#iaap

“Guys?” he called hesitantly.

“Oh, Virgil!” The rightmost pair of legs straightened and started to kick excitedly. Patton’s face appeared a moment later. He was looking over his shoulder as he balanced his hips on the edge of the jar, and Virgil noticed some jelly smears on his clothes. Patton smiled widely. “How was your day?”

It took him a second to process the question. “I- Good, I guess? What are you guys doing?” He wasn’t sure if he should laugh or rush to their aid. Patton’s attitude seemed to suggest the situation was not life-threatening, at the very least. He walked further inside and deposited his shoulder bag on the bed before turning his attention back to the kitchen counter.

“Oh, you know, we’re just trying to get out of a sticky situation here!” Patton chuckled sheepishly.

Virgil chuckled too, if only because he didn’t know what else to do. “Should I help?”

“No,” Roman grunted from next to Patton. Virgil still couldn’t see more of him than his white trousers. “We’re perfectly capable… hnggg… of solving this by ourse- whoa! Don’t pull me in!” He scrambled to grab the glass edge and moved his torso upwards. Virgil noticed his sleeves were covered in the sticky goop, and there were also smudges on his chest and even in his hair.

“If you say so, Princey.” A soft snicker escaped him.

“Wha- It’s true!”

“We’ve been unsuccessful so far, Roman,” Logan’s voice came from the jar. “I think-”

“No, you don’t think as long as you’re in there, Specs.” Roman bent forward again and, after casting a hesitant glance at Virgil, Patton followed suit. “We’ll get you out of here in no time flat. We just… hng… have to… Wait, don’t let go!”

“I’m slipping!” Logan protested.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t help?” Virgil hadn’t come closer because he didn’t want to crowd them, but he was anxiously staring from a distance.

“Actually, I think that might be preferable.”

Roman groaned in annoyance at Logan’s answer and pushed himself up on the jar, then jumped down. He sent a glare at his trapped brother, but the label made it impossible to see inside, meaning he was just glaring at the cartoon bear that was drawn there. “Fine, do as you wish.” He crossed his arms and huffed, smearing some jelly on a relatively untouched part of his clothes.

Patton hesitated a little longer. He looked up at Virgil and opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again and lowered himself with a subdued expression. Virgil didn’t really pay attention to it. He stepped closer and peered down into the jar.

Logan was covered in a thick layer of jam. The only areas uncovered were his eyes and mouth, where he had wiped the jelly away. He was pressed against the glass, staring up at Virgil. Virgil tried to smile but he wasn’t sure to what extent he succeeded.

He grabbed the jar with his right hand to steady it and slowly lowered his left hand inside. The opening was too narrow to fit his whole hand, so he inserted only his pointer and middle finger, bending them towards where he’d seen Logan. “Can you come stand between my fingers and wrap your arms around them?”

There was no reply, but after a few seconds, he felt Logan’s small arms envelop his fingers, the tiny body pressing in between them. He shuddered at the strange sensation.

“Like this?” Logan asked just as Virgil started to lift him, and he felt the grip of the tiny arms tighten. He made sure not to lift the borrower too high and to put him down as quickly as possible. Logan kept clinging to his fingers, even when his feet touched the counter. Virgil wasn’t sure, but he thought he felt him shivering.

“Logan? Are you okay?”

“H-huh? Ah, yes, thank you very much.” Instantly, the borrower stepped out of his grasp, taking a couple of steps backwards. He tracked a trail of red, sticky goop across the counter, but Virgil didn’t comment on it. Patton and Roman quickly approached, staying close to their brother while keeping a cautious eye on him.

“So…” He shifted awkwardly, fighting the urge to wipe his hand on his pants. “What happened?”

Logan stood a little straighter, wiping the sticky goop from the side of his face. He swung his hand and the jelly dripped onto the counter. “My glasses fell.”

Virgil snorted softly and bit his lip to keep himself from laughing. He hummed instead, but his amusement was still clearly audible. “What were you even doing?”

“I…” the borrower trailed off and looked away, shuffling with his foot. He looked uncomfortable, Virgil thought. Embarrassed, even.

“Eh, Logan really liked that jelly?” Patton piped up. He earned a glare from Logan, but the eldest didn’t deny it.

“Hmm? And then?”

“I thought I’d take some more, but my glasses slipped as I leaned down and I lost my balance when I tried to grab them. I’m sorry. Patton and Roman only did what they did because I asked them to. Please don’t be mad at them.”

“I’m not mad, Logan. Not at any of you. I’m just wondering what we should do now.”

Logan twitched, something Virgil would have missed three weeks ago, but had gotten more attuned to recently. It had become quite clear that the tinies weren’t keen on telling him when he did something wrong, so he had learned to look out for signs. Even if Logan appeared quite relaxed, he must be more tense than he let on. “Do?”

“Well, no offence, but you guys are really dirty right now, and I’d rather not have you walk around like this. My apartment is messy enough as it is.”

Logan looked down at his jam-soaked clothes and sighed. “I suppose you have a point. Do you… have a suggestion?”

“I could fill up the sink in the bathroom so you three can wash up?” Virgil offered.

Patton gasped and clapped his hands. “We’d have our own swimming pool!”

“I suppose I could do with a little freshening up,” Roman said. Logan nodded along.

“Yeah, there’s just one thing… If you guys walk over there you’d be making tracks of jam all over my floor, so would it be okay if I…” Virgil trailed off, placing his hands on the counter with his palms up.

“If you…?” Logan repeated, although his expression told Virgil he already knew what he’d ask.

“If I carried you there?”

-----

Somehow, they ended up where they were now: in a sink filled halfway with warm water. Logan took some shampoo, which Virgil had squeezed on the edge next to the tap, and gratefully massaged it in his hair, appreciating how the sticky mess gradually smoothed out.

He shivered and quickly slid down the side of the sink until he reached the water again, which was heavenly warm. Part of him never wanted to get out, even though he knew there was a big risk, seeing as none of them knew how to swim. Virgil hadn’t mocked them for that, luckily. Instead, the human had made sure that the water was nowhere deep enough to completely submerge them, and he’d hung a dishcloth on one side to make it easier for them to climb out.

On the other side of the tap, there were two packets of paper tissues that they could use to dry off and cover themselves as Virgil washed their clothes. Logan was really glad they’d found a compromise. Virgil had allowed them to make their way to the bathroom themselves if they rinsed off under the kitchen tap first. The wet clothes had made them even colder during their short trip, but Logan still preferred it to being carried. His rescue from the jam jar had been the first time he was ever carried, and he wasn’t eager for a repeat so soon.

Initially, the kitchen sink had seemed like a good way to wash up without having to be carried, but in hindsight, he was happy they’d done it this way. The bathroom door was closed, and Virgil had promised to knock before he entered to give them the chance to cover up.

Logan glanced at Roman, who was valiantly fighting and clinging to a small rubber duck that Virgil had placed in the sink at his brother’s request. Especially for his sake, Logan appreciated the privacy.

-----

Virgil moved the tiny pieces of fabric between his fingers, careful not to tear them. He wasn’t sure if his tiny roommates had any spare outfits, and he didn’t want to risk it. Luckily, it seemed like the liquid detergent did its job well enough to remove the jam stains. He raised the current outfit out of the water, frowned at the slight discolouration still present on the whitish fabric and resumed his scrubbing. He glanced sideways to where Logan’s and Patton’s shirts and pants lay to dry on a hand towel.

Roman’s outfit was definitely different from the other two’s; not only the colour but also the fabric. Where Logan and Patton’s outfits were comprised of different patches of fabric, Roman’s clothes appeared to be made of the same cloth. Virgil had noticed the golden embroidery on the chest and sleeves before, but now that he got a better look at it, he realized the outfit had probably belonged to a doll before Roman “borrowed” it. He snickered softly at the mental image.

Once he finished, he wrung as much water out of the clothes as he could and hung them to dry on the radiator. Then he plopped down on the bed and scrolled through Tumblr for a bit as he waited for the tinies to finish up in the bathroom. When that moment came, he pushed himself up and headed for the bathroom, knocking softly and waiting for their verbal confirmation.

His eyes automatically went to the sink, but it was empty save for the rubber duck with the top hat. “Virgil!” he heard near his feet, and when he looked down- “Boo!”

