#YES this is angsty shhhhhhh

[cyncerity]

in part 2 Will the dads get nomed ?

maybe 👀

fr tho i haven’t fully decided, but that would be fun and angsty

i’ve learned something about the way i write, and that’s that i love writing the pt. 1s of things but then have a hard time committing to a solid idea for a pt.2 cause i just wanna do everything hskslsjsksls. like half my aus have pt. 1s but not pt.2s but shhhhhhh we don’t need to talk about that

but yeah i love getting asks about what should/might be in pt. 2 of things cause it gives me ideas lol

so yes good idea, i like very much >:)

[ashcadence]

Quotes from work because it's always sheer chaos and would be a fantastic sitcom:

Co-worker, "Watching angsty edits is not a good way to deal with depression."

Me, "Shhhhhhh. Let me cope."

Co-worker 1, "Where are you going?"

Co-worker 2, "Hell bitch!!!"

Co-worker, "OMG! Was that your brother???"

Me, "Yeah."

Co-worker, "He's HOT!"

Me, "He has a girlfriend, and I'm good friends with her. So no, you're not asking my brother out. Plus he plans on marrying her, so big no."

Co-worker, "DAMN IT!"

Co-worker *smacks me* "Were you even listening?"

Me, "No. Was I supposed to be?"

Co-worker, "You completely zoned out. What were you doing? Having a spiritual epiphany or something?"

Me, "If by spiritual epiphany you mean I forgot how to think, then yes."

Co-worker, "What are you doing?"

Me, "I have been reduced to standing here to make sure nobody steps in the dog shit."

Co-worker, "Where's maintenance?"

Me, "They're supposed to be coming."

Co-worker, "Are they even real?"

Me, "I'm not sure..."

They are lol

*Angel with a Shotgun plays on the radio*

Me, "Oh my god this brings back memories."

Co-worker, "So you were one of those teenagers!"

Me, "Don't you fuckin' dare say it!"

Co-worker, "Destiel."

*gets a bra we were stocking thrown at her head*

[the-hot-zone]

Too Old To Play With Toys: The Sad Truth Behind Sokka's Boomerang

This is Sokka’s boomerang: 

[ID: a screenshot of Sokka’s boomerang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. It has just been thrown, and it whips through the air in a rapid, whirling motion. End ID.]

And as we all know, it always comes back. This characteristic makes Sokka’s boomerang a returning boomerang, rather than a hunting boomerang. This is an important distinction to make, and it’s where the heart of this headcanon lays. Let me explain. 

Accuracy: What’s the Difference Between Hunting and Throwing Boomerangs?

There are three types of boomerangs: the hunting boomerang, the returning boomerang, and the cross boomerang. We’re only going to be discussing hunting and throwing boomerangs, but feel free to learn about cross boomerangs and their construction--they’re really cool. As a general note: the following sources and information pertain to Aboriginal Australian cultures. Boomerangs were used elsewhere, but mainly as throwing sticks, not returning boomerangs.

So, hunting boomerangs, also known as throwing sticks or kylies, have this basic shape:

[ID: a black silhouette of a hunting boomerang. It is shaped like a skinny tear drop, with a slight curve along its form, and it widens asymmetrically at its ends. End ID.]

[ID: an overhead shot of three hunting boomerangs. They are carved from glossy, light-brown wood. End ID.]

Artist: Aboriginal Elder, Joe Skeen Snr. Buy here.

The hunting boomerang is straighter, larger, longer, and deadlier than the returning boomerang. “With it,” states the Britannica, “animals were maimed and killed, while in warfare it caused serious injuries and death.” This is due to its shape, which allows it to travel in a relatively straight line. With its capability for distance and force, the hunting boomerang is a very powerful tool. 

According to Boomerang: Behind an Australian Icon by Philip Jones, a hunting boomerang can travel around 100 meters. If the boomerang is heavy enough, and the throw forceful enough, large prey, like kangaroos, can be killed. If you want to see a hunting boomerang in action, watch sections of this Youtube video. The range and accuracy of this tool are amazing. 

The returning boomerang, which was used in eastern and western parts of Australia, is very different:

[ID: a black silhouette of a returning boomerang. It has two arms that widen towards the middle and connect, forming an angled shape, like a triangle with two sides. End ID.]

