#borrower!thomas

 Thomas let out a similar noise as he found himself thrown off of Virgil and landing at the foot of the bed. He groaned as he laid there for a moment. It hadn’t hurt too bad, but if he wasn’t sure about that bruise before he was now.

“What the heck was that?!” Virgil scrambled to his feet, panicked at he tried to find the tiny thing on his bedspread again. His eyes locked onto it, and Virgil was relieved he didn’t have to deal with the paranoia of it going missing. 

 Thomas lifted up his head, eyes going up and locking with Virgil’s. Oh, this wasn’t good. He had to get out of there! Thomas pushed himself up all the way, now standing on the uneven ground he did his best to make a run for it. He wasn’t sure where he was trying to run to, he just knew he had to get as far away from the human as possible.

Oh geez, it’s fast. Thinking quickly, Virgil looked around for something to catch it. Spotting a cardboard box on his desk, he dumped the contents on the floor before turning it over on top of the creature.

 Thomas stopped when darkness fell over him. He blinked as his eyes adjusted quickly and frantically looked around. He put his hand against the wall, recognizing the material as cardboard. And a rather sturdy piece of cardboard at that. 

 Thomas put his head in his hands. This was it. Virgil had caught him. 

 ...Was this where it ended for him?

Virgil took a deep breath. He could do this. Adults took care of creepy things in their houses all the time. 

Slowly, Virgil lifted the box up to check if it was still there.

 As light flooded back and chased away the darkness, Thomas once again caught a glimpse of the human. The borrower backed away, shaking with every step.

Virgil’s eyes widened, only now getting a proper look at what had fallen onto him earlier. It was some sort of...little person, no bigger than his hand.

“...no way.” Virgil spoke in a quiet breath, reaching his hand out to grab it.

 Thomas’ eyes widened as he saw Virgil’s hand coming towards him and without thinking, he put his arms out in front of him and yelled, “No!”

The yell startled Virgil so much that the human yanked his hand back, dropping the box back down as well.

Virgil held his hand close to his chest, looking almost contemplatively at the box. “...you talked.”

 Thomas winced, no longer able to see Virgil but hearing him loud and clear. He had spoken, hadn’t he? Broke one of the borrower rules...well, several at this point.

 Thomas sighed, maybe if he kept this going, he could convince Virgil to let him go?

 ...At the very least, maybe Virgil wouldn’t kill him. “Uh...yeah.” He called out, hoping it was loud enough for Virgil to hear.

Virgil lifted the box with both hands this time, completely revealing the tiny as he stared wide eyed down at him. “You just did it again.”

 Pushing back his fear, Thomas nodded. “Yeah, I can uh...do that.” The borrower said, a bit lamely.

“I.. who...what are you?” Virgil tossed the box aside, inching closer to the bed as he sat on his knees. 

 Thomas bit his lip. It might be a bit too much to tell Virgil what he was. But telling Virgil his name should be fine, right? “You can call me Thomas?” It came out as more of a question.

“Thomas.” Virgil tried it out for himself, before realizing he should introduce himself. “I’m Virgil.”

 “I kno-” Thomas stopped himself, realizing that could go over badly. “I mean uh, cool.” Thomas bit his lip and looked off to the side, feeling a little awkward.

Virgil frowned, squinting suspiciously down at Thomas. “...why were you on my bed, Thomas?”

 Thomas tensed at not only the question, but Virgil’s gaze and tone. “Um, I didn’t mean to be! I mean, I hadn’t planned on falling on you or anything I just kind of...slipped.” 

Virgil looked up and around his bed, spotting the vent just above his head. Virgil turned back to Thomas, looking annoyed. “Were you spying on me?”

 Panic settled inside of Thomas and he took several steps back. Should he lie? It was technically true, but Virgil seemed very annoyed right now. Which was just one step away from being angry and an angry human was the worst kind to be around. “I, uh…” Thomas trailed off before getting another idea.

 He turned around and started running again.

“Hey!” Virgil all but launched himself onto the bed as he grabbed Thomas up with no hesitation this time. He glared down at Thomas, bringing him up to his face. “You were spying!”

 Thomas struggled within Virgil’s grip but of course it was useless. The fingers surrounding him weren’t going to give in. “Okay, okay! Yes, I was, but I didn’t mean anything bad by it! I watch everyone in the building!” Thomas’ eyes widened when he realized saying that wouldn’t exactly help his case. “I-I mean, well, I do but again, not in a bad way. I do it for uh...survival.” Thomas couldn’t stop shaking. Why couldn’t he have just kept his mouth shut.

“Survival?” Virgil repeated. “What are you talking about?” After all, Virgil was just your average college kid who ate too much ramen and didn’t get enough sleep. There was nothing especially extraordinary about him, which made the idea of a mini person watching him through the vents all the more creepy.

 Well, now Thomas had a choice to make. Should he reveal that sort of information? Or die keeping it to himself?

 ...Yeah, he was gonna go with that first option.

 “Okay. I...live inside the walls of this building. I borrow things from humans in order to survive and I watch all of you so I can see if it’s safe for me to...get things. It’s-we’re not supposed to be caught, it’s dangerous.” Thomas pushed against the fingers again to make that last point.

“So, let me get this straight.” Virgil’s voice went dangerously calm. “Not only have you been stalking us, you’re also a thief as well.” He gave Thomas a slight squeeze.

 Thomas gasped as the grip got tighter for a second. He looked up at Virgil with pleading eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, just please don’t kill me!”

“Why shouldn’t I?” Virgil growled. Of course, looking down at Thomas Virgil knew he could never, ever do it. Virgil was too much of a wuss to even kill a spider. And he understood that sometimes people down on their luck occasionally felt the need to turn to a life of crime.

That being said...this was Virgil’s home. His safe space. The idea that someone had been trespassing and taking his things was deeply unsettling to Virgil, and he wanted to ensure it never happened again.

 Thomas’ eyes widened and he found his struggles ceasing. He’s actually going to kill me. Thomas had been hoping Virgil wouldn’t be like that, he had seemed nice enough but...of course you could never know for sure. Humans acted differently towards his kind because they saw them as lesser beings. Some treated them like pets, others like pests. I guess I’m just a pest to Virgil.

 With downcast eyes, Thomas just barely held in his tears. “I-I don’t know...I just don’t-don’t want to die…”

Virgil paused, realizing he might have gone too far. He felt Thomas shake in his hand. “Aw, hey, come on…” Virgil winced, bringing his other hand up to try and awkwardly pat the top of Thomas’ head.

 “Ah!” Thomas tried his best to duck as he felt something come in contact with his head. He didn’t want this to be it. He didn’t want to die! “No, please! I’ll do anything, please don’t kill me!” Hot tears fell, staining his cheeks.

“Calm down!” Virgil held Thomas as far away from his body as possible, looking frantic. Oh no, what do I do… “I’m not going to kill you!”

