Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Janus was pining.

It all started at the beginning of the semester. Janus normally didn't leave his apartment to do homework, but Remus had invited a few people over from his rock band, and the noise made it too hard to concentrate.

The student library was nice. It had three floors and there was a coffee shop inside. Optimal place for peace and caffeine.

Janus settled at a table and cracked open his laptop. Then, he saw him—a boy with fawn-colored hair and glasses, working inventory from a metal cart. He ran long lines down the spines of each book he came across with great care, as if understood how important and precious each one was before returning them to their rightful place on the shelves. One day, Janus caught a glance at his nametag—Logan.

And, well, that was it. Every single time Logan walked by, his heart squished in his chest. There was something about him that made Janus want to do incredibly sappy things, like press his fingertips between his eyebrows until the furrow melted away or buy him coffee.

Ugh. Feelings. 

Disgusting.

Janus' eyes drifted across the room. Logan usually wore button downs, always tucked into a pair of tight jeans and paired with a necktie, but today he was wearing a sweater. It was cobalt and brought out just how bright blue his eyes were.

"Damn it," Janus muttered. "He's so hot."

"He looks like he has a stick up his ass if you ask me."

Janus thwacked Remus on the arm with The Art of War. "Don't bad mouth my crush!"

A slow smile stretched across Remus' face. He was sitting across from him and working on a neon green lollipop, shiny and round like a marble between his teeth. Several piercings dotted his ears, but he wore a dangly silver one shaped like a morning star that glittered whenever he moved. 

"I'm just saying," Remus said, wagging the lollipop at him. "He looks uptight as fuck. Who the hell can stand to sit up straight all day like that? I've never seen him slouch once."

"So what? He has impeccable posture."

"Oh, so posture is hot, now?"

"Yes."

Remus rolled his eyes. "You have no clue what you're talking about."

"I have taste is what I have."

"Then do something about it. Go talk to him."

"It's not that easy."

"Yeah, it is. You just go up to him and open your mouth and say stuff."

Easy for Remus to say. He always spoke his mind without caring what other people thought. Sometimes, it was more of a case of brain to mouth filter, but other times, Janus really wished he had his confidence and his ability to bounce back so quickly when things didn't go according to plan.

"I don't even know if he's gay," Janus hedged.

"You'd find out if you asked him out."

"Oh, sure." Janus flicked his wrist. "Let's just gamble all of my dignity and pride. Toss it at the wind!"

"He's got an Apple watch," Remus pointed out.

"That means nothing."

"The wristband is a rainbow."

"That still means nothing."

"Listen, if you ask him out, I'll back you up. If it goes wrong, I'll create a diversion and pull the fire alarm or something. And if he's an asshole, I'll throw a book at his head."

"No," Janus said.

"A real big one. Full of manners and etiquette or some shit."

"Remus, you are not going to throw a book at him."

"Fine. I'll pull the stick out of his ass and beat him with it."

Janus gave a heavy eye roll. 

It wasn't as if Janus was shy. He wasn't. He knew how to charm his teachers into accepting a late assignment, how to make someone blush and how to deliver a powerful speech that had everyone holding their breaths and leaning forward in their seats. He was good with people. Sociable. Smooth.

But this ... this was different. This was a like a grade school crush. Janus hadn't had one of those since, well, grade school. Sure, he dated before, but he only went out with men he met online or in class. It was easy to flirt when the person was clearly into him, but Logan was a complete stranger. Janus had no idea how to approach him.

"So," Remus said. "You gonna do it or not?"

"No. I'm too busy."

"Yeah, being a little chicken shit."

Janus kicked him in the shin without any malice. Remus cackled out a loud laugh.

"Excuse me."

Janus froze. Sowly, he turned his head to see Logan standing nearby with the book cart, his beautiful pink bow of a mouth twisted into a frown.

"Can you two please keep it down? We are in a library."

Janus' palms started to sweat. How long had he been standing there? How much had he heard? Had he heard anything at all? Panic flared inside his chest, his tongue moving before his brain could fully process the situation and blurted out: "Yes, sir."

Remus lost it. He fell against the table and started shaking with laughter.

Janus closed his eyes. Fucking hell.

The innuendo was clearly lost on Logan because he looked sincerely confused. "You don't have to call me sir. I cannot be that much older than you."

"I, uh ...Yes. Apologies."

Logan shrugged. He sent Janus one last puzzled look before wheeling the cart away.

As soon as he was gone, Janus dropped his burning face into his hands and groaned. He wanted nothing more than to melt into the floor and die. 

"Well," Remus said, still snickering. "That went well."

Janus swatted him with the book again.

✨🌻✨

A week later, Janus and Remus stood outside of the library and underneath an awning to get out of a storm. The rain was coming down hard, bouncing against the pavement like silver coins and drumming over their heads.

