True Deceit

Chapter 19: 18 Years Earlier Pt: 4

Roman tipped toed silently out his bedroom, peeling open the dark side door and pacing soundlessly through. Patton had made him promise not to see Remus, but Roman was not having that.

He walked down the corridor and knocked softly on Remus's door, entering to find Remus sound asleep in his bed. Roman shook his shoulder, shaking him awake.

"Remus, Remus, wake up." Remus's eyes fluttered open, confusion and venom flooding through his body.

He gasped, jumping back. "Who are you?"
Roman tilted his head, his brown eyes wide with confusion. "I... I'm Roman?"

Remus shivered, his heart racing. This stranger looked just like him, with short hair and pale skin. "You look like me."
"Off course," Roman smiled to mask the uncomfortable knot in his stomach. "We're twins."

Remus's mind couldn't cope. He began crying, the fear of the unknown overwhelming his heart. "I don't have a brother; I don't have a brother!"

(Deceit heard this scream from down the hall, instantly jolting awake.)

Roman's jaw dropped. His own brother didn't recognize him?

"Yes you do, I can prove it!" He glanced over to the small television box in the corner of his room, nodding his head.

"I'll be right back, ok? I need to get something. Don't tell Deceit I'm here."

Remus could only nod. Roman swiftly left, leaving a confused boy atop his mattress. That wasn't real, surly. That must have just been some crazy dream, he thought to himself.

He curled back under his covers, squeezing shut his eyes. That wasn't real, that wasn't real, that wasn't real...

"I'm back," Roman whispered, carrying a bulky VCR under his arm and a video cassette in his right hand.

Remus panicked. "Deceit!" He screamed. "Father! -" Roman hastily covered his face with his pillow, smothering his screams.

(Deceit sat up, debating guiltily if he should check on his son. He was just so tired...)

"Remus, what the hell," Roman growled, though is heart was fluttering. He hastily plugged the VCR into the wall and rewound the tape, dragging Remus off the bed and in perching him in front of the television screen.

Remus struggled against him till he glanced up the screen, pausing as he watched the video recording. Roman and he we're play fighting and laughing on camera, whilst Logan stood in the background tutting his head.

Soon memories we're flooding back to Remus. Roman and he, dancing and singing to Disney music, playing in the lounge room, consuming chocolate biscuits, all the things they loved to do together.

Remus turned his head, realisation striking him. "R-Roman?" He tried.

Roman nodded, swallowing softly. "You... remember me now?"

Remus turned and pounced onto Roman, giggling quietly as he pressed his head into his brother's chest. "I remember, I remember, I..."
Remus froze. "Deceit gave me an injection of his venom."
"What?" Roman exclaimed.

Remus quickly threw a hand over his mouth, sitting up. "He tried to make me forget about you."
Roman stammered with disbelief. "I can't believe he did that to you. I knew he was up to something!"

"You did?"

"Well, no," Roman admitted. "But Logan sure seemed to think so."

Suddenly, Deceit called out. "Remus, Son, are you okay? I heard screaming."

Remus gasped, whispering alertly. "Hide, hide, hide!" He quickly pulled up his brother, opening his closet door and shoving him inside.

Deceit opened the door, walking swiftly inside to find Remus standing in the middle of the room with red eyes and pink cheeks.

"Is everything okay?"

Remus did his best not to chock as he spoke. "Yes Father. I just had a nightmare."

Deceit slowly embraced him, stroking his hair. "Everything is going to be okay, I love you."

Remus could barely swallow. "I love you too, Father."

*

For the next 17 and a half years, Roman and Remus kept their brotherhood secret and hidden, with only weekly visits to each other's rooms in the depths of the night. Though they found themselves slowly growing different, the one thing they had in common was their brotherly love, and despite intrusive thought and busy creative schedules they continued to love each other, as all siblings should.