Comic at the top isn't mine and doesn't really relate. 

So I know it isn't even Virgil's birthday anymore, but the thing I did for it yesterday absolutely sucked and I have a better idea now, so it's just gonna be a new one. I might delete the og. 

Happy Birthday, Virgil!

Human AU

TW: Mentions of kidnapping, panic attack, kind of familial Stockholm syndrome (?), both physical and mental abuse, angst, fluff, cursing, quick unalive mention

This isn't really a warning, but platonic familial physical affection. (I forgot the word for it)

Sorry not sorry.

Also, Janus speaks in lies. 

QUEERPLATONIC! That's what it is. Queerplatonic poly stuff. 

*Third Person POV*

Janus and Remus walked into the living room. They had moved in with Roman, Patton, Logan, and Virgil a few months ago, and everything was going great. 

That was, until they saw the white banner that said, in purple lettering,'Happy Birthday Virgil!' on the walls behind the tv. Roman was working on taping it up, while Logan blew up balloons as he read, and Patton baked something in the kitchen. 

Remus immediately doubled over and burst out laughing, perhaps from surprise or the absolute stupidity of the other three. Janus glared at him and continued to walk over the counter, where he grabbed a cup of coffee and began to fill it, mumbling how it was too early for this shit. 

The others had stopped their preparations and were now looking confusedly between the two. "What's so funny?" Roman asked defensively. 

"You guys are even stupider than me!" Remus managed between his giggles, flopping onto the carpeted stairs behind him, before another wave of hysteria hit. 

"I don't agree with Remus. Did you never think to ask Virgil about his birthday?" Janus questioned, annoyed at them and his manic brother by choice (kind of, anyway). 

"Is it not Virgil's birthday today? I was sure we had the date right." Logan tied of the balloon he had been filling then turned his full attention to Virgil's longer friends, the crazier of whom's laughing fit had calmed to quiet giggles. 

"You have it wrong. It's that Virgil absolutely adores his birthday, and parties, especially those related to it." Janus responded after taking a long sip of his caffeine. "So this is a really wonderful idea, combining the two. You're all so smart."

Patton had set down his frying pan and turned off the stove by now. "So, that means he doesn't like his birthday? Why?"

Before anyone could respond, Virgil came down the stairs, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "What the heck is so funny, Remus?" He asked, stopping near the aforementioned person. 

Then he looked up at the rest of the room, and his breath caught in his throat. Immediately, he could feel panic start to claw at his throat like a swarm of bees, stinging every available surface and making it swell up until Virgil could barely breathe. A great flood began to push at the back of his eyes, and no matter how much Virgil tried, he could not contain it. 

So he turned and fled back to his room, before the others could see him cry. 

He collapsed onto his bed, curling up as tight as he could, then trying to go tighter. The bees' buzzing filled his head, drowning out everything but a few panicked scraps of thought. Birthday- not again - leave me alone - stupid - worthless - they hate you now - he's gonna find you - go back - don't - please - stop - I can't 

Back downstairs, Janus had sighed and set down his coffee. With a harsh glare at all those still in the room, except Remus, that would have made even H*tl*r shudder, he made his way to the stairs and up to Virgil's room.

"Told ya, idiots," Remus said as he got up to follow Janus. 

The Lights just stared after them, dumbfounded, each with only one question. What happened to make Virgil hate his birthday so much?

Janus knocked on the black and purple door in front of him, and when he did not receive a response, went in. He found Virgil curled up on his bed, hiccuping violently yet making no sound. 

Remus let out a heavy sigh, and before Janus could do anything, flopped down next to Virgil and poked his face. Janus sighed and went to get a sugary drink and some snacks from Virgil's mini fridge. 

"Hey. Virgin," Remus poked Virgil's nose again. "Breath out, fucker. Trust me. I know everything." He said with a haughty smile.

His voice had broken through the sound of warring wasps, and he managed to let out a shakey breath. 

"Now back in for four seconds, or I'll keep poking you." Remus said, stabbing at Virgil's ear. "Then hold for seven and out for eight.

Virgil managed the first instruction with a slight laugh, but coughed violently while trying the second, and didn't even start the third.

"Try again." Remus bonked Virgil's forehead softly with his own, earning a strangled laugh.

Janus sat down next to the two, a sprite and bag of cool ranch Doritos in hand, as Virgil went through the exercise a few times.

When he finally finished, he sat up against his headboard. Remus wrapped his arms around the younger, making a weird beeping sound that went unacknowledged. 

Janus threw the food at the emo, hitting him in the face. "Self-care before you pass out."

Virgil chuckled tiredly and opened the bottle, taking a few sips. "Sorry about that. I shouldn't have freaked."

"Why the hell not? All of us love today." Janus said as Remus stole Virgil's sprite and took a few sips for himself. 

"We shouldn't. I mean, today is the day I joined the family!" Virgil said with faked enthusiasm. 

"You know that was totally pleasant for all of us," Janus said. "You don't have the right to despise today." 

Virgil huffed slightly, but smiled faintly, as he began to run his fingers through Remus' tangled hair.  

"That being said-"

Janus was cut off by Virgil groaning and saying, "I knew this was coming."

