How had this happened was yet to be determined, neither of them had done something out of the ordinary.
Patton had worked on the bakery as usual, alternating with Roman between backing and attending the costumers.
Logan had done his borrowing trips with Virgil, they both had to admit that living with the humans knowing about them was not so bad, they often left some food out for them and it made their lives easier.
Everything was normal the day before, but today, somehow, both Logan and Patton woke up with their sizes switched.
Virgil freaked out when he saw an unknown borrower on their house and his boyfriend was nowhere to be seen, but he calmed down when he recognized Patton, only to freak out again, having no idea why he was borrowed sized.
They confirmed that theory when Virgil and Patton showed up on the kitchen, Roman scooped the shrunken man up and held him close to his face, giving him little kisses an rambling about his new size and how cute he was.
On the other hand, Virgil, who still wasĆt that close to the humans, was a little overwhelmed when he saw Logan, he knew the man he loved was still there, but it was hard to see him as something you had feared your entire life, Logan knelt next to the kitchen counter, getting eye-level with his boyfriend and comforted him smiling and speaking softly until he calmed down.
Roman and Virgil offered to look around the bakery and the walls for a posible answer while Logan and Patton talked, once they were alone, they decided to get changed, since both of them were still on their pyjamas.
Logan guided Patton trough te walls until he got to the borrowerâs house, he used Loganâs clothes and came out to indicate Logan where his stuff were.
âI canât believe youâre wearing my clothesâ Patton said looking up at Logan, both borrowers wore darker shades on their clothes, but Pattonâs clothes were always pastel sand soft colours, so seeing Logan with that style was weird.
âWe somehow switched sizes, and the clothes changing is what youâre surprised about?â
Patton huffed âI guess Iâm trying to stop focusing on thatâ
Logan smiled softly âThatâs understandable, I still donât know why you put my tie on, I just use it because I like it, but you donât have toâ
âBut is to complete the look!â Patton said spinning âI wouldnât be dressed as you without it!â
âYouâre not dressed as me Patton, youâre just using my clothesâ
âIt can be both, but I can take it of if me using it bothers youâ
âI didnât say that, I just think is unnecessary to wear itâ Logan said, adjusting Pattonâs rounded glasses on his face âI think the best option is to catch up with our couplesâ he said, leaving his hand on the desk for the now borrower to climb on âLetâs go downstairs and see if Roman had any luck.
Patton nodded and got on top of the now humanâs hand, he had to admit being this size was exciting, but that didnât mean he wanted to stay like that, Patton just. Hoped they could fix this before his wedding with Roman.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
Warnings: Mentions of Past Trauma, arguing, death threats, self-deprecation, fear, and guilt
(Check the reblog for the links to the previous chapters and the prequel!)
This is a sequel to A Third Perspective! Read that first or you will be confused!
 Logan looked at the bedroom door as it shut, hearing the resounding click. He sighed, trying not to get stressed over the reality that he was alone with Virgil. The others were in that room. If Logan called for them they would come.
 ...if they could even hear him, that is.
 Virgil took in another deep breath, having no idea how to start this. And he thought Roman and his talk started out awkward? That was nothing in comparison to this. But he had to say something, had to get the ball rolling somehow.
 âIâm sorry.â He winced at his own words. Like Logan would forgive him with those words alone. Though, he supposed it was a good start, at least.
 Logan sighed, standing up. Best to get this over with as quickly as possible.
 âI forgive you,â Logan said, tersely putting his hand out towards Virgil for a handshake.Â
 Virgil stared at Loganâs outstretched hand. âNo, you donât.âÂ
 âYes, I do.â Logan frowned at him. âNow hurry up and accept my forgiveness so we can be done with this.â
 Virgil groaned, before taking a seat. âNo. Look, Logan. I get it. I want this over with too. But in order for us to turn back to normal...well, Iâm pretty sure this all has to be genuine. We canât just fake all this and expect whatever power who did this to us to believe it.â
 âWell, then thatâs impossible.â Logan subconsciously took a few steps back, lowering his arm. âBecause itâs quite literally impossible for me to truly forgive your actions in this form. Youâve already done me harm twice. ThisâŠâ Logan put a hand on his chest, trying to find the words to describe his emotions. â...well, frightened sensation shall only retreat once you are no longer physically capable of harming me again. Although I suppose that was your goal, so congratulations. Youâve doomed us all.â
 Virgil winced, looking away for a moment. â...I know. And I...I regret it so much. If I had made one mistake you would be-!â Virgil stopped himself, before taking another deep breath. Panicking here would do nothing good.
