Point of View: Roman, First Person (Who is getting tired of Roman's POV? XD)
Timeline: Present Day, Day 6 of Roman's Quest

After the snow, Virgil and I continued walking in silence.  Virgil wasn't one to start the conversations and I was far to deep in my head to even consider starting one myself.  Virgil was fidgeting a bit, unnerved by my uncharacteristic lack of speech.  I simply continued on though, doing my best to shove my nightmares out of my mind.

"Hey," Virgil pipped up, looking oddly... cheerful for once?  "So you like stars and snow.  What else don't I know that you like?" he asked, slipping his hand into mine.

I didn't mean to flinch at his touch, but I did and Virgil saw it.  He quickly drew his hand back, shoving them deep into his pockets instead - what he does when he's upset.

I - I didn't mean to hurt him...

I felt bad, but I didn't try and reach out for him.  "Virgil, I - I don't really feel like talking," I admitted.  I didn't look up, not wanting to see the hurt expression on his face.

I let out a long exhale, suddenly feeling very jittery for some reason.  Being mad at myself for not being completely honest with him.  This is Virgil! Just tell him about the nightmare already before he starts blaming himself, I reprimanded myself silently.

"My n-nightmare - well, nightmares," I corrected, slightly surprised by my stutter.  Still, I forced my hands into fists and continued.  "Last night-" My throat closed up, refusing to let my speak.

Virgil looked at me from behind his bangs, slightly confused and I realized that I had stopped walking without realizing it.  "Roman?" he asked, gently - concerned.

I shook my head.  No, he didn't need to know.  He'd be better off not knowing.  "N-Nevermind, it's - it's stupid," I muttered, brushing lightly past him with my eyes fixated on the icy ground underneath me.

It took a second for me to hear the soft crunch of the ice under his boots as he followed behind me.  I continued walking faster, as if walking faster would help my mind forget, forget what I had just done to Virgil, forget what happened in the dream, forget  -

I jumped as I felt Virgil come closer - forcing his hand into mine.  At that I did look up, and stared at the way his jaw was set - determined.  He didn't say anything, just continued to walk at my side.

He deserves better than me.

"There are no stupid feelings.  Please - tell me," Virgil said softly, finally and I found myself staring at his eyes - so earnest and full of love - unlike their cold counterpart from my nightmare.  "Did... did I hurt you? In the nightmare?" he guessed and I flinched again, involuntarily giving it away.

Virgil gently pulled me into a hug, holding me tightly - and I could literally feel the - the positive energy he sending me with the tight comfort of the hug, which was so bizarre and so... so beautiful.

And before I could stop myself I was sobbing, sobbing into the shoulder of his hoodie while he held me and I held him back, as tightly as I could with my shaking frame.

By the time I had finished, I was limp in Virgil's arms, him being the only thing holding me on my feet.  My head was pounding with an incoming headache, probably from all the crying.  I was exhausted - how was he still standing anyway? He didn't sleep at all last night...

"Roman?"

I gave a soft grunt in reply, burying my face deeper into his shoulder.

"Are... Roman are you sick?" Virgil asked, voice low and serious.

"What? No... I... A Prince never gets sick," I muttered, pulling away from Virgil at last, as if to make it a point that I could stand on my own feet just fine.

Which would have been nice, if... I could stand on my own feet just fine.

I didn't fall, - oh wait nevermind, I thought as the world suddenly tilted sideways and I decided the icy ground was a better option.

 Owie, it - my head... hurt...  

Thankfully Virgil caught me before I hit the ground and I let out an almost hysterical giggle, holding him closer.  I wrapped my arms around his neck and he let out a grunt as my feet left the ground and he was left holding my entire weight.  I pressed tiny kisses all over his cheeks, giggling after each one.  Happy, happy, happy...

sad.

sad.

sad.

And then I was crying and I sobbing into his jacket again as Virge gently set me on the ground.  "Hey..." he whispered trying to help but I merely shoved him away, feeling panic climb up my throat.  Was this a dream too? Oh my gosh, I don't know, I don't know, I don't -

"Roman, it's okay," Virgil said softly.  "May I grab your hand? Is that okay?" he asked.

