Work Text:
“No.” Mr. D hissed, forcing a frown on his face as he tried to glare at Logan, “Absolutely not.” He bent forwards and hardened his glare, cupping Logan’s cheeks in one hand and smushing them together slightly, “Who gave you permission,” he groaned, “to be this cute?” He sighed and dropped his hand from Logan’s cheeks, “Fine.” He consented. Logan’s face took a moment to catch up.
“Wait? Really???” He gasped, “You’re saying yes? That’s a yes, right? No? I mean if you don’t really want to. But that’s a yes?” He was practically bursting with anticipation. Mr. D chuckled, and ruffled the boy’s hair,
“Yes! Alright? It’s a yes, now, go get your shoes on for heaven’s sake!” He shoed the boy off, watching him scurry away. Mr. D smiled after him,
“Awwwwww, someone’s got a soft spot!” He turned to see a grinning Roman, standing in the doorway with both hands clasped over his heart. Janus’ expression dropped into a glare,
“Aren’t you proud of yourself over teasing someone like you’re seven?” Roman raised his hands in surrender,
“Hey, I don’t blame you.” He laughed, “Logan has us all wrapped around his finger and, if he ever learns about that, he could singlehandedly bring down our entire career.” Mr. D rolled his eyes,
“I don’t think he’s malicious enough to end out careers.” Roman chuckled,
“He’d want us to think that, but I’m seriously concerned Remus is beginning to influence him.” With this statement, as if summoned by the casual mention of his name, Remus fell past the window with a maniacal laugh and vanished from their sight. The two men stared out the window in silence for a moment before the sound of Virgil shouting could be heard.
“Oh, dear…” Janus muttered, rubbing his forehead with one hand, “Regardless of who’s influencing who, do you think you’ll be able to handle Remus for a few hours?” Roman raised his eyebrows,
“I grew up with him, I think I know how to handle my brother.” Janus offered him a small smile,
“I can only imagine what it was like.” Roman shrugged,
“Don’t bother, we weren’t close. Took a lot of people to show me that my brother can be my best friend.” Janus nodded,
“Yes, well, I’m glad you two have ‘kissed and made up’ after all these years.” He glanced at the door as Logan came back in, “Sometimes a common cause is all we need to see eye to eye again.” Logan beamed up at them,
“Hi, Uncle Roman! I’m ready, Uncle Janus!” Roman’s own eyes sparkled as he took in Logan’s expression. Just a few months ago, he would’ve been baffled if Logan had seemed so bright and happy but now it was something he treasured every day.
“Where are you two off to, then?” He asked Logan, drawing the lad’s attention.
“Oh, Uncle Janus is taking me to see that new bookstore that just opened and then he said we could go to the butterfly gardens and then there’s a café that Patton wants pictures of so we’re going there for him and then we have to stop by the grocery store and get some more vitamin C for Uncle Remus.” Logan listed with growing eagerness, “Can we go now? Please?” Mr. D smiled down at him before directing his gaze to Roman,
“May we, Roman?” The fashionista laughed warmly,
“Yes!” He shooed at them, “By all means, go and enjoy yourselves!” Logan needed no further prompting, snatching Mr. D’s hand and dragging him off.
Mr. D’s driving was much calmer than Remus’ and it was something that caught Logan off guard every time he rode with him. He was almost used to the swerving and the jerks that came with every trip with Remus. Now, however, he glanced at Mr. D as he drove the speed limit and listened to one of those therapeutic affirmation tapes on repeat. It was strange to see the man out of his usual suit and bowler hat. Instead, he was arrayed in a simple black polo shirt that was tucked into his dark blue jeans. The look was completed by his plain black belt and the brown baseball cap that helped to conceal his face somewhat. He shot a side look at Logan and smiled,
“What are you thinking about?” He asked. Logan blinked thoughtfully,
“I supposed I was thinking about how different you look not in your slacks and vest and all that.” Mr. D chuckled,
“Yes, I feel odd myself.” Logan shook his head,
“It’s not odd or bad…just different.” Janus smiled at him, reaching over and ruffling his hair.
“Alright, a few more minutes and we’re there.” He promised as he flipped on his blinker and turned right.
