#recursive fic

Remus had visited for a few days, snatching raw meat from the barbecue tray, teasing Rowan's sister much more gently than he did Rowan and soaking in attention. He had to go back, he'd made a deal with a fae craftsman and needed to pick up something. 

“Here.” Rowan held out a music box and headphones. “I made you a couple of mixes so you can listen to them instead of your own head. It helps me sometimes.” 

Remus hooked his arm around her and squished her. 

“Aw, you like me.”

“Whatever gives you that impression. Must be all the affection.” her eyes rolled but she smiled, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You'll need to come back and charge it every few days." 

"Oooooh music treat and reminder of the passage of time, you're a wicked one."

“Do you not want to borrow the camera?” she asked wiggling the small blue box in her other hand. “I thought you wanted to show me your house.” 

“Ooh ohh gimmie!” he made grabby hands at it. “It’s looking so good! The moss is in all the right places and the wood’s all polished on the inside.” 

"It sounds nice." She admitted. I can't wait to see."

"Sometime I'll bring you to see it.” He said in a way that sounded like a promise, fiddling with the camera. “I should get a phone.” 

“That’ll be fun.” Rowan snorted, picturing him walking into the wireless store. "Would it even work?"

"Oh yeah, probably. The spider and honey and cream use theirs underhill after all. Think no-thank-you daddy long legs is playing antenna."

Rowan considered that. 

"Well, it is just waves of energy, and magic can be described that way." 

"Neat." Reaching out he fluffed her bangs, and grinned at Danger Noodle who was catching a breeze with a glass of lemonade on the porch and certainly wasn't there to see Remus off. He had, after all,  made it clear he didn't care either way. “Should I bring you anything?”

“Properly made food would be good.” he said, sounding bored. “I’d ask for a change of clothes but I don’t trust your fashion choices.” 

“Just wait and see!” Remus said brightly, and bounded off into the woods like a hyperactive deer.

“... I’m glad to see him happy.” Rowan commented. 

“Hmf.”

“He was very sad when I met him.” she continued. “Not that it was easy to tell of course. On account of the batshit crazy.”

“He was like that when I met him.” 

“I’m sure.”

(Rowan’s Break up List for Passive Aggressive Witches) 

Three days later, Remus reappeared, singing ‘New Rules’ by Dua Lipa and carrying a bundle and a basket. He handed over both the camera and mp3 player to Rowan, kissed her mother on the cheek while getting a cookie, and moved into the library where Danger Noodle was reading in a window seat. He looked up as Remus entered. 

“Well that wasn’t any faster than usual.” 

“Would have been back yesterday, but I was getting something.” Remus said, plopping down on the floor next to the window seat. Rowan had followed him in, apparently she had also been reading, in an armchair instead, if the glass of sweet tea he brought in and the book she picked up were any clues. 

Remus handed the basket to D.N. Inside he found a veritable picnic of fairy food that could be eaten cold, and kept fairly well. Danger Noodle had mainly been joking, while the preparation was different, and some things were procured by magic, food was food. Though he could be absolutely sure that these hadn’t been touched by steel, let alone iron. He put a tiny meat pie in his mouth and let it dissolve a bit rather than chewing, savoring the flavors. 

“Also this.” He opened the bundle and produced some fabric, a jacket, a pair of pants, some fine stockings and gloves. They looked a little bit too big for D.N. “I remembered what you said, but these looked like things you’d worn before, so I thought it might be okay?”

“Not exactly suitable for my current situation.” He sniffed, looking at the soft embossed leather of the coat over. Despite that, he looked slightly pleased. “You really go out of the way to find things I’ve asked for.”

“Yep!” Remus grinned, looking happy. “I want you to be as happy as possible.” 

“Anything I ask?” 

“Pretty much.” He was pulling more clothing out of the bundle, grinning to himself. 

“And what if I asked you to kill her?”

