Sanders Sides Parenting/Kids One-Shots

(157) He Got The Courage, But He Failed - Loceit

Summary: Virgil finally got the courage to ask his best friend to be his boyfriend - but he was rejected and placed in the friend zone. He's upset and the only person that can sympathise with him is his slightly-more-emotional father.

Words: 1246

"Smells delightful honey." Janus smiled when he heard his husband walk into the kitchen, and he smiled more when he received a kiss on the cheek. Janus and Logan weren't the type of couple to hang over each other like some other couples were, even in private the most affection they did was a peck on the lips or a squeeze of the hand. That made every touch in the last thirteen years special. "Should I take over? You're still in your suit." As Logan was talking he grabbed the small jar of jam. He probably didn't even realise what he was doing.

"Oh my goodness, are you already hungry sweetheart?" Janus tutted and grabbed the jam out of his husband's hands, making the other man pout. "You're as bad as Virgil was when he was 2 with your snacking."

Janus and Logan were parents of the best son in the universe, Virgil Sanders. He was a middle schooler now though and full of emotions and hormones. And neither fathers were very good at understanding emotions. Still - they were trying - but remembering when Virgil was an easy, tantruming two year old made both men smile like idiots. He was such a cute baby.

The door opened and closed indicating Virgil was finally home from his extra-curricular art class, the mother of his childhood best friend was driving him home. Usually Virgil loved to talk about the new artistic method he learnt or show the the work he did but this time he just slammed the door and choked out a - "I-I'll be in my room Dad."

Virgil stormed upstairs and slammed the door on his way, making both fathers pause and look upstairs concerned. School wasn't the best for Virgil - but he had his best friend by his side and that made him want to go most days. Being upset and angry straight after seeing that friend was unusual.

"I'll go check on him, can you take over dinner?" Janus whispered and kissed his husband's cheek, which immediately summoned him to grab oven gloves and stand in Janus' place. Janus wondered upstairs slowly, paying attention to the quiet tears as he drew closer, and knocked on the black oak door covered in band posters. "Is everything alright Verge?"

There were a few chokes of tears before Virgil mumbled back. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just want to support you." Gone were the days where Janus could just scoop up his son into a cuddle if a tear ever got trapped in his eye - but that didn't mean he wouldn't try. He was more protective of Virgil when it came to his emotions whereas Logan wanted to work on keeping Virgil's environment healthy. Logan would be the type to sprint to the middle school if a teacher made his son cry - Janus would stay home with tissues and soft Dad arms.

The pre-teen soon spoke again in a choked whisper and sniffle. "Come in Dad." Janus walked in straight away, sitting on his son's purple bed and stroking his back as he cried in a ball. "I sh-shouldn't be crying... It's just so stupid and I'm so stupid and I've ruined my li-"

"Cognitive distortions Virgil." Janus' voice silenced Virgil again and the pre-teen just focused on his breathing and sleeves. "Do you need help with your breathing exercise?" Virgil shook his head. "Remember I'm here if you need to vent, you won't be in trouble if you did something wrong." Well, that was only true if Virgil didn't break the law. If he did then Janus might have to get involved due to his job.

"It really is stupid Dad. I shouldn't be crying."

Even though Janus and Logan tried raising their son without toxic masculinity there always seemed to be one trait that seeped through. Virgil constantly ridiculed his emotions and tried to hide them, just like Logan apparently did when he was a teenager. "It's OK Virgil, you're just sensitive. And that's an absolutely wonderful thing to be." Eventually Virgil leant into his father's chest for a hug, exhausted from all the crying and stress. "You got the trait from me after all, and we know I give the best genes."

Virgil enjoyed the feeling of his father's arms around him and his fingers through his hair. He'd loved the feeling ever since baby bedtime stories. It really was calming to finally be at home and away from all the stress. "Can I tell you why I'm crying?" The middle schooler eventually mumbled, biting his fingernails to substitute sucking his thumb as he felt the vibration of an 'mhm'. "I asked Roman on a date during art club..."

"You finally got the balls, my dude? Well done!" Virgil's hair was ruffled roughly and a laugh escaped the father, but the thirteen year old stayed silent. "I'm guessing he said no?" Virgil nodded and tried to stop the tears escaping again.

"He... He said he's still trying to figure out his sexuality so doesn't want to date anyone until high school." Images of the few minutes it took for Virgil to ask Roman on a date flashed in front of Virgil's eyes. The look of joy and content turning quickly into a look of embarrassment and concern really hurt Virgil's heart. "And he doesn't think I'm his type, he views me more as a brother. How could I be so stupid to believe he's say yes?"

Janus could remember the time he asked Logan out on a date like it was yesterday. Neither were good at affection so neither threw any signals they were into each other. It took a mutual friend's party and a couple of alcoholic drinks for Janus to finally blurt out the question - and even then it was nerve-wracking. He definitely wouldn't have the courage to ask anybody out at thirteen. That didn't mean he had a lack of understanding what rejection felt like.

"Well, I think you're very brave for even asking Roman out on a date. I hope that strength is here to stay as I'm so proud of you." Janus kissed his son's forehead and squeezed him a little to make him laugh. "Maybe send Roman a text just to assure him there's no hard feelings? But getting rejected is a big part of growing up bud. You should have seen your other Dad's face when I rejected him from his Crofters earlier." Both family members chuckled, and Virgil grabbed his pastel purple phone to type a text to his best friend. This meant Janus finally had to let go. "Are you alright now kiddo?"

Virgil sniffled a little bit but smirked and typed quickly on his phone. "Yeah I am. Thanks Dad."

"Anytime kiddo. We'll call you down for dinner." Janus stood and swiftly exited the young teenager's room, getting a jump-scare once he fully turned and saw Logan peering from the doorframe. Logan had such a unique talent of crawling up on Janus when he least suspect it. "He's alright baby." Janus whispered and kissed Logan's lips before he even had to ask, and Logan let a relieved smile through before grabbing Janus' hand.

Logan knew not to ask anything when Virgil came down to eat, he just kept on reiterating that he was proud of his son unconditionally. And that's all he needed. Both parents had their place when dealing with a hormonal pre-teen.