 Thomas froze, slowly looking up at Virgil with tears still falling. “W-What?” Was this some sort of trick? A lie? “B-But…I-you-the spying...and-and...”

“Yeah, I know, but…” Virgil groaned, rubbing his free hand across his face. “Look, I’m still mad about that stuff, but I’m not going to kill you over this. So just...calm down. Please.” Virgil really didn’t know how to handle other people’s emotions. Or his own, for that matter.

 Thomas bit his lip. “Y-You promise? This isn’t some trick and you aren’t just going to kill me anyways?” He knew humans to be cruel and loved to play what they thought to be jokes, but was really just a cruel form of torture.

“No!” Virgil made a face at Thomas’ suggestion. “Ugh, no. I’m not trying to deceive you or anything, I promise. Really, I may act scary but I wouldn’t hurt a fly.” This also had to do with the fact that flies tend to fly fast and Virgil was an inherently lazy human, but he didn’t mention that.

 “O-Okay.” Thomas didn’t know why, but he believed him. It was true, that out of all the times he had watched Virgil, the one time he had seen him interact with a fly had been of opening a window to let it out.

The second voice laughed a bit gentler. “It’ll be fine. This isn’t the first time, you know.”

“Yes, I know.”

The box suddenly began to tilt and the second voice hissed quickly.

“Easy!” He said, “warn him, Roman, you know how important it is for him to feel safe and listened to.”

Roman sucked in a sharp breath. “Right. Sorry. Sort of slipped my mind,” he mused quietly, then raised his tone a bit more to show Logan that he was indeed talking to him. “Hey, I’m gonna tilt the box to make this interaction easier, alright?”

Logan only gave an annoyed huff in response, as he slid on the still, slightly tilted angles of the box.

It seemed his movements had been enough of a go-ahead and the box finished turning, before finally settling and staying situated where it was.

The two flaps on the top of the container—the front of it now as it was sitting sideways—began to crack open and light flooded into the darkness, causing the borrower to wince and lift a hand to block his eyes. As soon as he was used to it, he removed his hand and let it sit down on the cardboard.

When he looked up, Logan felt his stomach drop.

He was not looking back into a pair of large brown eyes like he thought he would, but was instead focused on the form of another borrower. He almost didn’t know what to do or what to say, his mind was racing a mile a minute and when the other took a step forwards, Logan matched it with a step backwards.

The other paused, seeing the flight taking over Logan’s features. The fight had been washed behind for a moment.

“Hey, it’s okay,” the other borrower promised, lowering himself into a crouch to stay on the same level as him. “I know this probably seems really weird, huh?”

Nodding wordlessly, Logan’s eyes searched over the newcomer’s form. “You could say that.”

Weird seems like an understatement.

This wasn’t exactly how he thought this entire thing would be going. Logan had been so confident that this was the end of the line, but here he was, facing another of his kind who seemed to be relatively unhurt. At least, from what he could see. The silhouette of the other could be hiding bruises that would remain unseen until he got closer.

“What’s the meaning of this?” He finally spoke up, unable to handle the silence any longer. “What on earth are you waiting for?”

“For you to be a little less defensive, first of all,” he heard Roman’s voice rumble from above, but the human remained out of his sight-line.

The other borrower raised a hand and quickly managed to silence the larger being and Logan was floored yet again. The human was listening to someone his size? What sort of hell was this? What had he been brought into?

“This probably seems really untrustworthy,” the other said again, getting a nod in response from the bespectacled male. “A borrower and a human? Hard to believe, I get that. But you’re going to have to trust me for a little bit, at least long enough to help you get home.”

Logan almost stammered for words at that. “You’re— you’re not being kept here against your will?”

“Heaven’s no,” the other replied, a grin crossing over his features. He adjusted himself so he was sitting comfortably and allowing Logan to relax as well. Creating a more inviting environment would make it easier for conversation to ensue. Thomas knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of humans in all of their terrifying glory, so he knew how to handle the other’s frightened behaviour. “I’ve been allowed to come and go as I please, but Roman has been a rather gracious host.”

“I’d say so,” the human countered, but in a more playful tone than anything else. “I get why you’re so defensive though.”

“Oh you do?” Logan raised his voice a bit more, prompting the other to speak again.

“You’ve been stuck in a cage for God knows how long, no wonder you’re sick of human interaction,” Roman continued. “Look, you can believe me or not, but the both of us really do want to help you get home.”

“So, maybe we can start this by you coming out,” the other borrower pushed himself into a stand, catching Logan’s attention once more. “No one is going to touch you or grab you without your permission, I promise.”

He watched as the other even backed up a couple paces, looking earnest but genuine and as much as Logan hated this situation, he hated the box more.

With a huff, he drew himself into a stand as well and slowly made his way toward the opening of the box. It wasn’t comfortable, not really, knowing that there was someone constantly watching him, but there wasn’t much he could do to change that. So, he pressed on.

While it did take an extra moment to steel his nerves, it wasn’t long before Logan ducked under the open flap of the confinement and onto the smooth texture of the kitchen table.

It had been a while since he hadn’t been surrounded by something. Taking in another breath, it almost felt better in a way. It was like a fresh moment of finally being in the most freedom he had had since he was caught. While the freedom was emotional, he wasn’t going to allow himself to revel in it. Not until he was with the people that mattered the most.

Thomas grinned a bit more, a softer light in his eyes and Logan felt oddly reassured. “See? It’s not so bad out here, is it?”

“I suppose not,” he adjusted his glasses before crossing his arms over his chest. His eyes flickered between both the human and the other before shifting anxiously back and forth between his feet. “I must admit, while I had my suspicions, you seem fairly…genuine.” Roman seemed to nearly preen at the information. “But that does not excuse the fact that I was still bought.”

“It wasn’t as if I was doing it to keep you,” the explanation came hastily afterwards, “all of it was just an act to get you out of there.”

“And while I appreciate that, a little forewarning would have been appreciated so I didn’t need to be fearing for my life on the drive here.”

Roman frowned lightly. “You were fearing for your life?”

Once he heard it coming from another source, Logan dropped his gaze, nearly feeling unsure at this point. It sounded fairly pathetic now that it had been said aloud.

“Well, what did you really expect of me? I’ve been treated like nothing more than a toy by countless other humans and I have come to lose my faith in humanity altogether.” He snipped, before taking a breath to steady himself. “I have been away from my family for nearly six months at this point and I have no inkling whatsoever to how they may be currently faring.”

The surprised expressions on the others features did nothing to phase him. Nor was he going to console them.

“Though, it seems I may have overestimated and been wrong by the accusation—only because you and your…friend,” he motioned to the borrower that stood a few paces away from him—although, saying ‘friend’ when referring to another borrower and a human was odd and somewhat grounding in a way—and he kept his hands tucked into a folded position, “have been pleasant enough to offer your assistance. Not many people would do that and that— does mean a lot.”

