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Virgil took a deep breath, knocking on the door to Roman’s room.
The gang had dispersed after watching the movie a few hours ago. Sure, they had all stayed there a little longer to help Thomas come up with ideas for his Frozen fanfiction. But eventually Joan had come and made Thomas take a break. Logan had taken this opportunity to check over his story to fix any grammar or spelling mistakes so far. Roman had stretched and announced he was going to hit the hay, only to rush to his room and lock the door when Remus started being…
Well…
Remus.
That only left Patton and Virgil alone, and the moral trait shot his son a concerned smile. “You doing better, Vee?”
He was snapped out of his thoughts. Something Roman said during his critique of the movie just wouldn’t let him be. “Hmm?”
“You seemed happier when we were all sharing our ideas for the Frozen story! I mean, even if Olaf had to evaporate for the first part of it, it was worth it to see that smile of yours!”
He let out a soft, short laugh. “Yeah… I… I guess so. Thanks for checking in with me, Pop-star.”
“You sure?” Patton asked, scanning his face. “Something else seems like it’s eating away at you.”
“Just the feeling we missed out on something amazing, nothing new.” That wasn’t a full lie.
Patton squinted at him, then glanced around the room as if expecting someone to be intruding on their conversation. “Virge, I know that’s not the full truth,” he said. His voice had been warm and soft like he were speaking to a frightened child. “What’s really on your mind?”
Virgil remembered tensed up a little, his breath caught in his throat. His thoughts had gone haywire, mainly trying to figure out how Patton knew or what the fatherly trait would do with the information should he decide to tell him. Maybe he’d spill the information to the other sides- or, worst of all, what if he told Roman? Roman wouldn’t even look him in the eye after he found out. The prince would probably try and switch spots with Patton so he wouldn’t have to be so close to him. He probably wouldn’t even be able to speak or laugh or joke around-
“Virgil, Virgil, look at me,” Patton said calmly. “Breathe with me. In for four, hold for seven, out for eight.” Morality started the breathing technique, and Virgil soon joined in. Feeling much calmer as they continued.
“Okay?” There were Patton’s blue eyes scanning his face again. Looking for any signs of trouble.
“Okay,” Anxiety nodded. And he had offered him a shaky yet small grin, which probably appeared more like a grimace than anything.
“I’m sorry for prying, stormcloud. You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want too. Just know that I love you, okay?”
“Okay,” Virgil repeated.
Patton smiled softly, eyeing the younger’s body language before hugging him tightly. Virgil gasped softly but hugged him back, and rested his chin on Patton’s shoulder. “...uhm,” the anxious side bit his lip, trying to quell those racing thoughts again.
Okay, let's just face the facts, he had thought. Patton was right. He does love me a ton. He wouldn’t be hugging me or helping me if he didn’t. I can trust him. I can trust this new group. They’re not like The Others. I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine-.
“Uhm?” Patton asked.
“...I...I can tell you. I wanna tell you, Pat.” He pulled out of the hug, leaving his hands on Morality’s shoulders, and this time it was his turn to look over Patton’s face. “I- uh...f-first, do you promise not to tell anyone?”
“Uh huh.”
“This is only between you and me.”
“Got it.”
“Strictly confidential.”
“Virge-” The light blue side then put his hands over the purple sides. He had taken them off his shoulders, but only to hold them between the two. “I won’t say a word, I promise.” He freed one of his hands to do the ‘zip it lock it, put it in your pocket’ motion before holding both of Virgil’s hands again.
Anxiety nodded, huffing out a long sigh. “Alright well...something Roman said kinda...stuck with me.” Pat frowned, tilting his head to the side. Probably hoping this wouldn’t be another fight between the two. “N- don’t worry, it’s...it’s not like that. Uh-” Virgil sighed again, shifting his weight from foot to foot. “Do you remember… what Roman said after Logan pointed out how he’s constantly picking on the movie?”
“Mhmm!” He nodded so fast, his kitty hoodie fell off his head. “‘This is how I show my love,’ right?”
