We Can be Heroes {Sanders Sides Superhero AU}

Chapter 48

TW: Mentions of homophobia, Mentions of Drowning, Mentions of death, Mentions of abuse, Me being stupidly cheesy

Day Seventy-Nine | Friday | May 28th

Soft and slow music drifted through the apartment peacefully. Virgil was humming along quiet enough so Roman would never notice. The emo was reading yet another one of Logan's books, this one was about some idiots getting stuck on a spaceship heading right towards a worm-hole and the only way to turn the ship around and make it back to safety is for them to admit their deepest secrets. The reader already knows the secrets, one of them is in love  (gross) with the other. Problem is the others secret is that he's gay. He didn't tell his fellow scientist, if that's what they were Virgil didn't know because it was really unclear, because she come from a really homophobic family. So far Virgil thought the story was really stupid, which was exactly what Logan thought about it so they'd both probably end up pointing out all the inconsistencies and parts they hate.

Meanwhile Roman, was in the emptiest part of the apartment trying his hand at slow dancing without a partner. He had never done it before. He had never had a real reason too! None of his musicals ever called for slow dancing... Well this one did but it was only for a short bit of time and it was all planned out and they were supposed to be bad at it. So yeah, he was practicing. He should never have told Quinn he'd go on a date. This was a bad idea. But he couldn't back at now, that would be rude. No. No Roman would go and he'd have fun with Quinn but if he asked him again than he'd say no. That they'd be better off as friends and that would be that. One date doesn't mean anything. So no one would get hurt. Right? Hopefully.

"As soon as the words had left his mouth the ship stopped abruptly before changing course. The two looked at each other. There was no yelling, no anger, no desperateness to escape. There was only silence. And that's how they stayed until they returned to the mother planet. In absolute silence"  Virgil closed the book, glad to have finally finished it.

'Well,'  Virgil thought to himself, 'That was awful.'  Virgil looked up at Roman, watching the other count and walk in a messy box, "You're doing it wrong" Virgil said. He knew, of course, about Roman's date. He didn't know Quinn very well but the guy seemed alright.

Roman grumbled something under his breath, "Well if you're such an expert than you do it" Roman said, motioning for Virgil to get up.

"I don't dance" Virgil said, his eyes narrowing

"I have a ribbon that proves otherwise" Roman said, leaning against the wall.

Virgil sighed as he got up off the couch, "If I show you how to do it right will you drop the whole dance thing?" Roman nodded his agreement and Virgil rolled his eyes, "Fine. You win Princey" Virgil said and gestured for Roman to come off the wall. Virgil took Roman's hands, placing them in the proper spots. But when Romans hands touched Virgil's waist it was Roman who jumped away. "It's okay Roman" though it was unclear to anybody if Virgil was reassuring him that it was okay to touch him, or reassuring him for other reasons not relating to Virgil at all. Roman nodded and allowed Virgil to move his hand back to his waist. 

Roman was mentally dying. When he asked Virgil to demonstrate he didn't think he meant with him. 'Don't do anything stupid'  He thought to himself as Virgil placed his hand on Roman's shoulder and held his other one. Roman could feel the cuts on Virgil's hand. He no longer wore a bandage and was mostly healed but Roman still felt where the skin was healing. Virgil's hands weren't soft, not to say that they were hard, but they showed that Virgil hadn't had it easy. Roman could almost hear his father explaining to him and his siblings what soft hands meant.

Soft, un-callused and untouched hands were a sign of privilege. Of an easy life. His father was a Hispanic man who moved to America and spoke primarily Spanish. Though he may have his dream job now he didn't always. Roman had vivid memories of his father taking extra shifts at his job to help cover expenses. His father had not ever lived a life of privilege. His hands were rough and dry. They were proof to Roman and his siblings that everything they had ever had growing up did not come easily. And everyday, when their father came home tired from work, yet continued to stay with his family and learn about each of his children, they knew they could admire the man.