Sanders Sides Boiz Oneshot REPRISE

I Can Still [Moxiety] (Autism Awareness AU)

I like Moxiety.

I also know a lot of the lovely people in this famdom and who read my books have some form of autism on the spectrum. This is a declaration of love, acceptance, and empowerment to all of you. You are stronger than all of us and you are braver than we could ever be.

Background: Virgil in this is sensitive to lights and sounds, but mostly lights. Bright lights of the sun, especially in Florida and other states in the south of the US, have really bright sunlight all year around. He has Autism Spectrum Disorder and he talks funny becuase when he went to school, he hated associating with other kids because they were all loud and mean.

TW:// Abusive Mother, Sensory Triggers

STORYTIME!

Ever since Virgil was a little boy he hated going outside. It was really loud outside and it wasn't really bright. He hated brightness more than loudness because it hurt his eyes, and it hurt his brain. He hated the way the overwhelming light of the sun hurt his head, even when he wore special glasses, so he just preferred not to go outside at all unless it was overcast. Another reason why he likes it when it rains. It was cloudy and it wasn't that bright and his head didn't hurt. He likes it when it rains because he likes the dark.

Mom and Dad hated how he wasn't like his sisters and he didn't love to go play outside with the neighborhood kids. Mom liked to scold him and yell at him. Virgil cried a lot and screamed back, earning a few strikes across the face. Dad was much better than his mom. But he worked often and Virgil knew he was disappointed that his only son was different. His son who hated loud noises, hated the light, and likes the dark.

When Virgil turned eighteen his mother kicked him to the curb and forced him to live alone, figuring out how to make it in the world. Virgil never had a job, he didn't really talk to people during his school days, and it was a really sunny day when he was kicked out by his stupid mom. Virgil found a place hidden from the sun in the shade, hugged his knees, and cried. He couldn't do much more with the pounding headache the light gave him. He wanted to scream, but he knew he'd be judged. Virgil hated everything.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Someone found him? Virgil looked up, trembling as he noticed that the mean sun has set and the sky was getting dark. A person stood in front of him with round glasses and called curly red hair and lots and lots of freckles spread over their skin. They wore a pastel blue sweater and khaki shorts, something that his sisters would wear. They were much shorter than Virgil, but he didn't really care about that. He wiped his eyes with his knuckles.

"Who's you?"

"My name is Patton. I use he/him pronouns. What are you doing all alone in the dark, friend?"

He crouched down next to Virgil, not sitting down. He sat basically back on his feet with his arms crossed over on his knees. He smiled at Virgil. Nobody really smiled at him. Mom always scowled when she saw him. His sisters didn't really care of his existence but were compassionate sometimes when Dad was around. Dad hasn't smiled recently. Virgil thinks he became depressed because he lost his third job this year.

"I gots no home. Mom told me to get lost. Mom told me I ain't her son and I never was... I don't know how to make money and get away from the light. I don't like the lights. They hurt my brain."

Virgil sniffled, not wanting to cry. From what he knows from school you shouldn't cry or you get struck. He doesn't wanna get struck again. He doesn't want a stranger to hit him. He just wants to sit in the dark and cry. He doesn't have the energy to do much else anyways. Virgil felt his blood go cold when he felt s touch in his shoulder. The person was actually sitting down and he had his hand on Virgil's shoulder. He looked really sad. He had the same look Dad got sometimes. Like a sad, pitiful look. That look always made Virgil feel really guilty.