A Tender Hand

Chapter Three

Synopsis: Janus inherits a farm from his grandparents, only to discover that two of the animals they have are... quite different from the rest.

Virgil frowns as he watches Janus head out to his car, very early Saturday morning. 

Janus had already done the morning chores, and brought Virgil and Logan breakfast (though Logan's portion sat uneaten on their table, as Logan was sleeping in this Saturday due to not having much to do until at least the afternoon), but watching him switch between using his phone and starting his car has Virgil feeling a weird pang of anxiety. 

So, he heads over, sniffing at the small vehicle just to get its scent. It was unlike their old owners' truck, which smelt rusty and dirty, and was coated in muck and dust. Janus's car wasn't nice, but it was visibly out of place on a farm. Janus notices him as soon as he comes over, and avoids getting into the car. 

"Where are you going?" Virgil asks once he's close enough. He spots a few cartons of eggs sitting in Janus's passenger seat, with excess eggs situated in a basket on the floorboard. 

"The market," Janus answers earnestly. "Logan mentioned something about selling the extra eggs we gather, and there really are way more eggs than I know what to do with. Besides, it'll be good to meet some of my grandparent's friends." 

Virgil shuffles a bit closer. "Why are you bringing the cartons?" 

"Just to carry the eggs in. Patton told me most people who want eggs bring their own empty cartons or metal crates, so I won't be selling off my own. God knows I'd run out of places to store the eggs if I did." Slowly, Janus stretches his hand out towards Virgil. Virgil sniffs towards it, but then scowls and pushes Janus's hand away. 

"Why didn't Remus and Roman show up yesterday?" 

Janus pauses, and then frowns. "I don't... I don't know. They are supposed to come Friday's, right?" 

"Mhm." 

"I don't have their contact information. I'll ask Patton to reach out to them; he'd know their numbers or something, right?" 

Frowning, Virgil crosses his arms over his chest. "How the hell am I supposed to know?" 

Momentarily, Janus goes silent, and then sighs. "I suppose you aren't. But don't worry; I'll get everything sorted. I apologize for this shift in your typical routine... I can't imagine it's pleasant." Virgil rolls his eyes, as if that's obvious, and so Janus clears his throat and asks "well, would you want anything from the market? Since I'm going?" 

Immediately, Virgil turns. "I don't need anything from you," he mutters, and makes his way back to his barn. 

Janus watches him go, sighs again, and then settles into the driver's seat, pulling out of the driveway moments later. 

Virgil steps back into his and Logan's area as he hears the distant sounds of a car rumbling away from the farm, and glares at the cooling plate of food. Without being able to use their stove, and lacking a microwave, Logan was going to have to either eat his breakfast cold, or they were going to have to wait for Janus to get back and ask him to reheat it. Either way - in Virgil's opinion - Logan was being slighted, and it had him entering their nest with his fingers curled into fists at his sides. 

He storms around the edge of their nest for a solid few minutes, pacing back and forth as he switches between being upset about breakfast, being upset by the lack of Remus and Roman (and how if they don't come until next week the fridges holding the goat and cow milk will no doubt fill completely, and product will end up wasted), and being upset by Janus just leaving the farm. 

Then, Logan ends up yawning and rolling over slightly, catching Virgil's attention. 

Logan was still sound asleep, with the occasional kick of his leg or twitch of his ear being the only movements he makes. His face lays halfway against a pillow that was freshly dressed in the sweaty shirt Virgil had been wearing the day before, and Virgil's tail can't help but wag when he hears Logan take in a deep breath, and then press himself further against the item, as if he was desperate for Virgil to be so close. 

It helps ground his anger... at least temporarily, and he kneels at the edge of their nest as he tries his best to dissect his own thoughts the same way Logan would typically help him deconstruct him. 

Breakfast being cold was the least of Virgil's problems. It was more of Logan's problem if anything, and though Virgil was annoyed on Logan's behalf, he knows Logan won't care that much. He'd likely instruct Janus on how to properly reheat things (as Virgil knows Logan hates microwaved food anyway), or just suck it up and eat it cold if he really didn't want to interact with their farmhand. Certain foods could be tolerated at room temperature. At least that's what Logan would say if they ever became too distracted to eat right away. 

