Chapter Text
The moment Roman stepped into the room, he knew the ritual had worked. Virgil was sat on the bed, blinking slowly as he stared at the wall with a tired, almost dazed expression in his eyes. He only looked up as the door opened, turning to Roman with that same dazed expression that turned to confusion and finally, recognition. There was something in Virgil's eyes that Roman had missed when he had last seen his partner a few days ago. A certain shimmer that Roman had fallen for so badly years ago. There was no doubt in his mind: this was Virgil.
No, this was his Virgil.
"Virge?" He released Janus' hand and stepped forwards without even realising what he was doing. He only stopped once he was in front of Virgil and knelt down in front of him. "Do you… know who I am? Do you remember me?"
"Roman." Virgil's voice was soft and shaky. Weak and hoarse from disuse, but undeniably Virgil's. Roman cast one look at Janus behind him and and he knew they thought the same thing. This was not the voice of a revenant. "What are- why- what happened?"
Once again, tears burned in Roman's eyes. This time around, however, they were joyous tears. There was no doubt in his mind that the ritual had worked. By some miracle, Remus had broken through the curse of undeath and hunger. It was unheard of, thought impossible by some. But Remus had done it. Somehow.
"You don't remember anything?" Roman grasped one of Virgil's hands and noticed it was still cold, like the hand of a corpse. That remained unchanged, then.
Virgil shook his head. "Nothing, just…" He paused for a second. "I mean I know I…" He cut himself off with a shake of his head. He did not want to utter the word. "I remember hunger. Rage. Darkness. Cold."
Roman nodded as he tried to untie the knots holding Virgil back. His hands trembled and his vision blurred, making the task nigh impossible. He was stopped by Janus, who put his hand on Roman's, quietly urging him to stop. Once Roman removed his hands, Janus continued the work with steadier hands.
"Right," Roman said, sniveling once again. He wiped away the tears rolling down his cheeks and sat down on the bed, next to Virgil. "That's uh- you, well you kinda were-"
"Undead?" Virgil finished the sentence, seeing Roman struggling to finish. He shot Roman the smallest smile and nodded. "I figured that's why you tied me up here."
"Yeah." Roman let out a soft laugh through his nose, cringing as he noticed how sniffly it sounded through his runny nose.
"Did I hurt you?" Virgil asked, looking at Roman first with big, worried eyes, then turning to Janus. "Either of you? Or-"
Janus shook his head as the rope fell to the ground next to him. "No one got hurt," he reassured Virgil, grabbing his hand. "We brought you here before anything happened.
Virgil nodded, looking down at their intertwined hands so he didn't have to look either of them in the eye. He wasn't sure if he could do that right now. He needed some time to process everything.
"Oh, Virgil," Roman said softly, voice cracking. He placed a hand on Virgil's cheek and gently turned his boyfriend's face towards him so they locked eyes. Roman could hardly see Virgil through the tears. "I can't believe it. It's you. It's really you."
He pressed his forehead against Virgil's, unable to hold back the tears of relief and joy. It felt so surreal, like a dream that could end at any moment. A bubble that could burst any second now. And maybe it was. Maybe this was all a dream. But if it was, Roman was determined to enjoy every second of it. He had his boyfriend back. One of the loves of his life had come back to him, returned from the grave. How many people could really say that with a smile on their face?
"It's me." Virgil placed his free hand on Roman's cheek and Roman felt again how cold it was. He felt the unnatural claws brushing up against his skin, but he paid them no mind. That was something the ritual had not been able to take away, but Roman was okay with it. He had his boyfriend back. And if that meant Virgil came with claws now, he would glady take it. "It's really me."
Roman couldn't hold back the sobs anymore and wrapped his arms around Virgil as tightly as he could muster. He buried his face in Virgil's shirt as his shoulders shook with the sobs. Virgil smelled like an odd mix of sweat, earth and wood, but Roman didn't mind. It was nice, calming, even if it wasn't how Virgil normally smelled. Not to him.
Virgil wrapped his arms around Roman, although he was quite taken off guard and quite unsure of what to do. He had some vague memory of what had happened to him — and he was very aware of the fact that he had been dead for a bit, though he did not know how long — but still, all of this was… odd to him. He wasn't sure how to handle something he himself could hardly remember. He wasn't sure what to do, what to say. But it was clear to him that Roman was crying, and in need of comfort. So, Virgil decided he would do the best he could. Like he always had.
Janus had been awfully quiet throughout all of this, which was more telling of his state than anything he could have said or done. He always knew what to say, he always had a way with words. But now, the words failed him, and he held his tongue. The emotion got to him too, even if he did not express it as outwardly as Roman did.
Silently, he got up and moved to sit on the bed next to Virgil. He wrapped his arms around Virgil from behind, the tips of his fingers brushing past Roman's arm, reminding his other partner that he was still here as well. His tail curled around the both of them, reminding him that they were both still here. Both still with him. He could have lost them both in a cruel twist of fate. But he didn't. They were both still here, in his grasp. And maybe, just maybe, things would be okay.
