He doesn't stumble in the dark. His room, this house, it's too clean for that. He's spent years figuring out how to walk through the shadows of these halls without smashing his face into the floor. Remus is also adept at it, from nights of sneaking out and wandering through clubs.

Roman flinches at the squeak of floorboards and at the click of the door, but once thr air fills his lungs, he feels lighter.

He watches Remus finish a text and shoving his phone away in his bag, turning his grin to his brother. And without a word, they're running. Their feet slam against the pavement and stings but they don't care.

It's been a few, agonizing, months since they officially set a plan into motion. But Thomas, Joan, and Talyn gave them sufficient places to hide.

Police and CPS should be arriving in a few minutes, but they want to be gone before they arrive. They're tired of adults telling them where they're gonna go and what they're gonna do. Not that they don't appreciate it, but they need to make their own decisions first. Good ones.

They meet Janus and Logan at the edge of the woods surrounding their small, closed off town.

"Hey." He says.

Janus hugs him. "That's from Patton," he explains, as he pulls back. But he pulls him back in, "and this one's from me."

Roman laughs, but it might've been a sob. "How is he?"

"Crying, but happy."

"We'll find you guys soon," Logan says. "We'll oversee your parents arrest, make sure our parents get arrested– trust me, they're not innocent, graduate-"

Roman pulls him into a hug. "I know. We'll keep am eyes on the News, find a way to contact you. Stay safe for me."

Logan wraps his own arms around him. "Yeah."

The sun is rising and the twins start into the woods, waving at them. Then they're jogging.

No one says goodbye.

I had to give you guys a happy ending.