And Remus and Roman not showing up probably has a good reason behind it. There have been very few times since they'd been purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Dolion that Remus and Roman had missed the pickup date, and each time it was because of something big. Like their tire blowing up on the highway, or having to accompany their dad to court. And Roman at the very least would always apologize, while Remus wouldn't spare a single detail of what had kept them away. And as long as they weren't dead, then they'd be here at their next available convenience, which could very well be later today. 

The last issue was the most bothersome in Virgil's opinion, but probably the most irrational. 

Mr. and Mrs. Dolion left the farm all the time. Markets, stores, general outings. Sure, they took care of things around the place, but Virgil would guess they were gone just as often as they were around. 

Logan and Virgil were expected to take care of quite a lot on their own. And that's what Virgil feels like he's being forced to take. Take care of things around the farm. Even though he already checked everything and confirmed it was done (as Janus had already fed the chickens, checked for eggs, milked the cows and the goats), he still feels like he has to do that stuff. But as he sniffs at Logan's sleep clothes - which are big and baggy and are all actually Virgil's - he knows that he really doesn't have to do anything. Janus had done more than their previous owners had, and for some reason Virgil's upset with him for it. And as he actually processes that, he feels the last of his irritation dissipate, and he takes a deep breath in and long exhale out as his negativity melts away. 

With his mind no longer burdened by stress, he lays down beside Logan, and spoons him from behind. He grabs Logan gently to try and avoid waking him, but then holds him tight, which seems to only amplify Logan's comfort. As Virgil feels Logan's tail flick against his thighs, he presses a small kiss to Logan's neck, and then just lays like that for a bit, relishing in Logan's company. 

Meanwhile Janus spots the plentiful stalls set up in this beautiful grassy area, covered in wildflowers. There's a few other cars parked deep into the grass, but not many. Only about four, which doesn't account for the amount of people Janus sees bustling about. 

As he parks next to one of the trucks, somebody else leaving their car spots him, and immediately comes over to greet him. 

"Howdy, neighbour," she says, tipping the straw hat on her head forward. Her words address Janus before Janus is even completely out of his car. "You must be the Dolion's grandson. You've been the talk of the town all week. Sorry about his passing." 

"It's fine," Janus awkwardly replies. He sees she's holding two baskets filled with wild berries, that look significantly more succulent than anything Janus has ever spotted in stores.

She gives him a sympathetic smile, before motioning to the eggs in his passenger side. "Say, friend, you need a hand with all those? Your grandfather's stall is still set up; we've all been too sentimental to even think about takin' it down. But since you've decided to take things over for him, it's only right for his space to be passed along to you. We can get your eggs fixed up all pretty, and then my kid and I can take you 'round to meet the locals. They've been dyin' to see you." 

Janus doesn't exactly know how he feels about his reputation preceding him, but he supposes they don't exactly know much about him other than the fact he's Mr. Dolion's grandson, and he's taken over the farm. And honestly, Janus is relieved to not have to carry as much, as both the woman and her son come over to carefully lift the eggs before Janus even accepts her help. She takes the basket and slides it onto the arm that's not holding anything, and then takes a carton, while her son - who looks to be about teen aged - grabs the remaining amount. 

"Thank you," Janus says, as he rushes to shut his car door and lock it as they already begin walking away from him. 

The woman smiles at him. "No problem! We all help each other out here. We're a community. And your grandparents were staples in it."

Janus doesn't even remember being taken to the market as a kid, but he's sure he must have. He remembers honey sticks suddenly lining their cabinets over the weekend, and new placemats set out every so often, and he's able to trace those back to hear as he passes stalls that sell exactly those. But what he especially doesn't remember are hybrids ever being this ingrained into the farming lifestyle. 

He'd always known they existed, of course. They just weren't this common. 

And yet, there's a buzzing bee hybrid next to the farmer at their honey stall, with flitting wings and a sharp stinger. There's also a spider hybrid spinning small mats, with eight eyes and multiple arms. It's uncanny, and yet intriguing. 

Janus can't help but blurt "since when did everybody start adopting hybrids?" 

The woman he's walking with chuckles, and sets Janus's eggs down on a painted stall. It's a simple light grey, with two yellow handprints on the ledge where purchases would be made. Janus stares at it as he thinks of his grandparents painting each other's palms and pressing them down together. She guides her kid to carefully set down Janus's cartons, before answering "when it became convenient. Hybrid products are incredibly high quality, and the hybrids themselves are rather easily pleased." 

Janus snorts, and under his breath mutters "speak for yourself." 

