#namiswriting

[naminethewriter]

Monstrously Simple Days at College - Masterpost

I am participating in the @xts-reverse-bangx! This story is based on artwork of @prince-rowan-of-the-forest who supplied me with the Sides species and pronouns as well as the setting. She helped me brainstorm some worldbuilding and I ran everything by her, which was a lot of fun! I hope you enjoy what we cooked up 🥰

Summary: Humans and Monsters live together in harmony and that means they all get to go to college together. Roman, Remus, Janus, Virgil, Logan and Patton are big group of friends that may be a bit chaotic with all the different monster cultures they hail from. College itself is hard too, but with them all supporting each other, it can't be that bad, can it?

A collection of lighthearted scenes from their second year at college!

Tags: Platonic DLAMPR, Romantic Anaroceit, Romantic Intrulogical, Fluff, Slice of Life, Monster AU, College AU, No Hurt All Comfort, Genderfluid Roman, Nonbinary Remus, Nonbinary Virgil, Nonbinary Logan

Here's the link to Rowan's Artwork and the link to the story on Ao3!

Chapter One: Welcome Back

Chapter Two: Platonic Cuddling at Midnight

Chapter Three: Don't Disturb the Witch

Chapter Four: An Unusual Trade

Chapter Five: Dragon Scales

Chapter Six: Entirely Scientific Interest

And a last thank you to @edupunkn00b, my beta reader for this story! 🍀

My writing masterpost

[naminethewitch]

Skater Dark Sides AU (bullet fic) 4

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 5  Part 6 (end)!

Finally I managed to sit down and finish the next part! Might have something to do with the fact that we actually got some Skater!Virgil content, even if he hasn’t actually made an appearance here yet. Hopefully I can finish Janus and Remus’ arc with the next part and then I can intruduce Virgil finally, but I promise nothing!

Again this will include: romantic Demus, platonic Dukexiety, brotherly Creativitwins, everything else is open to interpretation so far

Still don’t think any trigger warnings are necessary but if you do find something, tell me please!

At his parents’ mansion, Janus allows himself to have his crisis

after his parents grilled him as usual about school and living alone etc and if he had plans for the upcoming summer break

of course they want him home then but Janus likes the independence (and chance to hang out with Remus & Co. more) so he’s avoiding the topic as best he can

thankfully his sister isn’t home or he would not get some quiet until late in the evening

he gets time to himself between afternoon tea (he has some British roots) and dinner where he thinks a long time about Remus, his feelings toward him and how to best deal with them

he doesn’t really get anywhere though

he would love to try and go out with Remus but allowing himself to indulge in his crush could backfire so badly, plus what if Remus doesn’t like him back?

but saying nothing suddenly seemed just as hard, like he flipped some switch with his realisation and not being close to Remus was extremely uncomfortable now

by the time he’s called to dinner (which seems to him to be way too soon, did he really lose track of time that badly?) he’s incredibly frustrated

apparently his parents can tell

his mom pulls him aside after dinner and the two sit down in her conservatory

she brings some wine and the two drink together (moderately)

(Janus has been drunk before and his parents know that, they have also drunk with him before. he doesn’t like being drunk but loves the taste of wine and enjoys a bit of a buzz once in a while)

they just chat for a bit, his mom complaining about some of her friends, Janus about his classmates, both starting to relax more

his mom asks what’s troubling him directly while she pours him his second (and last) glass

he hesitates but decides to tell her that he has a crush and doesn’t know what to do about it

she starts teasing him with the typical ‘what she’s like’ etc questions but quickly stops when she notices how uncomfortable Janus looks all of a sudden

he takes a few breaths before telling her it’s not about a girl

she’s confused for a few seconds before she understands

they’re quiet for a bit

“So… what does that mean exactly? Is… he?” She waits until he nods in conformation. “Is he an exception or..?”

“No, he’s not. Well, he is the first crush I’ve ever considered actually pursuing, but… he’s not the first boy. I… I’m gay, mom.”

the silence is quite heavy while his mom is processing his confession, then she nods slowly

“I see… I must say I feel like I should have seen that coming, but I did not.” She looks Janus in the eyes and smiles. “I’m very glad you feel comfortable enough to tell me that, honey. I love you, no matter what, you know?”

Janus does cry a bit but will blame it entirely on the alcohol if you’d ask him about it later

after a good hug, he tells her all about Remus and she listens carefully, not very enthusiastic about her son falling for a high school drop-out that’s been partially living on the streets, but she can see how enamored Janus is and can’t bring herself to talk him out of it

instead she advises him on talking to his therapist about it (she’s worried if Janus is even ready for a relationship with his mental health etc.) and taking it slow, explore the feelings on his own for a bit and see how Remus acts towards him

“You’ll have a lot of time during the break to figure everything out. Take it slow, ok?”

Janus is very happy he told her and goes to bed a lot calmer

both of them have agreed to not tell Janus’ father for now though, it’s an inopportune time and until Janus actually has a boyfriend it can wait

(Janus also definitely does not feel ready to come out to his dad (or siblings))

when he returns to his apartment the next day, he finds a note from Remus in his snakes’ room

Thanks for letting me crash here, Dee. This place is sick, I never knew that rich people’s showers are so big! I made sure to get out on time, don’t worry, but I definitely will annoy you until you let me crash here again :P see you soon, Remus

Remus had also doodled a bunch of dicks and butts around the words

Janus snorts and quietly curses Remus for infecting him with his terrible humour

the next few weeks pass quickly with Janus having to study for finals (Idk how American schools work, we had exams not long before summer break) and not having a lot of time for skating

he definitely notices how quickly he misses Remus during that time and he doesn’t really like it

his therapist says it’s his fear of commitment, being even a bit dependant on Remus is unsettling him and that’s ok, they’ll work on it

it really makes Janus feel better

Remus doesn’t know anything about that, of course, but he also definitely notices Janus’ more frequent absences and how stressed he is when he is there

he doesn’t ask to crash at Janus’ place during that period

once summer vacation starts, everyone is a lot happier

Janus has more time to skate but his parents also want him home moreplus his father wants him to intern at his work

so once a week he’s at his father’s company and he is supposed to go home from Fridays till Sunday afternoons

that creates an issue with caring for his snakes; taking them with him all the time would probably just stress them out and also be way inconvenient

his parents tell him to hire someone to take care of them during the weekends

Janus is not a fan of letting strangers into his apartment (he’s only ok with the cleaning lady since he’s known her for years)

he tells Remus as much who responds by saying something along the line of ‘I would love to take care of them, they’re so cute, though if I could choose a pet, I’d definitely get some rats…’

he continues talking for a while, but Janus isn’t really listening

being bold in regard to Remus has paid off so far, so he just kinda blurts out:

“Then, why don’t you?”

“Huh?”

“Take care of my snakes, I mean. I trust you; you could stay at the apartment over the weekends. Kills two birds with one stone, right?”

Remus just stares at him for a bit

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Yes, totally. It isn’t like your one of my closest friends, you are horrible to my babies and you definitely don’t need a roof over your head.”

“You almost sound like you’re inviting me to live with you, you know that, right?” *eyebrow wiggle*

*eyeroll* “It’s only on the weekends and I will hardly be there. You get a bed for two or three nights, can use your own bathroom and raid my fridge all you like. And I can relax at my parents’ house knowing my babies are taken care of properly, we both win.”

Remus narrows his eyes at him, sceptically

“It sounds like I’m winning a lot more than you, though.”

Janus shrugs 

“I’ll also know that my good friend is sleeping safely, that’s a huge bonus.”

“Aww, you worry about me, snake boy!”

“Shut up!”

They end up agreeing that Remus will come to Janus’ place Thursday evenings and stay at his apartment till Janus comes back on Sundays

Remus insists on doing more housework though, so Janus tells the cleaning lady that she doesn’t need to come on weekends anymore

Now Janus basically has a scheduled sleepover with his crush every week, nothing could go wrong there, right?

Alright, that’s it for now!

Hope you like it, reblogs, comments and/or asks are appreciated!

[naminethewriter]

To an Interesting Night

It's Day 4 of Loceit Week and I got a very funny prompt for today that was very fun to write 🤭 @loceitweek

Masterpost | Loceit Week 2024 Masterpost | Ao3

Prompt: “Do I know you?” “Yes. We had Sex.”

Summary: Janus ends up in a bar after a bad date. There he is approached by someone who knows him though he has no memory of the other in return.

Content Warnings: Talk of sex (nothing explicit however)

~~*~~

Janus people-watched from the bar with disinterest. He’d just had a miserable blind date and decided to have one or two drinks before heading back home so the time he’d spent on his outfit wasn’t a waste. The bar he’d ended up in was far from empty but not too crowded. Still, he was getting bored.

Until someone sat next to him.

“Good evening,” the man said to him with a nod before keeping an eye out for the bartender. Janus raised an eyebrow at the man’s suit and tie, a way too professional set of clothes for the establishment. But he was more annoyed by having someone so close, after all, he’d done his best to dissuade anyone else from taking the seat next to him.

He wasn’t keen on company right now.

“Do I know you?” he asked, trying to sound disgruntled enough that the guy would get the hint and leave.

He wasn’t prepared for his answer.

“Yes. We had sex.”

Janus, maybe for the first time in his life, was speechless. The man didn’t elaborate and instead finally managed to order a drink. It was placed in front of him by the time Janus regained his composure.

