Chapter Text
Rome didn't say a word on their way back. Warich understood, he deserved that. The silence was unpleasant and gave Wa time to get into Rome's shoes for real. He must’ve felt horrible with all of Wa’s shenanigans. Warich knew he had to do something about it, he couldn’t have another day ending in an argument.
The car stopped, and Warich finally said, “I’ve been awful to you.”
Rome didn't look at him at first. “Will you finally stop with the ‘proving it's not real’ stuff?”
Rome's feelings were hurt by that, and Warich felt embarrassed. He just had to be sure, he couldn't change his whole world perspective on a whim, and felt entitled to that. Yet, he still felt he was in the wrong.
“I'm sorry,” said Wa. “I really am.”
Rome turned his head around to face him.
At first Warich was preparing himself for a scolding, but he relaxed as he saw Rome's expression soften.
“It felt awful,” began Rome. “I'm lost here. It's not my home, not my body… It's hard to navigate it. Madame Razz made me feel safe. And I thought you were going to cooperate after that.” He sighed. “Then you didn't. You treated me like shit instead.”
Wa fixed his gaze on the steering wheel.
Rome thought it was enough of bringing Wa down. Maybe he was petty for that, he most definitely was, but he needed that. “But, lucky for you, I have a thing for that,” he joked.
Warich looked at him with lightning speed. “So… You're not mad at me to the point when we won't speak to each other ever again?”
Rome smiled softly, realizing that for the first time Warich laid out his true feelings. “I think you meant that for Klao.”
And then happened exactly what Rome predicted.
Warich started crying.
Everything built up to this moment. He lost Klao. For God knows how long.
He lost his love, his best friend and his comfort person. And it was his fault.
“I did,” he said, between sniffles. “Am I awful?”
“Let me tell you something that a wise guy once said to me. I don't think you're a terrible person.” Rome squeezed his hand. “But if you got into this mess in the first place, you should focus on finding a way out.” It was something that Fang said to him, when they first met. Rome never forgot it. Fang was someone who helped him immensely, he wanted to do at least a part of it for Warich.
“You're going straight to the point, huh?” Warich smiled through the tears.
“It helped me once. Also, looking at how you always need to be rational, I thought it may be the best approach,” explained Rome.
Wa appreciated that. “You actually took time to get to know me, instead of being mad. I feel like a total asshole.”
Rome laughed. “Hey, I'm like this, because it's not my first time. Believe me, when it was, I was a mess. A whole mess, and I'm not exaggerating. It was only because I was blessed enough to come across one of the best people I know. If it was my first time world traveling, and I met you, I think we might've killed each other.”
Warich smiled, but then his smile dropped fast, seeing that Rome was serious. “Am I that bad?”
“No, but you now and me half a year ago? That would be a deadly experience.”
“Should I ask how you were half a year ago?” Wa was intrigued, he couldn't deny that. The whole time Rome read to him as someone calm and collected, which probably should've been his first red flag that who he was dealing with was not Klao.
“You really want to know?”
“Yeah, I want to. Really,” admitted Warich. “A bit as an olive branch, but mostly because I actually want to know the person I'm stuck with.”
“Where to even begin?” Rome thought out loud.
🌼
Klao could finally enjoy some free time. Raffy's new place was still practically empty, so instead of a couch, they sat on the blanket again.
Klao has been thinking about Raffy's words non stop. He loved Warich. Very much. He couldn't imagine a world where they weren't together. Especially not after seeing another one, where they found each other. He compared Raffy and Rome, to him and Warich. He couldn't help it. They were different people, with completely different lives, but it put Klao at ease. Wa and him were meant to always find each other, he had to fight for it.
“I think you know what you want to do,” said Raffy, seeing a change in Klao's eyes.
Klao huffed. “I have to fight for us. I have to apologize for my words, that's the first thing. Then I have to somehow make my point across and hope that Wa will meet me in the middle.”
Raffy nodded. “Great start,” he approved.
“I don't know how to word it… I don't want to annoy Warich more.”
“You're forgetting a very important thing here,” said Raffy, Klao looked at him trying to figure out what he meant. “Warich is probably having those thoughts too. He most likely feels responsible as much as you do. At least I hope so, if he's worth fighting for.”
“I haven't even thought about that. Why didn't I?”
Raffy laughed at how panicked Klao was with that realization. “Because you're stressed. And you focused on yourself, and your guilt. That’s normal. Things come gradually when your initial reaction is shock.”
“I’m still shocked.” Klao started to nib at the blanket’s edge. “How do I do it? What do I say to make him understand me?”
“I think you just need to present your point…” Raffy paused to look for the appropriate word. “Calm? If both of you get heated with emotions maybe you need a more business meeting approach.”
“You’re telling me that I should speak with my fiance as if I was in a corporate meeting?” Klao couldn’t help but laugh.
Raffy laughed too. “Not exactly. But I think it might be better to present your point like a science school project at first to ease your way to talking about the more serious stuff. Also I think it might help you as well. You suck at talking about feelings.”
“Thanks.” Klao smacked his shoulder, Raffy didn’t seem bothered. “Fine, you’re kind of right. Ugh! Is all of this just talk to do this, talk to do that?”
“Yeah, I’ve learned that relationships have three main pillars. Love, communication and sex.” He counted on his fingers.
The look on Klao’s face was priceless. “Okay, we don’t need to get into that.”