 âBut I know itâs hard for you to forgive me...because I still havenât forgiven you yet. Youâre feeling exactly how I felt when we were normal.â
 âExactly how you felt?â Logan could have laughed. âAnd when exactly did I try to psychologically torture you? Or dangle you off a building? My own actions, while wrong in their own right, never came from the position of trying to cause you harm.â
 âAnd you think I knew that! Maybe after the whole thing with Dee, maybe. But everything before that? I thought you were going to, I donât know, dissect me or something! And you really never gave me a good enough reason to believe otherwise either.â Virgil grit his teeth. âAnd even after everything, when I knew you wouldnât hurt me, the idea of being trapped in that cage forever still gives me a panic attack!â
 âHow unfortunate.â Logan sneered. âAs if youâre the only one whoâs dealt with trauma. I never intended to trap you in that cage forever, but after truly getting to know you I think such a fate would be fitting.â
 â...What?â Virgil had to take a step back and that. Sure, he felt bad and maybe he even deserved that as Logan stated. But Logan actually saying that?
 âWell, then, maybe I should have just let you fall,â Virgil said back, returning Loganâs sneer.
 Logan froze, paling when his own incident was brought up, still so fresh in his mind. â...no.â Logan protested weakly, his voice quieter than before.
 âYeah, if you think I deserve to be in a cage then might as well do something thatâs worth being in there for.â Virgil slowly reached out his hand towards Logan.
 âNO!â Logan yelped, backpedaling away from those fingers that mere hours ago had dangled him over certain death by a loose piece of fabric. In his haste Logan tripped, falling onto his butt as his heart rate skyrocketed.
 Virgil ignored Logan, grabbing him in his fist and bringing him up to eye-level. âCanât put me back in the cage if youâre dead.â
 Logan felt chilled to the bone, staring into Virgilâs uncaring gaze. He gulped, beginning to tremble horribly. Logan should have known better than to trust Virgil to actually be better. It had only been a matter of time before Virgil showed his true nature, waiting until Logan was alone and vulnerable...but wait! He wasnât alone, not completely.
 âPATTON!â Logan screamed as loud as his little lungs allowed. âTHOMAS! ROMAN!â
 Patton whipped his head to the door. âOh no.â He whispered as his eyes widened. âLogan!â With Roman in his hands, he ran out of the room only to see the sight of Virgil holding Logan in a fist.
 âVirgil! Put him down now!â Patton demanded.
 Logan let out a few desperate sobs, feeling overwhelmed by emotion as the crowd came in. They had heard him. That was all Logan could ask for.
 Thomas froze, eyes wide as he watched the scene before him. This...this wasnât his Virgil. Virgil might tease, but Thomas had thought that was all just witty banter. Was something more afoot at play?
 Virgil froze as he heard the others come in and at Pattonâs shout. He turned towards them, looking at Patton. His anger was slowly dwindling, replaced by an incoming sense of what he had just done. He winced.
 Patton came over, shifting Roman to one hand as he held out his free one for Logan. Silently, Virgil handed him over, not looking at any of them.
 Patton turned around and looked down at Logan with concern. âOh Logan, are you okay? What happened?â
 Roman winced, looking at Loganâs disheveled state. âOh no...Logan, are you alright?â
 âAre you hurt?â Thomas asked, peering over Pattonâs shoulder as well.Â
 âIâŠâ Loganâs voice was raspier than he would have liked, and he felt quite raw from this experience. âI am not harmed, physically. You came in just prior to him enacting his threats.â
 âThreats?â Patton looked behind him at Virgil, who was looking down at the ground, gripping his arm. Oh, Virgil⊠Patton shook his head. âMaybe it was a bad idea to leave the two of you aloneâŠâ
 âWhat were you thinking?â Roman yelled, trying to get a good look at Virgil though Patton blocked his way.
 âI...he said I deserved to be in that cage foreverâŠâ Virgil mumbled.
 â...well what were you thinking?â Roman turned to Logan exasperatedly. Antagonizing a human who already hated you was generally a good way to get yourself killed. Not that Roman thought Virgil was a killer, but⊠well, Roman had already been proven wrong about Virgil becoming a good person.Â
 âHe said he should have let me fall.â Logan looked up at Patton. âHe wants me dead.â
 It was quiet for a moment.
