XXX
If I had a nickel for every time I wrote a fic about a character who doesn't canonically wear glasses needing glasses, I'd have 2 nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice (the first one was a crack fic for a different fandom).
Anywho, Happy December, ya'll! I can finally wear my cozy clothes. But also my bedroom is freezing at night. I hope those of you in colder climates are keeping warm! Enjoy the fic~
XXX
Janus had been glaring at them all a lot lately, like, way more than usual, and it was really starting to get on Virgil's nerves. Sure, Virgil had long-since gotten used to the snake's constant glaring- after all, one of the few things Janus left out in the open was his 'distaste' toward Virgil. So, really, the anxious sidel was used to this.
Except, now, Janus was glaring at everyone and everything literally 24/7. If Virgil was sitting in the living room, Janus would glare at him. If Logan was writing on his whiteboard, he'd glare at him. If Patton was baking cookies, he'd glare as if Patton had offended him somehow. When Roman put on a performance, Janus glared the entire time. He'd even been glaring at Remus- and not in the typical, lightly scolding way. Rather, he just looked angry, and the anger didn't dissipate even when Remus stopped whatever hijinks he'd gotten into.
Virgil even found him glaring at a cereal box the other day.
Despite looking at everyone like they'd dumped paint on his favorite sweater, Janus also kept insisting that he wasn't angry. Every time someone asked what bug had crawled up his butt, he would just keep insisting that he wasn't mad until he was asked so many times he'd explode and shout at them to stop asking.
Like he said, Virgil was used to Janus acting all pissy with him. That, however, didn't mean he was going to just sit back and let Janus act like an ass toward everyone else.
Today, they were going over everything that had to get done in the next week. Logan was writing everything down on his clipboard while Patton took a turn writing on the communal whiteboard they used to keep everyone on track. And just as he had been doing for weeks, Janus was glaring a hole into the back of Patton's head. Patton noticed once he was done writing, his expression shifting from something neutral to more uncomfortable.
"Um. Janus, did you want me to add something?"
"No," the deceitful side replied shortly. "I'm just reading the board."
Virgil watched Patton shift, unsure of whether he should try to calm the man down or leave it be, and he couldn't help letting out his own sigh of frustration.
"Something you want to say, Virgil?" Janus huffed as he sat back.
"I don't know, are you going to finally just spit out the reason you're pissed at everyone?" Virgil shot back, already more than tired of the man's attitude.
Janus pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I've already told you," Janus sighed, exasperated. "I'm not angry, and I don't know why you keep insisting that I am. All I've done is sit here and try to read the board."
"No, all you've done is sit here and glare at Patton," Virgil corrected. "You've been glaring at everyone lately, and it's getting annoying."
Patton shuffled his feet, opening his mouth to say something but ultimately keeping silent as Logan shook his head.
"Who cares if DeeDee glares all the time?" Remus chimed in suddenly. "It's kinda sexy when he gets angry."
Janus bristled.
"Remus!" Janus exclaimed. "I- Ugh, nevermind. I haven't been glaring all the time!"
"See?" Remus pointed out.
Janus's face grew red, and he crossed his arms.
"Can we just get back to figuring out the schedule?" he huffed.
"Just tell us why you're mad so we can get it over with!" Virgil insisted. "I'm sick of whatever passive-aggressive bullshit you're trying!"
Janus lowered his head, rubbing his temples with one hand.
"Or maybe you can stop assuming what my emotions are and basing random accusations off of them!" Janus growled. "Sure you're not projecting? Because, from where I'm sitting, you seem to be the angry one."
"I'm only angry because you're being a jerk!"
Janus started rubbing one of his eyes, standing up a few moments later.
"Okay, you know what? I'm not just going to get yelled at for no reason, so I'm leaving," the man said dramatically.
Then, before anyone could say anything, he sank out.
"Seriously, what is his problem?" Roman grumbled.
"Maybe he hasn't been sleeping well?" Patton offered. "I mean, he's been rubbing his eyes a lot lately."
"Yeah, because he's been glaring so much his eyes probably hurt," Roman replied, rolling his own eyes.
