WARNING: Feelings were hurt in the writing of this chapter

"Kiddo, you okay? What's wrong?"

"I can't do this anymore. Remus is driving me fucking insane and I can't do this anymore and he just won't get out of my head!" Janus snapped, running both hands through his hair.

"Hey, Kiddo, slow down." Patton reached out to put a hand on Janus' arm but Janus moved away. "Kiddo, breathe. Okay, um, Remus is driving you insane... what do you want to do about it?"

"I want to swap with you. I don't- I don't care what Remus says about Logan being crazier, you're fine watching over him and I just need a break."

"Have you tried talking to Remus?"

"Yes! I've tried everything, Patton." Janus sat down on heavily on the main deck and put his head in his hands. "I have tried talking to him and he just starts blaming everything on me."

"Okay, um-"

"I'm not asking for a solution." Janus said. "I'm just asking to swap. For a day or two. Just to get my thoughts straight."

Patton sat down next to Janus. "Kiddo," he said softly, "do you need to talk? I mean first you've started hurting yourself and now this."

"I don't..." Janus trailed off, looking down at his feet. "I don't need to talk. I've got e-everything sorted out fine, I just need to swap places with you." He said quietly, trying to hide some of the sobs that broke his words.

Patton didn't say anything, he just wrapped both arms around Janus' shoulders and hugged him tightly. Janus closed his eyes, not hugging back, just feeling safe.

"Are you and Logan going to get along?" Patton asked eventually.

"What? Pat, he's a mermaid."

"Are you and Logan going to get along?" Patton repeated. "You're both my Kiddos and I don't want either of you to hurt each other."

"Patton, Logan's a mermaid. You can't 'get along' with a mermaid."

"I can."

"Yeah, but you can get along with anyone. And I won't need to get along with Logan."

"You will."

"In what way?"

"Logan asks a lot of questions. He's got this sort of," Patton waved his hand about, trying to find the right words, "you know, like a child? He's very childish in how he asks questions. He wants to learn and you're going to need to be patient with him."

"Patton, you know I don't do 'patient'. I just need some quiet and Logan seems like he's the more quiet of the two."

"He's not exactly quiet-"

"Oh, I get it."

"Get what?" Patton noticed the unnerving change in Janus' voice.

"You don't want me to sort my thoughts out. You don't want me to get better."

"What? That's stupid, of course I-"

"Stop lying to me, Patton." Janus said harshly. Patton faltered, hurt filling his eyes.

"Kiddo, I'm not lying to you."

"Yes you are! Everyone just loves to lie to me. Oh, let's just lie to Janus about his mum, about his dad and now, about a fucking mermaid."

"I'm not lying to you! I'd never lie to you! Kiddo, it's me, Patton. I'd never lie to you."

Something dissolved in Janus' face and he looked at Patton with a mixture of hurt and confusion. "What the Hell...?" He half-whispered, shaking his head.

"Are you okay, Kiddo?"

"I..." Janus looked down, as if the wood of the ship would give him an answer. "No."

What is this chapter? Fucking angsty and apart from that... I don't know.
Bye,
Blaize