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5-falsehoods-phonated · 4 years ago

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(Prompts with boxes have been taken, highlighted have been written)

Requests for this card are closed, thank you to anyone who sent in requests! If you don’t want to see these you can block the tag #false bthb. As always shoot me an ask if you wanna be tagged in future stories, whether it be for bad things happen bingo or any of the other series, one shots or in general!

I’ve been picking at this particular request since early December as the person who requested it had a lot of details they wanted put in making the writing process a bit more challenging. As a disclaimer, note that the chapter is split between present time and the past; with Logan recalling things in his past in an attempt to make the details requested for the story flow better. I received this request from AO3.

General taglist: @im-an-anxious-wreck

Experimental Socialization

Summary: Logan was raised by the government to be nothing more than an experiment and a weapon, utilizing his unique abilities as a mutant. When he finally escapes things are much different than he imagined they’d be but thankfully finds others like him willing to help guide him right where he needs to be.(Happy Ending)

Warnings: allusions to abuse, physical punishment and human experimentation, tw for weapons and fire, panic attack. If there are more please let me know

Prompt; Not Used To Freedom (requested by AngstyEmoGal on AO3)

Ships: Intrulogical, Logan x Remus

WC: 3432

“You just gotta breathe, Logan. In four, hold seven, out eight remember? You’re doing great, just keep going.”

Logan felt himself slowly coming back to reality as his breathing evening out, the raw panic that had gripped his chest easing slightly as Virgili continued coaxing him through the exercise. He felt the other slowly rub up and down his arm in a slow, steady beat that helped ground him further in reality and he smiled up at his friend gratefully and nodded to let xem know he was okay. Gripping his knees as Virgil’s voice trailed off he squeezed his eyes shut tightly and let out one last calming breath.

“Thank you, Virgil. I-” He struggled to find words, gesturing flippantly in the air making Virgil grin.

“It’s okay. Take your time, L.”

Logan puffed his cheeks out in frustration, thoughts swirling too quickly for him to comprehend anything but the apprehensive fear he held for the plans Remus had made for them later that evening. “I am- not used to being outside. Given my history and the threat I pose as a potential compromise to our place of hiding I fail to understand Remus’ reasoning for going out when we could just as easily celebrate our relationship here.”

“Hm.” Virgil leaned back on xyr hands and looked up at the low ceiling of their underground paradise. “Can’t really see the stars from here, no matter how many stickers Princey finds and puts up it can't really be compared to the real thing.”

Logan had made the mistake of going on a tirade of space facts a few months into his stay in the hideout, Remus patiently listening to the extensive infodump of constellation facts and space physics and planetary rotation. Having a limited amount of books to entertain oneself with for extended periods of time meant memorizing entire books on one subject, which Logan had used all too happily as a figurative escape from his situation in the past until he had actually managed to escape when he was 16. Hearing Logan speak so passionately about the subject had apparently made his mind up that he was taking Logan outside for their first “official” date to view the stars, which had then landed Logan in his current state of panic as he realized that date was today and he was decidedly not ready for what might lay in store outside of safety of the hideout.

“I can stay close by if you want. I won’t spy or anything and Remus won’t have to know.” Logan looked over as his thoughts were interrupted by the offer, Virgil turning invisible and reappearing a couple seconds later to emphasize xyr point. Smiling Logan shook his head, knowing the other derived as much joy from going outside as Logan felt about going himself.

“Thank you for the offer though, you’re very kind.” Letting his thoughts drift again he idly wondered when Virgil had discovered xe could disappear and reappear at will and if xyr parents had tried to hide it before the government had found out. His own parents-

-----

“Logan?” A very small Logan turned at his mother’s voice, losing his concentration which made the hidden jar of Crofters fall from its suspended place in the air and smash to the floor. His parents hadn’t known he possessed any sort of powers, and even as small as he was he still understood the position he’d put them in if they ever found out. Fearfully his hands dropped to his sides as his mother covered her mouth in shock, tears rolling down her cheeks as she took a step back.

Men in suits and long coats were there just a few hours later, speaking in hushed voices while both of his parents cried and he was ushered out the door and into an unmarked car, quiet as he understood yelling and crying would do him no good now. What’s done was done, all he could do was be compliant and hope to be treated gently.

-----

The room suddenly brightening with a flickering light brought him back out of his thoughts, Roman entering with his signature bright flame held proudly in his hand. The image of him in his rather scrapped together Princely outfit posing subconsciously in the doorway was almost enough to make Logan roll his eyes but he didn’t want Virgil to think it was because of xem so he managed to restrain himself.

“My dearest brother has been pacing in the same spot for two hours now and I haven't been able to calm him down soooo I thought to check on our resident nerd.” Roman declared with his usual flare. Logan actually did roll his eyes this time but Virgil did as well so he figured it was fine.

“The ‘resident nerd’ is doing fine, Roman. Though it's concerning to hear Remus is nervous as well considering he’s the one who suggested the date.”

Roman waved his hand at Logan dismissively. “He’s just a sap- moreso than me surprisingly. He doesn’t want to do anything to put you in danger but he wants to do something nice, so he’s worried that’s all. Remus is an idiot but I trust him with my life; believe me when I say you have nothing to worry about except his terrible sense of humor.”

Logan merely hummed in response, staring at the way the flame moved around as Roman gestured with his words.

-----

He panted as he rolled out of the way of another flamethrower, singeing the tips of his hair in the process but he couldn’t afford to slow down enough to worry about that. Years of training with different fighting styles had earned him incredibly fast reflexes but a good portion of his accuracy in knowing where to step and when was owed to him working even harder to focus his powers. Thoughts from others constantly surrounded him on a regular basis, getting more and more prevalent the older he grew. Learning to block out the constant string of stimuli was a useful skill to keep him sane but learning to hone in on specific thoughts to predict actions was what had kept him alive.

He ducked below another bullet and brought up his leg in the same motion, kicking a throwing knife to the side and sending it to clatter harmlessly between one of his assailants feet. A twirl to the side and a tilt of the head let another bought of flame boil the air beside him while another knife just barely brushed his ear. The constant bang of bullets and roar of flames and whistling of knives was overwhelming and made the air so thick he could barely draw a breath and it was becoming a struggle to concentrate the way he needed to and-

A high pitched alarm sounded one, twice, three times- a blaring flash accompanying it that left him blinking painfully. His shoulders slumped as the barrage finally ended, another successful training day completed. He watched as everyone began putting their weapons away, laughing and congratulating each other, clapping themselves on the back and discussing whatever they had planned after this. No one even spared the thing they had been firing at seconds before a spare glance, save for the director of the branch, who took long steps forward to stand in front of him only to snap his fingers and motion forward no doubt to see him back to his room until dinner. Absorbing the sounds around him he drank in as much praise as he could that wasn’t his and would never be for him; people rarely congratulated weapons after all.

-----

“Is this where we all decided to hide today?” Logan looked up to see Patton sitting cross legged on one one of the beams in the ceiling, grinning happily down at them even as their fluffy ears twitched nervously and even fluffier tail whipped back and forth in agitation. They must have come back from trying to calm Remus as well, Logan mused; Patton had never done well being in the same room as Remus who tended to voice his thoughts abruptly and without much care to how they might sound to others which always managed to set Patton on edge no matter how hard they tried not to show it.

Patton was a rare mutant in that as opposed to being born with abnormal traits or abilities they had been a science experiment from the start- an effort to create super soldiers rather than stealing them away from families and training them. Even rarer was the fact that the DNA splicing had taken extraordinarily well by pure chance as Patton was born with a mutation that left their DNA incredibly malleable- a mutation that never would have been discovered had cellular manipulation not been the reason for them being in the experimental branch that they were. They had tried cloning Patton at first to see if their power could be duplicated but when that failed to work they began trying to combine them with different animals to see if desirable traits would come forward. By manipulating them on a physical and anatomical level they were able to change some parts of them to be more cat like, intending, Patton had guessed, to turn them into a kind of stealth soldier but they got away before they completed it, leaving them with heightened agility and surgically coaxed cat ears and a tail. They were only a child when the lab had done this but somehow they were never bitter, simply preferring to leave their past alone and embrace whatever future they could make- a trait Logan greatly admired them for even if their unending optimism could be somewhat grating at times.

“Did Janus brush your tail out Pat? It looks fluffier today.” Patton preened at Virgil's compliment, their tail beginning to wave in a more relaxed manner as their mind was distracted from whatever it was Remus had been ranting about.

“He did! He found a cat brush and got it for me so I could finally get the undercoat out!” Jumping down and landing lightly on their feet they posed a little and flashed another wide grin.

“Beautiful as always, Patton.” Roman said genuinely as he lowered his hand into a barrel to light up the paper scraps and wood in it for the night, the dim sunlight that had filtered through the grated having long since died. The home was a modified branch of a sewer system, thankfully the part most removed from the city where it flowed without the stench and was sealed off inconspicuously enough that in the ten years Janus and Remus had been using it no worker had ever found it.

-----

It had been Janus and Remus who had found him, beaten and bloody from an escape attempt he had made just days before his real one. He had made a weak attempt to coax the scientists into a false sense of security, holding back the full scoop of his powers during training for a year in anticipation for his final escape. He had punished severely but had simply thrown him in his regular cell, assuming he wasn’t strong enough to do any more damage than they had seen him do already and trusting that they had beaten him down enough that it would be a while before he tried again- if he ever did. Not six days later the mangled metal of the front of his cell was tossed into a group of guards, walls torn apart in a straight line to the exit and the huge buzzing gates leading to the outside world thrown open wide and stuck there with varying amounts of heavy debris.

The outside world, as it turns out, was a lot bigger and louder and downright terrifying when you weren’t being sent out as a personal assassin or field missions or training sessions- all controlled on some level to keep him from being killed and compromised. Without the begrudged protection from the labs and moreover having to hide from said lab was another story entirely. The times they searched for him and how closely they came to his spots were random and made it incredibly hard for him to pick out their thoughts from anyone else’s in the city and figure out how close they were. On more than one occasion they passed right by him crouched under piles of garbage or laying low under a hedge, his breath held as he tried desperately to keep himself as still and quiet as possible, thoughts of what they would to him once they found him pounding against his head and making him squeeze his eyes shut to keep his terrified tears from falling.

That was how Remus had found him. It had been dark and hours had passed since the searchers had left that park he had been hiding in. He had still been hiccuping down his sobs as he rolled out from under the hedge that he hadn’t bothered to scope the area for anyone’s close by thoughts, having shut out as much as he could after they had left to try and block out any other hate fueled thoughts that may send him spiraling again. His heart had leapt in his throat so high his breath caught painfully, immediately shifting to offense as he tensed, ready to fight as long and hard as he could. He couldn’t go back- he wouldn’t. No matter what they did or promised him or punished him with; he’d go down fighting or not at all.

But Remus had only raised his hands in the air in a motion of peace, eyes widening as he locked onto the government issued bracelet that marked him as an experimental mutant. He had grinned impossibly wide then Logan remembered, briefly disappearing from his sight and reappearing a moment later, setting him even more on edge but curious nonetheless.

“I’m like you.” Remus had said quietly. “Basically I run real fast and the government hasn’t figured out how to get me yet.”

Logan had watched as he jiggled his wrists a bit for emphasis, bare save for colored chords that he assumed didn’t associate him with any government branch since they didn’t look official.

“Are you okay?” Remus had asked next and mutely Logan nodded, unsure of how to react to this fellow mutant who had never been caught by any sort of lab, apparently living as free as one could when you were as different as they were. He stepped back as another man appeared behind him, Janus he later learned.

“Liar.” Janus had hissed, making Remus reach around and smack the back of his head.

“It was a polite thing to ask that he tried to dismiss Jan. Let the adults speak for a second.”

Logan had noted the faint pout on Janus’ face though he was still trying very hard to look intimidating. And then all at once his eyes had turned cold as his attention was once again focused on Logan, glaring menacingly from beneath a black bowler hat. “I’m younger than you and yet I’m the one that has to put my foot down. He’s being chased clearly; we are not bringing him back with us.”

Remus has turned, Logan seemingly forgotten for the moment. “That’s not how it works! He needs help and we’re not leaving him to starve or be found in the middle of a park! What would Patton say?”

“Patton is a soft fool who needs to figure out where their morals stand. I myself am choosing not to compromise our place of hiding and three other people that you know those power hungry idiots would love nothing more than to get their hands on!”

Remus rolled his eyes so hard his head had lolled with it, face going pale as he watched something in the sky. It was then that Logan heard the telling sound of a helicopter flying low and getting closer but he had barely tensed before he found himself gripped around the middle and held vertically with the ground flying underneath him. They stopped abruptly and he was set down, blinking in rapid confusion as Remus grinned sheepishly at him.

“Welcome to the hideout?”

Logan’s eyes had widened and his breath had caught yet again, chest tightening as he shook his head vehemently. “You can’t- I need to go back! They’ll do anything to get me back-!”

He was stopped from going forward with a finger to his chest, his blue eyes locking with beautiful brown as Remus held his gaze. “And we will do everything to keep you safe.”

Safe. With that one word Logan was his. He hadn’t known why and he still didn’t quite understand it but he had trusted Remus with everything he had- and he still did. Even as Janus had stalked off grumbling and Virgil and Roman had kept their distance at first Remus had kept him close and showed him how much better his life could be, even if they were living in a modified sewer system.

Back in the present he looked up as a hand was thrust under his chin, smiling softly as he took Remus’ hand and let himself be led away from the others’ idle chatter. He counted himself extremely lucky in the end that Janus had eventually come around to him, seeing how happy he made Remus and how Remus made Logan feel it had been him to finally talk to Logan about it and get the two to officially talk about how they felt, going on about the being “hopeless gay idiots” when they had finally started to date officially. Logan wasn’t sure what he’d do without Remus at this point, just a year later and he was so attached to their small group of hideaways he wouldn’t trade for the world.

They approached the exit to the sewers, Remus swinging their hands between them. Logan held his breath right before they crossed the threshold, closing his eyes and letting it out slowly as his feet met grass and he opened his eyes to the darkened field. There were a few tunnels that lead out to different places depending on where they needed to go and this, Remus had told him, was his favorite because of how empty it was. The city lay far in the distance so there was almost no light pollution to block out the sky. Soft grass and flowers brushed his ankles as he scanned the area carefully, seeing nothing but trees lining the far end of the field with a road so far away he could barely, make it out in the darkness. Remus tugged his hand softly to get his attention, searching his eyes for any hint of discomfort.

“Is this okay?’

Logan took another breath and let it out, the last of his nerves fading away as he took in the quiet. “It’s perfect Remus.”

The other grinned and tugged a little harder this time, walking fast to the middle of the field where he stopped suddenly and raised Logan’s arm up to lead him into an impromptu twirl. Logan laughed quietly and then louder as he was dipped, secure in Remus’ strong hold as he reached up to grip the back of his neck. He was safe. He was free and safe and happy finally with someone who truly loved and cared for him. His breath caught in his throat again but this time in awe, Remus chuckling as he was laid down carefully tucked into his side, till with his arms around his neck.

The stars shone bright and winked lazily while swirls of color dusted faintly behind them. The moon was waning, a barely there light that let the beauty behind it show fully as the wind whisked away any clouds that dared to try and cover it. It was everything Logan had ever hoped it would be and more, excitement thrumming through him as he squeezed Remus tightly in an attempt to convey it. He felt Remus grin against his scalp where his face was buried in his hair.

“It’s beautiful isn't it?”

Logan looked back at him, light from the stars reflected in his eyes and wild brown hair framing his face. He leaned up slightly and kissed him, a faint brush of their lips that left them both grinning like the idiots they were. Placing a hand on Remus’ cheek Logan smiled at him, thumb brushing over his cheek in adoration.

“Absolutely stunning.”

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just-a-silly-little-whumper · 2 years ago

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BTHB: Interrogation

Masterpost | Read on Ao3

Minh and Ivetta have a brief conversation.

