#that's his gorgeous boyfriend wearing his shirt and he just knows jan is his

[lovvecherrymotion]

Jan wearing Nace’s tshirts, what do we think

i mean, jan looks adorable in his husband's oversized shirt so i think it's a yes from both of them 😏 (and me)

[brandstifter-sys]

Corpse Groom

Word Count: 1712                     (Ao3)

Characters: Janus, Patton, Roman, Remus, Virgil

Relationships: Dukexiety

Rating: T

Warnings: mild body horror, death mention, decay, zombies, crying, innuendo

--------

Janus was a reasonable side. He put up with a fair amount of nonsense and contributed to Thomas' well-being. All he asked for were a chance to make his case and that no one touch his hat.

"I swear to you, Patton, there will be hell to pay if he doesn't have it!" Janus practically snarled at the side on his left, "I don't care how much you want to protect him. I have one rule!"

"Don't speak to Patton that way!" Roman cut in, glaring at Janus. He was not happy about parading around with the snake, but he was not about to let Patton go alone.

Janus stopped outside Virgil's door and hissed at him. Without his hat, he looked far more feral and far less patient.

"Now Roman, it's okay. Jan is upset, really upset, and I know he doesn't mean it. What would you do if someone took your sword? This is important to him," Patton chided and did the honor of knocking on the door. Roman bristled and crossed his arms.

"What!?" Virgil groaned tiredly from the other side of the door.

"Hey kiddo, it's just me. I was wondering if you knew where Janus' hat was!"

"On his head?" Virgil grumbled, "I don't have it. I wouldn't want it! Ask Remus or something!"

Any response died in Patton's throat the second he laid eyes on Janus. The poor thing was teary eyed and clawing at his hair.

"Thanks anyway, Virge!" Pat responded and scooped Janus into his arms. He ignored Roman's disapproving glare and made his way to the common area. Janus clung to his shirt and sobbed.

"It's okay, Yellow Jay. We'll find it," Patton said soothingly and sat on the couch. Janus shook his head and buried his face in Patton's shoulder, not caring that Roman came in and could see him like this.

"Logan doesn't have it! It's not lost in your room! Remus said he doesn't have it! Virgil and Roman don't want to sully their hands with anything of mine! It's gone!"

”What do you mean 'sully?'"

"They hate me and want nothing to do with me! I tried to be helpful and it backfired! I don't care about that now, I just want my hat back!" he wailed and trembled in Patton's arms. Patton shot a pointed look at Roman, who looked uncomfortable.

Roman sat down on the other side of the sectional and twiddled his thumbs. He had to keep Patton safe from this slippery serpent but he really didn't want to sit and watch his nemesis cry. He would take discomfort over uncertainty.

Die, die, we all pass away

Remus' voice floated through the room, like a distant echo laced with radio static. Janus paused and dried his eyes as the chilling words encircled him. He had no idea what Remus was up to.

But don't wear a frown, 'cause it's really okay!

Patton and Roman shared an unsettled look.

You might try and hide and you might try and pray! But we all end up the remains of the day!

Remus faded out like a whisper on the wind, leaving an iciness in his wake. The three sat in silence, anticipating the worst. But nothing happened.

"What is he doing?" Roman asked and rolled his neck.

"I have every idea," Janus huffed, his voice still wet from his breakdown.

"Well whatever it is, it looks like he—"

Die, die, we all pass away! But don't wear a frown 'cause it's really okay!

"I sit corrected," Patton winced. Janus hugged him and ruffled his hair. Patton would need cuddles after this.

You might try and hide and you might try and pray! But we all end up the remains of the day!

Remus' voice traveled like a fog over the three, always the same lyrics, changing in volume as if he were dancing about the room. It put Patton and Roman on edge. Janus was trying to compose himself rather than pay attention to Remus' antics. He was trying to get attention from someone else.

It was after the fifth time Remus graced them with his eerie song that Virgil trudged into the common area, still waking up. He was going to question the trio shifting uncomfortably in their seats but then Remus started singing again.

Virgil sighed and walked in front of the couch, scanning the ceiling for something.

"I take it he's bothering you," Virgil said, turning his back to them as he scanned overhead. He paused for a moment and sighed, crossing his arms. Remus was going to pay for this.

In an instant, Virgil's usual hoodie and jeans combo was gone. Instead, he was in a gorgeous, albeit old and faded, strapless wedding dress that showed off his back and shoulders. Or it would have, if not for the long veil that dropped past his hips. It was certainly enough to make Roman gawk.

Until he turned around, still examining the ceiling and shifting to get in position.

"Zombie!" Patton shrieked and clung to Janus. Virgil paid him no mind. His left arm was all bone and his skin was blue. Part of his left cheek was rotted away to reveal his teeth, there was enough decay on his right side to show some rib, and from his ankle to his thigh, his right leg was all bone, with just enough flesh on his foot to wear a pair of heels that he really didn't need. The slit in his skirt revealed that much to the confused sides.

Adjusting the flowery veil and righting his neck, Virgil took a deep breath and said,

"Hopscotch."

He held out his arms as a skeleton fell from the ceiling with a yell. He was bare, save for a familiar mustache and an even more familiar derby hat. Patton nearly fainted.

"Hey! Give me a listen you corpses of cheer! At least those of you who still got an ear!" Remus sang and went limp in Virgil's arms. He was fighting back a smile.

"I'll tell you a story that'll make a skeleton cry!" He ran a bony finger down his cheek, drawing attention to his only eye. Janus knew where to aim first.

"Of our own jubiliciously lovely corpse bride!" Remus sang, spreading his arms to show off Virgil. When there was no response he sat up and licked Virgil's cheek, and for good measure, grabbed his butt.

Virgil dropped him and held up his hands. Remus landed with a yelp. Janus got up and snatched his hat. He sank out with a huff.

"What the hell was that!?" Roman snapped. Remus shrugged.

"An idea! And it was a good idea! Just look at this hot emo snack!" Remus giggled and tried to get a peek up Virgil's skirt. He had to know the extent of the decay!

Virgil pushed him away with his foot, with some force, before bending over and picking him up again. It was safer for everyone that way.

"Before you say anything about me in a dress, you might want to take Pat to his room. He looks like he's gonna be sick," Virgil said pointedly. He made it a point not to show this much skin—and bone–around anyone but Remus. He stopped trying to keep the duke from seeing since he showed up at the worst times.

Roman nodded solemnly and picked Patton up like a princess. He sank out with the father figure and left the undead to their business.

"Are you ever going to ask me to watch a movie like a normal person?" Virgil scoffed and averted his gaze, "And you can ask to cosplay rather than this."

"Nope! It's so much more fun to see how you react to my set-up!" Remus jeered, "I was hoping for you to say your vows so I could pop up in the dress and smooch you! But this works too!"

"If that happened I would definitely try to get away from you and get hitched to some boring girl—named Virginia. I'm not about to do that."

"Is it 'cause you're gay or because I'm that irresistible?" Remus teased and wiggled his eyebrows.

"I'm very gay but I don't do skeletons," Virgil scoffed playfully. Remus giggled and snapped his fingers, or whatever someone without flesh does. In an instant Virgil's rot and blue skin were gone and Remus was naked in his arms.

"You forgot something," Virgil jeered.

"No I didn't!" Remus argued, "I have skin, and plenty of it if you wanna take a bite! And you, well your pecs look good in this dress. And your arms and legs. You're really hot. I would be your ball and chain, you can attach some balls and chains to my—"

"I have my own ideas for you," Virgil mused and set Remus on his feet. Virgil snapped his fingers and willed his second favorite onesie on, unzipped just for Remus. He got Remus in his grinch onesie too and set up the tv to watch Corpse Bride.

"It starts with a movie, then some trashy rom com to give us the chance to make out, and then we'll figure something out."

"Kinky!" Remus giggled and clapped his hands, "You know me too well, Scare Bear!"

"I like to know about my secret idiot boyfriend," Virgil teased and licked his cheek, "Maybe I'll tell the others soon so Princey doesn't get any ideas. I'd hate to see you murder him over me."

"What about—?"

"About anything else isn't good, but I don't know if I would completely hate it," Virgil joked and dragged Remus to the couch, pulling him against his side.

"Have I mentioned that I love you?"

"No, but I love you, so I beat you to it today," Virgil said and played the movie. Remus snickered and kissed his cheek.

"I can do better!"

"I'd like to see you try."

