*Discontinued* Shifter

21

Roman stumbled his way onto Virgil's porch with a groan. Patton had healed him as much as he could but that left him drained and beyond sore. Patton had wanted him to go home and rest but Roman outright refused. He needed to talk to Virgil and on top of that, despite doing all he could to keep Virgil safe during that fight, he had to know if Virgil was in fact ok. Roman knocked lightly using his power to amplify the sound since his body refused to knock any harder. He stood there, arm braced against the wall, as he struggled to keep his breathing proper. He really should be resting. He just couldn't get himself to. That thought alone made him knock again, forcing the sound to be loud enough that it made his own ears ring a bit, not that in that moment it was hard to do. His head twitched the second he heard the quiet footsteps coming towards him. The door creaked open a bit making Roman smile.

"Vir-..." Yet all too soon it slammed right back into his face making Roman groan in frustration. "Virgil, please?" Roman whined subtly, hand raised to knock again, despite using his power on his own voice. "I won't try to come in if you really don't want me to. I would ask or force you but please? Please at least talk to me. Even if it's through the door. Virgil?"

"Virgil, I know you can hear me. I'm using my power to make sure you can. Just... I can't..." Roman pressed his head against the cool wood as tears slowly fell from his eyes. "Please, talk to me. Tell me what I did wrong. Tell me how to fix it. I don't know what I did. I... I don't understand to upset you so much. Please don't pull away."

"Go away, Roman." Roman's eyes shot wide as his body went rigid at the sound. "I do not want to see you."

"Than don't see me. Just please explain it to me. What did I do?"

"GO AWAY!"

"I CAN'T!" Roman fired back as he grunted in pain. Patton healed all he could but it wasn't everything. He choked as he tried to get air into him, his lungs burning as his muscles at tensed up in his gut. "I can't. Please, don't make me." Roman whimpered as his lungs refused to take as much air in making the world tilt a bit. "I know you kept me at a distance. I've respected it. I've never tried for anything more than what you were willing to have. I never pressured you or wanted you to think I expected more. We never have to be anything more than friends. I don't care if that's all we are. As long as you in my life I'm fine with it. I'd rather that than this. Virgil... You know how much I care about you. This ghosting... this pushing me away... What did I do to make you so angry at me? I can't lose you."

"It's not you, Roman." Roman frowned hearing Virgil's voice right in front of him. His power surged using the various sounds to give him a mental projection. He could see Virgil standing there on the other side of the door, forehead and hands pressed against it with tears in his eyes. "It's not you. I realized... I got too comfortable. Letting you in my home. Letting you in my... in my... I let my walls down and I can't do that." Roman's eyes widened as the realization hit him hard. "People like me can't have friends. They can't have people to care about. It only hurts us both in the end. So just... Stay away."

"I can't do that." Roman blinked letting the mental image leave him as he stepped back from the door. "I can't let you fall farther into the black." Roman smiled hearing the sudden lapse in Virgil's breath. His vision was going dark but he didn't care. He had to get his words out. "I can't let you fall farther in the black... without me. I'll be there to help keep you grounded... and safe. Please just don't push me away. Ple-..." Roman swayed as he forced himself to brace against the wall again. He turned himself around till his back was to it the door beside him as he slid to the ground, the world swimming around him. He was exhausted. "Please? Don't leave me."

"How did you..." Roman let his eyes slip shut as Virgil's voice cut out. Several seconds later the door creaked open again making Roman smile. "Roman?"

"Over here." Roman said as he waved slightly before letting his hand hit the ground with a subtle wince. "I had to sit down."

"Shit. Ro..." Roman's eyes fluttered open to see Virgil kneeling before him with this look of worry but his smile only grew at the sight.

"Virgil!" He giggled as he held his hand out limply. "You came out? I thought we would have to talk through the door the entire time." 

"Roman..." Virgil reacted quickly the second Roman's eyes fluttered again, making his catch the others hand before it fell. "You're about to pass out. What the hell happened to you?"

"N-Nothing. 'm just exhausted. Patton's healing takes a lot out of both of us. Couldn't even heal it all." Virgil's eyes narrowed with a protective look as Roman giggled all the more. "I've missed you so much."

"What on earth could you have needed Patton to heal that would drain you this much?" Roman shook his head as he felt himself drifting off without his permission. "Roman?!" He tried to fight it. He could hear the panic in Virgil with every growing second but the darkness pulling him under was just too much. "Roman! No, stay with me. Damn it, please? Please stay with me. Please?!"

"Don't..." Roman chocked out as he forced his eyes to open one last time. He noticing the rapid-fire shifting of Virgil's eyes and he smiled sadly in understanding. It was his anxiety. The panic he knew Virgil was feeling... It had to be. That was his trigger. "Don't panic." 

"DON'T PANIC?!" Roman nodded as he weakly reached out with his free hand to cup Virgil's cheek not for one second caring at all about how Virgil's hair stared to shift color as well. He just didn't want the man to get hurt.

"I'm ok. I'm just tired." He fell that pull dragging him under again as he slipped before he even realized his eyes had closed again.

"No, Roman, stay awake. Please?"

"I would... I-If I could... 'm too tired, Vi. 'm sorry." Roman mumbled as he started to fall over. "'m sor-..." Virgil jumped to catch him pulling him in his arms before the man could smack his head on the floor. Roman let out a relaxed yet exhausted breath as Virgil shook with overloaded nerves. He was about to have an episode and he knew it. He couldn't have one outside but he couldn't leave him here either.

"Fuck!" Virgil cringed at the slight warp in his voice his panic pulling him under all the more. He quickly picked the man up stumbling into the living room before collapsing as soon as he could. He placed Roman on the couch as he just fell to his knees sobbing out with anxious fear. He couldn't stop the way he curled into himself as everything just took over. His body shifted out of control as he forced himself to move. He would not let Roman see him like this. If Roman woke up, Virgil refused to let him see him in this state. He practically clawed himself to his room slamming the door shut before breaking down completely.

All of this because he cared so much about a man he just couldn't have.