[ID: a painted returning boomerang. The base is formed from a smooth, light-colored wood. Designs are painted at the end of its wings, in the middle of its wings, and towards its center. At the center is a stylized turtle. End ID.]

Artist: unknown, but sold by Aboriginal-owned business Murra Wolka. Website here. 

As you can see, the returning boomerang is shorter, smaller, and angled sharply. The shape of it allows it to trace an elliptical path, thus returning to the thrower. But this property is not without its drawbacks:

“A hunting boomerang needs to fly well and nearly straight to strike prey some 200 metres away. The trouble is that the best-flying boomerangs tend to return, rarely departing beyond fifty metres from the thrower. With the returning form ‘there is no certainty of hitting the mark. It may come back too quickly and may hit your own friends standing near you.’ While recognising that the best-flying boomerangs do return, Aborigines defined a technological problem. They needed to strike a compromise between flying ability and hunting requirements...” (Australian Museum).

Now, the returning boomerang could still be used to hunt, but not to kill or maim prey. Its application was craftier:

“When hunting ducks, for example, nets were set up at either ends of a creek or river. A boomerang was then thrown out over the ducks which gave them a scare so that they took off up the river and flew directly into the nets. From there they were collected. At other times during the hunting of birds the returning boomerang was thrown horizontally along the ground into a flock, and, as they took off the boomerang would follow them into the air. This may or may not kill the bird and a harder way to hunt” (murruppi.com).

Still, this wasn’t the main application of the returning boomerang. In actuality, it was used as a toy:

“The returning boomerang was not primarily designed for hunting as it is too light and wouldn't guarantee a kill. Rather, it was designed as a toy for young aboriginal boys. The toy would allow a youngster to practice throwing skills but still make it fun” (murrippi.com). 

So, Sokka’s boomerang? A plaything.

Let’s Bring It Back to ATLA: What Does This Mean?

With the above information, Sokka’s use of his boomerang in canon becomes almost tragic. His boomerang was probably given to him by Hakoda when he was very young. He used it to learn how to throw; one day, when he was older, he would have carved his own throwing stick, and used it to hunt alongside his dad and the other adults of his tribe. 

Instead, Sokka’s boomerang is another aspect of his childhood that was twisted by the war. His boomerang is--should have been--nothing more than a toy. He shouldn’t have had to use it to fend off Zuko, attack Azula, and defeat Combustion Man. Regardless, it did become a tool he used to help defeat the Fire Nation, and that’s pretty fitting when it comes to ATLA’s ideas of childhood and war: Sokka spent years acting as his tribe’s protector; Katara spent longer acting as a mother. Thus, his use of his boomerang throughout the show displays how Sokka was forced into a war-torn world at an incredibly, unfairly young age. As a result, he was forced to adapt in ways that took from him. 

And we’ve all seen Sokka’s boomerang in action. Here’s a video of his greatest hits--literally. His accuracy is insane, and he catches his boomerang every time. He’s more than ready to have a hunting boomerang, yet we see him use his returning boomerang throughout the show, and long after he earns his ice dodging mark. Tbh? I think that Sokka didn’t want to carve a hunting boomerang without his dad guiding his hands. 

So, you might be wondering, what happens post-war? 

Eventually, I think Sokka retires his returning boomerang and carves his own hunting boomerang, but the shape of it is particular: 

“Some scientists argue that a throwing-stick, commonly used by indigenous hunters around the world, is the precursor of the boomerang... Through trial-and-error the boomerang was refined to a point where the most desirable size, proportions and curvature were established. This refinement brought one serious problem: any improvement in flying resulted in a tendency to return. There is little doubt that indigenous hunters brought this experiment to its ultimate conclusion, by producing the perfect returning boomerang” (Australian Museum).

In short, making a good hunting boomerang is hard. Lots of trial and error, and still, hunting boomerangs come in a wide array of shapes. Thus, I headcanon that Sokka carves his hunting boomerang differently, as compared to the other members of his tribe--it’s more curved. This would show that although he's grown up and is in a post-war world, he's changed in some ways that can't be completely undone. 

In other words, Sokka eventually moves on, but the way he throws and uses his boomerang is going to be a little different.

Conclusion

TL;DR: Sokka’s boomerang is a plaything, and this has sad implications. But also? He never should have had one in the first place. Firstly, boomerangs were traditionally made from green hardwood, which I don’t believe can be found in the South Pole. I on god can’t find any authentic sources for bone or metal boomerangs. To be more accurate and still keep with the trend of throwing weapons, I would’ve given Sokka a nuqaq and darts or a bola.

