#patton has definitely almost caused a house fire

[jaratedeguadalupe]

janus is the best at baking no matter what patton says  

#and patton is the best at cooking #i (do)nt make the rules #jk i still down know if janus knows how to use a toaster #patton has definitely almost caused a house fire #one or two times #they are the best of their craft but at what cost #ts janus #janus sanders #ts patton #patton sanders #sanders sides

[greenninjagal-blog]

The Rumor Mill Game (pt4)

I swear I didn’t forget about this au. This chapter is just....long.

Welcome back to this mess of an au :) If you need a refresher, you can find Part Three [here!] Or if you’re new check out the first part [here!]

Summary: Logan is...dealing with the fallout of him and his coworker, Remus, having created a rumor about them being married and now apparently having a kid except not because Logan screamed at the top of his lungs that Virgil wasn’t his kid. His boss has a different definition for what “dealing” actually means. 

Words: 8292 (Holy shit remember when this au was 2k words)

Read on Ao3 || My General Writing Masterlist

When Logan had seen his boss after he made Virgil cry, he hadn’t expected it to end up like this.

Granted when he hadn’t exactly been expecting anything. He hadn’t been looking ahead, hadn’t been making plans, hadn’t been thinking at all. Which was most likely how he ended up outside the bar in the first place. 

Logan could, of course, count the number of times he had been drunk on one hand. College had been a time for experimenting, and of course for his twenty-first birthday his friends at the time had been insistent that he needed to imbibe an unholy amount of alcohol in one night. They had turned it into an experiment, where Logan documented exactly what he was feeling after each drink and he still had the notes in his desk at home, despite the fact that his handwriting had become illegible after the fifth drink and someone had spilled an orange soda based tonic on the third page. The notes themselves were worthless, but they served as a memoir to people who he no longer associated with and a younger version of himself who had still been learning.

And Logan did have a soft spot for that imbecile: Twenty-one-year-old Logan Ackroyd who still believed in the goodness of people and who wanted to change the world and who could fall in lov--

Logan pitied him-- that kid he used to be-- which he was certain that his younger self would be indignant about. Logan always did hate when people pitied him. Those emotions had rarely ever been genuine, rarely ever been helpful, rarely been productive. What was he to do about people feeling bad for him? About others being disappointed? About others making assumptions about him and how he felt?

He didn’t need pity, and he didn’t want it. Not when he got rejected to his first three colleges, not when flunked that English class and had to pay to retake it the next year, not when he had bought that ring and gotten down on one knee and made a whole carefully edited speech and--

And he’s not nearly drunk enough to deal with these types of thoughts. Or any thoughts for that matter. Wouldn’t it just be great to stop thinking? 

Then he wouldn’t have to remember the looks on his coworkers faces when he storming into the office less than fifteen minutes after initially leaving for lunch and demanded that Beatrice turn in her overdue spreadsheets in twenty minutes or he’d have her fired before slamming his office door hard enough to crack that frosted glass, or the look on Remus- fucking- Prince’s face when he tried to act like everything that had happened was not his fault and that Logan had taken the game to far by himself without any sort of prompting from Remus, or the look on Virgil’s face when Logan lost his self control.

Like an idiot. Like an asshole. Like someone who doesn’t think before he acts.

Like someone who should be alone for the rest of his life, because he can’t seem to get a hold of those useless emotions of his. 

And Logan wanted so very badly to blame Remus Prince for this whole endeavor, the whole production, the whole catastrophe. He wanted to say that without Remus he never would have gotten that angry, wouldn’t have had that conversation, wouldn’t have even gotten Thai today. 

Logan wanted to say that, but really it's his own fault. If he had just dismissed Remus’s rumor in the beginning, if he had just told Jen and Quin that his personal business was his own, if he had just ignored the urge to get coffee and finished the spreadsheets without getting up that last night.

His fourth finger itched around the base, the area where that little silver ring had been sitting for less than a day. It was ridiculous, utterly ridiculous, because Logan had never worn a ring before and now suddenly the absence of it caused his skin to crawl in a most unpleasant, unproductive way. 

Distantly Logan realized that by gifting Remus such a wonderful present, he had also thrown away four hundred dollars. And perhaps ironically Logan noted that he feels annoyed about it-- four hundred dollars had been sitting in a pocket of a dress jacket in the corner of his office for over nine months and he had tossed it aside in a fit of impulsive anger.

Logan had not been hurting for money recently, with how decently he was paid, and the amount of overtime he worked, and how little time he had taken off since that disastrous night.

But perhaps he might have been able to return it to the jewelers and weathered the terrible, awful pitying looks they would give him when he requested about their refund policy or a location where he might be able to sell it himself. It was a ring that was worth four hundred dollars and he had given it to Remus, and isn’t it funny that that’s farther than he got with the one for whom the ring had been originally intended?

And as Logan downed his next rum and coke of the night, he hoped that Remus found a better use for it. Newton knows it hadn't done any good for Logan. 

(Its stupid, Logan knew, to blame a ring for the way that he had screeched “He’s not and never will be our son!” Its stupid, Logan knew, to blame a ring for the way that Remus had hummed mischievously “I think I enjoy being fake-married to you, Logan." Its stupid, Logan knew, to blame a ring for the the way his last partner had said “We should see other people”. Its stupid, stupid, stupid--)

“Hmmm,” A voice behind him said, “I thought I would find you here!”

Logan didn’t realize he had closed his eyes until he heard the voice and felt every atom in his body figuratively threaten to combust. He wasn’t drunk enough to be thinking about him, and he most certainly wasn’t drunk enough to turn and look at the incessantly, perky man that had decided to sit down next to him.

Logan waved at the bartender and ordered another rum and coke and watched his freshly emptied glass disappear like the handful of others he didn’t bother to keep count of.

“And I’ll have two waters, please!” Patton Hart added with one of his peppy, happy, insufferable laughs, before turning to face Logan. “Hiya, Lo! It's been so long since we’ve seen each other!”

“Not long enough,” Logan disagreed, with a rueful smile that should very clearly, very precisely detail how much he does not want company at the current moment. “Don’t you have things to be doing tonight, Mr. Hart?”

Patton hummed, pressing his lips together as he thought-- a monumental task for someone like him, surely. Logan was partially convinced that if he removed his glasses he might be able to see the squirrels beginning to run on that rusted wheel in the other man’s brain. If Logan was of a less logical mind he might even be brazen enough to call this the first time Patton had used his brain all week.

“Well,” Patton said, carefully settling himself on the stool next to Logan. “I was graciously informed by my son that he would be enjoying the perks of being a teenager with no bedtime tonight and along with where exactly I could shove my homemade lasagna.” He laughed lightly, “Kids, these days! He really does keep me on my toes!” 

Logan did his best not to roll his eyes. “I do not know the whereabouts of your son, Mr. Hart.”

“Patton,” He said easily, “And I’m not here for my son. I’m here for you, Logan.”

“If this is about the glass in my door, you are very capable of taking that out of my paycheck.” Logan told him.

The bartender placed Logan’s new rum and coke in front of him and he reached for it almost immediately, only stopping when Patton’s hand landed on his forearm.

“Mr. Hart--”

“Patton,” Patton corrected with that smile that Logan suspected was the worst thing in the world. Worse than Virgil’s blank expression when he told them to get out, worse than Remus’s smug one when he suggested that Logan did indeed enjoy the ability to manipulate his coworkers, worse than Beatrice faulty excel sheets, than broken glass of his door, than a ring he never wanted to see again and yet he still felt like it was missing from his finger.

“Mr. Hart,” Logan said again, “I am going to get horrifically drunk tonight, and I will be calling out sick tomorrow, regardless of what you say. So my advice to you is, say anything of importance now, before I am too incoherent to register and respond accordingly.”

“That doesn’t sound too smart there, kiddo!” Patton said, like he was any older than Logan was.

“I do not feel like being smart right now,” Logan said snippily. Because being smart involved thinking, and Logan had done quite enough thinking for the day. He was tired of thinking, tired of memories, tired of the lump in his chest that had formed during his lunch break and hadn’t dissolved in the eight hours since. He was tired.

“Would you like me to be smart for you?” Patton asked.

Ah.

Yes, Logan remembered suddenly with just a few words why he hated Patton Hart so much. Why he hated those too-wide brown eyes, those stupid freckles, that soft smile. Why he hated the way that Patton had tracked him down despite the fact that he had turned off his phone, the way that Patton had ordered two waters, the way that he hadn’t taken off his jacket. The way that he had taken out his keys and put them on the bar counter between them and Logan could pick out his own house key from the jumbled mess of bits and bobs.

“I heard something pretty interesting today,” Patton said, when Logan didn’t reply because he was too busy remembering why he hated Patton so much.

“Please don’t pretend like you didn’t know about my so-called affair before I did.” Logan snapped. “Honestly, Patton!” Logan dropped his arm from the glass and instead pressed his knuckles to his forehead. “Playing dumb about your own company is my least favroite thing about you.”

“I thought you hated my laugh the most.” Patton looked at him, letting the smile slip into something more serious.

“I hate everything about you.” 

“Pay for the drinks, Lo.” Patton told him, “And I’ll take you home. We can have some of my lasagna and watch a space documentary, like we’re twenty years old again.” 

Logan hated Patton and hated the way his chest ached at the offer. His knuckles bore into the side of his head, jabbing the frame of his own glasses into this temple. He hated the way that Patton was looking at him, soft and sweet and naive.

He hated the way his fingers itched to take Patton’s hand and go home.

“And after all that,” Patton continued so lightly, “You can tell me all about how Remus Prince got under your skin.”

 Logan’s hand slammed on the counter, so suddenly he surprised himself. Patton, however, didn’t flinch, didn’t even blink, didn’t react other than to hold that smile. 

“I am not drunk enough to be talking about Remus Prince,” Logan spat. “Especially not to you, Patton.”

Patton was quiet and at first, Logan really had thought that he had won something-- he thought that perhaps Patton would grant him mercy and let him drown his sorrows alone and miserable in a bar until he forgot his own name. But Patton was too good of a friend and Logan really should hate him less for that.

“You know,” Patton said with a cold type of humor that doused Logan with awareness. Bad awareness. The type of awareness that sunk it’s metaphorical claws into Logan’s chest and pierced straight through his heart before Patton finished what he was saying. “I think….yeah that does sound familiar. Do you remember the last time you said you weren’t drunk enough to tell me something?”

Logan did.

Logan couldn’t forget if he tried. 

And he had tried so very hard for so very long-- except that Remus Prince had waltzed into Logan’s life, had called him a Robot, had smirked at him and run their coworkers around like cattle with pretty little words. Except that Remus Prince had gotten bored and decided that the only logical next course of action was to mess with Logan’s personal life. 

Except that Remus Prince had played along with the rumor game, and smiled at him, and kissed him, and---

And Logan had started thinking---

And Logan’s mouth had started moving--

And Virgil face had--

Logan reached for the glass in front of him, reaching for the cool ice and the spritzy carbonation and the burn of the rum.  

Patton watched him, blinking in the long, slow, dumb way of his that had fooled just about every person that he had come in contact with. With the goofy smile and the habit of deliberately misunderstanding key phrases and making puns and jokes when things were tense, it was hard to see him as anything other than a rich son who became CEO via thinly veiled nepotism. 

Logan knocked back the drink, blinking back the burn behind his eyes that were from the alcohol and definitely not from the lump in his throat that had started dissolving.

He didn’t want to close his eyes, because he knew what he would see when he did: a nice suit, a fancy dinner, a walk to the bridge dotted with fairy lights of all things. He’d see that stupid ring, that stupid face, that stupid end of the night that everyone had told him would be nice, and perfect, and everything he would ever want! 

And he didn’t want to think about how it had not been nice or perfect or anything either of them had ever wanted!

He didn’t want to think about how years ago he had come to a bar just like this, and tried to get so drunk he could pretend that it hadn’t happened, and Patton had shown up then and offered him a job and--

“He wants to go by Janus now,” Patton said, picking up one of the waters and taking a sip.

Logan squinted at him and tried not to be happy about the distraction from his own thoughts, “Who?”

“My son,” Patton said, like it was obvious he had switched back to a neutral topic. “He told me earlier during our phone call he wants to go by Janus, now. He said he’s hated the name Dante for forever. Can you believe it, Lo?”

Logan couldn’t actually. Because he had known Patton since they themselves were teenagers, since before Patton had brought up how empty being a CEO was without anyone to come home too, since Patton had first invited him to Sunday brunch and introduced him to the child he called “son”. Logan had babysat Dante when Patton had business trips and Dante had always been proud of himself, of his better-than-the-status-quo lifestyle, of his name that held power and prestige and weight.

Dante had been practicing saying his name in the mirror since before his voice cracked. Dante Hart, future CEO. Dante Hart, son of Patton Hart. Dante Hart. 

“He’s a teenager,” Logan said, “He’s rebelling.”

“Maybe so!” Patton laughed, and it dwindled down to something that was easier felt in the air than definable in terms Logan was familiar with, “Gosh, I love him so much, Lo. My baby! He’s growing up so fast now! The other day he told me he had a boyfriend. He’s at that stage where he doesn’t want me to help him anymore!”

And despite the buffoon having not had a single drop of alcohol, Patton was tearing up. Logan gritted his teeth at the implications of a weepy, teary, so-full-of-emotions Patton. He had spent enough time in college trying to console him as he figured out the whole “Why does it always have to be about sex? Why can’t I just love hugging someone, Lo? Why does everyone make me feel so broken?” Logan hadn’t been any good back then, and he definitely hadn’t gotten better with time. 

After that disaster with the last guy, Logan had decided that feeling things, frivolous things, emotion-like things, were not something he was into anymore.

Logan learned from his mistakes, after all.

Even the mistakes that started with “R” and ended in a $400 ring being thrown away.

“Is that why you’re here, Mr. Hart?” Logan asked, in that way of his that told even Patton with his squirrel run brain that it wasn’t actually a question at all. “You can’t baby your son anymore so you’ve moved on to the next best thing?”

Patton stuck his tongue in his cheek and set his water back down. “Patton.” He stressed. “And I’m not here to baby you, Logan. I’m here to be your friend.”

He said “friend” like it was a word in the dictionary Logan didn’t know. It was infuriating: the insinuation that Logan had never cracked open a dictionary before, that he was so unknowledgeable about the concept of a friend that Patton was about to show him the online Oxford dictionary definition, like someone who played dumb all day and peppered his windows with sticky notes in the shape of a game of Frogger knew more about something than Logan who had clawed his way up from nothing and was constantly needing to prove how he earned his position.

Patton nudged the second water in Logan’s direction.

Logan stared at it, at the condensation on the glass, at the ice cubes, at the refraction of the low lights from the bar counter. He stared at it like it was a portal back through time that would allow him to slam some sense into poor, pitiful twenty-one-years-old Logan before he let himself fall in Love.

Before he bought a ring or stopped taking days off unless Patton tromped down to his office himself. Before Remus Prince borrowed his cup and before Logan got it in his head that he was serving revenge rather than idiocracy. Before he let himself think too little and say too much and hurt a kid that had never deserved to be upset before in his life.

“If my son wants to be called Janus, I’ll call him that,” Patton says softly. “Because even if it doesn’t make sense to me, it means something to him. And even if my friend is struggling with emotions that don’t make sense to me, I’m still gonna try to help him, Lo.”

Patton ducked his head just a little, just enough that he managed to catch Logan’s strategically averted gaze and make something out of it: a swell of guilt, a sense of hope, a pinch of safety and unadulterated kindness.

His throat was dry, but it was the type of dry that couldn’t be fixed with a glass of water.

“I made a kid cry,” Logan said, because self loathing is a coat he had thought he’d outgrown but he can still fit his arms in the sleeves.

Patton nodded. “Yeah, I heard about that.” He sipped his water. “I think we all have at one point or another.”

“See, the distinct difference that you are missing here, Patton, is that you are a father.” Logan snapped, “And your son will cry at the drop of a hat if he thinks he can get something out of it. And you would never harm a child! Not for any reason in the entire world!”

“And you would?”

“I did.” Logan felt himself sink into the chair, sink like an anchor in the ocean, sink like the floor below him had turned into a blackhole. “I did, I did it. What type of person does that make me?”

“I hate to break it to you, Lo,” Patton said, as kindly as he could, which Logan knew was truly, sickenly nice. He wanted to choke on the sentiment but he found that he couldn’t quite make his chest hurt the way he wanted it too when it came to Patton’s pity.

 “But that just means you’re a normal person.” Patton smiled dumbly, tilting his head and shrugging. “Everyone says things they don’t mean sometimes.”

“You don’t.”

“I do,” Patton countered gently, “Like when I hired Beatrice before realizing that she had lied about knowing how to use Excel.”

“Fuck, Beatrice,” Logan agreed, because if he closed his eyes too hard he thought he might still see grid patterns as much as he might see Virgil’s hurt expression and he hated it so much. So much. 

“I also told-- Janus once that I would get him anything he wanted for his birthday, and he asked for a snake.” Patton shuddered, almost comically, “And you saw how that turned out.”

“I’ve always been impressed with his ability to sneak things into the school buildings,” Logan sighed. “I doubt anyone has ever forgotten that Show-and-Tell.”

Patton chuckled quietly. It was almost lost in the buzz of the other patrons in the bar. He drew a smiley face in the condensation on his glass and Logan reached over to wipe it away, like he had done a hundred seventeen times since college.

“So….Lasagna?” Patton offered. “We can make some garlic bread too.”

“I regret ever meeting you,” Logan said, even as he picked up the keys on the counter between them. He wished that Patton didn’t look so self satisfied, so pleased, so smug when the words tumbled from his lips, but Patton had never been one to pertain to the wishes and whims of Logan like that.

Settling his tab was quick; a pile of bills from his wallet that he didn’t actually check, but decided the bartender deserved anyway and then Patton linked their elbows together so that Logan couldn’t walk off the way that he used to when he would agree with Patton just to get him to shut up. Logan snagged Patton’s glasses from his head and fogged them up with his breath, before taking on the tedious task of cleaning the fingerprints off the lens meticulously while walking in a wobbling straight line. 

Patton laughed like silver bells and it alone brightened the entire street with a type of magic that Logan had long since given up on trying to scientifically explain. The poet in him that Logan had buried under Calculus classes and Statistics courses and a Business degree and only let out when the alcohol out weighed the blood in his system, whispered that it was because it was Patton and his aloofness, and his kindness, and his generosity that never made any sense, and wasn’t that reason enough for the universe to lighten up?

It was drizzling outside, scattered raindrops and dark heavy clouds that whispered of a thunderstorm later. Patton skipped, Logan rolled his eyes and let himself be dragged towards the familiar pale blue punch buggy. It was the same exact car from their college time together, if one ignored the frankenstein replacements of just about every single component in it. Patton clung to the car the same way he had clung to the delusion of Logan being a good friend; sticking close through every breakdown, excusing every letdown, and spending far too much money on it when economically it would have been more beneficial to just let them go.

A wave of self loathing wrapped over Logan again when he pulled on the car door. Patton was genuinely a good person, a good friend. He was stupid at times and he made decisions that made Logan was to strangle him, but he cared so much more than other people. He offered fourth and fifth chances when Logan would have stone-walled his offender at one. 

Not to mention, he had come out in the rain to find Logan specifically, probably traversing through three other bars to find the one that Logan had chosen to be his misery echo chamber.

By some sort of lucky happenstance, Logan had originally walked far enough to hail a taxi  to get to this bar, leaving his car in the safety of the parking garage where Patton’s company paid a nice sum for security. Logan had tried to argue about that expense with him back in the day, but Patton had pulled out a picture of his toothy grinning son-- Janus-- and said “Lo!! What if my son comes to visit when he learns to drive?! I don’t want to worry about him getting attacked in the parking garage!” 

Logan had brutally pointed out that his son would never visit him during work, and so far he had been correct in that assessment, but that didn’t stop him from feeling the slightest bit guilty about his bluntness even so much time later.

Patton had always looked for the best in people, had more strength than most of humanity, had more hope in happy endings that Logan had trust in fact and numbers.

“Is your son okay with me calling him Janus? I’m unsure of etiquette on this. Should I wait until he tells me his preference or should I just make the switch and not bring it up to him?” Logan asked with a sigh as Patton pulled out of the parking spot and set them towards Patton’s house on the other side of town. Unobstructed and following the driving laws, it would only take them about fifteen minutes, and yet Logan wondered about the possibility of Patton having Advil in the car.

The back of his head was already aching from the days events: banging his head on the keyboard all morning leading up to his disastrous lunch date, Remus, Virgil, squinting at spreadsheets until he couldn’t make out the numbers anymore, and the of course stumbling his way to the bar and dealing with Patton.

Patton giggled. “Oh yeah! I asked him earlier if it was okay to tell you. He said he wanted you to call him Janus now. He also said to tell you, you can take a hike.”

Knowing Janus, it was probably something more volatile than “taking a hike”. Most likely it had been something that might have required him to put a full five dollars in the swear jar that they kept on the counter next to the cookie jar. Not that it would matter much. Logan had stayed over at their house dozens of times and every single time he had come across Janus taking that money back out of that swear jar.

As far as Logan was aware, the swear jar had never actually been full. Patton must have noticed at some point-- probably that very first time Janus had taken the money back out-- but he was irritating insistent that he play dumb about it. Thus, Janus continued to swear in excess, Patton continued to make him put money in a swear jar for no real reason, and Logan continued to never understand either of them.

The radio in Patton’s car had been broken fifteen times since Patton had gotten it, but Logan assumed from the silence of the drive that it was now sixteen. He rested his elbow on the window and watched the drizzle turn into a steady rain and the windshield wipers flutter across their vision to occasionally bring them clarity.

The night life was somewhat dreary. The driving pace was slow, and they hit every single stop light in the city because that was just Logan’s luck. There were a few people running around in the rain: a family with a small child who was jumping in every slowly forming puddle on the sidewalk, a couple sharing an umbrella walking so close together they appeared as if to be one misshapen form, a group of friends chatting outside a 24 hour dinner in raincoats, and a few smokers huddled under an alcove with embers burning just enough for Logan to make out their forms through the downpour. 

Logan realized almost immediately that the pit in his stomach was much more bearable if he instead focused on the raindrops on the window that are much easier to look at, much less representing something that Logan had always expected he might one day have, much less accusatory in wondering what is wrong with him that he can’t act like a normal human being, this isn’t working, who wants to marry a robot like you--

That was the reason why he wasn’t expecting the sudden jerk of the car coming to a hard stop at a yellow light that they absolutely could have made. 

“PATTON!” Logan yelled.

The car behind them blared it’s horn and Logan rubbed his neck and reset his glasses from the sudden movement, ready to question what exactly Patton thought he was doing, because truly of all the things Logan was not in the mood for, this was one of them. 

Except that before Logan could get any words out, Patton had put the car in park and whipped off his seatbelt to kick open his door. A wave of rain came pouring into the car as the man threw himself from the driver's seat like there was something wrong with the car, and for a second Logan entertained the absurd idea that they were going to blow up.

Which truly, would have just been a fitting end to his horrific day.

“Patton!” Logan hissed, grabbing after the other’s coat to pull him back inside before the rain soaked into the seats. “Get back in th--”

The other man ignored him, frantically waving to someone in the rain. “REMUS!! MR. PRINCE!! OVER HERE!!”

If Logan knew slightly less about human biology he might have been inclined to say that his heart jumped straight to his throat and climbed its way up his esophagus to strangle him. He wouldn’t have recognized the figure on the street corner on his own: Remus Prince was wearing a black leather jacket and jeans with holes in the knees. He was soaked to the bone, without an umbrella, and his usual bouncy brown curls were matted to his head, as if he had been walking out in the rain for much longer than the rain had been sweeping through the city.

He was standing with the smokers under their minimal tarp, although he, himself, was without a cigarette at all. When he turned at the call of his name, there was only confusion and exhaustion in his face. None of the smugness, or the ego, or the energy that he usually had.

Logan didn’t know why that bothered him. He was hurting from earlier; that was good. 

After all, it was Remus’s ridiculous game that he had dragged everyone else into. 

((Logan’s finger itched and he dug his nails into his skin so deeply he was afraid to glance down in case there was blood pouring off hands.))

Remus ventured out to meet them, dodging across the lanes of traffic without a care in the world, or perhaps with a death wish. Remus didn’t seem particularly like he would mind getting run over by the way that he opened the back door, climbed in, and shook the excess water out in the interior of the car like some type of undomesticated dog. 

“Is this a kidnapping?” He asked, rain dripping down his face. “A murder? Do I get to know your name before you dismember me, cutie?”

Patton laughed joyfully, even as Logan felt his face screw up at the sound of Remus calling their boss “cutie”. It was beyond unprofessional, even if Remus was apparently unaware that his career hinged entirely on not insulting Patton. It took a lot to make Patton angry enough to fire someone-- his patience was the best and worst thing about him, as Logan had been reminded every time they interacted-- but once Remus crossed that line, not even a cockroach like him would be able to drag himself out of the metaphorical wasteland Patton would make out of his life.

Cutie, honestly. Who calls anyone they’ve just met cutie. Logan could understand Remus having called him Lovebug and Lolo, but cutie? 

For Patton?

Patton climbed back into the car, snapping on his seatbelt and managed to get out of park at the very same moment as the light turned green. He wiped his sleeve along his glasses, and brightly said, “I’m Patton! And you already know Logie here!”

“Logie?” Remus repeated, sitting back against the seat taking in Logan for the first time. “Oh shi--”

“Do not call me that,” Logan said. “Patton, you can drop me off at the next corner. I will walk home.”

“Don’t be silly!” Patton said, in the same tone that he had used during their college days to coax Logan into driving him to the nearest grocery store after he had successfully managed to pull two all nighters in a row. Logan hated that tone, and Patton knew that well.

“If you do not stop the car, I will throw myself from it while it is still moving.”

