Tell Me Lies - A Demus Story

I love you too.

Janus blinked before reaching for the glass of water that Remus had hastily grabbed in an effort to aid his recovery.

"Remus what happened back there?" Janus said eyes making contact with Remus' as he settled next to him.

"I don't- I mean I do know but I.. umm, how much do you remember?"

"Well not much to be honest, I remember the umm.. date and the forest, I remember you wanted to tell me something but a creature came out from the trees and then you fought it but something happened and I helped you-"

"You didn't just help me Jan you saved me," Remus interrupted, smiling as his eyes flitted to the ground.

"Rem I care about you so much, there would be no reason for me not to protect you, if anything I should've helped sooner. I'm sorry I don't remember much else,"

"Janus that's fine, please just conserve your energy for healing,"

"Honestly Rem I'm surprised you don't want to have a look at this cut," Janus laughed weakly "you love all this macabre nonsense I'd have thought you'd be poking at my wounds before I woke up,"
A soft giggle escaped the both of them.
Janus sighed, both from exhaustion and breathlessness, then a memory flashed through his mind like a bolt of light bouring through the fuzzy haze of his mind, a tall man carrying him, Remus carrying him across the imagination. His features crumpled into a smile as the image of his rescuer running through the forest illuminated his mind. Then a question. What was is it that Remus wanted to say before all of this, on the blanket blissfully unaware?

But the heat in the living room was too oppressive and Janus felt he might choke on his words. With the pain in his chest fading another question passed his lips.

"Rem do you remember when you first came to the darkscape and we hid from Logan on the roof of the house?"
"Of corse," Remus laughed "we did it nearly every week after for years,"

The roof was were Janus had comforted Remus after the split, it was were Remus went if he was having a melt down and Janus wanted to get him away from anything breakable, it was were they had cried for hours after Virgil left. But as of late there was too much to be done, the roof became a fond memory, but a memory none the less.

"Would you like to go up there again?" Janus asked as he watched Remus' eyes light up like Christmas lights, the most beautiful shade of emerald Janus had ever seen.

"I thought you'd never ask," Remus smiled, grinning from ear to ear.

He took Janus' hand, leading him up the oak stair case to the snake sides own bedroom where a ladder resided just next to the door. Beautiful ornate mahogany with gold detailing etched into the rungs, it fit the room so well you'd hardly notice that it served a purpose. The two ascended the ladder at a slow pace, Janus going first so that Remus could catch him if he fell. The only sounds that echoed in the room were their heartbeats. Beating in time like some romantic symphony.
Moonlight beamed through the trapdoor as Janus pressed it open. Outside the sounds of crickets, the wind and nothing more.

Both men settled on a blanket already laying out from their previous visits along with an assortment of pillows. Janus lent his chin against one knee, his hands wrapped around his calf the other leg outstretched whilst Remus knelt beside him. Even in the peaceful lull of the night that question still played at Janus' mind: What was is it that Remus wanted to say in the forest?

So Janus asked.
And Remus responded.

"Oh that! It wasn't really anything important y'know just... friend things... definitely.... just... yeah friend things,"

"Remus I know when you're lying to me, your top lip twitches when you do," Janus laughed, a wince of pain flashing through his body before it was gone again.

Remus laughed, it wasn't the kind of laughter you share with your best friend, it was the kind of exasperated laugh that escapes like water, free and flowing with a force that takes so much from you and yet the sound itself is so quite. It's the kind of laugh you let out before you take a big risk, it's that knowledge that nothing will ever be the same after this moment. Remus would either lose the most important person in his life or allow them to be even closer.

He didn't know which one was more terrifying.

Janus sat there patiently waiting for Remus' answer, there were few guesses as to what the intrusive side had to say, the look of absolute fear on his face wasn't something new to Janus but it was rare for Remus to show true, genuine fear when speaking to Janus. The two felt safe in each other's company, there was never a barrier between, they were like two halves of a whole. It was something Janus always loved about Remus.

Remus sighed.

"If I tell you, I want you to know that I'm not saying it to upset you or to ruin anything, I just- I have to act on this now or I'll never forgive myself."

"Remus what did you want to say."

Silence hung in the air. A cool silence, not unpleasant but riddled with apprehension and fear that snaked it's way into the lungs of the earth. Dulling the chorus of insects and hushing the moonlight, the silence stilled patiently.

"Im in love with you Janus"

Emerald eyes pierced through golden ones. The silence persisted but Janus' heart soared, it's calls answered. The notion that it's melody would be accompanied by another made the heart of this man still for just a beat before it felt like light prickled down every limb filling him with the lightest, most wonderful feeling. The feeling left Janus breathless.

But the silence persisted.

"I'm sorry I'll go." Remus sighed, tears threatening to spill, he may not have known what option he was more scared of but he sure as hell knew now which hurt more. He braced himself to get up. Eyes looking everywhere but Janus.

Then a hand grabbed his.

A body pressed against his.

Warmth enveloped his whole being as Janus hugged him as tight a possible.

"I love you too Rem"

Sparks.

This is what Roman was talking about, it was sparks, true and absolute ecstasy.

Love.

"Oh my god Jan that was so fucking stressful I literally felt like a was gonna implode why where you so quite oh my god literally why that was awful-"

Remus was rambling again.

"Shut up you idiot," Janus laughed, eyes diving into Remus'.

And then lips where pressed against each other.

Soft, tender and sweet like cherry wine.

It was all perfect again.

They lay on the blanket and stared at the stars, eyes sparkling in the bright moonlight.

And with that the dark mindscape was quite again.

Authors note: Well this is it then, the final chapter. I genuinely didn't think I was going to finish this but I actually managed to and holy crap am I glad I did. I'm actually really happy with how the confession scene went and I'm so glad to finally have this out to you lovely people.
I am genuinely blown away with the love and support I've received from this book and I hope you guys are happy with the ending.

Thank you so much for reading and for the last time on this story this is E. rose signing off.