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Something was going on.
Logan was trying to focus on his current task, updating the calendar he kept with any new events, appointments, or deadlines. To this end he’d left his room, preferring to sit in the shared living room, in case anyone else had something to add. Roman had already passed by, handing him a lengthy list, Virgil too, who had only given him a few helpful reminders, and Patton had stopped by briefly, but with no notes, just to ensure he had a snack and wasn’t taking this too seriously. Absurd, this was a serious matter.
None of that had struck him as odd. What had struck him as odd was Remus.
Since he’d established a relationship with both dark sides, and even more so recently when they’d let it become common knowledge amongst the sides, Remus had been clingy. Any time he was around, Logan’s personal space became space for two, Remus finding new methods to wrap around him in ways that maximized their skin contact without ever actually being in the way. It was interesting, the effort he put in, and Logan usually appreciated it.
So it was odd that Remus had walked right by him without so much as a hello, heading towards the kitchen with a toothy yawn and a stretch that had his shirt hem riding up, flashing a strip of skin.
That alone was taking up a great deal of space in Logan’s mind.
Before the advent of their relationship, Logan hadn’t really understood the intimacy of nudity. There was a vague interest, the human form was fascinating, but he’d never really understood the way the others seemed to think it was a private thing.
Now, though, he understood more.
Having all of oneself bared, perceived, accepted, and enjoyed was a heady feeling, one he had not at all been prepared for. Even now, sometimes, the simple memory of skinship between him and his partners, sexual or not, could bring a flush to his face. There was freedom there, nothing to hide or hold back. The choice to see and be seen. To know each other from head to toe. To choose to only allow that much vulnerability to certain individuals.
It was something he honestly enjoyed more than their carnal activities.
Well, most of the time.
He shook his head a little, coming back to the present. Remus had stretched, some skin was exposed, and Logan had instantly catalogued what he already knew as fact. Three moles, 18 freckles, a scar along the left hip from a loss against the roomba with a knife taped to it, another on his back from a youthful fight with Roman that ended poorly, and a light trail of hair starting from his navel and thickening as it traveled down to the hem of his pants. He knew it all from memory.
The pencil in his hand creaked, and he realized he was gripping with far more force than he needed to be. A slow breath later, he’d relaxed more than he realized he’d needed to.
A cup of coffee, freshly brewed and iced, was set down on the table in front of him. He looked up in surprise to find Remus grinning down at him.
“Ah, thank you, Remus.” He returned a softer smile, watching Remus’ grin widen.
“Anything for you, Brains,” Remus replied in that singsong lilt, quickly stealing a kiss. Logan was quietly pleased when Remus settled in on the couch behind him, wrapping his arms around Logan’s chest, and resting his chin on Logan’s shoulder. It earned him a hand briefly combing through his hair and another kiss pressed to his cheek, something that seemed to settle him more.
They sat in relative peace, Logan going through events and marking down the relevant ones on the calendar, Remus making conversation, chattering away idly as he often did, requiring only minor input from Logan.
That’s how Janus found them.
“Ah, working on the calendar?” Janus acknowledged, rising up in the kitchen, already reaching for a familiar wineglass.
“Indeed. It’s only noon, are you sure wine this early is wise?” Logan knew his words would fall on deaf ears, but he insisted on making a token effort at logic each time anyway.
“Wiser than staying sober when Roman is on another daydream kick,” Janus grumbled, pulling a snicker from Remus. Logan fought to keep his face neutral, glancing over where Janus seemed to be struggling with a fresh bottle.
“Would you like assistance?” He offered, reaching out a hand. Janus’ eyes lit up in that subtle way he had about everything, a sparkle reserved for very specific company. It wasn’t that he believed Janus truly needed the help. There wasn’t much Janus couldn’t do with the right amount of motivation. No, his offer of help was something he’d been outright told Janus enjoyed, being stubborn enough to never truly ask for assistance. Something about the act of stepping in when he noticed that assistance would make Janus’ life easier in that moment was a form of care. So he offered. Because that is what one did for their partner.
