#why do you think logan was growling? he has a love hate relationship with the fact that wade is an actually skilled fighter

[brainrotcharacters]

I Wanna Dance With Somebody playing at the radio rn and I think I just found a good enough substitute to You're The One That I Want

[tlhrfanfic]

[Prinxiety] Is It Possible

Title: Is It Possible Ship: Prinxiety Warnings: Uh... just angel and demon mention. Fangs/sharp teeth mention. Words: 2,932 Request: So, this was the second request that I chose:  Prinxiety but they're an angel and demon who just can't stop running into each other, and lowkey don't want to stop? This was also sent in by an anon.

Summary: Virgil is an angel who has become alarmingly close with the one being he has no business being close with. Roman, the demon, on the other hand believes alarmingly close is just what they need to be.

Read on AO3

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Virgil wasn't in existence for The Beginning... but it was close. Never ask an angel how long they've been around. At best, like Virgil, that's way too much math and there are far better things to do. At worst... well, as far as Virgil had been told, those people are never heard from again. While Angels were supposed good and pure and faultless—blah blah blah—he'd dated a couple and knew better. Heh. Boy did he know better. 

 Anyway.

 The point was, Virgil had been around for a very long time and he had never, ever met anyone as exhausting and irritating as Roman.

“Aww, did you miss me, angel?”

 Virgil rolled his eyes, ignoring the heat that rose up the back of his neck. 

 “Right. Me, a lowly angel, missing the Prince of Darkness. I don’t think so.”

 Roman—a demon—actually pouted. 

 Virgil sensed the other behind him but when the demon wrapped his arms—and tail—around him, Virgil just sighed and pressed back into the touch.

 Their...relationship...was a complicated one, to say the very least. 

 “Don’t think you can try to distract me, Roman,” he said, turning around in his arms even as he said it. Unfortunately, as he was supposed to be watching over Remy, ready at a moment’s notice to guide the barista toward goodness, he was not doing a very good job at not being distracted.

 “Darling. I’m a demon. Distraction is inevitable. I’d be happy to give you a demon-stration.”

 Virgil actually snorted at that. He couldn’t help it. Ever since he’d become best friends with the human Patton, one that he had saved from Roman’s temptation, Virgil had become a sucker for puns. Roman seemed proud of himself. 

 Suddenly, his expression became sincere. Soft. 

 “I know we’re supposed to hate each other, kitten, but I don’t—”

 “Roman, stop.”

 “—hate you, Virgil.”

 Virgil grumbled under his breath. Here it came. 

 “I love you, kitten.”

 It wouldn’t be the first, or the last, time he’d said those words to Virgil.

 »»————　☠　————««

 Virgil thought back to the first time Roman had said those three little words. 

 He couldn’t recall the year—that was thousands upon thousands of lifetimes ago—but he could remember the day just like it was yesterday. 

 Roman had just beaten Virgil, tempting the human that they were both trying to win for their respectful bosses. 

 “Stop gloating,” Virgil muttered but he allowed a little sort at the victory dance the demon was currently doing. 

 “I’m afraid I cannot do that, Virgil.” He grinned happily, sun glinting off his canines.

 “You are very annoying.”

 “You know that you like me,” Roman teased, his voice sounding melodic as he spoke. Virgil’s eyes widened, his neck growing hotter and hotter. 

 “I do not!”

 “You do too—wait! Are you… are you blushing, angel?”

 Virgil groaned and threw his hands in the air. Of all the lifetimes he had known Roman, he couldn’t understand for the existence of him why he continued to be his friend. 

 Rather close friend, truth be told. 

 “Just… go back to your victory!”

 “What—oh right! Haha! I am the victor!”

 Thank God Roman had a one track mind where victory was concerned. He watched the other and snorted as a soft smile slowly slipped onto his face. Virgil rolled his eyes at the other’s continued antics but the grin did not leave his face. 

 “Aw! Look… what kind of expression is that? Does… does somebody have a crush?”

 He was once again saying the words as if they were a little lighthearted song. Virgil tensed slightly as the other closed the distance between them, watching his every move. Once the demon reached him, however, it was with a sincere and warm gaze that Roman regarded him. 

 Though he had known Roman long enough to know he had moments of sincerity, he couldn’t come up with one good reason why Roman would look at him with such warmth.

 “We’ve been at this for how long now, sweetheart?”

 Virgil didn’t know why but he didn’t have a good feeling about this. 

 “Stop,” he bristled.

 “Stop what, Virgil? I’m only pointing out the facts… Something I learned from Logan—you know, the human I stole from you.”

 Even when he was trying to be sentimental, he still had to go and rub it in. 

 That was so like Roman. 

 What Roman was saying, however, was true. They had been at this odd friendship-rivalry for a very long time.

 He also, maybe, was correct about Virgil having a crush on him. 

 Virgil didn’t have to admit it though!

 Not to himself, and sure as hell not to Roman. 

 “I don’t have a clue what you’re going on about, demon!”

 The blush that was currently inching up the back of his neck was completely ignored in favor of scowling at the demon. 

 “Uh huh,” Roman said, not sounding convinced in the slightest. 

 Virgil couldn’t really blame him but Virgil had always been difficult like that. 

 “Darling, we’ve been rivals, and friends, for thousands of years and for at least a couple of those thousand, we’ve been dancing around this thing between us.”

 “Thing?” Virgil asked incredulously. “We do not have a thing Roman.”

 But… perhaps they did.

 Still. Roman was a demon and Virgil was an angel. 

 It just wouldn’t—couldn’t—work. And Virgil, ever one to guard his heart, was not about to take a chance on something that had no hope of ever working out.

 “Virgil,” Roman began, sounding sad. He moved to stand right in front of him.

 Virgil was sure he should move away but, he was a little ashamed to admit, he just didn’t want to. 

 Looking down at the shorter being, Virgil sighed as he caught the adoration and affection in those golden eyes. 

 “Roman,” Virgil said, his tone defensive. 

 “Virgil… I’m certain I’m in love with you.”

 God damn it.

 “Why?”

 Roman looked confused and perhaps a little affronted. 

 “What do you mean ‘why’?”

 “I mean that exactly, Roman. Why? Why, why, why, why?”

 Virgil moved away from the other as he started to pace back and forth. 

 “You are a demon. I am an angel. Roman—it’s impossible.”

 “I like a challenge…”

 “There is no challenge here. There is no anything! We are supposed to be enemies! Why can you not get that?”

 Roman smiled a soft, sad smile. 

 “You’ll never be an enemy to me, sweetheart.”

 Virgil blushed and gestured wildly with his hands. 

 “Stop!” His pacing interrupted, Virgil put his face into his hands and groaned.

 Roman closed the distance between once more. 

 “Virgil, I am going to embrace you.”

 Roman gave the angel time to move away if he wished before pulling Virgil into his arms. Virgil tensed at first but made no motion to pull away. Eventually, he closed his eyes and leaned into the embrace. 

 “It’s okay, sweetheart. I love you and I’ve got all the time in existence for you to realize that we are simply meant to be.”

 “You simple minded fool…” Virgil grumbled but it was with a shaky breath that he gazed down at the other. 

 “I am far from simple, my dearest angel.”

 That was God’s Honest truth too. Roman was most eccentric. 

 “Yeah, yeah.”

 Roman chuckled deeply before pulling away just enough to take Virgil’s hand and bow over it, kissing the back of his hand as he looked up at him from beneath long dark lashes. Heart thumping heavily against his chest, Virgil quickly pulled his hand away before flailing his hands wildly once more. 

 There were quite a few times after that, but each one was met with Virgil’s dismissal. Confessions brushed off and pretended they didn’t make his heart stir. Denying what he wanted. It just never seemed like the right time. 

 Then again, in Virgil’s mind, no time would ever be right. 

 The next time Virgil could recall in complete detail was nine hundred years, give or take a couple hundred, after the first. 

 Virgil snorted as Roman growled the moment the human they’d both been watching over made the decision to stay on the straight and narrow. His lip curled slightly, showing off twin sharp fangs, making the demon’s displeasure clear as glass.

 “What’s wrong, Roman?” Virgil teased with a smirk. “Can’t take the heat? Get out of hell.” 

 Roman made a face and proceeded to actually stick his tongue out. 

 “Rude.” 

 Roman pouted but comfortable silence soon fell between them as they watched the human. Virgil was enjoying the moment but soon tensed. Companionable silence usually led to one thing. 

 “Virgil…”

 The demon’s voice was soft, warm, and gentle. It warmed him completely and when the other pulled him into a firm embrace, Virgil allowed it. 

 “Roman,” Virgil said after some time, his voice quiet and a little shaky.

 “Yes, dear angel?” 

 “We… we can’t.”

 “Why not?”

 “You are a demon and I am an angel.”

 “Very observant, my dear.”

 “Fool.”

 “Only a fool in love.” 

 “Oh my God, you are so infuriating.”

 Roman pouted at that but sighed and squeezed Virgil a little tighter. The angel gave a start as Roman’s tail curled around his leg but settled into the embrace once more, sighing.

 “All of your flirtation and embraces are not going to change the face that we are an angel and a demon, Roman. Nothing can change that.”

 “Who says anything needs to change? You being an angel is one of the many things I love about you, angel.”

 “Don’t use that word!” Virgil hissed, pressing his face into the other’s neck, blushing deeply. 

 A deep chuckle left the demon, Virgil feeling the rumble of it against his body with how closely Roman held him. 

 “Which word? Change? Angel?”

 Virgil pulled back to glower down at the demon. 

 “You know which word!”

 “Mmm… I don’t think I do. I’ve said so many words. It really could be any one of them.”

 Virgil growled. 

 “Stop saying ‘love’!”

 “Oh! That word!”

 “You knew very well I meant that word.”

 “Maybe… but I wanted to hear you say it.”

 Virgil grumbled again, ignoring the heat flooding his face.

 “You fiend.”

 Roman laughed heartily at that. A moment later, Roman pulled back to reach up, taking Virgil’s face into his hands. 

 “You know what comes next, angel.” He was right. Virgil new damn well what was coming next. 

 God damn him.

 “I love you, Virgil.”

 Virgil sighed heavily. 

 “I really wish you wouldn’t.”

 “Now, that’s not true.”

 It really wasn’t but Roman definitely did not need to be privy to that information.

 “I’m going to kiss you now.”

 Roman didn’t move to kiss him right away. Virgil assumed it was to give him time to move out of his embrace if he did not wish for the demon to kiss him. Yet, though Virgil knew he needed to leave right then, the angel just couldn’t bring himself to do it. 

 Roman smiled, pressing closer to the other as he leaned up, closing his eyes as he covered Virgil’s mouth with his own. Virgil couldn’t deny, even to himself, that he felt the intense spark in that kiss. He could, however, deny, to everyone for all of time that he most definitely kissed the demon back. 

 Especially to himself.

 There were many similar encounters that followed after that day. There were fleeting touches and longing kisses but Virgil could never bring himself to give into Roman’s offer completely. He had come close a handful of times but the closest had been in the Roaring Twenties when the angel and demon had finally gone state-side. 

 “Hello, angel~” A voice purred in his ear.

 Arms wrapped around him and Virgil pressed back into his embrace. 

 “Hello, fiend.” It was said with, perhaps, a little less grumbling than was normal. 

 “Mmm.” 

 Roman nuzzled into Virgil from behind, brushing his nose along the other’s neck and making him shiver. 

 “Nice to not be against each other… for once.”

 “Just because we have different charges, Roman, does not mean we aren’t against each other.”

 “You know what I mean, kitten.”

 Virgil sighed. Roman wasn’t wrong. He knew exactly what Roman meant but everything with him was all so confusing and complicated that he just didn’t want to deal with it.

 So he turned around in the other’s embrace, looking down at him with determination. 

 “Just shut up and kiss me, fiend.”

 If Roman was surprised by his request—okay, order—he didn’t show it. Instead, the demon smiled at him, love and adoration clear in his golden gaze. 

 “Anything for you, angel.”

 Roman reached up and held his face like he had so many times before. Virgil melted into the demon as the other kissed him deeply. If a soft, content sound escaped him as he wrapped his arms around the demon, Virgil would never admit it.

 The most recent time had been a week ago. Both of them had been assigned to the same human—a young barista named Remy—and Virgil had definitely had his work cut out from him. 

 “Oooh~ I’ve got this one in the bag!”

 Virgil rolled his eyes but had nothing to say. Roman was correct. In fact, even though Remy seemed like a good person, he would definitely fit in more with Roman’s crowd. 

 Roman grinned, flashing his sharp canines. 

 Virgil quickly looked away, ignoring the heat rising up the back of his neck and the way his heart began to beat rapidly in his chest. 

 God damned human disguise.

 God damned Roman.

 “What is that look for, angel?”

 Virgil startled slightly to find the demon so much closer suddenly. 

 “You freaking ninja, GOD!”

 Roman laughed at that, flashing his fangs once more. 

 Virgil really wished Roman would stop doing that! In what millennium had he started to find those nasty things adorable?

 “Why the hell don’t you wear a human disguise?”

 Roman blinked. He then grinned slowly. 

 God damn blush. 

 “Because no human form could ever compare to all of this.”

 Then, because he obviously had it out for the angel, Roman proceeded to gesture at all of himself while shimmying. 

 Virgil scoffed but it was weak and the blush coloring his face a pretty magenta told another story. 

 “Aww! So you do agree!”

 “Shut up, you!”

 “Nope!” Roman chirped, popping the end of the word as he flashed his sharp canines once more. 

 Virgil covered his face with his hands and groaned.

 “So cute!”

 “I am not cute!” Virgil growled but allowed the demon to pull him into a hug. 

 “Okay, okay. Put your claws away, kitten.”

 Virgil grumbled but leaned into Roman’s embrace with a content sigh. 

 If only the demon could leave well enough alone for once. This was Roman he was talking about, however, so that was impossible. 

 As if to prove Virgil right, Roman pulled away, causing Virgil to look down at him in surprise. The smile Roman regarded him with was softer and more sincere than Virgil had ever remembered seeing it. He tensed before relaxing once more, knowing what was coming and knowing, by now, there was no way to stop it. 

 Also, there was a part of him—a very small but extremely stubborn part—that didn’t want to stop it.

 “I love you, angel.”

 Virgil sighed heavily, nodding. 

 “Yeah…” he muttered. “I know, fiend. You never give me enough milleniums to forget.”

 Roman chuckled at that before taking his face into both hands and kissing him soundly. 

 Virgil was more than happy to give into his kisses in favor of stopping any further discussions on love. 

 »»————　☠　————««

 Which brought them back to the present and Roman, once again, professing his love for the angel. 

 Virgil’s heart was beating rapidly against his chest and warmth settled over him. Roman’s words and actions had had that effect on him for a very long time. 

 There was, however, a small but very significant difference. 

 For the first time since Roman had first confessed his love, Virgil felt that—perhaps—he could take a chance. 

 Then there was the sudden realization that he was wholly and unreservedly in love with Roman. 

 “I… I love you too…” Virgil said slowly, watching the other closely. 

 Roman’s head snapped up so fast Virgil felt bad for his neck. He didn’t have long to pity his neck, however, as golden eyes grew wide with wonder. 

 “Kitten… did you just—”

 “Yes, fiend! I finally said it! I love you! Are you happy now?”

 Roman smiled brightly, his gaze wet and filled with adoration and happiness. 

 “Very, angel. Oh so very!”

 Virgil sighed but smiled warmly at the demon. Shaking slightly out of nerves and the raw intensity of the moment, Virgil reached out to take Roman’s face into his hands. Brushing the other’s cheeks with his thumbs, Virgil held the other’s gaze. As if controlled by some unseen force, Virgil leaned in and kissed Roman softly—tentatively—upon his mouth.

 Roman sighed into the kiss, the sound a little shaky. Virgil quickly pulled back, looking down at the other with concern. 

 “What’s wrong?”

 “Nothing, angel. Just… just so happy.”

 He looked it too, beaming up at him and regarding him with so much love that it was almost disconcerting. 

 “Fiend,” Virgil said softly with affection evident in his tone. Roman chuckled softly. 

 “Angel.” 

 Virgil surged forward, kissing Roman firmly on the mouth. When his demon immediately deepened the kiss, Virgil reciprocated quite happily. 

 It was as the two kissed, the world continuing all around them, that Virgil had an epiphany. 

 Maybe, just maybe, a demon and angel falling in love wasn’t impossible after all.

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Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Thomas Sanders or Joan, nor the rest of their group. I do not own or make money off of these characters. I only own the story as it is written.

Super uber thanks to my beta reader for this fic @sunshineandteddybears​ and the two that preread my stuff to make sure its up to par: @romantichopelessly & @sunshineandteddybears.

[abused-sides]

Hungry [dead dove: do not eat]

    Trigger warning: someone dies from a food allergy and it’s VERY graphic, it’s an unsympathetic character. This is also written from someone who has a ton of severe food allergies, including the one that’s used, so it’s not some random asshole making light of a situation. Abusive relationships, death, murder, unsympathetic character is murdered

note: please read the trigger warnings and do not fucking read if it’ll bother/trigger you, this is the last warning

    xxx 

    Every morning, Janus ran out to buy him and Remus coffees while Remus stayed behind and burnt their breakfast. 

    Logan woke up to the smoke detector screaming and the rest of their roommates groaning while Roman frantically waved a blanket and snapped at his brother (Janus still smiled when he came home). It was as good of an alarm clock as any. 

    Every morning, Logan scraped together breakfast for a boyfriend he didn’t love. 

    Remus and Janus’ voices carried over from the living room as they ate on the couch. Logan used the burnt remnants of their stove to make bacon and eggs, something he could cook in his sleep. He wasn’t sleeping, though—He was focused on Remus and Janus. 

    “So,” Remus stole a piece of bacon and talked with his mouth full, “when’s the oaf getting up?” 

    Janus sipped at his coffee. “Obligatory defensive comment incoming,” he murmured, and Remus wrapped an arm around his waist. 

    “Don’t make fun of him,” Logan announced. 

    As much as Patton begged everyone to get along, Remus was never one to hide how he felt. Neither was Jaxon. 

    “You know he doesn’t do it on purpose, and you know he’ll be down here any second,” he whispered, and bumped Remus with his hip, who laughed. “Get out of here!” 

    Remus finished the bacon and said, “I gotta get to work anyway.” 

    That didn’t stop him from making out with Janus a good few minutes before leaving. 

    Jaxon stumbled into the kitchen sleepily. 

    “Morning, J,” Logan said quietly. 

    He hated Jaxon’s first appearance—he was too tired for Logan to tell what type of mood he was in. He used to stay quiet until he knew for sure, but Jaxon snapped at him once and said, “When you don��t say good morning, it feels like you’re mad at me or you don’t care about me.”

    Logan always said good morning now.

    Jaxon ignored him, took his plate, and went back upstairs. Logan relaxed. 

    “Just let me know when you want me to kill him for you,” Janus sneered, then ducked into his and Remus’ room. 

    Roman left for work next, singing on his way out, followed by Patton, who kissed Logan’s cheek and told him to stay safe. Virgil worked nights and didn’t wake until well after 3pm. Janus used noise-cancelling headphones while he worked. As much as Logan tried, he couldn’t get a shift today. He was essentially alone with Jaxon. 

    His stomach churned. 

    He went to his computer. 

    It didn’t take long for Jaxon to come back downstairs. He wrapped his arms around Logan’s shoulders and nuzzled into his neck. 

    “What’s going on?” Jaxon asked. “You’re tense.” 

    Logan’s shoulders relaxed. “I just have a lot of work to do.” 

    “So? Take a break. Come hang out with me.” 

    “Jaxon…” Logan frowned at the screen. “I have a deadline.” 

    Jaxon yanked his arms back. “Are you mad at me or something?” 

    Logan looked over his shoulder. “What? No. Why would I be mad?” 

    He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled, brown eyes hard. “Because you haven’t hung out with me all week. I never see you anymore.” 

    “I work right here in the living room because you wanted to see me more,” Logan insisted. “And we watched three movies last night. We can watch three more tonight.” 

    “Well I don’t wanna force you.”

    Janus’ door creaked open. “That’s exactly what you want to do. Can you two quiet down?” 

    “Come with me,” Jaxon growled under his breath and grabbed Logan’s wrist. 

    Logan stumbled after him. 

    “HEY!” Janus stormed forward and grabbed Logan’s other wrist. “He has a deadline. He needs to work. Have you no manners?” 

    “Sorry, princess, I wasn’t raised in a castle.” Jaxon yanked Logan hard enough for his shoulder to ache. 

    “You’re hurting me,” he said desperately. 

    “Let go of him.” Janus’ eyes were deadly slits. His teeth were fangs, his grip of a Boa. 

    Logan pulled—he’d get punished for that later—until Jaxon let go and he stumbled back into Janus’ arms. Janus quickly righted him then took his hands away. Logan shivered. 

    “We’ll talk about this later,” Jaxon mumbled, “when the snake isn’t around.” 

    He turned and stomped up the stairs. The door slammed, and Logan flinched. 

    “I’m sorry,” he spouted as he turned to Janus. “I’m so sorry about that. I didn’t mean to interrupt your work.” 

    “Don’t worry about it.” 

    “And what he said—” 

    “I am a snake. It’s great. Is your wrist okay?” 

    Logan held it up. The skin was clear, but a bruise would surely show. “It’s fine. He almost…” He forced a laugh, “almost dislocated my shoulder, though.” 

    “Let me take a look at it. Sit down.” 

    Logan sat and Janus tugged his loose neckline down enough to expose his shoulder. Janus hummed. 

    “Is it hurting?” 

    “Just a little. I’m okay.” 

    “Let me get some ice.” 

    Janus came back a moment later and settled the icepack on Logan’s shoulder. 

    “Why haven’t you kicked us out?” Logan asked quietly. 

    “Because if he left, you’d go with him. And we like you a lot.” Janus ran his fingers through Logan’s hair, who leaned into the touch. “Besides, we have better plans for him. We’re killing him, remember?” 

