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Chapter 7 - Secrets

Roman watched as Nightwalker disappeared around the corner, too exhausted to chase after him and knowing he would be long gone if he even had managed to have the strength left.

He felt something wrapped around his side and glanced up to see Illusion frowning after the supervillain, the little girl from before staring blankly off into space.

He looked so fatherlike. So domestic.

And he'd been carrying that child for way too long.

Roman motioned for him to give him the kid. He raised an eyebrow before handing her over.

"Hey there," Roman said, making sure his smile wasn't too bright or terrifying. "Do you know who your parents are?" he cooed softly.

Ten minutes later, the girl was back in her sobbing parents' arms and thanking both Illusion and Prince repeatedly.

"Of course, ma'am," he said before a wave of nausea caused him to stumble. That fight had taken a lot out of him.

And there was Illusion, catching him easily, that awkward smile ever-present on his face whenever he was around the public. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, black eyes searching Roman's pale green ones.

He swallowed. "Mmhmm," he said.

Before he could think - which he wasn't doing very much of, right now, anyway - he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Illusion's neck and pulling him into a short, soft kiss. Before he could recollect, he stepped back, watching Illusion's eyes flicker from between his own to his mouth, then back up again. He blinked slowly, once, twice, before opening his mouth. And yet no words came out. Finally, he said something.

"...Thank you?"

The crowd around them started to laugh at Illusion's stated gratitude, and both heroes blushed rapidly. "We'd better get going," Roman chuckled, disentangling himself from Illusion.

"Yes, let's," he agreed, and the two quickly parted ways.

Roman didn't think much of it until he was opening the door to the apartment, back in a hoodie and jeans.

Virgil stood, leaning against the back of the couch with an unimpressed expression and his arms crossed. 

Roman frowned slightly. It wasn't like Virgil to be waiting for him like this, not unless he was hurt. "You look angry, Virge," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "Everything alri-"

"No," he snapped, eyes narrowing even more.

That shut Roman up.

"Are you even thinking about Janus?" Virgil yelled, his hands gesturing around them vaguely. "Because I think he'd like to know-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Roman put his own hands up, stopping his emo roommate. "What's this about Janus?"

"You kissed a guy, Ro," he muttered. "Without his consent."

"Prince  kissed a guy," Roman corrected.

"You and Prince are the same person!" he hissed. "What, are you never going to tell him?"

"Virgil-"

He got off of the back of the couch, pacing. "I know that I'm probably the last one to give a singular flying fuck about that asshole," he said, earning a frown from Roman at the insults. "But you can't just go around kissing dudes."

"That was Prince-"

"Roman." Now he walked over to the taller man, resting his hands on Roman's shoulders and forcing him to look down at Virgil. "You're going to have to tell him. That you're Prince. You're going to have to tell the world. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but do you really want to have the conversation that 'I kissed a dude and never told you, whoops' years down the line?"