Chapter Text
This is how your story is unfolding
Try to grab a hold and slow it down
Here and now the sun is also rising
Day in and out, it offers no relief
I find my voice and sing it from the rooftops
Stand up tall and slowly take a bow
This is how
“Virgil? Kiddo?” A hesitant knock at his door.
Virgil sighs and looks up from his laptop. Of course Patton would come to check on him after he didn’t show up for lunch.
He runs his fingers through his hair, his other arm still holding his knees close to his chest.
“I’m still alive, Pat,” he manages to say. Talking is always hard after one of his episodes.
“Can I come in?”
The anxious side sighs again. No, he really isn’t up for human – or sort-of-human – interaction, but he doesn’t want Patton to worry about him. Worrying is his job, after all.
“Yeah,” he croaks.
Patton opens the door and immediately makes his way over to where Virgil is curled in on himself on his bed.
“Virge, I’m not going to ask if you’re okay, ‘cause I can see you’re obviously not. Did you have another attack?” the fatherly trait keeps his voice quiet and calm, years of experience reminding him how easily a second attack could be triggered.
Virgil nods, unable to form words, but knowing Patton understands why.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Patton asks gently.
Virgil nods and begins signing what happened.
Patton nods and throws in a couple of comments here and there, but mostly just lets Virgil get his thoughts out.
So really it was just a lot of little things that got too much, the anxious side concludes.
“Are you feeling better now?”
Virgil shrugs. Sort of.
Patton nods wordlessly and wraps an arm around the fellow side, Virgil leaning into the reassuring touch.
“I really should start making dinner,” Patton says after a couple of minutes of comfortable silence.
Virgil nods and pulls away from the moral side.
“Did you want to come downstairs with me?” Patton asks hesitantly. He knows how much Virgil hates interaction after an attack, but he didn’t want to leave the anxious side on his own.
Virgil considers the offer for a few moments before standing up and grabbing a small pencil case and one of the colouring books Patton gave him.
Patton follows Virgil down the stairs and sends a quick text to the other two simply saying
Virgil’s non-verbal.
Two message tones in quick succession inform him they’ve read the message and responded.
Logan
Affirmative.
Roman
Thanks for the heads up.
Virgil sits in his usual place at the table and starts colouring.
Patton finds his favourite Spotify playlist and turns it on a low volume for background noise as he starts looking in the fridge for inspiration for dinner.
Fifteen minutes later, he hears Virgil click his fingers twice – his signal for Patton’s attention.
What’s this song? Virgil signs once Patton looks at him.
“It’s called This is How by a band called Louden Swain,” Patton replies, “Strange name, I know, but they have some great music.”
Virgil nods and goes back to his colouring.
Patton smiles but isn’t too surprised when he goes to set the table to see that Virgil had written some of the lyrics at the top of his current work-in-progress.
This is how your story’s unfolding