Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Thomas didn’t have many things going for him in life. He had his job as a drama teacher at the local high school, sometimes even pipping in as a substitute for Science and Lab whenever it was necessary. His apartment was in driving distance, not too far off, not too close by, which allowed him to get groceries every other Thursday. The nearest shopping mall was only 30 minutes away too, which was also very nice.

Right now he lived alone, but in the beginning, his friend Joan had crashed at his place so frequently that they had simply moved in at some point. It helped with the bills and to make sure Thomas wouldn’t die in a fire the next time the building went up in flames, and oh- they also dabbled a little into cooking, so Thomas saved up a lot from takeout.

He thought back on those times fondly, cradling the pizza box in his lap as the Tv played in the background. His only company now was the cat they had rescued together, Patton, who had been wandering around the block for long enough that he and Joan recognized him from a distance. His grey fur was the softest thing Thomas had ever touched, and though he hadn’t seemed to be in danger, Thomas didn’t have the heart to leave him out in the street for much longer. Joan even commented that he might be a domestic cat, given how well he reacted to people, but even after they had set up posters and searched for any news in the area, no one came to claim him. A quick visit to the vet also told them Patton wasn’t chipped.

The puffball just livened up the place so easily. He wasn’t a kitten by any means, around 9 to 10 years from what the Doctor had told them, and somewhere along the conversation, Thomas commented that he was old enough to be a dad by human standards. It was set from there on out. The cat’s apparent love for puns and paw themed anything only further solidified the Dad Status that Thomas so jokingly had suggested. Patton would try to brokenly imitate Thomas whenever he sneezed, and he meowed every time he made a joke, so no one could convince him that Patton couldn’t understand what he was saying.

He was also the cuddliest bunch of fur despite his old age. Whenever Thomas’ lap was unoccupied, Patton would jump onto whatever surface the owner had been resting on, and gently bap at his leg until Thomas verbally allowed him to climb onto his thighs. If he was standing up, maybe setting up his classes for the next day or brewing his third coffee of the afternoon, Patton would come running in and drop down to the floor with his belly facing Thomas, his round blue eyes watching him expectantly.

One time, Thomas jokingly tried to look up online what it might mean if a cat stared at you so intensely, and he had come to the shocking conclusion that Patton had been trying to tell him since day one that he trusted Thomas and that he was comfortable in his presence. Thomas almost cried searching for his little pet, slow blinking at him until Patton blinked back.

After Joan left to live on another state, Thomas hadn’t expected for anything exciting to happen. They still texted frequently, as it was habit when it came to Thomas, and he tried to talk to all of his friends whenever he remembered that they existed, but Patton was a different story. He was a house cat, content with sleeping for 14 hours a day and to hoard the balcony window as soon as the first rays of sunlight beamed down through the glass. It was the spot where it was most likely to find him, even after the sun had disappeared past the horizon, but with the way his tail flicked whenever he laid down and how he meowed before Thomas’ presence, the man had never expected for Patton to be lonely.

And then there was another cat in his apartment.

Well, no, that was wrong. The moving black hole of a cat hadn’t tried to break in just yet, but Thomas didn’t trust it. School was closed for the day for some reason he couldn’t remember, so by the time his body woke up, it was well into the afternoon. Patton had loafed next to his feet, paws tucked into the white fur of his belly, but he moved as soon as Thomas gave any signs of consciousness, jumping to stand on his paws so that he could stretch until he was satisfied.

As he strode towards his spot by the window with his tail raised high, Thomas noticed the void staring right back at him. Its presence was enough to startle him, a hand flying to his chest as he sucked in a breath, but the strange cat lost all interest in him as soon as Patton moved close enough, directing his attention towards him instead.

From the kitchen, favorite coffee mug in hand, Thomas simply tried to not seem interested as to no disturb the strange interaction happening silently just a few feet away from him, but c’mon, how was he supposed to relax when there was a strange cat in his balcony?? He had tried coming closer, bending down to scratch between Patton’s ears so that the stray might see him as less of a threat, but as soon as his fingers brushed even the slightest amount of fur in Patton’s head, the black cat had turned aggressive, hissing loudly from the other side of the glass. Thomas immediately backed out, of course, not knowing enough about cat behavior to know how to safely deal with a feisty one, but Patton had meowed brokenly at him until Thomas sat down next to him, and that’s where he had been standing since them.

The black cat seemed to hate him even more for following Patton’s request, back arched and sharp teeth out as all of the fur in his thin tail stood on edge, and it was possibly the strangest altercation Thomas had ever been a part of. After a few minutes, the black cat seemed to calm down a bit, licking its lips before taking a few steps away from Thomas, but the man could barely pay attention to him when Patton was purring up a storm.

Thomas was not around during this time of day during most of the week, stressing about the possibility of having his house broken into by a stray cat that, somehow, had managed to climb up into the third story of the building, so he woke up especially early on Saturday to monitor its behavior, eyeing the empty balcony as Patton rubbed his head against his chins.

Filling up his bowls, Thomas wondered if he should try to feed the void as well. It wouldn’t be too difficult to leave a handful of dried food on a shallow plate for it to inspect. The feisty thing might be thirsty too. Even if he was typically riddled with indecision, he was weak for the idea of any kind of suffering, and so, with Patton happily munching on his favorite brand of food, it didn’t take Thomas much longer to go back into the kitchen, preparing what he needed.

Leaving the plates right next to the window, Thomas sat on the couch, waiting. He had his laptop nearby, his phone too, ready to report any interesting events to Joan might they occur, and Patton came to join him as soon as he was done with his breakfast, chirping at him curiously.

- Oh, don’t worry – Thomas said to the cat, smiling down at him. – I’m sure your friend will drop by. Well, hopefully that won’t be literal. I’d hate to see it falling off the balcony.

Patton didn’t answer, of course, because he was a cat, but his piercing blue eyes watched him intensely for long, dragged out seconds, and then he was staring at the plates Thomas had placed outside, blinking at them as he accommodated himself on the floor.

The hours passed and his chances of seeing the stray cat grew slim. The sun was already setting behind the buildings, coloring the sky in all shades of pink, and if anything, Thomas caught himself feeling bad for Patton, who had stood by the balcony window all day, looking at the spot that the other cat would usually take.

- Aww, buddy – his voice choked up on his throat, laptop abandoned on the couch as he slipped to the floor. – I’m sure he will come tomorrow.

But to his misfortune, the walking void didn’t show face on Sunday either, and even Thomas was starting to get a little concerned. Maybe the cat had only appeared that morning and never again? Maybe it wasn’t actually a stray? He had been calling him that because it didn’t wear a collar, but it wasn’t unheard of, cats that didn’t like the friction of the material against their neck.

To take his mind off of the cat saga, Thomas poured all of his energy into cleaning the apartment. It was getting to that time of year where Patton would shed everywhere, and it wasn’t the first time he had woken up because his luscious hairs had wound up in his mouth. It kept him busy for a few hours, the vacuuming and the cleaning. It pushed him into sorting out some laundry and into brushing Patton’s fur to help the shedding process along, and by the time he finished, it was around dinner time. He was about to let go of Patton when something fell to the floor.

Ignoring the way he jumped in place, Thomas focused on his hearing, looking around. No, the sound had come for far away, muffled by the distance. It had to have come from another apartment.

The hollow banging repeated itself, followed by racing steps and exasperated voices, and Thomas found himself raising to his feet, curious about what was happening.

- Virgil! Please just-- - a muffled thump hit against the wall standing behind his couch, more frantic steps coming and going. – Oh no, don’t you dare.

Thomas frowned, propping himself with his knees on the couch as he pressed an ear to the wall. More undiscernible noises came from his neighbor, someone that Thomas couldn’t even remember the name of, but no matter how hard he focused, they were coming from too far away now, probably because he had walked into another room.

- Well, that was weird – he mumbled to himself as he slipped away from the couch, staring down at the bunch of fur that is Patton. – What do you think that might have been?

The cat stared at him with his wide, unblinking eyes, tilting his head slightly, and immediately, Thomas ignored what had happened in favor of scratching him between his ears, more than happy to let his worries dissipate as Patton purred at the affections.

Completely forgetting about the black cat, Thomas prepared his classes for the next week, cooking himself some dinner for once. He facetimed Joan the entire time, letting them guide him through a recipe that they promised wasn’t too complicated, and in the meantime, they filled him on all of the latest gossip, heartily complaining about their coworkers.

He was only reminded of the cat as he poured himself some wine, balancing his phone and the plate with dangerous stubbornness given his usual clumsiness, but everything arrived at the dinner table relatively intact, Joan’s tiny face snickering at him.

- No sign of Pat’s bf? – they asked as Thomas sat down, wine glass wrapped around his lips.

- Now – he swallowed, setting his glass down. – I think they are just friends, but if you wanna make it weird, go on ahead.

- I’m not making it weird, I’m stating a fact – Joan smiled at him as they moved around, their beanie almost falling off their head. – It’s impossible for anyone that lives in that apartment to be straight, and that includes the cat.

As if on cue, Patton meowed loudly, loud enough for Joan to hear him, and his friend laughed cunningly at the remark, giving Thomas a knowing look.

- See? He agrees with me.

- Oh, shut up – Thomas chuckled around a mouthful of food, bringing his hand up to chew without it looking too disrespectful. – We don’t even know if the other cat is a male!

- He probably is – Joan insisted, fidgeting with their rings. – It’s one of those genetic things. It’s more likely that he’s a dude than a gal if it’s a black cat. Like white cats and being deaf.

- Ah, genetics.

- As soon as he shows up again, you gotta take a picture of him – Joan commented, pouting a little. – I wanna know we are setting Patton up with someone that can respect him.

- I’ve tried, but he hates me! – Thomas whined, taking another sip of his wine. – The stray cat, not Patton.

- Your vibes must be awful.

- Oh c’mon – it was Thomas’ turn to pout. – I’ve never been good with animals and you know that. Patton is the exception.

- Yea, Patton is a sweetheart, but there isn’t a brain in that skull of his.

The cat heard them laughing and talking until Thomas was done eating, and by the time his owner went to bed, Patton was already soundly asleep. He only woke up briefly in the middle of the night, stretching his legs before pacing around in the darkness, and though he had planned to go sleep by Thomas’ feet, not having seen his friend for a while was worrying him a little. He was reminded of that as he stared out the balcony window, the food Thomas had put outside still there, and Patton had to resist the urge to mewl in agony at the sight, knowing he really shouldn’t be making noise at this time of night.

Still, he couldn’t relax. Now that he was awake, Patton felt restless and he just had to do something. Trotting up to window, he tried to open it with his paws to no avail, throwing an angry stare at the glass for keeping him separated from his friend. He didn’t even know his name! And now, he might just never come around to seeing him again.

With a defeated sigh, Patton flopped onto his side, legs stretched next to him as his eyes slipped to observe the world outside the window. The sky was dark still and it was getting cloudy. It would probably rain tomorrow. His friend had told him that he liked thunderstorms, but if he didn’t have a house, then...

Patton shivered, bringing his paws closer to his body. There was nothing good about thunderstorms. They were wet and cold and loud and it was hard to find shelters that other cats weren’t using. Back before Thomas brought him home, Patton would rather not sleep to keep himself safe, keep other cats safe, than to risk being washed away by the floods or ran over by a car. He thought about his black friend and whimpered at the thought of what might have happened to him.

The rest of the night was hell for the poor old cat. There was nothing Patton could do until Thomas was awake, and he couldn’t go back to sleep, so he anxiously contented himself to watching the sky turn less and less dark from behind the clouds as sunrise broke through the land, colors and shapes going brighter as his tail flickered against the wooden floor.

Suddenly, a movement. Patton moved his ears around, trying to understand what it was and where it was coming from, but he didn’t have time to wonder what it might be when a blur moved just to his left, to the space where the balconies separated, and perched on the divisive railing stood half of a black cat with some weird contraption on its head. His heart fluttered as he rose to his paws.

- Friend? – Patton chirped, not even daring to blink. The black cat was curled up onto itself, moving its head strangely, and Patton noticed that it was trying to look down when its neck bent at a weird angle, his familiar adorable face coming into view. – Friend!

Patton chirped a little more enthusiastically, pawing at the window to catch his attention. His little scary friend seemed to notice him immediately, his calm yellow eyes suddenly turning frantic, and all it took was a slip of a paw before the other cat was falling off the rail, crashing neck first into the cold balcony floor.

Thomas threw his eyes open, rushed, ragged breaths wrecking through his body. His room was dark, just enough that he could barely see a palm in front of his nose, and it took him a few confusedly conscious seconds to understand that he probably still had some time before his alarm went off, a groan falling from his lips over being awake this early. Tossing around under the covers, Thomas cursed the pounding heart in his chest, trying to ignore it until it eventually calmed itself down, but there was something else nagging for his attention, like a noise just outside of his hearing range.

That quickly changed as claws scratched across the floor, a loud meow echoing across the house. Patton’s blurry form burst into the room like he had never done before, his afflicted cries trampling over each other as he paced back and forth, and Thomas groggily pushed himself into a sitting position as he squinted his eyes at him, anxiety breaking through his morning haze.

- What—What is it?

Patton’s meowing only turned more urgent under his attention, like he’d be bawling his eyes out if cats could cry, and Thomas dragged himself out of bed with a growing pressure pushing at his temples.

- Do you want food? Did you knock your box again?

Patton escaped from under his hand as he tried to pet him, and the rejection served to fully wake him up. A noise Thomas couldn’t place rustled in the distance before he could understand just how strange his pet was acting, watching dumbfounded as Patton turned his head away from him, and before he knew it, his cat was clumsily sprinting back and forth with no apparent reason, eyes fixed on his owner until he took a step forward.

Something lit up in the back of his head, an idea that managed to break through before his morning coffee, and Thomas dared to think that Patton might want him to follow him, hoping that would be enough to find the reason for his distress. Maybe he had accidentally thrown his favorite toy under the couch again, or had startled himself awake by a bird or something. Those were things that had happened before.

What had never happened before was what transpired next, as Thomas squinted his eyes at the weak light coming from his balcony window. Patton ran for his usual spot, immediately raising on his hind legs before furiously scratching at the glass, and panic rose in Thomas’ chest as he raised his voice in distress, hands reached in front of him to stop Patton from damaging the window.

A broken meow and a frustrated hiss dragged his attention to what Patton had been looking at, and despite the early hours of the morning, Thomas screamed. It was sure to have woken up the neighbors, his heart pounding as he fiddled with the window lock, but there was no mistaking it. The suspicious void of a cat had found its way into his balcony with a cone on its head and something looked very wrong.

- Hey hey, i-it’s okay! – Thomas cooed softly despite his panic, hesitating to grab it despite its struggles to get back onto his little feet. – C’mon buddy, you—

Patton’s relieved cry interrupted him as his pet tried to push past him, and suddenly Thomas found himself having to grab two cats instead of just one, more than aware that he was on a high enough floor that it would severely injure them all if either of them fell off the balcony edge.

With a cat in each hand, Thomas managed to dodge the stray’s claws for just long enough to drag them both inside, the window hastily closed with his foot as the black cat fought against his grip, and Thomas realized too late that it had escaped from his pathetic grasp, watching helplessly as it planted face first against the floor. Like Thomas was starting to expect at this point, Patton let out a broken meow in distress for his friend, escaping from his grasp just as gracefully as the other cat had done, and no matter how annoyed he had been before, it was breaking his heart to see him like this.

- Pat, Pat, it’s okay – he spoke like the cat could understand him, his brain working a mile a minute to find a solution to this. – I’ll help your friend, everything is going to be okay.

Quickly scanning his surroundings, Thomas locked eyes with an abandoned hoodie thrown recklessly over the couch, and he immediately dived for it before he could regret the plan he had clumsily put together. Maybe it was the early hours or the lack of sleep finally getting to him, but something told him he’d be able to pull this off.

The stray didn’t have the field of vision to see him coming, only being able to hiss in protest once it felt the fabric of the hoodie brushing across its back, but Thomas didn’t give it the change to run away until he had essentially turned the cat into an angry burrito, tying the sleeves of the hoodie loosely over its pounding chest for good measure. It trashed and squirmed in his grip, but it quickly conformed to its fate, if only because it heard Patton whimpering.

Thomas beamed down at his cat with what was sure to be the weirdest accomplished smile of his entire life, one very warmth buddle pressed against his chest as he kneeled down to Patton level.

- See, I got your friend – he panted a little, showing him the black cat, and Patton meowed softly as soon as he saw his friend’s face, slowly raising one paw to bap at the cone around its head. He should take a picture to show Joan.

Someone from the apartment next door screamed, thundering steps coming closer and closer.

- Virgil! Virge-- No no no, where are you?!

The distinct noise of the balcony window being rolled open filled the morning air as the steps turned echo-y, bare feet against the tiled floor, and then back into muffled thumping as Thomas’ neighbor returned indoors.

- Logan! Logan! – his voice faded away, his afflicted movements going with him, and Thomas frowned at it all as he stared down at the cats standing so closely to him, Patton’s gentle purring seeming to soothe the stray’s nerves.

His frowning turned more pronounced, a thought placed onto his head. Hold on, this cat couldn’t be a stray if it had a cone on its head. It had most likely gone to the vet recently if that was the case. Maybe for some important shots or a surgery or—

No, that couldn’t be.

Thomas’ heart hammered against his chest as the steps returned, several of them, and something told him that he should look up, look out the balcony window that was causing him this much trouble.

A man around his age was watching him through the fogged lenses of his glasses. He looked tired, if anything, standing by the small wall separating their balconies in his pajamas, and Thomas felt compelled to stand back on his feet, not daring to look away. The stranger opened his mouth to speak, his eyes landing on the bundle he was holding in his arms, and the smallest twitch jerked around the corners of his mouth.

- Roman, I believe I have found him – his calm voice seemed to say.

- WHAT?

Another man appeared in Thomas’ line of sight before he could so much as prepare himself to step back into the unforgiving morning cold, and all traces of a coherent thought were thrown out the window as he watched his neighbor move about, his cheeks going red.

- Hey, hey! – he threw an arm around, just barely missing the other dude that lived with him. – That’s my cat!

Cat? Patton was the only cat in the apartment. Thomas squeezed his arms around whatever it was that he was holding and everything suddenly came back to him.

- O-Oh! – Thomas laughed awkwardly, carrying a surprisingly calm cat as he stepped into the balcony. – I’m, so sorry for scaring you- My Patton started screaming like crazy, it must have woken you up.

- What? No, it’s completely alright – his neighbor gave him the most dashing smile, and Thomas swore he went a little weak at the knees. – Cats, am I right? You love them and they destroy half of your apartment while risking to lose at least a couple of their lives by dropping three storages.

Thomas winced at the reminder, imagining the state of the other’s living room.

- Sorry about that too – Thomas decided on a more sympathetic approach, glancing down at the sleepy bundle of fur trapped in his hoodie. – He’s, always around to keep my cat company, I had never expected that he’d-- I hope he’s alright.

- What?? Oh no, Virgil is just dramatic – the other man waved a hand around, looking down at his rebellious pet. – I had to take him to the vet for some shots and he kept biting himself where the needles poked him.

- Biting??

- Yea... – his neighbor grimaced, rubbing the exhaustion out of his face. – Virgil has no chill.

- You could say that again.

The most melodious sort of laughter echoed in the space between them, reverberating against their empty balconies as his neighbor doubled over. Thomas couldn’t even remember what it was that he had said that had been so funny, but watching how happy that made the other man made his chest go all warm and fuzzy, a prideful sense of accomplishment tingling just underneath his skin.

- Whoo! I didn’t know I had such a funny neighbor! – the other gave him a wide smile, straightening his posture as he ran a hand through his unruly bed hair. – And a cat lover too!

- Oh uhm – Thomas chuckled awkwardly, moving his weight from one leg to the other. – Y-Yea!

- Oh, where are my manners? My name is Roman.

His neighbor stretched his arm effortlessly over the short wall separating their apartments, offering it with a flair that Thomas immediately associated with that of a Disney prince. It was enough to short circuit his brain a little, if he had to be honest, the sudden introduction seemingly incomplete, and then he remembered that he was supposed to answer back, shame grabbing him by a chokehold.

- I’m, Thomas.

He couldn’t do it as beautifully, but Roman still took it with a smile, his strong hand clasping into his with undoubtable confidence.

- Thank you so much for keeping my dearest pet alive. – he shook his hand vigorously, bringing out his other hand for good measure. – I feel much more relieved knowing he was under the care of such a handsome fellow.

- What? O-Oh—

Thomas wasn’t allowed to deflect what seemed to be a pretty obvious flirting moment because the bundle in his arms chose that moment to remember that he hated Thomas, and he quickly pulled his hand away from Roman’s before he lost sight of the black cat again.

- Tsk, Virgil, don’t be like that – his neighbor commented with a dash of annoyance, stretching his arms out in silent request. – I’ll handle him for now. It’s time for his medicine. That’s probably why he’s starting to get feisty.

- Isn’t he always like this??

- Oh, he is – Roman snorted, easily cradling Virgil to his chest as they carefully transferred the cat between balconies. – But he gets much worse without his anxiety medication.

- Cats can have anxiety?

- Oh, you betcha – Roman smiled, staring down at Virgil with only love in his eyes. – But that is a tale for another time. I’ll steal this shirt for a while, and I’ll make sure to wash it when he’s more calm, okay?

- Oh, y-yea, no problem – Thomas tried to return the smile, but the thought of Roman keeping his hoodie for whatever measure of time was bringing up a lot of weird, messy ideas that he definitely shouldn’t be acknowledging right now. – Take your time.

His neighbor smiled again, and to his surprise, the cat did seem to grow a little less antsy while being held by Roman’s strong arms.

- It was a pleasure to meet you, Thomas – he turned to leave, hugging Virgil more closely to his chest. – I bid you farewell, though my heart may grow sore, for I uhm... I’ll, I’ll think of the rest when we meet again.

- It was a really good start, tho! – Thomas cringed at the way his voice broke, trying to cover it up with an awkward laugh. – Very confident.

- Oh, thank you! – Roman stopped near the open window, turning back to Thomas, and he couldn’t exactly tell if his cheeks had grown pink from the compliment or the cold. – But I mean it! I’ll work on something and swoop you off your feet, just you wait!

- Roman, I’m almost certain that is sexual harassment.

Thomas looked around, trying to find the source of that voice, and with impressive speed for the early hours of the morning, he realized that it had come from inside of Roman’s apartment, into where his roommate had returned to probably rearrange the living room Virgil had destroyed.

- It is not.

Even from the distance, Logan’s (?) deadpan expression was universal, and Thomas had to keep in the laugh that threatened to escape at that.

