his friends ignored them.

But he remained cautious, apprehensive because, really, there was no scientific explanation for why his skin crawled. They were surrounded by people and the lights of their flashlights led the way, remaining on even as they slipped into the woods—leaves crunching beneath their sneakers—and towards the front gates of the cemetery.

The erected tombstones were silent thrones, marking corpses that have been decomposing for centuries and blocking out the hush of the wind as they all sat on the cold, hard ground.

“Did you remember the board, Roman?”

“I have it,” Logan said, placing it in the middle of the circle the others had created before taking a step back.

“Too scared to join, Lo?”

“There’s only enough room for a few of us and I am the least inclined to participate . . . so unless you are too scared and want me to join in, I’ll sacrifice my spot for you,” he countered, the banter almost too easy between him and his best friend. Roman scrunched his nose in response before turning back to the board, fingers brushing against his friends’ as he placed two of his on the eye.

Patton hesitated, eyes flickering back to Logan with his arms crossed and back leaning against a tombstone so old that the name was no longer distinguishable. He looked genuinely frightened.

“Don’t worry,” Logan assured in a quiet voice so that the others wouldn’t be able to hear, “there’s nothing to fear because it isn’t real. There’s no place after our world and, frankly, I don’t believe in the existence of souls because there is no proof and therefore, no way for the living to return as a ghost or anything of that nature.”

But Roman, Virgil, and Dee had already begun, Patton now unable to join as they moved their hands around clockwise and recited a phrase in hushed voices that Logan could barely hear. They were hesitant despite their earlier excitement. Something was amiss.

“Is there anyone here?” Dee called, voice rising to a normal tone. “If so, speak to us.”

Silence, not even the wind dared to breathe.

He repeated, “Is there anyone-”

At once, the flashlights from their phones went out, all dying as a cloud raced to conceal the moon, plunging them into an impregnable darkness.

Roman and Patton screamed, Virgil bit the inside of his cheek, and Dee’s breath hitched. Logan glanced down at his phone, brows furrowing as he tried to turn it back on, but not even the red bar flickered onto the dark screen. Not dead, tampered with, then.

Dee tried again, “Is there any-”

“YES, NOW SHUT UP!”

The five boys turned towards the disembodied voice, paling as a translucent figure floated inches above the ground with something that looked like blood dripping down from both its eyes and its mouth.

Logan tried to speak but found himself unable to, payalyzed as Virgil—in a moment of fight or flight—grabbed Roman by the wrist and took off, Patton on their heels.

Finding his voice but not looking away, he said to Dee, “How did you-”

“I didn’t.”

He was silent for a moment, feeling his heart race and beg him to follow it out of the cemetery. “Oh.”

The ghost—a boy that must’ve been about their age—grinned wider at the exchange, eyes almost horrifically wide and drawing attention away from the stitches adorning his neck and cheeks. He moved closer and Dee abandoned the board, Logan, and the ghost without a second thought. But even in his cowardly flight, he seemed to glide with purpose more than run for his life like the others had.

Logan stayed, unable to look away.

“Why don’t you run?”

Without missing a beat, and speaking without thinking much of it, he said, “Because there’s nothing to be afraid of.” And you’re somehow the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

He left that last part out, not sure exactly where it had even come from. Hell, he wasn’t even sure what it was, maybe just the beauty of scientific discovery and realizing just how mysterious and incredible the world he lived in was. But when the ghost took a step forward (would they be considered steps? he was floating, after all—a question for Logan to ponder later), his chest constricted. He concluded that it wasn’t that, not at all.

“What’s your name?”

“Names have power,” the ghost countered, smirking as he moved closer still, until they were less than a foot away. “And I won’t tell you mine unless you tell me yours.”

“Logan,” he said, feeling that there was no need to lie about it.

“Logan, Logan, Logan . . . I knew a Logan in life.”

“I’m sure, we are far from a minority.”

“Funnier than the others, aren’t we?”

“Your name,” Logan insisted, watching as the other’s head turned all the way around his body, hands reaching up to grab his head and straighten it as if it had moved on its own accord.

“And you’re sure you want to know, Logan, one of many? Finding out means creating a bond and . . . well, I’d have no reason to ever leave your side.”

The corners of Logan’s mouth flickered upward, the first hint of emotion other than shock he had revealed the entire night. “Perfect, a man can’t run experiments on an absent test subject.”

“Remus,” he said, looking away after and Logan’s phone sprang to life. He glanced down for a second, the bright light surrounded by the dark apple logo catching his attention, and when he looked up, Remus was gone.

Logan’s flashlight had turned back on and was directed to the ouija board where the eye was moving on its own accord. He crouched down beside it, silently recording the letters as the ghost, Remus, communicated.

You should be scared, I could kill you.

“Please,” Logan snorted, picking up the board and the eye before carrying it out of the cemetery, “I’d like to see you try.”

-

Author’s Note

just a quick little thing i wrote in one sitting in order to get over writer’s block. i was just going to make it a headcanon but thought why not write a fic to get the juice’s flowing?

thanks for reading and happy halloween! ronnie

[unsympathetic-snake]

I think you probably know why I dont like Rociet, but genuine question: Why do people ship Anxceit? I mean, people can create whatever content they want, but the way Janus acts around Virgil just gives me,,, bad vibes? Also most anxciet content revolves around Virgil being an asshole for leaving the dark sides, and you know that dont sit right with me 💙

yeah same

Janus just acts...like the parent who doesn’t have their child personal space? Like he pushes the thing about how Virgil was “hiding something”, he popped up in Virgil’s room uninvited, etc. 

They just have a weird relationship. 

[ionlyeatcomfortfood]

Together Forever

A/N: Yo! I’m writing again! Hallelujah. Yes, before you ask, I will be continuing the Selection story and the soulmates au. I’m working on both right now, actually. But with the way my brain works, I need to bounce around with projects to get anything done, so here’s my entry to @stop-it-anxiety ‘s writing competition. The prompt was ‘Together Forever’, so here’s my angsty Roman fic because what do you expect?

Here’s a link to the page if you want to participate.

A/N 2.0: Holy shit, this got darker than I thought it would. Like, I planned Delcan being a not so great partner, but I didn’t think it would get this bad. Please, read the warnings and if anything there triggers you, DON’T READ THIS. It’s okay if you just can’t read this. I want everyone to be safe, and if that means you don’t read this, then it’s okay.

Word Count: 1747

Pairings: Abusive Rociet, Prinxiety, Background Logicality

Warnings: (There are a lot, so bear with me) Remus, Deceit (Delcan), abusive relationship, drinking, throwing things, keeping person from friends/loved ones (?), lack of consent, non-consensual... personal activities (only mentioned, not in detail), ace phobia, cheating. If any of this makes you uncomfortable, then don’t read it. It’s okay, I’ll live.

--------

Together forever.

It was a dream Roman had since childhood. To be with someone for their entire lives. For forever.

His twin brother (who was unfortunately older by 6 minutes and 9 seconds) Remus was constantly saying that it was a useless dream. That there was no such thing as true love. That love was a made up fairy tale that adults told to make them be quiet and go to bed.

And he wasn’t wrong to have these doubts about love. The twins parents split when they were five, and their dad left them. Their mom then started drinking to cope with her loss, and she stopped acting like their mom.

Remus had lost faith in love. But all those unfortunate events made Roman even more convinced that true love was what he needed. He just needed to find the right person.

-------

Roman thought that Delcan was his true love. When they met at an audition for Guys and Dolls, flirting back and forth like there was no tomorrow, Roman thought he had found the one. 

After they had both made it into the show, Roman playing Sky Masterson and Delcan playing Nathan Detroit, Roman finally gathered up the courage to ask Delcan out. To Roman’s surprise, Delcan said no. Roman had to ask three more times before Delcan finally agreed to go on a date.

The date went swimmingly. They played off each other, witty banter common. This time, when Roman asked for a second date, Delcan automatically agreed.

