Janus gave the captain a small smile and a nod as he disappeared down into his cabin. He rolled his neck to the side - sighing a little as he felt it click - and focused back on sailing the ship to Lybaria.

Best damn sailor in the fleet, that's what everyone had said.

Shame he'd turned to piracy, that's what everyone had whispered.

Janus let a small smile pass his face at the thought. It would've been more of a shame if he'd stayed.

"Hey," Remus, somehow materialising on his right, said. He drew out the syllable, grinning. Janus spared him a glance and grinned at him.

"Hi, darling."

"Whatcha doin'?"

"My job?" Janus tried with a small laugh. "Which I'm pretty sure you should be doing too."

Remus shrugged. "My job's boring." He tucked some of Janus' loose hair behind his ear. "Talking to you is more fun."

"Virgil won't like that," Janus said. He tried to ignore the blush that had most likely peppered his face. Remus shrugged and hugged Janus around the waist, pulling a small gasp from Janus and probably raising more blush to his face.

"Virgil can go screw himself," Remus said calmly. He leaned his head against Janus' back. "I mean, what's he gonna do without his second mate?"

"Appoint a new one?" Janus guessed. Remus pulled the ribbon out of his hair and he groaned in annoyance. "Darling-"

"Shush," Remus said. "It was coming out anyway. I'm just fixing it." Janus sighed but kept his head still obediently.

"Alright. But after this, you go back to your post. Deal?" Remus hummed noncommittally. "Deal?"

"Fine, fine, whatever," Remus muttered. Janus felt his fingers card back through his hair. He took a breath and tried to cool his flaming face.

"It's fun when you get so flustered," Remus said casually. Janus reached up and scratched one of the scars cut into his chin.

"Yeah, well..." He didn't finish the sentence and went back to focusing on the horizon.

He felt the ribbon pull tight in his hair and heard Remus' triumphant little laugh. He loved that noise.

Fuck, there wasn't a part of Remus he didn't love.

Remus hugged Janus around his waist again, sighing happily.

"Darling, you promised," Janus said gently. Remus made a small noise of protest. "Please?"

"But why?" Remus whined.

"Because otherwise Virgil will literally kill you," Janus said. "And I'd rather that you were alive. Also, because please?"

"Humph." Janus could imagine Remus pouting. "Make me."

"Not in public, darling," Janus said smoothly, supressing a laugh at Remus' scandalised gasp. Remus smacked him on the back.

"You bastard, I'm not seduced by bodily wiles!" Remus said proudly. Slowly, he removed his arms from around Janus' waist. "But since you asked so nicely," he jumped onto his tip toes and pressed a kiss to Janus' cheek. He ran off, waving a hand wildly behind him, "bye!"

Janus laughed under his breath as his mind slowly clocked what happened. Remus always took him by surprise. Honestly? He wouldn't want it any other way.

Janus glanced up at the horizon. He could just make out the familiar mountains of Lybaria. Market day wouldn't have changed in the past 7 years. Virgil really did plan these things well...

"Land ho!" He called up to Ax, who spread it all around the ship.

Hopefully no one he knew would be in town. And if they were, hopefully they wouldn't recognise him. He hadn't been to Lybaria since he'd joined the Captain's Chaos so... it was possible.

Virgil appeared out of his cabin and glanced up at Janus. Janus gave him a small nod.

A nervous, excited smile appeared over Virgil's face.

"Alright, everyone!" Virgil grabbed a piece of rigging and pulled himself onto the railing. Patton gave a little squawk of parental worry. "We're going ashore for about 2 days! However long it takes us to find those maps is however long we'll stay. Bring a change of clothes and some money, we might need to hold up in an inn. Remember, don't detract from the population and don't add to it. Looking at you Pat."

Patton scoffed and laughed. Virgil grinned. "And if you do end up in jail, either have a good alibi or a plan of escape. Let's go!" The crew cheered and there was a great bustle to get to the sleeping quarters. Virgil looked up and met Janus' gaze.

"Bring her into port!"

Who's ready for the absolute whiplash of Demus suddenly being healthy in this book? I, for one, know that I am not.
Bye,
Blaize