Magenta

Ch. 25

Roman woke up in the nurse's office. (Damn I just got Snake in My Dreams deja vu)

He instinctively released a low groan, gaining the attention of whoever else was in the room. His eyes fluttered open, and he found his father looking down at him, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Hey, Ro."

"What happened?" Roman asked, blinking to make his father less blurry.

"I was hoping you could tell me." His father smiled weakly. "You think you can stand? We need to get you into the car."

"The car? But, school--"

"You think I'm just going to let you go back to class?" The nurse spoke up from behind his father. "Your father has already signed the incident slip, you're free to go."

"How are you feeling, Ro?" His father asked, gently sitting him up. He handed Roman a glass of water.

"Kinda dizzy?" Roman put a hand to his head, accepting the water. He took a sip, feeling the fuzziness in his head subside a bit.

"Your boyfriend is a keeper!" The nurse spoke up, shooting Roman a grin. "He carried you all the way here! He's quite the gentleman!"

Roman was shocked back into reality. Right, Virgil. He wasn't sure how to deal with him.

"Are you okay? You've gone pale?" His father asked.

"Uh, yeah. I, uh, I'm fine." Roman shook his head, handing the water back to his father. "I can walk."

---

"Why didn't you say anything, Ro?" His father asked during the ride home.

They had gotten the car keys from Remus, before getting into the car and heading home. His father had expressed his concern multiple times, before they even left the building.

"I didn't feel weird when I woke up." Roman grumbled, crossing his arms. "I just felt lightheaded all of a sudden, and then I woke up in the nurse's office."

"I'm going to have to tell your mother." His father said.

Roman groaned loudly.

"Yeah, I'm not too happy about it either." His father grumbled.

"Can you just not tell her?" Roman pleaded. "She'll tear me a new one!"

"She'll tear you a new one?" His father asked incredulously. "Listen, boy, your mother will fly all the way across the country to come beat my ass."

"Why?" Roman asked, furrowing his brow.

"She'll come up with something, I assure you." His father huffed. "Sometimes I wonder why I married that woman."

"Did you have other options?" Roman asked, feeling a sense of deja vu.

"I..." His father turned crimson. "I did..." He awkwardly cleared his throat. "None of them appealed to me as much as her, though."

Roman rose a brow, smirking slightly.

"Don't misunderstand!" His father squawked, seeming to already regret saying that. "She annoyed the shit out of me when we first met but..." He huffed, making a turn. "Something about her just...captivated me."

"Dad! You sly dog!" Roman teased.

"Shut the fuck up!" His father scowled. "How did we start talking about this anyways?!"

"How did you even meet Mom, anyways?" Roman asked. "You never told us."

"I'm really not in the mood to tell that story, Ro." His father huffed, stopping at a stoplight.

"Aw, c'mon! I wanna know!" Roman whined.

"Let's just say that it involved a buzzsaw, a shitty production of Chicago, your Uncle Lance, and a mannequin." His father told him.

"Well now I'm even more curious!"

"Maybe another time." His father snorted. The light turned green, and he began driving again. "Probably after we talk with your mother."

---

"On the couch." His father ordered the second they got home. Roman obeyed, already feeling scared.

His father took a deep breath, before pulling out his phone and dialing his wife's number.

It rang for a few moments, before she picked up.

"What did you do now?"

"Hello to you too, my lovely and amazing wife."

"Hi, Mom!" Roman spoke up from the couch. His father shot him a panicked look, and Roman instantly realized his mistake.

"...Rian, why is Roman not at school?"

"That's the main reason I'm calling, I'm afraid." His father grimaced, and Roman could see the pure terror in his expression.

"Rian Prince," She began. "What in the ever loving fuck--Roman, don't repeat that--did you do to my son?"

"Wha--Why do you instantly assume it's my fault?!" Roman's father exclaimed incredulously.

"It's usually your fault!" His mother shot back. "Ro? Sweetie? Talk to me, honey. What did he do to you?"

"Unbelievable." His father grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Oh, Dad didn't do anything." Roman quickly dismissed. "I, uh, I passed out."

"...you what?"

"I passed--"

"No, I heard you." She told him. "Rian, what have you been feeding--"

"I had nothing to do with this!" His father insisted. "He even made his own breakfast today!"

"I'm not sure why it happened." Roman sighed. "I felt fine, but I was out cold before I knew it."

"Do you need me to fly out there--?"

"No!" Roman and his father insisted at the same time.

"Mom, this is important to you. Don't worry about me." Roman told her.

"You've worked for this your entire life, 'Gina. Just let me handle it."

"...if this happens again, you're going straight to the hospital." She told them. "Rian,"

"Regina,"

"You better make sure Roman rests for a few days. You're not putting that boy in school for the rest of the week."

"Wasn't planning on it. I'm not a complete dumbass." He grumbled.

"What was that?"

"I, uh, I love you!" His father laughed nervously.

"You see, that's what I thought you said." She said. "I love you too. Get some rest, Roman."

And with that, she hung up.

A/N:

This is pretty boring, but I left the storyboard at my dad's house so I'm stalling for time 🤷🏻‍♀️