"A few hybrid stores are popping up here and there. Not all of 'em are built for farms though. Couple friends of mine - city folk - recently took in a cat hybrid. It's nice to have a roommate who's able to have intelligent conversations, and yet are incredibly pleased with just some scratches under their chin." 

"But they're not affordable." 

The woman laughs. "They're worth their price, though! Your grandpa saw their value; that's why he got two! They practically ran that farm. Gave your pops more time with his missus." 

Janus's lips press into a thin line. He doesn't match her enthusiasm once he thinks a bit harder about it. They're taken care of, sure, but they don't have much. Janus saw little enrichment in their barn, and Janus recalls Logan saying they weren't even allowed to use the stove. He wants to ask if maybe, just maybe, their more human sides should be taken into account. Surely they're human enough to recognize they're often getting the short end of the stick, right? At least Logan and Virgil seem to be. But the woman speaks before he can. 

As she sets a steady hand on Janus's shoulder, she exclaims "good luck with your eggs! And with the farm. If you ever need anything, you've got a community with us! I'll push some people your way so you can introduce yourself to some new pals." And then her and her son head off, heading right over to the bee hybrid who winces when the kid touches her stinger as they pass, but just bites her lip and puts her head down after, while the farmer with her hands over a few honey sticks in exchange for a dollar. Janus feels a pit form in his stomach. 

Still, he settles into a stool already positioned behind the stall. It's splintering, and looks like it was made decades ago, but it keeps him upright and that's all that matters.

While Janus waits for people to come over to him, Virgil impatiently waits for Logan to wake up. 

His arms are wrapped lovingly around Logan's sides, but just holding him is all he's been doing for the past hour. Typically Logan doesn't sleep in this late, though Virgil knows why he is. His hands slide slowly up Logan's stomach, before resting on Logan's breasts, which are empty of milk. His chest is still pudgy, just less so. 

With Logan's pumps still broken, Virgil had taken it upon himself to make sure Logan never went a few days without experiencing relief. Though his mouth around Logan's nipple always seemed to excite them both, and they ended up having sex frequently. 

Though now Logan's clearly exhausted, and he's sleeping so deep that he doesn't stir at all when Virgil impulsively squeezes his tits. 

But Virgil wants him. It's hard not to want Logan when he's laying so pretty, legs tucked up and tail swishing every so often, tickling Virgil's thighs through his dirt-covered jeans. It causes Virgil to bury his face harder against Logan's neck, drawing in deep breaths as he internalizes Logan. Even when asleep, Logan's good at making him feel calm. But Logan's also good at working him up. And Virgil's unable to resist the urge to squish Logan's breasts again, and properly rub this time, which has Logan letting out a soft, sleepy whine, but otherwise remaining completely asleep. 

Virgil lets out a shaky breath at the sound, and forces himself to pull away. 

He rolls onto his back, staring at Logan's back as Logan continues to sleep soundly. It was so unfair how everything Logan did was so... attractive, even when it shouldn't be. 

Virgil sets a hand on Logan's back, slipping it beneath Logan's shirt and against his soft skin, which Virgil rubs wholesomely at first. His fingers are light against Logan's flesh, caressing him fondly, before his palm falls further down to Logan's ass, which he gropes with a deep flush on his face. Again, Logan emits a sleepy-sounding noise, but nothing properly coherent yet. However, his noises all sound so... lewd, and Virgil finally sits up as he decides to give into his instincts. 

With just enough force to complete his goal, Virgil carefully rolls Logan onto his back, and then tugs down Logan's baggy pants. When he bends so that his face is situated between Logan's thighs, he's more than pleased to smell his own scent mixed against Logan's. It has his hips raising and tail wagging as he takes a few moments to just sniff Logan, pressing his face against the squishy flesh and forcing himself not to bite and suck at the skin like he so desperately wants to do. Sure, he wants Logan up for the day, but he's not going to startle him awake! He'll take his time. With all the stress infecting their daily lives - from their owner's death, to Janus's arrival, to Logan's pumps being broken - doing something slow and simply would probably be appreciated by Logan, who Virgil wants to please more than anything. 

The waistband of Logan's boxers are slowly brought down Logan's thighs until they're off his legs completely. Virgil brings the underwear to his mouth just to further smell Logan, and can't help moaning as Logan's musk floods his senses. 

He has to convince himself to drop the boxers as he wants nothing more than to just roll around with them, bite them, and hump them, but Logan's body itself is way more enticing. 

