Work Text:
Thump.
Virgil jumped nearly a foot in the air as he was walking by the bookcase. He whipped around to face what made the sound only to encounter.... a book.
Virgil scowled at the book, like it had any choice in the matter of falling to the floor. Virgil huffed and stalked over to the book, grabbing it forcefully. He had to crane his neck to view the full bookcase. Virgil’s face brightened a little when he spotted the vacant spot left by the book on the shelf.
He stood on his tiptoes and slowly eased the book into it’s place. Virgil was barely tall enough to reach the shelf with his four foot something stature, but he managed to get it back in place.
Virgil rolled back onto his heels, stepping back to admire the job he’d just done with the book when he heard his father called out to him.
“Vee! Hey where are- oh there you are!”
Virgil turned around eagerly to see one of his fathers, Logan, in a fancy suit and tie like he always wore. He always said it made him experience being more human. Virgil wasn’t sure what about wearing a suit made his dad more human, but he loved the suit. It... suited him.
Virgil snickered at his own joke.
Patty would love that one.
Virgil bounded up to Logan like an excited puppy. He immediately started to tug on Logan’s pant leg to show Logan what he just did.
“Dad! I put a book back! It was a scary book that fell, but I put it back! Come see!”
Logan sighed, shushing Virgil with a finger to his lips. His expression looked like was about to protest, but instead he just let Virgil pull him along to where the book was.
Virgil eagerly tugged Logan’s pants until they were back in front of the shelf. Getting up on his tiptoes, Virgil pointed to the book on something Virgil didn’t understand. The book had a funny looking e on the spine.
Logan followed Virgil’s pointing finger with his eyes. But to Virgil’s dismay, Logan frowned instead of smiling and congratulating him on a good job like he always did.
“Dad, you’re face is telling me I did a bad job. Did... did I?” Virgil couldn’t help the beginnings of tears gathering in his eye. His voice broke a little at the tail end of what he was saying.
Logan’s expression immediately softened as he looked back down at Virgil, his voice apologetic. Virgil let a current of hope start to sweep through him.
“Whoa, hey, little bat. It’s alright. You didn’t know. The book does belong somewhere else, but it tells you where it goes on the spine. Why don’t we both go find it together? Doesn’t that sound fun?” Logan’s face was hopeful.
Virgil sniffed, wiping his nose and his eyes with his sleeve. He missed Logan’s nose wrinkle at the gesture, but Logan didn’t move to reprimand him. Logan didn’t appear to want to verbally reprimand Virgil again, so he let his actions do the talking.
Virgil cringed back when Logan suddenly shoved his handkerchief in Virgil’s face.
“Dad what are you doin-” Virgil protested, trying to squirm away, but his grip was firm. Virgil couldn’t manage to get away from the invasive handkerchief as Logan’s iron grip held his arm, preventing him moving away.
“Virgil, I could hear your nose start to run, let me help you-”
Virgil tried to push Logan’s hand away with his free hand, but Logan barely budged. Virgil finally relented, glaring at Logan when he started to move the handkerchief a little on his nose.
“Don’t look at me like that, you’re gonna spread germs if you wipe your nose like that.”
Virgil whined, a high piercing sound.
“Dad, but I don’t have a handkerchief like you or a tissue! I couldn’t find anything else to use!” Virgil crossed his arms, his expression pouted and defiant. There was a measure of hesitation, however.
Logan’s frown faltered, softening while he patted Virgil’s head and brought the handkerchief away from Virgil’s face.
“You’re... right Virgil. Though if you had asked, I would’ve been happy to give you my handkerchief as I never truly need to use it. Now you know, perhaps I could talk with your Papa and we could get you one.”
Virgil’s face brightened, but just as quickly his brows drew together as he thought about what he would look like to others with a handkerchief like his dad’s.
Virgil imagined himself with a handkerchief like Logan’s. The image morphed into him looking like Logan as he thought about it. His hair was slick back, and his back was actually straight without him having to visibly think about it. What concerned Virgil the most was the stiff suit like Logan’s he was wearing in the mental image. He loved his hoodie, it was soft and comforting and all his.
Virgil averted eye contact with Logan, causing Logan to kneel down and place a hand on Virgil’s shoulder.
“Are... If... If you do get me a handkerchief, promise me you won’t force me to wear a suit like you.”
Logan’s face cleared, a small chuckle escaping him. Virgil glared at his dad again.
“Of course, little bat. Now, let’s find where this book goes.” Logan said.
Virgil’s face beamed in joy, running to the bookcase and jumping up and down to try and find where the book belonged. It was a handful of seconds before Virgil was hit with the fact he had not idea how to find where this book goes without his Dad.
“Dad, you have any idea where the book goes?” Virgil asked, looking up to see Logan staring thoughtfully at the bookcase.
“Ah, here it is.” Logan quickly said, starting to place the book up on a higher bookshelf.
Virgil darted in front of Logan. He jumped up and down, waving his arms to stop Logan.
“Wait! I want to do it, can you help me up to do it?” Virgil pleaded.
Logan stopped, sighing that adult sigh that only adult made once again. He handed Virgil the book before wrapping his arms around Virgil’s waist and hefting Virgil up without a word. Other would’ve picked Virgil up under up under his armpits, but Logan was one for efficiency. If Virgil was picked up from his armpits, he would’ve had a harder job moving his arms.
“Wait, where does it go exactly? There’s two places for it to go.”
Logan’s voice came out muffled as his face was pressed up against Virgil’s back, “The one with the big red book beside it.”
Virgil began to nod, but Logan couldn’t see his face, so he stopped halfway through. Virgil confidently placed the book in the spot beside the red book.
A strange click resounded from the bookcase as it slid into place.
Virgil’s brow furrowed. But as he started to ask Logan if he heard that noise, the ground suddenly opened up beneath them.
Virgil clung to Logan as they began to freefall, screaming out as they fell. His mind screamed at him that this was how he was going to die. Death by amysterious hole in the library.
Up above them, the hatch that had opened below them, now above them, snapped shut. Virgil and Logan were plunged into darkness, falling into the depths of this space under the library blind.