"If I had known it was going to rain today, I would have brought an umbrella," Janus complained. He was soaked and wanted nothing more than to slip into something more comfortable, but their apartment was quite a walk from here.

"I like it," Remus said, which didn't surprise him. He reached out his hand to catch some of the raindrops like a little kid. He was soaked too, his black leather jacket slick with water and his violet eyeshadow smeared.

"Let's just go inside. We can get coffee and wait for it to let up."

"Good idea," Remus said. "Maybe your Pocket Protector boyfriend is there."

God, he hoped not. Janus would like to look at least halfway decent around his crush. They stepped inside of the library, the air warm and comforting compared to the April chill outside. Janus took off his beanie and ran a hand through his damp hair.

And of course, there he was—Logan, sitting at the front desk and reading a book. Everyone else on campus must have gotten the memo about the rain because there weren't too many students here today. His back was straight as a sword, brows furrowed in concentration and beautiful as always.

Remus beamed. "Well, well. Look who's here!"

Janus internally groaned. He hiked up the collar of his jacket and passed Logan as quickly as possible to get to the stairwell. Remus' combat boots echoed as he followed him down to the cafe. There was no line. The barista punched in their orders and brought them their coffee fairly quickly.

Hot liquid slid down Janus' throat and warmed his insides. He was freezing and still soaked. Water dripped off of his clothes and formed a puddle on the linoleum floor.

"Sooo?" Remus prompted. "What are you waiting for? He's clearly not busy."

"He's reading. That means he doesn't want to be disturbed."

"He's reading because he's probably bored out of his mind at work, you dumb ass. Maybe it'd make his day to have a cute boy hit on him. Ever think about that? Huh? Did ya?"

"Now you sound like your brother."

"Yeah? Well, you sound like a wuss. Wuss, wuss, wuss. Mr. Wussyman."

Janus rolled his eyes. "Oh, very mature of you."

"How about this? If you talk to him, I'll give you five dollars."

"Now you're bribing me to talk to my crush?" Janus tossed his head back. "Ha! Please. That'll never work." He took a long sip of coffee. Swallowed it slowly. Then, "Make it ten."

"Fine. Anything to get you to move your ass already. I'm sick of your pining."

They shuffled back up the stairs. Janus stalled by following Remus to the horror section and browsing for a book to check out. Finally, he settled on The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and made his way to the front desk.

Janus cleared his throat. "Hello."

Logan startled. His eyes immediately glanced over the scar on the left side of Janus' face. It was a silver, jagged line that slashed from his eyebrow down to his jaw. At a distance, it was hard to make out, but it was much clearer if you were standing next to him. The eye on that side was a bright gold, compared to the right, which was a solid walnut brown. They had never been this close to each other before, let alone talked, aside from the please be quiet incident. This was the first time Logan was really seeing him.

Logan set his book faced down on the desk—The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. "Apologies. How can I help you?"

Janus pushed his book at him. While Logan got to work on checking Janus out, Janus leaned over the desk, trying to appear casual. "So ..." he began.

Logan gave him a sideways glance. "You're dripping on Arthur Canon Doyle."

Janus jolted back. "Sorry." Another puddle was forming at his feet. He scuffed at it with his shoe. "Do you come here often?"

Logan frowned. "I work here."

"I know. It was a joke."

"Oh."

Awkward silence.

"Welp!" Janus snatched his book and forced a cheery grin. "Bye!"

He ran out the library with a bruised ego, internally kicking himself for trying such a cheesy pick up line. Remus paid him only twenty-five cents for such a poor attempt and bolstered up his confidence for when they returned a few days later. 

It was another rainy April afternoon. Once again, Janus hadn't checked the weather before leaving his apartment and entered the library looking like he'd just walked off of an intense ride at Splash Mountain.

Janus hastily wiped water off his face. "Maybe he isn't here today."

"Check again," Remus said. He hooked his fingers under Janus' chin and forced him to turn his head. "Calculator Watch at twelve o'clock."

Logan was working inventory again. Outside, the rain hacked against the windowpanes and slid down the glass. Thunder roared, followed by an explosion of lighting, so intense, Janus could feel it in his bones. The lightning illuminated Logan's profile between the aisles, his hip pressed against the side of the cart and reading the back of a book, too absorbed in his own world to even acknowledge the storm.

Janus took in the pieces of him—his soft brown hair brushing over his eyebrows, his broad shoulders and long legs, and it felt as if he had been zapped. "Fuck."

"Not yet," Remus said. He gave him an encouraging little push in Logan's direction. "Go talk to him. I'll be hanging around. Moral support."

"Thanks."

"No problem. Gonna grab the biggest, fattest dictionary here. Best to be prepared, in case it goes awry."

Janus was too nervous to even make a comment on that. It took another push from Remus to get his legs moving in Logan's direction. He sucked in a deep breath, pushing down the butterflies in his stomach and plastered on his most charming, practiced smile.

