#roman butkus

[mimssides]

There we go with some pictures from the gang since I posted the first chapter of the Suits AU today^^

If you want to use them, plese credit me^^

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[mimssides]

Simpy Logan 1

[ID: Digital drawing of Roman Butkus and Logan Ward. Roman is holding Logan’s righ hand with his left and walking down the hallway with him. He wears a light yellow t-shirt with an orange heart on it, a brown vest and blue jeans. He is talking and showing off the little tooth gap between his teeth. Logan is following him and looks down to him with a smitten look. He wears a blue t-shirt with “SMART COOKIE” written in white on it, a light blue long-sleeved shirt beneath it and dark grey pants.]

@varthandi​

@sickeningly-deceitful​

@sammy-is-obsessed​ / @exhaustedfander​

@alexisrealgay​

@softie-sushi​

@wolfs-feder​

@just-a-neoclassical-painting​

@winter-jay-official​

@a-ghostlight-for-roman​

[mimssides]

I... might have had an idea for another AU? And made some concept art for it? Would anyone be interested in this?

Does anyone have questions? Can you send me questions please🥺

@varthandi

@sickeningly-deceitful

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[mimssides]

One Spade for five Hearts: Chapter 3

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___

Short heads up: The dates that are written down follow the format day.month.year. Also the months all are 30 days long and have different names.

Now have fun!

___

With a sigh Logan walked up to the front door of his home and opened it. It was almost 18:30, he couldn’t dillydally any longer.

“Mother! I’m home!” Logan called and walked inside, taking his satchel off and setting it to the floor as he took off his shoes.

He heard harsh steps coming his way and looked to see his mother walking up to him with a stern look in her eyes. When Logan straightened up and, he noticed a little tremble in her look and watched her furrow her eyes.

“What on earth happened?” she asked and Logan felt his shoulders sink.

Maybe he should tell her. Maybe he should just straight out say that he had met his soulmates and get over with it. But should she know before them? And what even explain now?

“I am sorry for being late,” Logan said instead with a little waver in his voice. “I had to help Remus, who was in a predicament. It won’t happen again.”

His mother didn’t say anything for a minute. Then she stepped closer, looking at the grass and dirt stains on his shirt and looking him in the eyes with a deep frown.

“What happened Logan? Did you get hurt? Why are you so dirty?” she asked again in a tone that left no option to leave her questions unanswered.

Logan gulped and felt very small, despite being a few inches taller than his mother. Which wasn’t that unusual considering her steely gaze and the general air of authority she had about herself.

So, Logan tried to not gulp too obviously and answered: “We – I’m not hurt. No one is. I fell in the park in front of the K building. I helped kæm with some exercises we had in fencing class and we forgot the time. I should have paid more attention to the time passing. It won’t happen again, mother.”

Logan wasn’t a good liar by any means, which was mostly because he rather told the truth and had all the facts on the table just as they were instead of morphing them into something they were not. It never had made a lot of sense to him, why people insisted on lying until this very moment and he hoped that he had been convincing enough for his mother to believe him. As she continued looking at him with a frown, though, he got the impression that he had most likely failed to sound convincing enough, and mentally prepared himself to be scolded for lying to his mother.

“I hope it won’t happen again. If it happens nevertheless, please inform me as early as you notice that you will be late. Now, will you be able to do your homework for tomorrow in time?” his mother said sternly.

Logan nodded, inwardly relieved that this had somehow worked out: “Yes, I have finished everything for tomorrow. It won’t be a problem.”

“Very well.”

“May I take a shower before I join you at the table? I didn’t have the chance to-” Logan asked gingerly and his mother interrupted abruptly.

“Of course. We’ll wait for you. Just go and say hello to your father first. He was getting worried.”

“Understood,” Logan said and walked to the kitchen to greet his father.

As he stepped into the dining room, he saw him sitting at the top of the table, Avery to his left and Alessia on their left. Grey glimpsed towards him from the living room on the other side of the room and Logan felt his heart sink. His father looked over to him and his three siblings did so as well, badly masking the surprise from his unruly appearance. Naturally, he had chosen the worst day to come late. Everyone was here and now they would have to wait for him even longer.

“Good evening, father. I apologize for being late. I’ll be right back after showering,” Logan said and barely waited for his father to respond.

In a rush Logan got up to the second floor, got fresh clothes from his room and then went on to the bathroom to take his shower. He wished he could have taken a long one, one where he could just stare at the blurry tiles at the wall and musing over the sounds he had heard from the others. Maybe analyse his feelings for each one of them.

Instead, he made it quick, hastily got out of the shower, put on his clothes and went back down. He eyed the time on his watch and it had only been ten minutes. Of course, his hair was still wet, not terribly so, but at least he hadn’t made then wait much longer. With a bowed head he sat down at his usual place, on the right of his mother and thanked them all for waiting for him.

“It is alright, Logan. Now let’s eat,” him mother said and started filling all their plates with the goulash she had prepared.

They began eating and his father asked Grey how the training exam had turned out and Grey recounted how it had gone. Logan wasn’t surprised to hear that Grey had done outstandingly, even though he claimed he should have done better. Even so, Grey was a great apprentice in the protection section of the City Guard. Just like Avery was stellar doing the last year of their apprenticeship in the administrative section and Alessia was ingenious in her apprenticeship in the bookkeeping section of the City Guard.

Yes, his siblings were great at what they were doing and Logan was once more reminded of how high the standards were, he had to live up to.

“Logan?”

Logan looked up from his plate over to his father, who had called on him. With a short nod he showed that he was listening and his father continued: “Your mother said that you were helping out Remus after school. I can’t quite place him. Would you please elaborate?”

Of course not, you’re barely at home so I can’t tell you about my friends, Logan thought but didn’t say any of it.

Instead, he answered dutifully: “Kæ is a Club and due to kæs grades, kæ goes into some of the advanced classes I go to. Kæ’s in my Math course, Chemistry, PE and Fencing Training. And while kæ has still yet to beat me in a fencing match, kæ has managed to outdo me in the other classes.”

Remus was brilliant. In the most unusual way, sure, but it was intriguing and innovative. And apparently also attractive to Logan.

Logan shifted his look from his father over to Alessia, who sat vis-à-vis of him, and asked her: “You had Smith too in Math, right?”

As Alessia nodded with a curious look and Logan continued, after taking a little bite: “He scored a 100 in the last calculus exam in his class.”

“No!” Alessia exclaimed with her mouth wide open as Logan taking another spoon full of goulash. “No one ever gets a 100 in his classes. Like – How? You are lying!”

“I’m not. Kæ’s just that brilliant,” Logan answered with not a single ounce of sarcasm in his voice.

Alessia kept insisting that he was wrong until he got out his phone to and showed her a picture of the test together with Remus holding it up smugly. With that he had ended the debate easily and continued with his dinner. His father asked a few more questions about Remus, this time also using the correct pronouns, and Logan answered obediently.

He had almost finished his meal and was about to get up and put his plate and cutlery into the dishwasher, when his father asked one more question: “So, kæ has been a friend of yours for some time now, correct? I don’t recall you ever inviting kæm over. Kæ is welcome to visit.”

Logan felt his cheeks flush. The thought of Remus here in his house, making jokes and teasing Grey just because he could, was weird and – made him feel warm and excited and somehow embarrassed.

“Y-Yeah, I’ll tell him,” Logan stammered and put his cutlery into his plate before he stood up. “The goulash was delicious, mother. If you excuse me, I’ll go up and finish some homework for Friday.”

He already stood but waited for his mother to excuse him and rushed out of the room as soon as he had her allowance. Hurriedly, Logan picked up his satchel which he had forgotten to take up to his room before and went upstairs. Quietly, he got into his room and sat down on his bed, where he unpacked his homework. Bitterly, he looked at the notes he had taken form the text he had read for his and Virgil’s history project.

Their study session was supposed to be tomorrow after lunch. He could never just sit down next to Virgil while the Phu was humming next to him. There was no way that he could concentrate like that.

Logan sighed and put his head in his hands. This could not be happening to him. Maybe it was a mistake? Maybe he had misheard in the adrenaline rush from before?

Quickly he grabbed his phone and looked for the music app on his phone. He had never bothered uninstalling it, as it didn’t take much space on his memory card and didn’t clutter on his home screen. At once he saw the app symbol and opened it quickly.

And then he blanked. He didn’t know any song titles. He swallowed and tried to remember about which song Virgil had talked about yesterday at lunch. He had mentioned the title, Logan was sure of it.

Victorious.

Rapidly, Logan typed the word and a few results popped up. He looked over the covers and decided to go for a black one with a blue spot in the middle with a red car sinking into it. And then it started playing. A beat started playing and a choir of women started chanting. Logan stopped the music.

So, it wasn’t a mistake. He definitely was able to hear music now and his five friends, his only real friends, were his soulmates.

He gulped. Maybe they weren’t romantic soulmates but platonic? Yet, as far as he was aware of the family curse was specifically for romantic soulmates. Even though it has been generations since someone had fulfilled the curse, it had been said to be romantic.

And still, it didn’t make sense to Logan that he would be in lo- have romantic feelings for all of them. It couldn’t be the case, Logan thought and got up from his bed and sat down at his desk. Quickly, he started his computer and opened his note app. Quickly, he listed his friends, one after the other in order of how long he knew them from shortest to longest. And then he listed points of what he liked about them, so he could see for himself that he was in fact not romantically attracted to them.

 N Lucas Date of first meeting: 09.03.2432 – Study session with Patton ● Smart, charismatic, pragmatic ● Very eloquent way of speaking (rather enthralling) ● Able to stop Roman or Remus from doing dangerous activities ● Great discussions about history ● (endearing laugh, sounds “cute”) ● Confident in their abilities ● Doesn’t use sarcasm with me as often since they learnt that I don’t understand it well ● Immediately takes over the talking when they notice something is uncomfortable to talk ● Caring in a very weird way

 Roman Butkus Date of first meeting: 09.03.2432 – Study session with Patton (27.09.2431 – unofficial meeting when he brought Remus his backpack they had accidentally swapped at home) ● Brave, energetic, adaptive ● Incredibly creative ● Never backs away from a challenge (sometimes even to a fault) ● (Gives nice hugs) ● Strong and quick ● Strong sense of justice ● Unconventional reasoning lines ● Sees matters far more practical and thus is able to give new perspectives ● (The way he looks at N every time when he thinks they aren’t looking)

 Patton Gygax Date of first meeting: 24.02.2432 – First lunch after Remus got together with them ● Empathetic, tactful, responsible ● Optimistic outlook without dismissing real problems ● Is able to distract and support Virgil when he is spiralling into anxiety ● Great at magical theory and philosophy ● (They make Remus very happy) ● (How they explain their puns to people when they don’t laugh at them) ● Quick learner ● How they try to cheer everyone up

 Remus Butkus Date of first meeting: 02.01.2431 – First fencing lesson with Remus ● Brilliant, bold, unyielding ● A little crazy ● Curious about everything and unafraid to talk about taboo topics ● Likes murder mysteries ● Fencing with kæm is always a challenge and fun ● Always explains the jokes to me I don’t get ● Has never been condescending to anyone ● (Attractive back) ● Strong ● Surprisingly gentle when is with Patton ● Very caring of kæs twin

 Virgil Caron Date of first meeting: 03.01.2421 – First day of kindergarten ● Best friend ● Witty, snarky, night owl, grouchy in the mornings ● Quick ● Bobs his head when he listens to music ● Knows everything about me (sometimes annoying) ● (Knows how to console me best) ● The way he dresses now and how happy it makes him ● Was wary of our new friend because he was afraid, they were only hanging around us because they wanted to use me in a way (which was irrational) ● His birthday gifts ● Always tries to explain music to me ● Always stands behind me (figuratively and literally) ● Feels like home

Logan stopped typing. He didn’t need to reread what he had written down. Just thinking about the last point, he had jotted down, made him realize that had been in love with Virgil for a solid decade.

