Trigger warning: self harm

Virgil ran out of Patton's living room and out of the house.The others stood shocked at what happened. None of them moving.

"Patton I know this isn't what you want to hear right now, but we should have just told him." Roman said with a pointed look at the sobbing boy.

Logan despite agreeing with Roman glared. He may not be good with emotions, but now was not a good time for "I told you so"'s.

"I'm sorry! I- I just wanted him to be safe. I couldn't live with myself if he got hurt." Patton cried pathetically.

"How is what you said to him any better!?" Roman fumed. Patton looked like a kicked puppy, but Roman didn't stop there. "You are all he has! He doesn't remember anyone else, and you basically took that away from him. The one person he trusted more than anything just took that trust and spat in his face." Roman was pissed, not specifically at Patton, but the whole situation.

"Roman," Logan said warningly. Patton just sobbed harder.

"I never meant... I never meant for him to get hurt." Patton said his voice was meek and defeated.

Roman heaved a sigh, "I am gonna go find him."

"He will probably be in the house next door. He will be seeking some sort of safety. His room is where he feels safest." Patton tried to offer. Roman nodded before heading off.

"Patton, please let us help you." Logan said once Roman left the room. "If we don't your body will fail and you will die."

"If it'll keep Virgil safe..." Patton started, but was cut off.

"What about me? Do I not matter? Imagine how this impacts me!" Logan said desperately.

"I-I, um," Patton looked at Logan to see the other staring back with sad eyes, "oh..."

"Patton I have been separated from you for five years. That was hard enough I couldn't live in a world where you didn't exist at all. Please don't make me."

______

Virgil had gone to his room like Patton predicted. He was curled up by his bed. Everything hurt he wanted it to stop. He wanted the pain to stop so bad. Patton was done pretending to be his friend. Virgil did give Patton credit for tolerating him as long as he did, but fantasy worlds full of sunshine and rainbows where everyone gets along don't exists. Virgil had to wake up eventually. Virgil's chest ached with a pain that felt like it was just getting worse by the second, and the voices in his head seemed to be getting louder. He couldn't take it, it was too much he wanted it to stop. Suddenly Virgil felt a piece of cold metal almost appear in his hand like magic. He looked down at the object before giving it a week smile. He took the metal object and placed it on his arm before gliding the blade across his lily white skin. After that everything became numb.

_____

Roman quickly made his way over to Virgil's house. He searched around for his room before finding it, or at least he assumed it was Virgil's. It was the most detailed part of the house, so it had to be important to Virgil. He reached for the door knob but it was locked. He pressed his ear to the door. He could hear loud sobs coming from the other side.

"Virgil? Can you please let me in?" Roman called out.

The emo boy didn't hear the other. He was currently busy..... With other things.

"Virgil, I am giving you one more chance or I am breaking down this door." Roman said threateningly. "One... Two... Three!" And with that Roman lifted his foot and kicked the door open. He did warn Virgil.

The other was sitting on the floor his back pressed against the bed. He was just sitting there with a glazed look over his eyes. Tears streaming down his face. He didn't even flinch when the door flew off its hinges. He merely gave it an indifferent glance, before he went back to staring at nothing.

"Oh, dear Zeus what have you done Virgil?" Roman quickly knelt beside the darker boy and picked up his arm to examine it. Virgil didn't even move, just sat there with no expression. Tears came to Roman's eyes as he saw the word "Alone" written in crimson on Virgil's arm.

Roman quickly got up and went to the bathroom. He luckily found a first aid kit in there and rushed back in to where Virgil remained. Still not having moved and in inch. Roman cleaned the wound, thankfully they weren't too deep, but they would probably leave a scar. Throughout all of this Virgil didn't react at all, even when Roman poured the disinfectant onto his arm he didn't make a sound. Once he had wrapped the injury he sat down in front of Virgil placing his hands on his shoulders staring into the dull almost lifeless eyes. "Virgil? Can you hear me? Why did you do this?" Roman was practically begging for answers.

"I just wanted the pain to stop... I just wanted them to be quite... It worked it... it all stopped... it stopped... all of it..." Roman was almost surprised to get an answer, but after this Virgil drifted off again his eyes glazing over even more. Roman tried a few more times to get the other to talk to him, but nothing was working. Roman decided to try something different.

"It's like a storm

That cuts a path

It's breaks your will

It feels like that"

Roman decided to sing.

"You think you're lost

But your not lost on your own

You're not alone"

Virgil's eyebrows furrowed slightly like he was confused, but he remained unmoving.

