'It's not his fault. It's not his fault.' Virgil tapped his fingers rapidly against his leg as he anxiously watched the horror show happening in front of him. 'He doesn't know what he's doing. It's not his fault!'
The day had started off decently enough. Everything was calm. Thomas felt fine. They were on schedule. There were no big fights between the sides. Everything had been surprisingly quiet, which was probably exactly why Remus had shown up in the first place.
He probably hadn't meant to cause any true trouble, just a little bit of mischief because he was bored. He just wanted attention, and Virgil had been the unlucky side that Remus had wanted to receive attention from.
The duke had started doing anything he could think of to get a reaction out of Virgil. Remus seemed to try everything he could think of. He would try jump-scares, terrifying situations, disturbing facts, gory details, and a mix between them all. Virgil was unnerved, but not as much as he used to be.
While Virgil would jump and get startled, he didn't fall into a panic. He just took a deep breath and moved past Remus to go on with his day. It was really hard at first. Virgil just had to remember all the advice he'd been given by the others when it came to dealing with Remus. As the day went on it got a little easier, even though Remus was getting more and more desperate to get a decent reaction out of him.
Virgil had expected Remus to pull out a ridiculously elaborate prank to finish off the day. He considered faking a reaction, just to humor Remus. Virgil could count on one hand the number of times that Remus dedicated an entire day to achieving just a single goal. He usually got bored and moved on to something completely different. Virgil wondered if he was just feeling particularly lonely today and wanted someone to play with. He didn't really like Remus' games, but it wouldn't feel right to leave anybody, even smelly dukes, on their own when they just wanted some company.
Virgil was surprised, and a little concerned, when Remus' efforts started to become less elaborate. Instead of a fantastic finale, Remus' last act of desperation was to pop up in front of Virgil and start screaming profanities and slurs at him.
Virgil was taken aback and he felt a spike of anxiety in his chest. He wasn't exactly scared or disturbed by the scream itself. He'd lived with Remus for long enough to barely be bothered by any sudden loud noises he made. No, what was upsetting about the shout was that it was all that Remus had done. After a long day of Remus putting out all the stops to get under his skin, it was a bit concerning that he was breaking down like this and resorting to simple shouting.
Virgil had no idea how he was supposed to respond. Should he scream and give Remus the satisfaction of scaring him? Would it be better if he asked Remus what was wrong? Because it was clear that he was having an off day. Should he get Logan or Janus to talk to Remus instead? Should he just continue to ignore him and let him work everything out for himself? In his uncertainty, Virgil just stood there in stunned shock. Remus had stopped screaming and he gave Virgil a curious look. He was just about to say something when Patton came in.
The fatherly side had not been as patient with Remus' antics as Virgil had been. The only reason he hadn't interfered was because Logan, Virgil, and Roman all told him multiple times that anything he did or said would only encourage Remus more.
Patton had heard Remus' screaming, and had probably come in to scold him about his language, but when he'd seen Virgil's almost frightened expression the last of his patience vanished.
Patton's expression had closed up and became almost cold and very un-Patton like. He'd grabbed Remus' sleeves and started pulling him towards the kitchen. Virgil had been stunned by the action, as Patton was the most reluctant of any of them to go anywhere near Remus and this might be the first time he was willingly touching him at all.
Between Patton's behavior and Remus' poor mood, Virgil stood frozen, trying to wrap his head around what was happening. He was only dragged out of his own head when he caught part of what Patton was saying as he scolded Remus. Virgil only heard four words, but it was enough to shake him down to the core.
"Wash out your mouth."
Virgil was still shocked, but Patton's words overcame the 'freeze' instinct. He ran after them, trying to get his mouth to work for him, but just because his body was ready to move didn't mean that his mouth and brain were. His words got caught in his throat. He couldn't ask Patton what he was up to, or warn that this wasn't a good idea, or try to distract him. Virgil just followed in silence as Patton pulled Remus to the sink and reached for a bar of soap.