Contains: Manhandling, minor choking

~~~

A knock at the door caused Minh to look up from her reading. She frowned; they weren’t expecting anyone, and Olivia shouldn’t be back from the market yet. The town was quiet too, and while the knock wasn’t urgent and she thought she would have heard shouts if anything had happened, that wasn’t guaranteed. Hoping it was just something minor, she closed her book and rose to see who it was.

Her uncertain curiosity was replaced with dread the moment she opened the door. Instead of her wife or any of her neighbors, she was greeted with the sight of Ivetta Vernier, Lord Denholm’s brutally efficient second in command. Ivetta didn’t say anything, instead shouldering her way inside and roughly closing the door inside her.

“Wha— Hey!”

“Minh Le,” Ivetta said curtly, as though she hadn’t just barged into Minh’s home. The behavior was typical of the kind of entitlement shown by Lord Denholm and his retainer. She quickly glanced around the small cottage. “Is your wife home?”

“No,” Minh said, ignoring the way her heart still fluttered at hearing Olivia be called her wife. "Why are you here, Vernier?”

“Hm. Where is she?”

“Shopping.”

“I see.” Ivetta took a step forwards, more firmly into Minh’s space. Minh stood her ground, staring up at the other woman. “You two are out and about far more often than you should have any need to. What are you doing? ‘Shopping?’”

It took a great deal of willpower not to visibly react. How did she know? Was she watching them, or was someone giving her information on them? It had to be the former; no one in the village would sell them out, would they? She shrugged lightly. “Visiting friends, helping neighbors.”

One thing that the resistance efforts had learned long ago was to avoid telling outright lies whenever possible. They were too hard to keep track of, too easy to prove false, and though no one could confirm it, old man Zachariah swore that Lord Denholm could sense falsehoods. Generally, just giving minimal information was best.

That evidently wasn’t enough for Ivetta today, though. The other woman grabbed the front of her shirt and roughly shoved her into the wall. Minh grunted at the impact. “I’m not in the mood for games,” she said coldly. “You two are sowing seeds of insurrection. You’d best tell me who you’re colluding with and what you’re planning.”

Panic would have been easy, but Minh didn’t panic. She couldn’t afford to. “I told you, I was just visiting friends. I can’t help you with anything else. Unless I missed a decree that we’re not allowed to have social lives anymore?”

The jab was a gamble; either it would serve to redirect Ivetta’s attention, even slightly, or it would only escalate the situation more. But even Minh couldn’t help her pettiness sometimes.

Ivetta shifted, pressing Minh further into the wall and bringing her forearm up to put pressure on Minh’s throat. “Something like that could be arranged. Or you could tell me what I want to know, and I can let you off easy.”

Minh held back a laugh. “There is no easy here,” she said past the weight on her throat.

At that moment, the door opened. Minh saw her wife out of the corner of her eye, looking fretful.

“Minh!” Olivia stomped forward, recklessly placing a hand on Ivetta’s shoulder and attempting to wrench her away. Surprisingly, Ivetta went easily, and Minh eased off the wall. “What’s going on here?”

“Olivia Kesby. I was just asking your wife about your frequent excursions. Is there anything you’d like to say on the matter?”

There was fire in Olivia’s eyes, but her voice was flat when she said, “There’s nothing to tell.”

“Hm.” The sudden shift between aggressive and calm was still disorienting, even after witnessing it so many times. “You know there will be consequences if we find out you’ve been hiding something.”

“Of course,” Minh said, matching Ivetta’s sudden calm. Olivia reached out to take her hand. “Is that all?”

There was a pregnant pause. “One more thing. You two invited the sorcerers to your wedding. What can you tell me about them?”

Minh frowned. She had gotten the impression that Lord Denholm had known more about them than she and Olivia did. “There’s not much to tell. They were in the area, so we invited them. They seemed pleasant enough.”

“And did either of them cast anything for you?”

“Plenty, when they were fighting you and Lord Denholm,” Olivia said shortly.

“I see.” Ivetta’s expression was as blank and unreadable as ever. “I will be taking my leave, then. Farewell.”

They watched her leave. Minh closed the door behind her, then rested her forehead against the wood and took a moment to breathe in relief. That could have gone so much worse.

“Minh, are you alright?”

“I’m fine. She didn’t hurt me. Just wanted to scare me, I think.” Minh turned back to look at Olivia. “You’re home early. And… did you actually do any shopping?”

Olivia blushed a bit, looking to the side. “I, uh, got a bad feeling, so I came home. I thought I was just being paranoid, but I guess not.”

Minh smiled softly. “Well, I’m glad you did. Just be careful. Putting hands on Ivetta like that could end really badly.”

“She put hands on you first.”

“Yeah.” It could have gone so much worse. “She suspects us. We’ll probably be under surveillance, if we’re not already. We’ll have to be careful.”

“Asshole,” Olivia muttered. “Things were already hard enough. Can’t have shit in the valley.”

That made Minh laugh. Olivia cracked a smile in response; her wife had been trying to make her feel better. Well, it worked. “Hopefully not forever. Right?”

“Right. Now, can you come with me to actually get the shopping done? I, uh—”

Olivia didn’t want Minh to be alone again, did she? Sweetheart. “Of course. Let’s go.”

#flicker in the dark #silly writes #whump #whump writing #minh le oc #ivetta vernier oc #olivia kesby oc #manhandling #choking #bad things happen bingo #bthb

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derryqueenx · 3 years ago

Note

For the “hurt caretaker” bthb prompt maybe Vince starts to be bitter and angry and hurt that howard hasnt found him and lyle supports him and reassures him that /he's/ here for Vince now (aka emotionally manipulates and gaslights him😂) and Vince starts to maybe think that he's right....

Hurt Caretaker.

Word Count: 1737 (I know, a lil short one.)

TW: nothing really… just a lot of feels.

Everything had been going well, actually.

Vince and Lyle were good – they ate breakfast together every morning, they spent as much time as they could together until Lyle had to go for work, and even more miraculous, Lyle trusted Vince enough now to let him wander the house freely when he was gone. Of course, the barrier was still up from his Shaman, but Vince no longer had the same desire to escape like he once had.

Where would he go anyway?

He had everything he needed right here. Someone to take care of him, someone to feed him and love him, someone to keep him company and appreciate him.

Someone that wouldn’t abandon him.

Someone that wouldn’t give up on him..

Someone not like Howard.

Vince saw it now. Saw how pathetic he was to be longing after Howard so desperately when he first arrived here, how much he cried for Howard, begged for Howard, screamed for Howard, and for what? Nothing.

Howard never came. They were supposed to be together forever – inseparable, and yet, Howard let them be separated. He didn’t come barging in to the rescue when Vince was drugged at the night club, he didn’t come swooping in to bring him home when he woke up in Lyle’s house, he wasn’t even the one trying to talk to him – Naboo was!

And speaking of his own shaman friend, Vince hadn’t heard from Naboo since his escape attempt with Quinton. Now, that could very well be Lyle’s doing, but even if it was, surely it couldn’t be that hard to try a different method to get through to Vince again, right? Vince knew what Naboo was capable of. Knew what he could do. And speaking into someone’s mind seemed easy enough.

It was almost as if he just didn’t want to.

He didn’t want to come get Vince.

And neither did Howard.

Vince knew that now. Lyle had tried to tell him, tried to show him since the beginning but Vince refused to listen. He didn’t want it to be true. But it was.

Howard didn’t care about him anymore. Howard was probably already redecorating their room and getting rid of all Vince’s things, happy he didn’t have to deal with him anymore.

So where would Vince go if he did try to run away?

No one wanted him.

No one except Lyle.

Lyle wanted him. Lyle fought for him. Lyle tried everything he could to get Vince to see the truth, to not be blinded by passion and false hopes, to open his eyes and see the people around him for who they really were. Frauds. Everyone except Lyle.

Lyle cared about him. Lyle wouldn’t abandon him. Lyle wouldn’t give up on him.

So no, Lyle didn’t have to worry about Vince running away because he didn’t plan to. He planned to stay exactly where he was.

“What are you thinking about, pet?” Lyle cooed from the couch, softly petting Vince’s hair from where he sat on the floor leaning against it, never allowed on the couch because that wasn’t his place, but Vince didn’t mind. From down here it meant he got to feel Lyle’s soft fingers running through his hair, comforting him. “You seem distant.”

Vince shook his head apologetically. “Sorry... I didn’t mean to.” He turned to give Lyle a reassuring smile, one that Lyle saw right through.

“Talk to me. What’s going on?”

Again, Vince shook his head, this time dismissively. “It’s stupid, I don’t want you to worry about it.”

Lyle gave Vince a more stern expression this time. “Vince, I told you to tell me.” It was said in a warning tone, insisting to Vince to not disobey, and Vince never wanted to do that.

With a sigh, Vince relaxed. “I was just thinking about...” He hesitated, worried about Lyle would react to his next word. “Howard.”

He could see Lyle tense, lips thinning together as his eyes narrowed cautiously. “I thought I told you-“ He started, but Vince cut him off.

“Not like that. I was actually thinking about how much happier I am with you. How stupid I was to think that Howard would ever be apart of my life, when clearly it was always meant to be you. You were always the one that was meant to find me.” Vince smiled at him sincerely, hoping his eyes said enough to express how genuine he was, hoping Lyle knew how much he was appreciated.

Vince saw Lyle relax again, any tension leaving the air as he too met Vince smile with his own, his hand moving from Vince’s hair to his cheek, this thumb caressing the jawline soothingly and lovingly, causing Vince to melt into the touch. “Oh, pet.” He breathed out with admiration. “I’m so glad you feel that way. I only ever want what’s best for you.”

“I know.” Vince re-assured, nestling up against Lyle’s touch like a puppy desperate for approval. “Im sorry I was such a pain to deal with at first. I see now that you were only trying to help me.”

Lyle nodded in agreement. “Those 2 never appreciated you. They would never be able to love you like I do.”

A red tint covered Vince’s cheeks as he looked up at Lyle with wide, wholesome eyes. “You- love?” He clarified, needing to know he didn’t mishear him, that he wasn’t imagining things.

Lyle merely chuckled lightly. “Of course. Did you ever doubt me?”

It was like a breathe of fresh air. He was still loveable… someone still loved him. And it was the most important person in his world, too. The only person that mattered anymore. “I love you too.”

“Howard, you need to eat.”

“No.”

Naboo looked on the kitchen table, spotting the sandwich he’d made 3 days ago still sitting there, untouched. “When was the last time you had something?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“I don’t care. You need to eat.” Naboo repeated, a bit more firm this time.

“No. What I need is to find my goddamn boyfriend, okay? And since no one else is doing anything about it, it’s up to me!”

It hurt, Naboo won’t lie. To know that Howard thought he wasn’t doing anything to help find Vince. No matter how many times Naboo told him that the other shaman had blocked him from Vince’s mind, Howard didn’t believe him. He always said there had to be something else – some other way. But there wasn’t. At least not one that Naboo had found.

Howard didn’t know about the countless late and sleepless nights Naboo spent in his room, scouring every book and object he knew about, travelling to distant lands and planets in search of an answer to where Vince was, speaking to everyone he came across in hopes that someone knew something.

He didn’t tell Howard about these visits, because he didn’t want to get the other man’s hopes up. It was just easier for Howard to think he’d given up, or at least wasn’t trying as hard as he once was. That way there was no reason to disappoint.

And so far Naboo had come back with nothing but disappointment.

“You’re going to be no use to him if you wear yourself out like this.” He tried again, earning a groan of frustration in response.

“I’m no use to him in general! It’s been nearly 4 months, Naboo! 4 months! I was supposed to protect him! I was supposed to be by his side forever and now what? Where is he, huh? I don’t even know if he’s-“ Howard stopped himself, biting back the word in his throat that had definitely crossed both of their minds. The last interaction they had with Vince was when he tried to escape, and then Naboo got cut off. They don’t know what happened to Vince after that. What sort of punishment he got… how severe it was. But they couldn’t allow themselves to think like that. If they thought for even a second that Vince wasn’t-….

They just couldn’t think like that. It would destroy them.

Howard took in a deep breath. “I need to find him. And I won’t stop until I do.”

“Well your body is going to make you stop if it doesn’t get fuel, Howard. And then what? Then who’s going to look for Vince? He’ll have no one. Then he’ll be all on his own.”

Howard didn’t look up at Naboo, but he did pause, shoulders rising and falling with each breathe as he contemplated Naboo’s warning, taking it in and realising despite his best efforts that his friend was right. Vince needed him, and Howard needed to be capable enough to find him. “Fine.” He mumbled out, storming past Naboo without another word into the kitchen, opening the fridge and taking out the loaf of bread, taking a single plain slice and shoving it into his mouth. “Happy?” He questioned, mouth full of food as he closed the fridge back again, taking the loaf with him back to where he standing in the living room previously.

“Sure.” Was all Naboo said sadly.

Howard was broken. Anyone with eyes could see that.

He wasn’t eating. He wasn’t sleeping. He was barely showering, and he hadn’t dared to sleep in his own room since Vince went missing. Naboo figured it was because he didn’t want to mess anything up of Vince’s, wanting to leave it exactly how it was for when, if, Vince came home.

If they never found Vince, Howard wouldn’t cope. It wouldn’t be long until he would become just a shell of the man he was, hardly even Howard anymore.

There was no Howard Moon without Vince Noir. There never was. It just didn’t make sense.

Naboo needed to find Vince. Not just for Vince’s sake, but for Howard’s as well.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it.” He said after a few seconds of awkward silence, not really sure what ‘it’ was that Howard was even doing, but figured it didn’t matter. As long as Howard felt like he was doing something and helping in some way, it would keep him distracted whilst Naboo kept on his own mission.

Someone knew something. Someone had to know something.

And Naboo would find them.

There was no other option.

He had to bring Vince home before it was too late.

He just hoped it already wasn’t too late… -

AHHHHH THEY SAID THE ‘L’ WORD!!

Vince. No. Stop it. *sprays with water* Bad Vince. (I’m kidding he doesn’t know any better my precious 🥺🥺🥺)

And hey Howard! Haven’t seen you in a while. I see you’re not doing well…. Uh… sorry bout that.

#used as bait universe #bad things happen card #bad things happen #bth bingo #fic bingo #whump #angst #feels #new fic #update #used as bait

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delimeful · 5 years ago

Text

taking the fall (1)

BTHB: Framed

decided to return to my borrower roots for this BTHB prompt! it was fun to work in a 'verse like this again.

warnings: snakes, injury, captivity, janus being a little bit of a prick, using 'it' for a person

Virgil should have known something was up from the moment Roman wasn’t there to greet him at their normal rendezvous point.

It was a little alcove between the roots of a sapling on the border between the oversized apartment building and the small forest Virgil called home. The perfect compromise for soft insiders that were terrified of local wildlife and outies like him that wouldn’t be caught dead in a human building.

He’d waited there for about two marks after their normal arranged meeting time, and when someone had finally arrived, he’d been on the brink of irritability. It hadn’t lasted long, not in the face of the other borrower’s clear panic and weariness.

“What’s going on?” he’d asked, and was then treated to a rambling, half-incoherent explanation about how Roman was desperately sick and hurt, and they couldn’t find any human medicine but they knew he had to have something up his sleeve, right?

He’d tried to ask for symptoms, make it clear that he would have to figure out exactly how sick Roman was before finding the necessary herbs to treat it, but the other borrower-- what was her name? Elli? Ari?-- was persistent and desperate, and hurried him into the apartment despite his protests. He’d even had to leave his spear behind to fit in the walls properly.

Despite his complaints, he wouldn’t leave a friend in need just because they were stuck in a bean’s walls. So he went, and he was so intent on mentally taking stock of his current medicine supply that he only barely noticed when the insider-- Mari? That sounded closer.-- led him to a crack in the wallpaper that led directly into one of the human’s homes.

He’d dug in his heels there, but only for as long as it took her to weave a story about Roman being stuck under a television stand and too weak to be towed back to the nearest exit. Like an idiot, he’d believed it, too consumed with worry to question her further. If Roman, master of putting up a facade of bravado, had admitted he didn’t think he could make it to an exit, things were worse than he thought.

He’d swallowed down his nerves about being so out of his comfort zone in the name of helping Roman and maybe even doing something that would make the insiders stop looking at him like something scraped off a human’s shoe. Relatively speaking, he’d felt pretty good about it even.

Then, as they sidestepped past the faucet in the kitchen, a pair of hands firmly shoved against his back, hard enough that he didn’t have a chance to recover.

And now he was here, in the bottom of a human’s shiny, slick-sided sink, leg throbbing, looking up at the insider who’d put him there.

“Sorry,” she had the gall to say, “but I don’t have any other choice.”

Virgil may have been gritting his teeth against the pain, but he always had time to snark. “Really? You hate me so much that you had to do all this?” Insiders. Couldn’t even get their own hands dirty.

“What? No.” The borrower’s expression was hard to make out from all the way up on the counter, but her tone was incredulous. “No, I just needed-- I was seen. You get it?”

“I get that you’re out of your mind,” he bit back. “Don’t you people have a rule for that? I thought you were supposed to move out, not push someone into a sink!”

“It’s hardly even spring, and we don’t have enough supplies to make it!” the backstabber protested. “We’re not outies, and if this human doesn’t get what he wants, he could call pest control on all of us, not just me. He threatened it, even.”

“So that makes it okay to offer me up like some sacrificial lamb?” Virgil rolled onto hands and knees, and then bit back a whimper as he hurriedly kept all pressure off his left leg. Standing was out of the question.

“It’s for the good of all of us. And if you ever cared about Roman even a little bit, you’ll follow our rules for once and keep your mouth shut when he finds you.”

Virgil went still. “Was he in on this? Roman?”

Mari’s voice turned sorrowful. “Roman’s already gone. He was the first one to vanish, probably to this very human and his wretched snakes.”

“Snakes?” Virgil asked, his voice pitching embarrassingly high. And then, as his heart dropped, “Roman’s gone?”

Mari continued on, half to herself. “If he were still here, though, he’d be on my side. I don't know what he was thinking, cavorting around with you, but he knows that I’m just doing what’s best for the colony. We have children to look after.”

She took a step forward as she spoke, and then another, and Virgil felt his heart jump into his throat. “Don’t leave!”

He bristled helplessly at the pity-filled look she gave him, not halting her slow progression back across the counter ledge. “Like I said, it’s for the best. You’re not getting out of this, and me staying here would just give you false hope. I’m sure the human will be home soon, so just… try and come to terms with things.”

“Come to terms with things?!” Virgil howled as she finally vanished from sight. “You’re literally leaving me here to certain death for your own selfish ends! I could… I could help you move. I know how to travel safely, find food, for thunder’s sake don’t just leave me here!”

There was no response to his pleas, not even the sound of her footsteps across the counter. Roman wore soft cloth coverings to muffle his footsteps, Virgil remembered somewhat hysterically. He couldn't remember how far the exit was. How reassuring that even if he managed to get out of the sink, he wouldn’t know the first thing about surviving in a human house.

He was so fucked.

---

Janus sighed as he shoved his apartment door up slightly, twisting the knob and pushing it open so that the hinges didn’t make a sound. His footsteps were immediately muffled by the rug he’d placed at the door.

Just a few of the… security measures he’d come up with.

Really, if the little thieves living in the walls had any brains at all, they should’ve long ago memorized his schedule. Seeing as they avoided his traps so effectively, he didn’t have much hope of randomly catching one unawares.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t try. If he was lucky, he would at least unsettle them with how stealthy he could be.

Four steps into the living room, he heard it. A tiny clink, just barely audible past the fan lazily rotating overhead. It was coming from the kitchen.

He set his bag down, a disbelieving smile flitting over his face. Were they really that stupid, to steal food from his apartment when there were safer targets in practically any of the other units?

All the better for him, he supposed.

Carefully, slowly, he approached the other room, pausing to listen in the doorway. He didn’t see any movement on the counters, but…

Miracle of miracles, the noise came again. Janus recognized it this time— the sound of glass on metal. It was a dish being moved in the sink. He wondered for a moment if maybe it was just a small animal that had snuck in. Why would one of them be in the sink, after all?

He crept closer, and peered over the edge of the counter. Despite his doubts, it was a tiny person, slowly pushing one of the crumb-covered dishes towards the other side of the sink, where a small tower of dishware was building up. Janus couldn’t see a hook. The little creature didn’t seem to have any supplies at all, actually.

“Stuck, are we?” he asked, finally breaking his silence.

The tiny person jumped like a startled cat, and in the next moment, they were already trying to scramble up the makeshift stairs to freedom. Janus reached out and grabbed one of the glasses in the sink, plonking it over the little creature. “Not so fast.”

He took a moment to lean against the counter and observe them closer as they backed up to the far edge of the cup. Clearly handmade clothing, dark hair and sun-tanned skin, a badly-hidden limp from some injury in their left leg.

“You're not the one from before,” he mused out loud. “I don’t think they’d be dumb enough to trap themselves like this.”

