3:28pm
Trigger warning: child predator
My friends had an exam today while I did not hehe *dab dab* loooseeerrrs
I gave my dog a bath
Fun facts with Satan
Au
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"Patton! We're home!" Logan called as he and Virgil walked through the doorway, carrying a few bags full of their groceries. They heard feet suddenly hitting against the ground before their son's head appeared at the top of the staircase, grin ever lasting on his face.
"Dad! Papa!" He called excitedly, phone in hand as he hurried down the staircase and jumped into Virgil's arms, the man putting down the bags so he could catch the ten year old without dropping everything. He's learnt from experience.
"I missed you! How was the trip?" He cocked his head to the side, allowing his dad to carry him on through to the kitchen while Logan grabbed the rest of the bags, struggling a bit but not complaining. "Eh, it was fine" he shrugged, placing Patton on the counter, "a little too crowded, through" he added on as an afterthought, Patton frowning when he did and reaching forward to hug his dad's hand.
"I'll protect you, dad" he beamed and Virgil smirked, ruffling his son's hair affectionately. "Whatever you say, pop star" Patton giggled at the nickname and helped put away all the food, afterwards his phone made a noise and he lit up like a Christmas tree. "Who's that?" Logan questioned curiously, sipping from a bottle of water.
"My friend!" Patton explained while hurriedly typing out a text, his lips stretched from ear to ear he was so happy. "I'll be in my room!" He added, quickly rushing away and up the stairs, closing the door a little too loudly but his parents knew he did that when he became over excited.
"Kids" Virgil mused, rolling his eyes. Logan snorted in agreement, allowing Virgil to wrap his arms around his waist and lean against him comfortably. "Wanna watch Netflix?" Virgil offered and Logan happily obliged, sitting on the couch together while turning on the television.
And his parents didn't think about Patton's new friend for awhile.
However, they did notice something else.
"You okay, pop star?" Virgil asked Patton during dinner, him sitting at the table while he and Logan cooked. The boy looked up from his phone, plastering on a smile neither of his parents fully believed. "Yep! This games just a little hard" he brushed off, returning to his phone quick. Virgil and Logan shared a glance but decided not to say anything on the matter - their son has never lied to them before, so they trust him.
They noticed, over a period of a few months, Patton's mood has started to deteriorate. Their once happy, bubbly, bouncy child has become quiet, hidden and spends less and less time with his parents. Both Logan and Virgil are very worried, but each time they ask him about it he tells them something different, something that ties them over for another couple of weeks before their worry comes at them full force once again.
One day, Virgil was tidying the house when the phone started to ring. He stopped his music and picked up the device, holding it to his ear while resting the mop against the wall.
"Hello?" He called first.
"Hello. Is this Virgil Atlas?" To this day Virgil feels a little flutter of butterflies in his stomach when he hears his last name. When he married Logan, he took his name and can't help but feel giddy over it. But now wasn't the time. "Yeah? Who's this?"
They explained they worked from the school Patton goes to and instantly Virgil felt his heart shrivel with anxiety, "we wanted to bring you in because of your son's actions earlier today. A teacher found him on his phone during class and when he tried to take it from him he completely lost control and almost hit him" Virgil's jaw slacked, wondering if they were talking about his son or someone else called Patton - he couldn't imagine his pop star ever doing something like that.
"I'll...I'll be right there" Virgil promised, hanging up and hurrying into his car, speeding off down the road and to the school, nervously chewing his nails the entire trip, praying Patton was okay, the teacher not even floating through his mind twice.
Parking, he got out, thanking god all the children were inside - he disliked when a bunch of people would stare at him. He waited in reception until the head teacher called him into her office where he spotted his son sitting on a plush chair, head ducked down, staring at his lap, seemingly ashamed of himself.
"Hey, pop star, you okay?" Virgil whispered, kneeling down to meet his gaze. Tears swam in his eyes and when he saw his dad he instantly fell into his lap and hugged him tight, hiding his face in his shoulder. Holding him up, Virgil rose and sat down on the chair he previously sat on, ignoring everyone else in the room in favour of comforting his child.
"Shall we talk about what occurred earlier?" The head teacher asked, breaking the tense filled silence. Virgil nodded, allowing Patton to stay on his lap, lifting his head to look at the teacher who sat in the chair beside them, seemingly disgusted even after what happened Virgil wasn't at all angry at his son. Virgil merely sent him a disapproving look, turning to the principle again.
"Would you like to recall what happened, sir?" The principle asked the teacher who nodded in agreement.
"Patton knows it is against the rules to use phones during lessons unless given permission, yet he still did. When he tried to take his phone off him as punishment he began to yell at me - he even spat out a few insults and almost hit me when I tried to take his phone from him again" the teacher explained, Patton holding onto his dad tighter as he did. Virgil rubbed a hand up and down his back soothingly.
"Is that what happened, Patton?" Virgil murmured.
"You don't trust my word?"
Virgil turned to the teacher, "I've known Patton all my life and he has never, ever lied to me - I trust him more than I trust a stranger, so I would believe everything he said over you" he stated as calmly as he could, when he did Patton sniffled and looked up at his dad, a new wave of tears falling from his eyes.