“If that is your idea of a joke, it is not funny,” he pressed out between grit teeth.

“I assure you, I am not,” the other shrugged and took a sip of his drink. “I do not fault you for forgetting, it has been a long while.”

“Then do enlighten me.”

“Of course. We went to the same college and met at a party. We were both slightly intoxicated but not to a degree where we couldn’t consent. You were annoyed at your roommate for something you never elaborated on and wanted to get back at him by having sex with someone in your room. You were attractive and I was in the mood, so I agreed. We had an enjoyable night and I left right after we were done.”

Janus couldn’t deny that that is something he would have done. No, it is something he had definitely done, but he couldn’t remember ever seeing this man.

“If it is any consolation to you, I did not think you would remember me,” the man continued before Janus could speak up. “All our interactions were in rather dimly lit locations, and you were adamant about not keeping any sort of contact. You never even gave me your name and refused to learn mine. Instead, I was supposed to call you Deceit and I told you to call me—”

“Logic,” Janus interrupted, finally remembering something of that evening.

“Indeed. A friend of mine had picked out my outfit that evening and I had dyed my hair as a consequence of a bet, so I looked quite different than usual as well. We passed each other on campus only once more as far as I can remember and even then you gave no indication that you knew who I was despite our eyes meeting.”

“I see.” Janus was at a loss of what to do. He felt kind of bad for not remembering this man in the slightest but the other hardly seemed bothered by it. “I suppose I should thank you for helping me out then,” he settled on. “I’d like to pay for your next drink if you are amiable?”

The other man smiled.

“I will gladly take you up on your offer. Do I get to know your name this time or would you like me to call you Deceit again?”

Oh, this man was fun, Janus decided and a smirk stole itself onto his face.

“Let’s see how this night goes first and if I still like talking to you in the morning, I might just share it with you.”

“I do like a challenge. Very well, Deceit. To an interesting night then.” The other held out his drink for Janus to clink his own glass against.

“To an interesting night indeed, Logic.”

[naminethewriter]

Unappreciated Skills

I know it's the angst prompt but I didn't feel like writing angst, so here's Roman flustering Virgil again 🤭 @anaroceitweek

Masterpost | Anaroceit Week 2024 Masterpost | Ao3

Summary: Roman asks Janus on his opinion on an issue. Virgil uses the opportunity to poke fun at him.

Content Warnings: None

~~*~~

“I think you need to apologize,” Janus advises and Roman sighs.

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll work out something.”

“Work out what? You suck at apologies,” Virgil snorts from the couch.

“Excuse you! I’m great at apologizing!”

“Sure, princey.”

“Maybe you should prove it to him, Roman,” Janus suggests with a sly smile.

“What a wonderful idea, darling!” He stands and goes over to Virgil, kneeling in front of him and taking his hand.

“I’m sorry, mi amore,” he whispers and presses a kiss to Virgil’s hand.

“Gross,” Virgil complains but his face is red, and he doesn’t retract his hand.

[naminethewriter]

Monstrously Simple Days at College

Chapter One: Welcome Back

Masterpost | Next | Ao3

Story Summary: Humans and Monsters live together in harmony and that means they all get to go to college together. Roman, Remus, Janus, Virgil, Logan and Patton are big group of friends that may be a bit chaotic with all the different monster cultures they hail from. College itself is hard too, but with them all supporting each other, it can't be that bad, can it?

Content Warnings: None

~~*~~

“Remus, you ass, come down right now! You’re not going to get yourself in trouble five seconds after coming back to campus!”

Roman shields her eyes as she looks up at her brother, shaking out her own wings after the long flight back to college. Their second year was going to begin in only a few days and Remus is not going to ruin her reunion with her partners by being a dick and breaking the flight regulations immediately upon coming back.

Thankfully, it seems to have gotten the message as she watches them divebomb back to the ground, aiming directly for her.

“Don’t you dare, you stinking rat!” she screeches and takes off the ground herself, if only a few inches for the better mobility and reaction time she has in the air. Remus stops her fall only a short distance away from her and grins, his sharp teeth glinting in the sun.

“Don’t get your panties in a twist, I wasn’t going to actually hit you. Too many witnesses.”

“Ha ha,” Roman deadpans, setting her feet back on the ground. “Let’s just go to the dorms so I can pretend I don’t know you.”

Remus snorts.

“Too late for that, I think everyone on campus who isn’t a first year knows us by now.”

Roman chooses to ignore its comment. She is well aware that last year a few different events happened that made both her and her brother, as well as their group of friends rather well known.

“C’mon.”

She sets off, entering the campus grounds through the huge main gate, Remus close on her heels.

“It’s such bullshit that we can’t just fly on campus. Who the hell decided it was a good idea to enforce no-flight-zones anyway?”

“It’s for privacy and community, which you would know if you had paid any attention during orientation last year. I don’t want any randos to fly up to my windows either, so I completely understand why they forbid it on campus entirely. That and those drone things. They’re creepy.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get why we’re not allowed to do it around the dorms, but we’re not at the dorms! We’re basically in a park!”

“Go ask your boyfriend, they know stuff like that!”

“My boyfriend isn’t here! And I can’t fly up to find him because of stupid regulations!”

“Too bad for you.”

Roman quickens her steps as her eyes lock onto the thing she’s been searching for after having spotted it during her landing earlier. A black parasol.

“Why the fuck are you in such a hurry?” Remus complains behind her, but she ignores them, instead weaving skillfully through the crowd to reach her partner.

“My dark and stormy thundercloud! Wait up!” she calls ahead and the parasol comes to a stop as the person holding it turns around. The vampire looks at them with tired, bright purple eyes. They yawn before answering.

“Hello prin—“ They cut themselves off, staring at the chains and jewels attached to Roman’s horns with a look of confusion. “—cess?” they finish, uncertain. It takes Roman a moment to figure out what happened.

“Oh! Yes, feminine day. Our uncle came by a few weeks after our birthday and gave me a bunch of horn-jewelry as a present. Apparently, grandma told him I was ‘developing an interest’ and he dug through his horde. He had no idea I was using them as pronoun indicators, but he said he knew a dragon a few centuries back that did the same thing! So, I seemed to have revived a trend without even knowing it!” Roman laughs and Virgil’s shoulders drop in relief.

“I see. I was really confused for a second ‘cause they didn’t trigger anything. And I felt bad assuming just because the jewels are pink that it’s for a feminine day.”

“I can’t deny that that’s part of why I choose it for feminine days, you’re good. I’ll have Logan cast the identifying spell on them as soon as possible so that you don’t get confused by the rest.” It is practical to have a witch for a friend, who can just enchant her jewelry so that people could tell what they indicated with only one look.

“Speaking of Logan, have you seen them yet?” Remus cuts in, suddenly leaning very close to Virgil’s face. Roman hadn’t seen it move and blinks in surprise, but Virgil doesn’t seem startled in any way and just pushes Remus away from them.

“No. I literally just got here myself.”

“An amateur mistake. I arrived here yesterday. It was a lot quieter then,” a smug voice comments to the right of them. Roman turns to see her other partner Janus standing a few feet away, smiling self-satisfactorily at the group.

“What a blessed day to have my eyes fall onto my partners so quickly!” Roman exclaims delightedly and pulls Janus in for a hug. He is more open to public displays of affection than Virgil, who prefers cuddles on the couch.

“Everyone who sees me should consider themselves blessed,” Janus jokes and Virgil rolls their eyes at him.

“Sure, keep telling yourself that, kitty.”

Janus playfully hisses at them and they hiss back, before Remus, again, suddenly inserts herself back into the conversation.

“If you’ve been here a while, have you seen Logan yet?” he asks again, pouting.

“Maybe,” Janus grins. “I won’t tell you for free.”

“No riddles already!” Roman groans. “At least wait a few hours until you try to start your games.”

“I’m a sphynx, Roman. It’s what I do.”

“Yeah, but I’m tired from the flight and I wanna spend some time with my partners. Without my brother. I’ve seen it enough all summer,” she whines.

“I don’t wanna see your face anymore either,” Remus bites back.

“Aren’t you rooming together again?” Virgil asks and both dragons glare at them. They scoff but don’t comment further. As an only child, they never got their ‘brotherly bond’, and they had learned not to question it.

“Anyway!” Remus declares loudly. “I just wanna know where my—” It stops speaking mid-sentence, their head snapping to the side at a concerning angle and her nose twitching. He stands still for two seconds before suddenly sprinting into the crowd of students around them. The other three look after him in confusion.

“Ah,” Virgil says after a moment. “I think I see the tip of Logan’s hat.”

“Like a loyal puppy running after their owner,” Janus huffs and Roman elbows him lightly in the side.

“That’s not something you can make fun of her for. He hasn’t seen Logan almost the entire break, I would’ve been a mess if I hadn’t been able to see either of you for that long.”

Janus raises his hands in defeat.

“Fine. I won’t comment further.”

“Thank you,” Roman smiles and presses a kiss against his cheek. Janus turns his head away to hide his blush, causing Virgil to snort. Before Janus could retaliate however, a new voice carries over to them.

“Hey, kiddos!”

Looking towards the direction of the gate, they could see a pair of blonde ears peak out from between the sea of students and moments later, Patton has made his way over to them.