Patton was swinging his arms up and down excitedly, literally clad in a paper tissue. He had made a hole in the middle and draped the rest over his body like a poncho. He looked like someone who’d had no budget for Halloween. Roman and Logan were wearing the same thing, standing a few steps behind him and looking a lot less enthusiastic. Virgil felt his lips twitch up in a smile. It looked like they were wearing cheap ghost costumes, but their size made them look more like walking tissues.

He considered making a teasing comment, but Patton looked so enthusiastic that he decided against it. “Did you enjoy the bath?” he asked instead, holding the door open for them.

“Yeah!” Patton beamed. His tissue fluttered behind him as he ran back to Virgil’s room. The other two followed after him at a calmer pace, each acknowledging Virgil with a quiet nod. He waited until they all had their backs turned before he allowed his smile to widen. Especially from a distance, they looked like three tissue ghosts roaming about his apartment. He snickered softly and stepped into the bathroom to let the water run away and put the rubber duck back on top of the cupboard.

“Where are our clothes?” Roman asked as soon Virgil closed the door behind him. He rolled his eyes at the urgency in the tone.

“Look up, Princey, they’re on the radiator. It’s gonna take a while before they’re dry.”

Logan nodded. “I expected as much. Virgil, if it’s not too much trouble, do you have some cellophane tape that we could use?”

“Yeah, sure.” Virgil grabbed the apparatus from his desk and placed it near Logan on the ground. “Oh, before I forget!” He grabbed Logan’s glasses, which he’d rescued from the jam jar and cleaned under the tap, and handed them to the logical tiny. His first instinct was to put them on him, but on second thought, he just held them out for the little guy to take. Logan rewarded him with a grateful smile.

After that, Virgil got to witness just how incredibly efficient borrowers were when it came to making clothes. Logan and Roman ripped pieces from each other’s tissues, and then they used tape to keep the edges together. Within three minutes, both were wearing a toga-like garment. Roman went on to fold what seemed to be shoes from the remaining tissue paper, while Logan rolled another piece until he had a small string, which he used as a belt.

Virgil stared with open mouth at the outfits that looked remarkably complete and refined, despite being made from tissues and tape.

“Patton, it’s your turn.”

“No!” said borrower giggled. “I’m gonna be a ghost!” He started running across the room.

“Patton, I swear…” Logan grumbled before he took off, running after his brother. Patton squealed and giggled. The chase didn’t last long. It wasn’t more than a minute before the inevitable happened and he stepped on his tissue, tripping himself. He was still giggling as Logan caught up to him and started working on his outfit. With the way he was squirming, his brother simply created two holes for his arms, wrapped tape around the waist and ripped off the edges so Patton could move his feet without tripping. The outfit looked like a dress, but Patton didn’t seem to mind. And why would he? It looked pretty good on him.

Virgil smiled to himself. At least one person in this room wasn’t afraid to defy gender roles in public. Then again, did borrowers have gender roles? And did his room even count as ‘public’?

“What are you smiling about?” Roman asked. Virgil turned to him.

“Nothing. I was just thinking I’m pretty hungry,” he said airily. “Anyone up for mac and cheese?”

-----

Despite his experience with adjusting to change, his current situation was one that he couldn’t get used to. Granted, they had only been in Virgil’s... care... for a few days. Like he had announced before, the human had tied ropes to different surfaces in the room, making them easier to reach. Logan didn’t trust the changes to the room. Wasn’t Virgil a bit too accommodating? Did he plan to lull them into a false sense of security in order to tempt them into staying with him?

The heating blanket was found on their second day. After a cautious suggestion by Roman, Virgil had moved it under the bed, where it was out of sight. Though they were technically closer to him than before, the shadows were comforting and the limited space under the bed gave them an advantage. Virgil wouldn’t be able to move easily with his large body, after all. That was something Logan was grateful for.

Despite what happened on the first morning, Roman apparently hadn’t lost his mind completely.

Honestly, though, Logan couldn’t understand what he and Patton were thinking! If he strained his mind, he could sort of see why Patton acted the way he did. His younger brother hadn’t had prior exposure to humans, Logan had made sure of that. That fact, coupled with his empathic nature and Virgil’s friendly-ish behaviour, and it was sort of plausible that Patton was won over. But Roman of all people should know not to take risks like these! Patton may be young and naive, but Roman knew better. At least, that was what he had believed. Now he wasn’t so sure…

Rationally, he knew why Roman chose Patton’s side. It was true that Virgil could easily provide them with food and resources that they wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. It was true that the vents were cold, and that the days were difficult to survive in this time of year. It was all true, but that didn’t make it okay to just… give up! Why give up their autonomy before trying everything in their power?

Despite the hardships, their lifestyle was rewarding. What they lacked in resources, they had to make up for with clever ideas and creative solutions. Expanding on his ever growing skillset was something Logan would never get tired of. Yes, life was hard, but borrowers were capable of keeping themselves and each other alive. He himself was living proof of that, and he had been for 24 years! He had never needed a human to stay alive and he didn’t want to start now!

...But it wasn’t like he could just say that to Roman and Patton. No matter how sound his logic was, the decision was made. He knew he couldn’t go back on the majority rule without it causing an argument between them, and that was the last thing he wanted. They had established the rule for the explicit purpose of preventing arguments, after all. Arguments were dangerous when they got out of hand, and he couldn’t allow his family to grow apart. Not now, when they were at Virgil’s mercy.

That was why he sealed away his frustrations and exasperation, locking them behind his lips. It wasn’t easy, certainly not whenever Virgil was nearby, but he managed. Somehow. It helped that he’d found an outlet for his frustrations. One that didn’t involve his brothers. Not yet, at least.

That was another advantage of the new location of their ‘bed’. Logan had accidentally discovered it halfway through the second day: a small piece of plinth was loose. The main part hadn’t been long enough to cover the whole wall, so a small piece was just jammed into the corner to finish the job, it seemed. It only took half a minute of gently wiggling it before it was removed, revealing unpainted plaster that hadn’t seen daylight in years. There were some cracks and even a small hole, only as big as Logan’s head at the time. Now, a few days later, he had worked on it enough to finally be able to squeeze himself through it.

It was dark behind the hole. The light under the bed was already limited, and not much of it passed through the hole. This would’ve been easier if he had his handlight, but he’d been forced to leave that behind when they moved. Of course, he could ask Virgil for the materials to make a new one, but he was reluctant. Not only would he have to rely on a human, but that human might very well start asking questions, and Logan didn’t feel like showing his cards this early in the game.

There wasn’t much he could do without light, but he was too happy with the sliver of control he’d just obtained to turn back already. He placed his hand on the wall and started walking, making sure to count his steps. The wall felt coarse against his skin. He stumbled a few times in the dark, but overall it was manageable.

A soft curse escaped him when he hit his toe against something hard and smooth. After the pain faded, he sank to his knees and started to feel the obstacle. The cylinder was warm, he noticed with pleasant surprise. Now that he paid attention to it, he could also hear something move within. It sounded similar to what Virgil called his ‘radiator’. Perhaps this pipe led to one of those?

Regardless, Logan couldn’t push back a smile. With a source of warmth like this, they could survive the winter without a problem! Their chances of survival would go up, and they could return to their lives without having a human breathing down their necks! Sure, he still had to deal with the majority rule and his brothers’ decision to stay, but this find changed everything! Surely they would realize it was better to leave now! A load seemed to fall from his shoulders, and he felt like he could breathe easily for the first time in weeks.

After half an hour of exploring, the load was back and his smile was gone. The room behind the walls seemed nice at first glance, but it was just that: a room. He had gone around the edges once, and it was unexpectedly small. While they had lived in small spaces before, the narrowness of this place made even him a tad claustrophobic, and it had quickly become clear that it wasn’t big enough for the three of them to reside permanently.

Most importantly, the room only had one exit, which led back into Virgil’s room. That made the whole thing pointless, really. Sure, they now had a space to retreat to if they needed it, but it didn’t change anything in the end. Logan deflated, and after some more exploration, he made his way back to the hole in the wall.

Once he was back in the now familiar room, he trudged over to the folded blanket, climbed on top of it and flopped down. This sucked! In the past few days, he had put all his hopes on the hole in the wall, but it had been for naught. What had at first seemed like a golden opportunity to escape and make it through winter, turned out to be nothing more than an extension of their cage.

