*Discontinued* The Lil Prince

9

"Virgil?" Roman groggily rubbed his eyes as he yawned, still far too tired for his brain to even work. Virgil stood there outside the door laughing at the sleepy prince who didn't even notice. "What are you doing here?" Another yawn as Roman stretched a bit popping his neck as Virgil rolled his eyes.

"I said I would wake you up." Roman paused for a second trying to work things through before blushing a bit as he remembered what had happened the night prior. "Ro? You ok?"

"I uh... Um..." Roman rubbed his arm a bit as he looked up at Virgil with an awkward smile. "I didn't um... Don't judge me." Virgil smirked as Roman stepped back to let him in. "What I say when I'm little... I don't really have much of a... filter?"

"You mean... when you said you 'dove me'?" Virgil teased lightly making Roman's blush even worse.  Virgil's smile fell a bit noticing the pure anxiety rocket through the prince. "Hey, it's fine, Ro. Honestly, I just chalked it up to little you being... well, little you. I figured it wasn't anything to focus on."

"Yea. Ok... Thanks. I didn't even realize I had said that." Virgil's eyes narrowed as Roman yawned again and started for his bathroom. "Or the stuff before. Seriously don't worry about it, Virgil. It doesn't mean anything."

"Sure." Virgil frowned as he sat down on the bed listening to the sink in the bathroom. The ever thrum of the falling water as Roman washed himself up. His eyes were trained on the floor as he tried to sift through his thoughts. He hadn't been lying when he said he didn't even think about Roman little sleepy confession. He just figured it was Roman latching on to him since he was the only one that knew and made sure he felt safe with him. Yet that whole thing about him leaving... Virgil knew it was a genuine fear. He could see it... feel it in the prince. 

Roman was completely terrified of Virgil ducking out again. So the fact that he just tried to back track and play it off had Virgil really worried. He didn't really understand why Roman would be so scared. Maybe it was because of Thomas? Thomas needed him to keep him from dying over something as stupid as not looking both ways when crossing the street. Or maybe it was because of Patton, who cried and cried of Virgil thinking he wasn't cared for? Virgil's eyes narrowed in thought as he hugged himself a bit with a worried smile. He wanted to pray... to pray that it was because Roman legitimately cared and didn't want Virgil lo leave. Roman said that it hurt the last time. As much as he hated the idea of ever causing the man he liked pain... he hoped Roman meant that it hurt him.

"Thanks for the wake up call though regardless, Virgil." Roman walked out with a towel drying his shaggy ginger hair as he smiled. He must have wet it in the sink. "I really need to finish that sheet work for Logan. I managed to get a lot done just... have to finalize it before I can move to video ideas."

"I thought the sheet work was for video ideas." Roman paused as his eyes just darkened and nodded. 

"It is... for one specific video. I also need to figure out the next sander sides' concept. I have to think of more short videos. Thomas has been wanting to increase output with them. Then we have the weekly dedication. I still haven't decided on the name to do it for. I just..." Roman stopped and took a deep breath making Virgil's eyes narrow as the other sat at his desk. "I need to get this finished first. I promised, Logan. As long as Thomas lets me focus. It shouldn't take long at all."

"Do you want me to..."

"You can stay." Virgil smiled softly as Roman's fingers twitched slightly. He watched as the prince turned to his work and Virgil laid back with a soft breath. Virgil's eyes darted about, the room far to quiet for his liking, as he glanced over to see Roman completely focused on his work. As much as Virgil knew he needed to... Virgil also didn't like the stressed look Roman already had over it.

"Hey, Ro?"

"Hmm?" Virgil sighed as he pushed himself up against the wall, Roman never once taking his eyes off the page. 

"We never went over signs and triggers." Roman hesitated a bit, his eyes darting up to see Virgil's smile. "You were slipping so... I thought it best not to get real deep with it."

"Right. I suppose it might be a good idea for you to know." Roman laughed awkwardly as he turned to his work again. "Alright. Ask away then."

"Well... What triggers your headspace or... usually makes you feel small. Good or bad..." Roman frowned as his hand shook a bit, he nodded as Virgil gave him all his attention.

"Usually, it's just being really overwhelmed. If I'm emotionally overwhelmed or overworked, I can slip. Sometimes I can slip really badly when I'm... When I uh..." Roman tensed as he glanced over at Virgil anxiously. "When I get yelled at or get scared." Virgil's eyes widened a bit as Roman shook himself out of his head. "If I feel put down or upset... just like I said... emotionally overwhelmed. I could slip without even noticing really."

"Any good triggers?" Roman nodded as Virgil let out a quiet sigh of relief. He didn't know how he would feel if Roman only ever felt small because he was upset. He didn't like the idea of it.

"Disney is one." Virgil's eyes shot up as Roman chuckled a bit. "Yeah, I know. Shocker. But yea... Disney is something that always makes me feel small. That and cartoons. I can't tell you how many times I turned down Emile simply because I didn't want to slip."

"Any others?"

"Yea. I mean... It's not hard to get me into headspace to be honest. Patton has no trouble at all making me feel small." Virgil laughed as he nodded in understanding. Patton did have that way of making everyone feel small yet safe. "I guess it's all just based on how i'm feeling here too. If I'm really happy and excited and just... Sometimes I can slip. I've noticed there were a few times I slipped when I was trying to work through ideas for Thomas."

"What about signs?" Roman hesitated again before finally setting his pencil down and looking over at the other. "What?"

"Why do you want to know about all this? It doesn't really matter much."

"Of course it matters, Ro." Roman frowned as Virgil sighed and offered him a small smile. "I want to make sure that you're safe, cared for, and supported properly."

"But you're not my caretaker. I don't have a caretaker." Virgil's eyes darkened as Roman turned back to his work. "So why do you care?"

"Because I want to help where I can't do that if I don't know." Roman's eyes narrowed as he picked his pencil back up and sighed.

"I'm pretty sure you can tell when I've slipped. I'm more... energetic but shy and skittish. I'm... anxious, I've noticed. When I'm around others, I try not to talk much because I don't want others to know so... I may be quiet. Or I may just zone out a bit. Like with what happened with Logan and the coloring book. I slipped and just focused on what I was doing. I didn't care at all anymore about the fight or what had just happened. I just wanted to color." Virgil smiled as he just watched Roman work, zoning out a bit himself. "My ADHD comes out more when I'm in headspace I guess."

"That's ok." Roman smiled softly as Virgil stretched and started to get up. 

"Wait." Virgil faltered as he looked back to see Roman giving him a worried frown. "Where are you..."

"I thought I would let you focus now. I figured I distracted you enough." Roman's frown only grew as Virgil smiled at him.

"You don't have to. You can stay." Virgil shook his head making Roman tense as he watched the younger go for the door. "Plea-..." He stopped himself and just sighed as he turned back to his work. "I'll see you later?"

"Of course, Ro. Who else is going to keep your sorry ass in line?"