Also, as far as I can tell, Sokka’s boomerang is the only aspect of Aboriginal Australian culture Bryke used in ATLA (I can’t get a confirmation on Hakoda’s name). This is cherry-picking to the max, and it perpetuates the harmful ideas of pan-indigeneity wrt one large, singular culture. 

So, if you enjoyed this, please consider supporting aboriginal artists and charities. You can buy aboriginal art from murrippi.com and Murra Wolka. This article here provides a list of charities as well as active GoFundMe’s for families affected by police brutality against Aboriginal Australians. Thank you.

Sources

“Hunting Boomerang - Extreme Range - The Aboriginal Karli” by Throwsticks Channel

“Boomerang Information“ by Murruppi, Djirrbal/Ngadjonji Tribe 

“Boomerang” by the Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors for the Encyclopaedia Britannica

“It Comes Back ... What a Nuisance!“ by Stan Florek for Australian Museum 

Boomerang: Behind an Australian Icon by Philip Jones from Wikipedia 

Murra Wolka 

Gonna tag @atlaculture​​​ because I think this is of your interest. <3

[amour393]

Star Wars! Au thoughts

Because star wars day and I've had this in my drafts for ages

Takes place during the prequels

Kind of

WE OPEN

With jedi knights: Kai and Nya

*cough* Kai is basically Anakin *cough*

WHOA IS THAT THE CHOSEN ONE

Surprise surprise Lloyd is the chosen one

Kai trains him

Not to be confused with Kai's (and Nya's) master, Wu

*cough* yoda *cough*

Pixal is a Mandolorian and she's the coolest

So is Zane they fight together it's great

Jay and Cole are senators

Whoa what's that a secret relationship between Senator Walker and Jedi Nya nooooo that's craaaaaaazy

Jay is akin to Padme in that they are ~flawless~ and have the same debate style

Well in this they do don't ask questions

Cole is the most non smooth senator ever

He breaks things

A lot

*throws chair* "SAY IT AGAIN"

But he keeps getting reelected so I guess it works

But Kai and Nya come to them whenever they have a political problem bc with their different styles they usually solve the problem twice as fast

That or they complicate the situation even more but that's not the point

BUM BUM BUM BUM BA DUM BUM BA DUM whoa Supreme Chancellor Garmadon is that you I hear your theme music

YEP THAT CAUSES A BUNCH OF PROBLEMS

does he know Lloyd is his son? Absolutely.

Does Lloyd know? Of course not

Is Garmadon waiting for Kai to train Lloyd so he can turn both of them to the dark side whoa yep

NYOOM WHAT'S THAT NIGHTMARES ABOUT YOUR PARENTS

rip Ray and Maya

WHOA WHATS THAT A DREAM THAT YOUR SISTER IS GONNA DIE

"Hehehehe learn the ways of the dark side mwahahaha"

"Only then can you save your sister"

Y'know if he like told Nya he thought she was gonna die a lot of problems would have been solved but WHATEVER

Kai is like "why do I keep having a dream Nya is gonna die in childbirth that makes no sense"

Jay and Nya Walker Smith are sweating nervously in the corner shhhhhhh

So duh duh duh Kai and Nya go around beating up Sith lords like Count Chen and Darth Acronix etc etc

Dooku=Chen

Yeet enter episode III and rip Chen

Acronix is dead too by III but that's not important

Cling clang what's that a giant fight between Kai and Nya on Mustafar

"You're my brother Kai! I love you!"

"Kai the sith are evil!"

"weLL fRoM mY pOiNt oF ViEw tHe jEdi aRe eViL"

She beats him in a fight 9 months pregnant u suck Kai

Kai almost kills Jay and Cole because of course they followed Nya to Mustafar

And then they tried to attack Kai

That didn't end well

He force choked both of them and Nya thought they were dead = cue Nya getting ticked off and attacking Kai

If Jay were awake he woulda been freaking out bc his 9 months pregnant wife was fighting one of the best jedi in the order, but that's not the point

Kai wasn't particularly trying to kill Nya, so he was kinda going easy on her hence how Nya won

Wow look Kai is on fire

Irony at its finest amirite

I FORGOT ABOUT BOUNTY HUNTERS

Skylor is basically Ventress. She started as a sith (duh bc Chen is one) but then another Sith tried to kill her so she ditched them and became a bounty hunter