They dated for three months before Delcan began to really show his true colors. The first time was closing night. The cast was going out for drinks after, and Delcan and Roman agreed, despite Roman not being a drinker. Turns out Delcan was. He took rounds and rounds of shots, till he was so far gone Roman had to practically carry him out of the bar.

When he dropped Delcan off at his apartment, Delcan begged him not to leave. Roman insisted that he had to get back to his house, and Delcan got angry. He grabbed a lamp and chucked it at Roman’s head. Roman managed to dodge it, but just barely. 

Roman left after that.

The next morning, Delcan texted him, profusely apologizing, saying that he was always different when he drank, that it would never happen again. Roman, being the fool in love that he was, forgave him.

But it did happen again. And things got worse.

Delcan gradually started to ask Roman to hang out all the time. Roman barely got to see his friends anymore. Delcan would ask (demand) to see his phone to make sure that he wasn’t texting or calling anyone Delcan didn’t know, or that Delcan didn’t like.

Delcan asked Roman to move in with him, and when Roman showed hesitation, them only being together for four months at this point, Delcan made a big deal out of the fact that Roman was the first person Delcan had ever asked to move in, that he should feel special. So Roman did feel special. He moved in. Things got even worse from there.

Delcan would drink and get upset, throw things, mostly aimed at Roman’s head. He would always apologize, but Roman was starting to doubt those apologies and how genuine they really were.

He would leave for long periods of time, never telling him where he was going. When Roman asked him about it, he would tell him to fuck off and mind his own business.

Later in the relation, Delcan would force himself on Roman and make him do things he wasn’t ready for. Roman was asexual, which he told Delcan, but Delcan told him he would grow out of it, that he just needed some special treatment from him. Roman grew to believe him.

One day, Roman got the announcement that two of his best friends, Patton and Logan, were getting married, and he was invited. Roman begged Delcan to let him go. “Just this one time, then I won’t ask again, I promise.” 

Delcan agreed, but he was never to ask again.

Roman got dressed up and went to the venue. It was a beautiful. Patton looked lovely in his dress, and Logan looked dashing in his suit. When they kissed, Roman cheered the loudest.

At the reception, Patton came and gave Roman the biggest hug.

“Ro! I can’t believe you’re here! It’s been so long!” Patton squealed.

“Yes, it has been quite some time Pat. It’s great to see you.” Roman hugged Patton back just as tight.

“Logan. How are you?” Roman asked when Patton released him.

“I am extremely happy right now, Roman. Thank you for coming.”

“Of course! How could I miss something this important?” Roman said.

Patton and Logan share a glance before Patton said “Well, we weren’t sure that you were coming, Ro.”

“What?” Roman asked incredulously. “Of course I would come! What would make you think-”

“You have been spending all of your time with your boyfriend, Roman. That’s why we didn’t think you were coming,” Logan interrupted.

“I haven’t been spending all of my time with Delcan.”

“Ro, when was the last time you hung out with us?” Patton asked.

“We... we hung out a couple months- and it’s bad that I have to go that far back,” Roman realized.

“We’re your best friends. We understand if your busy, but spending all your time with one person is not healthy,” Logan said.

“No, I don’t spend all my time with Delcan. I-I’ve just been busy,” Roman’s mind was racing. Did he spend all his time with Delcan? He hadn’t really done anything since Guys and Dolls. Maybe he was spending too much time with Delcan.

“Ro, maybe... maybe Delcan isn’t the best partner for you,” Patton rested a hand on Roman’s shoulder.

“No! He loves me, and I love him! We’re fine!” Roman snapped. Patton drew his hand back.

“Roman...” Logan placed a hand on the small of Patton’s back while speaking to Roman.

“Sorry, but I have to go. It was a beautiful service, and I’m happy for you two,” He couldn’t think. He needed Delcan. Delcan always knew what to think.

“Ro, wait!” Patton cried, but Roman was already out the door.

-------

Roman was thinking all the way back to his and Delcan’s place. Sure, he realized he spent way too much time with Delcan. He would change that. He would spend more time with his friends.

But Delcan wasn’t a bad person, he thought. Delcan just had a temper. He made mistakes. He always apologized.

By the time he got back, he had almost completely convinced himself that Patton and Logan were just paranoid and overthinking.

That all changed when Roman walked in on Delcan making out with a stranger on their couch. 

Roman didn’t remember a lot from that night. Everything was a blur, and all he really remembered was how he felt.

First anger. Red hot, fury of hell anger. Then sadness. The utter sadness that comes with a broken heart. Then, finally, fear.

He broke up with Delcan that night. Roman grabbed his stuff, Delcan’s screams a background sound, and left, a teacup smashed on the door as he walked out.

-------

There were only who people who knew that story: Logan and Patton. He had explained it to them when he begged to crash at their apartment, because he had nowhere else to stay.

That is, until tonight. When his boyfriend, Virgil, made an inquiry about his past.

It had taken Roman awhile to get back on the dating scene after Delcan. Honestly, he didn’t think he would ever mount that great beast ever again. But then Virgil came around. At first, they were enemies. Virgil was sarcastic and rude, always pushing Roman to be the worst version of himself, over-dramatic and egotistical.

But when he found Virgil having an anxiety attack, he shed all his previous grudges against him and helped him get through it. From that, they got closer and closer, till one day, Roman finally gather up the courage to ask Virgil out. And this time, Virgil said yes on the first try.

They had been dating for over a year. They had fallen into an easy rhythm, and Roman had never been happier.

Virgil never pushed him. He knew Roman had some deep shit from his past, but he never pressed Roman to talk about it. And Roman loved him for it. But tonight, he decided that was going to change.

They were having their usual weekend movie night, when Virgil asked a small question. Nothing big really, but to Roman, the question meant everything.

“So, I heard from a friend that you were in a production of Guys and Dolls with Delcan Rose. Is that true?”

Roman paused for a moment. He knew if he started to talk about Delcan, his whole story would come flowing out. Was he really ready for that.

“Ro?”

For Virgil, yes. He was ready to tell this boy he loved with all his heart a story know by very few,

“Yes. I actually dated him for awhile.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. “You dated Delcan Rose? What was it like?”

Roman sighed. “Awful.”

And the story flew from his lips like a murder of crows. All the abuse and heartbreak he had to deal with, all the hurt came out of him.

When Roman had finished, Virgil let out a breath and said “That is utterly disgusting.”

“Yeah.”

“I am glad that you told me about that, Ro. I’m glad you trust me enough to tell me. But holy shit is that dark.”

Roman just nodded.

“Hey. What happened to you is not your fault. I want you to know that. Everything that Delcan did was horrible, but that was on him. Nothing that happened to you was your fault.”  While Virgil was speaking, he rubbed his hands through Roman’s hair, knowing that he would like it.

“I love you.” Roman said.

“Love you too, Ro.”

Roman pulled back for a second to grab something out of his pocket. It had been a year of bliss and happiness. Slowly, Virgil helped him heal, even if he didn’t know it. Delcan had made his life a living hell, but Virgil had changed it into heaven.

So Roman pulled out a little box, and asked the question he had been thinking about for a couple weeks.

“Virgil, will you marry me? Please?”

----------

TAGLIST (Let me know if you want to be added!)

@redistooviolent

@loginceismyjam

@steampunkicarus

@jellopuffs

@hekking-happy-nonsense

@a-trans-ghost

@chaotic-sinnabun

[noblest-roman-of-them-all]

"I'm going to challenge myself to write a Rociet installment into my Parent AU collection!"

The writing goblin in my brain: "What if, hear me out, what if instead, we write the angsty back story for how they got back together after years of being apart by traumatizing the crap out of Roman and using his healing to show them both how much they've grown over the years and see that they can in fact work together and do actually pair well, they just struggled to communicate years ago. We can even tie in the communication thing to the main narrative of them trying to become parents, but this time they actually work it out instead of giving up.on each other!"