That tiny expression darkened for a moment, but still not a word. Janus sighed, and decided that this was going to require more preparation than a glass, unless he wanted to suffocate the tiny stranger. He straightened up and walked out of the kitchen without a word.

One closet-scouring later, he’d found his prize and set it up in his bedroom, with only a little extra decoration for mockery purposes.

When he returned, the tiny person was pretending not to have moved, though the glass had clearly been shifted perilously close to the edge of the plate. Janus wasted no time in picking up the plate, glass, and passenger.

The tiny stranger dropped to hands and knees to brace themself, and Janus did try to make sure his steps were smooth so as to not agitate their wound. He wasn’t a complete monster.

Once he reached his room, it was simple enough to transfer them from the glass to the old terrarium he’d prepared. They made a lunge for his sleeves, as though to latch on, but between their injured state and Janus’s experience with snakes, he was quick enough to avoid them.

He clicked his tongue, but the moment he’d removed himself from the terrarium, the tiny person had ceased to focus on him completely. They immediately hobbled to press their back against the glass, staring at the fake plastic plants inside as though… Hm.

Janus tapped the glass, eliciting a flinch-glare combination. “There’s nothing alive in there but you. Relax a little.”

If looks could kill, Janus would have been dead twice over. He ignored the glare. “I know you can talk, so let’s skip the part where you pretend to be mute, shall we? You’re a new face, but I’m assuming you know who I am.”

Still no response. Janus rolled his eyes. “I suppose I don’t need you to be talkative if I’m going to be using you as a hostage.”

—-

Virgil couldn’t help the harsh laugh that bubbled out of him, shaking his head sharply like that would reverse the sound. What a joke.

“Care to share?” That oil-slick voice again.

The human looming over him waited patiently for an explanation, and Virgil scowled. He couldn’t imagine that Roman had done well under such pressure. The guy loved the sound of his own voice.

The thought felt harsher, now that he knew Roman was… dead. He’d never hear him again.

He shuddered, glancing back over his shoulder at the fake greenery around him. If this wasn’t where the snakes were kept, then where were they?

It occurred to him that he could ask. What was stopping him? Loyalty to rules that had already been broken? To someone who had already been killed by this very human?

“The snakes,” he said, voice barely there. He tried again. “Where are the snakes?”

“Oh? You know about them,” the human seemed pleased, sickeningly enough. “How about this, you answer my question, and I’ll answer yours.”

Virgil hesitated, but it wasn’t like the answer was giving all that much away. “You found me in a sink. No gear. Injured. You think the ones who put me there are going to give you anything? I’m not some valuable hostage. Just let me go.”

"I see." The human’s face had shifted somewhat, but it only assessed him for a moment longer before turning to the large, glass boxes nearby. It reached into one.

“They outgrew that old terrarium years ago, now I’ve got a much fancier set for them over here.”

The sentence seemed like nonsense, until the human returned with a snake wrapped around its wrist. Virgil froze, staring at the vibrant green coils as they shifted.

“This is Jekyll,” the human said, as though Virgil cared to be introduced to those beady yellow eyes. Though, it didn’t look large enough to eat an entire borrower. Virgil had faced larger garden snakes. “He’s the timid sort, no claim to the doctor title unfortunately.”

He watched the human rummage around in the other terrarium, and come back out with a much larger snake. He felt the blood drain from his face as the pale, patterned snake was brought closer.

“And this,” the human said, carefully running a finger along it's spine, “is Hyde. She’s a little moodier, as boas tend to be.”

Virgil slowly shifted back, knowing logically that there was glass between him and the creature, but also that the human could change that at any time. Had changed it, in Roman’s case. It was only a matter of when.

The human tracked his motion, head tilted in an uncanny parody of his snakes.

“I don’t let them wander loose in the household,” it said, finally. “They won't hurt you, despite what your friends may have told you.”

I only had one friend, Virgil thought, not stopping until he’d found the back corner of the cage, and that’s exactly why I don’t believe you.

He drew his limbs up around himself, silent, and waited until the human finally left him alone to start tending his wounds.

The more advantages he had for his escape, the better.

#sanders sides #g/t #borrowers #ts virgil #ts janus #ttf #taking the fall #writing #my writing #bthb #injury tw #ask to tag #angst #i guess?#i spent like an hour looking up snakes for this one #snakes tw

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sapphire11 · 3 years ago

Note

From either fic, for the WiP word ask: beautiful; high: imagine; entertain(ment); write; read.

Jen!! I see what you did there 😍💛

Beautiful

“You’re beautiful Carlos, even your broken pieces are beautiful.”

High

“I couldn't even let go and enjoy being high, because all I could think about was you. ...

Imagine

He imagines Carlos taking in the scene in the living room.

Entertain

“I won’t stand for one more moment allowing you to entertain thoughts like those.”

Write (I don't have write anywhere. I do have written though)

“I can’t even imagine this being all that’s been written for our story.”

Read

TK knows his husband well enough to read through the false cheerfulness and hear the tension underneath.

Bold = AU Italics = BTHB

WIP Game: Come say hi!

#ali answers #beautifulhigh #TYSM for asking #and keeping me motivated

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amethystpath-writes · 5 years ago

Note

For BTHB, could you do cold blooded torture for Leera and Rennera? I absolutely love them!!

Hiya! I'm so glad you love my characters! It really means a lot to me :) Thank you for the request!!

Leera/Rennera Request Fill (out of the timeline)

@badthingshappenbingo

Prompt: Cold-Blooded Torture

Fandom: Original Work

TWs: I think we can assume the lot of these given the prompt but----> torture, blood, restrained, captivity, whipped, scratched by nail, threats of worse treatment, blood, burned by hot metal (not branded), forced apology, mention of muscle damage

******

The queen's steps thudded against the floor like an unbearable drum. Only Leera's own harsh breathing could tune it out.

"Again," Rennera said and the assassin released a hearty cry as leather slapped against her back. Her elbows drove inwards, but to no avail could she stop the pain being caused. Her wrists were sore, tugging constantly, pathetically, at the chains bounding them.

Rennera tutted. "You would think that after all this time..." The queen stepped beside Leera's head, which was pressed firmly to the stone table she was restrained on. Rennera smiled at the sweat streaming from the assassin's hairline. "You would think," she repeated, and delicately dragged a nail down Leera's arm, causing a shudder, "you would just apologize."

An incoherent noise tumbled from the assassin's lips before Leera was able to mutter, "I have." Her voice was quiet, but gravely. Someone might have said her voice was tossed into a tumbler, then given back with missing slivers. Another symptom of brokenness, but the assassin would never accept that fact. She wasn't broken; she was still fighting. "I have apologized," Leera groaned again.

"And what has the problem been? What have I told you on every occasion?"

"It wasn't true."

"What wasn't?" The queen drew another line, this one less delicate than the first stroke, this one coming close to breaking the skin.

"The- the apology. It wasn't true." Leera grimaced at Rennera's nail touching her skin. She became very consciously aware of the scarred line on her face.

"And?" the queen asked.

"And if it's not true," she swallowed. "If it's not true then I'll- I'll never leave." But she had. Leera had escaped many times, only it never lasted. The assassin's face was posted everywhere, at all times. Paper over paper of her aging face was displayed on town square notice boards, on trees in every woods, even dyed on banners that hung from the palace itself. Leera was searched for even at times when the queen hadn't lost her.

A whine rose in the assassin's throat as she felt her skin split, felt a single bead of warm blood slide down the curve of her arm until it touched the table. "Good girl," the queen said in a high voice, as if she were speaking to a little girl. It was appropriate; Leera felt little. "Now, apologize again." Rennera stood, began walking circles around her revenge canvas once again.

"I-I can't. I can't. Please. Please, I can't do what you-"

"Again!" the queen yelled. At almost the same time, the man behind Leera cracked down on her back, earning a clipped scream from the assassin as her voice gave at the sudden outburst. "Apologize."

Leera couldn't speak and instead gagged on the pain streaking her back and shoulders.

The footsteps stopped once more. Rennera hummed. "Give me your dullest knife, servant." Leera could hear the torturer lay down his whip before shuffling through his various devices. "Yes, that one!"

The assassin's chest rose in quick gasps. It hurt too much for full breaths. It stretched the muscles too much. Leera felt she wasn't breathing enough, and a part of her thought not breathing at all would feel better. She needed a numb; she needed rest. Before she could close her eyes, something cold touched her back and she startled with a high-pitched scream. Leera swore she smelled metal, but is it the knife or my own blood? She physically shook away the thought, despite the miserable pain moving caused.

Queen Rennera sighed, twisting the knife in her hand, spinning the dull tip against an unscathed part of Leera's back. "I can't tell if I have actually broken you or if you are being stubborn as usual." The knife pressed harder, still twisting.

I'm not broken. I've never been and never will be. Not by you, or anyone. With those thoughts still came the inevitable, But I hurt. Gods, I hurt. I want to sleep. I want... Leera would run away soon. She would run again, even if it meant another night of furious torture. Leera just needed a break. When she was healed from this night, she would run again, she swore it.

With a newfound courage, Leera, still in immense pain from the whip, said, "You want," The assassin allowed herself one deep breath, face skewering as she focused on holding it in as her flesh tore with the action. When the burn subsided, she used that focused breath to finish saying, "You want something that I can't- I can't give y- agh!" The metal pushed against her spine, pinning her to a table she was already pinned on. Leera felt a block in her throat. It was out of place and her body wanted it out so it gagged again. Her stomach acted with the block, pushing an invisible barrier out. It churned and twisted along with the fires in her back. No matter how hard her body tried, Leera wasn't pushed to the point of throwing up yet.

"You need only apologize to him," the queen said, referring to the dead king as she always did. Her voice, though, was soft, falsely sympathetic. "And this will all be over, my dearest Leera." The assassin pushed her forehead harder onto the stone table, screaming at the top of her lungs with a plea as the queen pushed the dagger harder onto the spine, not enough to shatter it, but enough to send the nerves on a panicked spree. Rennera didn't even break the skin, hence a dull blade.

"I'm sorry!" Leera finally sputtered. "I'm sorry!" and her voice rose an octave. If she could have pounded a fist against the table, she would have.

"I would threaten to cut out your tongue if it meant you could speak without it," Rennera spat.

Click,click- clack. It was the knife, falling to the floor. Leera released a sigh of relief. Another warm tear followed the edge of her cheekbone.

The queen called her servant again, this time asking for a clamp.

"I'm sorry," Leera drawled with a whine. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She took shallow breaths again, listening as the queen neared once more. "And I mean it," she said truthfully. "I do. I'm sorry, my queen, for everything. I'm sorry." I'm not broken, but I'm in pain. I must stop this pain. She didn't lie. Leera felt badly for killing the king, but she felt no pity for him. It was the queen she felt badly for. Unfortunately, that wasn't what the queen wanted, and that's why Leera put off her apologies for as long as possible. Not saying one at all was better than giving one to the queen, who didn't want it for herself.

"Start me a fire." The assassin screamed her apologies louder, nearly losing her voice.

Each 'sorry' only earned her another punishment, for the queen was sick of being apologized to. Leera should be apologizing to the man she killed. Why didn't the assassin feel as bad as Rennera for the king's death? Why didn't she feel just as guilty? One day, the queen thought, one day she'll understand the pain she caused in her reputation if she only experiences it herself.

Red hot, the spiked clamp was brought back by the servant. Rennera urged him to hand her the device faster and the moment he did, she situated her fingers in the handles, before opening the closed tips and pressing it against the skin of the assassin's left arm. As Leera screamed, the queen said, perhaps not loudly enough to affect the assassin further, "Don't worry, dearest. I won't damage the muscles too awfully."

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ao3feed-voltronlegendarydefender · 5 years ago

Text

False Perceptions

read it on the AO3 at False Perceptions

by Etherithical

Lotor had lied to team Voltron. He had twisted his words and tricked them into trusting him. And now, Pidge was paying for it. This was a requested work.

BTHB Prompt: Hostage Video

Words: 4139, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of Bad Things Happen Bingo

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: Gen

Characters: Pidge | Katie Holt, Lotor (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Allura (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Coran (Voltron), Romelle (Voltron), Krolia (Voltron), Kuron (Voltron)

Relationships: Allura & Coran & Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Hunk & Lance (Voltron), Allura & Keith (Voltron), Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk & Pidge | Katie Holt

Additional Tags: Bad Things Happen Bingo, BTHB, Prompt Fill, Prompt: Hostage Video, Pidge | Katie Holt Whump, Pidge | Katie Holt Angst, Torture, Dry-Boarding, Asphyxiation, Electrocution, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Hunk (Voltron) Angst, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Allura (Voltron) Angst, Lotor is a creeeeeep!, I mean seriously he is scary, this is so dark I'm literally scared of my own writing, Pidge did not deserve this, This was a request!, I guess I'm not alone in hurting Pidge so HA, This is the second request and I have million to go..., But I'm also excited because I'll have so much free time in the summer!, yay!, The closest I get to swearing in my stories (and life) is quiznak or crap, I literally cannot swear, which is weird because I'm the Emo Goddess..., Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending

read it on the AO3 at False Perceptions

#ao3feed #fanfic #voltron #voltron: legendary defender #ao3feed-voltronlegendarydefender

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gold-eyes-vengeful-heart · 6 years ago

Text

BTHB :: Dissociation

((Or: Runya and Sorin find the old lab Runya was formerly kept in.

Needless to say I borrowed @aetherstitch again lol))

---

Runya had expected to find...well. More.

The laboratory complex had been, clearly, abandoned for some time; his boots crunched softly on broken glass in the entryway, and only half the lights still flickered overhead, sending shadows writhing along the wall like ghosts.

“Are you sure this is the place?” Sorin’s voice filled the space easily, even as gargantuan as it was.

“Very certain.” Runya knew that the blandness in his tone was gaining increasingly concerned looks from the healer, but somehow, the way that should have made him feel bad rolled right off of him as water off of oil. He should have been feeling...something, anything, but his mind just disconnected from his body and it just moved like an automaton, following old paths that his subconscious certainly remembered, with how thoroughly and deeply those memories had been scored into it—as much as his consciousness had desperately tried to bury it.

(About as effective as burying snow under lava, that.)

“Are you certain you’re alright?” Sorin’s voice came from behind him again and his hand reached to touch Runya’s shoulder. “This isn’t doing you any good—“

Runya flinched, and the touch withdrew as soon as it had appeared. And he glanced over his shoulder to meet Sorin’s worried eyes with his own increasingly-distant ones. “I need to see whether anything is here.”

“It’s all derelict,” Sorin stated bluntly, leaning over to look into yet another dingy room full of shattered and broken equipment, then leaning the other way to look into what had been an operating room—

(One Runya remembered well)

—only to shiver and pull away, visibly unnerved by the vicious implements he was catching gleaming glimpses of in the shuddering, sporadic electric light. “There can’t be anything here for you but bad memories.”

The half of Runya that wasn’t drowning under those memories steered his body around a corner and he just shrugged one shoulder, the reaction deepening Sorin’s frown in a way he intellectually knew was bad, but...that he still felt nothing about. Odd. It felt more like just watching a recording than anything actually real. “Perhaps I can find something about what they did to me here,” he noted, stepping towards a door halfway to falling off its hinges. “I wasn’t privy to all the details, even with Angerona trying to explain some of it.”

(They walked by the long room where he had first been forced to see that her mind was gone and she had been turned into a mindless drooling automaton of a person and he couldn’t think about it he would stop thinking about it RIGHT NOW and so he did, after a few moments of swaying in place with the effort to compose himself.)

That frown of Sorin’s got even deeper at the mention of her name and the odd pause Runya had just taken—and again, it just rolled right off of Runya. “Then you could have just asked me to come here; I could have done that without you subjecting yourself to—“

Runya cut him off by kicking in the door. The rending crash, terribly loud in the otherwise silent and confined space, startled Sorin so badly that his tail bristled and his ears flattened back against his skull, his already-wide pupils even wider now.

“You...you could have warned me, thank you!”

“Mmm.” Runya walked in, and just for a moment, actually felt something: a little pang of confusion, before it was swallowed up by the drowning-sea of his numbing apathy. A control room? Or a records room? Some combination of the two. He couldn’t be arsed to figure it out beyond it had paperwork and this was a room he wasn’t at all familiar with.

...And some faint little corner of his botched false Echo tugged a little towards this place. Given its propensity for randomly inserting memories and information into his battered skull, he could only assume something important was here.

“Ah, here we are, I think,” Runya noted, and started into the room. But barely had he gotten a few paces in before something spherical—multiple somethings, actually—lit up in the corner and loomed towards the pair, two of them hulkingly large and sparking ominously. One of the smaller ones “spoke” then, in a tinny voice of indeterminate gender.

“[IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR ENTRY.]”

“Runya!” Sorin hissed, Selene flaring into existence over his shoulder.

“[IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR ENTRY],” the little node repeated, pointedly moving closer until it was barely a fulm from Runya. The motion, combined with the other nodes closing in, effectively blocked them both from going further. “[IDENTIFICATION REQUIRED FOR ENTRY. UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS WILL BE MET WITH LETHAL FORCE.]”

“Runya!”

But the gaunt Miqo’te didn’t so much as bat an eye at the warning; instead, he reached out with one hand and something flickered in his eyes, a faint glow that shimmered briefly through previously-invisible markings that coursed over his body. “Oh, come now, you cheeky thing, behave.”

The smaller node flickered right back in the same strobing pattern, blipping and beeping for a few moments that dragged by interminably...before it spoke again. “[IDENTITY CONFIRMED AS: PROJECT DISCORDIA. AND GUEST.]”

Runya cheekily smiled.

“[ACCESS GRANTED.]” The two larger nodes stopped sparking and backed away, and the smaller ones dispersed to power off once more—except for the one that had just been speaking, which hovered near Runya’s shoulder like an obedient pet, its internals glowing faintly orange.

Sorin just blinked. “...How—?”

“One of the many things they did to me,” Runya interrupted blithely, feeling just a little more in his own body as he pulled open drawers and started to flick through papers. Useless, useless, more useless...but the thin metallic datapads were another matter. A simple swipe of his fingers brought it to life with a soft hum, and information scrolled rapidly by under his hand as he moved it. “Interesting, interesting. These are the ones. The papers are useless, though—and someone has been filching through them, at that,” he added with an annoyed click of his tongue at the smaller node. He could swear the beep he got before it spoke again was an apologetic one.

“[OPERATIONAL CAPACITY OF DETERRENCE ESTIMATED AT...THIRTY PERCENT.]”

“Mm, and we were the lucky ones that actually managed to wake you, I take it?” But he kept flicking through the datapad’s various chapters and appendices and realized full well that this was referring to him.

“Discordia.” Sorin’s voice briefly pulled Runya from his reverie, and the thinner Miqo’te’s ear swiveled to follow his voice. “Is...that what they called you here?” “It was the name of the project, yes. I was merely Subject some number or other. A grand scheme of research, of the mysterious Echo and the magic of souls—the precursor to the vast variety of things they used to enhance the dearest Prince, I believe,” he added offhandedly. “I was intended to power my abilities through the ambient aether, but...ambient aether is fairly useless outside of areas of great concentrations of it.”

His clinical tone was earning him one of those stares again. But he continued. “So they began experimenting with stapling multiple souls to one another, and...well. There is a reason that the woman who was managing me isn’t in control of her own body anymore.” His smile was so sharp, as he turned to Sorin, that the other Miqo’te’s ears went flat once more.

(Of all the things to make him feel something again.)

The smile disappeared at the sight, and he just tucked the datapad under his arm, grabbing another and then another. “But enough of the chatter. I do wonder what else they had intended for me, given what a random combination an Echo’s power and control over Allagan weaponry is.”

Finally, Sorin’s ears flicked a little more upright, and he held out his eerily-patterned hands to take a couple more of the technology from him. “It is fairly strange,” he admitted, and his eyes finally stopped nervously darting between his friend and the still-lurking nodes. “And this is all we have to go on, with no one here and without the Alliance capturing any of them...”

