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Virgil jolted out of bed as it shook violently and he heard a thunderous scraping sound throughout the ship. He felt a jolt of fear course through his veins. What was that?!?! He threw back the covers and pulled on his shoes and jacket before heading out into the hall, making sure to close the door behind him so his roommates wouldn't yell at him.
The hallway was dimly lit with white paneling, still too bright. Virgil wrapped his arms around himself as he wandered down the corridor and made his way up and up until he was on the deck of the great ship. Stars littered the dark sky above as Virgil shivered. He let out a shaky sigh as he watched his breath form in front of him.
He didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt this sense of impending doom. Almost like something big was happening. Or something big had just happened. The air was cold and unforgiving. He was terrified. Very terrified and he didn't know why which just made everything worse.
Then he saw it.
On the deck beside him were huge chunks of frozen white. Virgil's head turned so fast he could have gotten whiplash as he looked to see an iceberg taller than the ship sail past. His blue eyes grew wide as he stared at the object. His head turned back to look at the chunks of ice sprawled across the deck.
He felt himself begin to panic as his brain ran through the worst possible outcomes imaginable, each more terrifying than the last. What if the ship sinks? What if this ship really isn't unsinkable?!?! Virgil felt his heart go even faster. I'm going to die tonight, aren't I?
Suddenly, Virgil felt a presence next to him and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a crimson red robe lined with gold. Virgil kept his head and eyes forward as he held his breath. Soon, delicate fingers intertwined with his own pale ones. Virgil waited with bated breath for someone, anyone, to yell at them. To tell them to get away from each other. To accuse him of trying to steal something from the first class passenger beside him.
“Virgil,” a soft voice whispered to him. “What happened?”
Virgil closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt the thumb of the man beside him rub against his hand. Soothing. Calming. Grounding. He opened his eyes and continued to stare out at the inky black ocean. “Iceberg,” he whispered. “Scraped alongside the ship.” He subtly jerked his head in the direction of the ice chunks scattered on deck. “It was pretty bad.”
“Hhm,” the man next to him hummed as he glanced around nonchalantly before inching closer to Virgil.
“Roman,” Virgil growled, a low warning in his throat.
The man next to him let out a small chuckle. “Virgil, no one's around. We'll be fine.”
Virgil softly shook his head, his bangs shaking in front of his eyes. “I don't think so. What if we sink?”
Roman had to hold back a belly laugh at the mere suggestion.
“Virgil, this ship is unsinkable! We will be okay. We'll make it to America. I'll disappear from my family and then we can get married and be happy.”
Virgil shook his head again. “Can we please check? I just want to make sure that there is no water inside the ship.”
Roman quickly checked their surroundings before he leaned down and pecked Virgil on his lips. “Of course, my storm cloud. Anything to make you feel better.”
Virgil frowned. The feeling of dread was still filling his gut. “Let’s just go before we get caught.” Roman nodded and followed the other down, down, down. They didn't quite notice anything other than the slight tilt of the hall. Almost as if the ship was leaning forward. Virgil didn't like it at all.
Roman didn't seem to be phased. Until they saw a crew member walk towards them, face a little grim. “Gather on deck for a lifeboat drill,” the crewman said before continuing on his way and starting to knock on doors to tell the other passengers the same thing. This did not help Virgil's anxiety. Roman no longer seemed to be carefree. Roman stepped closer to Virgil and pulled him into his arms. “Come on. We should go.” Virgil hid his face in Roman's chest as he let out a weary sigh.
“I have a very bad feeling about this.”
Roman's jaw clenched shut. “Everything will be okay,” he whispered. But he was no longer sure of his words. And although Virgil felt very uneasy about being in the bowels of the ship, he stayed there for a few moments wrapped in the strong arms of his loved one.
Virgil hadn't realized it had been around maybe five, ten minutes until they pulled away to the sound of trickling water. Virgil's eyes grew wide as he turned and looked down to the end of the hall to see a thin, clear, line creep up the floor. “Roman,” he whimpered causing the man to look at the line as well.