- No, no, it’s okay – Thomas reassured, waving a hand around. – It’s all in good fun.

A particularly cold breeze blew in their direction, chilling Thomas to the bones, and he shivered as he rubbed warmth into his arms, staring longingly into the comfort of his apartment that now was missing one less shirt.

- I really should get going – he tried to take a step back, bumping into Patton’s soft body as he stared up at him with those begging blue eyes, and he couldn’t resist scooping him up into his arms, his groans drowned in Patton’s loud purring. – Say bye to Virgil, Pat.

As if he could understand him, the cat stopped vibrating for just a second to let out the sweetest meow Thomas had ever heard, and that would have been followed almost instantaneously for Roman’s soft coos if Virgil didn’t also react to Patton’s call, trashing around in his owner’s arms with what Thomas could now recognize as panic.

- Alright alright, jeez – Roman threw one last forlorn stare toward Thomas before stepping back into his apartment, pocking his head just outside the window. – See you some other time, beautiful stranger.

And with that, he was gone. The window was dragged shut, lock secured in place, and Thomas stood in his cold balcony completely barefoot until Patton dragged him out of his stupor, gently baping his paw into his chest until he was reminded of his apparent lack of sleep.

Chapter Text

Achoo!

- So, let me get this straight.

- Oh, so now it’s straight. I see how it is.

Joan rolled their eyes at him from the other side of the screen.

- Let me get this gay – they stressed as they tried to find their train of thought again, pacing back and forth in front of the camera. – You had to take the rest of the week off cuz you’re sick.

- Uh huh.

- Which only happened because Patton woke you up at 5 am.

- Uh huh.

- Because the black cat appeared in your balcony again and it seemed injured. And you, like the sweet fool that you are, decided to face the morning with only your boxers on and some random shirt you grabbed before going to bed. And then you stayed outside because you were chatting with your apparently really hot neighbor.

- Okay—

- There’s no need to hide it, Thomas – Joan grinned at him with that knowing look on their eyes. – Mister Prince Charming really did a number on you.

Thomas felt himself flushing red to the roots of his hair.

- Oh my god, don’t—put it like that.

- Put it like what, Thomas? – Joan’s voice was shifting, gaining that hollow sort of tone that went hand in hand with the strain around the edges of their smile. – I was just blaming him for making you sick. Now, if that happened in a different way than what you’re telling me then—

The softest of sounds pulled him away from Joan’s teasing, his bleary eyes scanning his surroundings for what it could have been. The fever was making him a little slow, his body aching for relief as he bundled up under the coziest blanket he owned, but so far, the only thing Thomas had managed to achieve was to encourage sweat to seep through his pajamas, his skin hot and cold at the same time.

He almost looked away, something telling him that Joan was watching his every move, but Patton’ purring filled the air and he groaned as he got off the chair.

- Virgil’s there, buddy? – Thomas asked around a yawn, screwing his eyes shut as he dragged his body around the couch. – I really shouldn’t be touching—

The sound of the doorbell ringed throughout the apartment, echoing loudly inside of his mind. Thomas thinks he would have squeaked at the sound if it wasn’t for the cold slowing him down, most of his body’s energy redirected into fighting this off, and he wondered how rude it would be to ignore whoever that was when the doorbell was pressed again.

- Just a second, please! – he said loud enough to be heard on the other side of the door. Where had he put his freaking masks?

Unlocking the front door as quickly as his sore muscles allowed him, Thomas stood face to face with a man he had never seen before. From appearance alone, he couldn’t be a seller, seeing as he was dressed far more formally than those people that usually came around to annoy him about different cable providers, and Thomas watched groggily as the stranger tugged at the ends of his royal blue vest.

- Good afternoon. Mister Sanders, yes? – the man asked before Thomas could stop thinking about how he had found a tie that was the exact same shade of blue as his vest. – I’d say that I am glad that I could catch you before you went into work, but this is no ordinary coincidence.

- Uhm...?

He offered him a look that Thomas couldn’t exactly process, but he did understand that the stranger seemed a little sheepish as he fiddled with the knot of his tie.

- Well, I’m partially to blame for your current state.

- You are? – the words escaped from his lips before he could even think of stopping them, his nose wrinkling under his mask as he realized how stupid he had sounded. – I’m sorry, I’m not... doing good right now. Have we met before?

- ... I suppose we haven’t been properly introduced – the man lowered his head, starting to extend his hand in his direction before thinking twice of it. – My name is Logan Berry. I live next door.

Thomas stood there for a moment, squinting his eyes at the stranger. In fact, his glasses looked familiar, maybe even his hair, but next door lived the hot guy with the shimmery eyes, not—

- Oh! – he exclaimed in recognition, memories crashing into him all at once. – You’re, You’re Roman’s roommate, right?

- Yes, that is correct.

- Oh, I’m so sorry, I just- I don’t have my contacts, I couldn’t really...

- That is quite alright – Logan reassured him, a polite smile stretching across his lips. – Now that we are familiarized with each other, I must explain why I’m here. Well, the several reasons why I’m here.

- Several??

Thomas watched as Logan pulled a grocery bag into his field of vision, the crinkling of the plastic making him even more surprised that he missed it at all.

- Inside you will find correspondence that has been mistakenly placed into our mailbox, a few nutritious meals to aid you for the next few days, Gatorade for hydration, and finally, notes from your students.

The last one had Thomas raising his eyes just as Logan placed the bag into his hands, as if every new addition hadn’t felt like a punch to the throat.

- I’m sorry, I just – he didn’t know where to look, his eyes jumping from the contents of the bag to Logan’s face. – How do you... know my students?

- You’re the drama teacher at Stanfield Highschool, yes? – Logan frowned at him as he adjusted his glasses. – Perhaps the board failed to mention how they deal with such things. I have become increasingly aware you were the most practical choice to step in whenever my personal life hindered with my classes, given your extensive academic background, so perhaps they have merely decided to cover our losses and call it a day.

- I will have to teach drama for the next week – he clarified when Thomas remained silent, a tired sigh on his lips.

- Wait, hold on, how come I’ve never seen you around then? In the breakroom, or at like, Christmas parties?

Logan studied him carefully from behind the lenses of his glasses and this time around, Thomas understood the kind of intention that was fueling his actions. It was more than just regret, or the awkwardness that came with dealing with a stranger. Logan was flustered over getting caught.

- I... am not the most sociable, despite my profession – he lowered his head, staring at his shoes. – I understand why you are suspicious over my actions. Truth be told, I didn’t account for most of the observations you are making.

- Ah no, that’s okay – Thomas chuckled awkwardly, which was closer to a few exhales given how tired he was feeling. – Maybe uhm, maybe you’d like some tips on how to deal with drama for the next week? I mean, if you really are telling the truth. I can’t see why anyone would decide to lie about that.

The other man perked up instantly, shoulders straight as he looked Thomas right in the eye, and the determination he found there stole his breath away, made his heart beat just a little bit quicker.

- That would be of great help, yes.

- Great uhm. I’ll just, erh—

- We shall exchange contact information. It would be the most efficient way to ensure our communication whilst your body is affected by this sickness.

Thomas blinked, once, twice, trying to speed up his brain to the excitable speed of Logan’s suggestion, but no matter how much he tried, the fog slowing down his thoughts only allowed him to focus on how weirdly cute his fellow colleague looked for someone that was this formal.

- Yea—Yea, totally – Thomas looked around, suddenly realizing his phone wasn’t on his hand. – I seem to have lost my phone.

- Well, that isn’t ideal – Logan pursed his lips in thought, reaching his long fingers inside of his vest. – I will leave you with my email and my personal phone number. Hopefully that will suffice.

- Yes, yea! Yea, that would be great.

Thomas didn’t have the time to cringe at his own embarrassing reactions before a slip of paper was extended in his direction, which he took before he could fully understand it.

- I will take my leave now – Logan announced as the pen he was holding disappeared back inside of his vest. – Don’t hesitate to knock on our door if you require assistance of any kind.

- Okay, t-thank you!

He watched his neighbor disappear into his own apartment as he slowly pulled his front door to a close, his eyes falling to the tiny slip of paper in his hands. Logan had a fairly neat handwriting considering he had scribbled his email on the palm of his hand, and that made him smile to himself, his sock clad feet bringing him back to where Patton was waiting for him. It’s what he had meant to do once he had heard his purring, and with distracted movements, Thomas rolled his window open to allow Virgil to step into his apartment. It was safer than leaving him out in his balcony, and Patton was overjoyed for being able to smell the other cat, so it was net positives all around.

Thomas was still dreamily staring at the piece of paper between his fingers when he heard someone clear their throat.

- Oh fuck – Joan’s voice came through, the quiet sound turning into a full blown cough. – Thomas, I’m dying!

- What?! – he ran across his apartment, trying to find his friend. – Joan? Joan???

- Buddy, on the phone – Thomas heard them struggling between coughs, his disoriented mind taking much longer than normal to remember that they didn’t live there anymore.

- Jo-oan – he cried out, basically draping over his dinner table to hug the phone to his chest. – I’m dumber than usual, don’t die where I can’t save you!

From the covered screen, muffled choking noises still dragged out for a while, and Thomas forced himself to raise his phone up to his face just so he could pout at the person on the other side of the line.

- Your glares don’t work on me. You should know that by now.

- Damn it.

It was then he remembered that he was wearing a mask still, and a groan rumbled in his chest.

- Who was the sexy voice at the door? – Joan asked as he peeled himself off the table, dragging his tired body up to the couch. – I would have hung up on you if they didn’t got me so curious.

Thomas patted his mask with sweaty fingers, deciding to keep it on for a little while longer. Virgil’s coned head was resting over Patton’s back, vibrating slightly thanks to his unending purrs. It was just so that Virgil wouldn’t carry the virus back to Logan’s household. Yep. Thomas wasn’t trying to hide his blush or anything.

- How much did you hear?

- Pretty much the whole thing – Joan smirked, bringing a green bowl into the view of the camera. – Even got me time to go make some popcorn.

- Oh, so that’s why you choked – Thomas chuckled breathlessly, sinking into the couch pillows. – Then you know who he is.

- Sorta. – Joan shrugged from the other side of the screen, throwing a handful of popcorn into their mouth. – I don’t know your version of the story tho.

- ... You’re asking me if he was hot, aren’t you.

- Yep.

Thomas groaned loudly as he slipped down the couch, his neck bent at an awkward angle as Joan’s face rested on top of his chest. Half of his body was hanging off the edge of the cushions, only supported by his bent knees, and he knew that in a second, he’d get uncomfortable and move back up. In the meantime, he was sulking.

- C’mon, spit it out. I’ve already heard about Prince Charming, why can’t I hear about future Mister Sanders?

- Oh my god!

Their devious snickers echoed throughout the apartment as Thomas buried his face in his hand, promptly shifting to lay down on the couch before he could completely slip down onto the floor. Joan still teased him for a little while longer, the cats peacefully cuddling in the background, and Thomas was in the middle of a ramble when he heard someone running across the hall, and the door from Logan’s apartment opening and closing. He forgot whatever it was that he was saying, eavesdropping on the frantic pacing coming from the other side of the wall, and even Joan went quiet as they tried to make out what they were saying.

Thomas’ eyes instinctively landed on Virgil, the sleepy black cat practically limp over Patton’s fluffy body, and all at once, the curious sounds from next door melted away as he remembered that Joan had yet to see the intruder that had been causing him so much trouble.

- Hey – Thomas whispered for whatever reason, crookedly pointing his phone towards the cat pile before failing to switch the cameras once or twice. – Look at Pat’s new friend.

- Oh... my god.

Thomas smiled behind the mask as he watched Joan freaking out, their mouth hanging open as silence spread throughout the house.

- I’m going to cry, they’re so cute.

- I know, right? – he rolled onto his back again, shimming around until he was semi comfortable. – And your hunch was also correct. His name is Virgil.

- Why does he have a cone on his head?

- Oh, apparently Roman took him to the vet and he kept biting where he was shot.

- Pff, wow.

- Yea – Thomas yawned from behind the mask, rubbing the tiredness away from his eyes. – He still can jump into my balconies with no worries, tho.

- Of course he can – Joan crunched some popcorn just a bit too loudly, staring at some point just out of sight. – Hey man, I think I gotta go now. You really should try to sleep this off too.

- What, I’m not even tired.

- Uh huh, sure thing, buddy. See you later then, okay?

- Okay – Thomas fought off the urge to yawn again, waving dumbly at the camera. – See you later.

The call ended with a pleasant sound, and Thomas dropped his phone on top of his chest as he stared up at the ceiling. The happy feelings stirring inside of his heart were to soon die down, replaced by the crushing sense of loneliness that haunted most of his living moments, but with Virgil and Patton sleeping so close by, and Logan and Roman on the other side of the wall, Thomas couldn’t say that he felt as alone as usual. Closing his eyes, he simply allowed himself to soak in the sensation, no matter how silly and unjustified it might be.

It’s not like anyone could hear his thoughts anyways. He could be as openly gay about Roman and Logan as he wanted in the privacy of his head.

- Oh, I could kiss you!

- Well, yes, that is indeed something you could do.

Roman rolled his eyes fondly, wrapping his arms around Logan’s waist. His boyfriend had just casually dropped the biggest bomb of his life while making a sandwich, and Roman just felt like eating him instead.

- My love, you know what I mean – he mumbled into his neck, pressing a light kiss into the skin peeking just over his pristine white collar. – I cannot believe your luck! You scored so many points with the cutie next door!

Logan raised his eyes away from his snack, a frown pulling at his beautifully thin eyebrows.

- I was simply being cordial.

- And that’s why I love you, you sweet fool.

- I’m not a fool. I’m the smartest person in this household.

- Aww, don’t look so grumpy. I was trying to compliment you!

The frown wouldn’t budge, and Logan’s stern eyes were definitely a nice addition. Roman didn’t know why, but just seeing such a composed person look so disgruntled was the most adorable thing someone could accomplish. Maybe that’s why he liked Virgil so much.

- Yeees, Oh highest God of Wisdom, I’ll worship thee until the end of our times, so that you may thrive where others fail.

It wasn’t his best work, but the dramatics made a smile break through Logan’s icy exterior, and that only further encouraged Roman to press closer to his back, tucking his chin into the curve of his neck. He watched as he finished his PB&J, neatly disposing of the knife in the sink, and not even after Logan started to move to return the peanut butter and the jelly to their respective places did Roman let go of him, clinging to his elegant figure. If he was getting in his way, he didn’t mention it, calmly going about his day as he allowed Roman to hold onto him.

- But as I was saying – he gingerly placed his sandwich into a plate. – I did not acquire his contact information. I have merely given him my own. For professional reasons.

- Oh yea, totally – Roman followed after him as Logan left the kitchen, trying to not trip over his own feet as he watched where he might be going. – Like you share your number with most of the other Chemistry teachers, right?

Logan stopped abruptly, making Roman stumble before dropping most of his weight on him, and he was about to complain when his boyfriend expertly turned around, just as quickly holding his chin upwards. He wasn’t that much taller than Roman, only appearing more lean because he wore shoes with heels, but the added inches looked amazing on Logan as he started down at Roman like this, making his skin burn with anticipation.

- Are you jealous?

His voice was just on the brink of worry, his eyes dull behind the lenses of his glasses. It confused Roman if only for a moment, frustrated that Logan was breaking through the palpable sexual tension in favor of his well-being, but he couldn’t deny that it was nice of him, to show that he cared this much.

- No, Logan – Roman rolled his eyes, not displaying any intentions of wanting to free himself from his weak grasp. – I’m just trying to set you up with Thomas.

- I do not understand – his frown returned, his eyes searching all over Roman’s face as he let his hand slip to the crook of his neck. – I was under the impression that you were the one interested in him.

- And I am. But c’mon. If you had brought me soup completely unprompted just because I was sick when you barely knew me, I’d be completely head over heels for you!

- Are you still bitter over the fact that you did not have your fairytale encounter?

- No...

Logan sighed.

- Roman, I will not belittle you for your displays of emotion if you are in need of that kind of support.

- I don’t-- I don’t need it, I swear!

They stood in silence for a while, Roman’s heart beating wildly against Logan’s calm one. It was unfair how easily he handled most situations, how handsome he looked while doing it, and Roman promptly broke the moment as he buried his face in his neck, hugging him tight.

- I do not regret it – Roman finally spoke up, his hands fisting around Logan’s clothes. – I can’t imagine living a single day of my life without you in it.

Logan sighed again, perhaps a bit more softly this time around, and he abandoned the plate he was still holding so that he could wrap his arms around Roman’s body, gently enveloping him in warmth.

- I do not regret it either.

Just hearing Logan say it so casually was enough to bring tears to Roman’s eyes, but it was barely past 7 pm and he refused to cry over something like this when it was still so early. That doesn’t mean he could stop himself from sniffing away what moisture had gathered in his lashes, or from nuzzling closer to Logan. They had met under completely normal circumstances, lost touch under an equally boring strike of faith, only to be reunited at last. Roman found comfort in the thought that they had been destined to never stray too far away from one another, or at least, that’s how the stars had deemed it to be.

- Virgil is on the apartment next door – Logan started to say, gently petting the back of Roman’s head. – So you shouldn’t need to worry about him watching us for the next few hours.

- What?

Roman slowly pulled away, just enough to watch Logan’s face, and to his surprise, his boyfriend was bashfully avoiding his eyes, his gentle fingers slowly tangling into his hair.

- You, frequently complain about Virgil being aware of our most intimate moments – he quickly adjusted his glasses, almost too quickly. – So I figured—I assumed that you’d be quite relieved to know about this type of information.

- Oh... my god. Do you want to kiss me??

To Roman’s delight, he caught the exact moment when his cheeks dusted pink, when the teacher forced himself to look at his boyfriend so he wouldn’t appear weak in his acclamations, but the theatrics just made him look even more silly, since their faces were already so close.

- Perhaps.

It wasn’t the yes Roman was expecting, but it delighted him as if it was, so he didn’t hesitate to press his lips to Logan’s cheek as gently as he could manage, lingering until he could hear his breath itching.

- Roman. – the hand in his hair tightened its grasp just enough to have him faltering, urging him to pull away so Logan could observe his face, and to his shock, his expressions were even more flustered than they had been before. – Do not distract me. I’m trying to ask for your consent in a proper manner.

- You already have it, my love – Roman closed his eyes, sparing him the embarrassment as he rested their foreheads together. – You can kiss me.

There was a pause, a single moment where Logan hesitated before the intensity of Roman’s trust in him, and he had to remember that this was okay, that he was allowed to do this, and after he took the time to breath in and out, Logan could barely recall why he had ever doubted himself in the first place. Their lips met with a small, excited squeal coming from Roman, his mouth so eager to reciprocate his affections already, so Logan closed his eyes and simply allowed the moment to unfold by itself, one arm securing itself around Roman’s waist as his left hand lowered to the back of his neck.

The kiss didn’t escalate any further than that, naturally reaching the moment where they’d need to break apart to breathe, but Logan didn’t let Roman move away from his grip for too long before he was pressing soft kisses to his cheeks, to the top of his head. He wasn’t the most affectionate boyfriend, frequently leaving Roman to fend for himself, but today, if only for today, he could understand the appeal of being so close to another, the warmth that seated itself inside of his chest fueling his actions for as long as they remained connected.

From the other side of the wall, Virgil had some semblance of an understanding over what was going on, his ears moving with every word uttered, with every step taken, but he found himself more focused on something much more important than his afternoon nap or the love life of his owners. Thomas, he thinks was his name, had been trashing around the couch for the last half an hour, and though Patton didn’t seem particularly concerned, the same could not be said about Virgil. Or well, maybe he’d care if he was awake.

Slowly getting himself back onto his paws, Virgil ignored how the cone weighted down on his head as he took a few cautious steps away from Patton, keeping the cat just out of sight in case he was chased back into cuddles. With his claws tucked in, his steps didn’t make a single sound, didn’t stir anyone from their slumber as he quietly approached the couch, and with one decisive jump, Virgil stood up on the armrest right next to Thomas’ head. The human looked pathetic, wrapped up in a flimsy blanket that was clearly not keeping him warm, and Virgil watched him for a moment to make sure he knew of all the exits available, one paw placed carefully on the small portion of the couch that Thomas’ body wasn’t covering. It didn’t take him long to reach the place he was looking for, the small gap between his hips and the back of the couch just large enough that he could lower his body into it without the cone getting in his way, and with a contented sigh, Virgil got himself comfortable as he rested his neck over the human’s thigh.

Not too far away from there, in a store front that was nothing like the apartment complex where this was all unfolding, someone by the name of Remus was mistakenly asking for directions from a guy that would just rather see him dead, someone with a sharp tongue and a short temper according to most of the people that came into the establishment, but Remus was quite used to that kind of attitude. No, the guy behind the counter hiding half of his face away behind a black face mask was family, and he hadn’t even needed to look down at his apron to figure that one out. There was no name tag on said apron, only a few patches and pins that your average person would miss in their entirety, and Remus smiled as he was hissed at, not just by the cats surrounding him, but from the cutie handling the register.

- Aww, that was so cute.

The man behind the counter looked like he was one hair away from jumping at Remus, and it really wouldn’t be the first time something like that had happened.

- I just need you to tell me if I’m on Sunset Avenue. My gps is all fucked up and my phone died on me.

- And how is that my problem??

- Well, duh, who else am I supposed to ask about that? The cats? I’d make it their problem but you won’t let me talk to them!

The stranger took one deep breath in, pressing his hands together before lowering them down.

- Okay. Just, tell me where you need to go.

- Yay!

He barely paid him any mind as he pulled out his phone. Remus figured he was opening up Google Maps, maybe texting someone to come help them out, but they didn’t let him peer over the counter to check at his phone screen, immediately glaring at him once he even thought about that.

- Yes, this is Sunset Avenue right until you reach the stop sign – the man raised his eyes away from the phone, staring at Remus like he was the source of a headache. – You mentioned something about a building?

- Yep! Looking for the—

- The 57, 3º floor – they repeated flatly, typing away. – That’s not too far away.

Remus didn’t have the time to ask how they knew about it before he showed him the dotted line connecting the points on the map. From the cat café to Roman’s house, Google Maps informed them that it would take about 5 minutes by foot, mostly on a straight line, and Remus beamed at his new friend, somehow holding back the urge to kiss him.

- Thank you, man! – he patted away at his pants until he found his wallet, cracking it open with clumsy fingers. – I’d buy you some coffee myself but I’m in a hurry! Have a nice day!

