Logic did his best to keep in contact with his Sides, now that both of them were talking to him. When he woke up in the morning, he sent them both a 'good morning' message before getting ready for the day. He considered it networking, in a way. If he wanted to be Established - which he absolutely did - he needed to stay in the forefront of their minds.

By the time Logic arrived at his first class, Patton didn't respond to his message, but he didn't mind. He spoke with Patton last night before falling asleep; his deep voice soothed Logic's nerves. He had inevitably fallen asleep while still on the phone, but Patton didn't seem to mind, based on a 'sweet dreams' text he sent after hanging up.

Roman, however, did respond. He sent: 'Why are you awake so early?'

'I have morning classes.' Logic responded before he put his phone on silent. As much as fusion and his Sides captured his attention, he needed to focus on his studies.

His first class of the day was a Side biology lecture. They spent a majority of their time discussing fusion and fission, a topic that fascinated Logic to no end.

Professor Green was an Established man in his late sixties who walked with a cane. He enjoyed demonstrations during discussions. However, since he was Established, he couldn't typically do the demonstrations himself. He tended to call upon any fusions in the class for help.

Sandra shared the same class with him, and they sat next to each other in the front row. She gave him a small nod as he took his seat.

"Now, does anyone know how many bones are in the Established body?" Green asked.

Logic raised his hand, and when he was called upon, he said, "Two hundred and six."

"Correct." Green said, pacing slowly in front of them, "And how many are in the average Side's body?"
Logic and Sandra glanced at each other neither quite sure. No one else in the room seemed to know either, and they sat in silence for a moment.

"Come now," Green said with a small huff. "A newborn has 300 bones, so how much does a Side have?"
Someone behind them raised their hand and guessed, "Is it 300?"

"No." Green sighed in the way that only an exhausted professor can. He tapped his cane against the ground and said, "A newborn starts with 300 bones, which then fuse as they grow. A typical Side has 250 bones, which are not fully fused. This allows them to go through the process of fusion and fission without causing bodily harm. They also are prone to injuries more often due to this."

"Is it true Sides are more flexible than Established people?" Sandra asked, raising her hand.

"In most cases, yes." Green said. He chuckled and added, "I haven't been able to touch my toes in years."
A few people around the class snickered at that, and Green carried on. "Now, if Sides have 250 bones, and newborns have 300, but the Established only have 206; what do you think the average fusion has?"

Logic frowned to himself, staring at his notes. Fusions gain more limbs and facial features, so it would make sense that they have more bones than a Side. But do they have more bones than a newborn? Are their bones fused together, like an Established person's? Or are they flexible, like a Side's?

Deciding to shoot in the middle, Logic suggested, "275?"

"Trick question!" Green said with a wide grin. He threw an arm up in a shrug and said, "We can't tell!"

A murmur came from behind them, and Logic frowned as he wrote the response down. He didn't like when questions had non-answers like that, but this only meant that the topic needed more research.

"Kyle and Caution, come up here please." Green said, calling out two fusions. They both stood and made their way to the front of the class. While Kyle had two extra arms; Caution had a third eye and an extra mouth. Once they were standing next to each other, Green continued, "Now, who thinks Kyle has more bones in his body than Caution does?"

Most of the class raised their hands.

"And how many think that they have the same number of bones?"
A couple raised their hands.
"You'd be correct either way." Green said, gesturing to the fusions. "Without a full body X-ray, we cannot confirm who has more. But, based on what we know of the Established body; we can say that Kyle has about 60 extra bones per arm."

Kyle looked down at his four arms, as if he didn't know there were bones in them.

"However," Professor Green turned to Caution, "she has more bones in her skull. Tell me, have you ever had your head x-rayed?"

"No, sir." Caution said.

"Okay. So when it comes to a fusion's bones, they may not fuse fully. Caution may have anywhere from twenty-two to forty-four bones in her head."

"But wouldn't that mean that Kyle still has more bones?" Logic asked, raising his hand. "At least 60 per arm, means 120 at the minimum, which Caution couldn't have within her skull."
Green nodded, a small smile on his lips, "That's true. But going back to the fusion thing, can we confirm that all of the vertebrae in their spines merged properly?"

Logic sat back in his chair, thinking about that. He was only considering the parts of their bodies that had grown extra features. But when fusing, your whole bodies merge; even the less obvious parts.

"Caution, how tall are you?" Green asked, looking up at her.

"Uh, 6'7"."

"And you, Kyle?"
"7'2"."

"Once again, we could assume that Kyle has more bones due to this, but we would need to know how large his vertebrae are. Did they fuse fully and make a large bone? Or are there several small ones making up his spine?" Green turned to Caution and tapped her shin with his cane. "Do you have only one femur per leg? Or did you get two smaller ones?"

