April Showers Bring May Flowers - A Month-Long Prompt List!
Flowers can be used to express all sorts of ideas - which is why we’ve taken inspiration from them to create this prompt list! Each day is a flower and its most common meaning, with four choice days based on the color of the flower! Feel free to write for every day, or pick and choose prompts that you feel inspired by! You can also use other flowers as prompts and tag us for the event!
If you post anything for the event, make sure to tag this blog as well as use the tag #mayflowersevent so we can reblog your work! Happy creating!
Text list below
Tulips - Perfect and deep love
Pansies - Platonic love
Alstroemeria (Lily of the Incas) - Mutual support
Peonies - Compassion
Liatris - Happiness
Gladiolus - Faithfulness
Hyacinth - Sincerity
Baby’s Breath - Affection
Alyssum - Worth beyond beauty
Carnations
- Red: Deep Love and Admiration
- White: Reverance
- Pink: Gratitude
- Yellow: Disappointment or Rejection
Sun Flowers - Longevity
Birds of Paradise - Freedom
Safflower - Good Luck
Daisy - Innocence
SnapDragon - Deception
Larkspur - Positivity
Forget-me-nots - Promise to remember
Kalanchoe - Persistence
Iris - Courage
Hydrangeas
- Pink: Romance, heartfelt emotions, weddings, and marriage.
- Blue: asking for forgiveness, and expressing regret.
- White: Bragging or boasting.
- Purple: abundance and wealth.
Chrysanthemums - Optimism
Poppies - Sleep and death
Daffodil - New beginnings
Poinsettia - Success
Lavender - Serenity
Orchid - Elegance
Monte Casino Aster - Charm and patience
Hypericum - Inspiration
Delphinium - Encouragement
Lilies
- White: commitment
- Stargazer: ambition and encouragement with a difficult challenge.
- Yellow/gold: good health and healing
- Bright red: passion
Roses
- White: appreciation for a long lasting and well-developed love between two people. No inherent romantic implications
Word count: 3459 - T - [ AO3 ] - Canon(ish), Post-POF - Overture
May Flowers Event Day 29 Prompt: Monte Casino Aster for Charm and Patience
CW: Remus, Remus reveals a six-year old spoiler for the end of Starkid's The Oregon Trail. (hint: it's a meme)
"I don't think anyone can grow unless he's loved exactly as he is now, appreciated for what he is rather than what he will be."
-Fred Rogers, Life's Journeys According to Mister Rogers
---
Logan removed his glasses, carefully folding them and placing them on the desk in front of him. Resting his elbows on the desk, he closed his eyes and massaged his temples, willing just a few more hours of work out of his fuzzy brain. Thomas' audition for the play was in three days and he wanted to be sure every contingency was planned for. Just a few more hours and then I will take a break, he bargained with himself.
He heard a familiar rapping at his door before Patton's muffled voice sounded from the other side. "Hey, Logan, what do you call a tired male bovine?"
Logan sighed quietly, suppressing a smile. "Come in, Patton." The Paternal Side turned the knob and stood in the doorway, smiling brightly. He clasped his hands in front of his chest, dancing his shoulders from side to side. Logan swiveled his chair to face him. "I do not know, Patton, but you look like you want to tell me."
"A bulldozer!," Patton giggled as the Logical Side closed his eyes.
"That was a good one, Patton. You got me." Logan let a small smile curl his lips and Patton's shoulder dancing resumed. "Was there something I could help you with? I am in the middle of planning the rest of Thomas' week."
"Oh, right, Kiddo. I came by to see if you wanted to watch a movie with us." Patton jerked his thumb toward the staircase. "Roman and Virgil are setting up downstairs."
Logan looked back at the papers strewn over most of his desk and the calendar program on his computer and sighed. "I appreciate the offer, Patton, but perhaps another time would be better."
Patton's face fell for a microsecond before he pushed his smile back into place. "Oh, of course, Logan. Next time. And if you change your mind ..." Patton looked hopeful, "You know those two won't mind running the video back if you decide to join us later."
Those two. Logan's eyebrows knit together and he adjusted his glasses. "Are Janus and Remus not joining you, either?" Patton's mouth opened in a wince and he looked to the side. "Ah. You have chosen not to invite them." Logan's mouth turned down slightly.
"Well, it's not that we didn't want ...," Patton hung his head, staring at the floor, unable to meet Logan's eyes. "We just thought perhaps they'd ... Virgil was pretty sure they wouldn't be interested and, you know, he knows them better than any of us on account of ...," he shrugged, looking up briefly to see Logan's hardened expression. "You know ..."
Logan huffed out a breath. "Yes. Yes, I do know. You might be surprised if you actually bothered to ask them." He returned his attention to the work in front of him. "Thank you for the invitation, Patton. Please close the door on your way out, I have some more work to do before I turn in for the evening."
"Sure, Logan. The offer stands ...," Patton said, slowly closing the door.
Logan's voice was low. "I hope that is true for all of us."
Patton nodded as the door latch quietly clicked over the strike plate. He sighed, looking at the lemon yellow door on the other side of Logan's.
Gnawing at his lower lip, Patton approached Janus' door and quietly knocked. Janus opened the door almost immediately. Patton took a half-step back, blinking. "Uh, hey there, Janus. Um, I was wondering if you were busy?"
Janus narrowed his eyes, licking his lips. Patton pushed down the urge to coo about bleps, instead smiling at the former Dark Side. "What do you need, Patton?"
Patton shuffled his feet. "I, well, we," Janus tasted the air again. "We were wondering if you'd like to join us for a movie?," Janus looked closely at the Paternal Side. The 'we' in his words was bitter.
"I already have plans with Remus this evening, however I'm sure we would love to join you all next time, Patton." Janus bowed his head, "Thank you for invitation."
Patton nodded, "Ok, well, good night. Oh, and I'm making waffles tomorrow morning for breakfast, if you'd like to join us."
Janus tilted his head and blinked at the unexpected offer. Patton held his breath, hoping Janus wouldn't think he was offering simply because Virgil rarely made it down before 10 the morning after a movie night. I'm trying, Janus. You can give a little. "Why thank you, Patton. We'll see you in the morning."
Patton skipped downstairs, rejoining Virgil and Roman. They had transformed the room into a movie night paradise. Roman had extended the couch so there was room to lie down, and they'd built a blanket fort all around them, framing the glow of the television. Virgil was hanging fairy lights on the inside of the fort, giving the interior a cozy, warm glow. Bowls of popcorn, grapes, and chocolates were strategically placed, as were sodas and water. The other Sides looked up when Patton entered alone.
"Teach is sitting this one out?," Virgil asked quietly.
The Paternal Side nodded, "Yeah, he's working on the schedule for the day of the audition. He wants everything to be perfect." Patton gripped Virgil's shoulder, "We'll plan another movie night this weekend, Kiddo, and get everyone down here."
Virgil's eyes widened. "Everyone 'everyone'? Are you sure about that, Pop Star?" He looked around the blanket fort, trying to imagine relaxing in the same room as Remus or listening to Janus' commentary on whatever they chose to watch. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."
