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❝ She says she's no good with words but I'm worse.
Barely stuttered out a joke of a romantic stuck to my tongue
Weighed down with words too overdramatic. ❞
The typical red curtains opened and the scene came right back to the viewers, who were still holding their breaths ever since the play had ended.
Virgil was there, but this time he was sitting in the front row, looking up at his partner and the other actors on stage, who were bowing to the thundering applauses and standing ovations roaring throughout the whole theatre.
He stood up too and smiled as bright as any other time.
Five years had passed since their last play together, Roman had pursued the theatre academy they had wished to be accepted into and eventually joined a succeeding theatre company, while Virgil just so happened to be working on the thesis for his last exam of the master's degree.
Both of them, through joyous and doleful moments, had achieved their fulfilling dreams, and the greatest detail was that they had made it together.
Something struck him as different, though, on that one night.
Normally, the actors would have left the stage by then; sure, that was their last exhibition for the season, but the applause was already dying down.
Roman began approaching the edge of the stage.
Alright, Virgil thought, they're probably going to thank everyone and Roman was the main character so figures he's the one to do it, right?
Another of the things that didn't really change through the years was Virgil's tendency to overthink every detail.
The audience sat down and the chaos of praise quelled until anticipatory silence reigned.
« First of all, » Roman had stepped forward, their fingers trailed over the microphone attached to their face, shaking so slightly that none but them had realized. Their fellow colleagues all looked at them, smiling encouraging. « I'd like to thank all of you for being here with us, to thank the ones who have been here since the start and the ones who joined along. We appreciate every single one of you and we wouldn't be here without you. » a round of applauses accompanied that, the actors praising the public and vice versa.
« I'm not going to take long, but there's something I need to do. » the silence surrounding them was so deep you could hear Roman's breaths from the back of the theatre. « My carrier had started many years ago, but my path towards self-discovery only became clear during a particular year. »
Roman's gaze fell onto Virgil and their smile softened. « And thanks to a particular person, mostly. »
Bonnie, who was sitting between Virgil and her qpp, Hiro, beamed and affectionately bumped her friend's shoulder with her fist.
The boy in question, on the other hand, was starting to sink in his seat, blushing profusely out of embarrassment.
« His name is Virgil, he's here in front of me and I have the honour to call him my wonderful boyfriend. » another hoard of applauses came.
Roman chuckled. « Yeah, you're right, he deserves all the appreciation. »
« Oh my gosh. » Lukas whispered in Virgil's ear. « They're so cheesy, how do you even handle it? »
« I don't. » Virgil responded awkwardly, half-face buried in his hands and eyes fixated on the actor.
As the ovation died down, Roman resumed. « Thanks to him, I could understand myself better and … I can only say I'm glad. » their eyes lingered on the floor before looking up again. « I remember the first time we talked for real, I had called after you, told you to wait and you didn't even bother to slow down. » the audience giggled with them.
« You were so pissed at me, I was wasting your time and if you were late for that extra-scholastic project, your teacher would have scolded you. » Virgil wanted to sink even further at the memory. That was when they had exchanged each other's numbers.
« And then I had found you by yourself after school, you were wounded and I had helped you, so you told me how you got hurt during your excavation experience, how excited you were about your findings … »
Their boyfriend couldn't yet understand what that speech was for. « I was blinded right then. I had never seen you shine brighter than that and it was a wonderful sight. »
« Oh stars, someone stop them. » Lukas could hear his friend whisper.
« That might have been the beginning of the process of falling in love with you. » they conceded.
« And oh, that one night where you talked about the materials you had found in that exhibition. I could say for sure you had natural talent hidden in there. » they let out a muffled laugh. « I also kept pestering you about the play we were in, especially after you had explained the plot with your expansive knowledge. Then we went out with the excuse of practising and ended up with me being a mess and holding your hand because I pretended it was a good way to warm you up. »
Half of the audience let out endeared sounds at the tenderness. « I was sure I had feelings for you at that moment. »
« Are they going to tell our whole relationship story? »
Bonnie smiled mischievously. « You'll see. »
« Wait what- »
« I remember during New Year's Eve I felt bad because I hadn't asked you to stay with me, thinking you had other plans and ultimately finding out you were alone. »
Virgil's lips curved; he remembered how Roman had insisted on keeping him company. He had found it deeply sweet when they had decided to call him, yet Roman still felt sad they couldn't have brightened his night.
Little did they know, Virgil was sure they had definitely made his entire day a hundred percent better.
« I showed up the day after and made hot chocolate, though. » Roman commented with pride.
« You burnt it, it tasted awful. » Virgil talked loud enough so his voice could have reached everybody.
« Soft you now, love. Don't hijack my speech. » further laughter came up while Roman winked at their lover.
« I made fantastic warm drinks and admired your adorable sleepy face. And then I was able to see that gorgeous face even more, and every Saturday night, the fun we had in a kid's playground, practising our lines while our friends were busy dancing. »
Now, there was subtext the audience wouldn't have been able to recall and could only imagine, but Virgil knew exactly what they were referring to: there was one sole night where they went to a playground.
