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#Logan sanders fluff
A Touch Of Something New
Prompt: - ⋆ "please, i'm begging you. don't make me watch the nightmare before christmas again." (Credit to @/scealaiscoite for this writing prompt which you can find here!<3)
Summary: Logan has been overworking himself for weeks on end and Virgil has become increasingly more and more worried about him, at a time when he least expects it, he comes up with an idea on how to get him to take a break.
Ship: romantic analogical
CW/TW: self-neglect due to hyperfocus and exhaustion (forgetting to eat, sleep, drink water, etc.)
Logan blinked slowly at the screen in front of him, hands in his hair, eyes irritated and threatening to close. He looked down to the bottom right to check the time. It was 3:26 AM, he had been working for 5 hours straight. His movements felt measured and drawn out as he sunk down into his chair. He was so, so tired. The script he was working on for the next video was barely done.
He closed his eyes and the burning feeling in his eyes became worse. Everything ached and he so desperately wanted to crawl next to his boyfriend and sleep.
Virgil had been begging him to take a break for weeks, to spend time with him, to eat, to drink water, anything, just stop working for two seconds; he insisted he was fine, that he could go without it, reminding him that he loved him dearly but he couldn’t pull his focus away from this right now. He begrudgingly opened his eyes and turned his chair around to face their bed.
The room was dark except for the blue light from the computer screen. His eyesight was fuzzy, but he noticed that Virgil had curled up against a pillow, his pillow. He sighed and turned around, powering his computer down hazily, watching as his progress faded into a black screen. He stared for a second, wanting to power it back on and force himself to work until sunrise.
He shook his head and sighed, getting up out of his chair. The room spun for a few long seconds before he felt someone’s arms wrap around his waist and hook their head over his shoulder. “Are you coming to bed?” Virgil said in his ear sleepily. When had Virgil gotten out of bed? He felt like he was going crazy.
Logan rubbed his eyes with his palms and nodded. He needed to sleep. “Thank you.” Virgil whispered before letting him go.
They both got into bed and Virgil pulled him into him, hooking his head over his shoulder again, whispering sweet nothings in his ear in his half asleep state.
“You work too hard Lo, but I love you.”
“Thank you for coming to bed, it’s the first step towards actually taking care of yourself”
“I’m proud of you.”
Logan was barely registering what Virgil was saying, but sank into his touch nevertheless. “Mhmmm” he responded every so often.
When Virgil noticed the responses becoming few and far between he began to stop talking and started planting small kisses on top of his head.
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Logan awoke to Virgil running his fingertips along his arm and staring at him lovingly.
“Good morning” he said gently
Logan smiled, but it quickly faded as his worries for the script took over. It was like watching storm clouds roll in over a sunny sky. Virgil saw the look in his eyes and took his face in his hands. “Honey, please, I am begging you, don’t think about work, just for today.”
Logan feigned a weak smile.
“Y’know, it’s almost Halloween, which means Christmas is even closer, so I was thinking instead of you working we could—“
"please, i'm begging you. don't make me watch the nightmare before christmas again." Logan interjected playfully.
“No, not that. I actually wanted to just hang out today; drink hot cocoa and watch horror movies? and maybe…cuddle a bit?” He said the last part quietly, he was a bit desperate for more psychical contact at this point, considering Logan and him hadn’t had any time together awake for atleast two weeks straight.
“I’ll make the drinks,” he said happily, “Do you want anything while I’m in the kitchen?” Logan asked
Virgil shook his head, a little grin on his face, he was just glad he was taking care of himself for the first time in a while.
He left the room, and with the way that he was positioned, he watched as Logan, with a huge smile on his face, giddily prepared their drinks. He never showed too much affection outwardly, that’s just how he was, but whenever he got the chance Virgil would watch as he did little things to show how happy he was. Smiling like it was the last time he ever would, humming, melting into Virgil’s touch whenever he let himself be relaxed for a moment. Virgil found it adorable, those little moments of his.
Logan added multiple tiny marshmallows into Virgil’s drink, watching them melt a little, just the way he liked it. He added whipped cream into his, and walked back into the room to find Virgil smiling to himself.
“What is it that you’re thinking about?” He said, interested, handing Virgil his drink.
He took it, and looked down to see the white sugar of the marshmallows mixing with the cocoa; it was as if he could feel the love of all of these years suddenly encapsulating the room.
He looked up, still smiling. “Nothing, don’t worry about it. I just really love you.”
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Janis’ Pillow Pile (Aka Fluff)
+ When watching movies without Thomas, the sides like to have cuddle piles, usually Patton starts them but occasionally Roman will too.  + Janus and Logan have a book club together. They pick a book to discuss at the end of each month. 
+ Virgil likes to make things out of spiderwebs,  sometimes its cool patterns, sometimes its little animals, he finds it relaxing. 
+ Remus and Janus have their own movie nights where they watch horror movies. The whole time, Janus comments on how stupid the main characters are while Remus gets ideas for intrusive thoughts to give Thomas. 
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yerkes-dodson-curve · 3 months
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Patton makes bracelets
Headcannon Patton makes all of the sides friendship bracelets they have a colour representing each of them and look like an 8 year old made them BUT he makes sure to hand-give them out to everyone with like the biggest smile :3
Logan and Virgil would seem unimpressed but wear it religiously, every day, no matter what. Roman would wear it every day but lose it after about 2 weeks. Janus would say "thank you SO much, I'm so impressed by the fine craftsmanship, I can tell you spent SO long on it" and wear it around is ankle every day. Patton never finds out he still wears it all the time. Remus eats it the second Patton turns around.
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While Logan goes on about a healthy lifestyle and good work/life balance he sometimes doesn't follow that very well himself, it's up to another Side (or Sides) to help him relax and take a break
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menace-sama · 1 year
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a rose for you~ 🌹
logan’s trying his best, of course roman has to go all out to show his love hshshhs also just an excuse to tell the nickname i made them give each other
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rosepetalgold · 1 month
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i look at you (and i dream)
Summary: Roman tells Logan what he’s thinking about and discovers his dreams might be closer to reality than he’d dared to imagine.
Relationships: Romantic Logince
Warnings: None! Pure domestic fluff!
Word count: 962
Notes: Title inspired by Mikrokosmos by BTS
Read on Ao3 Masterpost
-
“Roman, are you even listening to me?”
Roman blinks, emerging out of the colorful tapestry of his thoughts to find Logan staring at him from where he’s paused chopping vegetables for the dish he’s concocting for dinner, one eyebrow arched in a silent question.
“Sorry, my love,” he says sheepishly. “I just got caught up daydreaming.”
Logan sighs, shaking his head not unkindly as he returns to his cutting board, the slightest upturn of his lips betraying that he mustn’t be too put out by Roman’s lapse of focus. “I suppose it would be too much to ask for your ambitions of fame and grandeur to wait until I was done telling you about my day.”
“Oh, no, I wasn’t thinking about any of that.”
“Work, then?”
“No, not that either.”
“Then what on earth were you daydreaming about?”
“You.”
Logan casts him a sideways glance, clearly baffled, even as his knife doesn’t falter in its steady rhythm. “I’m right here.”
“I know,” Roman breathes, not even trying to keep the wonderment out of his voice at the truth of such a simple statement, still unable to quite believe that this was real, that Logan was here, was choosing him, was his. “But I look at you and I just can’t help but dream.”
But his words only cause the puzzlement furrowing Logan’s brow to deepen. “I don’t understand. What could you possibly be dreaming about?”
Roman laughs under his breath, answers dancing over one another in his mind like so many bits of dandelion fluff caught in a breeze, too many to ever count. Where to even begin?
“Everything.”
He shifts closer, gently finessing the knife from Logan’s grip and laying it on the counter before taking his lover’s hands in his own.
“I dream about waking up next to you every morning and watching the sunset next to you every night. I dream about seeing you land your dream job and finally being recognized for that endlessly brilliant mind of yours. I dream about buying a house together out in the country like you want and us making it our own. I dream about surprising you with homegrown roses on idyllic summer mornings and slow dancing in the dark with you on starlit winter nights. I dream about all the days I’ll come home to you and all the ways I’ll fall even deeper in love with you and all the countless quiet moments I’ll get to just be by your side as we grow old and gray.” He laces their fingers together, marveling inwardly at how readily Logan reciprocates the touch, palms warm and steady against his own. “I dream of us, of the life we’ll lead, of the future we have together.”
Logan only stares at him for a long moment, gaze searching his own as a hint of pink begins to tinge his cheeks, and Roman can’t help but smile softly at the sight, leaning in to press a chaste kiss to the bloom of color.
“You really think about all that?” Logan’s voice is slightly choked, words scarcely more than a whisper, and Roman draws back, a twinge of worry flickering to life in his stomach, but Logan’s grip tightens around his, keeping him from retreating.
“Of course I do. You’re it for me, Logan; why would I ever dream about anything else?”
Logan doesn’t even bother replying, simply tugs one hand free from Roman’s fingers, wraps it around the back of his neck, and pulls him into an ardent kiss.
Logan had never been as much of one for words as Roman was, had always tended to struggle a bit to vocalize his deepest feelings, but Roman doesn’t need a long-winded reply, not when the press of the other man’s body against his is all the answer he needs.
Logan, though, apparently isn’t content to let his reaction do all the talking for him.
“I know that not many people would call me a dreamer,” he says as he pulls back, gaze so open and vulnerable in the golden rays of the late afternoon light that Roman’s heart squeezes in his chest. “But I want that too. That future. The two of us. You.”
“It’s ours,” Roman vows. “And I’m yours.”
They meet in the middle this time, an intoxicating press of lips that tastes of hopes and dreams and happy endings, and oh nevermind all his indulgent imaginings about what might be, this is all Roman could ever want.
If this is his reward for daydreaming, he really needs to do it more often.
Entirely too soon Logan is drawing back again, rosiness now fully blossomed across his cheekbones.
“We don’t have to have a house in the country,” he says as if his brain has just caught up to Roman’s earlier words, the delay in processing entirely more endearing than it should be. “I know you like the city.”
Roman shrugs, sure the expression on his face can only be described as utterly besotted as his hands find a home in the familiar curve of Logan’s waist, pure affection melting through every inch of his body. “I can compromise as long as there’s no bears.”
Logan chuckles, low and bemused.
“No bears,” he promises, and with the way his eyes are sparkling with amusement, what else is Roman supposed to do but kiss him again?
