#loceitweek2023

Okay, don't tell Janus that, but Logan really does think Janus was an incredibly intelligent person, there were multiple occasions throughout the semester where Janus had impressed Logan with his arguments.

That being said, Janus had a tendency to be… extremely frustrating. Acting cocky and smug most of the time, egging people on with no more reason than simple amusement… and, of course, his cryptic way of behaving. And, for some unknown reason, Janus seems to enjoy annoying Logan the most out of all their classmates.

Always cornering him after lectures, arguing with him during lessons no matter what side he chooses, or are assigned to.

So, when they were chosen to work this assignment together… Logan was, at the very least, not pleased. Not that he'd ever defy the will of their teacher, so he was stuck with his smug classmates who didn't seem to care enough to even listen to Logan's ideas.

Janus shrugged, "maybe I know that, and maybe I don't, I could have a very short attention span for all you know about me, which isn't much besides my brilliant intelligence that I repeatedly show in class." Janus smirked smugly again.

Logan let out a frustrated sigh, "can we just be serious long enough to finish this?" He asked, on the verge of begging. He never ever failed at anything and he's not about to let Janus change that.

Janus groaned, "Jesus, Teach, ever heard of relaxing? We still got months until the due date." He pointed out.

"While true, you neglect the fact that this assignment is only one out of many others we have from other classes, plus my reputation to hand in assignments early-" but he was interrupted by another, rather exaggerative, groan from Janus.

"You talk a lot." Janus complained.

Logan could feel his eye twitching in annoyance, "well, it would seem like I'm the only one out of the two of us who's doing anything, why are you even in law school if you're not willing to put effort into anything?" Logan asked with a groan of his own, not really looking for an answer, mostly wanting to annoy Janus back.

But of course, that didn't work, as Janus' smirk only grew, seeming more satisfied the more frustrated Logan became. "I wouldn't say that, I put lots of effort into my studies, I'm just balancing it more so I won't get overwhelmed and burned out. Surely you can appreciate a healthy work balance, right Teach?"

Logan's fist hit the table, "stop calling me that!"

Janus was unphased, "how about… professor? Nerd? Glasses? Ooh, maybe Specs?"

"How about simply Logan?" Logan suggested, as calmly as he could.

Janus faked thinking it over before shaking his head, "nah, I like Specs best."

With a growl of frustration, Logan dropped his pen and pushed his chair away from the desk, "I think we're done for today.."

Janus clapped his hands together in glee before standing up, "marvelous! Same time next week?" He winked at Logan.

Logan blushed slightly at the gesture for some reason, "ah.. sure."

Janus smirked again, "it's a date, Specs!" He called as he walked out of Logan's dorms.

That statement caused Logan's blush to deepen, which was… odd.

…

"Oh he is totally flirting with you, Lo!" Roman, his roommate, said after Logan finished telling him about Janus.

Logan huffed, "I doubt annoying me is considered flirting." Roman was being ridiculous again, there's no way!

Roman shook his head with a sigh, "sometimes I forget how little you understand about the delicate art of romance." He said, "it's because he likes you!"

Logan almost laughed at Roman's statement, "that's absurd, we're both completely different and he always gets out of his way just to get a rise out of me and… always corners me after class and…" he trailed off in thought.

"And trying to get your attention and more time to be with you?" Roman finished for him with a knowing smile.

The more Logan thought about it now, the more Roman's explanation made sense… is he feeling the same way?

"Oh my stars! You're blushing! You like him too! Oh, the robot finally found his heart!" Roman swooned, placing both his hands on his heart in a dramatic gesture.

Logan shook his head, "n-no, no. Janus doesn't like me and I don't like him."

Roman was still smiling knowingly at him, "ah ha, sure, whatever you say, Calculator Watch." He winked at him.

…

"You're late." Logan said when Janus finally showed up to their second meeting to work on their assignment.

As usual, Janus was unphased, he simply walked in, took his seat on Roman's red beanbag, put his legs up on a chair and leaned back on his hands. Choosing the most dramatic position to show his carefree attitude towards this assignment that they were supposed to work on together.

"Sorry, Specs, it took longer than I thought it would, but I'm here now aren't I?" Janus looked up at Logan to where he sat in front of his work desk.

"It?" Logan asked, "what were doing that took so long?" He asked, barely two seconds passed and he was already starting to get annoyed. What could possibly be more important than law school? Does Janus hold no regards to-

"Our assignment, of course." Janus said casually, halting Logan's thoughts in their place for a minute.

"Excuse me?" Logan asked, surely he didn't hear that correctly.

Janus smirked and handed Logan the notebook he's been holding, "o-u-r a-ssign-ment." He said slowly, emphasizing every syllable.

Eyeing Janus suspiciously, Logan took the notebook and looked it over… he really did do it…

Janus suddenly hopped to his feet, offering Logan his hand, "now that the boring stuff is out of the way, it's time for you to relax with me." He smirked at him.

Logan frowned, "what do you mean?"

Janus sighed, "I really need to spell it out to you, huh?" He chuckled to himself, "fine. Logan, will you go on a date with me?"

Logan flushed a deep red, "b-but there's still work to-"

"Logan." Janus cut him off, suddenly serious, "you really need to learn to take breaks from time to time, you're not helping anyone by running yourself to the ground."

"I'm… not running anywhere, let alone to the ground…" Logan stammered, trailing off.

Janus snickered again, "it means you're overworking yourself, c'mon, I'll take you to my favorite Cafe' on campus." Janus gently grabbed one of his hands and tagged on it.

Still flushing, Logan gave in, putting Janus' notebook on his desk before standing up and following Janus.

Logan tugged at the label on his water bottle and tried to catch Janus’ eye. He understood his reluctance, didn’t he? “I… I merely need to be certain I have not committed to anything else before I said yes,” he finally said to Remus.

“You haven’t,” Janus insisted and stood, offering a hand first to Remus and then to Logan. The finality of his answer echoed against the fitness room walls and suddenly Logan was a lot less warm.

Janus gripped his hand for a moment longer than necessary and Logan again tried to catch his gaze. Despite his smile, he steadfastly avoided his eyes. Finally, Logan nodded and turned to Remus, smiling. Bright green eyes stared back at his, their earlier nervousness burned away. “I’ll pick you up at eight, Remus,” he said. “Wear something casual.” Janus left with a little wave and Logan followed, calling back over his shoulder. “And warm.”

~

At eight o’clock sharp, Logan knocked at the door number Remus had text him, a picnic basket and plaid blanket tucked under one arm. 

“Hmm, don’t you look delectable,” Remus purred, looking him up and down. “Punctual, too.” He closer and trailed two fingers over the constellation pattern on his tie. “You smell tasty, too.”

“That is more than likely the fruit tray and sparkling cider,” he said, giving him a crooked grin.

“Sparkling cider? As in Martinelli’s or,” he made exaggerated air quotes.“‘Sparkling cider?’”

“It’s a berry apple blend, and yes,” Logan nodded. “It is nonalcoholic. You are under twenty-one, are you not?”

Remus waggled his eyebrows, hand resting on his chest. “Are you this exacting in bed?”

“That remains to be seen,” Logan said smoothly and offered his arm free arm. Remus was dressed in low-slung ripped jeans and newly polished combat boots, laces undone but not dragging on the floor. His sleeveless teelooked cropped, the edges curled and revealing his navel and a faint trail of auburn hair. “Do you have a jacket?” he asked, not at all convinced Remus had been listening when Logan had said to dress warmly .

“Got it,” he grinned, grabbing a heavy leather jacket from behind the door and draping it over one shoulder. He took Logan’s arm and followed him out to the hall and toward the elevators, letting his dorm door slam behind him. “So, where to, hot Daddy?”

