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Complete darkness. That was, at least, what the others expected this room to be like at night. Completely blacked out and silent. Yet the moon's pale beams crept in through a part in the window's curtains. A few fake candle lights strategically placed around the space's other surfaces. The owner may have given the notion of a dark, cold room from an outside view, but within its walls they made sure every corner was visible. Bright enough to create a sense of safety and warmth, but dim enough to sleep with ease.
The room, in this light, had a sense of organized chaos to it. While the floor was mostly neat, and any table tops decorated with care, there were many posters hung up randomly over the back wall. Below them was maybe the messiest part of the space, where a purple and black set of bean bag chairs sat across from each other.
Around them, books, CDs, DVDs and even a few clothing items were scattered or in disorganized stacks. The clothing specifically could be seen about the room in otherwise clean spaces as well. Some drawers were left partially opened, though the closet was completely shut. It felt… lived in.
Across from the chaos, in the center of the room, was a bed. This may not be expected either, but something about placing the bed by the window seemed less okay to the owner of this space. Thus, they settled for a bed in the center of the front wall. It allowed them a clear view of the full room, as well as the window and door; both of which were locked.
The bed itself was a bit high up, but not enough to warrant stairs or a ladder. On it was a black sheet and purple comforter decorated with spiders; the pillows matched the set. Within these sheets someone laid face up.
Virgil was still awake. It felt like he had been laying here for ages, having no luck in his effort to sleep. He knew it had to be late by now, but he wasn't sure just how late.
His hand moved over the small table that sat to his left. He felt around for a moment before it finally landed on a cool, smooth object. His phone, which he grabbed and pulled close to his face. Squinting his eyes in preparation, he hit the on button and a blinding light flowed over him. He quickly turned the brightness down before checking the clock: 2:43am. Wonderful.
With a frustrated groan, he let his hand fall loose, the phone hitting his chest a little too hard. He felt tired and yet he couldn't sleep no matter what he did. He tried playing music, rain, and white noise. Even complete silence! Yet here he was… Wide awake, at nearly 3am. Once 4am comes around that'll be it; he'll know for sure it's a sleepless night by then.
Maybe he could try rain again, but a storm this time? He did enjoy those. The sounds and flashing lights might catch him off guard sometimes, but there was something relaxing about them. The rustle of the trees outside. The rain pounding against the window. He almost wished it was actually storming out tonight.
If it was, he'd have a natural sound to focus on. The whistling of the wind could help lull him to sleep if the rain itself didn't. Or it might tempt him to go outside. Cool drops hitting his face; the thought was pleasant. His clothing would get absolutely soaked. Patton, Roman and maybe even Logan would all question why he'd do something like that. That soured the thought a little.
He just liked the feeling of the rain on his skin. “But couldn’t you just get in the shower instead?” Roman might ask. The shower simply wouldn’t be the same. It could emulate the rain, but not the sounds, or the smells; the general feeling of standing out in a storm.
No one used to really question stuff like this before. If anything they might have joined him in the rain. But that trail wasn't going to be a happy one to go down either. Why couldn't it just be raining out!
Virgil signed, running his fingers across the surface of his phone. The cool smooth texture kind of felt like water. Kind of.
All these thoughts about rain suddenly made him realize just how dry his mouth felt. However, when he looked to his right for his bottle, it wasn't anywhere to be found. He sat up and looked around the room. Nothing. Awesome.
Looking at the time once again, he now also checked the phone's battery: 11%. Fantastic. Now he had to make a choice. He could either get up, get his bottle and fill it, or hope that he'd magically fall asleep even with a new distraction in play.
The decision didn’t take long at all. Virgil almost immediately moved his legs out of the sheets and over the side of the bed. If he wanted any sleep tonight, he would need to get the bottle.
His feet hit the ground as he pushed off the edge of the mattress. He looked at his phone once more as he reached the door; it was now at 10%. That should be enough to get me down stairs, right?
