Logic's shoulders ached from the metaphorical weight of his schoolwork. He had completed most of his smaller assignments, leaving only his part of a group essay to complete. Logic had been sitting at his desk since he woke this morning, and had spent many hours last night in the same spot. His chair was old, black, and uncomfortable. He sat back and rubbed his eyes, checking the time. It was almost noon, and he still had the entirety of his essay to write. He exhaled slowly. He could do this. He was a Logic.

He allowed himself one moment of rest before he opened a new tab on his laptop. The project topic was over Side diagnoses, with Logic's section focusing on outside factors such as age and gender. It was a fascinating topic that Logic would love to dive into. But his head hurt in a frustratingly familiar way.

He tried to count backwards. When was the last time he fused? Who was it with? He couldn't remember. He would have to fuse again soon. He was certain Roman wouldn't mind, but Logic simply couldn't waste time at the moment. He had to focus on his class work, a silly headache could wait.

Logic heard a soft thwap at the door. It happened once more and the door slowly inched open until a furry, black face poked into his room.

Logic smiled at the cat. Virgil introduced everyone to Shadow when they first moved in, but Logic hadn't seen the feline much since then. Sometimes he would be following under Virgil's feet or curled up on the couch. But he usually stayed close to Virgil's room.

"Hello," Logic reached his hand down as the cat approached. Shadow sniffed his fingers before jumping up onto his lap. Logic smiled, holding his arms up as Shadow settled.

Logic's mothers didn't allow pets, and he wasn't really sure what do with it. But Shadow didn't mind his hesitancy, curling up against his stomach as if he were Virgil. That line of thought had Logic writing down a note on his desk.

Do Sides have different pheromones? Can pets tell the difference between them?

He knew he had researched Sidedom and pheromones before, but not in any relation to animals. Logic could feel himself getting distracted by the topic, he was almost thankful to hear a knock at his door. Almost.

Logic glanced up, one hand on Shadow, the other furiously scribbling his questions on scents humans could no longer smell. When did we lose the ability?

Virgil stood in the slightly-ajar doorway. His eyes darted from Logic's face down to Shadow. The cat's purrs filled the silence of the room. Strangely, Logic felt his cheeks warm.

"Greetings, Virgil." He said, setting his pen down. He sat back in his seat, trying to seem more put together than he was. "How can I help you?"

Virgil's brows twitched. Logic's throat grew dry as Virgil met his gaze. Finally, he responded, "Are you okay?"

Logic blinked, startled by the question. "Um. Yes?"

Virgil rubbed his neck and pointed at Shadow. "Sorry, just checking." He shifted in the doorway, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I mean- he seeks me out when I'm stressed-"

"Oh, yes." Logic relaxed, looking down at Shadow. The cat blinked his eyes slowly at him, still purring loudly. Logic scratched under his furry chin, smiling. "He's been trained to recognize a raised heartbeat."

"Right." Virgil glanced out in the hall before he asked, "Do you want me to take him?"

"No, it's quite alright." Logic hesitantly pet Shadow's back. Shadow pressed his head against Logic's hand, as happy as could be. Logic looked up to find Virgil watching him. "Would you like to stay?"

Virgil nodded, slowly closing the door behind him. He moved across the room as if the floor were made of glass. Logic nodded when Virgil gestured to his bed - the only other sitting space in his room.

Logic didn't have much furniture. He kept the walls the neutral color they came in. His desk and chair took up one corner while his bed occupied the other. And, of course, his bookshelves took up most of the far wall. Logic kept his curtains drawn, but they were thin enough that light broke through anyway. A potted ivy hung by the window. He had one poster on his wall, of famed Fusion educator/comedian Bill Nye. Logic had watched his show over and over as a kid.

As Virgil settled onto Logic's bed, he said, "What're you up to?"

"I'm working on an essay." He gestured to his laptop, which earned him a disgruntled mrrw from Shadow. Logic continued petting him, apologizing under his breath. "I've finished my outline, and I've done some research, but I want to sort it out more before I begin writing."