The smile disappeared as Remus’s eyes went wide and his head came up like he’d been physically struck.

“Please don’t ask me that.”

“I need to know.” 

“Please.” his voice was a thin whine. 

“It’s okay.” Rowan said quietly, calling attention to herself. “Take my body somewhere it won’t be found.”

“What?” 

“He needs to know you love him more than me. So.” She opened her arms, as if inviting a blow or a hug. “Painless would be good too.” 

Remus looked back at D.N. who sighed theatrically.

“I’m not actually asking.” he said “She’s right, annoyingly. Also annoyingly more useful alive.”

“Careful.” She picked her book up again. “Someone might think you’re starting to like me.” 

“I don’t think that’s terribly likely.” 

Remus stood up, suddenly enough that they both turned to stare at him. 

“I’m going.” he said, and headed out the back door.  “I’ll be back.” the door slammed. 

“I think you upset him.” Rowan said quietly. 

“Oh, and your reaction had nothing to do with it.” he curled his lip. “Would you really have let him kill you?” 

“What about our interactions makes you think that I value my life?” Rowan retorted. 

“You aren’t dead yet. It’s not something I’d recommended, personally.” 

“Well the people I piss off generally can’t curse me.”

“You’re not too old to change.” 

“Again, with your odd brand of compliments.” she snorted and took a sip of her tea. “I could wish you hadn’t chased him away when he just got back.” 

“He’ll be fine. Thinking big thoughts takes him time.” He began sorting through the clothes in the bundle. 

“Giving him a philosophical dilemma about his emotions is just unkind.”

“So am I.” He held up a shirt in dove gray and frowned at it. “Do be quiet if you’re going to be in the same room with me. I’m not Remus, I don’t like your peculiar brand of humor and your key-dead voice.” 

Rowan huffed and picked up her book and glass. 

“Fine. I’m going to keep watch for him, in case he needs a hug when he gets back.”

“You do that.”

“And who knows. Maybe he’ll realize he deserves better.” 

“He hasn’t in a hundred years.” 

Rowan glanced back at him, not quite sure what he meant, not wanting to know what he meant.

(illustration, Danger Noodle and New Clothes)

The rest of the afternoon was fairly quiet, and the moon was just rising when Remus let himself back in. The rest of Rowan’s family had gone off to see a movie, and Rowan had stayed behind because she was waiting for Remus, and not really interested in the movie.  Remus looked like he’d been in a fight, and the winner was uncertain. His knuckle were bloodied and there were sticks and bits of leaves in his hair. Danger Noodle had taken over the table in the library- possibly his favorite room because once the fire tools had been moved out, there was no cast iron in it- and was prodding at the clothing, muttering to himself and drinking something that was the color of moonstone that had been in the basket. He looked up as Remus entered. The green knight shifted on his feet.

“I’ve decided.” Remus said slowly. “That the answer would be no.”  

“What?”

“I love you.” he said it simply, like an absolute truth. “And I always will. I will protect you. But I am not going to help you hurt me anymore.” this Remus said like it hurt.  D.N. just looked confused, but Rowan immediately hugged Remus, flinging her arms around his neck and pressing their cheeks together. 

“Don’t get too excited, little tree.” Remus mumbled, even as he supported her weight “It’s true now, but who knows how long it will be.”

“I’m still so proud of you.” she retorted. “That had to have been hard to decide.”  She kept holding onto him, so she wouldn't have to look at the baffled, terrified expression that haunted the edges of D.N.’s eyes. It was so much easier just to think of him as a one note villain. 

Why me?

Virgil groans internally, placing a hand to his head for a moment. He grits his teeth and pushes forward through the water, he had somewhere to be after all.

Still, his head was pounding, to the point where he could literally feel the pain pulsing at the bridge of his nose and at the back of his eyes.

He sways slightly as he swims, a little too preoccupied with staying on course to fully commit to a faster streamlined form.

