#Polysanders

[nb-octopus-writes]

once you're in the hive, the other bees assume you're supposed to be there

[Masterpost]

Summary:

Virgil accidentally gets absorbed by his best friend's brother's polycule.

In his defense, they keep feeding him every time they see him, and Patton's cooking is really good.

Chapter 1: Halloween Party

Wordcount: 1.9K

~

There are a lot of people Virgil doesn't know at this party. Remus is here, somewhere, and Virgil needs to find him again before the party ends, because Remus was his ride and he doesn't want to get left here. Janus is here too though, and Virgil doesn't think Janus would let Remus leave without him, and he's sure Remus wouldn't desert Janus, so he's trying not to worry too much about the fact that he doesn't currently know where Remus is.

But that's it for people Virgil knows, and Remus didn't even bother to introduce him to anyone before fucking off to who knows where, and Virgil’s certainly not going to walk up to a random stranger and introduce himself, so he's currently appreciating the snack table. If he's eating or deliberating on what to eat next, he can't be expected to talk to anybody, right?

“’Scuse me, itsy bitsy,” someone says from behind him, and Virgil turns to see a vaguely familiar man in a dazzling prince costume holding a fresh plate of deviled eggs.

Virgil moves so that the prince dude can set the plate down on a clear spot on the table, and frowns. “I'm taller than you, Princey.”

Prince dude shrugs, plucks one of the eggs up, and takes a large bite. “Lucky you, or we'd've had to ask you to vacate the premises,” he says. “No little spiders allowed, real or fake.”

Which, yeah, now that he's mentioned it, Virgil had noted an extreme lack of spider-themed decorations, which is unusual for Halloween. Usually there'd at least be spiderweb cupcakes, but the cupcakes at this party are mostly cute ghosts.

There's probably a good reason for that, Virgil realizes with a sinking feeling. “Should I change?”

“You got another costume handy, or were you planning on spinning a spider-silk cocoon and metamorphosing into a butterfly?”

Virgil grimaces. “No,” he admits.

Prince Dude considers him. “It's not very realistic,” he says, which is true. Virgil hadn't been going for realism, he'd been going for passable costume I can make on short notice. He's wearing black jeans and a black hoodie, and he'd cut some pool noodles in half and wrapped them in more black cloth and stuck them to his back for the other four legs. It had been a pain to get them to stay in place properly, actually, and he'd ended up sewing their wrappings to the back of his hoodie in order to keep them where he wanted them. He'd been pretty proud of it, given that Remus had dropped “we're going to a costume party at my brother's house” on him like an hour beforehand, but now he's wishing he'd come up with any other idea. He could have put a sheet over his head and been a ghost, or something. Granted, that would have required him to have a sheet that was both white and that he was willing to cut holes in, which he didn't, but still.

Prince Dude continues to quietly scrutinize Virgil, and he wants to squirm under his gaze. Eventually, the guy shrugs and says, “Might be best to ask the scaredy-cat himself. Wait here, I'll be back.” And he saunters off before Virgil can answer.

For lack of anything better to do, Virgil picks up a deviled egg and shoves the whole thing in his mouth. It's really tasty, actually, and now he's wishing he'd taken smaller bites rather than horking it down in one.

Virgil had thought that Princey was just being mean with the “scaredy-cat” thing, but the guy he's talking to now actually is dressed as a calico cat. Prince Dude points back at Virgil, and Mister Calico Cat glances in his direction, then turns back to Princey. Virgil can't hear what they're saying, but he supposes Prince Dude must've asked Calico if Virgil’s costume was too creepy crawly scary.

They talk for way longer than Virgil had expected, and he can't tell if Calico's response was more like “No, he's fine,” or more along the lines of “Yes, that's terrifying, please have him removed immediately from my sight and also my home.”

He occupies himself with another deviled egg. If he's going to get kicked out, he might as well enjoy some more of this tasty food first.

Oh, fuck. Remus.

Remus isn't going to want to leave early just to take Virgil home, and Virgil still doesn't know where he even is! Fuck!

Well, Remus could have warned him not to be a spider, so if Virgil gets kicked out of the party it'll be at least partly Remus's fault. Virgil doesn't know anybody here, but Remus knows at least half these people, and if Calico’s spider aversion is enough that there are no spider-themed decorations in the house on Halloween, that sounds like the kind of thing Remus would know about.

Granted, Remus revels in being gross and annoying, but still! He's not a total dick. He should have told Virgil.

Fucker.

Calico vanishes into the other room, and Prince Dude comes back over to Virgil. He doesn't look like he's about to kick Virgil to the curb, at least. Virgil braces himself anyway.

“Good news!” Princey says with a grin. “Li’l Mister Muffet says you don't look like a creepy crawly death dealer and he doesn't have the urge to remove you with arson!”

Virgil blinks. “...gooood?” he says slowly. He hadn't even considered kill it with fire being a potential response to his costume. That would have been worse than just getting kicked out of the party, actually.

“Honestly you're much more Doc Ock in silhouette, Spider-Man,” Princey continues. “That helps a lot.”

Virgil glances back at where Prince Dude and Calico had been chatting. “So he didn't leave the room because he can't stand the sight of me?” he asks anyway.

“Nah, he wanted to make another plate of horse devours,” Princey says, reaching past Virgil to grab a cupcake off the table. This one has a little frosting bat.

“A plate of what?” Virgil says, because surely he didn't hear that right.

“Little snacks,” Prince Dude clarifies instead of repeating himself. “Our fridge is crammed with delicious bits and bobs. It's been so hard to resist the temptation to eat them before the party.” He bites appreciatively into his cupcake, then adds with his mouth full, “You'd think he wouldn't notice what with how much he made, but nooo, sneak one chocolate covered cherry before party time and it's a lengthy scolding for you!” Princey sighs dramatically, then cheerfully devours the rest of his cupcake.

“...hors d'oeuvres?” Virgil says hesitantly.

“Yeah, a couple ordervs of deviled eggs, cheese and crackers, and those scrumptious little pinwheel things,” Princey says. Virgil’s not sure if Princey actually doesn't know how hors d'oeuvres is pronounced, or if he's messing with him, but then Princey gives him a mischievous grin that one, confirms that yes, Princey does know what he's doing, and two, is so familiar that it freezes Virgil in place as the pieces click together in his brain.

The lack of a mustache makes Prince Dude's face look different, and so does the way he did his makeup, and he carries himself differently, but it's undeniable all the same: Virgil knows that grin.

This is Remus's twin brother.

Now that he's connected the dots (you haven't connected shit) the family resemblance is clear even to Virgil’s honestly rather faceblind eyes.

This is Remus's brother, and it's his house they're partying at.

… Virgil doesn't remember the guy's name.

Fuck, he should've made sure he at least knew who the party hosts were, especially the one related to his mischief goblin of a best friend.

Well he can't exactly ask now, can he?

“Also like, five types of cupcakes,” Princey continues, oblivious to Virgil’s inner turmoil. “Seriously, have you tried the cupcakes? Chef Boiardelightful made multiple separate batches of different flavors, from scratch. And they're all delicious!”

Virgil smirks. “And did you try to snitch them before the party too?”

Princey gasps theatrically, pressing a hand to his chest. “How could you accuse me of such a thing!?” he protests with exactly as much dramatic emotion as Virgil would expect from Remus's twin. “For your information, I did not! I merely sampled a portion of the batter left on the spatula after the cupcakes had gone into the oven. Also some of the frosting.”

“He means that he licked the bowls clean,” says a new voice, and Virgil does not jump out of his skin, thank you very much. And even if he did jolt a little, it's nothing to the startled squawk Princey emits.

Calico's back, holding a platter of little finger sandwiches on toothpicks. He offers them up to Virgil, who takes one. “Thanks.”

“No worries, kiddo!” Calico says cheerfully, and puts the rest of the platter down on the snack table. Princey plucks up two sandwiches by their toothpicks, and gets a stern look in response. “Make sure to leave some for the guests,” Calico scolds.

“My delightful and beloved Patissier,” Princey says, cupping Calico's face gently with his free hand. “I assure you that each of our guests could have a heaping plateful of food and we would still have leftovers until next Tuesday. No-one will be going home hungry.”

It really is an impressive spread. Everything Virgil’s tried has been really good. Remus really could have played up the ‘free food’ angle more when trying to convince Virgil to come. If he'd known the food would be this good, then overriding his usual party-related reservations—it's gonna be loud, there will be a lot of people, I don't know anybody, etc—would have been a lot easier. Then again, Virgil probably wouldn't have believed him. He'd mostly been expecting pizza and cheap beer, honestly, not– not homemade delicacies.

The tiny sandwich Calico gave him is lightly toasted, with some kind of sliced-meat-and-cream-cheese filling, and a little green leafy garnish on top. It definitely looks much fancier than most things Virgil eats, and he can understand why Calico doesn't want Princey to eat them all. That probably took a decent amount of effort. He almost feels bad eating it himself, except that Calico had offered it to him specifically, and it would probably be more rude at this point to not eat it.

“Are you sure my costume is okay?” Virgil asks, interrupting the minor squabble Princey and Calico had fallen into.

“Oh, yes, you're fine,” Calico assures him. “Trust me, if you were pinging my brain as an actual spider I wouldn't be in the room right now, let alone standing next to you.”

“Really, cause most cats I know would eat a spider soon as look at it,” Virgil quips, and is rewarded with Calico laughing.

“That wouldn't be very good host-ly of me, now would it?” he says. “I would never eat a guest!”

“Not unless they're a reptile with scallions,” Princey teases, and Calico flushes.

“Hey!” he protests, swatting Princey's shoulder with one hand and trying to cover his extremely red face with the other. Virgil wonders what the reference was, exactly, but doesn't think it's his place to ask. It seems rather personal, from how hard Calico is blushing.

