Sanders Sides One Shots(HIATUS)

Day 14: Prinxiety

TW: Angst, depression, self-harm mentions, anorexia, attempted suicide

Roman Prince was a man.

That seemed pretty normal. Ordinary. Not worth writing about.

But he was no ordinary man.

He liked his hair long, so he let it rest in unruly curls just by his earlobes. His skin was tan and his face was sculpted. Numerous freckles sprayed across his cheeks, not unlike a burst of water. His amber eyes were bright and welcoming. He was short, only five foot five, but fast enough to outrun almost anybody. He was gay and prideful. His closet contained several dresses, loose shirts, and fancy, elaborate suits that looked fit for a prince, hence his last name. He was an actor and a high school drama teacher. On the outside, he was the most extroverted person you could ever meet.

But that wasn't the real him.

If you stripped away Roman's outer shell, you would find immense insecurities. Extreme anxiety. Fear of never being accepted. Fear of never being good enough, handsome enough, pretty enough to be loved. The truth was, Roman suffered from anorexia and severe depression. His body image and self-esteem were at rock-bottom. He cut and scarred his wrists because he thought that he would never be worthy of love.

One day in the heat of summer, a small, unsuspicious silver Acura vehicle made its way to the coastline, winding through the rocky hills. It pulled to the side of the road, miles away from any town or house or civilization, really. The single occupant in the car opened the door, being careful to leave a slip of paper on the dashboard. They wore a loose long-sleeved shirt and khakis, even though it was almost a hundred degrees.

They walked out onto the beach. They reached down and pulled off their sandals. Then they started into the water, with no regards to their clothing. Deeper and deeper they went.

The coastline at this point was not shallow. In fact, it was a steep incline. The water was twenty feet deep twenty feet out. Soon the occupant was treading water. They kicked off their shoes.

As if they had prepared for that moment, they let themselves sink below the water. Deeper and deeper they drifted, their amber eyes squinting towards the surface. However, they made no attempt to swim. Their short, curly hair floated aimlessly in the water, as if it was reaching towards the light in one last desperate attempt. They opened their mouth.

Roman Prince felt his lungs fill with seawater and let go, sinking into the black depths of the sea.

...

. . .