Virgil found himself struggling to breathe, which was normal for him, but this was a different kind of lack of breath. One that he'd never experienced before, and one that he didn't want to feel ever again. He didn't even realize his legs had given out. Patton was supporting him, speaking in muffled words he couldn't hear. Logan and Roman had rushed over upon seeing him fall.

"What happened?!" Roman asked urgently, seeing his friend blank faced, coughing, gasping from breath.

"Is he choking on something?" Logan asked, trying to identify what was wrong.

Patton just pulled him close and shook his head. He squeezed his eyes shut, resulting in tears flowing down his cheeks. The other two were silent, their eyes falling to Virgil's hand as he let it fall limp. Their eyes widened as they watched it fall.

The petal of a flower.

Virgil was asleep on Patton's couch, the other three sitting around him in a heavy silence. None of them knew what to say on the matter. Roman finally spoke up very softly.

"Did he tell you who..." he asked, voice almost silent. Patton winced, nodding a little. "Who is it?"

He shook his head, tears returning from earlier that day. "You've been through enough heartbreak..." he whispered without thinking. Roman's eyes widened, tears forming as he realized what he meant.

Two tears fell...

"No..." he breathed, receiving a nod from Patton. He shook his head, feeling himself suffocating despite the flowers being gone. "No..."

Four tears fell...

Patton moved to sit next to him, hugging him tightly as he broke down. "No! Please! Why?!" he sobbed, voice cracking with the weight of his sorrow.

More tears fell...

Logan didn't understand, looking at the two of them in confusion and alarm. "What? What's happened?"

Patton looked up at him, blinking back the tears enough to meet his gaze. "Virgil's in love with Roman."

His eyes widened and his jaw fell open slightly. "No, no, that can't be right..." he said, in complete confusion and despair.

"It's true..." a tiny voice said.

All their heads turned, seeing Virgil sitting up. His face was expressionless other than the tears, and his voice was broken. He looked up at Roman, tears falling silently from his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Roman..." he whispered, not being able to hold eye contact. "I... I can't..."

Roman rushed over to him, smiling through the tears. "N-No, no, V-Virgil it's alright," he said gently. "It's not your f-fault. You can take the s-surgery and-"

"No."

Three pairs of eyes widened. Three throats closed up. Three hearts skipped. One person coughed. Roman gave him a confused smile, praying he'd heard wrong.

"What do you mean 'no'? You have to-"

Virgil cut him off. "Roman... I can't forgive myself..." he murmured. He opened his mouth to protest, but Virgil continued. "No, Roman... I can't live with this... this burden is more suffocating than these damn flowers..."

"Virgil..." he breathed, grabbing his hand.

He winced as he looked at them, knowing they'd never feel the lightning of holding a lover's hand. "You've suffered so much... you went through this..." he whispered, closing his eyes from the physical and emotional pain. "A-And now... you've l-lost one of the most beautifully painful feelings in this world... all because I loved you too late..."

"Virgil, it's okay! P-Please! I'll be okay!" he said, tears falling faster. His chest was aching for a feeling that was no longer there. It felt like a memory, one that he couldn't remember no matter how hard he tried. "Please Virgil, if you don't take the surgery, you'll die! I c-can't s-save you! I c-can't l-love you back! I w-want to, but I c-can't! The f-feeling is there! I k-know it is, but it just..."

He trailed off as Virgil started coughing, flower petals in his hands. He looked at Logan and Patton, who were watching with tearful eyes, and back to Roman.

"I've made my decision."

His hand was in Roman's. He was rubbing circles into his skin with his thumb. Virgil found so much comfort in that feeling.

"Please don't go," Roman murmured softly. He sighed looking over at him. "You could stay."

Virgil smiled sadly. "I can't, Roman," he said. "You know I can't."

"I don't want you to go," he said, voice rough from crying. "I still want you to be here."

He weakly reached up to brush Roman's face. "Thank you, for making these few months b-better-" he broke off to cough, making Roman look away. "I couldn't ask for more."

He smiled at him, tears slowly falling down his cheeks. "I-I'll miss you Virgil..." he said.

He turned his head, eyes slowly closing as he coughed violently once more. "I love you..."

Roman let his head hang as the noise he'd been terrified of hearing rang in his ears. The tears fell as he felt his hand go limp in his own. He bit back a scream, looking at Virgil's now lifeless form. He choked on a small sob as he leaned forward to kiss his still warm lips in a farewell kiss. "I loved you too..."

He pulled away, looking at the ground at his feet. His tears fell to the ground as he reached down to pick up the thing he'd never be able to look at the same way again. No matter how beautiful it may be, it would never be to him. Roman bit back a cry as he closed his hand around what sat in his palm.

The last petal of a flower.