Sanders Sides BS

So like. Human/high fantasy au with a surprise appearance of hanahaki but its worldly existence is that of just some extremely rare and nasty spell/curse that can be cast on others unlucky enough to run into a being heartbroken enough to cast it.(or something. Idk.)

So uh. Janus is a prince, Virgil is a prince from a different kingdom, and following the backstory of them being really close as childhood friends, but something changed and they broke apart suddenly & violently. And unfortunately, both were far too prideful to admit their fallingout was due to a mutual effort(however unintentionally caused) and have refused to even consider rekindling their friendship until the other breaks and apologizes first, much to their kingdoms' frustation and dismay.

At the starting point of this would-be story, Janus and Virgil would have been avoiding eachother for about 6 years(both having been roughly 16 at the time of their falling out, making them roughly around 22 at this point), and their allyship is tenuous at best, though unreflective of their kingdoms stronger connections.

It stands to not that there has been times where theyve met during those six years, always unintentionally and unfortunstely never ending well. Though theyve long since learned to simply ignore eachother for the peace of their kingdoms, rumor has it that the first few encounters after the initial fallout were shouting matches fit enough for rivals.

It's always been unclear to the public why such a toxic fallout had occurred so suddenly between such close friends, and while their were hundreds of ideas and rumors guessing why, no one would know that even Virgil himself didnt know.

The only one who had the full story was Janus. And it drove Virgil crazy to no end.

They'd never kept secrets from eachother before, so when Janus started to close off from Virgil, he'd worried he'd messed up somehow. But Janus wouldnt explain it, even when he assured him it wasnt Virgil's fault.

And when Virgil just wouldnt let it go, Janus changed tactics. Even when guilt and regret filled him with every nasty jab he'd thrown, Janus felt this was the safest option.

Virgil couldnt know, could never know that Janus loved him, or Virgil would hate him for it, or find it weird that Janus loved his best friend this way and leave, and Janus knew he couldnt take the pain of rejection of Virgil leaving because of his love.

So, Janus chose to make Virgil hate him instead. Janus couldnt have Virgil, he was convinced of it(for some reason, perhaps bc one of them was already betrothed at a young age or smth else that isnt outright real world homophobia bc i want a happy ending w/out extra strings on that end dang it), and felt it was better to break apart what they had with false vitriol than with his confession of love. Safer, even.

Better to love from afar knowing he could never have what he wanted, than stay close by and let his hurting heart consume his rationale and fracture everything they could've had if he ever slipped up.

The act was easier with every year that went buy, even as his heart never stopped yearning, never stopped hurting. Even when there were times, few as they were, where Virgil seemed to think about breaking the tenuous peace with an olive branch. Bare glimpses of the person Janus fell in love with all those years ago.

And it hurt his heart all the more when Janus turned them down each time, turning the offer of reconciliation away with a bitter resolve that stemmed more from his own self-inflicted pain than anything else.

(He doesnt notice that the bitterness has begun leak into everything he does. Doesnt realize how blinded its making him to the way hes begun to act to everyone else around him, not just Virgil.)

He just had to stop loving Virgil, then barrier could come down for him to accept, or rather, finally offer an olive branch of his own.

That's all.

(He was lying to himself, though. Virgil had never done anything that could make Janus stop loving him, despite having every reason to return Janus's unwarranted venom two-fold. The bastard. Why couldnt Virgil make things easy and just hate Janus already?)

And then, well. Something goes wrong.

An outting, a request for Janus and his father, King Remy, to attend a meeting in a neighboring kingdom's castle.

It was supposed to be a simple little trip. A simple regular meeting of allies for any updates and the like. Using simple straightforward path through the enchanted forest that seperates their kingdoms.

Janus shouldnt have bothered to count himself so lucky as to expect his life to stay simple. Not when he keeps making stupid decisions.