“Atta boy,” Janus smirked a little, bringing the glass and bottle over to Logan, who wasted no time summoning a bottle opener to his hand, “Pour the glass for me too?”
“Rumplesnakeskin wants to be spoiled today, huh?” Remus teased, sticking his tongue out playfully at the sharp look he got from Janus in return.
“Today?” Logan mused, tilting the glass as he poured, enjoying the show of it, “This is a daily occurrence at minimum.”
“And why shouldn’t I?” Janus sniffed, accepting the glass Logan offered him, swirling it once before taking a sip. The sharper lines of his shoulders relaxed, a sure sign Logan had aerated the wine to his liking, “What is the use of two boyfriends if they’re not spoiling me?”
“Oooo I can think of a few uses~!” Remus purred, rolling his hips up against Logan’s back, letting his head fall back dramatically. It was a lewd gesture, and Logan couldn’t help the little bit of a flush that started to creep up his neck. He settled on resolutely ignoring Remus, knowing that any reaction would likely result in Remus fixating on the topic.
“Janus, do you have anything you’d like to add to the calendar?” He turned his attention back to his task, Roman’s list half completed, “I remember you mentioning wanting to incorporate more self-care time into the schedule.”
The surprise that crossed Janus’ face made Logan chuckle a little, “I do listen when you speak, dear. Is it really that surprising?”
“No, I suppose it isn’t.” Janus had softened again, in that way he only did for them, only when no one else was around. It was something Logan equally enjoyed, something private. Janus leaned in, kissing Logan lightly, a reward of sorts, “Two hours bare minimum each week. Ideally, a day set aside if possible.”
Logan glanced down at the schedule, running what he’d already seen of the requirements through his mind with the new request, "Definitely feasible. I’ll schedule accordingly.”
“And love,” Janus tilted his chin back to meet eyes, “Don’t schedule within that time. Suggestions are fine, but we need to have freedom within that rest time for Thomas to choose for himself. Otherwise, this will just turn into another chore.”
His commanding tone and presence were familiar to Logan, but not in a casual context, and Logan had to fight the instinct to go boneless. Pavlov would have had a figurative field day with that reaction.
“Understood.” he cleared his throat, pulling back just slightly to look down at the calendar again, gathering his thoughts. He missed the smirk the other two shared over him, something that would have clued him in more, “You make a fair point. I will keep that space clear of any hard schedules, and instead keep a list of things Thomas mentions wanting to have time for during the week, for reference.”
“Very good,” Janus hummed, kissing him again, this time slower, drawing out the moment until Logan nearly dropped his pencil, “Thank you for remembering. I think this will help a great deal and lower all our stress.”
Logan was dazed for a second, blinking rapidly to refocus, “I-indeed, I hope so. Thank you for your perspective.”
Janus’ answering smirk sent a thrill through him, one that he chose to ignore. He had to finish the schedule, they were in the living room, and it was just a kiss. He really needed to pull himself together.
Fortunately, it appeared that Janus was done teasing him, content to settle into the couch and trade commentary on Roman’s ridiculous list with Remus, trying to sway Logan into changing minor details to mess with the ‘pissy prince’.
Logan still had the vague notion something was going on, but for right now he chose to push it aside, focusing on the peaceful morning and the schedule it seemed he’d actually get to finish for once.
—
It became clearer as the days went by.
More of these odd moments continued to happen. Remus found excuses to get even closer than normal, wearing things that flashed little glimpses of skin normally only seen when they were alone, and nearly showering Logan with little thoughtful actions or gifts.
Janus seemingly focused on being more forward, using that commanding voice Logan associated with their beds to direct and praise him for the most mundane things, and on the rarest occasions, pulling Logan close, slipping his hand under Janus’ clothes to stroke against warm scales, breathy moans gasped into his ear. And then, as quickly as it began, it ended. Janus would kiss him chastely and walk off with little to no explanation, giving only vague excuses of missing Logan when questioned.
