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Logan entered the common room with a book, intent on sitting down in a comfy chair with some tea, and found Janus doing one of his projects. He observed the scene for a moment and quickly noticed that, whatever Janus was doing, it wasn't one of his typical activities. Definitely not crocheting or knitting, at least. He was holding a thin circle with a large number of strings spread across it, each one slipped into a notch on the side. He would pick up a string from one side and maneuver it to the other before turning the circle like a wheel and repeating the motion over again.

He came further into the room and settled down on the other end of the couch.

"Greetings, Janus."

The other man finished his motion before looking up.

"Hello, Logan."

"What are you making?" Logan asked, curious. "I've never seen this particular craft before."

Janus glanced down at the wheel briefly.

"It's one of those friendship bracelets people make at camps and sleepovers and whatever," Janus explained with a shrug.

"Oh, I didn't realize you made those," Logan spoke, voice neutral. "They don't really fit your clothing aesthetic."

Janus shifted, crossing one leg over the other.

"Yes, well, I'm probably never going to actually wear this," Janus hummed. "I never really wear any of them. They don't really work with my gloves."

Hearing this, Logan tilted his head.

"Why make them if you don't wear them?" Logan asked. "I would guess that you'd rather spend your time making something you would actually use."

Instead of an actual response, Janus just sighed, making Logan frown.

"Is something wrong, Janus?"

Another sigh.

"Not particularly, no."

Emotions weren't really Logan's thing, but he was pretty sure Janus was lying. He certainly didn't seem to be unbothered.

"You know, it's alright to confide in me if something is bothering you," Logan offered. "I wouldn't tell anyone, if you're worried about that. Though, if you'd rather talk to one of the others, that's fine as well."

Janus still shook his head.

"No, Logan, it's… it's really nothing in particular," the man insisted. "I'm just in a bad mood, and I didn't want to end up taking it out on anyone."

"I see," Logan hummed, nodding. "So, making friendship bracelets is calming to you?"

Janus seemed to consider the question for a moment.

"I suppose so," he replied. "Usually, I would crochet or something, but I really don't feel like putting in the effort today. I've had a busy past few days, and I don't even feel like reading a pattern. But, this is pretty mindless once I get started. So, here I am."

"Ah," said Logan. "Well, I suppose we do all get burnt out every so often. Though, there is a good chance that's why you're in a bad mood."

The other man snorted dryly.

"Perhaps," he huffed. "But it's rather annoying. I've been wanting to add to the jellyfish pile all week, but now that I actually have free time, I don't have the energy for it."

"Because you're burnt out, Janus."

At this, Janus rolled his eyes.

"Yes, yes, I know."

"Perhaps creating a schedule would help you avoid this in the future?"

"I have a schedule," Janus told him, his voice hard. "Thomas just needed me more than usual this week, and it was unexpected. So my schedule just didn't work."

Logan's eyebrows pinched inward the slightest bit.

"Why did Thomas need you more this week? I don't seem to remember him lying any more than usual," Logan stated.

"Because he didn't need Deceit; he needed Self-Preservation," Janus explained. "Except he doesn't want to listen to Self-Preservation."

Logan nodded in acknowledgement, waiting for Janus to continue.

"I've been trying to get him to listen to me all week, and he won't," Janus told him. "But, I suppose his project's all finished now, so it's a moot point."

"Oh, you're talking about the project Thomas has been working on," Logan reiterated. "I did try to get him to follow a more beneficial schedule, but as I'm sure you know, Thomas has a tendency to procrastinate."

"Yes, and then he has to do everything at once, and this happens."

Janus had set down his bracelet wheel, and now he crossed his arms. Now that he was thinking about it, Janus did look visibly more tired than usual.

"So, is Thomas's burnout contributing to your own?" Logan questioned.

Janus shrugged, almost petulantly.

"I told you I'm fine, Logan."

Logan observed Janus for a little while, trying to figure out if the man was, indeed, telling the truth, as well as trying to decide whether he should keep pursuing his line of questioning or not. In the end, he decided to continue.

"Janus," Logan spoke firmly. "I understand that I am not the most emotional side, but I can tell that you're in some kind of distress. And since self-care is such an important part of your function, I'm sure you're aware that 'bottling things up' isn't the healthiest way to cope with things."

"I think you're forgetting that I'm also Deceit," Janus drawled. "And I control repression."

"Even still," Logan replied. "I already know that you're burnt out and in a bad mood from your own admittance. So lying doesn't really have a point here."

Janus shrugged again.

"Is there a reason you're being resistant?"

"Is there a reason you're being so pushy?" Janus shot back.

