Soulmate!AU - You glow when you touch the skin of your soulmate for the first time. You stop glowing after your first kiss.
Summary - Logan glows when he accidentally touches a bartender. The problem is he’s married, and doesn’t subscribe to this whole soulmate nonsense.
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Our house is too big, I’ve always thought so. Remy constantly insists that it’s not a mansion but I’ve done some surface level research and while it just falls short on the square footage it meets almost all the other requirements. Premium sustainable construction materials, multiple large open spaces, an unearned sense of grandeur, large windows, and countless rooms that exist solely to look good.
As I show the bartender around, I realise there are several rooms that I’ve never actually stepped in before, though this is no mean feat. For the most part I stick to the same three or four rooms unless told I’m needed in one of Remy’s many ‘home’ videos. Little snippets of carefully orchestrated peeks into our home life. Almost all of it is overplayed, but it pays the bills so I endure.
As I hold open the door to the latest room, the bartender’s hand brushes against my fingers. A jolt of electricity shoots up my arm making every hair on my body stands on end and I strain not to wince. Initially I thought it must be an accident but even I am able to notice the strange smirk on his face as he walks past me into the room. He’s doing it on purpose. We haven’t even spent half an hour together and I’m not impressed. Frankly, I’m drained.
“This is the dance studio,” a long room to the west of the house. Floor to ceiling mirrors line both sides to the far end where there’s a small table and some discarded snacks. On the ceiling there’s a few hooks that Remy’s used for ropes and ribbons before though they’re currently bare. “I believe it’s mostly hired out to a local dance troupe who will-”
I’m cut off, interrupted as the bartender lets out a long loud yawn, his back turned to me while he glances around the room. This is supposed to be my ‘soulmate’?
“Am I boring you?” I ask him.
He turns, a feigned look of surprise on his face.
“Bored? Why would I be bored?”
Assuming a long sarcastic rant is coming my way I wait for him to continue, though he says nothing else. I fold my arms in annoyance.
“If you’re going to be rude, you might as well leave now.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Other people’s emotions have always been a difficulty for me. I can understand how I might feel in the circumstances but as my fellow high schoolers would frequently remind me, I am the outlier, not the norm. It took a lot of time, a lot of practice, a lot of getting it wrong, but now I am reasonably competent at picking up on when people are saying one thing while actually meaning something else. While I don’t always know what it is they’re trying to get at, I know enough not to be made a fool of.
“Look, I just…” he pauses for a moment, “This is a lovely tour,” sarcasm, “but I’m seeing a whole lot of Remy,” he gestures at the studio around us, “and not a lot of you,” he holds a hand out towards me and my body locks up, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, “Which is kind of what I bought the ticket for.”
I don’t know what to say to that. It’s true, the design, the layout, the decoration of our house is down to my husband. He understands the lifestyle, what we have to do to keep up appearances. How people of our status are expected to live. It’s the best way to maintain control over our privacy.
“Surely there’s somewhere in this big castle that says ‘Logan’ instead of…” he glances around the room again, “well...this.”
“This,” I shuffle my shoulders trying to shake the numbing tingle from my back, “is what people want to see.”
“The implication being that they don’t want to see you.”
“That’s not what I said.”
“You didn’t have to.”
I’m silent as my own words are thrown back at me.
“Janus, by the way,” he continues as he walks further into the studio, “since you didn’t ask.”
I didn’t.
It’s been a frankly exhausting thirty minutes, yet in all this time it hasn’t occurred to me to even ask. In my own head I’ve reduced him to his job and a very base perception of him that might go some way to explaining his….antagonism. I certainly wouldn’t want to be treated so reductively.
I straighten my tie, a nervous habit from my childhood. Today I’m wearing my plain metallic blue one, it’s my third favourite.
“That was rude of me.” I admit.
“It was but it’s alright,” there’s disingenuous hurt in his voice and when he turns there’s a smirk on his lips again, “I forgive you.”
I don’t like it, but it’s at this moment that a loud click echoes around the room and we both turn as the door to the studio which I had closed behind us starts to open and a voice calls from the other side.
“Logan? I know Remy said to leave you be but I thought you might-AAAAAH!”
In the doorway stands Patton, the man Remy hired to be my personal assistant. Infinitely patient, kind to a fault, staring in shock, hands clasped to his mouth. The tray of food he’d been carrying clatters to the floor harshly.
I didn’t turn the studio lights on when we came in. It’s light enough outside that although the windows are small and high up, I hadn’t thought it necessary. A decision I am seriously regretting as I become acutely aware of the soft glow both Janus and I are emitting.
In my mind’s eye, we’re surrounded by a halo of light our glow reflected off of the many mirrors that surround us. Patton just keeps staring, his eyes flitting back and forth. Janus has the decency to look panicked.
“Don’t scream,” I speak calmly, reaching a hand towards Patton, “I can explain.”
Logan, God of all skies - the one who controls the weather and sun - was struggling to perfect the placement of the stars. Janus, his friend, his lover, his muse, gives a bit of inspiration.
Requested by @imma-potatoo: I hope you feel better soon! What about... Loceit where they go on a date to the imagination to look at the stars?
So, I definitely tweaked the prompt a bit. But it’s still a star-gazing date so I hope you enjoy :)
AO3 link
Pairing: Loceit, Familial Dukeceit & Roceit
Warnings: Vague mentions of bad fathers, mentions of death (this may make it sound angsty but I promise it’s all fluff)
Word count: 3020
Logan couldn't help but feel just a little bit silly as he, the almighty God of all the skies - one who controls the weather and sun, was sneaking through the castle corridors like a teenager sneaking out of the house.
But he was with Janus, and he couldn't risk him getting caught. He didn't want to get Janus in trouble with his father just because Janus wanted to spend time with him.
And while Logan could just teleport them both out of the castle, the strong magic tended to have a negative effect on mortals. It wasn't worth the risk of Janus fainting like the last time - not when the night so far had been so unbelievably wonderful.
And it had been so long since the two properly got to be together. Janus, being the titled king of the state, and Logan, being a literal God, were both rather busy beings. Tonight had been one of just a few in the past couple weeks that the two were able to just revel in each other's company.
