Dementophobia || Sanders Sides

11. Better

And here is the much awaited for next chapter lol

TW: swearing, sexual jokes, talk of gangs,

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Filling the car up with gas was easier said than done with Roman complaining the whole time. He wisely didn't mention anything about their current situation, but he complained about anything else. From the smell of the gas station to the rundown station itself, anything was fair game for Roman's complaints.

"Roman, I swear to god if you don't shut up I'm going to gag you," Virgil muttered. "You are the most annoying person on this planet. At least wait until we're back on the road to complain about everything."

"Careful gagging me, I might enjoy it." Virgil's eyes must have shown his shock, because Roman started laughing as if he'd said the funniest thing in the world. The sound of laughter turned a few heads, but none of their gazes lingered for long.

"Oh shush," Virgil said, though his voice lacked the same bite that it had before. Even he could admit, the joke was amusing.

"Come on, that was a good one!" Roman was smiling brightly, and it made Virgil wonder how someone could exist in such a world and smile with such joy. He was surrounded by gangs, and was a stalker himself, and yet he could still smile as if there was nothing wrong with the world. It was almost the opposite of Virgil, who had lost the same joy in life that he used to have. There was more pleasure to be found in the release of life, in his eyes.

"If it was, you'll never see me admit it." He didn't know when his voice had lost the cold edge to it, but it had happened at some point. His comfort level around Roman had certainly changed. They were less of strangers than they used to be after the last few hours stuck in a car. Maybe he wouldn't go as far as to say that they were friends, but they certainly weren't strangers.

"Oh come on." Roman pouted playfully, and maybe he hated it a tiny bit less, but that was something he would never admit. "You're so mean."

"Yes, I am." Virgil quirked an eyebrow at him. "Didn't you read the business card?"

"I-" Roman stared at him for a second, as if trying to figure out whether or not he was joking. It was kind of funny, the way he would look like a confused puppy every time something would happen. "What?"

"You know, the business card."

"You have a business card."

"No," Virgil said with a small laugh. "I've never had a business card, Roman."

"Fuck you," Roman muttered, though it lacked any sort of bite.

"I bet you wish you could." Roman's eyes widened.

"What- I- huh-" Virgil only laughed as he watched Roman's internal struggle continue. A slow but sure blush was appearing on his face, which only made Virgil laugh more.

"That's what you get for making a comment like that first," Virgil said smugly. "Don't say what you can't take."

"Well-" Roman stopped himself mid protest, face falling into a pout.

"You make that expression a lot," Virgil observed.

"What expression?" The pout on Roman's face continued.

"Like you're a puppy, and someone took away your favorite toy."

"I'm not a dog!" Roman protested.

"I didn't say you were a dog." Virgil laughed. "Now come on, we need to pay for this so we can get out of here. We've got a lot of driving left."

~

Paying for the gas went on without a hitch, which was probably good considering the longer they spent there, the more time they would lose. Soon the two were back on the road again, heading towards their destination.

"Can you tell me where we're going?" Roman asked. "I don't like not knowing."

"We're going somewhere without a lot of people," Virgil said, keeping his eyes on the road ahead of him. Occasionally he glanced in the review mirror, as if checking something. "That's really all I can tell you."

"You could tell me the place. Just trust me."

"It's not that I don't trust you. I just don't trust the car itself," Virgil explained. "It's quite possible this Talon Smoke gang or whatever knew I had a car and put a listening device in here. I don't know how much money they have access to, but with enough money you could do anything. I'm just taking precautions."

"That's-" Roman stopped. "That's actually a fair point."

"Speaking of this gang, what kind of cars do they typically drive?"

"Uhm... I don't know. Anything I guess. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Virgil said nonchalantly. "We've just had a car following us ever since we left the gas station, that's all."

796 words.