----

Roman sat on his bed, shivering. It was pouring down outside. He could hear the rain lashing against his window despite the fact that he felt as though his brain was leaking right out of his ears. He had needed to go out in it. The trash needed taking out, and It had still been sitting there when he'd managed to drag himself out of bed for a cup off tea. Remus nowhere to be seen. 

So he'd gotten the bags together, dragged them out to the outdoor bin in the pouring rain, and pulled them down the path out to the front of the house. Now, he sat on his bed, drenched, sniffling, with a blazing headache and knives in the back of his throat. he looked over at his altar - which also served as his vanity - and sighed. 

He hadn't had the energy to pamper himself in a few days. The candles remained unburned, the various oils and creams he'd bought for skincare had gone unused, the face masks unopened. The yellow and back - not his usual colour preference, but it was his God's - scarf that served as a tablecloth had been undisturbed. 

It made Roman feel a little terrible, but even getting up to eat had been a monumental task whilst he was suffering from this awful cold. 

Remus wasn't helping him. Roman's parents certainly weren't helping him. His friend's contacts had been open on his phone screen multiple times. A message typed out ready to send to their group chat and then deleted. They didn't need Roman's woes and whining to bring them down. 

So he was sitting on his bed, alone, suffering. Dinner crossed his mind, but his cupboards were bare. The last time he'd been shopping was a week ago, and his stock of easy to cook meals had been depleted to the point where he had basically nothing left. He needed to change his clothes, too. His brief outdoor excursion had left him sopping wet. 

Unfortunately his lethargic limbs refused to co-operate. His feet hurt despite having done practically nothing the entire day, and the headache was really starting to get to him.

Wishing he had help was all well and good, but he knew full well he didn't deserve it. It's not like he'd gone out of his way to do anything to help his friends recently - especially not without them asking.

Sure, that was because nothing had come up that they'd needed his help with, but he should've been able to find something, anything, to do for them. 

The truth was, he hadn't earned their love and care. So why would he get to ask for it?

Roman flopped backwards, only to remember that he was still soaked, and that meant his sheets were soaked now too. 

It didn't really matter, he didn't exactly have the energy to change them. He could only kick off his shoes and pull the wet sheets over himself and curl up in despair. 

Moments later, Roman felt something strange prickle down his spine. An odd sort of presence. When he peeled back the wet duvet to look around, he saw the shadows shifting around his room in a way they definitely shouldn't be. They seemed to curl and reach for him. Roman shrieked - the sound tearing at his throat - before scrambling away. 

There was only so far he could go, though, with his bed surrounded by two walls. The shadows grabbed him, wrapping around his wrists and coiling around his body. Before he could scream again, the world tilted and went dark.

----

When Roman woke up, he was looking seeing all sorts of stars.

Not their stars. Not earth stars. There was something oddly different about them. The fact that they were all shades of purple maybe, especially the biggest ones, and much closer than they should be. 

Whatever he was laying on was soft, a little fluffy, and definitely not anything he'd ever felt before. He slowly swished his hands through what he had imagined to be fabric, but in actuality found his hand passed right through. It was a little cold to the touch. 

Waking up was maybe a strong term for what he was currently experiencing. Maybe he was still dreaming. This certainly felt like the setting to a dream. Or he was just making things up to make himself feel better about his current misery. 

What he was well aware of, though, was how his head pounded with pain. The feeling radiating through his skull like someone had hit him with a brick while he was out. Even his teeth and jaw hurt. His nose was so stuffed up that he could hardly breathe, and sitting up felt like an impossible task at this exact moment.

And not only because he couldn't get a grip on the bed. 

His whole body felt lethargic, like his limbs were made of wood. 

There was something prodding at him. 

It was cold, and smooth. It didn't feel like a hand or any part of a person or animal he could recognise.

Which was kind of a cause for freaking out, because what the hell was touching him? 

He tried to lash out, but his movements were slow, the sickness clinging to his limbs like a thick honey. The something did start to back off, though, and Roman took the opportunity he had been presented with to rub at his eyes. Clearing them of gunk, he could finally open them and see properly, which helped him find a place for his hands to push himself upwards in a sitting position.

Shadows.

He remembered them, the tendrils of shadow from his bedroom. They were hovering around him now, projecting some kind of tension. Like they were worried about him, which was a crazy sentiment, considering Roman could only assume that they had just been the ones to kidnap him. 

"Hello?" Roman called. The shadows stopped their slow shifting as if they had frozen in place, "Is someone there?"

The world answered with a weird rumble, and the sky ripped open like a seam. Roman stared in shock as all the stars twinkled in unison. 

Wait.

Those weren't stars, Roman realised, but eyes. 

Thousands and thousands of purple eyes on a dark black shape. Dark like shadow.

Roman opened his mouth to make some kind of noise, but found that nothing would come out. He felt like a mouse caught in a trap, like every survival instinct was screaming at him to run far, far away from this thing and never come back. Except whatever platform he was on was only solid where he stood on it, and trying to move seemed to do nothing to get him away from this creature. 