    Logan laughed, and prayed to God Jaxon didn’t hear. 

    xxx 

    Logan didn’t see Jaxon again until dinner. Roman and Remus were play-fighting in the kitchen, yelling over the boiling of a stew. Patton and Virgil were watching a horror movie on the couch, Janus sat at their feet. Virgil kept kicking him. 

    Jaxon came down the stairs as Logan asked to help with dinner. Remus quickly took Logan under his arm. 

    “Yeah! Stir this for me. Hey, Jaxon. I’ve got Logan helping me here.” 

    “I missed you at lunch today,” Logan said over his shoulder. “Are you okay? Feeling sick?” 

    “A little,” he mumbled. “Will you eat with me?” 

    Logan melted. “Of course. Remus, is this safe for him?” 

    Remus grabbed Logan’s shoulder. Logan furrowed his eyebrows as they locked eyes. 

    “Yes.” Remus tapped something on the counter. “Janus and Roman helped me.” 

    Logan glanced down. 

    Peanut powder. 

    He swallowed. 

    “It’s perfectly safe for Jaxon.” 

    Blood rushed through Logan’s ears. 

    “No, actually.” Logan sucked in a shuddering breath. “No, I want to make him something myself.” 

    Remus’ shoulders slumped. “I understand. I guess.” 

    “But…” Logan grabbed his hand. “You can make it again if I ask?” 

    Roman set a hand on Logan’s lightly purpled shoulder. “We absolutely can.” 

    Logan got to work making Jaxon grilled cheese sandwiches, and they ate in the living room with everyone else. Jaxon kept wrinkling his nose and pursing his lips like he was rubbing his tongue against the roof of his mouth. 

    “Everything okay, Jax?” Patton asked sweetly. 

    “There’s no peanuts in that, right? Something about the smell is setting me off.” 

    “Nope.” Janus laid his head in Remus’ lap. “We know about your allergy, Jaxon. We’re careful.” 

    xxx 

    That night, Logan stayed up late with Jaxon watching movies. Logan fell asleep cuddled against Jaxon’s chest and woke up the next morning snuggled with him in bed. 

    He hauled himself out of bed, heavy with exhaustion, as the smoke alarm screamed. Janus kissed Remus on the cheek before leaving for their coffees. Remus cracked another egg in the pan. Roman sang Disney at the top of his lungs as he got ready in the bathroom, Virgil pounding on the door demanding that he needed to piss. Patton snapped that there’s another bathroom upstairs and that if those two didn’t stop fighting he’d lose his mind. 

    Logan found a path in the kitchen to grab the stuff for French toast. He pushed aside Remus’ used dishes and ingredients to set his own down. 

    “How are you feeling?” Remus asked as Logan whisked. “You know, about the decision you made.” 

    “Good,” he admitted. “I think it was the right call.” 

    Remus set the spatula down hard. “So how else do you wanna proceed?” 

    Logan’s whisks slowed. “I… I don’t know. Last time I talked about maybe taking a break, he—” 

    “Hey, Jaxon!” Patton greeted cheerfully. 

    Logan snapped his mouth shut. 

    “Morning, handsome.” Jaxon kissed the back of Logan’s neck. 

    He smiled as Jaxon poured them both juice. “It was the right decision.”

    xxx 

    “Logan!” Jaxon bounded down the stairs. “When are you stopping for lunch?” 

    “Um…” Logan shifted in his seat. “I had lunch.” 

    Jaxon stopped. “What?” 

    “It was quick.” Logan pushed back in the chair to face Jaxon. “Just a snack, really. Then I got right back to work.” 

    “Why would you eat without me? I knew it, you are mad at me. We always have lunch together.” 

    “I know, I’m sorry—”

    “If you know, why did you eat without me? What did I even do?”

    “You didn’t do anything!” 

    “But you’re mad at me.” 

    “I’m not mad at you!”

    “THEN WHY WOULD YOU EAT WITHOUT ME?”

    Logan flinched. 

    Jaxon grabbed his wrist and hauled him to his feet. “Don’t be a baby! Just tell me!” 

    He slammed Logan into the wall just as Janus’ door opened. Logan’s head bounced off the paint, his eye erupting in pain. 

    “Get off,” Janus snapped. 

    “This is none of your business! Go back to work!” 

    Janus pulled his phone out of his pocket. He dialed three numbers. 

    “Put the phone down!” 

    “I need someone here right away, my roommate—”

    Jaxon leapt ten steps back. Logan crumpled in on himself, pressed against the wall where Jaxon left him. 

    “I think he’s calming down now,” Janus said into the phone. He raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I would like you to remain on the line.” 

    Jaxon grabbed his wallet and keys, and stormed out. The door slammed and Logan flinched. 

    “He’s gone now. Thank you for your help. Let me ask.” He pressed the phone to his shirt. “Do you want to press charges? Do you want the police to come?” 

    Logan shook his head, eyes watering. “I want to make dinner.” 

    xxx 

    “That again?” Jaxon asked, peering over Logan’s shoulder. 

    Logan stirred the thick broth. “You didn’t get to try it. It’s good.” 

    Jaxon shrugged. “Is your eye okay?”

    “It’ll heal.” 

    He left. Logan grabbed the peanut powder and dumped in a generous amount, then left it to boil and cook down. 

    Everyone stared at Jaxon as they ate. Logan finished his bowl and grabbed seconds. Pale blotches appeared on Jaxon’s face. His lips swelled. 

    “Are you sure this doesn’t have peanuts?” He asked nervously. “I don’t feel great.” 

    “My eye hurts,” Logan announced. 

    “I have some medicine for it.” Remus kissed Logan’s cheek. “I’ll be right back.” 

    Jaxon glared. “Kiss your own boyfriend!” 

    By the time Remus came back, Jaxon’s throat was swelling shut. “Drive me to a hospital,” he demanded in a hoarse voice. 

    Patton knelt between Logan’s legs and applied the cream Remus bought to Logan’s browbone and the top of his cheekbone. 

    “Dinner was good,” Virgil said. “Are you gonna finish yours, Jax?” 

    He glared and stumbled for the door. “What the hell is this?” 

    Virgil shrugged and grabbed Jaxon’s bowl, downing the rest. Roman leaned against the door with his arms crossed. Jaxon threw a punch, but Roman easily ducked against Jaxon’s weak, wobbling frame. 

    “Oh, God, are you okay?” Patton gasped. “Call an ambulance!” 

    Jaxon collapsed to his knees as his body convulsed. His hands dug into the carpet. He vomited, elbows and knees locking. 

    “Shit, did we add peanut?” Roman asked. “Old habits.” 

    “What’s the number again?” Remus stared at his phone in confusion. 

    “What’s… wrong… with you… all…” Jaxon gasped through his throw up. 

    “911, I think,” Logan mumbled. “Are you okay, love?” 

    “I need someone here right away. My roommate is having an allergic reaction. He was eating alone, we didn’t catch it very fast— yes. Okay, I understand. Mhm.” He gave them the address then hung up. 

    Janus, Remus, and Roman turned on the T.V. Logan and Patton got to work cleaning up after dinner. Virgil stared Jaxon down. 

    He was dead before the paramedics arrived. 

    xxx 

    The smoke alarm blared. Logan hauled himself out of the warm bed and came out of Janus and Remus’ room. 

    “Slept long enough,” Janus said, wrapping his arms around Logan’s waist. 

    Logan leaned his head on Janus’ shoulder. “Coffee?” 

    “Yeah. Let’s go.” 

    “Breakfast is almost ready!” Remus called. “Hurry up!” 

    “I HAVE TO PISS, ROMAN!” 

    “THERE ARE TWO BATHROOMS!” 

    Logan got into the car with Janus. Janus pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the nearest coffee shop. 

    “How are you feeling?” Janus asked, reaching over and taking his hand. 

    “Hungry.” 

[imma-potatoo]

OooO! For the requests, u!Patton mini fic with sympathetic Intruloceit and abusive Logicality, Patton is physically and mentally abusive to Logan, and he shows up to the dark side of the mindscape bleeding from the head and on the verge (ha) of passing out, Janus mends him (gets romantic when he wakes up) and Remus goes to bust some asses xD

(as you wish~)

The logical side as his eyes locked to the floor. His gaze fixed on the rusty nails pinning the floor boards down

"Honestly Logan! For being the logical side, you're just so dumb!"

"I know." there was a board to the left of his foot, it has a small spec of red paint. It was kind of a rusty colour if you looked closely at it, and it was flaky. Crusting over the wood rings

"Did you seriously think that Thomas would ever want to listen to you? I mean, what in the nation was that?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry." The paint smelled too, it had a strong iron scent that he could smell from where he was standing. The pigment was soaked into the wood-

"Are you even listening to me? Or are you just that big of a hypocrite?"

"I kno- wait!" Logan snapped his head up, being met with the two furious eyes of his boyfriend

Patton took a hissing breath as he stormed up to the indigo side, "You idiot!! You never ever listen to me! If you ever loved me you would do what I say!"

Logan backed up as Patton stepped closer. Logan could only choke in fear as Patton screamed in his face, their bedroom walls seeming to shake.

"P-Patton w-wait pl-ease" Logan choked on his tears as he hit the bedroom wall. Patton growling in his face

Even though Patton was the shorter one in the relationship, he was stronger, and certainly more intimidating.

Patton looked up into Logan's eyes, a small smile pulling at his lips, "for someone emotionless, you sure are expressive" he cupped the side of Logan's face, "did you lie?"

The shorter man combed back the pin straight hair of the logical side, ignoring the other side's trembling. "You know how I feel about liars, don't you sugar pie?"

Logan's vocal chords betrayed their owner, only small croaks and choked off noises escaping from his lips. Patton caught the hair at his nape, "Answer me"

Logan tried. But he couldn't. His vocals only squeaking in the protest as more tears fell down his cheeks

Patton's expression turned into a sneer. Tightening his grip, "I'm giving you one more chance Logan." his eyes were cold, drained of the emotion and love that they normally held. His skin felt burning. The inferno burning him from the inside out.

No answer could leave the side's lips.

Patton threw the side to the floor, his glasses falling off with the impact and the rusty nail hit his temple. Crimson liquid leaked from the cut. A sudden lightheadedness filled the side's skull, the room starting to spin, and the lights dug knifes into his head

Patton placed his foot on the others back, shoving him to the ground with a crack of Logan's spine. The cyan side kept pushing down as the floor creaked, "I'll answer since you seem too dumb to figure it out." he pushed harder on the side's ribs, "I. Hate. Liars. Deceit is lucky that I haven't dealt with him yet" cold eyes dug into his soul.

"Never ignore me ever again, are we clear?"

Logan nodded and his partner left the room

Logan layed on the floor for what seemed like hours, his breath raced and his head pounded as the ticking of the nearby clock seemed to work to drive him into insanity.

The blue side pushed himself upward, stabling himself in the wall. His limbs felt like lead as he stumbled out of the room

Truth be told, Logan had no clue where he was going. All he knew is that he needed to get help. So he kept walking

It felt like hours, the sickening feeling clinging to his gut as his head filled with cotton, he barely even recognized where he was anymore. It was dark, he knew that. And it smelled strangely like earl gray tea and copper. The tea was the much stronger scent though. It filled the room like someone had sprayed the scent, and old books lined the shelfs. Leaving the room with this warm atmosphere that was lacking everywhere else, even in his own room-

"Logan?"

The logical side looked up, everything was slightly blurry from his missing glasses, but he could make out scales and a black capelet.

Blood flowed down the side's skull, "H-help-" Logan collapsed into unconsciousness.

---

"-mus! We don't even know what happened to him! You cannot just go hit everyone over the head!"

"Well why not! Its guilty until proven innocent!"

There was a slight pause, "other way darling."

"hmm? Nah! I'm right! You're wrong!"

A sigh was heard, Logan could feel someone combing threw his hair, although it was a lot softer and nicer then how Patton did it. "Remus, darling, love of my life. How can I say this? NO!"

Logan cracked open his eyes, his head was covered in thick bandages and he was rested in Janus' lap. Remus bouncing on the other side of Janus.

"Darling, we don't want to wake up Logan."

"Do you think that when Logan wakes up he'll tell us who we have to kick? I hope so! No one should ever hurt someone like that, I wouldn't even do that! And I do a lot of super gory things! Like!" a gasp sounded from the green side, "Have I shown you Jeffrey yet?!"

Janus chuckled, "I don't think so. Why don't you go grab him?"

Logan opened his eyes fully to meet Janus' when Remus ran to the other room. He wasn't expecting to see a fond smile upon the yellow side's lips.

Janus didn't have his hat, curly fry like curls cascading down his forehead, but the rest of his attire was in place, "Good morning, my amazing logic. How are you feeling my dear?"

Logan opened his mouth, but sputtered from the dryness of his thoat. Janus handed him a glass of water, aiding him in holding the glass

Logan drew a calm breath, panting for oxygen, "Th-thank you"

The yellow side smiled, "I have nothing to accept. I simply gave you a simple human courtesy."

Logan blinked, mouth gapping as Janus ran his ungloved finger tips through his hair. Logan slumped against his chest, "Why did you help me?" tears clogged his thoat

Janus blinked, confusion filling his features, "because it was the right thing to do." Janus traced the swell of his back, avoiding the bandages that covered his skin as the time ticked away, "Logan?"

"Yes?"

"who hurt you?"

Silence spread throughout the room, specks thought flickered across the logical side's eyes. Lose flecks of hair covering his eyes as tears stained his face.

"I-I don't want him to hurt you"

A calm smile spread across the deceitful side's face, "He couldn't if he tried."

"JAN!! JANNNN!! SNAKEY!!" Remus burst through the door, a simple looking terrarium in his hands, "Look!" Remus paused the very second he locked gaze with Logan, a gasp filled the room as the green side rushed to place the terrarium on the scratched coffee table

"Lo! Lo-Lo! How ya feeling? Who do I have to hit? No one should hurt you like that!"

Blurry eyes flickered back and forth to the two sides. Both had this tint of protectiveness in their eyes, the tint covered their eyes like a coating of some sort. It was darker, but not the kind of look that was located in Patton's eyes.

"Patton," his voice was hushed, barely audible to the other sides.

Remus grinned, pressing a light kiss to his and Janus' forehead, "I love both of you!" The green side snatched his morning star from the dining room table, slamming the front door shut behind him.

Blush covered the blue side's face, his brain lagging to catch up. "W-what?"

Janus looked down at the taller man, "Rem just gets ahead of himself sometimes, we'll talk about it when he gets back" a soft grin spread on his face, "Want to watch BigHero6 dear?"

Surprise coated Logan's features for a millisecond, hesitantly nodding to the offer. Logan watched Janus search for the remote, his attention being brought to the terrarium on the table

"Jeffrey?"

"he names all his pets Jeffrey."

[anxiouslyfred]

Janus Parents Who?

for @dukexietyweek‘s day 4 prompt ‘parents’

Summary: Remus and Virgil know they aren’t brothers, despite both thinking of Janus as their Dad. The argument over whose dad Janus actually is carries on through their childhoods, reconciling when Thomas accepts all his sides and eventually starting to Date. Janus just hopes there’s a final resolution to be found because the screaming is over dramatic.

Warnings: Caps Lock Screaming, arguments, spider mention,

/\/\

Janus had come out of his room some time after yelling had broken out. He knew from the start that raising and looking after Remus and Virgil would be a challenge, but had also realised within a few arguments of theirs that intervening at the beginning would only lengthen how long they might disagree for.

“Well now, you two seem to be perfectly at peace with each other. Whom shall I thank for the relaxing evening?” He got their attention in an instant, sarcasm dripping from his words.

“We aren't BROTHERS!” Remus screamed, flinging an arm towards Virgil in accusation. “You're MY DAD! Not HIS!”

“Janus was my Dad first. That means you're the adopted one!” Virgil hissed back, moving to tug on one of Janus's arms, eyes pleading for his side to be taken.

That was clearly the worst thing Janus could do. Taking either side would be bad, but letting Remus feel rejected so soon after losing his brother and the complete rejection of Thomas knowing him could quite possibly destroy what control he'd maintained.

“When did you two decide that you aren't brothers? So far as I was aware I have 2 children to look after and oh, look at this, there are 2 children living with me.” Janus played surprised, counting his fingers and then the other sides in the room. “We all know that no matter what my role is, mathematics doesn't lie.”

Today he would work soft words to calm the boys down, and try to figure out just why they no longer believed themselves to be brothers. Hopefully tomorrow he would know how to resolve the argument properly.

/jrv\

It had been a long time since Janus had seen that specific glare on Remus's face and despite the urgent summons from Patton that had brought him there, he was very tempted to just fetch something from the kitchen before going to hide.

“Janus is my Dad. You can't Have Him!” Remus growled out, and yep, the glare was for exactly the same reason it always had been. That sounded like Virgil had mentioned liking having him as a Dad once more so their old feud was beginning all over again.

“Dude, it was Roman who said Janus acts like my Dad and he's always been that to me anyway. You can't dictate who my Parent is.” Virgil had almost hit Roman in the gesture towards him while glaring at Remus.

Patton was already hurrying over, ever ready to try calming down any argument. “Come on kiddo's. Being a Dad to one person doesn't mean you can't be to someone else. I thought you liked each other now so why not try-”

“WE AREN'T BROTHERS!” Janus had yanked his hat down to cover his ears just in time to muffle the combined scream of Remus and Virgil. He'd still never got a good explanation over why that decision was made but had learnt a million times over not to question it.

“Yes, that's been blatantly obvious as long as I've know you both. You're as different as Roman and Remus, I'm sure.” Janus drawled, mostly just to get the attention away from Patton before he tried again to suggest they could be.

It was almost too predictable that both sides he'd raised immediately gestured to the other angrily. “Tell him I'm your son and he isn't!”

“Hang on, Remus is my brother. Should I be included in this argument or not?” Roman's question only caused more arguing between Virgil and Remus, things Janus had heard them say a million times.

Only after Logan had emerged wondering what all the noise was about did Janus realise the vehemence wasn't in the argument any more. It was almost like the pair were just arguing over who he was a parent to as a way to reconnect with each other. Perhaps he wouldn't ask Patton what to tell them about who he was a parent to; not just yet anyway.

/VJR\

Remus and Virgil starting to date should have settled the issue.

Seriously, Janus could not believe that they still wanted to know who he was a true parent to after all this time and was honestly convinced that no side was actually a parent to any other. It wouldn't make sense for there to be parental relationships among the sides, given they were all just parts of what made up Thomas Sanders.

One thing was clear though and that between Roman, Remus and Virgil there had been an agreement struck that they were the children of the family and all children must have parents. Perhaps it was something to do with how they used the imagination to create and resolve situations or something, but the trio were resolute. If only they could be equally resolute on who was their assigned parents.

“JANUS IS MY DAD! PRODIGAL SON IF YOUR GOING TO QUOTE THE FUCKING BIBLE AT ME!!” Virgil's scream broke through what had been a quiet afternoon as he stormed out of his room and down into the living room.

Remus was already giving chase though. “MINE! At least I stuck with him and listen to the rules he makes!”

“That doesn't make you his son, it makes you a fucking suck-up!”Virgil hissed back. “Besides families have arguments sometimes. Don't try to claim otherwise cause I've seen how you react to your dearest brother.”

As ever when Roman was mentioned in a vaguely complimentary way he spoke up, “Well how about that, I already have a Dad, so maybe Janus actually is Virgil's dad after all.”

Only a beat of silenced passed before Remus was screaming, wailing almost over being the rejected son, abandoned at birth, with Virgil wrapped around him and glaring for anybody to agree with Roman.

“No no no, Octospider, you weren't. You were always loved and I can't imagine anybody doing something like that. Janus must be your Dad, cause nobody could bare to lose a wonderful gremlin like you.” The crooning words made all the other sides, now all present after hearing the screams, freeze.

Patton had been moving forwards at Roman's reasoning to agree and make some dad jokes to try and finally settle the ongoing dispute, never thinking about what that would mean given the divide split the sides for most of Thomas's life. Now he could only hope Roman had some other idea that would calm them both down whenever the brother comment was actually questioned and glanced to Janus to check how he'd taken Virgil's change of heart.

Janus had already moved to join Virgil in holding Remus, “There we go Darling. I'm your Dad, and have always kept you with me. Nobody has been rejecting you here, just hoarding your madness all for myself. It was far to precious to even dream of sharing when you were younger.”

“B-b-b-But Patton Hates me and he's Roman's Dad, how – how can I be yours when my brother is his?” Remus managed to ask, burying himself in Virgil's hoodie after asking the question. It looked like there could be tentacles as well as arms tying Remus to his boyfriend as he continued to wail.

“Must have been a really messy break up, I guess. We're like Parent Swap twins. Janus and Patton had such a big falling out they each took one of us and vowed to never see each other again.” Roman mused, nodding encouragingly at the questioning glances he got from the 3 other sides still standing.

Virgil's arms tightened then, his eyeshadow lengthening on his face, even as he kept up soothing strokes over Remus's back. “So I was the abandoned child then?”

“We are all the same age, Virgil. I don't think any of us even have parents, let alone understand all this drama for seeking them out.” Logan began, only to be cut of by a small cheer Roman made.

“Adopted out, I believe. After all our teacher was far too focused on making Thomas learn all the things and discover even more for much of our youth, but as soon as you started becoming known to Thomas was more than ready to help you through your worries.” Roman had moved over to Logan's side while speaking, listing out his reasoning excitedly. “Therefore we must believe that Logan is your Dad, Dearest Nightmare, but found himself unable to care for you and help Thomas with learning everything a young mind can so asked if Janus might raise you instead.”

Remus peeked out of the hoodie now, glancing suspiciously from Logan to Virgil's face. “I copied my eyeshadow from you. You just started getting it some mornings. Was that cause you couldn't try to steal Logan's glasses? I can make you some now if you like?” He offered.

