Janus was having a blast. He has basically been given free range to lie as much as he wants, so long as he stays with Patton's parameters. He could be the suave, intelligent best friend that would never hurt little Patton's feelings.
He had observed Patton around their Sides enough to know what he liked from them. So Janus was attentive; aware of Patton's every move. He'd be the doting mother hen of Logic and Virgil, with Roman's subtle flirting. His brain felt like it was vibrating with how exciting this situation turned out. The mental gymnastics he performed with each conversation; the practiced way he spoke in double meaning. It was thrilling!
Janus was having so much fun, he didn't even care that his arm was linked with Patton's. He clocked everyone that passed them as they entered the crowded kitchen. Several conversations layered together and Janus took the time to piece them apart. The aunts were talking about the kids' sports; the kids were playing some shooting game across the kitchen; and the uncles were discussing stocks. Janus grit his teeth when one of the kids, just, screamed for no reason? And his focus was shattered.
The room felt too small for all the people standing around, chattering, as they got food. Parents were exhaustedly trying to fill a plate for their kids. The oldest of the bunch were gathered around the food, slowing everything down. A baby sat in a high chair by the drinks, eating strawberry slices. Janus felt rooted to the floor, unable to move from the doorway. The commotion was so awful, he wondered why again he was even here.
Lying to people was fun. Being completely surrounded by them was less so.
"Here." Patton said, and Janus felt himself relax, ever so slightly. He took the plate handed to him and Patton shuffled them aside by the wall. He whispered to Janus, "Let's wait until some folks clear out."
A child ran through the room and a second-cousin shouted after him. Janus nodded, shifting closer to Patton. It wasn't that he had a thing against crowds; it was that he has a thing against all people, in general. He didn't trust a single one of these mothers. Janus squinted at the baby. It threw a strawberry at him. Suspicious.
Eventually enough people moved to the tables in the other room that Janus felt comfortable filling his own plate. Patton stayed by his side, and for once Janus was thankful for that. He tried not to glare when an uncle got too close.
Janus had the distinct urge to get Patton away from these people; like that stupid night at Mister's bar. The feeling of being in enemy territory with a glass statue drifted through his mind. Janus glanced at Patton, who looked fine, even happy. Janus was impressed with that level of emotional masking.
"Come on, the kids' table is this way." Patton said.
Someone snorted loudly, and Janus turned to see Pious smirking at them. "Twenty-two and still sitting with the babies, Patty?"
Patton grit his teeth. Janus tried not to grin. He'd never seen anyone (besides himself) get under Patton's skin so much. He liked seeing Patton irritated like this, in a harmless family way. He wondered if Pat saw Janus as worse than Pious. Probably. And he was fine with that.
"I was simply making sure there was enough space for Nana." Patton said slowly. "But you can take an elder's spot, go ahead."
"Mary and her husband didn't come this year." Pious said, his smile too thin. "There's plenty of room."
Patton opened his mouth to speak, but before he could answer, someone from the doorway called out.
"Come sit with us, Pat! We want to talk to your new Side!"
Patton glared at Pious before he called over his shoulder, "Yes, Mama."
Pious shot Janus an unreadable look. Janus blew a kiss. He got an eye roll from Pious as he walked away. Patton grumbled under his breath, staring at the ground.
"It'll be fine." Janus said, meaning it. "It's a twenty minute meal, how bad could it be?"
"Just you wait." Patton said, walking off without another glance.
Patton and Janus ended up at one end of the table. An old fart sat at the head, with younger old farts surrounding them. Pious managed to take the spot right across from Patton, next to Patton's parents. He recognized a few of the adults that sat near them, and ran through their stories in his head. Patton said that his bald uncle was the one with the jewelry store, and the blonde aunt was the first to become Established. Janus stayed quiet, listening to their conversations easily.
