#vampire!janus

He hadn’t encountered one himself, but as shitty and irresponsible as his sire had been, he had told him of hunters and the dangers they posed to beings such as themselves. Ruthless killers that went after the supernatural beings that wander amongst humankind without mercy.

According to his sire’s instructions, Janus should have slipped out of the building and got as far away from the town as soon as he possibly could, but he’d rather liked this place and his little cottage just outside the woods, a good fifteen-minute walk from town where he was mostly left undisturbed. He really didn’t want to give that up.

So instead, he’s been studying this guy for any hint on how he could deal with him that didn’t lead to his death. Despite his equipment, the man’s stature didn’t look all that intimidating. He had also taken a book out when he sat down and only exchanged few words with the waitress as he ordered.

A study and a loner, Janus surmised. Maybe even a newbie to the job?

If that was the case, he could perhaps simply charm the man out of it again. Even when he was still human, Janus had a reputation as a sweet talker that could get himself out of the trickiest situations with his silver tongue and now that he had a bit of magic behind it, it was even easier.

He waited a few more minutes, observing the man — no he didn’t need to hype himself up, thank you very much — before he elegantly slipped out of his seat and made his way over to the others table.

“Hello, handsome,” he greeted with the most charming smile he could manage. “Came here all alone tonight?”

The man looked up from his book – handwritten, Janus noted – and looked around before raising a brow at Janus.

“It would appear so. Can I help you?” His voice was smooth and kind of cold. Immediately Janus was less confident that this had been the right course of action but now he was here, and bailing would probably only make him more suspicious, so he continued.

“Kind of. I’m also here by myself and wondered if we could keep each other company?”

He leaned on the backrest of a chair, waiting for permission to sit down. The man studied him for a moment longer. Then he sighed and motioned to the chair.

“I will not stop you, however, I have been told I am not pleasant company.”

“Oh, I’m sure that can’t be true,” Janus hummed as he took a seat.

“It certainly can be. I do not waste my time with useless conversation.”

Janus feels his eyelid twitch. This man was as cold as a stone wall and just as approachable. He had greatly miscalculated.

Still, he’s too deep to give up.

“What are useful conversations then?”

“Efficient ones.”

Janus suppressed an annoyed sigh.

“Give me an example,” he said instead, leaning forward and resting his head on his hands as if he was waiting in anticipation for the answer. The man’s face didn’t show any change in demeanor.

“No, as this is not an efficient conversation, I will not continue engaging with you.”

Janus wanted to smash his head against the table. That had to be the most annoying person he had ever had to deal with.

“C’mon, L, give the guy a break, he’s trying so hard to get you not to kill him,” a voice suddenly spoke up from much closer by than Janus had been prepared for. He hadn’t noticed anyone approaching them and he had been paying attention! But now there was a man sitting in the chair next to the hunter, a black cloak wrapped around his shoulders, one arm casually slung over the backrest as he grinned at Janus, amusement clear in his eyes.

“I do not understand what you are talking about, Verge. Why would I kill him? He hasn’t done anything,” ‘L’ replied.

“How would he know you’ve got ethics? He’s still young, wasn’t properly cared for by his sire I bet and you’re most likely the first hunter he’s crossed paths with.”

Janus’ brain was still trying to understand where this man had come from — the door to the tavern had not opened since before he came over to this table, how had he missed him?? — that he almost missed that very crucial part of their conversation.

If he still had blood, it would be running cold by now.

“You are terrifying him more than me, I believe,” L hummed, his piercing blue eyes intently wandering over Janus’ now stiff body.

“Yeah, probably. Sorry ‘bout that, stranger. Let me introduce ourselves. I’m Virgil, but you can call me Verge, and that’s Logan or L for short. I’m a vampire like you and he’s a hunter like you surely surmised but we’re not here for you, so relax.”

Somehow, that little speech was not reassuring to Janus in the slightest.

“Why would a vampire be travelling with a hunter? I was told—”

“Bullshit, probably,” Virgil interrupted. “It’s almost propaganda at this point, though the title ‘hunter’ doesn’t really help, I suppose. L here just makes sure that ‘our kind’ doesn’t go around killing everything that moves or displeases us. You seem quite integrated with the people here considering your little throne in the corner over there. As long as the people here don’t have a problem with you, then neither do we.”

“That’s… hard to believe,” Janus huffed, chewing on his lower lip. “I know humans, I’ve been one for long enough, interacted with too many, they all fear what they can’t understand and what’s more powerful than them. Why would one risk leaving ‘our kind’—” he mimicked Virgil’s tone and hand motion— “alive if we could pose a threat to their fellow humans?”