Watching the weirdo leave the store, Virgil couldn’t help but rub his chest over his clothes, feeling at his pounding heart. He had seen the stranger go up and down the street several times before bursting in through the store, and very much like the cats lounging by the windows, he was immediately taken aback by the vibes he exuded. He hadn’t even bothered to read the fucking sign on the door. Taking a glance at the 20 dollar bill he had thrown onto the counter, however, it made him wonder just what kind of a person would pay for directions when his car had been left outside with the keys in the ignition.

Virgil briefly considered chasing after him before his bright neon tank top came running back into his field of vision.

Chapter Text

It seemed like even asleep, Thomas wasn’t allowed to catch a break. He doesn’t remember crashing down, doesn’t even remember what he was thinking about before the darkness came and consumed him whole, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t overly aware of how he jumped once the doorbell pierced through his subconscious, startling him awake.

Inelegantly dropping to the floor, Thomas groaned into the carpet as the world spun just outside of his line of sight, his head throbbing, his heart pounding. Holding onto his forehead did little to soothe the fever, sweat coating every inch of his skin. To put it simply, he felt like shit.

The doorbell rang again, this time dragging out until Thomas could barely take it anymore. He usually wasn’t the type of guy to be rude to people that came by and knocked on his door to get his attention for something, but he was having a lovely nap, the sun had set, and he had already dealt with enough curve balls to exhaust him for the rest of the week.

Forcing himself up back into his own two feet, Thomas stomped his way to the front door with a deep seated hatred for whoever was on the other side of that door, finger still pressed against the button that was causing him this much suffering.

- Yes? – Thomas hissed through his teeth, the noise scratching at his patience and making it incredibly hard to breathe.

His vision was still swimming, the cream color of the walls blending together with the skin tone of whoever was incessantly trying to get his attention, but with a couple of blinks and a shake of his head, Thomas realized that he had no freaking idea who was standing there right in front of him. The guy in the middle of the hallway still had his finger pressed down against the button that called out for his apartment, slowly pulling his hand away once he noticed Thomas standing there, and something about the way he quirked his mustache told him the stranger had probably just realized his mistake.

- Oops – the guy scratched at the back of his neck, offering him a sympathetic smile. – You’re not my brother.

- No, unfortunately – Thomas took a deep breath in, desperately trying not to stare. – It’s alright, don’t sweat it. Who are you looking for??

He held onto his front door with a vice grip, briefly closing his eyes. The hallway light was making him even more dizzy than before, and he was suddenly feeling really gross and really sticky, so it was probably best to not drag this out for too long.

- Uhhhh. I think I got the right floor. Besides that, I have no fucking idea.

Thomas forced his eyes to crack open, staring at the other dumbfoundedly. Despite the frequent swearing, it wasn’t done with any particular intentions, like the stranger wasn’t thinking about his words before speaking, so he was desperately trying to not let his anxiety react to it too much. It was already bad enough that his tired brain was only reaching out to stereotypes while glancing up at this dude and he’d rather avoid any confrontations either way.

- Do you have a name?

- Of course I do – the stranger looked at him as if Thomas was stupid, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. – I’m Remus.

- No-- - Thomas sighed, rubbing the tiredness away from his eyes. – Your brother or whatever. What’s his name?

- Ooooh.

- Yea.

- I mean, we’re twins, so if you didn’t immediately thought it was him, you prolly can’t help me – Remus shrugged. – Still worth the try, I guess. Do you know any Roman’s?

- Roman? – Thomas pointedly ignored how his body reacted to that name. – I uhm, I actually do know—

- Remus!

Thomas squealed, holding onto his front door more tightly.

- I knew that was your nasty voice importuning the neighbors!

- I’m not, I thought this was your door—

- Gosh, I’m so sorry.

Roman’s flustered face came into view, his breathing labored from having ran across the hallway to come grab at Remus’ arm. Standing next to each other, it was still incredibly hard to believe these two were twins. Where Roman tended to be stylish, Remus was... an intentional mess. His mustache was dyed black, perfectly combed and kept, and it looked like he might be growing it out given how cleanly he had shaved off the rest of his face. The same could not be said about his hair. Or his clothes. It seemed like both had suffered through quite a bit of DIY before Remus had left the house that day, though Thomas thinks he might have appreciate his efforts more if he wasn’t currently pushing through a headache.

- Thomas?

- Hmm?

When he raised his eyes to meet his neighbor, it took him a few seconds to understand that he hadn’t been paying attention to a single thing he had just said, and that made guilt break across his skin like hives, his mind itching inside of his skull as he tried to focus.

- Sorry, I—

- No no no, it’s okay! – Roman reassured him, hands frantically gesturing around. – Please, do return to your rest, I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you again.

- Uhm.

Thomas couldn’t pipe in before Roman was walking away, dragging Remus right behind him, and the only thing he could agree on in relation to his tired mind was about how much he didn’t want to deal with his thoughts right now. With a sigh and a hand to the forehead, Thomas closed his door shut, blindly walking to his bedroom before face planting down onto his bed.

- You freaking idiot! What are you even doing here?!

- Glad to see you too, Ro-bro.

Remus couldn’t help the hint of sarcasm dripping from his tongue. He was all for funny harmless pranks most of the time, but he really hadn’t done it on purpose this time around! He rarely drove into this side of town and Roman had refused to tell him about his new address once he moved out with his hot teacher boyfriend!

- Oh, Remus – the aforementioned nerd came strolling into the entrance, looking positively neutral. – I’m surprised with how long it has taken you to follow my directions.

- Who- what- Your directions??

Logan’s eyebrows did a funny little twitch, his eyes jumping to Roman’s face.

- Yes? I believe you didn’t—

- My phone died.

The lovey dovey couple stared at Remus with varying degrees of rage, though he knew he had probably come around at a bad time even without the warning. It’s not as if he was lying. He had left home as soon as he had fed Janus, and that was considering this visit had been a fairly impulsive decision.

- And why should I care? – Roman spat, an intense emotion in his eyes that Remus was assuming was deep seated hatred.

- Roman. – Logan calmly intervened, clearing his throat. – I’ll have to ask you to take a deep breath.

His brother shakily followed the instructions as he closed his eyes, his hands quickly intertwining with Logan’s, and one quick glance downwards was enough to tell him what he needed to know. Oh, he was shaking from head to toe. Roman was panicking.

- In for 4 – Remus carefully took a step closer, keeping his hands where Roman could see them. – Yea, like that. Keep in for one, two, and let go...

His breaths were loud and theatrical, like how Remus assumed actors would practice before going on stage, and the idea that, even during these moments, his brother was the dramatic one brought him the relief he needed to help him out until the end. Roman had always needed at least 3 or 4 loops before his shoulders started to unwind, before he slowly loosened his grip on whoever it was that he had grabbed, and this time was no exception.

Once Roman dared to look him in the eyes, the panic wasn’t there anymore, though he still looked annoyed.

- Aaaand you’re welcome – Remus declared before ruffling up his perfectly kept hair, warmth spreading across his chest over his loud shrieking. – I’ll shoot you a text next time, I promise.

- Leave it – Roman huffed, batting his hands away like the diva that he was. – Just don’t bother the neighbors with your incessant whining.

- While I typically don’t share the same opinions as Roman, Thomas really should have not been disturbed.

- Yeeea, the guy looked like shit.

Remus wasn’t allowed to finish chuckling before Roman was grabbing him by the front of his tank top, a menacing look in his eyes.

- Explain yourself before I knock your teeth in.

- He looked sick! Either that or I caught him in the middle of a really frustrating orgasm!

The apartment went eerily quiet, and the furious blush on Roman’s cheeks didn’t help disperse his confusion.

- Thomas might have been feverish – Logan’s calm voice clarified as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. – If so, without the proper medication, he might be experiencing other symptoms, such as muscle aches, nausea and the occasional chill.

- He was sweating a bunch.

Roman studied Remus’ face for a moment, slowly letting go of him as he strode closer to his partner.

- What’s got your panties in a bunch? – he frowned, suddenly noticing his favorite black cat wasn’t around. – And where’s your pussy?

- You stole it from me in the womb – Roman grumbled under his breath, knowing Remus didn’t mind those kinds of jokes. – And my love, please don’t start with your endearing rambles, I know all about how twins work.

As Remus let his eyes fall on Logan, his slightly parted lips and the raised hand did seem to indicate that he was ready to start a lecture. The soft comfy clothes and the less than well-kept hair didn’t take away from the fact that he was one hell of a sexy teacher. It did made Remus wonder just what gotten his hair to stick up like that.

One flash of how he might looked intertwined around his brother was enough to make him banish that thought into the intrusive corner of his mind.

- Can you just tell me why you’re here?

Remus stopped in between rooms, letting his eyes take in the furnished apartment instead of answering. Most of the place was one large area, one of those open room concepts where the living room and the kitchen had no walls to separate them, but Remus actually appreciated the look of this one. There were pops of color here and there, the large balcony window decorated with dark blue curtains that went really well with the cream couches and the fuzzy looking carpet. He could easily imagine how much Roman had whined to get the specific coffee table on the center or about which potted plants went where, and the idea brought a soft smile to his lips.

- Can’t a guy miss his sibling? – Remus suggested innocently, crossing his arms behind his back. – You know Jan-Jan keeps me company, but I need to annoy you from time to time to keep my sanity!

- ...Jan-Jan?

Remus stepped aside, letting a curious Logan pass by him.

- That would be his snake – Roman sighed, his hands reaching for one of the cupboards. – He named it Janus for whatever reason, but he refuses to actually treat the poor noodle by the proper title.

- Interesting.

- He’s a king snake! – Remus explained enthusiastically. – I got pictures of him in his enclosure if you’d like to take a look.

- Didn’t your phone die, you idiot – Roman grumbled from across the room, setting down a few different mugs on the dark marble counter.

- Oh, that explains why it doesn’t turn on – Remus chuckled, actually feeling bad for the disappointment that spread across Logan’s face. – I’m just gonna steal your charger real quick.

- Oh the fuck you aren’t!

Remus was already running down the hall cackling maniacally by the time Roman caught up to him, his arms miraculously managing to wrap around his middle as he was pulled away from the bedroom door. It didn’t stop him from screaming indignantly at the treatment, kicking his feet up into the air as he trashed around, but struggling had never convinced Roman to let go of him ever, just as it didn’t stop Logan from walking right past them, completely unphased.

By the time Remus untangled from his brother, his clothes disheveled to the point he had an entire nipple peeking out, Logan resurfaced from their bedroom just in time to stop him from jumping at Roman, securing him in place with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

- I wish to see the snake.

The request put a stop to the fight that was about to break out, both of them standing in the middle of the hallway with varying degrees of confusion on their faces, but perhaps the most surprising aspect of all was that Logan had cut off on his explanation by choosing to be as succinct as possible, a hand extended towards Remus with a charger gently resting on his palm.

In a matter of seconds, Remus was squatting down next to the closest power plug, tank top tugged back into something closer to being presentable.

But because this story is not about Roman, or Logan, or Remus - at least not just yet – the focus had to shift back to Thomas eventually. And this transition, while not as seamless as previous ones, happens to be equally as hilarious. For you see, Thomas had passed out almost immediately after coming into contact with his bed, taking one relieved sigh before he was out like a light, and though he couldn’t remember most of how his dream had unfolded, he remembers distinctly about the moment where things got weird. So weird in fact, that something in the back of Thomas’ mind, even in his sleep, was trying to warn him that this was indeed, only a dream.

Of course, Thomas was still unconscious, and therefore, unaware of what he should be trying to understand, so he merely shrugged, absorbing the reality around him without question. He was in the middle of a huge open field, lying on his back, and the greenery surrounding him made him feel content in a way he hadn’t been in a really long time. Like finding a childhood toy at the bottom of a moving box, or drinking the perfect hot cocoa. The air around him was warm, but not unpleasant, a gentle breeze kissing his cheeks, and Thomas closed his eyes as he breathed it all in, feeling his chest rise and fall.

Once he opened his eyes again, watching the clouds move lazily across the sky, he noticed the full moon just by a corner, as radiant and bright as the sun. It confused him slightly, the fact that it was there, but Thomas was so comfortable that he couldn’t think of questioning it. Casually raising his hand, his eyes skimmed through tweets written by his most beloved friends, most of them mentioning The Void in some way or another.

With a frown pulling between his eyebrows, Thomas propped himself off the ground, having read one too many nonsensical jokes about this Void. Usually when this happened, his mutuals were simply talking about the new hot topic of discussion, or referencing a meme that had spawned in the middle of the night while he was asleep, so after checking the Trending bar and not finding any tags referencing The Void, Thomas tried to search it up as best as he could, expecting for this whole thing might be related to a new scientific discovery, or maybe some really undercover punk band.

Someone slapped his phone away from his hands before he could have an answer.

- Hey!

A tall man was glaring down at him, dark eyes staring right into his soul. They seemed almost golden under the moonlight, unblinking, and Thomas was frightened into silence, not understanding how he hadn’t heard the man approaching when he was all alone in this park. Although he had yet to say a word, he had grabbed his full attention with that look alone, and that was all before Thomas realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

Heat burned its way to his ears, his eyes frantically trying to stay above the waistline, but the stranger didn’t seem to mind the staring for too long, suddenly grabbing at his hair with enough strength to hurt. His endless pupils grew all the more disturbed once Thomas winced in pain, shaking him until he opened his eyes again, and he was about to complain about the treatment when he noticed the scars drawn underneath his nipples. They were white, a faded thing, like they had healed decades ago, and Thomas could almost forget about the tugs pulling at his scalp while he stared at them, understanding what they meant and yet, not at all.

The stranger finally let go of his hair, taking a step back, and Thomas raised his head to watch his face, searching for things he couldn’t put into words. Opening his mouth to speak, nothing but air came through his lips, a raspy, broken sound where his voice should have been, and dread settled in his stomach as he realized that he couldn’t speak, one frantic hand pressed into his throat as he wheezed for help.

The ruffling of the trees sounded like shards of broken glass being thrown against a wall, his eyes watering at they tried to shield themselves from the sudden change, but the man in front of him stood unphased by the weather, his black hair shuffling with the wind.

Thomas tried to speak once more, a broken cough interrupting him attempts, and as he bent down to stop his body from heaving his lungs out in the middle of all of the panic, he spotted his phone not even a few inches away. His Twitter feed was displayed, words blurring out of existence as the screen scrolled them up by itself, and Thomas had only a few seconds to catch up to what he was reading before the stranger smashed his phone to bits, crunching his phone under the heels of his bare feet.

- If you dare to hurt either of them, I will make sure you never see the sun again.

Thomas woke up with a gasp, chocking on his own spit. The room was dark, the bedsheets under his hands distinctively wet, and as he tried to jerk away from the sensation, he realized why it felt so hard to breathe. There was a weight on top of him, and he was lying on his stomach.

Any other day, this wouldn’t have been a problem. Considering how the last few days had turned out to be, this was the least of his concerns actually. The problem was that Patton was just too clumsy to be able to sleep on top of him without waking him up once he eventually fell, and he usually didn’t snore.

The weight was snoring.

It was a quiet rhythmic thing, almost human like, and it freaked Thomas out enough for his muscles to instinctively go tense before the threat, his tired, feverish brain overheating from the sudden spike of anxiety.

The snoring stopped, paws pressing gently between his shoulder blades, and then the distinctive shape of a cat torso flopped sideways on top of his back.

- Oi – Thomas whispered, still not daring to move. – Patton?

The weight didn’t answer him, its tail very softly brushing against his back, and before his lack of options, Thomas was reminded of the dream he had just woken up from, thinking back to that park, to the weird new meme everyone was talking about. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t remember the face of the person he had seen, only recalling their black hair, but the sight of their bare chest was burned into the back of his retinas, projected into his brain every time he closed his eyes.

Wait, the scars. Those were top surgery scars. How was his brain thinking about that when none of his trans friends had done that procedure.

The weight on his back moved, a sound that was barely perceptible rumbling against his ribs, and Thomas quickly assumed the strange cat lying on top of him had just yawned. It would have been cute if he had been able to see it. Or, you know, if he could see much of anything.

- Pat? – he called out a little louder this time, intending to summon his own pet as to maybe convince this one to let him get up. – Puffball? Can you come here real quick?

There was a questioning mmrheow coming from the living room, followed by idly pacing steps, and Thomas felt himself relax as the weight on top of him shifted again, a sudden flick of a head as he turned to see Pat stride in through the open bedroom door.

- I thought you hated me – Thomas mumbled to the cat, relieved and confused that Virgil was standing anywhere near him, let alone sleeping. – Can you please get off of me now?

For a brief moment, Thomas fully believed that the cat would do the exact opposite just to spite him, probably lying on top of him so that he could smother him in his sleep, but to his surprise, Virgil jumped swiftly onto the bed, sitting back on his butt. The shock was enough to freeze him in place, his eyes having adjusted just enough to the darkness to see the reflection of Virgil’s yellow pupils staring down at him, and that’s when the memories of the dream swinged full force at him, the apathetic face of the man that had threatened him startling him into a sitting up position.

Virgil didn’t even flinch, tail flickering every so often, and after locking eyes with Thomas, he promptly jumped off the bed, happily strolling up to Patton.

In his feverish state of mind, no one could convince Thomas that the man in the dream wasn’t Virgil, a manifestation of his darkest desires somehow, but a quick glance at the cat had him doubting the validity of that claim, the corners of his little mouth quirked up into something resembling of a smile as he gently bumped his head against Patton’s.

Chapter Text

- Oh, fudge, it’s already this late!

Roman glanced up away from his phone, coffee mug abandoned next to him on the couch. Remus was still around, still crouched next to the power plug as he gushed quietly about all of the wonderful traits of his pet snake, and he wasn’t pouting over the lack of attention. Nope, he wasn’t upset at all that Logan actually wanted to listen to his brother’s ramblings about reptile reproduction and the recent scientific discoveries regarding snake clitoris. Clitorises. Whatever the hell was the plural form of that word.

And truth be told, Roman got a little distracted. He might not show that he cared, but he couldn’t let Remus wander around town with his manly tits out and his booty shorts and not get concerned over his well-being. At some point, he had said something about a cat café, something that seemed straight out of an anime, and Roman followed every little clue like it was a crumb trail.

It had taken him a while, but he was almost certain he had just found it. Your Neighborhood Cat, was apparently the name of the place. It was a couple of blocks away from their apartment, if Roman was understanding Google correctly, but this should be it. They had their own webpage, a sparkly layout where your mouse turned into an actual mouse, and the more Roman looked into it, the more dizzy he got.

Thomas really wasn’t helping his case either. He had remained quiet all afternoon, grinding on his nerves as he kept trying to listen in for any harsh falls or sudden crashes, and then all of the sudden, the man was thumping up a storm, loud meows following every step he took. The familiar sound of the balcony window sliding open became more important than whatever it was that his brother was saying now, and with quick glance out of his own window, Roman was able to witness the exact moment when Thomas turned on the lights, shadows drawn across his balcony as he moved about.

It had Roman frowning until he remembered that Virgil’s furtive attempts at escaping revolved around wooing the adorable Siberian cat from next door.

- Shoo! Please- just, just go home!

Virgil’s annoyed snarls were loud enough to be heard from where Roman was sitting, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he propped himself onto his feet. It was his time to shine.

- I’ve heard someone is being stubborn.

Thomas flinched from where he was kneeling down onto the ground, panic in his eyes as he stared up at Roman. The poor man was bundled up in some old sweatshirt, one too many sizes too big on him, his greasy hair sticking to his forehead, and Roman was suddenly overwhelmed with the need to take care of him, drag him back to bed and tuck him in until his fever passed.

- I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t look at the time—

- Hey hey, it’s alright – Roman reassured him softly, hands in the air as he stepped out into his own balcony. – C’mon, Virge, let’s go home.

The black cat turned to look at him with those yellow eyes of his, acknowledging that he had heard him, but in those same stubborn pupils, Roman swore he saw worry, paws firmly placed on the ground as he ignored his request.

- Virge? Thomas needs to rest, okay buddy? – Roman walked closer to the divide between their balconies, not really understanding what his cat wanted. – It’s time to come back home.

Before Virgil could react, Thomas’ beautiful kitten meowed right through the conversation, slipping gracefully between his owner’s legs, and like long lost lovers, Patton threw himself at Virgil with an intensity that was propably unmeasured, both cats stumbling down to the balcony floor with a quiet sound. Roman quietly cooed at the scene, covering his mouth in shock when Virgil didn’t immediately try to scratch the other cat out of existence, but Thomas didn’t seem to understand the sentimentality of the scene, frantic hands reaching for Patton.

- No no no, Pat-

The cat in question meowed loudly, crying at the thought of being separated from Virgil, and Roman was getting a little teary eyed over watching the whole interaction, completely missing the relaxed body language of his own cat as it remained laying down on the ground, coned head dropped to the side as his tail flickered calmly.

- I believe this is my queue to intervene.

Roman turned around just in time to see Logan stepping out into the cold starless night, glasses elegantly pushed up his nose as he pat the wrinkles out of his unicorn onesie. It had been a joke gift that Roman had bought for him a long time ago, shoved into the ugliest wrapping he had been able to find, but the way Logan’s eyes lit up at the sight of the soft fabric, his gentle hands as he carefully picked it up...

Just thinking about those precious memories had his heart melting in his chest, a pile of goo that stirred excitedly the closer Logan walked up to him.

He even forgot about Thomas.

That is, of course, until his kitten meowed again, draping dramatically across his arms, paws stretched back.

- That is quite a beautiful specimen of a Siberian cat you got there, Thomas – he said, overly formal as per usual, his steps catching the attention of every living thing standing between the two balconies. – It is extremely unusual that they continue to be this talkative into their adult years, but I have to admit, it is very pleasing to hear your companion expressing himself like this.

From the floor, Virgil let out a quiet huff as he rolled back into his paws, and without any further prompting, jumped onto the railing separating the balconies, and then onto Logan’s arms. He must have aimed for the man’s shoulders, as it was his habit, but with the cone on his head, he might have just miscalculated his trajectory. Roman would have screamed in a panic if he wasn’t aware of how resilient Virgil truly was.

- How...?

- Virgil has taken quite a liking to our nerd over here – Roman breathed out fondly, watching how calmly his boyfriend held him. – If only he loved me.

- Roman, please – Logan sighed, acting as if being Virgil’s favorite wasn’t the most challenging of quests. – I express my affections for you on a daily basis.

Out of the corner of his eye, Thomas watched as Roman flushed red, his words sputtering out in short gasps, and the realizations hitting him from every other direction made him dizzy enough that even Patton noticed, his paw gently feeling at his chest as his shiny blue eyes stared right into his own.

