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TW: Physical-Harm in relationships
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"So? What was it you were on about that made it necessary for you to see us before breakfast? You're lucky Brian's got the guards on your graces." Tom grumbled from where he lay on the floor, Lea's hand resting a few inches above him, Lea still half asleep, as he'd yet to put his sunglasses on.

Virgil noted that Tom was on the floor.

"Roman- he can remember things, just a bit, but he can remember." Virgil blinked.

"We know." Lea yawned, stretching.

Virgil squinted, "...What?"

"His bullet wound." Tom tapped his own shoulder to signify the location, "Touch it and he seems to snap out of whatever he's in for a few seconds.

"Why- why didn't you mention this earlier?" Virgil gritted his teeth.

"You two wouldn't let me." Tom rolled his eyes, sitting up, "Moving on. What about it?"

"It means he's still in there- somewhere." Virgil nodded, opting to sit down across from the two in their cellblock, "And I think we can fix it."

"Why'd you think that?" Lea sat up.

Virgil also noted Lea not opting to put his sunglasses on right away.

"He remembered sign language- when you two signed I love you to each other?" Virgil looked between the two who refused to meet each other's gazes.

"Isn't that common knowledge?" Lea cocked his head.

"You'd think so- but-" Virgil was interrupted.

"Roman's a daft nut." Tom mumbled.

Lea nodded in understanding.

"I'd disagree but...anyway," Virgil cleared his throat, "It's something with his head, psychological. I think we can reverse the damage that's been done,"

"How?" Tom asked.

"That's the thing...I don't know." Virgil rubbed his temple.

"Use brainiac, you need to call him anyway, right?" Lea hummed.

"Why do you guys need Logan?" Tom knew who they were talking about.

"We made a deal with Brian." Was Virgil's answer.

Tom's eyes widened and he turned around to look at Lea, a rare moment of them making actual eye-contact without the other's shades, "You actually made a deal?" He scoffed.

"You actually let Roman canoodle you?" Lea made a mocking scoff noise.

Virgil moved uncomfortably.

"I told you, it was an accident!" Tom hissed, "You making a deal with Brian wasn't!"

"You seemed perfectly fine with it the other week when it was Virgil wanting to make a deal." Lea crossed his arms over his chest.

"That's because I don't love Virgil!" Tom bit back.

Lea's glare at Tom faltered for a second as Tom turned back around towards Virgil.

Virgil blinked a few times before continuing, "Anyway...Logan..he- that might work." He turned towards the phone, advancing towards it, "We need to call him."

"Hey, Wait! You have your own phone, don't use our calls!" Tom snapped.

"Roman can't hear what I'm going to talk to Logan about." Virgil sat down at the desk that the phone was located at.

"But- Lillybelle!" Tom leapt up, making to grab for the phone, "I swear to god, don't you dare dial that-" Virgil made eye contact with Tom while he used his other hand to slowly dial the number, "VIRGIL!" He screeched, lunging for the boy before feeling something catch him by the hood.

"We still have another call left, calm down." Lea commented.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Tom turned around and shoved Lea backwards.

Despite Lea being smaller, he probably could have held his ground, it was the shock of Tom purposefully shoving him that caused him to trip and fall down.

Tom seemed to look guilty for a moment and fought the urge to apologize before resuming a glare and turning towards Virgil, "I get both your calls for this."

"Roman's already used them." Virgil commented with the phone pressed to his ear.

"UHG!" Tom yelled as he dug his nails into his head.

"Careful, Tom, your short temper is showing." Virgil rolled his eyes. Sometimes he forgot that there was still a large portion of himself that despised Tom.

"I will break your leg again, I swear.0 Tom's fists clenched.

"First your boyfriend's heart and now my leg? Ouch." Virgil's voice dipped with sarcasm.

At the remark, Tom looked over at Lea who was on the ground with a strange expression on his face- it looked like someone had just told a child that his dog died.

Tom's heart twisted in some of the worst pain he'd felt. Partially knowing that Lea was hurt but mostly because he knew that he'd been the one to cause this.
His fists unclenched and he turned towards the cellblock entrance, opting to sit by the door, Lea still on the floor in a confused silent tear state and Virgil sighing on the phone.

"They made a mistake, putting this many pubescent teens in one priso- Logan!" Virgil gasped.

"Speaker.." Tom mumbled.

Virgil looked over before putting the phone on speaker.

"NO, IT'S ME, IT'S PATTON, HI!" Patton screeched into the phone.