…maybe he'll ask Remus later if he knows what the story there is.

~~~~

Chapter 2: The Morning After

[nonbinary-octopus]

I was thinking about a polycule map for my latest fic idea, and then thought that would make a cool book cover, maybe with Virgil labeled as "guy in the polycule who's not dating anyone he's just there" or perhaps something else about how he's not supposed to be there, and my brain wouldn't let me sleep til I did at least a sketch, so.

polycule map

I probably could have put different colors for different flavors of relationships but I don't feel like figuring that all out rn

[thomas-sanders-shipname-glossary]

Please reblog! I'd like to hear as many opinions as possible ^^

[monstrcatz]

tall virgil is the best because he's dark and mysterious so he's kinda intimidating; if you see a six foot tall emo with dark makeup on, you're probably gonna shake in your boots a little bit, but imagine an easily flustered virgil. all that height for nothing in the end when someone flirts with him because despite his edgy-ness he's still a pathetic gay that will go weak in the knees the second any attention is placed on him by a good looking guy.

[oatmeal-stans-the-trash-rat]

Season 1, pre-AA, working towards being more welcoming to Anxiety/Virgil as they have their arcs, fluffy hurt/comfort LAMP, anyone?

They have captivated me.

[drlamp-and-other-polyships]

One of my favorite animatics (because, drlamp and self-love x)) but I couldn't find a post about it on the artist's blog so I'm making one so I can have it here ^^.

This belongs to @daxwormzz, I'll delete it if he asks.

[hyperfixated-homo]

i just had a really stupid idea

okay so you know the miraculous ladybug love square. imagine that but with the sides. each side as a civilian AND a superhero/villain. a love dodecahedron if you will. can you imagine the fucking CHAOS?

[sanders-sides-elliot]

I think you'd like this story: "The emo and the nerd(Pollysanders/Lamp) " by _killjoy_mcr on Wattpad https://www.wattpad.com/story/338067391?utm_source=android&utm_medium=com.tumblr&utm_content=share_writing&wp_page=create&wp_uname=_killjoy_mcr&wp_originator=GRV1y%2FAanhsD8kfrMbqKajto%2FZfkouSv%2FJXq4%2FF8BtIF%2BaBXcfFaaXlZzMpYfy2pu%2BVS1iK6ZsiiILlZY8wdE94aPGG1e0PLwus6PtXAOpRbFO4gAknM4n0RLvkHycU4

[tsfander]

man i’m such a multishipper that i absolutely eat up drlamp. like it’s the finest meal that’s ever been put on my plate. and i lick it clean every time. or just dlamp. or lamp.

man i just love polysanders.

[where-are-the-spooky-gays-2]

*materializes into existence*

Hey there :D

Hoping on this surname train bc yusssss :3

Here's a list from one of my WIPs

Logan Anderson

Patton Everheart

Virgil Marcello

Janus Deveraux

Remus Guerrero

Roman Guerrero

Other characters that aren't the Sides

Thomas Anderson-Sanders

Luciano "Luci" Marcello

Remone "Remy" Guerrero

All of these are from my WIP titled Lampshades. It's a LAMP/Polysanders fic that may never see the light of day.

Luciano is an OC and Virgil's older twin brother :D

Heyo :}D OOOOH!!! Oml those are S O damn good I L O V E those!!! I've never seen them before but it really suits them!!!

[nb-octopus-writes]

once you’re in the hive, the other bees assume you’re supposed to be there

[Masterpost]

Chapter 4: Second Morning

wordcount: 1.9K

~~~~

The next morning, Virgil wakes not to birdsong, but to the sound of his alarm.

Blech, mornings. Morning jobs are evil and should be abolished.

Virgil reaches for his phone, but it isn't on the nightstand where it's supposed to be. The nightstand isn't on the floor where it's supposed to be. Virgil reaches out further, searching, and overbalances.

He falls.

This is going to hurt.

Virgil lands, and the floor is a lot closer than it's supposed to be, and also a lot cleaner. The wind is still knocked out of him, but he didn’t land on anything but carpet. It's carpet that was recently vacuumed, even, judging by the lack of dusty smell.

Too many things are not how they are supposed to be. Virgil opens his eyes and looks around.

This isn't his bedroom.

The alarm is still going off. Virgil spots his phone on the floor near him, and he turns off the alarm.

This isn't his bedroom. Virgil yawns. He'd been sleeping on a couch, but it wasn't his couch, either.

Oh, yeah. He'd fallen asleep at Remus's brother's house again. Oops.

…

He has work.

He hadn't meant to still be here right now. He's supposed to be in his own bed, in his own tiny apartment, sleepily snoozing his alarm. Not here.

He'll have to figure out a different bus route. Does the bus even go by here? He's pulling up the bus schedule when his phone informs him that it has been way too long since he plugged it in, and fucking dies.

“Fuck,” Virgil whispers, with feeling, and then again, a little louder, “Fuck!”

He scrambles off the floor, trying to think. An adrenaline spike does wonders for chasing the sleep-fog out of his brain, but it doesn't usher in logic.

Deep breath. Okay. What does he need?

He needs to get to work on time.

Breathe.

What are his obstacles, and what can he do about them?

Problem: He's not home to catch the bus. Solution: Catch the bus from here. Problem: He doesn't know if the bus goes by here or which one or when or what connections he'd need to make. Solution: Look it up. Problem: His phone is dead. Solution: Plug it in. Problem: No charger. Solution: …

Solution: …

Solution: Ask for fucking help.

Virgil spins and leaves the room. They might not have a charger that'll fit his phone, and it would take too long to get it to a level where he can actually look anything up anyway, but they can at least tell him if there's a bus stop nearby. They might even be willing to look up connections for him.

Luckily for Virgil, his hosts are all in the dining room when he bursts in.

“Good morning,” Calico says, already looking concerned. “What's wrong?”

“Is there a bus?” Virgil asks.

“A what?”

“A bus,” Virgil repeats. “A bus, does a bus go by here? I have work, I'm going to be late, and I can't look up the bus schedule because my phone is dead!”

“Hey, hey, it's okay,” Calico says soothingly, and Virgil wants to scream because it is not okay, he's going to be late for work. He doesn't scream, because that would not be helpful and Calico is just trying to be nice, but he wants to. “Roman can drive you. Right, Roman?”

“Absolutely,” says Princey, whose name is apparently Roman, and gets up. “I'll get my keys.”

Calico portions out some omelette from the pan in the middle of the table, and gives it to Virgil. “Here, eat,” he insists. “You slept through dinner, you shouldn't miss breakfast too.”

Virgil scarfs it mechanically. If Princey is going to drive him, he probably has enough time to eat, but the lingering edges of panic tell him not to waste any time savoring the flavors.

“Do you have any things you need to gather before you go?” Nerdbot asks. Virgil shakes his head.

Well. “My pool noodles I guess,” he says. He probably shouldn't just leave those here for them to clean up. Nerdbot nods and leaves the table as well.

Roman comes back as Virgil finishes the plate of omelette. “Ready to go?” he asks.

“Yeah.”

Nerdbot hands Virgil the pool noodles, and Calico hands him a buttered bagel. “Eat it on the way,” he says. Princey leads Virgil out to the garage, and they get in his car.

It's red, and fancy-shaped, with a swoopy silhouette instead of what Virgil considers the car default.

Roman hands Virgil his phone once he's buckled, open to the map app, and starts to back out of the garage.

Virgil hesitates. “Can we stop at my place first?” he asks. “I could really use a change of clothes.” He'd really rather not go to work in a Halloween costume he's been wearing for over thirty-six hours.

“Sure,” Princey says. “Which way?”

Virgil puts in his address, and the phone gives him directions. “Left,” he says, the tight band of anxiety finally loosing from around his lungs. It's not entirely gone yet, and won't be until he clocks in, but he's doing better. Princey pulls out of the driveway, and they're off.

Soon, they're pulling up in front of Virgil’s apartment. He'd managed to eat the bagel and navigate at the same time, and they've arrived a bit before Virgil is usually out the door. He really might make it to work on time.

“I'll wait here while you run up and get changed,” Roman says, and Virgil nods. He shifts the pool noodles so he's holding them with the same arm as the phone, and uses his other hand to open the car door.

He dashes up the stairs, unlocks his door at the speed of fright, and dumps his armload on his bed. Virgil strips quickly, and grabs his apron and the first set of clean clothes he sees. He wishes there was time for a shower, but there really isn't. Even if there was, he isn't about to make Princey wait that long for him.

He smears some black eyeshadow on to hide the tired bags under his eyes, grabs his necessities from his previous pockets, and he's back out the door.

“Very fast,” Princey compliments as Virgil rejoins him. “I saw a bus go by.”

“Yeah, that was my usual ride to work,” Virgil says, buckling up. “We can take a more direct route and beat them there. Head out the way you came in, and then take a right at the light.”

They do, in fact, beat the bus there. Virgil heaves a sigh of relief.

“Thanks, man,” he says. “I owe you my life. Do you want some coffee? I can give you my employee discount.”

Roman smiles at him. “I would love some coffee,” he says, and turns off the engine.

There aren't any other customers in line when they go in, just Jayden behind the register.

“Morning, Sunshine,” he greets. Virgil rolls his eyes and comes round to clock in.

“Oh my gosh I love your hair,” Roman enthuses. “That is absolutely gorgeous, did you do it yourself?”

Jay's hair is gorgeous. It's mostly dyed in deep shades of blue, with a few streaks of greens and purples and the natural black. He has it in at least fifty slender box braids, which today are tied back in a loose plait running down his back. 

“Oh, no, my friends and I had a styling party,” he answers, which is the short version of the truth he uses for casual conversation with customers—especially white customers. Virgil happens to know that said styling party had been stretched out over more than a week, working their hair in increments so as not to damage it. Virgil had been invited to a few of the sessions, and is responsible for several of Jayden's braids, and some of the color.

“That is a fabulous idea; I should arrange one the next time I dye my hair,” Princey exclaims. “I've been planning to do it in every color of the rainbow!”

“Nice,” Virgil says. Princey's ear-length hair is currently what appears to be a natural brown, with reddish tips. “Stripes running front to back or side to side?”

