Bad Rumors

45

"Roma... R-Ro..." Virgil panted in bed as his hair stuck to his face slicked with sweat. "Roman... Don't..." He whined at the panic coursing through him. Images and flashes of the man he loves... "Don't go. Don't... I-I'm sor... I..." The door creaked open a bit as Virgil shook in his bed. "R-Ro..." Virgil cried as he fussed, kicking his legs out, as someone sat on the bed beside him. They gently brushed their fingers through his hair humming a soft tune as Virgil curled up into himself and cried. "R-Rom-man... Don't... Don't go."

"I won't." Roman smiled sadly as tried to soothe the poor panicked man. "Never again, Mi amor."

"Ro... Roma- Ah!" Virgil burst up eyes wide and filled with tears as Roman gently pulled his hands away with a sad gleam in his eyes. "Fuck. Not again." Virgil tried to calm himself down as he covered his face only to freeze feeling the bed move. His hands slowly dropped to his lap as he looked up to see Roman walking to the closet. "Roman?" Roman pulled out a pillow, which Virgil instantly recognized from his room in the dark side. The lilac smelling one... "What... How..." Roman held it out for him letting Virgil pull it in and hug it close despite the confusion. "Am I still dreaming?"

'Why would you think that?' Virgil's eyes narrowed as Roman moved to the chair beside the bed figuring Virgil would need some more space. 'I'm glad to see your up. I was worried about you.'

"Either I'm still dreaming..." Virgil growled as he threw himself back against the bed making Roman snap up with a look of worry. "Or I'm hallucinating."

'Virgil...'

"You're a delusion. Is my brain that messed up that I had to imagine you here with me. I'm pathetic." Roman just stared at him, eyes filled with pain and tears as Virgil rolled his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "Just go away."

'No.' Virgil's dull eyes only got duller as Roman shook his head spastically. 'I'm not doing that again. I'm not going to leave and risk never seeing you again-...'

"YOU'RE NOT REAL!" Roman jumped to his feet making Virgil flinch at the pain he saw in those green eyes. "You're not... You aren't real. You're signing for Thomas's sake." Roman frowned as he glanced at his hands that were now shaking. "Last I checked... Roman didn't HAVE to sign. He studdered yes but he never used sign. He doesn't know it!"

"I-I-I..." Virgil clammed up instantly as Roman clenched his fists trying to push back his own anxiety. He seriously hated his stutter. "I-I... I t-told you." Virgil's eyes fell as Roman whined a bit. "I said... I said wa... w-was m-m-mut-te when I-I was a-a b.. bo... boy." Roman gently placed a hand to his throat as he smiled so sadly. "I hate m-m-my s-stut-tter."

"R-Ro..." Virgil slowly sat up as Roman took a deep breath to try and calm down.

"I've known sign since I was a boy, Virgil. I just never used it." Roman shrugged as he forced himself to sit in the chair again. 'I don't like it when no one can understand me. I don't like my stutter.'

"It wasn't that bad when we spoke last." Roman just laughed dryly as he shook his head.

"Yes, it was." Virgil's eyes widened as Roman looked away. "I-I j-just never sp-poke so you n-nev-ver heard-d it." Virgil didn't know what to do. He was breaking at the seams. He wanted so desperately to believe this was real... that Roman was right there with him but his anxiety kept telling him not to fall for it. 'You should eat. If you're going to be up for a while, I can make you whatever you'd like. Something different than just oatmeal this time.'

"I'm not hungry." 

"Don't." Virgil jumped hearing the strain in Roman's voice. "Don't do that. Y-You n-need to e-eat. I-I-I don't w-want you g-get-tting sick again. Please?" Roman's breathing was erratic as he gripped his shirt tightly. "Please? I-I-I'll ma... mak-... m... I'll do w-what ever y-you want. Just p-please eat." 

"Roman... I'm not hungry." Virgil could feel the panic that filtered through the air and by the look of Roman's breathing, it was clear he was on the way to an attack. "Come here."

"No. No... I-I-I have to g-get you t-t-t-to eat. You'll g-get sick again i-f you d-don't." Roman whined as tears started to fall from his eyes. "I-I can't... I-I-I can't w-watch that a-again. I can't..."

"Roman, come here." Roman flinched back at Virgil's forceful tone, only to nod and slowly make his way over. Virgil withheld the gasp he nearly made as Roman leaned against him. "It's ok." Virgil shakily whispered as he hesitantly wrapped his arms around the prince. "It's ok. I'm just not hungry now but... I will eat later. Ok? I'm still tired is all. I'm not going to get worse."

"P-P-Please d-don't-t leave m-me." Virgil's blood went cold as Roman put himself completely against Virgil's chest. "D-Don't fade. P-Please d-don't fade."

"I'm not going to fade, Princey." Roman gave a very weak smile over the nickname as Virgil laid them both down again. "Come on... I think we're both tired." Virgil smiled softly as Roman nuzzled into him. He didn't know if this was real but... If he was dreaming, he didn't want to wake up.

"Virgil?" Virgil groaned as he forced himself to open his eyes hours later. "Hey, kiddo." Patton gently eased him up against the headboard with a smile. "There you go."

"P-Patton?" Patton nodded as he handed him a small cup of juice. "What?"

"We need you to keep your fluids up. Can you drink this for me, please?" Virgil just nodded as he did what he was told making Patton very happy by the smile he had. "That's it. Good job, Kiddo. At least now..." Patton whispered softly as he took the cup back. "... when he wakes up you can tell him you've drank something." Virgil's eyes shot wide as he suddenly turned to see Roman sleeping beside him. Tears filled his eyes as Patton just stood there smiling against the emotions swirling in the air. "It might help him to relax a bit. He's been the most concerned about you."

"He's... He's really... I-I wasn't i-i-imagining him?" Patton chuckled softly as he brushed Virgil's hair back and shook his head. 

"No. You weren't. He's been by your side then moment he came back." Virgil blinked as his tears streamed down his face.

"How? Why... Why did he come back?"

"I told them you were sick. That... That we didn't know if you were going to fade." Virgil paled remembering how Roman begged him not to go and his heart just dropped. "All three of them are here. Remus and Janus have been helping with the twins while Logan and I focused on Thomas. Roman... Roman stayed with you."

"I don't... I-I don't understand. Why? I... I thought he would hate me. I-I did the one thing he begged me not to. I don't understand." Patton quickly hushed Virgil as he pulled him into a hug and gently rubbed his back. "Why is he here when I hurt him so badly?"

"Talk to him, Kiddo. You both need to air some things out."