Roman gasped and pulled Virgil tighter to him. “W-we should get going,” Roman whispered as he moved backward, pulling Virgil along with him. It was terrifying. They couldn't take their eyes off the line of water slowly moving closer and closer.
The two were able to break from the siren song when the edge touched Roman's slippers.
Roman stumbled backward, shocked at the sub-zero temperature. A shudder ran through him. “We really should get going!” He grabbed ahold of Virgil's hand and began to drag him along as he ran to end of the hall and began to climb up the stairs. Soon the two ran into other passengers who didn’t seem to know what they were doing. Roman frowned, he had to get Virgil past them. He turned back to his love.
“Virgil, don't let go of my hand, okay?” He asked. Virgil nodded numbly. Oh, how Roman wished his angel would talk. It might comfort him and distract Virgil from his own fears. But Roman knew the man would not be able to speak quite so soon after seeing the dooming water rise through the hall.
Roman grabbed ahold of Virgil's pale hand tightly as he pulled Virgil with him while weaving through the crowd of people surrounding them. They looked lost, worried. Roman could only imagine what was going through these people's heads at this exact moment. Virgil would know. Virgil was a third class passenger after all. Even though his dark knight was different, he still probably had the same fears as the other hundreds of third-class passengers surrounding them.
Roman didn't want to think of what would have happened to Virgil if they had never met. If they had never fallen for each other. Would Virgil be trampled among the crowd? Would he be one of the first ones out on the deck? Maybe, considering he was there when Roman found him. But there was still the lingering image in the darkest corner of Roman's mind.
The image of his precious Virgil curled into a ball in the corner of his dark third class cabin, crying, panicking, sobbing, breaking as sharp ice cold water seeped under the door and moved closer and closer. The image of the water rising, slowly rising until it covered his love's chest and neck. Rising until Virgil could no longer escape. Rising until it covered Virgil's mouth. Then it would cover his nose. And then his head until there was no air to breathe.
Roman felt his heart break at the image. The image of Virgil drowning, alone, in a cold, dark room until his body sunk to the bottom of the ocean along with the ship. A tear fell from his emerald green eye. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't let the love of his life die before they were able to have a life together. Before they were able to get married.
----
Virgil felt overwhelmed as people crowded around him and Roman as they pushed forward. Too much chaotic noise as the tilting of the ship slowly became more prominent. Virgil heard small children crying, he heard parents shushing their babies. He heard small, young, innocent voices asking adults what was going on. It broke his heart. He knew there weren't enough lifeboats. He knew that first class travelers would most likely get in lifeboats first. Or maybe women and children. He knew the lack of lifeboats and preparation would lead to the crew setting them off half full, leaving many souls behind. Leaving too many souls to the dark, inky freezing waters.
He knew.
Virgil could imagine any one of these children being left behind, any one of them being swept away in a wave of ice cold water. Virgil could imagine parents having to slowly come to the horrifying realization that they were not going to make it. That their children would never live full lives. He could imagine the pain and confusion when the children felt icy water burn their skin. Their blind panic when the water reached their lungs and took away their oxygen source.
It was heartbreaking.
Virgil could imagine older couples realizing that this was it. Their time had come. They were finally going to die. This was the end for them. He could imagine them curled into each other. Clinging to each other as the water slowly rose and spilled over onto their bed. The knowledge that these were their last moments. Their last moments together and they were going to spend them clutching each other's arms as the shocking cold rolled over them and quickly steal their air.
It all was truly heart wrenching.
The two made it out of the small crowd, for the most part. Virgil felt tears drip from his eyes as he felt the slant of the floor become more dramatic with each passing moment. We're not going to survive. Virgil felt hands on his shoulders, grounding him. He heard a faint, far away voice. Almost like he was underwater. He immediately snapped out of it and his eyes focused on the man in front of him. “Virgil!” Roman had raised his voice. There was panic interlaced through his Prince's vocal tones.
