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Chapter Text

His mother had told Roman time and time again growing up that she hoped his kids would be just as rambunctious and energetic as he had been. Everyone who knew him had accepted that as a matter of karma. After all, Roman had practically lived for the spotlight since the very day of his birth and he had gone to great lengths to be the center of attention. Why wouldn’t his child be the exact same?

His mom had been wrong. Mostly. 

Roman glanced over to the passenger seat, the corners of his lips turning up in a smile as his usually reclusive eight-year-old son, Virgil, straightened. Roman’s phone dropped unnoticed to his lap as he twisted to fully see outside, his fingers curling against the window as they finally left the last signs of civilization and the more stubborn paparazzi behind. 

“Ready for our next grand adventure?” Roman asked, quietly. 

Virgil glanced over his shoulder, flashing him a quick smile. “Yes.” Came the fervent response. 

He chuckled, returning his attention to the open road before them. “Thought so.” 

It never failed to surprise people to find out that Virgil was his son. To the untrained eye, they were complete opposites. Where Roman was loud. Virgil was quiet. Where Roman thrived in front of an audience. Virgil shrunk away, preferring quiet evenings inside instead of days spent at concerts or amusement parks. 

Total opposites. At least around people. Roman glanced again to his quiet son, watching his eyes come alight with excitement, his hidden energy bubbling up to the surface with every passing moment until Virgil was practically bouncing up and down in his seat, quietly humming to the music playing in the background as the desert wilderness surrounded them. 

“Do you think we’ll see a coyote this time, Dad?” He suddenly blurted out. “Or a rattlesnake? I hope it’s a coyote. They’re cool!” The words tumbled from his lips as he whirled to his father, eyes wide. “Or maybe a mountain lion! A big horned sheep would be different too. Callie from school says you rarely see those, but I bet we can find one. No. Six! We’ll find the entire herd!”  

And there was the Roman within his son. Talking a mile a minute and using more words than most people heard from him in a year. Roman flashed a smile, reaching out with one hand to ruffle his hair. “With your animal magnetism, my little Prince, I don’t doubt we’ll be able to find those sheep.” Or whatever else he set his young mind to seeing this trip.  

Virgil grinned, turning eagerly back to the window. “How much longer?” He asked, fidgeting in place. “We’re nearly there, right?” 

“Uh…” Roman flicked his attention to the GPS on the console. “Does three hours count as nearly there?” 

Virgil groaned, flopping back against the seat in the exact same melodramatic pose Roman had used on his parents when he was younger…well still used, actually, on the stage. “That’s fiveever away, Dad!” He complained, pulling at his hoodie strings. “Drive faster.”

“And get another ticket? No.” 

“Oh, come on!” 

“No.” 

“Five over?” 

Roman exhaled. “I’m already doing eight, you speed demon. Be content with that.” 

Virgil pouted, looking up at his dad with wide green eyes. The exact same shade as his own. “Ten over?”

What had happened to five? Roman let out a laugh, giving in, his foot pressing a bit harder on the gas. And people thought his son was quiet and withdrawn. Ha.  “Alright, Virge. Ten over. No faster though, alright?” 

Virgil grinned with undisclosed glee, leaning over to see the speedometer inching upwards. “Okay.” 

Roman silently sighed. It was going to be a nightmare when his son grew old enough to get his driver’s license. He already knew that from taking Virgil to the tracks to race his dirt bike. The kid could make that hunk of metal go much faster than an eight-year-old had any right to make it go and Roman was sure Remus had jimmy-rigged the thing to increase the speed before gifting the bike to his favorite nephew. 

He relaxed his grip on the steering wheel as his son turned back to the window, watching the mile marker signs flash by. That was a worry for a different day. One thing at a time. For now he’d just worry about Virgil attempting to bring home the desert lizards or baby rabbits he’d inevitably find while they were out in the middle of nowhere. 

Chapter Text

“Race you to the top, Dad!” Virgil yelled as he scrambled up the side of a sandstone rockface Roman had been sure his little spidermonkey couldn’t climb. Once again, he’d underestimated Virgil’s dexterity. 

He exhaled, raising a hand to shade his eyes, judging the steeply slanted side before resolutely sticking to the path, breaking into a jog to catch up. 

“Daaaaaddd!” Virgil’s petulant whine echoed down from above. “That’s boring! Climb the rock. It’s easy!” 

“Not all of us are Spiderman, Virge.” He called back, adjusting the straps of the backpack holding their tent, food, water and other gear. His son was lucky he was jogging. It wasn’t like this stuff was featherlight. 

