Chapter Text
Patton awoke to a fervent knock at his bedroom door, he blearily glanced at his alarm clock.
3.00 am? who’s knocking at 3.00 am?
He clumsily grabbed his cat sweater, pulled it over his head, and headed for the door.
As soon as he opened it however his sleepy smile fell from his face. Standing in front of him was Virgil he was a complete mess, out of breath his hair disheveled a bruise already forming on his cheek, and a split lip.
“Virgil? What ha-“ was all Patton could muster before the anxious trait grabbed the front of his sweater and broke down into his arms.
Patton caught him as he led them both into his room holding him tightly, sat Virgil on the bed, and grabbed a first aid kit from the bathroom. He slowly crouched down in front of him as to not startle the poor boy anymore, he had clearly been through the mill tonight.
He took an antiseptic wipe from the box and gently tended to Virgil’s wounds knowing he would talk when he was ready, he hissed at the touch and managed to whisper.
“De-deceit” his breath was shaky as tears streamed down his face leaving tracks in his now smudged makeup.
“Oh, kiddo… he did this to you?” Virgil nodded.
Patton sighed as he put down the wipe and cupped Virgil’s cheek he wiped away a stray tear, his heart broke for him he just wanted to wrap him in his arms and hold him until the pain melted away.
“You know this isn’t right?” Patton said in a stern yet loving tone, Virgil nodded.
Oh, he knew alright.
“I-I know” Virgil replied Patton gave him a sympathetic smile.
“Well, you’re not going back there, you can stay here” Virgil looked hopeful for a moment before darkness settled on his features again as his breathing became shallow.
“Bu- but what if he-“ knowing what was happening Patton interjected.
“Remember he can’t get into our rooms, these are our own safe spaces, you’re safe here Virgil” knowing he was on the verge of a panic attack, hearing this information seemed to help calm him.
Patton noticed Virgil was doing the exercise that the other sides taught him, he inhaled for four, held for seven, then exhaled for eight as he did this, morality pulled the anxious side closer and hummed a soothing tune whilst stroking his hair.
Comforted by this Virgil laid his head into Patton’s lap, as soon as his head was down, his eyes instantly became heavy and soon enough he fell into a peaceful sleep listening to Patton’s humming, not seeing the tears forming in the heart’s eyes.
“Why do you bother them? They don’t care about you, you will never be a part of their little group” Deceit’s words rang in his head he was crouching on the ground as he looked around all he saw was darkness, everything was pitch black as tears welled in his eyes again.
This can’t-
Can’t breathe
Can’t breathe
“You’re nothing to them”
“I can take care of you”
He clamped his hands over his ears trying to drown out the snake.
“Shut up! SHUT UP! You’re LYING!” he cried out and curled into himself trying to make himself as small as possible hoping it would stop everything.
Everything was silent. Except for Virgil’s sobbing.
When he eventually dared to take his face out of his arms he looked up to see a figure towering over him and it felt like slow motion a fist coming down on his face.
Virgil screamed as he bolted upright in bed, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead and his eyes stung trying to adjust to the assault of light on them. He scanned this environment forgetting where he was momentarily before everything came flooding back from the previous night.
He knew he was in Patton’s room, but where was Patton? He reached a hand to his cheek and winced slightly.
The door clicked open and the anxious side flinched but eased up when he saw Patton enter with a humungous tray of…. pancakes?
They smelled amazing and with everything that had been happening, It wasn’t the first time he had forgotten to eat recently.
“Afternoon kiddo!”
Afternoon? Of course, he had slept most of the day he suddenly felt a pang of guilt, Patton had and was taking such good care of him and he hadn’t thanked him once, he watched as the tray was laid on his lap.
“You looked so peaceful I didn’t want to wake you” Patton smiled at him, Virgil gave a half-smile back.
“Tha-thank you for…for everything” he spluttered out the words, without missing a beat Patton responded lovingly.
“You don’t need to say thank you Virge, we’re here for you no matter what, you’re family remember?” he squeezed his shoulder gently as the anxious trait was biting back tears at this point feeling so undeserving of the heart’s affections.
“I-“ before he could protest he found pancakes already stuffed in his mouth.
“Eat up!” Patton laughed as Virgil acquiesced and demolished the plate within minutes, beaming at him as he took the empty plate and asked.
“You want to go downstairs and see the others?” Virgil nodded in agreement feeling a little bit more at ease for the first time in months.
“I’ll let you get refreshed and you can come downstairs when you’re ready?” Patton said and Virgil nodded as he watched him leave the room.
Once the door clicked shut he jumped out of the bed and snapped up his hoodie from the back of the chair near the desk, as he slipped it on he felt a sense of warmth wash over him and he felt his shoulders relax. He made his way over to the bathroom mirror and for the first time in months he found his own reflection.
What he saw back made his stomach drop his sunken brown eyes stared back at him they looked devoid of any happiness, any spark he once had.
His make up had pretty much gone due to the crying the night before, he touched his fingers to the mirror as he examined his features staring at his pale, now gaunt skin with his cheekbones poking through.
He knew he was skinny but his weight had never been like this before, no wonder Patton made him so many pancakes!
He looked at his injuries from the night prior and despite them still looking bad, Patton had done a pretty good job tending to them. He had no idea how he would explain them to other sides though, in hindsight he kind of already knew how they would react.
Logan would pick his words very carefully, but Virgil would already catch on with him basically saying in his own way that he has to leave deceit and he knows he would be right even though he didn’t want to face that reality.
Not that he didn’t want to.
He was scared too.
And Roman?
He would go down there and stab deceit one hundred times over with his sword, that thought made Virgil smile but as quickly as it came it left.
I shouldn’t have thought that. Stupid so stupid! I love him…. Don’t I?
Could he even call it love anymore?
He didn’t want to think about it right now and shook the thoughts aside he attempted to focus on the here and now, looking at his bruised face he conjured up a bottle of pale foundation and a pot of black eyeshadow as he did his best to cover up his bruise and put his makeup on, as for his split lip-
I walked into a door.
Though he didn’t want to lie to them he really wasn’t ready for all the questions.
Touching up the last of eye makeup he took one last look in the mirror, out of his peripheral vision he could’ve sworn he saw a glint of yellow he whirled around as his heartbeat suddenly increased and his breathing becoming shallow, but he faced nothing.
No one.
Am I going crazy?
Virgil clutched the edge of the sink trying to steady himself, whilst doing his breathing exercise he felt his pulse gradually come back down.
It couldn’t have been him, Patton said he couldn’t-
“Virgil?” A knock at the bedroom door made the anxious trait jump as Patton’s voice trailed into the room.
“You ok in their kiddo?” Patton asked gently.
“Yeah, be- be right out” Virgil replied He took one last look around the bathroom and in the mirror before nodding to himself.
Just imagined it….Right?