Most of it was family drama or useless nonsense. It was easy to tune them out and eat his meal. Patton's family seemed to have a good cook or two. Far better than anything Uncle Frank would make: buttered, steamed veggies; a cheesy casserole; and hot, sweet rolls. Janus forgot all about his mission, relaxing against his seat and enjoying the meal. But then-
"It's those fucking fusions fault!" The old ass said, banging his hand on the table.
"Pa." Patton's mom warned, scooting his glass of beer further away from him. "You're going to spill something."
"What? Doing this?" He banged the table some more, and one of the uncles laughed. Janus glanced at Patton, who set his fork down gently.
"Did you hear that those forever fusions are trying to get full citizenship?" Pious said easily, taking a bite of his chicken.
"For what?" The grandpa said, shaking his head, "Back in my day if you wanted to be a man, you'd finish the job."
It took Janus a second to realize what was happening then. He glanced between Pious and the grandpa, chewing slowly.
"It's a lot easier these days, too." Pious said, earning some nods from the adults. "You can find all of them online, meet up, and be done with it."
"Ridiculous." Grandpa said, pointing his fork at them. "Kids these days have it too easy. Their future is handed to them on a silver plate, and they don't take it because they want to- what? Be a child forever?"
It wasn't like Sides didn't age. Janus thought about speaking up, but he wanted to choose his words carefully. He didn't need to jump into this discussion and possibly cause Patton trouble. Speaking of, Patton was sitting perfectly still, staring down at his plate. Janus bit the inside of his cheek.
He hated seeing Patton like this. Yeah, they weren't exactly friends, but Patton was never dissociative before. It was like he was a completely different person. And Janus didn't like the new version.
He reached under the table, subtly, and placed his hand on Patton's knee. Pat jumped, slightly, but didn't say anything. He gave his knee a small squeeze, and Patton glanced at him. Janus tried to convey I'm sorry your family sucks with his eyes.
Patton glanced away again, not offering up anything. Janus figured he should pull his hand away now, to give him some space. But when he tried to move, Patton's fingers wrapped around his hand and held it tight.
Janus had to bite his lip again. This time to try to keep from smiling. Or shouting. He wasn't sure which yet.
"What about you, Pat?" Someone asked. Both of them looked up, startled. The person, an aunt, repeated the question. "Do you two fuse?"
"Uh-" Patton squeezed his hand tightly.
"Oh, no! We wouldn't be able to last a day like that." Janus said. He grinned at everyone, keeping his voice easy. "Fusion brings nothing but trouble."
The woman across from him asked, "Is that how you got your scar?"
"Yes," Janus said, even as Patton squeezed his hand. It was the only answer he could give; fusion burns look different than heat burns, if you know what to look for. He shrugged simply and added, "I tried to fuse before I should have. You know how it is," The adults nodded solemnly. He looked at Pat, who was sheet white, and smiled brightly. "There's a time and place for everything, of course. We've learned for sure; the next time we fuse will be in a courthouse."
"Good man." The grandpa said, smacking the table with his beer glass.
"Wait." The aunt from earlier - Sherry? - said. She pointed her fork at him. "Who did that to you?"
"It wasn't Patty was it?" The mom asked, turning the glare at Patton. He shrunk further into his seat.
"No! He'd never!" Janus tried to put as much offense into his tone as he could. Patton's hand felt warm in his grip, tight and sweaty. Janus paused, allowing the adults to relax a second, before he shrugged. "It was another fellow's fault. Daniel. He won't be a bother from now on."
Patton's father asked, "Someone causing you trouble, Patton?"
"Oh, I just knew that city was dangerous. You should come back here, we have enough room for all your Sides until you have the ceremony. You've picked a date, right?" His mother said, full of worry that Pat would get a matching scar.
That was certainly a lot to unpack. Janus jumped into action, waving them off with one hand. He hoped no one noticed his other arm wasn't moving- he couldn't pull out of Patton's death grip if he tried.
"Don't worry, Mother - may I call you Mother? - I am Devoted to keeping your son safe. I promise I will keep the man who caused this," He taps his scar like it's face paint, "far away from Patton. And sir, you should know, Patton's always with our other Sides, who are smart enough to keep him out of trouble."
