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“Confidentiality” ending- Please go to read Confidentiality by dookydangin on Archive and give them tons of Kudos before reading this related story!! They are amazing which is why I couldn’t just let their story sit and do nothing with it!!!
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…When his eyes- and brain- finally started working, he blinked up at the world not comprehending it.
“But…Janus…You joined the villains,” he mumbled, causing Janus to wince as all the others’ eyes went to him.
He swallowed.
…
Time passed so slowly, but so fast. Everyone stayed in the room, meandering around, so glad that Remus was back with them- and so worried about him.
It was about afternoon now.
Patton had brought sandwiches. With a hesitant glance at Patton, Roman took one over to Remus.
“Here, Remus…you must be hungry by now-”
Remus weakly shoved it back. He wasn’t looking at them.
His eyes were darting around the room, understanding, but not really understanding what was going on around him.
“What? N-no- I can’t-” he mumbled, something like desperation- or fear?- in his voice as he shrank further away from them. “Take it away from me.” He closed his eyes as Roman reached out a hand, and flinched when he touched him. “Please,” he begged.
Patton stepped forward.
“If you just try a little bite-”
“NO!” Remus snarled. It took Patton by surprise. Reaching out a hand, he knocked the tray to the floor, Patton just barely managing to save the last sandwich before it was ruined.
He turned to Remus with a concerned face, setting the sandwich back on a table. “Why can’t you eat, Remus?” he asked, as gently as Patton could.
Remus didn’t respond to the name or the question.
“What’s wrong with it?” Virgil asked, his voice slightly gravelly, but Janus knew that was from tears, not anger. “If you want something else, we can-”
“I-I’m dead. I’m supposed to be dead. Why am I not dead?” Remus was shaking, his voice rasped and shook with it, and he hissed at Logan as the Logical Hero slowly approached with a placating hand outstretched. “I-I need to- I must be-”
Patton gave a horrified, terrified whimper and clutched the back of a chair, as if seeing a ghost.
Janus watched with wide-eyed fear but didn’t dare reach out to him; he was glad when Logan turned to the sentimental hero and placed an arm around his back.
Janus knew Patton wasn’t afraid of Remus- no matter how different he was now. Janus, too, was not afraid of Remus, but of what might happen to him.
Remus had been dead for many days now- what if he was already as far gone as Patton’s father had been- and they lost him again?
Janus shook his head, aware that Remus was now staring at him. Remus was strong. Remus was already looking calmer. He would be alright.
He wished that clenching fear in his chest would go away.
…
It was days before they got him to eat.
No matter how his stomach growled, he never gave the faintest sign of being hungry, and he always pushed away any food they brought him despite their pleas.
Something akin to fear would dance in his eyes as any of them approached him, each time they tried to bring him food or comfort him.
And he used to love hugs.
Janus shook that bittersweet thought away too- and sighed.
Remus was at least back. While Janus wanted Remus to return to who he was before, he might be too far gone for that, and at least they had him safely back.
They couldn’t force feed him. They didn’t have the heart to, when they saw the fear in his eyes.
Janus…wouldn’t have loved it either, but he still offered- however, none of them would leave him in a room alone with their revived friend.
…
Still, it was Janus who first got Remus to sit up and talk to him- well, it was mostly listening to him talk, but that counted as progress, right?
Before that, all he’d ever said was stuff like “I can’t eat- I shouldn’t be here- I was dead-” He was stuck in the past, confused, and Janus didn’t even blame him.
But now, something like recognition sparked in his eyes whenever he looked at Janus even if he didn’t recognize anyone else.
He could tell they all took this bitterly, as each wanted to be the one to talk to him, but they still let him talk.
Remus really did seem to recognize him, though it was strange he didn’t recognize the others that he knew so much longer-
Maybe it was because he was the last face Remus saw, before-
Don’t think like that.
So now, Remus sat dazedly, listening as Janus told him about their adventures together and all the pranks they had pulled on the others- which Remus only seemed to half understand- and Janus tried not to cry. He tried not to release any of the emotions that were all scrambled together in his chest- He never showed this sign of sentimentality to the others, either- but later, alone in his room, he let the tears fall.
That was what Remus needed right now. Janus could be strong for his friend.