Virgil shook his head, "I can see why I failed my high school English class. I never had that many steps into my essays." He laughed slightly, a delightful sound that Logic wasn't expecting. "I would throw something onto the page after skimming a wiki article and hope for the best, you know?"

"No." Logic said, but he smiled. Virgil laughed again, shaking his head.

"Right." He said, nodding to the laptop. "I'll let you get back to it."

"Would it be alright if I make a phone call?" Logic asked.

Virgil shrugged, settling against Logic's pillows. He smiled to himself as he pulled out his phone. "It's your room."

"Yes, that's correct." Logic said, mostly to himself. He grabbed his own phone, thumbing through the contacts until he found the number he wanted. Shadow brushed against him and purred. Then resituated, turning around and around in his lap. Logic was nervous to make the call, it seemed. He sighed at himself, petting Shadow.

Giving Virgil one final glance, he pressed 'call'. The phone rang twice and then it picked up.

"Carlson speaking."

"Greetings, Mother." Logic said. He could see Virgil glanced at him in his peripheral vision, but he couldn't return the gaze. "I know it's not our typical call time, but I have an essay I'm working on, and-"

"Logic, dear. Greetings! Well, let's hear it, what's the topic?" Mother said. "You have ten minutes."

Logic focused on the soft fur under his fingers. Shadow blinked up at him, urging him to continue petting.

He licked his lips. "I'm focusing on the different variables of diagnoses, such as age and gender."

"Excellent topic, Logic. And your question?" Mother always got to the point. She was a busy woman and didn't have time to hold his hand through a research project. He made sure to only ask her things he couldn't find any research for. She responded curtly, allowing Logic time to write down her responses.

Logic chewed on his thumb nail as he thought over her last answer. He asked, "Why are boys forty percent more likely to be diagnosed as a Negative trait than girls? Is it social? Is it genetic?"

He could hear movement on the other side of the phone; certain his mother was moving about her office. She sighed, "That factoid gets thrown around a lot these days. I'll tell you about it later."

Logic snorted. His mother was a political figure of sorts. She actually was a research scientist for Side diagnoses - the perfect source for his essay. But she was always an Activist, and couldn't help but get involved in local politics. She was the scientist politicians on all sides pointed at to support their arguments. Her newest public enemy was the balding man running for mayor. Logic had seen grown adults twist her words and data into a terrible lie. The more Logic learned about the biology of Sidedom, the more he wanted to follow in his mother's footsteps.

"What you're seeing there is an observation of bias on the doctor's part." Mother said. Logic jotted down notes as she spoke. "Boys are allowed to be Rowdy, Rambunctious, or Rude. But girls have to be Loud, Fidgety, and Bossy."

"All of the girls' examples are primarily Emotional traits." Logic observed. "Emotional-Negative, right?"

"Yes. And they're also on the list of the potential Active traits. If everything goes through, of course. You know how long this stuff takes." Mother said, a hint of excitement in her voice. Logic couldn't help but smile. Shadow purred. His mother had been working closely with the current-mayor, a sharp woman with good sense, to start up the Active Side campaign. There currently is no "Active" trait, but many Sides feel they don't belong in an Emotional or Negative category. Mother was campaigning in both the political and academic fields for the new trait to be added. "Anyway, the boys would be labeled a Negative or Negative-Emotional, simply because they would one day be men. Meanwhile girls are often times over-diagnosed with Emotional traits."

"Is that why there are more women who seek rediagnoses?" Logic asked. Virgil moved, but Logic didn't look at him. He kept his eyes on his laptop, the cursor blinking slowly. "And is it true rediagnoses rates are rising?"

"Yes, more and more Sides are not satisfied with their diagnoses. This trend has been noticed as the popularity of the internet grew."

"So it's the expanse of communication and information-?"

Mother interrupted, "Yes, but consider this."

Shadow hopped out of Logic's lap and onto his bed. Logic glanced over as Shadow pressed against Virgil's chest. He was playing on his phone, not paying attention to Logic's conversation.