“No need. Though I guess we need to find some other random thing to argue over now. Who's the better kisser perhaps?” Virgil offered, snickering at the confused glances they were now being shot.

Remus just pulled him down into a kiss before darting away. “I already won that one. What other suggestions do you have?”

Virgil watched him leave getting to his feet after a moment. “Thanks for the solution Roman, but seriously, if you ever upset Remus by making him feel abandoned again all the spiders in the house will find their way to your room, possibly including the ones from the imagination too.” With those parting words he hurried to follow Remus.

“Young love?” Patton asked, somewhere between thinking the scene was adorable and wondering what on earth just happened. Janus could only nod, feeling exactly the same over the two sides he had raised.

At least there was some story over how they weren't brothers now.

[iclaimedtobethebetterbard]

his name was chad - chapter 1

Fandom: Sanders Sides Characters: All the sides Rating: Teen & up (see Warnings) Relationships: Lamp (with a focus on Logince and Moxiety), Dukeceit Warnings: Language, sexual humor/innuendo, mostly non-graphic violence, temporary major character deaths, minor animal death (not all of these are in this chapter, but I like to put general fic warnings on the first chapter) Word count: 1782 Notes: Based on that one short Thomas made ages ago; fic is mostly to be treated humorously. 

Read on AO3!

start - previous - here - next - masterpost

My writing masterpost

Summary:  “We thought it’d be fun to make an apocalypse game!” Roman explained. “One we can fully immerse ourselves in!” “Well, technically,” Remus put in, “it’s part apocalypse, part western, part post-apocalypse, part zombie apocalypse—” “No! No zombies! We’ve been over this!” Roman snapped. “Right, right, I keep forgetting. Part horror, part thriller, part mafia game, part—” “I think we get the picture,” Logan interrupted. “A mishmash of ‘edgy’ genres you both enjoy, am I correct?”

 Chapter 1

“Everyone!” Roman shouted from the common area at the top of his lungs. “Hey, everyone, c’mere! Right now!”

“What the hell do you want?” Virgil demanded, rising up at once.

“Wait, wait, wait wait wait. Logan! Patton!” Roman called for their other boyfriends.

Remus popped up between Roman and Virgil, making them both jump. “Janny!” he added in an ear-grating shriek.

“What on earth is the matter, Roman?” Logan inquired as he and Patton made their way into the room.

Roman glanced around just as Janus rose up in the corner, taking up residence lurking in a dramatic puddle of shadow. “Good, everyone’s here. Come see what me and Remus made!”

“Oh, you mean the thing you two have been holed up working on for two weeks now that nobody has been allowed to ask about?” Logan said, sounding interested.

“Yeah, that!” Roman grabbed his and Virgil’s hands. “Everyone come on!”

Patton followed just behind his three boyfriends; Remus and Janus, somewhat surprisingly, followed at a more leisurely pace, Janus leaning on Remus as he wrapped an arm around Janus’s waist, held his hand, and talked a mile a minute in a voice too low for the others to make out.

Roman led the group to the workshop he and Remus shared, having everyone gather in a huddle around a table with a large piece of fabric covering whatever was on it. “Ready?” he asked dramatically.

“No, can I take a nap first?” Virgil inquired sarcastically.

“Some other time, my stormy darling. Behold!” Roman drew the cloth away with a flourish.

“Ooh, it’s a little world!” Patton exclaimed.

“Fascinating,” Logan commented, leaning closer to examine the miniature landscape, dotted with buildings and trees. “What is it for?”

“It’s a game!” Remus piped up from the back of the group. He let go of Janus and elbowed his way between Virgil and Patton. “And we’re going in it! Blood and guts and gore and death!”

“What?” Patton inquired, sounding distinctly nervous.

“What do you mean, in it? What do you mean, death?” Virgil demanded.

“Oh, cool your tits, the death is just for realism,” Remus said, waving his hand.

“That is not reassuring!”

“No, no, wait, listen!” Roman interrupted frantically. “He’s explaining it all wrong! Virgil, listen, I promise it’s not that bad!” He paused. “Well.”

“See?” Virgil pointed an accusing finger at him. “What the hell are you two up to?”

“We just thought it’d be fun to make an apocalypse game!” Roman explained. “One we can fully immerse ourselves in!”

“Apocalypse?” Virgil demanded, sounding torn between delight and outrage.

“I don’t know…” Patton put in hesitantly.

Logan looked up from where he had still been examining the table. “This is an impressive level of detail work, Roman, Remus. You should be proud of yourselves.”

“Don’t encourage them!” Virgil snapped. “Not when they’re apparently trying to get us all killed for fun!”

“What?” Logan blinked. “Oh, that. I imagine it will be harmless.”

“Yeah!” Remus backed him up immediately.

“Yeah,” Roman echoed a beat later, less certain.

“Logan,” Virgil said, “they are trying to put Patton in an apocalypse. In what world is that a good idea for anyone?”

“Well, technically,” Remus put in, “it’s part apocalypse, part western, part post-apocalypse, part zombie apocalypse—”

“No! No zombies! We’ve been over this!” Roman snapped.

“Right, right, I keep forgetting. No zombies yet. But it is part horror, part thriller, part murder mystery, part mafia game, part—”

“I think we get the picture,” Logan interrupted. “A mishmash of ‘edgy’ genres you both enjoy, am I correct?”

“Oh, that’s a good way of putting it.” Remus nodded.

“It will be fun, I promise,” Roman said. “We made it! Just for everyone in this room! So it’ll be okay. We made such cool character designs for everyone, you’re going to love it, just please can we play just one time please?” He turned pleading eyes on all three of his partners.

“And you’re sure this will be safe?” Logan asked, just to be sure. Both Patton and Virgil looked too nervous for his liking and could likely use the reassurance.

“Absolutely!” Roman assured him.

“Probably,” Remus amended.

“Shut up! We know what we’re doing!” Roman smacked his brother’s arm.

“The effects will look, feel, sound, and smell realistic,” Remus said. “Try not to die gruesomely. Or don’t, it will be lots of fun to watch guts going everywhere.” He lit up and looked over at Roman. “Hey, can we add—”

“For the sixteenth time, we said no zombies on the first run!” Roman stamped his foot.

“Boo.” Remus rolled his eyes and glanced back to Patton. “But yeah. It’s safe from the outside. We’ll just be on the inside, you know?”

“What does that mean?” Patton asked nervously.

“Don’t worry about it,” Remus said instantly, grinning very wide indeed.

“Patton.” Roman took both Patton’s hands in his own. “I would never ask anything of you if I wasn’t perfectly sure I could keep you safe. It’s all just effects, I promise.”

“You’re sure?” Patton said.

“I promise,” Roman repeated. He glanced up at Virgil, who was hovering darkly just behind Patton’s shoulder. “And that goes for everyone here, Doom and Gloom.”

Virgil narrowed his eyes and looked over at Janus, who was standing a little distance away from the rest of the group, examining his gloved nails. “And what do you think of all this?” he demanded suspiciously.

Janus looked up, blinking comically wide and raising his eyebrows. “Hm? Oh, I’m sorry, I was under the impression that you ‘don’t like liars.’ Why would you ask me?”

Virgil growled under his breath. “You know you’re self-preservation too,” he snapped.

“Oh, yes, of course, it’s just fun to make you admit it.” Janus gave Virgil a very self-satisfied grin.

Virgil glared at him. “Just shut up and answer my question. Are you going in there?” He pointed at the landscape on the table.

“Maybe. I haven’t decided.” Janus shrugged, seeming disinterested. “You should definitely go, though, I’d love to watch you get taken out by tripping on a rock or something.”

“Oh, fuck you.”

Janus smirked. “I suspect your boyfriend collection would be unhappy with that idea.”

“Fuck off, you know I didn’t mean it like that!”

“Oh, is it bullying Virgil hours?” Remus inquired, looking up from the landscape on the table.

“No, hey, wait—” Patton began in protest.

“Shush, Daddyo, it’s all in good fun,” Remus said without looking away from Janus.

“Isn’t it always, darling?” Janus responded as if Patton’s interruption had not taken place.

Remus grinned. “Ooh, fair point.”

“I hate you guys,” Virgil announced.

Janus blew him a kiss. “Thank you ever so much.”

Remus draped himself over Virgil, with his chin resting on Virgil’s shoulder. “So whatcha talking about?” he asked.

“This loser won’t tell me if he’s participating in the game or not,” Virgil snapped, jerking a thumb at Janus.

“Ooh, ‘loser.’ Very nice. Classy. Screams ‘seventh grade,’ that’s how you know it’s a mature and grownup insult,” Janus commented.

“Baby, you aren’t playing?” Remus gave Janus a pair of very distressed, pleading puppy dog eyes. “I worked so hard on it! You’re going to be so sexy, I made you such a cool backstory!”

“No, no, of course I’ll play,” Janus assured him composedly. “I was only messing with Virgil.”

“Hey!” Virgil snapped.

“I’d love to see all the horrors your mind has come up with,” Janus went on with a startling sincerity, serenely ignoring Viril. “You’ll have to be sure and show me everything.”

Remus lit up. “Oh, I will!” He pushed away from Virgil and ran to take both Janus’s hands in his own. “I made you a whole lair thing, it’s so cool, it has so many—”

“Why don’t you show me?” Janus inquired, raising one of Remus’s hands to his lips to press a kiss to it.

Remus vibrated with excitement. “Yeah, okay!” He glanced over at Roman.

“You can go ahead early, you have a little more setup to do anyway,” Roman said, waving his hand. “We’ll catch up to you.”

Remus grinned and drew Janus close by the waist—and they both vanished.

Virgil yelped, looking distinctly alarmed.

“Never fear!” Roman assured him. “They’re just in the game!” He pointed down at the landscape; two little tokens, in green and yellow, had appeared on it. “Is everyone ready to go?”

“How long will this take, again?” Logan asked.

“A couple of hours,” Roman said. “Time goes slower inside the game by default, but Remus and I can mess around with it a little if we need to.”

“And the goal of the game?” Logan asked.

“To have fun! Also not die. There’s a little bit of a story but there’s also lots of room to play around. Don’t worry, the only thing that happens if you die is you’re out of the game and you come back here. The winner gets a minifigure of their character! And bragging rights.”

Logan and Virgil both perked up at this second prize. Roman snickered. “So, is everyone ready?” he asked again.

“I just feel like it’s a little scary…” Patton said.

“Oh!” Roman snapped his fingers. “I knew I was forgetting something. We made a filter for you, Pat! It puts you on easy mode. Way less things will want to attack you. And me and Remus both have some of our mod abilities available for emergencies if you need us to change something!”

Patton thought about this for a minute, then nodded. “Okay. I think I can try it out, then.”

Roman grinned and kissed his cheek. “How about you, Gerard Gay?” He looked over at Virgil. “You in?”

Virgil grumbled to himself for a moment, then shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, fine, whatever. Jan went in, and he’s a better judge of safety than you or Remus.” He glanced away and mumbled, “Plus it sounds really cool, or whatever.”

“Normally I would be very offended, but I’m just happy you want to play.” Roman offered Virgil a dazzling smile. “Logan?”

“I will participate. I am curious to see what you have come up with.”

“Oh, I love you all so much!” Roman declared. “Alright, everyone come over here.” He shuffled them around until each of them was holding somewhere on one of his arms. “Now, the game will drop us in randomly within a certain area and timeframe, and then we just have to find each other! Have fun—it’ll start off easy and get more challenging as we get used to it!”

Roman pulled at the fabric of Thomas’s imagination itself, and there was a funny yanking feeling in everyone’s gut, and the world went dark for just a second.

Taglist (ask to be added/removed!): 

@fivehargreeves05 @theimprobabledreamersworld

[5-falsehoods-phonated]

Dee Little Snake

Series Summary -  Janus uses age regression as a way to destress but has little control over it whenever he grows upset. Trying to keep a secret like that can be hard when you're only four years old, and thus family bonding ensues in a way nobody expected, least of all Deceit.

Chapter 1 - A Little Upset

Chapter Summary -  Still not over the events of the last video, Roman "accidentally" breaks something very important to Janus. Upset and stressed with seemingly no one to turn to, Janus' age regresses to that of a four year old, locking himself away in his room to wait it out. The last side he expected to care finds him and helps make it better.

Warning: Blood and Injury

Patton smiled encouragingly as Janus took a seat at the table, turning back around quickly to poke at the pancakes intent on not burning them this time. He took his hat off slowly, wanting to be respectful, and fidgeted with the thermos he had brought from the other kitchen. It was a translucent pale yellow with little snakes with bowties patterned all over the surface of the plastic. Virgil and Remus had worked on it together some years ago as a gift for Christmas and dispite their now rocky relationship he was hoping that seeing the old gift would make Virgil...tolerate him? Maybe start a conversation? Sighing he got up to look for a drink from the fridge just as Roman walked into the kitchen.

He and Janus froze as they caught sight of each other and the air immediately turned tense. He saw Patton's shoulders rise slightly and guiltily looked away, offering Roman a hesitant nod while he unscrewed the thermos and set it on the table as he continued towards the fridge. He didn't expect Roman to not be upset with him; he understood completely that he had taken it too far but then again so had Roman. He knew the creative side had laughed at Virgil's name as well and that had honestly made it even harder for him to even consider making himself that vulnerable, but it had been the only thing he had known to do to establish some level of trust between him and the others. Plus, he glanced back over to Patton, it was worth it for pancakes.

He turned around holding a jug of milk that was thankfully not expired just as Roman brushed past him, purposefully bumping his hip against the table as he did. The thermos wobbled and Janus was not nearly quick enough this early in the morning to prevent it from falling. Time felt like it slowed as it smashed onto the ground and a piece from the bottom broke off from the spidering cracks. Distantly he heard Patton gasp and plates clanking together as Roman hummed a simple tune but for all the distractions he couldn't bring himself to look up yet. He slowly leaned down to pick up the peices, tearing up as he realized he wouldn't be able to fix it like how it was before. His powers didn't fix things, they disguised things. Virgil and Remus had worked hard on making this together and now...

"How childish can you be?" He growled out, effectively cutting off the semi-cheerful humming.

Roman scoffed, not sparing him a glance as he set the table - with only four plates he noticed - and crossed the floor again to get glasses. "It's only a cup, just conjure a new one."

Janus stood up angrily and clutched the ruined peices to his chest. "I can't conjure things like that and you know it! I don't even have the capabilities to fix this and you think nothing of ruining the one thing I brought up with me? Your immaturity is-"

"Is what?" Roman whirled around. "As bad as Remus'? Worse? You think just because you're out here with us that means everything is somehow fine?!"

"Roman." Patton was looking at the creative side with a mix of concern and...anger? The pan was thankfully empty as it seemed to be forgotten for the time being.

Hearing the warning in his voice, Roman deflated a bit before turning away. "Whatever."

Patton shot Roman a hard look before looking over at the man still clutching the broken thermos to his chest. "Janus-"

He quickly turned away from Patton's gentle tone, sinking down into his room without a second glance.

Tears threatened to spill over as he tried in vain to blink them back, cursing as he collapsed in his bed and pulled the covers over himself completely. Roman was right, this was completely childish. Crying over something as small as a broken cup. He curled around it protectively even as the jagged edge cut into his palm. But Virgil and Remus had worked so hard on this. Virgil keeping Remus' more suggestive designs off of the gift and Remus reigning in his creativity enough to make something they knew Janus would actually like. Even if they had put the snakes on it as a joke he still loved it, they even managed to get it his favorite shade of yellow.

But now it was broken. The one thing he had from before their unit became tense, when they had been like a little family of their own. Now he couldn't use it and so he had no reason to bring it out again, which meant Virgil would never see it and that meant there would be no conversation starter other than 'what are you doing here?'; no neutral ice breaker to start them thinking about how things used to be and to start them talking about how things could be again. It would just be him and his unwanted presence and stupid dishwashing yellow gloves and cape he wore because he couldn't have his blanket weight around his shoulders and hat to hide his curly hair that none of the others had so he didn't understand why he did and...and...

In his frazzled thoughts he barely noticed the bed becoming larger around him, the hill of blankets becoming a small mountain while he curled further into himself. He only noticed his drastically reduced size when he cracked his eyes open and realized just how difficult it was to hold the thermos when his hands were so much smaller than they had been.

A sob escaped his throat as he realized what had happened, the stress of the situation bearing down on a mind that was ill equipped to deal with it. Not only did everyone hate him for trying to help in the only way he knew how to get their attention but now he was small and his hand hurt where the broken plastic still dug into his palm and he couldn't stop crying. He wanted comfort but there was no one outside his room that would be willing to give it to him, especially since no one knew this happened when he got upset enough. No one except...

He cried harder, clutching the cup closer to him and burying his face onto the suffocating blankets further to try and drown out the sound, resigned to being trapped in his room for the foreseeable future.

------

Virgil stepped into the warm kitchen carefully, having heard yelling just an hour earlier and wanting to be sure the air was relatively clear before following the smell of pancakes. Patton was still at the table picking at his stack with an uncharacteristic frown on his face, Logan sat across from him with his usual coffee and phone while Roman stabbed angrily at his plate as if it had personally attacked him. Debating whether or not to stay the rumbling in his stomach made the decision for him, making him sigh with hunched shoulders before fully revealing himself to grab the stack set aside for him.

"Morning kiddo." Patton mumbled, the usual cheerfulness gone from his voice.

Raising an eyebrow and looking at each of them in turn he grabbed the syrup to drown the unsuspecting pancakes in front of him. "Morning, Patton. What's uh....is everything good?"

His eyebrow raised higher as Roman huffed loudly. "I broke a cup by accident and hurt Deciet's feelings and now he won't come out of his room even though I already tried apologizing through the door."

"Janus. And Roman, you really upset him-"

"It was just a cup, Patton!"

"To you!" Patton raised his voice slightly, Dad Mode fully activated as he tried to drive his point home. "You don't know what kind of significance that might have held for him and if him crying was any indication it must have been important! He has every right not to forgive you right away-"

"He was crying?" Virgil cut in, worry curling in his gut despite the tension that had been present between them since Janus revealed his name.

Roman's cheeks burned with what Virgil hoped was shame as he quickly left the room, Patton turning back to his plate with a sigh. "Yes, he was. He was very upset and still is if his door being locked is anything to go by."

Virgil nodded, standing up with his pancakes to leave. "Thanks for the breakfast, I think I'll eat in my room."

He didn't hear Pattons response as he sunk out.

-----

Trying to pick a lock while balancing pancakes on your lap was not as easy as it sounded, but Virgil was determined to get in the room. Anxiety burned through his veins as the lock finally clicked, hoping his worry was unwarranted.

Opening the door and looking immediately towards the tiny lump on the bed confirmed his worries. He closed and locked the door behind him before making his way quickly to the bed, setting the plate on the nightstand and crouching down carefully.

"Janus?" He said softly, wincing as the quiet sobbed cut off abruptly as the shaking stilled underneath the blankets. Virgil hadn't seen the other side like this in a long time, not since he left to join the "light sides" years ago. He still remembered to be gentle however as he tugged on the covers, pulling them down slowly when he didn't hear any protest.

"Dee?"

A red faced four year old curled up further into himself, tears still running down his face and snot smearing grossly across his cheek. His hat was gone allowing for tangled curls to splay across the pillow. Virgil gave him a hesitant smile as he held out a hand.

"I heard a little about what happened, do you wanna talk about it?"

The toddler hiccupped loudly and buried his face into the pillow, mumbling something that he couldn't catch.

"I can't hear you if you hide your face." Deciding to risk it he laid a careful hand on the others shaking shoulder, rubbing it softly when he wasn't pushed away. As he lowered his gaze to try and see what the other was holding he caught sight of something red staining the bedsheets underneath his hands.

His heart leapt in his throat. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Swallowing when all he recieved as an answer was another mumble he carefully slipped his other arm underneath the child, guiding him upright to try and find what was wrong. Janus, well Dee he supposed since at the moment he was little, was clutching what looked like a thermos to his heaving chest, sobs still suppressed as he gazed at Virgil fearfully. His heart broke at the expression, feeling horrible for making the child feel as if he had stopped caring. Looking closer he recognized the thermos; it was one he and Remus had made for him for Christmas years ago and suddenly everything clicked into place. Dee had most likely brought this to breakfast as a sort of peace offering and Roman had ruined what Dee had probably considered his only way of starting a conversation with Virgil. And he had been in here for an hour, upset and crying and afraid to seek help because he didn't think he could.

Virgil felt tears welling in his own eyes as he brushed them from Dee's, holding out his other hand in offering.

"I'm sorry if you felt like you couldn't come to me. Will you let me help you?"

Dee sniffed and looked down, slowly unclenching his fingers and leaning closer which Virgil took as consent. He slowly stood up and leaned down, scooping him up quickly and heading for the door. Unlocking and opening it with practiced ease he glanced out to make sure no one was around before heading quickly to the bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind him.

Plunking Dee down on the sink he gently took the thermos from his hands, glancing up quickly as he winced. The poor kid must have been gripping it for the entire hour he had been curled up, cramping his hands in the process. He smiled with sympathy and took the tiny hands in his own, flipping them while massaging slowly as he inspected the cut he assumed had come from the broken plastic. It had cut through the glove and pierced his palm though thankfully it didn't look very deep. Retrieving the first aid kit from under the sink he slipped off both gloves and set them aside, grabbing out antiseptic wipes and bandaids.

"This will sting a little." He warned before gently wiping up all the blood away from the wound, grimacing as the cleaning revealed several small cuts and punctures rather than one singular cut he had assumed to be there. Once it was clean he grabbed a roll of gauze instead, wrapping the hand securely and taping up the loose end. Smiling at his work he put everything away and stood back up.

"Better?" He asked.

The toddler pouted slightly. "Still hurts."

Taking the hand again Virgil threw away all of his scraped up dignity and brought the palm to his lips, blowing an extremely gentle raspberry and grinning as Dee snatched his hand away giggling. Humming soothingly Virgil wet a washcloth and brought it to his face, wiping up the accumulated snot and tears thoroughly before throwing it aside.