The three of them stayed like that for what felt like half an eternity. When Virgil finally untangled himself from his boyfriends, Roman's sobbing had died down, though his face was still wet with tears and red. Even Janus' face was tear-streaked, which was a rare sight.
"So… what do we do?" Virgil asked hesitantly, looking at his two partners. "If I'm- well… undead? I don't think people will be eager to… you know…"
"They'll have to get used to it," Roman shrugged, grabbing Virgil's hand. "We can live with vampires, right? And people have accepted most spirits and phantoms. Why can't they learn to live with you? You're no threat to anyone… right?"
Virgil shook his head. "I don't think so," be said, "it feels… different."
It was hard to explain, but while Virgil didn't remember being undead, he remembered the sensations that came with it. The rage and the primal hunger he'd felt as he was resurrected. It was a gnawing at his soul unlike anything he had felt before. It was something he couldn't possibly describe, but he knew what it felt like. And he wasn't feeling that anymore. Not right now, at least. He still felt cold but the rage, the hunger was absent. Much to his relief. If he never felt like that again, it would be too soon.
"Besides," Roman continued with that glint in his eye he got whenever he got into his fantasies, "when word comes out there's a way to- to uncurse the undead, everything might change! The world will look at undead in an entirely different way! It will no longer be a curse, a malice or threat, but simply… a mild nuisance. Something that can be cured. Helped."
Virgil smiled at his partner's enthusiasm. Roman had a tendency to get lost in his fancies and his dreams. And the most annoying part of all — affectionately — was that he had a way with words on top of it all. His enthusiasm was infectious, and Virgil almost got lost in it himself. Because wouldn't it be nice if it would come true? Wouldn't it be nice to find a way to reverse the undead curse just like that? For Virgil, and for any undead to come?
But Virgil wasn't convinced. That simply wasn't how the world worked.
"Right," he said softly, looking down at their intertwined hands. At the claw-like nails on his fingers, gently poking into Roman's skin. "But what if it's only temporary? What if the hunger comes back, and it still takes over me?"
"Then we get Remus over here to do the ritual again," Janus responded behind him. "As often as we have to."
"What if it never fully goes away?"
"Then we'll do anything we can to keep it at bay. As long as we can."
Virgil looked over to Janus and locked eyes with him. Janus' expression was determined, stubborn like only Janus could be. Not even Roman could match him in that — and Roman tried. It was clear that Janus was not going to let this go. He was not going to allow Virgil to let his anxiety cloud his mind again. Not this time. Not right now. They just got Virgil back, gods be damned. This day was just going to be them, and them alone. Anxiety and worry had no place in the house today.
"Right," Virgil said again, although this time, the sounds of his voice was shaped by a growing smile on his face. "I love you." He turned to Roman. "Both of you."
"We love you too," Janus said, wrapping an arm around Virgil's shoulders as he kissed his temple.
"So much," Roman finished with a loving squeeze of Virgil's hand.
As bad as it made him feel, Virgil allowed himself to be pampered and coddled for the rest of the day. Part of him hated it, feeling bad for all the attention he was given, as if he was undeserving of it. But there was another part of him that pushed those doubts aside, instead reveling in the attention. After all, he had lost his boyfriends too.
He did not remember being resurrected, he did not remember wandering around in search of food, anything to sate the hunger. He remembered nothing but sensations, feelings.
He did, however, remember dying.
He remembered the fear, the pain. He remembered being scared of what would come. He remembered knowing he'd never see his loved ones again. That might have hurt him most of all. Never seeing Roman again. Never seeing Janus again. Knowing he'd leave them with a hole in their relationship, one that would he hard to ever mend again. Knowing he'd never get to say goodbye.
Being here with them again, conscious, aware, corporeal, was a surprise and a blessing. Something he thought he'd never experience again.
And so, against himself, Virgil let his boyfriends coddle him as much as they wanted to. He let Roman cuddle him while they listened to their favourite songs and Virgil recited all the fun facts he'd told Roman a million times before, though Roman never tired of it. He let Janus make his favourite food, down to the dessert, and ate as much as his stomach could handle. It tasted different now that he was no longer fully living — still good, but different nonetheless. The occasion, however, made it sweeter than he had ever tasted before.
He savoured their embraces and kisses, the feeling of their fingers running over his skin and their hands in his. Normally, he wouldn't be one for this much physical contact. But today was a special kind of day. He wanted nothing more than to be with his partners and enjoy the time they had together. He'd been given a rare gift, and he would make sure he took full advantage of that gift. And, it seemed, his boyfriends had the same thought.
Normally, Virgil would never want to sleep in the middle of the bed, trapped between two bodies. He was usually the one holding his partners, rather than the one being held. It felt too restrictive, too suffocating to be held for too long. And while he loved his partners, that was not something he enjoyed.
That night, however, he found himself in the middle of his boyfriends for a change. And with Roman's arm around his waist, with Janus so close Virgil could feel his breath on his neck, golden-scaled tail hugging him close, even holding onto Roman slightly, Virgil found there was truly nowhere he'd rather be.