“Thank you,” the human said after a moment, “I think.”

 Thomas took several steps back and this time Virgil stayed where he was, hugging himself. “...Be careful Thomas. For the love of god be careful.” Virgil said and Thomas nodded.

 “I’ll see you later Virgil.”

 “...Yeah. I hope so.” And with that, both Thomas and Virgil turned in the opposite direction. One heading home and one headed for what could very well be his demise.

 Oh well. Thomas thought. At least I know Virgil will be safe.

***

 Thomas had no reason to suspect he was being anything other than careful. He was doing as he always did when going out to borrow. Not taking too much, making sure the human of the place was away or asleep, wearing clothes that helped blend him into the night, all that good stuff.

 So when both Thomas and Virgil found a note in the kitchen that simply said ‘I want to talk’ along with a time and place to meet, he thought nothing of it. Virgil was a bit worried, of course, but Thomas was quick to reassure him that the note wasn’t for them. How could it be?

 Oh, had Thomas been wrong.

 The night after the meeting was supposed to have taken place, another note appeared in the exact same spot. This time, there was no denying that the note was for them. Because attached to the note was a picture.

 The picture itself was dark, out of focus and far away, but there was no denying that Thomas was in the picture. The note that time, said, ‘I know you exist. I simply want to talk.’ And then another time and place to meet.

 And that’s why Thomas found himself here, on the human’s desk in his room, nervously waiting for the human to show up. Every instinct within him was shouting at him to hide and leave but Thomas ignored them. He knew he had to do this, if not for his kind then for Virgil.

 It was then that the bedroom door opened and Thomas whirled around the see the human come in. The human’s gaze immediately fell on the desk and he paused, eyes going wide. Thomas was frozen as well, heart pounding against his chest.

 “You...came.” The human spoke, stepping a bit closer. “Honestly, I am surprised.”

 Thomas bit his lip, taking in a breath. “You uh, you didn’t really give me much of a choice.” The borrower said, not looking at the human directly.

 The human hummed but didn’t say anything as he took a seat at the desk. Thomas took a few steps back, watching the human warily. The human looked him over and Thomas shivered at his gaze. A few moments of silence passed and Thomas was just about to speak up when the human spoke. “Do you know how impossible you are?”

 Thomas blinked. “Wh-What?”

 “You shouldn’t exist at all, according to the square-cube law and yet...here you are.” The human was being very calm about all this, which was just putting Thomas off even more.

 “Yeah...here I am,” Thomas said a bit weakly. He took in a breath. “Look, I’m here. I came to this meeting...now what?” Thomas asked. He just wanted to know what was going to happen to him.

 The human raised an eyebrow. “Well, like I stated in my note, I simply wish to speak with you. Ask you a few questions.” The human explained.

 “And...what about the picture? You-You aren’t going to show anyone...are you?” Thomas asked and the human gave him a confused look.

 “I am to assume that humans are not supposed to know about you, correct?” The human said and Thomas tensed but nodded. “Why?”

 Thomas was thrown off for a second. “What?”

 “Why aren’t humans supposed to know of you.” The human asked and Thomas felt his eyebrows furrow.

 “Isn’t it...obvious? If humans found out about u-er me than they would kill us, or experiment on us or-or keep us as pets…” He trailed off, nervously looking to meet the human's eyes. He was surprised to find that the human’s eyes were wide.

 “Ah...I see…” The human coughed awkwardly. “Yes, I can...see why you keep yourself secret.”

 “Wait, really?” Thomas asked, his own eyes going wide. The human nodded.

 “Yes and I can assure you, I will not be showing you off or doing any of those things. Like I stated, I simply want to converse with you.” The human spoke. Thomas searched his eyes but he couldn’t find a hint of deception or malice. The human was...telling the truth.

 “Oh...well in that case, my name is Thomas.” Thomas introduced with a bit of a nervous smile. The human blinked in surprise before returning it.

 “My name is Logan. It is nice to meet you.” Logan reached out his hand towards Thomas and the borrower’s eyes widened before realizing Logan was not coming to grab him but to shake hands as a greeting. He reached out his hand to meet Logan’s when suddenly, a shout came from above.

 “Leave him alone!” Before either borrower or human could react, Thomas watched as something landed on Logan’s head.

 “Ah!” Logan yelled, wincing as his hair was pulled. Thomas’ eyes widened when he realized who exactly was on Logan’s head.

 “Virgil?!” He yelled and Virgil looked down at Thomas, pulling hard on a piece of hair.

 “Thomas, run! I got this!” Virgil yelled before moving to a different strand of hair and pulling once more.

 “What is going-Ow!” Logan tried to say but was interrupted by another hard pull. Thomas didn’t run, instead, he came closer.

 “Virgil, stop!” He yelled up but at that point, Logan had had enough. He reached his hand up and blindly grabbed Virgil in a loose fist. Virgil yelped and immediately started to struggle.

 “Let me go!” Virgil yelled, pushing against the human’s fingers but to no avail. Logan let out a small sigh as he looked Virgil over.

 “Please calm down, I mean you no harm.” Of course, Logan’s words did nothing to calm Virgil down. Thomas bit his lip, looking between Virgil and Logan.

 “Logan put him down!” Thomas demanded. He was only half surprised that Logan actually did, setting Virgil down right next to Thomas. As soon as Virgil was on solid ground he grabbed Thomas’ arm and started to pull him towards their exit. Thomas dug his feet into the ground and pulled his hand away. Virgil turned and gave him an incredulous look.

 “Thomas, what are you doing. Let’s go already!”  Virgil hissed, sending nervous glances toward Logan as he once again tried to grab Thomas’ arm. Thomas didn’t let him.

 “Virgil, he’s telling the truth!” Thomas exclaimed and Virgil froze.

 “Wh-What?” Virgil stuttered, more than a little confused. Logan cleared his throat, gaining both borrowers attentions.

 “He is correct. I mean you no harm. I simply wish to speak to Thomas...and you, if you are willing.” Logan was not surprised at the existence of more tiny people, though he was surprised that another had shown up. Especially in the way that he did. Logan rubbed at his head.

 “You’re...You’re lying.” Virgil said but Thomas shook his head, putting a comforting hand on Virgil’s shoulder.

 “I really don’t think he is.” Virgil searched Thomas’ eyes before sighing.

 “This is insane.” He muttered to Thomas, who just shrugged with a sheepish smile.

 “So you are...Virgil?” Logan asked and Virgil simply nodded. “It’s good to meet you, despite the er...rough first impression. My name is Logan.”

 Virgil searched Logan’s eyes but was surprised, just as Thomas had been, to find no traces of malice. He glanced at Thomas who gave an encouraging nod. “Uh...nice to meet you too,” Virgil mumbled after a second of hesitation. Logan smiled.

