Sanders Sides Oneshots and Short Stories

Chances

Requested.

Ship: Romantic Prinxiety, past romantic Analogical

Category: Angst

Warnings: None

Summary: Roman has had one too many chances with Virgil.

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"Why does it always have to be so sad?" Roman demanded, fists clenched at his sides but it wasn't from anger, it was to keep himself from shattering into a million pieces.

Virgil's expression was unreadable, but his dark eyes glittered with unshed tears. "You're making it sad, Roman."

"We- I never stood a chance, did I?" The question was loaded, dangerous. A minefield.

"That's the sad part," Virgil said, voice hardening into something grating. His hand went up to fist in his unruly black bangs. "You did, once."

"So what happened?" Roman asked, but it's more like begging. His nails draw angry crescents of blood from his palms. "What went wrong?"

"We weren't meant to be together," Virgil admitted softly, releasing the grip on his hair. "I just can't take this anymore. Every time you break, you come crawling to me to fix you, and I do, I gave you so many chances! I tore myself apart to put you back together again, and I lost a little bit of myself every time. How much longer before I have nothing left to give? What happens when you shatter for good, and I'm not there to pick up the pieces? You can't do anything for yourself, Roman!"

Roman tasted salt. A tear slipped down his cheek, then another, and then soon his shoulders were shaking with effort as he sobbed quietly. Fingers trembling, he scrubbed at the tears in vain, but they kept coming, a river of salty water pouring from his hazel eyes. Every word was true. But that didn't mean Virgil had to do this.

"Please," Roman whispered, taking a staggering step forwards. Moonlight traced a wavering path to the love of his life, to Virgil, to the man who was turning him away."I'll be better. Give me another chance, please."

"Too many chances!" Virgil snapped, hugging himself. His purple and grey hoodie rippled in the faint breeze, still too large for him. Roman had bought him that hoodie. "Look, it was doomed from the beginning. I left Logan for you, because I thought you deserved a chance. Do you know why I didn't leave before, every time you took a piece of me out the door?" Roman opened his mouth, a shaky reply on his lips, but Virgil snarled, "Because I thought you were worth it!"

He's not worth it anymore? Roman was such a burden that Virgil couldn't take it anymore?

Roman's heart shattered.

A sharp pain in his chest made him gasp, and tears stained his red vest. A little gold crown emblem decorated his shoulder. Virgil had sewed that by hand. Was this what the stories had meant by 'heartbreak'? He felt like he was splintering into dozens of parts, his heart shredded like paper in a storm.

"Virge-" Roman lurched toward him, needing to be held, he needed to feel Virgil's strong arms around him, needed to smell Virgil's cologne that he could never guess the scent of, just please-

Virgil dodged him, and upon closer inspection, seemed to be fighting tears himself. "Do-n't," Virgil said, voice cracking. "Don't do this to me, and yourself. Just... just go home, Prince."

The agony within his ribcage intensified, as if he had punctured a lung and could no longer breathe properly. Last-name basis?

"God," Roman whimpered, stumbling and collapsing to his knees, the gravel digging into his skin. "I-I can't, please god-" He let out a broken sob, clutching his chest. Heartbreak.

"Go-" Virgil inhaled sharply, gritted his teeth through his pain, and forced out, "Go home. Call Patton or something. Ju-Just go, don't drag this out-"

Roman wasn't worth it. Roman was burden. Roman asked for too much. Roman was useless.

Roman was broken.

"I wasn't broken before," Roman gasped, nearly choking on the words. Each one dragged itself from his lips, throat burning with the strength of them. "But you're breaking me, Virgil. Please, don't-"

"You were broken long before I came into the equation," Virgil replied coldly, any hint of tears vanishing like Roman's hopes and dreams and love. "Goodbye, Roman."

Roman was barely aware of the car engine revving to life, the headlights shining on him and illuminating the shiny purple earrings he wore. Amethysts. Virgil's favorite stone. He was hardly aware of the fading rumble, the crunch of tires on gravel as Virgil left him for good.

No more chances.

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