Things We Hide || Sanders Sides

~Part 5~

~Trigger Warning~
Homophobic language and violence

Nobody spoke for what felt like it was eternity. Except eternity would have been just a bit too short. Silence infested the halls, it's clawed hand climbing up Roman's body and wrapping it's scraping, grasping, clutching fingers around his neck, squeezing and constricting until he couldn't breathe and until he was certain he was about to pass out from lack of oxygen.

Then the guy started laughing. He laughed, those around him pausing for a moment before joining in the chorus of chuckles.

"You, gay? Good one Ro, you lady killer."

Walking over, one of the others wrapped his arm around Roman's shoulders and grinned at him.

"Come one. Might as well leave him whilst he's still alive."

"No! No, you don't get it!"

Yanking out of the guys grip, Roman stumbled back a few steps until he was staring out at all of them, chest heaving with the effort it was taking for him not to break down or to run. But both would make him a coward, and he wasn't a coward. He couldn't be.

"You think I would joke about something like this? Would risk everything for the sake of amusing people as pathetic of you? I'm not joking, I'm not making this up, I'm not doing this just because I think it would be fun. I'm gay, ok? That's it. I'm.. I'm gay."

Trailing off towards the end, Roman hated how much he was shaking, how his fists clenched at his side and refused to still. His entire body felt like it was on fire. Begging to run. Begging for him to go somewhere safe. The world around him was spinning slightly, though wether that was from the adrenaline or what he wasn't quite sure. Expression changing, Roman didn't even have time to register the movement before he was on the floor, a foot print now etched into his chest.

"I should of known you were fucking queer, what with all the singing and Disney. You perv."

He knew he could defend himself, he held the ability and he certainly had the strength to stop their onslaught. But as he just laid there, he felt so weak. Logan had fought, maybe not well but at least he hadn't just accepted it. Maybe he was a coward after all, but he'd rather be a coward as a kick caught the side of his head then a coward who'd run away.

Leant heavily against the wall, Logan could feel himself starting to regain some energy, granted it was not a lot but it was enough that, as soon as the group had had enough and sauntered off down the corridor to go spread the news, he pushed himself up and walked over to where Roman was laid on the floor. At the least he was breathing and conscious. Using one hand to get himself into a sitting position, Roman cautiously felt the side of his skull, wincing as he felt the sensitive skin beneath his fingers. Heart crashing against his ribcage, he wiped at a cut just above his eye, moving the blood so that he could see again.

"Are you ok?"

It was barely croaked out, but as Logan managed to put on his glasses which he had scavenged from the floor, he was happy that he at least had a voice to use.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"No you're not. They went at you a minimum of twice as hard as they did towards me."

"I said, I'm fine."

Wincing with every tiny movement, Roman pressed his hand against the wall and used the bench to the side of him to get himself standing, side leant greatly against the whitewashed hallway walls, chest finally beginning to slow down its heavy rhythm of breathing. God everything just hurt.