#for lab

[joshuahong]

sept. 17 oh my! promotions ended but this is still a mood

[rosesandstuff]

The Best Time of the Year

this is a gift for @virmillion , who is a wonderful writer and even better friend that I’m so glad to have met <3 Lab, talking with you and getting to know you and working with you on the ;) secret ;) project ;) has been so much fun and these words aren’t enough to capture all my wonderful platonic feelings for you, but I can only hope it dips into the surface of it. I hope you like this fic, and I wish you the best holiday season, my dear friend. 

summary: Between putting up with Roman and his perfectionist attitude towards holiday decorating and conversations with--his friend? awkward buddy? one-sided crush?--Logan over hot chocolate, Virgil knew this Christmas was going to be different than the rest

pairing(s): romantic analogical, romantic royality, platonic prinxiety

wc: 1871

tw: insecurity/doubt, slight anxiety, kissing 

ao3 link! <3

Christmastime was a magical time of year, and Virgil wasn’t just saying that because of the famous saying you’d hear on commercials for holiday sales on T.V or ringing throughout every chorus of every song on the radio playing around the house during the winter. There was something in the air, but it wasn't the smell of new beginnings or happy memories or any of that crap.

”It smells like cheap mint and dirty pinecones in here,” Virgil said, nose wrinkling.

He looked up at Roman who was on top of their only ladder, which was rickety and whining from years of use and then the man’s weight on top of its weak form. Roman was adding another layer of lights atop the many strings already hanging against that wall. If he added another, Virgil was almost sure he'd go blind from the brightness of it all.

Roman blew a raspberry his direction. ”It’s the smell of Christmas, and you know it.”

”Pretty sure the smell of Christmas doesn't come from a candle that once belonged to a convenience store, Princey,” Virgil pointed out with a smirk. Roman finished with the lights and hopped off the ladder, finally facing Virgil.

”You haven't called me that in a while, huh? Princey,” Roman asked.

His tone was no longer teasing and more serious, though his expression was unreadable. Virgil knew he had to be careful with how he formed his response. Roman was much more fragile than he seemed, especially when he began talking more sincerely like this.

He ended up just deciding to shrug, then said, ”Merry Christmas Eve.”

Roman smiled at that, and Virgil’s shoulders slumped with slight relief.

”Merry Christmas Eve, Virgil,” Roman returned, and in one movement took the box of string lights from beside the ladder to the other side of the room. ”Do me a favor and grab the ladder and move it over here for me.”

Virgil raised a brow incredulously. ”How many lights are you adding exactly?”

”Enough for this to be perfect,” Roman replied with a roll of his hips. Virgil huffed but grabbed the end of the ladder anyway, which weighed hardly anything, and set it down beside his friend.

”But it doesn't have to be… you know that, right?” Virgil’s mind spiraled quickly. He knew Roman’s striving for perfection usually lead him into being more insecure, and being more insecure meant he might have a breakdown that he’d end up denying he was having, and having said breakdown would ruin Christmas for him all together-

”Yes it does,” Roman defended, hopping onto the ladder with a few more lights in his hands. ”This is my first Christmas with Patton, and it has to be as wonderful as it possibly can be!”

”It's your first Christmas with Patton as a couple,” Virgil reminded him, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans since he wasn’t wearing his hoodie thanks to the sweater Patton knitted him. ”He's been with you on Christmas before, just platonically.”  

”But that didn't matter,” Roman explained, waving his hand dismissively. ”At least not as much now. Patton is all about memories, V. If I mess up our first Christmas together-together and make it even a little less than perfect it will break his heart.” Roman stopped hanging lights around the tree to look at Virgil with an almost hurt expression. ”Don't you understand?”

Virgil’s face softened as he looked at Roman, glitter stuck in his hair and eyes shining as bright as the lights he had in his hands. Roman wasn’t wrong, but Virgil knew he wasn’t exactly right either.

”Yeah,” Virgil sighed, unable to think of a subtle argument. ”I guess.”

Roman hummed and fixed strings of lights that he placed down so they didn’t completely cover up the tinsel. Virgil watched him silently, his skilled eyes that developed overtime from living with his friend for so long now taking note of Roman’s movements. Roman could say whatever he wanted, but Virgil could tell being with Patton changed him.

