Chapter 12

Their favorite man smiled at them as soon as he saw that everyone was ok but the smile faded quickly at the guilty smile and watery eyes on Roman's face and the way that Virgil seemed to be trying to disappear into his hoodie. After some 'I'm fine's' and 'it's ok's' they got down to an explanation.

Roman went first. Thomas had noticed how the creative side was hugging himself and giving half hearted smiles that lacked the usual princely charm and gusto Roman usually carried with him. The side explained his feelings he had developed for Virgil and how his fear of rejection had caused him to create a Virgil that wouldn't reject him. Then how the copy snapped, using anxiety to destroy Romans castle and himself.

Thomas has been shocked and disappointed in the creative side as he learned this. He was silent like the rest of the sides and the last attempt of a smile on Roman's lips faded as he lowered his head in shame.

Then it was Virgil's turn. The anxious side had been watching Roman with an unreadable look and when Thomas started to scold Roman, Virgil stopped him, saying he was ok. He then went along and explained the same thing he had explained to the sides before.

At the end of everything, they were glad Thomas understood now since it had all happened in his head.

"So everything is ok now?" Thomas asked.

"Yeah. Now everythings ok." Virgil nodded, giving Thomas one of his half smirks that told the man he had nothing to worry about.

After a few nods from the sides, they phased out and appeared in the common area. They hadn't shared many words between each other before they went back to their respective rooms. As soon as he stepped through the door, Roman looked around his room, suddenly feeling very alone and not sparing a glance at the door to his realm. He had decided he wouldn't go in there for a while.

Stepping out into the common area, he had made up his mind. Something in Virgil's eyes made him hopeful that it was a good time to try to talk to him.

Raising his hand at Virgil's door to knock, he rapped a couple times on the purple wood. It had only been a few seconds before the door opened to reveal the anxious side. He gave Roman a half grin and leaned against the door frame. His eyes still held a thunderstorm but it seemed like it had grown more cloudy.

"Come on in, Princey."

Roman gave a grateful nod and stepped into the room, hesitating slightly at the memory of the last time he had been in the room. That fear of going into overdrive by the effects of anxiety had stuck with him ever since it had happened.

"Don't worry." Virgil said, as if having read his mind as he closed the door behind him and tucked his hands in his hoodie pockets. "I've been working on getting the anxiety under control so it doesn't affect you, Patton and Logan as much anymore. Luckily it seems more docile right now since the stuff that happened in your realm."

"Right…" The prince tried to look around in an effort to hide his shame.

Virgil's room felt lighter than the last time he had been here. The darkness that seemed to cling to the walls and edges of every surface didn't feel as suffocating as it had before. It almost felt like the darkness was sleeping. Like it was resting after such an exciting day. Roman couldn't help but feel safe in this room now that he had felt the extent of anxiety's destructive abilities. Especially since Virgil was the only one in the mindscape that could control it. He could help but watch at the anxious side made his way over to the dark couch and take a seat before looking up at the prince expectantly.

"So…" Roman looked down at his hands, wringing his fingers in nervousness. "I wanted to officially, personally, truly apologize to you for my actions. I should've come to you about my feelings."

Virgil nodded but didn't say anything. His eyes were expectant and patient. For a split second, Roman pondered just how the anxious side had gotten the ability to be so unreadable. Right now though, he found himself wishing for the way that Virgil had been avoiding his eyes before since now that he had the anxious sides full attention, he felt like a sheet of tissue paper surrounded by an ocean. He took a deep breath, attempting to steady his rapidly beating heart.

"When Patton and Logan found out, well, Logan punched me in the face." A look from Virgil that was both surprised by Logan's actions and proud that Roman got punched. "They tried to convince me to get rid of my Virgil but I couldn't do it and I realized my mistake in creating my Virgil in the first place."

"Did you think about it?" Virgil asked, his voice held a calculating tone Roman had heard from Logan several times in the past. "Creating the copy of me? Did you think about it before you did it?"

"I did. Since you told us your name, I started developing feelings and it was after we tried to find out our Hogwarts houses that I started fearing rejection and not long after we went to Patton's room that I came up with the idea of creating my own Virgil. I admit that I didn't think about the repercussions of creating a copy of a side until after he was created, but at that point, it was already too late."

He took a deep breath as if realizing something he had known all along.

"I knew I had done something terrible from the moment my Virgil opened his eyes. I knew I had made a huge mistake but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't just destroy him. I would never be able to hurt you."

Virgil frowned, looking down at Roman's hands that were still held together in front of him and then back at the prince's eyes.

"You could've come to us. Patton, Logan, and I. We're your family. We could've helped as soon as it happened." Roman flinched at the amount of hurt in Virgil's voice. "But instead you kept it a secret from us, from me. You made me feel violated and betrayed."

It wasn't the amount of truth that had hurt the most, it was just how calmly Virgil had said it and the tidal wave of pain under his voice. It was impossible to tell what exactly he was leading to. While a part of Roman still hoped that the anxious side would somehow find it within himself to return his feelings, he knew just how far that goal was out of reach now after everything. He had no idea if Virgil would forgive him or hate him for the rest of their existence.

"A part of me wants to tell you to never talk to me ever again but-" Virgil sighed. "Patton told me about how important forgiveness is when it comes to family. I'm going to need time and a lot of it but I can at least try. We'll have to work on it."

"Oh thank you so-" Roman started, moving to take the anxious sides hands only for Virgil to stop him with a frown.

"Don't get me wrong, princey. We're still a long way from forgiveness."

Roman froze, is it the anxious sides blunt words chilled him to the core. He nodded, lowering his hands and turning his eyes to the purple carpeted floor. Virgil frowned at just how small the creative side got so suddenly.

"Listen, Roman. The sides are my family. It sucks that this had to happen but things can't just go back to how they were. It just doesn't work like that. And after everything… I need time. We both do." Virgil had stood at this point, the creative side in awe of the hurt passion in his voice, he tucked his hands in his hoodie pockets. "Until then, we're not ok. And don't think anything more will happen between us anytime soon."

Roman perked up slightly.

"So…" his voice was hesitant, very small. "There's a chance?"

Virgil frowned.

"Don't start with that. Healing first." He counted on his fingers. "Then trusting. Then getting back to basics. And then we'll talk."

The creative side nodded in a way he hoped didn't show his barely concealed excitement that he still had a chance. Virgil nodded in return, letting out a sigh, used to the princes' antics by now. But that was family for ya.

"Roman? Virgil?" Patton called from the common room. "It's onsie movie night! We've got pizza!"

"Oh! It's my turn to pick!" Roman perked up, making his way to Virgil's door and opening it for the anxious side.

"No. Your turn was last night." Virgil scoffed as he walked over to the open door. "Logan revoked your turn."

The prince frowned in princely offendedness as Virgil passed him with a chuckle. He glanced back at the purple, spooky themed room. Silently, he made a promise to try harder from now on. To get to know Virgil better and regain his trust. To try to trust the sides more when it comes to his problems. To go to them when he needed help.

He owed them that much. They were his family after all.

"Hey princey! You gonna keep us waiting again?" Virgil called from the common room couch, a plate with pizza in his lap.

Roman nodded and let the door to Anxiety's room close behind him as he made his way to the common room.