“Yeah. And… you know how he’s constantly picking on me?”
“Yeah! You two get in arguments all the time over the littlest things! I love you two so much but sometimes I wish-”
“Pat-Patton-” Virgil closed his eyes, squeezing the kitty paws that were on Patton’s onesie gently.
“Oh, sorry.”
Virgil remembered being too embarrassed to admit his theory at that point. It was probably wrong anyways, and way beyond stupid. But he couldn’t exactly back out now, otherwise Patton would grow more concerned for him. Hopefully, he thought, he had laid enough hints out for padre to get the picture. “Do you see what I’m getting at?” He asked. Upon seeing a blank, confused expression staring back at him, he sighed and muttered “I-I’m like the movie, I think.”
“Like the movie-” Patton muttered, before the lightbulb went off in his brain. “Oh.” Virgil had honestly expected- “Ohhhh! Oh, Virgil!!” -There it was. The fatherly figure was beaming from ear to ear, stars practically in his eyes and he bounced on his heels. “That’s so cute!! Of *course* you’d be like the movie!”
“Shhshhshshshh- not so loud,” he muttered, feeling a blush come to his cheeks as he placed a sleeve over Patton’s mouth. He chanced a glance up the stairs worriedly, but luckily Roman didn’t hear Patton’s squeal. He caught quizzical glance Logan was giving them as he returned his gaze to the dad friend of the group. He didn’t see what Logan did after, but he assumed the logical side just went back to editing the story.
“Sorry, sorry, I’m just so happy for you!” Patton did do as told, however, and lowered his voice to a stage-whisper. “My sweet and sour misunderstood shadowling has a-” he was cut off as Virgil covered his mouth with his sleeve again. The blushing side was glaring at him, and Patton chuckled sheepishly, giving him a muffled apology.
“..are you good?” He had asked. “You’re not gonna say anything, right?” After a short nod, Virgil sighed and dropped his hand to his side. “It’s probably nothing. Just a dumb throery; I’m looking for hints when there really are none.”
“Don’t say that,” Patton whimpered.
He shrugged. “I mean, it’s true. There’s no way he could ever like me back anyways, Pat. He hated me from day one. Probably still does.” He let out a sarcastic huff of laughter, rubbing one of his arms and staring at the floor. “I wouldn’t blame him. I hate myself, too.”
“Virgil!”
“What seems to be the problem?” Logan asked, strolling over to the two. He had set his laptop down earlier and had been listening to their conversation up until this point.
“Virgil’s bullying himself again,” Patton huffs, pouting a little.
Logan frowned, gazing at the anxious side with concern. “What’s wrong? Is the party still on your mind? Should we do that exercise again?”
“No, it’s fine, I-” he groaned softly, looking upstairs to where the bedrooms were and back at Logan, who raised an eyebrow. His eyes darted back and forth between his friends and, after a few more seconds, he rolled his eyes. He figured, at this point, he had nothing to lose. Logan, he had already told about his crush a few months ago. He was just the side that helped him sort his thoughts out the best, and had a good amount of methods to calm him down. “Patton knows,” he says at last, raising his hand slightly to point at the light blue trait.
“You told him?” Both sides choursed, pointing at each other.
“Mhmm. Now everyone knows but Roman.”
“And The Others?” Patton asked.
“And The Others. I’d like to keep it that way.”
“Of course! But- I think you should tell Roman your ‘theory’. He’d like to hear it, I think he’d love it.” Patton said, ever the optimist.
“That’s not a good idea.”
“But Virge, I was talking to Roman the other day and he was telling me h-” Once again, Patton was cut off. But this time, Logan’s hand was over his mouth instead of Virgil’s sleeve.
“It may be a frightening thought, but trust us when we say that talking to Roman about this is the best thing to do.”
Virgil fidgeted again, looking back and forth between them. Eventually he asked “...are you one hundred percent sure?”
“More like one hundred and ten percent!” Patton chirped, removing Logan’s hand from his mouth. “There’s nothing to worry about!”