The parents slowly returned to eating, and Janus slowed his cadence as he spoke. "As for the ceremony, well," He covered his mouth with his hand, giving the best 'shy, religious boy' act he could. "We'd love to get it done right now, but our Logic Side is studying to finish his degree."
"He can still get that if you're Established." Bald Uncle interrupted. "It's easier, even."
"Yeah, you only have to take one test instead of six." Aunt Sharon said.
"You mean five." Pious corrected.
"No, because after your ceremony, you have to take the test again anyway." Sharon said, "So it's best to just get your education after you're all done."
Janus hates how none of these asshats say 'Established', like it's some kind of curse word. He wonders who they were like as Sides, if they've always been this way, through years of indoctrination. He glanced at Patton again.
This time Patton was looking back. Instead of staring at his plate, he watched Janus. He wasn't sure how long he'd been watching. Janus smiled, a small one, just for Patton. Pat squeezed his hand under the table. Janus could feel his clammy palm on Patton's knee, certain that it wasn't comfortable.
"It's because they're lazy!" Grandpa was pounding the table again. Janus saw Patton's expression close off. "There should be a law against forever fusing."
"Sorry, what?" Janus couldn't stop the words. This time he was just confused. He turned to the grandpa and asked, "Say again?"
"Those fuckin'-"
"Dad!"
He gestured to Pious, "-what're they called?"
"I think they like being called 'Semi-Permanent Fusions'." Pious said, wiping his face with his napkin. "They justify being fusions without being a person. They stay fused for days at a time!"
"See! Rediculous!" Grandpa turned to him, glaring, "It should be outlawed!"
Janus nodded, sitting back in his seat. "Gotcha, good to know. How would they find these forever fusions?"
"You look at 'em." Bald Uncle grunted.
Janus nodded again, "And how do you decide if they've been together for too long? Do you watch them? Who watches?"
The grandpa's slow, rusted gears turned in his head. Thunk…thunk…thunk… "Well, the government…"
"You want the government to stalk people?" Janus asked, blinking widely and glancing at the aunties with concern. He was getting the reactions he was wanting, with the adults awkwardly shooting looks to the head of the table.
Grandpa then scoffed, "No, I want them to stalk fusions."
And there we go. Janus forced a smile and said, "Of course, my mistake, sir."
Janus promptly turned forward, making eye contact with Pious. He picked up his water and winked. Pious' eyebrows dropped, a sneer forming across his lips. Pious didn't look much like Patton; he had dark hair and broad shoulders. Janus imagined a scenario with him and Pious sneaking away somewhere to let off some steam. But then Patton squeezed his hand again and gas filled his lungs from guilt. Why was he breaking Jan's hand now?
"We were so worried you'd become one of those, Patty." Mom said.
Oh. Oh no.
"I, uh-" Patton mumbled.
"You were always so clingy as a child," she continued, waving her fork as she spoke. "He'd cry every day of kindergarten; and would constantly need someone to play with him. I swear, he was our most needy kid."
"Well,-" Patton cleared his throat.
"I remember he'd beg me and Aaron to play with us." Pious added, earning a laugh from the others. "I'm glad you have someone who doesn't mind having two shadows."
Janus pulled his hand free from Patton's grip, slowly but firmly. He wiped his hands on his napkin and placed it on his plate. He addressed the table calmly, so as to be easily ignored, "Excuse us."
He turned to Patton and said, loud enough for the others to hear, "Would you mind showing me the restroom?"
"Y-yeah, sure." Patton scrambled up, nodding to the elders as he left. Janus did his best to not scowl as he followed behind. They passed the kitchen, the room with the kids screaming, and a sitting room with a TV still running. Patton didn't speak the whole time, his feet moving quickly.
He stopped suddenly and Janus had to stand on his tiptoes to avoid running into him. He scooted back, feeling off-put now that they were alone. He glanced around to be sure, but the voices down the hall were quiet now.
