Sanders Sides One Shots

Life's a bitch but I care - Platonic LAMP/Analogical centered

Logan stresses himself out to the point where he faints. The others obviously freak out but after seeing the state Logan's worked himself into they're very concerned. Maybe it's not just the stress of work that causes all of it.

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Logan doesn't know what causes it. Scratch that he does know he just doesn't want to admit it. One minute he's walking down the hallway, the next he's falling, then nothingness.

That's how Roman finds him, crumbled on the floor, unconscious. He knows that can't be good, so, tries his best not to overreact, there must be a logical explanation to it. "Patton! Virgil!" Roman shouts, his voice slightly strained, and he checks Logan's pulse, sighing slightly when it's definitely there.

Patton's quick to his side, "what's happened?" He asks and Roman's quick to explain that he doesn't really know what is going on but he is still alive. "Oh goodness, Lo," Patton breaths out, his hands shaking slightly as he touches Logan's cheek. "Is that...?" Virgil speaks suddenly, they probably would have jumped if they're not too focused on Logan, and Roman responds, "yeah."

"We should probably lie him down somewhere," Patton suggests, the other two nod and help carry Logan to the sofa. They make sure he's comfortable looking, Patton sits next to him taking his hand in his own, Roman gets a cool washcloth and places it neatly over his forehead in hope that it will do something, and Virgil just stands to the side with his arms crossed in nervousness, worry clear on his face.

That's how Logan wakes, in the living room surrounded by the other three. Wait, what. "Wait, what." Patton looks up at him, smile growing quickly on his face, "oh thank goodness, I'm so glad you're okay." Logan slides his hand out of Patton's and takes the towel off his head, still very confused. "You fainted," Virgil comments directing Logan's attention to him and all Logan replies with is, "oh."

"Why?" It's weird to hear Virgil say so much and Logan not answer, it makes them almost want to laugh about role reversal but they don't. Because this is serious. "Logan? Do you know why?" Roman's asking from where he's sat from the other side of the sofa, and Logan nods his head in response. Taking a breath before he's replying, "it's stress. I believe I may have been overworking himself and, um, yes, getting too stressed."

There's a short, stunned silence between them, Logan avoiding the gaze of all of them. "Well, no more of that then," Patton speaks up, his voice much less cheery and more concerned, "we're going to help you work and make you take breaks more, even if I have to force you myself." Roman makes a noise of agreement, nodding his head as well, they're all feeling a little bit guilty for letting Logan get like this. "Right, okay, well, I'll go start dinner then and we can talk about this more later," Patton says, patting Logan's thigh reassuringly, before asking for Roman's help in the kitchen, who agrees and follows him.

And Virgil's still looking at him like that. Concerned, worried, anxious. "That's not just it, is it?" Virgil speaks up, voice quieter not wanting to let the other's potentially overhear them especially if it's something he doesn't want to admit to them. But Virgil knows this conversation needs to happen. Logan sighs when Virgil sits in Patton's previous place, then he shakes his head, reluctant to tell Virgil.

"It's partially because of stress but things have been... building for too long, I guess. I theorise that my fainting is most likely due to, um, intense emotional stress." Logan coughs as he finishes, hoping to not make a big deal out of the situation but he knows it's far too late for that. Virgil nods his head in acknowledgement, "what kind of emotional stress?" He asks, fully aware of what intense emotional stress feels like, so, he mainly wants to help if nothing else.

"I don't-" Logan goes to deny it, all of it, but Virgil gives him a look that tells him not to lie to him. So, he sighs in defeat, "I'm not very... open about things, emotional things, and it does get to me, despite what everyone might think. I know that I'm in the wrong, I bottle things up and am reluctant to speak about it, despite you all being willing to listen, and I'm sorry but-" And Logan cuts himself off with a choked sob and it's only now that Virgil realises he's crying and he feels guilty as hell.

"Hey, woah, no. You don't need to apologize, yes maybe it's your fault a little because you should fucking talk to us because 'despite what everyone might think' I care about you guys, I understand what it's like to feel things you really would rather not feel but we feel because life's a bitch but you don't have to deal with it alone. I get it if you don't want to tell the others but you can talk to me, anytime you want, no, anytime you need. Life's a bitch but I care."

And Virgil's smiling reassuringly, well the best he can, and Logan smiles weakly back, his tears falling silently now. He pushes his glasses up onto the top of his head and wipes his cheeks of the tear tracks despite them reappearing. Virgil just watches, unsure of what to do really because he's usually the one crying. "Would you, uh, would you like a hug?" He asks, cringing inwardly for a moment because what if Logan says no? But he doesn't. He nods, sniffling slightly as he tries to get the tears to stop.

"C'mere," Virgil commands, opening his arms for Logan to collapse into his chest, arms wrapping around his torso. Virgil's hands hover awkwardly momentarily before resting one hand in his hair, carding through it in a comforting manner, and his other rests on Logan's back. They stay like that for a while, Logan's head tucked into Virgil's neck, still noticeably crying.

Roman reenters the room and stands there in shock for a bit before realising what is happening. He retreats back to the kitchen and comes back into the living room with Patton this time. Virgil gives them a tight smile before motioning with his head for them to come closer. "Lo?" Virgil asks, gaining his attention; Logan looks back up, blushing slightly when he realises that the others are here too and that they're seeing him cry.

He pushes his glasses back down after wiping his eyes and letting go of Virgil's torso. "Sorry," he apologises, his voice rough and croaky, and they're all looking at him with sad eyes, which he both appreciates and wants to stop. "What have I told you about apologizing?" Virgil comments, his tone more teasing than before, and Logan smiles. Patton sits next to him and Roman sits himself next to Virgil, they huddle slightly closer together than normal but Logan doesn't mind it right now.

They spend the rest of the night on the sofa together, not even moving to have their food but eating right there, and watch rubbish television. And maybe Logan cries a bit later, they hold him and comfort him. He doesn't bottle his emotions up as much but when he does the others make a conscious effort to find him, stop him from working himself too much, and cuddle him on the sofa more.