“Love you,” Logan murmurs against his lips, the words still enough even after all this time to send butterflies dancing through Roman’s stomach like it’s the first he’s ever heard them. “I love you so much.”
“Love you too,” he whispers, and here, with Logan in his arms, present and future inseparable from each other for one breathlessly suspended moment, he can’t dream to ask for anything more.
-
Taglist (let me know if you’d like to be added or removed!): @darth-does-stuff
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typically-untypical · 4 months
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Ballet and Parkour
AU: Dance
CW: Remus being sexual but nothing over the top
WC: 1,307
Date: 12/9/2023 (Still playing catch up!)
"Don't get me wrong double dee," Remus whined, wrapping his arm around his boyfriend's shoulder. "You look hot in that leotard, but did you really have to wear it during today's practice? You were all over Lewis and I wanted to pull his spine out through his throat." The taller man made a grumpy groan, flailing his other hand about as they walked slowly down the street. 
"And what if I said I was interested in Lewis? Would you try to stop me?" Remus stopped walking, allowing Janus to take a few steps in front of him before turning around. As always he had that cocky ass smirk on his face and it relaxed Remus a bit.
"You're not an idiot. If you were suddenly interested in that prick, I'd get your head checked for damage. You're the one who saw through his bullshit the first time. You called out what he was doing was wrong and inappropriate. If you suddenly fell for him, I'd eat my pointe shoes."
Janus snorted, "You'd eat your pointe shoes on a dare, that isn't very convincing. I swear, didn't you attempt to confuse one of the younger dancers, lying to them about how the only proper way to break in your shoes was to boil them with salt? She almost believed you too, poor girl."
"First off, she should know not to trust a man," Remus giggled, "But second, I wouldn't have actually let her do it. Those fuckers are expensive and I might have money to burn but I know not everyone does."
"So you've told me." Janus took a step back, obviously trying to lead Remus forward. "Why do you insist on taking roles that would normally require pointe shoes anyway. I've gotten away with never wearing them in our troupe." 
"Easy, fucking over the gender binary," Remus stated, but realized pretty quickly that Janus wasn't listening. His eyes had that far off look he got when something had caught his attention. Remus stepped forward to look down the alley they were passing by. His jaw dropped. Some dude was practicing parkour in rigorous repetition. He jumped from trashcan to fire escape in a singular fluid movement, but the part that had most likely caught Janus' attention was the fluidity of his mid air spin. He threw his body with the force of a professional, spinning just enough to catch the fire escape ladder before letting it go. He reset, and jumped again. Janus had always been a sucker for technique. Remus, however, was always dazzled by strength, and those muscles were sculpted.
"Excuse me," Came a deep voice that snapped both of them out of their thoughts. "It is my understanding that it's considered rude to stare at people, and also that people normally are stared at due to committing some sort of social faux pa. Would you please enlighten me if I have stepped out of social bounds, or if you have?" It almost sounded accusatory but with room for explanation.
Remus felt his whole body blush and he immediately wanted to kiss the SAT words out of that man's mouth. Fuck, this was how Janus had won him over. What was with hot strong men?! 
"Apologies, it's the two of us who shouldn't have stared, but we aren't staring due to a social faux pa. We're staring because of your talent."
"And your hot ass!" Remus chimed in, immediately getting a glare from Janus. He knew he was in trouble now but he just hadn't been able to help it. The man was hot, what was wrong with saying that? He wasn't going to go into further detail, normally it was best to let Janus do the talking. He gave his boyfriend a sheepish, barely apologetic grin, and then he heard the laughing.  
Their new parkour friend was holding his hand over his mouth as if to try to stifle his joy. "A-apologies, I didn't mean to laugh, however, I've never met someone quite so blunt. It's strange to be hit on by strangers but I do appreciate the honesty." He walked over to the two of them, holding out his hand. "My name is Logan and my skill comes from consistent practice. Are you two also traceurs? I would much appreciate someone I can discuss technique with?"
Janus took his hand first, shaking firmly. He wasn’t sure what word Logan had just used by he knew Parkour when he saw it and decided just to play off that. Hopefully the other man wouldn’t notice and he could look up the word later. "Parkour's not our preferred form of exercise, however we can appreciate talent when we see it, and some of your skills would translate well with what we do." Not perfectly, there was always a learning curve when it came to switching sports or anything of that nature but Remus would be willing to learn.
"If not parkour then where do your interests lie?" He tilted his head in such a cute way. Remus had to grab Janus' hand to make sure he didn't go after Logan right in that moment. He knew he could be a lot sometimes, but he liked being true to himself, and sometimes that meant throwing caution to the wind. This probably wasn't one of those times. 
"Ballet," Janus answered, "And it is rare to see someone pull off a mid air twist with that much consistency and fluidity. Especially someone who isn't a dancer." He returned Logan's smile and Remus started to pull a bit at Janus' hand. It was a stim, of sorts, anything to prevent him from running his mouth and ruining a potential friendship with this man. "Apologies, it seems my boyfriend needs my attention."
"Oh, boyfriend?" Logan asked, and the air around him shifted. No, no, no, no, no. That wouldn't do. Remus didn't hold himself back.
"Non exclusive. The two of us are those kinky polyamorous types." He cackled but if the squeeze from Janus was any indication it wasn't super convincing.
"Not how I would phrase it," Janus said with a sigh, "But yes, we are polyamorous. However, I think it's far more important that we're interested in seeing how else you can apply that talent. Would you be interested in joining us for a practice session? We would be amiable to hearing about your technique if you would be amiable to a few questions." Cool as always, he was able to ask Logan out on a date without even batting an eye.  
"Very well," Logan replied, just as cool, just as calm. "However, I would appreciate if you would leave me for the time being, after we exchange numbers. You are, after all, blocking the exit to this alley."
"True," Janus said, pulling out a pen, reaching out for Logan's hand again. "But you've already proven to us that us standing here wouldn't be a hindrance to your escape. That is what intrigued us after all."
Logan nodded in response, allowing Janus to write down his number. "That is also true, however, perception is very important, is it not?"
"It is," Janus agreed, "So make sure to wear something comfortable for our practice session. The two of us would both like to see your skill for ourselves."
With everything agreed upon, Janus and Remus left, making their way a full block before either broke down.
"Jannie, he was so hot! Gods I hope he is interested because I am interested." They were still holding hands and Remus was swinging about, desperate to get rid of the energy he had bottled up.
"Me too, Re, me too, but we'll just have to wait and see." Remus nodded, but Janus had that look on his face like he knew something Remus didn't. Gods he hoped Janus had a plan up his sleeve.
Tag List: @simplestoryteller @fantasticfangirl21 @joylessnightsky @glacierruler @tsspromptmonth
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A Sleeping Dragon
“This movie is completely unrealistic!” spoke out Logan, completely and utterly exasperated during Wreck it Ralph. Family movie nights never went according to plan. “There is no possible way video game characters could interact in that way and frankly, the way the inner workings of electrical units are portrayed is ridiculous.”
Roman sighed. He looked down at Virgil who was laying into him fast asleep. “Logan, it’s just a movie. It's a silly movie. It isn’t meant to be realistic.”
Patton giggled. “Yeah, Lo! It’s just a movie.”
Logan huffed. “I don’t see how someone could enjoy a film when it is so blatantly ridiculous.” Roman rolled his eyes, while Patton just giggled again. “It should have at least some aspect of a realistic component to it.”
”Just watch the movie, Specs,” huffed Roman in annoyance.
Virgil, who was curled up napping in between Roman and Patton with his head in Roman’s lap, stirred. He grunted, very annoyed. “Who woke me up?”
All three sides froze. You did not want to be the person who woke Virgil up. He didn’t sleep much, so when he did, he expected to not be disturbed.
“Well? I’m waiting,” demanded Virgil, now sitting up straight. He looked around in question, arms crossed.
Roman blurted out, pointing an accusatory finger toward the logical trait in the recliner. “Logan was complaining about the movie!”
Logan glared at Roman in indignation. “Oh, I’m sorry. Am I not allowed to speak during the whole movie?” he inquired angrily. He turned to Virgil. “Besides, I would have dropped it if Roman would have just nodded and agreed with me. But no, he had to argue,” he added scowling.
Virgil hid his smirk and instead raised an eyebrow. “Oh, is that so?” In reality, he never actually got mad when he was woken up. He just liked messing with the others (especially Roman) however he could. Virgil figured he could have some fun with this.
”O-oh, well-” stuttered Roman.
“I thought I heard something other than Logan’s voice! I heard someone else who was frankly quite louder than Logan!” interjected Virgil looking up at Roman. Roman paled.
“Ah well, I was just defending the movie that’s all,” he replied, trying to hide his fear and failing miserably. “Simply making conversation.”
Virgil smothered a grin. He loved making Roman nervous. “Well, Roman, we all know you’re a lot louder than Logan; it was probably you who woke me up.”
“Now that’s not always-“
Roman was cut off by his yelp, feeling a poke at his ribs. “No interrupting!” scolded Virgil, this time forgetting to mask the grin and the obvious enjoyment he was getting out of this.
Roman blanched as Virgil’s intentions were made clear. “Virge, I’m sorry! Honest! You can go back to sleep, and we’ll all be quiet okay?” He glanced around to see if any of the other Sides would lend a hand. Logan was pretending to be fascinated by the movie suddenly and Patton was also suddenly too ‘preoccupied‘ to notice. He began to grow very nervous as Virgil crept up closer to him.
“Well, I’m already awake now thanks to you-“ he poked Roman’s side again who squeaked at the touch. Virgil‘s evil smile took up his whole face. “I’m very upset, Roman. My sleep was disturbed.” Roman began whining and backed into the arm of the sofa as Virgil continued to get closer. Patton and Logan finally turned their attention to the two traits in the middle of a standoff.
“Don’t hurt him, Virgil!” pleaded Patton.
“I appreciate your concern, but don’t worry Pat. I won’t hurt him. Physically anyway. His pride might be a little bruised.” Virgil smirked again. Roman continued to plead with the darker side despite knowing full well that nothing would stop what was about to happen.
“Come on, Virgil, please! I promise it won’t happen again! I- EEP!“ A pinch to his side.
“Too late, Princey. In all your years of being a prince, has no one told you the most important rule?“
Virgil paused as if trying to build up even more anticipation. He leaned in so close, that Roman could feel the anxious Side’s breath against his neck.
