Archive of Our Own

He was fine when his customers began to send impatient glances, starting to tap their feet and roll their fingers on the counter. They didn’t outwardly complain, which anyone would be relieved for. But that didn’t stop Roman from noticing their behavior. 

It was his fault, he knew. Roman knew he could work faster, harder, better, but his hands kept slipping, nearly dropping the rolling pin here, fumbling with the cash there. He glanced at the clock, wondering when his partners were going to get back. 

It’s not like his partners knowingly left him to man the bakery knowing 2 baseball teams were going to come in to request more than the usual rush for a busy day. Roman could manage until they got back.

He had to. He was fine after all. Totally fine.

So he continued to fulfill the orders as fast he could, agonizingly waiting for the new pastries and breads to cool down before he served them. Finally, one of the mothers spoke up, her blonde long hair nearly matching the walls behind her, her tone clearly trying to be as cordial as possible, clearly seeing that Roman was running a one man show at the moment.

“Sir, how long for the chocolate chip cookies we ordered, the 2 dozen?” Roman glanced over at the cookies cooling nearby.

“Oh, just another minute or two, you’re lucky to get fresh ones!” Roman replied, making his voice as bubbly as possible, emulating his partner Emile, who was an unending ray of sunshine.

“Thank you sir,” The mother replied, then leaning in just enough for Roman to her her whisper, “I’m so sorry for this, if I had known your brother or your boyfriends-” 

Roman cringed at the word ‘boyfriend,’ as they were he’s QPPs, not his boyfriends. 

“-weren’t going to be here I would’ve come back later. Are they anywhere in particular? Sorry if I’m prying too much. I rarely come here at this time.”

Roman’t expression fractured, his smile fading, but not completely, “Oh, no this is a daily thing, me and my partners-” Roman gave the word a slight emphasis to indicate they weren’t his boyfriends. “- cycle days were one of us goes on lunch break before or after the others so the bakery can stay open. We usually try to aim it around the naturally slow times of the day, but there’s always... outliers.”

The mother had the decency to look a little sheepish at the implication, but looked vaguely confused at the slight emphasis on partners. 

Roman sighed. Perhaps she had never heard of Queer-platonic Relationships, so Roman knew he couldn’t fault her for being unintentionally rude.

“That’s smart, though I am sorry I have become one of those... outliers you mentioned. The only positive thing I could say about this situation is that I love y’alls stuff enough to bring my kids and my son’s teammates here to taste your stuff, cause your stuff is really good!” The mother bobbed her head to emphasize her point, also splaying her arms out, which inexplicably reminded Roman that it had been enough time for him to distribute the cookies.

“Thank you, I think the cookies have cooled enough that I can- ow!” Roman snatched his hand back. In his distractedness talking to the mother, Roman had grabbed the tray the cookies were on with his bear hands instead of safely handling it with gloves. 

Roman cradling his hand in front of him for a moment, feeling the painful tingling and numb sensation his hand now had. 

No, Roman was fine. It was just a little bitty burn, he could get through it, he had to.

“Roman, you good there hun?” The mother, who’s name just came back to him at that moment, Clarissa Jane asked, concerned.

Roman turned around waving her off with his other hand,  inwardly wincing when his burned hand gripped the oven mitts he was retrieving. 

“I’m fine, Mrs. Jones, almost burned myself on the pan, I forgot it was still hot, no worries, I’m fine.” Roman assured Clarissa, again emulating Emile’s endless happy go lucky smile.

“Oh, sweetie, call me Clarissa, we’re more than strangers by now and-” It was then that Roman heard the bell at the front door ring, seeing his brother and his partners entering. They were busy in conversation until one by one they took in the bustling bakery, almost instantaneously rushing into the back with Roman.

Emile was the first to reach Roman hands fluttering as he approached Roman as he slid the cookies onto a flat and less hot surface nearer to the packing space.

“Roman, you’ve been dealing with this on your own? I’m- we’re so sorry! You could’ve called us, we would’ve rushed back if we knew it had gotten this busy during out lunch break!” Emile exclaimed concernedly, Remus and Logan taking up their places, beginning to packaged the cookies according to the orders Roman had taken, sending heartfelt and apologetic glances Roman’s way. 

And despite the fact Roman visibly relaxed at knowing the burden was lifted off of his shoulders to fulfill the orders on his own, he nonchalantly waved Emile off with his burned hand, oven mitt still on.

“I’m fine my dear windmile, Clarissa has been plenty patient with me for the cookies to cool. Go help the customers, I’ll start to prepare the next batch.” Roman smiled, his own little smile, not a facsimile of Emile’s smile as Emile knew him too much for that smile to convince him. 

Emile looked vaguely suspicious, his eyebrows furrowing a little, but he made no complaint as he joined in help his partners package the cookies.

Roman released a breath he didn’t know he holding as he turned around, gingerly taking of his gloves. Roman steeled himself as he made sure he didn’t show any pain at his movement despite the daggers of pain that came from anything minutely touching most of Roman’s hand.

The pain unfortunately slowly progressed from a dull throb of daggers to feeling as if his hand was a hairs breadth away from burst into flames as his hand felt as though it was on fire.