He felt like he had been slapped in the face. His chest hurt and his eyes burnt. They were all so dear to him and he didn’t know what to do. It had never been in his plans that his curse would be activated. That he would have to deal with all those feelings and the difficulties that committed relationships could bring with them.

Did he even want to be in a committed relationship? He didn’t have to. A soulmate curse didn’t require for him to be with his soulmates. He could let them know and not be in a relationship with them.

That thought somehow made Logan’s stomach turn even more.

A single knock on the door made him jump in his seat. Frantically, he looked up towards the door and said: “Yeah?”

“Can I come in for a sec, Starfish?”

Logan sighed at the nickname but told Avery: “Sure.”

With that Avery came inside, as Logan minimalized the note app on his screen. They didn’t need to see that. Quietly, Avery closed the door behind them and walked towards the bed where they sat down. Logan turned himself around in his swivel chair and looked towards his oldest sibling with a weird knot in his tummy.

“So,” Avery said and gave him this look that said I-just-want-the-best-for-you and Logan had to supress a groan, “Starfish, tonight’s dinner was a little tense, wasn’t it?”

“You can just say that you think I behaved weird, you know,” Logan pouted and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Avery sighed and gave him a come-on look.

“That is not what I would have said, but I got the impression that something was bothering you. Is it about father? I know you would like him to be home more-”

“It’s fine! He’s the head of the City Guard. He has responsibilities outside of the family and I understand that that is time consuming. I’m not a child anymore.”

That was always a good thing to say to make him look more mature; interrupting those who were speaking and insisting that he was not a child. A great move Logan, really.

“No, you’re not,” Avery agreed softly and Logan gave them a guilty look. “And I am sure you understand. You are smart after all. But I want you to know that it is okay if you miss him sometimes. It’s okay.”

Logan nodded slightly rolled back and forth on the chair. Avery remained sitting still on the bed and watched him closely for a few more moments.

“Aaand if you’re worried about Remus, I’m always there for advice,” they said and wiggled their eyebrows suggestively.

That was quite enough for Logan and he jumped up from his chair and decidedly pointed towards the door demanding: “Leave. Now.”

Avery snickered and got up from his bed. At least they when it was enough teasing, Logan thought to himself and watched as they closed the door and left him on his own. Tensely, he turned back to his computer and opened the list again. For a few minutes he looked over it and then decided that he couldn’t change anything tonight. He was emotionally compromised as much as he hated to admit it and would deal with it tomorrow.

So, he closed the list and looked over the homework he had. For an hour he managed to distract himself with his work and then got ready for bed. He also answered to a text from Virgil, reassuring his panicked friend that he was alright and that his mother hadn’t been too upset with him for being late for dinner.

And so, Logan went to bed. He hoped to get some sleep and being able to clear all of this up in the morning.

He did not expect his dreams to be about his friends. About Roman holding his hand, Patton kissing his cheek. N smiling at him as they smiled at Roman. Roman complimenting his fighting style. Virgil just holding him.

The rushing beat of his heart woke him up and at five in the morning Logan got up to write a plan on how to avoid the others for the next few days, so he could get himself under control.

That would surely work out well.

___

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[mimssides]

One Spade for five Hearts: Chapter 2

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___

Today had been supposed to be a normal Wednesday. Quite frankly it had been a perfectly normal Wednesday until Remus had not come to PE in the last period of the day.

Logan had found it a little unusual; Remus liked chaos but kæ was not someone to skip class, especially not one kæ liked so much. The teacher had asked the class if someone knew where kæ was but eventually just started the lesson.

When Logan had gone back to the changing rooms together with Virgil, he had planned to ask their friend where kæ was, only to be met with twelve very panicked messages from Patton. With a frown Logan halted and looked over the few first messages until he felt Virgil looking over his shoulder.

“Did something happen?” Virgil asked.

Logan held up his phone for him to read and commented: “Probably, but I am unsure of exactly what had happened. Can you glean anything from this?”

Virgil’s eyes darted over his phone screen for a few seconds, he was as quick in reading as he was in running, and shook his head a few moments later.

“They might be freaked out about Remus? Maybe they know something; we can meet up with them after changing?” Virgil proposed as they continued walking and finally entered the changing room.

Logan nodded and texted Pat that they could meet up after Virgil and he had changed if they desired so. Then he put his phone down to get back and change.

When Virgil and him had changed quicker than usually, Logan checked his phone again but found no new text. While exiting the building Logan sent a new message to Patton asking if everything was alright.

The answer he got came not over text.

“Logan!!!”

It was easy to startle Virgil. He sometimes jumped at the sight of a speck of dust being enlightened in the sunlight at the wrong moment. But to startle Logan one had to be truly gifted.

So, it was a rather rare sight of both Spades jumping on the spot, as Patton cried for Logan as soon as they had seen him exit the building. With a hand over his heart Logan looked over to Patton, who was running towards Virgil and him. It seemed like they had cried, eyes red, usually always present smile wiped away from their lips and Logan felt his heart sink. Something was wrong.

The thought got only stronger, when he noticed Roman and Damian following them. As far as Logan could tell, Roman seemed enraged and Damian something between annoyed and worried. This seemed to get more complicated than Logan had expected.

Patton ran quicker and only did not crash into the pair because Logan managed to catch them in time and now was holding them by their shoulders. Patton trembled under Logan’s grip and he quickly let go only for the slightly smaller boy to surge forward and tackle him in a hug, gently crying into nape of Logan’s neck.

“Okay, wow, this is bad,” Virgil commented weakly and shot Roman and Damian a terrified look as they caught up.

Damian put his hand on Roman’s shoulder, who was about to explode, as Logan finally patted Patton’s back to calm them and asked the two: “Could you please figuratively illuminate us about what is going on?”

“Sid Kent has struck yet again!” Roman growled and Logan felt his lips twitch. “And this time he’s getting Remus expelled!”

“What?!” Virgil hissed panicky while Patton’s crying got louder again.

Alerted Logan walked a few steps away from the school building, the others following and asked Roman with a pressed voice: “What has this dimwit done this time?”

“Remus or Sid?” Damian said with an eyeroll and earned two angry glares from Virgil and Roman.

“I was asking for Sid but you can tell me too what Remus did wrong.”

A wet cry came from Patton and all four others looked at them as they wailed: “Nothing! Kæ ‘idn’t do a-anything ‘rong!”

Logan and Virgil exchanged a look. Not that Patton was not reliable, but the possibility that Remus did nothing to cause kæs situation kæ was currently in was astronomically slim.

“I get the looks but,” Roman said walking up to Logan and Virgil and stemming his hands in his hips, “for once in kæs life kæ actually wasn’t at fault. Sid and his friends trapped kæm in the storeroom for plant seed in building K. Apparently one of them knocked kæm out and now kæ is stuck in there. Rem needed a minute to figure out where kæ was and only then kæ texted Pat what happened.”

“Remus is stuck in K?!” Virgil asked perplexed and Logan felt a migraine approaching.

In building K they had the conservatory and next to it the gallery with an exhibition of historical artifacts from the city. It was off limits to be in there for students without permission after 16:00 and if someone got caught, they had to expect to deal with the consequences. And Remus, who was notorious for kæs pranks or just talking out of line in the worst possible moments, would most likely be expelled for a few days after everything kæ had done in the past no matter if kæ had meant to be there or not.

“Gods be damned,” Logan mumbled under his breath.

Virgil next to him began to pace around mumbling ‘shit, shit, shit’ over and over again as Damian sighed once more and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Meanwhile Roman stepped closer to Logan and Patton and put his hand on the latter’s shoulder. They finally let go of Logan and turned to look down at the still furious redhead and sniffled their nose.

“Are we now going to break kæm out, dearest Pat?”

At once Virgil stopped in his tracks and flabbergasted stared at Roman.

Damian groaned and hid his head in his hands saying: “We cannot do that Roman! I’ve said it fourteen times and I will say it again: We cannot break Remus out of there! We’d need to get the key for this damn storeroom, which we only could obtain from one of the members of the gardening club and we all know that they are all narks and won’t give us that damn key. And even if we could get that far, after that we’d need to check if someone is inside the building to make sure kæ could get out safely. How on earth would we do that?”

“I don’t care how! I’m going to get my brother out of there!” Roman contested vigorously. “You cannot possibly think this is fair! If it was kæs own mistake, if kæ had brought this over kæmself, I wouldn’t care, but there’s no chance that the teachers would believe kæm that kæ has been pranked. They won’t take kæs side, so I will. I will make it right when the authorities fail.”

There was a beat of silence. Patton’s sniffle broke it and Roman’s eyes softened and he squeezed their shoulder gently. They smiled a little at Roman’s attempt to comfort them and Logan realized that Patton would help Roman break into the damn building.

And with that realisation followed the impact of the things Roman had just said. Remus would be treated unfairly. He knew kæ would. All the teachers were harder on kæm in every class they shared. Of course, Remus was loud and tactless but even more so kæ was brilliant and intuitive.

And kæ was Logan’s friend.

With that thought Logan looked from the two Hearts over to Virgil, whose expression changed from worried to mortified.

“Your will in all honour, but this is not going to work. I mean, even I agree that this isn’t how Remus should be treated, I would like to help kæm, but not at my own expense,” Damian objected softly trying to talk some sense into Roman.

Sadly, Damian’s efforts would be for naught as Logan took a deep breath and said reluctantly: “Actually… There might be a way to get kæm out. But that would require your help, Virgil.”

Logan looked over to Virgil and saw his apparent panic. He knew how much Virgil did not want to stand out, how much he liked disappearing in the background and how much he most certainly wouldn’t want to get involved into breaking Remus out of this building. But he knew also that Virgil was excellent at thinking quick, adjusting to new situations and that he was the most supportive and gentle friend anyone cold wish for. Which was why he had never let Logan walk into new and scary situations on his own despite being absolutely mortified.

“Fuck, L,” Virgil mumbled shakily. “You know I can’t let you do this on your own. You might get scared breaking the rules without me.”

Logan just huffed as an answer and looked over to the two Hearts beaming at him in glee and the Dimond shooting him a glare.

“You can’t be serious, Ward,” Damian said and rubbed over his blind eye.

With a shrug Logan pointed to the tie around his neck and said: “I am always serious, Lucas. Now for the plan.”

___

It was 17:58 now and their plan had worked far better than Logan could ever have expected. Just as planned Roman, Patton and Damian had caught a girl from the gardening club after leaving building K and distracted her with a conversation as Virgil silently picked the key off her. The charm of three very charming red Suits paired with Virgil’s stealth had worked outstandingly well in their favour, just as Logan had predicted.

Now it was time for the next step and Logan hoped that would work just as well. Virgil and he himself would get the key to Remus, so the boy could exit from the inside. They could do so, since the little storeroom had a slim window, which Virgil could reach if he stood on Logan’s shoulders. With a clear view Virgil could teleport the key inside the room and Remus would be able to free kæmself.

Before though Patton, Roman and Janus would go inside to silently check if someone was still on the first floor there and meet up with Remus to get kæm out of there. In case someone would see them, it was way more probable that they could talk themselves out of the situation than Logan, Virgil or Remus could.

Remus had been informed through Patton’s and Roman’s texts and after they saw the janitor leave the building the three red Suits went inside and Logan and Virgil walked to the backside of the building. Quietly they positioned themselves under the little window and Virgil climbed on Logan’s shoulder with little issue. For a moment Virgil checked the room he could see through the dirty glass and saw Remus sitting on the floor next to the door. The screen of kæs phone lit kæs face.

Inhale. Exhale. Concentrate on the spot next to Remus, Virgil reminded himself and clenched the key in his hand until it disappeared from his fist and reappeared in the spot where Virgil had envisioned it. Remus flinched and then looked up to the window suddenly a bright smile on kæs face. Eagerly kæ waved at Virgil before taking the key and unlocking the door to kæs prison.

