Author: Sunzhalo
Word count: 309
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Will be late out! Love you bae, see you tomorrow -Roman xx

Virgil read the note, then read it again to let it sink into his mind. Roman was out again. If he was honest with himself, he had known all along, but it still felt like a knife in his chest. Goddamnit, why couldn't he just realize Roman wasn't good for him and leave? Logan had told him, Janus had told him, even sweet, impartial Patton had advised him to move out, quit his crap job and do something with his life. But he was in love. Roman was addictive, and he couldn't get away if he tried.

Still, he had thought today would be different. Virgil glanced over at the candlelit table piled with food and the Happy Anniversary! card lying forlornly on the shelf. Did Roman really forget? It seemed so. Virgil didn't even know where Roman went every night, but he doubted he wanted to find out. He sighed, setting down the slip of paper covered in familiar neat handwriting, and taking his spot at the table. All the plates and cushions were red, Roman's favourite colour, because Virgil knew his boyfriend would pick up on that and smile. He wondered bitterly who was making him smile right now. The only purple in the room was the message in Roman's card - raw, vulnerable words taken straight from the heart, things so adoring that Virgil could hardly believe he wrote them.

He pulled a purple ballpoint pen from his pocket and doodled on the tablecloth. The edges of the fabric were covered now in intricate drawings and infinite teardrop symbols, a sad memento of the artistic dream Virgil left behind.

Despite the knowledge that he had a boyfriend, who had given him some of the best times of his life, Virgil had never felt so alone.