Dee looked back down and hesitated for a second before tears gathered in his eyes again and he thrusted out his arms, making frantic grabby hands at the older side.

"Hey, hey it's okay." Virgil quickly scooped him back up and bounced slightly, continuing to croon as he made his way back to the bedroom while his shoulder became more and more wet. "I got you, Dee, I promise."

He sat on the bed and continued to rock the small side while rubbing his heaving back to try and calm him down. "Would talking about it help?"

He began to panic as Dee only sobbed harder, cursing himself for becoming so bad at this.

"I was mean t-to Ro-Roman so he- *hic* he broke my fav- my favorite cup and I- I can't fix *hic* I can't fix it and it's the o-only th-thing I have left from when- from when you liked me and now it8s gone!"

Virgil's arms tightened around Dee as he wailed, regret stabbing through his stomach painfully. "Dee, I still like you-"

"No you don't! You n-never want me ar-around since you *hic* since you left!"

"Dee, sweetheart, I promise I still like you. Things are just...complicated right now because everything's still trying to smooth out." Virgil pulled him away slightly so he could look at him properly, reaching forward to wipe at his cheeks. "This is something we need to discuss more when you're big again, but for right now, I'm not lying Dee. I still love and care about you very much. What Roman did was wrong no matter the circumstances and you are completely within your right to be upset."

Dee calmed slightly, still looking unsure but thankfully he had stopped crying. Virgil smiled and gently booped his nose earning a small giggle in response.

"If you want, I can ask Remus about fixing your cup for you and maybe making it so it won't break?" Dee nodded frantically, twisting his fingers in his shirt as his tears stopped completely.

"Then that's what we'll do, but later okay? For right now I brought you some pancakes." He gestured over to the bedside table before stopping and making a face, almost mirroring the disgusted way Dee's nose scrunched up at the prospect of eating the now cold and mushy pile of breakfast.

"Gross." Virgil laughed at Dee's declaration, agreeing completely.

"Should of thought that through I guess. I can make you another stack if you want? We can even make shapes!"

Dee glanced over at him, dubious expression completely out of place on his young face. "Not hungry. And you only do blobs."

"Maybe I've gotten better!" He countered indignantly, grinning at the raised eyebrow his statement earned him. "Alright well we'll try that later then. Let's get you changed into something more comfortable for right now, yeah?"

He lifted the child up and over to sit on the bed rather than his lap and walked over to the dresser where he knew Dee still had his favorite pajamas. He looked exhausted and Virgil had no doubt that as soon as he was comfortable he'd be nodding off.

Digging through various articles of clothing he hummed in triumph as he found what he was looking for. He laughed at the look on Dee's face as he presented the article of clothing, quickly helping him change.

A few minutes later he was tucking the yellow snake onesie clad four year old snugly into his blankets, biting his lip to keep from squealing as Dee's tongue blepped out happily. He made a mental note that if Patton was ever trusted enough to care for Janus when he was like this to make sure all of them were wearing ear plugs.

He was just turning to grab the thermos, intending to get Remus to help him fix it when Dee called out to him quietly.

"Vee?"

Virgil turned and smiled gently. "What is it, Dee?"

"Will you stay?"

His heart melted at the small vulnerable face, his vocal chords unable to form "no" even if he had wanted them to.

"Of course I will."

Much later, when Janus woke up from his impromptu nap definitely feeling better than he had in a while, he startled at the feeling of another's arm wrapped around him, twisting to see Virgil still fast asleep behind him. And if all he did was smile and lay back down, closing his eyes contentedly to soak in the feeling of being warm and safe, no one had to know.

He knew they would be talking later, but knowing Virgil of all sides still cared about him enough to care for him at his most vulnerable made him a lot less nervous about his future.

This work is also available on AO3!

Next

[not-so-mundane-after-all]

hand-holding, 33, Dick & Gar

Locked Myself In a Cage and Threw Away The Key (But Your Gentle Hands Had Set Me Free)

Hand-holding | 33. bandaging the other’s hand and not quite letting go - for @undertheknightwing

Gar walked into the Tower's kitchen humming softly, his eyes focused on the phone he held in his hand. He was scrolling through endless pages of recipes, trying to find a perfect smoothie combination. He loved experimenting in the kitchen ever since he was a little kid, his mom would usually assist. At Chief's house Larry has always been very protective over that specific area and wouldn't let him touch anything so the boy never got the chance to do it again but when he arrived in San Francisco with his new friends a little over a week ago and basically started drooling at the sight of a huge kitchen island and shiny appliances, Dick walked up to him with a smile, patted his shoulder and simply said "Go ahead. It's all yours."

"Aha!" he exclaimed triumphantly as he dropped on one of the stools. He found a perfect recipe, a combination he never tried before. He needed kale, an orange and a lemon, a cucumber, coconut water and honey. "Wait, do we have all of that?"

Leaving his phone on the counter he made his way around the kitchen island to the fridge. He found a cucumber (that was already withering so it was the last chance to use it) and some honey. There were a few lemons in a bowl on the counter but no oranges. Other ingredients from the list were missing as well.

Damn it.

Gar quickly grabbed his phone, took a screenshot of the recipe and sent it to Rachel with a note of what he needed. Dick took her out for grocery shopping (apparently his idea of quality time which Gar honestly loved but wouldn't admit it, at least not to Jason), they left like 20 minutes ago so there was still a chance she could get this stuff for him. A minute later she responded with a thumb up emoji and he let out a sigh of relief.

Now all he had to do was wait.

***

When he got the text from Rachel that they'll be back home in 5 minutes (he still couldn't quite get used to calling this place their home - Rachel on the contrary had no problem with it, probably thanks to Dick), Gar dragged himself from the couch in the living room and set to work. Soon the elevator door let out a loud ding sound and she walked in, carrying a huge paper bag filled to the brim in her hands.

"Got everything you asked for." she said, smiling, as she set the bag beside him on the kitchen island and started unpacking it.

"Sweet, thanks." he replied, starting to chop the cucumber into pieces. "Where's Dick?"

"Still in the garage." she sighed, then dropped on the stool next to him and opened a bag of sour jelly beans. "Want some?"

"No, thanks. Why?"

"Car started acting weird." she explained, chewing on the candy. "Apparently something's wrong with the engine or something, I dunno. He's looking into it."

Gar lifted his eyes at her, brows furrowing in concern.

"Ouch, I hope it's nothing serious. I have a feeling Donna wouldn't be happy if it turned out we broke her ride- agh, shit!"

He felt a jolt of stinging pain on the inside of his left palm, setting his nerves ablaze and instinctively pulled his hand away, trying to escape the sensation. Rachel's eyes grew wide and she gasped, staring at it. He slowly lifted his hand back up, looking down and suddenly he felt dizzy, the floor crumbling under his feet.

There was so much blood.

It wasn't really the sight that made him feel this way, or the pain of the cut. It was the touch of the warm liquid creating a puddle inside his palm. The bitter smell of metal that hit his nostrils. The Tiger inside of him came awake, letting out a restless growl and started clawing at the walls of its cage, demanding to be set free.

The cage. Like the one they locked Gar in at the asylum. Suddenly he was back there, curled up in the corner naked, afraid and bloody, staring at a pile of disembodied body parts and internal organs ripped apart. He could feel the taste of crimson in his mouth, sour and disgusting, while the Tiger was roaring in pleasure, demanding for more. Gar heard someone calling out to him, some part of his brain registered a gentle touch and a surge of energy, but the Tiger was quick and shut it all down with one single growl. It wanted to take control, to put Gar in the cage instead. The boy was too close to letting it. As much as the cage terrified him, it also felt somewhat safe and if staying inside meant he could be free of the Tiger for a moment at least, then-

"Gar? Gar, c'mon. Come back to me, buddy."

He snapped back to reality so quickly he started feeling dizzy again. Or maybe the dizziness didn't go away at all, he didn't know. He gasped like he just came out of water and when his sight sharpened again he found himself gazing into Dick's concerned brown eyes, feeling the man's fingers gripping his arms tightly. Rachel was peering over his shoulder, nibbling at her lower lip in worry.

"I tried to heal him but it didn't work." she said, her voice quiet and hesitant. "I don't know why."

"It's okay." he told her, although his eyes never left Gar's. "Go grab the first aid kit. You know where it is, right?"

"Yeah." she nodded and disappeared from view. Dick focused on the boy again.

"Gar, breathe. It's just a little blood. You're okay."

He followed his instructions. Deep breaths. Slow and steady. It's just a little blood. The Tiger is asleep.

"You're not there." Dick spoke softly, as if reading his mind. "You're not in the cage anymore."

They kept breathing together for a bit longer and Gar started feeling better. He risked looking down at his hand. It was covered in smudged blood and a deep cut ran across the inside of his palm. It stung when he stretched his fingers.

"I, uh…" he started, his throat suddenly feeling dry. "I think I didn't notice. The knife slipped and-"

"It's alright, kiddo." Dick comforted him, sending him a warm smile. In the meantime Rachel came back with a small red box in her hand and set it down on the counter. Dick thanked her quietly and looked back at the boy. "Why don't we patch it up, huh?" He let go of his arm and offerend his hand to him. "Can I?"

Gar hesitantly put his injured hand in Dick's hold and instantly relaxed feeling the warm touch of his fingers on his skin. The man cleaned the cut with a disinfectant (it hurt like a bitch), smoothing a damp cotton swab over it, then started wrapping a white bandage over it. His movements were slow and careful, he kept holding his hand gently, turning it to the sides whenever he needed to. Gar observed him quietly, feeling somewhat hypnotized by the process. It was calming down his shattered nerves.

When the dressing was done though, Dick didn't let go of the boy's hand like Gar expected him to, but instead he clasped it between both of his own and held it firmly, looking into his eyes again.

"You good?" he asked and Gar knew he didn't mean the cut.

"Yeah." he answered, his voice sounding a bit croaky. He cleared his throat before speaking again. "Sorry I spaced out."

"It's okay. It triggered you, didn't it? The blood."

Gar took a deep breath and felt his shoulders trembling.

"It did. I know it's silly, but-"

"It's not silly." the man interrupted him and squeezed his hand in comfort. "It's your body and mind reacting to trauma. It's completely normal."

Gar looked down at their hands, feeling his eyes burning.

"I was at the Asylum again…"

"I figured." he heard Dick say quietly. "But thankfully it wasn't real this time. You're safe, Gar. With us, with me. You're at home, not there, remember that."

They stared into each other's eyes for a few long seconds before a smile finally broke onto Gar's face.

"At home."

Dick grinned back at him, relief flooding his face.

"Yeah."

Someone's hand rested on his shoulder. Rachel.

"I'm glad you feel better now." she said. "How about we finish this smoothie?"

Gar lifted an eyebrow at her.

"You hate green smoothies."

"But I am willing to try this one. You bled for it after all."

All three of them chuckled at her joke.

"Save me some for later." Dick said as he stood up from his chair. "I gotta get back to the garage."

That reminded Gar of the car issue.

"Hey, what happened? Is it bad?"

Dick was already halfway to the elevator when he shouted back.

"Nah, I just need to tweak a few things, that's all."

The elevator door dinged and he was gone.

Gar turned to Rachel.

"You said you tried to heal me?"

She shrugged, a look of confusion appearing on her face as she went back to unpacking the groceries.

"Yeah, but somehow I couldn't."

He scratched the back of his neck, thinking.

"I think the Tiger stopped it. I felt something, but then it was abruptly cut off. I don't know, maybe I was imagining things."

"Maybe." she closed the fridge and turned back to him. "So what do you need next?"

"Give me that coconut water."

"Gotcha."

_________________________________________

Fandom: DC Titans

Title: Locked Myself In a Cage and Threw Away The Key (But Your Gentle Hands Had Set Me Free)

Series: Physical Affection - Tumblr Prompts

Pairings/Relationships: Dick Grayson & Garfield Logan

Summary: It wasn't really the sight that made him feel this way, or the pain of the cut. It was the touch of the warm liquid creating a puddle inside his palm. The bitter smell of metal that hit his nostrils. The Tiger inside of him came awake, letting out a restless growl and started clawing at the walls of its cage, demanding to be set free.

CHECK OUT THE PROMPT LIST | REQUESTS OPEN

[iceshard1011]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Sanders Sides (Web Series) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Unrequited Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders Characters: Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Deceit | Janus Sanders, Morality | Patton Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Orange Side (Sanders Sides) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Human, Character Death, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders And Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Angst, Car Accidents, Precognition, Abusive Parents, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Background Orange Side (Sanders Sides), Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders Needs a Hug, Logic | Logan Sanders Is A Good (Boy)Friend, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders is So Done, Sympathetic Sides (Sanders Sides), Mentions of various mental illnesses, (none of which any of the characters have) Summary:

"You know when people say your life flashes before your eyes? Well, it doesn’t. You don’t have time."

---

In which anyone who has ever hurt Remus immediately pays for it thanks to his menace of a brother.

4k word fic is below :)

Remus had always had rotten luck. Wherever he dared to have the audacity to step, utter chaos followed. Whether it was a punch to the nose from an asshole trying to mug him or a woman ranting at an accidental spill of coffee on her new shirt. Whether someone walked away with a soured attitude or broken leg, anyone who came in contact with Remus had their entire day — and sometimes their entire life — ruined, simply for looking at him the wrong way. Remus figured this recurring curse nipping at his heels was the reason he had no connections with his family, the reason no co-workers wanted to be around him, why no one in his classes stuck around long enough to know more than his name.

Oh, also, he was crazy.

If everything aforementioned wasn’t enough to push someone away, announcing that he had a voice that told him This person talks behind your back was a sure-fire way to send anyone scrambling.

At first, Remus thought it was normal. For a thirteen-year-old boy growing and changing and dealing with significantly more stress and grief than other people his age, hearing things like Your friends are toxic and This teacher sucks and You don’t need school didn’t seem so crazy.

Besides, he’d approached his parents exactly once about leaving school, and got his answer swiftly and harshly. He’d never asked again, too distracted with trying to help Mum when she came down with a sick spell for the next week and the way Dad’s car kept breaking down.

The thoughts didn’t cease.

It’s not wrong to like boys.

You’re not in love with your girlfriend.

You could anonymously key your English teacher’s car after school. The bitch deserves it.

Sometimes, Remus did stupid things like listen to the ridiculous thoughts that hummed in the back of his mind.

When he fled from the car, stuck in the middle of congested traffic just before a truck ploughed through the vein of vehicles and landed his father in hospital for days, his mother had slapped him upside the head and grounded him for far longer. Remus still wasn’t entirely sure why. He wondered if she blamed him for not warning them. He wasn’t sure if that was justified, as he hadn’t been thinking much else other than the GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT that had been ringing in his ears.

When the thoughts had mused, seemingly half-heartedly, that his father was going to trip down the flight of stairs if he went without his crutches, Remus’ attempt at a warning had earned him two weeks of dabbing foundation over the bridge of his cheek so no one at school would ask questions.

“Stop acting out!” his mum had screamed once as she pinned him to the wall, her nails digging into his throat and her expression blurry from his stinging eyes. “It won’t change anything!”

His parents’ breaking point was when Remus freaked out the entirety of his chemistry class when his mind insisted that the method the professor was teaching them was going to cause fire to catch on the hair of the girl at the far end of the classroom. He was called into the principal’s office during that class (escaped the smoke alarm going off and the screaming from someone who was going to have an unexpected style change, which was good) and then again at the end of school, with the addition of his parents, neither who were very happy about it.

It was then that he revealed, in a humiliated mumble, about the odd thoughts that continued to prove to have some truth.

The money for a doctor got on his parents’ nerves. He stopped visiting the therapist before any diagnosis could be determined.

Remus did his own research. Schizophrenia, bipolar, DID, OSDD, OCD, every relevant acronym and mental illness under the sun, yet nothing answered all of his questions. There weren’t any odd dreams, multiple voices weren’t clogging his mind, he didn’t feel out of place in his own body, he never saw anything that wasn’t really there.

Nothing explained the odd precognitions the voice gave him, the strange accusatory claims made of the people around Remus who he personally thought he was quite fond of, the baffling times where the voice tried to talk to him like it was any other casual conversation. Even things like how Remus was told not to cross that section of the road, or was mentioned a pretty-looking butterfly behind Remus that he hadn’t even seen yet.

Nothing ticked all the boxes. Nothing gave him all the answers.

Remus was in college, low grades, a shitty apartment, few friends who hated his boyfriend and a boyfriend who hated his few friends, when he reached his own breaking point with himself.

His boyfriend walked into the apartment, expression bored and eyes uninterested. Remus smirked over at him.

“You get my deodorant?” he asked, standing from the couch.

He didn’t, the voice said.

“No,” said Neroli. Remus wasn’t disappointed.

“I guess you’ll have to deal with the consequences of not entertaining me, then,” he said with a sharp grin, gripping Neroli’s shirt and tugging him down for a kiss. His boyfriend responded, suitably fervently. Remus was just getting to the point of reaching for his boyfriend’s belt when the voice growled, quietly, as if it hadn’t meant for Remus to hear, Cheating bastard.

It startled Remus so badly he yanked back from Neroli like he’d been scalded. He earned a bemused look from his boyfriend.

“Why, uh— why didn’t you drop by the shops?” Remus asked, hating himself for considering listening to the menace inside his head. Neroli shrugged dully, moving into the kitchen. He peered into the fridge.

“Got caught up.”

“With what?” Remus blurted, then screamed at himself for opening his mouth. Neroli shot him a dirty look.

“What, do you expect me to explain every second of my day to you?” he asked irritably.

“Only the fun parts.” Remus shot him another suggestive, toothy grin. It was ignored.

Don’t listen to it, whispered Remus to himself. Don’t listen to it.

Ask him where he was on the night you were studying with Logan, the voice said in reply. Remus growled and shook his head. The voice persisted; Ask.

“You look distracted,” Neroli noted, but he sounded detached.

“Maybe I’m thinking about you under the sheets,” Remus said.

Neroli didn’t entertain him.

“Maybe you’re cheating on me,” said Remus with another grin, waiting for Neroli to give him a reaction. His boyfriend merely glanced over at him with a considering look.

“Actually,” he said, and Remus’ heart dropped against his will, “I’m going to my friend’s place. I made plans with her instead of getting groceries.” He walked past Remus and took his car keys from the entry table.

Remus still remembered the way he had felt nauseous, and the ferocious feeling that had washed over him that somehow felt like the voice sounded when Neroli had said, “By the way, I’m breaking up with you,” without so much as a glance over his shoulder. “And I want you gone from the apartment by the time I come back.”

Remus had found himself with his head in his hands on the couch for the next few hours, going through the motions. He didn’t cry. He hadn’t cried for a long time. He had felt numb, even as the voice had murmured apology after apology.

Eventually, Remus had got himself and his things together and moved from the place, a worn backpack all to show for his possessions. He had ignored the voice ordering him to find somewhere to eat, some shelter to sleep, the demands to call his friends and ask for help.

Remus had spent the night of Christmas Eve shivering on a park bench, bag for a pillow and his own arms as a blanket.

(He couldn’t deny that it was his fault when Neroli got into a car crash on his way back to his apartment that morning.)

Over the following years, with more scenarios such as that, Remus learned that it was best if people knew he was insane. If they knew that, if they knew he heard things, and caused horror everywhere he went, they would stay away. If people stayed away, they saved themselves from a bad time and Remus from having to watch anyone he’d gotten attached to leave.

He was sick of people leaving.

Somehow, amongst this mindset, he hadn’t quite managed to shake a scattered few of his old college friends.

Logan, a nerd with a prime attitude and punchable face and also the least emotionally available person Remus had encountered, was somehow one of Remus’ main sources of support. He had taken up tutoring Remus, against Remus’ better judgement, and he had constantly offered his own house as a place for Remus whenever he needed it. Not that Remus ever accepted any of this, mind you.

The only problem was — Logan was feisty. Almost as feisty as Janus, and just as feisty as Roman. His stubbornness matched Remus’ and it was near impossible to shake the guy from an idea once he was fixed on it.

It was kind of endearing.

(It was also very difficult, given Remus’ goal in life had become to stop hurting people he cared about.)

Logan also rambled a whole lot, which Remus liked. It drowned out the voice, still present after all these years. It had quietened considerably, if Remus thought about it. It seemed to have a strange opinion on Logan. Remus ignored it, nonetheless.

This particular afternoon, Remus found that he couldn’t keep ignoring the cursed phenomenon following him.

“Are you paying attention?” Logan asked.

Remus smirked, keeping his eyes on the path in front of him. He kicked the stone again, and it skittered up the pathway then waited like a faithful dog for Remus to catch up. “More or less. Meteorology, right?”

He could tell Logan was looking at him. He probably looked outwardly annoyed, but there would be an amused spark behind the rim of his glances that never escaped Remus. “More or less.”

Remus bobbed his head. “Then yeah, I was listening.”

Logan hummed in agreement but didn’t resume the conversation. They walked in companionable silence along the street path, accompanied merely by the padding of their shoes and the tap-tap-tap of Remus’ stone. The road beside them was quiet.

“Remus?” asked Logan.

“Hm?” Remus said.

Tap-tap.

“Why don’t you come to my house tonight?” Logan asked. “It is New Year’s Eve. The others will be there. I would like for you to have some company.”

Oh, I have company, grumbled Remus. And it won’t shut up.

The voice, as if to solely prove him wrong, remained silent. Remus may have felt some indignation on its behalf, however.

Tap-tap-tap.

“Maybe,” said Remus, which meant No.

“Please,” Logan said, because he knew.

“Logan,” sighed Remus, “you know how I—”

“Yes,” Logan interjected. “I know it distresses you to have companionship, but truly, it is not such the awful venture that you have convinced yourself it is.”

Remus sighed again, his shoulders sagging. He stopped walking and edged away from Logan, no longer happy to be alone with him. He didn’t know what to say.