The two could just not risk it. They could stay locked together in Janus' quarters, in relative safety of not getting caught. But Logan had been talking about his constellations, and Janus had looked up at him with those dual colored eyes and asked Logan to sneak him away to show him. How was Logan supposed to deny his beloved such a request?
"Where the hell are you two going?"
Logan froze and tightened his grip on Janus' hand, but immediately relaxed when he turned and saw it was just one of Janus' younger brothers.
Remus was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and amused expression on his face.
"It's none of your business," Janus said as he pulled on Logan's hand to lead him down the corridor. "Why don't you go find and torture someone else, hm? You're good at that."
"If you're sneaking out, you may want to rethink."
"You little weasel, if you rat me out I swear to the Gods that I will-"
"Calm down, Jay," Remus said, rolling his eyes. "I don't care about your little escapades. I just thought you'd like to know, I heard that daddy dear is planning on summoning you. Something about wanting to talk about your 'behavior' at the 'strategic meeting' being 'unacceptable.' You know. Fun stuff."
Janus groaned and planted his head on Logan's shoulder. Logan remembered Janus storming into his temple one night seething. He had raised his voice at an advisor over a reckless plan that endangered a large portion of their army. His father hadn't taken kindly to Janus' anger.
"It's getting so late. Why can't he ever just leave me alone."
Logan knew Janus well enough to know that he had meant for the comment to come out as an annoyed snarl, but he must have been feeling much more resigned than he let on as instead it came out as an exhausted whine. Logan felt his heart rise in his throat as he rested his free hand on the back of Janus' head.
Honestly, Logan would have killed their father by now if the brothers hadn't asked him not to. He didn't understand how they were so attached to such a despicable man, but he kept his mouth shut.
"It's okay, love," he murmured into Janus' hair. "I can always show you another night."
Janus took a deep breath and stood up straight.
"You're right," he said as he straightened his collar. "There is no need to get upset over something so trivial."
Janus was good at playing impassive, but Logan saw the slight tremor in his lip and knew he was absolutely miserable.
Logan wasn't the only one who noticed.
"Ya know, tonight's been too boring anyways," Remus said, avoiding Logan and Janus' gaze. "I think I am far too behind on my 'annoying father' quota for the week. I'll pretend to faint again or something. Claim my chest hurts. The nurses are annoying but at least the drugs can be fun," he said with a grin that was supposed to be mischievous, but was dampened by the concern he was trying to hide.
Remus had been ill since he was a child. Fainting spells or fits of pain were unfortunately fairly common.
"No, no," Janus said, letting go of Logan's hand to step closer to his brother. "You absolutely should not. Besides, last time you faked a fainting spell you scared Roman into crying for hours."
"Oooohh, are we faking Remus falling ill?" Roman said as he rounded the corner. "You know, Remus, you really aren't very quiet. You're lucky the only staff I saw nearby were the ones that will be too scared to speak up."
Logan wasn't surprised to see roman appear. The twins never seemed to be apart from each other for very long.
"No, we are not," Janus said. "Father is already mad at you for releasing rats in the ballroom last week. If you're found out, you'll be in even more trouble."
Remus waved his hand. "I'm not gonna get caught, Jay-Jay."
"You don't know that-"
"Janus," Roman sighed. "Let us help you."
Janus' mouth snapped shut, and Roman gave him a gentle smile.
"You've been so busy. Don't worry about father tonight."
"...Fine," Janus eventually relented. "But if you two get in trouble you are never repeating this stunt again."
Remus rolled his eyes again. "You act like this is the first time we've done this."
"We'll be fine."
Janus hesitated, but then stepped forward and pulled his brothers into a hug. "Thank you."
"Yeah, yeah. Now go out and go get that God dick."
Janus and Logan both choked, but Remus bolted before either could retaliate. Roman just gave them a wide grin before following after his twin.
Logan was still gawking as Janus started leading him down the corridor, and they heard a CRASH followed by Roman's shouts for help.
"Those two are going to give everyone in this castle a bloody heart attack," Janus grumbled
✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧
"And what's that one?" Janus asked as he pointed towards another cluster of stars. Logan raised his hand and traced out the constellation in the sky. They were lying on the grass, and Patton (God of the earth) must have sensed they were coming, as the spot of grass they were lying on was dry, unlike the rest that had a film of dew from the cooling night air.
"Canis Major, the great dog," Logan said as he ran his fingers through Janus' hair. Janus was snuggled against his side, head resting on his shoulder, and all the hassle to get here was so, so worth it now that he got to hold his love without the fear of being caught.
"Why a dog?"
"Patton asked me to make that one."
Janus was silent for a few moments, and Logan took that as a cue to keep talking.
"He tries not to keep mortal pets, but he rescued a puppy from a hunter's trap one day and couldn't bare to let her go. He called her 'Little Lady.' He meant to just call her that until he came up with a proper name, but Little Lady stuck. Patton had been so fond of her. When she passed, he ask I make the constellation to immortalize her in a way."
Janus smiled against Logan's shoulder. "I cannot believe you let Patton convince you to put a common house pet in the sky along with all these heroes of legends."
The voice was teasing, but not malicious. It had taken a while to get used to the sarcasm, but he was getting better at recognizing when Janus was just teasing him.
"Be careful, he might smite you for that," Logan murmured. Janus' grin grew wider. "And I did not mind. She was an objectively good dog. Helped keep watch over children playing in Patton's fields."
"Oh, I'm sure that's the only reason why," Janus said.
"I don't know what you mean. She was a good companion for my friend. Is that not a good enough reason?"
"You liked her," Janus teased. "I can tell. The big almighty God of the skies liked a mortal pup. Don't pretend you did it just because she was useful."
"Yes, fine, fine," Logan sighed. "I missed her, as well."
Triumphant in getting the admission so quickly, Janus buried himself closer to Logan's chest.
"I could tell you about-"
"...Wait," Janus said. "You said mortal pets. Does Patton have some mythical beast he takes care of?"
Logan cocked his head. "Are you not aware of the three horses?"
"I thought it was all made up. Something my mother told me as a kid to enchant me."
"What did she tell you?"
"That shooting stars in the sky were actually the pegasus flying," Janus said in that quiet tone he got whenever he talked about his late mother. "And it would rescue anyone who fell from the cliffs outside the city, and subsequently Patton's unicorn was the one who built the wall of thorns on the edge to protect the playing children. And that Virgil's kelpie would bring drowning men to shore."