Roman bumped Virgil's shoulder, "Hey, it's worth trying ... even you turned out to be fun at movie nights, Emo," the soft look Roman gave the Anxious Side made the nickname sound like an endearment.
Patton grinned as he watched Virgil meet Roman's eyes, his scowl slowly evaporating. "Alright, maybe you have a point."
Roman pirouetted, laughing gleefully. "It's a plan! In the meantime, however ... we have a movie to watch tonight!" He stopped in front of Virgil and Patton. "What would you two like to watch?"
"Hmm," Patton clapped his hands together, thinking. "I'd say Aladdin but I know you two watched it recently." Roman and Virgil exchanged a glance. Patton tilted his head, thinking how the red fairy lights made Roman seemed to glow. He'd have to mention that to Virgil later, to thank him for thinking of adding the soft lights.
"We, uh, never actually finished watching it the other night, Pat," Virgil stammered.
"Oh, it was a long day, I bet you two were tired," Patton nodded understandingly. He hoped they didn't still feel bad for going to bed without putting their mugs in the dishwasher.
"Um, yeah," Virgil said, staring at the floor.
Patton grinned, giving Virgil's arm a little squeeze, "That means we can watch it tonight! Seeing the disk in the player that night made me want to see it again."
"Sooo ... I'll go get the disk," Roman scrambled to find the DVD, setting it in the machine and queuing it up, skipping the trailers for decades-old movies.
...
Forty-five minutes later - I could not last even two Pomodoros?! Logan chided himself - his hand started to cramp. He put down his pencil and massaged the knot that had formed in the fleshy muscle between his metacarpal bones. He sighed heavily, sitting back in his chair, blinking away the fuzziness in his vision. Suddenly, his door quietly swung wide open. Logan looked up to see Remus standing in his doorway, a wild grin on his face.
Logan bit the inside of this cheek to stop from matching the Creative Side's wide smile. He turned to face him, still massaging his hand. "How did you manage to slam my door open without the actual 'slam' ?"
"Oh, did you like that?" Remus' grin somehow grew and he gave the Logical Side a quick wink. "You said the noise gave you headache so I temporarily turned your door into rubber. See?," Remus pounded on the door with his morning star and they both watched Lucie bounce right off without a sound.
"Remus, that is remarka-", Logan cleared his throat. "I mean, of course knocking is always an easier option if you wish to alert me to your presence without the racket."
"Yeah, I could, but where's the fun in that?" Remus waggled his eyebrows and threw himself at a blank spot on Logan's desk. "Huh, lucky thing you moved your pencil sharpener to the other side of the desk or I would have ended up with an ass full of -"
"Remus," Logan briefly tapped the Duke's knee before he could finish his colorful sentence, "Did you have a purpose for your visit?," Logan picked up his pencil and was making small notations on a print out of Thomas' schedule for the day of the audition.
"Oh, right." Remus swung his feet back and forth, nearly but never actually kicking Logan or his chair. He shrugged. "Nope, not really." Logan raised an eyebrow but said nothing, simply continuing his work. Remus rested Lucie against the bookshelf next to Logan's desk and started swirling his hands, staring intently at the colors forming between his palms. After a few minutes he stopped and smiled. He held out a small potted Aster and placed it on Logan's desk next to his pencil cup.
Logan tilted his head, admiring the flower, as he turned over his Pomodoro half-hour glass when the sand ran out. "Thank you, Remus, that is ... quite lovely." He made a few more notations. After a moment, he licked his lips and turned to the Creative Side. "Remus, may I ask you a rather personal question?"
Grinning wickedly with raised eyebrows, he leaned toward Logan and murmured, "Ooooh ... What you would like know?"
Clearing his throat, Logan looked away from Remus' dancing eyes and tilted his chin toward the flower he had just conjured. "Most of your creations tend toward the macabre." His eyebrows drew together as he picked up the small pot and examined the flower. "Your flowers, however," Logan looked around at the stargazers that still adorned his walls in a few places, "Your flowers are ... well they're extraordinary, Remus. But ... they are also ... conventionally beautiful in a way that I thought was unappealing to your esthetic."
Remus gnawed at his mustache, peering carefully at Logan. Suddenly he smiled broadly. "I don't only enjoy the nasty sides of life. I can appreciate conventional beauty as you put it," Remus reached out and stroked Logan's hands where he held the flower pot. He lifted it closer to the Logical Side. "Besides," he whispered, eyes lighting up, "Have you ever really looked at a flower? They're the sexiest things imaginable." He shimmied his shoulders and licked his lips, staring into Logan's eyes, "Well, of course, next to fu-"
There was a firm knock at Logan's door.
Logan took a deep breath and replaced the Aster where Remus had originally set it. He narrowed his eyes at the Creative Side. "I am going to suspect this is more than a coincidence if that is Janus at the door." Remus simply shrugged, a toothy smile splitting his face. He wiggled his shoulders while he sat perched on Logan's desk. The movement reminded him of Patton's excited dance earlier that evening.
Logan stood and opened the door. Janus smirked at him, "Still hard at work, I see, dear Logan?" Janus looked past Logan to see Remus sitting on the Logical Side's desk, balancing a pencil on each fingertip. "Well, as hard as you can work with Remus around?"
Remus called out, "Oh, speaking of har-" Janus silenced him with a look and a twitch of his hand.
"May I come in, Logan?" Logan could hear music and the Genie singing, 'You ain't never had a friend like me!' coming from the common room downstairs.
"Of course, please," Logan opened the door completely, moving aside to allow him entry. Janus bowed his head in thanks and stepped inside, taking in the papers spread on Logan's desk, the nearly-overflowing bin filled with crumpled papers, and a wild-eyed Remus in the corner of the desk. Janus and Remus exchanged a look.
"How much more work do you have to do, Lo Lo?" Logan felt the tips of his ears burn at the Creative Side's nickname. Judging by Remus's pleased grin and the way Janus demurely looked away, each of the other Sides noticed his blush.
Logan cleared his throat. "I have a few more hours of work ahead of me." He turned to face his guests. "Did either of you need my assistance with something?"
"If I may ask, what are you working on, Logan?," Janus replied, ignoring his question and instead slowly approaching Logan's desk.
Shaking his head briefly at the apparent non-sequitur, Logan pointed to the computer, "I am preparing a set of contingency plans for the day of Thomas' audition. I do not want to risk any sort of scheduling mishap or unexpected event becoming an obstacle." Logan left the word 'again' unspoken. Janus nodded slowly, examining the computer screen and the papers laid out on the desk. "And you have auto-save enabled?"
Logan adjusted his glasses, 'Yes, of course, it is the most prudent way to - " Janus nodded at Remus who quickly closed the lid of the laptop, hopping off the desk.
"Wait, I have more to do!," Logan exclaimed.
"Logan," Janus murmured, gently gripping the Logical Side's chin and turning his face away from Remus' tidying. "You have done more than enough work for today. The schedule is ready and tomorrow is another day for one more review." Janus carefully cupped Logan's cheek as he examined his face. "Your eyes are bloodshot and I can see by the way you're squinting that you have a tension headache. And, here," He raised one of Logan's hands between them. "Your hands are shaking so hard I'm surprised you can even hold a pen." Logan pulled his hand back, massaging his hands together. "You will be more productive tomorrow after you have had the opportunity to relax and then sleep."
