#storytime 2022 submission | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fangirlwriting-stories · 2 years ago

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Hope With Me

Author’s Note: So hey! I did a Big Bang this year, run by the blog @ts-storytime! This work has been a while in the making, and I’m super proud of how it turned out! Thanks so much to @vanilla-bean-buttercream for the amazing art, and a huge thanks to @korruptbrekker for beta reading, and @hit-or-mish for being my cheerleader, this story would not exist without you.

Summary:

“Two weeks,” Patton said, holding out his hand. “And if I can’t prove to you that there’s good in humanity, I’ll leave you alone.”

“Or you could leave me alone right now,” Janus said, giving him a deadpan look.

“I could,” Patton said. “But then I’ll just go on thinking I’m right, and you’ll never have another chance to prove me wrong, now will you?” He smiled, like he thought he had him.

…And dammit, he did.

“Come on Janus,” Patton said, smiling warmly, and stretching out his hand a little more. “Come find hope with me.”

...

Janus met Patton by getting coffee spilled all over his favorite yellow jacket. He hadn’t really been having a stellar day beforehand, but it hadn’t been awful until a stranger slammed into him and spilled hot coffee all over the jacket Virgil had given him. Understandably, that made his day much worse, and what happened immediately after didn’t exactly improve things.

“Oh my goodness!” called the person who’d just spilled his coffee on him. “I’m so sorry! That was burning, oh my— come with me!”

Before Janus could protest, or ask his name, or wonder if this was an only slightly clever way to kidnap people, Patton had pulled out a key and dragged him over to a nearby cafe, opening the door and pulling Janus in after him.

“I know one of the baristas who works here, so I can get in the back,” the person said. “They have some stain remover, but we have to move fast. Hi, I’m Patton.”

“Hi, I’m incredibly annoyed,” Janus deadpanned.

“I know, I know, I’m so sorry!” Patton dragged him into the back with a quick wave at the barista who was working. He grabbed Janus’ jacket off his shoulders without asking his permission and took it over to the large sink that was probably for washing dishes.

“We’re lucky we were right here, huh,” Patton said, as he scrubbed at the stain in the jacket. “It could have been worse if we weren’t.”

“Or you could have not spilled your coffee on me,” Janus said, rolling his eyes.

“I think I’ve almost got the stain out,” Patton said as if that made up for it. “Okay, I’m gonna let it soak in the water for a minute, and then you should be good. You might still want to take it home and wash it.”

“Oh sure, no problem, it’s not like I was on the way to work or anything,” Janus said, crossing his arms. Well, he hadn’t been, but if he could make this person more guilty for inconveniencing him, he was going to do it.

Sure enough, Patton gave him a guilty smile. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Can I make it up to you? I’ll take you shopping for a new jacket.”

“You can’t replace that jacket so easily,” Janus snapped.

“Oh no, does it have sentimental value?”

“No,” Janus lied. “It just costs more than your house.”

“I didn’t realize there was a jacket that exists that costs more than a house,” Patton said in surprise. “Well, I am a pretty good thrifter. I don’t think I could get one that costs that much, but I could probably get you one that looks similar.”

“Forget it,” Janus said. “Just give it to me and get out of my hair.”

“Okay,” Patton said, pulling the sopping wet jacket out of the water and passing it over to Janus. Sure enough, the stain was pretty much gone. And if Janus took it home and put it in the wash right away, it would most likely be gone entirely.

“I’m so sorry,” Patton said.

“Whatever,” Janus said, deciding that would be that and he would like to never have to see this person ever again.

So much for a walk to try and make this day a little more bearable.

He expected the event was a freak incident, and that would be the last he’d ever see of Patton, so for the next couple days, he didn’t think of him at all.

But naturally, fate could never be so kind to him as to let that be the end of it, and as he was finishing eating at his favorite restaurant one night later that week, he heard:

“Oh, hey, you got the stain out!”

Janus took a brief moment to look up at the ceiling and curse everything in his life that had led him to this moment, before Patton walked around the side of the table and grinned down at him.

“I’m so glad,” he said.

“Great. I’m so glad you can wipe your conscience clean of that horrible event.�� Please go away.”

“Oh, let me do something else to make it up to you,” Patton said for some reason. “Here, I’ll buy you dinner.”

Then, as if the universe wanted to gift wrap chances for Patton to stroke his ego, Janus’ waiter approached with his check.

Patton gave Janus a look, asking permission. Well, Janus wasn’t going to turn down a chance for a moron to cover his bill just because of pride. He waved his hand at Patton.

Patton smiled and turned back to the waiter. “I’ll be taking that,” he said, and the waiter gave him a slightly surprised look before handing him the check.

Patton pulled out a debit card and handed it back to the waiter with the check, and then the waiter turned back around. This was around the time Janus realized this might have been a mistake, because Patton turned to face him like he was allowed to talk to him.

“I’m glad this all worked out,” he said with a bright smile. “I don’t think I ever caught your name.”

“I didn’t throw it,” Janus said coolly.

“Oh, I gotcha,” Patton said, apparently stupid enough to not realize Janus was trying to be rude. He apparently also had no qualms about being rude back, because he just kept smiling at Janus expectantly.

Finally, Janus sighed. “Janus,” he said.

Patton startled for a second, but before Janus could try and figure out what that meant, he went right back to smiling.

“Well it’s so lovely to meet you, Janus!” he said, beaming at him as if this was a conversation between friends and not him rudely interrupting what peace Janus had. “I’m glad things ended up working out with your jacket. So you like this restaurant, huh?”

“I’m sorry,” Janus said, full on glaring at him now. “You seem to have mistaken this for a conversation I want to be having.”

Patton’s smile faded. “Oh, I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to interrupt you. You were just sitting here all alone and I thought you might want someone to talk to.”

“Why would I want that?” Janus snapped. “I wanted to have a meal that I enjoy, alone, to try and make my evening less miserable than it would have been otherwise.”

Patton’s looked turned rather curious in the next second, and for some reason, also slightly concerned.

“Oh, well I’m sorry you weren’t having a good day,” Patton said.

“There’s no such thing. Now we’re going to sit here in silence until the waiter comes back with your card, and then you’re going to get out and leave me to try and salvage my night.”

Patton, for some reason, still didn’t look at all offended, instead just curious with that tinge of concern. But after a second, he nodded, and they both sat there in silence until the waiter came back a couple minutes later. And finally, Patton stood up and left.

And now Janus would never see him again, and he could be all the happier for it.

…

“Hi there,” came a familiar voice, and Janus groaned and dropped his head against the paperwork he’d come to the library to try to read.

He didn’t bother to look up or give any other kind of acknowledgment, but Patton sat down anyway.

“How are you, Janus?” Patton asked the top of his head.

“I’m much worse than I was three seconds ago,” Janus said into his papers.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I have a bet for you.”

That was enough to get Janus to pull his head up and stare at Patton. “What?”

“A bet,” Patton said brightly as if it was the most normal thing in the world to make a bet with a practically-stranger.

“A bet?”

“Mm-hmm. Are you able to take a vacation anytime soon?”

“Why in the world would I tell you that?”

“You don’t have to. But if it’s soon, I’d like to take you on a road trip with me.”

“Of course,” Janus said. “What a brilliant idea that will in no way get me tossed unconscious into the back of a van.”

Patton laughed, bright and clear. “I understand,” he said. “We don’t have to go immediately. You can also take a seperate car if that’ll make you feel safer. And I’d be happy to get to know you first if that will make you more comfortable.”

“Why would you want to go on a road trip with a total stranger in the first place?” Janus asked.

“You’re not a total stranger, I’ve talked to you twice,” Patton said. “And that’s where the bet comes in.”

“What bet?” Janus asked despite himself.

“I bet that if you give me two weeks, I can prove to you that there’s hope humanity has good worth fighting for,” Patton said.

Janus couldn’t help it, he laughed. “What?”

But Patton didn’t take it back, or reveal the joke, or do anything other than keep smiling at Janus.

“Wait you… you’re serious?” Janus asked, his smile fading slightly.

Patton nodded.

“You want to take me on a road trip to show me that there’s good in humanity.”

“Yes, I do,” Patton said.

“Why the hell would you want to do that?”

“You seem unhappy,” Patton said. “And I want to help.”

“What? Why? How would you know I’m unhappy, you’ve had two conversations with me.”

Patton’s smile turned warm. “You remind me of a very close friend of mine,” he said. “And he acted very similar to you when I met him. And he was in a dark place too.”

Janus stared at Patton for a second, not sure what to say to that. Patton was clearly a stupid naive man who needed to grow up and see the world for what it was. And he could potentially ask for two weeks off starting soon.

He shook his head. Now he was being stupid.

“If I win,” Patton said, like he could see Janus’ internal conflict. “You have to come meet my close friend with me.”

Janus blinked. “What? That’s what you want?”

“That’s what I want,” Patton confirmed.

“And what if I win?” Janus said.

“Well, what do you want?”

“I just want you to leave me alone,” Janus said in bafflement.

Patton smiled slightly, seeming almost amused. “Fair enough,” he said. “Then that’s what you get.”

Janus stared at him for another moment. “You’re… you’re actually serious about this.”

Patton smiled, but didn’t reply, which meant he actually was.

“I can’t believe this,” Janus said, shaking his head slightly.

Patton pulled one of Janus’ blank notebook pages over towards him and wrote down a phone number. “There you go. You can text that when you know when you’re free.” He stood back up and faced Janus with another bright smile.

“Two weeks,” Patton said, holding out his hand. “And if I can’t prove to you that there’s good in humanity, I’ll leave you alone.”

“Or you could leave me alone right now,” Janus said, giving him a deadpan look.

“I could,” Patton said. “But then I’ll just go on thinking I’m right, and you’ll never have another chance to prove me wrong, now will you?” He smiled, like he thought he had him.

…And dammit, he did.

“Come on Janus,” Patton said, smiling warmly, and stretching out his hand a little more. “Come find hope with me.”

“Never,” Janus said, but Patton didn’t move.

Finally, Janus sighed, acknowledging that he was probably being stupid, and reached out and shook Patton’s hand. “Deal.”

…

They wouldn’t go right away. For one, Janus had to ask before he took two weeks off of work. And two, he was absolutely going to meet Patton in a few more crowded well-lit places first before climbing into a car with him for two weeks.

But eventually, enough time had passed that Janus satisfied himself with the fact that Patton was just an idiot, and not an idiotic serial killer. And that meant Janus got to spend two weeks proving to him what an idiot he was, and he was starting to very much look forward to that.

They were apparently going to start by flying out west, to see some of the landscapes out there and make their first intentional stop at the Grand Canyon. And then Patton would rent a car and they’d spend the rest of the two weeks stopping at places he seemed to have in mind as they drove back.

Janus didn’t know what exactly the Grand Canyon had to do with finding good in humanity, but he still found himself sitting in a plane next to Patton and preparing to spend the next four and a half hours reading and decidedly ignoring him. At least Patton had given him a window seat.

“So, I got us a hotel there,” Patton said as they sat down. “We’ll have it for two nights, because I booked us a sunset tour around the canyon. Then we’re gonna head to Utah to visit Zion National Park and do some stargazing.”

“You know we don’t have to talk for this part, right?” Janus asked, not looking up from his book.

“I’m just explaining to you where we’re going. I figured you’d want to know,” Patton said brightly, like Janus’ blatant rudeness didn’t bother him.

“I don’t particularly care, actually. It’s not like I’ll enjoy any of them.”

“You’re sure? The Grand Canyon really lives up to the hype, you know.”

“You’ve been before?” Janus asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“A couple times.”

“How much money do you have?”

“I got some money when my Aunt Patty died. She was pretty well off.”

“So you were a rich kid then,” Janus muttered, turning back to his book.

“Did I say that?”

“I don’t really care,” Janus said, blocking out Patton’s voice so he could focus on his book. Thankfully, Patton seemed satisfied with leaving him alone. Or at least, that’s what he thought was happening, but after Janus haphazardly pulled out some gum to chew when the plane started taking off, Patton tapped his arm excitedly.

“Hey, look.”

“I’m alright.”

“You don’t want to watch us take off?”

“Not particularly.”

“It’s not much of a bet if you’re refusing to participate, you know.”

“You’re not likely to win my good will if you force me to do things I don’t want to, you know,” Janus said, but he put his book down anyway and looked out his window.

It’s not like he hadn’t ridden in a plane before, he knew there was something to be said for a view from thousands of feet in the air. But that was also just sort of common sense, or something he could watch on YouTube if he really wanted to.

Still, he supposed the view was alright.

He spent most of the flight reading, or half watching the in-flight movie that was playing. Patton spent the time writing something down, reading a book of his own, or looking out the window over Janus’ shoulder.

At one point not long before they were supposed to land, he turned to Janus. “Do you want to say anything to my friend?”

Janus stared at him. “Why in the world would I want to say anything to your friend?”

“I told him I’m going on a trip with you, and I said I was gonna write him and his little brother some letters. I want to know if you want him to know anything about you.”

“Ah, yes, as a matter of fact, let me start with where it all went wrong in my life.”

“Okay,” Patton said, smiling like for some baffling reason he thought Janus was serious.

“This is going to be a long two weeks, isn’t it,” Janus said, leaning his chin over onto his hand.

A second later the intercom came on saying they would start their descent soon. Small mercies, he supposed.

…

Janus had seen quite a few sunsets before in his life, but he’d always sort of imagined seeing one over the ocean would have a different kind of effect. And now he was wondering if it would be something like this.

Patton, not that he would ever admit it, had been right. This did live up to the hype. Janus almost couldn’t comprehend so much space, and all right in front of him.

There were a couple of clouds that the sun was setting into, which Janus actually appreciated, as they were preventing the sun from shining right in his eyes.

“I took my friend and his little brother here when I first met them,” Patton said, from his spot sitting next to Janus on the rocks they were perched on. “We make an annual trip now.”

“Why exactly do you keep bringing them up?” Janus asked, glaring over at him. “And why exactly are you talking at all?”

“Well, I figured it would be fair if you know a little about my friend before you meet him.”

“I’m not going to meet him.”

“You are if I win the bet, silly,” Patton said. “Besides, I told you. You remind me of my friend when I first met him. I brought him and his little brother here because it seemed like they both needed something to live for.”

Janus rolled his eyes and looked back out at the sunset like that was ridiculous.

But though he wouldn’t say it, he was thinking that he kind of got how this would do it.

Patton pulled out his phone after a second and took a couple pictures of the sunset. Janus wanted to ask him to send them to him. He wouldn’t, obviously.

“Does it ever get old?” he asked after a second.

“Coming back here?” Patton asked. “Nah.”

“Really?”

“I might not come as often if I lived closer,” Patton said with a shrug. “But I live in Florida, so no, I don’t think once a year will ever get old to me.”

Janus looked back out across the canyon. The sun was just about to drop below the horizon, but apparently it had decided to paint fire across the sky first. Janus crossed his arms over his chest and watched it. And for once, Patton didn’t say anything to ruin the moment.

For the next half hour or so, they sat in silence, and Janus took the time to breathe without really thinking of much. It had been a while since he’d been on a vacation. And just because this one’s premise had been so firmly rooted in stupidity didn’t mean he wasn’t going to enjoy it. The main thing was just not letting Patton know he was enjoying it.

It seemed to take forever for the sun to actually sink below the horizon, but eventually darkness began to settle in, as well as a chill with it that had been less noticeable with the sunset as a distraction.

“Alright,” Patton said, seeming to notice. “We’ll rest tonight and have a day to do whatever we want tomorrow. The bus routes are very nice, I recommend doing a couple. And then we can get some food at this Mexican place I like in town, if you like Mexican food.”

Janus shrugged. “You’re the one who’s picking all the destinations,” he said.

“The larger ones,” Patton agreed. “You still get a say in what we eat and what we do at each one, Jan.”

“Please refrain from giving me nicknames,” Janus said without any comments about the activities Patton had suggested. They both climbed up to where the guide for their tour had been watching slightly above them, and then towards the car to head back to the tour guide site. Patton, surprisingly, didn’t talk on the way, instead just writing another letter for his friend.

It was only after they’d arrived back at the site and were heading to their car that Patton spoke. “Do you want me to say anything about your thoughts?” he asked.

“Why would I want that?” Janus asked, giving Patton a look.

“Hey, just offering,” Patton said, tucking his letter and pen away. “I can drive back, unless you want to?”

“I’m just a passenger on this trip,” Janus said, pulling his phone out.

“Fair enough,” Patton said, and that was thankfully the last thing he said.

…

The bus routes were slightly less of an amazement then the sunset, but that wasn’t exactly much of a letdown. Janus’ favorite place where they stopped was called “The Abyss,” mostly because it made him think of Virgil and how much he would have loved being there just for the name.

Janus, despite himself, took quite a few pictures, but he still didn’t think they’d do it justice. It was hard to capture on camera the sensation of feeling so small.

He did make sure that Patton didn’t notice, of course. He had a reputation to uphold and, more importantly, a bet to win. He’d just be slightly blown away by the scenery in front of him while wearing a totally blank face.

It seemed to fool Patton at least, though it didn’t take away from his own enjoyment because nothing seemed to. He should probably try and come up with ways to spin this into a negative thing. He could mention the number of people who’d died by falling off the edge, or the easy murder tactic that would be difficult to prove. For some reason, though, he got the sense that Patton would be more bothered if he just pretended to be unaffected.

So, he marveled at the sight in front of him while making no commentary or showing no awe on his face whatsoever.

…And taking pictures. But you couldn’t blame him for that.

At the end of the day, Janus was thoroughly exhausted, but not at all in an unpleasant way, and he crawled into bed surprisingly satisfied with the day he’d had. And if this was the route Patton was planning on taking, Janus would win the bet for sure.

They woke up the next day with a fairly short drive ahead of them. The distance from the Grand Canyon to Zion National Park, their next stop, was only about 2 hours, meaning they didn’t have to rush through anything while getting ready.

Unfortunately, the worst part was not getting ready or the distance of the drive. It was the fact that Patton hummed while he drove. He was currently in the middle of The Campfire Song Song from SpongeBob, and Janus was about at the end of his rope.

“Do you have to do that?” he snapped, and Patton glanced over at him.

“Do what?” he asked.

“The humming, for God’s sake. And SpongeBob, really?”

“I find it helps the drive pass better than sitting in silence,” Patton said brightly, turning his gaze to the road. “But my friend doesn’t like it either. You have a lot in common, you know.”

“I am simply thrilled to hear that,” Janus muttered.

“Do you want me to say anything about The Grand Canyon to my friend?” Patton asked. “Did you have a favorite stop?”

“I did not,” Janus lied, leaning against the window.

“Ah, I gotcha. It’s hard for me to choose too,” Patton said. He smiled upwards out of the windshield. “Gosh, there’s so much sky out here!”

He wasn’t wrong. There were long stretches of road with nothing blocking the sky whatsoever, and everything was so flat that you could see horizon to horizon. Janus could almost picture himself happy living out here, if he could picture himself happy living anywhere. It was just that gorgeous.

“Wow, you’re right,” he deadpanned anyway. “What is this strange thing above me, I’ve never seen it before. Look, it’s blue.”

“Oh come on, Janus,” Patton said. “You live in Florida too, I know you know what I mean. We don’t see sky like this.”

Janus sighed as if he was annoyed, but he was quiet for a few seconds afterwards.

“We don’t,” he admitted. “I imagine the stargazing will be something.”

“Well, the stargazing might actually still be a little closer to what you’re used to in regards to amounts of sky, but don’t worry, we’ll be driving plenty at night if you want to see it like this. Zion is still well worth it though.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Janus said coolly, looking at Patton out of the corner of his eye.

“Well of course you will, that’s what this whole trip is for,” Patton said cheerfully, as if Janus had just made a joke they were both in on.

Janus scoffed and looked out the window, and they both remained silent for a while after that.

…

For a second time, Patton was infuriatingly right.

Zion National Park was essentially a park full of mountains. They were technically called ‘cliffs,’ but that didn’t seem accurate. They were massive red structures that stretched into the sky above them, and there was a road through the main section of the park that they could drive through. Every now and then Janus thought he’d stopped being amazed, but then they’d turn a corner or go through a tunnel and end up facing somehow larger and more gorgeous mountains than they’d seen before.

“We should reach the welcome center at the end of this road,” Patton said, who was somehow able to say anything when faced with all this. “And that should be the area our campsite is in.”

Ah, yes, they were apparently camping for the night. Janus would normally be irritated, but if it meant waking up to this the next morning, it might honestly be worth it.

Not that he’d say that to Patton, of course. As far as he was concerned, the camping was inexcusable, which it would be 99% of the time.

This time, however, they were camping near a welcome center with indoor bathrooms and water, and also surrounded by insanely gorgeous mountains, so Janus would give it a pass. (Begrudgingly. In his head.)

They pulled into a parking lot at the end of the drive, and Patton headed to the trunk to pull the tent out.

“Would you mind helping me set up?” Patton asked. “It’s difficult to do as one person.”

Janus considered that for a minute. He could refuse just to show how little he was affected by everything they’d done so far, but that just seemed needlessly cruel, and a little petty. He wasn’t necessarily opposed to doing things that were needlessly cruel and a little petty, but at this point it might just prove he had been affected by something Patton had done. And he hadn’t been affected by any of it, of course.

So, he moved to help Patton carry the tent a short distance to a grassy area next to a stream, with other tents nearby.

It had been a very long time since Janus set up a tent, but he actually didn’t find it particularly difficult. He could either blame it on muscle memory, or the fact that Remus wasn’t standing off to the side shouting dick jokes and distracting him and Virgil both. One of those options made Janus look much better though.

“Thanks, you’re not bad at this,” Patton said, putting his hands on his hips as they both stood up to a completed tent.

“Muscle memory,” Janus said with a shrug. “I have camped before, you know.”

Patton didn’t say anything to that, just went back to the car to get the box of food for dinner. They ate a bunch of snacky foods for dinner, since neither of them were very adept at grilling and leaving to get food from a restaurant would, according to Patton at least, “ruin the mood.”

It was starting to get darker as they finished eating, and Patton grabbed a letter from the car to write to his friend as Janus grabbed one of the books he’d brought and sat down on the picnic table they’d eaten dinner at. Small chatter came from the other groups around them as some people started fires and started making s’mores.

“You want to say anything to my friend?” Patton asked as he seemed to be finishing up the letter.

“Strangely, still no,” Janus said, giving him a look. “Do you have to ask that every single time?”

“I do, and you can’t stop me,” Patton said with a bright smile. “Give me just a sec, I’ll go grab the wood and we can light a fire.”

“We’re lighting a fire?”

“What’s the point of camping without s’mores, Janus?”

Janus scowled and turned back to his book before the light was gone from the sky. Remus had a very similar outlook. Janus had never felt particularly strongly about s’mores, and had only done them because Remus had enjoyed them. He didn’t exactly care for them anymore.

It was apparently impossible to stop Patton when he’d decided on something however, because ten minutes later a fire was burning in their campfire’s pit, and Patton was laying the ingredients for s’mores out on the table.

“I don’t know about you, but personally I think the only proper way to do marshmallows for s’mores is to burn them,” Patton said, with a grin that looked slightly unsettling in the firelight.

“Sure, okay,” Janus said, raising an eyebrow and setting his book aside, as it was now too dark to read it. “Whatever you prefer.”

“Do you want a burned one?”

“I’m not eating s’mores,” Janus said, rolling his eyes and rising to put his book back in the car.

“Oh, do you not like them?” Patton asked, seeming confused by the prospect, as if this was the first time he’d ever encountered differing food preferences.

“Not especially,” Janus said coolly. “I’m sorry that ruins your plans so thoroughly.”

“Oh, it doesn’t,” Patton said, reaching to the side. “Here, I’ll make some for me and you can just have a bar of chocolate all to yourself then.”

Janus scowled but snatched the chocolate. He wasn’t going to turn it down, it was still chocolate. He took his book back to the car and pulled out a blanket he’d been going to use for sleeping in the car but that he supposed he could use in a tent as well.

He sat on the picnic table bench next to the fire and listened to the sound of guitars and singing from groups nearby.

“I didn’t bring my guitar this time,” Patton said as if he could read Janus’ mind. “Just cause we were going on such a long trip and there’s so much other stuff to bring. But if you ever want to come back just here for a while, I could bring it.”

“I’m not going to see you again after I win this bet,” Janus said, giving Patton a deadpan look.

“Aww, I hope I can change your mind about that,” Patton said, giving Janus a smile before turning back to his s’mores.

Janus sat back and started listening to the music, and the people laughing around him, and the nighttime bugs starting to come out, and the crackling of the fires. Patton sat back on the bench a second later, but didn’t say anything, just gave Janus a smile that Janus could barely see in the dark and sat back to listen to the sounds with him.

Eventually, Patton nudged him, and Janus gave him an irritated look, but Patton was looking up at the sky, so a second later Janus did the same.

The stars had started to come out, and even though they weren’t done doing so they were more stars than Janus saw unless he was out in the country.

“Wait a little bit,” Patton whispered. “We should see the milky way.”

Janus didn’t know exactly how to feel about that, so he didn’t say anything. Patton wasn’t wrong though. As the sky got darker, the milky way became visible, and Janus couldn’t think of anything else to do other than sit back and stare at it, so that’s what he did.

“It’s something else, isn’t it,” Patton said quietly.

“Patton, shut up,” Janus said. He meant it so he could keep looking, but Patton didn’t have to know that.

Patton chuckled a little bit, but said, “Okay,” and was quiet from that moment on.

Janus wasn’t sure when he went to bed that night, but he knew it was after quite a long time of just sitting and staring at the stars.

Finally though, he and Patton both headed back to the tent, and Janus was half asleep and he could tell Patton was too.

