Third Person POV
As the kids were playing, Patton was making snacks for lunch and Logan, per usual, was reading.
"You know what we should all do soon?" Patton said, breaking the silence (other then the kids loudly playing upstairs).
"What's that?" Logan asked, glancing up from his book.
"We should go camping!"
Logan scrunched his face a bit. He didn't understand what was so good about staying outside in a strange place when they had a perfectly good home that had everything they could ever need, whereas in the wild you would be restricted.
"Oh come on, I know you don't really like that kind of stuff but it's Summer! I used to go camping all the time during Summer with my family! Plus you need a break and the kids are bored of the house!" Patton justified.
"But Patton, think about the costs, the dirt, I'm in the middle of a case and.." Logan tried to argue but couldn't when he saw Patton's face turn sad.
"It's just.. you're always stressed and I know how much you hate just sitting at home.. I just figured that it was something we could do together as a family.." Patton said, quietly, after a few moments of silence, looking away.
Logan felt bad. He suddenly realised how little he hung around or did anything with his family recently. He never stopped to realise how it could be affecting them and they never told him about it or mentioned it to him. Logan put down his book and got up, hugging Patton, to which Patton hesitantly hugged back, knowing how often Logan gave out hugs, which wasn't much.
"We can go camping, Patton. I'll figure it all out, just let me finish this case first and I promise I'll take a break and go camping with you and the kids. Maybe after the twins birthday." Logan promised, making Patton smile, hugging him tighter.
"Thank you, Logiebear!"
Logan rolled his eyes, "you're welcome, Pat."
They broke the hug and Patton called down the kids for lunch to which he heard the two usual loud "Okay!" Followed by stomping and giggling. Roman and Remus, as usual, tried to beat each other down the stairs. They both jumped off the last step at seemingly the same time and they argued over who was first.
"Boys!" Patton yelled, getting their attention, "where's Virgil?" Patton questioned.
Roman and Remus both looked up the stairs as Virgil slowly and carefully slid down the stairs on his butt, spider in hand.
"Hiya Virge, were the boys nice to you?" Patton asked with a smile when he got to the bottom.
Virgil nodded, glancing between them all.
"Good, well hearing that news you guys can eat lunch in your room today! Just don't make a mess."
"Yay!" Roman and Remus cheered. They loved eating in their room. Remus liked to hide some of the food under his bed, secretly, for a midnight snack.
Patton walked up the stairs with the snack tray in hand, placing it on the ground of their room. Remus and Roman instantly dug in. Virgil took a little longer to get there, having to climb up the stairs again.
"You guys play nice!" Patton smiled, heading back downstairs.
The kids continued to eat when Remus decided that he was full enough and wanted to annoy Virgil.
"Why do you carry that spider around with you everywhere?" Remus asked.
Virgil gave a small shrug and hugged his spider a little tighter. He knew exactly why he kept it with him though.
"What's it's name?" Remus questioned more.
Virgil didn't answer, just looked down.
"Hellooooo? Do you ever speak?"
"Just leave him alone, why are you even asking anyway?" Roman defended.
"I'm just curious!" Remus replied, "can I hold the spider? I like spiders."
Roman glared at him, knowing what he was trying to do. Virgil looked up at him again and shook his head, holding onto his spider tighter as Remus tried to take it.
"Let me hold him!" Remus said, finally ripping it out of Virgil's hands.
Virgil immediately started crying and Roman ran over to him.
"Are you okay, Virgil?!" Roman asked in a panic.
Virgil just shook his head, but that was enough for Roman. He understood, and tried to get the spider back.
"Remus, stop it! He's crying! He needs his spider!"
"Only if you can reach it!"
They continued yelling at each other which only made it worse for Virgil as he started to feel a panic attack coming on, getting flashbacks.
"What is going on in here?!" Patton interrupted, then noticed Virgil who was crying, shaking and breathing heavily and immediately sat down beside him, trying to comfort him but every time he touched Virgil it just made it worse.
Logan came up to also observe what was happening.
Remus looked down in shame as he realised he had taken his joke too far and now he was definitely in trouble. Roman grabbed the spider and quickly gave it to Patton who gave it to Virgil. Virge soon started to calm down, squeezing onto the spider for dear life.
"I believe that Virgil just had a panic attack.." Logan said, confusion and just a hint of concern in his voice.
"But isn't he too young to have one of those?" Patton asked, also quietly.
"It is extremely uncommon for a child his age to have a panic attack unless suffered from a traumatic life event, resulting in the mental disorder called PTSD, short for post-traumatic stress disorder." Logan informed, then saw the look Patton gave him, he sighed, "post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition triggered by a terrifying life event- either experiencing or witnessing it. Symptoms might include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event."
