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Chapter Text

“I said it first,” Virgil said, a smile stubbornly breaking across their face. Their arms were crossed across their chest, and they were trying (and failing miserably) to keep a straight face.

“Falsehood,” Logan said back from where xe was laying on the couch, a hand fidgeting in the pocket of xir college hoodie. “I began saying the words before you did, therefore I said it first.”

Virgil gave up on keeping the smile from their face. “I finished first though! No one can deny that!” They let out a little giggle.

Logan shrugged a shoulder, looking up at Virgil over xir glasses. “No, and I am not attempting to. But I started first, therefore… I said it first.”

Virgil gave up the ruse of standing, collapsing on the couch. Logan quickly moved xir legs before they could land on xir feet.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Virgil sighed, before leaning over to give Logan a kiss on the cheek. “I love you.”

Logan gave them a small smile, xir fingers stilling in xir hoodie pocket. Xe didn’t say anything back, an odd smile on xir face.

“Logan? You okay?” Virgil asked after a few seconds.

“I just realized we first said I love you three years ago today,” xe said, that small smile still on xir face. “And I just made a decision about something fairly important.”

Virgil furrowed their eyebrows. “What-” they began asking, but Logan slipped a bookmark in xir book and put it on the side table, slipping off of the couch onto one knee.

“Virgil Sanders,” xe said, pulling a small box out of xir hoodie pocket, “I’ve known I’ve loved you for three years, four months, and seventeen days. I shared the sentiment three years ago today. Would you do me the honor of continuing to show you and tell you this fact for the rest of our lives?”

Virgil’s breath caught in their throat as xe opened the box to show a sparkling ring. They felt tears forming in their eyes, making their vision blur slightly.

“Oh my god,” they said, one hand covering their mouth. “I- yes.” They wiped the tears away from their eyes, gently taking the ring from the box and sliding it onto their finger.

They looked up after a moment of admiring the ring to see Logan smiling mischievously.

“I asked first,” xe said in response to Virgil’s silent question. “I win.”

Virgil’s jaw dropped open with an incredulous gasp. “Logan-!”

They playfully lunged for where their fiancé (fiancé!!) was just standing up, making both of them tumble to the floor.

“I’ll let you have first I love you if I can have this.”

Virgil groaned, rolling their eyes, but still leaned in for a kiss.

Chapter Text

Virgil put their head in their hands, breathing deeply in an attempt to center themself, barely registering the beat of some random pop song in their earbuds.

“Are you okay?”

They looked up to see a person standing in front of them, a worried look on their face. They took out one of the earbuds.

“Yeah,” Virgil said, giving the other person a small smile. “It’s been a bit of a long day.”

The other person looked at them carefully, before shrugging and sitting on the bench next to them, swinging their backpack down onto the ground. They crossed their legs. “Okay.”

Virgil looked at them out of the corner of their eye, watching their still form.

“My name’s Virgil,” they introduced after a few minutes of awkward silence. “They/them pronouns.”

The other person gave Virgil a smile. “Logan, xe/xir pronouns.”

“Um- I like your skirt,” Virgil said, trying to break the awkwardness that would inevitably settle over the two of them. Logan’s skirt was ankle-length, a dark navy blue, and glittered in the sun when xe moved. The gems and sparkles didn’t appear to have a pattern, but it was calming to look at nonetheless.

“Thank you,” Logan replied, looking down at xir skirt and running xir hands over the material. “Are you familiar with astronomy?”

Virgil shook their head, tearing their gaze away from the skirt to look Logan in the eyes. “Not really.”

Logan nodded once. “Ah. I asked because it is a sky map of the northern hemisphere. I was unsure as to whether the admiration was from the recognition of constellations or simply an appreciation of eye-catching clothes.”

“I want to know more about astronomy, though,” Virgil blurted out before their brain-to-mouth filter could engage.

“Really?” Logan’s gaze was inquisitive as xe looked at Virgil.

“Um- yeah,” Virgil said, feeling their face heat up. “I’ve never really had the time, though.”

Logan gave them a nod. “I understand. It can be a time-consuming interest.”

Virgil nodded, looking up as the bus pulled up to where the two of them were waiting. They got their things together, halfway watching as Logan did the same.

