Chapter Text
If he was smart, he would have been suspicious when his twin brother locked their bedroom door. Of course, Roman was a stupid little sucker and thought nothing of it. He didn’t blink when he heard Remus flop onto his bed and pull his feet up to sit with his legs folded.
“Hey, Princey, if we’re twins...”
Roman looked up from his sketch and raised an eyebrow, as though doubting the wall in front of him. Any sentence Remus opened with ‘if we’re twins’ ended in disaster. He could only hope this wasn’t about telepathy again. “What?”
“...And twins are like, genetically the same person... then if I banged you, would it even count as-?”
“No.” Roman set his pencil flat on the desk and tipped his head back as if to ask the ceiling why his brother was like this. “Absolutely not.”
Remus leaned forward and his wicked grin came through in his voice if not his words themselves. “So that’s a yes?”
“That is not what I meant and you know it.” Roman shuddered at the thought, then pushed it aside and tried to return to his sketch. Repulsive.
“Okay, fine.” Remus climbed off of his bed and stood in the middle of the room, head tipped to the side, arms folded across his chest. “If you don’t want to go all the way right now, then you don’t have to. If you’d rather take it slow, I’d let you get away with just taking your shirt off and making out with me.” He said it like an offer Roman couldn’t refuse.
Roman could definitely refuse. He twisted around in his chair so his chest was protected by the back and his legs were off to the side. His eyes held a lifetime of experience dealing with the man before him. “Remus, stop.”
Remus’s eyes shifted from a golden honey brown to almost black. His smile lit up his face in the worst possible way as he took the two steps over to Roman. He raked the hair away from his twin brother’s eyes and held it back with his fist. “C’mon, Princey. We’re both consenting adults.”
Roman had picked the wrong chair. His instinct was to kick Remus in the stomach, but his legs were trapped and useless. The next thought that flashed through his head was to grab his throat, but Remus would probably just say something about how kinky that was. Roman reached for his wrist instead and dug his nails into the skin to try to make him let go. “I did not consent to this! Let me go, you sick-!”
Shouldn’t’ve opened his mouth. His mistake cost him the fight. His twin’s tongue was between his teeth and a sudden wave of terror dripped from his eyes and ran down his cheeks. He tried to fight back, but he couldn’t figure out how to do that without help. He could always just bite him, but again, Remus would think that was sexy.
The door handle rattled and someone was knocking on it. “Are you two okay in there?”
This was his chance. He shoved Remus away and looked to the door. “Virgil! Do someth-!”
Remus put a hand over Roman’s mouth and didn’t break eye contact. “Virgil, we’re fine. Roman’s just being dramatic.”
The tightness in Roman’s stomach doubled when he heard loud, fast footsteps moving down the hall and changing rhythm when they reached the stairs. Not because he knew they meant Virgil was scared and probably going for help, but because Remus also knew that.
Remus leaned in, adjusted his hand over Roman’s mouth, and hissed, “We have about sixteen seconds until that door opens and I wanna make you beg before that happens. Try to keep it down, though. The neighbors will talk.”
Roman couldn’t move or put up any kind of decent fight as Remus caught his wrists and forced him into a standing position with his back against the desk. “Remus, stop! This isn’t funny! I want to leave!”
“And you can. When that door opens. For now, shut up and try to act like you’re enjoying it.” He smiled as if that would make what he was doing better. He transferred Roman’s wrists into the same hand and put his lips an inch from Roman’s ear to whisper, “Just for a minute, Princey.”
Roman could taste the sour, bitter contents of his stomach in the back of his throat. He was still crying and struggling like a hooked fish, but somehow the hand around Roman’s wrists was stronger than his whole body. Remus’s other hand was busy with the zipper on Roman’s jeans.
He got it open right when they heard someone calling from the bottom of the stairs. “Remus Sanders, whatever you’re doing to your brother has to stop five minutes ago!”
Remus’s expression went from slasher film madman to psycho-thriller murderer in a heartbeat. He glanced at the door and then back at Roman. “If you scream, I’ll kill you.”