The bookstore was small but neat. The entire interior took fantasy and put it in reality. Logan stared in awe at the decorations that brought parts of his favorite worlds to life. Mr. D watched the childish awe and felt his own heart ache. Logan, nearly fifteen now, wasn’t someone who “acted his age” and the reasons were understandable. Finally in a family and environment that allowed him to be safe and happy had also given him the time to be the child that he wasn’t allowed to be with anyone else. Virgil was similar but Logan was more openly “childish”. He liked to be cuddled and carried and to be treated like a young boy (this was made more possible by his petite build and slim figure). Such behavior made Janus believe the lad was trying hard to make up for the years he never got. Now, he stuck close to Janus’ side, peering out with wide eyes but keeping one hand secured in Mr. D’s. He pointed things out and chatted about them happily. Janus waited patiently until he was comfortable enough to venture away from him, still staying where he could see the agent. It took less than twenty minutes after that for Mr. D to lose sight of the shy boy. Logan was buried in a book when he did find him again. He was lost in a world of fairies and mermaids where hardships and the horrors he faced were unheard of. Mr. D smiled down at him before calling him softly out of this dreamland. Logan looked up and blinked a few times before seeming to come back to reality. The boy looked somewhat sheepish at getting distracted, but Mr. D merely led him to the front and purchased the book. They climbed back into the car and continued their way. Logan was quiet, reading his book and glancing out the widow occasionally. Dark clouds began to gather overhead, and Mr. D pursed his lips.
“We’ll see where this leads, Logan, but it may be too stormy for us to visit the butterflies today.” Logan looked up as the first big drops began to descend on the car.
Logan stiffened slightly as a flash of lightning and then a crash of thunder filled the air. Janus caught the action and decided. At the next light, he sent a quick text to Patton, informing him that, due to the sudden weather, they were stopping at the grocery store and then coming home. He kept a close eye on Logan and, when the boy began to chew his lip, Mr. D called his attention,
“Read to me.” He said gently. Logan’s eyes snapped to him,
“What?” He asked,
“Your book, read to me. I’d love to hear it.” Logan nodded slightly before cracking the book open again and letting the smell of its new crisp pages fill his nose. He began to read and was almost immediately lost once more in the story.
It wasn’t hard to fall in love with the way that Logan dedicated himself to the story. Each character received their own unique voice and Logan carefully pronounced each new place. It was like he was building the world up in his mind. Mr. D almost envied him for it. The agent had never quite been able to grasp the idea of pictures that came from imagination. He didn’t get images in his head when he read something, which didn’t encourage him to read much. He tuned in and out of the story as he drove, occasionally asking Logan to explain or repeat something. It wasn’t long before they turned into the supermarket’s parking lot. Mr. D, being the person he was, plucked an umbrella out from the back seat and turned let himself out. He hurried around to the other side of the car and covered Logan with the umbrella. Together, they hurried through the rain and entered the store. Logan frowned and shifted uncomfortably as he felt his socks soaking in some of the water. Mr. D sighed and shook the umbrella, sticking it into it’s covering to keep the floors clear. He tucked a basket onto his arm and extended his other hand to Logan. The boy took it readily, already shying away from the noise and strangers.
“Right, just vitamins for Remus.” Janus said to the lad before he led him through the aisles.
As Janus looked through the different vitamins, trying to find one that Remus would actually take, a creeping sensation began to crawl up the back of his neck. He tried to shake it off but couldn’t. The unsettling feeling grew until Logan tugged carefully on his arm. His eyes moved to the lad and then to the figure he was pointing at,
“That woman’s been staring at us for a few minutes, Uncle…do you know her?” Janus’ face, however, had shifted to a cold expression. Logan’s eyes widened and he looked uncertainly around.
“Come on,” Janus said suddenly, grabbing a bottle off the shelf and turning sharply, nearly pulling Logan off his feet, “move quickly, now.” Janus urged, not glancing behind him. Logan stumbled to keep up, but the agent didn’t seem to care for once. The boy wasn’t sure what was happening, and the unknown was quickly turning into panic which was only fueled when the woman began shouting after them,
“Jannie?!” Her voice was loud and scratchy, matching the rest of her. Her hair was gray and curly, moving wildly as she marched after them. She was tall and busty; her lips were an alarming shade of red and her thick high heeled boots made loud clacking noises as she pursued them. “Jannie, I know it’s you, don’t run away from me like that! You owe me an explanation!”
“Don’t stop.” Janus said through gritted teeth, squeezing Logan’s hand a little tighter. Logan’s heart was racing. The woman wasn’t going to stop, he realized. Mr. D seemed to realize it to as he set the bottle down on an empty shelf and pulled Logan through the sliding doors, not stopping to open the umbrella. The woman, however, also abandoned her shopping and overtook them just outside. They stood under the awning; the rain poured behind them as Janus turned to finally face the woman.
“Really?” She snapped, crossing the pavement towards them, “Were you really just going to pretend like you didn’t see me?!” Janus flashed a gritted smile at her,
“Mmmm, yes, in case you were led to believe otherwise.” She didn’t seem to hear this retort as she continued to speak,
“You owe me an explanation, Jannie! Last week, my birthday party, you said you’d be there!” Janus pushed Logan more behind him as the woman continued to invade their personal space.
