*raises eyebrow loudly*

TW: Attempted Suicide

AU
—

"So, has it always just been the three of you?" The host asked with a smile, staring at Logan, Virgil and Patton who sat opposite on the deep orange couch.

"Yep. Just us three" Virgil replied, Patton and Logan nodding their heads in agreement.

"Well, you heard it here folks, your friendship must be strong-"

The tv screen flicked off to blackness, letting Roman see his reflection. Gazing into his dull eyes, he slowly stood up, carelessly dropping the remote onto the coffee table.

"Just us three" Roman muttered quietly, glaring at the floor as if it was its fault. Something softly nudged his leg and Roman breathed out, bending down to pet his dog.

"You hungry, Otto?" Roman smiled at his bark of agreement, pouring some food into his bowl along with water in the other. While Otto ate, Roman wondered through his apartment to his room where he left the door open to flop on his bed, lifelessly staring at the red walls. After awhile, his throat closed up, and tears stung his eyes.

"Just us three"

Had they really, truly forgotten about Roman? The man they'd spent their entire childhood with? Just, completely forgotten?

His head moved downwards, eyes staring at his legs that slowly curled up to his chest, arms weakly wrapping around them. Eyes falling shut, his mind swirled to life, showing off the memories they shared, as if it was trying to help, but not knowing how.

One memory stuck out more than the rest.

"We'll be friends forever!" Patton exclaimed, throwing up a bunch of flowers he plucked from the ground into the air, giggling as they fell down on the others. As Logan sighed and brushed them from his hair, he nodded in agreement. "You three are the most...bearable, I suppose" he spoke, fixing his hair neatly. Patton laughed, messing it up and earning a groan.

"I take it back"

Roman and Virgil chuckled at their exchange, glancing at each other happily. Roman wrapped an arm around the shorter males shoulders, bringing him into a side hug. "I would want nothing more than to be friends with you three for the rest of my life" he spoke softly, leaving the few flowers that landed in his hair there. Patton grinned, moving to sit on his legs.

"We can live together!"

"And go to sleep at any time we want!" Roman added, grinning at Logan who shook his head. "So...its a promise?" Virgil asked, earning nods from them each. Patton was the first to hold his arm out, his pinky finger standing up proud.

"Pinky promise!"

They all wrapped their pinkies around the others, smiling.

"Pinky promise..."

And Roman thought promises were never meant to be broken. Rolling across his bed, Otto licked away the tears he didn't realise rolled down his cheeks. Smiling sadly, he ruffed Ottos fur, watching his back leg twitch happily.

"It's not like we can see them..." Roman drifted, "they're famous, I'll just be another "fan"..."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he sat up, throwing Otto's ball down the hallway. His stomach felt heavy and sick from thinking about them making plans, hanging out, living together without him. Maybe as kids they didn't like him, maybe they just pitied him and let him stay with their group until they all moved to collage.

Romans collage was the furthest away, and after weeks, their texts became shorter, their calls became non-existent, and after one year they stopped talking completely. Roman understood what was happening. They didn't want him anymore. At first he assumed they were all breaking apart, but when he saw the three on the news, smiling together, he broke down, realising they only forgot him.

The depressing thought never left his mind, and after that he never found the motivation to make new friends, in fear the same thing would happen, and he didn't talk to his family either, or the lack of family he had.

Those three were the last thing he had left, he's been alone for years, Otto was good and all, but he needed human company, but that wasn't happening.

He felt himself become more distant from the world as time went on, day after day his brain attacked him, thoughts corrupting his ego until there was nothing left, self hate swarm through his mind hour after hour, becoming worse and worse to the point of insanity.

One day, he woke up, and couldn't take it.

Pouring Otto food and water for the day, he left a note on the kitchen counter, explaining to give the dog to his next door neighbour, knowing the woman loved his dog very much, and she'd do anything to care for him.

He didn't say anything about himself, seeing as his landlord seemed to be the only person who knew of his existence. It wouldn't affect him, anyway, the landlord would just sell his place to someone else.

Petting Otto one last time, he smiled weakly, all out of tears.

