A/N Hey guys 😅
Sooo...guess who hasn't finished the story chapter again?
That's right,
*jazz hands* This train wreck of a person right heere!
BUT I HAVE A SOLUTION!
Introducing: "Meanwhile" chapters!
These chapters will be small cute scenes that can have happened at any point before the //real// Now chapters where Logan and Patton are 16/17.
They will mostly be one shots to help stimulate my creative whimsy but also gifts to you guys for not making a real chapter on time.
So enjoy this first one!!!!

0.)

The first thing Janus noticed when he walked into Roman's apartment was the powdery, white baking flour all over the carpet.

After living with Remus for four years, this didn't exactly strike him as odd or concerning in any way. So instead of freaking out like any normal babysitter, Janus calmly set down his canvas satchel and made his way to the kitchen.

"Patton? Are you in here?" He asked.

His question was answered with the sound of pans falling on the floor and a joyful voice shouting, "Tío Jan!"

Janus smirked as Patton attacked him with a bear hug around his torso (the small boy couldn't reach any higher). But of course, he hugged back, patting Patton's head, "My, have you grown taller since I last saw you?"

Patton looked up at his Tío with an expression of excitement, "Have I?!?!"

Nodding, Janus swiftly lied, "I do believe you have. And I advise you to stop it, you're growing too fast."

Patton giggled and took a step back from Janus. He looked down at himself in awe, "Actually, I do feel taller!" He began to walk around in the tips of his toes, bouncing like an astronaut as if his new height changed the gravitational pull of the Earth.

Janus smiled at this and then glanced into the kitchen and raised an eyebrow, "Hm, what happened here?"

Patton beamed at his uncle and grabbed one of his gloved hands, pulling him into the kitchen, "I was making cookies! Look!"

He held up a tray of raw flour and milk with a bit of egg yolk visible here and there and small crystals of sugar sprinkled on top. The rest of the kitchen was an utter mess, milk was spilled on the floor and globs of dough hung off the cabinets. The stovetop was flooded with rainbow sprinkles and there was an empty bag of sugar on the ceiling fan. Janus took the tray and looked at it, then the kitchen and then at Patton, "You did this all by yourself?"

Patton nodded excitedly, swaying on the balls of his feet as he waited for Janus' reaction. The older man stared at the "cookies" and then smiled at Patton, "I'm impressed. Though, I know what else we could add."

"What?" The small boy asked, following Janus as he walked over to the cabinets.

Janus pulled out a bag of M&Ms and waved them at Patton, who grinned back. "And of course, we must cook them. Though it was very responsible of you not to use the oven alone."

Patton beamed and started jumping up and down, cheering, "Baking! Baking! Baking! Baking!"

Janus rolled his eyes, smiling, and placed a hand on Patton's head, "Yes, yes, settle down. We should have our cookies done and maybe some other delicacies before it's time for Family Night."

Patton scrunched his nose in thought, "What does 'delicacies' mean?"

"Delicious foods."

"Oh! I like delicacies a lot!" Patton said, looking happy to use his new word. "Are you good at baking delicacies, Uncle Jan?"

Janus turned away from the child, heading over to the dirty counter. "Simply the best." He replied smoothly before pulling out his phone and frantically looking up cookie recipes. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