Logan opened his mouth to protest but then sighed heavily, "Perhaps you are right. Thank you, Janus, I promise I'll get some rest." He started to usher Janus out of his room. Remus sprawled on his belly across Logan's bed, chin cradled in his hands, grinning and watching Janus fight to suppress a smile. "Thank you for the reminder to not neglect my own self-care."
"Logan, my dear, did you forget to whom you are speaking?" Janus smirked at him, eyebrow raised. "You have no intention of actually resting, you are merely seeking to clear us out so you can resume your work." Remus got up and stood behind Logan, hands his shoulders, leaning close to his ear.
"You're not getting rid of us, Lo Lo," Remus whispered. Logan felt his shoulders relax under the warm pressure of the Duke's hands and a pain he'd been trying to ignore at the base of his neck seemed to evaporate. "Not until you've taken a break."
Janus smiled with real warmth. "We were hoping you would watch something with us. We think you'll like it." Remus waved his hand and a projection appeared on the wall facing Logan's bed. "How much do you remember of Twisted?"
...
Patton and Roman sat on either side of Virgil under the blanket fort. Patton's eyes were glued to the screen, watching as Aladdin and Jasmine soared through the sky on the magic carpet. Virgil had pulled his knees up, hugging them against his chest. Roman murmured, reaching for one of the blankets stacked next to him. "Are you cold, my lo - Lore of the Night?"
"A little," Virgil whispered. Roman draped a fuzzy purple throw over Virgil's shoulders, wrapping it around his legs.
"Better?"
Virgil nodded, leaning a bit against Roman as he wrapped an arm around the Anxious Side's shoulders.
Roman hummed along to the magic carpet ride song, "No-one to tell us no, or where to go, or say we're only dreaming ..." He realized he'd started singing aloud when he saw Virgil's movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked down and saw the Anxious Side smirking up at him. Virgil chuckled and bumped his shoulder, then leaned back again.
As the movie went on, the three grew quiet, wrapped up in the story. Near the end, Patton reached for a water bottle, looking over at his companions and he finally noticed the two snuggled together, a sleepy look on Virgil's face. It felt so good to see Virgil be able to relax. Patton saw that Roman was looking down at Virgil, too, not watching the movie. He was watching Virgil like he somehow contained the entire Disney canon in one scene. He met Roman's eyes, and Patton realized it wasn't the lights giving the Princely Side that lovely glow, but that Roman was blushing.
"Oh ...," Patton breathed more than spoke the word. Roman's eyes grew wide, looking from Patton to Virgil. Patton just smiled and placed a finger to his lips, then returned his attention to the movie.
..
"And this is a musical by this group ... Starkid?"
Remus grinned, "They're who we have to thank for 'Harry Frickin Potter' oh, and The Oregon Trail! Hey, Jannie," Remus shimmied his shoulders and grabbed Janus' arm, "we should watch that after Twisted! I found an edit with every different ending!" He turned to Logan, a mad smile painting his face, "Someone different gets dysentery and dies horribly in each version!"
Janus smiled indulgently, "Perhaps one video is sufficient for tonight?," he murmured gently, eyes lingering on Logan. Remus shrugged and flung himself across the two of them onto the far side of Logan's bed, settling in next to the Logical Side. The three sat in a line, Janus on Logan's right-hand side, Remus on his left, their backs resting against Logan's newly-padded headboard. Janus nodded appreciatively to the Creative Side. "Nice addition, Remus."
Grinning proudly, Remus started the video and the opening narration began.
"Oh," Logan nodded his head slowly, whispering to Remus. "I do recall Thomas watching this with Joan and Talyn before they moved to Vermont." He frowned, eyebrows knit together. "At the time, I had thought it was ill-advised to spend two hours watching a YouTube video when there was so much work to complete before they left." Logan frowned. "I didn't pay much attention to the musical and instead worked on a new schedule." He tilted his head, feeling the warmth of the former Dark Sides on either side of him, noting how the three of them were sitting similarly to how Thomas, Joan, and Talyn had sat for their viewing.
Remus whispered back, "Oh, you're gonna love this, Lo Lo! They eviscerate Disney!," He flung his arm around Logan's shoulders, twitching excitedly. "Listen ..."
The three Sides were quickly enthralled by the video. As the Sultan was introduced, Remus grew restless and shifted position, laying on his stomach diagonally across Janus and Logan's and swinging his feet, carefully avoiding kicking either of the other two sides. He started snickering when the Sultan's speech began. Janus reached out, briefly carding his hand through Remus' hair, murmuring, "And no, you should not try it, either." Remus rolled his eyes at Janus, but laughed with him.
As the scene progressed, Logan noticed that Remus was paying more attention to Janus than to the screen. Suddenly, Remus somersaulted over them, sliding into the space between Janus and the headboard, shifting him forward slightly. He wrapped his arms around Janus. Logan looked over, and saw Janus' eyes shining with unshed tears and started to move away to give the pair more space. But Remus pulled him in, shaking his head slightly, gesturing with his chin to stay with them. Nodding, Logan moved a little closer and Janus linked arms with him, gripping his hand and scootching down a bit. Janus leaned back against Remus, and laid his head against Logan's shoulder, scaled fingers intertwined with Logan's, gripping tightly. That's when Logan realized that Janus had removed his gloves at some point during the video. Logan gently squeezed back, stunned but determined to gracefully accept Janus' expression of trust.
As the main character began to sing, Logan listened carefully to the lyrics and soon found himself swallowing against a lump in his throat. Remus smiled at the other two sides and let go of Janus for a moment to conjure a box of tissues, placing it between the two of them.
The next scene had the three Sides laughing again. During the song, Remus whispered, "Hey, Lo Lo, you've got something on your head, hold still." Logan froze, eyebrows knitted. Janus looked at the two of them with a small knowing smile, still comfortably nestled against Remus' chest. And though they had gotten past the tragic scene, Janus hadn't let go of Logan's hand.
"What is it, Remus?," Logan whispered, hoping to avoid distracting Janus, not realizing that Janus was already watching them and not the video.
Remus leaned close and kissed the side of his head, then grinned. "That."
---
Note: It is tempting to include the entirety of several songs from Twisted, a Starkid adaptation of Aladdin here. The songs and story structure mirror those of Disney, while using the POV-shift used in Wicked, to tell the famous tale from the perspective of Jafar. To no-one's surprise, it is Janus' favorite anything.
Word count: 1748 - G - [ AO3 ] - Canon(ish), Post-POF - Overture
May Flowers Event Day 28: Orchid for Elegance
Note: A seven-year old spoiler for Doctor Who is narrowly avoided below.
"Elegance is elimination."
- Cristóbal Balenciaga
---
Thomas was standing in front of the refrigerator, propping the door open with his hip, reaching deep inside, searching. "What about this? I think it's that garlic-infused butter from -" he popped off the lid and sniffed, then gagged. "Nope! Nope, nope, that's not gonna work. Here, Virge," he said, stretching his arm over the top of the refrigerator door to where Virgil sat on the counter. Thomas handed him the rancid butter concoction. "Can you toss this?"
