Tw: Mention of a past Abusive relationship.

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Janus rested on his stomach, phone in hand, attempting to distract himself. Logan had headed to work earlier, taking certain precautions such as making sure he wasn't leaving any money behind, checking hiding spots for alcohol, and tossing whatever he found. He also gave Janus the threat of full baby treatment if he found him drinking.

But the burning in his throat had him considering. The urge to down glass after glass, to ease the stress and the pathetic feeling of knowing he needed Logan, he couldn't even hold a job, if it wasn't for Logan, he would be homeless, or worst, and it wasn't a great feeling. He tried looking for other jobs, don't get him wrong, but with a criminal record, most decent jobs don't want him. He considered being a bartender at one point, but with his addiction, Logan shot that down real quick, and Janus couldn't help but agree as well.

Withdrawal is such a shitty process, Janus felt nauseous, however, he decided to try and force the thought from his mind. With shaky hands, he dialed his buddy Remus' number, pressing the phone to his ear after, listening as it rang three times.

"Hello?"

"Hey Remus-"

"ANUS!"

Janus yelped at the loud yell and dropped his phone, startled by it. He glared at Remus through the phone and huffed, hesitantly picking it back up. "Are you trying to cause me hearing loss?"

"Maybeee-"

"What do you need Remus?"

"Well, I'm bored and have booze, you wanna hang?"

Janus clenched his phone tightly, he and Remus haven't talked in a few months, so there was no way he would know about his addiction. He had a feeling he wouldn't be offering if he knew, despite him being a dumbass, he cares about Janus so it's unlikely.

Swallowing harshly, he nods. "Sure." He agrees.

"Awesome!" Janus could imagine him grinning like the idiot he is. "Your place or mine?"

Janus glanced around the guest bedroom, his cheeks tingling in embarrassment at all the childish designs and items, not to mention the loud mattress covering. "Yours." He decides, wanting to save himself even more humiliation.

"Bet, I'll pick you up in ten," He says simply before hanging up.

Janus sighed to himself, lowering his phone. He felt bad for disobeying Logan, but his addiction was making him do all kinds of stupid things. He slipped off his crinkling bed and stripped himself, stealing underwear from Logan again, there was no way he was wearing a pull-up to Remus' house. He pulled on a simple hoodie and jeans before waiting outside, as Remus arrived about fifteen minutes later, he honked the horn loudly, earning a glare from Janus.

"Get in Loser, we're getting drunk!'

"That's not even the line," Janus says with a huff, though, he climbed into the car with Remus, he hates his driving but anything for booze right?

"Oh boo hoo, now let's get hammered!" He cheers, eagerly speeding off. Janus gripped the seat, hoping he'll make it out of his car alive.

After a terrifying ten minutes of Remus nearly killing the two of them with chaotic, hectic driving, Remus parked in front of the house, which is practically falling apart, not to mention, it looks very shady.

"This is your new house?" Janus asks, wrinkling his nose. "Fuck Remus, I'd rather you live with me,"

Remus snorted. "No, you wouldn't."

"You're right, I wouldn't, but you get the idea."

"It's not as bad as it looks!" Remus insists, pushing back his greasy, green hair. There's a pinkish, purple bruise on his cheek, and his eyes are bloodshot, which Janus hadn't noticed before. He's wearing a dark green crop top that showed off his tan body, scars of different sizes and colors, which indicates a variety of stages of healing, scattering across his hips, waist, stomach, all the way down to his thighs that are exposed as well.

Janus scanned his friend and came to the conclusion he was not okay.

"Remus," He starts. "What happened with Arnet?"

Remus pauses, his normal smile falling into a grim expression. "Nothing."

Janus sighed, and lead Remus to the steps of the broken-down home, though, with how wilted and weak they are, he was scared they would fall in. He tried not to worry about that quite yet and merely narrowed his eyes at Remus who crossed his arms, refusing to so much as glance in his direction.

