A/N 

ART ABOVE IS BY @UNDERDOG-ARTS ON TUMBLR!!!! GO FOLLOW THEM!!!!

Welcome back to please-help-me-I-have-no-idea-what-I'm-doing-even-though-I-planned-this-story The Musical!!!!!

As promised, here is your first Sunday (Monday 😅) update! Depending on my weekly amount of stress and existential dread it will hopefully continue like this. OR we might even have two updates a weekend >:))))

BUT, only time will tell.

Now on with the story!

4.)

As a highly intelligent boy named Logan Moretti can tell you, there is a certain amount of hours per day that a person can work before they hit a limit. Working any more hours beyond this eight hour a day limit would be considered working "overtime" according to The Fair Labor Standards Act. Therefore, working seventeen hours a day is the act of an abused laborer.

Unfortunately, most people are not as well aware of this fact as Logan is. Namely, our own beloved Roman Castillo.

It was a cold December night, nearing one AM when Roman finally arrived from work with heavy bags under his eyes and enough exhaustion to pull an Aang and sleep for a hundred years.

He dug around his satchel for the spare key to Remus' apartment and unlocked the door. The icy wind fought to enter with him but he slammed the door in its face, using the last strength left in his tired muscles.

He sighed and rested against the door for a moment, staring into the small hallway. The walls had peeling strips of wallpaper dangling in curls and a worn vintage carpet along the floor. Stuck to the door of Remus' apartment was a sign:

The stains are not blood I promise.
[P.S Or are they? ;)]

Roman huffed out a laugh before kicking off his shoes and shrugging off the heavy army jacket his brother had let him borrow so he didn't freeze to death. Though he wasn't dead, the jacket had been more of a fashion accessory (one that was definitely not his style) than something to keep him warm, leaving Roman shivering and numb.

In the living room, a gas heater was working just as hard as Roman had been doing all day, pulsing out waves of heat that Roman welcomed gratefully. The tired man noted with surprise a dim glow coming from his brother's room. But before investigating why the hell his brother had a light on at one AM, Roman had to do something of great importance.

Walking over and opening the door furthest from the entrance, he was greeted with the sight of his four year old son, Patton, sleeping soundly in a bed with fluffy, pastel blue sheets and clutching a small rag doll. Roman immediately felt the weight on his shoulders lighten slightly and smiled wearily.

Carefully, he walked over to where his son slept and kissed his forehead, "I'm home, mijo." he whispered. Patton stirred slightly in his sleep, hugging the doll tighter and burying his face in its black, yarn hair.

Roman felt his heart swell and found himself beaming at his adorable offspring. Equally as careful, Roman navigated a treacherous path around Lego constructions, tea sets (with kettles and cups full of lemonade instead of tea), and what looked like the setup of a giant board game made out of scrap cardboard.

The man grinned at his son's creations for a second before feeling a pang of guilt that he couldn't play with him as much as before. He took a deep breath, glancing back at the bed one last time before exiting the room, leaving the door slightly open just how Patton liked it.

He stood outside the room and then cut his eyes over to Remus' room, squinting.

"Remus?" Roman said, peeking his head inside.

His brother sat on the floor, leaning against the foot of his bed. Beside him was Janus Dolion, his best friend and Mysterious Roommate™, looking bored at the movie playing on Remus' TV and snacking on a large bag of dark chocolate almonds.

"Here. And yes, I still have all my limbs." Remus said nonchalantly, he grinned at Roman when he looked in, his teeth stained with chocolate, "So does Janus."

Roman grimaced at the chocolaty smile, "A shocking achievement, but that's good, I guess..." He quickly averted his eyes before walking into the room and collapsing on Remus' bed, groaning into the comforter.

Remus watched his twin then rolled his eyes and turned around, crossing his arms over the wooden part of the bed and resting his chin on them, "Goddamn, was work really that bad?"

"Oh, certainly not, Remus. Haven't you heard? Working seventeen hours is nothing but a pleasant and enjoyable experience." Janus said, acting exasperated even though his voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Shut it Dr. Decietful, I don't need your attitude right now." Roman said, voice muffled from having his face buried in the sheets.

Remus snorted, "Alright," He poked his brother sharply in the ribs, making him yelp, "What's up your ass, drama queen?"

Roman glared for a second then sighed heavily, leaning back on his arms and looking away. Remus shared a look with Janus, who had his eyebrows raised but apart from that looked completely neutral.

"At work today...well...there was this woman." He pursed his lips, "She was a total Karen, to be honest. And she was being uncomfortably flirty so...I told her to stop because, uh...y'know...it's sexual harassment and...because...well, I'm...."

"Because you're gay." Remus finished, sounding as gentle as Remus could sound and making Roman flinch.

