#Now they're merchants together and scam people a bit less often.

[fairy-godlogan]

What if, like.

Patton's upset and hurt but Janus begs Patton to listen to his reason.

Patton probably refuses because sometimes when you're hurt you need a bit of time before listening to what could be a valid reason or what could just be an excuse.

So, Patton goes off for a walk away from camp and ends up deep in the woods. Which, in a fantasy universe(or really any universe where people/creatures may attack you), is never a good place to be. And, of course, Patton gets attacked by people or some terrifying creature. Patton fends for himself for quite a while(because Lilypadton exists, so Patton deserves to be strong and buff in fanfics), but eventually he gets overwhelmed.

Janus, who followed him from a distance to try to apologize, rushes in at the last moment and manages to save Patton. He then promptly passes out, due to injuries or magic overuse or something of that kind. Patton works as hard as possible to help Janus, but eventually all he can do is wait for Janus to finally wake up.

When Janus does, he gets an armful of sobbing Patton, who's babbling about being sorry that Janus got hurt and wishing he was strong enough to have kept him safe and how grateful he is Janus followed him and how sorry he is for storming away from their fight instead of listening to Janus.

Janus is kind of overwhelmed because this man just woke up, but he says that he saved Patton of his own free will, so Patton had nothing to apologize for. Patton tries to argue, but Janus cuts him off by saying that Patton was extremely strong to be able to hold his own for so long, especially given that he wasn't prepared for a fight. He smiles at Patton and tells him that it's okay to need help, that Patton doesn't have to be the one to protect everyone else all the time. Janus also admits that he should have told Patton about being his ex-betrothed, but that he honestly thought he would just drop Patton off in the kingdom he was traveling to and never see him again. So, why should it matter if he didn't admit to being the same prince Patton was running from?

By the point that he fell in love with Patton, he had no clue how to tell him "Hey, I'm the prince you literally ran away from, but I'm totally in love with you so it shouldn't matter that I lied to you and am the person you don't wanna marry, totally not." So Janus just. Didn't tell Patton, and we know how that blew up in his face.

Patton, who's honestly probably still crying at this point, is like "You idiot, I said I didn't want to marry a stranger. After all we've been through, you're hardly a stranger."

Then they kiss and end up becoming nomadic travelers who forcibly adopt 4 children(or maybe legal adults, you can become someone's new kid at any age if they have enough parental energy).

They also send both Janus and Patton's parents very strongly worded letters about how arranged marriages are cruel and a whole mess, as well as telling them that both are engaged to be married and will not be taking the throne.

And, in the future, while Janus shops for essentials at towns they visit, Patton likes to sit with the kids in the town square and the them about the runaway prince who met another runaway prince and fell in love.

Had inspiration for a moceit au where Patton is a prince who is forced to have an arranged marriage. Patton is terrified of marrying this stranger his parents picked out for him so he runs away from his kingdom.

While on the run he meets Janus who claims to be a nomadic traveller just passing through. Patton asks Janus for help to escape to the next kingdom without getting caught by the royal guards. Janus agrees to help the prince find refuge and we follow their travels.

Yada yada... slow burn they fall in love and Patton accidentally somehow finds out that Janus is also a runaway prince and the man he was arranged to be married to. Patton feels betrayed by Janus... Something something they eventually make up, denounce the throne and live happily ever after

Or something like that.