- I’m okay, buddy – Thomas mumbled quietly, bringing a hand up to scratch him between the ears. – I probably should go inside now.

He couldn’t look the couple in the eyes as they moved about, his knees barely supporting his weight. The old cat wasn’t prone to much shifting while he was in Thomas’s arms, but he turned his head in Virgil’s direction one last time as if to say goodbye, and just being aware of that fact made him feel ten times worst.

- Sorry for disturbing you – Thomas still remembered to say, the corners of his mouth going strained as he forced out the kindest smile he could. – Please don’t go catching a cold like I did.

Logan might have said something, or Roman – Thomas wasn’t really looking anymore -, but his apartment immediately felt emptier than before once he managed to close the balcony window behind him, the sound of the lock snapping in place cutting him from the rest of the world. Patton was purring up a storm against his ribcage, nuzzling his furry face into his shirt, and Thomas was pleasantly surprised with the amount of healing that dealt for his fairly bruised soul.

Of course he had hoped that Roman was gay. Or just about any flavor of queer, really. His heart ached to find more friends inside of the community, more so than the type of loneliness that usually flooded him after someone told them all about their amazing partners. And while he had also entertained the thought that Logan was more than just a roommate, the idea had felt a little silly at the time, maybe even disrespectful. Friends could share an apartment regardless of gender or sexuality. They could also adopt a cat together. Hell, that’s exactly what he and Joan had done!

But the fact that he had been right on all accounts brought a sour taste to his mouth, an overwhelming sense of wrong crushing his spirit.

Why had he even thought that he might have had a chance?

Gently lowering Patton to the ground, the cat hopped down to the floorboards with a fairly satisfying sound, and Thomas allowed himself to smile a little, combing his hair away from his eyes. Maybe a shower would make him feel better. Some wine too. There shouldn’t be a problem in ordering in for the 4^th time this week, right?

Meanwhile, Roman wasn’t even allowed to unpack the few short interactions that he had shared with Thomas when Remus had yet to stop talking.

- Aww, look at the puss puss. Who’s a good puss puss?

Virgil turned his coned head in Roman’s general direction, the plastic stopping him from staring at his owners as he was cradled up to Remus’ chest, but his general body language didn’t seem to indicate discomfort, and this was particularly concerning when Virgil had a track record of scratching the shit out of anyone that got too close to his face.

Roman truly couldn’t understand his cat sometimes.

To the surprise of everyone present, the black furball started purring, a really quiet thing as he shifted closer to Remus’ chest, and Roman saw the exact moment when his brother realized what this meant, his glossy eyes and the open mouth slowly turning to meet Roman.

- He’s falling asleep – Remus choked up, apparently not exaggerating at all in his reaction as he struggled to show the sleepy cat without arising him from his contented slumber.

- You must be supporting his head – Logan chimed in, taking a careful step closer. – Virgil has been struggling to adapt to the newly implemented weight around his neck.

Remus let out a weird sound that could have meant just about anything, and Roman watched in silence as his boyfriend came to stand right next to Remus, an uncharacteristic softness cradling his cheeks as he gently peered down at Virgil’s face.

He should have been happy that things were going this smoothly for once. That despite the surprise visit, his brother wasn’t purposefully trying to ruin his peaceful day just to be annoying, and yet, something dangerous arose in his chest, making the tips of his fingers go cold and tension pull at the muscles on his back.

- Alright, that’s enough – Roman spoke with a little too much venom, immediately regretting how he had said it. – It’s getting late.

He could feel two different pairs of eyes on him - the concern radiating off of Logan, the aloofness of his brother -, but Roman ignored it all as he walked right past them, going straight for Remus’ phone, still connected to the charger a few feet away. It was almost up to 100%, which was a relief considering it had been completely drained before, and Roman didn’t hesitate to plug it out of its power source as he opened up Google Maps, looking up the directions for Remus’ house.

It was as good of an excuse as any, to pretend like he was merely concerned about Remus’ safety when he just wanted him to leave, and while he knew that was a problem, Roman couldn’t exactly stop now. He had already said it, had already grabbed his phone, and trying to backtrack and soften the blow after the fact was only going to cause more problems. When it came to his true nature, Roman had always felt like a ticking bomb, the seconds passing by growing louder and louder as he kept picking the wrong options.

The soft approaching steps should have told Roman that the timer was up.

- Roman—

- There – he chose to redirect his energy onto ignoring his feelings as he returned Remus’ phone. – You should have no trouble getting home now.

Remus was still holding his cat, still appearing as stupidly confused as per usual, but a hand was extended towards him anyways, grabbing his phone before looking down at it.

- Alright. I shouldn’t leave Janny alone for too long anyways. Will you hold this for me?

Roman frowned as his brother stepped closer still, gently transferring the sleepy fur ball onto his folded arms, and slipping between the hairs of his mustache, Remus whispered quiet words into Virgil’s ear that he couldn’t catch, guilt dropping heavily into Roman’s stomach as his eyes overflowed with silent defeat.

- Well, see ya, neerds! I’m gonna go crash my car into a wall.

He was out the door before anyone could protest, throwing it closed behind him with a loud bang. Remus only somewhat regretted his actions, the true weight of his emotions only hitting him once he found where the heck he had actually left his car, and for a quiet moment, Remus just sat there, holding the steering wheel with a vice grip.

The drive home was boring and uneventful. With his phone serving as GPS, it took Remus around 20 minutes of purely unadulterated silence to reach his destination, but the lack of noise had been there purposeful. He needed to recharge his emotional batteries after the day he had today. And “lack of” would be sort of stretching the definition of it anyways. The sound of the tires rolling across the concrete, the low humming of the engine working. It was soothing, in a way, how familiar it all was.

Parking into the driveway of his house, Remus couldn’t help but let out a dramatic sigh. At least he was home. He couldn’t stop thinking about how much he wanted trap Janus in cuddles, smoosh their faces together as he laughed louder than the situation called for, but he knew his silly snake would only hiss at him before allowing his wandering hands to do as they pleased.

With that thought in mind, Remus climbed out of the car, house keys already hooked around his fingers.

As he unlocked the front door, the silence that greeted him made him hesitate a little, a sudden idea popping into his head. It wasn’t unusual that the house would be this quiet, but it only further justified the harmless little challenge that he was already putting into motion, the key slowly sliding out of the lock as Remus wondered for how much longer he could go unnoticed. The lack of noise felt like a buzzing in his ears, the thumping of his beating heart providing very little stimulation as the rush of adrenaline in his veins begged him to hurry, to move faster, to scream from the top of his lungs at a frequency that would shatter glass, but he did none of those things, holding the door with a steady grip as it moved inch by slow inch, the slightest creaks making him stop all together.

- ... Do I wanna know what you’re doing?

- Shh!! You’re going to make me make noise!

The voice promptly stopped bothering him, and Remus let the small wave of anger that had risen fizzled out as he quickly went back to the task at hand, only to become immediately paralyzed by confusion.

- Wait.

The most handsome person he had ever seen was standing by the doorway to the kitchen, a steaming mug held between his gloved hands. Janus’s long brown hair flowed down his back like the finest piece of silk, luscious and damp, and his pale cheeks were dusted with a very gentle pink. Remus could barely care about the raised eyebrow he was throwing in his direction, of the judgmental look in his eyes, when all he could think about was how his smile would taste like, about how easily he could shove him against the wall, his hands buried into Remus’s hair as he made him gasp and whine.

- Took you long enough – Janus deadpanned, calmly bringing the mug he was holding up to his lips, his throat bobbing as he took a sip. – No matter how many times you try, you always fail.

- Aww, c’mon – Remus pouted, standing up straight before walking up to his boyfriend. – I was so close this time!

Janus didn’t grace him with an answer, his eyes wrinkling with amusement instead as Remus rested his hands on his hips. From this up close, Remus could smell the scent of his shampoo, the warmth of his sweet tea, and he could almost get lost in it, already overwhelmed from being allowed this near.

Wordlessly, Janus leaned forward, wrapping his arms around his neck. His eyes watched every inch of Remus’s face with languished patience, searching for something he did not voice, and only once he was content with his findings did he come closer, his parted lips pressing against Remus’s. There was no rush, no method to his madness. Janus kissed him with reverence, like he was reminding him of his worth every time he allowed him near, and a whimper died in Remus’s throat, desperate to prove him wrong. Janus pulled away from him as soon as he tried.

- What did Roman say to you?

It was not a question, more of a thinly disguised threat, but Remus reacted to it all the same, hiding his face against the curve of Janus’s neck as he hugged him close.

- I don’t want to talk about it.

Remus felt him sigh, a gentle rise and fall of his chest pushing against his, the pads of his gloves gently rubbing against his scalp as Janus buried his fingers into the hairs on the back of his head.

- I was on my way to the living room – Janus mumbled softly, his breath warm against his cheek. – I could use some company.

Turns out, company was code for making out, but Remus couldn’t really say that he hated that. Janus had the audacity to lead him by the hand and casually sit down on the couch before taking one last sip of his tea and climbing onto his lap, and Remus had never been known for having much self-control. The way Janus looked down at him as he combed the hair away from his eyes, hands on his shoulders as he shifted closer, it was enough for his grip around Janus’s hips to tighten, for that fire inside of his stomach to come to life. His tongue tasted faintly of honey and chamomile, his skin so warm underneath his clothes, and Remus couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be, letting out a pitiful moan as soon as Janus tried to slip away.

- Shh – Janus’s eyes slowly cracked open, the fabric of his gloves gently stroking Remus’s cheeks as he leaned closer still. – I’m here.

It was equal parts comforting and devastating, the tenderness in his voice as his smile brushed over Remus’s lips. The weight of him on his thighs stopped him from leaving, from running away, and Remus felt the tears prickling behind his eyelids as he was reminded of how much he loved this man, how much he trusted him.

- I’m here. – his gravely voice repeated, his breath warm on Remus’s lips as Janus pressed their foreheads together. – Tell me what you need, dear.

- You could stab me right now and I’d thank you for it.

His cracking voice and the trembling edge to his tone were absolutely ridiculous, only taking away from whatever honesty Remus was pushing into his words, but after dealing with him for long enough, Janus somehow understood the sentiment behind it, solemnly nodding as his thumbs cradled his cheeks.

- I would not mind that, but I believe some foreplay is in order before we reach third base. So to speak.

Remus blinked, glossy eyes drying up with confusion, but thankfully, it didn’t take much longer for his loud, crazed laugher to fill his chest, bouncing off the walls and making his ears ring.

Janus wouldn’t have it any other way.

That is, of course, until Remus shoved his hot hands inside of his shirt, the cold air hitting his skin and his touch making Janus squeal as electricity crackled up his spine, and suddenly, he didn’t like his laughter so much anymore, the hands on Remus’s cheeks turning viscerally stiff as Janus shifted his efforts into getting his face as far away from him as possible.

Like this, any concern he might have felt for his boyfriend faded away, wandering hands and high pitched giggles keeping them from kissing again, but surprisingly enough, that didn’t stop Janus from thinking about it, from wanting to overpower him and steal a kiss from his lips as he stood victorious on top of him, triumphant in his attempts to seize control of his mind.

He was so close to achieving his glorious mission, their short breaths mingling together as sweat started to break from their playful sparring, and just as Janus was about to get the upper hand, Remus wrapped his arms tightly around him, only getting his shirt to rise up higher before he was carelessly thrown over the couch.

Though, perhaps it wasn’t so bad to be lying down now, Remus’s body promptly slipping on top of his. A little bit of a different dynamic, one that painted him so easily as the defeated, but considering the focus on Remus’s eyes as he looked down at him, the desperate rise and fall of his chest only served to send shivers down Janus’s back, all of the delicious thoughts spinning inside of his head making him go pliant with need.

He hadn’t been lying when he mentioned the foreplay, especially considering how sensitive his lover could get, but it didn’t even have to get to that. They didn’t have to go any farther than this for Janus to wrap his arms around Remus’s neck again, gently coaching him closer.

- You devious son of a bitch.

The foul language made his partner laugh as he had expected, a few breathy chuckles escaping from his lips as his hands slipped from underneath Janus’s body, and it didn’t take long before the tension in the room gained a very different connotation as Remus’s eyes darkened, holding his gaze until Janus nodded.

Remus was quick to spread Janus’s legs, slip between his thighs. There was still so very little being said, so many emotions being dodged, but this was okay for now. Especially, but not particularly, because having Remus like this always made Janus forget completely about what he was about to say next, lust like a sleeping dragon on his stomach that was slowly coming away from his slumber.

- I win – Remus breathed out, his hands slipping to his bare waist.

- You didn’t win shit.

- Oh, but I will.

The glint in his eyes should have been enough to warn Janus of what was going to happen next, but the way Remus’s hands squeezed around his skin, how he towered above him, it made Janus’s thoughts dissolve into nothing.

- Should I go get the strap or am I carrying you to bed?

He could only hum, tightening his grip around Remus’s neck.

- Surprise me.

Chapter Text

Sometimes Virgil couldn’t comprehend that he was working at a cat store.

Sure, he knew why. He knew how. But that doesn’t mean he could fully grasp the idea of technically being the sole parent for a bunch of cats during most hours of his day.

Someone came in through the front door just as Virgil was checking stock, looking for the pink harnesses that had flied off the shelves again, and he just kneeled on the floor for a couple of seconds, taking a few deep gulps of air. There was someone else in the store with him, handling the register until they switched after lunch break, but Virgil was still in charge of restocking and general cleaning considering the huge amount of cats walking around in the first place.

Adjusting the loops of fabric around his ears, Virgil kept his eyes glued to the ground as he exited the storage room. Today was a fairly good day, by all means. He didn’t feel like dying over the thought of having to interact with people, and he actually managed to choke down some breakfast before clocking in. Even the cats seemed to notice that his mood was different, from the way they stared at him from up high on their perches, and Virgil allowed himself to smile a little as he went around the store, checking the litter boxes and the food dispensers for anything that might be out of place.

The person that came in through the door settled by the main area, barely managing to keep his excited coos to himself as three different cats came running towards him, and Virgil threw him a curious glance before slipping to the second, more secluded part of the store. He had never visited a cat café before deciding he should work here, but he knew this one was different.

For starters, everyone in this store was severely traumatized, and that included the cats.

Why is that relevant information to understand Virgil’s actions? Well, because he was the only one allowed in the second area for a reason. And that was that he was the only one accepted by the cats living in that area. Cats with severe attachment styles were kept here, and on the opposite side of the spectrum, cats with horrendous reactions to people were also kept here. This was for both the animals and the humans’ safety, as some of these cats had tendencies to lash out unprovoked, snarling and hissing and scratching at the closest sign of a threat.

Because you see, the whole point of this café was that it was a safe space. Not for the client, no, despite it frequently being the case. College students and homeless people frequently dropped by to have a quiet place to sit down and just enjoy the free Wi-Fi, but the main goal of the establishment was to employ and protect a very specific demographic. Every cat here had been rescued in some way or another. Abusive households, near death situations. Cats with their fur full of mats or with missing whiskers were added to their database after being checked by a vet, and Virgil refused to admit that the things he had seen broke his heart beyond repair.

Now, it mostly just filled him with anger, the lack of responsibility on the part of the owners, the cruelty of the world. A white Persian cat raised her head to stare at him as soon as he walked in, making a curious sound in the back of her throat. Snow had been found by him roaming the streets a couple of blocks away from his apartment, her fur tangled and dirty to the point she blended right in with the shadows of the night. After winning her trust with some cat treats, it was more than obvious that she was a domestic cat that had been dumped by the side of the road, and Virgil still isn’t quite sure how she survived. The vets said she was severely malnourished and dehydrated and even after a couple of weeks, her diet was still being weekly monitored to make sure she would come out of this safe and healthy.

Virgil calmly extended his hand for her to sniff, and once her little nose twitched a couple of times, she turned her head the other way, seemingly ignoring him.

- Alright, no pets today – he mumbled to himself, letting his eyes wander across the room.

Ginger and Potato were cuddling up to each other by the window, apparently not aware of his presence, unlike Tyler, who was already snarling at him. He was some sort of mixed breed, broken ears forever doomed to flop against his head as the fur on his back stood up in alarm, but one quick look down at his paws told Virgil that the worst he could do was try to bite a chunk out of his arm. He always got Tyler mixed up with AK-49 due to their similar backstories, but while the latter immediately jumped at the change to sink their nails onto his calves, Tyler had been declawed at an early age. Also he liked high places for some goddamn reason.

It wasn’t hard to run by the check list of everything he had to do in this area. Dust had gotten stuck behind the bookshelf again trying to escape from the other cats, and Meatball’s paw seemed like it might need some more attention before it was fully healed, but besides that, most cats seemed to be doing okay. Virgil let the pair of orange idiots cuddle for a little while longer before bribing them with treats, just enough so that they’d let him check on the stitches left behind from their spaying surgeries, but overall, they both were hanging in there.

To his surprise, he even found two cats peering past the limits of their enclosure, probably curious about the commotion happening on the main area. The guy that had showed up about an hour ago was still there, and his laughter was the loudest thing in the entire store, but it wasn’t threatening or unsettling in any way. It was awfully similar to a child’s laughter, which was weird considering the dude was probably in his 40’s.

With another deep breath in, Virgil peered down at Dust’s dorky face and walked ahead to show that it was okay to follow him, keeping his eyes on the cat as he walked up to the register.

- Who’s the giggly bitch? – he grumbled behind his mask, quickly trying to catch the name pinned to the clothes of the person in front of him.

- I have no idea – Cameron replied with a sigh, throwing a shrug in there for good measure. – I’ve never seen him before, but he bought our monthly donation thing as soon as he saw that on the menu.

Virgil widened his eyes, raising his head to look at his coworker.

- What??

- I’m telling you, dude – Cameron leaned over the counter, resting his face on his hands. – He said a friend of his recommended this place.

Virgil let his eyes scan the main area, quickly catching sight of the mysterious angel. It was a little slow today when it came to the café portion of the store, considering this stranger was the only person around, but as a full time employee, Virgil was more than used to this. Most of their clients were cat owners looking for clothes or accessories that they sold on the side, but they had a couple of tables placed next to the large open windows that peered out onto the street. The floors were carpeted and filled with cat toys, several scratch posts and obstacle courses nailed to the walls. Overall, it was obvious that it was mostly a cat space, with some elements added so that customers could order some simple food and just enjoy their time.

The man lying down on the floor didn’t seem to understand that he could just sit down pretty much anywhere he wanted, staring up at the ceiling as one of their newest kittens knocked the glasses out of his face with a clumsy fall to the ground.

- Uhm – Virgil slowly tore his eyes away, directing his attention back to Cameron. – Well, I guess that’s a good thing. Did he mention if he wanted to adopt or?

- Hm? No, I don’t think so.

- Okay, so we gotta introduce him to someone from the other isle.

- That is the deal, yea... – Virgil didn’t need to be staring at Cameron’s face to know he also didn’t like that idea much.

- It doesn’t have to be now. I think he has enough cats around him already.

- True.

Virgil kneeled down to come closer to Dust, watching his body language for a moment. He was a British Short Hair, his round black eyes only appearing bigger in contrast with his dark grey fur, and his twitchy ears and the low wagging tail quickly told Virgil he probably wasn’t ready to be around in the main area just yet. Gently reaching to rub his thumb over the patch of fur that was probably his forehead, Virgil quickly tuned out the meowing happening behind him in the hopes to get Dust to calm down.

- Let’s go over to this table, buddy – he slowly raised away from the ground, making clicking noises with his tongue as he led the cat to the table he had mentioned.

It was a squared table they had gotten from a restaurant down the road, a walk in donation, and coupled with the sofas the manager had bought out of her own pocket, it was the middle ground for visitors to sit down and play with cats that belonged to the different areas, so long as they respected everyone’s boundaries and had bought either the monthly or the yearly pass. If everyone was feeling particularly shy or feisty, they opened that area for regulars they knew would behave for a couple of hours.

Virgil sat down on the couches, huffing to himself as Dust immediately jumped after him, dropping onto the cushion laying next to his hand. It might be slow today, but his job was never really over. Checking over the most fragile cats, being their body guard and their punching bag, it was an ongoing process of trust and security to get them to stop seeing humans as a threat. Slouching down into the cushions, Virgil let his head fall back as he patted his hands over his lap, peering towards Dust to see if he was reacting to the command at all. He had been making some very good progress recently, and even though his ears were still pinned back, his eyes kept staring intensely at his face, which could mean just about anything. In Dust’s case, the fact that he wasn’t running for the hills was the biggest sign of trust he could display.

Virgil smiled behind his face mask, digging in his pockets for the little tube of fancy treats. It was all about constant positive reinforcement and not encouraging bad behavior. And as he focused on the cat and not on the other people present in the store, Virgil felt like he could relax a little as well as he squeezed a dollop onto his finger, slowly extending it in Dust’s direction.

It took him a little while to understand what he was sniffing, his whiskers tickling his hand as the cat came close enough to bite his entire hand off, but instead, as gently as he always did it, Dust leaned forward and quickly lapped at the offered treat, the sound of his wet tongue and the final smack of his lips as he licked down every little piece of it was the final nail on his coffin, quiet laughter bubbling up inside of Virgil’s chest.

- That’s it – he reached forward, scratching behind his right ear just how he liked it. – You’re such a brave boy, aren’t you?

The quiet sound of purring filled the room, and it took Virgil a second too long to understand it was coming from Dust, his eyes blinking slowly as he rubbed the top of his head against the back of Virgil’s hand. It wasn’t unheard of, that the cats here purred just like everyone else, but considering the amount of feral cats between their numbers and the equal proportion of them that had never been properly socialized, it was a shock to him every single time that an animal came close enough to trust him like this.

The rest of the day wasn’t nearly as eventful. Giggly Bitch – as Cameron kept calling him – had bounced as soon as lunch time came around, and Virgil was thankful enough over the fact that he hadn’t tried to strike up conversation with him as it so frequently happened.

Of course his hopes and dreams had to be shattered right the next day, same bright polo shirt and thick glasses roaming around the store as Virgil was busy stopping a cat from climbing behind the counter. He was wearing a long flowery skirt, his short curly hair pulled away from his eyes with a blue headband, and Virgil stood frozen as he came closer, offering him the biggest grin he had ever seen on anyone’s face.

- Hi there! – his hands wrapped around the handles of his tote bag, something like nervousness making him squeeze at them just a little too harshly. – Can I get an Americano, please?

Virgil lost himself to his eyes, openly staring at the man standing before him. There was no one else at the store other than him today, so he couldn’t go ask for help even if his hands shook too much and he ended up fucking this guy’s order, but the sheer discrepancy between his appearance and the bitterness of his order was enough to snap him out of his stupor, his fingers hovering above the buttons displayed on the screen in front of him.