 âWhat?!â Thomas exclaimed, head rapidly turning to look between the two guilty parties. âWhy would you say that? Why did any of this come up in a conversation about friendship?â
 âWell to be fair, wanting someone dead is a fairly large barrier on the road to friendship,â Roman commented darkly, looking solemn.
 Patton snapped his head towards Virgil at Loganâs words. âVirgil...how could you. Did you not listen to anything we talked about before?!â Patton yelled. Virgil continued to look down, not wanting to see all the kinds of disappointment on their faces.
 âI donât...I donât actually want him...dead.â Virgil finished lamely. At this point though, he doubted anyone would believe him.
 âThen why did you tell Logan that?!â Patton was more than disappointed at this point. No, he was straight-up upset with Virgil. Patton couldnât understand Virgilâs actions at all.
 âI...I was angryâŠâ He let his anger overtake him when Logan had said that. âI was really trying to make up but when Logan had said that IâŠâ He trailed off, letting out a shaky sigh.
 âOkay, there seems to be a lot of tension here that I donât fully understand.â Thomas pointed out. âMaybe we should all just...take a moment, calm down and come back to this.â
 âNo!â Loganâs exclamation was angry, a passion filling his words that had been absent due to fear. âNo, this is ridiculous! Magic is for fairytales. None of this makes any logical sense.â
 âBut, the scroll-â Thomasâ argument was cut off.
 âForget the scroll.â Logan insisted. âWeâve all just interpreted a random mystical hypothesis together because we are frightened of the concept of not having actual explanations. But the point stands that there are no witches dictating our lives. I say we head to bed. We all changed in our sleep last night, did we not? Perhaps it will happen again.â Or perhaps this is all just some horrible dream, and I will finally be able to wake up.
 â...I think that might be a good idea.â Patton agreed. âHow should weâŠ? I mean, if we do switch back you two really shouldnât be in the walls.â Patton spoke to the two shrunken humans.
 âIndeed.â Logan murmured. âNot to mention the giant ratâŠâ
 âIâm sorry, the giant what?â Thomas frowned, feeling like he missed something.
 âPerhaps it would be best if we all slept together, then?â Roman suggested, ignoring Thomasâ question. He glanced in Virgilâs direction. â...almost altogether. Itâll be like a slumber party.â
 âI can go prep your bed, Logan,â Thomas suggested, figuring they would need the room. He left, heading back down the hall.
 Patton nodded and turned back to the two shrunken humans. âMaybe youâre right Logan. Maybe we...will turn back if we just sleep.â At least, he hoped for all their sakes.Â
 Virgil finally looked up at them, noticing none of them were paying any attention to him. He sighed, he deserved the cold shoulder in all honesty. Heâd probably be sleeping on the couch tonight.
 âUm, guys?â Thomas returned, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. âThereâs a bunch of papers all over, what should I do about them?â
 Logan tensed.
 âAh...you know, maybe itâs best we sleep at my place,â Roman suggested tactfully.
 âYeah, thatâs probably for the best.â Patton started towards the door, paying little attention to Virgil. Virgil didnât move, staying where he was. He knew he wasnât welcome with them.
 He heard the door open and Pattonâs footsteps growing quiet.
 âSo...where are you gonna go?â Thomas asked quietly.
 Virgil blinked as he looked up, almost forgetting that Thomas was still here. He shrugged. âIâll probably just...stay here. Sleep on the couch or something.â He mumbled.
 âI mean, no oneâs using Loganâs bed.â Thomas pointed out. âYouâre probably welcome to it.â
 Virgil let out a humorless chuckle. âIâm probably not welcome to it, actually.â
 â...oh, right.â Thomas bit his lip. âWell, I donât have a second bed, but if youâre really fine with crashing on a sofa you can come to my place if youâd like.â
 Virgil paused. â...Really?â Truth be told, he didnât really want to be alone right now. But that was hard when everyone seemed to hate him right now. Except maybe Thomas, it seemed like?
 âI donât know everything thatâs gone on between the two of you, but...well, I think you just said some things you didnât really mean,â Thomas said determinedly. âAnd I think everyone deserves a second chance.â
 Virgilâs lip twitched upwards. âThank you, Thomas.â He hoped Thomas would still feel that way tomorrow.