The door knob was almost freezing cold as he placed his hand over it. It caught him off guard a little, but he ignored the questions that slipped into his mind. Water bottle. That's what he needed and that's what he was going to get. It would take maybe five minutes max and then he'd be back in his warm bed.
But what if something happens-
Nope. He breathed in deeply and held it for a moment, his mind calming back down. As he exhaled he finally turned the doorknob.
****
Virgil cracked the door open, peeking out in the hall for a moment before he opened it any wider. As he expected, it was dark, but something about it felt darker than usual. He took a deep breath, then stepped forward, far enough to see down the hall now, but not enough to fully leave the safety of his room.
He held his phone above his head, its light seemed to flicker as he did so. But, that didn’t make sense? It's a phone. The light should just go out if its charge is too low. Virgil didn’t linger on the thought for long, as he realized he couldn’t make out the end of the hall. It was as if the darkness had formed a wall that was blocking his light. Even as he squinted, he couldn’t make out the shape of the bathroom door that he’d had no problem seeing in the past from this distance. It was like the hallway didn’t actually end.
Virgil felt a coldness form inside him; something wasn’t right, but he didn’t want to find out what that something was. No, he just came out here to get his water and go back to sleep. Come on, Virgil. You’ve been through this hallway hundreds of times before. In the day and at night, without a light even! The stairs are like, right there. I just have to get to them, go down, and the kitchen is just around the corner. I get my water bottle, fill it and go back to my room. It's easy. He felt himself relax briefly. A few minutes, and he’d be back in his room again. This thought didn’t last. But… What if my bottle’s not in the kitchen? I’d have to try and find it. But what if it's not even down stairs? What if I left it in Patton’s room earlier? Then I’d just be down there, searching for something that’s not there? My phone won’t last that long... Should I just fill a glass instead? But what if I trip and drop-
As Virgil's thoughts began to spiral, something cold seemed to reach up from behind him. What felt like a pair of hands suddenly pressed against his back, shoving him forward. He hit the ground with a loud thud and felt his phone slip out of his hand, sent skidding across the floor. “Ow-”
A little disoriented, Virgil stayed on the ground for a moment before reaching over to grab his phone. Once back in hand, he used the wall to help himself stand before looking to see what had knocked him over. His light seemed faint as it hit the doorway, which was now wide open, but completely empty. There was nothing in his room that he could see from this angle, and he couldn't seem to step closer to see more.
He unconsciously pressed his back to the wall, his body trying to stay far from the room as he realized the lights had gone out.
Dangerous. Don't go in.
These words flew through his head. A rush of adrenaline filled him as he closed his eyes, reaching out for the door knob. Without looking into the room he shut it and fell back against the wall.
What was happening tonight? He shook his head, trying desperately to clear his mind a bit. To calm down. Why was he so nervous? He kept his eyes closed and just breathed for a few minutes, until he could feel himself relax. It was difficult, but he managed to convince himself to then leave the wall, facing the open hallway once again. Time to press forward.
He walked slowly, worried someone or something might hear him if he moved too fast. He made a point not to think about the open hall that was behind him and focused on getting to the stairs.
It felt like he had walked for too long by the time the railing came into view. A wave of relief. The stairs almost glittered in his light as he got closer. That hadn't been so bad.
His phone light suddenly shut off. Virgil felt his body freeze as he clicked the power button. The phone was now at 5%; too low for the flashlight to work. No no no. He tried turning the front of his phone out towards the hall, but it couldn't cut through the darkness. His breathing began to quicken as he put the phone away. He just had to wait for his eyes to adjust.
The hall was pitch black. He couldn't see anything in front of him, and probably nothing behind him as well. He was just standing in the middle of silent darkness. Silent. But it wasn't. A faint ringing filled his ears. Inaudible whispering sometimes cutting through it. These voices felt like they were slowly getting closer; surrounding him.
Virgil slammed back against the wall, now making the mistake of looking behind him. Pure nothingness in both directions. He wasn't even sure where the stairs were anymore. He wasn't sure where his room was now either, if he even wanted to go back to it. The whispering grew louder.
