Transcending Abnormality

Sheets of Paper

Virgil's fingers gripped onto the edge of his hoodie sleeve. He'd grabbed it off the edge of his sofa before leaving, and was now wearing it and fiddling with it anxiously.

God, this talk with Janus was not going to go well.

"Come in. Sit down." His uncle gestured, Virgil walking into the room and clearing his throat. He slumped his body down onto the chair facing Janus, and waited in uncomfortable silence for the other to speak first. Janus' fingers moved quickly on his computer, and he continued to type as if Virgil wasn't there for another two minutes.

Janus looked at his nephew sarcastically. "Oh. Sorry to keep you waiting! I was just typing up an incident report for this unruly teenager that violated federal law by breaking into a confidential area of my building."

"I, uhm," Virgil's voice croaked, and he felt weak. "How much trouble am I in exactly?"

"Did you hear the part where I said 'federal law'?"

Janus was still resting his fingers on his keyboard, head positioned towards the screen, but eyes fixated on Virgil.

"You don't have to report it." Virgil mused, his suggestion making Janus raise an eyebrow. He pushed the enter button on his keyboard and then pushed himself away from his desk with his feet, the chair coming to a stop next to his printer, which had just spat out three sheets of paper.

"Do you pay attention in those business classes that I pay ridiculous amounts of money for you to attend?"

Lord Dyle slapped the paper onto his desk, pulling his chair back up to face Virgil.

"You don't exactly have a very good grasp on the idea of 'ridiculous amounts of money'." The other replied, leaning forward onto the desk.

"Speaking of," Janus started, shuffling the papers to be neat, and shoving them into a miscellaneous drawer. "How much money is that train you take to school? While I've decided I'm not going to be putting unending money into your pockets, I'll have the decency to give you money for your basic needs. Emile spoke to me about your little fainting stunt earlier."

Virgil looked away. "I'm fine. Although I'm sure you weren't worried about my health. The train is twenty there and back, but I'd need money for food as well."

"Hm."

"..Thank you. ..For the money."

"You're welcome." Janus now switched his laptop monitor off, giving his full attention to the other. "Right." The man raised two hands to either side of his head, making quotation marks in the air. ""How much trouble am I in?""

Virgil stiffened a little in the chair.

"I don't think I need to say this, but you're grounded indefinitely. Of course, you can still go to uni, but nothing other than that."

The nineteen-year-old nodded, accepting that.

"I do really care about you, you know?"

Virgil didn't reply, keeping eye contact with Janus.

"I promised your father that I would take care of you. I really don't want to be playing the villain in your life, Virgil."

Virgil felt a little nauseous. He brushed it off.

Janus angled his head downwards, looking at the desk and laughing out loud. "And yet," He sucked in a harsh breath that was laced with the same grilling laughter. "I don't know what to do with you."

The businessman looked back up, placing his right palm over his eyes, his index finger and thumb pinching the bridge of his nose. "..I don't know what to do with you, Virgil."