"With this hand I will lift your sorrows," Remus hummed and grabbed Virgil's hand, interlacing their fingers, "Your cup will never empty for I will be your wine—"

"Shut up," Virgil huffed, though his eyeshadow was turning purple.

"Okay!" Remus giggled and snuggled closer. He had better ideas to make Virgil his corpse groom—without making him an actual corpse!

[vindicatedvirgil]

only fools rush in / part one: two parties and a lot of crushes

this first part is kind of all over the place. basically i just wanted to establish the dynamics going on here and i figured the best way to do so would be through group hang outs and stuff like that. it feels like i cover a lot here, but future installments will be more focused on one couple or group! sorry for the kind of wackiness and yeah.

i don’t think that there’s anything that i need to tag for this, but this part includes: QPP loceit, Remus making jokes, Roman crushing hard, Emile and Remy very briefly.

[masterlist]

if you want to be tagged when i update, please send me an ask/reply/reblog and i’ll be sure to add you for the next part! 

read to the end for the title and a small teaser for part two!

next update will be on: Sunday, July 19.

---

“Wait, you have a twin?” Patton looked at Roman in deep disbelief. “Why didn’t you get an apartment with him?” Roman just shrugged, unloading one of his boxes, hanging up his shirts. “Lo, did you know about this?”

“Yes. He’s one of Janus’ new roommates,” the man in the tie said, leaning against the wall, eyes focused on the phone in his hand as he typed quickly. Patton’s jaw dropped, and he crossed his arms, frowning. 

“Yeah, he’s moving in with Virgil Cloud, too,” Roman said, eyes focused forward, but he couldn’t hide the light dusting of pink that appeared on his cheeks. Virgil was the techie for the last school production, and Roman couldn’t help but fall for the embodiment of a dark and stormy night, with his black nail polish and purple fringe and–

“Earth to Roman,” Patton was waving a hand in front of his face. Roman blinked, then smiled awkwardly at his pastel-clad roommate. “You should invite them all to a party tonight! Logan, will you tell Jan to bring his roommates?”

“I- we were gonna…” Logan sighed, then nodded, head hanging in front of him, “I guess so.” He didn’t have the heart to tell his roommates that he and his partner had other plans for the evening, so he texted Janus quickly about the change.

Roman and Patton want you to bring your roommates over for a party tonight. We can leave early, though. -Logan

A party could be fun, Lo. Besides, I think that Virgil has a crush on Roman. ~Janus

I believe that it’s mutual. I don’t really want to stick my nose into their business, though. -Logan

-

Logan opened the door to the apartment to see Janus, Remus, and Virgil standing there. Remus was holding a twelve-pack of beer, Janus had a bottle of wine, and Virgil kept his eyes down on the floor, not acknowledging anything as the three stepped into the apartment. Logan kept the door open since it was already warm in the apartment with the three of them; the end of summer was always unbearably hot in their town. Roman immediately gravitated towards Virgil as the others went over to the kitchen counter to open their drinks.

“Hi Virgil,” Roman said, smiling brightly. “I don’t know if you remember me–”

“Of course I do,” Virgil muttered, leaning against a wall awkwardly. “You were the lead in the play last term.” Roman stammered over his words, his cheeks once again dusted with pink.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, that…” he chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “You uh, did a really great job as one of the tech guys. It was… awesome.”

“Thanks.” Virgil stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, and he still hadn’t looked up at Roman.

“Can I uh… get you a drink or something? Or…” Roman’s words trailed off, he wished that Virgil would just look up at him and meet his eyes and then maybe they���d fall in love–

“Hey there!” Emile stepped in through the open front door, carrying a plate full of baked goods. “I just wanted to welcome you… oh, looks like somebody’s having a party!” Roman grumbled then went up to the man in the sweater, wondering how he could cope in the heat. “Hi there! I’m Emile Picani, I live downstairs!” “Nice to meet you. I’m Roman, and my roommates Patton and Logan are… somewhere,” he said, sticking his hand out. Emile giggled and brought the tall man in for a hug. “Oh, uh…”

“Sorry, I’m a bit of a hugger!” Emile laughed, setting the cookies down on a table. “You all go to the university? I’m working on my psychology doctorate there.” At this, Virgil perked up and came over, and Emile held his arms out for a hug.

“Please don’t,” Virgil muttered, and Emile backed up a little, giving a toothy smile. “Uh… you study psychology? I’m majoring in that…” He said shyly, and Emile pulled him by his wrist to sit down on one of the couches.

“Okay, I’m your mentor now! Let’s chat,” The two went to go sit down on the couch, and Roman frowned. Of course Virgil would be interested in chatting with someone in his field of study, but… he really wanted to talk to Virgil, maybe ask him on a date. He stuffed one of the cookies that Emile made into his mouth and groaned at how delicious they were. Of course he could bake. He’d probably be able to steal Virgil away, too.

Remus was watching this from his spot against one of the walls, and noticed his twin’s distraught demeanor. He thought about saying something, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Patton smiling brightly at something that Janus said, his sweater sleeves pushed up to his elbows, exposing colorful floral tattoos on his forearms, and that was it: Remus was smitten. He didn’t hesitate to approach the trio talking at the kitchen counter, Janus and Logan sharing a bar stool, Patton resting his chin on his hands as he listened to the pair recall how they decided to become partners over the summer break. Remus settled into a chair next to Patton, and silence fell over the table.

“I don’t believe we’ve met, cutie pie,” Remus said, raising an eyebrow at the small man. Janus and Logan exchanged a look and got up to go chat with Roman, and Patton turned his attention to focus directly on Remus.

“You must be Remus!” Patton exclaimed suddenly, eyes bright as his smile beamed at the curly-haired man, and Remus suddenly wished that he was wearing sunglasses. “I can’t believe I didn’t know that Ro had a twin!”

“Ah, you must be Patton,” Remus said, realizing that this was the roommate he didn’t know. Patton nodded excitedly. Remus stretched his hand out and grazed his fingers against the floral tattoos, and Patton shivered. “These are beautiful, though not as gorgeous as you, flower.”

“T-thank you,” Patton said, his face bright red at the fact that he was complimented and given a nickname. “Do you have tattoos?” Remus nodded and rolled up one of his jacket sleeves, revealing a morning star.

“I minor in medieval history. Weaponry is so fascinating,” he mused, and Patton nodded, brushing his short fingers over the tattoo. “I have a few more, but they’re in… unique places… Maybe I can show you someday, flower.”

“O-oh, uhm…” Patton stammered over his words, the blush spreading down to his neck and to his ears. “M-maybe…” Remus smirked, leaning closer to the small man.

“If I’m making you uncomfortable, please tell me,” He whispered, and Patton shook his head quickly, which made Remus smile. Patton wasn’t exactly Remus’ usual type; soft boys never paid much attention to those with piercings and a menacing glare, but Remus quickly realized that Patton wasn’t like the others.

“Y-You’re not…” Patton’s face was so red and warm that he felt like he could explode. No one like Remus had ever paid him this much attention. He was always taunted by jocks and punks because of his softness, but Remus? The dark makeup, the piercings, the tattoos, and the leather jacket, it all made him feel… dangerous. And Patton secretly loved danger.

Roman was leaning against the wall, watching as everyone else had someone to talk to. His twin was hitting it off with Patton, Janus and Logan were sitting on one of the couches, looking at something on Logan’s phone, and Emile and Virgil were on another couch, talking about psychology. He had never felt left out from any situation in his life before, but here he was, alone in a room full of people.

He couldn’t help but focus on Virgil, who had lit up as he talked about things that Roman knew nothing about. Roman was, of course, happy that Virgil was smiling, but he wished he was the one making the very tall man smile. Emile seemed nice enough, but… something about him irked Roman to no end.

“Oh, hang on,” Emile’s phone was ringing, the tune to a cartoon that Roman vaguely remembered blasting out loudly. He answered the phone, and Roman listened carefully. “Oh, sorry baby! I’m upstairs welcoming our new neighbors. I’ll be right there. Okay, bye.” He hung up and glanced around. “Sorry, that was my boyfriend Remy, I have to go!” He gave a hug to Virgil who waved goodbye awkwardly, then went around hugging everyone, and then left the apartment, closing the front door behind him. Virgil looked like he was going to melt into the couch, and Roman took this as his moment. He sat down next to the tall man and gave him a warm smile.

