#human!virgil

Maybe it was the closer proximity (he was still far away, but last time he had been even more cautious because of the ship) or maybe it was because the human looked more put together, unbound and cleaner than before, but something about his appearance struck a chord in Roman that he couldn't quite explain.

It must've been some sort of attraction but it was different from how he felt about Janus. Of course, that was hardly a fair comparison to begin with - a God and a human were not on the same level. The first time he had seen Janus, he had been enchanted by the divine glow around him, he instantly wanted to touch his golden scales, comb his flowing hair and worship him forever. He would never do any of that except for the worship without the Gods permission, of course, but it was suddenly a need on the same level as he needed to eat and breathe.

With the human, though? He could feel his heart starting to beat faster as he watched him run his fingers through his dark hair. The human had also lost the clothing covering his chest at some point and while he was skinnier than Roman, he seemed to have more muscles than him ⸺ Roman was an acolyte, not a guard, so he didn't need to work out his body that much, as long as he could swim fast, he was fine.

The human's appearance had flustered him. And he couldn't explain why.

So, truly, he was only going to the surface to figure out this mystery! Once he did that, there was no reason to return until the human left for good!

Nodding to himself, Roman broke through the surface of the water once again, hidden, of course, by some rocks. He waited for a few moments to make sure the splashing of his appearance didn't draw attention and gets him caught, before peeking around the edge.

He froze.

The human was right there, on the beach. He stood there, staring at his arm with an expression Roman couldn't quite make out enough to read from this distance but looked different from how he'd seen the human so far, except for… except for when he had first arrived on the island.

There was something unsettling about it.

Then the human started swaying before falling over. It was not the fast way Roman had seen humans fall over before when the had been hit with the noisy weapons Janus had told him to be especially wary of since they could hit you quickly from a large distance away, he just tumbled over, landing on his side. He didn't move for a moment before pushing himself onto his back, lifting his arm one more time before letting it fall back into the sand.

He didn't move again.

Roman waited with baited breath, but nothing happened.

Did he fall asleep? But it was the middle of the light cycle! The sun was shining strongly from the sky, he couldn't fall asleep like that! Even as a creature of the water, Roman knew that staying in the sun too long could have very bad effects!

Roman waited even longer but he couldn't shake the feeling of worry in his chest.

He decided to get closer. It was risky but he couldn't stand doing nothing anymore!

Slowly, he moved from rock to rock, swimming as quietly as he could and keeping an eye on the human all the way.

Still, no movement.

Roman stopped when he saw that the human's chest was still rising and falling, but not steadily and only very shallowly. Something was definitely wrong.

He needed to make a decision now: protect himself like Janus would want him to and swim away, or get to the human and check on him directly like his heart wanted him to do so desperately.

His heart won out.

Still keeping a distance, Roman approached the shore. The human didn't so much as twitch. Once he reached the shallows, Roman activated a blessing he had only used once or twice before, purely out of curiosity and only by himself.

He made his tail transform into human legs.

Immediately, he felt Janus' attention shift to him more intensely. He didn't stop Roman, but his worry about why he would do this was palpable. Roman couldn't really communicate back, so he just had to trust that his partner would trust him in turn.

Controlling appendages that he wasn't used to wasn't easy, but Roman clumsily made his way over to the human, who still hadn't moved more than the few, unsteady breaths he was taking.

Roman sat down next to him, unsure of what to do. Carefully, he touched the human's shoulder with a finger, pulling his hand back immediately after. No change. A more firm touch. Still nothing. Roman grew bolder and shook him a bit. A weak groan but nothing else. His eyes were closed, his mouth open a bit, raspy breaths escaping his lips.

"Hey, can you hear me?" Roman asked as a last resort, another of his blessings would translate it into whatever language the human knew, but no reaction again.

Maybe Roman didn't know much about humans, but he knew this one was in a bad condition right now.

Then he remembered the way he'd been clutching his arm before falling over. Roman would need to lean over him to take a closer look but by now he was pretty sure the human was in no condition to do anything to him anyway.

Carefully, Roman leaned over his torso, grabbing the human's arm and inspecting it.

It didn't take him long to find out the issue.

Two deep marks were standing out on the human's skin, the surrounding flesh having turned an ugly purple.

It seemed venom from fish and whatever creature carried it on this island wasn't too dissimilar.

The human was on the edge of death.

Roman panicked.

As an acolyte of a God, he had some semblance of healing powers, but not so much to fight this level of venom nor did he know if it would even work on land!

Still he gave it a shot and got a bit of power to accumulate on his fingertips but it fizzled out quickly.

There was nothing Roman could do.

…Except call on his God.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and prayed.

Janus, please hear me! The human is wounded and will die. Is there anything I can do to help him?

It took but a moment for his partner's voice to echo in his head.

My love, why would you interfere with him in the first place? If his time has come then so be it.

I… I don't quite know. I just don't want to watch him die, I suppose.

Dear loving, caring Roman. You know I adore your empathy for others but he is not one of our kind. You don't know what will happen if he awakens and finds you there with him.