Roman didn’t scream, but he also didn’t stop fighting. His elbow hit the desk and shot a bolt of numbness to his fingers, but had one hand free.
A moment after he had escaped, Remus snatched his hand again and put it back between his fingers. His voice was the unique brand of hoarse and venomous that happens when one tries to yell and whisper at the same time. “I said be quiet!”
Remus got his thumb into Roman’s boxers just as the voice reached the door and gave it three solid pounds with the side of a fist.
“Remus, open this door right now or I swear I will open it myself!”
A shockwave of cold horror shot up through Roman’s stomach and spine when it happened.
Remus’s hand found what it was looking for. He smiled in a way that was both triumphant and dangerous. “Well, let’s give him something to walk in on.”
Roman couldn’t even form a whole thought before Remus was pulling his wrists to one side and pressing his lips into the skin of his neck.
The lock on the door clicked and the slab of wood hit the wall with a noise that drowned out Remus’s “Shit!”, Roman’s sob, Patton’s “Remus!”, and Virgil’s frozen silence.
Virgil couldn’t tune out the noises from the twins’ room anymore. Not after he heard Roman distinctly shout “I did not consent to this!”
Didn’t consent to what? He flung his own door open and ran the two steps to the other room. He couldn’t picture the scene inside being anything short of dangerous and probably illegal.
First, he tried the handle. Then he tried knocking. Panic filled his lungs, but he tried to keep calm enough to speak. “Are you two okay in there?”
Roman’s voice sounded frantic and close to tears. “Virgil! Do someth-!”
A muffled second of silence, then Remus. “Virgil, we’re fine. Roman’s just being dramatic.”
Before Virgil could even start to list possible things that might be happening in that room, he knew it wasn’t good and he needed help. He was down the stairs and standing in the kitchen before he took another breath. “Patton, it’s Remus!”
Patton looked up from the stove and checked the timer. He didn’t seem to care about how urgent this was. “What’s he doing?”
“I-I don’t know. I think he’s gonna hurt him!”
“Hurt who? Roman?” It was like Patton didn’t even think Remus was capable of doing any real damage.
Virgil knew better. He knew that anyone could be a saint in public and a snake at home. He had learned that lesson the hard way. For three years. When he was a kid.
Before he had a chance to confirm Patton’s guess, they both heard the better twin shout something frantic and angry.
Patton dropped the ladle into the pot and wiped his hands on a kitchen towel. Now he was starting to get it.
Virgil trailed behind Patton as he strode across to the stairs and yelled, “Remus Sanders, whatever you’re doing to your brother has to stop five minutes ago!”
Patton waited a moment, then, when he heard a noise that sounded like something hitting a wooden desk, he understood enough to know that this couldn’t be solved by shouting across the house. He went up the stairs and hammered on the door a few times. “Remus, open this door right now or I swear I will open it myself!”
Before he had even finished the sentence, Patton was searching the top of the doorframe for the key they always left up there in case something like this happened. He slid it into his hand, shoved it into the lock, and turned it hard. He twisted the handle and threw the door back to reveal the exact scene Virgil had both feared and expected most. “Remus!”
Remus looked up at the sound but didn’t move either of his hands. “Yeah?”
Patton halted, taken completely off guard by the nature of the act before him. He took a sharp, unprepared breath and his shoulders and voice shook with every word. “Get your hands off my son before I call the cops.”
Remus let his eyes fall back on his twin brother, who had stopped trying to escape when the door opened. Now, he just stood there not moving. “Here that, Princey? Daddy’s gonna get me arrested because you squealed.”
Technically, Virgil had been the one to ‘squeal’, but he had been afraid enough of Remus before this and really didn’t want to be next. He kept his mouth shut and stood on the far side of the hall, frozen.
Patton set his jaw and his eyes turned into storms of anger and disappointment. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. He really would call the police if it came down to it. “Now!”
Remus slowly extracted his hands from Roman’s body and took a step back. “Happy?”
