Virgil never did manage to go back to sleep. His own thoughts made his reality a living nightmare, but at least when he was awake he could listen to music to block out his demons. Sleep was dangerous. Sleep was unpredictable. Virgil hated what little control he had over his downward spiral of thoughts, but being asleep was worse. There his demons could manifest into dark creature actually suffocating him. Leaving him gasping for breath when he woke.

Virgil eventually rolled from the security of his bed, sometime around noon. He assume it was from the position of the sun outside his window. He didn’t care enough to check his phone. It was Sunday which meant he didn’t need to go anywhere today. He still had the same clothes he had on from the day before and his body odor had reached a point that was even too much for him to stand. So he got up and headed to his bathroom and turned on the water too the tub. He walked out of the bathroom for a minute to let it fill. He went to his closet and grabbed out a fresh dark purple shirt and a fresh pair of ripped genes. He placed them on his bed and grabbed a towel from his top shelf in his closet. He then headed back towards the bathroom. When he got there he let out a blood-curdling scream as he dropped his towel and looked down and the tub before him. It was full of gushing red blood. He stood frozen in fear of what he was seeing before him.

“Virgil!! What's wrong? What happened kiddo?” Virgil tears his eyes away from the gory sight before him and turns around to see a face filled with concern. It was his beloved roommate and best friend come to his rescue.
DON’T LET HIM SEE THE BLOOD. HE IS TOO PURE TO SEE IT. HE CAN’T HANDLE IT. “Patton… Um... ” Virgil says trying to figure out a way to get the pure creature away from the horrific sight.

“Kiddo are you ok? You're letting the water overflow?” The water but… Virgil turns around to see that his cardigan-clad friend was right it was just water. Virgil still didn’t want to get near the tub so when Patton pushed passed him to turn off the water he didn’t protest. He just stared at the tub full to the brim with water.

“Kiddo are you ok? You look like the fairest of them all. And by that, you look as white as a ghost.”

“I feel like I just saw a ghost,” Virgil muttered under his breath. Despite not attending for his friend to hear the comment Patton did. He gave a soft smile full of concern.
“Oh, my was there a Boo-galar.” Patton joked trying to calm his friend the best way he knew how, with a joke. Virgil stiffened thinking back to the ax murder he imagined last night. Or at least hoped he imagined. Virgil leaned back against a wall and his knees buckled. He felt himself slipping into one of his panic attacks. Patton watched as his friend's eyes glazed over with an all too familiar panic. Virgil's breathing quickened to the point he was afraid his lungs were going to explode. “Easy there, buddy. Breath.” Patton was on the ground next to him. He placed his hand between Virgil's tense shoulders and started to rub in gentle circles. “Shhh. Everything is ok. Breath with me.” Patton set his breathing to a steady pattern Virgil new well. But Virgil's thoughts made it hard to hear Patton.

WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST SEE. I AM GOING CRAZY. THE NIGHTMARES CAME WHEN I WAS AWAKE. WHAT HAPPENED. Virgil glanced over to Patton and saw his worried face. OH, MY GOD, I AM MAKING PATTON WORRIED. YOU CAUSE HIM NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. I AM SO SELFISH. THIS IS MY PROBLEM NOT HIS AND I AM DRAGGING HIM INTO IT. You're MAKING HIM WORRIED. “GET YOUR FUCKING SHIT TOGETHER!” It wasn’t until he heard Patton whimper that he realized he said the last part out loud. He looked at his friend who looked at him with understanding.

With a small smile, Patton said: “Watch your language young man.” Patton continued his breathing pattern while rubbing small circles on Virgil's back. “Now come on buddy breath. In and out.” Patton's light humor and understanding made something loosen in Virgil's chest. He finally felt like his lungs weren’t going to explode slowly his breathing pattern matched his friends.

“Pat you know I am not that much younger than you?” Virgil said when he finally relaxed enough to speak.

“You still are, kiddo.” Virgil rolled his eyes the corners of his mouth tilting up.

“Hey, Pat?”

“Yes, friendo?”

“Thanks for coming to my rescue.”

“Of course.”

_____________

Roman shifted uncomfortably in his spot in the hallway. He had heard Virgil’s scream and had flown in without thinking. He luckily had the foresight to check to see if Virgil ’s roommate was anywhere before barging in. He was now hiding in the hall listening to the two friends as Virgil calmed down. What had made him go off like that? He only screamed like that in his sleep. When he first heard the scream he was worried Patton had found his Wards lifeless body or something, but that wouldn’t make any sense if he was dead Roman would be too.

Roman really wished he could be the one to comfort the fragile creature only a few feet away. Virgil was having a severe panic attack, and Roman could do nothing.

“Okay easy there buddy, let's get you to your room so you can relax.” Roman heard Patton say snapping him out of his thoughts. There was the sound of them shifting to their feet. Roman darted out from the way he came as fast as he could. Finding himself a perch on a sturdy nearby tree. He watched as the small man supported his only slightly taller friend over to his bed where they both sat down.

“I’m doing ok now Pat, I promise,” Virgil said willing those words to be true for Patton's sake. Roman can tell that Virgil is clearly not ok and is trying to protect his friend. Virgil even when he is the damsel in distress is still always thinking of others, Roman thought to himself.

“You do realize how foolish you acted correct?” Roman almost jumped 5 feet in the air as he werld around to face another winged man. “You and your impulses. I shall never understand. You do realize both your Ward and mine could have seen you right?”

Deciding to ignore the question Roman said “Lo you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“That's highly unlikely given the factors of both your health and your eating habits. There is a very low probability that you would have a heart attack.” Logan responded.

Roman rolled his eyes. “It’s a metaphor calculator watch. You scared me appearing out of nowhere like that.”

“Ah, very well. Returning to my previous inquiry. What caused you to act with no caution as you did?”  Logan said reverting back to the issue at hand.

“My Ward was in danger. I being a prince could not allow it.” Roman said boasting puffing out his chest regally.

“Yes, and you almost broke the rule of being unseen by the humans.” Logan retorted.

“But I didn’t!” Roman responded quickly.

It was now Logan’s turn to roll his eyes. “Whatever ends up happening in your trainwreck of a plan to ‘save your damsel in distress’ please leave Patton out of it. He is my Ward and I do not wish to lose this position I am currently in.”

“Lo, this isn’t just some job where you can have time for caution. We are bonded to these people if they die so do we. So excuse me that if when I hear my Ward scream I go to see whats wrong.” Roman snaps at Logan.

“I ment the position of observance. I do not wish to alter my current way of protecting Ward in order to benefit you. Patton is my one and only priority and your action could cost me greatly.” Logan replied coolly.

“You act as though your Wards feelings don’t matter.” Roman said bitterly.

“While a poor mental state is treacherous for him, his feelings are no concern of mine. I am here only to observe and protect. If I were to get attached, well, that would cloud my judgement and cause me to act as foolishly as you just did. Patton is alive and healthy therefore so am I that is all that matters.”

“You don’t care about him at all do you? If it came down to it if his life was in danger and it didn’t affect you, you wouldn’t care at all” Roman spit the words at Logan. The words taste foul on Romans tongue.

“That's correct”

AN: Hey let me know if I should tag any possible triggers I am new to triggers for the most part and I want readers to be safe.