He was too busy formulating some semblance of a reply to pay attention to the rising anxiety in the back of his mind and the distantly increasing screeching sound.

By the time the speeding car spun around the corner across the road, he was too slow to react.

MOVE, the voice screamed.

Remus couldn’t.

Logan might have shouted, but he sounded like he’d moved — further away from where he had been standing. Probably to somewhere safe. That was good, at least. Logan had something to offer the world, with that big brain of his.

The car skidded across the road, moving too fast to regain control. It sped forward, wheels rolling along the path, barreling towards the spot Remus was standing.

MOVE, his voice was shrieking. Crying. Begging.

Remus didn’t.

The car, by some logic, didn’t hit Remus.

The car didn’t hit Remus, because it hit something — Remus didn’t see what, and later Logan would agree — first, and flipped like a goddamn pencil being flung across a bored classroom. The hunk of metal flew into the air, the bottom turning to the sky and the roof glinting down at Remus beneath it—

And crashed to the asphalt metres away from where Remus was standing, completely unharmed.

He and Logan stood there, speechless, for a very long time.

The police, once having caught up to the hit-and-run escapee, deemed it an accident on the driver’s behalf. Remus and Logan were dismissed from the scene without being asked any questions. Remus hadn’t spoken a word since it had happened, anyway. Logan had been the one to text their friends and talk to the officers. He had then guided Remus back to his apartment, where the others were already hanging out. They greeted Remus at first but left him alone once being waved away by Logan. He was brought into Logan’s bedroom and set on the bed.

“Now,” Logan said without wasting a beat. “What. Was. That.”

Remus blinked up at him. He worked his jaw. Nothing came out.

Some expositional bullshit? he mentally asked hopefully. The only answer he got was what vaguely felt like the embodiment of a winded wheeze of an exhausted runner. Fantastic help.

“I would like some answers, Remus,” Logan said, and he looked almost angry. “Odd things have happened in your presence before but nothing like this. I watched a car run into nothing and flip as if it had crashed into a row of bollards. You otherwise would have been flattened. You should be dead, or at least in the hospital.” Cool hands cupped Remus’ cheeks, and steel blue eyes bored into him. “I am eternally grateful that that is  not  what has happened, but I need answers.”

Remus tried to talk but didn’t. Logan pulled back and began to pace.

“We already checked the surrounding area,” he began to mutter. “There was no lip on the pavement, nothing to cause such a graphic result. The car’s wheels aside from being burned from skidding were not damaged. I don’t understand what—”

“I’m cursed,” Remus finally croaked. Logan paused to look at him. “It’s me, I—”

“No,” Logan said. “You have tried to tell me this nonsense before, I will not—”

“It’s true,” Remus said vigorously. “It has happened for years, Logan. Every time something mildly inconveniences me, everything goes to shit. Someone on the other end of the street could look at me the wrong way and suddenly they’re tripping over their untied shoelaces and dropping their groceries into the road. My boss doesn’t give me enough hours and suddenly she’s firing the co-worker I hate and giving me their pay. I don’t understand it, Logan, but you can’t keep denying it.”

“Remus—”

“There’s a voice,” he blurted, because he never had much of a filter. “There’s this voice, too. It’s the same one, but I can’t really hear it, you know? Imagine a single intrusive thought, but it’s always saying different things and some of them aren’t even bad.”

Logan now looked concerned. “Remus—”

“It acts like it’s my friend. Like we’re old pals looking out of each other. I hate it, Logan! It’s the reason no one wants to be around me! It’s the reason I can’t trust anyone I meet, because either they’re going to find about me and leave or the voice will tell me something about them that I don’t want to know but it’ll end up being true—”

“Remus.” Logan was crouched in front of him, his hands squeezing his shoulders. “Please breathe. We will work this out.”

“You can’t,” Remus told him. “I have already gone to every doctor, every psychiatrist. The moment I was free of my parents I went to every damn qualified person in this place, for years, and none of them know what it is.

“I went to a goddamn psychic, Logan.” Remus laughed wetly, shaking his head. “That’s how desperate I was. Dumb, right?”

“You are not dumb,” Logan said, and he said it with so much ferocity that it took Remus a moment to realise the voice had said the same thing, much quieter. “You’re troubled. You’re— you just need to find the right answers.”

“I don’t even know what questions I’m asking, anymore,” Remus said, and hated how broken he sounded. He pressed his forehead to Logan’s chest when he stood. “So I don’t know what answers we’re talking about.”

“We’ll figure out something,” promised Logan. “I promise.”

Remus closed his eyes, so tears wouldn’t get past. They stayed like that until Patton tentatively knocked on the door to ask them if they wanted to count down for the new year.

They did. They counted down, and cheered, and danced and sang and Remus drank until he passed out on the couch, snuggled between Janus and Logan. He didn’t even mind waking up the next morning with a throbbing headache.

Virgil referred Remus to his therapist, a cheery moron with an obsession with pink and cartoons. He seemed less focused on diagnosing Remus and simply talking. He referenced a lot of things Remus didn’t know. The voice seemed to like him — not that Remus cared about its opinions. Remus thought that maybe he liked talking to him.

Somewhere along the line, Remus and Logan started dating. Remus wasn’t sure how it had happened, either. He was fairly sure they had been reading on the carpet, and then the next moment they were pressed against the wall, down each other’s throats, so… Remus wasn’t exactly  complaining.

There were bad days, where the voice hadn’t even done anything wrong and yet Remus clawed at his skull. Bad days, where he and Logan fought for real, which scared Remus (he wasn’t easy to scare, either.) At one point, Janus had picked a fight with the wrong group of people and got himself a concussion, which he recovered from fine, but sent Remus to bed with nightmares of blank eyes and bloodied skin for weeks after.

Eventually the dreams stopped, but Remus knew he hadn’t completely recovered when he found himself in the bathroom of an empty apartment, watching white porcelain run red.

Stop it. Remus still had little to no clue how so much as a voice could sound as if it was an aggravated wolf pacing in a tiny metal cage. You need to stop.

Don’t tell me what to do, Remus thought.

Don’t make me stop you myself.

Yeah, Remus thought with a scoff to himself. Good luck with that.

Remus. Please.

Remus shook himself, as if he could physically shake the voice from his head and continued. The voice went quiet.

Time passed, peacefully, blissfully quiet. The sink was stained further.

Remus was almost letting himself relax, but then the door slammed open, somehow, in the middle of the empty apartment, and Logan was standing in the doorway, looking furious, in the empty apartment.

“You said you were fine,” said Logan. Remus felt like a child caught with his hand stuck in the cookie jar. Crusty, bloody cookies. “You. Said—” Logan crossed the room and gripped Remus’s slick wrist in his— “that you were fine.”

“I am!” Remus protested. “I’m just—”

“You are NOT!” Logan roared. Remus flinched back. Logan stilled, then paled. Remus squinted at his far away gaze and wondered in horror why Logan looked as if he was listening to something. “I’m sorry for yelling,” he said quietly, “but you are not okay.”

Remus scowled and looked down at the sink he had ruined.

Logan hummed softly. “I’m going to call your therapist.” Remus whirled on him. “Just to book an earlier appointment, okay? I know you don’t like anyone helping you clean up.”

Remus scowled again. Logan brushed a cool hand across his chin and kissed his cheek. He pulled the medical kit from the cupboard and unpacked the bandages and antiseptic. He instructed Remus he was going to leave the door open. Remus silently got to work cleaning himself up.

Once Logan was out of sight (though Remus could hear him in the kitchen), Remus thought accusatorily, What did you do?

The voice said, without an ounce of regret or pride, I stopped you.

Stop interfering with my life. Whatever-the-fuck you are.

Somewhere, you’ve confused ‘protecting’ with ‘interfering.’

Remus threw the bottle of antiseptic across the room. It smashed against the wall and spilled across the bathtub. “SHUT UP,” he roared.

“Remus?” Logan called.

Get the fuck away from me, Remus growled before Logan hurried into the room.

“What is it?”

Remus shook his head. He couldn’t answer. He never did.

One night, Remus sat on the edge of his bed, staring across the room. The wall was bare. It let him concentrate on what he was thinking. For once, he started talking first.

You’re not a guardian angel.

No.

You’re not a demon, unfortunately.

Certainly not.

Then what the hell are you?

As usual every time Remus asked, the voice did not give him an answer. Remus ground his teeth until his jaw ached.

If there was one thing Remus had been certain of in the duration of his entire life thus far, it was that the voice in his head was nothing but trouble. Irritating, infuriating, no-good trouble. It only ever ruined his relationships, got him into sticky situations, told him things that he didn’t  want  to hear, even if it seemed to think it would help.

The first time the voice was helpful, Remus also felt like his entire mindset had been flipped.

Remus and Logan had been fighting. Worse than usual. Logan was blinking faster than he normally would. Remus was chewing his lip to bloody tatters. He wasn’t sure who had yelled, or what had been yelled, but suddenly it was silent. Logan and Remus stared at each other. Then Logan inhaled shakily and turned.

Remus’ arm shot out and gripped Logan’s wrist. Logan shot him a dark look, but Remus couldn’t explain himself. His voice had completely abandoned him. He worked his jaw. Logan’s eyebrows drew further together.

Remus, for the love of the clovers we picked and weaved as children, kiss him dizzy before I send you both through the window in a fit of pent up frustration-driven rage.

Their lips clashed and locked in a startling display of star-danced vision and warm hands linked at the fingers.

Remus forgot about the voice, about the curse. He forgot about every time he had let someone in only to be hurt, every boyfriend who had taken his heart in their hands and clenched their fists. He forgot every time he and Logan had fought; every time Remus had told himself that it was all a mistake. He even forgot about the constant buzz in the back of his head.

For once in Remus’ life, his mind was quiet.

It was that night, with Logan’s body pressed against his side, staring up at the ceiling, that Remus wordlessly reached for the voice in his head. Somehow, even though he felt nothing and heard no voice, it seemed as if his hand had been grasped.

Remus lay there and maybe for the first time, wasn’t entirely sure he hated the voice in his head.

The voice didn’t remain silent after that night, but it did quieten slightly. Remus made no move to communicate with it.

One day, though, when it was storming outside and Remus needed a distraction because his wrists were itching and his eyes were seeing blood every time he blinked, he spoke.

“You picked clovers.”

We did.

“You did,” Remus corrected, not quite ready to have it spelled out for him.

Yes, said the voice quietly after a moment.

“You’re a voice.”

I have a voice, yes.

“In my head.”

Well, technically—

Remus clenched his fists, frustrated. It seemed to get his point across.

Yes. I suppose.

For a moment, they were both silent. Remus didn’t outright state what he was thinking, but he wondered if something with connections to his mind could work it out.

I can try and prove it, the voice said dubiously. Remus didn’t reply. Lightning flashed outside, accompanied by a low rumble that ratted the house.

Then, from within the bedroom, a low creeeeeak.

Remus looked around dully, too apathetic to be disturbed. His eyes widened, however, when he watched the bedside table’s top drawer sliding open.

“That was locked,” he said. He stood up, his heart beginning to lodge itself in his throat. He staggered around the bed towards the drawer. “No, wait— Not even Logan can get in there— Stop it!”

Something, somehow, slipped from the drawer. Remus practically dove for it before it could crack against the floor and shatter irreparably.

“What do you think you’re—” Remus’ voice swallowed itself back into his chest when he made the mistake of looking down at the picture frame. He snarled against his lumpy throat and tore his eyes from the pair of younger, happier, brighter twins printed on paper. He shoved it back in its drawer and slammed it closed. He pulled himself up to lean against it.

The thunder rumbled again. Remus needed something to ground himself.

“You never told me who you were.” His voice cracked.

A pause.

You never asked, the voice said weakly. Remus felt something inside him erupt.

“What sort of BULLSHIT REASON—”

There was a knock at the bedroom door. “Rem?” called Janus’ voice.

Remus shook his head. “Just— give me a second. I need to uh—” he laughed nonchalantly, “yell at my thoughts for a bit.”

Janus sounded hesitant when he slowly said, “Okay,” but he didn’t press anything.

Remus listened to his fading footsteps and muffled conversation before whirling around as if he were actually facing someone and hissing venomously, “You are very lucky you’re incorporeal otherwise I’d— I’d—”

Kill me over again? the voice supplied.

Remus broke down. Completely against his will, if he had been able to add his own input between the sobs tearing from his throat.

I’m sorry! I’m so sorry, bad wording, horrible word choice, I—

“Why didn’t you SAY ANYTHING?” Remus roared.

What would you have liked me to say? That apparently one accident is enough for a spirit to form and develop a connection with their only blood relative?

“Better that than all this— this— mysterious bullshit my entire life!”

You already thought you were crazy! Roman yelled, a little hysterically. How do you think that would have helped? ‘Oh hello, don’t mind me, just your dead brother’s ghost haunting you through your grief.’

Remus wasn't sure how he’d never noticed it before — maybe he wasn’t paying enough attention, maybe now that he knew he was actively listening for it, or maybe he had even subconsciously suppressed thoughts like the one he was about to admit to himself — but now if he listened, really listened, he could hear Roman in the voice. The way his voice would get higher when upset, and the baritones of his indignation.

Remus didn’t realise he was sobbing harder until he heard both Logan and Roman’s voices overlapping, concern and worry swimming in his head.

Please breathe, Remus, you’re working yourself into a panic attack.

Like you would know anything about that, Remus said.

I would, retorted Roman’s voice, without fire.

“What is it, dear?” Logan was asking, his cool hands tracing Remus’ face. “What’s happened?”

Remus looked up at him, tears rolling down his cheeks, and said with a wet laugh, “I’ve worked out what the asshole voice is all about.”

Logan had led Remus into the kitchen and pressed a warm mug into his hands. Remus had absentmindedly wiggled the cup, watching the dark liquid inside ripple. After making sure Remus was recovering, Logan had ducked from the room to talk to Janus.

“Tell me,” Remus growled quietly. He didn’t elaborate. He knew that he was understood. Still, everything was quiet.

You know when people say your life flashes before your eyes?

Remus did. He didn’t say as much, but he did.

Well, it doesn’t. You don’t have time.

Remus tried not to think about how little time there would have been. How scary it could have looked, could have felt. His clasped hands turned white at the knuckles. “What did you think about?”

A sizable pause, but not one without the comforting ever-constant buzzing hum of the voice’s presence.

You, was the final admission, with no preamble. Logan, too, I think. Our family must have a thing for hot nerds, eh?

“You had a crush on Logan,” Remus said hollowly.

Only a little one.

“That’s… That doesn’t help.”

Sorry. He sounded genuinely apologetic.

“You’ve been fucking with me for years and you don’t seem to have much to apologise for it,” Remus mused.

Sorry, Roman said again, sounding even more like a remorseful kicked puppy.

Remus sighed long and low. His mug tapped roughly against the table as he shoved it away from him to bury his face in his hands. “I can’t believe any of this.”

He wasn’t sure that thinking the weird phantom warmth was  ghosting  over his shoulders was going to do anything good for his deteriorating sense of control over his emotions.

Tell me what to do, said Roman. Please.

Remus squeezed his eyes shut. He swallowed.

“Stay,” was all he could say. “Just. For a while.”

Unfortunately or not, you’re going to be stuck with me for quite a while.

Remus sniffed.

Very unfortunate, he agreed with a hint of a smile.

[aster-aspera]

Oleander

Prompt was given to me by @skylarstarlight so blame her for all the angst

Relationship: Logince

Warnings: Major character death, injury, blood, betrayal, angst, technically unsympathetic roman ig? Im going to put that warning here in any case, unhappy ending

If you enjoyed please reblog <3

Roman watched Logan from the back of the tent, admiring the sharp slant of his shoulders, the way his long, curly hair cascaded down his shoulders and unveiled the soft brown skin at the back of his neck. He’d been at it for hours, poring over maps with that concentrated furrow grifted into his face, occasionally bringing up a hand to brush some stray locks out of his face, before he turned all his attention back to the mess of papers on the large hardwood table. 

Roman was technically here to stop him from working, to drag him away from staring at how badly they were losing for just a few minutes and get him to eat some dinner. And those plans were definitely still on Roman’s to-do list, but for just a moment, he let himself stare at the other. They didn’t often get quiet moments in the midst of all the chaos that surrounded them. An advisor always flurrying around Roman, a commander pestering Logan about battle plans or food supplies. Roman wanted to save this little bubble of silence for as long as it could last.

“Are you going to continue to stand there growing mushrooms or are you going to speak?” Logan piped up with a soft chuckle, apparently tired of being stared at. 

“My apologies love, I was just admiring your beauty.”

Logan gave him a tight smile. “I’m sure you have better things to do than simply watch me.”

“Nope,” Roman said brightly, wrapping his arms around Logan enthusiastically and tucking his chin over his shoulder. “Never a wrong time for that.”

Logan sighed but begrudgingly gave into the hold, placing his hands over Roman’s where they were tightly wrapped around his stomach. 

“You should eat,” Roman murmured softly as he swayed them both from side to side. Logan hummed noncommittally. “I have work,” he deflected.

“And you’re of no use to us if you pass out from hunger.”

Logan buried his head in Roman’s shoulder. “It’s not like anyone thinks I’m useful either way,” he mumbled.

Roman looked up at Logan, dislodging his head from his shoulder. “Hey now,” he said firmly, “No one thinks that. You’re really smart and you’ve helped us so much.” 

Logan didn't meet his eyes. “We should eat,” he said shortly, “I need to finish organising these supply runs.”

Roman chewed his lip uncertainly as Logan pulled away from him and headed out the tent towards the campfire, the embers dancing up to the sky in dizzying spirals. 

~

Roman paced from one side of the tent to the other, periodically pushing open the flap to gaze out at the midnight quiet camp. An occasional guard strolled passed, bowing to him before he waved them off impatiently. He huffed and flopped down on the bed, watching the faint luminance of the moon filter through the thick tent fabric. 

He jerked up at the rustling of the tent flap and relief brightened his mood as he saw Logan make his way in. The relief was quickly doused with ice cold dread at the way Logan looked, hair a ragged mess, circles under his eyes so dark they could rival Virgil, bruises and scrapes littering his long limbs. 

“Where the hell were you?” Roman burst out, concern and worry and bittersweet relief forming a toxic mixture in the back of his throat. 

Logan’s expression shuttered close and he drew his arms around himself defensively. “Leading your army, that’s what I was doing,” he hissed out.

“No you weren’t! You disobeyed orders again, you put yourself and our soldiers in danger.”

Logan looked past Roman, his expression blank and unreadable. “Of course, and the people we tried to help, what about them?”

Roman sighed in frustration, running his hand through his hair. “I know Lo, I know it sucks, but people are always going to get hurt. And you can’t just run out there and pretend you know better than everyone else.”

“Do you think,” Logan murmured softly, eyes still glued to where a patch of crass crept in under the walls of the tent, “that maybe we’re not the ones in the right here?” 

Roman stiffened. “I’m trying to protect my kingdom. Don’t you dare try and tell me that's wrong.”

Logan finally looked back at him, those deep, night dark eyes staring into him. “How many people have been killed in your meaningless quest of stubborness and glory, how many more people are going to lose their homes and their children? That’s your kingdom, not those spoiled nobles in their pretty palaces.”

“And what do you suggest I do then?” Roman hissed back venomously, “Just let those invaders in? So that they can lock us up in cells or behead us? Is that really what you want?”

“Maybe it is,” Logan whispered, mournful eyes boring into Roman’s. He turned on his heels and walked out the tent, coat flaring behind him, hair spilling past his shoulders like the pitch black river of Styx.

It was the last time they were together in their shared tent. An abrupt end to the cold nights they spent curled up so tight together they could barely breathe. An abrupt ending to the lazy mornings when Logan would card a hand through Roman’s hair as he read, and Roman would sleep as long as he possibly could. An abrupt end to Logan pressing kisses all over Roman’s body and telling him he was beautiful. 

Roman tried not to stare at his slender hands as they pointed out places on maps. Tried not to quail under that sharp, piercing gaze as it swept over him, barely giving him a second glance before he snapped out an order that ended up ignored. They had all noticed Logan wasn’t in good graces with the prince anymore and it seemed all they had been waiting for to right out shun and scorn him.

Every day, Roman could see the lines in Logan’s shoulder tense more, his face harden and the curious gleam to his eyes dull. 

Roman turned away every time, too much of a coward to face him.

And one day, he didn’t see him at all. Not at the meetings, not anywhere in the camp. He asked around, trying not to appear as worried as he was and the others just shrugged, refusing to meet his eye.

His bed was stripped bare from the tent he had been sharing with others, all his possessions presumably packed away and taken with him. 

Roman tried not to show his worries. Logan was a grown man after all, and he had made his position here perfectly clear. He could handle himself. 

But it didn’t stop Roman from missing his eyes and his careful touch and soothing voice. He wished things had gone differently, but he knew that one fight was merely the match that lit the fuse already soaked in kerosine. Merely the spark to set off the feelings Logan had been hiding away for so long. 

And after seeing how the others treated him, Roman couldn’t really fault him for it.

Roman slipped out of the camp, as the heavy monsoon rains gentled into a soft drizzle, the warmth of the afternoon turning the night foggy. Logan’s letter sat tucked in his pocket, held near to his heart, which was beating in a mixture of hope and apprehension. It had been four months, four months since Logan had stormed out of their tent, leaving Roman with an empty bed and an empty heart. He walked silently through the forest, the occasional leaf crunching underfoot as around him the canopy rustled from the rain it caught. He followed the familiar path from memory alone, a soft smile curling his lips as he remembered sneaking out at midnight to go watch the stars with Logan. 

He stepped into that familiar clearing, looking up at the sky in hopes he would spot some of the stars Logan had pointed out for him, but all he saw were the thick grey clouds. His eyes drifted down and he saw Logan, standing in the middle of the clearing, one single lantern casting a circle of light around him, his hair misted with rain. He brushed his glasses dry with the sleeves of his coat and placed them back on his nose. 

