Ten Years

§ 19 §

December 21st - 11:00pm

It was late in the evening, everyone was asleep. The house was silent, the hallways dark. From the walls hung twinkling Christmas decorations that had been set up in the afternoon of the day prior - everyone got involved, spending hours covering the house with an onslaught of colours and festive ornaments.

The outside held lights that had long been turned off, swaying side to side with the gentle breeze running against them.

It was peaceful.

The day itself hadn't been anything spectacular, nearly all the adults were doing their own thing, the children hanging out with the Disney Prince as usual, Gabriel and Harper going out of their way to make Charlotte's life Hell and Virgil spending time in his room, talking to Logan and Patton about how their Christmas was going.

Logan was currently in Hawaii with his family, it was tradition for them all to go on vacation over the holidays to different places - this year was Hawaii, and it seemed to be a favourite of Logan's. Patton was home with his family, compared to Virgil's or Roman's, his was considerably smaller, just him and his parents, but the man didn't mind, their Christmas' were just as special as everyone else's.

For Virgil? This Christmas was definitely one of the best he's had in awhile. So good it almost beats the first Christmas he spent with Roman - quite honestly he doesn't think anything will get close to that. He loves his family, don't get him wrong, but that Christmas was the first he's felt loved in years, so sue him if he holds it close to his heart, he adored it and nothing would change that.

Still, Virgil couldn't believe it was going as well as it was, he never thought he'd see the day where his family accepted them, yet here he was, in a house full of loving people. Mostly. But Charlotte didn't cross his mind much, of course he kept on alert, not wanting to bump into her, but she hadn't ruined anything for him yet so he was counting that as a win.

It was close to midnight when the house saw some movement.

A door opened slowly, light from a flashlight pouring into the hallway. Footsteps pressed against the wooden floorboards towards the staircase, creaks slicing through the silence, bouncing off the walls.

It was Virgil - of course it is. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed himself a cup, filling it with water and swishing it around his mouth. He hated the taste left in one's mouth after awaking. After taking a few gulps, he grabbed another cup, ready to bring the two up for him and Roman in the morning when the sudden illumination of light made him flinch, almost dropping the cups into the basin.

"What're you doing up?"

Virgil tensed. Looks like he couldn't be protected forever. Staying calm, he gripped the cups tight, turning to face the woman he's avoided ever since she's arrived. She stood in the doorway, hair in a tight bun atop her head, body layered with pyjamas and a robe.

"Getting a manicure" Virgil replied icily, the pair's eyes darkened as they glared at one another, any sort of family love the grandmother and grandson could share gone - broken into such small pieces it was unfixable.

"That's no way to speak to me" Charlotte told him sternly and Virgil withheld everything that told him to throw the water right into her face.

"What're you gonna do? Yell at me? You don't scare me anymore" as he said this, he certainly didn't expect his grandmother's reaction - she laughed. Laughed! He had never heard her laugh in his life, even when they were on good terms.

"I know that, Virgil" she crooned, "nothing I can say will affect you anymore. I learnt that quite quickly" she informed him, a nasty smirk drawing on her face, Virgil wanted to leave, to dart away to his room but she was in the doorway and he knew she wouldn't let him leave - he could scream for someone but he didn't want to disturb the whole house.

"No, instead I'll just watch everything crumble"

"What do you mean?" Virgil found himself asking, really wanting to stay silent and wait until she became bored, but he needed to know.

She chuckled again, "you don't think I've noticed? You're a smart boy, Virgil, too smart for that silly man you're dating-"

Virgil growled, taking a step forward. "Don't get him involved-"

"But he already is!" She continued, "he's apart of your life, closer to you than your own mother, right? But do you think he feels the same way about you?"

Virgil clenched his jaw, don't listen, don't listen, don't listen!

"He didn't go through what you did, he didn't go through ten years of being away from his family. I've heard him talk about them to the kids - he loves them. But he doesn't love you more than he loves them, I bet he would save his third cousin removed before even thinking about your life - he doesn't think of you as important as his family, while you do. And in the end? It'll destroy you"

Virgil breathing wavered, he couldn't...she couldn't...she couldn't be telling the truth, could she? It was stupid to believe her! But it makes sense. He does love Roman more than his family, for good reason, but he doesn't love him as much...because his family wasn't as bad as his own. Still, he wouldn't listen to her words, she was his enemy-

"Virgil" her voice fell soft and she took a few steps closer to her grandson who didn't move, staring at the ground below. "Virgil, look at me"

And so, he did, not expecting her to look so...welcoming.

"You think I want to hurt you? I feel terrible for what happened - just like the others, when we first met I let my anger take over, my denial, I was happy to see you, truly I was, but when I met your boyfriend I realised something. You're going to get hurt by him, I can tell"

Virgil began to shake his head, backing away from Charlotte and putting down the cups of water. "No, I won't" he denied but his voice was shaky, lacking confidence. "He loves me"

"Did I deny that he did? He does love you, I can see that. But the moment he needs to choose between you, and family, you'll be left behind, Virgil. And I don't want to see that happen to you. You've been through so much, sweetheart, I'm just trying to protect you"

Virgil lifted his eyes to stare at his gran for a moment, then towards the cups of water. The worst thing about the situation was she made sense, Virgil tried to see the dent in her words but it was all true - whether or not she actually cared was up for debate but Roman's love? Of course he loves his family more, Virgil didn't know if it would settle with him well if he didn't. They've been there with him since day one while he? He just appeared, out of nowhere, interrupting his life, forcing it to take a different direction.

A direction that...he might not want it to go. Virgil realised quick that Roman might not want this. He took him away from his family for what? For drama? For arguments? For awkward tension? Virgil was sure Roman's never had a Christmas like this - what if he secretly hates him for it? What if-

"It's true, Virgil"

He looked up at her suddenly.

"Whatever you might be thinking, it's true, trust me, your grandmother. Your family"

He looked down again, shook his head and grabbed his cup of water. "Leave me alone" he whispered, but it was weak. As he left the room, Charlotte stared at the second cup he left behind. Picking it up, she dumped the water into the sink and gave it a quick wash with a smirk on her face and evil chuckle on her lips.