Seize The Day [Roceit/Newsies AU]

Chapter 6 - The Turning Point

Janus walked down the street, hands in his pockets.

The boys should be at the deli. He wanted to see their reactions.

As a collective, of course. No one specific.

He pushed open the door, expecting to see the boys rowdy and loud. Instead they sat quietly, battered and bruised. "Whoa," he said, surprised. "Why so...glum?"

Virgil stood up, showing Janus his wrist. "We got our asses kicked," he shrugged. "But we still taught them a lesson."

No one echoed his sentiment.

Janus glanced around. "Where's Roman?" he said nonchalantly.

"Why do you wanna know?" Patton smiled.

He crossed his arms and bent down to the boy's level. "Because as the leader, you'd think he would be here celebrating your victory," he smirked, tapping his index finger against Patton's nose and making him giggle.

"Yeah, you'd think," Thomas agreed. "But no one's talked to him since yesterday." He glanced around. "I think he's in a bad mood about Remus."

"And that is...?"

"His best friend," Thomas answered, and he nodded slowly.

"So, let me get this straight," Janus said with a frown. "You guys fought against the biggest newspaper company in New York - something no one's ever even tried - and now you're going to be unhappy?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" Thomas muttered, pointing to his face. "I'm not happy about this black eye."

"Well," he said with a smile, "I feel like you guys, out of everyone, would understand the excitement of getting on the front page."

At this news, they all started perking up. Thomas jumped out of his seat, taking a few steps towards him. "For real?"

Janus grabbed a paper from the counter, checking to make sure that it was from today before showing it off. Sure enough, there were the boys in black-and-white, Roman at the front looking charismatic as ever. 

They all started reaching for it, excitedly discussing the prospects of what this meant for their movement. There was a group in the corner trying to figure out how they could use it to their advantage in getting the most ladies as possible.

Janus watched the ruckus with satisfaction until Virgil elbowed him. "We've gotta tell Roman," he smiled.

"You know where he is?" Janus asked.

"We've got a pretty good guess."

"Then lead the way, Sir Virgil."

~

Roman studied his newest backdrop, tilting his head. Something was off.

"It looks great, Roman," Emile complimented.

"Thanks, Em," he said with a small smile.

"...Are you alright?" he asked.

Roman sighed. "It's...nothing," he said. 

"You know you can talk to me, right?" he offered softly. 

"Yeah." Roman sighed. "It's just that..." Before he could continue, three boys sprinted in.

"Found you," Patton sang, running up and hugging him tightly. Virgil kept his distance, with Janus just behind him.

Emile patted Virgil's shoulder. "Looks like you've got better people to tell," he said before leaving.

Roman snapped. "Leave me alone," he muttered as soon as Patton let go.

"No can do, sorry," Virgil said. "We've got news."

"We're in the pape!" Patton said, unfazed by Roman's outburst."

"...Okay?" he said, going back to painting and trying to fix a crooked line he'd done earlier. 

"What do you mean 'okay'?" Janus said. "You're in the paper. Front page. No one can ignore it now-"

"And they're still gonna try," he hissed. "No one buys the papes about the trolley workers. Wanna know why? Because they don't care." He spun, backdrop forgotten. "No one cares about us. And maybe we care about each other. But you?" he pointed at Janus. "You're only here because it'll get you in good standing. Standing up for the poor little boys until it actually comes down to the wire," he yelled. "And you." He turned to Virgil now. "You- You are nothing  like us."

"Oh?" he said, shooting Roman's fury right back at him. "You wanna take that road?"

"You have a family. Someone care about you. Someone that's not yourself," he muttered. "But you've got that going for you, too, I guess." He pointed in the general direction of the news boys' living quarters. "Do you know who cares about them? Me."

"Roman-"

"As soon as your dad's back on the job, what's gonna happen?" he shouted. "You're gonna leave and not give two cents to us."

"Are you doubting my allegiance?" he asked, dumbfounded. "You can't be serious."

"Too bad," Roman said, turning away. "I am-"

"Why are you giving up so quickly?" Janus yelled, spinning him around. "All those boys are counting on you-"

"They're counting on the version of me in their heads," he retorted. "And I can't live up to that. We got our asses kicked yesterday. I can't- I can't let it happen again."

Silence fell. Now that Roman's actual doubts were out in the open, uncovered from behind a wall of angry remarks, no one spoke.

Until Virgil said something. "We're winning, Roman."

He bowed his head. "No. Stop. Josephine's a rattlesnake, okay, she's gonna-"

"Do you know why a rattlesnake rattles?" he asked calmly, raising an eyebrow.

"No. Why?"

"Because it's scared," he answered calmly.

"Okay. Look-" Roman shut his eyes, tired, but Janus had something to say.

"He's scared, Roman." He crossed his arms. "Level with me. Why would he send for the cops?"

"Because...there's loud, reckless kids on his lawn?"

"And why can't the Delancy brothers deal with that?"

"...To many? I don't know-"

"Because he knows what this is. It's the beginning of a revolution, Ro, and we need the prince on our side. We need a leader, someone who knows how to rally the troops." He spit into his palm and stuck out his hand. "We need you."

Roman looked at Janus' hand, then at Virgil and Patton, then back to Janus. Then, begrudgingly, he took it after doing the same. "But only if we get Remus back," he said quietly. 

"I'll add it to the list of demands," Virgil said as the two shook on it.

"Sounds like a plan," Janus said with a smile.

Roman couldn't help but follow suit.