Chapter Text
It was no secret in the mindscape that Logan was a filter of sorts, for Remus. These days, Logan would often be awake late at night with the dark sides, watching them, waiting for them to do something, anything. In hindsight, Logan knew he didn't have too. knowing that Virgil would most likely wake him up at night if it came to it. Logan however didn't see a point in it anymore. He didn't see the point in being awake in the day with the light sides if he was just going to be woken up because of something the dark side did. He was the only one who could talk them out of whatever scheme they were planning. No, this was just easier, and it allowed him the optimal sleep needed to still function.
Since he started staying awake with the dark sides there were quite a few things he noticed about them. The first being that Virgil didn't actually stay up that late. 11 pm was usually the latest he would go to sleep. Oftentimes Logan would nod at the younger side as he went to bed with a bottle of water in hand. “Good night virgil.” Logan would nod. “Goodnight Logan.” Virgil would always reply back with a wave.
The second thing he noticed was that Janus never came out of his room until he heard everyone go to bed. That first night was quite awkward between the two. Janus had assumed everyone was asleep and finally came out of his room to get a new book and something to eat. What he wasn't expecting was for Logan to be wide awake at the kitchen table with his laptop and what looked like color coded files sitting next to him. Unfortunately for Janus he was noticed before he could quickly leave the room. Logan looked up, the light from his laptop illuminating his face. “Janus, I wasn't expecting you to be awake yet.” Logan said as he stared at the snake side. Janus shrugged and walked to a cabinet and pulled out a coffee cup.
“Do you want the light on? I can turn on the stove light?” Logan had asked as he was about to move. “No thank you, I can see fine.” Janus paused before saying. “I prefer it dark.” Logan nodded and went back to his work as Janus continued to make himself a snack.
Janus laid a small plate of fudge bars next to Logan. “I made them, you might like them.” Janus said before he walked out of the kitchen, a light blush tinted on his face. The other might have been hesitant or flat out refused the sweet treat but Logan did not. Instead he picked one up and took a bite. If he were to be honest, they tasted better than Patton's.
It wasn't until Logan was going to bed the next morning that he realized Janus didn't lie.
The final thing he noticed, and the whole reason he stayed up at night, was Remus. Logan's internal clock had finally reset to have him waking up more regularly at night. It was one such night that he saw Remus sitting at the kitchen table in the dark, alone. It looked like he was writing vigorously on a sheet of paper. His tongue stuck out in concentration. Logan's eyes were trying and failing to adjust to the darkness, instead he resided in turning on the kitchen light, startling Remus in the process.
“Remus?” Logan asked as light enveloped the kitchen. Surprisingly to Logan Remus squeaked and moved the pages closer to him with wide eyes pointed to Logan. Logan tilted his head but didn't say anything as he made his way towards the coffee pot. Remus' eyes never leave Logan's form.
It wasn't until his cup of coffee was finally done that he turned around to face Remus. “What are you working on?” Logan asked and Remus shrugged, not saying anything. “Can I take a look?” Logan asked and Remus perked up. “No one ever wants to see my stuff.” Remus finally replied as the tension in his shoulders left him. “Well I do.” Logan said as he sat across from Remus. “What about Janus?” Logan asked as he sat down his coffee mug. Remus shrugged again as he looked at what he was writing. “What about all that stuff you said about taking my suggestions as contributions?” Remus mumbled. “Well, honestly I can't really say much considering how the only experience I actively have with your suggestions are from the one instance you had of Joan.” Logan replied before taking a sip of his coffee.
“ just One instance. . .” Remus mumbled again looking deep in thought before disappearing, leaving his pages behind. Logan tilted his head and sighed. He moved to look at what was written but the pages disappeared before he was able to. Logan sighed and shrugged as left the kitchen with his coffee in hand. Turning off the light and once again enveloping the room in darkness.
After his first taste of the dark sides Logan could honestly say that he was intrigued by everything else he could learn about them. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a yellow and a green file. Out of another drawer he pulled out yellow and green lined paper and a simple black pen. Logan first started to write on the yellow paper of everything he learned so far about Janus
Comes out after everyone goes to bed
Prefers darkness
Can bake?
Once he wrote that down he turned to the green paper and started to write everything he knew so far about Remus.
Prefers darkness?
Logan was honestly disappointed that he knew next to nothing about the two dark sides. He sighed as he leaned back in his chair looking between the two files. “Well, I suppose this is a start.” Logan said to no one but himself.
After a while the two dark sides got used to having Logan awake with them at night. Though just because they were used to it, didn't necessarily mean they trusted him. It was very rare when Janus and Remus let their guard down in front of Logan. More often than not, Logan would just happen to walk in on them with their guards down. This was such a time.
Logan had originally planned to stay in his room for most of the night to catch up on work that Thomas put off doing. . . Again. Shortly after Virgil went to bed Logan went out of his own room to refill his coffee then get back to work. Plans changed however, when he made his way downstairs and into the living room. What he saw was not what he was expecting.
