#fae!remus

Remus rolled his eyes and stretched past Logan to reach the kettle. “I knew you were there.”

Arms crossed over his chest, Roman shook his head. “That is not the same thing and you can’t—”

“Ro?” Logan prompted, giving Remus’ hand a squeeze even as he nodded encouragingly at Roman. “Why did you sneak the bough onto the path?”

The twins exchanged a look, neither saying a word, so Logan pushed.

“I understand why you made yourselves appear young…” Recalling his terror when they’d first revealed their true selves, their explanation hadn’t actually been necessary. “But why didn’t you simply come along with Re?”

Again, there was another silent conversation between the brothers. Finally, Roman shrugged. “Well…”

“He got to meet you first… first,” Remus explained, full lips curled up in that crooked smile. “When we were kids? Remember?”

And Logan did. It had taken more than a week for him to realize his new friend was two new friends and not simply one mercurial boy whose temperament seemed to shift day to day. When Logan had figured it out, spending hours playing with both of them outside their house, he’d gone running back home, calling for his mother before he’d gotten to the path to his own house.

But even Logan hadn’t been excited enough—or young enough—to miss the worried pinch in his mother’s face and her furtive protective blessing at the mention of twins.

“You should know, Logan,” Janus murmured from the fireplace. “Not all identical twins are fae. It’s only a Southern myth that says they are.” His sharp expression left Logan wondering whether mind-reading was one of those specialties Patton had said his teacher might someday share with him. “In fact most of what is ‘known’ about the fae in the South is pure fantasy and fear mongering.”

“To tell you the truth,” he said more to the floor than to the twins. “I thought the fae themselves were a myth…” Forcing the courage to meet their eyes, Logan sighed in relief at their matching grins. He bumped Remus’ shoulder and squeezed Roman’s hand. “You’re nothing like the stories say.”

“Are you sure?” Remus teased. “We might just be hoping to drag you back to our hidden castle through a fairy circle. Make you ours forever.”

“He is ours forever,” Roman muttered, shaking his head.

Logan’s eyes widened. Roman’s lips hadn’t moved when he spoke, but Logan had heard his voice as clear as anything. “What did you—” Shaking his head to free it of his hallucination, he glanced back at Remus. Had he heard it, as well?

Remus grinned back at him before sticking out his tongue at his brother. “I told he’d pick it up today.”

“No-one likes to hear ‘I-told-you-so,’ Re,” Roman retorted silently.

“Boys?” Patton said aloud from the fire. “Remember your manners, please. Use your voices.”

Remus rolled his eyes, but he nodded. “We will, Padre,” he said aloud, offering the first tea to Janus with a little bow of apology. “Mostly,” he said silently to Logan and Roman.

Eyes narrowed even as he chuckled, Janus sipped his tea. “These two must’ve been a handful when they were young.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Patton laughed, ruffling Roman’s hair as he set down a tray laden with stew and still-warm bread. Roman smiled, not only accepting the gesture but leaning into it for a moment before heading back to the kitchen for mugs for everyone else.

Patton continued. “I think the day they tried to transform into moose to get out of chores was the day I got half of these,” he said, tugging cheerfully at the silver in his hair.

Logan found a place at the table and Roman and Remus settled on either side of him. “Did they transform inside?” Patton’s home was much larger than his own but even this space would become… dangerous with two full-size moose inside.

Laughing, the twins exchanged a guilty glance. “That wasn’t the worst of it.”

Seemingly in on the joke, Janus shook his head with a barely suppressed grin. “Transforming into an animus is the easy part,” he explained. “It’s getting out of it that requires… planning.”

“Yeah, I still haven’t gotten all this,” Remus tugged at the soft silver tuft in his own bangs, “Back to my real color.”

Roman laughed. “Are you sure you’re not just going grey like Padre?”

“Ah! The gall!” he scoffed, hand pressed over his heart. “You’re one to—” But before Remus could finish—and before Logan could stop himself—he reached over and twirled a silver lock around his finger. Remus froze mid-sentence.

“You wear the silver well,” he said, then let his hand fall back to his plate and busied himself breaking off a bit of bread to dip in the stew.

Nothing Roman said through their entire dinner could dim Remus’ grin.