“I win,” Logan said, shooting Virgil a playful smile as xe got to the door of the bus first. Virgil smiled back, only halfway paying attention as they saw the full glitter of Logan’s skirt in the late afternoon light.

‘Cause you’re a sky, ‘cause you’re a sky full of stars
I’m gonna give you my heart

They blushed at the song coming through their earbuds, but took a deep breath.

“Can I have your number?” they asked Logan. Xe looked up at them, a wide smile breaking across xir face.

“Of course,” xe said, pulling out xir phone. Virgil slipped into the seat next to xem, feeling cautiously hopeful for what might come of this.

Chapter Text

Virgil was sitting on the top of a building, their legs dangling towards the ground. They were five floors up, but they weren’t scared.

“Hello.”

They looked behind them at the voice to see Logan standing there, dressed in a stiff, professional outfit. They held out a hand to xem. “Sit with me?” they asked. Logan didn’t react to Virgil’s invitation, staring sightlessly ahead.

Suddenly, Virgil realized that the building was growing taller. They were rising further and further from the ground; they looked down to see the sidewalk and grass below them grow smaller and smaller as they kept going upupup. They felt their stomach fall as gravity induced its endless pull on them.

They turned behind them to see the thing that Logan had been, now a swirling mass of inky black mist and long white spikes. It was absorbing everything around it, was moving closer to Virgil every second.

“No,” Virgil screamed as they realized what was going on. “Logan, no-”

They lost their balance on the building, pitching forward. They spun through the air, over and over and they could hear themself screaming and they were falling faster and faster and they could see the ground coming closer and closer and they would-

***

Virgil jerked awake with a gasp just before they hit the ground. Where were they, what was happening, this wasn’t right why was it so warm why couldn’t they just get up-

Wait.

They froze, sucking in a breath as they remembered the night before.

Being invited to Logan’s apartment to warm up after the ice rink. Watching one movie, then two, then four. Realizing it was too late to walk back home. Logan’s nervous invitation to stay the night. The insistence for Virgil to take the bed that they turned back on Logan, offering to share.

“Virgil?”

Virgil turned over to face Logan. Xir hair was sleep-mussed, xir eyes heavy with sleep, but xe looked worried despite Virgil waking xem up in the middle of the night.

“Why’re you ‘wake?” xe murmured.

Virgil gave xem a smile that probably wasn’t anywhere near as comforting as they wanted it to be. “Just a nightmare.”

Logan’s eyebrows furrowed in worry. “I’m sorry.”

Virgil gave a little shrug. “It happens. I don’t have a lot of good dreams, I’m used to it.”

Logan didn’t look appeased at that answer. “That’s not fun,” xe announced. Xe shifted after a moment, holding out xir arm in a sleepy invitation.

“C’mere,” xe said softly when Virgil didn’t move.

Virgil slowly shifted in to place their head on xir chest, wrapping an arm around Logan’s waist. Xe tilted xir head down to press xir lips to the top of Virgil’s head.

“I win,” xe murmured. Virgil looked up at xem, not understanding what they were saying or why, but Logan had fallen back asleep.

“Sure,” Virgil murmured with a small smile, then laid their head back down on Logan’s chest, hearing the solid thump-thump of xir heart. They let out a breath, and drifted back to sleep.

***

Virgil was laying on a picnic blanket on the ground, the sky clear except for a few tiny, fluffy clouds floating through the deep blue.

They looked over to one side as they felt another person with them. They smiled as they saw Logan sitting there, realizing xe was clasping their hand.

They brought their tangled fingers to their mouth, pressing a kiss to them. Logan smiled at them in response.

They looked back up at the sky, seeing butterflies flit across their field of vision. They closed their eyes and smiled.

Chapter Text

Logan sighed as xe readjusted in xir chair, tilting xir head back and forth to stretch xir neck before returning to xir textbooks. Xe clicked xir pen open and closed a few times, mouthing the words of the textbook to xirself as xe read through it and noting down the occasional definition or important concept.

Xe were startled out of xir thoughts by a quiet knock on xir door. “Logan?” xe heard. Xe couldn’t help a smile breaking across xir face.

“Virgil,” xe said as xe opened the door to see xir friend standing on the other side, shifting slightly from foot to foot.