"Our country is still recovering from a terrible presidency decades ago. During that time the Board of Sidehood and Fusion Health removed over two hundred Side diagnoses from the trait database. Now all those perfectly reasonable Sides are just adjectives." His mother spoke quickly, interest obvious in her voice. "A good 50 more were reclassified as Negative traits. They campaigned for more of course, but there was an obvious agenda, and some lucky traits were protected."

Logic typed into his search engine 'Board of Sidehood and Fusion Health' and pulled up their website. Logic bookmarked the page, skimming through their introduction.

Mother continued, "Now there's a demographic of Sides who should have been diagnosed as something that no longer, legally, exists. So they were given the next closest diagnosis."

"And that could be the difference between an Emotional or a Negative diagnosis." Logic said thoughtfully. He chewed his lip, then asked, "And of age? I, um, know someone who hasn't been diagnosed yet. But I believe if he were much younger, he would've been given a name already. He's passionate and expressive, I could only imagine he'd be given 'Charmer' as a kid… Has he missed his chance?"

"Not at all." His mother said, "While older diagnoses are less common, there's nothing inherently wrong with it. Many times late diagnoses comes from a lack of resources than anything else. For your essay, look into the rates of Sides that seek rediagnoses because their Side name is too 'childish'. Your friend may be lucky that he wasn't diagnosed too young, he could've ended up with 'Goofy' or 'Brat'."

Logic nodded to himself. He opened his mouth to say more, but his mother spoke first.

"Sorry, honey. I have to go to a meeting now. But call me during our scheduled time and I can chat more, alright?"

"Of course, Mother." Logic tried to not let his disappointment show in his voice. Mother was busy, but that was why they had a schedule. He'd be sure to not miss this week's call time. "I'll let you know if I have any further questions."

"Excellent, make us proud. Kisses!" She said, then hung up without another word.

"Goodbye." Logic said as he lowered his phone. Lost in thought, he stared at the Sidehood and Fusion's Health website.

Virgil's voice made him jump. "Were you talking about Roman?"

Logic wasn't expecting him to say that. He nodded and set his phone on his desk. "His situation interests me. Frankly, he could very easily be given many Side names. But if he were a Dramatic or Adventurous, they would've known it by now. So what could be confusing the doctors?"

Virgil shrugged and Logic sighed.

"I wish I could just bring him to my mother. She'd figure him out."

"I dunno if he wants to be picked apart like that." Virgil said, lowering his phone. "I mean, those kinds of appointments aren't fun. The testing. It can take hours."

Logic sat back. "Oh. Mine was rather brief."

Virgil snorted. "Let me guess. You were excited to do the scantron?"

"Enthusiasm for efficient testing aside," Logic ignored the heat in his ears. "My Mother knew I would be a Logic/Logic Side before my schooling. My mothers studied me, of course, and were well aware of my intellectual abilities as a child."

Virgil shook his head, he was smiling but his words were unkind. "You sound like a prick when you say that."

"How so?" Logic frowned, "Which part?"

Virgil gestured to him and said, in a monotone voice, "I was a baby genius and my diagnosis took seconds because I diagnosed myself."

"I did not." Logic rolled his eyes. "My Mother did and a licensed professional confirmed it."

"Sure," Virgil said, petting Shadow gently. Logic still couldn't tell if Virgil was being antagonistic or not. He smiled and spoke softly, but he also sounded irritated with him. "Because your mom is some kind of Side expert."

Logic slowly turned the photo on his desk to face Virgil. It was a small frame of him and his mothers. Then, in case Virgil still wasn't sure, he added, "She is."

"Wait, your mom is Dr. Carlson?" Virgil said, "Like- like the one that's on TV all the time? That Dr. Carlson?"

"She does interviews, yes." Logic said. Virgil swallowed. Shadow pressed up against Virge's chest.

"Well, fuck me then. Nevermind, I guess you would be diagnosed at two in ten minutes tops." Virgil shook his head again. He stared at Logic, but his gaze looked out of focus.