As soon as Virgil saw the soap he froze again, and he hadn't been able to move again since. Virgil couldn't do anything but watch in silent horror as Patton pushed the bar against Remus' mouth and tried to coax him into opening his mouth.
The reaction hadn't been instant, which made everything even worse. For a few moments Remus just winced, squeezed his mouth shut, and tried to turn away from the soap, but Patton's grip on him was firm.
"You're making this much harder than it has to be, kiddo." Patton said gently as Remus began to whimper slightly. "I know it doesn't feel good, but it'll feel much better if you just get it over with."
Remus looked at Patton with wide eyes. Virgil shook his head and pulled his hoodie up over his head. He hunched his shoulders. He hoped that Remus didn't give in. The soap against his mouth had to sting, but Virgil knew that the pain was nothing compared to the agony he would feel if it actually got in his mouth.
Remus huffed to himself and tried to squirm away from Patton, but the fatherly side was somehow stronger than him at that moment. When Patton really had his heart set on doing things, very little could stop him. The struggle went on for almost a minute before Remus whined and slowly opened his mouth.
"There you go." Patton smiled as he gently rubbed the soap over Remus' tongue. He used his free hand to keep Remus' mouth open. "Isn't that better?" Remus tried to shake his head and growl, but every time he resisted Patton would push the soap further into her mouth. It wasn't long before almost the entire bar was in Remus' mouth, and that was when the screaming started.
Remus let out an ear-piercing scream of raw pain. The sound sent shivers down Virgil's spine. He dug his hands into his pockets. This hurt to listen to. Virgil desperately wanted to go upstairs, duck into his room, and hide under his covers, but he felt like he couldn't move at all. He wasn't brave enough to tell Patton to stop, but he wasn't cowardly enough to run away and pretend that none of this was happening. All he could do was watch as Remus was screaming like he was being tortured, and Virgil knew that was because in a way he was.
Virgil tried to tell himself that Patton wasn't doing this with malicious intent. He probably didn't know about Remus' allergy to soap. He wasn't trying to hurt him. It was a little hard to believe that Patton had the best of intentions when he was ignoring Remus' screams. It was obvious to Virgil that Remus was in pain. He could tell the difference between these screams and the ones he let out just to get attention.
Patton didn't know Remus as well as Virgil did. He probably just thought that Remus was throwing a fit. That didn't make what Patton was doing right, but Virgil tried to take comfort from it anyway. Patton would never purposefully hurt anybody. He was just trying to discipline Remus, help him to be better. He didn't know the harm he was doing.
But Virgil did. Virgil knew, and he wasn't saying anything. He knew that he should, and he wanted to, but the words wouldn't come out. He was afraid, and he didn't even know why. Remus was suffering because of Virgil's cowardice, and they both knew it.
The screams were horrible to listen to, but Virgil hated it even more when the screeching quieted down. Patton looked pleased with himself when Remus's screams tapered off into choked moans and whimpers. He probably just thought that Remus was calming down and trying to behave himself.
Virgil knew that the only reason why Remus wasn't screaming anymore was because he physically couldn't. His tongue had probably swollen up so much that it was blocking his airways too much for him to be able to get a proper scream out.
Patton smiled and finally took the bar of soap out of Remus' mouth. "There. That wasn't too bad, now was it?" Virgil expected Remus to growl or attack Patton, but he just snapped a hand to his mouth, protecting it from further intrusion. Remus tried to duck away, but Patton pulled him into a tight hug, holding him in place.
Virgil had always seen Patton's hugs as comforting and amazing. Remus was stiff and looked like he was about to be attacked, and Virgil couldn't blame him.
"I don't like having to punish you kiddos." Patton said quietly, almost tearfully. "But you can't just do whatever you want." Patton pulled away from Remus and wiped his eyes. Virgil was alarmed to see the intrusive side crying. Remus didn't cry, ever.
"Are you ready to apologize to Virgil?" Patton asked. Virgil jolted and felt his chest tighten. He didn't want to be dragged into this.
