Our Love is God Chapter 2
Ships: Logicality, platonic Sleepxiety, implied romantic Prinxiety
The boys arrived at the small town school with minutes to spare before the attendance bell.
A gentle beese being conveyed through the large, handsome trees’ swaying. Producing a large flock small shadows on the ground below. Creating the perfect spot for reading a nice book. But the din of maybe a bit more than 200 children ruining the serenity of the scene, but not making it any less breath taking.
The entire school was spread out in the “courtyard” of the school. Half lawn, half cement. Flowers and weeds coming through the cracks. It's not that the school didn't get enough funding to correct them, it's just that they put funding more towards extracurricular activities than the appearance of the school. The school wasn't big enough to get any kind of recognition anyways, And as the students would admit, it gave the school a home like feel.
The students started to file into the school, filling every entrance in a shared wish not to be late to class, and retrieve the dreaded pink slip. As it meant you had to do whatever the principle wished. Be it 2 hours of community service, or washing all the facilities’ cars. Depends on how many people have a slip each week, how late they were, and what kind of mood the principle was in that day. They could be anything from harsh, to a sweetheart. He gave Remy a simple wiggle of the finger that one time.
"I told you, we shouldn't have stopped to pet that dog." Remy retorted under their breath Stopping to take in the view, they haven't been this late in a long time. Right before summer. The summer when their best friend was adopted. They couldn't help but think that maybe that meant something important would happen soon. Or at least interesting. They amused the thought a bit before leaving it to either rot, or come back to haunt them. Who knew which one it would be? I mean, I know. I'm the Author. I know everything. I am forever cursed with the knowledge of what happens here. And just so you know, them being late means absolutely nothing.just look out for other signs of change, then come back with your complaints.
"Like i said before, I'm not gonna not pet a dog." Argued Virgil. “It's just who I am. And you have to accept that.”
Remy shook their head and chuckled. Weighing the pros and cons of giving their buddy a nuggie, they decided against it.
"Oh, look! It's your boyfriend." Remy commented, changing the subject. They were pointing to an ever so slightly disheveled Roman Prince, in less then all of his glory. His hair a in a messy bun. But not the messy but perfect messy bun, the I just threw it up messy messy bun. A scared look being only partially masked from behind his thick black frames. He was walking quick, and with purpose. He stopped abruptly and looked around. He saw the duo and waved. He started walking over to greet the two before the first class. At a slower, and less meaningful pace.
When he got closer to Virgil, a smile blossomed on his face, the look in his eyes still dancing joltedly. jumping from Virgil to his surroundings. Like a baby visiting one of its mother's friends.
"Virgil!" He greeted wrapping the smaller teen with strong, tense arms. "You're later then I am! That's a surprise!"
"There was a dog! You know how I am with dogs!" Virgil said, in defense of his own habits. Offering Roman a smile that comforted him a bit.
Roman threw his head back in laughter, saying "but of course! The most loyal of my companions would love the most loyal of companions!"
They started off talking about everyday things, Like spray tans and Lin Manuel Miranda. As well as not everyday things, like how Roman's grandma's surgery went, and how Virgil's story is coming out. Remy stayed out of all the catching up. Trying to get Virgil to cut off the conversation. Something nagging at the back of their mind.
"What's wrong with you?" Butted Remy
"Everything is princey peachy! Peachy keen! Whatever could you mean?" Asked Roman,
"You look like you just saw a ghost," confirmed The larger of the two. Cementing Virgil was thinking, but didn't want to admit, he didn't want to scare Roman off.
"Oh, leave him alone," Virgil objected "he slept in a bit, if he says he's fine, then he’s fine." This wasn't just about Roman at this point, this was more about Remy respecting Virgil's mental privacy. It was a teachable moment. Let's utilize it.
"And yet he's fully dressed, makeup and all, he says he's earlier then us, yet he just got here."
"I was rushing to see my pal!" Roman said defensively
"Don't worry about them, they're just being protective." Virgil assured the Prince. Sharing a small glance with Remy to drop it. This was a bad note to leave any interaction. He just wanted to make up and leave.
Roman nodded "well, I must be going if I'm gonna reach the other side of the school. See you at work Virg?"
"Yeah, I'll see you there."
Roman waved a quick goodbye to The duo, and ran off to his homeroom. Conveniently close to the back entrance, easily accessible by someone so compact as Roman. A small hole in the fence to where the garbage is picked up. And a hole only faculty is aloud to use.
"I'm tellin' ya Virg," Remy said shaking their head, heading for the West entrance. "something's not been so charming about the Prince-"
"Well nobody's perfect," interjected Virgil before Remy could convince him of what he was already thinking "I get that you're trying to protect me, but I'm fine. I'm not even with Roman, and you're hating on him. You haven't even given him a chance!"