Logan's legs are spread slightly, with his limp cock laying against his cunt. 

Virgil cautiously pushes Logan's legs further apart, and slides between them, getting comfy within their nest and between Logan's thighs, as he begins to mouth lightly at Logan's tip. 

Logan's cock twitches at his touch, and Logan's breath hitches, but Virgil doesn't pause. His mouth runs against the slit of Logan's cock, and then his lips travel down the length of Logan's shaft, continuing to kiss and lick it as it progressively hardens. Virgil's attention stays mostly focused on the base of Logan's length until it's hard enough to reveal Logan's cunt, now unobstructed by his shaft. And that's what Virgil really wants. 

He kisses Logan's vulva before jumping right into dragging his tongue through Logan's labia, which has him shivering in excitement at the taste of Logan spreading through his mouth. 

He can see the goosebumps that arise across Logan's legs at his touch, but he can also smell the start of Logan's arousal as it begins to radiate off him as a result of Virgil's licking. The smell of Logan's enjoyment further accelerates Virgil's sex-driven brain, and he finds himself no longer in the mood to tease. Instead, he licks through Logan's labia a second time, before focusing his actions on Logan's vagina, which he begs to pleasure with his tongue. 

He's eaten Logan out plenty of times before, so this is nothing new to him, and yet he finds himself excited as if this is their first time all over again. Logan's cunt presses so hard against his face that as juices begin to flow out of Logan in slow pulses, Virgil finds his chin covered in them. And when Logan squirms, thighs closing instinctively around the pleasure being directed to his cunt and his head pressing hard against the pillow behind him, Virgil is left anticipating when he'll inevitably process what's actually going on. 

"V..." Logan mumbles in his sleep. His eyebrows are creased high, and his mouth slightly ajar. He solely gets the consonant out of his mouth, but is still too unconscious to properly enunciate his feelings. But Virgil knows Logan's saying his name. Logan's moaning out for him. 

What was he dreaming about? Was he dreaming about Virgil? Was his mind filled with images and scenes of Virgil giving him head? 

Virgil hopes so. 

He moans softly against Logan's labia, causing Logan to moan in turn. A breathy, pleasured noise falls from Logan's lips, followed by a whine as Virgil runs his hands gently over Logan's shaft, not intending to neglect any part of him. 

As Virgil begins to stroke Logan's cock, more juices rush into his open mouth, all of which Virgil swallows down eagerly. He uses his calves to bunch up a lot of the clothes and blankets beneath him into a mound he can rest and roll his hips against, while still licking eagerly. 

He switches between rather skillfully wriggling his tongue into Logan's vagina and rather sloppily licking over Logan's labia, unable to keep himself grounded to one specific area due to how intensely good Logan smells, how amazing he tastes, and how incredible Virgil wants to make him feel. 

"Vi..." Logan gasps, louder this time. 

Virgil raises his head, his lips slick with Logan's arousal. He watches as Logan's eyes scrunch and then relax, but never open. His fingers open and close repeatedly to his side, as though searching for Virgil but not being able to find him. Virgil reaches over to give his hand a squeeze, and then leans over him to kiss Logan's chest through his shirt, before resuming his position. 

He knows Logan's not in as deep of a slumber as he was before, and it's tantalizing. At what point will he fully realize what's going on? What will he say? How will they progress? 

As soon as Virgil's tongue presses flat against Logan's cunt again, Logan's thighs tense around his head, forcing Virgil harder up against him. Not that Virgil minds in the slightest. He breathes hard against Logan's vagina, panting between each lick and kiss, and each thrust of his tongue properly into Logan's body. Logan's thighs press and relax in an inconsistent rhythm, occasionally pressing so hard that Virgil feels pressure in his head. It makes him groan against Logan's cunt, which continues to stimulate Logan. 

Until finally, Virgil feels a hand set itself in his hair. 

"Virgil..." Logan breathes. His voice is groggy, as if he's just woken up, which in all fairness he has. Logan's face is flushed, and his ears twitch excitedly. "Are you..." he trails off as Virgil pulls away from his nether region, juices connecting Logan's cunt to Virgil's protruding tongue. 

"You were too tempting," Virgil murmurs, as he licks his lips. "And, Janus is away. No better time than now to give you a treat." 