“The highest percentage is 100, it can’t go beyond that. But yes, I have trust that when you talk to Roman about this, it will indubitably not fail.”
“We can be there for moral support, if you’d like,” Patton adds. “And logical support too!”
He grins a bit, tousling Patton’s hair. “Thanks, padre. But… as much as I hate to admit it, I think I need to fight this battle alone.” A newfound jolt of nervous energy raced through him, and he added. “But you two can stand outside the door, in case I need you.”
“Oooo, we’d be like your bodyguards!”
“I would suggest to wait until after Remus has worn himself out,” Logan adds. Shielding his and Patton’s eyes as Remus, still butt naked, ran passed the stairs in the upstairs hallway. Whooping with glee.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was morning by the time Virgil decided to face his fear. By the time Remus had worn himself out, it was close to 3am and the two of the three sides were cuddled against each other and fast asleep.
They headed up the stairs around nine, figuring Roman had slept in to get his beauty sleep.
Now it was a minute past nine, and Virgil awaited Roman opening the door, biting his sleeve out of nervous habit.
“It’s gonna be fine, shadowling,” Patton reassured from one side.
“Just remember to breath,” Logan reminded from another.
Roman finally opened his door onesie still on and sword at the ready. “Remus, I swear to all that is holy, if you d- oh. Hey, guys. What’s up?”
“Morning kiddo!”
“Virgil wanted to chat with you in private,” Logan informed.
Roman smiled at the smaller side, setting his sword down and opening the door wider. “Well, come on in! Mi casa es su casa!”
“We live in the same home,” Virgil said, stepping into his room regardless.
“Exactly!” He closed the door behind Virgil and plopped down in a red and gold beanbag. A purple and black one that matched the patched pattern of Virgil’s hoodie appeared next to his, and he patted it. “What’s on your mind, Brad Pitiful?”
He sat down next to Roman, fiddling with his sleeves. “Wow, not even an eye roll? Man, this must be really eating away at you.” Roman’s casual, teasing tone melted away and instead he shifted so they were looking at each other better. “Should I not have gone with the beanbags-?”
“No, the beanbags are fine. This is just a.. A heavy question.”
“Okay?”
Virgil, not being the best with sharing feelings, and also trying to find a way to just say the news, blurted out “Can I say something crazy?”
Roman raised an eyebrow, but decided to play along. “I love crazy!”
“...look, I could be overthinking this. Like, in all actuality I probably am. But… the others are right, I need to get this off my chest.” He finally allowed himself to peek at Roman, and Roman saw a mix of excitement and overpowering fear in his eyes. The creative side squeezed his knee reassuringly, nodding at him as if to say ‘go on’. “Remember last night? When you shared how you showed your love for the movie?”
“Yeah-?”
“Is that the same way with… sides you love?”
Roman, finally seeing where this was headed, blushed a bit but nodded regardless. “I think so. I haven’t really fallen in love with a side beforehand though.”
Virgil’s blood ran cold. “Oh.”
“Virge-?” Roman reached out for him.
Trying to keep his composure, he ran over Roman’s statement in his head. “Wait, what do you mean ‘beforehand’?”
Roman shrugged, giving him his trademark dashing smile. “There’s been someside I’ve had my eye on for a while. Rumor has it you don’t like him that much, but I plan to help fix that.”
“...oh. Okay…”
“Why do you ask?” Roman asked, slightly oblivious.
He sighed shakily, pulling his onesie hoodie over his head and curling in on himself. I… it’s not important, I guess.” He paused for a moment, “why do you, uh…. You… y’know.. Poke fun at me…?” He asked, even though he was certain Roman would respond with something non-committal. They were just gonna be friends. They were just gonna stay friends. He couldn’t overthink this or make it into a bigger scene than it needed to be. Despite this, he couldn’t help the purple blush that was showing up on his cheeks and ears as he asked the question, nor look Roman in the eye or keep his breathing from becoming thin and shallow. He was shaking and sweating and terrified. This was a horrible idea. In the seconds it took for Roman to respond, he could feel humiliation and dread consuming him until it was all he really could feel. He got up and started to make a dash for the door, but Roman’s next words made him freeze in shock.