 âNo problem.â Thomas smiled at him. âCome on, follow me.â He led the way downstairs into his own apartment. âHereâs the sofa, Iâve got some spare blankets in the closet. One sec, Iâll grab them.â
 Virgil nodded and sat down on the sofa. It wasnât as soft as the bed he had woken up in that morning, but still better than his nest of old fabric.
 âHere you go.â Thomas handed the blankets over. He paused, looking at Virgil. âDo you...I mean, do you really think youâll change back in the morning?â
 âI donât know...I have a feeling, though, that this isnât over quite yet.â Virgil said, taking the blankets from Thomas and starting to lay them over himself. At the very least, it couldnât be as simple as just going back to bed.
 âYeah, probably.â Thomas agreed. âDoesnât hurt to try I guess though. And maybe we can figure out something in the morning when youâre not at each otherâs throats.â
 â...Yeah.â He wasnât going to tell Thomas that they still were going to have a lot of issues to deal with tomorrow. And he was sure they were all still going to be angry.
 âAnyways, Iâm gonna head to bed too.â Thomas walked over to the light switch. âNeed anything?â
 âNo, Iâm good.â Virgil paused for a moment. âThanks again, Thomas.â
 âYouâre welcome.â Thomas gave him a soft smile. He turned off the lights, heading down the hall to his own bed.
 Virgil settled down on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling. How did this all go so wrong? Why was he like this? None of this would have even happened if he had never been caught in the first placeâŠ
 But it was too late now. He had gone too far and now even his best friend probably hated him. A few tears escaped him.Â
 It was a long time before he finally fell asleep.
(Check the reblog for the links to the previous chapters and the prequel!)
This is a sequel to A Third Perspective! Read that first or you will be confused!
âSooooâŠ.â Roman said, eager to break the awkwardness. âLogan, howâs borrower life treating you?â
âBetter than you, apparently.â Logan looked him up and down. âWhat happened?â
âOh, right.â Roman was quick to make sure his bruises were covered. âI...fell.â
Virgil raised an eyebrow in surprise at Roman. He had expected him to tell Logan everything, but...he didnât. Huh. âYeah.â Virgil backed up.
He was getting tired of this sitting around, getting antsy and wasting time. He turned to Logan. â...I need to talk to you.â
âWell, go on then.â Logan frowned, a bit uneasy about the way Virgil was acting. âWhat do you need to say?â
Virgil glanced at Roman. âI need to talk to you alone.â And with that, Virgil grabbed Logan in a fist and headed towards Loganâs bedroom. Leaving Roman behind on the coffee table. Unlike an actual borrower, he knew Roman wouldn't be able to make his way down the table and to the room. So he could have all the privacy they needed.
He wouldnât bring Roman into this again, he didnât deserve it. But Logan? Logan absolutely did.
âWait, Virgil-!â Roman called after him, but the human was already out of sight by then. Roman huffed, glancing around the coffee table. There was no real reason for him to worry. After all, it made sense that Virgil would want to talk to Logan. But the way Virgil spoke, the way he grabbed Logan, and even the way Virgil had acted this very morning to Roman⊠the shrunken human gulped.
Roman didnât want to believe Virgil was capable of anything sinister, but he couldnât take that chance. Logan didnât deserve to be hurt any more than himself. Not to mention, Roman didnât want Virgil to do anything he might regret.
Walking over to the edge of the table, Roman sucked in a breath. He knew from his regular life this table was only a foot off the ground or so, but now it looked so much taller. Would he survive a fall from that height? Already his lungs were protesting such a feat.
No, that would be stupid. Instead, Roman turned his attention to the table leg. It was angled outwards as a design choice. Maybe he could just try to slide down that?
Meanwhile, Logan was trying very hard to keep those pesky emotions in check. Once again his heart was racing thanks to his newly acquired borrower instincts.
Virgilâs eyes immediately went to the desk and what was on top of the desk, smirking. He never thought he would be thankful to see that Logan still had the cage. He took a seat at the desk and set Logan on top of it. He simply stared at him, smirking.
Logan glanced around at his surroundings, taking note of Virgilâs chosen placement. It was a spot that had hosted a slew of unpleasant memories between them, admittedly most being Loganâs fault.
âWeâre alone now.â Logan stated. âWhatâs so urgent you canât allow Roman to be present?â Though Logan often found Roman to be incompetent, he found himself wishing for the shrunken humanâs company.