Virgil wrinkled his nose and gingerly accepted the plastic container, toeing open the cabinet that held Thomas' garbage can and threw it in the bin. Roman looked up from where he was chopping tomatoes and grinned. "Nice shot, Emo!" Virgil blushed and slouched a bit, hiding his face.
Thomas didn't notice, too busy hunting for something to substitute for garlic. He'd promised Nico homemade spaghetti when he'd convinced him to come over for dinner tonight instead of going out. But he was completely out of garlic. "Roman, I think we're outta luck. I'm gonna need you to get ... creative." Virgil groaned but smiled.
"Patton's not here so you've decided to cover the dad jokes, huh, Sanders?," he drawled. Roman chuckled, laying the knife on the cutting board and rooting through Thomas' cabinets, looking for anything besides salt to add some flavor to the dish.
"Ah, I think even Patton would have groaned at that one," Roman said, looking over his shoulder at Thomas.
"Hey!," Thomas protested, laughing, "It wasn't that bad!"
Suddenly his phone started playing Nico's ringtone, Sunday Morning. Virgil's eyes grew wide. "He's cancelling. I knew it. Either that or he's early and already on his way and there's no way we'll be ready in time. He's gonna find out you're a disaster and break up with you! God, I hope he's not driving and calling at the same time. What if he got in an accident when he was on the phone with us? Get him off the phone! Remember Dark Water, he wouldn't have -"
"Virgil, it's ok," Thomas placed one hand on the Anxious Side's shoulder. "Let me see what Nico is calling about first, alright?," Despite Virgil's - and, therefore, his own - nervousness about why Nico might be calling just a few hours before their date was set to start, Thomas smiled when he saw Nico's contact picture pop up on his phone screen. He swiped up to answer the call, "Well, hello there, Neek ..."
Roman scraped the diced tomatoes into a bowl and then brought the dirty knife and cutting board to the sink. He would need it again in a moment to chop up the basil, but he was pretty sure that Thomas didn't know that. This gave the Princely Side an opportunity to get a little closer to Virgil and give him a reassuring bump against his knees. "Hey, you ok there, Hot Topic?," he whispered. Virgil's eyes were on Thomas, focused on the conversation. He nodded, giving Roman a quick glance and a smile as thanks.
"Oh ... sure, Neek," Thomas said into the phone, looking down at his feet, "That's no problem, we can totally move this to another day."
"Are you sure? I hope you haven't gone to a lot of trouble ...," Nico sounded distracted on the phone. Yes, he was almost definitely driving. Virgil's warning dancing through his head, Thomas thought he should probably try to get him off the phone as quickly as possible.
"No, no, no, it's totally fine. No trouble at all ... it - it was going to be a simple dinner ... I've hardly even started ... Yes, yes, it's fine. No, ... no of course I'm not mad. I understand you have to get your story in."
Thomas flashed a look to Roman and Virgil, shaking his head. Roman hung his head, leaning against the sink. Virgil gave his shoulder a little squeeze.
Thomas' doorbell rang and he swore under his breath. "No, no, that wasn't because of you, Nico. Sorry. It's probably my new neighbor. I must have breathed too loudly and now he's coming over to complain about the noise. Just a second." Thomas left the kitchen, heading to the front door. Roman suddenly grinned, lifting his head and peering through the kitchen window.
Virgil nudged him, "Hey, Princey, what are you looking for?," he whispered.
"It's the classic rom com move, my Dark Knight," Virgil blushed at the nickname, but Roman was too preoccupied with looking for Nico or his car outside to catch it. "You call your date, say you have to cancel," Roman whispered back quickly, bouncing with excitement. "But then you show up on his doorstep, a big bouquet or a box of chocolates or an engagement ring in hand ...,"
"Oh, Ro, I don't think that's - "
Thomas took a deep breath and opened the door, "Oh, hi. Hailey, is it?," Thomas was a little fuzzy on some of his neighbors' names. "Can help you?" Roman and Virgil met each other's eyes in the kitchen.
"Sorry, Princey," Virgil whispered. Roman just sighed and resumed wrapping up the chopped tomatoes. They were already cooked, so if Thomas used them tomorrow, they'd still be good.
"Yeah, it's Hailey. Hey, Mr. Sanders," she frowned and twisted her fingers together, looking up and down the row of apartments. "Have you, um, seen my cat?"
"No, honey, I'm afraid not, I haven't. What does your cat look like?"
"She's black and white and has a white collar. Her name's Minty."
"I'll keep my eyes out for her. You're two doors down, right?" She nodded. "I'll let you know if I see her, ok?" Thomas glanced down at the phone in his hand, checking that his call with Nico was still active.
"Thanks, Mr. Sanders!" Hailey started to back away from the door, smiling brightly. Thomas shook his head, a rueful smile painting his face. To have the emotional resilience of a kid again. "Oh, yeah," she turned back, "I'll come back and let you know if I find her, too!"
"Ok, thanks, Hailey. I hope you find her soon!" Thomas waved and closed the door. "Hi, Neek, sorry. That was the kid a couple doors down."
Nico laughed gently, "So I heard ... You were so sweet with her." Thomas blushed.
“Hey, you’re no slouch in the charming department, yourself there Mister." Thomas heard Nico chuckle over the line. “Hailey's the same little girl whose mom you helped out last time you came by.”
“Oh, right ... Nice family.” Thomas shook his head in quiet amazement. Nico was so effortlessly friendly and helpful. The last time Nico had come over, just as he’d parked, he noticed Thomas’ neighbor struggling to unload some packages from Sam's Club. Nico had leapt right in, carrying boxes and chatting about the traffic, the neighborhood, his writing. People just gravitated to him. Thomas supposed that was a big part of how they had ended up together, too. Nico was kind and unafraid to help a stranger, easily turning strangers into friends and, well ...
“What’s Hailey’s mom’s name again?,” Thomas asked, feeling a little bad that he couldn’t remember, but confident that Nico would know.
“Kate.” Nico laughed gently, “I’m glad I could help you get to know your neighbors … ,”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, every couple needs a charming one to make friends with the neighbors.” As soon as the words left his mouth, Virgil’s eyes grew wide at the implication hiding in his flirting and he stared at Thomas. The actor turned around, wincing. Virgil just shook his head, mouthing “Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up,”, then he raised his hoodie, pulling the strings down to completely hide his face. Roman rubbed his back and whispered in his ear.
“It might not be that bad, let’s see what he says …”
“And every couple needs a hopelessly hot one, so I guess we’ve got that all worked out, don’t we, Tommy?,” Nico murmured back. Thomas’ blush was iridescent.
"You know you're the only one who's allowed to call me that, right?," Thomas turned to face the Sides again, grinning, not noticing how Roman quickly stepped away from Virgil, lowering his hand.
Nico laughed, "Darn right, I know I'm the only one!" Thomas pressed the phone against his ear, again soaking in the sweet sound of his boyfriend's laughter. "Listen, I need to go. Can I call you later?"
"Sure, Neek. Talk to you later, bye." Thomas stared at the screen for a moment before pocketing his phone and turning to the Sides watching him. He shrugged, "Nico's got a deadline." He sighed and started to help Roman clean up. "I don't love it, but I get it."