- Would you like that in a mug or in a paper cup?

- Oh, mug please.

His fingers tapped pleasantly against the tablet, scrolling through the generic options as he followed the mental script he had memorized during the first week of working here.

- Anything else I can get for you today?

- Hmm, no, not really – the strange man smiled, rummaging inside of his bag until he found his wallet. – Or, well, maybe just a little information? I can stay here with the kitties even after I’m done, right?

Virgil did the mistake of following his instincts and looked the guy in the eyes, a pang of guilt stabbing right through his heart as he noticed just how awkwardly fidgety he was acting.

- You can sit at the tables even without ordering – he clarified as calmly as he could manage, punching a few more buttons on the screen. – Wi-Fi is free, and the store closes at 6. So long as you don’t step over the cats and don’t break anything, you can do pretty much whatever you want.

- Oh, that’s such a relief – Virgil didn’t doubt it, from the way his shoulders suddenly dropped. – I brought this book with me and I’d have to walk over to the park to read it if that wasn’t allowed in here.

- That’s, a long way from here to the park.

- Well, a man’s gotta do what he’s gotta do – Giggly Bitch shrugged, pulling out a couple of bills. – My upstairs neighbor is doing some loud renovations and I just can’t let that ruin my vacation.

- Uhm...

- Sorry! Sorry, I’m rambling – he screwed his eyes shut, quickly placing the money on the counter. – That will be 3,45, right? You can keep the change.

Virgil didn’t need to look towards the counter to know that was way too much money.

- You have a monthly subscription card. Drinks and store items have 10% off during the first week of every month. – he waited until his receipt was printed before handing it out to him, quickly going over the money and returning an entire 10 dollar bill back to the man on the other side of the counter. – You can go sit at one of the tables and I’ll bring the drink out to you.

- Erh, but...

Behind the mask, Virgil took a deep breath in, turning his back to the stranger even if that might seem rude. He needed something to do with his hands before he lost control of this situation.

- I noticed you were around yesterday – the anxious man shrugged, reaching for a blue mug that was about the same shade of the stranger’s clothes. – Not a lot of people buy the donation cash grabs.

- Maybe so... but good thing I can do it!

Virgil nodded slowly as he went about the steps to make his drink, hoping he would just go away already before he burned himself, and the seconds ticked louder and louder inside of his head, the coffee machine buzzing to life to come replace the ever constant passage of time.

Somewhere during the pouring and the cleaning, the stranger had slipped onto the table closest to the cat tree, keeping a respectful distance between him and the napping Vanilla curled up on top of one of the lower bookshelves, and Virgil couldn’t help but stare at him again, going around the counter before carrying the mug over to the stranger.

- Thank you... – he smiled, blinking curiously at the little package that Virgil was quick to throw onto the table as well. – Uhm, what is this?

- On the house – he forced himself to stay in place, eyes glued to his shoes as he fidgeted with the rough ends of his sleeves. – It’s uhm. It’s no big deal.

- Oh, alright – the stranger nodded, gently taking the package between his hands.

Virgil couldn’t look him in the eye for the rest of the day. Not that he was trying before, but now he was actively avoiding it, and if the Giggly Bitch noticed it, he didn’t say anything. It was one of those store policy things that the manager had explained with her overly sweet voice: either try to strike up conversation wherever you can or make sure to give something to the customer that will make them feel at ease. It encouraged people to become regulars or whatever. Virgil just suspected it was her secret way of pushing the employees to talk to people in an environment where they knew they had the upper hand.

His only customer quietly sipped his coffee and munched on the cookies he had given him and read his book up until 4 pm. By then, whatever was on his hands must have come to a pretty sad conclusion, because Not So Giggly Bitch sniffled quietly as fat tears rolled down his cheeks, and Virgil stiffened all over, quickly looking away.

Eventually, he managed to compose himself, shoved his book back onto his bag, and brought the used mug back to the counter while rubbing the last few traces of sadness away from his eyes. Virgil did his best to grumble a thanks over his kindness, but he wasn’t sure the stranger had heard him, and then he was out the door.

The shop was suddenly so quiet.

Virgil didn’t work the next day, spending most of his time catching up on lost hours of sleep and lazing around in bed, so what a surprise it was, to come into the store on Friday and notice someone standing around by the door. From the distance, Virgil couldn’t quite make out their features, but as he came close enough that his greetings would probably be heard, it was a nice surprise to be meowed at instead, a black blur on this man’s shoulders purring loudly through the cone on its head.

- I seem to have mistaken your working hours.

A small smile drew across his lips, not yet confined by his face mask as it rested over his chin, and Virgil quickly tugged it upwards before pulling out the keys to open the store. He’d recognize that warm voice and formal tone anywhere.

- Virgil must be losing his touch if he didn’t try to stop you from making a fool of yourself.

Logan must have pouted, no matter how much he denied to be capable of that, and a quick glance in his direction told Virgil everything he needed to know, the doorbell jingling above their heads as they walked into the store.

- Haven’t seen you in a while. – Virgil commented, doing a quick glance around to make sure someone hadn’t tried to break in during the night.

- Yes, well, I haven’t had much time to come visit friends as I’m currently doing double hours.

- Oof – Virgil winced, quickly peering back at Logan before disappearing and appearing from the breakroom. – Keep going, I’m listening.

- Oh. Y-Yes. You see... I’m not exactly sure where to start this explanation if I’m being quite honest.

The lights flickered to life above their heads, a car drove by outside. Virgil’s soft paws dropped to the floor without any prompting from Logan, who was keeping a close eye on his cat at all times, and while it was a little hard to tell with the cone on his head, Virgil liked to believe his feline counterpart was happy to be back at the store, to some extent.

- The beginning would probably be a good place.

A flash of annoyance molded Logan’s features before it all melted away, a deep breath settling into his lungs. As Virgil jumped onto the counter, Virgil went about prepping everything that needed to be done before he could flip the open sign, and to his surprise, Logan actually started his story from the very beginning, explaining how he had come to realize that his next door neighbor was actually a teacher at his school as well, and how he had indirectly been the cause of his own suffering by putting the only Drama teacher on sick leave.

At this point, the cats from the main area were starting to roam around, coming out from their comfy beds hidden away in the breakroom to go gobble down some breakfast, and to Virgil’s surprise, they barely paid Logan any kind of attention. The tall man seemed to appreciate it very much.

- That’s rough. – Virgil let out as soon as he was done talking, scratching the top of his own head as Logan lingered by the other side of the counter. – Can I like, help you out somehow? Since, you know, you waited for me outside and all.

- I’m actually here because of Virgil – Logan pointed down at the black furball that hadn’t moved an inch since he had settled down on the counter. – He’s safe and healthy, I can assure you, but as I’m sure you’re aware, he doesn’t particularly enjoy his medical appointments.

- Ah. That explains the cone on his head.

- Precisely – the smallest of smiles tugged at the corners of Logan’s mouth, his hands crossing in front of him as he casually rested them on the counter. – He did not bite any professionals this time around, but he would not stop biting himself, which is less than ideal.

Virgil snorted behind his mask, looking down at his favorite black cat. His eyes were half closed, slow blinks taking him a ridiculous amount of time to complete, and although that probably meant he was so terribly comfortable he was starting to fall asleep, Virgil wanted to believe he was a little grumpy over this conversation as well.

- He would do that.

- He has done that – Logan stared down at his cat for a moment, shaking his head. – But that is why I brought him to you. As an employee of this establishment, I deduced that you’d be familiar with his... habits.

- I wouldn’t call that a habit, but yea, keep going.

- Do you know if, perhaps, Virgil would be more comfortable wearing clothes?

Virgil looked down at the cat, quietly assessing the situation.

- Actually, I have no idea.

- The cone has been preventing him from sleeping properly. I figured if there was cloth over the areas where he has been vaccinated, at least he’d be able to move around more comfortably.

Virgil pondered this for a moment, thinking back to everything they had in stock. All the cat clothes they had were made by small businesses in the area, but they were all themed costumes or hats and shit.

- Hmmm, that might work, but I don’t think he’s going to like the options.

- Oh, why not? – Logan frowned.

- Do you think this guy would tolerate looking like a bee for a week?

- Absolutely not.

They shared a quiet laugh as Virgil pulled away from the counter anyways, walking around it to inspect the things they had displayed at the front of the store.

The doorbell jingled just as he realized he had let his guard down.

- Gooooood morning, pussy cats! – a peppy voice echoed throughout he store, and Virgil didn’t need to be looking up to know who it belonged to. – Oh, Virgil!

It was as if a tray of ice cubes had been dumped down his shirt, fear instantly freezing him up in place.

- Remus?

- And Logan! – he quickly added, completely disregarding the human crouching by the clothing display as he ran halfway across the store. – What are you guys doing here?

- Remus, I’ll have to ask you to lower your voice.

- Oh, right – Remus cleared his throat, quickly scanning the store for human Virgil. – Sorry.

The employee barely had any time to react before he was talking again, though in a more hushed tone.

- Are you buying clothes for my favorite cat in the entire world?

- I was, actually. You see, I adopted him from this establishment.

- Ooh – Remus nodded in understanding, an impressed sparkle in his eyes as he took another look around. – That makes sense.

Virgil slowly raised back to his feet, ignoring the nuisance as he gathered up the courage to walk behind the counter again.

- We don’t... We don’t have anything that might help. – Virgil took a deep breath behind his mask, hoping that it wasn’t too obvious that he was starting to freak out a little. – The best I can do is like, contact the vet we usually go to and see if they have, I don’t know, compression clothes or something.

- I’d be incredibly grateful if you could do that for us, Virgil.

- Virgil? – the other man asked, his piercing green eyes staring right into his own as he tilted his head.

There was no words to describe the feeling that suddenly rose up inside of his chest. It wasn’t panic or confusion, something colder than dread seeping all the way to his bones, and the hopelessness shaking through him only got worst as lowered his eyes to the counter.

- Got a problem with that? – he spat, not bothering with trying to seem friendly.

- Why would I have a problem? – came Remus’s immediate answer, his breathless chuckles catching on his throat as one of his hands came hovering towards the counter. – Just thought it was kinda funny that you have the same name as this little guy.

His fingers sunk into the fur on Virgil’s back, disappearing into the soft pool of darkness. Unlike his brash voice and overbearing personality, Remus was surprisingly gentle as he pet the cat, sticking to his back without venturing much further, and Virgil watched as his feline version relaxed even further, his loaf form melting into a blob of hairy inky gloopiness as the sound of his purring became loud enough to rattle the counter.

Virgil looked from the black furball to the human petting it, impressed that he was respecting his boundaries.

- I’m sorry for not being able to stay longer, but I must take my leave. I have a class in exactly – Logan paused, glancing down at his watch. – 40 minutes.

Next to him, Remus quietly snickered.

- Goody two shoes.

- That is correct, yes – the teacher quickly dismissed him, grabbing onto his wrist before pulling it away from Virgil’s back. – I’m taking my cat with me, if you don’t mind.

- I do mind, actually – Remus’s demeanor suddenly changed, whipping his hand out of Logan’s weak grasp before crossing his arms over his chest. – Where are you leaving Virgil for the day?? You wouldn’t have brought him outside without a leash if you didn’t leave the carrier in your car, and you know how bad Virgil is with new people. You’re not just about to bring him into a high school classroom, are you?

The silence that followed his question was more incriminating than any answer Logan could have given him, awkwardness starting to seep into the air.

- I won’t allow it! – Remus cried out, horrified and amused in equal parts as he quickly made the decision for him. – Leave him with me. If my shitty brother isn’t home and he needs supervision, I’m not doing anything today.

- Remus, I cannot put this anymore lightly. – Logan started, adjusting his glasses. – You are not fit to take care of a cat.

The offended gasp that escaped his lips was sharp enough to draw Virgil’s attention, his yellow feline eyes centering on Remus’s face as his tail flicked.

- I’ll let you know, I’ve kept Janus alive for the last 4 years!

- Not a difficult task, considering he’s a snake – Logan commented coldly as he turned to fully face the other. – Now, if you’ll excuse me—

The tension in the air was promptly cut short as a loud hiss interrupted Logan. It left the three humans in the store utterly dumbfounded, and human Virgil couldn’t react fast enough to stop the chaos, a black blur moving out the corner of his vision before a heavy weight settled onto his bony shoulder. His paws sunk into the fabric of his hoodie in a way that was just short on choking his neck, and the plastic cone bumped against the back of Virgil’s head several times as the black cat got comfortable on top of his shoulders, and no matter how cute he was, there was no amount of purring that could serve to make this situation any better.

- Aww, he does that with you too! – Remus shrieked, hands on the counter as he leaned closer. – I thought he only did that with Logan there.

Virgil did his best to step away from him while simultaneously hunching forward, not wanting to be anywhere near another person if he could avoid it.

- No, he—He did this to stay away from people that tried to pet him.

Remus’s eyes widened in understanding as his mouth dropped open, and in the blink of an eye, he was glaring at Logan, staring at him with what Virgil could only describe as disdain.

- You fucker—

- I hate to ask you of this on such a short notice, but would it be possible for Virgil to stay here until I’m available to pick him up?

Virgil blinked, trying and failing to ignore how the fur ball quickly cuddled closer to the back of his neck.

- Uhm, yea, I guess.

- Then I must take my leave now. We have already medicated him and his dietary needs have not changed. I’ll hopefully appear before the store closes for the day.

- Cool.

Virgil internally cringed over the response that came out of him, quickly trying to cover it up by shoving his hands onto the pockets of his jacket.

- Thank you so much. We must discuss payment once I return.

The employee couldn’t get the words out fast enough. His mouth gaped, to reject his offer maybe, but Remus got ahead of him, cursing him to Hell and back for being a careless owner. In response, Logan only spared him a glance before walking out of the store, a small smile on his lips, and Virgil was left wondering what sort of relationship these two had that made the other man look so unbothered.

He wasn’t spared much time before Remus turned his attention back to him, a heavy sigh leaving his lungs.

- Some people just aren’t fit to be parents – he grumbled, once again leaning over the counter, arms crossed over the flat surface as he ruffled up his uncombed hair. – Did he not read the fucking sign? Who drops a catsit offer on someone that’s got anxiety?

Virgil blinked, not sure how he should feel.

- Didn’t take you for someone that cared. – he paused only to let him gasp, relaxing slightly when Remus finally seemed to understand that the counter was, effectively, the limit of his physical boundaries. – I’ve handled worse. And he’s having a tough time on his job. I’m sure he knew the risks of taking Virgil with him.

A cat meowed to his left, and as they turned their heads towards the noise, Vanilla stood right by the edge of the carpet, sitting back on her butt with her tail wrapped around her front paws. Behind her, Ethan was desperately trying to blend into the couch cushions while Lady Dimitrescu jumped almost on top of him to see the cars driving by, so Virgil went through his mental list of options, thinking about what she might be trying to call his attention for.

- I think she’s trying to romance Virgil – Remus suggested, chuckling to himself.

Albeit misguided, he wasn’t too far off. Vanilla was around 8 years old, and although she had been rescued off the street, Amanda had placed her on the main area right away. If he was recalling it correctly, they had found her heavily pregnant at the time, but none of her babies had survived. His manager had been told it would be better if she was around kittens if possible, because she would see them as her own and take care of them. Even after she had been spayed, Vanilla held onto her maternal instincts, somehow sensing when another cat needed help, whether they were a kitten or otherwise, and if she hadn’t simply guessed it, she must have connected the dots once she saw the huge cone around Virgil’s head.

Human Virgil walked around the counter so that he could get closer to her, ignoring Remus for now.

- Do you recognize him, dear? – he talked gently to the cat, already guessing the answer from the way her blue eyes focused solely on the fur ball on his shoulders. – Wanna come down and say hi?

He felt the cone move, bumping against the side of his neck. Virgil and Vanilla had been brought around the same time, so it was unlikely they had forgotten each other’s scents even after he had gotten adopted, but Virgil still did his best to crouch down on the floor, letting them sniff each other for a little bit. The black cat didn’t move to get off of him, and Vanilla only came closer to rub her head against the back of Virgil’s hand, so he gave her a few gentle scratches between her ears and left her to her own devices.

As he turned around, Virgil was unfortunately reminded that Remus was still there. He didn’t try to get too close to him even when he could have, thoughts of the man taking advantage of this opportunity to snatch Virgil off his shoulders and running for the door plaguing the back of his mind, but for once in his life, his suspicion quickly melted away, the questioning look in the other’s eyes most likely mimicking his own.

- Her name’s Vanilla. You can pet her if you want.

Remus blinked, looking down at the cream Ragdoll that was now comfortably sprawled across the floor. The white fur of her belly was sticking out, fluffing up in a way that usually got people to coo at her, and if that didn’t do the trick, she would then stare up at them until someone finally scratched behind her ears.  

- I thiiiink I’ll pass. Virgil over there is the only cat that never tried to scratch me.

As if to confirm it, the black cat chose that exact moment to start purring, the vibrations sending strange ticklish sparks of electricity down the human’s spine. There wasn’t exactly a reason to strike up conversation with this guy considering how much of a pain in the ass he had been so far, but if Virgil’s suspicions were correct, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to sit him on the couches by the squared table just so the other cats could go ham on him. The only thing left to do was lure him in that direction.

- How do you even know him? Or Logan, for that matter – Virgil asked, not needing to fake his curiosity.

- Oh! Logan is my brother in law – Remus crossed his arms behind his back, a too wide smile on his lips. – I would have snatched him for myself if my brother hadn’t gotten to him first. Have you seen his ass?? He’s always walking around in those tight pants—

- I can get you kicked out of the store for sexual harassment.

- It’s not harassment! I just get easily distracted by pretty people – Remus whined, pouting for good measure. – Anyways, I know the guy! And ‘cause I know him, I know Virgil. Logan would not stop telling me about the damn cat until he finally adopted him. It’s a really funny story, actually. He only got him to help my brother get over some rough stuff, and Virgil fucking hates him.

- Oof.

- Exactly! It’s especially hilarious when you consider that Logan is cis and my brother is not.

Virgil stiffened up, immediately stopping in his tracks.

- You prolly know about the joke, right? – Remus continued, slowly catching up with him. – That Virgil can instantly vibe check your gender upon meeting.

The store suddenly felt so big.

It was a big space – it had to be, to fit so many cats -, but never before had Virgil struggled to move between areas and feel like his legs would collapse if he took another step further.

No, it wasn’t that the store was big, but that he felt small. After all, he still very much had a heavy cat chilling on his neck and shoulders and it was starting to hurt his posture. That, and a stranger was one step away from figuring out he wasn’t a man.

Virgil didn’t know what to do.

Virgil chose that exact moment to jump away from him.

- Oop – Remus quickly stepped closer, bending his knees so that the cat could have a safe lending. – We really need to get you out of that cone, man!

As if he could understand him, the cat rubbed his torso against the back of Remus’s head, and Virgil could only watch as the stranger chuckled gleefully, raising his hands in the air to serve as a safety net in case he tumbled off of his shoulders.

- You’re just a cutie, aren’t ya? My little trans kitty.

Virgil took one good look at his arms before carefully crawling down his torso, his claws sticking to the fabric of Remus’s hoodie, and with a precision of having done this a million times before, the fur ball turned and twisted until he could nestle his body against his chest.

As far as he could tell, Virgil had no trouble being around this guy, his coned head resting on top of his ribcage as quiet purring made his small body tremble, and the words were already crowding up inside of his chest before he could stop himself.

- You know, the café is LGBT friendly – Virgil croaked, coughing up to try to loosen his throat. – So uhm—

- So I was right! You are family!

Virgil raised his eyes away from his shoes, hoping the exasperated look in his eyes was enough to make Remus back off.

It didn’t.

- Family? – the other repeated, his unending enthusiasm not dwindling for a second. – It’s a gay thing! It means you’re a fellow queer, my dude.

- ...Huh.

- I mean, not that you don’t pass or anything-- I don’t even know if you want to past –, but my gaydar is pretty good, if I do say so myself – Remus smiled proudly, standing up straight even with a heavy cat in his arms. – So I’m guessing you’re some flavor of non-binary just from the colors of your jacket.

Goddamn it.

Virgil didn’t know if he should be laughing or crying. The few sizzling remnants of his panic sure made him want to do both.

- I’m right, aren’t I? – His friendly tone changed into something darker, smugness tracing his lips as he turned towards the table and plopped down on the couches with a dramatic flair. – C’mon, take a stab at it.

- At... what, exactly?

- Guessing what flavor of queer I am! – his wide grin cut across his cheeks. – It’s only fair you get a turn as well.

Virgil could only stare at him for a moment, and then around the store. Mornings were always the slowest, and the cats didn’t seem to be reacting all that badly to Remus’s presence. In fact, he was almost sure the black void in his arms was asleep again, and as strange as it was to place his judgement on an animal, it wasn’t without reason that his trust was linked to Virgil’s.

With a nod, Virgil dropped to the other end of the couches, hands casually resting inside of his pockets.

- It’s not a hard guess – he decided to start there, eyeing the sleeping cat before briefly meeting Remus’s eyes. – He only trusts trans people.

An inexplicable smile tugged at the corners of his lips, the dark hair of his mustache catching onto the light. Now that he had the time to actually look at him, Remus looked much more casual than when he had walked into the store the other day. Loose sweatpants and a white hoodie. It didn’t look like his hair had been combed, but it did look purposeful somehow. Had they been friends, Virgil might have just commented that he looked like your average transboy having a bad dysphoria day. Or your standard cis white guy.

The second one was probably more insulting than the first.

- Aren’t you even a little bit curious about the specifics of that? – Remus finally said, a strange glint in his eyes as he held Virgil closer to his chest.

Human Virgil frowned.

- It’s not my business.

- Oh, drop it. We already have so much in common! We’re practically friends already!

- ...Are we? – Virgil’s frown deepened, suspicion causing his hairs to stand on edge.

- I don’t mind talking about it, is what I’m saying – Remus let out a sigh, resting back against the pillows as his head bumped softly against the window behind him. – I’m just trying to make this fun for you too.

A snort came from behind the mask on his face, the fabric bunching up around his nose before Virgil brought up a hand to fix.

- Fun? – sarcasm was evident in his voice, his eyes staring him up and down.

- Yea! Why did you think I’m back here in the first place? You heard Logan, I got a pet snake.

- I did hear that.

- Exactly! – Remus’s expressions shined with whimsy, only dying down once he realized he still very much had a sleeping cat on hands. – Well, I also got a dog now, but that’s because Janus got way too drunk the other night.

That made Virgil actually pay attention to what he was saying, confusion causing his brow to wrinkle.

