Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s rare that Jane ever willingly works off the clock. He’s a workaholic, yes, but only if he’s being paid overtime. He also loves directing though. He loves writing scripts and making a client’s idea become a reality. And he’s always been good at that, at delivering a unique storyline—

Until now.

Jane has been given a project by his boss for a space-themed ad. It’s for a popular drink company that has put out very outlandish commercials before. Jane had done his research and pitched something similar, but the company rejected it, saying they wanted it to be different.

No more silly ads; they want something profound. Something that grabs the viewer and leaves an impact.

Jane, personally, thinks this drink company needs to stop huffing gas if they think they’ll be taken seriously after how much they pushed this silly era, and suddenly want to go serious, but he’s not on the marketing team, just directing. So nobody fucking cares what he thinks.

Standing outside the local planetarium, Jane hesitates before going inside. He’s definitely prepared. He brought a camera and a notebook to jot down ideas and he listened to a space podcast on the drive here, but there’s still a niggling in the back of his mind. A voice that says, ‘I could be doing something way better with my time.’

Truth be told, Jane never particularly cared about space. He doesn’t find it interesting or relevant. He’s never going to be able to ride a spaceship to the moon, so why care about something completely out of his reach? Information on Earth is already so pressing, why care about Neptune or Uranus?

Why care?

Maybe that’s why he’s struggling so hard with this ad. His heart isn’t in it, and he just can’t bring himself to care.

Space is completely and utterly meaningless to him.

With a sigh, Jane enters the planetarium (because it’s not like he won’t go in, he already wasted the gas driving out here) and goes to the front desk. He pays the fee for a day pass—which includes some extra light show bonus, whatever that is—and is given the opportunity to roam the exhibits.

The planetarium, aesthetically, is very pleasing. As a director, Jane can appreciate the dark rooms bathed in colored lighting that corresponds with the various topics. It sets a very serene mood, something that Jane jots down in his notebook, and he snaps a few photos as inspiration.

Along the walls are plaques with blurbs of text, describing artifacts boxed in glass. Jane tries his best to read, but his attention is short and he doesn’t care to read about the history of telescopes.

The next room is large, with body-sized replicas of the planets in the solar system. Jane takes a heavy seat on a bench in front of the blazing sun and starts to rethink his script.

Maybe it can be about a girl…who thinks she’s an alien? That’s silly…but maybe everyone bullies her at school until she meets someone who looks past her odd behavior. There, heartfelt. A story that will stick with viewers and— Who the hell is Jane kidding?

His head is as blank as black hole and he’s fucking exhausted. He needs a nap and an energy drink and maybe an hour of silence.

That will do him good.

The sound of footsteps jolts Jane back to Earth. He straightens himself out and sees someone coming around the side of the sun replica. It’s a boy, his tan skin illuminated by the vibrant orange light emitted by the ‘sun.’ He looks at the replica with eyes blown wide, his full lips moving. At first, Jane waits for another person to come up behind the boy, to see who is listening, but nobody arrives.

And now that Jane sees the boy in full, he can tell the boy is whispering to himself, conscious of his volume even though it’s just the two of them in the room. Curious, Jane wants to know what the boy is saying to himself, wants to see if this mysterious boy can spark an idea within the dark, empty recesses of his brain.

Jane stands up, and despite his own reserved nature, approaches the boy.

He’s wearing a nice mustard-colored sweater, a spaceship pinned to his breast and space-related charms jingling on his backpack. If there’s anyone who has some good ideas about space, this boy is it.

As he gets closer, he hears the boy say to himself, “The Sun formed about 4.6 billion years ago in a solar nebula and—” There are no plaques, no little information tidbits around them. This kid is reciting fun facts about the sun from memory. Wow.

As if sensing Jane’s awe, the boy abruptly stops talking to himself. They stand there for a few silent seconds, before the boy peeks up at him through his bangs, as if wondering why Jane hasn’t left.

“You know a lot about space?” Jane asks after a few more silent moments. The boy stares pointedly at his shoes while his fingers anxiously twist back and forth. Jane, feeling awkward, adds, “I’m an assistant director for the company Good Pick… Have you heard of it?”

The boy shakes his head.

“We make commercials.”

Again, Jane receives a vehement head shake.

“Anyway,” he continues, “We’re making a commercial about space—” At this, Jane has successfully nabbed the boy’s attention. “I don’t really know the first thing about space, or planets, or stars for that matter.”

“Ozone likes space,” the boy hesitantly whispers.

Jane smiles. “I thought so. Is it okay if we talk about space? I’m Jane, by the way.”

The boy seems to internally fight with himself, his eyes flitting back and forth before he finally says, “Ozone’s name is Ozone. Ozone likes space very, very much.”

“Awesome.”

Truly the best way to learn about a subject is to consult an expert, and Ozone is just that. He obviously has something—autism, maybe, Jane isn’t sure—but it doesn’t discredit his knowledge.

They walk around the planetarium for a long time, lingering at exhibits that Ozone finds particularly fascinating. They talk about stars and galaxies and the planets, Ozone filling Jane’s head with this abstract image of space he doesn’t think he could’ve gotten anywhere else.