Virgil could feel his body begin to shake, his legs becoming unsteady. He was sinking down against the wall, his breath breaking every so often. His face burned a little as he felt tears welling up in his eyes.
This was it. He couldn't keep going now, not without his light. The surrounding environment was too overwhelming. Nothing was even around him within the darkness of the hall and yet his ears were filled with a constant chorus of sounds. Getting louder. As his body reached the floor, a cold sensation began to flow through him. It was getting too loud. He pulled his legs up to his chest, gripping his hands over his ears. The tears now came streaking down his cheeks and he tried desperately to keep the sound out.
The water bottle, his reason for coming out here tonight, no longer crossed his mind. There were too many other thoughts, all incoherent and too fast to comprehend either way. He closed in on himself further as the air around him got harder to take in. The sound wouldn't stop. The thoughts wouldn't stop. He couldn't stand even if he wanted to. He was not going to move until the morning or until something ripped him away from this space. He was giving up.
Through the cacophony of noise he could faintly hear approaching footsteps. He tried to tune into their sound as they stopped before him. He couldn't lift his head but he felt a faint warmth wash over his body, a dim light almost breaking passed his closed eyes.
He continued to listen as the footsteps backtracked briefly, then heard a door open and close again a few moments later. Whoever it was, they walked back towards him now, passing by this time. He tried to keep track of the sound but the steps got too faint once they reached the stairs. They must have gone down.
Not having a sound to focus on his mind began flowing with thoughts and whispers again. Please come back… Please…
A few minutes passed before this person returned; but they did return. That's what was important to him. Someone was here. At least, he thought it was someone. What if he was just hoping one of the others had found him and his mind was simply trying to calm him down?
Unknown to him, whoever it was had quietly taken a seat beside him now. They placed their own phone down next to Virgil, filling the hall with light again. They could make out both ends of the hall from where they sat. To their eyes the space was just like it always is at night.
They didn't speak or touch Virgil, they simply waited. They adjusted their position every so often, making just enough sound to tell Virgil they were still there.
And he heard it. Through all the noise he tried to zone in on the sound of their clothing as it moved with them. Listening for their breathing. Any real sound he could focus on. That's when he heard something being wound. A faint mechanical noise soon followed by a very pleasant, peaceful melody.
He felt like he recognized the soothing tune. It slowly grew louder in his ears as he focused, pushing back the other sound. His racing heart started to calm, beating more to the music's pace. The tension in his body faded and relaxed.
The person beside him was quietly examining their hand when they felt Virgil fall against their shoulder. It wasn't his full weight, but it was enough for him to feel their warmth, assuring himself that someone was indeed there. They weren't bothered nor caught off guard. They even adjusted themselves to make the position more comfortable for him.
As the music slowly came to an end, Virgil could hear the whispering come back a little, but not as loud. It was very faint. Fear was still swirling in his chest, but it'd soon fade out. There was eventually silence, which was when he finally lifted his head.
He sat up and opened his eyes; he wasn't sure how much time had passed. Before him was the opposite wall, filled with light. Something came into view from his right. It was his water bottle. Whoever was beside him had gotten it for him. Was it Patton? Had he left it in his room after all? But he'd be louder... Virgil didn't really care who it was for the moment; he was starting to notice how dry his mouth was again. He took the water, and nodded, hoping they understood it as a thanks. He drank quite a bit before closing it.
"Are you alright, Virgil?" The voice that spoke was definitely not Patton's. It had a cool smoothness to it. . Wait...
Virgil placed the bottle in his lap then turned his head. The light blinded him a bit, but he was eventually able to see the figure beside him more clearly.
He couldn't quite make out their clothing, but their face stood out well against the dark hall. The left side had a pale green shimmer to it. Virgil just stared, unable to form words.
****
Janus was in his room, sitting at a dark desk. He had been writing for hours now, papers scattered around before him. He was nearly ready to turn in for the night when he had heard a loud thud outside in the hall. He wasn't interested at first, but curiosity eventually won, as he found himself opening his door.