"While shooting stars are actually just meteors-"
"What's a meteor?"
"-I do indeed have the pegasus. I guess have is not really the correct term. I mostly let her wander on her own. Your mother was correct about the rest, though."
Janus sat up and stared down at him. "...and you've never shown me?"
"You never asked."
Janus whacked him. "Because you never mentioned it!"
"Apologies?"
Janus continued grumbling as he laid back against Logan, and Logan wrapped his arms back securely around him.
"Continue, please. How about that constellation over there? I apologize for interrupting you."
"It's alright, dear. You can always ask me anything."
"Anything?"
Logan nodded, and Janus looked up at his face
"Take off your glamours, darling? No one will find us here."
Logan felt heat rise in his cheeks (a sensation he was still unused to in this form), but he closed his eyes and let the magic was off of him. His skin no longer looked human, but pale like marble. His black hair was not just black but a deep, deep shade of blue. And his eyes were no longer a human shade, but the color of the dusk. Janus smiled and leaned up to catch Logan in a kiss.
Janus gently pressed his lips to Logan's, and Logan quickly melted under the touch of his beloved. The kiss was almost unbearably slow, but also so wonderfully soft it drew soft gasps from Logan's mouth. Janus moved his lips from Logan's to trail up Logan's cheek, to his temple, then the top of his head.
"Beautiful." Janus muttered as he trailed kisses back down his face, eventually nipping Logan's jaw and down his neck. "You are just exquisite."
No matter how many kisses were shared between the two, no matter how many times Janus muttered praises against Logan's skin, Logan's heart never failed to flutter from the affection. It probably should be embarrassing how quickly just a few soft words and gentle touches from a mortal could fluster Logan, but he really didn't care as Janus cupped his cheek and pressed one more lingering kiss to Logan's lips.
"Thank you, darling," Janus said as he settled back against Logan's side. "For letting me see your pretty face."
Logan should be the one thanking him, for spoiling him and loving him and making Logan feel happier than he had in his eons of existence.
But Logan couldn't find the words and instead just cleared his throat. "The one you pointed to was Auriga, the charioteer."
Logan felt Janus smirk against his shoulder.
"It represents and old champion. He was... one of Virgil's close friends. He would dedicate each victory to Virgil, and had a victory streak that has still yet to be broken."
"...How close were they?" Janus whispered.
"They were lovers," Logan whispered back, closing his eyes. "But he was mortal, and wanted to stay that way. Virgil was crushed. The night he died, we..."
He trailed off. Janus didn't push.
"i put him in the stars for Virgil. That was the first and only time all the seas of the world were still."
Janus and Logan hadn't talked about it, but it was obvious. Janus was mortal, and Logan would live for as long as the world willed it. Logan had to cherish his time with Janus, as human lives were so very, very short. More time had passed already than Logan had realized - mortal time moved much more quickly than he was used to.
And humans were so fragile. It wasn't even guaranteed that Janus would get a long lifespan. Logan couldn't be with him every hour of the day to ensure his safety, and any day Janus could be taken from him.
Logan couldn't bare to think of a future where he couldn't hold Janus - where he was left only with the crushing weight of loneliness. Yes, he had Patton and Virgil, and he cherished them dearly, but they weren't the same. They weren't Janus.
"Let me make you immortal," Logan gasped out as he opened his eyes, unable to bare that train of thought any longer. Janus startled and propped up on his elbow to look down at Logan. "Stay with me. Forever."
"I- I don't know, darling," Janus choked out. "Of course I'd love to stay with you, but my brothers-"
"You don't have to answer right now," Logan assured him, running a hand down Janus' face. Janus relaxed then and leaned into his hand. "And there is no wrong answer. But, think about it? Please?"
"I will."
"I love you, Janus," Logan whispered, fighting back the tears building in his eyes. How could humans stand it? Loving with the uncertainty of tomorrow. "And whichever decision you make, just know how much you mean to me."
Janus' eyes went teary and he leaned down to kiss Logan. Janus' hands went straight to Logan's cheeks. Logan grasped at the back of his neck, trying to pull him ever closer as they opened their mouths.
It was almost ridiculous, how taken he was with a mortal - how entranced he could be. But not for a single moment did he regret it. Janus gave him a feeling he had never experienced before in his long life. And even if it was brief, Logan was going to revere it for as long as he was able.
"I love you, too," Janus said softly as he pulled away. "So much."
Logan pulled him down for one more slow, syrupy kiss - just heated enough to draw out a low moan from his throat.
Logan didn't know how long they clung to each other, but Janus had to break apart because of the growing smile on his face. Unable to continue the kiss, but not wanting to part, Janus rested his forehead on Logan's, eyes closed in bliss.
And with a peck on Logan's forehead, Janus pulled away.
"Alright, that's enough tears," Janus said as he wiped his eyes. "Where were we? What about that spot over there? Why is it empty?"
"I am afraid I haven't finished the night sky yet," Logan said. "Even after all this time, I can not seem to perfect it."
"You're very clever. I'm sure you'll figure it out."
"Not clever enough to place a few stars."
"Now, now, none of that. That's my lover you're speaking about. I will not have this slander."
Logan poked Janus under his ribs, and Janus would forever deny that he shrieked. And Logan's heart swelled so full of adoration that he could only think of one thing.
"Every constellation I put in the sky has an important meaning to me," Logan said. "They are memories, memorials for those I cared about."
Logan gently placed a hand under Janus' chin and lifted his head so he could gaze into his eyes.
"No matter what happens, no matter what you choose, let me immortalize you in another way."
A smile slowly grew on Janus' face. "Really?"
"I can not think of anyone more deserving."
Janus preened.
"What would you like to represent you, my love?"
"A snake," Janus said with no hesitation.
A snake was the animal on Janus' insignia. Snakes were sneaky, crafty, dangerous - and Janus loved to live up to that image. Because of his dual colored eyes, there were rumors that a witch turned him into a snake as a child, and if you were lucky enough to get close to the king, you would see sharp teeth and a forked tongue. Janus loved it.
"Then it is done."
