It's Just Business (COMPLETED)

Chapter 4

WARNING: Insomnia

"Hey Virge."

Virgil looked up and smiled.

"You're still writing?"

"I'm going to fill out the notebook, Princey. Pretty sure I already told you that." Roman sighed dramatically and sat down next to Virgil. "Aw, what's wrong, Drama Queen?"

Roman pouted and crossed his arms, making Virgil laugh. "You're book's taking up more time that I am."

"It is not."

"Is too."

"No it is not." Virgil laughed, shoving Roman slightly. Roman laughed. "Look, if it bothers you so much, why don't we see a film tonight? You've got a mini cinema and I've got a Disney-obsessed younger brother. Pretty sure we could work something out."

"Oh, I can't tonight." Roman watched Virgil's face and felt his heart do the same. "I've got a rehearsal tonight and it's a really big thing and... I'm sorry, Sunshine."

"No, no, it's fine." Virgil said, making his face smile again. Roman bit his lip. He hated seeing Virgil upset.

"Hey, um, I, er, I got you something." He said, drawing a small black box out of his pocket. "It's nothing much, actually stupid, really, um..." Roman trailed off as Virgil opened the box. Inside was a necklace made of black plaited pieces of sting and a small purple bead flower.

"Roman, did you make this?"

"I, uh, yeah. Do you... like it?" He asked as Virgil put the necklace on.

"I love it." Virgil said, smiling at Roman. "Thank you." He took Roman's hand. Roman grinned sheepishly and looked down. "And it's not stupid." Virgil said, using his other hand to lift Roman's head up gently. "It's beautiful."

Virgil looked at the necklace on his bedside table and sighed, turning away from it. So what if he'd kept the necklace? It reduced his stress, that was all. It didn't mean anything. Virgil wasn't going to get much sleep tonight, he knew that much.

Virgil got up and went over to the window. It was still raining but at least it wasn't sleeting. That was an improvement, at least. He opened the window and leaned out, resting his elbows on the window-sill. Night air always seemed to help him, somehow. Whether it was clear his thoughts or help him sleep, opening the window always seemed to help.

Not tonight, it appeared.

"I'm not late again, am I?"

Mina looked up from her computer. "You look like shit." She said instead of giving Virgil any indication of the time.

"Oh, thank you." Virgil sighed. "Look, am I late or not?"

"No. Write your name down and go upstairs."

"Right. Thanks." Virgil wrote his name and the time down before running up the twisting staircases.

"Sorry if I'm late." Virgil said, bursting into the rehearsal room.

"You're not." Roman said. Virgil shot him an almost routine glare and sat down, grabbing his script. "You're going to need to high-light your lines. It'll mean you can see them easier."

"I'm not a complete idiot, Roman. I've already done that."

"Okay, sorry, Jesus." Roman said, putting his hands up. "I was just trying to be helpful."

"You already tried that once. It didn't work." Virgil said, twisting the bead flower on his necklace.

"I already said sorry, Virgil."

"And you keep saying that like it's going to change that sorry means nothing to me. I'd been given too many fake apologies at 15 and I've been given even more now. So save it."

"And nobody knows, you know." Roman stopped to listen. Whoever was singing was very good.

"When you're dying in LA. And nobody owes you now." Roman started to walk back to the rehearsal room, slower now so he could still hear whoever was singing.

"When you're dying in LA. When you're dying in LA. When you're dying in LA. The power, the power, the power. Oh, the power, the power, the power. Of LA."

There was silence for a while until a door opened, making Roman jump. Virgil came out, giving a two-fingered salute to whoever else was in the room before nearly crashing into Roman.

"What the fu-"

"Was that you singing?"

"What? Were you spying on me?"

"What? No. I just heard you singing and... and you're really good." Roman said, mumbling the end.

"You listened in? Oh, Jesus fucking Christ."

"If you're worried about me listening, why'd you go for the love interest?"

"Main part."

"Whatever. Why'd you go for it if you're worried about people listening?" Virgil laughed slightly and the sound scared Roman slightly. It was the sort of laugh someone would make when they were about to kill you.

"Because, Roman. Just simply because."

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Bye,
Blaize