Roman had claimed he was a master of romance (“it’s in the name,” he always said), but even being in a relationship somehow transformed him. He was a bit lighter, more delicate, and much more of a sap. It was like he was more aware of himself. It was overall a good thing, as Virgil could tell being with Patton made him a much happier man, but he also didn’t want him to stress. Worrying was more of Virgil’s thing, after all.

“Just know he’ll love you, Ro. No matter what. I know he will,” Virgil said softly. Roman looked at him for a second, grinned, and then got back to work. His silence was enough to let Virgil know he had said the right thing.

Virgil made a move to exit the room, but just as he was about to, Roman piped up. “Thanks, Virgil. And… I never said it before, but I’m sorry things didn't work out with Logan. I really thought… yeah.”

Virgil looked down. “It’s okay… it’s not your fault.” With one last fond glance thrown Roman’s way, Virgil left for his room.

-

Later that night, Patton came back from the kitchen with a batch of Christmas cookies (”for Santa,” he explained when Roman tried to snag one for himself) and Logan came back from taking a shower. He came into the room midway through Patton’s gushing over Roman’s decorating.

“I love it so much!” Patton squaled, throwing his arms around Roman’s neck. “It’s perfect!”

Roman looked fairly shocked at that. “B-but the color scheme is everywhere. And the glitter is a mess! And- and-!”

Patton shushed him with a kiss. “None of that now. I love it and I love you!”

Roman smiled and looked at Virgil, who mouthed “I told you so.” Then he took Patton’s hands into his. “Well then, thank you, my dear! Oh! It’s snowing! Join me in making a snowman?” Roman said, and Patton pecked his nose.

“Of course, Ro!” Patton hurried to grab his scarf and jacket, Roman doing the same and they left with the door swinging behind them, giggling and holding hands.

”They are going to be gone for a while, aren't they?” Logan asked, and Virgil looked up to see him sit beside him on the couch. His hair was still wet and slicked back, and he looked clean, for lack of a better word.

Virgil smiled warmly and brought his hot chocolate back to his lips. It burned a little, but he gulped down some as if it was no big deal, ignoring the sizzling sensation in his throat. ”There's some right here for you,” he said, nodding to a similar mug on the table in front of them. Logan nodded and took it, taking a sip of it.

When he moved the cup back away from him, Virgil snorted with laughter.

”What?” Logan asked, confused.

”Your glasses,” Virgil snickered. They were fogged up with the hot steam of the drink and Logan rolled his eyes.

”I can't see,” he mumbled stoically before it faded away and Virgil laughed a little harder.

When he stopped there was a domestic feeling in his chest and he looked at Logan with a soft smile. “Thanks, bud.”

“For what?” Logan asked curiously.

“Being you, I guess,” Virgil answered, fingers tapping against the surface of his mug. He looked down into its contents and sighed happily. Reminders of what Roman had told him floated around in his mind… ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’

“Well then you’re quite welcome,” Logan said, resting a hand on Virgil’s knee. Virgil felt his pulse quicken a bit, then settle back down. He was content like this. He was happy like this. With Logan he was happy.

”What are we?” he blurted in a moment of strange bravery. Logan always brought out the best in him, it seemed. Though just as soon as he said it, anxiety started crawling back in and his toes curled. He opened his mouth to take the question back, but Logan answered before he could.

”Whatever you want us to be, Virgil,” Logn spoke honestly.

Virgil’s brows wrinkled. ”I asked you out a month ago. You told me you'd have to think about it... that you cared about me no matter what, but you had to think about it.”

”Yes,” Logan agreed, adjusting his glasses with one hand and balancing his cup with the other on his knee. ”I recall.” His pretty, sharp eyes flashed Virgil’s way. ”But I also you recall asking me out around the same time Roman asked Patton on a date as well. I think I finally figured it out. Roman forced you to ask me, hm?”

Virgil flushed, then shook his head. ”Well- yes. B-but it's not like I did it just because.” Virgil looked at Logan with sincerity. ”I do like you. I did want to go out with you. Roman saw that and promised me if I asked you out, he’d ask out Patt. Guess which one was victorious,” Virgil huffed.

Logan looked down in shame. ”I did not know that.”

”Is that why you've been avoiding me?”

”I haven't been-”

”Not avoiding!” Virgil was quick to correct. ”I mean… resentful. I can tell when someone doesn't want to talk to me, Lo.”