...Yeah, alright.

[bloojayoolie]

Advice, Af, and At-St: oparendy my director wem to see a production of West Sde Shory a few years sgo, and the guy paying Chino forgot hs gun before coming out for his a stene Once it got to the bg scene where he i supposed to sot Tony he e actor playing Tony ml he went down. The gr playng Maria then had to jerkthe shoe atf of Chino s foot and had to do the grwor scene asking า¡ow meny kKk3 O no? Hoo many kicks. audence dering the frst stae directian hat everyone has a triend of a thend he bridge never rngthe dagger out n sage o she spped te scub out of her chest and ngatharighs During apassion pray a tiend of my broterwssupposedty none of grabbed the wong spea he was supposed to grab one with a fske bu lead be gacd one ih an actua metal p and we esus screadSUS CHRIST YOU STADOED ME $9 Jesus. "stead. ROCIETED uprte teaver'僦jus.cov. Po stage) I was in Peter Pan once andone n at a performance e aresive ng our Hooks nuttache an was wearing off t was near the end with a bi fit RPPED MY MUSTACHE OPPI ot niarty to the wholescane (weich was upposed to be unny anyaay sheritiwxy have a suod so she siased herself ฟ acaatager ateidentSty tuned them back on สาย Juret who 5mng up starved back as possble while our eyes were ting with tears i attended ny county 's performng arts high schaol majning in vocal studies and then and 1 produce to gen aere aspects of the basiness and ney al gave us Broatway's The Lin ing for several years, and tod the best story by far inThe uon Kang-then. are crey two pieces of predecoded noise inthe whole e and told perfarmance, soneone torgat to fip the tape af hese pre-recorded os the lesson sonenes re ณ tack ups you jutt cant reaver ton. Orgnaly he actors were gong to strel on stage wth our Lefou hasing in the eaty neat from atf stage and cath a sfd ducx that Gaston has at st This, of course regtres teo tings to work propery as scere aguahet none and The gunshcr nise had covered Bue-colar redneck schoon Guns a plenty to record. The sued duxk? Hander than you might have hoeghe t Three huning found a seni-reaisc pheasant squesy toy What tolos is an account of the ays the dog toy maaged to be the ngimere prop of the s show Suppy Store and does an escelent jo of looking around toolshly before geting cued augeter aturday Nght Brd n mssng curng cutsincal brector hmuls the deer head the od bocingie ne gunsnot no brd jst wak in with trophy Durng Gaston and Lefaus conversation gun shot sound gpes off and a stagehand throws the brd oneo e sae om the wrong se of the age Leu n G ubte jpte about Gaton's gun gong off ate inead of earty Cue aduts in the once Gunshot and bind grop go off wihout a hitth Lefou accidentaly catches ng prop in Gaston spend gesturing dramaticalywh a suffed pheasant estead afa gan n ater gunshot nappens a the prop squesky toy nose-pereity nether of them neaized it ws a dog o Accidentaly drops the prop durng corversaton wih OCasian daston doesnt he aopped prop In a dress rehearsal for Peter Pan, Wendy Forgt one of her ines and staned peope pot ea Once during the closeng night of our high school production of south paxifc we ere havn cur pre-show pep tak, and our drector eminded everyonety decioed to ignone this advice So daring one scene where the salons were tshno'atthe edge of the stage teoecdes topui up het rubber fol, male ฮ robably ouidnt mach of a probiem id he had genty lossed since od have landed igt ho ubber ish with all of bis stength So now imagee the stage crew al of us hadded logether over the ony to sap sone poor parent across me face Iswear you coud aot hear the chonus af mmnwtotcha saaayw sing from al those backstage From that ronert on สา neber "sh we . rotounty garded by youn hity, under TNs pos gets belter every tme Rnows p on y das NyAnor year or Ng, scnoei 0ur oana (Mpt onPe Pษ.ncn moted tthe consruthicn of a smal baat fashoned ut of scrap wood plaster an n od bout hatwsy don the brane tbey were using to contral theer speed gve the mdst of the wreckage beltore ny trend Adena screaned ADANDON SHP ne Fairy Godnother and the thoughe going down the stage steps wasnt dramatic enough for feeing so sunched mysel off stere I aid thene ike a dead sh for a whle At this point Cinderelia and the Fairy Godmother got to me.mot koing what to do they stepped over ne and and ran shreking hysiercaly out of the om A moment later the Pence came Te nay be my ate fante post frai Rass between Dony marsorace or cRne we tag nether or them about leads wsuerty rerervng eocn owner on stage ล5 mecurtan 0opped They

[momalyn-hq]

Lociet: Sarcastic Gays

Demus: Disney Villain Gays

Rociet: Sad Gays

Anxciet: Sassy Gays

Intrulogical: Mad Scientist Gays

Analogical: Space Gays

Dukexiety: Beetlejuice Gays

Mociet: Two Parents tryna wrangle their kids

Logicality: Glasses Gays

Royality: Sunshine Gays 

Analogical: Hopeless Gays

Prinxiety: Clueless Gays 

Moxiety: Soft Gays

Logince: Fucking Nerds

[wastelandcrown]

logan lark’s adventures in trying to appease his parents

CHAPTER 6: don’t lose ur head (the terrifying tales of the grimm monarchy)

Summary: Logan Lark is a fairly average high school student. By all means, he should be impressing his parents on all grounds. Except...he doesn’t exactly have a social life. So after his parents give him puppy dog eyes, he decides to join the local theatre's youth production. Good grief...His life is about to get weird isn’t it?

Warnings: Potential ooc behavior, Roman is a teenager who makes bad choices EXTREME edition, Remus being Remus, Intrusive Thoughts, Minor Bad Parenting, so much swearing it’s insane (If I miss something please tell me!)

Notes: This fic is based off an idea from @under-the-blue-moonlight. If you wanna be tagged in chapters, please ask!! I love this freaking chapter SO much but I’m really scared of how it’s going to be received. All feedback is extremely welcome!! 

Pairings: Intrulogical, Eventual Rociet, One-Sided Logicality, Platonic DRLAMP

Tagslist: @under-the-blue-moonlight @why-should-i-tell-youu2 @im-actually-ok @hauntedturkeycalzonedreamer @croftersjam15 @rainbowsixth @snaketho @wasinotwantedatthisexactsecond @a-soul-among-the-stars @sweet-razz-tea @the-cactus-lord

Over the course of the next month Logan learns that despite their reputations, Roman and Remus are the opposite of what everyone thinks of them.

Logan is the smartest person he knows, there is no way in hell he’d ever miss Roman’s multiple attempts to sabotage his role as Hamilton. Smart, and yet so oblivious. Each time Roman had tried to mess with Logan after he began cultivating a friendship with Remus he was miraculously saved from the torment at the last second. Remus is a hundred percent certain that Logan has no idea that he’s fighting off his brother at each and every turn. He’s not certain of much, so it’s saying a lot. There is a beautiful dichotomy in Logan’s logs of the events and the stories Remus tells about his brother’s scourge against his brand new ‘enemy’. On a page labeled ‘Roman Incidents’ in Logan’s succinct handwriting documents every incident through the month when Roman attempted to sabotage him.

July 20th - Roman tripped near my things in the drama room while holding coffee. When I went to check on my things, someone had removed the contents of my bag and filled it with around six pounds of glitter. If this happens again, throw the bag away. Glitter makes anything unsalvageable. You will keep finding it everywhere. 

Remus knew Roman had been planning something. Of course he did. Though they didn’t share a room anymore, sneaking into it had never been exceptionally hard. Neither had eavesdropping, when it counted. It counted now more than ever because Remus had become unreasonably attached to Logan and when he heard Roman talking to himself and mentioning the name of his favourite little nerd badly he knew it was now or never. It took two excruciating hours of sitting still and listening to get the juicy stuff. He almost got caught by their mother twice. She’d only been home for three days and she’d checked on Roman twice in one night. If Remus told her about the amount of effort he was putting into something she might keel over dead from shock. 