Logan bites his bottom lip, and then reaches around for his glasses, which he clumsily finds among their nest. "A treat?" he repeats, propping himself onto his elbows. He slides his glasses onto his face, though he quickly looks away from Virgil as he softly says "you know I like treats." 

"Do you like this one?" 

"Very much so." 

"How did you sleep?" 

"Fine," Logan begins to answer, as Virgil lowers his head back down, resuming his actions. Logan whines, but keeps talking, his words slightly slurred as his brain lags just a bit behind him. "I didn't dream or- or anything. Not at first, anyway." 

Virgil sucks on the base of Logan's cock, which had become slick with a mixture of juices and spit as Virgil had licked through Logan's cunt. "Does that imply you ended up dreaming about something?" 

"You're asking as though you already know the answer." 

Virgil grins, tail quickly swishing back and forth behind him, as his hips rut into the blankets beneath him. "Maybe I do. You make noises in your sleep. When I'm touching you, at least." 

"I can only imagine why." 

Snickering, Virgil's tongue slots back into Logan's vagina, pleasuring his hole as Logan gasps and falls back against the pillow behind him. Virgil listens as Logan takes in deep breaths through his nose, indulging in the arousal that permeates their room. He can smell his own faint pheromones mixed with Virgil's intense ones, filling the breathable air around him. Each inhale makes his mind feel fuzzy and his body feel hot as he thinks about Virgil between his thighs. 

"I, uh, was dreaming about you. But I assume you've interpreted that." 

Virgil moans against Logan's cunt, before dragging his lips up Logan's shaft. "You were moaning out my name. Unless you're letting some other 'Vi' rub on you." 

"Never. Just you. And what I was dreaming of wasn't that different to- to real life." Logan clears his throat as Virgil kisses up Logan's shaft, before licking the pre from his slit, making Logan's hips jerk upwards and causing a sensitive cry to spill  from his lips. "You were still... still eating me out... and-" 

Logan can't finish his sentence with all of Virgil's licking. He goes back to digging his tongue deep into Logan, tongue-fucking his vagina with vigor as he's spurred on by how pretty Logan sounds when his voice breaks. And Logan no longer even tries to stop his legs from closing on Virgil's body, keeping his face pressed against his cunt while the heels of his feet dig into Virgil's back, unintentionally forcing Virgil's hips down harder against the mound he's humping against. In response, Virgil grinds down harder, pushing his bulge into the small, comfortable structure as he envisions breeding Logan while pressed so intimately against him. 

Virgil adores giving him head, if not for inherently selfish reasons. Being this close overwhelms all of his senses with Logan. 

His sounds. His smells. His pheromones. 

It makes Virgil almost drunk on his scent, and he's excited to be that way, as it guarantees Logan's pleasure. Logan's comfort. Logan's safety. 

It's as though he can smell Logan's happiness just as easily as he can taste Logan's pleasure as it gushes around his tongue, flooding his taste buds and clenching around him as Logan tenses his thighs whilst attempting to grind against Virgil's face, which Virgil lets him do. His hands grasp Logan's thighs so tightly that it almost seems like he's trying to urge Logan to crush him further. His nails dig into Logan's fat flesh, scratching at his stretch marks and groping his cellulite. 

Logan can't speak any further. He doesn't even try to describe the rest of his dream, but he doesn't really need to. Breathy gasps and moans spill from him in a continuous stream while he grabs the closest article of clothing he can find - which happens to be one of Virgil's shirts - and holds it close to his face, moaning and breathing against it. Not only is the air he breathes now filtered through Virgil's musk, but Logan's further flooded with a mixture of their arousal as Virgil's humping becomes more desperate and sporadic. Both of them are close, and both of them can tell. 

Virgil similarly makes constant noises against Logan's cunt, gulping down the steady stream of juices that drip over his tongue. Beneath Logan is a pile of slick, sticky and glistening as both his holes no doubt have the instinctual desire to be filled. As Virgil's hands slide beneath Logan to squeeze his ass, he shivers when he feels his fingers immediately become wet with slick, and it only drives him deeper into his own pleasure. 

He feels as Logan arches up slightly to add his hand onto the many forces keeping Virgil pressed down, moaning into the shirt he's still gripping. "Virgil!" he cries, as his body swells with pure heat. "Alpha!" 

The word comes from him like a dumb plea, which has Virgil moaning against Logan's cunt, sending sparks through Logan's abdomen and up to his head. 