Logic shrugged, trying for casual and failing. "It wasn't exactly like that, but…" Logic sat up straighter. "I realize I'm very privileged for my easy diagnosis. The further into my research I get the more aware of that I become. The amount of medical malpractice and neglect when it comes to Sides in small towns or with unsavory habits… There's plenty of statistics I never considered."

Virgil scoffed and looked down at his phone, turning the screen on and off repeatedly. "Well, it's like, people don't just get rediagnosed because they like being called one word over the other. It's- bigger than that, like… It's who you are; how you're seen. It's different."

When they made eye contact again, the air felt thick. Virgil shrugged and looked down. Logic tried to make sense of the conversation. He knew Virgil had a different Side name in the past, but he didn't speak of it. Logic wanted to ask questions, but he wasn't sure which ones were allowed. The conversation felt tricky in a way Logic wasn't prepared for.

He proceeded with caution. He asked, "Did you-"

The door opened with a bang as the knob hit the wall behind it. Logic and Virgil both jumped, turning to see Roman in the doorway. He was grinning, his eyes darting between the two of them. Shadow hissed.

"So this is where everyone's been! I was looking around the kitchen and stuff and-"

Virgil muttered, "So that means you don't have to knock?"

Roman put a hand to his ear, "What was that? Can't hear you from my boyfriend's bed."

Virgil scoffed, wrinkling his nose. "We're all Sides, it's fine."

Even as he said it, Virgil curled smaller, shifting to the edge of the bed. Shadow pressed against his chest, purring softly. Roman crossed his arms, putting his weight on one hip. Logic wasn't sure what caused such a reaction, but the somber calm from before was gone; as if the very atoms in the air were vibrating faster upon Roman's arrival.

"Roman?" Logic interrupted before an argument could begin. "I apologize, but I really need to work on my essay right now. I've gotten distracted enough as it is."

Roman's shoulders slumped and he said, "Oh, yeah, that's fine. Could I uh…" He glanced at Virgil, "Could I hang out too?"

"I won't be able to give you my attention. Can you be quiet for an extended period of time?" Logic asked.

Roman thought for a second before he grabbed the doorknob and walked back out. The door closed with a soft 'click', far more respectable than when he entered. Logic exhaled slowly, trying to focus on his screen again.

"Do you want me to leave too?" Virgil asked.

"Only if you want to," Logic shrugged, shooting him a smile. "I'm certain you wouldn't distract me from my work."

Virgil sat back against the headboard, his movements stilted. "Oh. Okay."

They settled down again and in the silence that followed, Logic could hear Shadow's loud purrs. Logic slowly began typing, deciding he'd start a rough draft before diving into the research topics Mother presented. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers on the keys, and let his trait do its job.

He worked diligently, not looking away from the laptop for anything. However, Logic severely underestimated how distracting Virgil's silent presence would be. He wasn't trying to be distracting - most likely the opposite. But simply being aware that his Side was close by was enough to drain Logic's focus. Virgil shifted at one point and the sound of Logic's sheets moving echoed in his ears longer than reasonably possible. He wanted to look at Virge, but didn't feel he could until his work was finished. Three pages down, and his eyes burned and his shoulders ached. He continued typing, words forming before his eyes, faster and faster as he worked.

"Think you could take a break?"

Logic jolted at the sound, like he was physically pulled out of some other reality and back to this one. The homework trance was truly something else. Logic took a deep breath and ran his hand down his shirt. He glanced around the room, silently reminding himself he didn't live inside a Word document.

"I'm not finished," Logic said, his voice hoarse from disuse. He frowned, clearing his throat. Virgil held up his phone, the lock screen proudly displaying the time.

"It's almost 6." He said and suddenly Logic felt exhausted.

Logic ran a hand through his own hair. He glanced at his laptop screen again, but now it felt too bright to his eyes. He slowly shut it and turned back to Virgil with a raised eyebrow. Virgil didn't immediately continue, his watchful eyes glued to Logic.

"What did you have in mind? Are you hungry? It's a usual mealtime." Logic said.

He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes, feeling the ache in his retinas. Patton and Logic did most of the cooking for everyone. With Patton out of town, the family dinner duties fell to Logic.

