Three Times Virgil Almost Kissed Roman And The One Time He Did
romanamongthestars

Summary:
There are many different sides to Roman.

This is how Virgil falls in love with all of them.


I.

Roman is a disaster.

He's dashing around the family room, belting out "Agony" from Into The Woods. Virgil is trying to read a book that Logan let him borrow on the couch, so he ends up being the one-man audience. (Of course, he knows that if he wasn't here, Roman would still be just as theatrical.)

"Agony! Beyond power of speech…"

Roman suddenly breaks character and stretches out an arm to Virgil, catching the anxious side off guard.

"Um, what are you doing?"

"Dance with me!" Roman exclaimes, flashing a dazzling smile.

Something in Virgil's world tilts on its axis at the sight of Roman's face lighting up like that— his eyes sparkling, the sun seeming to shine from underneath his flushed cheeks.

"I, I can't dance—"

"Nonsense!" Before Virgil can try to protest any further, he's being swept into Roman's arms and twirled around the room.

"Always ten steps behind, always ten feet below, and she's just out of reach…" Roman suddenly throws Virgil out to hold him at arm's length, before pulling him back in and spinning him around in one graceful motion.

Virgil suddenly feels a childish joy fill him, and he's laughing, laughing, laughing. He can't stop, not even when the song ends and Roman dips him back at the last chord.

When he finally gets control of himself, he is suddenly swept back up onto his feet. With no music to distract him, he's suddenly keenly aware of how close Roman is, of how Roman's arms are wrapped around his waist, of how their noses are almost touching.

And then their eyes meet, and Virgil's breath catches.

Roman is… stunning like this. His eyes glisten with passion and laughter, his cheeks are flushed from the physical activity. He's breathing heavily through a wide smile, and Virgil can feel his heartbeat through his chest, how fast it is, how it only seems to get faster the more their eyes are locked.

Virgil suddenly feels an impulse to wrap his arms around Roman's neck and kiss those goddamn lips because that smile keeps making him feel like everything is about to change.

He starts to lean in impossibly closer…

And then Logan's light footsteps are padding down the stairs, and Virgil pulls away to grab his book and sit back onto the couch.

When Logan gets downstairs, Virgil is reading again, and Roman is humming as he glides towards the kitchen. But both of their cheeks are still red.

II.

Virgil can't sleep.

He hasn't been able to sleep all night. For no reason in particular - his brain is just so awake and refuses to shut down.

He checks the clock. It's 6 am. The summer sunrise should be occurring in about thirty minutes.

Might as well get something out of tonight.

Virgil climbs out of bed, throwing his hoodie on over his sleep shirt and boxers. He slides on some shoes and stumbles out of his bedroom door, then down the stairs.

He is about to turn towards the large family room window when he notices that he's not alone.

The window blinds are already wide open, displaying the sky at the crack of dawn. And Roman is sitting on the couch, gazing out of it.

Virgil's heart picks up his pace at the sight of Roman in his sleep clothes - just a shirt and his boxers, like Virgil. However, in place of Virgil's hoodie, Roman's in a plush red robe, untied and loosely covering his arms (of course, he's got to be extra somehow).

This feels surprisingly vulnerable to Virgil, seeing Roman with pillow-tossed hair and sleep in his eyes as opposed to the put-together Roman that Virgil's been accustomed to. He's suddenly aware of his own messy hair and the lack of eyeshadow under his eyes, and he's wondering if maybe he should turn back, when Roman turns and catches Virgil's eye.

The gentle smile Roman offers as he scoots over and pats the sofa surprises Virgil. This calm, serene, morning Roman wasn't what was often seen.

Even so, Virgil hesitantly sits down next to Roman.

"Can't sleep?" the prince asks, glancing at Virgil.

Virgil nods, and awkwardly shifts.

"Me either," Roman confesses, and a jolt of surprise goes through Virgil.

"Wait, really?" he asks, looking at Roman with wide eyes.

Roman laughs at his response, looking out as the sky gets lighter. "Iam Creativity, you know. Too many ideas run around in my head sometimes. And if they don't have a way out?" He shrugs, chuckling a bit. "I can't relax at all."

Virgil tilts his head. "You seem pretty relaxed right now."

Roman gestures towards the window. "The sunrise helps calm me down. I'll probably crash for a couple hours after this."

There is a small silence as Roman gazes out the window and Virgil gazes at the floor, absorbing this information. He would've never guessed that Roman was the other side with sleeping issues. There must be a lot more to the fanciful side than he had assumed.

"Look," Roman excitedly whispers.

Virgil quickly pops his head up to be faced with a pale rainbow of startlingly gorgeous colors. Indigo fading to a lighter blue fading to the slightest bit of green, and then the yellow-orange-red of the sun beginning its daily journey through the sky.

"Holy shit," Virgil whispers. He thinks he might understand why this calms Roman so much, because he feels completely at peace with the universe right now, but when he turns to Roman to say this, he is stunned into silence.

The colors of the sky are being projected onto Roman's face, highlighting his carved features. Sharp cheekbones, the swoop of his nose, the delicate curve of his neck. The awestruck look on Roman's face only makes it more enchanting: his lips are parted in wonder, and his eyes are wide and glistening in the light of the sunrise, showing a golden tone in them that Virgil's never seen before in any of the sides.