Roman was trying so hard not the show the pain he was in that he only realized he was just standing there when he heard Logan’s voice, concerned and gentle calling his name.

“-oman. Roman?” Roman jolted his head up to see Logan looking at him concerned, Remus and Emile doing the same, paused in their tasks.

“Uh, yes Logan? Sorry for not responding, I was... distracted.” Roman responded, it being the truth, but maybe not the complete truth. Remus seemed to notice speaking up himself.

“Roman, you’ve been standing there staring at the flour for over a minute, and Logan was calling you for about half of that.” Remus retorted, setting down the box of cookies he had just packaged, looking ready to come over to Roman and hug him (which was a strange expression to see on Remus’s face, affection like that out of concern? That wasn’t usually Remus’s thing.)

Roman could only muster one word in response to that.

“Oh.”

Emile, who was the closest, stepped towards Roman, grabbing one of Roman’s hands. Unfortunately that hand was the one Roman burned and he couldn’t resist the yelp of pain as Emile suddenly took Roman’s hand.

Emile’s face immediately dropped into concerned, turning Roman’s hand over against his will to see the angry and red burn on the greater part of Roman’s hand.

“Roman, you burned your hand! Why didn’t you tell us?” Emile asking, eyes sad and concerned. 

“Wait, Roman, you burned your hand?” Logan gasped, rushing over immediately.

“Roman, what the fuck?!” Remus eloquently exclaimed, not seeing the disapproving expression of Clarissa that Roman saw her face make at the curse word.

Roman snatched his hand away, tears coming to his eyes Emile grabbing his hand hurt. 

“I’m fine guys, it’s nothing major, I’m fine!” Roman assured them, though now he wasn’t sure if those words were more for them or him.

“Nothing major my ass! If this kind of burn goes untreated it could’ve been so much worse! Why would you hide something like this?” Remus fumed, stalking over to Roman.

“Guys I’m fine, I’m fi-” Roman stumbled back, tripping over a small pot that had dropped at some point, catching himself with his hands, but that caused a wave of pain to crash through his hand, Roman barely containing a full of scream of pain.

Roman had to blink a few times to get the blackness out of his eyes, realizing he was clutching his wrist and kneeling down from the pain.

Okay... maybe he wasn’t fine.

Before Roman could get up or say anything, he felt Logan’s lithe fingers supporting him by his armpits, heaving Roman up to stand again.

“Okay that’s it, you’re at the very least resting while I treat your burn, as it’s not enough to go to the hospital for and we have the necessary supplies for this exact purpose, you’re taking a long break.” Logan instructed Roman as he led him to the back, ignoring Roman’s protests.

Roman craned his neck, watching his partner and his brother watching him and Logan go into the back room before continuing where they left off, both of them doing a little double duty.

“Logan, my hand’s fine for now, the customers need you to-” 

“The customers can go fuck themselves for all I care, you’re more important right now, and don’t you dare argue you aren’t!” Logan sharply barked, causing Roman’s mouth to snap shut as he was going to argue Logan, but stopped at Logan insistence.

After making sure Roman was compliant, Logan began to treat Roman’s burn, gently rubbing some type of ointment and then aloe on Roman’s palm, apologizing when Roman winced in pain.

“I’m sorry Roman, it’s a necessary evil for your hand to sting before it gets better. I hope you can forgive me.”

Roman shook his head, “Of course I forgive you teach, it’s my own damn fault it happened, I should’ve been paying attention. I’m-”

“Don’t you even think about finishing that sentence, Roman. I will not have anyone in the bakery putting themselves down. It happened, it hurts now, you’ve learned to be more careful in the future, right?” Logan snapped interrupted Roman, waiting for Roman to answer Logan’s semi-rhetorical question.

“Right...” 

Logan smiled, bringing Roman’s face back up to look at him, which Roman didn’t even realize he looked down in the first place.

“Thank you, I’m done with your burns so you should get some rest now, you’ve earned a break.” Roman looked down to see Logan had somehow bandaged Roman’s hand without him noticing. Roman went to protest resting, but a sharp glare from Logan again stopped Roman in his tracks. 

Roman visibly rolled his eyes as he let Logan arrange the pillow on the couch in the back room they were in so that Roman could lay down, which Logan also helped Roman do, helping not put strain on his other not burned hand when Logan could help him instead.

Roman playfully glared and pouted at Logan silently, ignoring the chastising expression he got in response. 

Seeing Roman was situated, Logan waited a few moments, studying Roman before he slowly walked out of the room, glancing back one last time to make sure Roman was still laying down before he pushed the doors open, going back into the main bakery.

Roman was half inclined to jump up, not darting back out into the bakery, but to start to gather ingredients he knew his partners and brother would need eventually if his mental math was correct. But instead he followed Logan’s instructions, allowing himself to finally relax.

It felt... nice. And as Roman looked up at the ceiling, he finally accepted that maybe he wasn’t as fine as he thought, but as long as his partners were her to help him and him there to help them, things would be... a little more fine than Roman would be on his own.

And so Roman finally got his well deserved rest.