The Day of the Dead oneshot is here at long last! I'm sorry this is a day late. I wanted to do it on El Día De Los Muertos but I couldn't. Pengi11 chose the ship! IT'S HECCIN POLYYYYYY 

If I mess up on anything cultural or language wise PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know and I'll fix it immediately!

STORYTIME!!!

Roman's boyfriends always celebrated Halloween every year, and he would never stop them. Patton's entire world was Halloween when September First hits and Logan has fun thinking about Lore and planning elaborate details into his costumes. Roman loves Halloween and costumes too, but he always stays back to honor his family members. He must honor them for Él Día de Los Muertos. Roman has always been proud of his heritage and he always will be.

"Mi Bisabuelos, Mis Abuelas, y mi hermano... Hoy es el Día de Los Muertos. Te Amo. Siempre Los amaré a todos. Tu eres mi familia, y Tu serás recordado."

Roman Set the pictures all over the ofrenda, golden and orange flowers and small sugar skulls littering the table. On the top level was his grandparents, then his set of grandmothers on the next, and lastly his twin brother on the lowest level but in the very center. All his family that has passed away was on his precious ofrenda, given the chance to cross over for one night only to see the living world and their relatives. Roman smiled, staring at his twin brother Remus with tears stinging in his eyes. Oh Remus, you died far too young.

"¿Recuerdas cuando jugamos 'caballeros' juntos, hermano? Lo extraño tango. Extraño ser Tu hermano. Así wue asegúarte de volver noche ¿de acuerdo?"

Roman wipes a tear from his eye, trying to laugh away the pain. Remus died when they both were twelve years old. Remus was chasing a stray dog who stole a sock he was doing something or whatever with while they were playing outside and he was run over by some driver guy who was texting. Don't text and drive hijos. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He gasped, sitting up with a perfect posture. He held his breath. Remus? Hermano ¿Eres tù? 

Roman turned over his shoulder to see a saddened Patton and a concerned Logan, both out of costume, standing behind him. Patton couldn't find words, he just gripped Roman's shoulder. Logan stated his observations, sitting down on his knees next to Roman and casually reaching for his hand. Logan knew little about emotional comfort, but he still tried his very best. Patton sat down cross cross applesauce on Roman's other side, looking down and trying to figure out what he wanted to say as well.

"An Ofrenda, correct? Used to honor the deceased in one's family on the day of the dead. This must be your family, is it not Roman? Why don't you tell us about them."

Roman took a deep and shaky breath. He should start at the top and go down, that would only be logical right? And Logan loves Logic. He squeezed both of his novios hands as he began telling the stories each of his wonderful family members had, starting with his bisabuelos.

"My Great Grandmother and Great Grandfather on Abuela Miku's side are Bisabuelo Brock y Bisabuela Olivia. Bisabuelo Brock died of old age happily as a coal miner and Bisabuela Olivia helped in the mine with him, refining precious stones to make in to gorgeous jewelry that she'd sell herself. They were accepting when Abuela Miku said she didn't want to work in the coal mine. They were also extremely accepting of her being a transbian, despite the time period. I've always been proud of how mi familia is so accepting. I'm sorry, I'm slipping in and out of Spanish. This must be hard for you two to follow."

Roman wipes his eyes and sniffled again, laughing it off again. He loved his family and was so proud of them. Death wasn't bad, it was just the continuation of life across another plane. That's what his family and culture had taught him. The reason why he is so upset is because they aren't here with him anymore. Greedy, he knows. Patton squeezed his hand and he looked over at the more empathetic and naïve boyfriend. 

"It's okay, you speak however you need to when you vent. Your family means a lot to you. Today is a day of family, isn't it?"

Roman smiled. Patton understood. He looked over at Logan too, who simply nodded. They understood. It felt so good to be understood. This did mean a lot to him, and it meant even more that he was able to share it rather than staying behind while they celebrated their own holiday.

"Mis Bisabuelos on Abuela Luka's side I don't know much about because Abuela Luka never liked to talk to them. She just said she was mad at them and ran away, running all the way across the border too. All the way from Nicaragua to America. Abuela Luka always had the best stories and she talked in a motherly tone and she was amazing. Sadly, both Abuela Luka and Abuela Miku died in the 1960's during two different riots, Miku in 1966 and Luka in 1969. But they live on in El Reino de Los Muertos. I know they do. That's where the dead go, after all, and where they come back from on El Día de Los Muertos."

Roman looked Remus in the eyes. He couldn't. He let out a sob and collapsed on himself, Patton lunging in to comfort him physically. Logan just kept his hand clasped with Roman's, offering all he can. Patton ran his hands through Roman's hair and cooed to him, telling him that everything was okay and that his family still watches him and loves him from, his best pronunciation of, El Reino de Los Muertos. Roman was still anguished after over a decade. It was his twin brother and he crossed over too soon. They promised the world to eachother, promised to always protect eachother, and Roman never got that chance in this life. It's horrible. It's maddening. He desperately wished that Remus would show himself, would prove to Roman that he crossed worlds tonight and accepted the offerings of his favorite foods and flowers and candles and everything else he left for him on his Ofrenda. 