Roman walked up to him, unsure why Logan had asked him to come here and scared of what he would say. Logan watched him come, face blank and expressionless.

“Roman,” he greeted, and where once his name had sounded warm and fond on those lips, it now sounded cool and cordial.

“Logan,” Roman replied, and he couldn’t hide the hope in his voice, the hope that this would be an apology, that everything could go back to the way it had been.

“I’m here with an offer,” Logan said, his words formal and serious, so unlike the nicknames and jokes they used to share. “The people are tired of the war. It has only brought them pain and loss. I ask you to end it, give in now and you shall not be harmed. You and your court shall be safe and more capable rulers shall take over the kingdom.”

Roman’s heart froze at those words, uttered so matter of fact. As if the years of his life, the effort and pain he had put into winning this war and keeping his kingdom safe meant nothing. As if he was the one in the wrong here.

He had come here to hear Logan’s apology. He had expected him to admit how much he missed him and that he was wrong and then he would have taken Logan into his arms and everything could have been right again. 

But no, here he stood, resolute, so self assured and infuriating. 

A breeze blew past and the lapels of Logan’s coat lifted, revealing the crest proudly emblazoned on the flags of their enemies, the crest that Roman had been taught to hate. Fury filled him at the sight.

“You’re with them,” he growled, grabbing the coat and displaying the crest for all the world to see. The forest around them didn’t seem impressed. 

“I’m on the side with the least blood on their hands,” Logan said calmly, pushing his glasses further up his nose, “Which you have never been.”

Roman shook his head. “You’re working with the enemy. I trusted you!” His fist tightened on the thick wool fabric.

“Roman please,” Logan said softly, emotion filtering into his voice for the first time, “You’ve been taught by everyone around you that this is what you have to do, that this is your birthright, but they’re wrong. You can choose your own destiny.”

He drew himself up to his full height, looming over Roman. “Take the offer and we can leave this kingdom together. We can build our own life.”

Roman shook his head. “No,” he choked out as tears welled up in his eyes, “No! you’re just… You’re trying to trick me. You never loved me or you wouldn’t do this.”

“Roman,” Logan said gently, cloying sympathy in his voice and Roman could only feel that burning, corrosive rage in his gut, his mouth tasted sour and he could barely see through his anger. Logan gasped suddenly and stumbled back a few steps, his eyes widening in shock and betrayal.

Roman let go of his coat and looked down, his mind registering the ornate handle of a familiar knife, and blood pooling on the navy vest. He looked up, mouth opening and closing mutely, as if Logan could explain. As if he could tell him why there was a knife in Logan’s gut. Why was it his knife. Plunged in so deep only the hilt still showed.

“No,” Roman whispered as Logan sank to the ground, a high keen tearing itself from his lips.  

He breathed in raggedly, hands curling on the forest floor, dirt staining those slender hands. He looked up at Roman, eyes pleading, scared. 

“Please,” he choked and Roman backed away as he reached out a hand to him, reaching for anything that could save him. Blood pooled around his body, the heavy wool of his coat darkening almost imperceptibly as the leaves around him turned red. “Roman,” he rasped and Roman had never heard Logan sound afraid like that.

He kneeled down, dirt muddying his pants and reached out to take Logan’s hand. He pulled away at how cold his skin was. 

“You betrayed me,” he whispered and Logan only continued breathing those ragged, gasping breaths, eyes staring into the middle distance. “It’s not my fault,” he said, because it couldn’t be. Logan was wrong. Logan had betrayed him.

But then why did it hurt so much?

“You never loved me!” Roman burst out. “Come on, just say something! Don’t just lie there!” He yelled because Logan was never this quiet. He always had something smart and stuck up to say. 

“Say something,” Roman pleaded and Logan shuddered, eyes glazed over as they stared up at the sky. 

Roman looked up, to a sky as dark and cloudy as Logan’s eyes. A sky that once was filled with stars and was now flat and empty.

“Logan?” he whispered softly, reaching out to take his hand. Logan didn’t react, he just stared up at that empty sky and Roman felt an ache spread in his chest as he curled his fingers around Logan’s palm, brushing off the dirt.

[snowdice]

Road Trips and Missing Persons (Part 16)

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Relationships: Patton & Virgil, Virgil & Deceit, Logan & Patton, Emile & Remy, Roman & Remus & Janus

Characters: Patton, Virgil, Deceit, Remus, Roman, Logan, Emile, Remy

Summary: Patton was just getting groceries. The next thing he knew, there was a knife at his throat and he was an unwilling uber driver. Virgil’s on the run after the murder of his dad, and it’s not just his paranoia that’s telling him he’s being chased down. He has to get somewhere safe, somewhere he can trust, and all he has is a couple of stories from his dad and a name: “Green Bellow Foods and Dispensary.”

Notes: Secret Agents AU, knives, carjacking, kidnapping, murder mentioned, guns mentioned, pepper spray, blood mentioned, drugs mentioned, explosions, car crashes (more to be added)

This is a fic I’ve been writing on study breaks that you have probably all already seen at this point. I’ve affectionately named it the Goblin Brain Fic because it’s helping my brain actually get motivated for studying. I’ve slightly edited it for wording and grammar, but not for content from my previous posts. Feel free to send in asks to direct it because I’m not 100% sure where this is going and you can help decide if you feel so inclined! You can see the process I went through to build this at this link.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 My Master Post

Remy met the beady little eyes outside the car window with a glare. The cow gazed back at him, a challenge in its eyes. “What are you looking at, future minced meat?” Remy asked.

“They’re dairy cows,” Emile said, head on the steering wheel.

“How the hell would you know?” Remy asked.

Emile looked up at him. “The crashed truck says, ‘Robinson’s Family Dairy.’”

Remy pursed his lips. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

Emile gave him a droll look.

“Maybe they’re the rejects!” Remy turned back to the cow. “I bet you’re too stupid to make milk, huh?”

The cow let out a breath that fogged the window between them.

“Bastard,” Remy grumbled at it.

“You are talking to a cow,” Emile reminded him.

“Oh, like you don’t talk to stuffed animals,” Remy shot back.

“At least I don’t make enemies with them and insult them.”

“She deserves it!”

“She’s just standing there. You’re taking out your frustrations on a farm animal.”

Remy looked back at the cow, his eyes narrowed. Its eyes peered back at him and they did not need to share a language to understand each other in that moment. “I’ll show you a coward,” Remy growled, taking off his seatbelt.

“No, Remy,” Emile hissed. “Don’t you dare.”

Remy ignored him and opened the door to climb out of the car.

“We are on the interstate!”

“Now, you listen here,” Remy said, staring the cow down. “You’ve already caused enough problems for me today. The least you can do is not stare me down in my own…or well my brother’s own car. You feel me?”

The cow stared at him blankly and made a mooing sound.

“Are you understanding the words that are coming out of my mouth right now?”

“I promise you, she isn’t,” Emile offered from the car.

Remy continued to stare the cow down. Finally, after a moment of staring, the cow turned away.

“Ha!” Remy said. “I win.”

“Get back in the car before you get trampled by a herd of cows,” Emile said.

“I’m not going to get trampled,” Remy insisted. “If anything, I’m establishing myself as their ruler.”

“Is this a productive use of your time?” Emile asked.

“Oh, what?” Remy said turning back to him. “And sitting in the car doing nothing is such a better use of my time? Thank you for your input, doctor.”

“Remington, please.”

“Oh, stop with the full name, bullshit,” he turned to cow nearest to him, “no offence intended,” he assured it before turning back to Emile. “You’re not our mother!”

There was a pause. “Remy,” Emile said calmly. “I know you’re upset about Virgil, but...”

“In fact,” Remy talked over him. “I’m older than you! Do you remember who put you through college so you could get that fancy degree you keep using on me tonight? Because it certainly wasn’t our mother because she was already fucking dead! Don’t act like you’re my parent because here’s the thing, I raised you by myself for three years. So, if I’m a shitty dad, you’re definitely fucked up somewhere under that shining topcoat of head doctor crap.”

“I never at any point said-” Emile started, but Remy cut him off.

“Oh, but we both know you’re thinking it!”

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Remy.”

“No, no,” Remy said. “I know exactly what’s going through your head. I never should have been a parent, and I proved that with you when you were a teenager, but I still managed to knock up literally the worst person I could. I’m constantly making horrible parenting decisions and even when I try to be responsible, I mess it up. Virgil’s third word was a curse word and I’m lucky he never developed scurvy because I let him eat whatever he wants. He’s currently on a cross-country road trip with god knows who because I fucked up a covert mission I had no business being on and now he’s being tracked down by the woman who shot me with a poisoned bullet. I’m a horrible person and a worse dad. That’s what you’re thinking.”

There was a second where his brother looked at him with his stupid annoying face. “Have you considered that you’re projecting.”

“Ugh!” Remy threw up his hands and turned to walk away.

“Remy where are you going?” Emile called after him.

“I’m walking to base to go get my kid!” Remy called back.

“It’s over 70 miles away!”

He turned around and spread out his arms. “Then I’ll ride a bloody cow! It’ll be faster at this rate!”

“They’ll be cleared up in a few minutes Remy, come back here!” Emile said. Remy flipped him off. “I am not following you on foot!”

“Good!”

Remy turned back around and strutted off down the interstate, skirting cows and police officers the whole way. He grumbled to himself and refused to turn back even when he was pretty sure by the flow of traffic that the accident must have been cleared 15 minutes later.

This was so stupid. Why was he so stupid and useless? Emile was probably glad he ran off like a petulant toddler so he wouldn’t have to deal with him. He’d probably be more effective finding Virgil without Remy messing it all up anyway. He kept walking.

After a couple minutes a car slowed and stopped next to him on the side of the road. Remy looked up to meet Emile’s eyes through the rolled down window.

“Get,” Emile said firmly, “in the damned car.”

Remy blinked in surprise and then hurried to do so.

Emile didn’t speak again until the car was back at a normal speed. “His first word was ‘dad,’” he said, “and he’s happy. I’m not a parent, but from what I’ve observed, parents are allowed to mess up. As long as they do their best and their kid knows they’re loved, they’re a pretty good parent. If you ask me, you’re a good dad.”

“Yeah, well his second word was ‘pizza,’ so I don’t know if it makes me that special,” Remy grumbled.

Emile glanced at him.

“I mean,” Remy continued. “Thank you and sorry.”

“Apology accepted,” Emile said. “You know I love you right?”

“Oh, god don’t get all mushy on me.”

“I’m serious,” Emile said. “I’ve been angry at you this entire trip because if you’d died today, I don’t know how I would have handled it. You were reckless, and it could have easily gotten you killed.”

“Don’t you think I know I’m stupid.”

“Stop that,” Emile snapped. “That’s not what I said.”

“Well then, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying, why, Remy?” Emile said. “Are you bored? Do you want to go back in the field?”

“No,” Remy said quietly.

“Are you sure?” Emile asked. Remy didn’t answer. “If you do, that’s fine.”

“It’s not though.”

“You’re the one who made that decision and it was 15 years ago,” Emile reminded. “If you want to change your mind, that’s fine, but if you’re going to do it, you can’t just go do it. You have to talk to Logan first, to me, to your kid. Your actions affect other people.”

“I know that.”

“I know you know that, but you just…You get so involved in your head sometimes and forget to think about the consequences. Or worse you ignore them because they’re too hard to think about.”

Remy reached forward and turned on the radio.

“Really?!” Emile asked.

“Chill,” Remy said, turning the volume down, “I just don’t want to have another cow disaster.”

Emile nodded and seemed content to wait for him a few minutes so he could gather his thoughts.

“I’m trying, Em,” Remy said. “Bless their souls, but I’m trying to not be our parents. It’s like walking a tightrope. Go too far one way, you’re an asshole, go too far the other your kid’s running from his mother’s hired guns and throwing out the tracking device you put on him because he thinks you’re dead.”

“It should have to feel like that for you.”

“Yeah?” Remy asked. “And how do you propose I stop it?” Emile looked over at him and opened his mouth. “Yeah, yeah, see a therapist. Do you have any suggestions that don’t require me to bare my soul and talk about my daddy issues to some random person?”

“No.”

“Rats.” Emile chuckled at him.

“If it’s any consolation, they would have hated how you turned out. I mean they 100% would have still loved you and would have adored Virgil, but you’d get so many side-eyes over the dinner table. I mean, a child out of wedlock, Remy?”

“They’d have tried to get me to marry her,” Remy said. “Then I would have introduced them to her, and they would’ve said ‘fuck that.’ Do you think I could have gotten dad to say, ‘fuck that’?”

Emile giggled. “That would have been weird.”

Remy hummed in agreement. Then they petered off into silence. “I love you too Em.”

Want to read more? Click below!

Part 17

[5am-the-foxing-hour]

First Movie Night

Fluffy thought has now been written.

Characters: Deceit, Remus, Roman, Logan, Patton, Virgil, Thomas.

Familial/platonic: DLAMPTR

Warnings: no warnings that i can think of

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Word count:1 349

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General Fanfic Tag list: @ebony-wolf, @nashiraneko, @i-sold-my-soul-to-thefandom, @rabbitsartcorner, @punsterterry,  @sleepyssnail,  @nightmaresides, @virgilswritings, @ninja-girl2846, @ninjago2020, @starryfirefliesbloggo, @garecc,  @sympatheticdeceit, @cookiethedevil, @askthesnake,  @all-bridges-will-burn, @tacohippy56900, @little-euro-girl, @aggressiveshipper, @imbasicallyshakespear, @slayerofspiders, @prinssess61, @underthesea73​,  @suicidalcitrusfruit​,

- - -

Deceit was not in a good mood.

He was in Thomas’s living room, standing near the stairs. All the light sides and Thomas staring at him, dressed in onesies.

Patton sat in his cat onesie snuggled up on the couch, with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands. Virgil sat behind him on the back of the couch in a skeleton onesie. Thomas sat in the corner of the couch, dressed in black pyjama pants and a grey sweatshirt. Roman was sprawled on his throne of pillows, bundled in a blanked and dressed in his beast onesie. Logan was sitting on the couch too, someone having actually gotten him to change into his pyjamas, which was a white T-shirt with the NASA logo and a pair of deep blue pants sprinkled with a star pattern.

The sudden attention on him being there was making his skin and scales itch and crawl, his wrist felt like it was burning through the fabric of the glove where Remus was grabbing him, having not let go since he grabbed Deceit and dragged him away from his desk and out of his room.

 “Remus.” Deceit hissed giving his hand a thug, but Remus didn’t let go. “Why did you drag me here?”

 “It’s movie night, duh!” Remus huffed rolling his eyes.

 “If that’s so, then let go of me so I can return to my work.” Deceit huffed with a glare.

 “No! you’re joining! for one movie!” Remus argued.

 “I am not about to sit around and do-”

 “Two movies!”

 “Wha- Remus that’s not how it works!”

 “Three movies!”

 “REMUS! NO! I Am not-”

 “FOUR MOVIES!”

 “NO!”

 “FIVE!”

 “REMUS I SWEAR TO-”

 “SEVEN!”

The others could do nothing but stare as Remus and Deceit went back and forth in an argument Deceit was quickly losing.

Deceit made several frustrated hisses before he snatched his hand back from Remus.

 “IF I WATCH ONE MOVIE WILL YOU GET OFF MY BACK ABOUT THIS?!” Deceit snarled.

 “Hm… SURE!” Remus cheered.

 “Then fine.”

 “Yay! Snakey will watch eight movies with us!”

 “Wha- Who said anything about eight!?” Deceit snapped before he huffed in frustration and rubbed the brim of his nose with one hand. “You know what, fine. Fine! Let’s just get this over with for everyone.” Deceit huffed as he stalked over towards the armchair.

 “Ah! Snakey! You need to get cosy! Not your fancy wear! And I do love your with less clothes~” Remus said with a grin as he snapped his fingers, the others looked various degrees of panic at whatever they thought Remus would change Deceit’s clothes into. Deceit froze mid stepp, as his normal clothes changed into a black T-shirt with his logo and a pair of grey fuzzy plaid pants and yellow fluffy socks. Hat and gloves were gone, which revealed his wild mess of hair under his hat. The lack of long sleeves and gloves revealed the scatters of scales that was speckled out along his arms, some even reached the back of his hands.

Deceit just looked down at himself before he grumbled and sat down in the armchair with a growl, crossing his arms and glaring at the TV.

Remus was grinning as he moved to snap his hand again.

 “KEEP YOUR UNDERWEAR ON IDIOT!” Roman screamed making Remus give away a irked noise before he snapped his fingers, leaving him in nothing but his neon green boxers and a black tank top with a kraken on it.

 “ROOOMAN! YOU THREW OFF MY GROOVE!” Remus whined stomping the floor with a pout.

Deceit claimed one bowl of popcorns for himself, before he curled up in the armchair glowering at the TV screen. Roman and Logan were pointing out the stupid or obvious things, while Virgil and Patton kept mostly quiet. Remus piped up now and again there he lied sprawled on the couch, feet on Logan’s lap and his head pushing against Thomas’s thigh, Thomas had tried to get away, but Remus just kept stretching so he gave up and just let the creative side do what he wanted.

It was around the time Thomas put in the third movie that they noticed Deceit had fallen asleep. Curled up in the arm chair around the now empty bowl only holding some unpopped kernels. Thomas couldn’t help the small surprised coo that left him at the sight. Deceit looked way less threatening and evil asleep. Thomas reached out and carded his fingers through the strands of hair.

Deceit made a small noise in the back of his throat before he nuzzled into the hand, tongue poking out from between his lips before returning into his mouth. Thomas starred starry eyed at Deceit’s face. Deceit’s tongue was forked, like that of a snake, and it was adorable.

 “Oh Yuck! don’t think those disgusting thoughts about kissing my best friend!” Remus whined from the couch, making Thomas splutter and flush bright red.

 “Remus!” Thomas hissed.

 “What it’s True! We all know your thoughts Thomas! and they are disgustingly adorable right now, get me to the juicy stuff!”

 “Eeew! I don’t want to know those thoughts! even less about Deceit!” Virgil hissed kicking Remus on the shoulder, only making the chaotic creatwin bark out laughing.

 “He just looked cute! I don’t lie awake at night thinking about him!” Thomas tried to counter. “How would a relationship with a sides even work?! Only I can see you… can you even leave my apartment?”

 “That is a couple questions for another day.” Logan said with a yawn “Once we have all gotten a good night's rest. And we have the energy to partake in some theories and hypotheses so that we can find it out, because I do not know the answer to those questions.”

 “Wait… have you tried to appear when I’m not at home?” Thomas asked. The others shared looked before they shook their heads.

 “It was easier when you were a child.” Roman piped up. “You didn’t realise I, or well, that was before me and Remus were split up, i think…”

 “We were like an imaginary friend to you, but as you grew it got harder until it was almost impossible, it’s so much easier to appear in your home than if your outside.” Remus said, sitting up.

 “That… makes sense i guess?” Thomas hummed. only to yelp when a dramatic scene happened in the movie he had started earlier, but completely forgotten about.

They watched some more movies before Thomas noted that all his sides had fallen asleep, Remus had moved so that his feet was now thrown over the back of the couch and his head hanging off the seat, as he snored. Logan had slid to the side and was currently using Remus’s stomach as a pillow. Virgil had slid down the back of the couch and wrapped his arms around Patton, both snuggled up together sleeping soundly. Roman was sprawled on his pillow throne snoring just as loudly as Remus. Deceit was still curled up in the armchair, giving away a hissing snore, his tongue poking out with each exhale, Thomas chuckled when he saw it, it reminded him of Sir Hiss’s snoring from Robin hood.

Thomas got up from the couch and stretched, making some joints pop, before he walked over to the TV turning it off, which cast the living room in the faint light of the mood outside, Thomas gathered the bowls and cups before putting them on the counter next to the sink, and then gathered some blankets and plaids for the sides, throwing it over them before he went to brush his teeth, knowing Logan would get offended if he didn’t. Thomas got back to the living room once he was done, he grabbed a blanket on his own before going upstairs, stopping after a few steps to look down at the sleeping sides. A smile on his lips. Despite his unfamiliarity with Deceit, he hadn’t hated having the snake like side there.

 “Good night guys.” Thomas said before he walked upstairs to sleep to the rest of the night.

[starshineandbooks]

It’s not much, but it’s a start - Chapter one

summary- The third instalattion in many more of the Sanders sides soulmate AU I have made, This is my house in projectingville,I invite you all over.Virgil has a bad discussion with his just made ex, and his siblings get him out, Logan taking his triplet to a flower shop their sister said to go to.It ends much better than it starts!

Pairings- Romantic Moxiety, Mentioned Logince and Demus

Warnings - implied/refrenced abuse (It’s not there much but it’s there a little), Screaming, think that’s it

Ao3

Virgil has had more than enough, eyes wide as his beloved boyfriend- ex his mind supplies, screams at him.

“You’re crazy! Why would I stay with you?! You make everything harder, and you stifle me! You aren’t even my soulmate! I wasted years on you!” Micheal growls.

“I-”

“Are you raising your voice to my brother?” A woman asks, stepping between Virgil and Micheal, the former barely recognizing her before Logan is gently leading Virgil away from the situation.

“Excuse you? Which freak are-”

“Shut your mouth now, sugar, wouldn’t  want you to lose any more knowledge with that flappin’ hole of yours.”

“Why you little-”

Virgil is out of earshot, and Logan is guiding him into a car, Logan’s car maybe? No, Roman’s then. 

“Virge?”

“It’s fine.”

“No, it isn’t. What happened?”

“I- I don’t know.”

“Okay. Okay, come on, We’ll take you to a safe place, come on.”

“What?”

“Bia’s always praising this place, come on now.”

Virgil stays quiet while Logan starts the car, leaving the parking lot of the restaurant quickly, long-distance might have been a mistake. But he’s here now. Oh who’s he kidding, he deserved this-

Virgil is suddenly walking into the door of a shop, the setting looks familiar, but where is he?