“I care only for balance,” Logan himself spoke up again. “Humans, vampires, or whatever other species, I do not care for their fears or hopes. I simply ensure that all that is can continue to exist as it should. That is what I came into being for.”

“What— What does that mean?” Janus asked, confused. Virgil’s responding grin sent a cold shiver down his spine once again as Logan raised a brow.

   It had only been a few days, but it really seemed that Deceit had forgiven Virgil for being cruel to him those many decades ago. It was so easy to lie with him and do nothing, just as natural as it was to have him in her arms. They didn’t even have a horrible and painful conversation. That was possibly because Deceit acutely knew Virgil felt like a hunk of shit over it, and they both agreed to pull away if needed already. Not having to have said awful exchange was absolutely incredible. She reveled in being near him without all the emotional mess that scared her.

   The next song that came on was melancdragonly and miserable instead of the normal crooning to a smooth back-beat for this decade. The lyrics were relatable, though the intended emotion wasn’t there anymore. She considered arranging it into an upbeat violin piece for a moment, but last second she changed her mind. She hopped to her feet and placed her bare foot up on the coffee table leg, holding one hand on her chest and the other out towards Deceit. He raised an eyebrow at her and stared incredulously.

   “Take back that sad word goodbye. Bring back the joy to my life. Don’t leave me here with these tears. Come and kiss this pain away,” Virgil sang to him and leaned down and offered her hand to Deceit. His beloved closed up the book and rolled his eyes while she echoed the melody. “I can’t forget the day you left. Time is so unkind. And life is so cruel without you here beside me!” Deceit took her palm and she hauled him off the chair to dance with her. “Un-break my heart! Say you’ll love me again!” Virgil spun a very exasperated but amused Deceit around the living room while she crooned. “Undo this hurt that you caused-”

   “I love you! I love you! I never stopped caring for you, darling. Stop your infernal bellowing!” Deceit tried to cut Virgil off from annoying him with the vocals.

   “Un-cry these tears!” Virgil performed louder than necessary, and Deceit was extremely done with her nonsense. He pulled her in for a kiss, cutting off the tune she was singing along with the music player. Virgil grinned into his lips as he tugged her closer and dipped her down to make the action more dramatic, as he loved to do.

   “You’re insufferable,” Deceit sighed lovingly when he drew away as he slowly lifted Virgil out of the dip.

   “I try,” Virgil smirked, yanking at his tie to tug him in for another sweet kiss.

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   “Oh, my gosh, I have to sing in here,” Roman declared, spinning into the living room and started singing A Whole New World from Aladdin. It echoed off of the marble enchantingly. Virgil waited and in the doorway, holding it open for Patton and Logan who took the elevator. Patton smiled and waved at Virgil when they turned the corner and Virgil waved back.

   “A whole new world! A new fantastic point of view!” Roman loudly crooned as he danced around on the glinting tiles.

   “Oh, he sounds so good!” Patton cooed as they stepped in, making a bee-line to the table to put their takeout food down. Virgil offered his hand to Logan when he strode up and Logan took it. They walked into the hotel room together, and Logan looked around with interest.

   “This seems a bit much just to watch movies in, Virgil,” Logan said after slowly examining the room.

   “It’ll be more comfortable for me, there will be lots of beings here,” Virgil said and squeezed Logan’s hand. “I don’t suppose I can have a hug?” Virgil asked and Logan nodded. Virgil pulled Logan in and kissed the top of his hair gently. “You’re sure you’re okay being in the same room with all these vampires? I honestly don’t mind taking you back to the dorms,” Virgil reminded him. He was confused when Logan said he wanted to come. He’d be a lamb in a den full of super-powered wolves, but his curiosity was greater than his survival instinct, it seemed.

   “I’m confident you wouldn’t let anything happen to me. I find the entire event intellectually fascinating,” Logan said, sounding excited and nodding brightly. Virgil heard Patton giggling and looked over to see Roman was dancing around the living room with them, now singing Once Upon A Dream. “I admit the concept is odd that I will be the only fully human person in the room, though,” Logan didn’t let go of Virgil and turned to watch the two dance around the suite. Virgil kissed Logan’s temple affectionately and Logan nestled in, looking amused at Roman and Patton’s antics.

   “Let me go unlock the balcony and show them where to land. Feel free to claim a room, there’s plenty. Just put a ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door and people should get the message,” Virgil pointed to a small pile of signs on a side table under an ornate mirror.

   “I look forward to utilizing the hot tub,” Logan smiled and slid out of Virgil’s arms, squeezing his hand before heading off to explore the hotel suite. Virgil headed to the balcony, passing Roman holding Patton princess-style and spinning around the room while Patton squealed in delight. Roman’s voice echoing against the walls as he sang was captivating. He winked at Patton while he passed them and Patton giggled and stuck out their tongue playfully.