Roman entered Virgil’s room, humming a tune to himself as he gathered the posters from the closet. As Roman was just about to leave, however, he spotted something out of the ordinary.

“Helloooooo, what’s this?” Roman came over to inspect the cage further. Had Virgil gotten another hamster and not told him? But...why was a blanket stuffed inside? Roman frowned, trying to peer through the bars for any source of life. Upon the first glance, Roman didn’t spot anything, but on the second glance...Roman gasped, posters falling out of his arms in surprise.

 No, no, no, no, no, no, not again! He didn’t move from his ball, but he could hear from the gasp that Roman had realized he was in there. 

 ...This wasn’t going to be fun.

Roman quickly took the roof off the structure, removing it so he could get a better look. Noticing the creature was still curled up in a ball, Roman wasted no time in scooping it out into his palms.

 “Ah!” Thomas yelped, as he was scooped up. He was unfurled from his tight ball and now lying down on Roman’s hand. Thomas tentatively looked up at the human, a look of fear on his face.

“Woah.” Roman gazed in awe down at the tiny...thing. Tiny person? Why on Earth was Virgil keeping a tiny person locked up in a cage inside his bedroom? “Who are you?” 

 Thomas gulped. Now he had another choice to make, essentially the same choice as before. Should he speak to this human? He already had a deal going on with Virgil, so his best bet would be to stay with him...unless Roman was willing to let him go. But Thomas had the sneaky suspicion that would not be the case.

 “I'm...Thomas.” He decided to answer. 

“Thomas, it’s...certainly interesting to meet your acquaintance.” Roman paused, looking at the setup before him. “My name is Roman. Now would you kindly explain...why exactly I find you locked in a...hamster cage in my best friend’s apartment?”

 Thomas bit his lip. “Um...he...thinks he’s helping me?” Thomas answered. “He said it was temporary, though I’m not sure what the alternatives are,” Thomas admitted. Obviously, Virgil would want to keep him trapped still. So whatever Thomas decided would just be some glorified cage.

“Hmm.” Roman raised an eyebrow. “Well, he certainly seems to be doing a poor job of it.” Roman began walking away from the desk, posters forgotten.

 “I’ll say,” Thomas muttered, agreeing with Roman completely. He wobbled a little as he realized Roman was moving. “Uh…?”

“Clearly someone else would be far more suited to assisting you,” Roman said, eyes practically shining as he clearly has designated himself for that role. “I, of course, would be more than up to the task!” Roman all but dashed out of Virgil’s apartment, heading up to his own room on the 5th floor.

 Thomas yelped as Roman basically took off running out of Virgil’s apartment. Oh no, this wasn’t good at all. “A-Actually, you would help me a lot by um...letting me go?” Thomas asked, deciding to give that a chance.

“Yes, of course, just a moment.” Roman barely paid him attention, coming into his own apartment. “Ah, home sweet home.” With a blissful sigh, Roman headed into the bedroom.

“Aaaaand...there!” Roman let Thomas go onto the bed.

 Thomas looked around at his new surroundings, now on top of Roman’s bed. With Roman looming over him. He shivered. “Uh, thanks, but I actually meant, like, letting me go, go. As in, back to my own home and...yeah.” Thomas fidgeted with his sleeves. He hated not knowing how Roman was going to react. At least with Virgil, he could guess how he would react to some things.

“Oh, come on.” Roman sat down on the ground, leaning forwards on his bed to get a good look at Thomas. “Surely you don’t want to go back to Virgil so soon. The guy can be an absolute bore.” Roman made a fake yawning motion to demonstrate.

 “Uh, no actually, I meant my-I meant my real home. In-In um…” He debated for a hot second if he should reveal that or not, before deciding it might help him more if he did. “In the walls.”

“In the walls?” Roman reeled back as if repelled by the notion. “How ghastly! Why, even Cinderella’s mice were not fully confined to such a fate.”

 Thomas winced. “It’s uh...really not that bad.” He defended.

“Oh, how modest of you.” Roman rustled Thomas’ hair. Truly if Thomas were bigger he would pinch his cheek. “But Thomas, worry no longer. I am certain I can construct a suitable abode fit for a prince of your stature.”

 Thomas flinched away from the touch, gasping in fright. He had not been expecting the human to do that. “B-But…”

“Oh, I’m sure I have some spare materials lying about in my workspace.” Roman scooped Thomas up once more, heading over to his desk that was a mess of half-finished ideas and various crafting scraps.

 Thomas yelped as he was taken by surprise yet again by Roman scooping him up. He was much more grabby than Virgil that was for sure. At least Virgil offered his hand to him near the end there.

 Okay, so Roman wasn’t going to let him go. Which meant his best bet was to still get back to Virgil somehow. “Uh...W-Won’t Virgil be mad once he notices I’m not there?” 

Roman ignored the question for a moment in favor of placing Thomas on the desk near his own arm. Roman cleared off a space in front of himself, pulling out a clean sheet of paper and some pens. 

“What Virgil doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Roman answered finally. “Besides, he’s not meant to be back until 3. That leaves me plenty of time. He said he was looking for a new cage, and you’re clearly in need of a more ideal living space. It’s a win-win!”

 This was literally the last thing he wanted, being discovered by another human. At least Roman was planning on giving him back to Virgil...he hoped. Either way, Thomas was gonna be on the lookout for a chance to escape. Since he was no longer confined it would definitely be easier to. Especially if Roman became too focused on whatever he was doing. So Thomas stood there and waited.

“Now, where should we start?” Roman asked, turning to Thomas.

 “Um,” Thomas had no idea. He wasn’t really looking forward to planning out his own prison. But he had to think of something if he wanted to distract Roman enough to try and get away. “We can start with...shape?” Thomas shrugged.

“...shape,” Roman repeated, one eyebrow raised.

 Thomas bit his lip. Was that the wrong thing to say? “Uh...yeah? Like the-like the shape of the cage you’re designing?”

“It’s not a cage.” Roman insisted, finishing his initial sketch to turn it around and show Thomas. “It’s a castle.” He grinned down at the little guy, clearly eager for his response.

 Thomas’ eyes widened. “Whoa.” The design Roman had created was extravagant, to say the least. And he had done so in such little time, Thomas couldn’t even think to escape. But the design was very much like out of a fairytale castle.

“Now, this is only a rough sketch, of course.” Roman turned his drawing back towards himself, frowning down at it. “And we’ll have to find the necessary materials, though I have some supplies here and I’m sure I could get more from the prop room. I’m just not sure what it’s missing...obviously bedroom, dining room, drawbridge, tower….”

 Thomas hummed, watching as Roman continued to mutter to himself as he looked down at the page. Biting his lip, he wondered if now would be a good time to try and leave. Was Roman distracted enough? He took a few steps back to start off, watching Roman warily.