“Roman,” Virgil breathed. He set a hand on his lover's cheek. “We're going to die aren't we?”
Tears sprang to Roman's eyes at the barely-there look Virgil gave him. “N-no. We're not. We can do this. We're going to get through this. We're going to get through this and get married. We'll adopt some kids and grow old. Everything will be fine,” he choked out.
Virgil frowned as his eyes came into focus as they landed on Roman's green eyes. The distress in the man's voice having shocking him out of his vacant state. “Come on, we-” Virgil swallowed thickly. Despite the dread in his throat that said they weren't going to make it, that at least one of them wasn't going to make it, he had to stay optimistic. If not for himself than for Roman. Because despite their banter and teasing, he would do anything for Roman. Anything. He would die for him. He would live for him. He had to do this for him. He couldn't lose himself to the blinding panic that threatened to grab him and never let go until his inevitable death at sea.
Virgil grabbed on to Roman's shoulders. “Come on, let's get to the lifeboats.” Roman nodded numbly, the shock of the situation finally hitting him as Virgil finally climbed out of his dark spiraling pit of worst case scenarios. How are we going to survive?
Virgil dragged Roman behind him as he pushed and shoved up to the deck of the sinking ship. The deck was slanted more dramatically now. Setting a ball on the deck would cause it to immediately begin rolling down to the front of the ship until landing in the inky black darkness lapping at the outside of the ship, not quite spilling onto the deck yet.
Now that the ship was clearly sinking there was panic and chaotic voices and movements. It was stressing. Very stressing. Virgil frowned as he heard, among the panicking voices, the lulling sound of the band. The string instruments pulling at his heartstrings. It was truly heartbreaking. Who among them would die? Who would survive? Who would lose their loved ones?
Virgil heard a whisper from a passing crewman. His heart leapt into his throat. Water was already spilling onto the deck of the bow. Virgil dragged Roman along with him. He looked at the remaining lifeboats. He knew they weren't going to be able to get on one. He looked around, maybe there was something they could use as a raft. A door, a chair, anything.
Virgil felt a hand squeeze his own and looked to his side to see Roman, tear streaks staining his face, a watery smile on his face. “Virgil,” he whispered. Virgil nodded and let himself be pulled into a hug. A rare show of affection that he couldn't deny now. Not when they were on their way to their watery grave.
Tears leaked from Virgil's stormy blue eyes. “I love you, Roman,” he whispered into the man's chest.
Roman sniffed. “I love you, too Virgil.”
The two pulled apart, but not by much. Both were too scared to let go of the other. Too scared to lose each other in the panicked chaos.
Both heard rushing water filling hallowed halls. It was inside the ship. It was filling the ship. They didn't have long now. They wondered how many lives had already been lost. Were there cold lifeless bodies floating in rooms submerged in the water below them. Did the crew get all the women and children into lifeboats? Did they fill the lifeboats? How many were left?
Virgil and Roman looked over to see a man, a Reverend, Baptist minister, with what seemed to be a family member, maybe his sister? Although they didn't look much alike, maybe a sister-in-law? The man handed a book, his bible, to the women, before she got into the lifeboat.
Both Roman and Virgil could see the look in the two's eyes. They knew. They knew he was going to die. They knew that he wasn't going to make it. Virgil shivered, Roman pulled him tighter to his body. This man was at peace. He knew that this was his last night. And he was at peace with it.
He trusted his sister, to take the holy book with her, to give to maybe his wife. Who now would soon be widowed.
Silent tears fell from Virgil's eyes as he imagined being in their situation. He could see himself handing off his jacket, his wedding ring, to his brother Patton, to give to Roman. He could imagine Roman's pain. He could imagine the earth-shattering scream that would rip from his lover's throat. He could imagine Roman screaming until his throat was raw and bleeding.
