Together (Book 1)

Chapter 17

Virgil's POV

I didn't know what was wrong. I was scared, glancing around every few seconds as though I was expecting someone to jump out and scare me. We were only about half-way through the movie when I stood, not even bothering to excuse myself as I left. I pressed my nails into my sleeves as I opened my bedroom door. I pressed it closed with my back and stared at the ceiling. I couldn't breathe, and my thoughts were a jumble of anxiety.

Roman's POV

As soon as I noticed Virgil was gone, I went to find him. I knocked gently on his bedroom door, knowing that was where he'd most likely be. "Virge, are you in there?"

At first, there was silence, then a sob and a sharp inhale.

Panic attack. Shit. Even worse, he was sitting in front of the door, so I couldn't get in there to help calm him down. I crouched down. "Virge, hun, you're going to be fine, I promise. I need you to breathe with me."

"I—I can't... I can't..." he whispered.

"Come on, I know you can do this. Breathe in..." I inhaled deeply, trying to walk him through it. "Hold your breath; it'll help, I swear."

For a second, I could no longer hear his struggled gasps.

"Alright, now breathe out."

It must have taken ten minutes for him to calm down enough to move and let me in. It took another five or so for him to calm down completely.

I rubbed circles into his back as I asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head against my shoulder. He hadn't said a word since I'd come into the room.

But, he'd be fine, I kept telling myself. "Is this helping?"

A small nod.

"Do you want to lay down and get some sleep?" When he looked at me, his expression shattered my heart, but he nodded.

I slowly laid down, tucking the both of us under a discarded blanket as he nuzzled into my chest. "I love you," I whispered. I didn't care if he responded—not after all of this.

"I love you, too." His voice was hoarse and weak.

I smiled nonetheless.

Virgil's POV

I woke up to Thomas calling for me. I sat up carefully, not wanting to wake up Roman. Once I'd successfully wormed my way out of his grasp, I sunk into the floor.

"Hey, Thomas," I greeted, finding myself his living room.

"What happened—"

"I don't know," I interrupted. "One minute I was fine, and then I wasn't.

"Are you okay now?"

I offered a shrug, the only thing that seemed to fit my current mood.

"You seem to be getting better more quickly, though. That's a good thing, right?"

I smiled a little, thinking about the reason why. "Yeah, it's a good thing," I responded. I stopped, realizing I had no idea what time it was and knowing that Thomas had plans today. "What time's Joan coming over?"

"I think they'll be here at one."

Logan rose up by the stairs, startling the both of us. "And, what time is it?"

"12:30-ish?" Thomas guessed.

"Are you not going to pick up a little? While Joan is used to seeing you in a state of uncleanliness, it might be time to change that. Maybe this is when you start behaving like more of an adult."

Thomas looked around his house. "Um, I mean..."

I bit my lip nervously, not wanting to clean or be judged.

"I could clean up a bit," Thomas admitted. "It couldn't hurt, right?"

"Until Joan thinks we're trying to impress them or even hit on them, which would make things awkward and maybe even hinder productivity while you're working on the script."

Thomas opened his mouth to dispute but closed it again, letting out a hum of anxiety.

Logan sighed. "Well, it would at the very least be beneficial to prepare some ideas."

Thomas looked down. "I don't really... have any ideas," he admitted.

Is Roman still sleeping? "Roman's still probably getting his 'beauty sleep.' I'll go wake him up."

Logan gave me a look, but I brushed it off and sunk out of the room. When I popped up in my bedroom, Roman was fast asleep. I smiled at him, kneeling next to the bed. Slowly, I leaned down and kissed him.

His lips tilted upward, and his hand moved to rest on the back of my neck, holding me close.

I pulled back and told him, "You need to get up."

He groaned and kissed me again. "I don't want to."

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "Thomas needs you. Joan's going to be here soon." I gave him one last kiss and stood.

He rubbed his eyes and groaned. Eventually, he did get up, and I left, making sure no one was there to see his exit as well.