So, guys!! We have some angst threads to wrap up *cough cough* Janus's dad's wanted posters, the feels about this shit, and literally, everything else *cough cough* but after that, we'll go back to mostly fluff!!!

H o p e f u l l y . . .

Emile's POV:

I woke up to the sound of a bird chirping outside the window and Janus and Remus sitting on the bed, chatting and laughing. 

The air was cool and sweet, heavy with the scent of the rainstorm that had passed last night. The clouds were thick, and a calm mist hung in the air, tinged with a distinct autumn-cold. I was warm, though, curled in the soft blanket and nestled right next to Remy. 

I gazed around myself, trying to gauge a coherent thought, but everything was still muddled and muffled with the quiet aura of sleep. 

Blinking sleepily, I stretched my arms out, arching my back and yawning in the midmorning sun that spilled over me in laps of liquid warmth. "Janus?" I called tiredly, pulling the blanket back over me and rubbing my eyes. 

It was cold, the weather just starting to turn to fall, and I decided that for the remainder of the morning I was going to stay firmly cuddled in the blankets. I felt around for my glasses, finally finding them on the table and slipping them on so I could see what was going on around me. 

Janus and Remus were sitting on their bed, both happily smiling, their voices and faces filled with a love like sweetened honey.

I couldn't hold back a cute grin at the sight. "Hello, you two," I said, loud enough they could hear me. 

Janus nearly fell off the bed with a startled yelp, then turned to look at me accusingly. "You sscared me!" 

"You two were scaring me with how in-love your faces were. Where'd you go this morning?" I asked, yawning again-- I was still somewhat sleepy. 

Remus glanced out the window with an airy look. "Just a chocolate store. You know, I wanted to get you something, but--"

"But then you ate it," Janus finished for him, smirking fondly. "Don't try to ssugarcoat it, Remus, becausse that's what happened." He sighed, letting himself fall back onto the bed with a muffled thump. 

I laughed. "Aw, that's sweet," I joked, slipping off the bed and stretching lazily again. 

Janus stuck his tongue out at me. "I don't ssuppose you got uss any chocolate?"

Rolling my eyes, I pulled a light grey sweater, dusty-rose hoodie, and a pair of jeans out of my suitcase and walked to the bathroom door. "I was asleep, Janus," I reminded him with a smile. 

He scoffed. "Doessn't mean you couldn't sleepwalk your ass all the way down to that ssweet shop," he muttered. 

Giggling again, I padded inside the bathroom. 

When I walked back out, dressed and much less sleepy, Logan and Virgil were awake. 

"Hello, you guys," I greeted them. 

Virgil mumbled out a 'hello' and gave me a groggy wave, while Logan was actually awake enough to say a coherent greeting before going back to try and wake Patton up. 

Janus chuckled, tossing me a small paper box wrapped with twine. "I did end up ssaving ssome chocolate for you," he teased. "So thiss one got saved. You can have it."

I unwrapped the small box and two chocolates fell into my hand-- one cream-white and shaped like a mouse, smelling like almond bark and white chocolate, and the other was a milk chocolate flower with intricately carved petals and some kind of chopped-up nut.

"Wow, pretty," I murmured, astonished. "I've never seen chocolates this... nicely formed."

"Yeah, well, that'ss because the only chocolates you've ever sseen are the oness people have made for you on Valentine'ss, and you're an idiot who can only ssnag yourself other idiotss who have no idea how to cook," Janus replied promptly. 

"Hey!" I protested, while Remus was falling off the bed in laughter. "Not nice!"

"Am I hearing someone insult me while I'm asleep?" Remy mumbled, looking around at the group with a slightly offended, sleep-muffled expression. "Rude."

Janus batted his eyes innocently. "I only tell the truth."

Virgil laughed, taking a deep yawn and stretching languidly. "Yeah, right," he murmured, rolling his eyes. "Ugh, I'm too tired to speak."

"Well, might you wake up Roman?" Logan offered with a small yawn, grabbing around for his glasses. "He still seems awfully... tired." He sent the snoring lump under the covers a half-disgusted look. 

Giggling, Virgil rolled his eyes and nodded. "Sure, sure. Roman, get up, you snoring toadstool." He poked at Roman's face, sticking his tongue out. "Come onnnnnn."

Logan sighed. "Well then, we can leave and go have breakfast so you can wake up-- as soon as the others wake up." He glanced down at Patton, still curled cutely in the crook of the bed, and sighed. 

"Having trouble, Lo?" Remy teased, now sitting up and feeling around for his glasses. "I know the best way to wake him up." Smiling smugly, he put his glasses on and slipped off the bed, whispering something about 'payback' under his breath. 

I sat down on the bed, scuffing my foot on the floor with a giggle. "Don't do anything mean," I warned. 