"Are you okay?" Janus asked.
"Here's the bathroom," Patton said, turning and stepping aside. He pointed to the dark, wooden door. His eyes were wet, and Janus felt his chest ache. He stepped forward, Patton stepped back.
"Hey, come here." Janus held out his hand, and waited. Painfully slowly, Patton took his hand and let him be led into the bathroom. Janus closed the door behind them and took a second to glance around.
It was a white bathroom with tile on the floor and walls. Lights hung over the wall-length mirror and two sinks. An old-timey bathtub with a shower curtain took up the far side of the room. Janus lifted Patton by his hips, earning a squeak of surprise, and set him on the counter. Patton covered his face, and Janus moved to grab a hand towel. He ran it under cold water and returned to Pat's side.
"Hey, it's okay." He said as he gently pulled a hand away. Patton's cheek was red and blotchy, a tear slipped past his eye. Janus shushed him and wiped the tear away with his rag. Patton reluctantly dropped his other hand, staring down at him. Janus wouldn't look in his eyes as he worked. He had a task to do; soft, slow strokes to clear the anxiety away.
"They're so mean!" Patton whispered.
"I know," Janus said, "But you're not."
"I am." Patton said. He was staring at Janus' cheek again.
Janus didn't reply, taking Patton's glasses off to wipe at his nose. His own throat felt tight, and he didn't want to think about that right now. He wanted to storm back into that room and throw the cheesy casserole in their faces. He wanted to drive Patton home right now. He wanted… His hands stalled, lowering to Patton's lap. He wanted to hold Patton close, but he knew Pat would never allow that.
"They would hate Empathy." Patton said, shaking his head. The thought brought him to tears. Janus shushed him, wishing he knew more than sweet lies. He felt useless watching the other fall apart.
And even more disgustingly, a tiny part of Janus was green to the core, thinking, He wouldn't cry over Daniel like that.
Janus forced a slow breath out of his nose. He had to think like a Logic about this. He could get emotional later. He couldn't let Patton affect him.
"Because they don't have Empathy." Janus said. He settled for holding Patton's wrist. "Or Logic, or Morality. They're full of Hatred and Greed. Don't worry about them."
Patton let out a soft 'huff' that sounded vaguely positive. Janus was stupid enough to risk having hope. He allowed himself to think he could possibly have this man one day. Actually, genuinely, have him and deserve him. He let himself pretend that maybe he wasn't imagining the affection in Patton's eyes. Janus tilted his head up, pressing against the counter in between Patton's knees.
A shower curtain opened, "Who's Empathy?"
Patton threw his head back so quick, he banged it on the mirror behind him. "Ow!"
Janus looked over his shoulder. A boy sat in the empty bathtub, a videogame in one hand. He frowned at them, glancing between the two.
"Gabe!" Patton shouted, rubbing his head. "You're supposed to be at dinner!"
Janus saw Patton's flushed expression. It was the angriest he'd sounded when talking to, well, anyone, but especially to one of the children. Janus wondered if Gabe didn't interrupt…
"Is he your fusion?" Gabe asked. "Empathy?"
Janus shrugged. Technically, that was right. "Yeah."
Gabe nodded and sat back in the tub. He had sunglasses on his head, which he flicked down to cover his eyes. He popped a crunchy chip in his mouth. "Nice."
"Do you have food in there?" Patton sounded horrified. Janus was certain that was against the house rules, he would bet money on it. Gabe kept eating. "Gabriel!"
"Help, Pouty Patty's mad at me!" Gabe sassed, going back to his game.
Janus scowled, stepping away from Patton. He yanked the curtain back to reveal the boy was swimming in candy and junk food wrappers. Janus let out a low whistle, squatting down to get a better look. He picked up a chocolate bar and unwrapped it.
"What's your name, kid?" Janus asked, taking a bite. It was slightly melted from being in the bathtub.
"Gabe." He didn't look up from his game.