“And that is even stranger.” Runya turned on another datapad, mostly on a whim. “This place had a great many workers, you know, particularly for as few subjects as they supposedly held here. Of course, logistics is logistics and always requires more people than one might think at a glance, but I do recall it being particularly strange that we had so many guards and the like so deep into—at the time—Imperial territory.”

“Hm.”

“And another thing,” Runya continued aloud, “is that I haven’t failed to notice that this place appears to have been left in an awful hurry, and may have even been attacked judging by many of the bloodstains and gun-marks I’ve noticed here and there on the walls—“

Sorin shuddered, and yet Runya continued.

“—But I haven’t seen a lick of any bodies or even parts of bodies. A pity, because I could have used something to kick around.”

That earned him a look. “Runya.”

But Runya ignored it. “You told me yourself when you found this place that the Alliance hadn’t been here, as far as you were aware. It’s almost as if something attacked them and made off with the corpses. Whether it was something outside or inside, who can say?” An interesting thing for sure, and the gears of his mind were turning far more rapidly than they had been before they found this place. (Even his friend had noticed and, irritation with some things he said aside, appeared to be fairly pleased with that over the...dissociating he had been doing earlier.)

“Well,” Sorin ventured, looking down at the datapads he was now holding, “let’s take these back and take a look?”

“Of course, but...Sorin?” Runya saw the other Miqo’te’s ears prick up, and so he continued. “Let’s not drag the Alliance into this yet.”

Much as Runya had expected, Sorin frowned. “This won’t and shouldn’t be a secret forever, Runya,” he warned. “It shouldn’t be a secret at all.”

“Ahhh, I thought a vaunted Warrior of Light might say that,” Runya remarked idly. “But answer me this: what are you going to do when they’re, inevitably, going to want to stuff me in a cage and poke and prod at me just like they did that Skulls woman, whatever her name was?”

Sorin’s frown deepened.

“Or,” Runya added, “I imagine they might be a little upset about an Imperial experiment running around with a Warrior of Light and would send me away ‘for your safety’.” He actually twitched two fingers mid-air, around the words. “In other words: I would much rather prefer to let them discover it in their own time while I—sorry, we figure out how to fix whatever they did to me.”

And it wasn’t just that, either. Sorin probably hadn’t felt it, but...Runya’s false Echo hadn’t exactly been pointing to this room. In fact, it was pulling slightly downwards, as if something below-ground was actively trying to call him to it. And if he could keep the Alliance’s collective interfering nose away from this place until he figured out what it was...better for him.

But the notion had clearly escaped the unsuspecting Sorin, who merely nodded and glanced down with a sigh. “They...would not take kindly to it, I’m certain,” he admitted with some reluctance. “They’re only quiet about it because they’re unsure who you really are, and they believe you only have problems with Daeyona—which they’re not keen to get in the middle of.”

“Yes, yes, they rather dislike her, I’m aware.” Runya’s ears twitched happily. “It’s more a matter of they don’t care, as long as they’re having to devote their attention to the battle-front.”

Sorin coughed awkwardly but didn’t argue the point. So Runya started to walk, gesturing with his head for the nodes to follow, much to Sorin’s trepidation. “They won’t bite, dear Sorin.”

“Is it that good an idea to have more Allagan things around you?”

“They’re mere nodes,” Runya replied with a one-shouldered shrug. “And they recognize me as someone who commands them, so I will hardly need to strain myself—and I presume that’s what you’re worried about?” he added teasingly, and oh he could swear that Sorin almost went as red as his hair for a moment. But only for a moment, before he just huffed in annoyance.

“That isn’t...Runya, I may remind you that I’m your healer? I have some interest in making sure you don’t hurt yourself; I have to fix it.”

“Oh, you wound me, Sorin.”

“Runya.”

“Wound. Me.”

Sorin almost threw his arms up in exasperation, but he refused to relinquish his grip on what he was holding, so it warped into an awkward half-motion with his shoulders. “Fine, I’m sure I do.”

Runya chuckled, but he started to walk, Sorin by his side and the nodes silently hovering after them both. He had, perhaps, been inwardly hoping to find more about what they did to Angerona, but...all of that seemed to have been missing. Taken, in fact, and he tried not to think about the implications too much as of yet—

(And yet his thoughts raced on unimpeded on the topic, anyway.)

He would figure out more about himself, though, at a minimum. And maybe, about whatever he was fairly certain was lurking below the facility.

Interesting, indeed.

#; writing #; Of Gold Eyes and Green (Sorin)

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5-falsehoods-phonated · 4 years ago

Text

(Prompts with boxes have been taken, highlighted have been written)

Requested via AO3 comment.

General Taglist (ask to be added or removed!): @im-an-anxious-wreck @logans-library @janus-is-an-adorable-snek-boi

Rage Against the Machine

Summary: The door at the end of the hall has been locked tight for some time now and things seemed to have finally calmed down. Truly, that's where their first concern should have been (Happy Ending)

Warnings: food mention, maggot mention, mild swearing, somewhat disturbing imagery provided by Remus, strangulation, bruising, violence (if there are more please let me know)

Prompt: Lifted by the Neck

Ships: Intrulogical, Logan x Remus

WC: 3566

Before you read! This work is a direct sequel to Faulty Logic; I would recommend reading that first if you haven’t to understand the context of this story!

“So we’re just leaving him locked in his room? Seriously?” Thomas looked around at all of them, utterly confused by the decision they had made. Patton sat with him on the couch wringing his hands nervously while Roman sat on his other side, his lips pressed together in thought. Logan and Remus occupied the whole of the loveseat adjacent from them while Virgil was sprawled on the stairs. Janus nodded from his seat in front of the T.V., a chair conjured up in front of it in an attempt to actually hold their manifestors attention.

It was a couple of days after the incident, most everyone wanting to let things calm down at least a bit before taking the situation to Thomas though they all knew it would have to be done sooner rather than later. Rage had been as secured in his room as he could be, now that Thomas knew about him and had at least put a name to his function there wasn't much he could do to get out of having a physical form, making the boards they had nailed to the outside of his door and the chains they ran and secured through a thick lock adequate protection for everyone else's security. Unless he figured out a way to force the door down through brute strength alone, which Janus was very doubtful he'd be able to do, they would be safe for now; a thought which put most of their minds at ease though Logan was understandably still a bit shaken and had taken to hanging out in Remus’ room more often than not, the sight of the hefty morning star and various other weapons throughout the room putting his mind at ease that he wouldn't be so easily taken a second time. Yes, he had told the others, he was there for his own peace of mind and no other reason.

Though if he was leaning more heavily on Remus from his place on the couch, the Duke having an arm thrown over the back of the couch to just barely brush the back of his shoulder, no one said anything. Janus merely rolled his eyes at the display before turning his attention back to Thomas. "Though it certainly isn't the most elegant solution, it will work for now, giving us the time to talk you through things and prepare you as much as possible before you meet him and actively try to work things out with him."

"I just don't-" Thomas dragged a hand over his face and gestured to Logan. "He was locked in a cage! And told he was useless! i don't think that I- Logan I don't think like that."

Logan smiled thinly at Thomas and sat up a bit straighter. "I know Thomas. What was said and done wasn't the result of some underlying goal that you secretly wanted to have happen. It just so happens that Logic is a fairly versatile tool when used to overcome certain negativities in your mind, so I was the first to be targeted as a result."

"But I-"

"Thomas." Logan cut off patiently. "I assure you- I am shaken but unharmed. Best to discuss what we can do moving forward rather than what we could have done. I don't hold it against you, so don't hold it against yourself."

Thomas ran a hand through his hair slowly, looking as if he still wanted to argue but didn't want to risk upsetting Logan by bringing it up further. Deciding to concede for now he turned to Janus who was waiting patiently for the conversation to move to something more productive. "Okay. I...okay. Janus?"

"Yes, Thomas?"

"What do we do now? How can I- I'm not...Janus am I secretly a violent person?"

Janus' eyes blew wide. "Thomas what- no. Why is it that everytime you learn you have a less than favorable trait- actually we’ll table that for another time. Considering just how often it is that you attempt to maul anyone who so much as looks at you funny speaks for itself I should think."

"So why is Rage so violent then? And why do I even have a side dedicated to anger? It doesn't seem like that would be something that would ever help me."

"Rage is..." Janus screwed his mouth to one side trying to think of how to explain it without causing more trouble. "He's not violent...usually. In that he isn't going to always take every opportunity to attack someone or influence others into shouting matches they wouldn't otherwise get in. Anger, as an emotion in and of itself, is a response to something you find unfair or unjust. Whether the belief is founded or not, anger is a part of you that rises up when you feel you have been unfairly treated, or something or someone you care for has been unfairly treated."

"It's like fear," Virgil piped up with a quick glance to Janus. "It's a part of you that responds to your surroundings and makes you aware of how they're affecting you. Anger is a part of you that cares for you and wants you to see the possibility that things could stand to be better for you or those around you."

"Exactly, thank you Virgil." Janus smiled at the anxious side who only nodded and went back to fiddling with his hoodie strings. "It's usually not something that's an inherently bad thing to have unless you frequently find yourself blowing up at even the smallest inconvenience. Like most things it's good in moderation."

"So then why is Rage such a..."

"Raging dick?" Remus helpfully supplied.

"Language.' Patton chided quietly.

"Oh stick it up yours, Morality."

"Remus." Janus warned, effectively shutting up the intrusive side. "But yes, your anger, Rage, acts the way he does for much the same reasons that Remus acts the way he does. He's been suppressed."

"But I didn't know I was suppressing him!"

"Just like you didn't know you were suppressing Remus. Rage works the same way. He gets pent up and bored and then frustrated that he isn't being acknowledged. Which again, he wasn't acknowledged for the same reasons as Remus. You didn't want to see him, so I hid him away. Anger isn't a bad thing in moderation, but to deny you have it at all is almost as detrimental as letting it out too much."

"It's my fault again, kiddo. Part of being a good person, in my mind, is having patience and understanding." Patton hung his head. "I thought that meant it would be better if you just didn't react then...when things made you mad."

"Everyone loves a martyr Patton truly." Patton's head snapped up, hurt flashing across his face.

"That is to say, it isn't solely your fault." Janus quickly amended. "I also had a part in it, as did Virgil and even Logan to an extent. Now isn't the time to see who can carry the most blame, we're trying to get Thomas to understand what went wrong and how we can fix it."

"But how can we fix it? I know I get angry; I was angry about the wedding, I get frustrated when I don't meet my deadlines or something happens that prevents me from doing the things I want. I even swear at traffic jams. What more am I supposed to do?" Thomas looked from Patton to Janus and back and then desperately at everyone else when no one spoke up. He just wasn't an angry person, there were always going to be obstacles preventing him from doing things or some unfair policy that made it more difficult for his friends to do something which was always upsetting. How much more angry did he have to be to satisfy a side he had never met?

"I think," Roman spoke up. "that just letting yourself feel the full extent of it more often would help. Acknowledge it and actively work to fix whatever it is that's making you frustrated would probably be a good start. You're a very passive person Thomas and while in theory that's a very good thing to be, well..."

He gestured to Remus. "No offence but it doesn't always have the best result. You just let things sit and fester, believing that any slip up is a moral failure on your part, and it makes you miserable- whether subconsciously or not. I love you Thomas, and will always fight for you, but there are some battles you have to lose to come out the other side."

"We're not saying you have to start kicking puppies and beating kids." Remus ignored Patton's pained gasp and held Thomas' gaze. "Just like- get a punching pillow or something. Or walk away and scream. All you do is push everything down when you get too full. But eventually you're going to have to take the trash out, and I think you'd rather deal with three day old stinking onion cuts than maggot filled meat."

"I- okay yeah I get it. Thank you Remus." Shaking the image from his head, Thomas nodded and looked back to Janus. "Do you think starting to do that would calm him down enough that he'd eventually listen if we summoned him up?"

"Hard to say. I don't think it should happen for a while yet anyway; letting him tire himself out before we start trying to work with him might be the best course of action. I had definitely realized just how physical he was willing to be to get the acknowledgement. Absolutely no tact but really he comes from you so I don't know what I was expecting." Janus winked letting Thomas know he was only kidding, making their manifestor roll his eyes and sigh deeply.

"So all we can do is wait and see then?"

"Essentially yes. We'll keep watch over his room to make sure he doesn't come after one of us again and when the time comes to call him up we'll have to make sure proper precautions are taken so we're all safe when doing so, but there isn't any harm that I can see in letting him throw himself against the walls for a bit. Rather amusing to see him get so riled up after lurking in your subconscious for years, only coming out occasionally to nudge one of us into conflict like a child tugging the tail of a dog." Janus smiled at Thomas. "For as violent and scary as he is, at his core he only wants to protect and fight for you, even if his methods can be immature at the best of times. You are and always will be in charge when it comes to us. Once you understand that he has as much influence over you as you let him he’ll be much easier to communicate with, and we all trust you that you will never let it go too far."

They all nodded in agreement as Patton spoke up. "You are a good person Thomas. Having anger and intrusive thoughts or telling lies- those are things everyone deals with. It's how you choose to let them influence you that makes the difference. As long as you realise when you've let things go too far and work to fix where you've gone wrong, well- that’s all anyone can ask for."

"Thank you, Patton." Thomas smiled as the fatherly aspect squeezed his knee affectionately and stood, stretching before placing his hands on his hips.

"Welp," He glanced around. "It's getting pretty late, and we have work to do tomorrow so I think we'd all benefit from a good night's rest."

"Agreed. We can better address this in the morning when we can put together-" Logan shuffled through a few notecards. "...a game plan. As much as I would love to have this resolved sooner rather than later we have other responsibilities that need our attention."

"Just remember what we discussed here moving forward," Janus suggested as he stood and snapped away the chair. "and we'll have a much easier time handling Rage when the time comes to do so."

"I will. Just- be careful. I don't want anyone hurt because I can't seem to handle negativity."

"We're imaginary Thomas, it's almost impossible for us to actually be hurt." So saying Roman sunk out, quickly followed by Patton after giving Thomas one last reassuring smile.

"You got this." Virgil gave a two fingered salute before sinking out himself, making him smile as he watched Logan nod and sink out with Remus.

"Thank you again, Janus." Thomas turned to the only side left in the room.

"As much as I'd love to take all the credit, I'm hardly deserving of thanks. I'm just one side, guiding you through your constant moral dilemmas as you question yourself as a person; truly not as big a deal as it seems." Janus sniffed as he tugged at his glove, smirking as Thomas waved him off playfully.

"Alright, alright. Get out before I decide to bring something else up I've been suppressing since childhood."

"If only you knew." Janus mumbled as he sunk out, coming up in the hall where all of their doors were located and looking to the one at the end covered in boards and chains. Seeing nothing amiss he turned on his heel and made his way to his own room across the hall, content in his belief that everything, for now at least, was fine.

-----

The hallway had been suspiciously quiet for a while now- a week to be precise. Janus tested the chains occasionally, careful not to make any noise so the room's occupant wouldn't be suspicious of anything going on outside their confinement. Through all his caution and constant checking and even Remus and Virgil's fussing over what might need to be added to keep the door more secure the room stayed stubbornly silent. It wasn't a bad thing per se, it might mean that maybe Rage was calming a bit since Thomas actually had been taking the time to acknowledge and let out his feelings however and whenever he could, usually through a good vent to one of them or a close friend.

Later, much too late for him to do anything about it, Janus would realize that's where he went wrong. They had all become complacent, assured in their safety with Thomas taking the proper steps on his part and the heavy chains on the door putting all of their minds at ease that for now, everything was okay. Even Virgil began to feel as if things were relatively safe, only occasionally venturing far enough down the hall to make sure things truly were. None of them stuck around long enough to hear the careful scratching on the other side of the door, evidence of which was hidden by the thick boards nailed over it, large gouges and holes gradually growing bigger to weaken the door as much as possible without anyone being any the wiser from the other side. Janus kicked himself for not expecting it, so used to Rage being brash and heavy handed in everything he did that he didn't expect him to do much more than relentlessly throw himself against the door until he was forced to simply sit and wait his sentence out.

So when Logan felt brave enough to check the door himself- read that as when Remus let Logan out of his sight long enough for him to check the door himself- Janus should have been expecting the sound of splintering wood and chains being whipped against the wall. He should have expected the short lived shriek followed by the dull thumping sound of a body hitting a wall or floor. He should have expected it so he could react better- faster. But as it was by the time he had burst from his room, staff fully extended and hat flying off behind him as he ran to the scene, Logan was already in the air, legs kicking as hard as he could against the side that held him by the neck, fingers digging into the soft flesh where bruises were already forming from the harsh treatment.

"Remus!" Janus' scream threw the other dark side off for just a second, but it was enough for him to slam into him heavily, catching Logan's waist with the crook of his staff and using the momentum to swing him into Remus as he pinned Rage to the ground. He was only just able to confirm that Remus had caught their logical side and was carrying him away before he was violently bucked off the one he had pinned, getting a fist slammed into the side of his head as he was tossed aside like a ragdoll. He rolled to his feet despite the black spots dancing in his vision before they engulfed his vision completely, causing mild panic before he heard Virgil's echoing voice booming through the darkness.

"Get him up, Remus, make sure Thomas is blocking him!" Janus braced himself as a wave of pure, unfiltered fear crashed over him, gritting his teeth against the screaming darkness and hanging onto his staff for dear life as it passed him over him in favor of its actual target.

"Janus?" He felt Virgil's shaking hand brush his arm and he immediately grabbed it in his, squeezing gently to let the anxious side know he was there. "Go up with them, I can handle him."

"Like hell." Janus growled and pulled him a bit closer, eyes finally adjusting as he brought his staff to rest in front of them both. He saw Virgil's eyes flash brightly but he held his gaze firmly until the other huffed and faced forward.

"Fine, but I'm only saving your ass once." They watched as Rage stumbled to his feet, cracks appearing in the floor underneath him and flaring a warning in bright orange. Shadows still licked at the edges but fizzled out as they got too close, making Virgil growl in annoyance beside him. Janus stepped forward as the cracks grew bigger, scales glowing bright yellow through the darkness themselves, determined to protect his family- Rage included- for as long as he could.

-----

"Hey Lolo." Logan winced as he cracked his eyes open, mouth parting to speak but all that escaped was a thin whine as his throat flared with pain. "No no no, don't try to talk! Here, this will help."

Something soft and featherlight was placed across his neck and then a light, cold pressure was applied, instantly making him close his eyes and sigh with relief. The pain mostly calm he now noticed he was laying on a rather lumpy surface- most likely the couch- and that his head was being cradled on something warm and squishy. Opening his eyes once more he was able to focus on the fact that Remus' head was directly above his own and quite close, which meant he was being held in his lap, on Thomas' couch, with Remus looking at him with eyes so full of concern it made him want to cry if he wasn't certain that would make his throat swell.

"We'll do this and then see if you can swallow some tylenol to get the swelling and pain down and then- Logan? Am I hurting you? Are you uncomfortable? Do you want me to call someone else up to-"

Logan reached up quickly, wincing slightly with the movement but managing to lay a careful hand on Remus' cheek. He really wasn't able to speak but he was hoping his thanks was conveyed through eye contact as he smiled gently at the other. Remus gave him a small yet loving smile as he brought his other hand to Logan's and turned his head, kissing the palm lightly. "Fucking asshole. You're so smart but you pick the dumbest times to be out of sight."

Logan huffed through his nose and flicked the Duke's playfully, getting a quiet laugh in response as he lifted the ice pack and readjusted it so it covered more of the bruising. "Thought I was gonna come out and you'd be stuffed in a cage again and beaten this time or strung up and hogtied or-"

Logan tapped his cheek sharply to stop the spiral. He was far too hot despite the ice pack and he knew he was smiling quite stupidly up at the other side even though tears were streaming down his face and he wished more than anything he could just speak-

