Roman's horse raced up to the tower, and he suppressed a sigh.

He hated rescuing princesses.

He got that it was his duty, and he was glad they got down, but...

He didn't want a bunch of senseless girls trying to kiss him as a 'favor'. 

He looked at the tower, and got himself ready, checking for his sword, his knife, and his grappling hook. What? He was a professional climber!

He dismounted his horse when it got close enough and left it. 

"Bye, Buttercup."

Someone shouted down from the tower.

"Did you just talk to your horse?"

Roman looked up, and he saw a head poking out of the window. Seriously though, what's with tower designers and only putting one window?

And who does design these things?

Evil Hag Inc?

Or Evil Fairy Corp?

Or Evil Warlock Co?

All he saw was the shadow of the person, as their head blocked out the sun for a blissful moment.

"YES!" Roman shouted up at the princess.

He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard her sigh.

From all the way down at the ground.

That princess has impressive lungs.

He grabbed his grappling hook, and yelled: "Move back!"

The princess did, and he threw the metal part into the window.

He's a reeeaaaal professional.

He held the rope in his gloved hands, popped his back, and planted his feet.

He leaned against the rope, and when he saw that it held his weight, he lifted one foot off the ground. It held, and he situated his balance.

He stepped onto the wall, gripping the rope. 

He took another step up the wall, and let his mind begin to think about getting down.

He wished he could throw the princess out of the window.

He climbed the tower quickly, but by the time he was near the window it was past lunchtime, and he was hungry.

At least he brought some food, and the princess would probably have some.

He saw the windowsill and grinned. Climbing a vertical surface is difficult work.

When he reached it, he stuck his leg through and pulled himself into the safety of the tower.

After allowing himself a few seconds for breathing, he looked around for the princess.

All he found was a lump on the bed under the blanket.

He gently poked it.

"Princess?"

A hand reached from under the blanket and swatted him.

"Way to assume."

That was a male voice! There was a man!

Was he the one who trapped the princess, or was there even a princess? Maybe there was a prince! 

Roman's gay was happy.

He always liked guys.

"Sorry. I'm used to there be trapped females in need of help."

"Well, you came to the wrong tower. Leave."

"What?"

Roman was taken aback. Nobody just wanted to stay in the tower!

"I like my tower, where I don't have to deal with people. Humans are gross. Bye!"

Roman was a bit insulted. He was a prince! This man was... well, he didn't know, but he was rude!

"Excuse you, I came here to help!"

"Well, I don't need help! Leave me be!"

"I can't leave you helpless in a tower!"

"I'm not helpless. I can take care of myself!"

"Then how did you end up in here?"

"I climbed it."

"What?"

No one but him would climb towers. That's what made his life so annoying. Nobody wanted to face the dangers of climbing a tower. So he was the main rescuer.

"I like being alone. I like my space. You are in my space. Leave!"

"No!"

"Why?"

Roman wasn't sure, but something about this man enthralled him.

"Because...."

"Do you even know why you want to stay?"

"I... like the peace and quiet...?"

He hadn't realized it was true until he said it. He liked not having to deal with princesses and kings and witches.

It was nice to take a break.

"Well... I suppose this is a free tower. I'm the only one who lives here... other than the occasional overly-friendly bird. So... I guess you can stay. For tonight, and then I'm sure you have more important things to do." 

Roman was weirdly happy.

He usually couldn't wait to get back to his life, but here, he felt... calm.

He was rarely calm, so it was nice.

A bit boring, but nice.

He sat down on the floor, and the lump of blanket stretched out into a laying down position.

Roman let his mind wander.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but his butt hurt.

Eventually, he felt the need to break the silence.

"So... what do you do for fun?"

The figure moved but stayed under the blanket.

"Sleep."

"That's fun?"

Roman never considered sleeping a good thing. It always just took up too much time, and it was annoying.

"Yes. So is silence."

Roman was getting the weirdest feeling the blanket was telling him to shut up! That would not do! He was a prince, goddamnit! 

"So, why don't you take off the blanket?"

"I like it. Why don't you wear a blanket?"

What an odd question. "It would inhibit my movements and be too warm."

"Really? I'm always cold."

"I'm always warm."

"Thank you for not saying you're always hot because that's a lie."

"What? I assure you, I am very attractive, not that you can see through that blanket!"

"Heh. Princey's upset?"

"Well, yes. You implied that I am not attractive, which is a lie!"

"Hey, you could be Cinderella for all I care. I can't see you, you can't see me. Wouldn't life be better if it was like this all the time?"

This guy was weird. It was refreshing.

"Of course not! People could die or run into things!"

"I mean if you couldn't see anyone, and they couldn't see you."

"Oh."

He tried to think.

"Um... I suppose seeing people's faces allow us a gauge of them before we meet them."

"Yeah, we're judged by our physical appearance, something we can't control, and people sometimes judge you on that before they learn the real stuff: what's in your brain."

Interesting. He did have a point. Roman was pretty, and he sometimes got automatically liked for it. A lot of judging was done on appearance.

"Wow... you're right!"

"Don't sound so surprised, Princey."

He wondered what impressions he'd gotten off of the guy in front of him, even without seeing or talking to him.