Virgil winced at the loud sound, "This isn't a drive-thru, Patt- and even then, you don't need to yell." He chuckled.

"Logan said I could talk to you next time you call so I've been watching his phone and waiting!!" Patton squealed.

"So I see- where's Logan?" Virgil inquired, watching as Lea got up and patted himself off, going over to sit on the edge of the bed, but not moping, just thinking intensively.

"Asleep- want me to wake him?" Patton hummed.

"That'd be great, Patt." Virgil resounded.

There was shuffling and then the sound of a loud thump and a loud wheeze from what sounded like Logan.

"WHY DID YOU JUST THROW MY COLLECTION OF WARRIORS BOOKS ON ME!?" Logan yelled from the background of the phone.

"He's awake." Patton chirped, then calling to Logan, "It's Virgil, hon!"

There was some grumbling and then Logan took the phone, "Yes?"

"Wow, not a very nice entrance to a conversation, Lo, don't you think?" Virgil teased.

"I just got seventy books thrown onto me, I'm not in the mood for manors." Logan hissed.

"I need to ask about Roman." Virgil for right into it.

"Roman's okay?" Logan sounded surprised.

"HE IS!?" Patton squealed.

Virgil winced, wanting to lie but knowing he couldn't, "He's here- I wouldn't...exactly use the term okay."

"Oh dear.." Logan sighed with a whimpering Patton in the background, "What's wrong?"

"His memory- he thinks the things Tom did to me and him were things I did to him and Tom and that our relationship was toxic and his and Tom's was romantic."

"Oh god, that's-"

"THE WORST LOVE TRIANGLE PLOT EVER!!" Patton screamed.

"I don't know, I think I'd read it." Logan mumbled.

"Nobody would read crap like that." Virgil rolled his eyes, "Anyway- Uh- all we know is when we touch his...bullet wound?" Virgil looked at Tom for confirmation.

Tom nodded.
Confirmation at its finest.

"That he seems to remember things clearly for a bit." Virgil finished.

"So...like, a trigger?" Logan blinked.

"I guess so." Virgil shrugged.

"Somebody's tampered with his memory clearly," Logan sighed.

"We've concluded that." Virgil mumbled.

"I know, but I mean, they tampered with it physically- I can imagine touching a bullet wound shortly after it being made, it would hurt, correct?" Logan hummed.

"Well, Yeah, but what does that have to do with-"

"So the pain must have triggered a memory, most likely the memory of his memory being tampered with therefor any memories he had whilst being tampered with it would have returned- but that doesn't seem to be his main trigger, it seems to be a temporary, unintentional one, he must have a long term one that gave and lost his memory and- of course, this is all just in theory."

"So...what do we do?" Virgil frowned.

"Find out what you can with that bullet wound for one." Logan responds.

"How? He won't get near me." Virgil sniffed.

"Which is why you need to earn his trust- it's best to approach the wound when you're in a vulnerable and or trusting state to ensure positive memories of you are invoked, okay?" Logan prompted a response from Virgil.

"Got it, I-" Virgil was interrupted by a beep on the phone.
Two minute warning.

Lea cleared his throat and Virgil remembered the plan. He also remembered the fact that their calls were monitored by Brian.

And if they were monitored by Brian, they were also probably monitored by the prison.
Brian didn't tell me not to mention anything over the phone- he's testing if actually competent perhaps?
Perhaps.

"I- need my jacket." Virgil blurted.

"What?" Logan scoffed.

"Yeah, what?" Tom blinked in confusion, "We aren't allowed more than under sh-"

"Sh!" Virgil hissed at Tom.

"Why do you need your jacket?" Logan sputtered in confusion.

"The kid needs his comfort clothes- I'll bring it to y-" Patton was interrupted by Virgil.

"No!" Virgil responded too harshly before correct himself, "I mean...I want to see you...both.."

"Awwww, kiddo..." Patton gushed.

"I'm under house arrest for the next month or so if you hadn't forgotten." Logan grumbled.

"A month or so should work." Virgil hoped that this did indeed work.

"Fine, I guess then." Logan sighed.

Another beep.
One minute warning.

"I have to go," Virgil called into the phone, "I'll...try and keep in touch.."

"Bye-" Logan screeched as it sounded as if he'd been tackled and the phone was taken.

"BYE KIDDO!! I LOVE YOU!!" Patton squealed.

"Bye." Virgil chuckled before hanging up.

There was some silence before Virgil let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding, "Alright..."

Tom and Lea looked at him.

Virgil stood up, "Let's get Roman's memory back."

***
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-Jay💓