“I can get out, actually!” Remus said far too loud for the small car. Logan resisted the urge to turn around and scowl at him. Surely, his pea-sized brain had managed to figure out that he was the point of contention here and that his best move would be to shut up, so why had he decided to open his mouth? “I need to get home anyway. Big day tomorrow and everything.”

“Oh?” Patton said delightedly because Logan would not ever play into subject changes willingly. “What’s tomorrow?”

“I’m getting fired,” Remus said with a nonchalant shrug.

Patton blinked for a moment-- his squirrel-run brain jamming at the sudden twist of the words because whatever he was expecting from his visitor it was not that. Logan resisted the urge to reach over and give him a shake at the shoulders: of course he wouldn’t be able to expect anything with Remus Prince. The man was insufferable and illogical and he wrought chaos for fun. 

With everything that had happened, did Patton really think that there was an exaggeration in there?

Remus wanted attention. And he said whatever he needed to in order to get it: a fake affair, a fake divorce, a fake child-- Of course he would say he was getting fired tomorrow if it got Patton to have to use all of his meager brain cells to figure out how serious he was.

“Is that something to celebrate, Mr. Prince?” Logan cut in coldly. “Getting fired?”

“And here I thought that you would be happy, Ackroyd,” Remus said. “Unless you think you’re going to miss me.”

“If only I would be so lucky,” Logan said, digging his phone from his pocket, and turning it back on. The screen was blindingly bright and Logan’s eyes ached just glancing at it in the corner of his vision. “Patton, pull over. I am not doing this tonight. Or tomorrow. Or ever again.”

“I’m not going to let you walk home after however many rum and cokes you had, Logan.”

“Patton,” Logan snarled. “If you continue to treat me like you treat your son, I will tender my resignation tonight. Pull over now.”

Patton opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say was swallowed up in Remus’s empty voice speaking. 

“You went drinking?”

“Do not talk to me, Mr. Prince.”

“You’re not even yelling.”

Logan wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean, which may have irritated him more than the fact that he was so insistent about continuing to talk when Logan was liable to push the car to crash and kill all three of them. Remus was already staring at him, his expression dark and serious in the passing car lights and somehow Logan thought that he looked vulnerable. 

Logan gritted his teeth as his headache pulsed behind his eyes. 

“Shut up,” he said. “And put on your seat belt.”

“Or what? You’ll divorce me?” Remus pushed forward between the seats until he was just a few inches from Logan’s own face, grinning with all his teeth. It was at once the same smile that Logan had catalogued through every week of working with him and also something completely foreign.

Remus had pulled him into a kiss earlier that morning, and Logan remembered the taste of pickles on his lips just as well as the smirk he kept as Logan walked away. But this expression is somehow inverted, somehow shifted, somehow a weapon more than a challenge.

“Boys,” Patton said. “Please don’t fight in my car!”

“If you did not want us to fight, why did you invite him in this car?” Logan asked. “You, of all people, know my opinions on--”

“Logan, you’re drunk.”

“What does that have to do with this?!” Logan bit out. He glared at his phone: there were three missed calls from Patton and a handful of text messages from him that Logan couldn’t actually read in the combination of the bright phone light and darkness around them. His eyes were blurry even with his glasses on and the frustration of not being able to read only heightened as he made out the notification for his email which meant that Beatrice had managed to finish her work (allowing Logan to be able to go fix it) or that news of him yelling at a child made it around the office and now he was going to harassed by them as well.

All because of Remus Prince’s inability to shut up. 

 Patton threw a hand out and grabbed Logan’s phone from his hand and carelessly tossed it over both their shoulders to Remus.

“Patton!” Logan hissed, rubbing the irritated tears from his eyes. “Remus, give it back!”

Remus, however, was just staring at the phone in his lap like it was some type of bomb. Logan’s phone locked itself and the screen went dark, and still Remus sat inhumanely still in the seat, staring at it, with a type of blank expression that Logan oftentimes related to their coworkers when Logan asked them to perform any sort of math without a calculator.

“Remus,” Logan said again.

Remus jerked at the sound of his voice, snapping out of whatever fit the phone had put him in almost meekly-- if Logan could describe anything Remus did as meekly without it being a blatant falsehood. “Meekly” itself had never seemed to be a word in Remus’s vocabulary which was another irritating fact about him that made Logan break out in figurative hives.

Logan knew how Remus was.

He knew Remus.

It didn’t matter that he had never talked to Remus before today, that his thinly veiled contempt for his coworkers kept him from being willing to stand in their presence more than he was being paid to, that this fake affair was the first stupid relationship of any kind he had gotten outside of Patton and his son since his last boyfriend had dumped him on the night he was going to propose and hadn’t he thought he’d known him too? Isn’t that what led to all this? 

It didn’t matter. 

Logan was smarter, now. Logan was better now. Logan was--

“I don’t…” Remus said, trailing off as he stared at the messages popping up on Logan’s phone and Logan wondered why it felt like his lungs had shrunk right in his chest. “I don’t think you should be reading these right now.”

“He definitely should not!” Patton said, with a very convincing amount of forced happiness. “Hold that for him will you, Remus? Oh and why do you think you’re going to get fired tomorrow?”

Remus looked up at Logan and then at Patton and then back at Logan, like Logan was supposed to know what that meant in addition to every other stupid look he’d given Logan all evening. Logan shoved his glasses up to his hairline and rubbed his aching eyes, and yet somehow that still didn’t fix the pounding in his head or the exhaustion hollowing out his bones. It also didn’t make Remus disappear from the backseat, which was equally annoying, even though Logan hadn’t truly thought he was a shared apparition for him and Patton.

“You didn’t mention anything about today to your… what are you a fuck buddy?” Remus said.

And Patton laughed. 

Logan grabbed the door handle and yanked on it, but of course the ridiculous safety locks were engaged, and Logan had spent far too many sober years getting locked in this car to try to puzzle out the broken locking system in order to drunkenly throw himself out of the car. He was not in the habit of wishing for miracles, or even believing in deities, but he imagined that some powerful entity was finding ruining Logan’s life to be semi enjoyable.

“See this is why I can’t fire him!” Patton said through giggles and Logan thought maybe he was being addressed for this. Patton met Remus’s gaze through the rearview mirror and shook the last bit of water from his damp hair. “You make everything so entertaining!”

“What?”

Logan grit his teeth and yanked on the door handle again. “Remus, meet Mr. Hart, the CEO and your boss. Also put on your seatbelt.”

Remus blinked at them both, leaning between the seats and definitely not putting on his seatbelt. Logan counted backward from ten, reminding himself that one of the hiring requirements for Patton’s company has always been must be the stupid beyond belief. He’d known for a while that his coworkers were idiots on a good day, hazards to his health on bad ones, and yet somehow in the whirlwind of the day he’s had, Logan had forgotten that Remus counted as a coworker still.

“I’m not… getting fired?” Remus said, acting much like a computer after being turned on. “Why do you know my name then?”

Patton shrugged, flicking on his blinker to change lanes before the next light. “You have interesting ideas for your advertising strategy! Of course I would know your name! I’m sorry about vetoing that last one. I know Logan liked it, but I wanted to stick to the family-as-a-whole angle.”

“Patton,” Logan warned with an edge.

“Logan liked…?” Remus echoed, before turning towards Logan with a look of bewilderment that annoyed Logan far more than it had any right to. “You actually look at my shit?”

“Put on your seatbelt, Remus,” he said, because wasn’t it obvious that Logan looked at his things? Before the whole Robot incident Logan hadn’t had a problem with Remus at all: he was effective and efficient and the rumors were irritating but below him to indulge in. Before Remus had dragged him figuratively kicking and screaming into this mess, Logan approved the budgets that came with the projects Remus created.

He still did that, just with more anger than before. Petty feelings for Remus himself aside, his work was objectively good. 

Logan knew that about him.

“So!” Patton said over both of them, with his signature grin that Logan suspected he would still be wearing even if Logan decided to kill him right now. It must be the by-product of being controlled by rodents running on a wheel. “How was your volunteer work Remus?”

Remus froze in the back seat, going unnaturally still again. “Are you some kind of stalker-- uh sir?”

“Will you knock that off?” Logan snapped, which only made Remus’s shoulders jump straight to his ears. “And put on your seatbelt.”

“Just curious!” Patton said, ignoring Logan entirely. “Darlene is a good friend of mine! I make sure to send monthly donations to the organization since I don’t have a lot of free time to jump over and help.”

Remus didn’t say anything to that. He swallowed audibly and leaned back against the seat, dragging fingers through his wet hair and then tucked his arms in his own armpits. Logan pressed a palm to his forehead watching the street lights bend from behind his eyelids because that was easier than staring at Remus act like Patton was trying to pull his teeth out.

“You actually do volunteer work?” Logan said. “You don’t seem like the type.”

“Ha,” Remus said without any inflection. Logan thought that was the quietest that he had ever been. Where was that stupid ass smirk? Where was the stubbornness that pushed back against everything? Where was that loud voice and that confidence?

“Put on your seatbelt,” Logan said again.

“Why do you care if I wear the belt or not?”

“Remus put on your seatbelt or, so help me Newton, I will climb back there and put it on for you, myself!”

The air simmered from the acid in his tone, making the silence figurative chafe against his ribs. Remus stared at him, blinking slowly, with the street lights casting roving shadows on his face. His dark eyes were just so-- so--

Logan dug his nails into his palm. Why was it Remus Prince could make him feel like this? What gave him the right?

“It’s okay!” Patton said, setting the car to park. “We’re here anyway!”

Logan reached up and pulled his glasses back onto his face properly, but it still took him a moment to realize that they were near a bunch of townhouses, double parked outside one that Logan had considered moving into all those years ago when he had first been looking for an apartment for after college.

Remus too, apparently needed a moment to recognize the area. “We… are at my apartment? Holy shit, you are a stalker.”

Patton giggled, flashing Remus with his blinding smile and reached back to pick up Logan’s phone from his hands. “Thank you so much, kiddo! We’ll wait until you get inside all safe and sound, and I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“You will not,” Logan said. “Tomorrow you have a business deal two hours away to complete and if you miss it--”

Patton stretched back in his seat and let out a hugely exaggerated yawn. “But they’re so boring! Maybe I should bring Janus with me. He always makes my business deals entertaining. I love when he sets his snake on people. He looks so happy and he laughs and--”

Logan squeezed his eyes closed and recited the first twenty digits of pi in his head to keep from grabbing Patton’s squirrel run brain and slamming it into the steering wheel.

“Homicide is wrong,” Logan said.

“I’ll help you vouch for insanity,” Remus said. “I mean, tied together through a murder, and possibly hiding a body is much more juicy than a fake marriage that’s falling apart. We’d be the talk of the office.”

“They would not find any body that I hid,” Logan said. “Nobody would.”

Remus opened his mouth to say something more, but whatever it is he decided against it. Instead he slid over the seats and kicked open the door right behind Logan and stepped out into the night air.

“Thanks for the ride, Mr. Hart, sir,” he said, strangely formal, then squinted and added, “Daddy?” 

“I’m not firing you, Remus,” Patton said. “No matter what you call me!”

Logan ran his tongue over his teeth counting each and every one. Remus looked at him but ultimately finally adhered to that whole shutting up thing. He closed the door to Patton’s blue punch buggy and started towards the door to the apartments.

“Oh,” Remus said, and turned back at the last second. He knocked his knuckles on Logan’s window a few inches from where Logan’s gaze fixed itself on a light. Patton apparently knew more about what to do than Logan because he pressed the window lowering button and Remus reached his entire arm into the window to drop a small object right into Logan’s lap.

Logan caught it mainly due to reaction rather than skill and his skin tingled at the familiar item. Even in the dark, Logan’s fingers roll over the shape of the ring that had always reminded him of the worst day of his life. It was still warm from being in Remus’s pocket.

“I think that should stay with you,” Remus said, like it wasn’t a big deal at all. “You know… for the next boytoy you take to your sex dungeon or whatever nerds like you do on weekends.”

And then he turned around and fled towards the apartment building. Patton turned off the hazard lights and slipped back into traffic and Logan wondered if he would be polite enough to not comment if Logan started crying right then and there.

His throat felt swollen, his tongue too big for his mouth, and the headache thrummmmmmed painfully. 

Logan knew Remus Prince.

“You know that Remus Prince isn’t gonna be like him,” Patton said to fill the silence.

“Remus Prince isn’t like anyone.” Logan didn’t whine. To whine would be unbecoming. And childish. And embarrassing.

So Logan didn’t whine and Patton mercifully didn't call him out on his not-whining.

And neither of them mention the choked tone that Logan had for the rest of the night.

When Logan had seen his boss after he made Virgil cry, he hadn’t expected it to end up with him clutching that ring like a lifeline, but as he ran his fingers around the rim, he wondered if it had fit on Remus’s finger at all.

(Part Five)

#intrulogical #sanders sides #logan sanders #remus sanders #patton sanders #Far too many OCs gross #Rumor Mill Au #rumors #well fake marriage #sympathetic remus #Logan is bad at feelings #so bad #now with more logan angst #Patton is a good friend #This au is so old that I called Janus Dante and I decided to fix that #alcohol #drunk logan

[averykedavra]

Will You Be There To Follow

I’m back! And I bring fluff! I have a million other things I should be doing, but @qprdukeceitweek​ has an adorable list of prompts for this week, so I figured I’d write something for a few of them! It was a good excuse for completely plotless, rambling fluff. Plus my own QPP @becca-becky​ likes Dukeceit, so I couldn’t not.

(Title from Anywhere I Go by Vicetone. You can find this story on Ao3 here.)

Prompt: Day 1. Snakes and rats.

Pairing: QPR Dukeceit

Words: 3388

Warnings: death and murder mentions, kidnapping mention, fire mention (but all joking), food, sympathetic Janus and Remus with one mention of Patton, mentions of many animals including spiders and rats

Remus and Janus weren’t exactly a typical couple.

They’d met in college. At three in the morning, when Remus was frantically looking for the fire extinguisher and barged into Janus’ room by mistake. After successfully putting out the flaming Hot Pockets and thwarting the teachers, Remus had offered Janus an ashy hand and an invitation to hang out. Janus agreed.

Now they were partners, lodged in the sketchiest apartment in town, and they’d only gotten in trouble with the law twice! Janus worked at the local tattoo parlor while Remus scraped his way to a bachelor’s degree. They lived off a diet of ramen and cola. Remus had suggested marriage to make taxes easier, and Janus argued that they’d be succumbing to the system.

Remus proposed anyway. Janus said yes.

So they weren’t typical, but they had followed the usual milestones--graduate, move out, get married. Janus looked viscerally horrified when Remus reminded him of this. He suggested they escape to the mountains, in order to escape the pressure of the status quo. Remus said he didn’t mind doing all the normal stuff if Jan was there, and anyway, quietly subverting expectations was the best. Janus rolled his eyes.

Graduate. Move out. Get married. Obviously, the next step was making a family--and Remus didn’t really want or need a family, but it was a good thing to tease Janus about. And a good way to make sure they were still on the same page.

That entire thought process made since to Remus.

So he wasn’t really sure why Janus almost shrieked when Remus asked “Do you want to get a baby?”

“What?” Janus managed after a few seconds. “A baby?”

“Mhm!” Remus continued chopping the carrots. “You wanna get one?”

“Get one?” Janus repeated. “What do you want a baby for?”

“I don’t, I’m just seeing if you do!” Remus shrugged. “And ‘cause of the usual baby things, right? Keep us company.”

“A sniveling infant will definitely be wonderful company.” Janus turned around to look at Remus, with his classic I’m-not-sure-whether-to-laugh face. “Where’d you get this idea?”

“It’s, like, the usual order, right?” Remus spread out his hands, and Janus ducked to avoid the carrot knife. “Move into apartment. Get married. Have baby. Have another baby. Go to soccer practice. Mortgage the house. Have an affair. Read a lot of newspapers. Slowly grow to loathe each other.”

Janus snickered. “I’m not keen on any of that.”

“Well, we could just grab a baby and see if we like it?” Remus asked. “We could always put it back later.”

“We could--” Janus blinked at him and snickered again. “Whose baby would this be?”

“Ours!”

“How would we get it, then?”

“Adoption!” Remus suggested. “Or kidnapping.”

“I knew it!” Janus declared. “I knew this was another attempt at getting permission for kidnapping.”

“Aw, but it’s just a baby! It won’t mind!” Remus stuck out his bottom lip. “We can steal it from rich people. Please?”

“I’m not sure if my usual ‘steal only from the rich’ rule applies to newborn children.”

“We could train it up!” Remus continued, grinning. “Teach it the ways of the world. And then it can carry on our legacy.”

Janus dried his hands. “What legacy?”

“Subterfuge, sappiness, and systematically undermining the government.”

“Right, right, that legacy.” Janus laughed. “Be that as it may, I’m not exactly eager to change diapers. Get me a baby that doesn’t poop, cry, or need any sort of food, and we’re golden.”

“Hmm,” Remus said, scrunching up his face. “So you just want a talking baby doll.”

“No!” Janus folded his arms. “Those always murder you.”

“It’d be a wild way to go, though.” Remus rocked back and forth on the kitchen floor. Janus carefully took the knife from his hand and put it in the sink. “What’s something couples do instead of babies--”

“We’re not exactly a traditional couple,” Janus pointed out. “Most couples kiss each other, and don’t have a warrant for their arrest in Oklahoma.”

“That was completely not my fault.” Remus thought for a few more seconds. “Oh! Oh, Jan! We could get a pet!”

Janus tilted his head. “That would solve some of the problems.”

“We could get a pet,” Remus said, warming to the idea, “and we could hang out with it! And if it was a big one, it could guard the door from thieves.”

“A pet,” Janus repeated, and Remus squealed when he saw Janus start to nod. “That’s not a terrible idea, actually. Even if it is upholding outdated marital traditions.”

“Nah, animals are way beyond all that!” Remus spread his hands. “It’s a cool living organism! All blood and bones and sinew! Don’t classify pets with, like, amatonormativity.”

“Hmm,” Janus said. “How much would a pet cost?”

“Depends on the pet, right?”

“Hmm,” Janus said again. “And what pet would you suggest--”

Remus beamed. “Spider monkey.”

“What?”

“It’s a monkey! But it’s really long.” Remus wiggled his fingers to convey the length. “I wonder if it eats spiders or just looks like one.”

“We are not getting a pet monkey,” Janus said. “They poop.”

“Every animal poops, Jan, you’re not getting out of that one.”

“Ugh,” Janus complained. “Plus I’m pretty sure that’s an illegal pet--”

“So?”

“So illegal pets wouldn’t be happy in the apartment,” Janus said. “Either that, or they’re endangered and poached. We’re going to aim for a legal pet here.”

“Well, there go half my ideas!” Remus pouted. “What pet do you wanna get, buzzkill?”

“I don’t know,” Janus said, leaning against the counter. “We decided on this three seconds ago, I haven’t searched the whole catalog.”

“Are there pet catalogs?”

“There are probably lists online.” Janus’ hand drifted towards his pocket before he glanced at the half-chopped carrots and various kitchen implements. “We need to make lunch first, though--”

“Nope!” Remus threw open the cupboard and grabbed a bag of chips. “Makeshift lunch. Let’s go.”

Janus watched him with a small smile. “You’re really excited about this, aren’t you?”

“Idea!” Remus said by way of explanation. “Animal!”

“Animal,” Janus agreed, giving the carrots a regretful look before leading the way into the living room. “Pass the chips.”

Remus tossed him the chip bag and flopped onto the couch. The couch gave its usual pitiful squeak, and Remus kicked his feet up onto the armrest just to spite it. Janus curled into the other corner of the couch and pulled out his phone.

“Okay, here’s a list of possible pets,” he said. “We could--”

“Hold on!” Remus raised a finger before rolling off the couch. He yanked at the mass of papers under the couch before pulling out a sheaf of poster paper and pulling it over the TV. “Meeting time?”

“Alright,” Janus shrugged and grabbed a nearby marker. “I can write.”

“Cool!” Remus yanked away the remnants of the last meeting’s notes, which involved a parking lot vandalism and choices of flannels. “This meeting shall come to order. The subject is possible pets.”

“I’ll write a list and we can work through the possibilities.” Janus uncapped the marker and scribbled a header for the list. “Let’s see…cat, dog, fish…”

“Hamster,” Remus suggested, collapsing back onto the couch. “Gerbil? What’s the difference?”

“Guinea pigs too,” Janus added. “Birds--”

“Birds is a category.”

“So?”

“If birds are all one entry, blend together the hamsters and guinea pigs.”

“I already wrote them--” Janus sighed and wrote birds, etc. on the paper. “Happy?”

“Weasels,” Remus said. “Ferrets. Monkeys.”

Janus wrote down weasels and ferrets, but not monkeys. “Snakes. Snails.”

“Snails?” Remus repeated.

“Hermit crabs.”

“People have pet crabs?”

“Geckos,” Janus continued, seemingly unfazed. “Spiders--”

“Spiders?” Remus almost yelled. “Where are you getting this stuff?”

“Old roommate in college was a total animal lover,” Janus said. “Hmm...ants.”

“We’re not getting ants,” Remus said.

“Shh, voting comes later.” Janus stepped back and tapped the marker on his chin. “Is that all?”

“Frogs?” Remus suggested. He wasn’t sure if they could be pets, but maybe if he spitballed animals, he’d land on a correct one. “Zebras? Rats? Dragons? Hedgehogs?”

“Two or three of those are real, I think,” Janus said. He wrote down most of them, disappointingly leaving out dragons. “Aren’t there more kinds of lizards?”

“Write lizards, etc, like the coward you are.” Remus wriggled back and forth on the couch. “Rabbits?”

“Rabbits,” Janus agreed. “Mice. Turtles?”

“Don’t ask me, you’re the expert-by-proxy.”

“There’s got to be a few more.” Janus read through the list. “Are goats pets?”

“Are horses?”

“We can’t fit a horse in our apartment.”

“You said it wasn’t the veto stage yet,” Remus pointed out.

Janus groaned and wrote horse on the list. “Anything else, before I can quickly cross out horse?”

Remus kicked his feet in the air as he thought. “Tiger?”

“Not a pet.”

“Only if you’re a coward.”

“Let’s just say that’s all the pets,” Janus said. “Can I cross out horse now?”

Remus sighed. “Fine.”

Janus crossed out horse gleefully and with vigor.

“Now cross out ants,” Remus said. “They’re only good for eating.”

“I sincerely hope you’re referring to their eating.”

Remus grinned.

Janus crossed out ants and skimmed the list. “I’m not too keen on snails, are you?”

“I still think you’re making them up.”

“Snails exist.”

“Not as pets!” Remus waved a hand. “Toss ‘em.”

“Alright.” Janus edited the list. “No fish.”

“What?” Remus frowned. “Why?”

“They’re absolute nonentities! Why get a fish when you can just be lonely?” Janus shrugged. “Besides, I am ninety percent sure you’d eat the fish.”

Remus crossed his arms. “That rules out all the pets, then!”

“Ew.” Janus sighed. “I’ll just cross off the smallest ones, to be safe. No mice, no frogs--okay, one of the gerbil-hamster-guinea-pigs are smaller than the others, but I have no idea which one--”

“Cross ‘em all off,” Remus said. “We’re not seven, we can do better.”

“If you say so.” Janus crossed off the several similar rodents. “Thoughts on hermit crabs?”

“Crunchy!”

“They don’t exactly possess personality.” Janus paused before scribbling through the hermit crabs, then the hedgehogs.

“Hey, c’mon, we vote first!” Remus leaned over and grabbed at the marker. “What’s wrong with hedgehogs?”

Janus looked contemptuous. “Pointy.”

“Yeah, we can use them as projectiles!”

“Oh, good point.” Janus readied his marker. “Eliminate all animals that you could possibly use as a weapon.”

“Aw, come on, Jan!” Remus snatched at the marker again. “At least lemme keep the ones that would survive it!”

“No.” Janus laughed. “Okay, but seriously, we aren’t getting a bird. I have enough birds in my life already.”

“The pigeons wanna be your friend,” Remus said. “Let them.”

“The pigeons have declared war after you fed them hot cheetos.” Janus glanced suspiciously at the window. “I shall not let them near me.”

“Fine, fine, no birds.” Remus blew a raspberry at Janus, who stuck out his tongue. “At this rate, we won’t have a single possibility left.”

“There’s still a good amount.” Janus read off the list. “Geckos, lizards etc, dogs, cats, rats, snakes, spiders, weasels and ferrets.”

“Geckos or lizards?” Remus thought about it. “They’re not very cuddly.”

“So?” Janus gestured at him. “I already cuddle with you, I don’t need another cuddly animal.”

“It’d be nice to, like, hold it though. Pet it.” Remus petted the air as an example. “Hairy!”

“Hairy means shedding,” Janus argued. “I’m not getting fur all over my shirt.”

“Spiders don’t shed!” Remus suggested. “And some of them are real hairy.”

“I hate spiders.”

“Why?”

“Just do.”

“Well, I hate geckos,” Remus decided. “‘Cause I said so.”

Janus let out a long breath. “Maybe we’re going about this the wrong way. What animal, out of these, do you want to have?”

Remus hummed and looked at the list. Dog, cat, rabbit--all too mainstream. A gecko was slimy. A snake had no arms, and that was sad. Ferrets were cool, but not really what Remus would choose--

“What do you want?” Remus asked.

Janus made a non-committal noise that signified he’d already made his choice and was just trying to be nice. “You?”

“On three,” Remus said. “Three--two--one--”

“Snake.”

“Rat.”

They both stared at each other for a moment.

“Rat?” Janus finally said. “You can’t just grab something out of the sewer and call it a pet. We talked about this.”

“No, no, a nice rat!” Remus bounced up from the sofa. “A pet one! People have those, right? We could get a rat. It’s furry but I don’t think it sheds, it doesn’t take up much space--please?”