“You know, I hadn't considered that part,” Princey says, and Virgil laughs. “What do you think?”

Virgil shrugs, and Jay considers Roman.

“Front to back, with the red on top and purple over your ears,” he says. “Perhaps with the red a bit off-center so the stripes are different sizes. That way if it’s not perfect it'll look intentional.”

Roman grins. “I like you,” he declares. “Do you want to come to my styling party?”

Jayden grins back. “Let me know when you plan it and I'll check my calendar.”

“Have you ever dyed your hair?” Roman asks Virgil, whose hair is in fact currently dyed.

“Uh, yeah,” he says, then admits, “I'm actually blond.”

“You're blond!?” Princey cries. “Oh, that is unfair, Gerard Gay! Please trade with me, I beg of you!”

“Why?” Virgil asks.

“Because then I wouldn't have to bleach!” Roman says. “I could redye my hair as soon as the roots grew out, rather than having to wait until enough has grown that I can bleach it without touching the last dye job!”

“Well, unfortunately I don't know how to trade hair colors,” Virgil says. “I think it's genetic.”

Roman groans dramatically, slumping against the counter. “The world is against me,” he complains into the glass. “You wouldn't even miss it, you dye it black! Brown is as easy to make black as blond! Easier, probably!”

Virgil reaches over and pats him sarcastically on the shoulder. “There, there,” he says. “Would coffee make you feel better?” That is why they'd come in here, after all.

“No,” Roman says grumpily, but he straightens and looks at the menu.

“Give him my discount,” Virgil says to Jayden while Roman decides. Jay flashes him a thumbs-up.

“Are the chocolate croissants good?” Roman asks.

“Not as good as what you're served at home, but yeah.”

“Hmmm.” He considers a bit longer, then orders a croissant and, with a decent amount of dithering over flavors, three coffees to go.

Jayden tells him the total and Roman pays, dropping his change and some extra bills into the tip jar. Virgil passes him the croissant, and he eats it while Virgil finishes making the coffee.

“You want a carrier for these?” Virgil asks, already putting them in one. Roman's only got two hands, after all.

“Probably best,” Roman agrees, and Virgil slides the coffee over to him. “Do you need a ride home after work?”

“Nah, I'll take the bus,” Virgil reassures him.

“Alright, if you're sure. See you later!” Princey balances the coffees in one hand so he can wave with the other, and he's off.

“So,” Jay says once the door closes behind him. “Where'd you get the suave edition of your trash rat?”

“Two-for-one special,” Virgil says. “Met him at a Halloween party Remus dragged me to.”

