The Rainy Day Coffee Shop - Sanders Sides AU

Part 17 - The Brother

Virgil tapped at his phone, trying his  best not to procrastinate on his schoolwork whilst at the same time totally procrastinating on his schoolwork. He was at his apartment for the first time in a while, and Remy was watching TV across from him. It was Monday evening, and Virgil had just finished a long day at work, trying to forget the shitstorm that had occured on Sunday, when he had visited Roman's parents. After dinner him and Roman hastily left, bantering all the way home; but that didn't take away from the extreme awkwardness that meeting your partner's parents entails.

Anyway, Virgil was trying his best to forget all that and do his homework.

Ding dong.

"Oh, that might be my pizza." Remy jumped up from the sofa and made his way to the door.

"You ordered pizza?" Virgil called after him.

"Yeah!" He responded, before Virgil heard the door open.

Faint mumbling came from the hallway, and he heard footsteps come back into the living room.

"Hey, if you've got pizza, can I have some?" Virgil asked, without looking up.

"Virgil."

The voice wasnt Remy's.

Virgil turned around and, to his dismay, saw a familiar figure. It was a boy - a man - wearing a bowler hat and a dark grey coat. One of his eyes was brown, and the other sparkled with golden green.

"Janus?" Virgil got up quickly, appalled to see his brother.

"I'm sorry to rush in on you like this." Janus looked around the room with judgement on his smug face.

"No you're not." Virgil growled.

Remy came into the room sheepishly, "Uh, who are you?"

"Ah, you must be my little brother's roommate." Janus extended a hand and smirked, "Pleasure."

Remy didnt shake it, "Wait, are you the asshole brother who went to Harvard?"

Janus glanced irritatedly at Virgil.

"Yes. Yes he is." Virgil said firmly.

Janus placed his hands behind his back, "Will you give us a moment?"

Remy looked between the two brothers warily, "Uh, sure."

He turned and hesitantly shuffled into the bedroom, closing the door behind him. As soon as the door was closed, Janus turned to Virgil; cold dread ran down his back as he gazed at his brother. Why couldn't things ever stay the same?

***

"What the fuck are you doing in my apartment?" Virgil snarled.

Janus gazed in displeasure around the dim living room, "This is your apartment?"

"If you came here to insult me and grimace at the place I've made my home, then you can fuck right off." He yelled.

"Hey, hey, calm down little brother." Janus smirked; he had always found it amusing when Virgil got angry. Virgil remembered once when they were kids, Janus kept on listing off all of his achievements to their Mom, many of which weren't true, as Virgil was sitting in the room. Virgil was sure that Janus knew he was getting angrier and angrier, and then when he couldn't take it any more, he leaped forwards and kicked his brother in the stomach, sending him flying. Janus immediately burst into dramatic tears, and their Mom was furious. Virgil got a good beating from their Dad that night.

Janus smirked still, "Anyway, that's not what I'm here for."

"Well, spit it out." Virgil crossed his arms.

"I'm here from Mom and Dad," he dipped his head menacingly, "They want you to come home."

"What?" Virgil spat, "I think I made it very clear that I was never going back to thay hellscape."

"They don't care. They want you to come home so that they can... uh... 'fix you up' - their words, not mine."

"No. Absolutely not." Virgil replied.

Janus gazed at him; Virgil tried to read his expression, but to no avail. A moment of silence passed.

Janus sighed, "They thought you'd say that." He fixed his hat, "Well, they said that if you refused, that they would be coming over to get you themselves."

"What?" Virgil's heart stopped.

Janus turned to leave, "You have until the weekend, and if you're not at their house by Saturday afternoon, then they'll be at your door, and they will be very very angry."

Virgil just stood there in shock for a good couple of seconds. Janus had his back turned to leave, but Virgil could tell he was waiting for a reaction.

Virgil half sighed, half groaned in dismay and defeat, slumping back onto the couch. He brought his legs to his chest, and put his head in his hands. He was on the verge of having a mental breakdown right then and there, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I... I'm sorry, Virgil. I wish things could be different." Janus sighed.

Virgil didnt look at him. The hand left his shoulder, and he heard footsteps leave the room, and then the door close elegantly.

***

Virgil lay in bed that night shivering, tears running down his cheeks and onto his pillow. How could this happen? How could everything change so fast? Janus was here... and he either had to face his parent's wrath, or move back in with them. No doubt they would keep him locked up in their basement, like it was when he first came out. "Its for your own good" they had said. But that was no doubt the most depressed he had been in his entire life. He had finally managed to get out when he turned 16, and he had spent nearly a year in this new apartment, working part time, never missing a single shift, working tirelessly to pay his rent and get his degree... and all of that work was for nothing.

And then there was Roman. They would never be able to see each other. Virgil doubted they would even be allowed to text one another. What about Patton and Logan? Would he be allowed to talk to them? No, probably not. His entire life, everything he had worked to have and keep, all taken away in one, awful act. And was he going to just lay there and cry about it?

No. No he would not.