They were excuses, Logan was sure of it. The sly little grins the dark sides shared when they thought he wasn’t looking were his proof. He just couldn’t figure out what they were doing. Or why.
It was beginning to aggravate.
Not the actions themselves, he would always enjoy that part. No, the part that was starting to annoy him was the quick way they’d detangle themselves whenever he showed interest. The moment he moved to reciprocate, suddenly the normal rules applied, he’d receive a quick kiss, and the energy would settle into more familiar mundanity.
Leaving him, frankly, worked up and figuratively hung out to dry.
It didn’t help that before whatever this was started, their sexual exploits had been rather… ubiquitous. And now?
It had been a week since anything more than a light grope and a teasing kiss.
Logan wasn’t the sexual one in the relationship, had never really been. It was enjoyable, but not something he’d ever really felt like he needed to be satisfied.
Until now.
Now, each glimpse of skin, each quiet moment, every taunt and tease and sly little look had something in his chest (and elsewhere) heating up.
And the worst part? They knew.
He could see it in the shark-like grins Remus gave him each time he was caught staring. He saw it in the mischievous glint Janus had in his eyes each time he pulled away.
This was some game they were playing, and to what end? He was starting to guess.
This was some kind of test, seeing if they could push him to some sort of breaking point. Knowing his partners, they likely had a bet riding on the outcome. And they’d deliberately kept him from joining in.
He mused on that thought, hands busy with pre-preparing that week’s lunches. Perhaps keeping him in the dark was a tactic to keep the test fair. His knowing the end goal would make it easier for him to anticipate their actions and have more measured reactions to their shenanigans.
The thought froze him mid-dice.
Did he really need to know the end result to implement that strategy?
No, he realized, returning to the task at hand. He didn’t need to understand the end goal if he understood the methodology. And he was already well aware of their tactics.
Well, if they wanted to exclude him from their games, perhaps he’d play one of his own.
They’d underestimated him.
A foolish oversight.
—
One week turned into two.
And now Logan wasn’t the only antsy one.
He took personal satisfaction in Remus’ haggard appearance. The intrusive side was clinging closer to him than ever, and his only reactions were soft smiles and quick pecks on the cheek or forehead.
Janus hid it better, but he’d been drinking more, was more snippy at the others, and overall just had the air of a man annoyed at all times.
Logan wasn’t much better, but he’d like to think he at least hid it better, grounding himself in the satisfaction of getting one up on his sneaky partners.
Though he wasn’t as unaffected as he pretended to be.
They’d really stepped up their tactics, Remus taking to asking Logan ‘objective’ questions about new outfits, the clothes in question getting smaller and more suggestive. Logan, in return, gave him exactly what he asked for, objective feedback, and nothing more.
Janus had taken to touching him more, getting closer, weaving little hypotheticals about things they could do together, alone, if only they had the time. Logan responded with polite interest before bringing up the project he was working on, whatever mundane tasks he had planned, and assuring Janus he’d let him know when there was time.
Logan allowed himself a small grin at the memory of the last time this had happened, Janus’ eyes flashing with an angry heat for a moment, confusion and frustration evident. If Logan was right, he’d been on the verge of hissing, something Janus wasn't fond of doing in isolation.
And he’d been pushing back too.
Whenever Janus got close and started touching him, he’d turn to back him up into a wall or counter or any flat surface and lean in close, only to reach past him and grab something and return to his original task.
Whenever Remus would come in teasing him with flashes of bare skin, he’d touch the material, comment on its texture or color, let Remus get comfortable with him close, so close to more skin-on-skin contact, and then pull away before any true contact was made.
He was a little proud of his self-control. And a little embarrassed by his stress relief methods. He’d never been one to sate his own sexual desires, but something had to give in this situation. He treated it much like any other task, swift and efficient and out of the way before anyone noticed. It was hardly satisfying, but it was helping.