“I am not a father,” he said, eyebrow raised. “‘Logan’ will suffice for tonight.”

“Yes, Sir,” Remus laughed, drawing closer as they stepped into the elevator.

Once outside, Logan set a brisk pace across the quad. “We are going there,” he pointed to the clock tower on top of the library.

“Oooo,” Remus cooed, tightening his grip on Logan’s arm with a little shiver. “Are we off for a ‘study’ session?” Head tilted to rest on his shoulder, they walked in tandem and he shivered again. “Care to study me?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Logan murmured. Dropping his arm, he unbuttoned his pea coat and threaded Remus’ hand between the back of it and his waist, his own arm draped around the sophomore’s. “You are cold. If you insist on not wearing your jacket, at least stay close.”

“Oh,” Remus began, voice sultry as he shimmied closer. With nothing but his linen shirt between them, Remus’ hand and arm felt cold. “Hmm…” Whatever he’d been about to say melted into a pleased hum. “You’re warm,” he finally said. “Thanks, Professor.”

Arm curled around his waist, Logan nodded as he felt the cold from Remus’ skin disipate with his body heat “You’re more than welcome, Remus.”

They approached the door and Remus frowned at the sign announcing the library closed at 7:30 on Sundays. “Are we breaking in?”

“Not quite,” Logan murmured, producing his school ID and tapping it against the reader. The door buzzed and popped right open. “The law library has extended hours. This will grant us… certain access.”

“Holy fuck, Logan!” he laughed, face blooming in a giddy grin. He bowed dramatically as Logan held the door for him and practically skipped inside the darkened library.

The warmth filling Logan’s chest had nothing to do with his wool pea coat or the blast from the library’s HVAC system. He gestured to a winding staircase to the left. “Ready for a bit of a climb?”

~

The library was glorious. It was near silent, none of that seemingly ever-present hum and buzz of machines and people doing their best to be quiet, no clacking keyboards or the random dropped book. Even the self-checkout machines near the door were powered down, only the red lasers flickering against empty tabletops.

Most of the lights were turned off, with only a strip of exit lights illuminating the aisles between the sections and stars and streetlights streaming in through the skylights over the reading room’s atrium. A series of lights lined the spiral stairs Logan led them up, and their legs cast long shadows across the main floor below.

Logan had let go of his hand as they walked, slowing his pace and waiting patiently while Remus peered over the railing at the darkened stacks below. “How do you not just come here all the time?” he whispered, his voice deafening in the silent space.

“Who says I don’t?” he smirked back, not in a whisper, but low and rumbly and delicious. Remus could listen to him talk all night. “It’s just a bit further, when you’re ready,” he murmured, gesturing to the top of the stairs and a bright green EXIT ONLY sign.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Remus followed him through the door, smiling at the bit of duct tape covering the latch. “Maybe you do come here often,” he said with a little shoulder dance.

“I like to be prepared,” he answered and let the door close slowly behind them. He gave it a tug to demonstrate to Remus they were not locked outside, then pointed to an open area just to the right of the clock tower. “Let’s spread the blanket there.”

He set down the basket and flipped open the blanket, one of those heavy flannel ones with the plastic cores to protect against the wet ground. Fuck, he really did like to be prepared. Remus eyed the picnic basket and wondered what else he’d prepared for.

“Please have a seat,” he murmured and they sat, looking out over the campus.

“Oh,” Remus breathed. They could see the entire campus from here, the bright yellow ginkgo trees lining the paths, the ornate street lamps dotting the edges and casting thin, warm light against the darkened buildings. To the West was the Sound, big barges looking magical in the dark, just floating lights reflecting off the water. To the South was Mount Rainier, her snowy top illuminated by the full moon.

His fingers itched, wishing he had brought his sketch pad and charcoals. He glanced at Logan, busily organizing two glasses and a platter of strawberries, grapes, and pineapple in front of them. He pulled out the promised bottle—chilled, no less—of Martinelli’s and—

“I noticed how you’d been drawing at the fitness center,” Logan said, passing him a blank sketchbook and a small box of charcoals. The exact fucking brand he’d used before their sexy little law school smack down. “I’ve always enjoyed the view here and I thought perhaps…”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Remus grinned, reaching for the sketchbook and pastels. They were brand new, still wrapped in the plastic film. “Thank… thank you, Logan. D—do you really not mind if I…” He gestured to the sketchbook and the water in front of them. He knew this was a date, right?