“I’m sorry kiddos, but we’re closed.” A voice calls from somewhere.

“I’m sorry, my sister Bia said if something happened tonight-”

“Hold up, Bia?” A laugh and a small man with wild curls appear from behind a floral display, “Why didn’t you say so? Oh, She’s so sweet, she’s all the time drawing me pretty flowers!”

“She’s what?”

“Yeah, she stacked courses, graduated, changed courses, she’s the lady who runs that tattoo parlor down the street, isn’t she? Bia Storm-Blacke?”

Logan nods, “Yes, you must be Patton then?”

“Logan?”

“Yes.”

“You look just like her. Or she looks just like- Sorry. Oh- honey,” Patton says gently and Virgil chokes a little, it’s too similar to his sister and mom, comforting and gentle, soothing like aloe on a burn, “Are you okay?”

Virgil, shaking and realizing he’s crying, shakes his head, no use lying. He’s always hated it anyway.

“Oh- C’mere,- Can I hug you?”

Virgil suspects that this Patton gives very nice hugs, and if his sister really did say to come here Patton can’t mean harm.

So, Virgil nods slowly, holding his arms out slightly, only to be pulled into a tight, oddly comforting hug despite not really knowing Patton.

Logan watches, hands clapped just so, barely fiddling with Roman’s class ring that’s a little too big but sits on Logan’s thumb.

Virgil’s skin tingles where Patton touches him through his clothes, and he jerks away as soon as it registers, eyes wide. 

He did not just lose Micheal to find his soulmate, that can’t be. Virgil loved Micheal, maybe Micheal yelled a lot, and maybe it was a work in progress, And maybe Virgil had or hadn’t deserved it, but he loved Micheal. With everything he’d had. Right?

Except, his mom hadn’t deserved his biological dad. Virgil has some thinking to do, but he can’t have met his soulmate so suddenly.

Patton stares wide-eyed at his arms, the tips of his fingers halfway up his upper arms is splattered like ink stains with purple and sky blue and a gentle gold with bright silver. A mess of colors and Virgil can’t help but know that it’s the right balance of each, can’t help the slight buzz in his mind at the mark claiming this undeniably pretty flower shop worker as his soulmate.

“Oh my goodness,” Patton breathes softly, eyes seeming to well with tears, or maybe that’s Virgil again.

“Fuck me,” Virgil grits, wrapping his arms around himself.

“Oh- I’m sorry,” Patton whispers. 

“What- it’s not your fault you dense bitch.” Virgil rolls his eyes, but flinches at the crumpling of Patton’s face, the face of a stranger that he is supposedly made for.

“I uh- I’d like to get to know you more if you want. But- I can’t offer you a relationship right now... But, I’d like friends, more later if we want it, but I think- friends maybe?”

Logan has his head tilted, one hand on Virgil’s shoulder.

Virgil swallows, at least Patton doesn't seem to want a romantic relationship right now, that’s nice. “I- uh- I’m in town for a bit, visitn’ my sister, wanna grab coffee tomorrow?”

“I know a nice place, it’s just down the road, the owner’s a little- silly, but it’s a good place,” Patton says gently.

“I’d like that,” Virgil says softly.

“I’m glad. Uh- I can open shop later, how eight-thirty tomorrow morning work for you? You can totally bring someone else too! I know- I’ve been told I can be a lot. And-”

“I might bring one of my siblings.” Virgil says then, “But- If Bia trusts you, you’re probably not horrible. Probably.”

“O-oh.”

“Uhm- You Okay Patton?”

“Oh- yeah! I’m okay.”

“Okay,” Virgil says, not believing it, but not pushing. He doesn't have that right yet anyhow.

“Well, congratulations to you two.” Logan says simply, “I wish you both luck.”

“I- thank you?” Patton blinks, looking to Logan as if surprised Logan is there at all.

“You are welcome. Now, I’ve been told if I come, to ask you for roses, lavender, and chamomile?”

“Oh, Bia’s usual order, uh sure. And- It looks like you two have had a rough night, Pick out any dozen flowers you like, for each of you, the order and the dozen flower sets will be on the house tonight.”

“Oh- Thank you.”

“It’s nothing,” Patton says softly, “Now, get a wiggle on kiddo, if someone made you cry like that I imagine your sister will be here any minute to coddle you.”

Virgil laughs softly, “You know here pretty well huh?”

“Oh yeah, she talks about you guys a lot actually.”

“Oh?”

“Says she misses you guys.” Patton shrugs, “And that you had decent music taste.”

Vigil laughs softly, a little shaky, but it makes Logan's lips quark, glad to see his triplet happy.

Patton hums, “You’re cuter than she said y’know?”

“What?” Virgil gapes, eyes wide.

“Bia, she tells everyone who’ll listen how cute you are, says you’re like a black kitten trying to scare others.” Patton’s voice is bubbly, and Virgil can’t help the indignant hitch his shoulders take.

“She what?!”

“She has a duo of friends that live up here with her, Jan’s backed her up, and Remus is usually- making food of some kind or other.” Patton shrugs, “I’m not really sure how they could be so vehement you’re adorable, and so under informing me of it too.”

Virgil scoffs, “I’m not cute!”

“You are, Virge,” Logan’s voice is seemingly cold, as usual, but Virgil recognizes the slight teasing lilt to it.

“I am not!”

“Yeah! What he said, probably!” A woman cheer as the door jingles happily, “Hey Patt, I see you’ve met my brothers?”

“Oh, hey B!” Patton calls, “I have, they’re very sweet.”

“Take it back,” Virgil hisses.

“Oh, they’re somethin’ alright,” Bia laughs, walking around the corner and Virgil sobers immediately.

“So, how are you today Patt?”

“Better than whoever got a hold of you three I’d imagine,” Patton goggles, “You want an Ice pack?”

“Nah, Remus and Jan can play patch up, I gotta get these two back to my place so they can sleep.”

Virgil stares at his sister, a bruising cheek and jaw, bloodied nose, a slight limp, another fight. This time with Micheal.

“He- did that?”

Bia turns, then shakes her head, “No, he yelled. His brother showed up and started fighting me because of some stupid, bigot reason or other. Now, you two are doing any better?”

“Oh, yes. Virgil found his soulmate!” Logan chirps, “Isn’t that great?”

Virgil glowers at the ground.

Bia looks between the brothers, then to a wilting Patton, “Lo, I don’t know. They’ve both had a really hard week, just- not every soulmate is romantic, lots are, some aren’t.”

Logan shrinks to himself slightly, “O-oh.”

“Hey, you didn’t do anythin’ wrong baby, come on, chin up or I’ll summon a Roman.”

Logan snorts, “Oh, yes.”

“She’ll do it,” Virgil says simply.

“I might get a duke, but it’s the thought that counts.” Bia nods sagely, turning to Patton, “And if you need me to go fight that- interestin’ lady I’ll do it. I’ll do it in a heartbeat.”

Patton shakes his head, “No, I’m okay. It just- I just need time.”

Bia nods, “Well, we should be gettin’ outta your hair, see you later Patty.”

“Bye hon.” Patton waves, watching as Bia leads her siblings out of the shop with gentle hands and biting remarks of taunting between triplets. 

Bia hums, “So, Patton huh?”

Virgil rolls his eyes, “Is apparently the soulmate that Micheal broke up with me over.”

“I’m sorry honey.”

“It’s-” Virgil sighs, “I don’t wanna talk about it, can we just go?”

“Sure, Ree and Jay will be thrilled to see you. You guys aren’t still fightin’ are ya?” Bia asks.

Virgil grumbles, “Noo… We don’t talk much but- we’re- we made up, we’re friends again.”

“That’s great, now, up the apartment stairs you go!”

“What- where do you- this is your place?!”

Bia nods, stopping in front of the doors to a brick apartment building, “Yep!”

“How? Isn’t it rough, it’s downtown?”

“Not as bad as you'd think, especially livin’ with Jan and Ree.” Bia shrugs.

“Oh god.” Virgil groans, getting into the elevator, “How are you still sane?”

“Bold of you to assume I ever was. Now, showers and to bed.” Bia says simply.

------- Next chapter

Okay, this is a little update/ author’s note feel free to skip!

I am writing the remile wedding fic

I’m editing the demus fic as well

Bia is a recurring character, if you want a fic focused on her, or any other ocs later, let me know, they like attention and keep trying to take over scenes.

I have sevral ideas, but Tumblr is a hell site and school is hitting full force, so I have less time to write.

[holylulusworld]

War Paint

Summary: Charles asks you to work with the Avengers only for you to butt heads with Captain America.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader, Natasha Romanoff, Wolverine

Warnings: angst, language, love-hate relationship, enemies to lovers, arguments, tension, smut, unprotected sex, dirty talk, hair pulling

Inspired by Kelly Clarkson’s ‘War Paint’

'Cause we could be beautiful without our war paint

 Our war paint

 And we could have it all once we let our walls break

 Our walls break

He does it again. You want to train with Steve, but he prefers Natasha. There is not a single day Steve agreed to train with you. Charles insisted on you taking the lead role this time but now you are close to strangling Captain America himself.

Cursing you turn toward Wolverine who is busy to find out which metal is harder. Vibranium or Adamantium. Your friend is enjoying himself. He barely can fight an equal training partner, so you don’t want to disturb his training with Bucky.

Storm had to leave earlier to help Jean picking up a new student, so you are alone with your growing frustraton. Taking deep breaths, you control your powers to not smash something or rather someone against a wall.

Steve has a smirk all over his lips as he talks to Natasha and the redhead chuckles. You assume he told her he ignored you once again.

----

Hours later you agree to stay the night in the Tower as Tony insisted on training with Wolverine tomorrow. You never saw your friend that relaxed so you agreed through gritted teeth.

Wandering through the hallway you can hear Steve talking to someone. His deep voice does things to you and that’s one reason you are pissed he refuses to train with you.

“Freak of nature,” Steve mutters as you walk around the corner, meeting his stormy blue eyes. He turns pale and you know he was talking about you. “Y/N…” He gasps seeing your wide eyes.

“Maybe I’m a freak of nature, Captain but my powers were given to me by birth, not due to a sick experiment. I knew it was a mistake to come here to train with you and your colleagues. Everyone is treating me like I’m a freak. I’m done.” Your voice is loud enough for Wolverine to hear you glare at the tall Avenger, ready to attack him.

“Y/N? What’s wrong, kiddo?” Wolverine asks rushing to your side. Your friend is glaring at Steve as he can hear your heart beating way to fast and the twitch of your hands tells him you are hurt and ready to attack Steve.

Why in the hell do we fight on the front line?

 When we both know that we're here on the same side

 We could be beautiful without the mistake

 Of our war paint

“Y/N, you got it wrong.” Steve gasps watching Wolverine sliding his claws out. “Tell me what my kiddo got wrong.” The tall mutant mutters ready to defend you.

“I was saying ‘Freak of Nature’ and she got it wrong. I meant…” 

“You meant what Captain?” Wolverine yells and Steve doesn’t even flinch. “Natasha said I need to listen to more music, and I said I heard about a singer and her album called ‘freak of nature’. Natasha was teasing me, and we laughed the moment Y/N came around the corner.” Steve explains and you scoff.

“Sure! You are avoiding me like a plague since Logan and I came here. Do not lie! You hate me without a reason!” Your voice raises before you storm out of the building cursing.

'Cause we could be beautiful without our war paint

 Our war paint

“You better fix this, Steve,” Natasha says glancing at Wolverine who is close to attacking Steve, chest heaving up and down he glares at the tall Avenger.

“I never saw Y/N that mad before. She likes you, stupid asshole. I will not allow anyone to hurt my friend.”

“I told you it was a misunderstanding. I meant this album not her…” Steve sighs before he runs after you.

----

Running out of the tower Steve gasps. You are right in front of his bike, using your powers to spin it above your head. The moment you see Steve rushing to your side you smirk before you smash his bike against a tree, totaling it.

“You!” Angrily clenching his fists Steve storms toward you but he’s got no chance to reach you as you use your powers to slam him into the wall. “Why did you destroy my bike?”

“Why did you call me a freak of nature? Why are you avoiding me as if I’m contagious? Do you think you and your enhanced friend are better than me? I protect people too. I’m not less worthy than you.”

“Y/N, you got it wrong. I just didn’t want to hurt you…” Steve says, and you get mad. “Do you believe you are stronger than me?”

“God, woman! I tried to protect you. I just tend to go all-in during training and sometimes people get bruised or have a concussion.” 

“I’m way stronger than you, asshole!” You deadpan and Steve chuckles, licking his lips. There’s something about you getting him going. 

Two rough hands grab your upper arms before he slams you into the wall. Stunned you kick his shin and he budges, cursing but then he’s back on you, fisting your hair to make you look up at him.

“You are frustrating!”

“And you are an ass!”

 Why in the hell do we fight on the front line?

 When we both know that we're here on the same side

“I’m not!” Steve mutters pushing you against the wall as his lips claim yours. Hungrily invading your mouth, he presses his firm body against yours. One thigh moves between your legs, adding pressure to your core.

“You are…”

“Maybe you turn me into an ass. I wanted to ask you out, but you kept on flirting with this guy…Wolverine. I thought acting like a gentleman and not hurting you during training is what you want…need…”

“I’m not a porcelain doll, Captain. I won’t break that easily…” You gasp as his hands grope your ass, squeezing it tightly. 

We could be beautiful without the mistake

Of our war paint

Your lips nip at his jawline while your hands move under his shirt, touching his chiseled torso, scratching your nails over his skin and Steve hisses at the feeling of pleasured pain.

“You like that…huh? Are you kinky, Captain?” Teasingly nipping at his jaw, you mock the tall Avenger and he fists your hair make you gasp at the sight of his darkened eyes.

“I will make you my good girl. Make sure you will know how to address your Captain.” Steve warns. Now a grin spreads all over your face and you grab the hem of his shirt, glaring at the tall Avenger.

“Dream on, Rogers…” 

“You are damn frustrating woman, and this makes me want you even more,” Steve growls and you find yourself pinned against the wall, his fingers pressed against your wet folds, lips nipping along your jawline.

Your hands grab his shirt tugging harshly when he buries his face into your neck, breathing you in. “Do you want to do it out here or will you act like a gentleman and fuck me in your room, Rogers?”

So hold me close and kiss my skin

Don't be afraid, let me in

Your face pressed into the cushions; arms pinned behind your back by one of Steve’s large hands you cry into the pillow as Steve drives his cock into you.

Barely remembering how you made your way back into the tower or how you got into Steve’s room you wiggle in his grip. 

“See how good you can behave.” Steve mocks as you try to break out of his grip, try to meet his thrusts. He’s edging you for half an hour. Always bringing you to the brink of an orgasm but not letting you fall over the edge.

“I swear I’ll never let you touch me again if you do not make me cum right now Rogers!” You curse and he tightens the grip at your wrists, snapping his hips harder into your rear, growling at the feeling of your wet heat pulsing around him.

“I’ll make you cum after you earned it, Y/N. Now be a good girl and take it.” Steve orders watching you squirm under his assault. 

Gasp and moans leave your lips every time he plunges hard into you. Body ready to give in, but the mind still fighting to submit you curse while you try to scratch Steve.

“Such a feisty girl. I will have fun to tame you…”

“I’m not a submissive little girl.” You warn and Steve’s eyes darken. 

“God, I love the way you feel around me. Can you feel how we match? My cock fills you so good, makes you cry out every time I enter your dripping pussy…”

“Fuck, Captain. If you keep on talking like this I’ll cum right now.” 

“Don’t think so.”

Steve hums, now grabbing your shoulders to slam harder into you he enjoys the cries and chants of his name leaving your lips. 

“Give in to me, Y/N. I know you want to.” Steve slowly reaches the edge too. You can feel his cock twitch violently. “I’m close, Baby Girl. Just tell me you are my good girl…”

“Fuck you, Rogers. Make me cum or I’ll destroy everything you like.” 

Hands fisting the sheets you curse when he pulls out of you, flipping you onto your back. In a blink, Steve spreads your thighs to slip back into you. 

A low growl leaves his lips before he wraps your legs around his waist. He doesn’t move slow, too close to his release Steve pumps even harder into you. 

His lips suckle at your nipple, moaning against your soft flesh. Your eyes roll back, hands fisting his hair you tug harshly at his blonde strands.

“Y/N, come for me.” Steve orders voice lower now. Your hands tighten the grip at his hair when you feel him filling you up.

“I still do not like you…” Panting you watch Steve pulling out of you. His arms cage your frame and he looks down at you.

Pressing his forehead against yours Steve breathes heavily against your lips. “I like you, Y/N. Don’t you like me too?”

“Maybe I will change my opinion.” Steve’s lips place as a soft kiss to the corner of your mouth, enjoying the tiny gasp escaping your lips.

Why in the hell do we fight on the front line? 

 When we both know that we're here on the same side

 We could be beautiful without the mistake

 Of our war paint, our war paint

“How can I make you change your opinion?” 

“I don’t know…” Your fingers slide over his biceps and his breathing quickens. “Are you good at repairing a car or cleaning my apartment?” Steve growls, nibbling at your lips, trapping your lower lips between his teeth. “Or maybe…just, maybe you could give me a ride?”

“You destroyed my bike.”

“Oh, Captain, I meant another kind of ride…” You chuckle squeezing his biceps. “The kind of ride you only can have with a man knowing how to handle a lady…”

“Y/N, you are not a lady for sure, but I know how to handle you, dirty brat.” Steve’s lips wander along your neck, nibbling at your pulse point.

“You do?” Lips curved into a grin you use your powers to flip Steve over, straddling his lap. He tries to break free, but you shake your head. “Now Captain I’m going to show you how good I can handle you. Don’t worry, you’re going to like it…”

* Freak of Nature was an album of singer Anastacia

All works Tags

@yolobloggers​​, @meganywinchester​​​, @shikshinkwon​​​, @miraclesoflove​​ ​, @mogaruke​​, @shatteredabby​​, @soryuwifeyxx​​, @letsdisneythings​​, @i-love-superhero​​

Marvel Tags

@stuckys-whore​​, @notyourtypicalrose​​, @voltage-my2dlove​​, @thedoctorscamanion , @officialmarvelwhore​​, @randomgirlkensy​​, @juniorhuntersam​​, @lumar014​​, @doctorswife221b​​, @badboysdoitbetter2​​​, @sister-winchesters99​​, @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog​​

Steve Rogers/Chris Evans Tags

@hhiggs​​​​, @roonyxx​​​, @stylesismyhubs​​​, @multisuperfandom​​, @mrspeacem1nusone​​

[zhydoesart]

Meeko

First Previous

trigger warnings: falling out of a tree, broken bones, minor injury, brief mention of blood, brief mention of knives

Relationships: very background romantic LAMP, familial DRLAMP, familial Dukeceit/Demus

Word count: 2K

AO3

Summary: Remus hears a sound in a tree and makes a few bad decisions.

“Come on, come on, I wanna climb the tree!” Remus races outside, and when Janus isn’t immediately right behind him, he starts whining. “Come on, Jan!” Janus shakes his head at his brother. Remus has been trying to climb the tree in their backyard for days, but he can never get any traction. Still, he drags Janus behind him every time so he can watch when Remus finally manages to reach one of the branches, which are all far above his head.

“Try not to fall, okay?” Janus warns him. “Last time, vati and baba got super mad.”

Remus stops trying to climb the tree for a moment to smirk at Janus. “Aw, you care about me. You don’t want me to get hurt.” Janus rolls his eyes.

“Hhng.” Remus grunts. “Why can’t I ever do this?”

“You need to face facts, Rem, you’re just too short.” Remus whips his head around to glare at Janus, who shrugs nonchalantly. “You might need to wait until you’ve grown a little.” They’re the same age, Janus being only months older than Remus, but that doesn’t stop him from treating Remus like his little brother.

Remus growls. “But I wanna sit in the tree.” He pouts, and Janus can’t help but feel a little bad for him. He ruffles Remus’ hair, but Remus doesn’t seem all that comforted.

Remus straightens up. “Wait, what was that?”

Janus hadn’t noticed anything. “What was wh—” Janus gets cut off suddenly as Remus holds a finger up to his lips.

“Shhh.” His eyes are narrowed in concentration, and Janus listens.

Meow!

Huh, there it is. There was a noise the first time that Janus had missed.

“There’s a cat stuck in the tree, Jan!” Remus turns to look at him, eyes wide.

“How do we know it’s in the tree?” Janus asks skeptically.

The cat meows again, and Remus points. “See? The sound is coming from above us! The only thing there is this stupid tree!” He gets a look on his face, one that Janus doesn’t like nor trust in the slightest, and he recalls with clarity the incident that occurred the last time Remus had that expression.

“Well, Remus—” he starts to say, but Remus isn’t listening to a single word he’s saying.

“We have to rescue it!” Of course. Remus scrabbles at the trunk of the tree, trying to get a hold, and Janus winces. He’s inevitably going to rip his fingernails doing that.

“What if it doesn’t need help?” suggests Janus. “Maybe it got up there in that tree by itself and it can get down whenever it wants to all on its own.”

“No! Listen to him! He sounds panicked! I have to help him.” Remus does have a point. The cat’s meowing does sound as if it’s bordering on frantic, but—

“He? Since when did we know the gender of this cat?

Remus ignores him, instead heaving a huge sigh as he stops his failed attempts at scaling the tree trunk like a gecko. It’s like he’s actually given up, but if Janus knows one thing about Remus, it’s that Remus is the most stubborn person Janus knows, and he doesn’t give up this quickly.