"Hello," he said.

"Hi." Logan turned his head. "You are dripping on the books again."

Janus immediately stepped away from the cart. "Sorry."

Logan didn't respond. The button down he was wearing was well-fitted and tucked into a pair of very tight, dark jeans that accentuated his waist and it was just—not fair. Not at fair all. He lifted on his toes to reach a higher shelf, his sleeve shifting down to reveal a stretch of pale skin.

Janus was surprised. "You have a tattoo?"

Logan whirled around and slapped his hand over his forearm. "Yes."

"Why are you hiding it?"

"I'm at work. It's inappropriate."

Janus snorted. "A tattoo doesn't make you less professional. I pointed it out because I thought it was cool, not to get you in trouble. What is it of?"

Logan hesitated. 

Janus smiled in an attempt to be reassuring. "It wasn't a trick question."

The pink faded from Logan's cheeks. He slowly removed his hand to reveal a simple chemical formula in black ink. "It's acetylcholine," he explained. "It's a neurotransmitter that plays an essential role in attention, learning, and memory."

"That's interesting," Janus said, because it was. "Do you like science?"

"Yes. I am majoring in Neuroscience."

Holy shit. "That sounds hard."

Logan shrugged. "Not really. I enjoy the classes."

Okay, okay, so he didn't just look smart, but he was smart. Double whammy in Janus' book.

"Hi, sweetie!" A blonde boy with curly hair stepped in next to Logan. He wore a pair of light blue overalls and rounded glasses. A folded umbrella dripped at his side. "You forgot your lunch."

"Ah. Thank you, Patton."

The blonde, or Patton, apparently, smiled and handed him a lunch box. "I see you're busy with someone, so I'll get out of your hair. I'll see you later?"

"Yes," Logan said.

Patton beamed. He gave Janus a polite nod and disappeared. 

Heavy disappointment sank in Janus' gut. Of course Logan had a boyfriend. Of course.

But well ... he supposed he couldn't know that ... for certain. At the same time, he wasn't quite sure how to ask. He supposed the only way was to be upfront but god, that was so awkward. Then again, this whole thing was already awkward enough. If he didn't say something then Remus was going to beat his ass, and Janus would always wonder what if. Besides, he had already committed to this stupid thing. If Janus further embarrassed himself then it wouldn't be the end of the world. He would just die in a hole somewhere, but he would be fine. All fine.

Janus crossed his arms and leaned against the bookshelf. "So was that your ..." He hesitated. "Boy ... friend?"

Logan gave him a strange look. "No. What gave you that impression?"

"He called you sweetie."

"He calls everyone sweetie."

"Ah," Janus said, trying to ignore the swell of hope blooming in his chest. "Nice. Very, uh. Good."

"I guess."

"Soooo, do you have one?"

"Have what?"

"A boyfriend."

"Oh. No."

Remus popped out around a bookshelf behind Logan and flashed a wide, goofy grin. He gave him a thumbs up.

Janus shot him a very pointed look. Logan's brows twitched inward. He began to turn around to see whatever it was Janus was looking at, and Janus panicked, his mouth moving before his brain could kick in, blurting out, "Are you gay?"

Logan fwipped his head up. A faint blush seared his cheeks. "I don't see how that is any of your business."

God. This was going horribly.

"Apologies. You're right, it's not my business, I meant no offense. It's just—I am. Gay, I mean. Very gay. I was wondering if you were, too. You don't have to answer, I ... I'm sorry."

A long pause. Logan crossed his arms. "Fine. I'm gay."

This was going wonderfully! Remus popped out again and flashed another thumbs up. Instantly, Janus' confidence was back up.

"Excellent! Do you want to go to Lou Malnati's sometime?"

Logan frowned. "Are you making fun of me?"

"I—what? No! No, I'm asking you out."

Logan's frown deepened. "Why? You don't even know me."

Because you're cute and smart and have impeccable posture, but instead he said, "I know. That's the point. I want to get to know you."

"Because you think I'm attractive?"

A nervous laugh. "Oh, definitely not," he said, trying to be sarcastic, and then winced when Logan just stared at him. He coughed. "Uh, yes? Yes, definitely."

Logan took a second before responding. He shelved one of the books with a loud clunk-ing noise before turning to face him. "I need to make some things clear first before I give you my answer."

"Okay."

"If you are asking me out for sex, it is not going to happen."

Janus choked. The unscarred side of his face burned pink. Still, Logan pressed on.

"I also will not want to kiss you on the first date. Maybe not even the second or the third or even the tenth, if our courtship gets that far. If I eventually do feel a sexual attraction towards you, I may choose then to engage in sexual activity, but there is also a chance that I will never wish to engage in it, despite an emotional component on my part."

It took Janus' brain a second to catch up to all of that. "Okay, are you saying you're ... ace? Is that right?"