”I apologize,” Logan said, brushing his hair back even more. ”I didn't realize my social cues- well, I'm sorry. You know.”

”I know.” The two shifted closer.

”Are we… how you say… cool?” Logan asked, setting his empty mug down on the table. Virgil did the same.

”Well, that depends on your definition of…” his eyes casually swept to the ceiling, and he saw something that made his heart stop. ”...cool.”

Logan followed his eyes up to the ceiling and saw what Virgil had seen. Mistletoe. Conveniently placed right between them.

They looked at each other and instantly saw the pink on each other's faces. ”We don't have to, you know,” Virgil said quickly. “I get it. We’re not Patton and Roman.”

“Yes, that is true,” Logan admitted. His eyes flicked gently between Virgil and the mistletoe. “But what if I told you I wanted a relationship like theirs?”

“With who?” There’s hope. But also the expectation for defeat.

“With you.”

“Then-“ Virgil stopped. He bit his lip. “Then I’d say… please.”

Logan didn’t hesitate now to cup Virgil’s face in his hands. “I’m going to love you now.”

“Go for it.”

Slowly, Logan moved until their faces met in a gentle kiss. Barely anything, with their lips touching delicately, but it makes Virgil’s back straighten, eyes fluttering in a way so they don’t fully close but stay nearly shut as his eyebrows shoot up.

Logan chuckled a bit against him, and it only made Virgil melt a little more. He feels… new. Happy. Loved. Everything is a bit brighter when he opens his eyes, but he mainly looks at Logan’s face. He’s beautiful.

“Can I kiss you again-?”

“Oh my God, yes-“ Virgil kissed him this time, not wanting to waste a minute away from him. Outside, they can hear Roman and Patton’s joyful laughter.

It truly was the best time of the year.

[erlenmeyertrash]

*tentatively* Are you taking prompts then? If so, could you do literally anything prinxiety?

…anon, i want you to know that this is my first ever prompt ask and i am metaphorically cradling it in my hands like a baby firefly on a cool June night

…speaking of. you just became the inspiration behind your own prompt. so. here you go. i hope you like it!!!

(there are tears of pure unadulterated joy okay i’m so excited to write for a prompt)

...i feel like i should add my tag list sooo:  @virmillion , @zerogettie , @five-hour-anxiety , @lovelylogans , @shattered-raine, @lakesandquarries , @randomslasher , @pantasticpanini , @dragonangel-funandfire , @that-space-gay-writes , @a-blog-just-for-sanders sanders, @countessmissyshort, @hardcoremoonlover, @the-sanders-sides (if you want to be added just let me know!)

–

“OH MY GOD I CAUGHT ONE!”

Roman jumped a foot in the air, whirling around with a hand over his suddenly hammering heart. His gaze snapped onto Virgil, who was standing a few yards away, hands cradling something in front of him, eyes blown wide.

“Roman!” Virgil squeaked, sparing a feverish glance in his boyfriend’s direction. “What do I do with it?!”

Roman scrambled over, sliding into the space just inches in front of Virgil. His hands carefully came up around Virgil’s cupped palms, gently hovering on the outside.

“Are you sure?” He breathed, eyes laser-focused on Virgil’s pale, trembling fingers.

“I think so!” Excitement radiated from his words in waves as Virgil nodded.

“Okay.” Roman slowly covered Virgil’s hands with his own, taking a deep breath. “Can you feel it?”

Virgil paused, brow furrowing slightly in concentration. The only sounds in the starlit clearing were the gentle calls of crickets, the occasional whisper of the wind, and two soft huffs of breath from the pair.

Virgil gasped after a beat; his hands would have moved as he jumped slightly, but Roman’s own held them steady. “Yeah!” he whispered, practically thrumming with anticipation. “It feels weird, but I think I felt it.”

Roman beamed up at him, two sparkling pairs of eyes meeting across their joined hands, before returning his copper gaze to the center of focus. “Alright. Then we will just… slowly… open your hands, and…”

Roman trailed off, gently unfurling his hands for Virgil’s to expand in the small space between them. In Virgil’s palm stood the tiniest of fireflies, its wings twitching tentatively in the open air.

Neither of them breathed as the firefly took a few minuscule steps across Virgil’s palm, following the crease along the center. As Virgil let out a quiet, breathy laugh, Roman glanced up and found himself unable to look away.