I won't stay, let me help him and I will return to you immediately.

But why should I help him if he only poses trouble for my people? You and everyone else devoted to me are my priority over some human, love.

I know and I don't have a good reason, I just don't want him to die, Jan. Please?

There was a moment of pause in which Roman waited with baited breath on Janus' response.

…It will not be without cost, Roman.

For me, him or you?

Him. He is human. I am not meant to touch him.

Will it change him?

…Not quite. And I suppose it will be temporary. Still, he might not take it well.

Can't you just tell me?

I could, but I won't. You are making a decision here, Roman. You will need to carry the weight one way or another. If you want me to meddle with a human, I need you to be sure, no matter the consequences.

Roman could feel himself trembling. Janus was right. This was his call to make.

He looked at the human's face again and made his decision.

Please, help him. I'll bear whatever follows.

Very well. Place your hands on his chest and close your eyes.

Roman did as instructed. Soon, he felt a warm energy gather in his chest and then rush out through his arms, straight into the human.

     Virgil swallowed back a biting comment, ignoring everything he'd ever been taught to willingly follow his mother into circle of mushrooms at the center of the forest glade. The fairy ring. He felt a rush of power sweeping around them as he wiped the last of his tears from his eyes and stopped behind his mother. The subtle pink glow of the forest floor grew brighter as Virgil stared at the ground, curling his arms across his chest as a figure emerged from shadows.

     “Human, I do not believe my instructions were unclear.” The deep voice of the fae carried an aura of warning as he addressed Virgil’s mother from the shadows. “You and your bloodline are no longer welcome in this forest. Begone before I lose my patience with you.”

     “Good master of the forest, we are here to humbly request your audience.” Virgil’s mother bowed her head. “We seek not to anger you, but to appease you for the wrongs we have committed. Will you hear my offer?”

     The figure stepped into the moonlight and Virgil had to stifle a gasp. Thin antlers rose up from man's soft, brown hair and his soft features radiated a gentle beauty unlike any he had ever seen before.

     “I see no need for me to bargain with your family. You chose to ignore my warning not to take more than you need when you hunt the creatures here, and as a result you have suffered for your trespasses into my forest.”

     The fae began to turn away, but Virgil’s mother dropped to he knees, reaching her hands up to plead with him. “Master fae, I need to feed my family—"

     “The fault for your misery lays squarely on your own shoulders.”

     “I know, but if we are to survive, our needs remain unchanged.” His mother’s voice trembled as she folded her hands together in a silent prayer. “Please, allow me to replace the life that was taken from your forest.”

     The air felt heavy as the master of the forest turned back to them. His eyes moved slowly from Virgil’s mother up to Virgil, lingering uncomfortably as Virgil bowed his head.

     “Explain yourself.”

     “I come to offer my secondborn. If you will accept h—"

     “Ha, and I'm to understand you sought not to offend me.” The fae’s lip twisted into a cruel sneer as he bared down on Virgil’s mother. “You come to beg for your life, and you do even follow the word of legend. Do the stories not say that we fae barter for the firstborn child?”

     “Please, my grace. We need my oldest for the harvest.” His mother dropped her forehead to the ground. “Without him we'll starve, but Virgil is not meant for such things. He is neither our brightest nor our strongest, but he works hard—If you'll have him, he will serve you faithfully in penance for our sins.”

     Virgil's lip twisted in disgust as his mother all but begged the fae to take him away. “I didn’t realize I was such an inconvenience, mother.”

     A withering glare flashed across his mother’s face as she turned her head over her shoulder towards him. Her movements lacked subtlety and her message was clear. She wanted nothing more to do with him, and if he messed up her plans, she'd surely make him pay for his mistakes. Fortunately for her, not all hope was lost. The faerie’s piercing, blue eyes had fixed their attention on Virgil.

     “Virgil, child.” The fae paused as though he were taking the time to feel Virgil’s name on his lips. “What do you have to say about all of this?”

     A subtle, tingling crept across Virgil’s skin as the man spoke his true name. His mother had given it so freely, he hadn’t even considered the power the forest fae already had over him. “I, um—I don’t—”

     “He's a good boy who does as he's told. You won’t regret taking him—”

     “My question was not directed at you, madam.” The fae's eyes flashed a cold warning at his mother that sent shivers across Virgil’s skin. His stomach had been doing nervous flips since they entered the forest, but now that he was face to face with the powerful fae, he felt like his wobbling legs might finally betray him. “I wish to hear Virgil answer for himself.”

     “I, um—whatwasthequestionagain?”

     His mother looked poised to strike him for such a pitiful display of composure but the man in front of him seemed to find his incompetence pleasantly amusing.

     “You are being asked to forfeit the only life you've come to know.” The cold tone of the fae's voice was tempered with a comforting softness that started to still the pounding in Virgil’s heart. “Surely you have feelings about what your mother is asking of you?”