“It’s...you, Virgil.”
“Huh-?” Was he dreaming? Or high off of nerves? Was this just Deceit or Remus playing a nasty prank on him?? Roman’s voice was so quiet and calm, he felt like he had imagined the response entirely. This couldn’t be real. “Is this a joke?”
“Why would it be?” The prince furrowed his brow, tilting his head to the side. “I said yes. That’s exactly why I poke fun at you, my chemically imbalanced romance. You’re the side I’ve had my eyes on all along.” He smiled shyly, which was unlike him. There was a reddish-pinkish blush dusting his ears and cheeks.
Virgil, however, wasn’t so quick to admit his feelings back. “H-how do I know you’re not Remus or Deceit or-”
The extravagant one rolled his eyes, sighing as he took ahold of Virgil’s hand. “I can and will recite all the Disney songs I know by heart.”
“...okay. It’s you.” Virgil sat back down in his beanbag, his purple blush worsening. Roman watched him fondly, shifting so he was closer to him. The prince grinned to himself when Virgil’s blush spread down to his neck. “And, uh. I maybe. Sorta kinda. Possibly. L-like you back-?” He was still hesitant to admit his feelings since, as far as he was concerned, Roman could just be lying to save face.
It was Roman’s turn to freeze up as he stared Virgil down, scrambling to sit up in his beanbag (which proved a little difficult). “Wh- since when?!”
He was silent for a little bit, still staring at his lap like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “...since I was able to join the light sides?”
The creative side was silent for a second, before covering his face with his hands, groaning. “Holy shit, how could I be so oblivious?!”
This reaction shocked Virgil, and he squinted at his crush. “...how long have you liked me for?”
He ran a hand through his perfectly tousled hair, and Virgil wondered for the umpteenth time that he’s seen him if Roman styles it to look that way, or if it’s just naturally stays that way, even as his love interest sleeps. “Since we sang that carol for Bitchmas.”
Virgil stared down at his onesie again, counting the Jack Skellington ribs in his head. “That was the video after I finally got accepted,” he says softly.
“I guess we started liking each other at the same time, huh?” Roman hummed.
“...and we didn’t even tell each other for two years.”
Roman inhaled through his teeth, nodding. “Yes, we probably could’ve started this whole thing off a while ago. But why focus on the past? We’re here and now, in my room. Not somewhere in the past dealing with who sings what verse in a chorus.”
His words mimicked Logan’s from last night, and Virgil had to smile at that. “You’re right.” He gave Roman a hopeful look for the first time that morning. “That being said, since we feel the same way for each other- should we become a thing?” He twisted his sleeve in nervous anticipation.
Roman, being the extra prince that he was, leaned over and kissed Virgil. This caught the smaller side by surprise, but he kissed him back. He closed his eyes and cupped his face, sighing happily when he felt Roman’s hand in his hair and melting more into the kiss.
In the background, fireworks went off, and the air suddenly felt like a cool summer night, rich with the scent of petrichor even though the ground still felt dry.
Unfortunately for both of them, oxygen was a necessity and they kiss ended all too soon. When Virgil opened his eyes, they were sitting on top of a grassy hill, overlooking a gorgeous lake. Fireflies were dancing around them and fireworks were going off over said lake. The bedroom door was still there, behind them, looking like a giant boulder among a group of different sized stones. Virge snorted softly, rolling his eyes. “You’re such a dork, Princey.”
“What? This is how I feel inside!”
“You sap,” Vigil teased, though he couldn’t deny that he felt the same way.
“Are you two quite alright? We heard-” Logan stopped from where he was about to walk into the newly transformed room, taking in the sight. He watched as a small swarm of glowing butterflies went over to Virgil and gave him literal butterfly kisses on his neck and face, causing the edge lord to scrunch up his shoulders and giggle happily. And though more fireworks were still going off, Roman only had eyes for his new boyfriend.
Logan slowly backed out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
“Well?” Patton asked.
He smiled. “Mission accomplished.”