"I don't get it, Jan."

"There are very many things you don't seem to get." Janus said, looking at Remus' homework sceptically. "You sure this isn't just to keep me here?"

"No...." Janus closed his eyes and sighed.

"Rem, you already know I'm on thin ice with my dad. One more thing and he could really hurt me."

"Not like he hasn't done already." Janus added in his head.

"If he hurts you, I'll hurt him. Simple as that." Remus said. The slight cockiness in his voice both put Janus on edge and got on his nerves.

"You couldn't take him on, Rem." Janus said. "And your homework's fine." He added, handing back the sheet of paper. "I need to get home." Janus got up but Remus grabbed his arm.

"I could take him on." Janus pulled his arm out of Remus' grip.

"You really couldn't, Rem. Believe me, I know. You may be strong but he's older than you by years and ten times stronger." Janus reached up to touch the small bruises along his cheek bone, then saw Remus watching and tried to pass it off as brushing his hair out of his face. Remus tilted his head to the side slightly before standing up too and tucking Janus' hair behind his ear.

"You need to get a haircut, Jan." Janus laughed.

"Thanks but no."

"Why? You'd look amazing, with or without long hair."

"You might be the only one to see it that way." Janus muttered. He pulled his hair in front of the left side of his face slightly and smiled sadly at Remus. "Have to keep atrocities covered, huh?"

"Jan, it's not an atrocity. It's beautiful."

Janus shook his head. "Love really has made you blind." He thought. "I need to go." He said instead.

"Okay." Remus said. "But, really Jan, I just want to help you. I know you don't want to tell me what's going on but if you ever do, I'm always going to be here to listen."

Janus smiled but said nothing. He kissed Remus gently on the lips and smiled again before leaving.

"Hi dad! I'm home!" Janus called, trying to sound cheery to block out the feeling of dread inside him. Needless to say, it failed.

"Where were you?" Peter called back from the living room.

"Helping a friend with homework."

"And this friend is?"

"Michael." Janus yelled, saying the first name that came to mind. "I'm gonna go to my room dad." When there was no reply, he threw his shoes under the radiator and ran up the stairs, not looking at his dad as he passed the living room.

Janus stared at his ceiling. He threw a pillow over his face and closed his eyes, trying to see if he could get to sleep. He couldn't. He shifted around so he was facing his door and his arm was tucked under his pillow. Again, nothing. He'd been trying to sleep for the last hour or two.

"I can't tell him." He thought. "If I start telling him, who knows when I'll stop? And Rem could get hurt. Really, really hurt."

"But he made a promise." A small voice in his head countered. "And he'll keep it, he's always been good at keeping promises before."

"Yeah but his heart could get in the way. And I really don't want him to get hurt. I love him." The thought was strange. Janus didn't think he'd said, in his head or out loud, that he'd loved anyone before. But it was right. He did love Remus.

"And love is built on trust." The small voice in his head said. "He said that he would always be there to listen. Be there to talk."

Janus sighed. "Fine." He thought. "I'll see if he has time tomorrow." But, deep down, he knew that he wouldn't. He was scared.

*excited evil giggling* Also, thank you to Marilyn for using all my pronouns when they mentioned me. Seriously, thank you so, so much. It felt really nice.
Bye,
Blaize