Of course, Virgil tried very hard to make it seem like his room wasn’t a cage. He left them without supervision on most days, and so far he seemed accommodating to their needs. But what if that was all a ploy? What if he didn’t need to supervise them? Virgil had all the information on their situation. He knew they lived in the vents, he knew they had a hard time surviving in the cold and he knew they had trouble gathering food because of the new rosters in most of the rooms. As far as he knew, they had no other choice but to stay in his room.

So what if it was all part of his plan? What if, instead of chasing them away, he was trying to win them over? He could be manipulating them into wanting to stay with him, even when the environment finally allowed them to leave. Patton had already taken a shine to him, even though their interactions were still hesitant. Logan sighed deeply. While he would never, ever wish for his brother to be exposed to a human, he still wished Patton had gotten some more of the common sense that usually followed such encounters. Maybe then they wouldn’t be in this situation.

He sighed again, feeling listless all of a sudden. He pushed up his glasses and gently massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming up.

“Lo!” Roman’s voice sounded from a distance away. He sat up and lowered his glasses, catching his brother’s gaze. “Are you still sulking?” Roman called, standing next to the leg of the bed. A rope was swishing behind him, one that was permanently attached to the bed frame. Logan frowned at it. “I thought that out of the three of us, you’d be the one most eager to explore, but you haven’t left your dark corner at all since we got here.”

“It may come as a surprise to you, but I don’t like exposing myself in open terrains,” he spat, letting himself fall back. He knew he was being bitter, but he couldn’t help himself. Or maybe he could, but he just didn’t want to after the most recent disappointment.

Roman rolled his eyes. Logan couldn’t see it, but he knew he did it. It was infuriating. “He’s gone, Logan. He’s back to that college place.”

“Maybe, but he won’t stay there.”

“He said he’ll be back around five thirty. We have more than enough time.”

He sat back up and tilted his head, genuinely curious. “How do you know when it is five thirty?”

“He explained it to me. Come on, I’ll show you too.”

Logan didn’t really want to, but he had to admit that his curiosity was piqued. He liked learning new skills, and this one might come in handy someday. So, he reluctantly let himself be dragged by the arm, hesitating a few seconds before stepping out of the shadows under the bed. As expected, Virgil was nowhere to be seen.

Roman grabbed the rope at the bedpost, but Logan was sceptical. After a second or two, he took his own hook and rope from his belt and threw it upwards, securing it behind the bed frame. Granted, now he didn’t have the advantage of walking against the frame, but that was alright. He didn’t need that advantage. Climbing a rope was nothing he couldn’t handle.

A few seconds later they were both on top of the bed, Logan trudging after Roman as they moved towards the headboard. They stepped over the chasm between the bed frame and the nightstand, and then Roman grabbed a small yellow paper that had been stuck to the side of the alarm clock. “Look, when the display looks like this, it is five thirty,” he said proudly.

Logan hummed thoughtfully and leaned forward to study the scribbles. Try as he might, it looked like gibberish. Four different symbols, or maybe five if he had to count the two vertically stacked dots separately. Intriguing. “And he said this means ‘five thirty’?”

“Yep.”

“Hmm.” He didn’t doubt Virgil’s words, seeing how the human really had no reason to lie to them. Not about this, at least. He glanced at the display next. He’d seen them many times before, but this was the first time he actually paid attention to one. Green lines lit up and formed different symbols, with two vertically stacked dots separating the first one from the other two. The display was completely different from the note, but for how long? “How do you know when it’s five thirty?”

Roman’s smile faltered. “That’s, eh… I’m not sure. But it’s not five thirty yet!” he pointed between the note and the display to stress his point.

Logan rolled his eyes, but couldn’t deny he was interested. He took the note from Roman, barely noticing as his brother left to join Patton, who he’d seen on the kitchen counter earlier. The dots most likely separated the ‘five’ from the ‘thirty’, which must be why it wasn’t just called ‘thirtyfive’. He watched the display as the symbols changed ever so often.

The last symbol in the sequence changed most often, so he focused on that. With his hook, he tried to scratch the symbols into the note in the order that they appeared. If the first weird squiggle Virgil had drawn indicated a five, then he could decipher which numbers the other symbols stood for. That didn’t take him too long to memorise. Every time the last symbol changed to 0, which he assumed meant ‘ten’, the third symbol in the sequence changed. It seemed the third symbol counted the number of tens in the pattern of the fourth symbol.

He had most of it figured out by then. The third symbol in the sequence followed the same pattern as the fourth one, going from four to five to si- Wait, ten?! He stared wide-eyed at the display, but the symbols didn’t change. 4:00, where it had been 3:59 before. But that didn’t make sense! It should be the symbol for six, not ten! He checked his scratched notes, but no, he hadn’t mixed up the symbols either. Strange…

He sat down and crossed his legs, frowning at the illuminated symbols on the display. Was this a one-time occurrence, or would it happen again? There was only one way to find out…

-----

The sound of rattling keys abruptly broke his concentration. Logan turned around, just in time to see Virgil enter through the door. He gulped, suddenly frozen in place. While he hadn’t forgotten about the human’s size, it still shocked him to see it from so up close. He tried to spot his brothers but found that neither of them was in sight. Only he was. How ironic.

Their eyes met and Virgil gave him a hesitant nod and smile. “I’m home,” he said uselessly.

Logan glanced over his shoulder. 5:24. “You’re early,” he remarked.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, I guess.” Virgil put down his backpack and sat down on the ground, near the footboard. Logan’s hands twitched. This was the second time the human did that. Logan was virtually trapped on the bed now, unable to get down without approaching him. Or he would have been if he hadn’t had his hook with him. He silently thanked his own foresight and made a mental note to tell his brothers to keep their hooks on them, too.

He picked up the note and peered over the edge of the nightstand, trying to figure out the best course of action. After a few seconds, he dropped the paper over the edge and attached his hook to the bed frame, quickly descending until he stood on the floor. He looked around for his note, breath hitching when he spotted it in Virgil’s hand.

The giant eyes swept over it and then went back to him. “Do you want this back or should I throw it out?” he asked, sheepishly.

“No!” And then, after clearing his throat. “I mean, I’ll… I’ll hold onto it. If you can miss it. And if you don’t mind.”

Virgil laughed a little and held the paper out towards him. “Knock yourself out.” Logan very much didn’t want to knock himself unconscious, so he stayed where he was, watching as Virgil eventually put the paper on the ground and pulled his hand back. Only then did he retrieve his note with a cautious yet relieved smile. Thank goodness, he had his research back! With his hand he traced over the symbols he had scratched earlier, checking if they weren’t damaged by the human’s hand.

His newfound knowledge appeared to be undamaged. He quickly looked back up at Virgil, his heart kicking into overdrive when he caught him looking back. A notebook was open in his lap, and a pen was in his hand. Logan shivered. Had the human studied him while he checked his research?

He very much didn’t want to be here right now, standing so close to someone so dangerous, but now that he saw what he had seen, he couldn’t just walk away. Their future might depend on this notebook. “W-what’s that?” he asked, trying to sound firm.

Virgil bit his lip. “This, eh… This is something I wanted to discuss with you guys, actually.”

Logan raised his eyebrows. That was an interesting response. If Virgil wanted to secretly study them, he probably wouldn’t reveal that to them. Then again, maybe this was just his way of diverting attention. He only said he wanted them to know after Logan had asked about it, after all.

“I started making a, eh… a list. Of things I should keep in mind around you three and stuff like that. I was wondering if you, you know, have some more ideas?” He placed the notebook open on the ground and then slid it towards Logan, who of course took a few steps back as it approached. When Virgil retracted his hand, he took a deep breath and stepped closer, eyes scanning the pages while simultaneously focusing on Virgil.

The page was filled with more scribbles. They were different from the ones he’d seen on the alarm clock today. To his dismay, Logan couldn’t read any of them. However, now that Virgil had asked for his input, he probably wouldn’t be allowed to walk away without a word. “What does this say?” he asked after a few seconds of contemplation. “I’m afraid I can’t read.”

Virgil’s eyes widened, and Logan looked away. “Oh,” he heard the human say. “S-sorry, I didn’t know. Eh, well, this basically says “no grabbing or touching”, “don’t talk too loudly” and “no sudden movements”. I couldn’t really think of anything else.”

Logan bit his lip, trying to appear unfazed. Hearing Virgil talk about these things so casually made him feel… unpleasant. It was yet another reminder of how skewed their power dynamic truly was. If Virgil ever-

“So, any ideas?”

