Patton couldn't help but feel overwhelmed and outcast after the way everyone had been looking at him recently. The looks of irritation were too much to handle, so the imagination was his only escape, but not for long. He heard the familiar footsteps of Janus approach him cautiously and he wiped the tear that rolled down his cheek hastily and tried to chuckle to hide how he was feeling.
"How do you do it?" Patton asked, as the footsteps stopped in their tracks.
"Do what?" Janus replied, keeping the distance between them for now. Patton took a moment to look up at the sky and rapidly blink to keep any more unnecessary tears at bay.
"How do you deal with them looking at you that way?" Patton felt the bitterness corroding his tongue like acid and Janus stepped forward a few paces.
"Patton. Look at me." Janus' soft tone was enough to make Patton turn around in an instant, and he looked into Janus' eyes feeling a wave of calm wash over him. They stared at each other for a moment, or two, time was never something they cared about.
"... I've never had to deal with that before." Patton sadly admitted, not to Janus, but to himself. Janus stepped forward again sighing softly, understanding Patton's emotions completely.
"I know. You'll grow used to those looks. Believe me, I did. However, I... I hope you can find some solace in knowing that, when I look at you..." Janus stopped himself in his tracks, unsure of how to explain to Patton what he truly meant.
So he clicked his fingers, and the bright daylight of the imagination immediately swirled into the starry night, the dark sky blinking with every possible star and constellation. Janus smiled softly as Patton gazed up in awe at all of the stars encompassing them. He pointed at the brightest star and guided Patton closer to it.
"That's the North Star. It's how sailors find their way home. When I look at you, Patton, that's what I see."
"See what?" Patton almost whispered as Janus pulled him closer gently wrapping his arm around his waist as they both gazed at the stars.
