Broken wings

Epilogue

I meant it when I said there was no place I'd rather be. Two years fly by and I only seem to love Roman more. His little quirks that amuse me, the pet-peeves that annoy me terribly, his touch that I adore. At the castle things have gone right back to the way they used to be before I ever set foot in the castle. No one questions what I do here anymore. Everyone who works at the castle has gotten used to me being around and not following their rules. I skip most human filled events and spend most of my time between the horses, Roman and Thomas. Along the years some workers have noticed that I'm not just 'familiar' with their prince, while others remain innocent and naive. I genuinely don't care what they think we have. As long as Roman and I know it. I realize Roman has more problems with the rumors, but he's learning to brush them off. After all he's brave enough to keep refusing his dad's proposals to marry a woman. It caused some trouble in their relationship, but by the end of the day, his parents are happy if he's happy. Although I'm pretty sure they don't know about me. Either way, with Thomas in the picture it isn't as necessary for him to marry a woman to be his princess and future queen. Back at home everyone is physically healed, but we're still not who we were before Deceit, or Janus' brainwashing. It's still difficult to trust each other like we used to. He was smart enough to only pick people from our generation. Knowing how our grandparents or even our parents wouldn't fall for it. Our ego and trust has been bruised, but we're not letting it tear us down. I'm sure in a few decades we'll be right back to normal.

"Like this?" Aimee bows like any man meeting Roman or his family would. I've even seen some people bow to Thomas already.
It's night and instead of me going home, my brother and sisters came down to Earth for once. We've been going back and forth a lot. The people from the castle either don't see them or assume they all live in the city fairly close by. We usually hang out in the forest near the lake where we can free our wings and say whatever we want without the danger of humans hearing us.
Zora shakes her head and stands up next to my younger sister.
"Men and women have different rules." She remembers from the time she went with me to the ball. My sister raises her eyebrows unimpressed at that news and looks at how Zora picks up her invisible dress to bow down in a mocking fashion.
"M'lord." She speaks up with a ridiculous voice and I burst out in laughter. Roman, who's sitting between my legs, crosses his arms annoyed. His back resting tiredly against my chest. It's late for him, but he insisted on staying. He's no longer scared of my family, though I know certain things can still trigger his trauma. I lean down to kiss his grumpy head.
"Why is it different between male and female?" My younger sister tilts her head confused at him. He shrugs.
"I didn't make the rules. That's just the way it's always been." He replies.
"Well, actually-" My brother starts and I shake my head. We don't need one of his historical facts right now. He closes his mouth in a fine line with an offended scowl. Straightening the glasses Roman bought him a few months after the events.
"Fair enough." He mutters unimpressed by my unwillingness to learn. Roman tries to stifle a yawn and Zora yawns as well in response. His eyes go wide open when he sees it.
"That's the first time I've seen one of you yawn." He announces. He looks over his shoulder at me.
"So you do get tired?" He looks confused because I haven't slept once in the two years he knows me.
"Of course we get tired." I snicker.
"But you don't sleep." He frowns.
"It's just my cycle." Zora speaks up as she shrugs. Roman tilts his head even more confused now.
"Every century we stumble upon a couple of months where we do need sleep." My younger sister beams happy she can tell him something from us instead of the other way around. He slowly takes in that new information.
"Sure. Makes sense." He replies sarcastically then. It does actually. Every being needs rest at one point or another. Here on Earth most beings have a twenty four hour schedule. Ours is just a little different.
"When is your, uh, cycle?" He looks up at me.
"The sleeping part isn't called the cycle, Ro. The entire thing is the cycle." I correct him amused. He just keeps looking curious at me.
"In a couple of decades." I answer his question with a crooked grin. A wide smile pulls the corners of his lips up. Revealing his single dimple.
"So I'll be able to actually sleep next you. You will actually be asleep next to me?" He comments excited. I snicker at his reaction to the rather boring news. How exciting can sleep be? You're literally just laying unconscious in a bed for certain amounts of time. I peck his lips amused.
"V-Virgil." A kid's voice rings in my head and I pull back to look over my shoulder at the castle.
"Vi-irgil." Thomas is crying. I feel how scared he is. He must've had a nightmare.
"Thomas is up. I'll be right back." I look back down at Roman who sits upright so I can leave.
"Is he okay?" He looks up worried.
"Just a nightmare." I reassure him. I peck his forehead before winking at my brother and sisters and flying back to the castle. Landing in front of his door to not scare Yenny who's already with him. I hear her talk to him in a low soothing voice. I open the door and step inside. She looks up surprised only to smile when she sees it's just me. Thomas is sitting on her arm as he rubs his eyes with a pout. Tears on his little round cheeks.