With a sigh Virgil let Logan know to let him down. For a second they just looked at each other before Logan took his phone out to check if everything was going well with the others.

Everything would be fine if Roman Butkus hadn’t lent Damian his yellow crayon that day in forth grade. If that hadn’t happened, they wouldn’t have become best friends, he wouldn’t be emotionally attached to this impulsive Heart and he wouldn’t be pressed against a wall together with him and Patton because they had seen a member of the gardening club and stupidly fled up the stairs to where Remus was trapped, instead of saying that they had forgot the time and were now leaving.

But Roman had lent him this crayon and now he was here and Remus could not for the life of kæm open any doors silently even if kæs life would have depended on it. Which was why the steps downstairs suddenly stopped and Damian could almost feel how the gardening guy was turning around and walking towards the stairs.

This was bad. Really bad. Suddenly he felt Roman grabbing him by the wrist and he was pulled along with Patton towards Remus. The Club wanted to speak but kept kæs mouth shut when kæ saw Patton gesturing and Roman’s serious look.

Damian looked back to the staircase and Patton typed something into their phone and showed Remus the screen. The dim light illuminated Remus’s face and made it clear that kæ expression changed from confusion to concern. Frantically kæ looked around, as kæs eyes suddenly settled on the window down the hallway. Like a flash an idea came to Remus and kæ looked towards kæs brother in the hopes that he would have come to the same conclusion. And luck was with kæm for once, as Roman nodded and took Damian by the arm and quietly walked towards the window at the end of the hallway.

Remus took Patton by the hand and blindly typed to Virgil and Logan that they needed to come to the window at the eastern side. Only a few seconds later Patton and kæ stood next to Roman and Damian. Both Pat and Damian looked a little lost until Roman opened the window and both became pale in an instant.

As quietly as Damian could he whispered towards the twins: “You can’t be serious?! I’m not getting out of here through the window!”

Just then footsteps from the stairway echoed through the halls and Remus took Patton by the hand and hopped on the windowsill. With a swift movement kæ swung the squealing Heart over kæs shoulder and looked down.

___

Remus stood on the windowsill of the second floor. It was not too high, ten feet maybe, ten and half feet at best but still Remus was not supposed to stand on the windowsill with Patton over kæs shoulder.

“What are you doing?” Logan hissed watching as Remus looked back over kæs shoulder and then looked down to the Virgil and him again.

“We’ve gotta run and you’ve gotta catch us!” kæ said stiffly smiling and just like that jumped.

Virgil was quicker than Logan. Hurriedly he had stepped in front of him and caught both Remus and Patton. Maybe he was grunting and barely capable of holding them both, but he had managed to catch them nevertheless and it was more than Logan could have hoped. Clumsily he stood to the side as Virgil toppled backwards and let both Remus and Patton down.

“What-?” Virgil was asking but broke off and stared down to his hand.

Logan didn’t get to ask what was wrong when he heard a yelp and saw how the second twin, this time with Damian in his arms, stood in the window.

Logan didn’t register how he moved forwards, nor how he stretched out his arms, as Roman took a leap and Damian screamed. The impact from both boys and the rough fall to the ground he did feel though and gasped for air.

“Oh, my gods, Logan!” Logan heard Patton say.

Someone pulled him on his legs. Logan blinked. It was Remus. Kæ looked a little weird but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He didn’t have the time to think about it any longer either as Remus asked hushed: “Can you run, specs?”

Logan blinked. He heard some one yelling from the floor above them. Right. They needed to go.

“Affirmative,” Logan mumbled and like that Remus started running, pulling Patton along.

Virgil followed suit, even overtook them and Roman took Janus by the hand and started sprinting as well. And with that Logan started too. At the rear, he saw his friends run away from the school grounds.

This operation had turned into a mess. It could have gone a lot worse and maybe it would get worse later, but as they ran further, as building K lay behind them, a loud, excited, joyful whoop from Remus cut through the air. And the tension fell apart. Roman joined, Patton laughed and Logan watched Virgil look back and give him a little grin. Even Damian looked no longer as scared or annoyed as before slightly shook his head at Remus’s whooping.

Logan’s nerves calmed and his spirits rose. It was messy, unplanned and uncoordinated. But it worked. And it was right. Somehow this felt right and Logan liked this feeling very much.

Finally, they reached the end of the school grounds and slowed down. Logan’s breathing was heavy, running was not his favourite form of exercise, but otherwise he felt fine. Silently, he watched as the others stood still, as Patton went from one to the other to ask if they felt okay eventually stopping by Remus, who somehow had managed to cut himself during the fall.

It was then when Logan noticed something. At first, he couldn’t place it, only as his running pulse slowed down and the blood rushing through his ears got quieter. Only then he realized that he heard something.

He was hearing noises. Weird noises. Noises that sounded so different from what he knew. They were nice and soft and he felt attracted to them. As if he was under a spell. But they didn’t come from anywhere. They were in his head and Logan looked to the ground and listened closer.

It was different things that made noises. One sounded a bit like loud breathing but not.

 Phuu. Phu. Phu. Phuuuuuuu.

It sounded a little nervous but friendly, the noise changing the length and the pitch in some weird patterns.

Patterns. Pitch changes.

Logan looked up. Looked to Virgil. Realized how well the Phuu matched him even though he could not explain why. And then he looked around more.

There was a soft Ting sound next to energetic Bonk sounds. They fit Patton and Remus.

And lastly two more delicate sounds. Quick and swift Plings and a steady mmmmng sounds, which wavered and squeaked a little. Perfectly matching Roman and Damian respectively.

And all of them, despite being so different, the played alongside each other. Had played alongside each other, since the moment they had started running. Logan just hadn’t heard because his heart had beaten so loud and fast.

But now he heard and the sound got stronger and louder in his ears. His heart began racing again. The beat loud in his ears, but no longer louder than the –

- the music.

Logan heard music for the first time in his life.

Which meant that he and his soulmates had shared a moment of harmony for the first time.

Which meant that his five best friends were his soulmates and Logan had to deal with the fact that the strong feelings he harboured for each one of them might not be solely platonic as he had told himself for varying amounts of times.

“Lo? You good?”

The Phu got flimsier and the melody of the Ting changed just as fast. Virgil and Patton looked at him and Logan wanted to cry. His stomach was heavy and Virgil’s mismatched eyes saw far too easily through him to not notice as much. He needed to get home.

“It’s-” Logan looked down to his watch.

A different worry nestled itself in his stomach and he looked back up to Virgil.

“It’s 18:14. I should have been at home 1 hour and 14 minutes ago. I apologize, I need to go,” Logan said and didn’t wait for a response.

With a pounding heart he turned around and ran away. He tried not to hear the faint squeak from the mnnnnng, the rapid Bonks or the slanted Plings. But he did until he was finally far enough away from them.

He kept running for a bit, until his shoulder hurt from his satchel rubbing on the fabric of his shirt, after which he finally paused. He took a few breaths. He was almost home. He was clammy, sweaty and uncomfortable. Father would be home for dinner. And Logan would look like a mess, be late and emotionally compromised.

Just great, he thought, gulped and rubbed over his eyes to keep the tears from overflow from his eyes.

___

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[mimssides]

Here some art without lineart! Hope you like them!

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[mimssides]

One Spade for five Hearts: Chapter 5

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___

“It’s more than one,” Logan heard himself say.

He could punch himself right in the face. Virgil had just given him the perfect out of the situation; Just say that you don’t want to tell them who it is. But no, Logan had to be honest and admit that he had not only one but several soulmates. What was wrong with him?

“Huh, didn’t take you for the polyamorous type…” Remus commented as Logan buried his head in his hands and sighed woefully.

“I was just as surprised, thank you very much,” Logan retorted bitterly and decided to never look up again.

His three friends shared a look in in the meantime. Their otherwise always so knowledgeable and prepared companion seemed to be rather at loss as for what he was to do next. A bit hesitant Virgil put his hand on Logan’s shoulder as Patton put their homework to the side and got out a few snacks from their bag. As they placed a package of cookies on the table, they shot Remus a look with raised eyebrows, prompting kæm to say something.

Taken by surprise Remus cleared kæs throat and told Logan: “Feelings are always surprising, specs. I have tons of them and I’m still getting blindsided by them half the time. But having feelings for several people is fine, man. You’re good.”

“And,” Patton added softly putting a few cookies in front of Logan, “you have no obligation to get involved with your soulmates in any way. It’s not a rule and you are free to do what you deem fit, as long as you are not hurting yourself or others.”

Logan sighed again and Remus raised kæs eyebrow at his dramatic display. Like that he almost reminded kæm of Roman’s dramatics.

“Come on, Lo. We get that you don’t like this but we just wanna help you out. There’s no judgement here,” Virgil tried to get Logan to at least look up for a moment.

Logan didn’t look up though. He kept his eyes shut in his face buried in his hands.  He really just wanted this to stop. Also, he very much doubted that they wouldn’t judge him for this. All of this would certainly mess with their friendship and Logan didn’t want to risk that.

And as if Virgil had heard his thoughts he asked suddenly in shock: “Wait. Are you scared us knowing because we know them?”

“Uuh! Juicy! What a bad boy you are, Logie!” Remus said with a chuckle.

And just then Logan made the mistake of looking up to Remus. Immediately his face flushed more, he could feel it, and hid his face again in his hands. That move did not go unnoticed by the three others and their thoughts were racing.

Was it Remus? No, it couldn’t be otherwise Logan would not have come. Logan would never make a mistake like that. But why then would he blush even more looking at Remus? Did kæ remind him of his crush?

“Are you-” Remus started hit by a sudden realisation, “are you in love with my sister? Oh, my gods do you have the hots for my siSTER!”

Logan let his head drop on the table and let out a pained wince which answered Remus’s question adequately. Remus flapped kæs hands and started squealing for a few moments, while Patton and Virgil were still recovering from that revelation. But it did make sense. And it made quite clear why Logan was so worried. This could very well change their group dynamic completely and Virgil knew how much Logan liked what he had with them. These were their first friends who weren’t Spades and Logan loved their company and time spent together more than anything.

“I - wow,” mumbled Patton before they motioned Remus to dial it back a little. “Logan this is. This. Well. It is a little unexpected to say the least but Roman is a fine person and I am sure she wouldn’t be mad if you told her.”

Logan groaned against the table top and the three others exchanged looks once more. This would be harder than they had anticipated. Especially considering that Roman was not the only soulmate Logan had according to him. And Remus knew too well that Roman wasn’t one for sharing.

“Not to make you more uncomfortable, if that’s even possible,” kæ said forcing kæmself to sound nonchalantly, “but who is the other one? Like, if it’s anyone but Erin I think Ro might get upset if she had to share you. But what are the odds of the other one being her, right?”

Remus snickered a little after kæs comment only to rapidly stop when Logan sat up and stared kæm right in the eyes. As he looked at kæm, he took a deep breath and took one of the cookies in front of him.

“Well, I clearly beat all he odds then,” Logan commented defeatedly and took a bite from the sweet treat.

Remus blinked. Once. Twice. Thrice. And then kæ asked: “Are you serious?”

Logan wanted to point to his tie but remembered just in time that today he wasn’t wearing one and instead settled with the answer: “Yes, I am fucking serious. Can I now please die peacefully of embarrassment?”

“Oh, sweetie no!” Patton told him fiercely. “Feelings are not embarrassing and certainly something you would die of. It’s okay! I am sure you can make it work. They are both very sweet people and if you talk with them, they’ll be happy to find a solution with you. No matter what that looks like.”

Logan just huffed and looked down. They didn’t understand how difficult this was. Of course, they couldn’t since they didn’t know he lo- liked them as well. And he wanted them all. He wanted them all to know and be okay with it but he also didn’t want to tell them and see their reactions.