     “Umm—”

     “And keep in mind,” The man paused as Virgil looked up at him with wide eyes. He kept his tone soft and reassuring, but firm as he addressed Virgil. “it is unwise to lie to one of the Fair Folk like myself.”

     “No—Of course not, sir.”

     Virgil’s mumble was nearly lost to the wind as he bowed his head to his chest, considering his words carefully. His mother had made it clear that this was his responsibility. If they failed to win the fae’s favor, his family may not survive the winter, and he was the only one with the power to change the creature's mind. He had not other choice. He would make his mother proud of him, if only this one time.

     “If you will spare my family of their suffering, I am prepared to go with you.” Virgil dropped to his knees next to his mother and gave a deep bow to the ruler of the forest. “Please accept my mother’s offer.”

     “I asked of your feelings, and yet you offer nothing of substance.”

     “I know, sir.” Virgil’s forehead pressed to the dewy ground. “I’m sorry, but I do not wish for my emotions to sway your decision.”

     The fae's silence weighed down on his shoulders as Virgil trembled and begged for the fae to take him. This was so simple. He couldn’t screw this up too.

     “Very well. I accept the terms you’ve laid out for your family’s penance.”

     Virgil lifted his head to the faerie ruler as he crossed his arms across his chest. His expression remained unmoved as Virgil looked to his mother. Relief spread across her face as she rose to her feet, oblivious to the despair twisting Virgil’s stomach.

     “Really, sir?”

     “To be clear, I expect to take the boy.” The man's leering glare landed on Virgil’s mother as she rose to her feet. “And in return, your family will be given passage into my forest to take only what you need to survive. Choose to get greedy again, and you will find that mercy is not something I grant twice.”

     “Yes, sir.” His mother looked like she may weep with relief. “Your grace’s kindness knows no bounds. May peace be with you.”

     “It would be wise if you to leave before my patience runs thin, human.”

     The fae’s cold tone didn’t falter as his mother nodded. Virgil felt a numbness overcome him as his mother turned to wrap her arms around him.

     “Take care of yourself, Virgil. You've done your family proud."

     She pressed a kiss to his temple before letting him go and rushing back down the path, leaving him weeping at the feet of the stranger.

     “Come with me, child.”

     “Y-yes, master.”

     “There is no need for you to address me as such.” The forest fae offered Virgil a hand as he scrambled to his feet obediently. “If it is acceptable, you may refer to me as Logan.”

     Shaken, Virgil could do nothing but stare as the fae offered him a hand to his feet. “L-Logan?”

     “I know I have you at an unfair advantage as I do not intend to share my true name, but you need not harbor any fear in your heart that I intend to hurt you.” Logan’s voice was soft as he rested a hand on Virgil’s back and guided him deeper into the forest. “Despite the ideas your mother undoubtedly in your head, I have no intentions of making you a slave.”

     Virgil didn’t dare voice the many thoughts racing through his mind as his heart fluttered with a faint hope. He knew that the Fair Folk didn’t lie, but that didn’t mean that Logan did not hide his true intentions behind fancy words.

     “T-thank you.”

     “That is not a sentiment worthy of your gratitude.” Logan's voice sent a tingling rushing over Virgil’s skin as the fae pulled him to his feet. He was quiet as the fae pulled off his cloak, wrapping it around Virgil’s shoulders as they walked deeper into the forest. “I can assure you I only wish to honor the sacrifice you were willing to make.”

--

     “This food is not of fae origins.” Logan’s expression remained gentle and patient as Virgil eyed the bowl of stew with suspicion. “You need not worry about any possible adverse effects to your health.”

     Mere hours had passed since the fae had brought him to this realm, but settling into his new home had gone smoother than Virgil could have expected.  Logan had been nothing less than pleasant, presenting Virgil with an overly extravagant bedroom with silk bedsheets and pillows for him to scream into the second Logan left him alone. He’d been allowed to sleep in as the thick shades kept out the morning light, and since he'd woke, his host had allowed him enough space that he'd been mostly able to simmer down from his overstimulated state. The respectful distance had been a welcome comfort, and he'd certainly been grateful for the fae's patience, but now the man had returned with a stubborn desire to feed him.

     “What can I say to convince you my intent is not to hurt you, Virgil?”

     “Nothing,” Virgil muttered as he forced his muscles to relax, realizing a moment too late that he had risked offending the fae. “I mean—Of course, I will accept the meal you've been gracious enough to prepare for me.”

     Don’t thank the Fair Folk, lest you admit you owe them a debt.

     Offering his life to Logan surely came with complications he didn’t fully understand, but he had no intention of giving away anymore of himself for free.

     “I understand your caution is a rational reaction given your situation, but I hope to prove to you that it is unnecessary.” Logan’s soothing voice was quick to lull Virgil into almost believing his words were genuine. “Perhaps, we can set some base expectations about your time here to help ease your discomfort.”

     Virgil chewed on his lip as he propped himself up on the edge of the bed. The silky, sheets felt like heaven on his aching body as he nodded and sipped on the savory broth. Meals brought to him in his own room were more than he'd ever dreamed to expect, but maybe now he could get an idea of what Logan would ask in return.