“Have you always loved space?” Jane asks as they stare at a miniature, model spaceship.

Ozone bobs his head. “Ozone can talk to the stars.”

Jane sends him a curious look. “What do the stars say to you?”

Ozone shuffles his feet around until they are shoulder to shoulder. “The stars tell Ozone many things. They talk to Ozone when he’s awake and when he’s asleep, they give him predictions and warnings for the future.” He whispers this all to Jane, as if it’s a secret he’s never told anyone else.

Granted, what he says sounds completely bonkers, but a part of Jane believes Ozone. It’s the way he looks at Jane, like a seasoned soldier that’s faced a long, arduous battle. Like he’s been haunted by these predictions, on what they have brought and will bring.

Jane is an assistant director, and he’s seen plenty of bad acting, but this isn’t it.

“Do those predictions ever come true?” Jane asks.

“Sometimes.” Ozone frowns. “One time, Ozone dreamt of his friend getting hit by a car, and when he woke up, Ozone saw him come to get me, but Ozone told him, ‘No, no, no. Don’t cross the street, you’ll get hit and bleed out on the road and die.’ But, instead, the stars lied, and my best friend got hit by the car instead. Ozone couldn’t do anything to stop it.”

Jane’s stomach flutters with a feeling he can’t explain. “Is your best friend okay?”

Ozone pauses and then nods with a smile. He doesn’t look at Jane, not even once, but it doesn’t do anything to halt the electric feeling brewing between them. Jane smiles, sated with the information.

“Then I’m glad. I hope you don’t have any more nightmares, Ozone.”

Ozone does look at Jane then, however fleeting it may be, but it’s nonetheless momentous, and it’s like the turning point of a good drama.

Jane’s heart skips a beat, and he needs to quietly tell himself to not fuck this up.

When they reach the end of the exhibits, Ozone grabs Jane’s hand and takes him to an open theater, the chairs situated at a slight incline to better look up at the ceiling.

“What’s the show about?” Jane asks as he settles in his seat, camera safely held in his lap.

Ozone sits down beside him, eyes never leaving the ceiling. “Space,” he whispers, his excitement palpable.

Jane smiles and glances down at his camera. He hasn’t really taken any photos, he’s been too busy listening to Ozone’s fascinating tour of the planetarium. Sure, he’s got some random photos for his mood board, but he thinks he’s completely screwed until the show starts.

The ceiling opens up with these swirling colors of purple and blue, a mist of fog rolling over them from a fog machine. There’s a low voice narrating, but to Jane, it’s just white noise. All he can focus on is Ozone standing up from his seat and grabbing at the stars.

He rolls up to his tippy toes, his hands desperate, as if he could pluck a star straight from the sky, and Jane is struck by the sudden urge to find a way. To be able to snatch a star from the night sky and place it right into Ozone’s palms.

Jane lifts up his camera and takes a picture of Ozone, to capture him in this moment to make it last forever. It’s like a match dropped in a gasoline can—all the ideas in the world come to Jane, flooding him with inspiration.

All of it revolves around a boy who wants to touch stars.

Afterwards, when they sit alone in the theater, the fog long cleared and lights low, Ozone fiddles with his hands. “Did Jane figure out what he’s going to do for the space commercial?”

Breathless, Jane answers, “Yeah.”

Ozone deflates. “Oh.”

“But I still need your help,” Jane rushes to add. “Can I have your number? Or we can just meet here? Whatever works best for you.” Please say yes, please say yes, please say anything.

Ozone sits there, frozen, for what feels like forever, before he’s taking his backpack off and pulling out his phone. He hands it wordlessly to Jane and Jane dutifully taps in his number before handing it back.

“You’ve been a big help to me, Ozone,” Jane confesses.

Ozone squirms, and through his thick curtain of bangs, Jane can see the beginning of a pink blush. “Ozone liked spending time with Jane… Ozone liked talking and having someone to listen… Ozone wants to do this again.”

“We definitely will.” Jane takes a deep breath and schools his expression before he asks, “What are you doing tomorrow?”

The smile that splits across Ozone’s face makes this all worth it.

Chapter Text

Dream sets a small stack of books down, careful not to jostle to table. Ozone gives her side glance, but happily goes back to scribbling in his notebook. She loves hanging out with Ozone. He’s so sweet and cute and just so untethered to this world, so…free. Dream feels like she can tell Ozone anything and he’d accept her.

There are no strange looks or biting comments like she’s used to. Ozone is just…Ozone, and Dream loves him for that.

Sitting down, Dream goes to grab a book, but her curiosity gets the best of her. She sidles up to Ozone, so close their shoulders touch, and peeks down at his notebook. “Whatcha drawing~”

Ozone doesn’t jump away or cover up his doodles, but Dream does notice his ears begin to pinken. The drawing is rather…generic, given Ozone is the artist.

An astronaut stands upon a round rock, a swarm of stars and planets over their head. There are never any aliens or UFOs—Ozone is too pragmatic for that—but, strangely, there is another person. Usually Ozone likes to draw himself, or in some cases he’ll add Day, but this person seems to be holding a camera (?) and has it pointed at Ozone.

“Who is that?” Dream points to the strange man. “Is that Day?”