Virgil fiddled with the strings on his hoodie, pressing his lips together. They hadn't been dating for that long, but they knew each other well enough to know that Nico wasn't the type to procrastinate or to forget a due date. He wouldn't have agreed on a date night when he on deadline, either. Virgil didn't want to say anything, he really didn't, but he was sure there was something else going on. He pulled his hood back up and shoved his hands in his pockets. That, Thomas noticed.
"Virge, what's going on, Bud?" Roman looked up at Thomas' words. Virgil just shook his head. As Roman and Thomas both moved closer to the Anxious Side, the doorbell rang again.
"Oh, maybe that's Hailey with her cat. Hopefully somebody's having some luck tonight." Thomas sighed again.
"We'll make ourselves scarce, Thomas, but maybe not leave altogether?" Roman tilted his head toward Virgil. If Virgil went back to the Mindscape in this state, he would likely just send Thomas into a panic attack. It would be better to stay close but out of sight until the feeling passed.
Thomas nodded and approached the door again. "Hey, Hailey, did you find Minty?," he called, opening the door without looking and craning his neck, checking that Virgil and Roman couldn't be seen from where they sat on the stairs. When she didn't respond, Thomas frowned, "No luck?" He finally turned toward the now-open door, and his jaw dropped as he faced Nico standing on his doorstep, a huge, beautiful potted orchid in his hands.
Nico grinned, leaning in to kiss a shocked Thomas. "I wouldn't say that, Tommy. I'd say it's pretty lucky our little ploy to surprise you actually worked." Thomas looked over Nico's shoulder to see Hailey and her mom, grinning and waving. Thomas waved at both of them, feeling a flush growing on his face. "Not bad acting for a ten-year-old, huh?," he laughed, pulling Thomas closer for another hello kiss.
Word Count: 100, Human AU, post-Happily Ever After/What Might Have Been
[ AO3 ] - Day 10 will be a related story
---
“Thanks, Pat!,” Remus grinned as Patton knelt next to him in Logan’s garden, handing over one of the ice teas he carried.
“It looked like you needed it.” Patton looked around at the red, pink, and white hyacinths Remus had planted. “I think Dad will really like these. He’s talked about wanting flowers here for a long time.”
“How much more time do we have?,” Remus winced as he sat back and stretched sore legs.
“Dad’ll be back with Uncle Roman in two hours.”
Remus laughed, “Just enough time to clean up. Dirty garden tools hardly say ‘I love you’.”
Word Count: 1341 - Rated G - Final Story in Overture - [ AO3 ] - Final Story in Overture
May Flowers Event Day 31 Prompt: Orange Rose for Friendship
Janus gets an unexpected visit from a friend. 🧡
There are preachers who kill
There are killers who preach
There are teachers who lie
There are liars who teach
Take your pick, dear
'Cause it's all a façade
If we're not one, but two
Are we evil or good?
- Jeckyll and Hyde, Façade
Janus was alone in the common room when he noticed the first orange rose petal. The color caught his eye and he bent to pick it up, turning it over in his gloved hand. Even through the material covering his fingers, he could tell the petal was fresh, still slightly springy and fragrant. Janus looked around him and noticed another petal on the third step. As Janus bent to retrieve that petal, he spotted another half-way up the staircase. Sighing heavily, he rolled his eyes and followed the trail all the way to the door of his room. A small smile peeking through his much-put-upon expression, Janus opened his door and quickly slid inside, closing and locking it behind him.
"Of course you know you couldn't simply knock like a normal being when you wish to visit me," Janus purred.
Janus felt more than saw the other's responding shrug in the dim light. He was sitting at the chess table, the board already set. He'd taken the white pieces for himself, of course. Janus could no longer hide his smile. Some things never change ...
Janus summoned a large, comfortable chair for himself and slowly sat, leaning back and letting one arm rest along the back in an exaggeratedly relaxed pose. Janus raised an eyebrow at the other's vibrant orange poet shirt and tight pants. "Over-dramatic much in that ensemble?"
"Says the snake man in the bowler hat, silk-lined capelet, and yellow spats." The other advanced his knight. "Glass houses, Janus ...," he murmured in a perfect mimicry of Janus' voice, a smile slowly spreading on his face. Janus narrowed his eyes. So he had been in the courtroom that day. Janus felt a flash of annoyance. The other's presence that day explained a great deal.
"It is merely an observation," Janus said smoothly, advancing his own knight and taking a moment to relish the small frown his unexpected move elicited from the other Side. "You typically prefer more functional attire. Less decorative and more -" he gazed pointedly at the large swathes of exposed skin on the other's chest and neck, "protective."
"Au contraire, mon frère.", the other murmured, moving a pawn to free his bishop. "These clothes will provide all the protection I'm going to need."
"I am not your brother, dear friend," Janus responded as he advanced a pawn, daring the other to capture it. He knew that if he could sufficiently antagonize the other, he was sure to take such easy bait. Janus ignored the second half of the other's statement, though, needing time to work through the riddle.
"Touché, touché," he said as he avoided Janus' pawn and moved one of his own pawns forward two spaces. "Speaking of," he sat back in his seat, watching Janus consider his next move. "How is frater meus feeling these days?"
Janus advanced his pawn again, threatening the other's knight. Then Janus leaned back in his own chair, as the other moved to protect his piece. "As you well know, he would be quick to insist that he doesn't fe-,"
Gripping the table on either side of the chess board so tightly that his fingertips whitened as they pressed into the surface, the other leaned forward, all teeth and sharp eyes. But his voice remained calm. "And that is why I am asking you and not him." He stared into Janus' eyes. "How is my brother feeling these days?"
Ignoring the question, Janus murmured, "You are asking me and not him because he doesn't even know you exist, does he?" He picked up a bishop and rolled it between gloved fingers before moving it across the board.
The other's eyes flashed a bright orange for a brief second. Janus's hands made fists and he closed his eyes, carefully counting out his breaths, grounding himself against the burning tightness that pounded inside his chest, roaring to be let out. Especially now that Janus was beginning to see the full extent to which the other had been involved in his recent failures, he refused to let himself be influenced in his own room. There had been enough of that the day of the Lee and Mary Lee's wedding. Gradually, the fire released him and Janus opened his eyes, easing his lips into a smile.
They sat in silence for a few minutes until the other finally spoke, bringing out his own bishop, "I know you are only trying to make me angry so that you can beat me at this game, Janus. Have you actually forgotten who holds those keys?" He watched Janus take his turn and then reached across the board, capturing Janus' newly exposed knight with a pawn. "That old ploy hasn't worked in years. What makes you think it would work today?"
Janus sighed, crossing his arms lightly in front of him. "I know that your concern for your brother has been making you sloppy. I've seen you in his room, more than once in the last week alone."
The other laughed, a rare, low rumble that Janus felt in his bones. "And what have you been doing in my little brother's room so often that you've perchanced to see me?" His grin grew at the flush growing on Janus' human-looking features. "Do I need to have a shovel talk with you?" The other's voice grew deeper, "And with Remus?"
