Prince next door (Prinxiety au)

Chapter 7

The very next week Virgil is standing in Roman's common room. He had to convince himself-although Roman's pleading also worked- but in the end he finally agreed to come along to the carnival. He was very hesitant whether or not he should back out again when Roman added it was going to be a dress up deal, but in the end his love for cosplay and Halloween won. Which is why he's now dressed as a vampire. Making small talk with Patton who's dressed as Scooby-Doo while waiting for Roman and Logan. Apparently they'd meet the others at the carnival. When Logan comes in the room as well, Virgil can't help but look surprised.
"Frankenstein's monster? Not doctor Frankenstein himself?" He wonders out loud. Logan rolls his eyes as he nods. At first Virgil thinks the eye roll is meant for him, but then the older and taller student starts talking.
"I planned on going as doctor Frankenstein, but Roman said that was boring and that I should be something scary. You know, like the 'real Frankenstein'." He replies while making quotation marks in the air upon the words 'real Frankenstein'. Virgil snickers softly.
"That does sound like something Roman would say." He admits.
"Talking about Roman, where is he?" Patton looks impatient. Clearly keen to go to the carnival. A small smile pulls up the corners of Virgil's lips. He's learned that Patton is someone who has a lot of love to give and who's actually really innocent and genuine. While Logan is more quiet, he's also really open-minded about a lot of things. Just two days ago, Virgil was waiting on Roman like he is today and him and Logan had a long conversation about what could possibly be out there outside of our galaxy.
"I'm here!" Roman comes inside the room enthusiastically.
"A mummy?" Virgil looks amused. He didn't expect that.
"What's better than zombie royalty?" Roman smirks as he poses. Okay, maybe he should have expected that. He thinks amused to himself.
"Alright, let's go. The others are already there." He adds as he looks at his phone. Virgil stops himself from biting down on his bottom lip to not get the black lipstick and fake blood off. Logan and Patton head out first while Roman waits for him.
"I'm here if you need me." The older student whispers in his ear as Virgil passes him. The purple haired vampire shoots a grateful smile up at him. He expected Roman to pity him or even roll his eyes annoyed with all the signs showing him just how weak Virgil really is, but his former best friend is determined to show him he's still worthy of that title and is nothing but supportive. Just give it time. Virgil thinks grim to himself. He'll eventually get bored by him and leave sooner or later.
They drive to the carnival and Virgil is immediately glad he agreed to come. The entire place is decorated to make it look as spooky as possible. Spiderwebs, bloody hay, fake black cats and gruesome bodies scattered over the entire place. Not one spot is dull. It's clearly focused on all the students living close by and not young children.
"Oh, it looks so cool!" Patton claps his hands together excited. Virgil doesn't miss the fond smile Logan casts on the smallest member of their little group.
"We're supposed to meet here." Roman looks around for his brother and friends.
"There they are!" Patton points with a wide smile at a picnic table where four guys are seated. He waves and one of them waves back just as excited while the others simply wait until they're close enough.
"Hey, guys." Roman grins as he greets them all.
"Well, if that isn't little Virgil. Still tiny I see." A man dressed in a black and green royalty outfit speaks up. He looks almost exactly like Roman, apart from the strand of gray hair and the mustache that curls up at the ends. He's also wearing purple blue eye shadow and seems to be having acrylic nails.
"Remus. I'm guessing no one has learned you how to shave?" Virgil grins amused at the man he hasn't seen since he still went to high school.
"Oh you tickle me emo." Remus snickers. Unlike Roman, Remus didn't just discard him like an old toy. Virgil and him never really had as close a bond, but sometimes they'd bump into each other at places and still act civil towards one another.
"Have you met my gorgeous boyfriend, Jan, yet?" The dark duke wonders as he pulls another man closer to him. Virgil noticed the scars right away, but feels a pang of respect for the way the man seemed to have painted snake scales over them for tonight. A yellow snake lens covering his actual eye color, but Virgil can see its green by his other eye. The man looks unimpressed by the way Remus pulled him closer, but sticks out a yellow gloved hand at Virgil. It reminds him he still needs to ask Roman the story of the gloves.
"Janus, though most people call me Jan." The man introduces himself.
"Virgil." The purple haired vampire replies with his own name as he shakes the outstretched hand. Janus is also wearing some kind of black and yellow cape and a black bowler hat on top of his black hair.