"Your other name."
He didn't answer. The game made a 'do do do' noise as he won. Janus glanced at Patton, who only shrugged. If Pat didn't know, then he must not have a trait.
Janus asked, "Are you undiagnosed?"
Gabe glanced up, just to spit at him. Janus bit back his temper, snapping a piece off the chocolate bar. He inspected it as he said, "Charming. You must have lots of friends at school."
The game made another funny sound.
"But those who have lots of friends aren't usually the kind to hide in the bathroom during dinner." Janus said, watching as Gabe's fingers slowed.
"No one here likes me." Gabe said, shifting in his candy pile.
Janus shifted to a more comfortable position, asking, "So? Have you met this crowd?"
Gabe glanced at Patton, then muttered, "Yes."
"Okay, fair enough," Janus said, offering a small laugh. He asked instead, "What about at school? No one likes to play Racing Days?"
Gabe glanced at the game in his hands. He shrugged, "I'm not good at school. People get in trouble when they sit next to me."
"Have you ever been given Negative counseling?" Janus asked.
Gabe looked at Patton again, then sat up on his knees. He whispered in Janus' ear, "I've been diagnosed with four different Negative traits, but my parents keep telling the doctors ' no'."
Janus sighed, nodding. He said, "That sucks, dude."
"Yeah. But I don't care." Gabe huffed, sitting back. "I don't care about rules. I can do what I want. I'll curse."
"Do it." Janus said.
"No!" Patton chided.
Gabe puffed up his chest and said, "Heck!"
Janus high-fived him, grinning. "Good choice. Just do me a favor, okay?"
"Hm?"
Janus jutted his chin at Patton, "Be nice to Pat. He's one of the good guys."
Gabe rolled his eyes, "Isn't that the problem?"
Janus laughed again. "What are you, ten? Call me again when you're in high school and we can have a more nuanced conversation about that. But look, Pat's not an asshole, he's just a little bitch. Does that make sense?"
"Janus!"
"Okay." Gabe nodded seriously, like the cursing helped him understand. He looked at Patton thoughtfully, then nodded again. Gabe looked at Janus, his eyes landing on his scar. He said, "You're Negative too, aren't you?"
Janus put a finger to his lips and winked. He stood up and closed the curtain, "I didn't see anything if you didn't."
Gabe gave him a salute as the curtain closed. Janus snorted, then turned back to Patton. He seemed much better than earlier, more like himself. He had his arms crossed, with one knee over the other. He stuck his nose in the air when Janus walked up.
"I am not a little - that word."
"Sure, buddy." Janus said, grinning. He placed a hand on Patton's knee, half-expecting Pat to knock it off. He spoke quietly, leaning close to Pat's ear. "How about, we 'forget' to go back to the table, and you show me around this old castle."
"Jan…" Pat chewed his lip, clearly debating.
"Come on," Janus pleaded. He couldn't bring Patton back into that nuclear zone. "We're both adults, we can decide when we're full. Let's go. What's the worst they can do - ground you? We live in Orlando!"
Gabe called from the bath, "I'd do it!"
Patton shook his head, but he was smiling. He asked, "What do you want to see?"
"Something private." Janus said, glaring at the curtain.
"I can do that." Patton took his hand, slid off the counter, and led him to the door.
The private area Patton found was a balcony connected to their room. No one would come looking for them, Patton promised. They sat with their legs hanging over the edge, holding onto the railing. As the sun lowered past the treeline, tiny figures below began gathering firewood into a pile.
"They always have a bonfire after dinner during these." Patton said. They watched as they threw lighter fuel on the wood pile. A moment later, it burst alight and everyone cheered. Even from up here, the fire looked big. It would keep burning for hours, being fed more and more wood while the adults got drunker.
Someone started playing music, which they could hear faintly above the chatter. Janus looked at Patton's somber expression.
"Do you want to go down there?" He asked.
Patton hesitated before he shook his head. He said quietly, "It's better to love my family from afar."
