"I'm so fucking stupid," Persephone sobbed, shoveling another spoonful of mint chocolate chip into her mouth. "Why would Pam actually like me like that? She's infinitely cooler, I'm lucky that she even considered being my friend—"
"There, there, Seph, it's all right," Janus soothed, patting her on the shoulder. "You're the coolest person in existence and you know it."
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M UPSET ABOUT!"
"I really don't think I should be here," Virgil stage-whispered from across the room. Janus gave him a warning look.
In all honesty, Virgil had literally no clue why he was here. One minute, he'd been sitting quietly in his room reading Gideon the Ninth per Roman's request, and the next, Janus had barged in and dragged him down to the freshman dorms. Now, he was watching a girl who he had literally never seen cry, even when Janus had been taken, bawling into an entire carton of ice cream.
So, yeah. Virgil was pretty sure this was none of his business.
"Look, she kissed you first, so she clearly has feelings for you," Janus said. "She just panicked afterwards, all right? It happens."
Persephone sniffed, wiping her nose. "You sure about that?"
"Positive! It happened with Remus after he kissed me for the first time. Only difference is, you froze up and couldn't tell her how you felt."
"Oh, thanks, Sunshine, I feel so much better now."
Janus glared at her. "I am trying to help you here, okay? What I'm saying is, you can't wallow forever. You need to woman up and ask the girl out."
"Okay, can I please go back to my room and continue reading about lesbian necromancers?" Virgil asked, raising his hand. "Why'd you drag me here?"
"Just hang on," Janus hissed, then turned back to Persephone. "You know she likes you now, so what the hell are you waiting for?"
"Jan, just because it worked out for you doesn't mean it's gonna work out for me. You've got an ego that's too big for your body and confidence to match. I don't." She grabbed a tissue and blew her nose. "Besides, Pam is way classier than your octopus-with-rabies boyfriend."
"Octopi don't get rabies, you pissy little weasel."
Persephone flipped him off. "Thought you were supposed to be comforting me, fuckweed."
"I'm your older brother, Seph, insulting you while comforting you is something you should expect." Janus took the now-empty ice cream carton out of her hands. "Back to your love life with your bubblegum-Lydia-Deez girlfriend—"
"Were you not listening? I have no love life!"
"Well, you certainly won't if you keep on crying willy-nilly about one small setback," he continued, getting up. "Pam could not be more perfect for you, Seph. You like the same things, you've both got a troublemaker side, you love the macabre—for Shiva's sake, she summons ghosts. She is your Hades and she has stolen your heart, and it is up to you to let her know that."
Persephone glowered at her brother. "And how exactly can I do that when she brushes off the subject at every opportunity?"
"By doing something she can't ignore. Wait here." Janus ran out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Virgil blew his bangs out of his face. "Yeah. Still no idea why I'm here."
"I don't mind you being here," Persephone told him. "You're definitely more stable-minded than Jan is."
"Thanks." He gave her a curious look. "What happened, anyway? I thought you guys were practically dating by now."
She hunched her shoulders. "We were chatting after rehearsal. She kissed me. She thought I didn't like her back and that she'd ruined everything. Then she left and I didn't say anything, because I'm stupid."
"Wow."
"Yeah." Persephone squeezed her eyes shut. "Four bloody years of friendship, down the fucking drain—friendship that could've turned into us being girlfriends if I wasn't such a bloody coward."
Virgil set his phone down. "You're not a coward, Persephone. You froze up. It's normal. But I still wouldn't recommend just giving up."
"Why not?"
"Because she likes you back. And because—and I say this in the nicest way possible—you are the stubbornest fourteen-year-old I've ever met." Virgil shrugged. "Plus, you two are co-leads and are gonna totally wreck the play if you don't get over yourselves soon."
"Thanks, Hayashi," Persephone said dryly. "High praise."
"Don't mention it." He looked back down at his phone.
"Hey, what was that earlier about lesbian necromancers?" she asked unexpectedly.
"Hmm?" Virgil looked up. "Oh, it's this book I'm reading. Gideon the Ninth. Roman thought I'd like it, and he was right. Worldbuilding is a little confusing, but it has great characters."
"Hmm." Persephone considered this. "I might check it out."
"Yeah, Roman apparently cried while reading it, so it's not for the faint of heart, but I think it's up your alley. You'd love Gideon, she's really kickass."
Persephone raised her eyebrows. "Gideon is a girl?"
"What part of 'lesbian necromancers' do you not understand? Yes, Gideon is a girl. A very buff, very tall, very ginger, very dirty-mouthed girl."
"And I'm in love already." Persephone pulled out her own phone. "Hang on, lemme see if I can check it out on my library app. I wanna know all about this girl."
Janus chose that moment to burst back in, carrying his guitar, the phone stand that he used for videos, and a recording microphone.
Persephone instantly shook her head. "Fuck no. Absolutely not. Get out of my room."
"A song is the quickest way to a lady's heart, Seph," Janus said, grinning.
"How the fuck would you know? If you looked up the word 'twink' in the dictionary, there'd be a picture of you! You don't even act straight when you do act straight!"
"As shocking as it may seem, my dear sister, you are not the only lesbian I've had the pleasure of knowing. I've asked around in case you ever needed to dramatically confess to a girl of your own someday." He gestured to Virgil. "And this is why I brought him here. We need a cameraman, after all."
"Pass," Virgil decided, starting to get up.