Virgil suddenly feels slightly dizzy and his heart picks up its pace. It's as if the floor has been completely swept out underneath him.

A yearning grows in his chest, and for the first time since their dance, he wants more than anything to reach out to Roman and pull him closer, kiss him gently, make this morning even more breathtaking than it's already been.

And, again, he almost does.

Then the moment is interrupted by a loud crash from upstairs, and Virgil jumps in surprise. Roman leaps up and is already summoning his sword when Patton hurries down the stairs.

"You kiddos are already awake? Thank goodness! My shelves just fell over somehow and, um, I kinda need some help getting them back up."

Instead of continuing the magical moment, Roman and Virgil are dragged up to Patton's room, where they almost get lost in nostalgia until Logan arrives to rescue them.

III.

It's movie night in the mindscape.

Virgil would love nothing more but to escape back to his room and have a mindless night of scrolling through Tumblr, but Patton's puppy-dog eyes convinced him otherwise.

Now, Roman is begging to play Moana while Logan fights for Big Hero 6. Moana quickly wins— "Logan, we saw that movie last week" —and Roman triumphantly puts it on.

It isn't long before Patton falls asleep cuddling a pillow with his head on a blushing Logan's lap. Soon after, Logan shuts his eyes himself.

This leaves Virgil and Roman awake, staring at the screen, their eyes sparkling in captivation. And when Moana returns the heart, Virgil suddenly becomes aware of some sniffling coming from Roman's direction.

He turns to Roman, and is surprised to see that the creative side is covering his mouth and has tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Princey?" he whispers, confused.

Roman removes his hand to reveal a small, content, childish smile. "I just love how it all works out in the end. Happy endings are absolutely magnificent."

Something in Virgil's heart flutters at Roman's tone, filled with innocence and magic. A small voice inside Virgil is coming back full force— kiss him, kiss him, kiss him—

Shut up, shut up, shut up. Virgil needs to stop entertaining these thoughts of his. The impulse to kiss Roman was stupid and backed by absolutely nothing. Logan would scoff at the entire scenario.

The movie soon ends, and Virgil turns to Roman to say goodnight, only to find Roman sprawled across the couch, asleep as well.

Jesus Christ. Roman looks so… unguarded. Peaceful, undisturbed, calm. His eyelashes rest on his cheeks in a way only poets would be able to describe, his lips placed in a perfect pout.

Now's your chance. Kiss him goodnight.

Virgil shakes his head in an attempt to get rid of the voice. He lays a hand on Roman's cheek instead, moving a bit of hair out of his face that would certainly bother him in the morning.

He covers Roman with a blanket, and, after one last look at the prince's serene expression, carefully makes his way up the stairs.

+1.

It's 3 am, and Virgil can't sleep again.

It's been weeks and weeks of trying to get rid of these bizarre thoughts about Roman, these impulses to kiss him, the constant yearning for him that doesn't go away. The daydreams, the dizzy emotions, the jolt that goes through Virgil every time they touch.

Virgil's sleep schedule is even worse because of it.

He groans, gets up, slides on his hoodie, and decides to get a glass of water from the kitchen, hoping that'll somehow calm him down. But when he starts the journey down the hallway, he notices Roman's door is slightly ajar, and Virgil swears he can hear thunder coming from the other side of it.

Why the hell would there be thunder in the mindscape?

Something in him drives him forward to knock on the door.

There is no answer.

Through the crack of the door, Virgil thinks he might be able to see lightning flash for a second, and his confusion and anxiety are both heightened. Out of fear for Roman's safety, he swings open the door.

In front of him is Roman's part of the mindscape, that has been shifted into the epitome of a midnight storm. Dark clouds roar with thunder overhead, and gorgeous lightning bolts flash to accompany it.

"Close the door behind you."

Roman's voice appears from nowhere, and Virgil is startled into noticing the wide field he's standing on - the field Roman is currently laying in the middle of.

Virgil follows Roman's instructions, and he watches, awestruck, as the door vanishes into thin air.

Roman clears his throat. When Virgil turns back, Roman props himself up on one elbow, patting the ground beside him.

The hesitance Virgil feels almost paralyzes him. This whole scenario just seems so unlike Roman.

His curiosity, however, pushes him forward, and he finds himself laying down next to Roman as another clap of thunder goes off. When he does, Roman plops back onto the ground, saying nothing.

The two sides stare up at the clouds for a while, gazing at lightning and letting the booming thunder roll through their bones. Virgil's curious thoughts are churning, along with a rush of dizziness at being this close to Roman, and the storm is heightening every single emotion he feels to enormous levels.

Finally, Roman speaks. "I knew you were going to come."

Virgil is a little startled, at both the words and the pensive tone in Roman's voice. "Wha- how?" he stutters.

Roman shrugs, and Virgil can feel the grass shift as he does so. "I just knew you were awake, and I didn't care enough to close the door tonight. I figured at some point you'd get interested. There's a side to anxiety that truly is curiosity, it's just been altered."

