Logic spent two days just going to his classes. He got up early, had his coffee, gathered his things, and started his day. He sat silently in his lectures, taking notes and occasionally asking questions. He threw himself into his studies, because if he didn't, he would be obsessing over Roman and Janus.

Being Polemical was a sensation he wanted to repeat. Innovative as well. They were both intellectually challenging, providing Logic with a thrilling feat every time they were together. What sort of information could Janus use in discussion? Which mechanisms were required for Roman's imagination to come to life? Logic bounced his leg, staring at his notes, as he thought of his fusions. He wished they were fused again now.

"Logic, what do you think?" His professor, Ms. Whitworth, asked.

Logic froze, mentally chastising himself for getting distracted. He glanced at the board, hoping it would clue him into the topic at hand. He said with uncertainty, "Uh, I agree. I think it's a good idea."

Ms. Whitworth nodded, and turned to another student, "And you, Kelsey? Do you agree that fusion labor is more effective in the workforce?"

Logic sighed in relief, relaxing against his seat. He hadn't anticipated being called on during the discussion. He tuned out most of Kelsey's answer, which had to do with the wage gap between fusions and Sides.

As he gathered his thoughts, he felt a little shiver run down his spine. A voice that sounded awfully like Janus', whispered in his mind, 'Liar liar pants on fire…'

The thought made him pause. Before meeting Janus, Logic would have simply asked the professor to repeat the question. Providing an answer to a question he didn't know the context to… didn't sound very logical to him.

Logic subtly jotted the incident down in the corner of his notes. He would have to see what kind of effects spending time with his Sides has on him. Very interesting, indeed.

"Alright, and you want to change your minor to Fusion Studies, right?" His faculty advisor asked. She was an elderly Established woman, who sat too close to her computer screen. She looked over at him, "Do you want to keep your Astrophysics minor?"

"Yes, I just want to add Fusion Studies." Logic said, sitting up straight as he watched.

The advisor shook her head as she typed. "You kids work yourselves too hard."

"I'm a Logic Side, I'm sure I can handle it." He responded, keeping his tone as polite as he could.

The advisor chuckled to herself, still typing away. She poked each key with a single finger, searching for the next letter she wanted. "I'm not worried about you, dearie. But what about your others?"

"I'm sorry?" Logic asked, tilting his head slightly. "My Sides?"

She nodded, "You know you'll all have to pass a test for you to earn your degree. Are your others interested in science, too?"

"I thought I would get a Side degree?" Logic asked, feeling a troublesome rumble within his chest. "Is that not an option?"

"Let me see." The advisor was quiet for a few seconds, clicking different buttons on the screen. She said, "Side degrees are available for Classic studies, Humanitarian, the arts…" She looked at him with a small shrug, "You know, the easy stuff."

She turned and rifled through her filing cabinets before pulling out a pink paper. She laid it in front of him and said, "After you graduate, you will receive a temporary Side degree. This is only for you, your others can't use it. But, if you want to become a fancy dancy scientist, you'll need an Established Doctorate. To get that, you must be Established, or have all five of your others take a final over your coursework. If all of you pass, you will receive your Established Doctorate."

Logic skimmed over the paper, his brows pinched together. "What's the purpose of a temporary Side degree if most careers in my field require an Established Doctorate?"

"You could get an internship with it! Any Side degrees you receive are valid for life. So it doesn't matter how long it takes for you to get your others here for the Established test." The advisor said, sounding chipper. She turned back to her computer, "It's for the best; we can't have a single Side being a brain surgeon, now can we?"

Logic frowned at the paper, his voice morose. "I suppose not."

"If any of your others want an Established Doctorate in their fields, you'll have to take a test for them as well." The advisor mentioned. She finished up on the computer and said, "There we go. It's all settled. You already have a couple credits for your Fusion Studies minor, so more classes will be available to you next semester."

"Thank you." Logic said, taking the paper off the counter. He left soon after, looking over the flyer as he walked. He felt incredibly foolish. He should have looked further into the types of degrees that were available to Sides before he enrolled. He had never considered that he wouldn't get a full doctorate based on his Side status.

A sentence stood out in the flyer: As education can be lost during Establishment, it would be unethical, dishonest, and a hazard to society to provide a Side a degree for information they will not retain. An Established Doctorate test can only be taken one time per field of study. All Sides must be present.