“Huh,” Janus said. He looked back to the paper and circled rat. “Alright, that can be our first possibility.”

“And you said snake?”

“Snake,” Janus said, his eyes lighting up. “Perhaps a corn snake? Any sort of snake would work.”

“Alright,” Remus said. “Snake.”

Janus happily circled snake on the list before sitting on the couch and grabbing the unopened bag of chips. Remus made grabby hands and Janus passed him a few chips. Remus munched on the chips and Janus looked like he was thinking.

“Rat or snake?” Janus finally asked.

“Both?”

“Sure, put a rat and a snake together, they’ll get along great.”

“Separate terrariums?”

“Defeats the purpose of cuddling.” Janus popped a chip into his mouth. “Besides, I don’t think we can spring for two pets. We’ll barely be able to afford one.”

“We don’t have to pay for the electric bill,” Remus suggested. “We can light a fire, like cavemen.”

“Arson isn’t the answer to everything.”

“You just lack imagination.”

“We’ll have to choose one,” Janus said. “And since any vote we have is a tie--”

“Nose goes!” Remus smacked himself in the face. “Ow!”

Janus hadn’t even budged. “No.”

“I won the nose goes!”

“We’re going to do this like civilized partners.” Janus leaned forward. “We’re going to discuss this, listen to each other, and come to a reasonable conclusion.”

Remus groaned. “Come on. Can’t we draw straws?”

“This is a pet we’re talking about, not who does the dishes!” Janus waved his hand. “A living, breathing animal. We need to take this seriously! It’s a big decision!”

“If you wanted to take it seriously, you shouldn’t have agreed right away and skipped lunch over it,” Remus pointed out. “You jumped into this just like I did.”

“Well, you were being all--” Janus twisted his face. “Excited. I got swept up in the moment.”

“Aw, really?” Remus’ eyes widened. “Aww, Jan, you’re such a softie--”

“Shut up,” Janus complained, swatting at Remus’ face. “Shut up.”

“You love me.”

“Yes, we’re engaged, that’s been established, shut up.” Janus huffed, his face dark with blush. “The point is, we rushed into this.”

“Yeah, duh.”

“This is probably a terrible idea.”

“Like usual, yeah.”

“We shouldn’t even get a pet, there’s no reason to--”

“Oh, see, that’s where you’re wrong.” Remus spread his hands. “There isn’t a reason not to.”

Janus stared at him for a second. “That’s all you’ve got?”

“Yep!”

“Okay.” Janus nodded. “Okay, fine. Rat or snake?”

“Hmm.” Remus thought about it. “Rats have cool tails!”

“So do snakes,” Janus said. “Snakes have fangs.”

“Rats have cool little feet.”

“Snakes have scales.”

“Rats can spread rabies, I think.”

“That’s not a good thing!” Janus paused. “Also, can’t snakes spread salmonella?”

“I’d much rather have rabies.” Remus blew out a long breath. “You really want a snake, don’t you?”

“I don’t want any pet, this was your idea.” Janus waited a few seconds, and Remus let him wait. “I--I would prefer a snake, though. Patton had one back in college, it sat on my shoulders while I studied. I liked it.”

“Then--” Remus swallowed. “Then sure. Snake.”

“What?” Janus’ eyebrows came together. “Remus, are you sure--”

“Snakes are cool! Very sneaky and cool, and some of them are poisonous.” Remus leaned forward and bumped Janus’ shoulder. Janus instinctively leaned into him, and Remus pulled Janus closer and into his lap. “I don’t mind, Jan.”

“It was your idea to get a pet,” Janus said weakly. “Besides, rats are also cool! You could have an army, like the Pied Piper.”

“Snakes can swallow mice whole!”

“Rats can jump more than three feet in the air!”

“Snakes don’t have arms!”

Janus opened his mouth to fire back, and Remus screwed up his face in preparation to retaliate.

Janus giggled.

Remus snickered.

And they both burst out laughing.

“You could be the rat king,” Janus forced out between laughs. “You could rule the--the city.”

“You could use your snake to hypnotize people,” Remus countered.

“You could--” Janus dissolved into giggles and leaned into Remus’ chest. Remus tucked his chin on top of Janus’ head and enjoyed the way Janus melted into his arms.

“We don’t have to decide now,” Remus said after he managed to control his laughter. “Like, not even close to now. It’s been twenty minutes.”

“Fair, we should have an actual lunch.” Janus kicked aside the chip bag and glanced at the paper. “We did go a bit overboard--I don’t even know where we could get a pet.”

Remus watched Janus stand up and start to clean up the mess. They definitely didn’t need to figure it out, but Remus kinda did want to pursue this--at least because of the excitement in Janus’ eyes every time Remus pulled him into something stupid and ill-advised.

Deciding on a pet--one pet--was definitely the normal thing to do.

Since when had they ever been normal?

“Hey,” Remus said, “it’s not too cold outside, right?”

“I don’t think so?” Janus glanced out the window. “Why?”

Remus grinned and jumped off the couch. “I’m pretty sure there’s an animal shelter a few blocks away.”

“You’re kidding.” Janus’ mouth twitched. “We can’t just walk into there without a plan--”

“Why not?” Remus shrugged. “Society is a lie, right?”

Janus’ mouth twitched again, and he bit his lip to hide his smile. “We have lunch.”

“We’ll grab some on the way there!” Remus tilted his head and gave Janus puppy dog eyes. “Please? We can just take a peek at the animals they have. See what we bond with. Steal one. And ask if a rat and a snake could possibly get along.”

“They can’t,” Janus said. “They’d kill each other.”

“You said that about us, too! Our second date!” Remus grabbed Janus’ hand. “And look at us, still alive and un-murdered.”

“Don’t count on it,” Janus said, but his eyes had softened. “You’re serious about this?”

“Serious as ever!” Remus shrugged. “Look, it’s this or I go back to Plan A and steal a rich person’s baby.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Kiss my beautiful patootie.”

“Ugh.” Janus ducked around Remus and grabbed his phone. “This will be a quick trip, right? Should I bring a carrier for whatever we decide on?”

“They’ll have those, right?” Remus darted over to the kitchen and pulled out a garbage bag. “Will this work?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s animal cruelty.”

“Aw.”

Janus pulled back his hair and grabbed his keys. Remus shrugged on a jacket. Janus gave the apartment one cursory check and, apparently finding no dead bodies, turned away.

“We’re really doing this?” Remus asked. “You’re okay with it?”

Janus paused and nodded. “Wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t. I promise I’m along for the ride.”

Remus pressed a kiss to Janus’ cheek and enjoyed the way Janus stammered. “Great.”

“Don’t do that,” Janus complained. Remus knew it wasn’t a complaint. They knew each other like that. It had been such a long time since they met at three in the morning and thwarted campus security, and Remus had learned so much about Jan, and Jan had done the same. And they’d both figured out there was stuff they didn’t need to know.

Like a game plan. Or a way to fit a new pet into the apartment. Or a way to sneak it past their landlord, who Remus suddenly realized might not like pets.

But it was way more of an adventure not knowing.

Remus loved to leap into every idea.

And Remus loved that Janus always took the leap, too.

“You promise this is fine?” Remus asked.

“Yes,” Janus said. “And you promise not to make a nuisance of yourself in the shelter?”

“Nope!” Remus grinned. “You’re stuck with me.”

“Good.” Janus pulled the door open and smiled. “It wouldn’t be any fun otherwise.”

General taglist (ask to be included or removed!):

@the17thmeatball

@most-likely-fandom

@csi-baker-street-babes

@caffeinated-cryptid

@thefivecalls

@ollyollyoxinfree

@the-gay-is-back

@dramaticsnakes

@stoicpanther

@chaospersonified

@thatoneloudowl

@jungle321jungle

@mistythegenderqueermess

@k1ngtok1

@joylessnightsky

@elizabutgayer

@ohheavenlylord

@enby-ralsei

@glassferns

@remy-the-lemon-berry

@larrymalecsolangelo

@riptide-123

#janus sanders #remus sanders #dukeceit #demus #qprdukeceitweek2020 #sympathetic janus sanders #sympathetic remus sanders #qpr dukeceit #tw murder mention #tw death mention #tw spiders #this is the floofiest thing ever but i don't care #anyway back to my hidey-hole as i attempt to actually finish my wips #averywrites

[turtletimewriting]

Bonding

Summary: A soulmate au’s perspective on tickling! 

Note: A tickle fic if you couldn’t guess! Also, still somewhat new to writing for Sanders Sides so prepare for some shoddiness haha! 

_._._

Virgil woke up feeling his chest almost glowing with emotion. A warmth that settled in front of his ribs that made his eyes flutter open and a smile naturally curl on to his face. The quiet warmth tried its hardest to lull him into sleep again but his slowly wakening mind was starting to ask questions. What were the others doing that meant they was radiating with happiness? 

He had stumbled upon his soulmates just a little under sixth months ago. Tracking down soulmates had always felt like an impossible task. Hell, it took years before he even realised that he had three of them! Feeling their emotions obviously doesn’t make them easy to find- he could be having the happiest day of his life but that wouldn’t mean he’d be dancing down the streets or smiling proudly. He had found Patton first. He suspected him when they were partnered together for a project at work. The sinking heavy feeling in his chest to the rapid glow of excitement matched Patton’s expression when the project was announced and then when he realised that Virgil was his partner. Thankfully, Patton had found his other soulmates and so saved Virgil the heart attacks of trying to find the others. 

Virgil slowly and quietly crept out of their guest bedroom and peered through the stairs. He wasn’t surprised by the sight of them all piled on top of each other, like a bunch of spilt over kittens, it was a familiar sight. The surprise was the frantic laughter. 

Logan’s laugh was distinct. It was somehow both squeaky but also bellowing loud. Like he was throwing his whole self into his laugh. Roman was laying across him and was giving him the most sickening love sick eyes to his upturned laughing face. Roman’s hands were squeezing his sides leisurely, squeezing  followed by quick poking. Patton was lying underneath Logan but his hands still had access to his armpits and occasionally his neck. 

“Rohohoho-Romaaaaanahahaha!” He uselessly cried out but his flailing hands never seemed to push Roman away. Patton never even faced any opposition. He was free to tickle away at whatever was free to him. 

“What, Specs? I’m right here! No need to yell, what do you want?” 

“I bet he needs some more tickles! Look! He’s not even blushing that much, he definitely needs some more tickly tickly tickles!” Patton squeaked with his own giggles escaping. 

“No no nahaa! Hahahaha, tickleeeeehehehehahahaha!” 

“So what’s going on here?” Virgil smirked as he dramatically leaned over the stair banister as he menacingly tapped his fingers. He couldn’t help but huff a laugh when all three heads immediately whipped round to face him. 

That laugh quickly died though when he felt that warmth in his chest freeze over. It was now sharp and settled into a dull ache. Three sets of dread, fear and worry. 

“Woah, wait. I didn't interrupt anything did I?”

“No! We just didn't expect you to be up yet,” Patton chuckled as he looked over at the others.

“Yeah! You’re up! Like, before ten o’ clock? I’m honestly impressed!” Roman gasped as he flounced off the sofa and approached him. “What’s the special occasion? Big plans for the day?” 

“Roman,” Logan warned as he sat back up while scrubbing at his mused up hair. His face burned red already but he felt extra squirmy at the thought to having this conversation without any planning or prep. They were going to have this conversation at some point! When Logan had carefully constructed a script! But he had to do it now. He could feel Virgil’s anxiety. The familiar burn had erupted into an all consuming fire. If they tried to hide this away then Virgil would only just spiral. 

All this worry caused by tickling. This was just illogical. 

“Virgil, don’t worry. I... have a particular fondness for t-tic... tickling. For some unknown reason!” Logan grimaced as he spoke, that was immediately unclear, unspecific and defensive. His mind scrambled for more words before reviewing them, “But, Patton and Roman also revealed that they shared this fondness and so it’s been present within our relationship for a while,” 

“Oh,” Virgil hummed with a sickly sweet tone. His own thoughts racing with a small glow of anticipating excitement. 

“We didn’t hide it from you for any reason! We just know that some people can find this weird... We know you wanted to go slow,” Patton smiled as he stood up and walked up to Virgil. He gently held his hands. 

“You all shouldn’t be embarrassed. I’m sorry that you felt the need to hide that! You shouldn’t have to hide parts of yo-”

“No! Virgil, none of us are wording this adequately. We were embarrassed, yes. And that’s why we hid this. Not because we didn’t trust you or because you gave us reason not to. This is a problem on us. Not you.” 

“Ok. Ok, thanks for telling me that. Even though I kinda just walked into it. I-I don’t have a problem with... that.” Virgil hinted.

The room seemed to stop as they all took a deeper breath. Virgil’s fiery intense anxiety settled back into a smaller burn like normal. The others’ emotions had settled back into a normal neutral presence. 

“So... does this mean you want to help us tickle Logan to pieces?” Roman cheered. 

Logan squeaked but sat still as Virgil rigidly sat down beside him. He slowly reached his hands out as if Logan was going to flinch away but seeing no complaints... Virgil broke out into an evil smirk. 

That same rigid worry wasn’t present at all the second his hands reached his ribs. Logan didn’t have much time to think about that though as Roman quickly followed his lead. Virgil skittering all over his ribs and Roman’s squeezing thigh tickles only felt all the worse when Patton’s whispered teases joined the lot. 

After thoroughly tickling Logan to pieces, the others got up to finally start breakfast while Logan was left frantically giggling on the sofa. The others were practically glowing with the brand new intense warmth and happiness nestling in their chests. “So is Logan the only lee?” Virgil asked as he finally sat down at the table. 

“Oh, I think we all tend to switch,” Roman responded without too much thought but the other two had frozen in their tasks. 

“Wait, you know what a lee is!” Patton squealed. Logan himself was standing with his own powerful evil smirk. Virgil was now frozen himself. He wanted to hint at just how fine he was with their... fondness. But he never wanted to outright say it!

“Uh...” 

“Unless you absolutely don’t want this, I would encourage you to flee,” Logan smirked before running up to the table. 

“Too late!” Roman cheered as he caught Virgil round his middle before he could even flee from the table. His immediately curled his fingers into his sides. Smiling wider when Virgil’s excited anticipation blossom in chest. Excitement! Logan leaned down at them and tauntingly raised his wiggling fingers to Virgil’s tummy. 

Once they touched down, Virgil tried his best to school his expression into something resembling nonchalance. But... it had been awhile since he was last tickled and he had forgotten what it felt like. He immediately squealed and so the dam broke instantly. Logan’s fingers danced gracefully over his tummy leaving trails of tickly tingles. It felt like the longer he tickled, the more tickles Virgil had to just take. 

“Logaahahahaha! Ahahehehehaahaha! Rohohoahahahaha!” Virgil simply folded in half as if that would protect his tickly tummy but Roman kept him balanced upright. 

“Aww Virgie-poo! Are you a little lee yourself? A little tickle craving lee! Oh, if only we knew earlier! You deserve all the tickles you can take! All of the tickly tickly tickles! Soft tickles, hard tickles, feather tickles, tummy tickles...” Patton cooed from the kitchen while keeping an eye on the eggs. What, someone has to be responsible and make breakfast! 

Virgil had yet to put on his make up and so his blush was on full display. His rarely heard laugh rang and echoed through the house. But his laughter had a wheezy quality. Plus, he was barely awake as it was. They couldn’t really tickle him for long. 

“How about this! If you admit where you fit into the tickle community, we’ll free you!” Roman cooed as he pulled Virgil into his lap as he sat down himself. Logan caught on and slowed his tickling down to simple tracing around his belly button through his pyjama shirt. Like he was playing a silent game of round and round the garden. 

“Eheheheeeee! Noooooo!” Virgil now started to flail but he knew that no judgement would come from his newly revealed switch boyfriends, “Ehehahahaha, I’mmmahehehehe a leeeee I think hehehehe!” 

And it was since that morning that their relationship evolved to be a lot more tickly. 

The switch comment Roman had made was quickly debunked. Patton and Logan were typically the lers of the household with Roman and Virgil lees for most of the time. Logan and Patton were both comfortably switches but they were more often than not the ticklers thanks to how tickle hungry Roman and Virgil typically were. Not that Virgil and Roman didn’t get their fair share of revenge! But... it was usually them who would start not so obviously hinting for tickles. 

But their soul link and their new tickling was going to drive Virgil insane.

If he felt his chest explode in playful dancing warmth then he knew that he should run and hide. That special feeling belonged to Patton alone. For when he was in the most evil tickle monster mode. Any time he felt that emotion, it would soon be followed by someone’s frantic bursting laughter. Sometimes it lingered until Patton would give in and hunt someone. Sometimes it would erupt suddenly. Like if he saw Virgil standing on his tip toes with his arms outstretched to reach the highest cupboard. Or if he saw Logan sitting with his feet resting on the coffee table which no one was allowed to have their feet on. Both times, neither one could react to the emotion quick enough before they felt the tickle attack. 

He was walking home while failing to hide his wobbly smiley. That same playfulness had been shining for the past half an hour. And none of the others were home. 

Meaning Virgil was walking home to a frustrated Ler who’s been wanting to tickle someone for the past half an hour...

And Patton famously preferred to tickle Virgil.

Even just that soul link emotion was enough to have Virgil practically giggling down the streets. That feeling was becoming worse than any whispered tickly teases. He couldn’t school his expression so this was made all the worse because that meant Patton and the others could also feel that Virgil was in a lee mood. Virgil’s excited anticipating lee moods felt like a mix between his anxious burn and the most joyous warmth. The others were all smiling knowing that his lee mood started shortly after Patton’s ler mood started. 

Patton had harnessed all the patience in the world to stop himself from immediately attacking Virgil as he walked in. He waited carefully ducked behind the living room door and as his lee walked through with a confused frown. Then he struck! 

“Pat? I’m back- oh goaahhahahahahahAHAHAAAA!” Patton’s hands latched on to his sides to then guide him to the sofa. 

“Hey Virge! Sorry but Patton’s not here right now, guess who’s here in his place though?” 

“PAAAATTON! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! No! You’reeehahahAHAHAA you’re ahaha! You’re not ahahahahaha! Patton!” Virgil threw his head back once he was sat on the sofa. Patton was now just holding his sides with a teasy grin! The gentle pressure enough to spark endless giggles. 

“No guesses? I’m not who? You can’t even say my name? My name is...” Patton leaned down close and Virgil flinched anticipating neck tickles, “My name is the tickle monster!” 

In a flash, he turned around to Virgil’s socked feet. His ultimate tickle spot! And boy did it look like they needed some good old tickles after such a long day at work. 

Virgil desperately curled up but was blocked by Patton’s back. It almost looked like Virgil was cuddling into him as thanks for the tickle monster’s tickles scuttling over his soles. Patton was just tickling over his socks but it felt just as bad as bare soles. 

“PAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAAA! NOOHOHOHHAHAHAHAHA!” 

Roman and Logan had to spend the next hour awkwardly avoiding their co-workers questions about their own proud wobbly smiles. Their soul link was bursting with such joyful happiness. 

#ts virgil #ts roman #ts logan #ts patton #tickling #tickle community #fanfic #Turtle writing #fluff #lee virgil #ler patton

[maybedefinitely404]

The Boy who Sings Next Door, Pt 1

Genre: just-out-of-college AU

Pairings: Pre-romantic/romantic Prinxiety, pre-romantic Logicality

Content: general anxiety/allusions to past panic attacks, (it’s Virgil, c’mon), food mentions, a lil yappy puppy, Hamilton songs (it’s Roman, c’mon), just the boys being super gay. 

Word count: 2.6k

Comments: I’ve been in a bit of a funk (not the good kind of funk) recently, and this is the only thing I’ve been able to churn out during it. It will have a part two, don’t worry. Gotta get that good Prinxiety content.

Comments (the sequel): This took almost a week to write due to said funk, so I apologize for any inconsistency that appears. I have edited this as much as my brain let me, so it should be good.

Virgil hadn’t lived there for long. In fact, it was just nearing the one month anniversary of the day his two roommates and him had moved into the townhouse complex on the grungier side of town. They were still getting to know the house; the basement Virgil swore was haunted, the crudely attached cabinets that Patton very nearly pulled down every time the shorter man had to climb the counter to reach the top shelf, and especially the upstairs bathroom’s shower that would become scalding hot if someone flushed a toilet while it was running. Janus’ shriek was something Virgil wished he could have recorded on camera. 

Meeting his new neighbours was still a fear he had to get over. Patton had already introduced himself to all of them (on the first day living there, with cookies, nonetheless), and was eagerly awaiting the day when Virgil would give the ‘okay’ to invite some of them over for dinner. He was especially excited about the man who lived to their left, a professor at the university across town that Patton claimed he had clicked with.

“A professor? How old is he?”

“He looked like he was our age!”

“A professor who’s twenty two?”

“Well… maybe he’s really smart! Or has a great skincare routine!”

Despite Patton’s obvious infatuations with the guy, Virgil was hesitant to meet him. He’d already had a less than promising accidental run in with the old man living on their right, incited by Janus parking in the wrong spot and poor Virgil being the one to open the door to the screaming neighbor. It had taken him twenty minutes to calm down from that panic attack. But after too many rounds of Patton’s puppy eyes, Virgil gave in. 

“Only the one guy though, and I get to have a code word in case I need to leave.”

“Okay! What’s the code word?”

“I don’t know. You pick.”

“Tiddylicious?”

“SHUT THE HELL UP, JANUS!”

Surprisingly, Virgil didn’t have to use the code word (which was not tiddylicious). Logan was a pretty great guy, if slightly lacking in the ‘emoting’ department. Patton and him got on like fire in a library, and his roommates happy wiggles the whole night was probably what gave the anxious man the bravado to stick through it. Janus even had the decency to make some honest conversation, which was a first for him. Logan eventually mentioned the fact that he had a dog, and the conversation immediately derailed into Patton squealing over the pictures he showed him. They took this as the opportunity to sneak away from the two, giving them the space they obviously needed. Gross. 

There was a line stretching across Logan’s backyard; a red cable that connected to his deck and reached to the fence on the opposite side. From this cord hung a pink leash, and to this pink leash, Logan attached his dog several times a day. Virgil didn’t know what the signal was for them, but every couple of hours, the sliding door would screech open and the dog would run to the gate closing off the porch, waiting impatiently until Logan clipped on the leash and let it run onto the lawn. The first time the small dog saw Virgil on his phone in the shade of his roof, it immediately took this as a grave act of terrorism and began to yap so loud that Virgil screamed. Logan quickly came back out, explaining that while his pup may have the intimidation factor of a stuffed animal, she thought all the grass of her yard and of the adjoining houses was hers to protect, even if the terrier was just about the size of a decent Thanksgiving turkey. A few head scratches later, and the two decently bonded, enough that she wouldn’t throw a hissy fit every time he sat on his porch.

That’s where he was now, half asleep in a lawn chair with one earbud in, when the tell tale squeak of Logan’s sliding door startled him from his rest. He reached up lazily and popped out his music, smiling slightly at the prospect of another conversation with Logan. Despite their age difference (it wasn’t all that much, but just enough that he got confused stares from the elder when he mentioned the prospect of ‘stealing someone’s kneecaps’), they were starting to become good friends. His hand froze, however, as he heard a voice that was very much not Logan’s coming from the man’s deck.

“Dear Alexander, 

I am slow to anger,

But I, tow the line,

As I reckon with the offense of your,

Life on mine.”

And if Virgil said he didn’t immediately feel butterflies at the soft lilting of the deep voice, he would be lying. He shrunk back into his shirt, hoping the other wouldn’t glance over the short bush between them and see his blushing face. Even if he wasn’t infatuated with whoever was letting Logan’s dog out, it wasn’t like him to try and meet someone new.

The screen door shut with a loud whap and the dog pulled at the red cord as hard as she possibly could, trying to get free pets from Virgil. He obliged, but made sure to duck back to his side as soon as the door reopened. 

“Raise a glass to freedom,

Something they can never take away,

No matter what they tell you.”

He lurched back into his own house at the sound of that gorgeous voice, slamming the sliding door and consequently scaring the hell out of Patton.

“Sorry,” he said quickly, scrubbing a hand over his face.

“What’s gotten you in such a hullabaloo?” Patton squinted from his table of crafting supplies, where it looked like he was putting together more pages for his scrapbook.

“I’m gay.”

“Ah,” The older man scrunched his eyebrows together, setting down his glue stick, “For Logan…?”

“No! Logan’s yours, don’t worry,” he ignored Patton’s indignant spluttering and blushing, satisfied that he wasn’t the only disaster gay in the room now, “Someone else is at his house.”

“Someone cute?” He was suddenly very interested in his book, trying to hide his red cheeks.

“I don’t know.”

“Then why are you in gay mode?”

“His voice.”

“His voice?”

“Quit laughing at me!” Virgil snarled non aggressively, refusing to meet Patton’s bright eyes.

“I’m not, I swear!” Patton giggled nonetheless, “It’s cute! I’ll have to hear it for myself sometime.” Virgil huffed, despite his growing smile, and went to his room, too overwhelmed to wait outside for the voice again, no matter how much his heart wanted to.

A couple days later, Patton showed up in his open doorway (it was his attempt to be less antisocial, and it made his housemates happy) grinning like a child who’d just gotten a puppy.

“I just talked to Logan-”

“Oh?” Virgil smirked, closing his laptop in favor of tea.

“Oh, shush. He just said during the summer, he has these fancy shmancy teaching seminars every weekend just out of town.”

“So?”

“Sooo…” Patton wiggled a little, sticking his tongue between his teeth, “When he’s not home, his brother watches Gremmy!”

“Gremmy?”

“How do you not know the puppy’s name? And also, you’re focusing on the wrong part of the sentence! His brother is going to be there every weekend, all summer!” 

Virgil tried to digest the butterflies that exploded in his gut, failing to hide his reappearing blush. “So? We don’t even know if he’s our age, or if he’s into guys.”

