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« Roman? »
He looked around himself, still in disbelief and in profound satisfaction at the sight of the kings of the Underworld dancing around, their hands locked together and the song of their love finally reminded.
They halted to a stop, in each other’s arms, sharing a tender look: they were, at last, able to see true beauty again, the concept only Gods could conceive, the most obscure and desired meaning that mortals yearned to comprehend.
Roman still had his fingertips brushing the strings of his lyre, the melody of the song had just barely left his lips.
« Yes? » his voice sounded strangled, almost unable to get out the word.
Then Virgil came into his view and maybe, possibly, he had just caught a glimpse of the significance of the beauty that Patton and Deceit radiated.
Especially when he focused on Virgil’s small and precious smile. « You finished it. »
« Yes! » he paused, taking in all of Virgil’s happiness in one breath. « Now what do I do? »
That was the first veil of uncertainty that covered him. Would he really come back with him? Was there even a chance for them to live happily, once back up?
« You take me home with you! » Virgil was beaming, his wider smile dancing on his lips. He took Roman’s hands in his own, bringing them closer as the excitement of hope rushed in his chest. « Let’s go, let’s go right now! » he tugged at his arm, ready to leave for the opposite direction.
« Okay, let’s go. » Roman agreed, the ghost of his own smile faltered a second right after, he had not even taken a step before he was still again. Virgil turned around with a concerned look: he saw the slightest flicker of fear in his eyes. « … How? » he whispered, a pained expression now on his face.
« We’ll walk, » Virgil took a step towards him. « You know the way. » he confided in him in ways Roman couldn’t even fathom. The thought alone made a welcoming fire warm his stomach, burning nothing more than his self-doubt. « We’ll just go back the way you came. »
« It’s a long road. It’s a long walk, back into the cold and dark. » Roman warned him, as he reached out to take Virgil’s hand in both of his. He looked down at him, voice soft and genuine, he talked again after a beat. « Are you sure you wanna go? »
Virgil’s heart ache. He had to make sure, in any way he could find, that Roman knew the deepness of his love, how it made the flowing gold look miserable compared to what Roman could give him with a simple symphony.
He intertwined their fingers and moved closer. « Take me home. »
Roman tightened the hold a single thought crossed his mind as he scrambled for the right words, something sparked directly in his heart. “I want to”.
A reminder of their promises flew to his memories and, before he could realize, he was recalling them all, one by one, aware that he couldn’t have kept them. The reason of Virgil’s fall into the darkness.
« I have no ring for your finger. I have no banquet table to lay. I have no bed of feathers. » Roman untangled their hands but didn’t lower their arms. « Whatever promises I made … I can’t promise you fair sky above, can’t promise you kind road below. » he moved closer, almost as close as a reckless child would get to a sizzling hearth.
« But I’ll walk beside you, love. Any way the wind blows. » Roman placed a kiss on his knuckles without losing eye-contact.
Virgil let go of his hold, only to bring his hands on Roman’s cheeks, fingertips brushing his skin slowly. « I don’t need gold, don’t need silver. Just bread when I’m hungry, fire when I’m cold. » he went through everything he had told him, hoping to reassure him until his deepest doubt was erased. He let himself smile yet again.
« Don’t need a ring for my finger … just need a steady hand to hold. » Roman looked at him adoringly, then placed his hand on Virgil’s wrist and allowed himself to lean on his touch. « Don’t promise me fair sky above, don’t promise me kind road below. Just walk beside me, love. » he brought their foreheads together. « Anyway the wind blows. »
Roman wanted to believe him, with every cell of his body, with every fiber of his being, but there was always this force, this malevolent deity pulling apart his brain, telling him he wasn’t cut out to manage such a great quest. He wasn’t worth enough.
« What about him? » he pulled away slightly, Virgil knew exactly who he was talking about.
« He’ll let us go! Look at him. » so Roman did. And he saw it, he could see the long lost loving laugh on Patton’s lips and the admiration Deceit felt for his husband, absolutely all smitten over him as if he had seen him for the first time in forever. He wasn’t the fearsome God of the Underworld, or a King of shadows, just a man in love with another one, with his arms outstretched towards him.
« He can’t say no. »
Roman knew he was right, but he couldn’t still feel satisfied enough, there was some kind of unsettling agitation at the pit of his stomach. His head moved toward the workers of the Underworld.
« What about them? »
« We’ll show the way » Virgil moved his hands, placing them on Roman’s forearms, getting his attention once again. « If we can do it, so can they. »
Before they knew it, they were in each other’s arms once again, their feet dancing to the melody of their heartbeats, moving around a place that had now become the holder of their musings of love.
« I don’t know where this road will end. But I’ll walk it with you, hand in hand. » their bodies became a single twirling shape that sparked delight all around. « I can’t promise you fair sky above. Can’t promise you kind road below … » for a moment, they feared the goddess of love would have been envious of their devotion. Deep inside, however, they knew she, too, would’ve melted the moment Roman sang of her enchanting deeds, how thankful they were she existed, otherwise they wouldn’t have known of each other in such an affectionate way.
« But I’ll walk beside you, love. » Virgil threw his arms around Roman’s neck, their noses barely brushing. « Any way the wind blows. »
« Do you let me walk with you? » Roman asked, as the thrill of successfully leaving with Virgil pervaded him.
Virgil gifted him a soft look, he cupped his cheeks and pecked his lips slowly.
« I do. »
Roman nodded almost imperceptibly, not pulling away from his hold. « I do. »
« I do. » they repeated, looking fondly in each other’s eyes.
« And keep on walking, come what will? » Virgil ensured, almost demanding. Neither of them wanted to turn their backs on their mission now.
They shared another chaste kiss, before Roman moved away some inches.
« I will. » he confirmed, an authentic promise he intended to keep until the end of his days.
« I will. » Virgil nodded, their noses brushing again, eyes now closed to savor the moment wholly.
« We will. »
And they believed that.
But, alas, it was a sad song.