Chapter Text
Janus had long since learned to stop questioning things that had no answer.
He didn’t know why Virgil left. He only knew that one day, his best friend was there, standing beside him, their bond strong, whispering promises of us against them– and the next, he wasn’t.
When Janus went looking for him, desperate and angry, and confused, he found him smiling with the very people they both sworn to hate. The people who had shunned them, belittled them, called them nothing but problems, dark sides, villains.
And worst of all, Virgil looked happy. Happier than Janus had ever seen him. And that made him feel sick. Sicker than he had ever felt in his entire life.
Janus never got an explanation. Never an apology. Just cold stares and venom in Virgil’s voice whenever their paths so happened to cross.
At some point, he stopped asking why.
That was, until Thomas started spiraling.
Thomas was crumbling under the weight of himself, drowning in his own mind. No one, not even Logic or Morality could fix it. Even at the lowest point, the core sides had continued to ignore Janus’ warnings.
Janus had learned the truth shortly after. Thomas wasn’t spiraling because of his own fears.
He was spiraling because he was absorbing theirs.
So, Janus did something reckless.
He cornered Virgil.
—
“Talk to me,” Janus hissed, slamming his hand against the wall next to the anxious side’s head “Tell me why you left, you owe me that much.”
Virgil’s breath hitched for only a second, taken aback by what Janus had said. Shortly after, he scoffed, crossing his arms. “You’re still stuck on that? Let it go, dude. We’re on different sides now.”
“Because you put us there!” Janus snapped. “You were the one who left. You were the one who abandoned everything we built! Our friendship, Remus…you were one of us, you– You were mine!”
“I was never yours.” Virgil interrupted, voice sharp as a knife. “And I was never ‘one of you’. Not really. I just didn’t realize it until I finally got out.”
Janus felt his stomach turn.
He could argue with a lie. He could work around half-truths. But this? This was the one thing he had never been able to fight against.
The truth. This was not the answer he wanted, but he should have expected it.
“So.. that’s it?” He asked, his voice low. “You saw a better offer and took it? Left the rest of us behind to rot?”
“Better offer? Janus, do you even hear yourself?” The man in front of Janus shook his head, exhaling harshly. “I left because I saw the truth! I woke up. You and the others– you’re not helping Thomas! You’re poisoning him with your lies.”
….
There was silence as Janus tried to process what Virgil had said. The silence was uncomfortable. Lasting for several seconds until Janus mumbled “Poisoning him…”
He saw Virgil’s glare and quickly looked to the floor.
“You lie to him. You manipulate him to do things you want! You tell him things he wants to hear, not what he needs to. You act like you care, but it’s all about control with you, isn’t it?” The anxious side’s mouth twisted in something bitter, resentful even. “I used to think you were protecting us. That you actually gave a damn. But now I know you just wanted power.”
Janus felt something deep inside him crack.
This whole time— this whole time— Virgil hadn’t left because he was scared. He hadn’t left because he thought there was something better.
He left because he thought Janus was evil.
And Janus didn’t know how to recover from that.
“I never lied to you.” He spoke desperately.
But Virgil’s glare didn’t waver. “Yeah? Then tell me the damn truth right now.”
Janus hesitated.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Virgil scoffed, rolling his eyes.
Those words should’ve made Janus angry. But they Didn’t. They made him tired.
“You never even gave me a chance, did you?” he muttered.
Virgil blinked.
“You left me,” Janus continued. “And instead of considering that maybe, just maybe, I was hurting too— you turned me into your villain.” He let out a hollow laugh. “It’s easier, isn’t it? Hating me? Blaming me? That way you never have to wonder if you were wrong.”
“You don’t— you don't get to turn this around on me.”
“I don’t want to turn anything around, I just want to understand.”
Silence again.
“Please Virgil, we need to talk, please just talk to me. Was you leaving truly because you think I am evil?”
“...You’re acting like you didn’t lie to Thomas for years, Janus. Like you didn’t manipulate him.”
Once Virgil was sure the snake in front of him was quiet, he continued.
“Maybe Thomas is feeling your bitterness, but don’t put this on me. I was trying to help him. Unlike you.”
Janus inhaled sharply, a cold, bitter, laugh slipping out.
“Right,” he murmured. “Of course. I should’ve known better than to expect anything else from you.”
“You are unbelievable.”
“And you are a coward.” The lying facet quietly said, but he was loud enough for Virgil to hear him.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. You act so righteous, like you’re Thomas’ personal guard! But you’re just scared. You’ve always been. You didn’t leave because I was evil, Virgil. You left because you were afraid of what it meant to stay.”
“Shut up.”
“Do you still think about the past, about us?”
Virgil shoved him. “I said shut up!”
Janus stumbled back, stunned. But then he let out a quiet, bitter laugh. “I see, so this is how we are now.”
Virgil took a shaky breath, anger still buzzing through him. “Yeah, I guess we are.”
Janus just nodded. “I am done with this conversation.” His face was unreadable. Then with a slow turn, he walked away.
Virgil let him go.
—
He should’ve felt satisfied.
Janus had always been the manipulator, the liar, the one twisting things to make himself look better. Virgil had finally called him out. Finally won.
So why did it feel like he’d lost?
He thought about Janus’ face, there was no anger, not even resentment.. Just tired.
The realization hit like a push into a pile of spikes.
Janus had never fought back like this before. He had always been snide, sarcastic, irritating– but he never truly lashed out. Never tried to hurt Virgil the way Virgil hurt him.
Because maybe.. Janus hadn’t wanted to hurt him at all.
Virgil swallowed hard. Shit.
—
He found Janus outside his room, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.
At first, he hesitated. But he forced himself forward.
“..Hey.” His voice came out quieter than he wanted it to.
Janus didn’t look up.
“Look, I–I shouldn’t have said all that.”
Janus hummed. “No, you shouldn’t have.”
“I just– I got defensive, okay? That’s what I do. I lash out first, think later.” He hesitated some more. “I didn’t mean– I mean, I did mean some of it, but not all of it. And not in the way I said it.”
“Hm, a glowing apology.”
The purple facet groaned. “I suck at this, alright? Just– just let me talk.”
“..Fine, talk.”
…
“I left because I was scared,” He admitted. “Not of you– not really. I was scared of what I was. What it meant to be a ‘Dark Side.’ I thought that if I stayed, I’d never be anything else.”
This time, it was his turn to stare at the ground. “I told myself you were the bad guy because it made it easier. Because if you were the villain, then I was right to leave. I was in the right to throw everything away.” Virgil’s throat felt tight. “But I wasn’t right. I was just scared.”
Silence happened once again, though this time it was less uncomfortable.
Then, softly– “I missed you.”
Janus inhaled sharply.
Virgil walked closer. “I’m sorry, Janus. For leaving. For blaming you. For hurting you. I should’ve talked to you back then. You deserved better.”
Janus stared at him for a long moment, deciding on what to say. “Yes, I did.”
Then for the first time in years, Janus smiled– small, tired, but a real smile.
“But I suppose I could settle for an apology.”
Virgil huffed out a laugh. “Oh, settle, huh?”
“Obviously,” Janus said, rolling his eyes. “But, we still have a lot to talk about.”
“Yeah. We do.”
And for once, neither of them walked away.