#loceitweek2021

“Okay,” Virgil breathed. He pressed his ear to a door, and after taking what Janus thought was far too long checking the coast was clear, he pushed it open.

The two of them stepped into one of the manor’s many grand living rooms. It was exactly the same as the last time Janus had been here – after all, many of the rooms were unused by the manor’s lone occupant.

Virgil immediately wandered over to the fireplace and picked up a silver candlestick, rather more elaborate than the one he’d almost knocked over earlier. He let out a low whistle as he turned it over in his hands. “This is expensive.”

“Well, put it in the bag. We don’t have all day,” Janus instructed, holding his bag open in front of Virgil.

Virgil seemed slightly reluctant to part with the shiny object – honestly, his partner in crime was like a magpie sometimes – but he dropped it soundlessly into the empty bag.

They made it through several other rooms without incident, taking whatever Virgil thought would be worth something. Janus remembered the locations of a few items which seemed valuable, but he didn’t have a clue as to their exact worth – that was why he’d started working with Virgil, after all. Janus’ knack for breaking into houses and Virgil’s expertise on anything expensive made them the perfect team of thieves.

As they entered one of the more frequently used rooms, Virgil stopped next to a small table, looking down at a framed photo. “Is that Logan?”

Janus froze, then turned to Virgil with as neutral of an expression as he could manage and peered over his companion’s shoulder. “Why yes, I think so. What a coincidence. Come on now, I don’t think there’s much we can take in this room.”

“Janus.” Virgil grabbed his wrist. “Tell me we’re not breaking into your ex’s house and robbing him.”

“Oh but Virgil, I thought you didn’t like it when I lied.” Janus batted his eyelashes as innocently as he could.

Virgil dropped his wrist, hissing through his teeth. “I can’t fucking believe this. Why?”

Janus gritted his teeth, forcing back any pathetic emotion that might try to worm its way into the open. “Because, Virgil, he dumped me. Nobody dumps me.”

“So you’re getting revenge by stealing all his valuables?” Virgil asked incredulously.

“See? Now you’re getting it.” Janus patted Virgil’s head, giving him a winning smile.

Virgil scoffed and pushed past Janus into the corridor. Of course, he wasn’t looking where he was going and walked straight into the chest of a burly man with a large moustache. Judging by his outfit, the man was probably a butler – must have been hired recently, as Janus didn’t recognise him.

The man seemed just as surprised as Virgil was, but his expression smoothed over quickly to an intimidating glare. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Virgil stumbled back, staring at the man as his cheeks flushed deep red. He leaned against the wall, assuming a pose Janus had shown him while teaching him how to flirt. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” he stammered, his voice far too squeaky to achieve the mysterious tone he was clearly attempting.

“Well, yeah. I would.” The man narrowed his eyes, stepping towards Virgil who didn’t seem to be breathing at all. “I’d like to know what some guy I’ve never seen before is doing sneaking around the house in the dead of night.”

“I’m, uh…” Virgil glanced at the doorway Janus was standing in, his eyes screaming for help. Whether that was help getting out of this situation, or help with his painfully abysmal attempts at seducing the man trying to apprehend him, Janus wasn’t sure. But he was willing to assist regardless.

Janus carefully stuffed the bag of valuables under a chair by the door, and stepped out into the hallway. “We’re here to check the boiler,” he said smoothly. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t cost anything. These are part of government mandated annual checks on all grade II listed buildings. The pipes can get terribly chilly in the winter, so we need to make sure everything’s in working order.”

It wasn’t a perfect lie, but throwing in enough jargon and long words could fool any layperson into thinking he was a professional. It might have worked too, as the man’s eyebrows furrowed and he stepped back a little from Virgil.

“Is that so?”

The voice that echoed from the end of the corridor sent a chill down Janus’ spine. He knew that voice. Even after all these months, the smooth low tones were more familiar than any sound in the world. He turned, slowly, and laid eyes on the man. His hair was neatly styled as always, his crisp suit perfectly pressed. Through square spectacles he could see the piercing gaze of eyes which looked dark from this distance, but Janus knew they were almost the colour of honey around the iris.

“Logan…” he breathed. Time seemed to slow down as he stared into those beautiful eyes.

“Janus,” Logan said steadily. He looked at Janus for a long moment, his gaze level and unreadable, before glancing at the two men behind him. “Oh, and Virgil. What an unexpected surprise.”

Janus took a moment to find his voice, his throat dry as if he’d been wandering in a barren desert for days. “W-we were just on our way out,” he managed, filling his voice with what little confidence he could manage.

Logan held up a hand, and as if controlled by some supernatural force Janus stopped in his tracks. “No, no. You came all the way out here, dear. It would be a shame if you left so soon. Why don’t you stay for a cuppa?”

The nickname made Janus’ heart tremble, though Logan’s tone was absent of any fondness it had once held. Words stuck in Janus’ throat, and he stood dumbly, half wanting to march out of the door before Logan could stop him, half wanting to throw himself into Logan’s arms.

The moment was broken when the moustached man coughed awkwardly. “So… they’re not here to fix the boiler?”

Logan shook his head, giving a small chuckle. “No, Remus. They’re not.” He peered into the doorway behind Janus, raising an eyebrow. “In fact, judging by that bag filled with my prized candlesticks and doubtless other valuables, I’d say they’re performing a burglary. Help me to escort them to the upstairs living room.” He rested a hand on Janus’ arm and began to lead him down the corridor.

Remus nodded and lifted Virgil up in his muscular arms. Virgil looked entirely more delighted by this turn of events than any thief who’d just been caught should.

 Logan’s study hadn’t changed at all from how Janus remembered it- not even a pen on the desk was out of place. The armchairs Logan led him over to were at the exact same angle to the fireplace they had been at the last time Janus had visited this room, nearly a year ago. It almost felt as if he’d stepped back in time, apart from the fact that Logan’s expression was guarded and cold as he regarded Janus, not a hint of the warmth that used to be there.

“What are we going to do with them?” Remus asked, setting Virgil down on the floor. Virgil almost looked disappointed.

“I should call the police,” Logan said. His hand drifted towards the pocket of his blazer, hovering over the tell-tale rectangular shape of a mobile phone within it, but after a pause he moved to clasp his hands on his lap. “I really should…” He sighed, drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair, then looked up at his butler. “Remus, could you leave me and Janus alone for a moment?”

Remus looked a little confused, but after a raised eyebrow from Logan he escorted Virgil back out into the hall.