What a funny sight that would be to him. His mother, dead from the shock of his hard work to do something good, thumping onto the floor. He laughs a little, quiet enough to keep Roman from hearing. His brain supplies the rational next step of Roman running out of his room and distraughtly cradling their mother’s head in his lap. Roman sobbing. Roman blaming him. Roman screaming about how it was his fault. And it would be, if she died like that. Remus doesn’t think it’s all that funny anymore, but once the train of thought starts it can’t be stopped. He decides that eavesdropping isn’t fun anymore and makes his way to the kitchen, trying to shake the idea of his brother cursing him out for killing their mother out of his mind. 

It doesn’t really work, but he tries anyway. The kitchen is full of distractions, good and bad. The knives in the block look so enticing to his self-proclaimed ‘shitty-dick-wad brain’, but the cookies he nabs from the cupboard are so easy to shove into his mouth that he figures it evens out. He sits at the kitchen island and doesn’t even bother to turn on the light. It takes six cookies in his mouth at once before he can direct his thoughts somewhere else momentarily. How in the hell is he going to combat Roman’s plan? He spits all the cookies onto the counter as his brother walks in, flicks on the light, and sighs deeply.

“You could at least do that onto a plate.”

Remus just shrugs, so Roman speaks again, “How’s your evening been?”

“Before like...five minutes ago I was really liking it.” Which was true, Roman slides into the seat next to him and picks a cookie from the box.

“What changed?”

“Shitty brain,” He replies, “Y’know how it gets.”

“I do indeed. Do you need anything?” His voice is surprisingly soft with him, to the point where Remus has to give him a confused look before deciding what to say next. He figures out how to fuck with Roman’s plan in that moment.

“I wanna go to Party City and terrorize the night staff.” 

Roman only chuckles, Remus watches his twin put away the cookies and grab his car keys from the bowl on the counter. 

“Come on then, we can buy some of those plastic babies you like so much.”

As Remus is falling asleep later that night, his chest feels warm. He attributes it to the upcoming scheme-ruining scheming. It’s easier than admitting that that was the first time Roman had willingly hung out with him alone since elementary school. He knows the next morning that Roman is most likely buttering up because he suspects Remus knows. Which is...fair. Even if it hurts a little. They get coffee on the way to the theatre and separate. They both have important things to do. The best part about their somewhat rocky-relationship is that they always know where the other is in order to avoid each other. Remus knows that Roman has gone to see Janus and probably make heart eyes and pine over him like a dumbass. Roman knows that Remus is off drooling over his arch nemesis. Today it is more imperative than ever. During practice Remus manages to steal Logan’s backpack while he’s busy. 

He swaps the contents out with the six pounds of glitter he bought the night before and shoves Logan’s things into his bag for safe keeping. Nobody would dare look into Remus’ bag for fear of gore or weird pornography, even if he only has one in his bag at the moment. He’s shoving a small notebook in when he catches a title. “Hamilton Performance Experiment”. It takes literally all of his self-control not to immediately snoop. He makes it through, eventually meeting up with Logan and even carrying his bag to ‘be nice’ so Logan doesn’t pick up on the bag glitter. When Roman walks by with his coffee and “trips”, spilling his coffee all over Logan’s bag, Remus smiles. 

“Oh! Logan I’m so sorry! What a terrible accident!” Roman cries, ever the actor. 

Logan looks downright frantic as he lunges for his bag and rips it open. Glitter goes everywhere. Logan’s hair, Roman’s shoes, the entire dressing room floor. The look of distress fades from Logan’s face momentarily, returning full force when he realizes his things are missing. 

Remus pulls them out of his bag in secret, walking to the corner of the room, walking back and exclaiming, “What a good prank Roman! You must be taking some tricks from my book!”

When he hands the things back to Logan, Logan smiles. He decides not to ask about the notebook. 

July 27th - One of the props from the prop room was moved in with my things. I suspect Roman because of the look on his face when Remus took the fall for me. 

Just because he didn’t ask about the notebook does not mean it left his memory. By the time he gets in the car alone with his brother he realizes that Roman is pissed off at him.

“Couldn’t you have left it alone? How did you even find out!?” 

“I have my ways. Now shut up about it before I tell mom about that time in 8th grade-”

“Okay! Okay! I’m shutting up!” 

And he did. However that included no longer voicing his plans out loud. Which meant Remus had to get creative. He was very very good at getting creative. 

Dinner with their mother was much more quiet that week. Both twins brooding and not speaking with each other, their mother only prompting Roman to talk. It was too familiar in the worst possible ways. Remus despised his mother, but he knew how much his brother loved her. She was...well she was beautiful, intelligent, a very influential fashion designer, extremely supportive. Roman would go on about how perfect she was for hours. Sure, Remus could concede that their mother was beautiful, intelligent, and a very influential fashion designer, but whenever Roman talks about her he never says she’s at all a good mother. Especially not to him. He watches her laugh breathily at one of Roman’s shitty anecdotes from practice and decides he’s had enough of family dinner. He gets up and dutifully cleans his plate and places it in the dishwasher. The chef gives him a smile, and he smiles back. 

“Remus, dear,” His mother begins in her shrill voice, “If you’re not going to eat with us, at least go and shower. Your smell is unbecoming.”

Then she turns back to her food like she didn’t just attempt to insult him. Jokes on her, it takes a lot more than that to hurt his feelings. He still ends up forcing himself into the shower for thirty-five minutes that night.

The rest of the week he’s more tired than usual, which the others notice. He makes an effort to not be, he really does. When his mom is in town, everything just sucks. He hangs out with Janus three times and Virgil once to get out of the house and away from his family. The other nights he spends sitting outside the convenience store with a monster or two. He ends up calling Logan one of those nights out of need for company. Logan chuckles when Remus makes up a silly reason for calling that he can’t even remember now, but he can remember Logan’s laugh. He listens to Logan talk about the book series he’s been reading and he feels a little lighter. He never ends up finding out what Roman has planned, but it’s so easy when it’s happening right in front of him. Despite his lethargy lately, he feels a fire lit in him when the missing prop is found with Logan’s bag. 

Virgil and Janus are the only two teenagers with keys to the prop room. If Logan stole the missing prop, he would have had to steal the key. No one but the twins even knew Janus had a key, and Virgil was dead set on not letting a soul into the prop room. The idea that Logan, precious little innocent fucking lamb Logan, committed theft not once but twice enrages Remus. When they find it with his things, Logan is utterly baffled. Then he realizes the implications and his face pales. Roman calls for Thomas, spouting off about how Logan stole the prop and he should face consequences, when Remus laughs as loudly as he can. 

“Hah! You guys are so funny! You think specs could ever!? Guess my prank worked out pretty damn good if you actually think Mr.Goody-Two-Shoes could commit such a heinous fucking crime!” 

Thomas sighs, tells Remus to just ask next time, and leaves. Roman stares at his brother for a solid minute with his mouth slightly ajar. Janus and Virgil are both looking at him like he’s insane because it’s so obvious to them that Roman did it. Patton is looking not at him, but at Logan, with so much concern. And Logan...Logan stares up at Remus with the look of a small and confused animal.

“Did you really do that?”

“Of course I did! I’m the resident rat bastard, I have to cause a little recreational chaos.”

He’s pretty sure Logan believes him until they’re leaving for the day and Logan whispers a ‘Thank you’ to him as he walks by. He would have melted into the floor if Janus hadn’t put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him down to whisper to him.

“Why the hell did you let Roman get away with that?” Virgil is on his other side now with a scowl.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about JJ! I committed a very heinous crime!”

“Then why did Roman ask to borrow Janus’ key earlier?” Virgil asks, and Remus drops his smile to replace it with an annoyed look. 

“He just fucking asked for it!? I can’t even believe I’m related to that half-witted twit.”