Virgil is stunned into silence. The thunder roars on.

"Why a thunderstorm?" he finally asks, voice hushed in awe of what's raging above him.

Roman is quiet for a little while. Then he sighs, sits up, and leans back on his hands. "Many different reasons. The one worth mentioning here is that they calm me down when I'm not feeling like my fabulous self."

He chuckles when he finishes and snaps his fingers. A tree appears, and he leans against it.

Virgil sits up and scoots over next to Roman under the tree, trying to process what the prince has just said.

"Are… are you okay?" he gently asks.

Roman shrugs again. "Normal three am thoughts."

Before Virgil knows what he's doing, he carefully sets a hand on Roman's arm. "If you'd like to talk about them, you're welcome to."

There is surprise in Roman's eyes, and Virgil is a little shocked at himself as well. He's never this gentle with anyone, but he feels like he's walking a thin line. It's obvious by the way Roman's carrying himself that he's fragile at the moment. If Virgil steps too far in the wrong direction, he could create an unmendable crack in their friendship, and that risk is simply too great.

Before Virgil can think himself into a pit, Roman speaks.

"I get… scared, Virgil," he admits, his volume lowering. "Scared that I'm not what everyone wants me to be. Scared that I'm not enough, and I never will be. I'm absolutely terrified that I'm going to let…" Roman's voice cracks, and tears gather in his eyes. "Let everyone down." As Roman's tears fall, the clouds open up, and rain starts sprinkling down, slowly drenching both of them.

Virgil feels his breath catch in his throat at Roman's words. They certainly weren't what he was expecting at all, and he felt the blurry image he'd always had of Roman finally come together in his mind.

Roman was loud and flamboyant and dramatic, yes. He twirled around the family room for no reason, he got excited about everything. He was big and bold. He was also full of sparkling wonder, an appreciation for beauty, and there were sweet, adoring smiles that contrasted his jovial grins. He was a hopeless romantic who always held out for the happily ever afters. His dreams were sometimes bigger than he could handle, but he always tried anyways.

Behind that, there was also this. Insecurity and fear. Internal battles. Intrusive thoughts he pushed away and wouldn't let anyone see. Virgil wondered how long Roman had been hiding this, and he felt something towards the fanciful side he honestly thought he never would: empathy.

Roman was hiding his face in his knees now, and the rain had grown to a pour. Virgil's heart ached, and he moved to sit in front of Roman.

"Princey… Roman, look at me," he softly spoke.

Roman refuses to at first.

"Please?" Virgil asks.

There is hesitation, but Roman sits back up again, meeting Virgil's eyes.

Roman looks like he's a true part of this nighttime storm. Eyelashes stuck together from his tears, eyes flitting to look anywhere but at Virgil. Shuddering breaths and tears gathering at his jawline.

He's still breathtaking, even when he's breaking.

I love you.

The thought hits Virgil in the face out of nowhere, and he finally realizes why his entire world has been turned upside down. He loves Roman. He loves all of Roman, so goddamn much, even this side of him, tears and all.

But there's no time for that now, because Roman is looking at Virgil expectantly, and Virgil's got to say something, so he does.

"I know how you feel, Roman," Virgil gently begins. "It never truly goes away. And, hell, I'm absolutely terrible at comforting people, but I'm going to try because you fucking deserve it, alright?"

Roman laughs a little, and some of the light comes back into his cheeks. Virgil smirks, but the mood quickly switches to somber again when Roman's done, and so Virgil continues.

"You are more than your fears, Roman," Virgil whispers. "I promise."

Roman finally meets Virgil's eyes, and his eyes are doubtful but hopeful all the same. "How can I believe you're right?"

Virgil feels the words climbing up his throat, and they're out of his mouth before he can stop them.

"Well, I fell in love with every part of you, and I know for a fact you are made of a hell of a lot more than what you think you are."

Roman's eyes widen, and Virgil freezes. His heart picks up its pace. Nothing is said.

Virgil realizes how close they really are to each other, how the rain is making everything feel insignificant and yet so important at the same time, how the storm clouds don't make Roman any less beautiful, how the lightning flashes across his face just so…

The little voice is back, but this time, it roars along with the thunder.

This time, it's too loud for Virgil not to listen.

He leans forward, as if propelled by instinct, and Roman meets him halfway, grabbing him by the front of his hoodie and pulling him so close he practically falls onto Roman's lap. Then they're kissing, in the storm, under a tree, and all Virgil can think is finally, finally, finally.

Roman is the first to pull away, but he still holds Virgil close as he voices Virgil's own thoughts. "Finally. Heavens, I've been waiting for that for forever."

Virgil's cheeks flush red in response. "Shut up, Princey."

There is a twinkle that returns in Roman's eye at those words. He smirks, raising his eyebrows. "Make me, Emo Nightmare."

Virgil shakes his head, smiles, and pulls Roman back in. The rain around them slows to a stop, the clouds parting to reveal a twinkling night sky.

The couple below it couldn't be more oblivious to what was going on around them. Because Virgil's world stops spinning to right itself in a completely new way, Roman's tears stop falling and are replaced with loving smiles between sweet kisses, and everything finally falls into place.