“Is one zipline enough?” Roman asked aloud, not looking up from his page.

 Thomas blinked. “Uh, yeah.” What the heck was Roman designing? He couldn’t seriously think he would be able to build all of that. Thomas had to admit it would be a nice place to live in but that wouldn’t make him any less trapped. Despite what Roman said, it was still a cage.

 Roman seemed distracted enough though, so Thomas decided to take his chance. He didn’t immediately run but started walking towards the edge. Thankfully, Roman had a lamp on his desk as well, which he could use the cord to get down with.

“Oh, but two would look so perfect…” Roman sighed, putting his chin in his hand as he pondered it. “I’m gonna put two,” Roman said decidedly, adding to his sketch.

 As Thomas made it to the cord, he couldn’t believe it. He might actually make it out of there. With a smile, Thomas gripped the cord and quickly started to shimmy down it.

 Thomas finished his bite before replying. “Good morning.” He had decided that being polite and going along with Virgil for the week would help him better at the end of the week. Maybe Virgil would listen to him about still wanting to go home.

Virgil raised an eyebrow when he noticed Thomas munching on a cold ramen noodle. He wanted to offer Thomas some actual breakfast, but...well, all Virgil had to offer was just more ramen. He really needed to go shopping. 

“Do you drink coffee?” Virgil asked, bending down to unlatch the cage door.

 Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Coffee?” The name was familiar, but Thomas couldn’t picture it.

“Sacred bean juice?” Virgil joked. “Lifeblood of college students?”

 Thomas blinked. “...What?”

“It’s a drink.” Virgil chuckled tiredly. “C’mon, I’ll go make some and you can try it.” He set his palm down on the desk.

 Thomas looked down at the hand, knowing what Virgil was asking of him, but wondering if he could actually do it. He was surprised Virgil hadn’t just grabbed him. Maybe they were finally done with that at the very least.

 Thomas took in a deep breath and carefully walked forward. He stopped just short of climbing on, before doing so in a quick motion. He settled down in Virgil’s palm.

 He couldn’t believe he had just stepped into a human’s hand willingly. He really was stupid.

Virgil lifted his hand slowly, trying not to internally panic too much at the thought that there was someone’s life in his hands and oh god don’t drop him-

“There, easy.” Virgil, contrary to his internal attitude, maintained a carefree exterior as he deposited Thomas on the counter before focusing on starting the coffee pot.

 Thomas stepped a bit closer as he watched Virgil making the coffee. He suddenly recognized it. “Oh! That’s what that’s called? I always saw you drinking it, but I never knew what it was.” He suddenly covered his mouth, realizing what he had said. The last thing he had wanted was to bring all that back up again. He didn’t wanna make Virgil mad.

Instead of being mad, Virgil just snorted. It was kind of amusing to be thought of as ‘the guy who keeps drinking coffee’. 

“It’s basically an energy drink,” Virgil explained, pouring some into a mug of his own. “It helps keep me awake and...hang on.” Virgil glanced between the mug and Thomas, realizing they were almost the same height. He frowned, bringing a hand to his chin. “Okay, I may not have thought this through.”

 Thomas sighed in relief when Virgil wasn’t mad. He chuckled a little at that. “Don’t worry, I have a solution.” He rummaged through his bag before coming up with a bit of tinfoil. He started to mold it, matching what Virgil’s mugs looked like. Before long, he had a miniature foil version. “Ta-da!” He exclaimed, holding it up for Virgil to see.

Virgil leaned in, squinting to see what Thomas had made. “...how’d you do that?” Virgil said incredulously, impressed.

 Thomas shrugged, pulling the mug back to him. “Just molded some tinfoil, no big deal really,” Thomas said, laughing a bit.

“No big deal?” Virgil set his own mug down on the counter. “I certainly couldn’t do that. But go ahead, help yourself.”

 Thomas blushed, before coughing to cover it up and heading towards the mug. He had to go on his tippy toes to reach, but he managed to scoop himself a cup. Backing away a bit so he wasn’t in the way of Virgil grabbing his mug back, he took a careful sip.

 ...And immediately spit it back out. That was...gross. And he usually wasn’t picky. “It’s...um…” Thomas was having trouble finding the right words. He didn’t want to insult Virgil’s favorite drink after all.

“Oh, Oops.” Virgil’s smirk made it clear that was no mistake. He had just wanted to see Thomas’ reaction. “I forgot to add the sweeteners.” Virgil pulled out the coffee creamer- one of the few necessities still stocked in his fridge- and mixed it into his mug to turn the dark liquid a milky brown.

 Thomas glared at Virgil before rolling his eyes and dumping the pure black coffee back into the mug and taking another cupful. He took another sip, much more hesitant this time. However, he was pleasantly surprised to find it tasted a lot better. He could still taste an underline of bitterness, but all the sweeteners helped to balance it out.

 “That is a lot better,” Thomas admitted, taking another sip.

“Yeah, it’s better this way.” Virgil took his own mug back. “Just don’t go telling everyone I don’t drink it black. I can’t have you exposing all of my emo secrets.”

 Thomas raised an eyebrow, taking another sip. “Who would I even tell?” It wasn’t like he knew anyone else. There weren’t any other borrowers in this building and he was dead set on not talking to any more humans.

“Hmm, good point.” Virgil began taking a large swig of his own drink, already feeling more awake as the hot liquid all but burned his throat. 

 Thomas finished his cup, looking at the empty foil left in its place. “So uh...what’s on the agenda for today?” Thomas asked.

“Well, unfortunately, I’ve got class soon.” Virgil gave a glare at the clock as if it was the clock’s fault Virgil’s class schedule was so early. “And I’ve already skipped twice this week so I’ve got to go, but after I was thinking we can start figuring out a more...ideal living situation.”

 “Um...yeah, that sounds...good.” Anything was better than that cage, at the very least. He put his empty foil back in his bag.

“...Do you want to go to class with me?” Virgil decided to put out the offer, despite the fact he thought it was a horrible idea. After all, he had nowhere to put Thomas, and there would be loads of idiots surrounding them on all sides constantly.

 “No!” Thomas shouted, before wincing. “I mean, um, no thanks. I’ll just...stay here.” He did not want to go somewhere where there were hundreds of humans, nuh-uh, no thanks.

“Yeah, no problem.” Virgil nodded quickly. “I didn’t think it was a good idea, but I thought I’d offer. Letting you choose and all.”

Virgil gave an awkward cough, looking back at the bedroom door. “Of course, that means more time in...uh…”

 Thomas deflated. “Right.” It beat going to Virgil’s school though, at the very least. “That’s...fine.” Not really, but Virgil already knew how he felt about it.

“I’m sorry.” Virgil winced in sympathy. He really wished there was another way. “But I promise, as soon as I get home we’ll get rid of it.” He set his palm down on the counter, once again waiting for Thomas.