I hesitantly let out a nod.  My eyes were shut.  When had I closed them? Oh well, I wasn't going to open them now.

I felt Virgil gently brush his hands against my own.  I let out a small gasp at the tiny touch sent sparks flying down my spine.  I stopped thinking and just froze as I felt Virgil's hand against mine.  

Virgil didn't like his hands much, usually choosing to hide them but I couldn't help finding them just as beautiful as the rest of him.  He had calluses in all the same place I did from training and some more at the tips of his fingers - from playing guitar.  Otherwise, his hand was unnaturally soft and I started painting a mental picture of them in my mind.

After a while, I opened my eyes to Virgil's concerned eyes, kneeling next to me.  I was sitting on my bag, white-gold feathered wings outstretched and wide behind me.

Virgil gave me a forced smile, lifting his hand - the one that wasn't clamped under my own - and pressed the back of my hand against my forehead.  I absolutely melted at the gesture, the sweet child-likeness of it.

"You have a fever," Virgil reported quietly.

"Whoops," I muttered lowly, fiddling with my the emblems on my uniform feeling a little funny.  I let out a little giggle and leaned forward, brushing my nose against his - giggling some more in an attempt to get Virgil to smile.

Virgil pried his hands out of mine and when into his bag.  I stared on curiously as he pulled out a smaller purple bag - and walked back over to me.  He set the already tiny purple bag on the icy ground and pulled out -

A bottle of white pills.

"Here," Virgil said gently, pouring a single white, tablet shaped pill into his hand before holding them out to me.  "It won't help much, but... hopefully this will help... at least some of the pain, some of the time."

"H-How did you know that I -" I cut off, briefly realizing.  "You didn't," I realized, suddenly sober.

Virgil smiled softly, nodding slightly - bangs falling over his eyes.  "I... had a pretty good idea."

"How?"

"Because I take it," Virgil admitted.  "It helps... most of the time."

I stared horrified.  How... How did I not know Virgil was on pills?  "Why? Why do you take it?" I whispered.

"I'm a Dark Side, Roman," Virgil explained gently.  Not a blaming tone in his voice, just one of acceptance.  "Because I stay on... the other side of the Imagination... especially since I'm not supposed to... this counters the... effects."

"Effects?" I questioned, feeling my face go slightly paler than usual.  "You never told me about any... effects... of you staying in the Mind Palace."

Virgil merely shrugged.  "What would you have done? And besides, I'm used to it."

"What about now? Don't you need these?" I asked pushing his hand - still holding the tiny white pill - back towards him.

Virgil surprised me again by shaking his head.  "Being on this side of the Imagination doesn't effect me - as it does you, and as it would for the others.  This is... where I'm supposed to be.  Something... Something about being here... I can't explain it.  I'm tapping into powers I barely remember having - the snow I made earlier? - and controlling my powers for the first time I can remember.  I... I just feel... I feel lighter.  Being here... it just feels... right.  Does that makes sense?" Virgil finished abruptly.

I opened my mouth to respond to find that I didn't have one.  I just... I was quiet.  Was Anx not happy over there? Over with me? After starting to remember what this place was to him... would he not want to go home with me after we got justice?  

Would he want to stay here, even after we were done?

"Maybe we should just go home," I whispered heartbrokenly, defeated.  I wanted to get revenge for those sides... all those sides... but... I can't do this.  I can't. I can't.

Virgil's eyes widened at that.  "Why? Why this all of a sudden? We've come so far..." he whispered, head tilted to the side, confused.

I shook my head.  "I - I can't do this," I whispered, getting to my feet.  "Please, let's go home," I whispered.

"We can't just leave now," Virgil argued, getting to his own feet - looking a bit alarmed to be frank.

"Why not?"

"Because you will never forgive yourself if we go home now," Virgil stated, eyes stern.

"Virgil -"

"You need to do this Roman.  You need to go, you need to go and get all the answers - find out whose responsible for all those lives," Virgil pushed.  "I'm not saying this because I agree that your revenge quest is right, but you deserve answers at least.  And you're not feeling well - you aren't thinking straight."

