Sanders Sides Oneshots and Short Stories

Colored Wax and Coraline

Not requested.

Ship: Romantic LAMP

Category: Fluff

Warnings: None

Summary: Everyone was busy on Halloween, and Patton had resigned himself to spending the holiday alone. Come to find, his boyfriends have actually planned a surprise for him instead.

¶∆¶∆¶∆¶

Patton twisted the key and killed the car. He sighed.

The bags in the passenger seat were filled with Halloween decorations. It'd been sitting there for weeks, ever since Patton found out everyone had plans on Halloween. Except him. His plans were to spend the holiday with his boyfriends, watching movies and stuff. It was okay, though. He could do that by himself.

The moon gleamed in the inky sky above, street lamps drowning out the stars. It was late, and Patton had just dropped by his parents' house to give them the Halloween candy he wasn't going to be using.

Patton rose slowly, shutting the door behind him. His shoulders slumped at the realization this would be the first Halloween he hadn't spent with his boyfriends.

He pushed open the door, only to receive a mouthful of confetti.

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"

Patton spluttered and shook his head, wiping the glittery stuff of his tongue. Glancing up, to his shock, he saw Logan, Roman, and Virgil, each one holding a bag and excited expressions on their faces. Streamers colored orange and black hung in various places around the living room, the lighting was dim, and an old record player in the corner was spinning and emitting a song that sounded an awful lot like the Beetlejuice theme music. In the kitchen behind them, the table was draped in a pumpkin-patterned tablecloth and covered with a large punch bowl and snacks. Patton stared at the scene, jaw slack and eyes wide.

"Do you like it?" Roman asked hopefully.

"W-What-" Patton coughed, wiping the confetti off his face. "What is it?"

"It's a surprise Halloween party!" Roman exclaimed, tossing an arm over Patton's shoulder. "Since you've been sort of down lately, we thought we'd make it up to you."

"But-" Patton shook his head. "Roman, what about your play practice? And Logan, you were going on vacation! Virgil, I thought you were doing something with your family?"

They all gave him sheepish grins.

"We lied," Logan said, smiling. "We wanted to surprise you for the holiday. Virgil got you out of the house for a few hours, and then we pulled this together."

"Do you like it?" Virgil asked tentatively. "I baked the cookies."

Patton's face split into a wide grin. "Of course I like it, kiddo! You guys are so sweet!"

Roman pressed a quick kiss to his forehead, then darted into the kitchen and grabbed a frosted cookie, decorated with little skull designs on a black background.

"Roman!" Virgil cried, lunging after him. "No cookies until Patton gets one! We've been over this!"

While the two of then bickered playfully, Logan took Patton's hand in his own. "I hope everything is satisfactory," he said hopefully.

"It's just perfect, Lo," Patton assured him. "And, guys-"

The pair in the kitchen had fallen silent a few moments ago, their fingers interwoven and shoulders bumping as the arguing ceased.

"I don't need anything big or extravagant," Patton said. "I just want to spend time with you guys. Maybe watch a movie or something?"

"Right away!" Roman boomed, dragging Virgil into the living room and grabbing a case of DVDs. "Pick a card, any card," he said, brandishing them at Patton. "It is your night, my dear."

Patton giggled and thumbed through the DVDs.

"You have to try the punch," Logan said, sitting down on the couch. "I made it."

"It's delicious!" Roman said, jostling the case of DVDs. "Nothing less than perfect from our very own nerd."

Logan blushed.

"How about... Coraline?" Patton suggested, holding up the gleaming disc.

"It's whatever you want," Virgil reminded him. "Coraline it is then."

They slipped the DVD into the player and snuggled up on the couch together, Logan on the right armrest, Patton beside him, Virgil curled up into his side, and Roman with his arm around both of them. When the movie started, Logan jumped up and went to the kitchen, returning with a bag of candy corn and a bag of popcorn.

"Only because Roman is a freak and hates candy corn," Logan whispered to Patton as he sat down.

"I heard that! And you're just eating colored wax, so who's the freak now?"

"Still you."

"Virgil! You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I, for one," Patton interrupted, not unkindly, "would like to enjoy my colored wax and the movie in quiet."

When the movie ended, Patton was the only one left awake. Logan had somehow ended up sprawled across the entire couch, his feet in Patton's lap. Virgil, in contrast, was curled up in Logan's former spot. Roman was dangling halfway off the couch entirely, his upper body splayed across Logan's and his legs on the ground. Patton loved them more than anything else in the entire world.

This Halloween's going in the scrapbook, Patton thought, reaching behind him and grabbing the Polaroid camera from the desk. He held it out in front of him, gave a small, grateful smile, and snapped a photo.

¶∆¶∆¶∆¶

Happy Halloween to those who celebrate!! What are you dressing up as? -kc