Ronin is obviously one

Morro used to be part of the jedi order but Wu led him to believe he was the chosen one, blah blah blah, so he left as a youngling and became a bounty hunter that perpetually hunts Lloyd

He has a bit of force (and a green lightsaber) but whenever he tries to attack Lloyd, Kai and Nya kick his butt so

ANYHOO

Yeah Kai turns to the dark side :(

Lloyd becomes a wee bit angsty for a bit because Kai pretty much raised him and he thinks Kai is dead

Nya tells him he was killed by Darth Omega, Garmadon's new apprentice

"But how did you escape then"

"I got mad skills"

That's a direct quote ladies and gents

SO Emperor Garmadon and Darth Kai are vibing and taking over the galaxy tryna find the chosen one

But Nya, Jay, Cole, and Lloyd form the rebellion

You may be thinking "but what about Nya's kids! She was pregnant when she fought Kai! Did she give birth!"

Yes she did but well um remember Kai's vision about his sister dying in childbirth

Well

Let's just say rip Jaya's would be daughter

And OH BOY that makes Jay and Nya super ready to destroy the Empire

Jay is ready to kill Kai tbh

Lloyd is chilling with his training from Nya on Tatooine (cuz Kai hates sand)

Garmadon is like "dude. They're on tatooine. We all know they're on tatooine."

And Kai is like furiously searching every where else like "NO THEY CANT BE THERE MAYBE THEYRE hmm ON NABOO NABOO IS VERY NICE THIS TIME OF YEAR"

Garmadon, internally, 97% of the time he has to deal with Darth Kai: I should've turned his sister

Yadda yadda yadda, Lloyd is fighting Darth Kai after getting his hand chopped off and is like "I'll never join you!! You killed my brother!!"

"Dude, I am your brother."

"Nooooooooooooooooo"

Woohoo he blows up the death star and everything's gravy

Dun dun duuuuuun theres another death star

They blew that one up too

After the epic fights

Lloyd vs Garmadon and Kai vs Nya

Well here's the deal

Garmadon told Kai that Nya was dead

Nya knew Kai is Darth Kai but like avoided him for awhile cuz she had the train Lloyd

So Lloyd and Nya show up to duel to the death and then Kai is like

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD"

"I ALMOST WAS THANKS TO YOU"

"BUT I HAD A VISION YOU WOULD DIE???? ALSO WHEN DID YOU AND JAY BECOME A THING AND WHY WAS I NOT INVITED TO THE WEDDING????"

"WELL YEAH BUT THANKS TO YOU OUR DAUGHTER IS DEAD SO NYOOM also like late September that one year and we didn't invite you because it was illegal!! No one knew except us and cole!!"

"WELL I- wait, COLE? YOU TOLD SOME STUPID SENATOR OVER YOUR OWN BROTHER?!"

"AT LEAST COLE DIDN'T TRY TO KILL ME MY HUSBAND AND MY FRIENDS ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE JEDI ORDER"

Then Kai is like "shoot you're right" and joins the light side before Nya kills him

Meanwhile Lloyd is trying to best up Garmadon and it's not going well

It takes Kai, Nya, and Lloyd to beat him before Garm is all "my son I'm so proud"

And everyone is very confused bc he isn't talking about Nya, why would he be proud of Kai, shoot does that mean Lloyd is his son???

Le gasp

Lloyd is shooketh cuz he never knew his parents

"I don't believe you!"

"You don't have to, you sense it. We both know it's true."

Then Kai is like "then what the heck did you want me for"

"Well I was hoping that if I turned you Lloyd would follow so"

"You turned me because you lied to me and manipulated me for years and years and years"

Then Jay and Cole blow up the death star the end

OR

Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane are four jedi charged with protecting the chosen one, Lloyd

Their lightsaber are blue, orange, blue, and white

Nya is also there she's chilling in the jedi order

Yes Jaya is still a thing in this au because it's my favorite and I will die with this ship

No one knows about them tho so shhh

Like actually no one knows because they're actually smart about not being completely in love in front of everyone unlike Anidala

Cole probably knows

The four were each students of Wu, but Nya was a padawan of Master Garmadon

"You must not form attachments, Kai." -Wu, every day ever

Kai, gesturing to his sister, his three besties, his honorary little brother, his master, and that one cute bounty hunter that tried to kill him that one time: "behold, my attachments"

Yeah Skylor is still a bounty hunter fight me (she has an orange lightsaber bc she's cool enough to have a lightsaber)

Same with Ronin and Morro

Bum bum bum Lloyd is Garmadon's son obviously but officially they're not related

"Oh nonono, he's like a son to me, he's not my actual son, haha."