“Don’t wake a sleeping dragon.”
With that, he pounced on Roman and scribbled all over his torso immediately causing the Prince to break into frantic cackles. He mercilessly tickled all over and despite Roman’s defenses, Virgil was just too fast. Every place he tried to guard, the anxious side would just tickle somewhere else. Roman was hysterically laughing and resorted to calling for help from the others.
“HEEHEHEHELLLPPP!!” He cried through his desperate laughter.
“You shouldn’t require our assistance. You should be able to fight him off yourself. If I’m not mistaken, you supposedly have beaten this so-called ‘Dragon Witch’ which, judging by the name, would seem much more dangerous than the tickle monster,” replied Logan, a teasing smile encompassing his features.
”Oh I’m not sure about that Logan,” joked Virgil. “The tickle monster is pretty vicious.”
Poor Roman turned a bright red. “Stahahahahahahap teheheheasheheing!!”
“Aww Lo, look he’s blushing really hard,” Patton gushed.
Roman just blushed harder at that, the teasing was killing him. He was laughing himself hoarse while Virgil just snickered with no signs of stopping anytime soon. After what seemed like hours, Virgil noticed Roman’s laugh becoming more breathy.
“Well, Princey,” Virgil began. Roman was beside himself laughing, as Virgil’s hands were shoved in his armpits “I think you might have learned your lesson.” Roman nodded frantically. “Okay, okay. I’ll stop on one condition. You say, ‘Virgil, you are the best side in the entire world and I would be nothing without you, and I promise to never disrupt your sleep ever again.’ Can you say that?” Roman squeaked as a response. Virgil chuckled knowing Roman couldn’t possibly; he was laughing way too hard.
“VIRHIHIGLLE YOHOHOHO ARHAHAA AHHHHH!”
“Yes? I am what?”
“BEHEHEHEEHEST SIHIHIHIHDE- OHOHOHO MYHHYHY GOHOHOSH!”
Virgil laughed. “And?”
“IHIHIHI CAHAHAHANT REMEHEHEMBER!!” Roman cried in desperation. Virgil started to feel a little bad.
“Alright close enough.” He finally stopped and poor Princey fell limp, giggling and wheezing for air. Virgil smiled down at him. “Sorry dude. May have gone slightly overboard,” he apologized.
“Hahaha, my stohohomahahach, ohoho mahan.”
Virgil helped him sit up and got him settled. Roman was exhausted, so Virgil let him lay in his lap. “There you go, Sir Sing-a-lot,” Roman mumbled a thank you. The roles were reversed as Roman laid napping on Virgil and the rest of the bunch were threatened to stay quiet by Virgil, lest they get the same treatment Roman did. They all watched the movie in silence.
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faulty-rob · 1 year
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They love you! :]
(Here’s the reference from Pinterest beside it so credit to the creator of that!)
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anxietybeans · 1 year
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I want a fanfic about the sides all being reincarnation as humans and following them there life until they all find each other like it starts with them saying their goodbyes as Thomas is in a hospital bed then poof reborn all apart but the twins and when as they go through school everyone slowly meets or like patton meets virgil in middle school but virgil has to move but they still text and then they meet again their senior year of high school and everyone meets including Thomas and yes there would be ships
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edupunkn00b · 4 months
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Mise Out of Place
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Edited photo. Original by Icons8 Team via Unsplash.
mise en place (ˌmē-ˌzäⁿ-ˈpläs) noun Borrowed from French. A culinary process in which ingredients are prepared and organized (as in a restaurant kitchen) before cooking Also : the set of ingredients prepared using this process
Written for @starlocked01 for the @sanderssidesgiftxchange. I hope you enjoy this mix of crack and fluff with some elements unexpectedly made canon by last week's video.
Many thanks to the developmental beta reader, "Some Guy," who provided invaluable assistance and cheerleading with this story. Fluff is hard, y'all.
WC: 2k (okay, almost 2K) - Rated: T for a bit of swearing - CW: fluff, crack, and a hint of Remus-y imagery - [ AO3 ] -
“And… we’re live!”
“Thanks, Freddie,” Roman muttered, just out of earshot of the lavaliere mics pinned to Patton's and Remus' aprons.
“Maybe after his glow up,” Janus murmured, equally quietly.
Patton grinned at the camera, the edge of Janus’ hat fuzzy and barely visible past the glare of the ring light. “Hey there, Kiddos—”
“I’m Remus!” Said Side jumped into the frame, one long arm draped over Patton’s shoulders. Instead of looking at the camera, he stared expectantly at Patton, his grin far, far too wide.
Patton nodded, his own smile still plastered on. “And I’m your Happy Pappy Patton!”
Remus leaned closer and they said in unison, “And welcome to Messers en Place!”
Janus’ hat bobbed on the other side of the camera and Patton’s smile brightened. They’d practiced and practiced—and practiced—their video intro, each time failing to be in sync. Even Patton had begun to fear they’d have to rewrite it. But this time, when it mattered, really mattered, they did it!
“And what are we making today, Pattycake?” Remus prompted him when he failed to say his next line.
“Oh, right! To-daay…” He drew out his words as he looked around the ingredients oh-so-carefully spread out over the countertop. Mise en place, Roman had called it. Logan had tried to hide his surprise behind a little fumble with his glasses, but Patton hadn’t missed the way Logan’s eyes had widened.
“Ahem, well, yes, Roman is correct,” he'd finally managed. Remus bounced on his toes next to Patton, picking up each tiny bowl and sniffing at its contents.
“Careful there, Ro Bro,” he'd cackled. “Nerdy Wolverine’s gonna bust a nut with you knowing things.”
“I am not—”
“Hey, Pattycake, what’s this one?” Winking, Remus pulled him back into the present moment and shoved a bowl of brown spices into his hands.
“Oh, um…” Patton sniffed carefully. “It’s cumin, Remus.”
“Well, if you insist…” he began, reaching for his belt.
“Remus!” Roman cried, bonking his brother's head with the boom mic.
“Muse, not now, boy,” Janus murmured from the other side of the room.
Virgil groaned from his perch at the top of the refrigerator, silently tapping the sides of the fire extinguisher in his lap. “Are we sure having these two do a cooking show was a good idea for the stream?”
“Of course it is!” Remus and Roman said together. 
And it really was a good idea. The twins had blurted out the concept together during a brainstorming session and even Logan had agreed this would be first in their livestream series. He'd even suggested the name.
So here they were, the two of them, about to cook. Together.
They could do this. Patton could do this.
Remus’ smile had grown too wide again, eyebrows arched high.
Right, the cumin.
“We’re making spaghetti and meatballs,” Patton remembered his line and smiled at the camera.
“Balls,” Remus muttered under his breath, shoulders dancing.
Patton gasped and sneezed into the little bowl, spraying cumin up into the air and all over his face.
“Oh, I gotcha, Daddy—”
“Remus!” Roman lowered the boom mic with an offended huff only he could manage to sound princely. 
“Aw, Kiddo!” His catigan sleeves were safely tucked beneath his apron, but he brushed them clean anyway. Remus whipped out a concerningly clean handkerchief from under his sash and dabbed at Patton’s face. 
“It’s sweet,” Patton smiled at Roman just off camera.
“I don’t get paid enough for this,” Roman muttered.
“You don’t get paid at all, Princey!”
“Need I remind you all we’re still live?” Logan hissed from the hallway.
“It’s fine, Logan, dear,” Janus murmured, tapping the laptop just out of frame. Comments scrolled up the screen faster than they'd ever been. “The viewers are eating it up.”
Logan frowned at the screen for a long moment before shrugging. “He’s right. Okay, carry on."
Face now clean, Patton nodded and carried a big stock pot to the sink. “Right, first step is to start the water. Remus, will you—”
“One step ahead of you, Daddy!” Patton barely made out his words over the rush of the faucet.
And the crash just behind him.
Patton swung around, water sloshing out of the pot and onto the floor. “Remus!”
Remus had shoved all the measured ingredients to the far edge of the counter. Spices and oil spilled over the plate of ground meat and the long loaf of italian bread was broken in half. A wedge of parmesan had impaled the softening butter and the head of garlic had rolled onto the floor. At the center of the counter was a giant neon green air fryer into which Remus had jammed the entire—sealed—box of linguini and a jar of sauce. "Oh, and Merry Christmas, by the way. Thought you could use one of these babies!" he said, slapping the top of the device. "Hm… I wonder if I could fit one of those in here, too…"
“Wait, Remus, no—” Patton dropped the stock pot and reached out as Remus cranked the air fryer up to 500°F and slammed the start button. 
“Well, it was nice having a kitchen,” Virgil muttered and pulled the pin from the extinguisher, nozzle aimed directly at the air fryer.
“No, it’s fine,” Patton said, voice cracking even as he grinned up at Virgil.  “Don’t worry, Kiddo, everything will be—”
The air fryer beeped and the scent of burning paper filled his nose. He rushed toward the counter, hands outstretched to unplug the fryer, but his heel skidded on the wet floor and he slammed into Remus’ back instead.
“Hey, if you wanted to dance, Pattycake…” Remus spun around, catching him before he fell. “You could’ve just said so!”
“Remus!” Patton cried, clinging to his tunic as thick black smoke and the flicker of orange flames erupted out of the appliance. “Fire!”
With the grace of a cat and accompanied by a woosh of extinguisher foam, Virgil jumped down and doused the air fryer, the counter and most of Patton and Remus with the fire retardant. 
A spark caught on the edge of Virgil’s hoodie sleeve and the mic squealed as Roman dropped the boom and rushed over to smother it.
“Princey, I’m fine! Let’s get the rest of this—”
“Shit!” Roman swore as he slipped on the spreading puddle of water and extinguisher foam in the center of the room. Virgil grabbed him by his sash, pulling him to his feet.
“Gotcha, your Highnessness.”
Off camera, Logan slid closer to Janus. “Are we still filming?”
“Mm-hm. Wine?” he asked, offering a large goblet he’d procured from… somewhere.
Eyebrow raised, Logan accepted the glass and took a slow sip. “Out of everything in the kitchen, this is what you chose to save?”
“Why, yes, of course," he murmured before finishing his own glass and refilling it.
“Acceptable.”
~
Long after the livestream ended and the kitchen was—mostly—put back into order, the Sides called it a night and, one-by-one sauntered off to bed.