"I love you, dad" Patton whispered to him. "I love you too, pop star" Virgil murmured into his ear.
"You are nearly as disrespectful as your son" the teacher accused and Virgil rolled his eyes. "Hmhm, you're lucky my husband isn't here" he responded, grinning in delight when he seemed even more disgusted - a homophobe, too? Looks like Virgil's finding a new school for his son. He grew up with homophobic teachers and they were the worst, he would never put his son through that.
"Now, now" the principle settled the room, "we will punish Patton as we sit fit - however, I do hope you do the same, Mr. Atlas - we do not want your son misbehaving and using your trust to his advantage" Virgil's hands turned to fists, angry that the head teacher would accuse Patton of ever doing anything of the sort.
"N-no, I wouldn't" Patton whispered, Virgil hugged him tighter in reassurance.
"I would suggest taking away his phone completely" the teacher commented, Virgil rolled his eyes once again. "Thanks for the input, I'll be sure to /not/ do that" he emphasised, then suddenly stood up, lowering Patton to his feet and picking up his son's phone from the principle's desk.
"I'm not encouraging him to yell at teachers" Virgil eyed his son as he said this, Patton ducking his head apologetically. "But I could see why he would treat you like that" he then turned to the teacher, his eyes flaring with anger, but he couldn't respond for Virgil was walking out the room, holding onto Patton's hand.
He signed him out and took him to the car, both closing the door and sitting in silence for a moment.
"I'm-I'm sorry, dad" Patton sniffled, pushing his glasses up to his forehead to wipe his eyes. Virgil leaned over and rubbed his shoulder. "Why did you do that, pop star?" Patton hesitated, looking from his phone to his dad, then back down at his lap.
"I-I...I don't know" he admitted, sniffling again.
"It's fine" Virgil said after a minute, "just an off day, right?"
Patton nodded.
"Alright. I'll have to tell Lo about this though" Patton nodded again, he knew Logan wouldn't be mad at him, he'd react the same as Virgil and if he was there he would most definitely not keep his cool like Virgil was able to. Well, mostly.
"I don't like that teacher" Virgil mumbled, Patton managed a chuckle. "Neither do I"
"We can move schools, if you want? I hear the one half an hour away is much more nicer" Virgil suggested while starting the car. At this, Patton smiled a little more, nodding his head happily in agreement, so it was settled.
Patton was grateful for his parents and how quickly they managed to change his school, but he also felt immense guilt, what Virgil said running through his mind nearly every damn day. They trust him so much - he knows that, yet he hasn't told them something that's been bothering him for months, something that hurts him, uses him, manipulates him and...something that has his nudes.
That night (like most) he was up for hours, unable to stop texting his new 'friend' - if he did his friend would get angry and in turn ignore him, which kills Patton internally. He doesn't want to be mean to anyone, and he hates it when people are upset with him.
He's gotten more tired recently, bags under his eyes, movements sloppy - he paid less and less attention in class, but instead of teachers getting annoyed they'd make sure he was okay and talk to him privately about the work, helping him understand before he would go off to next lesson.
He really, really wanted to tell his parents but he didn't know how. Was it too late? They were sure to be really, really mad at him. They'd lose all their trust in him and take away his phone and hate him.
The idea wanted to make him cry as he walked home from school that Friday, wiping at his eyes continuously but he knew if Virgil saw him the man would be able to tell he was crying.
Luckily, when he entered the house, he heard Virgil call something from the garden. Patton yelled back his own hello before rushing upstairs in the bathroom, grabbing a rag, wetting it and pressing it against his eyes to lose the red rim that formed around them when he teared up.
He'd be okay. He'd be fine. He could deal with this by himself.
That was what he thought, that was what he thought for awhile - but when his friend kept insisting, over and over that they meet in real life Patton had had enough. He didn't know what his friend might do to him if he went and certainly didn't want to end up in even bigger trouble than he would if he just told his parents.
A little voice told him in the back of his head that his friend might actually be a good person, someone who didn't lie about who they were and their age, but Patton couldn't trust the voice enough to believe it.
With his phone clutched tight in his hands, he slowly crept down the staircase, finding his parents sitting in the living room, cuddled on the couch, watching television together. They were on the third season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Patton couldn't remember the last time he watched a show with his parents. It made him upset - they used to do it all the time.
"Dad? Papa?" He called, voice vulnerable.
They both looked over, pausing the show quick, worried about their son who looked ready to burst into tears.
"Are you okay, Patton?" Logan asked first, standing with Virgil but Patton took a step back, shaking his head. "I-I" he stammered, "I need to tell you something" he barely managed, they stayed silent for him to talk which he was grateful for.
"I-I don't think m-my friend is who-who he says he is" Patton explained briefly, opening up their text chat with shaky hands. "He isn't nice and-and..." Patton sniffled, a few tears slipping down his cheeks.