Remy pouted. "But that's the fun part!" he objected, grabbing the blanket and pulling it off my friend in a swift motion. 

Patton immediately let out a shriek of terror and shock and fell right off the bed. 

"You-- hey-- give that back!" he yelped, jumping to his feet and snatching the blanket out of Remy's hands. "You are SO MEAN."

Blowing him a kiss, Remy stalked back to his bed and sat down, smirking. "I know," he teased. "And you're so fun to prank."

I watched as Patton stuck his tongue out at Remy and threw a pillow right at his face, immediately prompting a cry of outrage. 

Before we could get into a full-blown pillow fight, I grabbed Remy's arm and pulled him back onto the bed, twisting so I could press the pillow over his face. "Let's not," I laughed. "We have to--" I turned to look at the others. "What do we have to do, exactly?"

Remus glanced at Janus and then back at me, falling back onto the bed with a sigh. "Well, we're getting out of here." His gaze hardened a little and he stopped smiling. "Now."

"Uh-- alright, not that I have anything against that," I replied, a little startled, "but why the rush? I thought we would stay for a little while longer, say goodbye to Ava and the others."

"No, we're leaving now," Remus repeated, with a quick telltale glance at Janus. "Please?"

Now this was so out of character I had to stand up, tilting my head, a little concerned. "Did something happen?" I asked. 

Janus hesitated, his figure slumping slightly. "You could ssay that, I ssuppose." He started to pick and pull at the edge of his sleeve, his eyes darting between meeting my gaze and the ground. 

I walked over to sit next to my friend, inching my hand over his and letting him lean into me. "You can tell me anything, you know that," I said softly, gently. "If you don't feel comfortable, that's fine. But if you would like to, I'd be happy to hear whatever it is."

He wrinkled his nose at me, fighting a small smile. "Okay." He reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a small, crinkled piece of paper. "Jusst...." he swallowed, his voice breaking a little. "Just read it." 

Curious, I took the paper from him and uncurled it carefully, trying not to rip it any more than it had already. It hadn't been treated with any sort of care, the ends were pulled at and it was so wrinkled I had trouble reading it. There were even deliberate rips and scratches on its surface as if someone had scratched at it. 

A picture of Janus flashed at me. I let out a small gasp. 

It was Janus-- but much younger, and his eye wasn't covered in the twisted, blackened scar. 

His eyes were large and soft, tear-filled, and his posture was tense. Instead of a burn scar, though, there were other blemishes-- a bloody scar on his forehead, a bruise patching over his entire shoulder. 

"Ja--" I started, but he shook his head. 

"Pleasse, don't," he muttered. 

Nodding slowly, I looked back at the paper and read the words. It was a wanted poster, I realized, one that twisted the details horribly. I had heard about Janus's dad, even knew that he was still alive and living in this town-- but I had no idea he was the mayor. 

Once I finished, I felt like throwing up. 

Janus looked at me with a hollowed-out, empty expression. "Can I have it back?" he asked, his eyes hard. "Now."

Remy furrowed his brow, looking between me and Janus, his face puzzled. "Am I going to have any clue at all to what's going on?" he said, raising his eyebrows with a small smile. 

I gave him a glance that clearly said shut-up-we're-having-a-moment and he fell back, fidgeting with the pillow. "Sorry," he murmured. 

I folded the paper up and handed it back to Janus, who promptly tore it in two and then into shreds, throwing it violently at the trash can. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, and leaning into me. 

Turning back to Remy and the others, all who were hovering nervously around the room with unsure expressions, I clapped my hands together decisively. "Alright, we're leaving," I told them briskly. 

"What-- why?" Roman demanded, still half-asleep. "What kind of authority does that piece of paper have?" 

Janus sent him a venomous look, his gaze meeting Roman's with the dangerous certainty of a million cobras coiled to strike. "We. Are. Leaving," he snarled, each word carefully placed with a heavy, deadly weight. 

Remus opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Sighing, he put his hand on Janus's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. The other sent him a small, silently helpless look that said more than words ever could. 

Roman halted in his tracks, flinching a little. Virgil, too, looked unsettled but only nodded. "Sorry..." Roman mumbled, scratching his neck. "I didn't mean..."

Snorting, Janus pulled a small bag from under the bed, which probably held his clothes. He set it down on the bed, closing his eyes and trying to breathe in and out. 

Patton, now fully awake and sitting up, looked slightly hurt and surprised. "Um. Okay, I was... getting... nervous here, too," Patton offered, blinking at Janus's obvious anger. 

"Good." Janus stood up and started to walk towards the door. "I'll meet you guyss outsside."

"Wait!" I called, not knowing exactly why. "Uh... if these are really all over town, please do be careful."

He scoffed. "I'll try not to get kidnapped again, if that'ss what you mean." 

With that, he turned and stalked out of the room.