All the Sides but Remus, at least. Well, and Patton.
Remus had waited until everyone else's room had grown quiet and the lights spilling out from under each Side’s door had clicked off. A flickery bluish glow remained under Virgil’s door, but he typically wouldn’t actually fall asleep for another few hours anyway.
Patton’s door, though… Patton’s door had remained closed tight, without even the usual fairy lights brightening the edges of the door frame. And without the happy little sounds of his bedtime playlist.
Patton hadn’t gone to bed.
Taking more care than usual, Remus slipped off his boots and crept downstairs, skipping the creaky third and fifth steps. The living room, kitchen, and hall were dark, the patio door closed and locked with the blinds drawn tight. The clock on the microwave cast long, faint shadows over the kitchen floor and Remus spotted a bit of movement followed by a tiny sound.
He held his breath and waited. There it was again, a soft sniffle.
Dropping to the floor, Remus peered under the kitchen table. Patton sat hunched in the far corner, sweater-clad arms hugging his knees to his chest.
“Oh, hi, Kiddo,” he mumbled, wiping his cheeks against his forearms. “Can’t sleep?” he asked as though Remus was the one hiding alone in the dark.
“Was gonna ask you the same thing, Pattycake.”
“Oh…” Patton didn’t explain what the fuck he was doing down there, cardigan pulled over his potassium bicarbonate and cumin—ha!—stained apron. He just sort of looked down at his hands and pulled his legs up closer to him. Almost like he was making room.
Remus clambered under the table next to him, not quite touching but close enough to smell the smoke in Patton’s hair and clothes. Remus' own clothes smelled like his experiment upstairs and he inhaled the plasticy, acrid scent of burnt dyes and the forever chemicals from the extinguisher. It was even better than the fires for making s’mores at Thomas’ summer camp as a kid.
Remus wiggled his toes, watching Patton from the corner of his eye. He’d tucked his face close to his knees but his cheeks glimmered with new, silent tears. Remus breathed in again. The kitchen would reek of smoke for a long time after this.
“C-A-M—”
“Maybe later?” Patton sniffled. “I’m just not in the mood to sing right now, Kiddo.”
“You sure about that?” Remus scooted a little closer and bumped their shoulders together. “It’ll help if you just sing along…” He waited, watching Patton tap his foot, toes squelching in his still-sopping shoes. 
“C-A-M-P…” he began again, slower this time.
“F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G song,” Patton sang softly.
“C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G song…” Remus repeated.
A little smile cracked across the other Side’s face, softer and more real than it had been all day. “The C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G song.” Patton took a breath like he was about to jump into the next verse but he frowned, nose scrunched. “It still smells like burnt air fryer in here, huh?”
“Yeah,” Remus agreed, nodding his head with a grin. “We made our mark.”
“Yeah,” Patton said, curling over his knees again.
“Aw, Daddy-o,” Remus bumped his shoulder. “Is that why you’re hiding under here? ‘Cause of the fire?”
“Well, yeah,” Patton frowned, staring back at him. “I really wanted to make a great video. I wanted to… you know… make Thomas proud.”
“Fuck, Pattycake, we did! Have you seen the comments?”
Patton just shook his head so Remus sank them both down into his room where he’d left his laptop open to the video page. Views and comments continued to pour in, hours after the stream had ended. “Look!” he demanded, pushing Patton down into a mostly clean chair.
The Moral Side read quietly, eyes growing wider with each scroll. “They… they liked us?”
“Yeah they did!” Remus slapped his back. “So, whaddya say we make Elf Spaghetti next time? We can even add some Crofters to please the nerd.” Patton’s stomach grumbled and Remus’ grin grew. “You know… we never did eat dinner, Pattycake. How about we give it a trial run tonight?”
“Race you to the kitchen!” Patton laughed and sank down through the floor.
“Hey, that’s cheating!”
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Comfort At It’s Finest
Prompt: Virgil has a special blanket that sits carefully folded in the closet and only comes out after really bad days, when he needs it the most. It’s the blanket for huddling up and hiding under the bed, it’s the blanket for taking an almost-involuntary nap after the third panic attack of the day, it’s the blanket for pretending the world is less than sixty-four cubic feet in its entirety and has borders of fabric. It’s the blanket for retreating from a dumpster fire to cry himself to sleep.
It’s a blanket he got from Thomas, before he was accepted.
(Credit to @sleepyvirgilprompts for this idea which you can find here<3)
Ship: none? Unless you count this as platonic Thomxiety but I’m not sure, I don’t really see it that way.
CW/TW: panic attacks, swearing, unsympathetic Roman, unsympathetic Janus, sympathetic Logan.
Summary: Virgil locks himself in his room after the sides start fighting again, something about how almost all of them were holding Thomas back? He didn’t know, he didn’t care, he just wanted to feel okay again.
(Halloween has brought up some…odd and negative feelings, to put it lightly, so this is my way of dealing with that<3)
———————————————————————
Virgil couldn’t take it anymore; The shouting, the insults. He slumped against his door and covered his ears, breathing as if he had just run a marathon, trying desperately to remember the breathing techniques Logan had taught him. What was it? In for four out for…five? Fuck. He couldn’t remember, nothing he was thinking made sense, nothing in general, made sense. Everything was so loud and he couldn’t stop trembling no matter how hard he tried. He held his legs down with his palms and they seemed to stop shaking until he let go, all the built up energy making his attack worse than before. It was no use.
This was the third time they’d fought this week.
It was Thursday.
His hands didn’t muffle all the sound, however; he heard every single thing the others were saying in the commons; it was as if a megaphone had been held up to his door.
“well maybe if you weren’t such an asshole I would have t-“ Roman was cut off by..Janus?
“I’m the asshole?! I’m not the one who’s so deeply insecure that they have to project their shit onto others” he screamed.
The house fell deadly silent apart from Virgil’s heavy breathing. He could hear his heart in his ears. He wanted to go home, he was home, but this didn’t feel like what you would call a home.
“Fuck you, Janus. There’s a reason Thomas didn’t accept you for years.” Roman finally said, from the sound of it, through gritted teeth.
He heard someone stomp a few feet near his room, open a door, and slam it. Virgil froze, the sudden noise sending shock waves through his body.
he wanted everything to stop; the loudness, the insults, the fights, the slamming of doors, the stomping, the yelling, the anxiety, he wanted to be held and told he was safe, he wanted to go home, he wanted-
His tearful eyes drifted over to his closet to see a weighted blanket neatly folded and shoved into the back where no one but him could find it.
His blanket.
He pushed himself up off of the ground, a hand against the wall so he wouldn’t fall due to tremors in his legs. He reached up and grabbed it, letting it fall onto him, nearly causing him to fall to the floor.
The blanket was soft; light, but heavy enough to weigh on you a little. It was checkered black and white with little ghosts on every other patch. He eased up just the smallest bit at the sight of it. Thomas had given him this after the ‘My NEGATIVE Thinking’ video.
He quickly fell on to his bed, holding the blanket to his chest. it smelled of cinnamon and honey. Virgil had forgotten how in the worst of moments, if he pulled out his blanket, it would immediately default to any scent of his choice; subconsciously, he had chosen cinnamon. It reminded him of better times, happier times. How he and Patton had baked cinnamon rolls a few months after he was accepted, the smell of sugary sweetness wafting through the air.
The slight hint of honey reminded him of his first panic attack in front of the light sides, how he had curled into himself on the couch, silent tears escaping his eyes, face hot and red, unable to breathe, to speak, to move. Logan had helped him through it.
“Breathe in for four seconds,” he had said, inhaling, crouched down in front of him. “Hold it for seven seconds” he paused and waited for Virgil to follow his lead, and once he did he continued, “out for eight seconds.” He exhaled.
Virgil was so embarrassed that Logan had seen him like that that he proceeded to apologize profusely. “God, that was— I’m so, so sorry, I don’t know what that was, well I do, I think? It’s never been that bad I just—“
“That was what is known as a severe panic attack, Virgil. I take it you’ve never had one to that extent before?” His eyes were kind, caring, behind his glasses.
Virgil just shook his head, he didn’t know what to say, he felt that if he tried to talk the only words he would be able to say would be “I’m sorry” over and over again.
“I see. Say, do you like honey? Maybe lemon?” He had asked
Virgil nodded, and before he could stop him, Logan had begun making Honey and Lemon tea. Something about how “it’s very calming and quite good as well” he had said.
Virgil hadn’t noticed his eyes drift closed but he didn’t feel the need to force them back open. The sharpness of the house felt dimmer, quieter; as if they were sizzling into a low hum, something waiting to pounce again. He was too fatigued to worry about it, even though something in his gut told him to stay alert, something was bound to happen again, he didn’t listen, just readjusted positions under the warmth of the blanket.
He needed to say thank you to Thomas later.
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A Prince and His Subjects
Title: A Prince and His Subjects
Summary: Or five times the other sides were a simp for Roman and he never noticed. Meanwhile Remus suffers as he tries to protect his brother.
Warnings: none, no smut but there are spicy implications.
Pairings: LAMP, BROTHERLY CREATIVITWINS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Roman always thought that he wasn’t anything special. Yes, he had his own special abilities and magic. He was confident and extra confident on good days. He was brave and kind. Yet, Roman felt as if he was no different nor did he stand out. He tries to with his prince role but he knows he doesn’t always have to put on the costume. He was just Roman. Thomas’ Creativity, Ego, and Passion. Nothing more and nothing less. That’s what he saw and thought of himself. Of course, there’s his big tower of insecurities but he’d rather not address them. To him, Roman is just Roman. The prince isn’t aware that his subjects, or rather the other sides see so much more. Remus does and he gags every time. He’s glad they’re treating his brother nicely but they could be simping less. A lot less.
1.
            It’s another slow day with Thomas free for the day so that left the sides with not being needed in a meeting for the day or until their host summons them. In the Mindpalace, Patton called everyone together to do some cleaning since the common area had become a mess. The place was used for many movie nights and sleepovers during the past few weeks. So, now they stood in the messy common area. There was trash on the couch, books on the coffee table as well as abandoned coffee mugs and empty cookie plates. There’s probably something behind the couch where Remus pops up to join them.
“Okay, everyone! Are you guys ready to clean?” Patton asks, grinning. “I know it would be easier to snap the mess away but it’s also tricky since we don’t know exactly where those things go.”