"Y-yeah, um I'm," he took a breath, "Gay." Despite living with Remus for three weeks, Roman was still unaccustomed to talking openly about his sexuality. Remus had been making a habit out of encouraging Roman to do so. But the more dramatic twin wasn't always sure he appreciated it, still sure that even miles away, his parents would hear him.

Clearing his throat, Roman continued, "Anyway...she got offended I guess? So she called my manager and he yelled at me in front of the...the entire store to satisfy her and then made me clean the floors even though my job is as a fucking cashier." He was trembling again but this time with anger, clutching the comforter beneath him and holding back a few tears. Turning away, Roman laughed dryly, "I love attention and preforming but being humiliated in front of someone I hate isn't exactly what I had in mind."

Remus glared at the wall, "I'm going to gut that your boss like a fish, decapitate that lady and then stuff her body inside your boss' skin."

Roman stared at Remus in shock for a moment before letting out a burst of laughter that ended with a half-sob. "You haven't changed at all."

"How dare you," Remus said, smirking, "I like to think I've gotten worse."

"I think I could back you up on that." Roman replied with a grin. But it faltered a second later, "Did you get your schedule for the next semester today?"

Remus' eyes widened slightly, "Uhhhh..."

"Yes." Janus replied flatly. He looked at Remus, who was giving him an expression that conveyed obvious panic. His roommate's eyes flashed strangely as his gaze drifted back to Roman. The corner of his mouth lifted. "No need to lie to him."

Roman felt himself sag. "Shit. How busy is it?"

Remus looked guilty, "Completely booked. Studying to be a surgeon is hard and I'm not a freshman anymore."

"What am I gonna do about Patton?" The sentence was uttered in an empty, panicked voice, "I can't take him to work with me and a daycare isn't something I can afford right now. I'll be damned if I ever let him stay home alone. So what am I going to do?" Roman was pacing the room now.

"What about his mother?" Janus asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Roman froze and turned, giving Janus an icy look, "I'm not giving my son to someone who can't even be bothered to pay child support. Or even care enough to reach out and have a relationship with a the kid she gave birth to!" His voice was now a low growl and Janus' usually expressionless face was littered with surprise.

Roman felt a hand on his shoulder and saw that Remus was there, looking uncharacteristically somber. "Roman..."

The other twin took a deep breath and sat down again, burying his face in his hands, "I'm sorry, it isn't your fault, I'm so sorry." He mumbled and Remus sat next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"How did everything change so quickly?" Roman asked after a moment. "We were fine and then..."

Remus shook his head, "Roman we were not fine. Patton was not fine. Nothing was okay it just seemed that way."

"That rhymes..."

"Ro."

The distressed twin sighed, "It was easier at least."

"Easier isn't always better." Remus insisted.

"Yeah, I know. I know." Roman rubbed his eyes.

There was a heavy silence as the twins racked their brains for a solution. But every option was unfortunately inaccessible. Roman was completely broke and Remus, being a student, barely paid his and Janus' shared rent. So daycares and babysitters were out of the question.

Patton was in Roman's custody only because his mother didn't want him, but it was still a possibility they could take him away due to Roman's unfortunate financial crisis. This fact that haunted the man even in his sleep. Patton was all he had left, he was his prince and his kingdom all at once. He couldn't lose him.

He couldn't.

So as Roman pondered options in his brother's room at one in the morning after working for seventeen hours, he felt a sense of resolve tighten inside of him. But with the lack of solutions, dread began to overlap his determination.

That was, until he heard a voice say in a falsely neutral tone, "I can do it."

Roman and Remus simultaneously looked at Janus who immediately reacted negatively to the attention by tensing up. "W-what?" Roman stuttered.

"I can take care of Patton. I got most of my credits for this year last semester so I've only got like, four classes. Which I find an insult to my intelligence since they are outstandingly simple." Janus said, avoiding eye contact and speaking in his usual smooth, nonchalant voice.

"Really?" Roman was starting to feel small blossoms of hope forming. And oh, how he wished he could allow them to grow. But Roman had been let down before, he had to be sure before he hoped.

Remus had a strange look on his face, like he was seeing Janus in a whole new light. "Are you sure, Jan? I-I mean, I thought you didn't like kids?"

"Lies and slander. I'm perfectly neutral about children. And Patton seems...manageable." Janus replied. He studied his nails with an air of sass (a ridiculous action, really, since they were covered in their usual yellow gloves).

There was quiet and then Roman launched himself off the bed and dropped down onto the floor, grabbing a surprised Janus' hands. His eyes seemed to glitter in the blue light of the TV, "Thank you so much, that would be fantastic! When I'm rich and famous you can have anything you want. I swear. I-I just...Thank you!" He stuttered out.

