Sanders Sides Parenting/Kids One-Shots

(136) Snake Badge - Roceit

Summary: In elementary school two boys, Roman and Janus, become best friends. The two grow up together until Janus has to move away, but they never forget each other and eventually they reunite.

Words: 2422

Indoor recess was the best event in these first six years of Roman's life. When recess was outside he always got his Disney Prince outfit covered in mud and he couldn't play with the Disney figurines at the back of the classroom. But when it rained the first graders were allowed to play in the classroom! And all the Disney toys had Roman's name on it.

With a Stitch in one hand and a Snow White in the other Roman was shuffling through all the stuffed toys to find new friends. He had only been in first grade for a few months so he had yet to find out what every single teddy was and what their use in Roman's imagination would be.

But Roman didn't expect his biggest fear - a snake - to be peeking out from the bottom of the pile. "Aaah! Slithery-evil-snake!" Fear controlled the six year old for a while before his courage came back, and he waved the plastic sword he always kept by his side. "I'll kill you!"

"Don't kill him!" Another boy screamed as he ran into Roman's view, a blond haired boy with a brown birthmark on his face. He dived into the pile and retrieved the snake, clasping it to his chest and pouting. "It's my teddy..."

"Your teddy's a snake?" Roman almost screamed again. Why would any sane person want a snake teddy? Dogs, cats and dragons were cute teddies to have but snakes made no sense. They were completely evil and Roman knew that because he knew the entire soundtrack to the Jungle Book by heart.

But the boy smiled wide and walked closer to Roman, stroking the teddy's head. "He's called Slimy!" Roman flinched again when the teddy was brought even closer - but he knew the number one making-friends-with-other-children rule and placed his sword away. "He's not actually slimy don't worry. Oh, but I'm Janus! Who are you?"

"I'm Roman..." Roman responded and dared to pat the snake teddy's head. It wasn't slimy, nor did it come alive and bite Roman's beautiful face off. Maybe snakes weren't that bad.

"You want to be friends?"

"Yeah I'll be friends!"

*****

And friends they stayed. Throughout all of elementary school and middle school they were beside each other's side through thick and thin. Roman came out to his family in freshman year and was luckily supported by everyone that knew him - especially Janus. They entered high school with confidence, and by sophomore year they were ready to leave.

"I cannot handle Mr Bell say 'it's not my time you're wasting it's yours' for a whole hour!" Roman groaned as he twirled down the school corridors, trying to procrastinate going to his Physics class. "Can I just join your class?"

"I don't think Mr Foley would appreciate that." Janus laughed, stopping at his locker for a second, laughing more when he watched Roman twirl stationary instead of a constant velocity forward.

"Oh! I have Mr Foley for English next year! Please tell me we'll be in the same class Jan - please, please, please!" Janus giggled again, but sadness stopped the laugh from being too loud. He'd been hiding this secret all year - a secret he hated but it was inevitable. He was moving away. It was something to do with his parents' jobs that they had to permanently move to the other side of the USA... Hawaii he believed. "Wait, I can read your face. Are you upset about something?"

Now or never. He really should tell his best friend where he was really going this summer. "You know I mentioned that summer holiday to Hawaii later this year?"

Roman gasped excitedly - probably the worst reaction. "Did your parents say I could go with you? That'll be amazing! Roman and Janus taking on the waves that were totally not stolen by the natives according the the history curriculum!"