- Janus... your pet snake?

Remus opened his mouth to speak and then promptly closed it, hesitating for the first time since they had been forcefully introduced. Millions of things flashed behind his eyes as his shoulders dropped, finally settling on something like relief, and with a blink of an eye, it was gone.

- Now Virgil, c’mon. Why would I give alcohol to a snake.

- I don’t know, why would you?

His chaotic chuckles startled someone just out of Virgil’s line of sight, a grey blur of something stumbling on the wooden floors before running behind a corner, and he was suddenly reminded that he had a job to do, that he wasn’t supposed to sit around and do nothing all day. His cheeks felt uncomfortably heated.

- Listen, I—

Virgil never got to finish that sentence, his eyes catching sight of a person standing just behind Remus. They appeared to be looking through the large window, a knowing glint in their eyes as they stared at the back of his head, and Virgil must have stayed quiet for too long, because Remus chose that moment to turn around, eyes locking with the person on the other side of the glass.

The excitable, comforting smile on his lips only grew further as he clumsily shifted around the couch, one knee thrown over the cushions so he could properly turn towards them.

- Janny! – he spoke a little too loud for comfort, staring between the stranger and the sleeping cat in his arms. – You done already?

With a smile and a raise of their arm, “Janny” brough into line of sight what appeared to be a carrier with a dog inside, its dark shiny eyes glistering amongst the darkness, and the wordless answer seemed to be enough for him, from the way Remus turned more cheerful still. Virgil could only watch the interaction in silence, hoping that listening in would be enough to provide him with the context necessary, and as if he could read his thoughts, the menace turned towards him, shuffling across the couches with Virgil in his arms.

- Could you hold this for me? – he said quickly, already gesturing to plop the sleeping cat onto his lap before Virgil could begin to feel uncomfortable by his sudden proximity. – That’s a dog in there, so probably not the best idea to bring it inside a cat café.

- Uhm-

- Oh, and! – Remus patted his pockets in the search of something, suddenly pulling out a small pen from one of them. – Text me if Logan doesn’t come pick him up. Or if you just need some friendly company, of course.

It all happened way too fast for Virgil’s awkward self to even begin to process what was going on. With a new weight resting on top of his thighs, Virgil stared down at the napkin that Remus had torn away from the dispenser in the middle of the table, his scribbled numbers just perceptible enough to be comprehensible, and he reached for it just as Remus appeared on the other side of the window, frantically waving him goodbye before taking “Janny” by the hand. They disappeared out of sight shortly after, Remus’s loud voice booming outside the shop as he started to tell the other person all about his day, and Virgil took a moment to bring a hand up to his eyes, chuckling to himself to disperse all of the nervous energy that had built up inside of his chest.

Chapter Text

The front door closed shut with a loud bang.

- Roman? – Logan asked from the kitchen, startled into hiding the incriminating cup of coffee that he was currently brewing.

His worries were quickly displaced as the metallic sound of keys being thrown over a flat wooden surface came to his ears, Roman’s rushed steps just barely drowning his frustrated groan.

- You will not believe the day I’ve just had! – his partner exclaimed as he entered the large communal area, barely paying him any mind as his face contorted with displeasure. – First, it was the homophobic man that complained about his daughter’s poodle having a bow on it when he’s a boy, and then the most GORGEOUS man comes in through the door with the sweetest Cocker Spaniel puppy I’ve ever seen—like, beautiful puppy, he was such a good boy --, but do you know what his name was? Do you wanna fucking guess??

Their eyes finally met, and Logan lost his focus for just long enough to click his spoon against the side of the mug, the sound reawakening his thoughts.

- I’m, taking that’s not—

- Roman! His name was Roman.

The teacher withheld his confusion in favor of allowing his partner to breathe for a moment, his heaving chest raising and falling much faster than he’d like for it to be. From the top of his cat tree, Virgil was silently watching them, tail and ears still as his unblinking eyes followed Roman’s every move, and it was a wonder how he hadn’t hissed in warning or snarled just yet.

- You do not sound happy – Logan stated, taking a slow sip out of his coffee.

- Well, thank you, Mister Genius, that’s because I’m not! – Roman threw his arms in the air, the worker badge firmly clipped to his blouse clacking frantically with his movements. – I’m a fool! Nay, I’m the entire circus!

Logan frowned, carefully resting his mug on the counter.

- Roman, while I typically find your emotional displays endearing, I simply cannot comprehend how an instance which would usually leave you grinning has brough you to such a negative reaction.

- Because-- - his partner sputtered, his frantic, incomprehensible gestures adding to Logan’s confusion. – Janus!

- I, am not following.

A high pitched sound came from Roman’s throat, his face growing red with frustration before he quickly buried it in his hands.

- The owner’s name! The person that dropped the dog off! – he clarified at last, starting to pace back and forth across the room. – He—He kept looking at me with this salacious gaze and he insisted on being in the room because he had just recently adopted the dog, so I allowed it! Gosh, I should have known Remus was involved in all of this!

That had Logan coming to a pause, his eyes mindlessly following Roman’s actions. It reminded him of the interaction he had had earlier that day, how he had been interrupted in his attempts at chatting with a friend all because of Remus’s persistent presence. He had been so focused on not losing track of time that it hadn’t occurred to him that Remus wouldn’t normally be on this side of town without a clear motive, but as the memories of that day unraveled, Logan noticed something akin to the stress Roman was displaying beginning to build up inside of him.

- Pardon me if I’m misinterpreting this, but from what I’m gathering, Remus has hidden from you that he has adopted a dog... and named it after you?

- No! – Roman screeched dramatically, throwing his arms in the air again. – I mean, that too! Janus, baby! The snake!

- Your... brother has been dating his snake?

- Metaphorically, at least – Roman huffed, his facial expression wildly flipping between frenzied glee and sarcastic shock. – It’s both! He has a boyfriend and a snake. Both called Janus! What kind of name even is Janus?? I mean, I suppose it’s fitting, considering—

His partner quickly cut himself off, pressing his lips tightly against each other.

- No, I shan’t say.

- Well, if it’s of any consolation – Logan began, picking his abandoned mug once again and taking a calming sip out of his beverage. – Your brother has never been particularly skilled when it comes to names.

He had not intended for the statement to act as a jab towards Roman, or to undermine his feelings in any matter possible, as it was an undeniable truth. If the situation was as Roman was describing it, it would not be completely unfeasible if Remus had merely named his pet snake after his current partner. The remark only became laughable when Logan started to imagine how a dog might relate in any way to Roman’s temper.

- No shit – Roman snorted, visibly calmer now. – But he could have at least warned me about it!

- About... what, exactly?

- His boyfriend being hot! Logan, you don’t understand how icky it feels to say that now??

- Well, would you have believed him if he were to tell you about it?

Roman’s piercing eyes stared into his from across the room, visibly pondering on the situation.

- Touché.

Logan smiled triumphantly, taking another sip out of his coffee.

- Now that you are less hysterical, could you please explain to me how exactly you came to all of these conclusions? I understand that Janus stepped into your workplace with... Roman and asked for a grooming appointment. Certainly the dog’s name served to burst your metaphorical bubble?

- I’m not hysterical – he moodily grunted under his breath, promptly stepping closer to his partner before leaning next to him against the counter. – But yes, that is precisely what happened. I had already placed that sweet man on the bathing area, explaining to the owner every step of my usual process, when he insisted to be treated by his name.

- Was that when the penny finally dropped? – Logan asked curiously, adjusting his glasses as he stared at his boyfriend.

- Well, I’m afraid to say that I wasn’t as astute as I would have hoped – Roman’s cheeks dusted pink, breaking through his pouty disposition somewhat. – It took me several minutes before I understood why that name was so familiar, and by then I simply couldn’t have turned around and directly asked him about Remus. I needed to be smart about it.

A thick blanket of silence stretched on top of them as Logan waited for his partner to continue. He was thoroughly enjoying his coffee in the meantime.

- You spoke to him about Remus’s snake, did you not?

- Yes, I did – Roman hunched forward in shame, features twisting into something particularly adorable. – What else was I supposed to do?! It’s normal conversation at work to be like “Oh, little Suzie is so cute! Just like my cousin’s friend’s kid on my mother’s side!”

Logan blinked at him, not really understanding the point of such frivolous conversation.

- I’m weak, Logan, weak! – he buried his face in his hands, loudly lamenting with vaguely saddened noises. – “It’s so funny that you mention that. My brother has a snake called Janus” What would I even gain if he wasn’t my brother’s fiancé? A big fat crush? Eurgh.

They both shuddered at the thought.

- If it’s of any consolation, I believe that looking vulnerable is a big part of your charm.

Roman slowly turned to him, focus tightening his brow, but from the overall appearance of his body language, Logan could take an educated guess that what he had said was probably not the best compliment he could have used in this situation.

Before he could correct himself, however, Virgil jumped to the ground, all the way up from the top of his cat tree, and it surely would have startled Logan if he wasn’t holding a breakable mug in his hands.

- ... Why does he have a sunflower on his head. – Roman broke him out of his thoughts, his eyes following their pet as it settled on the ground.

- Oh – the teacher quickly finished the rest of his coffee, placing the empty mug on the sink. – I left him with a trusted friend for the day. Conversation came about how he was not handling the cone properly, and I was assured that a solution would be found. When I went to pick him up, Virgil was “dead asleep” while wearing this soft contraption.

Logan’s only response to the explanation was a silent dumbfounded look, Roman’s lips slightly parted as he thought about what to say next.

He could not let a word out before Virgil interrupted him, a quiet sound coming from his small chest. The black cat was strangely calm as he casually sat back on his butt, his tail laying relaxed on the floor next to him, and his yellow eyes were wide as he stared up at his owners, appearing strangely round given his usual suspicious gaze. Roman immediately fell for his tactics.

- Oh, my little black hole, come here – he cooed softly, approaching the cat as carefully as he could muster. – You like to be a little sunflower for a change? You like how the yellow brings out your eyes?

Virgil obviously couldn’t answer to his questions, merely staring up at Roman as he crouched down next to him, and to their shock, the cat was the one to close the distance between them, rubbing his torso against Roman’s hand as he arched his back. Logan didn’t need to meet Roman’s eyes to know they were certainly full of tears.

- Oh, that’s right – his voice cracked as he sniffled, his trembling hand resting gently on Virgil’s torso. – You’re such a good kitty, aren’t you?

Once again, Virgil did not answer him, but he did not walk away as he so often did, instead allowing for Roman’s touch to linger.

- Who’s this magical friend of yours? I need to show them my gratitude!

Logan blinked twice, only then realizing he had been staring.

- D-Do you recall the story behind Virgil’s adoption? – he stuttered, quietly hoping Roman would not mention the heat that had risen to his cheeks.

- Yea? You got him at this weird cat café thing.

- Yes, precisely – Logan agreed all too quickly, averting his eyes as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. – Since I became a regular due to my frequent appearances, I had the opportunity to get closer to the staff as well. My friend is, a member of the staff.

Roman finally tore his eyes away from Virgil, a dangerous smile drawing across his lips.

- Look at you, making friends in the weirdest of places – he joked, but not necessarily in a malicious manner. – Take me there the next time we’re both free.

Hesitation rose within Logan, knowing just how loudly his twin had spoken despite the rules explicitly stating that he should refrain from such, but despite Roman’s boisterous personality, he was sure he would be able to explain it to him once that time arrived.

And well, even if he could not control it, perhaps people would be lenient of his actions, very much like Roman’s new owners were being. As a frightened puppy in a new environment, it would take him some time to get used to the house and everything that was in it, but Janus had quite the property, and the backyard wasn’t all that shabby. It would take some convincing to make Remus mow the lawn, but nothing he wouldn’t do without the right incentive.

Janus stared at himself in the mirror, combing through his hair without hurry. He had needed to let go of his gloves after a small incident regarding Roman’s potty training, and since he wouldn’t be needing to leave the house again, he figured he could ditch them for the day. The wrinkled skin that climbed up his arm looked slightly darker under the bathroom lighting, blotchy and uneven in several places, and Janus resisted the urge to touch it, knowing how he would feel if he did it.

Thankfully, Remus chose that exact moment to invade his privacy, disrupting the silence with how harshly he had kicked the door open, but he had the decency to look apologetic as the door flung back towards the wall, a quiet wince contorting his features.

- Sorry, Double D. Didn’t know you were naked.

It was a joke they shared, only to be used on the rare occasions that Janus was caught without his gloves, and while their absence was akin to walking around without clothes, it wasn’t something Remus hadn’t seen before. Janus almost wished that he would faun over it, like he did with the rest of his body.

- No need to apologize – he hummed mindlessly, setting his brush down on the counter. – Did you need anything?

- Yea, actually – Remus didn’t hesitate to step closer, placing his hands on Janus’s hips as he rested his chin on his right shoulder. – I was looking for my paramour.

His lips brushed lightly over his neck, and Janus let his eyes fall shut, melting over the affections. It wouldn’t take much longer before he was being hugged from behind, Remus’s strong arms squeezing around his middle as Janus purred grateful words over his careful touches, but there was something different about the way Remus kissed him this time around, as if he was avoiding to linger for too long.

- Already tired of having to deal with our new guest? – Janus playfully asked, hands slipping across the length of Remus’s arms with a feather light touch.

His boyfriend groaned loudly into his shoulder, his irritation buzzing against Janus’s ribs.

- The little shit’s cute and all, but I didn’t know you went to get him groomed by Roman.

- Oh? – Janus teased, finally cracking his eyes open. – Did I forget to mention that?

- How’d you even know where he works? – Remus whined pitifully into his neck, eyebrows pulled together as he resisted the urge to bite him.

- How do you even know I went there?

- Don’t avoid the question, Janny – his boyfriend warned in a low voice, his warm body pressing closer to his back. – I’ll bend you over the counter and fuck the answer right out of ya.

Janus couldn’t help but shiver at the thought.

- You mentioned it in one of our first dates, my dear – he answered truthfully, albeit a bit out of breath. – You caught wind of a homophobic coworker pestering your brother while we waited for our orders. Didn’t take long to link that story to the only pet grooming salon in town.

There was a suspicious moment of silence before Remus spoke again.

- What did we eat that day? – he whispered into his ear, his arms tightening over Janus’s belly.

He swore Remus had just grinded against his ass.

- Hmm, you stormed through the breadsticks while ranting – Janus refused to meet his own eyes in the mirror, knowing his face was bright red. – You had, the Five Cheese Zity and I had the Eggplant Parmigiana. We shared a bottle of red wine. I learned... that you are deadly allergic to seafood, and that it was weird that Roman wasn’t.

It was suddenly too hot inside of the bathroom. Remus made no further attempts to rile him on, seemingly satisfied with his answers despite all of the other details he could have scrutinized over, but even if he had wanted specifics, Janus was a little too distracted by the warm breath tickling at the curve of his neck, his hips pressing Janus flushed against the counter. He just wanted to melt into his embrace and ignore his image in the mirror.

- Good boy – Remus praised into his neck, kissing him just behind his ear. – How did I ever get so lucky?

It was a rhetorical question he repeated quite often, so often in fact that Janus had caught himself growing frustrated at times, not having a proper response to give in return, but today it did not matter. Today, his words were comforting, Remus’s honesty warming his cold heart with a strange sense of pride. He had this. Remus was his.

- Look at your adorable little smile – his boyfriend giggled breathlessly, slowly starting to sway side to side and bringing him along for the ride. – Will you stop going after the less sexy version of me if I keep showering you with compliments?

Janus cracked his eyes open again, not knowing when he had closed them. It was not often that Remus did this kinds of jokes, but it was rarely without reason when he did. Janus brought up his scarred hand and stared at Remus out of the corner of his eye, admiring the shock twisting his features as he gently cupped his cheek.

- You know I have a thing for mustaches – Janus murmured under his breath, the pads of his fingers gently grazing through his stubble.

It didn’t take much longer for Remus to take the bait, for him to stand on his toes so that he could capture Janus’s lips with his own, and he could only smile as he discreetly bent his knees, silently accommodating this awkward kissing situation.

When they pulled away to breathe, Remus immediately clung to his frame, burying his face in his shoulder, and no matter how much Janus wished to continue petting him with his left hand just to keep the symbolism going, the old burnt joints would not bend that far.

- I propose a bath – he said a little less jokingly, combing through Remus’s hair with his right hand. – We can use one of those nice smelling bath salts that you gave me for Christmas.

Normally, his head would spring up with excitement, his green eyes full of stars at the thought of it, but Remus must have been far too comfortable in this position to risk moving so much, instead screeching into Janus’s shoulder until he was content. The muffled sound still didn’t fail to pull soft chuckles out of him, to fondly gaze over him as Remus’s grip tightened, so Janus just allowed him to stay like this for a little while longer.

- You don’t move – he suddenly said, breathless already before pressing a wet smooch to Janus’s cheek. – I’ll go grab everything.

He only fully understood what “everything” was when Remus returned to the bathroom with a literal bundle of things, using a bath towel as a makeshift carrier bag, and all too quickly, his idiotic boyfriend stormed all around him as he displayed all of the candles that they had in the house all over the floor next to the tub and the bathroom counter, even placing a giant one over the toilet seat before he could get his hands on some matches. Any breathless questions that Janus managed to push through his howling laughter were met with mischievous smiles as Remus went around lighting every single candle individually, the strike of the first match leaving behind a faint smell of smoke, and all too soon, the scene was set. On the towel abandoned on the floor, Janus also spotted his favorite chocolate treat, some truffles he had yet to open, several of his body lotions and creams, and even a couple of his face masks.

When he raised his eyes away from the ground, Remus was pretending to not have accidentally dropped a candle into their bath water.

- No no no, don’t you look at me like that! – he whined, waving his hands around as if trying to be louder than the sound of the rushing water. – I’m taking care of it! I’m gonna be the one pampering you this time around!

- Oh wow, all of this because I showed you some skin? – Janus jokingly asked, stepping closer so he could rest his hands on the edge of the tub. – Might need to touch you without my gloves more often.

For a split second, Janus was almost convinced that that was it. Remus’s mouth went agape, his eyes widening, but he blinked it away all too quickly, rushing to turn off the water before fetching the fancy bottle of bath salts seemingly out of thin air.

- Can’t a guy just be nice to their dickily darling? – his shrieking voice said, bouncing off the walls before the sounds of the splashing water came to interrupt his momentum. – I didn’t even get hard this time around!

- Would be surprised if you did – Janus muttered to himself as Remus pulled his arm out of the water, droplets falling from his fingers before he clumsily shook it around.

- Can I undress you?

That actually brought him to a pause, the easy smile on his lips losing some of its spark. Realistically, Janus had known he would have to disrobe so that he could get in the bath, but the implications behind letting Remus see him in such an intimate setting threw him a little off guard.

- I can just go grab a blindfold real quick – Remus suggested as soon as the thought crossed his mind, practically vibrating with the need to please. – You know you love it when Sasha gets added to our playtime.

Sasha was the unfortunate name that Remus had given to his favorite sleep mask, something he had found on Amazon with huge anime eyes with pink pupiled hearts on them, and just the thought of seeing that right now was enough to scare away most of Janus’s worries.

- No, there’s no need for that – he shook his head, reaching for one of Remus’s hands and slowly bringing it to the hem of his shirt. – Don’t make me regret trusting you.

And he didn’t. With a cautious step closer, Remus made sure to start with the easier part, hooking his thumbs around the waistband of his pants before letting them drop to the floor, and as he bent down to keep the clothes away from any open flames that might be standing a little too close for comfort, he restrained himself from making a single dick joke, silently tugging on Janus’s underwear next. The scar tissue bled down into Janus’s hip, peeking from underneath the shirt in an irregular shape, and with only a loaded stare to serve as his warning, Remus pressed a longing kiss over it before he could be stopped.

Despite having known each other for more than a decade, and having agreed to starting a romantic relationship only in the last four years of that, Remus knew from the start that Janus’s past was not a line that he should cross. The scars that he could keep hidden under his clothes still brought him as much pain as they did the moment that they had formed, so much so that Janus had never taken off his shirt in front of him no matter how much he had begged for it, and now that he was finally allowed to see it, Remus couldn’t dream of fucking this up.

His hands shook as he wrapped his fingers around the end of Janus’s shirt, the lump in his throat not moving an inch even as he tried to swallow it. He couldn’t resist the need to comfort his partner as soon as he started, his lips brushing over his navel as his arms slowly raised higher, and Remus jumped from where he was kneeling on the floor once he felt Janus’s hands sinking into his hair, all the more nervous when he heard him chuckling.

- Thought you’d be a lot more eager than this – his voice said, heavy with an emotion Remus couldn’t quite understand.

He firmly chose to ignore it, carrying on with his explorations. He had to leave the floor all too soon, fingers brushing against Janus’s torso as he rode up the shirt higher and higher, and Remus resisted the urge to toss it aside as soon as it was over his head, only partially because he was being mindful of the candles. His eyes immediately stuck to Janus’s body, hungrily staring him up and down. The old scar started right where his neck met his left shoulder, consuming most of his chest with uneven mauled skin. Remus had assumed that it would be bad, that it would be a continuation of the darkened tissue that spread down his left arm, but whatever had caused this had burned cleanly through his torso, melting his soft skin and rendering it into a large patch of deformed, fragile matter. Almost like his science project for 5^th grade, when the old battery he had used exploded with a puff of black smoke, melting the plastic of his contraption in a crinkling ball of fire.

Remus moved closer before he could stop himself.

- Can I touch you?

Not it. It was not an it. It was Janus standing in front of him, as naked as the world had ever seen him.

His partner could only give him a short nod.

It was the strangest sensation, running his hands over the sides of his body at the same time. Under Remus’s left hand, his skin was smooth, flat, cold to the touch due to being exposed to the air, and under his right hand, his skin was firm and loose, stretchy and leathery depending on the patch that his fingers focused on. Like playing with your grandma’s old skin while she’s sleeping in her rocking chair and watching how it folded.

Remus’s face broke into a wide grin.

- You’re so hot – he mumbled under his breath, licking his dry lips slowly as his hands moved on to touch his nipples. – I wanna run my mouth all over you.

Janus shivered at those words, sudden enough to break Remus from his thoughts. His eyes were strangely glossy, his short lashes blinking rapidly, and he didn’t hesitate to scoop his partner into his arms, hands resting on his burnt back.

- Liar – Janus uttered like a prayer, weakly trying to untangle himself from Remus’s embrace.

Remus only squeezed him harder, ignoring the sniffle that broke through the silence. He wasn’t going to let him cry even if he wanted to, letting his hands wander down to the curve of his ass so Janus would be too distracted by the groping to really bawl his eyes out, but to his surprise, he only cuddled closer, merely grumbling his name in warning.