The whole situation was hardly satisfying, and he found himself growing tired of the subterfuge.
He missed them.
It was clear they missed him too, though he was starting to think they’d never admit it.
This game would end soon, one way or another.
It had to.
—
They were all curled up on the couch in the dark side’s common room when the game finally ended.
Predictably, it was Remus who gave in first.
“UUUUUGHHHHH! This is stupid, I give up!” The words were barely out of his mouth before he was on Logan’s lap, kissing the life out of him. Logan only missed a single beat before grabbing Remus by the shirt to ensure he didn't run anywhere, meeting the desperate energy fully.
Janus deflated a little, “Oh, thank the gods. This was getting ridiculous!"
He sat back, enjoying the show. And what a show it was. Remus was so closely pressed up against Logan that it looked like he was trying to crawl into his skin. Logan was just as eager, one hand fisted in Remus’ hair, the other up the back of his shirt, like he couldn’t bear any distance between them.
Perhaps he couldn’t.
While the whole thing was lovely to watch, Janus had been just as pent up and wanted a turn. He traced his fingers along the back of Logan’s neck, clearing his throat pointedly. He nearly purred when the noise had Logan pulling away from Remus immediately, much to the intrusive side’s displeasure. His palm found Janus by the back of the neck, hauling him into an equally heated kiss. Janus hardly resisted, quickly melting into Logan, pressing forward eagerly as the pretense faded to need.
That, more than anything, reassured Logan that the two had been holding back just as much as he had been.
“Now,” he huffed as soon as they broke apart, breathless but determined, “Explain this nonsense.”
“Oooo daddy~” Remus purred, “Told ya! Brains wasn’t as above it all as he was pretending to be!”
“I knew it, Remussss. I just couldn’t get him to break.” Janus hissed, flicking Remus’ ear in retaliation.
Logan said nothing, still waiting.
“We had a bet,” Janus began, clearly annoyed, “To see how long you’d go before getting fed up with our teasing.”
“I bet you’d last a week!” Remus grinned, “Figured you’d get tired of us ignoring you and explode.”
“And you?” Logan nudged Janus, who looked even more put out.
“Three daysss.” He finally huffed, looking away, “I thought I could break you quicker than thissss. I don’t underssstand.”
“I caught that something was going on that first day, but I didn’t know what,” Logan confirmed, watching them both flinch in shock. “About a week in, I decided it didn’t matter what the reason was, so long as I knew what you were trying to do. And I was a little annoyed you hadn’t told me about it. So I decided I would play my own game and see how long the two of you could keep it up.”
“Two weeks is ridiculous, Specs.” Remus whined, nibbling at the edge of Logan’s jaw, trying to lure him into another kiss, “I bet aaaaall the pretty bruises we gave you are gone. I don’t like that idea.”
“I underestimated your stubbornness,” Janus conceded, “You win.”
Logan couldn’t help the smug grin that spread across his face, “Thank you. And next time- I know there will be- don’t deny it,” Janus’ mouth snapped shut, “Just give me a heads-up? Those first few days, I thought I’d done something to upset the two of you.”
“Shit.” They echoed, the realization hitting them both at the same time.
“Indeed. I understand the eagerness, just a ‘hey, we’re up to something, don’t worry about it’ would be nice.”
“Sorry.” Remus looked so pathetic in that moment that Logan couldn’t really stay mad, chuckling a little as he leaned in to kiss that pout away.
“We’ll remember next time,” Janus agreed, taking the opportunity to kiss along Logan’s neck.
“Good enough.” Logan nodded, finally relaxing, “The two of you will be the end of me yet.”
Remus had already started nosing his shirt collar out of the way, sucking a new bruise to life where his neck met his shoulder, and only hummed in agreement.
That wicked smirk he was so familiar with was back on Janus’ face, leaning in so their lips brushed, “Oh yes, love. Many many little ends~.”
And despite all the aggravation, Logan knew somehow this would always still be worth it.