Reapers

Chapter 42: Lying is Getting Harder

Virgil tapped his fingers against the table at the restaurant he and Roman were at. "Okay, so you told Logan and Patton that I went back to Rome due to some family emergency?" he asked.

"Yup, and then I told Patton in private that you went to Home. I... didn't tell him why. I was going to eventually, but I never had the chance," Roman explained. "So he's going to want an explanation I'm sure."

"Okay... and what was the family emergency you thought of for me?"

"I never told Logan what had happened? I just told him that you went back home. In all honesty, I didn't believe you would come back."

Virgil sighed, deflating slightly as another pang of guilt hit him in the chest. "I... I see. If he asks I'll probably tell them that there was a family death or something."

"That's a bit extreme, I was thinking family in the hospital or something."

"When Logan dies and finds out about all this stuff, he's going to be pissed. It would be easier just to tell him everything. Except maybe the Romulus part, I would save that for later. It's going to be hard enough to explain without that."

"I think Patton is the one who has the most say in that, since they're roommates."

"Also because they both clearly have a crush on each other."

"Right! It's so obvious! How can they not see that they like each other! How oblivious does someone have to be to not realize that someone is crushing on them."

Virgil laughed awkwardly, "Yeah, it's crazy."

He was luckily saved when the door opened, causing a bell to ring. Logan and Patton walked in and Roman waved them over.

"Virgil, I'm happy to see you back. Is everything alright with your family?" Logan asked as he sat down.

"Y-yeah, no. Um, my uncle passed away." Virgil was glad he had time to prepare the lie.

"Oh, my condolences. Are you okay?"

"I'm good, I wasn't very close to him anyway. I just went there as support for the family that was, and stayed for the funeral. I didn't want to stay too long though."

"You should always take your time with these kinds of matters."

"I promise I'm alright. My family won't care if I'm there or not, I was always the black sheep of the family."

"I'll take your word for it, I hope your trip wasn't too unpleasant."

"It... could have been worse."

"Hello," a waiter greeted as she came over. "May I get you something to drink?"

After they ordered their drinks, Logan excused himself to go to the bathroom. Once he was out of earshot, Patton's smile was replaced with a look of worry as he turned to Virgil.

"Where have you been? Is everything okay?" he asked, grabbing Virgil's hands.

"I went back to Home, the-the afterlife not Rome," Virgil explained. "I um... we found out that Roman had been reincarnated by my ex fiance and I got... scared."

"That's... that is surprising. But why did you get scared? Was your ex fiance a bad person?"

"No! No, far from it. He just... he went to Elysium and for a while I would visit him. But he decided to reincarnate, and when he did it hurt. It felt like he abandoned me. So... I was scared."

Roman frowned, putting a hand on Virgil's shoulder. "Were you scared that I was going to leave you?"

Virgil shrugged. "I just... you remind me a lot of him. I figured, if you were so similar to him that you were going to leave. It's stupid, I know, but I was scared."

"Sounds like you have abandonment issues," Patton noted.

"Yup, that sounds about right. I'm sorry for leaving without warning, I know that was a jerk move."

"It's okay, I'm just glad that you're back and everything is okay now. Everything... is okay now, right?"

"Yeah, yeah I think it will be." Virgil rubbed his arm, sending Roman a smile. "A-anyway, what about you? Have you been okay?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm guessing you're talking about the increase of phantoms?"

"Mostly, yesterday there were two class four phantoms that appeared."

Patton paled. "What? How?"

"Janus is looking into it, we don't know yet. I think they were summoned since they appeared almost at the same time, and the fact that one appeared near Roman and the other near Janus and Remus is too big of coincidence."

"It does sound too big of coincidence, but you need evidence before making an accusation like that," Roman reminded him.

"I bet she found out about you, I've been trying to hide it from her but she probably found out somehow! And she targeted you while I was gone, I swear if you had gotten hurt."

"You saved me in time, I'm okay dear."

Virgil's face went red at the nickname and when Roman realized what he said, blush covered his own face. Patton snickered, before putting a hand over his mouth and deciding to look out of the window they were next to.

"Oh, Logan's coming back," Virgil changed the subject.

Roman looked up to see the teacher walking back, quickly picking up the menu. "Do you guys know what you want?" he quickly asked.

Logan sat down and picked up his own menu. "Are we going to split the check or may I pay for all of us this time?" he asked.

"I'm going to have the spaghetti," Patton said. "And I don't mind splitting."

"I'll try their stuffed shells, and I can pay for the whole thing myself," Virgil offered. "You're not the only rich guy here."

"I suppose that's true, I'm just used to it. Though, these two don't take advantage of it."

"I suppose that's why you're all such good friends."

"We can split," Roman said. "And I'll try the pizza."

"If we're splitting you and Patton aren't paying, and seriously? Pizza? It's an Italian restaurant, there's all kinds of food here!"

"And the pizza they cook here isn't even from an Italian recipe, it's American," Logan added.

"Disrespecting my homeland, come osi." (How dare you).

"Was that Italian?" Roman asked.

"Yes, what else would it have been?"

Roman sent him a look that said, 'How was I supposed to know?' Virgil gave him a look that said 'I know more than two languages.'

"Fine, I'll get something else, but I do love pizza," Roman pouted.

"Let's just hope the things they make here taste just as good as they do in Italy, though I doubt it."