He suggested, "Perhaps I could make-"

But Virgil shook his head. "You've been working for hours, you are not making me food."

"Why not?" Logic asked, slowly putting his glasses back on. Virgil's cheeks were flushed, perhaps from the black hoodie he preferred to wear. Virgil shrugged and averted his gaze.

"It doesn't feel right. Look-" Virgil shook his head, continuing with newfound vigor. "I'm ordering a pizza, you're going to get in this bed and relax."

Logic tilted his head, folding his hands in his lap. "Am I now?"

Virgil hesitated, then pointed at him, "Yes, or I'll get Roman back in here."

Logic smiled, relenting. He stood, his legs protesting the new position. "Very well, Virgil. But if we order pizza we have to share it with him."

"We can leave some in the kitchen, he'll find it." Virgil waved him off, pulling out his phone. As Logic sat beside him on the bed, Virgil looked up one of the many local pizza places. He watched as Virgil made a veggie pizza without mushrooms or spinach. When he finished he showed Logic the phone. "And then whatever you want."

"This will be fine." Logic said.

"Really?" Virgil asked.

"I'm not particular."

Virgil snorted, "I am."

As they waited for the order, Virgil demanded Logic lay down. Logic laid his arm over his eyes, blocking out the light as he rested. Virgil remained sitting, with Shadow squished between them. Logic could feel the cat's purrs against his side, and he had to agree. Virgil had that effect.

Virgil played on his phone, music softly coming from his headphones. Logic pulled his arm back enough to peek at him. His hair reflected the light like strings of amethyst. Logic felt the urge to reach out and touch him.

Virgil glanced down at him, catching his stare. Logic wrapped his arm around his own waist and offered Virgil a small smile.

Logic said, "Do you enjoy spending time like this? Barely interacting in the same room."

Virgil chuckled, "Yeah, I guess. Pat and I do this a lot. But- uh, with him there's more cuddling."

"Naturally." Logic smiled wider, at Virgil's blush.

"I guess I wouldn't mind, um, if you wouldn't mind-" Virgil wasn't looking at him any longer. Logic took a second to fill in the blanks.

He sat up and moved slow enough for Virgil to protest if he wanted. Keeping a close eye on him, Logic wrapped his arm around Virgil's shoulder. Virgil glanced up, reluctantly leaning against him.

"Is this alright?" Logic asked.

Virgil looked back down at his phone, muttering, "Yeah, it's whatever.", as he sunk deeper against Logic's side. Logic smiled, understanding why Patton is always holed up in his room with the short emo.

The silence lasted for just a moment before Logic's thoughts troubled him. His head hurt with a distracting buzz that was unrelated to his homework. The skin along his arm and side grew warm, a pleasant sensation he wanted to sink into. Logic had felt these symptoms before.

"Virgil." His voice sounded off, even to him. "I was wondering, if you're comfortable with it…"

Virgil tilted his head back, resting his neck further on Logic's shoulder. He gave him a confused look, and Logic gathered his courage.

"I thought, perhaps it would be preferable- if you wanted to participate in my study tonight." Logic said, feeling quite anxious himself.

Virgil's gaze grew distant and he spoke softly, "You mean like- fusing?"

"If you would like. I thought, since there would be less of an audience, you might be more comfortable-"

"Uh." Virgil was off him now; the weight, the warmth, disappearing. He stood at the edge of the bed, scratching his neck. "Pizza's here."

Logic watched as he scrambled out of the room without another word. He pressed his head against the headboard and sighed, closing his eyes. For a few moments, he waited in silence. He fiddled with the edge of his shirt nervously.

Virgil came back with the pizza box, avoiding his eye. "I got plates. You seem like a plate guy."

"Thank you." He took the offered plate and let Virgil serve them slices. The silence didn't feel comfortable any longer. He watched as Virgil chewed slowly, staring at his socks.

Shadow sniffed the pizza curiously, before attempting to sit in the box. The pizza would be a rather warm, if not sticky, pillow. Virgil pulled the pizza closer to them. "Hey, no! Fuck off!"

Logic snorted as the cat scurried away. Virgil looked at him, frowning.