"He-..." he couldn't bare to look at his parents as he admitted this, "he-he has...pictures of me...with-without clothes on" as soon as he finished he burst into sobs, backing away from his parents even further. "Please-please don't be mad" Patton begged, thrusting his phone at Virgil who took it, giving it to Logan quick to rush to his son and hold him before he would fall, letting him cry heavily into his chest, clutching onto his dad tightly, not wanting to let go.
"I'm-I'm so sorry!" Patton spoke loudly by accident, but he wanted to make sure they knew. "I-I-I didn't want to send them but-but he made me" now he started he couldn't stop, admitting more and more his 'friend' made him do while his parents listened in horror, Logan joining in on the hug moments later, leading him to the couch where they hugged and comforted him when he finally ran out of things to say.
"Please don't be mad" Patton begged again, Virgil shushing him. "We're not mad, pop star" Virgil promised, hugging tight. "We're not mad" he repeated, "we're not mad at you" Logan corrected, glaring sharply at the phone he placed on the coffee table.
Patton sniffled, gripping both his dad and papa's hand. "You-you still trust me, right? I-I didn't meant to hid it but he-..he said he'd get mad if I didn't..." his face flushed red as he squeezed his eyes shut, "he knows where I live" he whispered, his parents sharing a worried look as he did.
"We still trust you, pop star" Virgil reassured again, tilting his head up. "Admitting something like this is really, really hard, okay? But listen to me. Don't ever, /ever/ give out your address to anybody. Understand? It's dangerous and we can lose you, Patton, we really, really don't want that to happen, okay? Promise us?"
Patton nodded quick, "I do! I promise! I won't do it again, I won't!" He buried his face into Virgil's shoulder, still clutching Logan's hand. "Don't let be get taken away" he pleaded.
"Do not worry, Patton. We would never let that happen" Logan reassured, pressing a kiss to his head before he picked up the phone and began to text the friend.
"What are you doing?" Virgil asked, Patton lifting his head to see, too, watching his papa angrily glare at the screen while typing out a message.
"I am inviting him out" Logan explained. "I may not be a teacher" Logan carried on, arising from the couch. "But I will teach him a lesson about messing with my child" with that, he dropped the phone back onto the coffee table, leaving the room to grab his jacket.
"He can't go alone - what if he gets hurt?" Patton whispered to his dad who grabbed his own phone and texted one of his friends.
"We're coming with you, Lo" Virgil called, standing up with Patton hugging him still. "And we're making a stop on the way"
The stop was to their friends house. The friend, named Roman, was exceptionally strong for a performer in theatre and could quite easily beat up a man of similar age, height and weight to himself - three men against one raised their chances and eased Virgil as they drove to where Logan agreed to meet up.
"I'm sure I could find some acid if we need to rid of a body" Roman commented, sitting in the backseat beside Patton who cuddled into his side. Roman came around often to their house, he was almost like an older brother to the boy - as protective of him as his parents.
"We are not killing him, Roman" Logan spoke up, clutching the wheel tighter. "Unfortunately" he murmured under his breath.
"I'm sorry" Patton whispered again, Virgil turning in his seat to reach over and hold his hand. "Pop star, none of this is your fault - he manipulated you, okay? Next time someone texts you, tell us before you carry on, yeah?" Patton nodded, although the three men were sure he wouldn't be willing to respond to anyone who texts him for awhile.
Five minutes later Logan parked the car, across from them, leaning on a building pretty much abandoned was a man in his mid forties, occasionally looking down at his phone, unaware of the car and the people inside.
"Patton, look at me" Logan caught his attention, "do not, under any circumstances, leave this car - understand?" The boy nodded hurriedly, "yes papa" he agreed, watching them all leave the car, locking the doors behind them before walking quick to the man who finally looked up to see them, but before he could go Roman grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back, pinning him to the wall painfully.
Patton watched them crowd the man, he couldn't tell what they were saying, and he couldn't exactly see the man's face from this distance but he hoped they would be alright.
While watching, he turned his head when he heard a noise, yelling in fright when another man appeared from seemingly nowhere, trying to open the car door, looking angry to discover it was locked.
Patton watched with a hammering heart and rapid breath as he went around each door, scowling as all of them were locked.
However, not everything was.
Patton began to yell louder when he was able to open the trunk of the car, reaching in and grabbing the boy before he could scramble to the front. As he was dragged out, the idea of being taken away from his parents and Roman flashed through his mind and sudden anger powered through him, his yelling stopped but his limbs didn't.
At such velocity he began to kick and scratch the man, managing to get a few decent hits in but he knew it wasn't really working - in the end he began to scratch at the man's face hard, drawing blood all over it, his body flopping like a fish in the man's grip. However, he finally got away when he bit down on the man's shoulder /hard/.
The man screamed and let him go, Patton able to scramble to his feet and sprint across to his parents, yelling out to them as he did.
The three turned to the boy, gasping in shock when they saw blood dripping from his mouth and hands. Then they looked towards the car to see a man in pain, grabbing his shoulder, looking furious.
"We should go" Virgil said to his friends who agreed, Roman punching the man one more time before they made their way to their car, Virgil carrying Patton the entire time.
Never again did the boy talk to a stranger online.
—
My back hurts :/
4:58pm