“No!” Patton’s knuckles turned white around his phone. “What were you thinking? This isn’t how I raised you! I have been doing my best to keep you safe and happy and you go and pull this behind my back? I knew you were trouble, but I never imagined... Remus...” he looked down and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Go downstairs. Don’t leave the kitchen. I’ll deal with you in a minute.”
He shrugged and glanced at where Roman was kneeling on the floor, shaking. “Whatever.”
Virgil pressed himself against the wall to avoid Remus, then crept into the room.
Patton pulled the blanket off of Roman’s bed and draped it around Roman’s shoulders. His voice was completely opposite the harsh, stern tone he had used a second ago. “Are you hurt?”
Roman shook his head mechanically and his hand closed around the edge of the blanket.
Patton straightened his back and looked at Virgil helplessly. “You make sure Roman is okay. Don’t go downstairs until I come up to get you.”
Virgil nodded and lowered himself onto the floor next to Roman. He tried to keep himself from panicking all over again. It was over. Roman was alive. That alone was a statistical miracle. “What happened?”
Roman’s eyes were glassy and distant. His breathing was sharp and shallow. He didn’t move except to shudder like an old house in a hurricane.
Virgil shifted around and tried something potentially dangerous, but that he knew he would want to be done for him if he was in Roman’s place. “Can I touch you?”
Roman snapped his head up and his eyes focused on Virgil’s face. His voice sounded both resigned to his fate and defiant to the end. “Where?”
“I just want to hug you. I want to make sure you feel safe. I swear I won’t use my hands and I’ll let go the moment you want me to. Do you want me to do that? Would you like a hug?”
Roman nodded slowly, then picked up confidence. “Yeah. Thank you.”
Virgil tucked the ends of his sleeves into his hands and bent them away from Roman at the wrists. He wrapped his arms around Roman and held him until he felt a tap on his arm as a signal to let go.
They both sat back against the desk drawers and Virgil watched Roman for any sign that he was getting worse.
His face was soaked in tears that were still coming and his shoulders shook with every breath. He kept rubbing his wrists and not responding to questions.
Virgil was starting to feel pretty useless when Patton returned.
“Roman? It’s okay. Remus is in the garage.”
“Is he going to sleep in here again?” Roman’s voice was thick and wet. Nothing like the voice he had used just yesterday in the middle of the kitchen with Virgil, a recipe for brownies, and ‘Santa Fe’ from ‘Newsies’ entirely from memory.
Patton looked at Virgil as though asking him for help. “No. He’s not going to sleep in your room for a long time. I told him he could set up the cot in the garage if he didn’t want to sleep on the floor.”
“Lock him in there.”
“I did. He won’t be able to hurt you again. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.” Patton knelt in front of Roman and smiled. “Hey... do you want to come downstairs? Sit in the kitchen and help me with dinner?”
Roman started to stand up and both Patton and Virgil caught him when he lost his balance. He looked at Patton and took a shaky breath. “I want to help you.”
Patton and Roman left for the door, but Virgil stayed for a second. He looked around at the room and he could still feel the tension from only a few minutes ago. It was heavy and dark, like the sky before a thunderstorm. The worst part was that everything was in its place, as though he had imagined the whole thing. It was like being a kid again. If he could learn anything from his past, this was only a small taste of the things to come. He shut the door on his way out and shook his head. There was nothing more he could have done.
Patton stood at the stove with Roman on a chair at the counter snapping the ends off of a pile of green beans. Patton was humming and Roman had washed his hands and face and was working away at a glass of water. It would almost be peaceful, if not for the darkness hanging over the house.
Patton wanted to say something, but if he had learned one thing from raising Virgil, it was that talking something out before they’re ready could be worse than not saying anything at all. It had been thirty minutes. Roman was not ready.
The door to the garage opened and Patton’s heart rate spiked. He looked up into a peck on the lips from his husband. He tried to dispel the moment of panic and didn’t meet his eyes. “Logan...”
“What’s wrong?” Logan’s pleased smile faded into confusion and a dash of concern. “Did something happen today?”
Patton had no idea how to answer that. He searched Logan’s black-framed brown eyes for a moment, then said the only thing he could. “Please don’t surprise me right now.”