“Yeah,” Virgil scoffs, “Not really the sharpest sword in the armoury, is he?”

“Please, we’ve known that for years. What I’d like to know is what are we going to do about it?” This quieted Remus, but made Virgil smirk a little. 

Janus continued, “After the backpack incident, and now the stealing incident, I’m half-convinced we have a brand new chaos demon in the group.”

“At least Remus’ chaos is fun sometimes,” Virgil mutters, “Roman’s just an ass.”

Remus gets away with being quiet as they talk until they get into Janus’ beat up old van. He doesn’t call shotgun, doesn’t slap the car's ‘ass’ as a joke, he just climbs into the back and sits there. He’s so quiet that Janus and Virgil are a little shell shocked. 

“Remus?” Virgil asks quietly and pensively, it sounds just like that soft tone Roman used with him last week. 

He’s quiet, Janus starts the car and clicks his tongue, “I’m going to shove Roman down a flight of stairs.”

“Don’t.” He manages, and the boys in the front seats go quiet. Virgil passes him the aux cord. 

He plays “Call Them Brothers” by Regina Spektor and Janus and Virgil know that tonight will be a very quiet outing. 

They’re sitting at IHOP drawing dicks on their pancakes in syrup when Remus’ phone rings. Janus and Virgil know who’s calling the second Remus sees the caller ID and smiles. 

“Evening Logie-Bear, why do I get the pleasure of hearing your devilishly sexy voice in this IHOP tonight?” Remus says and Janus groans loudly.

“You’re at IHOP?” Is the first thing Logan says, which makes Remus smile even brighter.

“Yes, sir! I’m with Virge and Janny too, you wanna say hi?” 

Logan sounds a bit contemplative when he mutters, “I was hoping you’d be alone...”

Eavesdropping Janus and Virgil make surprised faces, Remus smacks Janus in the arm, “Oh you were, were you? Why? Phone sex?”

“I wanted to ask for an opinion on a predicament.” Virgil smirks and Janus nabs his phone to speak for Remus.

“Remus would love to-Remus let me talk-You should come have some pancakes with us-Ow, watch the face!-and tell us all about how your science is going.” Janus can hear Logan hiding his laughter through the phone as Remus wrestles with him in the booth. 

“It’s more of a philosophical predicament.”

Janus nearly sees red, eyes widening and making Remus cackle,“Why in the world would you ask Remus Grimm about phi-”

It’s silent for a few moments then Logan hears a familiar voice. “It’s Virgil, we’re at the IHOP on 81st and Green.”

Logan laughs brightly, “I’ll be there. Order something for me.”

They spend the evening with breakfast for dinner, and the four get into a fairly heated friendly debate about moral ethics. Janus isn’t sure he’s ever had more fun in his life. When he’s driving away from Virgil to drop Remus off at home, he can’t help but smile at Remus’ improved demeanor. 

“Remus,” He starts after they’re alone, “I thought you and Roman were doing better, did something happen?”

“He tried to sabotage Logan twice for entirely selfish reasons, I wouldn’t care if he dies!” Remus dramatically cries.

“You and I both know that’s not true.”

They’re quiet the rest of the ride, and Janus gets out to give Remus a hug before he goes in. Remus ignores Roman’s questions about his whereabouts and locks himself in his room to try and keep his mood up. It doesn’t work, but he tries. He does. 

August 3rd - Roman gave me a “peace offering” in the form of lunch. I am led to believe he was attempting to give me food poisoning, as Remus ate the lunch and has now come down with food poisoning.

His mother leaves for her office in Paris on August 1st. Roman cries and hugs her, says he’ll miss her, goes on and on about how it’s so terrible how she’s never home. He does this every time their mother and father leave, he has since they were young. Remus couldn’t give less of a shit. His plan now was finding out what Roman’s next move was. Which was hard because they were back to avoiding each other like the plague. They’d spent a few months getting better at being brothers, then one of their parents shows up and ruins it. This time it was great, Remus would never admit it, but it was. Roman made an effort when their parents weren’t around, a few months ago he started doing things like making dinner for them both and bringing it to him, offering to do a load of laundry for him while he was doing it, being mindful of his volume when practicing his singing and acting, all these little things. 

He’d even started initiating physical contact again, which Remus couldn’t get enough of. Literally. An occasional pat on the back, a grab of his hand to pull him somewhere, a light slap to his knee or arm when he said something distasteful. Giving physical affection to Remus was something that seemed to be unique to Roman. It had always been like that when they were younger, and Remus didn’t think he wanted it to stop. Any time he thinks about it he always drifts back to his head against Roman’s knee a few weeks ago when Roman had carded a hand through his hair and then a few minutes later practically tackled him to douse him in perfume The shit smelled awful, but afterwards Roman had slung an arm over his shoulder and gave him a squeeze. That and the closeness with Logan kept him buzzing for the next two days. 

Now there was nothing again. It was like Roman could turn off his affection for Remus and pretend he didn’t exist. Remus tried not to be angry about it, he really did, but he couldn’t stop the fire that he felt when the other people on stage got his praises and affection. Both of them were incredibly clingy, but Roman was so much worse at hiding it and it made Remus nearly scream. He piled all of his affectionate behavior onto Logan, and Logan never really minded. He’d place his head on Logan’s shoulder, hold his hand on stage, sit pressed up against him offstage. He loved it, he did. He loved protecting Logan, talking to Logan, existing in the same space as the dork was exhilarating. He hated having to protect Logan from his brother. There was no way in hell that Remus would let anything terrible happen to Logan, but there was no way he would ever let his brother’s stupid selfish decisions fall back on him. He knows he shouldn’t give a single shit, but he does. 

His tiredness fades with his mother, but he’s still exhausted because Roman keeps trying to fuck with Logan when he knows damn well Remus won’t let him. The selfish ass. This time, Roman has the gall to pull his entire scheme in front of Remus. 

“Logan,” He starts, his affected air is slightly dim today and his hands are hidden, “To apologize for my unkind actions, I have brought a peace offering.” 

Roman hands Logan a little bag from a restaurant Remus swears he recognizes. 

“Oh, thank you.” Logan says quietly, opening the bag and pulling out a wrapped burger. 

Logan takes it out and inspects it as Remus wracks his brain trying to remember where he knows the packaging. It hits him right before Logan takes a bite. This burger is from the restaurant that gave Roman food poisoning a few months ago. It looks like the same burger too. At this point, Remus is half-convinced Roman is taunting him. He’s in a bit of a panic and doesn’t think before he snatches the burger and shoves it in his mouth.

“Remus!” Both call out, the wrapper is still on the end of the burger so he pulls it out then chews and swallows the thing whole. 

He coughs and sputters for almost two minutes after, then shoots Roman an awful glare. 

“What just happened?” Logan asks, extremely puzzled. 

Roman is gawking at Remus again, “Why did you eat that!?” 

“Fuck you that’s why, you horsefucking shiteating egomaniac bastard.”

Roman walks off in a huff, Remus lays on the floor. 

“Are you alright?” Logan questions, handing him a water bottle.

Maneuvering onto his side, Remus takes a sip and his throat feels miles better, “I just straight up ate a burger whole like a fucking snake, how do you think I am dipshit?”

“Hm,” He pauses to think, “Bad.” 

Both boys laugh, and Logan joins Remus on the ground.

“I am beginning to believe your brother has a vendetta against me.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

Logan pauses, looking at Remus who is still occasionally wheezing.

“Are you alright...emotionally?” Remus wheezes and laughs at the same time, sounding something similar to a goose. 

“‘Thought you didn’t know much about those, poindexter.”

“I do not. However, as your friend I feel like it’s important to ask.”

Remus just sighs, closes his eyes, and blows a raspberry at the ceiling.

“Me and Roman are complicated.”

“I can tell.” Remus laughs, Logan really is something else. 

It’s quiet when Remus asks, “Do you hate him?”