Once the other two had left, Logan turned to Janus with a slight smirk. “You know, if you wanted to see me so badly, there are easier ways of getting in touch.”

Janus focused intently on his nails, as if inspecting them through his yellow gloves, not quite trusting himself to look Logan in the eye. “Usually when robbing someone, the goal is not to see them.”

Logan’s posture shifted, his shoulders slumping slightly. Rubbing his forehead, he gave a disappointed sigh. “Why did you do this, Janus? I thought you’d moved past this lifestyle.”

“Revenge,” Janus said with a shrug, trying to keep his tone light. “It only seemed fair; you break my heart, I break into your home.”

Logan was silent for a long moment, and when he spoke his voice wavered slightly. “I… broke your heart? I was under the impression you no longer cared about me.”

“Well, that wouldn’t be the first time I’ve given a false impression, would it?”

“I suppose not.” Logan huffed, looking down at his shoelaces. His eyebrows were furrowed, the way they always were when he was considering something, and Janus didn’t think whether or not his brogues needed polishing required that much thought.

The silence that hung in the air was prickly and stifling; Janus hardly dared move, as if he were some pathetic creature trapped under a thorn bush. Janus didn’t like feeling trapped. Or pathetic. “I thought you’d be watching that quiz show all evening,” he said nonchalantly, if only to ease the tension a little.

Logan hummed, still not looking up at Janus. “I was, but I sent Remus downstairs to get me a hot drink. Then I heard the commotion, and went to investigate.”

“Ah,” Janus said. Though Logan liked hot drinks, he often stated that brewing them was a waste of time, and would only drink them when it was exceptionally cold… or when he was exceptionally upset. “Do you remember what day it is today?” He hazarded.

“Yes,” Logan answered immediately. He cleared his throat, taking a shaky breath before continuing. “I’d actually planned… I know it was a long way off, and now of course it’s clear that there was no point, but after our first anniversary I started planning what we would do today.”

“Oh.” Janus’ voice was far more choked than he expected, the sound coming out as more of a sob than a word. “What did you plan?”

“I wanted to take you to Paris. Back to that café we visited when we were in college, only as… as a couple, this time.” Logan sniffed quietly, and took off his glasses. He took a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and cleaned the lenses, then dabbed at his eyes.

“That would have been nice,” Janus whispered, knowing that if he raised his voice any more than that he wouldn’t be able to hold back his own tears.

Logan’s shoulders shook as he put his glasses back on, and Janus chanced looking directly at him. That was a mistake. His face was absolutely crumpled, chin wobbling and tears spilling from his eyes even as they were clenched shut.

Janus moved before he knew what he was doing, kneeling in front of Logan and taking his hands. He pressed his lips to the back of each hand, squeezing Logan’s fingers tightly in his own. When Logan let out a sob, Janus reached up and wrapped his arms around his neck. “There, there, darling,” he murmured, pressing another kiss to the side of Logan’s head as they both rocked gently back and forth. He wanted more than that, to kiss Logan like he used to, to hold him in his arms forever, but he didn’t know if Logan still wanted that, wanted him. Though he bit his lip, it didn’t stop his own tears from falling onto Logan’s blazer. He didn’t know if he could voice how much he’d missed Logan, so he just held him tighter and hoped that got his point across. Logan’s arms slowly wrapped around him, gripping his shoulders as if his life depended on it.

They could have stayed like that for hours or days and Janus wouldn’t have cared, but as both of their sobs began to ease he pulled back to give Logan some space.

Logan rubbed his eyes with the handkerchief, and gave Janus a watery smile. “You know, I never thought I’d be glad that someone broke into my house, but seeing you again…”

Janus could have kissed him right there and then, but instead he swallowed the fresh bout of tears that threatened to break free, and smiled back at Logan. “If we got back together tonight, we’d have the same anniversary,” he shrugged, not quite meeting Logan’s eyes.

Logan took his hands again, sincerity in his eyes as Janus looked at him. “We would. And maybe… Paris, next year? If we make it that far.”

“I hope we do,” Janus murmured.

“So do I,” said Logan.

And Janus couldn’t hold back any longer. He threw his arms around Logan’s neck again, this time catching Logan’s lips in his own. Logan reciprocated eagerly, steadying the back of Janus’ head with one hand, and pulling him onto his lap with the other.

 They walked out into the hallway a few minutes later, hand in hand, each of them with their hair thoroughly messed up. Remus and Virgil didn’t seem to notice, continuing to laugh with their heads bent close together and their eyes sparkling.

Logan approached them briskly, not seeming to know or care about whatever kind of moment he was interrupting. “What happened tonight stays between the four of us,” he said.

Virgil jumped at the sudden noise next to him, flushing as he seemed to realise how close he was to Remus. He gave Remus a shy smile and stepped back a little as the other listened attentively to his boss.

“Nobody will find out that my house was broken into, and nobody will get in trouble for this,” Logan continued. “However, I will want some stronger locks on the windows. Remus, make a note for me to have that arranged tomorrow.”

“Sure thing,” Remus said. He pulled a notebook out of his pocket, and in one movement flipped it open and scribbled something down. As soon as Logan turned away, Remus tore out the page and passed it to Virgil, and Janus saw that it definitely didn’t contain a reminder to fix the windows and most definitely did contain a phone number.

Janus leant against Logan’s side, resting his head on his shoulder. It felt so good to be close to him again, to feel the soft wool suit against his cheek and to clasp Logan’s warm hand in his own, and Janus wasn’t going to waste a second.

“Would you like to, um-” Logan dithered for a moment, and when Janus raised his head he was surprised to see his cheeks were slightly flushed. “Would you like to come back here for dinner next week?”

Janus squeezed his hand, letting his face relax into a smile. He hadn’t seen Logan so nervous… probably since he’d first asked him out. “I would love that,” he said sincerely.

Logan let out a short, relieved sigh. “Good. Would Tuesday be convenient for you?”

“Yes,” Janus said immediately. He couldn’t remember his exact schedule for the next week, but in that moment it didn’t matter, he would be able to reschedule anything that got in the way. “And I’ll try to use the door next time.”

Logan huffed, and though his eyes held an amused glint his tone was a little accusatory. “Do you often enter buildings through windows?”

Janus sighed, and gently reached for Logan’s other hand to clasp both of them gently in his own. “Darling, let’s not do this now. We can discuss my… lifestyle another time,” he implored. An argument with Logan when they’d only just got back together would be devastating, and while Logan had made his thoughts on Janus’ job perfectly clear in the past, he was going to try his damned hardest to make this work. “I think you might have to change your opinions on thievery anyway, since your butler will probably be married to a burglar by the end of the week with how they’re making eyes at each other.