“So, uh, what do you think the production will be for this term?” Roman asked, and Virgil shrugged. “I’m hoping for a musical, but I’m not much of a dancer…”

“I kind of want something that allows me to experiment with fog on the stage, you know?” Virgil said, glancing down. “I’m not brave enough to audition for any roles on the stage, but I really like working behind the scenes…” Roman frowned, watching Virgil carefully.

“Well, when they announce the production and if there’s a role that interests you, I could help you… practice, maybe? To build up your confidence,” he suggested, but Virgil just shook his head. “I used to get stage fright really bad. But… if it’s something you love doing… then it’s worth all of that anxiety, right?”

“Is it?” Virgil’s voice was shaky. “In one of my school plays as a kid I fell on my face in front of everybody during my solo. Afterwards, I found out that someone purposely spilled water where they knew I’d be walking.” He twisted his fingers together, and Roman frowned. “Ever since, I haven’t wanted to be on stage in front of others.”

“No one would do that here,” Roman said reassuringly. “If they did, I’d beat them up until they fell on the ground, too,” his face was firm, resolved, and it made Virgil laugh a little. “I think… you should try. I’d love to perform with you.”

“Yeah… maybe,” Virgil looked down at him finally, and Roman thought he would melt into a puddle on the floor. “Thanks, Roman.”

-

“Remus is so cool, you know? And he’s so sweet,” Patton was blabbering. It was a few weeks after the party, and the three roommates were playing Mario Kart in the living room. In the time since that first party, the semester had started and they were all buried in school work, and had only seen the other three in passing or going out to dinner as a group. “N-not that you’re not cool, Roman, it’s just… he’s on a different level!”

“Yeah, a dangerous level,” Roman muttered so that Patton couldn’t hear, but Logan did, and he sighed. Roman didn’t want to reveal his fraught relationship with his brother to Patton, but he also wanted to protect the soft, small man. But… Patton was so enthralled, and Roman had never seen him that way. He seemed happier since meeting Remus, and had a confidence that didn’t exist in him before. But Roman definitely had a surge of concern for the other man.

“Do you think we should invite them all over today?” Patton suggested as he finally rolled over the finish line, in second to last place. Logan had gotten first, of course, and Roman a close second. This was the usual for their games. 

“I actually have plans with Janus–” Logan started, but then his phone rang. He answered it. “Hello? Oh, hi Janus… what? But we were…” he sighed, then covered the receiver while he looked at the two others. “Remus wants to invite us all to their place for a movie night or something.”

“Yes!!” Patton exclaimed happily. “Oh, I should figure out what to wear. What time, Lo?” He asked, his excitement bubbling over. It was contagious. Roman could practically see the cogs in Patton’s mind moving as he thought about what to wear and how to do his makeup.

“Eight, apparently,” Logan responded, his lips pulled into a taut line. He brought the receiver back towards his mouth. “I guess we will be there. Yeah, see you later. Bye.” He hung up, a frown on his face. Roman wondered if he should dress nice, too, since he’d be seeing Virgil.

“Dibs on the first shower!” Roman exclaimed, dropping his controller and running off to the bathroom. Three guys and one bathroom wasn’t ideal, but it was what they had to deal with.

By the time all three of them had gotten ready, it was almost 7:30. Roman went with his usual attire, as opposed to Patton, who went a little overboard (probably to try and impress Remus): he was wearing a pale green sweater and some shorts, knee-high socks, and his converse, his makeup bright and colorful, the emphasis on his lips and eyes. Logan was wearing his usual attire as well, but had slipped into a coat since they’d be walking to the other building. It was only a few blocks away, but things always got sidetracked when Roman and Patton were involved.

Once Patton slung his messenger bag over his shoulder, the three set out to the others’ apartment. On their way down, they passed Emile, who was walking into the building with another man, their fingers intertwined.

“Hey kiddos!” Emile said cheerfully, waving his free hand at them. “Remy, these are the new neighbors I told you about!” The man called Remy raised his eyebrows then nodded in greeting.

“Hey babes,” he said. 

“Where are you all going together?” Emile asked, and Roman thought it was a bit nosy to ask of them, but he said nothing.

“Oh, we’re going to Roman’s twin brother’s apartment–”

“Yes, and we really should get going now. Goodbye Emile, nice to meet you Remy,” Roman began to nudge Patton along the sidewalk, and Logan shot the couple an apologetic glance. 

-

“Ugh, this movie is booooooring!” Remus yelled, startling the others. He had thrown his arms up in frustration. Logan and Janus were on the couch, trying to wait for the right moment to leave since they had their own plans. Remus, Roman, and Patton were on the floor or on cushions, eating the pizza they’d ordered, and Virgil was on the lounge chair, just observing.

“You’re the one who suggested a movie, idiot,” Virgil muttered, crossing his arms. Remus frowned, then finished off his bottle of beer. He made a soft hmmm noise, then began speaking again.

“This empty bottle gives me an idea. Spin the bottle, anyone? Or perhaps… truth or dare with spin the bottle?” He suggested, eyebrows wiggling. Patton’s face turned bright red, and some of the others all mumbled their disagreement.

“Isn’t that game for high schoolers, Re?” Roman asked, rolling his eyes. He glanced at Virgil, though, and wondered what it would be like to kiss him tonight. Not that he’d ever do that, Virgil hadn’t shown any interest in him, but…

“Sounds like fun,” Janus said, smirking from his spot next to Logan, who pouted. Janus noticed this and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Oh, come now, Lolo, just a round or two and then we can go, okay? You know how much I love truth or dare.” Logan sighed, then nodded.

“Fine, a few rounds.”

The group moved the coffee table out of the way and sat in a circle, the empty beer bottle laying in the middle of all of them. “Alright, rule time,” Remus started. “The spinner asks the person it lands on for truth or dare, and then must ask them. The person who last did the thing spins it next. Capiche?” Roman shrugged and then pat Remus on the shoulder.

“You spin first, bro,” he said, settling in as he sat cross-legged on the floor. Remus shrugged and leaned forward, spinning the bottle. It pointed towards Logan, who sighed. Remus smirked, crossing his arms, deep in thought.

“Truth or dare?” Remus asked finally, meeting Logan’s eyes. It was silent for a few moments as Logan pondered his options. Janus leaned over and whispered something in Logan’s ear, and his partner nodded.

“Truth,” Logan said confidently, and Remus raised an eyebrow. 

“Would you wear your best friend’s used underwear if you went camping and ran out?” Remus asked, and Patton giggled, covering his mouth to prevent spit from flying everywhere.

“Uh…” Logan glanced at Janus, who was trying to hide his laughter at the audacity of the question. “Yeah, I would? I’ve worn Janus’ underwear before–”

“Whoah, whoah, too much info, stop,” Virgil waved his hands, groaning. Patton pouted a little, frowning at Logan and Janus.

“I thought I was your best friend, Lo?” He asked, and Logan hit his forehead with his hand. 

“You- Pat, ugh,” Logan was exasperated, and he glanced at Patton carefully. “You’re both my best friends, okay?” Patton seemed pleased with this answer, a smile crossing his features again. Logan leaned forward to spin the bottle, and it landed on Remus. “Uh…”

“I mean, if it’s just you two who get to play, that’s fine,” Virgil commented, leaning his back on the lounge chair behind him.

“Maybe if it lands on Logan again, though, you respin?” Patton suggested, and everyone else nodded in agreement. Remus shrugged, and then nodded to Logan.

“Dare me, Lodaddy,” he cackled, and Janus rolled his eyes, but still slid his hand over to rest on Logan’s thigh, a protective glare directed at Remus.

“I dare you to get an A in one of your courses this semester,” Logan smirked, adjusting his glasses. A few of the others grumbled about how that wasn’t fair, but Remus nodded in acceptance and held out his hand to shake Logan’s.

“Dealio!” He spun the bottle again and it landed on Roman. “Alright, twinny twin, truth or dare?” He waggled his eyebrows at his twin.

“I know better than for you to ask me a truth. So, dare,” Roman said, confident with his decision. An evil look crossed Remus’ eyes only briefly as he glanced between Roman and Virgil.

“Kiss the back of Virgil’s knee,” he said simply, and Roman nearly choked on his own saliva. Virgil buried his face in his hands, grumbling a little. Patton started to defend the two.