Roman nods, always eager to help with a little cleaning. He doesn’t look like it but he does like organizing things so they match and look neat plus the extra space is satisfying to him.
“I’m ready, Padre!” he grins, doing his usual royal pose.
Patton claps happily.
“Good! Has everyone decided what they’ll handle?”
“I’ll clear up the books. I apologize for leaving so many of them here.” Logan volunteers.
“That’s alright, Lo. We know you can’t put your books down. If you want, you can leave the book you’re currently reading here.” Patton replies.
Logan blinks and smiles small, his cheeks slightly pink.
“Ah. Thank you, Patton.”
“Of course! Okay, who else is doing what?”
“I’ll handle the cobwebs, dust, and the trash so Princey doesn’t whine about dust allergies.” Virgil answers, taking off his hoodie and tying it around his waist.
“Please do vanquish every speck of dust. I refuse to sit through another movie night with watery eyes.” Roman huffs cutely, feigning a pout. He does appreciate Virgil taking him into consideration.
Virgil chuckles, averting his gaze with a light flush.
“I’ll vanquish all of them, Princey.”
Remus rolls his eyes at that as Patton nods.
“Good! Roman, Janus?” Patton asks, turning to them.
“I’m going to rearrange the furniture back to where they were. We haven’t moved them since the last sleep over as well as reorganize the movies.” Roman volunteers. “Plus, this place is majorly due for redecorating.”
Patton giggles at that.
“Have fun, Ro! Oh, and don’t strain yourself!”
“I’ll be alright, Padre. I don’t just train to vanquish the Dragon Witch.” Roman grins, waving his hand to change the top half of his costume into a tank top.
            Roman used to be ashamed of showing his arms since they were covered in plenty scars but with some assurances, he found some bravery. Lately, especially on hot days, Roman can be found in tank tops or completely topless. It’s definitely not unwelcome. Roman trains a lot and works out for his Imagination adventures and because he likes keeping his body fit and toned so he’s got quite a pair of muscly arms as a well as a nicely toned chest. It makes the others minus Remus glance at him for a moment. Roman just blinks obliviously.
Meanwhile, Patton stops himself from getting any redder as he tears his gaze away from Roman and his arms before turning to Janus.
“What about you, Jan?”
Janus hums, stealing a second glance at Roman because he can and he’s the most shameless next to the twins.
“Hm, I suppose I shall assist Roman. Someone has to pick up the mess when he moves the furniture. Plus, there’s bound to be something interesting under the couch.” he answers, smirking at Roman.
Roman only smiles innocently at Janus and nods.
“Sure! I could use someone to watch my back in case I bump into something.” he chirps, the poor thing unaware of what was going on.
Virgil, having known Janus long enough to spot his schemes, squints and glares subtly at Janus.
That sneaky fucking snake. That was clever.
Remus nearly gags. He had been surprised when Janus admitted he was attracted to Roman. He’s glad his brother is getting love but also wished he hadn’t had to see stuff like this. He’s not the mushy gushy love guy here. He’s the gross, icky intrusive man. That, and his brother was just so innocent and dumb, more so than Patton. Remus wanted to keep him that way. Not that he cared, nope.
Patton just smiles, flustering more. He seems to know too.
“Alright, Janus. I’ll help Virgil with the dusting then I’ll take care of the dishes.” he nods, summoning a feather duster. “Remus, can you help clean too? You don’t have to handle soap.”
Remus secretly is relieved to hear that and looks around. Well, someone’s gotta keep an eye on Roman and make sure the others don’t make him uncomfortable by accident.
“I’ll clear out my stuff from behind the couch because if I don’t, Janny’s gonna make me do it anyways.” he huffs.
Janus chuckles.
“Perhaps you should stop bringing your things to movie night.” he teases. “We don’t need any more…toys.”
Roman tilts his head in confusion. He may handle romance but he tends to miss innuendos and the like.
“But we always bring our plushies to movie night?” he questions.
“Oh, those toys are okay. Remus can’t bring his toys though.” Janus grins, resisting the urge to ruin his innocence.
“Why? What kind of toys does Remus have?” Roman asks, even more confused.
Remus glares at Janus who has a smug grin on his face.
“Don’t worry too much about it, RoRo.” Remus intervenes.
The prince blinks.
“Oh. Okay then.”
Patton clears his throat awkwardly at that and summons his cleaning apron as well.
“Okay, let’s get cleaning, everyone!”
            With that, the sides went off to go do their tasks. Roman immediately went to the beanbags he left piled in the corner from the last movie night. He hums and bends down, scooping up the blankets on top along with the pillows, setting them aside. Then he picks up his Beast onesie and waves his hand to send it back to his room. With that done, Roman bends back down and gathers the beanbags, unaware of where Janus’ eyes were.
            Janus had followed Roman, waiting for him to move something so he can watch-help Roman pick up any items that had been hiding under the furniture. When he saw Roman bend ever so perfectly, he couldn’t help but smirk at the new view. Roman was quite toned, even from the back. The snake side’s eyes slowly travel lower and lower and…
Roman stands up and Janus hides his smirk.
“Good work, Roman. Oh, and you even found the missing TV remote.” Janus praises, taking that moment to pat Roman’s arm.
Remus squints.
Is the snake seriously feeling up his twin? Gross.
“Oh, thanks, Jan! Could you grab it for me? I need to move these.” Roman grins back at the yellow side.
Janus squeezes Roman’s arm and nods.
“Of course.”
Roman nods his thanks and waddles away with the beanbags.
Remus huffs and stands up from where he was looking for his things behind the couch.
“Really? Feeling up my brother in front of me? You might as well grope his ass too, you horny fucking snake.” he growls, huffing.
Janus merely chuckles and smirks.
“Tempting but we have cleaning to do, Remus. Besides, it’s not like Roman’s going anywhere anytime soon~”
Roman, who had returned just then, blinks in confusion.
“Where would I be going?”
Remus says nothing and glares at Janus.
2.
            Virgil doesn’t often wander into the Imagination, especially alone. When Roman asked him to come along for a walk, he couldn’t really say no. Roman had busted out what he dubs as the “princey pout” and Virgil was a weak side. So now, Virgil finds himself strolling along beside Roman in the Enchanted Forest. It’s nice and peaceful. Or as peaceful as Virgil can tell. Being the embodiment of someone’s Anxiety always reminds him that anything bad could happen. So, Virgil is still a little on guard. He tries to distract himself and glances at Roman.
            Roman is humming as he walks along, his katana sheathed at his side. He had assured Virgil that they’re not going to fight anything but he decided to bring it along. Just in case. Bright emerald eyes gaze at the forest path head, counting the little yellow daisies that dot the way. A blue jay then flutters from its nest and flies down to Roman with a chirp. The creative side smiles fondly and holds up his finger, chuckling as the bird perches for a moment. He takes that moment to pet the bird’s tiny head.
“Hello, little one. I see your injured wing is feeling better. Have your eggs hatched?” Roman asks, gently stroking the bird.
The bird chirps and shakes his head.
“Ah, I see. I’ll try to be here when that does happen.” Roman replies, chuckling as the bird hops and chirps happily.
Meanwhile, Virgil blinks out of his stupor.
“Huh. So, you can talk to animals, princey.” he teases, smirking slightly.
Roman smiles and lets the bird go, watching it return to its nest.
“I love my creatures, big and small, so I used a spell to give myself the ability to communicate with them.” he explains, waving to a passing rabbit.
Virgil hums at that.
“Or maybe you’re just actually a Disney prince.” he mutters.
Roman blinks.
“What?”
“N-Nothing, shut up!” Virgil flustered.
“Oh. Well…I guess we should just keep on walking then.”
Virgil sighs and nods.
Nice job, Virgil.
            As they continue to walk, neither notice the rustling tree branches behind them. Up above in the thick of the tree branches is Remus, watching them walk. He was going to jump down as a sneak attack on Roman but held back when he saw Virgil. Out of curiosity, he stayed back to watch them walk. Huffing, Remus hops to another branch to follow after them. Remus isn’t being overprotective towards his little brother. Nope. He’s just…making sure Roman is okay. Yeah.
            Meanwhile, Roman leads Virgil to big clearing in the forest. A beautiful lake sits in the center, shaded by the canopy above. Off to the side and further back is a beautiful cottage with lavender vines growing down the sides of the roof. Playful creatures like rabbits and squirrels scurry by. A small duck family lounges at the side of the pond. Dragon flies dance around and across the lake. There’s also a log to sit on nearby. This place is one of Roman’s favorite places to go when things are too much or when he wants to be alone. He then leads Virgil to the log bench.
“This is what I wanted to show you. One of my favorite places.” he explains, gazing at the water.
Virgil follows his gaze and watches some waterlilies float by.
“It’s…beautiful, Ro.” he replies, perching on the log bench.
Roman smiles softly, watching the ducklings splashing in shallow of the lake.
“I’m glad you think so. It’s where I sometimes go to unwind after a long day or just to think. Sometimes I come here to nap.” he smiles, chuckling.
Virgil nods along.
“Yeah? That sounds pretty relaxing. I don’t think I could nap out here. A bug might crawl up my nose or mouth or ears. Or I’ll somehow roll into the lake and die even if it’s shallow.” he replies, laughing too.
Roman chuckles again.
“That’s understandable but if you do ever want to give it a try, I’m here to accompany you. I’ll make sure no bugs crawl inside you or that you don’t roll into the lake. Or we could do other things.”
Remus, who had followed and watched from the branches, squints.
Virgil flusters, smiling shyly at Roman for a moment.
“L-Like what, Princey?”
“Swimming!” Roman grins, standing up.
“Oh.”
Virgil lets his heart calm down. Bless Roman, he’s just so damn innocent.
Meanwhile, Remus frowns and huffs.
“You really thought you were going to get dicked down by my brother, huh? Naughty emo.” he whispers, knowing damn well that Virgil can at least hear him.
Virgil does hear him, his head whipping to the side. He squints but sees nothing though he swears there’s glowing eyes in one of the trees and-
“So, do you want to swim with me, emo?”
Virgil looks back to Roman and nearly falls off the bench, his face reddening.
Roman had changed into a pair of swim trunks, giving Virgil an eyeful of his chiseled abs and toned arms. It doesn’t help that he’s got…quite the chest or a sexy-
“Virgil?”
Virgil jolts and averts his gaze.
