#scratch tw

About what? While Janus did not clarify, both Logan and Patton knew that it was about the twins. They did not have many opportunities to talk privately without them being around and today was their chance as both Roman and Remus had told them they’d stay at home for the night.

The song ended and the people in the bar clapped for a moment. Patton gave Logan a wary look and scooted around in the booth for a bit, as Janus eventually approached with a drink in his hand and settled down next to the pair.

“I hope my performance did raise the spirits?” Janus said nonchalantly and slowly rotated the glass in his hand.

Trying to sound convincingly happy Patton said: “It was great as always!”

“You don’t look so chipper though, dearest Patton.”

Logan clicked his tongue. He had a dislike for mind games. He had a dislike for manipulation. He had a dislike for Janus’s way of talking seemingly carelessly when he knew very well that it was perfectly constructed to get what he wanted. And right now, Logan had no nerves for this.

“Of course, he doesn’t! You called us here to talk about Remus’s predicament, which is by no means a “chipper” topic to discuss.”

“Don’t you say?” Janus said with a smirk that was clearly too bitter. “And I was under the impression that talking about a suicidal man was a fun matter.”

Logan shot Janus a viscous glare and took a sip from his drink.

“But,” Janus continued, “now in all seriousness; Do you think that Remus is going to go to therapy?”

Patton cleared his throat and folded his hands on the table. Quickly he looked from one man to the other before settling his eyes on his hands when he answered: “I wanna hope so. There’s nothing else we can do anyway.”

“Hope is rather unreliable in this case. And I have to agree that we really are unable to help Remus in any way. He is certainly in dire need for professional help.”

Logan nodded at Janus’s statement and said: “Agreed. Let me add that he was rather inquisitive when I talked with him about it. I do think that he is considering it. But what he will end up doing is still undecided.”

“Good. Well, not so good but it’s more than could have been expected at the beginning. Now let’s focus on Roman-”

“Why focus on Roman? He does not need our help,” Logan interrupted Janus.

With a huff Janus threw Logan a look and then said with a bitter smirk: “No, not at all! It’s not like he has chronically overworked himself for the past nine years, is in constant fear because of his brother who could spontaneously decide to kill himself, which would also result in him losing all the family he has left. And that leaves out the obvious show of self-neglect concerning the way he dresses and how he slept on the on a mattress on the floor. No, he doesn’t need our help at all.”

Logan rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“While I agree that Roman is not in a great mental state, Remus is in immediate danger and keeping an eye on him should be our first priority. If we do not do that it will only cause to worsen Roman’s state.”

“And putting Roman on hold even longer? Making him feel like his problems are not as important as Remus’s? You do understand that it will make it even more difficult for him to reach out for help, don’t you? He has a right to be cared for just as much as Remus! He needs to feel important, not like the second-hand friend! He has a right of our compassion as well, not only Remus!” Janus voice got heated but not loud and the veins on Logan’s forehead popped up.

“Guys...” Patton mumbled for naught trying to stop this from escalating.

“I beg your pardon? When exactly did I treat Roman like a second-hand friend?!” Logan asked clenching his jaw.

“Let me recall... Did Roman not almost flee from his own flat so you could talk to Remus? Did I misremember that?”

“Hold on! You are twisting the facts! He left on his own accord and neither you or me could stop him from doing so. And you weren’t protesting either to be alone with Roman! You are biased by him and I will not accept you talking down to me just because you figuratively cannot get into Roman’s pants!”

“You-”

“Okay, time out for both of you! Please! This is getting us nowhere!”

Finally, Patton had enough and grabbed both men’s wrists before they could talk any further. Both reluctantly stopped and Patton let go of them again. Slowly, he looked from one to the other, giving both disappointed looks before he took a breath and nodded to himself.

“Thank you,” Patton said calmly still watching both of them. “Now, uh, I think both of you actually have a point... Remus and Roman are very co-dependent and we need to be aware of that. Like – I think they both need support. Just. Differently. Roman definitely needs attention. Needs to be seen and praised, I think. He was so happy dancing and performing for us, so we probably could encourage him a little more to do that? And for Remus... While we can’t really do more and shouldn’t pressure him, I think, we should show him that we stand behind him. That we want him to get better.”

Neither Janus nor Logan spoke for a moment. Patton took a nervous sip from his beer, a little unclear of why nobody spoke and tried to calm himself. He didn’t think that the others were silent because he had made a good point. Because he was right and more objective in his opinion than they had been.

Janus sighed and was about to give in when he felt his phone buzz and took it out of his pocket. He furrowed his brows as he saw Virgil’s name on the screen and opened the text message.

Favourite Nephew: need your help at the twins come over asap

In his life after the accident Janus had run very few times. Once after getting Latona away from her boyfriend. Once when Orcus’s wife needed the ride to the hospital when she got in premature labour with their first baby. Once when he rushed to Virgil’s high school when he had his worst panic attack.

Now he could add one more time. Panicked he stood up, grabbed his cane to carry it by his side and called to the bartender over his shoulder: “Put it on my tab!”

And with that Janus began to run as well as he could. The clear voice in the back of his mind said he was overreacting and that his running was inefficient and would most likely hurt him more than help. But the heart pounding in his chest cried and told him to go faster. And so, he went faster, until he finally got to the door of the twins’ apartment and tried to open the door. It was unlocked and for the first time in 23 years he ran up the stairs.

With little thought Janus got to the apartment door and opened it quickly, already having mentally prepared for the worst.

