Sanders Sides Oneshots and Short Stories

Burning Bridges

Not requested.

Ship(s): Familial VirgilxPattonxRoman, romantic/toxic Moceit

Category: Angst

Warning(s): Fighting, verbal abuse, panic attacks

Summary: Patton and Declan (Deceit) have been fighting more recently, and Virgil doesn't know how much longer he can put up with it.

(inspired by real life events, in which I'm Virgil, my dad is Declan, my mom is Patton, and my sister is Roman.)

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"This is my house! I am allowed to fucking take my kids places if I want to!"

"I can take them with me, you don't need to-!"

"Need to what? What the hell am I doing, Patton?!"

Virgil clapped his hands over his ears, closing his eyes. Always fighting, always arguing. For the past few years now, his dads had argued with each other every chance they got. Patton was a gentle soul, but after seeing Virgil shake for hours after getting yelled at by Declan, he finally put his foot down and stood up for himself. Declan doesn't appreciate being defied, apparently.

The tile was cool under his fingers. Virgil was currently curled up on the bathroom floor, his heart hammering against his ribs, praying to whatever gods existed that Declan would just leave. He was the problem. Not Patton.

Then, the arguing outside suddenly reached a new volume.

"GIVE ME MY PHONE YOU ASSHOLE!"

"It's my house, I do what I want! I pulled you out of the goddamn gutter, the least you can do is try to act like you love m-!"

"YOU-"

Crash!

Virgil flinched violently. Best case scenario, a vase or something. Worst case...

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Patton. Virgil couldn't stand it anymore. He pushed the door open, as quickly as he dared, and peeked into the living room. The scene flashed before him.

Patton, on the ground, cradling his wrist with one hand. Declan, towering over him.

Virgil saw red.

He didn't realize what he was doing until he was standing between them, roughly shoving Declan backwards, one hand held out to shield Patton. Declan was scarlet with fury as he glared down at Virgil, incredulous. He held Patton's phone out of reach.

"Don't act like you know the situation!" Declan snarled, but he didn't make a move for Virgil.

Virgil couldn't breathe. Any words he meant to say died on his tongue, sticking in his throat. Behind him, Patton staggered to his feet.

"So don't come charging at me like-!"

Declan's rant was lost to Virgil as he spun on his heel and darted back to the bathroom, trembling badly from the shock of what he'd just done. In the room nearby, he could hear Roman crying quietly.

He'll actually kill me this time.

Their argument resumed outside.

"I didn't push you down!" Declan shouted. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK VIRGIL IS GOING TO DO NOW?! THIS IS YOUR-!"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE-!"

Virgil pressed his hands into his eyes, withholding tears. This was not the time to cry. His breath came in shuddering gasps, and he tried to focus on taking in deep lungfuls of air.

The voices grew louder as they moved into the hallway, right next to where Virgil was hiding. Next to Roman's room.

"TELL VIRGIL I DIDN'T PUSH YOU!" Declan roared. "PATTON, TELL HIM I DIDN'T PUSH YOU! If Virgil calls the fucking police because of you I swear to God, you won't get away with-!"

Declan continued to rant, demanding that Patton own up, admit to his wrongdoings. Virgil could faintly hear Patton speaking calmly to Roman, soothing his cries. Virgil pulled his bag close.

"Virgil, let's go!" Patton called, knocking on the bathroom door. Virgil opened it gingerly. Declan was standing in the hallway, still raging on, blocking them from leaving. Patton had somehow retrieved his phone, and he was typing on it quickly, shoulders heaving with effort and eyes red with tears. When he saw Virgil, he said, "come on. We've got to drop you off at your GSA club."

Swallowing thickly, Virgil nodded. Declan's shouting was so loud his ears were ringing.

"Tell Virgil!" Declan snapped, his words dripping with venom. "Tell him, Patton!"

"Fine," Patton growled. He glanced back at Virgil. "I fell. I fell because I reaching for my phone." Then he moved as if to walk out of the hallway, but Declan blocked his path. "Let. Me. Go," Patton spat through gritted teeth. He shoved at Declan. The action was halfhearted, like he didn't really want to hurt his husband. Declan pushed him back much more roughly. "Let us go, asshole!"

Virgil reached out to assist his dad. Declan grabbed his arm and shoved him backwards, sending him crashing into the wall. His heart seizing with fright, Virgil scrambled back into the bathroom and locked the door.

This time, Patton's voice drowned out Declan's. He was furious. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY SON!"

Still shouting at the top of his lungs, Declan stormed into the living room, letting them pass, and Patton opened the door to beckon Virgil out.

"We're leaving," he hissed.

When Virgil stepped into the living room, being pulled along by Patton, he saw Declan yank the front door open.

"WE'RE GETTING A DIVORCE!" Declan screamed. Brown and green eyes glinting with hate, skin flushed with feverish anger, teeth bared in animalistic fury.

Patton didn't reply. He only slammed the door behind them.

Gentle yet firm fingers encircled Virgil's wrist as Patton practically dragged him down the front lawn, then barked out a short "get in the car". Patton jammed the keys in the engine and sped away, faster than Virgil would've liked.

"We left Roman," Virgil whimpered, his voice finally returning to him. Patton didn't move his eyes from the road. "Dad, we left-"

"I know."

The car went spinning around the corner. Virgil clung to his seat.

Patton reached over and turned on the radio, filling the car with quiet music. Virgil was choking on adrenaline.

"I know," Patton repeated. Softer this time, "I know."

They drove in tense silence for a while. Virgil knew they were pretty early for his club, and Patton was just driving around aimlessly. After nearly half an hour, Patton pulled into a fast food place, ordered some food, and stopped in the parking lot. He held out the bag for Virgil.

"I'm not hungry," Virgil whispered.

Patton set the bag between them. It was quiet for a long moment. Then Patton's shoulders slumped. He seemed to collapse in on himself, folding like flower petals as he began to shake with sobs. Virgil was frozen in his seat. Patton hit the dashboard with his fist and leaned forward on the steering wheel, tears slipping down his face.

"Are you really getting a divorce?" Virgil managed to ask, swallowing.

"Don't talk like that."

"You should." The adrenaline high was getting to him. He felt liberated, freed. "You don't deserve that. He doesn't get to do that to you."

"Don't talk like that, Virgil," Patton repeated.

Virgil reluctantly slumped back into his seat, crossing his arms. He tried to take in deep breaths, calming himself down.

His dad leaned into the dashboard and cried.