While the meet ups didn’t have a set time, he knew the humans would be around rather early and by that logic, he was already late and wasting time.

Honestly, for once, he didn’t want to go.

Nothing against his humans, not at all. It was just that, at this very moment, the ever present throbbing made him feel like crying.

It hurt to blink.

Of course he still would go, there was no way he could disappoint others by not showing up. That and he worried that if he didn’t show, they wouldn’t come back and he’d be left alone again. No matter how much his head hurt, that, would hurt far worse.

So on he continued.

He didn’t know when exactly the headache started, all he knew was that it had gotten progressively worse. It had started yesterday…or maybe the day before? It didn’t matter, the pain kept him from the one thing he knew that could relieve it, sleep.

He hadn’t been able to even doze for ten minutes without pain pulsing through his temples and his ears ringing.

To make matters worse, that Orca kept going out of her way to annoy him despite the fact that they were in the open ocean. Her shrill squeaks and whistles did nothing for his aching head. It got to the point where he literally couldn’t keep lunging at her because the pain was starting to make him nauseous.

As angry at he was at the entire situation, he knew chasing after her would exhaust him far more than he was up to; a headache on top of that was not something he was willing to deal with.

Unfortunately, retreating didn’t do him much good considering that he was tired, sleepless and the headache was still very much present.

Virgil rose to the surface and frowned.

The beach was now in view and all three of the humans were already there and waiting.

—-

“There you are! We were beginning to think you wouldn’t show!”

The merman winced, face flushing slightly at the mock scolding. Roman’s voice was a little too loud.

The day continued as their meet ups normally would.

Patton and Roman fought over who had the rights to the playlist for the week.

Logan had found an article of interest and was trying to ask the resident Marine Creature what he thought or experienced based on the given information.

Said mer however, tensed up and winced at near every sound produced by the humans.

Virgil closed his eyes, barley biting back a groan of pain. He really shouldn’t have come.

“Virgil? Are you alright?”

—-

Everyone paused at Logan’s question.

Patton and Roman gasped as they actually took a good look at their large aquatic friend.

Virgil kept his teeth grit and his eyes closed. In too much pain to bother hiding it. Logan’s voice was still echoing through his ringing ears. "You can go home if you’re not feeling too well, y'know-“

“It’s fine…I’m fine-”, grumbled Virgil, only to wince right after; the vibrations of his own voice practically rattled through his teeth.

“Sure you are”, deadpans Roman as he crosses his arms, “tell you what big guy, we all know something’s up and if you don’t want to leave then-”

Virgil didn’t get to hear the rest of that sentence before he tensed in panic. All sound was drowned out by the rapid beating of his heart…were they going to make him leave? What if they didn’t wanthim to come back?

Was it because he was late?

What if they didn’t want to meet up with him again?

What if-

“Oh that’s a perfect idea!” Exclaims Patton gleefully. The tiny human was loud enough to shock the mer out of his stupor…well almost.

Still, the biggest smile was on the Barista’s face when he turned to face the giant. “Virge! Virge! Lay down and stay put, I’ll be right back!” With that Patton’s running up the beach.

Virgil blinks, belatedly realizing that he had in fact moved and laid down when Patton had told him to. He hadn’t registered that at all-

“So V, are you ready?”

The mer locks on to Roman, who was smiling all giddily, the human looked like he was ready to follow right after the other.

“Pat gives the best face massages! You're going to love it, trust me” he grins.

“I can attest to that as well, it’s excellent for reliving stress and it makes headaches a bit more bearable,” pipes Logan with a knowing look. The Pharmacist gently pats the giant’s arm. “Let us help? Even if just a little?”

Virgil’s cheeks flushed a nice red.

“F-fine”, he mumbled.

Roman bit his tongue to stifle his giggles, he decided not to tease the poor mer today, not yet at least.

—-

Patton came back with a bottle of lotion.