"That's not necessary." Virgil said. He had been annoyed that Remus had been bothering him all day, but all of that annoyance was gone now. There was far too much anxiety, regret, sympathy, and unease for him to be upset with Remus.
Patton and Remus both turned to look at him with twin looks of shock. Neither of them had noticed Virgil's presence.
"Kiddo, were you there the whole time?" Patton asked.
"I...yeah." Virgil said. Remus flinched and whined. A look of betrayal came to his eyes and Virgil felt a surge of guilt. He'd been here the whole time, and he hadn't done anything to stop Remus' pain. He'd just sat there and watched, and now Remus knew it. He probably thought that Virgil thought he'd deserved it.
"Y-you don't have to apologize." Virgil said.
"Yes he does." Patton insisted. "When you hurt somebody, it's only right to apologize to them. Otherwise how would they know that they really regret it?" Patton gave Remus a small nudge. "Go on."
Remus lowered his head. He refused to meet Virgil's gaze. He kept a hand over his mouth. He put his free hand in a fist and brought it to his chest. He made a circular motion. Virgil instantly recognized the ASL sign for 'sorry'. Remus then brought his hand to his head and made a gesture that Virgil was just as familiar with, though it had been a long time since he'd seen it. Virgil's breath hitched. He hadn't thought he would ever see that sign again. He hadn't thought that he would miss it.
Patton gasped in horror and grabbed Remus' hand, interrupting his sign. "Remus! We do not use that word up here." Patton glanced towards the sink. "Do I need to wash the filthy language out of your hands too?"
"No!" Virgil jolted forward. He pushed himself between Remus and Patton. He didn't miss the way that Remus tried to cower behind him. This felt so wrong. Virgil could think of countless times when he had hidden behind Remus when they were young. This was the first time that Virgil could think of when their positions were reversed.
"No, no, Patton, he wasn't saying that." Virgil said. "He wasn't calling me paranoid."
Remus shook his head rapidly. Virgil could hear him breathing harshly against him. He wondered how much of it was because of fear and how much was from his allergic reaction.
Patton frowned, and Virgil had to keep himself from balking under his gaze. He had to remind himself that Patton wasn't a threat to him. This was all just a misunderstanding, caused by a lack of real communication between the dark and light sides.
"I saw it." Patton said. "I know what that sign is."
Virgil looked back at Remus. "Do the sign again." Remus looked reluctant. He stared at Virgil in distrust, and with a pang he realized that Remus was worried that he was just trying to trick him. He thought that Virgil was trying to get into more trouble.
"Trust me." Virgil said. Remus whimpered as he slowly brought his hand back to his head and repeated the sign. Virgil, on the other hand, demonstrated the sign for paranoid.
"See?" Virgil held out his hand, showing Patton the sign for the letter 'P'. Keeping the letter sign, he lifted his hand and pressed his middle finger against the side of his head, twisting his hand in the sign of paranoia. Next to him Remus was making a remarkably similar sign, but there was a distinct difference.
"Show him your hand." Virgil said to Remus. The duke reluctantly lowered his hand and showed Patton that he had made the letter 'V' with his fingers instead. It was a subtle difference, but as far as Virgil was concerned it completely changed the meaning.
"That was my old name sign." Virgil said. "Remus didn't know I changed it. He was just saying my name, I swear."
Patton still didn't look happy. "It's still not nice to deadname somebody."
Remus shook his head and brought his hand back to his chest. He began to make the sign for 'please' over and over again.
"He wasn't deadnaming me." Virgil insisted. He may use a different name sign than he used to, but he didn't see it as serious as all that. He didn't want Remus to be punished for something as simple as saying Virgil's name.
Patton's face softened. "Are you sure it doesn't bother you?"
"I'm sure." Virgil said. A lot of things about this situation bothered him, but for once Remus wasn't responsible for any of it.
Patton gave him a small smile. "Okay, Kiddo." He turned his smile to Remus, holding a hand out to him. "I think you've been acting out all day because you're bored. Why don't you help me do some dishes?"