"Dad, look at this drawing I made!!"

"That's great, Lloyd, we'll put it on the fridge at home."

"Garmadon sir it certainly looks like he's your actual son I mean he looks just like you."

"Nonsense. He has blond hair. I have brown hair. Your claim is ridiculous."

"But-"

"R I D I C U L O U S"

"...okay sir."

The four have their own problems, of course

Like that Sith lord Nadakhan Jay killed via cutting his legs off whoops he's not actually dead you better go kill him again haha

Oh and Kai and Nya y'all should probably do something about that one other sith lord Chen who keeps saying your parents were evil

Yo Cole the Duke of Mandolore is being corrupt again and his daughter is ringing for your help, did you have plans this afternoon, or...?

Speaking of Mandolore Zane do you wanna go handle Death Watch I mean their leader Pixal seems to like you so idk

Hello Chancellor Overlord that name isn't sus at all

DUN DUN DUN PLOT TWIST MASTER GARMADON HAS BEEN TURNED TO THE DARK SIDE :O 

RIP the jedi order well time for the six to go into hiding

On the bright side Jay and Nya can now reveal their relationship since they have nothing to be kicked out of

so obviously the four, nya, and pixal found the rebellion

"Lloyd, I am your father."

"Nooooooooooo"

Poor lloyd lost his hand

You know this plays out pretty much how it does in the movies

Each ninja jedi teaches Lloyd a different form of lightsaber combat since they each use a different one

Scott is basically Han Solo dont @ me

S t a r W a r s A U

[thatonechicken]

Soooooooooo I did a thing

I’ve been wanting to post some of my writing on here for awhile, but it’s been kind of difficult because majority of my writing has been and always will be on my Wattpad account.

So, here I am, with a Christmas Sanders Sides one shot! Yes, I’m aware that Thanksgiving was two days ago. I just had the idea, so I ran with it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Word count: 2001

Ships: Romantic Royality, platonic/family Moxiety, and platonic/family Prinxiety 

This is an angsty one shot, with some fluff here and there, and a fluffy ending.

Human AU.

Warnings: Profanity, crying, unsympathetic Virgil (he’s better at the end, I promise), Virgil is Patton’s son. If I missed anything, I am so sorry, please let me know.

Finally, I’m posting this partially to celebrate the fact that I am now accepting one shot requests! Send me a request, and I’ll see what I can do!

Merry Christmas

"Merry Christmas, fairest of them all!" Roman greeted as soon as Patton opened the door, leaning in and kissing his boyfriend’s lips.

“Merry Christmas!” Patton giggled in return, gesturing for him to come inside. One of the things Roman particularly enjoyed about Florida was that it never got terrifyingly cold outside, like it did in some other places.

He sniffed the air, noticing how it smelled deliciously like tomato sauce. “What’s cooking? It smells awfully good in…” Roman’s voice trailed off when he noticed a purple and black blur hurrying out of sight. Seconds later, he could hear a door closing at the end of the hallway.

“Hey.” Patton wrapped an arm around his shoulders, “Why don’t you help me in the kitchen? The lasagna’s already in the oven, but I need someone to wash and peel the carrots for the salad.” 

“R-right.” Roman shook his head, focusing on the man holding him close. “Let’s go.” Despite how hard he tried to keep himself busy in the kitchen with the numerous tasks Patton gave him, his thoughts always roamed back to the teenager shut away in his room down the hall.

It was Patton’s son, Virgil Sanders. He was only fourteen years old, and already about the biggest pain in his ass that Roman had ever met. He had been dating Patton for roughly four years now, and Virgil insisted on fighting him every step of the way.

When they were first introduced, he welcomed Roman with a cold glare. Patton reassured him that “he’s always like this with new people,” and “he’ll come around, don’t worry,” but Roman wasn’t so sure. He was right, in fact, because Virgil only seemed to dislike him more from there.

The worst part? Roman never really understood why the kid hated him so much. He tried his hardest to get along with the emo, maybe just be friends, but the teen wouldn’t have any of it.

