Roman's mouth grew dry as he looked at Virgil who was now staring at his twiddling thumbs.

"What...?" Roman's voice came out hoarse.

Virgil's voice was hardly a whisper, "Tom broke my leg."

Roman shook his head in denial, "No."

"Roman," Virgil looked up at Roman, making direct eye-contact, "If you're doing to defend him then I suggest you leave right now." His tone was unwavering.

Roman was silent before grabbing at a rolling-char and sitting down beside Virgil's bedside.

"Okay." Virgil mumbled and returned to studying his twiddling thumbs.

"...How?" Roman looked down at his lap, neither of the boys were able to make eye-contact right now.

"It was real clever," Virgil scoffed, "He must have been watching us because after I...left- the car- I went around the block and just...sat down and- within seconds he was there, the next thing I knew he had my leg in his arms a-and-" Virgil shuttered, "Break a leg, Virgil, break a mother-fucking leg, huh?"

Roman's heart broke but he was still in shock, "And...you're sure it was Tom?"

Virgil let out a dry laugh, "Still defending your boyfriend I see."

Roman's face flushed a very light red, "He's not my boyfriend."

"Then do me a favor and stop acting like he is." Virgil huffed.

More silence.

"Do you remember anything from...the ambulance ride?" Roman mumbled.

Virgil flinched, recalling Roman's confession...this wasn't the time to discuss that, "No, why?"

Roman seemed a bit bothered by this, his disappointment just showing by a hair, "It was sad..."

"Tsk, Yeah?" Virgil sunk down against his hospital bed.

"Yeah..." Roman continued, despite the attitude in Virgil's voice, "You were so...helpless and vulnerable and- I didn't know what to do...I couldn't...help you."

When have you ever? Virgil decided to not pour salt in the wound but rather stayed quiet.

Roman let out a soft chuckle, "You calmed down when you looked at me though...just for a fraction of a second I thought you..." Roman's voice grew a bit quieter, "I thought you cared."

Virgil's heart monitor began to beep loudly as his heart rate spiked for a few seconds.

Roman heard this and sighed, "Well, do you?"

"...Care about what?"

"Me." Roman resounded flatly.

Another spike in heart-rate.

"Well, you're my- supporting character in Phantom, of course I-"

"Do you like me?" Roman looked up at Virgil.

Multiple spikes in the heart-monitor.

"-Just- as a person in general- do you like me?"

Virgil relaxed a bit, He doesn't mean like like him..., "I mean, you had the decency to call someone and...take care of me...instead of leaving me there- I mean, you came when I called you...I might have bled out, or some shit, if you hadn't found me...so yeah, you're a...an okay guy, Roman." Virgil nodded slightly.

Roman just hardly smiled, and it seemed obviously forced, "Hm, thanks."

"Do you like me?" Virgil was almost afraid to ask this.

"More than anything." Roman was a bit too quick to answer.

Virgil's face turned a fine shade of red, "Roman- I think I lo-"

"VIRGIL!?" Patton scrambled into the room and pushed past Roman, partially on purpose as he was a bit pissed at how he had been treating Virgil lately, from what Virgil had told him over text.

"-ve- Oh uh- Patton!" Virgil smiled as Patton squeezed him in a tight hug,

"ARE YOU OKAY!?" Patton gasped out.

"Yeah, I just- my leg is broken." Virgil nodded to the casted leg that was held up by wires temporarily attached to the ceiling.

"HOLY SHMOKES-!" Patton went to examine the leg, "Kiddo, what'd you do yourself?"

Virgil thought about making an excuse, but the more to hate Tom, the marrier, "Tom broke it because he's jealous."

Patton glared.

Roman shook his head, jealous? Of what...?

"That- that cotton-headed-ninny-muggets!" Patton hissed before grabbing his mouth with both hands and then whispering, "Pardon my putty mouth!"

"It's...fine, Patton." Virgil snickered.

"Knock knock." Logan cleared his throat at the entrance to the room.

Virgil looked over, "Who's he?"

"Looks like a doctor?" Roman suggested.

Logan cleared his throat, "I'm-"

"This is my boyfriend!" Patton raced over to Logan and hugged him tightly.

Logan's face grew red, much like the others in the room already, "Y-yes- labeling is...fine..."

"Patton, you dog." Virgil cracked a grin.

"I prefer puppies but doggies are cuties too!" Patton giggled.

"Patton," Logan states out loud, looking to the energetic boy.

"Yes, Lo?" Patton smiled.

Logan whispered something into Patton's ear and Patton gasped, looking at Roman, then Virgil, then Logan, "REALLY!?"

Logan nodded.

Patton squealed with excitement as Roman and Virgil exchanged equal expressions of confusion.

"We have to go- get- vending machines- I mean- snacks!" Patton giggled quickly before dragging Logan with him, shutting the door behind the both of them.

"That was...strange." Roman frowned.

"They're cute." Virgil smirked.

"Ah, that's one word for it." Roman chuckled.

"Logan seems like he always has a stick up his ass." Virgil pointed out.

"Patton'll only push it farth-" Roman stopped himself, "Never mind."

"Never mind is right!" Virgil began laughing.

Roman looked at Virgil with sparkling, doe eyes.

"What's the matter, Princey?" Virgil's laughter died down as he noticed Roman staring at him.

"I've never heard you...laugh like that before." Roman cleared his throat, looking away.

"Well, I guess it takes the right guy." Virgil smiled genuinely.

Roman bit his lip, "So you aren't mad at me?"

"No, mad would be an understatement," Virgil sighed out, causing Roman to shrink back, "I would just appreciate it if you could trust me a bit more."

Roman nodded slowly, "I did- I mean- I do, it's just...I can't believe he's been tricking me the entire time...it's not...I just..."

"It's not fair?" Virgil suggested.

"...No, it's fair, I deserve this." Roman sighed out shakily, "For what I've put you through, it's fair."

"Yeah?" Virgil frowned slightly.

"You realize with a click of a button you could get me sent out of this room?" Roman looked up to meet Virgil's eyes.

"Yeah, I know," Virgil blinked at Roman, "But I'm not a dick."

Roman smiled slightly, "Well-"

"The question is, are you?" Virgil sounded dead-serious.

"I trust you more than Tom." Roman stated firmly.

Virgil took a moment to scan Roman's facial features before slowly nodding, "...Alright."

Roman let out a sigh, something he realized he had been doing a bit too much, "What were you going to say before Patton interrupted?"

Virgil was silent before leaning forward, "Why do you ask?"

"Because, hope is a powerfully dangerous thing that either needs to be vanquished or doused." Roman nodded.

"Hope of...?"

Roman opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"You like me?" Virgil spoke calmly.

"Wh-what?" Roman's mouth went dry again.

"Do you...have a crush on me?" Virgil felt his heart cave in at his choice of words.

Roman's heart raced.

The clock on the wall of Virgil's hospital room buzzed to signify that it was midnight, of New Year's eve.

Roman looked into Virgil's eyes after glancing at the clock and began to close his, Virgil soon closing his eyes afterwards as their faces grew closer until their was no space between their lips.

"Yes."