     “Alright, Virgil. The first thing I need you to understand about my choice to invite you here is that you are free to leave at any time and for any reason.”

     A sudden burning filled his nostrils as he accidentally inhaled his soup, choking as he looked up at Logan's patient smile. “What?”

     “I do not believe that children should be made to pay for the sins of their parents.”

     A shiver ran up Virgil’s spine as he looked up into the unsettling blue eyes of his captor. “That line might work better if you hadn’t accepted my life as payment only hours ago.”

     “On the contrary, though I did not say so at the time, I viewed our transaction very differently than your mother.” Logan's lip curled into a smile as he moved away from Virgil to drop into a purple tufted chair a few steps away from the bed. “She believes sacrificing you was the price she paid for her life, but I would say granting her passage to my forest was the price I paid to bring you here.”

     Virgil chewed on his lip as he focused on the bowl of soup in his lap. “Yeah, well, it all sounds the same to me.”

     “I understand why you feel that way, but the difference is quite sizable in my eyes." Logan curled his hands in his lap. His narrow antlers stood like a crown on his head as he stared seriously at Virgil. “You see, I paid a price for your life with no ulterior motive but to give your freedom back to you.”

     “Liar.”

     “You know well enough that the Fair Folk do not lie, and despite what you may know of my people's reputation, I prefer to be straight forward about my intentions.” Logan let his serious tone drop to speak earnestly to Virgil. “Come morning, if your mind remains unchanged, you are free to return to your family. I only ask that you reflect on your situation for one day and one night before making any decisions.”

     Virgil couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The Fae didn’t lie, but surely what Logan was saying couldn’t be the truth. “You are deceiving me.”

     “Falsehood.” Logan’s eyes narrowed on him. “You may test my boundaries all you like, but I assure you there is no hidden motive in my words.”

     “There's no way.” Virgil muttered as he stabbed at a crumbling potato with his spoon. “Why bother to take me if you were planning to release me all along?”

     “No honorable parent uses guilt and shame to motivate their child, much less manipulates them to sacrifice themselves for said parent.” Logan paused to steady the growing anger in his voice. “Her job should have been to protect you, not the other way around, and I couldn’t abide such deplorable behavior.”

     Virgil stirred the bowl of warm broth and root vegetables in his hand, grateful for the grounding sensation of heat as he listened to Logan’s words. “That’s a low blow to insult my mother.”

     “You are the master of your own fate, Virgil. If you believe I am ill-informed, you are free to return to her and your brothers at first light tomorrow morning.” Logan's lip curled into a reassuring smile as Virgil chewed on his words. “But know, whether it is for a single night or a lifetime, you are welcome to stay.”

     “As a slave, you mean.”

     “As an honored guest, child.” Logan smirked at Virgil’s stubbornness as he rose to his feet and turned towards the door. “I am offering you a sanctuary from the shame and fear your family has convinced you is normal, but whether or not you choose to accept that offer is entirely up to you.”

     Virgil’s chest clenched with a mild anxiety as Logan turned to leave him. “You’ll be back in the morning?”

     “Bright and early, as promised.”

     “Maybe—” Virgil’s voice trembled.  He couldn’t believe he was starting to trust this fae. “Maybe not too bright and early, if that’s okay?”

     “As you wish, Virgil.” Logan smiled as he headed towards the door. “Good night."

     “Night.”

     Virgil put his empty bowl on the tray at the end of the bed. The lights dimmed automatically as Virgil turned to collapse on the impossibly comfortable bed. Having the space was definitely a different experience than being crammed together with all of his younger brothers. Perhaps he could risk staying for just a few more nights.

-

This is prompt number two of four for this game, so there's more coming <3

Prompt Game

Prompt #1 - Janus/Remus/Protector/Werewolves+"Hold still. I don't want to hurt you."  

General Taglist (Just ask to be included or taken off!):

Virgil sighed and reached to scratch behind Thomas’ ear, “I think you’ll have to figure it out on your own this month.”

“But you promised to look after me today, that was the whole point of staying over.” Thomas leaned against the touch, “you already have a lot of extra work done. They’ll survive for a few hours without you.”

“I can finish all of this today Tommy, I’m going to push it off if I leave it for tomorrow.”

Thomas whined but didn’t argue any longer. He stayed there with Virgil for a bit. Something caught his attention and he sniffed his boyfriend’s hair, “did you take a shower.”

Virgil blushed at the sudden action, “I-I did.”

Thomas hummed. “Didn’t you get rid of the scented shampoo?”

“I bought a new one that’s not scented, but I’m not throwing this one out until the bottle it’s empty. Why do you ask?”

“You know I don’t like how it covers your scent,” Thomas complained.

Virgil chuckled, “I know Tommy. I promise next time you come over I’ll use the normal one ok?” He turned to face him and kissed his cheek.

