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39. Regret

I'M SO SORRY I FORGOT TO POST THIS

I enjoy others' pain immensely.

TW: swearing, angst, crying, slight pain,

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Roman sat at the side of the salvaged bed, clutching the hand of the person who was in it. It didn't matter to him if he wasn't awake. He wanted to be there in case he woke up.

"You've sat here for three days now," Janus said. His voice was dull, much duller than it used to be. Everything had drained the energy out of him. The last innocence of youth was gone now. At only sixteen, he was more like an adult than ever before. "If he was going to wake up he would've already."

"I'm not giving up," Roman said quietly. "I'd sit here forever if that meant there was still a chance."

"I could only do so much, Roman." Janus' voice was full of regret and sadness. "He might not wake up."

"But there's still a chance?"

"A small one, but yes, there is still a chance."

"Then I'm going to sit here until he wakes up," Roman stated.

"We need to go get Logan and Patton from the ruins," Janus reminded him. "Sooner rather than later, if what it said was to be believed."

"I know, but I can't leave him." The first days were spent in a rush, trying to keep him stabilized and alive. They hadn't had time to go get the other two yet, but they couldn't wait forever.

"I'll go," Janus said. His eyes softened as he watch Roman clutch onto the hand. "If you feel like you need to stay here with him I'm not going to stop you."

"Thank you," Roman whispered. Janus nodded, even though he couldn't see it, and left the still mostly intact room, casting one last glance at Roman sitting his constant vigil by what could be Virgil's death bed.

~

"How long has it been now?" Patton asked quietly.

"I don't know anymore," Logan said with a sigh. "At least three days, but possibly more. All of the days seem to blend together."

"Yeah... do you think we're ever going to get out of here? Please be honest."

"I don't know. But... I don't think so. No one knows we're here. Everyone on the isle is dead, and who knows the state of things off of the isle." The two hadn't bothered checking to see if the gray had receded, opting to stay hidden inside the ruins.

"So we're going to die, then?"

"Most likely. There's no food here, and the water we found will only last for so long. I don't even know if that water is safe to drink, but any water is better than none at this point, and we don't feel sick from it yet, so it's better than nothing. But without food we won't last long."

"I never thought it would end like this. Before any of this I thought maybe we might get off the isle, but there was always the part of me that thought I'd die on the isle, having never escaped."

"I wish we could've escaped."

"So do I."

"Patton, there's something I should tell you," Logan said quietly. "I know this is an awful time for something like this, but I don't want to die from regretting that I never said anything. I already know I'll have a list of regrets I die with, and I don't need to make it longer. So if you'd like to hear it, I have a confession to make."

"Go ahead," Patton said.

"I don't know how to even say this." Logan sighed. "I've never been good with emotions. I never know what I feel, and when I do know I push it to the background. But with you... you've always managed to make me feel things like nobody else. You try to stay optimistic about everything, and that spark always brought the life back into me when I was spiraling. Everything about you is just so amazing. I can't help but want to be around you. I may not know what I feel but, god, I think I'm in love with you."

The confession hung in the air around them, heavy with the weight of the situation and the pure emotion in Logan's voice. And then Patton started laughing, a pure, light laugh full of adoration and joy, and the weight seemed to lift. Patton was smiling, and Logan knew that if Patton could smile in a time like this then maybe everything would be alright. He would pay to see that smile every day for the rest of his life, no matter how long or short that was.

"Thank the gods," Patton said once he had calmed down. "I thought you'd never return my feelings."

"You mean-"

"Yes, Logan." Patton had the brightest smile on his face. "I love you, too."

"Can I kiss you?" Logan asked. "If we're going to die here I don't want to die without having single kiss in my life."

"Go ahead."

The kiss was soft and full of adoration. It was simple and full of emotion. It was them, and it was perfect.

"Well I didn't expect to find this when I set out." The two quickly pulled away as an unfamiliar voice spoke.

"Who are you?" Logan asked warily. The person couldn't have been older than them, and had scale tattoos all over the left side of his face.

"I'm Janus." He smiled, and Logan realized that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't there to kill them. "And you two must be Patton and Logan."

"That is correct," Logan said. "I'm Logan. How do you know us?"

"Oh, I should've mentioned that." Janus laughed. "I've come to get you off of the isle. Roman would've come, but he's preoccupied at the moment. I can explain on the way."

"We're leaving?" Patton asked.

"You are."

~

Roman stared down at the hand that was clasped in his own, memories playing through his head. There wasn't much they could do for Virgil. Janus has fixed him as best as he could, but now it was a waiting game.

They hoped the magic in him would help heal him, but Roman knew it was a gamble. There was no way to know for sure, but he had to trust his vision. He had to trust that everything would be alright.

Before he knew it tears were slipping out of his eyes and down his face, dripping down onto the floor. He didn't know what he'd do if Virgil never woke up. The sad truth of it was that the puppet had been right. He loved Virgil.

"Don't cry, Ro." Roman's head flew up to look at Virgil, who was smiling softly.

"Don't you ever try to leave me again," Roman rushed out, gently pulling him into a hug, being careful of his injury.

"I won't, Ro. I promise."

1145 words.