King of Mean

15

"Virgil, I... I love you." Virgil yanked his hands out of Roman's with this horrified look in his eyes. Roman's chest did more than just tighten. It was as if someone was squeezing his heart.  "Virgil?"

"No... no no no. That's not..." Roman watched as the boy started to pace, the pain in his chest only growing as time went on. "This can't be happening."

"Virgil, please... I know it's a bit shocking considering but I really do..."

"NO YOU DON'T!" Roman reeled back as Virgil's eyes went green. Virgil took Roman's hand and despite the fearful look Roman couldn't help but melt into the touch. He really did love Virgil. "Roman, this isn't real."

"What are you talking about?" Virgil reached out checking for a fever and frowned as he pulled away shaking his head. "Virgil talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Roman, I'm going to tell you something and I need you not to get angry with me." Roman only laughed. "I'm serious."

"I could never get angry with you... ok no but I can't stay mad at you, Virgil. I love you too much."

"ROMAN PLEASE!" The desperation rolling off of Virgil was clear as day and it worried Roman. So he just nodded while trying hard to stay smiling if only slightly. "Do you remember the cupcake I made you last night?"

"How could I forget? It was the most delicious thing I had plus you made it so an added bonus." Virgil frowned as Roman hummed with a smile.

"It was spelled." Roman froze, his smile slowly falling as the tears built in Virgil's eyes. "I-I didn't want this. I swear this wasn't my intention."

"I don't understand."

"I used an old love spell to make a new potion which I diluted and put in the icing." Roman just stood there taking it all in. "It was only supposed to make you hate me less not this. But... I KNEW I would fuck it up. That's why I didn't want to give it to you. B-But I did anyway..."

"But that doesn't make sense." Roman tried to take Virgil's hand again but the other quickly moved out of reach. "I don't feel any different than I have for a while. Just more... sure of myself. Don't you think I would know if I was spelled?"

"What happened after you ate the cupcake?" Roman rolled his eyes with a playful laugh.

"Nothing." Virgil glared at him so Roman shrugged and continued. "Nothing happened. I ate the cupcake, then went home. I got tired so I went to..." Roman froze up and Virgil's eyes narrowed. "I went to sleep."

"I'm so sorry Roman. I swear I just wanted you to hate me less." Roman frowned as Virgil continued to cry. "I-I thought that if you hated me less than things would be better... I don't even know anymore."

"Why?" Virgil flinched as Roman's voice shook. "Why would go that far?"

"TO STOP THE SCREAMING!" Now it was Roman's turn to flinch. "To stop getting treated like shit. To stop the hatred. I-I thought you would just end up leaving me alone at best. The spell was only supposed to take whatever positive feelings you had for me and amplify them. I even diluted it too... o-or I thought I did."

"Virgil, listen to me." Roman brushed his fingers lightly against Virgil's check wiping the tears away as delicately as he could. "You said it was the cupcake right?" Virgil nodded and Roman smiled. "But I've been feeling like this since I met you. I've just been so... fuck up to see what it was."

"No... You just think that you've felt like this." Roman groaned in frustration as he held Virgil closer resting his head against his.

"Virgil, you're not listening to me. I get it ok. You're saying you gave me a spelled cupcake, but I'm telling you I feel no different than I did two days prior. I just have a better understanding. If anything that spell of yours helped me to understand what I've been feeling." Roman was desperate. He loved Virgil. He knew he loved Virgil. He needed Virgil to hear him but...

"I'm sorry, but you're just not in the right mind right now." Virgil pulled away ignoring the pain in Roman's eyes. "You don't really want this, Roman. Just yesterday you told me you hated me."

"I NEVER hated you. I was just confused... and stupid. Very very stupid." Virgil smiled as he brushed the hair out of Romans eyes laughing softly as Roman leaned into his touch. "Please believe me."

"I'm going to figure out how to reverse this spell, Roman. I promise." The world never felt as cold as it did when Virgil left him standing there alone. He couldn't breathe. Tears fell from his eyes like waterfalls. Virgil didn't believe him because of that cupcake... but what if he had never eaten it? What if he never ate it and still came to that conclusion? 

"Well, there is really only one way to find out." Roman groaned as he fell back against his bed. Remus sat on the desk looking over at him with a sad expression. "Think about it Roman, if Virgil really did spell you..."

"But I don't feel..."

"That's not the point." Roman claimed up as Remus jump up off the desk crossing his arms. "If you are spelled than you can't know anything for certain. I don't care if God himself told you what you feel is real. if there is a chance it isn't... At least Virgil came clean."

"He said he just wanted me to hate him less." Remus smiled sadly at him as Roman curled up into himself. "I love him, Remus."

"Then you know what you need to do."

"But what if he's right and I go back to be that... cruel? I don't want to do that. I don't want to hurt him. I'd rather be spelled than see him cry again." 

"That's the spell talking." Remus sat beside him trying very hard to be comforting.

"But it's not. You know the kind of person I am Remus. Am I really acting any different than I normally would if I loved someone?" Remus didn't even say anything he just shot him a look. 

"Roman, the point is Virgil admitted to putting a spell on you. If you truly love him then nothing with change... but if it is the spell then you need to find out. Regardless it needs to break." Remus offered him a soft smiled as he rubbed his brother's arm. "It's just a matter of whether you're strong enough to do it."

"I know." Roman pushed himself up feeling the weight of the world pressing down on him. "You're right."

"If you want I can go with you, I'm sure Cassidy will understand." Roman just laughed as he shook his head.

"Yeah, that isn't happening. I'm already on shaky ground with all of them. There is no way I'm stealing Deceit's boyfriend the night of his first performance." The shock on Remus's face was palpable. "I'll be ok. I promise. Go have fun."

"Are you sure?" Roman nodded and Remus smiled pulling his twin in for a hug only to slap him playfully on the back of the head making both laughs. "Deceit is not my boyfriend!"

"If you say so..."