âWell, you seeâŠâ Virgil reached behind Logan, picking him up by the back of-technically Virgilâs-shirt and holding him up to his face. âI didnât want to scare him.â Again.
Logan quickly grasped at the front collar of his clothing, making sure it didnât pull too tightly around his neck as he was dangled precariously. His legs hung uselessly, kicking slightly at the air.
He gazed at Virgilâs giant eyes, sitting right before him and filled with a flurry of emotions. Logan read the humanâs expression and realized his instinctual fright might actually be reasonable for once.
Virgil felt joy at the slight fear Logan was giving off, but it wasnât enough. âSee, Roman actually treated us halfway decent and was the one to let us go in the end. So he doesnât deserve any of this.â Virgil let his grip slip and let Logan fall a little onto his other hand below. âYou on the other hand, wellâŠâ Virgilâs hand closed around Logan.
âIf it were up to you, weâd still be trapped in that cage over there, huh?â
âWhy does everyone act like Romanâs a saint?â Logan argued, pushing against the uncomfortable grip around him. âHe scared Patton first, traumatized him even. Iâm the one who rehabilitated Patton and actually made him feel safe!â
Virgil grit his teeth. âLook, I know Roman isnât a saint. I know what he did to Patton. I wasnât going to tell you this, Iâm actually surprised Roman didnât. But he didnât fall, like he said he had. I...admittedly, went too far, giving him a taste of his own medicine.â Virgil shrugged, though he did feel really bad about hurting Roman, he was trying to make Logan as scared as possible.
âBesides, Roman ended up making up for it, more or less. You, on the other hand, despite Pattonâs thoughts and feelings towards you, ended up betraying him. And donât think Iâve forgotten about all the things you did to me.â Virgil chuckled darkly. âHow could I?â
Logan began to get concerned, now knowing the origin of Romanâs injuries. If that was the extent Virgil was willing to hurt Roman, a human who was possibly a friend, what extent was Virgil willing to go to for Logan? From the very beginning Virgil had despised Logan, and Logan knew it was for a good reason.
âVirgil, you have to understand.â Logan began to plead, knowing words could be his only salvation. âThe way I treated you was the worst decision of my life. I have felt guilty about it ever since. Itâs why I didnât present you to the dean. Itâs why I treated Patton so much kinder. I was trying to reform myself just like Roman. To make up for my past actions, if you will.â
âReally?â Virgil rolled his eyes and placed Logan back down on the desk. âYou mean you tricked Patton. Not telling him the whole truth, making him decorate his own cage for petes sake!â Placing two hands on either side of Logan, Virgil leaned in close. âAnd donât think I didnât notice that you didn't answer my earlier question. Itâs because itâs true, isnât it? If it was up to you, Patton and I would still be in that cage right there. Right?â Virgil glared daggers at Logan.
Logan gulped, quickly taking a few steps back. His heart thudded under his ribcage, voicing its own distress at this situation. Should Logan try and make a run for it? But where would he go? In any direction Logan was still trapped on the desk.
âAh...wellâŠâ Logan floundered for words, not even knowing the true answer himself. Logan wished he could confidently say no, but he could not. He had certainly intended on keeping the borrowers before, who's to say he wouldnât fulfill that intention? Possibly for a lifetime?
Virgil hummed. âWelp, thatâs enough of an answer for me.â Virgil grabbed Logan up again, this time scooting the cage a little closer and dropping him inside. He closed the door with a resounding click. He smirked, watching Logan through the bars. âSo, how does it feel?â
Logan groaned, his back hitting painfully against the metal bottom. He stood up, glancing around at his enclosure. Though the bars were intimidating, it was a bit difficult for Logan to guess Virgilâs plan. Did the human mean to keep him here indefinitely? It was hard for Logan to actually fear such a fate, given the knowledge that Patton and Thomas were sure to return shortly.
âUnpleasant.â Logan answered Virgilâs question with a defiant glare.
Virgil returned the glare, his coming off much harsher. âThatâs it. Thatâs all you have to say?â Virgil was getting angry at the lack of reaction and so he gripped the side of the cage and rocked it harshly once. âHow about now?â
Logan was thrown to the ground, his hands just barely catching himself from smacking his head against it. His heart skipped a beat, panting from the adrenaline. Logan could feel his legs and palms throbbing. The sudden movement had caused both areas to scrape along the surface.