"Look, there's Virgil. I told you he'd be here. Didn't I, sweetie?" Yenny speaks up to Thomas as she points at me with a smile.
"Hey, little guy. Had another nightmare?" I ask him with a smile. He nods as he stretches his chubby arms towards me and I take him over from his nanny. He wraps his little arms around my neck and rests his head on my shoulder.
"Thanks, Yenny." I smile at the woman who brushes Thomas's now light brown hair out of his tired almond brown eyes.
"Anything for this little cutie." She hums with a loving smile. Pecking Thomas's forehead before leaving the room again. I know she loves Thomas. He's all she's got left of Patton. I always feel a mix of warmth and sadness coming from her when she's with the little boy. Probably from not seeing her own daughter as much. Perhaps Roman can arrange something so her daughter can stay here as well. Maybe Tina could come back as well then instead of staying at home with her and Eric's son. That way Thomas has some friends to play with too.
"Was it a scary dream, buddy?" I ask him softly as I rest my hand on his little head and try to calm him down again. He nods and I can feel his tears leave wet stains on my shirt.
"That's okay, I'm here now." I shush him softly.
"Virgil left." He mumbles weeping. My heart breaks at the sound.
"I'm not going anywhere, birdie." I promise him reassuring. He turns his face towards me.
"I'll be right here to protect you from all the evil nightmares in that little head of yours." I tap my finger on his head as if my hand's a spider. He giggles softly and tries to swat me away. I smirk and drop my hand to his back again.
"What do you say we go to the horses tomorrow?" I ask him knowingly. His little eyes go wide open and he nods enthusiastically.
"Alright, then let's get right back to bed so tomorrow comes faster, hmm?" I try to put him back down in his bed.
"No." He protests as he clings onto me. He's no longer scared. He's just being a little toddler who doesn't want to sleep. I snicker softly.
"Is Thomas a bit stubborn?" I ask him amused. I wonder who he learned that from.
"Stay with Virgil." He orders with a little frown. I quirk my eyebrow with a grin.
"Aren't you a little too tired, bud?" I question knowingly. He shakes his head in denial.
"You need to sleep, birdie." I tell him with a soft stern voice.
"Sleep with Virgil." He insists.
"You know I don't sleep." I remind him. I never hide for him. He can know exactly who I am. He crosses his arms angry.
"Sleep with dadda Ro." He changes his request. He's a smart little bugger. He knows I stay with Roman most of the nights.
"Daddy Ro isn't sleeping either." I smirk at his persistence. Tears start brimming in his eyes again. He just really doesn't want to be alone after that nightmare. I let out a sigh. Yenny is going to kill me when she finds out what I'm going to do now.
"Alright. Okay. You can stay with daddy Ro and me, but only for five minutes, okay?" I give in. A smile tugs at his lips again as he nods happy. I shake my head fondly.
"You and daddy Ro know far too well how to pull my strings." I mutter as I grab his jacket and a throw blanket before putting him down. He pulls at the my hair with a giggle. I smirk up at him.
"That's not what I mean, buddy." I snicker as I button his jacket closed.
"Where are your shoes?" I look around the room. For some reason he likes to hide them somewhere else every time. He runs back to his bed and crouches down to grab them from underneath.
"Sneaky." I comment amused as I grab some socks from his drawer. He obediently sits down on the floor so I can put them on. Once I tied his laces he holds up his arms again so I'd pick him up.
"Shht, the other people are still sleeping." I place my index finger on my lips to show him to be quiet.
"Shhht." He imitates me. I snicker softly and we head outside.
"My family is with daddy Ro. You remember my family?" I ask him when we walk over the grass field towards the forest. He nods before looking up at the stars.
"Daddy!" He points up. I look at him with a lopsided smile.
"That's right. Mommy and daddy and papa Patton are all watching over you." I reply. It's a story Roman told him. How everyone who loves us, but can no longer be with us, turns into one of the stars in the sky where they can still look over us even when we find ourselves in the darkest of times.
"Virge?" Roman calls when we're near.
"I brought a visitor." I speak up when they come into view. I put Thomas down and he runs up to Roman to swing his arms around his neck. Roman groans when the little guy accidentally kicks him between his legs in his uncoordinated enthusiasm.
"H-Hey, birdie." He tries to smile through the pain and hugs the kid back. I chuckle softly and Zora giggles amused.
"He didn't want to sleep." I explain when Roman looks questioning up at me.
"Is that right?" He looks down at the little boy.
"Stay with Virgil and dadda Ro." He nods affirmative.
"Thomas what do we say when there are other people?" I quirk my eyebrow up at him. He turns away from Roman and waves at the others.
"Hello!" He grins happy.
"Don't I get a hug?" Zora tilts her head. He giggles and runs into her open arms. Out of everyone he probably knows her best. She's come down the most.