Remus sat on the floor in front of the coffee table writing vigorously much like the first night Logan saw him. Next to Remus, Janus sat facing the green side with one leg tucked under him and the other stretched out behind Remus. There were two mugs on the table along with chocolate wafers sitting on a plate. Janus was already eating one while he looked over Remus' shoulder to look at what he was writing. “you could do better on that.” Janus said as he took a bit of food and pointed to the paper. “Thanks.” Remus replied and Janus nodded. “Are you going to whisper it into his ear again?” Janus asked as he continued to eat. Remus shrugged and picked up a wafer for himself. “I'll probably have to.”
“What are you writing?” Logan asked once he reached the bottoms of the stairs. Janus and Remus quickly looked up, both startled by the newcomer. “I apologize, I didn't mean to startle you.” Logan said not moving from his place by the stairs. Janus and Remus sighed. “What are you two working on?” Logan asked with a tilt of his head. “Nothing important.” Remus said as he pulled the papers closer to him. “Well if it's something I can assist with, then by all means you can share.” Logan replied as he started to walk into the main room. “It's nothing, really, it's fine.” Remus said and Janus sucked in a deep breath as he briefly closed his eyes. “Sorry.” Remus muttered not meeting the others' eyes.
Logan looked between the two before sighing and leaving them in favor of getting a cup of coffee. Logan could hear the two were whispering to each other but couldn't make out the words. Logan finished his coffee and made his way through the main room and paused at the bottom of the stairs. He turned around to look at the two dark sides. “I know I'm not virgil, but if there's anything I can help you two with, all you have to do is ask.” Logan said before he turned back to the stairs.
That wasn't the only instance of Logan catching them off guard. For it was just a few days later that a similar situation came up between the three.
Filming days were always fun for the sides, because that meant that Thomas was feeling well enough to create! It was no secret to Logan that Roman got overly excited and rambunctious during those times. What Logan didn't know was that the other half of creativity got much the same way as his counterpart.
Logan had already told Thomas the night before that his parts would have to be filmed after everyone else. “I mean I'm fine with that but your parts are going to have to be filmed with Janus and Remus, are you ok with that?” Thomas replied as he held onto the newest script. Logan nodded. “Of course, I have no problems with that.” Thomas nodded back, “then I'll let Virgil know that he'll be with Roman and Patton instead of you.” Logan left after that short conversation, now that he was down stairs with the two dark sides, he regretted his decision. . . almost.
He sat behind the camera next to Janus as Remus stood in front of the camera. “You're on Remus.” Janus had said and Remus nodded. “THIS IS OUR EAT ME OUT CAKE!” Remus had said. “No!” Janus replied looking exasperated as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Logan had done much the same as he shook his head. “What?” Remus asked, looking genuinely confused, though the other two sides knew it was an act. “That's not what this is Remus. I told you that already.” Janus replied back. “I- what- that is what you told me this was!”
“Well now I don't know if anything I prepared is appropriate for this video!” Remus continued to say as he walked off with a sigh. “What- Remus what did you prepare?” Logan asked as he leaned forward in his chair. Remus turned around to look at Logan with a smirk. Logan looked over to Janus who threw his hands up in defense. “Don't look at me, I don't know what he has.” Janus replied as he stood up and walked up the stairs following Remus. Logan sighed as he looked at the rewritten script.
It was the end of filming and Logan was thoroughly regretting the decision to film with these two. “Alright well, if this cake is still here by the time I get back I'm fucking it.” Remus said as he walked off the camera again. Logan sighed. “So is this what you meant by whispering another one of your ideas into Romans ear?” Logan asked as he stood up to put away the filming equipment. Remus shrugged. “Possibly, what does it matter anyways.” Remus shrugged as he leaned on the counter.
“Nothing really but there could have been an easier way to handle it. For instance, when I first asked what you were working on, you could have told me and I would have let Roman know.” Janus looked between the two sides waiting for what Remus would say hoping that he wouldn't go off on an intrusive thought rampage. “As you can see Thomas liked this idea and went along with it-” Remus cut Logan off. “Only because it came from prince pissy.” Remus replied as he motioned up the stairs with a roll of his eyes. Logan sighed and smacked his hand on the table, he turned to the dark side.
“You yourself have told Thomas, and I quote, ‘if you want to challenge your viewership, then you need to stop limiting me’.” Logan sighed again before turning away from the two. “It's why I went to the two of you before the others when I was trying to figure out how to help Thomas' financial state.” Logan replied in almost a whisper.
“Patton wouldn't agree, saying that it's too much to ask for the fans, Virgil would follow behind Patton because of his own fears and worry of being rejected again and Roman. . .” Logan paused and shook his head before turning back to the dark sides. “You two offered a different point of view to Thomas that the other three wouldn't be able to achieve. Patreon helped him in the end. And while yes, I did agree with the fact that only-fans would be too much for Thomas to handle, I did so with good reason.” Logan started to walk away again before stopping at the bottom of the stairs. “So when I tell you, you can come to me for help, I do so with the knowledge that I would go to the two of you for that same help.” With that said Logan left the dark side to their own devices.