“It’s so good to see everyone!” he laughs, his tail wagging excitedly. “I missed you all so much!”

“Pat, I saw you last week,” Virgil comments, a fond expression on their face.

“Exactly! A whole week without seeing any of my kiddos is a long time!”

“Well, we’re all together now, padre. And we have a whole semester to have new adventures together!” Roman laughs and pulls him into a hug he gladly accepts.

“I’m looking forward to it! But where’s Lo and Remus? You said everyone’s here, but I don’t see them.”

“Oh, they’re over there somewhere,” Roman points behind her to where Remus had disappeared minutes earlier. “I think they need a moment alone since they haven’t seen each other in a while.”

“I see. Yeah, Logan had a lot of rituals and such to attend, right? I haven’t been able to meet up with them either.”

“I think he said something about planet alignments at the end of the semester and that’s why his coven had a lot of stuff going on,” Virgil adds.

“The positions of the planets do subtly influence the energy of the cosmos at all times, so I’m not surprised that a certain combination of placements would cause a bunch of witches to have a month-long spell fest,” Janus nods as well.

“Thank you for your contribution, oh wise one,” Virgil teases and Janus, seemingly having had enough from their continues comments, walks over to them and simply gives them a quick kiss. As he pulls away, Virgil’s cheeks have a purple tint, showing their embarrassment.

“You’re not the only one who can tease people, darling,” Janus purrs. Virgil half-heartedly hisses at him before hiding their face in the high collar of their cloak. Thankfully for them, Janus doesn’t get a chance to continue his teasing as Logan finally appears out of the crowd. Remus is with them, its arms wrapped around their midsection and firmly pressed to their back. It doesn’t look like they are willing to let go any time soon.

“Salutations everyone. I hope you all had a restful break.”

“Logan!” Patton exclaims happily and moves towards him for a hug but Roman quickly grabs his arm to stop him in the same moment that Remus lets out a growl from his position behind Logan and a small flame shoots out of her mouth.

“It would be best not to get too close to them at the moment, padre,” Roman advises, her hand patting his back in reassurance so that his ears don’t remain pressed to his head. “Remus is probably going to be a bit territorial with Logan for at least the next few hours since they haven’t seen each other in so long.”

Patton looks confused for a moment longer before his expression brightens and he exclaims, “Oh! Because Logan’s his ‘treasure’, right?”

“Exactly. Good memory, Pat.”

“Thanks! But why aren’t you the same way with Verge and Jan then? They’re your ‘treasure’, aren’t they?”

“They are. But I’ve also met up with them several times over the break. And if we couldn’t see each other in person, we texted and stuff.”

“It was very frustrating to be involved in an ever-elongating process of rituals and have my contact with the outside world limited,” Logan huffs, one of his hands continuously patting Remus’ arms around him to calm them from its sudden burst of protectiveness. “I understand the necessity of the procedures since a lot of the spells will not be able to be cast again for centuries, but it was a strenuous process that only ended five days ago. I went to bed afterwards and slept for three days, packed my things yesterday and arrived here earlier this morning.”

“Well, I’m glad you got to have at least some rest,” Patton smiles, and Logan nods to him gratefully.

“Speaking of rest, my arm’s getting tired from holding this parasol and I want to get out of the sun. It’s starting to give me a headache,” Virgil complains.

“Then let us be off to the dorms!” Roman links her arms with Virgil and Janus’ and starts dragging them off.

“Uh, that looks fun, can I join?” Patton giggles and hooks his arm to Janus’ free one when he offers.

“Want to join them or look for a quiet spot?” Logan asks Remus quietly, leaning their head back to see its face. Remus takes a moment to consider, watching his brother and their friends.

“As much as everything in me is screaming to keep you to myself right now, I can’t let Ro-bro get to our room alone. She’s going to start decorating everything and it’s going to piss me off and then we’re going to fight about it and I actually don’t want to get into trouble with the dorm manager on our first day. You’re already settled though, right?”

“Yes, meus, I am. I’m going to stay with you for the rest of the day.”

“Good.” Remus buries his head in Logan’s shoulder and tightens her grip on their midsection for a moment before pulling away a bit and grabbing their hand. “Let’s go before Ro gets it in her head that she can decide which side of the room she’s gonna get.”

~~*~~

Here art the character designs!

Drawn by @prince-rowan-of-the-forest, the link to their post is included in the Masterpost linked above!

Also, fun fact! Roman and Remus might both not identify as male, they agreed that they are each others brother at all times. So despite it being a feminine day for Roman, she is still Remus' brother 💖 💚

[naminethewriter]

Deciding Darts

It's the one Intruloceit story I always sneak into these ship weeks for Loceit Week Day 6! And of course it's by far the longest 😅 What can I say? Remus demanded to be in this one and then wouldn't stop until he reached his goal... I love him 💚 @loceitweek

Masterpost | Loceit Week 2024 Masterpost | Ao3

Prompt: “We really sold our souls to the devil here, haven’t we?”

Summary: Janus and Logan are on a double date with Patton and Roman when they get interrupted by Roman's twin who's surprisingly back in town.

Content Warnings: Mentions of sex, Remus being very blunt and almost crossing several lines

~~*~~

“…and that’s when one of the tree branches came lose and hit Derrick on his head. Luckily it was just cardboard, so he wasn’t injured but it was pretty funny.”

Janus only half listened to Roman’s tales of his latest theater shows. Patton next to Roman looked as enamored with him as always, even if he was pretty sure he must have heard the story before. Logan was sipping from his glass but politely nodding along. Even if Janus was a bit bored at the moment, he couldn’t deny that the double date had been more fun than he’d imagined so far.

When the idea had first been brought up, Janus had asked Virgil if he wanted to come along but the emo had quickly refused.

“You want me to be the fifth wheel in a loud and crowded bar that probably way overprices the drinks? Over my dead body. Plus, Remy already asked if I could come over that night to keep him distracted while Emile’s out of town and he promised me free drinks, so yeah no dice.”

Janus had rolled his eyes but let it slide. Remy usually was a mess when he was separated from his husband for more than 24 hours even if he liked to pretend to be a loner.

“Just make sure he doesn’t make you too many drinks that include caffein. And don’t drink any of those too late either.”

“Sure thing, mom.”

Janus had lightly hit him on the head for that one.

Suddenly, Janus was pulled back into the present by a loud voice.

“Ro-bro! Fancy seeing you here!”

All four of them looked up to see a man with Roman’s face but slightly off standing in front of their booth. He had the same eyes and features as Roman but sported a mustache and a white streak in his hair. And if that didn’t set him apart from his brother enough, the clothes the man was wearing were probably the opposite of Roman too with ripped jeans, a dark crop top and combat boots.

So that must be the infamous twin, Janus thought as he looked the other up and down once more. What was his name again?

“Remus?!” Roman gaped. “What are you doing here?”

“Getting drunk! And looking for someone to take back to the hotel with me.” He winked suggestively at Logan who simply raised an eyebrow.

“Not what I meant and you know it,” Roman almost growled, clearly annoyed. “What are you doing here in town, I thought you were still in Europe.”

“Yeah, some stuff happened and I got back early. I was gonna surprise you at your place tomorrow but this is even better! Nice to finally meet you in person, Patty Daddy.”

“Yes, nice to see you, Remus,” Patton laughed uncomfortably. Remus paused.

“Nickname too much?”

“Obviously,” Roman sighed.

“Sorry, sorry. I’ll behave. So introduce me to these fine gentlemen.” Remus grabbed a chair from nearby and plopped down in front of the booth, grinning at Logan and Janus.

“Logan Croft,” Logan spoke up before Roman could interject, holding his hand out for Remus to shake. “And this is my partner Janus Dean. We’re longtime friends of Patton’s.”

“Pleasure,” Janus said simply, nodding instead of offering his own hand. Remus laughed and gripped Logan’s hand tight.

“Remus Kingsleigh, at your service.” Instead of shaking Logan’s hand however, he brought it up to his mouth and licked it. “You taste delightful,” he added with a grin.

“Remus!” Roman scolded, pulling him away from Logan who didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. He simply pulled his hand back, got a bottle of disinfectant out of his bag and rubbed it into the skin.

“Well then, Remus, how long are you staying?” Patton asked, still looking incredibly uncomfortable and desperate to change the topic. Janus wasn’t surprised. While Patton was very tolerant of other people’s behaviors and believes, he was rather strictly catholic himself and didn’t want pre-marital sex, which Roman was very much okay with. But Patton also was very uncomfortable with the topic of sex in general, so Janus could imagine that Remus, who as far as he knew had made sex and innuendos kind of a big part of his personality, put him on edge.

He was in luck however since Remus was open to the change in topic and started detailing his plans and told stories about his travels which Logan especially appreciated. For the next hour or so, pleasant conversation flowed between the five of them until Patton got tired and asked Roman to drive him home. The two paid off their part of the tab and left.

“Well then, that just leaves us three,” Remus grinned as he slid into the seats his brother and Patton had just vacated. “Are you open to have some fun?”

“You do understand that we’re in a committed relationship, right?” Janus asked, eyebrows raised and trying to inject boredom into his voice. Remus was entertaining, sure, but not all that appealing to him.

“So what? I can take you both.” The grin on Remus’ face was without a hint of shame. Refreshing, Janus could admit but he still wasn’t interested.