Logan closed his eyes, and when he opened them again his eyes were glowing white. A shiver ran down Janus' spine from being in such close proximity to such powerful godly magic. Janus had to let go of Logan and move back, watching as Janus lifted a hand with an inkling of a tremor.
Logan clenched his fist, and a star appeared with a quick flash in the sky. He barely comprehended Janus' gasp as he moved his hand and repeated the motion.
Repeating until he was finished, Logan dropped his hand and his eyes dimmed back to their usual color. He glanced over at Janus, looking completely undisturbed. Janus couldn't help but let out a laugh of disbelief as Logan held out his arms. He threw himself against Logan and pressed kisses all up the side of his face.
"Look," Logan said with a grin as he guided Janus' face to the sky. He traced out the constellation for Janus to see. "Serpens. In the stars forever for the whole world to see."
"Thank you."
Now, whenever they looked up at the night sky, a swell of joy would grow in Logan's chest as Janus' filled with pride. Something was still missing, though. It wasn't quite complete. But it was very close. And with his beloved in the sky for all to see, well, Logan was more than happy.
I think I’m going to make this an AU, with the next work being a prequel of how Logan and Janus met :)
Requests are open in my inbox! Or just come scream at me about Sanders Sides :P
Summary: James (aka Janus) works the graveyard shift at a open-all-night convenience store. Logan is a college student who stays up way too late, way too often. While pulling all-nighters, he often visits the store James works at. As time goes on, James begins to care about Logan as more than just a customer.
Warnings: Moderate Language, Some suggestive jokes, Mentions of ignorant/negative sentiments regarding vitiligo, Mentions of intoxication— some implied to be underage (please tell me if anything needs to be added)
Genre: College AU, Coffeeshop AU but weird (that’s literally the best way i can think of describing it), Mutual Feelings, Fluff
A/N: — Janus’ name in this AU is James (mostly because when I began planning this, his name hadn’t been revealed). I may still include his name by writing in a name-change but we’ll see lmao
— I do not have vitiligo and do not personally know anyone with vitiligo; Janus’ experience with the condition is based entirely on my research. That being said, I did my best to give an accurate representation but I do not claim that it is flawless in anyway. If there are any improvements you think I can make in this area, please please let me know 🖤🖤🖤 Love you all 🖤✨
Ao3 Fic Masterpost Fic Request Info
James’ first shift started normally. That is, as normally as he could assume 24 hour convenience store shifts could be. It’s not like he had much experience with it.
Being his first day, he had assumed that the manager would’ve at least stuck around for a while. Instead, the woman had pointed out the bathroom plunger— advising him to not let anyone steal it— told him how to use the slushie machine, and said that if someone tried to rob the store, let them take the money; she even showed him the quickest way to open the cash register. Then she left within the first hour of James’ shift.
James didn’t mind being alone but he couldn’t fight down the frustration at his manager for abandoning him without actually telling him anything useful. He kept worrying that someone would ask a question that he couldn’t answer. What if the customer got angry and then he got reported and lost his job on the first night? Not to mention every time someone walked in, he was ready to bargain for his life with the $225.67 and a random condom in the cash register.
The adrenaline was getting to his head, stirring up usually dormant worries. He couldn’t stop glancing down at his hands. They were warm tan, patterned at random with lighter splotches. He had a condition known as vitiligo which made areas of his skin lose their pigmentation. For the majority of the time, it wasn’t a big deal; the worst part was the weird looks people gave him and even then, he could usually brush them off. Still, there was always the occasional idiot who felt the need to say something rude or inform him that he showed signs of demon possession. He hoped beyond everything that one of those incidents didn’t occur while he was alone in the store.
Thankfully, the only customers for the next few hours were a couple groups of teenagers at varying levels of intoxication and a traveling family made up of two parents suffering from highway-hypnosis and a small child who tried to climb into one of the drink refrigerators.
By one in the morning, the flow of incoming patrons had completely stopped. By that point James had already thrown back an entire 5-hour Energy drink and reorganized the chip rack— twice .
When the entry bell finally rang again at around two, James’ head was buzzing so badly he wasn’t sure if he had imagined the sound or not. A young man walked in— college aged with messy hair and glasses. He disappeared into the rows of brightly coloured plastic bags without a word and so quickly it made James once again question whether or not he was hallucinating.
It wasn’t until the man had made his way back to the counter, setting down a bag of chips and a couple energy drinks, that James was sure he existed. The man’s hair looked like it hadn’t been brushed in two days and his dark circles were so deep they could be seen from beneath his squared glasses. Yup, definitely a college student.
Despite the obvious signs of exhaustion, the man was undeniably pretty. Counter to his tired scowl, his eyes were bright and alert, framing a sharp nose. The way he kept his strong chin tilted slightly upwards and walked with purpose gave him the appearance of someone who actually knew what he was doing with his life— so basically, the opposite of James.
James was hardly ever self conscious about his appearance but this man— this stupidly pretty, oddly perfect man— made James squirm just a little bit, made him wonder if he was living on one side of some scale while the customer lounged on the other side. James tried to shrugged it off, focusing on the items in front of him instead.
The man spent the entire interaction at the counter muttering to himself and never once making eye contact. It was a little strange, but he was cute and James was bored so he decided to just appreciate the entertainment while it lasted.
It wasn’t until James went to hand the man his receipt that he seemed to even become aware of James’ existence. James held out the thin slip of paper, apparently causing the man to flinch backwards. His reaction was strong enough to make James wonder if he was one of those people— the type that thought vitiligo was some sort of deadly, contagious disease.
His eyes darted up quickly, his gaze sharp as it scanned over James’ face, “You’re not the normal cashier.”
He was taken aback by the accusing tone in the man’s voice, “No, I guess I’m not? I just got hired; the other guy got let off… something about trying to steal the plunger.”
“Oh,” His face transformed into a noncommittal scowl that James simply could not read, “Expect me regularly.”
The man turned on his heels and walked briskly to the door as James stood frozen and mystified behind the counter, “Oh, uh… see you soon then.”
——————
James woke up to the smell of something burning. He didn’t even remember dragging himself home and collapsing in his bed but based on the smell bothering him he evidently had made it back. No one could burn food quite like his roommate.
“Remus what the fuck are you doing?” James shuffled out to the kitchen where his roommate was poking at something on the stove.
“Making lunch.”
