Analogical One-Shots

Rodeo

I went to a rodeo for the first time recently, and I found out that they are quite overwhelming for socially anxious introverts (still fun though).

Summary: Roman takes the sides to go see a rodeo. Patton is living for it, but Virgil is anxious, and Logan is the only one who can keep him calm.

TW: mentions of social anxiety, anxiety attacks, and sensory overload...otherwise insane amounts of fluff ^_^

*****

"HOWDY!" Roman wailed from the top of the stairs. He slowly stepped down with the widest stance he could muster. Virgil glanced at him when he reached the bottom and wondered aloud how his joints even allowed his legs to walk like that.

"Everyone walks like this in the West, Virgil," said Roman matter-of-factly. Virgil doubted that.

"Why are you dressed like that, Roman?" Patton asked, slightly red in the face. "Your shirt is very tight."

Patton was correct. He wore a red button-up shirt that appeared to stick to his princely frame like a sausage casing. Over that he wore a brown leather vest with a construction paper star taped to his breast that read "Sheriff Roman." His pants were light wash bell bottoms with distressed knees held up by a belt with the biggest buckle in the universe. He topped this all off with a white cowboy hat with brown embellishments.

"Worry not, Daddio!" exclaimed Roman, tipping his hat at Patton. "All will become clear in a moment. We must summon Logan for this news."

Roman strutted with his legs as far apart as possible to the bottom of the staircase.

"Logaaaan!" he sang.

Logan appeared on the couch next to Virgil, nose shoved in an 800-page copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. Virgil noticed he was about halfway through, despite only starting the day before. Logan looked up and stared at Roman.

"Must I ask why you felt the need to disrupt my concentration?" Logan grumbled, glaring at Roman. His mouth curled into an almost invisible smirk when noticing the prince's attire. "Also, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your hat appears to be on backwards."

Roman gasped in the most dramatic way possible.

"How dare you people not tell me sooner so the nerd didn't have to tell me!" Roman shrieked, turning his hat around to face the right way. He sighed heavily. "Now that you are all here, I suppose you are all wondering why I brought you all here—"

"But you only brought Logan here," Virgil interrupted. "Pat and I were already sitting here." Patton nodded in agreement. Roman slapped his palm to his face.

"It matters not how we got here. It matters where we are going next!"

"We're going on a trip?!" Patton asked excitedly.

"Yes we are!" Roman answered. "I am taking you guys to see a rodeo!"

"Wowie, Roman!" squealed Patton. "This'll be so fun!"

"Do we have to go too?" Virgil asked, motioning to himself and Logan.

Roman scoffed at him. "You will all go and like it!"

Virgil was not sure he would like it. He had to admit, seeing hot cowboys was not something he was opposed to. However, he knew that rodeos drew large crowds which often caused him sensory overload and anxiety heightened beyond what was healthy. He did not want to be a burden to the other sides, especially Logan, whom he had grown especially fond of over the past few months. He knew that their close friendship had led to Virgil's development of a crush, but he had chosen to ignore it for now. The thing he did not want to ignore, though, was that Logan would probably have to witness him at his worst in a crowd of hundreds of people. Virgil wasn't looking forward to that whatsoever.