Now, standing in the kitchen and watching Patton half-mindedly, he couldn't help but fidget with the small box in his pocket. Gazing affectionately at the man before him, Roman repeated the name for what must’ve been the thousandth time. Patton Sanders-Princeton.

He loved the way the name sounded, almost as much as he loved thinking of Patton as his fiancé, or husband. The only person standing in his way was Virgil. Well, maybe he wasn’t in the way, exactly. Roman wanted more than almost anything to love him as his own, but he was finding it increasingly difficult as Virgil shied further and further away from him.

Roman also refused to propose to his boyfriend without his son’s consent. He knew what it was like to not have any control over what happens in your life. He’d experienced that when his father married a homophobic bitch named Karen.

“Ro? Babe?” Patton asked suddenly, and Roman’s train of thought quickly dove straight into the abyss. Okay, not straight. It dove gay into the abyss. His eyes fell onto his boyfriend, who was now standing directly in front of him. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, of course!” Roman replied, but his gaze shifted to the door at the end of the hallway. “I’ll… I’ll be right back.” Patton was concerned about his behavior, but tried to think nothing of it as he left the room.

Roman knocked gently on the white door, biting his lip. When he heard no response, he cracked it open slightly. “Virge…?” he asked when he noticed the purple and black heap facing the wall. 

“Virgil.” was the muffled response he got, “Only people I like are allowed to call me Virge.” Roman’s heart sank slightly at that, but he kept up his confident front anyway. He couldn’t afford to let it drop, not now.

He leaned against the door frame with a small sigh, once again fidgeting with the little box. “I, um… I love your dad very much.” Virgil scoffed, but otherwise remained silent. 

“I- I want to propose to him, Virgil.” Oh did Roman regret saying those words as soon as they slipped past his lips. If he could’ve taken them back, he would’ve.

“I’m sorry, what?” Virgil hissed defensively, sitting upright and facing Roman with a murderous look in his eyes, and a scowl on his face. “I want to marry him.” Roman murmured softly, nervously.

Virgil laughed dryly at that. “No! Fucking hell, Roman! I didn’t ask for the two of you to meet! I didn’t ask for you to get together! I didn’t ask for you to come over here every other day! I didn’t ask for you to be near me, and I didn’t ask you to try to get to know me! I didn’t ask for you to ‘love’ dad, and I most certainly didn’t ask for you to be my new father, because you never will be!” the angsty teenager got off his bed, shoving Roman out of the room before slamming the door in his face.

Roman’s heart in that moment was like a small pebble being tossed into the ocean. It was sinking down, and showed no signs of stopping. As soon as he was away from the door, thunder cracked, lightning flashed, and tears poured down his cheeks.

“Roman!” Patton cried, immediately rushing to his side. Virgil sat in front of his closed door, quietly listening to the conversation beyond.

“What happened?!” Pat asked, and at first, Roman wanted to answer, but his mouth was the texture of sandpaper, rough and dry.

“H-h-he said-” Roman shuttered in his boyfriend’s arms, now wishing that life had an undo button.

“Shhhhhhh,” Patton rocked him back and forth, “What’d he say?” “H-he said th-that I’ll n-n-never be h-his f-f-f-father!” Roman whimpered, burying his face in Patton’s neck. It shouldn’t hurt this much. Virgil isn’t even his kid, he’s Patton’s. He wasn’t supposed to grow this attached, and yet he did.

Hearing Roman say those words made Virgil falter slightly. He had said so much to Roman in the brief time that he had been in the room, and yet… he was most upset that Virgil had told him that he would never be Virgil’s father. Not that Virgil didn’t want him to marry his dad.

“Oh, Roman…” Patton whispered, kissing his forehead. “I don’t know why he’d… I’m so sorry!” he led Roman to the couch, sitting down with him in his lap. “I knew that you guys don’t get along, but I didn’t realize he would say something like that…” what Patton said only caused Roman to cry harder.  

“I don’t understand what I did!” Roman sobbed, “I-I just want to know, so I can apologize, and Virgil will like me!” Ever since Virgil decided that he didn't like Roman, he’d forced his heart to remain stone cold. Just… an emotionless rock that kept blood pumping through his veins. And yet, the tiniest crack was starting to wedge it’s way into the outer shell.

Patton sat there with Roman in his arms, and for the first time in his life, he didn’t know what to do. For the first time ever, he wasn’t sure how to help the one who needed it most.