"Don't shut it and let me finish. As I was saying, our idiot roommates didn't work really hard to get this ready. How they even found out, I totally know, but they must have had a hard time doing so."

Virgil scoffed, earning a glare, though it was not nearly as intense as the one the Lights had received.

 "Just, please, don't let us celebrate you today. You don't deserve it at all."

"Plus, CAAAAAKKKKKEEEEEE!!!!" Remus added helpfully, screeching loudly at the end.

Virgil flinched slightly, then began to laugh, almost as hard as Remus had earlier. Remus joined him, and even Janus chuckled slightly. "Fine. Let's go dorks."

And, because I'm lazy, we're gonna skip through all the festivities and such. Basically, R, L, and P were kinda confused but happy when Virgil came down. They had a few video game tournaments, a Disney marathon, presents, and, yes, cake. 

It was while they were eating said cake between movies that Logan spoke up:

"Virgil?" His tone was laced with nervousness.

"Yeah, specs?" Virgil responded, slightly suspicious. 

"If you don't mind my asking... what do you have against your date of birth and celebrations surrounding it?" 

"Yes, I was wondering that too." Roman added, and Patton nodded along side him.

Virgil bit his lip, and was quickly swatted by Janus for it. (The youngest had a bit of a problem with that, and when he did it to often his lip would bleed and swell up a bit.) "It's a... long story."

"We have time," Logan responded. 

"Yeah. But you don't have to tell us if you don't want to, kiddo." Patton quickly added, and the other curious ones agreed. 

Virgil glanced at Janus, who was sitting on the floor in front of him, and received a reassuring nod. Then, down at Remus, who was laying on his chest, his feet flung over the high lip of the couch. The gremlin gave him a thumbs up and muttered a dirty joke that only Janus and Virgil heard. 

They were in these positions specifically because the three now always, subconsciously, surrounded whichever of them was most in need of protection at the time. Because of the day, that was currently Virgil. 

Anyway, back to the story. 

Virgil sighed and said, "No, no. It's... fine." He took a deep breath, steadying himself, before starting. "When I was in second and third grade, I had this music teacher named... Frederick Mineer."

The name visibly disturbed the anxious one, and he had to take a moment before continuing. 

"I didn't have any friends at the time, and the other kids were actually really mean. My parents weren't the best either. But, he was nice to me and I grew to trust him more than anyone else. He even threw me a birthday party at the park when I turned 9. 

"We celebrated a bit at the park, then he took me back to his house for cake and a present that he said he wasn't really able to bring in the car. Um..." Virgil choked a bit, and stopped for a few moments to calm back down. 

"Sorry. Anyway, his house was like 40 minutes away in the middle of nowhere, which I thought was a bit weird, but I really liked the long car ride, so I didn't mention it. We got there, ate dinner and had cake, I met his 'girlfriend', and then we went down to the basement to where he said the present was. 

"I thought it was gonna be some sort of sensory deprivation thing, cause he had been asking about those for me recently. Instead..." Virgil trailed off, collecting his thoughts. 

All of the Lights had around the same idea of what was about to happen, and all were incredibly upset about it, mostly angry and sympathetic. 

Janus squeezed Virgil's hand, which he had taken as Virgil spoke, and Remus made an unholy noise that got a small chuckle from Virgil, as it was intended to. 

"Jan and Remus were there already, and were not happy at all to see me. I was confused as to what was happening, and why there was a fourth grader and a sixth grader in his basement. Then he locked the door, and I panicked, and..." Virgil took a deep breath, cutting off his racing words and trying to steady his even faster heart.

Patton was crying, and Logan and Roman almost screamed. How dare this teacher do that to them?!

Virgil continued quietly, "Turns out, he had kidnapped all of them, even his 'girlfriend', Daisy, and were forcing them, and now me,  to be his family. I had a panic attack and passed out. 

"A few weeks later, he got some friends of his to officiate and witness when he got married to Daisy. They didn't notice what was going on, or they didn't care. 

"He was usually nice to us, except when we did something he didn't like. We stopped doing things like that after, like, a year. Like, five years later, Daisy... died. He organized a funeral in town, and brought us with him. I guess he trusted us or something."

"He trusted his ability to catch and torture us if he run off." Remus interjected grumpily. 

Patton gasped, and Roman growled slightly, then motioned for Virgil to continue when he glanced at them worriedly. 

"Uh, the reception came, and he socialized with the few people that had showed up. His therapist, Emile, came over to us. I guess he sensed... what was going on, somehow. He had his boyfriend, Remy, distract Da- Frederick while he got us out back to his car. 

"I guess Fredrick realized, cause there was kind of a car chase.

"But he managed to get us up to his office and call the cops, who came and arrested Fred. We stayed with Emile and Remy while all the court stuff happened, and were sentenced to at least a year in a mental hospital, until we got better. 

"By then, Jan was a legal adult, so he took care of Remus and I while we all integrated back into society. We grew up, Jan got an online college degree and a job as a lawyer. Remus and I finished high school, Remus did his own thing  and I went to college. You guys know the rest."

All of the lights had different reactions, but they all shared one thought:

I'm gonna kill Fredrick. 

Yeah. I'm kinda proud of this, not gonna lie. But I have to go now. 

Bye~