"Alright now that we've had that, meet Remy and Emile." Roman grins as he turns Virgil towards the other two strangers. One is dressed in a black leather jacket with sunglasses. A piece of paper is stuck to his chest with the word "sleep" on. He's drinking something out of a cup which smells like pumpkin spice latte. The other has pink hair and rectangular glasses. He's wearing a red shirt with a yellow star in the middle. It looks vaguely familiar to Virgil.
"Remy." The one with the latte holds up his hand in a small wave.
"Emile." The other grabs his hand in his as he shakes it enthusiastically before dropping it again.
"Virgil." The purple haired vampire nods awkwardly.
"Where do you guys want to go to first?" Emile wonders after all the introduction are done.
"The ride perhaps?" Logan contributes.
"Alright, let me finish my coffee first." Remy holds up his finger before chugging the last of his latte down and throwing the cup in a nearby trash bin. Virgil follows the others a bit more quiet. Roman walking next to him while still engaging in the several conversations. They finally pay for their tickets and climb into the carts of the ride per two. The pairs were very quickly made. Roman and Virgil, Patton and Logan, Janus and Remus and eventually Remy and Emile. Virgil squints his eyes when he sees the tough looking Remy wrap his arm around the bubble of innocent energy that's Emile.
"Tell me again in what club Remy and Emile are?" Virgil looks up at Roman.
"Lgbtq+." Roman replies. Virgil tries not to laugh softly. Of course Roman is now in an LGBT club. Things really have changed on that department. At first Virgil resented him for it. He felt angry that Roman gets to be so open and happy about his sexuality while Virgil got pushed away by him for the exact same reason. Now he no longer wants to think that way. They were kids. He didn't even know what gay meant and Roman really must've been freaked out with confusion. It doesn't make it okay, but he gets it now. And he's glad Roman is finally able to be honest with himself.
"So Remy and Emile?" Virgil lingers the question suggestively as he looks over his shoulder at the two.
"Oh yeah, big time." Roman chuckles. "When I first met Remy he seemed unreachable, you know? But when Emile joined the club last year he just melted like an ice cube on a sunny day. It's an unlikely pair, but they seem to really make it work." He adds. Virgil hums. He doesn't think he met one single other non-straight guy in his life and suddenly they're with six at least.
"Is Patton in the club too?" Virgil checks his hunch.
"How'd you know?" Roman looks impressed down at him. Virgil shrugs.
"He gives off a vibe. If that's even a thing." He replies.
"Yeah, he's in the club too. Him and Emile joined together. They both study psychology." Roman then answers his question.
"Logan is pretty much the only straight guy present at the moment." He adds. Virgil hums. Looking over his shoulder at Logan and Patton in their cart. Something makes him doubt that, but he won't debate someone else's sexuality.
"Oh, we're moving." Roman grins excited when they start rolling forward. Virgil smirks softly before looking ahead of him to try and notice potential jumpscare zones. As soon as they're completely engulfed in darkness, an excited smirk pulls up the corners of Virgil's face. He's beyond relieved that today's one of his better days so he can actually enjoy his favorite holiday.
"So far it really isn't that sc-aaaaaaaaah!" Roman's disappointed sentence ends in a loud screech when something suddenly drops right above them. Hitting their face. Virgil laughs as he looks over his shoulder to see it's supposed to be a body with a filthy robe. He notices how most of the people behind them startle as well although Roman probably warned them with his scream. He looks at his friend amused. Still laughing under his breath.
"Shut up" Roman tries to regain his pride, but he's also softly snickering over his reaction.
"Zombie royalty, hmm?" Virgil teases.
"Shhht." Roman waves him away. He's lucky his face is covered in black paint and white bandages so Virgil can't see his crimson red blush. The ride goes on and more jumpscares get to the both of them. One time there's even someone stopping them with an axe in his hands. Virgil tries to shuffle as far away from him as possible. Almost sitting on Roman's lap doing so. Unfortunately they're back at the start far too soon. He giggles softly as they get out of the carts and notices he's not the only one. Everyone laughing at each other and even their own reactions.
"You guys want to eat something? I'm starting to get hungry." Roman speaks up.
"You still have an appetite?" Virgil smirks teasingly. Earning a gentle shove by the older student.
"I could eat." Remy agrees.
"Me too!" Patton raises his hand with a big smile.