Through the dark, he could make out a form on the ground, near the staircase. Hmm. Janus walked to his bed side briefly, taking his phone into his hands; he turned the flashlight on. As he stepped out and made his way closer, he immediately recognized Virgil. He was curled into a tight ball, his hands pressed over his ears. As if that wasn't enough of a sign, he could see he was physically shaking as he unconsciously rocked back and forth. It had been a very long time since he'd seen him in this state. Now, why was he in the hall?
Janus walked over to him, making a point not to touch him as he crouched down to examine the situation. Virgil's phone was on the floor beside him; checking it, the battery was nearly dead. The light must have gone out on him. Janus sighed.
He may not want to admit it, but he felt bad seeing Virgil reach this point. If they were still on good terms, he'd have seen Janus was still awake and came knocking. Or texted him at least. Either way, even if Janus was sleeping, Virgil would have tried to contact him. He told him to do so after all.
But that's besides the point. Why was Virgil in the hall? With his phone battery so low, Janus assumed he had likely not been sleeping but- "I just had to get my bottle... Why why...." Virgil mumbled this, but he could make out what he said. His bottle? Was he going to get water then? With that, Janus stood, first deciding to back track to his own room.
Upon reentering, he swiftly made his way over to his bedside, and got down on his knees. From under the bed he pulled out a small music box: It was silver, an intricate pattern around its sides, with a few yellow and purple gems dotted around. Virgil had given this to him as a gift, though he couldn't remember when. He slipped the box away under his cloak then went back out and down the hall.
Glancing to make sure Virgil wasn't getting worse, Janus quickly made his way down stairs. Virgil's water bottle. What did it even look like? Purple? Black? If he couldn't figure out which was his then someone else’s would have to do it.
Shining the light around the space, he was looking at Thomas' living room. The kitchen would be just around the corner. Before he could turn however, his light hit something metallic and purple sitting on the floor by the couch. Perfect.
He grabbed the bottle and swiftly filled it in the kitchen. There was no doubt that this was Virgil's; aside from the colour it was pretty large and had a smooth texture. Janus decided not to fumble around with any ice and made his way back upstairs as fast as he could.
Virgil was still in the same position as before when he got back. He placed his phone down in front of them as he took a seat on the floor. Careful not to touch Virgil still, he kept a bit of space between them as well. Once he found a comfortable position he pulled the box out of his cloak, slipping a small key into its back, which he then began to wind. He saw Virgil shift a bit as he turned it; he was focusing on the sound. Good. Janus released the key and the lid slowly opened. The melody had a spooky charm to it. The key was rather high but it wasn't irritating like some other music boxes could be.
He almost felt himself relax alongside Virgil as it played out, filling the otherwise silent house. Hopefully no one else would hear it.
At some point he felt Virgil rest his head against his shoulder, and he shifted to accommodate him. For the moment things felt like they had before.
When the tune ended, they sat in silence until Virgil lifted his head. Janus quickly snapped out of thought and offered the bottle to him. He took it and drank almost a quarter of the water. Virgil would see it was him soon enough, so Janus decided to tear the bandaid off now and spoke.
****
Virgil couldn't seem to get any words out as Janus' face became more clear in the light. He couldn't decide if he was angry or surprised or if he just didn't have the energy for any emotions right now.
Janus tried to smile but it came off a little awkward.
"Deceit... You..." The smile dropped; that hurt a bit. Virgil almost saw a slight wince of pain in his face as he said that name. "You... You're here."
"Yes. I... am."
An awkward silence fell between the two. They both looked away. While Virgil found his eye falling to the music box, Janus just looked down the hall towards his room. Maybe I should just go back. He's calmed down now...
"The... Uh, that music box. I gave that to you, didn't I?"
"Yes. I forget when, but you did." Janus lifted the box and handed it to Virgil without making almost any eye contact. He ran his fingers along the sides; the box felt rather cold. Once he was done looking it over, he handed it back to Janus but he shook his head. "You can hold on to it for now." So Virgil put it into his own pocket for the time being.
