Sanders Sides Parenting/Kids One-Shots

(162) The Angel Shot - Anxceit

Summary: While at work Virgil spots a couple that are unhealthy for each other and dedicates himself to help.

I see a load of old fan fictions with Janus as the perpetrator of toxic relationships and he's hardly ever the victim - so I thought I'd bring a story like that here.

TW - Heavy mentions of domestic abuse, someone controlling what another person is eating/doing, mention of homelessness and family estrangement.

Words: 2122

Virgil loved his job at an expensive Italian restaurant in the centre of the city. It gave him good pay and apart from the few snobs the patrons were quite relaxed. It was hectic enough to cause excitement but not enough to cause panic. The only part of working as a waiter was when he had to hear the phrase 'angel shot'.

But sometimes he heard the phrase 'angel shot' without actually hearing it. This was one of those times. It was a date between two men, one seemed a bit more aggressive than the other in terms of body language. The weaker man was forced to put his phone on the table as soon as he sat down, and his hands crossed over his lap as if this whole act was rehearsed. The stronger man then sat and grabbed the menu, and after a few minutes the other man was allowed to do the same.

Luckily Virgil had that table so after a few minutes he could introduce himself to these concerning patrons. But when he asked what drink they'd prefer the weaker man didn't speak, just watched his partner as he ordered a red wine bottle. A few minutes later the wine was given and the stronger man was forcing the weaker to drink and not argue. It made Virgil feel sick to watch.

"Have you decided what you would like to eat yet?" Technically Virgil was meant to give them more time to choose, but Virgil wanted to hear this victim's voice just once. But the man still said nothing - as the other man spoke for him.

"I'll have the Sicilian pizza please." Of course this man ordered the third most expensive dish on the menu. "And my darling here just wants a salad." The man that apparently wanted a salad just looked emotionless, his eyes stuck on the menu and particularly the side of the pastas, but he nodded and obeyed. Virgil, however, would never just comply with these dickheads.

"OK... So that's a salad on the side, what about main course?" Virgil turned quickly to the quiet man, ignoring the clicking the dickhead did to get the waiter's attention again. But the man didn't speak - just stared. Another tactic Virgil had to use. "Wait..." The waiter pretended to count on his notepad. "Oh! You're actually our 100th order of the day so you get to take an order from our Angel Menu if you'd like. Do you want to follow me to see our selection? It also brings a discount on your date here." 

The man paused and stared at his date, his head tilted. At the knowledge of the discount the dickhead complied and finally allowed his date to step away from him and go to the other side of the restaurant.

The quiet man didn't seem that willing to talk even when away from his date, it took some prying. "Is this your first date?" Virgil started, but got nothing. "How long have you two known each other?" Nothing. "Is he nice to you?"

"He's... Alright." The quiet man's voice was so low and smooth, docile though. "He supplies for me and our son. That's all I can ask for." The man seemed to understand there was no Angel Menu when he was properly hidden from his date, and he felt comfortable revealing a little more in quiet whispers.

"You can ask for a nice person, is he that?" The man shook his head and sighed, and then eventually moved his collar to reveal a pretty big bruise. Virgil's heart broke it two but he tried not to show emotion.

"I deserved it though - Thomas dropped his juice and I didn't clean it up in ti-"

"You did not deserve it." Virgil said harshly, hating that some of humanity still thought they had a reason to hurt another person. He hated having first hand experience with this. "I can call you an Uber to take you back to someone you trust? I'll keep that dickhead at bay for you."