   Virgil unlocked the large glass doors and stepped out on to the wide stone balcony. There was a sunken fire pit and a seating area out here, along with a small garden of flowers near the windows and a long thin pool. Virgil snapped a quick photo of the balcony and flitted up to the top of the hotel, taking a picture of the overhead. He jumped back down on to their patio and marked up the photo, then sent the two off to everyone else. The first one to come from above was Remy with Thomas over one shoulder and Emile over the other. He landed silently and put down Thomas and Emile, and Emile handed him a cup of iced coffee.

   “Hecate, dude, you’re not worried about getting attacked or something with your arms full?” Virgil asked incredulously.

   “I don’t need to worry about that kind of stuff, babe,” Remy set down a smiling Emile, and a very ruffled looking Thomas, who tried to fix his hair in the window’s reflection as soon as he got down. He had one of those pocket flip combs that were popular in the 50s.

   “Nice to meet you, Virgil! I’m Emile!” He beamed, holding out his hand for Virgil to shake. Virgil hesitated before shaking his hand. He wasn’t used to doing it anymore. His old life was blessedly far away now. Emile’s smile was very reassuring, and he had a kind face. He also had bubble-gum pink hair, which Virgil did not expect. It suited him, though. He was dressed like a dad in slacks and a soft tan cardigan. This being Remy’s type was also something Virgil did not foresee.

   “Hey,” Virgil said nonchalantly. “It’s good to see you again, Rem. I’m surprised we haven’t had to beat the shit out of each other yet, considering how close I am to Thomas,” Virgil motioned with his head to Thomas who was walking back over. He looked very put together and not like he had been lugged over a shoulder for a few miles. He wore a white button-down over a graphic tee and black jeans, which he admittedly looked fantastic in.

   “I’m probably far enough from campus, we live in a condo downtown. We’re out of range of little Thomathy most of the time,” Remy shrugged, leaning back against the wall. “I’m still happy to for fun, though,” Remy winked. “We’ll have to tonight, anyway, with my other Blood here,” Remy mused and Emile moved to lean against Remy on the wall. “Do you only just have the one turned? That’s wild. I’ve got way more than Joan and Talyn, they’re just the only ones that stuck by,” Remy asked curiously, his eyebrow arched over his mirrored sunglasses.

   “I don’t keep track of them if we weren’t romantically involved. I could have more, I don’t remember,” Virgil shrugged and shook his head.

   “Are you feeding on your Brood yet?” Remy smirked. He dusted off his red leather jacket absentmindedly. Emile leaned affectionately into his arm and stole a sip of his coffee.

   “Ro got me drunk and tricked me into it,” Virgil grimaced a little as he joked. He was still a little bitter about it he agreed that perhaps he was being extra again.

   “Darling, that’s not what happened,” Deceit purred, pulling Virgil in from behind right after he landed.

   “He’s right, Deceit tricked me,” Virgil laughed more genuinely and angled his head to kiss Deceit. Deceit hummed happily as he flipped Virgil’s hair out of the way.

   “How’s business, Remington?” Deceit asked, wrapping himself around Virgil and rested his head on Virgil’s shoulder. His cane held in front of Virgil, resting under Deceit’s hand with his normal level of class and panache.

   “Very good, thanks. Made a shit-ton off your boy. You seriously wear a suit and bring a cane to movie nights?” Remy asked, motioning to Deceit incredulously.

   “I’m not a savage,” Deceit smirked and kissed Virgil’s neck, tapping his cane on the ground dramatically.

   “People think I’m batty,” Remy rolled his eyes and pulled his mouth to the side. “So, remember any fun memories now that you’ve gotten the good stuff?” He asked provocatively.

   “Hmm, just some forgotten vocabulary and how to fish for some reason. I can’t believe I ever fished,” Virgil shrugged dismissively. He was hoping for something more fun, too.

   “You were probably looking for an excuse to go out to sea and hangout with merpeople,” Deceit laughed playfully and kissed his neck again.

   “They know how to rock, what can I say? Their instruments don’t work above water,” Virgil said defensively, flicked at Deceit’s side. Deceit dodged it with an evil grin.

   “You might have been in a merperson band or something, I wouldn’t put it past you,” Deceit teased lightly. Virgil softened quickly as Deceit carded his fingers through Virgil’s hair affectionately.

   “Oh, Hecate, girl, that must of fucking hurt to grow,” Remy said, possibly just noticing Virgil’s hairstyle.

   “My clan likes to heckle me and bully me into things,” Virgil huffed, crossing his arms and slightly motioning his head to Deceit.

   “You look so good with long hair. I think you should grow it longer,” Deceit cooed and leaned in to press a kiss behind Virgil’s ear.