Thomas smiled, “okay, but I’ll still go have something to eat before it’s too late.”

Virgil rolled his eyes as Thomas walked away to the kitchen. He still thought he was dangerous, no matter how many videos of him as a wolf Virgil showed him. Thomas was just like a big puppy! But he got it, it hadn’t been easy when he was turned into a werewolf.

The moon was already out after another hour, and Thomas wasn’t making any noise… huh. Maybe Virgil should go check on him.

Just before he could stand up, the huge brown wolf his boyfriend was now appeared seemingly out of nowhere next to him. “Jee-! T-Thomas! Don’t scare me like that!“

The wolf just laid down, resting his head on his paws and let out a quiet whine.

Virgil sighed. “I’m sorry for yelling then, but try to make some noise when you walk.” He turned his chair back to the computer but was stopped as Thomas bit his sleeve. “Uh… Tommy, let go of me.”

Thomas pulled on Virgil’s sleeve, trying to drag him away from his work.

“Uh uh, I know what you’re trying to do but I already told you I need to finish these.” Virgil tried to take his arm back, but he didn’t want to rip his hoodie either.

Thomas growled, why wouldn’t Virgil just take a break?! He huffed and let go of him.

Virgil yelped as he fell backwards with his chair, “ow…” He closed his eyes and rubbed his head.

Thomas didn’t wait another second to jump at Virgil’s lap, laying on top of him so he couldn’t stand up.

Virgil sighed, “you’re not going to leave me alone are you?” Thomas only wagged his tail in response. “Fine! I’ll cuddle you for the rest of the night, but at least let me go to bed please.”

Thomas stood up and jumped to bed. He laid down and waited for Virgil to hop on with him, his tail wagging happily.

“I’m only doing this because you’re adorable.” Virgil stood up and went to turn off his computer and the lights. He turned on the lamp on his bedside table and laid next to Thomas.

The wolf got closer to him and let Virgil wrap his arms around his body. He licked Virgil's face.

“Ah, I see your manners are as lovely as ever.” The creature appeared a bit peeved, but a simple hand gesture wouldn’t deter him. If it would, Virgil would have seen the beast off a hundred times over. “Perhaps a song will lighten your spirits~”

“Fuck off, siren.” Virgil called out to him. Once upon a time, Virgil believed this creature to truly be a siren, a being of the sea that enchanted sailors to sink to their doom. Now Virgil wasn’t so sure, as to be around a siren for this long should’ve meant the death of his entire crew; either this was a very incompetent siren, or a very stubborn and foolish mer folk. 

And given Virgil has had the pleasure of hearing the creature sing, he knew it was the latter.

Just as promised, the mer began to hum, easily picking a tune out of the air. Virgil grimaced, turning away from the rail and heading towards his quarters before the song could lure him into a false sense of security. 

“Oh, ‘tis the pearl one.” One deckhand commented. “That’s me favorite, tha’ is.” 

“Bet he’d love if you told it so.” The other teased. 

Virgil groaned, turning to the pair with a scowl. “Don’t encourage it. I forbid you.”

“Oh Cap’n, wouldn’t matter if we said nothin’.” The first assured him. “Tha’ creature has eyes only for yourself.”

Virgil flushed, steadfastly ignoring how the man’s implications made him feel a strange hum in his chest. “Ridiculous.” He scoffed, slamming his door shut before he could be hackled further.

Unfortunately, there was some truth to his men’s words. For whatever reason, this beast had chosen Virgil and would accept no other. Virgil had tried every trick in the book to avoid the mer, short of retiring to land. He boarded a new ship. He sailed new waters. He holed up in his quarters. No matter what maneuvers Virgil tried, within a matter of time the mer would always, always return, and not leave until Virgil had interacted with it. 

In the beginning, the very idea of such a curse terrified Virgil. What could the siren possibly want? How long until Virgil was inevitably drowned like all the countless tales? Why was Virgil singled out above all others? But as time passed… for whatever reason, Virgil’s fears morphed into a more quiet curiosity. For whatever reason, the creature seemed to mean him no harm.

So what did it want with him?

Virgil sighed, once again looking out his porthole window at the dark frothy waves. The sun had set some time ago, giving the waters an even more ominous ambience. The singing, now that Virgil was focusing on it, had ended some time ago. Virgil paused, surprised to see the mer was not pressed up against the glass as he was wont to do. Perhaps the last time Virgil had scolded him about “freaking PRIVACY-” had finally gotten through his thick skull. 

(It had been rather alarming to find eyes peering in from the murky depths when he was changing. At least the creature had the decency to be sheepish as well.)

Virgil hummed for a moment, drumming his fingers on the desk. Begrudgingly realizing he wouldn’t be able to sleep without knowing if the mer was truly gone, Virgil grabbed a tankard and headed up to the deck. 

The captain headed back to the hull of the ship, peering into the path they carved in the ocean. No eyes peered back at him. He took a swig of his rum, slowly circling the length of the ship and examining the waves. No sign of his mer anywhere.