“No,” Logan’s response is measured and confident like he’s asked himself this question a hundred times, “I don’t hate him. I think he’s got some things to work out, and is taking out his frustration on me as of late.”

He keeps talking, Remus covers his closed eyes with his arm, “More importantly, do you hate him?”

He almost rockets to his feet when Logan says curiously, “Or, more interestingly, do you love him?”

It takes him nearly two and a half minutes sat up and sipping water, watching Logan pack his things, to muster up the will to tell the truth. 

“Of course I love him. Nobody else is gonna fucking do it.” 

He could barely comprehend Logan’s response to his admission so he shoved it out of his mind with all the force he could muster, then waved a goodbye to him when he parted and left Remus with his mind. 

He ends up going home early because his awful decision ended up actually giving him food poisoning. He takes a sick day the next day, and spends most of the time feeling like shit physically and emotionally. His brain has kept tabs on all the shitty feelings and thoughts he’s had and is now playing out a full length shitty horror movie about his life and his dumb brother and his shitty summer crush. Then there’s that conversation with Logan. The last sentence is running through him over and over again. He keeps coming back to it, though he’s sure Logan didn’t even mean anything by it. Seventeen words and his world was sent spinning. 

“Ah, I understand, it’s hard to love somebody when they don’t act like they love you back.” 

Logan doesn’t even know the half of it. 

August 20th - Roman asked me directly to leave the production. Though I admire the effort, all it achieved was a quite awful night, and an angry lecture(?) of sorts from Janus. I do not believe Roman will be trying this tactic ever again.

Roman tries to apologize multiple times, but something angry and petty in Remus doesn’t accept any of them. They’re both getting more and more frustrated by the minute. By the time the thirteenth of August rolls around they aren’t on speaking terms again and everyone can tell that it’s taking its toll on them both. Remus acts out more than usual against people he doesn’t usually target. He scared an ensemble girl one too many times, to the point where she ended up slapping him. He deserved it, but it still stung. Roman poured himself into his role more than ever, but it only ended up stressing him out even more than usual. When his voice so much as wavered on stage it shattered his confidence. 

It affected their friends as well. Roman spent more time with Patton and Emile, avoiding Remus and Janus as much as he could possibly manage. Janus rolled his eyes but just resigned himself to the tech booth with Virgil, Remus, and Logan. The only good thing that was happening lately was Janus’ newfound attachment to Logan. The pair's insane intelligence and love of debate meant one was nearly guaranteed every other time they were in the same room. It was exhilarating to watch, and probably exhilarating to take part in. Remus didn’t much care for debates, but watching Janus and Logan go at each other with an occasional snarky comment or new suggestion from Virgil was making him grow a fondness for them. At this point there was barely anybody in the theatre who didn’t adore Logan.

The staff, the cast, the tech. Everyone adored him. He was smart, diligent, and hard-working. He asked questions, didn’t undermine others, and respected the entire cast's talent at what they did. It was magical to watch everyone in the auditorium drift under Logan’s thumb. Remus was included. They were saving Say No To This until near last because of the lack of dancing involved, but it didn’t even matter. Say No To This was not needed in Remus’ seduction plan because Logan seemed to gravitate towards him with ease. He is a damn good friend and Remus is determined to make that boy his bride. 

Despite his growing lack of sleep and reliance on caffeine, Remus is skating by just fine without anything bad happening. Until his brother decides to fuck with his life again. He’s on the thin line between being shitty in secret and full-on breakdown, Roman really isn’t helping his case. Remus is lounging on the floor while Logan reads in a chair next to the makeup mirrors. He hears someone enter, but isn’t bothered enough to move. 

Ever the polite, Logan greets the newcomer “Ah, Hello Roman, how are you?”

“I need to ask you something.” His brother asks, and Remus turns his head away from the noise. 

“Alright, what is it?” Logan sounds so measured and calm.

There is a long pause, “What is it going to take for you to realize you should quit?”

The calmness in Logan’s voice wavers, and Remus can hear it wobble, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me! I mean, it’s obvious I've been trying to get you to leave, so what’s been keeping you!?” Roman raises his voice near instantly, that same childish selfishness burns from his tongue. 

“It is none of your business.” There’s a dignified fire raging under his voice now, it’s like he’s been practicing for this. 

“You’re not even a good actor! From what I can tell, you’re entirely uninteresting and way too intellectual to be here!” Roman continues, Remus feels the urge to get up but he can’t find the will to move. 

“Roman, please think before you say something you regret.” Remus knows what Roman is going to say before it happens.

“No!” His brother is so typical, “You have no idea what this role means to me, why can’t you just leave!?”

That’s typical too, Remus opens his eyes and looks at the pair. Logan looks pissed off, Roman looks pissed off, and Janus is watching from the doorway. 

“I try very hard to give you the benefit of the doubt in regards to your debilitating egomania, but it is beginning to appear as if your whole sense of stability and purpose is built upon some false reality where you need to be the star at every possible moment. Go to therapy about it, and leave me alone.” Logan spits this in Roman’s face, then turns back to his book. 

Clenching his fists and staring at the ground, Roman looks almost defeated until he catches Remus staring and his face morphs into something so bitter he has to force himself to look away. 

“No. I will not leave you alone until I get this part. None of you have any idea how much I need it.” 

“Roman-” Janus speaks up daringly from his spot by the door, his tone is enough to warn him to stand down. 

Roman’s eyes are squeezed shut, his fists are clenched, “I know we have the same face, but I’m not a failure like my brother.”

That sends Remus to his feet and out the door before anyone can say a word. As he passes Janus on the way out Janus tries to stop him but he pushes past him, past everyone, and out the front door of the theatre. 

Janus turns on Roman in an instant, walking slowly into the room and shutting the door with purpose. Roman’s eyes are sewed shut and all the guilt he tries to push down floods him when he makes eye contact with his pissed off friend. 

“Roman, we need to have a talk.” 

[wastelandcrown]

logan lark’s adventures in trying to appease his parents

CHAPTER 5: helpless

Summary: Logan Lark is a fairly average high school student. By all means, he should be impressing his parents on all grounds. Except...he doesn’t exactly have a social life. So after his parents give him puppy dog eyes, he decides to join the local theatre's youth production. Good grief...His life is about to get weird isn’t it?

Warnings: Potential ooc behavior, Roman is a teenager who makes bad choices, Remus being Remus, Emojis (If I miss something please tell me!)

Notes: This fic is based off an idea from @under-the-blue-moonlight. If you wanna be tagged in chapters, please ask!! Here’s the fluff before the storm!! Next chapter two chapters are Heavy.

Pairings: Intrulogical, Eventual Rociet, One-Sided Logicality, Platonic DRLAMP

Word Count: 3296

Tagslist: @under-the-blue-moonlight @why-should-i-tell-youu2 @im-actually-ok @hauntedturkeycalzonedreamer @croftersjam15 @rainbowsixth @snaketho 

His newfound appreciation for Patton didn’t change the fact that the idea of losing his first kiss to a stage performance sent shivers down his spine. 

It’s not like he didn’t like Patton! That wasn’t it at all! Patton has been sailing in the high numbers ever since they had hung out at his home, Virgil had even made a group chat for the three of them where they talked regularly. It’s just that Patton was Patton. And Patton was certainly not his type. They had tried to practice helpless, but Janus kept telling them they were missing something. Remus said Logan sounded like a “sexless moron”, and though Patton disagreed and blushed furiously, Logan knew he was right. He had never had a boyfriend, let alone a crush on a boy. He knew he was gay because he found certain boys attractive, but he had never liked a guy like that. Yet. 

He figured it would happen at some point, but until that point...he would have to be clueless. He ended up spending a lot of time with Remus as rehearsal continued. Though Patton wasn’t fond of him, he was Roman Repellent ninety percent of the time. Pretending that was all he wanted from Remus was easy. The other option was acknowledging how much he genuinely liked Remus. The whole time he’d known him, he’d told himself to steer clear of him. He’d never managed to do it, but he still told himself to. Something about Remus was interesting. He was a sort of enigmatic person who you could never figure out beyond the persona they portrayed. Logan was nothing if not inquisitive. 