He was obviously sarcastic.

"What's your name?"

The blanket sat up, still maintaining a disguise.

"I don't like my name."

"Do you have a preferred name?"

"Uh... no."

"Ok. What's your name?"

"Can I just not? You're gonna judge me."

"How do you know?"

"You thought I was a princess."

"Fair point. I swear not to laugh?"

"Fiiiiine."

Yes!

"My name is... promise you won't even snicker?"

"Ok."

"My name is... Virgil."

Roman held in a snicker. It was... uncommon, and not what he expected. No wonder Virgil was embarrassed.

"Ok, I told you my name, what's yours?"

"Roman!"

"Does it stand for 'Rotten Olives Made At Norway'?"

"No! Really Obviously Muscular And Nice!"

"Yes, I am."

"No... me!"

The blanket man sighed.

"I still can't see you, so the jury's out on muscular, but you're not very nice."

"How- How am I not nice?! I came here to save you!"

"You invaded my home and my privacy touched me without my permission, and talked to me. Not exactly nice."

"I thought you were in danger!"

"Not when you touched me or kept talking! That was after you came in here and discovered I was fine!"

"Hey!"

"What? I'm saying the truth!"

"But... you're rude!"

"And you're ugly!"

"HEY! You can't even see me, nitwit!"

"Your personality is ugly!"

"But I'm beautiful on the outside!"

"Yeah, right!"

Roman was a bit mad. He didn't want this guy to think he was ugly! He was attractive!

"Well, maybe you should see for yourself!" He dove towards the blanket, intent to show Virgil how pretty he was.

Virgil heard him coming and clamped down on the edges on his blanket.

"Don't!"

"Afraid I'm too beautiful?"

He ripped off the blanket and suddenly couldn't find the air.

The man staring back at him was really beautiful. It might be weird to describe a dude as beautiful, but this man was. He was just... stunning. He met Roman's eyes with a bit fo disappointment.

Roman's gay was practically drooling, but he made out what Virgil said.

"I'm not scared of you being too pretty. I'm scared that I am."

Roma just stared at Virgil.

He was... there were no words that could describe how he looked.

Roman swallowed, ignoring his dry mouth.

"How d... How did you end up so..." Virgil winced.

"Pretty?"

Virgil looked at the ground, ignoring Roman's eyes.

"I was born like this."

It was hard to imagine a pretty baby, but if he looked at Virgil long enough, Roman's brain would melt and leave a rainbow puddle.

"Is this why-"

"Yep. It's why I'm in the tower. People thought I was so pretty, they started harassing me. I was hardly safe, so I locked myself in here to hide from people. I don't like people."

Roman was going to ask if it was why he was wearing the blanket, but that worked too.

"So..."

Roman didn't know what to say. He just couldn't tear his eyes away from the slim figure of Blanket Man.

Virgil was scanning him, looking from his clothes to his arms, to see if he really was obviously muscular.

To Virgil's surprise, Roman actually was. Years of climbing towers.

Virgil stared at the arm muscle for half a second before controlling himself.

Roman was just staring at Virgil's kaleidoscope eyes.

Virgil finally looked up at Roman's eyes.

"Hello." He smirked.

"H-Hello."

Roman's tongue was sandpaper.

He'd never think he was attractive again. Not after seeing Virgil.

He was a bit embarrassed by how he was acting, but god was he gay.

Then again, Virgil was enough to turn any man gay. 

Virgil smirked again, before turning around.

Roman almost made a keening sound. He just wanted to see Virgil's face. All the time. It was his newest addiction.

"So... um, yeah." Words are difficult.

Virgil put the blanket back over his head.

Roman's brain worked a bit easier.

"Um..." That doesn't mean well.

"So."

"Yeah."

Roman looked out the window. He needed to distract himself from Virgil. Or else his gay was gonna have him stay here forever. Not that he minded... no. He needed to... stay.

No. He had a life! He looked out the window again, actually trying to focus.

It was almost nighttime.

"Can I stay the night here?"

Blanket Man faced him.

"Yes. Don't try anything."

Roman nodded. Usually, he'd be insulted, but he knew why V- Blanket Man needed to say that.

It was hard to not jump into V- Blanket Man's arms.

It was easier to call him Blanket Man. It made it easier, not seeing V- his face.

Roman never wanted anything so bad, as to just see his face.

He'd be careful.

He was careful, that one day. He was careful for the whole five days. 

He was careful for the whole twelve days.

He was careful for the whole month.

He fell in love, he was so careful.

He couldn't leave.

It wasn't just that Virgil was pretty.

He was also smart and funny, kind and sassy, and different.

He was more than Roman had ever thought.

It was too easy to fall in love.

It was too hard to leave.

Virgil stopped asking him to leave after the first week, and they ended up just pretending like there was no outside world.

Virgil ended up falling for him, too.

They were happy.

(resisting urge to write angst end)

(crying from the ideas in my head)

(but no, I need a happy one...)

(resisting)

Roman stayed there, and his brother made a good king.

They were so happy, and the world faded away. It was just them, and their world was the tower.

They fell more in love every day, and they were happy.

Ever After.