Patton dropped his gaze, sucking his lips into his mouth in a vain attempt to smother his smile. 

“Patton?”

“He’s our age and he’s into guys,” He squeaked. 

“You asked?!”

“It came up naturally!”

“How?!”

“Not important!” He was full on beaming now, hopping on his toes. “You should totally talk to him next weekend!”

“No. Nope. Not happening.”

The following Friday, Virgil found himself sitting on his deck under the roof, scrolling aimlessly through Tumblr, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he happened to see a new car pull into Logan’s spot thirty minutes after the man left. Nothing like that at all. He sipped absentmindedly on the lemonade Patton had brought him with a cheeky look on his face, trying not to think about the fact that the angel voiced man was right next door. And his heart absolutely did not begin to pound when the tell tale screeching of the screen door sounded.

This time, music accompanied the man’s singing as he hooked the dog, Gremmy, onto her leash.

“Angelica,

Eliza,

And Peggy,

The Schuyler sisters,

Angelica (Peggy) Eliza (Work!)”

Even if Virgil had only heard his voice once, it seemed fitting that he was trying to sing every part, altering slightly to nail the voice changes of every character. He curled up a little more in his chair as the man followed Gremmy out onto the lawn, music still pumping from his phone.

“Daddy said to be home by sundown,

Daddy doesn’t need to know,

Daddy said not to go downtown,

Like I said, you’re free to go.”

Virgil couldn’t breathe, but that was the heat’s fault. It definitely wasn’t caused by the gorgeous man now dancing in small circles on the grass, dog jumping at his feet as he laughed along to the music. The sudden warmth in his face was caused by the sun, not the toned muscle of the man’s arms, or the way his much too loose muscle tee showed off his tan, or how his light brown hair flopped over his eyes when he bent down to pick up a stick from the ground. All while singing; just carelessly enjoying himself. 

“Angelica, remind me what we’re looking for?

(She’s looking for me!)

Eliza, I’m looking for a mind at work (work),

I’m looking for a mind at work (work),

I’m looking for a mind at work (work),

Woah, woah, woah, woah, work!”

The harmonies were too much, his voice flawlessly adding a fourth harmony where there wasn’t in the song. Virgil jumped like a spooked cat, fleeing into the house and drawing the curtains shut hurriedly. He knew the other man had probably heard the door slam, but that wasn’t his main concern right now. 

“Gay panic?” 

Virgil spun around to see Janus, all too bemused, sipping Gatorade out of a wine glass. The man’s sense of class would not be affected by the time of day. “Gay panic,” He confirmed weakly, sliding down the wall, “He’s hot.”

“Let me see.”

“Janus, no, what are you doing?!” 

The taller man pulled the curtain aside, humming under his breath. “Oh yeah, he is hot.”

“Jan, stop!” He hissed, trying to tug Janus’ arm down from the curtain without being seen.

“Oh, he’s waving at me.”

“WHAT?!”

“Can I wave back?”

“NO!” 

Janus waved back, kicking Virgil lightly out of sight. “Let go of my sleeve, fucker.”

Virgil did, booking it upstairs as soon as Janus dropped the curtain. He flopped onto his bed with a groan that was almost loud enough to be a shriek, swearing to himself to not go outside for the rest of the weekend. And to kill Janus later. He did leave his window open though, but not because he wanted to keep hearing the snippets of song that floated up to his room every time the sliding glass next door opened. Not at all. 

Virgil hated that he ended up counting down the days until Friday, and that he couldn’t tear himself away from the window until he arrived. Responding to his housemates giggles and stares with a quick flip of the bird, he took his usual spot on the deck. Because the weather was nice, and he needs a tan. No other reason. Not that he would say out loud, anyways.

He didn’t have to wait long until the door scratched open and a calm, almost haunting melody reached his ears. He’s singing along to a track again, mixing in harmonies that send shivers up Virgil’s spine.

“I saved every letter you wrote me,

From the moment I read them I knew you were mine,

You said you were mine,

I thought you were- Shit, Gremmy, no, get back here!”

Virgil jolted upright as twenty pounds of fluff landed in his chest, paws digging into his sternum. The dog looked up at him with, dare he say, smug eyes? He ran a hand through the fur on her back, holding her collar with one hand in case she decided to bolt again.

“I am so sorry! She wormed out of the gate before I got the leash on her!”

He looked up from the dog and holy hell oh my god he’s way hotter up close. Never before in his life had he wished for Patton’s bubbliness or Janus’ general aloofness, but now he would rather have any personality trait besides anxious because oh god the hottest guy he’d ever met is staring at him and he has no idea what to say.

“Well, good thing she likes me, or you’d be down a dog.” What the hell was that?

Surprisingly, the other man laughed, folding his arms across his chest. “What, you don’t think I’d be able to catch her?”

“In all honesty, probably not.”

“How dare you!” He gasped, holding a hand to his chest dramatically, “I’ll have you know Gremmy loves me!”

“I’m sure that’s why she booked it as soon as she had the chance.” He extended the dog almost comically, her too short legs waving frantically in his grip. The man took her with a murmur of thanks, giving her a stern look that made Virgil snicker. A part of him was slightly shocked that someone related to Logan could be so… relaxed. The older man seemed held together purely by stress and logic, never without a collared shirt and tie, and he would definitely never be seen in the plain white v-neck this guy was wearing really well.

“So, you’re Logan’s brother?” Where the hell was this courage coming from?!

“Yup. You know him?” 

“About as well as I know any of my neighbors. So, barely. But he’s close with my roommate.”

The man’s expression turned to glee as he shifted the dog in his arms. She seemed unhappy being held when there were birds to be chased, but her struggle was lazy. “Patton, right? I’ve heard a lot about him.”

“Oh?”

He hummed happily, fiddling with Gremmy’s collar. “It’s about time Logan found someone who makes him happy. We never really understood each other when it comes to interacting with other people. He’s more secluded nerd, and I’m more…” He trailed off, waving his fingers under the dog cluelessly.

“More theatre nerd?” Virgil guessed, pleased with the way the man’s eyebrows flew up.

“How’d you guess that?”

“You’ve been singing a different Hamilton song every time you’ve taken the dog out.”

Instead of looking embarrassed or upset like Virgil would definitely be in his situation, he seemed to puff up more, almost delighted.

“Ah, I thought I had an audience! That was you?”

Virgil could feel his face turning beet red, much to his chagrin. This was it, this was the moment he died. Let the earth open up and swallow him whole, his little pride had been too wounded to continue. The man took his silence as answer enough, seemingly pleased with the reaction.

“I’m Roman,” The man grinned, holding out his hand. He took it hesitantly, the touch sending a shock up his spine that he was barely able to suppress.

“Virgil.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Virgil.”

He couldn’t help the authentic smile that tugged on his lips as they shook hands, Gremmy dangling from Roman’s other arm like a football.

“You too, Roman.”

#lywrites #sanderssides #sanders sides #virgil sanders #roman sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #janus sanders #hamilton #sanderssidesfanfiction

[poisonedapples]

The sides except they go to a tech school

This is extremely self indulgent but I apologize for nothing

Roman’s Program: Digital Media

Roman’s big dream is to be an actor, but he also has a very intense need to know a whole bunch of stuff about the production field and be a jack of all trades, basically

He’s also autistic and has a huge special interest in movies, so he’s just on cloud nine

He had a really hard time making friends at his home school, which is also another reason why he most to go to the tech school instead. He wanted a second chance and to meet new people who loved the same stuff he could never seem to shut up about, but he’s also very nervous and just really wants to make some friends this year

He’s also extremely salty that Remus followed him to his new school. Remus was always the talk of the school and Roman was always in his shadow, so this time, his strategy is to pretend that Remus doesn’t even exist

Remus will not take this as an a solution, but Roman’s not giving up anyway

He also met Patton, Logan, and Virgil in his College English class. Their seats were assigned next to each other, but it was Patton that actually started getting all of them to talk to each other

Speaking of Patton, him and Patton went together like a moth to a flame. They hit it off day one and have acted like the best of friends since, and it makes Roman extremely happy

Roman and the others also became closer friends because of a Digital Media project Roman did about the different programs around the school. Since all his friends are from different programs, he interviewed them all, and it was the most fun project ever because of everything they did behind the scenes

They mostly just goofed off when not on camera. It was lovely

He refused to let Remus take part in that project though. RIP to Remus

Patton’s program: Cosmotology

Patton’s biggest dream is to mostly help people feel better about themselves. He wants to make people feel happy and learn a little more self love, because nothing makes Patton happier than seeing other people enjoying themselves

He’s also an extremely sociable person, so a need to help people like who they are mixed with lots of talking? Without getting a master’s in psychology? A perfect mix to become a hair stylist!

He loves all the different styles you can do and how different everyone’s hair can be from another person’s. The program also has you learn stuff about makeup, and he loves putting makeup on people as well. He practices on the girls in the program a lot, and they always get so excited when they see the finished product. It fills him with happy butterflies

He doesn’t tend to wear makeup on himself, though. Not because he thinks boys can’t wear makeup, he just hates the feeling of it on his skin. Hence why he will take any willing participant to be his canvas

His extroverted energy also shows a lot in his academic classes. The first day of English, he immediately turned around and started talking to the kid with a camera

It took him a little longer to get the boy sitting next to him to talk to him though. Apparently “We have the same glasses!” Isn’t an acceptable conversation starter

He did, however, get the kid named Virgil to agree to let Patton to put makeup on him. Patton started that conversation by asking about his eyeshadow, but nope, apparently those were just eyebags

Though Virgil still liked makeup anyway, so score, Patton still got what he wanted

Now if only he could get Logan to laugh out loud and cut the serious act. Then he’d be a winner for sure

Logan: Mechatronics

Logan’s a nerd. A huge nerd. Hence why he fits in with the mechatronics program so well

Logan has always loved robots and tinkering with technology. More than anything, he wants to work on space aircrafts as a mechanical engineer, hence why he’s in the mechatronics program

He also has ADHD and his biggest hyperfixations are in robots and space, so he’s completely in his element. It’s nice to spend most of his day in a class where he can talk about spacecrafts and how they worked, and not only will people listen, but they’ll also care about it almost as much as he does

Though, he’d prefer to keep his closet full of robotic kids toys he keeps breaking apart and fixing again to himself. At least for now

Though because he’s in mechatronics, he’s required to be in all advanced classes for his academics to get college credit. Which he doesn’t mind at all, but in his college English class, he definitely sits next to quite...the eclectic bunch

He acts like they inconvenience him, but he actually enjoys their company. Even if Roman can be a little loud, but him and Roman actually hit it off quite well with their debates and frequent conversation jumping

(It’s the ADHD-autism solidarity)

Logan also has quite the liking to Virgil, mostly because they’re both looking into the engineering business and have similar interests with space

Logan pretends like Patton annoys him, but he’s not very good at it. He hates that Patton knows he has a secret love for puns and keeps using it against him to try and make him laugh. How dare he

(Patton just keeps trying because he knows Logan likes it and he’s also a bit of a little shit)

Logan hopes that all three of them consider him one of their closest friends as well. Because actually, now he has more to look forward to in his English class than just the poetry and seeking for alternate meanings for things in text

Now, most of his entertainment comes from saying “Romeo and Juliet is an awful love story” and seeing Roman go off an a rant about how it’s not even a lOVE STORY it’s about THE GENERATION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARENTS AND KIDS and it’s STRUGGLES, CALCULATOR WATCH-

...It’s quite amusing

Virgil’s Program: Aviation

Anxiety is fight or flight. Well...Virgil literally just wants to take flight

His dad used to take Virgil out on vacations quite often when he was younger and his dad’s job was more focused on traveling, so Virgil has flown in planes a lot. He’s always been an anxious kid, always afraid of so many things, but for some reason...flying was one of the things to calm him the most

Except for going through security, fuck airport security

But still, there was never anything more satisfying than looking through the window on a plane. He’s always loved it, and he’s known since a very young age that he wants to learn to fly things, even if he decides not to become a pilot

He’s seventeen now and still wants to be a pilot, even if his shyness has turned into an anxiety disorder. It’s been a while since he’s been on a plane since his dad is now a psychologist, but he still loves it and misses it almost. So when he heard his district’s tech school had an aviation program, he signed up so fast

His teacher has to practically pry him away from messing with the drones and planes when they need to do other stuff, it’s kinda funny

It’s also great that he met Logan in his English class, because Logan loves engineering and aircrafts like Virgil does. One of Virgil’s backup plans is to be an aerospace engineer, so their conversations are always fun

He also has no idea how Patton figured out his secret love of makeup but now he’s being used as a canvas, apparently

Plus, Roman asked if Virgil could fly a drone for him to get an aerial shot for some digital media projects, so holy shit Virgil made three friends in one day when he’s been trying to make one friend for YEARS

He just bursts into his house like “DAD GUESS WHAT I MADE F R I E N D S”

His Dad is very proud but also very concerned

Virgil just ignores that though and sends memes to the new group chat with all four of them in it

Remus’ Program: Auto Collision Technology

Remus loves broken stuff. Especially big broken things, like cars

Of course, there’s no job for purposely wrecking stuff, but looking at damage in cars and how to repair it is exciting enough for him. His parents are just happy he found something to put more...positive energy into, instead of always causing trouble and getting popular for being “the bad boy”

He had lots of friends at his home school, lots of which he still talks to, mostly because his chaotic energy entertains a lot of people willing to deal with it. He has that same effect at the tech school, but the one person he’s never been able to get more on his side is his own brother

Remus has always been a bit too chaotic for Roman’s liking, and he knows that Roman wanted to go to the tech school for a fresh start. But Remus won’t stop himself just to make his brother happy, so it Roman’s salty about Remus doing something good for himself, then so be it

(Remus is a little salty about Roman being salty, but they’re brothers, what do you expect)

But Remus doesn’t need him anyway! Twin brothers are overrated! He’s got plenty of other people in his programs!

But his closest friend he’s gotten since coming to the tech school? Janus. Him and Janus go together like two chaotic peas in a pod, even if Janus has a whole lot more braincells than Remus ever will

Though, Remus has never had more fun with a friend than with Janus. He’s had lots of friends that come and go once they’re bored of him, but Janus feels real. He feels genuine, and Remus...really doesn’t wanna get rid of that

He likes Janus a lot, hence why he invites Janus over and lets Janus into his super secret eating spot he goes when he doesn’t wanna act like a crackhead at lunch. It’s actually quite nice

Roman just has to deal with the fact that, if he’s gonna be a salty bastard, then Janus is his new ride or die

(Please someone help these twins they’re saltier than the Dead Sea)

Janus’ Program: Firefighting Technology

When Janus was a young teen, he got trapped in a house fire that scarred the left half of his body. Firefighters were the ones that saved him, and since then, he’s always had a huge respect for them. Enough so to really want to become a firefighter

He’s always been very focused on self care and secretly very empathetic, so that mixed with past experience from being saved from such a dangerous event actually makes him a great candidate for a firefighter. He’s not one giant on talking, but he’s still good with teamwork when others want him to work with them

He has a good set of friends in his program, but his best friend was someone he met during lunch when trying to get away from the noise of the actual cafeteria. He also noticed that same kid was also in his anatomy class, so...destiny, I guess?

Remus can definitely be an eclectic person, but Janus secretly thrives on a good set of chaos. It makes life interesting, and Remus can definitely be described as interesting

He’s also the only person Janus has met that thinks Janus’ scars are cool as hell, so double win

It’s also immensely entertaining to join Remus on his quests to constantly annoy his brother. If he had a brother he’d probably do the same, honestly

Mostly, he’s just here for the chaotic ride. He gets to be a sarcastic bastard with a secret love for the dramatic flair and somehow make friends at the same time

He still needs to find a way to get under Patton’s skin, though. Patton never gets bothered by Janus, but that’s probably because Patton has known Janus as his neighbor for literal years

Damn him. Janus will get him some time

Though for right now, Remus gets most of the wins of weirding out Patton. That is, until Roman shrieks and chases them both off

Yup. Janus chose a good best friend. Even if he’s a chaotic, salty bastard

#ts janus #ts remus #ts roman #ts patton #ts logan #ts virgil #roman sanders #remus sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #virgil sanders #thomas sanders #sanders sides #janus sanders #fire mention #house fire mention #I had way too much fun with this so hopefully someone else is entertained

[the-real-comically-insane]

I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know (Prinxiety)

Virgil knew that this whole thing was a mistake the moment the words left Remus’ mouth. It was supposed to be a fun movie and sleepover with the other sides. This was the first time they would all spent a night just hanging out and playing games together since Roman had changed. Remus had brought the suggestion up out of the blue. Virgil thought about it, remembering the loud interruption to a once relaxing dinner. “WE SHOULD HAVE A SLEEPOVER!” Remus had shouted loudly as he stood up and accidentally knocked over the salt and spilled it all over his plate. Virgil had been startled, jumping almost a mile into the air, his body shaking as he moved his arms to defend himself as a result of his fight or flight reflexes kicking in. He only calmed when Patton patted his shoulder lightly, grounding him once more. Logan had turned his head to look at Remus with a confused look on his face. “I have never seen much reason in calling it a sleepover considering we all live together but I will say that I do miss our movie and game nights,” he said with a hint of fondness in his voice. Ro- L, as Virgil had taken to calling him, perked up at the idea and smiled brightly. Virgil found himself staring unintentionally and blocking out the conversation of those around him. When he smiled like that, his eyes lit up with passion and interest behind his red glasses and he almost looked like Roman, the sweet, kind, and creative man Virgil had known since middle school. Virgil remembered how close they used to be. They used to spend so much time together watching disney and practicing Romans newest lines. Virgil missed those days much more than he cared to admit. He missed the small, knowing smiles and being able to poke fun at each other in a way he had never been able to do with anyone else. He still remembered the night Roman changed. Virgil had been sitting in his room crying for hours that night. Him and Roman had gotten into a huge fight before he left for his newest show. He hadn’t meant to yell at Roman or say all those horrible things and he sure as hell didn’t mean to say that he hated him. He had just been so jealous of Roman’s fellow lead in the play. Roman had been talking about him and how great of an actor he was nonstop, and suddenly Virgil just snapped. He had told Roman to leave him alone and when Roman asked why, he came up with some stupid excuse. Roman of course saw through it and asked for the truth, dwhich made Virgil defensive. When Roman came back he was wearing those strange glasses and he definitely wasn’t himself. Virgil had somewhat adjusted to the change but he still missed his princey and sure as hell wasn’t letting himself get too attached to whatever had seemed to possess Roman. The others may have believed that Roman had just decided to change but Virgil could tell that there was something wrong. He was pretty sure Remus could tell too but he had never worked up the courage to ask. “Like what you see pretty boy.~” L purred as he wrapped his arms around Virgil from the side pressing himself against him in what would be a comforting hug if he wasn’t pressing himself so close to Virgil. Virgil felt his face heat up and knew he was probably bright red right now. Every part of his skin that was touching L’s felt like it was on fire. He knew waiting to wash his laundry till the last hoodie was a horrible idea. “I don’t know what you’re talking about L.” Virgil scoffed, turning his head in a futile attempt to hide his glowing face. L just giggled as he leaned his head against Virgil before stretching up and whispering in his ear. “I know you were staring at me~. It’s ok dear, I was staring at you too. Also I suggest you turn back my way and look at Remus. He's about to eat the mashed potatoes he knocked ten pounds of salt into and as much as I care for my brother and his health, this is gonna be too funny to miss.” L whispered in Virgil's ear, his hot breath sending pleasant shivers up Virgil’s spine. He may not be Roman but he still had his charm and he definitely knew how to use it. Virgil reluctantly turned to look at Remus as L moved his head off of his shoulder. Remus having somehow not noticed that he had spilled a whole bottle of table salt had scooped a big spoonful and was about to put them in his mouth. Janus opened his mouth as if to stop him but Logan leaned over and whispered something to him that made him change his mind. Remus then shoved the mashed potatoes in his mouth and swallowed them before turning to the rest of the table on his right. “What? Why are you guys staring at me?” He said somehow completely clueless to the amount of salt he had just consumed. Suddenly L burst into giggles, his face taking on an adorable rosy hue as he chuckled at his brother’s- correction, friend’s antics. Virgil felt heat rise to his face again as the familiar laugh. It had been so long since he had seen a genuine smile from Ro- no this wasn’t Roman, he had to remember that. Despite his mental protest he soon found himself smiling at how much everyone was enjoying themselves. Before long, dinner had been finished and Virgil found himself in the kitchen washing the dishes with Logan while the others set up the “sleepover” in their living room. It was funny that they all still called it that considering they shared a house and had been rooming with each other for a few years now since it was easier to pay rent and live with friends than to live with a bunch of strangers on campus. Despite the fact that they all lived in the same house, Remus and Roman still had a proclivity to call them sleepovers like they used too when they and Virgil were young. Virgil scrubbed the dishes, loving the repetition that came with doing small chores like these. “So you have feelings for Roman,” Logan stated  bluntly, almost causing Virgil to drop the plate he was washing in his initial panic. “Wha-wh-what are you t-tol-talking about?” Virgil said, cursing his stutter for revealing how startled he truly felt about Logan's candid statement. “It’s easy to tell really, you were always close with him and your pupils dilate significantly when you look at him.” Logan began to list off before being interrupted by Remus popping into the room. “Not to mention you look like a tomato every time he even gives you a high five!” He shouted excitedly before Logan shoed him out of the kitchen reminding him of his ban from the place. Logan than came back to Virgil's side by the countertop as he continued to dry dishes he spoke “He’s not wrong though, it’s something everyone but Roman has noticed and I know you two aren’t as close since he changed. But I have to say that I genuinely believe he misses you,” he adjusted his glasses and glanced at Virgil to make sure he wasn’t overwhelming him before continuing. “I know that something’s off with him. We all do. We may pretend like we don’t notice but not even Roman would wear a pair of glasses that often or change his personality so quickly.” Logan turned and placed his hand gently on Virgil’s shoulder whether or comfort himself or Virgil, he couldn’t tell but he believed it did a little bit of both. “I know that you miss the old Roman but if you talk to him, maybe spend some time with him you’ll find that L, as you call him, is still very much Roman. Maybe if you talk to L you can find out what happened to Roman to make him feel as though he had to change himself.” Virgil felt the familair burn of tears in his eyes and the stupid lump in his throat that always seemed to appear when he became emotional. “I - I know I sho- should tro-try to talk to hu-him but I just-s-st feel so over-wh-whelmed. What if he hat-hate-hates me? Logan I did this. I hurt him and now he’s not him, and it aw-all my fa-fo-fault!” Virgil cried letting out all the emotions he had been holding in for a while now as he stretched his arms out, asking for Logan to hold him if he felt comfortable. Logan sighed ‘even when he’s falling apart he’s still so considerate of everyone else,’ he thought as he wrapped his arms around Virgil holding him tightly and rubbing circles on his back like he had seen Patton do many times before. “I know I'm not the best with emotions and I'm not super big on physical touch like Patton is but know if you ever need me, I’m here for you Virg.” Logan whispered to Virgil, getting a nod as a response. Virgil took some deep breaths feeling the tears dry as air once again filled his stressed lungs. “So you don’t think it’s my fault?” Virgil asked, his voice cracking slightly as he worked to keep it steady. “Of course it’s not your fault, everyone fights every once in a while. None of us blame you and I'm positive Roman doesn’t either. If anything, I believe he blames himself,” Logan said soothingly as he separated from Virgil to allow him space to recover. Suddenly L burst into the kitchen wrapping their arms around Virgil practically throwing themselves on the poor man. “Virgil~ Come watch movies with us. I want to cuddle~,” L whispered once again making Virgil flustered. “Ok just give me a second to get a glass of water.” Vigril choked out his voice cracking as he prayed that L didn’t hear and tease him about it. Little did he know that L had noticed and he was pissed that Virgil was hurt. He turned to Logan, his normally bright face darkening as his aura gained an almost visible malice. “What. did. you. do?” L growled out lowly so that Virgil did not hear. Logan, despite being slightly taken aback, answered calmly and collectively “I didn’t do anything, I simply gave him some advice about talking to someone he has interest in and he became overwhelmed.” Logan then left the room heading to his spot on the couch in between Janus and Patton. “Hey slowpokes! Hurry up or we’re going to start the movie without you!” Remus shouted causing Virgil to come barreling around the corner, grabbing L’s hand gently as he dragged him to the living room. “Come on, we’re gonna miss the movie.” Virgil said, grinning from ear to ear as they made their way to the living room. “Ye-yeah don’t wanna miss it.” L said feeling a blush rise to his face. There was something so surreal about seeing Virgil’s smile. It made a heat rise to his face and familiar butterflies flutter in his stomach that seemed to awaken a familiar voice in the back of his head. ‘Virgil,’ the voice whispered, sounding joyful and, for the first time since he had put on his sunglasses, the voice sounded hopeful. L ignored it and the growing headache as he went to sit with Virgil and the others to watch some disney movies. 