"Uh…" Caution said, looking down at her own legs. "I don't know. They feel normal?"
Green chuckled and nodded to the seats, "You may sit down." The fusions left the front of the class and Green added, "Fusion is not an exact science. Sometimes you can come out almost entirely Established looking, with as few bones as possible. And sometimes you can reach up to that three hundred mark. We haven't discovered a fusion with that many bones as of yet, but it is certainly within the realm of possibility."

Sandra raised her hand, "If fusions receive extra bones and limbs, do they also receive extra organs?"
"They can." Green said, pointing vaguely. "And in many cases, this can cause medical issues. If a fusion is not perfectly balanced in their relationship, it can cause imperfections when fusing. If you suspect your fusion may have an extra heart or liver or stomach," he patted his own round belly, "then you should seek medical attention. If the body cannot sustain the extra organs, that fusion may not be able to exist until Establishment."

Sandra whispered to Logic, "Wouldn't that be awful."

"Of course, this kind of deformation is rare." Green said with a wave of his hand, "And is typically non-lethal. But if you plan on being a Side doctor when you're Established, you'll need to be prepared for these things. It's very important to spot when an extra organ can be sustained and when it is deadly."
Logic whispered back to Sandra, "I wonder how many fusions die due to medical complications like that."
"I'm sure we can find a statistic somewhere." Sandra responded in a hushed tone. "Imagine those poor Sides who will never be Established because of that."
Logic winced and looked back to the professor. He could only hope that wouldn't happen to anyone he knew. The odds were in his favor, but it was still dreadful to think about.

Professor Green turned to his desk and looked through his notes. "Now, if you turn to page 405, you will find a diagram with multiple different Fusions' x-rays…"


By the time Logic had finished his classes for the day, he had a few more messages from Roman and Patton. He responded to Patton's questions before he looked at Roman's texts.

Roman: That's fair lol

Roman: So are you free tonight?

Logic: I am. Are you done avoiding me?

He didn't get a response for ten minutes. Logic tried to not stare at his phone the entire time he waited. Perhaps that was the wrong thing to say? He wasn't always the most tactful Side. Finally, his phone vibrated.

Roman: I am :P

Roman: Anyway do you want to get dinner later or something?

Logic smiled at his phone, his chest constricting pleasantly for a moment. The thought of being next to Roman again, to not be arguing or ignored, sent a thrill down his back.

Logic: That would be acceptable. Where would you like to meet?

Roman: The cafe in the library

Roman: 6:00


Logic glanced around the cafe, his spine stiff as he awaited Roman's arrival. He had - illogically - spent twenty minutes trying on different shirts and fixing his hair before coming here. The wind had messed up all his hard work, and he could only hope he looked acceptable. He chose a white button down with a red tie, a combination he rarely used.

At 6:01, Logic checked his phone. No new messages. He shifted in his seat and leaned forward. He settled his elbows on the table, his hands folded with his knuckles pressed against his mouth. What if he didn't come? Surely he was merely running late. As a non-Logical Side, he couldn't expect Roman to have the same precision and punctuality as, say, Structure and Planning.

Logic waited.

At 6:10, Roman's quick steps echoed in the empty cafe as he ran in. He pushed his messy hair out of his eyes and looked around. Logic sat up and lowered his hands, keeping his gaze locked on the other. Roman relaxed when he saw him, instantly approaching his table.

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm late, I, uh-" Roman said, before trailing off and shrugging. "I'm here. Um. You look good."

Logic offered him a small smile in acceptance of the apology. He stood and reached up to fix Roman's hair. Then he smoothed his hands down his navy shirt and stepped back, pleased with his work. Now he looked ready for their dinner date. Roman's face heated and he glanced away.

"Thank you." Logan said, putting his hands in his pockets to keep himself from touching Roman more. "You look quite dashing yourself."

"Oh, thanks!" Roman beamed, his cheeks darkening again. He cleared his throat and gestured to the counter, "Have you ordered?"

"I was waiting for you." Logic led the way, "Shall we?"

Logic ordered a salad and water while Roman had a baked potato and pop. They returned to the table Logic had picked out and began eating in relative silence.

"So, are you recovering well from your show?" Logic asked. "It's stressful rehearsing and performing, isn't it?"

Roman sipped from his drink, then said, "Yeah. I slept past my morning class today. I've been exhausted all week."

Logic frowned, "You shouldn't miss classes if you can help it."

"Well, it was either sleep in my bed or sleep on my desk." Roman said with a shrug, his tone slightly annoyed. "Not that a Logical Side would understand."