Logic huffed, stuffing the paper into his pocket. He started walking towards the library, angry and in need of a distraction. He tried to ignore the deep fear that everything he was working for would be all for naught.

Roman invited him to his apartment, which Logic happily accepted. Although Sandra spent most of her time at Pop Culture's; Logic still felt like he was intruding on her space when his Sides came over too much.

Kai was the one who answered the door. He gave Logic a short once-over before letting him inside silently. Logic cleared his throat and said, "Greetings, Kai."

"Hey." Kai responded, closing the door after him. He crossed his arms, then asked, "What's the likelihood of someone being rejected by their Sides because of their trait?"

Surprised by the question, but never one to ignore a math problem, Logic thought out loud, "Although it is unlikely, as Sides are made for one another, it does happen often enough. It is natural for an Established person to not completely like certain aspects of themself, which would derive from conflict within the Sides."

Kai waited, his expression turning more unsure the more Logic spoke. He glanced down at his feet, his arms tightening across himself.

"However, as all five Sides are required for Establishment, there is little choice in the matter. To reject your Side is to reject yourself, and to demolish your future. I would say less than 20% of adult Sides don't reach Establishment due to rejection." He settled on, satisfied with his answer.

Kai was quiet for a moment, then he called over his shoulder, "Roman! Your boyfriend is here!"

Logic glanced down the hall, and watched as Roman ran out of his room. He slowed to a walk when he saw Logic, nervously fixing his hair as he approached.

"Thanks." Kai muttered to Logic before disappearing into his own room. He closed his door just as Roman pressed a kiss to Logic's cheek. A warm spark rippled through Logic's skin as they made contact, sending his heart rate reeling.

Later. He told his body. We'll fuse later.

Roman pulled him to the couch, before disappearing into the kitchen. He returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Logic eyed them cautiously.

"Thank you for coming." Roman said, handing a wine glass to Logic. Logic murmured his thanks before setting the glass down on the coffee table, not taking a sip from it. If Roman noticed the behavior, he didn't comment on it. He took a large gulp of his own wine before he said, "I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something."

Roman sat down beside Logic, turned towards him. Their knees brushed when they shifted closer, and Logic wanted to slide under Roman's arm and be held. He pushed away the thought and said, "Of course, Roman, I always adore your company."
Roman sputtered, his cheeks darkening slightly. He took another drink of his wine. Logic kept his hands in his lap, practicing restraint from touching the other. Roman cleared his throat, then said, "So… about Jan."

Logic could already assume where this conversation was headed. He sighed shortly out his nose, but listened to Roman nonetheless.

"I'm just … concerned about keeping him around." Roman said, not making eye contact. "He may not be good for- for us."

"He's our Side." Logic said slowly, trying to get Roman to look at him. "He's made for us."
"I know that, but, mmmg," He made a groaning noise, his eyes still not dancing Logic's way. He took another drink from his glass. "I just don't think I can trust him."

"Because he's a Deceit?" Logic asked. When Roman finally glanced up at him and nodded, Logic sighed. He held onto his knees as he spoke, "Roman. You have lied to me on multiple occasions. Why should I trust you?"

"I'm your Side." Roman said instantly, his voice dipping into a worried inflection. He reached out and took Logic's hand, squeezing it slightly. "You trust me, right?"

"Yes." Logic said, squeezing it back. "So then, if I can trust you, a liar, because you are my Side, then why shouldn't you trust Janus, another liar, who is also your Side?"

"I'm not a-" Roman cut himself off, drinking from his glass once more. He scrunched his eyes shut as he swallowed, then said, "But he's Deceit. He lies all the time, about everything."

Logic shook his head, pulling his hand away. He didn't miss Roman's pout at the action. "That's not his fault. He was born Deceit. That doesn't mean he wants to be Deceitful."

Roman is quiet for a moment, so Logic continues.

"From the short observations I've made so far; he doesn't seem to have much control over when he lies. They're compulsive. Yes, sometimes he does it on purpose. But it appears that he receives physical pain if he does not follow through with his impulse to lie." Logic said, gesturing vaguely, "When he holds back a lie, his blood pressure rises, and he has described acquiring headaches."

"Maybe he's lying about the not lying hurting him." Roman said, pointing at Logic as if he had just discovered something revolutionary.