Remus didn’t seem to hear, but Virgil’s cheeks flushed a furious red, and he glared at Janus. “We should get going now,” he reminded him.

“We should…” Janus murmured, but he made no move to let go of Logan. He bent his forehead towards his lover, squeezing his hands.

“I’ll see you next week,” Logan murmured, though he stayed staring into Janus’ eyes.

Janus glanced at Logan’s lips, slightly parted and so soft. He could kiss him again, it would only take one swift movement to lean further forward and catch them with his own. Time seemed to slow down around them, and Janus swallowed his nerves-

“Alright, lovebirds!” Remus interrupted. “No making out in the corridor! Although, there could be exceptions to that rule,” he added with a wink at Virgil.

Janus was beginning to worry his friend might combust with the amount this butler was making him blush. Reluctantly, he stepped away from Logan, but kept hold of one hand as they began to descend the stairs.

This staircase led to the opposite side of the house to where Janus and Virgil had been caught, and they walked directly into the large entrance hall.

Remus reached, seemingly instinctively, for the door and opened it for them. Janus supposed it made sense, he probably had to do this every time Logan had guests, no matter how uninvited they were.

“I really do need to go,” Janus sighed, glancing briefly through the doorway.

Logan raised Janus’ hand to his lips, and gently brushed them over his knuckles. Even through his gloves, the gesture made Janus’ heart skip a beat.

“I won’t keep you any longer,” Logan said, his voice low and gentle. “I’ll see you on Tuesday, dearest.”

He tried to lie to himself, he didn’t have feelings for Logan… no. Absolutely not, what a ludicrous idea! He laughed to himself as he ironically got to the heartfelt confession scene in the book. So, Logan makes him smile, he makes him laugh, he makes him think more in depth about literature and philosophy, and he’s the one person who always makes time for Janus no matter how busy he is. Never mind the fact that he is the most talented, smartest and stunning guy he has ever met. So yes, no feelings at all.

Janus sighed and slammed the book on the coffee table… great. Now he couldn’t focus on his book, Logan had taken over his mind. To top it off, Logan had just walked into the room looking to see if Janus was there. He was holding his newspaper and smiled as he saw that Janus was sitting at the table with his book, he walked over and Janus’ heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t help but smile when he sat down much closer than usual.

“Well, well, well. Is there something I can help you with?” He smirked as he saw Logan smile and look down, staring at the crossword intently.

“… Yes, you can. I hate to admit it, but I can’t solve this clue… I’ve been trying for half an hour, and it’s starting to annoy me.” He had a neutral facial expression, but the tone of his voice showed a playful side with a hint of nerves that Janus couldn’t help but smile at.

“Aww you’re asking me for help? This must be an incredibly hard clue if you’re immediately asking me to assist you…” He gasped in fake surprise and shuffled even closer to Logan, he leaned over the newspaper and scanned through it trying to find the clue. Surprisingly, it was the only one left unanswered.

“Urmm, Logan? Not for nothing, but it’s only four letters… You’re practically the smartest person I know, apart from me of course… You really need my help with a four-letter answer? Are you feeling okay?” He chuckled lightly as Logan looked perplexed and titled his head to the side.

“I’m perfectly fine, but it’s an important clue that I need you to solve for me… Please?” He smiled brightly, the nerves in his voice from earlier were gone, replaced with a confidence that Janus added to his mental list of things he liked about Logan. He finally stopped gazing into Logan’s eyes and finally looked at the clue again.

‘Affection that counts for nothing at court…’

He wracked his brain trying to work out the answer, and it didn’t take long for it to manifest. He held out his hand and Logan immediately placed the pen in his palm. He felt the spark as Logan let their fingertips linger for much longer than usual. Janus missed the contact when their fingertips finally separated. He clicked the pen and slowly filled in the gaps with the letters ‘L, O, V, E’ then looked up at Logan with surprise but also hope.

“Janus, ever since we started sitting together with our separate hobbies. I knew I felt a connection between us. When I took that first step and starting the conversation about your books, which went on for hours… I couldn’t deny that I started to develop stronger feelings for you. I spend so much time making excuses to find you reading so I can join you. Being in your company makes me feel safe, calm and happy. I know that it’s not love that I feel yet, but I can’t deny how much I like you. I hope in time though, it could turn into love… That is… if you feel the same way.” Logan smiled as he placed his hand gently on top of Janus’ as he spoke in such a delicate way, as if he was talking to a piece of glass. His heart pounded a million miles a minute and he did look around quickly to make sure there was no-one around waiting to jump out declaring this some elaborate prank or something. When he was certain it was just the two of them, and only them, he knew he needed to give Logan an answer.

“You have no idea how much I was hoping that we would end up feeling the same way. I like everything about you, Logan. I enjoy talking with you and helping you solve the crossword puzzles. This. This is my favourite thing, just being here with you, sitting here and just being together. I agree with you. My feelings for you are undeniably strong, but it isn’t love yet. If we give it enough time though, I would really like it to become that.” He smiled as Logan’s shoulders relaxed at the sound of their feelings being mutual. He wrapped Janus up in a warm hug and they held each other for what felt like a lifetime.

They decided that they would go out for coffee the next day; and call that their first official date. Logan joked about bringing some crossword puzzles with him, but Janus decided that would be a great idea, and the perfect excuse to sit close to each other for the whole date.

“Hello to you too, darling,” Janus scoffed in a slightly (fake) annoyed tone. Logan fixed him with an unimpressed stare.

 “We already saw each other, there is no need for another greeting. Now, please answer my question.”

 “Accusing me of drinking before 4pm, how dare you?” Janus sighed, dramatically.

 “Then what is it, if not wine?”

 “… It’s soup.” Logan raised an eyebrow.

 “Soup?”

 “Yes, soup. Are you having trouble hearing me, darling? Do I need to call a doctor?” Again he was met with an unimpressed look.

 “I’ll ignore the obvious falsehood of your claim and play along but answer a few questions for me. Why are you drinking soup out of a wine glass?”

 “Oh, you haven’t heard? It’s the newest trend among the rich and famous. Dame Judi Dench has been seen doing so, for example. And she is just one of many.”

 “Aha. And what kind of soup is it?”

 “Grape soup, of course.”

 “Of course,” Logan parroted, deadpan. “Well, isn’t it inconvenient to drink hot soup out of a glass?”