Why was he disappointed?

Virgil sighed, nursing his drink as he attempted to sort out his thoughts. What did he care if the sea serpent wanted to leave? He didn’t care.

Virgil winced, knowing his words were both harsh and pathetic. It wasn’t right to call him a serpent, not when he had done nothing but try to earn Virgil’s trust. Not when he had a name. 

Virgil sighed again, placing his head in his hand. “Oh, Roman…”

“You remembered!”

The captain jolted, so lost in his thoughts (and his drink) that he had failed to notice the mer slinking up in the waves. And now Roman was properly grinning, his teeth on full display as he was clearly delighted both at Virgil’s statement and catching the captain unawares.

Virgil huffed, immediately sinking back into his grouchy demeanor and pushing the warm feeling from Roman’s arrival deep down. Deeper than all the oceans combined. “How could I forget? You won’t stop singing your own praises.” 

“Well, I would sing yours.” Roman assured him, leaning his arms on the rail a few paces away. He had learned at sword point to give Virgil personal space. “But you’ve refused to give me your name.”

“Hmm.” Virgil just shrugged, taking another sip of his drink.

Roman rolled his eyes, pushing his dripping locks out of his face. “So mysterious. Dark and brooding only keeps a man’s interest for so long, you know. However I am becoming increasingly interested in why you chose to call out to me- does the heart grow fonder, I sense?”

“In your dreams, princey.” Virgil chuckled. Despite his thoughts dwindling on the mer beside him, his gaze was fixed solely on the sea in an almost unfocused trance. 

“A sand dollar for your thoughts?” Roman tilted his head.

Virgil paused, debating whether he should tell Roman what was truly on his mind. It was a dangerous game, one that would admit to Roman’s slow siren games working.

“What would…” Virgil paused, refusing to meet Roman’s gaze. He almost didn’t want to know the answer if the darker truths were correct. What would happen if I joined you? Virgil shuddered, watching the waters churn a bit more dangerously. The sea, dangerous mistress she was, would not be so kind to a landlubber like himself. 

“What do you want with me?” Virgil murmured. “You’re always going on about how you’re so enamored with me, and you keep trying to get me to jump overboard but- but why?! What could you hope to gain? Stringing me along for the ride, playing your twisted games-”

“What?!” Out of the corner of his eye, Virgil saw Roman’s eyes go wide as saucers. “My captain, my tempter, my beautiful anxious two-legged fool… do you really think so lowly of me? Are my affections all some ploy to you?”

Virgil winced, turning to face Roman fully. He expected the mer to look outraged, insulted even. What he didn’t expect was the pained pleading expression he got in return. 

“It’s not so difficult a notion.” Virgil shrugged, hiding his shame behind the lip of his mug. “You have been hunting me for ages.”

Roman let out an offended gasp. “Hunting- how barbaric a notion! Courting, I’ve been courting you, my insufferable flame.”

Virgil all but choked on his drink. 

“Or trying, at the very least.” Despite his bold words, Roman had gone rather red in the face as well. “A-and you should count yourself lucky that I continue to try! You haven’t exactly made yourself easy to woo.”

Virgil coughed down some more liquor, needing the liquid courage to get through this conversation. He coughed again, trying to regain his composure. “So- I ask again, why? Why keep ‘courting’ me-” Virgil found a sour taste on his tongue at such an outdated phrase- “if all I do is push you away? Why don’t you leave me alone?”

Roman’s tail agitated the water, a sign Virgil had learned meant the mer was feeling uncertain. It was a more common sight than the mer would ever admit. “I… surely you don’t mean that, do you?”

Virgil just raised an eyebrow, challenging him.

“I think of this as a game, I suppose, it’s true.” Roman admitted, his fingers trailing down into the water with an outstretched hand. “But I thought you were playing along. I guess a part of me always suspected that was just my wild fantasies, though.”

“Oh?” Virgil frowned.

“Why, you must think me terribly annoying.” Roman’s ear flaps flattened to his head as the mer sunk further down. “Perhaps I was the only one who… I wanted to be wanted. Is that so terrible? To imagine a smirk upon your features every time I surfaced? I know you slow the boat down when I’ve been missing, giving me the chance to catch up.”

“I do no such thing.” Virgil lied through his teeth. 

Roman sunk further, clearly too stuck in his own gloomy thoughts to catch wind of Virgil’s terrible lie. He met the captain’s gaze, looking pitifully pathetic.

“If you truly want me to go, I’ll go.” Roman spoke softly. Virgil sucked in a breath. “I won’t chase you down any longer. You’ll be free of me. Is that what you wish?”

Virgil stared at him for a very long time, gazing deep into those beautiful brown eyes. He only found sincerity in their depths. Now was his chance to get rid of this mer once and for all; if he told Roman to go, he would never see the mer again.

“...no.” Virgil sighed. “That’s not what I want.”

It was quiet for a moment, only the rippling of the waves to be heard. And then, Roman leaned over and punched Virgil in the arm.