"Sorry." He muttered. "Pat doesn't like it when I cuss."

"I don't mind cursing." Logic said, lowering his pizza. "Oftentimes those who curse are more expressive and honest."

Virgil didn't seem convinced. "Right."

Before Logic could dive into the fascinating studies surrounding the topic, Virgil turned to face him fully.

"I think-" Virgil huffed, gripping his pizza tightly. "I want to fuse. If I have to-"

"You don't have to." Logic interrupted softly.

"-then you're right." He continued without pause, "I want to do it without the others here. I- um. I've only ever been with Pat and he's so overwhelmingly Positive-"

Logic gently took Virgil's hand, still holding his pizza in a death-grip, and slowly lowered it to his plate. "We'll do whatever you're comfortable with, of course. You have two options tonight, myself and-"

"You." Virgil said, looking up from their hands. Logic felt heat spread across his cheeks as he saw Virgil's darken at the same time. Logic let go of his hand, smiling and offering him space. Virgil sputtered. "I mean- I just meant- between you two- shut up!"

"I didn't say anything." Logic said through a laugh. Virgil rolled his eyes and stuffed his pizza in his mouth.

Logic asked, after chewing his own bite. "What do you think we'll make?"

"Dunno." Virgil shrugged. "That's the freaky part."

"I don't think so." Logic responded, brushing a stray hair out of Virgil's face. He smiled at Virge's expression. "There's excitement in discovery."

"If it's a good one." Virgil muttered, looking away once more. Logic let the topic drop, relaxing against the headboard. He watched Virgil carefully as they ate; he didn't seem too stressed, but was clearly overthinking. Logic decided a distraction was in order.

He climbed off the bed and grabbed his laptop from his desk. As he opened it and walked back, he asked, "Do you enjoy documentaries?"

"Uh… maybe." Virgil responded.

"About animals?" Logic asked.

Virgil hesitated further.

"About domesticated animals?" He suggested, and Virgil nodded. He found a documentary about cat beauty competitions, which Virgil seemed to enjoy. They ate the rest of their pizza in a more comfortable silence.


"Just relax." Logic said as he placed a hand on Virgil's hip.

Virgil's gaze stayed determinedly on their feet. He muttered, "Remember who you're talking to."

"I am." Logic said, taking his hand and pulling them into a slow turn. He didn't attempt a box step or any formal moves, as that may intimidate Virgil. Instead, they stayed swayed in a circle.

Virgil shook his head, muttering, "This is so dumb."
"We can stop if you'd like." Logic tried to take his hand away, but Virgil held it in a tight grip. His palm was sweaty, and Logic hoped he wasn't scaring him.

"No, it's just-"

Roman called from the couch, "What? Like it's hard? You fuse with Patton when you brush hands!"

Logic sighed, "Roman."

"It's true! They're always together!" Roman said, pointing at Virgil, who was scowling. "And now he's having trouble?"

Logic stepped back, crossing his arms. He asked, "Do I look like Patton?"

"Well-"

"Am I Patton?"

Roman huffed, but muttered, "No."

"Then shut up." Logic said, turning back to Virgil. His eyes widened and he grinned, taking Logic's hand again. When Logic placed his hand on Virgil's hip once more, he pulled him close enough to whisper in his ear. "What are you afraid of?"

"Everything." Virgil muttered back. They turned, and Logic caught sight of Roman's pout from the couch.

"But in this instance." Logic asked, turning again.

Virgil squeezed his hand tightly. "It's just- I already get nervous about new things. Facts can be worrying. And you-"

Logic helped stabilize Virge as he slipped, keeping him from falling with just his arm around his back. Virgil swallowed thickly as Logic slowly pulled him upright.

His voice was tight when he finished, "You know so much."

"Knowledge can be scary." Logic admitted, earning a surprised glance from Virgil. He shrugged and said, "High intelligence among Sides and Established folks alike tends to come with significant bouts of depression and social isolation. For many, ignorance is bliss, as they say."

Virgil stepped back.

Roman shook his head, "Not really making a good case for yourself, bud."