Smiling, Logan moved closer to him and draped his jacket over his shoulders, then handed him a glass. “I was rather hoping you would.”

~~~

As the evening wore on, the pair finished their drinks and most of the platter. Remus sketched quickly, filling page after page. He and Ro had made it out to Seattle just before the start of freshman year and he’d never… never seen the sky quite like this. Most nights were cloudy and even he hadn’t yet dared to climb up to the clock tower just for a look around.

He turned to a fresh page again and shifted, keeping the very southern tip of the Sound in his field of vision along with the mountains. Logan moved behind him and, as he drew, Remus leaned back, resting against his chest. A gust of wind whipped at his hair and Remus blew up sharply, hands busy with the pastels.

Humming quietly, more a rumble against his back than anything Remus could hear, Logan tucked his hair back behind his ear. The warmth from his hand sent a little shiver down his back and Remus tore his eyes away from Mt. Rainier and grinned up at him. “Thank you,” he whispered. 

“My pleasure.” Logan smiled and Remus shivered again. Moonlight sparkled in his eyes and, before he really thought about it, Remus turned to a fresh page and started sketching him.  

“The mountain is back there,” he murmured, tilting his chin toward Rainier. Logan sat with one knee bent and Remus settled between his legs, leaning against him as he sketched a close-up of his face.

Remus grinned. “The view from here is even better.” He started with broad strokes, then tentatively reached for Logan’s jaw. “May I?” he asked, surprising even himself.

“Of course.”

He adjusted the angle of Logan’s chin and nodded rapidly. “Hold just there for a moment,” he muttered before returning to his work.

When he finished the sketch, he closed the book. “No peeking,” he laughed. “I’ll show you after I’ve colored it.”

Logan laughed back, a low chuckle that sent vibrations up and down Remus body. He was practically seated in his lap, with his own legs draped over one of Logan’s. Leaning in, he traced the edge of Logan’s jaw. It was just as smooth and firm under his fingertips as he’d imagined it. “I’ve got lots of things you can peek at in the meantime.”

“Is that so?” he asked, wrapping his arms around him and drawing closer. One more inch and their lips would touch.

“Please kiss me,” Remus blurted out.

“My pleasure,” he murmured and finally—fucking finally—pulled him into a kiss.

Logan’s kiss started gently, tasting his lips as one hand moved up to cradle the back of his head. Fingers gently curling through his hair, he slowly deepened their kiss. 

Remus hummed into his mouth, lips parted, and pushed against him, following him as he lay back onto the blanket. When he broke away for breath, Remus mouthed along his jaw and down his neck before sitting up, straddling his hips. 

“How do you like it?” he asked, dragging his hands down Logan’s chest and playing at the top of his belt buckle. 

“Remus,” Logan shook his head, just a little, then pulled Remus’ hands from his belt and brought them up to his lips. He kissed his knuckles and shook his head again. “Remus, I’m not going to fuck you on a rooftop.”

“Oh!” he said, climbing off. Logan sat up immediately. His face was tricky to read in the dark. But they way Remus had been sitting had made it easy to feel just how interested Logan was. “Why didn’t you just say so? There are…” He waggled his eyebrows and licked his lips. “Other things I can do or we could go back to your place…”

Logan knelt in front of him and cradled his face with both hands. Steel blue eyes stared right into him, thumbs brushing over his cheekbones. “It is quite late,” he said after a long moment. “Perhaps it’s time I walked you home.”

~

“I had a wonderful time with you tonight,” Logan murmured at his door. He brushed back the curls from his eyes and then his hand lingered, carding gently through his hair.

Remus turned and rubbed his cheek against Logan’s palm, then nipped lightly at the fleshy part of his thumb. “No need for our wonderful night to already end.” He looked over his shoulder at the empty dorm room. “My brother won’t be home tonight. He’s crashing with the rest of the tech crew. Stepping forward, he pressed close, close enough to know what Logan’s body wanted. He looped one arm around Logan’s back, then took a small step backwards. “We have the room all to ourselves.”

His cheeks and lips were flushed a deep pink and, even under the bright hallway lights, Logan’s pupils were big and black, a copy of the night sky they’d just seen. He swallowed hard, then pulled Remus’ hand away from his back and pressed a soft kiss against his knuckles. “I’d like to take you out again sometime,” he said and Remus’ stomach sank to the floor.

He opened his mouth, but he didn’t know what to say. If he didn’t want him, then…

“May I call you tomorrow and we can make plans?” Logan continued in that same low, smooth voice.

“Yeah,” Remus finally managed, heart twisting in his chest. Everything had been going so well. What did he do wrong to get this whole ‘I’ll call you’ bullshit? “Yeah, of course,” he grinned, giving his shoulders a little shimmy. Ro wasn’t the only actor between them.

“Sleep well, Remus,” Logan said, cupping his cheek as he kissed him again, soft and sweet.

It felt like a send-off.

“Yeah, you, too, Logan,” he said and watched him head for the stairs, escaping his view as quickly as he could.

Remus closed the door behind him and sank down onto the beanbag chairs to figure out what the fuck had gone wrong.

An hour later, Remus was no closer to figuring out how he’d fucked everything up and he’d taken to pacing the tiny room in an effort to work it out. Why didn’t he want him? He’d made it really obvious he was ready, willing, and able, and Logan was clearly into it. Had he just revved him up to go be with someone he really wanted?

The scars on his arm itched like a motherfucker and Remus knew if he spent another minute in here alone, he was not going to be able to keep his promise to Ro. He needed some air. While he'd paced, he’d thrown his jacket on the floor. He tooped to pick it up on his way to the door, but then straightened, hand empty.

Fuck it. It’s not that cold out.

He’d thrown out all his clove cigarettes after that fucking party, part of another promise to Ro to try harder. But he didn’t toss his gum, so he shoved his last two pieces in his mouth and chomped hard, then opened the door and fled from his thoughts. 

~

Janus sat in his armchair, half-empty glass of scotch on the table next to him. The room was dark, the diffuse light spilling in from the streetlamp across the road doing little to illuminate the space. The sun had still been shining when Janus had come home from the grocery store and he’d taken out the bottle Glenlivet and shoved the rest of the bag into the fridge to deal with later. He sat down in the living room and poured his first glass.

That was a half a bottle ago.

‘I merely need to be certain I have not committed to anything else before I said yes…’

Logan’s eyes had pleaded with him, explaining with a look what he couldn’t—wouldn’t—with words in front of Remus. Janus knew what he’d been trying to say.

‘You have not.’

What else could he say? What else should he have said? He’d literally told Logan to find someone else to pursue. He’d told him he wasn’t interested in a relationship, he’d told him he didn’t love people. He’d told him he didn’t want to love anyone, that he didn’t want more of that soft warm touch, of those kind eyes looking back at him. That he didn’t want to know more, to learn if his kisses tasted as good as he smelled and to discover what it meant for his heart to leap out of its chest each time Logan smiled.

He’d lied.

Janus tipped back his glass and discovered it was, in fact, completely empty. Fumbling with the bottle cap, he set down the glass and tried again. Just before he got it, the bottle leapt from his hands and hit the hardwood floor, shattering and soaking the area rug with the last of his scotch. Fuck.

It took him far too long to clean it all up and by the time he was done, Janus was more than ready for another glass. He looked up at the microwave clock. If he left now, he could make it to Safeway before they closed.

The only open grocery story was only a block from campus, but the fresh air made the hike shorter than it usually felt. Before long, he was sauntering inside, walking carefully to ensure they wouldn’t turn him away. The cashier hadn’t even looked up to ring him out.

Moments later he strode through the doors, bottle in hand—and right into Remus.

“Oh, fuck, Janus, sorry,” he muttered, grabbing him with those strong, callused hands before he could stumble. Remus had been drawing, charcoal dust under his fingernails and a bit by his jaw.

“No ‘pologies needed,” Janus said slowly, annoyed at the slight slurring in his words. Remus didn’t release him and Janus stared back. He was dressed in a sleeveless shirt and jeans, no jacket. Before Janus could form the words to ask if he was cold, he shivered.

“What are you doing out?” He clutched his bottle to his chest, head tilted to the side. “I thought you’d still be with Logan by now.”

Drunk, standing in the middle of a poorly lit street, Janus couldn’t miss the hurt in Remus’ eyes. He shrugged but didn’t explain.

Janus couldn’t believe what he was seeing. How could Logan have possibly rejected him? He reached out and tapped the edge of Remus’ jaw. “You know what?”

“What?” he huffed out a little laugh, leaning in to his touch like a lost puppy. 

“You look like you could use a drink. And I know I sure as hell could use one,” Janus nodded, holding up the bagged bottle. “I live twenty blocks that way,” he said, pointing with one end and offering his arm. “Would you like to join me tonight?”

“Thank you.” Logan released his hand even as Remus’ grip lingered. He searched his recollections of that night and nodded. “Remus?”

Nice memory… His eyes widened and he continued to stare back at him. “Not from the book.”

“Plutarch's?” Logan asked, one eyebrow raised.

Remus threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, I like you!” He pulled out a pack of gum and a wave of artificial cinnamon hit the air. “No wonder you were able to bag that hottie.”

Logan pursed his lips and attempted to return to his book. “Janus and I are not romantically involved.”

“Oh, really?” Leaning sideways along the café table, Remus smiled up at him. “Does that mean you’re available?”

“I’m sorry,” Logan inclined his head with a small smile. “But no.”

His grin only grew. “No, you’re not available? Or no, you’re not interested?” He brushed callused fingers along the back of his hand, sending a shiver up Logan’s arm.

“Am I interrupting?” Janus stood behind him, face set in a poised expression. His eyes jumped between them, lingering on Remus’ hand on his.

“Well—” Remus began. He didn’t remove his hand and instead, wrapped his fingers around Logan’s.

“No, of course not,” he looked up at Janus before turning to Remus and giving him a small smile. He covered his hand and patted it before gently removing his hand from his grip. “Remus was at Jack’s party on Friday and was asking after you.” 

“Yeah, that dickhead ended up at Harborview ER,” Remus said after a moment. He flexed the fingers of one hand and gnawed at his lip watching him and Janus. His gum had disappeared.

“Really?” Janus purred. He started to pull over a chair between them, then stopped, staring at Remus. His hand fell away from the chair and hung limply at his side for a moment before he tucked it into his pocket. Janus nodded once, then smiled politely. “Then it appears I am indebted to you, as well.”

“You never have to thank me for breaking a creep’s nose,” Remus laughed and cocked his arm, appearing about to playfully punch Janus’ shoulder.

He never made contact.

Almost faster than Logan could interpret, Janus intercepted his fist and twisted. His other arm came up and out and suddenly Remus sprawled on the floor, his chair rattling to the floor next to him.

“Holy fuck, how’d you do that?” he laughed, looking up at Janus.

Frowning, Janus tugged at his jacket then offered a hand up to the laughing undergrad. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “Reflex. Are you alright?”

“I’m trying not to be turned on right,” he shimmied his shoulders and Logan wasn’t sure if he was serious.

“That was quite impressive,” Logan murmured. He looked almost embarrassed by the attention. He nodded without meeting their eyes. Was he ashamed? “Would you be willing to demonstrate how you did that?”

Janus’ eyes shot up, wide with surprise. A soft smile sparked at the corners of his lips.

“Fuck, me too?” Remus started to reach for him but seemed to think better of it. He sat back down, looking between the two of them. “Or at least let me watch.” He winked at Logan, clearly more than aware of his double entendre.

“Perhaps,” Janus began slowly. It was only then that Logan noticed his flushed cheeks. He nodded at Logan and pointedly eyed the exit. “Perhaps when we are not already meant to be studying?”

Logan took the hint and smiled at Remus as he stood and gathered his books. “That sounds wise.”

Undeterred, Remus grinned again. “You should call me.” Before Logan could pull out a pen and paper, Remus dug a green coptic marker out of his pocket and shoved it at Logan. He presented his palm and looked up at him. The softness in his eyes was a nice contrast to his near manic smile. Logan obliged and, holding his hand steady, printed his name and telephone number on the undergrad’s palm.

He nearly capped the marker, but looked back at him. “If I am to call you , I will need your phone number, as well. Fingers spread, he offered his left hand and watched him write. His hand was rough but warm, and his little twitches disappeared once he had a marker between his fingers, his cursive clean and artistic, almost calligraphy across his hand.

“C’mon, Necktie.”

Janus fidgeted next to him and Logan gave Remus a little wave. “We really must be going.” He began to follow Janus outside but turned and smiled over his shoulder at the intriguing interrupting to his morning. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Remus.” Logan was surprised by how much he meant it.

“Nice meeting you, Nerdy Wolverine,” he grinned as though it was a compliment and he only smiled brighter when Logan’s face warmed. “You, too, Janus,” he winked. “See ya around.”

