Sanders Sides Oneshots and Short Stories

Warm

Not requested.

Ship: Past romantic Analogical, romantic Prinxiety

Category: Angst

Warnings: Suicidal thoughts, mentions of death

Summary: Roman always knew he'd go too far. His friends hate him now they're broken up, and he can't stand the cold in his bones much longer. Thankfully, Virgil comes looking for him.

Also, this is a whopper of a chapter.

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A gentle breeze caressed Roman's auburn bangs, curling around his socked feet. It was peaceful, only the fading blue sky stretching for miles above him, the city skyline gleaming in the last golden rays of the dying day. Roman liked that. He also liked the warmth that soaked deep into his bones, heating him from the inside out. Not the kind of heat like an unbearable summer's day, the kind that made you want to shed your clothing and take a dip in the lake. No, it was the kind of heat that chased away the chill of autumn and warmed your shivering fingertips. Roman enjoyed that type of warmth. He'd been anything but warm in the past few weeks. Warm and calm and peaceful.

If he concentrated, he could still hear the faint sirens of police cars, the murmuring of people inside the building behind him. It was annoying at first, all those people crowding the windows to get a glimpse of him, the pedestrians stopping on the street below to gawk. One brave soul had attempted to climb on the beam after him, but quickly ducked back inside after Roman's shoe went flying towards them with all the strength he could muster. He'd watched his shoe take the long plummet to the pavement below, and wondered idly if it hit someone. He knew terminal velocity should save them from being killed by his shoe, but his falling body would definitely kill someone on the way down. He was relieved when the police showed up and blocked off the area.

The officer had shown up on the floor shortly after that and talked everyone away from the window. Then the officer had tried to talk to Roman himself, about wouldn't his family miss him and wasn't there so much he had left to live for?

Roman had laughed so hard he almost slipped off the narrow ledge, causing the officer to back down before causing him to fall. So now it was quiet and peaceful and warm. Some naïve part of him hoped death would be something like this, but being realistic, he knew it wouldn't be.

It really sucked when everyone around him seemed to be dying. His parents, Patton's little brother, Remy, his drama teacher, Declan, and even the school counselor, Dr. Picani. They had so many things they should've done, so much potential.

At least he didn't have too many regrets. Well, a few. He felt bad about Virgil and Logan breaking up. It was horrible to see his two friends so distant suddenly, and even more so to receive glares in the hallways and discreet shoves from people. Did he spend too much time with them? He was invited every time, but it seemed like he was just pushing them further apart. When they finally broke up, it was somehow Roman's fault. He didn't know how to apologize, how to fix what he'd done.

Removing himself from the picture entirely would help in that department, anyway.

Roman wanted to stay past sunset for the incredible view, but he knew the winds would eventually strengthen and the sunshine would trickle away to inky blackness, and he'd be cold and lonely again. He didn't want to be cold anymore. He wanted to be warm for once.

He wanted the kind of warmth he felt when Virgil hugged him, after he finished a difficult musical or after Virgil had been offered a scholarship at an expensive college, or the long hug Virgil gave him after he and Logan broke up; apologizing and saying it wasn't Roman's fault simultaneously. God, Virgil confused him.