He doesnt really remember how it started, or why he'd dared to leave the carriage at the first sounds of an attack against his fathers wishes, but the creature he encounters is nothing he has ever heard of, never seen, never expected to see in broad daylight.

Its massive wooden body is haggard and willowed, wailing with grief. Despite their knights trying their best to fend it off or at least maneuver it away from the royals, the creature is persistant, seemingly searching past its assailants for something else.

And when it's gaze meets Janus's, he freezes. Because he feels it. Feels the aura of the gaze. Its wailing is deafened by the invading voice suddenly inside Janus's head.

"I see it is You who I seek,

Your sorrow is a beacon, your splintering heart a tragedy, yet the cause of your grief is your own! Your soul is tainted with a loneliness of your own design, and yet you wallow still, with no intention to change. Your lies poison the garden that grows within you, making bitterness prosper and understanding wilt in its wake.

If that is what you seek, then so be it. But know this now, your body will soon reap what you've sown."

And with that, the lumbering creature turns, still ignoring the shouts and attacks of the knights as it disappears into the forest with barely another wail.

The encounter leaves the traveling party shaken but otherwise unharmed, rushing the rest of the way to the neighboring kingdom without pause until they were safely out of the trees.

Janus, thinking over the words that had rattled through in his head, choses to say nothing about the experience. A cryptic warning at best, hes sure, and sees no reason to raise alarm for a few intrusive words.

What Janus doesnt know is that creature is a creature of grief, born from the worlds worst heartbroken souls and drawn to other beings' sorrow like a moth to a flame. What Janus doesnt know is that this creature's presence alone is rare, unheard of even when war or plague or loss ect. is not directly involved.

What Janus doesnt know is that this creature saw Janus's heartbreak and became angered by its self-inflicted presence in the young royal and the ensuing bitter rot beginning to poison his soul for good.

What Janus doesnt know is that this creature has bestown an ancient curse known as 'hanahaki' upon him in its anger.

A slow-acting curse that feeds on a broken heart's woe from the moment it is cast, working to slowly entrap the cursed being's body's limbs and neck in vines and filling their lungs with flowers.

There are only two known ways to break this ancient curse.

If the cursed being can heal their broken heart, then the curse will receed and fade away.

If the cursed being cannot heal their broken heart, their lungs will fill with flowers as the vines slowly tighten around their chest. And eventually, they will die.

The event doesnt quite escape Janus by the time he notices something isnt quite right, but its become distant enough in his mind that it doesnt immediately jump out at him as directly connected.

The simple kingdom meeting had gone otherwise normally, even as Janus could hear snippets of gossip at all ends about the kind of creature theyd encountered.

And of course, Virgil had been there with his father, King Patton. The old man seemed desprate to fret over Janus and his father, but he'd long since lost that permitted closeness since Janus and Virgil's fallout. Janus would be lying if he told you he hadnt been trying to avoid the kind king's sad eyes all day.

Janus unfortunately found himself lying a lot more these days, though.

Virgil had been trying to past his defenses again today, too. Snipping little bits of snark he knew would make Janus laugh or frown at, really anything to pry at the solid barrier that he'd figured out Janus had been putting up. Anything to break through and catch another glimpse of the Janus he used to know, anything to even just give him a chance to ask "why?"

Now that Janus knew what Virgil was doing, he wasn't successful. Didnt mean he couldnt still try, if only for the sake of annoying Janus for entertainment. Even if it ended in a particularly petty spat that ended up cutting way too close to home on both sides.

"Like fucking hell Janus, you make me wonder why we were ever friends!" (What happened to you? What happened to us?)

"Well maybe we shouldn't have been! I'm sure we all would have been happier!" (Its better this way, it has to be.)

"Maybe we would! I dont know why I ever thought I liked you. I should have just given up when they told me to, at least then hating you wouldnt have taken so long!" (I dont mean it, i dont hate you, i hate this, that this is what we've become. I cant take it anymore. I just wanted to know what i did wrong.)