“Well, keep him.” Jayden nods toward the door. “Man just tipped us double what I charged him.”

~~~~

Chapter 5: The Most Accidental of Thefts

[terracomets]

what kind of job do you have??

didnt see this until just now whoops umm. i work as a handyman with my dad! we do polysanding and powerwashing and things like that. its very fun and he pays me very nicely.

[thomas-sanders-shipname-glossary]

Sanders Sides OT4 Names

Glossary Masterpost

A list of the shipnames of Sanders Sides pairings that include four characters! Orange is included with temporary shipnames until we know more about him, as has been voted in this poll! Ordered by however it made sense to me.

Many of these I have come up with as I haven’t found any already existing ones. If you have any additions, please feel free to send an ask, message or submissions!

1) Patton / Roman / Logan / Virgil - LAMP, CALM, PolySanders

!! PolySanders can also refer to DLAMPR. Here is a poll I run about who Fanders thought the shipname referred to. !!

2) Patton / Roman / Logan / Janus - DLMP, Royaliloceit, Logincaliceit, Moraloginceit, Rologicaliceit, Moloroceit

3) Patton / Roman / Logan / Remus - LMPR, Rologicalimus, Rolomoduke

4) Patton / Roman / Logan / Thomas - PLMT, Mologincemas, Logincalimas

5) Patton / Roman / Logan / Nico - PLMN, Logincalico

6) Patton / Roman / Logan / King - KLMP, Logincalking

7) Patton / Roman / Logan / Orange - POLM, LOMP, MOLP, Moloronge, Logincalirange

8) Patton / Roman / Virgil / Janus - DAMP, Anaroyaliceit, Anaromoceit, Anamoroceit, Prinxiemoceit

9) Patton / Roman / Virgil / Remus - RAMP, Anaroyalimus

10) Patton / Roman / Virgil / Thomas - TAMP, Anaroyalimas

11) Patton / Roman / Virgil / Nico - NAMP, Anaroyalico

12) Patton / Roman / Virgil / King - KAMP, Anaroyaliking

13) Patton / Roman / Virgil / Orange - MARO, ROMA, Anaromorange

14) Patton / Roman / Janus / Remus - DMPR, Royaliceitmus

15) Patton / Roman / Janus / Thomas - PMDT, Royaliceitmas

16) Patton / Roman / Janus / Nico - PMND, DMNP, Royaliceitco

17) Patton / Roman / Janus / King - PMDK, Royalikingceit

18) Patton / Roman / Janus / Orange - MOPD, Royaliceitange

19) Patton / Roman / Remus / Thomas - PRMT, Intruroyalimas

20) Patton / Roman / Remus / Nico - PRMN, Intruroyalico

21) Patton / Roman / Remus / King - PRMK, Intruroyaliking

22) Patton / Roman / Remus / Orange - PROM, Intruroyalityrange

23) Patton / Roman / Thomas / Nico - PMTN, Royalimasco

24) Patton / Roman / Thomas / King - PMTK, Royalikingmas

25) Patton / Roman / Thomas / Orange - MOPT, Royaliangemas

26) Patton / Roman / Nico / King - PMNK, Royalikingco

27) Patton / Roman / Nico / Orange - PNOM, Royaliangeco

28) Patton / Roman / King / Orange - KOMP, Royalikingange

29) Patton / Logan / Virgil / Janus - DLAM, Analogicaliceit, Anloceitality

30) Patton / Logan / Virgil / Remus - LAMR, Intruanalogicality, Analogicalimus, Analomoduke

31) Patton / Logan / Virgil / Thomas - MALT, Analogicalimas

32) Patton / Logan / Virgil / Nico - MALN, Analogicalico

33) Patton / Logan / Virgil / King - KALM, Analogicaliking

34) Patton / Logan / Virgil / Orange - MOLA, Analogicaliange

35) Patton / Logan / Janus / Remus - DLMR, DRLM, Intruloceitality, Intrulogicaliceit, Intrulomoceit, Logicaliceitmus

36) Patton / Logan / Janus / Thomas - MLDT, Lopdeet, Moloceitmas

37) Patton / Logan / Janus / Nico - MLDN, Moloceitco

38) Patton / Logan / Janus / King - MLDK, Molokingceit

39) Patton / Logan / Janus / Orange - MOLD, Molorangeceit

40) Patton / Logan / Remus / Thomas - MLRT, Intrumolomas, Molomasmus

41) Patton / Logan / Remus / Nico - MLRN, Intrumoloco

42) Patton / Logan / Remus / King - MLRK, Intrumoloking

43) Patton / Logan / Remus / Orange - MORL, Intrumolorange

44) Patton / Logan / Thomas / Nico - MLTN, Logicalimasco

45) Patton / Logan / Thomas / King - MLTK, Logicalikingmas

46) Patton / Logan / Thomas / Orange - MOLT, Logicalimasange

47) Patton / Logan / Nico / King - MLNK, Logicalikingco

48) Patton / Logan / Nico / Orange - NOLM, Logicalicorange

49) Patton / Logan / King / Orange - MOLK, Logicalikingange

50) Patton / Virgil / Janus / Remus - DAMR, Moxceitmus, Intruanamoceit, Intrumoxceit, Anamoceitmus, Modukexieceit, Moxieceitmus

51) Patton / Virgil / Janus / Thomas - DAMT, Moxceitmas, Anamoceitmas

52) Patton / Virgil / Janus / Nico - DAMN, Moxceitco, Anamoceitco

53) Patton / Virgil / Janus / King - KAMD, Moxceitking, Anamokingceit

54) Patton / Virgil / Janus / Orange - DOMA, Moxceitange, Anamorangeceit

55) Patton / Virgil / Remus / Thomas - MART, Anaintrualimas

56) Patton / Virgil / Remus / Nico - MARN, Anaintrualico

57) Patton / Virgil / Remus / King - MARK, Anaintrualiking

58) Patton / Virgil / Remus / Orange - MORA, Anaintrualiange

59) Patton / Virgil / Thomas / Nico - MATN, Moxiemasco

60) Patton / Virgil / Thomas / King - KAMT, Moxiekingmas

61) Patton / Virgil / Thomas / Orange - ATOM, Moxiemasange

62) Patton / Virgil / Nico / King - MANK, Moxiekingco

63) Patton / Virgil / Nico / Orange - MONA, Moxiecorange

64) Patton / Virgil / King / Orange - MOKA, Moxiekingange

65) Patton / Janus / Remus / Thomas - MDRT, Moceitmasmus

66) Patton / Janus / Remus / Nico - MDRN, Moceitmusco

67) Patton / Janus / Remus / King - MDRK, Mokingceitmus

68) Patton / Janus / Remus / Orange - DORM, Moceitangemus

69) Patton / Janus / Thomas / Nico - MDTN, Moceitmasco

70) Patton / Janus / Thomas / King - MDTK, Mokingceitmas

71) Patton / Janus / Thomas / Orange - MODT, Moceitangemas

72) Patton / Janus / Nico / King - MDNK, Mokingceitco

73) Patton / Janus / Nico / Orange - NOMD, Moceitcorange

74) Patton / Janus / King / Orange - KOMD, Mokingceitange

75) Patton / Remus / Thomas / Nico - MRTN, Intrualimasco

76) Patton / Remus / Thomas / King - MRTK, Intrualikingmas

77) Patton / Remus / Thomas / Orange - MORT, Intrualiangemas

78) Patton / Remus / Nico / King - MRNK, Intrualikingco

79) Patton / Remus / Nico / Orange - NORM, Intrualicorange

80) Patton / Remus / King / Orange - KORM, Intrualikingange

81) Patton / Thomas / Nico / King - MTNK, Thomocoking

82) Patton / Thomas / Nico / Orange - TOMN, Thomocorange

83) Patton / Thomas / King / Orange - KOMT, Thomorangeking

84) Patton / Nico / King / Orange - MONK, Mocorangeking

85) Roman / Logan / Virgil / Janus - DLAP, PLAD, Anaroloceit, Analoginceit, Analoroceit

86) Roman / Logan / Virgil / Remus - LARP, Intruloprinxiety, Anarolomus

87) Roman / Logan / Virgil / Thomas - PLAT, Analogincemas

88) Roman / Logan / Virgil / Nico - PLAN, Analoginco

89) Roman / Logan / Virgil / King - KLAP, Analoginceking

90) Roman / Logan / Virgil / Orange - POLA, Analogincerange

91) Roman / Logan / Janus / Remus - DLPR, Remromloceit, Roloceitmus

92) Roman / Logan / Janus / Thomas - PLDT, Roloceitmas

93) Roman / Logan / Janus / Nico - PLDN, Rolococeit

94) Roman / Logan / Janus / King - PLDK, Rolokingceit

95) Roman / Logan / Janus / Orange - PLOD, Roloceitange, Rolorangeceit

96) Roman / Logan / Remus / Thomas - PRTL, Intrulogincemas

97) Roman / Logan / Remus / Nico - PRNL, Intruloginco

98) Roman / Logan / Remus / King - PRKL, Intruloginceking

99) Roman / Logan / Remus / Orange - PROL, Intrulogincerange

100) Roman / Logan / Thomas / Nico - PLTN, Rolomasco

101) Roman / Logan / Thomas / King - PLTK, Rolomasking

102) Roman / Logan / Thomas / Orange - PLOT, Rolomasange

103) Roman / Logan / Nico / King - PLNK, Rolocoking

104) Roman / Logan / Nico / Orange - PLON, Rolocorange

105) Roman / Logan / King / Orange - PLOK, Rolorangeking

106) Roman / Virgil / Janus / Remus - DAPR, Prinxceitmus, Anaroceitmus

107) Roman / Virgil / Janus / Thomas - PADT, Thomroanxceit, Prinxceitmas

108) Roman / Virgil / Janus / Nico - DANP, Prinxceitco

109) Roman / Virgil / Janus / King - DANK, Prinxceitking

110) Roman / Virgil / Janus / Orange - ODAN, Prinxceitange

111) Roman / Virgil / Remus / Thomas - PART, Intruprinxmas

112) Roman / Virgil / Remus / Nico - PRAN, Intrupinxco

113) Roman / Virgil / Remus / King - PARK, Intruprinxking

114) Roman / Virgil / Remus / Orange - PARO - Intruprinxange

115) Roman / Virgil / Thomas / Nico - PANT, Prinxcomas

116) Roman / Virgil / Thomas / King - PAKT, Prinxkingmas

117) Roman / Virgil / Thomas / Orange - PATO, Prinxmasange

118) Roman / Virgil / Nico / King - PANK, Prinxkingco

119) Roman / Virgil / Nico / Orange - PANO, Prinxcorange

120) Roman / Virgil / King / Orange - KAPO, Prinxkingange

121) Roman / Janus / Remus / Thomas - PDRT, Intruroceitmas

122) Roman / Janus / Remus / Nico - PDRN, Intrurococeit

123) Roman / Janus / Remus / King - PDRK, Intrurokingceit

124) Roman / Janus / Remus / Orange - PORD, Intruroceitange, Intruroranceit

125) Roman / Janus / Thomas / Nico - PDTN, Roceitmasco

126) Roman / Janus / Thomas / King - PDTK, Rokingceitmas

127) Roman / Janus / Thomas / Orange - PODT, Roceitmasange

128) Roman / Janus / Nico / King - PDNK, Rokingceitco

129) Roman / Janus / Nico / Orange - POND, Roceitcorange

130) Roman / Janus / King / Orange - KOPD, Rorangekingceit

131) Roman / Remus / Thomas / Nico - PRTN, Intruromasco

132) Roman / Remus / Thomas / King - PRTK, Intrurokingmas

133) Roman / Remus / Thomas / Orange - PORT, Intrurorangemas

134) Roman / Remus / Nico / King - PRNK, Intrurocoking

135) Roman / Remus / Nico / Orange - NORP, PORN, Intrurocorange

136) Roman / Remus / King / Orange - KROP, Intrurorangeking

137) Roman / Thomas / Nico / King - PTNK, Rocokingmas

138) Roman / Thomas / Nico / Orange - PONT, Rocorangemas

139) Roman / Thomas / King / Orange - KOPT, Rorangekingmas

140) Roman / Nico / King / Orange - PONK, Rocorangeking

141) Logan / Virgil / Janus / Remus - DLAR, Anaintruloceit, Analodemus, Analoceitmus, Intruanaloceit

142) Logan / Virgil / Janus / Thomas - DALT, Analoceitmas

143) Logan / Virgil / Janus / Nico - DALN, Analococeit

144) Logan / Virgil / Janus / King - DALK, Analokingceit

145) Logan / Virgil / Janus / Orange - DOLA, Analorangeceit

146) Logan / Virgil / Remus / Thomas - LART, Analodukemas, Anaintrulomas

147) Logan / Virgil / Remus / Nico - LARN, Anaintruloco

148) Logan / Virgil / Remus / King - LARK, Anaintruloking

149) Logan / Virgil / Remus / Orange - LARO, ORAL, Anaintrulorange

150) Logan / Virgil / Thomas / Nico - LANT, Analocomas

151) Logan / Virgil / Thomas / King - KALT, Analokingmas

152) Logan / Virgil / Thomas / Orange - ALTO, Analorangemas

153) Logan / Virgil / Nico / King - LANK, Analocoking

154) Logan / Virgil / Nico / Orange - LONA, Analocorange

155) Logan / Virgil / King / Orange - LOKA, Analorangeking

156) Logan / Janus / Remus / Thomas - LDRT, Intruloceitmas

157) Logan / Janus / Remus / Nico - LDRN, Intrulococeit

158) Logan / Janus / Remus / King - LDRK, Intrulokingceit

159) Logan / Janus / Remus / Orange - LORD, Intrulorangeceit

160) Logan / Janus / Thomas / Nico - LDTN, Lococeitmas

161) Logan / Janus / Thomas / King - LDTK, Lokingceitmas

162) Logan / Janus / Thomas / Orange - TOLD, Lorangeceitmas

163) Logan / Janus / Nico / King - LDKN, Locokingceit

164) Logan / Janus / Nico / Orange - LOND, Locorangeceit

165) Logan / Janus / King / Orange - KOLD, Lorangekingceit

166) Logan / Remus / Thomas / Nico - LRTN, Intrulocomas

167) Logan / Remus / Thomas / King - LRTK, Intrulokingmas

168) Logan / Remus / Thomas / Orange - LORT, Intrulorangemas

169) Logan / Remus / Nico / King - LRNK, Intrulocoking

170) Logan / Remus / Nico / Orange - LORN, Intrulocorange

171) Logan / Remus / King / Orange - LORK, Intrulorangeking

172) Logan / Thomas / Nico / King - LTNK, Locokingmas

173) Logan / Thomas / Nico / Orange - LONT, Locorangemas

174) Logan / Thomas / King / Orange - KOLT, Lorangekingmas

175) Logan / Nico / King / Orange - LONK, Locorangemas

176) Virgil / Janus / Remus / Thomas - DART, Thviceitmus

177) Virgil / Janus / Remus / Nico - DARN, Intruanacoceit

178) Virgil / Janus / Remus / King - DARK, Intruanakingceit

179) Virgil / Janus / Remus / Orange - ROAD, Intruanaorangeceit

180) Virgil / Janus / Thomas / Nico - DANT, Anacoceitmas

181) Virgil / Janus / Thomas / King - DAKT, Anakingceitmas

182) Virgil / Janus / Thomas / Orange - TOAD, Anaorangeceitmas

183) Virgil / Janus / Nico / King - DANK, Anakingcoceit