“Uh, sorry, what?” he answers dumbly.
“I said, do you want to swim with me?” Roman asks again, head tilted in confusion.
Virgil flusters.
“Oh, uh, I’m good. Don’t want to ruin the eyeshadow and I’m too pale.” he replies.
It’s not a lie but he didn’t want to tell Roman he actually couldn’t swim or that he’ll combust, staring at Roman’s abs and arms.
Roman just shrugs and smiles.
“Okay then. I’ll just go on ahead.” he hums, turning around.
Once again, Virgil is blessed with the view of Roman’s backside. Damn, even his back muscles are hot.
Remus growls lowly and huffs.
“That’s not where his eyes are, Virgil.” he hisses.
Virgil jumps again and turns red, glaring at the eyes in the trees. Dammit, Remus.
3.
            Logan doesn’t often hang out in Roman’s room. It’s not that he doesn’t want to, no. It’s just…a little harder to function normally being in the same room as Roman. Especially in his bedroom. He’s Logic, after all. He’s not supposed to be feeling stuff…or thinking about…certain things.
            And yet, Logan finds himself outside of Roman’s room with some books under his arm. It’s a brainstorm session and Roman invited him over. The logical side figured that he could use the books as a distraction, so he didn’t have to look at Roman too much. Sighing, Logan stands tall and knocks at Roman’s door.
“Be there in a moment!” comes Roman’s voice.
The door then opens.
“Ah, I hope I’m not-oh.” Logan’s words die on his tongue.
Roman is back in his tank top and it seems he’s been experimenting with his makeup again. He’s always had the prettiest face despite all of them looking similar to each other.
“Um, Logan? What were you saying?” Roman tilts his head cutely and Logan has to clear his throat.
“Ah, I was saying, I hope I’m not late.” Logan stammers, adjusting his glasses.
Roman smiles.
“You’re right on time, Specs! Come on!” he chirps, taking Logan’s free hand and tugging him inside before shutting the door.
Logan lets Roman lead him. Even his hands feel strong.
“You wanna join me in bed?” Roman asks.
Logan nearly chokes but saves it with a cough.
“E-Excuse me?”
Roman plops down on his big, royal bed with some books piled in front of him and his beloved red binder.
“Do you want to sit here and brainstorm? It’s comfy and soft. It’s okay if you don’t want to. You can also take my desk chair.” he asks, blinking innocently.
Oh. Right. That’s what he meant.
Under Roman’s bed, Remus squints and huffs as he chews on one of Roman’s old boots. Even nerdy wolverine had naughty thoughts about his brother. Gross. It makes Remus summon a shuriken. Just in case.
Logan regains his composure and nods, clearing his throat a second time.
“I-I’ll join you, Roman.” he replies.
He then toes off his shoes and sits on Roman’s bed before setting his books down.
“Yay!” Roman cheers before grabbing his binder and summoning a pen. “So, do you want to hear what I have so far?”
Logan finds himself staring for a moment before refocusing and nodding.
“Of course.”
For next hour, he and Roman share ideas and thoughts. They wind up chatting a lot and talking about books they’ve been reading, upcoming things on Thomas’ schedule, and other little things. It’s nice and Roman cherishes the moment because it’s not often they can settle down and just talk without bursting into arguments. They’re working on arguing less though. It’s a…long process.
“Ooh, I’m so excited for Thomas to do the Crofters tasting video!” Roman then squeals.
Logan finds himself tugging on his tie for the millionth time this hour. Roman’s just so sweet. So bright.
They had moved onto video ideas and the conversation evolved into discussing already planned videos. Most of them were to be fun little shorts for Thomas to do as a break from his usual stuff.
“I agree though I wish we didn’t have to rank them. They all taste exquisite.” Logan replies, a small smile on his lips.
Roman giggles and Logan feels like he’s been blinded by the sun.
“Definitely! But I’m curious to see what Thomas’ opinion is. He only gets certain flavors and there’s probably a lot more he hasn’t tried.” The prince grins, bouncing up and down.
“Of course.” Logan replies before flustering and averting his gaze. “And I appreciate the fact you invited me into this video.”
Roman nods happily.
“I wanted to, Logan! Crofters was your thing first and I merely got inspired to try. Plus, it’s your turn in the spotlight, my dear nerd.” he winks.
Logan has to breathe through his nose to stay calm. Damn, that handsome prince and his handsome face.
“T-Thank you, Roman.” he manages to say a moment later.
Roman nods again and Logan takes a moment to calm himself down on the inside. The two then go back to talking and brainstorming. At some point, Logan found himself gazing at Roman’s face again as the prince was talking.
Logan couldn’t help it. Roman had such a pretty face. The scars made him look extra handsome. His eyes were just as pretty, sparkling like a pair of emeralds. If Logan looked closer, he could see that Creative spark in those eyes. He could see passion and wonder. Sometimes Logan wondered what the world was like through Roman’s eyes.
“Uh, Specs? Logan?”
Logan blinks and realizes he’d been ogling Roman for some time now. Oops.
“A-Apologies, Roman. I…got lost in thought.” he answers, face flushed.
Meanwhile, Remus who had moved to watch from his twin’s massive closet, rolls his eyes.
“You’re so lucky it takes more bullshit than that to summon Janny.” he hisses under his breath.
Back to the two, Roman just smiles and pats Logan’s shoulder.
“It’s okay! Anyways, I was asking if I could practice my makeup skills on your face. Thomas wants to do another makeup video and I want to be on top of my skills so I can help!” he replies.
Logan doesn’t mind makeup though he doesn’t wear it as often as Roman does. He’s not really that good with the art. Yet, he can’t find himself to deny Roman. Not with that smiling, pretty face looking at him.
“Sure, but nothing heavy, Roman.” he nods, a little flustered.
Roman perks up and claps happily, bouncing up from the bed.
“Oh, thank you, Logan! Wait there! I’m gonna get some stuff from the bathroom.” he squeals before dashing off to his bathroom.
Once the door clicks shut, Remus takes that time to slip out of the closet.
“Watch yourself, nerd. I could hear your nasty little thoughts from there.” he whispers in the logical side’s ear, holding up a shuriken.
Logan blinks, composing himself from being startled.
“What do you mean? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
Remus squints.
“Uh huh. I saw you eye-fucking my brother.”
Then he sinks away while Logan is left standing there with a red face.
4.
            Patton loves to bake a lot. It’s calming and fun and he loves giving treats to everyone. He loves it more when he bakes with someone. This time, he’s baking with Roman which has him super excited. Roman is often busy in the Imagination, helping Thomas, or doing some creative work so he doesn’t always have time to do this kind of stuff. With Thomas having another slow day and things being quiet in the Mindpalace, Patton was able to invite Roman who happily agreed to join.
            And now here they were in the kitchen, utensils and bowls scattered around the counter. Flour covers the surface. Patton is in his sky-blue apron and Roman in his white apron. Roman also has his bangs pinned away from his face with a cute little hairclip that’s shaped like a crown. Right now, the two were mixing cake batter.
“Mm, I can’t wait to have these for dessert later. We deserve a little treat!” Roman grins, eager to have some cake after dinner.
Patton nods happily.
“We do! How’s your batter coming along?”
Roman holds up his red bowl.
“I think it’s almost ready!” he answers, mixing a few more times.
“Good! Mine’s almost ready too! Once we get these in the oven, we can work on the frosting and icing!”
Roman nods.
“Oh, I love that part!”
The two laugh and they keep mixing. Soon the batter is ready and they put it in the cake pans. Once that’s done, they place it in the oven to bake. After shutting the oven door and setting the timer, Patton moves and opens the cabinet to get more bowls while Roman gets the ingredients needed.
Patton then sees a problem. The rest of the big mixing bowls are on the top shelf of the cabinet and he can’t reach them.
“Oh dear.” he frowns.
Roman sets down the box of icing mix that he was looking at.
“Is something wrong, Pat?” he asks.
“Could you reach up and get those bowls for me, Roman?”
“Oh, sure!”
Before Patton can move aside, he feels something solid behind him and he blinks. He looks up and nearly squeaks. Roman’s pressing up against him, reaching up into the cabinets. Patton quickly turns away, looking at the counter instead. He can feel Roman’s chest behind his head.
Roman is much taller than him and Patton has no complaints. He’s…very strong too. If Patton leaned back enough, he could feel Roman’s chest against the back of his head and-
“One of the others must have put the bowls up here after movie night.” comes Roman’s voice from behind him. It makes him shiver as Roman’s basically talking in his ear.
Then the solid and muscly wall that is Roman is gone from behind him, now standing beside him instead with the bowl.
“Here you go!”
Patton blinks and hopes he isn’t blushing too much before taking the bowl.
“T-Thank you.”
Roman nods and goes to the other side of the kitchen with the icing box to read the instructions.
Meanwhile, Patton calms himself down. As he moves to put the bowl down, he feels something grab his ankle and he almost squeaks again. The fatherly side looks down and has to hold back another squeak when he sees Remus’ head sticking out of the sink cabinet.
“Don’t even think about it, froggy.”
Then Remus lets go and disappears under the sink.
Patton shudders at that and continues with baking, totally not thinking about Roman’s body against his earlier.
5.
            It’s another slow day in the Mindpalace. Everyone had been hard at work, assisting Thomas last week so this time they agreed to just chill out for the time being. They gathered in the living area and put on a movie though no one really paid much attention to it. Patton was doing a word search for fun, Logan sitting next to him on the couch with a book. Virgil was next to Logan, gaming away on his Switch. Roman and Remus took up the beanbags beside the couch, the twins doodling and brainstorming in a shared sketchbook. Janus sat at their feet, also reading.
Though Janus was getting bored. He’s already read his book and despite it being a mystery novel, the plot was predictable. He sets his book down and glances around before seeing Roman. He hides a fond smile as he hears him giggle at something Remus says.
Janus has heard from the others about their…encounters with Roman. He’s very tempted to try something to get Roman to…show off a little. He looks around some more and spots the thermostat.
Hmm…
Janus then grins and nudges Virgil’s leg.
“Fuck off, Janus.” Virgil huffs without looking up.
“Okay but you’ll miss the show, my dear emo.”
Virgil pauses his game and looks over to Janus.
“What show?”
“Just wait and see.”