They had almost kissed.
« April came and you had to leave for Greece for a week and I was more devastated than I wish to admit. Not in that “I can't be ten minutes without you” way, but in that way where you get so used to a routine that a single difference wreaks everything. » they had felt lost, like a constant being taken away from a formula.
« Coincidentally enough, that was where a rough time had started for me and I ended up hurting people. And even if I pushed you away, you were still willing to hear me out when I explained why I acted like such a jerk. »
Surely, no story existed without a sour tone to it, and the acknowledgement especially of that was a huge step that allowed the wholeness of one's relationship.
« That was how we learnt to work out any other issue that was going to try and tear us apart. But we knew better. And we still do. » they paced forward until the edge of the stage, Dave smirked and motioned at the other actors to set up the removable staircase.
« Come here, V. »
Virgil raised his eyebrows and pointed at the floor a few feet away from him, right where it met with the stage. Roman nodded and knelt down while their partner reached them.
He was so confused by the whole situation he didn't find it odd that Roman was only on one knee.
Bonnie and Lukas did, though, but they also knew exactly what was about to happen, some others from the audience held their breaths.
« Hi there. » Roman said, with the most soothing voice Virgil had ever heard from them, they then brushed his cheek with their thumb, finding his skin warmer than ever. He wasn't yet used to so much spotlight, unlike them.
« Hey. » Virgil couldn't stop smiling. « Having fun? » he rested his arms on the edge of the stage, his body inches away from Roman's.
Roman shielded their mouth from the microphone. « You have no idea. »
They leaned in, placing a kiss on his forehead, making him close his eyes so they could reach for a tiny box in their pocket.
Roman hid the box between their hands and kept their arms resting on their knee.
« Virgil Dire, » their solemn tone made Virgil squint for a second, but focus altogether. « I've professed way too many times my everlasting love for you. Yet, I'd want you to hear it every day of your life. » they took a deep breath. « And it would be ideal if you were up to feeling appreciated for the rest of your days, because that is what I plan to do, if you'll have me. »
« I do. » Virgil could hear his response echo between the walls.
Roman grinned. « I know the perfect circumstance for you to repeat those exact same words. » they could see the gears turning in Virgil's mind.
Their fingers tensed and the box was finally revealed to their lover along with its content.
Virgil's hands flew to his mouth, keeping a gasp while his eyes went wide at the glimmering sight of the engagement ring.
« Will you marry me? »
Chaos was released after that line, like the most exciting scene of a musical, but that good kind that made people feel warmth in their hearts, even without having anything to do with the occasion.
Roman's ears were ringing with whistles and claps of cheering people, but their eyes were set on one sole person.
Virgil had taken some steps back, in disbelief despite the clear signs.
He nodded slightly, then paced towards him again, his nodding looking more persistent.
« Yes. » he affirmed, while seeing Roman's smile grow wider. « Yes, yes! » he repeated, his arms falling from his face and stretching out to reach Roman, who lifted him a feet off the ground to hug him. « I will! » he repeated over and over, almost deafening their ears with brief chuckles.
« Come on up. » they both made their way towards the stairs and, as soon as Virgil's feet touched the stage's floor, he threw his arms around his partner again, crashing his lips against theirs unceremoniously.
In front of such a large public, only they existed.
They stole time and space, everybody else was a simple figment of that same existence they had created for themselves, a world they ruled as they breathed and walked with their hands intertwined.
Gods looked down on them, envious of their power. Demons of their own nectarous devastation.
When Roman pulled away, he could see with the corner of their eye the phone Dave was holding up to record the whole event. They moved to the centre of the stage, and pulled the ring out of the box, then they took Virgil's hand, admiring how nicely the ring slid on his finger.
A small ruby was set inside lilac-purplish metal in a flower-like shape.
« Roman, » Virgil took their hands and looked up at them with a smile that almost hurt his cheeks. « Do you remember that one night on the rooftop where you told me you believed in us together? »
« Yes. » they nodded, reminiscing. « I still do. »
« I was about to say something, but you cut me off. I'd like you to hear it now. »
Roman nodded again, a hand was placed on their face, cupping their cheek, they noticed tears were filling up in Virgil's eyes, his ever so breathtaking light irises where they saw galaxies and stardust.
« I love you. » Virgil's voice was veiled with pathos. « In all possible ways my being lets me, deeper than the darkest ocean and wider than the largest continent. I don't care whether ahead lies a scary path or the smoothest one. I just need you by my side. »
Virgil kissed their knuckles. « I love you, Princey. »
Roman melted, they weren't sure they could have still stood if their lover weren't holding them.
« I love you too, my knight. »
As the second play of their tetralogy came to an end, the curtains slowed to a stop, only to re-open as soon as their kisses sealed the beginning of a new play.
Roman and Virgil looked into each other's eyes, smiling in a lovestruck state.
And the new prologue commenced.