“Huh?” He blinked, having been pulled from his reverie. “I-it’s all fine,” he stammered. He hated that those gigantic eyes were focused on him now.

Virgil looked doubtful. “If you say so,” he replied nonetheless. “Just let me know if you think of anything, okay? I can do stupid things sometimes and I don’t want to scare you or anything.”

Logan nodded rapidly, clutching at the paper. He didn’t want to reveal more potential weak spots. Who knew what the human might do with information like that? Maybe he would use it to punish them further down the line. His insides went cold at the thought.

Then again,

“E-eh, maybe…” he spoke hesitantly, hiding behind his research note when Virgil’s gaze returned to him. “You could stop… sitting there?”

Virgil glanced down at himself in surprise. “Oh, yeah sure. Sorry, I didn’t realise… Should I move now?” he asked, seeming to remember his ‘no sudden movements’ rule.

Logan shook his head quickly, trying not to cower behind his paper. “You’re just- I mean, you kind of… block the way off the bed?” And to the vents, he added in his mind, but he wasn’t about to say that out loud.

“Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. I’ll keep that in mind.” He carefully reached out and pulled the notebook back towards himself before writing down more scribbles. “I just, you know, thought this might be easier to talk, so you wouldn’t have to look up as much,” he rambled. Logan watched how his hand moved quickly, leaving its mark on the paper. It was hard to see from this angle, but even if he dared to get closer, he probably wouldn’t be able to decipher it.

He was shaken from his thoughts when the book was placed down again. His head jerked up to look at Virgil, who smiled. “I said, do you want to try?” He put the pen down and pushed the book a little closer. Logan fidgeted a little. On one hand, he felt like he had spent enough time with the human for one day (or for the rest of his life, for that matter). On the other hand, something told him that he’d be missing out on a handy new skill if he walked away now.

Hesitantly, he nodded.

He still didn’t trust Virgil’s intentions, and he would try his hardest to stay alert and keep his family safe, but winter was far from over. He might as well learn something while he was here.

-----

Prologue   |   Meeting   |   Fever   |   Risk   |   Treatment   |   Recovery   |   Conversation   |   Sleepover   |   Moving in   |   Skills   |   Rescue

Incredible art by @snekky-boi (contains some spoilers as of now)

Virgil frowned a little at the tone. “I thought I could be more prepared next time.” He could save up some bottle caps and… well, he could think of things they could possibly use, other than bottle caps. Really though, what options were there? Most of his stuff was way too big for them.

Through his musings, he almost missed the frantic looks that the tinies exchanged. And did they just tense up, or was it his imagination?

“You know,” he tried to clarify, suddenly eager to fill up the silence. “Things like food or utensils. I feel kind of bad only offering this much.” This was the last of his cereal, after all. Considering he skipped breakfast regularly, who even knew how old this stuff was?

Patton’s face split into a grin and he visibly relaxed. “That’s okay! This much is more than enough for us!” As if to prove himself, he leaned forward and snatched a piece of cereal from the plate, munching on it happily.

Virgil looked doubtful. What was their normal life like, if they were this happy with a piece of old, dry cereal? “Still, I’d like to know if there’s anything I can help with.”

“No need to concern yourself,” Logan said after dusting off his hands and grabbing a second piece. “We will be leaving shortly.”

“Aw,” Patton sulked softly.

“Oh. Eh, will you... come back?”

Logan frowned. “It’s probably best if we don’t. It’s dangerous for us to be out in the open, after all.”

Dangerous? Well, Virgil supposed he could see how things could be dangerous for people of their size, but still... “It’s not like it’s very dangerous in my room, is it?”

He shared a look with Princey, and the two seemed to hold a silent conversation through their eyes. Virgil wished he knew what they were saying. “Well… We wouldn’t want to trouble you. No more than we already have.” Logan shuffled his feet, eyes darting around. He looked uncomfortable.

Virgil tried to smile, hoping to alleviate their discomfort. “It’s really no trouble,” he assured. The impact these three could have on his budget was nihil, after all. Having them around might take some getting used to, but he wasn’t going to drive them out because of that.

“We really should… eh…” Princey attempted, but quickly became clear he wasn’t going to finish.

Virgil frowned a little. He didn’t want to make them feel pressured, of course. “If you want to go then I’m not stopping you, you know? It’s just, you don’t have to leave because of me. I’m more than okay if you want to stay.”

Logan squinted at him, scrutinizing him with those tiny, piercing eyes. “Thank you,” he said slowly, “but I think we better leave now.” Princey nodded. Patton looked to be in doubt but took another piece of cereal in favour of speaking up.

Virgil shrugged. “Okay,” he said, taking another spoonful of cereal to hide the pang of disappointment he felt. His throat constricted around the food, but he swallowed bravely. If they didn’t want to stay, then there was nothing he could do. Though, as he glanced at them again, he noticed that they hadn’t moved from their spot. He raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”

“Eh…” Logan nervously glanced at the other two. “We, eh…”

“Rubber bands!” Princey suddenly shouted.

Virgil’s eyebrow shot up again. “Yes?”

Logan cleared his throat, eyes darting around before finally landing on Virgil. “Last time, you gave him some rubber bands. If… If it’s okay with you, could we… maybe have a few more? They were quite, uh, useful.”

“Oh. Yeah, sure.” He put his bowl on the ground. “How many do you need?” The sighs the three let out were almost audible.

“As… As many as you can miss,” Logan replied, looking more relaxed than before. Virgil got up and walked to the kitchen while thinking over the conversation. He knew the size difference was jarring, but he had underestimated how much he could intimidate them by simply being near them. If they were this apprehensive about asking him for a mere few rubber bands...

He grabbed a large number from the box, figuring he’d better give them too many than too few. That way, they wouldn’t have to ask him again if they didn’t have enough. When he turned around, the floor was empty. They tinies were already on his bed, it seemed, ready to scale the closet. Wow, they moved fast!

-----

As soon as Virgil turned around, they ran. Roman had to pull Patton along for the first few steps but was relieved that his little brother followed him after that. He reached the bed first, and he quickly turned around, cupping his hands and bending his knees. With practised ease, he gave his brothers the push that they needed to reach the duvet, which hung over the edge of the bed. Logan was first, and as soon as Roman had pushed Patton up, the eldest’s rope dropped in front of him. A few seconds later, all three of them were on top of the bed. The whole manoeuvre hadn’t taken them more than fifteen seconds.

Fifteen seconds was all they got, though, before Virgil’s thunderous footsteps came rushing back. “Here you go,” the human said, holding out his hand to Logan. Roman gasped as his brother flinched and fell on his butt. In his mind he could see the hand approaching, grabbing Logan and moving him with no regard for his wishes... In reality, though, the hand stopped approaching almost as soon as Logan stumbled backwards. “Oh, s-sorry.”

Roman looked up at Virgil’s face, trying to look past how big it was and taking in the expression instead. Virgil wasn’t looking at them again, but it didn’t seem like he was scheming something this time. Rather, he looked kinda… flustered? He filed the information away as Logan clambered to his feet.

The hand moved towards him now and his first instinct was to flinch, but he bit his cheek and stood his ground. It stopped a few steps in front of him, holding more rubber bands than he’d ever seen in one place. He looked at Virgil’s face again, before steeling himself and stepping closer. His hands trembled a bit as he grabbed a few bands, but what astounded him was that Virgil’s hand trembled too. Interesting.

He stepped away and heaved a small sigh, still relieved to create some distance between them. Patton walked past him towards the hand and started patting it with a happy smile, as if it was the most normal thing to do. “Thanks a lot, Virgil! You did great.”

It was a strange thing to say to a human, but Virgil took it well. His cheeks coloured a little, and the corners of his lips twitched up the slightest bit, forming a little smile. It made him seem a bit more boyish, Roman thought. Also less threatening. A little.

Patton grinned widely, before turning around to face his brothers, a pout now replacing the grin. “Can’t we stay here after all?” he whined.

“No,” was Logan’s immediate answer.

“But it’s warm here, and there’s food too!” Patton countered, still a bit pouty. “I don’t wanna go back. We might freeze out there!”

Roman noticed how Logan’s eyes flitted to Virgil for a split second. “We won’t.”

“That’s not what you said yesterday!”