Based on his bed head and near-complete lack of clothes (Remus always slept in booty shorts and nothing else) James could guess that he had woken up only a few minutes earlier himself, “Dude that does not smell like anything humans should eat.”
Remus gave him a wicked grin and James decided not to push the subject. He walked out of the room with a sigh and hoped that the smell would clear up soon.
He made his way into the living room, sitting down and flipping open his laptop. James groaned at the lack of new email notifications. No new emails meant no new job acceptions.
“Guess I’m working the night shift again.”
James was grateful he got the job at the convenience store— no question. Getting a job as a college dropout was both necessary and nearly impossible at the same time. He was lucky to get a job at all and being a graveyard shift, he got paid nearly double the normal wage for his position. For now, his sleep schedule would just have to suffer.
——————
The weeks drifted by and James fell into a dull, but easy rhythm. He would go to work every night, spend the hours rearranging chip bags, guarding the plunger, and— if he was lucky— the pretty college boy would come in for a few minutes to grab salty food and a caffeinated drink.
James wasn’t sure when it became “lucky” for the man to come into the store. Maybe it was lucky because he was entertaining, always preoccupied and wandering around the store like his mind was a hundred miles away. He had this odd sort of duality— somehow both spaced out and intensely focused at the same time. It was like he was concentrating on the dimension beyond the one James was living in. He floated through this world, always preoccupied with world in his head. It was endearing and intriguing and James found himself looking forward to seeing the man. James wanted to see the world inside his head, to know what was so captivating that he had no use or interest for what was outside of it.
The student was quickly becoming his favourite customer— something James never thought he would have— and he genuinely enjoyed having a chance to talk to the other guy. He was handsome, obviously intelligent, and, if given the chance, James definitely would’ve asked him out for a drink.
As it was though, James looked awful in his uniform so he would never have the confidence to make a move the only times he ever saw him.
James started to watch for him. The man came at least once a week, always between midnight and four in the morning. He must have lived nearby because he always walked over instead of taking a car like most of the other patrons. Either that, or he lived further away and walked all the way just for a bag of chips and an energy drink.
It was a Thursday like any other when he walked into the store and James’ curiosity got the better of him.
“So,” James leaned across the counter as the man sat his items down, “you come around here often?”
He tilted his head quizzically, “Yes? I do come here often? You’ve seen me.”
“No I— it was a joke,” James resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. This was… not going the way James would have hoped, “What’s your name? We might as well get on first name basis since we see each other all the time.”
“I’m Logan,” Logan seemed surprised by the question.
“I’m James.”
Logan gave a curt nod, “I know.”
“But— how? I—“
“It’s on your name tag,” And with that, Logan turned and marched out of the store.
——————
Logan laid on his back, arms and legs spread over the entirety of his bed. The only leftover space of the bed was occupied by Patton, one of his housemates.
“So how did the all-nighter go?”
Logan groaned, “Well… it sure as hell did go all night. I’m so fucking tired.”
“This is what you get for viewing the entire American university system as a challenge.”
He squinted up at Patton. With his blond hair and round, smiling face he looked like the direct inversion of whatever pale little zombie Logan currently felt like, “I gotta stop staying up so late.”
“I don’t know, you kind of seem to like it,” His housemate patted his leg and stood up to walk out of Logan’s room, “By the way, where do you keep going? I hear you leaving the house, like, super early all the time.”
Sunlight was streaming through his partially open blinds. It was probably quite pretty but to Logan it just looked like a headache-inducing glare. He threw a pillow over his face, muffling his voice as he answered, “Booty call.”
Patton laughed as he stopped walking, “Yeah right. The day you answer a booty call is the day I will shave my head.”
Logan shifted the pillow slightly to look at Patton again. The man’s hair was his prize possession, like a curly fluffy cloud that he kept as a pet on top of his head. Logan didn’t know how Patton could afford the time and money he put into his hair. What he did know, however, was that Patton would never risk its safety. Logan frowned in (mostly) fake insult, “You really think there’s not a single person who would send me a horny text at three in the morning?”
“Nah I think there are quite a few people who would do that. I just doubt there’s anyone you’d actually find worth answering.”
Was there anyone he would actually answer? Logan stared up at the dark fabric above him. The pillowcase was a deep navy blue and if he really squinted, he could see the weave of the thread, a thousand random threads coming together to make a greater whole. The way the individual pieces created something far larger than themselves was fascinating to Logan. He had never given it much before, but he couldn’t help but wonder if he would ever find a random individual worth making something together.
In the darkness covering his eyes, a vision of the convenience store cashier flashed across his mind. The face he saw was light brown and across that warm canvas, lighter portions sprawled. For the first time, Logan began really thinking about that face. He had sharp features, tired eyes, and when he smiled with lips sloped upwards at a lopsided angle. His skin reminded Logan of the glossy photos of nebulae in his astronomy textbooks— bright splashes breaking up the sameness of the night sky. How had he never noticed that before? What was his name? James.
He heard the creak of their old floors beneath Patton as he walked out of Logan’s room. He probably thought Logan had fallen asleep as he lay there in silence. He was far from asleep, though. His mind was racing, trying to find the missed connections and continually finding new ones in the process. His eyes flickered as previously unrecognized thoughts began surfacing. And they didn’t stop. How had he never noticed?
“I’ve been going to that convenience store down the street,” Logan called as Patton walked away.
James.
Maybe there was someone for him.
If you want to be added to my Sanders Sides fic taglist just send me an ask or reply to this post :)
@red-imeanblue @imma-potatoo, my friends, I believe you wanted to be tagged in the Loceit ceiling fan fic I wrote. Maybe part one? In all honesty, this was so fun to write!
Words: 1330
(Logan’s perspective)
I was going to conduct a science experiment. I was going to see if sticking cherries to the ceiling was a better method of storage than all in a bag. I walked into the kitchen at 2 AM and saw that Janus was still on the ceiling fan. Roman and Janus were in a heated argument on what kind of living places were too extreme earlier, and Janus got a ladder and got on the ceiling fan. He has been there for 17 hours and 21 minutes, refusing to come down. He’s a being of pure spite, I respect that. I didn’t say anything as I got cherries from the fridge, some toothpicks from the pantry, and a ladder.
