Requested by Anti-Active (Thank you!)

Type: Highschool AU

Ship: Prinxiety (platonic)

Warning: swearing, bullying, past self-harm

*Virgil POV*

I'm running.

As fast as I possibly can.

Away from everyone and everything.

In a forest.

I hate high school.

More specifically, the people there. The work I can handle.

But not the people.

I trip. I fall. I feel my jeans tearing and my knees scraping against the sticks and dirt.

"What the actual hell were you thinking?!" I hear someone shout.

I can hardly breathe, I've been running too much. I turn back and see someone. Roman. The popular drama kid. Why's he here?

"Stop! Wait!" he shouts.

I curl up into a ball on the forest floor, watching the world go dark. If I died right here I wouldn't be shocked.

*Flashback for easy exposition*

Virgil arrives at school late. He always arrives late and nobody knows why. Or really cares.

Virgil sits down in his seat in the back of the class. Little does he know a few people are watching him. Well, his anxiety is telling him everyone is watching him, but he pushes those thoughts back.

After school, however, he is followed out to his car.

"Hey, you little shit. Saw you got here late today, were you trying to give us the slip?" 

Virgil turns around and sees his biggest bullies. Remus and Janus.

"N-no," he says.

"Then why are you trying to leave right now? Haven't we told you to stay back?" Remus hisses.

"I- I-" Virgil stammers.

Remus picks him up by his hood. Virgil's underweight, so it's easy to lift him up.

"Put- put me down!" Virgil says.

"No," Remus says, "You need to be taught a lesson,"

He looks at Janus, he nods and punches Virgil in the face.

*a few minutes of the poor emo child being attacked later*

Virgil is about to pass out. If only he could have gotten in his car quicker, he could have escaped.

"Learned your lesson yet?" Remus asks.

Virgil spits in his face. A stupid mistake, but one he doesn't regret at the moment.

"Hey! What are you two doing?!" someone shouts.

Virgil is dropped to the ground and makes a run for it. He runs to the woods behind the school, the first place he can think of. He decides to just run away. If he leaves, nobody can bully him anymore.

*end of flashback*

I wake up in a house. I've been kidnapped, haven't I?

"Oh good, you're awake," 

I sit up and see Roman. 

"What do you want from me?" I ask, "If it's cash you'll be disappointed,"

He looks at me, confused.

"No, I don't want anything from you," he says.

I laugh.

"Sure you don't, Princey," I say.

"No, seriously. I just want to know what happened and if you're alright," he says.

I unconsciously scratch my forearm.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. It happens a lot, I'm used to it," I say.

"What?!" Roman shouts.

He looks around nervously for a second.

"You're serious?" he asks.

I nod.

"Remus and Janus. Every week," I say.

"Oh my god, why haven't you told anyone?" he asks.

I shrug and keep unconsciously scratching my forearm. A habit I can never seem to break.

"What's with your arm? Is it ok?" Roman asks.

I stop scratching.

"Yeah," I say.

He grabs my arm and I try to yank it back. My shoulder says no.

"What-" he starts to say.

He rolls up my sleeve to see my thin scars.

"Do you need a hug?" he asks.

"Why do you care?" I spit, yanking my arm back successfully this time, "No one's ever cared,"

"I do. We used to be friends, Virgil," Roman says.

"When?" I ask, rolling my eyes.

"Back at the start of middle school. I had no one. Then one day you came and sat with me as we discussed our love for Disney. We were best friends for years," he says.

"Then you discovered your talent for acting and ran off with the theater kids. It happens every time. I'm the basic friend you have until you find someone else, so you're not special for knowing me," I say.

It's true. Back before high school, I was the kid who sat alone. Then someone would sit with me, earning 'good person' points for doing so, discover their interests, and go join a group that better suited them. Nobody's ever stuck around.

"I never ditched you," Roman says, "You just stopped hanging out with me. Any time I wanted to talk, you were always busy or in a bad mood,"

I turn away from him, mostly to hide my tears. 

"I'm sorry," I say.

"I should be the one who's sorry! I just stopped talking to you after a few months of trying, and I didn't even notice your- depression," he says.

"You're not the only one, so don't feel bad," I say.

It's at this moment I feel like I should ask where I am.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"My parent's place. They're out for the weekend," Roman says.

"Ah. Also, what did you mean when you shouted 'what the hell were you thinking'?" I ask.

"What the hell were you thinking, running away from your car and all chances of medical attention while you're covered in blood and with a broken nose," Roman says.

I reach up and touch my nose. It hurts just to tap. 

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" he asks.

"I'd rather not be broke for the next few years," I say.

I hardly see my dad and when I do he's either asleep or trying to work. We have next to no money, so I'd be the one paying my hospital bills.

"Well, I can try to fix it," Roman says.

"Later. I'm tired, do you have any movies?" I ask.

"Every Disney one," he says, smiling.

"Black Cauldron?" I ask, "Can we watch that?"

He nods.

I sit up on the couch and Roman sits next to me as the movie starts. 

"So are we friends?" I ask.

"Of course! And if this happens again, let me know. I may or may not know Remus's mom, and she may or may not adore me and listen to everything I say," Roman says.

I smile.

"Must be nice. But don't tell her about this yet, I want to watch you threaten Remus with this first," I say.

"Of course," he says.

"And Roman?" I ask.

"Yeah?"

"I know it's only been a few minutes, but can I stay here for the night?"

"Yeah. You can stay here as long as you need," he says.

"Thanks," I say.

Maybe things won't be so bad.

I've been at a writer's blank today, so sorry for a slow update. Peace out, my peeps!