   “It’s the least practical thing on the planet to have knee-length hair, D,” Virgil groaned in objection, shaking his head.

   “I’ll get him to do it by the end of the night, just watch me,” Deceit smiled impishly and nibbled affectionately at Virgil’s neck. “Oh! Thomas! My Child!” Deceit released Virgil swiftly and picked up Thomas to spin him around in the air, holding him up with both hands.

   “Did you adopt my omega without telling me?” Remy sipped his drink with a raised eyebrow, looking very amused at the baffled expression Thomas made.

   “He’s just so young,” Virgil smiled affectionately. “We want to buy him things and spoil him,” Virgil rubbed his hands together mischievously.

   “He is baby,” Remy smirked at Thomas knowingly and he turned a little pink.

   “I’m not baby!” Thomas groaned, jumping out of Deceit’s arms and landing a few feet away from him on the patio.

   “You have so many dads now, Thomas!” Emile clapped in delight. Deceit smiled wickedly and leaned against the wall.

   “Emile, gross, don’t call Remy my dad,” Thomas rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, sticking out his tongue in distaste.

   “Oh, daddy is okay, though?” Remy grinned darkly and winked at Thomas, who blushed wildly and shot straight in an instant.

   “I’m saying hi to Roman now, bye!” Thomas ran inside in embarrassment, causing Virgil and Deceit to cackle.

   “He’s so fucking cute,” Remy chuckled and shook his head affectionately. “Babe, you should order room service. Joan will be thirsty and Logan will make Thomas thirsty eventually,” Remy pat Emile on the butt. Remy cracked his knuckles. “We might also have a visitor,” He added cryptically.

   “What? I don’t smell anybody,” Virgil said, looking around frantically for any sign of another vampire.

   “Might, babe,” Remy smirked. “We’d win, it’s whatever. I just really want to crack somebody’s face in,” Remy motioned a punch with his free hand and flashed his fangs.

   “I keep wanting to throw people off roofs, so I’d love to do that if you’ll share,” Virgil said sinisterly, silently cracking his knuckles in his fist.

   “Don’t worry babe, I get it,” Remy nodded sagely and sipped his drink.

   “What vampire would be dumb enough to go where there are obviously two clans congregated,” Deceit hissed, walking back behind Virgil and resting his head on Virgil’s shoulder. “The smell here is ridiculous,” Deceit said, and the repulsion in his voice was clear. It really was bad. Virgil was ready to snap somebody’s neck, the scent was so powerful.

   “Maybe they want to fight and assume we’re fighting and not just watching humans get murdered for sport,” Virgil reached up to stroke Deceit’s face. “Speaking of, are Joan and Talyn almost here?” Virgil asked inquisitively.

   “Yeah, they’re closing in,” Remy took a long sip of his drink and set it down on the patio.

   “Do you feel like working a little of this out now before everybody’s here?” Virgil smiled viciously and flashed his fangs at Remy.

   “Babe, you know it,” Remy chuckled darkly and came at Virgil without hesitation. Deceit cleared away in a shot and Remy picked up and threw Virgil into the air, trying to go in for a kick, but Virgil grabbed him in the leg and tossed him back down to the ground, landing a hit with his knee on Remy’s chest.

   “Woah, woah, what the fuck guys?” Roman ran out yelling.

   “They’re just playing love,” Deceit purred, pulling Roman into his arms and backing against the wall while Remy flipped Virgil and socked him right in the jaw. Virgil snarled and kneed him in the stomach, and Remy sent him flying again.

   “That doesn’t look like fucking playing!” Roman shot while Remy landed a kick in Virgil’s back with a malicious laugh.

   “I’m-” Virgil got hit in the chest and lost his breath, but punched Remy hard enough to send him sailing back in return. “Fine, Ro, we’re just-” Remy came back and flipped Virgil onto the patio, knocking the wind out of him. Virgil had to catch himself before breaking the stones and used the momentum to launch Remy off the roof. Remy hissed and flung himself back at Virgil, and they both went tumbling and wrestling for dominance again. Emile cheered excitedly with his arms in the air.

   “The playfight is making it easier to sit in the same room together, dear,” Deceit kissed Roman’s cheek. Deceit paused, looking confused, and then grimacing. “… Roman, you didn’t tell Patton we are seeing each other, yet? They’re freaking out for two reasons now. Logan has the good sense to keep them indoors, at least,” Deceit sighed.

   “Uh, whoops,” Roman muttered, rubbing his head sheepishly.

   “Hey, Remy,” a person an orange knitted cap landed on the balcony while Remy waved and connected another punch to Virgil’s face. They were dressed casually in jeans and a black shirt with a big chunky watch. Virgil hissed and flipped Remy over, slamming his knee into Remy’s solar plexus.

