Bad Rumors

19

"Start at the beginning." Roman's eyes narrowed as he just shook his head. "Roman... Please? Start at the beginning."

"To start at the beginning, would be THE beginning. Back before I ever was the prince... I can't..." Virgil's eyes darkened as he shifted just right to be directly in front of the other. Roman looked so sad it actually broke his heart to see. This was another side of Roman Virgil didn't like seeing... but would rather see it than it ever be hidden from him. 

"Roman." Roman just scoffed as he shook his head again.

"Go away, Virgil. I don't want you here." Virgil frowned knowing it was a lie. He could feel Roman's fear like a vice gripping him horribly as if it could physically keep him there with him. Roman was just guarding himself. Roman seemed to snap back into his aggression as he glared over at the younger. "GO THE FUCK AWAY YOU STUPID ASSHOLE! I don't give a flying fuck. I don't need your help. You couldn't even help a damn fly let alone me so just go. It's pathetic that you're even trying so fucking hard. I DON'T LIKE YOU! So just LEAVE!" Virgil flinched at the sudden sound as Roman's eyes shot wide. Virgil just nodded as he started to get up. He didn't even make it two steps before freezing up at the choked sob that filled the air. Virgil slowly turned back to see Roman in a ball gripping his hair tightly as he cried into himself. "Don't go. Don't go. Please don't leave me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

"Talk to me."

"Just don't leave." Virgil's heart shattered as Roman looked back up at him, his eyes so dull and glassed. "I can't take being alone. Don't leave me like he did. Please?" Virgil's eyes narrowed as he glanced around. Roman sucked in a breath as Virgil quickly unlocked the door and ran out leaving him just sitting there in bed by himself. He was frozen. It was like the world just turned to ice. Everything dazed out on him, he wasn't even aware of what was going on. It just went silent on him. He was alone. He was alone again... He was always going to be...

"Come." Roman snapped up unaware of just how long it had been. Virgil was once again just standing there with a soft smile, the door closed and locked again. But more so... Roman's eyes met with the giant pile of pillows and blankets under a pretty decently constructed fort. His room always had been large. Far too large for him... 

It was supposed to be his and Remus's after all...

"Come." Virgil repeated as Roman, in his daze, gently took his hand, letting himself get led over to the fort. "Here..." Roman frowned as he sat down only to get a dark grey blanket wrapped around him. It felt heavy... Very heavy. Virgil chuckled softly as Roman wrapped it tighter around himself melting into it as his eyes slipped shut a bit. "Now... Talk to me? Please? It's just us. No one else can hear."

"I'm scared, Virge." Virgil nodded as Roman huffed softly. "I don't want you to look at me differently."

"What do you mean?"

"We're supposed to be partners." Roman frowned more as he met Virgil's confused gaze. "I don't want you to see me as weak. I don't want you to think poorly of me. It's bad enough that my pride fucked all that up first. I don't want to make it worse."

"Roman... I will never truly understand you... if you don't open up to me." Roman's face fell as Virgil carefully took his hand. "It's JUST us here. No one else. Nothing you say will ever leave this fort ok? This place... This place is for you... to be YOU. I want to help... you just have to let me in first." Virgil smiled softly as he watched this glimmer seem to shine in the prince's blanked eyes. "Please?"

"Remus and I were orphans... just like Adam and Alex." Virgil's eyes set as Roman's voice went quiet. "Our mother got sick and our Aunt just wasn't able care for us. Remus took it upon himself to care for me. I... I..." Roman gripped the weighted blanket tightly as he shook. "I was never a confident person. It was ALWAYS Remus who stepped up and took charge. He was pride. He was always supposed to be pride. I was shy and scared and... He was there to protect me from everything."

"When Patton found us, Remus was... rustling about a dumpster. I was just sitting there laughing. He was weird but I loved him." Virgil's eyes darkened seeing the tears filling Roman's eyes. "Despite all the weirdness and crazy ways... I could trust him. He was my twin. I knew he had my back. He told me..." His voice choked up as a tear finally spilled. "He told me that no matter what... he would always be there to protect me. He knew how much I needed him. He knew... He said he'd always be there. He'd always watch over me. He was my brother... He said he would never leave me alone."

"Ro?"

"But he did leave me... and it was my fault." Virgil felt the room go cold as this massive blast of fear rocked through him. "That rumor..." Roman tensed as his heart started to race. "The one about me kicking him out... because he didn't fit my perfect image..." Virgil could see how torn up Roman was about it all. "It's not true. I NEVER kicked him out. I needed him. I needed him to be there with me. He kept me grounded. He protected me. He... He was my brother. I love him and I need him and... I... I pushed him away."

"Ro..."

"Those stupid rules." Virgil's eyes went wide as Roman let out a broken laugh. "I did the same thing to him as I did to you. I just wanted him to stay with me. It had nothing to do with trying to 'correct' him. I just wanted him to stay." Virgil frowned as Roman glanced over with this broken look. "I made those rules to keep him here... and as a result... he left me of his own free will. HE left ME. He left me. He said he never would... but he did."

"Roman..." Roman sighed as he hugged himself and just shook his head.

"How can I be a prince and protect and serve the ENTIRE mindscape if my own brother didn't even want to stay with me. If I wasn't even good enough for the man who promised to never leave my side..." Roman seemed to dull completely scaring the shit out of Virgil, who could see the way Roman was physically being affected. He was breaking at the seams. He looked so sick. "How can I ever even dream of being good enough for Thomas?"