“They’ll be happier together without me,” Logan eventually said not looking to Patton. “I’m not good at this and they can be perfectly happy without me messing things up for them. It’s better like this.”

There followed a beat of silence.

“This is so not “better like this”, man. You sound miserable talking about not being with them! Are you really telling yourself that you are going to be happy without ever admitting your feelings to yourself or them?” Remus asked.

Logan jerked his head up and glared at kæm with tears welling up in his eyes: “How could I deny this! It’s - It’s far too strong to ignore how much they mean to me and I just don’t want to hurt them with my stupid emotions! Their lives are complicated enough without some stupid nerd fawning over them. I don’t want to add to their stress. I – I just want them to be happy and I don’t know that I could make them happy. Not as much as I want them to be, anyway.”

Another beat of silence followed by the sound of gentle cooing by Patton accompanied by the sweetest little Tings Logan had ever heard.

“That is such a sweet sentiment, Logan!” Patton squealed very unaware of the fact that they just caused Logan to fluster even more.

Then Logan felt Virgil’s hand on his shoulder and heard a small change in Virgil’s melody, which he really didn’t like but could not exactly explain why.

He didn’t get to muse over it as Virgil asked him: “Are you that serious about them, Lo? Are they truly that important to you that you think you should suffer for them to be happy?”

Logan just wanted to say yes. Of course, they were worth it. Of course, he would suffer for them if it made their lives better. No questions there. But he couldn’t say that now. Not when he couldn’t tell Virgil that he felt just the same for him.

“Erin is lovely. She is graceful and such a great improviser. She is so wickedly intelligent and knows so well how to read people when I have no clue what is even going on. She listens so well and she doesn’t use sarcasm around me as much because I have expressed my difficulties of understanding sarcastic remarks. And her voice is very nice. Very nice. And Roman... Roman is like a freight train. I don’t know how to stop her and sometimes she makes me not want to stop her, even though it is stupid and dangerous. She is so much prouder than I could be and she is so unafraid to hold my hand or hug me even though so many other people shy away from me because of my name. They are both amazing and I don’t want to make them worry or sad because of some stupid crush or soulmate curse. They deserve someone to woo them correctly and love them best.”

They really were amazing, Logan realized once more as he was talking and felt even more inadequate than he had before. They truly deserved the world and not some stupid boy like him.

“Oh, honey.”

“Logan no.”

“Lo...”

And so, did those three. Their compassion made Logan weak and he glimpsed to Virgil by his side. He looked at him with such sorrow that Logan could not help himself but slump together.

“Lo, please that’s simply not true,” Virgil said oh so gently and Logan really wanted to believe him. “You’re an amazing guy and I do think they both like you well enough. I don’t know if they are in love with you but – They might be and then it would hurt them a lot if they didn’t get a chance to be with you just because you decide you are not good enough for them. Because, trust me, you are amazing. I’ve seen you be spectacular and Roman certainly thinks the same considering you caught her and Erin after she jumped out of a window.”

“I fell, though,” Logan faintly objected.

Remus almost audibly rolled kæs eyes and retorted to that: “She didn’t warn you that she’d jump. And while you are strong, catching two people is not an easy task, dearest shield. Also, you caught them nevertheless, so don’t worry about it.”

Logan looked up to kæm and allowed himself to feel a bit comforted by kæs words. He had caught them after all. Quietly, he looked at the cookie in his hand and gulped for a moment. Maybe it would work out eventually.

“Is that when it happened? When you caught them?” Virgil caught him off guard and he jerked his head up to look at him.

“The moment of harmony?” Logan asked for clarification and to buy himself some time. “I think it was a little later, when we started running, but I didn’t realize until after. Then I heard it.”

“Heard what?” Patton asked curiously.

Logan cleared his throat. He still hadn’t figured out what the melodies really were. He was positive that they were instruments but he could not clearly point out what kind of instruments, since all of this was very new to him. Maybe bringing it up with Virgil would make things easier now. He knew part of it now, so why not try to utilise his newfound resources.

“So,” Logan started rubbing his thumb over the cookie, “that fact about the curse had never been mentioned to me before but I hear some sort of music around my soulmates? Not- not like music you listen to, Virgil. It is just one thing that makes the melody and, uhm, beat and, uh, rhythm, I think? No voices singing or something like that. I think, it’s just one instrument for each of them and they change according to things they feel, but I am really bad at reading that and I did not have a lot of practice figuring that out.”

“That’s so cool!” Virgil immediately said and unlocked his phone. “Do you want help with figuring out what instruments they have?”

“Please yes, very much so.”

And so, Virgil helped Logan to get acquainted with different instruments. Both Remus and Patton gave their inputs as well, and were highly entertained by Logan’s all too concentrated face as he tried to focus on the music that was playing. It took them a while until they figured out that both had string instruments. Erin was identified first as a violin and Roman apparently had some sort of harp.

“Good fits,” Remus commented after thinking for a moment, while Logan finally ate the cookie he had been given. “The minimal changes you can create with a violin really fit Erin’s micro expressions and the harp is just extra enough to fit Ro.”

“Oh, don’t be so mean to her! It’s also a very miraculous instrument and fits her finer and dreamier side very well,” Patton scolded and the couple bickered for a moment.

Virgil listened to them with a grin and shot Logan a side look to see if he was just as amused as he was. But instead of amusement he found a frown on his friend’s face, as he munched on his cookie. Subtly, Virgil nudged him and Logan looked up to him.

For a moment there was a wordless exchange until Logan admitted in a small voice: “I miss hearing them. I missed hearing you too, but talking about them and listening to their instruments makes me – it makes me want to hear them more.”

“Good news then!” Remus exclaimed scaring both Spades successfully. “The rehearsal is still on! We can go there and listen to them sing, specs! There’s a song at the end of the thing and you might like to hear that.”

Logan did not get much of a choice after that. Patton was immediately enraptured with the idea and apparently, they had a contagious effect on Virgil as he immediately went with the idea and help the two other boys pack up their stuff and then pulled Logan along as they went to the assembly hall where the rehearsal took place. Logan tried to chicken out, telling Virgil that they had to finish their reading but was thoroughly ignored. And the last protests that was left in him died the second they had pushed him inside the assembly hall and Roman’s voice and her melody filled the room as she was delivering a rather dramatic monologue.

From that moment on, Logan was simply pulled along by the others and stared to the stage where Roman was performing with another kid, apparently the villain of the story. They took a seat in a middle row but Logan barely noticed anything as Erin just entered the stage and backed Roman’s character up. Their melodies were resonating and despite the tense scene that was taking place in the play, Roman’s Plings were playful and accompanied the quick and light mmmngs from Erin.

Logan was mesmerized by their acting and he didn’t notice the fond looks Patton and Virgil exchanged as they watched him. No, Logan was so captured in their performance that he barely noticed how fast his heart was beating and how happy it made him to see them like this. Their passion and talent were extraordinary and Logan wanted them to feel this happy all the time.

And then the song came. Roman and Erin started to sing a soft little duet, just accompanied by a guitar. It wasn’t a complicated song by any means but something about it went right into Logan’s heart and he grabbed Virgil’s hand vigorously. He didn’t know why, just that he needed to hold something or otherwise his heart would figuratively jump out of his chest and explode.

Virgil flinched a little, when Logan’s hand was suddenly on his but recovered quickly when he realised that Logan was probably overwhelmed by all the music and singing in this very moment. Most Spades were rather sensitive to sound and connected outstandingly well over music. Logan hadn’t been exposed to music in the past and right now it was coming all at once for him. So, Virgil kept watching Logan cautiously, ready to get him outside if need be.

Luckily, that did not end up being the case and Roman and Erin ended their duet and the theatre kids bowed proudly as their rehearsal had ended. Remus then forced Logan to get up and pulled him along towards the stage. Patton was following kæm closely and tried to get him to cool down but before they could stop, Roman had jumped down from the stage and approached the little group with a big smile on her face. Both Patton and Virgil kept a close eye on Logan who looked extremely stiff as Roman walked up to him.

And as Remus stepped to the side Roman quickened her pace and tackle hugged Logan with a little sprint on her last steps towards him. Logan had to catch his breath before he could gingerly put his hands around Roman’s shoulder and hugged her back.

“Man specs! You really scared us with your disappearing act, you know?” Roman said after pulling back from the hug.

Logan absentmindedly nodded and told her: “That wasn’t my intention. I did not mean to worry you.”

Roman laughed lightly at the stern tone of his voice and shook her head fondly.

“Oh, don’t feel bad about it! I’m glad you’re back! Did you talk with Virgil? He was so worried about you,” Roman asked him vividly.

For a few seconds Logan just heard Roman’s Plings. They made him feel warm and listening close to this melody he somehow got the sense of relieve and joy coming from Roman, before he actually heard what Roman had said. And then he turned around and shot Virgil a panicked look. Yet before Logan could dissolve into panic, Erin’s voice pulled him out and he turned back to see her standing behind Roman and holding her by the shoulder.

Smoothly Erin said to Logan: “Don’t think about it too hard, Logan. Ro is forgetting herself. And we all know how easily worried Virgil is.”

Virgil’s first instinct was to snap at Erin but he did not do that in favour of giving Logan a reassuring nod. Logan was more important than a petty jab with the laughable Dimond.

Erin then asked if they had enjoyed the show, which Logan awkwardly confirmed and told them that he really liked the song. For a minute they talked a bit longer, before Roman and Erin had to go back and the four which were left back needed to get ready for class.

Logan and Virgil headed to Geography and Virgil made sure to make enough notes for the both of them as he saw Logan still being a bit lightheaded after all that had transpired in the last two hours. It probably also was the first time ever for him to Logan an answer the teacher had asked him. Eventually, the class ended and the two headed home.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel bad,” Logan said after a few minutes of quiet walking together.

Virgil raised his eyebrows. That was a rather emotional wording for Logan and he scratched his nose and looked down to the wheels of his bike.

“She’s not wrong to say that I worry too much, Lo. It’s fine.”

“It’s not.”

Virgil looked up and saw the guilty look on Logan’s face. He wanted to say something to console him but Logan was quicker.

“You know me better than they do, and I should have been more considerate about all of this. Having a soulmate or not having a soulmate is such an insignificant thing and I clearly blew it out of proportion. And while I agree that having emotions is difficult and that I am allowed to feel them, I should not make you suffer because of that. Just because I have difficulties you shouldn’t have to have them too. I’m truly sorry for what I did and I will try and do better from now on.”

Virgil stopped in his step and gaped at Logan for a moment. He stood there with this determined face and the little cease between his brows his father had too, when he was promising something that he really, really wanted to fulfil. Virgil loved it. Frankly, he loved Logan for a good while, around eleven years now, and moments like this always made him fall deeper.

And it also made it harder for him to tell Logan what he told him next: “Apology accepted if you promise me to keep me updated on this soulmate situation. I know how you think about the curse and that you don’t think that soulmates are important but I think today in the rehearsal I almost saw you have a heart attack because of them singing together and I’d say that does mean something.”

Logan’s cheeks flushed again and he began to vent over how fast his heart was beating around them and how inconvenient that was. Virgil laughed a little, as Logan went on and explained how the feelings had been there before but he hadn’t noticed it until that moment when they started running and now, they were getting stronger and more distracting. Even as they reached Logan’s home the boy went on and for the first time since last Tuesday, Virgil stopped and listened to his friend in front of the driveway for a few minutes. This was okay even if it meant that he would help Logan with figuring out what to do about his very obvious crushes and probably giving away his own chance to ever be together with his best friend.

But that was okay. Virgil just wanted to be close with Logan and he believed that his friend wouldn’t abandon him for any romantic interest in the world.