Sitting in the tech booth with Virgil and Remus, watching the Schuyler Sisters vocal practice, he couldn’t really be mad when Remus’ legs fell into his lap. They were in such close proximity, and Remus always seemed to have a need to touch people. Remus is talking about something mindless, and Logan is listening intently.

“If they have the gun, why wouldn’t they just shoot him?” Logan asks.

“That’s what I said! It’s like they don’t care about efficiency! You don’t have to torture every character!” 

“Honestly, I cannot believe they would disregard the gun like that. Why introduce it in the first place?” 

Virgil looks at Logan inquisitively, “Logan, do you even watch that show?” 

“No,” Logan muttered, “Remus just tells me about it a lot.”

“I have no idea how you’re able to follow his train of thought, I have a hard time listening to him about regular stuff, let alone his favourite things.” Virgil says, and Logan knows he doesn’t mean it in a bad or mean way. Anxiety can make a person have a hard time listening, Logan just thinks it’s easy to listen to Remus. 

He’s called back to the stage, so he can practice Helpless with Patton again. Remus moves his legs and pulls Logan up to his feet. They are standing nearly chest to chest for a few seconds, and Logan notices each time they’re this close how tall Remus is. He’s a little over a head taller than he is, and it's jarring to him. Remus pulls him down the tech booth stairs by the hand, practically dragging him like a rag doll. Virgil should feel lucky that Logan didn’t catch his snicker at Logan’s expense. Once Remus is beside his brother in the audience, they begin. 

Patton’s performance is adorable, as usual. For Remus’ tastes it’s a little fluffy, but that’s the song for you. Much too full of innocence, he was about ready to beg for his chance to sing as Maria. He knew he had to wait his turn. Watching Logan’s performance was downright painful. His romantic face was a simple, deadpan thing, and he had flirted with enough boys to know you should never look that bland. Bland of emotion, not bland in general. No, absolutely not. Remus was well aware that Logan was hot, just in the way that cool anime boys are hot. All cold and domineering, but secretly an absolute angel. Remus planned on changing that angelic nature, but he had to give it time. Logan’s rap was abysmal in terms of emotion, and by the time it was over even Patton was cringing a little. 

Roman nudged Remus, smirking as he whispered, “I think he’s hopeless.”

“I think he could use a good teacher,” Remus smiled at Roman’s wide eyed reaction.

“You can’t possibly mean you can you?”

“Oh, I absolutely mean me.” 

Bounding up the stage stairs, Remus forced himself between Logan and Patton who were discussing the performance. Grabbing Logan by the hands excitedly, Remus beamed at him. Logan knew he had a very stupid plan just from the way he smiled. 

“Logie-bear, let me be your personal coach on how to not be an absolutely sexless moron!” 

The entire theatre went quiet.

“Remus, shouldn’t I be the one to help Logan?” Patton asked softly, his smile was nervous and Logan didn’t know why, “I am playing Eliza, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, well, you aren’t exactly dripping in hoes, are you Patton?”

“Wha-That’s not very nice! No, I am not dripping in….h-o-es, but that doesn’t mean you should help him!”

“I wouldn’t mind the help,” Logan chimes in, “I really didn’t want to have to ask Janus or Roman. Remus seems like the best option. He can give me pointers.” 

Patton could argue that Janus and Roman were much better at romance than Remus could ever be, but if Logan really thought Remus was the best option he couldn’t say no. 

When they met up at lunch, the room they had found was empty aside from the three of them. This would prove to be a bit of a mistake. When Logan made a mistake and it was called out by Remus with a quip or a joke about his romance abilities, Patton seemed to get a little huffy. Logan enjoyed his encouragement from Patton, but the comments from Remus always made him force away a smile. He was brutally honest, and Logan liked that. He wanted to be told when he looked like a complete doofus. Patton seemed to not agree, and interjected a lot on Logan’s behalf. After the first few runs, Remus seemed to be getting agitated. All it took was one more comment from Patton before Remus dragged him out by the wrist and shut the door behind them. Logan couldn’t help but wonder why. 

“Will you stop that?” Remus hissed at Patton, they were around the corner but he was trying to be quiet in case Logan was eavesdropping.

“Stop what? Trying to support Logan? You’re just being mean to him!” Patton whispered back, obviously thinking the same.

Rolling his eyes, Remus let out a big huff of amusement, “You’re really dumb, aren’t you Padre? Look at him! He might be hot, but his whole face is like a dead fish when he’s trying to be romantic!” 

“Wait, what?”

“What?” 

Patton blinked slowly, staring at Remus like he had two heads.

“Patton, if I’ve suddenly grown a dick out of my forehead that’s stood at full mast and oozing baby goo, I’d love to hear about it.”

That made Patton recoil, but he raised his voice above an angry whisper to say, “You think he’s hot?”

“I mean...duh? You’re telling me you haven’t noticed?” 

“No! No-I’ve-I’ve noticed! I just-” Patton stops, and Remus is confused now.

With a nervous laugh, Patton mutters, “It’s fine, it’s not like you’re actually trying to...Maria him. Heh.” 

“Oh no, I am. I’ve been flirting with him this whole time, I think he’s just fucking dense.”

With that Remus watches Patton go pale, and force himself back into their practice room. Remus doesn’t follow. He’s pushed enough. If Patton decides to tell Logan though, Remus may have to kill him. He trudges over to the boys dressing room and throws the door open dramatically.

“What’s wrong?” Roman asks with a smirk, “Love confession gone wrong?”

“Pft. More like a bitchy third wheel.” 

Remus lays on the ground, gently bumping his head into Roman’s knee and keeping it there. Roman moves a hand to pat his brother's head, but ends up carding a hand through his hair. 

“Do you wanna pout about it or plan some thematically appropriate revenge?”

Remus lights up, craning his head up to stare at his brother, “I thought you hated Logan!”

“Oh, I do. That’s why I think he should date you.”

They both laugh, and then they get to work. 

After flashing puppy dog eyes to Janus, they manage to convince him to help set up their exclusive after hours group practice. Somehow they rope in Remy, Emile, Logan, and Virgil. They know Emile, Logan, and Virgil will bring Patton. They also know that this is the perfect time for both their agendas. If Roman perpetuates drama, maybe Logan will get stressed and leave. If Remus gets to act out seducing, and-or marrying, Logan, then maybe he’ll have a chance at getting his number. He’ll have to try and get Logan to practice romance with him, because if he waits until he’s Maria he may have lost Logan to the unthinkable. Patton.

The teenagers all meet at a public park picnic table at around six. Patton, Virgil, Remy, and Emile sit on a blanket Patton brought from his car. Roman, Janus, Remus, and Logan sit at the picnic table, though none of them are sitting correctly. Roman takes the lead, standing on the table and addressing the group. 

“My stupid brother and I have brought you all here today for an extra special practice session! We, the leads, have much work to do!” 

Remus nods excitedly in agreement, “I personally think our first order of business should be to help Nerdy McSpecks to not look like getting it on is his worst fear!”

Most people laugh at this, and Logan even smirks a little.

“I’m more than willing to work on that first! It sounds like fun!” Patton chimes in, getting a nod of agreement from Virgil who is splayed out on the grass with his hood pulled over his face. 

“So that Logan can be most equipped, everyone who wants to can try and be Eliza!” Remus calls out loudly, and Remy chokes back laughter.

“That’s totally not just for Remus.” Janus mutters, but Logan catches it.

He’s confused now. If Remus wanted to help him practice he should have just asked? He’s certain that a guy like Remus would ask, but he disappeared at lunch. Logan wonders whether he was embarrassed to ask, but that couldn’t be it. Remus was never embarrassed. Had Patton said something to him in the hall? No, no, he wouldn’t have! Logan is zapped into his own mind, not realizing everyone is looking at him for a response until Patton speaks up.