"Alright, let's go!" Remus turns around and points towards the various food trucks. Virgil eats mostly in silence as he listens to the different conversations. Remus hasn't really changed much. He still loves chaos and shocking people. Janus seems to be more calm and calculated, but Virgil doesn't miss the way he smirks fondly at Remus when he's explaining that a dork is actually a whale penis. Remy isn't very talkative, but when he does open his mouth he's incredibly sassy. Emile reminds him a bit of Patton so far. Not because they look like each other. Patton is small with freckles and blond curls while Emile is taller than Virgil with a clean skin and almond brown eyes. No, it's more his way of being that makes him think of the two alike. They're both very enthusiastic about a lot of things and they truly seem to try to keep everyone around them happy. Virgil knows Patton has a lot of love to give and he hasn't quite seen the same thing from Emile in that extent yet, but it's clear he won't shy away from a hug either. The biggest difference so far is the fact Patton is more obsessed with cats and dogs and Emile with cartoons really. Also explaining why Virgil recognized the shirt. Emile is supposed to be Steven Universe from the cartoon. Mid conversation their attention gets attracted by a group of screaming girls. When Virgil turns his head around, he sees how they're now laughing at the thing that scared them. Someone in costume handing out flyers. Virgil frowns surprised to suddenly see Janus walk over to the person and ask for a flyer. When he comes back he shows it to the others with a sly smile.
"There's a horror maze." He tells them before looking at Remus. "We should go." He adds. Remus giggles.
"Ooh yess!" He exclaims excited with wiggling eyebrows. Making it sound a little too sexual for Virgil's ears.
"We should all go! It can be fun!" Patton exclaims.
"Sure, why not." Remy shrugs. He bought himself yet another pumpkin spice drink.
"Where does it say the maze is?" Roman wonders. Looking at Janus curious.
"Over there. It starts on that cornfield." The oldest, aside from Logan who's the same age, points to an entrance between a tent and a creepy looking bus. They finish their meal and decide to head over there. They pay the small fee and start their spooky adventure. Remus giggles with everything they see while Janus looks amused. At first it amused Virgil too, but after a while it really bothers him that he can't drown himself in the experience because the others keep pulling him out of it. Although it is kind of cute to see Patton startle from someone who jumped out of the maze. His peer turning around to run into Logan as a reaction.
"No need to worry, Patton. He's not really going to hurt you." Logan reassures him. Virgil casts another glance back when Remus bursts out in another fit of giggles. At least Emile and Remy are just walking hand in hand quietly. Roman notices Virgil's annoyance and grabs his hand.
"Every man for himself!" He yells before he starts running. Dragging Virgil along. He runs until the others are no longer in sight or hearing distance. He lets go of Virgil's hand again after that. Ignoring the empty feeling it leaves him with. Virgil pants slightly from the short sprint. Quirking a questioning eyebrow at the older man next to him. Roman shrugs innocently.
"It's not really a 'horror maze' if we're stuck in one big group." He reasons his actions. Virgil hums.
"True." He agrees with an amused smirk. They continue their walk with just the two of them. Virgil admiring silently how much work they've put in this.
"By Odin's beard!" Roman suddenly pushes Virgil behind him when someone else jumps out of the dark. Virgil chuckles softly as they slowly pass the zombie who tilts its head curious at them. Coming closer to sniff Roman's hair.
"Alright, time to keep going." Virgil drags Roman forward, away from the actor, while snickering under his breath.
"I need new shampoo. Apparently this one smells too good." The mummy laughs softly when he looks over his shoulder to see the zombie crawl back in its hiding spot.
"Maybe he was just fascinated by your farao crown." Virgil points.
"It is snazzy, isn't it?" Roman smirks pleased. Virgil doesn't reply. Distracted by the fact they're about to enter a small, dark forest. He takes out his phone and turns on his flashlight so they can see where they walk. Roman decides to do the same and they step into the new section of the maze. After a while eerie music starts to play and smoke erupts seemingly out of nowhere. Sinister looking shapes move just out of their reach. Virgil feels a pang of relief to discover he's actually scared. A shaky smile pulls up the corners of his lips. If he's scared, that means he hasn't fully given up yet. He still doesn't want to die in the deepest part of his soul. Subconsciously Roman and him are almost plastered together as they move forward. When the other man's hand brushes Virgil's, he grabs it as if by second nature. Intertwining their fingers. It's something they also did as kids when either one of them was scared or distressed. His mind is too focused on any and all potential dangers and jumpscares to register what exactly he's just done. Roman looks down at their intertwined hands with a smirk.