"Goodbye, Otto"

He whined, nudging Roman's hand but the man couldn't bare it. Standing up, he left the apartment unlocked, leaving the building to head down the street. He sucked up nature one last time, he hadn't been out in awhile, it felt nice.

People passed him by as if he were a ghost, not realising the man was about to die.

Roman heard somewhere that jumping was quick and painless, besides he wanted to see what it would be like for his life to flash before his eyes, showing him how much he was a pathetic idiot one more time.

Walking through a few trees, he saw the edge of the cliff and sucked in a breath of air, glancing down at bottom. Judging by the distance, he was sure he would die on impact, so without hesitance he took a final step...

—

"Logan! Where the hell did you put the remote!" Virgil yelled through their house, throwing up the couch cushions to try and find it. "Kitchen counter!" Patton called back from upstairs, bringing the basket of dried clothes to Virgil's room.

"Why there?" He muttered, grabbing it up and flopping on the couch. Making himself comfortable, he flicked on the tv, it automatically switching onto the news, the program it was left on last night.

"In other news, a man named Roman Sanders attempted suicide yesterday afternoon..."

Virgil didn't hear the rest of what the man was saying, his eyes focusing on the picture of Roman Sanders...a ringing noise was all he could hear as his breathing stopped and throat tightened.

Patton bounded in, "Kiddo?" He frowned at Virgil's frozen state, wide eyes staring at the tv. Patton glanced over too, he himself freezing in shock and horror. A hand covered his mouth to suppress a whimper that escaped his lips, memories he shared with Roman flooding through his mind as if they were held back by a wall ready to be broken.

Logan too entered, pausing all movements in the doorway, listening and watching the tv silently. Once it finally moved on, Virgil could only turn the tv off, the room falling into an uneasy, guilty silence.

"Oh god..." he murmured, bringing his hood over his head, pangs of guilt shooting through him like bullets. Patton leaned on a chair, his legs becoming weak with the overwhelming emotions and thoughts as they all suddenly remembered Roman. How could they forget?! They were childhood friends! What ever happened? What happened to make him want to die? Was it their fault?

Logan couldn't express how he felt, even he who prided himself on being very intellectual forgot a friend who helped him more than Roman could ever imagine. He was always there for them, beating up the bullies, proving their parents wrong about being gay, calming them through stressful situations, never putting himself first even though he was quite arrogant....it just added to his charm.

"Which...which hospital did they say he was in?" Patton asked weakly, teary eyes moving to focus on Logan. He answered just as quietly as Patton asked, Virgil quickly taking it in, standing up from the couch.

"It's just down the road, we need to see him-"

"What if he does not want to?" Logan quickly stepped in, "whatever the cause for his attempted suicide, I am sure we - people who forgot him - are the last he would like to see"

"He doesn't have family, Logan!" Patton tried to pursuance the logical man. "But he has friends-"

"Not good ones if they let him nearly die!" Virgil exclaimed, strapping his arms to his side. Logan's glare hardened, they all felt protective over people who were close, and due to Roman's lack of good family, they always felt the need to protect him most, even from each other if they felt necessary.

"We are not any better!" Logan argued.

"We can apologise!"

"Would he want that?!"

"It's worth a shot!"

"Fine!" Logan yelled, rubbing a hand down his face. "Fine" he repeated, softer this time. Patton's eyes flickered between the two, unknowingly he backed during the little outburst, scared by the fact their friendship could crumble over an argument. "Guys, fighting won't help" he tried, watching them both calm down.

"You are right, I am sorry, Virgil, I am...mad at myself and throwing it onto you, I did not mean to shout"

Virgil nodded, "Yeah...I'm sorry, too"

After a little silence, they headed out and to their car, driving as fast as they could to the hospital, nervousness settling deep in their stomachs. What if he doesn't want to see them? What if he hates them? None of them spoke, too caught up in the distortions forming in their minds, wondering how it would turn out, none of the outcomes being good.

Parking as close as they could, they jumped out the car and dodged past a few people that called their names, rushing up to the desk. "Excuse me, may we see Roman Sanders?" Logan inquired the man at the desk who smiled and nodded, typing away at his computer. "You are his first visitors" he announced, each of their hearts dropping at the news.