“Well, he doesn’t have to practice with Remus is he doesn’t want to,” 

He shakes his head, “That’s not it. I was only wondering why Remus hadn’t asked before. It’s out of character for him.”

Remus cackles like a witch and grips his stomach like that was the funniest thing he’s ever heard, “Worried about me, Logie-bear?”

“Should I be? If so, then yes.” 

The whole group was silent until Remus laughed again, giving Logan a playful kick. 

“Get on with your marriage to Patton, loverboy!” 

The practice with Patton went about as well as it did in the theatre. Virgil had a clear view now, and was trying desperately not to break into a fit of laughter at Logan’s expense. It really was funny, the lack of emotion in his face seemed like it was purposeful rather than a genuine lack of knowledge. When they were finished, Remus popped up, taking Patton’s place in front of Logan. 

“First step to flirtation!” Remus begins loudly, most of the group deciding to tune them out while he instructed, “Lose your self-respect!”

“...Absolutely not.”

“Logan, boobear, you need to lose something to get the emotional stick out of your ass!” 

Logan didn’t respond, looking away from Remus. That...that one did hurt. Even if he knew he wasn’t the most emotional person, it wasn’t exactly nice to hear. 

Of course, Remus noticed, “Hey-Uh-I didn’t mean it like that! Maybe...Maybe…” 

A light bulb goes off in his head and he grabs Logan’s hands, he beams as he drags Logan further out into the grass. 

“Remus, what are you-” 

He doesn’t get to finish, Remus places a hand on Logan’s hip and holds the other tightly. 

There’s nothing he can do but follow his lead, getting another very close look at Remus as he places his hand tentatively on Remus’ shoulder. Today his makeup is purple, and his eyes look a lot less wild. His shirt has the name of a band Logan’s never heard of on the front, and his leather jacket is covered in patches and spikes. There’s no mistaking the distinct scent of Roman’s rose perfume, surely he was doused in it after practice to make up for taking a bite out of his deodorant instead of putting it on. Usually it smells awful and makes Logan want to gag, but something about a scent so sweet on a person so wild almost makes Logan lose his grip. Dancing with him is mindless, he’s being led like they’ve danced together a thousand times. When Remus raises his arm and spins Logan out, his demeanor breaks. He smiles softly, not because of the dancing, but because Remus is looking at him with the widest grin he’s ever seen. His teeth are so sharp, and on his face it looks so right. 

He feels breathless when Remus spins him back in.

“You look happy,” He chimes into his ear, “Could it be that I’m already a talented seductress?”

Logan presses his head back into Remus’ chest and really laughs for the first time in a long time. 

“Eliza,” Logan starts slowly, moving back to dancing position, “I don’t have a dollar to my name.”

Remus is confused for a moment, then has to fight back his blush.

“An acre of land, a troupe to command, a dollop of fame,” Logan has no idea the group is staring at the pair. 

He’s wrapped up in dancing, a sweet smile on his face, “All I have’s my honor, a tolerance for pain, a couple of college credits and-”

“Your top notch brain,” Remus spins Logan again, and boops his nose before he returns a hand to his hip. 

He can’t help but laugh again, “Insane, your family brings out a different side of me, Peggy confides in me. Angelica tried to take a bite of me-”

Remus feigns an offended gasp at this which makes Logan laugh a third time, “No stress, my love for you is never in doubt,”

Now Remus can’t stop the blush on his cheeks, with the combination of the lyrics and Logan’s laughter there’s no way he wouldn’t. 

“We’ll get a little place in Harlem and we’ll figure it out,” 

The dancing has led them into a more secluded area now, and though the others are peering through trees to try and see the pair but they can only see their legs. 

“I’ve been living without a family since I was a child,” They stop dancing and stand and sway together. 

Logan and Remus stand chest to chest, “My father left, my mother died, I grew up buck wild.”

“That’s more of a me thing-”

Logan rolls his eyes and plays him off, “But I’ll never forget my mother’s face, that was real.”

He raises a hand and cups Remus’ cheek like he does in practice with Patton, and Remus nuzzles into his palm. Patton does that too, but somehow this feels more...intimate. It must be the privacy.

“As long as I’m alive, Eliza, I swear to god, you’ll never feel so…” 

Remus clears his throat then moves his head out of Logan’s hand, but doesn’t step away.

“If you’re that good with me, why not in practice?”

Logan is compelled to tell the truth, “Don’t laugh.”

“Mmm, No promises.” He’s clearly teasing, Logan knows him well enough to know he means he won’t.

“I have to kiss Patton at the end of the song. I think it freaks me out. I-I’ve never-” 

Remus smirks, he squeezes Logan’s hip a little, “You know you have to kiss me too, right?” 

“Somehow, that freaks me out less.” He admits, because he’s on a particularly honest streak. He doesn’t know why the idea of kissing Remus doesn’t perturb him. He watched him bite his own deodorant stick today. Bite, chew, and swallow. 

“You know that’s weird as shit, right? Patton looks like the definition of a good kid, and is basically the sweetest person ever. You’d rather lock lips with the resident fucktard?”

“I don’t think of you like that.”

Remus has to take a step back and cover his face with the sleeve of his jacket. 

“Logan,” Remus starts in the quietest voice he can manage, “You know you don’t have to kiss either of us, right?”

Logan makes an agreeable noise and nods, so Remus takes his arm back off his face. 

“If it’s somehow less weird for me to be your first kiss, then you know I’d kiss you right?”

Whipping his head around and looking slightly shocked, Logan whispers, “Right here?”

“Take me for a coward, Logie-bear?” He teases, stepping back into Logan’s personal space.

Logan smiles wide, something he’s going to have to grow accustomed to Remus drawing out of him, “Only on occasion.” 

Which is somehow the perfect answer for Remus, who laughs beautifully and takes Logan’s chin in his hand. The kiss is short but more delicate than anything Logan had ever witnessed Remus do.

Moments after, Janus yells at them to stop making out, and Remus throws himself through the trees to yell at him. 

Logan has to take a moment and take in the fading tingle on his lips, it’s magnetic. 

“Logan?” Patton had come looking for him, “You okay?”

“Yes, very. Remus was very helpful.”

Patton smiles at him, “I saw that laughing you did! You looked so happy!”

“I…” Logan is stunned from words, but Patton picks up the slack. 

“It’s okay, I get it! Virgil gets embarrassed about laughing like that too!” 

He follows Patton back to the group, and they move on. Logan’s mind won’t stop racing, and he can’t stop thinking about Remus. Patton and Remus are critiquing Janus’ performance of Wait For It while Logan sits with Virgil in the grass. 

“Do you want his number?”

“Whose?”

“Remus’ number. Do you want it?”

“Why would I-”

“You looked like you wanted it.”

In the end, he gets Remus’ number. He texts him later that night after he finds himself unable to sleep and unsure why.

‘I apologize for the late hour, but this is Logan. I couldn’t sleep, and Virgil gave me your number this evening, so you can see as to why I am texting you now. I wanted to thank you for all your help today. I had fun, which surprises me. I do not say that often.’

Barely a minute later, he gets a response.

‘😍😍😘😘OH MY GOD LOGIE-BEAR YOU ASKED FOR MY NUMBER!? YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST ASKED ME!! 😍😍😘😘🤬🤬🤬Anyyyyyywayyyyyy If you can’t sleep maybe I can entertain you ;)))😳😳😳😳’

‘I would enjoy that. Isn’t there a new episode of that show you like out tonight?’

‘THERE IS!! I can’t believe you remembered 💕💖💕💖💕💖SO I’ll give you my IN DETAIL thoughts on this weeks 🤬🤬HUGE fucking disappointment!🤬🤬’

Logan didn’t end up sleeping until the early hours of the morning.