"I'm not straight," I muttered, giggling slightly again.  Oh, here we go again.

Virgil let out a huff of annoyance, bangs flying up a bit.  "Please, just take this."

I blinked at the pretty white pill in Virgil's hand.  "Ooo," I said curiously, picking it up and blinking at it - as if seeing it for the first time.

"It's white," I observed.

Virgil looked like he was going to explode.

"Please Roman - please just take your medicine," he pressed.

I frowned.  "But it's yours, you need to take your medicine Virgil."

"I - you know what? Okay," Virgil complied.  "We take it together," he said pulling out another pills for himself.

"Yay," I said happily, pulling out a bottle of water from inside my bag.  "Together?!" I giggled.

"On three," Virgil complied.  "Pass me your water when you finish, okay?"

I nodded vigorously.  "One."

"Two," Virgil added, looking significantly less cheerful than me.

"Three!" I cheered, tossing the tiny white pill in my mouth and chasing it down with a swig of water.

I watched Virgil do the same - 

"Wait! You didn't take it!" I pouted - pointing to his hand, which was now simply hiding the pill poorly in his hand.

"What are you talking about?" Virgil smirked, slyly slipping the pill back into the container.

I punched him lightly in the arm.  "That's not fffaaaiiirr," I whined.

"Look - take this last pill and I'll take them my medicine, okay?" Virgil admitted, reaching into his bag and pulling out a little blue pill.

"Hey," I said frowning.  "Those are mine," I said reaching for the little blue pills.

At that Virgil frowned.  "What are you talking about?"

"I take those," I admitted.  "Why did you bring my sleepy pills?" I asked curiously.  "And it's still so bright out.  Why do I have to take them now?"

Virgil glanced between the pills and my face several times, blinking confused.  "But... these are mine...?"

I shook my head.  "Nope! These are mine.  Logan even put the tiny little 'L' on them see?" I said pointing out the tiny little 'L'.

Virgil stood there starstruck for a moment, opening his mouth to say something before closing it quickly.  "Yup, they're yours, Roman.  I brought them here to help you fall asleep," he said with a small smile on the end.

"YAY!!" I jumped up and wrapped my arms around him.  Virgil let out a tiny yelp of surprise, falling backwards onto the icy ground.

"Whoopsie, sowwy," I giggled pressing a quick kiss on his lips.  "You LOVE ME."

"..."

"You love me SOOOO SOOOO MMUUUCCCHH-"

"Roman I swear the next star I see that if you don't take your pills right now then it means you don't love me," Virgil countered.

I gasped.  "NOOOO," I cried grabbing the pill container and pouring like - seven - into my hand and popping them into my mouth.

"HOLY - ROMAN SPIT THEM OUT!! When I said take your pills I didn't mean take fifty!!"

"Whoops," I giggled, curling down towards him.  "Hey my head hurts owie," I muttered, burying my face in Virgil's neck.  "You smell like vanilla," I said.

"Uh... thank you?"

"Welcome, love," I giggled, pressing tiny kisses over his cheeks causing Virgil to blush pink.  "What do I smell like?" I asked, pressing myself as close as I could.

Virgil tensed at my aggressiveness, but he didn't push me away.  He was quiet for a moment.

"Starbucks," he said finally.

I blinked at him, surprised.

"You smell like in the inside of a Starbucks," Virgil let out a small laugh at my surprised expression.  "You smell like... happiness."

And then the waterworks took over once again.  Virgil muttered out a brief and barely audible 'Geez...' before settling down on our bags as I curled my wings around me as in inpromptu blanket as I rested on Virgil's lap, using them as makeshift pillows.

"Nighty night, Virgil!" I whispered.

"... Night Ro," he whispered back, the smallest of smiles on his lips.

____________________________
Sorry this is sooo late lovelies! I got a killer headache on Friday and I couldn't write :(

And sorry if this chapter was a bit odd, it'll make more sense when Roman... comes back to his normal self a bit XP

Because I was late, the next chapter will go up on Tuesday, the following one on Thursday, and the final chapter on Saturday ;)

- Max :)