Sander’s Sides: Roman, Virgil, Patton, Logan
Blurb: Roman is feeling low after not getting a part he auditioned for and desperately wanted.
Fic Type: Fluff (I promise) Song!Fic
Song: That’s How You Know from Enchanted (some lyrics have been changed to fit the story)
Tags: @sidewritings
He shouldn’t be taking the news so hard. It wasn’t like he’d failed to get roles before when he’d gone to the tryouts. But this role. This part. Roman had been so confident that he’d get it.
Everything in the audition had gone right. He’d had the director laughing. He’d had great chemistry with the people trying out for the other lead role, he’d even gotten multiple callbacks!
It had been one of those moments where he’d felt born to play that part, and had known he was going to get it. So to find out that the lead had gone to another...had been like a slap to the face.
Roman pulled the collar of his red and white jacket up against the evening breeze that had picked up, shoving his hands deep into his pockets as he paced around the park. He should have been back home a couple of hours ago, but he hadn’t yet been able to bring himself to face the others. To tell them that he hadn’t got the part. He’d talked it up so much, been so confident...to go back and face them and tell them he’d been wrong, that he hadn’t...Roman inhaled raggedly, scrubbing at his burning eyes with the palm of his hand.
How could he face them after this? How? He was a failure. A shining star that had been smothered too quickly it’s light doused almost as soon as it had been lit.
Faintly over the wind, a chime like melody reached Roman’s ears, familiar to him because how could he not recognize a Disney song within two notes of it being played? He kicked at a pebble in the path. “How do I know, you love me?” He sang softly in the following silence, hunching his shoulders, unable to make himself louder because he knew his voice would crack if he did. “How do I know you’re.” His voice cracked anyways. “mine?”
“How do you know that I love you?” Patton sang, as the metallic chimes of one of those metal drums sounded behind Roman.
Roman jumped in surprise. Patton?! He whirled around to see Patton standing there in the middle of the path arms held out wide. On either side of him were Logan playing the melody Roman had just been singing on a metal drum, while Virgil on Patton’s other side joined in with a wooden drum...just like...just like in the movie.
Roman inhaled, blinking rapidly, his heart pounding “H-how do I know...that you love me?”
Patton eyes softened and he grinned, dancing forward to embrace Roman in a tight bone crushing hug. “How do you know that I really, really truly love you?”
“How do I know that you love me?” Roman whisper-sang clinging to Patton.
Patton pulled back, taking Roman’s hands, spinning him in a circle. “How do I show you I love you?” He asked, eyes sparkling, as he pulled Roman back to the others. “How do you know that we really, really, truly love you?” He let go of Roman’s hand to throw his arms up in the air. “It’s not enough to take the one you love for granted,” He sang loudly, full of cheer. “You must remind him or he’ll be inclined to say.” He raised an eyebrow to Roman.
Roman found his lips spreading in a trembling smile. “How do I know you love me?” He asked trying to keep his vision clear of tears as he glanced to Virgil and Logan.
Logan didn’t look at him, focused on keeping the rhythm of the drum Roman hadn’t even known he could play.
Virgil smirked, his bangs in front of his eyes as his fingers tapped out the beat on the wooden one. “How do you know that we love you?” He sang in a quiet baritone, shoulders hunching when Roman put his full focus on him.
Roman’s heart seemed to swell. Virgil. Virgil was singing, in a public place. That was. That was--
Virgil looked away, a blush on his cheeks. “How do we show you we love you?”
Roman took a breath, the weight on his shoulders seeming less heavy. His own voice strengthened as he continued his part. “How do I know you’re mine?”
Patton took his hand again, pulling him away from the path into the open grass. “How do you know that we really, really, truly love you?” He asked, turning back to Roman, briefly gripping his shoulders. He winked. “Well, does he leave a little note to tell you you are on his mind?” He asked turning Roman to Logan, who had a pink tinge to his cheeks as he lifted his hands from the drum.
Logan slipped his fingers into his jacket pocket and pulled out a paper handing it to Roman. There, written in gold ink was elegantly scrawled: You are admirable, Roman.
“Logan.” Roman held the note close to his chest. A compliment? Even now?
“Send you yellow flowers.” Patton spun Roman around before he could react further to Logan’s note to face Virgil who was holding out a bouquet of daffodils and sunflowers. “When the sky is grey-ee-a-ae!!”
Roman grinned wide in delighted surprise. “Really, Dark and Gloomy?”
Virgil rolled his eyes. “Just take it and continue singing, Princey.” He muttered, flushing further.
“He’ll find a new way to show you.” Roman sang without further prompting as he took the flowers holding them up to his nose to get a wift of their happy little scent. “A little bit everyday.”
He looked to Patton who danced around Roman, throwing red rose petals over him. “That’s how you know.”
“That’s how I know.” Roman agreed, warmth spreading through his chest. “I’m your love.”