~~~

That loud sophomore of Jack’s had actually managed to fluster Necktie. Janus watched as a soft pink spread over his cheeks when the guy cradled his hand and wrote across it with one of those smelly alcohol markers. Janus shoved his own hands deeper in his pockets, ignoring the little twitch. He certainly did not want some random guy’s name and phone number seeping into his skin for fuck-knows how long it took for that stuff to wash off, being reminded of his flirting and little smirk every time he looked down.

As they left the café, Logan kept glancing down at his hand as it dried and Janus’ hands twitched again, pushing the door open and gripping it with both hands. He wasn't bothered. Over a week had passed since he'd told Logan to direct his interest elsewhere. Far from bothered, Janus was relieved Logan was taking his advice.

He waited until they reached the path outside the Marshall Hall before asking, “Are you sure I wasn’t interrupting anything?” 

“No, of course not.” Logan shook his head. “Remus is… friendly, but were merely talking.”

“Mm-hm,” Janus murmured. Logan had stopped staring at his own palm but his face still hadn’t quite lost its blush “So… will you call him?”

“Of course,” he nodded. “When would you like to show us how you flipped him?”

“No, Necktie, I mean will you call him and ask him out?” He lowered his voice as a gaggle of freshman passed them. “I don’t think he gives a fuck about my krav maga.”

“Oh?”  

“He was interested in you.”

“Oh.” Logan smiled, eyes dancing. “I believe he was interested in you, as well.”

Janus didn’t say, given his behavior at Friday’s party, he was certain Remus would in interested in almost anything that moved if it looked at him right. But something was different about the way the sophomore had looked at Logan.

“Perhaps I should reserve the wrestling ring at the fitness center for us,” Logan murmured, glancing again at the bright green letters and numbers on his hand. “It’s intended for recreational tumbling, so the mat is thicker than the regulation four inches, but that should be more sufficient protection from falls.”

“You know how thick the mats are supposed to be?” Janus chuckled. “Necktie, you’ve been holding out on me.”

Logan smiled back, that soft, almost smirk. “Never, Janus. My regional high school wrestling championships have simply never come up in conversation.”

“Book the ring, Necktie.”

~~~

Three days later, Remus sat cross-legged on the floor of the school’s wrestling room, knees bouncing as he retraced a line in his sketchpad. He was early and the room was already warm, making the pastels soft and extra easy to blend. Logan and Janus hadn’t even gotten there yet, and he could only imagine how much warmer it might get. He was left weirdly grateful for Ro’s unsolicited advice to take along a little cooler with ice and water.

“Trust me, Re,” he’d nodded. “The angels who bring us ice water after a dance competition never go home alone.”

The door creaked open and Remus’ head snapped up. Janus glided into the room, dressed in a butter yellow shirt, grey slacks and a matching vest. He scowled at the large sign dictating only wrestling shoes or bare feet were allowed on the ring.

Remus grinned and leaned back on one hand, legs outstretched as he wiggled his toes. “Aren’t you a little overdressed for a go on the mat?”

Janus raised an eyebrow and looked down at Remus’ tank top and shorts. “Are you a little under dressed?”

“Under dressed, overdressed…” Remus laughed. “That all depends on what’s next on order, Jannie,” he winked.

“My name is—”

The door opened again and Logan strode in dressed in a dark blue wrestling singlet. The skintight spandex revealed every muscle he’d been hiding under that hot nerd necktie getup Logan had worn at both the part and when he’d had found him at the Coffee Haus. Remus swallowed dryly, words failing him as he watched Logan move.

Janus seemed unfazed. “No headgear?” he chuckled, voice low and controlled, and ripped his eyes from Logan, searching for any sign of teasing. Instead, he was blushing.

Logan had noticed, his smile growing. “I trust you will not seek permanent damage to my ears or head during this demonstration.” He took in Janus’ clothes, eyes lingering at his open collar and the way his slim cut slacks hugged his thighs. “I trust you have sufficient freedom of movement in what you are wearing.”

“I’m not the one who should be worried, Necktie,” Janus smirked, toeing off his shoes. “Let’s go.”

“I get winner!” Remus called and leaned in to watch.

~~~

The first round was over almost as soon as it began. Logan mimicked Remus’ playful punch to the shoulder and Janus just moved, gripping his fist midair and grabbing his other arm. He seemed to push and pull at the same time and Logan was on his back on the mat, looking up at him, eyes wide.

“Impressive,” he said, taking Janus’ hand when he offered him help up. “My feint to the right did nothing to dissuade you.”

“You are lucky we’re not really fighting or you would’ve gotten a kick to the groin for good measure,” Janus laughed.

He bowed his head. “I am quite grateful for that,” he peered up at him through the fringe hanging over his eyes with a smile. “Shall we go again? A little slower, if you would? So I can follow along?”

Nodding graciously, Janus waved him forward, repeating the move. He grabbing Logan’s fist, then his arm and push-pulled again, slower this time. Then, at Logan’s little nod, repeated at standard speed and, again, Logan was on his back on the mat.

“Again,” Logan grunted before he was even on his feet.

They repeated this dance several more times. It was beginning to take a little longer for Janus to get him down on the mat and finally, Logan grinned, sweat dripping down both their faces. His cheeks and chest were flushed but he leapt up to his feet with as much energy as he'd started. “One more time.”

“Let’s go,” Janus nodded. He was breathing a little heavily. His movements had looked almost effortless, but, just like for Logan, his perspiration gave away just how hard he'd been working.

This time, when Janus grabbed his arm, Logan ducked and moved into the hold. Shoulder tucked against Janus’ side, he pulled up, freeing his other hand  and grabbing Janus’ thigh. In seconds, he’d lifted him off his feet, then dropped down to a kneel on the mat. He froze, then slowly finished the move, gently lowering Janus to the mat. Logan’s upper body pinned him down, legs twisted together so Janus’ lower half was left tangled together and preventing him from getting any leverage.