“Now, Virgil, you don’t have to–”

“Yes I do, it’s a fucking dare,” Virgil mumbled, standing up. He rolled one of his pant legs up and turned around so the back of his leg was facing Roman, whose face was bright red and who felt like his breath was being stolen from him. “Just make it quick, Princey.” Roman turned more red at the nickname, which probably stemmed from his role in the production from the previous semester. He scooted over to Virgil and pressed his lips to the bend between Virgil’s thigh and calf, and then scooted back, saying nothing. The tall man rolled his pant leg back down and sat down, explicitly not looking at Roman. His pale face was lightly pink.

After a few awkward beats, Roman leaned forward and spun the battle. It landed on Patton, who looked to be in deep thought. “Truth or dare, Pat?”

“Hmmm. I think truth is safer,” Patton admitted, and Roman thought a little. He hoped that his plan would work, but was concerned over what could come from a question like this. He really did want happiness for Patton, even if his brother was involved.

“What are three things you first noticed when you met your crush, if you have one?” Roman asked, and Patton glanced down at his fingers, twisting them together, his face dusted with a pale blush. Remus perked up a little, listening carefully to the answer the small man gave.

“U-um… well… I noticed that he has gray in his hair, that he has a lot of piercings, and that he has a cute smile,” Patton said this so quietly that everyone had to lean in to hear it. Patton’s face was bright red by the time he finished listing off the attributes, and everyone’s eyes trailed over to Remus, who was smirking. Patton quietly excused himself and practically ran to the restroom, grabbing his bag along the way, leaving the rest of the group in an awkward silence.

“Fuck, that’s on me,” Roman said, standing up. “I’ll go… check on him,” he said, and he followed Patton to the bathroom, knocking on the door once. “Pat, it’s me Roman, are you okay?”

“Why did you ask me that?” Patton asked from the other side of the door. It sounded like he was crying, since he was sniffling a little bit. “You know I like him, but I wasn’t ready to say anything, Ro.”

“I’m sorry, Patton, I just… I saw that you liked him and figured a little nudge could help…” Roman explained, then sighed. Maybe he had overstepped a little. “Do you wanna go home?”

“Roman,” a voice came from behind him. It was Remus. “Is he okay?” Concern was etched on his face, and he had crossed his arms. Roman was surprised to see this much care coming from his twin.

“Is that Remus? Oh god, hang on,” Patton sounded like he was panicking. “Where are my makeup remover wipes–” A clattering of things falling out of his messenger bag could be heard. “Shoot!” Remus and Roman exchanged a look as the noises of Patton being flustered echoed into the hallway. “I can’t believe… such a fool… dang it… stop crying, idiot…”

“Patton,” Remus stepped past Roman to knock on the door. “Patton, it’s okay… I uh…” He cleared his throat, “my first impressions of my crush were that he has really awesome floral tattoos, his pink hair is awesome, and he dresses in a really cute way.” He admitted. Roman started to back up, but saw Patton open the door and peek out.

“R-really…?” He asked. It was obvious he had been crying, his eyes were red and his eyeliner had smudged, but he had wiped the majority of it off. “Um…”

“Patton, do you wanna go on a date with me next weekend?”

Roman scooted out of earshot, and stepped back into the living room, but not before he heard Patton squeak out an affirmation. Janus and Logan had disappeared, maybe off to go and do whatever their plans were, and Virgil was scrolling on his phone.

“Sorry about Remus’ dare. If I’d have known about what he’d ask me to do, I would’ve gone with a truth instead,” Roman admitted. Virgil’s face hardened, but the theater major didn’t notice this. “I’d hate to make you uncomfortable.”

“Uh, it’s okay…” Virgil didn’t meet Roman’s eyes, though, as he sat down beside him on the couch. “Actually, um. I was looking at the roles for this next production? Have you looked yet?” Of course Roman had looked. They were going to be doing a production of Wicked, and Roman was absolutely stoked for it.

“Yeah, I’m planning on auditioning for Fiyero…” Roman mused, then remembered the conversation he had with Virgil a few weeks ago. “Is there a role you’re interested in, Virgil?”

“Um, actually, I’ve always loved Boq, but… I don’t know if I’m talented enough for that,” he admitted, twisting his fingers together. “Plus I’m a little tall to play a Munchkin.” Roman sighed, then smiled encouragingly at the taller man.

“Well, I can help you practice for the audition, if you’d like!” Roman said, and Virgil nodded. “I don’t think your height will affect anything, it’s all about talent!”

“Oh. Yeah… I’d uh… really appreciate that, actually.” Virgil responded, still looking down at his hands. “I just… auditioning is really scary, you know?” Roman shrugged, then set his hand on Virgil’s shoulder.

“Maybe they’ll let us audition together, so that way you’ve got a familiar face on stage,” he suggested. Virgil nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. “Hey, don’t worry, Virge. I think you’re gonna do great.”

---

teaser for part two: a botanical garden and some deep conversations

“I’ve never seen you so panicked over a first date, so I think that means that this is… real for you. You’re going to take this one seriously.”

~

“I want someone who understands how special I can be… but also someone who I can pamper and love with all of my heart.”

---

part two | part three | part four | part five | part six | part seven | part eight | part nine | part ten

---

taglist (send an ask, reblog, or reply if you want to be added)

@winterrose42

@are-you-even--real 

[masterlist]

[jgroffdaily]

Jonathan Groff, now starring as a hapless flower shop clerk in an Off Broadway revival of “Little Shop of Horrors,” has a tiny confession to make.

“I am really bad with plants,” said the 34-year-old actor, recalling how rapidly the orchids and other flora occasionally sent his way seem to shrivel up and die. “I kill them.”

We were seated under an oak tree that had just tried to bean us with a fast-moving acorn, somewhere inside the New York Botanical Garden. Visiting had been my idea, and I wasn’t quite sure whether it was cheesy or inspired. (Spoiler alert: The musical is about a bloodthirsty plant).

But Mr. Groff was game — he had never been — and although the Bronx gardens were not especially menacing (other than that wayward nut) they did provide an opportunity for some reflection on his unlikely career swerve.

He’s performed in two juggernauts — the animated film “Frozen” (he voiced Kristoff, the rugged ice harvester, and will do so again in “Frozen 2” next month) and the stage musical “Hamilton” (he played King George, scoring his second Tony Award nomination with just nine minutes of stage time). And he stars as an F.B.I. agent in the critically lauded Netflix serial-killer drama “Mindhunter.”

So what is he doing in a 270-seat Hell’s Kitchen theater performing a show that can easily be seen at many a summer camp or community theater, and that, the producers say, will absolutely positively definitely not be transferring to Broadway?

The answer, he says, is mostly that it’s fun. He loves the idea (“It made me so giddy and excited”). He loves the music (“I’m just obsessed by it”). And he’s as surprised as you are (“I can’t believe we’re doing this”).

“We’re just laughing because it feels like we’re doing a professional version of the quintessential high school show,” he said. “We’re all going to back to that initial nerdy impulse of what made us fall in love with musical theater.”

The other key factor: This revival, of a show that first opened Off Off Broadway in 1982, is a passion project for the director Michael Mayer, who played a formative role in his career. Thirteen years ago, Mr. Mayer took a risk by choosing Mr. Groff over actors with more education and experience to star in an experimental Off Broadway musical called “Spring Awakening.”

That show transferred to Broadway and won eight Tonys; it brought Mr. Groff his first Tony nomination and changed his life. “It was everything I ever dreamed of, come true at 21,” Mr. Groff said. “And, like I told Michael, it’s a lifetime of paybacks.”

In May, Mr. Mayer asked Mr. Groff to join him at the Metropolitan Opera for a performance of his production of “Rigoletto,” and during intermission, said to him, “I think I found the next project we’re going to work on, because I know something about you that other people don’t.”

A week later, Mr. Mayer called and asked him to play Seymour, a clumsy and nebbishy orphan fascinated by exotic plants and besotted by his co-worker Audrey.

The show, written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, is now in previews at the Westside Theater, where it is scheduled to run through Jan. 19; the production also stars Tammy Blanchard, as the ill-treated and ill-fated Audrey, and the two-time Tony-winner Christian Borle as her sadistic dentist boyfriend.

“Jonathan presents as a beautiful man, competent and terrific and engaged and completely at ease in his own body — the paragon of the golden boy,” Mr. Mayer said. “But I know that there’s this other part of him that is very much like Seymour — he’s got insecurities, and he’s got this childlike passion for things that he can get obsessive about, in the way that Seymour is obsessed with the plant and with Audrey.”