 Thomas only nodded, walking onto Virgil’s palm, a little less hesitant than before. He hoped whatever new accommodation they came up with was better than the old hamster cage.

Virgil set down his coffee mug so that he could use both hands to keep Thomas safe as he walked back to the bedroom. He set his hands down on the desk, making sure the cage door was still open.

 Thomas stepped off and looked back up at Virgil before sighing and walking into the cage. Again, better not to fight against it for a better chance at being let go in a week.

“...I’ll be back soon,” Virgil promised, feeling bad for the little guy. “Just a few hours, tops.”

 Thomas just nodded.

Virgil sighed, closing the cage door. He gathered up his backpack, stuffing the last of his notes into the bag. With one last pitying look thrown Thomas’ way, Virgil headed to class.

 Thomas stood up as the bowl was set down in front of him. It smelled so good, he had to admit. At first, he had been thinking about not eating as a form of protest but...he was hungry. And this might be his only chance at finally having warm food.

 Giving in, Thomas did what he saw the humans do and blow on the food before grabbing a noodle out. He took a bite, eyes closing in pure bliss. It was just so...nice. His insides actually felt warm.

Virgil smiled slightly over the lip of his own bowl, glad to see Thomas enjoying it.

 Thomas continued to eat until he found he couldn’t eat anymore. Huh, this must be what if felt like to be full. He looked in the bowl, only to see he had maybe eaten only a third of it. There was still plenty to eat for later. 

 Opening up his bag, he made some room before grabbing a noodle and rolling it up, placing it inside.

Virgil paused, his utensil halfway to his lips. “...what are you doing?”

 Thomas froze, forgetting he had an audience. “...Nothing.”

“Oh my gosh,” Virgil said in realization. “You were just ‘borrowing’, weren’t you? When there’s literally more food still just sitting in front of you.”

 Thomas winced. “I-It’s a force of habit, okay?” Thomas bit his lip. “And it’s for...just in case.” Just in case Virgil decided to change his mind and he wouldn’t be getting any more meals.

“Whatever.” Virgil just sipped more of his own ramen, fighting the urge to roll his eyes again. He didn’t care if Thomas took a few noodles, it just felt stupid.

 Thomas sighed in relief but decided not to take any more noodles. He closed his bag up before heading towards the far corner of the cage and sitting down.

“...are you still hungry?” Virgil asked, watching the borrower sulk off. He hadn’t meant to drive Thomas further away. 

 Thomas simply shook his head, gripping the strands of his bag tighter subconsciously. He was thankful for the food, sure, but that didn’t negate his current situation. He was in a cage, after all. Trapped with a human that saw his actions for survival, crimes. A full belly was not worth all that.

Virgil took out the saucer, closing the cage door before bringing both sets of dishes back into the kitchen. He scrubbed them off, trying to think about what he should do next. What was one supposed to do with a borrower, anyways? 

Virgil didn’t want to do anything that would upset Thomas further. He seemed to have done that enough already. Virgil sighed, drying out the bowls as he put them back in the cupboard. Why couldn’t Thomas see that Virgil was just trying to protect him? 

Virgil walked back into the bedroom, feeling unsure of himself but trying not to look it. He casually took a seat back at his desk, resting his hands in his pockets. “Sooooo…” Virgil’s sentence petered off, realizing he had nothing to say.

 Thomas gripped the nearest bar, looking at it sadly. “...There really isn’t anything I can do to get you to let me go?” Thomas asked, not looking at Virgil. There was no hope in his voice because he already knew the answer. But he felt the need to ask anyway.

“Aw, c’mon.” Virgil winced, curling in on himself slightly. “Don’t be like that. It’s not going to be terrible, I promise.”

 Thomas hummed in a tone of disagreement and finally let go of the bar. He brought his knees to his chest and started picking at the fabric of his pants. Not going to be terrible...Thomas didn’t understand why Virgil couldn’t see things from his perspective. How things were already terrible.

“...Look.” Virgil tried to reason with him, hating to see Thomas so depressed. He glanced at the clock. “It’s late, okay? How about we get some sleep, and in the morning we can find a compromise.”

 A compromise? Thomas had to wonder how that would be possible, considering the two of them wanted very different things. But he nodded anyway. It wasn’t like arguing with the human would do him any good. Virgil might have said he wouldn’t hurt Thomas, but he was not willing to push it.

“Good.” Virgil nodded in relief. This was good. At least Thomas seemed willing to listen. Otherwise, this would be difficult. Virgil began to gather up his school supplies that had been scattered earlier, clearing off his bed. He couldn’t work on homework right now even if he wanted to; instead, Virgil glanced back at the cage, wondering what he should do about bedding for Thomas. 

“Uh...one sec.” Virgil retreated to the living room, looking for the smallest blanket he could possibly find. Even folded up it would be difficult to fit through the cage door, but Virgil reasoned he could just lift the roof off temporarily.

With this in mind, Virgil returned to the bedroom. He set the blanket down on the desk, opening the cage door.

“Could you step out for a moment, Thomas?” Virgil requested.

 Thomas blinked, looking from Virgil to the blanket and then at the open cage door. Hesitantly, he stood up. Gripping his bag tight, he slowly made his way to the front, before stopping for a moment. Was this a test or some cruel trick? Would he be punished if he stepped out? Would he be punished if he didn’t?

 These thoughts had him frozen at the door of the cage.

Virgil blinked. “I meant all the way.”

 Thomas winced and he stepped all the way out, moving to the side and away from Virgil. He watched curiously, wondering why Virgil had wanted him out of the cage all of a sudden.

Virgil leaned over, focusing on the latches holding the plastic roof in place. As these came undone, Virgil set the apparatus to the side. Then Virgil picked up the folded blanket, carefully shoving it into the bottom of the cage.

 Thomas tilted his head in confusion and almost wasted his time watching what was happening, before realizing that...Virgil was distracted. And Thomas was no longer confined in the cage. Now was his chance!

 Thomas started by backing up slowly, keeping his eyes on Virgil as he did so. Once he was halfway across the desk, he turned and started running towards the desk lamp. If he could just make it over there, he could climb down the cord and get into the walls. He just needed Virgil distracted for a few more seconds.--

“Aaand there we go.” Virgil stood up from his handiwork. He looked over to where he had left Thomas, only to see that Thomas was no longer there. Eyes widening, Virgil spotted Thomas making a break from it further along the table. Virgil lunged forwards to grab the borrower.

 “Ah!” Thomas yelled as he saw Virgil’s hand incoming. He had just barely been able to dodge the hand by turning a sharp right and left again. His running picked up, he was so close.

Virgil all but threw himself onto the table, now slamming both arms down in front of Thomas to create an impassable barrier.

