Having lunch with Roman was like a dream come true.

Maybe Virgil was too wrapped up in how unique, kind, and beautiful Roman was to notice, but he was funny. He told stories with embellishments that added whimsy and fun to seemingly mundane topics. Virgil couldn't stop grinning the entire time they were sat.

"--and then Remus said, 'But it was for science!' And I shot back, 'Eating sharpies is not science, dumbass!'" Roman rolled his eyes, and Virgil couldn't help but laugh at how exasperated just telling the story made the redhead.

"Doesn't sound like there's a dull moment with him around." Virgil chuckled, a giddy grin on his face. One day, Remus might be his brother too, or brother-in-law at least. Virgil had always wanted a brother, his lack of siblings made his house feel so much bigger and so much quieter.

"Trust me, it's madness." Roman snorted. Virgil wanted to be part of that madness. Virgil wanted to wake up in the morning and know that there's a family he belongs to. Roman's family.

He could almost see it now. He would wake up with Roman wrapped up in his arms, the two of them would cuddle for a bit and then go down for breakfast. Later they would meet up with Roman's parents and brother, and they would treat Virgil like he had been with them his entire life.

It would be perfect.

"Roman? Roman Prince?"

Virgil shot his head over to the boy that was walking over.

Who was this?

He was handsome, Virgil would give him that. His sunglasses obscured his eyes, but he had an almost perfect nose, dimples when he smiled, perfect hair that almost looked windswept despite it being a perfect day outside. In a delicate hand made of porcelain skin, he held an iced coffee.

Who was this?

Roman didn't seem to know, since his brow furrowed and he gave a tense smile and awkward little wave. "Uh, hi? Do I know you?"

The boy snorted and removed his sunglasses, revealing one eye that was a beautiful shade of pale blue, and another that was hazelnut brown. To Virgil's dismay, Roman's eyes lit up in recognition.

"Oh my god, Remy?" He stood up, that beautiful smile spreading across his face. "Remy Dormir? From Riverside Elementary?"

Shit, they had history. Virgil didn't stand a chance against a childhood friend. He put on a strained smile, trying not to show his panic on his face.

'Remy' grinned. "Hey!" He chirped, before holding his arms out for a hug. Virgil's heart dropped. "It's been awhile!"

Roman hugged him, and Virgil had to bite his tongue to stop himself from bursting into tears. He needed to calm down. Roman was allowed to have friends. That's all they were, after all, right?

Roman gestured to him. "This is Virgil, my, uh..." He hesitated, glancing at Virgil for a second. "Friend?"

Virgil smirked, trying to pretend that didn't sting. They hadn't put labels on anything yet, after all. Why should he be hurt when that answer was perfectly reasonable? "Yeah, sure."

Remy's attention shifted to Virgil, and a look that the latter had seen many times before passed over the former's face. Virgil felt his stomach twist as Remy shook his hand and let out a low whistle. "Damn, you're fine." He murmured, and Virgil himself pale. "Look at that face."

Virgil tried to keep his breathing even, not wanting to do anything that would come off as aggressive. Don't freak out. Not with Roman standing right next to him. Even if chills were running down his spine and he could feel his face beginning to pale.

"Remy..." Roman warned, and Virgil somehow fell even more in love with him. How had he known Virgil was uncomfortable? He was perfect.

Remy glanced at Roman, smirking and raising a brow. "Oh shit, is this your boy toy?" He crossed his arms. "That's my bad, babe. I won't step on your turf. So, how's Nightmare doing?"

"He's doing..." Roman looked away as he searched for the right word. "...better."

Virgil zoned out, frowning. Why hadn't Roman denied Virgil being his 'boy toy'? Is that all he saw him as? Someone who he could always call for some good time? Something meant for fun and not forever?

Virgil couldn't see himself living a life without Roman. The two of them needed to be together, or else how was he supposed to live? He couldn't go back to life before the green-eyed boy. A life full of loneliness, of unwanted hands touching him, of hatred and misery and this hole in his chest that can only be filled by love.

