Dark Light Blue

The Grass Is Greener

The three of them sit together on the couch. Kind of.

Remus is laying down, his head beside Janus's lap. He'd finished eating first. Janus is sipping his soup slowly. Patton wonders if that's why they watch movies, because of the different paces they eat at. It's sweet how much time they try to spend together.

Patton himself is nibbling on the mini quesadillas Janus made with the soup. It was all very good, but he said all he did was put some stuff into a boiling pot of water.

Hours of effort or not, it was nice. They were watching Howl's Moving Castle, which Remus said was his favorite of Janus's movies. Patton thinks he was lying, though, because Sausage Party seemed more up his alley.

It felt nice to think Remus did it for his sake. Though, remembering when he first met Thomas, this seemed unlikely. Maybe he just didn't like how it ended.

Patton was getting drowsy. As odd as the movie is, it's very soothing. Remus has been surprisingly quiet, aside from laughing at childish jokes and comparing the characters and what they say to different Sides.

He doesn't know what time it is, but he knows it's pretty late. The only lights in the room are a few lamps next to the couch. They're positioned in a way that, no matter where you sit, the glare won't reflect off the TV. Their dim light is probably affecting his sleepiness.

Patton drifts off to sleep wondering why they never use their lights.

He finds it kind of funny.

.
.
.

The movie ends, and the other two Sides aren't very tired at all. They see their guest sleeping soundly, the remains of a smile still sketched on his face.

"He must've been doing pretty bad," Remus comments.

"I know... That's why I feel kind of bad thinking he should leave."

There's a second or two of silence. Neither knows what to do.

"I kind of like having him here." Remus looks up at his scaly companion.

"I..." He pauses, trying not to lie, "I do too. Truly."

They absent-mindedly watch the credits roll. Janus sighs.

"I think it'd be good to help him," Remus suggests, "He seems like he could use some help."

"From us?" Janus says, baffled.

"Well, yeah!" Remus hops off the couch. His words are loud, but not the kind of loud that would wake someone up.

"He came to us with a problem in his head that's keeping him here so hard that he's even sleeping here! They're obviously not helping him!"

He starts pacing around the living room lightly. Janus follows him with his eyes, but doesn't contradict.

"What's worse? Him maybe getting influenced by us or him having a problem that he has to be repressing so much that coming to us -The negative effects of repression- is better than the people we thought -that HE thought- were his friends! Gah!!" He exclaims, more riled up than normal considering the topic.

He flops on the floor dramatically.

"I hate them."

"I know." Janus says, and he does. Ever since Virgil went to the Light Side, came back just to leave again, broke Remus.

The Lights were mean to Virgil. They shut him down and knew him as bad.

Then, all of a sudden, Virgil wanted to leave. He didn't want to be bad. This place, being here with Janus and Remus, is bad.

They didn't want him to leave. They did all they could to keep him until they couldn't. Now Virgil hates them.

But he likes Patton.

Any reasonable outcome Janus could think of would negatively affect how Virgil saw them. Janus believed the bridge had burned. If Virgil isn't going to stop hating them, then why sidestep it?

"Oooh, I know that face." Remus said.

Janus hadn't noticed him watching. There was a tired smile on his lips, ready to give in.

"Yeah. Yes. We can help him out."