Remus watched sadly from a distance as Abuelas Luka y Miku hugged their grandson. Remus hasn't aged a day since he was run over by thst car, and he was nothing but a spirit munching on the homemade tamales Roman had made just for him. Spicy bean and Mild Verde sauce, his favorite. Roman still remembered after all these years. Remus knew that Roman had Patton and Logan, but he wished he had Remus to lean on as well. Remus wanted to go over to him and hug him and play 'cabelleros' one last time. But he can't. He's dead. So he must sit here and watch for tonight. But at least he gets to see Roman grow every year, even if Roman always cries the one day Remus gets to see him. 

Oh? What's this? Remus strayed away from his Abuelas and followed Logan into the next room, where he took a picture of someone Remus didn't know. He walked back into the other room and placed the photo next to Abuela Luka's photograph. Roman and Patton looked up, confused. Suddenly the spirit of the woman poofed into the room. She was quite old and wore an elegant grown. She was so confused. She looked around and saw Logan standing by her photo, time seemingly stopped in the waking world. Remus smiled and waved at her, but she backed away slowly into a corner. She was obviously frightened. Oh well.

"Maybe if we make the Ofrenda 'ours' rather than 'Roman's', today can have a happier undertone. If I recall, the day of the dead is to honor and celebrate those who have passed on from this plane of existence. Besides, I think Remus would prefer you to be happy rather than grieve his death once more."

Logan was right. Roman wipes his eyes and stood up like a big boy. He needs to stop crying. Remus, Abuelas Luka y Miku, and his entire familia wouldn't want him to cry now would they? Patton sprang up next to him and ran to another room to go get some photos himself. Logan took Roman's hands and brought them to his own hips, leaning forwards to kiss Roman. Logan smiled one of his rare one, showing Roman that everything was going to be better. Finally, Roman allowed himself to smile tonight.

"That's better. It pains my figuratively to see you in such a psychological hurt, as it does Patton. I'm going to go fetch some of my Adoptive Mother's favorite candies for the Ofrenda. I'll tell Patton to get some of his family's favorite foods to add to the culture. We love you, Roman. And we know your family loves you very much too."

With another quick kiss on Roman's cheek, Logan left to the room where Patton took off to. Roman smiled at the Ofrenda, looking at the picture of the woman who raised Logan when his biological parents had refused to. She's quite old, but who really cares? Patton came back in with three pictures of dogs and some packaged steaks from the fridge. Logan was very displeased, but it made Roman heartily laugh to see Patton trying his best. Dogs deserve to be on the ofrenda too! Roman sat up all the foods and pictures in a nice, orderly fashion then took a step back to admire it.

He wrapped one arm around Patton's wasit and the other around Logan's shoulders, reaching over to give a kiss to each of them on the sides of their faces. This was beautiful. This wasn't just his ofrenda now, it's all of theirs. It belongs to Los Novios Tres. Roman was beaming a wide smile.

"Nuestra Ofrenda. Our Ofrenda. I love it. Thank you both so very much. You have no idea how much this truly means to me. I wish everyone could have met you both in this life, but I'm certain they can see us now."

Roman looked over his shoulder. His eyes went as wide as dinner plates and his blood went cold. Remus? Hermano ¿Eres tú? The twelve year old boy cackled and waved before being sttscked by three different large dogs all at once and an elderly woman rushing in to pull them off of him. Roman smiled once again and turned back around. Remus was probably happy en el reino de Los Muertos. He has Abuela Luka, Abuela Miku, Bisabuela Olivia, y Bisabuelo Brock. 

This was the first day of the dead where he can finally say he was happy and could get over his grief to celebrate the full extension of this holiday 

1821 Words

Ha! 1821 is the year México got it's independence from Spain! That works out so heccin perfectly y'all have no idea!

(I'm actually low key proud of this oneshot)

Again, if I culturally conveyed a point wrong and/or said something in Spanish wrong PLEASE correct me! My writing is all for accurate representation and I want to make sure I represent Hispanic people as a whole accurately!

And grief is hard. Losing a loved one is very hard. But sometimes you need to let them go and pass on to whatever afterlife you beleive in. It's okay to remember them and honor them, but don't  allow those memories to hurt you. It's perfectly okay to love them and express your sorrows, but don't let that consume you. Life goes on. Se la vie. (Such is life) When my Great Grandparents passed away I was devastated, but they've moved on to whatever exists after death and I know they're out of their suffering. Death happens, and nothing can change that, so accept it and move on with the memories of that person /or dog/ in your heart forever.

Internet hugs and blow kisses!

~Eva/Remus