Open Doors

Chapter 10

00:58

Virgil looked down to the time on his phone as he sat on the couch. Logan and Roman had gone to bed almost three hours ago. Virgil had tried as well, but couldn't sleep while Patton still wasn't home. Checking his phone again there still was not a message from their paternal roommate. Patton was a very considerate person. He always let them know when he would be late. Most of the time, he shared too much information to the group chat. It was unlike him to go completely dark for this long.

Virgil was almost to the point of calling the hospitals. What if Patton had been caught in a car accident and was all alone right now? He didn't want to lose a second father figure to a car crash. They weren't actually a family though. It wasn't really his place to check in on Patton though. Virgil began to rub at his arms. Was he overstepping boundaries? Before his thoughts could spiral further, he heard the front door creak open. A sigh of relief left his lips as he saw Patton walking in. Something was wrong, Virgil knew it, but the flood of endorphins that went through his system made it hard for him to think about. Patton wasn't smiling, but he was alive.

"Patton?" Virgil asked quietly as he began to get up.

The tired man did his best to straighten his shoulders and put on a smile. "Kiddo, what are you doing still awake?"

"Waiting for you."

"Awe you didn't have to do that Verge."

"I know, but you didn't respond to my text. I was worried."

"I'm sorry buddy, I didn't realize you had sent me a text."

"It's fine, are you okay popstar?"

"Yeah Kiddo, I'm fine. Do you mind if I hug you though?" Though Patton was aware that Virgil was not a physically affectionate person, he really just needed a hug right now.

"Just this once." Virgil opened up his arms so that Patton could hug him. The two stood that way for a while until Patton felt the heavy weight of Virgil's head on his shoulder. It had been an exhausting week but, he couldn't help but be thankful that he had roommates who cared about him.

"Thanks, Verge. You really lift me up you sweet and sour misunderstood shadowling."

Virgil looked up at Patton confused, finally pulling away. "What?"

"Sorry, I'm just tired." He pulled Virgil back in for a short hug "Last hug," Patton finally pulled away and gave Virgil a weak smile. "You should head to bed now kiddo, you have work in the morning."

"Yeah, alright, I'll see you in the morning, Pat."

Virgil walked to his room before shutting his door. Patton still felt drained, but the hug really did make him feel better. He appreciated that Virgil was always worried about others. He had to try to be more mindful though. Reaching for the cookie jar on the table Patton saw a note written in perfectly legible handwriting.

'Patton,

I have left a portion of dinner, specifically set aside for you, in the fridge. I would suggest eating only a small portion of it if you are hungry when you get home as eating too much before bed can cause you to interrupt your circadian rhythms with digestion. Otherwise, it can be heated up tomorrow for your lunch.

Logan.'

Patton's smile grew, though it still held exhaustion behind it. He was indeed blessed to have people who cared about him. Pulling 'dinner' out he ate a little bit of it before putting it back away. Logan had done a good job cooking on his own. Hopefully, he would still get the chance to teach Logan to cook. He had really enjoyed it.

AN: Short chapter, just a bit of fluff. Warning, it's going to get a bit heavy next chapter.