Arabian Nights

Chapter 14

Neither Roman nor Virgil spoke for a second.

"Who's-"

Roman shushed Virgil with a hand over his mouth before he could finish. Virgil considered biting him. "Are you crazy?" He hissed. He blinked, almost as if he realised what he'd done, and let his hand drop from Virgil's face. "Sorry. Stay here."

Roman pushed himself off the roof onto a small ledge below and swung himself down into the room below. Virgil stared down at his lap and sat on his hands.

A few stray fireworks lit up the night sky. He was so late. So, so late. How had he let himself get so carried away? He went with Roman to get Janus' bangle and that was all. How had he... How had he let himself get carried away like that?

He was the prince, for God's sake, he shouldn't be swept off his feet so easily. In fact, he prided himself on that fact. Prince Virgil of Agrabah, a heart like ice ever since his mother had died.

So what had happened? Surely it took a little more than a pretty face and a kind listener to make him forget himself.

Why did his face feel so warm? Was he blushing? Oh Lord-

A mumble of voices from below made him glance down. One of them sounded like Janus. But how...?

Virgil glanced around himself, trying to find a way off the roof. He shuffled along to where Roman had been sitting and tried to copy his movements. He got onto the ledge easy enough.

Once down there, he wobbled. In a panic, he pressed himself flat against the wall. He groped for the bar Roman used to swing himself into his room. He couldn't quite reach it...

Inching along the ledge, Virgil found the bar. He sat down on the ledge and grabbed the bar with both hands. He took a breath and pushed himself off the wall.

The bar creaked and juddered. It jolted down towards the Agrabah alleyways below. Virgil tried to pull himself up frantically but every move he made just shook the bar.

With a great crack, the plaster started to pull away from the wall. Virgil screamed.

"Stay here."

Roman swung down into his house, his mind spiralling through all the people who could've broken in. He landed silently enough but, still, his brother looked up and-

Thank God, it was only his brother.

"Re!" Roman placed a hand over his heart and heaved a breath. "God, Re, don't scare me like that! I thought you were the Guard or something."

Remus shrugged. "Wow, sorry." He rolled his eyes. Roman glared.

"Yeah, you should be." He shook his head and smiled. "Look, I got a guy upstairs, I took him to see the fireworks, but I gotta get him back home so-"

"So I take it that this is Roman?" The voice from behind him made Roman jump about a foot in the air. He whirled around, his hands already raised to punch.

There was a boy with long hair and a black tunic leaning against Roman's wall. Oh, of course. Just Remus' type. Still, how had he snuck up behind Roman without Roman noticing him?

"And you are?" Roman asked, not lowering his fists.

"None of your business," the boy said. He raised an eyebrow at Roman's still raised fists.

Remus patted Roman on the shoulder. "He's with me," he said, as if that wasn't already obvious. Begrudgingly, Roman lowered his fists. He took another look at the boy.

The boy was significantly not mussed. Not a hair out of place.

Roman leaned closer to Remus to whisper. "So... did I interrupt you two too soon or-?"

"Roman!" Remus' hands flew up so fast he nearly slapped Roman in the face. "No, it's not like that!"

"Really?" Roman glanced back at the boy. "Because that's, on paper, your person."

"You two realise I can hear you, right?" The boy asked. Roman opened his mouth to reply when a scream from outside cut him off. The boy whipped around, eyes wide.

"Virge!"

"Virge?!"

Short chapter but the last one didn't do very well so... I'm not feeling too motivated, sorry
Bye,
Blaize