Work Text:
Mr. D’s name was everywhere. He was an internet sensation at the moment. The media loved to report drama and this was a full on sob story if there ever was one. Or, at least, that’s what they could make it into. No one actually knew how the marks had come into existence but plenty of rumors were surfacing. The nicest part of it all was that Janus would save a considerable amount of money and time now that makeup was a pointless venture. He wasn’t wearing any now as he walked along with his makeshift family. One hand held his hat in place while the other was kept captive in Logan’s hand. They were out doing some window shopping and looking for some “fun” items, as Roman called them. It was, essentially, a pointless shopping spree in Mr. D’s opinion. However, Virgil seemed interested and Logan pointed things out occasionally so he supposed it wasn’t 100% a waste of time and money. Roman was leading the excursion with Virgil wandering behind him. Janus glanced behind himself to see Patton and Remus bringing up the rear. The younger Prince brother was jumping from crack to crack in the sidewalk. It was then that he saw the gathering crowd.
Janus was used to seeing people recognize Roman and begin to form groups. Roman, luckily loved the attention and didn’t mind cameras, he always looked his best. They kept walking, Janus keeping a close eye on the growing cluster. A few of them had phones out, cameras were probably rolling. One person in particular stuck out like a sore thumb. He was tall and wearing a press badge. Suspicion began to leak into the agent’s mind. He reached up and pulled his hat down lower over his face. A glance over his shoulder told him that the man was not only not leaving, but was steadily trying to get closer. Janus took his hat and covered the half of his face with it before calling out to Roman,
“I think we’d best step inside somewhere.” Roman looked confusedly at the man before he spotted the reporter.
“Alright, everyone,” he called as he reached out and pulled Virgil right next to him, “let’s step inside this next store for a bit.”
Janus slowed, pushing Logan into Remus’ capable (if still somewhat questionable) hands. His next move was to usher Patton forward when a shouting caused his movements to stumble somewhat,
“Mr. D! What is your real name?!” He resisted the urge to turn but the shouting persisted, “Mr. D! Tell us about the tragic accident that destroyed your face!”
“Ignore it, Patton.” Janus smiled grimly as he saw the man’s face cloud, “I’m fine.”
He was fine. He could handle this. Until a hand grabbed his hat and tore it away. The movement came unseen by D due to him obscuring his face. He flailed slightly, looking shocked and being in the perfect position for a shot from the man’s camera. Janus didn’t react for a moment before another shout caught his attention,
“Have you contacted authorities in terms of who assaulted you and destroyed your face?”
“Were you abandoned as a child?”
“Have you pressed charges for these injuries?”
“What discrimination has been brought against you because of your condition?!”
Questions assaulted him from every corner, and he couldn’t seem to get out. Voices swirled in his mind, and he wasn’t sure how many were real anymore. Questions and doubts filled his brain as he flailed for some sort of hold on reality.
“How could anyone love you like this?”
“What do you hate most about your marking?”
“What does your family think of this?”
“Why are you so hideous?”
“Are you a monster?”
“What sort of person has a face like yours?”
“Hey! Hands off!” Roman voice broke through the swirling storm of question. The man came storming out of the store, Virgil just behind him, peering with wide eyes and pushing Logan behind him. Patton also looked extremely upset and was pushing people back but it was Remus who moved too fast to comprehend.
In a flash the man had darted forward and licked the man’s camera before wrapping his mouth around the lens. The man looked appalled, and Janus wasn’t sure what was going on anymore. Roman’s hand landed on the agent’s shoulder as he pulled him back and stepped in front of him. The two Prince boys becoming a human wall to protect the agent. Janus blinked in surprise but, before he could move, Virgil’s hand wrapped around his own and he tugged urgently. The boys looked properly disturbed with the situation. Janus allowed himself to get dragged into the store and Patton hurried in after them, closing the door and blocking the view into the store. By now a small gathering had collected, half of which sympathized with Mr. D while the other half just seemed curious to see what was happening. Logan turned and hurried towards the shop’s owner, a young Asian woman with bright red lips.
“Excuse me, ma’am, might we depart through a back door?” She glanced between the four of them before nodding and leading them to the back. She pointed to a door. Mr. D tugged out his wallet and laid a few bills in her hand before brushing past her, leading the boys out with Patton close behind him.
The alley behind the store stunk of the city’s less desirable qualities. Mr. D wrinkled his nose as he jogged quickly, dragging Logan behind him. Virgil was urged on by Patton as he shot a quick text to Roman. They raced down and out after making a quick check to make sure the coast was clear. The questions that had filled Janus’ mind didn’t stop. The swirling doubt, the empty versions of his reality fought to make themselves heard once more. Years of proving to himself that he was more than just his appearance were squashed in an instant. Yet, he pressed on, forcing himself to think of the child he was guiding and the safety of the others around him. When they finally felt that they had put enough distance between them and the paparazzi, Janus stopped them to catch their breath. He adjusted his suit and heaved a sigh,
“Right, let’s head to home, it’s safer there than my place. The media’s been staking out my place for days.” Patton stared at him,
“Isn’t that illegal?” Mr. D shrugged,
“They find loopholes. I can respect that much.”
They walked quickly, Mr. D leading them down pathways he seemed to know like the back of his hand. He’d used this method before, Virgil was sure of it. As they left the sidewalk and headed towards a more run-down road, a black limo came hurdling into view. Remus’ driving was unmistakable. Roman was sitting in the back, clinging like a monkey to the interior of the car. Mr. D sighed,
“Now time to play ‘will Remus stop, or will we have to jump’?” The rest of the company stared in slight horror by the announcement but without any surprise. Thankfully, Remus stopped long enough for them to get in and close the door.
When they arrived back at the Prince mansion, they were all bone tired. Virgil flopped onto the sofa without grace and Logan sat down next to the door, not even moving to remove his shoes. Remus, the only one who seemed to have any energy, walked on his hands to the kitchen and disappeared. Janus and Roman perched on the coffee table while Patton flipped on the TV. Immediately, images of the twins flashed before them. They were images of the boys warding off the eager press and the curious bystanders. Mr. D groaned and shot Roman a look,
“You just HAD to make more work for me. I’ll be answering complaint calls and lawyers for days.” He sighed but there was something of pride and fondness in his voice and eyes. Roman smirked slightly when he caught it, earning a soft whack over the head from his agent.
Remus reappeared moments later with a full-on Charcuterie board of things that Roman didn’t remember having. The rest of the evening was spent silencing phone calls on both Roman and Janus’ phones as they enjoyed Patton reading aloud to them all. Janus let his head fall onto Roman’s shoulder with a sigh. It was odd, the protector being protected for once. Still, he couldn’t help but smile at the two noble Princes that had jumped to his rescue. Virgil and Logan were sitting at his feet and Patton laid a blanket over his shoulders. Remus was, as always, sitting comfortably on the man’s lap. The warmth of their love in the midst of the nightmare the media was, filled him with a feeling he couldn’t express with words. Uncalled for tears filled his eyes but he swiped them away before the others could notice. He looked around and saw the unconditional love and support that was offered right here. Sure, the questions would arise, and the heaviness of his own insecurity was always willing to weigh him down but here, here he was seen not by his appearance but by his value. Here they looked upon him and smiled not because they saw someone they necessarily found beautiful but because they saw someone whom they loved. They saw someone who filled them with joy. When the next tear fell, it was Roman who swiped it away with a knowing smile before turning his attention back to Patton’s story. It was just another day in the life of this weird combination of agent, actor, crazy man, caregiver, and brotherly bond and Janus wouldn’t have it any other way.