“Not bad, Necktie!” Janus laughed, voice strained. Logan let him up and they sat together on the mat.

Remus grabbed the cooler and joined them. “Fuck, that was…" hot. "Incredible," he laughed, offering each of them a drippy cold water bottle.

“Thank you,” Logan panted. He took a long swig of the water before bowing his head to Janus. “You were holding back. If I’d come across you in a darkened alley, I have no doubt I would’ve not walked away from our altercation.”

“I’ve had instructors warn us not to challenge trained wrestlers,” Janus tugged at his shirt, fanning himself. “I see why.”

What bothers Janus… is that Logan seems to be putting up walls around himself and not letting Janus in anymore. And, more than that, he doesn't understand why. Things were going really well… at least, that's what he thought, clearly he was wrong.

"Hey, Lovebirds- oh…" Remus' grin was wiped away when he saw only Janus entering the apartment, without Logan. "Stood you up again, didn't he?"

Janus didn't say anything, but his silence and expression seemed to be enough of an answer.

"Why aren't you ditching him again? How long are you going to let him ghost you like that?!" Remus growled in anger, "he shouldn't be treating you like this, Jan!"

Janus grimaced, "something's bothering him… I just know it… if he'd just talk to me…" he trailed off with a sigh.

His phone buzzed and Janus saw it was Logan calling. He hesitated for a moment, the pety part of him wanting to let him go to voicemail, but he answered in the end.

"I am so sorry, Janus, I had this emergency at work and I couldn't-"

"It's okay." Janus said tiredly.

"...it is?" Logan sounded surprised, and a little taken aback.

"Just… come to my place when you can, okay? I want to talk to you." Janus said, hoping he didn't sound too harsh.

"Oh… yeah, of course, I'll be there in exactly 30 minutes and 40 seconds. Logan said.

…

True to his word, Logan arrived just like he said, for once being punctual for something other than work.

He knocked on the door exactly 30 minutes and 40 seconds after their call ended, but Remus got to the door before Janus.

"Don't break him, please…" Janus shook his head. And he went to sit by the kitchen table, knowing there's no stopping Remus.

Remus grinned at him as he turned the handle, "no promises!"

He opened the door, "Listen, dork-face, if you keep treating my best friend like that I will cut your dick, cook it and eat it while making you watch, got that?"

"...as grossly specific as ever, Remus, I got it." Logan said, sounding a bit fond. Remus had a weird way of growing on you, Janus knew that from experience.

"...can I come in now?" Logan asked after a while of Remus not moving aside to let him through.

"You can try, but I-"

"Leave my boyfriend alone, would you, Remus dear?" Janus said with the shake of his head.

Remus pouted but moved aside, "boyfriends actually show up to dates…" he mattered before going to his room to give them 'privacy', he's probably going to listen in, this apartment's thin walls allowing no secrets.

Despite everything, Janus couldn't help a small smile gracing his lips when he saw Logan, the guy was too cute for his own good… how is he supposed to stay mad at those brilliant blue eyes?

No, you're not mad. He reminded himself. You're worried.

"I can sense I'm in trouble." Logan said lightly, attempting poor humor to lift the tension between them… it didn't work.

Janus bit his lip, now that Logan was here, he wasn't sure how to approach the subject.

In the end, as Logan sat down in front of him, he just let out a tired breath, "look, I'm not your teacher and I'm not your parent… I'm not going to scold you or lecture you…. I'm just worried…" he trailed off.

Logan frowned, "worried? About what?"

At that, Janus snapped, and he got up sharply, slamming his fists on the table in frustration, "about you, obviously!"

Logan jumped, looking up at Janus with wide eyes, "m-me? But I'm-"

"If you say fine I'm going to break something." Janus cut him off, "you can keep up the act all you want Logan, but I know something's wrong, and I can't help unless I know what it is."

Logan was silent for a long moment before saying, very quietly, "I appreciate the concern but, I'm really okay… no need for you to worry."

Janus buried his face in his hands, not like he didn't expect this, but still…

"Really? No need to worry? I can hardly recognize you! You don't talk to me anymore! And I don't know why! …did I do something to drive you away? I used to do that before I met you but… I worked on it… am I doing it again?" The last question was to himself more than to Logan. Is he reverting back to his toxic traits without realizing it?

"What? N-no, Janus you did nothing wrong I just…" Logan said immediately, trailing off with a sigh, "I… it's not something you can fix, Janus…"

Janus blinked, sitting back down and taking Logan's hand gently. Did Logan finally say something about what was bothering him the last few months? Finally?

He swallowed, "maybe not, but I can listen, what is it?" Janus said as gently as he could. He didn't want to push Logan but he also wanted to know very badly.

Logan was silent for a long moment, then Janus noticed his eyes getting shiny and wet behind his glasses and, before he realized what was happening, Logan was crying.

Janus hates when Logan cries, it's the worst sound in the world for him, the sound of sadness and misery coming from the person he loves so very deeply is… very upsetting.

He quickly gets up and pulls Logan up into his arms, hugging him tightly, letting Logan cling to him and sob into his shoulder.

"I-it's m-my dad…" Logan says between sobs and Janus' nails dig into Logan's back a bit unconsciously at the mention of that man.

Logan's homophobic dad that sent him to therapy sessions and had endless arguing with him after he came out. And, finally, ignoring him completely after he started dating guys.

"...what about him?" Janus tried his best to keep his voice even and not dripping with anger.

"He… he…" Logan sniffed, pulling back to look Janus in the eyes, "...he's dead, Janus… m-my father died…"

Janus' eyes widened in surprise, that… was not the answer he was expecting. But, the more Janus thought about it, the more Logan's behavior made sense. The missed calls, getting caught up at work, the meaningless small talk… he was…

"You were trying to keep yourself busy to distract yourself from thinking about it, didn't you?" Janus said softly, sitting them both back down but keeping one of Logan's hands in his so he could rub it soothingly.

Logan sniffed again, nodding, "I… I don't know how to feel about it… I don't even know how I'm supposed to feel about it…" his voice was still rasp and shaky, but Janus nodded, listening intently. "We haven't been in contact for so long and suddenly I get a call from my sister that he's just… gone." Logan continued.

"What about…" Janus started but Logan finished the question for him.

"The funeral?" Logan let out an empty chuckle, "he wouldn't have wanted me there…" he said bitterly, "he said it himself… he doesn't have a son…"

Janus nodded again, for now not saying much and letting Logan say what he needs to say.

"But now… now he's dead, is it wrong to keep resenting him? Am I a bad person if I don't feel bad for a dead man? …should I feel bad? All I felt for my father was resentment, from even before I came out, even though that made him ten times worse, he never made an effort to understand me, he just wanted me to be the perfect copy of himself." Logan rambled on, it's nothing Janus hadn't heard before, though the death part was new.

"But… despite everything… Now that I think about it, I do feel a sense of loss…" Logan frowned, "I think a part of me kept hoping he'll 'come around'... that he'll attempt to make amends…" Logan took in a shaky breath, "now that he's gone… that hope is gone too… I'll never have the dad I wanted…"

Logan finished, looking up at Janus with damp eyes, "Janus… I'm truly sorry for the way I treated you, my father's death is not an excuse for me to push you away like that… the last thing I want is to hurt you."

Janus sighed, shaking his head and leaning closer to kiss Logan on the cheek, "it's okay, I'm glad you were able to talk to me about it eventually, even if there's nothing I can do to fix the problem, I'm always here to listen." He offered Logan a small smile, "no more walls between us, okay?"

Logan nodded, returning the smile, "it's a deal."