- Ugh, fine – Remus grumbled right back, pushing his hands to rest on his lower back. – Let me just get naked too so I can rub my tits all over your sexy lizard skin.

There was no tits with which to rub anywhere, Janus knew this, but Remus’s unfiltered thoughts were enough to pull breathless laughter out of him, his shoulders shaking as his excited movements made the lit candles flicker dangerously.

Despite his promise, Remus kept his hands mostly to himself, only holding onto him when he accidentally slipped while getting inside the tub, but in that scenario even Janus would have acted if he wasn’t pulled down into the water from the impact. His long hair was safe from the splashing in the quick bun Janus had thrown it into while Remus tried not to step into a candle, but the same could not be said about Remus’s, water dripping into his eyes as he tried to shake himself dry like a dog.

When the water settled, he finally sat properly on the tub, distractedly swirling the surface of the bath with his arms. Janus didn’t need much more of an incentive to sit between his legs, resting back against his flat chest, and even with his eyes closed he could tell that Remus was smiling, his hands coming up to circle his waist again. He leaned down to press a kiss to the left side of Janus’s face when he rested his head onto his shoulder, his hands finding Remus’s under the water, and there was no doubt he could fall asleep like this, surrounded by warmth and safety.

But this story was not supposed to be about people. It wasn’t even supposed to be about anyone other than Thomas, who was still withering away with a high fever. But Patton was busy taking a cat nap in his favorite spot by the window, Virgil was purring up a storm wrapped around Roman’s shoulders, and as far as animals are concerned, the puppy slowly mapping out the downstairs area of Janus’s house had finally found the snake enclosure, and his life spam so far had yet to be filled with other animal experiences besides the other dogs that he had met at the shelter. It should be fine if Roman stared at the strange writhing pile for a little while longer. It was a little too high up for him to be able to sniff it, but it looked alive. Whatever it was, it had a really pretty yellow skin.

Chapter Text

Beeeeeep.

Thomas took the thermometer from under his armpit, letting go of the breath he was holding once his eyes landed on the numbers on the tiny screen. His fever was finally coming down after an entire week of rest, and even if none of the other symptoms were really easing away, it was still one less thing he had to worry about.

He immediately wondered if the thermometer needed new batteries when he saw a sunflower staring at him from the middle of his balcony.

As he stepped closer, Thomas’s blind eyes realized that it was just Virgil, calmly sitting back on his butt, and not some sort of fever induced hallucination, but whatever he had gotten his head stuck into seemed a lot heavier than the previous plastic cone.

He could only wonder if his owners had noticed the change or if they had approved of it somehow.

On a positive note, Patton seemed curious about it too, his blue eyes focused on the cushioned yellow petals that framed the other cat’s small head, and Thomas had yet to be hissed at, so who knows, maybe they would just play around with the flower thing all day and then sleep for 14 hours.

- Hi there, buddy – he rasped in a quiet voice, breaking into a cough as he rolled his window open. – Whatchu got there?

The black void barely spared him a glance before slipping inside of the apartment, running right past him in the search for Patton, but to Thomas’s surprise, his old man took a cautious step back at Virgil’s enthusiastic approach, a fluffy paw raised in the air as his tail grew stiff. Tension thickened the air as he watched them, Patton’s body language growing more and more agitated as the seconds dragged on, but to Thomas’s relief, he only tried to feel at the new cone thing wrapped around Virgil’s neck instead of nervously attacking him, his claws still tucked in as he stiffly booped at a yellow petal two and three times.

Thomas would have stayed and supervised them for a little while longer if his phone didn’t suddenly start blasting throughout the apartment. He left it in the bedroom, he soon found out, his ringtone assaulting his sensitive ears as he rushed to grab it, and to make matters worse, the number on the screen was not one of his few listed contacts.

He just ripped the band aid off and quickly accepted the call.

- Uh, hello...?

- Hi hello, this is Caring Paws Clinic – a cheerful masculine voice said. – Am I speaking with Mister Thomas Sanders?

- Y-Yea, that’s right.

- Awesome! We are calling in to remind you that you have a scheduled appointment today.

- Scheduled appoint-- - his sick lungs chose to stop working then, a dry cough interrupting his small anxiety attack. – I-I’m sorry, I must have forgot. When, For what time was that scheduled?

- Hmm, let me check, sir – the faint sound of the keyboard keys occupied the call for a few seconds as Thomas resisted the urge to cough again. – It says here Patton was supposed to come in at 3:15. Are you still available to bring him to the consultation at the scheduled time?

- Oh—No, yea, we can make that – Thomas smiled to himself, only realizing afterwards that he was on a call and not talking to the other person face to face.

- Alright, I will let the vet know. Thank you for your time today, sir and please let us know if you have any questions.

- Ah, no, I think I’m good. – Thomas closed his eyes, mentally berating himself for sounding so rude. – W-We’ll be there at 3- 3:15.

- Okay, have a good day, sir.

- Yea, you too!

The sound of the call ending seemed to shake through his entire being as Thomas squeezed his eyes shut, pushing the heels of his hands into his pounding forehead. He had no idea what time it was, but he needed to go take a shower and go clean Patton’s carrier and—

Meeeow.

Thomas yelped at the sound, a hand flying to his chest as he turned to face the threat. Shooting through even his wildest expectations, Thomas was surprised to see Virgil standing in the doorway, two yellow dots staring up at his face as his tail swooshed slowly behind him, and while there was no doubt that the black cat still freaked him out a little bit, his presence only added to his ongoing heart attack.

- Gosh, you scared me – the human breathed out as he took a tentative step closer, keeping his eyes on the feisty furball. – Wait, did you just meow at me?

Virgil obviously couldn’t respond, but Thomas continued to stare at him as if he could. He wasn’t exactly sure what he had expected that would happen there.

- Well, anyways. Let me just, move past ya.

His skeptical yellow eyes followed Thomas as he tiptoed around the cat, surprise making him stumble when Virgil didn’t try to attack his legs, but he wasn’t free of that fate for too long. After taking a shower and stopping by the kitchen to eat something, the well behaved sunflower became a lot more aggressive as soon as he saw the cat carrier.

- It’s not for you, Virgil. Pat needs to—

Hiiiiiss.

- Well, that’s just rude – Thomas complained, looking down at the black cat with a hand on his hip. – Will I have to call Logan about this? Cuz I’ll do it. I’ll tell him to ground you.

As if he could understand him, Virgil lowered the volume of his snarls, choosing to angrily flick his tongue over his teeth instead. Paying no mind to their loud fighting, Thomas heard Patton mindlessly chewing on his own breakfast, eating peacefully like he wasn’t the reason why he might actually have to call Logan. Shooing Virgil back into his balcony was not an option, and considering he had no idea what his owners’ working hours might be, the safest choice would be to lock him up in his apartment. And barricade the window somehow.

Thomas refused to break eye contact with the black cat as he set the carrier down, reaching back for his phone with the same amount of stealth one might need when defusing a bomb. He had texted Logan during the high of his fever despite the other teacher’s complaints about the state of his health, giving him the notes and the schedules he had promised in exchange for the recovery gifts he had so kindly given him, so what Thomas was hoping here was that Logan had his phone number saved for any future emergencies. Thomas definitely didn’t feel like calling him, but it’s not like he had much time on his hands.

Anxiously chewing on his lip, Thomas felt his stomach drop as the call connected on the first ring.

- Thomas? – Logan’s smooth voice ask, a hint of worry muffling his formal tone. – Is everything alright?

- Oh, h-hey, Logan – Thomas nervously chuckled. – No—Yea, everything is alright. Is just that, uhm...

- Do you need any assistance?

Whatever he had meant to say next was drowned by the rising chorus of several loud voices shouting in the background, their young exclamations varying in volume as they butted into Logan’s conversation, and Thomas took a moment to realize exactly what was happening even as the other teacher politely asked that they return to their exercises.

- Wait, you answered in the middle of a class??

- I don’t see how that’s of any concern to you, Thomas.

Through the pain piercing in his chest, a wave of “Oh’s” and “Damn’s” stopped Logan from clarifying his statement, but the commotion had already disturbed Thomas’s growing headache no matter how quickly the other teacher was able to handle it. Somewhere in the middle of all the screaming, the sick man could hear someone pointing out that Thomas was the name of their drama teacher.

- Uh, I-I’ll keep this short then. Virgil is in my apartment, and something came up. I’ll— - Thomas waited until Logan could quiet down another wave of loud talking before continuing. – I’ll have to leave for a couple of hours, and I can only guess R-Roman isn’t home right now?

- He isn’t.

Short and to the point, huh.

- You should not be straining yourself until the end of the week – Logan politely insisted, completely missing what he was putting down.

- N-No, I know, that’s not—What I’m trying to say is. Would it be okay? If Virgil stayed in my apartment until I come back?

- Oh. I suppose so.

Thomas sighed with relief.

- Okay, that’s the only reason I was calling. I’m leaving in a few, and I was afraid...

- You may call me at any time, Thomas. That is why I have provided you with my contact information, after all.

A swarm of butterflies fluttered around in his stomach even as the students’ collective awe stabbed through his left ear. Thomas knew explaining it to them would only throw more wood into the fire, and he could already feel his cheeks burning at the thought of all the rumors that would be waiting for him once he finally returned back to work. Hopefully that wouldn’t bother Logan too much, seeing... seeing as he had a partner waiting for him at home.

- It was strictly for professional reasons – he heard Logan justifying himself, most likely directed at some kid that was already starting to imply less than wholesome reasons for their involvement. – I apologize for my lack of manners, Thomas, but I will have to “tame the beasts” now. You may return to your scheduled conflicts without worry.

- Oh, o-okay. Thank you, Lo—

The dooming thud of the end of a call cut through his last regards, leaving Thomas hanging on his politeness as he pulled his phone away from his ear. Granted, now that that was out of the way, he still had a bit of time before he actually had to leave the house, but he definitely wasn’t looking forward to having to cage the feisty void inside of his own apartment. The smug look Virgil was giving him was certainly enough to make him start to question if he was actually strong enough to leave the house as it was.

After taking care of the carrier and gathering up any important paperwork, all that Thomas had left to do was barricade his window and maybe spend some time scrolling through his phone, but he quickly found Virgil passed out in his bed after wasting about 10 minutes just dragging his couch in front of the mechanism that pulled his window open, so with a breathless huff, he left the black cat alone and gently coached Patton into the carrier with a little tube of his favorite treat.

The clinic they usually went to was less than a 30 minute drive, so they would probably get there on time, but knowing how chatty Patton got once he was inside the carrier, and knowing how attached Virgil was to him, Thomas’s hands were tied. With his keys in one hand and everything else in the other, he quickly rushed out of his apartment before he could hear clawing of any kind scratching at the floors, hastily closing the door on his way out and quickly locking it up.

It was a cloudy day outside, just dark enough that it might promise rain, but Thomas decided to ignore the weather in favor of securing the carrier on the passenger seat, Patton’s blue eyes looking through the grid that served as the door with the most pitiful expression. Thankfully he didn’t meow too much as Thomas jumped behind the wheel, laying down on the carrier and simply accepting his fate, but it was still enough to pull at Thomas’s heart strings, his hazy mind stirred into thinking about other safe options on how to bring him to the vet next time.

After parking and walking up to the clinic, they checked in just 10 minutes before they were scheduled to come in, and the lovely lady behind the counter led them to the office, apparently because Patton was the first patient of the day for this particular veterinarian. She had a too wide smile on her lips, a glint in her eyes that promised trouble, but Thomas excused it on his anxiety, trying not to think too much about coughing as he secured the mask on his face.

As they waited, Thomas looked around the room, taking in the colorful posters and the particular choice of decorations that called out to his attention from all four corners of the office. Every piece of wall that was not covered by shelves or other kinds of furniture was positively brimming with paw prints, all in different shapes and sizes to represent different kinds of animals, and Thomas giggled to himself as he tried to remember the name of the doctor that had last looked over Patton, quickly realizing that Joan was always the one to go on these check-ups until they moved to another State.

The doctor walked into the room before Thomas could begin to drown in his own sadness.

- Hi! – he greeted excitedly, his bright blue eyes jumping from Thomas to Patton. – Oh goodness, what do we have here?!

- Uhm—

- Sorry, sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself – the other man said, giggling like a little kid. – It’s my first day back to work and my first patient is a kitten with my name!

- Oh! Is you name...

Thomas’s eyes wandered downwards, landing on the little name piece stuck to the doctor’s clothes.

- Yep! I don’t think we have ever met before tho.

- Oh erh, my friend was the one that usually came to the consultations for me. My name is Thomas.

- Pleasure to meet you, Thomas – Patton smiled, extending a hand in his direction and giving him a first handshake. – I’m helping out a friend too, so this is my first time with this adorable little fella.

To no one’s surprise, the appointment went as smoothly as expected. Between the professional questions and the friendly chatter, Thomas found himself smiling behind his mask a lot, listening to Patton explain how his little furball was faring and the kinds of medical exams they’d have to do from here on out, and for once, Thomas wasn’t on the brink of a panic attack as he replied back to the doctor’s concerns.

- Patton is the bestest boy, isn’t he? – Patton commented, gently scratching behind his left ear while the cat purred loudly. – Why the name Patton? I mean, if you had known me sooner, I’d assume it was because of all of my grey hairs sprouting about, but then again, naming your cat after his vet is probably a little weird.

Thomas chuckled politely before answering.

- Yea, but uh. When me and my friend first brought him home, we noticed that, he just seemed to have this sort of dad energy.

- Dad energy? – the vet repeated, tilting his head to the side.

- Oh, you know. He seems to understand when I make jokes, and he snores when he sleeps. He tries to copy my sneezes when I sneeze. Things like that.

- Huh – Patton said, the brightest smile stretching across his face. – We really aren’t so different, after all.

And it would be a weird comment to make, had this been anyone else, but as they stood right next to each other, the resemblances were honestly a little freaky. Same name, same blue eyes. According to Patton, Patton might be going a little blind with age, so that matched with the thick glasses the doctor was wearing. As for the grey hair, Patton wasn’t there yet, but he certainly looked a bit older than Thomas. It wasn’t hard to imagine he’d look even more friendly once he reached that stage of his life.

To his surprise, the conversation dragged on, the topic of Thomas’s sickness somehow leading to the revelation that he was a high school teacher, and before he noticed it, Patton was walking him to the register to continue their chat without interruption. Now back in his carrier, his kitten responded back to Patton’s questions with the odd purr or quiet chirp, and several staff members peered out of their rooms to come meet the apparently infamous cat. It overwhelmed Thomas a little, to be standing in front of this many people, but strangely enough, the mask helped a lot with that, and the fact that they were only interested in Patton also eased most of his concerns.

It distracted him so much that he couldn’t notice the pair of eyes watching out for him, frozen as it were from behind the glass wall.

Never in a billion years would have Roman thought to make the connection between Patton, the cat and Patton, his friend from work, but seeing Thomas standing amidst the chaos was somehow the piece that joined it all together in his overcrowded brain. Jealousy burned through his veins as the shock wore off, his nasty glare now directed at all of his coworkers doting over the Siberian cat. Unlike them, he couldn’t just up and leave this job unattended to go chat with the cute man from next door, and of course he had to have a rowdy dog today, right in the middle of shedding season!

The damned Golden Labrador hated the blow dryer with a passion, and it had taken three people just to calm him down enough to put a covering over his ears. Even then he did not look happy. Roman could only hope his owner would take pity on their efforts, once they came to pick him up.

He nervously glanced over his shoulder, pointing the dryer in the general direction of the huffing and grunting. Never before had Roman felt so conflicted about getting stationed into the only room that was all windows. Out of all the reasons why they used it at the clinic, hopeful watching from afar certainly was not one of them! Thomas probably couldn’t even recognize him with the stupid hat he was using!

Golden hairs fluttered in the air, falling by Roman’s feet and clinging to his work clothes. He could not go greet Thomas in this state, but if his frantic glances were anything to go by, he was here for the vet side of the business, and he must still be sick, considering the mask he was wearing. A high school teacher, an absolute catch, a fan of dramatical performances and cats. It was so little information and yet, it was enough for Roman to believe they were made for each other. To know he was considerate of others in his own times of need, that he was shy and caring in front of others. It only made Roman all the more infatuated than he was before.

Caramel whimpered in front of him, loud enough to be heard over the blow dryer, and with a sufferable huff, Roman turned off the death machine, letting the poor dog catch a break. He was mostly dry by now, even if he still had a lot of combing to go through to get rid of his undercoat, so Roman focused on his job instead of the man standing around the lobby, bitterness begging him to leave at once. He couldn’t wait to get home so he could tell Logan about all of this.

Or so he thought, until someone knocked on the glass just behind him.

Hope exploded in his chest, made his heart race as he jumped to face his prince, and to his surprise, his wish wasn’t all that far off. With a warm smile on his lips, Roman saw Patton waving at him through the tight net that fell from the hat he was wearing, somehow recognizing him despite it. They both rushed towards the door to this room, a wave of fresh air stepping inside.

- Oh boy, it smells like wet dog in here! – Patton said, giggling like that was the funniest joke he had ever told. Roman couldn’t resist his good mood. – Who’s that big guy?

- His name is Caramel – Roman explained, leaving the door open.

- Caramel! Aww, that’s so sweet! – Patton cooed at the animal, carefully approaching him. – Or are you a salty boy? There’s a lot of different types of caramel out there, you know?

- I’d be leaning more towards the second option – the dog groomer moodily grumbled, returning to his combing despite Patton’s presence. – You’re here to tell me about the cat, aren’t you?

- He had my name, Roman! – the vet squealed with delight, jumping in place as he excitedly waved his hands around. – And he was such a good boy! He was purring up a storm during the entire consultation!

- That does sound adorable – Roman pouted behind his hat, vigorously running the comb through Caramel’s fur.

- Oh, but don’t worry – came his comforting voice, a warm hand resting on Roman’s back. – I tried to get a good word in for your services.

Roman felt himself flushing right to the roots of his hair.

- M-My services?!

- Yea? – Patton’s voice dripped with confusion. – Is that not how to say that?

- Say what?

- Your work?? – Patton hesitatingly suggested. – Your pet grooming sessions? I know you guys have a base salary, but you told me you can have productivity bonuses depending on—

- Oh, please tell me you didn’t say my name! – Roman wailed, burying his face in his hands.

- ... Should I have not done that? I didn’t mean to—

For whatever reason, Caramel chose that exact moment to bark, the sound echoing loudly across the room, and whatever Patton had meant to say next was lost to his reverberating giggles as he struggled not to fall backwards. When Roman had the strength to peer between his fingers, he found that Patton had been toppled over, his pristine white lab coat pooling around him on the floor as he vigorously ran his hands up and down Caramel’s furry back, and just the sight of him made all of his worries get lost to the wind.

- You okay down there? – Roman asked, a little too amused to truly mean it.

Patton smiled at him before he could answer.

- Couldn’t be better! I really should fill in for Terrence more often if that will lend me this much furry attention!

The matching smile on Roman’s lips quickly went strained at his choice of wording there, but he was definitely not ready to have that conversation right now.

He did, however, have to pour his heart out and explain to Patton exactly why he was so moody, if only so his friend would not think that he was diminishing his efforts of finding him new appointments, and by the time he was done, Patton’s magical presence managed to somehow calm Caramel down to the point of sleepiness.

- But this is great news, Roman! – he pointed out, casually resting his hands on the dog’s back. – There’s so many things you guys can talk about!

- Patton, look at me! – Roman bristled, gesturing up and down his body with his hands. – Does this look like anyone’s dashing knight in charming armor?

- I mean...

- Exactly! – Roman cried out, completely misinterpreting the tone of Patton’s voice. – He will never take interest in me now!

On the floor, his friend gently coached Caramel out of his lap so he could return back to his feet, but Roman was too busy feeling pity for himself to remember he had yet to trim his paws, the metal comb still tightly clasped in his hand.

- You know I don’t like it when anyone talks badly about themselves, but I understand that you’re frustrated – Patton said, his blue eyes suddenly very serious. – I really don’t think that Thomas is the kind of guy to think less of anyone because of their job, but if he is, then he doesn’t deserve you in the first place. You don’t need to go above and beyond to impress someone, Roman. You’re already so wonderful as it is! You should focus on the things that make you you and let the rest happen naturally.

It was something straight out of a romcom, the “be yourself” speech coming from someone close to the main character of the show, and while Roman ate that up when it was fictional, it didn’t sound nowhere near as effective when someone said that in real life.

What was effective, however, was the way Patton was looking at him. They were colleagues on friendly terms, often times sharing their break time with each other out in the main lobby just talking about their favorite patients of the day, but anyone that walked into this room right now would think they were long term buddies. The glare of the ceiling lights reflecting on Patton’s glasses somehow only added to the earnest look he was giving him, and if Roman ever had the courage to contradict him, he certainly lost it all in the moment.

- I guess you’re right...

Patton gave him a warm pat on the shoulder, the corners of his lips tugging upwards.

- I should let you get back to work now. But tell me how that goes, okay?

- Alright. See you at lunch?

- Will do! – Patton excitedly replied, one foot already out the door as he waved.

Roman locked eyes with Caramel as he walked away, who was giving him the nastiest side-eye he had ever seen coming from a dog.

- Oh, shut it you – he grumbled, moving to go close the door. – Like you’ve ever had troubles a single day in your life.

Chapter Text

Logan had been looking forward to finally coming home.

Had been.

The hours figuratively dragged behind him as he moved from one classroom to another, giggles seemingly following him everywhere he went. Be it related to his looks or his personality, Logan had never been particularly self-conscious, but the pointed stares that the students were giving him had a certain weight to them, frequent enough that he had grown to expect them, and he wasn’t sure what to make of the emotions to arose because of such.

It was as if someone had just told a funny joke, and Logan could not understand it.

Perhaps the joke was his reaction, as it so often was.

The teacher sat in the comfort of his car, listening to the falling rain. He had not been able to escape Floridan weather as he stepped outside of the main school building, heavy droplets of water landing onto his shoulders as he searched for his car keys, and very much like the unforgiving teenagers he had been forced to deal with all day, nature failed to understand that he was far too tired to offer it the expected reaction that one might express towards a sudden storm.

Which was why he had yet to stick the keys in the ignition, the engine slumbering peacefully. Had this been one of Roman’s nonsensical movies, such an unfortunate sequence of events might explain to a potential audience that Logan was the clumsy, socially awkward main character of the story that they were about to see, but he was still of the opinion that there was no environmental benefit to driving a car during such weather conditions, especially if said storm had successfully drenched the person on screen from head to toe.