He looked at Roman, who was responding to whatever Remy had asked him. After what Virgil had done, he had to be with him forever. He needed it to be worth something.

He saw a shadow in the corner of his vision, but when he glanced over there was no one there.

"--I'm throwing this awesome party next Friday, I'd love it if you could come!" Remy was saying to Roman when Virgil zoned back in.

What? Roman at a party? Where anyone could get to him—could steal him? "Is that invitation extended to me?" Virgil quickly raised his hand, trying not to let his desperation leak into his voice.

Remy just rolled his eyes like Virgil had asked a stupid question. "Of course! In fact, Ro-Ro, you should invite all your friends! If they're down for a rager, that is! And make sure Nightmare is there, I miss that little shit!"

Roman blinked. "Uh, oka—" Remy began to walk away, and the redhead cut himself off with a step forward. "Wha—Remy, we don't know your address!"

Remy paused by the door, before bursting into laughter. "Whoops! Silly me! I'm so forgetful today, babes!" He chuckled, pulling out a pen and writing his address down on a napkin.

"Just today?" Virgil asked, raising a brow. Remy rolled his eyes, but didn't grace him with a reply.

"I also wrote down my number. Shoot me a text, babe." Remy smirked, and Virgil had to fight down the flare of anger that lit up in his chest. He was just being friendly, he had to tell himself. Besides, they hadn't seen each other in years. Roman wouldn't go running from him, right? Roman and Virgil were perfect for each other, anyone could see that.

Remy had said something else, but Virgil had been too wrapped in his thoughts to pay attention. Next thing he knew, the coffee-drinker left the building.

Virgil didn't like him, he decided. "He seems...eccentric."

Roman turned to him and grinned, and Virgil's mind went blank and he forgot that he had been feeling anything negative at all. "Remy was my best friend from kindergarten to fourth grade. Until he moved to Sanford, that is."

"I'm guessing he was also Remus' best friend?" Virgil raised a brow.

Roman snorted. "Well, duh. The two of us were practically joined at the hip."

Idly, Virgil remembered the confrontation that the rougher twin had given him in the bathroom. "I would say you're still joined at the hip." He grumbled.

Roman smirked, and Virgil wanted to kiss him. "What? You jealous?" He stepped a bit closer. "Don't worry, maybe if you keep trying, you'll take the spot as my number one." Roman booped his nose, and Virgil practically short-circuited.

Virgil flushed, pouting. "Sh-Shut up." Roman snickered.

—

Virgil dropped Roman off after lunch, and spent the rest of the day in silence. He was sitting in his bed, staring blankly into space.

A party, huh?

Virgil hadn't been to a party in forever. Of course, he had been invited to plenty, with a reputation like his. Getting the mighty Virgil Pryder to attend your party seemed to be some sort of status symbol, so people would constantly be asking him to attend their events.

Maybe this would be good for him. Remy didn't go to their school, so no one there would know him. Besides, Roman was going to be there with him the entire time. That is, of course, unless Roman actually loved parties and would leave Virgil floundering.

The last time he went to a party, he spent most of it sitting in the corner, staring at the floor. It wasn't long after his dad died, and he thought that the party would be able to fill the void inside of him.

Virgil blinked. Now that he thought about it, that was the first time he'd spoken to Janus. It was at that party. Orm had walked right up to him, a completely blank expression on his face, and had asked him a question.

"Do you-–?"

Virgil shook his head, quickly trying to erase any thoughts about Janus. He didn't want to think about him. He wasn't supposed to concern himself with anything involving Orm. He was dead. Gone and buried. Virgil did it himself. Orm couldn't try and ruin Virgil's life anymore. He couldn't Orm couldn't hurt him anymore.

Right?

In the corner of his eye, he could see a shadow in the mirror on his wall.

He glanced up at the mirror.

There was someone sitting next to him in his reflection.

It was Janus.

Bloody, pale, with that same haunted expression on his face that he had that night. His eyes were staring straight at Virgil, who couldn't move, frozen in terror. He wasn't breathing, Virgil distantly realized.