Both now sat facing the wall across from them. Someone had to say something, else they'd stay stuck like this till morning, or until someone else came out of their room. Janus knew that person would not be Virgil, so he broke the silence himself.
"Look, I know we aren't exactly on good terms right now, but I'd be fine with helping you out." Janus glanced back at Virgil, catching a look of surprise on his face before looking away once more "Plus, as much as I'd love to turn this light off and pretend I never saw you-" Virgil frowned. "-Thomas is probably going to need you tomorrow. And, well, if you're freaked out and up all night there's no doubt Thomas will be too, so...” Janus sighed, adjusting his cloak. “The more problems we circumvent now, the better for Thomas' mental health and all that." He didn't want to admit it but Thomas' wellbeing was more of an afterthought when Janus found Virgil here. An excuse to show care, without giving anything away.
They were on bad terms, that was abundantly clear, but Janus had been through this before. He knew what to do and he had already come this far.
Even though Janus thought he put up his mask well, Virgil could see through it. Just a little. His demeanor felt warmer than it had in a long time. He was also struggling to keep eye contact, looking away for the majority of his little explanation.
Virgil smiled to himself. Seeing through Janus' games was always something he was particularly good at. Maybe that's why they got on so well in the past.
Seeing that he was being genuine, Virgil dropped his guard a bit and let Janus continue. "I have also been through this all before and I'm already here so why stop now? We could always go get one of your new friends instead of course." Janus motioned to the rooms down the right end of the hall.
Virgil winced a little. "You're right, we aren't on great terms, but... You used to help me with this stuff all the time before, like you said, and well… Do I really want to wake up Patton and try to explain this to him? Not really. I don't think I can handle his energy right now. Roman? Phh and wake him up from his 'beauty sleep'? That would be a nightmare in and of itself. Logan? I just don't think he'd really help much in this situation. This isn't really his thing…”
Janus watched Virgil intently as he trailed off. He was just giving excuses to do it really and Janus could tell. Virgil knew if he got up and went to any one of them they'd be more than willing to help. Maybe Patton would get a little too soft with him, but he'd definitely calm him down over all. Roman might be a little grouchy at first, but he'd snap out of it the minute Virgil told him what was up. He'd probably come up with a million ideas to try and help. And Logan, well, he would try and help him find ways to eventually do this without the need of others.
In reality, he simply didn't want to go to them, and he knew he was really just trying to prevent Janus from leaving. As mad as he was with him, they have done this before. Janus did understand what helped. And Virgil wasn't comfortable enough to go to the others about it. He wasn't sure when he ever would be. If he ever would be. This was always something between the two of them, and Virgil never thought of that as a bad thing. He can't always rely on Janus of course, he knew that, especially with how their relationship had cracked. But, Janus was here tonight and he was the one offering a hand.
Literally. As Virgil broke out of his thoughts he finally noticed Janus had stood up and extended his hand out to him. "That does all sound dreadful. " Janus smirked, motioning for Virgil to grab his hand. "Now come on. Time didn't stop because we're talking again." Virgil smiled in return and took it, feeling as his weight got hoisted off the ground. He grabbed Janus' phone with his free hand as he went. handing it back once he was on his feet.
They let go of each other as Janus took it and turned to start walking. Virgil hesitated for a moment, feeling a slight wave of dizziness as Janus' form slipped away. Even though he hadn't turned the light off everything seemed to grow dark again as distance grew. Virgil could hear his heart beating in his ears, its pace quickening again.
The cold feeling returned, as he stood picturing a shadowy form reaching out to grab him from behind. He could feel its presence even though he knew nothing was there but an empty hall. In his mind the hands were nearly closed around his chest before he rushed forward.
Though the moment felt like minutes, Janus had only just walked away, making it half way to Virgil's door before he heard the other's quickened foot steps. He stopped and turned around, catching the pure panic in Virgil's face.
