lil fluff based on a hc (will reblog when i find it again)
Virgil never felt welcome, not since he first showed up when Thomas was in middle school. Patton tried his best, but even he couldn’t hide his discomfort with the new side. So, Virgil hid in his room until he couldn’t take it anymore, usually for a few days at a time, when he would then venture out into the common area. But the fact that, even after he had been there for so long, there wasn’t space made for him -- it hurt. But he didn’t want to say anything, he didn’t want to burden or inconvenience the others. So he just sat in different places that weren’t meant to be sat on, like the coffee table, or the counter, or -- on particular occasions -- the top of the refrigerator.
Logan never understood Virgil’s reasoning for this, so he wanted to do some research. He approached Patton one afternoon, asking him if he could attempt to befriend Virgil, and eventually find out why he behaved so strangely. The moral side agreed, and immediately set off to find the youngest among them. He found him, surprisingly, underneath the ledge of the counter, playing on his phone.
“Care if I join you there, kiddo?” He asked, startling poor Virgil. “Oh, sorry!”
“I-It’s fine, just give some warning next time....” The boy shifted uncomfortably, then made room for Patton to join him. The other eagerly sat beside him, smiling and bouncing in place slightly.
“Whatcha doin’?” The paternal side asked, peering at Virgil’s phone screen. The other shied away slightly, then changed his mind and showed him the game he was playing.
“I didn’t know you played Pocket Camp! You should add me!” Patton pulled out his own phone and showed him the code, which Virgil reluctantly added. Patton was, in many ways, his first friend.
They played on their phones together, sharing items with each other and enjoying each other’s company in silence. Virgil slowly relaxed, feeling less apprehensive of Patton as time went on. When his phone eventually died, he actually wasn’t afraid to talk to his new friend. He felt comfortable enough to smile at his jokes, too -- but only a little bit.
The two continued this routine until, one day, Virgil invited Patton back to his room. He said he didn’t want to be around the other sides at that point, and his friend agreed.
“Hey V, can I ask you a question?” Patton asked once the two were alone.
“Um...sure Pat, what is it?” Virgil sat on his bed, folding his legs under himself and looking at Patton wearily.
“Why....why do you seem like you don’t wanna be around us? You know you don’t need to be anxious, right?”
This simple question seemed to open the floodgates, as Virgil looked as if he’d just collapsed into himself as he answered. He told Patton how he felt about Roman’s jokes, how he felt like Logan never listened to him, how he felt like everyone else devalued him and never made him feel welcome in the common area, how he didn’t want to bother anyone for fear of it being dismissed....everything that he’d been keeping to himself, he let it all go. Patton was shocked into silence, but when he realized the weight of Virgil’s confession, he rushed to comfort him. He took Virgil’s hands and crouched in front of him, holding them securely and looking at his face the best he could.
“Kiddo, I know that it seems like we don’t want you there -- but we do. Roman was the center of attention before you came, and he’s not the best at being in the background. Logan isn’t that expressive, I know, but he does enjoy having you around. He likes having someone to debate with and provide new views on things, even though sometimes they aren’t the best for Thomas. And I know that you and I have the same goal -- to keep Thomas safe and take care of him, just like Logan does. Roman is in his own world most of the time, but....that’s just Roman. It doesn’t mean that we don’t want you, okay?”
Virgil seemed to find comfort in Patton’s words, until a question came to him; “Then why does the sofa only have three seats?”
Patton was taken aback, and had no clue how to answer him. He simply tried to comfort the side until he was told that Virgil wanted to be left alone. He tucked the younger side into bed and left the room, immediately going to Logan to tell him about the issue.
The next morning, when Virgil ventured out of his room, there was a new grey recliner with a poorly knit lavender blanket over the back of it. Not only that, but the tiny sofa had been replaced with a sectional -- with plenty of room for all four sides. Patton was standing with the other sides, watching for Virgil’s reaction. He simply stood speechless, eyes wide, until he saw Patton and asked, “Did you do this?”
“We all did,” Patton answered, “we want you to know that you’re welcome here, and that we love you. And the recliner is yours.”
Virgil didn’t know what to do, so he launched himself into Patton’s arms, shocking all of them. It was the first hug he’d initiated on his own. Patton smiled, holding the smaller side close. Maybe things really could get better.
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