Janus' eyes were wide and shocked as he stared at the thankful man before him. He pulled his hands back and turned away, but not before Roman caught a glimpse of a genuine, amused smile. "I'll hold you to that promise."

Suddenly the door to the bedroom was slammed open and everyone whipped their head around to see a man in shades and a leather jacket standing there. The man grinned and pulled a bottle of wine out from behind his back, "I BROUGHT WINE BITCHES. Let's get this pity party started!"

The three shushed him all at once, making him jump slightly. "Jeez, did you guys rehearse that?"

Roman rolled his eyes, but he was obviously fighting a smile, "Patton's asleep, keep it down."

"Shit, sorry." The man grimaced and then tip-toed into the room, shutting the door behind him.

Remus reached under his bed and pulled out some wine glasses. When Roman gave him a look Janus shook his head, "Don't question it."

"Too bad the party started without you, Remy," Remus said, grabbing the bottle and yanking the cork out with his teeth.

Roman tilted his head, "How did you even know about it, anyways?"

"Jan shot me a text. You've got this annoying thing were you don't ask for help or comfort so I got backup." Remy finger gunned at Janus who rolled his eyes. "By the way..." he narrowed his eyes at Roman's position before Janus, hands still reached out, "Did I miss a palm reading session orrrr...?"

Roman blushed and pulled away his hands as well, "No. But..." He beamed, "Janus volunteered to take care of Patton while I'm working. One more problem solved!"

"Looks like this pity party just turned into a celebration. I can get into that," Remy said, smirking. He turned to Roman then, his face betraying just the slightest bit of concern, "What happened, though? Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." Roman bit his lip, "I-I'm not entrely sure if I am..."

There was a quiet creak and Roman stopped in his tracks, looking to see Patton in all his two-foot-glory at the bedroom door, rubbing an eye sleepily. Turns out Remy sucks at closing doors. "Papá?" Patton said through a yawn. He spotted his father and his face broke into a smile, "You're home!"

He launched himself into Roman's arms and Roman laughed, hugging his son gently. "Hello mí principé. What are you doing up? You should be sleeping."

"I heard Tío Remy and wanted to say hi!" Patton explained. He then turned and beamed at Remy, giving him a small wave from his father's lap, "Hi!!!"

Remy ruffled the small boy's head, "Hey, kid. Like those frog pajamas, I wish they made them in my size."

Patton's smile fell, "We can find some! I'm sure we can, there has to be!"

Roman chuckled, absentmindedly playing with his son's hair, "English with Tío Remy, cariño."

"Oh!" Patton smiled, giggling at himself, "I feel silly!" 

Remus smirked, "Don't, you have the advantage of being bilingual."

Janus nodded and said with a slight English accent, "That's true."

The man in shades twirled around and folded his arms, frustrated, "Am I the only one who doesn't know Spanish?!"

Janus shrugged, smirking slyly, "I just picked it up over time. I also speak Greek." 

Everyone blinked at him and his smirk grew. "I have the high ground now. Bow to me, peasants."

Roman snorted, "I shall never bow, I am a prince." With this, he shot a knowing look at Remus.

His twin's eyes sparked with recognition at their childhood code names and he grinned back, "And I'm a duke. Looks like we're in a room full of royalty."

"Royalty that eats frozen dinners," Roman replied jokingly. But there was a sad undertone that Patton noticed instantly. 

"Papí, are you okay?" He asked softly, as if to protect him from the inevitable attention of the others.

Roman stared into his Patton's light blue eyes, the very ones that had needed glasses at such a young age and his heart sunk. If only he could spend more time with him. If only he didn't have to work to stay afloat. If only he could give Patton the life he deserved.

Every inch of his skin was crawling in self-expectation and disappointment. Roman was sure if he opened his mouth he would start apologizing. He thought of how Patton's expression had looked the day his mother left. The day it all ended.

Patton didn't deserve that. Any of it.

So instead of saying how he felt, Roman forced a painful smile, "Yeah. Come on, I'll put you to bed. It's late." He got up, Patton still in his arms, walking out the door.

Because he wasn't facing them, Roman didn't see his friends exchange a collective look of concern. Neither did he see Remus drain his glass of wine in one gulp.

When he was gone there was a deathly silence in the room. The silence was finally broken by none other than Janus, "He was lying."

Remy rolled his eyes behind his shades, "No shit Sherlock." He sighed, then he copied Remus and drank his wine to the last drop, Janus following in the action not a moment later...

A/N 

Not my best I admit. BUT I will do better next week, I promise you guys :)

I've been in a pretty lonely mental state recently and it really made itself known this week what with me starting school and soccer. I'm doing okay, though, thanks to you all! So lets hope there's no delay next weekend.

DON'T DIE!

~Prongs💙