Roman stilled, because wasn’t that the truth? He had temporarily forgotten about it, with the eventful early morning, but their situation was still the same. They had sought out Virgil’s help because the vents had been cold, and dangerously so. At the time, Roman hadn’t been sure they would last until the end of the week if they stayed in the vents. That hadn’t changed.

He glanced over at his brothers, each taking a clear stance in their argument. Virgil stayed out of it, luckily. It was up to him then to make a decision. He groaned softly. He hated it when he had to be the deciding vote in such a clear-cut argument. Right now, there were only a few options, though.

They could return to the vents, and try to make do with what they could get their hands on. If they could borrow some cloth and some food, and if they huddled close together, maybe they could persevere.

They could also stay here and be at Virgil’s mercy for however long this fiasco would last. It would be warm, and they’d have food and water for as long as Virgil was willing to provide. The currently most pressing issues to their health and safety would be resolved, but then they had to introduce a new danger to their lives: Virgil.

By now, Roman was pretty sure Virgil wasn’t an immediate threat to their safety. His behaviour this morning had been a bit disconcerting, but it didn’t necessarily mean that he was planning something. There were times when he seemed to be just as alert and tense as them, and that couldn’t be because he was scared of them. No, it was more likely that he was scared for them, and that was what scared Roman.

What if Virgil’s feelings grew stronger over time, and he wouldn’t let them leave when the time came? He shuddered at the thought, but it was something he had to consider if he had to make this decision. Was he willing to take that risk to guarantee their short-term safety? More importantly, was he willing to put Patton and Logan in that situation, too?

“I’m with Patton,” he heard himself say. The argument paused mid-sentence. Two normal-sized and one humongous pair of eyes stared at him as if he’d just grown a second head.

Logan was the first one to break out of his stupor. “Roman!” If looks could kill, he would be no more. “We can’t-”

“Majority rule,” he interrupted pointedly. Logan clamped his mouth shut but he kept glaring at him.

Roman sighed. He understood Logan’s fears, he understood them all too well, but he had to be realistic. Staying with Virgil gave them the best chances of survival, and if it did turn out to be a mistake, they’d just have to find a way out of it. With that, he decided to push the thoughts away before he started to doubt himself.

“That is, if you’re still okay with it, Virgil?”

“Yeah, uh... Yeah, sure,” the human stammered. He glanced between Roman and his brothers, gaze lingering on Logan, who was clearly displeased with this outcome. After a few seconds, Virgil sat down on the ground, now facing them. “If… if you really think it’s too dangerous in my room, maybe we can, I don’t know, add some safety measures or something? Within reason, of course.”

Patton tilted his head. “What do you mean?” Roman leaned forward and even Logan looked over.

Virgil faltered a little under the attention. “Well, I mean… I could attach some ropes here and there so you guys can climb easier and… safer? And… I don’t know, I’m open for suggestions.”

For the first time in months, Roman felt like laughing.

-----

“Everything is risky, Lo,” Roman retaliated. “We have to take some risks if we want to make it through winter.”

“There are other rooms left-”

“But not enough,” Patton countered, joining the conversation. “I agree with Roman, we need to use every room that’s left.”

“But we can’t just-”

“Majority rule,” Roman interrupted with a frown. Logan’s consequent glare could have killed a man.

“I know,” he growled, his voice a mixture of frustration and resignation. “I just can’t understand how you can want to go back there. He knows about us. You never should’ve brought me there.”

Patton looked upset at that, but Roman remained calm. “Logan, we’ve been over this.”

“Yes, I know.” Logan sounded exasperated. “I just haven’t been able to calm down ever since then. I keep expecting him to just… show up again.”

“Virgil wouldn’t harm us,” Patton interjected. “He helped you get better and he let us go without a word. He let me go twice before!”

“You don’t know what he’ll do next, Patton,” Logan droned, like a broken record. “You can’t trust humans.”

“You always say that! Isn’t it clear now that we can trust Virgil?” Then, in a softer voice, he said: “We might have to trust him again in the future.”

Logan’s eyes widened. “We are not showing ourselves to him again!”

Patton opened his mouth to retort, but Roman cut him off. “We’re not,” he said, sending a stern look at him, “but we have to utilize all the resources we have.”

“We agreed we wouldn’t go back to his room,” Logan said, but it sounded defeated. He knew as well as them that they had little choice.

“Things changed,” Roman said, and that was the end to the conversation.

Things went well for a week or so. He would enter Virgil’s room when he was away and then look around the trashcan, the kitchen counter and the cabinets for small bits of food that he could take. If Virgil noticed his efforts, he didn’t let it show. Roman didn’t mind. He wanted nothing more than forget the fact that the human knew of their existence.

After a week, though, things went wrong. Very, very wrong. Still, it could have been worse, he mused as he massaged his throbbing ankle in the darkness of the cabinet. I-it could have been worse, he thought, as the door opened and heavy footsteps thudded through the apartment.

When the cabinet opened and he was once again face-to-face with the human, he wasn’t so sure if things could have been worse. Technically, they could. He could have been grabbed, or hurt, or the human could have yelled. But because this was Virgil and Virgil knew them, he merely tensed when their eyes met.

“It’s you again,” he stated softly, eyes wide in surprise. Roman gulped and averted his eyes. “I didn’t think I’d see you again.”

“You weren’t supposed to,” he murmured. “You’re back earlier than I thought.”

“Had a half day.”

“Oh.” He had no idea what that meant, but that didn’t really matter.

Three weeks ago, during the incident, he had agreed with Patton that Virgil would not hurt them intentionally, most likely. Logan had been asleep for most of the time, so he saw it differently, but Roman knew that Virgil had had more than enough chances to harm them, and he had taken none. By that logic, it was unlikely that he would be hurt now – hurt more than he already was, at least.

Unfortunately, that logic was rather bleak in his current situation. Even if he disregarded all the possibilities where Virgil would betray his expectations, he still couldn’t disregard the genuine fear he felt before the human. It was an instinct – he couldn’t not view Virgil as a threat.

“Not to be a bother, but could you move?” Virgil awkwardly glanced downwards. “I want to store my groceries if that’s okay.”

Roman jumped up, wincing as he put weight on his left ankle. Yeah, okay, it was going to be hard to climb up this way. He’d have to go down and pray he’d find an opening to get away. Now, if only he had… “My rope,” he said, seeing it dangle above him, far out of reach.

Virgil noticed it too and reached out to it. “This, you mean?” Roman shivered at the sight of the giant hand. Virgil easily unhooked the hook from the top of the cabinet and put it down in front of him. He tried to walk over but yelped in pain as he used his injured leg. Well darn. “You’re hurt.” Virgil sounded shocked.

“I’ll be alright!” he assured hastily. In his mind, he could already see those big hands approaching, wrapping around him and moving him as they pleased… No thank you!

“Can you climb?”

“Yes!”

Virgil looked doubtful but didn’t say anything. He pressed down on the hook to keep it in place, seeing as there was nothing Roman could attach it to, and patiently waited as he climbed down. As soon as he stood safely on the counter, Virgil started filling the cabinet with different food packages. Roman smiled wryly. Virgil was purposefully not looking at him, giving him a chance to run. A chance he couldn’t take because of his ankle. He sat down and massaged it, trying to ease the painful muscles somewhat.

Virgil closed the cabinet and looked down at him. “Does your leg hurt?”

“Only when I put my weight on it.” He massaged it a little firmer, feeling nervous now that the attention was on him again.

Virgil hummed. “Maybe we should try cooling it. It helps with the pain and the swelling. Only if you want to, of course.”

His first instinct was to refuse, but then he thought better of it. The sooner the pain went away, the sooner he’d be able to get out of here. So, he nodded tentatively. “How do we…”

“I can fill up a bowl with water and some ice? Then you can sit on the edge and dangle your leg in it, if you think that’ll work.”

Not a minute later, Roman hoisted himself up on the edge of the bowl. He wobbled precariously as he threw his leg over the edge, but he had no trouble keeping his balance. The water was very cold, as he sank his foot into it. He shivered, feeling his body heat gradually dissipate. His ankle numbed quickly and then began to sting from the cold, but he persevered. It helped that Virgil explained to him why he had to do what he did, and what it would do to him.

