PART 2 TO SOFT STARS, MY DUDES!

"Where're you going, Ro?" Roman stopped short.

"Uh-"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "And why're you climbing out the window? There's a perfectly good, functional door right here?" He motioned to the door. "Or do you not know how to use a door?"

Roman rolled his eyes. "I know how to use a door, Re. I just... it's easier this way."

"Bullshit." Remus said, crossing his arms and leaning against a wall. "What's your real reason for jumping out the window like Obi-Wan?"

Roman sighed. "Look, you can't tell mum or dad, okay?"

"Tell them what?"

Roman swung his legs back into the room so he was sitting on the window-sill but he wasn't going to jump out at any moment.

"Re, just promise me, okay?"

"Okay, okay, fine. I promise not to tell mum or dad whatever you've got your panties in a twist about." Remus said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm going out on a date. With a guy." Remus' eyes went wide. "You can't tell anyone, okay?"

Remus giggled and clapped his hands. "Roman finally found love, Roman finally found love, Roman finally found love." He sang.

"Yeah, now would you shut up and let me jump out the window?" Remus laughed.

"Yeah, sure. Have fun with your boyfriend!" He called as Roman jumped out the window.

Virgil looked up. "Hey, Princey." He grinned.

"Princey?" Roman asked. Virgil shrugged and stood up. He dusted his purple-blue jumper free of invisible sand.

"Yeah. You just said you were a 'proper Disney prince' so..." Virgil trailed off into another shrug. "If you don't like it, there's a couple of others. Thomas O'Malley, Romano or Meta Knight."

Roman blinked a couple of times. "I think I'll stick with Princey." Virgil laughed.

"Suit yourself, Princey." He rolled the sleeves of his jumper up to his elbows. "Personally, I prefer Thomas O'Malley but whatever."

"Why Thomas O'Malley?" Roman asked. Virgil shrugged and started walking along the beach.

"The comment you made about my eyes. Switch the word 'stars' for 'sapphires' and you've basically got the exact quote." Virgil explained. He hesitated and then took Roman's hand. Roman smiled a little and squeezed his hand, telling him that this was okay. "You know, I honestly didn't think you were going to come."

"Why? I was the one who asked you." Virgil nodded.

"Yeah, I know. But my anxiety insisted that you'd only been messing with me, seeing if you could get me to fall for another kid not in my local area. And then my insecurities were beating me up for, you know, actually believing you. But then my small surviving sliver of optimism was like 'maybe he was being serious' and so I waited." Virgil smiled. "And I'm glad I did. Cause I got to see you again."

Roman smiled down at the shorter boy. "I'm glad you waited too."

"Well, obviously." Virgil laughed. "So you said your mum was here to draw the beach?"

Roman nodded. "Mhm. And she jumped at the chance. She loves painting picturesque things."

Virgil laughed once. "She'd love my house, then. I live in one of the tiny fisherman's cottages along the shore. You must've seen them cause my brother ran over to me couple days ago yelling about the Disney prince that'd just walked by."

"You've got a brother?" Roman asked. Virgil nodded.

"Two, actually. Remy, who's two years older than me. He can't wait to leave here either. And Issac. He's the one who was yelling about you and he's turning ten soon." Virgil ran his free hand through his hair. "He's completely obsessed with Disney. I know everything I do because of him."

"Sounds like he and I'd get along." Roman said. "I've got a twin. He's called Remus and he's the most annoying brother anyone could ever ask for." Virgil laughed as Roman rolled his eyes. "He's the reason I was late, actually. He wanted to know why I was jumping through a window and where I was going."

"You were jumping through a window?!" Virgil asked.

"Yeah."

Virgil stared at him. "Why?!"

"If I'd gone through the hotel lobby like a normal person, mum or dad would've seen me and would've asked where I was going. And I'm not exactly out yet so..." Roman shrugged.

"You are okay though, right?" Roman nodded and Virgil let out a breath.

"Oh, yeah. Mum and dad are fine with gay people and stuff. There's just never been a good time to bring it up. Anyway, since you get all your Disney knowledge off your little brother, what d'you like?" Roman asked, changing the subject. Virgil shrugged.

"I dunno. I just like... music." He said vaguely.

"You gonna elaborate on that or is this gonna be a guessing game?" Virgil laughed.

"Um, I quite like MCR. Uh, Madness is always a good band and Sarah And The Safe Words... obviously Dolly Parton's a given, um-" Virgil cut himself off with a laugh. "Sorry, that was weird."

"I didn't find it weird." Roman said. "You get really excited when you talk about things you like and that's quite cute."

Virgil looked down, blushing. "Hey, look, the sun's setting." He said, stopping suddenly and pulling Roman to a stop with him. "It's so pretty."

The horizon and sky was bathed in soft pinks, bright oranges and gold gradients but Roman wasn't looking at any of it. He was looking at the boy he was lucky enough to be on a date with. Virgil's eyes were shining as he looked out at the sunset and he was smiling a sweet, almost shy smile.

"Yeah, it is pretty."

Well, time to make up a whole plot for this. And I'll definitely write my Demus song-fic tomorrow.
Bye,
Blaize