184) Virgil / Janus / Nico / Orange - DONA, Anacorangeceit

185) Virgil / Janus / King / Orange - KODA, Anaorangekingceit

186) Virgil / Remus / Thomas / Nico - RANT, Intruanacomas

187) Virgil / Remus / Thomas / King - RAKT, Intruanakingmas

188) Virgil / Remus / Thomas / Orange - TARO, Intruanaorangemas

189) Virgil / Remus / Nico / King - RANK, Intruanakingco

190) Virgil / Remus / Nico / Orange - RONA, Intruanacorange

191) Virgil / Remus / King / Orange - KARO, Intruanakingange

192) Virgil / Thomas / Nico / King - TANK, Anakingcomas

193) Virgil / Thomas / Nico / Orange - TONA, Anacorangemas

194) Virgil / Thomas / King / Orange - TAKO, Anakingangemas

195) Virgil / Nico / King / Orange - NOKA, Anakingcorange

196) Janus / Remus / Thomas / Nico - DRTN, Dukeceitmasco

197) Janus / Remus / Thomas / King - DRTK, Dukekingceitmas

198) Janus / Remus / Thomas / Orange - DORT, Dukeangeceitmas

199) Janus / Remus / Nico / King - DRNK, Dukeceitkingco

200) Janus / Remus / Nico / Orange - DORN, Dukeceitcorange

201) Janus / Remus / King / Orange - DORK, Dukekingceitange

202) Janus / Thomas / Nico / King - DTNK, Thomceitkingco

203) Janus / Thomas / Nico / Orange - DONT, Thomangeceitco

204) Janus / Thomas / King / Orange - DOKT, Thomkingceitange

205) Janus / Nico / King / Orange - DONK, Kingceitcorange

206) Remus / Thomas / Nico / King - RTNK, Intrumascoking

207) Remus / Thomas / Nico / Orange - TORN, Intrucorangemas

208) Remus / Thomas / King / Orange - KORT, Intrukingmasange

209) Remus / Nico / King / Orange - KORN, Intrukingcorange

210) Thomas / Nico / King / Orange - TONK, Thomkingcorange

[gireportstory]

Global Synthetic Roof Shingle Market [2024-2030] | Market Size, Growth, Dynamics and Trends

Global Info Research’s  report offers key insights into the recent developments in the global Synthetic Roof Shingle market that would help strategic decisions. It also provides a complete analysis of the market size, share, and potential growth prospects. Additionally, an overview of recent major trends, technological advancements, and innovations within the market are also included.Our report further provides readers with comprehensive insights and actionable analysis on the market to help them make informed decisions. Furthermore, the research report includes qualitative and quantitative analysis of the market to facilitate a comprehensive market understanding.This Synthetic Roof Shingle research report will help market players to gain an edge over their competitors and expand their presence in the market.

According to our (Global Info Research) latest study, the global Synthetic Roof Shingle market size was valued at USD 196.1 million in 2023 and is forecast to a readjusted size of USD 266.5 million by 2030 with a CAGR of 4.5% during review period.

Synthetic roof tiles, also known as composite roof tiles, are tiles which are made to replicate the exact appearance of natural slate, shake, and Spanish tile alternatives, but which are made from recycled materials or engineered polymers. Because they’re recycled materials, these tiles are much better for the environment, and also made of better-constructed material. Leading global synthetic roof shingle players include Westlake, EcoStar, Brava Roof Tile, CeDUR and Enviroshake. Globally, the top five players have a share of nearly 56 per cent by revenue. North America is the world's largest market with a market share of about 66 percent, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific with about 18 percent and 13 percent respectively. In terms of product type, synthetic slate is the largest market segment with 49% share, and in terms of application, residential synthetic roof shingles have the largest share with about 83%.

The Global Info Research report includes an overview of the development of the Synthetic Roof Shingle industry chain, the market status of Residential (Synthetic Slate, Synthetic Shake), Commercial (Synthetic Slate, Synthetic Shake), and key enterprises in developed and developing market, and analysed the cutting-edge technology, patent, hot applications and market trends of Synthetic Roof Shingle.

Regionally, the report analyzes the Synthetic Roof Shingle markets in key regions. North America and Europe are experiencing steady growth, driven by government initiatives and increasing consumer awareness. Asia-Pacific, particularly China, leads the global Synthetic Roof Shingle market, with robust domestic demand, supportive policies, and a strong manufacturing base.

We have conducted an analysis of the following leading players/manufacturers in the Synthetic Roof Shingle industry: Westlake、EcoStar、Brava Roof Tile、CeDUR、Enviroshake、F Wave、Quarrix、Eurocell、Guardian、Authentic Roof、Polysand Market segment by Type： Synthetic Slate、Synthetic Shake、Synthetic Barrel Tile Market segment by Application：Residential、Commercial Report analysis: The Synthetic Roof Shingle report encompasses a diverse array of critical facets, comprising feasibility analysis, financial standing, merger and acquisition insights, detailed company profiles, and much more. It offers a comprehensive repository of data regarding marketing channels, raw material expenses, manufacturing facilities, and an exhaustive industry chain analysis. This treasure trove of information equips stakeholders with profound insights into the feasibility and fiscal sustainability of various facets within the market. Illuminates the strategic maneuvers executed by companies, elucidates their corporate profiles, and unravels the intricate dynamics of the industry value chain. In sum, the Synthetic Roof Shingle report delivers a comprehensive and holistic understanding of the markets multifaceted dynamics, empowering stakeholders with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions and navigate the market landscape effectively. Conducts a simultaneous analysis of production capacity, market value, product categories, and diverse applications within the Synthetic Roof Shingle market. It places a spotlight on prime regions while also performing a thorough examination of potential threats and opportunities, coupled with an all-encompassing SWOT analysis. This approach empowers stakeholders with insights into production capabilities, market worth, product diversity, and the markets application prospects. Assesses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, offering stakeholders a comprehensive understanding of the Synthetic Roof Shingle markets landscape and the essential information needed to make well-informed decisions. Market Size Estimation & Method Of Prediction

Estimation of historical data based on secondary and primary data.

Anticipating market recast by assigning weightage to market forces (drivers, restraints, opportunities)

Freezing historical and forecast market size estimations based on evolution, trends, outlook, and strategies

Consideration of geography, region-specific product/service demand for region segments

Consideration of product utilization rates, product demand outlook for segments by application or end-user. About Us: Global Info Research is a company that digs deep into Global industry information to Synthetic Roof Shingle enterprises with market strategies and in-depth market development analysis reports. We provide market information consulting services in the Global region to Synthetic Roof Shingle enterprise strategic planning and official information reporting, and focuses on customized research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, database and top industry services. At the same time, Global Info Research is also a report publisher, a customer and an interest-based suppliers, and is trusted by more than 30,000 companies around the world. We will always carry out all aspects of our business with excellent expertise and experience.

[eliemo]

Heart of Ice

Summary: Virgil quickly realizes the light sides had some kind of unspoken rule about touch. Which would be fine, if it didn't just apply to him.

TWs: Brief panic attack, touch starvation and mentions of its affects, self esteem issues, angst with a happy ending

Taglist:  @the-blue-recluse @bisexualdisaster106 @self-taught-mess (let me know if you want to be added)

Virgil got it. Really, he did.

He was the villain for a long time, an unwanted nuisance everyone hated, and understandably so. He would never hold any hostility against them, not when he knew he deserved it.

Now...maybe he wasn’t a villain. Still a nuisance for sure, but a tolerated one. He’d been getting closer with the other sides, Patton’s smiles more frequent and genuine, Logan taking a real interest in what he had to say, and Roman’s annoyance quickly turning to fond affection.

So maybe they were friends. Or they were getting there at least. Virgil knew he cared about them more than they would ever care about him, but that was ok. He wasn’t outright despised and that was more than he’d ever dreamed of.

Sure, their affection could just be to keep him from ducking out again since they’d found out how easily he could ruin Thomas by leaving, but...but he hoped it was more than that.

It was a mix of conflicting emotions and desires, Virgil never quite able to understand if anything was genuine or not.

But they didn’t hate him. That was the important thing. It would be selfish to want anything more when he was so utterly unlikable, right?

He needed to get over himself. It didn’t matter.

It shouldn’t be bothering him this much. It was completely understandable that they didn’t want to touch him.

But did they have to act like he was some kind of disease?

They were all touchy feely people. Roman and Patton hugged countless times a day, and even Logan would absentmindedly clap their shoulders or squeeze their hands in passing.  

Virgil watched them lean up against each other, lace their fingers together, pat each other's back in greeting and praise. It all came so naturally to them, clearly some kind of unspoken language in their little family.

And Virgil wanted that. He wanted it so badly it hurt. His chest squeezed whenever he saw Patton squeeze Logan’s hand, the loneliness crushing when Roman would pick Patton up in a crushing but safe hug.

Virgil...couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been touched. He’d grazed a shoulder in passing once or twice over the years, and he and Princey had accidentally held hands for half a second during a video, but other than that he came up blank.

And he’d definitely never had a hug. He knew that for sure. No one had offered one because...because why would they? Who would want to hug Virgil?

It was amazing enough that they were willing to be in the same room with him. All three of them were trying so hard to be friendly in the last few weeks since he’d told them his name and...it was incredible. It was like a dream.

But it was so unbearably obvious how careful they were not to touch him. Like he was something disgusting to be avoided. Like he would burn them, taint them beyond repair.

They would swerve out of his way when passing through a room to avoid brushing his shoulder, quickly pull their hands away if their fingers were about to brush his, carefully leaving as much empty space as possible if sitting beside him on the couch.

It went on for weeks, and it didn’t stop. No one commented on it, or bothered to avoid physical affection in front of him, and Virgil decided the best course of action was to try and ignore it.

If he brought it up, it would just turn into something awkward, and nothing would change. He’d rather just avoid the subject completely.

Virgil could handle that. He could ignore the ache in his chest and push down the thoughts of how desperately he just wanted a hug.

Everyone at least had the decency not to make it a big deal. It wasn’t a big deal.

Until...until it kind of was.

It had been a stressful few days for all of them, but obviously Virgil was taking the brunt of Thomas’s anxiety. They all knew that, and he appreciated how attentive and gentle they’d been with him lately.