With a desperate cry, Logan's wet eyes roll back into his head as he comes, semen spilling from his cock as juices gush from his cunt, making a mess of both himself and Virgil while their nest absorbs the rest. If that ecstatic orgasm fully woke Logan up, then the blissful aftershocks lull him back into a state of relaxation. He whines and digs his feet harder into Virgil's back as Virgil continues lapping at his cunt and swallowing the come that's spilled out of him, until eventually Virgil's tongue rescinds from his vagina and he just pushes his face into Logan's sweaty thighs as he humps up to his climax. 

The groan he lets out as he comes in his boxers reverberates against Logan's legs before Logan is firmly pushing his head away, leaving Virgil to roll over off the pile of blankets he'd been straddling and onto the nest. 

They stay separate for mere minutes before Virgil is cuddling up to Logan's side, his tail making a soft whack sound every time it hits the nest while wagging constantly. As Virgil snuggles up against Logan's chest, he murmurs "good afternoon. Properly." 

Logan huffs out a small laugh, before resting his hand against Virgil's ears, which he scratches softly. Virgil squeezes him tighter at the affection. "Good afternoon to you, too. How long have you been up?" 

"A couple hours. Maybe more. Maybe less. I haven't really done anything." 

Logan sighs, and one of his eyes crack open slowly. "Does that mean morning chores still need to be completed?" 

"No, no." Virgil frowns. "Janus already took care of them all. He had most of them done before I was even awake." 

"You said he was away. Is he at the store?" 

Virgil kisses Logan's chest, before slowly helping Logan sit up, which Logan begrudgingly does. "He's at the farmer's market," Virgil curtly replies, before fetching Logan's boxers and pajama pants. "I don't know when he'll be back, but I don't care to know. He can sleep at the farmer's market, for all I care." 

With his hands still shaky following his pleasant orgasm, Logan uses the shirt he'd been huffing to clean himself off before sliding his pajamas back on. Once he's dressed, Virgil helps him stand, though he's briefly unbalanced on his feet. "I doubt he's going to spend long out there," Logan replies, in response to Virgil's muttering. "He doesn't know anybody. At least, I don't think he does. And the locals can be very pushy, which doesn't seem like the type of thing Janus enjoys." 

"He brought eggs to sell." 

"A lot of them?" 

"Enough to keep him there for a while if he plans to sell them all." Virgil walks Logan out of their nest, and into their main room, where Logan frowns when he sees a discarded plate on the table. 

"He brought breakfast," Logan observes, which has Virgil nodding. Logan squeezes Virgil's arm as he says "why didn't you wake me up to eat it?" 

Virgil pushes Logan down onto a chair in the living room, and brings him the cold plate of food. "You seemed tired," Virgil earnestly explains. "I didn't want to wake you in the middle of a deep rest, especially since we were up late doing... things." 

Logan accepts the meal even though he ends up just poking at it. Virgil squishes himself into the chair beside Logan, with both of them sinking deep into the cheap cushions. As Logan grimaces and stabs a cold piece of scrambled egg to his mouth, there's suddenly a knock on the barn door. 

Immediately, Virgil's leaping up, and stalking close to the door. Logan meanwhile sets the fork down, bite still uneaten. 

"Who is it?" Logan asks, as Virgil sniffs through the wood. Virgil's instantaneous frown says it all. 

"Janus." 

"Hm. Maybe everybody wanted eggs today."

Virgil groans. "Ugh. Of course they would." With bitter resignation, Virgil opens up their door, letting in Janus who's standing there with a small bag. 

"Good morning, Logan," he greets, as he steps inside, noticing Logan just past the doorway. When he catches sight of Logan's food, a flash of concern flickers over his features. "Was there something about breakfast you didn't like?" 

"No. I just woke up." 

Janus looks confused, and glances outside to remind himself of the sun being so high in the sky, signifying it's a bit past noon. But he doesn't say anything about Logan's sleep, and instead asks "do you want me to heat it up for you?" 

Logan musters a thin, polite smile, and hands Janus his plate. "That'd be appreciated. Thanks." 

Janus sets the plate back on the table temporarily, before he sets his bag on there too. "I'll do that in just a second. While I'm here, I got you both some stuff at the market. I asked Virgil if either of you would want anything, but he said nothing particularly, so I just grabbed some stuff I felt might be fitting." 

As Virgil crosses his arms over his chest, Logan stands to curiously peek into the bag in hopes of gauging its contents. 

