Trade Mistakes - Prinxiety [COMPLETED]

Chapter XIII

Roman was smiling so wide his cheeks hurt. Sweat was dripping down his face and he could feel the exhaustion in his bones, but he couldn't be happier as he bowed with his fellow actors of the Broadway production of Wicked The Musical. There was nothing that could feel more exhilarating than this. The crowd cheering and clapping as they waved and the curtain fell would be echoing in his skull tonight as he tried to sleep, just as it had for the past few days.

He was still smiling as he returned to his dressing room and changed into his more comfortable clothes. With a towel, he wiped away the sweat from the show. The actor was drinking water when there was a knock at the door.

"Roman, you have a couple visitors," the stage manger said, opening the door.

He looked up as his 'visitors' entered the room, a gasp escaping his lips as he leapt to his feet. "Patton!! Logan!!" he exclaimed, rushing forward to hug the two of them. "I haven't seen you guys in years!"

"I know! We missed you!" the cheerful man with a blue bow tie on said, holding on to the hug a little longer than his boyfriend. Patton grinned as he met his eyes, handing him a small bouquet of flowers. "You were amazing! I'm so proud of you!! You were so, so amazing!!"

The princely man smiled at the compliment. "Thank you so much, Pat," he replied, taking the flowers with slightly misty eyes. "It's really good to see you two, it's been so long."

"Yes, it has," Logan agreed, smiling warmly. "You probably haven't even heard the news about Patton and I." The actor shook his head, making the bow tie wearing man squeal a little and show him his hand. On his ring finger was a shiny silver engagement ring. Roman gasped, looking toward the necktie wearing man for confirmation. "Yes, we're engaged."

He cheered happily, hugging the both of them again. "I'm so happy for you two!"

They sat down and discussed their engagement, catching up with each others' lives over the past couple years. They'd drifted in their last couple years of high school after the problem with Virgil, and then Roman had moved to New York without really saying anything to his former friends. It was talking to them that reminded him just how much he'd missed them.

"So, we wanted to... talk to you about something," Patton said hesitantly after a pause in the conversation. The tone of his voice made the actor's body tense up, but he nodded. "We wanted to know what happened between you and Virgil."

His body froze up as he looked down. He tangled his fingers together, trying to calm the nerves that arose from talking about this topic. "I thought he told you already..."

"He did, but we want to know your side of the story too," Logan said calmly. His stoic serenity made him feel a little more comfortable when he looked up. "We're not angry with you, alright? We'd like to know what happened from your perspective so we can have a clearer picture of what happened, why two of our best friends stopped talking to each other."

Roman sighed and gathered his courage. "Okay, well, I don't know what he told you, but I messed up," he started. "I messed up big time. I was in love with Virgil but too scared to truly act on it from fear of ruining what we had. Then at Remy's party, we got drunk and we made out. We thankfully didn't go farther than that, but it got heated. We ignored it the next couple days... but then when we were hanging out at Remy's just the five of us, I kissed him again. I said we could just be friends with benefits."

His friends both looked sadden by his admission. "I know it was wrong, I was just so desperate to get closer to him without ruining what we had, and I did just that," he said, shaking his head. "And that fear just remained when he asked about being in a relationship. I was such an idiot for treating him that way, and then when I tried to apologize, I was an idiot again and started criticizing his relationship with his guitarist. He deserves better than me..."

"Roman," Patton murmured, putting a hand on his knee. "I'm not excusing your behavior, what you told him was pretty nasty, but you should have told him these things sooner instead of letting him walk out of your life. You love him."

He sighed again, letting out a pained breathy laugh. "I know that, Pat, I know..." he replied. "But he just... he's better without me. He doesn't need me, and in time, I can learn not to need him, as much as that pains me to admit... We can live without each other if we try hard enough. Love's not a matter of life and death."

"While you're right," Logan interrupted, "you're trying to shut out your emotions, which can't be unhealthy. Have you discussed what happened with Virgil in a private, calm setting? Truly discussed what happened?"

The actor shook his head. "Exactly," he said pointedly. "You can't expect him to be honest with you in public or anywhere he might be seen arguing with a past lover. He's famous now, Roman. He's got a lot on his plate with his band and the stressful privileges that come with it. You should talk to him, for real. Tell him what you told us about your feelings during that time, admit that you were wrong."

"But what would I be trying to achieve?" he said hopelessly. "He hates me, guys, you don't understand. You didn't see the way he looked at me..."

Roman looked away, biting his lip as he fought to keep his emotions in check. He wasn't about to start crying in front of them over this. He needed to move on. "If Virgil wants to talk to me, he knows where to find me," he said with finality. "He free to visit any time he wants. I have nothing I'm holding against him."

His friends sighed but nodded, agreeing not to discuss it anymore. "Hey, I'm glad you guys came though," he said, changing the subject. "It was amazing seeing you guys again, we should hang out like old times! Does Remy still throw parties?"

"Oh yeah, and he's still obsessed with Starbucks," Patton reassured him with a giggle as they stood up and walked to the door.

They then exchanged updated numbers and promised to be more in touch. By the time Roman got to his apartment, he was exhausted and passed out on his couch with Virgil Black's voice filling his ears from his phone.