Ketchup and Mustard (a sanders sides AU fanfiction)

a school day

The two boys rushed onto campus, hopping over the speedbump, and then the two ran into the building, Roman catching the taller male by the collar and trying to grab his own backpack before it fell. "be careful, Janus the menace." He huffed, setting Janus upright as he sips his boba, smiling brightly as he managed to open the door. "there we go! You go ahead and head inside for class, I'll try and get us signed in." Roman smiled softly up at Janus as the taller smiled softly and nodded. When Janus's footsteps receded, Roman took a moment to breathe to himself, his strawberry blonde hair shimmering in the light as his emerald green eyes glistened in the sunlight. Roman takes another sip of his boba tea and smiled softly, glancing at the doors of the school and checking his phone, his eyes widening as he ran inside and slid into the view of the lady at the front office. He got himself and Janus signed in, panting as he practically collapsed into his chair in school. 

Janus looks over at Roman, his eyebrows furrowing as concern laced his features like carefully sewn silk on a gentle glove. He sighs softly and dismisses his own emotions, rubbing his eyes and blinking a couple of times, sighing. "Roman, remember to breathe." He said softly, his tone caring and gentle. He looks over at the teacher and subtly passes a bottle of 'water' to Roman. in reality, the yellow opaque sports bottle with a black stripe on the middle contained a mix of sugar-free fruit punch, sprite, and some orange juice. He smiled softly, he usually kept a bottle of this mixture in his bag or somewhere on his person because he often felt like he was meant to take care of and protect the orphaned male he'd managed to befriend. 

"quiet, all of you!" Miss.Smith, their teacher, snapped, instantly silencing the mild chatter that floated about the room like a cool breeze. The teacher smiled softly. "thank you. now, today we will be talking about fire retardant techniques that housebuilders use to help slow the spread of..." 

Trigger Warning: mentions of house fires, detailed PTSD attack, mentions of scars, Roman angst

In Roman's mind, Smith's voice faded along with the chatter and noises of the crowded classroom. His chest began to tighten and his breathing slowed but hitched. He didn't know what caused this particular attack, but...he was frozen, paralyzed by his thoughts and fears as he began to smell the familiar smokey scent of his brother's bed...before he knew it, tears had begun to form in the broken windows to his soul, colored emerald green. He hiccuped softly, being thrown back into the fateful house fire that had taken his family away from him...He started to cry silently, he couldn't breathe, and all the poor boy could smell and feel against his skin was woodchips and smoke, his skin began to mock the sensation of the burns that caused the scars to mark the precious boy's skin permanently, a reminder that he was the only survivor. He began to shake, reaching into his hair and scrunching up his hands, breathing began to return to him but quicker and quicker the speed of the action rose, Roman's chest tightening as he started to hyperventilate.  

Janus was currently working on getting to the other boy, gently wrapping his arms around Roman's waist and picking up the smaller male, explaining to the teacher what had triggered the male and carrying Roman down the halls and through flights of stairs, down to the ground floor of the building. He moved slowly, whispering gentle reassurances to the male he currently held close to his chest. "It's okay. you're safe. your okay, you survived Roman." Janus says softly, his voice gentle as he looks down at Roman, sitting Roman on his lap and humming gently. "you're alive." He gently laid Roman's head against his own shoulder and ran his hand up and down the other's back gently, smiling a little. "calm down." He said softly, starting to make his breathing calm so that Roman could copy. 

Roman didn't know why, but...he felt safer in Janus's arms. He hugged Janus back, burying his face into the other male's polo and listening for his heartbeat. he smiled softly as he began to copy the other's breathing, slowly but surely calming down. He eventually sniffled and looked up at  Janus, apologizing. "I-I'm sorry.." he sniffled again, he felt bad for Janus, he knew his attacks were annoying, he knew it all too well. Roman looks down slightly, but upon feeling a hand on his left cheek, he looks up at Janus. 

Janus's thumb lightly caressed Roman's cheek, his smile charming but subtle. "You don't need to be sorry for having trauma, my dear." He said softly. "my prince." He teased, gently holding onto Roman's face as he waited for Roman to calm down. He sighed softly and looks down at the one boy who stayed with him through everything. "I love you, Roman. ever since fifth grade." He smiled softly when Roman moved closer. Janus leans down and pressed a soft kiss to Roman's lips, his kiss delicate and hesitant at first.