Janus then smirked as he thought of something, "but that doesn't mean you're off the hook." He said, which earned him Logan's adorably confused face. "You still have a lot of missed dates that you owe me." Janus grinned mischievously.

Logan's eyes widened slightly and he sighed, "this is going to cost me, isn't it?"

Janus finally gave Logan a deep and real kiss on the lips before pulling back to say, "that, my dearest, is a promise." He chuckled.

"Well, in that case, I better get started now." Logan smiled.

Janus raised an interested eyebrow, "oh? What do you have in mind?"

Logan got up and Janus followed, "you'll see, can't ruin the surprise, where's the fun in that?"

Janus laughed as they walked out of the apartment, "I'm starting to regret teaching you that."

"Teaching me what?" Logan asked curiously.

Janus smirked, "fun."

Logan snorted, "I was fun before I met you."

Janus chuckled, "sure you were, Teach."

Logan pushed him lightly, "you, sir, are the worst."

It all started when he got an emergency signal from his - what would movies like to call - 'man in the chair', his scientist friend, Virgil.

He always helped Logan with either, figuring out his rival's next moves, making him useful gadgets, or simply just being a good friend and company to be around.

Logan always had a great appreciation for his intelligence and the brilliant way he tackled problems which allowed him to create some of the most unique weapons Logan has ever seen.

…just don't tell him any of that, every time Logan does it makes him uncomfortable even though these were merely facts.

Logan tasked Virgil with figuring out Deceit's next move, hoping he could finally be a few steps ahead of the sneaky villain.

So, when he got the emergency signal from him, he wasted no time and rushed towards their secret base fo find out what Virgil discovered.

"I received your signal, what is he planning to do?" Logan asked as soon as he stepped out of the elevator and caught sight of his friend.

Virgil was pacing and fidgeting with his lab coat, all signs of his clear distress, it must be bad then.

Upon hearing Logan's voice, Virgil froze in place and turned to look at him, biting his bottom lip idly. "It's… it's bad Logan, really really bad. I… I don't think anyone even tried something like that before… there's no telling what-"

"Virgil." Logan cut him off gently when he noticed Virgil started mattering to himself and spiraling deeper into his panic. "Slow down and tell me what you learned."

Virgil nodded, taking a deep breath, "somehow… Deceit found a way to take away powers… you know, turn them off."

Logan took his time to process that, it was the last thing he'd expected to hear from Virgil… and he wasn't sure how to respond.

"...how exactly is he planning to do that?" Logan settled on at the end.

Virgil went to his computer and typed a bit before projecting an image through the projector.

It looked like plans for some sort of weapon. "A machine that turns off powers?" Logan asked, just to be sure.

Virgil nodded, "it seems to be some kind of laser ray that alters the neurons in your body." He explained.

"Do we know what will happen for someone with powers if those would get taken away like that?" Logan asked next, as he examined closely the plans Virgil was projecting onto the wall.

"Yes… in theory at least. As I said, it's never been so much as experimented, all we have are scientific assumptions." Virgil said, starting to pace again to burn some of his nervous energy. "People with powers, like you, Logan. Their bodies work differently than those without. Studies show that the very basics of functions in your bodies rely on the powers you were born with." He stopped for a bit, letting that sink in a little.

"So taking the powers away, or turning them off…" Logan pieced it together out loud

"Could very much have the same effect as losing blood, or a heart… it could mean death, Logan." Virgil finished for him, and the gravity of the situation was finally fully realized for Logan.

Logan swallowed, "I have to stop him, do we know if he completed the weapon yet?"

Virgil shook his head with a grimace, "we don't know for sure where he is in the process of making this weapon, but I did manage to find out where he's building it. You're gonna have to sneak in there and destroy it before he gets a chance to use it." He explained.

Logan nodded, he was fairly certain that Deceit didn't know… or didn't care about what kind of damage his machine can cause, and it was up to Logan alone to make sure it doesn't get used. He can do this… he has to.

"Okay, send me the coordinates and I'll be on my way-" he started saying, but Virgil cut him off with a light chuckle.

"Hold your horses there, mister Save-The-Day, you're not seriously about to go to the snake's lair unarmed, are you?" Virgil said with slight amusement.

Logan blushed in embarrassment, how could he forget something as basic as taking a weapon to a fight?

"...right, of course, that was… what I was about to say as well." Logan said in hopes of keeping his compuser.

Virgil rolled his eyes, "sure you did, Specs. Anyway, I prepared your usual weapon belt," Virgil walked to a table a few feet away from them with various devices and lifted a belt with Logan's most preferable choice of weapons and handed it to him. "And take this, my newest invention, it should paralyze anyone within 10 feet of the user for about 30 minutes. It should give you enough time to destroy the machine if you were to get caught."

Virgil threw him what looked like a clicker of some kind, he raised an eyebrow at Virgil, "should? Are you using me as your figurative lab rat again?"

Virgil shrugged, "how else am I going to test my newest weapons? You don't want me using innocent people and get arrested, do you?"

Logan knew by now that Virgil was just being sarcastic, but the mental image still bothered him a little. "Fair point, thank you, Virgil, I couldn't ask for a better friend." Logan offered him a slight smile.

Virgil fidgeted in place uncomfortably, blushing, "...just don't die, okay?"

"I don't think I would be given much choice in the matter-"

"Logan!" Virgil protested.

"Okay, sorry, I won't die today, I promise to do everything in my power to prevent that." Logan relented and he could see the relief in Virgil as his shoulders slumped and he nodded.

"Good… good luck out there… and punch that snake in the face for me!" Virgil called after him as he left.

…

He arrived at the location Virgil sent him and saw an abandoned warehouse.

Cautiously, he moved inside, being wary of traps or cameras Deceit might have installed.

His powers allowed him to hear others thoughts as well as moving things with his mind and turning invisible, which was what he did now in case someone was watching the place.

There was nothing in the first floor, as far as Logan could tell, so he went up the stairs to the next. They were a bit squeaky, though, and Logan looked around frantically, hoping no one noticed.

When nothing happened, he continued on his way.

Now this floor looked more like Logan expected, different tools and machinery scattered about on tables, and when he reached the center, there was a large object covered in a white sheet.

Watching his steps and looking around carefully, Logan walked closer to what seemed to be the machine Virgil was telling him about.

Something felt off, though, it was too easy and obvious, it felt more like…

He stepped back at just the right moment before a net shot from the ground where he'd been standing and hang in the air.

A trap.

"Aww, you're no fun, I almost had you." He heard a familiar, sleek voice and turned around to find Deceit smirking at him.

He was wearing his usual yellow, snake skin, suit, with his mask that covered his entire face and only left the mouth, nose and eyes exposed. Half of the mask had scales in it, while the other was plain yellow.

"Deceit, this time you went too far." Logan hissed.

Deceit clicked his tongue, shaking his head, "oh Logic, Logic, Logic. That is what you always say. You really need to learn what fun means." He chuckled, walking slowly closer to Logan.

"I know what fun means, Deceit, it does not include hurting and killing people." Logan said angrily in response, "this machine that you're building can do irreversible damadge! Did you think about that? Or do you not really care?"

Deceit shrugged, "people die all the time anyway, so why aren't I allowed to have some fun out of it huh? Tell me." He smiled a sinister smile.

Logan growled in frustration, "you're not listening!"

"Well you're not captivating your audience." He rolled his eyes, "really, Teach, it's like you're not even trying to sound convincing."

Logan shook his, trying to get Deceit out of his head, trying to focus on his mission. Get in, destroy the machine, get out.

He turned invisible again and dashed towards the machine, pulling out his laser gun from his belt and preparing to shoot it at the device under the sheet.

But, as his first shot hit it… it vanished into smoke, together with the tables with tools.