Janus got in the tent first and crawled into his sleeping bag, but Patton stayed just outside and kept looking at the sky for a second more.

“Now, I don’t know about you,” he said, glancing at Janus as he stepped inside the tent. “But I can find some good in things like this.”

Janus blinked, startled by the fact that he’d forgotten for a moment the reason they were here. He thought for a minute, but he didn’t have to think for long enough to make him nervous.

“That might be true,” he said, turning to face the other side of the tent. “But it doesn’t get you any closer to winning the bet.”

“It doesn’t?” Patton asked, sounding surprised for the first time, and Janus smirked, enjoying the slight victory. “Why not?”

Janus rolled over again to face Patton as he finished zipping up the tent and started for his sleeping bag.

“Because the point of this is supposed to involve finding good in humanity,” he said. “And looking at beautiful landscapes and spectacles of nature might be rather amazing, but it doesn’t say anything about humanity.”

“I think it says something about humanity that we’ve specifically put laws in place to protect places like this,” Patton said.

Janus scoffed. “The environment is constantly in danger from humans,” he said. “Even national parks aren’t guaranteed safety if the wrong person ends up in charge. These are only here for as long as humanity deems them worthy. And humanity definitely isn’t good enough to do that. You’re going to have to try a little harder than this.”

And with that, he turned back around and laid down again. He had almost fallen asleep when he heard Patton say, quietly, “Fair enough.”

…

They were apparently done with the national parks. Janus put on a mocking tone, but he wasn’t completely faking his disappointment. Despite himself, he had enjoyed going to see beautiful places with Patton. It was enjoyable, if obviously temporary and wholly unrelated to the bet they’d made.

But instead, the following day Patton woke him up early and said they were going to Lagoon Amusement Park on the other side of the state, which was a very hard shift in tone, at least in Janus’ opinion.

Patton seemed to at least be aware of this, so before they went there, they stopped for breakfast in a busier city, just to get used to more people around.

“We should get some ice cream too,” Patton said as they got back in the car. “You want to get some after the amusement park, or before?”

“Getting it after will be cheaper,” Janus pointed out. “Everything in amusement parks costs more than it should.”

“Maybe, but I’m handling the money so don’t worry about it,” Patton said. “Just let me know if you see something you want to try.”

They got to Lagoon Amusement Park at around 10:00, and got into the park after buying the tickets about a half hour later. At that point they still had a while before either of them would want lunch, so Janus immediately got them in line for a roller coaster called Wicked, because he had a theme to stick with here.

The line was pretty long for the time it took to ride the actual coaster, but it was fast and just as fun as riding a roller coaster usually was. Janus hadn’t really had expectations in coming here, but it seemed like they were just going to an amusement park. It was fun, but he wasn’t sure what exactly he was supposed to be learning about humanity from it.

Either way, Patton seemed content to let him pick everything they were doing, so Janus picked some coasters that looked interesting and just sat back to enjoy the ride. They hadn’t ridden everything that caught his eye by the time they got lunch, but his favorites so far were two coasters called Colossal the Fire Dragon, which rode up against the ground in a very adrenaline-inducing way, and an older one that was just called Roller Coaster, which Patton spent the walk to lunch coming up with better names for.

The lunch itself was just amusement park food, in that it was ridiculously overpriced chicken strips and fries, but it fit the mood rather well, and Patton didn’t seem to mind, so Janus wasn’t going to say anything about it.

They went on a water ride called Rattlesnake Rapids after lunch, since it was starting to get hotter, and there was a waterfall at the end that Janus very decidedly ignored the “stay seated” rule to make sure he was under as they passed.

He let Patton pick what they were doing next, which he immediately recognized as a mistake when Patton wanted to go on the teacups, but it was too late to take it back now.

“This was my favorite ride as a kid,” Patton said, spinning the wheel slightly as Janus leaned back and very much did not. “It’s nice to bask in the nostalgia for a little bit, you know?”

“I can certainly understand wanting to lie to yourself by pining after an existence that no longer exists anymore,” Janus said, giving Patton a deadpan look. He expected the other to protest, or get even a little irritated and say that’s not what he meant.

Instead, Patton tipped his head slightly and smiled knowingly. “Oh, can you?”

Janus coughed slightly in surprise, staring at Patton for a second. But the latter simply turned back to spinning the wheel again. After a second, just to get rid of the awkward tension, Janus did the same.

“What’s so great about nostalgia anyway?” he muttered. “I wouldn’t think you go to amusement parks to bask in nostalgia.”

“Mm, maybe not,” Patton agreed, “but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a sad thing. I like to think that sometimes nostalgia can remind you of the good times you had. You just have to be careful to not get stuck in it.”

He sounded like that was something he was familiar with, but Janus didn’t get time to point that out, as the ride was ending.

A second after it did Patton stood up, holding his hand out to Janus. “Let’s go on the Cannibal ride. I’ve heard good things.”

“Back to coasters, are we?” Janus asked, ignoring Patton’s hand and stepped out of the car himself.

“Well, that’s the main reason we’re here, isn’t it?” Patton said with a smile.

They headed out the exit gate and Patton pointed out the sign that was leading to Cannibal, so they both headed that direction.

“You know,” Patton said as they walked. “You don’t have to try to ruin a good time.”

Janus scowled at him. “That’s not what I’m doing.”

“I didn’t feel at all sad about riding the teacups until you tried to make it that way,” Patton said, giving him a look.

Despite himself, Janus winced inwardly. “I… wasn’t trying to make you sad,” he admitted.

“It’s okay,” Patton said, smiling again, seeming to show it had passed. “But that can happen when you try to intentionally ruin the fun. And I think you’re missing the point of this.”

Janus scowled again, irritated by Patton thinking he’d managed to call him out on something. “And what’s the point, exactly?”

“The point is fun,” Patton said, like that should be obvious. “We’re just having fun today. It doesn’t have to be something you’re lying to yourself to achieve, and you don’t have to be repressing anything. You can just have fun, Janus.” He smiled warmly. “I mean, that’s the point of amusement parks, isn’t it? They’re a place humans made to come have fun.”

Janus didn’t know quite what to say to that. “That’s moronic,” he went with finally.

“Suit yourself,” Patton said with a look. “Just know that you’re the one ruining it for both of us, then.”

Janus huffed and crossed his arms, but infuriatingly, Patton had a point. He wasn’t going to let go of his pride that easily, but he had a point.

“Janus,” Patton said, as they approached the start line for Cannibal.

Janus turned to glare at him again, but surprisingly he didn’t find Patton smiling again. Instead, he looked slightly concerned, his brows furrowed.

“You do know that I’m not going to think less of you if you admit to enjoying yourself, right?” Patton said. A second later he smiled again, but it wasn’t his bright one. Instead, it was soft, and something in Janus… didn’t hate it, no matter how much he wanted to.

He still scowled and looked away, but by the time they actually made it to the front of the ride, he’d decided to maybe let himself enjoy it.

You know. As long as Patton didn’t see.

…

In the last half hour before the park closed, they ended up getting ice cream from a place called PV’s Ice Cream Parlor and sitting on a park bench to relax as the day came to a close.

“Tomorrow we’re going to be driving a little ways,” Patton said. “The main attraction is a dinner at this restaurant run by a friend of mine, but it’s in Kansas. It’s about a twelve hour drive.”

“We can take shifts then,” Janus said before he could think about it too much.

Patton gave him a surprised look. “You sure?”

“I’m not going to make you drive for twelve hours straight, Patton,” Janus said, giving him a look.

“Well I couldn’t even if I wanted too,” Patton said, giving Janus a teasing grin. “I could only drive twelve hours gay.”

“Nevermind, now you’re driving the full twelve hours.”

Patton laughed, and Janus scowled to cover up the sudden warmth in his chest.

“Thank you Janus,” he said with a warm smile. “I appreciate it.”

Patton finished his ice cream first, and then reached into the bag he’d brought into the park and pulled out a piece of paper that he started writing on, likely another letter to his friend.

“Do you want to say anything?” Patton asked as he wrote.

“No, Patton, I never do, and I never will,” Janus said in exasperation. “Why are you writing letters in the first place, don’t you have a phone?”

“My friend said he wanted a record to keep of my experiences with you on this trip,” Patton said.

“You… why?”

Patton laughed a little. “It’s very on brand for him, actually. I think he’s looking forward to seeing you.”

“He’s never even met me.”

“He can’t be looking forward to it?” Patton asked, giving Janus a brief look before turning back to his letter.

“I think it’s a little strange,” Janus said.

Patton just hummed thoughtfully and kept on writing.

Janus finished his ice cream around the time that the announcements came on telling people they were closing, so he and Patton both headed for the exit.

“The hotel isn’t far from here, I think,” Patton said. “But I’ve never been there before, so I might need directions.”

“What’s the address?” Janus asked, pulling out his phone. Patton gave it, and he typed it in, and a couple minutes later they were on the way there.

Patton’s habit of humming to himself as he drove was apparently a regular thing, which was incredibly annoying, obviously, but Janus was finding it surprisingly less annoying than it had been on the drive away from Zion. It must be the different tone of the day. Yeah, that was it.

But when they got to the hotel and checked in, Patton seemed like he was slowing down, and though it was probably just the exhaustion of a very long day, it still caught Janus’ attention.

Patton changed in the bathroom once they got in their room so Janus could change outside and climb into bed, and when he came out Janus set down the book he was reading and turned to face him. “Patton?”

“Yes?” Patton asked, turning to face him.

“I feel like it’s important to state that it’s also okay to be sad,” Janus said, and Patton blinked at him for a minute as he climbed under the covers of his own bed.

“I don’t mean that…” Janus paused, trying to figure out how to phrase his words in a way that would make clear that he wasn’t saying Patton was right about anything.

“I hope you know that it’s okay to be sad sometimes,” he ended on. “You don’t always have to be fine.”

Patton seemed to get what he meant, and he smiled warmly. “I know,” he said. “Really, I do. I’ve been called out on that quite a few times, actually. It’s something I’m working on. But I know it’s okay to be sad. It’s just a matter of reminding myself sometimes.”

Janus nodded, satisfied enough at that. “Okay. Well it really is. I’m not going to think any less of you for being sad. Not that—” he cleared his throat and looked away. “Not that I think highly of you, or anything. I don’t.”

Patton didn’t say anything for long enough that Janus thought the conversation ended, and picked up his book to go back to reading.

A second later Patton clicked off his lamp. “Thank you, Janus,” he said softly.

Janus didn’t respond.

…

“So it’s a restaurant your friends own?” Janus asked, turning down the street Patton pointed at.

“Yep! It’s technically a wedding cake shop, but they serve food too. They don’t technically serve dinner, but Roman likes me.”

“So is one of these people the friend you keep writing to?” Janus asked.

“Nope, they’re different ones. The friend I’m writing to lives back in Florida with us. I’ve known Roman since college, though. He was my roommate. He and Thomas have been dating almost as long.”

“Mm. They okay? Just living here and all that?”

“Oh, yeah. Things have gotten better in the years since they started their shop. It’s not like they don’t get some hateful people every now and then, but where don’t you? And they love it here.”

Janus hummed again in acknowledgement and turned again when Patton said to.

“You can park here,” he said, pointing over at the side of the road. “The shop is at the end of this street.”

Janus pulled over, turned off the car, and leaned back with a sigh.

“Oh, I know, right?” Patton said, stretching his arms over his head. “We’re gonna stay here for tomorrow too, just so we don’t have to drive anywhere.”

“Good,” Janus muttered, climbing out of the car so he could stretch too.

“We’ve got about half an hour before I told Roman we’d show up, you want to walk around for a bit?” Patton asked.

“Yes I do,” Janus said, heading over to the sidewalk and looking around for the first time without having to focus on the roads.

Hays wasn’t a major area, but there were still quite a few people around, meaning the two of them ended up sticking close together just so they wouldn’t lose each other. They were close to a lot of stores, so they ended up window shopping for fifteen minutes or so before heading back the way they came. Janus didn’t see anything he particularly liked, but the experience was enjoyable enough.

As they approached the shop Patton said was Roman’s, Patton seemed to light up, and Janus wondered for a moment if he was this excited to see all of his friends. By the time they reached the door, Patton pushed it open practically beaming.

“Roman!” he called, and the person behind the counter glanced up with a grin of his own.

“Patton!” he called, and set aside the frosting he was using in order to run around the counter and pick Patton up and spin him around.

Patton laughed as he did, and got squeezed in a hug once he was set down.

“It’s so good to see you,” Patton said, beaming up at Roman. “It’s been way too long!”

“It has,” Roman agreed, letting go with a wide smile before turning to face Janus. “So is this the famous Janus I’ve heard about?”

Janus scowled, glaring slightly at Patton. “How many of your friends have you told about me?”

“I told Roman and Thomas because we were coming here, silly,” Patton said. “I didn’t want to show up out of nowhere with someone they’d never met before.”

“And I’d watch your tone to my Patton,” Roman said, giving Janus a warning look. “If you hurt him you’re gonna have a lot of angry people to deal with.”

“Roman,” Patton said, crossing his arms. “I can handle myself.”

“I would never imply you couldn’t,” Roman said with a smile at Patton. “That’s not going to stop any of us from being angry, though.”

Janus scoffed and rolled his eyes.

Roman gave him another look, but turned to head back behind the counter. “So, Pat, Thomas is making your favorite in the back as we speak. And what is it that you would like?” he addressed the second question at Janus.

Patton had given Janus a menu to look at on the way here, so Janus already knew what he was getting, but a large part of him wanted to annoy Roman for a reason he couldn’t really pin down.

“What are your options?” he said, looking casually down at his nails.

“Here, I’ve still got the menu pulled up,” Patton said, pulling out his phone and ruining Janus’ entire plan with a pleasant smile on his face.

Janus sighed, took the phone, pretended to look at it for a minute, and then looked back up at Roman. “I’ll have pancakes with the strawberries and strawberry syrup on top, please,” he said, glancing boredly up at Roman.

“Coming right up,” Roman said with a smile, writing that down and heading back through a door.

Janus had a brief moment to hope that he’d stay there before he reappeared to pick up the frosting and start frosting the cake that he’d been working on.

“So how have you been Patton?” Roman asked, grinning at Patton, who didn’t seem bothered at all by the fact that Roman had come back out.

“I’ve been great!” Patton said happily. “Work’s been awesome lately, I’ve gotten to help a ton of people!”

Janus sighed as Patton continued to talk, and moved to go sit down at one of the tables and prepared himself for a night of being ignored while Patton caught up with his friend. Unfortunately, the second he started to move, Patton turned to face him.

“And then I met Janus!” he said happily, pulling Janus back into the conversation. “We’ve been driving across the country, like I said in my message, it’s been lovely. Don’t you think, Janus?”

“No,” Janus said, crossing his arms.

“Oh, he’s just teasing, he’s been having fun,” Patton said, with a knowing smile at Janus. “Hey Janus, Roman comes with me on the yearly Grand Canyon trip too. He and Thomas both love it.”

“That we do,” said a new voice, and they all turned to see someone else coming out of the kitchen with two plates of pancakes, the stack with strawberries for Janus, and the one with peaches for Patton. “Though we tend to drive there. Fourteen hours isn’t nothing, but we’re still much closer than you two.”

“And I would still pay for a flight for you both,” Patton said, like this was an argument they’d had many times. A second later, he confirmed this by turning to Janus and saying, “We’ve had this argument many times.”

“Good to know,” Janus said, picking up his plate of pancakes from the counter and heading back to a table.

“Oh, come sit with us!” Patton called to Thomas and Roman as he grabbed his own pancakes.

Janus gave him a look, trying to convey “Seriously?” with his eyes.

Patton seemed to pick up on it, but he just raised an eyebrow at Janus.

“This is why we’re here, Jan,” he said. “Come on, let’s sit and talk.”

Janus sighed and started cutting up his pancakes as Thomas and Roman both sat down. Janus turned to Thomas, as the less annoying of the two, and said, “So, Patton says you and Roman have been dating since college?”

“That’s right,” Thomas said, with way too sappy a smile at Roman. “We’re both theater geeks. We acted together in a ton of plays.”

Roman grinned back at him and gave Thomas a quick peck on the lips, resulting in both of them smiling at each other for another second before turning to face Patton and Janus again.

“Theater isn’t terrible,” Janus admitted, cutting another bite of his pancakes, which were actually quite good. “I prefer directing myself, but I haven’t done it since high school.”

“It’s not exactly a steady gig,” Roman said with a shrug. “Hence the cake shop. But we do some from time to time. Sometimes we get hired to do a Christmas play. We did a Christmas Carol remake last year.”

“A friend of mine had a large hand in the ghost designs,” Patton said with a wink at Janus. “He and his brother came up for the whole season, and I joined them too. We all had a ton of fun together.”

It sounded fun, though Janus wasn’t going to say it out loud. He didn’t really do a lot for Christmas anymore. He’d used to spend it with his mom, and oftentimes Virgil and Remus, but… well. It had been a long time.

Thomas said something else, and Janus shook himself out of his thoughts to realize he was asking Janus about his pancakes.

“Oh,” Janus said, glancing down at them. “Yes, they’re delicious.”

“Awesome,” Thomas said with a bright smile. “The strawberry ones are my favorite to make.”

“We’d get along well then, they’re my favorite to eat,” Janus said, putting another bite in his mouth. Thomas laughed.

The conversation lasted a while after that and spanned quite a few topics about things they’d done before, but surprisingly Janus didn’t find himself feeling left out. It was probably because any time he was about to, Patton would explain something to him or ask him a question and pull Janus right back into the loop again.

By the time they left to head back to the hotel, Janus was forced to begrudgingly admit that Thomas was lovely and Roman wasn’t the worst person he’d ever met.

“Aww, you like them!” Patton said happily on the way up to their room. He beamed at Janus as he said it, seeming ridiculously happy for some reason.

“They’re alright,” Janus said, but he’d decided on how he’d play this on the way over, so he ended with, “but I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

Patton’s smile faded into a confused look. “Relevant?”

Janus gave him a look. “Your attempt to prove that there’s good in humanity. Whether or not I like your friends doesn’t seem relevant to that argument.”

Patton sighed, sounding resigned, but after a second all he did was turn to face Janus again, and say “I disagree.”

“And why is that?” Janus said, crossing his arms.

“Well, you had fun at the amusement park yesterday. And you had fun with my friends today. Fun and friends are two very human things in my opinion,” Patton said. “They’re good things that humans have built for the sake of other humans. The sake of other humans enjoying themselves and forming relationships. And that doesn’t have to be fake, remember?”

“Oh, please,” Janus said, rolling his eyes. “What does that prove about all of humanity? You have to be rich or have connections in order to do the things we did.”

“What are you talking about?” Patton asked in confusion.

“The average person can’t just decide to go to an amusement park whenever they want to,” Janus pointed out. “And the only reason we were able to talk with your friends all night is because you already knew them. You said they don’t do dinners. It was only something we could do through nepotism. And while this may be a relatively harmless example, that doesn’t change the fact that in order to experience joys in life, you have to have money or connections. That doesn’t sound like a species that’s good overall to me.”

Patton didn’t say anything to that for a long time, and for a minute Janus almost thought he might have made some ground.

Why didn’t that feel as good as he’d thought it would?

But he was proven wrong when they reached their room and before going in, Patton turned to him with just as determined a look on his face as ever.

“Okay,” he said. “We’re gonna stay here for another day.”

“I thought we were already doing that,” Janus said, crossing his arms.

“No, we’re staying for two days now, because we’ve got something to do tomorrow.”

“What? Since when?”

“Since right now,” Patton said simply, pulling out the key and turning to face the door. He pulled the luggage cart in behind them both and handed Janus his day bag. “Alright, I’m going to take this down to the front. Sleep well, Janus.”

Janus sighed, long and irritated. “No, give me the cart,” he said, grabbing Patton’s day bag and taking the cart from him. “You pushed it up here, I’ll take it back.”

He left before Patton could protest, or thank him, or anything else. He needed to sleep for a while, today had been very long.

But not, his brain pointed out, annoyingly, very bad.

…

They went to Roman and Thomas’ shop again for breakfast the following morning, though it had other customers this time meaning they couldn’t talk to the two of them.

Janus got strawberry pancakes again because it was what he deserved, and also he didn’t think he’d ever get enough of the way Thomas made them. Patton got eggs, but Janus kept catching him casting glances at his pancakes, so he pushed the last one of his stack of three over at him.

“Here, I’m full, eat it or I’ll throw it away,” he lied.

“Oh. Thanks, Janus,” Patton said, starting to cut it up.

“I would have thrown it away anyway. You just look conveniently like a garbage can,” Janus said.

“Um, thank you?” Patton said, but after a second he ate the pancake.

Janus flipped his book open and read it as Patton finished eating, which didn’t take terribly long. Afterwards, Patton looked up at him again. “Okay,” he said. “So the plan for the day doesn’t happen until tonight. We can window shop again if you want?”

Janus set the book down for a second and looked up at Patton. They’d both driven most of the day yesterday followed by a long night of staying up talking. It was enjoyable, but that didn’t mean Janus wasn’t exhausted. And Patton didn’t look much better off.

“Do you want to do that?” he asked, keeping a casual tone in his voice as he looked back down at his book.

“We can do whatever you’d like,” Patton said, smiling at Janus brightly. It was strained though. Janus didn’t doubt he’d make it through the day if he tried, but it also seemed like it would be more enjoyable for both of them to spend a day in a hotel room.

“Patton,” Janus said, closing the book and setting it aside. “You look like you need rest.”

“Oh, I’ll be alright, Jan,” Patton said, waving it off. “We drove for a while yesterday is all. I told you that you get to pick the smaller things we do, if you want to do something out, we can do that.”

Janus gave Patton a long look and finally said, “I’d rather spend the day unwinding before tonight, actually.”

The relief in Patton’s eyes was probably only obvious since Janus was looking for it, but he still saw it. Janus decided to bring it up later, but still closed his book and grabbed his card to head up to the front and pay.

“I’ll meet you at the car,” he said, and left before Patton could protest. He paid Roman, who gave him a friendlier smile then he got yesterday.

“It was nice to meet you,” he said. “So long as you’re not mean to Patton, you’re welcome anytime.”

Janus blinked in surprise. “I… don’t imagine I’ll be coming back,” he said. “I live in Florida.”

“Hey, you never know,” Roman said with a knowing smile that Janus couldn’t quite work out. After a second, he brushed it off and headed back towards the door, where Patton had stopped to wait for him.

They headed back to the hotel room, and as they opened the door Janus spoke up. “You know,” he said, “it’s not a bad thing to admit you need some rest.”

“Oh, I’m fine Janus,” Patton said, in the casual tone one only used when they were trying to brush something off. “We’re both on a vacation, at least of sorts. It’s not like there’s a ton of stress involved.”

“Things don’t have to be stressful to be tiring,” Janus said, crossing his arms. “It’s also not a failure to admit to being tired. We’re humans, we can’t go forever. We need rest.”

“I’m okay,” Patton said, giving Janus a smile.

Janus gave him a look, trying to convey with his eyes that he wasn’t buying Patton’s bullshit.

Patton winced, clearly picking up on it. “I’m not here for me,” he said after a second. “I’ll be fine.”

“No, you’re here because of a petty bet we both made,” Janus said, rolling his eyes as he moved to sit on his bed. “And trust me, I’m not going to think any less of you if you set some boundaries and ask for some time to yourself. I’ll probably think more of you, actually. I respect that kind of thing.”

Patton didn’t say anything to that, and Janus decided to leave it there for now. But he did notice that after that Patton spent most of the day on his bed relaxing, reading, or napping. They even ordered lunch to be delivered so they wouldn’t have to drive anywhere.

In fact, the first time Patton moved was about an hour before their event that was apparently at 7:00, and he looked much less tired than he had that morning.

He sat at their desk and pulled out a piece of paper to start writing a letter to his friend, and turned to Janus as soon as he did so.

“Do you want to say anything to them?”

Janus sighed in exasperation. “If I give you something to say, will you stop asking?”

“I mean, until next time, sure,” Patton said with a smile.

Janus sighed again. “Just tell them Thomas’ strawberry pancakes are good,” he said, waving his hand and turning back to face his phone, where he was scrolling through social media.

“You got it!” Patton said brightly, turning back to his paper. True to his word, he didn’t say anything else to Janus until 6:45 when he said they had to leave to head out to Roman and Thomas’ shop again. So Janus followed Patton down to the car, and they both drove the now-familiar route, which probably shouldn’t have been so familiar after only three trips.

When they got there, however, Patton parked a street away and got out of the car like they were walking from here.

“Uh, Patton?” Janus said, stepping out of the car. “Is the other street full?”

“You can’t park there tonight,” Patton said with a smile back at Janus. “The street is closed off starting at 6:30.”

“What? Why?”

“Come see.”

Janus was too curious not to, so he followed Patton a street over, and as they got closer, he started to hear music.

When they turned the corner onto the street, Janus saw why it was closed. Tables had been moved out to the sidewalks and people were mingling there and on the street, and a band was at the other end of the street right in front of Roman and Thomas’ shop, where Janus could just make out the two of them in front of a table full of food.

“What in the world is this?” Janus asked, as he and Patton both started towards them.

“This is something Roman and Thomas started a few years ago,” Patton said. “Once a month, everyone in the area who wants to gathers for a potluck here. There’s food and music and dancing, and all of it’s free, no money or nepotism required. It’s at night after work is over, and they do their best to schedule it at a time where the most people possible can come.”

Patton turned to smile at Janus. “We’re just here to enjoy the night.”

Janus didn’t say anything, just followed Patton up to the front table where Roman and Thomas were.