"Does it really matter why Janus is angry?" asked Logan. "Questioning him about it only seems to worsen the issue, and he has been more than clear in insisting that he doesn't wish to disclose the reason. But glaring doesn't particularly do anything."
"He's making Pat uncomfortable!" Virgil argued, leaving out his own annoyance with it for the moment.
"Oh, no, it's fine," Patton denied, waving his hands. "I mean, it's not a big deal."
"If it bothers you, it is a big deal."
"Virgil, really, I'm fine," the fatherly side repeated. "I really do think he's just grumpy. Maybe he just needs some space."
Virgil sighed.
"Eh, space shmace, I'm gonna go see if Double Dee wants to help me kill something," Remus announced. "Toodles!"
XXX
Janus flopped onto his bed with a groan, pressing his palms into his eye sockets. He's had an off-and-on headache for forever now, and arguing with Virgil certainly didn't help. And really, why should he have to argue with Virgil, anyway? Janus had been going out of his way to not be antagonistic lately, trying to keep the peace, but as soon as he did, he got Virgil trying to goad him into arguments. But because he'd been holding himself back so much, Virgil didn't have a lot of material to accuse him of anything, so he'd apparently resorted to just accusing him of anger.
But even if he was angry, so what? Did he not have the right to be angry sometimes? Aside from the fact that he wasn't particularly angry lately, merely being angry wasn't exactly evil. But really, 90% of the anger he'd felt for at least the past few weeks had been because the others, and Virgil in particular, wouldn't stop pestering him about his imaginary anger. Essentially, he wouldn't be angry, but they would bother him and accuse him of being angry until he actually was angry. It wasn't exactly fair.
Not like fairness was something he expected from the others, though. He was well aware that the lifelong rifts between them were far from mended, and it's not like he expected any different. But of all things, did they really have to get on his ass about something he wasn't even doing? He had half a mind to do something evil just to get them to direct their scolding to something actually justified (and he would do it if he didn't know just how stupid of an idea that was).
Even still, his headache was particularly bad today. His skull felt like it was pulsing, and his eyes burned, but he still had to participate in their meeting. After all, he'd worked hard to get a seat at the table, and he wasn't going to brush it off because of a little headache. And it had gone more-or-less fine for the first half of the meeting. He was having a bit more trouble than usual reading Patton's atrocious handwriting, but that was nothing new.
The problems really only arose once Virgil started yelling at him, each tone of his raised voice digging a nail into his skull. The fact was that it hurt, but it's not like Virgil would have cared enough to lower his voice had he said as much.
Instead, he chose to simply leave, which no doubt cemented the thought in the other's minds that he'd just thrown some sort of tantrum and stormed off. The result would have been the same if he had been entirely calm by the end of the argument. If he yelled, he was clearly enraged. If he was quiet, well then he was obviously moping or sulking or being passive-aggressive. But what was he supposed to do? Force himself to smile and grin and act entirely unlike himself, all while his head felt like it was being crushed, no less?
Just as he was agonizing over the thrumming of his skull, an obnoxious knock crashed into his door, the noise of it sending a sudden, sharp pain into his brain.
"HEY, JANNY, WANNA GO KILL STUFF?!"
He couldn't help curling into himself a little, pressing his hands a little harder.
Remus.
With a weary sigh, he forced himself out of bed and went to answer the door, pulling it open with slightly more force than necessary.
"Heya, Dee!"
He couldn't hold back the slight flinch. Remus seemed to notice, frowning a little, but he was grinning again a moment later.
"So, I was gonna go fight some things in the Imagination," Remus offered again. "You can join me to blow off some steam~ if you want."
Janus sighed.
"Remus. I'm not angry, but I'm going to be if you all don't cut it out."
"Aw, but I like it when you get angry."
"Well, I guess that's too bad for you, then."
He rubbed at his temple, squinting at Remus a little. Again, Remus seemed to notice, and this time, he decided to say something.
"What's up, then?" Remus asked. "You're not angry, but you're acting kinda weird. By the others' standards, at least. Personally, I'd go a lot weirder."
Janus thought for a second. He and Remus tended to get along rather well, in their own strange way. He certainly trusted him more than he did the others. It wouldn't really be a very big deal to tell him. Hell, he might even keep quiet for a few hours.
