The Paws-some Anthology (Book 1 1/2)

13. To Marry or Not To Marry

"Our wedding is in like a few months, why is there still stuff we need to go over?" Roman pouted as he collapsed into his special studio chair making Virgil groan. 

"Because for the past several months I've been doing everything alone!" 

"I told you I don't care how the wedding looks or what we do for it as long as I get to marry you." Virgil sighed as he pulled another chair over to the desk letting Roman take one of his hands. "Hun, all I care about is standing with you at the alter. Nothing else matters to me. I let you take point with all the decisions because you are the one that's sensitive to too much stimulation. You're the only one who can possibly know if something too much or not."

"We still have things we need to choose." Roman side as he gave a nod, letting Virgil hand the folder he was holding over. "Patton still needs to know what flavor the cake is going to be."

"Wouldn't it be just... vanilla?" Roman made a face as he looked through everything. "And what does it mean... style? Isn't it just a cake?"

"Roman, it's a wedding cake, not a birthday cake. The whole design of it is supposed to be special. Considering your creativity I would have thought-..."

"I'm not King." Roman muttered before shaking his head and looking off to the side.

"Ro?" 

"I mean... I would love things to be creative and artsy but it doesn't have to be. All I care about is getting married. And you've never liked weddings... You always say it's outdated over-expensive pageantry. I guess I just assumed we weren't going all out for it." Virgil just blinked as Roman went back to looking through over the page. "Why are there so many different flavors anyway?"

"Roman, I want to know what you would want." Roman tensed up a bit as he gripped the folder tightly.

"What do you want?" 

"No. I'm not falling for that. You make your own choices, Roman. It's just as much your wedding as it is mine." Roman huffed as he rolled his eyes. "So?"

"Red Velvet." Virgil perked up as Roman finally spoke several minutes after. "Red Velvet and Almond cake layers with coconut and cream cheese filling... chocolate fondant on the outside with dark chocolate drizzle... and maybe some almond flavored fondant flowers and golden lace."

"See? I knew you would have something extravagant." Roman curled up a bit into his chair as Virgil chuckled softly. "I don't see a problem with any of that, so I think that would be a nice choice. I'll let Pat know then."

"It's not too much?" 

"Roman... it's a wedding cake. It's supposed to be too much." Virgil chuckled again before gesturing back to the folder letting Roman turn to the next page. "I've already figured out what food would be good to have now. So now it's just table settings. I've narrowed it down to several that I like, that wouldn't be too much on the eyes, but I know you have your own taste so..."

"I don't care about this, Virgil. Why have me pick-..." Roman stopped short seeing the look Virgil was giving him and sighed. "The black and gold one. Is that ok?" Virgil nodded and Roman flipped to the next page, his eyes darkening. "Wait... traditions? I thought we weren't going to be doing any of those."

"You're a very traditional person when it comes to these things. You literally asked both Patton and Thomas if you could even ASK me to marry me-..."

"Yes but I literally proposed to you in the bedroom while talking about starting a family. There was literally nothing planned about that. No traditions or show involved."

"Well, I already decided that I would wear a black silk suit with a black birdcage veil with a Celtic knot. I've chosen to do a handfasting instead of the typical vows. And Emile promised to make a boutonniere for me to match with the Celtic knot."

"That... Wait, but the bride wears black in Spanish culture." Roman blinked in surprise as Virgil just nodded giving him this look of 'obviously'. "I'm lost. I get the whole Celtic knot and the handfasting. That's all Irish so it makes sense but..."

"Roman, it's your wedding too." At this point, Virgil was starting to get a little concerned. "Are you ok, Hun?"

"I'm fine. Why are you asking?"

"You're being a bit... I don't know how to explain it. It just doesn't seem like you." Virgil sighed as took Roman's hand in his with a soft look. "Our wedding is supposed to be a combination of the two of us. I shouldn't be the only one that chooses anything. This marriage is about us coming together and becoming one. Right?"

"If I start making choices, I'll end up taking over everything. You know how I can get." Virgil's eyes darkened as Roman tried to give him a small smile. "Besides, I wasn't kidding. I don't care about any of this. Just as long as I'm married to you by the end of the day, I'm happy."

"Are there any traditions that you want at the wedding, Roman?" Virgil mumbled as he pulled away seeing how Roman groaned in frustration.

"I already told you-..."

"I know what you said. I still want an answer."

"No." Roman hissed as he rolled his eyes. "No, Virgil. There is literally no tradition I care to have in our wedding."

"What about before-..."

"Absolutely not." Roman growled before Virgil could even finish, honestly shocking the man a bit. "I am not having that 'you cannot see your bride or groom before the wedding' bullshit. I will literally help you with your suit the day of the wedding if anyone tries that.

"And this is why I ask, Roman." Roman huffed as he flipped to the last page only to crash. "You never told anyone if you got your tux."

"I... I haven't yet." Virgil's eyes flashed as Roman gripped the folder so tight it looked about ready to rip. "I've just been so busy, I kept reminding myself... but then I would say that I could just summon it so it's not really that important."

"You-... You're wedding tux... isn't that important?"

"When compared to getting the rooms built or creating Logan and Patton's son? No." Roman could see the pain that sparked in Virgil's eyes and he just broke. "I don't care about the wedding, Virgil... JUST the marriage. I've told you that-..."

"I don't understand that, Roman!" Roman flinched as Virgil yelled. "Out of everyone, YOU are the one that should have cared the most about the pageantry of it all. Hello! You're literally creativity!"

"I'M NOT KING!" Roman snapped as he threw the folder at Virgil. "I care more about the fucking emotion than I do what god damn color is going to be on the fucking napkins. I'm marrying you not the stupid decorations!" Virgil just sat there frozen as Roman jumped up out of his chair. "I keep trying to tell you but you don't fucking listen."

"Roman, I'm sorry-..."

"Why the hell are you even marrying me?!" Roman snapped, just bolting out of the studio making Virgil jump up in a panic. 

"ROMAN!" He called after, feeling the panic Roman was in before everything just completely cut out. Roman had run somewhere that was cut off from the rest of the mindscape. Virgil growled as he collapsed into the chair just staring at the strewn-out pages all over the floor.

There wasn't anything he could do about it now. He just hoped Roman was ok. He didn't mean to push him so hard.