Ozone furiously shakes his head. “No. Jane.”

“Jane?” Dream echoes. “Who is Jane?”

“From the planetarium,” Ozone says. “He makes commercials.”

“Commercials? About what?”

“Space,” Ozone says, and doesn’t expand. Dream doesn’t expect Ozone to, but she wishes he had.

After what happened with Kit (the kidnapping and the stalking), any unknown man Ozone draws raises the hairs on Dream’s arms.

She respects Ozone and knows he is entitled to his own private life…she just worries. She doesn’t want anyone to take advantage of his kindness, and after what happened with the whole Leap Day situation, she also wants him to be safe.

When Day and Night get out of class, Dream carefully corners Day as he’s getting a coffee from the vending machine. “So…” she starts awkwardly. “I saw Ozone drawing, and I was asking him about it…”

Day freezes, his carefree smile slips right from his face in an instant. “Are the stars talking to him again?” he demands.

Dream jumps and starts to rapidly wave her hands. “No! No! Nothing like that!” she rambles. “It was one of Ozone’s cute drawings. The ones where he’s an astronaut and he’s with the stars and planets— Never mind, you know what I’m talking about. He drew another person though—”

“Another person?” Day interjects.

“Ozone said his name is Jane,” Dream finishes. “He said he met him at the planetarium.”

Day frowns, hard. “I’ve been letting Ozone go to the planetarium by himself when I’m in class.”

“Oh?”

“I told him not to talk to strangers.”

They don’t talk after that, but Dream can tell Day is worried by the stormy cloud that’s hanging over his head. He looks ready to kill someone, and Dream worries it’ll be Jane.

But, if this Jane guy is taking advantage of cute Ozone, then good riddance. Ozone deserves only the best.

When Day tells Ozone that he’s taking the day off from class, Ozone squints suspiciously at him, but ultimately makes Day promise he won’t be taking any more days off to goof around with his cousin. Ozone accepts his poorly concealed lie and the two make their way to the planetarium.

Once inside, Day’s head is on a swivel. He doesn’t know who he’s looking for, but in his head, he imagines Jane as this big, intimidating guy with piercing eyes and a neck tattoo. Someone who’d take advantage of his sweet, sweet Ozone, but instead, Ozone is the one who finds Jane first.

“Jane! Jane! Jane!” Ozone tears himself from Day’s arm and goes bounding towards a tall, skinny guy lingering by the entrance of the first exhibit. The man, Jane, just smiles placidly down at Ozone and allows his hand to be taken and clasped between Ozone’s.

“Hi, Ozone. How are you?” The man’s voice isn’t deep, it’s light and warm. Day notices an expensive camera hanging around his neck. It looks professional, like the one his college won’t buy because they're afraid their students will break them. So, Day assumes that this man is older than him, perhaps either Ozone’s age or slightly older. Someone with a high enough paying job to afford a camera of such quality.

“Jane, Jane, Jane.” Jane doesn’t look the least bit annoyed by Ozone’s habit of repetition. “Ozone is… Ozone is good, but he’s not a very good older brother.”

Jane’s eyebrows furrow. “Why not?”

Ozone turns and looks disapprovingly at Day. “Day is skipping class to be with Ozone.”

Day watches as Jane’s attention shifts to him, finally noticing his presence after being so wrapped up in Ozone’s. “You’re Day,” Jane remarks, and wais politely. “I’ve heard so much about you, I’m Jane.”

“Day is the best.” Ozone stares pointedly at the ground as he fidgets in place. “Ozone is the best big brother in the world…but he’s weak. Weak to Day.”

Day wonders if Ozone knows how it’s actually the other way around.

“Everyone needs a break from school now and then,” Jane says with an air of confidence. “It prevents burnout. You’re just looking out for Day.”

A smile creeps onto Ozone’s face. “Mh… Ozone is the best.”

“Exactly.” Jane plops a hand right on top of Ozone’s head and pets his hair the way Day’s seen Night do to Dream. It instantly puts him on edge.

Is this guy serious? Doing this right in front of Day like he knows it’ll get a rise out of him? What a scumbag!

“Ozone,” Day says tersely. He takes his cousin by the arm and drags him away from Jane and his obnoxious head patting. Jane placidly follows after them and they take a turn around the planetarium. All the exhibits are so familiar to Day he could recite them from memory, but he pauses and lets Ozone read the placards.

Jane hovers next to them and takes pictures every now and again, but he doesn’t talk. Ozone does the talking for him, excitedly drawing Jane near to hear planet facts. Day crosses his arms tightly as he watches them interact, watches the way Jane touches Ozone with such familiarity it should be blasphemy.

Day’s mere presence should be threatening enough that Jane wouldn’t even dare touch Ozone! Why can’t he put this pesky suitor in his place and scare him away from his precious cousin?!

It’s time to bring out the big guns.

Chapter Text

The next time Day meets Jane, he brings Night as backup. With his natural RBF and intimidating personality, Night’s a shoe-in to make this guy quiver. Day wants to scare Jane…just a little. Show him that despite Ozone’s cute face and naivety, he has people ready to go to war for him.

