When You're Broken On The Ground

Chapter 30

Trigger Warnings: alcohol and mentioned alcoholics

Word Count: 1028

Hours pass quickly, and soon enough Remus finds himself doubling checking that they have enough snacks in the pantry and fridge to last them for three days. Dee- well, Janus, but Dee works too... Jan is checking the wine room, which is really just their small room, practically a broom cupboard, filled wall to wall, ceiling to floor, with wine, vodka, whiskey, champagne, rum, beer, and everything in between. One wall is just a set into the wall fridge thing, because some just cannot be room temperature. They've got some good quality stuff and some cheap stuff. The whole point is that they know they have everything and anything, something for every occasion.

The good stuff for date night or anniversary or a particularly good day. The cheap stuff for getting drunk quick or to feel the burn. And some in between the two, for a medium.

They didn't drink a lot, but he knows they take out something from the room at least five times a month, rarely above twenty times a month. It's not an everyday thing, they made that rule early in the beginning, when the room used to be a shelf and mini fridge in their apartment.

Another rule is to always let the other know when they have entered the room and taken something out. No matter if the other was five minutes away or on the other side of the world, as soon as one of them took something out, they let the other know. It was a false safe, Remus supposes as he pulls out the meat and cheese platter from the actual fridge. To keep them connected, to keep them conscious of their drinking, but really to keep them from turning into their parents. Once you've had a drinking parent, and known a friend's parent who died from it, you take precautions.

The doorbell rings, letting the Phantom's Overture to play and taking him from his darker spiral of thought. "I'll get it," he calls out to Dee, setting down the fruit bowl on the counter and moving to the door.

When he opens, it's to Patton and Logan. They're both in more casual clothing than when they were at the courthouse, Logan in a t-shirt with the NASA logo on it and Patton holding a container full of baked goods no doubt.

"Hey dorks, c'mon in!"

Patton giggles and hugs Remus before coming in. "Hey Re! Where's Dee?"

"What, trying to get away from me already Pat?" His face turns horrified and Remus quickly adds, "Kidding, I know you love me Pat. JJ should be in the kitchen right now." With that, Patton smiles and moves to the kitchen while Remus and Logan move inside.

"Is there anything you need assistance with?" Logan asks.

"If ya wouldn't mind you could help me grab some more blankets and pillows?"

"Sure."

So they go to the little closet they have for blankets and pillows and stuff, he thinks it's called a linen closet but whatever. After laying most of the blankets on the backs of the couches, and the pillows in their proper place, they wander into the kitchen to watch their boys.

Jan is pouring out champagne into the glasses you normally see people drinking champagne from. Remus isn't sure what they're called, but they're the really thin tall ones. Patton is pulling out his cookies from the container and putting them on a platter.

The four of them stay there talking for a little bit, but then the music begins again, prompting Patton to set his platter out with the other food and Remus goes to answer the door again. 

Emile, Remy, and Thomas greet him.

"Sup babes?"

"Hiya Remus!"

"Hi Re."

"Hey gays, c'mon in, Patton and Logan are here too."

They come in, but Emile pulls Remus off to the side while the other two go into the living room. "What's up?" he asks Emile, confused.

"Hang on," he turns towards the living room. "Hey Dee? Could I talk to you for just a sec?" 

"Sure Emile!" Jan calls back, walking around the corner. "What do you need?"

"I just wanted to talk to you two for a second... me and Remy have been talking and we want you two to help us plan our wedding."

"Wait... WHAT?!" Remus shrieks.

"No no no no you don't want us doing it!" Jan argues. "It's your wedding!"

"Neither of us know what to do and I'm honestly swamped with work and Remy has a couple talks coming up, and you two are super good at design, I mean just look at your house!"

While the outside of their home was pretty dark and intimidating, the inside was not as bad. Modern sleek, with mostly grey, black, and white colors. Green, yellow, and muted browns were also tossed in. It felt clean and open, but lived in. It was perfect for them.

"Okay okay, so our home is beautiful. That doesn't mean we can design your wedding!" Jan protests.

"Yeah! It's your thing, not ours! Besides, you said you two were almost done with the planning a week ago!" Remus adds. 

"Yes well... we did have everything done except for our design for the wedding and reception. Please guys?" He gives them the cutie eyes.

Only Patton, Emile, and Thomas could do the cutie eyes, that was the thing. They were deadly, and it was almost guaranteed that if any of them used the eyes, the person put under their power would fold like a deck of cards. Jan, Remy, Joan, and Virgil were the most immune, but that didn't mean they wouldn't fold to. So, the three had agreed to only use the eyes for things they are serious about and to think it through before using. 

If Emile was using them now, that meant he was dead serious. He truly wanted them to do his and Remy's wedding. 

"We'll need to talk it over with each other," Jan compromised.

"Fair enough," Emile says, disengaging the eyes. "Can you guys tell us before the night's over?"

"Will do," Remus confirms.