“Hey, Patton, hi Janus!” Thomas said happily. “I’m glad you stuck around one more night!”

“Me too,” Patton said with a smile back. “I wasn’t sure when I’d be able to make one of these next.”

“Well I hope it’s still soon,” Thomas said. He turned to Janus next as he added, “the music starts at seven, but feel free to eat now. I recommend Mackenzie’s spaghetti, and Logan’s biscuits for dessert. He makes amazing jams.”

“Logan’s a friend of mine too,” Patton said, nudging him. “He teaches at the high school near here. I can introduce him to you later.”

“How many friends do you have?” Janus snapped, grabbing a plate as he started down the table.

“I love people,” Patton said happily. “But if you’re talking about close friends, it’s just the five.”

“That’s five too many,” Janus grumbled, stopping at the spaghetti to take some.

“Oh come on Janus,” Patton said as he followed. “I know you don’t believe that.”

“Oh, and that’s absolutely your place to say,” Janus snapped, glaring at Patton. “How do you know how I feel? If you have friends, you have to waste energy on people who aren’t you. You have to trust them, which is foolish and ultimately pointless. They make you think they’ll be there when you need them, but they’re not.”

It took Janus a second to realize that he really had snapped all of that without thinking it through. As well as the fact that Patton hadn’t said anything yet.

Janus picked up his plate and moved further down the table, trying to achieve the likely impossible task of brushing past it. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t work.

“Did… did that happen to you, Janus?” Patton asked quietly, moving to catch up with him.

“No,” Janus snapped. “That’s just the kinds of things that can happen when you have friends.”

“Janus—”

“Oh fuck off, Patton,” Janus snapped, shooting him another glare. “It was my fault anyway.”

With that, he turned and stormed off to find a table, not bothering to search for Logan’s biscuits and jams before doing so.

He shouldn’t have said any of that, for numerous reasons. Not the least of which being that it really was his fault. It would have been completely unfair to expect Virgil to be there for him when he was dealing with… well. There was a reason he hadn’t told him anything.

That didn’t mean it hadn’t hurt, irrational as the feeling was.

Janus took a bite of his spaghetti and turned a second later as the band started playing music. Right. Patton had brought him here to have fun. He didn’t particularly feel like having fun anymore.

Patton sat down before he could really consider whether or not it was fair to ask Patton if they could go back to the room. From the look on his face, he seemed to have moved on from Janus’ accidental opening up and was smiling again. Small mercies, Janus supposed. Or maybe Patton just understood that he didn’t want to talk about it.

“Do you think you’d be up for meeting Logan?” Patton asked, giving him a warm look. Definitely the second one, then. “Here, I got you a biscuit by the way. I know you left pretty fast, but these biscuits go faster.”

“Sure,” Janus said, taking the biscuits, and was surprised to find that he sort of meant it. He was rather in the mood for a distraction now.

Patton pulled out his phone and texted who was presumably Logan, and less than a minute later a man in a black polo shirt and a dark blue tie approached their table.

“Hello Patton,” the man said. “It’s lovely to see you again.”

“It’s great to see you too Lo,” Patton said, hopping up to give Logan a hug. A second later he stood back and gestured over in Janus’ direction. “And this is Janus. He’s who I’ve been traveling with for about a week now.”

“Salutations,” Logan said, giving Janus a nod and a small smile. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you, Janus.”

“Yes, everyone seems to have heard quite a bit about me,” Janus said, giving Patton a glare, though it probably wasn’t as serious as he intended it to be. “The only thing I’ve heard about you is that you apparently make quite good biscuits and jams.”

“Oh, I don’t know if I’d say that,” Logan said, though the pride on his face was obvious. “I do quite enjoy making them, though.”

“Here, Jan,” Patton said, nudging the biscuit he’d brought him towards Janus. “Go on and try it.”

Janus picked up the biscuit and took a bite, and clearly his enjoyment must have shown on his face, because Logan started smiling proudly.

“It’s alright,” Janus grumbled, taking another bite.

“That means he thinks it’s delicious,” Patton said with a smile at Logan.

Janus hissed, and Patton turned his smile to him, looking amused.

Logan joined them while they ate, and Janus at least found him better company than Roman. Mind you, he didn’t make strawberry pancakes, but he had lower energy than Roman did, and was easy to talk to. By the time they finished eating, Janus would begrudgingly admit that he was having fun again.

Patton was having fun too, which was much less of a surprise. Then, around the time Logan stood up to go get more food, people started to finish their meals and headed out onto the street to start dancing. And here, Patton did manage to surprise him by reaching out a hand towards Janus.

“Hey Janus,” he said, eyes shining. “Come dance with me.”

Janus blinked. “What?”

“Come dance with me,” Patton repeated, like it was a perfectly normal sentence. But he was smiling, and his eyes looked hopeful, and Janus found himself taking his hand.

And suddenly, before Janus could manage to really prepare himself, Patton had pulled them both out onto the street and was spinning them around in time with the music.

Janus considered himself a very good dancer, so it was confusing when suddenly he was having to concentrate to avoid stepping on Patton’s feet. But his smile was being particularly distracting at the moment, which also didn’t make any sense, because Patton smiled all the time and it was the most annoying thing in the world.

Janus tried to focus on the music for a minute, and managed to lose himself in the rhythm being played, and the laughter of the people around him, and the way the lights were starting to shine in the darkening sky. And finally, he and Patton were dancing across the street in time with each other, and Patton was beaming up at him.

The song ended, but it was clear neither of them wanted to sit down, because the next one played and they just shifted to match the new tempo.

People on the side of the street had started clapping, and everyone was laughing and smiling. The energy was infectious, and after a second Janus started smiling too. Patton beamed at him the second he did, eyes sparkling with the light around them. Janus’ chest felt warm again.

This time though, it was easier to push the feeling away and focus on dancing with Patton. This song was faster paced than the last one, but it wasn’t difficult for either of them to keep up, and though Patton was technically leading, Janus felt like he had just as much say in where they moved and what they did next.

Finally, as presumably the song started to crescendo to the end, they moved again across the street, and Janus decided to test that theory by shifting his arm and spinning Patton in a circle. Patton didn’t fight the motion at all, and just grinned up at Janus as he did so. Janus stopped spinning him and caught him in one arm just before the song ended.

Then for a long, drawn-out second, it felt like the world narrowed to just the two of them, and both of them stared right into each other’s eyes.

Sooner than he would have liked, another song started, and Janus jerked upright, pulling Patton harsher than he’d intended if the small yelp was anything to go by.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Janus said, catching him by the arm again and steadying him.

“That’s okay,” Patton said, his cheeks tinged slightly pink. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Janus said. “I uh, I think I want a break from dancing.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good thought. Let’s go sit for a while,” Patton said, pulling them both back past other dancers towards the sidewalk. Janus held onto his arm so as not to lose him in the crowd.

They ended up at a different table than before, but thankfully with no other people there, and they both just sat for a while, watching other dancers and people talking. Janus felt the evening calming down for the two of them, even if the others around them didn’t seem to be slowing down at all.

“Janus?” Patton said after a while. From the tone of his voice, it sounded like he was deep in thought.

Janus turned to look at him, and his face matched the tone. “Yes?”

“Did you mean it when you say you respect people who set boundaries well?”

“Yes,” Janus said again, leaning back in his chair. “I appreciate people who consider themselves worthy of care and take steps to care for themselves.”

“Why?” Patton asked, sounding a little hesitant.

Janus looked at Patton for a minute. He seemed uncertain in a way that meant he was definitely thinking about how bad he’d been at that today. Janus found himself wanting to make him feel better. Unfortunately, that required the truth.

He sighed inwardly.

“Because,” he said finally, “it’s something I’ve struggled with in the past. And it didn’t end well for me.”

Patton blinked, seeming surprised at the answer. “Oh.”

“I’m not going to think any less of you for struggling with something, Patton,” Janus said softly. “But I hope you know that you’re worthy of care and rest.”

Patton didn’t seem to know quite what to say to that, but at least he didn’t disagree. Finally, he just turned to look back out at the street again, meaning the conversation was probably over.

But then Patton said, “I don’t know if I know how to let myself have that.”

Janus looked back over at him.

“Not when someone else is struggling,” Patton said.

“You’re no good to others if you’re too exhausted to help,” Janus said simply. “You can help far more people if you’re not burned out and forcing yourself to work anyway.”

From the look on Patton’s face, he knew Janus was right. He didn’t say anything else though, which was fine.

It was definitely fine when, half an hour later, Patton said he was tired, and would Janus mind if they went back to the hotel room.

…

According to Patton, they were going to Kansas City the next day to sample some of the local queer scene. It was only a four hour drive, though, and the bars didn’t open until later, so they both ate breakfast one more time with Roman and Thomas before leaving. Logan joined that time too, which meant things were a little calmer overall, which he appreciated.

Janus took the first driving shift towards Kansas City, and Patton napped for about two hours, clearly having been wiped out by all the traveling. Janus wasn’t exactly peppy himself, and slept the rest of the way after they switched.

They checked into their hotel with a couple hours to spare, so they both headed into their room and rested for a little longer. Janus woke up first, and turned off the alarm he’d set, as they had a half an hour and he could just wake Patton up when they had to go.

Patton had kind of just thrown everything haphazardly down when they got here, meaning most of his stuff was strewn about. It wasn’t that Janus had done much differently, but it did mean that his most recent letter was sitting over on the desk, partially finished and therefore not sealed in an envelope.

Janus considered going to look at it for a moment. He’d started to wonder about this friend of Patton’s. Patton mentioned them all the time, but Janus knew almost nothing about them. He didn’t even know their name. It’s not like he’d have to read the contents of the letter. “Dear Name” would probably just be the first line.

Before he could really make a decision, however, Patton grumbled and shifted from his bed, and Janus turned around to face him.

“Welcome back to the world, Patton,” he said. “We have to head out in about five minutes.”

“Mmkay. I’m up,” Patton mumbled, sitting up and stretching. “Can, um. Can we leave a little later? Maybe in fifteen minutes?”

“Of course,” Janus said, turning back to his phone. “We have all night.”

“Thanks,” Patton said through a yawn. He flopped back down on his pillow, presumably to just rest for a second, because he didn’t close his eyes.

For some reason, Janus found himself sneaking glances back at the bed. Patton looked… not hideous, with a bedhead. He was almost disappointed when he got up and the first thing he did was brush his hair.

He was ready in the fifteen minutes he said he’d be, though, and they headed on their way.

The bar they were going to was called Missie B’s, which Patton had picked because it was a karaoke bar as well as a queer bar. Janus felt at ease as soon as they got there, in the kind of way you could only feel walking into a space designated for you.

Patton grinned at him the second they walked in. “You wanna sing karaoke?”

Janus’ dislike of the idea must have shown on his face, because Patton laughed.

“You don’t have to,” he said. “Come sit and watch me.”

So Janus ordered a glass of wine and sat down to watch as Patton headed up to sing. He picked a song called Oranges, but Janus didn’t really pay much attention to the lyrics. Instead he focused on Patton’s bright smile, and the way he was clearly loving every second of being up there, despite not having a traditionally pretty voice.

Everyone clapped when he finished, as they should, and Patton smiled brightly at everyone before heading back towards Janus.

The second he spotted him, his smile brightened even more, which… huh. That felt nice.

They spent most of the time there at the table, drinking a little and filling up on the food the bar served. But Janus didn’t feel particularly like drinking a lot tonight, and he could tell Patton didn’t either.

“Tomorrow we’re heading for St. Louis,” Patton said, pulling Janus’ attention back to him. “There’s a queer cafe there that my friend suggested to me. It’s called The Queen Bean.”

Janus snorted. “I like the name.”

“I do too,” Patton said with a grin. “I wish there’d been a place like that when I was growing up. Not exactly many where I lived. And I was too young to go to bars when I came out.”

“My mother started a weekly gathering after I came out to her,” Janus said with a small smile. “She made cookies and tea. It was just me and my friends at first, but eventually we had to move to a park because so many people wanted to come.”

“Oh that sounds wonderful,” Patton said. “Your mother sounds amazing.”

Janus sighed, and his smile faded. “She really was,” he said quietly.

“Was?” Patton said in surprise. Janus wasn’t sure why he was surprised about it, but he glanced up at him and nodded.

“She died about six years ago,” Janus said, looking down at his wine glass. “Car accident. It was sudden.”

“Six years…” Patton said, sounding baffled by the statement. Janus couldn’t imagine why. It’s not like it was the world’s most unique story.

“Yes,” he said, glancing up at him. “What’s so strange about that?”

Patton seemed to shake himself. “Uh. Nothing! Sorry, I was just… thinking about… something else.”

“Um, okay,” Janus said, narrowing his eyes slightly suspiciously.

“I’ve gotta go to the bathroom,” Patton said suddenly, jumping up before Janus could say anything else and rushing off.

Janus watched him go for a second before turning back to the table. Okay, so he was hiding something. Should he push or not?

Trying to pull secrets out of people was a favorite pastime of his. But for some reason he didn’t really want to make Patton uncomfortable, and he had a feeling that would happen if he pushed.

He also didn’t particularly want to keep talking about his mother. He’d shoved all of that in a box in the back of his head for a reason. He wasn’t just going to yank it out again because Patton was way too easy to open up to.

Janus ran his hands through his hair, then stood up to get another glass of wine.

By the time Patton came back out of the bathroom, Janus was significantly more tipsy, and he’d also decided to let whatever had happened go for now, so they both spent the rest of the evening acting like that conversation hadn’t happened.

…

Patton drove them to St. Louis the following day, while Janus slept off the slight headache he had left over from the extra glass of wine the night before. He felt better when he woke up, just in time for them to pull into the hotel they were staying at in St. Louis.

“Morning sleepyhead,” Patton said, smiling at him. “You feeling better?”

Janus grunted affirmatively and climbed out of the car to stretch.

“You want to take a few hours off before heading to the cafe?” Patton asked.

“That would be nice,” Janus agreed, moving to grab his day bag out of the back of the car. He grabbed Patton’s too so he could carry them in while Patton parked the car, and waited in the lobby for Patton to arrive.

“Oh, you didn’t have to wait for me,” Patton said as he approached.

“I didn’t want to have to carry your bag the whole way,” Janus lied. From the look on Patton’s face, he didn’t buy it for a second, but he didn’t say anything.

They both stayed in the hotel room for a few hours, just like they had yesterday, and then they headed out again and Patton drove them to “The Queen Bean.”

There was an assortment of pride flags on the walls when they walked in, and pamphlets with resources by the door.

Behind the counter where a long line was standing was a man with a very distinctive pair of sunglasses, wearing a bi pride pin and trans pride pin with he/him pronouns.

“That’s Remy,” Patton said, and Janus glanced over at him. “My friend introduced me to him, he met him online. Hey, do you trust me to pick your drink for you? I know one I think you’d like.”

Janus shrugged. “Sure. I’m not waiting in line with you though.”

“Deal. Grab us a table,” Patton said with a smile, getting in line.

Janus headed back to a table by the window, sat down and pulled out his phone. They had less than a week left in the trip now, and Janus was finding himself not looking forward to the end. Despite how pointless this obviously was, and that Patton definitely hadn’t convinced him of anything, well. The spontaneous road trip was a nice break from reality, and he’d admit, rather enjoyable sometimes.

Patton showed up back at the table with two drinks called “The REM,” which was apparently a house special, and two apple turnovers.

Janus took the drinks as Patton set the pastries down, then picked up his own drink. It just looked like a black coffee, but as he took a sip, he instead tasted caramel and chocolate.

His enjoyment must have been clear, because Patton started beaming.

“I take it I picked well, then?” he asked.

“Oh not in the slightest, I despise caramel,” Janus said, with a smile at Patton so he could be sure he knew he was joking.

Patton grinned and took a sip of his own. “I prefer french vanilla myself, if I’m being honest,” he said. “But I thought it could be fun to get the same drink.” He held his drink out to Janus, who clinked his own mug against his, and then they both took another drink.

“The turnovers are to die for too,” Patton said as he picked one of them up. “The apples are my favorite.”

Janus picked one up and took a bite, and hummed in agreement. “I can understand why.”

“So,” Patton said, and Janus glanced up at him. “The point of today and yesterday is community.”

“Oh?” Janus said, raising an eyebrow.

“These places we’ve gone to are relatively cheap, so there’s fewer barriers. And they’re also places humans have created to find communities that they fit in. A specific group we both care about, in this case, but it’s something all humans do. We seek each other out, because we recognize that we’re important.”

“Or they’re just trying to find places to compartmentalize themselves because humans feel more comfortable with people like them,” Janus said, taking another bite of his apple turnover.

“Do you honestly think that’s the main reason?” Patton asked, crossing his arms.

“Absolutely,” Janus lied.

Patton didn’t look like he believed him, but he let it go, and they both went back to their food and drinks.

“Tomorrow we’re going to a local park in Tennessee,” Patton said. “It’s a little bit further, about six hours away, so we’ll look at it tomorrow and then camp there to have a day off, since we’ve been getting worn out lately. There’s a park called Rock Island Park that has some really beautiful waterfalls.”

“We’re back to nature, then,” Janus said. He didn’t particularly mind the idea.

“That’s the plan,” Patton said with a smile. “It’s really popular, so just prepare yourself for that.”

“Well, I don’t know how I’ll manage. The other stops like the Grand Canyon just had no one there at all.”

Patton chuckled. “Fair enough. We’ll be camping there for a day before we stop in Atlanta Georgia.”

“What’s in Atlanta?” Janus asked, raising an eyebrow.

“That depends on how Rock Island Park goes,” Patton said with a mischievous smile. “A lot of this has been rather on the fly, you know.”

“I figured,” Janus said with a shrug. “Do keep in mind you’ve got six days left.”

“I’m aware,” Patton said, but he didn’t seem worried. Janus couldn’t imagine why. Nothing he’d done so far had worked in the slightest, obviously.

But Patton just smiled at him like he wasn’t at all bothered. “You want to go look at some waterfalls with me, Janus?”

Janus managed to keep the smile off his face, but he wouldn’t be surprised if Patton saw it in his eyes. “If I must.”

…

Traffic was light, so it didn’t take much longer than planned to actually get to the park, and Patton was singing most of the way, which felt like it made it go faster this time for some reason. He wasn’t lying about the park being very popular, though, meaning it took a little time to get in and find a spot to park.

From the second they climbed out of the car there were quite a few people around, which wasn’t surprising. What Janus didn’t understand was how Patton still managed to make it feel like the world only included the two of them. But they spent the day looking at the waterfalls and hiking around the park, and though there were always quite a few other people there, Janus never really found them worth more attention than Patton. Patton was just… more important than them, obviously. That made sense, Janus didn’t know any of them, of course he wasn’t going to pay them any attention. And he paid attention to the nature they were there for too, obviously. Patton was just… very often in his field of vision.

Well maybe he didn’t understand it either.

They set up the tent closer to dark, and though the stargazing wasn’t quite as good as it had been in Zion, it was still breathtaking. But more often, Janus found his gaze drifting over to Patton, in a way that was starting to become very annoying.

Of course Patton was bound to notice eventually. Janus was surprised it hadn’t been sooner, honestly. But it was while they were stargazing that he finally turned and saw Janus staring at him.

“What is it?” Patton asked, narrowing his eyes slightly in concern. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, just,” Janus quickly turned his gaze back to the stars. “Admiring the view.”

“Oh,” Patton said, sounding a little confused. “Okay. Yeah, it’s great, isn’t it?”

You are, whispered a tiny voice in Janus’ head, that he promptly beat back with a broom.

“I think I’m going to go to bed,” Janus said, trying to shake himself out of whatever this was. “I’m pretty tired.”

“Okay,” Patton said, giving him a smile. “Remember, we’re not leaving until the day after tomorrow, so feel free to sleep as long as you want.”

“Trust me, I will,” Janus said, because he really was rather exhausted, and a long sleep sounded like exactly what he needed. He headed back for the tent and curled up in his sleeping bag.

He thought Patton would be joining him before very long, but surprisingly, he didn’t show up for long enough that he fell asleep. However, annoyingly, his exhaustion wasn’t enough to stop him from waking up in the middle of the night.

He laid there for a while before sighing and rolling over, trying to bury his head back in his pillow, but something wasn’t letting him fall back asleep.

He glanced over towards where Patton was, and then realized what it was, because Patton wasn’t there.

Janus sat up and scrambled his way out of his sleeping bag, then moved quickly forward to unzip the front of the tent.

His nerves calmed the second he opened it and saw Patton right outside, leaning against a tree and looking up at the stars.

“Patton?” he asked, and Patton jumped and looked over at him. “What are you doing out here?”

“Oh sorry Jan,” Patton said, wiping at his eyes and trying to cover it up with a smile. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Are you alright?”

“Just a bad dream,” Patton said, wiping his eyes again. “I’ll be okay.”

“You don’t look okay,” Janus said, moving over to sit next to him. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“I’m fine,” Patton said, waving the question off. “I’m used to this nightmare.” He sniffed and leaned his head back against the tree.

“Clearly,” Janus said, raising an eyebrow. “What’s wrong?”

“No, I— it’s just—” Patton took a shaky breath. Janus could tell he needed a moment, so he didn’t push again.

Patton leaned up and pressed his hands together over the bridge of his nose. He looked warily over at Janus, like he thought Janus was going to change his mind after he started talking.

“I have a friend,” Patton said finally, “who tried to kill himself once.”

Nevermind. Janus couldn’t do this.

He steeled himself and nodded. “Okay.”

“Nevermind,” Patton said, seeming to have picked up on his immediate nerves. “We won’t talk about it.”

Janus took a minute to push past his immediate gut reaction and actually try and judge his emotional state. It had been a long time. He’d probably have to talk about something similar with someone eventually. And it was probably easier to fix someone else’s issues.

“No, it’s okay,” he said, looking back over at Patton. “Go ahead.”

Patton took another moment to look at him. He seemed to be satisfied with what he saw, because he pulled his legs up, rested his chin on them, and sighed.

“I didn’t know him when it happened,” he said. “I met him afterwards. I helped with a lot of the aftermath. I just… every now and then I get nightmares that he actually… that I never got to meet him. He’s important to me. He’s important to people who are important to me.”

Janus nodded. “I can understand that,” he said. “But you know, there was quite literally nothing you could have done.” He looked down. “That would have fallen on the people who knew him before.”

“They did absolutely everything they could,” Patton said, so firmly it surprised Janus a little. But he glanced over to see just as firm a look on Patton’s face.

“You have to tell people when you’re hurting that badly,” he said. “You have to let them help you. He… he didn’t do that. He didn’t let them help.”

Janus squeezed his eyes shut. “Because letting people help is always so easy,” he said. Then he winced. “Sorry. That wasn’t helpful.”

“I didn’t say it was easy,” Patton said softly. “But it is important.”

Janus took a breath and tried to move on. “Are you talking to someone about your nightmares?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Patton wince. “I don’t want him to start hyperfocusing on that time of his life,” he said. “He’s made so much progress, I don’t want to jeopardize that.”

“That’s understandable, but I didn’t ask if you were talking to him about them,” Janus said, giving Patton a look. “I asked if you were talking to someone.”

Patton didn’t say anything.

“You should,” Janus said.

“I know,” Patton whispered.

“Hey,” Janus said. “I won’t think any less of you if you admit to needing help on this.”

Patton didn’t quite look reassured, so before he could think about it too much, Janus reached out and wrapped him in a hug. He’d blame it on the exhaustion tomorrow.

Patton turned and buried his head in Janus’ chest and took a couple deep breaths. Janus rubbed his back and held him close.

“I’m okay,” Patton mumbled into his shirt.

“You’re not,” Janus replied. “But that’s okay.”

Patton didn’t say anything. They’d go back to the tent eventually, but for a while, they both just sat there.

…

Janus woke to a feeling of dread in his chest and a realization that he was getting dangerously close to a line he didn’t want to cross.

He’d promised himself he would never care about anyone again, and caring for Patton was an even worse idea. Patton was too warm, too good. Janus would inevitably end up disappointing him, and then he’d just—

Janus rolled over in his sleeping bag so his back was facing Patton. He was being stupid. He didn’t care about Patton. What was there to care about? The man was stupid, and naïve, and irritated Janus to a degree that would be a nightmare to deal with on a regular basis. Last night was just him being tired. That was all it was.

Janus threw his sleeping bag back and got dressed as quietly as he could, making sure not to wake Patton. He headed to the front of the tent and undid the zipper just as quietly, heading out to sit as far away from last night’s tree as possible. He realized as soon as he sat down that he’d left anything that could entertain him in the tent, but he wasn’t going to go back for it now. Not when he’d have to deal with Patton, someone he despised. Someone he definitely couldn’t stand.

Janus pulled in a shaky breath, and then another, less shaky breath, and then another. He could do this. There were four days left until the end of the two-week bet, and after Patton inevitably failed to convince him that there was good in humanity, he’d never have to see him again.

And all he had to do until then was be cold, distant and rude, enough to get Patton to stop trying. That was easy enough, he was excellent at driving people away by being himself.

By the time Patton came out of the tent, Janus had been over leaning on the car for a while.

“Well?” he snapped. “Are you coming or not?”

“Geez, Jan, what’s got you in a rush this morning?” Patton said, giving him a look. “We’ve got to pack our day bags and put the tent away first.”

“I want to go get breakfast,” Janus said, giving Patton a look that hopefully conveyed this was the most inconvenienced he’d ever been by anything in his entire life. “Can we hurry this along?”

“Alright, alright,” Patton said. “Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.”

Janus ignored the twinge of regret in his chest and leaned back against the car again, looking away.

“You know, it’ll go a lot faster if you help,” Patton said, raising an eyebrow.