Janus ignored the other's questions and their implications. "I also know that you and I have both observed a recurrence of the conditions which we thought we could prevent through ...," gesturing toward the other. Janus made a show of returning his attention to the game. He toyed with the idea of moving his bishop into the far quadrant of the board before reconsidering, steepling his fingers together as he stared at the remaining pieces. "And," Janus murmured as he castled his king, "I know that you were likely ... surprised that Roman's brother was introduced to Thomas before you."
"You mean you think that I was surprised when you released Remus before me?" The other Side stared until Janus bowed his head, granting the accuracy of the correction. "You make it sound like I resent dear Remus." The other crossed his arms and scowled. "His acceptance was justice at last. Who would I be if I begrudged him his righteous reward for silently carrying us through Roman's '0.5% for dreams' depressive episode?" He scoffed at Janus' stunned expression. "Oh, don't look so shocked. I pay attention."
"So you don't begrudge Remus his acceptance ...," Janus carefully watched the other Side's shifting expression. "You just want to know when it will be your turn."
He waved his hands magnanimously. "And who better to ask than you, dear Janus, the keeper of gates and secrets himself?"
Janus met his eyes, staring into the the indigo irises ringed in amber. "You know I want you to be able to join us. He needs you." Janus pressed his lips together before quietly adding, "We all do."
The other Side rolled his eyes and looked away. Swearing softly, Janus ripped off his gloves in an effort to emphasize his sincerity. "I know better than most what it's like to try to serve a vital function while locked away from the light." He held out both of his now-bare hands, palms up, in a show of humility and vulnerability he knew the other Side couldn't mistake. "I've known for longer than anyone else." Janus took a deep breath, feeling the tension in his chest - and the rest of the room - unwind as the other finally met his eyes again. "It will be soon, my friend, I promise you."
"If it is happening again, if ... if all of this, if everything we did was just a deferment and he's still doomed to ...," the other's voice trailed off as he dropped his head into his hands, tugging at his hair, unwilling to give words to his fears.
Janus moved closer to him, pulling his hands from his hair and gently holding them. "I will not let him be harmed."
"Do you really think Thomas is ready?"
Janus stared into the other's eyes. "We both know he's going to have to be."
---
The Overture is complete and the first movement will begin in the TS Storytime Big Bang fic, Do Us Any Harm.
Word Count: 100, Human AU, post-Happily Ever After, during What Might Have Been post-Chapter 14- [ AO3 ]
Prompt: Alstroemeria for mutual support, red for deep love and admiration
---
“Coffee?”
Janus stopped pacing, turning to see a grinning Logan and Remus, bearing red cups from Vivace.
Remus handed Janus a cup, pulling him to a seat. “Drink up while it’s hot.”
“Is Roman inside?,” Logan asked, joining them.
Janus nodded. “She can have only three people with her. The doula, Alstroemeria, her best friend, and … one of us.” Janus leaned against Logan, face drawn. “Thanks, but do you - "
“We’ve got no place more important to be, Jan-Jan.” Remus winked at Logan, “Barring a supply closet for a quickie!”
Chuckling, Logan murmured, “Time for you to lean on us, Janus.”
Word Count: 2196, Human AU, pre- and during Chapter 1 of Happily Ever After [ AO3 ]
CW / Content Warning: Emotional manipulation, implied threats, property damage. There is a reproduction of the flyer from the previous chapter at the end of this chapter.
May Flowers Event Day 17 Prompt: Irises for courage
---
When Emile returned to their room, Max was in the middle of packing. “Hello, Darling, come on in, just watch for those boxes.” Emile edged his way around a stack of flattened boxes poking out from behind the door. Max was standing in front of his closet, Emile’s duffel bag on the desk chair behind him. Emile looked around the room, putting his hands in his pockets to hide his fidgeting.
“Hi, Honey … I thought we were planning to stay until the end of the quarter.” He smiled at Max when he looked up from folding a pair of Emile’s slacks, adding them to the stack in front of him.
“Well, sure … I’m just packing away some of the extra things we don’t really use or have extras of in the meantime. The quarters run a little differently between our old school and Eastern.” Emile tried to hide his wince at the way Max described Western as their ‘old’ school. He was still optimistic that he could convince Max to allow him to stay at Western for two more years. “I’m taking summer quarter courses to make up for what I couldn’t get here, so we'll have just two days after this quarter ends to move out and get settled before my classes start at Eastern.
Emile nodded and gripped the strap of his book bag. He watched the frenetic way Max was folding one item of clothing after another. Max was too activated to have this conversation right now. Emile decided to try to broach the subject again after dinner. That was usually a calmer time, anyway. Maybe then he could go back through the what Max had packed and retrieve the clothing he would need for the last two weeks of class.
“If ... you do not mind too much, Honey,” Emile stepped a little closer to him, resting a hand on Max's forearm as he pushed down on the stacks of clothing in the open bag. “I have an assignment due tonight that I need to work on. I could go complete it at the library and then come back and help you after dinner.“
Max narrowed his eyes at Emile, “You should do your assignment here. Then we don’t have to worry about where to meet up later for dinner.”
"Of course, Honey." Emile nodded again, “Would it be alright to -,” he touched backrest of his desk chair, currently buried under the bag and several jackets and sweaters draped across it.
“Yeah, sure,” Max muttered without looking up. “Why don’t you get settled and I’ll move all this so you can sit.”
“Thank you, Honey.” Emile turned to face his desk and opened his bag to take out his notebooks and laptop. As he pulled out the laptop, the folded leaflet from Project DVORA fluttered out and landed on the floor near Max’s feet. Emile’s eyes widened and he bent quickly to retrieve it. Max was faster.
“Oh, you dropped this, Darling. Pretty paper,” he murmured, opening the sheet and beginning to read.
Emile stood frozen in place. It felt like time was slowing down as he watched Max’s eyebrows slowly tighten, mouth drawing down into a scowl. He could see the muscles in Max’s jaw start to work as he ground his teeth, reading the entire leaflet.
Max got to the end, turning it over in his hands. He clenched his teeth and finally looked at Emile.
“Emile …,” Max’s voice was low and calm, almost whispering. Emile stood very still. He knew how to handle Max’s anger, and his tears, and his despondency. This was something different. Max held the leaflet up so he could see. “What the fuck is this, Emile?”
Emile pressed a smile onto his face and tried to force his muscles to relax. He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. “Just a flyer a classmate picked up.” He licked his lips, clenching his toes in his shoes as his only outlet for the churning he felt in his stomach. “They saw the Hebrew and asked me about it.” His eyes darted around the room. He’d been fuzzy with the truth around Max before, but this was the biggest lie he’d ever told him.
Emile watched as Max’s eyes darkened. He looked at the leaflet again before balling it up and throwing it on the floor. “He, who, Emile?” Max stepped closer. “That little high schooler who’s been following you around? What’s his name? Renee?” Emile was silent, head bowed. “Huh?”
Emile just nodded. It was pointless to correct Max when he was this angry. He would apologize later and they could talk it out.