“Thank you for the offer, Remus, but we are not currently looking for a third,” Logan answered. Diplomatic as always.

“Currently? So that might change?” Remus was leaning over the table now, his eyes wide and wild.

“Sure. Ask another ten times and we’ll probably say yes!” Janus huffed.

“Promise?”

“No.”

“Boo, you’re no fun.”

“Then maybe you should seek your thrill elsewhere.”

“How about a bet?” Remus suddenly offered, sitting back in his seat, still grinning.

“I believe we have been quite clear—” Logan started but Remus interrupted him.

“A game of darts for your phone numbers. And a week to change your minds if I win.”

Janus rolled his eyes again, but to his surprise Logan leaned forward, studying Remus’ face intensely.

“You seem quite sure of your skill.”

“I am.”

“Very well. I accept.”

Janus sighed but didn’t argue. Truly, he should have seen it coming. Darts was the only sport Logan was interested in – well, besides chess but in terms of physical sports it was the only one. It relied on dexterity and math, both of which Logan appreciated greatly.

Logan and Remus agreed on a set of rules and Janus was pulled along to judge.

“Don’t you think I’m going to be biased?”

“No.”

“Nah.”

Janus had expected that answer from his partner but not Remus.

“Lolo here seems to have a bit of a stick up his ass about rules. I imagine he’d be pretty cross with you if you didn’t play fair.”

“You… aren’t wrong,” Janus conceded, surprised by his insight. Maybe Remus wasn’t as aloof and uncaring as he first seemed.

They got some darts from the barkeeper and luckily one of the three boards was still available. They played best of three with Logan easily winning the first one, Remus barely clutching out the second and now they were both in finishing range for the third.

Logan was up first. He hit the triple he needed without difficulty and just slightly overshot the double with the second and took aim with the third. Before he could throw though, Remus stepped up to him and whispered something in his ear that Janus couldn’t hear. Logan glanced away from the board and at Remus for a moment but didn’t answer. Remus laughed and stepped back, letting him finish his turn.

Janus watched as Logan took two deep breaths before aiming again.

He threw the dart.

And it bounced off the second dart that had already missed the target, falling to the floor.

“My turn!” Remus giggled, delighted, as Logan gathered his darts.

“Will you aim for the double 14 and then tops?” Logan asked. If Janus remembered correctly, ‘tops’ referred to the double 20 on the top of the board.

“Nah, where’s the fun in that?” Remus grinned and threw his first dart. It landed square in the 18 field. Leaving Remus with a rest score of 50. He needed the bull’s eye to win.

That truly fit with his character.

If he was just slightly off, the math wouldn’t work out anymore and he might not be able to use his last dart to finish.

Despite the high stakes, kinda, Remus looked very relaxed to Janus. As if he had unending confidence in his skills.

He took aim.

He threw.

He hit.

The dart landed in the bull’s eye with a dull thud.

“Congratulations,” Logan said, genuinely. “That were some impressive games.”

“Aw, thanks Logie! Now pay up!”

“I was under the impression that you wanted our phone numbers not our money.”

“That’s what he means, Lo,” Janus explained as he stepped up to the two. “Here.” He held a business card out to Remus that had his name and law firm printed on it. He’d also added Logan’s number on the other side. “Your one week starts now.”

“I’m looking forward to it, Janny! And I promise I won’t send you dick pics immediately!” With that, Remus waved to them and left, handing the darts back to the bartender on his way out.

“We really sold our souls to the devil here, haven’t we?” Janus commented dryly as they watched the door close behind him.

“Well, I always thought the devil had some fair points,” Logan shrugged, a small smile on his lips.

Janus had an inkling that his life was about to get a lot more chaotic.

He found that he didn’t really mind the idea.

[naminethewriter]

On the Road, Just the Two of Us

Chapter Two: A Game for Just the Two of Us

Masterpost | First | Next | Ao3

Summary: This was written for @dukeceit-week-2024, @dukeceitweek

Janus and Remus are living in a campervan at the moment. Are they going somewhere? Who knows. The only thing that’s important is that they’re together.

Content Warnings: Innuendos, Food, Gross Food Combinations

🌻🌻🌻🌻

“Remus, keep your eyes on the road.”

“There’s no other car in sight though!”

“Right, and that can’t change any second. Or you drive off the road and we get stuck in the mud,” Janus scoffed.

Remus whined, “But I’m bored!”

“Then stop and I’ll drive.”

“No! You drove most of yesterday, you need rest!”

“Then stop complaining.”

Remus grumbled but kept quiet. Instead, he started shifting in his seat, trying to get the energy out. Janus watched him worriedly. There must be something to keep him occupied while still focusing on the road, right? He let his eyes wander around what he kept at the front of the camping van, looking for any inspiration.

He found it when his eyes fell on their food supply.

“I have an offer for you,” he announced to Remus, whose eyes flickered to him instantly, though he directed them back to the road just as quick.

“What?”

“We’ll play a game. I’ll mix some of our food in unusual combinations and you try to guess what it is. No peeking, so keep your eyes on the road. If you can’t we’ll stop playing.”

Remus practically vibed in his seat from the excitement and he nodded.

“Gimme, gimme, gimme!”

“Let me have a moment to prepare, you child,” Janus laughed, glad that his idea was well received. He started sorting through the basket of stuff they kept up front for mid-drive snacks and placed them around himself for better reach. Then he considered what to combine first.

“Alright, open your mouth. And remember, eyes on the road the entire time.”

With a little whoop, Remus followed his instructions and Janus popped the first thing in his mouth, impaled on a toothpick.

“Close and guess.”

Remus chewed excitedly but his expression soon shifted to disappointment.

“Oh, c’mon, Janny! Peanut butter and apple? That’s too easy!”

“Is it now?”

“Yes! I can’t really taste the apple but its crunch gives it away.”

“Does it?”

Remus furrowed his brows. He was pretty certain, but Janus’ smug tone gave him pause.

“Yes?” he replied, more unsure.

“You don’t sound as convinced anymore.”

Remus whined loudly.

“Don’t play mind games with me right now, Janny! That’s unfair! Tease me when we’re in bed together, not now!”

“Fine, fine, fine. It was a pear, not an apple.”

“…You hate crunchy pears.”

“I do.”

“Then why do we have some?”

“Because we’re living in a campervan and don’t go shopping as regularly as we usually do. So I bought some harder pears so that they can soften over a few days,” Janus explained, already putting together the next combination.

“You’re so smart, Jan.”

“Thank you. Now open your mouth.”

🌻🌻🌻🌻

They continued playing like that for another twenty minutes or so. Then Janus announced he had the final thing prepared.

“Awww, do we have to stop already?” Remus complained. Amazingly, he really had been able to keep his eyes gay forward the entire time.

“Yes. I don’t want to waste all our supplies on one game. And while I do know you have a stomach made of iron; I really don’t want you to get diarrhea while we’re in the middle of nowhere.” They did have an on-board toilet, but it was quite small and needed regular emptying. It would not be able to handle what Remus loved to call ‘The Shits™’.

“I guess that makes sense,” Remus agreed, though he still sounded unhappy about it. “Give me the goods.” He hung his mouth wide open and Janus put the last combo on his tongue. Remus chewed for a long moment.

“Pickle water definitely.”

“Yes.”

“It’s really chewy. But all I can taste is the pickles.”

“I might have put this in the jar as soon as we started playing the game.”

“So it’s been sitting in there for like half an hour?! No wonder only the pickles remain!”

“Closer to twenty than thirty minutes but I guess that makes little difference.”

“Smartass.”

“You’re so right, my ass is really smart.”

Remus cackled for a moment before he concentrated back on what he’d just eaten.

“You actually stumped me, fucking shit,” he mumbled a full minute later. Janus smirked.

“It was a sour snake.”

“You smart fucker!”

“Thank you.”

“We’re so playing this again. With a full kitchen. You have to feed me more weird shit.”

“Sure, Remus. I totally don’t regret making this game up now.”

Remus laughed again, bright and cheerful. Janus smiled. Yes, that’s how his boyfriend should always look.

[naminethewriter]

Who needs ghost stories when you have a cute boyfriend?

Loceit Week Day 2 and I'm bringing the fluff! The prompt was about ghost stories but I didn't want to write one, so have Janus shamelessly flirting with his boyfriend instead 😉 @loceitweek

Masterpost | Loceit Week 2024 Masterpost | Ao3

Prompt: At a bonfire at night in the middle of a dark forest seems like the best and the worst time to tell each other ghost stories.

Summary: Six friends out on a camping trip, in the woods in the middle of the night? What better times to tell creepy stories? Janus isn't interested, he has someone better to pay attention to.

Content Warnings: Flirting, so none really

~~*~~

“Let’s tell ghost stories!” Remus exclaimed gleefully.

“Of course you’d wanna tell ghost stories while we’re camping in the middle of nowhere, can you be more basic,” Virgil complained, rolling his eyes. Remus tackled him in retaliation.

“Kiddos, stop fighting,” Patton chided as he carefully added more wood to the fire pit. The day had been rainy and the night was on the cooler side, so they weren’t worried about starting a forest fire, though Logan had insisted on having a bucket filled with water on standby for the worst case scenario.

“Uh, I have a story to share!” Roman said, excitedly.

“No, I’m gonna start! It was my idea!” Remus shot back.

“Too bad, no one wants to hear your stories. We’d all like to get some actual sleep tonight.”