 Thomas screeched to a halt but still managed to run into Virgil’s arm. He shook as he quickly backed away, but then froze when he realized this meant Virgil was right behind him. Welp, he was sure to get punished now. 

“Geez, would you stop that?” Virgil huffed, panting slightly from the exertion. If Thomas kept running off Virgil might actually have to work out. And Virgil hated work. Not taking any chances, Virgil moved his arms closer to himself to trap Thomas in a more secure area.

 Thomas backed away as the arms came closer and he braced himself to be grabbed once more. Because Thomas was sure it was to happen any second now. He still didn’t look back at Virgil’s face, scared to see any anger again.

When it seemed Thomas was done trying to run, Virgil took the opportunity to grab Thomas up. The human grunted, pushing himself off the table to stand once more. 

“You know, I was trying to make things a bit more comfortable for you.” Virgil said a bit irritably, lowering his hand into the cage and letting Thomas drop onto the blanket.

 When Thomas dropped onto the ground, back into the cage, he barely took notice of the blanket, or even Virgil’s words. He was still waiting for something to happen because he had tried to run. That had been so stupid of him. He should have just stayed where Virgil told him and then the human wouldn’t be mad like he was now.

 Thomas curled up, still bracing himself.

Virgil grabbed the roof, clicking it back into place on the cage. He then crouched down, looking at Thomas through the still open cage door. Virgil winced internally when he saw Thomas was back to curling up on himself. 

“Well?” Virgil asked with an expectant tone.

 Thomas flinched before slowly looking up after a few seconds of nothing happening. “W-Well, what?” Thomas asked.

“Is it comfy?” Virgil asked. “I dunno what you’re used to, but it’s the smallest blanket I’ve got. I could probably find you a smaller...something for a blanket, but we’d have to be creative with it. Not really my thing, but it could work.”

 Thomas unfurled himself and finally took notice of his surroundings. The cage floor and been entirely replaced by a blanket. A rather comfy blanket, if Thomas was being honest. Actually, it was probably the most comfortable thing he had ever sat on, other than the human’s bed. Definitely more comfortable than his makeshift bed at home.

 “...Yeah.” He answered simply. “It’s...It’s nice.”

“Why are you all so obsessed with this life of scraps and stealth and secrecy?” Virgil gave a small exasperated laugh. “I mean yeah humans suck, but some humans suck less.” Virgil thought fondly of his own friends. “If you’re gonna live off of taking human’s things anyways, why haven’t you ever tried to go straight to the source? Partner with a human and cut out the middle man.”

 Thomas looked at Virgil incredulously. “Seriously?” He waved around him at the cage he was being held in. “We were scared of this exact thing happening. Being trapped, being killed! And there are no ways to judge which humans might help us without either of those two things happening because humans always act differently towards us than with other humans because…” A few tears filled Thomas’ eyes and he looked down. “Because we’re smaller and apparently that makes us less equal.”

“Woah woah woah.” Virgil frowned, once again feeling unsure in the face of emotions. “That is not true. Just because you’re like- what a few inches tall?- doesn’t mean that you’re not a person too.” A person you’ve trapped in a hamster cage. Virgil winced. 

“I know I’m not being the best ambassador for humanity with this thing.” Virgil gave a glare at one of the cage walls. “And you know what? Okay, maybe you’re right. Locking a tiny person up is kind of... unfair. But I only brought it out because you keep trying to run off.”

 “And there’s a reason I keep trying to run. See, you wouldn’t keep another human locked up, would you?” Thomas actually thought he was getting somewhere. Maybe, if they kept talking and things continued to go in this direction, maybe this could even end in Virgil letting him go.

“Well, that’s where things are different.” Virgil tried again to explain his side of things. “You’re not another human. And that’s perfectly fine, you’re still a person of course, but you’re not acting like a member of society or whatever. I would help another human reform, turn their life around, and I want to do the same to help you. Except the difference is, a human would accept the assistance instead of trying to get away constantly.”

 Thomas’ shoulders slumped. So much for being let go. “Why won’t you just listen to me?” He was sure Virgil would listen to another human, at least more than he was listening to him.

“I’m trying to, Thomas.” Virgil insisted. “That’s why I was talking about compromising. I mean, I get it, you’re already pissed at me for keeping you here. But I want to at least make you less pissed at me by figuring out what you think is best. Apart from the whole leaving thing. Like the cage, I get it, it sucks. We can find something better together tomorrow.”

 “So...you just plan on me staying with you...forever?” Surely Virgil wouldn’t deal with Thomas for that long. Which meant, eventually, either Virgil would let him go...or…

 Thomas shook his head, not wanting to think about it.

“Uh, forever’s a long time.” Virgil hadn’t actually given it much thought. He was mostly trying to take this one mistake at a time. “I dunno what’ll happen to us down the road, heck I don’t even know my major.” The further Virgil thought about it, the more Virgil was unsure. What would Virgil do with Thomas over break, especially if Thomas was still adamant about leaving? Virgil winced at the thought of Thomas still being that torn up about this in months.

“How about we aim for the semester?” Virgil suggested. “And then we’ll go from there.”

 Thomas looked up with a sad frown. “...I don’t really have a choice, do I?” He felt like curling in on himself again.

“Well, I want you to have some choice in it.” Virgil pressed on, leaning forwards slightly. He was almost desperate to keep Thomas from shutting him out again. “I don’t want you to sulk through this semester all depressed. Come on, really, what’s a reasonable amount of time for you to stick around here? From a borrower perspective.”

 Thomas forced himself not to wince as Virgil used the term for his kind again. He thought for a moment, he had to think of something to say. “...A week.” Even that seemed too long by his standards, but it was better than the entire semester. Which Thomas knew to be months long. And he figured Virgil wouldn’t take one day as an answer.

“A week.” Virgil thought about it. He could work with a week. And certainly, if it made Thomas happier, Virgil was more than willing to agree.

“Alright, a week it is.” Virgil gave a small nod, slowly sticking out his index finger towards Thomas in lieu of a handshake.

 Thomas flinched back as Virgil’s hand came towards him, scared to be grabbed again. But when he saw that Virgil was simply holding his finger out for a handshake, Thomas relaxed a bit. After some hesitation, Thomas grabbed Virgil’s finger and shook it. 

 While it still might not be ideal and might not end how he wanted it to, it was still his best bet at freedom. So he would just have to go along with it for now and keep an eye out on any and all escape opportunities. 

Virgil looked down, feeling the slight movement of his own finger as the borrower shook it. That’s so weird. Trying not to make it even weirder by lingering, Virgil pulled his hand back out of the cage. 

“Well, now that that’s settled, I think it’s best we actually get to bed,” Virgil suggested.

 Thomas nodded, yawning as if on cue. He was exhausted. But his mind was still racing with everything that had happened. Very weird state to be in. He hoped he would at least be able to get a little bit of sleep tonight. He had a feeling he would need it for tomorrow.