Roman looked at Virgil as he saw a sudden surge of people climbing over anything and trampling others as they tried to to get away from the frigid water as it rushed over the slick boards of the deck. Roman turned and pulled Virgil to the back of the ship. He moved Virgil's hand to the railing. “Hold on as tight as you can!” He cried. Fear filled their guts. The deck was tilting. More and more. Soon it would be close to 45 degrees. Virgil looked at Roman, “I love you.”
Roman looked at him. It broke his heart. It really did. “I love you.”
There was a loud groan and then the lights of the ship went out, shrouding them in darkness with only the stars offering their small bit of light. There was a great jerk as what could only be the ship breaking in half, rocked the stern. Screams sounded throughout the night. Blood-curdling screams, heart-wrenching screams, heartbreaking screams. All Virgil could hear was the screams. The screams surrounding them, everywhere. The screams of death surrounding them. Soul-tearing screams.
Roman felt himself panic. The ship was going to go under and the suction of the ship would drag them down with it. Virgil read his mind. “Roman, let's try to get on the other side of the railing. Then we can jump off and hopefully swim away fast enough to not be pulled under.”
Roman nodded and the two moved over to the other side of the railing one at a time. They stood carefully as the stern stood up right at a 90-degree angle. Virgil grabbed ahold of Roman's hand. “On the count of three!” He shouted as the two looked down to watch as the ocean slowly swallowed up the bottom of the stern.
“One…” Roman started them off.
“Two…” Virgil yelled.
“Three!”
The two pushed themselves as far away from the ship as they could, feet scraping over the name of the ship. They splashed down into the water. Virgil gasped as the cold shocked his body. They immediately began to swim as fast as they could as the stern was slowly pulled down. They stopped and turned around to watch as last of the great luxury ship sunk into the ocean. The cold water lapped at the golden letters, TITANIC LIVERPOOL.
Even though the ship was now sinking deep below the icy waters, there were still shrill voices calling out for help. Calling for anyone, anything, to help them. No one would be able to survive in this cold water for long. Something in the back of Virgil's mind told him that the water was 28 degrees. It confused him. How would he know that? Why did that knowledge feel like a memory?
Roman suddenly shivered. Virgil frowned. “W-we h-have to g-get you out of the w-water,” he tried to say as his teeth chattered slightly.
Roman frowned. “B-b-but what a-about you?” He asked as he struggled to stay afloat.
Virgil shook his head. “I'll be fine. We can take turns if we find anything.”
Roman frowned. “O-okay. B-b-b-but you bet-ter p-promise.”
The two moved their arms as they swam around, ignoring the helpless, hopeless cries for help. It was getting harder to move their arms as they became heavy and numb. The sharp cold effectively turning their skin to ice as they moved and tried to keep blood circulating through their body and find anything that would let them survive until help could come. If it comes. Virgil couldn't help but think. But it would break him if he couldn't at least save Roman.
Soon, even Virgil's determination to keep looking for something, anything to help Roman, couldn't keep him going. He slowed, his fingers, arms, legs, whole body numb. “Roman,” he breathed as his voice barely a whisper.
Roman heard. The other voices had long since quieted, many of them finally succumbing to the cold waters. Roman turned around and found Virgil barely floating above the water. Roman's face melted into horror. Pure horror. “Virgil!” He exclaimed as he quickly moved forward to pull his dark stormy knight to his chest.
Virgil felt his arms going limp as Roman help him as best as he could while staying afloat. Virgil's frozen ear laid on Roman's chest, the frantic “thump. Thump. Thump.” Of Roman's heart beating in his ear. Roman looked around frantically. Was there anyone out there who could help them?!?!?! Why weren't there any lifeboats coming back to see if there were any survivors?!?!?! He couldn't lose Virgil!
“I'm sorry,” Virgil breathed out. His pulse slowing.
“It's not your fault, Virgil,” Roman whispered softly to him as he frantically looked for any sign of salvation. For any sign that they were saved. Roman's hand tightened around Virgil and he suddenly became aware of the pale man's weak pulse.
