Sanders Sides Oneshots

Bruised Ego {Prinxiety}

Third Person (Btw this is right after the SvS redux)

When Roman sunk down into the mind palace, he immediately left for his room, not wanting to be around Patton or Janus at the moment. He walked up the stairs, making a beeline towards the red door. Once the door closed behind him, he allowed the facade to drop. Tears streamed down his face as he stumbled over to his vanity. Not that he really needed the mirror to see the damage, but it had become routine more than anything. He gingerly lifted his shirt, uncertain if he even wanted to see the mark.

But he does. He looked at the large bruise that had formed on his stomach, seemingly out of nowhere. A punch to the gut, he thought, managing a pitiful chuckle at that, that's certainly what if felt like. Memories of what had happened while recording filled his head.

"Roman you shouldn't push people's buttons"

"Enough joking around Roman"

"Oh Roman thank GOD you don't have a mustache. Otherwise between you and Remus, I wouldn't know who the evil twin is"

"Everything's gonna be okay kiddo, we love you"

Tch, right, He scoffs at simply the memory of what Patton had said, before wincing at the protest the bruise gave him. He was Thomas's ego, his pride, and deep down, his insecurities. So when that pride is hurt, when he's written off or betrayed by the people closest to him, it physically hurts him. The saying 'bruised ego' doesn't come from nowhere.

So when Janus first showed up and complimented him constantly, nothing happened. But when Roman chose 'wrong' and went against Janus, he learned that the praise he had gotten from the snake was just a lie. That day, when they did the courtroom scene, Roman almost had to stop recording due to the bruise he got from that. Being so easily defeated by Remus also earned him quite the mark.

And the marks wouldn't just go away like a normal injury, because they weren't normal injuries. Having his own ego take a hit like those hurt, bad. They didn't just heal immediately, he had to get over what had happened. So if he wanted the bruise from Remus to go away, he'd have to convince himself that he was stronger than him, better than him. And after Janus's comment today, that probably wasn't gonna happen anytime soon.

None of the other sides knew of his 'condition,' not even Remus. The two didn't get along well after the split, and King Creativity didn't have the same issues that Roman does, because back then Thomas was a kid, he didn't have an ego to hurt.

So, Roman tended to his injuries alone, wincing with each movement as he laid down, not bothering to get an ice pack. It wouldn't help anyway. He never thought a single bruise could hurt this bad, but then again, he had never been wounded by Thomas. It makes sense that Thomas lying to him would be like a punch to the gut.

He didn't even realize that he was still crying until someone knocked on his door, "Roman?" A timid voice asked from the other side. Virgil.

Virgil was now officially the only one who hadn't caused one of the bruises. Back in the old videos Roman's ego was strong enough to withstand the harsh comments. And more recently he knew the comments were more jokes than anything so he would retaliate. It was fun, and he was confident that neither got hurt from it, whether that be literal or emotional.

"Yeah Virge?" He asked, sitting up quickly while also trying to sound like his princely self. He could have hope that he was convincing, but we're not trying to summon Janus here.

"Is everything okay?" The anxious side asks, "You were uh, not feeling so nice a second ago."

Dammit, Roman thought. Virgil was anxiety, of course he could sense when someone else was being self-deprecating. He would have shown up sooner, like during the video, but he was a little preoccupied with keeping Remus away from both his snack stash and deodorant.

"What? Oh I'm fine," He lied, cringing and hoping that the bananaconda wouldn't show up. When he didn't, Roman relaxed.

Roman heard faint mumbling from the other side, which turned out to be Virge muttering, "Didn't feel like you were fine," So he says louder, "Can I come in then? Y'know, for my anxiety's sake?"

Now that was a request Roman couldn't deny, even if Virgil didn't know that, "Yeah, go ahead," Curse my heart and chivalrous tendencies!

He avoided cursing out loud, since that would set off Patton's dad senses and because Virgil was right outside. He sat up quickly, trying to look more glittery than he felt. His newest wound protested but he suppressed the pained expression that fought its way onto his face as Virgil opened the door.

"Hey, sorry if I'm bothering you I just wanted to be sure," Virgil says, standing by the door awkwardly, "How was the video?"

Roman shrugs. He had gotten lucky by getting away with one lie, he wasn't about to push it, "How was babysitting Remus? I'm sure he didn't leave you alone that entire time."

"It sucked," He deadpans, "I don't know why Patton won't let me lock him in the pantry, it'd be so much easier," Roman laughs, against his better judgment, and winces because of it, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, must have gotten more roughed up than I thought when fighting the dragonwitch," He forces a chuckle.

"But any injuries you get while in the imagination disappear once you leave," Virgil points out, "So what's really wrong?" Dammit.

Seeing no point in keeping the act up anymore, Roman falls back on his bed, "It's kinda hard to explain," He lifts up his shirt enough to reveal the bruise from today.

"A bruise?" That wasn't what Virgil was expecting.

"I mean it's not exactly a normal bruise," He admits, not wanting Virgil to think of him as some wimp that lets a bruise put him out of action. He can tell that Virgil's waiting for an explanation, "I'm Thomas's pride, his ego. So getting embarrassed or betrayed hurts, bad."

"Bruised ego," Virgil mumbles, "Oh god, I've probably caused so many bruises then with all my insults and jabs at you or your ideas-"

"Virge it's fine," Roman insists, sitting up slowly, "You haven't caused any of them, because I know you don't mean that stuff. The only way I could think of for you to give me one would be-" He cuts himself off, knowing that it wasn't a good idea to finish that sentence.

"Would be?" Virgil prompts, wanting to know how he could avoid hurting Roman. He's had the biggest crush on the creative side so emotionally and physically harming him in one go sounds horrible.

Y'know what? Screw it. This may be my best shot at confessing so here we go, "The only way you could hurt me is by saying that you don't love me back."

"Love is a strong word," Virgil says, before panicking, "Wait no that came out wrong. I mean I do really really like you but saying love even though we're not dating or anything sounds pretty risky and you know how I feel about taking risks-"

Roman pulls the other into a hug, "I take it that's your way of saying yes?" He asks with a smile. Virgil nods, face bright red.

Roman was practically glowing at the non-verbal response. He laughed and held the anxious side tighter, not even noticing the lack of pain in his abdomen, or his head, or arm, or his chest, or anywhere else that a bruise once laid. He had Virgil now to support him, what insecurity could ever measure up to something like that? 

A/N: Man, getting an idea at midnight really hits different. Also I'm publishing this early because I had it done early and I'm impatient as frick