 “Who said anything about it being hot?” Janus laughed. “It’s a type of vichyssoise. You know? Cold soup?” Logan immediately raised a finger.

 “We are not discussing the cereal thing again!”

 “Who said anything about cereal?” Janus gave him the most fake innocent look he could muster. “Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?” Now Logan actually glared at him.

 “I do not, now please stop with the ruse!”

 “What ruse? I was simply explaining the new trend of drinking vichyssoise out of a wine glass.”

 “Oh, is that so?” Logan crossed the kitchen toward Janus and smelled the content of his glass. “Then why does this ‘vichyssoise’ smell like alcohol?”

 “I admit, there is a bit of wine required for this recipe but I assure you, I added it before cooking it so most of the alcohol has evaporated.”

 “So if I were to ask to take a sip of your ‘soup’, it would not taste like wine?”

 “Oh, darling, you know I don’t like to share food.” Janus smirked at him and Logan sighed.

 “You will do anything just to avoid me lecturing you about consuming alcohol so early in the day, won’t you?” Janus smirk widened and he gave Logan a kiss on the cheek.

 “I’m glad you understand me so well.” He started to make his way out of the kitchen. Logan shook his head.

 “You are impossible.”

 “And yet, you love me.” Logan smiled.

“Logan,” Janus called suddenly in a sweet tone as the trash’s lid closed. 

The Side in question stayed silent; either to finish the line his eyes were currently on or to give Janus a taste of his own uncomfortable medicine. Either way, Janus rounded the kitchen corner and balanced a hip against the arm rest next to Remus. A gloved hand idly found its way into his partner’s curls; thoughtlessly, Remus leaned into the feeling, but remained otherwise unresponsive, clearly content with his scribbling. Logan finally blinked up. His expression seemed indecisive between exasperated and dubious, with a predictable amount of disinterest.

“What is it you’re reading?” Janus asked, brows and chin raised with an amount of intrigue that Logan didn’t immediately trust. Not to say Logan didn’t trust Janus individually, but even if he was the Side who understood Deceit the best, there was still quite a bit of water under this particular bridge -- or, uh, whatever idiom would fit here.

Instead of responding verbally, Logan held up the blue and black cover for Janus to read himself; which he then did. With a slightly cocked head, the words were enunciated slowly.

“Born Under Saturn. The Character and Conduct of Artists; A Documented History From Antiquity to The French Revolution,” Janus blinked back up at Logan’s face, digesting the rather wordy sentence. “An analysis of historical artists?” He attempted to boil the topic down to something more … succinct as Logan lowered the book again.

“Basically,” He allowed, eyes poised to resume his reading.

Janus hummed with peaked interest and continued to watch as Logan’s demeanor receded from vaguely conversational to studiously mute once more. In truth, it sounded like a rather compelling read. Being Thomas’ Sides, of course, they were all inclined to art in some way; for the more left-brained Sides such as Janus and Logan however, the critique and reasoning behind the art and associated artists compelled them more frequently than the act of creating art, itself. 

“What’s the part about Saturn?” Janus asked with knitted brows, the hand in Remus’ hair going still as he interrupted again after a moment. This question seemed to get Logan going as he shifted in his seat.

“Well, I had assumed from the title that the study would be centered around evidence pertaining to when and where artists were born, alluding to the hypothesis that Saturnian positions and dispositions resulted in a certain type of artistic character,” Logan explained, annoyance bleeding into his tone as he placed the back of his hand on the page he was currently on in a humorless gesture.

“And I take it from your very contented mood that that’s exactly what the book is about,” Janus teased reflexively, taken aback by Logan’s sudden enthusiasm. Perhaps, Janus thought, he hadn’t been so bothered by being stared at and was simply wrestling with his expectations of the text.

“Ha ha,” He laughed dryly; the sound made Janus smirk. “Saturn is, unfortunately,” Logan waved his hand at the book, “Just a metaphor here.”

“A metaphor for what?” Janus pressed gently, giving a final tug of affection to Remus’ hair before retracting his hand; sensing the appendage being stolen, the distracted Creativity leaned to follow the stimulus until it was far out of reach. Janus turned away and sat delicately on the shallow coffee table in front of Logan, who then paused.

He didn’t wonder why Janus was interested in this topic; after all, he thought, philosophy and theoretical debate were right up Janus’ alley. Additionally, they were speaking about metaphors, he rationalized. Logan didn’t need to understand nor regularly use the literary device to know its practical application, particularly to Deceit who always spoke in those encumbering and roundabout ways. What Logan really paused for was a moment of recognition that after years of distant silence, they were embarking on a rather cordial discussion.

“The melancholic,” Logan explained.

“So not the Roman god?”

“Well, yes and no, but for the comparison to make sense, no is easier,” Janus nodded and crossed his legs, listening with intent held in his brows. “It is a tad convoluted but the theory relates to the history of the four humors,” Janus gave a soft, one-noted hum and Logan nodded. “After all, the Greek etymology for the word melancholy is melas, meaning black and kholé meaning bile; black bile, of course--”

“Being one of the four … fluids,” Janus scrunched his nose distastefully, “Associated with the four humors,” He finished his interruption, gesturing with a loose wrist. 

“Exactly,” Logan breathed with a surprised half smile.

“So what does Saturn have to do with black bile?” Janus asked reasonably.

“Well that part goes back to the interpretive study of Astrology,” Janus tilted his head with surprised interest. “Which, despite its dubious plausibility today, played a frequently understated role in the founding of modern science, especially modern psychology.” Logan paused, watching Janus’ face shift subtly in thought. 

“Forgive my relatively ignorant knowledge of Astrology,” Logan nodded permissibly as Janus began to piece the theory together with slow words, “But I guess what you’re saying, or rather, what you expected the book to say, is that artists all suffer from a melancholic disposition?” Logan hummed and shook his head, causing Janus to purse his lips. 

“Again, yes and no. The book is saying that, to some extent.”

“You had just been expecting the evidence to be reliant on literal Saturn rather than...whatever they’re actually using,” Janus tried again and was rewarded with another half smile.

“Are you nerds done yet?” Remus piped up suddenly as Logan opened his mouth to continue. Janus’ head turned and the awareness in his partner’s eyes made his own narrow; how long had he been attentive to their conversation? “I wanna show Lolo what I made.”