“Just because you’re too much of a pussy to listen–“

“Remus!” Patton cut him off. “For that alone Roman gets to start.”

“Since when are you calling the shots here?” Remus bit back, pouting.

“Just start telling something so I can get to bed faster,” Janus complained from his position cuddled into Logan’s side. “Play rock paper scissors if you must.”

The twins actually followed his suggestion and Roman ended up winning, much to Remus’ annoyance but he didn’t push the issue further.

“Wonderful! Then all settle down and listen to my tale!” Roman started dramatically, a flashlight in hand that he used to light up his face for extra dramatic effect. Janus just thought it was cliché. He stopped paying attention to the story and instead decided to use the time to admire his boyfriend. Logan, as observant as he was, didn’t take long to notice.

“Is there something on my face?” he asked quietly as to not disturb Roman’s story, raising one hand to wipe at his mouth but Janus shook his head before he could.

“No, just admiring the view.” He grinned as Logan’s face predictably turned red. He wasn’t good at receiving compliments and Janus was doing his best to remedy that.

“Please do not joke with me,” Logan muttered, embarrassed. Janus gasped in offense, hand gripping his chest.

“How dare you accuse me of such a thing! You are very nice to look at.” Despite his dramatics, Janus kept his voice low. For one, because Logan wouldn’t want the extra attention of the others and two, because Roman got really annoying when one of his stories got interrupted.

“Th-thank you,” Logan murmured, head hung low to hide how deep his blush had gotten. Janus couldn���t resist the adorableness of his boyfriend any longer and leaned up to place a gentle kiss against his lips.

“You’re welcome.”

“Ew. Watching you flirt is almost worse than anything Remus could come up with,” Virgil gagged next to them only for Patton to swat him in the arm.

“Don’t be mean, Virgil!”

Janus ignored them and chose to instead watch just how much redder Logan’s face could become.

He was just too adorable.

[naminethewriter]

On the Road, Just the Two of Us

Chapter Four: An Electric Razor and Just the Two of Us

Masterpost | First | Previous | Next | Ao3

Summary: This was written for @dukeceit-week-2024, @dukeceitweek

Janus and Remus are living in a campervan at the moment. Are they going somewhere? Who knows. The only thing that’s important is that they’re together.

Content Warnings: Innuendos, Hair cutting

🌻🌻🌻🌻

“Remus, hold still,” Janus growled after having had to jerk the electric razor away from Remus head. He was trying to touch up on his boyfriend’s undercut, but Remus was practically vibrating in his chair which made his work incredibly hard.

“I don’t want to take your ear off, so stop wriggling.”

“I caaaaan’t,” Remus whined. “I’m too worked up. Maybe if you give me a hand-“

“No.”

“Ugh, you’re no fun!”

“We are in the middle of dying your hair and cutting it! I’m not gonna get you off!”

“This is the fucking worst.”

“Stop being dramatic. That’s your brother’s job.”

Remus started giggling and that made holding still only even more impossible. Janus sighed and clicked the razor off.

“I have no idea how any professional deals with you.”

“I don’t either! But I tip well!”

“How generous of you,” Janus quipped, and Remus grinned at him, showing off his teeth. “Anyway, we’re in a motel for once, a place with actual appliances that has decent sanitary standards, and I want to get this done, so can you please cooperate?”

“I’m really trying, Jan, but it’s hard to. You’re so close I can smell you! You know I can’t control myself around you. I wanna eat you up already!”

“Fine, a compromise then.”

Remus looked at him with a raised brow and Janus smirked at him before straddling his lap and sitting down heavily. His boyfriend groaned at the sudden increase of weighed and his hands flew to Janus’ hips immediately.

“Now, this I like,” he purred after his brain caught up with the situation, his hands starting to lightly massage Janus’ sides.

“I thought you would. Now, I’m gonna continue cutting your hair. Which means, you turn your head how I want and no jostling me. You can feel me up a bit if you must, but no distractions! We have to wash out the dye soon and I want to be done with this before then.”

“Fuck yeah!”

The next five minutes, Janus carefully directed Remus’ head around to get an even cut, as his boyfriend let his hands wander around his body, sometimes squeezing the flesh lightly but mostly just… touching. It felt nice.

“Alright, I think I’m done. Now let’s get that dye out.”

“Thanks, Janny. You’re amazing.”

Janus smiled and pulled Remus into a kiss.

“So are you. Now c’mon, I wanna see my handsome man in all his glory.”

“Yessir.”

[naminethewriter]

On the Road, Just the Two of Us

Chapter Three: At a Gas Station, Just the Two of Us (well, not really)

Masterpost | First | Previous | Next | Ao3

Summary: This was written for @dukeceit-week-2024, @dukeceitweek

Janus and Remus are living in a campervan at the moment. Are they going somewhere? Who knows. The only thing that’s important is that they’re together.

Content Warnings: Innuendos, Heavy Flirting, mention of rats

🌻🌻🌻🌻

“This place is filthy,” Janus commented as they pulled into the gas station. Remus hummed in agreement.

“Well, we don’t really have much choice, I think. There’s probably not another one for miles.”

“Most likely. I’ll just remain in the car then.”

“Fine by me. Though, you’re sure you don’t wanna go to the toilet?”

“I’m pretty sure it’s more sanitary to go in the bushes that on what that tragedy probably looks like.” Janus frowned at the building, the windows of which look like they haven’t been cleaned in years.

“So, I can’t convince you to have a quicky in the bathroom?”

“Not unless you’re willing to clean it with bleach and disinfect everything like three times.”

“Was worth a shot,” Remus shrugged and climbed out of the driver seat. Janus watched him as he filled up their tank and then disappeared inside to pay. He then waved at Janus as he rounded the building to go to the toilet. Janus’ nose scrunched automatically at just the thought of what they must look and smell like. He’ll have to make Remus disinfect his hands in eyeshot before letting him back into the van.

Remus would pout at him for at least an hour after, but he could handle that.

Except, he didn’t.

When Remus did come back to the van and Janus wordlessly held out the disinfection spray, his boyfriend rolled his eyes once but otherwise complied without complaining. Janus was so shocked that he didn’t get a word out until they had pulled out of the gas station and back onto the road.

When he came back to himself, Remus was humming along to the playlist, simply focused on the road and otherwise completely still.

He was very rarely that docile.

Janus narrowed his eyes at him.

“What happened?”

“Hm?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Remus, something happened on that toilet. You’re way too happy for just having taken a dump.”

His boyfriend snorted – because of course he did, he had the humor of a twelve-year-old.

“You sure you wanna know? You’re not gonna like it.”

“You’re actually completely focused on the road without me having to jump through hoops to entertain you, of course I want to know who or what my savior is.”

“I love you,” Remus sighed, completely serious. “Your snark is so hot.”

“I love you, too. Now answer me.”

“There was a rat running around the restroom. It was super cute and barely scared of me! Even let me take pictures! Though it ran away when I tried to pet it.”

Janus gagged and Remus snorted.

“Told you you weren’t gonna like it.”

“I’m just glad it ran away and didn’t bite you. And it’s nice to know that I made the right decision by not taking a step out of this car at that disgusting place.”

“Yeah, I know I shouldn’t’ve tried to touch it… My shitty impulse control really had me this time.”

“The rat is definitely wiser than you.”

“They’re so fucking smart, Jan. Do you know how fucking smart they are? Like super fucking smart.”

“Yes, dear, I know,” Janus chuckled. “You’ve given me several ted talks and shown me plenty of videos. Still, you shouldn’t try to touch street rats. Only the domesticated ones.”

“Uhhhh, I’d love to have a pet rat! Would have since I was a child but Roman convinced me that it was a bad idea to ask for one because mom absolutely hates rodents. Convinced her to get us that hamster though.”

“Ah, yes, I remember you telling me about that. Sacagawea, wasn’t it? You and Roman went to play with her in the garden and lost her?”

“Yep, that’s the one! After that mom decided we weren’t ready for pets.”

“I wouldn’t mind having a pet rat.”

Remus hit the breaks a bit too hard. Thankfully, they were still in the middle of nowhere without any other car around.

“You wouldn’t?!” Remus asked, excitedly.

“I wouldn’t. As I said, you’ve spoken about them so much, I couldn’t help getting a bit endeared with them as well. They can be really cute. When they’re domesticated and properly trained.” He added that last part when Remus seemed to be about to turn the van around to get back to that gas station and retrieve the encountered rat.

“Fine. A boring, domesticated rat then. But we’re getting one!”

“Not directly after we get back, but I’m open to it in the future, alright, darling?”

“More than alright! I could kiss you until the sun goes up tomorrow! Actually, that’s an idea…” His tone shifted in one Janus knew very well, and he rolled his eyes.

“No way, dear. We can kiss for a bit; you’ve already brought us to a stop anyway. But if you wanna take my clothes off, you’ll have to wait until the sun has gone down first.”

“And then we can go until sunrise?”

“Depends on where we end up.”

Remus whooped loudly, before turning off the van for now and pulling Janus into a bruising kiss.

There was nowhere he’d rather be.

[naminethewriter]

Meeting His Mothers Jitters

It's Day 5 of Loceit Week! Logan gets to support Janus this time! @loceitweek

Masterpost | Loceit Week 2024 Masterpost | Ao3

Prompt: Write about someone meeting their future in-laws.

