Problems

The Promise (part 3)

Tw: slight description of gore, references to murder and abuse, mention of blood.

Romans POV

Remus eventually resurfaced leading to Roman awkwardly trying not to anger Duke in their conversations. They actually became really good friends, other than the occasional slipup. There were several times where Remus hinted at his alter ego's violent tenancies towards those that wronged him in the past, but Roman tried his hardest to look past them.

One such occasion was when Roman had made the unfortunate mistake of asking about Remus's parents.

"My parents?" Remus stopped for a moment, presumably having to think to remember them. "Duke doesn't really like them, but I can see why. They didn't really like me. Mommy wouldn't pay me any attention unless she needed something and daddy would give me boo-boos whenever he saw me."

"I- I'm sorry." Roman was stunned at how casually he spoke of the abuse in his previous life.

"Why? Duke was sure to make them disappear as soon as he gained control."

"Disappear?"

"Yep! He always came to the front whenever they drank the woozy juice, and one day when he let me back out they were gone."

Roman forced a smile onto his face as he realized what Duke had done to his parents. "It's nice to know that they couldn't... mistreat you any longer."

"Yeah, Duke ended up fronting allot more after that. Says that the men in blue that were always trying to talk to me were the bad guys."

"Really, that's... Nice." Roman cringed at the awkward silence following his statement.

After a few minutes Remus decided to pop a question. "So what was your family like?"

"They're... Nice, at least nicer than yours."

"Do you have any siblings?" Remus persisted.

"No. Regardless of how much I begged my parents for a younger sibling my dad always insisted that there was enough drama between me and my mom for the entire household."

"I wonder what it's like to have siblings. Must be nice."

"Yeah. Having someone that looks up to you. Teaching them things that your parents would never allow," Roman let a smirk onto his face. "like how to find out what you're getting for Christmas without your parents knowing." Silence rested over the pair for a minute.

"Can you be my older brother?"

Roman sat for a moment, stunned, before he responded. "Um sure. I mean what's the worst that could happen." Roman instantly regretted his words as Remus's summoned a dagger.

"Arm." Remus's made grabby hands towards Roman.

"How about no."

"But, but blood brothers." Remus looked at him with wide eyes, apparently thinking that if he was cute enough Roman would allow him to use the knife.

Roman had to think gay (I tried to type fast, I really did but this is what you get instead). Remus wouldn't let up and he knew that if this got violent then Duke would come out. He really didn't want to deal with that psychopath, especially when that psychopath has a knife. "Does not the blood of the enemies that we have slain together bind us together better than any amount of our own blood spilt?" Roman slipped into a more old fashioned speak as he tried to stop Remus. 

"You've got a point there." Remus reached into his bag before extending what looked like a severed claw out towards Roman. "Here!"

Roman looked the claw over. It appeared to be one of the dragon witch's claws that had been broken off. He looked up only to see that Remus had pulled another claw out of his bag. This one looked to be the entire claw, bits of dried blood and severed tendons still clinging to the end. "Where did you get these?"

"Well I found that one on the ground after a fight and it gave me the idea to get this one!" Remus chirped, using the dagger to carve a hole in the peace of bone. "I was thinking we could make matching necklaces or something."

"So you've just had these in your bag?"

"I was waiting for the right time to ask you. I was worried you might think it was childish."

Roman placed his hand comfortingly on Remus's leg."What kind of big bro would I be if I didn't accept you for who you are?" Remus gave Roman a beaming smile. "Now let's get to making some super cool necklaces!" Roman summoned a file and started smoothing down the jagged edge.

~~~~~~~~~time skip~~~~~~~~~~~

Roman and Remus were relaxing after their most recent battle with the dragon witch when a glowing door appeared on the trunk of a nearby tree. Roman got startled off the log they were sitting on, which elicited a peal of laughter from Remus. "Shut up, it's not like you weren't startled by that too."

"But I didn't fall off of the log." Remus jumped away as Roman made a grab for him, landing oh so elegantly in a nearby bush. "Ouch..."

"Serves you right for laughing at me." Roman got up and approached the door. "Where do you think it goes?"

Remus struggled out of the bush. "Wanna find out?" Remus had a devious smile on his face.

"I don't know, are you ready for another adventure brother?" Roman opened the door, flourishing his sword as he entered. Inside he saw two gentlemen standing in front of a large screen. "Hello peasants! Your Prince has arrived!" A shiver of fear climbed up his back but he shook it off. After all, heroes were fearless.

"POOPY PANTS!" Roman was shaken out of his daze by Remus screaming. Roman just sighed. He had learned over the past few months that his adoptive brother had little to no filter and would entertain any crazy or embarrassing thought that popped into his head. He noticed that the two gentlemen were absolutely mortified by Remus's actions.

Everyone flinched as a woman came onto the screen, scolding everyone watching. "Where did you learn such foul language young man!? We do not use potty words like that!"

Roman watched as a new person rose up from the ground beside the console. "Sir grass said it! I told him not to!"

The woman sighed but appeared to accept the shoddy excuse. "Well tell sir grass that if he keeps saying things like that then he wouldn't be coming over anymore."

The man at the console was smartly dressed with a bowler hat and a short black cape with yellow trim. One side of his face was covered in scales. "Goodbye, my name isn't deceit." Roman had to take a moment to think of what he had just said.

With three new companions and a whole new world to explore this was sure to be an exciting adventure.

Here (sprints away)