Remus' eyes widened in alarm. He gave Virgil a panicked, pleading look. He needed help again, and he was looking to Virgil to give it to him. Virgil didn't know how to stand up to Patton when he was set on disciplining them.
Virgil couldn't do it, but he knew somebody that could.
"I-I've gotta go." Virgil tried to give Remus a meaningful look, begging him to understand what he was saying. Remus' face fell. He looked devastated, and his eyes were full of tears again. Virgil had to turn away before that heartbroken look convinced him to stay.
Remus reached for Virgil, but he started to sink out. The last thing he saw was Patton taking Remus' hand to pull him back to the sink.
Virgil rose up in the Dark Side. It had been so long since he'd been down here. He'd sworn to himself that he would never be back. He'd thought that if he ever came back here he would be incredibly nervous and unable to move. That it would be like stepping back into a nightmare. Right now he did feel a little like he was in the middle of a nightmare, but instead of keeping him frozen his anxiety was what pushed him to act.
"Deceit!" Virgil called out. "Janus!"
"Well, well, well," Janus' voice suddenly appeared behind him. "If it isn't the little traitor. I thought you'd said you would never come crawling back here, and yet here you are."
Virgil felt his temper and anxiety rise. Janus so easily got under his skin. Virgil wanted to argue, fight, and storm off, but he restrained himself. He was here for a reason. This wasn't about him. He could deal with Janus, or go back to ignoring him, another time. Right now, they both had something more important to be doing.
"Remus needs help." Virgil said quickly before he could back out or Janus could get another word in. The deceitful side's smug expression slipped away and his eyes narrowed. "Patton washed his mouth out with soap, and-"
Virgil couldn't even finish his sentence before Janus vanished, probably to get Remus. Virgil was left on his own in the Dark Side. He suddenly felt like a trespasser. This wasn't his home anymore. He felt like he should go back to the light side, but that would mean being near Patton. He'd have to hear Janus shout at Patton.
And it didn't feel right to duck into his room to avoid seeing Remus. Virgil felt responsible for him getting hurt. The least he could do was make sure that Remus wasn't permanently damaged. The other side may be furious and still feel betrayed with him, and didn't want to see Virgil at all, and that was perfectly understandable. Virgil would leave him alone just as soon as he made sure he was okay first.
Janus rarely ever visited the Light Side. They hated him, and Janus had no interest in forcing his company onto people who wanted nothing to do with him. He only bothered them when it was absolutely necessary, such as when the situation with Thomas was getting out of hand, or when Patton was overstepping his boundaries and doing something he had no right to do.
Janus rose up in the kitchen of the Light Side, and he took action right away. He took his staff and snagged the crook around Remus' waist. He yanked him back. Remus stumbled a little bit, but Janus steadied him and held him close.
"J-Jan-" Remus rasped, though he interrupted himself with a small cough. He whined and buried his head against Janus' neck. "J-Jan-n-n-n…"
"Hush, Darling." Janus summoned two additional hands and took Remus' wet and sudsy hand in his own. He gently dabbed away the soap.
"Hurts." Remus whimpered. Janus could barely understand what he said. He would have to take a look at just what the damage was. First, he had to make sure that Remus was safe, and anywhere the one who had done this to him could never be considered safe.
Janus glared at Patton, who was just watching them with sympathy and confusion so false that even Janus was disgusted. "I'll be back to deal with you later." Janus growled. Patton had the audacity to smile at him. Janus wanted to stroke him here and now, but he had somebody more important who needed his attention.
Holding Remus tight Janus left the cursed Light Side and brought them back to the safety of the shadows. Janus caught a glimpse of Virgil peeking at them from around the corner, but he ducked into the darkness as soon as he saw them. Janus didn't know what Virgil was still doing here and what game he was playing.
He desperately wanted to know. Very little could convince Virgil to tolerate their company, and Janus wanted to be privy to that knowledge, for future use. If the situation with Remus wasn't so dire, Janus would go after Virgil and figure out just what he was doing. For now, Remus had to be his priority.
