#moceitappreciationweek

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Janus hated flowers, he absolutely loathed them. He didn't think it was a sweet gesture to give someone flowers as a gift, and certainly not in a romantic sense! He wasn't bitter that he never got flowers, even from friends. He knew it was a difficult task when he knew their meanings and how to tend to them, but it certainly did not hurt. He certainly was never bitter on Valentine's day when all the talk about love was overwhelming. And the one side who would gush about love in every sense of the word seemed to never notice how Janus felt.

Janus awoke on that cold February morning and decided not to get out of the warm cocoon of his bedding. He was not mentally prepared to deal with going to the common area when Roman would have the entire place decorated with hearts and candles and assorted blossoms. Of course he was also expecting Remus to run around with a lighter and a can of hairspray to make a mess. But he couldn’t just let Thomas’ mind go to chaos.

Reluctantly, Janus rose from his nest and bundled himself in his plushest bathrobe and slid into his favorite slippers. With a sigh he pulled on his gloves and stepped into the hall, anticipating a headache. 

He was not at all surprised to see it was covered in paper hearts, anatomically correct paper hearts, because naturally Roman influenced his twin to decorate. These he could live with. These were a reminder that he was not alone, even if he was lonely. 

He strode down the hall to the common area, not interested in appearing in the middle of a discussion all of a sudden. It would have been a good way to steer clear of the sickening sweetness, but he spotted a vase of flowers by Virgil's door. 

He could glean that it was not as platonic as the whimsical green cockscomb and steadfast violets suggested, not when there were purple gladioli, and purple and red roses. Janus pouted and kept moving, he would have to commend Remus for avoiding spider lilies and naked man orchids later, when he was feeling less dismal. 

He trudged down to the kitchen, ignoring the decor, and tried to keep quiet. It was still early, and he could respect that the others needed sleep. He needed hot tea and perhaps a muffin while he could still enjoy the quiet. 

The sound of a kettle screaming dashed his hopes. He entered the kitchen to find Patton making a pot of tea—his tea—and setting up a tray with a small bouquet and a humble breakfast. Patton was bobbing in place and humming a happy tune in his cat onesie. 

"Oh!" Patton gasped when he noticed Janus in the entryway, "You're up!" He smiled warmly and resisted the urge to pull him into a hug. Janus could see his hands twitching from the effort. He could appreciate that Patton respected his boundaries, even though Janus could certainly use a hug. 

"As are you," he yawned, showing off his fangs, "Preparing a special breakfast for a special friend?" Patton blushed and rubbed his neck. 

"Something like that," Patton muttered, "I was going to bring this stuff to you, since I know you don't like the cold and you seem really bummed out on Valentine's day. I thought it might cheer you up!" 

Janus smiled softly at his squirming and shyness. Patton was so cute and sweet, and it was hard not to want to sweep him off his feet and cuddle with him. 

"And you thought you would include a bouquet?" Janus hummed and moved to inspect the flowers on the tray. Cyclamen, peonies, and a yellow rose—Janus reflexively clicked his tongue. 

"Do you not like flowers?" Patton asked timidly. Janus shook his head and looked up at him. 

"I do, to the extent that I know far too much about their meanings." 

"Oh! That's so cool!" Patton squeaked, "Did I say something bad?" Janus couldn't bring himself to lie to those doe-eyes. 

"You said you're angry, you hope I suffer the effects of infidelity, and you want me to keep my distance," Janus noted, watching Patton's face fall, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you intended to say that through flowers." 

"Oh goodness no!" Patton gasped, "I didn't even think that those flowers were so mean!" 

"It's quite alright, Dad-fodil, you didn't know and it's rather amusing," Janus said and went to remove the tea bags from the pot. 

"What do daffodils mean?" Patton asked and stopped him. Janus paused and let Patton handle the tea. 

"Hm, new beginnings, affection, chivalry, and resilience." 

"That's really sweet of you, Jan," Patton said as he discarded the used teabags. Janus flushed and turned his face away, hiding the human side from Patton. He was not ready to share that daffodils also represented unequaled love. That would be setting himself up for heartbreak and rejection.

"Say, Janus, what flowers symbolize devotion, affection, and admiration?" 

"Purple heather, pink lilies, and purple orchids all can symbolize admiration," Janus responded and stared at the bouquet, "Edelweiss, heliotropes, and lavender symbolize devotion, and morning glories and matthiolas can mean affection. Honeysuckles tend to encapsulate all three traits." 

"Really?" Patton asked and glanced at him. Janus nodded, not looking at him. Patton smirked to himself—he wasn't lying when he said he didn't know his flowers were mean but he did know a little bit about some flowers. With a wave of his hand, he transformed the flowers into something he hoped meant something less offensive. 

Janus' eyes went wide. Patton just learned about the honeysuckles and purple heather, so they were no surprise, but the other flowers were. He had to wonder if Patton knew what the yellow irises, orange tulips, white acacia, and gardenias could mean. 

"I know we don't always see eye-to-eye," Patton began with a slight wavering in his voice, "but I really think you're an amazing person who can see me for me, and I really appreciate your company and support. It's hard to see myself without you in my life and I wanted to show you how much you mean to me in a way you could really appreciate." 

"What is it you want to say? I want to be sure that it wasn't lost in translation," Janus hummed despite his rapid heart rate. He picked up the bouquet and gently ran his fingers over the petals. 

"I mean, well, I admire you and I might like you as more than a friend. A lot. I don't want to call it love, not yet, but I feel this urge to be close to you, to be with you. I don't expect you to feel the same or to know what to say right now, but I don't want to keep it to myself," Patton explained and tapped his pointer fingers together. 

Janus turned and cupped his face, gently stroking his thumb over Patton's cheek. He offered Patton a soft smile and melted when Patton leaned into the touch. 

"Perhaps you can tell me more over breakfast and cuddles. If not, I'm more than willing to return those feelings at your pace,” Janus hummed, unable to keep from grinning more at Patton’s shocked expression as it turned mischievous.