Are you scared, little thing?

Roman shrunk back at the sound. The seam in the sky moved with the words, but Roman heard them as if they were spoken straight into his ear. The voice was low and loud and three different voices layered over itself. It did wonders for his terror, that was for sure.

"Well obviously I am!" Roman yelled back. He tried to stand, but his legs were too shaky both from sickness and from fear that he couldn't, "Who- what- what are you?"

I am V̵͙̆̄̀͝i̵̡͔̝̮͒r̸͕̘̹̦̿̅͛̇͝g̷̢̢͔̐̐̒͊̈́ḯ̶̬͚͓l̴̥̻̬͈͆ 

Roman heard the static in his head like an explosion that made him flinch so hard he ended up back on the ground.

"Um," Roman said, still trying to recover from his ringing ears. At least it had unblocked his nose, "You wanna try that in words that don't make me feel like my brain is melting out of my ears?"

There was a long pause then, before the shadow monster began to shrink down and down, looking almost as though they were being sucked up by some cosmic force, until something stood before him that was at least slightly more humanoid. The sky full of eyes had shrunken down to just 10- or was it twelve - maybe just eight? It must keep blinking. With two bigger ones in the centre almost mimicking a person. 

The rest of them, aside from the white seam like mouth, was still made up of pure black shadow, though it now wisped away from it's 'head' to mimic hair, and bulked up around it's pretend body like clothes would. 

Sorry.

"S-Sorry?" Roman asked, going for slightly confused and coming out pathetically perplexed.

I didn't mean to scare you. I want to help. My name is Virgil, to your people. I forgot your fickle mind wouldn't be able to understand my true name. 

"...Right," Roman said, frowning down at his feet. He was wearing fuzzy socks. He'd been kidnapped by some shadow creature. The name Virgil was familiar. Wait. "...Why is your name familiar?"

I often work with the one who looks like you.

It took Roman a second to realise he was talking about Remus. 

"You're the crazy thing Remus works with?" Roman near yelled, his voice cracked halfway through the words and he choked off into spluttering coughs. He tried desperately to get his lungs back under control, "Don't tell me he sold me to you or something, I won't have it- I don't want to be some demon's pet-"

i am not a demon.

The shadow creature actually seemed quite upset by the comparison.

I am a being beyond your comprehension, and I took you because you're hurt. You need help. I will do something about it.

Roman leaned back on his hands, looking up at this shadow creature named Virgil who supposedly worked with Remus on all his stupid magic pranks, involving making Roman's life hell on the regular. This shadow being that supported his brothers hexes and curses that scared and messed with people. Virgil looked back down at him, eyes blinking every few seconds. Roman couldn't read anything from him.

"Why?" He asked. 

Because no-one else was doing it.

That stopped Roman short. No-one else was doing it.

"I was doing it," Roman pointed out.

Were you?

That question made him stop and think. Was he? He'd been doing the bare minimum to look after himself - what he could being so sick. But was he really helping himself?

"Helping yourself would've been asking others for their help." Came another voice. A new one. This one didn't quite ring in his head like Virgil's, but it still echoed around the place,"Virgil, dear what's going on here?"

The human was sick.

"You know we aren't supposed to interfere with that sort of thing."

Roman couldn't properly see who was speaking. Virgil still seemed to be looking at him, but now there was a bright golden light behind him. Shining brightly and wavering as though something was waiting to manifest. 

He was so alone. I couldn't help it.

"You couldn't have contacted me?"

Just look at him, J̵̫̫̭̼̈́͠a̷̭̠̍n̴̢͇̲͗̀̊̍͝u̴̖̫̍̄͜ͅs̴̘̬͍̦̓̉̇̉̈́, He's so alone and sad. None of the other stupid humans will do anything.

Once again the name sent shock waves through Roman's skull that would've knocked him flat had he not already been on the floor. 

"Well perhaps they would if he'd been more selfish and told them so."

Oh come on, we have to look after him.

"Who is this we you speak of?"

There was a silence and Roman realised far too late that Virgil was doing what he could only describe as puppy eyes at the golden light.

"...Fine, fine, you win, only because that little form is adorable. What does it need?"

I didn't get that far. I was going to ask it.

"Hey! Um, I'm still here," Roman called out. causing both of them to turn and look at him. Having both of their gazes on him made his skin prickle uncomfortably, "Could I be somewhere that's not this weird little cloud thing? Also who... are you?"

"Who am I?" The golden light said with a gasp of offence, "I would've thought you'd be able to recognise the deity you are patron to."

It still took Roman a second. The brain fog was really starting to set in. 

"...Janus?"

"Well done!"Janus cheered, hands clapping as he finally materialised from the golden light. Even in a more human-like form than Virgil, he was easily double the size. Most of his mountainous height was made up of the coils and coils of snake tail that he sat atop of, the very end of which was reaching out to him,"Now, lets get you somewhere far more comfortable than Virgil's realm."

