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“Virgil, do you know what my biggest fear is?”
Virgil looked up from his phone to see Roman looking at the ceiling wistfully. Roman had come into his room earlier that day wanting to hang out, and Virgil agreed but they honestly had just been keeping to themselves, Virgil opting to scroll through social media as Roman hummed a little to the music playing through Virgil’s speakers and daydreamed.
“Uh… the great Princey Sanders has a fear? Who knew.” Virgil smiled teasingly but Roman just huffed.
“Yes, I do. I was just expecting the literal embodiment of fear would know what it is,” Roman said, picking at the fabric of his sash, Sasha.
“Well…” Virgil drawled and bit his lip, “is it bad hair days? Or, oh, all the world’s mirrors disappear?” He set his phone down to watch Roman’s reaction, which was one he wasn’t expecting.
“Neither of those,” he grumbled, then flashed Virgil a look of concern. “Are you being serious right now?”
Virgil shrugged. He really didn’t know. He didn’t start out the conversation seriously at least. Him and Roman didn’t have a lot of really serious conversations ever since… well since he finally accepted Virgil.
Sure the Houses sorting had made him realize how uniqueness was a good thing, the breakup situation had been traumatic but made them both learn about moving forward and whatnot, and the whole Deceit reveal was a whole other story that Virgil was at least glad taught Thomas not to lie if he could help it, but between them? Hardly nothing.
“Sorry,” Roman mumbled.
Virgil perked up. “For what?”
“Making you think I’m that shallow,” Roman said. “Because I’m not… well, that shallow.”
“ That ?” Virgil raises an eyebrow.
“Yeah, that . Because I am the best side around here, I know that, but that doesn’t mean… stuff like that is the only stuff that matters to me.”
“And your point is?” Virgil frowned.
Roman turned his body to face Virgil completely. “Rejection.”
“What?”
“That’s my biggest fear. Rejection.”
“What?” Virgil asked again, but shook his head. “I mean, why? You? Rejection?” He chuckled a bit, but for once Roman found none of it funny.
“I’m terrified of it. I mean I am Creativity! If I’m not good enough… then what am I?”
“Have you…” Virgil gulped. “Have you ever been rejected?”
“Mm... Logan shoots down a lot of my ideas,” Roman admitted. “But we just worked it out… sorta.”
“So why bring it up?” Virgil proded.
“Because that’s what I did to you, and I didn’t realize it until just now. Reject you.”
Virgil’s face softened with realization and the guilt Roman was currently enduring felt suddenly heavy in the air. “Oh. Roman, it’s okay you know-“
“No, I know. We’re cool, we’re family, blah blah blah, whatever whatever whatever,” Roman said, pouting. “Still… I made you feel my worst fear. Did it hurt? Did it sting?”
Virgil smiled. “It wasn’t fun, but at the beginning I wasn’t expecting acceptance. It just got… a lot after a while. But I’m fine now and-“ Virgil stopped to play with the zippers on his sleeves and then give Roman and assuring grin. “-I couldn’t ask for a more dramatic and insanely egotistical yet better prince for a friend.”
Roman embraced him and Virgil hugged him back. Anxiety found himself coping, and Creativity found himself growing.