It took awhile for Logan to calm down after he went to his room. He was starting to think this was a lost cause. I mean, trying to understand the dark sides, what was he thinking? Logan sighed as he pulled out a yellow file and a green file. Since that first night neither one has been updated, which was almost a month ago. He was almost tempted to throw them both away and go back to his original waking hours when he heard a knock on his door. He stood up with a sigh and opened his door. He looked down to see Janus staring back at him.
You see even though they all looked the same outside the mindscape, it was much different inside the mind. They all looked different with Janus being the shortest of them all. A fact that Janus quite frankly hated.
“Remus doesn't know how to apologize, quite frankly neither do I; but he wants to talk to you and so do I. That's honestly the best you're going to get from us.” Janus said after a small beat of silence. Logan nodded and stepped out of his room, closing the door gently behind him. The two walked down stairs and Logan could see Remus sitting on the floor with papers sitting in front of him on the coffee table. He looked up at the two as they walked in. Janus sat next to Remus and Logan sat in front of the two.
“You want to help?” Remus asked after a moment of silence. Logan nodded. “Then help.” Remus replied as he pushed a file closer to Logan. Logan picked up the file and read what was written inside
‘Top ten wrong times to narrator people's lives’
Logan looked at the script closer and his eyebrows creased. He looked up at Remus. “He gets pepper sprayed?” Logan asked and Remus nodded with his head down. Completely unlike what he usually is in the day when he bothers and harasses the other sides. “Well he can't actually get pepper sprayed, but I'm sure with a few modifications I can work with this to give to Thomas so he can film it at a later date. I do the same thing with Romans scrips. It gets filtered through me although I will admit he's better at keeping things neat.” Logan said as he looked between the two dark sides. Remus nodded and Janus took his hand interlocking their fingers. Logan noticed the small gesture, trying to ignore the jealous pit in his stomach.
“Janus, is there anything you need from Thomas?” Logan asked as he looked at said man. He looked surprised at the question but also looked to be in thought for a moment. “He needs a self care day some time soon. He's tired, I'm sure you've noticed.” Janus replied smoothly and Logan nodded. “I can schedule the time in. No promises that it will be soon. What I can start doing is scheduling the time in for a full day once a month from now on.” Janus nodded with a smile. “Thank you. That would help him and me a lot.” Logan nodded this time in response. “Is there anything else you two need from me?” Logan asked as he looked between the two. Both shook their heads.
“Very well, I have a schedule to revise, I'll see you both tomorrow night.” Logan said as he stood up with the video idea. “Night?” Janus asked with creased eyebrows. Logan turned to look at him much the same way. “Yes, I've been finding myself awake more at night recently.”
“Why?” Janus asked and Logan stared back. He sighed knowing it would be useless to try and lie to Janus. “I'd be lying to you if I said I didn't have a motivation behind it but I do.” Janus perked up and looked at Logan curiously. “He needs someone to help be a filter.” Logan continued as he motioned Remus who also hesitantly looked at Logan. “Every thought you have is pure and unfiltered by logic and morals. All thoughts that you have ultimately get filtered through me and then again through Patton. Changing my schedule around helps get them to Thomas before they get to Patton." Logan shrugged. “Admittedly, I wish it would be filtered through Patton and then me-” Remus cut Logan off. “Why!? Because they're that bad?!” He asked bitterly.
Logan shook his head. “No. Because just about everything Patton gets from me he completely discards.” Logan paused. “It's part of the reason why it took so long for Thomas to realize he's gay.” The two looked shocked at that. “I went above Patton and took your thoughts, myself, to Thomas.” Logan continued to explain as they sat listening to his every word. “Admittedly, it was harder since Janus is supposed to hide and hold onto what Thomas doesn't want to know but-” Logan sighed. “It got to him eventually.” He shrugged once again as he looked between the two again.
“I'm sorry.” Janus said as he tightened his grip on Remus. Logan shook his head. “It's your job. Just as it is my job to find the logic in every situation that may occur. Just as it is Remus' job to give Thomas the creative thoughts needed for the more extreme. . . Aspects of his life.” Logan nodded at them.
“Extreme aspects?” Remus asked with a snicker. Logan sat on the couch now realizing it might be a longer night than what he expected. “Yes, intrusive thoughts. What has been labeled as forbidden thoughts.” Logan paused for a moment, trying to find an explanation. “Sexual content being one of them.” Remus blushed and looked away as Janus snickered. “You have no idea.” Replied Janus with a smirk.
“Jokes, innuendo, so on and so forth. I'm sure sexual thoughts and actions are part of that as well. They sure don't come from Roman.” Logan shook his head. “He's passion, he controls and contributes to the thing leading up to the actions but not the actions themselves.”
“I never thought of it like that.” Remus replied looking deep in thought. “Your useful Remus, just as much as the rest of us.” Logan replied before standing up and leaving the two alone.
Janus looked at Remus. “Are you ok?” He asked as he laid a hand on his back. “I think I'm in love.” Remus replied as he looked at Janus who laughed in response.