___

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

@mychemically-imbalanced-romance

@whattheremus

( @frawkeye - you liked the pictures of the AU, but if you don’t want to be tagged for the story just tell me^^)

@turnedthefreakingfrogsgay (don’t worry I won’t tag you in any more stuff (excpet you want me to^^) but I wanted to say that I did post this chapter on tumblr because of you reblogging it. The story isn’t doing great in the fandom but I am happy it makes at least you happy <3)

[mimssides]

Damian and Roman flirting😏

[ID: Digital drawing of Damian Lucas and Roman Butkus. They stand in front of a light orange background and are looking at each other. Damian stands on the right, his body is slightly turned to the right while he looks to the left to Roman and is gesticulating. He is talking and blushing. He wears a darke green pullover with two brown stripes in the middle, in the lower one is a yellow diamonds pattern, dark green jeans and dark grey beanie with a yellow spiked pattern around the rim. His bottom lip is pierced and he wears a necklace with a yellow sparkly dimond pendant. Roman has his right hand on Damian‘s left shoulder, his head titled towards him and is also talking and blushing. He is wearing a ligh blue jeans jacket with a brown fluffy collar, a red shirt with a crown on it beneath it, blue jeans and a round brown hat with a big rim. End ID.]

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[mimssides]

One Spade for five Hearts: Chapter 7

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___

It had just rung for lunch break but Roman, Erin and Patton were already on their way to the cafeteria. Lively the three talked, Patton and Erin continuing to unpack their prepacked lunches as Roman got up to buy herself one from the cafeteria. When she came back both Erin and Patton were in a deep discussion about the philosophy lesson, they had earlier that day.

It was a pleasure to see Erin talk so freely and with all her snarky remarks, Roman thought to herself as she sat down and began to eat her food. It stung a little that she couldn’t partake in their discussion but it was fine. Erin had always outsmarted her in school and Patton was easily one of the most adaptable and quick-witted people Roman knew next to Erin and her brother. A perfect match for their friend group.

Maybe it stung a little bit more but as suddenly Remus plopped down next to her, she pushed the thoughts to the side and greeted her twin.

Kæ greeted her back with their usual handshake and then gave Patton a kiss before kæ was about to go and get kæs own food. Just as kæ was starting to walk kæ spotted Virgil and Logan approaching them. Roman began to smile widely and waved. Virgil just returned a two fingered salute and Logan almost stumbled before he caught himself and waved back stiffly.

Roman raised her eyebrows and she looked over to Erin and Patton who seemed just as perplexed by the clumsy behaviour from their friend. Logan was not one to stumble or be anything but graceful and professional almost at all times. At least that was how Roman had always seen him, so this was a bit of a weird observation to make.

Logan sat down to his usual seat next to Erin and quickly shot a look to Virgil. Maybe Roman was imagining things but it almost looked like Logan was blushing a little.

“You -” Logan stopped as Virgil rolled his eyes - “Thank you. Here’s the money. I’d like the vegetarian menu.”

Virgil just nodded, took the lunch money Logan handed him and walked along with Remus to get their food. In the meantime, Logan took out his tablet and touch pen and began to work on something. Curiously, Erin glimpsed on the screen and recognized the document Logan was working on.

Baffled Erin's mouth fell wide open and she asked before being able to stop herself: “Are you doing your chemistry homework over lunch break?”

At that Roman stood up from her seat to glimpse over the table and saw a few diagrams on the screen that most definitely looked the ones from her own chemistry class and gaped just as much at Logan as Patton and Janus did. Logan was now definitely blushing but looked not up from the screen.

Roman almost missed how he mumbled: “I am almost finished. I forgot to do the rest yesterday. Please, do not disturb me.”

Surprised the three others stared at Logan. That was very atypical for him. Roman really was worried at this point and wanted to intervene, as Patton shook their head and instead began to restart the conversation they had earlier. Roman didn’t join into their discussion for a good while. She kept her eyes on Logan, watched how he worked in silence and thought about what Remus had told her yesterday evening.

Remus, Pat and Virgil had managed to confront Logan about his strange behaviour and Remus had told her that it was nothing bad and that it was not about Logan’s homelife either. But Remus had never explained what had been bothering Logan in the first place. Kæ was all apologetic about it but didn’t explain any further. Just that it wasn’t bad and that she shouldn’t ask him about it. When she had wanted to know why she couldn’t ask him, kæ simply grinned and told her that Logan would tell her when he was ready. Which was the most non-Remus thing kæ could ever have said and made Roman all the more suspicious.

And yet, as Patton mentioned how the disappearances of soulmate curses changed how their society treated relationships, Roman momentarily stopped watching Logan and focused on their discussion. That was a topic Erin always would jump on and it was fascinating to see her and Patton agreeing for once on something. Also, Roman could actually follow their discussion this time.

The sudden decline in soulmate curses about 500 years ago had changed their society immensely. There was no longer a stigma to not have a soulmate or not be looking for one, which was a big relief for the asexual and aromantic people who were loveless and got shunned from their families. Soon people started to focus more on themselves, dating and meeting new people who were not their soulmates got popular and brought advantages and disadvantages to their previous lives. Really, it was fascinating how things had evolved and Patton began to analyse how some curses influenced some peoples magic and mused if there was a possibility that some people with soulmate curses needed their soulmate or soulmates, as they added with a strong empathise, to use their powers correctly.

“I do not know about that,” Erin said and circled the fork in her hand around.

Virgil and Remus came back and sat down as she continued: “I could imagine that happening in very rare circumstances when the cursed’s magical power and the curse overlap in their types.”

“Precisely! Like a curse which keeps you from hearing music until you meet your soulmate and you were to have some sort of sonic powers. That could mess terribly with a person’s power and lead to unhealthy developments in their magic.”

“It certainly could but that most likely almost never happens. Also, curses usually adapt to the cursed, even though I can’t deny that there are people who simply function better in some sort of committed relationship. It gives them structure and a safe space to return, so there could be the possibility that their magical abilities would be affected by the curse. Especially, if they are an emotionally driven individual,” Janus concurred.

“Talking soulmates? Found yours already, N-y?” Remus asked with a smirk as Virgil tried to situate himself with the two trays, as Logan was still hunched over his tablet and didn’t move out of the way.

But before Virgil got to tell Logan to move, he halted and shot Erin an incredulous look with the question: “Wait. What?”

Erin rolled her eyes dramatically and said: “Yes, I have a soulmate curse. No, I have not found him yet and will not take further questions on the topic.”

“Really!? That is so fascinating!” Patton said and startled all the others at the table with their enthusiasm.

Remus actually pulled them down to their seat again while they began to babble: “Then you might know about the consequences of the curses and their influences on your magic, right? Is it an active or passive curse? Does it influence our suggestive powers? You mentioned curses adapting, so did your curse adapt and how do you know that?”

Virgil, Remus and Roman just watched Patton in amazement as Erin slowly laid back and then barked a laughter and shook her head. Patton really must have been invested in the topic that they so blatantly disregarded someone’s wish to stop talking about a topic and somehow Erin could not bring herself to mind all that much. Especially now that Patton seemed to have caught onto their faut pas and was starting to deflate and look rather embarrassed.

“I, oh...” Patton began but Erin waved them off with a grin.

“Oh, don't worry Pat. I know you're being excited and not trying to snoop some information out of me. So, I will answer your questions.”

“Wow, babe, you're a miracle worker! Never saw N be so lenient with anyone before! You're truly the most charming being on this shitshow of a planet,” Remus teased and pressed a peck on Patton's cheek.

They flushed brightly, which led to Remus laughing and kissing them again only for Erin to roll her eyes. She never would have expected Remus to date someone who was this wholesome and kind. Quite honestly, she had thought that kæ would most likely pick the worst possible partner and run with it until it crashed and burned. Patton had been a welcomed surprise and she was happy to count them as one of their friends.

“Come on, love,” Patton pleaded weakly and pushed Remus a bit to the side before they turned their attention over to Erin, “eat your food. It's getting cold. Also, you really don’t have to answer me, Erin. I know that soulmate stuff can be quite personal and I didn’t mean to pester you about it. I apologize.”

Neither Patton nor Erin noted it but as the word soulmate fell this time, Logan looked up. It was as if he had just awoken from his trance and suddenly realized that Virgil was standing next to him with their food. Hastily he packed his stuff away and let him settle down while Erin and Patton kept talking.

“No need to apologize, and I will simply tell you what I am most comfortable with. Also, it's not like I am telling this for the first time. Also, you were a lot more considerate than your beloved boyfriend and Ro were when the found out,” Erin said.

“Oh, so they know about it?”

“Yes, and apparently for once they kept their promise and did not gossip about me. I can appreciate that.”

By then Logan and Virgil were sitting and eating as well and former kept his eyes glued on Erin as she began to actually answer the question Patton had asked.

“I've got a condition curse and will be able to hear my soulmate’s thoughts when they are near me after that condition is met. It is not affecting my powers in any way as it is now, and the only consequences I could imagine having, would be that I would be prone to getting a headache for the first few weeks of adjusting to my soulmate’s thoughts. That’s what my mother struggled with at the start, at least.”

“Your parents are soulmates?”

Logan had not meant to be part of this conversation. It felt like a trap to interfere with a topic that was so close to his heart but his surprise let him be careless and the question was out now. The atmosphere was tense and Erin eyed him motionlessly from the side.

“They were. Yes.”

Well, fuck. Logan had not meant to bring that up.

“I – I am sorry, Erin,” Logan said meekly but held her gaze. “I forgot about her passing in this moment. I hope I did not cause you too much distress.”

Erin frowned, which was not the reaction Logan had expected. Especially not accompanied by this weird melody from the violin he was hearing right now. It didn’t seem angry or tense, more curious but slow if Logan was interpreting things right and he was not sure if he liked it.

“Since when are you getting so emotional on me, pocket protector? Is the topic of soulmates emotion inducing to you?”

Now it was Erin’s turn to see Logan react in a manner she hadn’t expected. The boy shifted on his seat and he stared down on his food tray with an odd intensity. He was clearly concentrating on something but Erin was not sure what exactly about carrots and mashed potatoes needed such intense staring.

“My parents are most likely not soulmates, so I suppose I do have some – feelings about that,” Logan answered and looked back to Erin next to him.

“So, your family has a curse?”

“You – you don't know about that?” Logan asked his voice cracking oddly in surprise.

Erin raised her eyebrow and said: “Why would I know about it? I’m not particularly interested in that whole high society talk.”

“Lo, she’s not from around here. None of them are, so they probably haven’t heard the rumours,” Virgil interjected.

Rumours? Patton, Remus, Roman and Janus had never heard anything about rumours over their rule abiding friend. They wanted to know what they were about but remained silent as they watched Logan's shoulders tense and he began to scratch his right shoulder.

“Most people around here know that my family has a curse. And that my siblings, my father and I have it in particular. It’s been a very long time since it has been activated in any of us, so that is part of why it’s infamous.”

Then Logan took a breath and straightened up again to ask Erin: “Either way, my parents are rather happy without it being fulfilled and it certainly does influence my feelings about the curse or curses in general. But I have never had the possibility to talk with someone who had parents with a fulfilled curse, which is why I am curious about your experiences. You do not need to share of course.”

Now Erin really was curious and set her cutlery down. Elegantlly she turned to face Logan fully and overlooked the stressful glances Virgil, Patton and Remus shot each other.

“Why did you say they are most likely not soulmates? How are you not sure?” she asked coolly.

“It's a condition curse and well... They have been together for thirty years at this point and the condition should have been met. That is unless he were to have more than one soulmate but otherwise it means that my mother and him are not soulmates. And I know they are very happy with each other despite of that.”

“Good on them that it worked out. And on you and your siblings, but I will certainly try to settle with my soulmate, even though I can’t exactly go out and look for them with my curse.”

“You... You want to settle down with your soulmate?” Logan said feeling like his heart would jump out of his chest any minute now.

Apparently not taking any notice of Logan’s distress Erin said: “Don’t play so surprised. I’m not a romantic woman but having a future with another person does sound nice to me. After all, soulmates are people who match to you and will be able to understand and satisfy your needs. So, while I absolutely speak for independency and that your best friend is definitely yourself, a soulmate is most likely what comes after that.”