“If I recall correctly, Grace, I didn’t commit to anything of the sort.” He replied coldly. She waved her hand nonchalantly staring at Logan,
“You don’t recall correctly then. And you shouldn’t call me ‘Grace’ it isn’t proper.” Janus rolled his eyes,
“I personally believe that the title of ‘grand’ is earned. So, no, I shall not resort to calling you Granny or Grandmother or Grandmama or whatever you think is ‘proper’.” Grace looked annoyed,
“Yes, well, I can see you’ve followed in Katie’s footsteps.” Mr. D bristled slightly,
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He growled, voice low and cold. Grace seemed pleased with the reaction as she jabbed a finger at Logan,
“That.” She said pointedly, “You’ve got yourself a kid. What’s wrong with him?” Janus stared in disgusted horror, face going pale with anger as the woman continued, “If he’s yours then there’s definitely something wrong with him. Have you already started filling his head with those lies about Katie yet? I assume so. You were always more of a burden than you were worth. I hope this kid is teaching you that children are all trouble. He really shouldn’t be with someone like you. I know! You two can come with me and we’ll talk about other possible arrangements. I know the mother isn’t in the picture, no one would stay with you.” As she spoke, she reached out and snatched Logan’s other hand. The boy screamed instantly, and Grace dropped the hand like she’d been burned.
When Logan screamed, he scrambled back at the same time. Mr. D lost his grip on Logan’s other hand and there was no holding the boy back. Logan tore away from them, racing out into the rain, dodging cars and other pedestrians that were hurrying to get indoors. The agent’s mind caught up with him a moment later,
“Logan!” He shouted before turning a scathing look onto Grace, “Look what you’ve done! Stay away from us!” As he raced out after the boy, he heard Grace, as always, determined to get in the last word,
“Exactly what I expected from your son!” Janus cursed her over and over in his head as he ran.
The rain got in his eyes, seeing out into the parking lot was nearly impossible. Quickly, he tried to think. Logan was scared. When Logan was scared, he looked for small places. Janus’ eyes darted this way and that. Where in heaven’s name would a claustrophilic boy go?! Desperation clawed at Mr. D’s chest as he ran, shouting Logan’s name. Concerned pedestrians glanced towards him and a few people went inside to talk to the employees about the potential missing child only to find that they were already being told a completely different story. The story many came to hear was that there was a crazed man in the parking lot, trying to find and kidnap a poor woman’s grandchild. Grace sobbed beautifully, playing her part with excellence worthy of an award. Dozens of people flooded the parking lot while the store called the police.
The rain was just starting to clear when the flashing lights appeared in front of the supermarket. Mr. D’s eyes widened at the sight of them. Breathless, he cursed again, and cried out for the boy. A female officer moved towards him while her male counterpart moved into the building. Her hair was slicked back and her hands rested on her bulky belt. She raised a hand in greeting,
“Sir? Can you tell me what’s going on?” Mr. D looked at her, pushing back his hat and placing his own hands on his hips.
“My nephew’s gone. He’s got PTSD and my grandmother grabbed him and he ran out into the storm. I need to find him!” His words came out more desperate than he thought they would. He continued in a rush of words, “He’s fifteen, about so tall with brown hair, brown eyes, and glasses. He’s wearing light blue jeans and a dark blue, cable knit sweater. Please, I need to find him!” The woman raised her hand again,
“I understand, Sir, but I need you to calm down. There’s been reports that you’re trying to kidnap this child, can you prove to me that you are this child’s relation?” Mr. D looked stupefied,
“What?” He breathed, “I’m not-! Why! I’m NOT trying to kidnap a child!” He snapped, “I can show call his legal guardian if that’s what you need but I don’t have time for this, Logan needs me!” He turned sharply before locking his eyes back on the poor officer, “And if you need further proof, just ask that woman what the kid’s name is. If she doesn’t say Logan Theodor Storm-Prince, then you’ve got the wrong side of the story.” He paused only long enough to give her a card with Roman’s number on it before he began searching once more.
When Officer Longstreff joined Officer Jones inside, she was able to tell him the complete story as well as that there was a famous fashion designer coming to look for his lost child. When the white car pulled up and Roman, Remus, Patton, and Virgil climbed out, there wasn’t a smile among them. Virgil looked ready to cry and Patton’s face was clouded with worry. Roman looked grave while Remus waisted no time climbing on top of the car and looking around for either his bitty birdie or his employer. Janus saw them first,
“Roman!” He called and raced over, “I-I can’t, I’m sorry! I-!” Roman grabbed his shoulders and held him still,
“Logan first. Then you can tell us what happened.” Janus nodded shakily.