Logan sighed, already feeling his body temperature growing colder due to the clothes sticking to his skin. If someone was to be the main character of a movie, that should be Roman, not him. Although he would never wish such an unfortunate fate upon his partner, not even for the sake of plot progression.

Resisting the urge to sigh again, he cleaned his glasses as best as he could with the damp fabric lining the pockets of his jacket, waiting until the rain grew weaker before turning the engine on. Roman had informed him several hours ago that he would not be home until much later in the evening, something about a dinner proposal that one of his colleagues had extended to him in between clients, so he did not need to turn left at the stop sign to go pick him up today. Logan would have to attest to his safety once he parked his car.

And as he was reminded of as soon as he pulled into their street, Thomas must still be keeping an eye out for Virgil, since the lack of any further communication might imply an obligation on that regard. Perhaps he could take use of this opportunity to personally thank him for the detailed notes he had given him, Logan thought to himself, idly watching the rain as he searched for a parking spot. It would also be a discrete manner to assess on his current health status.

Logan pulled into the first vacant space he could find, paying no mind to the sound of the engine dying down as he twisted the keys out of the ignition. In the silence of the car, his thoughts seemed to grow louder, louder than the falling rain, and Logan’s shoulders dropped with the weight of that realization.

What was it that he was feeling? Why must it be so unpleasant?

Leaning back on his seat, he closed his eyes, passively listening to the sounds of the storm. Work was simply getting to him, was all. If Thomas’s voice was anything to go by, it certainly wouldn’t take much longer before he was fit to return to his duties, and then Logan could finally stop pretending like he had any idea of what he had been supposedly teaching for the last week.

With a decisive nod, the teacher climbed out of the car, grabbing his bag and activating the lock. There was no rush to flee from the weather, seeing as he was already drenched, but Logan still ran to shelter himself under the ledge of the nearest covering, watching the curtain of water in front of him with his bag pressed to his chest. His once dry shoes left a trail of puddles behind him as he entered the building, squelching noises resonating down the hallway with each step he took.

His only solace after such a tiresome day was knowing how peacefully Virgil slept, on days such as these.

As he reached the third floor, Logan lingered by the last step, his eyes catching onto the shadow of someone standing right in front of 3C, hunched over as they rummaged through their own correspondence. Recognition parted the clouds of his indisposition, a single ray of sunlight, soothing and warm.

Logan took a step in his direction. Thomas turned to look at him.

- Oh! L-Logan! – his neighbor said, the nervous smile on his lips withering away as his eyes wandered up and down his figure. – Are you okay?? You got caught by the storm?

- Oh. I suppose you could say that.

- It’s really coming down... – Thomas muttered, a strange expression on his face. – Don’t let me stop you from...

Logan blinked, observing his jittery movements with a hint of confusion. Thomas’s expressions only grew more pronounced.

- You’re soaked? – the other teacher pointed out. – You’re going to get sick if you don’t go change.

- Oh. Yes, that is correct.

Thomas gave him a shaky smile, pushing all of his correspondence over to his right hand.

– Just knock on my door when you’re dry. Virgil has been sleeping the entire time, and I wouldn’t want to wake him up. Well, you or Roman can... knock. If, he’s home.

His shoes leaked more water as Logan stepped closer, the wet sounds of the rubber thankfully absorbed by the carpeted hallway.

- Roman is not home, currently – he explained simply, searching for his keys in his several pockets. – In fact, I would like to invite you for dinner for that precise reason.

To his right, what sounded like multiple sheets of paper hitting the ground preceded the strangled gasp that came out of Thomas, who was squatting down next to his door mat when Logan finally found his keys. Their eyes met, and Thomas’s cheeks flushed pink.

- I uhm, d-dinner?? – he squeaked, supporting his weight against his closed door as he hurriedly brought himself back to his feet.

- Yes. I would like to thank you for all of the helpful notes you have provided me with. – Logan did his best to appear friendly despite the discomfort of his saturated clothes, watching his neighbor struggle to hold all of the flyers and letters he had once showed no trouble of handling. - My cooking skills are no match to Roman’s, but I promise whatever I present will be edible.

- O-Oh! I like, edible things.

There was a brief moment of awkward silence, the rain outside growing noticeably louder.

- Should I, expect your attendance? – Logan asked carefully, clearly confused about his strange answer.

- Yes! That- that was a yes – Thomas nodded excessively, his fidgeting hands grasping onto the set of keys dangling from his lock before turning them around. – Uhm, I’ll show up at 6?

Logan glanced down at his watch, assessing the time.

- That would be ideal.

- Great! D-Don’t let me stall you for much longer, please.

In what seemed to be a very unfortunate strike of bad luck, Logan watched Thomas walk straight into his front door, his forehead colliding with the wood as his hand clasped tightly around the doorknob, and he let out a quiet groan before successfully entering his house, the dimmed lights showing Logan only but a glimpse of his front entrance.

Hurried words were exchanged before the hallway was silent once more, Logan’s feet bringing him over to his own apartment without any further delays, and the lock gave away without the struggle that Thomas’s did, the darkened sky robbing him of much needed light.

Roman, who was currently sitting in the middle of a small family owned pizzeria waiting for Patton to come out of the bathroom, would remain unaware of Logan’s sudden dinner plans for all but a couple of minutes, until the moment when a message from his lover popped up to inform him that Thomas might still be around by the time Roman returned home, and to describe the sound that erupted from his throat I’d be required to learn many more words of the English language than I currently have the knowledge of.

Many dramatic profanities went unseen as Logan abandoned his phone on the counter, ridding himself of his wet clothes before stepping under the warm spray of the shower, and his notifications would continue to explode with activity until Patton finally returned to their table, forced to assume the role of Roman’s confidant whether he liked it or not. To anymore but Roman, Patton’s genuine interest was obvious, his eyes lighting up with curiosity as he recognized the name of the man that he had spoked to earlier that very same day, and without knowing it, Logan’s confusing attempts at befriending Thomas ended up bringing several people closer during the span of the same 24 hours.

But onto the accidental dinner date, seeing as that’s the most interesting part of this story.

Try as he might, Thomas’s anxiety would not let him rest, and for no reason in particular besides ruining his evening, the nagging voice in the back of his head had him convinced that he should take yet another shower. And change his clothes. Definitely change those.

Not that it would fix the issue that was his ugly mug, but at least his forehead wasn’t as red now. Oh, why had he had to go and embarrass himself in front of Logan?! There was so much at stake here and Thomas went and made a fool of himself already. They weren’t just neighbors, they were coworkers, possible future buddies! You didn’t invite random strangers into your house if you didn’t wanna be their friend, right?

No, the excuse wasn’t really sticking, but what other reason could justify Logan’s invite? He and Roman seemed to be set for life! Two very attractive men living in the same apartment, with an adoptive demon sunflower cat and stable careers!

Possibly. He only knew what Logan did for a living.

The point remained! For all he knew, they might be engaged, maybe even married! He’d have to show his support if it ever came up in conversation. How could you subtly tell someone that you’re queer just like them? Rainbow pins? He didn’t own any of those.

A loud sigh startled him out of his downward spiral, making him jump several inches off the ground, and once Thomas turned around towards the threat, he found himself face to face with a sneaky black void. Well, as face to face as you could be with a cat standing on his paws.

- Just who I was looking for – Thomas sarcastically said, his hand still pressed over his pounding heart. – You better get ready too. You’re going back home as soon as I’m ready.

Virgil looked up at him with the most indifferent stare, fixing him for a couple of seconds before running off to God knows where. Thomas let out a deep sigh of his own.

Standing in the middle of his bathroom, he did himself a favor and went through some breathing exercises before leaning closer to the sink and washing his face. Joan wasn’t replying to his messages, and they always had a better sense of style than he did when it came to social situations, so Thomas did his best to channel the voice of his friend to help him through the options. Sprawled on top of his bed, Patton watch him get changed, his eyes following him around as he ran back and forth, and at some point during his inner turmoil, Virgil had jumped to lay next to him, their paws stretched out in front of them in the exact same way. The sight brought a smile to Thomas’s lips, if only for a little while.

Shirts and pants fell to the ground as he went through his drawers, fabric bunching up underneath his feet as he stepped back to stare at the things he had hanged up in his closet. Thomas would later step out of his apartment wearing some simple black skinny jeans and one of his button up floral shirts, under the guise of it being casual, but not too casual, but whatever he had chosen to wear would be equally meaningless in Logan’s eyes, seeing as he did not understand what made someone attractive. Dress codes were a bit more comprehensible, but not by a lot, and considering Logan had the poor habit of overdressing for every single occasion because of this fact only further solidified in his brain that whatever Thomas chose to be wearing when he came to knock on his door was probably perfectly acceptable and adequate for a homecooked dinner shared between neighbors.

The pleasant ring of the doorbell echoed through his apartment just as Logan was pulling the casserole from the oven.

- Uhm, h-hi. No, good evening – Thomas stuttered out, a nervous smile on his lips as he fidgeted with the untucked ends of his shirt.

- Good evening – Logan said back shortly, assessing his outfit choice as normally as he could possibly do it. – Perhaps I should have asked if you have any dietary restrictions prior to my invite--

A quickly moving blur promptly interrupted whatever Thomas had meant to say next, a black and yellow shadow scurrying after it and into the house.

- Ah, I see that Virgil has also invited someone for dinner.

- I’m so sorry about that. They’ve been all over each other since--

Thomas choked on his own rambles, possibly because he didn’t know how to word his own spiraling thoughts. Logan tried to give him a reassuring smile, but that only seemed to make Thomas look more mortified.

- It’s alright, Thomas. Virgil has never been the most sociable cat. Perhaps a friendship with Patton can be mutually beneficial at this stage of their lives.

The other teacher appeared to become more at ease with such clarification, although he had yet to stop fidgeting.

- I can proceed with a more in depth explanation once you decide to come inside.

- Oh! Right, sorry.

- There’s no need to apologize.

Logan closed the door behind him as Thomas entered his apartment, the curiosity in his eyes seemingly distracting him from his quite obvious anxiety.

- Roman took it upon himself to decorate our house – Logan explained, noticing that the other appeared to be transfixed by the paintings hanging on the walls. – I’m afraid to say I’m not the most well versed when it comes to appreciating art.

- Oh. Well, I guess I’ll ask him about them, once...once I have that opportunity.

Logan was blind to the defeated weight that was added to Thomas’s shoulders, all too preoccupied with coaching him in the direction of the kitchen, and as soon as they stepped away from the front entrance, the warm smell of the casserole wafted towards them, the steam coming off of it dancing in the air, undisturbed.

- That smells incredible – came Thomas’s delighted voice, his head turning around to observe the room that they were in. – And your house is beautiful.

His eyes landed on the cat tree standing next to the large glass windows, probably drawn by the color of the black cat. Virgil and Patton had somehow managed to climb onto the highest level, and were both loudly purring as they laid down next to each other, eyes contently closed shut and bellies pressed to each others. It brought a smile to Thomas’s lips that Logan couldn’t help but mimic.

- Thank you. Please, have a seat.

- Oh, are you sure? I can help uhm, set the table?

Logan blinked, turning towards the direction of the table.

- I suppose I have no reason to stop you.

It was a quick arrangement, considering they only had to account for two people. Two plates, two sets of cutlery, two wine glasses. Logan offered water first, and then expanded his options to every other beverage they had lying around, to which Thomas had shyly agreed to a cup of red wine. Neither of them was particularly knowledgeable in years nor labels, but Roman had quite a collection piling up in the back of their pantry. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too upset about his selection.

After struggling with the cork for a few moments, Logan poured them both a generous amount, setting the bottle on the kitchen counter before walking back to the table with their cups. Thomas readily accepted his, but the permanent tension on his shoulders only seemed to ease slightly once Logan took a seat at the table as well.

- Thank you for accepting my offer on such a short notice.

- Oh, no-- of course! – Thomas’s mouth stretched into a wide grin, hands rubbing down against his jeans under the table. – I’m happy that you invited me.

Logan nodded, mostly as a show of politeness, and then wordlessly started scooping spoonfuls of what had been cooking in the oven for the last hour.

- So uhm—Oh, thank you – Thomas readily accepted his plate, somehow being able to keep his fidgeting to a minimum. – What was it about the whole uhm, allergies thing? That you mentioned at the door?

- I’m not sure what I was meant to say. Biology is not particularly well placed on my list of favorite subjects – Logan explained as he set his own plate down, securing the spoon resting on the hot Pyrex dish in a way that couldn’t be knocked down due to a lack of attention. – I am, however, somewhat used to avoiding such dangers, seeing as Roman suffers from a mild lactose intolerance.

- Oh! – Thomas’s eyes widened, something that indicated that he was surprised about such a fact. – That’s good to know.

- Yes.

A brief pause hanged above them as Logan took an experimental sip from his wine glass, Thomas’s hands struggling to remain steady as he reached for his utensils.

- There is no reason to delay this for much longer, so I will “cut to the chase”, as they say – Logan cleared his throat, carefully placing his glass on its previous spot. – I am the most grateful for your contributions for this week’s scheduled classes. I find it quite difficult to understand the benefit and functionality of mandated theater as it stands currently on the school’s curriculum, but I will admit I’ve learned quite a bit simply from the notes you have left me.

Thomas blinked once, twice. His hands seemed to have stopped shaking, though now they held his knife and fork a lot more precariously than before.

Putting it simply, he looked mildly in shock.

- Oh yea? – he asked dumbfoundedly, shifting in his seat in what was possibly a show of normalcy. – I, I just figured—Not that I assumed anything, but I know I would hate it. If I had to fill in for a week, and knew nothing on how to handle the classes.

- It is a fortunate coincidence, that we have turned out to be neighbors.

- Yea – Thomas agreed with a smile, glancing down at his food with a relaxed expression. – It really is.

It was a pleasant evening, Logan decided then. The pouring rain outside had yet to ease up, but his worries laid away from Roman’s current location, seeing as he had been previously reassured that his coworker would bring him home safely. As they ate in somewhat comfortable silence, Logan studied Thomas’s manners, quick glances at the man sitting across from him. There was a learned dexterity in how he held his fork, how he barely used his knife, and Logan stopped concealing his curiosity as much, a part of him wishing Thomas would take notice of his intense staring.

Of course, being the anxious man that he was, Thomas had never stopped noticing the way Logan’s gaze bore into him, and his frantic heart had been acting accordingly since he had stepped past the threshold of his apartment. The peculiar interest that was only guarded from Logan’s perspective was scrambling his thoughts into a bittersweet concoction that felt terribly close to something a person might experience as they were about to be thrown off a cliff, and as Thomas stood now, he wouldn’t even mind jumping if it was Logan telling him to do it.

- You’re left handed – Logan said, not like a question, but like a fact he had absolute certainty off.

The conviction in his voice had Thomas freezing up in alarm.

- Erh, yea. Is that... Is that a problem?

As Thomas was left to wince at his inappropriate tone of voice, Logan missed it in its entirety, taking the question as face value.

- Of course not. I simply noticed that we hold cutlery in a similar fashion.

- Oh! – Relief washed over him, the kind of refreshing that bordered on overwhelming. – You’re- You’re left handed too.

- Yes. Did you perhaps not realize that as I wrote down my contact information?

Thomas could feel his face beginning to heat up in shame, his sick riddled mind struggling to piece back together that exact encounter. Logan offered him a lopsided smile in the hopes of appearing comforting, but instead, it only served to twist Thomas’s insides with the charm that he unknowingly possessed.

- You were preoccupied with other matters. It’s simply another interesting fact that I have compiled about you.

The sound of choked coughing broke throughout the apartment as Thomas hurried to set his wine glass back down, his chest heaving for air as he leaned forward. Logan immediately rose from his seat, instructing him on how to stand and how to breathe, and through the mortifying embarrassment burning all over his body, Thomas was just glad to know that he could excuse his blotchy red blush on almost choking to death.

- Are you sure you’re feeling alright? – Logan stood at a safe distance, looking over Thomas as he remained slumped over in his chair.

- Yea, I just – Another quick cough. – Breathed in at the wrong moment.

Logan nodded, though he didn’t look entirely convinced.

From the top of the cat tree, Patton stretched out his paws, squinting his eyes in a show of age-worn comfort.

- Oh yea! – Thomas cleared his throat one last time. – I’ve been meaning to ask you this. Virgil’s uhm, new thing around his neck, is that intentional, or?

His fellow teacher turned to look in his direction despite being more than aware of the situation.

- Yes, actually. The plastic cone was exacerbating his anxious symptoms and preventing him from sleeping. A friend of mine was kind enough to land me this alternative.

- Oh, that’s very kind of him.

And just like a gift that kept on giving, Thomas watched dumbfoundedly as Logan smiled warmly, his whole face growing soft at the sincerity that spread across his features.

- It is. I am very lucky to have met him.

- Uhm, h-how did you guys meet, if it’s okay for me to ask?

Logan fiddled with his cutlery before bringing his fork to his lips, slowly tasting the food he had made before nodding in approval.

- You will probably find this humorous, but my friend is called Virgil.

- Oh – Thomas chuckled politely, moving his hands to start eating too. – Like your little black void.

- Precisely. – Logan smiled again, and Thomas swore he was going to have a heart attack if he pulled that on him one more time without warning. – I’m not quite sure who was named after who, but 4 years ago, prior to my employment at our current high school, I stumbled upon this quaint, if not a little eccentric, establishment. Only upon entry was I made aware that it was a cat café, but the atmosphere was quite relaxing and their Internet speed was a very much needed commodity that this apartment had yet to have.

The story paused to allow Logan to enjoy a sip of his wine and another forkful of his casserole dish.

- My friend Virgil was one of the few employees at this establishment.

Thomas had expected that there would be more to this story, but when Logan provided no further context, he forcefully tried to appear brighter as he nodded, summoning all of his possible interest in this topic of conversation.

- Oh! That’s, such a nice origin story.

- It is a bit unusual, but my life seems to be full with unpredictable encounters.

Their eyes met then, and Thomas sucked in a breath, what little he had eaten of his dinner dancing fervently in his sensitive stomach.

He had hoped for Logan to continue, to come up with a throwaway comment about how their own first meeting was unpredictable and unique, but Fate seemed to have other plans for him.

- Logan Eugene Berry! – a voice suddenly called in the distance, followed by the frenetic jingle of keys knocking against each other as their front door unlocked. – Stupid- fucking door.

- Roman, it’s—

- I know how to unlock my own door, Patton!

The cats raised their head off of their cushioned perch just as footsteps wandered into the house, more metallic jingling drowning out the hushed mumbles of Roman and Patton’s voice.

The last thing Thomas expected was to be met with Roman’s actually angry face. And... the vet he had seen that very same day.

- Oh, hello Thomas! – the man in question cheerfully greeted, energetically waving his hand at him. – And hi Logan!

Roman sputtered indignantly for several seconds, eyes wide and hair in disarray.

- How do you know them?!

- Oh, well, you see, Thomas—

- I-I took Patton to the vet today! – Thomas quickly explained, trying his best to not raise his voice as he got up from his seat. – We- We had this funny realization today, that my sweet puffball is uhm.

- Aww, that’s him right there, isn’t it? – Patton the human trailed off, his eyes squinting behind his thick glasses as he wandered close to the cat tree. – And who’s this dark fellow?

- Thomas and I were just talking about it – Logan gently pipped in, getting up from his seat as well. – Patton, this is Virgil.

- Virgil? – Patton squeaked, delighted. – So it was you! Is it alright if I pet him?

His smile blinded everyone in the room, his excitement most definitely out of place when he had yet to answer to Roman’s question.

- Well, if Virgil allows it – Logan warned him, taking a step closer.

From whatever reason, that was all it took to tick Roman off.

- Why haven’t you been replying to my texts? – the words rushed out of him all at once, the panicked edge in his voice promptly shifting the tone of this conversation.

- I was caught by the storm and spent quite a bit of time making sure all of my electronics were still in properly working condition.

From how Roman’s face twisted, he did not like that answer.

- And I thought it would be rude to interrupt your dinner reservation with incoming texts.

- So it was better to ignore me all together?? – Roman looked at him exasperated, throwing his arms in the air.

- I did not intentionally ignore you—

- How do you even know Patton??

- We happened to study at the same university.

- Oh, really? – Roman aggressively spat, crossing his arms over his chest. – Isn’t that just so convenient for you?

Logan let out a deep sigh, abandoning his napkin on the chair before carefully approaching his partner. Patton was anxiously watching over the cats, standing near the cat tree while glancing over his shoulder with an uncomfortable look in his eyes, and while frigid with uneasiness himself, Thomas remained quiet, just trying to make himself as small as possible.

- I apologize for bringing you so much distress – Logan said honestly, placing a hand on Roman’s shoulder and gently petting it. Somehow, that forced air back into Roman’s lungs. – I believe you might be partially joking, but I offer one loose and tender hug as compensation for this chaotic night.

Roman didn’t say a word, merely spreading out his arms and dropping his head on Logan’s shoulder. The room itself seemed to take a breath in as the situation came to a peaceful resolution.

- I was a bit too realistic, wasn’t I? – Roman mumbled, embarrassed.

- It’s alright, dear – Logan smiled, bringing his arms around his partner. – Although I do believe our guests deserve an apology as well.

- Oh, no it’s—

- Thomas.

His heart pounded in his ears as he pressed his lips into a thin line, Logan’s even voice making him feel things he really shouldn’t be feeling right now.

- Roman has developed a habit of... creating drama based on real life events. Not in the sense that the situation is not to be stressed over, or that he is being unreasonable. He willingly extrapolates known interactions “to let the steam off”.

- Oh, like a dog that growls when it’s happy.

Everyone in the room turned to look at Patton, who in turn had the decency to look sweet and confused.

- That’s a large number of my visits! – he explained, casually holding onto Patton’s white paw. – Some breeds do that more than others and some owners get understandably scared when their cute puppies bare their toofers at them!

- ... Right. Thank you, Patton.

- I’m here to help!

From the wide smile that spread across his face, he didn’t seem to pick up on Roman’s dejected tone.

- Did you enjoy dinner? – Logan mumbled, fondly brushing the hair away from Roman’s forehead.

The man in his arms practically melted, his eyes fluttering shut.

- Yeah. Me and your uni buddy had a blast.

- I knew that I knew a Logan – Patton giggled as he looked between them. – I’m really happy to know that my Logan and Roman’s Logan are one and the same.

No one present had the heart to explain to him how odd his wording was, but the sentiment was still very much appreciated. I don’t need to get into the nitty gritty details to paint the picture of how weirdly Thomas’s night was bound to end after all of this.