Logan just stared at Erin. The reasoning wasn’t off but somehow his head was not computing any of it and took a deep breath. He needed to re-evaluate his standpoint otherwise this would not work out.

“I... Give me a moment. I have to shift my perspective.”

“Pardon me? What I am saying is perfectly logical and -”

“I’m aware that it makes perfect sense to you,” Logan cut her off sharply. “We’re coming from two vastly different backgrounds, Lucas, and I just need a second to consider this.”

“Vastly different? You must be joking,” Erin said with an edge in her voice.

Logan scoffed and fiercely told her: “Well, I am not and let me prove my point: You’re an only child; I am the youngest of four. You told us that you have moved four times in your life; I still sleep in the same corner of my room since I came home after the day I was born. You have been in mixed classes with black suits or just red suit classes and only Dimond classes; I have only ever been around Spades in class as well as in after school activities and my whole family are Spades actually. Our surroundings and circumstances growing up were as different as I can imagine them to be. Besides our personalities these are very important factors to consider if we want to look at our morale compasses and world views. Which is neither good nor bad; it's simply different. And I need a second to consider yours adequately so I do not make wrong assumptions from the very beginning.”

Erin was gaping after that statement and Logan got a moment to think and ignore how the rest of his friends looked even more surprised than Erin.

Eventually, Logan stroked his hair back and nodded: “Alright. I think, I can understand your point. I assume... your parents were very happy with their relationship? And the curse strengthened their bond?”

“I would not put it like that,” Erin said while trying to regain her cool. “I did not have a chance to talk with my mother about it in detail but she did tell me that our curse was a privilege. We would be able to understand our partner in a way that nobody else ever could understand them. It’s a gift of trust and intimacy, which should not be taken for granted. And I do not. It’s a big responsibility and it can turn out terribly, I know how my father is still suffering because of her death, but he would do it time and time again. Because the time they had together was worth it and I do admit that I would like to experience the same.”

Logan eyed Erin for a long moment. It was not an explanation he had expected. She was not the type for sentimental reasoning or idealized ideas. But her words rang true and Logan felt disheartened. He would never be able to live to such expectations. He could never make her this happy. Or any of them for that matter. But Erin didn’t need to know that, Logan decided and settled for an answer.

“I see,” Logan said and fiddled with the hems of his sleeves. “Your curse surely sounds different from mine. And while my general outlook on this would probably change if I didn’t have one that makes me lack an ability other people have, I would probably still not wish to fulfil mine. I do not know if I would be a person who could be this open and trustworthy as you imagine your soulmate would be. I would not want to disappoint them.”

Other students were talking in the background. The sound of people eating and food being cut was present everywhere. It made it even more obvious that their table was oddly silent at this moment.

“Look, Ward,” Erin said in weird voice which made Logan glimpse up from his sleeves, “if you do not wish to have a committed relationship that’s fine. Perfectly fine. But if you do want one and squander your possibility because you’re a self-deprecating idiot, you’ll regret it.”

Logan looked back down. It was so easy for her to say that. It was so easy to say things instead of doing them.

But sometimes words were very powerful and he felt it when Patton spoke up: “You will regret it, Logan. And I do not believe you deserve that. Or your soulmate or soulmates for that matter. They really would miss out if they wouldn’t meet you.”

“What?” Logan mumbled perplexed.

Promptly he got hit in the side by Virgil. Reflexively, Logan hit him back and the twins began to snicker at the other side of the table, which led to Virgil laughing as well. Angrily Logan glared over to them. Roman shook her head and winked playfully, which made it rather hard for Logan to stay mad. He tried to remain mad nevertheless.

“Don’t make fun of me! I-” Logan fumed but stopped when he felt Virgil’s hand gently placed on his shoulder.

With a frown he looked to his friend just to look back to Roman a moment later when she said: “We’re not making fun of you. But the philosophers are right; You’re really cool and your soulmate is going to be super lucky to have you as their partner if you want them to be that after you get to know each other. Don’t talk so much shit about yourself! You’re pretty amazing, after all. Right guys?”

And the others agreed with wide grins on their lips. Logan didn’t know how he should feel about that. His mind told him that their reaction might differ if they would know that he was their soulmate. It shouted at him to remember that things were more complicated than they assumed and that their words could not be entirely applied to his situation.

But the problem was that Logan did feel really, really good as he got their approval. It made him feel warm and at peace and at home and he found himself smiling a little as they went back to finish their meals and changed topics for the rest of their lunchbreak.

Maybe all of this would work out fine.

___

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

@mychemically-imbalanced-romance

@whattheremus

[mimssides]

One Spade for five Hearts: Chapter 4

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___

Something was not working at all.

At least that was the conclusion, Virgil had come to after being awake for barely half an hour. Logan was behaving weird. He had yawned three times on their way to school and had yet to explain why he had run away like a maniac yesterday evening.

Virgil really wanted to ask what was going on but Logan had replied to him yesterday, that he was okay. That they would see each other today and it was fine.

But Logan wasn’t fine. He was more jittery and quieter than usual and Virgil made note of it through art, which they had together in the second period in the morning. Art was one of Logan’s least favourite subjects and he usually kept complaining or asking Virgil about the assignments they had but was very quiet today.

And then the worst thing happened. The class got to an end and Logan told him that he had to do something over lunch and their free period and just left him alone. Shock freezing him on the spot Virgil didn’t get a chance to ask what Logan had to do and found himself entering the cafeteria alone for the first time in ages. With a frown and hanging shoulders he walked over to their usual table and sat down on his place at the edge, Logan’s spot next to his right being vacant and making him feel ever so lost.

“Hey Virgil? What is up? And where is Logan?” Patton asked him and tapped on his hand.

Virgil looked up. Janus and the twins were discussing if someone of the gardening club had recognized them or not. Patton was the only one focused on him and Virgil furrowed his brow and put his fork down to stop himself from stabbing his mashed potatoes any further.

“Maybe he hates me.”

“What was that?”

Virgil turned his head to look over to Remus, who frowned deeply at him. And suddenly they all were staring at him and-

Virgil didn’t care. His best friend maybe, most definitely, hated him and he didn’t know what to do without Logan. Like, not in general, he had a life besides him, he had dreams and plans that didn’t involve him but he didn’t want to imagine a future where he wouldn’t have Logan by his side in some way. Where he couldn’t talk with him anymore.

“Logan hates me,” Virgil repeated breathless and stared straight forward to the wall.

Virgil’s arms began to shake and the four others entirely stopped in their conversation and stared at him utterly baffled.

“That escalated quickly,” Janus mumbled and Patton got up from their seat and walked over to Virgil’s side.

Softly, they put their hand on Virgil’s shoulder, trying to discern if that was disturbing Virgil or helped him. It didn’t seem to do either and they softly told Virgil to scoot over a bit so they could sit down. Virgil didn’t budge and instead looked up to Patton.

“No, he hates me. He never- You don’t believe me.”

Virgil looked to the others and his breath began to race. Frantically, he tried to get up but was held down by Patton and Janus, who had somehow managed to react in time. At the same time Remus leaned over the table to hold Virgil by the hand and level his gaze.

“Okay, stormy, let’s all take a breather and then explain to me why Logan, your very best friend since forever, hates you all of a sudden. K?” Remus proposed with in a serious tone.

Virgil barely reacted but didn’t try to escape and slowly started to follow Patton’s breathing instructions. After a few minutes Virgil had calmed down considerably, the twins had scooted up to the top of the table and the five were sitting closer to each other. Patton had their hand put on Virgil’s shoulder and Janus was eying him carefully from the side waiting for him to explain what was worrying him so much.

Virgil frowned and looked down on the table. He didn’t think they really believed him. They wouldn’t listen to-

“Overthinking is not going to get things solved. Let’s figure it out together, Virgey. Come on,” Remus stopped Virgil’s train of thoughts.

And Virgil took a deep breath. He knew that Remus was right. He didn’t like it but it was true and he focused on explaining what was happening.

“Lo has been weird the whole morning,” Virgil started and looked over to Remus who nodded.

Kæ had noticed the same in math when Logan hadn’t reacted to any on kæs jokes and eventually quietly asked kæm if they could just focus on solving the exercises they had been given. It was an unusual behaviour for Logan, but Remus had just guessed that he was a bit tense after yesterday’s action filled rescue mission.

“Additionally,” Virgil continued and looked down into his lap where he fumbled with his hands, “the way he just left was me here … He -”

“Can’t sit alone once in a while, emo?” Janus teased without thinking.

Virgil’s face soured and before Patton, Remus or Roman could scold the Dimond for his mean comment Virgil bit back: “I can and I have, blind eye! It’s not like we’re glued to each other! But usually, he gives me a heads up when he has some work to do or apologizes like twenty times when he’s forgotten to tell me earlier, which happened maybe twice. And he is also not sick, because I know how he gets when he’s sick, so that’s not it either. Which means I’m very much allowed to freak out about him telling me he can’t come to lunch nor our free lesson, when we wanted to do our history project, and then just right up run away from me!”

There was silence between the group. And Virgil’s spirit sank. If he weren’t right Patton would protest. Remus would laugh and Janus would just tsk at his words.

But they didn’t.

“That doesn’t sound like Logan at all,” Roman commented and Virgil looked up.

Roman’s forehead was wrinkled and his look concerned. But he met Virgil’s look steadily and to his surprise said: “I don’t think though this has anything to do with you, Virgil. Of all the people he hangs out with he would never ever abandon you. Like never. I mean, he broke into a building for Rem, and you only know him for like a year and a half. Do you have any idea what he would do for you?”

Virgil wasn’t sure. Logan had helped him a million times in the past. Had made an effort to make him feel comfortable, to stand up for him without making a ruckus. Had helped him feeling comfortable in his own skin.

“What if he has enough of me?”

What if Virgil had asked for too much? What if Logan finally-

“Virgil,” Janus’s voice cut through his thoughts and he looked to the boy next to him, “Logan insisted on needing you yesterday. And yes, he said that because you are quick and your magical abilities were a perfect fit for the situation at hand, but he also said this because he wanted you by his side. You are the only one I know who gets him to publicly smile or grin. I doubt that this is about you.”

Janus didn’t react to the angry look Patton shot him over Virgil’s shoulder. They just concentrated on Virgil and watched the wheels in his head turn. Did he believe him or was he still in his panic spiral?

Janus got his answer after a few long moments when Virgil spoke up: “But he said that he didn’t get in trouble for coming home late. There is no reason for him to be this upset…”

“Do you think he lied about it and his mom got angry at him?” Remus asked.

Kæ had never met Logan’s mother or any of his siblings but he was aware that their household liked ‘order’ and he had heard of a few stories where Logan’s siblings had to do more chores or had gotten grounded for some pranks they pulled.

Virgil shook his head slowly before he stopped.

“I mean, Victoria is strict but I don’t – She wouldn’t- I don’t think she would punish him for-” Virgil stopped himself and suddenly felt a thought strike him.

With a groan he leaned back and pinched the bridge of his nose for a second before he looked to back to the others: “I don’t think she’d punish him for coming late, she more likely was concerned but she might be angry at him for breaking into the building.”

“What are you talking about?” Janus asked scrunching his nose. “Why would he be so stupid to tell his mother that we broke into K?”

“You have no idea of what a terrible liar he is. Or how Victoria looks at you when she wants to know the truth. He might have confessed to it…” Virgil said and bit his lips in worry.

They all had agreed to keep quiet about it yesterday evening before they parted ways. Logan hadn’t been there to hear that but they all had just assumed that he would keep quiet about it anyway. With this possibility now out in the open Remus grew uncharacteristically pale and Patton reached over the table to take kæs hand.

Virgil noticed the reaction, quickly connected the dots and said: “Even if Victoria knows, she’s not going to contact the school or talk with our parents. That’s not how she does things. Also, I doubt that Lo would sell us out. He more likely took all the blame and didn’t tell who was involved.”