Of course, when they get there, Jane barely even acknowledges them. He’s too caught up in letting Ozone latch onto his arm and begin his rambling about this and that. It’s only like ten minutes later that Jane even gets a moment to greet them.

“Sawadee krub, Day,” Jane says with the politeness of one greeting their future father-in-law. “And this is…”

Night looks up from his phone, utterly bored. “Night. Day’s friend,” he says flatly, and goes back to (probably) texting Dream.

“Sawadee krub, Night,” Jane dutifully greets.

“Jane, Jane, Jane, Jane…” Ozone swoops in like a hawk when he realizes his precious Jane isn’t paying attention to him, and expertly pulls him away. Jane doesn’t seem bothered by this, Day on the other hand…

“Stop making that face,” Night mutters.

Day frowns and touches his cheek. “What face?”

“That jealous face,” Night says.

“I’m not jealous,” Day snaps.

“You definitely are.”

“Why would I be jealous of Jane?” Day spits his name like a curse.

Night gives him a long, judging look before a cruel smile splits his face. “Because you’re not Ozone’s favorite person anymore.”

Day scoffs, and then scoffs again, louder. “I’m still Ozone’s favorite person!” His voice rises in pitch and Day needs to tell himself to calm down. “Ozone is my cousin—my best friend. We’re a unit, completely inseparable."

“Yeah? And where’s Ozone right now?”

Day whips his head around, suddenly hyper-aware that they’re all alone and Ozone and Jane must have gone on to the next exhibit. A pitiful moan escapes Day’s mouth. Is it true? Is he really jealous of Jane because he’s taking all of Ozone’s attention?

“It’s not a bad thing to be jealous,” Night adds, though there’s hardly any emotion to his voice. “Ozone is moving on, growing up. This is probably his first crush.”

“Don’t say that,” Day whines.

“Why not?” Night elbows him teasingly.

Day moves lifelessly with the jab, his eyes pointed down towards his shoes. His brain seems to overflow with information, but none of it leaves his mouth.

“Day.” Night sighs.

“Ozone has low support needs, but he still requires someone to look after him.” Day surprises himself with how clear those words come out. “If this Jane guy really likes him, he’s signing up to be a boyfriend and a caretaker. What if he regrets that? What if he decides it’s too much work and leaves Ozone all by himself. What if Jane comes to resent Ozone—?”

“Then you will be there,” Night interjects. “Like you always are for Ozone. Why would this time be any different?”

The reality of the situation settles over Day like a weighted blanket. His shoulders feel heavy and he’s tired, but he hears Night enough that he’s starting to understand how irrational he sounds.

“Why don’t you start by getting to know Jane,” Night offers. “Invite him to dinner or something. Dinner’s a good neutral ground to ask him questions. And, when you put Ozone to bed, you could even corner him and demand to know his intentions.”

Day rolls his eyes. “This isn’t a soap opera, Night.”

“You could’ve fooled me.”

Day decides not to acknowledge Night’s snide comment, partly because it’s warranted. They quickly catch up—Jane and Ozone haven’t gone far, the two hyperfocused on one of the sensory walls. Ozone seems transfixed, rubbing his fingers up and down against a prickly meteor rock, while Jane stands by, simply watching Ozone with a dopey smile.

Day’s skin prickles and he rushes over, afraid of what he sees. He wants Ozone to experience love—to experience being loved—but all of this is too soon! They just figured out how to end Leap Day and that hadn’t been the easiest. It had left them all a little traumatized, and Day quivers at the thought he’ll someday leave Ozone alone in the care of a stranger.

Today isn’t going to be that day. Not while Day is still here, alive and kicking.

He rushes up to the sensory wall with Night lagging behind.

Jane gives him a curious glance. Day squirms under the searching look, feeling like he just got caught goofing off at school by a teacher.

“We got distracted,” Day lies, just because he needs to say something.

Jane merely raises an eyebrow.

“Jane, Jane, Jane.” Ozone’s whispering at least saves Day from combusting into flames from Jane’s glare.

“Yes?” Jane’s whole face softens, and he allows Ozone to take his hand and press it into the rock.

“Feel…” Ozone moves Jane’s hand up and down.

“It’s a good texture,” Jane says.

“Day,” Ozone says and then turns to grab Day’s hand. “Day, Day, Day,” he murmurs as he adds Day’s hand to the wall, right beside Jane’s.

“Good?” Ozone asks him.

Day feels the prickly texture of the moon rock and the warmth of Jane’s hand and the weight of Ozone’s touch. He looks at his cousin and sees him smiling, and if there is anything in the world Day wants, it’s that carefree, smiley expression to always be on Ozone’s face.

“It’s good,” Day says, and it’s not about the rock.

“Smile,” Night drawls from behind them, and Day barely has time to realize Night is taking a picture of all three of them. The flash blinds Day for a second, and Jane makes a similar ‘ack’ of being blinded, but Ozone is silent, probably because he never turned around for the photo.

“Look,” Night flips his phone around to show them. Day sighs at how stupid he looks and he looks over to see the irritated crinkle in Jane’s lip.

“Picture?” Ozone bounces as he takes Night’s phone and rocks back on his heels. “Jane. Day. Jane. Day.” Ozone points at each of them, losing himself in the repetition before looking imploringly up at Night. “Send?”