"Demisexual."

The word rolled around in Janus' head. He knew what that was. He'd just never met anyone who identified that way before. "Okay. Okay, cool."

Logan lifted his eyebrows. "Cool?"

"Yeah," Janus said, shrugging. "I still want to take you out. I know you don't know anything about me but ..."

"I don't even know your name."

"It's Janus."

"Janus," Logan repeated. "All right. As long as you are 'cool' with it, I accept your offer."

"Not so fast. What if I wanted to make some things clear too?"

Logan shoved another book onto the shelf and rolled his eyes. "Okay. Go ahead."

"I didn't actually have anything. I just didn't want you to think I was easy."

Logan laughed. It was a small, surprised sound that he quickly muffled with his hand, but it made Janus feel two inches taller.

✨🌻✨

"I'm sorry, you have a what?"

"A date," Logan repeated. He did not look up from his work. He chopped through a pile of leeks over a cutting board with a satisfying crunching sound and scraped them into a simmering pot.

There was some shuffling—the hiss of fabric dragging across the tile and footsteps. Virgil paused in the kitchen, wearing a corset with a massive, ruffled black skirt that he had to hike up with every step. The skits were too long and clearly unfinished. Virgil was a fashion major. His specialty was spooky Victorian fashion, as he liked to call it. Logan was used to coming home to a roommate either dressed as a Count Dracula or in a period-era hoop skirt.  

"With who?" Virgil asked.

"Someone named Janus. I met him at the library. Can you pass the pepper, please?"

Virgil handed it to him wordlessly. Logan measured the exact amount and added it to his soup.

"You never mentioned him before," Virgil said.

"Because he only asked me out today."

"Yeah, but—do you talk to him a lot?"

"No. That is the point of the date."

"I know, but ..." Virgil crossed his arms, vaguely concerned. "You typically don't go out with anyone you've just met."

Logan hummed. He added the last finishing touches to the soup and turned down the heat. "I know, but I have weighed the pros and cons."

Virgil lifted an eyebrow. "Which are ...?"

Logan listed the pros on his fingers. "One, he is a regular at the library which means he takes his studies seriously or he is well-read. Two, he is aesthetically attractive. Three, he still wanted to go out with me even after I was blunt about not wanting to have sex, which in my opinion, is a good sign. Four, a date is a good way for me to socialize and get out of the apartment. Five, I may end up enjoying his company and thus, leading to a more serious relationship."

"And the cons?"

"One, he may have been lying about being okay to wait for physical activity or he could change his mind, and thus, attempt to pressure me into a situation I am not comfortable with. Two, he could be a complete asshole or three, dreadfully boring."

"Okay," Virgil said slowly. "So, if he is any of those things, what can you do about it?"

"The answer is obvious. I could end the date or end the relationship, if it gets that far."

"True." 

"I know it is."

A small smile flicked at the corner's of Virgil's mouth. He looked a little more at ease. "Where are you going for the date?"

"We are getting pizza Friday night."

Virgil choked. "You're getting dinner?"

"Is that a problem?"

"It's just generally a lot of pressure. You have to sit across the table from each other and make eye contact."

"Eye contact is not bothersome to me."

"Okay, but still," Virgil insisted. "Most people get coffee for a first date. That way, if you don't like each other or if you're sensing some bad vibes, you don't have to wait around for a whole meal to dip out."

Logan had not considered that. He picked up a wooden spoon and stirred his soup, contemplating his options. "Well," he said slowly, "perhaps, if it is going poorly, I could let you know. That way, I have an escape route, so to speak."

Virgil snapped his fingers. "Like what you did for me when I went out with that musician guy."

"Precisely."

"I'll fake an emergency," Virgil said. "I'll say Spook has to go to the vet. But I need a code so I know to call you like texting me a clown emoji or something."

"I don't like clowns. How about the purple pickle emoji?"

"No," Virgil said.

"Why not? Purple is your favorite color. And you like pickles."

"First of all, it's not a pickle."

"The color still stands."

"No. I am unbending on the purple pickles, Logan."

"Fine. What about bats? You like bats. I'll send you a bat."

"Good idea," Virgil said. "It'll be like the Bat Signal. Sort of."

Logan made a noncommittal hum of agreement. He placed the cover on top of the pot and turned down the heat. "I sense you are still worried."

Virgil smiled, embarrassed. "Sorry. I guess I'm just surprised. To be honest, I didn't know you were interested in dating."

"Ah. That is not an unsurprising conclusion to come by, I suppose, but make no mistake, I do desire a companion. It is simply hard for me to find one."

And it was. Logan tried dating apps, but it was difficult for him to gauge anything based on a profile because he needed an emotional bond to even feel an attraction in the first place. Logan spent most of his time reading their bios more than anything else, to see if they had any of the same interests, but so many profiles said things like looking for someone to go on adventures with or total gym rat who loves fishing and the outdoors!