Janus sighed in very plain annoyance, but he headed over to the tent to help Patton get everything together.

It did, of course, go faster with the two of them working together, and about half an hour later they had all their stuff for the day in their car and were on their way to get breakfast.

They went to a Denny’s, and Janus got strawberry pancakes that were vastly inferior to Thomas’ pancakes, which was quite easy to incorporate into his bad mood.

Patton was picking up on something being wrong about that time, and it didn’t take long for him to bring it up.

“Are you alright, Janus?” he asked, giving him a concerned look. “Did you sleep well after we went back to sleep last night?”

“I slept fine,” Janus said coolly. “I’m just ready to get out of here. What other pointless thing are we doing?”

“I’m not sure, actually,” Patton said, though he didn’t look like he’d bought Janus’ statement. “I thought maybe we’d go to Atlanta and see what’s there first.”

“What, run out of ways to convince me?” Janus asked.

“Oh, that’s impossible,” Patton said. “I’m just not sure what we should do yet. You know, we could just go to enjoy ourselves if you want to admit right now that I have a point.” He gave Janus a knowing smile.

“Oh, please,” Janus said, rolling his eyes. “A point about there being good in humanity? Humans are rude, unpleasant, and inherently selfish.”

Patton gave Janus a deadpan look. “Janus, we’re in the middle of a two week impromptu vacation I took with you, someone I barely knew, because I thought you needed some help.”

Janus floundered with that for a minute. “Uh… no, we’re doing this because you want me to meet your friend. That’s totally different. Still a very selfish reason.”

Patton didn’t seem particularly moved by that statement.

“Besides, the fact that you specifically aren’t selfish doesn’t mean that humanity as a whole isn’t inherently selfish,” Janus said, looking away.

“That’s exactly what it means,” Patton said plainly. “Anyone and everyone can be living proof that selflessness exists. How neat is that?”

“Oh please,” Janus said. “That’s not how it works. You can’t just change human nature all by yourself.”

“You don’t do it all by yourself,” Patton said. “You make friends. You form connections and relationships. You get help from other people. We help other people because we care about them. We try because we care about people. That’s how you change things.”

Janus scoffed and looked down at his hands. “No one wants any kind of relationship with me,” he said. It came out more bitter than he’d really intended.

“I do,” Patton said, and Janus’ breath caught.

He looked very firmly down at his half finished pancakes, then pushed his chair back from the table and stood up. “I’m going to the car.”

“Are you alright?” Patton asked, sounding concerned.

“I’m going to the car.”

Janus turned around and walked to the car before Patton could say anything else. It was a good half hour before Patton showed up again, and he handed Janus a go box with the inferior strawberry pancakes in it.

“I know what we’re doing in Atlanta now,” he said.

“Oh?”

“Yep,” Patton said. “We just have to be there by dinnertime.”

“Sounds like you can drive the whole way then,” Janus said, leaning against the window and closing his eyes.

Patton didn’t say anything for a long moment, and then the car started, so Janus figured he wasn’t going to.

But then he felt a hand on his shoulder. “I’d love to go on knowing you, Janus,” Patton said quietly. “I would love to form a friendship with you.”

Janus said nothing. Hopefully Patton would think he was asleep.

…

They ended up serving dinner at a soup kitchen, which didn’t feel out of left field, but was a far cry different from the more enjoyable activities they’d done so far. Yet somehow, Patton still seemed to be having the time of his life.

Janus had never actually asked him what he did for a living, but this made him suspect it was something involving social work, because Patton got a genuine smile on his face when he started helping people.

They were serving roast beef sandwiches that night, with a side of mashed potatoes. Patton was put in charge of handing out the mashed potatoes, and Janus got to give people a small cup of pudding for dessert if they wanted it. None of the food looked like the best meal ever made, but it was food, and everyone here seemed grateful to get any.

Janus understood Patton’s motive in bringing them here. Proving that there were humans who helped just because they could. Everyone here had volunteered, none of them were getting paid for this.

That didn’t mean Janus was going to concede the point. He could understand the argument that some humans were doing their best to be selfless and giving, whether the trait was inherent or not.

But while Patton may be selfless, Janus most certainly was not, and he was not going to enjoy his time here feeding a bunch of people he didn’t know.

…He was going to watch Patton enjoying it instead.

“Enjoy!” he said with a beaming smile at the man he’d just given a scoop of potatoes to.

The man smiled back. “Thank you, I think I will. Mashed potatoes are my favorite.”

“You picked an excellent favorite,” Patton said. “We helped make it earlier, it’s delicious.”

“I look forward to it then,” the man said happily, turning to look at Janus. “Can I have a pudding cup please?”

Janus didn’t say anything, just handed one to him, but he smiled at him anyway before going to find a table to sit down at.

By the time he turned back around, Patton had already turned to the next person in line with just as bright of a smile, and Janus shook his head slightly and wondered how he did it.

He’d disagreed with most of Patton’s perspective throughout the trip, but he’d at least understood it. But how could anyone actually enjoy helping people as much as Patton seemed to?

Patton seemed to pick up on what he was feeling, and during a break between people, he turned to face Janus.

“I like to make people happy,” he said. “I like to see them smile. You’ve known people you like to see smile, right?”

Janus looked at Patton’s bright gaze, and swallowed. He nodded.

“It’s like that,” Patton said. “I like putting more good into the world. “Making other people happy makes me happy.”

The line started moving again after that, and Janus couldn’t ask the question that came to mind, as the next person walked up.

“Mashed potatoes?” they said, smiling widely at Patton. “Oh, that looks delicious. Can I have a second helping?”

“Sorry,” Patton said, smiling apologetically. “We have to make sure everyone gets a first helping. But if there’s some left over after the last person I will put some aside for you.”

“Oh, I appreciate that!” the person said, beaming at Patton. “Thank you!”

“Sure thing,” Patton said with a bright smile.

Janus handed them a pudding cup again without saying anything, and again the person smiled at him anyway before heading towards a table. Patton rubbing off on everyone, he supposed.

Maybe there was something to that whole putting good into the world idea.

There was another break in the line a second later, and Janus turned to Patton.

“Is that why you did all this?” Janus asked, despite himself. “Because you wanted to try and…” he paused and took a second to switch gears. He still had a reputation to uphold after all. “…force happiness on me?”

“Let’s go with I wanted to help you try and find happiness yourself,” Patton said, raising an eyebrow at him. “But yes, that was part of it.”

Janus gave him a suspicious look. “What was the other part?”

But before Patton could answer, the line picked up again.

They went through the rest of the line again before Janus could get back to Patton with his question, and immediately after they finished Patton scooped some mashed potatoes into a bowl and headed for the person who’d asked for a second helping.

Janus stayed behind the counter, but the person had sat near the line, meaning Janus could see them as Patton arrived and started talking. Patton was beaming the whole time, and the person was very thankful, and then they said something else. That something else made Patton throw his head back and laugh, easy and bright, and Janus’ chest got very warm.

Then Patton turned and smiled back at him, and as he did, his eyes somehow seemed to brighten even more.

Then, as he started back over, his smile turned knowing, as if saying ‘See?’

Oh.

Fuck.

He did.

Patton. Damn him.

He didn’t think Patton was right. He didn’t think humanity was good, or selfless. He still thought they were cruel and selfish and uncaring. He still thought life was awful and unfair and generally shitty. He still didn’t see a reason to try. He didn’t see what Patton did, he didn’t see any reason to have faith in humans, he didn’t see a reason to hope.

But Patton made him want to keep looking.

Maybe that was what trying was.

Janus took a shaky, terrified breath. He couldn’t try, not again. He couldn’t lose everything a second time. He couldn’t do it. Was he actually considering risking the pain of losing someone else?

“Janus?”

Janus jerked his head upright. Patton was standing right in front of him, looking incredibly worried.

“Janus, are you alright?”

“I, um. I have to go,” Janus said. “I don’t— I’m not— not feeling well.”

“Oh no,” Patton said. “Here, let me let the people in charge know, I’ll drive you back—”

“No,” Janus said instantly. “I’ll wait in the car. You finish here.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Give me the keys.”

Janus stuck his hand out, and Patton put the keys in them. “Okay. I shouldn’t be too much longer, okay?”

Janus nodded, already heading out from behind the counter and towards the door.

He climbed into the passenger seat, slammed and locked the doors shut behind him, and dropped his head on the dashboard.

He could not do this. He could not do this. He didn’t have it in him, not again.

He had to get out of here. He couldn’t wait until the bet was over, he had to leave. Right now.

Janus took a shaky breath and started looking around the car.

He couldn’t just go. Patton would stop him, or find him again, or something. Patton had to want him to leave.

Janus looked around the car. He wasn’t really sure what he was looking for. It’s not like he’d find anything in here that would help him ruin his relationship with Patton. He couldn’t think of anything that would do that. He’d been an asshole, intentionally, to Patton when they’d first met, and that hadn’t stopped him. He’d attacked his beliefs and his principles countless times, and that hadn’t stopped him. The man never gave up, Janus felt like it was safe to say that at this point. But there had to be something that would make him snap.

Janus bent his neck to keep looking around the car, towards the backseat.

Patton cared deeply about everyone he loved. He greatly disliked them being hurt. For some reason, Janus had become one of those people, but Patton hadn’t known him for very long. Maybe if Janus hurt someone else he cared about?

Thomas would probably do the trick, but Janus couldn’t bear the thought of losing his strawberry pancakes, so that ruled out him and Roman. Honestly, hurting Logan would probably do it, but that might in turn anger Thomas and Roman, and thus lose him the strawberry pancakes.

Janus leaned back into the front seat and started looking in the car door pockets. Remy was the only other person they’d met that Patton knew, but he didn’t seem close enough to Patton for Patton to cut Janus out of his life if he hurt him. Patton would probably talk to him instead. But who else was there? He’d run out of options.

Janus opened the glove compartment. An unfinished letter of Patton’s was sitting there in plain sight. The tagline was there for anyone to see. It read “Dear Virgil.”

Well.

That solved that problem.

…

Janus was leaning on the car when Patton came out, and he seemed surprised to see him that way.

“Janus,” he said, stopping in front of him. “Are you feeling better?”

“I’m leaving,” Janus said.

Patton blinked, seeming confused. “What?”

“I’m leaving,” Janus said. “I’m getting a bus back home.”

Patton crossed his arms, though he looked more confused than irritated. “The bet isn’t over yet.”

“You didn’t tell me,” Janus said, shoving the letter he was holding at Patton. “That your friend was Virgil.”

Patton took the letter, but he didn’t look at it at all. “You never asked his name,” he said.

“I’m leaving,” Janus said.

“The bet isn’t over.”

“You’ll want it to be.”

Patton crossed his arms. “Why’s that?”

“Your friend,” Janus said. “The one who tried to kill himself. That was Remus, right?” he gestured at the letter again. “Remus is Virgil’s little brother. I was there when that happened. We were all very close friends beforehand. I remember getting that call, and driving Virgil to the hospital. I remember sitting up with him all night. It was exhausting. I decided none of that seemed particularly worth it. So after two weeks, I left them both. I haven’t spoken to them since.”

He waited for Patton to stare at him in shock, and then disgust, and then anger. Then he’d let Janus leave, and Janus would get a bus back home and he could put this whole thing behind him and go back to being alone and miserable, the way he liked it.

But Patton didn’t do any of those things. Instead, he crossed his arms, smiling sadly. “Janus,” he said softly. “I already knew all of that.”

Janus’ breath lodged in his throat. “What?”

“Janus, who do you think the friend I’m taking you to meet is?” Patton asked. “You didn’t put that together from the letter?”

Janus stared at him. “No, but that’s— that’s impossible. They— they don’t want to see me. They don’t care anymore. They can’t.”

“Remus misses you,” Patton said.

Janus brushed past the painful ache of that idea with a scoff. “Virgil’s furious.”

Patton gave a short laugh. “Of course he is, he’s Virgil,” he said. “But he still wants to see you. That counts for something.”

“Does it really?”

“Yes, it does.”

Yes, it did.

“But that’s impossible,” Janus said. “I didn’t— I left them.”

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why did you leave?”

“I— I told you. Because I decided it didn’t seem worth it.”

“Bullshit.”

Janus jerked upright in shock.

“That’s not true, Janus,” Patton insisted.

“How do you know?” Janus asked weakly.

Patton moved forward and stopped right in front of Janus. He reached out and brushed against something on his cheek. “Because you’re crying.”

Oh.

How pathetic was that.

Janus looked down and scrubbed at his eyes.

“Six years… that’s when you left, right?” Patton asked, and Janus dragged his gaze back up to meet his eyes.

“That’s the time Virgil said, when he told me about you. That’s also around the time you said your mother died, isn’t it?”

Janus looked away.

“Was that before, or after Remus’ attempt?”

“After,” Janus croaked. “Two days after.”

Patton hummed sympathetically, and somehow Janus didn’t doubt the real pain he heard in it, that Patton was sharing the hurt with him, at least right now.

“And you didn’t tell them,” Patton murmured, reaching up to wipe at his cheek again.

“Of course I didn’t tell them,” Janus snapped. “As if they needed more on their plate right then.”

“Janus,” Patton whispered. “You did all three of you a disservice. You needed the help, and they would have wanted to help you.”

“They wouldn’t have had it in them,” Janus hissed. “I was helping them.”

Patton gave him a firm look. “Do you know how much harder it was for both of them to get back on their feet because they had to recover from losing you too?”

Janus looked down at his feet to hide the shame that was welling up. But Patton, of course, just reached out and nudged his chin up again.

“Janus,” he whispered. “If you keep trying to push people away, it’s going to keep working.”

“I don’t need anyone.”

“Janus,” Patton said, in a tone that said ‘Come on now.’

“I— I’m fine.”

“You’re not. You haven’t been for a very long time.”

Janus’ legs were shaking, and he was pretty sure he was going to collapse in a second.

“Hey,” Patton said, moving forward. “Hey, come here.”

He wrapped his arms around Janus, and pulled them both down onto the ground, and Janus buried his head in Patton’s shirt and cried.

He wouldn’t have exactly picked a soup kitchen parking lot as his desired place to have this breakdown, but honestly, there had never been a chance this breakdown would happen when he was ready for it. He’d been putting it off too long for that.

As a result, he sat there crying in Patton’s arms for the better part of an hour, and Patton, angel that he was, didn’t complain once, just ran his hands through Janus’ hair and politely shooed away anyone who approached.

Finally, finally, Janus managed to stop crying, though he was still leaning heavily against Patton’s chest.

“You want to go back to the hotel now?” Patton murmured, still running his hands through Janus’ hair.

Janus nodded. “I— I’m sorry I—”

“Hush. You don’t need to apologize. I was fully aware we were going to be there for a while when the conversation started.”

So Patton helped Janus stand, and get in the car, and when they got there he helped him back to the room, and then they both curled up in a bed together without changing out of anything or getting anything ready for the following day. They fell asleep pretty quickly with how exhausting the day had turned out to be.

The next morning when Janus woke up, he still didn’t want to move.

Patton was already awake, and looking at him. He smiled slightly when they met eyes.

“Good morning Janus,” he said quietly. “Feeling any better?”

“Relative to?” Janus said. His voice sounded absolutely wrecked.

“Fair enough,” Patton said. “Do you want to stay here for a couple more days? We’re not meeting Remus and Virgil until the end of the bet, and there’s three days left in that.”

“How,” Janus whispered. “Am I possibly supposed to face them?”

“With hope that things will work out,” Patton said, leaning forward to press his forehead against Janus.’ “And with me.”

…

A restaurant, it had been universally decided, was a horrible idea. There would be screaming in this conversation, and there would be anger, and there would be plenty of things that were not suited for public spaces.

They ended up meeting at Patton’s house, which was exactly as pastel colored and cheerful as Janus expected for the place where Patton lived.

They got there before Virgil and Remus, thankfully, as if Janus had been forced to jump right in the conversation would not have gone well. But instead, he sat down on Patton’s bright pastel blue couch and they both watched an episode of Parks and Recreation to get their mind off what was about to happen. Patton had said he’d be there as emotional support, but that he was going to leave most of the talking up to them, which was probably what should happen, honestly.

That didn’t mean Janus had much of an idea what to expect, not after six years. He expected Virgil to be furious, but he had no idea what that would look like. Would it be screaming and insults and everything else included in Virgil’s typical fire, or had it passed into a cold hatred that Virgil would treat as an unchangeable fact? Which would be worse? What did it mean that Remus missed him? Was he still angry? Janus wouldn’t blame him if he was. How was he supposed to approach them? Was he supposed to apologize immediately, or would that just piss them off for some reason?

Janus hadn’t figured out even the beginning of a game plan by the time he heard the front door open and a very familiar voice call from the living room, “Patton, we’re here!”

Janus’ instincts seemed to push him into action before his brain could begin to try, and before he realized what was happening, he was crouched behind the couch and Patton was staring at him.

“Janus?”

“Just tell them I’m not here,” Janus said, ducking his head down further.

Patton looked very done in the next second. “Janus, stand up.”

“Who’s she? Never heard of her.”

“Get your b-hole back up here and sit down on this couch with me.”

“Nope. Not gonna do it. Terrible idea.”

“Do it or they’re going to walk in here to find you crouching down behind the couch,” Patton said, crossing his arms.

Janus cursed whatever foolish part of him had first decided to start trusting Patton, but he pushed himself upright into a standing position just as two people he never thought he’d see again walked through the archway and into the living room.

Virgil’s hair was shorter. Back when Janus had seen him last, he’d been too stressed for too long to have time to think about getting it cut. Honestly, the first thing that caught his attention probably should have been the fact that it was dyed purple, but Janus was honed in on the length. He’d been worried about Virgil back then. He hadn’t been taking care of himself. Hopefully the short hair meant he was better at that now.

He tried to read Virgil’s face, but it seemed intentionally blank, like he was doing his best to hide whatever he was thinking. Janus could only hope his face looked similar enough.

On the other hand, someone who had never bothered to hide his expressions was Remus, though Janus still wasn’t convinced he wasn’t interpreting his look wrong. Overall, though, Remus looked much better too. He wasn’t so skinny, and there weren’t bags under his eyes, and he looked… generally happier, though Janus couldn’t name any specific thing that made that seem like the case. Well, other than his expression, because the second he saw Janus he started grinning.

“Janny!” he said. “You actually came!”

Janus winced, and tried to cover it with a weak smile. “Hi, Remus.”

Remus seemed to take that as all the permission he needed, because he ran over to the couch, clambered over the top of it, and threw himself on top of Janus, knocking them both onto the floor.

Janus blinked, trying to process what exactly had just happened. Before he could, though, Remus shifted again and pulled Janus up and into a hug.

“I missed you,” he said.

Janus tensed, and instantly regretted it, because he may not know how he wanted to handle this conversation, but he did know that he didn’t want Remus or Virgil to think for a second that he was the slightest bit unhappy to see them.

So, for Remus’ sake, Janus pushed aside his pride and wrapped his arms around him. “I missed you too,” he murmured.

Remus squeezed him tighter and didn’t reply.

Eventually, he pulled back and offered a hand out to Janus, who took it to pull himself up. “Patton said he was going to try and help you,” Remus said as he did. “He said he thought you were hurting. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine” was on the tip of Janus’ tongue before he saw Patton looking at him with crossed arms from the other side of the couch.

He sighed. “Not really,” he admitted, looking away from Remus.

Remus made a concerned noise and pulled Janus into a hug again. “Can I help?” he asked, which just about did it for Janus.

“Why would you want to do that?” he asked, wrenching himself from Remus’ grip.

“That’s a damn good question,” Virgil grumbled, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at Janus. Which was fair, but still didn’t make Janus feel exactly comfortable.

“Hey,” Remus said, turning and shooting a glare at Virgil, for some reason. “You said you wouldn’t be a dick.”

“No, you said ‘Virgil, please don’t be a dick,’ and I grunted in annoyance.”

“We both know that was an agreement grunt.”

“There’s no such thing as an agreement grunt.”

“Yes, there is. If you grunt and it goes down in tone at the end, that’s disagreement or annoyance. You’re grunt went slightly upwards in tone at the end, which is how you signify agreement. Honestly Virgil, you talk like I haven’t had decades to work out how you use your annoyed noises as a communicative language.”

“Since when did you start doing that? I don’t even know what I mean most of the time!”

Patton gave Janus a fond smile, that Janus was fighting very hard to keep off his own face. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed Remus and Virgil’s bickering, of all things.

“Fine,” Remus said, drawing Janus’ attention back to the actual conversation. “Now I’m not asking. Virgil, stop being a dick.”

“Hey, it’s alright,” Janus said. “He doesn’t have to be the picture of politeness. I wouldn’t really expect that in any situation.”

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Virgil snapped, turning a glare on Janus.

Janus winced again. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Just that you’re Virgil, I suppose, and your strengths don’t lie in politeness? Which is fine.”

“I know it’s fine, I don’t need you to tell me it’s fine.”

“Virgil,” Remus said, crossing his arms.

Virgil glared back at him in part anger and part disbelief, and it seemed his very small threshold for things he could take had been crossed, because he threw his hands up and stormed off towards the hallway.

The other three people in the room were silent for a minute, and then Remus turned again to face Janus and Patton. “So. How was your trip then? Did you think about pushing someone off the edge of the Grand Canyon too?”

Janus snorted. “No, but if I ever go back, I’ll think about it just for you.”

“I’m so moved,” Remus said, wiping a fake tear from his eye.

“We had a time,” Patton said, joining the conversation as they all moved to sit down on the couch. “There was good, and bad, and in-between.”

“That’s an accurate description,” Janus said with a small smile.

“Yeah?” Remus said, his own smile fading a little bit. “Seriously, though, are you okay?”

“Are you?” Janus asked, partly deflecting and partly actually wanting to hear. “You seem… better.”

“I… I feel better,” Remus said, rubbing the back of his neck. “You know, it’s not like all the thoughts suddenly vanished, but… they’re quieter? I don’t know.” He smiled slightly lopsidedly at Janus. “I recommend therapy.”

Janus gave a short laugh. “Yeah, you bet.”

“I’m not joking, Janus,” Remus said, and Janus glanced up at him to see a sudden serious look on his face.

“I… I don’t know,” Janus muttered. “I’m fine.” He turned around, only to be met with Patton giving him one of his no-nonsense looks that Janus was somehow never expecting.

“What?” Janus asked, narrowing his eyes at him. “You expect me to be willing to spill all of my problems to some stranger right away?”

“Of course not,” Patton said softly. “But it’s not a bad thing to consider.”

“I don’t need to be fixed,” Janus hissed.

“That’s not what therapy is, Jan,” Remus said. “But we also don’t have to talk about it right now. We can just catch up.”

Janus turned to stare at him again. “You… you don’t want an explanation? Or an apology?”

Remus shrugged. “It would be nice. But you’re here. And you clearly feel like shit about it.”

“That’s not— Remus,” Janus said, because he was pretty sure he knew what Remus was doing. “Stop it.”

As he’d suspected, something in Remus’ face shifted. “Or you’ll what?” he said quietly, looking down with the slight shake to his voice that was almost always imperceptible, but meant that he was scared.

“Or I’ll nothing. But you don’t have to pretend that you’re not upset, Remus.”

“But why are you here?” Remus asked, looking up at him. “And why now? I don’t want to— I don’t know.” He looked down again. “Drive you away again.”

“Remus,” Janus said, his chest aching. “You didn’t. It wasn’t ever you. I didn’t… I just didn’t handle any of it well. It wasn’t your fault.”

“But I was what you had to handle,” Remus said, squeezing his hands into fists around his shorts. “That was me.”

Janus took a shaky breath, reached out and squeezed Remus’ hand. “Even if it was, that wouldn’t make it your fault,” he said. “But also, that’s… not entirely true, Re.”

Remus turned to look at him, seeming a little confused. “What do you mean?”

Janus sighed. “Re, I don’t know if it was just the universe’s cruel timing, but a couple days after… what happened with you, Mom died in a car crash. And I decided not to tell either of you, because I was being an idiot. But I couldn’t handle that much all at once on my own, so I just… I just decided not to. I… I’m so sorry, Re.”

Remus looked at Janus for a minute, seeming caught between disbelief and confusion. “Wait… what do you mean your mom’s dead?”

“I… I don’t know how to explain it other than that,” Janus said hesitantly.

Remus’ eyes widened slightly. “Janus,” he whispered, and before Janus could say anything in response, Remus reached over and pulled him down into his arms.

Janus blinked quickly and buried his head in Remus’ shoulder, though he imagined the shirt would be wet later.

“Janus, you should have said something dummy,” Remus whispered.

“I know,” Janus whispered back.

“You should have said something, dummy, we would have—” Remus just shook his head and held Janus closer, and Janus pulled in a shaky breath and just sat there and let him. He’d have to make plenty of time to hug Remus later, but he wasn’t sure he had the strength for it right now.

They both sat there for a while, not saying anything. When they finally did pull back, Patton, angel that he was, was just sitting there scrolling through his phone with a pleasantly neutral expression on his face. He did look over at them when they moved, though.

“You guys okay?” he said with a smile.

“Eh, you know,” Remus said with half of a shrug.

Patton gave a sad smile and reached out to squeeze Remus in a side hug. “I’m glad you two got to talk,” he said.

“Yeah, thanks for dragging his ass back here,” Remus said with a lopsided grin.

“Hey,” Janus said, giving a slightly irritated look.

“Am I wrong?”

“No, but that’s not the point.”

Remus laughed a little, and ended with a grin towards Janus. It faded a second later, and he looked down at his hands. “I might, um, need some time?” he said quietly. “Before things can be like— you know, like they were.”