Logic sent him a warning glare and Roman mimed zipping his lips. Virgil shook his head again, then shook his hands, then began to pace.

"It won't be bad, right?" Virgil asked. He turned to Roman, "It's not bad?"

Roman glanced between them before unzipping his lips. "Being with Logic? No, it's- it's not bad. He's loud, but-"

"I'm sorry, I'm loud?"

"Yeah, in my head. Don't interrupt." Roman waved him off.

Logic pulled out his phone and wrote down that observation. He was unaware of how his influence was perceived within a fusion. That was a topic he wanted to delve into right now, his trait itched to go to a library. But he was needed here, now.

"He has a lot of thoughts, and a lot of them are boring. But they're not scary." Roman waved his hand. "He thinks about like, blueprints and shit."

Virgil shook his head, "No, that's what Innovative thinks about!" He shoves his hands in his pockets and growls. Logic admitted he might have a point.

"Roman, could you give us a moment?" He asked.

Roman sighed, but stood. He dramatically said as he walked, "'Roman, come watch us. Roman, leave us alone.' Pick one, will ya? Us non-Logics get confused with too many directions."

"I know. Wait in the kitchen." Logic said, using the tone Roman doesn't refuse.

Virgil grins once Roman's gone, "You have got to teach me that."

"Pull his hair a few times, he'll do what you want." Logic said.

Virgil covered his mouth with his hands, shaking his head. "Nevermind."

Logic smirked. Gesturing for Virgil to step closer. He placed both hands on Virgil's hips and asked, "Would you like to try again? I promise, I will avoid thinking about any troubling factoids."

Virgil nodded, placing his hands on Logic's shoulders.

"Let's move faster, shall we?" He said, not letting Virgil respond before he began pulling them around the room. Virgil kept by his side, turning and stepping with him. He looked up from their feet long enough to smile awkwardly at Logic.

His thought process was simply to get their heart rates at the same pace. Seeing as their emotional states were not aligned, being physically in sync would have to be enough. It seemed to be working, as Logic felt the heat spread from his shoulders and palms.

"Are you ready?" Logic asked, leading them into a spin.

"Sorry in advance." Virgil said. Before Logic could dissect that, Virgil pulled him close into a hug. They stumbled to a stop, but it was enough. Logic was already feeling himself slip away before his heel stopped spinning.


Groaning, Samuel pushed his too-small glasses off his face. He blinked until his vision cleared enough to see his surroundings. He was on the floor of a living room. He glanced around. Rough, green couch with clear indents of wear and tear. An old, wooden coffee table sat next to him. He used it to help stand up, placing two hands on it.

He lifted his three hands, inspecting them. The skin around his nailbeds were chewed and scraped up. He inspected his dainty fingers closer, scanning the chips in his black nail polish.

Virgil and Janus wear nail polish. Roman too, sometimes, but never black. Samuel ran a hand down his front, realizing he was wearing a black hoodie as well. He nodded to himself, taking his first step across the carpet. His appearance and vision loss could only mean he was a fusion of Virgil and Logic. Samuel nodded again, moving to the far wall, close to the entrance to the kitchen. Roman hung a mirror at eye level there, just above a short bookshelf. Samuel approached hesitantly.

As he locked eyes with himself in the mirror, he grew transfixed. Samuel touched below his third eye, tilting his head to see it better. He didn't dare tear his gaze away from his own face. There was too much to see. His clothing rumpled, his pores oily, and his eyes exhausted. He traced the curve of his nose and the sharpness of his jawline.

Are you seeing this? He thought. And he absolutely was. Each detail imprinted in the back of his mind, each tiny imperfection was cataloged.

"Hey are you guys still out here?" Roman asked as he walked in. He jumped upon seeing Samuel in his peripheral. Even still, Samuel didn't look away. Roman was at his side, "Dude! You did it!"

He had wrinkle lines on his forehead, something that will eventually deepen with age. One ear was slightly higher than the other, which was only noticeable because of Virgil's earrings.