"I love you so much, Logan. As soon as you heal I'm kicking your ass for scaring all of us." Remus swept his hair out of his eyes before resting his hand on his cheek. "We'll take care of it though, and we'll take care of you and everything will be fine."

Logan made to reach up again, a question in his eyes but Remus beat him to it. "And before you ask: Virgil and Janus have done this...too many times; believe me when I say they're fine. Thomas, Roman and Patton are right in the kitchen. Everything's fine, just rest for now."

Dropping his hand to the one on his cheek, Logan would take a ridiculous amount of time to admit he snuggled in further on the Duke's lap, content for now that everything was fine.

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5-falsehoods-phonated · 4 years ago

Text

(Prompts with boxes have been taken, highlighted have been written)

Unrequested.

General Taglist (ask to be added or removed): @janus-is-an-adorable-snek-boi @im-an-anxious-wreck

Cold Hard Bitch

Summary: Janus is sick and Virgil is at a loss for what to do. Deciding he needs to brave the field that separates them from the others in the mindscape he finds out that things are definitely not always as they seem- sometimes for the worse. (Happy Ending)

Warnings: sick character, brief mention of vomiting, fever, hypothermia, panic, mild swearing, injury, unsympathetic Patton (if there are more please let me know)

Prompt: Hypothermia

Ships: familial Anxciet (familial Virgil and Janus)

WC: 4742

kudos to whoever knows what song the title is

Tripping loudly down the stairs, Virgil winced at the noise while tugging his jacket tighter around himself. The heat was running but it was always so cold in their section of the house; fitting for them since they had no place with the main three but it would be nice if at some point they could regulate the temperature a bit better. He knew for a fact Princey probably could but god forbid if he ever did anything that wasn’t out of spite or for his own self interests. And they called Virgil selfish. He glanced into the common room as he cleared the last step, just barely making out a shock of fluffy blonde hair peeking over the armrest of the couch. Janus had probably had a late night again, especially if he hadn't even made any sort of sarcastic remark at how much noise Virgil had made or at least looked up to see that it wasn’t Remus. Screwing his mouth to one side Virgil made his way to the kitchen to make some tea. He preferred cocoa but he knew Janus liked peppermint tea and honestly as long as it was hot he really wasn't going to complain about what kind of liquid he poured down his throat.

Puttering around the kitchen while he waited for the tea to boil he caught sight of the time on the oven’s clock. Four pm already? Where had the day gone? He glanced back to the couch and frowned, worrying at his bottom lip. More importantly, where had Janus’ day gone? He should definitely be up by now and usually at around this time he was the one starting dinner; unless Remus had tied him to the furniture again there shouldn’t be any reason for him to not be up and moving around. Especially since none of them had had to do any particularly strenuous work lately that he knew of. Snapping his head around with the kettle’s whistle he quickly took it off the heat and poured the boiling water into the prepared mugs, still mulling over the possibilities of why Janus was laying on the couch. Taking both mugs in hand he hesitated in the doorway, fidgeting from foot to foot and trying his hardest to come up with a reason why Janus should simply be left alone.

There were too many variables to think of, too many things that his brain was telling him might be wrong but none of which could be confirmed until he actually went over and checked. He knew this, he definitely did but at the same time- what if Janus was just ignoring him hoping he’d go away so he wouldn’t have to talk to him? That had never been the case before but who’s to say it wasn’t now? Maybe he had pulled an all nighter and was just now geting rest and Virgil was going to selfishly ruin it because he was concerned about dinner- that wasn’t all he was concerned about but Jnaus wasn’t a mind reader and he’d probably assume that that’s what Virgil wanted because Anxiety was incompetent and stupid and couldn’t do anything for himself.

That last thought definitely wasn’t true and he knew it. Janus loved him and even if he could be a bit of a dick at the best of times he still cared a great deal for Virgil and he knew that. He doubted Janus would actually care and would probably think the embodiment of anxiety worrying over him would be sweet...as annoying as that was. All he needed to do was go over, shake him awake and ask if he was alright. Then he could go back to sleep or get up and Virgil would help make dinner and try to flush Remus out of whatever hell portal he had sequestered himself into that particular day. They’d all have a late start to their day and maybe watch movies or something and it would be fine just like it always was: the three of them- four on rare occasions- hanging out like nothing had ever been different and he’d be able to laugh off his panic in the morning before he found something different to worry about. All he had to do was step forward, one step and everything would be set in motion and he’d see that this day was fine and nothing at all to fret over.

Blowing out his cheeks he gripped the handles tightly and stepped forward, the steps getting easier and easier to take the further he went. He didn’t even glance at Janus at first, simply placing the mugs down on the coffee table coasters because “We aren’t heathens, Virgil.” and listening for the sounds of his soft snoring that he was all too familiar with from curling himself up next to the deceitful side on night’s he couldn’t sleep and nothing else he did helped except cuddle as close as possible to someone else to feel safe. Most of the time it didn’t work and he’d leave in the early hours but there were a few occasions when he’d wake up gripped tightly around the middle with the other breathing against the back of his neck. He liked those nights the best, he slept well for weeks afterwards.

His heart sped up however when the sound of snoring never reached his ears but rather quiet, rasping gasps that sounded like it was almost painful to draw breath in. Leaning over and down quickly he placed a shaking hand on the oblivious sides’ forehead only to quickly retract it with a worried hiss. Janus was far, far too warm for his liking and when he looked closer he could see beads of sweat running down his cheeks as his lips parted to breath those shuddering, rasping breaths. It wasn’t often any of them got sick and when they did it was usually nothing more than a small head cold that was gone within a couple of days- provided they were resting properly. One look over Deceit had Virgil guessing this had been coming on for at least a week but it had gotten ignored in favor of working and then overworking, which again, the hypocrite was constantly chiding Virgil and Remus both for. Always remember to take your breaks, he said; a ten minute break was better than a ten week one.

“Of course you can’t even listen to your own advice, you idiot.” Virgil growled under his breath, running quick fingers through his hair as he looked around for what he could do. He knew how to take care of someone who was sick with a mild cold or odd bout of nausea, but it was something else entirely when the person in front of you was practically comatose while he burned alive on your couch. Burning! The way to treat fevers was to cool the person down first- so his first step should be stripping Janus of his gross, sweat stained clothes and into something that breathed better and maybe getting a damp cloth for his forehead. Nodding to himself he sunk into Janus’ room quickly to find what he’d need.

“Remus!” Pulling open the drawer he knew pajamas to be he quickly got out thin cotton pants and a shirt hoping that they would be more comfortable than the everyday layers that the other had fallen asleep in. Foregoing gloves and deciding Janus would just have to deal with it he left the room and made his way to the bathroom to get the damp cloth. “Remus are you here?”

He didn’t want to shout loud in case he woke Janus but he doubted Remus would answer anyway. The last they had seen him had been a couple of days ago when he informed them he was working on a new project deep in one of the forests so realistically he couldn’t expect him to be within yelling distance. It just figured that now that he was mostly alone with no one to ask for help caring for a sick side outside of said side Remus decided to fuck off into the woods somewhere. Huffing in frustration he wet the cloth and slammed the faucet off before sinking back down to the common room, holding the clothes out and changing Janus with a snap of his fingers and gently placing the washcloth across his forehead. Janus winced slightly but made no other indication he minded the change, relaxing after a few seconds but looking no better for the time being. Wringing his hands Virgil paced around, unsure what to do and not knowing who to ask. Remus wasn’t here and- well best not to approach him unless it was absolutely necessary, not that Virgil would know where to look anyway. And then there were the main three on the other side of the mindscape- but they would be almost impossible to reach as he and Janus were. Defeated for the moment he plopped down to watch Janus, forgotten tea cold and unwelcoming as the room grew darker with the setting sun.

-----

The next morning was worse.

Virgil didn’t know when Janus had last eaten anything but he knew vomit shouldn’t look that dark for someone who was barely gagging anything up. His eyes were unfocused and Virgil had to practically carry the side to the sink to rinse his mouth. No amount of prompting seemed to get through to him however and Virgil ended up having to cup water in his own hand and hold it to his mouth to try and get him to rinse and them drink something but most of it just dribbled down his chin as he weakly clutched to his hoodie and panted for breath he couldn’t seem to catch. Frightened, Virgil sunk them back downstairs and laid him onto the couch, where he fell into a heavy sleep once again as soon as his head hit the pillow. The cloth wasn’t helping and no amount of googling gave him any answers as to what he should do. When regular people got sick like this it often made sense. There were symptoms that matched with certain diseases or viruses and you got treated for whatever one you had. Sides however, got sick differently. Stress could turn a cold into something that resembled death. Creative block could manifest into a coma. Anxiety could have someone thin as a rail from lack of appetite and dehydration. With careful monitoring and proper care one could avoid the extremes, but sometimes there was nothing you could do and you just had to ride it out and hope you made it to the other side.

This was different though, He was alone and had no idea if this was from stress or exhaustion or fear. He didn’t know if Janus had ignored it for so long it had decided to hit him full force to teach him a lesson. All he knew was that it was bad and he needed help but he didn’t have any so it was only going to get worse which could end one of two ways: he watched as Janus pulled through or he watched as he continued to get worse until he reached a point he can’t return from.

Tears pricked his eyes at the thought. They didn’t always get along, but to lose him entirely- he glanced out the window and subconsciously pulled his jacket tighter around himself. He was going to have to go to the others and hope that maybe they could help if he wasn’t immediately turned away. Listening to Janus rasp painfully in the otherwise silent room, he really didn’t have any other option.

Mind made up he stood and snapped his fingers, instantly bundling them both up tight and warm, wincing in sympathy as Janus’ face contorted with discomfort. “I know, but it’s a lot better than the alternative. Let me try and get you attached here-”

The alternative being freezing to death in the constant blizzard that separated them from the other sides. Princey was petty but so was Remus so they had both decided the best idea was to make sure neither of them could enter the others’ domain without permission or extreme difficulty. They had made a simple snowfield at first, but everytime a bit of tension rose it turned into a snowstorm so thick you had only your instinct to go by if you wanted to walk in the right direction. Freezing temperatures and biting winds and a frozen lake that was hopefully snowed over so they didn’t slip went on for a mile or so between the two spaces, which really wasn’t a lot but added with the other variables it made for an extremely dangerous journey that Virgil was loathe to bring Janus into but he couldn’t see any alternative with how things were currently going.

Cursing Remus and the sids across the mindscape one last time he got Janus’ arms secured around his neck, hoping to everything Thomas his last bout of vomiting actually would be his last- at least until Princey was in their sights. Tucking his hands underneath his thighs he took a deep breath and stood, nearly bursting into tears on the spot as he realized just how light Janus was.

“It’s fine, you’re fine. We'll get you there and it’ll be fine.” Repeating the mantra desperately he hurried to the door and managed to jimmy it open without jostling his cargo, shutting it behind him with his foot and looking out across the field.

He could see the other house from their porch but he knew as soon as he stepped beyond their “line” it would immediately be obscured by the snow. Settling Deceit one last time and making sure he was facing towards the house he began to walk towards the line, becoming more and more grateful he had bundled them the way he did as the temperature lowered the closer they got to it. Taking one last deep breath right before the barrier he stepped forward with determination.

And almost immediately got blown back with the wall of wind that slammed against him, filling his eyes with stinging snow and covering them both with a thin layer of ice in a matter of seconds. Virgil swore as he hugged Janus closer to himself and walked further into the field, having to fight his way through snow that piled up to his knees in the deepest parts. He only just barely understood why the others didn’t like them in the first place but going so far as to make it this difficult to get to them was a bit much in his opinion. As far as he knew they had only had a few major fights about certain decisions Thomas had made throughout their lives- he had always been kept more in the background of things and with how chaotic things could get he wasn’t about to complain- things had always been resolved one way or another though so this level of “protection” was hardly warranted. Leave it to them to take such extreme measures to keep out opinions that didn’t line up exactly with their own.

The wind howled as snow continued to fall around them and for as hard as he was trying to get through the storm he felt like he had barely made any progress. The only indicator that he was moving at all was the burn in his thighs and hips from having to bring his knees practically up to his chest every time he took a step to prevent his feet from getting stuck in the snow. It was freezing and he could feel the snow beginning to soak into his clothes making them stick to his sweat soaked skin even more than they already were. He couldn’t see, couldn’t hear- hell he could just barely feel the weight of Janus on his back as his strength began to fade and nothing but sheer force of will kept him moving, his mind numbing along with the rest of his body. He had always had a terrible sense of time and in hindsight he really should have brought his phone or put a watch on to keep track of it, feeling as if he had already been walking for hours and not being able to see the house through the blizzard to keep track of his progress. They were just stuck in a field of white snow and white noise and cold, and a harsh wind that pushed him back two steps for every one he took.

Despite the seeming hopelessness of the situation Virgil simply grit his teeth and pushed on. There was no turning back now, he honestly didn’t think he could find his way home if he did. Janus needed help that he couldn’t provide and he’d be damned if he had dragged them both into this mess for nothing. He concentrated hard on making sure the deceitful side was still held securely in his arms and that his numb legs were in fact still pushing them forward, he had stopped feeling the burn in his legs from pushing through the snow a while ago and had nothing else to go on but the sight of his boots breaking the bank every now and again. Just keep moving, first one foot and then the other, try to breathe evenly despite the burn in his chest preventing him from taking deep breaths-

He gasped as his foot sunk deeper than normal and the snow came up to just below his pelvis. Trying to backtrack just made him overbalance however and with a shout he twisted just in time to take the brunt of the fall on his side as they sunk into the snow, losing his grip on Janus as his arm twisted painfully underneath him and snow found its way under his scarf down his neck. He lay there for a few seconds breathing hard and shivering, feeling himself on the verge of tears as he began to crash and felt suddenly exhausted, wondering just how long he could get away with just staying down and maybe closing his eyes for a few seconds. He needed rest and the snow wasn’t that cold when he really thought about it- it was soft enough to be at least a little bit comfortable and at this point he’d take what he could get. His vision began to darken so he shut his eyes and breathed, feeling himself drift as he finally stopped shivering and began to warm up after so long of being achingly cold. Everything would be fine after he slept; sleep always fixed everything.

He snapped up in a panic as a coughing fit that wasn’t his own brought him out of his thoughts. Swearing loudly he crawled with some difficulty over to where Janus was currently attempting to hack out a lung, curled into himself and wheezing painfully. Virgil brushed as much snow off of him as he could with stiff fingers he could barely move and searched around desperately for any sign they were close to their destination. If he squinted to his left he could just barely make out a large looming shadow maybe a few yards away though the blizzard tried desperately to obscure it from his view. That had to be it! Only a few more yards and he could know on the door and hope to everything Thomas they would let at least Janus in to recover; he didn’t think he’d be able to carry him all the way back if they refused. Getting up on shaking legs he realized he wouldn’t be able to carry him even this short distance either, fingers refusing to cooperate as he clumsily tried to get the other back onto his back. Biting back even more curses he managed to swing Janus’ arm across his shoulders and get a grip around his waist to hoist him up that way, taking a limping sideways step towards the house while dragging the deadweight along with him. His limbs were weak and numb and he felt like he could collapse again at any moment but he had to get Janus to safety- to someplace warm where someone would hopefully know how to take care of him. Just a few more feet, Virgil could do that.

Janus’ boots thumped loudly against the side of the steps as Virgil slammed his way up the porch clutching him as tightly as he was able. He didn’t dare take either of his hands away for fear of dropping him, instead opting to kick the bottom of the door as hard as he could with stiff, uncoordinated jerks while trying his best to keep his eyes from shutting. He blinked as the door swung open and a sword was suddenly in his face, eyes roaming upwards until he caught sight of Princey's confused expression.

“I didn’t know where else to go.” He croaked weakly, stumbling forward as darkness claimed him at last.

-----

“Not on his arms Patton.”

“But that’s where he’s cold!”

“And that will cause the cold blood to circulate which can lead to cardiac arrest or shock. Put them on his chest and under his neck and then cover him with blankets. His limbs need to come to room temperature and then warm up on their own.”

Virgil was only vaguely aware of the conversation around him as he tried harder than he had ever done anything in his life to open his eyes or move his limbs in some way. Panic swelled in his chest as everything remained unresponsive, leaving him at the other sides’ mercy for whatever they planned to do to him for invading their side of the mindscape. His thoughts were cut off as something dry and warm was pressed against his chest, instantly relaxing him as he revelled in the new found warmth. He felt as his head was gently lifted and another dry but warm thing was tucked under his neck and then a calming, heavy weight was draped over him, trapping the heat and relaxing his muscles even as he couldn’t stop shivering. Oh, he was shivering. When had that started again? And where was Janus? They had taken him too right?

Still fighting to open his eyes he began to heave himself upwards, uncooperative limbs be damned he needed to know that Janus was safe. A panicked whimper escaped him as he was gently pushed back down, being shushed by whoever it was that had tucked him in; he was guessing it had been Morality.

“Shh honey, you’re okay. Deceit is too. He's on the other couch beside you. Logan said he had a bad cold but it’s nothing we can’t fix with medicine and rest okay? You’re safe I promise but you need to stay here.” Virgil barely registered the second part of what had been said, simply hearing that Janus was alright was enough to ease his worries and had him slipping back into unconsciousness before anything else could be said.

-----

The next time Virgil awoke he was able to move much easier, which he did fairly quickly to bury his face in the blankets to block the sun from melting his eyes. Until he remembered where he was and he threw the blankets off so fast Janus would be proud of him if he was awake to see it. As it was he was snuggled into just as many blankets as Virgil had been, curled on his side and looking so much better than he had been- sporting a happy blep to boot. Smiling softly in relief he reached over to lay a hand on his forehead, sagging further when he felt the skin was cool and dry. He actually would be okay then- Virgil wondered what it was exactly that the others had done to cure him so quickly but he shook away his suspicion of now to glance towards the kitchen where he could hear soft murmurings filtering through to where he was sitting.

“I’m not making an exception! Yes it was an emergency this time but you really want to make it easier for them to come over here? What if they get to Thomas?”

“We would make sure they wouldn’t-”

“That outside is making sure they wouldn’t, Lo! We’re all busy enough without having to make sure a window isn’t smashed with someone running unsupervised trying to do God knows what-”

“Patton, you’re being unreasonable.”

“Roman you aren’t telling me you’d trust you’re brother in here?”

“I...no. I definitely wouldn’t.”

“See Logan? We’’l just set up better communication for them so if something like this happens again we don’t run the risk of them fading but we preserve the safety of Thomas. It’s perfect.”

Virgil stumbled back into the back of the couch, slapping a hand over his mouth as he reeled in shock. Morality was so...cold. But- he had been so nice when he was half dead on the couch, why would he act like that if he didn’t actually care? He shook his head and turned back to Janus; they needed to leave and they needed to do it now- he knew he shouldn’t have trusted them.

He was just uncovering the reptilian side and trying his best not to wake him up as he got into position to carry him when the sound of a throat clearing froze his blood solid. He turned defensively, eyes already starting to glow as he stepped fully in front of Janus when he saw Logic lift his hands in a peaceful gesture, not helping to lower his guard but making him curious as to what the other wanted.