Logan enjoyed none of those things. Two dimensional pictures on a screen of some random guy's chiseled six pack also invoked absolutely no desire from him. He ended up swiping left on every single man until his eyes blurred, searching for a connection, but failing miserably. He thought maybe he was being too shallow or his standards were too high, so he forced himself to swipe right on random people, but messaging them felt more like a chore or an obligation. It was probably best to meet someone in real life, but his studies made that extremely difficult.

And so, Logan had stopped thinking about dating. He'd stopped trying. This was his first date in nearly four years.

"Yeah, I get that," Virgil said. "I hope it goes well for you, but if you're bored or uncomfortable, just send me the Bat Signal and I'll get you out of there. Okay?"

"Okay," Logan agreed.

"What's his name again?"

"Janus."

"What about his last name?"

"I have no idea."

Virgil groaned. "How are we supposed to find him on social media then?"

"Why would we need to find him on social media?"

"To get an idea of what he's like! See what kind of stuff he's into and to make sure he's not a creep. That's your mission, L. Find out his last name so we can look him up later."

"Fine, fine. If you insist."

"I do! Now can you help me out of this?" Virgil turned around. "I can't reach the laces on the back."

Chapter Text

On the night of dinner, Janus was an impatient, nervous wreck. He changed his outfit five times, making such a ruckus that Remus' twin brother and their fellow roommate, Roman, poked his head into his room.

"Oh, where are you going? I haven't seen that shirt before. It looks nice."

"Really?"

Janus wanted to make a good impression, a better one than at the library. He was determined to not to drip rainwater on any books or within Logan's vicinity. He'd finally decided on a yellow long sleeved shirt and white jeans, but he was so used to wearing dark clothes most of the time that he wasn't sure how he felt about it. But he must have sounded too hopeful because Roman was giving him a funny look. 

"Yes?" He paused. Janus watched him take in the gold watch glinting on Janus' right wrist, his styled hair and the pile of clothes flung across his bed. "Oh, my god. You have a date, don't you?"

Heat flooded Janus' face. "Uh, no."

Roman gasped. "Oh, you do! Who is it? Do I know them? Where are you going? What are they like?"

"Oh my god, get out of here!" Janus started shoving him out the door, but Roman stuck his foot out to keep the door from slamming shut.

"No, wait! I can help!"

"No."

"Aww, come on!"

"No. " 

"Pleasepleaseplease!"

Janus groaned and finally relented. "Fine," he said, opening the door a little wider. "You can help me pick out my shoes."

"Yay!"

Roman asked a million questions about his date, most of which Janus refused to answer. They went through several pairs of shoes until they finally settled on some that matched and didn't feel too over the top.

Janus arrived at Lou Mati's thirty minutes later. He found Logan sitting at the table already and going over the menu. He looked striking in that dark blue sweater Janus liked so much, the sleeves rolled up to reveal his tattoo.

"Hey," Janus said.

Logan looked up. "Ah. Hello."

Janus draped his jacket over his chair and sat down. "Hope you weren't waiting too long."

"Not really. About fifteen minutes."

Janus sputtered. "I—" He checked his watch. "But this was the time we agreed on, wasn't it?"

"Yes. Don't worry about it. I'm always early."

"Oh ... all right."

An awkward silence descended. Logan ducked his head to look at the menu again. Janus drummed his fingers against the table. 

"So," he said. "You look nice."

"Thank you," Logan said politely. "So do you."

"Thanks," Janus said, though wondered if he really meant it. He nodded at the menu. "Find anything you like?"

"We could split a pizza," Logan offered. "That's what this place is known for, isn't it?"

"Yeah, let me see ..."

They decided which toppings they'd like while the restaurant bustled around them. Janus took a long sip of water and silently cursed himself for not picking out something more lowkey. 

A waiter stopped by and lit a tiny candle sitting between them in a glass shaped like flower petals folding into themselves. He took their order and bustled off.

Logan folded his hands over the table as if he were preparing for a business deal. "So," he began.

"So," Janus returned.

"I have a series of questions."

"Okay." Janus chuckled. "Do you have a list or ..."

"What's your last name?"

Oh, wow. Okay. Getting right into it then.

"Moretti."

Logan paused. "That sounds similar to Moriarty."

"It does, doesn't?" Janus cupped the scarred side of his face, the corner of his mouth pulling upwards. "I saw you reading Sherlock Holmes at the library. Are you a fan?"

"Yes. Is it Italian?"

"My last name? It is."

Logan made a small noise of acknowledgement and folded his napkin into squares on the table. 

Janus' smile broadened a little. "You're awfully quiet all of a sudden."

"Apologies. I was thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing. I just ... like it. It suits you."

"Thank you."

Logan nodded. "What are you majoring in?"

"Law."