Obsessions? Let’s just say that as a child, Mr. Groff would type out, from memory, scripts of “I Love Lucy” episodes (he also read books about Lucille Ball, a memoir by Desi Arnaz and a book about their company).

“I am a total nerd, and this role is actually closer to who I am as a person than the other parts that I’ve played on Broadway,” Mr. Groff said. “I have a whole side of me that isn’t the projected image,” he added. “I get this — I totally get it — and it feels like a natural fit.”

His physical transformation from hunky to homely has turned out to be surprisingly persuasive, so much so that this production has interpolated a recurring sight gag about the character’s unattractiveness that, by combining absurdity with plausibility, slays the audience (pardon the pun) over and over.

Mr. Groff, dressed by costume designer Tom Broecker in ill-fitting khakis and a vintage blue shirt, appears to cave in on himself during the first act of the show, as if he doesn’t even deserve to stand fully upright. He wears black mad scientist glasses, a beige cap and blue Chuck Taylors, and manages to look boxier and younger than he is in real life.

“The only way he’s not a Seymour is because he’s gorgeous,” Ms. Blanchard said. “But even that goes away — he just seems to shrink into this dorky thing.”

But is “Little Shop” more than a lark?

“It’s about something larger — it’s Faust,” Mr. Groff said. “It’s about greed, and how far you’ll go to get what you want.” But, he added, “the reason it ran for five years Off Broadway, and there’s a movie, and every theater in the world has done it, is because it so doesn’t take itself seriously.”

Visiting the botanical garden prompted memories for Mr. Groff, who said it reminded him of childhood trips to Longwood Gardens in his home state of Pennsylvania. “The smell!” he exulted.

He grew up in Lancaster County, where his father trains horses. He loved musicals, and dreamed of performing (early fantasy roles: Maria in “The Sound of Music” and Eliza in “My Fair Lady”). As a little boy, he dressed as Mary Poppins and Cinderella and Alice and Dorothy, as well as Peter Pan, before discovering the joys of Robin Hood.

He moved to New York instead of going to college, and after waiting tables and an early Broadway debacle (as an understudy in the short-lived “In My Life”) landed “Spring Awakening.” That show, he said, “was my college experience, in a lot of ways,” broadening his understanding of musical theater and increasing his appetite for risk.

He had known he was gay from an early age, and had been living with a boyfriend since he was 19; he came out to his parents shortly after leaving that show, at 23: “I said, ‘I’m gay, but I’m not going to be in a parade or anything.’”

By 2014, he was starring in the HBO series “Looking,” about a group of gay friends in San Francisco — and appeared as a grand marshal of New York City’s gay pride march.

“I started to just become way more comfortable,” he said. “When I came out it was sort of like, ‘If I could change it I would, but sorry, this is how I am,’ and then it took those years to feel like this is a part of me that I love and I would never want to change.”

He said coming out has had a generally positive impact on his career — he has been landing roles both gay and straight, and “ultimately the payoff has just been that I’ve been able to be more and more myself.”

And he’s happy. For the last year and a half he’s been dating Corey Baker, a choreographer from New Zealand he met while teaching at a musical theater summer school there. He lives in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, but also recently purchased a house adjoining his father’s horse farm, because he has a fantasy of eventually transforming the property.

“My ultimate dream is to turn it into a kind of artists’ colony for my friends to go make work,” he said.

Mr. Groff shuns social media — he said he doesn’t think his life is that interesting — and bikes around the city. He has no interest in clothing. He showed up for our photo shoot with three T-shirts — white, gray and black — proud that he had heeded a publicist’s advice to bring options.

Although he’s never quite sure what’s next career-wise, he likes the work he has.

“Mindhunter” was an unexpected pleasure — “I’m not naturally drawn to true crime,” he said — but he wanted to work with the director David Fincher, and has enjoyed the immersion in a new world, as well as the time filming in Pittsburgh, which allowed him weekends with his family.

Up next: “Frozen 2.” He won’t say much about what to expect, other than that Kristoff now gets his own song, and that the character is “ready to take it to the next step” with Princess Anna.

As we were wrapping up our conversation, I asked Mr. Groff about an article I had seen in a Pennsylvania paper, noting that he had been spotted in the audience for a community theater production of “Evita.”

Mr. Groff said he loves seeing theater where he grew up, and had been further inspired by the actor Michael Cerveris, who while filming “Mindhunter” had soaked up shows in Pittsburgh. So yes, he was at “Evita” with his 4-year-old niece, and he also made time to see “Mamma Mia!” at a theater where he had performed.

As we hopped into a golf cart to find our way out of the garden, he wanted to show me one more thing. He pulled out his phone, loaded with pictures of the cramped backstage at “Little Shop,” and swiped to a video in which he was running lines with that niece, who has been learning about the show in preparation for attending opening night.

“She’s apparently been telling the kids at her day care that she eats blood, and she’s obsessed with the plant’s eyes,” he said. “But I think she sort of gets that we’re playing pretend.”

[underimagines]

All Dolled Up - FellbrosxReader

So, if any of you remember this ask I answered a long time ago, I spun the Fellbros, particularly Pap’s, reaction, around in my head for a while and decided, “fuck it I’m gonna write this up”. So here you guys go. It’s also an early Birthday gift to myself (my b-day is Jan 30. I’ll be 23.), so the Reader is more myself than anything, but I kept it vague for you guys. EDT: Now on AO3. - Mod Sync

——-

“Hmm….. What to wear today?”

You shuffled through your clothes drawer, trying to decide on an outfit. It was a very lovely Summer day. Warm with a light breeze off the ocean, not a cloud in the sky to block the sun. Perfect for spending a day outside with your skeletal boyfriends. And lucky for you, Sans and Papyrus both had the day off today. You were gonna cash in this rare event for all its worth.

Now, if only you could decide what to wear.

You parused through your selection of shorts for what felt like the hundredth time. For some reason, you just weren’t… feeling your normal boyish style. You didn’t feel like wearing any of your shorts or pants or even a good number of your T-shirts.

You plopped down in a huff in front of your drawer. On a whim of slight frustration, you pulled open the bottom drawer, intending to push it closed in an attempt to relieve said frustration. Instead, you paused, your eye catching something.

It was a skirt of yours. One of the very few you had. You didn’t normally buy feminine clothing, only when whatever it was really caught your eye and just, resonated with you. And as such, it was very rare that you ever wore them.

You pulled out the skirt. It was a blue and white wrap skirt that fell below your knees. You remember getting it from one of the many New Age/Boho shops that dotted the shopping strip. You stood and tossed the skirt onto your bed. You also remember having a camisole that could go with it, a plain white thing that hugged your figure. Slip a swimsuit on underneath and you wouldn’t have to worry about it becoming transparent should you get it wet.

You appraise your choice once you’ve set it out.

Yeah. Yeah, this could work.

Looks like it’s a feminine day.

As you’re pulling on your chosen outfit, a thought occurred to you.

Sans and Papyrus had never seen you in anything even remotely feminine. This will be a treat. You giggled to yourself, imagining some possible reactions. Once you finished getting ready, a knock resounded from the front door. The boys were here. You rushed down to greet them, nabbing a pair of sandals from the shoe rack next to the door.

“Hey! You guy ready?” You beamed at them as you pulled the door open to let them in. They were both in more casual clothes, Sans in a t-shirt and swim shorts, while Papyrus, surprisingly, was in a nice black tank top and shorts, showing off his long limbs in the best of ways.

(God, Paps had legs for days, and the way he walked- stop that train of thought right now.)

“heya doll, yeah we’re ready.”

“YES, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS PREPA-” Oh, now they notice. You giggle a bit at the stunned looks on their faces. Sans’ face started to turn red as he stared, but something seemed off with Papyrus’ expression.

“What are you wearing?” Papyrus quietly asked you, a waver in his voice you didn’t recognize. Your brows began to pinch in confusion and concern.

“A skirt…? I thought it would be oka-”

“Go back and change.”

You froze, wide eyed. That… wasn’t what you were expecting.

“Wha-”

“boss-?”

“Go back and change. I don’t know who forced you into this, but I will not allow them the pleasure of seeing you humiliated for their entertainment.” He took you by the arm and began corralling you back to your room. “You will go change back into your normal clothes and I will hunt down whoever has harassed you into this.”

“I- Wha- Papyrus, no one forced me into this! This is mine!” You cried, trying to wretch your arm from his grip. He held fast, but stopped moving.