"You're not real." He mumbled into the quiet of his room, unable to tear his gaze away. He noted that he should've felt more alarmed about this development, but he couldn't really feel anything at all.

After a few moments, Janus smiled.

It was a horrible smile. Twisted and disturbed, it was too wide and didn't quite reach his eyes. It looked more like his skin was forcefully pulling his mouth into that expression, Orm only being a puppet on a leash.

Virgil forced himself to look away, choosing to shoot his head down towards his hands.

They were covered in blood, and there was a hole in his glove.

Virgil could only stare.

He looked back at the mirror, and instead of Janus, his father was sitting there. He looked more like a skeleton than a person, just like he was right before he died. A frail, bony hand lifted itself up, moving to touch Virgil on the shoulder.

When he blinked again, no one was there. He glanced back down at his hands, but they were perfectly clean.

Bile climbed up his throat, and he rushed to the bathroom to vomit in the toilet.

Faintly, it almost sounded like people were laughing in the other room.

—

When he went back to school, Susan was waiting for him at his locker. Virgil wondered if she could see the way whatever positive feelings he might have had about the day disappeared immediately upon seeing her.

"Pryder." She said when he was approached.

"Haven't heard from you in awhile. I was hoping you'd forgotten I exist." He drawled, opening his locker. "Is there a reason for this visit?"

"A little birdy told me that you and a transfer student went on a little date." Susan appeared calm outwardly, but something was off about her tone. An emotion was hidden beneath the seemingly neutral manner of the sentence. Frustration, maybe?

Virgil glanced at her, pulling his textbooks out of his locker. "Oh?"

She sighed, closing her eyes and putting a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Don't try to deny it. You were seen." She glared at him. "What's your game here?"

"I thought you were a fan of this." He turned fully to face her, tilting his head.

"He's attractive, I'll give you that." She looked away, crossing her arms. Virgil rolled his eyes, moving to walk away. Susan blocked his path. "The two of you certainly look the part of the perfect match."

"Thanks." He murmured, trying to step past her again, but once more being blocked.

"But you don't actually...like him, do you?" She squinted at him like she was trying to decipher a puzzle. "He's completely different from you. You're like black coffee and he's a strawberry milkshake."

Virgil huffed, smiling unkindly. "Maybe I have a bit of a sweet tooth."

Susan gave him an unimpressed look. "So, what's your angle? I can't figure out what you're doing. Surely, even you wouldn't be so cold as to string him along until you get bored."

Virgil felt his face twist up at the thought. He could never get bored of Roman. Roman was everything. "Have you ever considered, and stay with me here, we like each other?"

Susan scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You? Liking someone? Please, don't make me laugh. Keep your secrets then." She shrugged, before pausing. "...so, you actually slept with him, then." She raised a brow.

Virgil smirked, tilting his head. "Jealous?"

Susan, to his surprise, grinned at that. "Ah, I see. He's a good lay, then."

Virgil frowned. "That's—He's much more than—"

"So, what is the little bedbug to you? Is he your boyfriend?" Susan put her hands on her hips, a smug grin still on her face.

Virgil pursed his lips, glancing away. That's the question he was wondering himself? Did Roman want to be with him? "We haven't exactly put labels on anything yet. He's wonderful, and I want nothing more than to make him happy. But I don't know if—" He cut himself off, shaking his head. "Why the fuck am I telling you anything?" He asked, looking back at her.

She was staring at him, brow furrowed. "You...really do like him, huh." She mumbled blankly. "Well, I'll be damned." She hummed, chuckling a bit. A strange fire lit up in her eyes. "You're full of surprises, aren't you?"

Virgil, suddenly uncomfortable, crossed his arms. "Are you done?"

She smirked. "For now." She shrugged, turning around and beginning to walk away. "Take care of yourself, Pryder."

Virgil watched her go, already trying to forget that they had interacted in the first place.

A/N:

Guys are you proud of me?? Only one month apart this time!!