He had prepared wrong.

Virgil was snorting with laughter as he steadied himself against the couch, Roman was cursing facing one corner of the room while gesticulating aggressively. And in approximately the middle of the two men Remus stood cradling something white and furry in his arms.

There were a few things rushing through Janus’s mind in that moment. None of them were how much his leg was hurting or how strange it was that neither Logan nor Patton had out run him despite them obviously having followed him, since he heard their quickened breathing behind him. One of them was why on earth Roman was cursing against the wall and why Remus held this fluffy thing like one would hold a baby and why Virgil was laughing like a maniac.

But most presently there was the sense of giant relief settling in Janus’s head. Laxly he set his cane on the ground and took the weight of his left leg. With his shivering hand he massaged the bridge of his nose, hiding the weak smile on his lips, as he sighed loudly enough for Virgil to hear it and turn towards him.

“What the fuck have I been called into?” Janus asked with a mockingly annoyed tone and Virgil tried to calm himself as Remus gasped offendedly.

“Do not curse in front of my child!” Remus exclaimed as he put his hand over the fluffy something’s ears, which Janus now realised was a white cat.

“This BEAST IS NOT YOUR CHILD!” Roman snapped and was about to turn when Remus barked something in Spanish back and effectively kept him from turning around.

Virgil began laughing even more and bend over holding his stomach with his right hand. Janus quirked up one eyebrow and made a few steps inside, so to give Logan and Patton more space to enter as well, while Virgil looked over to them and gave a faint wave before he tried to catch himself again.

Then after a solid minute Virgil got up a bit and wheezed towards Remus: “Please, cut – cut this out! You’re killing me! I – I oh my god, you’re comedy gold!”

“I BEG YOUR PARDON!? COMEDY?!”

“For fuck’s sake, Roman! Keep in your damn corner! He’s still bleeding and I ain’t picking you up!”

“Bleeding?” Janus chimed in worriedly.

Quickly he gave his nephew a once over again, and found that the hoodie sleeve on his left arm was pulled up and a paper towel was pressed over the inside of it, red bleeding through.

“Yeah,” Virgil said out of breath but pretty relaxed and held his arm up a little for Janus to see, “the cat got me good. She’s a real rascal that one, which is why Remus has to hold her and apparently your Romeo can’t see blood, which is why I called you over, ‘cause I cannot for the life of me bandage this arm with my right hand. Didn’t think you’d bring a whole army though.”

“Oh, I didn’t bring them, they followed me. Now, Remus, where do I find bandages and how long of a cut are we talking?” Janus asked as he walked towards Virgil.

Remus didn’t look to Janus at first but turned to Patton and Logan behind him: “Can you close the door? I don’t want her to escape. She might get startled.”

“Ah, yeah of course!” Patton stammered and closed the door.

Remus shot him a smile and then told Janus he’d get the bandages out of the bathroom in a second. And just like that he disappeared for a moment. Janus shook his head and told Virgil to sit down on the couch. He settled next to his left and took a first look at the arm. To his surprise the scratch the white cat had left was three inches long and pretty deep.

“I’ve told him to wash it out and wanted to disinfect it already, but Mrs. Snuffles here was acting all cranky when I tried to go to the bathroom before,” Remus announced from the hallway and set the bandages, a disinfectant spray and Bepanthen on the coffee table.

Janus shot him a confused look as he pressed a little kiss on top of the cats head and readjusted the little creature in his arms.

“Mrs. Snuffles?” Patton asked with a small and watery voice looking at the white cat in question.

Before Remus could answer, Roman pressed his head against the wall with a soul crushing groan.

In dramatic agony he complained: “Why did you have to name her? Oh, why are you doing this to me? We will not take in this most horrendous and foul fiend! She broke into our store and into our flat! She’s a delinquent! She assaulted the man we got to help her! She’s dangerous!”

“How can chu say dis about dis wittwe cutie! She is adowabwe and puwe!” Remus said in a silly voice which made Roman groan even louder.

Meanwhile Janus started to fix Virgil up. Carefully, he disinfected the wound and put some ointment on it. He told Virgil to let the ointment absorb a little and watched Patton and Logan awkwardly walk inside. They were watching Remus sitting down on the floor and cuddle the cat in his arms.

Watching Remus holding the animal, hearing her purr loudly while Remus pressed some little, soft kisses on her head, Janus had a hard time to imagine how she could possibly have caused such a huge ruckus before. But somehow Janus forgot to wonder as he realized how happy and silly Remus looked doting over this animal and gave Virgil a little curious look. Virgil shrugged with a grin and Janus shook his head. And just then he glimpsed over to Logan and Patton.

Oh boy. Oh boy, oh boy.

Perplexed both men stared at Remus cooing over the cat, very obviously and strongly smitten. Patton was blushing furiously and Logan’s eyes were big as plates.

Janus had to hold back a barking laugher. How quickly the table could turn.

Who was it, who wanted to get into one of the Segura Reyes twin's pants now?

___

@varthandi

@sickeningly-deceitful

@sammy-is-obsessed / @exhaustedfander

@unoriginalgayboyalex

@alexisrealgay

@softie-sushi

@wolfs-feder

@just-a-neoclassical-painting

@winter-jay-official

@a-ghostlight-for-roman

Tagged for this fic:

@frawkeye

@arodynamic-enby

@espepspes

@bullet-tothefeels

@fukindork

@shadeofadye

@magic-but-its-green