“You need not be afraid of them, dear. I will protect you, now that I know someone dared do this to you. THEY WILL RUE THE DAY THEY THOUGHT IT WAS GOOD TO MESS WITH MY DATEMATE!” Now you were just frustrated and confused.

“What are you even talking about?! I bought this at the strip weeks ago, I even still have the receipt!” You tried again to pry Papyrus’ hand from your arm, still failing. This when Sans finally stepped.

“hey, boss? think we’ve got a misunderstanding on our hands. how ‘bout you step outside for a second, while sweetheart and i have a chat?” Papyrus looked over at his brother with a slight glare, before huffing and releasing you.

“don’t worry, bro. i’ll get this sorted out.” Sans gave his brother a quick pat, moving out of the way so Papyrus could head out front. Sans then turned to you, giving you a sheepish smile and a peck on your cheek.

“you ok there doll?”

“Initially? Kinda upset, but now I’m just confused.” You rubbed at where Papyrus had held onto you. It was only faintly red from his grip, seeing as he would never dare hurt you on purpose. “What was he talking about?” Sans sighed and scratched at the back of his skull.

“how many monsters have you seen in feminine clothes?”

You paused at this question. You trace back your memories since Monsters arrived on the surface and became part of your like. And you were honestly struggling. Sans easily recognized this and continued.

“one, maybe two, right? there was a reason for that sweetheart.” Sans scrubbed his face and gave you a weak, crooked grin. “you already know the underground wasn’t exactly a nice place. things like skirts, tights, dresses, and such didn’t offer protection in certain ways and could be restricting. not exactly safe for a ‘kill or be killed’ world.”

“Ok… And how does this transfer over to me now?”

“see, there were only a few reasons anyone would wear clothes like that. first, you were powerful and could kick enough ass that no one could tell you otherwise. think muffet, or the queen. second, you were a kid who didn’t know any better, or just plain stupid. that got corrected real quick in most cases, and… not always in pleasant ways.” Sans shuddered, and you didn’t ask to elaborate. “third was… well, you were a prostitute. And forth is that someone forced you into them for humiliation purposes. put you in something skimpy or restricting in public and let everyone ridicule you. sometimes… those times developed into worse than just words…”

You put a hand over your mouth in shock, unspoken implications clear to you.

“And he hasn’t noticed anyone else in skirts on the streets at all? Or even in the shops?”

“if he did, i don’t think it registered? and maybe he thinks it’s a weird human thing in the shops? i don’t know, wasn’t expecting that either.” Sans shruged, then heaved a sigh, giving you an easier smile this time, brushing his knuckles along your cheek. “it ain’t that you’re not good looking, all dolled up. you look absolutely gorgeous right now, and i don’t care what you wear. just, don’t hold it against Paps for the way he reacted.”

“No, it’s ok. I get it now. Let’s go talk to him.” You lead Sans out the front where Papyrus was still waiting. At the sound of the door, Papyrus turned to the two of you. You quickly hurry over to him, before throwing your arms around his middle and hugging him tight. He stiffened at the sudden contact, still getting used to such affections, but he hesitantly wrapped his arms around you and held you tight.

“Oh Pap, I’m so sorry if I scared you. I didn’t know. I just wanted to wear something different today, it’s normal for some people.” You shifted a bit in order to look up at him. “If it really bothers you, I’ll go change. I don’t want you to be on edge for no reason.”

“I WASN’T-, You don’t-, I-…” Papyrus stopped and took a breath, calming himself as he tried to find the words. “I… should apologize as well. I thought about it while waiting and… I shouldn’t have jumped to such conclusions. You’ve trusted us to tell you when something is wrong, and I… should have had the same amount in you. Please forgive my impudence.”

“You thought something bad was happening based on things you’ve known. I can’t fault you for wanting to protect me, even if it was a misunderstanding. But I also made a mistake, so, I guess we’re kinda even in that regard?” You gave him a quick squeeze, smiling up at him. He cracked a small smile back at you, finally beginning to relax again.

“You-… really do look lovely, though.”

“Heehee, thanks Pap, you look pretty damn good as well.”

“and what am i? chopped liver?” Whoops, you two had forgotten about Sans, but his teasing tone at least showed he was fine with that at the moment. “we all good now?”

You blinked up at Papyrus, “We good?”

He leaned down a pressed a kiss to your forhead. “Yes, it’s fine now.”

“great. so, we heading to the strip today, or next century?”

“Scare unsuspecting tourist?” You deviously offered.

“scare unsuspecting tourists.” He flashed you a wicked grin.

“NYEH HEH HEH HEH!! THOSE WEAKLINGS WILL NEVER FORGET BEING JAPED BY THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS!!!!”

[ryderdolittle-blog]

Whale-y Good Time || Syder

Who: Sam Evans and Ryder Lynn

When: 28 Jan. around 6 PM EST (then 1 PM PST)

Where: New York to Hawaii

Why: Sam takes Ryder on a beach trip to end all beach trips. 

Sam was looking forward to the trip as he stood in front of the portal. He had his bag ready with his clothes and he was wearing a body suit underneath the clothes he was wearing so it would be easy to change. Bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet, he hoped Ryder would like the surprise he had put together. He had worked hard on it all week and it was great having Marley's help.

Ryder His only plan for the rest of the day was to do nothing. After his tutoring session with Quinn, his brain was fried. But when Ryder got back to his dorm, there were multiple surprises waiting. After changing into warmer clothes and packing a bag with the gifts from Sam, he called up Marley to guide him to his boyfriend. "I wish you could tag along," he said when they reached the portals, giving Marley a tight hug before letting her go. Ryder stepped into the area and grinned brightly as he saw Sam standing there. "Hey, hot blonde," he joked.

Sam grinned when he saw Ryder and walked over to kiss him gently. "Hey cute butt." He joked back as he waited for the lady at the portal to let them know they were ready. "Do you have an idea of what we're doing yet or do you want to wait until we're there?" He wanted to be as sneaky for as long as possible but was looking forward to seeing if Ryder had figured it out just yet.

Ryder "I'm guessing that at some point I'll be underwater snorkeling," he nodded sagely, holding up his bag. "And we'll get dinner at some point too hopefully," he chuckled. "You put Aloha in your note, so maybe Hawaii?"

Sam clapped his hands and nodded at each point Ryder made. "Yep, but that's not all we're doing. We have to go since we only have an hour for the underwater part. Think about what was with one of the notes." He winked as he let the lady know they were ready. She reminded him they had three hours so he nodded, knowing they had plenty of time before having to come back.

Ryder's brow furrowed as he thought back to his note, taking Sam's hand and following him through the portal. It was jarring walking from cold New York over into bright and still sunny Hawaii. "Is this what warmth feels like?" he laughed. "I totally forgot all about it!"

Sam squeezed Ryder's hand as they held it, heading into the portal. It was always weird to go from extreme cold to really warm. "I forgot it was something that existed," He joked as they were greeted by a looming figure. "Sam, my boy, I was wondering when you'd show up." Sam chuckled and introduced Ryder to his dad's friend, Bruce. "Ryder, this is our boat guide for the day. He worked it out so we'll be able to have a great spot to...check out some whales in their environment." He said now revealing the key part of the plan.

Ryder panicked for a moment when a new person showed up, thinking it was Sam's Dad. I didn't dress to meet parents, he thought. But it was just a friend of his dad's. That he could handle in board shorts. "It's nice to meet you," he said, shaking hands with his free one. He looked to Sam and his eyebrows shot up. "Wait... we're going to see whales??" His entire face lit up.

Sam was watching Ryder the entire time to see his reaction and when he got the picture of their day, Sam smiled and nodded. "Yep! Surprise, baby." He kissed Ryder's cheek and Bruce pretended to sniffle. "You two are cute. Now let's get you guys ready so you can have fun. And don't worry about me, I can keep myself company while you two have your date. Oh, and happy early birthday, Ryder." Bruce said before leading them toward the boat.

Ryder "This is incredible! Thank you," he said, kissing Sam before pulling back. "And thanks to you too, Bruce," he added. He followed after Sam and Bruce to the boat, any tiredness he'd felt after tutoring was gone now that he was out in the warmth and sunshine. "Hawaii is so beautiful... Do you live out here, Bruce?"