“Quite, then,” Janus smiled curtly at Remus who beamed with knowing sarcasm in a way that only Janus would be able to detect. Rat bastard. “Another time,” He promised almost provocatively as a parting to Logan, who looked rather miffed and torn between continuing this unexpectedly stimulating conversation and tending to his boyfriend’s desires.

Janus stood before brushing invisible dirt off himself. “Have a wonderful afternoon, lovebirds,” Janus lilted, fingers wiggling in a goodbye wave as his back disappeared down the hall.

Logan blinked several times before inhaling and turning to Remus, who seemed a few moments more patient and perhaps a little more amused than usual.

- - - - -

Remus’ door having gone unanswered, when music began to softly crackle from the direction of the kitchen, Logan followed it with a vague intrigue. He paused in the entry, blinking at the four black-sleeved and yellow-gloved hands that flitted about the counter spaces. They rifled through the fridge and plucked from the cabinets with a sense of mindlessness from their owner, who stood at the sink. Using his natural two arms, Janus filled various bowls with water as he hummed along to the quiet, bouncy swing song that played from an antique looking gramophone Logan could’ve sworn wasn’t there yesterday. The scene was fascinating, from a scientific point of view; he had never considered how Janus’ many arms worked and seeing them here, stretching out and acting as though they had their own sentience piqued his interest immensely. 

For long moments, Logan watched silently before the arms retracted, bringing various items back to the workspace closest to Janus. Packets of gelatin, food coloring -- Logan squinted from his position; corn syrup? The answer to a question he hadn’t asked made itself apparent as he recalled a few various tidbits Remus had given him about his partner. Logan cleared his throat to get Janus’ attention, satisfied with his distant examinations.

“Oh,” The baker turned around, excess arms disappearing inside him with a flourish as they completed their purpose of fetching. “Logan, good morning,” Janus greeted in a sunny tone, though confusion hinted in his eyes.

“Good morning,” He returned, taking conservative steps into the kitchen. He nodded at the gelatin packets. “So this is the gelatin art Remus talks about,” Logan observed without question.

“Remus talks about it?” Janus asked, reserved happiness in his distracted tone as he stepped from the sink to the counter and began measuring out tablespoons of corn syrup.

“Frequently,” Logan confirmed, crossing his arms casually. The conversation came to a peaceful lull as Janus began to stir the syrup and water. Concluding that, he turned and took steps that placed him closer than usual to the other.

“What does he say?” Janus asked like a teen greedy for rumors, giving a sly glance from under his lashes as he paused. The moment lingered as he reached around Logan for the gelatin packets he stood in front of, meeting his eyes all the while. Suddenly, Logan couldn’t remember a single thing Remus had ever said. The tips of his ears reddened with a blush that creeped up the back of his neck. He swallowed against the dryness of his throat.

“Just that you enjoy making gelatin,” Logan responded after Janus had made his way back to the counter, his posture feeling as stiff and unnatural as his answer. He could see the disappointment in the way Janus’ lips pursed as he began dumping the neutral colored gelatin into the solution.

“Is that so.”

“Yes,” Logan cleared his throat and again felt that his response was lame. It made the air between them go stale. How did Remus manage to speak with Janus so casually and with so much enthusiasm? Of course, he wouldn't be Remus without an absence of shame, but still; Logan found himself envying the fact. 

He was appreciative of the cheerful music that eased the awkwardness. Also that Janus didn’t seem to mind how apparently awful he was at idle conversations despite his desire to engage in them. After a few moments, Janus went back to humming as he repeated the task of pouring gelatin into the bowls and discarding the packets. As the heat in his face receded, Logan recalled more of Remus’ words over the time they had been dating. 

He always spoke very highly of his partner, which was to be expected. Janus was graceful, patient, and, quote, ridiculously smart. Despite taking everything Remus had to say with mounded tablespoons of realism flavored salt, examining Janus now and through the lens of their recent interactions, Logan would have to agree. 

“He has an awful habit,” Janus revived the conversation as one song faded into the next. He turned and leaned back against the counter; as he spoke, he slowly began turning the knob of a manual can opener against a can of condensed milk. “Of eating various inedible things,” Janus scrunched his nose and Logan exhaled. “You won’t believe the things he’s consumed over the years.”

“That’s why you make the gelatin, correct?” Logan asked, hoping this time his phrasing opened up the possibility for more elaboration.

“Mhm,” Janus hummed with a shallow nod and twisted the lid off before throwing it in the trash as well. He turned and stirred the thickened milk into the largest bowl of water and corn syrup. Discomfort washed over Logan once more as he began to realize the conversation had died again. His head fell but soon snapped up as Janus thankfully continued after a moment.

“Of course it doesn’t negate the problem entirely,” His tone was less annoyed than Logan would’ve thought. Though there was plenty of quiet frustration, mostly he sounded concerned and tired. “But I like to imagine it helps some at least.” 

“I think it helps more than you realize,” Logan offered slowly in a tone that was sure of itself despite the confusion in his brow. Did Janus not realize his instrumental intervention?

Remus never really shut up about how much he appreciated Janus. The various ways Janus managed him and his mental health over their lifetime together, how effortless Janus made it all look; Logan had to admit, hearing about it constantly was rather intimidating, especially at the beginning of their relationship. He had high expectations to meet if everything Remus said was true, and like he thought before, it was beginning to look that way as Logan got to know Janus for himself. Remus talked a fair amount about how much he appreciated Logan as well though, so he never did have much of a chance to get demoralized about it. Even so, gauging the dynamic between Janus and Remus without his interference was a bit startling as everything came into focus.

They flowed together easily; in the interactions Logan had witnessed, their affection always had a sense of routine and familiarity, but not in the stale way that felt boring after years of repetition. Perhaps, Logan began to think, it had clouded his view a bit and prevented him from questioning if Remus ever expressed his gratitude to Janus, directly. The likelihood that he didn’t seemed infinitesimal, and yet the doubt was still clear in Janus’ words. Was it that he didn’t believe Remus then?

Janus cautioned a look at Logan from over his shoulder, surprise and then confusion flashed across his features; exactly how much did Remus talk about him? He didn’t mind being complimented of course, he adored praise, but something about the idea of Remus jumping into a new relationship only to gush about him constantly didn’t sit right with him. Especially if that person was Logan. Who knew how Logan felt after all this time? Janus scrunched his nose and tossed the now empty can with a sense of distaste.

“I suppose he talks about me too much if you think that,” His tone was apologetic as he gave the mixture a final stir before turning to meet Logan’s eyes with a flashy smile. “Enough about all that though; would you like to help?”

