Virgil's Secret

Pt. 4 - When Roman is confused and Patton wakes up

Roman didn't understand.

...which is a phrase that he thought often.

But right now he REALLY didn't understand.

He didn't understand why Virgil had freaked out over Roman catching him, or why he scrambled out of his arms when the prince had tried to comfort him.

...but Virgil never really had been big on touch, so it made sense.

Roman sighed and stood up from where he had been pondering why Virgil had freaked out.  He had still been seated with his back to the counter, not moving since the anxious trait had pushed away from him.

Although that described their relationship perfectly.

Roman trying to get closer to the darker one, and Virgil always pushing him away.  They had barely talked to one another ( aside from arguing) before Virgil told them his name.

And Roman had done another thing wrong.  He'd have to go apologize again!

Ugh, he was really bad at this whole 'making up' thing.

Roman's thoughts were interrupted by a quiet sneeze in the hallway.  He looked over to see the fatherly side standing in the darkness, swaddled in his cat onesie.

Patton was holding a stuffed cat, and was rubbing at his eyes with his fist.  Roman smiled and stood up, going over to the boy.  He didn't have his glasses on, so he was squinting at everything in the dim light.

"Ro?" Patton's voice was gravely and soft, showing that he just woke up.

"Hey pat." Roman said softly, knowing not to get him too riled up or else he wouldn't go back to sleep, and a tired Patton wasn't good.

"Was Virgil just here? I heard yelling." Patton said, and Roman's heart jumped, because Patton always knew just what had happened.

"Yeah.  I apologized, and he took it well.  Then he tripped and I caught him but... he kinda freaked out." Roman said, feeling guilt welling up inside him.

Patton smiled slightly, and said, "Well yeah, he doesn't do well with touching... but you were trying to help and I think he'll understand that!"

Patton's smile grew with every word, and soon Roman was donning a small smile as well.

"Yeah... I'll say sorry again in the morning.  Right now, I think some sleep will do the both of us well." Roman whispered to the father, as he led him by the hand back towards his room.

"Go to sleep now.  You know how you get when you're tired." Roman said, making sure his voice was calm and soothing,  a contrast to how he normally talked.

Patton stumbled off into the dark hallway, mumbling something that suspiciously sounded like, "Ima go Logan's room."

Roman smiled as he watched Patton go off, and then looked around at the kitchen where he and Virgil had stood a while earlier.

He sighed and started cleaning up the toast that Virgil had so recklessly abandoned on the floor in his hasty retreat.

After cleaning up, he turned off the light and went back to his own room, closing the door quietly behind him to make sure not to worry Patton again.

He lied down on his bed, (kind sized with a royal red canopy because it was Roman's room.) and thought about all his interactions with the gloomy boy.

He hadn't been freaked out when Roman had entered his room unannounced, and he hadn't leapt from the bed until Roman looked at him.

But Roman hadn't even touched him.

Virgil had just freaked out, and he'd been hunched over as if he was hiding something...

And he had freaked out when roman had touched his chest and tried to hug him when he didn't have his super baggy sweatshirt on...

And... oh.

Virgil was self conscious of his body because he wasn't as fit as the others!

Roman had been correct!

That, or Virgil wasn't comfortable with the others seeing his body, so that was probably why he was hunched over and why he doesn't like touch.

Well, Roman could certainly apologize for touching him, and now that he knew, he could slowly ease Virgil into being more comfortable around them!

Yes, tomorrow he would propose they go swimming, so that Virgil would take of his shirt in front of him!

...okay that sounded less perverted in his head.

But still!  It was progress!

Roman drifted off, his plan floating around his mind as he smiled to himself.

(Okay, short authors note, I love the idea of Patton being like a tired child when he's sleepy. I mean, the cat onesie, him squinting at bright lights, and just him stumbling around, trying not to fall as he holds a stuffie to his chest is adorable! Also, he most definitely did not fall asleep in his own bed that night :) )