Roman looked down and started to panic. Virgil's face was whiter than milk and his lips were almost purple, how cruel was fate to turn his darling's lips to his favorite color. Tears welled up in Roman's eyes as he saw just how dull Virgil's eyes were. “Please, Virgil. Please, just-” Roman choked on a sob as he fought to keep them afloat. “Please, just hold on, a little longer. For me. Please?” Roman's voice cracked. “Please,”
Virgil frowned as he moved his head to look up at Roman. “I'm sorry,” he whispered, tears fell from his eyes as he felt himself grow colder and colder.
“No, Virgil, please. W-we- we're going to get through this. W-we'll get through this.” Tears poured from Roman's eyes.
“P-please don't cry.”
Roman violently shook his head as his eyes frantically searched for any sign of hope. His tears blurred everything which only caused him to cry harder. “I-I can't l-l-lose you!” Roman sobbed. His fingers were cold, his arms were becoming numb. He was losing.
Virgil mustered up the strength to grab ahold of one of Roman's hands. “It's okay.” He whispered, even as he felt himself slip away, deeper into the cold. He was dying. But he had to help Roman first.
Roman turned to face Virgil, tears staining his cheeks, frost clinging to his hair and face. “I love you.”
Virgil gave a weak absent smile. “I love you.” And then he was gone.
Roman screamed. He screamed and cried and sobbed until his throat was raw and red. He cried until he could cry no longer. He screamed until he lost his voice. He sobbed until the Unforgiving Waters of the Atlantic Ocean took him too.
----
Virgil jolted up and tumbled to the floor, his heart beating rapidly as his chest heaved. His eyes frantically darted around taking in his surroundings as he attempted to catch his breath.
Wherever he was, it was dark, cold. Was he dead? He vaguely heard what sounded like snoring but his heart was pounding too loud in his ears for him to hear anything clearly.
His breathing became rapid, his panicked breaths bouncing off the walls of the room he had to be in. He was scared. Oh so scared. What was going on?!?! What happened?!?! How did he get here?!?! Last he remembered he felt himself leave his body as the cold overtook him. He let out a sharp gasp as he realized he couldn't breathe!
----
Roman frowned as he heard heavy panicked breaths. Must be from the movie. He told himself. He pulled his arms tighter to him before he realized, his arms closed in on air. Wha? He suddenly heard a loud sob. Virgil! He jolted upright, the blanket falling from his shoulders and he turned his head to the corner of the living room, almost getting whiplash because of it.
There, in the corner was his emo nightmare, shaking and shivering as he choked out sobs and tears flooded his eyes and drenched his shirt in the salty liquid.
Roman flung the blanket off himself as he tumbled off the couch. He gently crawled to Virgil's side. “Virgil?” He whispered softly. “Are you okay? Can I touch you?”
Virgil whimpered and continued to cry as he curled into himself more. Roman's eyes widened in fear. What was bothering his love so much? And how could he destroy it? “Virgil? I'm going to place my hands on your shoulders now.” Roman took a deep breath and slowly and gently moved his hands to rest softly on Virgil's hoodie-clad shoulders.
“Breathe,” Roman breathed out softly. “Just breathe, Virgil. I'm right here. You got this. You can do this. Just breathe.” Roman took calm, regulated breaths in a hope that Virgil would copy him.
When Virgil suddenly jerked up, his head shooting up and becoming eye level with Roman.
Roman watched as Virgil's stormy eyes darted around, never landing on one thing for more than a second. It didn't even seem as if Virgil was quite there.
“Virgil,” Roman tried again. He squeezed Virgil's shoulders comfortingly to ground him. Virgil's breathing slowed and he seemed to be less frantic. “Breathe, Virgil.”
A few moments later and Virgil was able to focus his eyes on Roman's face. Roman wasn't expecting what happened next….well not the scale of it. Normally, after a panic attack, Virgil would just drop into Roman's arms, too exhausted to himself up. So when Virgil calmed down greatly, Roman held out his arms gently as he waited for Virgil to slouch forward and drop into his embrace.