Remus… wasn’t the same anymore, but there were so many characteristics of him that were still so familiar. The main difference now was his lacking memories (which might come back) and his high-energy level (which Janus desperately hoped would come back).
He made the same faces of confusion listening to Janus’ stories as he used back then- the only difference there being he showed confusion so much more than he used to.
…
Virgil got Remus to eat soon after that.
He brought stew, and Remus perked up, for the first time since he had been revived. Thoughtlessly, it seemed, he sniffed the air, and both Virgil and Janus apparently noticed the hungry look in his eyes.
Virgil pushed the chance with bated breath, wafting the smell of stew in front of Remus’ nose, and forcing Remus to drag himself up from the pillows to chase it.
He pushed off the sheets very clumsily and sat- and blinked.
“Virgy?” he asked, and Virgil looked ready to cry, his lips all pursed but pulling up in a smile as water pooled in his eyes despite his efforts to stop it. Remus hadn’t recognized anyone apart from Janus until now- not even his brother.
“Yeah?” he said gruffly, and his eyes widened releasing the tears as Remus reached out a hand and touched his face.
“Holy sh*t,” Remus muttered, his eyes boring into Virgil’s own. Virgil’s wobbling lip gave way to a teary smile.
“I… brought something, Remus,” Virgil said. (they had agreed not to use the word ‘food’ since it upset him for some reason).
Remus’ eyes turned reluctantly to the bowl that Virgil held out to him.
“Ohh… Is that… food?” he asked, but it was less apprehensive, more curious.
Virgil seemed to expect the worst. “Yeah- but no pressure, Remus- if you’re not ready to eat-”
“-Can I have some?”
Virgil almost dropped the bowl.
“...Sure.” After a moment, he held out the spoon to Remus. “Here… take this first.”
Remus took it, staring at it in an odd way. “Patton made the soup,” Virgil continued, seemingly trying Janus’ method to keep Remus calm by talking to him. “He’ll be really glad you considered eating.”
“Patton…” Remus said slowly, as if trying to place where he knew the name from.
“Um- here, if you’re careful, you can take the bowl, too,” Virgil said, deciding not to comment on Remus’ blank-faced look.
Remus took it very carefully, though his hands shook so badly Virgil bent over and helped him hold it.
“Now what..?” Remus mumbled. He looked slightly hesitant to act until Virgil explained everything to him.
Virgil looked confused but adjusted quickly after a glance at Janus for support.
(Janus made a ‘go on, then’ gesture.)
“Erm… Now you use the spoon to scoop out some broth, and move it to your mouth?” Virgil half-asked, looking slightly embarrassed.
Remus moved to obey, only for Virgil to yelp- quickly clapping a hand over his own mouth when Remus stared wide-eyed at him.
“Sorry…You just- Um… Hold the spoon at this end, Remus,” Virgil mumbled, helping him to turn it before he got the handle all covered with soup.
“Oh…yeah,” Remus mumbled. His cheeks were pink.
Janus almost laughed. He was pleased to see Remus showing obvious emotion again.
“So… uh, I’ll just… spoon this into my mouth, then?” he narrated slowly.
Virgil smiled at him.
Remus' knuckles were white on the spoon- which Janus realized he was holding very clumsily, like a toddler who hadn’t learned how to feed himself yet.
Remus ate a bit like a toddler too- but neither Virgil nor Janus commented on it.
He didn’t take a bite, though.
Staring down at the bowl, his old mental block seemed to re-emerge, and he shook his head, unable to push it away because he was holding it, but squirming restlessly.
“It has… salt,” he whispered, the ghost of fear in his eyes.
Janus’ eyes widened.
Salt…
Remus began shaking. He pushed the bowl away, into Virgil’s hands, and shook his head frantically.
“Remus… it’s okay,” Janus spoke without thinking, in his most calming voice, and both Remus’ and Virgil’s eyes snapped to him.
Remus gazed into his eyes- Janus noticed his eyes shift momentarily to the birthmark, too- before something cleared from his eyes.
He took a deep breath, and turned to Virgil.
“Of course I’ll eat, Virgy,” he said, dipping the utensil clumsily into broth. “Only for you.”
…
The whole household breathed a breath of relief that Remus had finally eaten.