âVIRGIL!â Roman yelled, all but limping into the doorway. He had taken a slight tumble off the coffee table leg and had had to travel the distance from the living room to the bedroom on foot, but one look at the scene before him and Roman knew that it had been worth it. His horrible gut feeling had been right after all.
Virgil looked down, eyes going wide at the sight of Roman. âWha-Roman, how did you-?!â Virgil kneeled down and wasted no time in scooping Roman into his hands, looking him over. âDid you climb down the coffee table? Roman, you arenât actually a borrower, you could have died!â Virgil used a finger to gently nudge Romanâs leg, which seemed to have taken the worst of Romanâs little fall.
âOw!â Roman hissed, pulling his leg away from Virgilâs touch. âIâm borrower enough, thank you very much. And itâs your fault I had to climb down in the first place.â
Logan sat up slowly, watching the scene above him apprehensively from his spot on the cage floor. He didnât want to stand just in case the cage was shaken again. Of course, Logan also spotted the cruel irony in how fast Virgil changed from torturing himself to babying Roman.
âI didnât make you do anything.â Virgil said, but looked away.
âCome on, Virgil.â Roman scolded gently, gesturing to the cage with his hand. âYouâre better than this.â
Virgil looked at the cage, at Logan, and glared. â...This doesnât concern you, Roman.â Virgil said, looking back at Roman, his glare softening a little.
âYes it does!â Roman argued. âIâm trying to help you, you stormy scoundrel. Youâre all twisted around this foolish idea of revenge that youâre not thinking clearly.â
âRevenge against acts for which I have already apologized.â Logan pointed out.
âLogan, I swear to odin, you are not helping your case.â Roman glared briefly in the direction of the cage.
âHe deserves all of this!â Virgil told Roman, before once again glaring at Logan. âAnd you. You think a simple apology makes up for everything?â He set Roman down on the desk, before lifting up his shirt, showing off the many black and blue bruises covering his skin. If one looked close, they would see that they matched the outline of giant fingers. âYou think words make up for this.â Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, but he didnât allow them to fall.
At this magnitude, it was hard not to notice every detail of Virgilâs markings. Courtesy of both former humanâs manhandling. They both could only stare so long before guilt overcame them. Logan began fiddling with his glasses, trying to distract himself. After all, neither had ever intentionally done Virgil harm. It was merely due to the size difference and gripping Virgil too tightly. Yet their intentions were irrelevant when it came to actual results.
Logan was at a loss for words. Though this process was frightening, perhaps he did deserve this. Logan had never been an empathetic person by nature. A shared experience might allow him to feel some empathy towards all the pain he had caused Virgil.
Roman, however, still did not believe that Logan deserved this punishment. After all, Roman was just as guilty of accidentally bruising borrowers. He was sure that if Patton were to show off his chest it would be just as littered with markings. But Roman now had his own set of bruises, and hoped that perhaps that could be his ticket to getting through to Virgil.
âYou know what?â Roman looked up at Virgil. âI think words do make up for that.â Roman lifted up his own shirt, showing off the large oval bruise left there this morning by Virgilâs finger. âBecause guess what, ya vengeful viper? You did it too. And all you did to fix this was apologize.â
Virgilâs eyes widened at the sight of Romanâs bruise and he let his shirt drop back down. âIâŠbut IâŠâ He hated to admit it, but Roman had a point there. He only had his words to give when what happened this morning, well, happened. And, he was honestly surprised, but Roman had forgiven him. Even though the shrunken human was clearly still hurting.
Virgil couldnât just forgive Logan though. He had done so much more to deserve this. Caused so much fear in Virgil, tricked Patton and then broke his heart, almost showed him off to a human, who also happened to be a scientist. Not to mention, thinking back on things, Logan hadnât actually, truly, apologized.
âB-But I meant my apology! And Logan hasnât even given me a proper one but even if he did, how do I know he means it? He just admitted he would have kept both me and Patton in that cage if it hadnât been for you!â Virgil said through gritted teeth.
âWhy would you say that?â Roman turned exasperatedly towards the cage, dropping his own shirt to use his arms to emphasize his point.
âI thought honesty would be the best policy.â Logan shrugged.
âUnbelievable!â Roman threw his hands up in the air before turning away from Logan.
âAlthough, in my defense, I never actually admitted to that.â Logan continued.
âYouâre silence was enough.â Virgil said. He opened the cage door, once again grabbing Logan in a fist.