What a state he must’ve looked to them! He was soaking wet, pale, shaking, and close to crying. He turned hurried away, each of them going different directions. Virgil was the exception, staying close to Patton as they called for the missing child. Others joined in the search and Virgil had to fight the urge to tell them all to shut up and mind their own business. Logan, he knew, wasn’t likely to go to anyone he didn’t know.
It was agonizing. The minutes ticked by and Mr. D was beginning to think the child had run out into the road, possibly been hit! There was no end to the horrible scenarios that he could come up with. Without a doubt, the others were also coming up with horrible possibilities. He let out a strangled noise in his throat and continued to search when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned sharply and was met with the face of the last person he wanted to see: Grace. Anger pulsed through him as he glared at her,
“What? Actually, no, I don’t have time for this.” He hissed, turning away but she pulled him back,
“Look, when you find him, you really should let him come with me.” She smiled, “It’s obvious you’re an unfit father.” Janus’ features contorted into something that can only be described as murderous and he opened his mouth to let out a stream of unrepeatable things when a slight movement caught his attention. His face cleared and he shoved past the busty woman who cried out at the roughness of his movements. Janus didn’t hear her. He ran forwards,
“Logan!” He called and was rewarded when two startled eyes locked on him. Logan gave a soft cry and raced out from his place between a trashcan and a poorly parked car. He launched himself into his uncle’s arms and held on. “Logan.” Mr. D whispered, “Logan, Logan, Logan, oh, Logan…thank heaven.” The words were whispered. Not meant to be shared with the world around them. “I’ve got you…thank goodness, I’ve got you.”
“Well, thank heaven that’s over!” Logan’s face paled and he stiffened, trying to move backwards at the sound of Grace’s voice. Janus, however, was not about to let the boy go again. He clung to Logan’s small frame and then heaved the lad into his arms, turning a glare onto his father’s mother.
“You should shut up.” He said coldly, not waiting for her reply, “You should think for a moment in your pathetically meaningless life. First off, he’s not my son but I would be proud if he was. Secondly, you have just settled for me that, if I ever did have children, they would never meet you. Thirdly, I still fully believe that you are a horrible human being and that I don’t have any desire to see you ever again, especially after today! Get out of my way and, better yet, get out of my life.” With this, he pushed past her again and hurried to where he could see Roman.
It wasn’t long until Logan was shifted into Roman’s more muscular arms. The boy looked so much smaller in Roman’s grasp. Patton looked pale as death when the boy was placed next to him, wrapped in a towel and Virgil actually started crying. Remus hummed softly, pulling off Logan’s wet socks and shoes. Mr. D tapped Remus on the head slightly before gesturing to Grace who was once more trying to convince the officers that she was the victim in the situation,
“Her.” He said softly, “She’s not allowed anywhere near them. Ever. You understand?” Remus tilted his head to one side and slowly let his gaze lock onto the woman. He licked his lips quickly before letting his gaze flit back to Mr. D,
“I understand perfectly.” He replied. He returned his gaze to Grace and didn’t say another word.
When Logan was home again and dried off, dressed in dry warm clothes, and breathing normally again, he found himself incapable of being left alone. He followed Virgil around for a bit before sticking close to Patton. Roman was his next comfort item before he found himself tucked close to Remus. He still felt unsettled, though, something about the expression on Mr. D’s face haunted his memories. When the agent finally emerged from his own warm shower and brief period of attempting to calm down, Logan waisted no time getting close to him. He followed him around while he prepared tea for them both, held onto the edge of Mr. D’s bathrobe while the man put a few odds and ends away, and finally held hands with him when Janus led them both to the sofa. He tugged Logan into his lap and tucked the boy’s head under his chin, burring his nose in the soft hair. He rocked them both gently for a moment and Logan sniffed slightly, trying to fight back tears he was tired of crying. Janus kissed his forehead softly,
“She’s never coming back, I promise.” Janus muttered, leaning back and feeling Logan relax against him. Silence filled the space for a few more moments,
“Uncle Janus?” Logan finally whispered and Janus hummed in response, “We never got the stuff we needed to get…” Janus shook his head slightly,
“Another time,” he murmured, “I need this right now more than anything else.” Logan snuggled a little closer,
“Yeah,” he agreed, “me too.”