Even though Victoria probably knew anyway, who was involved because Logan certainly had mentioned all of them at home and she would make certain to know as much as she could about her youngest’s friends. But Virgil didn’t say that and watched as Remus’s expression relaxed and was exchanged for kæs thinking face. He watched kæm for a few moments before kæs face lit up and kæ snapped kæs fingers.

“You know, if that’s the case then it would make sense why he got so flustered today in math, when I thanked him for helping me yesterday! Like because he felt guilty, right?” Remus said.

Virgil nodded and the group began to discuss how they could talk with him about it, without making him feel bad about him having sold them out to his mother. Remus wanted to just ask him, while Janus and Roman were for a more subtle approach and Patton just wanted to give Logan some time to come clean by himself. Virgil didn’t really like any of the plans but was just relieved that maybe his best friend didn’t hate him after all and ate in relative peace.

Eventually, he would find a way to make Logan talk anyway. He tended to bottle things up for a bit, yes, but it never took him long to break and talk to Virgil about his worries.

___

Logan walked home with Virgil that Thursday. He didn’t say much but Virgil let him do so. He probably just needed more time.

On Friday morning they walked to school, quietly just as they usually did. Common was rather uneventful and Logan and Virgil parted after that, since Virgil had chosen French and Logan Latin as a second language. When Virgil got out of class to get to the cafeteria, he was not surprised to find a text message from Logan excusing himself for lunch again.

Virgil huffed and ate lunch with the others without Logan once more. They all didn’t like the solemn look on Virgil and tried to cheer him up. To no avail. He knew that forcing Logan would not work and he could be without him for some times. It just made him sad to know that he wanted to be away from Virgil.

But alas, Virgil would give him more time and didn’t pressure him when they met back in physics and kept Remus from asking when they had PE. He also didn’t ask when they walked back home after school. Or when they texted each other good night that evening.

And Virgil didn’t ask over the weekend. He hadn’t gone without texting or talking with Logan for so long in ages and it felt weird to not talk to him in such a long time. Of course, he could manage but somehow, he wished he didn’t have to restrain himself from talking to his best friend.

But Monday came and Logan still wasn’t talking. Once more Logan simply disappeared after biology and Virgil had to get into the cafeteria on his own. To his surprise he found himself only in the company of Remus and Patton and sat down with them with a confused frown.

“Where are the others?” Virgil asked as neither made an effort to explain.

Remus shot him a short look and answered: “Did you forget? The theatre class has the big rehearsal for their play today. Ro and Erin are helping to set it up and get into their roles and stuff. We don’t have to go into our electives, so we can go watch the rehearsal if we want to.”

Virgil blinked a few times. He had absolutely forgotten about that rehearsal. Neither Roman nor Erin had talked about it much on Friday despite both having main roles in the play this year, which was a little usual because both liked to brag about it or just loved to talk theatre among each other. But then again, with the whole Logan situation at hand they may have dialled it back a little just because the mood was a little sombre.

“Oh, yeah,” Virgil finally mumbled and stuck his fork into his food. “Are you going to watch the rehearsal?”

Patton shook their head and Remus explained: “I basically know the whole thing by heart because Ro practises it so much. And I’ll see the whole thing once again anyway when we go to the premiere with our moms. So, we’re gonna do some homework in the meantime. What’s with you?”

Virgil mused about it for a moment when suddenly their history project came into his mind. He and Logan hadn’t spoken about it yet and he really had wanted to have something prepared for the next lesson, which was tomorrow. He did need Logan to prepare this project.

Virgil’s internal turmoil obviously visible on his face Patton gave Virgil a worried look and they asked him: “What is on your mind? Can we help you?”

Virgil pressed his lips together and gulped. He felt like a broken record with as often as he kept bothering his friends because of his worries about Logan. Maybe he should just try to solve this himself.

“It’s about the shield, isn’t it?”

So much for doing stuff by himself.

Downdraught Virgil turned a little to Remus without looking up to kæm and said: “We had teamed up for a project. We haven’t gotten to work on it yet and, uhm-”

“You’re thinking about asking him to come by and work on it,” Remus finished for him and raised kæs eyebrows when Virgil looked up.

As Virgil nodded Remus let out a sigh and told him: “Look, I get that you don’t wanna pressure him but I’m 100% certain that he’ll feel terrible too if he let’s you down with this project. Just message him. It will be fine. We don’t have to talk about why he has been off lately.”

The two black suits looked at each other for a few moments and eventually Virgil glanced down to his phone. He really would be nervous about the project. And he wanted to see Logan again when they weren’t walking home or to school or in class. He wanted his friend back.

“You swear you won’t ask him?” Virgil asked once more and Remus and kæ nodded.

And with that Virgil texted Logan to come over.

___

Logan had forgotten about the history project.

For the first time ever, Logan had absolutely forgotten about the assignment and he knew that that was sign enough that he should have acted sooner. He needed to get back to the group because he simply could not deal with life without his friends. Which was why he didn’t refuse to meet up with Virgil in the free period and was now walking to the little park behind the main building, where Virgil, Remus and Patton would wait for him. He could possibly deal with three of them. Yes, the Phu and the Tings from were not too loud and he could maybe blend them out a little. Remus’s Bonk was harder but maybe kæm being around Patton would make it less loud? Logan really didn’t know how it worked but he had no time to muse about it any longer. He had reached the park and spotted the three sitting at a table beneath a big tree. A few other students were around, which didn’t come as a surprise; it was warm and many used the rehearsal break to work on their assignments. Nevertheless, they were alone at their table and Logan hoped that everything would go well

___

“So, I’ll read the text about the royal family and you about the military revolution?” Virgil asked and Logan nodded already taking out his markers to highlight the important parts.

Remus had kept true to kæs word and didn’t ask anything when Logan sat down to them. Kæ and Patton just said hello to him and were now working through their own assignments.

It was weird. Logan acted a little shier than usually but they easily had been able to fall back into their work pattern, discussed about which part of the texts they wanted to focus and then divided the work in ease.

Virgil was somehow relieved to have his best friend back by his side even though things hadn’t been cleared up yet. For now, he was happy with this and put in his earbuds to listen to some music as he read through his text.

As always, Virgil read through the text a first time without marking anything, before he read it a second time and underlined parts, he deemed relevant and wrote down remarks at parts he didn’t quite understand. The tip of his pencil broke and he put it down to get his sharpener out of his pencil case. As he did so, he caught a glimpse of Logan tapping his fingers on the table. Virgil put his penicil into the sharpener and sharpened it. He put his sharpener back into the pencil case.

And this time he looked a little longer on Logan’s fingers tapping on the table. It was funny how much Logan tended to move around. People always described him as calm and quiet even though he never could sit completely still. It was a trait he absolutely shared with both twins and Virgil found that quite amusing considering how different all three were.

But that thought suddenly was lost to Virgil as he realized something very unordinary about Logan’s tapping.

He was tapping along the beat of Virgil’s music, which was slightly audible through his earbuds.

Which meant Logan could hear music and at once everything about his weird behaviour began to make sense.

With a big smile Virgil looked at his best friend who promptly looked up, first seemingly confused but then realizing what his fingers where doing and immediately flushing dark red.

“You can hear music!” Virgil squeaked and pulled his earbuds out of his ears.

“You’ve found your soulmate!”

___

Logan was fucked. So, so fucked.

Of course, Virgil would figure it out. How could he not, when Logan even tapped his fingers to the beat of Virgil’s music? It also didn’t help that the Phu began to play a very upbeat and quick melody now, which somehow made Logan fluster even more.

“Soulmate?”

Logan frantically looked over to Remus, who had asked and tried to not freak out, as the Bonks grew a little quieter and messy. He didn’t even dare to look over to Patton; their Tings too sounded a little messy, but started to get into a more upbeat and quick melody just like Virgil’s.

“You have a soulmate curse?” Patton asked excitedly and Logan felt his heartbeat speed up.

Yes, and it’s all of you!, Logan’s heart shouted just as excitedly but Logan blended that out. Tears shot up in his eyes and he stiffened on his seat, feeling utterly overwhelmed.

“Lo? Hey, Lo. It’s okay. No need to freak out. Here, take a sip,” Virgil’s voice suddenly reached him and Logan was handed a bottle of water.

With jittery hands he unscrewed the lid and took a few sips before he handed it back to Virgil. He only shortly managed to look him into the eyes, seeing him gently smiling with a little concern shimmering through.

“Thanks,” Logan managed to say and stared back down on the table.

“I am still confused?” Remus said.

Logan understood the sentiment. Virgil tapped on his hand and Logan just gave a quick nod, knowing he would explain for him.

“Lo’s family has a soulmate curse on them, where they can’t hear any music until they and their soulmate experience a moment of harmony. It’s a pretty rare and old one, right Lo?”

“Yes. Neither my father, nor any of my siblings can hear music. As far as I am aware, none of my father’s relative, who are affected of the curse, can hear music. Apparently, it has been centuries since it last got fulfilled,” Logan explained with a flat voice.

“And you broke it?” Remus asked still sounding slightly confused but a little clearer. “Is that what made you act so weird the last days? But why? What’s bad about finding out who your soulmate is?”

“Because it’s complicated, an unconventional situation which I have no references for and I am bad with emotions. I cannot possibly make them happy and there are far more suitable and fun options available than me,” Logan countered hoping not to sound too desperate.

By the sudden harmony change of his friends’ instruments, he gathered that he had not succeeded. He didn’t dare to look up, almost seeing Patton and Remus exchanging a look and Virgil observing him in worry. This was not what he wanted. He wasn’t ready yet to confess. He didn’t know what to say, what he really wanted and who he could justify what he wanted from them.

“Them?”

Logan’s heart stood still, as he heard Virgil repeat what he had just said.

“Do you have several soulmates or do you just not wanna tell us?”

___

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

( @frawkeye - you liked the pictures of the AU, but if you don’t want to be tagged for the story just tell me^^)

[mimssides]

One Spade for five Hearts: Chapter 1

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___

Warning: Talk about transition, periods and dysphoria.

___

A usual Tuesday.

 ■ Waking up 07:30.

□ Leaving the house on 08:30.

□ Math from 08:30 to 10:00.

□ Break from 10:00 to 10:30.

□ Spades History from 10:30 to 12:00.

□ Lunch break from 12:00 to 13:15.

□ Chemistry from 13:15 to 14:45.

□ Break from 14:45 to 15:00.

□ Fencing from 15:00 to 16:30.

□ Arrival at home 17:00.

□ Doing homework until dinner at 18:30.

□ Finishing homework until 21:00.

□ Getting ready for bed 22:00.

□ Going to sleep 22:30.

Logan Ward was as organized as ever. He had to be. He was a Ward after all. Which was why he looked over his list again before crossed off the second checkpoint.

 ■ Leaving the house on 08:30.

He called his mother goodbye over his shoulder and left the house. Quickly, he walked down the driveway, waving to Virgil who was already waiting with his bike for him. As usual he looked tired, was slightly bobbing along the music of his headphones, music Logan couldn’t hear, and only after a few seconds returned the wave of his oldest friend.

As usual Logan joined Virgil and they silently walked to school. As usual Logan thought that Virgil was ridiculous for taking his bike with him even though he wouldn’t drive it. As usual Logan didn’t mention these thoughts because, despite it being illogical, he was happy to walk alongside Virgil.

 ■ Math from 08:30 to 10:00.

His first class in the day. Virgil was in a different course than him, so they parted before the class started and Logan found himself in the company of Remus Butkus. A terribly smart Club, who had no sense of decency and tact. And while he liked algorithms and geometry well enough, he had to admit that with kæm they were expansionally more interesting with the freckled redhead by his side.

 ■ Break from 10:00 to 10:30.

Meeting up with Virgil again and telling Remus goodbye until lunch.

