If I Can Say It

But you don't even know me?

It was weird, waking up in a bed. The softness of the pillows so different from what he was used too. It felt strange to feel full, to feel warm. He couldn't comprehend why someone would be so nice to him. Shaking his head, Virgil sat up and exited the spare room which Patton had graciously allowed him to stay in. He told him to take a nap and he'll come get him once his friends arrive. 

To say Virgil was nervous was an understatement. What if Pattons friends didn't like him? What if they told Patton to make him leave? He knew he would have to leave eventually but this small taste of normality made it even harder to go back to the way he'd been living. Surviving. It reminded him of home. Pushing those thoughts away for the moment, he would have plenty of time to reminisce on them later, he walked down the stairs, his healthy hand clutching the railing. 

Ignoring the slight pounding of his head, while subsided due to the sleep, he stumbled down the last few steps and opened the door into the cafe. The sudden rush of noise made him wince but he pushed the nausea down. He really hoped he wasn't coming down with something. 

The cafe was busy. Busier then Virgil had ever seen it. Patton was busy taking orders while another employee made and served the dishes. Patton, spotting him, asked the man to take over for a bit, calling for a second employee from outback, to come take over. Drying his hands on a towel, he practically skipped over to Virgil, a grin spreading across his face.

"Hey, Anxiety! You feel better?"

"A little, I guess." Virgil's hands started shaking and his nose started running. Yep, definitely coming down with something. Wiping his nose and tucking his hands into his hoodie pockets to hide the shaking, he followed Patton as he led him to a table where two other people say chatting.

"Anxiety, this is Logan and Roman" he said, guesting to a man in a black shirt and blue tie and a man in, was that a Disney prince costume? Confused, Virgil stood there awkwardly, till he realised that he had missed his cue and gave an awkward, self-conscious wave. With a nudge from Patton, he sat down across from the prince, Patton leaving to grab some drinks and snacks before taking a seat beside him. The smell of the sugary foods made his stomach role and Virgil comforted himself with a sip of the strong coffee Patton had handed him.

"So, your the stowaway?" Logan said, taking a casual sip of his coffee. Virgil didn't know what to say, so he did as he always did and said nothing. It was easier.

"What brings you here?"

He couldn't help but feel like he was being interrogated.

"Nothing, just... wandering" he answered, cringing at the sound of his weak reply.

Logan made to ask something else before he was interrupted by the prince, Roman grabbing one of the pastries and gushing about his love for, and he quotes 'the sweetest creation of man-kind'. Patton laughed at the statement and pushed the plate toward his hands. Clearing his throat, Logan continued.

"Yes, well. Where do you live?"

"Anywhere, really."

"Do you work?"

"Do you have any family?"

Virgil froze, he hated that question but being so young and dressed in ratty clothes, he got it quiet often.

"None of your business."

Patton, sensing the tension between the two, made to prevent the conflict.

"Logan, didn't you say you wanted to check Anxiety's wrist?"

Logan adjusted his glasses, "I did say that." Leaning over the table, he motioned for Virgil to give him his wrist. Cautiously, Virgil held his hand over the table and allowed Logan to take off the bandages. His wrist was black and blue, slightly swollen. Where is wasn't bruised, it was an angry red. Gravel from the street was still embedded in his palms. Roman looked over and winced.

"That must hurt." He said, taking another pastry. Virgil just shrugged but couldn't hide the wince of pain when Logan touched a particularly sore area.

"Why don't we go upstairs? This is going to require more attention."

Nodding at Logans statement, he got up, followed closely by Roman and Logan. Standing, shakily to his feet, Virgil made to follow him. Whatever he had caught was not happy. He found himself on the ground, coffee spilled everywhere and head pounding. Lifting his head slightly sent shockwaves through his brain and he let it rest again. The concerned voices of Patton, Roman and Logan registered in his brain. 

Luckily, the cafe was mostly closed, the last customers having left while they talked. He dimly heard someone telling someone else to close up the cafe, Patton, he assumed. Strong arms wrapped around his legs and arms and he felt himself being lifted up. The sense of losing gravity sent his stomach rolling and he turned his face instinctively into the shirt of however was holding him. A brief glimpse of a red sash, confirmed that it was Roman. 

He arms were warm in contrast to Virgils freezing skin and the soft silk of his shirt felt cool against his burning cheek. A hand was pressed to his forehead and murmurs erupted. He felt himself be carried into the upstairs bedroom and being placed on the bed. The arms made to let him go but he clung to this new heat source desperately. The man, Roman, sat down beside him and held him still as Patton took his temperature and Logan fetched the first aid kit. His head clearly slightly, he looked up and met Pattons worried gaze.

"Sorry" he muttered, fingering his tattered hoodie.

"Its not your fault" Roman said, surprisingly, "everyone gets ill sometimes."

"I reckon is was getting caught in the rain and snow we've had lately. The cold air and the shock of injuring your wrist probably didn't help" Logan said, as he re-entered, first aid kit in hand. Taking the thermometer from Patton, he frowned at the reading before pulling out some medicine, some antiseptics and some fresh bandages. Giving him the medication which he swallowed with a glass of water supplied by Patton, he leaned back. 

The feeling of Romans shirt on his back surprised him but with the reassuring words from Roman and the woozy feeling mixed from nausea and medication allowed him to relax into the mans side. Despite not knowing these people well, he knew he could trust them. The comforting words from Patton as he sat down on his other sides, the reassuring hold of Roman and the quiet concentration from Logan as he removed the gravel and cleaned and bandaged his hand were further proof of this.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked. He was normally not one for questioning people helping him but the meds, the food and the warmth lowered his guard.

"What?"

"I mean, why are you helping me? You don't even know me!?"

"Because your hurt." Patton said, "because you need help."

"Because I can't leave someone hurting when I know I can help" Logan replied.

"Because, we care. Even if we don't know you that well. We can see that your a good person in a bad situation and we want to help. If you will let it's, that is" Roman said, hazel eyes twisting to meet his own. He saw nothing but sincerity there. The prince wanted to help. Help him. Something within his chest ached and for the first time since he found himself alone. He cried. 

Surrounded by random strangers who had taken time out of their day to help him because they cared. They cared about him. And he cried because he had forgotten what it was like to be cared for. They held him and let him cry.