~time skip till after the movie~

Virigl sat tiredly on the couch curled up in his weighted blanket and comfortable loose pajamas. He yawned as the latest movie finished  and for once in his life, he started to feel a bit bored with watching movies. Remus, as if sensing this boredom, got up and ran to the kitchen, slipping on his fuzzy socks and haphazardly catching himself before hitting the floor face first. Virgil of course paid no attention to this as it was a somewhat common occurrence for the sporadic man. That is until Remus came back with a glass bottle in his hand, cackling like a mad man. This made Virgil worried as he sat up a little, raising a brow as to the man's curious behavior. He nudged L before leaning down and whispering, “Hey L do you know what the hell your crackhead brother is doing? Like you got any alerts for me from your twin radar? I dunno if you still have it but like if so should I be worried about his maniac cackling?” L chuckled at Virgil’s jokes about Remus being an absolute maniac when inspired and searched his head for Roman and Remus’ strange twin connection to see if he could understand what the man was planning. ‘Ohohohoho so that’s what he’s up too!’ L thought a smirk rising to his face as he sat up close to Virgil's ear so he could tease him once again “Oh he just wants us to play a little game is all, don’t worry it’ll be fun babey” he purred in Virgil's ear, feeling elated upon seeing how much he had flustered the poor man. He then shimmied his way out of the blankets and made his way to Remus making sure to sway his hips just enough while walking to show off the cute pajamas he had worn that night. “Guys lets play a game!” Remus shouted excitedly as he cleared a circle on the floor closing it off with blankets. “All right I'm down,” Janus said as he made his way to the circle with Patton and Logan not far behind him. “I guess I'll play,” Virgil said as he made his way to the circle with his blanket wrapped tightly around him. He sat down in the circle as Remus began to explain what kind of game they were playing. “So today we will be playing spin the bottle!” Remus exclaimed excitedly and Virgil felt all the blood leave his face in that singular moment in time. ‘This was a horrible idea,’ he thought but he knew it was too late to back down now and if he tried, he’d never hear the end of it from Remus. “We all know the rules to this already Rem,” Janus stated and Remus nodded grinning happily as he joined the circle. “Ok then, I’ll go first!” he said as he spun the bottle, the top part landing on Patton. Remus stood up and walked over placing a chaste kiss on Patton’s lips. Patton giggled as he took his turn spinning the bottle. ‘Poor man’s sleep drunk,’ Virgil thought, looking at how giggly Patton had become. The bottle then landed on Logan whose face became bright red at the thought of kissing his friend and highschool crush. Patton leaned over before pecking Logan on the cheek and falling back in a fit of giggles and nonsensical jokes. Logan shook his head, a small smile coming to his face as he watched the man laugh himself silly. Logan then remembered it was his turn to spin the bottle and leaned forward and spun it. Virgil watched the bottle spin in a seemingly endless loop before it finally slowed and ended on L. Virgil felt a pit form in his stomach as if someone had dropped a giant rock down there. Logan looked at Virgil flashing him an apology with his eyes before making his way over to L. L stood up and Logan leaned down before planting a kiss on the side of L’s face and seeming to whisper something in his ear that made L glow 20 shades of pink. Virgil felt the weight lift from his stomach and he cursed himself for even feeling remotely jealous. He didn’t own Roman, he was his own person with his own thoughts and free will and if he fell for someone else Virgil needed to accept that. Remus, having apparently gotten bored with the lack of playing, started to bounce a bit. “Ok this isn’t dramatic enough so we’re switching things up a bit!” he said as he jumped up excitedly. “Now whoever it lands on has to spend seven minutes with you in the closet! So now it’s spin the bottle and seven minutes crossover!” he announced dramatically before sitting down and gesturing to L. “Your turn brother dearest,” he said as he nodded at L. L then spun the bottle, Virgil watched it spin around and around his anxiety strangely increasing each time. Before he knew it the bottle had begun to slow to an agonizing pace before landing on him. Virgil felt his face heat up as his brain seemed to go on autopilot. He stood walking over to L before picking him up and walking over to the storage closet in the living room. He then set down L who was currently staring at him with half lidded eyes. “Oh now that was hot,” L hummed as he pushed himself off the box he was sitting on before making his way over to Virgil and backing him up against the wall. “You are so hot and you keep all of this attractive body to yourself? Do you even know how long Roman spent pining after you? Begging for you to notice just how much he cared for you? That’s the reason I was able to get to him don’t you know? All because he was too scared to take what he wanted. Well, fortunately for you dear I'm not scared to take what I want, especially when I know you want it too.” L purred as he grabbed the sides of Virgil's shirt and pulled him close before slamming his lips against Virgil’s. Virgil felt the butterflies in his stomach multiply and he was sure his face was as red as a cherry right now. Virgil sank into the kiss. ‘Wait no this is wrong, this isn't Roman, he wouldn’t want this. No, L said he did, he sees Romans every thought, this is want you want let yourself have it,’ his brain fought with itself. L seeming to sense his inner turmoil pulled away. Despite himself Virgil found himself leaning forward as if reaching for L’s warmth. “Do you want this? I need you to answer honestly.” L whispered in a way that contradicted his normal flirty tone, this one was honest and full of yearning. Virgil felt all his fear seemingly melt away, his head seemed clouded and in that moment all that mattered was answering L’s question. “Yes Roman, I just want to be with you, if you're angry or sad or hurt I just want to be by your side. Even if it’s not romantic even if you only see me as a friend I just want to be in your life.” Virgil found the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could even stop them. L smirked before chuckling a little. “Well that’s all either of us needed to hear,” L said as they gave Virgil a chaste kiss on the cheek before reaching up and slowly taking off their ever present shades. Virgil felt the haze lift from his mind instantly as his face once again gained a cherry hue. “So you really don’t hate me?” L, no, Roman said looking up at Virgil with teary innocent eyes. Virgil shook his head as he felt tears spring forth “No I could never,” he whispered before leaning down to kiss Roman. Suddenly the closet door was slammed open with Remus shouting “Times up!” Roman turned and giggled at his brother’s antics before leaning up and giving Virgil a quick kiss and then leaving the closet to go see his family for the first time in awhile. Virgil stood there shocked before slowly raising his hands to lightly brush against his burning lips. “I guess true love does fix all,” he chuckled, smirking slightly before stepping out of the closet to go spend time with his friends and the man he loved.

ok so I absolutely loved that and I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Shout out to @meowthefluffy​ for her wonderful au with lust roman who also gave me permission to create this masterpiece. Also huge shout out and lots of love to my dearest editor @rynthemoment​ they are absolutely amazing!  

Update: I’m dumb and forgot the title

#prinxiety #Prince Roman #roman sanders #roman creativity #roman creativity sanders #thomas sanders #comicallyinsane #logan sanders #Logic sanders #sander sides #remus sanders #patton morality sanders #patton sanders #patton morality #virgil #virgil sanders #virgil anxiety sanders #janus deciet sanders #Janus Sanders #janus deciet #fic #ComicallyCreates #comically writes #fanfic #jealousy #fluff #pining #flirting #lust roman #for my friend

[bewaretheidesofmarchyall]

Soulmate Shenanigans Part Two (Electric Boogaloo)

Good morning (or at least, I’ve started writing this in the morning! Who knows when I’ll complete it)!

I’m continuing my Soulmate AU Tomfoolery (you can find part one here)

Prompt #2

There is a timer that counts down to when you will meet your soulmate.

Warnings for death mentions, and temporary major character death

World Building

Everyone blames the mad scientist.

Which is fair. When someone makes billions of clocks in about a weeks time, each declaring when everyone in the world (including people who wouldn’t be born for decades) would find their soulmate, it’s considered to polite to stick around to answer questions

Instead, Logan disappeared to who-knows-where and left everyone else to pick up the pieces. 

Rude.

Ever since the early 1910′s, the clocks have existed, one for each person. When any kid is born, the first thing a new parent does is rush to the register to see when they’ll meet their soulmate. It’s a big deal.

If your child isn’t going to meet their soulmate in the next 13 years, they are told the exact number on their 13th birthday

Philosophers have been enraged by all of this. Is free will a thing? Is existence a lie?

Non-philosophers will often close their curtains when they see a wandering philosopher, which are easy to identify by their look of abject confusion and plucked chickens.

Characters

Remus: Remus pretended that he didn’t care about who his soulmate was when his 13th birthday rolled along. He wasn’t the best actor.

His brother seemed happy when he found out that it would be sixteen years until he found his soulmate. 29 wasn’t a bad age at all, considering that some people would have to wait until they were old and in a nursing home, or would never even meet their soulmate at all.

Remus waited for his parents to tell him. They gave each other nervous looks, and he was convinced for a few seconds that he didn’t have a soulmate after all.

The actual answer was much weirder

526 years. 526 years until he met his soulmate.

Remus said a silent thank you to his soulmate for making him functionally immortal. After all, that meant that he’d survive until then!

HE WAS IMMORTAL

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Now, whenever someone would try to say something like, “Why do you like serial killers? Planning to become one?”, he could just look them dead in the eye and say,

I’m going to outlive you, Brian

(On an unrelated note, Brian disappeared a few months later. It actually wasn’t Remus’s fault, surprisingly. One minute, he was at a museum, the next, gone)

Remus would be fine with never finding his soulmate, honestly. Connection is nice, but being eldritch is more fun.

Virgil: Virgil didn’t want to be immortal

Sure, he wasn’t a fan of dying in practice, but in theory he didn’t want to live to over 250!

His family and friends were going to die, and he’d have to live through it. And for what? To meet a soulmate? Who gave a fuck? Virgil had never wanted a romantic relationship in his life, and he didn’t think that a 526 year wait was going to change that.

He was determined to find his soulmate early so that he could live a normal life like a normal person who doesn’t cause additional distress to the wandering philosophers.

 Plot

It was easy to find Remus. Local Child Will Live To Over 500 makes a good headline, and Remus wasn’t one to shy away from attention.

When Virgil was 16, he packed his bags and ran away from home to go meet his soulmate. He didn’t ask Janus how he got the bus tickets, but he did ask him to tell his parents that he’d be okay.

Virgil knocked on the door, and waited. Someone who looked almost exactly like the news site photo answered. The conversation went something like this:

Virgil: So, YOU’RE Remus McFricking Sanders-

Roman: Nope, not him, whatever he said isn’t my fault.

[Roman slams door]

Virgil was pretty sure that he had, in fact, met Remus, and he was just being annoying. Roman believed that his brother had just manage to piss off yet another person.

Virgil retreated to a restaurant, and looked up the photo on the news article, just to make sure. No denying it, that was him! Same eyes, same hair, same general face-wait. 

Remus had a nose that had obviously been broken at least once. The guy who’d greeted him at the door had definitely been in less scrapes than his soulmate.

Whoops.

Meanwhile, Remus had a plan to avoid Virgil at all cost. Virgil had tried to shy away from press attention, but he tracked down a photo eventually. 

And when his brother told him that some emo with “awesome” eyes had turned up on the doorstep looking for him, he had a bad feeling.

Well, spooky boy wasn’t going to cost him his long future.

And so the dance began.

In one corner, Virgil, who had spite, stubbornness, and a deadline on his side (he had to get home to his parents eventually)! Never discount a spiteful Virgil!

In the other corner, Remus, who has nothing on his side but fate. Fate, however, has a sense of humor, and Remus read enough old myths as a child to know that whatever happens can’t be changed by petty human actions.

Virgil tries breaking and entering many times, each failing in a more ridiculous way. He is a careful, but Remus is practically Kevin McCallister in terms of traps, and he fails to meet his soulmate face to face all day and all night.

They do get to have some verbal exchanges, which are pretty much

Virgil: You think you want the existential hell of immortality??

Remus: Oh, fuck off, I’m going to have the best vampire aesthetic!

Virgil: The vampire aesthetic is wonderful, but can we do everything for aesthetic?

Both at the same time: Yes. Yes we can.

And then Virgil is herded out of the house by Remus’s pet rats.

However, the final encounter goes a little differently. No witty quips, just Virgil picking the lock of yet another window, and then a very specific sound.

Have you ever heard a stubborn emo get pulled into a portal in the spacetime continuum?

It’s a distinct sound that is along the lines of loud crash-The fu-whirring noises-nyoom-eerie silence 

Remus didn’t give a second thought before diving into the portal after him. If he had, he would have thought hey, this’ll probably bring us face to face, something I’ve been avoiding or maybe jumping into random portals in a stupid idea or I’m going to grab a weapon before just running at it. But his first impulse was to make sure his snarky soulmate hadn’t died, so into the portal he went.

The Year: 2550

The Portal: Glows a lot, thank you for asking

The Reason: A mad scientist has only one thing left to lose, and is terrified as it slips away

Logan: Logan was a geek at heart. He loved science, in both theories and practice. He probably should have toned down his obsession with Nikola Tesla. He wanted to travel to the sky, and touch the stars, and watch time like a film reel. 

Time travel was his passion. If people could travel across the physical seas, why not the metaphorical ones of time?

It was pure luck that he actually figured it out, but figure it out he did. Logan loved his creation.

He wanted to create a million inventions, but more importantly he wanted Patton to see them all.

If there was one thing he loved more than science, it was him. 

The two kept each other from drifting off into the stars, or sinking into the dirt because they’re too afraid of being rude. One of Logan’s favorite memories was he and Patton running through the St. Louis fair, giggling at terrible puns and sharing a quick kiss out of sight, before catching the next exposition. 

Patton was kind, and caring, and knew how to talk to people to get them to like him, and was just good. He was good. 

Logan dealt only in facts. And it was a fact that it would have been better, more fair for Logan to have died in the fire.

It was a fact that he didn’t (even though it felt like it sometimes). It was a fact that Patton had been the one to notice the smoke. It was a fact that the love of his life waited for a few seconds in the doorway, trying to call the cat out. It was a fact that, after Logan was out of the house, he turned around to see the doorway collapse. 

He found a way back into the house, but it took too long. 

Fact: Humans can only endure severe smoke inhalation for a few minutes before dying.

Logan took one look at his time machine, somehow still undamaged. He’d never tested it before, but he really didn’t have a choice, so he kissed Patton on the forehead and stepped into a portal.

Back To The Plot

Virgil and Remus immediately knew that they were in the 26th century. 

How? There was a sign!

Hey! If You Happen To Be A Time Traveler, This Is 2550! Check In With The Lord Cerebrum To Know More, Unless You Don’t Have A License, In Which Case

You Know What Happens

They don’t have much time to mull over this before Remus tries to murder Virgil. He’s not IMMORTAL any more, and it’s not FAIR, and it’s all HIS fault!

This is where we enter the Rivals To Friends (While On The Run From Time Management) section

Remus and Virgil have many adventures escaping from Time Management, while learning to appreciate the other as a friend. They are platonic soulmates, after all!

But Time Management is nothing if not patient, and the boys are caught eventually (you know how it goes. You forget to check around for listening ears, you use 21st century slang, and suddenly a single “yeet” and a “same” get you dragged before the Lord Cerebrum)

A Handy Dandy Guide To The Year 2550 (transcript from the Handy Dandy Infomercial Station)

Hey, time travelers! I know that everyone likes zipping around the time-stream and seeing what the fates throw at them to keep them from murdering their grandpa, but we have to do this by the Rules!

If you break the rules, you know what happens

The Year 2550 is protected by Logos Industries’s time dilation filter, to ensure that no one gets the wrong idea about going free range!

If you have a license, just proceed to the Lord Cerebrum to get your stamp of approval and philosopher disguise for the maximum positive effect! After all, Logos Industries needs funding to protect us all!

If you don’t have a license, you’ll see the Lord Cerebrum too!

Have a Handy Dandy Time :)

Back To The Plot

The boys are led through a menacing government facility, taken to see the Lord Cerebrum. They try to ask questions, but Time Management is rather disinterested in their fleeting existence, so nothing much gets answered.

The final destination is a computer room, where the Lord Cerebrum sits. His form was half hologram, half skin, his age unchanging for 526 years, and recognizable at first sight to Remus

Lord Cerebrum, aka Brain, aka Brian: Hey, Remus, what exactly did you say about outliving me?

Brian: Brian was a dick. There’s no other way to put it. 

He and Remus used to be friends, sticking brand new phones in water to see what would happen and planning out pranks (they made their history teacher think that she was being haunted by the ghost of Charlemagne!), but things changed, and by 8th grade his dickishness was on full display

It was really easy to get away with being cruel to Remus. He naturally unnerved people, and anyone in a position of power immediately knew he was trouble (which was true), so when there was a conflicting story between a star student and the kid who poured ketchup in the principal’s desk, you can guess who’d always get believed.

Brian was a dick, but he was 13. He could have grown later in life, regretted his ways (or at least stopped), but instead he touched an antique time machine on a museum tour of the Clock House (home of Logan, the famous inventor of soulmate clocks). 

He’d been planning to snap off the handle and pin it on Remus (or maybe Roman for variety), but instead

Crash-what the-whirring noises-nyoom-eerie silence

And Brian arrived in the year 2520, the first of many time travellers.

He became a celebrity. The parts of him lost in the wormhole were quickly replaced with state-of-the-art holograms, and his fame went to his head.

Thirty years of good marketing later, he was the Lord Cerebrum. And when a desperate mad scientist came crashing through a portal of his own, it was easy to get him to work for him under the promise that Brian would let him save his “Patton” once he made some technology for him.

He recognized Logan from the museum. He knew who’s fault it was that he was trapped travelling through time, whirling through the portal, praying and promising and in the end just screaming. Brian knew who was to blame for the fact that he couldn’t tell how much of his body would stay when the power went out.

So the tasks got longer and more complicated, Patton dangled like a carrot over Logan’s head. 

Fact: Logan would never win, and someday Brian would get tired of this game and there would only be one genius left in 2550.

Back To The Plot: Virgil punched the Lord Cerebrum in the face. He didn’t know all of the context, but his best friend seemed not to like the guy, and he seemed evil, so he punched the overlord in the face.

Brian was offended, and abandoned all plans for a monologue in favor of leaving them to die.

The most fitting way to do away with a time traveler is to send them everywhere at once. It’s an awful death, one where molecules are slowly lost as the traveler in question hits walls and trees and memories.

The duo managed to survive five or so timelines, before the machine miraculously shut off. A mad scientist ran into the room, unscrewed the vents in the walls, and told the teenagers that they’re late.

Things are explained as they escape the facility.

Things

Logan needed a way to break the time dilation filter. He did the math (which he tried and failed to explain to the boys), and it was determined that Remus and Virgil had the most butterfly effect capabilities to influence this particular event

Basically, removing them from the timeline changed things just enough for Logan to find the chink in the filter’s armor. 

The duo’s job is done, and Logan is only sorry that he didn’t find them earlier to get them home.

Back To The Plot

Everything seems like it’s going to be fine, and the duo are almost able to go home, when the Lord Cerebrum finds them.

CLIMATIC SHOWDOWN

An Ending

In the end, Brian is sent to the 22th century, the year where nearly all of humanity were turned into giant rats for some reason

Logan found his way back to the 1910′s, and used the 26th century technology to heal his love. The time machine burned in the fire. Good. Space travel was where it was at, anyway.

Virgil had so much explaining to do to his parents

Remus knew that no one would believe him. Roman did.

Virgil and Remus stayed the closest of friends. They dressed up as vampires for Halloween. They stuck together. They got to grow up. 

More soulmate shenanigans, amiright?

#sanders sides #ts sides #remus sanders #virgil sanders #logan sanders #logicality #platonic dukexiety #time travel #soulmate au #beware the drafts of march #soulmate shenanigans #unsympathetic brian #i don't know why this random shorts character is awful in my mind #i'm sure he's a perfectly nice fictional character #i love writing #fan fic #sanders side fic #sanders sides fic

[did-he-just-hiss-at-me]

"They'll forget."

warnings: implied suicide attempt(non-specific about who), long with no cut cuz mobile, angst, hurt/comfort

summary: "Remus cackled. 'Don't say that! They're definitely going to try to rescue you, and they'll fall for our trap!' Logan sighed, and his head drooped. 'No.' he said in a hollowed tone. 'They'll forget.'" (not an excerpt)

ships: implied dukeceit(beginning), implied intruloceit(end)

au: super au(my au)

notes: based off this post. sorry if you guys didn't want an au tied to it hgdjfjs. lmk if you want a sequel

-----

(Logan's POV)

Day 1

I woke up with a massive headache, and lacking the ability to see. I couldn't move any part of my body except my head. Where am I? What happened? I questioned internally. I didn't want to alert whoever put me here to the fact that I am awake.

My memory is a foggy mess. I can't remember much. There was... yelling. Or rather, fighting. I wasn't participating in said fight. I don't even think I was allowed to.

Then I was walking home. I remember having my hands in my pockets, staring at the ground. Not caring about the world ahead of me, just below. Maybe a tear or two slipped out, it's hard to remember.

Then I remember someone grabbing me. Pulling me into an alley, and kicking me to the ground. I saw two familiar faces. I got a baseball bat to the face, then darkness.

I coughed, loud. It wasn't intentional, my throat was really dry. How long was I unconscious? It felt like a whole day. Not good for my sleep schedule. Speaking of schedules, I'm worried that my boss has fired me from work by now. He has no patience.

"Hey, L's awake!" a familiar voice called out to another, the sound echoing down the hall. A chill went down my spine, trouble was coming. Footsteps came after the echoing voice. They got louder and louder, fast.

"Heh, You sure that wasn't the other guy?" another voice appeared. It sounded sinister. "Dee, what other guy...? Did you proceed with a kidnapping without me?!" The first voice again. "No no, I'm kidding, Logan's the only one we got right now."

I tried my hardest to appear unconscious, but hearing what was supposedly my name caught me off guard. Logan. That's who I am, right.

It comes back to me now. I am Logan Everton. Natural-born Super with technologic-based abilities. I go by the codename Digit. I am a Super with good intentions.

I remember what happened before I got here. My common allies(though they would refer to us as "friends"), Patton 'Heartbeat' Harper, Roman 'Magma' Aveyard, & Virgil 'Specter' Deckett, were at Roman's place, having a fight. Our team ethic was going awry and it was making everything harder, our successful missions being smaller than our unsuccessful ones.

I had remained quiet most of the conversation, but that's because nobody would let me speak. I'd try to pitch in, steer everyone to a positive outcome, but they'd either yell over me or tell me to stop.

11. I counted. That's how many times I had been shut down. After that, I had enough. I grabbed my backpack, and left without a sound. Nobody called out for me, telling me not to leave, that they would listen to me now. Not at all.

As I shut Roman's front door, I had let out a big sigh. Hands in my pockets, I walked down the sidewalk to my house. It was just a couple blocks away, I would've made it. But back then I didn't care. I started to cry, but I didn't care.

But suddenly I was pulled into an alleyway. I was so caught off guard that I was unable to resist being kicked to the ground and knocked out with a baseball bat. I remember seeing the faces of the two men who grabbed me; Roman's ostracized brother, Remus 'Psycho' Aveyard, and Ethan 'Deceit' Helquist. A common enemy of ours. I now was able to match the voices I just heard to the faces. They got me, and now I'm doomed.

Somebody pulled whatever was over my eyes off my face. Regardless I still tried to look unconscious, but they weren't having it. "Open your eyes Logan, that's not going to work on us." Ethan sneered. I opened my eyes and glared at Ethan. "What do you want from me." I wanted answers.

"Ooh, straightforward now, aren't we nerd? You usually want to know details first, haha!" cackled Remus. "Shut it Rem, this is my turn." snapped Ethan. "We don't want anything from you... yet. For now, you have one, simple purpose... heh..." he chuckled. This could not be good. This guy is a expert manipulator; which is boosted by his powers of deception, hypnosis, and "glamour"(which according to Lo's research, meant you can disguise yourself). Ethan's powers didn't last long, but they were effective.

"I said it once. And I'll say it again." I started to demand. "What. Do. You. Want. What is your plan." I needed to contact the others and let them know what is happening. They wouldn't know otherwise.

Ethan put his hands down on the arms of the chair I was strapped to, his hands just barely touching mine. His face was 1/2 of a foot from mine. "I know your tricks, Lo~. I confiscated your technology, you cannot contact your little 'pals'. Anyways, until your teammates get here, you're just bait. You will lure them here. After all, what will your team be without their smart team member?" Ethan explained with an evil smirk. Right, how did I not realize that? My head still hurts, it's making it hard to think clearly.

"And yet, your plan is still flawed." I dead-panned. "What. Did you. Say?" Ethan growled back, moving his head back a little and grabbing me by my shirt.

"I told you, your plan has a loophole, and it's being exploited right now whether my friends know it or not." "What are you talking about, dork? Our plan is perfect!" Remus cackled once more.

"They're not coming."

Silence settled upon the room. A stunned Ethan gently let go of my shirt, & took a couple steps back. He let out a laugh of disbelief. "You must be joking! Seriously?! Why wouldn't they come for YOU?!"

"Because they don't know I'm missing. And they never will, because they don't want to know." I paused for a moment, tearing up a little. Not enough for them to notice, but it's there. "They don't care about me."

Remus started laughing, killing the sad moment. "HAH, I don't believe that for a second, four-eyes!" His face was filled with disbelief and mania. "You...Your friends need you, why wouldn't they come for you! You're so valuable to them, which is why we chose you in the first place!" he cackled once more.

"Well, you made a poor choice then. Anyone would have been better than me..."

Ethan snapped out of his stunned state. "Don't think that you can fool us so easily, Digit." he glared, putting emphasis on my nickname. "Remus?" he called for the male's attention.

"Yes, Double Dee~?" he responded with a wink.

"I told you, stop calling me that. Now, go get our prisoner food. Probably McDonalds or something."

"Will do, ya snake-charmer!" Remus winked again. Remus ran out.

"Oh, and one more thing, dear prisoner." The words felt like acid on Logan's skin. "They have 7 days to get here. Whether you say they'll come or not, they have a time limit before there's... consequences" Ethan warned, with a hiss at the end. He presented an evil smile before leaving Logan alone in the dark.

---

(No POV)

Day 2

Ethan & Remus returned to their prisoner early that morning, and hung around. Eventually they transferred Logan from being tied to a chair to a window-less bedroom with a locked door. It was actually a nice room to be in. The bed was super comfy, there was a TV with a DVD player(plus many dvds), a table and chair, and a bookshelf. On the table, Remus left him a notepad and pencil to write on if Logan needed anything, as there was enough room under the door to slip paper through. Logan never used it that day though, he just sat around in his room and sulked, knowing how this wasn't going to turn out for his enemies. The only time he got up was for food, which was always fast food. At least they were generous enough to give him nice(ish) things. They could've just gave him a burger and left, But Logan didn't care either way.

Ethan & Remus never stuck around in the room, just checked up on him. But seeing Logan just laying there on the bed filled the two with an emotion they could not identify yet.

