Don't Leave Me | Analogical

7. More Nightmares

POV: Logan

I practically had to drag Virgil home from the library. In fact, I eventually gave up on trying to pull him along and ended up carrying him on my back. His face flushed red in embarrassment as I gave him a piggyback ride but he didn't protest, snuggling his face into the crook of my shoulder. The panic attack may have ended, but it left Virgil exhausted and on alert mode for the rest of the day, so he was grateful that he could just relax as I carried him.

When we finally arrived home, I backed up against the kitchen counter and made him sit on it. I grabbed a first aid kit and stood beside him as he rubbed his eyes, trying to stay awake.

"Can I see your arms?" I asked, holding out my hand towards him. With him sitting on the counter, we were eye level to each other which was a rare occurrence. Virgil averted his eyes and hesitantly extended his arms in my direction. I took his right arm first and rolled up the sleeve of the hoodie to expose his forearm.

I couldn't stop the small gasp when I saw the red scratches criss-crossing their way across his pale skin, some new and some a few days old. A couple looked like they had bled, but most were only a layer or two deep, which was a good sign. They'd heal in no time.

"Virgil..." I sighed as I took some wipes and disinfected the ones that had drawn blood. He tensed at the slight sting. "Why hadn't you told me?"

"I don't do it on purpose..." He mumbled in response as his other hand gripped the edge of the counter for support. I raised an eyebrow in question and he sighed. "I don't realise when I do it, it just... happens, I guess." He nervously bit his bottom lip and I gave him a sympathetic look. At least he wasn't hurting himself on purpose.

I moved onto his left arm and rolled up the sleeve. I frowned when I saw that it was much worse. There were twice the amount of scratches and a handful were from today. I quickly disinfected them and apologised when Virgil hissed in response.

"Please do try to stop yourself from following this habit." I said when I finished. "Scratches can get infected very easily."

"Sorry, Logan." He muttered, rubbing his arm. "I'll... do my best."

"Thank you." I smiled reassuringly. "Now let's get some dinner." Virgil smiled and nodded eagerly.

After making and eating a decent meal consisting of chicken and potatoes, we parted into our rooms like we usually did after dinner.

I sat and read some more of Virgil's poems, this time the more recent ones. The tones shifted drastically and I even suspected one of them to be about the day he met me. I smiled as I read it, picking up on subtle details which hinted at that particular rainy day in the university library. It was a turning point for both of us.

The poems which followed were filled with joy and a strong feeling of hope. It suddenly made all the memories flood back from those first few weeks after we became friends. The days got brighter. Life got better.

I was interrupted in my reading by my door swinging open. I turned around in my seat and saw Virgil shuffling into my room, stumbling slightly. I was instantly on my feet and by his side, making sure he didn't fall over. He looked like he had been crying, but this wasn't what he usually looked like after a panic attack. He usually looked much worse than just some teary eyes.

"Whoa, take it easy. Are you okay? What's wrong?" I lead him to my bed and sat him down. He was in his purple pyjamas and his hair was sticking up, telling me he had clearly been sleeping. When I glanced at the clock I sighed as I realised it was past midnight and I still wasn't in bed myself. Losing track of time was something I did often and was not very proud of.

Virgil wiped his eyes and leaned against me when I sat down next to him. "Nightmare again..." he mumbled quietly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, putting my arm around him.

Virgil shrugged. "I was lost... again. And there were snakes... a lot of them. And then there was one big one and I couldn't get away from it and—"

"Whoa, hold on." I cut him off before he could get more panicked. "It was just a nightmare, okay? You're fine now."

"Yeah..." Virgil sighed and relaxed against me, closing his eyes. He looked exhausted.

"Do you want to sleep here tonight?" I raised an eyebrow as I watched him almost fall asleep right there and then. He mumbled an incoherent reply which I simply assumed to be a "yes" judging from the fact he didn't move.

I slowly got up and made Virgil lie down on the bed before pulling the covers over him. He happily shifted into a comfortable position and opened one eye to look at me.

"Are you not going to sleep?" He frowned slightly as he watched me step away from the bed.

"Well since you're sleeping here tonight, I'll just make myself comfortable on the couch and... what?" I stopped when he rolled his eyes at me.

"Don't be ridiculous." He muttered and moved to the far end of the bed. "There's enough room for you here. I'm not that big."

"Virgil, are you sure..."

"Shut up and go to bed." Virgil huffed and turned his back to me, promptly falling asleep. I debated my options for a minute or two before sighing and grabbing my pyjamas. I got changed and climbed into the bed beside Virgil, making sure to give him enough room to toss and turn without accidentally bumping into me. I set my glasses on the nightstand and drifted off to peaceful sleep.