*Discontinued* The Lil Prince

11

"Vi! Vi! Vi!" Roman giddily ran about the room as Virgil cleaned up the table a bit. "Vi!"

"Yes, Ro?" Roman stopped and just giggled as he hugged his scrump close to his chest. Virgil could tell he had a question but the excitement he was feeling and joy of Virgil actually answering made all the words stop short in his throat.

"V-Vi?" Virgil smiled as he pulled the pink box down and Roman's eyes lit up. "Color?"

"Yes, Ro. We're gonna color. Why don't you go pick a couple of books for us to color in? Ok, Lil prince?" Roman squealed joyously as he ran over to his bookshelf. Virgil just watched with a fond smile before setting everything up so Roman didn't have to scramble for anything. Virgil glanced at all the crayons and he groaned. He made another mental note to get markers and crayon pencils... something easy that he can clean and disinfect since... Well, that... 

Roman grabbed a red crayon, putting it in his mouth as he grabbed a green one and already started to color in a picture of a cat. Surprisingly he was actually following the lines. Well... For the cat anyway. Right now he was working on the background and that was whatever he wanted it to be. He just wanted the cat to be in it the way they had it. Virgil sighed as he pulled out this little notepad he had started to tote around with him. Might as well make it a physical note and not just a mental one. Get coloring supplies that are easy to clean... 

Roman paused as he looked up at the other and frowned. He pulled the red crayon out of his mouth giving Virgil a bit of a pout as he watched him write. Virgil was dotting things down in his notepad figuring it best to get it all written before he forgot it all. He didn't notice the look Roman was giving him until he heard the small sniffle.

"V-Vi?" Virgil's eyes darted over instantly seeing how upset Roman was and tensed.

"What is it bud?"

"I-Is y-you busy?" Virgil's eyes widened as he quickly shook his head and put the notepad away. 

"No, I'm not busy, Bud. I was just writing somethings down so that I can remember for later."

"If you... You busy than... th-than I..."

"I'm not busy. I promise." Roman gave a small smile as he turned back to his picture only to pause again seeing Virgil just sitting there watching. "What?"

"Color?" Roman pushed a book over to the other with this look in his eyes that made Virgil freeze a bit. "I picked a book fo' you. I thou'... Thou' you would like i'." Virgil smiled as he took the book to find it a Disney coloring book and Roman giggled happily. "I' has skelly. A-And i' has uh..." Roman quirked his nose a bit before giggling again. "...mal... malife... Malifipent."

"Maleficent?" Roman nodded with cheerful glee before putting the green crayon in his mouth this time and coloring with the red. "Well, thank you, Ro." Roman giggled even more as he kicked his feet happily. Virgil decided to color a Jack and Sally picture while peeking over to see how intently Roman was focused on his. "I was wanting to ask you a few questions, while we colored."

"Oh?" Roman sat back with this look in his eyes as he blinked a bit, a familiar sign that Virgil as learned to mean Roman was pulling himself out of headspace. "Why?"

"Just wanted to get to know a bit more. You don't have to worry though, Ro. I promise. Continue coloring." Roman frowned as Virgil gave him a small smile. "Go on. It's ok." Roman slowly turned back to his book seeming to melt into the action a bit and Virgil relaxed as he started to get the gist of things.

Roman can easily pull himself out of headspace and 'grow up' nearly instantly if he needed to but the act of staying out of headspace is pretty difficult for him. One good distraction and the prince is right back into little space without much effort at all. Virgil knew that 'adult' Roman was pretty locked up when it came to things he was feeling. He bottled things up bad and couldn't relax so it was very easy for him to get overwhelmed and 'triggered' in a sense. While little Roman although shy and jumpy was very open and fluid with his emotions. It allowed Roman to feel properly as well as work through things, especially his panic. If Roman adult or otherwise was panicking, all Virgil would have to do is get him coloring or in front of a Disney movie with scrump to help calm him down.

"I wanted to know if there were things you wanted to do." Roman paused with this confused look making Virgil laugh a bit as he switched out colors and grabbed a pink crayon. "I mean activities outside of just coloring and blocks."

"I no... no have daddy or mommy." Virgil's eyes darkened as Roman shifted a bit before he just stared at his picture. "No'... No' safe to do much. I stay in my room. Bu' I don' need anyone else. I got Scrump! and... and... Now... Now Vi?"

"Hmm?" Roman frowned a bit as he turned to give Virgil this sad look. "What about me?"

"I has you too.. righ'?" Virgil's eyes widened as Roman gently pulled scrump from the seat beside him and hugged him close. "I has Scrump... and you too? Righ'? You play wi' me. You... You stay?"

"Of course you have me, bud." Virgil frowned as Roman's expression only seemed to darken more. "What's wrong?"

"I don'... I don' want Vi to go." Virgil sighed as he gently took Roman's hand in his.

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, ok? We're friends. Who else is going to try to take back the prince after you've gone and saved him?" Roman smiled as he laughed softly. "I was just asking because... I thought maybe if you were ok with it... I'd take you to a park. I know we have one. Patton made it for his kids when they were younger."

"Park?" Roman's eyes seemed to light up as Virgil nodded. "You... You ta' me to the park?"

"Roman, I'd take you there... to get ice cream... or well, frozen yogurt since you can't really have much dairy. We have to be careful with that." Roman seemed to literally vibrate with excitement as Virgil just smiled at him. "It's up to you, bud. Whatever you want... I'll do... within reason of course. We've got to be safe."

"I... I..." Roman froze up before shifting anxiously again. "I no have daddy or mommy. I' no' safe."

"Roman, I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Roman peeked up shyly from his toy as Virgil just kept smiling. Roman could already feel himself relaxing a bit. He loved it when Virgil smiled. It made him happy to see. "You trust me right?" Roman nodded as he relaxed a bit more. "Then? Do you want to go to the park?"

"Yea." Roman nodded again and he hugged scrump happily. "P'ease, Vi?"

"Of course, Bud." Virgil tapped the coloring book making Roman laugh as he turned back to it. "Why don't we finish coloring and I'll figure something out. If you're up to it, I can probably take you this weekend."

"YAY! Vi gonna ta' me to the park!" Roman yelled out with an excited squeal before scrambling to finish the picture as Virgil once again just sat back and watched with a fond expression. He really did love his prince. This side of him just proved how innocent and pure Roman could be and all he wanted to do was protect it. Even if Roman didn't want him to be his caretaker... he was still going to be his friend at the very least. "Color, Vi! Color wi' me!" Virgil laughed as he pulled his book back towards him and grabbed the pink crayon again.

"Ok, Lil prince. I'll color with you."