Virgil snorted slightly at the tiny yawn. “G’night, Thomas.” Virgil closed the cage door, feeling slightly guilty about it as he climbed into his own bed and turned off the light.

 Thomas watched the cage door close with sad eyes but knew there was nothing he could do about it. “...Goodnight.” He called back, after a moment of hesitation. He took off his bag and laid it down off to the side, before laying down himself. He curled up onto the blanket and closed his eyes.

“Oh yeah.” Virgil gave an evil grin, opening up the cage door one-handed with practiced ease and tossing Thomas inside.

 Thomas yelped and groaned as he found himself face down on the cage floor. But he quickly stood up, looking at Virgil. “Virgil, please.”

Virgil simply closed the door, looking a bit smug about how conveniently this was working out.

 “Virgil!” This wasn’t good. He ran to the door, putting his hands on the bars and trying to open it. But it was indeed locked. “You can’t just keep me here!”

“Why not?” Virgil shrugged. “You admitted to being a thief and a stalker. Some jail time seems more than appropriate.”

 Thomas deflated. “I-I did it to survive.” Thomas tried weakly.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it’s right.” Virgil pointed out, sitting down at his desk chair. “You could’ve asked for help when you fell on hard times. I mean, you probably don’t eat much anyways. I would have helped you out.”

 Thomas blinked. “We...We can’t just ask humans for help! That would be crazy.” Thomas shook his head, backing away from the door and Virgil. “It’s the whole reason why borrowers are so secretive! If a human sees us or catches us, we’re done for! You may not be one of the humans who wants to kill me, but…” Thomas motioned around him at the cage. “You...you did trap me in here.”

“Yeah, because you stole from me first.” Virgil reminded him, crossing his arms. He narrowed his eyes. “What exactly did you take?”

 Thomas pursed his lips. Well, he was already in this deep, why not go deeper? “I just took things like paper clips, bits of tinfoil, crumbs left out, maybe a cracker or chip or two...t-things you wouldn’t miss if they were gone. That’s all.”

Well, Thomas was right about one thing. Virgil certainly didn’t miss them. He hadn’t noticed anything going missing around the house.

“You know…” Virgil leaned forward, folding his hands under his chin as his arms rested on his knees. “...it’s interesting how you call yourself a ‘borrower’. Guess we can add liar to your list of crimes too, huh?”

 Thomas took a step back. “W-What? I’m not lying.” Also, he had just realized he had revealed the name of his kind, which was also a problem, but not the biggest one right now.

“Oh really?” Virgil raised an eyebrow. “So you’re just ‘borrowing’ all that stuff? When were you planning on putting it back, huh?”

 Thomas winced. “I didn’t come up with that name! It’s just-I…” Thomas took a deep breath. Honestly, whoever had come up with their name either didn’t understand the term borrowing or had a sense of humor. In either case, it wasn’t helping him out now. 

 “Look. I’ll leave. I’ll find somewhere else to live, somewhere where I can’t spy or take things from you. Just please let me go and you’ll never have to deal with me again.” Thomas proposed, heart pounding with nerves and hope.

Virgil certainly liked the sound of that. But, Thomas was also kind of growing on him. Now that he knew Thomas wasn’t able to do any of those personally invasive things, Thomas just looked kind of...sad. Helpless. Alone.

“Nah.” Virgil shook his head, keeping up his villainous act. “I don’t think you’ve really learned your lesson yet, Thomas.”

 Thomas shook at those words, his hope gone. He felt numb. All of this could have been avoided if he hadn’t made such a stupid mistake. Now he was trapped, with a human that would likely be punishing him for things he had no choice but to do.

 He found himself falling to the floor, curling up as he hugged his knees. 

Virgil froze, watching Thomas curl up on himself. Whoops. Maybe he went a little too far again.

“Uh...Thomas?” Virgil knocked on the bars to get the borrower’s attention.

 Thomas tensed, but kept his head down and braced himself. He didn’t want to see it coming, whatever Virgil was going to do.

“Thomas.” Virgil snapped his fingers in front of the cage. “C’mon, snap out of it. I’m not gonna hurt you, remember?”

 The snap of Virgil’s fingers caused him to jump and made him look up. “You said you wouldn’t kill me...you never said anything about not hurting me.” 

“Ugh, fine.” Virgil rolled his eyes, only slightly annoyed. “I’m not going to hurt you. Okay? Are we cool now?”

 Thomas frowned. “...Will you let me go?”

“No,” Virgil answered coolly.

 Thomas winced at how quickly Virgil had answered. “Why? Wouldn’t it be better for me to leave the building and then you never have to deal with me again?” 

“Look, Thomas.” Virgil sighed. “Would that be convenient? Sure. But then you’re just gonna go rob some other unsuspecting stranger.”

 Thomas himself was starting to get frustrated with this. “Because that’s how I survive. Would you rather I die? Because that’s what's gonna happen if I don’t do that or if I even try to ask a human for help.” 

“No, it’s not!” Virgil insisted. “Because I’m gonna help you.”

 Thomas froze. “Wait, what?”

“You seem very determined to either commit crimes or die.” Virgil pointed out. “And I don’t want you doing either, to be honest. So I’ll just help you myself. You just ask me for something and I’ll get it.”

 “...But I don’t want that!” Thomas cried, even if the prospect of having everything he needed right then and there was amazing. He never wanted it like this. “I don’t want to be here! I don’t want to be in this cage!” Why couldn’t Virgil understand that?

“That’s temporary.” Virgil waved his concerns off. “Without it, you’d just go running off on me. Don’t even try to deny it.”

 “I won’t! But put yourself in my shoes. Wouldn’t you try to run away if the giant who captured you trapped you inside a cage? And made you think they were going to kill you, even for a second? Not a great first impression.”

“Okay!” Virgil put his hands up in defense. “I didn’t make a great first impression. I seldom do. But to be fair, you didn’t do so great yourself. You fell on me while I was studying because you were spying on me to decide when to steal my stuff. Put yourself in my shoes for a moment.”

 Thomas grit his teeth and turned away. He would try to argue, but it didn’t seem like Virgil was really listening. Besides, Thomas could...maybe see his point a little, but his situation was still worse.

“...yeah, that’s what I thought.” Virgil took Thomas’ silence as agreement. “Look, let’s just...both agree that we’ve screwed up in the past, and continue forwards on a clean slate.”

 Thomas glared up at Virgil. “Not sure how we can do that when you’ve already messed up my whole life.” The borrower murmured, starting to curl in on himself again.

“Now you’re being more dramatic than Roman.” Virgil rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mess up your life, okay? I’m fixing it.” Now be grateful. Virgil kept that last bit to himself.

 Thomas continued to look down and pick at his clothes. Virgil would just continue to ignore him if he tried to speak again.