Logan looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yes. I want to be a prosecutor."

"Interesting. Have you always wanted to be a lawyer?"

"No," Janus said, swirling the ice around in his glass. "When I was a kid, I wanted to be an archeologist. I still have an appreciation for dinosaurs. Reptiles, too."

"I see. What made you decide to go into law school?"

"Because I've always wanted to be a snake."

Logan stared at him.

"A joke," Janus clarified, palms sweating. He took another drink of water and wished it was wine.

"I don't get it."

Yes, Janus could see this was becoming a pattern. "Because lawyers protect their clients interests even if ... nevermind. The answer is I find it interesting, and I think I'd be good at it."

Janus was incredibly good at arguing and proving a point. He also thought law was exciting, especially criminal law. The more noble answer was that some people didn't feel like they had a voice, and Janus wanted to be that voice for them.

The shorter answer was that he liked money.

Logan accepted this with a thoughtful hum. "I see. And what is your favorite animal?"

Janus' golden eye glittered. He set his glass down and folded his arms across the table, leaning forward. "Snakes."

"What's your favorite color?"

"Yellow."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No."

"Pets?"

"Remus has a rat—he's my roommate. I want a snake, but rats and snakes, well... They don't go well together, you see."

"Yes, that makes sense. Are your eyes naturally that color or are they contacts?"

"Natural."

"Heterochromia?" Logan's eyes roved Janus' face. "Fascinating."

"Is that your way of saying you think my eyes are pretty?"

"Yes."

Damn. Blunt and un-flusterable, it seemed. Janus would have to work harder. Though, it was quite difficult when Logan's directness made him feel flustered. He coughed. "Uh, thank you."

Logan nodded. "Do you want kids?"

"On the fence about it."

"Are you religious?"

"No."

"Are you allergic to anything?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"And what's your family like?"

"Okay, are you sure you're not the one interested in law?" A slow smile cut across Janus' face. "I feel like I'm on the stand. My palms are sweating."

Logan blushed. "Ah. Apologies. I didn't mean to interrogate you. It has ... been a while since I have been on a date."

"It's all right. To answer your question, my family consists of me and my mother. My mother left my father when I was a child. He was a drunken asshole, and I haven't seen him since."

"Oh," Logan said. "Wow. I'm sorry to hear that."

Janus shrugged. "It's fine. My mother and I are very close. What about your family?"

"We are also very close. My mother teaches kindergarten and my father is a book editor." Logan reached for his glass. "Ah, and also—I was adopted."

Janus blinked, taken off guard. "Damn. Was being adopted hard for you or ...?"

"Not really. I've known I was adopted since I was five, and both of my parents are very loving people."

"That's good. Do you have any siblings?"

"No. My parents never adopted again, and my birth parents ..." He hesitated. "I have no idea. I suppose it's possible I have siblings through them, but I wouldn't know. It was a closed adoption."

Janus shifted in his seat, unsure of what to say. "Would you want to meet your birth family?"

"I'm not certain."

Janus nodded. This felt like a touchy subject so he decided to move the conversation along.  "You said earlier you were a neuroscience major, right?"

"Ah, yes. I would like to be a neuroscientist."

Janus' forehead wrinkled, trying to follow. "So would that be like ... working on finding the cure to Alzheimer's or something?"

"That could be part of it, yes. I'd essentially be working to develop treatments for a range of neurological issues such as depression or schizophrenia, brain trauma, epilepsy and so forth."

"Holy shit. That's impressive."

Logan smiled a little, and it made Janus' heart do an embarrassing jump in his chest. "Thank you. It will take a while to get there, though. I still have a lot of schooling so ... for now it's just the student library. Do you work anywhere?"

"Part time at the museum."

That got Logan's attention. "You work at a museum? What museum?"

"Just the Starwood History Museum," he said, wishing it was something more impressive. It was a local little museum downtown. They had a few interesting exhibits, but it wasn't like it was The Smithsonian or anything. "I work the front desk and interact with guests sometimes."

But Logan seemed to think it was very impressive. "I know where that is. I hear they have the most completed and best preserved juvenile T-rex skeleton ever discovered, correct? I've been meaning to go there."

"Yes," Janus said, perking up. "We also have a floor dedicated to live animals. Mainly turtles and snakes and that sort of thing. That's my favorite."

"That sounds very interesting. I'd love to visit sometime."

Janus' heart gave a hopeful little tug. "You should. Let me know if you ever want to go, and I can show you around."

"I'd like that."

Janus smiled right as the waiter returned and set their pizza in the middle of the table. 

"Enjoy," he said, and walked off.

Janus realized in that moment that there was no sexy way to eat a slice of double stuffed pizza. Once again, he asked himself why he didn't pick out something more casual like ice cream or coffee.

Logan helped himself to a slice and cut his pizza with a knife and fork. "So," he began, "what do you like to do for fun?"