Although his lavender hair still fell gently over most of his face, Virgil’s eyes, normally guarded and cautious, were bright and shining- pure joy radiated from his chocolate irises. His mouth was slightly open, a shy grin rather than sarcastic smirk spreading across his cheeks. In that moment, Roman realized, Virgil didn’t seem picturesque of anxiety or fear. He radiated wonder; the culmination of curiosity confronted with a reality beyond its wildest dreams- and god, it was beautiful.

Virgil’s eyes raised to meet his, and as Virgil’s smile turned into an adorable lopsided grin, Roman felt his heart melt into a puddle in his ribcage. He beamed back warmly, gently squeezing Virgil’s hands.

“This is so cool, Roman,” Virgil breathed, gaze unable to keep from returning to the small bug cupped in his hands. It had traveled to the fingertips of his right hand, wings still occasionally fluttering as it trekked over the pad of his pointer finger.

Roman raised an eyebrow at the little bug, and it paused, wings twitching.

“You’re not going to leave him without a show, now, are you?” He asked.

The bug seemed to consider his question for a moment before a shiver went through its tiny body and its back end suddenly emitted a warm yellow glow. Virgil gasped, bringing the bug a few inches closer to his face to watch it continue stomping around his fingers. As it reached his thumb, he slowly turned his hand over, his smile growing even larger as it continued walking across his knuckles.

“Ro, this is…” Virgil trailed off, letting out another huff of awed laughter. Roman moved his hands away, perfectly content with watching Virgil’s vividly expressive face.

“Oh, that? That’s nothing. Wait until he starts showing off.”

Virgil frowned then, slowly lowering his hand to glance at Roman. “…Showing off? What do you-”

He was cut off as the bug leaped from his hand without warning, yellow light flickering for a moment before the bug disappeared into the dark. Virgil’s hand dropped, his face suddenly overcast; Roman could only chuckle at the childlike pout spreading across his features.

“Give him a moment.”

“Roman, it’s a bug, what-”

Virgil’s next words were stolen from his throat as tiny dots of light began to flicker around the clearing. Tiny yellow and purple dots.

A swell of fireflies, glittering warm gold and rich violet, appeared in the air, gently swirling in slow circles around the clearing. Virgil’s eyes flew open as he turned in a staggering circle, watching the magic display of lights all around them.

“What did I say?”

Virgil turned to see Roman just behind him, a soft smile appearing on both of their faces. Roman slowly extended a hand, and Virgil took it, squeezing it tight before turning to watch the fireflies dance.

After a few minutes, the lights began to twinkle out one by one until only a single purple light remained. It ambled slowly towards where they stood in the center of the clearing, buzzing once around their heads and turning a bright red before the light disappeared.

Virgil chuckled softly, eyes shifting from where the light had been to Roman’s face. He shifted until they were standing nearly nose-to-nose, and Roman couldn’t have kept the goofy, lovesick grin off his face if he tried.

“Do you get to see this all the time?” Virgil asked quietly, dark eyes bright. Roman slowly shook his head, their noses gently brushing. No, but I wish you could see it every night, so I could see you like this.

Virgil seemed to sense what he was thinking and ducked his head, shifting closer as his cheeks turned pink. Roman chuckled, wrapping him in his arms and pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead. Virgil nuzzled his head on Roman’s shoulder, warm breaths ghosting across the skin on Roman’s neck as his own hands slid their way up across Roman’s spine. Roman felt his heart rebuild itself from the puddle of goo it was earlier to thrum happily, pounding against his ribs. He knew Virgil could hear it beating faster, and he kissed his lover’s forehead again, moving one hand up to slowly card it through the long, soft hair.

They stood in peaceful silence for a moment, wrapped in each others’ arms. Virgil let out a slow, contented sigh, shifting so his weight was more balanced. Roman leaned back, eyes staring at the sky full of glittering stars.

“…You know,” Virgil began after a moment, squeezing tighter as Roman attempted to pull away to look at his face. “I don’t think the fireflies were the ones showing off here.”

“…Virgil, love?”

“Yeah?”

“Please let me have this one thing.”

Virgil laughed loudly, and the sound lit up Roman’s soul so much he felt like he could glow himself.

[lostamongthecrowd]

It's so foggy outside that's I'm in Silent Hill