---

Day 3

Almost the same as yesterday. Today was a Monday, so surely someone from his job would wonder where Logan went, right? Nope. Ethan kept Logan's phone with him at all times and there were no texts, no calls, not even a message on any social media.

Logan hesitantly got out of bed to do stuff aside from eating meals. None of the movies available were ones he was interested in, so he got Remus to bring him some documentaries, as well as Logan's personal notebook from his bag.

In fact, the little maniac decided to hang around Logan a bit. Some of the documentaries Remus grabbed were unintentionally ones he liked, so he decided to watch them with his prisoner.

Ethan still didn't like Logan. That's what he says, at least.

---

Day 4

Not much happened, just the usual. Except Remus had brought Logan a cookie with his dinner, a nice change.

---

(Ethan's POV)

I was sitting at my kitchen table, just staring out the window. I had my arm supporting my head while I thought about things.

Logan's proving himself right and I don't like it. But I don't get why. I should be upset because my plans are going wrong, but... I'm not.

Suddenly I felt hands covering my eyes. "Guess who~?" a voice asked in a sing-songy tone. I chuckled. "Obviously it's Remus. There's nobody else it could be."

Remus uncovered my eyes and pulled me into a hug, causing me to yelp. "You got me, babe!" he confessed, kissing me on the cheek. "Sorry for the hug, I forgot you don't like large, sudden moments of physical contact." Remus pulled away slowly and apologized, looking a bit embarrassed. Overstepping my boundaries is the only time he ever seems embarrassed.

"It's ok, Rem." I unintentionally sighed. Logan's still on my mind. My expression became a but more sad as I continued to think about the situation.

"Something wrong, Double Dee~?" Remus flirtatiously chuckled. He then noticed my facial expression and his smile fell. "...Seriously. Is everything ok? You usually let this kind of thing slide, Ethan." he queried worriedly. You could see the concern in his eyes. He only uses my full name when he's genuinely troubled.

"No no, it's not that." I reassured with a smile, as I grabbed his hand and held it with both of mine. Then the frown of mine returned right after. "It's Logan."

"Oh... is it because of you-know-what?" he questioned again.

"If "you-know-what" is the fact that his "friends" still haven't come for him? Yeah. It is..." I responded once again. Remus's face said everything. He recognized that Logan had told the truth.

"What's more, they haven't even shown a sign that they're planning to come get him. I tracked their movements across the city, not even a little bit of time was spent doing any sort of planning." I added on. Remus & I looked into each other's eyes. We saw the pain within ourselves. A familar feeling. An experience we remember all too well.

Seconds that felt like hours passed by. We wanted to cry. We were abandoned by those we trusted so dearly. Cast aside, all because of mistakes. Look what it did to us. We know the feelings experience during that time of loneliness. I don't want Logan to feel what we did, and I know Remus agrees.

"He... Logan's just like how we once were."

"Indeed, he is. And we're not going to let it remain like that."

---

(No POV)

Day 5

Remus & Deceit, to Logan's suspicion, made an effort to slowly welcome him. Remus was already doing so but only out of "sheer pity for the nerd". At first, Logan was hesitant. He had a bias against them due to them being villains.

Day 6

But by mid-day Wednesday, Logan had opened up more. He didn't understand it, but he just let it happen. He didn't care anymore. They're probably earning his trust so they can manipulate him against the others later.

Logan just wanted it to be over. During this past week, he had a lot of time to think. Enough time to lose hope in humanity. Nobody was going to rescue him. He was going to be forced to kill those he once loved.

He didn't want to admit it, but Logan was actually looking forward to his revenge. Not towards his kidnappers, no. They've actually shown him more acceptance than he's felt in a long time.

He wanted revenge on his former team.

---

(Logan's POV)

Day 7 - The last day.

Remus returned to check on me right on schedule. We talked a bit, watched a movie, he even brought a few puzzles for us to do.

Ethan, however, did not return until the evening. I had forgotten today was the "deadline" until the sinister man entered the room and dropped his backpack beside the now closed door with a glare towards Remus.

"It's time." he snapped. "Do you want to leave the room, Remus? I do not want to upset you, after all."

Remus gulped. "No... I want to stay. This is important for the three of us." he shook his head.

Important for the three of us? My body stiffened up and I squeezed my lower right arm. That cannot be good. Remus & I were previously sitting on my bed, angled right across from the door. The now terrified man got up and stepped beside his partner, who was now in the middle of the room, a few feet away from me.

"Should I hold him back, to make sure he cooperates...?" Remus questioned worriedly.

"No. You'll scare him." said Ethan as he stared into my eyes, never moving his attention. "But you already are, look at him." Ethan's previously tense stance had instantly loosened, realization dawning on him. Remus was right, I had now realized I was shaking, sweat was dripping down my back.

"Oh... Oh! I-i'm so sorry, Logan. It wasn't my intention." He bent down to my level and apologized. I was still stiffened up, though, and I turned my head away. "I'll let it pass." I finally let out as he waited for my response. His expression became sad.

"Logan, look at me. You need to listen." I hesitated for a second, but then turned to look him in his heterochromatic eyes. He seemed genuine.

"Today marks almost exactly a whole week of your friends not coming to save you. I originally had one plan, which you had no choice." I glared at him, moving back slightly. "But now that it hasn't worked, you have three choices." My eyebrows raised at the sudden proposal. I still remained like a statue, but now i'm truly listening.

"Number one. We let you go free, but... under one condition." Ethan paused for a moment. "You either give up all your technology-period-or, you let us keep track of what you do with any technology you use. We know your powers rely on having a gadget with you, Logan. We can't let you continue being a threat, but we also no longer want to see you hurt. You're a good man, you know." he confessed solemnly.

My expression softened. In the end, I didn't want to give up being a hero. The world needs me. But if this ends up being my best option, then I will agree.

"Option two, our backup plan in case you refuse option 1 & 3. In the situation where you refuse the before mentioned options, we will proceed with our original intentions. We hypnotize you with the intention to use you against your friends. We no longer want to do this to you, but if you refuse to cooperate we will do this." once more, his offer came solemnly.

I tightened up again, prepared to defend myself. I didn't want to know option 3, I just wanted to be as free as I can get. But before I could open my mouth, Remus spoke up.

"Why didn't you save that for last? I thought that would've made a better ending."

"Trust me, this one is a better closer in my opinion, Remus." he sighed.

"Finally, option 3." Ethan took a deep breath. This sounded like nerve wrecking answer for him to say. I wasn't sure whether to care or not. I just remained defensive.

At last, he let it out. "You join us. Leave your troubling life as a hero behind. Get payback for what the world has done to you. Or if you want to remain 'heroic', the three of us can become anti-heroes. Whatever it takes to make you happy." Ethan sounded serious.

Remus chimed in again, to Ethan's frustration. "Don't you want to show those losers how you feel about them now?! Smash their heads in?! Make them regret even wronging you once?!"

"No!" I lied, curling up into a ball on the bed. I didn't know what I want one bit. My morals are split in front of me, forcing me to choose one half and discard the other permanently.

The more serious of the two grabbed me by the shoulders, remaining at my eye level. "Look. I know you're hesitant to leave it all behind. You're used to one path in life. But we want what's best for you in the end. I know that anger is going to fester within you until you can no longer handle it, and end it all because there's nothing you can do about it." In that moment. Remus started shaking, crossing his arms and trying to calm himself. Ethan didn't notice, he was too focused on reassuring me.

"We were exactly like you once. Abandoned, by those we trusted most!" Ethan too, was now breaking down. "Cast away, all because of some mistakes! We had never known better! The problems built up within us, and corrupted us! And all the painful emotions of loneliness and betrayal along the way..." he choked out that last bit with a sob. "We want to help you avoid that part. We've turned out to want to care for you... W-we want-" the manipulator was now crying. Remus came up to him and slowly pulled him into a hug to comfort him, crying too.

"Shh, it's ok, Eth. It's ok, deep breaths." the maniacal one said in a way that seemed out of character for him. As Remus cried too, he rubbed Ethan's back.

I, Logan, have now come to a realization. They're serious. They genuinely care about me. Unlike anyone currently alive and in my life. I decided in that moment that my heart is right. I want what will satisfy my fury.

I got down to the ground with them and grabbed Ethan's hand, squeezing it periodically. "Ethan, listen. I'm here. Do as I say. Breathe in for 4 seconds..." As I began to help calm him down, he followed along. "Hold it for 7 seconds... And now let go for 8, and repeat." After about a minute Ethan was calm.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that side of me. You didn't deserve to know all that." he tried to confess. "Eth-..." Remus began to reassure, but cut himself off.

"I'll do it." I agreed, catching their attention. "I'm going to join you. You're right." I said as I stood up. I was going to say more, but I was stopped by the both of them getting up, and Remus pulling me into a tight hug.

"Don't worry, you'll fit right in with us. Everything will be just fine. We will never forget about you."

And in that moment, I knew they were right.

#logan #remus #deceit #intruloceit #demus #dukeceit #loceit #intrulogical #loduke #sanders sides #sanders sides fic #sanders sides au #logan sanders #remus sanders #deceit sanders #dukedontlook #dark side logan #long post #kacey's supers au #oh heck 100 notes #500 notes jfdhshfjs

[romansleftshoulderpad]

Chapter Two - Origins

Some Legends Are Told

Words: 1,475

Ship: None

Warnings: Verbal arguments, caps, swearing, fire, fighting, Remus as a villain, death mention, a lightbulb explodes

Tags: @fandermom @patchworkofstars @poisonedapples @hogwarts-my-love @opaque-puppet @omni-hamiltrash @darling-elm @jynxlovesluck@madly-handsome@strickenwithclairvoyance@limitededitionsanderssidesblog @ab-artist@sometimeswritingsometimesdying @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @because-were-fam-ily

---

Virgil woke up in his bed, sitting up with a cold sweat. He looked over at his clock and noticed that it was nearly four in the morning. “It was all a dream,” he muttered, falling back against his pillow.

“I wish,” Logan whined. He was laying on the floor but it didn’t look like he had been sleeping at all. “I’ve been awake for three hours. Roman still has that stupid rock in his pocket.”

Virgil grabbed his phone and turned on his flashlight. From his fingertips to his shoulder was a dark shade of purple, but he felt no pain.

“Your face is still black.”

“Logan, all of me is black.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he groaned. “Words are hard at four A.M.”

“That’s not all that’s hard at four A.M,” Roman said with a laugh, he was awkwardly curled into a beanbag chair while Patton slept on the couch.

“How did we get home?” Virgil asked.

“Does it matter?” Logan countered. “We’re home. We’re safe.”

“I’m purple.”

“Just wear a hoodie to school.”

Virgil sat up and turned on his lamp, knowing there was no chance any of them were going back to sleep. “School?” he scoffed. “You have to be fucking kidding me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Logan, we almost died! There are more important things than school!”

“Just because you’re so laid back, that doesn’t mean we all are, Virgil!”

“Laid back?” he scoffed. “Laid- fucking- back?” He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stared Logan down. Roman and Patton were exchanging glances, both wishing to disappear from the room. “I’m sorry Mr. Four-Point-Oh, that some of us are still working our asses off for lower than perfect! And I’m so fucking sorry that we can’t all be good enough for you!”

“I never should have come here.”

“So at least we agree on something then.”

“Guys, please, let’s just calm down and-“

“Stay out of this, Roman!” they both yelled.

“You know what, Logan? I don’t have to fucking deal with this,” Virgil said. “Get out of my house.”

“It’s four in the morning, asshole.”

“I don’t care,” Virgil said, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white.

“Uh, guys,” Patton said quietly, staring at the lamp on Virgil’s nightstand and watching how the light began to flicker.

“Get OUT!” he yelled. The light went wild, flashing off and on faster and faster until the lightbulb shattered. Electricity sparked from Virgil’s fingertips, it was the only source of light left in the room.

“Woah,” Patton whispered.

“Put this fight on hold?” Logan asked, fear rising in his voice.

“Definitely,” Virgil murmured, too mesmerized by this apparent superpower of his to be mad.

“Do I get powers too?” Roman wondered aloud.

“Powers?” Logan asked. “This is a crime against humanity.”

“This fucking slaps,” Virgil exclaimed.

“Two types of people.”

Virgil looked at his hand, sparks of electricity still jumping around his skin. “I... I think we need to go back to the cave.”

“What?”

“I,” Virgil corrected, “I need to go back. That... thing, monster, whatever you want to call it, I think it gave me my powers. I think it’s connected to me.”

“Virgil, you can’t go there alone,” Logan said.

“And he won’t.”

“Roman.”

“No, I- Virgil isn’t the only one who did some freaky shit, okay? I-“ He pulled the rock out of his pocket. “I think I wished us out of there. I don’t care that it sounds stupid- the idea of my friend turning purple sounds stupid!”

“We have to wait until sunrise,” Virgil said. “My parents have alarms on all the windows and doors.”

Roman pulled the rock out of his pocket and held it tightly in his hand. “Or do we?”

“Roman, there’s no way that can work twice,” Logan argued.

Roman smirked and grabbed hold of Virgil’s hand while keeping a tight grip on the rock. “Someone’s never seen Aladdin,” he laughed. “I wish to go back!”

That same green smoke poured from their clasped hands and flooded around them until there was nothing but green and their clasped hands in their sight. When the smoke cleared, they were hiding behind that same wall they had dove into to hide from the monster.

Only now, another figure stood by their side. He stood like a mannequin, omitting green smoke and embers. He was a man on fire. “Hello, Roman,” he said with a Cheshire-Cat smile made of fire that crackled with each syllable. “I have fulfilled my end of the bargain, it’s only fair that you fulfill yours.”

“What?” Roman asked, eyes wide with fear as he took a step back.

“Leave him alone!” Virgil yelled, swinging his fist at the man, but only finding himself stumbling forward, with burn marks on his fist.

The fire-man chuckled, smiling at Virgil’s arm. “Fear’s new pet, are you? You kids really should know better than to fight Creativity with storms.” He turned back to Roman and gripped his forearms causing the teen to scream in agony.

The black fog came rolling in and Virgil could see the shadows of antlers coming closer. “Fuck,” he muttered as the creature, Fear, came into view. He was bigger now. Unfortunately, fighting him seemed to be the only chance at saving Roman. He punched Fear in its snout.

“Silly boy,” Fear laughed, but it didn’t come from the monster; the voice was surrounding Virgil’s head. Fear’s jaws clamped onto Virgil’s leg. Pain flowed through his leg with static electricity shocking the bite marks. He opened his mouth to scream, but was quickly silenced by the fog filling his mouth and lungs. He felt as though he were suffocating, but his breathing was fine. He felt as if he were drowning, but no water could be found.

Fear was gone, but encompassing him all the same. He found himself in pitch-black darkness, hardly able to breathe by Roman’s side. “We’re going to die here,” Virgil mumbled.

“Virgil!” Voices echoed through the cave. “Roman!”

“Logan?” Roman asked.

“Virgil! Roman!” The echoes grew louder, closer.

“We’re over here!” Roman yelled. Virgil was still trying to catch his breath.

Logan and Patton ran over with flashlights. Logan immediately dove to Virgil’s side. “4-7-8, Virgil, c’mon,” he whispered. “Breathe with me, okay? Breathe.”

“Is he alright?” Patton whispered.

“I have no clue. The- the fog- those- those monsters-” Roman stammered. Are a part of you now.

“Virgil, I’m so sorry,” Logan said, tears welling in his eyes. “I- Virgil, I need you. Don’t go- please- don’t die.”

All were quiet for a moment as Virgil tried to regain his breathing and as Logan silently poured his heart out. Roman was the first to speak up. “I don’t think he can,” he whispered.

“What?” Virgil asked as the fog cleared from his mind. “Logan,” he murmured softly, pulling Logan into a tight hug.

“You’re okay,” Logan whispered, hiding his tears against Virgil’s shirt.

“Roman, what the hell are you talking about?” Patton asked.

Roman took a deep breath, staring at the eyes tattooed onto each of his forearms. A perfect match to the pattern on the rock. “I... I can feel him,” he said. In a voice not quite his own, he continued, “He calls himself Remus. He told me that Virgil was ‘Fear’s newest pet.’ And... they’re not the only ones out there.”

“Well, that’s... creepy.”

“Hella.”

“How did you guys find us, anyway?” Virgil asked. “The cave was sealed shut last night. My parents have alarms.”

“Virgil, it’s ten A.M,” Logan said.

Patton continued, “We’ve been looking for you for three hours now.”

“We’ve hardly been here more than twenty minutes,” Virgil said. He thought for a moment, reaching out to gently brush his fingers over the tattoo on Roman’s arm. “Your powers- wish- whatever, it must’ve taken us a few hours to get back home. Maybe you have time manipulation? Or it takes a while to work? Or- I- I don’t know!”

“You’re hyperventilating,” Logan whispered and rubbed Virgil’s back as he took a moment to calm himself.

“How are you so good at this?”

“I’m just doing what you do with me every time I get nervous before a test.” Logan smiled and held open his arms for Virgil to fall into.

“I took a big stick and broke open the cave wall,” Patton announced proudly. Roman ruffled his hair and smiled back at him.

“We’re going to figure this out,” Logan said. “Roman, you said there’s more, right?”

“Two more,” Roman stated. “That’s all he’ll tell me.”

“We need to find them.”

“Logan, are you insane?!”

“Listen, okay, if we can find the others we can prevent them from dragging anyone else into this.”

“And if they’ve already chosen their targets?” Roman asked.

“Then we find out what they want,” Logan said. “And we stop them.”

#Sanders Sides fic

[villlainarc]

Was Virgil and Roman’s relationship aafected negatively by Roman’s action as Ambition? Bc from what I’ve read, I don’t really think Virgil as of canon right now will vibe with Ambition!Roman

(obligatory original ambition!roman post link)

!!!! Excellent Question thank u anon

and you’d be right, virgil and ambition!roman definitely Do Not Vibe

(if we’re being honest,,, none of the other sides really Vibe with ambition!roman (with the possible exception of janus, but that’s less Vibing and more ‘i love u and you are being Very Dumb but will stick by you anyway because first of all u need someone in your corner and second of all I Love You Literally So Much’ so idk how much that counts). roman becoming ambition!roman was almost entirely for thomas. the extra appreciation he got at the beginning before it got really intense was just the cherry on top. but! you asked about virgil, so let’s talk about him.)

virgil’s not ambitious. whatever the opposite of ambitious is, that’s what he is. 

he doesn’t like taking risks. he has no desire to get ahead. as long as he makes it through the day with out a major mental breakdown, he counts it as a win. success, to him, is synonymous with survival.

needless to say, he doesn’t really... get roman. 

ambition, no matter what each individual’s may be, is about personal happiness.

.........yeah, virgil doesn’t get that. at all.

what’s the point?? of caring about something??? as trivial as happiness???? when you could get run over by a fucking car tomorrow????

or betrayed by your best friend?????? 

or suddenly lose your house and all your possessions to a fire??

you could lose everything? at any given moment??? and you care about what make you happy?

yea so roman what are u on —virgil, probably

all that said, virgil isn’t strictly against doing things for individual happiness or personal gain, he just lacks the type of forethought needed to actually. care about it.

(his brand of forethought is more along the lines of: “oh god you said This One Thing to joan two days ago and now the rest of your life is ruined thomas don’t u see”

....this is not useful when it comes to individual happiness or personal gain.)

so in the beginning? like everyone else, he doesn’t really mind ambition!roman either. he never minded the ambitious side of roman before, and ambition!roman in the beginning wasn’t noticeably different from roman roman at all. and virgil liked didn’t hate roman roman, so there wasn’t any reason for him to behave differently

besides, c!thomas was happier, felt safer, was in a better place both career-wise and financially, all the friends that didn’t bring c!thomas enough happiness were out of his life now, virgil himself had less work to do—

wait.

that’s not right, is it?

virgil not doing as much work can’t be good. 

(why yes, he is anxious about the idea of being less anxious. sue him.)

no, that’s not the thing he’s should be focusing on. 

there are more concerning things happening, because you aren’t supposed to get rid of friends if they don’t bring you enough happiness.

right?

c!thomas hasn’t ever done that before, has he?

why?? is no one else concerned about this???? tf?

(short answer: they’re only seeing what they want to at this point. roman’s happier than he’s been in... years, honestly (and despite what roman may believe, the others really, really do love him, so they aren’t going to do anything to take away that newfound happiness), those friends weren’t great friends anyway, and c!thomas doesn’t seem to be suffering mentally, so.... why would they waste conscious energy worrying when nothing seems to be wrong?)

(thank god they have virgil am i right)

virgil doesn’t talk to anyone about these concerns.

what, you think he’s going to willingly deal with the confrontation and awkward conversations that would require?

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

ha

ha 

ha.

yeah,,,,, no.

so, while he is the first to notice that something’s up with roman, he’s definitely not the first to do something about it.

nothing’s hurt c!thomas yet, so how urgent could it be?

(well, apparently, it’s like. Super Urgent. but he doesn’t figure that out until far later, after janus is the one to bring up the fact that roman’s acting... weird for a reason, after roman is Officially dubbed ambition!roman, etc, etc, etc.)

as for any actual interactions he has with ambition!roman?

they’re stiff and awkward at best and end with him attempting to deck roman in the face Several Times and/or steal his sword in the hopes that he can wield it well enough to cause,,,,,, More Than A Scratch, let’s put it, at worst.

(tis not a fun time for anyone.)

virgil never understood the ambitious side of roman in the first place, so when that that side is heightened? 

honestly, the other sides are lucky it’s not worse.

(virgil and ambition!roman do their utmost to avoid each other, though, so at least there’s that.

they tend to get logan or janus to serve as a go-between if need be (virgil prefers logan because he and janus only Vibe occasionally (and because roman prefers janus) and roman prefers janus because a) janus is the only one that is even close to Vibing with him and b) ✨He Is In Love✨ and neither prefer patton because he’s like. five seconds away from breaking down throughout the Entire Conversation and neither of them really wants to deal with that when there’s the option of,,,,, Not Doing That), but they don’t even need that for the most part because there’s nothing for them to discuss. what would they need to say to each other that one of the others couldn’t?)

so to answer your question... yeah. they really Do Not Vibe.

#roman sanders #virgil sanders #ambition!roman #dark side roman #catastrophizing #anxious thoughts #violence mention #it's vague but. it's there #(idk how to tag those?? lmk if i should change them) #query #anon #like the last anon you may Also have a Sizable Piece Of My Soul for asking a question about ambition!roman #unless if u are the same anon #in which case ig you get Two Sizable Pieces Of My Soul #congrats!! #now: #what tense am i writing these in?? scientists can't tell and neither can i #i'm not proofreading them and i didn't notice if i was changing tenses before but i Definitely did here so like #pretend i didn't? idk time is fake so tenses probably are too This Is Fine #and finally the same explanation for my use of c!thomas vs thomas i had for my last ask applies here too #i just want to type it all out again alsdkjflsk #i had Many Notes in the tags today whoops #my thoughts are Very Chaotic today so please humor me and pretend this all makes sense ty <3

[canvas-the-florist]

No Time Like the Present (3)

Pairing(s): Romantic Roceit, QPR Intrulogical, Sleepmas

Word Count: 3K

Warnings: Swearing, harassment, assassination, neglectful parents (?), homophobia mention, fire

Summary: Roman and Virgil have a bonding moment, Dolos discovers something that shouldn't be as surprising as it is, and history gets a vibe check with hindsight.

-

Roman had only been awake for three minutes and he already knew it was too early. The stress had been getting to him, and on the long way to the palace, he had only gotten three hours of sleep in the past week. Usually, he’d sleep in and cuddle into Dolos, but that wasn’t really an option. Even when he’d do expeditions alone, Roman at least knew that his love was safe at home. This wasn’t exactly a good week for him as he knew the sun wasn’t even up yet.

He sighed dramatically and stood up to stretch. Deciding to spend his time wisely so everyone could leave the moment they woke up, he fed the horses, checked around the area for any trouble, and started the hunt for food. Now, they brought food, and Roman knew this, but he had been so bored lately now that his days had an extra six hours. So this meant, he’d roughly remember everything Patton has said about scavenging and try to mimic everything Virgil has done regarding hunting. It didn’t go to plan as he wished but at least he hasn’t gotten severely injured yet, as he was still recovering from that one asshole.

Unfortunately, his brain couldn’t help but drift to Dolos. What if they were all too late? What if he gets hurt in a way he never recovers? Is this how Dolos feels whenever Roman travels out of town? He travels a l o t and he had almost always had to get patched up by the end of it. The guilt started growing as he realized that he and his boyfriend had switched roles. A little ‘I told you so’ at the end of this entire fiasco was definitely in order and Roman would accept it gracefully. He breathed in to keep himself from freaking out. He and Dolos would both get out of this alive, and it’ll be okay. But why couldn’t he bring himself to believe it?

“What the fuck are you doing up so fucking early?”

“Shut up, Virgil, you’re going to wake up Patton and you know he’s a light sleeper,” Roman said huffing slightly at the end of his sentence. Even though he had been up for hours, it was still way too early for any actual communication. “Besides, I know you like sleeping in so what woke you?”

Virgil gave a small grin and shrugged, extending his arms to invite a hug. “I can sense anxiety from 20 feet away so I thought I’d comfort you.”

“Sounds fake but okay.” Roman scoffed, accepting the hug with a small laugh. “Though it is mighty suspicious that I have woken up before you, and you have shown on multiple accounts to not sleep like,,, at all.”

Virgil shoved Roman out of the hug and punched his shoulder. A little unnecessary, but that was what basically defined their friendship at that point. Some melodramatic bickering and practically acting like they hate each other even if they would kill for one another. Though, if this were to be brought up, the two would immediately argue this, as if it was something the world wasn’t allowed to know. Logan and Patton found it ridiculous but Remus found it hilarious that they can act so stupid. Eventually, the others woke up to the two lightly bantering. The sun was up at that point and it was decided they should PROBABLY leave to finish their plan.

