Virgil needed to get to his cabin. That wasn't the problem.

The problem was, in fact, very specific and very Roman-shaped. He had a very Roman-shaped problem sat - hopefully asleep - in his cabin. That was the problem and the problem was it was a damned annoying Roman-shaped problem.

It was such an egocentric, arrogant, annoying problem that it made Virgil want to tear his hair out.

"Kiddo?" Virgil jumped about a foot in the air at Patton's voice.

"Pat, hey." Virgil realised his heart was racing and ran a hand through his hair. He turned away from the railing, where his hand was gripped so tightly his palm had gone sticky with sweat. "What's the problem?"

"No problem," Patton said carefully, "you just looked, y'know, like you were brooding, that's all."

"And?"

"And I thought it'd be best to clear certain people off the deck before you turned your brooding towards human lives," Patton said with a meaningfully and obvious nod towards Logan. Virgil raised an eyebrow.

"He refused to go?" He asked doubtfully. Roman had said Logan didn't fear death but Virgil hadn't believed him.

"Guy doesn't seem to value his own life at all," Patton mused. "It's scary, Virge."

Virgil hummed without answering. He turned back to look out at the sea. He took a breath and removed his hand from the railing. He stretched his fingers and cracked his knuckles.

"So, if you're not brooding," Patton pressed, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Virgil said automatically. He'd turned his head slightly to Patton as he spoke and he turned away again. He heard Patton sigh, a little annoyed huff through his nose.

"I need to get to my cabin," Virgil admitted.

"Oh. Oh!" Patton realised.

"He's probably asleep, I know but..." Virgil ran a hand through his hair again. "I don't want to see him either way." His hands went back to grasping the railing. He could feel the tiny splinters in the grain dig into his palms. "Every time I see him, I think about what could've happened if I'd just cut in the right place-"

"We'd have no maps, no Logan and no you," Patton interrupted. "Before you get any ideas. If you think you'd've been able to kill their captain and walk out Scott free-"

"I was able to humiliate him, wasn't I?" Virgil growled. "Unmask him, strip that part of him away." He squeezed the wooden railing tighter. Deep down, and even more annoyingly, he knew Patton was right. That crew loved Roman for whatever reason. Virgil frankly couldn't see the appeal.

Patton gave his hands a small tap. Automatically, Virgil's grip loosened. He turned his head slowly, glaring at Patton. Patton beamed back at him.

"Look," he said, his grin fading, "chances are that he's asleep. You can go, get what you need and come back. No biggie."

"Big biggie," Virgil countered childishly. "I don't want to see him. At all."

"Then why let him share your room?"

Virgil opened his mouth to answer, paused, and closed his mouth slowly. "Fuck you," he said with no feeling. "Don't like you being right."

"It's a wonder I'm your friend, then," Patton said with a laugh. "Go on. We're fine up here without you."

Virgil sighed and his hands dropped off the railing. He ran a hand through his hair and turned to look at the deck of the ship. After glancing round his crew to convince himself everything was in order, he pointed at Logan.

"Keep close to him," he said to Patton. "Keep an eye and all."

"No problem, you already got us sleeping together." Virgil glanced over at Patton, who laughed. "Not like that! Jesus Christ, I barely know the guy!"

"Hasn't stopped you in the past," Virgil muttered and received a shove from Patton for his comment. "Hey, watch it," he said, allowing himself to smile. "I'm your captain, could have you keel-hauled for that."

"Oh, I live in fear," Patton mocked. He laughed and Virgil rolled his eyes. "Go on, stop stalling. I got everything under control up here."

Writer's Block's a bitch, enjoy
Bye,
Blaize