"I'm glad we can finally agree on something, then!" (This is what i wanted, so why does it hurt so much?)

It had left his wounds freshly reopened, and gave the curse the perfect chance to strike. By the time they'd arrived back home, the curse had begun working in overdrive.

He'd only been coughing a little.

He'd begun to blame it on spring time allergies, but the stupid cough became persistent. Within a week, the Royal Doctor had looked Janus over, and told him he'd probably caught a cold and that they'd have to keep an eye on him if he got any worse.

And then, well.

Then one night out came the first few petals, before a whole flower followed. And for a few moments Janus stared at the delicate bulb of darkness in his lap, stunned.

Thats when the words of the creature clicked in his mind, gently gazing at a bloodflecked petal in his palm.

'But know this now, your body will soon reap what you've sown.'

Following suit with plucking up the flower in his lap, he wasn't surprised to have piece together this next omen; a Black rose- a symbol of death.

Janus couldnt really deny it now, he probably deserved this.

But that didn't mean he couldnt try to hide it.

It was always easier to breathe after a flower finally ejected itself from his lungs, and then for three days he was mostly fine before the next inevitably forced its way out.

Surprisingly, he kept the lie going for about two whole months without incident.

And then he doubled over infront of his father during a particularly horrible fit, and unwillingly coughed up two whole roses before he could stop or calm it. And well, all hell broke loose after that.

Janus pretty quickly stopped caring though, as the curse seemed to get worse, and began to become a constant, painful reminder that rose bushes had thorns. And that Janus would not be spared from them inside or out, lucky him.

It took another three days for the vines to appear, almost overnight. Small thin little things that started at his wrists and ankles, and wrapped up and around his arms and legs, finally meeting and weaving tightly around his chest. Within 48 hours the vines had grown strong and begun to thorn, and walking became impossible without drawing blood.

Finally, the curse began to slow. Yet, Janus wasnt too sure he could count himself thankful for it.

Bedridden and miserable, Janus wanted to laugh at his miserable self-inflicted state. And cry. And scream. Too bad his lungs were having none of it, seeing as he could barely talk without setting off into another wheezing, blood flecked coughing fit.

When the Royal Mage had figured out just what Janus was cursed with, it was like setting a fog upon the castle. There was nothing to be done, nothing that could be done without agitating the curse further.

His father had even sat next to him, looking more serious and wrecked than he'd ever seen his carefree king of a father be, and listened to him plead for Janus to talk to him. Give them something to work off of, anything!

Janus knew why he chose to keep his mouth shut, feeling deserving of the punishment of his own making. Instead he closed his eyes, and silently wept.

Word of prince Janus's sudden ailment got around the kingdoms quick, as was the reason for Remy's abenses at ally kingdom leader gatherings.

When word got to Virgil, its said that he stumbled out of his chair and down to the kingdom stables, calling for a hasty visit that King Patton knew the reason for all too well.

For all the bite back he'd done since their fallout, Virgil still cared about Janus. Had loved him even, even if those feelings were now locked away deep inside to keep them safe from the carnage of their falling out.

If Janus was dying, Virgil couldn't let the last words he said to him be 'I hate you!'

Because above all else, it wasn't true. And Virgil was tired of fighting it. Tired of fighting Janus when he just wanted to hold him close and never let go.

The state that Janus is in when Virgil comes barreling through the doors of the other's sickroom is shocking enough to make him freeze in place.

Black petals and roses litter the large bed, the royal resting in it looking so small and painfully weak. Pale and wheezing, the cursed prince stares at him with surprised and terrified multicolored eyes.

The fact that the emotions dont dissipate behind a wall of indifference the longer Virgil remains in the room says volumes about whatever storm is brewing inside Janus's head. Hell, when Virgil comes to sit down next to him and takes his hand with a gentle squeeze, he even gets a hesitant squeeze back.