~

Washing up went quickly with the five of them—well, four and a half of them: At his first yawn, Patton ushered Janus into a nest of cushions next to the fire. “You know I could get used to this,” he teased from behind one of his endless cups of tea, then looked away as though he’d said something out of turn.

Logan continued to dry the dishes the twins had scrubbed and rinsed, watching his teacher carefully. He hadn’t sounded… ill-mannered but perhaps Janus better understood the unspoken rules. Logan glanced at Roman, who nodded knowingly.

It was easy to understand everything going on when you literally had seen it all before.

But Patton didn’t seem put out in the least. Instead, he took the long way past Janus’ seat to reset a fresh kettle over the fire. He patted Janus’ knee as he passed and nodded. “I hope you do,” he murmured, nearly too quiet for Logan to hear.

Remus handed him another dish. “Do you want to know?” he asked silently.

Logan glanced again at Janus, watching his eyes follow Patton back to the shelves lining the wall next to the wood stove. Janus looked… Logan searched for a word other than ‘afraid.’ He’d watched Janus face down a dozen armed me. Why did he look afraid of Patton?

He turned to Remus and nodded. “Please,” he whispered.

“Hey, Padre,” Remus grinned and bounced over to Patton’s side. “Would you make Logan a cup of tea?”

“Oh, thank you, but that is unnecessary,” Logan shook his head. “I can prepare tea, I—”

Those kind eyes found him then and, like they had in the forest, seemed to look right into him. It only lasted a moment and a smile soon bloomed on his face. “Well, sure thing, Kiddo.” He peeked into the sink at the three remaining dishes and nodded at the already scrubbed table. “By the time it’s done steeping, we’ll be done here.”

“You heard him, Logie,” Remus danced back, rinsing the next dish with fresh energy. “Let’s keep going.” He winked over his shoulder after passing him another clean, dripping bowl. “Reading leaves works better if someone else makes the tea for you,” he added silently.

“Oh,” Logan breathed. His vision of Janus seized him. His teacher falling, a blade sticking from him as he… Janus had made him the tea that had given him that shimmer of the future. And it had… well, his vision hadn’t come to full fruition but if it hadn’t been for Patton’s ministrations it might have.

Roman turned then and wiped his soapy hands clean before putting away the dry dish Logan clung to with one hand. He kept a grip on Logan’s hands with the other. “Do you trust us?”

Busy with the dishes, the turn of Remus’ head showed he paid more attention to their conversation than it might have appeared to Patton and Janus. Logan nodded and rolled all of his hope and fear into a ball and pushed out the silent word, “Yes.”

~

The twins sat next to him, long legs folded and tucked against his as he drained most of his cup. It was likely obvious to both Patton and Janus what they were doing, but the older pair gave them as much privacy as the close space would allow, murmuring quietly to each other over their own cups of milky tea.

Shifting the dregs of his tea back and forth, Logan peered down into his cup and saw… He saw the room they were in. Fireplace blazing, bread rising on the table. Different herbs sprouted in the windowsill and three new shelves were packed into the corner, piled with books. The books he’d saved from his home, including his spellbook, were stacked neatly among them.

Patton and Janus sat close to one another, a large book balanced on their laps. The twins sat with Logan, his head resting on Remus’ shoulder, Roman’s pillowed Logan’s own lap. Roman’s hand was intertwined with his while Remus’ fingers gently carded through the hair falling over the back of his neck.

Logan’s hair was longer in the vision, well past his shoulders. He blinked lazily as he drowsed with them, warm and ensconced in softness. And love. His eyes finally closed and that was when Remus drew him back more fully against his chest and pressed a soft kiss against his forehead. Vision Logan’s eyes opened then and he tilted up his face, smiling when Remus kissed his lips.

Laughing, Roman turned and craned his neck, only laying back down when Logan gave him his kiss, as well.

Logan gasped and the cup slipped from his grip. Right into Roman’s waiting hands.

“Is…” Back in the real world, in the now, the vision wouldn’t fade, and Logan’s eyes were drawn to each of their mouths. “Is it real? Will—will it be real?” he whispered, falling into the same sort of tense confusion the twins had earlier.

“It can be,” Roman said carefully.

Remus gripped his hand, biting his lower lip. “If you want it to be.”