"Hold on, I have a list-" Roman said, patting himself down. "Logic gave me a list. I just gotta- here!"

Samuel suspects they'll never be able to grow a beard, with how smooth his chin was. He scowled, leaning closer to the mirror.

"How do you- hey, look at me." Roman physically turned him, and Samuel's attention latched onto the new target. Roman stood with his weight on one foot, his smile pure and beaming. He held a little paper in his hands, and he giggled a little looking up at him. "Okay, how do you identify?"

"You've worn that shirt for three days." Samuel stated.

"Uh- two and a half, but-" Roman blinked, startled.

Samuel stepped closer, "And you have make up on from last night. Actually." He grabbed Roman's chin and tilted it aside, "You had sex last night."

"Okay- can you, uh-" Roman tried to back up, but his knees hit the side of the couch. He looked back at Samuel with wide eyes. He's scared. Samuel dropped his hand, letting his face go. Roman glanced around, licking his lips. "I… was with Remy, uh-"

"I know." Samuel said, "Those are his pants."

Roman's mouth fell, and he shook his head, "No, you can't know that."

"We wear a 30-34 and you prefer skinny jeans. These are a 32-30 and straight cut. As well as they're light-wash and you wear darker pants." He reached forward and tugged Roman's hair, which had fallen out of place. "You haven't brushed your hair - or showered - in three days, I'd say. Honestly, Roman I thought you valued your hygiene more than that-"
"Okay, Sherlock, let's take a step back now." Roman said, sitting on the arm of the couch. His eyebrows were sloped downward, and his lower lip was caught between his teeth. He has a slight indent on the side of his chin, from an injury long ago.

Samuel took a step back, clasping his three hands in front of him. He nodded to the paper. "You have questions."

"Yeah." Roman said, glancing down at his hands. "Right. Uh, what's your name?"

"Samuel."

"Sam." Roman nodded.

Samuel held up a hand. "Samuel. Details, Roman."

"Samuel," Roman repeated slowly, writing it down. "Um. Do you know what your Fusion name would be?"

Samuel glanced around the room. The curtains of the window were blowing softly. Like a murderer was hiding behind it. No, like there was a vent under it. The A/C is on. That could cause a cold. Not unless there's mold in the A/C, which there isn't. He thought of the glass sliding windows, and how they could be broken into. All modern windows are double glazed and double paned, which makes it harder to shatter.

"Samuel?" Roman interrupted his thoughts. His pitch was concerned. Samuel looks back at him, dissecting his expression.

"I have some ideas." He said, looking down at his hands. "Logic and Virgil's attention to detail is heightened through my eyes."

Roman says, "So… Nosey?"

"No, hush." Samuel placed a finger on Roman's lips, resting a fist under his own chin. He thought, staring at the family photos Patton put on the wall. One photo had twenty people in rows, with a young Patton standing in the middle, with a wide grin. He was the smallest in the photo, aside from one baby being held by an adult. He grew up in a - Samuel closed his eyes, forcing his thoughts to silence.

"Inspection?" Samuel muttered, then shook his head. "Detect? No- it's-"

Roman reached out and touched his arm. "Sam-"

"Scrutiny!" Samuel shouted, turning and grabbing Roman. He shook him a little as he said, "I'm Scrutiny!"

"That's great- uh-" Roman tried to smile back, "What's that mean?"

Samuel shook his head, letting him go. "This is perfect, a perfectly acceptable, stable fusion. I was so concerned at what I would be, there's so many truly Negative outcomes, considering Virgil is-"

One of his hands slammed over his mouth, and Scrutiny had to use his other two to pull it away. He stared down at his hand, which pointed at him. Scrutiny nodded, looking over to Roman. He was staring at Samuel's hand.

"Some details are too small to be seen. Best they remain that way." Scrutiny said, running his hands through his hair. He squinted at Roman, who shook his head.

"No, please don't Sherlock me anymore, I don't want to know what else you can tell just by looking at me." Roman said, crossing his arms. "It's creepy."
Samuel stood back. "I make you uncomfortable."

Roman reluctantly shrugged.

Samuel smiled. "Good."


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