I had propped up the ladder, and stuck the first toothpick into the ceiling when Janus spoke, “Now, usually I wouldn’t question what you were doing, but I feel inclined to ask this time.”
“Well, I am conducting a science experiment to see if sticking cherries to the ceiling is a better alternative for storage than putting them in a bag,” I replied as I stuck the first cherry on the first toothpick. We both were silent as I stuck cherries to the ceiling, Janus occasionally taking some of the cherries off of the toothpicks to eat.
I was lucky enough to be able to see in the dark pretty well, and Janus’s snake eye can faintly glow in the dark. This becomes relevant when Patton walked in, holding an empty cup, presumably going to fill it with water. He always got thirsty at night. Patton looked at us for a few seconds, then screamed and ran away, I flinched when he screamed, I hated loud noises. Virgil came running down the stairs, with Roman accompanying him while holding a sword.
Virgil flicked the light switch, and the ceiling fan’s lightbulb lit up, illuminating the room. I continued sticking cherries to the ceiling as Janus spun as the fan was on. I could see that they weren’t shocked to see Janus spinning around on the fan, and me sticking cherries to the ceiling.
Patton broke the silence, “Kiddos, if you’re going to be doing….” he looked at us, clearly trying to find a word, “...whatever you’re doing, be sure to say so before going all cray-cray.” I saw Virgil die inside when Patton said ‘cray-cray.’
I was beginning to wonder what the effects of what would happen if I stayed on the ceiling fan for a week.
“Say, Janus, may I join you on the ceiling fan?” I quickly added, “it’s for science, of course.”
Janus smirked, “Of course, it’s for science, is it not?” Patton looked at me getting on the fan, “Listen, my left brain friends, you could get cold, and I’m getting you a blanket,” he said, then went to get blankets.
After Patton got the blankets, Janus and I fell asleep on the fan.
~~~
I woke up a few hours later, the sun somehow shining directly in my eyes even though that we’re in the mindscape. Then I remembered that Roman wanted there to be a sun, so now there is. I had long ago learned not to question Roman so much, if I did, I’d end up with a headache. Why was I spinning? Oh, right. I’m on the ceiling fan with Janus. I looked over at Janus, who was sleeping. He looked so peaceful, his hat was halfway off, and his tongue sticking out in what Patton and Virgil would’ve called a “blep”. Luckily, I had brought the cherries and toothpicks up with me on the ceiling fan. The fan was off, which was good, I didn’t want to fall off while sticking cherries to the ceiling.
After a few minutes of struggling to stick the toothpicks to the ceiling because the fan was too flimsy, an idea came to mind. I was going to get off the fan to go get my materials, then I remembered that this is the mindscape. I summoned some planks of wood and got to work.
~~~
(Janus’s perspective)
I awoke to the sound of a saw cutting through wood, and a hammer.. well… hammering.
I opened my eyes, “Oh, Logan, please continue to disturb my sleeping,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I saw Logan stop and look at me, “My apologies, Janus. I did not intend to disrupt you.”
I rubbed the bridge of my nose and said, “Yes, yet you still went ahead and did… say, what are you doing, my dear nerd?” If I hadn’t known any better, I would’ve said Logan froze for a second at the nickname.
Logan adjusted his glasses, “Well, you see, sticking toothpicks to the ceiling whilst I barely have any surface area to keep me steady,” he gestured to the fan, “shall surely result in me falling.”
“Oh, I would’ve loved to see that. The great Logan falling from a ceiling fan,” I said jokingly while laughing a bit at the mental image. “Also Logan?” I started, Logan looked at me, “have you forgotten that we are in the mindscape?”
“No, of course I haven’t.” He looked puzzled, “That’s why I- ..oh.” There it was. That priceless face, the face of when he forgot something. I was about to interject, but suddenly, without warning, he expanded the size of the fan. He filled the gaps between the blades, but still enough room for dangling limbs. Though, because he didn’t give a warning, I let out a squeak of surprise.
He looked at me with a mildly amused expression. “Don’t you dare say anything,” I said while maintaining eye contact with a blank face to assert dominance. He let out a snort of laughter and started to stick toothpicks to the ceiling.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Dee,” Logan said with a half-smile. I looked at him and grinned.
“Was that sarcasm, Logan? Then again, you are very snarky on a daily basis,” I stated, examining my fingernails despite not being able to see them through my gloves.
“As are you,” Logan replied.
“Yes, I will gladly take my trophy as the sassiest side,” I joked light-heartedly.
He rolled his eyes, “Don’t forget the shortest.”
I scoffed, clearly feigning offense. “How rude, Logan. Going straight for the most vulnerable part of myself, how mean. At least I have morals.” I heard Logan laugh, it was one of the best sounds. I smiled as the sound filled my ears, despite myself.
You know those moments you just want to last forever? This was one of them. I just wanted to stay here forever in this wonderful moment in time, listening to Logan’s laughter.
I then realized what I was thinking. Wait, ew, feelings.
Logan stopped laughing after a bit, “How dare you make me laugh. I have a reputation,” he joked.
“Well, you don’t have a reputation when I’m here. If you do, I’ll shatter it,” I chuckled, “besides, nobody else is here. Who’s going to witness me breaking your reputation anyways?” I asked.
Logan paused, and tilted his head, clearly thinking about what I said. “Well..” he began hesitantly, “you are right, I suppose.”
I let out a bark of laughter, “Please continue to tell me that I’m right. It feels so good to be right.” I looked at him, “Especially to be told that I’m right by you.” I grinned crookedly.
Logan suddenly looked curious. “Is me telling you that you’re right different from any other side saying it? If so, how?”
“Huh. How is it different?” I asked myself aloud. Maybe it’s just because he’s so logical, it feels good to be told that you’re right by him. Then again, Roman is so competitive, and he rarely, if ever, tells anyone that they’re right, that should probably mean more, right?
I imagined each of the other sides telling me that I was right. For some reason, Logan’s felt more… meaningful.
Well, I don’t have time to unpack all of that.
“I don’t know.” I finally said after a few minutes of silence. Logan’s brow furrowed, then he nodded. He then continued to poke toothpicks onto the ceiling, then cherries on the toothpicks all while looking so lost in thought.
I wanted to answer his question, I really did. I just truly didn’t know the answer.
For the prompts, can you do lociet with a hand running through hair?