Thomas was waiting on an important phone call, a confirmation that would give him a green light on his latest project they’d all been working non-stop on.

Virgil didn’t know the specific details of what they were waiting for, he’d lost himself to his panic immediately after hearing the words “important phone call” but he knew it was a yes or no answer, and that Thomas was incredibly anxious about it.

He and Patton were waiting in the mindscape’s kitchen, mugs of untouched hot chocolate sitting in front of them, Patton idly chatting to keep Virgil distracted.

And then Roman and Logan were suddenly rising up- the Prince with a dazzling grin on his face and Logan with a relieved sort of smile.

“He said yes!” Roman announced, and just like Virgil’s shoulders sagged, all the tension seeping out of his muscles. Thank god.

There were still more things to worry about now that the new project was actually underway. They would have to work out a new schedule, make sure they had enough time to perfect their scripts, and then of course there was the problem of nobody liking the finished product--

But that could wait. Right now...it was just nice to see everyone so happy.

Patton was already jumping up to give Roman a hug, reaching over to squeeze Logan’s hand, and Virgil quickly turned away before the ache in his chest, the feeling that longed for something similar could turn into the cold throbbing pain he occasionally grew familiar with.

He grabbed the mugs of now cooling hot chocolate to distract himself, smiling to himself as he tried to focus on the relief instead of the sorrow, and carried them over to the counter.

He set the mugs down, turned back around, and suddenly Patton was in front of him, pulling Virgil into the first hug he’d ever received in his life.

Virgil couldn’t breathe.

Patton was warm up against him, solid and comforting, arms wrapped around Virgil’s back like the softest thing in the world, and for just a second, for the first time, everything was perfect. Everything was ok, and the ache in his chest was gone.

It lasted less than two seconds, and suddenly Patton was pulling away like he’d actually been burned.

“I--”

Patton stopped whatever he’d been about to say, staring warily at a completely frozen, speechless Virgil. The warmth had seeped out of his body almost immediately, the ache returning with a vengeance, the want for touch even worse than before.

Logan and Roman were staring, eyes going from Patton to Virgil, tense and panicked like they were expecting some kind of violent reaction.

God, was touching him really that bad?

“I’m sorry,” Patton said quickly, glancing back at the others before turning back to Virgil, who quickly averted his gaze. “Sorry, Virge I wasn’t...I wasn’t thinking. I just got excited.”

“Right,” Virgil said, glad that at least his voice didn’t betray how it felt like his heart was crumbling. “I get it.”

“Virgil,” Patton said softly, and Virgil’s heart sank when he took a step back, putting even more space in between them. “I didn’t mean to, kiddo, I...it won’t happen again.”

Of course it wouldn’t. Virgil shouldn’t expect it to. They didn’t even want to brush shoulders with him, so why the hell would anyone ever hug him voluntarily?

“I know,” he said, already moving towards the doorway, grimacing when the others stepped away to give him extra space. He couldn’t help but feel a little bitter at how obvious all of it was. Come on, it wasn’t like he was infected. “It’s whatever.”

He stalked out of the kitchen, for the first time allowing himself to feel angry over this whole stupid thing. After weeks of tirelessly working to be better, after being accepted in every other way, they still wouldn’t…

He’d thought he was getting better. They’d called him family.

“Virgil?” Logan called, but Virgil ignored him, really not in the mood for any half-hearted excuses or lectures on why he should just be happy with what he got.

It was selfish to ask for more. He was greedy and awful and he would never really be one of them. He should know that by now and stop filling his head with fantasies that they might actually love him as much as they loved each other.

Virgil didn’t bother looking back to see if any of them looked even a little bit guilty. He pulled up his hood, hurried up the stairs, and locked himself in his room. It was probably where they wanted him, anyway.

Virgil collapsed at the end of his bed, head in his hands, well aware it probably looked like he was throwing a tantrum. They all probably hated him even more now.

But...but could they really blame him for being frustrated? Yeah, he didn’t expect them to be entirely comfortable around him, definitely not as physical as they were with each other, but he was really trying.

They didn’t need to make him feel like some walking virus.

Well. He’d gotten a hug, at least. His first and last real hug. He thought he might do anything to have that feeling again.

But no one wanted to hug Anxiety. Patton had said so himself- never again.

When Virgil allowed himself to be coaxed out of his room for dinner a few hours later, he noted with some sense of relief that the others seemed determined to pretend the incident in the kitchen never happened.

Good. While it didn’t undo how humiliated and disgusting he felt, the sooner they all forgot about it the sooner Virgil could continue ignoring how badly it hurt.

He shouldn't be upset. He needed to calm down and get over himself before he started causing issues.

He did, however, wonder if it was just his imagination that Roman’s chair seemed farther away from him today.

“So...movie night tonight, right?” Patton asked suddenly, voice chipper as he set down his fork. “I think we could all use some relaxation.”

“A splendid idea!” Roman exclaimed, and Virgil managed not to flinch at the volume of his voice. “You’ll be joining us right, Marilyn Morose?”

Virgil startled when the attention suddenly turned to him, suspicion and hope waging war at the soft encouragement in Prince’s voice.

Was this...a guilt thing?

“I- I mean I guess,” he said. “Maybe. If you like, want me to.”

He’d always known they did movie nights at least once a week, all cuddled up together on the couch, but Virgil had never actually been invited to one until he revealed his name. He’d attended a couple of them now, and they were...nice. Even if he always ended up on the armchair.

“Of course we do!” Patton said. “We always do. You’re our family, kiddo!”

Well, they certainly had a funny way of showing that.

Virgil quickly backtracked, pushing away his own dark thoughts. That wasn’t fair to them. Aside from the lack of any physical touch, they had welcomed him almost completely. In every other way, he was treated like one of them.

Besides, he’d clearly done something to warrant the unspoken no-touching rule. It wasn’t their fault he was too stupid to figure out what it was.

“You are a large part of the reason Thomas succeeded today,” Logan added, and Virgil felt a bit breathless at the praise. “You stayed vigilant and cautious, and made sure there were no mistakes. I’m very grateful for your assistance.”

Virgil ducked his head, surprised when glancing at the other two showed only kind smiles and honest appreciation in their eyes. They were...actually being serious. He’d done something right.

“It...it wasn’t...I was just--”

“Doing your job,” Logan finished for him. “And doing it quite well, I might add. As you usually do.”

It wasn’t anywhere near as intense as the feeling Patton’s hug had brought, but...but it was close, warmth spreading over his chest. Virgil let himself relax, and offered a small smile in return.

“Ok,” he said, because he still was absolutely useless when it came to voicing his thoughts. “Thanks. Uh, you...you too.”

He might have missed it if he wasn’t always so attentive to people’s body language (sometimes overly so), but Logan’s hand was suddenly moving forward like he was going to pat Virgil on the arm.

It never made contact, of course. Logan caught himself in less than a second, the logical side sitting up ramrod straight and quickly pulling his hand back to his lap.

He offered an apologetic smile, Patton and Roman quickly clearing their throats and turning back to their dinner plates, and Virgil was forcibly reminded where he stood.

He’d done what he was supposed to do, keeping Thomas safe and helping him reach his goals, but that didn’t just magically change things.

Right. No touching. But he could survive off nothing but words of validation and verbal affirmation. That was just as good.

Except…

Except between the accidental hug and the rush of anticipation that came with Logan almost putting a hand over his own, Virgil had never felt the longing for any type of physical touch so strongly in his entire life.

He’d gotten used to having nothing, to being alone, just periodic glimpses of the warmth he would always be left out of. He’d adapted to it, learned to live with the cold ache in his chest, and moved on.

And now...

Now it kind of felt like he was dying. Like the cold loneliness was wrapping around him, all powerful and suffocating, his breaths coming faster and faster--

Patton stood to begin clearing the table, and Virgil was moving before he even really processed what he was doing.

“I got it,” he said. He was trembling slightly, and he was almost positive they could all hear it in his voice. “I can do the dishes. I’ll do them.”

It was a stupid, stupid thought that had crept into his brain, but right now- as desperate as it was- it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart completely.

Patton blinked, tilting his head like a confused puppy. “I- well thank you, kiddo but that’s ok, I think I--”

“I can do it,” he insisted. “You can- You can go relax, I- I got it.”

That was what he needed to do, right? He couldn’t be left feeling this empty and cold all the time. He would never give up what he had with the others but being this close to them all the time had awoken something in him. Nobody ever touched him and he couldn’t keep going like this.

He’d done well today. He’d been good and Logan had almost, almost set aside whatever personal bias they all had to touch him. It had been so close.

So obviously...obviously he wasn’t good enough. Not quite. He was still just horrible enough that no one could bring themselves to close the distance between them.

But that was ok. He could do better. He could be better. And if that didn’t work, then...well, then verbal praise was the next best thing, right?

Unfortunately, he must look even worse than he felt because Roman was suddenly reaching for Virgil’s plate, pulling it out of his reach.

For a second, Virgil thought about reaching for it under the small flare of hope that their fingers might brush.

“I don’t believe that is the wisest idea,” Logan said. “You’re clearly agitated and distressed. I recommend you wait on the couch while we clean up tonight.”

Virgil shook his head, though logically he knew the dirty dishes would end up slipping right through his shaking fingers if he tried to clean up right now.

But he couldn’t take the thought of just sitting on the couch, a useless hindrance they would only grow to despise more and more.

“I- I want to help--”

“Virgil,” Logan said. “Ever since you began regularly eating meals with us, there have been exactly three times you have not helped with the clean up. Two of those were because Thomas summoned you, and the other was due to your fatigue after a recent panic attack.”

“But I--”

“You have had a long day,” the logical side continued. “You’re exhausted, and you need to sit down before you end up hurting yourself. Nobody is going to be angry if you take a break today, Virgil. Please accompany me to the living room.”

And Virgil knew there was no way to argue with any of that. Not when Roman and Patton were nodding encouragingly. Not when Logan was motioning for him to follow and he thought maybe, maybe he would put his hand on Virgil’s shoulder to guide him into the living room.

He didn’t.

They both ended up on the couch, Logan counting out familiar breathing exercises to keep Virgil from hyperventilating. He did his best to focus on calming down, eyes cast stubbornly down to the ground.