Logan struggled, feeling bruises of his own forming as Virgilâs fingers pressed the air right out of his lungs.
âVirgil, put him down!â Roman yelled, trying to hide his own fright at how fast Virgil had grabbed Logan up.
Virgil didnât put him down, but he did loosen his grip when he felt Logan struggling a bit too much. Despite what both of them might think, he wasnât here to actually hurt Logan. He turned to Roman. âGive me one good reason why I should! Give me a reason why I shouldnât scare him as much as he scared me, Roman. I thought he was going to kill me. I thought he was going to dissect me for heavenâs sake!â He glared down at Logan. âGive me one good reason why I shouldnât hate him.â
Logan paled, staring into Virgilâs terrifying gaze. He felt his form shivering despite the fact it wasnât cold. Though Virgil had loosened his grip, Logan still found it difficult to draw breath.
âUmâŠâ Roman bit his lip, trying to think of a good reason. He wasnât particularly fond of Logan himself, but that didnât make this right. Of course, morality alone didnât seem to be having any effect on Virgil right now. The old borrower was so blinded by his rage that it was hard to come up with any answer that would get through to Virgil.
âPatton likes him?â Roman said with a shrug.
âPatton likes everyone.â Virgil deadpanned. âI know it took awhile for him to warm up to you and all, but eventually he does. And take into account that Logan tricked and lied to himâŠâ Virgil shrugged and smirked. âItâs hard isnât it? Giving me a valid reason. Because, youâll find, that there isnât one.â
âWell youâve got me there.â Roman muttered to himself, putting his hand on his chin to think.
âLook-â Roman said finally after coming up with nothing. â-Iâll admit it, Iâm stumped. I cannot think of a good reason for you to not hate Logan. He was manipulative, selfish, and is generally unpleasant to be around.â
âWonderful.â Logan said sarcastically. His life was figuratively in Romanâs hands (whilst literally being in Virgilâs hands), and Roman decided to insult him to his face. How helpful.
âBut!â Roman quickly continued. âHating someone is not a good enough reason to torture them. An eye for an eye may make eyepatch sales go up, but it doesnât leave anyone feeling better about themselves. Hurting Logan isnât going to change the past or help the future. Just let it go, Virgil.â
Romanâs words were getting Virgil mad, only because he was starting to see his point. But, that didnât mean Virgil was giving in so easily. Besides, it seemed Romanâs whole point was based off of Virgil planning to hurt Logan, and well⊠âIâm not going to hurt him.â Virgil spoke. It might take some of the fear factor away, admitting that to Logan, but he needed to say it.
âI had never meant to hurt you either, but I didnât know my own strength as a human. Now, I can control it a bit better.â Â Virgil took a deep breath. âThis isnât about hurting him, itâs about making him feel what I felt. Emotionally, mentally, but not-not physically.â Despite...hating Logan, he would also hate to hurt him.
âWell, I think youâve met your goal there.â Roman gestured to Virgilâs fist. âNano nerd over here is shaking like a leaf.â
âY-yes.â Loganâs voice stuttered against his will. âYouâve made your point...incredibly clear.â
âPlease,â Virgil rolled his eyes. âYouâve only experienced a portion of what I went through. This isnât over.â The stutter in Loganâs voice was satisfying to hear though. Suddenly, they heard the front door open.
âVirgil! You should have seen it! It was amazing! There were so many humans and so many different foods to choose from! But the humans werenât scary at this size! It was so much fun!â Pattonâs voice called into the house. Virgil felt panic start to rise in him as he looked between Roman and Logan. He...hadnât thought this far ahead.
Warnings: Mentions of Past Trauma, arguing, self-deprecation, fear, and guilt
(Check the reblog for the links to the previous chapters and the prequel!)
This is a sequel to A Third Perspective! Read that first or you will be confused!
 Patton woke up slowly, blinking his eyes awake. The first thing he saw when was the ceiling but when he looked off to the side, he let out a long sigh.Â
 He was still human-sized.
 And Roman and Logan, who were still asleep on the pillow next to him, were still borrower sized. It looked like Logan was wrong after all.
 He turned his gaze back to the ceiling, deciding to not wake the others up yet. His eyebrows pinched together as he thought about Virgil. Virgil was his best friend and he had always been a timid borrower at best. Extremely cautious, maybe a bit sassy but never too much with Patton. He was a kind soul though.
