Dear, Insecurity//Romangst//Prinxiety [IN PROGRESS]

It Worked

(Sorry for not posting this last night, I fell asleep lmao-)

Logan waved calmly. Roman waved back and sat down beside Virgil. 

"You're the guy Patton's been telling me about?" Logan asked, closing a book. Patton nodded.

"He's super cool, Logan." Patton smiled.

Virgil turned to Roman. 

"So, you've already met Patton, but that's his boyfriend, Logan." Roman nodded.

"Patton is everyone's dad friend," Virgil said. "Logan is all smart or whatever," Patton giggled.

"Like Sherlock and Watson, then?" Roman mumbled. Virgil chuckled, nodding. Patton squealed excitedly.

"New nicknames, Logie!" Patton bounced.

The four sat in silence for about ten seconds before Patton broke it.

"It's so great to talk to you at school," Patton grinned. His smile could light up a room, really. "Virgil told me about how you stepped in front of Mason at the movie theatre, it was really brave of you!" Roman chuckled nervously.

"Oh- well, I-... thank you?" Roman's face flushed again.

Patton and Logan started having their own conversation. Virgil looked at Roman.

"If talking to them is too overwhelming, we can go sit by your tree instead." Roman glanced from Patton and Logan, back to Virgil.

"No, it's alright-."

"Okay, just gimme the word if it's too much, Princey," Roman nodded slowly.

"You told Patton about the movie theatre?" Virgil laughed nervously.

"Well, yeah. Just parts of it. I talk about you a lot." Roman smiled subconsciously. 

The two shared that same comfortable silence for a bit. Roman was actually quite fond of that. Normally, at least for him, the silence was either awkward or tense. With Virgil, it was just silence. 

"Oh- about last night," Virgil turned to face him completely. "I still want to talk about that, we could talk after school if you could get out of your house for a bit. I know you said you don't get out much, I just-"

"I can try," Roman interjected. "Sorry- I didn't mean to interrupt."He rambled. Virgil smiled again. "Just... he's weird with time stuff." Virgil nodded.

"If times are difficult and you're allowed--or if you're not allowed, I can be sneaky," Virgil chuckled. "But you could come over to my house--I'll tell my mom to not be all weird and giggle again."

Roman actually really liked that idea.
A night out of his house, where he could do whatever, plus talking to his friend and maybe getting closer to getting out of his father's iron grip.

"Don't you have to check with your moms?" Virgil shrugged.

"I could probably tell them five seconds before you knock and they wouldn't mind," Virgil plucked at the grass. "So you wanna try staying overnight?" Roman laughed nervously.

"Well--y'know only if it's alright--I don't want to intrude." Virgil smiled again, looking up to meet eyes with Roman. 

"It's no trouble, Princey." Roman's face flushed again.

It was strange to feel reassured.
Even though he felt good, with Virgil's support and all, he couldn't seem to stop the influx of thoughts telling him that it wouldn't work.

The same kind of things he was thinking the night before.

Virgil was still expecting him to talk about what happened behind closed doors.

What if he just started disliking Roman after what he hears?

No, it doesn't really make sense for Virgil to do that, but it still racked his brain.

Roman never fought back, he never really tried to get out much himself.
He didn't fight it.
Virgil could judge him for that.

Roman almost knew he was being unrealistic.
He just didn't want to let himself fall into thinking someone was always going to be there, only for them to turn away at the last second. 
That'd happened before, so he made a promise with himself to not fall for the same thing.

Virgil was different, but Roman was shoulder-deep in the sea of not wanting to get hurt.

What an annoying cycle to be in.

~~~

Roman sat in his room silently, thinking of a plan of how to ask his father, when he'd leave.

Honestly, he was way overthinking this, he sat there thinking for so long you'd think he was plotting a crime.

Roman sighed to himself, deciding he was stalling long enough. He made slow progress down the stairs and met gazes with his father.

"What do you want?" The tone alone was nearly enough for Roman to forget all of what he'd only just planned and 'nope' his way back up to his room. But he wanted to try this.

"I just-," He took a breath. "I wanted to go out and stay at a friends' tonight." His father almost looked like he was gonna laugh.

"You have friends?" Roman frowned.

"Can I go?" Roman tried to sound less timid, it didn't entirely work.

"Sure, whatever. Be back at curfew tomorrow, huh? Maybe don't show up late every time you come home and I'd be easy on you." Roman didn't respond, he just walked out.
His father had already said the same thing before about other stuff. It was never true, obviously.

Roman made his way out of the gates and sighed with relief once they closed behind him.

He started walking again, a small smile forming when he realized what he had just done.

It worked.