The next morning, Janus woke up in Logan’s bed with the boy curled up next to him. He could groggily recall the process of trying to get Logan to go to bed. The inconsolable boy had fought sleep until Janus had settled under the covers with him. He must’ve fallen asleep without meaning to. He blinked and looked around slowly, afraid of getting up lest he disturb his young companion. Logan’s face was peaceful at the moment, but the night had been filled with nightmares and tossing. Mr. D was surprised he’d fallen asleep at all. He sniffed sleepily, yawning and turning, curling his larger frame around the boy, protecting him from some unseen threat. Logan wriggled in his sleep before settling once more. Mr. D hummed quietly at the warmth and drifted to sleep once more. When Mr. D awoke next, it was to Patton who woke him.
“Hey,” the kind man whispered, “I’m going to the store, Virgil is out with Roman talking to the lawyers about Grace. Remus is coming with me, will you two be alright?” Janus looked over at Logan’s sleeping form and blinked back up at Patton,
“Yeah,” he breathed, “yeah, I’ll keep an eye one him.” Patton smiled again, casting a final glance at Logan before slipping out. He shut the door quietly and slipped out. Janus lazed in the bed for a few more moments, staring up at the ceiling before he rolled over and gently shook Logan awake, “Time for breakfast.” He muttered, watching the teen’s eyes blink open slowly.
Downstairs, they sat in silence, mulling over the events of the day before. They ate quietly, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. As Mr. D took Logan’s plate and placed it in the dishwasher, the boy finally broke the quiet.
“Who was she?” Mr. D paused and stared at the dishes before answering Logan, still not facing him,
“Her name is Grace. She’s my grandmother by relation.” Logan was studying him; he could feel it.
“This isn’t going to change anything but I’m sorry.” Mr. D turned a questioning glance on the boy, “I shouldn’t have run off.” Logan explained. Janus sighed,
“It’s hardly your fault, you reacted to a situation in a way you couldn’t control. If anything, I should apologize for not getting you out of there sooner.” Logan looked at him with a curious expression.
“Did you know she would do that?” Janus sighed,
“No, but I honestly shouldn’t be surprised by anything that witch does.” Logan rested his chin on his hand,
“How did you do it?” He asked finally. Again, Mr. D looked confused, so Logan elaborated, “How do you take those people away from you?” Janus sighed and moved to sit down next to the boy,
“Well…” he began, “it’s not easy, nor is it something that I think I’ve done. It’s kind of like cobwebs. You can dust them away, but they always manage to come back. The best you can do is consistently ‘clean’ your space. Boundaries are kind of like your personal room, you need to keep them clean and clear of clutter for them the be comfortable. So many times, I’ve let people clutter up my boundaries with their own agendas and personal crap that, one day, I just got tired of it.” He looked at Logan to see if the boy was following along. To his surprise, Logan looked somewhat concerned,
“Do I…we ever do that?” He whispered. Mr. D furrowed his brow before he reached out and placed a hand on Logan’s shoulder,
“No.” He said it firmly and simply so the child was sure to understand. Logan searched his face for a few seconds before he smiled at him,
“I know I’ve said this before, but you really are pretty without your makeup.” He twisted his fingers, “You told Grace that I’m not your son but you told the police officers that I was your nephew…but we’re not related…I know I call you ‘uncle’ but I wanted to know…if…um…”
“Yes?” Mr. D asked patiently, watching the boy’s mind whirl,
“I wanted to know if…even though we’re not related…if we’re family?” Mr. D looked at him with a soft smile and let a light laugh fill the air,
“Logan, you know better than anyone that many will say that you cannot pick your family but we both know that’s not quite true, don’t we?” He offered another squeeze to the boy’s shoulder before letting go, “Logan. I can say with certainty that I love you more than anything. I would be devastated if anything were to happen to you.” Logan’s face broke out into a smile, and he seemed to finally relax,
“I love you, too.”
Mr. D looked at the boy and let his mind travel back to the day before. Heaven knew how long it would take him to forgive Grace for what she did, if he ever forgave her. He was determined to try, for Logan’s sake more than anything. He wanted to show the lad a life that was free of the burdens of responsibilities to others and guilt. He wanted Logan to know that, even if others were willing to hold grudges and to be miserable their whole lives, that he had the opportunity to be more than free of such an anchor that had taken Janus far too many years to cast off. Indeed, it hadn’t been until he’d met a flamboyant and somewhat overly ambitious young man in college who’d forgiven his parents for basically abandoning him and his twin brother that Janus had even seen what that freedom looked like. Yes, Roman Prince had been more of a good to that young college student that he’d ever know. His mind was pulled from the thought as Logan’s voice piped up again,
“Jannie?” He wondered aloud and Mr. D sighed,
“Those who made up the phrase ‘you can’t choose your family’ obviously missed the opportunity to make a similar phrase about nicknames.”