There was a good couple inches of space between them, enough that Logan wouldn’t accidentally bump into him if he moved his arm too fast. Of course.

“I assume what happened earlier today has made you jumpy,” Logan said after a few moments. “I assure you, Patton really is sorry. Hugging you was never his intention, sometimes the others can just get...over excited when it comes to physical affection. Patton can’t always control himself.”

Virgil bit his lip, forcibly biting back tears that threatened to rise because this was really not helping. He understood that no one ever planned on hugging him, he didn’t need it shoved in his face all the time.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “I know.”

Despite everything, Virgil had actually managed to calm down a bit by the time the others joined them for movie night, Roman plopping down on the other side of Logan, Patton shuffling around to find the remote and set down popcorn bowls.

Virgil knew trying to leave would only invite more worried frowns and gentle questions he didn’t know how to answer (besides, he didn’t particularly like the thought of being all alone up in his room right now), so he just took a shaky breath and willed himself to stay calm, shoving everything aside for the moment.

And then Patton moved to sit down with the others, and visibly hesitated at the end of the couch.

There was plenty of room for one more person. It wouldn’t even be particularly cramped, not with the way Roman was already invading most of Logan’s space.

But, of course, it was just enclosed enough that it ran the risk of Patton’s leg brushing Virgil’s when he sat down.

Virgil stood up before Patton even had the chance to open his mouth and stalked over to the empty armchair, not bothering to hide his irritation. He might not blame them for it, but that didn’t mean he had to act happy about being so repulsive to everyone. 

“Aw, you don’t have to do that kiddo,” Patton said. “You can stay on the couch, I don’t mind.”

“It’s whatever,” he said, and it was like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water over his head, the sudden distance separating Virgil from everyone else making him shudder, and his reply came out a lot more curt than he’d meant it to. “This is where you want me, right?”

Patton had lowered himself next to Logan and was peering at Virgil curiously, worried smile dropping to a slight frown. “You can sit wherever you want, kiddo. You know that.”

Virgil couldn’t stop the scoff that escaped. “Right. Just as long as it’s somewhere you won’t accidentally hug me again, right?”

The room was plunged into an uneasy silence. Great. He’d managed to make movie night awkward and the television hadn’t even been turned on yet.

“Kiddo, I--”

“It’s fine,” he said quickly, guilt coiling in his gut. “It’s...sorry. I didn’t- I know you didn’t mean to. Just...long day.”

“We’ve all had a long day,” Roman snapped, sitting up from where he’d been leaning against Logan, and Virgil inadvertently found himself wondering how that would feel. “There’s no need to be rude to Patton, Negative Nancy.”

He was the one being rude? Him? After weeks of them treating Virgil like he was contagious and not even bothering to offer an explanation?

“Right,” he muttered. “I’m the asshole. Like always.”

“Virgil,” Logan spoke up, clearly caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone, and Virgil deflated. “We...understand your uneasiness. But between the three of us, physical contact has become something of a habit. We have been careful not to extend that to you, but habits take time to grow out of. And mistakes will be made.”

And Virgil...Virgil was pretty sure if he didn’t get out of this room right now he was going to burst into tears. They’d never actually talked about this before. He’d never heard them acknowledge that it wasn’t just his overactive imagination.

“I get that,” he said, voice painfully strained. “I do, I’m...I’m not trying to fight I just- just...do you guys have to be so obvious about it?”

Virgil risked a glance up, all three of them staring at him now with some form of hesitant uncertainty.

Logan cleared his throat and echoed Virgil’s request. “Obvious?”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “You guys don’t...I don’t get why you’ve all decided touching me is somehow the worst fucking thing in the world. I know...I know you won't touch me and it’s not like I blame you- trust me, I’ve met myself- but...you could at least maybe try not to treat me like I’m carrying the goddamn plague!”

His outburst was met with silence, the other side’s expressions unreadable, and Virgil’s heart sank when he realized his vision was becoming quickly clouded with tears.

He quickly started to backtrack. “I mean, I’m...sorry. Sorry, I didn’t mean to...it’s ok you guys. Really, it is. I get it, I’m...I’m Anxiety. Nobody wants...obviously you guys aren’t ever gonna--”

“Virgil,” Logan cut him off, and the logical side sounded...panicked? “I believe we may have had a very large misunderstanding. You...would you like us to engage in physical contact with you?”

Virgil hunched his shoulders, frantically blinking away tears. “I’m not...I’m not gonna make anyone...you don’t want to, and that’s fine. Really. I’m not mad, it’s ok.”

“Honey, no.” Patton sounded breathless when he spoke up, frantic. “That’s not it at all! We thought you didn’t want us touching you!”

Virgil froze, everything around him screeching to a stop, and for a moment he thought he must have misheard.

“I- you...what?” Why would they... how could they think that? He’d actually thought it was fairly obvious how badly he wanted it.

Roman stood up from the couch and crossed his arms. “Why on earth would we go out of our way to avoid touching you if it wasn’t to make you comfortable?”

Virgil blinked, suddenly completely lost. What the hell was going on? He’d thought they’d made their intentions pretty clear.

“I...why wouldn’t I want you guys to--?”

“Well, you certainly acted like it!” Roman snapped, and Virgil knew the Prince well enough by now to know he wasn’t angry, just stressed. “If you didn’t mind being touched, you wouldn’t act like we were trying to electrocute you every time we got too close!”

Patton reached up to put a hand on Roman’s arm, steadying him, but his gaze never left Virgil.

Virgil was starting to think this was all some kind of twisted dream his touch-starved mind had come up with, flipping everything around for the sole purpose of confusing him. This was...this was a joke, right? Some kind of excuse?

“What are you talking about?” he asked, ignoring how bad the tremble in his voice had gotten. “I didn’t...guys, it’s ok if you don’t want to touch me, I-I’m not gonna force you obviously, I just...never understood why it was a big deal. That’s all.”

Patton was shaking his head, hands moving to cover his mouth as Virgil spoke, and the moral side turned warily to Logan.

“Virgil,” Logan said. “We clearly could have...handled this differently. We’ve been purposely avoiding physical contact because based on your body language, we... I concluded that it made you uncomfortable.”

“It wasn't just you, Specs,” Roman said, his voice softer than when he’d been talking to Virgil. “We all clearly misunderstood. I- I still don’t quite...understand.”

The room was spinning, and Virgil did his best to blink away the dizziness washing over him, furiously wiping away a few stray tears that made their escape. He hoped no one noticed.

“I thought you just...didn’t want to. Because it’s...you know. Me.”

“Oh, kiddo.”

“What did I do?” he asked, suddenly terrified as to how he could have misread the situation so horribly for so long. “To...to make you guys think that?”

Logan blinked, his brow furrowing as he scrutinized Virgil from behind his glasses, and all three of them looked oddly confused by the question.

“I...Virgil, it’s been fairly easy to pick up on for some time now. Even before we learned your name.”

Patton frowned, taking a small step forward. “You got...really tense whenever someone would go to touch you, kiddo. Like you thought it was gonna hurt.”

“Earlier on, one of us moving like we planned on touching you would result in a flinch,” Logan added. “Later, as we got closer, we noticed you going very still. Like you were afraid. It wasn’t hard to avoid touching you before learning your name, but now…”

“We had to be more careful,” Roman jumped in. “Clearly that...wasn’t what you wanted.”

God Virgil was so stupid. This whole time he’d thought...for once he hadn’t even done anything wrong. And now all he’d managed to do was make everyone stressed and confused. He’d fucked everything up without even realizing.

They’d...they’d tried to touch him before? Before even learning his name? If he’d just been normal he could have avoided years of that cold, longing feeling settling in his chest?

He wondered if things would change now. Probably not, Virgil reasoned with himself, his throat tightening at the thought. He blew it. They’d just be upset with him now.

“I am...I am so sorry,” Logan said, and Virgil was having a difficult time following what was being said. “After getting to know you and your behavior patterns, I had concluded that your aversion to touch stemmed from sensory issues that can often relate to anxiety. Clearly, I should have asked you for confirmation.”

Logan sounded genuinely guilty, while Roman and Patton were looking at him softly. It wasn’t a big deal. He’d been wrong. They didn’t hate him, he’d just stupidly misunderstood their intentions.

But it was all cleared up now. It didn’t matter. He could suck it up and move on, just as long as he could keep the annoyingly persistent tears at bay for a little bit longer.

“It’s ok,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut and hunching over himself when his breath caught in his throat. “It’s...i-it’s fine.”

God, he was so pathetic. He was pathetic. Why would anyone ever want to touch him?

“Obviously it’s not, sweetie.” Patton was suddenly in front of him, kneeling in front of the armchair. “We didn’t mean to hurt you, Virge, but it’s ok to be upset with us.”

Virgil shook his head, voice refusing to cooperate with his racing mind. He quickly wiped at the fresh tears, refusing to fall apart over something so stupid.

The next moment happened in a frantic blur, but everything clicked into place when it was over.

Patton carefully reached forward, moving to rest his hand on the anxious side’s knee, and Virgil’s heart squeezed in desperation and hope for the gentle, grounding touch he’d never been able to experience before.

His body ended up reacting differently, completely against his will. He tensed up completely, wide eyes locking onto Patton’s hand, his breathing stopping completely.

Patton noticed, of course. His face fell at the reaction, and he quickly pulled his hand away.

Oh. Virgil supposed it did look like he was scared rather than desperate. “S-sorry. I--”

“Don’t be sorry, kiddo,” Patton said, but he sounded hesitant. Disappointed. “It just...seems like you’re uncomfortable.”

“It’s...it’s not that,” Virgil managed. His voice was horribly unsteady, but he needed them all to understand that it wasn’t them- he was just too useless to control his own reactions. “I didn’t even realize I...I just have never had it before so I don’t...I don’t know how to--”

“Wait a second,” Roman said, Virgil quickly snapping his mouth shut. “What do you mean you’ve never had it?”

They were all staring at him, probably baffled and annoyed by his inconsistent rambling, and Virgil curled tighter in on himself, his cheeks burning.

“I...I’ve never, uhm…” He suddenly didn’t want to say it, all too aware of how little it mattered. This conversation should have been over a long time ago. “I’ve never been...you know. I-I’ve never...done it.”

Great, now it just sounded like he was speaking nonsense. But the others seemed to have some idea of what he was talking about, judging by the looks they were suddenly throwing each other. Roman was the only one who eventually spoke up.