An illusion.

But, by the time he turned around to face Deceit again, it was too late. Deceit had already pulled out his own gun and was pointing it directly at him.

"Surely you don't think I'm stupid enough to leave my toys laying around where every hero can walts in and ruin them?" Deceit said, amused.

Logan wanted to hit himself, of course he wouldn't… such a foolish oversight in his part, it was too obvious for someone as sneaky.

"Now, be a good boy and drop your gun if you please." Deceit drawled, sounding a lot more satisfied by the situation than Logan would have liked.

Gritting his teeth, Logan let go of his laser gun and kicked it towards Deceit, this was not looking good for him, he needs a new plan. But Deceit made it so hard for him to think!

"There we go, now that's much better, isn't it?" Deceit snikered, continuing to mock Logan.

Logan closed his eyes. This was it, he was about to break his promise to Virgil, he was going to die.

"Take off your mask." Deceit ordered instead of shooting.

Logan opened his eyes slowly to stare in surprise at the villain in front of him, "what?"

Deceit rolled his eyes, "I know you heard me, c'mon, you might not be the brightest but surely you're not deaf too?" He raised an eyebrow.

Logan swallowed, trying to figure out Deceit's objective here. "W-why?"

"I believe I'm the one with the gun here, I ask the questions, Logic. Take it off." Deceit said, sounding impatient.

Seeing no other choice, Logan grabbed the edges of his mask and slowly pulled it off, being careful around his glasses.

He didn't understand the situation, what could Deceit gain from this? Deceit never did anything if it wasn't in his own best interests. But only seeing Logan's face won't reveal his true identity. Not right away at least… unless they know each other without knowing it… could Deceit have found out something about Logan's true identity?

No… that's impossible… right?

Deceit drew a shaky breath as Logan tossed his mask aside.

"Impossible…" he mattered to himself, "how is this possible?" His hands started to shake around his gun, "L-Logan?" He asked with a sob.

Logan frowned, "do I… know you?" He tried hard to recognize Deceit's voice from his civilian life but nothing came to mind… What's going on here?

"You don't remember… of course you don't, they loved playing with our minds since we were kids…" Deceit continue to matter nonsense and Logan tried desperately to make sense of it.

Who's they? Play with our minds? His parents had mind manipulation powers but they'd never… would they?

"What are you talking about? W-who are you?" Logan asked, confused. Deceit was acting… strange, could this just be another one of his tricks? But for what? He already had Logan unarmed and unmasked, why would he need to trick him?

Deceit moved his hand and Logan flinched, thinking he's going to shoot him after all. But all he did was remove his own mask.

Underneath was a massive scar covering the left side of his face, one of his eyes were green while the other was chocolate brown, and he was looking at Logan with such longing and sadness that had Logan frozen to the spot.

"My name is Janus, I got kidnapped 15 years ago and was presumed dead ever since… I didn't think I had any family left… I barely escaped and have just been trying to survive ever since." Dece- Janus, explained, then lowered his gun with a sigh. "Logan… I'm your brother."

Logan shook his head frantically, "that's not possible, I'm an only child." He insisted, none of it made sense!

Janus let out an empty chuckle, shaking his head, "no, Logan, don't you get it? Our parents erased your memories of me." He countered, "they arranged for me to get kidnapped! They never approved of me, they thought my powers were too villainous, they were afraid of me…" he trailed off with another sigh, "who am I kidding? You're not going to believe a word I say…" he covered his face with his hand.

Logan thought briefly about escaping, Janus wasn't pointing his gun at him anymore and he was clearly deranged… but, a spark of curiosity at this strange behavior kept him where he was. Plus… there was something familiar about Janus… something he couldn't explain.

"...can you prove it?" Logan asked after a while of consideration.

Janus removed his hand from his face and stared at Logan with a spark of hope in his mismatched eyes, "what?"

"Can you prove we're related? …that you're my brother?" He couldn't believe he was asking that but, as crazy as Janus' story sounds… what kind of scientist would he be if he didn't at least test it out?

"Is our resemblance not enough?"

Ah, there's a familiar tone from the guy he's been fighting for the past few months, joking.

But Logan looked closely anyway, there wasn't anything he found to be very similar about their features and the massive scar on half of Janus' face wasn't helping…. But, his eyes.

One of them an earthy green, like Logan's… like his mother. And the other… the other a warm, chocolaty brown… like Logan's dad.

"No… it's a start though." Logan said as he continued to inspect the man in front of him, "anything more?"

Janus laughed lightly, shaking his head, "always so serious…" he thought for a moment, "well, I know you were always way too smart for your own good, you have a weird and pretty entertaining habit of taking things too literally, Agatha Christie is your favorite author… should I continue?"

Logan swallowed, shaking his head, "you could have learned that from Virgil somehow, tell me something only my brother would know and maybe I'll take your story into consideration." He tried desperately to keep his composure but the possibility of him having a long lost brother was… bothersome.

Janus sighed, "well, how about this then, I know that, deep down, you never wanted to be a hero."

The words seemed to hit Logan like a punch to his gut and he tensed, looking wide eyed at Janus. "N-no… you're wrong! I chose this path I-"

"Did you? Or did our parents make you think that this was the only path you can choose? I know you, Logan. We would often talk about it. You expressed to me your desire to simply live your life, instead of carrying the world's weight on your shoulders… you don't believe in heroes and villains, you never did." Janus insisted, walking slowly closer as he talked.

Logan was frozen to the spot… he never told anyone that… there's no way Janus could have found out… could he have simply guessed it? No, it's too accurate for a guess… but how?

"I… never told anyone… not even Virgil… how did you.." the words got stuck in his throat, this can't be true! But at the same time… it has to be true to make sense…

He didn't realize how close Janus got until he felt the light touch of his hand on his shoulder, Janus was smiling softly at him. "I missed you so much, Logan."

Logan pulled away slightly, just enough so he could feel like he could breathe again. "Hold on a moment… what about all this?" He gestured towards Janus' costume and where they were right now, "the damage you caused? The people you hurt?"

Janus raised an eyebrow, "name one person I actually killed or hurt beyond recovery. I told you, I'm just trying to survive, I'm supposed to be dead so can't really have a job, being a hero doesn't really pay and brings too much attention… The villain act was the only thing I could think of, it also helped a bit with the boredom." He laughed slightly, shrugging.

Logan narrowed his eyes, "and what about the weapon you're building?"

Janus waved dismissively, "a ruse to get you here, fed Virgil some incorrect information, wasn't hard. You were gaining on me too much and I just wanted to know who you are to get some advantage… didn't expect you to be my little brother though…" he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I see…" was all Logan can think of saying before he went quiet again.

"Does that mean… you believe me now?" Janus asked, looking hesitant but hopeful. "Can we stop fighting each other and go back to being brothers?"

Logan drew a shaky breath, "I… I don't know… I guess it's a start-" he was cut off by Janus crushing him with a hug, something Logan is not usually a fan of, but he found the embrace oddly familiar and found himself melting into it.

"I missed you… Logan, my little genius, I won't leave you again, I promise." Janus whispered softly in his ear, still refusing to let go.

"I think… I think I missed you too, in a way." Logan said, surprised at how true those words felt. My little genius… just like his father used to call him…

“I am already sufficiently in your debt, Logan,” he'd said stiffly as he prepared to leave, frowning at the wrinkles in his slacks and smoothing down his soft golden hair. “There’s no need for an escort at four in the afternoon.”

Logan nodded, pushing a smile onto his face, grasping for a bit of humor. “Of course, I did not intend to imply you might get lost in the woods on your way home.” He gestured to the bright autumn sunlight pouring through the kitchen window and smiled. The warm glow softened the edges of his disappointment. At least a little. “It’s simply a lovely afternoon for a walk with a companion.”