And at that point Virgil knows that if Janus is going to die, he cant just admit he doesnt hate him. He.. He has to get it out in the open, all of it. And given that Janus cant even properly speak, its the perfect opportunity to lay it all out.

Everything.

And its only when he finally lays it all out, even down to "I still love you, have loved you, for so fucking long. I was gonna figure it out, how we could be together, yknow? Even after you started pushing me away, even when i couldnt figure out why cause i could tell that you didnt want to, i was gonna figure it out. I.. I dropped everything the moment i heard cause, cause I care about you so fucking much it hurts, even when i know I shouldve given up I just. Couldnt. Because I knew something was off. I always knew, Jan. You'd never actually lied to me before, and now i dont even care about that! I just. I wanted you back. And I'm so terrified of losing you before I got to chance to try.."

And Janus is weeping again covering his mouth in a way that cant be comfortable to muffle his cries before giving up and reaching out for Virgil with both arms.

And Virgil doesnt miss a beat carefully wrapping his arms around Janus as the other clings tightly to his tunic and sobs.

Virgil can make out portions of apologies through the hiccups, carefully waiting out the storm as Janus breaks down in his arms for the first time in years. And like Virgil always does, he holds and protects him the whole time, carefully rubbing his back in soothing motions and tucking Jan's head into the crook of his neck.

It's only when Janus finally exhausts himself that the tears stop, but he doesnt let go of Virgil even a little bit, so Virgil carefully reclines them both, having manuved himself onto the bed to better hold Janus.

Theres an uneasy peace between them, which niether want to break after years of tension, but Janus knows he needs to say something.

"You are going to be so mad at me.." He says, his voice rasping but no longer quite wheezing.

"Mmm, you dont know that. And- and.. Even if i did get mad, I don't think it will stop me from loving you. After all we've been through, I dont know if theres anything that can. So.. Try me."

"When.. When I began to draw away, I'd had a revelation. And like the idiot that i was, I figured it was better, safer for me to pull away. And when you stubbornly clung on like a spider to a web no matter what I tried, I panicked, and kept used the first thing that had worked.

"I.. I cant say that it was purely romantic love, at the time. But it was infatuation, a romantic crush that rivaled over all my platonic feelings for you and made it hard not to reach out and say something. And I was convinced if i said anything that would be the beginning of the end of it, that you were push me away for being weird or hate me. I was afraid of your rejection breaking my heart, and losing you as a friend as a result.

"Instead, i broke my own heart by pushing you away. How fitting, hm?"

Virgil had gone still and quiet, but Janus kept his head tucked into Virgils shoulder for fear of losing his nerve.

"What im trying to say, is that I.. I love you too. And im sorry I was such an ass about it."

A good sign was Virgil slowly resuming rubbing Janus's back as he processed the other's words. Janus marveled in the partial amount of breathing room the curse had released its hold on. After a few long moments, Virgil finally spoke up:

"..You were right about one thing" Virgil added softly, before backing up just enough to scoot down to be closer to eyelevel with Janus, " I am mad. But really only about the fact that i could've already been with you the past 6 years. But you can bet I'm not leaving you alone now. I want to spend everyday you have left by your side."

And Janus could feel his eyes prick with tears, happy ones, for once.

"The mages say this curse is fueled by a broken heart, but eventually dies out if the broken heart heals.. So you may be at my side for quite a while, you know?" Janus says snarking oh so gently, his eyes betraying his nervousness.

"Bold of you to assume im not ready to spend the rest of our entire lives together, side by side." Virgil replies seriously before grinning, tucking Janus closer and tilting his head up, basking in the bright red blush across Jan's cheeks.

"Speaking of.. Can I..?" Virgil begins, glancing at Jan's lips.

"Please, kiss me." Janus finishes, meeting Virgil in the middle to close the gap between them.

And if Janus's lungs feel clearer than they have in months? Well, for now he plans on using it to continue kissing his love, obviously.