The Fallen Angel - Prinxiety (ON HOLD)

Chapter Thirteen

Breathing was the only sound that filled the room as Roman began to wake up. He didn't feel like opening his eyes yet, feeling the fatigue still in his bones. He felt warm and content with laying under the covers. He inhaled deeply as his mind started to wonder.

As consciousness came to him, he realized something. He was no longer on his side of the bed but rather in the middle. Roman blinked his eyes open in confusion and his breath caught in his throat as he realized where the warmth was coming from.

Virgil was tucked against his chest. His arms were looped around his waist and he was holding onto him like a teddy bear.

A flush rose into his cheeks quickly as he looked down at the still sleeping mage. He wasn't sure how to react. They weren't full on cuddling with each other, but it seemed that Roman was Virgil's comfort item for the evening. The prince wondered how he would feel about his actions when he woke up.

The two of them had made some progress over their trip thus far, but they were still merely acquaintances. With Virgil being an anxious person, he hoped this wouldn't cause him discomfort. He'd been reluctant enough to open up to him as a friend, and one could argue that this was far more intimate than behavior of recently made friends. 

Roman bit his bottom lip as he looked at the young man attached to him. He recalled the words of the mysterious man, Janus, from last night's events; the mage was meant to make an appearance at his 'place' around noon. It still wasn't clear to him what the agreement meant for Virgil. The prince had no idea what time it was, how long it would take to get there, or how long it would take for them to prepare; he didn't want to be late for whatever it was Janus had planned. He figured it was better to wake Virgil up now to give him more time to get ready.

He reached up to stroke the hair out of Virgil's face. He swallowed a little at the intimacy of the gesture, but didn't stop himself. "Virgil, it's morning," he said softly. "You've got to get up."

The mage's face contorted in confusion but relaxed as he slowly opened his eyes. He looked up to see Roman smiling gently at him. His large brown eyes blinked a couple times. There was no emotion on his face for a few moments, but after a beat passed, Virgil's pale face flushed entirely red. He shot away from him and jumped up from the bed before the prince could say anything. Roman sat up and opened his mouth to speak but Virgil just raised his hands to silence him as he hid his face behind his bangs. 

"Let's... Let's pretend that didn't happen? Cool?" he rushed out in a tense voice. 

Roman felt a rush of emotions. He wasn't sure if he felt relieved, disappointed, or offended by the request. He settled on indifferent, offering a unbothered shrug to the mage. "If that's what you'd like to do, then sure, it didn't happen," he said.

He reached up to stretch out his arms as if Virgil hadn't been cuddled against his side a few moments before. He peaked a glance toward him as he did so, seeing him still frozen where he was standing, hiding his face in his hands. Scowling to himself, Roman tried to distract him from the embarrassing events of the morning. 

"So, that guy, Janus? What's with him?" he asked, standing up. 

Virgil jumped slightly at his voice as though he'd been broken from a trance. He shook out his head to refocus. "Right, I never got a chance to explain," he recalled. He sighed heavily. "Okay, Janus Drake owns an arena in this town where mages and other fighters brawl and compete with each other. People place bets on the winners and such. It's probably the most notable thing in this town."

"I take it you spent some time as a fighter, given that he called you 'his champion' last night," Roman said cautiously.

The mage went rigid at the phrase. His face contorted into an expression of rage. "I'm not his anything," he snarled. Roman raised his hands defensively and looked down apologetically, making Virgil reign in his temper. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed again. "Sorry, sorry, I'm just... I'm stressed. I spent some time here when I was a lot younger and yeah... I was a fighter in his arena. I don't really want to go into detail about everything that happened between us, but he was very... manipulative, to say the least."

"It's alright, you don't have to tell me anything that you don't want to," he reassured him. 

The stressed expression on Virgil face remained despite his words. He looked like he hadn't slept well, despite their position that morning indicating otherwise. The prince wondered what would help him feel better. 

"Oh, how about we get some breakfast? We haven't had much to eat since we left the palace," Roman suggested. "Again, I really should've planned better for this journey instead of immediately busting you out of prison without a travel bag ready. It's a good thing I have money on me so I can at least help pay for anything we need. Do you know anywhere in town that would have anything you'd like to eat?"

Virgil pondered the question as he began to pull on his boots. "I... I think there's a bakery somewhere... at least if this place hasn't changed much."

Nodding, he laced up his own boots. It was quiet as they continued to get ready. Roman stood in front of the bathroom mirror, fussing with his hair that wouldn't quite do what he wanted. It was a bit of a nuisance that he didn't have his regular grooming supplies. A pout settled on his face as his wavy hair refused to lie neatly on his head. "Ugh, my hair is a mess."

"Oh for the love of- it doesn't even look bad," Virgil replied, his annoyance clear in his tone. "You'll have to get used to not having the luxury of home, your Highness. You really are spoiled if a hair out of place makes you whine like a child..."

He glared at him without any real anger in his gaze. "I was exaggerating Virgil, no need to come for my entire existence like that," he said. The mage rolled his eyes and met his eyes with a unamused expression. Roman huffed and put his hands on his hips as he walked over to him. "You're lucky, you look good with messy bangs, but not all of us can look good with minimal effort. A prince has got to be ready to slay their enemies with how dazzling they are."

He gestured dramatically to his face and shook his shoulders a tiny bit. Virgil broke, letting out a tiny laugh at his actions. He attempted to hide his smile behind his hand, but Roman saw it. A triumphant smile of his own spread across his lips. "Now, let us go get something to eat, I'm starving!"