When You're Broken On The Ground

Chapter 42

Trigger Warnings: implied abuse from parents, mentioned therapy, I was way too sappy when I wrote this but i'm not sorry

Word Count: 1336

Ushers dressed like valets start asking the guests to find their seats, while Thomas and Remus head back. Virgil paces the length of the room he's in, Janus adjusting his gloves for who knows how many times it's been. Janus is wearing a black fancy military jacket with lemon yellow accents, plus matching yellow gloves, a black half cloak, and a sleek black hat that ultimately makes him look like the royal version of a 1920s smooth-talking villain.

Remus walks in and Virgil stops pacing, turning to face one of his best friends. At first glance, it looks like he's wearing his Sanders Sides outfit, but the poofy sleeves are more subdued, there isn't an eyeball on his sash, and it looks a lot more nice than just weird. "Okay emo raccoon, you ready to marry the wrong twin?" he winks at Virgil, prompting a laugh.

"Sure Remus," he says, hugging him. "How's Roman doing?"

"He's doing fine princess," Virgil hisses at him, "c'mon VeeVee! They're saying we're about to go, so you ready?"

Virgil takes a deep breath. "Yeah... yeah I am. You two ready?"

The couple share a look. "Not quite," Janus says, standing up with a nice box in hand.

"We got you a little something else!" Remus reveals, moving to stand next to Janus. "Go on, open it!!"

Virgil gently opens the lid, and pulls out a black and silver cobweb veil. "You..."

"We got you a veil!!" Remus cheers.

"It will attach to your crown, if you want to wear it," Janus says. "I know it's a surprise, especially because you're about to be married in less than ten minutes but-"

"I love it," Virgil chokes out. "Can you, can you put it on me? Please?"

"Of course," Janus replies. "Remus, a little help?"

"Gladly boa," Remus replies. The two fasten the veil to his crown, part of it going over his hair and down to his back, and part of it going over his face. "There's a slit near the top, so when Roman pulls this part over so he can see your face clearly, it just slides on to the crown! So the poison sprayer in the top can kill with freedom!"

Virgil laughs at his friend, reminding himself not to cry. "Anything else, or are we ready?" he asks, smiling.

"Born ready darling," Janus says with a small laugh. "Remus love?"

"Time to get Virgil legally into this mess of a family," Remus says, hugging both of them.

"I love you two," Virgil whispers, blinking back the tears.

Remus lets them go, then grabs them both by their hands and rushes them to the entrance. Virgil's going first, which he is not looking forward to, but Roman insisted he go first, claiming it would all make sense later. So now he's going first...

"You can do this spiderling," Janus says, squeezing his hand.

"Yeah, remember when we spray painted the wall of that one church with all the pride flags?" Remus chimes in.

"We got banned from any churches in the area for the rest of our lives."

"Whatever. Point is, remember that courage and use it!"

"Right. Right, okay. Just, channel the energy that got us banned from church for life and called demons from hell for a couple years. Right, right. I got this..."

"To be fair to Edith, I did purposefully knot all of Ruth's yarn because she was a bitch about my birthmark," Janus says, looking at his glove-covered nails.

"She deserved it, that doesn't count," Virgil and Remus say.

The opening lines from the piano begin to play and the doors swing open to reveal the venue. Janus slides his arm into Virgil's, Remus starts prancing down the aisle with a grin. Then they start their approach, walking down as Remus bounces to take his spot next to the raised platform. When Virgil and Janus make it to the platform, Janus hugs him tightly. "Talk about the death of a bachelor," he whispers, before moving to stand next to Remus.

Virgil walks up onto the platform alone, standing on his side of the arch before turning around to face his guests, and the now-closed double doors that Roman will walk out of.

The doors open and his loses his breath. Thomas walks down the aisle to take his spot, but he doesn't look at him, Virgil's eyes are glued to the magnificent figure that is his fiancé and soon-to-be husband, being lead to Virgil by a beaming Patton.

Roman, in a beautiful white and red jacket and skirt that he looks like a dream in, Virgil's dream, hugs Patton and steps up to stand in front of Virgil. "Hi love," he whispers with his soft smile, flickers of amusement and love playing with the edges of his lips and corners of his eyes.

"Hi," Virgil breathes, "you're stunning."

"And you look like the prince of my dreams," Roman replies. "May I?"

"Yes." Roman folds the veil over his head, so it doesn't obscure his face anymore.

"Honorable guests," the officiate says, "we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of Roman Prince and Virgil Shadow. Men, I'll let you talk."

"We meet when we were nine," Roman starts off. "Remember that one day, about a year after we met?"

"You mean the day where you swore you'd marry me because I was, quote, 'the princess of your dreams', end quote?" Virgil laughs. "I guess your words ring true."

"Well, we're here aren't we?" Roman smiles. "Made it through the ups and down, through our parents, through the accident, through all our therapy..."

"Through our success and failures, through the media, through long distance for years, to now. I'll admit, sometimes it felt like our lives were destined for tragedy."

"I know love, I know. But we made it."

"We made it," Virgil agrees. "So, Roman Romulus King Prince, I, Virgil Anix Thunder Shadow, take you to be my husband, knowing that our lives will not be perfect, but that being with you is like coming home. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we will do or go together. My family is yours, my love is yours, my heart is yours. All I own is yours. All I am, is yours. I love you so much Roman, and I never want to live a life without you. All this I swear by those here today, to you, forever and after." He slides the gold band on to Roman's finger.

"Virgil Anix Thunder Shadow, I, Roman Romulus King Prince, take you to be my husband. Our lives will not be like the fairy tales we grew up on, and it won't always be easy, but you are all I need to live. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we will do or go together. My family is yours, my love is yours, my heart is yours. All I own is yours. All I am, is yours, my love. I love you Virgil, I can't imagine and never want to live a life without you in it. All this I swear by those here today, to you, forever and after." Roman slides a gold band onto Virgil's finger.

"By the powers invested to me, I now pronounce you two partners for life," the officiate declares. "You may kiss."

Virgil cups Roman's face and kisses him breathless, letting his all-consuming love for Roman speak through it rather than with words. He may be a writer, but he knows this feeling cannot be captured properly, words cannot encompass all he feels for Roman. Nothing could, but this kiss and the rest of their lives, for as long or as short as he has, to show it to Roman. In a thousand ways, in a thousand places, in a thousand moments, he will do his best to express it to the man he loves.