(This song gives me the vibes for this chapter lol-)

Roman paced back and forth, wondering when his friends would be here. He paused, checking his phone, to find no new notifications. Sighing, he fell against the couch, letting it spring back up as he settled on its softness. His phone lay there, still in his hand, and so he pulled it to his face to scroll through Instagram.

Everyone was posting pictures of the dance, all with captions like 'So lucky to go with this guy xox' and Roman aches to have someone he could do that with, someone to go with to the dance. But, unfortunately, his crush was taken by some douche who hooked up with every girl that complimented him, and the rest of his friends, were, well, friends.

'We're here xx' came from Patton only moments after his heart began aching to find his crushes photo of him and his bf at the dance- Virgil and Deceit. Both were in suits, and if Virgil didn't look uncomfortable around Deceit normally,  he looked uncomfortable now.

Still, Roman got up and walked out, not bothering to say goodbye to two parents who were working in their studies and wouldn't care anyway. He turned to see his friends, immediately being enveloped in a hug from Patton.

He almost couldn't breathe, more from the sheer shock of the force of the hug, but he smiled anyway and hugged back. Logan was watching them, adjusting his glasses, in his usual attire.

Well, at least they wouldn't be disappointed when Roman would tell them he'd rather be anywhere but the dance.

Logan waved at him as he broke away from Patton's hug, and he waved back, smiling. Him and Logan were cool, not close, but he was okay.

"Remy's at the bottom," Patton smiled, lacing his finger's in Roman's, like he usually did when he walked next to someone. "He didn't want to walk up, and Thomas made plans to ride with Joan and Talyn, so he'll meet us there."

Great. At the dance. Which I have to go to. And see Virgil. With Demon McGee. Roman inwardly groaned, wishing that he could stay home and die. Okay, that might have been an over reaction, but he just wanted to be anywhere else.

Logan watched them, his eyes mostly trained on their hands, and Roman had to hold himself back from making a remark about Logan's possessiveness. But instead he looked straight ahead as they walked, focusing on their hands swaying in time together.

Some part of Logan stung at that, even if Patton and assured him it was only platonic. It stung deeply, really deeply, tingling with some strange emotion Logan couldn't quite put his finger on. He'd talk to Patton about it later.

"So that's why I didn't go to the dance last year," Patton explained, using his free hand to gesture, as they finished their descent down Roman's driveway to meet Remy at the bottom.

"Heya Gals, Guys, and Non-binary pals," Remy greeted them, just as he always did, with a smile and a salute. "Shall we get this part on the road?"

None of them were dolled up or dressed up, and Roman was subtly thankful for that because it meant he didn't have to stay that long at the dance- and it was clear the others thought the same thing. He sighed in relief.

Roman then shrugged, opening a car door for Logan, Patton and him to get in. Remy understood a little more than he would've wanted- after all, Roman didn't often shrug at the opportunity to go someplace he was usually excited for. That, and Roman had told him all his worries and problems last night on the phone until 2 or 3 am.

"Hon," Remy said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're up front."

'Up front' was Remy's way of saying 'not only are you sitting in the front seat of my car, but we're gonna make you feel better because you look like this is the worst day of your life' and it was usually reserved for when Virgil came back from terrible outings with Snake Face Douche.

Roman sighed, and climbed into the front seat of the car, both Logan and Patton climbing into the back seats happily. Remy started the car up in silence, and they drive in silence, all because Roman didn't know what to say as he leans against the window fiddling with his shirt.

Then, from nowhere, a ringtone of Fall Out Boy's 'Centuries'. A push of a button on the steering wheel and Virgil's voice was on the other side.

"Hey, Rem," He said, music blasting behind him. "You guys coming?"

Deceit hissed something in the background and Roman almost lost it crying. He felt like he was fighting against something that he had no control over, like punching a brick wall with a pillow.

Patton leans forward and put a hand on his shoulder, giving Remy a worried look.

"Nah," Remy replied to a now shocked Virgil. "Sorry V, but we've got a sad Princey and we can't have that. We're going to Starbies. Thomas will be there in five."

A moment of silence on the other side. "Oh, is Ro okay?" Virgil asked. He sounded genuinely worried. Remy swerved and took another left, making Roman grab his seat belt and Patton fly into Logan's lap.

"He's a bit upset, but don't worry," Remy said, pulling his glasses, which had flown up, down. "I've got it covered. Ro, you think I got it covered?"

Roman was empty. He didn't care if Remy had it covered or not, he just didn't want to have that twisting feeling he did whenever someone mentioned he was going to the dance. "Yeah, I trust you, Rem."

Roman didn't usually call Remy that. Remy glances over the edge of his glasses at Roman, who was leaning against the window again.

"I'm on speaker?" Virgil asked.

"Duh," Remy said. "Anyway, see ya tomorrow, V, I gotta go." And he hung up.

"Ok, what's ya deal?" Remy asks, his words harsh but his tone loving.

"It's just everything," Roman groans, leaning back against the chair. "I'm not being productive but I want to be. I'm empty and full at the same time, and every endeavour I have into love only ends in heartbreak. I am the villain of my own story."

Patton gives a little 'awwww,' before putting his hand on Roman's shoulder. "It's okay, kiddo, you'll find the one." He says.

Roman sighs, sprawling himself out on the chair. "No, I am truly unlovable." He sighs. "Woe is me."

Remy thinks for a moment before nodding to himself. "We're taking you on a joyride." He says, speeding up and taking a sharp left that send them all flying and clinging to whatever they can get their hands on.

"A joyride?" Logan pipes up. "Let's try not to do that again."

"Lo's right," Patton smiled. "I don't want to end up in hospital again."