When he was too cold to keep going, he pulled out and climbed down. Virgil had laid out various things on the counter – a few tissues, elastic bands, cotton pads and some tape that looked like paper. Roman quickly dried off with the tissues, rubbing his skin vigorously to warm it up, then looked over the various items before him. His mind jumped from one possibility to the next, trying to find the most efficient way to brace his ankle.

Virgil watched him from the other side of the counter. “So, did I become your surrogate doctor or something?” he smiled, teasing carefully.

“Not really,” Roman grimaced. “I actually got injured in there.” He pointed at the cabinet.

He hummed. “What were you doing here, anyway? I thought you guys would stay far away from me.”

“Well… That was the plan.” He ripped a piece of tape from the roll and wound it around the cotton he had pressed against his ankle. He didn’t really need to dress the wound, but this would keep the tape from sticking to his skin. The tape was firm and stiff, so it would probably provide good stability. “I was hoping to gather some food.”

Virgil rose an eyebrow. “You’re hungry?”

“Yeah, well… The ventilation rosters in a lot of rooms got renewed, and now we can’t enter most of them because they’re secured too tightly.”

Virgil hummed thoughtfully. “So you guys live in the vents, then?”

Roman gasped, freezing up. He slowly glanced up at Virgil. “Eh… no?”

He looked confused for a second, before rolling his eyes with a soft smile. “Whatever you say, Princey. So, what kind of stuff do you guys eat?”

He latched onto the change of subject. “Whatever we can get our hands on, really.” He stretched his leg carefully, testing if the wrapping wasn’t too tight. “Cereal, cookie crumbs, bread crusts, leftover dinners… Sometimes we can nab a few grapes or raisins.”

“Sounds tough.”

“We’re used to it,” Roman shrugged. He stood up and tested his leg. It still hurt a little, but he could definitely climb like this. He bent down to grab the rubber bands and threw them over his shoulder. He hadn’t needed them for his leg, but they could come in handy later. “Well then, I fear I must be off now.” He descended rapidly from the counter and crossed the floor towards the bed. It felt strange to be so out in the open, and Virgil’s gaze on him certainly made him feel self-conscious, but he reached the bed without incident. It was on the bed that he had to pause.

With his ankle as it was, he couldn’t scale the closet without his hook, but his rope wasn’t long enough. Now, how could he overcome that? “Something wrong?” Virgil asked, having crossed the room himself.

“Just a minor obstacle, don’t worry about it.”

“Right…” Virgil’s eyes travelled up and down the closet, before settling on him again with a look of awe. “My closet, which is taller than me and more than twenty times your height, is a ‘minor obstacle’ to you.” He chuckled. “I don’t even wanna know what a ‘big obstacle’ would be like to you.”

Roman didn’t point out how Virgil himself classified as one. The closet was tall, yes, but it didn’t move and there were many grooves he could hold onto. A human, however… Scratch ‘big obstacle’, a regular human was ‘mission impossible’. But Virgil seemed genuinely impressed with him, and that… that felt kind of nice, actually. To be not only listened to but also be acknowledged by someone who was so much bigger and stronger than him. His chest swelled with pride, and he couldn’t bite back his smile entirely.

“My rope is too short to reach, and I can’t climb without it now,” he explained.

“Hmm… I have no spares for you, but… Can’t you climb halfway and then use the hook again?”

“No, I can’t throw the hook when I’m climbing.”

“What if I held it in place for you? Just like before? Or I could even lift it up to the top while you hang on.”

He thought for a few seconds. While they weren’t the most comfortable options, he feared he couldn’t be picky in this situation. But, to his credit, Virgil was very careful. When Roman hesitantly agreed, he made sure to move slowly and check in on him. Still, he was glad when he stood at the top. It had been safe, yes, but he hadn’t been in control of his route, and that was something he valued greatly in his life. Control.

Virgil’s hand appeared and placed something flat onto the closet as well. Roman looked it over curiously. It was a flat rectangle, wrapped in purple and orange plastic with a silly-looking ghost drawn on it.

“Leftovers from Halloween,” Virgil explained. “To make up for interrupting your food hunt.” Roman smiled gratefully. Part of him didn’t want to accept the offering – he could get his own food, thank you very much – but the practical part was louder. They would have something to eat today and tomorrow!

“Well, it seems I should thank you again, Virgil.” He smiled, looking down at him. “I’ll be out of your way now.”

“Hey, Princey, wait.” Virgil looked sheepish as he called out. “I know you guys probably don’t like me knowing about you, but I was thinking… it doesn’t have to be a bad thing, right?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, if there’s something you really need, or you can’t find food or something, I don’t mind helping out. I probably won’t miss it, and if it helps you guys…” He shrugged, trailing off.

Roman felt his good mood plummet. Was Virgil pitying them now? Right after praising them? He didn’t know what to make of it. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I assure you we can look after ourselves.”

“I didn’t say you can’t, I’m just saying… Well, you don’t have to do it all alone, you know. I don’t mind helping out if you need it. And like, you don’t have to do it, of course. I just thought I would say it.”

It did sound tempting, to have a safety net for when times got really tough. He just wasn’t too sure if Logan could come around to it.

“I’ll think about it.”

-----

It was a pointless question because the answer was clear to see. Logan wasn’t doing well. He lay curled up in the middle of their makeshift bed, and the emptiness around him made him seem even smaller than he already was. His face was flushed, and he was shivering constantly. His eyes were screwed shut and he moaned softly from time to time, as if he was in pain. His breathing came in gasps and he coughed whenever he inhaled some of the dust that was lying around, which seemed to leave him in even more pain.

Patton bit his lips and glanced at his other brother. “I’m sure Logan will overcome this,” Roman offered, though he sounded anything but sure. “He is strong and smart. Whatever foul beast is tormenting him, he will surely come out victorious.”

Patton’s eyes stung, and he shook his head, biting harder. Virgil’s words ran through his head. A fever could be deadly, and they had none of the things that could help. They had to get Logan to Virgil.

“Don’t make such a gloomy face, Patton. We have to remain optimistic, for Logan’s sake. He needs all the support he can get and that’s all we can do for now.”

Patton shook his head again. “I found... something. Something that can help him, but we have to get him there.”

“I don’t... think it’s wise to move him. He is in a lot of pain.” Roman spoke hesitantly.

“We have to try!”

“Patton, I understand you want to help, but there is nothing we can do right now.” Patton hated Roman’s tone. It was soft and slow, as if he was talking to a child. Patton wasn’t a child! And even if he was, his brothers should still listen to him!

“Why won’t you believe me?” he asked softly, masking his frustration. If they started arguing now he’d never get Roman to listen. “I’m saying I found something that can help, but I can’t get it here, so we have to bring Logan there.”

Roman opened his mouth, then closed it again as he gave him a thoughtful look. “Are you sure it’s gonna work? I’d rather not put him through more pain than he has to.”

“I’m… I’m sure it will at least help him,” he replied slowly. “But we have to hurry.”

Roman processed his words and the situation, weighing his options before nodding and standing up. Together they lifted Logan onto Roman’s back. The sick borrower didn’t even seem to process what was going on, he only muttered and groaned incomprehensively as he was moved. Then Patton led the way, with Roman a few steps behind him.

“Patton, where are we going?” Roman asked after a few minutes. He sounded apprehensive; suspicious. It wasn’t that strange, seeing how there were no more intersections ahead of them.

“It’s just up ahead.” Patton pointed at the roster in front of them.

“You want to go into a human’s room?!” Roman’s voice was an angry whisper, his eyes wide in shock. “Can’t you see the light is on? They’re home! It’s way too dangerous to go borrowing now.”

“We’re not going to borrow.” Patton’s voice was strangely calm, despite his heart thumping like it wanted to break out of his chest. “Virgil won’t hurt us.”

“Virgil?” Roman asked slowly, his eyes growing even wider than before. His mouth dropped at the implications of what Patton had said. “You talked with him?! Patton, are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

Now Patton was getting angry, too. “Of course I do! I’m not stupid, Roman.”

“Really? Because you do some pretty stupid things! The first thing any borrower learns is how important it is not to be seen. The first thing, Patton. It’s borrowing 101!”

“I didn’t plan to be seen! He found me, but he let me go! And just now... okay, yes, I did approach him and ask him, but he let me go again. He wants to help!”

Logan groaned and shifted against Roman’s back, and the borrower lowered him carefully to the ground. He made sure that Logan was tucked in well enough and stroked his hair out of his face with a soft smile. Then he looked up at Patton and every trace of that gentle kindness was gone.