   “Are they giving you trouble or is that Virgil?” A smaller person with bright lavender hair landed next to the one with the orange beanie. They wore a crop top, asymmetric shorts, and high boots and looked very fashionable compared to the other.

   “That’s Virgil,” Deceit provided, looking like he was keeping Roman safely in place. Roman was scowling and sometimes pushing at Deceit to move his arms, but Deceit held him firmly, which Virgil was grateful for. Remy was enough of a handful as it is. The fight was evenly matched so far. They were both holding back but keeping like that when his throat was right there was difficult and he didn’t want the distraction of one of his Brood in danger.

   “Woah, Deceit? What the fuck are you doing here?” The person in the orange beanie asked, looking surprised and leaning back.

   “I’m Virgil’s Blood. Don’t go advertising that,” Deceit said disdainfully. “Darling, you’ll need to stop soon and show Patton and Logan you’re okay or they might actually have a panic attack,” Deceit informed him plainly and motioned with his hand to the interior of the hotel.

   “Shit,” Virgil hissed, punching Remy in the back of the head. Remy spun around and his eyes flashed brighter red for a millisecond.

   “Boo!” Remy whined, grabbing Virgil’s shoulders and yanking him down over his kneecap. Virgil let that be the last hit and fell to the patio after Remy dropped him unceremoniously. He got up off the ground and dusted himself off. Remy laughed and patted himself off as well, going back over to pick up his drink. Patton came running out on to the veranda and immediately stared fussing over Virgil.

   “Are you okay? Oh my god! Why did- Ugh! You’re a meanie!” Patton shot angrily at Remy and glared at him before grabbing Virgil and surveying for damage. Picking a fight with a rival alpha vampire was not the best idea, but Virgil appreciated their spunk.

   “I guess I should have been more clear on the way here,” Virgil rubbed his head and pulled Patton in for a hug. Patton hugged Virgil tightly, pressing their face hard into his chest.

   “Virgil, why in the world were you fighting like that? You terrified me!” Logan bellowed, pointing to Remy. Remy just rolled his eyes as he sipped his drink and Virgil cringed. Oh, he fucked up spectacularly.

   “You didn’t warn them?” Emile asked incredulously, furrowing his eyebrows at Virgil. “Virgil, apologize to your friends right now,” Emile said angrily, motioning to Logan and Patton.

   “Sorry! I’m sorry!” Virgil held up his hands, but Patton stayed clinging on. “I didn’t know my heads up wasn’t enough, I’m not used to talking to humans about this stuff. I didn’t mean to scare you. Remy and I are fine. Claws and fangs were not involved,” Virgil reassured them.

   “I would have loved to sink my teeth into you,” Remy huffed, sounding disappointed and glowering at Virgil.

   “Me too,” Another hiss broke out from Virgil which caused Patton to flinch slightly but not let go.

   “Boys, I know the instincts are loud, but please focus,” Emile said firmly and Virgil fought back a snarl towards Remy. Remy looked like he was doing the same. They probably didn’t fight enough.

   “Listen, Remy’s an alpha. We’re sort of wired for killing each other. It’s what the whole territorial thing is about. We were blowing off some steam. I promise we’re both fine. We didn’t want this evening to devolve into a deathmatch. I’m sincerely sorry I wasn’t more clear on what vampire instincts meant. I should have warned you more clearly we were going to fight to try to trick our wiring. I won’t do it again,” Virgil explained quickly, trying to apologize.

   “Good job, Virgil. Patton, Logan? Do you have anything to say to Virgil?” Emile directed them.

   “Don’t scare me like that again!” Patton sniffled and Virgil pulled them up into his arms.

   “I’m so sorry, Pat,” Virgil apologized sincerely.

   “I accept your apology, Virgil. Thank you for understanding. I would appreciate further information for the future so we can avoid these misunderstandings,” Logan said, sounding stiff. Virgil grimaced slightly. He must have broken Logan’s trust for him to talk like that again. That hurt, but Logan was willing to forgive him. It was entirely Virgil’s fault, and he couldn’t blame Logan for being upset.

   “I know. Sorry, Logan. I forget what is and isn’t common knowledge sometimes. Maybe you could prepare some questions for me?” Virgil offered sheepishly.

   “I think that would be acceptable,” Logan nodded, crossing his arms. He at least didn’t look that angry, just upset.

   “He is battier than me,” Remy rolled his eyes and gestured dramatically.

   “Remington, you feed on me all the time. Virgil has been trying to respect his friend’s boundaries. It’s considerate of him,” Emile chided Remy firmly.

   “No, no, I’m batty, I know I am,” Virgil laughed slightly, still too upset with himself to genuinely laugh.