A scraping sound overhead was his only warning before Virgil dropped down in front of him, white t-shirt already stained red from the sand. “But you can do anything, Dad!” He said, confidently as he straightened, his smaller backpack containing both of their clothes bouncing against his back. He gave Roman a heartwarming smile and puppy dog eyes as he spread his arms wide. “Climb with me!”  

Roman slowly shook his head, huffing a laugh as he reached out a hand to brush a smudge of dirt from Virgil’s cheek. “You are going to be the death of me.” But how could he say no?

“The life of you!” Virgil disagreed, snagging his hand and tugging it. 

He definitely couldn’t argue with that. Virgil had been the best thing to happen to him, no comparison to anything else needed. “The life of me.” He agreed, slipping the backpack off his shoulders to the ground before he surged forward, scooping Virgil up in his arms.

His son squealed in delight, hugging him tight as Roman swiftly climbed the rock face. 

Huh. Virgil had been right. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as he’d first thought. Within seconds he’d made it to the top, breathing only a little hard from the climb. 

“You did it!” His son cheered.

So he had. Maybe his little spidermonkey got his climbing skills from him. Roman smirked, ruffling his hair before he turned, holding his son out to the valley below. “Simba!” He proclaimed. 

“Daaaaad.” Virgil wiggled his feet, glowering over his shoulder at him. “I’m Virgil. Do it right!”

He laughed. “Sorry. Sorry.” Roman pulled him back with a smirk, taking up a handful of red sand he brushed it across his son’s forehead before holding him back out over the valley. “VIRGIL!!” He proclaimed. “RULER OF ALL THESE LANDS! Nants ingonyama batithi Baba! Sithi uhm ingonyama!” He sang.

Virgil raised his hands to the sky, lifting his head up to the sun. “Everywhere the light touches is mine!” He proclaimed in a tone similar to Roman’s. 

“You got that right, buddy” He chuckled, pulling Virgil close, holding him tight as his son buried his head against his chest. 

The wilderness was definitely more Virgil’s domain than his. Roman would have been much more content to wander a park in the middle of a city. Not out here, in the middle of nowhere, without another soul for miles. 

“We are one.” Virgil whispered, lifting his head to look at Roman. 

Scratch that. He’d rather be out here in the middle of nowhere if it made Virgil happy. “Exactly, my Prince.” He whispered, tenderly kissing the top of his head. He knelt, resting his son on his knee as he gestured to the view before them. “Together. Forever. With all this as your kingdom to explore and climb.” He tapped Virgil’s nose. “Once we set up camp.” He amended. “You find a good spot yet?” 

Virgil blinked, frantically shaking his head as he pushed away. “No! We're still too close to the car, Dad!” 

Roman raised an eyebrow. Too close? They’d hiked at least four miles already and his son had yet to show any signs of tiring out. If anything he’d gotten more hyper the deeper into the wilderness they ventured. “Well then let’s jump to it, Hop-a-long.” He said, sliding back down the rock face to their gear. He straightened, turning in time to catch Virgil in his arms as his son jumped from halfway down. “Oof. Before the sun sets this time. Got it?” 

Virgil grinned, wiggling free of Roman’s grip. “Not midnight?”

“Definitely not midnight.” They’d done that once. Never again. Setting up a tent in the dark was not his jar of Crofters. That was an established fact. Roman grabbed their gear, slipping it over his shoulders. 

Huh. That climb must have done him some good after all. The bag felt lighter than before.

“Fiiinnee, but we get smores tonight then!” Virgil said, breaking into a run up the path.

Oh no. His son couldn’t just leave after that statement expecting it to be done. “Only if you gather the wood!” Roman called after him.

He skidded to a stop, turning with his little hands raised in obvious indignation. “Daaaaddd!” 

“Soooonnnn!” He mimicked back, with a playful smile as he used his longer legs to decrease the distance between them. “We’ll wood hunt together after camp is set up.” 

Virgil huffed, rolling his eyes, though Roman could see the sparkle therein.

He winked. “And maybe you’ll find a new lizard to play with while doing so.” And hopefully not a rattlesnake. 

“New ones?” Virgil shook his head. “I’ve already seen lots of them here!” 

That wasn’t surprising. Virgil excelled at finding animals that didn’t want to be seen. Roman swore his son could spot a rabbit hiding in the brush from a mile away. “Well maybe while gathering wood for our fire, you’ll see one you’ve never seen before.” He replied, with a shrug.

Virgil shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He turned, taking off down the dirt path, scrambling over the sandstone with ease. 

Well. It was worth a shot. Roman exhaled, adjusting the straps of his bag one more time before following after his little Navigator.