Janus then subtly waves his hand to turn up the heat on the thermostat. It takes a few moments but soon it’s starting to get warm. Patton and Logan hardly noticing, being used to the warmth of the Mindpalace. Virgil is used to sweating in his hoodie and Janus himself likes heat. Remus already runs warm so he doesn’t notice much change.
Soon it’s even more warm and Roman is feeling a little uncomfortable in his costume. He loves it and all but the thick material makes it hard to stay cool. It’s why he has a different costume for his Imagination trips. Sighing, Roman sets his pencil aside and stands up.
“Oh, it’s just so hot in here! Sweltering!” he huffs. “I apologize but a prince must shed his costume!”
Roman then waves his hand and he’s now shirtless again.
Janus smirks. Lovely.
“Holy shit…Nice one, Jan.” a flustered Virgil mutters beside him, fist bumping Janus.
Janus nods, enjoying the view.
“Very.”
Patton squeaks, adjusting the sleeves of his cardigan around his neck as his face reddens.
“O-Oh my goodness…”
Logan nods, fixing his glasses as he flusters.
“Quite…”
Meanwhile Remus glares and huffs.
“I hate all of you.”
No one replies, too busy staring at Roman who had decided to fan himself for the moment.
Remus glares more.
“Hey! Quit drooling all over him, you fucking weirdos!” he growls, not liking how they’re ogling his twin.
Sweet, oblivious Roman blinks.
“They’re not drooling all over me. That would feel gross, Ree.” he frowns, head tilted in innocence.
Remus resists the urge to smack the others or knock Roman out just to spare him.
“Don’t-Don’t worry too much about it, RoRo.” he sighs, getting up to go check the thermostat.
Roman just blinks again. The others sure have been acting weird lately and he wonders if Remus knows why. He won’t tell him though.
“Oh. Okay then. Wonder why they’re staring at me…”
Oh, if only Roman knew what they saw.
THE END
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thecrowslullaby · 2 years
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I always see things for the reader stealing *their* clothes, but what about the sides stealing the *readers* clothes? How would they react?
Anon I love this idea so freaking much omg
The Sides stealing the reader's clothes
Warnings: fluff, Roman angst (sorry), suggestive stuff for Logan and Remus
Patton
Patton couldn't find his cat cardigan anywhere (and no, it wasn't around his shoulders, he checked)
He'd taken it off and set it down for just a second, but when he went to put it back on it wasn't there
Unfortunately, you weren't in your room when he checked to see if you'd let him borrow something to wear
He didn't like taking things from you without getting your permission first, but he needed something to warm him up
Spotting a scarf hanging up, he gently took it down and wrapped it snugly around his shoulders (or "cold-ers", as he often called them), making a mental note that he should do something nice for you in return so you wouldn't be too upset with him taking it
After he left, he wandered downstairs to find himself a cookie to eat, and maybe even a second cookie if he was feeling dangerous
You were already in the kitchen, wearing the exact same cat cardigan Patton had been looking for earlier 
When the two of you saw each other in the opposite one's clothes you both burst out laughing until your sides hurt
"So that's where my cardigan went!" Patton exclaimed, trying to catch his breath
"Sorry for just sorta taking it, I always thought it looked really cute on you and just wanted to try it on"
"Well, I'm sorry for taking your scarf without asking, I had to keep my cold-ers warm somehow"
You giggled before holding up a plate with cookies on it. "Want one?" You offered
He smiled before picking one up. "Cookies may be sweet, but they're no where near as sweet as you." He kissed your cheek while you blushed
Roman
Roman was devastated. He'd tried out for an important role in a play he really wanted to be in earlier that day, and to say he blew the audition was an understatement
His ego was bruised, and his heart was hopelessly crushed. There was absolutely nothing that could ever make him feel happy again... except for maybe spending some quality time with his devoted and loving partner, that is
He went to search the house for you, hoping you'd be there to give him some words of encouragement (and also cuddles), but when he couldn't find you he got even most frustrated and upset
Had his beloved darling somehow found out about his awful performance and decided that because of it, they were going to leave him for good?
Wrapping himself in one of the jackets he'd stolen from you ages ago, he collapsed on your bed in a fit of tears, sobbing into your pillow until he eventually tired himself out and fell asleep
You ended up finding him still lying there later that day after you'd gotten back from helping Patton shop for groceries
Walking over to the bed, you sat down next to him and began gently stroking his hair until he woke up a few moments later
Upon seeing that it was you, he wrapped his arms around you and hugged you tight, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes yet again
Having known about what had happened from Logan, you hugged him back, gently consoling him the best you could
"It's okay, my sweet prince. Don't worry, I'm here"
He was able to calm himself down a lot quicker than before, simply by you just being there
You hugged him for a bit longer before asking, "Roman, is that my jacket that I thought I lost a couple weeks ago?"
He hesitated before letting out a muffled "Maybe" as a response
You chuckled, holding him close. "It's alright, you can keep it. It looks good on you"
Logan
Logan woke up that morning to find you curled up next to him, fast asleep after the previous night's, ahem, activities~
The sun hadn't quite rose yet, and since he didn't want to run the risk of waking you up he decided he'd just get dressed in the dark. I mean, how hard could it be?
Very hard, as he would find out just moments later after he'd managed to put both shoes on the wrong feet and his button up on backwards (twice)
Once he finished dressing himself to the best of his ability, he went downstairs to put on a pot of coffee, making sure to leave some behind for you when you woke up
You made your way to the kitchen not long after, yawning loudly as you shuffled down the stairs
"Good morning, Star," Logan greeted you affectionately, giving you a kiss on the forehead before handing you a cup of coffee made just the way you liked
You hummed at the nickname, leaning into his kiss before going to sit down at the kitchen table
It wasn't until after you'd gotten up for a refill that you noticed something you hadn't be awake enough to spot when you first came down
"Logan, did you inspect your outfit closely enough this morning when you got dressed?"
He furrowed his brow, confused by your unusual line of questioning. "Well, considering I did most of it in the dark so as not to wake you, no, I didn't. Why?"
"Because you're wearing my pants, that's why." You gestured towards the lower part of his body with your coffee cup, watching with a bemused look on your face as he realized the mistake he made earlier when picking out his clothes
"I- I am so sorry, I had no idea-" Logan stuttered, cheeks tinted pink at his obvious embarrassment
"Oh, honey, don't worry, I'm not upset," you reassured him, setting down your coffee on the counter. "In fact-" you made your way over to him, playing with the end of his tie in a teasing fashion, "I think it's kind of hot, you wearing my clothes and all"
Safe to say neither one of you were seen again that day until some time after lunch
Virgil
Virgil had spent most of the day at your house hanging out with you
When it came time for him to leave, he found himself not wanting to, so he was ecstatic when you offered to let him stay the night and then go home the next day
Until he remembered he didn't have anything to wear to sleep in
I mean, sure, his everyday clothes were pretty comfortable, but he really didn't want to spend the night in a pair of jeans
You let him borrow clothes before in the past, so he figured you wouldn't mind if he grabbed a pair of sweatpants to sleep in
He had just slipped them on when you came out of the bathroom, toothbrush still in hand from where you'd been brushing your teeth
"Are those my Tim Burton pajama bottoms?"
He froze upon hearing your voice, afraid you'd be upset, but when he looked up to see a slight smirk on your face he realized you were just messing with him
"Oh, uh, yeah, they are. I didn't have any other clothes on me, so I decided to borrow yours. I hope that's okay," he said sheepishly
"Don't worry, it's totally fine," you reassured him. "Besides, you look cute wearing my clothes"
You gave him a wink before going to return your toothbrush to the bathroom, leaving behind a very flustered emo boy
Janus
If there was one thing Janus hated, it was cold weather
Since he was part snake, he was cold blooded like reptiles, and therefore unable to regulate his body temperature properly, causing him to be particularly drowsy and out of it on colder days
Luckily they lived in Florida, so it was pretty much always warm, but that didn't mean there wasn't the occasional cold front that passed through
Usually he'd have his cape wrapped him on chilly days like this, but unfortunately for him Remus had gotten a strange combination of glitter glue and what he hoped was mayonnaise on it the day before, meaning it had to be washed
He'd been sulking around the house looking for something warm to wear, glaring at anyone who dared to hold his gaze for too long when he spotted one of your sweatshirts laying on the back of the couch
Now, he often found sweatshirts and such to be quite unrefined, and therefore unfit for such a sassy, stylish snake boi such as himself to wear, but he was desperate at this point, and he would do almost anything to feel warm again
Making sure he was alone, he slipped it on, feeling himself become all nice and toasty almost immediately
He'd felt so relaxed and comfortable he hadn't even heard you come down the stairs, looking for the exact same sweatshirt that he happened to have on his body
"Janus, what are you doing?"
He nearly jumped out of his skin at the question, slowly turning around to see you standing at the bottom of the stairs, watching him with an amused look on your face
"Well, I totally didn't steal your sweatshirt because I was cold," he remarked slyly, trying to keep himself from panicking at having been caught
You playfully rolled your eyes at him. "Uh huh, sure. But next time you get cold and you need something warm to borrow, just ask, okay? I don't mind sharing. Plus, I'd hate for my favorite little snake boy to freeze to death"
It was now his turn to roll his eyes, jokingly scoffing at you while you gave him a small boop on the nose
Remus
You were in the shower when Remus popped up in your room like he normally does when he gets bored
He was upset you were taking so long, and while he was tempted to pull a Psycho on you (with a fake knife, of course) he remembered that last time he did something like that you had threatened to shove a bar of soap down his throat if he ever tried it again
While he didn't want to face your wrath for the second time around, he also desperately needed to be entertained, or else he felt as if he might combust
Seeing the pile of clothes you'd been wearing earlier that day lying on the floor gave him a rather naughty idea for a surprise he could have for you once you were done in the bathroom
When you got out of the shower a couple minutes later, you were immediately suspicious to how quiet it was
Usually Remus used your shower time to pull off some sort of crazy, elaborate scheme he could never get away with under your supervision, so complete silence couldn't be a good thing
You hesitantly walked into your bedroom, towel wrapped around you as you quickly scanned the area, trying to see where he might be hiding
"Boo!" He said, jumping out from your closet wearing only a pair of underwear, which to you was nothing new. Until you noticed it was yours, that is
"Remus, are you- are you wearing my underwear?" You asked in disbelief as he paraded around your bedroom, clearly proud of himself
"Yup! And I must say, they fit perfectly," he said flirtatiously, giving you a wink
"Good to hear. Now, take my clothes off, and put your clothes back on. I need to get the dirty laundry together so I can wash it soon"
"If you want them back so badly, why don't you come over here and take them?" He taunted, wiggling his hips
You let out a sigh. It was going to be a long day
~
(Also I feel kinda bad because Virgil's isn't as long as the rest but I didn't want to rewrite his section so 😭 it is what it is ig)
Sanders Sides masterlist | 🏷 taglist: @iloveentrapta
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rosepetalgold · 1 year
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unexpected melodies (bold and bright around us)
Summary: Logan finds himself facing an unique musical request from an unlikely passerby and can't resist fulfilling it.