"I'll say." Janus muttered. The crickets began playing a tune for the fireflies to dance to. They sat in silence and watched it all. The fire burned, the bugs flew, and the stars began to appear. Finally, Janus asked, "Were they always like this?"
Patton shrugged, "For as long as I can remember. I'm always wrong, I can never do enough."
"My Uncle Frank was kind of like that." Janus said, startling himself. He wasn't planning on saying that. But now Patton was looking at him expectantly. He glanced at the fire and said, "He knew what I was when he took me in, but it was still a hard adjustment. He was really harsh in the beginning, but then I think he gave up. He's… he's all I got."
"I'm sorry." Patton said. Janus wasn't sure what he was sorry about, and he didn't ask.
He just shrugged and gave Patton a small smile. "It is what it is. But we're out of their houses now, and we make our own choices. Things are better." He felt worry build in his chest, "Right?"
Patton's smile was easy. "Yes, yes, I think my new family is much nicer."
Janus relaxed, but a part of him still wondered - did that include me?
As if reading his thoughts, Patton rested his head on Janus' shoulder, closing his eyes. Janus had to put his arm around Patton to keep them both upright. He felt a shudder run through his body at the pressure of another person this close to him. Janus' cheeks grew hot and he forced himself to watch the fire below.
They stayed like that until the moon had replaced the sun in the sky, and Janus could count the stars. When Patton's head slipped off his shoulder and dipped down, Janus realized he had fallen asleep. Janus took his phone out of his pocket and flicked it on.
He had a million messages from Roman, but he ignored those to open his camera app. If this was the only time he was going to get an armful of Patton, he wanted something to remember it. Janus looked at the screen, taking a picture of the two of them. Patton's glasses were askew and his mouth was slightly open. His hair smelled like coconuts. Janus' heart clenched, and he hated it.
Janus wanted to stay out there longer, but his butt was sore, and even the fire below was starting to lose participants. Sighing, Janus shook Patton awake. Patton jerked up, and Janus worried he'd hit his head again.
Patton adjusted his glasses, glancing around. In the dark, Janus could barely see Pat's face, and he was sure it was worse for Patton. He took his hand - to calm him down, obviously - and said, "It's alright. We're on the balcony; you fell asleep."
Patton relaxed and slowly stood up. He muttered, "Sorry. I, um…"
"It's ok." Janus said, meaning it. "Long day."
"Right." Patton said, looking away. Janus thought his cheeks looked darker, but it must be a trick of the light. He cleared his throat, and they went inside. Patton closed the doors to the balcony and Janus made quick work of getting dressed into pajamas. When he came out of the on suite bathroom, he saw Patton on the bed.
He had a row of pillows splitting the bed in the middle. Janus raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"
"I just didn't want to make you uncomfortable." Patton said, standing and gesturing to his work. He added, awkwardly, "It's one bed."
"It sure is." Janus said, sitting on the side closest to him. The pillows were basically another person, pushing Janus close to the edge. He decided he wouldn't comment; Patton had gone through enough today. He got under the covers quietly.
Patton ran to the bathroom to get dressed, and Janus tried to get himself to relax. It was hard to not feel 'On' right now. He had to stay alert, if he wanted this mission to be a success. He had to protect Patton, and enemies were everywhere.
Janus scrolled through his phone, reading Roman's messages at last. He hadn't responded to him during all of this chaos, and he wasn't sure if he had the energy to now, either. Roman didn't sound like he was injured or in immediate danger, so Janus left him on read.
He glanced up when Patton walked back into the room. His cheeks were pink, and for a moment, Janus wasn't sure why. Then he took a better look at Patton's pajamas.
Pat's shirt fell at just mid-thigh, and hung off one shoulder no matter how Pat adjusted it. Janus' throat grew dry. Patton rubbed the back of his neck and muttered something Janus didn't catch.
"Huh?" Janus said, feeling very stupid and gay.
"I accidentally grabbed Empathy's shirt." Patton whispered, covering his face with his hands.