 ■ Spades History from 10:30 to 12:00.

Usual class. They were to do a group project about the history of Spades before the equality treat had been signed 600 years ago. Virgil was his partner, as usual, and they would meet up in Thursday after class to talk about the details, as they usually did when they had a group project.

 ■ Lunch break from 12:00 to 13:15.

At lunch Logan and Virgil re-joined with Remus. Kæ had brought kæs boyfriend Patton along. They smiled at the two Spades before they kissed Remus and started talking about their day. As usual they asked Virgil how his day went and Logan greeted N (apparently going by Janus today judging by the bowler hat on their head) and Roman, Remus’s twin.

As usual Janus made a snarky remark about Patton’s all too positive attitude and Remus laughed at kæs boyfriend’s pout but helped them defend themself against Janus’s bickering. As usual Roman –

No, Roman did not get involved into the quarrel for once. He was uncharacteristically quiet and Logan shot him a look. The otherwise always boisterous boy looked figuratively down and almost seemed to have waited for Logan to acknowledge him. Confused Logan was about to ask what was going on, when Roman pointed to Logan’s phone. Logan looked down to it and unlocked the screen. On the lock screen a message from Roman was showing and Logan silently read:

Roman Butkus:

you have pads? frogt mine at home

Logan looked back up to Roman. Gave him a short nod and stood up from the table. Virgil shot him a funny look and Logan simply said, as he took out his little necessity bag from his satchel: “I need to go to the bathroom.”

“I’m coming too!” Roman announced immediately and was already on his feet following Logan leaving the cafeteria.

Logan walked quick and did not look back, knowing perfectly well that Roman could keep up with him. And not a moment later, the shorter boy walked next to him, arms folded over his chest. He looked uncomfortable and Logan suspected that he might have been wearing his binder too long or that he felt more sensitive during his period or in the worst-case scenario both.

Finally, they made it to the bathroom and entered. Logan quickly walked along the stalls and checked if they were alone, which was the case, and then took out a pad of his little necessity bag and handed it to Roman. Grateful Roman took it and disappeared in one of the stalls, as Logan leaned back against the wall waiting for Roman to finish.

They didn’t need to be secretive about having periods. Everybody knew and they were generally accepted. But Logan understood quickly after getting to know Roman that he tended to struggle with some parts of his body when he didn’t feel like he was a woman. For himself that was not the case but he understood that gender was different for everybody and he would do anything to support Roman in the way he could and needed to.

“Fuck.”

Logan’s train of thought was broken. Roman’s tone sounded watery and Logan got alarmed.

“What is it?” Logan asked not quite certain if he was approaching this the right way.

“I – I uh, fuck.”

Roman was definitely crying and Logan walked up to the closed stall door. He just stood there and waited, not knowing if there was anything he could even say.

“Blood got onto my jeans. I – I -”

Roman broke off and Logan heard some small sobs. He sighed and opened the little necessity bag again. Silently, he crouched down and slid a little package through the slit close the stall door.

“It is okay, Roman,” Logan said trying to sound soothing. “It happens. It happens to me too sometimes. If you open the package, you’ll find a cleaning cloth. It’s enhanced to get blood out of the fabric, so no one will notice.”

Logan listened to the movement inside the stall, heard the package being opened and how Roman apparently cleaned his jeans. There were still some sniffles but Logan felt himself relax.

A minute went by and you could hear Roman flush. Logan awaited him coming out but Roman let him wait.

“Thank you so much… I’m sorry for making you wait here with me,” Roman finally said.

Logan frowned and looked at the door as if he could send a look through the wall. But knowing that he could not do that he instead said: “It is quite alright, Roman. Periods are not the most comfortable topic among our peers, even if they are cis girls. It is okay to struggle with it. Just try to remember that is normal and that you do not have to be ashamed of having the parts you have.”

A sniffle.

“I’m trying. But dysphoria is mean… You don’t have to answer but do you have it sometimes? Do you sometimes think your body is wrong a little? Not really you?”

Logan looked up to the ceiling and mused for a moment.

“I don’t think so. I am fine with how I look. But that might also be because I never had to wear things I did not want to. That my parents didn’t had me have long hair or anything. It does have its perks to have an older sibling who came out as nonbinary when they were twelve, I guess.”

“You wear a binder, though?”

“I do sometimes, yes. I do so today and I probably should change out if it now, but I do not do so because of dysphoria. I just like how I look with a flat chest. Which is not that hard to accomplish with my cup size, I presume.”

A little snort.

“You’re quite lucky, Ward. Quite lucky indeed.”

The stall door was opened and Roman washed his hands. Looking at Logan through the mirror he continued: “Not that I’m jealous of you. It’s not like we could influence it. And quite honestly, some days I have the feeling that I am way more into being trans than you are. Like, it’s so fun to tell teachers that they are actually wrong and I use she/her or he/him today. Still, I’m stoked for when I finally evoke my powers and get to transition. It will be awesome!”

Logan grinned a little and shrugged his shoulders before Roman fully turned around, leaning against the sink and asked: “Do you wanna transition once your powers show? Like top surgery and stuff?”

“I don’t think that I want top surgery, but I am thinking about hormone magic, so my voice gets deeper. I think, that would be the one thing that sometimes puts me off a little. Also, I might grow a beard and that sounds pretty appealing to me.”

Roman laughed and the tiny gap between his front teeth was showing just in the way Logan liked it. It suited Roman far more than the sad expression from before. And then he suddenly stepped closer to Logan, his heart skipping a beat, and he tapped on Logan’s shirt with a grin.

“And don’t you think, I didn’t notice you trying to manipulate me to take off my binder, smart cookie!” Roman teased with a grin. “I will change out of it after the next period and you don’t have to change out of yours just to make me do it. I feel fine. Promise.”

Logan cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck. A little flustered he looked to the side and mumbled: “That is reassuring. Thank you.”

And then Roman gave him a hug, took him by the hand and led them back into the cafeteria, talking about some nice outfits he had seen the last time he had been in the mall. It all went down a little too quickly for Logan but in the end he didn’t care. Roman was in good spirits again and that was all what mattered to Logan. When they joined back at the table Janus asked Roman if he was alright, which Roman confirmed and gave Logan a little wink.

“Flirting with the shovel knight? That will work out perfectly fine, won’t it?” Janus teased and Roman laughed but hit them on his upper arm.

“Since when are you playing video games, Mx. Technology-Has-Its-Limits-And-No-Flair?” Virgil inquired deadpanned and a series of mocking insults got exchanged between Janus and Virgil until their lunch break neared its end.

 ■ Chemistry from 13:15 to 14:45.

Virgil, Remus and Logan left the lunch table together and got into one of the few classes they all shared together. Nothing unusual came to be, expect for Remus somehow enhancing one of the mixtures they made so it sparkled and smelled terrible. At least it did not explode this time.

 ■ Break from 14:45 to 15:00.

Virgil broke off the group to get to track training, while Logan and Remus went to change for fencing practice.

 ■ Fencing from 15:00 to 16:30.

The usual training. Remus got closer beating him today. But not yet.

 ■ Arrival at home 17:00.

Virgil had met up with Logan after training and the two said goodbye to Remus and leisurely walked towards their respective homes. They arrived at 16:52 in front of Logan’s house, as usual and talked for a few minutes before Logan needed to get inside and wished Virgil a pleasant evening despite knowing fully well, they would text later tonight.

 ■ Doing homework until dinner at 18:30.

Taking a shower after fencing practice. Then homework. Finishing up an essay for Common tomorrow.

 ■ Finishing homework until 21:00.

Dinner was fine. They had noodles and green salad. Father wasn’t coming home today and Grey was staying out later due to a trainings exam he had. Logan didn’t mind. He managed to finish his homework around 20:34 and began to prepare for the night.

 ■ Getting ready for bed 22:00.

Logan had sent the last text to Virgil for the night and laid out his clothes for tomorrow. Comfortably, he packed his backpack and then went to brush his teeth, and clean whatever had been stuck in his braces before heading to bed.

 ■ Going to sleep 22:30.

Finally, Logan took of his glasses and turned the light off. It wasn’t entirely dark in his room though. There were stars glowing at his ceilings, playful little gadgets, his father had hung up there for his seventh birthday. Logan didn’t feel like taking them off yet and closed his eyes.

A usual day, he thought. Well, maybe not, he corrected himself. Since the twins, Patton and N had bullied their ways into his routine, had become part of his routine, he was never as sure as he used to be that his days would follow a certain pattern. A clearly laid-out path that he had thoughtfully created for himself over the years.

But maybe unusual, was not so bad after all, Logan Ward thought as he fell asleep.

___

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[mimssides]

Simpy Remus😌

[ID: Digital Drawing of Remus Butkus and Logan Ward. They stand in a gym hall in in different grey shades. Logan stands in a fencing pose holding an epee and pointing it left out of the picture. He looks serious and is wearing a white t-shirt, black training suit pants and blue sneakers. His hair is held back with a blue head band. Remus stands behind him to the right. Kæ looks at him with big eyes and an obvious blush, while holding kæs epee in kæs right hand. Kæ is wearing a white fencing suit, red shoes and a rainbow head band. End ID.]

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[mimssides]

Kissy boys😌♣️♥️

[ID: Digital drawing of Remus Butkus and Patton Gygax. They are holding onto each other and Patton is kissing Remus on kæs cheek as Remus holds their head in front of s mint green background. Remus is wearing a pale green pullover, which leaves kæs shoulders visible and dark green pants. Kæ is smiling with closed eyes and blushing. Patton is wearing a dark blue crop top and a pale blue skirt. Their eyes are closed as well and they are blushing happily. ID End]

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[mimssides]

Work out hours😏

[ID: Digital drawing from Patton Gygax and Remus Butkus. Remus is doping squats with Patton over kæs shoulder. Kæ hold onto them on their left wrist and their left ankle and Patton is holding onto kæs right elbow with their right. Remus is concentrated and has kæs eyes closed. Kæ is only wearing dark green shorts. Patton is staring at Remus and blushing heavily. They are wearing a pink crop top and yellow shorts with pale yellow dots on them. End ID.]

@varthandi

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[mimssides]

simpy Logan 5

[ID: Digital drawing of Logan Ward and Remus Butkus. They are in a changing room. Remus stands in the front, just having showered and thus only wearing a towel around kæs hips. Kæ is angrily talking to someone off screen, smiling manically and gesticulating with both hands. Logan sits on the bench in the background, hands both on the bench and his shoulders slightly pulled up as he stares at kæm and is heavily blushing and presses his mouth together. He is wearing blue boxers shorts and a matching sports bra and his hair is more tussled than usually. End ID]

@varthandi

@sickeningly-deceitful

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

[mimssides]

Suits AU: Did any of the parents have adventures of their own? Do they have any interesting connections their kids might not know or realize? Or just spend this ask talking about whatever you're most excited about!

So Theresa and Emroy know each other because Theresa was supposed to become part of the city guard (her dad pressured her) and was really good at it. Emroy just started his training and was designated to be mentored by her when she quit.

Theresa and Isobel met soon after and are pretty alternative which is why they had the twins go into a lot of mixed schools, so they learnt from the other suits. They are very adventurous in general but have settled down a little because the twins are a lot of work 😉😅

The Caron‘s know the Wards quite well because Logan and Virgil have always clung to each other and they had the other kid over all the time.

The Gygax‘s are a lower middle class. Johann is working as a cook and Susanna is a nurse and they work a lot and are not home a lot of the time, wich is why Patton has to babysit their little brother a lot^^ (Also the relationship between Patton and their mother is a bit strained because she doesn’t like Remus that much)

Evelyn died when Janus was still young and since then Mortimer is very overprotective of Janus because he doesn’t want to lose them as well. Because of that he knows the Butkus mo,s, as he needs to know where his kid is spending their freetime. They get along very well and Mortimer has even helped Roman to talk to his moms when he struggled to come out as bigender to them.