I apologise for the delay, life got in the way a little bit, but I hope you’ll like it! (also thank you for this being loceit, I love this ship so much and wish there was more soft fics with those two).
As always, please excuse any mistakes. Enjoy!
-
Quality time
Sometimes they both needed some quiet company. Properly quiet company. Sure, Virgil was reserved, but he wasn’t entirely quiet. He was used to blasting music through his headphones; more often than not it was loud enough to be heard by the person next to him, and there was no denying that it had the potential to get annoying really quickly - one: because everybody was worried about Virgil’s hearing, and two: there was just something about hearing second-hand headphones music that was just this one bit more irritating than someone blasting it full-volume on speakers. Another thing was that he was a fidgety person, and fidgeting, as completely acceptable as it is, can create a lot of small noises that are amplified by silence.
Roman could be silent when he got swept into his creative process, but he was excitable. He wasn’t aware that he could produce all kinds of excited sounds, sighs, little exclamations. And with the excitement came loud typing or writing which was a definite “please, stop”.
When there was noise around Patton didn’t need to add to it, but he didn’t like silence in the way the others did. They suspected that it reminded him of times when his thoughts would torment him. As much as they wished he wouldn’t try and bury them and just talk them out, there was nothing they could force him to do.
Remus was out of the question.
So really, Janus and Logan shouldn’t have been so surprised when they realised that they started to spend more and more time in each other’s company. They liked reading together, getting engrossed in a book and not acknowledging the other person sitting in the room.
The fact that they weren’t alone had something pleasant to it, unobtrusive but noticeable enough for them to start seeking it out subconsciously, leaving their rooms to read on the neutral ground of the common room more often, in the evenings when everyone else was busy somewhere else.
They had days where they were both on opposite ends of the couch, they had days when they ended up sitting a bit closer than that. Not always intentionally, but Deceit was too proud to make a fuss when his movement didn’t end up as planned. All he ever did went according to plan, thank you very much.
That’s why he was now with his head in Logan’s lap, book held uncomfortably high to hide his blushing face, straining to keep his muscles from tensing.
Logan was supposed to sit a bit further away.
And he was not supposed to just let him do that, lay in that position, that is. Aside from a quick glance with a raised brow (which Janus didn’t notice because of his book-shield) he made no comment about it. And it was driving Janus crazy.
If he had protested, Janus could have just moved without any struggle, but since it was him that did this to himself, it would be even more embarrassing to move after a minute of being like that.
So it was either die of embarrassment because he didn’t plan on that and oh my god why wasn’t Logan protesting, or it was dying of embarrassment when the other had more access to see his face and lose the remains of his calm façade.
Nope, he would rather stay put.
After a few more minutes of pretending to read and trying to calm his internal storm of thoughts, Janus came to the conclusion that maybe it wasn’t so bad. He was comfortable. He wasn’t unwelcome. There was no drama about it.
Maybe it wasn’t that big of a deal as he made it seem.
As he started to relax, he lowered his book and went back to reading it properly. It was one of those times where just a few lines got him sucked in, a very nice thing considering that this time he chose a mystery thriller - and without the plot and style that was able to do such a thing, well, let’s say that he didn’t consider most thrillers to be worth the time. But this one? This one was trying to do what others failed at, and as for now, it was doing it extremely well, so Janus couldn’t help himself but try to solve the mystery alongside the characters.
It was nice he could do that with Logan in the room with him. Most probably the only side in company of whom he’d let his guard down like that.
At first, he didn’t notice. It took him a few seconds to realise what it was that was pulling his attention from the book, and when it hit him he tensed up instantly.
There were fingers on his head, lightly threading through his hair. The movement was almost absentminded, which was proven to be an accurate description when Janus looked up to see that Logan’s attention was still completely captured by his own book. Was he even aware of what he was doing? He must have been, seeing how the gentle touch stopped as soon as Logan felt the other tense up. He moved the book to the side to meet eyes with Janus.
“Did I overstep boundaries?”, he asked and Janus wanted the ground to swallow him because he almost blurted out that no, please, keep going. You know, like a fool.
“It’s okay”, he answered instead, forcing his eyes to go back to the text, feigning nonchalance as well as he could, trying for his best ‘I don’t care’ tone when he added: “I don’t mind”.
He wasn’t going to look up again and check the reaction to his words, but when a few seconds passed and he started to feel the same warm hand in his hair, he smiled. He let himself enjoy the contact, let that electric feeling go though his spine as the other worked through some small knots that must have formed under his hat.
Somewhere in the back of his head he wondered why there was no hat on his head but it was such a small part of his mind that he didn’t pay it any attention.
And as he allowed himself to get sucked into the book once again, a gentle hand in his hair, soft thighs under his head and the overall warm feeling of being close to somebody without any expectations or underlying suspicion that seemed to follow him almost everywhere…
Well, if Logan caught him with a blep on his face some amount of time later and couldn’t help to chuckle under his breath, Janus was never to find out.
It was really nice when they were spending time together.
This is my gift for @phantomslogic! I was asked for Logan but I added some Loceit haha
I hope this works! Happy Holidays :)
(Slight nsfw?? Remus makes a single kinda dirty joke at the end but there is literally nothing else)
- - -
Logan sighed. That had been a very, very long day. Trying to keep up with Thomas' wellbeing was hard, even though it was his job. Especially considering the others weren't helping much. They were selfish, in their own ways, which isn't inherently always a bad thing, as he'd learned from Janus.
Actually, Logan thought, there is one person that does help out.
Janus himself.
He was an advocate for Thomas' wellbeing and self care, and although this sometimes slowed down productivity a bit, Logan had to admit it was better for Thomas. That was something he admired in the man; he kept a clear head and knew what to do. Not that it was the only thing he admired about him. Logan doesn't usually notice a lot about people, but small details about Janus keep catching his eye.
His scales tend to reflect light well, almost as if they were glowing sometimes. His eyes also, metaphorically, shone that bright.
He had a nice fashion sense too. The yellow compliments the black, in Logan's opinion. It matches his... 'aesthetic' very well. Is that the word? Most likely.
He was excellent at chess. Logan had played a few games against the reptilian and they drew multiple times, which was impressive. Logan could be tough competition.
