Magenta

Ch. 26

Roman's father hadn't let him leave the bed. It had been three hours since he left school.

He's spent most of the time in bed browsing through social media, making a point in ignoring all of Virgil's posts.

His father had been checking on him every few hours, asking if he needed water or something. Roman was glad that he could get away from Virgil for a few hours. He needed a plan to safely report him to the authorities.

A knock on the door sounded.

"Come in." Roman said, not even looking up.

"Uh, hey."

He looked up, finding Remus stood at the door. Roman furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Isn't school still in?"

"Yeah." Remus laughed awkwardly. "I couldn't really focus, so the teachers sent me home early."

Roman rose a brow. "What really happened?"

"I ran home." Remus admitted, walking fully into the room and closing the door behind him.

"That's what I thought." Roman sighed. "Remus, go back to school."

"No! Dad said I can stay!" Remus crossed his arms. "And I'm not leaving until I know if you're fucking dying or not."

"Aww, are you worried about me?" Roman smirked.

"Uh, yeah!" Remus scoffed. "If you keel over, then I'll have to take up the role as the hot one!" Remus shuddered. "No one wants that."

"Your concern is so touching." Roman rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, though." Remus sat down on Roman's bed. "Are you okay?"

"I've been better." Roman replied.

In truth, he still had yet to feel the gravity of the situation he's found himself in. It all seemed like a nightmare. Not real.

Was the Virgil he fell in love with the real Virgil? Or was he the mask Virgil put on to conceal the psychopath underneath?

Either way, Roman felt sick to his stomach at the mention of his name.

"Patton looked pretty concerned." Remus mumbled, looking away from Roman. "He stuck around for a little bit after the crowd dispersed. I could tell he wanted to say something to me, but he ended up just walking away."

"How are things going with Patton, anyways?" Roman asked.

"I keep trying to text him, call him, anything." Remus sighed. "But he doesn't answer."

That was Roman's fault too, huh?

God, Roman had ruined Remus' shot at romance.

"I'm really sorry, Ree." Roman smiled weakly, feeling terrible. "I know you liked him."

"Who cares if I liked him?" Remus huffed. "It doesn't matter anymore. He's not even our friend, now."

"I'm really sorry, Ree."

"Yeah, you said that already." Remus rolled his eyes. "It's fine, Ro. Really. Worry about yourself."

It was silent for a brief moment.

"You should've told me that you were sick." Remus grumbled. "I wouldn't have gotten so upset at you."

"I'm not sick." Roman snorted. "Just a little stressed."

"Define 'a little.'" Remus rose a brow.

"Okay, I'm really stressed." Roman huffed.

"Why?" Remus asked. "Did something happen?"

Roman couldn't lie to Remus, he would see through him in an instant.

"Uh," He murmured. "It's really nothing."

"So something did happen." Remus said. "You're not going to feel any better if you don't talk about it. Come on, Ro."

"It's not anything you should be worried about, Ree. Really. I can handle it." Roman smiled.

---

"Roman? Your boyfriend is at the door!" His father called from downstairs.

Roman, who was in the middle of watching a movie, went pale.

Time seemed to freeze. All his thoughts became jumbled, and he frantically tried to form a coherent response.

"O-O-Okay!" Roman called back.

Roman went silent.

Then he heard it. The slow, careful footsteps as they went up the stairs. The quiet humming of some rock song.

Just as the footsteps neared his door, they stopped.

"What are you doing here, Pryder?"

"Remus! It's good to see you. I came to visit my boyfriend, is there a problem with that?"

"Your 'boyfriend,' huh? Yeah, sure."

"...I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I'm onto you, Pryder. I'm onto you." And with that, the sound of Remus walking away was heard.

Oh god, what was Remus doing?

It was silent for a few tense moments, before Roman's door slowly opened, squeaks echoing through the room.

"Hey, Ro."

There it was. That smile that had Roman enchanted when they first met. The smile that had invaded his thoughts every waking moment. Somehow, it looked sinister now.

Virgil took Roman's lack of reply as permission to enter, closing the door behind him.

"What did you tell Remus?"

"I didn't tell him anything." Roman replied honestly.

"Why are you lying to me?" Virgil hissed, walking closer. Roman couldn't get his body to move, remaining stiff as a statue. "What did you tell him?"

"I'm not lying. I didn't tell him anything." Roman insisted.

"Oh, so he just suddenly is suspicious of me?" Virgil rose a brow.

"It looks like it." Roman murmured.

Virgil's hand shot out and suddenly he had Roman's neck in a death grip. "Tell me the fucking truth, Roman!"

"Virgil--Wait--!" He reached a hand up to claw at the one cutting off his air flow.

"Did you tell him about Janus?! About Logan?!" Virgil grabbed Roman's wrists with his free hand and slammed them above Roman's head.

"I can't--breathe--!" He choked out.

"Answer the goddamn question!" Virgil ordered.

"Vi--"

The door opened. "Hey Ro, Dad's ordering a pizza and he wants to know...if..." Remus blinked at the scene in front of him. "Um...are you guys already fucking?"  Remus snorted. "I'll tell dad you want sausage, then."

And with that he closed the door.

Virgil was silent for a second, before he released Roman. "Looks like you were telling the truth." He smiled at Roman. "Of course you were, because you love me!"

A/N:

I was like half asleep while I was writing the entirety of the Virgil part so ✌😗