“Hi,” Virgil said, a smile appearing on their face as they stepped forward to give Logan a hug. “I know we didn’t plan anything, but- I was wondering if I could just. Hang out for a bit? Here?”

Logan quickly looked over xir shoulder, evaluating the state of xir room. “Yes,” xe said, gesturing Virgil in. “I’m studying for a bit longer, but if you don’t mind my silence, that’s fine.”

Virgil gave xem an evaluating look. “How long have you been studying?”

Logan shrugged. “A few hours,” xe said as Virgil took a seat on the floor under xir bed. “Not too long, I promise.”

Virgil raised their eyebrows. “I hope you’ll take a break soon, though?”

Logan sat back down in xir chair. “This doesn’t count?”

Virgil leveled xem with a stern look.

“Okay,” Logan said. “I know, I know.”

Virgil smirked to themself, but took out their computer, powering it on and hunching over it to work. The two of them worked in silence, only occasionally broken by one of them swearing quietly at their computers or muttering a fact aloud.

“Okay,” Virgil said eventually. “I’m done here.”

Logan looked over at them from xir work, realizing xe hadn’t moved for far too long as xe felt xir neck protest to the movement. “Do you need to go?”

Virgil smiled at xem. “I was actually hoping we could go get some dinner together now?”

Logan checked the time, surprised to find that it was late enough that the dining hall was open for the final meal of the day. “Oh.”

“You need to take a break,” Virgil reminded xem. Xe only sighed in response. “And you should go outside and get fresh air,” they added when Logan still didn’t verbally agree. “And I heard there’s Crofters cookies for dessert today.” Logan’s head snapped up at the last addition, and they let out a laugh.

“I win,” they teased as Logan put away xir work and grabbed xir meal card.

“You’re welcome to keep telling yourself that,” xe said, but xe wasn’t actually upset. As the two of them walked to the dining hall, xe breathed in the fresh air and enjoyed the sound of Virgil explaining their most recent project.

Maybe Virgil said they’d won, but Logan thought the two of them were in a tie for first place this time.

Chapter Text

Logan muttered the alphabet to xirself as xe skimmed over the notecards spread out on the floor on front of xem, searching for the next card in the alphabet. Xe’d dropped the cards accidentally on xir way back from work, scattering them and mixing them out of their alphabetical order, and so was now trying to put them back in their appropriate places in the three-inch stack.

“Over there,” Virgil said, pointing to a card across the floor from where they were perched on a chair scrolling through their phone. “Uh- ‘bitchin’ goes next, I think.”

Logan’s eyes narrowed behind xir glasses as xe sought out the card xir partner was pointing to. “Yes, thank you,” xe said as xe made an attempt to grab the card without disturbing the layout of any of the other cards. Virgil stifled a laugh as xe failed, xir hand slipping out from under them as the notecards slid on the smooth wood floors.

“Damn it,” Logan swore as ‘bitchin’ proved to still be out of reach. Virgil gave up on stifling their laughter, letting the loud giggles out.

“Shut up,” Logan sighed, but Virgil saw the smile on xir face when xe looked back at them.

“Sorry,” Virgil said. At a raised eyebrow from Logan that they interpreted as you don’t sound very sorry, they continued. “I was watching a fail compilation and this skateboarder wiped out at the same time as your hand slipped. It was funny.”

Logan let out a hum. “Ah.” Xe rolled over, xir body covering the notecards on the floor as xe stared at the ceiling. “You know, you could help me with this,” xe said.

Virgil tilted their head, a mischievous smile appearing. “But it’s so fun to watch you struggle…” they said, breaking into a grin at Logan’s scowl. “Okay,” they said, putting their phone to the side and standing up. They carefully stepped through the index cards, their arms pinwheeling in an attempt to balance. They bent down to pick up the card, looking to where Logan was still laying on the floor.

“Here,” they said, dropping the card on Logan’s stomach and ignoring the hand xe had put up in the air in a silent request for assistance. Logan gave them such a look of betrayal that they couldn’t help but laugh, holding out a hand and hauling xem up when they gripped it. They surprised xem by leaning in and giving xem a kiss, grinning as Logan went wordless with surprise.

“Love you,” Virgil sang as they stepped back to their chair and picked up their phone, slinging one of their legs over the arm of the chair.

A soft smile spread across Logan’s face. “Love you too,” xe said back.