To Virgil it felt like he was being chased. The dark hall appeared endless and Janus seemed to be lost to it until he had turned around, the light finally coming through again. Before he even noticed what he was doing, Virgil had slipped by Janus, gripping onto his cloak. He peaked around his shoulder and down the hallway, as the light grew brighter once again. The hall before them was empty but further down he saw shapes moving within its darkness towards them.
Janus could feel how shaky Virgil was. His breath was catching every so often as his eyes stared wildly at the empty hall. To him, the other end was fully clear and still.
Maybe he was doing worse than he had originally thought. Janus turned and gently pulled Virgil's hand off of him. He immediately lost his balance, but was caught before he could fall.
"Okay, hold on." Janus led Virgil to the wall and had him lean back. He then unclipped his cloak and placed it around the other side. Virgil instantly felt a wave of relief wash over himself. He felt safer, and his vision started to return. His breathing slowed as Janus moved directly in front of him, a look of concern now clearly on his face. Virgil didn't notice however, as his mind was still a bit jumbled.
His hands had grabbed on to the cloak he now wore, sliding the smooth fabric back and forth between his fingers. It was weirdly calming. Comforting even. He looked down, gently moving his finger in a circular motion over one of the buttons now. It felt like he had a layer of protection resting over him. Maybe that was why Janus wore one all the time. Wore. Wait-
Virgil finally snapped out of it and let go of the cloak. He hadn't realized Janus was still in his normal dress until now. Was he not in bed yet before he found Virgil outside? That's when he finally acknowledged the fact that Janus was right in front of him. "Oh uh. Sorry... I don't know what happened, I... You can have this back-" Janus stopped him before he could unclip the button.
"No no, keep it. I think you need it more than I do right now. You can give it back in the morning." He examined Virgil’s face. The frightened look in his eyes had faded and he seemed stable again. "Let's get to your room, before anything else happens hm?"
Virgil nodded, only to recall what had happened when he left. The cold, the lights going out. He felt a tense feeling grow in his throat as he thought about his room. This has never happened before. He'd never been afraid of his own room. Or at least, not the full room. Maybe the closet or the space under his bed from time to time but the whole room? What was going on with him tonight?
Janus slipped his arm into the crook of Virgil's elbow and led them to his door. He grabbed the handle and turned it. As it opened a cool air came out into the hall, but no light followed. Janus went to move in but got yanked back as the other stood still.
"Virgil?"
"I... I can't go in."
"Can't go in? Why?"
'I don't know. Something feels wrong."
"I mean I did notice your little lights weren't on, but I figured you just grew out of it. Are they supposed to be on..?"
"Was there a power outage earlier? You're dressed so you were awake... right?" That was a stupid question and Virgil immediately regretted asking it. His lights weren’t plugged in; they had batteries! The power going out would have no effect on them.
To his surprise though, Janus didn’t poke fun at him for it; he noticed the mix up, but decided to just answer. “I don't think so? I was writing at my desk when I heard you leave the room. I don't recall any lights going out within that time." Janus slipped his arm free and handed the phone to Virgil. He then stepped into the space.
Virgil flinched. He wanted to grab Janus and stop him from going, but he was frozen in place. So, he just held the light and watched as he examined the room.
He made his way to Virgil's dresser, lifting one of the candle lights that was there and flipped it over. Though it was a little hard to make out, he saw that the switch was set to on. He pushed it back and forth a few times before testing just about every other light in the room. None turned on.
"Hm. That's odd." As Janus placed the last light down and moved towards the other side of the room, he heard Virgil shift a little. The light from the phone had started to get a little shaky too. He was getting nervous again.
As much as he wanted to figure this out, he let it go and returned to Virgil. "If you really aren't comfortable being in here then.." Janus sighed "Then I guess we can go to my room instead." There was no response. "Ooor we could change our minds about waking Patton up-?" Virgil shook his head; in return, Janus smiled.
With that, they relinked their arms and moved back into the hall. Janus quickly closed the door behind them and started walking. He let Virgil keep the light in hopes that it might give him a sense of control over the space. He knew his room wasn't very far, but he could tell time seemed much slower for Virgil at the moment.