Janus chewed, thinking about it. "Hmm, let's see. I enjoy true crime podcasts and musicals. I like history and philosophy. I play Among Us, read books, write from time to time ..."

"Oh, you're a writer?" Logan sat up a little straighter. "What do you write?"

Fuck, he wasn't supposed to mention his writing. He didn't share that with anyone—not even Remus. The most recent thing he wrote was a Scooby Doo fanfiction featuring friends to enemies to lovers Daphne and Velma. Velma worked at a coffee shop with Shaggy and tried to solve a series of mysteries happening around their college campus. She fell in love with her roommate, Daphne, only to unmask her as the villain in the end.

"Uh, mystery."

"Oh, I love mysteries. Would you describe your work as a traditional mystery or perhaps gritty noir? Is it hardboiled or is there a private detective?"

Fucking hell.

Janus took a long sip of water to settle his nerves. "Mm, more like ... a light mystery in a coffee shop setting."

"Ah!" Logan snapped his fingers. "Cozy mystery!"

Janus choked on his drink.

"Interesting. Did you know the first full-length cozy mystery novel was written by Agatha Christie?"

"No," he rasped. "I did not know that."

"Yes, it's called Miss Marple. I highly suggest it if you write cozy mysteries. Where do you get your inspiration?"

Janus thought of his secret Archive Of Our Own account featuring anything from an alternate universe to hardcore smut. Sweat prickled the back of his neck.

"I only do it for fun," Janus quickly clarified, his tongue feeling too big for his mouth. "What about you? What do you like to do for fun?"

"Ah. Well I, too, enjoy reading. Mostly mysteries, sci-fi and non-fiction. I can't get into fantasy very much. I like puzzles, poetry, rap music and the occasional video game depending on my mood." Logan cut off a piece of pizza into a perfect square. "Do you like sports?"

Janus snorted. "Oh, yes. Can't think of a better way to spend my time than kicking a ball back and forth."

A pause.

"I'm kidding. I hate sports."

Logan actually looked physically relieved. "God. Me too."

A slow smile spread across Janus' face. "I enjoy dancing though. Does that count?"

"What kind of dancing?"

Remarkably, the rest of dinner went well. Most of Janus' nerves started to fade away the more the conversation went on. He was slowly getting used to the way Logan literally took things, and considered it a success whenever he was able to make Logan smile a little. By the time the date wound down to an end, Janus packed up his leftovers and silently congratulated himself for not dropping any pizza sauce onto his white pants.

After paying and leaving a tip, Logan followed Janus outside. The air was cold and the sky was black and it was ... drizzling.

Janus sucked on his teeth to keep himself from groaning.

Logan, ever the prepared one, popped open his umbrella. "You're dripping again," he observed.

"Sorry," he sighed.

"It's all right. I'm getting used to it." Logan shifted so the umbrella was covering both of their heads. "Which way is your apartment?"

"Oh, you don't have to walk me."

"I insist."

Janus' face flooded with heat. He started walking with Logan in tow. They had to walk closely to each other in order for Logan to cover him, and Janus felt his heart jumping whenever their arms accidentally brushed. He could smell faint traces of Logan's cologne—some kind of frigid, mint scent. Logan was also a whole head taller than him, and he tried not to notice. He hoped Logan couldn't tell that his knees were shaking.

Finally, Janus gestured to the apartment building. "This is me." 

"Ah," Logan said. "So it is. Thank you again for dinner."

"Of course."

Logan lifted his palm, and Janus eagerly shot forward and gave him a high-five, realizing too late that Logan had only meant to wave goodbye. 

Chills erupted down Janus' spine as he felt his soul leave his body. Thank god it was too dark out to make out his searing blush. "I, uh  ... okay. Good night then."

A bemused smile lifted Logan's face. "Goodnight."

✨🌻✨

Logan kicked off his shoes and hung up his coat and umbrella as soon as he got home.

Virgil greeted him at the doorway. "You didn't send me the Bat Signal," he said.

"I did not."

"So it went well, I take it?"

"Yes."

Logan walked into the living room. He heard Virgil pad after him. "Wait, that's it? Just yes? I need more details, L."

"What do you want to know?"

"What is he like, first of all?"

"Sarcastic, witty and wet."

"Wet?"

"Yes." He picked up a trivia book off the coffee table. "He's constantly dripping everywhere."

"Logan, I have no idea what that's supposed to mean." Virgil cuddled their cat, a black one named Spook, into his arms. "Is that a metaphor?"

"No, it is quite literal. He always gets caught in the rain for some reason."

Virgil looked like he didn't know what to say to that, so he moved on. "Well, what do you think? Do you want to see him again?"

"I think I do."

Virgil lifted his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yes, he's interesting. I want to see where it goes."

"Interesting," Virgil repeated. "Because he gets caught in the rain?"

"No. We have quite a few things in common."