"Remus," Janus says, his voice soft, he knows his and Arnet's relationship has always been rocky, but they haven't spoken for a few months, so he wasn't aware of recent information. "Talk to me," He insists. He didn't like seeing Remus like this, living in this rotten home. He seems as if he hasn't showered, and the smell emitting from him confirmed as such, his breath, which stinks of onions, always made Janus feel light-headed, but he just kept his mouth shut.

Remus sighed, running a hand through his oily hair, and leaned back, pressing his spine against the wooden step. "Arnet kicked me out, wouldn't let me grab anything, he did pay for most of it," Remus explains. Janus hated how he tried to justify leaving Remus with nothing, but he bit his tongue, saying nothing as he urged him to continue with his hand. "We got into a fight, he's been drinking a lot and getting angry, sometimes," He starts, his hand carefully caressing the fading bruise on his right cheek as he took a sharp breath it. "He would hit me, sometimes I'd hit back but you know me, weapons are my strong suit, I can throw a decent punch or two but I have street smarts, not police training." Remus continued.

Janus clenched his jaw, the thought of anyone having the audacity to hurt his friend pisses him off.

"So, my buddy lemme move into this dump, I've been trying to get a job," He says before giving a bitter laugh. "But most people don't want someone with an assault charge on their record."

"Why not try a bar?" Janus suggests.

"I don't have running water," Remus admits. "Just booze."

That explained him not showering or brushing his teeth, but even when he did have running water, Janus knows Remus never had the best hygiene. "Why didn't you call me Rem? We have a guest bedroom, you could stay with us, or I could-"

"Janus," Remus cuts off with a huff. "I don't want charity."

"Remus," Janus says firmly. "You don't have running water!"

"So? When did I ever shower anyway?"

"It's not just that Remus, do you even have groceries? Electricity?"

Remus went quiet.

"God Remus, I can't believe this," Janus says shaking his head. "Let's go," He says, standing up, grabbing Remus' hands beginning to drag him back towards his car.

"Where are we going?!"

"To my house! You're getting a shower, clothes, and a decent meal!" Janus insists, shoving Remus into the passenger seat.

"Janus," Complains Remus.

"Not a word out of you rat," He hisses, his urge to drink not forgotten, but hidden by the desire to get his friend on his feet, as he has had the rug pulled out from under him and stolen.

"Janus I can't stay with you."

"Where else are you going to stay?" He asks with a scowl. "Cause there's no way you're going back to that dump."

"Any suggestions?" Remus asks with a huff.

"Roman?"

"He's got three kids Jan, at least he did the last time I spoke to him. Arnet broke my last phone awhile go, so I lost everyone's numbers," Now Janus felt bad for blaming him for not calling him. "I don't wanna do that to him and Pat, they have enough to deal with."

Janus huffed before thinking for a moment. "Remy and Emile?"

"Aren't they on their honeymoon by now?"

Janus sighed, that was true. He racked his brain for possible candidates before pausing. "Virgil...?"

Remus glanced st him with wide eyes, surprised he would even suggest him. He swallowed thickly and shifted uncomfortably. "Janus..."

"I know, but he's the last person I can think of," Janus mumbles. "Maybe I can talk to him."

"When was the last time you did that?" Janus didn't answer, focusing on the road. "Janus?"

"Five years now."

"Oh, what a wonderful first conversation. 'Hey brother I haven't spoken to you in five years, you remember the friend that you never liked? Yeah, he needs a place to stay, you down', that'll go great."

"It's worth a shot, till then you're staying with us," Janus concludes, parking Remus' car in the driveway before stopping. "Wait, why didn't he take your car?"

"Oh?" Remus says before laughing. "This is a stolen car Jan, I just switch out the plates every so often with ones I find out in the wrecking yard. Ya know, the place they crush cars?"

Janus blinked, he didn't know what he was expecting but it wasn't that. "And you haven't been caught?"

"Not yet," Remus says with a shrug, climbing out of the vehicle.

Janus shook his head, Remus is truly one of a kind. He climbed out of the car as well and headed towards the front door, getting out his house key before stopping.

Janus had forgotten about the fact that the guest room looks like a room for a toddler, and about the fact that the house was littered with childish items.

Well, he was fucked.

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Oh ya thought this would just be about Janus' problems?

Haha

No.