   “And Roman! When did you start dating D?” Patton said, pushing Virgil’s chest. Oof. Pat’s on the warpath. Virgil slid Patton down and Patton marched over to Roman sourly.

   “Are they always like this?” The one in the orange beanie whispered to Thomas.

   “I have no idea, but I’d kill for some popcorn,” Thomas whispered back behind his hand.

   “I, uh, the night we got the dancing video we were going to watch. I’m sorry, I was drunk and kind of forgot about telling you,” Deceit smirked and kissed Roman’s temple, releasing him.

   “You were drunk?” Patton yelled, perhaps even more upset now, and stomped right into Roman’s face. Roman held up his hands and backed up. Virgil was impressed at the amount of tiny fury Patton contained and was sincerely glad it wasn’t aimed at himself anymore. He still felt bad for Roman, who looked completely blindsided by the whole event.

   “Holy shit, this is better than a soap opera,” The orange beanie-wearing vampire whispered.

   “I know,” The one with the lavender hair whispered back, looking incredibly bemused.

   “I didn’t get cast as Semptimus or Bernard because of some stupid rule about freshman not playing leads and wanted to have fun instead of moping all evening,” Roman explained himself defensively, holding up his hands. Logan also looked upset at Roman, which was surprising.

   “Roman, you are eighteen, that’s illegal!” Patton shot, pointing a finger at him assertively.

   “I’m pretty certain most of the people out here are illegal, that doesn’t make their existence wrong,” Roman said warily. Oh, wow, he could almost hear a sports commentator shout ‘powerful misdirection by the defense’!

   “Huh,” Logan looked considerate for a moment. “I suppose you’re right,” Logan moved up one of his crossed arms to his chin with interest.

   “Logan, don’t you agree with him!” Patton said angrily, shooting Logan a glower.

   “Patton, the laws are created for those in power, not necessarily with the best interests of every being in mind. There are plenty of unjust rules. As long as Roman doesn’t make a habit out of it, I don’t think it’s significantly more objectionable than Virgil’s very presence in human society, which you are fine with,” Logan explained evenly. Oh, the misdirection landed! Fantastic play by the defense! Deceit arched his eyebrow curiously at Virgil who just shrugged. He had very little control of what was going on up there and had little explanation for it. Roman made him watch the Olympics recently, so that may have contributed, but he had long since accepted that he was batty.

   “Thanks? I think?” Virgil responded, but he was not entirely sure what was happening.

   “Damn, this kid should do law,” The one with lavender hair whispered in awe. Patton made a frustrated noise and Deceit pulled them close and spoke quietly right into their ear.

   “Young man,” There was a chorus of sputtered laughter at that angry declaration from Patton. “Don’t think I forgive you for being an accessory to Roman’s crimes,” Patton huffed, sounding less distressed.

   “His crimes? Darling, please, he had some whiskey. It’s a forgivable offense. You’re upset because you don’t want him to hurt himself,” Deceit corrected Patton and took their hand. That assuredly wasn’t the complete story, but Patton must want to keep it private.

   “I-” Patton cut themselves off quickly. “I am,” Patton muttered, drooping slightly.

   “It’s reasonable to be scared for your friend’s health, Patton. It’s okay that you’re angry at him for taking unnecessary risks. But Roman was with people who love him and surely made sure that he was safe, right?” Emile asked gently.

   “Of course, we made him drink a ton of water and he had two dinners. Roman was barely even hungover the next day,” Virgil attempted to placate Patton. Roman really did have so many pancakes he hated himself and a serious amount of water.

   “I wasn’t!” Roman piped up and corroborated Virgil’s story, sounding hopeful.

   “It was a misunderstanding, but I think it would be healthy to apologize to each other, anyway,” Emile smiled reassuringly and nodded to Roman.

   “I’m sorry I made you worry, Pat,” Roman apologized dejectedly. He sounded very sincere and looked down to the patio.

   “And I’m sorry I yelled,” Patton muttered back, walking over to hug Roman. Roman wrapped his arms around Patton and pet their hair. They both seemed much better already, and that impressed Virgil. Roman was the type to fume, and Patton rarely let things go easily.

   “Great! Let’s go watch movies, yeah?” Emile chirped brightly, motioning with both arms to head inside. Okay, wow, having him around was actually pretty awesome.

   “Thanks, Emile,” Virgil sighed in relief.

   “Anytime, Virgil! Especially during my office hours!” Emile chimed with a knowing smile aimed directly at Virgil.

   “Ugh!” Virgil groaned loudly in objection. Hopefully, he’d drop it.

   “Uh, well, that was a fucking event! I’m Joan,” The one in the orange beanie provided.

   “I’m Talyn,” The lavender haired one added.