“Guuuysss, our horses will probably kick us if we don’t get going!” Patton called.

Roman shook his head with a tired but genuine laugh; hopefully, that laugh would be shared with Dolos soon. He ran back to the campsite, ready to leave as soon as he could.

-

After Dolos was told the plan he was half-convinced it would work.

I mean if you heard any plans about overthrowing your current government with 30 or so people, you’d be skeptical too, right? You wouldn’t just believe everything off the bat. Remy and Magenta shared a house and gave Dolos the guest bed. They weren’t together nor would they ever which was totally fine and Dolos didn’t even ask or hint at something like that when Magenta told him. He was assuming that one of them or both were in separate relationships or so.

It was late at night or early morning and he still hadn’t slept. He was under the blankets, all warm and cozy, but actually getting rest? Who did you take him for? He hardly ever slept when Roman was on his trips, but actually having an adventure for himself? That shit is scary. Dolos sighed and turned to his hide to cradle a pillow in his arms. He hugged it close to his chest, forcing his eyes closed as he imagined that he was safe and sound at home with Roman and his plants. He was so sleep deprived he could almost feel his loved one’s arms around his waist.

Unfortunately, it only lasted about twenty minutes before the sun came up, forcing Dolos to get up as the light hit his pillow and face immediately. He frowned and rubbed his eyes. This wasn’t exactly what he had in mind as a vacation at any rate. First of all, he would’ve preferred to have his boyfriend.

While he walked out to the commons of the household he noticed the lack of everyone else. Did they get curtains for every room in the house but his? Classic. He was tired and more than 75% convinced that being cursed to turn half-snake made him cold-blooded as well.

Dolos wrapped his arms around himself, giving himself a small hug and warmth as he curled up in the recliner. Roman would probably tease him on how he can fit so perfectly wrapped in a ball on a chair. This caused him to accidentally drop one of his legs which he didn’t have the reaction time to pull up again. His foot hit the floor and Dolos hissed in pain, attempting not to wake anyone up.

“Well, this is going perfectly.” He muttered to himself angrily, slowly falling off of the chair and slumping to the ground. “Just absolutely splendid. No setbacks at all.”

“Saying synonyms to what you want to believe is true probably isn’t going to work, babe.” Dolos turned around and saw Remy, coffee and all. It’s like he couldn’t be seen without caffeine. He let an exaggerated sigh after taking in the fake that another person was awake, especially that person being Remy. He rolled his eyes in response. “Gurl, calm down, this is my house after all. Strange how I come here sometimes.”

He didn’t bother to respond verbally and slid slowly off of the chair onto the ground so Dolos wouldn’t have to look at his face. It was a bit childish but he was too sleep-deprived to care about that much. He just wanted to hug his boyfriend and let him know that he was alright. Hopefully, he wasn’t doing anything stupid… Ugh, the sooner he helped this ragtag team overthrow the king, the earlier he could get a new home with Roman. If it took actually cooperating with people, maybe the snake would consider it. He let out another sigh and stood up.

“So, what can I do to help your side of the rebellion?”

“About fucking time you gave some enthusiasm.”

-

Thomas tucked his pocket watch back into his jacket for about the fifth time before the queen came in. He was incredibly nervous because he had to actually talk to his father and without Joan around, he didn’t want to mess up and put anyone in jeopardy. Unfortunately for him, his mother had the pleasure of telling him that his father was too busy. Because of course, why would anyone want time with their son? He wasn’t salty at all thanks for asking.

With a sigh, Thomas decided that he was definitely sneaking out again to see Remy and hear about the plans. The more his father ignored him, the more he wanted to rebel. So, once night fell, he put on his cloak and peasant clothing to walk into the streets. It was nightfall at this point and he blended into the point he felt like he let out a breath he seemed to have held for an entire day. Even with being a prince, he never really thinks of himself as one. Yes, he’s grateful for his privilege but he tried not to expect everyone to treat him with that privilege.

It was a hazy afternoon and he opened the door, closing it behind him swiftly. The door closed louder than he thought it would and he heard a loud thud along with a long string of swears. It wasn’t a voice he recognized so he decided to assume it was that Deceit fellow. Even so, Thomas placed his hand on the hilt of his dagger and slowly walked to the living room to see a person on the floor, clutching their feet.

“Are you okay?”

“Perfectly peachy, this definitely isn’t the second time this happened to me today.” Ah, this person can possibly be a threat then. Too clumsy to be an actual criminal. “So are you that prince dude the coffee addicted bitch won’t stop talking about?”

Thomas shook his head. “First of all, no swearing. Second of all, yes, I think?”

“Of course. At least I know that you’re sort of trustworthy.” The man said, standing up and avoiding wincing. Thomas came to the realization that this was supposedly the masterful witch that could destroy the king? Hmmm, okayyy. “Anyways, dipstick, I heard the plan. It might suck ass but I think with a couple of knuckleheads like you, y’all have a chance.”

Without even digesting the sentence, one thing came to the prince’s mind. “Y’all? I have no idea what you’re saying to me.”

Deceit laughed and punched his shoulder, causing Thomas to grab it and yelp in alarm. He was just met with another snicker, which turned grim. “Look, sorry for punching your fragile noodle arms, but you need a better plan with more or fewer people. At this stage of planning, Y’ALL won’t be able to overthrow the king. I know Remy doesn’t want me to change the outline and I respect that, but sometimes force is a dumb fucking thing to do. Since you’re dating him or whatever, and probably smarter let’s be real, you need to tell him! We aren’t going to be able to go at night with clanky weapons and shit like that! You need a more cohesive plan!”

“Well, shit,” Thomas breathed.

“Swearing,” Deceit tutted with a smirk.

Thomas punched him, similar to how he was hit just earlier. Deceit fell from his force, accidentally setting his hair on fire. Both of them stared at each other for a moment. Neither of them noticed Remy had showed up until he poured his coffee on top of the fire. The two standing helped him stand up, as he was too shocked to react. He looked at his hands, managing to make a flame grow above his finger. Deceit blew it out and made eye contact with Remy.

“I think I’m actually a fucking witch then.” He looked up, imagining how Roman would react to this. “Well, that makes a lot more sense than being a pyromaniac as a child… Huh…”

-

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! Roman stared at his broken sword. He was supposed to be the knight in shining armor for his love, not breaking the one thing he knew how to use properly. Hell, he couldn’t hold a bow right. This was his favorite sword too. He dropped his head on the horse's neck and sighed. Roman thought himself as an idiot at this moment.

“Yep, that sword looks done for.” Patton declared, patting Roman’s back in sympathy.

“Thanks, Patton,” He replied with a sigh.

“We could always gain possession of another sword. One in better shape.” Logan stated, picking up the pieces and stuffing them into his backpack. They couldn’t leave any traces of themselves behind, even if a broken blade was incredibly useless at the moment. “Furthermore, we have reached our destination. Erytol is two hours and three minutes away if we keep at this current pace without distraction.”

Virgil stretched his back and it cracked loudly. “Since when have we kept from being distracted?” He asked with a chuckle. “Besides, we’re going to have to wait until dark before we should even bother walking in. Even Patton got banned from this city, right?”

Patton nodded while Remus laughed at him. “I think I mentioned something about gay people? Weird because I don’t even have romantic attraction.”

The group sighed at the sound of homophobia. You know the city is bad when even Patton managed to get banned from it. Continuing on, they eventually decided to stop their conversation and travel as promptly as they could. They hid in their average cloaks and prepared for their least favorite city. Erytol. This place was annoying because it had the castle, which meant that more guards and stuff were stationed there. Yet, it was filled with lots of plans to overthrow the king, though a lot of them were never attempted or fell flat. This time it would be better. Because the gays were angry and wanted to fight.

And they were going to beat the shit out of their opponents.

-

When Dolos was a child, around seven years old, he wasn’t allowed outside. He was known as the destructive kid that would be a bad influence on yours. Dolos had once set fire to an entire house and his parents quickly moved away from that town. He wasn’t the son his father or mother could be proud of so he was taken out of the public eye. At least, that’s what he thought for the longest time.

Dolos had grown to despise his parents for being forced to hide. Sure, their intentions seemed good! Their child wouldn’t stop setting fires and at the time he was twelve, this was pushed aside as a wild boy with pyromania. So, he was feared. He had no friends or anything. Eventually, Dolos chilled out and learned to handle things on his own. He bandaged his own wounds and fought his own battles. When he WAS let out, his parents made him wear a hood over his head so the neighbors wouldn’t recognize him. But one day, he met someone that could be considered a friend. Remus.

He was a boy just a year older than himself. An unruly personality. Perhaps one comparable to a wild pyromaniac?

So, a friend! A friend that was a twin that could also be a friend! But, Dolos wasn’t supposed to be outside or talk to others. But… he finally had friends… Doesn’t that mean something? His parents should at least respect that, right? They didn’t. He was told to remain quiet and go home immediately. As Dolos was walking away in shame, he turned and saw confusion and hurt in Remus’s eyes. He softened and fought against his want to cry. If he wasn’t allowed to be friends, he would just have to break the rules.

Roman and Remus were kind. They didn’t ask questions when Dolos knocked on their window at one AM. Perhaps they were too tired or suspected something about his family life. Dolos had run away at age fourteen. He lived with Remus and Roman at their orphanage. It was a refuge for him. He was able to talk to other children and have friends! But not all were ups. The food was horrible and most of the kids were even worse. Dolos would go into his shared bedroom with bruises he would treat himself after treating Remus. Roman was the only one who evaded bullying, by appearing so confident, no one dared to mess with him.

No matter how strong the three got, it was agreed to run away after a year. They ended up in Klanbou, the self-declared “most dangerous city in the continent!” by its citizens. That’s when the three worked together smuggling pixie dust through cities, Remus and Dolos also taking up part-time assassins. They all took up code names to remain secret and eventually met a young man named Virgil under extremely unlucky circumstances. Dolos never mentioned his pyromania to anyone and always kept some form of water on him at all times. Not to keep him hydrated, but to hope it would all stop. Eventually, at least. He never considered himself to be a witch, he didn’t realize the qualifications of magic at the time.

At least, until he had turned 22, and encountered a drunk wizard when he was in the middle of working out his plan for a random politician. The wizard was attempting to flirt with Dolos and as he told him kindly to “Fuck off” and to leave him alone… The wizard got upset. And slapped him.

Dolos stood up to yell at the wizard only to find the left of his face in excruciating pain. He had fallen to the floor, feeling cold hard scales sprouting off his face. The wizard gave him one last kick before leaving the bar. Roman ran after him, leaving Dolos alone. And as he was, he heard the earl of the town ban him publicly. In front of almost the whole contents of Klanbou, the city of criminals. People yelled and called him a witch.

As he was about to be chased out, his eyes darken. “I’ll give you witch,” he hissed, touching the building. The pyromaniac tendencies must’ve kicked in because Dolos created fire without knowing how, and walked out with Roman helping to carry Dolos’s weight. If Klanbou wouldn’t hold them, they might as well give them a legitimate reason not to. And burning the bar seemed appropriate at the time. Though, this meant the two would need somewhere new to live, and a cottage in the woods sounded pretty nice.

taglist:  @azure-shard @bookwyrminspiration @snakeboicouldbegayer

#roceit #romantic roceit #remus sanders #roman sanders #deceit sanders #virgil sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #remy sanders #magenta sanders #thomas sanders #aromantic patton #aroace patton #NTLTP #emile writes

[the-yerkes-dodson-curve]

SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE NEW SANDERS SIDES VIDEO

This is gonna be a long post. I have a lot of thoughts about this episode. There is going to be some serious talk about my own personal experiences with violent intrusive thoughts and also me just appreciating this amazing episode. 

I was one of the people that was convinced it was going to be about depression. I am so glad it wasn’t. A lot of people have talked about depression, but no one, at least as far as I know, have really touched upon intrusive thoughts. I had the exact same dilemma as Thomas last year where I thought I was going insane because I couldn’t control my own brain and I had a horrible mental breakdown and I was convinced I was a horrible person because of my intrusive thoughts. I cried and talked to people about it and through doing so it was made clear to me that these intrusive thoughts were just that, thoughts. Nothing more. They hold nothing over me. I still suffer from them, but now I know what they are.

I was also certain there wasn’t going to be another side introduced. It’s been a year since Deceit was introduced, we’ve only just gotten to know Deceit a little better, there won’t be another side. BOY WAS I WRONG

The episode starts with Thomas, Virgil and Patton trying not to think about the intrusive thoughts he was having that kept him awake. I have intrusive thoughts like that all the time. I vividly imagine my family members dying, or even myself dying. I vividly imagine someone breaking into the house and killing me. My brain does what Virgil and Patton do, freak out and try to think about something else. This video has made me realise how much I repress thoughts like that.

My anxiety also makes me have intrusive thoughts. Whenever I have an anxiety attack I vividly imagine myself killing myself in gory detail because I’ve gotten into this cycle of hating myself whenever I have an attack. I get scared, what if I lose control one day and these thoughts become reality?

I love how the audio became muffled and the intrusive thought creeped in. I like to think of the mind like a radio, tuning in and out of different frequencies, and sometimes, or most of the time like for me, you can’t control the frequencies it jumps to. And suddenly you’re imagining your loved one being killed or dying.

I SCREAMED BLOODY MURDER WHEN THOSE HANDS CREEPED OUT

I WAS NOT EXPECTING A NEW SIDE AT ALL

I WAS SO TERRIFIED

HOLY SHIT THAT CHARACTER DESIGN I AM IN LOVE STRAIGHT AWAY 

BUT AAAAAAAA WHAT ARE YOU DOING WHAT THE HELL

When he smacked Roman in the head and knocked him out I was so shook, this Sanders Sides has stepped into totally new territory

LOOK AT HIM OMG HE HAS A MOUSTACHE I WASN’T EXPECTING A NEW SIDE TO HAVE FACIAL HAIR HOLY SHIT 

THE DUKE

HIS VOICE

HE HAS A DIFFERENT VOICE

THERE IS NO ENDING TO THOMAS’ TALENT

The way the song starts is eVeRyThInG

THESE EFFECTS I CAN’T DEAL AAAAAAAAA

I FUCKING SCREAMED

HIS SIX ARMS I LOVE IT REMUS’ SASSY STANCE I AM LIVING FOR IT

If you shared those musings with your friends, I doubt they would forgive you.

Gosh. I relate to this too much. I was so scared that I would somehow reveal these bad thoughts to people and they would hate me and everyone would hate me and think I was an awful person.

Even though everybody sins, everybody dies.

FAVOURITE PART OF THE SONG HANDS DOWN THOMAS’ VOICE IS AMAZING AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Why deny yourself knowledge, say, knowledge of yourself!

These lyrics are amazing. They encapsulating what I was thinking when I had really bad intrusive thoughts. I still have them, but when I first started noticing I had them I spiralled so far down. “What if this is who I am...what if I’m not the nice person I think I am?”

hELP I LOVE HIM BUT I HATE HIM BUT I LOVE HIM

I always love the villain. I hate everything they’ve done and don’t condone any of it, but I absolutely love them, especially if they are as fabulous as the Duke Remus.

These sorts of things are only thought in the mind of a man whose soul is truly rotten.

Oof. I relate to that thought process.

So let all your hopes of heaven be forgotten, ‘cause your head’s not in the gutter, pal, it’s in hell!

I wasn’t expecting religious imagery. I really love that. I don’t relate to the religious ideas brought up in this episode as I am not religious, but I do love the fact that he talked about them. Also, when Deceit said, “Wow, Thomas, it seems that your moral compass is pointed south, towards hell!” that was definitely foreshadowing for Thomas to spiral into this. That’s why Patton reacted so viscerally to that comment.

Remus: Juicy butthole!

Me:

Me:

Me: what...what is happening in this Sanders Sides

THIS FACE I LOVE IT

THE JAZZ HANDS AND THE HIGH VOICE AAAAAA WHY DO I LOVE HIM AND HATE HIM

Patton did a real good job!

Oh my goodness, this precious boi.

How about...DEMENTED?

I  C H O K E D

What is my deal? Um, bitch? What is YOUR deal?

My exact thought process. “Am I actually a horrible person because I’m having such awful thoughts like this, there’s definitely something wrong with me...but I can’t stop it...”

Oh no....oh no!

My heart broke at the horror and sadness that washes over Thomas’ and Patton’s face.

another good remus screenshot

Oh my goodness, the way he tortures Logan throughout the episode was awful for me to watch cause MY BABY LOGAN, but I love how Logan doesn’t react. I love Logan’s determination.

You bastard.

IT WAS A LONG TIME COMING HELL YES VIRGIL

I’d love to see the bloopers for this bit, oh my gosh.

Ooh! How fun! You know who could help us with that?

AWW MAN YOU GOT MY HOPES UP XDD

That’s what repression is!?

I love Patton’s reaction, cause I had the same reaction. Repression is so easy to do cause you often don’t know you are doing it.

This is not about me wanting to be listened to. You all are not listening to Thomas.

THIS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT OH MY GOSH

Virgil: But what if he’s lying?

Logan: I can assure you, he’s not. You’re just para- expressing an unhealthy amount of concern. Thank you for being on guard. But for now, you must listen.

I love this part so much. It calls back to when Roman almost called Virgil paranoid, but then switched it to vigilant. Logan realised he was getting too worked up and angry and so stopped himself. This is great development from when he lashed out at Roman in Learning New Things About Ourselves. Calling Virgil “paranoid” is destructive and will make Virgil not feel listened to. He is aware of that. He is making sure Virgil still feels like he’s a valued part of Thomas’ mind.

another good remus screenshot

THAT IS WHY I SAY IT!

GOSH I LOVE LOGAN SO MUCH YES LOGAN GO OFF

I love being given two d’s at once!

Me:

Me:

Me: ...again what is happening

When Logan revealed that the problem was within Patton and Virgil, my heart dropped. I wasn’t expecting that.

Record scratch!?

I LOVE HIM AAAAA

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AM I COOL DOES THIS MAKE ME COOL

OMG PRECIOUS BOI AAAA

I WAS SO SHOOK WHEN HE SAID HIS NAME JUST LIKE THAT

ALSO THAT SLY DIG AT VIRGIL AAAAA

oof. this sad boi. :”(

Oh shut up, Nerdy Wolverine!

OMG I JUST REALISED THIS IS WHAT ROMAN SAYS AT THE END AAAAA

I  S C R E A M E D

we just witnessed a side die guys

the angst fanfiction is coming to life

The Duke only has power over you because Virgil and Patton believe that he does.

Hit me hard. I’ve never related more to a Sanders Sides episode.

This. THIS. So poignant and brilliant! This is how it feels!

good logan screenshot

Virgil was right. Not all thoughts are meaningful.

This idea is what helped me better deal with intrusive thoughts. Your brain just fires random thoughts at you, they don’t necessarily mean anything.

I mean, look at him now! He barely got any rest due in large part to you two chastising him all night!

I love how Logan tells them off. UGH I LOVE HIM

And that is why the Duke feels like such a threat, in part, at least. The feeling that you may be a bad person who doesn’t have control over yourself or your destiny, causes you to fear that you may actually act on these thoughts.

Gosh this episode is hitting me hard. 

It’s okay.

Everything is okay.

Logan’s soft voice as he said that made me emotional. His whole speech here is so lovely and helpful. It is okay to have these thoughts cross your mind. You are not a horrible person.

His talk about going to therapy is amazing too. It’s so inspiring. It has encouraged me to want to go back to the therapy because of my recent increase in violent intrusive thoughts.

Oh my goodness, Patton’s realisation and development. This is lovely. 

You tickle me, emo!

...was that a tickle me elmo reference

Good seeing you again, Virgil! It was just like old times!

Me:

Me:

Me: wAIT A MINUTE--

Oh shut up, Nerdy Wolverine! NO! Ugh...I mean...I’m sorry, Logan. I didn’t mean that.

THERE’S SO MUCH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN THIS EPISODE I CAN’T DEAL

Thomas: You’re really...cool.

Logan: ...heh.

Me: ACTUALLY SOBBING

THESE TWIN BROTHERS OH MY GOODNESS YES

It shows you...everything you don’t want to be.

There are some really hard hitting lines in this episode.

I’m a little disappointed in myself.

The others. I thought I knew how to handle them.

Yeah, but, I should know better.

Because I was one of them.

Virgil being insecure about his power and how much he can protect Thomas almost makes me cry. That last line...oh my goodness. Thomas and his team really know how to write a narrative. It seems that we’re gonna get some lore and backstory at some point after all.

Thomas and his team have done such a good job with this episode. It is my favourite Sanders Sides by far because of the fact that this topic has not really been talked about much, and they talked about it and showed what it’s like so brilliantly. I respect Thomas so much for pushing the boundaries of his channel to talk about this. Thank you, Thomas. I and and so many people needed this.

I realise that I need to go back to therapy. Thank you, Logan for encouraging me.

#ts spoilers #sanders sides #logan sanders #roman sanders #virgil sanders #patton sanders #deceit sanders #remus sanders #dealing with intrusive thoughts #thomas sanders

[greenninjagal-blog]

Even If It Kills Us (but it won’t hopefully) pt3

 hey, Hey, HEy, HEY! Sander’s Side Mafia AU part 3!

Part Two is right here if you need a refresher (because I did), and Part One is here if you’re new around. Summary: Virgil is a normal college student, until he’s named the heir a mafia. It’s a tough pill to swallow.

Quick Taglist: @iolanomsgranola @sylveon-lover-crazyfangirl1415 @skullfire2004 @deathshadowrules @laragazzadellluna @kindly-falling @lefaystrent @that-ghost-in-the-corner

“You are Thomas’s heir and therefore slotted to take over. And unfortunately, not everyone in the family is....agreeable to this course of action.”

Virgil laughs.

There’s nothing funny about it, about this, but here he is laughing

Actually there’s a lot funny about it: Virgil is a normal college student, he’s just barely managing to scrape his grades together, he’s still undecided, he’s sitting in the back of a fiery red sports car that could probably pay off his college debt while two strangers he’s never seen before have broken several laws and murdered people. It’s funny the same sick, twisted way that a circus accident might have been funny.

“This is not a joke!” Logan says sternly.

“Pull over!” There’s a reason why Patton is Virgil’s best friend.

Roman hesitates, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding the rear view mirror.

Virgil is laughing until he can’t breathe, until his lungs are on fire, until his ears are ringing. He laughs until he can taste blood in his throat

And then he throws up.

His throat burns, his eyes water, his ears pop.

He curls in on himself as if that could stop the world from spinning so fast, just give him time to breathe. To inhale.

“Don’t touch him!”

He wonders briefly when he got on the solid ground again, when he got out of the car. 

His hands scrap through roadside gravel, the sharp edges of the rocks cutting through his jeans and littering his legs in jagged scraps. Dirt layers beneath his nails.

“We don’t have time to linger at this location!”

Virgil heaves another breath through his tightened lungs.

“Virgil,” Patton’s voice says softly from right beside him. Not touching.

(Virgil’s certain if anyone touches him right now they’d melt like Virgil was made of acid.)

“’mfine,” He digs his fingers into the rocks again and lets the pinpricks of pain clear his head.

“’m fine.”

“He is clearly not fine!” Roman yells from behind them.

“He can be not-fine somewhere that’s not the side of a highway in the middle of nowhere with no coverage.” Logan hisses.

Virgil spits out the acrid taste of his his own stomach acids and takes another breath. “I’m fine.”

From what Virgil can see-- which isn’t much because the only light is the interior car emergency light from the open door a few feet behind them-- Patton doesn’t believe him. His eyes are large and sad and Virgil thinks lamely that his best friend should have been panicking a bit more.

(but if Patton had been panicking, Virgil wouldn’t be able to center himself, wouldn’t be able to focus, wouldn’t be able to breathe right now. He can’t let himself lose it. Not here, not now, not when there’s a chance Patton might get hurt because of it.)

“My family is the mafia,” Virgil says after another shuddering couple breathes. He drags a hand over his mouth and tries to scrub the hysterical smile off it, “My family is the mafia and they are trying to kill me.”

“That’s the spirit, Marilyn Morose!” Roman sings. Virgil turns to look at the heir of another mafia, who was crouching outside the front wheel of his car running a hand over the fender of his car with a pout.

Roman sighs loudly, “You owe me a new paint job, Calculator Watch!”

Logan sneers at him from the passenger seat, “I do not owe you anything! You were the one who made the foolish decision to bring your favorite car to a shoot out!”

“Alright next time I’ll let you die! What do you say to that?!”

“That would be a blessing and a half!” Logan snaps, “I hate dealing with you!”

They bicker. Virgil loses track of it when Patton leans closer to him and he forgets not to flinch.

Patton retracts himself immediately, with an unspoken apology. “Virgil, kiddo,” He says in a voice so low Virgil almost doesn’t hear it over Roman’s loud offended tone.

“Do you trust them?” Patton asks.

as if Virgil can answer that.

“If you don’t, we can leave now,” Patton whispers. As if it’s really just that easy. Maybe it is.

Virgil looks up in front of them, away from the highway. Several more yards away is a thicket, and then woods that lead who-knows-where, filled with who-knows-what. As far as Virgil know neither of them have ever taken a survival course for what to do in the middle of the woods at night, but the way Patton looks at him right then...

the way Patton has refused to leave his side, the way that Patton knows him, knows when to touch and when to not, knows what to say...

Virgil wants to cry because Patton could have had a normal life, a normal night, if it hadn’t been for him. And now Patton refers to them together, as a “we” because he has no intention of leaving Virgil behind.

Neither of them might have ever had a survival class before, but Virgil doesn’t doubt that if he gave the word Patton would lead them into the woods and make sure they make it through the night regardless of what challenges they face.

Logan had killed a man right in front of them. 

Roman had probably caused six car crashes to get them out here in the middle of nowhere.

Virgil shouldn’t trust them, because trusting people is what gets others killed (his mom’s favorite phrase). Trusting people is a weakness, trusting them is like asking to be shot in the back of the head the second you turn around.

