Mr.Brownstone on repeat
The Post that inspired this
Ao3
Summary: Virgil wants to help. But he’s so scared. Be he still will help. He’s brave. He can be brave. Yeah, brave. 
Patton hummed along to the song as he cooked, the kitchen is where he seems to be finding himself lately. He was sliding the muffins into the oven when he heard footsteps.
“Hey Virgie.” Virgil grumbled back in response, too tired to deal with anyone right now, they just wanted to get in and out as soon as possible.
“I’m surprised you're up already, not even Logan has come out of his room yet.” Virgil perked up at this. Logan. It’s why they slept like crap last night. Everything Remus had told them about the other day just irked them the wrong way.
“Remus exaggerates a lot though.” Was the thought that at long last gave them some shut eye.
“Hey Pat.”
“Mmm?” Patton felt his heart jump a little at Virgil calling him by his nickname again, nobody seems to nowadays.
“Could you turn that song off?” It was getting on their nerves, it sounded weirdly familiar...
“Ah, sorry, no I’m not playing it, it’s coming from L’s room.”
“What, I thought you said he wasn’t awake yet?”
“No, no, he is, he just hasn’t come out yet.” Virgil’s stomach dropped.
“Really?” They asked, failing terribly at not sounding worried.
“He’s been kind of “Patton tilted his hand back and forth “so-so lately.”
That’s the last thing Virgil wanted to hear, because if that is true then that meant,
“Remus is telling the truth.”
“What?” Patton asked, confused.
“I need to go talk to Logan.” Virgil said.
“I don’t think that’s the best idea-” But Virgil was already gone.
Patton sighed deeply, then he smelled something...burnt?
“The muffins!’
2.----Line—Break--Down The Hall-
Walking through the maze that was the mindscape caused the music to grow louder. Virgil guessed that made sense, it had to be pretty loud in order for them to think it was coming from the kitchen. The hallway they were in as they assumed that started to incline, or maybe it was just the mindscape being weird.
It was when Virgil finally could see Logan’s room that they could really hear the music.
It terrified them.
“Mr.Brownstone.” They whispered, their voice was already sounding hoarse and they haven't even gotten to say anything to Logan yet.
“C’mon Virgil,” They told themself, “now is not the time for flight.” A couple of deep breaths and they were somehow already right in front of Logan’s door.
“Time for fight.” Their knocking was rapid, they pulled away, hands shaking.
“It’s open.” Virgil barely heard it over the music. With the way that Virgil opened the door Roman would’ve said that they looked like a meerkat.
“Patton I’m fine you don’t-” Logan stopped as he looked up from his desk and saw who it was.
“Oh, Virgil.”
“Uh, yeah that’s me.”
“What do I owe this visit for?” The bite in his voice from before was gone but he still sounded...distant.
“I was wondering,” Virgil paused, they didn’t feel like yelling over the music right now, “could we turn the music down first?”
“Ah, yes, of course, my mistake.” Logan said, practically falling out of his chair while getting up. He stumbled towards the speaker, reaching out to change the volume but his hand wouldn’t go any further. His hand was just hovering there.
Hovering.
“Ah give me a moment please.” Logan’s eyes looked glazed over from sleep.
Virgil took another step through the door, they want to fix this, they really do but what if their theory is wrong? Turns out that it was just them being paranoid and they make Logan’s mood even worse when all they were trying to do was help? Screwing up everything like they always do-
A sob.
“Logan?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine I swear I’m fine.”
Virgil has gone fully into Logan’s room now and they could now see all the clutter. Virgil winced at Logan’s struggle with the volume, how hard Logan was trying to get his hand to even move.
“No,” Virgil closed the door behind them “I won’t let this happen again.”
“Virgil what,what are you-” Logan looked so confused. Virgil knows he hates being confused.
“I’m sorry Logan.” Virgil double checked the door’s lock before turning back to Logan.
“Hey you!”
“Virgl what-”
“You citrus piece of shit come out and face me!” Virgil’s voice oozed venom in every word they spoke.
Logan’s eyes have been begging him to get to sleep all day, but now his vision was clouding, he couldn’t tell which way was up, then as soon as he thought that all he could see was black.
The speaker crackled and popped, an unnatural amount of smoke starting to rise covering the room, soon all Vrigil could see was two large pupiless orange eyes, almost like headlights.
“Hello Emu,” the eyes blinked and pupils like a goat appeared in the endless orange “long time no see.” Despite it being broken the speaker played a distorted guitar every time the voice spoke. The smoke stung Virgil’s eyes.
“You and I both know that emus are badass birds and that it isn’t an insult!” Virgil's eyes widened as they slapped his hand over their mouth.
“You.”
“Yes it’s me.” The faded guitar sounded like it was crying.
“You better get your ass back where you belong.”
“Or you’ll do what V?” The smoke seemed to have condensed around Logan’s body making him look like he wasn’t even there, at least Virgil could see more now.
“It’s not like you have any control over me.” The side blew smoke directly into Virgil’s face, they could feel it filling their lungs. It burned like fire.
“It’s not fair!” Virgil started pacing “Why do I have to be shoved aside and taken for granted!” Virgil stopped, they don’t feel that way, so why, whose-
Logan.
That’s why they are here in the first place. The guitar rang out pitfully, Logan.
They had to think clearly if they wanted to get Logan out of this, not let Orange cloud their judgment. Orange may be a master of his craft but even a blacksmith could be killed by their own sword.
“Using your favorite song to get me to come here, even I could come up with something better than that.” The only response Virgil got was a low hiss of steam.
“Also going after Logic,” Virgil gave a sly smile “Isn’t that kind of obvious, anger screwing with logic, kind of like every hallmark movie character ever?”
“You take that back!” The smoke was becoming thinner, steam was filling the room now.
“Ah…” Virgil tapped their chin as if considering it “nah.” At that single word the smoke billowed back and what was left was what was truly there. Orange clinging onto a physical body, Logan’s body, tired, messy and barely standing.
“How dare you accuse me of such things!” The Orange aura around Logan’s body was flickering.
“I’m not accusing just stating facts, like how did it take you so long to come up with such an obvious plan?” Virgil smirked, they knew they were winning.
The aura had completely deflated now, slipping off Logan like a second skin. Orange didn’t even get as much as a goodbye from Virgil as he sank through the hardwood floor. The speaker clicked back on, lofi this time, making Virgil smile.
As the last of the orange hue faded Virgil caught Logan before he fell down to the floor. Logan was so much taller than Virgil so dragging him into his bed was a challenge. Virgil sat next to Logan in bed, exhaustion came over him as the reality of what just happened started to sink in.
“Maybe I can just lay here a while..” Virgil mumbled before they nodded off into sleep.
A few minutes later Patton walked down the hall, now new not so burnt muffins in hand.
He knocked softly on the door, the music from earlier having stopped.
“Logan?” Patton knocked again “Virgil?” He paused again “I have muffins?” Concern started to rise in Patton's chest. He opened the door slowly, but surely, only to be met with a beautiful sight for sore eyes.
Both Virgil and Logan were dead asleep, tangled in the blankets and each other. His heart warmed, his kiddos don’t need him anymore, that didn’t stop him from leaving the muffins on Logan’s desk though.
Something for them to enjoy.
Patton softly closed the door, walking away with a new pep in his step, not even noticing the trails of orange goo that covered the hall’s floor.
Yeah, today is a good day.