Logic shook his head slightly, "I don't believe that. I can track his blood pressure with simple medical instruments. Roman, the science doesn't lie. He's just a normal Side. He's not malicious or cruel."

"Not yet." Roman muttered, drinking again.

Logic watched the way Roman squirmed anxiously. After a moment, he asked, "What's this really about, Roman?"

"What'd'do'you mean?" Roman asked, his words slurring slightly. He was watching Logic now, apprehensive.
"Before you knew Janus wasn't Patton, you were more than enthusiastic to include him within our circle." Logic said, observing as Roman swallowed and glanced away. "Why has that changed now that his name is different?"

Roman didn't move for a long time; he stayed perfectly still, staring at the ground. Logic waited patiently until he finally whispered, "It's you."

"I'm sorry?" Logic asked, leaning closer. "Me?"
Roman sucked in a sharp breath, then looked at him. Their faces were inches apart, and Logic could perfectly see the flecks of gold within Roman's eyes. He licked his lips, then repeated, "It's you. I don't like how you treat him."
Logic frowned, surprised by that. "Are my observations of him unethical? He has provided his full consent to the experiments-"
"No, no." Roman sighed, rubbing his head. He looked down at his wine glass, swirling the liquid slightly. "It's just- you used to look at me like that. And now all your focus is on Jan and he's- he's not worth your attention!"

"I see." Logic said, leaning back in thought. Roman still stared at his wine, his grip so tight on the glass, it was shaking. Logic asked, as gently as he could, "Have you considered this feeling may be an effect from your Side trait?"

Roman frowned, his jaw visibly clenching. Firmly, he said, "No. I'm not Jealousy, I'm- I'm just… jealous."

He whispered the last word, as if it had hurt him to be spoken. Logic nodded, accepting his response. "Then how can I help you combat this?" Roman hesitantly looked up at him. "Because I'm not abandoning Janus."

Hesitantly, Roman said, "I want- I need attention- affection."

Logic nodded, making a mental note of this conversation. He leaned closer to Roman, running a hand through the other's hair. He felt Roman shiver at the contact. He asked in a slow whisper, "You require physical affection?"

Roman nodded, letting out a small whimper when Logic's hand drifted down to his neck. He kept his hand there as he moved closer still. His lips brushed the shell of Roman's ear as he asked, "And pet names, my love? Would those help you feel cherished?"

A deep flush gathered across Roman's cheeks. He mutely nodded, shifting closer to Logic.

"You want the spotlight, is that right, my dear?" Logic's breath ghosted over his skin. His thumb rubbed Roman's neck gently. "You wish to be praised?"

Roman shivered, his wide, emotional eyes turning to him. His gaze dropped down to Logic's lips. He whimpered, "Logan…"

Logic's throat dried at the sound of his given name. He smiled and said, "I can do these things for you, but you have to trust Janus. Give him a chance. Okay, my prince?"

Roman nodded, and Logic rewarded him by connecting their lips together. Roman moaned, his one free hand clutching Logic's shirt tightly. Logic's hand moved back up to Roman's hair, his curls twisting around his fingers.

It felt marvelous; fast and hot, with an intense need to get closer and closer. Logic felt his thoughts slip away, entirely focused on the feeling of Roman's mouth on his.

Roman pulled away just slightly, his voice breathy, "Can we-?"

"Yes." Logic responded, kissing him again.

Half an hour later, Innovative sat on the floor of the kitchen, hammer in hand. He nailed together two pieces of wood. When he saw the pile of plywood for Roman's set building class, inspiration struck. He hummed to himself as he hammered the wood in place.

"What are you doing?!" Kai shouted, standing in the doorway.

Innovative halted, looking up at him. He gestured with his hammer to the wood, "Making a mug rack."

"Why?!" Kai asked, staring at the mess surrounding him.

"For-" Innovative picked up the mug he was using for size measurements. "For the mugs."

Kai closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He turned and walked away, muttering to himself, "Be my roommate again, Kai. It'll be so fun, Kai."

Innovative shrugged and started hammering again. He saw the world in blueprints, his brain providing instructions for what to do next. Too focused with the task at hand, Janus never crossed his mind once. Which was exactly what Logic and Roman wanted right now. Innovative understood his job well. He gave their racing thoughts a much needed distraction.

What comes after this moment, wasn't much of his concern.

Tell me what you think!