“Pat- Morality and Prince are gone, I told them I needed time to check on you alone.”

Virgil narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Alright.”

Logan gestured to Janus. “He’ll be fine, just make sure he’s well rested and keep him in bed if you can. Things have been...stressful lately; that’s most likely the reason he fell ill in the first place.”

Virgil nodded again, not letting his eyes stray from Logic’s hands for a moment. He knew what the other could do; he had only seen it once but once was always enough if the action was impactful enough. The only thing ensuring Virgil didn’t try anything stupid was the fact that he couldn’t sink out and he wouldn’t get very far through the snow.

Logan softened, lowering his hands slowly. “I know that....well, it actually doesn’t matter. I hope he recovers quickly and completely. The barriers are temporarily lowered. I suggest you sink out with him before Morality notices.”

Heart still hammering in his chest, Virgil scrutinized Logic’s face for any hint of deception, finding none didn’t really make him feel any better though. He wanted out and if the other was willing to let them go he’d take the chance before it was taken away. Laying a careful hand on Janus’ shoulder, he spared the other one last look before mouthing a quick “Thank you.” and sinking back into their side of the mindscape, shoulders sagging in relief that that’s actually where they ended up and he wasn’t set up into a trap. Janus huffed softly and snuggled further into their own couch, which made Virgil smile and run careful fingers through his soft hair in a soothing gesture for both of them. Blepping happily in his sleep the deceitful side leaned into the motion and relaxed completely, looking healthier than he had in a long time.

“You’re lucky you’re cute or I’d tell Remus to set fire to your favorite hat for what you put us through.” His tone was joking but he wondered briefly if anything would be any different moving forward. Logic out of all of them seemed the side one would trust the least but from what he had heard- he shook his head and sighed, reaching up to grab a blanket to cover Janus with. That wasn’t what was important right now and as much as his function screamed at him he didn’t have the energy to worry about it. Nudging Janus over he made himself comfortable on the edge of the couch and sighed heavily, closing his eyes against the onslaught of thoughts that would plague him long into the future.

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5-falsehoods-phonated · 4 years ago

Note

Pinned under wreckage. Hmm, how about Intruality with Remus a construction worker where something went wrong? Preferably happy ending but any will do. (keep up the good work! You're amazing!!)

(Prompts with boxes have been taken, highlighted have been written)

Thanks for the request, I hope you like it!

General Taglist (ask to be added or removed!): @im-an-anxious-wreck @logans-library

Hold Onto Me

Summary: Patton had just wanted to deliver lunch to his husband when he saw the emergency vehicles at the construction site. All he can hope for is that keeping ahold of his hand will be enough. (Happy Ending)

Warnings: anxiety, major injury, blood, hospitals, emergency situation (if there are more please let me know)

Prompt: Pinned Down By Wreckage

Ships: Romantic Intruality (Patton x Remus)

WC: 4038

Disclaimer: I don't think this is how construction practices work but for the sake of the beginning that’s how it's gonna work because angst. The procedure to get him out is however fairly accurate, I did a bit of research as to how someone is rescued from that kind of situation but other than that please take the accuracy of this situation with a grain of salt.

Remus’ heavy boots thudded loudly on the thin catwalk leading over top of where the scaffolding was set in place for the floor of the third story of the new building, not that he could hear it over the general din of construction work. Everything looked good, he was only here to do a general sweep over before anyone else came up to lay the insulation and then actual flooring to make sure nothing would collapse. Being so high up he had a wonderful view of the fair bit of land whoever was moving into this house would own when it was done: a field with woods surrounding it with a long, winding road leading up to the front entrance.

It was stupidly extravagant, some dream house Roman would have loved to live in if he was rich enough to afford but Remus had been so excited to work on it, and still was. He got to help with the design work and use his hands for hours and hours and even though he came home tired and sweaty he still loved it with every fiber of his being. Not to mention he got to go home to Patton who would smile and cup his cheek to kiss him before pushing him down the hall to shower while he started on dinner. He’d come out to help and they’d settle down at the table or couch to talk or watch a movie and then either work on their own things or cuddle up in bed depending on how tired they were. It was mundane and domestic most of the time but Remus loved that with Patton. He had him and his job and his stupid brother and he couldn’t be happier; everything in his life made him feel safe and happy and comfortable and he couldn’t imagine asking for anything better.

Of course it could all be ruined in an instant. One wrong step and he could certainly plummet to his death. The scaffolding could crack and he’d be impaled on a jagged piece of wood. He could break every bone in his body or be paralyzed for life and be a burden on everyone who knew him and- Remus shook his head impatiently, willing the thoughts away as he turned carefully and began making the rest of the way across the catwalk. Thoughts like that kept him on his toes at least but it was best not to dwell on them too much. He was always careful and he wasn’t about to jinx himself by thinking of everything that could go wrong on the job.

He almost laughed when he felt it: a shift under his feet that meant something could be loose. Of course he would manage to have the most ironic timing in the world. Carefully stepping back he looked closely to see if he could tell what the problem was but he saw nothing. Biting his lip he looked back up at the last couple of feet he had to walk. He should definitely turn around and tell someone to look and fix whatever might be wrong, but he could also save the time and try to figure out himself what it could be if he could just get a better vantage point. It was only a couple of feet, if he stepped wide enough he might be able to avoid whatever problem there was.

Mind made up he stepped forward again more gingerly than he had ever done anything in his life, faintly hearing the lunch bell ringing and the gradual silence that was left from the various machines being turned off and tools being put down. Good, he thought, that way if anything happens no one’s around to get hurt. He screwed his mouth to the side as he quickly dismissed that thought as well, mentally kicking himself for the possible jinx. It was only a couple of feet, just one step and he could hug the wall and lean over to see what the problem was. Honestly with the way the skeleton of the wall was he could probably squeeze himself between the gaps of the unfinished floor and climb down to safety to avoid even having to hop back to the catwalk and go all the way back around. Leaning forward a bit for stability he brought his arms out and quickly lunged for the one, grabbing a hold of two support beams and digging into them so hard his fingernails began to ache. Despite that his new position seemed to be fine, no more shifting under his feet as the tips of his boots found a bit of purchase on the floor's framework by the wall. Grinning through the adrenaline rush he maneuvered himself around until he was facing back towards the room and carefully surveyed the floor. They had laid the framework out in a hurry- ill advised but for the time crunch they were under it had seemed necessary. The consequence for them rushing it though thankfully just seemed to be a missing support plank, making a couple of the beams bow under the catwalk when they were walked on. An easy enough fix and thankfully one that would be relatively quick.

Remus looked down with a grimace. He could climb down...but he had already gotten in trouble once for using scaffolding as a jungle gym even if he was trying to be careful not to be caught. He’d rather not be labeled as a liability not even halfway through the project and since in reality there wasn’t that much wrong with the floor he really didn’t have an excuse not to walk back the way he’d come. Sighing in disappointment he stepped forward and began to make his way back across, the shifting under his feet only making him slightly nervous as he took a bigger step to avoid the worst of it- only to immediately regret it as the entire catwalk shifted to the right as the board he was using slid away from the framework. The catwalk was mostly just a series of shorter boards placed in a sort of grid pattern so you could walk around without there actually having to be a floor. The board he was standing on and currently trying his hardest to rebalance on had shifted under his weight making the edge fall off the board underneath it, meaning it was now hanging onto a beam less than three inches thick by a couple of inches at its end. So not only was then the floor not laid well but the catwalk hadn’t been properly secured either, and if he squinted even closer there wasn’t much of the floor that was laid completely securely.

Swearing profusely a selfish part of him wished someone else was in this position besides him, maybe they could have figured out a way out of this mess. As it was it was just Remus alone up here, everyone else gone on lunch break and if they noticed he was missing they probably assumed he was either in the bathroom or fucking around somewhere he probably shouldn’t be...such as on the second story unsecured catwalk watching the floor settle and resettle under his weight with sweat dripping down his face. This was supposed to have been a quick job- ten minutes at most of him poking around to find something and now that he had he was risking practically the entire floor collapsing underneath him. He didn’t want to call out for help in case it actually did fall through and trap someone beneath it so it seemed as if it was simply going to be a waiting game in which either he or the floor would come out on top.

And with another shift underneath him it didn’t seem like it was his lucky day.

-----

Patton sang softly along to the song playing through the radio, tapping his fingers along with the beat on the wheel. He didn’t do this often but he really wanted to surprise Remus at work with a lunch. He had packed a little extra for dinner as well hoping he wasn’t too late to give it to him. Remus had said yesterday he’d have to stay a little later than usual to look over some things and do...whatever it was he had said he had to do to play catch up in the huge project the company had undertaken, an apology heavy on his tongue that Patton had preemptively forgiven him for with a peck on the lips and a smile. Though he wasn’t happy how over worked his husband often was, he more blamed the company and commissioners than Remus himself. He worked hard and it showed, and Patton was always proud of him. So, packed lunch and dinner it was with hopefully a quick visit before he had to leave since he was in no way authorized personnel but the people in charge often simply rolled their eyes and waved him through, vaguely threatening him with promised of forced exit if he stayed too long, which Remus never let him do anyway since an active construction zone wasn’t exactly safe.

The sound of sirens in the distance cut off his thoughts as his blood ran cold. Sirens didn’t have to mean anything of course, there were many reasons you’d hear them- but this was practically out in the middle of nowhere, near a construction zone which was again out in the middle of nowhere. Cursing he sped up just a little bit, desperate to get to the site and hopefully disprove what he already knew he’d see. He nearly started crying right then when he turned into the long drive only to see the house surrounded by emergency vehicles and people in uniform bustling from point to point to do whatever it was they had to do. He could see the part of the collapsed house beyond that, what looked like a cave in from the second story that had taken the supporting wall with it, though how something like that had happened Patton couldn’t fathom.

He hadn’t even clicked the engine all the way off when he was out of the car and running to who he knew was in charge, dodging out of the way and trying not to make a nuisance of himself so they didn’t have a reason to kick him off the property. There was no sign of Remus as far as he was looking, not even the sound of his rather loud voice cutting through the worried din of everyone else’s voices which only served to drop his stomach further as he swallowed hard around the nausea. Please God no, he thought. Please please please-

“Where’s Remus?” Patton didn’t think there was a need to bother with formalities in this kind of situation. He just needed to figure out where his husband was, go to him and make sure he was safe. It was a simple plan, the simplest set of goals he’d ever set in his life, but his heart sank as the supervisor turned to him with a grave look on his face that told Patton everything he needed to know before the other even began shaking his head.

“There was an accident. The floor- the floor must have been loose and nobody thought- I didn’t think to check on him after he went up there. We all know how he is.” He gestured helplessly to where several people were gathered around a section of rubble, the weight of a whole building bearing down on whatever they were puttering around. “We know where he is; it’s just getting him out.”

Patton didn’t need to hear anymore, noticing some of the people leaving the group and leaving a bit of space he could see the mess through. Most of it was just wood beams sticking out in every direction like a crudely placed beaver damn, some insulation from the ground floor poking up at the bottom. If he squinted though he could just barely make out a small space that had been cleared, a small hole that he could only assume was what they could safely clear away to see if Remus was still-

Pushing forward before he could finish the thought he hurried over to where the space had been made and knelt down next to it, laying a shaking hand next t o the rubble and iting his lip tp keep from crying.

“Sir you can’t be here-”

“That’s my husband in there.” Patton cut the woman off sharply, only feeling slightly guilty for his tone.

The woman softened. “I understand but-”

“I’ll leave when I’m in the way but right now no one’s doing anything so I’m staying right here so I can be with him. I’m not going to touch or disrupt anything but I’m not moving.” Patton looked up, defiantly daring her to continue, but after a moment she just nodded and backed away. He turned back to the space as a slight moan alerted him, gasping as long fingers emerged from the cramped darkness and reached out. A high pitched whine left Patton’s mouth at the sight of how bloody it was but he nevertheless reached forward desperately and grasped the fingers in a gentle hold. Faintly he heard a warning not to pull him as assistance was yelled for but he only shook his head as tears streamed down his face. Everything in him was screaming to lift the beams himself and drag Remus to safety but he knew it couldn’t work like that. This was a delicate situation that needed to be handled with care but the frustration only built as the seconds ticked by and nothing seemed to be getting done.

“Remus honey, I’m here okay? I’m right here and so are people that are going to get you out of there. You just hold onto me baby everything will be okay.” He nearly choked on his own uncertainty but he couldn’t afford to let emus think he was anything other than certain he’d make it out of this. His fingers squeezed weakly and Patton’s breath hitched in relief, continuing to rattle out reassurances that he’d be out soon and they were doing what they could he just had to hold on a little bit longer. His head snapped up as a hand landed on his shoulder, one of the paramedics motioning people forward with equipment.

“Keep holding his hand and talking to him, you’re probably helping keep him awake.” Patton decided he didn’t want to think too hard on what that might mean, instead simply scooching over slightly to make room for whatever it was they were doing and running his thumb gently over Remus’ knuckles as he took a steadying breath.

“They’re going to get you out Remus. They have equipment they’re setting up to get you out and then everything will be fine.” His fingers were squeezed again gently and the medic must have noticed since they paused and leaned down.

“We’re going to put two sturdy boards on either side of you to help stabilize what’s laying on top of you and then put airbags on the other side of them to lift everything up. That should give us enough room to remove you safely. If at any point your space gets too cramped or you feel things settle down on you more, squeeze your husband’s hand and he’ll let us know okay? We’re working as quickly as we can to get you out.” Remus squeezed his hand again and the medic nodded, signaling for things to begin. “This is called cribbing. It’s just putting a basic framework underneath everything to hopefully stop it from settling down more. And then those long tubes will be put in and inflated to lift it up, at which point you'll have to move out of the way so we can get him out.”

Remus squeezed his hand again and both the action and explanation Patton felt his anxiety ebb the tiniest amount. He nodded to the kind woman and moved to hold Remus with both hands as if doing so would make the process go any faster. As the emergency crew bustled around him and got everything into place he simply sat with cramping legs and blurring vision, reassuring the trapped man through soft touches and softer words as they moved thick, wedged shaped beams in front of the pile of debris. Holding his breath Patton tightened his grip slightly as they began inching the beams underneath, focusing his attention solely on the bloodied hand in his grip, poised to react at even the slightest twitch of discomfort. The boards were halfway in when his hand was squeezed weakly, jolting him out of his tense state to yell out a loud “Stop” to the team. They froze and looked to the woman still holding Patton’s shoulder, who leaned forward to be heard.

“Squeeze once if the pile is shifting, twice if we’re hitting you with the boards.” Two quick squeezes were felt and she nodded slightly. “Is there any way you can move without endangering yourself so we can get them in a bit more?”

He felt a slight squeeze on his hand before shuffling was heard accompanied by a quiet whimper that tore straight through Patton’s heart as he fought to simply hold the hand in support and not yank him out himself. He nodded as his hand was squeezed again and kept up his quiet reassurances, speaking just loud enough for Remus to hear him over the directions the medics were constantly throwing back and forth. After what seemed like an eternity the wedges were in place and Remus gave the go ahead to squeeze in the air bags. No one dared breathe as they were squeezed into place, no response from Remus unless they asked for confirmation that everything was still okay.

Everything was going fine- the bags were filling up and Patton could see the rubble being lifted slowly but surely up and off his husband. They were so close to having him out and okay that it almost didn’t register when Remus’ hand went limp in his own. Patton felt the muscles slacken and the hand become sudden deadweight in between his own. Eyes widening he squeezed his hand gently, then perhaps a bit too hard as panic gripped him.

“Remus honey? Are you okay?” The slick hand remained still, fingers not even twitching to indicate he had been heard. “Remus? Remus!”

He thrashed as he was pulled away, screaming louder than he ever had in his life as Remus’ hand slipped away from him and he was hauled to his feet and backward. The medics crowded to fill the space and he lost sight of his hand completely, screaming louder and scratching madly at the arms around his middle.

“Let me go! Let me go, he needs me!” The logic that Patton more needed him than Remus needed Patton over the medics at the moment was flung out of the window as he bucked backwards attempting to throw off whoever it was but the person just held him tighter as they walked him away, heedless of his ear splitting screams. Vaguely he was aware they were talking to him but Patton couldn’t care less as the phantom sensation of Remus’ hand going slack in his own tore his mind apart.

“P…….Pat…...Patton please!” Virgil’s yell finally cut through the panicked fog and provided the window he needed to haul Patton the rest of the way over bside the parked ambulance and sit him down on the ground. “They’re going to get him, Patton, it's okay. I promise you He’ll be okay. And we’ll ride in the ambulance and go into the hospital with him and they’ll make sure he’ll be back to making idiotic decisions in no time.”

The words meant to reassure him didn’t make Patton feel any better but all the fight left him, adrenaline running its course as he buried his face in his friend’s chest and wept.

-----

Remus had Patton and Virgil as his first two people to call in an emergency and since Patton had already gotten there and hadn’t checked his phone someone must have then called Virgil when he hadn’t picked up. As bad as he felt he was grateful the other was there as he all but collapsed while they finally got Remus’ still, limp body out from under the wreckage and onto a stretcher, stabilizing him as much as they could before ushering him into the ambulance and driving away after denying them riding along since they needed the extra room. Patton all but dragged Virgil to his car, the other swiping away his keys and insisting he drive as Patton was in no state to and Patton really just agreed if only to get them going faster.

They didn’t get to go in Remus’ room for hours after that, apparently suffering a broken legs and ribs, a sprained risk and a minor concussion that had taken the rest of the day to fix, nearly sending Patton into hysterics when they were informed with the final comment being that he had gotten off lucky. Thankfully Roman and Logan had arrived at that point and they were able to sit with Patton through the night and morning before Logan suggested he take Virgil to get a change of clothes and other necessities so they’d be able to stay longer, Roman volunteering to come along to get Patton and Remus’ things as well.

The hospital room was quiet save for the soft beeping of the machines lining the bed and the gentle huffing breaths of Remus as he slept, thankfully peacefully, in the hospital bed that Patton had his chair pulled all the way up to to hold his now bandaged hand between his. He yawned loudly and laid his head on his arm, eyes fighting to stay open as he promised himself he was merely resting his eyes but drifting off rather quickly considering the stress of the past couple of days. Confident he would wake if anything happened and trusting the others to come back soon he allowed himself to drift off.

-----

Patton awoke slowly to the feeling up fingers running through his messy hair, taking the time to gently brush out all the tangles of the previous day. He hummed happily and snuggled further into the tough, only to grunt in pain as his neck protested the action with a rather loud crack. Reality hit him all at once and he picked his head up to see Remus smiling tiredly down at him, Head wrapped neatly and already crooked nose set after what must have been the third or fourth break he had already suffered. Patton’s eyes filled with tears as he sat up and slowly reached for his husband, hands coming to rest on each cheek to make sure he was really there and alright. Smile tugging wider Remus brought his own hands up to rest on Patton’s, thumbs slowly running over the knuckles like he had done when Remus had been trapped.