Logic flinched, realizing he misstepped. He didn't mean to start an argument. He tried again, clarifying, "I apologize; I understand the importance of a good night's rest. I was simply suggesting you don't make a habit of missing essential education."

"...Right." Roman said, glancing away from him. He took a deep breath, then said, "Logan, I wanted to apologize for how I acted after… after the frat party."

Logic set his fork down, watching him closely.

"I spoke with my friends a lot about it and-" He stopped himself, then started again, "There's things I haven't been telling you. Remy and Missy aren't my Sides."

Logic had already come to that conclusion, although he hadn't completely removed them from the table. He inspected Roman closer and waited for him to continue. Roman shifted under his gaze.

"And… and they're the ones who convinced me to give you another shot." Roman moved his hands under the table, seemingly gathering his courage. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as a large crowd flooded into the cafe. They chatted and laughed loudly while they approached the cashier, and suddenly the peaceful ambiance was broken.

Roman sighed, his shoulders deflating as he stared at the noisy group. Logic reached across the table and got his attention. "Perhaps we could continue this topic elsewhere. Are you finished with your meal?"

Roman glanced down at his potato skins and nodded. The two stood and threw their trash away before escaping into the library. Logic grabbed Roman's hand and led him away from the crowds.

They ended up in the far corner of the third floor, hidden behind a bookshelf. A floor to ceiling window shown dazzling golden light across them as they sat on the floor.

Logic peered at the titles on the shelf closest to him, while Roman stared out the window. Logic picked up a book - The Trials and Tribulations of a Fusion in America. He studied the back of it while he spoke, "If you don't want to tell me anything, you don't have to. All I require is a companionship of sorts. And you're here, with me. We can discuss anything, or avoid any topic."

Roman looked at him, and Logic watched him through his peripheral vision. Roman sighed, then shook his head. "No, I have to tell you. You deserve an explanation."

Logic set the book in his lap and gave Roman his full focus.

He scratched his neck and said slowly, "My Side name isn't Creativity."

"Oh." Logic shrugged, unbothered by his incorrect assumption. "Is it still a Creative trait? Perhaps, Creator or Singer?"

Roman seemed sad as he shook his head. "No, I mean, I don't have a Side name. I was never successfully diagnosed."

Logic felt his body go cold. He stared at Roman in surprise. "Oh! But… that's highly unusual."

"I know." Roman pulled his knees up and set his chin on them, staring ahead. "My parents didn't even bother to get me diagnosed until I was about fourteen. The doctor couldn't pin one thing down, so they sent me away without one. Then, at sixteen I asked for them to try again. They decided I was a Creativity trait, but that I also had something else. They couldn't figure out that secondary trait, so I went officially undiagnosed again."

Logic nodded slowly, finding himself leaning closer to Roman until their shoulders were touching.

Roman's voice was soft, yet fragile, as he said, "At eighteen, you legally have to have some type of diagnosis attached to you. So I went again. This time they started asking me all the things they can't ask children. 'Do you do drugs?' 'Tell me about your sex life.' 'Have you ever broken the law?'"

Logic offered, "They were trying to see if you were a Negative trait."

Roman nodded, turning to rest his cheek against his knees. His brown eyes stared at him as he said, "Yeah, but none of those fit, either. It was so uncomfortable and I didn't know how to answer any of their questions." He sighed out his nose and added, "Eventually they just pegged me as an 'Undiagnosed Creative-Emotional Trait.' and made me use the last name 'Side'."

"I see." Logic said quietly.

"And then after I met Remy and Missy, and I couldn't fuse -" His voice grew frustrated, "Well, what was I supposed to think!? I can't be diagnosed, I can't fuse, clearly I'm Established!"

Logic waited until he calmed down before he asked, "What do you think you are?"

Roman shrugged, muttering under his breath, "Creative-Useless. Or Creative-Stupid. Creative-Crybaby."

Logic placed a hand on his shoulder, his voice stern, "That kind of thinking is only harmful. If you believe you're a half-emotional Side, what emotions do you resonate with most?"

Roman shrugged, chewing the inside of his cheek. "I don't know. I feel all kinds of emotions."

"Of course you do. You're human." Logic said with a smile. "Try to keep track of the emotions that stick out to you. What is most common or the strongest. And what may trigger them. It might help you find your Side name. For now, do you just refer to yourself as Creative? Creative-Emotional?"

"I'm Roman." He said firmly. "My full name is Roman Undiagnosed Creative-Emotional Trait Jackson Side. But that's stupid. So I'm Roman."

Logic gave him a tiny smile, "I understand, Roman. Would you like my assistance in your diagnoses? Or would you rather I avoided this topic?"