“I’ll send it to you, and Dream,” Night says. “What should the caption be?”

“Jane. Day…. Ozone.” A beaming grin breaks across Ozone’s face. “Jane, Day, Ozone.”

“Got it. Jane, Day, and Ozone.”

“No ‘and.’”

“Ah, I see. Jane, Day, Ozone.”

“Yes.”

Jane lets out a quiet snort beside Day. “It’s because we’re all together,” Jane says as he touches Ozone’s back and spins him around to face them.

Ozone plays with his fingers. “Ozone… Ozone doesn’t want anything separating Jane, Day, Ozone.”

“Then we don’t need an ‘and,’” Jane easily agrees.

Day thinks he’s starting to like this guy.

Chapter Text

Jane feels like he’s on top of the world. Every day he wakes up with an invigorating pep in his step, which is frankly bewildering, but he’s also never been so fascinated by someone before.

Ozone is just so fresh, and new. The way he talks, the way he interacts with the world, the way he’s just unapologetically himself. It’s captured Jane’s attention, and suddenly it’s all he can think about. He came into this space project with no inspiration, no drive, no nothing—and yet he’s found a muse that’ll carry over into all his projects.

And it’s pretty obvious by now that Jane has it bad for Ozone.

Since his break-up with Nine, he hasn’t really thought about getting back into dating. Work is everything, and when he’s not working, he’s sleeping, which leaves little room to actually go out of his way and meet new people.

It had been completely incidental that Jane happened upon Ozone, but he’s nonetheless thankful. And, crazy enough, Jane thinks Ozone likes him, too.

Though, Jane doesn’t know how to ask Ozone out. It should be easy; they see each other almost every day at the planetarium during Jane’s lunch break and they text in the times between. Not that texting is all that fruitful given Ozone’s distaste for actually texting. He instead likes to use their chatlog to dump space articles he’s found particularly interesting.

And they are interesting, Jane reads every one and makes notes to send back, because he knows Ozone likes that, and Jane likes making Ozone happy.

Other than that, their relationship has kind of hit a standstill, and Jane doesn’t know how to initiate the next step. He wants to ask out Ozone in a way that he’ll understand, but without overwhelming him at the same time. He’s never asked out someone on the spectrum, and he worries about making a mistake that’ll turn something that should be happy into something traumatic.

Lost in his feelings, Jane lets out a loud sigh as he stares longingly at his mood board. It should help him write this script, but instead it’s become something of a shrine to Ozone. It’s all he can think about these days, like he’s been infected by the Ozone-virus.

The sound of the sliding doors alerts Jane, and he peers around his computer. He expects to see Pie, the ever-serious trainee they recently brought on who follows Jane around like a shadow, but it’s someone else.

“Judy,” Jane says. He fears the worst, but she puts out her hands in a calming gesture.

“Don’t fret, the drink company isn’t rushing the deadline. You still have time,” she says and Jane lets out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. Judy comes over and sets down a bag of snacks and hands Jane a warm cup of coffee. “P’Jo told me you’ve been giving yourself grief over this script.” Jane makes a noncommittal noise “Why don’t you let your intern write it for you?”

Jane frowns. “I didn’t like her first draft…nor the second, and making her write a third one felt a bit like torture to be honest.”

Judy snorts. “The cruel P’Jane is actually soft-hearted, who would have guessed.”

With a pout, Jane takes a sip of his coffee and lets Judy sift through his pile of papers. She hums to herself before she peers at Jane’s open laptop. He almost wants to slam the screen closed, protect his Ozone moodboard from prying eyes, but this is Judy. It’s not like she means any harm. “That’s not a stock photo,” she points out. “Wait, that’s from the planetarium right down the street?”

“I’ve been going every day at lunch,” Jane confesses.

Judy raises an eyebrow. “To take pictures of little boys?”

Jane can feel his face burn. “He’s our age,” he whispers, horrified.

“Oh, so you know him.” Judy gives him a wicked smirk. “There’s an awful lot of pictures of him. Who might he be?”

“Nobody,” Jane mutters instinctively, and then he pauses. Judy gives him a long look, one that has Jane worried she knows exactly what he’s thinking. She wants him to spill, and Jane actually wants to.

For once he wants someone to hear what’s going on in his head and help him figure it out.

“I won’t pry,” Judy says.

Jane squeezes his eyes shut and finally says, “Please just pry, Judy.”

“Oh, thank goodness. I thought I was going to explode if I didn’t ask.” Judy first looks around before she leans in close. “So?” she whispers, as if they are two little girls gossiping in the schoolyard. “Who is he?”

“His name is Ozone,” Jane admits. “I met him at the planetarium when I was trying to find inspiration for this stupid commercial.”

“And?” she presses.

“And we’ve been meeting every day since.”

Judy’s eyes go round. “Like, meeting? Or like, meeting?”

“They aren’t dates.”

“But do you want them to be dates?”

Jane needs to stop his knee-jerk reaction to deny it. “I wish,” he forces out.

Judy lets out a squeal and quickly covers her mouth. “Okay, okay,” she rushes out. “Don’t freak out,” she tells Jane, as if she’s not the one currently freaking out. “What’s stopping you from making them dates?”