Logan shivered, mouth dry as he fought to make sense of his vision. This wasn’t at all what he'd expected to see. He'd expected to see some explanation for the odd, careful way Janus and Patton moved around each other. He'd expected to see whether he would master all the spells he needed to become a full mage. He'd expected to see nearly anything but…

Still smiling, Roman pulled a soft blanket from the basket next to them and laid it across their laps. “You’re cold,” he whispered, smoothing it over their legs. “And Re’s practically asleep.”

“Wha—” The candles in front of them were noticeably lower than last he’d looked. Janus and Patton sat across from them, backs straight and attention on him. Eyes closed, Remus was curled against him, still holding his hand. The other loosely tangled in his sleeve.

Janus made no effort to hide what he knew. “Would it help to talk about your vision?” he asked.  “Was it… concerning?”

Logan’s cheeks warmed and he shook his head, looking down at the blanket Roman had laid in his lap. It was the same one from his vision. “No,” he finally said. “Not concerning a—at all. It was…” He smiled when Roman took his other hand and leaned close. “It was rather nice, actually.”

Not pretending to understand, Janus nodded. After a long moment, he returned to his quiet conversation with Patton, leaving the rest of the questions swimming in his eyes for another time.

Logan settled back against the cushions and Roman moved with him, his own sleepy eyes drooping. They’d helped him carry Janus on the day's hike back to their home. And stayed up with him the night before while he’d waited for Janus to wake.

It seemed, though, even fae needed sleep. Head heavy on Logan’s shoulder, Roman, too, was soon asleep.

Before long, Logan felt sleep’s embrace pulling him down to join them. As he was about to drift off, Remus curled closer, one long arm wrapped tightly around his middle. “You never do choose,” he mumbled close to his ear. Uncertain if he was even awake, Logan craned his neck and was met by bright green eyes smiling back at him. “And you won’t ever have to.”

~

Patton and Janus’ conversation quieted as they watched the trio fall asleep. Whatever Logan had seen lost its bite under the twins’ gentle care. The phantom ache in his side reminded Janus that Logan’s visions were accurate to the point of pain. Learning to cope with the knowledge of what was to come could be… challenging. Especially if he tried to bear the burden alone. He hoped that between all of them gathered in Patton’s home, Logan would decide to confide in one of them when he needed.

Though Janus couldn’t quite allow himself to hope that they would be there for long.

“So when you left our school to study in Kalgree, you went South instead?” He wanted to sound stern or perhaps even a little angry as they returned to their earlier discussion. The catch in his voice betrayed him.

“I was called,” Patton shrugged with a little wince, and stood to drew a thick knitted blanket over the three of them. “The boys were children. Barely more than five when the village exiled them. If they’d been human they…” He shook his head, dark clouds hiding his ordinarily sunny smile. “They wouldn’t’ve survived, Jan.”

“Like the miller’s child,” Janus frowned into his cup.

Surprise flashed over Patton’s face but it didn't last. Two decades raising precognitive fae seemed to have made it unnecessary to ask how Janus knew about the third child the town had banished. “Like the miller’s child,” he nodded. Patton settled on the cushion next to him, thigh to thigh. “After I’d found them, the boys wouldn’t leave the woods. Not without Logan, they said.”

“You said they called you?” Janus tilted his head at his student, face slack and smooth in sleep. How many of his luminaria had been going to these fae?

“Their powers called me. Drew me here. I couldn’t’ve resisted if I’d tried.” His little smile told Janus he was glad for it, too. “Their powers run through this whole forest. I don’t think they’ve even discovered the full extent of what they can do yet.” He watched them sleep, face softening into that fond little smile.

“They’re of the forest,” Janus murmured, the magic he’d seen swirling through the woods suddenly making more sense.

Patton nodded. “It’s what drew them to Logan when they were children. I…” He shrugged and finished Janus’ neglected cup. “I don’t know how much they consciously understood then.”

In sleep, the trio piled together in a tangle of limbs and interlaced hands, pups snuggled close. Patton refreshed both their teas, watching him watching them.

Janus murmured a thanks and blew at the hot brew before taking a careful sip. “Will they leave the woods now that he’s with them?”

Carefully resting one arm over the cushion at Janus’ back, Patton drank his own tea. “They’ve told me for years they go wherever he goes.”

