Sanders Sides Parenting/Kids One-Shots

(74) Broken Hearts Can Be Mended - Roceit

Summary: Roman is AFAB and has just broken off a toxic relationship, moving in with his old friend Janus who lives alone and always wants company. A surprise comes in the friends' way - but they grow from it and even fall in love. 

TW - Mpreg and mention of a previous toxic relationship (and with that some self-doubt and a little bit of angst), abortion is also mentioned. It gets more fluffy as they go along so just bare with me.

Words: 2897 (very long so that's why this took a while)

"I'm coming!" Janus screamed at the top of his lungs as he guided himself around his dark house towards a door that was getting more action than it had got in a while. He was slightly annoyed with all the noise as he didn't know who it could be and he expected people to have the decency to not knock so persistently at 1am.

When Janus threw open the door the one person he didn't expect to see was his friend Roman crying and shaking on his doorstep. He immediately regretted the anger he showed in his expression while opening the door. "Come in Ro."

As soon as Roman stepped into the house he burst into a crying fit, looking down. "We broke up." Was the only sentence Janus could decipher between the tears. Janus only nodded to himself and guided Roman towards the sofa. With one hand of his shoulder Roman eventually calmed down enough to speak clearer. "I'm so sorry Jan, I had to go. He's horrible and I hate him and this was my one moment away from hi-"

"I don't accept the apology because you don't need to apologise. You just know I'm not a night owl." Although Janus tried to bring some humour into the situation but Roman didn't laugh, only hugged himself and let the backpack he was holding fall to his feet. "Do you want to take my bed and I can sleep on the sofa?"

Roman shook his head, going more into a ball. Janus hated seeing his friend like this. The Roman he remembered had been gone since he entered the relationship he had now ended; the freelance playwright used to be happy and optimistic and excited for the future but now he was just a shell of that. Janus prayed to change that now.

"Get yourself settled. Do you want anything to drink or eat?" Roman shook his head again - and then he began to tear up. Janus just silenced and let him get the emotions out, a comforting touch still present. "Shall I stay down here with you tonight?"

Another head shake. "I'm fine. Go." Roman whispered out, his voice hardly audible and raspy from all the tears. But Janus obeyed his friend - knowing he was the type of person to need a break when he was on high emotions like this. He nodded, giving Roman a soft hug and smiling at him.

"Night Ro." He said plainly. Roman sniffled and nodded again, but didn't speak back. Janus left him in the darkness but reassured him it was alright to wake him up if needed. He didn't though, he passed out as soon as his head hit the sofa cushion.

*****

Janus returned from work one day humming to himself. It had been a couple of weeks since the early morning Roman came to join him in his usual solitude - and as a freelance playwright Roman had hardly left the home. When Janus returned home he was usually greeted by his friend. Roman had become a little more cheery in the few weeks but still subdued, nevertheless Janus enjoyed the average 'how was your day?' when he returned from work compared to before when it was silent.

What Janus didn't expect to hear was tears coming from upstairs. "Roman?" He shouted, making his way upstairs as quick as possible and finding Roman in the study where he stored the minimal amount of clothes he had. A suitcase was on the floor and exploding from it was every belonging Roman had. And Roman was crying loudly and shaking. "Roman what's wrong?"

Roman sniffled and choked on his tears. "I'm going back Jan. I deserve him, I need him, I can't do this alone..." All the words were separate and frantic but spoke quickly. Janus couldn't even gather who exactly he was talking about until he was zipping up the suitcase - maybe he was just shellshocked.