"Yes," Logan confirmed. "To begin with, Thomas functions better when all of us are in good condition, and as his sense of self-preservation, it's important that you are able to fulfill your functions. But, even beyond practical purposes, I do believe the two of us are friends, so it does concern me if you're upset."

Logan wasn't even completely sure why he was pushing so hard on this. Usually, he would have just accepted that Janus didn't want to talk by now. But Logan had a feeling that Janus felt worse than he was trying to let on, and since Janus was Deceit, he probably wouldn't tell anyone without prompting (which would likely result in him eventually 'taking his bad mood out on others' at some point, which Janus seemed to not want).

For a while, the two of them just looked at each other.

Then, Janus grimaced, his jaw shifting.

"… I'm angry at Thomas."

The admission was quiet, and Janus wouldn't meet Logan's eyes as he said it. Logan recognized that Janus seemed to be feeling guilty about saying the words out loud.

"Because of this week?"

Janus let out a huff and leaned his cheek on a propped up hand leaning forward a bit as he curled inward.

"What do you think?"

"I don't want to make too many assumptions about what you're feeling, Janus," Logan told him. "So, are you mad about Thomas ignoring your suggestions?"

Janus looked toward the floor.

"… Yes," he confirmed. "I just- I keep trying to get him to understand that self-care is necessary and not just something extra. But he doesn't ever seem to understand that doing things like spacing out his work so he doesn't have to do it all at once is self-care, nor does he want to take any breaks once he actually does start doing things, even though he's actually not even really being productive at a certain point. And I keep trying to get him to listen to me, but he just won't, and-"

Janus suddenly cut himself off. Logan waited for him to continue again, but he didn't seem inclined to do so.

"I believe I understand," Logan spoke finally. "I've had… similar frustrations recently. Thomas and I make a schedule, but then he doesn't follow it, so he doesn't get things done when he should, and it causes him problems later. Which is exactly what I was trying to help him avoid."

Logan sighed.

"I've been trying to go easy on him because he's been so stressed lately, but it's still… frustrating to have my contributions ignored," he concluded.

As Logan finished, he saw Janus nod.

"… I'm just tired of being the bad guy for trying to get Thomas to take care of himself."

These words were even quieter than the man's last admission.

"You aren't the bad guy, Janus," Logan reassured him. "We all know that now. As frustrating as things like this can be, Thomas is trying."

"I know that," Janus spoke, almost harshly.

"But," Logan added. "He should also, perhaps, realize that his actions have an effect on us. It might help if you told him about this."

Suddenly, Janus tensed.

"What, like you tell him when you feel like this?"

Logan had to force back a comment about how he doesn't feel things. Because he knows it isn't true, and so does everyone else, so it was rather pointless by now.

"You don't need to get defensive," Logan told him. "It was just a suggestion."

Janus moved to cross his arms again, leaning back into the couch.

"… I'm not going to guilt-trip Thomas into doing what he should," Janus responded. "That's not… that's not what I want."

"And it's not what I was suggesting," Logan stressed. "You can explain that his actions have consequences without 'guilt-tripping' him."

"I don't see how."

"I'm sure you could figure it out."

Janus let out a long sigh.

"Perhaps."

After that, the two of them lapsed into silence. Eventually, Janus picked his craft back up, and Logan opened his book.

A long while later, Logan found his reading interrupted by a small object being thrust toward him.

"Here."

Logan looked to find that Janus was presenting him with his newly finished bracelet. It was a combination of black, white, blue, and grey, the three colors creating stripes up the bracelet's length.

"I'm not going to wear it, and I already have a box of them stuffed in the closet," Janus spoke, his voice casually blank.

Logan probably wouldn't wear the bracelet either, and he was pretty sure Janus knew that. But, Logan had also noticed that Janus had taken to making the rest of them little things now that they knew about his hobbies, such as the bears he gave all of them soon after they found out. He wasn't sure if the bracelet had been originally intended for him or not (the color scheme did match his own, but Janus didn't really have any reason to be making him a bracelet, especially when he was obviously tired).

Even still, Logan still accepted the gift.

"Thank you, Janus."

Then, the other man stood from the couch.

"I should be going, then. It's getting rather late," Janus announced.

Janus started walking toward the doorway, but then he paused. Without turning around, he said one last thing before exiting:

"You're not the bad guy, either, Logan."

And then he was gone.

Logan took in a deep breath before slowly letting it out. He looked at the clock. It really was getting late, and he should probably go to sleep. Closing his book, Logan also stood from the couch and made his way back to his room.

He set the bracelet on his desk as he got ready for bed.

XXX