“Ow!” Virgil looked at him aghast, surprised by Roman’s strength. “What’s that about?”

“You jerk!” Roman hissed. “You rotten fiend-”

“What happened to oh captain, my captain-?”

“How dare you play with my heart like that!” Roman’s lip went out in the most adorable pout. “You made me actually doubt for a moment, thinking I had been nothing more than a burden to you all this time, wasting my best years on someone who didn’t care.”

Virgil had been teasing at first, wanting to rile up the fish to see what happened; he never meant to make Roman truly upset. “You’re right, that was cruel of me.”

“Hmph.” Roman turned away from him. 

Virgil smirked, feeling more than a little emboldened by his booze. “Can I make it up to you with a gift?”

Roman’s ear flaps twitched, the mer sending him a glance. He gave Virgil a coy smile, poorly hiding his genuine excitement. “For moi?”

“Yup.” Virgil leaned closer, dropping his voice to a near whisper. “Virgil.” He leaned back, letting out a loud laugh at Roman’s befuddled expression. He took another swig of his drink, turning to head in for the night. “Wha- what does ‘Virgil’ mean?” Roman desperately asked.

“It’s my name, dumbass!” Virgil laughed over his shoulder. He turned back just long enough to drink in the look on Roman’s face, giving the shocked mer a hearty salute before closing his door.

The next morning, Virgil awoke with a pounding headache. He groaned, trying to stave off his hangover with some water as he headed to the deck. It didn’t help that every crew member he passed kept giving him a knowing smirk.

“Have a pleasant eve, Cap’n?” The deckhand asked, Virgil’s head tilted to take in the melody rising from the ocean. He groaned when he heard the words. 

~ Arise my sweet Virgil,the pearl of the sea~ 

~Oh Virgil, my Virgil, forever we’ll be~

All variations of his usual songs, inserting Virgil’s name in as many places as possible. Clearly Roman had enjoyed his gift, no matter how much Virgil was beginning to regret it.

“And this is why you don’t talk to sirens, lads.” Virgil shook his head, muttering under his breath and refusing to head to that side of the ship as his cheeks turned scarlet. “Feed scraps to a hound and it will follow you to the end of your days.”

A mug of lukewarm coffee sat forgotten to his side. It was half empty anyway, and Virgil was pretty sure he’d accidentally dipped his brush into it instead of the cup of water he had designated for cleaning his brushes off. So he wasn’t willing, nor was he eager, to take the risk of getting a mouthful of cold coffee that probably tasted like acrylic paint.

He could just get up and make himself another mug if he really wanted to anyway, it wasn’t difficult.

Virgil pulled back after a moment, eyes flicking over the canvas, picking out small little flaws that only he would really notice. Asking someone if they thought the flower in the bottom corner of the painting looked odd, they would most likely respond with a vehement “no! Your artwork is astounding, there’s nothing wrong with any of it!” Which was nice, admittedly, but not helpful for advancing his career or perfecting his technique. Truth be told though, Virgil knew he was the hardest person to please when critiquing his own work.

He leaned over to the side, adjusting his spot on the stool for a moment, before dipping the brush off into the water—and he knew it was his water for a fact. He pulled the brush back before forcing the water out of the bristles against the side of his easel and wiping the excess off on his jeans. They were already stained with colours, so a little more never hurt anyone.

For his next colour, he went for a charcoal black aiming to use it for the sky above the landscape. The picture itself was of a garden at midnight. The moon was high in the night sky, stars surrounded it. The light, he was hoping, would eventually look like it was glinting off of the stone fountain in the centre of the piece. Virgil was a skilled artist, he took the least bit of pride in that, but getting those minuscule details could be difficult and frustrating. Not to mention, if they weren’t done right, could make the whole piece look ridiculous.

Just as he was leaning back in to the start on the corner of the canvas, a wet splash hit the outside of his leg and soaked into his jeans. He hadn’t bumped the table accidentally, had he?

Virgil turned to see the cause of the mess, only to see the water in the paint cup rippling. He knew for a fact that he hadn’t bumped the table when little air bubbles began to surface and pop.

The artist pulled his headphones out before letting them rest over his shoulders. Leaning forward on his knees, he tried to peer into the water that had taken on a colour of its own. Mixes of grey, blue, black and purple all in one. It was a pretty ugly colour.

Not a moment later a familiar face popped out of the water, treading it to the best of his ability and Virgil had to stifle a snort. The borrower in question coughed and used a hand to wipe the paint from his face.

“Swimming are we?” The human teased, blatantly amused. Which earned an indignant noise from the man currently stuck in the mug.

“Not on purpose!” Roman snipped back, trying to keep his head above the water’s surface.

Virgil set his paint brush down on the edge of the table, making sure that the fresh paint on the end wouldn’t drip onto the tabletop. He then reached over and grabbed the cup and brought it over. He kept his hand as steady as possible, not wanting to slosh the borrower around any more than he already was. “Need a hand?”