“I wasn’t even going to,” assured Raffy. “Although, there’s a lot to be said about that too,” he added with a grin.
“Back to the talking part, please,” begged Klao.
Raffy rolled his eyes, but obliged. “We know what you want to say to Warich, now, let’s start thinking how you’re going to say it. Pretend I’m Wa.” He waited but Klao didn’t say anything for a while. “Come on,” he nagged.
“I don’t think that’s the best idea…”
“Okay. Another one, how about you write down what you want to say to him. You can be messy, try a couple of times to find the best words,” suggested Raffy. “It can be good for the ‘presenting emotionless facts’ approach.”
Klao smacked him again, but had to admit it wasn’t all stupid. If his problem was saying things without thinking, then certainly thinking a lot beforehand could help him articulate better. And maybe get his point across without making Warich even mildly irritated.
He decided to give it a go. Klao was motivated to fight for his relationship, even if the methods seemed a little weird to him.
🌼
When they got to the apartment, Rome told Wa about everything that he deemed important. Of course a shortened version of it. He told Warich about Raffy, how they met, and how they got together. Warich seemed to be really into their love story, despite the big factor being something he couldn't understand. It surprised Rome how Wa thought it was very romantic. Then he told him about Raffy's and Tan's adventure and how that ended, which explained Warich Razz’s earlier words.
“And now I’m here,” concluded Rome. “Not because of me.”
“I can see why that calmed you,” admitted Warich. “So it's on me?”
“Probably. But it could be both of you.”
Warich took a deep breath. “We argued really bad yesterday. Terribly bad. We haven't done that in so long, but yesterday I just… Exploded. I was so frustrated, because I feel like everything is my responsibility lately.”
“You guys are getting married, right?” Rome asked, Warich nodded. “Is he not helping you with preparations? Or are you not letting him help?”
Wa was confused. “What do you mean?”
“I have learned the hard way how you are. And forgive me for being blunt for a moment, but you are tough to work with. I'm not saying you're impossible, but you're not the best at working together, when you settle your mind on something,” explained Rome. “You didn't believe me at first and you were determined to prove me wrong.”
It resonated with Wa. He saw the pattern, he understood what Rome meant. Warich closed his eyes in embarrassment. “Oh my god, you're right,” he admitted. “I want everything to be perfect. But just because I love Klao so much. He's the best thing that happened to me. So I want everything to be the best it can. Because that's what he deserves.”
Rome could relate to that in some ways. “I think you're focusing on the wrong thing. You love Klao, Klao loves you. That's the important fact you need to focus on. Especially if perfection is not something he's looking for.”
“Love can’t fix everything in life, Rome.” Warich was endeared by his words, but knew the hardships of the world. On the other hand, Wa didn’t know as much as he thought he knew, so maybe that viewpoint wasn’t all an utopia.
“Yeah, you’re right. There are three things, love, communication and sex.”
Wa was speechless.
“What, you’re older than me, I shouldn’t have to be doing the birds and bees talk,” joked Rome. “In all seriousness, though, that’s what I found out works best for me and Raffy. We started backwards, like I told you, but we got there and that’s what matters the most. Love alone won’t make it, but working on a relationship with another person will.”
“You’re wise for someone your age, you know.” Wa laughed softly.
The vibes between them were much better and everything was going smoothly, until a doorbell rang.
“You’re expecting someone?” asked Rome.
“Not that I know off. Maybe it’s nothing important?”
The bell rang again.
“You should open,” said Rome.
Warich was hesitant, but ultimately agreed. When he opened the door he saw Yotha. Next to him was Gun, as always grinning from ear to ear.
“Yotha! Gun! What are you doing here?” Wa was panicking as he didn't get the chance to tell Rome about them yet. He was going to as it felt fair after Rome shared his story with him and he definitely didn’t expect them to show up unannounced.
Rome tried his best to remain calm. He was in for another awkward encounter, but this time it wasn't Wa’s fault.
“Newton said you needed help, so we came,” Yotha said nonchalantly.
Wa wanted to kill himself for that stupid mention from earlier. “We… One second.” He slammed the door in front of them and turned to Rome.
“Okay, these are Yotha and his puppy boyfriend Gun. Klao didn't like Yotha at first, cause he's my ex, but they worked it out. It got much better after Yotha started dating Gun. They go to university together and they have a weird thing with matching bracelets,” he spat out in one breath. “Got it?”
“WHAT!?”
But before any of Rome's concerns could be addressed, Warich opened the door again.
Yotha and Gun looked very confused, they've never seen Wa act like this.
“If you’re not free we can come another time,” proposed Gun.
“Beagle, we don’t have much time to help.” Yotha grabbed his boyfriends cheeks. “We would rather focus on ourselves.”
“Yotha!” Gun took his hands away. “You don’t look too good.”
After those words Yotha actually put an effort into looking at Warich. He looked tired, not really put together as usual. “Mhm, Beagle has a point. What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” said Warich, trying really hard to not sound scared, it was pointless.
“Are you sure you're okay?” Gun was worried and not convinced at all.
Neither was Yotha, he looked at Wa as he was demanding an honest answer. And Warich couldn't refuse him even after all that time.
“Would you guys believe me if I said that Klao got sent to another world, because we argued and now a guy named Rome is inhabiting his body?” Saying that felt awkwardly weird. At the same time extremely freeing.
Rome, who was listening in on the whole conversation, couldn't believe it.
And in some ways neither could Warich.