Jane squirms at the question. “Well…”

“Well?”

“Ozone is autistic,” Jane admits. “And I worry he might not understand my confession— Or I’ll say the wrong thing and it’ll stress him out.”

Judy puts out her hands in a soothing gesture. “I see why you’re upset, but I honestly think you’re overthinking this.” Jane puts his head in his hands and moans pathetically. “You know Ozone!” Judy argues. “Just be direct! Don’t be ambiguous—it’ll only confuse him. You could write a script for yourself!” Then, she adds, “I’ll edit it!”

“What are we editing?” Jane nearly jumps out of his skin when Pie enters the room. “Can I do it?”

“It’s a personal project, don’t worry about it, Pie,” Judy deflects with an easy smile. Jane looks up and whatever expression is on his face makes Pie clam up and sit obediently at her little table.

Judy opens her mouth to continue her rant, but she’s interrupted by Jane’s phone chiming. He flips it over and it’s like a weight settles heavily in his gut.

⭐️✨Ozone✨⭐️: Day invited Jane to dinner tonight. Will Jane come? Na?

“His cousin asked me to dinner,” Jane hisses to Judy.

“And that’s a good thing?”

“I thought the guy hated me.”

“Shovel talk moment?” Judy wonders aloud, and Jane can see Pie perk her head up from behind her laptop screen. She’s not even subtle. “You know what, that’s a good thing, because if he’s giving you the shovel talk, that means you have a chance.”

“You’re right,” Jane hums. “Should I say yes?”

“You should, sir,” Pie says, and then slaps a hand over her mouth. She wilts down in her seat, face bright red.

Jane can only chuckle at the humiliating display.

Judy lets out a snort and nudges him. “You heard the girl, say yes.”

With a sigh, Jane does as he’s told.

Chapter Text

Day decides to listen to Night for once and has Ozone invite Jane to dinner. Of course, Jane agrees, and Ozone spends the whole next day perched at the window, awaiting his crush’s arrival. And it is a crush, Day had asked.

Yesterday he sat Ozone down and very bluntly put forward the question, “This…Jane, the guy you see a lot at the planetarium, do you have a crush on him?” Day had paused before he clarified, “You like Jane the same way Night likes Dream?”

Ozone had dipped his chin down and squirmed around in his seat like a worm. “Ozone has a crush on Jane, Ozone likes…Jane,” he whispers with a slight giggle. “Does Day think Jane has a crush on Ozone?”

“I think so!” Day encourages, because he’s soft, and he wants Ozone to be happy. “You should tell Jane! Confess your feelings to him!”

Ozone's smile drooped slightly. “What if Jane says no?”

Day highly doubts Jane will say no, but just to appease Ozone he says, “Then we kick him out. He’s in our house, right? You get full control, whatever you want to do, I’ll make sure it happens.”

Day’s not the most threatening guy, but if Ozone asked him to punch Jane, he would do it.

Ozone finally smiles, and then he continues to yearn for his beloved Jane, but Day hasn’t stopped thinking about what will happen if Ozone asks and Jane turns him down. Will Ozone have a mental breakdown? And what about the aftermath? Will Ozone be plunged into a pit of despair, too depressed to even move?

What will Day do?

Kill Jane?

…Night would definitely help him kill Jane.

No, no, he’s thinking too far into this and—

Night would know how to make it look like natural causes, right? He’s a doctor!

“Jane!” Ozone perks up from his perch and Day halts all those murderous thoughts immediately.

Jane rings the doorbell, but it’s definitely unnecessary since Ozone is bouncing like an overexcited dog at the front door, waiting for Day to undo the locks he installed after Ozone got hit by Night’s car.

Once the door is open, Ozone breaks from the house and runs down the pathway to wrench open the gate and embrace Jane as if he’s just returned from war or something. Jane takes it all with a carefree smile as he hugs Ozone back just as fiercely, but if you ask Day, it’s all incredibly dramatic.

Knowing that this hug will drag on, Day goes back to the kitchen and starts to set the table. It’s when everything is ready to eat that Ozone finally drags Jane into the house, talking a mile a minute about a multitude of topics. They are holding hands, Day notices, and Ozone doesn’t let Jane’s hand go, even when he sits down.

“Oh, hello, Day.” Jane gives him a sheepish grin.

“Hey,” he says, and just to be cordial, he asks, “Did you just get off work?”

Jane is wearing a nice, bright red button-down shirt over a plain tee. It may seem casual, but with how immaculately ironed the fabric is, it has an air of chic professionalism. “Mhm, we were wrapping up a shoot.”

A shoot, hmm. “What do you do for work, Jane?”

Ozone makes a frustrated noise. “Ozone told Day. Jane makes space commercials.”

Day blushes at his cousin’s scolding tone. Ozone had told Day a multitude of things about Jane, but, to be completely honest, he’d only been half-listening.

One can only take so much ‘Jane-Talk.’

“I make more than just space commercials.” Jane gives Ozone an endeared smile, before he turns back to Day. “I’m an assistant director for Good Pick.”

“For…Good Pick?”