Virgil basked in the warmth that sparked in their chest at the words they still weren’t quite used to hearing coming from Logan’s mouth. They’d only first said it to each other three weeks ago, at this point.

At the thought of when they first said I love you to each other, another smile appeared on their face.

“Hey, Logan?”

Logan looked up, attentive to whatever Virgil was going to say next. They almost regretted what they were about to do.

“I won this time.”

Logan rolled xir eyes, exasperated. “You don’t need to say that every time we exchange the sentiment.”

Virgil shrugged. “I’m keeping track. Whoever says more said it first.”

Logan furrowed xir eyebrows. “I am certain that is not how that works.”

Virgil laughed, holding out their hand to their partner. When xe stood up to get closer to them, they leaned up to give xem a kiss on the lips.

“Sure.”

Chapter Text

Virgil nervously fidgeted with the cuffs of their hoodie. They’d gotten Logan’s number yesterday, but they hadn’t gotten to do any more than that before the two of them had gone off in different directions. They hadn’t texted xem yet, but they were trying to get the courage to do so.

Hi Logan, this is Virgil.

The cursor blinked at them from the screen of their phone, seeming to taunt them with the infinite possibilities of what else they could say. Before they could think too much longer on it, they hit send and promptly turned the phone off, placing it face-down on the bed next to them.

Oh, god. What if yesterday, Logan had just been being polite? What if xe didn’t actually like them or want to get to know them any better? What if xe’d forgotten all about them already because they didn’t matter, and xe only had talked to them out of pity for an overwhelmed college student-

Their phone vibrated from the bed next to them. Their thoughts cut off and they froze, staring at the wall across from them. Was it from Logan? Should they look? They weren't doing anything, just sitting there. What if it was someone from their group project, or they were ignoring an urgent message from someone that they should respond to?

They inched their hand toward the phone, picking it up just as it began to buzz with the two-minute reminder.

Hello, Virgil. I’m glad to hear from you.

Virgil let out their breath in a whoosh as they read the text. Logan was glad to hear from them. Xe hadn’t given them xir number just to be polite. This was… this was good.

They looked down as they felt their phone vibrate with another received text.

It occurred to me that perhaps you asked for my number yesterday because you felt some version of romantic attraction to me. I wanted to disclose the fact that I am demiromantic and am therefore not interested in an immediate romantic partnership. However, if this does not deter you, I would enjoy the opportunity to become friends.

Virgil read through the long text, nodding to themself as they finished it.

You seem cool. Friends is good, Virgil sent, feeling a little awkward about the way they approached it but doing their best to push through the uncomfortable feeling to continue communicating with Logan.

Wonderful, xe sent back. Virgil felt a smile break across their face as a thought occurred to them.

I won, they sent, quickly following it up with another text when they realized how vague the statement was. I sent a text first.

I suppose you did, Logan replied. I seem to remember saying a similar statement yesterday. Is this going to be a common theme in our friendship?

Virgil chuckled to themself. Maybe.

***

“Nini!”

Logan looked up to see Thomas running towards xem as fast as his legs could carry him, his hands in front of him opening and closing. “Up!” he demanded. Logan smiled down at him, scooping him up and placing him on xir hip.

“Hello,” Logan said seriously, though a happy smile was still on xir face. “Are you liking the playground?”

Thomas giggled. “Yeah! It’s fun!” He flapped his hands a few times before leaning back in Logan’s arms, forcing Logan to counterbalance xir son’s weight by leaning back xirself.

Thomas looked around him, seeming to take in his surroundings from the new vantage point, before squirming in Logan’s arms. “Nini, down?”

Logan had no hope of stopping the fond smile from crossing xir face. “Okay.” Xe put Thomas down, watching the four-year-old run back to the toddler playground.

“Hey.”

Logan turned around to see xir spouse standing behind him, their other son in their arms.

“Hi,” Logan said, stepping closer to Virgil. Xe watched as Remy slowly began to wake up, making quiet sounds as his tiny hands waved around in the air and his legs kicked a bit.

“Hello,” Logan said to xir son, unable to stop the way xir voice went soft as the infant blinked slowly. Xe held out xir finger, letting Remy grasp it tightly.

“Love you,” Virgil said, brushing their lips along the top of Logan’s head. Logan turned xir face up to Virgil’s, letting them place another kiss on xir lips.