"I do." Roman said, dramatically putting his hand on his head and sprawling out.

"Right. Well, look," Remy said, ignoring Roman, "I won't do that, I don't want my license revoked again."

"Pinky promise?" Patton asks.

"Pinky promise." Remy answers.

And Roman smiles.

They end up at a viewing location a little way out of town, on a cliff's edge over looking a brilliant sunset, Starbucks in hand, when Remy parks the car and tells them all the leave the Starbucks in there.

"Someone's gotta show you some beauty," Remy says to Roman. "And I know you love sunsets."

There it is again, that smile that warms Roman up.

"Thanks." Roman answers, but Remy's already out of the car.

It is beautiful, Roman notes, as he climbs out of the car. Filled with specks of Pinks and Blues, all swirled with Purples of every shade. It washes waves of warmth over his skin, which was cold before the fire in his bones was ignited with a soft glow.

He meets Remy on the boundary, smiling. "Y'know," Remy begins. "Sunsets are the best gift you can get. Cause they're a constant. Your life will change, evolve, and move on, but you'll always have a sunset."

Roman smiles. "Yeah."

"And then you'll have stars!" Patton cheers as he appears next to them, smiling, and Roman glances down to find that his fingers are intertwined with Logan's.

"Yes," Logan agrees. "We are very lucky to have the sun rotate around the earth, for otherwise, we'd never see the galaxy around us. And we'd probably be dead."

Remy snorts. "Way to go, Smarty."

Patton leans against a flustered Logan, and Roman turns back to the sunset, watching the deep pink move around the sky, changing to purple and then to blue.

Each speck of colour is a different shade, changing and beautiful, and each cloud that drags itself across the painted sky glows with swirls of mixed colours.

And in that moment, Roman is content.

"Thanks," He says to no one in particular. "I feel better now."

"That's good." Remy smiles, leaning his head on Roman's shoulder.

"We're here for you, kiddo," Patton mumbles. "Always will be."

Logan is silent.

Roman didn't expect something profound from him, they weren't ever very close.

"Roman," Logan says. "This is illogical, but we are your sunset. We are your constant. We are not leaving."

Roman smiled. "Thanks, specs."

"Aaaand there goes the moment," Remy says, lifting his head from Roman's shoulder where it had fallen and spinning around. "Let's have our Starbucks before it melts."

They all pile back into the car, Remy snapping a quick few photos of the sunset. He hums, sipping his Starbucks double mocha latte with extra whipped cream, two extra shots of esspresso, and two shits of caramel.

"Roman," he says, putting his drink down and getting his phone out. "I need a model and a photographer."

Roman nods, smiling. They always take photos of each other modelling in places like these. They just, go the extra mile. He puts down his drink and gets out, grabbing his phone too.

Remy takes Roman's phone, imitating a catwalk model reviewer as he takes photos, which makes Roman laugh.

Of course, Remy goes the extra mile to capture this laughter.

Logan sighs in the car, sipping his plain decaf frappe. "Do you think Roman is really okay?" He asks, leaning his head on Patton's, which was on his shoulder.

"Well, Yeah, Lo," Patton sips his iced tea. "Roman's super dramatic, I don't think he'd say he was okay if he wasn't."

"I have evidence that suggests I know why he feels as if he'll never be loved," Logan sighs. "I believe he's disheartened by a seemingly
unrequited crush."

"What?" Patton gasps. "Tell me."

"Well, for days now, I've caught Roman staring at Virgil and blushing. He's become upset with Virgil's lover's presence, and any physical contact from Virgil has caused him to be flustered or speechless." Logan rambles, finally concluding with; "I think Roman has a somewhat unrequited crush on Virgil."

Patton considers this, sipping his tea. He takes a deep breath in, sighing when he lets it out.

"I think you're into something Lo," He says, smiling. "But what do we do?"

"Nothing," Logan replies. "Say, how do you feel about Truth or Dare?"

Patton lights up, taking his head off of Logan's shoulder and looking at him. "I think it's a great idea."

And Logan feels like he's seen the face of beauty and come back to discover nothing can compare to the beauty he has found in this man.

He can't help the drum inside him, or the starts rising up, or him dragging his eyes from Patton's to see Remy modelling for Roman's photos.

As he looks at them, Remy beckons him to join them with Patton. He opens the door. "We should join them." He says to Patton, who nods and follows him out.

Honestly? Patton is his constant.

When they join the two others, Remy pulls them close and tells Roman to 'take a selfie' as he makes a joke that's so cheesy it's hilarious.

Snap, the pictures taken, and Roman and Remy pile back in the car to sip their Starbucks and post the photos online.

Remy sends them the selfie and the sunset pics he got, and Logan stands outside with Patton, at the boundary, taking their own photos together.

Logan unintentionally gets a picture of Patton smiling at something he said, and another of Patton laughing. He can't help but smile at them, and decides he'll post them first.

He doesn't see the point in Social Media because he has text and everything else, but Patton convinced him to get it so he could send him Cat videos at 2 am.

Logan scrolls through his previous posts, most being of Patton and him or the others, the rest bring scenery pics.

He posts the ones of Patton, the selfie, and a sunset pic. With the caption: ' "Rare as True Love, True Friendship is rarer." - Jean De La Fontaine.'

These were his True Friends.

If only Virgil had been there too, then they would've had the whole gang.

(A/N; hey, I'm alive. Sorry for the long hiatus, I'm actually terrible at being alive on here. You see, I wrote a play -which is my one bragging point- and then performed it, and then real life problems ensued. Let's just say, I will probably never want to talk about it. Maybe. I don't know.
Anyway! Enjoy this! I know it sucks, but yeah.

-Winter)