“Obviously,” Janus said, crossing his arms and giving Remus a slightly concerned look. “I might not have known what to expect, but I definitely didn’t expect us to jump right back into where things were.”

Remus gave him a slightly relieved smile. “Okay,” he said.

“Hey,” Janus said, giving him another side hug. “It’s really good to know you’re doing okay. I’m happy for you.”

Remus smiled again. “I’m happy for me too. And I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Janus said with a small smile.

Remus’ gaze turned slightly mischievous, and Janus took a minute to regret any idea to ever talk to him again.

“You know,” Remus said, looking back towards the hallway. “Virgil missed you too, no matter what he says.”

“Oh, I’m not touching that right now,” Janus muttered, looking away.

“Nuh-uh. If you don’t touch it now you’ll just leave it to fester and you two won’t ever talk ever. Go on.”

“What, Remus—”

“Go on,” Remus said, raising an eyebrow.

Janus tried looking to Patton for support, even though he didn’t really expect it to work. And sure enough, Patton just gave him a deadpan look.

“He’s totally right, you know.”

Janus hissed, but pushed himself up from the couch anyway. “Let the record state that I did not go into this willingly,” he said, glaring behind them both as he started for the hallway.

“The record isn’t gonna take your shit,” Remus said with a grin.

Janus hissed again and turned back around.

He didn’t know exactly where Virgil would want to go, but he thought he heard him stomping for a while before a door opened, so he tried the last one on the left first. It opened on what looked like a guest room, and Virgil was pacing angrily back and forth across it.

The second he heard the door open he turned and saw Janus, which evidently did not help, if the way he started scowling was anything to go by.

“Get out,” he snapped.

“Can I talk to you?” Janus asked quietly.

“Why should I be interested in anything you have to say?” Virgil hissed.

“I’m trying to apologize?” Janus offered hesitantly.

Virgil scoffed, and crossed his arms. “Good luck.”

“I really am,” Janus said, stepping forward. “I am sorry. I should have done everything differently.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Virgil snapped. “You think I’m gonna be moved by you saying everything I know already?”

“Definitely not moved, no,” Janus said. “I figured you might hear me out, though.”

“Why should I? I don’t owe you that. I don’t owe you shit.”

“Fair enough,” Janus admitted. “How about something else, then?”

“Like what?”

“Like I let you interrogate me?” Janus offered with a shrug, moving to sit down on the bed and give Virgil an upper hand.

Virgil scowled, but he did seem to be considering the idea. After a second, he walked over to stand right above Janus and crossed his arms. “Why are you here now?” he spat. “Why the suddenness of it all? What changed your mind?”

“Well, it was sort of… Patton,” Janus admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, his face warming up. “He’s just… I don’t know. Good.”

For some reason, that did not seem to pacify Virgil in the slightest.

“Oh, great,” he said. “So a lifelong friendship wasn’t enough to stop you from being such a piece of shit, but hey, I’m so glad a two-week old crush finally came along to kick you in the ass.”

Janus blinked, trying to recover from the slight stunning that had come with Virgil just saying what he’d been trying very hard to deny. But he had also missed the point entirely, which was more important.

“Virgil, it wasn’t like that,” he said. “I’m not here because I like Patton.”

“Then what the fuck was it, Janus? If you’re not doing it for him, then why are you here?”

Janus stared at Virgil. “I can’t be here for you and Remus?”

Virgil scoffed, and turned away. “As if.”

“Well… tough, because that’s why.”

“Liar. You said Patton convinced you.”

“Patton convinced me that it’s not a hopeless pursuit to search for good things,” Janus murmured, looking away.

“He took you on one of his hope-finding vacations, did he?”

Janus smiled in slight amusement. “Yes.”

“It worked?”

Janus shrugged. “More or less. It wasn’t really him so much as… the way he views the world. It’s… really something.” Janus coughed awkwardly. “And, you know. I like his laugh.”

Virgil snorted. They were both silent for a minute.

Finally, Virgil shifted and narrowed his eyes at Janus. “Patton met us, Remus and I, a month after you left,” he said. “He took us to the Grand Canyon, like he took you. But he said he took us specifically because it seemed like we needed something to live for. Why did he take you?”

Janus wasn’t sure anymore, honestly. Patton knowing all along what had happened with Virgil and Remus had thrown a wrench into Janus’ perception of him. Why would he offer to help Janus at all if he knew that Janus had so badly hurt two people he was close to? The only thing Janus really had to go on was the first conversation he’d had with him.

…The conversation where Patton had said he’d reminded him of a close friend of his.

Janus swallowed, and looked up at Virgil. “I think I reminded him of you,” he said softly.

Virgil’s face went blank, and he took a shaky breath. “No.”

Janus blinked. “No?”

“No, that’s not the reason,” Virgil said, shaking his head. “Because when I met Patton I was a wreck. And you’re fine. You’re a dick who’s fine and left us because he’s a dick. You didn’t leave because I didn’t notice something was wrong. That’s not what happened.”

Janus stood up. “Virgil,” he said. “It’s not… that’s not a fair sentiment.”

“What happened, then?” Virgil snapped. “What did I miss?”

“You didn’t miss anything. I didn’t tell you.”

“What happened?”

Janus looked at Virgil for a moment, but Virgil was glaring too harshly to back down.

“Mom got in an accident,” he said quietly. “Two days after Remus’ attempt. She didn’t make it.”

Virgil let out a harsh breath and started pacing again.

“Virgil,” Janus said, moving towards him and reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder.

Virgil smacked his hand away. “Don’t. Touch me.”

“I’m sorry,” Janus said, moving backwards.

“You could have talked to me you moron,” Virgil snapped, glaring at him.

“That’s been made very clear to me recently.”

“You asshole, you sat up with me all night, you think I wouldn’t have been willing to return the favor?”

“I’m sorry,” Janus said again.

Virgil moved over towards the wall across the room and leaned back against it. “How did I just miss you going through something like that?” he asked weakly.

Janus stared at him. “You might have had other things on your mind, Virgil,” he said. “I needed to tell you. That’s on me. You can’t protect everyone you love all alone.”

Virgil glared up at him. “That’s what you made me do you dick,” he hissed. “You just— you just left. Out of nowhere. I was still terrified I was going to lose Remus, and then I had to lose you too. Just everything all at once, do you have any idea what that’s like?”

Janus winced. “Yes,” he said quietly.

Virgil gave a short bitter laugh. Then he pressed his hands over his eyes and started crying.

Janus moved forward and wrapped his arms around Virgil, then pulled him close while still giving him plenty of time to pull away.

“I thought I was done with you,” Virgil cried, grabbing fistfuls of Janus’ yellow jacket, the very one he’d given him all those years ago. “I thought at least you couldn’t hurt me anymore, you goddamn asshole.”

“I’m sorry,” Janus murmured. “I’m sorry, Virgil.”

“No,” Virgil said. “You don’t get to be sorry. Hating you doesn’t work if you’re sorry.”

“I’m sorry,” Janus said again, which was probably a bad idea, but he didn’t know what else to say.

Virgil pulled Janus in and buried his face in his shirt, and Janus reached around and started rubbing his back.

“Virgil,” he whispered. “It’s really not your fault.”

Virgil made some kind of noise of protest.

“It isn’t. Remus and I needed to tell you these things. It would be completely unreasonable to blame you when you didn’t know what was going on or that we needed help. Besides, even if blaming yourself would have helped something, it’s far too late for that to have any effect. Please just stop it.”

Virgil snorted. “Oh yeah, I’ll just do that,” he said weakly.

Janus sighed. “Fair enough,” he murmured.

“I’m still fucking pissed off at you,” Virgil muttered after a second.

“Yeah, of course you are,” Janus said. “Like I’m going to blame you for that.”

Virgil sighed and pulled his head up slightly. His gaze landed on Janus’ jacket, and he ran his hand over the fabric for a minute. “I can’t believe you kept this,” he said.

“Of course I kept it,” Janus said. “It’s worth more than Patton’s house.”

Virgil snorted. “Janus, I bought that thing at a second hand store for no other reason than it reminded me of you.”

“I know,” Janus said, smiling slightly. “That’s why I kept it.”

Virgil smiled a little back. “Moron.” He smiled weakly at Janus. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” Janus said.

Virgil pulled Janus in for another hug, and if they both melted into each other a little, well, they were also both too proud to admit it.

Janus wasn’t exactly surprised when Remus and Patton showed up a few minutes later, as they had been pretty quiet for a while. They probably both would have jumped back immediately if not for the fact that Remus let out a happy noise and threw himself into the hug with them, and after a nod from Janus, Patton joined from the other side too, and they all ended up huddled together in the middle of the room.

“Hey,” Virgil said, nudging Janus with his foot so it was clearly directed at him.

“Hmm?”

“Leave again and I’ll murder you.”

Janus gave a huff of laughter. “Oh, you’re not getting rid of me so easily a second time,” he said, as Remus squeezed him tighter too. “You’re all stuck with me now.”

For a second, Janus could have sworn Virgil murmured, “Thank god.”

But no, he was definitely just hearing things.

…

One Year Later

…

“Patton, you’re going to make us late for your own trip,” Janus said, sticking his head into Patton’s room.

“You’re the one who wanted to stay the night,” Patton called, throwing another pair of socks into his suitcase.

“I don’t want to drive myself to the airport, I’ll waste valuable gas.”

“You already drove yourself here. Just admit you like me,” Patton said grinning over his shoulder at him.

“Nope. I’m dating you for your social status.”

“What social status?” Patton asked in bafflement.

“You provide me access to Thomas’ strawberry pancakes.”

Patton laughed. “You know, I could understand that,” he said. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re stuck here until I’m ready. Or you could help, if you want it to go faster.”

“But that requires effort,” Janus groaned, even as he was already walking over to join Patton.

“Poor baby,” Patton said, patting Janus sympathetically on the head. “How dare the world force you to overexert yourself?”

“At least we’re on the same page,” Janus sighed, handing Patton the final pair of socks he’d laid aside. Patton put them in his suitcase and closed the top.

“Sit on it?” he asked Janus.

Janus flopped on top of the suitcase, with an added dramatic flair and a melodramatic sigh. “I’m exhausted after all that hard work.”

“Yeah, laugh it up, we haven’t packed the food yet.”

“Will this packing session ever end?”

In all seriousness, Janus didn’t blame him. Both him and Patton had been absolutely swamped with work this week, and Patton hadn’t been able to take yesterday off to pack like Janus had, instead having to wrap up working with the kid he’d been helping before they left. And a week-long trip wasn’t anything that you could pack for quickly, so the hour this had taken so far was actually pretty good, all things considered.

It didn’t take quite as long to pack the food, as Patton had been setting it aside as he made dinner, so about half an hour later they were on their way to the airport, where they’d be meeting Remus and Virgil. Roman, Thomas, and Logan were driving again, and had left a couple days ago.

“So,” Patton said, as they finally got in the car. “Excited to see the Grand Canyon again?”

“I am, actually,” Janus admitted, putting the car in gear and pulling backwards out of the driveway. “I’ll be glad to see it while I’m in a much better place than last year.”

“And I’m glad for that,” Patton said, leaning over and giving him a kiss on the cheek, which Janus may or may not have melted at slightly. “I still wish Thomas and Roman and Logan would let me pay for a flight, though.”

“They don’t want to take advantage of you, darling,” Janus said. “And it’s not like they’re struggling, they’ll be okay.”

“They’re not taking advantage of me, they’re my friends,” Patton said. “I’m happy to do things for my friends.”

“You’re happy to do things for anyone,” Janus said, giving Patton a look as he came to a stop at a light that had just turned red. “And they know you.”

“What’s so wrong with helping people?” Patton asked, though it sounded too lighthearted for him to actually be upset.

“Nothing, angel, except that most people are far more selfish than you and will take advantage of it. I’d be one of them if I didn’t know you.” He pulled away from the light as it turned green.

“I’m perfectly willing to get taken advantage of sometimes if it means most of the time I’m helping people who really need it,” Patton said.

“Oh?” Janus asked, recognizing Patton’s tone shift into philosophical debate mode. “Where do you draw the line? If 50% of people you help are taking advantage of you? 60%?”

“Drawing an actual line would make the helping of others conditional,” Patton said. “I don’t want to decide whether or not someone actually deserves help.”

“And if you found out that nearly everyone you helped was taking advantage of your kindness?” Janus asked. “What would you do then?”

Patton seemed to consider the question for a moment. “I don’t know,” he said. “I think I’d be hurt, honestly. But I also think it would say more about them than it would about me. I want people to know I’m someone they can come to if they need it. That’s more important than making sure I’m never taken advantage of.”

“I disagree,” Janus said. “It’s not necessarily just hurting you, though obviously you’re far more important.”

Janus saw Patton give a slightly amused smile out of the corner of his eye.

“But being taken advantage of, even if you’re not negatively affected, might take valuable resources away from those who actually need them, don’t you think?”

“Hmm. Valid point,” Patton admitted. “But no way of helping someone is a perfect system. If I had to start interrogating people to determine whether or not they need help before I gave it, that wouldn’t make them feel very good, and it wouldn’t make me feel very good. And that would negatively impact my mental health, which is also important, isn’t it?”

It was Janus’ turn to smile in slight amusement. “Also a valid point,” he admitted.

That seemed like a fair place to leave it for now, so Janus turned to merge onto the highway and prepared to turn on some music for the rest of the trip.

Before he could, though, he saw Patton turn to face him again out of the corner of his eye, and he seemed to have a much more serious look on his face.

“Jan,” he said. “Have you thought any more about what we talked about?”

“Ah, yes, I do think we should leave the catering to Roman and Thomas,” Janus said, keeping his gaze firmly on the road. “It’s their wedding, and they already own a cake shop—”

“Janus,” Patton said. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

Janus tightened his grip around the wheel and clenched his teeth.

“Janus,” Patton said gently. “I think you really should consider the idea of talking to someone. Plenty of people go to therapy. I’ve gone to therapy. You remember how much it helped to talk to someone about my nightmares about Remus?”

“That’s different,” Janus said.

“Oh? How’s that?”

“Because you— I’m fine. I’m better than I was. You’ve seen that.”

“That doesn’t mean that talking to someone won’t still be helpful,” Patton said. “Janus, you were the one who said I should talk to someone.”

“That’s different.”

“How is it different?” Patton asked again.

“Can we not talk about this while I’m driving?”

Patton hummed in acknowledgement. “Okay. But don’t think I’ve forgotten about it.”

“Trust me, I know you haven’t.”

Then Janus did turn on some music, and they both sang along to the playlist of roadtrip songs they’d picked out, that they’d be bringing along in the rental car Patton had flat out insisted on getting for the two of them and Remus and Virgil. They’d let him, since he was the only one who could afford it, really.

They made it to the airport with forty minutes to spare, and Janus parked the car in the lot Patton directed him to.

The second Janus turned off the car, Patton said, “Is it because you still think struggling is your fault?”

Janus tensed and looked firmly away.

“It isn’t.”

“I caused all of my problems when I left,” Janus insisted. “I should be able to fix them if they deserve to be fixed.”

“That’s not how hurting works, Jan,” Patton said softly, reaching over and gently squeezing Janus’ hand. “And you know I’d much prefer for you to be happy. We all would. We don’t care where your problems came from.”

“Virgil and Remus care,” Janus said, pulling his hand away and crossing his arms.

“Virgil and Remus care to the extent that it takes work to rebuild relationships with people. That is very different, and you know that. They wouldn’t want you to keep hurting.”

Janus shifted uncomfortably and didn’t say anything.

“Janus,” Patton said. “You know I won’t think any less of you if you need some help to get better.”

Janus glared weakly over at him. “Now that’s not fair.”

“It’s true, sweetheart.”

Janus sighed, and looked away again. “You really think it would help that much?”

“I really do. I think you’re underestimating how good it will feel to not be hurting about this anymore.”

“It hasn’t been too long for that?”

“No darling,” Patton said quietly, reaching out and squeezing his hand again. “It hasn’t.”

Janus was quiet for another moment. “I’ll think about it,” he said finally.

“Really think about it?”

“Really think about it,” Janus confirmed. “Just not while we’re on vacation.”

“Fair enough,” Patton said with one final squeeze, and then they both climbed out of the car.

They made their way through security, and then Janus called Remus to get directions to their gate, and they made it there with about fifteen minutes to spare overall, just before getting an announcement that their plane was going to be two hours late.

“Yeah, well, that figures,” Remus laughed. “Who wants to come up with tragic backstories of everyone that passes us for the next few hours?”

“I’m game,” Virgil said with a grin. “We talking on the run from the law after a tragic accident sad, or heading out of town for a puppy funeral sad?”

They both began to debate as they people watched, and Janus leaned back against his chair with a fond smile, finding it hard to even be irritated at the longer wait in the prospect of a week-long vacation with everyone he loved surrounding him. They were going to the Grand Canyon for a couple days to start, followed by camping at Zion, just like he and Patton had done last year. They weren’t going to as many other places as they had, mostly because the Grand Canyon was a yearly staple for everyone and sticking to places similar to that was just easy. But honestly, Janus wouldn’t have cared where they were going as long as he got to go with the people here, and maybe get some of Thomas’ strawberry pancakes.

He smiled over at Patton, who was adding sweeter aspects to the backstories Virgil and Remus were coming up with, as was in his nature.

“Hey,” he said, and Patton paused and glanced over at him.

“Yeah?”

Janus leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Patton asked with a bright smile.

“Being you,” Janus said, leaning against his side. “Helping me find reasons to hope.”

Patton leaned back against Janus’ side. “It was my pleasure, Jan,” he said.

He smiled in a way that was very Patton, the same way that had once irritated Janus to no end. Right now, however, all it meant was that he didn’t doubt Patton meant what he said. And he was all the more grateful for it.

Janus leaned back against the seat and took in Virgil and Remus starting to lightheartedly bicker again, and Patton trying half-seriously to break it up. And watching it all, he found himself looking forward to the hopeful future they were all building together. It was one he looked forward to seeing.

#sanders sides #janus sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #character thomas sanders #logan sanders #remus sanders #virgil sanders #moceit #roman x thomas #I don't think there's a ship name for that #sanders sides big bang #TS Storytime 2022 Submission #my fic

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im-an-anxious-wreck · 2 years ago

Text

Inspire

AO3 link

Summary: King Roman had never thought himself the fatherly type. He hadn't had the best example growing up, his father had been… negligent at best.

And while everyone had always praised Roman's father for being a good king, a good father, they did not.

But somehow, despite never expecting to be any sort of fatherly figure or even a mentor, Roman takes a young magical boy in as his ward. What was Roman supposed to do? Just leave Patton in the hands of the awful person who was misusing him for his magic? Hah, Roman thought not.

Will Roman be able to help Patton fit in? Or will he end up just like his father?

Warnings: cursing, kissing, very mild injury, poison/poisoning (doesn't go into gorey detail), some child abuse in the beginning that will probably be referenced later (all sides are sympathetic though)

Universe: Magic/royal au

Perspective/main character: Roman

Side/secondary characters: Patton, Janus, Logan

Appear: Virgil, Remus, Remy, Emile

Romantic relationships: Roceit, background established Dukexiety

Platonic relationships: Roman and Patton, Janus and Logan, Roman and Logan, Janus and Patton

Word Count: 17,458

Link to my collection of TSS fanworks

Any historical inaccuracies are sponsored by this is a fantasy world and I do what I want

This is my second fic for @ts-storytime's big bang challenge!

You can find the adorable art by @thebestworstidea here!!

Thanks to @threecrowsinatrenchcoat for beta-ing!

Roman had never thought himself the best person, nor a particularly great king, but he tried. He did what he could, he did his best, and hoped it was enough. It'd… he'd have to be enough.

He couldn't do everything, and what he did do had to be within the confines of the law, but he couldn't stand by and do nothing. Not when Logan had broken into the castle just to see the library before he died of starvation, and not when he heard a blacksmith yelling at a kid for letting the fire get too low.

And it was no wonder it had gotten so low, the kid looked absolutely exhausted and was— by Remus' morning star, the kid was using fire magic! Why the kid couldn't have been more than ten, and yet he'd clearly been doing sustained fire magic. Even Roman would be exhausted from doing that all day.

The kid wimped and the flames jumped a bit higher, only fueling the fire raging in Roman's gut on the kid's behalf.

"Deep breath," Roman's adviser, Janus whispered. "Pause, remember your intentions, then act."

Roman's chest expanded and contracted with air as he set his intention. Get the kid to safety and try not to don't start a fight. Easy.

Maybe he shouldn't have gone out in disguise today; his usual crown locked away back at the castle and a plain tunic and breeches underneath his red traveling cloak.

Well, there was no point thinking about that now.

Roman walked up to the man, the clacking of his boots on the cobblestone echoing in his ears, and his form strengthened with far more confidence than he actually had. The man barely glanced up at Roman before continuing to ignore him so Roman pursed his lips and said, "Excuse me."

The blacksmith sighed in annoyance before finally looking up at Roman. "What?"

"Is that child yours?"

"Oh, Merlin's balls, what's he done now?"

"Well, nothing. It's actually—"

"Good, then fuck off."

"I— excuse me?"

"You heard me, Buckethead. Fuck. Off."

"Buckethead! I'm not even wearing my hel—"

Roman took another deep breath.

Get the child to safety.

"Sir, you're under arrest."

"What?!" The man squawked indignity. "What for? You can't do that!"

Roman paused for a moment. "Alright. Fair enough. Virgil!"

Virgil practically appeared out of nowhere next to Roman's shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Might I recommend that you arrest him for child abuse?"

"You most certainly can." Virgil's eyes narrowed at the blacksmith, looking at him with deep disgust. "Sir, you are under arrest for the mistreatment and abuse of a child under your care, as well as violating the Worker Safety and Protection Act."

Virgil made a small gesture and two knights down the busy street left their posts and put the man in iron cuffs.

The man turned towards Roman, glaring at him as he roared, "Who do you think you are?! Getting me arrested by the damn captain of the guard for him," He snarled, jerking his head back to the shop briefly, "For him doing magic!"

"Ah, sorry. I suppose I did forget to introduce myself. I'm Roman. King Roman Sanders."

A man just spluttered dumbfoundedly.

Roman resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead continuing, "Also the problem really isn't with magic, it's with you mistreating him. Good day."

The man tried to argue more —seriously, does he not have any self-preservation?— but Roman had already walked around him to where the young boy was watching the whole ordeal from the corner of the blacksmith shop.

Roman crouched down a little ways away from the child, not wanting him to feel trapped. "Hello."

The boy stared at him for a moment before softly saying, "Hi."

Roman smiled gently at him. "It's nice to meet you. My name's Roman."

"Yeah… I heard."

"Ah, I see. What's your name?"

"...Patton."

Roman had planned to take Patton to an orphanage, but something about how he held himself, something about how he was curled into a tight ball, eyes glittering with equal parts fear and curiosity, it made him think of when he'd found Virgil in his early twenties. Virgil was only five years younger than Roman, and, despite being a teenager at the time, he'd looked so young and small; a symptom from being in one of the neighboring kingdoms' children army.

Patton glanced up at Roman and then down again before finally settling on his hands, and Roman knew, he knew that he'd be taking another person into his small but apparently ever-growing family. Only if Patton wanted him to though, of course.

Roman's knees started to ache so he gently sat down, careful not to make any sudden moves. "How would you like to live with me in the castle?"

"...I don't have any money."

"Ah, no, you wouldn't have to pay."

"Oh… what would you want me to do then? Maybe my magic could be useful to you in some way?"

Roman could practically feel his heart sink in his chest. "I'm not taking you in to be useful, young one."

"Oh…" Patton frowned, considering Roman's words, and Roman let him. "Can— may I ask why you're taking me in then?"

"That's a good question… one that I don't completely know the answer to. But I do know that you didn't deserve to suffer, and I want you to be taken care of. And I'm going to personally make sure that you always have somewhere to stay and be safe, okay?"

"Okay, I— thank you. If you ever change your mind though, I understand."

"I'm quite sure that I won't. Even if you didn't want to live in the castle anymore, I'd still make sure that you have a safe place to live."

"Oh, well that… thank you, sir."

"Now how about we pack anything of yours and then you can meet my two friends, alright?"

"Alright. I'll be very quick, sir."

"That's fine. I'm not in a rush though."

…

After they grabbed Patton's small amount of clothing, they met up with Virgil and Janus, both seeming to take to the child well.

Virgil's guard's had taken the blacksmith away and so the four of them walked to the point where they were to meet the carriage to take them back to the castle.

Roman looked at the child, mind already whirring with all the things he'd need. Patton would definitely need clothes and tutors, a room… there were a few in the royal wing that he might potentially like.

"Patton?"

Patton's eyes snapped to Roman. "Yes?"

"Do you have a favourite colour?"

"Mm… yeah."

"Well, mine's red."

Patton still didn't say his so Virgil declared, "Bet you can't guess mine!" As they made a show of adjusting his purple cape.

Patton almost seemed to be holding back a small smile. "Purple?"

Virgil lightly gasped. "You got it right! What about your favourite colour, Jan?"

"My favourite is definitely the colour of vomit."

Virgil rolled his eyes, and pretended to scold Janus, saying, "Janus Hierophant, your favourite colour is definitely not vomit."

"Alright, fine, Virgil Storm, it's whatever the ugliest colour you can think of is then."

"No, it's yellow!" Patton added, eyes bright as his lips curled upwards ever so slightly.

They all stopped walking and stared at Patton, whose face instantly fell, shoulders hunched.

"Sorry," Patton mumbled.

"You're fine… and right. I'm not sure how you knew that as I'm wearing all black today… but you're right."

"Um… I don't really know either. Sometimes I just know stuff," Patton said as they all continued walking.

"Ah, I see. You might have some intuition-based magic then. What's my favourite animal?"