Logan blinked, his mind catching up to the topic dismissal. “Help?” He repeated automatically before realizing what Janus meant. “Oh. No,” He unfolded his arms to wave a hand, shaking his head. “I’m not one for baking, I’ll just get in the way.”

“Nonsense,” Janus insisted, reaching forward to gently steal Logan by his sleeve. “If you need more motivation than just my requesting, think about how thrilled Remus will surely be knowing you had a hand in this batch.”

Logan let himself be pulled towards the workstation, not having it in him to refuse Janus’ smile and persistence more than once.

“I suppose you have a point,” He conceded with a sigh and Janus clapped his hands together quietly.

“Splendid,” he plucked the box of food coloring from the counter and pushed the dark blue dropper into Logan’s hands. “This is the easy part anyway. I trust you completely.”

Somehow, the implication of Janus trusting him made him pause, feeling his chest going warm. Logan stared down at the small bottle in his hands, feeling even more clueless now being involved than he had simply watching Janus; but Janus still trusted him. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to tell that Janus was trusting him on reputation alone, something the others consistently seem to find inconceivable. Not often was Logan trusted so explicitly, which was concerning to say the least, but function aside, the sentiment filled him with unexpected happiness. 

“Just get this,” Janus tapped one of bowls filled with water, corn syrup, and gelatin, “As close to this shade,” He then pointed to the blue swirl part of the Tide Pod resting between the various ingredients, “As you can get,” Janus finished with another disarming smile. Forcing himself to look away, Logan thought that at the rate Janus used that sort of charm on him like that, he’d never remember anything ever again.

“Okay,” He asserted slowly with a nod and unscrewed the small bottle. As he set to dropping small amounts of the dye before stirring and comparing the colors, Janus seemed to be doing the same with a shade of bright orange. “I suppose that’s good,” Logan ascertained after a few silent moments, holding the clear bowl up to his face for closer inspection.

“Flawless, I would say,” Janus complimented, completing his own color a second later. “Next,” He said slowly and reached to gather several of one kind of item that Logan didn’t immediately recognize, “We set the molds,” Janus explained as he neatly lined about a dozen purple, palm sized squares between them. Logan uttered a small, ah, in understanding.

He scanned the counter for a tool that would be useful here; the idea of pouring the liquid straight into the molds seemed rather silly and messy. If this were Patton, Logan wouldn’t put it past him, but Janus was far more structured, far more sensible.

“Should we use those?” Logan asked, reaching for the rather thick gauge baking syringes set to the side as Janus opened the molds to reveal a swirl shape identical to the signature Tide Pod.

“A step ahead of me,” Janus lilted with a nod, raising his eyes just enough to spot the syringes he planned on retrieving next. “Go on then,” He pointed his chin at the gelatin, reaching over Logan for a needle of his own. “I trust it’s fairly self explanatory for you.”

And it was; the entire procedure wasn’t particularly challenging, as long as Janus wasn’t smiling at him or charming him out of his brain cells. Logan drew up about half the syringe’s barrel and then held one half of the mold in his palm. Comparing it to the Tide Pod, he began to gently squeeze the blue solution along half of the swirl pattern, dragging it across the material for an even consistency. Janus smiled to himself, watching from the corner of his eye and began to do the same with his own orange gelatin, working from the opposite end of the line. 

“When it comes to the ones already filled,” Janus began as they approached meeting in the middle, though before he could finish, Logan interrupted knowingly.

“I suppose I should avoid picking the mold up so as to not disrupt the other side,” He guessed and positioned his syringe at a different angle, experimenting with how he should go about it now before settling on a method.

“Precisely,” Janus delighted quietly, moving behind Logan and out of his way to fill in the orange sides of the already completed blue ones. “Typically,” He continued as they settled back into a rhythm, “I just do both colors at once, holding it as you had started,” Janus glanced out of the corner of his eye; Logan looked so concentrated, it was impossible not to find the focus in his eyes adorable. For a brief moment, before Janus continued, Logan began to worry that he was getting in the way as he feared. If Janus had a certain way of doing this and he was doing it wrong, comparatively, then it was just as he thought; that he shouldn’t have gotten involved. 

“But I don’t quite mind this either,” Janus finished softly and Logan exhaled the breath he didn’t realize was being held. As the silence began to press on, he started to wish he could figure out something to say to Janus’ kindness. Then he wondered if this was how Remus often felt.

As Janus took Logan’s empty syringe and quickly rinsed both of theirs in the sink, he explained their next and final step before they would be placed in the fridge until completion. Sealing the molds with their domed, other half, they would repeat the filling action with the condensed milk and gelatin mixture.

“Simple enough,” Logan said as he accepted the syringe that Janus handed him with a smile. This time, Logan offered his own small expression before the two set to work. After a few silent moments, he continued with a rather impulsive question. “Does Remus ever help you with this?” Surely he did; in the same way Logan found it impossible that Remus never expressed his gratitude to Janus, he couldn’t fathom that the two didn’t enjoy this together.

“Oh, no, never,” Janus answered immediately with an appalled tone. Logan blinked, his hand going still as he again reevaluated how he perceived their relationship. “The first and only time I tried to get him to help,” He continued, his own hands pausing to stare wide eyed and offended at Logan, “He ate three of my molds!”

Logan couldn’t help the small smile that curved his lips, though he tried to dismiss it quickly by pursing them and looking away. The distress Janus clearly felt for something so simple was … a bit bewildering, but also very him, Logan decided. He got the sense that Remus would love to help, if he could, but that he had the habit of ruining Janus’ things in the process. With a heavy sigh, Janus went back to filling the molds and when Logan could keep the smile out of his voice, he continued.

“The other day he brought a few rocks from the Imagination to my room and asked what they were. He does that,” Logan glanced at Janus, “Stops by and asks questions like that, but when I located my geology kit, the first thing he did,” Logan smiled again, fondness creeping into his tone despite himself, “Was tear the handbook pages in excitement,” Janus clicked his tongue and shook his head, empathizing with the tragedy, but Logan continued, gesturing in small ways now. “It was completely illegible,” Logan paused, recalling the fear in Remus’ expression as he apologized profusely, handing the torn book back by the tips of his fingers. 

“Was?” Janus prompted quietly, watching Logan’s faintly passionate storytelling from the corner of his eye.

“At least for its intended use as a portable guide. If you pushed the papers together, you could piece the sentences but,” Logan paused again and shook his head, “He insisted on writing it, all of it. He took one of my notebooks right there and stared down at the little book and wrote everything he could make out,” Logan laughed dryly and resumed filling the mold he had stopped on. “I bet he has the entire handbook memorized now.”