Day’s heard of Good Pick. Actually, Day would have to be living underneath a rock if he didn’t know the name of the studio every student in his major dreams of scoring an internship at. Just recently, one of his seniors shadowed the company’s most important assistant director and—

Day stares and Jane blinks. “You wouldn’t know Pie, would you?” Day asks.

“Our new trainee?” At Jane’s response, Day’s mouth drops open and would’ve keeled over if not for Jane grabbing him by the arm. “Are you alright?” Jane asks, and Ozone rushes away only to appear seconds later with a glass of water.

“Pie… Pie is my phi,” Day hisses and gulps down the cold water from Ozone. “I’m a film major! Ozone didn’t tell me you worked for Good Pick!”

“Ozone did,” Ozone mutters.

“Oh, it’s a small world, huh?” Jane remarks like this isn’t breaking Day’s mind. “Do you enjoy your major?”

“Yes…” Day straightens up, but Jane still holds steadfast to his arm. “My teacher can be a little…eccentric, but I have big dreams. I want to write and direct a movie.”

Usually when Day tells people this, they boggle at him, or question how he’s going to manage it, but Jane just nods with a considerate look on his face. “Have you started on the script?”

“Uh… Yes. Yes!” Day points vaguely at the computer. He’s been putting together ideas every night after he puts Ozone to bed.

“What’s it about? I’d love to know more.”

Day perks up and suddenly he sees Jane the way Ozone must see him: a kind, thoughtful guy beneath all his short words and pressing stares. Day might as well have gained a boycrush considering Jane is who he wants to be in the future.

Without further ado, Day begins speaking of Leap Day— Of course, it’s with embellishments and events altered so no one would think these things actually happened. Day already knows it sounds crazy, but it makes for a good drama.

Jane listens with rapt interest, Day doesn’t even think he gets in more than three bites of dinner in him, he’s too focused on talking and asking Jane for advice to build his script.

All the while they geek out, Ozone pouts down at his plate.

Ignored by his two favorite people.

Chapter Text

After dinner, Ozone takes Jane by the hand and whisks him upstairs without so much as a word to Day (Day did try to stop them, but he knew it was useless). Jane doesn’t know what’s going on, but he lets Ozone drag him around. When he’s taken to a space-themed room, it’s not hard to deduce who the owner is. Jane takes in the little model of planets and the starry bedsheets which have a cute little spacesuit-wearing cat propped up on the pillows.

Jane turns when Ozone shuts the door; he looks like a little kid whose candy was stolen with how hard he’s pouting.

“What’s wrong?” Jane takes a seat on the bed and pats the spot beside him, but Ozone turns up his nose at the invitation. “Ozone,” Jane presses.

“Stupid Jane,” Ozone mutters, and crosses his arms.

Jane sighs and stands up to take Ozone’s hands and ease them out. He slides his hands into Ozone’s palms and gives them a squeeze. “Tell phi what’s wrong,” he says in a soft voice. “Did I hurt your feelings? Tell phi, please.”

Ozone juts his lips out even farther. “Jane didn’t pay attention to Ozone,” he whines. “Jane talked to Day the whole time… What about Ozone? Does Jane not like Ozone anymore?”

“But Day’s your cousin,” Jane says. “Doesn’t Ozone want Jane to be liked by his family?”

“Ozone wants Jane to like Ozone! Only Ozone!” Ozone argues vehemently. “Ozone doesn’t want Jane to be liked by anyone but him!”

Jane blinks, taken aback by the anger…but also the frustration. It makes Jane wonder if, beneath all these big emotions, Ozone understands the gravity of his words.

Does he know what he’s doing to Jane?

“Ozone,” Jane whispers. “I—”

He doesn’t get to finish, because Ozone is surging up to peck him firmly on the lips. All the air in Jane’s lungs escapes him and he’s left gasping, fighting to find words, but Ozone doesn’t need to stop.

He’s like a bull in a china shop, his words barreling through Jane’s head and knocking him back on his ass.

“The stars say,” Ozone says with all the confidence in the world, “that it’s time for Ozone to be happy.”

Jane touches his lips gingerly, as if it might stop them from tingling. “The stars told you that?” he manages to get out.

“Mhm, but Ozone already knew that,” Ozone confirms with a sheepish smile. “Ozone likes Jane the same way Night likes Dream. Ozone wants to be Jane’s boyfriend.”

It comes to Jane in full force that he shouldn’t have been so worried about asking Ozone out. He’d greatly underestimated Ozone. He should have realized from the very beginning that Ozone isn’t one to hide his feelings like everyone else in the world does.

He’s his own kind of person. Someone so unique that there couldn’t be anyone else to compare to him.

It’s the very reason why Jane fell so hard.

Taking Ozone’s sweet face in his hands, Jane gently lifts his chin and closes the space between them. Ozone’s lips are so soft and taste like the fruity drink he had been sipping on during dinner—because of course, Jane noticed. He had talked to Day for the entirety of their meal because, 1. he’s truly interested in his script, and 2. if he wants to date Ozone, he needs to at least be liked by his only family member. It’d been a win-win kind of situation.