He was in no way prepared for Virgil to launch himself at Roman and wrap his arms around the creative sides torso as tight as possible, almost like he was afraid of losing him. Roman caught himself by leaning back slightly on his palms.
“Virgil?” He asked softly. Roman heard a sniffle and looked down to see his love's eyes screwed shut, tears staining his cheeks. “What's wrong, Love?”
Virgil took a deep breath as he tightens his embrace. “W-we were on the Titanic and it was sinking and then we were in the water and it was so cold and then I was dying and you were crying and then you died!”
“Oh, Virgil,” Roman rubbed the anxious traits back. “I'm right here. I'm fine.” The prince suddenly became shockingly aware of the movie playing in the background. Titanic. Even worse, it was at the sinking scene. Roman snapped his fingers and the t.v. switched to the title sequence for The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Virgil kept his arms wrapped tight around Roman's middle as Roman shifted until he was leaning against the couch with Virgil in his lap. Roman wrapped his arms around the pale man and pulled him closer to him. The two stayed like that until a little after Jack's Lament.
“I'm sorry,” Virgil mumbled as he shifted and went to move out of Roman's embrace. Roman had other plans.
“You didn't do anything wrong, darling. You had a nightmare. You can't control that.”
Virgil slowly let himself be pulled closer to Roman and laid his head on Roman's chest. “Thank you,” Virgil whispered into the flamboyant man's chest.
Roman gave him a soft smile as he rubbed Virgil's back. Virgil yawned.
“Tired, love?” Virgil nodded.
Roman shifted slightly until they were comfortable. “Better, starry night?”
“Mhm hhm,” Virgil nodded and curled into Roman's chest as the fanciful side wrapped his arms around Virgil, giving him that safe feeling.
“I love you, Virgil.” Virgil lifted his head just enough to look at Roman. Then he blinked slowly before resting his head against Roman's chest once again. Roman almost squealed as the emo fell asleep. His boyfriend really was a cat.
----
Virgil felt like giving up hope after he and Roman had been floating in the unforgiving Atlantic ocean for what felt like a century. He was numb. He was frozen and he couldn't keep this up much longer.
Suddenly, he heard Roman shout.
“OVER HERE! OVER HERE!”
Virgil turned to see what looked to be a lifeboat searching for survivors amongst the many pale, stiff, cold, lifeless bodies floating aimlessly around. Virgil felt a spark of hope in his cold chest. “OVER HERE!” he began to shout along with Roman and eventually the lifeboat reached them.
They were pulled into the boat where they were given wool blankets. The two cuddled close together as their bodies tried to shiver the warmth back into their limbs.
Later, when they reached the Carpathia, they were checked out by doctors to make sure they were okay and had received no fatal injuries. Once everything was done, the two sat huddled together on the deck, away from the others. Roman shoved his nose into Virgil's neck as he remained curled up against his chest.
“I can't believe it,” Virgil whispered breathlessly.
“Believe what, Mi Amor?”
“That we survived. That your still here, with me, despite having a wealthy family who's probably looking for you.” Virgil ran a hand through his hair.
Roman smiled. “Believe it, dearest.” Then he grinned. “If you didn't believe that then you're not going to believe this.”
“What?”
“We're getting married!”
Virgil blushed scarlet red and hid his face with his hands. Roman chuckled before moving Virgil's pale hands from his face. He leaned in and placed a sweet, loving kiss to his love's lips. “I love you,” he whispered.
Virgil turned a deeper scarlet if that was even possible, and gave Roman a slow blink. Roman turned red a booped Virgil's nose. “Kitten.”
----
Roman and Virgil lay curled up against the couch as they slept. Virgil's head tucked under Roman's chin as Roman's arms held the emo close, his arms keeping him snuggled close. Both wore a smile on their faces. Roman was quite content with cuddling with his boyfriend. Virgil was happy to have the ending to his dream fixed.
The Unforgiving Waters long forgotten.