And-
His thoughts were interrupted by an alarm beeping on his phone. He always had it set for 5pm, 10 minutes before the rest of the sides ate dinner. He had a tendency to overwork himself, so he needed a reminder to go take a break.
He stood up with a sigh, fixing his glasses. He didn't usually get so distracted with his thoughts, but here he was. He opened his door and made his way downstairs.
Janus was the only one there when he arrived. Of course the side he was thinking about was there.
The snake man waved at him. Logan nodded.
"Hello, Janus."
"Good evening, Logan. You're early."
"So are you."
He sat down across the table from Janus, summoning a glass of water. He took a small sip, sighing. Janus noticed his face. He could tell when the blue side was distracted.
"Is everything alright, Logan?" He asked.
"Hm? Oh, yes I'm alright."
"That's a lie. You are very clearly distracted."
"I- yes, you're right, but it's nothing of consequence."
"Clearly it is, you usually take bigger sips."
"Why do you know how I drink my water?"
"I... I'm very observant. Come on, what's on your mind?"
"I-I suppose I'm just... thinking. There's somethi- someone on my mind."
Janus raised an eyebrow. "Someone?"
"Yes."
"Who might that be, pray tell?" Janus asked, sipping on his drink which Logan could only assume was wine. He truly hoped Janus was sober for this.
"Well... you, if you don't mind me saying."
Janus choked slightly on the drink, placing it down.
"I- me? Is that right?"
"Well, yes... I believe in a romantic way? Perhaps... I'm not sure, I have no experience with romance-"
Suddenly, Janus reached over and grabbed his tie, pulling him in for a sudden kiss. Logan didn't know how to respond at first, before trying to match Janus' movements. They didn't take it any further, just appreciating the moment.
After a bit of time, they pulled away.
"Tell me, how did that feel?" Janus asked.
"Good. Very... enlightening."
"Is that so?" Janus asked, a smile playing on his lips. Logan allowed himself to smile back.
"Yes. I believe I was correct when I said I was... in love."
"That's good. Me too."
"Excellent. Shall we resume?"
"That sounds... satisfactory."
"Just satisfactory?"
"Come here."
With a smile, Janus leaned back in. Logan seemed to know what he was doing this time.
"Ahem..?"
"Ah-! Remus, I- we-"
"No no, don't stop on my part, braincells! Please, do continue."
"I- Janus, shall we take this elsewhere? We can get food later."
"We don't even need food, we're in Thomas' mind. Come on, let's go. Goodbye, Remus."
"Use protection!"
"REMUS!"
Summary: Unexpectantly, Logan is tugged from Thomas’ living room and impersonated once more while trapped in the deadly snake’s lair.
Author’s Note: so i got the idea while rewatching SVSR for the second time when my friend mac and i were discussing whether logan’s lowdown had been janus the entire time or if there was a switch. when patton skips logan’s infodump, you can see janus pull logan off the screen and, well, i can’t be the only one who wondered where he went, right?
-
Despite being shaky at best when dealing with emotions, Logan knew when he wasn’t wanted around.
Sure, they valued his brain and all the knowledge stored there, but when discussing moral matters, the others disregarded him completely—until they needed him again, of course. Whether it was Roman trying to convince the others to tell him about the intrusive thoughts upsetting them or Patton trying to strengthen his religiously-charged opinion with facts that, when he realized didn’t favor him in the argument, he chose to ignore, Logan was written off entirely, silenced again and again.
But it was his job to make sure Thomas remained informed, from the importance of maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm to philosophers’ theories and experiments, Logan knew that he had to be different from the others, had to remove himself from his emotions in order to serve his sole purpose.
Not that he could do that from Deceit’s room, wrists and ankles held down by phantom hands that had slithered up from the ground, grip firm despite the limbs’ transparency. Dark, looming shadows obscured most of the room’s contents, Deceit hidden among his prized possessions before his sententious speech snaked through the room, coiling around Logan’s throat and slipping into his ears. “Logan, Logan, Logan . . . thank you for making my job so much easier.”
Logan stopped his struggling, lying still as the side slid into view, crouching next to him and plucking the glasses from his face. “I suppose so . . . a miscalculation on my part.”
“Mhmm,” Deceit acknowledged, snapping with his yellow-gloved right hand until he was the spitting image of logical reasoning, multi-colored striped blue tie to match. It had been a dead giveaway last time and he wouldn’t screw up this time. Then, with uncovered fingers, he traced the curve of Logan’s jaw, tilting his chin upwards until identical eyes were locked. “They may not want you around, but I most certainly do. Stay here until I sort this out and I’ll show you just how much.”
He was gone in an instant, fortunately before he could see Logan’s breath hitch or the tears he had no control over swell in his eyes.
It took him exactly eight minutes and thirty-five seconds to compose himself and then only a minute and two seconds to break through Deceit’s hands to reappear in Thomas’ living room. Surprisingly enough, it was . . . empty, the way it hadn’t been since their earlier days. Neither Remus nor Virgil were anywhere in sight and upon seeing Logan, the other’s flinched, visibly reacting with Deceit even swearing.
“Not that any of you care, but I’m unharmed, and I don’t want to talk about it” he deadpanned, arms crossed against his chest as he spoke. “I’m just here to deliver one last fact, then I will do you all a favor and spare you my company.”
And so after Logan articulated as best he could the meaning of effective altruism and provided a comprehensible example, he did just that.
request for the bad things happen bingo: insomnia/worked themselves to exhaustion. logan can't make his brain shut up long enough to sleep so he figures "i might as well be productive while i can't sleep" so he works and works, but he's just running on empty and not practicing! self! care! bonus comfort, someone drags his ass to bed before he actually passes out and tucks him in
Observation, Analysis, Conclusion
Logan claims that Sides do not need sleep to function. Janus disagrees.
Logan was on his third attempt to produce a satisfactory agenda for tomorrow's writer's meeting when Janus arrived. With a dramatic sigh, Janus sprawled sideways across the chair he had just summoned, and set about watching Logan with a knowing smirk.
It took exactly eight minutes and thirty-seven seconds for Logan to ask:
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
The grin widened slightly.
“I was simply wondering what it is you think you're achieving.”
Logan furrowed his brow. “My work. I have many tasks to complete and I have no other pressing concerns at this time.”