Max crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I get it. I really do. I almost feel bad for him.” Emile risked a quick glance up to check Max’s expression. His mouth was curved slightly in an approximation of a smile and his eyebrows were gently raised. The sharpness in his eyes, however, remained. “But, Darling,” Max reached for Emile’s left hand, stroking his palm and running his thumb over the ring on his finger. “Why would you let him try to poison what we have? He could never love you the way I do. No-one else could love you the way I do.” Max stepped closer, holding Emile’s hand in both of his, bending down to kiss his fingers. He tilted his head up, looking closely at Emile.
“Unless … unless, of course, you think you’d actually be better off without me." Emile stared back at Max, trying to keep eye contact and blinking rapidly. "Unless that's the real reason why you wanted to go do your homework at the library? So you could meet up with your little friend?” Max tightened his grip on Emile’s hand, pressing it against his own his chest. He narrowed his eyes, “No … no you’re not like that, right, Darling?” Emile shook his head rapidly, trying to smile but ending up with a just a trembling mouth. “That’s what I thought.” Max grinned, untangling one of his hands to stroke Emile's cheek.
Emile couldn’t control the tiny frightened twitch in his face when Max's hand touched him.
Max frowned at first, but then chuckled, keeping his hold on Emile's hands and snaking his other arm around his waist like an embrace. “You see, that’s the funny thing about people, Darling.” He shook his head and tsked lightly. “We’re all just a mess of chemicals and nerves underneath it all. No matter what you say, no matter what you promise, when you're lying to me, you will always have a tell. You just can’t help it.” He let go of Emile's hands and reached behind him, picking up his laptop from the desk. “And because you can’t help it, I’ll always be here to help you and to keep any temptations away.”
He met Emile’s eyes. “Where’s your phone, Darling?” Emile’s eyes flicked down to his hip before he could stop himself. Still holding the laptop, Max released Emile and shoved his hand into Emile’s pocket, grabbing his phone. He bent his head down and kissed Emile’s cheek, then turned and flung his computer and phone against the cinder block dorm room wall. Emile flinched, covering his head and face as shards of plastic and glass scattered around the room.
Max maintained his icy calm voice. “You will use my computer for your final assignments and I’ll go buy you a new phone. You'll have a new phone number that you will not share with anyone unless I say so.” He looked around at the debris littering the floor and the spare bed. “You should clean this up while I’m gone. Those broken bits could be dangerous.” Max lifted Emile's chin, kissing him on the mouth, then he turned and left, locking the door behind him.
Emile’s legs gave out and he sank down to the floor, shaking. He sat there stunned, for a minute or for ten, Emile wasn't sure. He could barely breathe. He squeezed his eyes shut, counting out his breaths like he used to teach his friends in high school. Gradually, he was able to slow his breathing enough to get all the way to eight on the exhale. He looked around the chaos of the room, at the empty boxes, and his half-packed bag, and the remains of his computer on the floor, thinking that the sparkling bits of glass could almost pass for glitter.
The shattered screen refracted the light streaming in from the window, drawing his eyes to the crumpled leaflet that lay just under the bed where Max had tossed it. Moving carefully to avoid the sharp bits on the floor, Emile crawled over and picked it up, smoothing it out on his lap. He traced the stylized irises printed in the corner of the page, and re-read the list, counting this time.
Twelve.
Twelve items out of a list of seventeen. You don't have to wait until he's hitting you before you decide to leave.
Finally, something broke loose in Emile and he started to sob. He covered his mouth with the back of his hand until he stopped. He carefully re-folded the flyer and put it in his pocket, then got to his feet. He started shoving his remaining clothes into his duffel bag. He grabbed his books from the shelf on his desk, and his shaving kit and toothbrush from the dresser. Max was a minimalist - to spite his own name - so Emile didn’t have a lot to pack. Most of his belongings were in storage at his parents' house.
Looking around the room for anything he might have missed, Emile pulled off his engagement ring and placed it on top of Max’s closed laptop on his desk. Then he picked up his book bag and duffel, and what was left of his shattered computer and phone, and opened the door. He poked his head out into the hallway, listening for the elevator or the heavy fire door at the staircase. No-one was around. Hands gripped tightly on his bags, he ran down to Remy’s door, knocking rapidly, praying he was inside.
Remy opened the door, eyes widening first when he saw Emile’s tears and then the bags in his hands. He opened the door completely, ushering Emile inside. “Em! Come in, come in.”
Emile rushed through the doorway and Remy closed and locked it behind him. Emile leaned against the closed door and cried.
…
Remy led Emile all the way inside his room, gently tapping his hands where he kept an iron grip on his bags. “It’s ok to put these down now, Emile.” He nodded and placed the bags in a corner of the room. Remy grabbed a box of tissues and pressed it into Emile’s hands. He gestured between a desk chair and his bed, “Where would you like to sit?” They were closer to the bed and Emile practically collapsed on it, hunching over himself, sobs wracking his body. Remy sat next to him, rubbing circles into his back. When his cries quieted, Remy asked, “Where is Max right now, Em?”
Emile shook his head, “I don’t really know. Off-campus, I think. Maybe downtown?” Emile pulled out his broken phone, “He went to go buy a new phone for me.”
Remy's brow furrowed and his jaw tightened. “Did he do this?” Emile nodded.
“My computer, too.”
“Emile,” Remy lowered his voice and spoke very carefully. “Did he … did he hurt you?”
“No, no, I’m fine.” Emile laughed, the sound brittle and high-pitched. “I am totally fine. I just left my boyfriend of four years. No, not my boyfriend, my fiancee …,” Emile crumpled, a fresh sob escaping his throat. He leaned into Remy, who wrapped his arms around him, shushing into his hair. “Oh, my God, what have I done?” He turned to Remy, eyes wild. “I don’t even have a place to live anymore. Max cancelled our room for next year and every dorm is wait listed ...”
“It’s going to be ok, Emile, I promise. My roommate and I are getting a suite next year.” Remy smiled, “We’ll sneak you in. And we'll figure out how to deal with the last two weeks of the quarter.” Emile leaned against Remy again, face drawn. Remy could see that his adrenaline was starting to wear off and he was likely going to crash soon. He paused, taking a deep breath, “Listen, Em, we need to take care of some things, then you can lie down and take a nap, ok?” Emile nodded against his chest. “We are going to need some help. When Max comes back and sees that you're gone …” Emile sat up, jaw trembling. “Let’s call the RA and let him know what’s going on. Then maybe … maybe campus security, if… if that’s ok with you?”
“Ok,” Emile whispered, breathing shallowly.
“And then, do you want to use my phone to call your parents?” He nodded. Emile didn’t talk about his family a lot, but they seemed to get a long well and Remy knew they would get together sometimes after his classes at TBT. And then, once Emile was asleep, Remy would call his uncle to find out what else they needed to do.
Word count: 1514 - G - [ AO3 ] - Canon(ish), Post-POF - Overture
May Flowers Event Day 24 Prompt: Poinsettias for Success
If I dare to ask it
If I dare it to be true
If I dare to risk it I know that I'm willing to
If I dare to want this
To want more than I have
Then I dare to believe I'll have it in the end
- If I Dare, Sara Bareilles
Roman closed his eyes, relishing the warmth of Patton's goodnight hug. It had been over two weeks since he'd last had any hug from the paternal Side -- and far, far longer since let himself just melt into one -- and now he was getting his second such hug of the night. Roman felt a glow deep in his chest that had been missing for so long he'd forgotten what it felt like. He'd even forgotten he was missing it.