Sam followed along, watching the beautiful scenery around them. It was always so gorgeous and reminded Sam of why he loved being near the water so much. He could hear Bruce answering Ryder, "Yes, I do. I met Sam's father out here when he was a young traveler and we actually helped set up a snorkeling shop so visitors could rent items they need to see the whales and other sea creatures in their natural environment. I tried to get him to stay but a New York girl kept him away." Sam smirked, "But if he had stayed, I wouldn't be here." Bruce winked, "Like I said, should have gotten him to stay." But he was speaking in jest. They got to the boat, which wasn't too big but still big enough that they had ample room to look around. "Just remember when you do get in the water to do so quietly. You don't want to scare them off. They'll come to you out of curiosity and Sam did tell me you can talk to them so I am not too worried. I'll let you two have the hour you need before I take you to lunch. Or I guess dinner based on your time zone,” he realized.

Ryder smiled to himself as the two joked with each other. Bruce was the first person from Sam's life outside of NYADA that Ryder had gotten to meet. It was like seeing a new side to his boyfriend. "I can call to them," he nodded as Bruce explained. "I'm not worried about scaring them off. If they don't respond to me, I can always illusion another whale around Sam and me as camouflage."

Sam "Sounds good, kid." Bruce said as he got onto the boat. Sam held out his hand to help Ryder before they went over to sit down. He pulled off his shirt to show his body suit underneath it and then he removed his shorts before preparing to put on his fins. "I'm really glad I surprised you. Marley was a huge help to me to get things going."

Ryder climbed over the edge of the boat with Sam's help. It took his legs a moment to adjust, but when he connected with the water, he found his balance. "Just saying that I totally would've ditched class on Monday for this," he teased Sam. He set down his bag and started undressing so he could change into his wetsuit. "I had no idea! I mean, I figured you were being sneaky about something because of how you've been acting, but I didn't see this coming."

Sam laughed and just shook his head. "No, I know, but I have work Monday and believe me, I tried to get it off but no dice. However, I will take you to dinner on your actual birthday with our friends so they don't think I'm hogging you." He was pretty proud of himself for pulling this off and mentally patted himself on the back. "I do have more up my sleeve." He assured his boyfriend as he began applying sun block so he wouldn't get burned even if he'd be in the water soon. The boat moved smoothly over the water and he felt a content sigh leave his lips. It was just the perfect day. They were getting closer to their destination so he looked at Ryder. "Want the next part of your gift now or when we get there?"

Ryder "Do you think we could stay on campus? That way Marley and Santana could come," he said. "Wait, how can there be more??" He let out a laugh as he pulled on his suit. "If it's another kiss, then I'd take it right now. Anything else should be saved for later or else I'm gonna be overwhelmed by my boyfriend's awesomeness," he said, zipping himself up.

Sam nodded, "Of course! I felt so bad I couldn't invite Marley when I talked to her about helping me. So yes, there's a restaurant on campus. I can make reservations for us. Just let me know if there's anyone else to invite." He smiled as he pulled his bag over. "Oh, you know I will kiss you anytime you ask." He said and leaned over to do that. "But the one gift that I do have kind of goes with our underwater adventure. Let's just say you put the idea in my head during our first date. And before you say anything, I was careful with what I spent." He pulled out a box to hand it to Ryder. "I hope you like it."

Ryder "I'll write down a list for us," he nodded. He grinned and leaned over to meet Sam for a kiss, nudging his nose before pulling back to put on his flippers. Sam knew him too well, cutting him off before he could ask how much he'd spent. Ryder took the box and unwrapped it. His mouth fell open at the underwater camera inside. "Sam, this is..." He looked up, his eyes bright. "It's perfect," he said. "Thank you." He walked over, flippers and all, and gave Sam another quick kiss before hugging him tightly.

Sam was focused on how Ryder took the present and he was so happy to see how he liked it. "I'm so glad you like it, babe." He hugged him tightly, holding him close for just a few moments before reluctantly pulling away. "This is exactly what I wanted to see. Your smile today." He ran a finger down Ryder's cheek before leaning over to see the water. "It looks good down there. You ready?" He asked as he pecked Ryder's cheek, unable to get enough of him.

Ryder "You're incredible," he said, smiling to himself as they hugged. "Trust me, even with a snorkel or a bubble around my head, I'll be smiling this whole trip." He playfully fake chomped at Sam's finger. "Just gotta call on them," he said. Ryder went to the side of the boat, clearing his throat before calling out. He did a few different calls: short-finned pilot whales, sperm whales, false killer whales and melon-headed whales. The differences were subtle, but worth while. "Alright, that's all we should need!"

Sam was happy if he could just stay in his boyfriend's arms forever. Of course, they had plenty of time for that. Right now, they were going to enjoy the sites. "Good." He playfully wagged his finger at Ryder when he tried to chomp it. As always, seeing Ryder do what he did best made Sam completely happy. Bruce called out that he was impressed but that was all they heard after. "Perfect." He put his snorkel on and sat on the edge of the boat, making sure nothing was beneath his feet so he didn't run the risk of splashing on top of a fish or other creature. "Ready when you are." He said, patting the spot beside him.

Ryder skipped out on his snorkel so that he could do a bubble instead, making it easier to snap pictures with his camera. After sitting on the edge next to Sam, Ryder brought some ocean water up to form the bubble around his head. "Ready!" he said, falling over into the water. He let his legs do the majority of the work with his flippers, kicking his way down into the water. He could see large shapes out in the ocean before them.

Sam followed Ryder after making his own bubble, ready to enjoy himself. Since he couldn't communicate with any animals he might see, he hung back just a little behind him, swimming slowly and taking in the sea life around them. As always, getting to see the sea animals in their environment and being under the cool water made him feel alive inside.

Ryder made sure to keep Sam in his range of view as he swam along. When he spotted a false killer whale, he sent out a greeting. The "whale" turned and started swimming toward them. It was crazy to think it was only the fourth-largest dolphin in the world. Ryder turned on his camera to snap his first photo of the day.

Sam swam along, carefully moving his arms and legs as he spotted the false killer whale. It was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Of course, he'd seen plenty but animals were just amazing to watch and be around. When the whale got closer, Sam swam closer to Ryder so he could speak, "Could you ask if I could feel its skin?"

Ryder nodded at Sam's request, passing it along to the whale. In answer, the whale swam by Sam and brushed against his back. "There's your answer," he chuckled. "I bet he'd bring you a fish if you wanted one."

Sam almost jumped when the whale brushed his back, but he simply reached over to very gently caress its side. It felt soft, wet of course, but really amazing. "He doesn't have to." Sam chuckled. "I wouldn't know what to do with it." He said since he really did not eat fish anyway. "He is incredible."

Ryder swam up to hug the top of the whale, holding on as he was pulled along for a moment. He let go and swam the short way back to Sam. "Such a beautiful mammal," he sighed. He paused to take a picture of Sam as well. "Come on, I heard some more not too far off," he said. Ryder led the way to a nearby pod of whales. They were all at least twice the size of him and Sam. But with a friendly call, Ryder didn't feel any trepidation about being around them.

Sam posed for the photo Ryder took of him before swimming beside him as they got closer to the whales. They were so big and part of Sam felt a little nervous, but having Ryder close by made him feel better. He felt safe knowing Ryder was there to communicate. "Look at them. They're so beautiful. And huge. Could you imagine trying to put a whale in Eurus? They'd take up the entire place." He joked.

Ryder lit up the water slightly with his magic circle as he put up a shield around them just in case any of the whales didn't remember there were small humans around them. "I was just thinking that," he chuckled. "Well, I was thinking about what I'd do if I had one of these for a familiar."

Sam was thankful for the shield and he swam close to his boyfriend, careful not to bump him or the camera. "Oh really? That would be interesting. They'd probably need to be in the Undique pool all the time. And Ari would never let you take the whale out of the Grimoire if you came over."

Ryder took a couple more photos. Whales didn't have conversations like people did, so he didn't have to worry about focusing. He chuckled at that. "Ari would like the smell, but hate the size," he shot back. "Come on, I thought I heard some short-finned pilot whales nearby." Ryder put the camera around his neck before swimming on. It was a lot like their trip down to Mexico, with a whole new set of marine life. He was only sad when their time ended so quickly. But they still had to get back to the boat. Ryder followed Sam up to the top of the water, letting his bubble pop. "I think that speck out there is the boat," he mused. "We could magic ourselves back faster."

Sam grinned and figured Ryder was right. His familiar would get used to the smell. They were all so fun to watch and be around. There were some differences from their Mexico trip but it was still perfect. He just wished that the time was longer, but they still had plans for the rest of their time here. He went up to the top of the water, swimming as he looked toward where the boat was. "Wow, we really swam a long way. That's a good idea. I don't want us exhausted before dinner." He mused.