Relationships: Familial dad!Janus and kid!Remus and Roman
Warnings: None! Pure fluff!
Word count: 1824
Notes: Me? Writing fluff? And under 2k? I know, I was shocked too. This one's a bit different from what I normally write but it's the first thing I've been able to finish after literal months of writer's block, so I'm not complaining. Thanks to the wonderful @thecrowslullaby for the prompt!
Read on Ao3 Masterpost
-
The public piano is calling Logan’s name.
Not literally, of course, since instruments were hardly capable of speaking, although Logan supposed music could be considered a language unto itself. But the old upright is undeniably tempting him, what with its empty bench and its closed key cover just waiting to be lifted.
Normally he wouldn’t indulge in such a thing, considering he has his own perfectly good piano at home, one that he knows is reasonably in tune and whose keys aren’t covered in who-knew-what kinds of germs, but he’d let his students out of class early today so they could enjoy the mild spring weather before the panic of finals set in, so here he finds himself with a half hour to kill before his bus arrives.
There were worse ways to spend the time than making music, he supposes.
He makes his way across the square to the piano and settles onto the bench, pleased to find that the instrument looks to be in decent shape despite its well-worn appearance. A few investigatory scales reveal the upright is just as out of tune as he’d feared, and the handful of sticking keys he discovers is hardly ideal, but he’s certainly played on more egregious instruments in his time. And metaphorical beggars couldn’t exactly be choosers, he reasons, so he’ll content himself with interpreting the piano’s various flaws as elements that lend it character.
It doesn’t take him long to warm-up enough to get a feel for the weight of the keys, and although several passersby glance his way, no one seems too put out by the sudden noise, so after a few moments he begins to play in earnest.
Brahms. Chopin. Debussy.
One piece after the other until it’s just him and his art, the world around him receding into nothing but a distant afterthought. It’s undeniably liberating, to just play for once without having to worry about performing for an audience or painstakingly practicing passages over and over and over again with nothing short of perfection in mind. He can simply allow himself to revel in the music, to escape into the fullest extent of creative expression, to get lost in the melodies he’s weaving around one another—
“No, Remus—!”
“Excuse me, Mr. Piano Man!”
The sudden exclamations jar Logan back to reality and he pauses mid-phrase, notes fading under his fingers as he glances up to find a child now hovering next to the piano, green eyes wide, hair a wild mess and something that looks to be either dirt or chocolate smeared across one cheek.
“Can you play something cool?”
“Remus,” a slightly out-of-breath voice chides, a man in a yellow button-down and sharp black jacket appearing behind him, towing another child who is the spitting image of the first boy minus the mysterious stain on his face. “Sorry,” he says to Logan with an apologetic smile as he drops to one knee so he’s on the boy’s—Remus’—level. “Remus, love, it’s rude to interrupt people. And rude to insinuate you don’t like what someone is playing.”
“Oh. Sorry,” Remus says, looking contrite for all of half a second before he’s bouncing on the balls of his feet, gaze flicking back to Logan. “But can you play something cool? Pretty please?”
The man makes a sound suspiciously close to a long-suffering sigh, but Logan can’t help but chuckle. Clearly classical music wasn’t for everyone. And he has to admit, it’s refreshing to have someone tell him such so boldly, rather than hiding their dislike of his musical selections behind thinly veiled critiques and passive-aggressive comments.
“It’s alright, I don’t mind,” he assures the boys’ guardian. “What do you think is cool?” he asks Remus, who practically lights up at the question.
“Loud! With lots of this,” he declares, moving his hands elaborately in the air. “And it sounds like this.” He bops his head energetically to some tune only he can hear.
Logan considers the unconventional criteria for a moment, running through his memorized repertoire in his mind. Perhaps some Rachmaninoff? Or a particularly dramatic selection of Beethoven? Neither seem quite right… Ah, yes. This one might work. Bold, lots of character, enshrined enough in popular culture that the child might recognize it.
He sets his fingers back to the keys, the first striking chords ringing out across the square, and Remus’ immediate squeal of delight is enough to have him grinning as the Pirates of the Caribbean theme fills the air.
It’s hardly a long piece, barely more than two minutes long, but it’s always been one of Logan’s secret favorites, a welcome change from the volumes upon volumes of classical works he usually sticks to, and although he’s a bit rusty on the arrangement, it’s a welcome challenge to play the piece as perfectly as he can, to make sure the arpeggios are clean, the multi-octave jumps precise, the harmonies well-voiced.
And if his fingers do occasionally fumble a note, it’s hard to be upset when Remus is nodding along so enthusiastically he’s making it a full-body movement.
The final measures are upon him before he knows it, Remus cheering and the man clapping before the last notes have even faded out, and even the other boy peering shyly around the adult’s legs seems to have had his interest piqued.
“Did you see, Dad?” Remus exclaims. “Did you hear? It was so cool! Bah da bum-bum, bah da bum-bum…”
“I did hear, and it was quite impressive,” the man says, giving Logan a nod and ruffling Remus’ hair affectionately as the boy continues his vocalization of the melody. “As was your previous piece, even if it was regrettably interrupted by this one. You’re quite the talented pianist. I’m Janus, by the way, and these are Remus and Roman.”
“Logan,” he introduces himself, shaking Janus’ offered hand and giving a wave to Roman, who bashfully tucks himself back to the safety of Janus’ side.
“I’d love to stay and hear you play, Logan, but unfortunately we’re already running behind,” Janus says, rummaging through his pockets and mouthing a silent swear when he doesn’t find what he’s apparently searching for. “I’m so sorry, but I don’t have any money on me to tip you—”
“Don’t worry about it,” Logan interrupts him, waving away the apology. “I just had a bit of free time and thought this a worthwhile way to occupy myself. I don’t play for tips.”
“Here, take these at least,” Janus insists, offering him several small cards that he procures from his jacket. “I co-own a cafe a few blocks north of here. Come by and have a free coffee or tea sometime. My treat for entertaining Remus for a while.”
Logan might turn down cash every time, but the allure of caffeine? That was entirely too strong a temptation to pass up.
“Thank you, that’s very generous.” He accepts the vouchers, tucking them into his own pocket and making a mental note to track down the establishment when he has a spare afternoon. “I’ll be sure to stop in.”
“Remus,” Janus calls, and the boy looks up from where he’s curiously poking at notes on the piano, clearly attempting to imitate the melody of what Logan has just played. “Come on, love. We have to go or we’re going to be late, alright?”
Remus hesitates, gaze shifting back to the instrument, clearly reluctant to leave, and Logan represses a smile. He’s all too familiar with pesky things like prior schedules and non-negotiable time commitments daring to get in the way of music. Speaking of…
“I’m afraid I must leave as well,” he admits, glancing at his watch as he lowers the key cover back over the keys, careful to make sure any small fingers are well out of the way of being pinched. “But this piano is open for anyone to play, Remus, so if you and your brother and your dad come by here again, you can try it out, okay?”
Remus perks up at that, hands still fiddling over the smooth wood of the piano like they have to be kept in constant motion.
“I can play the pirate song?”
“You can try your best to play the pirate song, or any other song you want. If you practice hard enough, you’ll be better than me in no time.”
Remus grins, all sparkling eyes and crooked teeth.
“Yeah! Then we can both play pirate music!”
Logan often thought of himself as much too serious an individual to go around labeling people as adorable, but he just might have to make an exception for Remus, even if he’s only known him a grand total of five minutes.
“What do we say to the nice pianist, boys?” Janus prompts.
“Thank you!” they both chorus in unison.
“Thanks again,” Janus says over their heads. “It was nice to meet you, Logan. You really do play beautifully.”
He secures one of the boys’ hands in each of his own, shepherding them away, but they only make it a few steps before Remus is tugging the trio to a halt.
“Can you play it one more time, Mr. Piano Man? As we go? Pretty please with slime on top?”
Logan shouldn’t. He has a bus to catch, and he’s already cutting it close on time—
But one look at Remus’ pleading expression has him lifting the key cover once more. It was only two minutes. Surely the chance to indulge in a few more moments of music was worth having to jog for the bus stop.
And really, who was he to deny the child’s request?
“Come on, Ro, we’re pirates!” he hears Remus declare over the opening strains of the piece echoing again across the square. “Arr! Let’s go find treasure!”
And he’s off, pulling his brother along with him, the pair animatedly falling into whatever seaworthy characters they’ve selected as they bound away. Janus offers Logan a parting wave, mouthing another thank you over his shoulder, and then he’s gone as well, chasing after the two with an over-the-top pirate accent that has both children shrieking with giggles of delight.
Logan can’t help but laugh under his breath at their antics as he watches them go. Playing pirate music on a questionably tuned piano in the middle of a public square was hardly performing Liszt center-stage in a concert hall, but given the look of pure joy that had graced Remus’ face when Logan had started playing, he’s inclined to conclude that perhaps the former is a decidedly more worthwhile use of his time. Music belonged just as much to the bright-eyed, slightly wild children of the world as it did to the upper echelons of society, after all, arguably even more so.
And if he ends up having to sprint to catch his bus, only to find himself humming a swashbuckling melody once he gets his breath back? He can’t say he minds one bit.
-
You can find Jarrod Radnich's Pirates of the Caribbean arrangement here on youtube if you want to give it a listen. It's a challenge, but such a fun piece to play!
Or if classical music is more your style, can I perhaps recommend a few of my favorites from the composers Logan mentions in this fic?
Brahms -- Ballade in G Minor, op. 118, no. 3
Chopin -- Nocturne in B Flat Major, op. 9, no. 1 and Nocturne in E minor, op. 72, no. 1
Debussy -- Arabesque No. 1
Rachmaninoff -- Prelude in G Minor, op. 23, no. 5
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