Roman felt loved. Purely and completely loved.
He tried to remember the last time he'd felt like this. Was it actually Christmas? Yes, the Christmas before last. He and Patton had been decorating the common room together and he'd summoned poinsettias in every Side's favorite color. Patton had actually squealed with joy, hugging Roman so tightly he could barely breathe. It had been such a long time.
When Patton shifted, getting ready to stand, Roman shut his eyes tightly, pulling Patton just a little closer before releasing him. Roman found he could let go without that old shuddering ache returning because he knew with a fresh certainty that he could have another hug tomorrow. Lifting his eyes, he watched Patton approach Janus, gently caressing his arm and smiling a good night.
Watching Patton's simple gesture of acceptance toward Janus, Roman knew that he had been right to believe that Janus really was simply trying to take care of Thomas. Even Patton could see it now. They really could trust that everything Janus did was what he believed was best for Thomas.
Roman and Janus both watched Patton climb the stairs. Once he was out of sight, they finally looked at each other. Roman swallowed hard and took a deep breath. He waved his arm over the seat next to him in what he hoped was a welcoming and not overly grandiose gesture. "Would you sit with me?," he murmured. For a moment, Roman thought for certain that Janus looked nervous, but the narrowed eyes and tense jaw soon relaxed and he attributed it to a reluctance to sit so close to the one who had mocked him the last they spoke. "If you'd be more comfortable somewhere el-"
"Ye- ," Janus pressed his lips together and took a sharp breath. "No, this is more than fine." Moving so quickly that Roman wasn't completely certain that he hadn't merely vanished and reappeared closer to the couch, Janus sat delicately on the seat cushion. He pivoted slightly toward Roman but maintained enough distance to ensure there was no chance of accidentally brushing their legs together. His eyes remained focused on his hands folded lightly in his lap.
Roman washed his own hands together, fighting to keep them -- and his voice -- from shaking. He felt unsure how to start. He took a breath. It's just like fighting the Dragon Witch, raise your sword and strike. "Janus, I owe you an apology." Janus whipped his head around, staring at him. Roman flinched backwards, nearly imperceptibly. He blinked twice, working to regain his control. "I behaved abominably when you revealed your name to us." Roman frowned and bowed his head, shame flushing his cheeks all over again at the memory of the pain that had briefly flooded Janus' face when he'd laughed. "No matter what I may have been feeling in the moment, it was wrong to lash out at you, particularly when you had just made yourself so vulnerable and opened up to us. I am deeply, deeply sorry."
He closed his eyes, struggling to remember the apology he'd been rehearsing. Roman was grateful that Janus was willing to hear him out but he felt terribly unprepared. "If I simply had to say something I could have commented on how fitting it would be that the one who hides The Dar-" Roman grimaced. "The Others in the Subconscious, releasing them when Thomas is ready, would have chose the name of the Roman god of gates. I could have simply asked if you spelled it with the Latin 'I' or a 'J' or ..." Roman shook his head, pulling himself back from his rambling. "Instead, I behaved like nothing more than a schoolyard bully, and I am sorry."
Roman finally raised his eyes to look at him. Janus had turned to face Roman completely and was now staring, gloved hands still folded in his lap. "I ... I accept your apology, Roman," he said carefully, as though watching his 's' sounds and guarding against doublespeak. "It isn't actually necessary, I assure you ..."
Roman narrowed his eyes, unsure whether Janus meant the words as he'd said them. He wanted to believe him. Roman shook his head to clear it of the courtroom memories playing through his mind. Janus seemed to understand the other's reticence and he sighed, looking down at his hands. He clenched his jaw and pulled off his right glove. "I meant what I said. I appreciate your apology, Roman, but it's unnecessary."
"A proper Prince should always be willing to admit when he is wrong ...,"
"I mean that ...," Janus looked away, pursing his lips. "I mean that I gave worse than I got that day." He held up his gloved hand, gently trying to stop the Prince from interrupting. "I am not saying that I actually believe either you or your brother are evil." Janus squeezed his eyes shut, "And I still owe Remus an apology for that implication." He met Roman's eyes again. "However, I used what I could perceive about your own secret insecurities, about what you most feared about yourself in that moment to say the absolute worst that I possibly could. I took your secret fears and I threw them in your face." Roman sat back against the couch, not ready for that revelation. Until that moment, he had not realized the breadth of Janus' powers.
Janus continued, "I knew that -" he winced at the memory. "- that you had just finished blaming yourself for Thomas having 'impure' motivations," Janus rolled his eyes and waved away that topic for another day. "You were feeling insecure and didn't trust in your own goodness. And I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that the reason you felt that way was because you were the first of the Sides to try to give me a say in Thomas' decisions, leaving you vulnerable to Patton and Virgil's judgement."
He hung his head. "And to repay you for that trust, I lost control of my anger and used everything I knew against you. Simply because you made fun of my name." Janus shook his head. "If I recall correctly, you did the same when Virgil shared his name, and we see how you really feel about him." Roman's eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. Janus smirked, not unkindly, "Oh, was I not supposed to know about that yet?"
Roman straightened his back and cleared his throat, speaking carefully "It is true that Virgil and I have bonded over a number of shared interests. In fact, earlier today, we were watching Aladdin, a Disney classic and ...,"
Janus shook his head, a small smile curving his lips. He patted Roman's knee. "If you do not want the others to know, I will not reveal your secret." He raised his eyebrows and stared pointedly at the Princely Side. "It's part of my job, after all."
Roman relaxed as an only-slightly awkward silence fell over the pair. Finally, Janus turned to Roman again, taking a quick breath and folding his hands, "My point is that I am sorry, Roman."
Roman laid his hand against his chest and bowed his head, "I, of course, accept your apology. We ... we were both wrong to lash out."
"So," Janus purred, folding and unfolding his glove.
"So ...," Roman tapped out a rhythm on his leg.
"So what are you and I going to do about getting Thomas another callback?," Janus grinned at Roman. "I am certain you have already devised some creative means for achieving our, rather, Thomas' goals."
Roman narrowed his eyes, fighting to keep the smile off his own face. "No tricky business? Thomas won't accept success if the purchase price is his own sense of goodness." Roman crossed his arms. "And neither will I."
Janus raised his bare hand, "No tricky business. Perhaps ... a tiny bit of selfishness," he raised a finger to intercept the other's automatic protest, "All in moderation, of course." Janus' eyes flicked toward the stairs, "And we will take all of the Sides' opinions into account, including Patton's, to be certain we do not cross any important lines." Roman chewed at his lower lip, remembering how they had ultimately needed Janus to protect Thomas from Patton's oppressive moral arguments. Janus had more than proven his worth that day.
"I'm not saying I'm going to agree with you all the time, Janus," Roman said slowly, his lips relaxing out of their scowl.
Janus' mouth curved in a gentle smirk, eyebrow raised. "Oh, Roman, you mean you're going to treat me the way you do all of the other Sides?" He grinned as a smile spread on Roman's face. "I wouldn't have it any other way, my dear Prince."