“Eww! Nini, Ren! Stop it!”

Logan pulled back to see Thomas standing in front of the three of them, his hands on his hips and a disgusted look on his face. Xe carefully detached xir finger from Remy’s tight grip.

“Sorry, Thomas,” Virgil apologized with a smile, carefully kneeling down and bringing Remy to Thomas’s eye level. “We just want to say we love each other.”

Thomas carefully stepped closer to Virgil as his eyes were drawn to the baby, distracted from his previous revulsion. “Can I touch?” he asked, his voice much quieter than before.

“Be careful,” Logan reminded him. Thomas nodded, carefully stepping a bit closer and holding his hand out near Remy’s fingers.

“Do you want to hold hands?” Logan asked.

Thomas nodded eagerly. “Mhm!”

Logan gently guided Thomas’s fingers to where Remy’s hand was laying on the blanket. The younger curled his fingers around Thomas’s, their hands intertwining and holding on tightly.

“I love you,” Thomas said to Remy, then up to Virgil and Logan. “I love you all.”

“I love you too, sweetie,” Virgil said, carefully smoothing a hand through Thomas’s hair.

Remy began to fuss, enough that Logan reached for him.

“I’ll take him,” xe said as Thomas let go of Remy’s hand. “You go play with your Ren, okay?”

Thomas gave him a bright smile, then turned to Virgil, grabbing their hand and leading them to the small slides.

Logan sat Remy up on xir hip, supporting his head, and rocked back and forth, trying to soothe xir child. As xe looked out over the playground where Virgil was holding their hands out at the bottom of the slide to catch Thomas, xe smiled.

Xe had never been sure if life was a game or not.

But if it was, xe had certainly won it.

Chapter Text

Logan nervously adjusted xir skirt, looking xirself up and down in the mirror. Xir hair was styled back with gel and bobby pins, xir face highlighted with a bit of natural makeup. Xe was wearing a white outfit that was a combination of a dress and a jumpsuit, with mesh and lace three-quarter sleeves and a skirt attached to the side and back of the hips on the top like a dress, revealing long pants underneath. A beaded belt accented xir waist at the front.

Xe would be married to Virgil in less than thirty minutes.

Xe couldn’t help rocking back and forth on xir feet just a bit at the thought. Xe couldn’t believe it; the two of them had been planning the wedding for more than a year, choosing everything to be just as perfect as they’d both imagined it would be. And now… now it was really happening.

Xe looked up at a knock on the door. “Come in,” xe called out.

The door opened to reveal Patton, xir best man. Patton’s eyes went wide and glassy at the sight of Logan.

“You look beautiful,” he murmured, carefully closing the door behind him.

“Thank you,” Logan said, feeling xir cheeks go slightly red as xe glanced at xirself in the mirror again.

“Virgil’s not going to be able to think,” Patton continued as he stepped closer to Logan, pulling a small, flat cardboard box out of the pocket of his suit. He held the box out to Logan.

Xe took the box, curiously pulling off the lid to find a sapphire necklace laying on the cotton inside.

“I- this is gorgeous,” xe said, tilting the box back and forth slightly to watch the stone sparkle in the light. “You didn’t have to.”

Patton gave xem a smile. “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, right? Well… you already have the old and borrowed.” He nodded at the white flats that Logan was wearing that xe had borrowed from xir grandmother’s wedding outfit. “So now, something new, something blue.”

Logan carefully put the box down on the nearest surface, then held xir arms out to Patton. His best friend carefully put his arms around xir shoulders, hugging xem tightly.

“You’re going to make me cry,” Patton said, and Logan could hear how tight his voice was.

“That’s my job,” Logan said, pulling back. Patton swallowed and nodded.

“I know,” he said. “It’s just… you’re getting married.”

Logan shook xir head slowly. “I know. It still doesn’t feel real.”

“It will soon enough.”

Logan gave a quiet laugh, then shook xemself slightly. “Anyway- will you put the necklace on me?” Xe picked up the necklace from where it was sitting on the table, carefully taking it out of the cushioning and unhooking it, passing it back to Patton. Xe felt the weight of it settle at the hollow of xir throat as Patton latched it, and xe brought a hand up to touch it.