Ryder <<"Let our bodies move across the water faster than our arms could carry us,">​>​ he cast. It was like he'd been turned into a jet ski, or David Hasselhoff in the Spongebob movie. He dispelled the enchantment once they were close enough, letting Sam climb back up first before following him over the side of the boat. Ryder kicked off his flippers and unzipped his dripping wetsuit so he could wrap a towel around his shoulders. "I can't wait to see how those pictures turned out," he beamed.

Sam held on tight as they were taken across the water quickly. It was neat to feel like he was practically water boarding without the board beneath to carry him. He climbed up and removed the top part of his wet suit before putting a towel around his shoulders to dry off. "Me too! I'm glad you like it and you'll be able to use it no matter where you go in the water." He was just really glad he could do this for Ryder. Bruce came over and asked, "Did you two have fun?" Sam nodded his head. "Yes, we did. Thanks again for doing this for us." Bruce clapped him on the back. "You ready for grub?" Sam nodded. "Yep, I haven't eaten since before my Familiars class." He had a good breakfast but then was focused on other stuff. He looked at Ryder. "So you overwhelmed by my awesomeness or will I still be able to give you the final surprise after dinner?" It wasn't ready yet but it was something he had been wanting to do.

Ryder "Absolutely," he nodded, drying off his hair as best he could. "Pft, we had a fucking blast!" he told Bruce. At the word food, Ryder's stomach growled. "I'll take whatever you've got," he said. As long as it's vegetarian, he thought. "I'm still overwhelmed by all this epicness, but I can handle whatever you've got for me, babe."

Sam laughed softly at Ryder's reaction to the question and was glad he already had let Bruce know Ryder's food preference. Soon they were off and the warmth from the sun was helping to dry their bodies. He wiped himself down before changing into a white shirt with blue Hawaiian flowers on it and some tan board shorts. Running a hand through his hair, he looked out toward the ocean where they had just been. "There's a couple things involved with it but I'm excited to see how you like it." Once they were back on the dock, Bruce led them to an outdoor cafe where they could see the beach from where they were. "Here you go, boys, you can have your choice of any food you want, including vegetarian. I'll get things set up for you, Sam." Bruce patted him on the back and Sam looked at Ryder. "How do vegetarian tacos sound?"

Ryder changed out of his bodysuit, making sure to dry off his board shorts before putting his shirt back on. Once he was all dried off and dressed for dinner, he looked at Sam and smiled. He snapped one last picture of Sam standing there before stowing his camera away. Back on land, he followed Bruce to the cafe. "Thanks, Bruce," he said when they arrived. "I'm starving so I'd eat potato tacos or tofu tacos or anything right now," he laughed.

Sam was glad they were on land because now he was going to snap shots of Ryder so he would have equal amount of photos. He didn't want this to be a one sided picture taking trip. Laughing along with his boyfriend, Sam ordered the tacos, making sure they were vegetarian before getting a shot of Ryder. Making it his screen saver, he pocketed it with a smile. "You look amazing, by the way. I didn't get a chance to tell you but seeing you like this, in the water, so happy, just...makes me realize how incredibly lucky I am to call you my boyfriend."

Ryder held up his glass of water in cheers for Sam's picture of him, trying to look like the Dos Equis guy. At Sam's compliment, Ryder blushed and took a drink. "Thanks. You're the reason I'm feeling this happy," he said honestly. "And I love you in a Hawaiian shirt," he winked. He let out a content sigh as he sat back. "What did you think of this morning? I didn't get the chance to really talk to you at the seminar."

Sam felt giddy knowing he was the reason for making Ryder this happy. He would do anything to put a smile on his face. "Oh yeah? I'll remember that." He said with a wink as he drank his water. Sighing softly, he brushed off the feelings he had when he had first spotted the one person he didn't want to see. However, when he saw Ryder there, the anger melted away and he remembered what else would happen that day. "It was informative. Interesting. Ari was the only reason I didn't give a certain someone a black eye, at least until I noticed you were there. I didn't want to create a scene and seeing you reminded me what was happening later in the day." He linked his fingers with Ryder. "What did you think of it?"

Ryder "Most of the stuff I heard from Spring before. But seeing it in action, and getting to be in the aetherspace? It was incredible," he said. Sam was fully aware of how much Ryder looked up to Professor Spring. "And it was easy to ignore the annoying people there," he shrugged.

Sam had thought it was all amazing and he had been impressed with Professor Spring. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really liked getting to experience that and I think what I learned has helped me be closer to Ari, or it will. Professor Spring is really cool." Nodding his head, Sam squeezed his fingers. "Good. Those annoying people are not worth it." He kissed Ryder's fingers before getting their food so they could eat.

Ryder dug into the food as soon as it arrived, scarfing down four tacos on his own before sitting back completely full. "If life after graduation looks like this, then I want to graduate early," he laughed.

Sam didn't eat as many tacos as Ryder did but he did eat enough to make sure he would be full for a while. Probably for the whole evening, or what would be evening. Dang time zones. "Right? It does make you wish we could finish early and just...live here, get away from it all." He said honestly. Since they were done eating, it was time to put the next part of his plan into action. Pulling out the second gift, he passed it to Ryder. It didn't cost him anything other than paper and lots of time editing things on his computer. "It's not as fancy as a camera but it's basically a coupon book. It entitles you to a free hug, kiss or outing no matter what. If you need me to be there just to comfort you with no questions asked, just give me one of those and I won't ask you, I'll just be the best boyfriend I can be. I'll hold you and do what I can to make you feel better. Or if you want one just because. There might be a lot of kissing ones in there. As you probably know, I really like kissing you." He winked.

Ryder sat forward again when Sam pulled out another gift. "This better be the last one," he teased, narrowing his eyes playfully. He flipped through the coupons and smiled broadly. "Sam, I love it," he said softly. He looked up and set down the book, standing just so he could lean over the table and kiss Sam properly. When he pulled back, he raised a brow. "Did that cost a coupon?" he grinned.

Sam tried to look innocent. There was one last thing. "There is one more but it is the final one after that!" He laughed and was glad that Ryder loved them. "Good, I'm glad." He returned the kiss and shook his head. "Nah, that one's on the house for your birthday, babe."

Ryder "Come May there is gonna be some serious payback," he said. Ryder took his seat again and finished off the last of his beer. "You know... Birthdays haven't ever really been a big thing for me. Grunkle John would get me a few things and we'd get cake, but I didn't do parties or stuff like that," he mused. He reached for Sam's hand and brought it to his lips. "So when I say you've given me my best birthday, I want you to know what I mean. This means a lot to me, so thank you."

Sam nodded and grinned, "Hey, as long as I am in my own freaking body, you could give me a day on the couch in the dorm with a movie and you in my arms, I'll be the happiest guy in the world." He chuckled. Nodding as he listened to Ryder, Sam smiled softly. It warmed his heart to know he had given Ryder a special day he could look back on. "You're welcome. I'm really happy I could do this for you, baby. I really wanted it to be special for you." He leaned over to kiss his lips.

Ryder "It was more than special. It's unforgettable," he smiled. Hawaii surprise trip, swimming with whales, feeling sunshine on his skin again, taking incredible pictures, and ending it with tacos?? Sam was incredible.

Sam looked up to see Bruce arriving with what he needed and he stood up. "Good. Now for the final surprise before we have to head back." He walked over to the small stereo system and plugged in his phone and set his music to a particular song. "I know karaoke kind of got ruined for us so...how about we make this a better memory?" He played the song and the instrumental music to Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing" began to play. As he sang to the beat, Sam stood close to Ryder and leaned over to brush his fingertips across his face at certain points of the song. Once the song was over, he took Ryder's hand and sang out in a sultry voice, almost mimicing Marilyn Monroe as he sang, "Happy Birthday dear Ryder." Smiling a silly smile, he said, "Now it's really unforgettable."

Ryder "Wait, you meant there was another surprise tonight??" Holy crap, Ryder was going to have to step it up for Sam's birthday somehow. He recognized the song as soon as it started up. Ryder took out his phone to light up and sway to Sam singing. His boyfriend had an incredible voice. Shivers went through him when Sam touched his face so gently. "I really hope Bruce got that all on video," he grinned, standing up so he could put his arms around Sam's waist and kiss him deeply. Best. Birthday. Ever.