The Taste of Vanilla (Sander Sides Fanfiction)

Chapter 1

Okay so. I got my wisdom teeth removed yesterday which sucks.

Anyway, get ready for one hell of a ride with this story. You thought it was gonna be fluff like the last one? Boy were you wrong. This book is a SEQUAL book, so if you haven't read my first go and do that, it's called The Smell of Vanilla.

Please, everyone, stay safe at home. Remember to wear masks and social distance and make sure you don't kill any family members or roommates you're growing tired of. Now let's jump right in.

TW: LOTS of crying, swearing, genderfluidity

Love from, Cora

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Vanilla is a sweet fragrance that reminds many of joy, of baking, and family. It reminded Virgil of Thomas, his soon to be father, and his friends. Of Patton's hugs and Roman's beautiful singing voice and Remus's manic laughter and the markings that bedazzled Janus's skin. Its sweetness made him think of Logan's cologne and how his lips felt pressed against Virgil's.

Of course, vanilla has a much different flavour. If you were to drip vanilla onto your tongue you would most likely scrunch up your face in disgust. Vanilla, while smelling so sweet, tastes bitter and potent.

That's about how Virgil was feeling about his life right now. Bitter.

Highschool was starting in three days, Senior year, and on Thursday of the first week was the court date for his adoption. His birthday was two days after that. Remus and Roman were currently having a spat, Emile was trying to convince Remy to go to a doctor, and Virgil was dreading going back to his old school, with all the bullies, and old partners that tormented him. On top of all that he had run out of anxiety medication and his newest order wasn't ready to be picked up yet.

Let's just say he was stressed.

That was the reason he was sitting in his living room floor with Remus and Janus, trying hard to focus on the movie they had put in to take their minds off things. He tapped his fingers against the wood erratically and bounced his knee to a beat no one had ever heard but him until Jan reached down and gripped his hand, squeezing it gently.

"V, you need to calm down," He murmured, "we're trying to get both your heads off of your problems." He nodded towards Remus, who was staring intently at his hands and picking at the skin around his fingernails. Virgil rose from the floor and sat down on Remus's right side.

"R-Ray, how'r-re you d-doing?" He asked as he pulled Remus's hands apart so he would stop picking at the skin. Remus shrugged, still looking down into his lap. Janus sat down on his other side and placed a hand on his arm. Remus leaned into the touch slightly. Jan and he met eyes and Virgil stood and made his way to the kitchen for a glass of water, looking over the counter into the living room.

Remus leaned into Jan, quietly sobbing into his shirt. None of them was quite sure what had happened between Roman and Remus, as Remus was refusing to tell them and Roman wouldn't apologize yet, it was a complete disaster. Pride had erected its own little kingdom in his head and was sovereign in it.

Virgil filled a glass with water and went back to the living room to hand it to Remus before his phone rang and a picture of Remy appeared, smiling seductively at the camera. Virgil set the glass on the coffee table and picked up.

"H-hey Rem, how are y-you tod-day?"

"Fine, babes. She/her. You don't mind if I take refuge at your house do you?" She asked nervously. Virgil could hear the engine of her car in the background.

"N-no, R-Ray and Jan-n are he-here, though. Wanna t-tell m-me why you'r-re seeking ref-fuge?" Remy scoffed on the other end.

"No. I'll be there in five 'kay?" Virgil went to answer but Remy spouted a goodbye and hung up. Virgil sighed. "R-Remy's c-coming over-r." He said, turning to the two on the couch.

"You know why?" Jan said, hugging Remus close as he sipped the glass of water. Virgil shook his head before the door opened. Remy stepping into the house.

"Hey, babe," She smirked, pushing her sunglasses onto her head. Today she was wearing a black chiffon skirt that fell at her ankles along with her usual heels and white tee, leather jacket hung over her arm. A pair of pink bracelets clasped around her wrist. She had tried to cover it with makeup but the bags under her eyes and the exhausted way her eyes drooped said it all. She kicked off her shoes and pulled Virgil into a hug, kissing him on the cheek. "You would not believe the day I've had." She flopped onto the couch next to Remus and took his hand, squeezing gently.

"W-what hap-pened-d?" Virgil asked her. He sat on the floor in front of the couch and faced the three. Remy scoffed once again and waved her hand around in the air.

"Emi's still trying to get me to see a doctor. I know he loves me but it's getting a bit overwhelming, you know?" She shrugged, focusing on Remus. "What's up with you? Who's kneecaps do I need to break?" More tears sprang in Remus's eyes and he buried his face once again in Janus's shirt. She raised her eyebrows in shock. "I'm sorry babe. What happened?"

Roman, Virgil mouthed to her. Her face hardened and she placed a hand on Remus's shoulder.

"Fuck Roman," she said confidently, "we all know his ego's the size of a house and he can't admit when he did something wrong." Remus let out a wet giggle, withdrawing from Janus's shirt. "Do you wanna tell us what he did?" Her voice softened when she asked. It was impressive how far she'd already succeeded in getting Remus to calm down when she'd only known about the situation for a little over a minute.

"No-no," he mumbled. They shared a worried glance over his head.

"D-do you w-wanna t-tell us wh-why?" Virgil stuttered. Remus shook his head and went back to picking at his fingers. They all jumped as the door opened and Thomas walked in, smiling until he looked over the scene. "H-hey D-dad."

Thomas frowned. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. Remy and Janus continued murmuring to Remus, who had started crying again, Remy looked like she was going to pass out on the spot, and Virgil was tapping his fingers sporadically. Thomas pointed to the kitchen and went to make dinner for the five of them.

He had a feeling this was going to be a long year.

And, god, was he right.