Janus forced himself to look down at his phone. He said, "I didn't notice."
"It's not bad?" Patton asked.
Janus stole another glance of long, pale legs. A sharp collarbone, and smooth neck. Janus shook his head, turning to lay on his side. He grunted, "You're good."
Patton hovered in that spot before he walked across the room to turn off the light. Janus watched him, then felt gross for watching him. He closed his eyes when Pat came back to the bed. He felt him get in on the other side of the pillows. Janus tried to relax, but he couldn't see his phone screen anymore. All he could focus on was the shuffling coming from behind him.
"Good night." Patton said.
"Yeah, good night." Janus repeated, feeling foolish. He was right next to Patton all day, but he was going to act like a blushing school girl now?! He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of Patton breathing.
Eventually, he fell asleep thinking about Patton's head on his shoulder as they sat on the balcony. He thought about fireflies and coconut conditioner.
Janus woke to a weight on his chest. He wrapped an arm around it and pulled it closer, pleased with the warmth. He pressed his face against the warm weight and breathed in. It smelled faintly of coconuts. Janus opened his eyes slowly, taking in the unfamiliar room.
Did he and Manic have a wild night again? The room was far nicer than any he'd ended up in before. And those kinds of nights didn't usually end with cuddles in the morning.
The body next to him squirmed closer and Janus dropped a kiss onto their head. Who was the lucky lad this time, he thought sleepily. Janus leaned back enough to see amber hair and pale skin. He swallowed as his memories returned to him. The freckles all but confirmed it.
"Patton." Janus whispered. Pat snuggled against him, burying his cheek into Janus' shirt. Janus felt his heart trip. He let out a whimper, which only embarrassed him further. Pat didn't wake up, and his little snores were too cute to interrupt.
Janus admitted defeat and let Patton take everything he wanted. Pat threw a leg over Janus' and he only shifted slightly to get more comfortable. Pat's head pressed under his jaw, with his breaths tickling Jan's neck. He held tightly to Patton's side - so he wouldn't fall off the bed.
Cuddling was new to Janus. Frank certainly never did it with him. Crude thought that stuff was 'too pussy'. And Janus couldn't just ask Logic or Roman for them. So this was … nice. A warm, firm weight and the comfort of companionship was hard to pass up. Janus stayed quiet and still, hoping Patton would sleep the entire day away.
Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Patton woke up when Janus accidentally played an ad out loud on his phone. The noise startled both of them, and Janus held Patton tighter. Pat looked up at him, and Janus knew he was caught. He felt his cheeks heat, but he couldn't let Patton go.
"I-I am so sorry!" Patton shouted. His face was flushed, and Janus wanted to touch his pink cheeks. He wanted to feel the heat under his fingertips. "I thought you were Virgil!"
Janus ignored the twist his heart did. He said, as teasing as he could manage, "I could be Virgil if you want me to."
Patton's tiny gasp sent butterflies to Jan's stomach. He blinked in surprise; he was expecting to be yelled at or hit. He wasn't expecting Patton to consider it.
Patton's next gasp was louder, with more terror. Janus only had enough time to register the heat against his side and catch a glance of the glow; before Patton shoved him forcefully. Janus yelped, falling off the bed.
"Sorry!" Patton shouted again. Janus' head hurt from where he hit it. He groaned and glared up at him. Patton frantically explained, "It was glowing and that- that means- you know-"
Janus sighed, dropping his head with a thunk. "Daniel."
"Yeah." Pat said miserably.
Janus stared up at the ceiling, wondering how his life led to this moment. He was never going to get that companionship, not really. Maybe when they get home, Logic and Roman might be interested in him for five minutes. And then, back to this. Alone on the floor.
Patton was walking around the room now, adjusting his too-big shirt nervously. He spoke lightly, quietly, "Just one more morning, and then everything is back to normal."
"Yup." Janus said, his heart turning to stone. "Normal."
Tell me what you think!