Only Human | Sander Sides

Analogical in the Bathroom

INFO
-college au 
-trans ftm logan and virgil

TRIGGER WARNINGS
-mentions of panic attacks
-alcohol

***

"Come to my party!" Roman said. "Even Virgil is going," he said. Well, it's only two hours into the party, Virgil has disappeared and Logan is on the verge of a panic attack. For some reason, everyone wants to talk or dance with him. Dancing is a definite no, the binder constricting Logan's chest for the past seven hours says so. Talking is also a no since Logan knows only a few people and his social anxiety restricts him from getting to know more. He's overwhelmed. Maybe drinking a nasty beer and having a couple of jello shots wasn't such a good idea. It just seemed to make things worse. Logan watches in terror as yet another person comes walking up to him, drunk and arms slung over another person. Logan stands as fast as he can in his inebriated state and absconds upstairs into the bathroom. He leans on the sink and takes a couple of deep breaths. He notices those small bathroom cups on the corner of the counter and grabs one, filling it with sink water and downing it. "Logan-" Logan jumps, not realizing someone else had been in the bathroom. He chokes and his water and starts to cough, the other person patting his back. He regains his breath and turns to see Virgil. 

"You good now L?" Logan nods, sitting on the closed toilet lid. He notices the shower curtain is open whereas earlier it was closed. Virgil must have been in there. "So why have you come to my Michael In The Bathroom scenario?" Logan raises an eyebrow and Virgil sighs. "Michael In The Bathroom from Be More Chill. He has a panic attack. I have got to get you into musicals." "Oh." Virgil leans against the sink, "So what's up?" Logan shrugs, trying to even out his breathing. It was four in and four out, right? "Same as you then." "Yay panic attack buddies," Virgil says with fake enthusiasm. Logan realizes part of his breathing issue is his binder. "Virgil, would you mind turning around?" Virgil gives him a confused look but shrugs. Logan takes off his NASA hoodie and his NASA shirt then takes off his binder with a little struggle. He puts on his shirt and hoodie and tells Virgil it's okay to turn around again. He does so, and his eyes widen a little at the black binder in Logan's hands. He grabs something from the tub and smiles, showing Logan. It's a black binder. "Guess we're not only panic attack buddies." Logan starts to laugh, quiet but still louder and more than anyone has ever seen him laugh. 

Virgil can't even speak. The sight in front of him is too beautiful, too rare, too pure. Logan laughing? No one sees that but Roman when he falls or Remus when Logan bests him, and those aren't actual laughs. This is a real laugh. Sure it's fueled by alcohol and a little adrenaline, but its a genuine, happy laugh. And Virgil has never been more in love. He hadn't realized he'd been staring until Logan's voice snapped him out of it. "Virgil are you alright?" "Uh, yeah, sorry." Virgil's face heats up and he sits on the edge of the tub. "Do you wanna go home?" Virgil asks, and Logan nods. "I'm not in the mood for social interaction at all." "But you're talking to me?" Logan fiddles with his binder, "You're different." They both put on their binders again and leave the party from the back door, where less people gathered. They end up going to Logan's dorm to talk, and eventually both fall asleep on Logan's bed after taking off their binders. Patton finds them later that evening and drapes a blanket over them with a sigh, smiling as Logan unconsciously cuddles closer to Virgil.