But of course; he did not.

~~~~~~

The first thing Roman and Remus noticed when they walked into the apartment was the smell of burning and the loud yelling of Greek profanities.

"Patton?! Janus?!" Roman shouted, throwing his bag on the ground and sprinting to the kitchen with Remus in tow.

The two were there, covered head to toe in flour. Janus held a tray of what looked like charcoal blocks and Patton sat at the table with a bag of frosting in his hands and a plate of cookies in front of him.

The two men stared at each other in disbelief and shock while Patton yelled, "Papí!" And ran over to hug Roman. Remus watched over his brother's shoulder and burst out laughing.

"Lookin sexy in that apron, Jan." Remus said, grinning. Janus flushed bright red.

He placed the tray on the stovetop and adjusted his yellow dress shirt, untying the black apron. "I can explain." He said, keeping his voice neutral and avoiding Roman's eyes. "We were baking cookies and they burnt."

"I can see that, Lord of the Lies. Do you even know how to bake?" Roman said, amused. He glanced over at the charcoal "cookies".

Janus scoffed and stuck his nose up, walking past the brothers, "Of course I do, it's just your less than mediocre oven's fault the cookies went up in flames." He shot back.

Roman joined Remus in his laughter and Patton watched, confused, from his father's arms.

The doorbell rung just then and, in order to escape the Castillo siblings' inevitable teasing, Janus walked over to answer the door. When he saw who stood there, he smiled wryly, "Hello Virgil. A pleasure as always."

Virgil stood on the doormat, Logan next to him with his nose stuck in an Astronomy book. The man in the black and purple hoodie rolled his eyes, unamused, "Hey, Janus."

"And how are you, Logan?" Janus asked the small boy. He had babysat for him before and knew he could be...difficult.

"Adequate."

"Well alright then." Janus stepped away to let them in, glancing at Virgil just in time to see the distressed look he shot at Logan.

There was the sound of footsteps from the staircase and a second later Remy appeared with Emile following directly behind. The latter was laughing and wheezing at the same time, breathing heavily.

"Wait! Let us in, too!" Remy shouted then sprinted down the hall, shoving past Janus, Virgil and Logan before falling down onto the carpet of the apartment and holding his arms up in victory, "Safe!"

Janus gave an impressive eye roll, "It's not an elevator you know."

"Shut it you slimy snake, being a dumbass is my favorite coping mechanism for life."

Virgil snorted and stepped over Remy just as Emile came through the door and Janus slammed it closed, as if afraid there were more people racing to enter. The therapist bent over and placed his hands on his knees, "I made it."

"I expected more from you, Picani." Janus yelled over his shoulder and Emile fell into a fit of giggles, flopping down on the carpet next to Remy.

"Hey Duke, hey Princey." Virgil said, greeting the brothers.

"Don't you mean Dukey?" Remus asked, winking.

"No." Virgil deadpanned, narrowing his eyes at Remus. In contrast, he smiled kindly at Patton, "Hey tadpole, what's up?"

"The sky!" Patton answered proudly.

Everyone looked at Roman and he shook his head, "Don't look at me, I have no idea where he gets his dad jokes."

Roman set Patton down and continued to greet his friends. Meanwhile, the small boy caught sight of Logan and beamed.

"Logie!" He said happily, throwing his arms around the other child.

Logan cringed, stiffening at the hug, "Hello, Patton." He waited until Patton let go and then stepped away, clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses. "How are you doing?"

"I'm great! I made cookies with Uncle Jan!" Patton announced.

"Patton." Logan said frankly, "You are aware Janus is not really our Uncle but merely a friend of your father and my brother, correct?"

Patton tilted his head to the side in confusion, then he brightened when he realized, "Oh, I get it! You always hear me calling him Tío Jan so you're confused! Tío means Uncle, silly!"

"Wha-no, I was not confused. I just-" Logan stopped, flustered. He sighed and mumbled, "Nevermind." 

The two stood there awkwardly for a moment, one of them blushing and staring at the floor while the other swayed in place, smiling nervously. The adults chattered on above them, laughing and teasing each other mercilessly. Remy and Emile had gotten up off the floor and now mingled among the group.

Suddenly, Patton perked up and caught Logan's attention, "Oh! I made you something." 

Logan watched curiously as the boy ran to the kitchen and returned with something wrapped in a paper towel. He handed it to him and Logan unwrapped it to reveal a messy but recognizable unicorn cookie.

"I frosted it myself!" Patton said proudly, "I know you like unicorns so when I saw the unicorn-shaped cookie cutter I got the idea to make you this!"

Logan stared at the cookie and the way the unicorn's eye drooped and melted into its mane. He felt his cheeks flush even more and looked at Patton, "T-thank you."

Patton beamed, blushing a bit as well, "No problem!"

Just then, Roman walked up to them and knelt so he was level to their height, "Hey, you two. We're gonna power wash the kitchen and make dinner so you can watch a movie or play while you wait, ok?"

"Ok!" Patton answered, throwing his arms around his dad's neck and making the man laugh. Logan nodded but stared at the small family of father and son. He felt his chest tighten, remembering his mother and bit his lip.

When Roman went away, Patton turned back to Logan, looking excited, "C'mon! I have this awesome mega-board game I made in my room and-"

"Actually, I would find it preferable to watch a movie." Logan said, cutting him off coldly and walking towards the couch.

Patton felt his shoulders droop and stared after (what he hoped was) his friend with a forlorn expression. "Oh. Okay."

And with that, they fell back into silence. Sitting on the couch.

Halfway through the movie, Logan took a bite of the cookie and smiled for a second before feeling a twinge of regret.

It was almost completely raw.

A/N Why am I even making the supposedly fluffy chapters angsty and sad???? I have no idea what's up with me tbh XD 

Anywho, I might upload the plotline chapter which, spoiler, will be the first plot-starter "Now" chapter, tomorrow or Tuesday. Either way, please take this chapter as a gift for not uploading today.

DON'T DIE!

~Prongs💙