Summary: After three years together, Janus is finally going to meet Logan's mothers. He is more than nervous.

Content Warnings: Brief descriptions of Janus' bad childhood in the foster care system

~~*~~

Logan parked the car in the driveway and pulled the key out of the ignition. Next to him, Janus looked out the window and at the house Logan had grown up in. He was going to meet his mothers for the first time today and while he had been trying to hide his nervousness the entire day, Logan could see the worry behind his eyes.

“It will be fine,” Logan reassured his boyfriend of three years – and hopefully soon fiancé, once the ring was finished. “They might be a bit overwhelming at first but I promise they’re going to love you.”

“Of course they are, I’m a delight,” Janus laughed, but Logan could see his hands shaking. Carefully he took them in his and squeezed.

“Indeed you are. Please take some deep breaths for me, dear.”

Janus finally tore his eyes from the house to attempt to glare at Logan but a pointed look from him got him to stop and follow his instructions.

“I know you’re right,” Janus admitted after a few moments of doing breathing exercises, “and you’ve told me enough about them for me to know they’re very nice ladies. But that might just be the problem, darling.”

His voice almost dropped to a whisper as he admitted a truth he didn’t like admitting. Logan squeezed his hands again.

“I believe I understand what you are referring to. You think the fact that you grew up in the foster system with bad placements is going to impede your ability to adjust to such a heartfelt environment that my mothers will provide, correct?”

Janus pressed his lips together and nodded, resisting the urge to touch the burn scars on his face. The fire had consumed his childhood home when he’d been only four years old, killing both his parents in the process. He barely remembered them and his time in foster care had been horrible for the most part, filled with bullying and neglect.

Logan was by no means his first boyfriend, but certainly their relationship is the longest he’s ever had and Logan had broken down barriers he’d never thought anyone would break through. Still, for the longest time he had wiggled his way out of meeting his parents.

He was incredibly nervous now that the day had come.

He had no reference to what a healthy homelife was supposed to be like and he really didn’t want to break down in front of Logan’s mothers because he got overwhelmed by their kindness.

“I will be there with you every step of the way,” Logan promised as he leaned over and pressed his forehead against Janus’. “And whatever happens they’ll be very understanding, even if you want to leave after only five minutes.”

“How rude do you take me for?” Janus hissed but his shoulders relaxed. He hadn’t even noticed them moving up towards his ears.

“You are very good at giving out polite insults, that is certain,” Logan joked and Janus scoffed, lightly hitting him in the shoulder and with that finally pulling their hands apart.

“Let’s go inside before the food gets cold,” he said. “You’ve hyped up your mothers’ cooking skill so much, I’d hate to miss the opportunity to try their food.”

“I’m very proud of you,” Logan smiled before climbing out of the car, causing Janus to blush.

“You are lucky that it’s cold outside,” he muttered as he opened the door on his side. He really didn’t want Logan’s mothers to coo over his embarrassment the moment they met him.

[naminethewriter]

A Secret Vision of Style

Day 3 gives Roman a chance to flex his creative muscles! His partners are... a bit worried about his choices, though 😅 @anaroceitweek

Masterpost | Anaroceit Week 2024 Masterpost | Ao3

Summary: Roman is redecorating a room with an… interesting choice of color.

Content Warnings: Anti-minimalism

~~*~~

Janus took a look around the room.

“I know you said that this was an unusual choice and you had a vision but painting the walls grey? Just looks tacky, honey.”

“I’m not done yet, obviously! It’s gonna work, trust me,” Roman defended, paintbrush still in hand.

“I am! Mostly.”

“Are you trying for minimalism or what?” Virgil asked as he joined them. “That’s so not your style, princey.”

“Don’t insult me! I would never be that basic. Just you wait, I have big plans.”

“That you won’t tell us about.”

“It wouldn’t be a surprise otherwise now, would it?”

[naminethewriter]

Monstrously Simple Days at College

Chapter Six: Entirely Scientific Interest

Masterpost | First | Previous | Ao3

Story Summary: Humans and Monsters live together in harmony and that means they all get to go to college together. Roman, Remus, Janus, Virgil, Logan and Patton are big group of friends that may be a bit chaotic with all the different monster cultures they hail from. College itself is hard too, but with them all supporting each other, it can’t be that bad, can it?

Content Warnings: Remus starts a discussion about genitalia, comparing the differences between their monster species, it slips in some innuendos but there is no sexual content

~~*~~

Cultural Exchange is a course every single student at the college is required to take. Be they human or monster, there are no exceptions. The goal of the course is as it says in the name: to learn about the cultures of different people. The humans may only be one species, but they are so widespread that their cultures differ greatly even over relatively small distances, while there are many different species of monsters that do have some cultural differences even within their specific species but not as much variety as humans as a whole. So, there is a lot for both sides to learn.

With as many students as there are, there are several classes going on at once and thankfully for them, Roman, Remus, Logan, Janus, Virgil and Patton were all assigned to the same one. There is one big group project that everyone has to complete and that is to research one culture not represented in the group decided by drawing lots.

They got assigned sirens this time and everyone was happy with that selection. Merfolk in general tend to keep to themselves, but sirens even more so. Unlike what the legends usually say, they use their singing as a defense mechanism. With the continued intermingling of species however, an effort has been made to learn more about merfolk and in turn sirens, so there is some research for the group to fall back on.

Especially Logan and Janus are eager to learn, with the former being simply fascinated by any new knowledge and the latter because his entire nature directs him to gather as much information as possible.

Right now, Roman, Virgil, Janus, Logan and Remus are waiting for Patton in the room they have booked to plan their project. Patton has texted them his apologies for running late but offered to bring them coffee, so they had texted him their orders.

Roman and Virgil are passing the time on their phones, while Janus stares boredly off into space. Logan however is trying to get their partner to stop drawing crude pictures on the whiteboard.

“Remus, this is an inappropriate place for you to draw penises,” he sighs.

“Why’s that?” Remus asks, a smirk on its lips saying they know full well why.

“This is a classroom, meus, not your sketchbook.”

“Why does that matter?! Penises have their place in a classroom.”

Logan raises one of their eyebrows. “How so?”

“Simple anatomy, of course! And they’re different for all of us!” She begins a new drawing next to the penis he already drew. “Look, human cocks have different heads than us dragons! We’re more spear-like and they’re harder, too. Plus there’s some scales along ours.”

“Fascinating,” Logan murmurs as they closely study Remus’ drawings, apparently now fully convinced of their scientific merit.

“Aaaand, ours don’t just hang lose like we’re just begging for them to get damaged. We have sheaths.”

“I was aware of that. In fact, most monster species have them. It’s an interesting similarity between such a variety of biologies.”

“Witches are the same as humans, right?”

“Remus, do you have to ask your partner about their genitals when I’m in the same room?” Roman complains, gagging over her phone.

“It’s simple anatomy, my dear,” Janus chimes in, grinning like Cheshire cat. “Their interest is purely scientific. Weren’t you listening?” Roman gives him a blank look but doesn’t feel like commenting further, so instead she taps on Virgil’s shoulder to show them a meme she just found. Virgil looks over and pulls out on of their earbuds to talk to her about it, the two of them dissolving into their own little world.

Logan ignores their interruption and keeps their attention on Remus. “Indeed. Physically we are the same as humans, but we differ in our spiritual makeup. Though I could alter my form however I please with the right spells.”

“Oh, kinda like Janny then, right? Since you can just shapeshift at will?” Remus turns directly to Janus for that second part who’s studying his nails with disinterest now that the subject of his teasing is preoccupied.

“In a way. My form right now is not my default, and I can have pretty much any parts I want.”

“Truly fascinating,” Logan says as they lean closer, watchful eyes studying Janus’ form. “I was aware of this being a chosen form but not to what extent.”

“Well, it’s not like I can do whatever I want,” Janus clarifies, fully turning towards them. “I can’t change my hair color or grow my limbs longer. But since we sphynxes don’t really have a sex as most others, I’m not as restricted there.”

“But most sphynxes are perceived to be women, right?” Logan wonders, tilting his head as he tries to recall whatever information he has read about them so far.

“Most of my kind would choose ‘woman’ as the label for them before ‘man’, yes. But few actually care. I am pretty much an outlier there.”

“You’re so lucky you don’t have to worry about STDs and pregnancy shit,” Remus sighs. “Interspecies protection is such a hassle to keep track of.”

“What do you mean, he doesn’t have to worry about such things?” Logan asks, their brow furrowed.

“Well, you know how we don’t really know how sphynxes reproduce, right? They keep it this big secret for only them to know.” Remus waits for Logan to nod before continuing its explanation. “Since they do it in that mysterious way we don’t know about, they are completely incompatible with our reproduction systems, so they can’t get pregnant, can’t get anyone else pregnant and don’t even contract the diseases that correlate to genitals.”

“My form is simply an imitation on the most basic level,” Janus adds, grinning at Logan’s stumped expression. “On a genetic level, I am completely different from you. We don’t have the same cells at all. So I can’t get sick with most of the common diseases or really transfer them either.”

“I will need to have an in-depth discussion with you on this subject sometime,” Logan insists, their eyes practically glowing with curiosity.

“Earn it,” Janus says simply. They are all used to the sphynx’s challenges, so Logan’s face simply morphs from curious to determined and he nods.

