Work Text:
Roman tensed as Patton laid his head down on Virgil’s lap. Virgil’s eyes had been virtually predatory from the moment he had awoken. Patton laying his head down on someone who Roman didn’t trust to protect him sent Roman’s heart racing. He barely contained himself from bolting over to Patton and snatching him up to protect him.
However, Virgil appeared to sense Roman’s intentions, snapped over to meet his gaze sharply, eyes narrowed. Roman nearly jumped, as it was as if Virgil could read his mind. Roman stood his ground, not wavering in making eye contact with Virgil. He couldn’t help but be a little creeped out at how unblinking Virgil was.
Two ideas began to abruptly war in Roman’s head. Part of Roman was telling him that this was his brother and that he shouldn’t be so callous so scared, and the other was countering and warring back with what was actually happening.
Inevitably, Roman had to blink and when he did, in a flash Virgil wasn’t looking at him anymore. Instead, he was looking down at Patton. Roman had another protective impulse rocket through him, but he suppressed it. Remus would be back soon, he didn’t need to worry
Janus suddenly squirmed in his arms, reminding Roman that he was there. Keeping a careful eye on Virgil looking down at Patton, he turned to Janus, who had a mildly upset expression at not getting attention. Roman made a funny face and Janus’s expression almost immediately brightened, bouncing up and down on Roman’s lap in happiness and excitement at being played with again.
Patton didn’t really react during all this back and forth; he didn’t see the staring contest between Roman and Virgil but his expression did brighten himself when Janus started to happily bounce again. So Patton could discern them out of the corner of his eyes at least, but his head remained firmly in Virgil’s lap.
Roman began to get antsy as Remus still hadn’t shown up yet. Remus had been gone far longer than Roman thought he should’ve been and he feared that-
The sound of feet running down the hallway halted that thought as Remus finally ran back into the living room a little out of breath. He ran towards Virgil and Patton, but stopped when he saw that Patton had his head in Virgil’s lap.
Stopping short, Remus made eye contact with Virgil for a long time, as discombobulated as Roman was at the sight of Patton with his head in Virgil’s lap.
“Hey Patton? Whatcha doing there, bud?” Roman could tell by Remus' voice that he was trying not to panic himself. Though by how much more steady it was than Roman would have been, Remus was a little more confident in Virgil’s state than Roman was.
Patton turned in Virgil’s lap to face Remus with a half scowl on his face. Roman had shivers going down his spine at how serious Patton’s expression was all of a sudden.
“I’m laying my head in my brother's lap, like a nice brother.”
Remus gulped.
“Please, can you get out of Virgil’s lap? I need to do something with him for a moment-”
“No!” Roman and Remus were both startled by Patton’s loud yell. “I’m not going to move until you tell me what’s going on! You say I’ll understand when I’m older but I am older, so just tell me! What’s so hard about talking?” Patton yelled, his voice turning frustrated and angry like Remus and Roman had rarely ever seen.
There was a beat of stunned silence from both of them before Virgil spoke after being silent for so long.
“Hostiles against the innocent are detected. Implementing neutralization of threat.”
Crap.