As they reached his door, Janus once again turned the handle. This time however, it opened to a well lit space; a warmth flowing out from it.
Not only was a small lamp turned on at a desk, under the window, but the ceiling light was on as well. Papers were strewn across the desk, a pen dropped in the middle as if the person got up in a hurry. Two bookshelves lined each side of the closet on the left wall.
Janus' bed sat neatly in the far right corner, a couch and small sitting area beside it. His room felt bigger than Virgil's, but that may have just been because it was rather empty. It was very neat, and its colours were dark besides the yellow accents of the back wall, bed sheets, and cushioned furniture. It hadn't changed much on the surface from what Virgil remembered, but he could feel a sense of chaos hidden away. He set aside the thought for now however.
As he heard the door close and the click of a lock, he finally felt himself fully relax. He could feel his tiredness seeping in as Janus spoke. "Feel free to take the bed. I didn't really expect you to want to come here so I apologize for the mess." he quickly slipped the scattered papers into a neat pile before placing them in a drawer. He put the pen in a holder with five others, organized from left to right by colour. Once he was done adjusting a few other things he seemed to think weren't right, he snapped his fingers and fresh sheets fell into his hands from thin air. "Now, are you well enough to help me change the sheets or do you think you'll topple over again?"
Virgil let out a small laugh as he placed the phone and music box down on a nearby table. The two then changed the bed, moving its original blankets over to the couch. "I would have been fine with the couch. You didn't have to do this-"
"I don't mind. Plus, I don't want to risk anything else freaking you out. Would you really want to sleep so close to the door?"
"Good point." Virgil replied, receiving a smile from Janus. "Uh De-... Janus?" He placed his pillow down and looked up as Virgil was now fumbling with the ends of the cloak again. "Thanks. Um... For helping me out. With how things are between us, you really had no reason to even check up on me, and you still did." Janus opened his mouth but Virgil stopped him "I know you said it was for Thomas, but... You can't fool me. At least, not this time."
"Well. It's the least I can do." Virgil sat down on the bed. "We very well might wake up tomorrow and remember how much we hate each other. I'm sure we'll be at each other's throats again soon enough at least but…" Janus shrugged "I can't ignore the past I guess. Not completely anyways. I might hate it, but some part of my cold heart cares about people. Just a little."
"I don't know. With how you helped tonight I think it's more than a little." Janus rolled his eyes and moved to plug in a few nightlights around them. "Oh, uh right. Your cloak-"
"Sleep in it. I don't care." he had now moved into the closet, finally putting on his own sleep wear. "It's not like I need it now anyhow." He flicked the room light off and took his place on the sofa, his head to the door so he could face his guest.
Virgil moved to unclip the cloak anyways but he couldn't seem to do it. It felt too safe. He instead slipped into his own sheets, hoping Janus didn't notice he left it on. He did notice though, of course.
"Goodnight Virgil."
"Goodnight Jan." Virgil responded with a tired yawn to his voice. He sunk into the pillow and almost immediately felt himself drifting off to sleep. He finally felt the stress from the night fully slip away.
A nickname? Janus was taken aback by this. I haven't heard anyone's use that besides Patton... The thought sent a warm feeling through his chest. He absolutely hated it, but part of him didn't want it to leave. Part of him almost didn't want the night to end. He knew he'd be back to his ways and Virgil would probably be back to hating him when this was over.
****
Virgil awoke the next day to the sun shining in his face. Though he probably hadn't slept much, he felt refreshed enough to sit up right away. He stretched out his arms, turning to see if Janus was awake. He, however, was nowhere to be found. Nor was the couch, or Janus' whole room for that matter.
Virgil gently rubbed his eyes before he looked at the space again. Where he expected to find Janus he only found a black dresser with a few clothes piled on it, some glass decorations and a single light. One of his candle lights. He looked across from where he lay; his posters on a black wall. His bean bag chairs below them. That's when it finally clicked: he was in his own bed room.