Janus pulled Remus onto the couch, summoning his third pair of arms to rub Remus' bath comfortingly. Janus took his free pair of hands and gently grabbed the hand that Remus was holding protectively over his mouth. Remus shook his head, growled, and tried to slap his hands away, but Janus wasn't to be swayed.
"Remus, buddy, I need to look at your mouth." Janus said. "I need to know what the damage is, so I can know how much I need to absolutely destroy Patton later." Remus still looked hesitant. Janus' face fell. Something was seriously wrong. When Remus got physically hurt, nothing helped him to feel better more than violence. There was something more going on here, there had to be.
"I want to help." Janus said quietly. Providing comfort wasn't his strong suit. He had to try though, for Remus' sake. "But I need you to give me something to work with. How can I help you?"
Remus was still for a long moment before he slowly pulled his shaking hand away from his mouth. Remus' lips were red and swollen. He opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out. His tongue was in an even worse state than his mouth. Janus could just imagine Patton vigorously rubbing a bar of soap across his tongue. The thought made Janus want to clench every single one of his hands into fists. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself.
"We need to bring the swelling down." Janus said stiffly. He stood up and made his way to the kitchen. Remus yelped in alarm and shot up to his feet. He clung to Janus' arm, not allowing him to leave. Janus looked at him in concern. Remus loved being the center of attention, but he was rarely this clingy.
"Don' leave." Remus whimpered.
"I'm just going into the kitchen." Janus said. He was going to find the soothing ointment that he usually used for his own scales when they got sore, though it helped with Remus' allergies as well. Janus was also going to dare to look through Remus' personal freezer drawer to see if he could find one of those ridiculous fish flavored popsicles that he loved so much. The stench was unbearable, but the cold would hopefully do wonders to help bring down the swelling of his tongue.
Janus tried to push Remus to sit back onto the couch and relax, but the intrusive side just tightened his grip on him. Janus wasn't going anywhere without him. Janus sighed. "Alright, Remus, you win. You can come with me." Remus smiled in relief as he followed Janus, who didn't let it show just how concerned he was.
Janus opened the freezer. "Find yourself something to suck on." He was normally so careful about watching his language around Remus, avoiding saying anything that could be taken as an innuendo. His phrasing at this moment was entirely intentional, and the small snort that Remus gave in amusement made it well worth the small loss of dignity.
Remus did indeed grab one of his fish popsicles. Janus wasn't surprised when Remus waved his hand and changed the shape so it had a very phallic shape. Remus happily put the popsicle in his mouth, attempting to deepthroat the entire thing. Janus allowed him to amuse himself as he grabbed the first aid kit.
"Hand." Janus said. Remus obediently held his red hand out. Janus very slowly and carefully put the ointment on it. Remus frequently flinched in pain, but he behaved himself and didn't try to pull away.
When Janus was done he brought Remus back to the couch. "I don't know what else to do about your allergic reaction, but that's not all that's bothering you, is it?" Remus, who had been looking very pleased with himself now that he was safe in the Dark Side, seemed to deflate onto himself. He sucked silently on his popsicle and didn't say a word. Janus waited for a long moment. When it became clear that Remus had no intention of saying anything, Janus decided to try a different approach.
"Virgil!" Janus called out. Remus' eyes widened in alarm. He shook his head in a panic and looked around rapidly, looking around for Virgil. He looked like Virgil was the very last side he wanted to see. Well, wasn't that interesting. Janus knew that Remus had been spending all day trying to get Virgil's attention, so he'd suspected that he would have at least somewhat of an idea of what might be bothering him. This reaction told Janus that not only would Virgil know, he probably had something to do with it.
There was silence again, and Janus was beginning to lose his patience. "Virgil, I am not in the mood for these games right now. I know you're down here, and I know you were involved somehow. Either you can tell me what's going on, or I'll give Thomas another existential crisis."
Virgil slowly slinked out of the shadows. His hood was drawn up over his head. He looked nervous and distressed. What Janus was more concerned about though was the small whimpering sob that Remus made as he ducked behind Janus. Virgil's face fell. He looked heartbroken and a little stung.