"Auntie Aims." Thomas moves from one sister to the other.
"Still not your auntie, little one." Aimee hugs him as well with an amused smile. He's been calling both Zora and Aimee auntie and Logan uncle. Roman is dadda or daddy Ro, Yenny is nanny Yenny and I'm just Virgil. At one point he started calling me daddy as well, but we quickly stopped that to not spread rumors too far outside the castle.
He moves from my younger sister to my older brother then.
"Oh." Logan stiffens startled before awkwardly hugging the kid back.
"You're silly." Thomas laughs.
"Preposterous. I am not and will never be 'silly'." My brother frowns offended.
"Come here, Birdie." Roman gestures Thomas back. The kid hugs Logan one more time before running back to his surrogate father.
"You know this is a one time thing, right? Virgil isn't always going to take you outside when you call him." Roman looks in the small boy's eyes. His hands on Thomas's hips so he won't run off, but listen closely. Thomas nods.
"I told him five minutes before we go back to bed." I speak up as I sit down next to Roman. He hums and he pulls Thomas in his lap. I wrap the blanket over his shoulders so both him and Thomas stay warm. Summer is slowly turning into autumn and the nights are starting to get colder again. He smiles up at me and rests his head on my shoulder.
"Virgil." Thomas pulls at the black strings of my black hoodie Roman is currently wearing. Recognizing I normally wear it.
"That's right, birdie." Roman snickers. I gave it to him earlier when he started to get cold.
"Daddy Ro is a little thief." I add with a teasing smirk. Roman hits me with his free arm and Thomas giggles.
"No, he's not." Roman glares at me.
"He's so cute." My younger sister speaks up as she looks with sparkling eyes at Thomas.
"I remember when you were that small." I grin.
"Ah yes, with her fear of flying." My brother beams at the memory. Aimee scoffs.
"The only reason I was scared was because Virgil told me I'd fall to Earth if I wasn't careful." She points accusingly at me. I chuckle at the memory.
"It took mom years to convince you that wouldn't happen." Logan smirks.
"I thought you said you all trust each other and never lie." Roman frowns. I hum.
"It wasn't a lie. That's why she was so scared."  I shrug innocently. It's tricky learning how to fly at the start. Especially the first few times we travel from home to Earth and back. After a couple of decades we all get the hang of it and up until recently the stories about falling were just things kids told each other to tease one another. I knew it was a real possibility, otherwise grownups would never allow kids to spread the story, but I never believed it would ever actually happen. When I was so in shock and panicked when I discovered Chasten and  Birrol with Janus at the dormant volcano, I forgot my most basic training and fucked up when trying to fly home again. Only to fall a little further, nearby Roman's castle. I can only guess that's exactly what Janus went through as well when he eagerly tried to escape the humans who were haunting him. I still don't understand how it ties to our wings burning up and why I got new ones while he gained other abilities like morphosis. I don't think I'll ever get the answers to those questions. Especially now that he's dead. I force myself to stop thinking about him and smile down at Thomas instead. He's still distractedly fumbling with the strings of my hoodie. Slumping against Roman. He's getting tired again. His eyelids drooping from time to time.
"Wanna go back to bed, birdie?" I smirk knowingly. He looks startled up at me before shaking his head excessively and crawling in a ball in Roman's arms to stop me from taking him away. Roman looks amused down.
"So you don't want to see the horses tomorrow?" I tilt my head in fake confusion.
"I want horsies!" Thomas looks angry at me for even suggesting he won't be allowed to visit them.
"I thought we agreed you'd only stay with daddy Ro for five minutes otherwise no horses." I tell him stern. He glares at me.
"Not five minutes." He shakes his head in denial.
"Yes, it has, birdie." Roman sides with me.
"No." Thomas crosses his arms with a pout.
"Wanna stay." He speaks up stubbornly.
"Why can't he stay?" Zora wonders. I look unimpressed at her.
"Have you ever seen a tired human? Kids are worse." I tell her. "He'd be grumpy, would cry a lot and fight about everything." I add.
"Sounds more like your problem than his." She smirks.
"Yeah, okay, thanks for the help, Zo." I roll my eyes.
"Come on, go say goodnight." Roman picks him up so he's no longer curled up on his lap. Thomas just sits right back down without a care in the world.
"Hey, no more bedtime stories if you keep this up, young man." Roman frowns stern down at him. Thomas whines loud before standing upright and doing his round kissing everyone on the cheek with a 'nighty night'.
"That's better." Roman nods approving as he stands up as well. Thomas hobbles back towards him and grabs his hand.
"I'll be right back." Roman promises as he starts walking back to the castle. The blanket in his free arm.
