A Million Worlds Apart

The Rescue

"I haven't heard from Patton in almost a week," Janus murmured. "Logan's practically losing his mind."

"And you're sure that Demeter doesn't know about him?" Roman said, plucking a wine glass from the nearest tray. "Absolutely positive?"

Janus winced. "Um... I'm eighty percent positive."

"Okay, I'm no math expert, but that's not good. I think you need to be a hundred percent positive."

"I mean, I did bring Patton home late during our last double date," Janus admitted. "And that was also the date that he and Logan finally kissed---"

"WHAT?!"

Everyone in the room stared at the two of them. Roman gave them a look, then turned back to Janus.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" he hissed. "You know how much I ship them!"

"I was a little too freaked out about the not-hearing-from-Patton thing," Janus whispered. "Can you give me a little slack here?"

"No, I will not give you a little slack! Logan and Patton kissed!"

Janus let out a frustrated growl. "Can you just go and freak out somewhere else? I practically have a migraine at the moment, and I really don't need you bothering me."

"If you have a migraine, then why'd you come to a party on Olympus?"

"I got it after you came over and started asking me questions."

Roman folded his arms. "I'm older than you, you know."

"I didn't care when I was a kid, and I don't care now. Piss off."

He let out a sigh and walked away. It didn't matter how much he'd "matured---" Janus was insufferable, and he always had been.

Though, come to think of it... he had mentioned that he ended up bringing Patton home late, hadn't he? Maybe Demeter had grounded Patton because of that.

Because she couldn't have found out about Logan. They were too careful, too deliberate. Patton would read Logan's letters a few times, then burn them so his mother wouldn't find them. The "dates" could've easily just been Patton's excuse to get out more, and Demeter probably knew it. Even the mirror could be mistaken for something that Patton bought while he was out with Janus and Remus.

At least... Roman hoped that was the case.

He spotted Demeter across the room, talking quietly with Hestia. Maybe if he asked her...

She'll just shut me down, he reminded himself. She doesn't trust me around Patton, and she's not going to tell me anything about him.

But better that than not even trying.

Roman took a deep breath and walked over to her, putting on his most dazzling smile. "Demeter! How are you?"

Demeter gave him a look so chilling that Roman briefly wondered if she was channeling the power of Khloine. "Hestia, will you excuse me for a second?"

"Don't need to ask me twice," Hestia muttered, walking away.

Roman cleared his throat. "Um, you might know that I'm a close friend of Patton's, and I haven't heard from him in a little while, and neither has Janus, so---"

"You aren't going to hear from him," Demeter snapped. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

He blinked. "Wh-what?"