Sanders Sides One Shots: Volume 2 [COMPLETED]

Bonding With Bears (Platonic Moxiety)

March 12th, 2019

Virgil could admit that he and his dad were close, but he wasn't as close to him as he was when he was younger. He'd always told him everything. There were no secrets that his father didn't know too, and there was nothing he felt uncomfortable with talking to him about. The fact that he'd been adopted changed nothing about their relationship; Patton Valentine was a single man who wanted to be a father, and Virgil Black was a five-year-old orphaned emo who wanted a home. They clicked and twelve years later, here they were. The two of them were close, but emphasis on the word 'were'.

Ever since he reached high school, Virgil found that he and his father were growing a little distant. He didn't really want to distance himself from him, but it was subconsciously happening, and his father, being as loving and accepting as he was, didn't want to stop it if it was what his son wanted.

It warmed his heart to know that his father cared so much about him that he'd let him pull away if it made him more comfortable. It also hurt to see the barely hidden pain behind his eyes when he headed toward his room with hardly a word to him.

He wanted to fix it, and he had an idea.

One Saturday afternoon, Virgil exited his room with his purple combat boots on his feet. He forced himself not to hesitate as he walked toward the living room, hearing the sounds of the TV that his father was watching. It sounded like a Disney movie, but he couldn't make out which one.

He cleared his throat as he stood in the entryway of the room. Patton looked up, smiling warmly at him. "Hey kiddo! Whatcha need?"

"Uh, I need to go down to the mall," he said, looking down at his feet. His father opened his mouth to give him permission to use the car but he held up a hand to stop him. "And I was kinda hoping you'd come with?"

Silence fell between them, but Virgil could see the way his father's eyes widened and lit up. He stood from his spot on the couch, turning off the TV. "Of course!"

He swallowed in relief as the two of them headed toward the car. "So, what were you planning on getting?" his father asked, smiling at him as they pulled out of the driveway. "Are we heading to Hot Topic for a new look? Going to the Disney store to buy something for that boy you mentioned?"

Virgil flushed, and opened his mouth to contradict him, but he kept going. "Ooooooh, maybe you're going to Spencer's," Patton said with a knowing look his direction. "If that's the case kiddo, I can wait in the car-"

"Oh my god Dad!" he exclaimed, covering his bright red face as the man laughed. "That's not what we're going for."

He smiled and reached across to the passenger seat to ruffle his hair a little. "I know, I'm just teasing you, Virge," he said. The alternative boy managed to crack a smile, knowing that he should be thankful that his dad was so accepting and open to pretty much everything; even if said something was something that would usually be a private adventure.

They pulled into the parking lot of the mall about fifteen minutes later, and Virgil could feel his nerves building up. What if his father didn't like the idea? What if this was a mistake?

It's too late now, I already told him I'm not going to Hot Topic, he thought nervously. Okay, calm down, it's Patton, he'll love it.

"So where to kiddo?" his father asked as they entered the building.

Virgil didn't say anything, simply nodding for the man to follow him. He began walking toward the shop he was looking for. As the yellow and blue color scheme came into view, he could sense his father's confusion. The confusion cleared up when he stopped in front of Build-A-Bear Workshop and gave him a shy smile.