After what felt like forever, Roman’s broken sobs slowly began to fade into quiet sniffles. Patton hugged him tightly, and they were both too focused on each other to hear the door creak open. “We’ll figure this out, okay? I promise.” Patton continued whispering sweet nothings in his ear, hoping it would help. He only stopped when he felt another hand on his.

Virgil carefully and cautiously climbed on the couch with them,  wrapping his arms around Roman. If Patton hadn’t been watching him, he would’ve never noticed how glassy Virgil’s eyes were.

“I’m sorry.” was all he said, but it was enough to set Roman off and suddenly, he was crying all over again, hugging Virgil tightly. Roman felt as if the moment he let the kid go, he would immediately go back to hating him. 

“You can ask him.” Virgil whispered, and Roman hugged him tighter. Patton didn’t understand, but he didn’t need to. His son and his boyfriend were making up, and that’s all he cared about.

“How about opening presents before dinner?” Virgil suggested, and Roman offered him a watery smile. “Sounds perfect.” Patton hurried off after that, grabbing the two packages he had wrapped earlier. None of them had ever really been into the whole gift giving tradition on Christmas, so they settled on getting each other one present only.

“Here!” Patton chirped excitedly, tossing both Roman and Virgil similarly shaped squishy packages. They tore through the snowflake paper at the same time, each grinning at its contents.

“Patton, this is amazing!” Roman lifted up the beautifully knit white sweater. It had red sleeves, along with a bright red sash covered in snowflakes that traveled diagonally across. What looked to be golden braids stretched straight across in neat rows.

“This is pretty chill, dad.” Virgil breathed, gazing at his. Unlike Roman’s, it had a big purple thunder cloud at the top, with gorgeous purple and black patterns covering the rest of it.

Patton’s eyes were shining as he tugged on his own sweater. “Really? I’d say mine is rather toasty.” Roman smiled lovingly at the pun, laughing as Virgil cringed.

“Me next!” Virgil decided, handing one gift to both of them. He glanced down guiltily. “I know it’s not a lot, and I only have one, but I-” Patton cut him off. “Whatever it is, you know I’m gonna love it!” Roman nodded enthusiastically as he began ripping through the plain red paper.

Patton gasped at the picture frame in his lap, glancing at Virgil with wide eyes. “You drew this?” Roman was just as awestruck, if not more so. This entire time, Virgil always at least seemed like he hated him, and yet… he’d drawn a beautiful portrait of himself and Patton. It looked so alive that Roman could hardly believe it was a drawing in the first place. 

“You’re turn, Ro!” Patton kissed his cheek, and Roman tried to force the uneasy feelings away. Nothing was going to go wrong. Virgil supported him now. It would be fine. Right?

“Uh- here.” Virgil accepted the present gratefully, quickly ripping it open. “What. The. Hell.” Virgil lifted a midnight black MCR sweatshirt out of the box, along with two tickets for their next concert.

“You… you…” Roman laughed at that. “When your father told me that you liked My Chemical Romance, I decided I wanted to do something special.”

“Thank you.” Virgil threw his arms around his neck. Roman forced a smile in return. There were so many butterflies in his stomach that he wasn’t sure whether to laugh, or cry.

“You got this.” he whispered in Roman’s ear, and he nodded. Roman took a deep breath before reaching out for his hopefully soon fiancé’s hands. “Patton,” he began, gazing into those chocolatey brown eyes that had enchanted him right from the moment they met. “We’ve been dating for four years now, and honestly? I’ve spent some of the happiest moments of my life with you. I’ve loved you way more than I thought any human was capable of loving, and I don’t want to ever stop. You and Virgil light up my world, and together you’ve made me the happiest man alive. 

“Most importantly, you’re the best boyfriend I could’ve asked for in a million years. So Patton,” Roman got off of the couch and leaned down on one knee, “Will you marry me?” 

“Yes, yes, yes, one million times, YES!” Patton cried, jumping into Roman’s arms. “I love you so much,” he murmured as Virgil joined the hug. “I love you too, Snowflake.” Roman carefully slid the diamond ring onto his finger, kissing him passionately.

“Merry Christmas.” Roman said to no one in particular as he leaned down to kiss his now fiancé’s lips again. To his surprise, Virgil was the one who replied. “Merry Christmas, Dad.”