Hey! I got him out of there!

"I said nothing forbidding you from coming with,"Janus grinned, his coils slowly wrapping around Roman and lifting him closer until Janus could scoop him into five gentle arms, "Shall we?"

A hand covered Roman's eyes, and his stomach started doing flips like he was on some kind of crazy rollercoaster. When his eyes were uncovered again, he was standing in what could maybe be considered a bedroom.

It was lavishly decorated, with carpets made of clouds and a giant nest of sorts in the centre. The nest was piled up with blankets and cushions of all colours and sizes, though there was clearly a preference for yellow and black in the banners that hung from the pillars placed around the rest of the room, each of them ornately carved and decorated with golden snakes and vines. Between the two pillars opposite him grew the most enormous apple tree Roman had ever seen, which provided dappled shade to the space and also seemed to be growing the juiciest apples. The 'room', Roman realised belatedly, wasn't one at all. What he thought were walls behind the pillars was in fact just empty space. An expanse of blue sky and nothing. Perfect for sunbathing, Roman thought blearily. 

"Come, dear, lets get you laid down," Janus said, carefully placing him on the ground. From beside him, Virgil made an irritated hissing noise. Roman's head whipped round - he hadn't even known he was there - to find the shadow thing looking much smaller and pathetic in the warm midday sun.

"Ah, here we go," Janus said, waving a hand. As he did so, the sun began to race across the sky towards the horizon. The darker the sky got, the more Virgil seemed to grow back into the form he'd had before. Not only that, but little golden orbs lit themselves around this little home, casting a warm glow across the nest. 

"This is- This is beautiful," Roman said softly, a sneeze interrupting his sentence halfway through, he rubbed at his nose. 

"Oh dear- well thank you, but sweetie you really should go lie down," Janus said softly,"You really don't look well- woah, hey, come here, my little mortal, let me hold you."

Roman had taken one step before his legs gave out and he pitched forward, only to find himself supported by smooth, cool golden scales. He mumbled something unintelligible about the cold feeling nice against his too hot skin, and Janus chuckled, scooping him up in coils and bringing him over to the nest. It took barely a minute to get settled, with Roman nestled in the coils and his god laying at his side. Janus' fancy outfit was surprisingly comfortable. He'd expected the gold, navy and black ensemble to be course and stiff, but the black cape worked well as a blanket. It, the coils, and three of Janus' arms created the near perfect balance of warm and cold. Something was missing though.

"Where'd Virgil go?" Roman asked, voice feeling hoarser by the second. Sleep was trying to claim him now, with how cozy and nice he felt as well as the lovely warm lighting. But Virgil was nowhere to be seen.

"They've gone to get you soup, dear," Janus said, reaching to run fingers through Roman's probably greasy hair. He reached up to check, but his hair felt soft and silky, as though he'd just showered, "We may not be allowed - cosmically - to heal you instantly, there are smaller ways we can help."

Janus was smirking. Everything they'd said so far had already made Roman suspect some rule breaking going on here, but that really just confirmed it. They were bending the rules for him. To make sure he was comfortable and happy. 

Roman felt tears well up in his eyes.

I was gone for a blip, how have you already made him cry, you asshole.

The reappearance of Virgil made Roman jump. He rushed to wipe his eyes.

"It's nothing," Roman shook his head, "Just- nice to be cared for?"

"You know, you'd also be cared for if you were willing to ask you friends and brother for help."

"I can't do that," Roman shook his head, though he took the bowl of soup that was offered to him by shadowy tendrils, before Virgil popped up and settled next to him.

Why not?

"Because! I don't deserve it," Roman huffed, "I haven't done anything for them recently after a-"

A hand grabbed his chin, fingernails gently pressing into his cheeks as his head was turned to bring him eye to eye with Janus.

"I am the god you've chosen to follow, am I not?" He asked. His tone was deadly serious, and Roman almost wanted to cower, but Virgil was right behind him. 

"Yes..."

"And what do I teach?"

"....Self care?"

"Selfishness, sweetheart," Janus said, the s's were sibilant in his voice.

"I think maybe I need a few more lessons in that one," Roman sighed. It was, maybe, an aspect of devotion to Janus that he ignored on occasion. He loved self care, and pursuing his dreams, but it was hard for him to be selfish. Especially when he needed to be, in times like these. 

You have us now.

"Virgil is right," Janus hummed,"You've caught our attention now, we won't let you get in over your head."

"Does that mean I get to keep being cuddled after I heal?" Roman asked, finally relaxing into Virgil's presence and letting the shadows snake around him too as Virgil joined the hug. They were comfortably cold, a nice balance. Now it was perfect. The soup Virgil had given him was delicious and perfectly warm too, It was chicken flavoured.

"Of course it does."

Yeah, I guess. You know our names now.

"Just call them when you need us. Understand?"Janus asked, tucking a strand of hair behind Roman's ear and pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

"Yeah," Roman said with a yawn, finally letting his eyes drift closed, "Got it…" 

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