“He adores you very much then,” Janus said without reservation, without even looking away from the molds. The conclusion caught Logan off guard and silence persisted as he waited for Janus to elaborate; but no such continuation came. Again Logan found himself holding his breath, but it wasn’t like he didn’t know that Remus loved him. He said it at least ten times a day. It just felt very different coming from someone who’s known Remus for so long, Logan guessed. It’s different when someone else can see love that easily.

“I know,” Logan whispered sentimentally after a while, and wondered in the enduring silence of their work if he should’ve said that Remus loved Janus very much, too.

- - - - -

Janus paused on the bottom step of the Dark Side stairs as he spotted Logan, bent slightly at the waist and jotting something down on a rather large stack of white paper. The astringent smell of Sharpies was unavoidable. While it certainly wasn’t new at this point for Logan to be found here on a casual basis, it was a bit strange that Remus wasn’t in the immediate area.

“Hello, Logan,” Janus greeted in a smiling tone as he continued into the room and approached the workspace that was their dining table. 

“Hello,” He returned the friendly gesture without tearing his eyes away or stopping his hand from drawing a simplistic symbol in one of the dated squares.

“What brings you here without your typical consort?” Now peering over Logan’s shoulder, Janus realized it wasn’t just any stack of paper he was writing on, but a wall calendar.

“Remus just went to the bathroom. He’ll probably be back in a few moments.”

Janus made a soft sound of understanding and continued to watch. Capping the silvery marker he had been using, Logan switched it out for a dark blue one. Intrigue growing, Janus observed as he neatly drew an open circle, then some complex looking arrow shape beside it. Next Logan drew an odd arch shape on the other side of the square beside another open circle, this one with a dot in the center. Then two smaller circles diagonal from each other connected with a single line. Finally, next to that symbol, he drew a half crescent moon. Janus’ brows furrowed delicately. 

“Logan, dear?” 

“Hm?”

“What on Earth are you doing?”

Logan blinked and paused before slowly standing from his leaning position. He … didn’t really know where to begin. Talking about his hobby with Remus was one thing; while his boyfriend readily listened to his enthusing and had even offered his artistic expertise in ‘livening up’ the calendar today, the idea of explaining it to Janus felt like a different beast altogether. Why was that? Logan observed his feelings on the matter, staring down at the calendar. The writing there was neither impressive nor sloppy, but a typical middle ground of insignificantly informative, in his opinion. Mindlessly, he brought the marker up to his chest and capped it with a decisive click. His stomach became uneasy imagining himself divulging eagerly, about anything, to Janus. Why was that?

“I’m,” Indulging in a pseudoscience? Partaking in something that is unreliable and interpretive at best? Having an indemonstrable belief system? Being less than serious? Logan turned to face Janus, his arms falling to his sides. “Calculating planetary positions and hypothesizing on their potential,” Spiritual? Emotional? “Financial, political, and interpersonal ramifications,” Logan’s heart raced. He counted the beats. One, two, three, fourfivesixseveneight--

“I see,” Janus said reflexively but then paused to digest the sentence. It sounded interesting enough to him; foresight was high on his list of well regarded practices. Whatever helped in that pursuit, Janus found at least a little compelling. Though he cocked his head slightly and gave Logan a once over. Was he acting rather … defensive? There was no lie in his words, Janus would’ve immediately known after all, but he got the sense that he wasn’t being painted the full picture here. 

A bead of sweat dripped down the back of Logan’s collar. Janus wasn’t looking at him in any specific way, there wasn’t anything interrogative about the silence, in fact Janus’ expression was rather polite. Logan had noticed at some point that Janus looked at him more like an equal than any of the other accepted Sides. In return, he had come to trust the intrigue frequently found in his expressions. And yet he was anxious. Why? Historically, talking to Janus had never made him nervous before, sharing in pastimes together hadn’t either, so … why did he feel like sinking through the soles of his shoes and never speaking about this, ever again?

“Well,” Janus broke the silence with his entertained tone. “You were always into space and such, I shouldn’t be surprised.” 

Logan inhaled through his nose, more suddenly than he meant to, and realized only now there was a tension in his hands as they twitched to relax. Janus didn’t see anything wrong with his description of the hobby, but the fact was that he didn’t know the whole story. Logan’s explanation was, of course, accurate; accurate enough to not count as a lie, but Janus’ suspicion was warranted. A suspicion that was much closer to curiosity than Logan realized in his paranoid attempt to seem and sound more serious than necessary.

“Yes,” He mumbled and turned back around to the calendar. Janus watched with narrowed eyes as Logan placed the marker back with the rest, seeming to have a particular order that they belonged in. After a pause, he diverted his attention to the open, beige colored notebook on the other side of the table. Logan began to lightly drag a finger along the bottom of a written line of symbols there. Janus could only assume he was committing their exact meaning to memory in a way only someone like Logan could.

“So tell me,” Janus interrupted again as he elegantly sat himself down at the table opposite Logan, whose train of thought halted abruptly. “What do those symbols mean?” Janus asked, cradling his cheek in his palm as he reached the other hand to point at the five dark blue markings Logan had made. Logan swallowed and blinked slowly, bracing himself. There was no way he made it out of this conversation with Janus’ opinion of him remaining positive.

Keeping his tone as neutral as possible, Logan then dragged his finger along each symbol as it was defined, meeting Janus’ inquisitive eyes with his own hesitant gaze.

“Full moon,” Open circle, “Sagittarius,” arrow. Logan directed his finger to the other side of the square, dictating that those two symbols didn’t correlate in a direct sense to the next three. “Gemini,” He continued, pointing to the odd arch shape, “Sun,” dotted open circle, “Opposition,” the two smaller circles connected by the thin line, “Moon,” Logan finished at the half crescent moon shape.

A puzzled look flashed across Janus’ face before the words connected like a puzzle, forming a sentence he understood theoretically but in no literal way; full moon in Sagittarius, Gemini sun, opposition moon … which was in Sagittarius then? Janus could only guess. These were phrases he’s heard before, of course, but Logan said them in a way that felt far more significant than any well-rated horoscope app had.

Logan let Janus ruminate on his explanation, hoping no more questions came at the detriment of his reputation. Again he started to consult his notebook, but it was only a few moments before Janus spoke again.

“So … what’s the significance of … all that?” He asked and Logan’s mind raced in the same way Remus, Roman, and Virgil could speak at a mile a minute.