Face pinched, Janus looked down as he tightened his laces. “Perhaps...” He straightened, gaze bouncing between the sunny living room, Logan’s tie, and the door. “Perhaps another time.”

“Another time, then,” Logan agreed. He shouldn’t push. The events of the evening–and Janus’ recovery the next day-had forced a peculiar intimacy between them. He watched Janus tug at his sleeves, a wordless plea for grace and dignity. 

Logan nodded. “As a favor to me…” His smile quirked, “Would you be willing to text me when you get in?”

“I will. But only as a personal favor to you, of course.” A hint of a smile splash across his face, made even brighter with a burst of sunlight as he inclined his head. “See you in class, Necktie.”

~~~

“And then he just left?”

As promised, Logan called Greg later that evening with an update. “Not even a goodbye kiss?”

“Oh, stop,” Elvin laughed in the background. Logan had felt atypically lost and he’d jumped at the chance for another opinion. “Don’t listen to him, Logan. That was not the time to make your move.”

“Thank you, Elvin,” he’d laughed back. “At least someone’s got some sense on this call.”

“Bullies!” Greg cried. “Bullies, the both of you!” He finally cracked, a full belly laugh exploding out of him. The soft smack of a kiss told Logan he’d quickly made up with one of his ‘bullies.’ “I bet that didn’t stop you from thinking about it, though,” he added in that smug but empathetic way Greg had perfected.

“Perhaps,” Logan conceded with a smile. “It would be dishonest of me to deny there had been parts of caring for him that were… quite pleasant.” Janus’ soft smile when he’d placed the cloth over his forehead, the gentle rise and fall of his chest each time Logan eased him back to sleep with a song… “He’s… he’s remarkable.”

“Oh…” Elvin whistled. “You’ve got it bad,” he murmured. “You stayed up half the night with this guy, then held him while he puked his guts up and you still call him ‘remarkable?’”

“Puking up your guts on a first date is something to remark on,” Greg deadpanned, pulling a little chuckle from him.

“That’s a bit exaggerative,” he murmured, and, for the third time, opened the message Janus had sent him for the third time that evening.

Personal favor, 👔. 🏠

Logan imagined his little smirk as he hit send. And then his likely collapse into bed.

“It wasn’t even a proper date.” He locked his phone and set it facedown on the counter.

“You’re right,” Greg said. “So when are you asking him out?”

~~~

”So,” Jack began, “How was he?” He winked lasciviously as though Janus needed the extra context.

“Allow me to sit before your interrogation into my sex life,” he muttered, shaking his head with a fond eye roll. “And a little louder, please,” he sighed, prying off the lid to his coffee and dumping in several fingers of milk. “I don’t think the table in the back heard you.”

“Oh, sorry,” Jack whispered. “I said,” he smirked, then raised his voice. “How good of a lay was Lo—“

Janus flung himself across the table and covered his mouth. “I swear to god, Jack, I don’t know why I put up with you!”

His friend shrugged, grinning broadly behind Janus’ hand.

“What even makes you think we hooked up?” he hissed, easing his hand away from Jack’s mouth, one eyebrow raised in warning.

Surrendering, Jack held both hands in the air. He waved a white napkin for good measure. "I stopped by your place Saturday afternoon after I hit Blick's for more tequila." He lowered his hands, palms up, as though Janus had just made his case for him. "Stood out there for a solid fifteen minutes," he grinned, taking a slow, suggestive sip of his ice coffee.

"Did it occur to you I might have been busy?"

"Yes," he laughed. "You were either getting busy at his place or getting busy at your place."

"And I repeat, Jack," he shook his head and replaced the cap on his coffee. "You are completely incorrigible."

"It doesn't make me wrong." Jack shrugged and shook his drink, settling more of the noxious caramel syrup he added by the liter each morning. "So… how was he? Is he as take charge in the bedroom as he was at the party? Or did he turn into a soft little puppy dog once you got that necktie unknotted?"

Hiding his flush behind his cup, Janus blew away the steam seeping through the sipping lid, then took a slow sip. Setting down the cup, he finally looked up at Jack, relishing the impatience in his smile. "He was a perfect gentleman," he demured. "I slept on his couch and he made me soup in the morning for my upset stomach."

"That's it?"

"When exactly did you expect us to get to fucking, Jack?" Janus rolled his eyes, less fondly this time. "When I was unconscious or after I purged?"

"Prosecution rests," Jack bowed his head. Blessedly, he dropped the topic and let Janus finish his coffee in peace. He drank quickly, before the coffee cooled enough to taste the brew. The almost burnt aroma was a sorry imitation of the rich scent embedded in Logan’s apron. When he’d finished, he stared at the cup, idly wondering where he bought his beans.

It turned out Jack was just waiting him out. He tapped Janus’ empty cup with his own until he looked up. "The real question is…" He held Janus' gaze, his teasing smile grown serious. "Did you want something to happen?"

~~~

"Good morning, Janus." He shivered at the sudden low tone next to him.

He looked up from his textbook and nodded with a weak smile. "Morning, Necktie," he said before eyeing the seat next to him. He was currently sitting where Logan had the first week of class.

"Early bird gets the chair?" he chuckled and Janus shivered again, sending an accusing glare at the thermostat. 

"Capital Offenses isn't offered until next term," he said, the twitch in his lip the only crack in his stern expression.

Logan laughed again and settled next to him. "Thank you for the text, by the way." He gave Janus a sidelong glance, bright blue eyes peeking past a little tuft of espresso dark hair. "How are you feeling this morning?" He turned, elbow resting on their shared armrest, and smiled. His hand hovered inches from Janus', near enough to feel the warmth pouring off of it. "You've got your color back," he added, eyes dancing over his features.

Janus silently cursed the blush blooming over his cheeks. "I'm feeling wonderful," he said, struggling to tear his eyes from Logan’s. "One hundred percent back to normal."

Warm relief filled Logan's voice and his hand inched closer. "I'm glad to hear it," his lips stretched into a crooked grin. "I hope that asshole hasn't soured you on the idea of going out again." He cocked an eyebrow, gaze dancing between his eyes and lips. Janus leaned closer before he could stop himself.

Logan's smile grew. "Are you free this Friday night? I've heard excellent things about the Shakespeare revue on Fifth "

"Logan, I…" Janus stared at Logan’s hands, his pale, strong fingers and carefully manicured nails. Warm. They'd been so gentle in their care, so sure. Janus had struggled with his tea that strange, sunny morning, but Logan had simply steadied the cup in their shared grip until his hands had stopped shaking. 

They were nothing like Gabe's hands had been. Gabe’s hands had been lithe but rough, the hours spent in his family's workshop marking time with little nicks and scars and calluses in his skin. He’d been able to fix anything, and even at rest, his fingers had twitched and twirled, seeking out something to mend or sand, dancing through the air. And over Janus’ body.

If they were nothing alike, why did Logan's remind him so?

Why was he even thinking of Gabe, anyway? It had been years. Gabe was gone and whatever drug induced dream he'd had that night needed to go the way of all dreams and leave him be.

"I like to cultivate an air of mystery, but you seem like a really decent guy, so I'll let you in on the secret of me." Logan leaned closer, eyes fixed on his.

"I don't do 'love,'" he said as kindly as he could manage. "Love is for people who don't know any better."

His voice wavered at the end and Logan stared back, brow furrowed and his head tilted, a falcon surveying confusing prey. Or a prosecutor looking for a chink in his defense.

"We can be study partners, we can be friends. We can even have a go in the sack.” He gave a little shrug. “I’d be more than game for that, but… I'm nobody's lover. And I'm nobody's boyfriend."