The PUR-fect Curse

26

Virgil laid there for a while watching Roman as he slept. He couldn't help but have this sense of... familiarity. Roman was laying there with his eyes closed, mouth slightly parted, yet smiling softly as if he was having the best dream. Virgil found him smiling right along with him and... he really didn't understand why. 

He had no clue what had gotten into the prince. Virgil still remembered what had caused their last fight. It seemed like... Whatever happened during the time Roman had disappeared changed him... or no. It just changed how he treated Virgil.  

Roman fussed a bit in his sleep, mewling lightly as he curled into Virgil's chest. Virgil was frozen. He was stunned over the other's constant need for affection. He didn't understand why it had to be with him but... He wasn't exactly against it. 

It was hard. He couldn't get past that fear. It wasn't that long ago that Roman was screaming at him for just trying to do his job. He... He was never scared of Roman but... He also was. He was scared of doing something wrong and making Roman hate him more. He was scared of fucking everything up like the prince would always say he does. He was scared... of the yelling... of the judgment. He was scared of being pushed aside simply because of who he was but...

"A-Anx?" Roman slurred in his sleep gripping the youngers shirt tightly as he nuzzled further into him. "A-An-nx don't... don't go." Virgil smiled softly as he resigned to his fate and just laid there with his prince.... THE... THE PRINCE! Virgil's eyes shot wide as he backtracked. The prince. He was laying with the prince... not... Not his... Why? Why in the world would he have EVER even thought... "Anxie..." Virgil faltered as Roman seemed to fuss a bit more. This spark of anxiety bubbling up as Virgil caught the sense of a bad dream. "Anxie... I... I-I lo..." Virgil frowned as he trailed his hand through Roman's hair watching as his prince melted into the touch with a soft purr. 

"I never noticed just how cat-like you were, Roman." Virgil chuckled softly as he let his hand drop to his cheek. Roman let out a soft sigh as he twisted just a bit in his sleep press up into Virgil's hand. "Maybe, I just never saw it but... You're more cat than you are a man. And that's saying something considering me... I'm the one that hisses at people... and sits on things that aren't meant to be sat on but..."

"Anxiety?" Roman's face scrunched up as he turned and literally grabbed the younger's arm wrapping it around him as he curled up basically putting the two of them in a sort of spooning position. Virgil laughed as he just relaxed and hugged Roman close into him. He never thought he would ever feel ok like this... let alone with Roman but...

He had to admit it did feel nice just being with him.

"Roman?" His eyes fluttered open to find himself alone in bed. He frowned as he slowly pushed himself up finding his door open. He couldn't help that initial panic. It wasn't the first time he's found that someone he cared about just up and left while he slept. He sighed as he threw the blankets off of him and pushed his legs over the side. "Roman?" He tried one last time already resigning himself to being alone. He should have figured. Obviously the prince wasn't going to stay as if they were in some sort of a relationship. That's ridiculous. All Roman did was spend the night in his room. It meant nothing. It didn't mat...

Virgil froze up the second he heard that soft itty bitty meow. His eyes darted over to see this tiny tiny little black kitten. It was so small. His eyes narrowed, this sense that he was still dreaming flooded over him, as he watched the kitten carefully walk in inspecting the place. It had a small red collar on with a little black ghost sewn into it from what he could see. He was so confused. He carefully got up gently going to his knees as the kitten jumped a bit, startled by the action. It stared at Virgil for a good long while before carefully padding its way to him and stoping. Virgil tensed, hand outstretched as it cautiously sniffed him before... It rubbed up against his hand making him break down completely. He picked it up and just melted as it nuzzled into him.

"Cute isn't she?" Virgil's eyes snapped up to see Roman leaning against his door frame with this sad but hopeful look in his eyes. "I was never really much of a cat person, at least not for a while now but... I must admit I've grown a bit fond of them." Roman laughed as he held a finger up stopping Virgil who was about to say something. The prince made a quiet meow that instantly drew in the kittens attention, who meowed back, making Virgil laugh. 

"She responded?" Roman smiled as Virgil just crashed seemingly with joy. He shook his head a bit as he looked back up at the prince with a confused look. "I don't understand. Where did she..."

"I summoned her." Virgil's eyes went wide as Roman slowly made his way in and sat down on the bed beside them. "I can't... fix everything that happened. I can't take all the pain away and... I can't bring back King like you want but..." Roman gestured to the kitten and Virgil just... Honestly, he didn't know what he was feeling. "I can do this. She's a kitten so you don't have to stress about getting anything new really. She's small and... affectionate as you can see. And..." Roman pointed at the collar making Virgil's eyes narrow a bit in confusion. "I put a tracker in the collar." 

"Wait... What?" Roman just nodded.

"I know you, Anx. The second you lose sight of her you'd panic thinking you lost her. I don't ever want you to feel scared." Virgil's eyes darkened as Roman's smile slipped. "I know I can't stop it all. You're anxiety. You're always going to have that but... Whatever I can do to at least ease it a bit... I'm going to try. So... Tracker in the collar so you'll always know where she is."

"But... Why?" Roman smiled as he moved till he was sitting right next to him and just laid his head against Virgil's shoulder.

"Because you said you needed him... and I can't fix what happened." Virgil frowned as he took everything in, listening to the way both Roman AND the kitten seemed to purr with him. "I want you to be happy and if having a kitten makes you happy... then I was going to get you that kitten. I told you, Anx. I care about you."

"I... I forget sometimes that we've become friends." Roman's face fell as Virgil gently pet the kitten who kneaded into his hoodie happily. "But... I'm very glad that we did."

"Me too, Anx. Me too."