"...You say it's snakes, but it's actually honey badgers."

Virgil whistled low. "Damn, lying to us, Jan? How dare you."

Virgil said it in such an obviously joking tone that Roman didn't even realise how it might come across to Patton until he heard a small sniffle behind him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get Mr. Hierophant in trouble!"

Janus' demeanor shifted instantly. "You're fine, I'm not in trouble. They were just teasing me."

"...Okay. 'M still sorry."

"It's alright," Janus soothed. "No one's mad."

Patton nodded, eyes still darting around like someone was suddenly going to be angry.

Roman decided to change the conversation, hoping that that might help ease Patton's fear. "Oh, I never got the chance to ask you, Patton, what's your favourite colour?" Technically he'd only asked if Patton had a favorite color, so since the child had taken it so literally, Roman needed to be more specific.

"...Blue, like the sky."

"Ooh, that's a very nice colour."

Patton nodded hesitantly.

Perfect, Roman knew exactly which room to give Patton. It couldn't be more suited for him unless Roman had magically known his tastes and decorated it accordingly.

Patton was absolutely going to love the blue walls with white clouds painted on them. It looked just like the sky and Roman could hardly wait for Patton to see it.

They stopped to get some food for lunch and pretty quickly after they'd paid for it, the carriage arrived.

As Patton ate his bread, looking out the window thoughtfully, Roman couldn't help but feel very grateful that he'd listened to Janus' apprentice. Not only was Logan very smart and learnt quickly, but he sometimes had visions.

That had been the entire reason for Roman's visit from his castle overlooking the valley to the town nestled down in the valley. Logan had said that the bear spirit of children and mistreated workers, Osha had come to him in a dream and told him that Roman needed to make a trip to town. She hadn't told Logan why, just that Roman would know what to do.

And although Roman hadn't realised it at the time, he really had known what to do.

Logan had only been at the castle for a few months, but had settled in quite well, quickly learning a lot from the many books he read and from being under Janus' care.

His dark brown eyes shone with the glitter of knowledge and curiosity, and Logan's curls were a lot healthier after the court physician and herbalist, Emile, had shown Logan some hair care that Logan hadn't had access to when he lived on the streets.

Actually getting the nutrients Logan needed had also helped him flourish, his frame no longer so thin and boney.

It was almost hard to believe that it'd only been a few months, but at the same time it almost seemed like longer; Logan fit right in.

Roman sat down in his room by the roaring fireplace.

Roman's recent meeting of Patton had made him think of when Janus had taken Logan in…

Roman was looking over some information about his kingdom in his private study when his adviser, Janus came in, escorting a boy about fifteen. They both walked to the middle of the room.

"Your majesty," Janus said curtly with a nod.

Roman set down the documents, now fully turning to face the both of them, taking in the boy's mismatched, worn, ill-fitting —albeit clean— clothes and cracked glasses. The boy's hair was in rather loose, uneven corn rows, it looked like he'd most likely done them himself and without the aid of a mirror.

"Yes?" Roman asked.

"I… I'd like you to hear me out before you cast your judgment."

Roman furrowed his brow, glancing at the boy again. "I always try to, but I will make extra sure that I do this time. What happened?"

"This young man broke into the castle—"

"I didn't break in. Nothing was broken."

"...Alright." Janus conceited, despite usually being no-nonsense and absolutely hating being interrupted. "He snuck into the castle without permission, and into our main library without being detected."

"Well, it seemed like he was detected at some point."

"I— yes. I found him in there reading a book, but that's not the point."

"Then what is the point? I presume that there's more to the story, otherwise you would've dealt with it yourself."

"Of course. I'd never waste your time like that. He's an orphan and wanted to see the great library before he died of hunger," Janus said, voice even more emotionless than usual.

"Alright… So, wh—" Then it hit Roman.

Janus was standing slightly in front of the boy; right arm slightly out, not to keep the boy back, but to keep the boy from Roman; Janus' face and voice had been professional at best, and purposely flat at the worst. Janus… cared about the boy, but was trying not to show it. Hmm…

"Ah, I see."

"...You do?" Janus asked, almost apprehensively.

"Yes, I do. Do what you see fit and let me know if you need something, anything from me."

"Oh… I mean, yes, alright. Thank you." Janus finally dropped the arm he'd been half holding in from of the boy, clearly no longer concerned that the boy's wellbeing was in danger.

Roman looked at the boy. "So, you really wanted to see our library before you died?"

The boy's eyes looked slightly afraid, but he hid it about as well as Janus did. "Yes, sire. I figured if I was going to die, I might as well have seen the most magnificent library in the kingdom, or die trying."

"How would you feel about being an apprentice instead of that death you seem to be so sure is going to happen soon?"

"An apprenticeship?"

"With me," Janus cut in. "If you'd like." Janus turned to look at the boy easier. "You'd learn all sorts of things. An advisor must be knowledgeable in a lot of different subjects after all. But you absolutely can say no. There'd be no consequences for doing so as I'd simply just find a good orphanage for you to live in. And I understand if you need some time to think it ov—"

"Yes," The boy said, almost desperately, interrupting Janus for the second time.

But Janus didn't seem to mind, only looking at the boy in surprise. "...Yes, you'd like more time to think it over, or yes, you'd like to be my apprentice?"

"Yes, I'd like to be your apprentice… please."

"Oh, right. I— great. Um… would you like me to find public housing for you, or would you rather stay here in the castle? I believe there's some quarters near mine, you know, that way if you needed anything, I'd be right there."

"In the castle would be preferable, thank you."

"Right… and of course we'll need to stop by the seamstress… perhaps after you bathe though. Oh, and you'll need new glasses. Do you want a haircut?"

"Yes, please."

"So the barber as well…"

"Well," Roman said, clapping his hands together gently. "I don't suppose I'm needed for this part, and besides, Janus has been quite firm that I need to memorize all twenty of these pages before my meeting tomorrow, so I should really be getting back to them."

Janus rolled his eyes. "I definitely most did not tell you to memorize them. Just a run-through is fine."

"Well, no matter. I have pages to read, and Janus needs to show you to your quarters and take care of your other necessities. Ah, and perhaps a visit to the physician and then subsequently the kitchen."

"Oh, of course. Good idea."

Roman felt a bit bad just calling the boy… well, 'the boy' all the time. "What's your name?"

"My name is Logan, sire."

"Well, as you might know, I'm Roman." Roman held his hand out and shook the bo— Logan's hand.

"I… am aware."

"Well, let me formally welcome you to the castle. I hope you enjoy your time here and don't hesitate to let me or Janus know if you need anything. Oh, and you should know, now that you're the royal advisor's apprentice, you'll have access to the very exclusive Royal Library as well as the one that's open to all people who live here. We call it the Grand Library."

Logan's eyes widened in shock. "Really? I can visit not only the Grand Library, but the Royal Library as well?"

"That's right."

"Wow… oh, er, thank you."

"You're welcome, Logan. I know you'll appreciate and take care of the books."

"Yes, I will, sir."

Roman smiled at Logan before turning to Janus. "I expect him to shadow you for at least a week before he's left on his own outside of his room."

Janus inclined his head. "Of course, your majesty."

Roman smiled to himself.

He'd been a little unsure about Logan but his magic hadn't felt anything off and if anything had actually pulled Roman to Logan. Roman suspected that Janus had felt that same magical pull, especially seeing how protective of Logan he was, and how quickly he grew to care for the boy.

It was easier to recognise that pull Janus had to Logan now as Roman had felt it towards Patton just that morning.

Roman sighed and began pacing again.

Logan knew what it felt like to be new to the castle and from a bad situation, maybe he'd have some advice for Roman. He really felt out of his depth here.

Janus had been the one to arrange for everything that Logan had needed, so Roman really didn't know what to do. Despite taking in several people, he still didn't feel very good at it.

Maybe he should ask Janus as well.

Roman walked through the halls, his red, detachable cape billowing out behind him as castle workers moved out of his way and bowed their heads in respect.

It was late afternoon and Roman suspected that Janus and Logan were probably either in the Royal Library or in Janus' office. However, the library was a bit more likely at the moment.

Roman nodded to the guard outside the door and flung both doors open a bit more dramatically than perhaps was necessary. The guard closed them behind Roman.

Logan looked up from his book from where he sat in an armchair, Janus in the other one, and Roman could practically feel Janus' eye roll.

"Good day, sire," Logan greeted as he stood and bowed. "Mr. Hierophant filled me in with what transpired this morning, I'm glad my prophecy was useful."

Roman gestured for Logan to sit as he said, "And I as well. That's what I wished to discuss actually. I'd imagine that the castle took some getting used to when you had first arrived, and so I was hoping you might have some advice to make Patton feel more welcome. Also, that Janus might have something as well. I know he orchestrated a lot of your care."

"Well," Janus said, drawing out the word in his elongated speech pattern, "That doesn't sound like it could be a long conversation, don't sit down." Janus summoned a chair close to his and Logan's. "I can tell when you're feeling awkward while standing after all."

After Roman sat down he laughed lightly. "True, you did teach me how to hide it somewhat though."

"May I ask how long the both of you have known each other?"

"Of course, Logan. I don't pretend to speak for Janus, but unless I am otherwise occupied with royal duties, you may always ask me questions. If I don't have the answer or want to answer, I'll just state as such."

"I believe I've told you something similar about questions relating to knowledge," Janus said. "But I shall extend it to the length that our king has."

"Ah, but to answer your question," —Roman briefly glanced at Janus for permission to share, catching the small squint of approval which was most likely unnoticed by Logan (despite his wonderful observant skills), before Roman continued— "We've known each other about… well, since my coronation at eighteen, he was only fifteen so I waited a few years to let him learn more and get more experience and exposure to other cultures.

"Everyone tried to get me to take an older adviser, and I did assemble a small council of elders for some matters of advice and to keep me in check, I especially needed their advice while Janus was traveling and learning, but I just knew that Janus was supposed to be my personal and the head advisor. Even though he was only nineteen when I made his position official, he was and still is wise beyond his years."

"My my, getting sappy on me, my king?" Janus jested.

"Always," Roman joked, affection for his adviser and friend warming his chest.

There was a small pause before Logan said, "Ah, I got us off topic with my question, I believe you were asking about things you could do to make Patton feel more comfortable?"

Roman finally looked away from Janus. "Yes, that's correct."

"Well, I'd imagine— er…" Logan exhaled. "From experience, I know that since he's most likely dealt with food scarcity, it's important to make sure that he has a good relationship with food, even if it takes a while to get there. I'd recommend making a plan with Dr. Picani."

"Mm, good idea."

"Perhaps we could give him some non-perishable snacks that he could keep in his room," Janus suggested. "That way he can hide them wherever he wants and doesn't have to worry about them being taken away."

"Yes, that's a good idea as well. I'll talk to Emile about getting the nutrition he needs as well as the head chef about non-perishable snacks. Thank you both for the help."

Roman stood and Logan hastened to do the same before bowing.

"You're welcome, sire."

Roman inclined his head. Even though he'd told Logan that he didn't have to stand and bow every time Roman came and went —especially in close company—, he still seemed to feel the need to anyway.

"See you later, my king," Janus said in that sly tone that suggested that he knew something the other person didn't, although Roman couldn't think what, so it was most likely that Janus was just messing with him.

"Have a good rest of your day."

As Roman went back to his kingly duties, he couldn't get Janus' soft smirk out of his head.

…Well, Janus did have a rather nice face.

In hindsight, maybe Roman should have realised that throwing a big party to announce and introduce his ward wasn't the best idea for a traumatised kid.

He felt bad but it was why he was all the more grateful that Logan had told him to give Patton somewhere to go to if he was feeling overwhelmed.

Roman wasn't sure if Patton would want company, but he'd at least check on him while Janus distracted some of the guests. Janus could be quite crafty and easily turned people's attention away from disappearing royal members. His charm seemed to naturally come to him in an almost genuine way, and if Roman hadn't seen him without it, hadn't seen his snide, passive aggressiveness, and sarcastic nature behind closed doors, he'd have no idea that wasn't Janus' genuine personality.

Roman sighed. He really didn't get out to the maze often enough, he was pretty sure that he was pretty lost and wasn't quite sure how to fix that problem. Fire magic was certainly out of the question, the gardener —an older, pleasant enough woman— would not be happy about a path carved through, even if Roman kept it contained and didn't burn down the whole maze. She loved plants and took pride in her work, besides, it just seemed like a shame to mess up part of the maze like that just because Roman was bad when it came to outdoor directions.

Ah, what was it that Janus had said? Stick to the left wall and as long as the maze itself doesn't change, that even if it takes longer, eventually you'll find the exit. Or in this case, the center.

Roman walked along the left hedge wall with his hand running along it for a minute before a sudden pain blossomed between his first finger and thumb.

"Ah!" Roman frowned at the bleeding cut. While he was proficient in some kinds of magic, healing magic was certainly not his forte.

Roman pulled out his red handkerchief and wrapped it around the wound —he could always deal with it later, right now he needed to check on Patton—, and continued walking.

It was several minutes before he came out into the large, open garden that was nicknamed 'The Jewel Of The Maze'.

The fireflies glittered about, echoing the stars above as both were reflected in the water of the large fountain in the very center of the garden.

Patton and Logan sat side by side on a bench that faced the fountain and it sounded like they were talking quietly but any conversation died down as Roman approached them.

Logan inclined his head towards Roman. "Greetings."

"Hello, Logan. Hello, Patton."

Patton didn't say anything, just looked at his twisting fingers in his lap.

Roman walked closer and sat on the edge of the fountain wall directly in front of Patton and Logan. "I'm sorry, Patton."

"...What for? I'm the one who ran away for no reason."

"It didn't seem like no reason to me."

"He's right, Patton. You were overwhelmed and needed a break. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I completely understand getting overwhelmed, we may have gone a bit overboard with the guest list." Roman huffed. "Actually, I'd disappear from parties and events frequently. Fortunately, Janus is good at keeping a crowd entertained, and sometimes even from noticing key guests' absences or at the very least explaining where they've gone that's an acceptable excuse for the public. So take all the time you need."

"Okay, thank you."

"Of course. Really that was bad planning on my part, but I'll do better next time."

"Still, I should've been able to handle it."

"I don't see how you healthily could've," Logan said not unkindly. "I presume it was your first event of that magnitude?"

"...Yeah."

"Also, it was a lot of people and noise, and a lot of focus on you. You'd never been to an event like that before, so it's quite understandable that you needed a break. You handled it quite well, and I'm glad you recognised that you needed to leave and then did so before you were really overwhelmed and possibly had an anxiety attack or began crying. You did well under the circumstances."

"Oh, I— thanks, Logan."

Logan gave Patton a small smile. "You're welcome."

Patton looked back at Roman before saying, "Oh! What happened to your hand?"

Roman looked down at his handkerchief-wrapped hand to see if maybe he'd bled through it, but he hadn't. "Ah, I cut it on a branch in the maze."

Patton frowned before standing up and walking over. "May I see it please?"

"I… suppose so?"

Patton carefully unwrapped Roman's hand and examined it, turning it this way and that. "Hmm."

A little ball of floating light appaired a few feet above them and Roman belatedly realised that Patton must've summoned it with his magic.

"So, what's the diagnosis, physician?" Roman joked.

"Oh, it's just a small cut, the blood around it just makes it seem bigger than it is, but we don't want it to get sick so—"

"Sick?" Logan asked.

"Yeah, when it's all extra painful, and it's all pink."

"Ah, there's a word for that: infection. So it'd be 'we don't want it to get infected'."

"Oh, okay. You're so smart, Logan!"

Logan smiled softly. "Thank you."

"You don't have to worry about me, Patton. I'll take it to Emile in a bit."

"Yeah, you could. Or… well, I could just heal it."

"You can do that?"

"Yeah, isn't… isn't it the easiest kind of magic?"

Roman smiled. "Well, it depends. Magicians tend to have a category or two of magic that comes easier to them. Healing magic is pretty much impossible for me, but it could certainly be the kind of magic that you excel in."

"Oh, that's cool. Um, is it okay if I heal it?"

"If you want to. I really don't mind taking it to Emile though."

"Okie dokie." Patton focused on the wound and raised his hand just above it.

Roman blinked and the cut was gone, even the blood that'd been drying around it had vanished. "Exemplary!" He flexed his hand experimentally. It didn't even ache.

"That was most impressive," Logan complimented.

"Oh." Patton beamed under their praise. "Thanks."

Roman patted the fountain wall next to him and Patton sat down next to him.

"What other types of magic do you know?" Logan asked.

"Well, I…" Patton's shoulders drooped a bit. "Um, I guess I can sustain fire magic for hours at a time, I don't really like to though."

"Ah, of course. Apologies, I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's okay!" Patton winced. "Ach, wait, sorry. Sometimes I just interrupt without thinking."

Roman assured, "It's alright, Patton. We know it wasn't on purpose. You were just trying to assure Logan."

"Yeah."

"Oh, hey, Patton? Would you like for me to show some more magic?"

Patton's eyes widened. "Really?! Uh, I mean… if you want to, I'd really like that."

"I want to. Here, hold your hand out like this." Roman held his palm out towards the starry sky and Patton copied him. Roman pushed a bit of his magic to the center of his hand and up, forming a red butterfly.

"Oh! Cool! Can I try?"

"Of course! There's some magic that might be a bit more tricky or even dangerous that you wouldn't want to do without the proper precautions, but a simple energy construct

is perfectly harmless."

"Okay." Patton focused on his hand and after a few seconds a small, sky-blue butterfly appeared, it was slightly translucent and quite sparkly as beginner magicians' constructs tended to be. Patton gasped excitedly. "I did it!"

"You sure did!"

"Hm, that's interesting," Logan said absentmindedly.

"What's interesting?"

"Ah, just that your magic is red which seems to be at least one of your favourite colours, and Patton's is a light blue which is his. In addition, I've seen Janus' magic glow yellow which seems to be his as it's the only colour other than black that he wears."

"Very astute observation, Logan. When making constructs with one's magic it's the favourite colour of the person… well, or at least one they like a lot. Not everyone necessarily only has one favourite colour. But anyway, you're right. Another magician you know would be Remus, his favourite colour is green, hence why he wears it a lot."

"That's coo—" Patton lost concentration and the butterfly disappeared. "Oops, sorry." He put his hand down again.

"It's alright. It's easy to do! I was impressed that you held it as long as you did, and especially after you'd made the butterfly on the first try after having only seen me do it once." Roman dropped his hand and his butterfly vanished as well. "Do you think you're ready to go back to the party, or shall we call it a night and go to bed?"

"Um…"

"Either is a perfectly acceptable option."

"Okay… I think I wanna try the party again. I'm a bit more ready since I know what to expect this time."

"Alright. Oh, I do want to apologise again for not preparing you properly. I should've warned you better and tried to do something to make it not as overwhelming. Like for one thing, the guest list was far too long. I should've kept it smaller."

"Well… it is what it is. It's easy to say 'oh I should've done this or that' but you didn't know then what you know now."

"That's very true, Patton."

"You're quite emotionally intelligent."

"Thanks, Logan."

"What about a background blocker? I don't know how to do it, but I know that Janus does."

"Hmm, what does it do exactly?"

"It just muffles the background noise so that it's not as overwhelming. You can still have conversations and notice if someone's yelling for whatever reason, but other people's chatter isn't as loud."

"That sounds good… oh, well, as long as it's not too difficult."

"I don't think it would be for him, but we can ask." Roman turned to Logan. "Did you want to go with us, Logan?"

"Sure. I might retire a bit early though, I'd like to finish my book on Sir Charles the third before I sleep."

"Sounds good." Roman stood up, Patton and Logan following him to an opening into the maze. "Uh… you wouldn't happen to know the way, would you Logan?"

"No, sire."

"Hmm…"

"I think I do," Patton piped up. "I knew which way to go before getting here."

"Ah, your intuition magic must've kicked in— Wait, then how did Logan get through it?"

"I followed Patton."

"Well, then." Roman bowed with one hand on his chest and the other one out, gesturing to the opening in the maze. "After you, oh great guide."

"Patton!" Roman cried out, feeling his blood go cold and stomach drop as Patton collapsed.

Janus was only just able to catch Patton before he fell to the stone floor.

Roman rushed over. "Is he okay?"

"...Yes, for now. He's breathing and his pulse is a bit erratic, yet somehow slow, but it's there."

Virgil all but ran up, eyes darting around in suspicion. "Give him here, we need to get him to Emile. Remy! Damnit, where are yo—"

"Here! Right here." Remy's usual smirk was nowhere to be found, a serious and focused look on his face instead.

"Okay, lock it down. I'm taking Patton to the infirmary."

"Yes, sir."

Logan smelled the cup that Patton had been drinking from and frowned. "Mr. Hierophant, would you please come smell this?"

Janus carefully tucked Patton in Virgil's arms before taking the goblet from Logan, and after smelling it, his expression also soured. "It's poisoned."

"That's what it seemed like to me as well."

Roman glanced around the dining hall before he bit his lip momentarily and said, "Okay. Janus, can you help the guards lock everything down? You're so much better with smoothing things over."

"Of course. Logan, come with me."

"Yes, sire."

Roman was just about to rush after Patton but quickly turned back to Janus. "Oh, wait, give me the goblet. I'll take it with me for Emile to identify."

…

This was all Roman's fault.

Who would poison Patton? He was just a kid, and an extremely sweet one at that.

Had that cup been intended for Roman? Or had someone just wanted to get at Roman by poisoning his ward?

Roman sighed and looked over at the unconscious Patton, wishing he was just sleeping instead.

Emile was currently in his office examining the poison and Roman just hoped he could make a cure from it.

It'd only been a short while since he'd arrived in the infirmary, but Roman's worry seemed to stretch the time far, far longer.

Eventually, Emile came out of his office, a solemn frown on his face.

Roman rushed to stand, almost knocking his chair over in the process. "What news have you?"

"Well, it's curable."

"That's—" Roman cut himself off. "I'm sensing a 'but'."

Emile nodded as he pushed up his glasses. "But the cure is quite a ways away."

"Of course it is," Roman said bitterly. "Where and how far away exactly?"

"The cure can be made from the flowers of the moondrop plant, but the dragon witch hordes all the known plants."

"Right. Will…" Roman gently looked at Patton. "Will you stay with him while I hold council?"

"Of course, Roman. I won't leave this room."

"Alright. Thank you, Emile."

…

Roman sat in the smaller of his two council rooms, around a round table with Virgil and Janus on his left and right respectively. Remus' and Emile's chairs stood empty as Remus was out of town and Emile was with Patton. Logan stood behind Janus' chair.

"Logan, you may as well sit in Emile's chair as he's watching over Patton under my request."

"Yes, sire." Logan sat down on Janus' other side.

"How is he?" Virgil asked.

"Emile's got him stable enough for now, but he needs the cure sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, the dragon witch is the only known person who has moondrops."

Janus pursed his lips. "Ah, that's at least a two-day journey. I'd like permission to be the one to get it."

"Granted."

"Sire, if I may." Logan adjusted his glasses.

"Of course, Logan. What is it?"

"I'd like permission to go as well."

"You're still rather young…" Roman thought back to all the adventures he and Remus had gone on when they were Logan's age and even younger. "But you've proven yourself quite adaptive, smart, and your self-defence fighting has come a long way. So, I will let Janus decide whether or not you'll go as he's the one leading this mission."

Janus nodded before he turned to Logan and considered him for a moment. "Alright. You may come, but if it gets too dangerous I want you to hide, and if you feel in over your head you tell me immediately. Those are my terms."

"Thank you. I accept your terms, sir."

Roman nodded once. "Good, now that we have that settled…" He turned to Virgil. "Virgil, do we know who's responsible for this disgusting act?"

"I believe so, yes. One Sir Richard Huxley."

His magic and anger burned in his stomach as Roman tried not to outright demand, "Why would be want to poison Patton? Is he planning a larger attack and this is just the start?"

"We suspect that the poisoned goblet was intended for you but got mixed up and Patton got it instead. I don't think he had a plan beyond this, but the castle is still on high alert in case anyone affiliated with him or opportunists want to try anything. Remy's talking with him right now, so we'll see what he can get out of him in regards to his plans."

Roman exhaled, letting some of the anger and tension leave his body. It wouldn't help Patton if his mind was clouded with anger. "Alright. Janus, Logan, start preparing for your departure as soon as possible, and may Osha guide you." Roman turned to Virgil. "Keep me informed, Virgil. I want to know as soon as you have more information. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the infirmary." The 'with Patton' went unsaid, but still was present as if it had been.

…

Roman was exhausted, a weariness settled deep into his bones, but he wouldn't, couldn't go to bed. He… he needed to be there in case something happened. It just didn't feel right to leave Patton here, even if the first mate of the guard, Remy, was standing watch just outside the infirmary doors.

Emile had long since gone to bed, but perhaps he could stay with Patton for a few hours the next morning while Roman got a bit of rest.

Roman sighed as he scrubbed his face with his hands.

He'd only do that if he really needed to. Sure, Emile would be here anyway, and Roman trusted Emile with his life —and had on several occasions before— but he couldn't help but feel that something bad would happen if he left Patton's side.

He just… needed to be here.

The door opened, startling Roman. All sleepiness left him as his senses went sharp and alert. His sword wasn't quite in arm's reach but it could be in a sec— Roman's shoulders sagged in relief when he saw that it was just Remus.

Remus looked almost a bit sheepish. "Hey, didn't mean to make you jump."

"It's fine."

"Burning the midnight oil, huh?"

"Yeah." Roman looked at Patton's sickly pale face, guilt twisting in his gut.

What was the point of all his wealth and power if he couldn't prevent someone under his care from getting poisoned?