"I have a headache," he admitted.
"Oh," Remus said, his voice dipping noticeably quieter. "Well, why didn't you just tell Virgin that when he was getting all shouty?"
Janus stopped rubbing his head to cross his arms, leaning against the doorframe.
"He's been yelling at me for being angry for weeks," he pointed out. "Whether I have a headache or not. Besides, he'd probably just think I was lying to get him to shut up."
"Yeah, but PattyCakes might make him shut up if you said you have a headache."
Janus sighed.
"Perhaps," he agreed. "But then Virgil would just yell at me when Patton isn't around. It's easier to just leave."
"Hmmm," Remus hummed. "How long have you been having headaches?"
"I don't know," Janus told him. "It comes and goes. But it's been pretty bad the past few weeks."
"Oooooooh," Remus gasped, coming to a realization. "So Finding Emo thinks your headache face is your angry face."
Janus blinked, not having considered that.
"Oh," he spoke, thoughtful. "Is it really that obvious?"
"Yup."
"... Damn it," Janus hissed. "So you're telling me I've been getting pestered and yelled at for weeks because no one knows the difference between anger and pain. Great."
"I mean, you do look like you're glaring a lot," Remus shrugged. "But yay, misunderstanding resolved. Wanna go tell the others so they shut up?"
"I don't know," Janus replied. "Maybe later. I think I'm going to lay back down for a bit."
"Okey dokey," Remus accepted. "Well, in that case, I guess I'll go kill stuff on my own."
"Have fun."
"Oh, I will."
XXX
While Remus was in the Imagination, Janus ended up falling asleep, and he remained asleep until long after Remus had returned. Being himself, Remus eventually got tired of waiting for him to wake up and decided that it was technically 'later', so it was okay for him to go inform the others about Deceit's headache.
And so, Remus skipped into the kitchen, where the four 'Light Sides' were cooking dinner.
"Ah, Remus, stop tracking blood in the kitchen while we're cooking!" Roman shouted.
Sure enough, Remus hadn't, even in the time he spent waiting, bothered to clean the monster blood off of himself. But, he supposed he could indulge his brother. And so, with a snap of his fingers he was (relatively) clean.
"Do you need something, Remus?" Patton asked politely, despite his somewhat tight smile.
"Yeah, quick update: Dee has a headache, so lay off the yelling, 'kay?" Remus told them, right to the point.
"Huh? We haven't been yelling," Roman protested.
"Technically, you did just yell at Remus when he entered the room, but other than that, it has been mostly quiet for the past few hours," Logan said.
Remus rolled his eyes, putting a hand on his hip.
"No, I mean like, in general," Remus explained. "Apparently all the 'anger' you've all been getting on his case about was actually just a headache."
This time, Virgil was the one who protested:
"But he's been acting pissy for weeks, at least!"
"Yup. And he's had a headache for weeks."
"Oh dear…," Patton mumbled.
"Hold up, so he's been a jerk glaring at people because he had a headache?" Virgil asked. "He couldn't have taken some pain killers and been done with it?"
Remus shrugged.
"He didn't know what his face looked like," Remus said. "And it's not like I keep track of the drugs he takes. Not that I couldn't provide something more exciting than aspirin…"
For a second, Remus got lost in the thought of inviting Janus to try some of the wackier pharmaceuticals from his side of the Imagination. But then he shook himself and focused back onto the present.
"Point is, maybe stop yelling at him for what his face looks like," Remus suggested, his tone making it clear that it wasn't exactly a suggestion. "It's making the headache worse, I guess."
Virgil just stared at him blankly, as if he wasn't sure what to say. Maybe he just didn't want to admit that Deceit hadn't done anything wrong this time.
"Why would he have a headache for so long, though?" Patton asked, voice concerned. "That's kind of a problem, isn't it?"
"Remus, do you know if Janus has a history of migraines?" Logan inquired.
Remus shrugged again.
"Not that I know of."
"Perhaps we should ask Janus himself then."
"He's asleep," Remus stated simply.
"We'll talk to him later," Patton decided. "Hopefully he just needs some pain killers or something."
XXX