Roman was quiet for a moment. Then he whispered, "You'd help me find myself?"

"Of course." Logic gave him a small nudge, a smile spreading across his lips. "We are friends, aren't we?"

Roman swallowed thickly and nodded, his eyes wide. He sat up, his arms falling to his sides. He kept his voice low as he said, "I'm sorry I was a dick."

"I'm sorry I was pushy." Logic replied, just as soft. He laid his hand down gently atop Roman's. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm not scared of anything." Roman mumbled, his gaze flicking down to Logic's lips. Like two celestial objects swirling around each other, they each were pulled closer together by some unseeable force.

Logic smirked, "Sounds illogical."

He felt Roman's breathy laugh on his lips just a moment before they connected. Roman's lips were soft and plush; with an inviting warmth that demanded to be explored. It filled his body with a searing warmth that Logic couldn't get enough of. He'd never felt something like this before; intoxicating and exhilarating and calming all at once. He heard Roman let out a short moan, and then he was gone.

They both were gone. The kissing ended as a new person sat alone in their spots. He glanced around, inspecting his surroundings, before picking up the discarded book. Curiously, he opened it to a random page and began to read.

'This incident was directly followed by the shopkeeper informing us that there was no furniture fit for a fusion, and if we wished for furniture our size we should simply unfuse. As a permifusion, we heard this sort of rhetoric constantly…'

He closed the book, standing up. He paced as he spoke, "I have an idea! I should invent an automatically expanding bed for Fusions. It could start the size of a twin, or a full, even. And at the push of a button," he waved his hands in the air as he spoke, "boom! It'll grow to a king or larger! Yes, and the mechanics and extra mattresses shall be stored under the bed. This, of course, would mean you wouldn't have any storage under there."

He shrugged, "But that could be fixed with a storage chest at the foot of the bed, perhaps as a matching set."

He looked for Roman, then behind the bookshelf, "Logic?"

No one responded, as he was alone in this part of the library. He ran a hand through his hair and spoke quietly, "How interesting. It seems I am a fusion."

He felt up his body, inspecting it for the first time. He had no extra limbs, so he peered at himself in the reflection in the window. He could barely make out three eyes staring back at him. His third eye sat in the middle of his forehead, while Logic's glasses obstructed the other two. He took off the glasses for a moment to assess his vision. He scowled when everything turned blurry.

"Out of all the possibilities, and I don't have extra arms." He grumbled to himself, cleaning the glasses with his blue shirt. The white button down was unbuttoned, worn like a jacket. He put the glasses back on and sighed, "I would be able to work so much faster with extra hands."

He got an idea. "Wouldn't it be lovely if we could wear a backpack that had robotic arms attached, then everyone would have the same dexterity as a fusion!"

He started pacing again as he thought out loud, "It would need a motor, of course. And some type of control panel. That may leave one hand busy, so maybe the pack should have three arms. It has to be light-weight, but sturdy, and-" He let out a yelp as he slipped on the book and fell. He disappeared before he hit the ground.

Roman landed on Logic, both men groaning in pain. Logic felt the wind be pushed out of him and he struggled to catch his breath. His glasses askew, he didn't get the best look at Roman before the man frantically scrambled off of him.

"Oh God, are you okay!?" Roman pulled him up and ran his hands over Logic's body, searching for wounds.

Logic held his stomach and gave him a weak smile, "Yes, I'm fine. Innovative should watch where he's going."

"Innovative?" Roman froze, his eyes wide in realization. "Oh shit, we fused."

"Is that a bad thing?" Logic asked.

"Uh-" Roman's panicked expression didn't change, his stiff body seemed trapped between wanting to run and being stuck. Logic took a deep breath and pushed away his remaining pain. He sat up fully and took Roman's hand. The other winced at the touch, but didn't pull away.

"Roman, I'm sorry we fused without fully discussing the possibility first. It wasn't my intention." Logic said slowly, watching his face for any signs of reaction. "But now we know for sure: we are Sides."

Roman closed his eyes, a shiver running through his body. He whispered, "Holy shit."

"We're Sides." Logic repeated, placing his other hand on Roman's shoulder. "You're not Established. You're not alone, or broken. You belong with me."

Roman leaned forward until his head rested on Logic's shoulder, his eyes still closed. Logic rubbed his back as choked off sobs rose from him.

Roman clung to him, crying, like he was afraid he'd disappear. Logic did his best to soothe him, but he was never that great at emotional support.

He kept whispering in Roman's ear, "It's okay. You're okay. I'm here."

They stayed together like that until the sun disappeared behind the buildings, and an announcement from the speakers told them the library would be closing soon.


Tell me what you think!