I went to sleep yesterday and was struck by the fic idea of Janus (5 years older than Virgil) and Virgil being brothers and their parents are... let’s just say they are all kinds of bad, toxic and abusive.
Janus being the oldest thought it was pretty normal, until the one and only teacher he liked at school (Logan) scheduled a counsellor (Emile) appointment for him without Janus’s parent’s knowing.
After Janus realised how NOT normal his life was, he started to note every thing his parents did, and starts to make an “escape plan” for him and his brother which is to take place the moment he turns 18, all he needs it to get his parents to sign over all legal rights of Virgil over to himself, and keep every receipt and text and documents everything If their parents would ever try to get Virgil back and go to court over it.
Anyway, the thought was pretty much that before Janus turns 15 Logan moves away to another state far away for a better paying job. Janus keeps his contact on his phone as a backup.
When Janus turns 18 and their parents are either away/asleep or too high/drunk to function. he packs his and Virgil’s backpacks with everything they don’t want to leave behind (even if they didn’t have much) and get in the car he “bough” for himself from the money he earned at his part time job.
And in the middle of the night they leave. Janus driving and Virgil in the passenger seat.
Janus acts all cool and collected, like he knows what he is doing and has a plan, but the moment Virgil is asleep Janus let’s the mask down and he is stressed beyond comprehension, anxious enough to feel sick and unsure where to go, because his plan only had “get away” and no real destination as that might bring his parents unwanted attention. and with it questions.
So in a bit of a panic Janus calls the only person he can think off, which is Logan. Logan answers just when Janus is sure he is getting to voice mail. Sounding extremely exhausted and tired as he was woken up.
Janus tries to keep things on the down low, but Logan demands more information and Janus just tells him everything, all from the plans he had and that now that it’s in action... he has no idea where to go. And Virgil is counting on him and he is not going back.
Logan is calm and helps Janus from panicking too much. And in the end it is decided the two should come and stay with him as a temporary solution. As he has some work friends (the other sides) he can talk with who might know more and better alternatives.