Point of View: Virgil, First Person
Timeline: Flashback (cont.)

I woke up cuddling with something soft and warm.

Confused, I slowly opened my eyes and - 

It was... Roman.

Roman was still fast asleep... on my chest. 

He had one arm tucked underneath my back and the other resting on top, resting his hand in a gentle fist on my chest, a couple inches away from his mouth.  Roman was using his large, beautiful, warm wings as a blanket for the both of us, his right wing tossed over most of my legs and torso.  

I didn't want to move, so I didn't, easily falling back asleep.

__________
Point of View: Roman, First Person

I woke up cuddling with something soft and warm.

Smiling I pulled it closer, before realizing the it in question... was actually a who.

My eyes flew open to find Anxiety, still fast asleep.  I smiled softly, at the way his back curled naturally against my chest. His headphones were still around his neck for some... odd reason...

But something told me he hardly noticed, his forehead pressed gently into the corner of the couch. I guess he really does like couch corners.

And then I noticed his hand.

His hand... that was interlocked with mine.

No one is in control over what happens in their sleep, and I know that. I know, I know that. But... I couldn't help smiling at the thought of him holding me close.

I sighed, pulling away from Anx and getting to my feet.  Anx let out a small whimper in his sleep at the sudden loss of heat.  I snapped my fingers, summoning Anxiety's little kitten plush from his room.  Gently, I slipped the plush in his arms and Anxiety quickly wrapped his arms around it, pressing his nose into the plush happily.  Oh my stars, he was adorable. 

Who knew Anxiety was a cuddler?

I sighed, rubbing a hand against my cheek, frowning at the sight below me.

I couldn't deny it now. 

I had a crush on Anxiety.

I had been denying it for the past month. I couldn't like Anxiety.  I just couldn't.  Falling for Anx...  that would be the end of me.  Besides, we've only really known each other for only about a month.  These feelings - my feelings- can't matter, can't be real.  He probably doesn't like me back anyway.

I sighed, standing up and and making my way to my room. I couldn't fall for Anx. The risk was just too great...

But maybe he's the prince I've been waiting for all this time.

And could I really be happy, knowing that I was only his friend (and quite frankly hardly one that), and that he saw me as nothing more?  Could I be happy watching him fall in love with someone else?  Could I be happy for him while he was in someone else's arms?

No.

I don't think I could.

___________
Point of View: Virgil, First Person

"Practicing for our next match?" a voice asked and I instantly lost my concentration, almost dropping my staff in surprise.

I had taken to using the staff as my weapon of choice when Prince and I went against each other. It was more a defensive weapon, making it much more difficult to play offense - which I hardly did anyway.  But it still gave strong powerful blows if I wanted to, but it was much harder to make anything permanent, which was something I valued in it. I was lot harder to kill someone with a long heavy as opposed to the sharp, pointy toothpick like Prince has got.

"Something like that," I answered, trying not to let my face turn as red as how I felt.

When I woke up, I couldn't help feeling a little hurt that I was alone, Prince having left sometime after I had fallen back asleep. Not that I would question him about it, I wasn't going to let him know how much it bothered me, even though I wasn't exactly sure why it did.

Prince walked over to "the wall" pulling out a staff for himself, grinning.

Prince was amazing at using not only his sword - though it was certainly his best weapon and his preference - but almost all the other weapons as well (we had found that he lacked the skill to wield a boomerang, not that it would be much help in battle anyway).

He set himself up a few feet away from me, staff at the ready. "Hit me," he said.

I shifted uncomfortably. "You go first," I argued, setting myself up defensively.

Prince shook his head, remaining in ready position. "You always wait for me to come after you.  You never take the initiative - not in the beginning, not at all during the match and that's what keeps you from winning," Prince said. "You get the advantage, and then you immediately fall back to defense, losing everything that you work so hard to gain."

"I just - I don't take the initiative okay? I'm fine with losing, really," I admitted, I swung my leg back, waiting for him to attack.

"But don't you see, Anx? You have so much natural talent - talent that I worked for the first five years of my life to have! And you let it go to waste every time to let me win," Prince said dramatically, but there was real passion in what he was saying.

Still, I frowned. "I don't let you win. You win - fair and square."

"Is it really fair and square if you don't even try to beat me?"

"I thought you liked winning," I said, still frowning.

"Well, of course I do, Meta-knight," Prince responded. "But I'm perfectly fine with losing - losing makes you better, makes you want it more."

Well. 

Who invited Shakespeare to practice?

Prince sighed throwing a frustrated hand through his hair.  "I know you can beat me, Anx.  I know you can.  You are always holding back - don't think I didn't notice," he added.

"But I'm not holding back," I argued.

"Maybe not defensively," Prince admitted. "But you never try to beat me - you're holding back offensively.  I want you to really win.But I want you to earn it too - I'm not just gonna give it to you," Prince smirked.

I stared at him, speechless.

Prince braced himself. "Hit me," he said.

Sighed and thrust my staff forward, trying to hit him. But Prince easily dodged out of the way.  "Stop holding back - really try to hit me, Anx."

I gritted my teeth and gave it another go, and Prince easily danced around that blow too.

"Come on, Anx - you're better than this," he said, walking towards me.  "Hit me, Anx. HIT ME!"