Janus narrowed his eyes at Virgil. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything." Virgil said defensively. Remus flinched and Virgil grimaced. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I guess that's kinda the problem."
Janus raised an expectant eyebrow. Virgil sighed. "I didn't do anything, okay?" It somehow sounded like an admission this time. "I knew what Patton was doing, I watched as he did it, and I didn't do anything to stop it."
Janus narrowed his eyes at Virgil. "Why not?" Janus was disappointed, yes, but he would withhold his anger until after he knew the details. If Virgil's anxiety had gotten the better of him, then he wasn't really at fault. If he just couldn't be bothered to assist an old friend now that they were on opposite sides of the mindscape, then that would be a problem.
Virgil hunched his shoulders. He looked at Remus in regret. "I-I don't know. I couldn't move. I couldn't talk. Everything just kinda froze up." Virgil began to pull on the drawstrings of his jacket. "I wanted to help. I wanted to make Patton stop, but I couldn't do anything, so I just stood there, completely useless, and-" Janus could recognize the signs of Virgil beginning to spiral. He began to move to comfort him, but Remus was faster.
The intrusive side jumped to his feet and ran towards him. Virgil tensed and squeezed his eyes shut tight. He looked like he was expecting to get hit. Janus half expected the same thing to happen. Remus tried to be understanding of Virgil's anxiety, but he often resented it when Virgil's fears made it difficult for him to support Remus through his own intrusive thoughts.
Remus barreled into Virgil, knocking him back into the wall. Things were quiet for a long moment before Janus and Virgil realized that Remus hadn't really tackled him, he'd just very aggressively dragged him into a hug.
Virgil was completely still for a long time before he relaxed and wrapped his arms around Remus' shoulders, returning the embrace.
"I'm sorry, Mus." Virgil said quietly "I'm so sorry." Remus made a small growl and tightened his grip on Virgil.
"Don' be." Remus said. "No' your fault."
"On that, we agree." Janus said. There was only one person he blamed for what had happened, and it most certainly wasn't Virgil. "If you two would excuse me, I need to have a few words with Morality."
Virgil pulled away from Remus just enough to look at Janus. "Don't blame Patton. He doesn't know about Remus' allergy. He would never try to hurt him."
Remus gave Virgil an odd look before he looked almost desperately at Janus, who narrowed his eyes at Virgil. He was telling the truth, or, at least, what he believed was the truth. This didn't come as a surprise to Janus, but it still hurt.
"I won't keep your words in mind." Janus said. Virgil gave him a very small smile. It almost, very nearly, made Janus regret the misleading part of what he had said. He would certainly remember what Virgil said, but he wouldn't be using the information in the way that he probably hoped he would.
"Keep an eye on each other." Janus said. Virgil and Remus both looked a little unnerved at his words. They recognized the familiar phrase that Janus had frequently said when the three of them were all they had.
"I-I'm not staying here." Virgil said. Remus pouted and went back to hugging him tightly.
"I'm expecting you to stay forever." Janus said. "Definitely not for just a day or two."
Virgil relaxed. "I think I can handle staying the night." Janus himself relaxed at Virgil's words. That was one less thing he had to worry about.
"I won't be back soon." Janus said. He sank out of the Dark Side and, for the second time in just half an hour, rose up back in the Light Side. Patton was still in the kitchen, sipping on some hot chocolate. He smiled cheerfully when he saw Janus. Patton waved and gestured for him to join him at the table. There was a second mug of hot chocolate set out. Patton had been expecting him.
"I was wondering when you'd be here." Patton said. "How's Remus?"
"Oh, yes, because Remus' well-being has always been a high priority of yours." Janus hissed. "And I'm sure that what happened today was a complete accident."
"I had to do something." Patton said plainly. "Remus has been a headache all day." He gave Janus a careful look. "It's your job to keep him in line."