“You- are you just talking about touch?” The Prince demanded, and Virgil shrank back. “Virgil, you’ve never been touched? At all?”

Virgil shrugged, dropping his gaze to his lap. “I mean, yeah. Not...not really. Other than, um, other than Patton hugging me today.”

But he’d seen Patton hug the others, and he knew what he’d gotten could barely count as one. Not that he had any right to complain. He’d be lucky if they didn’t shun him for the rest of his life after today.

“I’m sorry,” he said when the silence stretched on far too long to mean anything good. “I know, guys. I know it isn’t a big deal, I’m really really sorry for making it one, I just--”

“Virgil.” Patton’s voice came out more choked, more anguished than Virgil had expected, and then…

And then there was a hand on his face, cupping his cheek and brushing away the falling tears, and Virgil couldn’t breathe in the best way possible.

Patton’s hand was warm, enough to startle Virgil out of his spiraling panic for the moment, but his breath still hitched when he met the moral side’s watering gaze.

“Virgil,” he said again. “Is it alright if I hug you?”

Virgil blinked, still partly convinced this was a dream, heart racing in his chest. He couldn’t find his voice, eyes glued to Patton’s, but he managed a tiny nod.

It all happened so fast- suddenly Patton’s hands were wrapped around his own, pulling him off the chair and onto wobbling legs, and then he was being pulled forward...

Oh. Oh.

He fell against Patton’s chest, his head resting in the crook of the moral side’s neck, Virgil’s legs threatening to give out beneath him when Patton wrapped his arms around him and held on tight.

Virgil was sobbing before Patton even started rubbing circles on his back, rocking them both gently, hushing him softly.

He had no idea if he was doing this right, practically limp in Patton’s hold. His arms were just uselessly hanging there, hands wracked with violent tremors. But even if he did know what to do, he doubted he could force his body to move right now, only able to melt into the embrace as the living room filled with his miserable sobbing.

“Oh baby, it’s ok.” Patton was talking softly, his breath warm against Virgil’s ear, and he finally forced his hands to move up and clutch the other side’s shirt. “It’s ok, you’re ok. I’ve got you. We’ve all got you now. You’re alright.”

There was another hand cupping the back of his head, running fingers through his hair, and he caught a glimpse of Logan pressing up against them both. The movements of his fingers were slow and precise, burning Virgil’s freezing skin like the most pleasant fire, his words of reassurances lost to the sound of desperate cries.

And then Roman was there too, briefly meeting Virgil’s eyes with a sad but hopeful smile, suddenly moving around to join in and hug Virgil from behind.

He quickly realized that this, as overwhelming as it was for his first time, was the single best feeling in the entire world. He was certain that he would crash to the ground in a trembling heap if the others weren’t supporting his weight.

Virgil had never felt so warm. The brief hug in the kitchen had been nothing compared to this. He couldn’t stop shaking despite it, overwhelmed and so, so relieved, wanting nothing more than to melt into the embrace and never let go. He could stay here forever, wrapped up in safety and warmth, the rest of the cold, lonely world forgotten.

But eventually he cried himself out, sobs dying down to hiccuping gasps as he fought to get a hold of his breathing. Patton and Roman loosened their grip, Logan’s fingers slowing, but none of them pulled away just yet.

Virgil took in a shuddering breath. “I’m s- I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Patton said. “You don’t need to be sorry for a thing, kiddo.”

He clutched Patton’s shirt tighter, sucking in a breath when Roman moved to put a hand over his fist. “I- I thought y-you...you all--”

“We should have asked,” Patton said, pulling back enough to see Virgil’s face. “We should have realized you were hurting, honey. That’s our fault.”

“Not yours, Virge,” Roman agreed, leaning forward slightly to press his forehead against Virgil’s temple. “I can’t even imagine how isolated we must have made you feel. But that’s over now. We can fix this. We will fix this.”

“I do want to offer my sincere apologies,” Logan said. “We had all misread the behavior, but I was the one who enforced it after learning your name. I should never have jumped to conclusions so quickly.”

Virgil tried to shrug, but it quickly proved to be impossible with how tightly he was pressed against the others. He didn’t mind at all.

He wasn’t ready to let go yet, despite the way his stomach twisted at the guilt Logan didn’t deserve to be feeling, a dark part of his mind whispering that once he pulled away, the warmth would never come back.

“It’s ok,” he said, voice still raw and hoarse. “It was just a s-stupid misunderstanding, right? I shouldn’t have gotten so worked up, I- I know it’s not a big deal. It’s just a hug.”

It was a lie and they all knew it. Silly as it was, it meant the world to him. He would do just about anything to make this feeling last forever.

“Virgil, no.”

Patton was moving away, and Virgil felt a rush of blinding panic before Logan suddenly took his place, holding Virgil’s face in his hands, eyes wide and intense. Patton didn’t go far, his hand moving to clutch Virgil’s arm, and Roman only tightened his hold.

“It is not stupid, Virgil,” Logan said, tilting Virgil's chin up. “Not at all. I can assure you, it was far from an overreaction.”

“Logan--”

“Physical touch is essential for one’s mental health. Especially for those who experience heightened anxiety. I should have known... depriving you of any physical contact your entire life has left you incredibly touch starved, likely only worsening any symptoms you would naturally experience.”

Usually, Virgil found it fascinating listening to Logan, the way he so naturally took on a teaching position, spouting off information like he was reading from an invisible book.

Now, the dread and panic were clawing at his throat, and Virgil swallowed, forcing himself to speak. “Am I...am I hurting Thomas?”

The terror was overwhelming, doing all it could to convince him that the others would hate him, that Thomas would want him gone for good. But it didn’t last long, Logan shaking his head with an unbearably gentle expression.

“I am not talking about Thomas’s mental state.” He reached forward to brush away some of Virgil’s hair, looking oddly relieved when Virgil leaned into the touch. “I’m talking about yours.”

“Oh.”

Roman finally dropped his arms, but just like Patton he didn’t go anywhere, his chest still brushing Virgil’s back while he reached for one of his hands. Patton took his other one, both running gentle patterns over his knuckles with their thumbs.

Virgil felt like he was going to melt right here and now. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Since it seems you're comfortable with touch,” Logan said, and Virgil almost wanted to laugh. He was a little bit more than comfortable. “I’m hopeful we can undo any damage that has been caused. Tonight is already a good start.”

And that...that sounded amazing. It sounded more than amazing. It was all he’d wanted this whole time, years of bitter, icy cold loneliness already paling in comparison to the warmth and love he’d felt in the last ten minutes.

But...

“I...thank you. Thank you so much, but...I-I don’t want to make you do anything you don’t--”

“Kiddo,” Patton said. “Do you know how many times I’ve had to stop myself from hugging you?”

“All of us,” Roman added. “I’ve lost track of how many close calls I’ve had. I thought it was good you didn’t seem to notice how badly I wanted to, but...apparently not. But we love you, Virge. We love you so much.”

“We do!” Patton squeezed his hand. “We really, really do. You’re not forcing us into anything, kiddo. You’re family.”

Virgil kind of wanted to pinch himself to make absolutely sure this wasn’t a dream. But there was absolutely no way he could make up something this good.

“Ok,” he said, still wincing at how weak his voice sounded. “That’s...that’s good because I...I don’t think I could go back. Uh, to how it was. After...after all this. I-if this was just a one time thing, I don’t know what I’d do. And I know that’s dumb, this is literally my fault, but--”

“None of that,” Logan said, firm but not unkind, and Virgil fell silent. “This is far from a one time thing. I believe you’ll start having a hard time getting away from the hugs now.”

Virgil laughed, not really caring when it came out as more of a strangled sob. “I think I’m ok with that.”

“It’s still early,” Patton said. “You kiddos think we should take this to the couch? We can still watch some movies if you’re up to it, Virgil.”

As soon as he nodded, Virgil felt arms wrap around him again, one under his knees and one behind his back, lifting him up from the ground.

“Princey!” He wrapped his arms around Roman’s shoulders by instinct and froze, suddenly terrified he would be yelled at. But, he reminded himself, Roman was literally holding Virgil in his arms. Nobody found Virgil repulsive. “I can walk, dork.”

Roman grinned down at him, taking them both back towards the couch. Virgil found he really didn’t mind being carried when it ended up with him put down in the middle of the couch, still curled up in Prince’s hold with his head against Roman’s chest.

The others joined soon after, Patton grabbing the popcorn and sitting on Roman’s other side with his legs propped up on Virgil’s lap. Logan sat directly next to Virgil, his hand squeezing the anxious side’s shoulder before dropping his head to rest on Virgil’s shoulder.

Virgil shuddered, tensing against his will at the rush of sensations, but no one pulled away when he didn’t quite know how to reciprocate.

“Just relax now,” Roman said softly, pressing a kiss to Virgil’s hair while Patton got the movie started. “We’re not going anywhere.”

Virgil wasn’t sure when he fell asleep, only vaguely aware of himself drifting in and out of consciousness, still held safely by the others on the couch, an old familiar Disney movie playing in the background.

He thought his position might have been changed, but he still felt the rise and fall of Roman’s chest beneath his head, someone’s hand running gently through his hair.

For the first time, he felt safe upon waking up and let himself keep his eyes shut, breathing deeply.

“Is he asleep?” he heard Patton ask, the hand in his hair slowing for just a moment. “He really wore himself out today.”

“Indeed,” Logan agreed from somewhere nearby. “Not to mention a common side effect of touch starvation is difficulty sleeping, nightmares, stress, a lower sense of self worth, dep--”

“But he’ll be ok now,” Patton said, thankfully cutting off Logan’s worryingly accurate description. “He’s got us, and he’s my kiddo. He never has to feel that way again.”

“It will take some time. And eventually we will have to have a talk about consent and boundaries- I don’t ever want him feeling overwhelmed. But you are accurate, Patton. He has us now. He will be alright.”

Virgil had to force himself not to smile, not quite ready for this to end for the night. He knew eventually he’d have to head back to his room, but the thought of being alone again, even just for the night, was--

“I don’t want him to wake up alone,” Roman whispered, like he could read Virgil’s mind. “Is it alright if we stay here tonight?”

“Of course, kiddo.”

“I am perfectly comfortable where I am.”

True to their word, none of them seemed inclined to leave the comfort of the couch, the movie’s volume eventually turned down to a faded hum.

Virgil sighed, relaxed and content, letting himself smile as he fell back into the first truly restful sleep he’d had in a long time, followed closely by warmth and love.

[drlamp-and-other-polyships]

Another animatic I really like!

I tried finding the artist on tumblr but I couldn't. If someone knows if they are here, I'll gladly tag them!

EDIT : They reblogged! ^^ This belongs to @thecrowslullaby so make sure to go check them out!