Gone IV

WARNING: PTSD, abuse, angst

Virgil opened his eye, breathing hard and looking around wildly before registering where he was and relaxing slightly.

It had to be around 2 am, surely, judging by the lighting in the hospital.

He buried his head back into his pillow and tried to get some more sleep, and eventually, he did.

Virgil was woken at around 8 am by the arrival of a nurse who gave him breakfast and told him he could go home that day. "As long as you don't overexert yourself, and stay with people you trust, okay?"

Virgil nodded. "Is there anyone we can call to pick you up?"

Virgil gave her Roman's number, and after checking his bandages and eye patch, she left.

About 15 minutes later she returned, followed by Roman.

"Hey Stormcloud."

Virgil smiled "Hey Ro.."

"Come on, let's go home." Roman helped Virgil up and down the stairs to the car waiting outside, quickly stopping at the receptionist to check him out.

Virgil sat down in the passenger, plugging himself in as Roman walked around to the other side of the car and climbed in the driver's side.

"Do you want to listen to music?" Roman asked.

Virgil thought for a moment. He was all too familiar with silence, having been stuck in that basement for weeks. "Can we listen to Disney?"

Roman smiled. "Sure Stormcloud."

Roman pressed Play on his phone and Reflection began to play.

Virgil smiled and leaned his head back, closing his eye and feeling his hand taken into Roman's as he drove the two of them home.

Upon getting home, Patton ran over to Virgil as soon as he walked through the door, making him flinch. "Oops, sorry Virgil. Can I hug you?"

Virgil took a moment to compose himself before nodding.

Patton beamed and hugged him immediately.

Logan walked over from the couch, smiling. "Welcome home Virgil."

Virgil smiled back. "Hey Lo."

"Can we have a movie night to celebrate?" Roman asked from behind Virgil.

"Ooh! Yes! I'll make popcorn!" Patton said, finally releasing Virgil.

Virgil hugged Roman. "Definitely."

Logan held up several movies. "Which one should we watch first?"

Virgil pointed toward Aladdin. Logan nodded and pushed it into the machine before joining the others on the couch.

Virgil tried to relax. He'd been on edge since he'd escaped, and it was exhausting.

He was home, safe with his family, and that man would never be able to hurt him again.

They were only about halfway through Aladdin when Virgil realised he was so damn tired. He snuggled closer to Roman, who looked down at him, kissing his forehead.

"Roman?" Virgil whispered, so as to not disturb the others.

"Yes Stormcloud?" Roman replied in an equal tone.

"Will you protect me?"

Roman smiled. "Forever."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

Virgil seemed satisfied, and buried his head into Roman's chest, drifting off to sleep with Roman's arms locked around him.

Roman walked towards him slowly, smirking.

He had heard Virgil crying.

Virgil was chained to the wall again, unable to run.

He pulled on his chains, and of course that didn't work.

Roman stopped in front of him and crouched down. "What were you doing?"

"I- I was crying.."

"That's right. You were making noise. You broke the rules. This means punishment, you know."

Virgil nodded, pulling back as far as he could.

Roman pulled back a hand and punched him, hard, in the stomach.

Virgil gasped, winded, and tried to catch his breath as Roman raised his hand again, slapping him across the face.

The abuse went on and on, Roman just wouldn't stop.

And Virgil shot up with a scream.

"Virgil? Are you okay Stormcloud?" Roman placed an arm around Virgil.

"No! Don't- Don't touch me!" Virgil screamed, flinching away from Roman. His eye was wide and he was hyperventilating, whole body shaking.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Roman said gently, taking Virgil's hand. "Listen to me. You're safe and he isn't going to hurt you again. I'm here now. Trust me, I won't let anyone hurt you."

Virgil pulled his hand away, trying to get away from Roman. "Get away from me!"

"Virgil? It's me, it's Roman. I'm not going to hurt you-"

Virgil was looking left and right, searching for a way to escape. "Patt.. I need Patton.."

Roman decided it would be best if he went and got Patton, and carefully got up, keeping his movements slow so he wouldn't scare Virgil even more. "Virgil, it's okay. I'm going to get Patton now, okay?"

Virgil didn't seem to hear him, he just seemed happy that Roman had moved away from him.

Once Roman reached the door he quickly ran down the hallway and knocked on Patton's door. He didn't blame him for the small pause before he opened the door, it was around 2 in the morning. "What?"

"It's Virgil, he's freaking out and he won't let me get anywhere near him, he was saying he wanted you," Roman explained as quickly as he could while leading Patton back to Virgil's room.

Patton nodded and rushed into the room as Roman stood at the doorway.

Virgil tried to control his breathing. He could hear quick footsteps in the hallway outside and suddenly someone rushed up to him.

Instinctively he shrank back, raising his arms to protect his face, before he heard a voice.

"Virgil? Kiddo, what's wrong?" Patton. Thank goodness.

"R-Roman, he was hitting me and I couldn't es-escape.."

"Can I hug you?" Virgil nodded, and felt himself taken into Patton's arms. "Roman was hurting you?"

Virgil nodded again.

"Where were you when he was hurting you?" Patton asked, holding his son tightly.

"Back in the- the basement.."

"Virgil? Can you look around for me and tell me where you are?" Patton leant back slightly so Virgil could lift his head.

Virgil looked around. "At- at home.."

"That's right." Virgil buried his face into Patton again. "That was just a dream, Virgil. Roman came to help you, he would never hurt you."

"You promise?"

"I promise, Virge."

Roman was worried.

His boyfriend was terrified to even be near him! He must've had a bad nightmare.

He'd heard about that kind of thing in trauma victims, where they nightmares of loved ones hurting them.

He listened to the talking as Patton calmed Virgil down and convinced him it was just a nightmare, Roman hadn't really been hitting him, it was PTSD.

Then he heard Patton say, "Do you want to see Roman now?"

A moment passed before Virgil quietly replied, "Yeah.."

Patton turned his head to the door and gestured for Roman to come inside.

Roman slowly made his way over to the bed, where Virgil was sitting with Patton, shaking slightly.

Roman sat on the edge of the bed and Virgil transferred himself from Patton to Roman's lap, who instantly put his arms around him. "Stormcloud."

Virgil looked up at Roman. "Yeah?"

"I would never, ever, hurt you. No matter what."

Virgil nodded and held Roman tighter.

~~~

It had been years since "The Incident", as Virgil had requested the others call it.

Virgil was recovering from his trauma, with the help of his family, though they all knew his PTSD would never fully go away.

There would always be the nightmares, times when Virgil would flinch if people ran up to him, times when he would hold Roman tight and ask again and again if he was safe.

But his family always supported him.

And then came the day of the wedding.

The happiest day of Virgil's life, walking down that aisle.

Standing at the altar with Roman.

The bonding kiss.

The reception.

And sitting with Roman at the beach, holding hands, and Virgil asked the question he already knew the answer to.

"Ro?"

Roman turned to him. "Yes Stormcloud?"

Virgil lowered his head onto Roman's shoulder. "Will you protect me?"

Roman smiled and leaned his head on top of Virgil's, the two of them staring out at the ocean. "Forever."

"You promise?"

"I promise."