“You let him know about us, right? He probably let you go so you would get us and he can capture us all in one go.

“He won’t.”

“And how do you know that?”

“He... he promised,” Patton bit his lip, realizing how weak his argument sounded.

“Oh, did he now?” Roman taunted. “Well, if he promised then I’m sure we’ll all be safe and sound. That’s not suspicious at all.”

“You don’t have to be mean,” Patton grumbled, a pout on his lips. He hated fighting with his family.

Roman spluttered for a few seconds, stumbling over his own words. There were dark red spots on his cheeks. “Mean- Patton, listen to yourself! This is a human we’re talking about. Humans lie, they break promises...”

“How can you be sure Virgil is like that? You don’t know what he’s like. You never even met him!”

“No, I haven’t. And you won’t either from now on!”

“You are not the boss of me!” Tears of frustration streamed down his cheeks. He knew Roman’s order was reasonable, but he was too consumed with rage to give in even a single inch. “What makes you think you can tell me what to do?”

“I’m older than you.”

“I don’t care. I’m not a child, Roman!”

“Then don’t act like one.”

“Then stop treating me like one! You and Logan always act like I’m too stupid to understand things! Listen to me, take me seriously!”

“Patton, you can’t-!” Roman growled but cut himself off. He took a few deep breaths. Patton could see some of the tension seep from his body. “Alright, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel like we don’t respect your opinion, and I’m sure the same applies to Logan. When this is over, we’ll make sure to listen to you more, okay?”

Patton’s heart beat faster and he smiled despite everything. “Then-”

“But,” Roman interrupted sharply, “we can’t hand Logan over to that human.”

“But you said...” Part of him wanted to get angry again, but frankly, he lacked the energy. He hated fighting, and things had just calmed down, too… He didn’t want to start again.

“We can’t tell you what to do, you’re right about that. But you can’t tell us what to do, either.”

“We can trust Virgil. I feel it.”

“That may be so, but you can never know for sure. I don’t trust him, and Logan isn’t fit to make a decision right now. We don’t have a majority, and we can’t force him into this situation without his consent. That’s just wrong.”

“I...” Patton bit his lip and looked down. Roman did have a point, but what else could they do? “Virgil said Logan probably has a fever. He said it could be deadly.”

Roman shifted uncomfortably. “He could be lying.”

“What if he’s not?”

“Logan is strong.”

“So are you. So were Papa and Mama.”

“Patton, don’t go there. Please.”

Patton hugged himself. “I’m just so scared, Roman. What if he dies?”

“He won’t.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I... True, but he won’t. We have to believe that.”

“What if believing isn’t enough? What if he needs more?” Patton sniffled, and fresh tears spilt from his eyes.

Roman ruffled his hair. “Look, Patton... Come closer?” Patton did and soon his brother’s arms encased his shoulders. Roman sighed in his neck and rubbed gentle circles on his back. Patton felt himself relax. “I know you are worried about Logan. I’m worried too. I don’t know what’s going on and it drives me crazy. But trusting that human is too risky. We’re already at a disadvantage against them, and Logan can’t even move right now. We could all be captured. You don’t want that, do you?”

“I’d rather be captured than have Logan die.”

The arms on his back stilled and the arms around him tightened. “No, you don’t.”

“Sorry.”

“I forgive you. You’re emotional, I get it.” It didn’t sound condescending, so he took no offence. “Come on, let’s go back. We’ll figure out something else, alright?” The arms retracted and Roman walked back to where Logan lay. Patton stared at the roster uneasily. Roman had made strong points, but if he listened then they’d be back where they started.

“I’m going to talk to Virgil.” Maybe there was a way to get what they needed without bringing Logan to him. It was probably just as dangerous, but he couldn’t just do nothing!

“Patton, no!”

Patton shook his head resolutely and started to walk to the opening to Virgil’s room. “I won’t bring you with me, but I’m going. You said you wouldn’t tell me what to do, so-”

“Patton.” Roman’s voice was low and grim. “That’s unfair.”

Patton smiled sadly but didn’t turn back. “I know.”

Roman sighed, which quickly turned into a groan. “Alright, you win. Wait up.”

“What?” Patton turned around.

Roman glared at him and kneeled next to Logan. “I said ‘wait up’. I’m not letting you go face a human on your own.”

Patton decided to not point out that he’d already met Virgil twice before. “I thought you said-”

“I don’t want to go,” Roman interrupted, “neither does Logan, probably. If I could, I would take you back and force you to see reason, but I don’t want to fight with you. Not when Logan is like this.” He carefully lifted Logan on his back again and stood up. His eyes shimmered with emotion and while Patton couldn’t decipher it, he somehow understood. “If Logan gets better and he finds out I let something happen to his little brother, he would never forgive me. A-and if he doesn’t get better…” He looked down, jaw tightening. “I don’t want to be all alone again.”

“Ro…”

“Family stays together. You’re the one who taught me that,” Roman smiled back, though it looked nervous and tense, and didn’t reach his eyes. He wasn’t looking forward to it, either, but they had to make sure that Logan would get better. Trusting Virgil was their best bet, and if it turned out to be a mistake…

Well, he’d rather not think about that.

-----

It wasn’t until one Saturday evening, when he was getting ready for bed, that he saw them again. They were huddled together on top of his closet, no doubt watching him. They flinched away as his eyes landed on them. He froze, taking a few steps back to create more distance before forcing his lips into a smile. He hoped it didn’t look as awkward as he felt. “Hey.”

Patton, the left-most of the three, gave a hesitant wave. Holy shmokes, he had almost forgotten how tiny these guys were! “H-hey, V-Virgil.”

He smiled, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. “Hey, what’s up?”

“W-we were wondering…” He glanced over at the other two. “C-can we st-stay here tonight?”

He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but it wasn’t that. After how eager they had been to avoid him and with how scared they still seemed to be of him, the request was odd, to say the least. “Uh, yeah, I guess?” he said after he got over his surprise. “Is something wrong?”

“N-no,” Patton stammered as the other two started climbing down. “It’s-s just really c-cold.”

Oh… Yeah, that made sense. He looked at his curtain-covered windows. Now that he paid attention to it, the wind was howling pretty loudly, and two days ago there had even been two small icicles below his windowsill. Winter really started to kick off.

“Do you guys get cold easily?”

“I su-suppose,” Princey’s teeth clattered as he spoke. He and Logan were already on the bed, huddled together under Virgil’s crumpled up duvet. Patton joined them quickly.

“We do h-have to worry a lot ab-about s-staying warm,” Logan added, albeit reluctantly. His eyes shifted nervously through the room as he curled in on himself. His small, trembling form reminded him of a scared kitten. Virgil wouldn’t be surprised if he had been dragged along with his brothers.

“I see,” he said, and he tried another smile. Judging by Logan’s unchanging expression, it didn’t work. Maybe he was just bad at smiling. Yeah, that was probably it. “Well, I do want to sleep in my own bed tonight, actually.” The tinies flinched and he felt a pang of guilt. They had probably expected a repeat from before. Even so, he didn’t want to give up his bed for another night. With how chilly the air could get in his apartment, he’d be lucky to get away with only a sore neck. “B-but I have blankets and stuff!” he said quickly. “We can make a space for you to sleep somewhere else.”

“Where?” Logan sounded apprehensive.

“Somewhere in this room?” Virgil shrugged. That much was obvious, wasn’t it? He pointed in the general direction of the window. “I can set it up close to the radiator, so it’ll be warm. I should also have a heating blanket somewhere, if I can find it.”

“What’s a heating blanket?” Princey asked. Virgil was relieved to see their trembling had subsided somewhat.

“It’s a blanket that heats itself up,” he explained as he walked over to his closet, hoping he’d put it somewhere in plain sight. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Where had he put that darn thing? Had Thomas borrowed it and not given it back, or was it here somewhere after all?

After a few more seconds, he turned back to the bed, which was now empty.

“Eh, guys?” Nothing happened for a few seconds, but then a hesitant face peeked up from under the duvet. He snickered at the sight. “You guys okay?” The tinies mumbled something as they reappeared, and Virgil shrugged apologetically. “I can’t find it right away,” he said. “I can look around a bit more if you don’t mind waiting.”