Roman looked back at Remus. "Didn't know you were back."

"Yeah, got the messenger fox and hightailed it back. Knew you'd need me here."

"Thanks." Roman pulled the blanket a bit higher on Patton.

Remus hummed before dragging a chair over by Roman's, not caring in the slightest as it made a screeching noise against the stone floor.

Roman huffed almost lightly. "You know how much Emile doesn't like it when you do that."

Remus smirked. "Why do you think I do it?"

Roman shook his head fondly. "He's going to make you remove the gouges and marks again."

"Well, that's just fine. 'S not like I'm gonna run out of magic."

Roman looked away to hide his small smile, but it easily fell when he saw Patton.

"He's gonna get better," Remus said, unusually solemn.

"...I hope so."

"He will," Remus assured. "Janny and little Lo are gonna get the moondrop and Emile is gonna make the cure and he's gonna be okay. It'll just take a few days."

"What— what if he doesn't have a few days?"

"Well… I— he's strong, Ro. He'd have to be to survive the initial first wave. Obviously the poison is still in his veins and has attached itself to him, but the first hour is the most critical. Now it's just a matter of waiting 'till Janny gets back."

Roman sighed. "Right, I just— am worried."

"Which is perfectly understandable. I… I am too, but I think that Pat's strong enough. I mean, fuck, he took a big swig of a fatal to adults dose of poison, and has survived the afternoon and evening with a good prospect. What other nine-year-olds can say that?"

Roman hummed. "True. And I… I know that, it's just… hard." He sniffed.

"Aww, hey, he's gonna be okay, you both are. …It's gonna be a rough few days, huh?"

Roman nodded, not trusting his voice.

Remus scooted his chair closer and guided Roman's head onto chaos' shoulder, one arm wrapped around him and the other patting his hair.

"Yeah, just let it all out, Ro-bro. Let that fear and worries out. I'm right here."

Roman nodded and buried his nose into Remus' fabric, taking a shaky breath as he began to cry.

They stayed like that for several minutes as Roman cried his eyes out. He still felt shitty, but a bit better as he finally pulled away and wiped his red-rimmed eyes.

"How ya doin'?" Remus asked, speaking quietly so as not to break the fragile silence.

"...A bit better, I think. It's… I'm still extremely worried."

"Which is okay and to be expected."

"But it's not quite as overwhelming as it was."

"Well, good. Oh!" Remus pulled a brown paper sack out of one of his magically large pockets. "I brought you some food by the way."

"It's not poisoned, is it?" Roman tried to joke but winced as he glanced at Patton. "That was both poor timing and a poor joke."

Remus snorted. "Just my type of humour! But no, I 100% made it myself 'n everything. Not poisoned. Besides, I only poisoned you that one time!"

"It was twice."

"Oh, shit, really? When was the other time? Ohh! Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten about the summersnow moss I'd put in your apple mint pie." Remus shook chaos' head. "Man, that was so long ago."

"Hah, yeah. It sure was."

Remus hummed before handing Roman the brown paper sack. "Anyway, here ya go."

"Thanks." Roman took out the sandwich and had eaten a fourth of it before he realised and tried to slow down a bit.

"I figured you'd probably skipped supper 'cuz of the adrenaline and all the worry, besides, who doesn't love a midnight snack?"

"Strangely enough, Logan."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, he read in a book somewhere that it was bad for you and can cause indigestion if you eat too close to bedtime."

Remus laughed. "Mr. Know-it-all's got it all figured out, huh?"

"Mm, not really."

"Yeah, he's got a lot to learn. I mean, he's already learned so much, and quickly, but he's still got a ways to go. Well, not that learning is ever done… but anyway, there's still a ways 'till he's as ready for adulthood as he can be."

"Hah, true. Is anyone ever actually ready for adulthood? I know we sure weren't."

"Eh, maybe that's just a part of it. Part of learning to be ready for adulthood is the random shit that life throws at you while you're an adult."

"That is… surprisingly insightful of you."

"Well, you know me, full of surprises… and something else."

"Shit and hot air."

"Yep, bingo!"

Roman just rolled his eyes. Remus never got tired of that joke.

Roman finished his sandwich and put the bag on the nightstand near the infirmary bed before smoothing back Patton's hair and sitting down.

"I—" Roman frowned. "Wait, Patton has really great intuition, like, he told Janus that he may say his favourite animal is a snake, but that Patton knew that it was actually a honey badger."

"...Okay?"

"But then why didn't it go off when he was about to drink the poison? Does it not work for danger somehow? Because if that's the case, that'd be quite bad. That's when it'd be the most helpful."

"Oh, hmm… I would think it goes off for danger too, but then why… maybe— hm, yeah maybe…"

"Maybe what?"

"Okay, this may be one of my two good thoughts this year, but… maybe his intuition told him to drink it?"

"What? Why! Remus, that makes absolutely no sense."

"No, no, hear me out! From what I've heard, intuition can be frustratingly vague, but if it told him to take that one, he would, right?"

"...Yeah? I still don't see where you're going with this though."

"Well, maybe it knew that you wouldn't be able to handle that much and that volatile of a poison, but that Patton would. His internal healing powers are the only thing that kept him from death's door, right? Like I said, it would've been a fatal dose for an adult."

"I— you don't really think…" Roman exhaled deeply. "That certainly sounds like Patton. I could see his intuition guiding him to be poisoned to save my life, even if Patton didn't exactly understand all that at the time."

Remus hummed in agreement and they sat there, Roman watching Patton and Remus watching Roman.

"You need sleep," Remus finally said.

"...Yeah. I just— can't leave him, you know? How am I supposed to sleep when he's here, unconscious and sick?"

Remus exhaled before gently saying, "There's not anything you can do for him right now, nothing except take care of yourself."

"I… I should be here with him."

"And you have been, but he'd want you to take care of yourself. How are you gonna be awake enough to talk to him when he wakes after Emile gives him the cure if you haven't gotten much sleep? Sure, you'll accidentally fall asleep at some point, but you need proper rest."

"Well…" Roman blinked tiredly.

"Come on, Ro. I'll stay here all night… and may knock you out with my morning star if you say no," Remus teased in a sing-song tone. "So, let me spend some time with my basically-nephew. Okay?"

Roman's shoulders slumped and he knew that Remus was right. "Okay." Bed did sound particularly good right then, his achy muscles agreeing. "Just… keep him safe, okay?"

Remus nodded solemnly. "Of course, always."

"Alright…" Roman stood up and looked at Patton. "I'll see you both tomorrow."

"See you later! Can't believe you're making me be all responsible and shit," Remus joked.

Roman huffed. "Actually you volunteered— no, worse, threatened me, so it's only on you."

"Darn," Remus said sarcastically.

"Goodnight."

" 'Night!"

Roman walked to the double doors and opened one, slipping through. He looked back at Remus and Patton one last time, smiling softly as Remus began to read a storybook to Patton's sleeping form, and quietly shut the door.

Roman said 'goodnight' to Remy, put a small charm on the doors and went to bed.

It was going to be a long few days.

Roman almost cried in relief when Janus and Logan returned with Patton's cure, and did actually cry a bit when Patton woke up, wiping his damp eyes as he greeted Patton.

"Hey, Pat. How are you feeling?"

"Mm, throat hurts." Patton furrowed his brow and closed his eyes. "Head too."

Roman hadn't even opened his mouth to ask someone to get some water when Janus appeared by his elbow handing him a half-full glass.

Roman helped Patton drink and afterward, to settle back against the pillows. He set the cup on the bedside table in case Patton wanted more later.

There was so much he wanted to say to Patton; he wanted to say how very glad he was that he was okay, he wanted to thank him —and perhaps scold him just a bit— for drinking the poison that was meant for Roman… but instead, he just said, "Glad to see you awake. Um, Emile's making you some tea, by the way. I believe he said that it should help with the headache and sore throat that he figured you'd have. Uh, he also said that he can do some yarrow compresses for any aching muscles, but I'm getting ahead of myself."

Patton nodded before looking around the infirmary room, eyes landing on Janus and Logan who were hanging back to give them some space. "Hi," Patton said tiredly, but clearly glad to see them.

They came a bit closer as Logan said, "Hello, Patton. I'm glad to see that you're awake now."

"Glad to be awake. Is everyone okay?"

"Yes," Janus answered. "Everyone's okay. Virgil and Remy locked things down quickly and found the person who," Roman noticed the briefest hesitation, although he doubted that it was noticeable to the children, "Poisoned you."

"Oh, good. Was he working alone?"

"Fortunately, yes."

"Well, all's well that ends well."

Roman laughed. "I suppose you're right.

…

Patton soon fell asleep after that, but that was to be expected as he desperately needed the rest.

Logan sat on the bed next to Patton, claiming that it was so Patton wouldn't feel alone as he slept, but Roman knew that Logan was also sitting there to assure himself that Patton was indeed okay.

After Logan's eyes started drooping, Janus pulled himself up a chair next to Roman's and by the time he looked up, Logan was laying next to Patton, almost curled around him, and asleep as well.

"He had a big day," Janus murmured.

"Mm, we all did. I'd imagine that your quest was quite strenuous."

"It was, but he was quite remarkable," Janus murmured softly, nothing but pride in his voice.

"I have no doubt."

"I would tell you about it, but I believe he wanted to. It's pretty late though, and we had a long day." Janus gave a short quiet laugh. "Well, we all did. But I highly doubt that he'll wake up anytime soon, so it'll have to be tomorrow."

"Speaking of being late, you should go to sleep."

"So should you," Janus pointed out knowingly.

"Hey, I slept some…"

"I presume under threat by Remus?"

"...Yeah."

"That's what I thought, so now I'm the one threatening you," Janus said, voice light.

"Oh, really? And what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to squeeze you like a python."

"...So you're going to give me a hug? And here I thought it was going to be something I wouldn't like. Maybe I shouldn't go then."

"Okay, while that's an excellent point, you should still sleep."

"As should you. You've been traveling all day."

"And you've been watching over Patton all day. Go to bed."

"I will later. You go."

"I will later. You go," Janus mimicked.

"W—"

The door quietly opened and Virgil peered in before quietly shuffling in and closing the door behind himself. "Hey," Virgil whispered. "What's going on?"

"Roman won't go to sleep," Janus said.

Roman said at the same time, "Janus won't go to sleep."

Virgil huffed and seemed to be repressing a laugh. "Well, it's a good thing that I'm here to watch over Patton then." They glance at Logan's sleeping face. "And Logan now too."

"Oh, thank you."

"Sounds like a compromise to me," Janus said. "See you gents in the morning?"

Virgil gave a two-finger salute. "Of course, Jan."

"Goodnight," Roman said, accidentally sounding wearier than he meant.

Hopefully Patton would be a lot more awake and aware, and on the mend the next day.

…

The next day, Patton was well enough to get around with a cane, as long as someone was with him in case he fell, and if he took a few breaks. Fortunately, there were more than just a few benches throughout the castle, some even with a magnificent view of the surrounding rolling hills and autumn leaves.

It was a nice day and Emile had said that some sunshine would be good for Patton, so Roman decided that it'd be nice if they had a picnic lunch in the courtyard.

After they ate, Logan and Janus told of their quest to get the Moondrop plant for Patton.

"—And then after we'd gone through the tunnels in the mountain," Logan was saying, "There was a large dragon in an even larger cavern. Her scales glittered like silver and gold and smoke curled out of her nose. She seemed quite angry to be disturbed so Janus went into a fighting stance but we hadn't even tried any diplomacy yet. She was just angry because she'd rather be left alone and every so often people will try to fight her for her treasure, but once I explained our situation and that we didn't want to fight or her treasure, we had no problem getting along."

"We have a new ally now," Roman said.

"A new friend," Logan corrected. "She just wants to be left alone for the most part. Malcana —oh, that's her name by the way— said that we could visit though."

"That's really cool, Logan! You're so brave. Were you scared to face the big dragon?" Patton asked.

"Yes, but being brave is doing the right thing despite being scared, and I knew that Janus would get us out of there if it went wrong."

"Well, I'm glad I have your confidence," Janus said, a small and gentle smile on his face.

Roman was so glad that they were all okay, that his… his family was okay. Gratitude filled his heart as he looked from Patton to Logan to Janus.

They were going to be okay.

Roman had never felt such hot rage and betrayal in his life. In fact, the only time he'd ever been anywhere near this mad before was at the person who'd poisoned Patton.

Things had been going well, a little too well, in fact. So, Roman had expected something bad to happen… but this, this went beyond even Virgil's worrying and doomsday scenarios.

Janus, the man who'd been by his side for over a decade, had been playing the long game, and who knows how much longer it would've gone on if a servant that'd worked for Janus' father —before he'd died eleven years prior—, hadn't come forward with the information that Janus' father had instructed Janus to get close to Roman and corrupt or overthrow him.

Roman almost didn't believe it, couldn't really. He'd thought, surely this person was lying, but he couldn't help but wonder… couldn't help but doubt.

So, he'd gone to talk to Janus about it, but it'd quickly gotten out of hand, Roman full-on accusing him of everything he'd heard.

But that hadn't been the worst part, Roman would've felt bad enough if Janus had been offended that he'd even suggested that, but he wasn't, he didn't deny it at all. And that was worse, way worse.

Janus just looked at the ground, something heavy and almost sad in his eyes. "I'm sorry—"

"I don't want your— your bullshit apologies. We've known each other for… fuck, for fourteen years and this entire time, you've been plotting behind my back! I have absolutely no idea to the extent of all the terrible, horrible things you've done, and what was done in my name. I just— I don't even know what to think, what even is the appropriate reaction and punishment for— for this!"

"If I could—"

"No, you can't! Be quiet," Roman growled.

Janus quieted instantly and Roman would've felt bad if Janus hadn't just utterly betrayed him.

Roman rambled on, "After all these years, after I've trusted you for over a decade, only to find that you have betrayed me in this way. Do you know how many times I have stood up for you! What great conquests and burdens I had taken on for you at my own expense! It didn't really seem consequential at the time as I did it out of a place of love, but after…" Roman growled, low and frustrated. "You really are the snake they all claim you to be. Did you even poison Patton just to 'cure' him??"

This got Janus' attention as he jerked his head up. "Of course not—"

"How can I trust that you're telling the truth?! I can't help but wonder if you recruited Logan and forced him to work for you or face staying on the streets to starve to death!"

"No! I care for Logan dearly! Just— just let me explain myself, please!" Janus asked, practically begged, but Roman won't have it.

"I—" Roman sighed deeply. "I'm too angry for this right now, but I'll consider it and… and what you've done later when I've calmed down."

"...Yes, sire."

Roman briefly considered putting Janus in jail, but that'd cause a scene and he really didn't want this to get out unless Roman chose to tell people.

Besides, Janus was such a skilled magician and had been the one to fortify it so there'd really be no point anyway. If he wanted to escape, Roman had no doubt that he could. He just hoped that he'd cooperate.

"I will escort you to your room where there will be a constant guard outside your door, and I'll be very pissed if you leave."

"I wouldn't," Janus said softly, and Roman almost believed him, until he remembered that he'd been lying to Roman since they'd first met years and years ago.

"I should hope you'd know well enough to stay, yes."

Roman opened the door to Janus' study without another word and led Janus through the halls they were both homely familiar with, closely keeping track of him, lest he disappear.

Maybe he shouldn't have put the figurative backstabber in a position where he could be a literal backstabber, but Roman had thought it'd be awkward if he was hearding Janus along from behind, but now he wasn't sure. It was kind of too late anyway, it'd just seem like he had no idea what he was doing if he changed their positions now… although he really didn't know what he was doing, and Janus knew him so well that he no doubt knew that as well.

Roman had thought that he'd known Janus as well… but clearly not.

"...Where are we going?" Janus asked quietly like he knew how volatile Roman was because of course he did.

It was rather disturbing how well Janus knew him, and even more so that Roman had no idea what he knew about Janus. What had been truth and what had just been a fabrication?

"I thought I told you earlier," Roman almost winced at his snappish tone. "You're bound to your quarters."

"That's what I thought. Unless you moved them, my quarters are nowhere near here." Janus was still talking in that annoyingly gentle and careful tone. At least if he had been using his manipulating, honey-sweet voice Roman would feel more justified in being a jerk, but no, Janus had to be considerate sounding.

Maybe that was how he was trying to manipulate Roman? He would be more likely to know how to get on Roman's good side after all. Or maybe that's just how he was talking and Roman was putting stuff on him that wasn't there. It was practically impossible to tell and that really bothered Roman.

"Well… that's because we have a stop first." Roman took stock of where they were, trying to think of something. Oh! The guard's house was near here. Perfect. "I've got to get Virgil or Remy to guard your room."

"Mm, I see. Quick thinking."

Roman almost snapped at him, but he couldn't even tell if Janus was being sarcastic or not so he let it go.

The garrison was reasonably full for the time of early evening when Roman and Janus arrived; the change of the guard was fairly soon after all.

"Oh, hey, how can I help you gents?" Remy said after he took a big sip of his coffee.

"I need to talk to you and Virgil… in your office."

Remy's expression turned serious. "Of course. Cap Virgil's not here right now, he went to go check on the wallies —you know how they think they can get away with more just because they're all the way out on the castle wall—, but I can get someone to go get him if you want."

Roman resisted the urge to sigh. "...No, that's alright. I'll tell you and we can leave a note for when he returns. I just need one of you right now anyway."

They went into the office that Virgil and Remy shared and Remy shut the door behind them.

"Okay, so what's up? Something of national security I presume?"

"Yes, I— I'm not exactly sure how to say this but… Janus has been compromised and will need to subtly be confined to quarters."

Remy's eyebrows raised above his sunglasses. "Janus?"

"Yes."

"Okay, but… Janus? The Janus that's been here longer than I have? The Janus that's been here longer than even Cap Virgil? Your adviser Janus Hierophant? That Janus?"

"Yes," Roman said tightly. "That Janus."

"Unfortunately," Janus muttered and Roman wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear that so he ignored it.

Besides, it was just easier to ignore Janus, lest Roman actually lose his temper and say something he shouldn't.

"...Right, okay." Remy pushed his glasses up his nose and seemed to gather himself. "So, what's the plan exactly?"

"I want either you or Virgil right outside his door at all times. You can split up the time however you'd like, but you two are the only guards I trust for this. No one else is to know about this and if they ask it's for Janus' safety."

Remy scoffed quietly. "Janus is the most powerful sorcerer I know so I don't know how believable that is, but will do."

"Well, just…" Roman sighed. "I don't know. It's just an 'extra level of security' or something. Talk to Virgil about it when he relieves you or at least comes to talk to you later. I'm… I know I'm not the most prepared for this, and I know it shows, but just…"

"Yeah, I get it, your majesty."

"I just never thought—" Roman cut himself off as he realised that Janus was still in the same room. He was good at fading into the background when he wanted to or even on accident when he was quiet. Virgil also had the same… problem? Skill, perhaps? Roman supposed it just depended on what they were using it for.

"Well, if there's nothing else, I've got it from here. I'll leave a note for Cap Virgil then take Janus to his room. Besides, if you don't mind me saying, you look like you could use some rest or at least some time to yourself."

"I— yes. And… thank you."

"Of course, have a good evening, your majesty."

"I really am sorry," Janus murmured as Roman passed by, some emotion in his voice that Roman just couldn't quite get a grasp on.

Roman left with only one glance back, something indescribable in Janus' eyes that made Roman's heart drop and stomach twist at the same time. It was almost soft and quite a bit of hurt, but that didn't quite seem right. Maybe it was best to just leave it at indescribable.

He just… felt so betrayed. He'd really thought that he knew Janus, but now…

But now it was painfully clear that he didn't.

Roman sniffed softly as he walked down the empty halls, trying to focus on the tapestry along the walls instead of the urge to cry that was quickly welling up inside of him.

It was just a lot and… it was certainly something to sleep on.

Despite thinking that he'd sleep on it, he didn't get much sleep.

There had been —and really still was— just so much to think about that it'd been difficult to quiet down his thoughts enough to fall asleep for several hours, and on top of all that he'd woken up early and absolutely exhausted.

Roman allowed himself to lay in bed for longer than he usually did, but eventually, the thoughts in his head were too much, so he got up, got dressed, and went to the throne room.

Virgil was there, frowning at something on a piece of paper before he looked up. "Oh, hey, Roman." He paused for a second, probably considering how he wanted to word his next words. "...Are you wanting a status report?"

"I… sure, yeah. Yes, thank you." Roman sat on the ornate red and gold throne as Virgil approached, stepping up the few steps to the small stage-like platform that the throne was on.

Virgil adjusted his armour before speaking, "Okay, I saw Remy's note and he'd marked the switch-off times so I kept watch from ten to three in the morning. Then Remy took over again and I'll go relieve him at eight. The night was quiet enough, but that's just because Janus chose to stay. To be honest, I highly doubt that we could've stopped him if he'd actually wanted to escape."

"Yeah, I… I kind of knew that. Just felt better with someone I could trust watching him."

"...May I ask what happened?"

"He— he's a traitor to the kingdom. An old servant of Janus' late father came forward with the information just yesterday. I… I'm not really sure what to do," Roman quietly admitted.

"He's not—" Virgil cut himself off with a sigh. "What'd Janus say?"

"Oh, well… I may have been too angry and told him to shut up… yeah. But I'm planning on talking to him tod—"

"I don't think he's guilty!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I mean, I don't think he's guilty… at least anymore."

"Okay, now I'm even more confused."

"Janus and I knew each other before… before you knew and recruited us."

Roman raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"...Yeah."

"Since when?!"

"Since always? What do you mean 'since when'?"

"I— okay, point taken. But, why didn't either of you tell me?"

"Well… not only was it not relevant, but Janus wanted to keep his background clear, and being a teenager who was put over child soldiers isn't exactly the best job reference when trying to get close to a crowned prince, ya know?"

"Oh, so he… he really was planning this from the beginning."

"Well, no. He didn't. His father on the other hand… okay, listen, Janus' father was a very… let's say controlling man, and if he wanted something to get done, then it would happen, one way or another. So, while that was what Janus had been there to do, and planned on doing for a while, it's not a reflection of who he is today. He doesn't want any harm to come to you, Roman, and has actually prevented you from getting hurt many different times.

"Multiple times now, he's come with me with some threat or plot against you that someone was trying to carry out and we stopped it without you ever knowing.

"Sure, he's cunning and certainly the type who could play out the long game, but not with you. Not anymore. I've known him since we were kids and…

"Anyway, you didn't see him when he decided that he didn't want to try and corrupt or overthrow you anymore. I've never seen him so distraught before. Just— just the amount of remorse… he swore himself to you that day and I was his witness. He cares about you and… and I probably shouldn't tell you this but I'm pretty sure I heard him crying last night."

"...Crying?"

"Yeah, and you know how frequently he does that."

"I've… I've, uh, never seen him cry before."

"Exactly. He just doesn't! But this, possibly losing you, that's striking him to his core." Virgil paused, but as Roman didn't say anything, he continued, "Look, I'm not saying all is forgiven or that this solves everything, but just… talk to him, let him talk, and hear him out. Maybe he's changed, okay? Just don't lose him because of your pride."

Roman nodded, something heavy in his stomach. "Alright. I… I'll talk to him."

"That's all I ask. Just let him explain."

"Right. My anger has settled considerably since yesterday and with everything you've said… well, there's a lot to consider."

…

Roman was walking through the castle halls aimlessly, considering Virgil's words when Patton and Logan approached him.

Logan's brow was furrowed as he said, "Apologies for bothering you, sire, but Janus wasn't at breakfast and when we went to go see him," Logan looked around to check that no one was there, "Sir Remy said he couldn't let us in as Janus needed extra security. Is there a threat? And is there anything we can do to assist you?"

"Oh, that. Um…"

"I don't want him to get hurt like I did," Patton said softly. "So if there's something we can do to help…"

"That's really sweet of you both, but I can't really think of an— oh, well…" Roman glanced around before continuing, "There is one thing. Has either of you seen anything suspicious? Or like, has anyone made you uncomfortable?"

"Nope." Patton shook his head for emphasis.

"What kind of suspicious?" Logan asked, instantly attentive.

"Oh, just like, I don't know, someone lurking around, or looking like they're not supposed to be there." Those wouldn't apply to Janus but Roman was pretending that it wasn't him. Plus, it's not like it was bad things to ask about in general. He had full confidence in Virgil's security, but it didn't hurt to check. "Or maybe someone telling you not to tell anyone about something they did or said. Just, that type of thing."

"Hmm, I haven't seen anyone who fits that description, but I'll keep an eye out."

"Right, well, I just wanted to check, but…" Roman made a split-second decision. "We believe the danger's actually over now, so I just wanted to make sure that no one had said or done anything like that, or maybe even bribed you. Just stuff like that."

"Ah, well, no one's bribed me—"

"Same," Patton interjected.

"But even if they did I would've let you or Janus kn… oh."

Roman winced as the revelation dawned on Logan's face. Logan was very smart and had clearly put two and two together. Roman just hoped that he would be sensible enough not to discuss it in front of Patton.

"I see, well… have a good visit with Janus, and I'm glad the danger passed."

It was rather amazing that he even had deduced that in the first place. Janus was definitely the person that Logan trusted the most, so to even think that he had been the danger…

"Yes, I am as well. Virgil was a big help to the investigation."

"Ah, sir Virgil is quite good at his job."

"Yeah, he's super cool!" Patton agreed.

"Well, I will let you go let Janus know that the danger has passed. Patton and I might go read some then. He's been learning at a good rate."

"Yeah! Yesterday I recognized the word strawberry!"

"Oh, well, good job, Patton! And thank you, Logan, for helping Janus teach him to read."

"Of course. Have a good rest of your morning."