   “I like your hair, Talyn,” Patton said shyly.

   “Thanks, I think you’re rocking that pastel rainbow, too,” Talyn offered. Patton blushed slightly. “We both use they/them,” Talyn motioned between themself and Joan.

   “I do too,” Patton smiled.

   “Roman, he/him. Glasses over there is also he/him,” Roman said, holding open the door for everybody to go inside.

   “My name is Logan,” he narrowed his eyes at Roman but seemed to let it go. “Virgil, are you feeling anything different today?” He asked mildly.

   “I’m don’t have any feelings about it at the moment,” Virgil shrugged. “Whatever you want to call me,” Virgil walked in and settled on the floor in front of the couch. Patton crawled up behind him and started playing with his hair again. Deceit quickly claimed Virgil’s lap with a smug smile.

   Roman examined a pile of movies left on the coffee table and Logan went to the dinner table and pulled out his food to eat, though he angled himself to watch the TV. Roman flipped through the movie cases with a disgusted look while Remy flopped on the couch, leaning against the arm and pulled Emile into his lap. Thomas sat next to Patton and Joan and Talyn claimed the recliners next to the couch.

   “Pat, don’t you want to eat your pizza while it’s hot?” Virgil asked. He wasn’t bothered by Patton playing with his hair, but didn’t want Patton to forget about their food.

   “Just let me do one hairstyle first,” Patton said, very focused and tugging at Virgil’s hair. Patton was excited about the pizza, so Virgil was vaguely flattered that they’d rather play with his hair.

   “Did you want to watch one of these movies first or would you like a few minutes of Virgil and Deceit fancy-dancing? Patton and Logan have been wanting to see it. I only just finished editing it today,” Roman asked the room, holding up the movie cases and a USB drive.

   “Show us the fun dance that Virgil’s so embarrassed about,” Remy smirked. Virgil shot Remy a glower, but he just looked amused. Emile looked very interested as well, rubbing his hands together.

   “Yeah, that’s chill. Then I want to see the one with the ghosts,” Joan piped up and shared his opinion.

   “Nice,” Roman nodded and slid the flash drive into the side of the large TV. “You think I can see the TV from the hot tub?” He asked curiously as he came around for the remote.

   “Babe,” Remy said stoically, looking intense. “Yes. Let’s fucking hot tub,” Remy said keenly, picking up Emile. He put Emile down on the couch and headed over to the hot tub. Emile chuckled and scooted closer to Virgil.

   “I will wait until an hour after eating,” Logan said, enjoying a slice of pizza.

   “Will you be able to hear through the jets?” Patton asked as Roman trotted off to his bag.

   “It’s fine if I can’t. I’ve heard the music before, I’ve watched it a million times editing it,” Roman said, pushing the big button near the hot tub and turning on the bubbles. Roman waved his swim trunks and disappeared into one of the doors in the suite. Remy just stripped down on the spot and climbed in, looking very satisfied as he sank into hot water.

   “Did you want to play with some, too, Emile?” Patton’s bubbly voice came from behind Virgil, and it felt like they were offering a handful of hair to Emile.

   “It sure does look fun. Would that be okay with you, Virgil?” Emile asked considerately, sounding fascinated.

   “Sure, whatever,” Virgil shrugged. He felt Emile’s hand take a section of hair and it felt like he started working with Patton on a style. Patton would poke Virgil’s head sometimes and hair would tug near the last poke. He wasn’t positive of exactly what they were up to, but Patton seemed to be entertained, so he was happy with it.

   “It would be more fun if you had more of it,” Deceit enticed him in a sing-song tone after pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

   “Are we tempting Virgil out there? I want to join you!” Roman shot out of the bathroom and slid across the floor to lean against Virgil, looking extremely mischievous in his swim trunks. The smoothness of that move was for a human would have impressed Virgil if he wasn’t so annoyed. He narrowed his eyes at both of them.

   “Virgil would look fetching with more hair, wouldn’t he?” Deceit said sweetly, stroking Virgil’s face.

   “Oh, he would be dazzling,” Roman said affectionately and smiled flirtatiously at Virgil, fluttering his eyelashes playfully.

   “You have the weirdest clan, dude,” Joan said, leaning back on the recliner, looking up from their phone. Virgil sighed and shrugged. “Put the fancy dancing on already,” They motioned to the TV.

   “Virgil, can you turn it rainbow without feeding? The braids would look so cool,” Patton asked eagerly while Roman got up to grab the remote for navigating to the video.

   “Yeah, hold on,” Virgil said, leaning forward to get up, but Deceit pinned him on the spot.

   “Make it longer while you’re at it,” Deceit smirked, planting a small kiss on Virgil’s jaw.