Logan took a step back and glanced at Roman, then back at Patton. “Does this have something to do with why Remus is sitting in the garage?”
Roman had stopped working when Logan came in and he lowered his head to rest on his arms at the mention of his brother.
Patton took a deep breath and tried to figure out what to do. His voice betrayed that he was crying before it showed in his eyes. “He... how do I say this? Remus tried to- He almost...” He closed his eyes and held Logan’s tie for support. “Virgil came downstairs and said he was going to hurt him and when I got up there- ...he was… he had Roman… he was……”
“He almost raped me.”
Patton let his eyes open just enough that he could see Logan’s shoes. He used his hand around Logan’s tie to draw from the man’s well of professional honesty. He sounded like he was testifying before a court. “Yes. Remus sexually assaulted Roman.”
Logan nodded, fitting the pieces together. “I believe you. Both of you. I wish I could say I’m shocked and confused, but I can’t. I’m sorry I wasn’t home.”
Patton looked up and scraped the heel of his hands under his eyes, then fixed his glasses and met Logan’s gaze. “What am I supposed to do?”
“We can decide what to do later. When we’re alone.” Logan nodded toward Roman. “For now, we should all eat something. I’ll go get Virgil.”
Patton returned to the pot on the stove and turned the heat off. “He’s in his room.” His face held every warning and piece of advice he had ever given. “Be gentle.”
Logan nodded and left the room.
Virgil’s door was locked. Not that Logan expected otherwise after hearing what happened. He knocked softly and folded his hands to wait.
The response came almost immediately. “Who are you!?”
Logan winced. He had known he should have identified himself first. “It’s me. Logan. Dinner is almost ready.”
This time there was a silence before Virgil spoke again. “Okay.”
“Can I come in, or should I leave you alone until we’re ready to eat?”
The door unlocked and swung open. Virgil’s eyes were red and his cheeks were streaked with black. His voice wavered and he choked on the words. “Why did this happen?”
Logan pushed his hair away from his forehead and let it fall back into his face. Virgil was counting on him to make sense of all this. He hated to admit it but... “I don’t know. The world is messed up and so are the people. Some are just... a lot more messed up than everyone else.”
Virgil dried his face with his sleeve and took a deep breath. “I’m scared. I was scared he was going to hurt Roman, I was scared he was going to hurt Patton, and I’m scared he’s going to hurt me.”
“I know. I know you’re scared because I’m scared too.” A cold hand gripped Logan’s stomach. He hated the thought of his family living in fear and suspicion of each other. He hated the thought of his husband and sons living with a violent criminal. “I'm scared for everyone. I’m so sorry you had to go through this. I can’t imagine what I would do if he did anything to you.”
Virgil nodded silently and didn’t look like he was going to say anything else.
“Do you want to try to eat something?”
Virgil zipped his jacket up, stuck his hands in the pockets, and followed Logan down the stairs to the kitchen.
No one ate anything. No one said anything for a long time. The tension was dull and cold. The four of them sat around the table not touching their dinner and not talking for a long time. When the clock in the living room struck six-thirty, Logan shoved his plate into the middle of the table and set his head in his hands. “Damn it.”
No one argued.
Patton hesitated, then said very softly, “Logan...? Can I put my hand on your arm?”
“Yes.”
Patton took Logan’s arm and a breath. He just wanted to know that someone was there; that someone could help him through this.
Roman pushed his chair back and stood up. “I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.”
Logan didn’t move. He didn’t want to tell his beautiful, talented son to hide from his problems but that was the only thing he could do. “Lock your windows and change in the bathroom.”
“Sure thing.”
Not long after Roman was up the stairs, Virgil stood and started clearing the table without a word.
Patton broke down within minutes. He rested his head on his arm and sobbed a few times before the tears came.
Logan’s chest was full of pain and an apology that would never be enough. He spoke gently and carefully, as though to a small child or an overwhelmed spouse. “Patton, can I touch your back?”
Between sobs, he managed to nod and choke out a, “Please?”
Logan put the tips of his fingers at the top of Patton’s spine and dragged them down his back. He turned the lines into circles and spirals as he talked. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here. You’re not hurt, are you?”