“Do you… need some help?” offers Janus, expecting Remus to refuse, since he usually hates when other people try to help when he’s determined to do something himself, but Remus gives him a small nod. “Okay, here, let’s see what we can try.” He glances around, but none of the objects strewn haphazardly across the lawn would be of any help. “You could stand on my shoulders? I hate the idea, but if it would be of any help…”

Remus’ eyes grow determined once more. “Yeah, let’s do that!” He’s very clumsy as he uses Janus’ hands as a foothold to get onto his shoulders, and Janus keeps muttering, “Ow,” as Remus keeps stepping on him wrong. “Okay, okay, okay, I can do this.” Even on Janus’ shoulders, the branch is a little too far away for Remus to reach, although it’s mainly a horizontal distance. Remus rubs his hands together, exhales once, and then sort of clumsily leaps for the branch.

One of Remus’ hands manages to grab the branch, but his other is left dangling, and Janus holds his breath as he watches Remus slowly, painfully get a hold on the branch with his other hand and pull himself up onto it. He grins down at Janus with a thumbs-up, and Janus despises how comfortable Remus can be in dangerous situations.

“Be careful,” he hisses through his teeth as Remus stretches to grab the next branch up, which is much closer, but almost slips. Why did he let Remus do this? Why did he help him? Oh, god, what if Remus falls—

Remus has successfully climbed up two more branches, and he gasps.

Janus can’t see him from down here. “What?”

“I found the cat!” Remus’ voice is gleeful, but will this all be worth it? He isn't sure if it will.“I’m gonna come down now.” There’s a moment of silence. “Wait, I’m holding a cat, how do I get down?”Why hadn’t he thought about that before he climbed halfway up the damn tree?

“Okay, hold on, uh…” What’s the best solution? Ideally Remus would’ve put on a backpack before he’d started climbing and he could’ve put the cat in it so that his hands would be free for the climb back down, but that isn’t an option, since the only way for Janus to get a bag up to Remus is to climb up there himself, and he's not that confident in his ability to climb.

“Ow, shit, he bit me, Janus, help, aaaaaaa—” As Remus loses his balance on the branch, Janus makes a split-second decision. The decision itself is cushion him with your body, because you definitely can’t catch him, and he's holding a cat so he can't catch himself.

Admittedly, it’s a very stupid decision. Not only does Janus have the wind knocked out of him, but a sharp pain blossoms in his side, and his wrist ends up trapped underneath him as Remus falls on top of him. Wow, that was a great plan, I'm so smart, aren't I? In fact, I don't think I've ever had a better idea.

“Oh my god, Janus, are you okay?” Remus’ face is pale and he seems scared, but he’s holding a fluffy cat and they both appear unharmed. Janus smiles, relieved, but as he starts to sit up, the pain in his side is too much and his eyes start… leaking water? Oh, right, tears. “You didn’t have to do that, did you get hurt?” Janus grits his teeth as he nods, and Remus shifts so he’s holding the cat under one arm. It looks silly, but as soon as Janus laughs, he coughs, and he feels the stabbing sensation in his side worsen. “Let me help you.” Remus hooks his arm around Janus’ back and under his arm, and, with his help, Janus is able to stand.

“You’re an idiot.” His voice shakes due to the effort of standing and the energy being sapped from him by the pain.

“I know.” The two slowly make their way into the house, Remus supporting Janus, and as soon as the door opens, Patton sees the state they're in and calls for his husbands.

“I don’t believe you two,” Logan fumes, and Janus winces at the unnecessary amount of pressure Logan’s using to clean the bloody scrape on his hand. “Remus climbed into that tree for a cat, of all things? You know we can’t keep it, Patton’s allergic.”

“What were you thinking?” Virgil tugs at his sleeve agitatedly as he paces. “You didn’t even have a plan on how to get the cat down! And Janus got hurt, he’s got a broken rib!”

“‘M sorry,” mumbles Remus, gaze locked on the ground. “It was stupid, I… I don’t know what I was thinking.” He starts crying, and Roman, standing in the doorframe and out of the way, decides it’s time he stepped in.

“Well, no matter, the damage is already done.” His voice is low but soft, and Remus glances up at him, eyes shiny. “It may have been stupid, but we’ve all done things like that as a kid!”

“Really?” Remus sniffs.

“Yeah! For example, when I was a kid, I fell off the roof and broke my ankle. When Logan was a kid, he tried to reach one of the knives on the kitchen counter, but he was too short and ended up knocking all the knives off the counter, and one of them cut him.” He gestures first to himself and then to Logan as he talks about them.

Logan rolls his eyes. “Why did I tell you of all people that story again?”

“Cause you love me.” Roman grins cheekily, and Logan shakes his head with a fond smile. “And Virgil broke a glass and got some shards stuck in his feet.” Janus wrinkles his nose in disgust. “Even Patton!”

“What did Patton do?” asks Janus. He’s invested in this now, he needs to know. Besides, it’s a welcome distraction from both the pain of Logan treating his injuries and the interrupted lecture.

Roman winks at him. “Don’t tell Patton I told you this, but once he was riding his bike alone without a helmet and he ran straight into a pole. Hit his head and knocked himself out, just like that. So while what you did was stupid and you could have planned better, it’s not worse than what we’ve done in the past.”

“Just don’t do it again. If you need help, come ask one of us.” Logan finishes bandaging Janus’ wrist, lips pursed.

“I thought you’d be mad if we asked for help,” Remus admits.

“Not as mad as we are now,” counters Virgil. “Maybe if you had come to get help, you wouldn’t have fallen out of a tree.” Remus smiles sheepishly.

Patton pokes his head into the room. “Hey, kiddos. Are you feeling any better yet, Janus? Do you need any pain meds?”

Janus carefully flexes his wrist and winces. “I feel a little better, but I would like pain meds.”

“Okay.” Patton nods, but then suddenly tenses. The cat Remus had poorly rescued from the tree rubs against the exposed skin on Patton’s legs below the cuffs of his capris and above his socks. “Um. Guys. I’m allergic, why did you bring it inside?” His voice is strained and his face is carefully blank.

“Shit, hold on.” Roman lunges for the cat, picking him up and scratching behind his ears.

“Language,” Patton says half-heartedly as he studies his skin. His brows are furrowed—he seems confused.

“Is something wrong, Pat?” Virgil asks him.

“I don’t have hives? Usually there would be…” He trails off, but then his eyes widen and he smiles. He scoops the cat out of a surprised Roman’s arms, scratching his chin and laughing as he licks Patton’s fingers. “Guys, I think she’s hypoallergenic!”

“Wait, she?” Janus interjects. “Remus said ‘he.’”

“Well, Remus is wrong.” Patton barely glances up from the cat in his arms as he rocks gently back and forth. “This is a girl cat, and her name is Meeko like the raccoon in Pocahontas because she has stripes that remind me of a raccoon, and we’re keeping her.”

“We are?” Remus jumps to his feet.

“We are.” Patton smiles as a grin slowly spreads across Remus’ face, and he joins Patton to give the cat love.

Virgil shakes his head in mock disdain. “I hope you’re happy. Patton with a pet is a monster. You’ll never get him to stop spoiling that cat, and you’ll never get her away from him.”

Janus looks over again at Patton, who’s cooing at Meeko, and Remus, who’s making faces at her because look at you oh my god you’re so cute I just can’t and decides that, objectively, it must be true.

-----

Taglist:

@moxiety-my-love @celeste-tyrrell @bitteryjittery-andveryglittery @treasureofpriam @acompletemusicalnerd @unicornofdarknessstuff @whispers-stuff-in-your-ear

[sanderssidesfanfiction]

Royal Growing Pains - Chapter Eighteen

Warnings: Homophobia, transphobia, misgendering, sympathetic Deceit

Royal Growing Pains Tag

Roman and Damien continued dancing all around the ballroom until Logan saw fit to stop them, at which point Roman felt considerably better, but not better enough to do much more than just stand around and make jokes. “Should I teach the two of you some steps to other dances for more contemporary songs?” Logan asked.

“Oh, I don’t want to think about what I’m going to have to do once the first dance is over,” Roman bemoaned.

“Think of it this way, my dear: if you know how to dance more you’re less likely to have to talk to the homophobic and transphobic parts of your family,” Damien pointed out.

“You have a point, and I hate that you have a point,” Roman sulked. “Okay. I’d go through some of the steps, once I’ve gotten a break to drink some water.”

Logan held up a finger and walked over to where he had placed the stereo down, tossing Roman a bottle of water. Roman yipped and his hands smacked the bottle a few times before he finally caught it. Damien was laughing and Logan just stared blankly at him. “I should have considered you might not be a good catcher, my apologies,” Logan said. “After all, you don’t seem to catch hints, and water bottles are not that different from the hints someone in this room has been dropping.”

“Logan,” Damien growled, and Roman was stunned. He had never heard Damien growl quite like that before. “Don’t.”

“All right. I won’t,” Logan said simply. “I’ll let the two of you ponder over what I mean.”

Roman twisted the cap on the water bottle, breaking the seal and taking two large gulps of water before gasping as he spoke, “I know. Obviously, you’re talking about the treasure hunt that is undoubtedly going to happen when Damien remembers we have to have wedding bands.”

Damien turned as pale as a ghost. “Oh, god, oh no, oh shit!” Damien breathed. “The wedding bands! Roman, I need your ring size, quick!”

“I...I don’t know my ring size,” Roman said, blinking and trying to bite back his laughter.

“What are we going to do?!” Damien asked. “We need wedding bands, but we don’t have any!”

“Relax, Damien. If our mothers don’t have a plan, we can easily go into town and get them. Maybe we can go down after my fitting and take a look at different rings, find something that both of us like?” Roman offered.

“Okay...okay...” Damien breathed. “We can do this. It’ll be okay. We can take care of this and no one has to be the wiser to the internal panic.”

“Internal?” Roman asked with a smirk. “Damien, your panic seems pretty external to me.”

“Shush,” Damien said, scowling and pointing a finger at Roman, but not looking at him. “I am not debating you when I’m this stressed.”

Roman whistled and looked at Logan, who appeared just as surprised as Roman felt. “Your Highness, it’s all right,” he said hesitantly. “Everything will be fine. I’m sure that your mother has plans to find the perfect rings for the two of you. She was talking to me about jewelers the other day, in fact. Deep breaths.”

Damirn took one deep breath, then another, and then a third. “All right,” he breathed. “All right. I’ll try to remain calm. Being in a panic won’t help anyone anyway.”

Logan nodded. “Now, I do believe that Roman has his fitting in a couple minutes.” Roman’s stomach flipped. “Which means I might conclude our dance practice for now and make the two of you practice more later tonight. Damien, do you want to walk Roman to the room Remy is using?”

“Oh, uh, I can walk by myself...” Roman said weakly. “It’s not a problem, if Remy is right where he was the last time.”

Damien looked somewhat shocked. “Are you sure? I can walk you, my dear, it would be no trouble...”

“I’m sure,” Roman said with a nod and a smile. “I don’t want you to have to worry about me making any more jokes in poor taste. I can walk by myself and give you time alone to worry about the rings and the like.”

“My dear, if you’re trying to get rid of me, it won’t work,” Damien said with a slight smile. “It’s okay if you make a joke or two. I rather appreciate your kind of humor.”

“Are you sure? I mean, when I tried to make a joke about love, that definitely...fell flat,” Roman said.

“It didn’t fall flat, I simply wasn’t expecting it, my dear,” Damien said smoothly. “I did appreciate the fact that you were trying to make the best out of the situation we’re in.”

Roman’s stomach settled a fraction, but he still felt uneasy. He knew that Damien could never love him because of Roman’s body. And Damien wasn’t revealing anything about his feelings towards Roman, good or bad, so Roman had to assume that Damien merely felt neutral about their relationship. A good friend, perhaps, but nothing more. No matter how much Roman may want them to be more.

Damien offered his hand to Roman. “Come on, my dear, allow me the pleasure of walking you to Remy?”

Roman reluctantly took Damien’s hand and Damien walked him out of the ballroom and down the hallways. Roman sighed. His stomach was still flipping, and every time he looked at Damien he felt worse. Damien seemed like the picture perfect prince. Someone who didn’t mind Roman’s jokes, who didn’t mind getting dirty but was still a perfect gentleman when the time called for it. And honestly, Roman could see himself falling in love with Damien naturally, if they had met casually. But Damien could never feel the same, and it made Roman feel miserable.

Damien squeezed Roman’s hand. “I can hear the wheels turning in your head, my dear,” Damien said. “Everything will be all right, understand? We’ll get you out of your house and you can be whoever you want to be. And I have no doubt that Remy will make the suit you’re going to wear positively stunning.”

Roman offered Damien a weak smile. “Thank you,” he said.

“That’s not what you’re worried about?” Damien asked, frowning.

Damn it, Damien was perceptive. “No, not right now,” Roman admitted.

“What seems to be troubling you, my dear?” Damien asked, looking Roman over.

“The problem is that he has the hots for you and you can’t see it, babes!” Remy called from down the hallway.

Damien scoffed a, “Please,” and Roman felt ten times more miserable. That just confirmed his suspicions. Damien was disgusted at the thought of Roman being attracted to him. Roman had half a mind to cry, but he bit back his tears the best he could. Now was not the time to cry. He needed to wait until Damien was gone, or else Roman would admit that he loved Damien and Damien would have to confirm that while trying to comfort Roman. And Roman didn’t want to put either of them through that pain.

Damien sighed and turned to Roman. “I’m afraid this must be where I leave you, my dear. My parents wanted the suit to be a surprise for me,” Damien said. “But my mother is undoubtedly in the room, and we shouldn’t leave her waiting.”

Roman gave Damien another weak smile and a nod. “I’ll see you after the fitting,” he said. “We have some things to plan for the wedding, after all.”

Damien offered a strained smile and a nod. “And we’ll figure out what to do about the wedding bands,” he said.

“Yes, we will,” Roman agreed. “Deep breaths, Damien. Everything will be all right. You said so yourself.”

“Boys, stop being gay and let me get Roman in his suit!” Remy groaned.

Roman laughed and walked away from Damien, towards Remy, tossing a wave and a wink over his shoulder. Damien raised his hand up in a tiny wave and walked back down the hall. Roman groaned as he walked into the room Remy was using. “I realized something, Remy: I’m completely screwed.”

Remy sighed. “Saw it coming, babes. Everyone knows you’re hopelessly in love.”

“Well, hopeless is right,” Roman sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

The Queen was in the room, standing in front of a mannequin, observing it. “Roman, everyone in this castle knows you’re in love with my son aside from my son himself. Don’t even bother arguing that you’re not in love.”

“Never said I wasn’t,” Roman said with a shrug. “Just said I’m hopeless.”

“Okay, why are you hopeless?” the Queen said, turning to glance at Roman.

Roman crossed his arms and made a noncommittal noise, hunching his shoulders. He certainly didn’t want to admit what he was thinking, regardless of how true it was. He didn’t want to paint Damien as a transphobe.

“Babes, if you’re having body issues, I guarantee I can help with some of that dysphoria with the suit I’ve put together,” Remy said.

Roman sighed. “Am I that easy to read?” he lightly groused.

“Only a little,” Remy said with a shrug. “Your Majesty, do you mind letting me show His Highness the suit?”

“Of course not,” the Queen said, backing away from the mannequin and letting Roman get a good look at the suit.

Roman couldn’t help it; he stared. The suit was a pristine white, exactly like a bride’s dress would be, but that wasn’t what was giving him pause. Across the suit’s chest was gold frill and trim, with a bright red sash cutting across it from the right shoulder to the left hip. On each side of the arms, there was Roman’s family’s crest, the castle under the sun. He grinned when he saw it. “Wow, this is great,” he said. “I love the work you put into it.”

“I’m glad, babes, but I need to know it fits you, too,” Remy said. “D’you mind putting it on before you say anything else?”

“That’s fine,” Roman said, walking over to the suit and pulling at his T-shirt to get it off without much of a second thought. He glanced at the Queen and offered her a small smile. “You don’t mind my stripping in front of you, right?”

“It’s necessary to put on the suit, so I’ll allow it in this instance,” the Queen said with a playful smile.

Roman took off his bra and put on the top of the suit, recognizing the shortness of breath he got from a binder. “Is the binder sewn into the material?” he asked.

“That it is, babes, and that was not easy, lemme tell you,” Remy said. “But I figured we should probably have it built in just in case. And I made sure to give it just enough room that if you got wet, you wouldn’t suffocate.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Roman said with a little grin.

“Let’s get you into the rest of the suit and in front of a mirror,” Remy said.

“Okay, okay!” Roman said, holding his hands up in surrender. He changed out of the skirt he had been forced into today and changed into the suit pants. Remy walked over and dramatically flipped the mirror the mannequin had been next to, so the back of the mirror was no longer facing him, and Roman got a proper look at himself in it. His jaw dropped and he gawked, unable to help himself. “Woah,” he breathed.

His chest looked completely flat when he turned to the side. Tears were pricking his eyes and he brought a hand to his mouth, grin threatening to split his face in two. “I love it,” he said.

Remy walked around him, gently yanking on the material, smoothing this and that and looking at him from every angle. “And everything seems to be a perfect fit, which is promising,” he said. “This is good.”

“It also means that we have a good portion of the afternoon now free,” the Queen said with a grin. “Because we had to allow for the possibility of Remy taking hours to tweak. But since everything was done right the first time, we have more time before our next meeting with anyone important. Which means it’s time to look into rings at the jeweler’s.”

“Oh, yeah, Damien and I talked about that during our dance practice,” Roman said.

“I assumed as much. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there, my dear, I had to talk to your mother,” the Queen said. “I’m unimpressed, and I thought higher of her than her behavior the past couple days.”

“It’s okay, she disappoints everyone sooner or later,” Roman said drily.

Remy cackled and the Queen covered her mouth, but Roman could see by her eyes she was smiling. “Get back into your day clothes, dear, we don’t want to give the game away by you walking around in your suit.”

“Oh, true,” Roman said, taking off the suit and changing back into his day clothes. Inwardly, though, he felt a wave of dysphoria building. All he could think about in a skirt was the way his body had betrayed him. He couldn’t stand being seen as female. It just didn’t feel natural to him.

The Queen put a hand around Roman’s shoulders and thanked Remy as they walked out of the room. “Feeling better, dear?” the Queen asked.

“I felt better in the suit,” Roman said. “It almost allowed me to forget.”

“Forget?” the Queen asked.

“Forget that my body doesn’t feel like mine,” Roman said.

“I know it must feel that way, dear,” the Queen sighed. “But I hope that with time you’ll find ways to identify with your body and feel like yourself when you look in the mirror.”

Roman offered her a grim smile and a small, “Maybe one day.”

They made their way to the front of the castle, and Roman was just feeling worse as he heard his mother talking in the hallway. He could hear Damien as well, but not what he was saying.

Turning down a hall, Damien said, “See? Here they are now. I told you my mother would find her.”

Her. The word hurt more than it usually did. Roman bit back tears.

His mother was giving him a once over. “Are you feeling all right, Veronica? You look ill.”

Trapped. He was trapped, nowhere to go. “Fine, Mother,” Roman said with a wave of his hand. “I’m a little tired, but fine.”

His mother nodded and promptly moved on. “Rose, are we ready to look for the rings? I think these two need to find their matches before the day is up.”

“Yes, everything went well with Remy, he won’t need to see Veronica for the rest of the day.”

Roman thought his throat might close up. He never wanted to hear that name again.

Damien was looking at him with concern, but Roman couldn’t bring himself to focus on anything except the conversation unfolding in front of him. The Queen dropped her arm from around Roman’s shoulders, and Roman felt only marginally more like he could breathe. Everything seemed too bright and too dark, too loud and too quiet at once. “Do you have anything in mind for the rings?” the Queen asked.

“No, not really,” his mother said with a shrug. “Something more feminine in style and cut might be nice, though, for Veronica. She has the fingers for it, after all.”

Roman was crying before he even realized what was going on. His entire body was trembling and he slowly backed away from the two women talking. Damien’s mouth was moving, but Roman couldn’t hear him over the use of his deadname, the wrong pronouns, the reminder that his body would never be capable of love by someone who was cisgender.

Without much thought, he turned and ran, breath heaving in gasps as he cried. He wasn’t sure if it was audible or not, he certainly couldn’t hear anything over the ringing in his ears.

Roman’s left foot got caught on his right shoelace and he toppled to the floor, palms and knees stinging at colliding with the tile, and no energy or desire to get up. He laid there, continuing to sob, the ringing fading away until he could hear how pathetic he sounded, crying over something as stupid as a comment on his hands. He didn’t bang his fists into the floor, too tired to even think about showing any signs of a tantrum.

Footsteps sounded behind him and three people skidded to a stop in the hallway. “Veronica, how many times do I have to tell you not to run away from situations you feel tired of? I know you may want to rest, but that is no excuse—”

“—Stop that!” Damien exclaimed. “Stop scolding her! Can’t you see she’s had enough already?!”

Roman didn’t respond, pretended he couldn’t hear when in actuality every use of the wrong pronoun stabbed him in the chest.

“My dear,” Damien said softly. “May we talk? I didn’t get to speak much to you this afternoon, and I would like to further our discussion privately. Maybe help you feel better?”

Roman sniffled and finally pushed himself up onto his forearms. “What’s the use?” he sobbed. “It won’t change anything. To bring up the obvious is only going to hurt me more.”

“My dear, you may think it’s obvious, but no one else here knows what’s going on,” Damien said. “Please. Let us help you. Let me help you. You don’t have to talk to all of us at once, but please at least tell me? I can pass along the message if it’s too painful for you to tell anyone else.”

“I don’t want to,” Roman said softly. “It’s too painful. I don’t want to.”

Damien helped Roman to his feet as Roman continued to cry. “Then let’s just talk about other things for a while,” Damien said. “Let’s just sit down the two of us. I’ll do everything I can to help make you feel better.”

Roman looked down at the ground, blinking as a few more tears fell. He really didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to admit to Damien why he felt so terrible. But he knew. He knew if he didn’t say something now, he’d just have to do it later. And later he might not have the promise of being alone. “Can we speak in the library? Alone?” Roman asked.

“Yes, of course,” Damien said, wrapping an arm around Roman’s shoulders and guiding him away from their mothers. “Let’s talk in the library.”

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