   “For the love of- Fine, okay? I’ll lengthen my hair. Ro?” Virgil gave up and looked over to Roman. He was participating in this ridiculousness and may as well help out.

   “As if that wasn’t my plan all along,” Roman grinned impishly. Virgil got up, a very smug and satisfied looking Deceit clearing away so he could. Virgil went over to the mirror and turn his hair rainbow colors and grow it out with an exasperated sigh. The rainbows looked completely preposterous, and the length wasn’t rational in the least, but if it made them happy then he could get over it.

   “You weren’t kidding about your clan heckling you, huh?” Thomas sounded bemused.

   “Thank you, Logan, for not participating in Roman and Deceit’s evil nonsense. Roman, please order some room service with vegetables, no matter the amount of pizza you ate you’ll need nutrients,” Virgil exhaled with exhaustion as he pulled the last of the hair out he could manage.

   “You’re welcome,” Logan smiled knowingly and tapped off his mouth with a napkin. “Can I take your spot, Deceit?” He asked genially.

   “I suppose,” Deceit hummed, sitting up on the couch next to Patton instead. Virgil reclined back down on the floor in front of Patton and Emile. He tiredly motioned for Roman to press play. Logan relaxed into Virgil’s lap, much to Virgil’s surprise, as the video stared up. He was fiddling with his bracelet with one hand but latched on to Virgil with the other. It was nice that Logan was feeling huggy today. Virgil happily pulled him close and enjoyed Logan’s warmth.

   Honestly, they did look good dancing, and Roman did an amazing job recording them. His dress was beautiful to see from another angle, too. It didn’t make it any less embarrassing, though. Virgil opted to close his eyes and just focus on the sensation of Patton’s fingers resting on his head while they watching the video. They were too enthralled to keep braiding and kept squealing with delight as Deceit threw Virgil around the room. Even Thomas gasped at one point. Deceit felt so proud Virgil could feel it over his shield.

   “I’m not sure if I should be impressed with your athleticism since you are literally another species, but I do compliment you on your skill,” Logan said, sounding somewhat mesmerized with the video.

   “That was awesome,” Thomas said reverently. “Worth the wait!” Thomas cheered as the recording ended and Deceit requested Patton to thank him later.

   “Thank you!” Patton rejoiced, raising their arms in the air.

   “It was gay as fuck. I just want to take you dancing even more now,” Remy nodded, sounding hyped. Patton bristled much less than usual behind Virgil and hopefully was finally getting used to cussing.

   “There was great on-the-fly choreography,” Talyn mused, and Virgil was surprised at the genuine compliment from a stranger.

   “Uh, thanks,” Virgil mumbled. He wasn’t entirely sure how to process that.

   “Why thank you,” Deceit bowed slightly on the couch.

   “That was so cool! Can I have a copy of the file?” Patton asked enthusiastically, putting their hands back in Virgil’s hair.

   “Indeed! you can borrow that flash drive,” Roman replied airily from the hot tub.

   “Thanks again for editing, Roman. Please keep it offline, Pat,” Virgil said firmly, turning his head slightly to shoot Patton a glance.

   “Virge, you just got to change inputs to the blu-ray and press play,” Roman explained quickly. “I already put in the thing with the ghosts on the player, it’s all ready,” He melted down a bit into the hot tub, looking very satisfied with himself.

   “Woo!” Talyn cheered, holding up both their arms.

   “Fucking nice,” Joan pumped their fist. “The dance was cool, too. All the flips rocked,” They nodded sagely and grinned.

   “I want to learn how to do a ballroom dance now,” Thomas said dreamily.

   “I have to teach stupid Anton, anyway. Maybe Virgil and I will just offer to teach whoever wants to learn,” Roman considered sourly. “Better than teaching Anton alone… Remy, are you naked?” Roman asked incredulously, looking over and shooting his eyes up quickly.

   “You’re welcome,” Remy smirked. “Emmy, babe, are you joining me?” Remy flipped his hand towards Emile.

   “I’ve never played with hair this long!” Emile said defensively. “And I didn’t bring my suit, and I don’t know half the people here well enough for that,” He added slightly more sheepishly. It felt like he kept going while talking. Emile must have been really into it. Logan leaned to the side to look at what the braiders were doing behind him. He seemed satisfied and nestled back in again, still fidgeting with his bracelet.

   “I can’t resist, either,” Patton chuckled. Virgil’s head was being braided or plaited or possibly weaved into something by Patton and Emile together, Virgil couldn’t tell. But he was kind of too tired to care. He was very comfortable with Logan and everyone in his clan was feeling some variation of good, so even though he was exhausted he was extremely contented. He sighed happily as Logan leaned his head against Virgil’s to watch the movie.

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