Virgil was hesitant at first, many human products had a smell he did not like but Patton held up the lotion so he could smell it first.

It smelt like the sea, but a bit off…ok a lot off but it wasn’t too bad, he could stand this, unlike that nail polish thing.

Logan was skeptical about placing it on his skin, in fear of a negative reaction. So they settled with placing a bit on his arm to test it. The lotion was cool on his skin, if a bit sticky.

Seeing as it wasn’t doing much in way of absorbing into the thick skin, the Pharmacist thought it best to simply negate the lotion completely.

—-

Virgil had to admit…this was nice.

He exhales slowly, his eyes drooped low, only barley stifling a yawn.

At first he had been skeptical.

Unsure how what ever a ‘massage’ was would help his headache but he honestly couldn’t deny Patton; and with the other two also eager to help, he really couldn’t say no.

Still, right now he was very glad he accepted the “help”.

It was weird initially, what with Patton pressing up the skin on his cheek, but then he pressed down and started rubbing in slow deep circles. The motion was calming, it gave him a feeling similar to the neck scratches but different. Roman was at his other cheek doing the same thing. Because neither Patton or Roman could see each other, likely because of his nose, they weren’t pushing up and down at the same time. The alternating motions caused him to shudder, sending an odd but pleasant tingling feeling all the way up to the back of his neck to the tip of his tail.

He sunk further into the touch.

Currently, Logan was on top of his hair doing similar motions as the others. Laying and leaning down- the mer is certain that the human has a piece of his hair tied around his waist to keep him from falling- Logan presses and rubs at his temples.

Virgil groans in relief, though it comes out as more of a low exhaled rumble instead. Whatever Logan was doing was working. Somehow the human had gotten rid of the pressure on the bridge of his nose, causing the pulsing in his ears and eyes to gradually become muted.

His head still hurt but having all three of his humans helping him lessened that. Each pull; push; rub and press sent him further and further…

Roman was humming something, he’s never heard the song before but…It’s nice…soothing…

Patton gently pulls his eyelid closed.

Shh-ing him with a giggle and gentle mirth.

Slightly startled, the giant couldn’t do anything but chuckle softly. Still, he complies, relaxing further and closing his eyes.

Virgil exhales slowly and evenly; letting all the calming and soothing sensations wash over him like a wave.

——

“…didn’t think he’d snore…”

“…it’s not snoring perse…Ro…more…inhaling…exhaling…gills ..”

“…I think his…cute…”

“…you think…'ery… does…cute Pat…”

Virgil blinks, groggy with sleep still hanging on his eyelids, he attempts to piece together the odd conversation he’s hearing; but he honestly, for the life of him, can’t make any sense of it.

His eyes flutter closed once more.

—–

“Virgil?”

His name is called softly, but he still startles awake.

Eyes snapping open, he blinks to find Patton with a gentle hand placed to his cheek.

Patton smiles at him- Roman and Logan are right behind doing the same.

“Hey buddy, how’re you feeling, headache still bothering ya?”

Virgil shakes his head and yawns.

“…’m ok…headache’s gone”, he rumbles out softly. “That’s good to hear! I’m glad we could help!”

“Mhm”, mumbles the mer. He sits up bracing on an elbow and he rubs his eye-

He pauses, only just realizing that the sun is almost finished setting.

Roman laughs at the expression the giant makes. “A blink and you wake up hours later huh V?

Virgil’s cheeks flush but he nods absently.

—–

Patton and Roman wave as they head carefully to the car, using Roman’s phone as a flashlight. Its not that dark but it’s a precaution.

Logan had stayed behind for a minute or two to speak with his aquatic friend.

“I know it may odd or difficult for you, but if you ever need help or simply don’t feel well, just tell us, ok? I swear to you we will try to do everything in our power to help.”

“Yeah…thanks, Logan”

The human smiles and pats his arm in farewell.  

“Any time Virgil”

Virgil smiles back.

End.

——-