…
Janus poked his head into Remus’ room one day to hear Roman- humming a song Janus didn’t know- And to his surprise, Remus softly sang along, his voice a little raspy from lack of use.
He had a terrible singing voice.
Janus winced, but listened with a smile on his face, before he slipped away so he wouldn’t get caught spying…
…
Remus got strong enough that they let him wander the apartment unaccompanied.
They did keep someone around nearby to watch him, though.
He helped with small tasks, like mixing eggs in the kitchen with Patton. They didn’t let him go on missions, of course.
It wasn’t that Remus intended to hurt himself- it was just-
He was hopelessly clumsy. It was almost like he’d forgotten the basics of human movement.
He didn’t know how things worked, what to do, or how to do it.
This applied to everything, from using a spoon, to flushing a toilet, to walking through a doorway-
Ouch.
Patton let him into the kitchen when he was there, but nowhere near the stove. The elevator and stairs were out of bounds, too.
He always seemed to bounce back up again when he got hurt- a determination so like the Remus he’d known, but he wasn’t himself just yet. He wasn’t exactly… normal.
…
Hey, kiddo,” Patton said one day, holding out a hand to Remus who lounged on the couch watching cartoons.
Remus took the hand and clumsily helped himself up. “We’re all leaving the apartment together for a free day, if you’re ready..?”
“...Pat?” Remus asked hoarsely.
It was the first time Remus had used Patton’s name, and Janus watched as the Sentimental Hero blinked rapidly, his expression melting from one of worry to something pained, but so, so happy.
(Unlike Virgil, he didn’t suppress his tears, but he did try to keep from breaking down completely).
“Yes, kiddo… that’s me!” he squeaked, and Janus felt tears sting his own eyes as Remus and Patton stared at each other, each pair of eyes slightly wet.
Remus' mustache twitched slightly. It might have been a smile, if not for the pain, and the tears in his eyes.
Patton bit his lip hard, probably trying to hold back sobs as Remus threw himself into Patton’s arms.
“Patt!” One word held so many meanings- of comfort, love, and pain- and Patton felt them all, squeezing him back while more tears poured from his eyes.
Remus was…
His face was… different. It wasn’t a huge difference, but to Janus- who studied faces so carefully, the change was monumental.
It was still pale and stiff- he still wasn’t the Remus they remembered, but there was something more like the Remus they knew in his eyes today than there had been.
And everyday until now, he continued to remember more of what he used to be.
He still didn’t look like Remus- not the bouncy, carefree Hero he knew.
Not the way Janus ever knew him to be.
But he wasn’t a stranger looking out of Remus’ eyes anymore.
There was more there- a spark that Janus remembered so well.
Something… so warm it almost broke him again, as tears poured from his own eyes.
“...Oh, Kiddo!” Patton said, squeezing back in a tight and warm hug. With a hand, Remus tugged Janus’ arm, pulling him in- and miraculously, Patton put an arm around him, too.
“I’m so glad you’re remembering! I was so scared for so many days that you wouldn’t stay!’
Remus gripped their shirts tighter, pinching into Janus’ skin.
“I’m staying,” he said. Janus recognized it for what it was. A promise.
“You’re doing so well- Do you want to go on a family excursion again, Remus? I know how much you hate being cooped up.”
“Yes!” Remus squeaked and bounced on his toes, his face lightening with that familiar excitement that had been missing for so long.
Janus pulled away from the hug after a moment, respecting that Patton should get some time alone with Remus before they left- he was the last Hero that Remus had his ‘moment’ with now.
He wanted them to be caught up before they left for… wherever they would go today.
Janus paused in the doorway, an outsider, but watching them with a tiny smile on his face.
Maybe… maybe they were alright, he dared to think, for the first time since Remus came back.
Maybe everything was going to be alright.
They just needed to give it a little more time.
…
THE END
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Yay!! Remus is recovering! I’m so glad to have given “Confidentiality” the happy ending that they only hinted at. :-) Bye! Estella K
"Confidentiality" by dookydangin
“Everything Stays” by WolfsBane54 (Next up!)
This is only vaguely based around their story. It is an amazing story, so again– Please, go read their works and give them the Kudos they deserve before reading this!! They are amazing! And thank you for finding this and reading my work, it makes me really happy to share!