“I will.”

Remus meanwhile grew bored of their conversation and hones in on his brother’s other partner.

“Hey, Virgy! What about yours?”

“What about my what?” Virgil asks, not having paid much attention since they were focused on Roman.

“Your penis!” Remus calls delighted, hoping to get a fun reaction. Behind Virgil, Roman pulls a face but doesn’t try to interject again.

Virgil pauses for a moment, staring at Remus who simply stares back.

“Why do you think I have one?”

They actually manage to dumbfound Remus with that one as it takes it a second to respond.

“You don’t?”

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. How would you know, you’ve never seen me naked.”

“You offering?” Remus grins, having recovered quickly but Virgil simply shows them the finger. “Boo, you’re no fun.”

“Stop trying to get at my partners’ private parts, Remus!” Roman groans. “Can we change the topic, please?”

“Just don’t engage, darling, you’re only going to rile her up more,” Janus purrs, hopping off of the table he’s been lounging on. He walks over to his partners and leans closer to Roman, grinning. “Instead, let’s talk about when you’re going to taste my dust again.”

Roman slips her phone back into her pocket to fully focus on her boyfriend immediately.

“Oh, please, you won last time only because I wasn’t feeling well then.”

“Keep telling yourself that, dear. Maybe you’ll believe it eventually,” Janus teases, his wings shuddering behind him in anticipation of another flying race already. Roman’s wings similarly shift behind her, though she is careful with the left practically leaning on Virgil, who looks at them, annoyed.

“Not this again,” they groan. “Just leave me out of it, please.”

“But we need a referee, sweetheart!” Janus pouts dramatically and not at all sincerely. “You can’t just leave us hanging!”

“Oh please,” Virgil scoffs, pushing Janus away from them when he tries to lean closer to them with his puppy eyes. Janus is rooming with Patton, he’s learned a lot about looking like a kicked puppy, but Virgil wouldn’t be swayed. “You don’t listen to me anyway and 9 out of 10 times you need photographic evidence to see who won. I am utterly unnecessary.”

“How dare!” Roman gasps, taking Virgil’s phone out of their hand to grab it instead and hold it close. “How could my wonderful knight ever think they’re unnecessary! You are most integral, no matter what! Even if your presence is simple moral support, you’re doing your part!”

Virgil’s face turns slightly purple and they pull their hand back, mumbling something incoherent under their breath. They look over to Remus and Logan, hoping they weren’t paying attention and thankfully they weren’t as they were now discussing what looked like a drawing of an anatomically correct heart.

“You could also just join the race. Maybe your speed has increased since the last time,” Janus teases and Virgil’s head snaps back to him, the purple tint on their cheeks becoming stronger.

“Oh, shut up,” they grumble.

“Stop teasing them, Janus,” Roman chides lightly, but her grin shows that she’s enjoying teasing their partner just as much. “Their bat form is just not made for racing.”

“It would definitely win an adorableness contest though.”

“Oh, for sure.”

“Shut up, both of you!” Virgil whines, hiding in the collar of their cloak.

“Uhhhh, what are we teasing the emo about?” Remus asks as it bounds over, grinning delightedly.

“Remus,” Logan sighs but doesn’t otherwise interfere.

“You don’t get to tease, that’s partner privilege,” Roman says, sticking her tongue out at her brother who returns the gesture.

“We were talking about racing actually, Remus. Want to join sometime?” Janus offers and Remus’ eyes brighten immediately.

“Fuck yeah!”

“Nooo, you’re just going to cheat!”

“Am not!”

“So are!”

“I guess we do need you to referee after all, darling,” Janus purrs at Virgil with a sly smile as the twins continue to bicker and Logan tries fruitlessly to get them to stop.

Thankfully for them, that’s when the door opens and Patton finally tumbles in.

“Sorry, kiddos!” he huffs, placing the palette of coffee orders on a table. “The coffee shop was super full and the barista looked on the verge of tears so I offered to help her out for a few minutes until the line was under control. But I got a nice discount on the drinks and a bagel as a thank you!”

“Thank you for buying us coffee, Patton,” Logan says as he grabs the cup marked for him, as well as Remus’. The others also say their thanks as the drinks get distributed and they all enjoy a few sips.

“Oh yeah, Pat! I have a question!” Remus announces suddenly.

“Sure, kiddo, shoot!”

“Is your dick furry?”

“Oh, for the love of gold, Remus! Shut up!”

[naminethewriter]

On the Road, Just the Two of Us

Chapter Five: Living the Ranch Life, Just the Two of Us (again, not really, but shush)

Masterpost | First | Previous | Next | Ao3

Summary: This was written for @dukeceit-week-2024, @dukeceitweek

Janus and Remus are living in a campervan at the moment. Are they going somewhere? Who knows. The only thing that’s important is that they’re together.

Content Warnings: probably not accurate to actually living on a ranch, I'm sorry..., Original Background Characters

🌻🌻🌻🌻

“Janny! Janny! Look!” Remus yelled as he ran over to Janus who just left the chicken coop with a basket full of eggs.

“What is it, dear?”

“I look like a genuine cowboy! John lent me his vest!”

“That’s great, honey! Your boots really make the outfit.”

“They do, don’t they!” He lifted his legs to inspect the brown, knee-high boots with fringe at the side that were very cliché but one of Remus’ favorite possessions. “Anyway, John’s gonna teach me to lasso, you wanna come?”

“I promised Jane I’d help in the kitchen. But you have fun.”

“Thanks, I will!” With that Remus ran off in the direction of the cow stables. Janus chuckled as he looked after him before making his way to the main house. He went to the kitchen and placed the basket on the counter.

“Thank you, Janus. You’re a big help,” Jane smiled, as she wiped her hands on her apron and moved over to inspect his haul.

“It’s not why we’re here,” Janus quipped. “We came for a five-star hotel experience and not because Remus always wanted to see what living on a ranch was like.”

Out of the window, the two of them could see Jane’s husband John showing Remus how to tie a big length of rope into a proper noose for lassoing. Jane chuckled at the sight.

“He seems like an excitable fellow. It’s too bad you two are only staying a week. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind having you for longer.”

“You’re the first person to ever say that, I think,” Janus joked, though there was some truth to that. Usually, both he and Remus had a hard time fitting in with their surroundings. The last four days they spent on the ranch, helping out where they can and learning a lot of new skills had been physically intense but mentally relaxing in a way Janus wasn’t used to from his usual routine.

“Oh, I doubt that!” Jane huffed. “You are both so nice, how could anyone not want you around?”

“Let’s just say, if we’d been born into this kind of environment, a lot of things might have been different.”

“Well, that’s obvious. Everyone would be different if you changed just one aspect of their past. I always thought that dwelling on the what-ifs was a waste of time. Live your life how you see fit and don’t look back too much. You’ll miss what’s in front of you! Now take these potatoes here. They need peeling and cutting.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Janus quietly started on his work while Jane bustled around him, humming lightly to the radio that was playing on low volume in the corner. In between the peeling and cutting, he looked outside. Remus seemed to have the time of his life, waving the length of rope over his head and running around without abandon.

“I don’t think I’ve seen him that happy in a long time,” Janus commented, more to himself than to Jane, though she did stop her own vegetable cutting.

“That so? He seemed to me like that from the start.”

“Yeah, this trip’s been good for him.”

“I mean it, Janus, if you wanna stay longer, you can! We have no other bookings for a week or two.”

Janus looked over at her and she was smiling at him with a warm expression he’s never seen on his own mother’s face.

“I appreciate the offer, Jane, but sadly we do have somewhere to be.”

“Is that so? A shame. Where you off to, if I may ask?”

“A wedding. Remus’ brother will be quite mad with us if we miss it.”

“Oh, I’d imagine! I’d be cross with you as well!” Jane laughed. “Well, then let’s make the most of our time together and cook to our hearts content, huh?” She gently nudged Janus’ side with her elbow and he smiled. Looking out the window, he saw Remus sitting on the ground, somehow tangled up in his own rope with John trying to free him. Both seemed to be laughing though, so Janus wasn’t worried.

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

Another month. There was no need to worry for another month. They just had to keep an eye on their destination. That’s all.

[naminethewriter]

On the Road, Just the Two of Us

Chapter One: A Yellow Field and Just the Two of Us

Masterpost | Next | Ao3

Summary: This was written for @dukeceit-week-2024, @dukeceitweek

Janus and Remus are living in a campervan at the moment. Are they going somewhere? Who knows. The only thing that's important is that they're together.

Content Warnings: Innuendos

🌻🌻🌻🌻

Janus watched as the wind blew through the field in front of him. Almost as far as he could see there were rows and rows of sunflowers. The sun shone down, nourishing the plants, all their little faces tilted in its direction.

It was a simple sight, you could say. But a really beautiful one.

“Janny? You good?”

Janus looked down at Remus, who stood in beside the old campervan on which’s roof he was currently sitting on and staring up at him.

“Not at all. The view up here is absolutely dreadful.” He rolled his eyes as he spoke, eliciting a giggle from his boyfriend.

“I will be up to rescue you from it shortly then!” He puffed out his chest in a clear parody of his brother which made Janus grimace.

“Ew.”

Remus burst out laughing, dropping to the ground and rolling in the dirt. Janus watched him, mostly amused, though not about the fact that they now had more dirty clothes in the rather small van. Though, he supposed, with how much Remus was running around just before he came over, they probably had already been drenched in sweat, so it hardly made a difference.