"We can wait for the others again if you're afraid." He offers. Virgil scoffs as he looks up at his old friend.
"I'm not scared." He lies through his teeth. Roman hums. Very clearly not believing a word he says.
"That why you're holding my hand?" He wonders innocently. Virgil blinks as he looks down at what he's doing. He then glares back up at Roman. No way he's going to admit that he indeed is scared nor that holding his hand helps.
"Fine, I won't." He replies. Sticking out his chin stubbornly. He opens his fingers to let go again, but Roman just holds on tighter. Not freeing his hand. Virgil lifts a questioning eyebrow.
"Maybe I'm also a little 'not' scared." The older man admits with a crooked smile. Virgil's lips curl up into a smile as well and he closes his fingers again. It's weird how he still feels braver holding Roman's hand after all this time. They manage to get through the forest and even the horror house with the occasional 'heart jumping out of their chest' experience.
"Oh we're at the end already." Virgil comments a little disappointed when the finish comes into sight. Roman stops him by grabbing his shoulder. Looking behind them as he puts his index finger on his lips. Virgil frowns confused and starts to protest when Roman tries to push him in the cornfield.
"Shht. We're going to scare the others." Roman whispers. Walking far enough into the corn so no one on the little pathway can see them unless they want them to. He's holding Virgil against his chest to flatten the corn around them as little as possible. Virgil feels his cheeks heat up when his face gets pressed against Roman's hard chest. His familiar scent curling up into his nose. He squares his jaws in an attempt to force himself to not feel anything in that moment. Failing miserably as he listens to Roman's heart beating in a slightly speed up pace under his ear. Virgil already started to notice he didn't only forgive Roman the past couple of weeks. He also re-started the fire in his chest whenever he looked at his former best friend. With every single thing Roman did he felt himself fall for the other man again. It's different than last time. Even more dangerously. But he won't allow it to ruin their friendship again. He won't be as stupid as last time. He'll just have to bite his tongue until the feelings will inevitably fade again. He has to believe that. Roman looks down at Virgil, only to see the smaller man blush furiously. His heart starts beating faster when he sees it. A smile pulling up the corners of his lips as he looks out for their friends again. Suddenly hoping they're a lot farther behind than he initially thought. He pulls Virgil so possibly even closer to him as he wraps his arm around the other man's shoulders. Something inside him just wants to hold Virgil to the end of their days. He's probably still excited to have his former best friend back in his life. He still can't believe how stupid he was back when they were kids. He should have been able to handle the confusion. He should have kept Virgil close and face all the struggles that came with it head on. If he had known how incredibly amazing it is to be friends with Virgil again, he probably never would have been that stupid. But he took the younger man that lived next door for granted. Something he'll never do again. After a few minutes he hears voices approach. Virgil looks up at Roman before focusing his senses on the group of people coming their way. When someone makes a loud comment he knows for certain it's Remus and the others. Both men in the corn smirk at each other. Ready to scare the holy ghost out of their friends. When they're finally close enough they both jump out of the corn with a loud scream.
"Eeeeeh equals M c squared!" Logan starts yelping surprised before trying to get it together again. Pushing his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. Both Roman and Virgil burst out in laughter when their evil plan has succeeded.
"Very funny." Logan looks unimpressed.
"Oh, it was." Janus snickers. Earning a glare from his peer. The group, now reunited again, walks the last bit of the maze together.
"You should've been there, Virgil. It was so funny." Patton walks beside the purple haired vampire. Telling him how at one point in the forest a man with a fake chainsaw showed up and started chasing them. Apparently Patton grabbed Logan's hand as he quickly ran away from the threat. Alarming both Emile and Remy as well who hesitantly started running away as well. Triggered by Patton's sudden panic. By the time the four of them stopped again, Janus and Remus were running out of breath from laughing so hysterically. Virgil snickers softly at the story. He's been warming up to the smaller man more and more.
"Glad you had fun, Pat." He replies sincere before looking over his shoulder at Roman who's walking with Remy. A soft smile appears on his face when Roman notices him looking and winks before focusing on Remy again.

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I love Halloween and I love all these characters so much. I hope you liked this fluff and friend filled chapter as much as I liked writing it!