3/25/19 at 11:21 pm: Well that last chapter was a doozy, wasn't it? Yeah... I'm just gonna... go...
3/31/19 at 2:33 pm: Writing this chapter for the third time... I've had a rough weekend and I'm ready to get this shit over with already.Virgil's eyes fluttered open, his body completely numb. Even so, his mind seemed to know everything it needed to: the burning sensation on his head, the soon-to-be bruises everywhere on his body, and exactly was he needed to do.
He got up slowly, his muscles stiff. He put weight on his right ankle and nearly screamed, falling back to his knees with a hard thud on the concrete. He bit his lip and tried to stand again, stumbling forward until he leaned against the wall.
He limped up the stairs slowly, the wood creaking under his weight. His breathing was heavy but steady—calm and collected. He put his hand on the doorknob and twisted it.
Locked.
His emotions hit him like a truck. They slammed into him so hard that he had no idea what to do. No longer so calm and collected, his breaths became ragged gasps and tears filled his eyes. He raced down the steps despite his pain, feeling the walls of the stairwell closing in around him.
Virgil sat on his bed, needing to feel warm and safe, though it didn't do much. He felt trapped, maybe because he was. He held his legs against his chest, sobbing and wheezing into his jeans.
———
Roman felt his back pocket vibrate.
His father reached out his hand for the plate Roman was holding. "Go take that. I'll finish cleaning up."
His son smiled. "Thanks." He pulled the electronic out of his pocket, smiling at the familiar contact name. "Hey," he greeted, slipping around the corner into the living room.
"Hey." Anx's voice was hoarse and weak, nearly silent through the speaker.
"Are you okay?"
He chuckled, though it sounded breathy and lacked humor. "Gettin' there." He paused and let out a shaky sigh. "So-So, Princey..."
Roman's body was tense, as though it were sensing danger. "Yeah?"
"I need, um... I need a favor."
"Anything."
Anx hesitated. "You wanna know who I am, right?"
Something about this didn't feel right. Sure, the answer was yes—absolutely—but the whole conversation made Roman question the circumstances. "Yes."
"Then-Then I need your help. I'm-I'm gonna text you an address. It's not mine but Tho-Thomas will help you. Just tell him the name Jackson, okay?"
At this point, Roman was already slipping on a jacket and shoes. "Anx, please tell me what's going on." He patted his pocket to make sure his car keys were in there.
"Please just hurry... I-I... I'm scared..." He hung up.
Roman's heart dropped at the dial tone. Quickly, he put away his phone and turned around.
His father's face startled him. "What's the matter, Roman?" he asked, his voice calm even though he was clearly worried.
"I don't know," the teen admitted. He gave his father a quick hug and slipped out the door.
———
The doorbell rang, drawing Thomas's attention away from the page he had mistakenly read three times. He sighed, slipping the bookmark into the binding and closing it shut. "I got it!" he called to his parents.
When he pulled open the door, he was met with a familiar face: tall, handsome, tan.
"You're Roman Cross," Thomas stated bluntly, wondering many things yet keeping his mouth shut.
"You're Thomas?" Roman asked, though not in a rude way.
He nodded. His anxiety slowly began to kick in.
"I need your help; I mean, I was told to get your help." Roman stumbled over his words like he hadn't fully thought through coming there.
Now, Thomas was intrigued. How could he not be? "By whom?" Despite his interest, he wasn't sure if he could blindly follow Roman. Though they hadn't talked, Virgil hated him and that was reason enough not to trust him.
"You see, that's the problem." He sighed. "I, um... I don't know. Whoever he really is, he told me to tell you the name 'Jackson.'"
Thomas stopped breathing; his entire body went still as he stared at Roman. Slowly, movement returned to him and, with it, overwhelming emotion. He was scared and angry and confused. Who the hell is he to Virgil? Why tell him instead of... "Oh my goodness," Thomas breathed, finally realizing who, precisely, he was talking to. 'Whoever he really is...' He uttered with a shocked smile, "You're Princey."
Roman nodded, but he still looked fearful. "Please tell me what's going on."
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If the Shoe Fits (Prinxiety Cinderella AU - Roman x Virgil)
FanfictionJoy cannot last, as many stories prove. But some stories prove to repeat themselves. Is this the same? Or will the universe change its mind? Cinderella's story isn't as simple as it was all of those years ago.