A Noble Boy and a Stable Boy ~{Sanders Sides}~

~6~

There's the song Janus plays! I know it's a cover song, but I like it qwq

In the stock room, Janus idly browsed through the selection of necklaces as Remy gossiped. Remy was probably his best friend, after Virgil, of course, and he always had the talk of the town for Janus to hear. Besides, he didn't fawn over Janus like the servants at his home or the people of the village. He treated him like a normal teenager. It was one of the most welcoming experiences ever.

"Ooh, and then, have I told you about this pretty boy I saw in the travelling circus that's making a stop here?"

Janus shook his head. "No."

"His name's Emile, I think he works with all the animals. He's so sweet and he's got such pretty freckles. I wonder if I can convince him to stay in town after the show," Remy mused.

"Just get on your knees and beg," Janus teased, playfully, holding up a necklace to examine it. "Maybe you'll look so pathetic, he'll say yes."

Remy scoffed friendly. "Well, you can say that, can't you? You're used to people begging you to date them."

Janus nodded. "Yeah, the pleading is always a turn-off. But..." He bit his lip, hesitatingly, as a familiar voice filled his memory. The noble boy shook his head slightly, trying to banish the thoughts but it didn't work, and he could feel his face growing warm.

Instantly, the jewellers' apprentice sidled up to him, with a ridiculous smirk. "But~?" He trilled curiously.

"But... There's, um... a suggestive stableboy who I ran into last week," Janus admitted, glancing down at the gemstone in the necklace he was holding shyly. "He's been talking to me, recently. A-a lot."

Remy grinned. "Ooh, stammering, are we? Are a few dirty suggestions all one needs to catch the uncatchable Janus Adders?"

"I mean, I'm not interested!" Janus quickly yelped, turning to his friend with a bright red face. "He just- He just doesn't quit and he's, well..." He felt his mind wander back to all the times he had encountered Remus. A small bubble of fondness began to swell inside him, but Janus popped it quickly. He wasn't going to let this boy win. "It's actually kind of creepy," He sniffed, voice turning cold. "He's even gone outside my bedroom window at one point."

With a shrug, Remy sighed. "Well, that's the problem. For every cute boy, there's a creepy one to boot."

"What gemstone is this?" Janus asked smoothly, changing the conversation lightly.

Remy peered at it. "I think that's an onyx stone-"

"Really?" Janus gasped in genuine interest, cutting off his friend. "Wow, the two-tone in the colouring is really incredible. I mean, I knew you could get onyx stones that were black and white but I never thought I'd actually find one! And it goes so well with the silver chain. It's simple but stunning, how amazing!"

Remy smiled at his gushing friend. When Janus found a pretty gem, he seemed almost childlike in his excitement. It wasn't very often that one could see him with his guard down. Usually, he was stuck rigidly to a cold, uninterested persona. Those he smiled at should treasure the memory of it and Remy knew it. It was a shame, in his opinion, that he didn't smile more.

"Did you know," Janus kept going with a beam, "That most onyx stones are dyed to make its' colour uniform? I've never liked that, it's stopping their natural beauty."

"Do you want it, then?" Remy laughed.

Janus nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely!"