"You two as well."

"Bye!" Patton waved as they left and Roman waved in return.

…

"Good morning, Remy," Roman greeted as he stopped outside Janus' door.

"Good morning. How's… it going?"

"Good, really good actually. The danger's passed."

Roman could see it in Remy's eyes and his shoulders as his relief washed over him. "Oh, good. I'm glad. I presume I can…" Remy pointed with his thumb down the hallway.

"Oh, yes. Yeah, have a good day, Remy, and thank you for keeping an eye on things."

"Of course! Have a good one."

After Remy left, Roman took a deep breath and opened Janus' door.

Janus set his book down and quickly stood, but didn't say anything.

Roman shut the door behind himself and walked into the room, still allowing Janus space though.

"So…" Roman started, but faded out as he wasn't sure where to go from there.

"So?" Janus asked, worry evident in his tone.

"So, I'm not so mad and am ready to talk. Virgil filled me in on some stuff, but I'd still like to hear some of it from you."

"Alright. What do you want to know?"

"Well…" Questions swirled in Roman's head, so he decided to start on an easier one. "How did you meet Virgil?"

"Virgil was a child soldier and I was over his unit, but before that, I was in the nanny ward taking care of children not even half my age. I've known Virgil since he was little. Literally."

"Oh… um, what was your relationship with your father?"

Janus' expression went sour. "That scumbag? I tried to do everything he wanted, including… trying to get close to you to kill, overthrow, or manipulate you, but I realised… I didn't have to do that anymore. There were other people out there who cared about people. Up until then, Virgil was the only person who wasn't an utter dick. But you showed me that people can be good. However, I couldn't quite find it in me to defy my father, so I didn't— couldn't do anything while he was alive.

"Fortunately, he'd had a lot of enemies and was assassinated soon enough. So after he died and I was free, I asked for time to better myself before becoming your advisor, and I did, by dismantling the child army and finding either their families if they were forcibly taken, or good orphanages if their parents had given them up for misbehaving or a price."

"Wait, that was you! You did that?"

A bit of the tension fell from Janus' shoulders. "Yes, but I didn't want the publicity, and especially not on the traumatised kids, so I kept it to myself. I think Virgil suspects though."

So far, Janus' story matched up with Virgil's in all the important ways… but he had to be sure that Janus had changed.

"Are you a danger to me, the kingdom, or the kids?"

"Well, of course I'd say I'm not, but since you're not sure you can trust me, that doesn't do much good, so… I'm afraid only you can answer that question."

Damn, Janus was —as usual— right.

Roman stepped closer and stared into Janus' eyes, one light brown and one dark brown eye staring back. "I'd like to hear your answer anyway. Are you a danger?"

"No." There was fear hidden in some deep part of Janus' eyes, but Roman could tell that it wasn't a fear of being caught for lying, it was a fear of loss, of losing Logan and Patton, of losing Roman.

"Okay."

A bit of hope flittered in. "Okay?"

"Okay," Roman confirmed. "I believe you. It may take a bit to be able to fully trust you again, but… I believe you."

Janus let out a shaky breath, relief and disbelief evident as he all but collapsed into his singular armchair by the fireplace. "I understand it'll take time, but I thank you for the opportunity to prove myself to you again."

"And I'm… glad you want to. I'd… I'd be lost without you, Janus."

"I'd be lost without you as well, my king," Janus softly admitted.

Roman smiled to himself, full of pride, as he looked out the carriage window and recalled the events that'd taken place that day.

Logan and Patton had started a program together to help kids in situations like the ones they'd come from. It'd been in place for a month now —and about as much time since Roman had started trusting Janus again—, and once a week they would go to check on the progress in person.

Everything was going well in the program and Roman couldn't be prouder of Logan and Patton for their work in it. He'd seen how much work and effort they'd put into it, even if he'd only just seen the work they did from the castle.

This was Roman's first time going with them as he was usually too busy when they went to check on everything and help with things in person. Instead, Janus would take them, but this week, Roman had a lighter load and worked a bit harder yesterday to have the entire day free.

There was one week where Remus had taken them when Janus had too many meetings and not enough time, but that had gone about as well as Roman would've expected, especially as Remus didn't have Virgil with him and hadn't told Roman that he was taking them beforehand. Roman was ninety-five percent sure that Remus taught them several different ways to commit arson that day.

"King Roman?"

Roman blinked out of his thoughts and looked over. "Yes, Logan?"

"We're here."

Roman glanced out of the window before smiling. "Ah, so we are!"

They could've made the trip back to the castle that day, but they'd spent all day working and were already tired enough as it was, so Janus suggested that they stop at the inn in town for the evening.

Janus and Logan went inside to check in while Roman and Patton grabbed their bags. Roman hadn't exactly expected not to get home that day, but he was always prepared and had a few changes of clothes for everyone.

"Wait, did you hear that?"

Roman paused. "...No?"

"Hmm." Patton put his bag back and took off to the alleyway next to The Crumbling Knight Inn.

"Pat— and he's gone." Roman sighed and hastily copied Patton.

Patton was sitting rather far into the alley and was looking intently at some sort of animal across the alley from him.

"Oh, you found a dog," Roman murmured as he quietly walked back and peered around the alley corner.

The muddy dog carefully crept towards Patton and sniffed his outstretched hand before allowing him to pet her.

"Aww, aren't you sweet!" Patton cooed as he glanced at Roman with fleeting, pleading eyes.

…Roman guessed they may very well have a dog soon.

Roman stepped around the corner and the dog eyed him suspiciously.

"She said she has no family. Can we keep her?"

"...The dog said that?"

"Well, not exactly 'said'… but I know what she means."

"I— alright, if you'll help take care of her, then sure. You absolutely may."

"Oh, I will! I'll take very good care of her!"

"Then we should give her some water and a snack and start a bath, then we can give her some more food if the other stays down."

"...She says she doesn't like baths, but she hates being covered in dried mud more, so she'll allow it this one time. Also, I think the promise of food helped."

"Well, then we only need to convince Janus and bribe the innkeeper."

…

As it turned out, the innkeeper needed more convincing than Janus, but after the extra money was laid down and Patton gave puppy dog eyes and even promised to clean up after the dog, she agreed.

All four of them sat at one of the tables in the inn's dining room, and the dog sat next to Patton —albeit on the floor, much to Patton's disappointment—.

"I'm very glad your program is going well, Logan and Patton," Roman said after they'd eaten most of their food.

"Thank you. I was quite pleased with the progress as well."

"Yeah!" Patton exclaimed as he took the last biscuit from the now empty basket. "It's already helped quite a few kids." He took a big bite and rested his hand against his thigh before gasping. "Hey! That was my biscuit!"

The dog didn't pay Patton any mind though as she wolfed it down.

Janus pursed his lips ever so slightly and Roman instantly recognised that he was trying not to laugh. He seemed to recover quickly though and kindly said, "Here, Patton. I didn't end up eating my biscuit so you may have it."

"Oh, thanks! I'll be sure to hold it over my plate this time."

"Probably wise."

"...Oh hey! I know what we should name her now."

Roman raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Biscuit!"

"That does seem like a logical enough name for a dog," Logan agreed.

"...She says that's a good name, especially if she gets more biscuits sometime."

Roman laughed. "Well, we'll have to see about that."

Roman never would've been able to imagine that it was possible to care for so many people this much. His brother, Remus; Captain of the guard, Virgil; Logan Hierophant; Roman's ward, Patton; and Roman's adviser, Janus.

His care for them seemed to only be multiplying every day, and Roman was quite content to let it.

But lately his care for Janus was almost… changing? Not diminishing in any way, just… it was a bit different now.

Roman got up from the desk in his room and began pacing.

He wanted to be more physical with Janus for one thing, and while he liked some physical affection in general, this still felt different. He wanted to be near Janus more than he'd ever thought about. There was just something in Roman that pulled him to Janus.

He wanted to hold Janus' hand, to hug him, and to… wake up next to each other?

He… he wanted to run his fingers through Janus' long, beautiful hair, to brush and braid his golden hair. Wanted to cup his cheek and lean in and—

Kiss Janus??

Oh.

Oh, wow. How had Roman not seen that before, hadn't seen that coming?

Roman sat down on his bed, legs feeling almost shaky under him as he laid back.

But now that he thought about it… it almost made sense.

Sure, one could think that one's friends were pretty, and one could want to be physically affectionate with them, but there was some feeling in Roman's gut that told him that this was different, something that told him that it wasn't strictly platonic.

…Now what?

Roman sat up.

Did he want to tell Janus? Or maybe wait?

He wasn't sure what he'd be waiting on but he also didn't want to just rush into anything. How was he supposed to know what to do? He'd never been… been in love before.

Roman almost rolled his eyes at how obvious it was. Who did he know that would have some experience with romance? Remus and Virgil, of course. They were married after all.

Roman found Remus and Virgil quick enough, both relaxing in their shared quarters as they cuddled on one of their couches.

"Hey, Ro-bro! Wanna come on in and tell us what's on your mind?"

Roman shut the door behind himself. "That obvious, huh?"

Remus rolled chaos' eyes. "Of course. There's clearly something on your mind, so what has your brain going in circles?"

"Yeah, we're here to listen and help if we can," Virgil agreed.

"Well…" Roman sat down on the couch opposite Remus and Virgil. "I realised that I may… like Janus romantically?"

Remus snorted loudly as Virgil pursed his lips, probably to not do what Remus did.

"Did you only just learn that?" Remus asked, voice full of amusement.

Roman huffed. "Yes. Was it that obvious?"

"Oh, definitely. I thought you were just taking your sweet time asking him, but you didn't… man, talk about King Oblivious."

Roman huffed, pretending to be offended. "Wow, if I'd known that I'd just get insulted for my trouble—"

Virgil laughed. "No, we'll— well, I'll help at least. No guarantee for Remus though."

"Hey! I can be helpful too!"

"Sure."

"I— okay fair." Remus looked back at Roman. "So, what's the problem exactly?"

"Well, I think I'd like to tell him, but like…"

"You don't wanna fuck it up?"

"I wouldn't put it quite like that, but yes. I just— I really care about him and in one way it wasn't really all that long ago that I thought I might… might lose him. I just don't want to worry about possibly losing him again."

"I really don't think you'll lose him," Virgil said. "I…" They hesitated. "Even if he didn't like you back, he's not one for abandoning his friends."

Roman sighed. "Yeah, you're right. I'm just… nervous I guess."

Remus seemed to be taking this more seriously now. "Yeah, that's understandable. I was super nervous about asking Virgil, and waited so long that he ended up asking me." Remus laughed. "And he was probably more nervous than I was!"

"Oh, definitely. I was so anxious that I almost threw up."

…

After a bit more assurance from Virgil and some —light-hearted— badgering from Remus, Roman decided that he'd tell Janus soon, but especially as he'd only discovered his romantic feelings that day, he would give it some thought as to how he would ask Janus out.

Maybe he could do a big gesture first? Like a picnic perhaps? No, it was winter and far too cold.

Should Roman just tell him? There wasn't much romance in that though… but maybe he was just overcomplicating things?

Roman's nerves had only doubled and he was still no closer to figuring out how to ask Janus out.

Roman sighed as he wandered through the hallways, lost in thought.

What if he got so worked up that he got too nervous to ask Janus at all? Maybe… maybe he should just ask now before his brain blew it out of proportion.

Before Roman quite realised what he was doing, he was walking towards Janus' room.

Roman took a deep breath and knocked on the door before he could chicken out.

"Come in," Janus called.

Roman opened the door and shut it behind himself. "Hello, Janus."

"Hello, Roman." Janus smiled before putting a bookmark in the book he'd been reading and setting it on the small side table next to the armchair. The fire crackled merrily in the hearth. Janus gestured Roman over. "I won't bite," He teased.

Roman huffed. "I know that."

"Then why do you look so nervous?" Janus raised an eyebrow.

Roman stopped by Janus' chair and almost wished that he'd thought to wear his regal attire or at the very least his crown. He really needed the confidence.

"Just… am?" Roman tried.

"Right," Janus said sarcastically, clearly not believing him. He seemed to realise how put upon Roman felt though as he suggested, "Why don't you sit down?"

"But there's not— oh!" Roman did his best not to squeak as a warm arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him down into Janus' lap.

"There, now you're closer to the fire. You're cold, you need to keep warm."

"I—" Roman was quite sure his cheeks were flushing. "Right, um. Yeah."

Fortunately, the chair was large enough for both of them, Roman sitting sideways in between Janus' legs with the backs of his knees on the armrest, feet dangling over the side. Janus' arm was still around Roman's waist, fingers splayed over his stomach.

Roman wasn't really sure where to put his arm that was closer to Janus, and since it was a bit too late to put it in between himself and Janus as Janus had already pulled them pretty close together, Roman decided to put his arm around Janus' shoulders.

Janus laid his hand that was not wrapped around Roman on Roman's knee. "So, how'd you sleep last night?"

"Uh, pretty good. What about you?"

"...I should've expected you to ask me back."

Roman laughed. "I mean, that's kind of how small talk works usually."

"Hah, fair enough." Janus stared at the fire and Roman finally saw that it wasn't just shadow from the flame under Janus' eyes making him look tired. His shoulders were a bit heavy looking as well.

"So, how'd you really sleep?" Roman finally asked.

"Well, not very well. I don't know why. It's not like there was really anything to affect or disturb my sleep like that… anyway, I'll just try to get better rest tonight."

"Well, why don't you just take a nap?"

"Hmm, I might. I usually struggle with falling asleep in the middle of the day when… anyway."

"When what?"

Janus sighed. "When I'm alone. I used to have people near when I was in charge of… the nanny ward and then later with the… well, not really soldiers, but the point is I never slept alone growing up. It doesn't really matter though, I'll just wait until—"

"I'll sleep with you!"

Janus coughed. "What?"

Roman felt his face warm as he shifted awkwardly, but that just made it worse as it just reminded Roman just how much they were touching. "Okay, that sounded… but what I meant was we could… take a nap together?" Oh, dramdach, that didn't sound much better.

"I— yes. That… yes."

Roman didn't think he'd ever seen Janus so not put together. Maybe his sleep problem had been going on for longer than he'd said.

Roman didn't have any more time to ponder such things, however, as Janus moved his hand from on top of his knees to under, and his other hand to support the rest of Roman as he stood and carried Roman over to Janus' bed.

Janus set the still stunned Roman down. "Well?"

"Uh, well what?" Since when was Janus so strong??

Janus huffed in amusement. "Are you going to scoot over so I can get in as well?"

"Huh, oh! Oh, yeah." Roman moved over as Janus slid in next to him and pulled the blankets over them.

"Here, you can scoot a bit closer. It's pretty chilly today and the bed's rather cold."

Despite the warmth in Roman's face, the bed was indeed cold.

"Okay," Roman murmured as he shuffled closer, choosing to sleep on his side.

Janus was behind Roman as he'd hoped that he'd be less awkward, but Janus must've also been on his side as threw an arm over Roman's waist and buried his nose in Roman's shoulder.

Well, this was certainly different than what Roman had expected when he'd gone to Janus to tell him that he loved Janus. He hadn't even gotten that far before Janus was sharing a bed with him.

Life was weird sometimes.

…

Roman woke up warm so he hummed and snugged even closer to the warmth before frowning. Wait, what was warm?

Roman's eyes flew open and he realised that he was sleeping on… on Janus' chest! He scrambled back and tried to sit up.

"Well, good evening. Where are you going in such a hurry?" Janus asked, lazily watching him from where he was half sitting up against the headboard.

"Oh, I— I was— just… surprised, that's all."

"Fair enough. I'm sure it'd be a bit surprising to wake up next to —or rather on, in this case— someone when you're not used to it."

"But you are? Even now, and even with me?"

Janus considered him for a moment. "Yes."

Roman looked away, not even quite sure why. "Oh."

Janus started at Roman for a moment longer before he broke whatever that was and said, "So, it's about suppertime. How about we go find the whole crew and eat together."

"Yeah, absolutely. That sounds great."

They got out of bed and fixed their bedheads and slightly skewed clothes.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Janus said as he put his hat back on. Roman hadn't even noticed that he'd taken it off. "I had something I wanted to talk to you about earlier."

"Oh?"

Janus' eyes ran over Roman before he looked away. "I— nevermind."

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes. Let's go eat."

…

They all gathered for supper and ate amid chatter and teasing.

"So," Logan began seriously as he set down his fork. "I read about something in the library today and I was wondering if everyone has birthdays or just a select few."

"Oh, everyone does," Janus said. "Some people may choose not to celebrate or may not know what day exactly they were born on —I presume you don't—, but most people celebrate their birthday, or at least know when it is."

A bit of sadness crossed Logan's face. "Ah, I see."

"We could choose a day to be your birthday though," Roman suggested.

"Really? We can do that?"

"Absolutely! We can pick a date and then throw a little party that day to celebrate you."

"What about tomorrow?" Logan asked.

"Well, let's have enough time to at least plan it."

"How about this Saturday?" Janus offered.

Logan considered it for a moment. "...That would be acceptable."

"Good," Janus said before turning to Patton. "And you will, of course, get one as well."

Patton almost dropped his fork in surprise, eyes widening. "What? Really? I get a birthday too?"

"Of course, Patton," Roman assured. "You're no less a part of this family than anyone else."

"Oh."

Roman decided not to dwell on that too much right now. He did, however, make a mental note to himself to be sure that Patton always knew that he was part of the family. "Do you know when your birthday is?"

"...No."

"Well, that's just fine. We can pick a date for or with you sometime after Logan's birthday party, okay?"

"Okay!"

Janus asked Logan, "Would you like to help plan the party, like perhaps after supper, or would you rather it be a surprise and we plan it for you?"

"I'd like to be involved with the planning, please. I'm not very fond of surprises."

"That's understandable," Remus said around a mouth full of food. "One time I tried to throw a surprise party and Roman screamed!"

"In my defense, you jumped out of nowhere with what looked like a mound of some weird red stuff! It looked bloody!"

"Okay, listen, it's not my fault I don't know how to bake!"

Today definitely hadn't gone how Roman had expected but, all in all, it was —albeit weird— still a good day.

Today was Logan's new birthday and as excited as Logan seemed to be, he also was at least that much nervous, stressing over every little detail and clearly tense and on edge.

"No, a bit lower… now to the left… not that left, go to the right a bit. That's too high, can you—"

"Logan, I don't think we'll get this exactly right at this rate," Janus said a bit exasperatedly.

"...Oh, right. Apologies, right there is adequate… well, maybe just a bit to the—"

"Logan!"

"Oh, right, right."

"Why don't you use magic to get it just right?" Patton asked.

"... Because we didn't think of that," Janus admitted.

"That's a really good idea," Roman praised.

Janus let go of his side of the banner and it stayed in place with a bit of gold glittering around it; a sign of his magic. He gestured for Roman to do the same thing and he did, his side also staying with the same golden glitter.

They both climbed down their respective ladders, and Janus made rulers out of his magic on each of the four sides of the banner to get it perfectly centered. Finally it was secured, and Janus went back to blowing up balloons with his magic, some dark blue sparkly confetti in each one.

"I've got the cake!" Virgil exclaimed as he entered the event hall.

"And I've got the ice cream! …Mostly because Virgil doesn't trust me with the cake."

"I saw the flips you were doing with the ice cream bucket!" Virgil and Remus set their loads down on the table.

"Well, obviously I wouldn't've done that with the cake!"

"Well, it's hard to know with you.“

Remus huffed as chaos made a cold bubble around the ice cream so it wouldn't melt, but conceited, "...Okay, that's fair."

Roman walked over to Logan. "Hey, you seem a bit stressed. I know that this is a lot, but it doesn't have to be perfect, okay? We want you to have fun, not be stressed out of your mind."

"Ah, yes. You're right, of course. I just… want this to go well. I'm afraid I've rather so-called 'built' it up in my mind to be this big important thing, so I'm worried about it not going perfectly."

"Oh, I know what you mean. I've definitely done that before. Trying to get every little detail perfect, even when I wasn't sure what getting it perfect would look like. It's called 'perfectionism'."

"Oh, there's a name for that? I didn't realise it was such a common thing."

"Yes, but there's ways to help with it, like letting yourself know that it's okay to make mistakes, or that it doesn't have to be absolutely perfect. It's not going to be perfect but that's okay! I know letting it go is easier said than done, but just know that I'm here for you, Logan."

"Thanks, I appreciate it. I just… I suppose I just want to be good enough. I've been given such a wonderful opportunity here and I don't want anyone to think that I'm squandering it." Logan dropped his voice, "I just don't want you to regret letting Janus take me in."

"Oh, Logan, I don't regret Janus taking you in at all! Short of some very, very bad stuff, I'd never regret that. I'm so glad you're here, and I want you to be here, okay?"

Logan nodded as he seemed to be fighting back tears. "Okay. Thank you."

"Of course. Anytime."

Roman patted Logan's shoulder and they shared a small smile.

…

After Logan was able to relax, things went smoother and Roman was quite sure that he was enjoying everything.

Remus was standing next to Virgil, each had an arm wrapped around the other's waist, and Remus was using his free hand to make a ball of magic that Logan, Patton, and Biscuit were running around, chasing. Occasionally, something would happen —like almost running into each other, or the bundle of magic would jump just out of reach— and Logan and Patton would laugh, Biscuit barking with them.

Roman stood off to the side with Janus, who was watching everyone's antics in amusement.

Roman wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but ever since he'd realised that he liked Janus romantically, there kept being… little things. Roman wasn't even sure what to call them.

While they hadn't shared a bed again after the nap they'd shared, they still were in close proximity more often than ever. Janus would put an arm around Roman's shoulders as he showed Roman something out of his book, or would press their knees together under the dinner table. Just little things like that, things that Roman still couldn't quite get his head around.

Was it just his feelings for Janus misinterpreting things? Or… well, he didn't even dare to hope.

Janus also seemed to be spending more time with Roman, even if he said something about it being a coincidence that they were in the same room. Roman… wasn't sure if he believed Janus.

Despite all that, Roman couldn't help but worry that he'd missed his chance. Sure, he probably hadn't, but his worry didn't seem to care about that.

What if he never told Janus? He knew he'd regret it if he never told him though, he just hoped that if… —when?— he told Janus, that he wouldn't come to regret that too.

He still felt no closer to knowing how or when to tell Janus, but he supposed that he probably wasn't in that much of a rush. The only people Janus talked to outside of their little family, were all in a professional setting, so Roman doubted that Janus would just suddenly have a partner… hopefully he wouldn't anyway.

Remus yanked the ball higher and Patton jumped, trying to catch it, but it bounced off of the tips of his fingers, and he laughed merrily as he slowly drifted down, having used a slow-fall spell that Janus had taught him recently.

Roman heard a gentle laugh from beside him, so he looked over at Janus, whose smile was softer now, sunlight hitting his face just right, and hair sparkling golden in the light.

And before Roman realised, "You're the most beautiful person I've ever had the honour of meeting," Tumbled out of his mouth.

Janus broke his vision away and looked at Roman in shock. "Wh— what?"

Oops. Well, it was out there now. "Oh, well… I wasn't planning on saying this right now, but I really have been meaning to tell you so… I like you."

"...Like romantically?"

"Yes, like… like romantically."

Janus smirked before he stated matter-a-factly,

"About time."

"What?"

"I've been flirting with you for a while now! I was starting to wonder if you'd ever like me back."

"Wait, really?"

Janus nodded. "You're an idiot."

Roman laughed abruptly. "Wow, thanks."

"But you're a very lovable idiot."

"Oh, thanks." Roman's face warmed a bit as Janus stepped a bit closer.

Janus gazed into Roman's eyes and he gazed back, the striking contrast of Janus' eyes all but mesmerising. He cupped Janus' face in his hands, running a thumb across his soft cheek before running his other thumb over Janus' scarred cheek, gently tracing a few of the raised lines.

"You're beautiful," Roman said, voice full of wonder.

"I— you're not so bad yourself."

Roman took a little step forward. "Why, thank you." He let his right hand fall a bit until it rested on Janus' shoulder, and Janus reached up with his left hand to grasp at Roman's sleeve. "I really like you," Roman murmured.

"I really like you as well," Janus said back, voice just as soft.

"So, wh—"

"Hey, Roman!" Patton exclaimed before he stopped next to them.

Roman pulled back from Janus to see a sheepish Patton.

"Oops, sorry. Didn't quite figure out what my intuition was telling me in time."

Roman laughed. "It's alright, what's up?"

Patton held up a light blue balloon that had been folded and twisted into the shape of a dog. "Uncle Remus is making balloon animals!"

"Uncle?"

"Oh, um, well, he and uncle Virgil said it was okay… but I can—"

"No, that's perfectly fine. I was just surprised, that's all."

Patton paused, no doubt seeing if Roman would suddenly change his mind and get mad, but, of course, Roman didn't. "...Okay."

Janus seemed to notice the need for a subject change as he asked, "Do you think he could make me something?"

"Hmm, I think a honey badger would be too complicated, but I bet he could make you a snake!"

"Sounds perfect."

Patton ran off to no doubt ask Remus about the snake.

Janus shook his head fondly. "I'll never understand how children can have so much energy."

"Right! They're so small and yet they just zoom around."

Janus paused before looking back at Roman. "Well, we should probably go see what everyone wants to do next."

"Yeah, that sounds good… can I hold your hand?" Roman blurted out, startling a laugh out of Janus.

"Yes." Janus held his hand out and Roman took it.

Roman wasn't quite sure what this meant for them yet, but it seemed like it would only be for the better.

As they all sang 'happy birthday' to Logan around his birthday cake, Roman couldn't help but wonder at how he'd gotten such an amazing family.

And he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with them.

~The End~

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