Nodding solemnly, Logan asked for the room number, once receiving it they hurried down the hallways, nodding respectfully at nurses who walked by, smiling.

"Here" Logan stopped the two, glancing in through the window they all saw him lying in the bed, staring out the window, no "Get well soon" balloons, or cards, or...anything.

Logan rested his hand on the doorknob, glancing at the two who nodded, Patton rubbing Virgil's hand to help keep him calm. Slowly pushing open the door, Roman's ears perked up at the noise. "I'm not thirsty...thank you, though" he spoke, still staring in the other direction. Virgil gulped, unable to move after seeing his...friend...for so long.

Patton was the first to walk close, having to bite back tears that threatened to escape. "Roman?" He croaked, the familiar voice making the man in question freeze, slowly turning his head and gasping at the sight. He didn't know what to say, what do to, what to think or feel! After all these years here they were...does that mean they still care? That forgetting Roman was a big mistake?

At this point, Roman was an emotional mess, his walls were down in piles of dust, and his heart would let anyone in, even if he knew they would hurt him, he was so desperate for anyone that he'd even trust a known murderer at this point.

"We're so sorry-" Patton began but Roman's sob cut him off. The distraught man grabbed Patton's hand tightly, surprising them all. Logan and Virgil moved closer.

"Please don't leave me" Roman spoke, sounding so desperate, empty, and lonely that the others physically couldn't say no, as if they would want to, they watched him break down in Patton's arms as the more comforting friend wrapped him in a tight hug, letting a few tears of his own slip down his cheeks.

Virgil hated the fact Roman would accept them back into his life without any hesitance, of course Virgil wants to be in his life, but it makes him feel terrible that Roman had been alone for so long he'd forget about any anger, or hate he held towards the three who forgot him just so he wouldn't be alone any longer.

It broke his heart, completely shattering it. He couldn't believe he let Roman slip from their minds, and leave him in this state. They promised him they'd be friends for life, and they completely left him to...to almost die!

"Roman, you...do not hate us?" Logan hesitated, straightening out his tie. Roman quickly shook his head, another round of unstoppable tears cascading from his eyes. "N-no! I could never!"

"Why?! We left you!" Virgil argued, astonished and annoyed. Roman turned to him, his heart monitor beeping faster and faster, breathing laboured and vision blurry. "I-I know! P-please don't leave me again! I'll be better! I promise!" He sobbed, sounding so broken even Logan felt his eyes sting with unshed tears.

Wordlessly, Virgil sat on his bed and tightly held his arms around his shaking shoulders, hugging him close, letting him cry and sob and apologise for stuff that wasn't his fault, but they'd reassure him after he let everything off his chest. Meanwhile, Patton and Logan too sat on the bed, Patton rubbing his back soothingly while Logan placed a hand on his leg, not really knowing what to do.

Roman had exhausted himself to the point he fell asleep in Virgil's arms. Not awhile later, a doctor walked in, smiling sadly at the three who glanced over to him. "You must be his friends. It's a good thing too, we tried contacting his family...they said they didn't care" he explained, anger bubbling up inside of all three of them.

"Luckily, he landed in water, barely missing the sharp rocks. Someone saw, and pulled his unconscious body to the beach, calling the hospital immediately. He is lucky to be alive" he concluded, sweeping over each of them.

"You three have quite the name for yourself. I don't know if Roman here hates the spotlight, or he's just being left out. Either way, maybe he felt you didn't need him as famously you are known as a group of three, not four" they casted their eyes down, Patton clearing his throat. "We forgot about him..." he announced shortly, brushing Roman's hair from his tear stained face.

"We're terrible friends.."

"Well, I advise not to do that again. It's not often people survive death twice..." with that, the doctor left the room, leaving a heavy atmosphere in the room. Laying him down, Virgil vowed to never forget Roman again, wanting to make it up to him for the rest of his life. Patton and Logan did the same, silently watching over their friend as he slept.

"We love you, Roman" Patton whispered, kissing his forehead.

They never forgot him again.

—

That was shit, oops-