Janus sipped his tea, swallowing back the question fighting its way to his lips. The fireplace crackled across the room as he counted his breaths, waiting for Patton to say something—to say anything that might draw the conversation down a different path.

He never did. Eventually, Janus’ cup emptied and he whispered into it, “And what about you?” The question sat between them as he turned the cup in his hands.

Patton finished his tea and had set down the empty cup, butter yellow curls shining in the afternoon sun. “Thank you, Jan,” he grinned, meeting Janus’ eyes. “Just what I needed for the road ahead.”

Janus’ tea had grown cold and he stared down into the pale brew. Don’t leave. They don’t need you in Kalgree as much as I need you. Please just stay here. Stay with me. Stay—

“Stay safe,” Janus said instead, passing him his travel satchel.

“You’ve enchanted it,” he’d smiled, hefting the loaded bag easily with just two fingers. “Always looking out for me, aren’t you, Jan?”

Eyes wet, Janus had ducked his head as he cleared away the cups. “Always, Pat.”

Patton was smiling when at last Janus looked up. He took Janus’ empty cup and set it next to his own, then he held his hands, calloused thumbs rubbing circles into the backs of them. “Let’s find out together,” he whispered, raising Janus’ hands to his lips. “If you’ll have me back, that is.”

“Just go to your own room before you get all ‘reacquainted,’” Remus rumbled from his spot curled against Logan’s left side. He winked at them over the blankets then settled back with a sleepy sigh.

Stifling a laugh, Janus nodded, allowing Patton to help him to his feet. “Always, Pat.”

Epilogue

“Very good,” Janus nodded, hefting another stone as Logan readied himself for the next attack. “Keep your staff high until you’re prepared to…”

“To take ‘em out!” Remus cheered from the doorway. He tugged at the satchel looped over his shoulders and skipped down the steps to meet them.

“Re!” Roman called after him. “You left me with the heavy one!”

Remus rolled his eyes and sat cross-legged a few feet from where Janus was drilling Logan's defensive charms one last time. “They’re enchanted, Ro Bro! They're all the same!”

“It’s the principle,” he muttered, pout melting when Patton gave him a side hug.

"Perhaps we can trade bags for the trek back home?" Logan suggested with a soft smile.

Roman preened, nodding as he blew a kiss back. "Thank you, Lo," he said before shooting his brother a frown. "Someone understands."

"I understand, I'm just saying—“ he silently shot back.

“Okay, Kiddos, let's let Logan get in one more round, please,” Patton said, shaking his head. He sat next to Remus and smiled up at the dueling pair. “Show him how it’s done!”

“Precisely which one of us are you cheering, Pat?” Janus asked, smiling too much to sound annoyed.

Patton simply shrugged and beckoned Roman closer to watch with them.

“You've got this,” the twins’ voice filled Logan’s mind and he shot each of them a quick smile before raising his staff just in time to block the fiery stone Janus lobbed in his direction.

Janus laughed as the twins leapt to their feet and swept Logan up in a hug. “Well done, Logan!” he said, moving closer to squeeze his shoulder. “You’re ready.”

Nodding, Logan stood a little taller as his teacher adjusted the clasp on his new blue cloak. “And you know who to look for,” he said for at least the tenth time that day. Janus raised a single finger when Remus inhaled, ready to speak. “Do not speak his name until someone speaks it first. No matter the inroads we’ve made, two fae and a Mage traipsing into the village and asking to meet a toddler named Virgil will not end well.”

“I was going to say 'doesn’t Logie look good in blue,'” Remus said in mock offense.

“No you weren’t,” Roman muttered.

“Yeah, no, I wasn’t.” Remus shrugged and winked at Logan. “Doesn’t make it any less true.”

“They’re ready, Jan,” Patton murmured, hooking his arm through Janus’. “We’ll see you tomorrow if all goes well?”

Janus thrummed his fingers against his staff. “And tonight if it doesn’t.”

“It’ll go well,” Roman and Remus said in unison, laughing as they headed toward the creek and the village beyond the edge of the woods.

Logan lingered, and waved one more time at Patton and Janus. Patton held Janus’ hand close to his own heart, the only sign his teacher was more anxious than he was willing to admit to his student.