"I will stand by you

I will help you through

When you've done all you can do

If you can't cope

I will dry your eyes

I will fight your fight

I will hold you tight

And I won't let go"

More tears began to pour from both pairs of eyes, Virgil blinked hard almost like he was trying to blink the glazed look from his eyes, but when his eyes opened it was still there.

"It hurts my heart

To see you cry

I know it's dark

"This part of life

Oh it finds us all

And we're too small

To stop the rain

Oh but when it rains

"I will stand by you

I will help you through

When you've done all you can do

And you can't cope

I will dry your eyes

I will fight your fight

I will hold you tight

And I won't let you fall"

Roman started to smile when he started to see some light comes back to his little raven's eyes.

"Don't be afraid to fall

I'm right here to catch you

I won't let you down

It won't get you down

You're gonna make it

Yeah I know you can make it"

Virgil eyes seemed to clear completely and recognition flashed in his eyes "Roman?"

"'Cause I will stand by you

I will help you through

When you've done all you can do

And you can't cope

And I will dry your eyes

I will fight your fight

I will hold you tight

And I won't let go

Oh I'm gonna hold you

And I won't let go

Won't let you go"

"No I won't"

Roman wanted to jump for joy when he saw a small smile danced on Virgil's lips as he mouthed along to the last few lines of the song.

"Virgil you know that song!?" Roman said sounding very hopeful.

"Um, yeah..." Virgil started and Roman's face lit up like a kid's on Christmas. "I think my mom used to sing it to me." Virgil said almost like he was unsure if that was true or not. And like that Roman found the cole in his stocking.

He slouched over and sighed, "No, no she really didn't..." he mumbled.

"Well, how would you know?" Virgil said defensively crossing his arms only to feel one scream out in pain. He flinched and pulled his arms apart. He looked confused seeing his arms wrapped in bandages. He went to unwrap them with his other hand, but Roman placed a gentle hand on his stopping him. Virgil looked up to see Roman gently shake his head. Virgil was still confused, but decided to drop it.

"I know your mom didn't sing you that song, because I wrote it myself. I wrote it for someone very important." Roman said genuinely, but Vigil was skeptical.

"Well then how do I know it?" Virgil said almost in a mocking tone.

"I don't know Virgil you tell me." Roman sassed right back.

"Um, maybe Patton heard you sing it once and then sang it around me." Virgil tried, but the mention of Patton hurt. "I should have never argued with him, I should have never pushed him, now he hates me. I know he does. Now I am going to be all alone." The word seemed to make his arm burn, so he cradled it to his chest trying to ease the pain.

"Hey, hey easy there dark and stormy night. I can promise you Patton doesn't hate you. He just got frustrated. We all say things we don't mean when we are frustrated. It's like when a wild animal gets backed into a corner, even if they like the person backing them in they lash out in an attempt to escape. That's all." Roman was still mad at Patton, the boy in blue could have handled the situation better, but Virgil didn't need to know that.

"It's still all my fault!" Virgil argued.

Roman sighed, "How about we go and talk with him? We can get this all sorted out! Trust me it'll be fine." Roman offered.

Virgil looked skeptical, "I have known you for maybe 24 hours and you want me to suddenly trust you?"

Well, that hurt. Okay Roaman you can do this. "How about I tell you secret and then you come with me?"

"Maybe..."

Guess that was good enough. Roman reached into his shirt and pulled out a pendant that was attached to a chain around his neck. The pedent was shaped like a purple storm cloud with a silver lightning bolt. "This was a gift from someone very important to me and he doesn't know but I never take it off. It has been on my person ever since he put it around my neck." He presented the pendent so Virgil could easily see it, and Virgil felt his lips quirk up into a smile, before his head started pounding. He clutched his head as the room started spinning. He shut his eyes tight in an attempt to make it stop.

"Virgil! What's wrong?" Roman asked concerned. Virgil shook his head. He suddenly felt a gentle had on his shoulder. His eyes shot open and he looked at the source. Standing next to him was Patton.

"Virgil, what's the matter kiddo." Patton asked gently.

"Oh, nothing Pat, just tired." Virgil responded quickly looking around his surroundings. "Come on we better hurry before they notice we are gone." Patton nodded then grabbed Virgil's hand dragging him along behind him. They went from booth to booth in the market looking at all the goods they could. Until something finally caught their eyes. They both looked at each other and smiled.

"Ah, I see you have taken a liking to the pendent collection I have." The salesman behind the booth commented. Virgil nodded and bought the four pendants. Patton beamed. And clutched in his hands.

"We can all match!" Patton said enthusiastically. "I can't wait to give Logie his!"

"Sounds perfect Pat." Virgil said looking at the storm cloud and the shield pendants in his hands.