(Education kids! (I definitely didn't just look up the definition) fun fact: I think I might actually struggle with a slight bit of PTSD and this is definitely not me torturing Virgil as a venting tactic without actually venting and feeling like a burden! Modern problems require modern solutions!)
Patton covered his mouth in shock and worry as he looked back down at Virgil who was now calming down. His face was wet with tears, his breathing was shaky but calming down and he was slightly shaking still.
"You shouldn't touch him without his consent while in this state for it could potentially worsen. Speaking soft reassuring words will usually help until given consent or completely calmed down." Logan informed so that Patton didn't make the same mistake again.
"Virgil, can I touch you now?" Patton asked, softly.
Virgil hesitantly nodded and Patton softly pulled Virgil onto his lap, hugging him. Virgil, almost instantly, latched onto Patton.
During a panic attack, Virge did not like to be touched. It scared him and made it worse. But soon after he was calmed down, he felt as though he needed the comfort of another. Same with nightmares, hence why he always crawled in with Dean at night.
"I'm sorry, Virgil.." Remus said after a few moments of silence.
Virgil didn't answer as he didn't speak and was beginning to feel tired, still calming down and he didn't talk much.
Roman pat Virgil's head, "Prince Roman promises to protect Princess Virgil from the evil villain better next time." Roman vowed.
Remus glared at him silently. A bit mad and sad that he had to be the bad guy all the time, though he didn't help his own case very much. Usually he liked it, it was fun to be the bad guy, even if he lost all the time, but not when the term was used outside of game and being used against him.
"I think its time for Virgil to have a little nap. Roman, do you mind if he uses your bed?" Patton asked.
"Why not my bed?" Remus asked, fake offended voice.
"Remus, can Virgil sleep in your bed?" Pat asked, turning to him.
"No way!"
"Exactly. Roman?"
"Virgie can use my bed!" Roman agreed.
"Great, can you two go downstairs and maybe watch a movie?" Pat asked.
"I CALL MALEFICENT!" Remus screeched and ran downstairs.
"Do I have to?" Roman mumbled.
"I thought you loved watching Disney movies with Remus?"
"Indeed," Logan said, most likely just trying to contribute some part of the conversation.
"Yeah.. But I've seen Maleficent a million times and I'm kind of tired too.." Roman stated.
"Alrightie then, should I put Virgil in Remus' bed?"
"No, its okay, I'll go on the floor. Besides, Remus pees the bed at night and doesn't tell you so I don't think Virgie wants to sleep in that." Roman said casually.
Patton and Logan looked at each other with confused and slightly disgusted faces before Patton turned back to Roman.
"And how long has Remus been doing that?"
Roman shrugged, "ever since I met him." He said, as if he didn't know they were twins.
Patton made a mental note to clean the bedding more often and talk to Remus about that. Putting Virgil into Roman's bed and tucking him in with his own purple blanket. Virgil slightly whined for Patton but Patton gave him his spider and he calmed down and fell asleep almost instantly.
Roman laid down his large, white, fluffy blanket with a yellow crown and grabbed his favorite smaller, more soft, red blanket with a matching yellow crown on it. The white one as extra comfort on the ground, acting as a bed, and the red one the actual blanket he would lay on top of him.
"See you later, kiddos!" Patton whisper yelled.
"Night dad, night mom!" Roman whisper yelled back.
Patton closed the door and headed downstairs with Logan.
"I have no idea how you handle them so good!" Logan said, finally, shocked.
Patton shrugged, "I guess just natural dad instinct!"
When they came into the living room they found that Remus had already started the movie himself and was seemingly waiting for Roman. The movie paused at the very beginning. Remus turned to them as soon as they came down.
"Where's Roman?" He asked after noticing that he wasn't with them.
"Roman was also feeling tired so he's having a little nap with Virgil." Patton replied.
Remus' face dropped a bit upon realising this. A simple "oh," was all he said. He sat there, looking at the ground as if debating on what to do.
Patton realised this and quickly added, "buuuuut, me and Logan will join you for the movie!"
"That would be Logan and I- wait, what?"
"Yay! Really?!" Remus jumped up, his eyes shining with excitement.
He never got to spend time with both of his parents! By himself at that!
"Yep, mom is going to take a short movie break with just you and me before he has to go back to work!"
"But- I-" Logan sighed as both Remus and Patton gave him the pouty face. Something both of them had mastered very well, "fine!" He said in defeat, sitting on the couch.
Remus started the movie and they watched it together. Each getting the family time they needed and deserved. ... For the most part.
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Word Count: 1,902
Date Published: July 30th, 2019
Edited: December 18th, 2019
Date Re-Published: December 28th, 2019