A Million Worlds Apart

The First Letter

"There, now, was that so horrible?" Janus said, taking Logan's cloak.

"Unless you count the part where you suddenly needed to drag off the very delightful person I was conversing with, it was a very pleasant experience," Logan admitted.

Janus grinned. "So you enjoyed talking with Patton, then?"

"I did. He's much more tolerable than his mother."

"Oh, I think you found him a little more than tolerable, Boss."

Logan gave him a look. "Don't start."

"What? You have to admit, it's a really good match."

"Patton is the god of life, Janus. I'm the god of the dead."

"Exactly!" Janus proclaimed. "It's a match made in heaven! Opposites attract and find common ground---and the two of you found multiple subjects to talk about over the course of this evening."

"Janus---"

"He thinks you're cute."

Logan's head snapped up. "He---he does? Really? Did he tell you that?"

Janus pointed at his face, smirking. "You're blushing."

"I---I am not!" he sputtered.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" Janus sang. "You're in loooooooove!"

Logan glared daggers at him. "Tease me again, and you'll be the one who's on fire... because you'll be... fired."

Janus shook his head, tksing. "You really must work on your wordplay skills, Logan. I'd hoped that employing me, Remus, and Virgil would've rubbed off on you."

"Look, regardless of whether I have feelings for someone I only just met, I am not interested in finding a husband," Logan snapped, face burning. "And I won't be able to marry Patton, anyway, not with that harpy of a mother guarding him at all times."

Janus raised an eyebrow. "Who said anything about marriage?"

"You're the one who's constantly badgering me to find someone."

"I'm just saying, you never do anything other than work or read up on subjects that'll be useful to your reign as king," Janus said. "At the very least, having a boyfriend will do you good."

Logan snorted. "Says the god who still hasn't made things official with Remus."

Janus started to retort, then crossed his arms with a little hmph. "You really do know how to win an argument."

"It's a learned skill." Logan's mind traveled back to the party.

He'd gone there simply because Janus had dragged him along---even though he probably only went so he could congratulate Dionysus and flirt with Remus---and he'd expected to have an awful time. But then Janus had introduced him to Patton.

The young god was nothing like he'd expected a son of Demeter to be. True, he was plant-loving and a chatterbox, but he was also compassionate, kind, high-spirted, and full of life in the way his mother never was. Instead of making a face or feigning excuses when Logan brought up some of the souls that came in, Patton was eager to listen, and he even cracked a couple of jokes.

He was... he was pretty much perfect.

Not to mention, he was also incredibly adorable...

Don't even think about it, Logan, he told himself, shaking his head. His mother would never allow it, and you know it.

As he and Janus walked into one of the palace's sitting rooms, Logan spotted Virgil sprawled across one of the couches, flipping through a book. The god of death was usually imposing to anyone who met him---huge, black-and-purple wings, pitch-black skin, and eerie violet eyes---but when you got to know him, you found out that he was essentially just a grumpy guy with extreme social anxiety... well, except when it came to doing his job.