But Virgil’s been kneeling on the side of the road for a few minutes now and both Roman and Logan haven’t made a move towards him, against him, haven’t done anything other than try to protect him.

“Do you?” Virgil whispers to Patton instead of answering his question.

(Virgil trusts Patton. He trusts Patton with his life.)

Patton’s lips quirk for just a second. “I think I do, kiddo.”

So if Patton trusts them, then they are to be trusted. 

Virgil feels a vibration in his pocket that makes him jump.

His phone. 

oh my god his phone

He could call the police!

what the fuck were the police going to do

Virgil isn’t sure. He pulls it out anyway. Another text from his mom. Too little, too late.

He stares at the notification until the screen goes black again.

He understands now, a bit. Why she acted like him leaving the house was a suicide march, why she never talked about family, why she nearly tried to stab Patton with a knife when Virgil announced he was moving out to live with his best friend.

He doesn’t forgive her for it.

Because maybe if she had told him any of this before tonight, he might have done something different.

Like taken a wilderness survival course and disappeared off the face of the earth never to be seen or heard from again.

He knows what the text message will say. Knows that she’ll be telling him to come back to her, telling him that she’s the only one who can protect him, telling him that he’s only safe with her.

Virgil’s heard it all before, in different contexts, in different times.

Before Patton can say anything, Virgil drags himself to his unbalanced feet. He winds back.

And he throws his phone as far as he can into the woods on the highway in the middle of nowhere.

He falls back to the ground because his balance is shit, and he’s the very definition of unstable.

“Virgil!” Patton yelps loud enough to get Logan and Roman’s attention.

“I’m fine!” He says.

It’s still a lie. But he thinks he’s getting better at telling it.

“I’m the heir to a mafia family I didn’t know existed until today. My family is trying to kill me for it. The only people I trust at this moment are a frat boy-”

“HEy!”

“--and a robot assassin--”

“Falsehood!”

“--and my best friend who makes a bombass flower crown.”

Patton giggles, “I can do a little more than that, kiddo.”

“I am sure you can,” Logan says in a dismissive, irritated tone, that low key kinda makes Virgil want to hit him. “If you are finished freaking out, might we get back into the car and go before someone is smart enough track us down?”

“You’re so uptight, Teach,” Roman says, “But, he has a point. I drive fast but it’s not going to take them long to catch up.”

“And it will take them even less time to kill all of us.” Logan added.

“Get in the car, please. This is not where I want to die.”

Virgil is shaking from head to toe by the time he crawls to his feet again. Patton gives him another look, a shrug that suggests they can still run if Virgil is having second thoughts. 

“Where do you want to die?” Roman asks Logan, patting the hood of his car. “The library?”

“It doesn’t have to be the library,” Logan says with a twitch of his nose, “Just anywhere not surrounded by idiots.”

Roman laughs.

Virgil looks at Patton and gives a slight shake of his head. No running. Not now.

Virgil feels a bit like he stepped through a mirror to a second world, an alternate universe. 

Before today, he had never even seen a real life gun, much less known how to keep someone from killing him with one. But Logan does. And Roman risked-- risked?--something by coming to save them. 

He doesn’t belong here, in this world that Logan and Roman know so well, and if he tries to get himself and Patton out of it without help, Virgil knows it won’t end well for them.

So he shakes his head at Patton and he climbs back in the car. 

Weary and faint, and unfortunately aware that his mouth tastes like stomach acids.

“Finally,” Logan says. He holds out an unopened water bottle to him, and Virgil isn’t sure where he got it in the first place. He takes it.

“Where is your phone?” Logan asks, as Patton and Roman climb in too, the latter with a loud verbal complaint on the bullet nicks on his car. Patton giggles.

“I threw it.” Virgil says between gulps of water.

“Pardon?” Logan seems surprised.

“I threw it into the forest.” The bottle crackles in his tight grip, “I’ve seen enough crime TV shows to know the GPS can be backtracked or whatever. It doesn’t matter. It’s gone.”

Roman throws the car out of park while Logan struggles to find words. Patton tugs on his seat belt pleasantly, and then the car is speeding off.

“That was an unnecessary wastes--” Logan starts,

“Chill, Sir Nerdius,” Roman cuts him off, “He’s the heir to a criminal empire. I think he can afford another phone.”

“A waste--”

Patton leans forward, “Better safe than sorry, right!”

“Will you shut up!” Logan snaps at him.

Patton just smiles at him and leans on the back of Roman’s seat, innocently. “Oh I didn’t mean to interrupt. Sorry, LoLo!”

Roman guffaws. 

“Do not call me that!” Logan snarls.

“Please keep calling him that!” Roman howls with laughter. “Oh my god, LoLo!”

“Crash this car. Now.”

“Say, where are we heading, LoLo?”

“Desist with that horrible moniker!” Logan demands, “And I have several safe houses--”

“Stopping you right there!” Roman waves a hand, “We’re going to mine.”

Virgil watches Logan silhouette get within inches of actually strangling their driver before the man gets hold of himself.

“My locations are specifically picked for situations such as--”

“Yeah, I might trust you, CLo-P0 but you’re family is another matter. You can’t seriously think that none of them know about the apartment the Heights, right?”

“Why do you know about my apartment in the Heights!”

“Therefore we’re going somewhere significantly safer!” Roman moves the rear view mirror again catching Virgil’s tired eyes in the reflection, “What do you say, Panic! at the Everywhere?”

“I don’t care where we go as long as we don’t die getting there or after we get there.”

“Are you always this dark and gloomy?” Roman turns the mirror again, “Padre! Can I show you my car collection? It’s spectacular! I have a baby in the same soft blue as your sweater! You’ll love it!”

“Oooh!”

Virgil hears Logan mutter under his breath, but he doesn’t immediately insist they change their course for something like Canada.

It’s not great, he’s not fine. But for now Virgil tugs the sleeves of his jacket over his hands, pulls his legs up on the car seat, and curls into the car door. His eyes droop heavily as the last bits of adrenaline and focus fades

He trusts the others to a degree, to the point where he felt that they wouldn’t try to get him killed in the next few minutes at least.

Virgil falls asleep listening to Roman talk about his cars and Patton answering politely and Logan grumbling under his breath.

Part Four

#mafia au #sanders sides #virgil sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #guns #vomiting #mafia war #college students #college problems

[sign-from-god-complex]

The Purpose of Marriage, To Know That You Are Loved

I’m sorry that you’re sad, anon!!! I wrote you a fluffy lamp/calm fic and I realise it’s more than a little late, but I hope it succeeds in brightening your mood nonetheless.

Summary: Roman had been thinking about it for a while now, and although this wasn’t exactly the way he had expected to propose, he certainly didn’t regret it.

Pairing: LAMP/CALM

Warnings: None that I can think of! But if you see any let me know.

A/N: Catch me out here with my long, weird titles. Also, I’ve started writing two entirely new fics instead of continuing on with A Gift From Me To You, so I think I’m truly getting the fanfiction author experience now. Hope you enjoy this, though!!

AO3 Link

“Marry me?”

There was a shocked silence in the darkened room as the other three occupants processed what had just been said. Roman could see the vague outline of one of his boyfriends, Virgil he thought, turning to look at him incredulously.

It was an impulsive thought, sure, but at the same time, it wasn’t. The four of them had all been together for over a year and a half now, and every second of it had been the best of Roman’s life. Things had been hard at times, of course—they all had their own issues they were trying to work through—but Roman truly felt safe with the three of them. Safer than he’d ever felt with anyone else before, including his family. It may be selfish, but he wanted to keep that forever.

Roman had been thinking about it for months, really. He may not have necessarily expected to be asking right now, but he just hadn’t been able to help himself.

They were laying in the dark in what had previously been Roman’s bedroom but had quickly become their shared room after they’d realised Roman had the largest bed. Roman’s hand was stroking through Patton’s hair, listening to his small noises of contentment. Logan and Virgil were curled up on the other half of the bed behind Patton, though Roman knew that Patton had shoved his legs over in their direction, unwilling to let the two of them cuddle alone.

The moonlight had shone in through the blinds between parted clouds, illuminating the scene for just a long enough moment for Roman’s heart to swell. He loved them. He was so sure. If they said yes, Roman was going to spend the rest of his life telling them, watching Patton giggle and Virgil blush and Logan sigh. In this moment—this perfect moment—Roman’s insecurities were pushed away and he was so, so sure.

“Roman,” Logan sounded strangled, “You know that we can’t. Get married that is. It’s not legal.”

Polyamory still wasn’t accepted, or even really known, by the general public. It wasn’t surprising of course, but it definitely made things slightly harder for them in some areas. If they were ever going to adopt a child, for instance—though that was an entirely different conversation, one that hopefully was much further away—and if they wanted to get married. But Roman wasn’t lying when he said he’d thought about this.

“I know that, Specs, but weren’t you and Virgil the ones telling me that weddings were, and I quote, ‘outdated expensive pageantry’? And, loathe as I was to admit it at the time, in some ways you were right. The point of a wedding shouldn’t be to get married-”

“It shouldn’t?”

Patton was staring up at him in the darkness, sounding extremely confused. Roman smiled brightly down at him, though he was unsure if Patton could see it.

“No! Well, I mean… yes, but not ultimately! The point of a wedding is to put love on display!” Roman waved his arm in an arc above his head, hearing Patton giggle at the gesture. “Would it be nice to have the legal system recognise our commitment to each other? Absolutely. But, quite honestly—and I never thought I’d say this—I am perfectly as content with having a small party with our close friends, just having an evening where I can fully appreciate the three of you and declare to the heavens and beyond how much I love you. Because I do love you all. So much.”

There was silence for a few seconds, and Roman worried that maybe he’d gone overboard and was being too clingy. The quiet was broken however by a choked sound from Patton and he looked down to see tears pooling in his eyes, a massive grin on his face. Logan and Virgil had both sat up at this point and had shifted over slightly closer to Patton and himself. He could still only really make out their silhouettes in the darkness, but Roman could see Virgil leaning against Logan, the latter of which was wiping suspiciously at his face.

“Oh my god, someone turn the lights on,” Roman heard Virgil say, his voice wavering but full of affection, “There is no way you are getting out of giving us a real proposal, you absolute dork.”

Patton lifted his head of off Roman’s chest, instead situating himself between Logan and Virgil. Climbing out of bed and turning the lights on, Roman spun around to see his boyfriends. They were all in slight states of disarray, considering they had just been about to go to sleep before Roman had dropped this on them, but to Roman, they looked as perfect as ever.

They watched him move back towards the bed with shining eyes, Logan and Virgil barely containing their smiles and Patton still beaming. Roman gave them a dazzling grin in response, causing Virgil to snort and Logan to roll his eyes.

And there, in his room, at 11 pm, wearing a Disney princess shirt and Patton’s borrowed cat pyjama pants, Roman got down on one knee.

“Patton, Logan, Virgil. The three of you are the most important people I have ever known in my entire life. Every second I have spent with you has been a blessing-”

Logan opened his mouth, but Roman cut him off before he could speak.

“Yes! Even the time you, Virgil and I almost set fire to the house in an attempt to cook Patton breakfast in bed, resulting in all 3 of us receiving superficial burns and having to go to the emergency room. That moment is still included because although it was one of the less-fun trips to the ER I’ve been a part of, it was still time spent with the three of you. And I cherish that. Every second I can get.”

Logan shut his mouth, a soft look in his eyes. Roman proceeded.

“Patton, you are the sweetest, most kind person I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Your light is so warm and bright and I treasure every moment I am allowed to bask in it. From the moment I first saw you—taking time out of your day to help a little kid find their parents, managing to stop the tears with just a smile and a joke—I knew you were going to have a big place in my life, though I don’t think I ever could have predicted just how big.

“Even on your bad days, you’d drop everything to help someone who needed it and it’s so incredibly admirable. You don’t always have to be strong though, my love. Sometimes, you need to let other people care for you the way you care for them. You’re allowed to be sad and I want to be there to help you through every moment that you are, because you deserve that and much, much more.”

Patton was crying freely now, tears streaming down his face. He’d leant back against Virgil who had wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him closer. Roman watched as Virgil pressed a soft kiss to the top of Patton’s head and smiled.

“Virgil, although I may be a clueless moron all of the time, I’m not such a moron that I can’t see how lucky I am to know you. I was stupid in the early days of our friendship, not understanding that your cautious nature is something to be recognised and understood, instead of mocked the way I had. I’m quite sure you’ve saved my life on more than one occasion, just by stopping me from going through with my ill-advised plans, and even just by being there for me. By granting me with a kindness I hadn’t shown you.

Because that cautious nature of yours presents as more than just anxiety. It presents as concern for others’ wellbeing and care when your friends are feeling down and fierce protection and loyalty to those you consider worth your time. And I could never be more grateful that I was allowed a place amongst those people.”

“Geez, save something for the wedding vows,” Virgil quipped, but his eyes were full of tears.

“Logan,” Roman continued, addressing the last of his boyfriends, “Your intelligence is dazzling, we all know that. Almost every day you teach us something new, whether that’s the scientific names of various vegetables, the relationship between anxiety and achievement, or even just pointing out constellations for us. And I know I like to pretend like I don’t listen or care, but I promise I do. But, dear, there is so much more to you than your intelligence. Logan, you are fun.”

At that admission, Logan’s eyebrows shot up, the shock on his face evident. Roman doubted that anyone had called Logan fun before. Something he needed to rectify.

“I know I haven’t been very good at showing or articulating how much I enjoy spending time with you, but I do. I love debating with you about useless topics, I love assisting you in your science experiments and I love watching you glare at the crossword in the mornings because the caffeine hasn’t caught up with your brain yet, and you're struggling to remember your own name.

“But most of all, I love when you squirm your way into my arms as I’m sitting on the couch, grumbling and telling me to shut up. Because you feel comfortable around me, for some reason, and that’s a privilege I could never take for granted.”

Logan was crying too now, but he tried to cover it up by holding a hand against his face, though not in such a way that it blocked his view of Roman kneeling down there on the carpet.

“Patton Gabriel Hart, Virgil Alexander Moore and Logan Crofters McKenzie-”

“You are aware that that is not my middle name, correct?”

The look Logan was giving him was full of tears and warmth and Roman had to blink back tears of his own in an attempt to keep his composure. He shot him a crooked smile.

“Well, then what is it?”

Logan just laughed, shaking his head.

Roman let out a teasing sigh, “Worth a try.”

“So!” he continued, “Patton Gabriel Hart, Virgil Alexander Moore and Logan McKenzie, I’m quite sure in another life we would have been soulmates. Truly, we fit together in a way that I can barely comprehend, but I never wish to miss out on a single second of it. Will you do me the incredible honour of spending the rest of your lives with me?”

Roman watched as his three boyfriends shared a look and then before he could even recognise the danger, they all tackled him, knocking him over onto the rug. There was laughter ringing in his ears and warmth—so much warmth—all around him. His face was wet from scattered tears but he didn’t notice, his entire being wrapped up in his boyfriends, in the experience of so much love and joy focused in one place.

One by one they all pulled away, leaving Roman laying on the floor as he took a moment to get his breath back.

“Roman, you are… captivating.”

Roman propped himself up on his elbows at Logan’s comment, somewhat confused. The three of them were sitting up, watching him with so much affection in their eyes.

“You are full of life, absolutely brimming with it, always romanticising every aspect of your existence. At first, I thought this to be foolish and setting yourself up for heartbreak, but I now realise that you are not ignorant to the way the world is, you just choose to appreciate the small things. Making sure that you take happiness where you can get it. That is truly admirable.”

Roman smiled. His boyfriends just couldn’t let him have the last word, could they? Though, truly he didn’t mind. How could he possibly mind?

Virgil spoke up next, “You’re so passionate and dedicated to everything you do. Sometimes that passion can be a little bit overwhelming to witness, but mostly it’s… inspiring.”

Roman inhaled slightly in shock. Inspiring? He hardly thought anything he did merited such a label.

“You know that I’m a little, well, a lot anxious, about putting myself out there; the cost of rejection just seems too high, you know? But, watching you come home from auditions, watching you create and create despite every time you’ve been turned down because it’s something you love to do… it’s inspiring, yeah. Makes me feel like there’s a way to get past anything, no matter how hurt you may feel in the moment.”

Roman could tell he was crying again, though he didn’t really think too hard on it, instead pushing himself up so that he was sitting alongside the other three. Patton beamed at Roman, taking the reins from Virgil and leading on.

“You live your life like you’re always in the spotlight. Always providing the audience with a smile, radiating confidence, even when you don’t truly feel it.” He laughed a little self-deprecatingly. “It’s something we have in common.”

Roman gave a comforting smile to Patton, trying to somehow telepathically communicate reassurance. Patton returned with a small smile of his own.

“But,” he continued, “We get to see you backstage too and that’s amazing. We get to see you grow and learn and change, we get to see you at the moments where you don’t feel like the dazzling star you are and we are all so, so happy that you trust us with that. Because it means that we can show you just how wonderful you truly are. We’ll spend the rest of our lives showing you if that’s what it takes.”

Roman was positively glowing.

“Was that a yes then?”

“Yes, Roman,” Logan finally said, “We would be honoured to marry you.”

The next few minutes were kind of a blur. He vaguely remembered lifting Virgil up into the air, much to his fiancé's— fiancé!—protests, and spinning him around, laughing and crying all at once. He definitely kissed each of them at least once, and somehow he’d ended up in Patton’s arms, revelling in the surety they provided. Logan and Virgil had decided to join in too, wrapping their arms around both Patton and Roman as best as they were able to.

It was warm, it was likely a bit uncomfortable but, god, it was perfect. He wanted to be surrounded by his fiancés like this forever, and now, he could.

#sanders sides #sanders side fic #roman sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #virgil sanders #lamp/calm #lo can write #I keep accidentally writing super late cause my sense of time is Shit #I swear 12 am we need to stop meeting like this

[residentanchor]

A Stone’s Throw Away

Act 2, Chapter 3

<<Chapter 2

“You work for King Thomas?!” Patton’s eyes lit up at the revelation. “That’s so cool! And convenient!” Patton turned to Roman. “Must have been easy for you to stop by at the castle if you needed to while delivering those letters, too!” Virgil rubbed his hands on his face while Logan sighed, smirking to himself. Roman simply chuckled and shook his head. “Don’t ever change, Patton.” “Huh?” “Patton, Roman wasn’t delivering letters to just anyone in the castle town for me,” Patton turned to the nobleman as he spoke. “He was delivering letters to the king at the castle.” “Really?!” Patton’s face lit up and he smiled back at Roman. “You’ve been to the castle? You’ve met the king?!” “I really had nothing to worry about with you, huh?” Virgil mumbled to himself.

“King Thomas was the one to assign me as Lord of this region,” Logan explained. “He had met my parents and I at an event held at the castle. My relationship with my parents is a bit unsteady, but King Thomas heard me out and gave me this position as a way to take care of myself and get some freedom. I am extremely grateful for it.”

Patton felt the tension in the air after that. There was the obvious burning question staring him right in the face that Patton held back. What happened between him and his parents? Logan almost looked like he was waiting for it to be asked. “Oh, well, that was super nice of him! Do you like being a lord?”

Patton saw Virgil smile a bit and duck his head as Logan gave him a rather surprised look. “Oh, well, yes. It’s nice to be able to hear the people out and give ideas to the king as to how I think things can improve. Thomas genuinely seems like he wants to help everyone, which is a bit silly. He’s spreading himself too thin, but… It’s nice to see someone who can help others actually try to.”

“He sounds so sweet! I’d love to meet him someday!” The other three glanced at each other, an unspoken message passed between them. 

“Well,” Roman spoke up, standing from his spot under the tree. They had been meeting more and more, enjoying the weather whenever they could. “I’m not quite sure about that. I don’t know when I’ll ever bring another letter back to the castle, if ever! Anyway, I must be going.” “Me as well. There is paperwork to be done.” “I should patrol the grounds again anyway. It’s been a few hours.”

As they all stood up and headed back towards the house, Patton couldn’t help but feel like they were hiding something from him. Or, at the very least, he said something he should not have and made it feel awkward that they all had to suddenly run off. While he did feel welcome, there were still times Patton was reminded that he was still an outsider to their tight knit family.

Deciding to let drop it and not be nosy, Patton stood up and wandered back to the garden nearby. Pestering them to talk about something they clearly didn’t want to share was a bad idea. They let Patton into their home and gave him a chance at life he never really had before and he was trying his darndest to not ruin it, not that he was succeeding very well. Patton stared at the garden as he got close enough and let out a sigh. Some things were alive and thriving, but the other half was either not doing so well or a complete failure. Just because Patton understood some things about gardening did not qualify him to be able to run one by himself, and especially one this big! Emile, the previous gardener, had definitely left enough material that Patton was learning a lot. However, he struggled to read the books coherently enough due to his schooling being cut short. Patton was beginning to think it was all hopeless for him, but he had gotten this far! He wasn’t about to just give up now that he had gotten this far!

Kneeling down to inspect the droopy seedlings that had started to sprout, Patton wondered if he should just ask for help and admit his shortcomings, but he really didn’t want to disappoint Logan. And he certainly didn’t want to get himself fired and kicked off of the property since he couldn’t do his one and only job correctly! Not that he was entirely convinced that Logan would even do such a thing. They had bonded well over the past few weeks as the other two were usually busy running around. He did enjoy Logan’s company and it was fun to watch the nobleman dance around his feelings for a certain knight.

Patton pulled a few weeds that were trying to encroach on his garden when he heard a heavy snap come from the nearby treeline. He stopped and stood up, covering his eyes from the sun to squint toward the forest. Iit had to have been a big twig to make a snap loud enough to get his attention. Patton hadn’t seen too much wildlife try to come out to feed at his failing attempts to grow food. Usually the deer and squirrels would wait until he had gone inside before feasting away at his hard work. Luckily, Virgil had been a bit more vigilant about his patrols around the grounds. Before Patton had arrived, he was a bit more relaxed but something had happened that caused the guard to up his searches, not that Patton knew why that was. 

So for an animal to be this close was a bit of a surprise. Patton gripped the wooden fence around the garden and jumped over it with ease. He approached the treeline while looking out for any other movement. “Virgil? Is that you already?” Another branch snapped and Patton could see a shape moving. “Virgil?” The sight of a cloaked figure carefully emerging from the woods caused Patton to let out a shriek as he stepped back. “We meet again, Patton.” “Again?” Patton kept his distance as he examined the stranger. He placed a hand over his frantic heartbeat in a futile attempt to calm it down. “We’ve met before? I don’t think I’ve ever met someone mysterious and... wait,” Patton gaped a bit. “Are you the same person from the village? Who said they’d help me leave and go on an adventure?”

“I wanted you to realize your dream, Patton. Tell me, how did I do? Bringing someone to your family with heavily lined pockets and an idea.”

“You… you’re the one who told that family to ask my father to help with the house?” Patton smiled and felt his excitement bubble up inside him. “Yes, it was great! It worked perfectly! I had never seen my mother so excited, thank you!” “Good. Now, have you kept your end of our deal?” The figure looked over Patton’s shoulder to the house in the distance. “My end?” “You were to remain close to the messenger, Roman.” “Oh, right! Well, I um, sort of did?” Patton blushed and smiled a bit awkwardly. “We have gotten to know each other much better but I don’t think we’re that close, to be honest.” “No, I meant physically. Your emotional relationship is not my concern. Is the messenger nearby?” “Oh… Oh, well, yeah. He is. Why?”

The figure nodded before looking away from the house. “And the package he delivered, it’s here?” “Package?” Patton frowned and thought back to the previous weeks he’d been living here. “Roman’s brought a few things back since then, I guess.”

“No, the package from the castle! The one he had when you met up with him and arrived here!”

“No,” Patton shook his head, completely lost as to what the stranger was talking about. “He said he had a letter, not a package.”

The figure groaned in frustration before angrily stepping closer, causing Patton to flinch back. “There was a package in his bag. It must be here! You are to locate it for me immediately!”

“W-what?! No way! I can’t do that to them!” Patton shuffled away and glared at the figure. “Why do you even want it? Who are you?” “That isn’t of your concern. That package is important and I need it.” They stepped closer and Patton bravely stood his ground. “I helped you, Patton. I helped you and your family so you could go run off without them.”

“That’s not fair, I-”

“What if that all went away?”

The words hit Patton as if it was a physical blow. He felt scared for the first time since leaving. He’d been running on adrenaline and guilt and excitement… but he had never stopped and thought about this figure and what they wanted. “What…?”

“Your family, Patton. Your darling mother who tries so hard. Your father who has settled back in taking over your chores and taking care of himself. Oh, and all those lovely little siblings of yours.” Patton could hear the smirk in the mysterious figure’s voice as his eyes widened with fear. “I gave that to you and I can take it away.”

“No, no! You can’t, that’s not...” Patton shook his head, starting to fear the possibilities. What did this stranger even want from him? Why go through all this for some package? Patton gasped and began to notice his breathing had turned into shallow breaths as he tried to collect himself.

"I can and will, Patton, unless you go in there and give me what I want. I can even make a quick visit to Roman if your family isn't enough for you. I'd be sure to let him know it's your fault I had to stop by. Now, what shall it be? Your real family or this new one you're playing around with?"

Patton couldn't hide his panic as he held back his tears. "You can't, I don't... I can’t do this. Please." Patton pleaded, grabbing the fabric of his shirt and bunching it in his hands. "Please, I, please... I can't."

"I will be back tomorrow night to collect. I expect to see you then."

The figure turned and walked back into the treeline, disappearing into the thick brush and trees before him. He wasn't sure how long he stood there, pleading for his heart to calm down and his tears to dry. What did they want? And what was he going to do? He wasn't even sure where to look! Unless...

"The third floor..."

---

Act 3>>

#Sanders sides fic #sanders sides fanfic #my writing #ts patton #ts roman #ts logan #ts virgil #tw threats