The PUR-fect Curse

36

"Roman? Kiddo?" Patton peeked in through the door finding the room a bit quiet and getting a little worried. "Anxiety? Why's the door op... Roman?" Patton spotted the little orange tabby on the bed stretched out and he smiled sadly. "Hey, Roman? Do you know what Anxiety went... Or...Where's Nyxie?" A small meow sounded from the castle and Patton smiled more seeing the small black kitten bound over happily. "Awe. Such a cutie. Roman?" Patton's smile faltered a bit as he slowly walked over to the bed. He brushed his fingers over Roman who jumped u and hissed a bit suddenly making him have to pull his hand back. "Roman?"

"Kiddo, what's going on?" Patton watched as Roman stretched and jumped off the bed completely ignoring him. "Roman? Roman!" Patton was tense that was for sure. Roman neither responded nor even looked at him. "Ro?" Nyxie frowned as he cautiously walked over to the other cat noticing something was up. She flicked her tail anxiously as Roman went to grab a toy. Nyxie inched closer only to freeze as Roman growled at her. He grabbed the toy and jumped up onto the castle just to get away from her. She meowed but Roman just kept gnawing on the toy not even caring. "Something's wrong."

"LOGAN!" Patton yelled out making Roman jump and growl at the fatherly figment. "Roman, sweetie? Can you please..." Roman snapped at Patton as he tried to pet him again making the older start to cry. "Oh, dear."

"Hun? What's... Anxiety's door's open." Patton rolled his eyes as he stepped back making Logan frown seeing the tears in his boyfriend's eyes. "Patton?"

"Something's wrong with Roman." Logan's eyes set as he walked over and pulled Patton into his arms, seeing the way he was holding himself. "I'm worried."

"Well... Roman?" Logan's frown only grew as Roman seemed to be glaring at them both. He quickly jumped out of the castle and took off making Nyxie meow after him. "That... Hold on, Hun." Logan went after him, finding Roman in the kitchen on the table, face deep in a bowl of his soup. Yep... Something was definitely wrong. "Roman." Roman jumped as he hissed in warning only to flail as Logan literally carried him back to Virgil's room and shut the door so he couldn't get out. They watched as Roman ran under the bed and just hid there. Patton was the first to break the silence.

"You don't think he..." Logan's eyes snapped up in realization as Patton gave a broken laugh. "You don't think he gave up... do you?" 

"Roman wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Logan sighed as he nodded in understanding.

"Yes, but The King did what he thought he had to protect Thomas."

"He still gave up."

"It was his last ditched effort." Logan combatted making Patton jump a bit at his tone. "He created Remus because he thought he had no choice. Yes, the King gave up and it caused the split... but it was what he thought was best at the time. You can not just assume that because the King gave up... that Roman will do it all again."

"I know. I'm just... I'm worried." Logan sighed softly as he brushed Patton's hair back. "Where even is, Anxiety? Why isn't he here?" 

"He's... with us." Patton whipped around to see Remus standing there a bit awkwardly. "He came back last night. Said he just needed some time to think things through. That he couldn't do it with Roman right outside the door."

"He left." Remus nodded before shaking his head and shrugging. 

"He took a break. He... was very forceful about it only being a few days or something. I even tried to get him to play some with me and he bitched me up a wall for this all being my fault." Remus giggled as he smirked a bit. "He isn't wrong. I fucked everything up like a porn star. My specialty if I'm honest."

"What are you doing here?" Patton choked a bit as Remus turned his attention over to him. He wasn't scared of him. Not really. When he looked at Remus, he couldn't help but see the pained look in the King as he cried over all his 'bad' thoughts. 

"My bro's fuck toy just screwed the pouch and said fuck this shit I'm out." Patton paled as Remus giggled loudly.  "I'm checking on the prince of dramatic meltdowns." Remus paused, his eyes narrowing a bit in concern. "Where is my more duller half?"

"Under the bed." Remus shot the logical one a silly yet confused smirk as he plopped down to take a gander only... Remus's face fell instantly when he spotted the orange tabby hissing at him. That... 

"That's not Roman." The room went absolutely silent as Remus pressed himself into the floor and grabbed Roman who lashed out and attacked Remus's arm. The darker twin didn't even make a reaction as he pulled Roman out and held him up all while Roman's teeth where suck deep into Remus's wrist, his claws dug in horrible causing a thin bead of blood to drip down. "Nasty fucker, aren't you?"

"What do you mean that's not Roman?" Patton whined as Remus's eyes only narrowed more as he literally stared the cat's eyes down. "That's clearly Roman. He's the only other cat we have. Nyxie isn't even orange. She black!"

"Oh, that's not what I meant." Remus lulled as he went to lift Roman's head up only for him to freak out and maul his other arm. "You think that bothers me. This is nothing. So stop attacking me!" Roman jumped as Remus gripped his scruff tightly holding up with this pointed glare. It didn't take long for Roman to start whining fearful instead of aggressively. "Good." Remus giggled as he placed him on his lap and Roman just curled up against him shivering a bit still frightened but not wanting to move. "That's not Roman."

"Remus, can you explain?" Logan called with a groaned, fixing his tie with a slight glare.

"Of course, nerdy wolverine. That's not Roman." Remus giggled only making Logan visibly frustrated. "Guys... listen to me. This is NOT Roman."

"But it is. That's Roman. That's his form. He's the only other cat here and..." Logan froze eyes wide as Remus smiled sadly. "You're not recognizing him."

"What?" Patton frowned as Logan sighed defeatedly.

"I don't see him as Roman, Patton. I always know when it's my brother. Always... He could come in looking like a fucked out prostitute in red heeled with her blonde hair a total rats fest..." Remus's eyes darkened as he gently pet the orange tabby in his lap. "But I'd always know if it's him."

"What does that mean?" Remus visibly crashed making the two other highly concerned having never seen such guilt in him before.

"It means I really fucked up. " Remus smiled sadly as he pet Roman softly. "You said you were tired. You... You were telling people, weren't you? You were too tired to fight."

"Remus?" Patton was crying at this point as Logan tried to help calm him. "I don't understand. What happened to Roman?"

"He gave up, Patton."