Jane, with all the care in the world, shifts Ozone to sit on the bed. He wants his boyfriend (his boyfriend!!) to be comfortable, and Ozone does get comfortable. He pushes Jane to lie back on the pillow and then crawls into his lap to straddle him. Their lips never part, and Jane loses himself in how childish and fun the kiss seems. It’s like Ozone is experimenting, trying to find the best way to kiss, not knowing every attempt is the best.

“Jane,” Ozone whispers into his lips as they part. “Jane, Jane, Jane?”

“What, what, what?” Jane giggles and kisses Ozone’s cheek and then the other cheek, and then his forehead.

“Are we going to…y’know?” Ozone giggles, his whole face flushed.

Jane furrows his eyebrows. “Y’know…what?”

Ozone’s eyes seem to glint with mischief as he says, “Boink-boink?” Connecting his thumb and pointer finger into a circle, Ozone inserts his other finger into the hole he makes and—

“What?” Jane grabs both of Ozone’s hands and covers them, as if the mere sight might cause him to break out into hives.

“Jane and Ozone should mate!” The excitement of Ozone’s words does not match how he’s intently staring at their hands. Jane doesn’t even think Ozone is avoiding eye contact because he’s embarrassed; this is just something that is fundamentally Ozone.

Jane, on the other hand, is very much embarrassed. “Who taught you that?” he asks incredulously.

“Ozone watches lots of nature documentaries.” Ozone’s face is open and guileless.

Jane just sighs. “Sometimes, when two people like each other very much, they wait to…uh, mate, because the other person is not ready yet.”

Ozone’s smile drops. “Jane isn’t ready?”

At least Ozone caught Jane’s drift. “Let’s wait to mate when the time is right.”

“How will Ozone know the time is right?”

Jane pinches Ozone’s cheek and gently pulls the puffy skin. “You’ll know, I promise.”

Ozone lets out a huff and bats away Jane’s hand with a pout. Jane can only laugh at the display, and then (for his transgression of laughing) takes a hit from the astronaut kitty plush beside them. Ozone pelts Jane with a few well-placed smacks before he collapses forward and just lies defeated on top of Jane.

“Ozone is so mean to his faen,” Jane murmurs with all the affection in the world, his hand rubbing soothing circles into the base of Ozone’s spine.

“Ozone’s faen deserves it. He treats Ozone like a child.”

Jane chuckles loudly. “Nonsense. I think Ozone is very mature.”

Ozone props his chin up on Jane’s sternum and stares up at him with big, round brown eyes that sparkle like the night sky. Jane wonders if the planets know there is a mere mortal wandering around with their stolen stars trapped in his eyes, or if it had been a gift from them. They must know, because Jane wants answers.

“Hey, guys—” The door flies open and in comes Day with the biggest, doofiest grin that collapses the second he takes a look at Ozone on top of Jane.

“I can explain…” Jane starts.

“Jane and Ozone kissed.” Ozone clambers off of Jane—nearly kneeing Jane in the nuts in the process—and throws his arms around Day. “Jane and Ozone are boyfriends!! Jane, Ozone! Jane, Ozone! Jane, Ozone!”

As Day is being thrown around by Ozone’s happy stims, he hesitantly asks, “Don’t you mean Jane and Ozone?”

“No ‘and’! Just JaneOzone. Just us! Us! Us! Us!” Ozone sings, and Jane laughs as he watches this sweet boy spin himself into a circle until he falls to his knees.

“Let’s calm down.” Jane coaxes Ozone to sit on the bed and gives his spinning head an affectionate pet. “Are you dizzy?”

Ozone nods and leans into Jane’s hand.

“You…” Jane looks up when Day speaks and finds himself pinned by the serious expression on his face. “You understand what this entails?” he asks. “It won’t be easy.”

Ozone makes a noise of confusion. “What’s not easy?”

Jane just smiles. “Love isn’t supposed to be easy,” he mouths, so as to not clue Ozone in, and his reply seems to take the weight from Day’s shoulders. “I understand, and I’m sure you’ll help me if I need it.”

“Mhm.” Day finally smiles. “I am quite the expert.”

“I’d hope so.”

Ozone’s head bounces back and forth between them, and then he’s pouting. He grabs at Jane’s shirt sleeve and pulls at it. “Pay attention to Ozone,” he demands, and snuggles himself closer, nearly wiggling himself into Jane’s lap again. When he finally gets comfortable, Ozone glares at Day from beneath his dark bangs. “Stop trying to steal Ozone’s boyfriend. Jane is Ozone’s.”

Day jerks backwards as if he’s been shot. “S-S-Steal?!?” His face turns as red as Jane’s shirt. “I don’t want your boyfriend! Keep him!” Day storms off in his embarrassment, and Jane just laughs at the mischievous smile Ozone directs up at him.

For as much as Ozone doesn’t seem to understand, he’s quite the troublemaker when he wants to be.

“Get over here!” Jane grabs under Ozone’s armpits and throws him onto his back to tickle him mercilessly.

When Ozone giggles right from his gut, Jane thinks the stars weep. They can never be as bright as him, not even the moon can match his shine, and—the best part—he’s all Jane’s.

His very own star plucked from the night sky and to keep safe in the palms of his hands., forever warmed by its infectious light and happiness.

Ozone laughs and Jane kisses the noise straight from his mouth, drinking straight from the source.