“If I wouldn’t hurt you more and get hauled out by security I would slap you so hard for what you did.” In his tired state Patton honestly couldn’t think of anything better to say, but Remus only chuckled weakly and nodded.

“I love you too.”

Laughing softly with him Patton leaned forward to rest his forehead against Remus’ before pressing a featherlight kiss to the tip of his nose and softly whispered “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“I always am with you.”

Later a nurse would come in and smile at the two: Patton tucked under Remus’ chin and clutching onto his hands like a lifeline as they both slept. Quietly, he would turn out the light and shut the door, reassuring the people camping on the chairs outside that they were alright and they would sigh and shake their heads with amusement. The scolding could wait, they decided. For they would leave them to hold onto each other for as long as they needed.

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5-falsehoods-phonated · 5 years ago

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(Prompts with boxes have been taken, highlighted have been written)

Requests for this card are closed, thank you to anyone who sent in requests! Completed stories are planned to be posted all through December and most likely into January, so if you don’t want to see them you can block the tag #false bthb. As always shoot me an ask if you wanna be tagged in future stories!

I received this request from @atlasistryingherbest, I hope you like it!

All Dolled Up

Summary: Fearing Roman’s newfound obsessions after the events of SvS Redux, Patton decides to break things off with him before they can get worse. If only he realized just how bad it could be. Written as a request from tumblr.

Warnings: bruises, forced confinement, threatening with a weapon, unsympathetic -if there are more let me know

Ships: Royality, Roman x Patton

Prompt: Defeated and Trophified

“You can’t-!”

“Roman!” Patton reached out to him with a desperate plea, trying to scramble to find the right words that would make all of this okay. “Everything’s gonna be okay, kiddo.’

Mentally berating himself as hurt flashed in Roman’s eyes he nevertheless held his gaze in earnest. “We love you.”

“Right.” Thoroughly dejected Patton watched as Roman sunk out, shame tinting his cheeks as he tried to make it seem like he had everything together, despite the lesson he had just learned not ten minutes before. He was grateful as Janus and Thomas reassured him but he couldn’t keep his thoughts from drifting to the image of Roman alone in his room, having to ride out his conflicting emotions on his own and the miserable expression never leaving his face as he did so. That wasn’t the way to leave things with the prince, that wasn’t the way to leave things with anyone but especially someone he cared so deeply for and shared so much with.

Mind made up after he was sure Thomas would be alright with Janus he quickly sunk out to the regular common room, seeing no sign of anyone let alone Roman he made his way up the stairs and towards the door he had walked to so many times it was muscle memory at this point. All the sides had different kinds of relationships with each other, whether it was familial, platonic or romantic and Patton and Roman were certainly no exception. With their shared enthusiasm fo the things they were interested, their strong urge to take care of the members of their family and Thomas and their passion to make other happy no matter what it was never really a stretch to imagine the two of them together; so it came as a surprise to know one when just that ended up happening.

The mindscape had certainly been a brighter, happier place since they had made their relationship official, even if Virgil did cringe and scoff teasingly while Logan simply rolled his eyes and requested if they they were going to engage in public displays of affection then to please do it elsewhere or at least warn him so he could leave the room. Hand holding, hugs from behind, cheesy musical numbers, forehead touches, cuddles at movie night- nothing was below them when it came to showing their love for one another. But everything started to change when Janus began to come around, especially since Patton was the first one he had impersonated.It had hit Roman hard that he hadn’t recognized the deceitful side until later on ,and no amount of Patton telling him that that’s what he did and was supposed to do and he wouldn't be Deceit if he wasn’t good at well...deceiving could convince Roman of anything other than Janus was a horrible person from that day forward. A villain meant to be shunned and punished like any other Disney villain should be. At first Patton had somewhat agreed with him but as time passed he began to doubt that notion more and more...until today he realized he needed to take a step back and really evaluate what it was that Janus contributed to their family as a whole.

He lamented his mistakes of how he handled Janus’ situation- all of the “dark sides” situations really. All they were doing was their jobs how they knew how to do them, and maybe their methods were a bit misguided but so were his own to an extent. He needed to learn how to adapt and let go of past misconceptions- and that came with getting Roman to understand that as well.

He stopped short of knocking on the Prince’s door to listen for any sound coming through, from his or any of the other doors. He figured Logan wouldn’t be particularly happy to have been dismissed and replaced yet again but that was something to unpack and fix on another day. So Logan and Virgil would most likely be boiled up in their respective rooms waiting for the figurative fire to die down before venturing out again. Remus was most likely preoccupied with something Janus had left him to keep him busy and away from making Thomas’ mental state even more scattered than it already was and Janus himself was going to be occupied with their manifestor for at least a couple more hours after everything that had happened. He and Roman would have plenty of time to themselves then to work out what needed worked out for them to hopefully be okay again.

Taking a deep breath he tentatively knocked on the door and, hearing no answer, knocked a bit more firmly before easing it open and glancing quickly around the room before his gaze landed on Roman. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, still in his rumpled prince costume with his hands folded between his knees and his eyes shining with unshed tears as he made stubborn, steady eye contact with the floor. Patton sighed quietly as he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him and carefully stepping over to sit beside the other.

“Roman-”

“Am I-”

They both stopped as they started at the same time, Roman ducking his head down further and angrily swiping tears off his cheeks. Patton was thankful when the hand he placed on the others knee was left there, looking back up at Roman’s face and smiling kindly. “Go on Roman, I wanted to hear your thoughts.”

“You’re about the only one.” Roman muttered, looking away and towards the door as if debating how quickly he could run and hide somewhere else before his shoulders dropped as he resigned himself to his fate. “Patton, am I..am I still needed?”

Patton gasped quietly, squeezing his knee tightly. “Of course, why would you think-”

“Because if Deciet is coming around, being accepted...if he’s going to be a part of things now...I don’t know what that means for us. For Thomas.” Roman finally turned to face him, his eyes shining earnestly. “I always thought him the villain, someone to vanquish when his deceitful means seeped into the mindspace too much, someone to wave my sword at to defend my and everyone else's honor. But if he isn’t the villain...and I was in the wrong...doesn’t that then make me-”

“Please don’t finish that sentence.” Patton gently took Roma’s face in his hands and leaned closer, making sure to capture his eyes. “You are not the villain Roamn, you never could be. Sometimes...well sometimes there doesn’t even have to be one and that’s okay. Things are changing and that’s okay.”

Roman scoffed quietly. “Patton, you’re the one who likes change the least out of all of us.”

“Which is why I’m the one that needs it the most.” Roman was quiet at that, closing his eyes and leaning his forehead against Patton’s softly, making him small and moving his hands from Roman’s cheeks to loop around the back of his neck gently. It was comforting and quiet, neither of them wanting to move and speak again in fear of ruining the temporary standstill they had come to. Eventually Patton shifted, pressing his lips softly to the prince’s nose and smiling when he was rewarded with a soft laugh.

“It’ll be okay, Roman you’ll see. Everything always works itself out.”

“But what if something happens? We can’t just leave him with Thomas.”

Patton grinned at him sheepishly. “Well...he’s already with Thoams and has been since I left. Nothing bad has happened yet has it?”

Roman’s lips thinned as he looked down at his lap, twisting his fingers in an uncharacteristically nervous way. “What does that mean for me? I- I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.” He looked up imploringly. “You- Patton you need to be there when I mess up. I still trust you to know right from wrong and if you’re there to keep me in check I’ll be their hero again!”

“That’s not quite how-”

“No it’s perfect; I’ll just tell you everything I’ll do before I do it and you can say yes or no and then I won’t mess up again!”

“Sweetheart I can’t do that.”

“Patton no you have to! Everyone already hates me, I have to do better, I can’t just- not be better.”

Patton grasped his hands and squeezed, hoping to distract Roman from his spiraling thoughts. “Nobody hates you honey, I swear on my honor as a side of Thomas. But I can’t be there all the time. We’re going to make mistakes going forward, and the ones we’ve already made are still going to hurt, but all we can do is try our best and let that be enough. I wasn’t lying when I said we still love you.”

He brought Roman’s hands up to his lips and planted a chaste kiss on the knuckles. “And I will never lie when I say I still love you, Roman. We aren’t our mistakes, we are the growth that comes from them. It’s going to be okay.”

Patton wasn’t sure if Roman truly understood but accepted the other nodding his head anyway, even if Roman did look incredibly deep in thought. It had been a long day for all of them, they both just needed some rest and hope that the next day would be a better one. Nodding to himself, Patton stood and gently ran his fingers through Roman's hair. “It’s getting late. Wanna watch a movie and cuddle before bed?”

Roman leaned into the gesture and moved to reach for his laptop; Patton, taking that as an agreement, snapped them both into their pajamas and summoned a fluffier blanket for them to snuggle under. Any more conversation could wait for tomorrow, now was the time to wind down with his favorite person in the mindscape.

-----

The next few days...weeks...worries Patton to say the least.

Roman could never be found less than a few feet from his side, and although he’d usually find it sweet and endearing the way his every movement was tracked like he was small prey being hunted had begun to make him twitchy. If the others noticed they didn’t say anything, which made Patton feel as if he was simply overreacting and just more jumpy than usual from the frog incident. He giggled at the thought- that would certainly make sense.

But it wasn't just that. Despite their heart to heart Roman was consulting him before nearly every decision he made, down to whether he put creamer in his coffee since that might be taking away from the others. Patton had hoped this phase would only last a couple of days and then they could move on but it honestly didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. He was loath to speak to the others about it since everyone was still a bit touchy and Roman couldn’t be shaken long enough to talk to anyone else in private anyway. Which left talking to Roam about it himself.

Which Patton...also didn’t want to do. He loved Roman with his entire being, and their relationship had always been a steady, even give and take. They had pretty good communication considering their individual track records and always made sure to set and respect boundaries, but with Roman being a bit testier...to say the least. More demandant for answers that Patton simply didn’t want or feel the need to give. Picking what T.V. show to watch, especially if it was just the two of them was not an entire dilemma that needed solving before they could move on!

And yet...when he didn’t answer, Roman had started to get more and more demandant. Throughout their relationship Roman had never once raised his voice at him, but it was becoming more and more a constant occurrence. He needed constant reassurance that he was doing fine and no one hated him and Patton still loved him which he would normally be happy to give, but it was so much. It was too much for any side alone to undertake upholding an entire sides’ mental health. To the point where he could feel his own slipping, and still he said nothing. For the first time in his existence Patton was almost...afraid of Roman. He had so many outbursts now and his movements towards Patton were always so jerky and it made him twitch away which only meant Roamn needed more reassurance and so the cycle continued. But enough was enough.

Breaking things off with Roman was surprisingly easy for how much his stomach was twisting with the nerves. Roman remained passive through it, expression so neutral you could pretend they were discussing the weather or what tp have for breakfast the next day. He was so afraid, so ready to have to call on another side for help, but he shouldn't have and he immediately felt incredibly silly for even having the thoughts. This was Roman, and Roman would never hurt him no matter how much he was spiraling right now. He’d wait a little longer for everything to cool off and then they’d have a meeting and discuss how to move forward. Simple. Then maybe when both he and Roman gained more solid ground to stand on they could try again and everything would fall perfectly back into place.

-----

That night Patton crawled into bed alone for the first time in years, missing the warmth of strong arms wrapped around his middle and holding him close until morning. He consoled himself with the thought that things weren’t completely over between them; it was just a small break. Everybody needed those from time to time and Roman had understood completely. He had just settled in to sleep for the night when his eyes snapped open suddenly. What was that?

He sat up in bed and listened carefully, sure he hadn’t been imagining the sound. Just as he was about to shrug it off and lay back down he heard it again faintly.

“Patton.”

The voice was so faint but now that he had heard it there was no mistaking it. Ripping off the bed sheets he hurried to his door and swung it open, listening carefully to hear the voice again.

“Patton.”

Moving to the stairs and rushing down them he turned into the living room and gasped at what he saw before him.

“Patton.” Janus’ voice was relieved but pained, tugging at the restraints that held him fast to the back of the rather small cage he was being held in. Dark bruises littered his face and his eyes blinked slowly as he struggled to focus on Patton. Rushing to the door of the cage Patton fiddled with lock as he looked desperately around for a key, his mind whirling too fast to form a coherent thought.

“Janus who did this? How can I get you out?”

“Patton you need to leave me.”

“I- what?” But you called me down, he wanted to say, shaking the thought away. Janus was clearly in no position to voice coherent thoughts. “No. We need to get you out. Do you know where the key is? We can start there.”

“You need to leave, I deserve this. I’m the villain- I deserve to be punished.”

Patton’s eyes widened, shaking his head vehemently. “No. No, you don’t, don’t talk like that. You deserve just as much as any other side and right now that means not being locked in a cage.”

Janus coughed out a laugh weakly. “Are you sure about that?”

“Of course, honey. Let me just-” Frustrated Patton shook the bars of the cage, pausing when Janus locked eyes with him, a steady glare boring into his very being.

“Wrong choice, love.”

-----

Patton cowered in the far corner of the cage, eyes tracking Roman’s pacing fearfully as his wrists rubbed raw above his head. He still couldn’t dispel the image of Janus’ face melting into Roman’s, the cage falling apart only to wrap around and trap him instead as Roamn had straightened in front of him, eyes filled with nothing but passive disdain as Patton had pleaded desperately, mind confusingly fuzzy and still trying to comprehend what had happened. The had sunk out into Roman’s room, where he had been pulled to the far side of the cage and tied to the bars so that there was no chance of jiggling the lock on the far side to escape, leaving him trapped and scared and at the mercy of whatever it was Roman had become in the face of his perceived rejection.

Suddenly a knock was heard at the door, Patton tensing as the tip of Roman’s sword was thrust in front of his face.

“Roman? Patton? It’s after 9, Lo made breakfast.” Virgil’s voice came through the door. Roman nodded his head, an unspoken warning in his eyes as he gestured for Patton to go ahead.

Swallowing hard, Patton called out. “We’re both in here kiddo! Just- finishing up a project; might take a bit though.” He struggled to contain himself, to contain the anxiety rolling off him in waves so Virgil wouldn’t sense it and god forbid become suspicious. He needed to keep everyone safe, even at his own cost.

There was a pause, and then: “Are you guys sure? I can bring something up.”

“No need hun, thank you though. We’ll get something in a bit.”

“Okay.” They both listened as the footsteps faded away before Roman turned to face Patton, grinning wickedly.

“So, my heart; what is it that we’re doing today?”

Patton swallowed against, tears pricking at his eyes. “Getting rid of Jan- Deceit.”

“Good.” Roman moved the sword to gently caress his cheek. “And you’re going to do exactly as I say. I’d hate for this beautiful face to become just as deformed as that snake’s.”

He snapped his fingers and Patton’s pajamas were changed out for his regular attire, albeit a nicer variation of it. He could feel makeup cake his face thinly and he knew from the weight in his hair that his favorite barrettes had been pinned in neatly. Roman smiled and reached in to cup his cheek gently and Patton felt himself leaning into the touch despite the spike of fear he felt.

“There,” The prince crooned. “A sweet little doll to puppet as I please. Deceit never could resist coming too close to what was out of his league now could he?”

Stifling a sob by biting his lip Patton could only watch as Roman moved away to begin concocting another illusion that would draw in Janus later that day. Hanging his head in shame, he sagged against his confines, feeling the ropes dig into his wrists and the cage run painfully against his spine. A useless doll thrown to a corner, forgotten in its disuse after its purpose was met.

This work is also available on AO3!

#false writes #false bthb #bthb #bad things happen bingo #sanders sides #sanders sides fic #unsympathetic roman #tw violence #captivity tw #defeated and trophified #roman sanders #deciet sanders #janus sanders #patton sanders #sanders sides angst #cage tw #bruising tw

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5-falsehoods-phonated · 5 years ago

Text

(Prompts with boxes have been taken, highlighted have been written.)

I have requests and ideas for all of the prompts, so no more requests from this card will be accepted. I’m planning on writing and posting all of these within the month of December and probably a bit into January. If you don’t want to see these stories, block the tag #false bthb, if you would like to be tagged in future stories shoot me an ask!

This prompt got away from me a bit so it’s split into two parts. The prompt comes into play in this second part. Requested by @atlasistryingherbest I hope you like the last part!

General taglist: @im-an-anxious-wreck

My Sunshine Part 2

Summary: Patton thinks he’s finally caught the break he needs when he finds and falls in love with Roman. Ignoring the warning signs until it’s too late Patton ends up losing more than he had dared to gain.

Warnings: contains human trafficking, implied non consensual sex, unsympathetic Roman and starvation

Prompt: Denied food as Punishment

Ships: Royality, Patton x Roman

WC: 3, 284

Bustling around their bedroom, Patton quickly threw the books he’d need into his bag before cramming it shut with a huff and throwing it none too gently over his shoulder in his haste to leave. Hearing the car horn honk again he slipped on his shoes and practically ran out the door, a grateful smile on his face even in the wake of his boyfriends impatience. Roman insisted on driving him to the campus even if it wasn’t that much of a walk, meaning he could sleep in a little later which he definitely needed even if he was only working one job now. He had been convinced the third month they lived together that the rent was cheap enough for him to only have to work one job- and it surprisingly was for it being a bigger and better apartment than his old one. He knew Roman probably hadn’t split the rent evenly and he would really have to bring that up with him eventually so he could feel more helpful than he was being but for now as long as it was okay with Roman he felt alright using the extra money to help buy groceries and to start building his savings back up; they’d have that conversation when he felt stable enough to actually back up what he would be offering.

Sliding into the car with a ready smile they shared a quick kiss before Patton buckled himself in and they began to move towards his college. He gripped the straps of his backpack and relaxed in the seat processing just how much his life was turning around and how lucky he was that he head found Roman- or rather that Romann had found him. He brushed that thought aside quickly; he had never brought up the fact that he had noticed Roman’s car practically everywhere significant he went, chalking it up as either coincidence or happenstance. He trusted the other now wholeheartedly and it wouldn’t do any good to bring up his nervousness now nearly half a year into their relationship. Spring break was coming up and he knew Roman was planning a small trip to relax, they shared nearly everything they had in the apartment, grocery getting and meal making was always an even split between them and he could never have asked for a better listener than Roman. For the first time in a long time Patton was completely happy; he wasn’t about to start questioning things and ruin it.

“We’re here, my sunshine.” Roman’s voice brought him out of his thoughts abruptly and he leaned back up and smiled. “You were miles away love, are you alright?”

Leaning over and pecking his boyfriend on the cheek, Patton unbuckled his seatbelt and sat his bag on his shoulder as he opened the door. “Just thinking about my classes, it's gonna be busy today. Thanks for the ride Roman, I hope you have a good day at work.”

Before he could leave his wrist was caught in a vice grip making his heart leap in his throat. Forcing himself to calm down Patton turned only to be met with a loving smile that immediately set his nerves somewhat at ease. “No proper kiss this morning then?”

Patton laughed and leaned back in, capturing the other’s lips somewhat messily and wriggling his hand free with a little effort, finally escaping the car and waving. “I have to go you goof! See you later.”