“He... he didn’t touch me.”
Logan sighed and closed his eyes for a second. “May I please see your face? Can I put my hands on your cheeks?”
Patton looked up to accept the hands cupping his face.
“I didn’t ask if he touched you, although I can’t be grateful enough that he didn’t... I asked if he hurt you. Did he say anything? Did he threaten you? If he even vaguely hinted at wanting to hurt you, I want to know about it.”
He pressed his cheek into Logan’s hand. He couldn’t hide this from him. It would kill him to keep it a secret. “When I was alone with him in the kitchen-“ Patton’s breath hitched and he was crying again. “...he said he was going to... he said... he would f-force me to… to……”
Logan collected the tears on Patton’s cheeks and shook his head a little. “I won’t let him.”
Patton gripped Logan’s wrist and held eye contact through his tears. “...He s-said he’d make you watch!”
His stomach dropped and he took a moment to insist that his mouth say the words that would let him help his husband. “Will you let me hold you?”
Patton tried to catch his sobs with short, deep breaths. He stumbled to his feet and Logan held his arm the whole way. “Please... please hold me.”
Logan stood as well. He wrapped his arms around his sweet, precious man and gently rocked him back and forth like the ocean. “I’ve got you. It’s okay. I’m here and I’ll protect you.”
They stood like that for a while, just being together and being safe. It was the first time they had really focused on each other’s company in a long time. It felt good, even under the circumstances. Patton’s hair and skin held the subtle scent of pine and lavender, like it always had when they were dating. Logan breathed it in and closed his eyes, returning to a time when it was just the two of them with their whole lives ahead and all their worries behind.
Eventually, Patton mumbled something into Logan’s shoulder that sounded like, “We should clean the kitchen and go to bed.”
Logan nodded and slowly let go of Patton. It was like letting go of a lifeline. His stomach froze again and he was acutely aware of the gravity of the situation. “You’re right. I think we all need some rest.”
They both stopped in the kitchen doorway at the same moment.
The counters were clean, the leftovers were in the fridge, the trash was where it belonged, and Virgil stood at the sink, elbow-deep in dish soap and warm water.
Patton crossed the room with no effort to be quiet so he wouldn’t startle Virgil by suddenly appearing at his shoulder. “Virgil, you can go to bed. Logan and I will finish up here.”
Virgil didn’t look up from the dishes. “No. You two should get some sleep. I’ll finish up here. You’ve both done more than enough already.”
Patton and Logan looked at each other, a little surprised and almost proud. This was the same kid who would stay in his room until the third or fourth time he was called, just to be sure he really did have to partake in family activities. “So have you. You really have done everything you have to. Logan and I will finish the dishes and-”
“No, I haven’t. I haven’t done nearly enough. Let me do this.”
Logan leaned against the doorframe. “I understand wanting to stay busy, but paranoia feeds on sleep deprivation. I know it’s not even close to ‘late’ for you, but the more sleep you get now, the better off you’ll be later.”
Virgil rested his arms on the rim of the sink and dropped his head and let his hair fall into his face. “Take the key off Roman’s door frame. At least move it somewhere else.”
Patton shifted uncomfortably and nodded. “Yeah… of course, I’ll do that.”
“You need to go to sleep. After the day you’ve had-”
“I’ll be fine down here by myse-”
Something hit the door to the garage and Virgil jumped.
Remus knocked on the door again. “Can I come inside now? I’m cold and hungry.”
Virgil glanced between his dads’ faces and nodded. “Y’know, you’re probably onto something with that whole sleep business. Goodnight. See you in the morning.”
When Virgil had gone upstairs, Logan and Patton finished the dishes and retired to their own room. They didn’t say anything as they crawled into bed and turned out the light.
The whole house lay awake, trying to make sense of the world. Roman couldn’t stop replaying what had happened. Virgil didn’t want to let his guard down for a second. Patton kept thinking of things he might have done wrong to cause this. Logan was trying to make a plan for what to do next. Remus just couldn’t figure out what the big deal was.