 “I’m coming up! Should I grab something?”

Janus blinked, not having realized that he’d spaced out. Remus was now sitting up, grinning at him.

“Something to drink would be nice. Thank you, darling.”

“No prob, be right there, Dangernoodle!” With that, Remus vanished into the van. Janus turned his attention back to the sunflowers, ignoring the noise his boyfriend was making. He didn’t want to know what destruction he was leaving behind on his mission to get Janus something to drink.

A minute later, Remus was climbing up the ladder attached to the backdoor of the van – well, it was less a ladder and more a few metal bars, but it worked, so what did it matter? – and carefully made his way over to Janus. The roof was able to hold them both easily but that didn’t mean they had to stomp around on it. Janus scooted a bit to the side, making room on the towel he had laid out to avoid direct contact with the metal roof. In this weather, that would be akin to burning himself and the shorts both he and Remus wore didn’t offer much protection.

Remus sat down next to him and held a nice, cooled water bottle to his face. Janus sighed, enjoying the sensation for a moment before taking the bottle from his boyfriend with thanks. Twisting the cap off while simultaneously holding on to his parasol took him a moment to figure out, but he managed. Remus watched him with a chuckle.

“You could’ve just asked me to open it.”

“I am capable on my own, thank you very much,” Janus huffed, teasingly.

“What a surprise! You capable enough that if I’d shove you off this car, you’d land on your feet?”

“As much fun as that sounds to try, dear, we’re in the middle of nowhere and you’re horrible with GPS’. It’d take hours for you to get me to a hospital with the broken bones I’d surely get from that.”

“Fine, fine, fine! No pushing you off! And I’m not bad with GPS! I just like to look for more fun routes.” He grinned, showing off his teeth and Janus couldn’t help the fond smile that snuck onto his lips.

“Of course, darling. That’s always the case without exception.”

“Aaaaanyway,” Remus said, loudly, “what’s got you so fascinated? I mean, I guess it’s pretty but it’s just a bunch of sunflowers in the end.”

Janus shrugged, letting his gaze wander over the field once again.

“Just the simplicity of it, I suppose. I haven’t seen many things like this in person since I grew up in a city and all our vacations were to either other cities or like all-inclusive five-star hotels. There isn’t much time for trips out into nature when your parents have to be reachable at all times. Plus, I always liked sunflowers. They’re not my favorite, but definitely not far off.”

Remus hummed. He knew some bits and pieces off Janus’ upbringing as the son of two successful businesspeople. His siblings and he had all the money they ever wanted but not a lot of affection. He decided now was not the time to dig deeper into that. They were out here to live in the moment, not in the past.

“What do you like about them? Don’t get me wrong, I like ‘em too, though mostly for their seed.” He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively at Janus who simply rolled his eyes and ignored the innuendo. If you can even call it that.

“I like them,” he said loudly, knowing that Remus would drag the bit out if he gave him the opportunity to, “because they’re quite unique looking. Big and sturdy. And still, they’re just as dependent on the sun. I could go into a spiel about how there’s so many different flowers to appreciate and they’re still all equal is a good comparison to how humans should respect each other and their differences but who has the time?”

Remus cackled at his dry punchline delivery and pulled him close.

Damn was he hot! And no, Janus wasn’t talking about his looks, though of course, Remus is hot in that regard as well, but right now his body temperature was more relevant to Janus. He was already almost overheating; he didn’t need to hug a living radiator.

“Dear, as much as I love touching you—” He paused to let Remus snort, because he knew his boyfriend and knew that he’d interpret it as a double entendre— “but it’s way too warm for that.”

“Ugh, fine.” Remus let him go and Janus took another sip of his water to cool down. “You sure you don’t like ‘em because they’re yellow?”

“Oh, shut up. I don’t automatically like everything yellow just because it happens to be my favorite color, you dick.” He lightly hit Remus up the back of his head which he only seemed to find more amusing. Janus couldn’t deny he was smiling too.

“I just think they’re pretty. Plus, they stand for long life, loyalty and positivity. And adoration but more in a platonic sense. It suits them. That you can eat the seeds is just an added bonus.”

“How ‘bout we get down from here and you let me eat your seed?”

Janus snorted.

“Maybe in the evening. Right now it’s way too hot for me to let you touch me anywhere.”

“Ah, fuck,” Remus said, disappointed. Janus patted his cheek and stood up, carefully making his way past his boyfriend and back to the ladder.

“Next time, tiger. Now, let’s get going. The air conditioning in this hunk of metal may suck, but it’s better than cooking out here.”

“Be right there, Jan!” Remus called after him as Janus disappeared behind the van. He got out his phone and typed out a quick text before putting it away again and hurrying down himself.

“Don’t forget to take the towel down with you, dear!”

[naminethewriter]

What did you think this trip was for?

It's already the last day of Loceit Week! So sad for it to be over already, but I had lots of fun and I hope you did, too! @loceitweek

Masterpost | Loceit Week 2024 Masterpost | Ao3

Prompt: It was probably what everyone should have expected to happen, but they all still acted surprised.

Summary: Janus and Logan invited all their friends out on a trip with them. There must be an ulterior motive, right?

Content Warnings: None

~~*~~

“Alright everybody, shut up and listen!” Remus called as he burst into the room. Gathered there were Roman, Patton, Virgil, Remy and Emile who looked at him with varying degrees of worry.

“What did you do now?” Virgil groaned, leaning back into the cushions of the couch. “We’re on vacation, can’t you just chill for a day?”

“Nope, not possible. And it’s your hosts who are requesting your presence in the garden.”

“Oh, do we finally figure out why the hell they paid for all of us to accompany them out to the middle of nowhere?” Remy quipped but got to his feet, as did everybody else.

“Maybe, maybe not~!” Remus singsonged before leaving the way he came.

“Alright, any last-minute bets?” Roman asked around, pulling out a small notebook. “Patton?”

“I’m sticking with it, kiddo!”

“Sure. Emile?”

“Same!”

“We’d have said something if we changed our minds, princey. Get moving,” Virgil complained, shoving him forward.

“Alright then we have Remy and Virgil on them moving away and Patton, Emile and me on wedding announcement.”

“Yeah, and the suspension is killing me babes, so let’s go out,” Remy called, already halfway through the door.

Out in the garden they found enough chairs for each of them in a half circle and in the middle stood Remus, grinning at them.

“There you are! Took your sweet time too! Sit down before the grooms manage to arrive before you.”

“Wait, grooms?!” Patton squealed. “They’re getting married right now?”

“Yeah.”

“You can’t be serious,” Remy balked.

“What did you think this trip was for, boo?” Remus laughed. It was probably what everyone should have expected to happen, in his opinion, but they all still acted surprised. They were all staring at him with wide eyes.

Wait.

“Did you really not think this might happen?”

“No!” Roman shouted. “Why would we? Logan and Janus aren’t really the type to—” He cut himself off, thinking for a moment. “Well, Janus would but I didn’t think Logan would go along with it! I thought this is like a bachelor party or something and they were going to tell us when the wedding is going to be, not that this is the wedding! I’m not dressed for this!”

“Oh, Logie was quite happy doing it like this, you know how he is about big parties. This intimate thing with just his closest friends is his Crofters jam.” Despite his shock, Patton couldn’t help but laugh at the horrible pun. “And Jay was so hoping you’d freak out over the lack of proper wardrobe, so mission accomplished! Now sit down!”

“I demand you let me change!” Roman cried but Virgil just grabbed his arm and dragged him to the chairs.

“Let it go, Ro. If this is what the grooms want, then just go along with it.”

Roman grumbled but let himself be seated, Virgil plopping into the seat next to him. On his other side Remy took his place, then Patton and lastly Emile was about to sit down but he stopped in the last moment, blinking confused.

“What about you, Remus?”

“What about me, Cartoon Crazy?”

“Where are you going to sit? There are no more chairs?”

“I don’t need to sit! I’m officiating!”

“Oh heaven, this is a disaster,” Roman groaned.

“Those aren’t nice things to say at someone’s wedding, Roman,” a voice said behind them, and they all turned around to see Logan and Janus had arrived. Both were wearing neatly pressed suits, Janus’ black and gold and Logan’s dark blue and silver.

“Damn!” Remy whistled. “You both are looking fine!”

“Thank you, Remy,” Logan smiled.

“See, one person knows how to behave,” Janus smirked at Roman who pouted.

“You don’t even tell us we’re going to be attending your wedding and you made Remus your officiant? How can you expect me not to comment?”

“By expecting that you can control your tongue for once, Roman. But it seems that was too much to ask.”

“Dear, can you please wait to further antagonize our guest until after the ceremony?” Logan asked, squeezing Janus’ arm that was interlocked with his. “I would like to marry you in the next few minutes.”

“I would complain if that wasn’t so romantic,” Roman huffed and his brother cackled.

“Come up here then, love birds! The sooner we’re done, the sooner you can get to smooching.” Remus wiggled his eyebrows at them and Janus sighed.

“I really shouldn’t have given into his demands.”

“I’m sure it will be fine, love. At least he will be quick about it,” Logan reassured him as they moved around the chairs to join Remus in the middle of their little ceremony.

“True. And I can’t wait to be able to say yes.”

“Me neither.”