He didn’t watch the car leave as he walked to his first class, heart still beating a little faster than normal but chiding himself internally to calm down already. Roman was needy with physical affection that was all, no need for alarm bells to go off every time something like that happened. It was just- that happened a lot. Even on days Patton didn’t particularly want touched but that was just what you did in a relationship. He thought so anyway having nothing to compare it to. He shook himself out of his thoughts again, appalled at the line they had crossed. Roman was gone a lot for his job, he didn’t really know what he did other than “business” but it sounded important and it meant he was often out of town for the day, so it made sense he’d be more touchy and affection neddy after such long days working so hard at what he did. The least Patton could do was reciprocate and not be so ungrateful, even if it was only in his head.

Classes went by surprisingly quickly; unfortunately with spring break approaching it meant there would be a lot of projects and essays being piled on as a final hurrah before the two blissful weeks of doing nothing but his job. Bag full to bursting with papers and notes and an extra book or two he sighed as he realized he still had his shift to cover at that restaurant before he could go home. He took a deep breath as he began to get overwhelmed, thinking of work schedules and homework schedules and how much of what projects he could get done before, during and after the break was making his head spin. He knew this would all be worth it afterwards, being able to put all of the busy work behind him and be able to figure out what he wanted to major in and focus on that instead of math he barely understood and classic literature that was nice but frankly did not belong on his priority list right now.

It din’t take him long to get to the restaurant but when he did the full parking lot made him want to turn right back around and go home. It was going to be so busy and with him already being so tired he wasn’t going to lie to himself and say this would be an easy shift. No breaks would be had meaning all the school work he had would have to wait until he got home. Sighing and squaring his shoulders he went in, donned his apron and watched as his switch practically bolted out after waving to his nearly full to bursting section. Plastering on his favorite smile and whipping out the notepad and pen he started towards the closest table and hoped for the best.

-----

Hoping, as it turned out, wasn’t suited for high stress situations in which at any given moment he could feel his sanity slipping away from him.

Since quitting the job at the warehouse he had taken up a couple more hours at the restaurant to make up for the lack of a second paycheck even though living with Roman made money trouble’s much easier to handle. Which meant he was running around on his feet more rather than splitting that with ;lifting heavy boxes , which in and of itself wasn’t bad, but that was on a good day. This was decidedly not a good day. It had been so busy that when one table emptied it seemed he had scarcely wiped it down before it was being taken over by another family or couple waiting impatiently for their orders to be taken and their food to be made and brought out. No matter how much he smiled and suppressed his tears at being insulted or yelled at and pushed down the frustration of being left a one dollar tip or none at all the afternoon turned to late evening and it still hadn’t gotten any better.

His shift was finally ended with one last wipe down of a table and he trudged into the back room utterly exhausted, dragging his feet behind him with every step and his thoughts only filled with a hot shower and bed. Swinging up his heavy backpack reminded him however of all the work he had yet to get done and he felt tears threatening to spill all over again. He was so tired, he just wanted to sleep after the incredibly crappy day he had had and on top of all that he remembered it was his turn to make dinner. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly Patton stumbled out of the restaurant and towards the parking lot searching for Roman’s car since he had taken to picking him up from work since the move. No dark blue Sudan to be seen. For once, when he was looking for it and not searching nervously for it back before he had met Roman, the ever present car was nowhere to be seen. Adding insult to injury it started to rain slightly, prompting his tired legs to move quicker to avoid the inevitable soaking he’d get.

He was halfway home when a car pulled up beside him, his mind telling him to run and his heart clenching with nerves before a voice- Roman’s voice, called to him as he got out of the car.

“Patton, I’m so sorry! Jeez, come get in the car!” Numbly Patton followed him to the passenger side where he was buckled in and his bag set on the floor, too tired to wave off Roman’s apology as he slumped into the seat. He was too tired for anything really, chin touching his chest more than once on the short drive home. He heard Roman chuckle softly as the engine shut off and he struggled to get his eyes open enough to unbuckle his seatbelt and leave the car. His door was opened before he could, however, backpack being scooped up and then himself being lifted from his seat as he woke up a bit more and wrapped his arms around Roman’s neck, feeling safe and content and secure.

He was set down on the couch before too long, where he could hear Roman bustling around in the kitchen as he had his eyes closed still. Shooting awake and up after a few minutes he made his way over and began rolling up his sleeves, intent on shooing Roman out of the kitchen so he could make the meal.

“Go back and rest Patton.’ Roman didn’t even look up from where he was slicing tomatoes.

Huffing at the dismissive tone, Patton shook his head and grabbed out the chicken patties from the freezer. “It’s my turn to make dinner that isn’t fair.”

Setting the knife down, Roman gently pried the box out of his hands and steered him back to the couch. “What isn’t fair is that you had a rough day and then you had to walk halfway home in the rain and are now exhausted. Take a quick nap Sunshine; I’ll wake you for dinner and then I can help you to organize your school things so that you don’t have to be so worried about it okay?”

“Roman-” He was stopped by a finger to his lips.

“What kind of Prince Charming would I be if I couldn’t help my damsel in distress?” Patton giggled and leaned into the forehead kiss, relaxing back into the couch and closing his eyes.

-----

He hardly remembered scarfing down his dinner or Roman helping him organize his planner. If he could get just a little bit done each day he shouldn’t be thrown too far off schedule and he might actually be able to enjoy his break. Exhaustion dragged his eyelids down and he settled back into Roman’s strong chest and open arms, smiling contentedly as he felt himself be wrapped up in warmth. Everything was so fuzzy, and he was so tired-

“Did you think maybe you’d be a lot less stressed if you didn't have to work at that restaurant anymore?”

The question nearly succeeded at jarring him awake but with Roman gently rocking him and petting through his hair it hardly seemed to matter. He merely hummed in response, barely entertaining the thought as Roamn shifted seemingly to get more comfortable.

“I could even write an email of resignation for you. All you would have to do is sign off on it.”

Patton hummed again, shaking his head slightly though he wasn’t sure if Roman noticed. He liked his job; sure it got frantic and frustrating sometimes but he could handle it. He had to, how else would he help pay for staying here? Loving as Roman was Patton doubted he’d want to-

“I can fully support you without any problems my love. You’re going to college, that should be the only stress someone like you should have to worry about.”

Faintly he heard typing but it was so distant he could barely concentrate on it. He was so warm and floaty and comfortable and safe- it was fine, they’d talk it over more tomorrow, Roman would never make a decision lille that for him while he was halfway to Dreamland.

“Sleep well my sunshine. I’ll take care of everything.” And with a final kiss to the top of his head, Patton was gone, drifting off peacefully in Roman’s arms.

-----

“You agreed it was for the best!”

“I was ASLEEP, Roman! How am I supposed to support myself now? They already had a replacement filling in for me, I can;t go back now!”

“Then it was probably for the best that you got out before they fired you!”

“Why on EARTH-” Patton took a deep breath and held it before letting it out in a whoosh. “They always have temps as back ups, especially in a college town, Roman. And since ‘I’ quit, I’ll have a really hard time getting back in.”

“But I can help you with that-”

“I didn’t ask you to-”

“It doesn’t matter!” Patton took a step back, fear crossing over his features at the darker tone Roman’s voice had adopted. His angry expression smoothed out after a second, but Patton didn’t miss the way hsis fingers twitched. This wasn’t really the first time Patton had been afraid in their relationship but this is just what people did- at least he thought. Roman must love him, that’s why he’d been taking care of him and why when he saw Patton so stressed he had only wanted to take that stress away- Patton really had been an idiot. Hanging his head in shame he walked forward and gently brushed his fingers against Roman’s.

“I’m sorry. I know you were trying to help, I just- I was so tired yesterday, I wish you would have let me think it through properly. I don’t want to be a burden to you.”

Oh, my sunshine.” Roman leaned down to press his cheek against the top of Patton’s head. “You never could be.”

-----

“You never could be.” So many months later and those words still ring painfully in Patton’s head. Stupid. He had been so stupid. There had been so many warning signs and yet Patton had been too stupid and selfish to see them for what they were and now...he looked mournfully down as his thin frame, skin stretched taunt over what little muscle he had. He was cold. He was miserable. He wanted nothing more than to back in his shitty apartment with his two jobs and college classes he had been trying his best at; but instead he was here, sitting in a dingy room while he waited for someone else to pay for him to make their fantasy come true.

It had been the little things: Roman always being out of town “on business” he would say. Patton scoffed quietly. Some business. The second cell phone that he had found while cleaning, anger crossing Roman’s features before he brushed it off as his work phone, snatching it away just a little too forcefully to avoid suspicion. Then there was that night, his third night of break where Roman had sprung a surprise trip on him “to a nice hotel and restaurant” and too tired and worn to decline Patton of course agreed, glad to be away from the textbooks for little while at the very least.

He had been told to dress nice, some stopping Roman in the hotel’s hall but he had waved him towards the room saying he was just paying room service early. But Patton had seen the huge money exchange and his suspicion seemed to immediately be founded, but where was he supposed to go? H knew n one except Roman, his work contacts were strangers now, he couldn’t call or just simply go home. He was completely and utterly trapped. And Roman knew it. The entire ride to the restaurant Patton had wanted to throw up. He knew what was going to happen but there was no out for him. He was terrified. Terrified to go with Roman but terrified to even attempt escape. He didn’t know how long he had been stalking him, whether it had been when he first noticed the caar across his apartment building or even earlier than that. He should have trusted his instincts, called the police, anything other than brush it off as coincidence and then as an even bigger one when it turned out to be his date's car. He should have left the first time he got scared around Roman, the first time he noticed he was off but he hadn’t, because Roman was his dream come true, the answer to all his problems, his knight in shining armor come to help him get back on his feet.

Instead he was led into a darkened restaurant where he was stared at while Roman left, coming back with a notebook and showing him all the expenses he had managed to wrack up from what he had taken as Roman being sweet and kind. Every rent bill, overdue book, gas, groceries, heating- he had kept tabs on all of it. And It was all very, very expensive.

“Here's what's going to happen.” He had said. “We need a new face to bring in business, so I found you. You’ll work and pay me back every centt, and then you can go. In exchange you get a free ride through college. Fair?”

And in that moment, that crucial moment, Patton simply nodded. What was he supposed to do? Say no? He knew now what saying no would have risked and his stomach growled painfully at the reminder of the punishment he was carrying out. “Deny a client,” he had said. “Deny me and I promise you you won’t want to do it again.” The warning was always close to the forefront of his mind, though he did stills lip up now and then. A no meant no food for the day, since he had already lost the money it was only fair he lost a meal. Simple on paper, excruciatingly difficult in practice.

He curled further into himself as his stomach growled again, going on the third day of his punishment, too tired to care, too utterly exhausted to question when his fall classes started so he could attempt to fix himself up before then. He existed, he floated and that was enough for everyone who came in the room at any given moment, so of course it had to be enough for him.

Patton existed, and his stomach growled and his muscled tightened when he thought he heard noises from outside and his eyes squeezed shut when they dared threaten to let any of his unshed tears fall because the last time he had gotten dehydrated no one had cared until he couldn’t be woken up for an hour. His joints creaked under the weight of his odd position but it didn’t matter, nothing did. He existed and he floated and his groaned and his stomach growled and curled tighter when he thought he heard noises.

And that was enough.

This work is also available on AO3!

#false wries #false bthb #bthb #bad things happen bingo #sanders sides #sanders sides fic #patton sanders #roman sanders #unsympathetic Roman #food mention tw #denied food as punishment #human trafficking #human trafficking tw #captivity tw #implied non censensual touch #betrayal

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5-falsehoods-phonated · 5 years ago

Note

for your bad things happen bingo: prank gone wrong with romantic intruality? happy ending though? :3

Thank you for the prompt!

Knot A Prank

Summary: Patton tries pranking Remus in an effort to make him feel more welcome. It does not go as planned. (Happy ending)

Warnings: mention of bugs, unintentional strangulation, non explicit sexual innuendo, cursing, caps to signify shouting, injury

Prompt: Prank Gone Wrong

Ships: Intruality, Patton x Remus

Wc: 1672

AO3 link

Learning to live with Remus since he began coming around more often was...interesting to say the least. His suggestive language and random bouts of murderous imagery was something that concerned Patton in the beginning, believing it couldn't be good for Thomas' mental well being and moral standing for someone like Remus to have as much room to talk as he did. But the more he was around the more he began to understand that he really was just an excitable person who couldn't stay on one subject of conversation for mode than a few minutes to save his life. When Patton began humoring him, listening to the more vulgar ideas and getting used to his presence in kind, the duke seemed to get a little calmer, pick fights a little less...leave less fake blood on the carpeting.

Through all that the most he brought to the mind space they shared was pranks in any and all forms. Jump scares that sent Virgil clawing and hissing his way up the fridge and sent Remus cackling. Filling Deciet's gloves with copious amounts of mayonaise amused him to no end when said side would pretend he didn't even notice, delicately excusing himself with a far too put together expression. Making Roman's sword melt and snapping it back together in a hiding place, gluing pages of Logan's books together and fixing it just before he lost his cool, even pranking Patton by replacing the pepper with ground up crickets. (Which he didnt notice until he tated a distinct lack of peper flavor on his eggs that morning and Remus casually mentioning it, though after the initial shock he had eaten them anyway, much to the dukes surprised amusement.)

Everyone had been more than a little surprised when Patton had simply taken the pranks in stride, finding them to be a nice day to day mix up as long as they didnt go too far. He even began learning more about Rrmus as time went on. His favorite pastime was defacing disney coloring books, which Patton had a hunch was just to get to Roman. He liked doing his nails and had even offered to do Patton's at some point, to which he refused only because he hated the feel of it. He liked cooking and was surprisingly good at it when he wasnt trying to put something completely inedible on their plates just to see their reactions. His favorite desert was, again, surprising in its simplicity and healthiness, which is what Patton was making now to lure the other to the kitchen.

No one had managed (or tried) to prank Remus back since he began coming around more. Whether thay was from fear or lack of trying Patton wasn't sure but he was fixing that today. He smiled as he heard thumping down the stairs. Game. Set. Match.

"What the hell??"

Patton whirled around and tsked. "Language Remus."

Remus raised an eyebrow and tugged a bit at his arms, huffing when they only tangled further. Now that he was trapped the ropes that were slung in the doorway were clearly visible, hung in such a way that it was easy yo get tangled and hard to get out of. With Rrmus dangling in the middle of it Patton smiled at his pranks success.

Huffing again, Remus spoke up in a sultry tone. "Oh Daddy, if you wanted me tied up so badly all you had to do was ask."

Heat erupted under Pattons skin as he sputtered. "Its a prank! I wanted to prank you since you're always pulling them on the others!" He gestured to the freshly dipped caramel apples. "So I made your favorite desert and you're trapped and cant have any."

"You...know my favorite desert?" All suggestion left his voice as he stared at Patton with barely contained adoration.

"Of course! I...wasn't fair to you before so I'm trying my best to make up for it."

Remus cackled. "By tying me up and refusing me my sweets?"

Admittedly it was a lame prank but it was his first he'd ever pulled! He wasn't really sure how it was supposed to work. "I didnt think this through very well..." he admitted, shame faced.

Laughter dying out Rrmus shook his head. "Hey no it's fine Patty whack, just means we gotta work on it a bit! How about-"

Remus was cut off as he was pulled violently downward, turning both of their complexions pale white for entirely different reasons. While it was possible to resist a summons, catch a side off guard or in a vulnerable position and it became that much harder.

"Remus! No, no, no this wasnt- okay just hold on I can-" Patton rushed to start tugging at the rope, cursing both his stupidity and the timing of the others. Another tug sent Remus down further, ropes tightening and catching his fingers which he snapped back with a yelp, watching helplessly as the other gurgled and struggled against his confines. It was tangled everywhere, swinging around his arms and legs, one tangled loosely at his waist and another pulled taunt right under his jaw. He was beginning to turn red, fingertips blushing as their circulation was cut off and mouth gaping in an attempt to get air into his closed windpipe as Patton tugged valiantly at the rope, at his clothes, at anything as tears ran down his face while continuing to curse. It was just a harmless prank it shouldn't have- HE shouldn't have-

He laid a quick hand on Remus' cheek and sunk out quickly, popping up in the living room in the middle of the others' debate.

"The pranks cant have been that detrimental to Thomas' mental well being but it would still be a good idea to address it as a possible- oh Patton, you aren't-"

Paying Logan no mind Patton looked straight at Thomas and screamed. "STOP PULLING!"

Instantly the room fell silent and Tbomas' hand flopped to his side while opening his mouth in question. Not even bothering to explain, Patton quickly sunk out again, rushing to the Duke's side and frantically pulling away the rope, finally able to disentangle now that it was loose. He gasped sharply as Remus did nothing but fall limply to the ground, rope burns standing out an angry red around his wrists and neck. Seeing he was breathing, albeit shakily, Patton quickly scooped him up and moved him to the couch, biting his lip in guilt ridden worry as he noticed dark bruises already beginning to form. He heard a soft whoosh behind him and turned to see Logan standing shocked in the doorway. All at once he burst into tears again, clutching desperately to Remus' hand.

"Help me."

Snapping out of it Loagn took quick strides to examine Remus, hissing in sympathy at the discoloration. Poking and prodding got barely a wince from the unconcious side but Logan seemed satisfied, turning to Patgon with a furrowed brow.

"I'm going to get ice and vaseline. Stay here."

Nodding numbly he pressed the hand he was still holding his cheek as he continued to cry, guilt twisting his stomach in tense knots that made him want to puke. It was just supposed to be a harmless prank but he had been stupid and careless and now-

He watched as Logan came back to lay a thin towel and an ice pack over Remus' neck, taking the hand gently away from him to slather vaseline on the worst of the rope burns before wrapping them in soft bandages. Satisfied with his work Logan turned to look at him.

"I assume those ropes in the doorway are what caused this."

A fresh batch of tears cascaded down Patton's face as he practically wailed into the reclaimed hand. "It was an accident I swear! It was a stupid prank and were gonna have apples after but I couldn't get the ropes undone and oh god what if he died? Lo, what if i killed him, he can't-"

"Patton breathe." Sucking in a huge breath his sobs stuttered out and left him silently shaking, the reassuring hand on his shoulder doing little to ease his worry. "Remus will be fine, and as figments of Thomas' imagination we are unable to die anyway. It most likely won't even take him that long to heal, I promise you. What you did was done with little forethought but that doesnt mean him being hurt was your fault."

Patton sniffed. "It doesn't?"

"It was just unfortunate timing on both our parts. I'm sure Remus will forgive you readily enough."

"He already does." Patton gasped and turned at the slightly raspy voice, finding the injured side smiling Foothill up at him. "Hey Pattoncake it's okay. I've done worse to myself."

Crying with relief now Patton through himself on the other, unabashedly dusting kisses all over the other face as gently as he could. Remus laughed, tugging the other on top of him and only wincing slightly at the pressure, squeezing him tightly in his arms as be continued go be bombarded with love.

"Remus I'm so sorry I-"

"Hush it's fine. It was exhilarating until I passed out." Waggling his eyebrows for effect he let out a relieved sigh as Patton giggled. "This just means I'll have to teach you how to pull pranks that couldn't kill someone if they were real. No harm done."

Neither of them noticed Logan leave to dispell the others worries, too wrapped up in eachother figuratively and literally to pay any attention. Remus expression grew serious however making Patton suck in a worried breath.

"I seem to remember desert being a thing, and seeing how I almost died I'm thinking I should definitely get first pick."

Laughing softly Patton leaned up to give him a quick peck on the lips, earning a rare blush in return. "Of course!"

He watched as Patton left. "If this is what I get for almost dying I should do it more often."

"Absolutely not!"

#bad things happen bingo #sanders sides #false writes #sanders sides fic #ao3 #prank gone wrong #ask #request fill #patton sanders #remus sanders #logan sanders #intruality #patton x remus #patton sanders x remus sanders #false bthb

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