Roman only snorted in his direction, his head bobbing under the water for a moment. “I can get out just fine,” he huffed, “just put the cup back down on the tabletop and you’ll see!”

“You keep going under, that doesn’t exactly instill me with confidence that you can actually get out on your own.” Virgil lifted the cup a little higher, silently noting that the thing itself had to be about seven inches. Which was a good three inches taller than the man currently treading within its confines. There was actually no way he could get out on his own.

“If you’d stop moving the cup, I’d be absolutely fine.”

Virgil quirked a brow. “Sure.”

With that as an implied warning, he lowered the cup back down so it was resting comfortably on the top of his knee. He then reached into the cup and, Roman, seeing what was coming, ducked back down into the water.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” He fished after the borrower trying to evade him for only a moment. Thanks to the slippery texture of the paint coating Roman’s clothes and Virgil’s fingertips, said borrower was able to continuously manage to slip his grip a couple times.

Virgil’s brows furrowed in concentration and slight frustration. He eventually settled on scooping two fingers under Roman’s arms was the better option. It took a second before he finally managed to pull him out of the water. Before long, he had a sopping wet Roman glaring at him.

“Now, was that so hard?” Virgil remarked after a moment, watching as Roman swiped at the paint on his face as best as he could from his position.

“Don’t patronize me.” He kicked his legs, managing to fling some water into the artist’s face.

“Real mature.” Virgil scrunched his nose, eyes closed to prevent the water from getting in his eyes. He set the cup of water back onto the table before using the hem of his sleeve to wipe the droplets off. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the way Roman was smirking at him. As if he had won this battle.

Please, that was hardly a win.

“Now,” Roman said, as if this was nothing more than a slight hindrance in his nightly excursion, “let me go, you giant pain in the ass. I could have very easily have gotten out of that mess by myself!”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “No you couldn’t have.”

Roman scoffed, attempting to wrench himself free. Even though he was far enough from the ground that a fall like that would be lethal, the idiot. “I absolutely could have. You just don’t believe me because you don’t want to admit you’re wrong.”

“I’m not wrong,” Virgil told him. “You’re about this big—” He used his free hand to measure out Roman’s somewhat accurate height before putting that against the bottom of the paint water’s mug. “—and you’re about this big compared to the cup. So, I think I’m pretty safe in saying you couldn’t have gotten out.”

“You just have no faith in me,” he huffed, trying to feign ignorance. Roman then scowled, trying to budge himself again. This time making enough progress that Virgil quickly brought his second hand up as a safety net.

“Careful you little pocket prince.” The human artist could feel the way his heart rate had spiked slightly from the scare. “A fall from this height wouldn’t be good for you.”

“If you’d just put me down, we wouldn’t have to worry about that then would we?”

“If you would stop moping we wouldn’t have to worry about it either. Just stop moving.”

“I shouldn’t have to stop moving if you would just listen to me!”

“I am listening to you. I just don’t want you to die prematurely, you idiot.”

“No you’re not! If you were, you’d have put me down by now.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Virgil pinched the bridge of his nose as if trying to ward off an oncoming headache. All he had wanted to do was get at least halfway done on his painting and now, here he was, arguing with a person the size of a mouse. “Just stop squirming, I really don’t want to drop you. You’re soaking wet Roman, which, believe it or not, makes it really hard to keep a steady hold of you.” He then let out a sigh, pushing out the frustration that was welling inside him. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

That question seemed to catch Roman off guard, as he stopped trying to pull himself free and looked back at him. “What?”

“Christ help me,” Virgil mumbled under his breath, before addressing the man still in his hold. “You fell into my paint cup from who know’s how high up. Does anything on you hurt?”

Roman blinked brilliantly at him a moment, before shaking his head. “No.”

Virgil relaxed the slightest bit. “Good. Now,” he motioned back to the cup of water sitting harmlessly on the table. “Do you want to go back into the cup to prove that you can actually get out?”

When he started to move his hand over, Roman twitched away from it. “No! No, no, don’t you dare!”

“That’s what I thought.”

So, instead of the cup, Virgil let Roman off onto the table beside it. He was just about to go back to painting when he noticed the borrower beginning to shiver slightly in the cool air of the apartment. He quirked a brow, but didn’t say anything at first. Truth be told, the water was pretty cold when he’d scooped Roman out, so to have his entire body drenched like that mustn’t be comfortable either.

He wiped his hand off on his pants. “Are you cold?”

Roman’s arms tightened around himself. His shivering increased. “No.”

Virgil found a smirk creasing his features. “You’re a horrible liar,” he said, stretching to release some of the tension in his back. Sitting hunched over on a stool for hours on end probably wasn’t the best for his posture. He glanced the mug of forgotten coffee. “I was about to make myself a fresh cup of coffee anyway, you want some?”

Roman hesitated only a fraction of a second. “Yes.”

Virgil gave a nod to show he’d heard. Just as he was getting up to leave the room and get some extra clothes for the shivering borrower, he heard Roman’s voice speak up;

“Are you ever going to let me live this down?”