[Requested by SimplyaSketch ]

Roman was just having an off day, he could feel it. He didn't want to admit it, as he didn't a lot of things, of course, for that would mean failing his role as the fanciful trait. It would also mean that Virgil would get an opportunity to make some sly remark. Some sly remark, that would make him snicker and Roman scowl . Some sly remark that had just been slipped.

***

The day had started out quite fine, as a usual Roman day. Waking up, eating Royal Muchies and then heading off to assist Thomas mentally throughout the day. This kind of day would usually end with Roman heading off to Virgil's room and then crashing there until he was kicked out, or until Patton demanded the two spend some quality family time with everyone. However, that's not exactly how today went. Everything went haywire on the job.

It didn't help that Roman had already been feeling just a tad bit grouchy, and it certainly didn't aid to his situation when Logan stepped in.

It wasn't entirely Logan's fault, only Patton would openly admit to that, it wasn't all the time at least- he just tended to...lack the necessary realizations that words hurt. So of course, as per usual, words did indeed hurt. Not so much emotionally this time, well- not to Roman that is. It was more so in an annoying kind of manor.

Thomas had needed guidance in the field of Which Flavor of Ice Cream - such an important manor that Roman couldn't resist but take the reins. But of course, Logan said otherwise.

"Roman. We can't." Logan groaned.

"But yes we can." Roman gritted his teeth. He didn't particularly know why he wanted to start an argument...he jus knew that he felt like it- like all this rage and negativity was piling up on his shoulder and he needed to push it off on someone else. This was a horrible idea.

"We're not going to feed him four scoops of ice cream- that's just plain out unhealthy!" Logan threw his arms up.

"You don't know anything," Roman huffed as he glared back at Logan.

Logan clenched his fists, "Yes. Yes I do- everyone knows this of all things, Roman! What kind of sane person would have four scoops and whipped cream?"

"An emotionally depressed and rejected human being?" Virgil suggested, entering the conversation.

"Thomas is none of that as a whole!" Patton added with a grin, "My little boy is as happy and shiny as ever!"

"And we would like him to stay like that. And he won't if he eats this much." Logan sighed, trying to keep his temper.

"Oh my god, fine we won't get whipped cream." Roman mumbled.

"That stuff is practically air! How about we just don't get four scoops?" Logan took in a breath.

"Uh...Logan has a point, we probably shouldn't..." Virgil mumbled.

"What was that?" Roman turned his glare on Virgil. When he looked at the darker trait he could feel his own self-hate for all the crappy things that he had said to Virgil burn in his heart. Of course, at the time, he didn't recognize it as this and instead looked to the other and felt unimaginable guilt and hatred, unknowing that none of that should have been directed at Virgil.

Virgil flinched but shrugged, "I...was just saying that...Logan might be right..."

"Which makes me wrong?" Roman took a step towards Virgil.

"That's...not exactly what I said..." Virgil shrugged and put his hands in his pockets, not meeting the other's gaze as to avoid his wrath. That didn't work, though.

"But it was implied?" Roman cocked his head with a furrowed brow.

"No...Roman, calm down- it's just ice cream." Virgil scratched his arm awkwardly with a small chuckle.

"Just ice cream?" Roman hissed, a few feet from Virgil, "It's more than just ice cream!" He was now right in front of the dark trait, "This ice cream right here needs to be picked along with all the other ice cream scoops because this scoop has hardly been recognized all his life and the other scoops try to hold it up on the cone but no the scoop simply continues to fall- so we need four scoops to support the one scoop!" Roman wasn't finished, "If we were to say this was just ice cream then what shall I stand for!? Letting these two do all the work!?"

"What about me then?" Virgil fought back best he could, though not particularly favoring he option to argue currently.

"Your opinion doesn't matter because you hardly even have a worth while purpose!" Roman finally snapped.

Virgil's previous smirk turned to a look of absolute hurt as his heart fell into an endless abyss in a matter of seconds. He stayed silent for a moment as he let the pain wash over his heart and sink in, before scrunching up his face in anger and pushing Roman back with angered force, storming away to his own room and flipping Roman off behind him as he did so.

"Whatever." Roman grumbled and turned back towards Logan, "Let's just get him home- I don't care." Roman gave up and strode off to his own room, ignoring the prickling guilt he felt in his chest.

Logan looked at Patton helplessly, as the other two traits left, and frowned , "Well...that couldn't have gone worse." He sighed.

Patton sniffled, "My baby boys are fighting again..."

Logan sighed and approached Patton to patt him on the back, "It's okay, Virgil will simply get over it and Roman will be his same cheery...cherry self as always when tomorrow comes, it's statistically proven, it'll all blow over."

Patton leaned against Logan, accepting the comfort, "You sure?" He whimpered.

"When have I ever been wrong?" Logan grinned.

"Infin-"

"Don't. Say it." Logan sighed.

***

However, it didn't blow over.

The next morning Roman came wallowing out of his room, knee deep in regret and not even bothering to do so much as to touch the Royal Munchies. He ambled into the living room and looked around at the other traits, his guilt rising at his sudden realization, "Where is...where's Virgil...?"

Logan looked up from his current dwelling of phone activities that Patton was helping him with and adjusted his glasses on his face, "He hasn't come out of his room since...yesterday." Logan cleared his throat awkwardly.

