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Fighting to get heard and the focus on you was exhausting. Virgil had hated the days when just getting Thomas to consider the consequences of his actions was a battle against Patton, Logan and Roman. Those were the weeks when he finally realised what Janus meant when he claimed that not everything had to be a rock concert, although Jazz was just as bad for getting attention and energy when it was well done.
Not that he could actually admit that. The known sides would have been beyond suspicious if Virgil had stopped yelling with anything less than the acceptance arc he was put through and going back to Janus after everything? Well that wasn't something he was willing to do.
Instead Janus came to him and seemed to cause more breakdowns in his attempts to get accepted than any side had thought possible. Thomas really struggled with realigning his self-image to include the capacity to lie or trick overs purely for his own gains occasionally. Remus coming up front was probably just one more thing that Thomas felt like he had to acknowledge if he was going to accept being selfish sometimes.
Except now Virgil was watching another side go through the same exhaustion he'd had to suppress and hide for months before his attempt to duck out. Remus wasn't being given a chance to just slow down or stop yelling when with the other sides and Virgil started to wonder how much of the grins were Remus's version of flinching.
While going through it alone Virgil had relied on his headphones, on slow songs, almost meditative music, to soothe the screams for silence that ran through his mind. He hadn't truly cared if someone found out, but getting Remus to pause and slow down meant he probably should.
After all, how to you get the frantic energy of pure honesty and creativity combined to listen to peaceful piano tunes, than by acting like it's a dirty secret you'd get scorned if it was discovered? Plenty of other things Virgil had actually done everything he could to hide had been discovered by Remus for just that reason and now it was going to work to help.
/VR\
Coming into his room after a week of being suspicious of anyone getting too close to him when wearing headphones on, Virgil finally breathed a sigh of relief to see Remus messing about with them.
“What's so bad about classical music, Tarantuling?” The question just got him grinning, climbing onto the bed beside Remus.
Only once there did he take the headphones back, momentarily checking the track playing to play it from his speakers instead. “Nothing, but how else to get you to take a break from screaming and listen to something quieter for a bit?”
“An invitation would work. Could've used a ribbon round a fly to get me here.” Remus shrugged, easily moving into the touch of Virgil leaning against him.
Virgil snorted, shaking his head already. “Might've got you here, but here and willing to just let the piano play without searching for something to remind me that you're the big powerful Duke full of gross or horrifying nightmares that Thomas could be sharing with his friends. Yeah, I know what it's like to be unable to stop yelling for attention and you wouldn't have paused just cause I wanted you here.”
“You think this music helps? Sounds like some hokey logical nonsense.” Remus scoffed, shoving carelessly at the phone, not enough to knock it off the bed though.
“Either it does, or being beside me makes you stop frantically searching for the next thing to get attention using. Gives us a break from the others either way.” He didn't get a response to that point, just an arm around his shoulders and a smile.
/RV\
It was Remus who next got them to listen to slow music together.
He didn't do an invitation either, just grabbed Virgil halfway through a lecture from Logan about the importance of consistent video posting. “That's great, I think Roman's in the imagination's theatre if you want to talk about more unrealistic goals, but Virgil and I had better be going to battle with the marshmallow man.”
Virgil snickered at the stunned look he got for just letting himself be thrown of Remus's shoulder and carried away without a fight. They'd both been getting louder recently though, trying to make sure their voices were heard and at a minimum considered among the tumult of the other sides.
“Piano time?” He asked once they were in Remus's room, getting a rapid nod that shook through Remus and the bed he'd put them both on.
Remus hadn't questioned or even tried to challenge if it was cuddling or the calmer music that had helped him relax from the clammer for attention. He just new the 2 combined had helped and was going to take advantage unless Virgil tried to fight it.
Being pulled down and against Virgil's chest showed that wasn't going to happen though and all too soon they had the music playing too.
/VR\
“You know you can just say you have a date to get to, no need to kidnap each other when you want to disappear off with Remus.” Roman commented, a month or more after the first time Virgil and Remus sat listening to music together.
They'd started dragging each other to calm down a lot recently, realising that together they could get each other heard more without screaming or drastic suggestions but still wanting the time to be quiet in their lives.
Virgil just blinked at him for a moment, before poking the shoulder he wasn't currently thrown over. Remus had frozen at the words too, and with a twist to see his expression it seemed like he hadn't realised they were basically dating yet either.
“Well this was just us trying to escape to calm down without needing attention for a bit, but you're right. It sounds a lot more fun to say I get kidnapped for dates than anything else.” He turned back to Roman, unsurprised when he was suddenly bouncing in the hold, although the switch to being in a bridal carry was a bit bizarre.
“I don't carry loved ones like sacks of meat. Come on, fallen angel, we've got a concert to listen to.” Remus twitched his moustache with a grin. No plans changed, just the name they gave to their relationship, and they were soon shut up in Virgil's room with music washing over them.