"Cool. So are you going on a second date?"

"Yes, I think I will."

Virgil accepted this with a nod. "So, did you get his last name?"

"Ah, yes. It is Janus Moretti."

"Like the villain in Sherlock?"

"Almost."

Virgil squinted. "That's suspicious."

"Having a last name similar to a literary villain does not make him an actual villain, you realize?"

But Virgil ignored him, already sitting down at the couch and pulling out his laptop. Logan left the room to brush his teeth and put on his pajamas. He made a cup of tea and returned to his seat next to him. "How has your online search been so far?"

"Uneventful," Virgil said. "He's not on social media at all. Doesn't even have a Linkedin."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's like he's a ghost." Virgil glared at his screen. "Suspicious."

"How is not having social media suspicious?"

"Um, because everyone is on social media?"

"Clearly not."

"Okay, well he's a bad example, I'll give you that, but why doesn't he have anything? There must be something he is hiding."

"Or he has better things to do than snap pictures of his food on Instagram. I'm hardly on social media myself."

"Yeah, but you at least post sometimes, " Virgil said.

Logan shrugged. Spook crawled into his lap and curled up for a snooze. He absentmindedly rubbed the cat behind the ears while pulling up Janus' contact number on his phone.

Virgil raised his eyebrows. "You gonna text him?"

"Yes ... I think I'm going to ask for a second date. You said coffee was ideal, yes?"

"Yeah, I think that's good. Need help with the message?"

"Please, Virgil," Logan said, already typing with one hand. "I know how to craft a message."

✨🌻✨

Janus was sprawled out on the couch in the living room with one arm slung over his face, trying to block that humiliating high-five out of his mind. Meanwhile, Roman and Remus sat nearby on the floor, their heads pressed close together over Remus' phone, which displayed Logan's Instagram account. It was mostly pictures of recommended books, sprinkled in with occasional pictures of his friends and family. There were also many pictures of a black cat and only three selfies.

"Wow," Roman said. "This guy looks like he has a stick up his ass."

Remus tossed his hands up into the air. "That's what I said!"

Janus sat up and swung a throw pillow over both of their heads. "Both of you quit bad mouthing my crush!"

Roman giggled. "Sorry. He is cute though! In like a ... stiff, strict librarian kind of way."

"That's Janus' type," Remus said, shoving a handful of crunchy Doritos into his mouth. "Stiff."

That remark earned another swat of the throw pillow. "Shut up."

Remus laughed again. His pet rat, a soft gray one named Fester, climbed up his arm to perch on his shoulder. He turned his head to rub noses with him.

"Do you want to see him again?" Roman asked.

Of course he did, but Janus tried to play it cool. "Sure."

"Of course he does," Remus said. Fester crawled onto his head and started cleaning its whiskers. "He's got a big, fat juicy crush."

"I do not!"

"Liar."

Janus rolled his eyes. "I'm going to bed."

"You're not interested in our Instagram journey?" Roman asked.

"You mean your online stalking ? Hard pass."

"He's only saying that because he's already done it," Remus said.

Janus sputtered. "I have not!"

"He's probably going to go do it in private now."

He was. "I am not!"

"He's got it bad," Remus told his brother. "You should have seen him at the library."

"Shut up," Janus said. "I do not have it bad. My feelings for Logan are there but I assure you, I have a handle on it. I am not over my head. Everything is fine. Completely under control."

Right then, Janus' phone dinged on the coffee table. He lunged for it.

"Right," Remus said mildly. "Completely under control."

Janus ignored him and brought his phone up to his face. It was a text from Logan. He immediately tapped to open it.

Salutations, Janus. This is Logan. Thank you again for tonight, the pizza and conversation was quite enjoyable. Would you like to get coffee next week?

The twins moved to sit on either side of Janus on the couch. They looked over his shoulder to peer at the message.

"Salutations?" Roman repeated, confused.

"Ugh!" Remus cried. "Coffee. How boring."

"That's not boring! That's fantastic!" Roman said, beaming. "He wants to see you again! That means he must like you."

"I suppose you're right." Janus tried to keep his voice casual, but a giddy kind of joy was spreading inside of his chest. He quickly tried to stuff it down—to be cool. He thought about it more. "Though, maybe I should suggest for us to do something afterwards? Coffee might be short."

"True," Roman said, thinking about it. "What are some things he's into?"

"Books, puzzles, mysteries ..."

Roman lit up. "I have an idea!"

"Oh no," Janus said.

"Hear me out."

"That has not gone well for me in the past."

"No, really! It's the perfect plan! You said he likes puzzles so you should take him to an Escape Room! Those are like puzzles, right?"

Janus blinked. "Roman," he said, impressed. "That's ... actually a very good idea."

He smiled, smug. "I know."

Janus started texting him back. Hello, Logan. I would love coffee. I also had an idea ...