“You’re putting in an awful lot of effort for us, aren’t you?” Logan asked. It seemed like he had moved from ‘scared’ to ‘suspicious’. Great. More scrutiny for his actions. Virgil chose to ignore the tone. He couldn’t blame them for being careful, and he had been the one to say they could come to him. Still, it was going to be a long night if they were going to be like this the whole time.

“Well...” What could he say, though? He didn’t want to seem like a jerk to them, but saying that out loud would probably only make him seem more like one. “You don’t have to use it if you’re going to be this difficult about it, you know?” he muttered under his breath.

“No, no!” Patton shouted quickly, while Princey elbowed Logan in the side. “Th-the blanket and the radiator sound really nice, Virgil. Can we p-please use it?”

Shoot! The tinies’ hearing was apparently better then he’d thought. He hadn’t meant for them to hear that. “Eh, sure,” he shrugged, cheeks flaring up. God, so much for not being a jerk to them! Could he be any worse? Geez!

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and focused on setting up a sleeping place for his unexpected guests. He had no idea what was appropriate or expected in this situation, though. After fumbling quite a bit and feeling the scrutiny of those tiny, piercing eyes, he managed to fold a dark blue fleece blanket in a way that left some layers for them to crawl under if they wanted to. He placed it under his desk, next to his nightstand, since that spot seemed as good as any other. He pressed his hand against the radiator and frowned. It was warm, but was it warm enough? He wouldn’t put it past them to keep complaints to themselves out of fear, so he had to make sure they wouldn’t be cold.

Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, he turned the dial a little further, though he hoped he wouldn’t have to do that all the time. It would really help with his gas and electricity bills if he didn’t have to keep his heater running all day every day, afte-

Whoa, whoa, wait! he chastised himself with a jolt. They just asked to stay the night! Who knew if they even wanted to stay after that?

He shook his head again and turned his attention back to the tinies on the bed, who were once again reduced to little heads peeking from underneath his duvet. “How about this?”

“It’s, uh… it’s great, Virgil,” Patton replied after glancing at his brothers again.

“Are you sure?” he pressed. “I can move it if you want, I really don’t mind.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Right?” The other two made some hesitant affirmative noises, and Virgil was forced to let it go, even though a part of his mind was telling him he was forcing them into things.

“Okay. Well, if you change your mind, or if there’s something else, just let me know.” He moved out from underneath the desk and stood, jamming his hands into his pockets and glancing around the room. He didn’t really know what to do with himself now. It was only 10 PM, but he supposed he could turn in early for once. Anything to avoid the odd and awkward staring contest that he involuntarily had with his guests, where they were trying their hardest not to look at each other.

After some more hesitant back and forth, he grabbed his nightshirt and a clean pair of boxers and fled into the bathroom. There, the tight rubber band that seemed to be stuck around his chest ever since the tinies appeared, loosened a little. He breathed a sigh of relief. After a few more deep breaths, he got ready for the night in his too hot and too small bathroom, prolonging the return to his room as much as he could.

Ten minutes later, he lay in bed, staring into the darkness of his room. He couldn’t hear the tiny guys, and they hadn’t responded to his “good night” either. Like this, it was almost like they weren’t even real. Part of him made him want to switch on the night light and check if they were really there, but he refrained. If they were real, doing that would only make them more scared.

And if they weren’t real and he was, in fact, going crazy, he’d prefer not to find out now.

With that final thought, he turned on his side and tried to fall asleep.

-----

Roman was pretty sure he had died and gone to heaven. Where else would it be so soft and warm? He turned, letting out a small pleased noise when his hands touched more softness. Ah, this was simply divine!

Unfortunately, it seemed even heaven had its perils. Shuffling and thumping sounds registered in his mind, and his half-asleep body kicked into gear. The noises were clearly caused by something big, and it seemed to be close too.

He shot upright, frantically glancing around to identify the threat and his surroundings. He was on a soft, bouncy, warm surface, close to two different walls. One was smooth and shiny black, while the other was course and white, even emitting warmth. His brothers lay beside him, both fast asleep and covered in the dark blue fabric that also pooled around his own lap. Roman’s eyes darted around the room, quickly identifying the source of the noises: Virgil.

He gulped. He was no fan of humans under normal circumstances. Seeing one first thing in the morning was… not ideal. What gave them the right to be that freaking big?! He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to still his trembling. There was no need for that, he told himself. Virgil was safe. Relatively safe, at least.

When he opened his eyes, he found the human staring right at him from the kitchen part of the room. 

Nope!

He managed to bite back a squeak as he dove back down, throwing the covers over himself for good measure. His heart hammered in his throat as he listened for the thundering footsteps to approach. Instead, he heard a soft snicker and a breathy chuckle, both barely audible over the blood rushing in his ears.

His pride flared up, and he pushed the blanket back again before sitting up. He wasn’t going to be laughed at, thank you very much! He gratefully noticed that Virgil hadn’t moved closer from his spot in the kitchen. The human leaned against the counter, cradling a white mug with steaming contents in his hands. “Good morning.”

Roman nodded back firmly, debating whether he should speak up or not. Virgil didn’t seem to expect him to, because he continued after a few seconds.

“So… I just found I don’t have much to offer in terms of food, so I hope you like cereal? I haven’t figured out yet what I should put it in, though. Most bowls I have are too big, and I don’t have any bottle caps at the moment. ‘m not even sure if that would work with milk and cereal.”

“D-dry cereal is fine,” Roman spoke up, trying do keep up with all that Virgil was saying. He normally had no trouble following fast dialogues, but this was different. Not to mention, Virgil’s eyes kept darting around and his expressions kept changing, making it hard to take everything in.

“You sure? Maybe I have something-”

He stepped closer. Roman violently flinched back, becoming acutely aware of the too-smooth-to-climb nightstand next to him and the too-hot-to-climb radiator behind him. The bouncy blanket also slowed him down considerably. He was cornered. He was cornered and Virgil was approaching and not listening to him- 

“It’s fine!”

“Hng, Ro?”

His gaze flitted from the human to his brother next to him. “Logan. Don’t freak out.”

The groggy gaze instantly became sharper. “What did you do?” Almost as soon as he uttered the words, Logan stiffened. He glanced down on the blanket beneath him before instantly flipping onto his back, scanning the room with wide eyes. Patton whined softly at the sudden movement. Roman could hear Logan’s breath hitch when he noticed Virgil, could see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed thickly. Luckily the human had moved back against the counter, watching them apprehensively.

The silence lasted a few seconds, then Virgil pretty much repeated the same things he told Roman, though he spoke much softer and tenser. He didn’t try to move closer again, to Roman’s relief.

“Dry cereal is okay,” Logan confirmed tersely, and this time Virgil nodded and turned back to the counter, starting to rummage through the cabinets. Roman shared a glance and nod with his brother, before turning his attention back on the human, vigilant for any dangers. He could hear how Logan tried to wake up Patton.

By the time Virgil turned around again, all three of them were seated on the edge of the folded blanket, not sure what else to do. Roman absentmindedly rubbed his arms. It was noticeably colder without the blanket.

“I’m gonna come closer now, okay?” Virgil asked, holding a bowl and a small plate in his hands. They watched him like a hawk as he approached, even crawling back a bit when he put the plate down in front of them. Then he straightened and moved to sit- whoa! Wait!

Instead of sitting down on the bed or in his chair, Virgil sat down on the ground, leaning his back against the side of his bed. Alarm bells went off in Roman’s head as he realized that the human was effectively blocking their only way out of this room. His heart beat louder. He glanced at his brothers, seeing his own suspicions confirmed in their eyes.

“Is something wrong?” Logan asked eventually, addressing Virgil.

Said human flinched, lowering his spoon. “Uh, why?” He still didn’t maintain eye contact with them. Suspicious…

Logan picked a piece of cereal from the plate, shrugging nonchalantly. He seemed relaxed enough, but Roman could see the muscles in his legs tensing, ready to dart at the slightest sign of danger. “It doesn’t seem to be very comfortable on the floor.”

“Oh, this.” Virgil glanced down as if he only now realized where he was sitting. He briefly bit his lip, before looking back at them. “I thought it might be easier to talk this way.”

“Talk about what?” Logan asked, frowning slightly. Roman’s left hand twitched, ready to grab Patton’s arm and make a run for it. The young borrower seemed hesitant, and hesitation could be fatal in dangerous situations. Roman wouldn’t let that happen.

Virgil licked his lips. “About what happens next.”

-----