Are We Alone?

Orange Strings And Dark Nightmares

I did it!!

TW: Nightmare, Scratching (as in self harm), Yelling

Something was wrapped around his wrist. It was tight, pulling at him. His head was banging and echoing with pain as he felt it tear open with old fears.

I've got no string to hold me down!

He shot up from his bed. Fingers clenching the sheets as he felt two arms wrap around him.

"Virgil?" A tired voice asked quietly, Logan's arms wrapped weakly around Virgil's waist.

He looked at his wrist, small orange strings wrapped around his small wrist. He clawed at the strings. "Off!"

"What-?" Logan asked before Virgil drew his bitten nails down his arms. Logan gripped his wrists as Virgil fought him. Tears bleeding down his red face.

The orange strings gently tied themselves everywhere, pulling and tugging at Virgil as he desperately tried to rip them off.

To make me fret, to make me frown! The voice sang softly. He could hear the coldness in it, the unnerving feeling that ran up his arms around those stupid tight strings. But, most importantly, he could hear the familiarity of it and-

Then there was something cool againt his lips as the taste of Crofter's registered in his brain, quieting his fears and making him forget those orange strings. Logan.

He kissed back softly, then breathed out slowly when he felt Logan pull back.

"What happened?" The question was evident in his voice.

"Str- Strings, everywhere. Pulling me, me away," Virgil breathed out, hugging Logan.

Logan shushed him quietly, "It's okay, Star. You're okay..." He frowned at the red cuts on Virgil's arms. "We need to clean these."

Virgil shook his head 'no'. Too tired. Too scared to even touch those stupid scars. Too even look at them.

He missed Patton and, as much as he hated to admit it, Roman. He missed Thomas. He missed the apartment. He missed the familiarity.

I had strings, but now I'm free! There are no strings on me!

Well not that. He did not miss the familiarity in that voice.

Where had he heard that?

"Virgil?" Logan asked, quietly staring at Virgil. He could very easily look into Virgil's mind and see what was racing in there, but he wouldn't. If he didn't want to tell him, then he wouldn't search for the answers. "Are you ready?"

Virgil thought for a second, then stood up "Yeah, let's get these cleaned."