The first thing pulled out of it is a handful of honey sticks, which do make both Virgil and Logan smile a bit. "Treats," Virgil says, as he reaches for two. He uses his sharp teeth to rip them open, and then hands one to Logan while he sucks on one of his own. He greedily drinks his down, but Logan takes his time with his, letting the sweet honey marinate on his tongue as he lets his stomach appreciate his first bit of food for today. 

"'Treats' is more accurate than you think," Janus mumbles, as he pulls out a small bag of actual treats shortly thereafter. They look like dog treats in shape - simple circles that are a bit thicker than a wafer - and when Janus opens the bag and tilts it towards Virgil, he instinctively sniffs, and his tail starts wagging immediately after. 

Logan leans forward to smell them too, and he also seems excited by their existence. "What are they?" he asks, as he leans a bit forward. 

"Hybrid treats," Janus explains. "I don't know exactly what they're made with. Some woman selling them just said she bakes them at home, and any hybrid she offers them to seems to like them. I asked if they were made with catnip or anything, and she said no, so as far as I'm aware it's drug free." He smiles at the joke he's made, but Virgil and Logan don't seem amused as much as they are fixated. They stare at the bag, before blinking and looking up at Janus. 

Nervously, Virgil fidgets with his hands as he asks "can we... may we have one?" 

Janus raises an eyebrow. "Of course you can," he slowly answers, as he hands the bag over to Logan. "They're for you two. You can have as many as you want." 

"Really?" Virgil asks, as his tail starts to sway behind him. He looks between Logan and Janus, as if expecting Janus to laugh in his face or Logan to tell him that Janus was lying, but nothing comes. So, Virgil rushes to hand a treat to Logan, and takes one himself, with them both excitedly scarfing it down. 

Virgil's smile is immediate, and his tail starts wagging faster as he takes the bag to the living room where he lays with it on their sofa, rubbing himself into the blankets before looking expectantly at Logan, who moves to join him initially, before he's being stopped by Janus resting a careful hand on his arm. 

"Before you get too comfortable," Janus starts, placing the back of his hand against Logan's forehead, "are you feeling alright? You slept in late, and you look rather flushed. Do you feel ill?" 

Logan's cheeks go bright red, and he steps away from Janus's touch. "No. I feel fine. Just slept under a bunch of blankets last night." 

Though Janus looks as though he knows Logan's lying, he doesn't comment on it, and instead closes his bag and nods. "Okay. But if anything changes, please let me know." He then grins as he looks at Virgil, who's actively chewing on a second snack while fighting back the urge to grab a third before Logan's gotten the opportunity to have another. "I'll make sure to grab some more treats when I visit the market again next week, since you two seem to like them so much. And I'll go ahead and reheat your breakfast. I planned on making lunch when I got back, too; do you want me to bring you a portion now, or do you want to wait a bit since you're a meal behind?" 

"He'll take it now," Virgil answers on Logan's behalf. Logan finally moves towards him, and lets Virgil feed him a treat, before cuddling against him. The tips of his horns press into Virgil's throat as Virgil pulls him close. "Are you leaving the honey sticks too?" 

"I figured I would. You'll eat them, right?" 

Virgil feeds Logan another treat as he answers "absolutely." 

"Then I'll leave them right on your table for you two to indulge whenever you please." Janus smiles, and this time his shoulder relax slightly when he gets a smile back from both of them. "Is there anything else you guys need from me before I come back with lunch?" 

"No," Virgil responds, at the same time Logan answers "I don't think so." 

Janus nods. "Okay. Then I'll leave you guys be. Don't worry about chores the rest of the night, either. I'll take care of it. Today feels like a bit of a lazy day, huh?" 

He gets affirmative hums in response, which has Janus taking it as a signal for him to step out. As soon as he's backed up from the barn, he sighs again, though it's not out of any sort of aggravation. It's admittedly out of relief. The past week had been okay, albeit tense between him and the hybrids. Janus was trying to give them space to both grieve the loss of their old owner while also adjusting to their new one, and as far as he could tell that bit of grace seemed to be working. This sort of minor acceptance was a lot better than open bitterness, at least!

Feeling a bit better than he did when he was actually at the market, Janus makes his way back to his house, and prepares to whip up a nice lunch (and fix up Logan's breakfast). And hopefully, the rest of the day could be spent with all three of them taking it nice and easy.