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Virgil was frozen to the spot, his eyes locked on Patton as he raised his hand to the now red mark on his face, a lump forming in his throat. He turned to Virgil, eyes curious, full of confusion, but ultimately concerned, shifting his eyes away only to check his face.
“Ow... ow...” Patton vocalized his pain as he gingerly touched the sensitive and painful place Virgil had just struck, checking to see if that had actually just happened.
Virgil would’ve cringed at Patton touching the spot in sympathetic pain as he irritated in a test if his body wasn’t still as stationary as a statue. His very limbs felt as if they were infused with rock, he couldn’t get himself to move, his hand still hovering in the air from where it was immediately after he slapped Patton.
Patton straightened up, hand coming down to grasp Virgil’s where it was, eyes meeting Virgil’s once again, sparkling.
With tears? Oh god-
“Patton? You okay? You sound like you got hurt...” Roman’s voice came from through the door Virgil belatedly realized was wide open. All of the blood in Virgil’s face drained as he tore his eyes away from Patton, going to the door.
Virgil was no longer a human statue as Roman’s voice sent trembles through Virgil’s body, his hand beginning to shake uncontrollably as he finally yanked it back, finally able to move.
Fuck, no! It just had to be Roman, didn’t it!
Patton turned halfway towards the door, lips parting to speak before his eyes widened, glancing back at Virgil and then down at himself. He couldn’t stop Roman even if he wanted to, there was no stopping Roman at any sign his friends were hurt.
Virgil couldn’t breathe. He was curling into a ball like he did when he had a panic attack, but he couldn’t have one now! His friends- what was- He couldn’t-
Roman asked again, his voice closer, “Patton, are you alright? You’re being very silent...”
Patton opened his mouth to speak once again, but couldn’t find the words to speak before Roman finally appeared in the doorway.
Virgil backed up against the wall behind him, pressing himself into it as if he would melt into the wall if he pressed himself hard enough against it. Virgil’s breathing was coming in big whooping gasps at this point, he was scarcely able to bring in enough oxygen even with his giant breaths. He watched in horror as Roman stepped through the doorway to stop just beyond it.
Roman paused, taking in the scene, Virgil on the bed, very much awake and scared and Patton nursing a red mark that was undeniably a slap.
For a small moment, Virgil had some kind of hope that this time out of all the times, this time Roman wouldn’t assume the worst. Roman always jumped to conclusions in everything...
...and this time was no different than that.
Virgil’s winced at the small grunt of incredulousness that came from Roman as he looked between Patton and Virgil again. His expression went from confused and curious as how he came in to harsh and hard as he made eye contact with Virgil.
“Patton!” Roman cried, finally, rushing over to where Patton was, still slightly off his chair. Roman knelt beside Patton, investigating Patton’s face, apologizing profusely when he accidentally touched the still sensitive mark on Patton’s face.
“I’m sorry, Pat, I didn’t mean to-”
“It’s fine Roman, I’m okay, please don-”
Roman swiveled his head sharply, interrupting Patton’s pleadings, focusing in on Virgil.
Virgil’s heart was racing, his body was already tense, but it tensed even more as Roman set his eyes on him with clear anger in his eyes. Virgil couldn’t reason with him, not like this... He hoped Roman would go easy on him in retaliation, what happened in cults they were in, they didn’t take kindly to someone hurting one of their own.
How did they hide that from me? They... would’ve tried to convert me... Maybe...
Virgil was near completely hyperventilating now.
Maybe I’m their sacrifice! NO! It can’t be! They’re my friends! Patton couldn’t do that! But why? How? Who? Please! Please! Please! Please!
Virgil desperately longed to escape Roman’s gaze, but there was no escape, the bare wall on Virgil’s back giving nothing to hide behind. Virgil’s whole body started to tremble once again, sliding ever so slightly up and down the wall with each tremor of his body.
Roman stood up, causing Virgil to shrink back, pulling his limbs to himself with a snap, trying to make himself a smaller target out of pure instinct.
Roman, to his credit, actually faltered at the sudden movement, for a moment concern flickered in his eyes as Virgil was his friend, but it didn’t last long. Just as quick as the concern appeared, it was gone again, snuffed out like a drop of water in the desert or a raging fire.
Roman positioned himself in front of Patton protectively, eyes slicing into Virgil once again.
“You should not have done that. How could you?! You hit Patton of all people!” Roman seethed, his hands curled into fists at his sides, his hands trembling with the effort not to lash out in anger.
Patton started to speak, to correct Roman, “Roman, I don’t think he-”
Roman stalked a step closer to Virgil, not hearing Patton’s pleas. Virgil cowered even more, which only made Roman’s expression harsher.
“How? How could you! Tell me! Tell me how you could hit Patton! All he’s ever done is care about you! And you slap him?! You should be grateful Patton’s in here otherwise I would-”
Patton interrupted Roman, grabbing at his hand in an attempt to reach Roman in his blind but righteous anger, “Roman, please, I don’t think-”
Roman shook Patton’s hand off, getting closer and closer to Virgil, not reacting much to how Virgil began to cower away from him.
“We’ve all got monsters inside of us and we’re all responsible for what happens when we let it out. You’ve let yours out already, and you don’t want to see what happens when I let mine out-”
“ROMAN FUCKING PRINCE!”
Patton yelled suddenly, making both Roman and Virgil jump in surprise, as neither of them had heard Patton ever cuss or raise his voice like that. They both turned to Patton in twin astonishment, Virgil still pressed up against the wall and Roman turning dumbly 180 degrees to face him as well.
Patton had tears rolling down his face, his fists were trembling just like Roman’s, Patton wiping his tears away with the back of his hand. His eyes were almost inhumanly sharp, his gaze directly fixed on Roman
At least it wasn’t my fault Patton crying and angry. That’s all you, Princey.
Virgil thoughts supplied sarcastically at the back of his mind.
Roman was plenty scary when he was angery, but Patton angry was downright terrifying.