"Oh, no, you do not get to pass on this," Janus told him. "You are helping my sister confess to her future wife even if I have to kill you to do it."
"WE ARE NOT DOING THIS," Persephone said loudly. "How many times do I have to say it?"
Janus set down his guitar and folded his arms. "Look, all we're going to do is play a love song of your choice, I'll put it on my channel and send the link to Pam, and I'll make it unlisted after a day or two, okay? My followers have seen you before, it's not like you're an unknown."
"They've never heard me sing—"
"Don't say you're shy. If you were shy, you wouldn't be practicing the choreo for 'Cell Block Tango' on a near-daily basis." Janus's face softened slightly. "Just try this, okay? Worst-case scenario, we've got a cute brother-sister duet."
After a long pause, Persephone let out a heavy sigh. "Do you know how to play 'Would You Be So Kind?'"
"A classic!" Janus exclaimed, beaming. "Of course I do!"
"Then come on." Persephone stood up, making Virgil register that the two siblings were now almost exactly the same height. "Virgil, get on that camera now. Let's get this over with."
..............
"God, you're chicken," Pearl said, taking another sip of coffee.
Pam gave her a look. "What the hell would you do if you'd just lost control and kissed your best friend?"
"Stuck around to hear what they had to say, maybe? You can't just automatically assume that she doesn't like you back."
"She used my real name. That almost always means that she's mad at—"
Patton held up his hand. "Did she kiss you back?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Pam snapped.
"Everything. Did she kiss you back?"
She started to say no, of course not, but then she faltered.
Did she?
Pam's mind traveled back to that moment, suddenly recalling Persephone's cheeks burning red before and after that kiss. And during the actual moment...
"Oh my shit-loving lord," Pam murmured. "She kissed me back."
Pearl let out a little happy squeal and threw her arms around her sister. "Pammie's got a chance! I'm so proud!"
"I still wrecked it, though," Pam reminded her, talking mostly in a daze. "I pushed her away. She probably thinks I changed my mind."
"Well, then you should tell her that you haven't changed your mind," Patton said gently. "Pam, you can't pass this up. She's perfect for you in every single way, and she thinks the world of you. Anybody can see it. Me and Janus picked up on it when you two were in seventh grade."
"I'm sorry, you what—"
"Pam, like it or no, you are now the only one of us who is not in a loving relationship, and you're embarrassing us," Pearl interjected. "I can deal with you being the only McClain sibling not dating a Jacobi—"
"Yeah, because you two scored the only decent ones at the Academy and Sophia was already taken and too old for my baby lesbian ass—"
"But Quinne and I want to go on double dates with my twin and her hot-as-hell British girlfriend, and we cannot dooooooo that if you keep on staaaaaaaalling," Pearl sang, tapping her sister on the nose. "Ask that goddess out already, honey! She's your fucking queen of the Underworld!"
"Pearl, we've had conversations about your language—" Patton started.
"Pat, I have heard you swear and I know that your innocent cutie-pie act is a big ass lie, so don't act like a middle-aged Catholic mom right now." Pearl turned back to Pam, ignoring their brother's offended expression. "Get over yourself already, ya useless lesbian."
Patton pulled out his phone and his eyes widened. "Girls, cut the convo. You gotta see this."
Pam sat forward. "See what?"
He passed her his phone. "Jan just sent me a link to a new video he put up on his channel. It's for you."
"For me?" She clicked on the link, brow furrowed.
The video opened like it always did, with Janus making a witty comment before the intro started. When the official video began, it featured Janus with his guitar in hand... as well as Persephone.
"So, today, my sister's going to be finally showing you all her singing skills—" Janus started.
"And don't expect there to be a repeat, not unless I have fun with this," Persephone said, then took a deep breath. "So... this is a cover of 'Would You Be So Kind,' because the girl I'm singing this for really likes it. If you're watching, then... then call me back after you see this."
Janus started to play a bouncy, peppy tune on his guitar, humming quietly under his breath.
"I have a question / It might seem strange," Persephone sang. "How are your lungs? / Are they in pain / 'Cause mine are aching / Think I know why / I kinda like it, though / You wanna try?"
Pam bit her lip to keep herself from crying happy tears and ruining her mascara.
"Oh, would you be so kind / As to fall in love with me? / You see, I'm trying," the two siblings sang, with Janus doing a higher harmony. "I know you know that I like you / But that's not enough / So if you will / Please fall in love / I think it's only fair / There's gotta be some butterflies somewhere / Wanna share? / 'Cause I like you / But that's not enough / So if you will / Please fall in love with me..."
Somehow, Pam managed to hold it together until the final line, where Persephone ended up adding a goddamned extra verse.
"Hey, you've been so kind / As to fall in love with me / And we're both trying," she sang quietly. "You know I know that you like me / But that'll never be enough / So I just wanted to say / That I'm in love with you..."
Janus played the final chord as the video cut out.
Pam instantly buried her face into Pearl's shoulder and started to sob happily into it.
"Hey! Get off! It's murder getting mascara off of white clothes!" Pearl yelped, pushing her off.
Patton gave her a warm smile. "You okay?"
"Better than okay," Pam said, wiping her eyes. "I've got a Valentine's Day to plan."
A/N: Dopplessense is my way of adding in Moceit to this story, and I have put off giving it some spotlight for far too long. So, here you go. Enjoy the lesbians.
Also READ THE LOCKED TOMB SERIES IT'S INCREDIBLE