I swung my staff harder than I had even thought possible, faster than I even imagined I could move.  And -

ROMAN DIDN'T BLOCK ME.

My blow hit him flat in the stomach with enough strength to send him flying backwards.  I screamed in horror as he slid several YARDS backwards, landing painfully on his butt, wings up high so he wouldn't land on them.

I raced over in horror at what I had done. I tossed my staff aside, and kneeled down next to Roman, who was wincing in pain.

What was I thinking?! I shouldn't have hit him, I should've held back -

"That is exactly," Prince said, smiling at me from his position on the floor.  "What I want you to do."

I could hardly comprehend what he was saying. Did he - Did he not block me ON PURPOSE?!  Oh gosh, I sent him flying! Is he hurt and just not saying anything? Would he do that? Oh no, he took it too far, I shouldn't have gotten upset, I should've stayed and calm and played defense, play it safe -

"Y - You c-c-could h-have gotten h-hurt," I stuttered, my breath fast and frantic.  "I - I c-c-c-c-ould have h-h-h-urt you so b-bad."  My hands had joined in the trembling now, and the rest of my body quickly followed, the panic seeping through my veins like fire.

"Hey, hey," Roman said, sitting up as I tried and failed to control my breathing.  "I'm okay - remember what I told you? I made these things really padded," Roman said smiling, but I couldn't bring myself to join him, still shaking.

"Why didn't you stop me? I know that you could have. Why did you block it?! All those other times you blocked it, why not that one?" I asked, my breathing erratic now and I'm sure that my cheeks were turning pink from lack of oxygen while I hyperventilated.

"Hey, hey - I'm okay.  Open your eyes, Anx. Look I'm okay."

I had shut my eyes? I hadn't even realized it.  I refused to open them, scared that he was lying to me. Gosh, I'd hit him so hard -

A gentle palm pressed against my cheek and my eyes flew open, gasping in surprise.  My eyes were wide open and one of the tears I had been holding back slipped out.  Roman easily wiped it away, his hand sliding under my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"I'm okay," he repeated, eyes dark and serious.  "I really am. See?"

I tried to nod but I couldn't do anything at all. just sit there with my eyes wide and my cheeks wet and panic controlling my every movement.  My eyes finally shut again and I fought to swallow down my panic, so severe it was making my entire body tremble now.

So I was in no way prepared for what happened next.

ROMAN KISSED ME.

I gasped in surprise but didn't pull away.  His lips were soft against my own, barely there.  When I didn't pull away, Roman pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around my waist.  He tasted like... like something I couldn't name but I... really liked it.

Roman finally pulled away, only a few inches, trying to see my reaction.

I just had my first kiss.

With Roman.

With Roman.

"W-Why did you do that?" I said quietly, my voice low, eyes downcast, fighting to keep my breathing as steady as possible.

"I think the real question is different," Roman said, leaning forward and I reflexively leaned back, accidentally slipping a little and landing flat on the floor. Roman took advantage of this and hovered above me, hands on each side of my head, caging me in.  But instead of feeling panicked like I normally would... I felt... oddly...

Safe?

My heart was racing and my mouth opened wordlessly as I tried to come up with anything to say, anything at all. 

"The real question," Roman said, dropping lower and his eyes locked on my lips.  "Is if you want me to do it again."

I didn't move, absolutely speechless.

Roman teased me a little, shifting a little and lightly pressing his lips against my neck for some kind of reaction from me.

And boy did I give it to him. 

I let out a loud gasp of surprise at the feeling, which traveled from my neck all the way to my toes and back again, making me feel a bit lightheaded.  If I wasn't already on the ground my knees would be weak by now.

I could tell the Roman knew exactly what he was doing to me, smirking slightly against my neck.

"I asked you a question, Anxiety," he repeated, tracing light kisses down my neck until I was all but gasping for air, unable to think clearly - much less find my words.

Roman pulled back when I didn't respond, giving me a chance to catch my breath.  "I asked you a question, Anxiety," he repeated, voice low, his mouth dropping dangerously close to mine.

I didn't dare to breathe.

"I asked if you wanted me to do it again."

_________________
DUN DUN DUN!!!!
That's probably about as heated as things will get, lovelies. Sorry if I made anyone uncomfortable (besides myself, that was very... interesting to write).

Voters:

death-of-a-phangirl
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virgil_sanders22
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Ya know, considering that I've been posting the last couple of chapters within a 24 hour(ish) window, there's still a lot of you lovelies that are really quick on the votes. Thanks :D

Commenter:
virgil_sanders22
Comment:

I just screeched like a pterodactyl xD

Me: XD XD

Also: sorry about the double uploads this week. I wouldn't normally, it's just because I want to get the most readers out of each one because I've been uploading every day and they take a lot of time and I just wanna get the most of out them :)

And sorry - once again, didn't really do a full edit on here so if you could just ignore all those things that probably didn't make a whole lot of sense... 

That'd be AWESOME XD

I probably won't upload the next chapter tomorrow (it being Thanksgiving here in the US).  But who knows? If I get a free hour or so I might - this next chapter (a Present Day Chapter) has been finished for a WHILE but BOY is it a doozy.

Happy Early Thanksgiving!

- Max :)