"Virgil." Thomas looks confused over his shoulder. Not understanding why I'm not going with them. I wave at him with a wink. He frowns and tries to pull Roman back towards me.
"Virgil too." He reaches his free hand out for me. I let out an amused sigh as I push myself off the ground.
"You guys can go home if you like. I'll visit again soon." I promise as I look at my brother and sisters.
"Don't visit when I'm asleep." Zora points threateningly at me.
"I wouldn't dare." I smirk and she flies home.
"Bye." Aimee waves happy before flying home.
"This was pleasant, goodbye." Logan nods before doing the same. Thomas grabs my hand when I'm close enough and we start walking back to the castle. When we're on the grass we let him take a sprint before we pull him up in the air. He giggles as the butterflies in his belly tickle him. Once inside his room Roman takes off his jacket, shoes and socks and tugs him in.
"Story?" Thomas wonders with pleading eyes.
"Which one, buddy?" Roman smirks.
"Stars one." He replies as he snuggles to a plushie Polly made for him. Roman nods.
"Okay." He smiles as he crouches down by his bed.
"When little Thomas was just a tiny tiny baby still in mommy's tummy, his mommy and daddy couldn't wait to meet their beautiful little boy. They loved their son sooo much that their hearts grew ten times the normal size. And when Thomas was born they hugged him and kissed him and loved him with everything they had in those big hearts of theirs. But unfortunately they had to go to a place far far away and leave their son behind because where they went was no place for beautiful little boys. They were really sad they couldn't stay with their amazing son, but they knew mommy's brother papa Patton would love Thomas just as much and give him all the hugs and kisses they used to give. And while mommy and daddy were away, papa Patton showed Thomas the horsies and the castle and all the nice people who live here."
"Like nanny Yenny." Thomas smiles.
"Like nanny Yenny." Roman nods affirmative.
"But then papa Patton had to go to the same place where mommy and daddy are. All the people were sad because we knew we couldn't follow him to that far far place, but papa Patton made sure that little Thomas could stay right here with daddy Ro and Virgil and nanny Yenny and Polly and all the people who could still give him all the hugs and kisses and who would love him with all their big hearts as well." He continues.
"Then one night, Thomas and nanny Yenny walked outside and what did they see?" He asks curious.
"Stars." Thomas replies enthusiastically. I smirk softly. The kid really loves that story. Roman smiles as he nods.
"That's right. All the stars in the sky. Lighting up the dark night. And mommy, daddy and papa Patton are part of them. Looking down on little Thomas and making sure he's happy and safe and that he will always find the light when it's dark." He finishes the story.
"Again." Thomas pleads.
"No, birdie. It's time to sleep." Roman snickers as he brushes a strand of brown hair out of his face. He leans over to peck his forehead tenderly. I push myself off the wall and step closer.
"Goodnight, buddy." I kiss him goodnight as well.
"Nighty night." He beams. Exhaustion already pulling him to sleep. I grin when his eyes droop despite his effort to seem awake. Roman and I leave the room, but keep the door just slightly open. He hates it when we fully close it. We walk up to Roman's room then. John and Tim bowing as we pass. You'd think I'd get used to the bowing by now, but it still irritates me for some unexplainable reason. At least they long stopped trying to keep me out of his room. I turn to close the door when we get inside and Roman hugs me lazily from behind. His head resting against my back as his arms are wrapped around my waist. I smirk as I turn around in his arms and pull him in an actual hug.
"Seems like I've got two toddlers who don't know when it's bed time." I snicker. He scoffs and pulls back.
"Meanie." He mutters before changing into his pajamas. "Are you going to stay or go home?" He tilts his head then.
"Stay. I'll see them tomorrow again." I reply. Not missing the pleased smile tugging up the corners of his lips. He crawls under the blankets and I follow him. The moment I'm laying next to him, he shuffles closer. His face hidden in the crook of my neck as he rests his hand on my chest. One of his legs between mine. I wrap my arm around his shoulders like I always do, but smirk pleased when he starts kissing the skin in my neck teasingly. He slowly moves up and nibbles at my earlobe before moving over my jawline with tiny pecks until he finally pushes himself up on his elbow and captures my lips with his. I hum approving as I move my lips against his gently. I roll more onto my side and he rests his hand in my neck as he parts his lips to deepen the kiss. I pull him closer against me and slip my hand underneath his pajama shirt. He pushes me back on my back with a little smirk before straddling my lap so he's sitting on top of me instead. He's mostly fine these days, but I've noticed he feels far more confident being on top and in control. I look into his gorgeous green eyes and raise my hand to his neck. Brushing his cheek tenderly with my thumb.
"Gorgeous." I whisper sincere. Every time again it catches me off guard. His cheeks turn into a rosy red color and he leans down to kiss me again.