Point of View: Roman, Third Person
Timeline: August 4th, 2019, 4:24 AM

"Get up."

Roman frowned, but he stayed put. He didn't even have the energy to open his eyes, he was just... just so tired...

"Come on, open your eyes. It's time to go."

Roman jumped at the hand on his shoulder. His eyes flew open and he was instantly attacked by a brutal rush of emotions. He was so overwhelmed he just stared, as the emptiness spun, twisting itself into grief.

"Hi, Logan."

...

"Salutations to you too, idiot."

Roman rolled his eyes at the jab, slowly making his way to his feet. "Seriously - it is good to see you."

"Well I'm afraid I can't say the same to you," Logan glared at Roman, crossing his arms over his chest. "Honestly - you went and killed yourself?! Did you learn nothing from my mistake?" Logan chastied.

Roman frowned. He didn't need a lecture, especially from him. "You don't understand," Roman muttered, getting to his feet. He felt less dizzy than he had the first time he tried. "You don't understand how it felt to watch him be so happy with someone else. I - I was supposed to be with him, he was supposed to be mine," Roman protested bitterly.

"Falsehood," Logan returned, holding out his wrist. "Don't try and tell me what I don't understand because I do," he sneered.

Roman's eyes went to Logan's wrist without a second thought - and gasped. He reached out and grabbed Logan's wrist, tracing the white letters.

Patton Foster

"Oh my God," Roman whispered. "Patton... Patton was your soulmate," Roman looked up for confirmation.

"Patton is my soulmate," Logan corrected. "Now come on, I'd prefer not to leave them alone for much longer," he said, turning around and walking away.

Roman took a second to note their surroundings which... quite frankly wasn't much to look at.  It was just an endless sea of white, white, and more white.

"Wait!" Roman jogged after Logan, catching up with ease. "Why do you have his name? And why is it white? And what do you mean, where are we going?"

Logan exhaled harshly. "I forgot how much you like to ask questions," he grumbled, rubbing his temples.

"And I forgot how much of a smart-alec you were," Roman mimicked.

Logan glared, but overall decided to ignore it. "Very simply, I have Patton's name because he is my soulmate - "

"But you didn't have his name when you were alive," I pointed out.

"No, I did not," Logan confirmed. "And please don't interrupt especially with obvious conclusions, we do not have time for that. Anyway, it is to my knowledge that in the afterlife, soulmate marks turn white, opposite of the black mark of the living."

Roman's couldn't help looking down at his own wrist, gasping when he didn't see the burn marks on his wrist.  And there Virgil's name was, now written in white, but as beautiful as he remembered.  Roman traced the ever familar letters, he hadn't realized just how much he'd missed seeing them.

"Now, as for why I didn't have Patton's name when I was alive..." Logan paused.

Roman stared at Logan impatiently.  "What?"

Logan glared at Roman interruption, but ultimately choosing to ignore it. "I have a theory that people who genuinely believe they will not have a soulmate, will not be able to see their soulmate's name - whether their soulmate is alive or not.  That same theory could also be used to explain your scenario as well."

Roman couldn't bring himself to say anything to that.  All of this could have been avoided if... if Virgil had just believed that he would have a soulmate...

"You," Roman growled, shoving Logan backwards.  "This is all your fault!"

Logan stumbled before getting his footing.  He didn't seem terribly surprised at the accusation, but not necessarily happy about it either.  "Of course, blame me for you deciding to take your own life."

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Roman rolled his eyes before glaring.  "But either way, you should know better than anyone how feels to have no way out."

"That's enough, Roman," Logan gritted his teeth, hands forming into fists at his sides.  "Do not assume you know everything about me, nor the circumstances that surrounded my death," Logan demanded.

"Well then why don't you tell me? It's the big question, now isn't it?  Why would Logan Sanders, the man who had everything, commit suicide?"

"Roman, I said that's enough."

"You left us!" Roman screamed back, tears rolling down his face in fury.  All the ugly emotions he had locked up when Logan died were finally coming to surface.  "You left us, you left us all.  How could you do that?! And for what? All because you were too proud to ask for help!  Why wouldn't you just - "

"That's enough!"  Logan grabbed Roman by the front of his white t-shirt, gripping it tightly.  "I have no obligation to explain myself for my past actions.  I am not the bad guy here and I will not stand for you trying to turn me into one."

Logan let go of Roman's shirt, his eyes cold.  "Now, if you're done being an insolent little boy, follow me.  It's not much further."

Roman trudged behind Logan in silence.  Clearly Logan still needed to work on his anger managment skills.

After what felt like a half hour or so, Logan stopped in the middle of white nothingness.

"Logan, what is this place?" Roman asked. "Where are we?"

"Patience is a virtue, Roman."

Roman opened his mouth to defend himself but the clever retort was ripped away from them as the white nothingness that surrrounded them started to dissapear, fading into... an apartment?

Roman frowned at the L-shaped brown couch and almost equally dark table.  There was a set of stairs that led to a second story and when Roman turned around he noticed a large flat screen tv and tall lamp.

"This is Patton and Virgil's apartment," Logan words were clipped and sharp. "They had to move out of the old one when you left, they couldn't afford the rent without the two of us."

"But... what are we doing here?" Roman demanded, taking a step away from Logan. "This is the last place I want to be."

"Well unfortunately I'm afraid you're just going to have to get used to it," Logan remarked.

"... Logan?" Roman took another step back. "Logan, what is going on?!"

Logan sighed, finally turning to face Roman.  "You are Catholic, am I right?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything," Logan answered simply.  "In the simpliest of terms, because we killed ourselves, we are not allowed passage into heaven."

Roman's heart dropped and settled somewhere around his shoes.  "W-What?"

"However," Logan continued, ignoring Roman.  "We have each been given a second chance to achieve salvation."

Roman chuckled weakly but honestly he felt sick to his stomach.  How was he saying all of this so casually.  "Okay...?"

Logan adjusted his tie.  "God has granted us each with the gift of the guardian angel.  It is your duty to help him through physical and spiritual dangers to achieve salvation," Logan explained.

"Him? Who is him?"

Logan exhaled harshly.  "Roman, truly, you are remarkably dense.  Who do you think?" Logan gestured around the apartment.

Roman didn't even have the chance to reply before it hit him and just the thought of it brought tears to his eyes. 

"... Virgil?" Roman asked, looking at Logan helplessly - his mental armor shattered.

Logan's face twisted in pity at Roman's distraught face.  "Actions have consequences, Roman," Logan said quietly.  He hesitated for a moment before placing a hand on Roman's shoulder.  "And now it is our time to pay the price for ours."
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