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"What did I specifically tell you not to do?" Janus asked tending to Roman's wounds. "Fight the Dragon Witch." Roman answered trying to stay still as he held an ice pack to his head. "And what did you do?" "Fight the Dragon Wi- son of a bitch ow!" The Prince hissed in pain as he felt the burn from the alcohol his boyfriend had put to disinfect his cuts. "Woooooow you kiss your boyfriend with that mouth?" Janus jokingly asked as he applied ointment on the injuries and started wrapping them in bandages. Roman rolled his eyes. "Yes I do thank you very much and he's going to hear far worse if he isn't more gentle." "Well lucky for you he's finished." The bowler hat wearing side said as he finished wrapping up the injuries and gently kissed the bandages. "So... You mind telling me why you didn't follow my orders Your Highness?" Janus asked the Prince looking at him expecting an answer. Ah yes, the question Roman dreaded and hoped Janus wouldn't ask him before he got caught but of course he would have to face the music eventually. Roman bit his lip nervously at the question contemplating on whether to actually tell his boyfriend the truth or not. On one hand, if he played his cards right, there was a 2% chance he couldn't detect the lie and on the other, he could possibly get a scolding lecture or a furious snake on his hands for his truthful answer. He flipped a mental coin and decided to test his luck.
"Remus made a bet with me and said whoever can slay the Dragon Witch first gets to use the loser's weapon for a week."
"Oh really? That's very interesting considering your brother has been with Virgil since this morning, try again." Janus said looking at the Prince unconvinced. Roman mentally cringed in embarrassment at his failed attempt at lying to his walking lie detector of a boyfriend.
'Of course he would be with that emo nightmare when is he never!?'
The moment those two got together, Remus kept teasing Roman nonstop about getting a boyfriend before him and was always practically glued to Virgil ever since, so even mentioning his twin should've already been a terrible lie in itself.
'Well lying clearly was an epic fail Roman! Maybe if I upped my charm and distract him to forget the question can work?'
The Prince suddenly stood up and walked closer to his boyfriend and wrapped an arm around his neck looking at him in adoration. "Jan? Have I ever told you how absolutely breath taking you are Dear?" Roman asked as he used his other hand to tug Janus' chain clasp forward, pulling him closer to him. Janus smirked as he wrapped an arm around the Prince's waist and held his chin up with his free hand leaning closer. "Well Your Highness..." He started as he almost filled the gap between them but whispered in his ear instead. "If trying to seduce me to make me forget about what I asked you was part of your plan, it's not working Darling, I'll give you one more try." Roman blushed both from being flustered and from embarrassment when Janus pulled away and let go of his chin.
'Damn it! He has no business being better at that than me! Guess I have to at this point...'
Roman looked down and hesitated again feeling nervous. It was all bottling up inside and he really didn't want to admit it but he had to, he knew he had to, for his own mental health and to take away Jan's concerns but it just wasn't coming out. His thoughts were yelling and screaming at him to just say it and get it over with but for the Prince that was easier said than done. Janus saw the hesitant look on his boyfriend's face and took his hand and kissed it, rubbing his thumb on the back of it afterwards. "Take your time Darling. I'm not going to be mad about whatever answer you give me, I just need to know what's going on so I can help in however way I can with what you are feeling." Roman nodded at the reassurance and took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he tried to relax and focus on his hand being rubbed.
'Pathetic, you can stab the Dragon Witch with your sword but you can't do something as simple as admit a stupid insecurity. Just get it over with Roman'
"I did it because I needed to blow off some steam." Janus gave Roman a small nod with a patient and supporting look for him to continue, still holding his hand. He knew there was more to it than just letting out frustration he needed to know why. "...Because I felt like I wasn't enough... Not creative enough... Not heroic enough... Not doing enough for you, not helping Thomas enough, not good enough, not strong enough!" Roman didn't realize he was crying until he felt Janus pull him close and try to soothe him by rubbing his back and silently shushing him as he gently peppered the top of his head with kisses. He felt angry, hopeless, and weak. Weak for crying in front of his boyfriend, weak for not being able to deal with his own problems and failing at hiding it, weak for feeling not emotionally or physically strong enough for anything.
"Roman, Darling, look at me."
Roman shook his head at Janus' request trying to bury his face further into the other's shirt still crying. He just couldn't look him in the eyes especially after admitting he felt like he wasn't doing enough for him.
'You don't deserve him. You're Selfish, Stupid, Weak, Pathetic-'
"Roman." Janus carefully cupped Roman's cheeks causing the teary faced Prince to break away from his negative thoughts and finally look up at him.
"You are more than enough Darling. You have your strengths and you try your best at letting it show and you do. You help Thomas just as much as all of us, maybe even more. You are the source that makes him do what he does and loves, the videos, self expression, acting, music, all of it Roman. You may have ended up getting injured, but you still slayed that Dragon Witch and that alone takes strength, courage, nobility, and bravery. And lastly, you do do enough for me Darling, you being with me is already enough as it is and I love you and every single cheesy romantic gesture you've ever given me."
Roman's eyes began to tear up again but for a different reason. He really needed to hear that especially from the one man he loved and cared about the most. He knew he was telling the truth about everything he said the moment he felt the ungloved hand on his cheek. A mask to Janus that was only uncovered for Roman and Roman only. The Prince was so overwhelmed with such happiness, love, and relief that he suddenly pulled his boyfriend closer and kissed him very lovingly on the lips to which Janus kissed back just as lovingly.
After a brief moment, Roman was the one to break the kiss to catch his breath and hugged the other tighter, sniffling. "Thank you. I love you so damn much Jan and that really meant a lot, thank you." Janus smiled and kissed the top of Roman's head holding him closer. "I love you too Roman, I meant every word." Roman smiled back at the reply and melted at being held closer by Jan, feeling 10 times better than he did before.
The two stood there holding each other close in comfortable silence for a little while until Janus was the first to speak. "Well, since a certain heroic, brave, Prince was so honest with me and definitely needs a distraction from his injuries, I believe he deserves a little reward, so will it be a musicals or Disney movie marathon kind of night?" Roman immediately looked up at his boyfriend again but with genuine adoration in his eyes this time. Jan knew him so well. "Marry me." Janus chuckled at the response. "Soon, but I'm afraid that doesn't answer my question." "Hmmm Disney." Roman answered and then smirked. "But I'm afraid your Prince has injured his leg during his battle and needs a big, strong, handsome, snake to carry him to our destination." "Well then..." Janus carefully picked up the Prince bridal style and smirked back playing along with his boyfriend's false dramatics. "Lucky for you Your Highness I can help with that." Roman giggled and kissed Janus' cheek holding onto him tightly. "Perfect. Now my Knight in scaly armor, I believe a Disney marathon awaits us." "Indeed it does." Janus smiled as he started carrying his boyfriend to the living room.
Roman may have not felt like a hero before all of this, but Janus was definitely and always will be his.