“We’ve got to show you we need you.” Logan half spoke the words, his voice wobbling on hitting the right notes as he lowered the drum to the ground. “To not treat you like a mind reader.” He cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. “Each day doing something to led you to believe we...love you.”
Roman’s fingers tightened on the flowers. Logan trying to sing, to express his feelings. He lifted his head, squaring his shoulders. “Everybody wants to live happily ever after.” Roman threw his arms wide, spinning in a circle, looking up to the sky. “Everyone wants to believe their true love is true.” He glanced to the others who’d fanned out around him, curious to see what they’d do throughout the rest of the song. “How do I know you love me? How do I know you’re mine?”
Patton winked, taking the flowers and setting them aside before taking Roman’s hands again to spin him around in a small waltz. “Well does he take you out dancing-”
He spun him into Virgil who flawlessly continued the dance without missing a step. “Just so he can hold you close?”
Roman widened his eyes in surprise. “I thought you didn--”
Virgil smirked. “I don’t dance.” He winked. “With just anyone.” he added, as he broke away, sending Roman into Logan’s arms.
“Dedicate a song with words meant just for you-oo-oo-oo” Patton sang.
Logan rolled his eyes. “I don’t sing.”
Roman chuckled. “Wasn’t expecting you to.” What little he’d done earlier had been surprising and heartwarming enough.
Logan smiled back, and passed him back to Patton. Patton moved in closer, reaching his hands up to Roman’s head. “He’ll find his own way to tell you.” He sang and Roman felt something cool slip down to his brow. “Your crown, needed a crown.” He teased, twirling away.
“With the little things you’ll do.” Roman reached up feeling the handmade wire diadem sitting there. He could barely get the next words out due to the lump in his throat. “That’s how I know.”
“That’s how you know.” Virgil and Patton joined in, with Logan mouthing the words. “You’re our love.”
“You’re my love.” Roman agreed, moving forward as the others gestured for him to follow them through the trees to a more secluded area of the park. “That’s how I know you love me. That’s how I know it’s true.” He lightly touched the crown once more. “Because you’ll wear my favorite color, just so you can match my--”
“Style!” Patton sang out, pulling out a golden cardigan to wrap around his shoulders. Virgil unzipped his hoodie enough to show a red shirt with Roman’s emblem underneath it, while Logan pulled out a baseball cap that was white, red, and gold, placing it on his head.
Roman’s throat closed up again, his breath hitching at the surprising gesture. “Those are magnificent.” he said hoarsely.
Patton grinned slyly at him and gestured to a blanket underneath a tree with a movie-esque picnic already set out. “Rent a private picnic.”
Logan snapped his fingers and a string of twinkle lights sparkled into life in the branches above.
“By the fire’s glow-oh-oh-oh.” Virgil sang, fiddling with the strings of his jacket.
Patton placed his hands on his chest. “Our hearts will be yours forever.” He sang sincerely, meeting Roman’s eyes.
Roman found his voice, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, this was all...too...wow. “Something everyday will show.” They’d done this all for him. Despite...despite everything. “That’s how I know.” He pulled the other three into a tight hug.
“That’s how you know.” Patton rested his head against Roman’s chest.
“That’s how you know.” Virgil agreed, tense in the hug, but not pulling away. He patted Roman awkwardly on the back.
“That’s how you know.” Logan half spoke/sang managing to be in tune, despite his voice being muffled by Roman’s jacket.
“You’re our love.” They all sang together, harmonizing like a choir of angels.
Roman broke off the last note, half laughing half crying as he pulled back. “Guys that was….”
“Magnificent?” Logan asked
“Super Sweet?” Patton supplied hopping over to the picnic basket to pull out a cake.
“Cheesy?” Virgil retorted.
“It’s cake, kiddo, cake isn’t cheesy...unless it’s cheesecake!!”
Logan groaned rubbing his eyes. “Patton. Please. Don’t.”
“All that with superbly wonderful mixed in.” Roman laughed, wiping at his eyes. “Thank you.”
“Hey, what are we here for if not to boost you up when you’re feeling down, Sir-Sing-a-lot?” Virgil asked, sprawling out on the blanket, pulling his hood up.
“No matter what, Roman, you’ll always be the Lead in our lives.” Patton said, squeezing his arm. “The hero! The champion! Our Idol!”
“He gets it, Pat.” Virgil muttered.
“Yes, no matter what roles in your…uh...theatrical pursuits may or may not happen, you’re still important to us.” Logan added, adjusting his glasses as he carefully knelt on the blanket. “Just because this opportunity didn’t happen doesn’t mean you’re a failure, you will just have to learn and grow from it and find a bigger opportunity in the next...ah...audition.”
Roman sat on the blanket, adjusting the diadem on his head. “I’ll...I’ll have to remember that...again.” He truly would. How could he have ever thought they’d think less of him for not getting the role? “Thank you, guys.” He said sincerely looking to all of them. How had he gotten so lucky in having them in his life? “For cheering me up in the best way imaginable.”