"Gurl, listen, this isn't even about that."
The bell rang and all conversation was abandon. They both started sprinting through the school to get to their homeroom class. They made it just in time for Mx. Jenner to call out the first name.
"Here" Remy panted from the threshold. Holding onto Virgil for support. Jenner just looked at Remy and shrugged. They were here, they thought. No point in giving a slip. They continued with the roll.
"Hey bud! How was school?" Asked Patton from his spot on the couch. Turning down the volume of HGTV. The loud buzzing of a chainsaw melting into the din of the neighbor’s lawn mower.
"It was good, I got some homework do by Friday, the usual." Virgil said, dropping down on the couch near Patton. Spreading out, finally relaxing after a long day of thought. He was barely able to think about his work. Between worrying over Roman, and his usual guilts and ponderings of how small he was in comparison to the entire universe. Nothing much else crossed his mind. He was just dreading homework, because unless he got help, he was gonna fry his brain from trying to rap it around the concept of how the numbers go together, or how product A, and product B reacted. His head spun just thinking about how hard his homework could get.
"Your Pa's not gonna be home until dinner, so he said not to wait up for him." Patron said. Almost hearing what his son was thinking. The sentence hung in the air awhile, before being forgotten in the wind.
The two sat there watching HGTV for a bit, sharing an occasional "bad choice," and a "you know you want #2, don't lie to yourself." As that was how you view HGTV and only a sane person stays quiet!!
An hour or so of pure bonding over wood stain colors in the wide living room went by, before Virgil had to leave for his part time job at the Starbucks at the mall. He was a barista, so he had to deal with a bunch of different kinds of people, people, the spice of life, but the poison of his.
The saving grace of the job (other than minimum wage, which is very generous if you're a teenager that also gets an allowance) is the time he spends in a visual proximity to a Roman Prince. Virgil got to watch Roman sing for tips, and joke about what happened to Jimmy of 2013 when he ordered everything on his bagel. Sometimes, when the food court was empty enough, the two would talk. It wasn't that odd of a happenstance, they were friends. But it was special, nonetheless.
"Take your binder off!" Ordered Patton before Virgil could get out of earshot
"But-" Virgil tried to interject.
"It'll be more than 8 hours by the time you get home. Wear the sports bra, we got it for a reason."
Virgil groaned audibly while running down the stairs. Going to change into his starbucks uniform.
Then left, saying a quick goodbye to The Father figure, making his way out the door, and up Jenner Avenue. He loved the walks, just a chance to be alone with his thoughts. A simple 20 minutes to clear his mind and collect his thoughts. Something that was his, and just his. He didn't have much of that at his old home.
Roman was waiting at the normal intersection. Waiting for the road to clear of cars before crossing. Pedestrian-car accidents in residential areas were all too common in America for Roman’s taste. And he would rather be on the news for ending world hunger then looking fabulous in a puddle of his own blood.
Virgil had walked with Roman on a few occasions, but he wasn't sure if he wanted today to be one of them. He stopped and examined his choices.
He could daydream and kick a pebble every so often, or he could laugh and make more light shine from the bright green orbs that haunted his waking moments.
He could jam out, and read, or he could trade stories that would earn him a deep, hearty chuckle from a voice deep and melodic.
He could obviously see what decision he had made.
He waited for Roman to walk a bit ahead. But Virgil couldn't see which way Roman was walking, because he was zoned out.
Virgil had never met anyone like Roman. That's probably why Roman was the only one that made him feel this way. Not, like butterflies, per say, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
It was like a fan fiction, but the two characters had no compatibility.
But you still want the two to get together. Mostly because the Author keeps putting them in rom-com like moments.
"Are you Gonna say hi, or are you gonna admire me from afar?" Roman asked, now whispering into Virgil's ear.
"JEsus Christ Roman! Don't do that!" Virgil yelled, kind of like that. He thought. Now all he needed was a big thing to happen to keep the two from getting together, so they could get together.
"I didn't want to disturb you, but I also don't like being watched, without my consent."
Virgil couldn't fight the smallest smirk from appearing. The two boys just stood there, looking into each other's eyes, waiting for either one to do something. But also enjoying the company.
Then the clocks started again.
And Virgil's face went completely red. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. He was embraced, that was obvious.
But was it that obvious that he was staring? Did Roman think he was a creep? Did Roman h-
Roman's fingers locked into Virgil's and he started to walk onwards to the mall where the two worked. Dragging the darker one along. "As much as i love staring into your eyes, I don't wanna get fired for being late. " Virgil fought every urge to hide his face in his other hand.
Neither of them said a word more for the entire walk. It was just a pleasant peace between the two. Walking along. Everything that needed to be said, was said through electric shocks in the hand. Nobody said anything, but they both understood.
It was nice, and that's all it needed to be.
