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It took a day or two for Janus to finally build up the courage to face the Duke.
It was weird. This was weird. He'd never felt so shaken, not when the Split had happened, not when he had found Virgil and not when he had found out all the things the Light Sides did behind the scene.
This was different.
The chaotic Side hadn't been able to get out of his room for the time, still too weak to move around and cause trouble like before. The scaled Side had kept to himself, usually busying himself with the smallest of things and putting off having to face the Side.
Yet now, here he was.
The snake stood by the door for several minutes, watching Remus have a tea party in his bed with his torn up dolls and plushies.The Duke was always so lively, it was hard to imagine him so lifeless as that night.
He had to have been just standing there for a while, seeing how when he came back to his senses, he noticed Remus staring at him. The chaotic Side slowly turned his gaze away and went back to his tea party, this time far more quietly.
With a sigh, he made his way to the Duke, sitting by the bed and taking one of the creepy dolls. "Why did you do that?" He asked calmly, rolling his eyes at the Side's confused expression. "Why didn't you come back sooner."
Remus clutched at his bed sheets, his hands starting to shake. "I'm sorry..."
Janus could feel his blood starting to boil as he got to his feet. "Sorry? Now you're sorry?!" He let out a humourless chuckle, throwing away the plushie. "Sorry doesn't cut it! Not this time." He shouted. "You almost died. You would have froze to death if I didn't come to find you." His voice slowly started to drop into nothing higher than a whisper. "You could've died if I stayed... You could've died... Sorry doesn't cut it..."
Remus wanted to get up and comfort the deceitful Side, he really did, but he couldn't. It was like he was frozen in place, unable to even move a limb as the voices started up again.
He's disappointed in you. You hurt him again. He didn't like you already, but now he hates you. Roman was right all along.
His train of thought was cut off by a pair of hands wrapping around his shoulder and pulling him into an embrace. "Don't do that again. Ever. I don't care what happens." He could hear Janus whisper, trying to ignore the tears wetting his shoulder. "Be more careful."
After a few minutes, he could only muster a slight nod in response as the scaled Side pulled away, wiping his tears away as he sat by the bed again and picked up a doll.
"Now. What's the latest gossip in Shitville?"