prinxiety one shots

I was supposed to protect you

Virgil coughed, red spilling over his lips in thin streams. He forced his hazy vision to focus on Roman, who was kneeling at his side, desperately trying to staunch the bleeding of the gaping wound in his stomach.

He lifted a hand to brush over Roman's tense fingers. "We....we made a good team, didn't we?" he whispered hoarsely.

Roman pressed harder on the injury, hands stained with crimson. "No-no don't talk like that. You're going to make it."

Virgil managed a weak smile, knowing that he only a few more minutes left. "You need to keep going, Roman. You have to make it home. For me. For us."

Roman tore off a piece of his shirt and tried to use the fabric instead of his palms, but it was drenched in a matter of seconds. "I can't, Virgil." His voice cracked. "Not without you. Just...just hold on for a little longer." He threw the useless bit of cloth off to the side in frustration and looked up at the expanse of empty terrain. "Help!! Please!! Somebody!! Anybody!"
His cries disappeared into nothingness.

"Please..." He slumped down, a broken sob tearing out of his throat, helpless to do anything as the life slowly seeped out of his lover.

Virgil reached up and brushed away one of his tears with a thumb. "It's okay, Roman. It's going to be okay," he rasped. "You're going to be okay."

Roman swallowed thickly, grabbing Virgil's hand and  holding on tight with his own blood-crusted one. "N-no I'm not," he choked out. "You...you were everything to me, Virgil."

Virgil coughed violently and shuddered, black edging the corners of his eyes. The world seemed to spin and dip and blur together-or maybe it was just their tears.
It was all happening too fast.

"Make it home," he murmured, barely audible. A heaviness settled deeply on his chest, pulling him into the ground.
He smiled one last time. "I love you, Roman."

He didn't get to hear Roman's response before he was swiftly bundled away into the blanket of darkness around him.

Roman sobbed, whimpered, and then he lost it. "I-I was supposed to protect you-you, I failed," he broke down screaming as he bawled his eyes out. "I was supposed to protect you..."

"Hey, hey, hey. Roman. Roman!"
Roman jerked awake from his nightmare with a shudder, cold sweat dripping down his back and drenching his shirt. The world blurred in his vision as he began to sob uncontrollably, shoulders shaking, fat tears rolling down his cheeks.

He weren't able to save him in that dream. He couldn't get to them in time, couldn't stop the bleeding, the death, the last breath from leaving their lungs-

"Bad dream again?" someone murmured to the side of him.
He looked up, wiping his eyes, and saw Virgil there. Virgil, safe and healthy and alive.
"Virgil," Roman croaked almost inaudibly, his name a treasure on their tongue.

Virgil sat on the blankets, gathering Roman up in his arms and running a hand through his hair. They pressed a kiss to Roman's forehead. "It's okay," he whispered.

Roman wept into his chest, breathing in his scent of cinnamon and nutmeg. His hands twisted into the fabric of his shirt. He didn't know if they would be able to let go.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Virgil asked gently.
Roman sucked in a rattling breath. "No," he said, voice cracking. "No."
God, the blood. It had been so vivid, so real. And the sword through his chest-

He must've pressed harder into Virgil because the hold on him tightened comfortingly. "It was about me, wasn't it." It wasn't a question.
"Yeah," he managed. "You..."
"I died."
"Yeah," Roman said, breathless. "Yeah, you did."
That scream, the life leaving their beautiful eyes-
"Hey, Roman. Roman look at me."
He lifted his head weakly to meet Virgil 's attentive gaze.

Virgil brushed a tear from his cheek. "I'm right here. Don't worry." He smiled softly. "I'm right here."
Roman nodded distantly.
"I love you, Roman." Virgil wrapped his arms around Roman and holding them close. "I love you, and I would never, ever leave you. I promise."
Roman buried his face into Virgil's shoulder, heart aching, swelling with affection. "I love you too, Virgil."

Hope you enjoyed...sorry for so much angst around Christmas.

                                               Bluebadger19