He wondered for a moment if it had all been a weird dream, but as he moved to the edge of his bed he noticed the nightlights Janus had plugged in last night were now in his own room. Standing, he then realized he had something on over his shoulders; Janus’ cloak. So he had worn it all night after all.
But what happened? Why was he in his own room? That's when he found the note that had been neatly placed on his dresser, next to both his water bottle and phone.
By instincts he grabbed the phone first to check the time; it was nearly 11 and the battery was fully charged. He then reached for the note:
Sorry if the scenery change startled you. I can assure you last night wasn't a dream. I just figured you'd want to wake up in your own room.
Don't worry, I didn't drop you here the moment you were asleep. You've only been there since 9.
P.s You can keep the nightlights. I only kept them around for you after all.
P.p.s You didn't plug in your phone last night, so I did it for you. You're welcome.
-J
Virgil smiled. It's true, he was a little startled. He probably would have been more so if he had woken up in Janus' room though. He slipped his phone and the note into his pocket. After the lights were all unplugged, Virgil made his way over to his desk where he found his pen and some paper. He tore off a small piece and placed both into his other pocket.
As he walked down the hall, he fumbled with the cloak’s buttons, eventually getting them to unlatch. Janus did it so flawlessly, Virgil was surprised it took him a minute to do.
Behind him he could hear someone open their bedroom door, calling out to him with a yawn as they walked in the opposite direction towards the bathroom. "Good morning, Virgil~"
"Morning, Roman." He wasn't sure if Roman had seen him with the cloak still on or not, but he surprisingly didn't care for the moment.
He was now standing outside of Janus's room. He breathed in slowly, examining its colour. It was black with gold accents; neat. He raised his hand, hesitant for a moment, before gently knocking on the door’s wood. "Janus?" No response. Maybe he wasn't there? He did wake up 2 hours earlier.
Janus was in the room however. He had stood from his desk at the knock but froze in place as he heard Virgil's voice. He was still using his actual name; that was surprising. He was also knocking on his door. He quietly moved closer, reaching out for the handle, but something stopped him. His hand retracted as Virgil knocked once more.
Maybe Janus was there but hadn't heard him the first time? No answer again though. He did, however, hear movement in the room. It was very faint and easy to miss but he heard it. Virgil carefully hung the cloak over the door knob, making sure it wouldn't fall, before pulling the pen and paper back out of his pocket. He then placed it against the wall and scribbled something onto the sheet, before moving back towards the door.
Janus continued to watch in silence until he heard Virgil rustling around with something before walking away. He could hear Patton greet him down the hall, the two then making their way down stairs together. He had run into Logan when he first woke up so he knew they'd find him there already. Roman was all that was left.
It was only when he was certain no one was in the hallways that Janus moved. He hadn't realized how tense his body had gotten; he nearly fell at the first step he took, but he made it to the door. He opened it only partially, enough for him to peak out into the hall. It was indeed empty.
That's when he noticed the black fabric that was hanging over the outer door knob. He knew what it was right away, but as he lifted it a torn piece of paper fluttered to the ground. It landed by the wall opposite of him
Lovely. He looked down the hall again first to make sure no one was there still, checking the other end as well. Remus probably wasn't even up yet, but Janus didn't want to risk it. Once he was sure no one would spot him he slipped out of the opening and grabbed the note.
Holding the cloak dully in his right hand, he held up the sheet in the other, walking back into his room as he read:
Thanks for lending me this. It did weirdly help.
-Virge
A genuine smile crossed Janus' face as he read it over once more, before placing it into a small locked drawer at his desk. He dropped the cloak into a laundry basket, pulling another from his closet. As he clipped it over himself he fell into thought. Maybe one day they really could finally make up and start over after all. Maybe. Maybe... He fell onto his bed, letting himself delve further into his thoughts.
Janus didn't leave his room again for the rest of the day. Not when Remus came around to bother him. Not when Patton knocked and asked if he'd want the muffins he made. He just wanted to be alone.
Virgil would find another note taped to his door that night however:
Anytime
-J