Patton nodded sadly in agreement, "He...called me a...dragon witch...earlier? I can see you two have quite... the connection there...but, I told him I'd physically hurt him if he was doing anything that didn't promote himself but he just said to p...peeve off- but like- the real word and-"

"Yes, I get it." Roman frowned and flopped down on the floor, not caring all that much to actually find a seat.

Logan looked worriedly at Patton, and for much reason.

***

As the day dragged on Logan found Roman's actions rather curious. The usually cheerful trait was spending his time quietly in the corner without a single word to say about anything. It was as if Roman had just...shut down.

It wasn't helping Thomas either. Thomas was as lost and disheartened as ever.

So, Logan did his best, and rather than talking to Roman about this matter, he pulled over Patton to talk to Roman for him.

"What'da'ya need, kiddo?" Patton grinned.

"Please...don't- don't call me that." Logan sighed before clearing his throat, "From my observations, it seems that...without Roman to comfort Virgil, he's an anxious, ...angsty mess."

Patton solemnly nodded in agreement.

"-And without Virgil and Roman to comfort each other...whether they like to admit that they do or not, Roman has been a quiet, wallowing ball of sorrows without Virgil present."

"Your point?" Patton squeaked as things were getting somewhere.

"Oddly enough...Fanciful can't run without having some Anxiety, and Anxiety can't run with out a bit of fancy." Logan concluded.

"So? What should we do?" Patton grinned.

"Well they obviously need each other...so- they need to...fix this." Logan nodded, "I would talk to Roman myself but...It seems logical doesn't really mix well with emotional..."

Patton simply nodded and skipped off towards Roman, "Will do!"

Logan quietly chuckled at Patton's boost in enthusiasm with a shake of his head, before returning back to assisting Thomas.

Patton raced up to Roman and tackled him to the ground in a hug.

Roman let out a high-pitched scream and fell back with wide eyes, "Wh-what in the name of all things Disney!?"

"Go apologize to my dark son right now, okay?" Patton squeaked, "Or I will physically hurt you!" He smiled lovingly.

Roman carefully placed Patton beside him and stood up, brushing himself off, "Okay... I'm...getting some...mixed messages here..."

Patton sighed and leapt up, "You two need each other." Patton put his hands together and squeaked as he laced his fingers together, looking up proudly at Roman, "Like this!"

"God damn your cuteness." Roman groaned.

"It's a blessin' but a curse!" Patton grinned, "Now, go on over to Virgil's room and go apologize."

"...Do I have to?" Roman groaned.

"Well, would you rather Logan does it? 'Cause that's fine with me an-"

"No!" Roman interrupted quickly before recollecting himself, "No...I mean- I can do it- it'll be like...a quest."

"That'a boy!" Patton encouraged and turned Roman around, "Now go get that little puff of gloom!" Patton gave Roman a little push for confidence and emphasis.

Roman did as told and marched on out of Patton's view.

Once at Virgil's door, Roman felt a sense of insecurity fill him, more so than when he usually visited. He took in a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Unless you're Roman coming to say what an ass you are, then go away." Virgil growled from the other side of the door, still using minor censoring in guilt that it was Patton.

"I'm an ass!" Roman called, hearing a yelp of surprise from the door's other end.

A few seconds passed before a click came from the door and Roman proceeded to open the now unlocked door. He looked out and winced as he saw that the room was darker than ever. And even darker was Virgil, huddled on his beanbag in the corner with crossed arms and a swamping black of eyeshadow beneath his eyes showing as he grimaced.

"What do you want?" Virgil muttered.

Roman frowned and, once again, the guilt in his gut began to grow, "It's been...lonely without you..."

"Yeah?" Virgil sat up, "Are the other two working too hard and you miss me because maybe I just make you feel better about yourself because you think I don't work?" Virgil suggested.

"That's...very specific but- Virgil you know I didn't mean that!" Roman pleaded.

Virgil let out a huff and crossed his arms, "I know you meant that I️ was the scoop, Ro...I realize that you're very one realizes that but...I'm just upset that you said it- and that you guys do believe that it's true, that I'm just a burden that's making you fall..." Virgil muttered with growing pain.

"Virgil! I know that you do a lot of work- I was just... upset!"

"Yeah, but that came from somewhere." Virgil sunk down deeper into his black beanbag.

"...Honestly- yes, that might be so- but you can't tell me that you don't think I slack sometimes too?" Roman put his hands on his hips.

"...Meaning?"

"Meaning...sometimes, we're all the falling scoop, hm?" Roman began, trying to make sense of his own words, "Without you, Logan would have hardly anything to make sense of because without a bit of nerve, everything may seem sorted out. Without you, Patton wouldn't have anything to sort out from right and wrong because you define that line. Without you...I️ wouldn't be me- creativity comes with the price of sacrifice, that may come in many forms but it comes in the form of sacrificing some carelessness for some alertness to provide awareness of creativity! Without you, Virgil. You make up so much of Thomas...I'm asking you as a fri- I'm asking you as me, Virgil...We all want you back, understood? I want you back."

Virgil looked at Roman's hand for an awful long time before grabbing it, "Fine- but-"

"But isn't good..." Roman groaned, earning a grin from Virgil.

"You have to let me put eyeshadow on you, okay?"

Roman frowned, "Do I have to?"

"No, but then I won't let you sleepover anymore."

Roman yelped, "Eyeshadow will be fine!"