"If I've said it once, I've said it eight hundred and nineteen times." Janus said lowly. "I will not repress him." That number wasn't even an exaggeration. Remus kept a tally on his wall.
Janus took a deep breath and sat down at the table. He needed to maintain control. "I know I won't be able to convince you to treat Remus with the respect that all sides deserve, but somehow I thought that you were above torture and manipulation on this level."
Patton looked alarmed. "Torture? I may have disciplined Remus, but I wouldn't call it torture."
"I would." Janus said. "Considering Remus' allergy to soap, which, despite what Virgil seems to believe, I know you're well-aware of."
Patton's cheerful mask finally slipped, letting Janus see the familiar self-righteous darkness in his eyes. "Don't bring Virgil into this. He's not your concern anymore." Patton smiled, though there was now an almost smug edge there. "You haven't forgotten our arrangement, have you?"
"Don't you dare mention the arrangement." Janus snapped. "Not when you've so blatantly broken your end of the deal. I agreed to not try to bring Virgil back to my side, or tell him the truth about you, as long as you left Remus alone. This is far from leaving him alone."
"It's a dad's job to discipline his kiddos." Patton said. "For their own good."
"Remus isn't one of your kiddos." Janus said. Patton had made that perfectly clear from the moment that the Split had occurred. And Janus knew that it was for this very reason that Patton felt remotely comfortable doing this. He wouldn't dare lay a hand on anybody he considered in his care. Remus was an exception, because Patton had been able to convince himself that Remus was just a broken part of a whole side.
Patton considered himself good, and since he encompassed the majority of Thomas' feelings he believed that emotions and feelings were a good thing, so any of Creativity's emotions would go to the 'good' half during the split. Janus didn't know how long it had taken Patton to rationalize to himself that Remus didn't have any feelings at all.
"I don't want to fight about this." Patton said. "If you do better at controlling Remus, I won't have to do something like this again."
"That wasn't the deal." Janus said. Patton tilted his head.
"No, I guess it wasn't." Patton said. "But our deal didn't take into account the consequences of what would happen if Remus tried to do the things that you've agreed to avoid."
Janus frowned slightly. He should have considered this. He knew that Remus missed Virgil desperately, and frequently asked Janus what their plan was to bring him back to the Dark Side. Janus should have explained to Remus that not only did he not have a plan, but he couldn't have a plan. He wouldn't tell Remus everything, but clearly some information was needed.
"I'll talk to Remus." Janus said quietly. He hated this. He hated submitting himself to Patton's demands, but the moral side had a lot more power in the mindscape than Janus did. If he had the power to split a side in half, then he had the power to chain down Remus and push him down into the subconscious. Janus had to give Patton what he wanted, because there was no other way to keep Remus safe.
"Virgil will be spending the night with us though." Janus said. Patton looked ready to argue, but Janus had prepared for this. If Patton could find a loophole that let him harm Remus, then Janus could find one to use to his advantage as well. "Virgil's worried about Remus and doesn't want to leave his side for now."
Patton didn't look happy about it, but after a long moment he sighed and nodded. "Alright, the kiddos can have a sleepover, but Virgil's coming right home as soon as he wants to." Janus hated the thought of Virgil returning to Patton's side, but there was nothing to be done about it. He was just relieved that Patton was genuinely fond of Virgil, who actually did like the light sides.
Virgil felt more at home in the light than he ever did on the Dark Side. He had no idea of the arrangement, and that was how Janus wanted it to stay. Virgil deserved to be happy. There was no need to ruin his happy fantasy with the harsh reality of their situation.
Janus hated this secret, but he would do everything he could to keep Virgil and Remus in the dark. He didn't like lying to them, but Remus would be devastated if he knew that his safety was the reason why Virgil had to leave. And Virgil didn't need to know that he was being used as a bargaining chip.
If Virgil wasn't happy with the others, and if Janus wasn't absolutely positive that he was safe, he wouldn't stop until he found a way to get around Patton's control. This situation wasn't ideal, but the compromise was, for the most part, safe, and right now that had to be enough.