“Okay,” Patton said, touching Logan’s shoulder to turn xem around and looking xem up and down one last time. “Let’s go.”

Logan gave him a smile. “Let’s go.”

***

Logan sucked in a breath as xe saw Virgil at the end of the aisle. They were wearing a violet blazer buttoned in the middle over a tulle-skirted A-line dress, emphasizing their waist and making them look ethereal.

“Hi,” xe whispered as xe got to the front of the aisle. Virgil gave xem a smile.

“You look stunning,” they murmured under their breath. Logan felt xir face warm with a blush, and quickly turned back to Roman, their officiant and closest joint friend.

Most of the wedding went by in a daze. Xe vaguely heard the things Roman was saying about love and trust and understanding, but most of xir attention was taken up by staring at Virgil: their eyes, emphasized by mascara and a touch of eyeliner, their lips covered in a shimmery lipstick just a few shades darker than their lips.

Logan was startled out of xir reverie when xe realized Roman had gone silent, and was looking at xem expectantly. Xe cleared xir throat in embarrassment, quickly turning around to Patton and holding xir hand out. Patton handed him xir notes for xir vows. Xe took a deep breath, doing xir best not to show how emotional xe was feeling, before looking up at Virgil.

“Virgil,” xe began. “The first time I saw you, it wasn’t the magical moment that so many novels speak of. There were no fireworks, there wasn’t an instant connection. But that only made our relationship all the more special in my mind. We got to know each other over the course of weeks, months. It was almost a year of knowing each other before I invited you on a romantic outing with me.”

Xe took a breath, xir eyes tearing up just a bit. Xe quickly blinked the tears away, bringing one hand up to wipe them without ruining xir makeup.

“But that time only made it all the more precious when we did eventually begin a romantic relationship. It allowed me to know the ins and outs of you and your lovely, wonderful mind. I have fallen more in love with you every day since I recognized the feeling, as impossible as that may be.”

Xe took a deep breath, glancing at xir notes before looking up to make direct eye contact with Virgil, seeing their eyes go shiny as xe spoke.

“I promise to always be an ear when you need comfort and a rock when you need stability. I will be a light when the world seems dark and endless. I will be a support when you are weak, and a raft when life is a storming sea. I will be a weight when you are flying too high and must be brought back to earth, and the wind beneath your wings when you need to be lifted up.

“Virgil, I love you. And I promise to continue loving you until the end of our lives.”

Tears were spilling out of Virgil’s eyes, and they were sniffling in an attempt to keep their composure.

“Oh my god,” they said, the phrase punched out of them on a sob. The guests in the chairs snickered, and Virgil quickly wiped their eyes and nose.

“So I don’t know how I’m expected to follow that up, but I’m going to try,” they said, pulling a few index cards out of a hidden pocket in their blazer.

“Logan,” they began. “The first time we met, I will fully admit I thought you were the most gorgeous human I had ever laid eyes on. Now, that’s a little different – I know you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. I also know that you are the smartest person I’ve met, and the funniest, and just- the loveliest human in the world.”

Virgil took a shaky breath.

“That being said- you’re also really freaking annoying sometimes.”

Another chuckle came from the guests, this time a little louder.

“But I promise that I won’t leave when it gets hard. I promise that I won’t give up before we finish talking it out. I’ll never stop trying when you need me more than ever. I’ll love you until the end of time. I’ll be your best friend. Your rock. Your always. Logan, I love you, and I’ll never leave you.”

Logan was fully crying now, droplets of tears dripping off of xir jaw and onto xir dress.

“You may now exchange rings.”

Logan turned to where one of Virgil’s younger cousins was holding the rings on a pillow. Xe picked up Virgil’s ring, gently holding Virgil’s left hand and slipping it onto the ring finger, repeating the words after the officiant. Virgil did the same to xem, laughing just a little when it stuck on one of xir knuckles.

“I now pronounce you married. You may seal this with a kiss.”

Logan stepped toward Virgil, bringing xir hands up to cup their face. They laced their hands behind xir neck, a huge smile coming across their face.

“We’re married,” Logan heard Virgil whisper just before their lips touched, gentle but full of emotion nonetheless.

Xe pulled back slightly to rest xir forehead against Virgil’s.

“I win,” one of them said, and neither knew who said it, but it didn’t matter.