“The significance,” Logan began after what felt like much longer than a moment of struggling to quiet his mind, “Is as I said; potential financial, political, and interpersonal ramifications,” He completed in a mumble before clearing his throat, unable to meet Janus’ eyes anymore, causing the latter to frown.

The fact that Logan was growing increasingly uncomfortable wasn’t lost on Janus, of course. He watched the gears churning in Logan’s mind as mental gymnastics were performed. It wasn’t a secret to Denial why he felt discontented currently; being taken seriously was paramount to this Side and everyone had a long history of finding Logic to be a joke. After years of being dismissed without advocacy, Janus could only hope to display a patience and interest deep enough for Logan to find himself comfortable in his presence again.

“As you said,” Janus agreed, dismissing that superficial statement. “But what about that one, specifically? It’s in blue so I assume it has some significance.”

Logan’s lips tightened; where did he even begin? Explaining the correspondence between phenomena and full moons? Diving into Jupiter’s mythology and Sagittarius’ significance to Thomas, personally, as his moon ruler? The unease in his stomach shifted up his throat.

“Oh hey, Dee!” Remus suddenly interrupted as he returned from down the hall. If Logan were a man of lesser self control, he may have jumped right out of his skin.

They both turned to blink at the entrance, Logan a second too late as Remus dotted an affectionate kiss to his cheek. Rigidly, he gave a half-lipped smile to the gesture.

“Lolo telling you about his nerdy Astrology stuff?” Remus plopped himself into a chair between them at the table.

“Just a little,” Janus said as he sat back and crossed his legs.  

“Booooo,” Remus cheered, giving Logan a thumbs down before grinning. He leaned over to peer at the dark blue symbols that were drawn while he was away. “Full moon in Sagittarius,” Remus read like he was fluent in this second language Janus had only just learned the existence of. “And uh,” He paused, cocked his head in order to read the markings easier, “Gemini sun, uh, what’s that one again, Lolo?” Remus pointed at the connected, diagonal circles. 

Janus narrowed his eyes. He got the sense that Remus could easily say what that sign meant, but had asked Logan in order to hear him talk about it. How sweet.

“Opposition,” Logan repeated like a sigh as he reached to scratch the back of his neck. “Since the sun is in Gemini for most of this month, it will be opposing the moon’s position in Sagittarius that day.”

“Does that spell trouble for Tommyboy?” Remus asked mischievously, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the unused seat behind Logan.

“On the contrary,” Logan responded, opening his mouth to continue but then quickly closing it as the corner of his vision registered Janus again. 

The frown on Janus’ lips grew deeper as he silently observed the two. It seemed to come down to him and his effects on Logan’s nerves; the assumption that he would dismiss him like Patton, Roman, and Thomas, or say that he was wrong like Virgil.

“Please,” Janus urged in his most genuine tone as he held up his hands like a white flag. “Pretend I’m not here, do carry on.”

Logan inhaled slowly and seemed to take his time believing that sentiment. Another mental stalemate began; Logan wrestled with the expectations he held himself to, the assumed expectations Janus had of him, and the misconception that his hobby would be seen as silly or less than in any way. The silence dragged on until Remus broke the tension once more.

“Yeah, c’mon Lolo. Dee listens to me rant about stupid shit all the time. He’s got the patience of a Saint, I swear,” Remus smirked at Janus, who then reached out to pull affectionately on his partner’s ear.

“Like I have a choice with you,” Janus mumbled fondly, lacing his voice with thick sarcasm. 

Quickly, Remus turned his head like a baited shark and bit after Janus’ hand as it was retracted, narrowly missing the appendages with his teeth. Janus rolled his eyes and Remus beamed before shifting in his seat and staring up at Logan expectantly.

Logan’s chest burned with some unfamiliar feeling as he watched the clearly loving display. Naming emotions certainly wasn’t his strong suit, but whatever it was tightened his throat and made swallowing difficult. As usual for him, the feeling was quickly pushed away.

Which caused it to land directly into Denial’s jurisdiction. Janus had long perfected the art of remaining stoic in the face of blindsiding emotions that weren’t his own; which of course included now, as the denial of jealousy swiftly punched him in the stomach. Janus’ breathing stopped as he waited for the familiar pang of envy to subside, knowing by instinct that the originator stood before him.

“I suppose,” Logan continued after a moment before clearing his throat. “It is on the contrary that Thomas will be experiencing anything negative on this day or the two previous days leading up to this full moon,” He reached to flip a page in his notebook, revealing a neatly drawn chart of dates and signs. His finger rested decisively next to three in particular. “The moon will be in Sagittarius, opposing the current sun sign; Gemini. This is particularly good for Thomas since he has a natal Sagittarius moon.”

“Laaaaaame,” Remus exaggerated belligerently. Having been through this before, Logan gave a renewed half smile, knowing Remus only found Thomas’ lack of misfortune ‘lame’ and not the inherency of his explanation.

Janus exhaled finally as the emotional turmoil in his stomach subsided with Logan’s contentment. His chin raised curiously, eyeing the revealed page. This all sounded fascinating. He got the feeling that there was so much more to this topic, and that he would be very willing and rather eager to listen to it all as long as it was coming from Logan.

“Tell me, Lolo,” Remus said in a dark voice, frantically leaning forward, splaying his palms on the table and disregarding the way his quick movement made Logan’s markers roll away. “Do your charts and shit say when he’ll die?”

“No,” Logan sighed and rolled his eyes. The air turned sweet and Janus’ brows raised despite himself. “Even if they did, I wouldn’t tell you. It’d be incredibly subjective anyway,” Logan gestured dismissively and turned away, catching sight of Janus’ intrigued smirk. The expression made him gulp. “It’s all incredibly subjective,” He continued, now in a mumble as he went to close his notebook. 

Hastily, Logan began to gather the haphazard markers like he planned on packing his project away for the day. Lie and jealousy aside, Janus found himself invested.

“Well,” He began as Logan took a step back from the table to stare at the floor, seeming to have lost a marker in Remus’ chaos. “I thought it was all rather … enchanting,” Janus flirted unashamedly, producing the green hued utensil between his fingers with a curled smile. Logan blinked, the tips of his ears going red. “You’ll tell me more sometime?” Janus insisted, turning the thing in his grip and offering it more pointedly.

Logan swallowed and reached to quickly pluck the object from Janus’ fingers. 

“Sure,” He sighed, suddenly feeling like he had agreed to something rather damning.

“Delightful.”