Call It Home - Prinxiety [COMPLETED]

Chapter Thirteen: Happy & Healthy

Virgil's nerves weren't eased yet as their group of friends made their way to hospital wing. The Gryffindor team had made sure that Roman went and got himself checked out, and now they were on their way to check on him themselves. He was still a bit concerned with the amount of hits he took during the game though it seemed he was fine enough to continue.

They entered the hospital wing, finding it to be slightly crowded with members of both teams getting checked up. Roman was laying on a cot and looked up as they entered.

"Hey guys!" he greeted cheerfully, sipping water.

Several of them cheered his name. They rushed over to him and attempted to hug him before he reminded them of his bruised ribs.

"Yeah, I'm alright," the Chaser reassured them. "Just some bruising, it'll be gone in no time thanks to Madame Promfrey. She worked her magic and is having me rest here for a few hours while I heal."

"That's a relief," Patton said with a smile. "After that Bludger to the chest and then the crash, we thought you would tap out."

Roman scoffed. "Wow, you think so lowly of me and my abilities?" he complained dramatically. "I can't believe you thought I was so weak as to give up after that."

"Well you whine like a little girl whenever you get a paper cut so how were we supposed to know?" Remy countered with a smirk.

The Gryffindor gasped in mock offense as the rest of the group began to laugh. Virgil allowed himself to smile a little as he watched the conversation play out. It was nice to be around people who were so close to each other that they could make funny of themselves. 

He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt a tap on the shoulder. Turning, his eyes landed on Val. "Hey Virge! Did you enjoy the game?" The taller boy's face was flushed from all the game and his forehead was still slicked with sweat, but the house-less student immediately hugged him nonetheless. The Beater let out a surprised gasp that caught the attention of their friends. They turned to see Virgil hugging him tightly. Most of them smiled, but Roman felt a pit settle in his stomach at the sight. Val laughed bashfully and blushed a little, hugging him back. "Uh, is that a yes?"

"You guys were so close to getting hurt so much," he mumbled, pulling away with rosy cheeks. Virgil looked toward the boy laying on the hospital bed. "You did get hurt... that was so crazy."

Roman shrugged, trying to play it off as not a big deal. "Eh, that wasn't the worst thing that's happened to me out on the pitch. Oh! This scar here," he pointed to a large pale scar on his shoulder, "is from my very first game! I got rammed into one of the goal posts and it dislocated my shoulder and ripped the skin off my arm. Patton nearly fainted at the sight of all the blood, and Logan, do you remember? You were so fascinated because you could see my muscles moving around. It was freaking disgusting."

He was laughing at the memory but when he looked up at Virgil, he found that the boy was horrified. He stopped laughing and was quick to try and salvage the conversation. "Oh, am I upsetting you talking about this? I'm sorry, it really wasn't as bad as it sounds. I mean, it's nothing compared to the time that I-"

"Uh, Roman, how about we change the subject?" Val interrupted. He put a hand on the darkly dressed boy's shoulder comfortingly. "Clearly, injuries and pain aren't exactly Virgil's comfort zone. It's okay Virge! He doesn't mean any harm. He just gets a bit excited."

"Yeah, sometimes I'm convinced he's a masochist," Remy fired again.

The group began to laugh, any tension dissolving thanks to the joke. The injured Gryffindor felt his throat close up as his cheeks warmed with embarrassment. He hadn't meant to freak Virgil out with his stories. He'd been trying to reassure him that he'd be fine, but obviously he was a terrible judge of how to address the house-less student. 

And it seems that Val knows just how to interact with him to make him feel valued and comfortable, he observed. Roman couldn't deny the feeling of jealousy that pooled in his stomach as the Beater smiled at him. He always knows what to say... how to get Virgil to smile... why can't I at least get him to smile?

He laughed, playing off his discomfort. "Well, it's just that pain is so good," he joked. "I mean, the burn, that ache... it's intoxicating!"

"Damn, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a pain kink Roman," Melissa said, chuckling. 

The group continued the conversation as he shrugged it off. Virgil was quiet, looking down at the ground as he inched closer to the bed the Gryffindor was laying on. "I'm not actually into pain," he said to the darkly dressed boy quietly, getting his attention. "It's just a reoccurring joke in the group because I get hurt the most."

"Well... I think you should be more careful," he replied. He met his eyes and Roman's breath caught in his throat. They were equivalent to pools of dark chocolate and they shimmered with worry. "It was pretty scary..."

"I- uh- You don't have to worry about me," he stammered, feeling flustered. 

Virgil's lips quirked up the slightest bit. "Consider it a compliment that I was worried about you," he said. He flashed a tiny smirk. "I have to like you at least a little bit to be concerned about your well-being."

"Ah... so our cease-fire has grown into an alliance! What a triumph!" Roman puffed out his chest dramatically, making the other boy laugh a bit. The sound was music to his ears. "And what was that I heard? That you actually like me?"

Virgil broke out into a small but genuine smile as he met his gaze again. "I guess you could say that."