 But as a human...Virgil was dangerous to their once fellow borrowers. Sure, he could understand his anger but what he didnât understand was his want for revenge. And Patton even thought they had finally gotten through to Virgil! But...apparently not. He glanced over at Logan.
 Poor Lo...Patton knew even Virgil wouldnât kill someone, no matter how angry he was, but at Loganâs size and current state of mind...there was almost no doubt that Logan must have fully believed Virgilâs threats. And that was not okay. Nothing Virgil had done was okay but at this point, Patton was unsure of how to make everything better.
 All Patton knew was today was not going to be fun.
 Slowly, Roman began to join the waking world next. He groaned, feeling the pain of his injuries return full force now that he was conscious. Roman looked around, frowning when he saw he was still small. Well, it had been worth a shot. Although if that meant Logan and Virgil really did have to become friends...maybe Roman should get used to this size.
 âUp and at âem, Micro-Microsoft.â Roman shook Loganâs shoulder gently. âWeâre still small.â
 Logan groaned into the pillow, the reaction likely a mixture of hearing he had to wake up and he was still a few inches tall.
 Patton turned over when he heard Romanâs voice, looking at him with a sad smile. âMorning, Ro. Morning, Lo.â
 âMorning.â Both borrowers returned the greeting with an almost deadpan expression.
 âSo...I guess going to bed wasnât the answer,â Patton said, biting his lip.Â
 âI suppose not.â Logan sighed, sitting up.Â
 âPerhaps we should regroup and refuel,â Roman suggested, trying to lighten the mood a little.
 âI think thatâs a good idea. Come on, weâll go get Thomas and have some breakfast.â Patton didnât mention Virgil, of course, knowing he was currently a sore subject. He offered his hand to them.
 âWhy Thomas?â Logan raised an eyebrow, helping Roman climb on as they both looked worse for wear.
 âBecause heâs our friend?â Roman raised an eyebrow of his own.
 â...oh, right,â Logan said. âI had forgotten that is a friend thing to do.â
 Patton chuckled a bit and then carefully got out of bed, heading out and to where he knew Thomasâ apartment was at. Patton was just about to knock on the door when it opened. His eyes widened when he saw Virgil.
 Virgil stared back with equally wide eyes. He had decided to leave back to Loganâs apartment before they got there, knowing they would probably come here and eat with Thomas. But it looked like he was a little too late. âUhhâŠâ He was at a loss for what to say.
 âWhat are you doing in Thomasâ apartment?â Roman asked, his tone a bit snippy. He felt the way Logan tensed up next to him.
 âI...he offered to let me sleep on his couch,â Virgil answered quietly, only briefly glancing at Roman before turning away.
 âWell, that was um, nice of him.â Patton tried but he felt awkward. âWhere is Thomas?â
 Virgil shrugged, taking a few steps back to allow Patton to enter. âProbably still in his room.â
 âIâm right here, actually.â Thomasâ voice came from behind Virgil, having snuck up on them. He leaned around Virgil, smiling at the trio. âDo you guys want to join us for breakfast?â
 Virgil jumped slightly but quickly composed himself. Patton blinked and then smiled. âYeah! That sounds great!â
 âAwesome, come on in!â Thomas waved them all into the kitchen. âAh...I havenât really gone grocery shopping in a while, but Iâm sure I can scrounge up some eggs.â
 âThat is satisfactory.â Logan murmured quietly.
 âIâm sure whatever you make will be wonderful, Thomas.â Roman praised.
 âAre you aware of how many times he has set off the smoke alarm?â Logan reminded him.
 Virgil watched, not moving, as everyone headed into the kitchen. He wanted to follow them but...once again, he probably wasnât welcome. He glanced back towards the front door, wondering if he should stick with his original plan and go back to Loganâs apartment while the rest of them ate. Just to give them a little peace before they were forced to talk to him again.
 Seeming to sense his guestâs hesitation, Thomas called over his shoulder. âVirgil, you coming?â
 Virgil met Thomasâ eyes before sighing and walking over to the kitchen. Patton was already at the table with Roman and Logan on top. He avoided eye contact with all of them as he went over to the corner and leaned against the counter.
 Patton looked at Virgil for a moment and then sighed as he looked away. Things were so tense, how did they even begin to fix this?
 âYou know, you donât have to keep inviting him, Thomas.â Roman reminded him, feeling the tension as well.
 âOkay, letâs lay some ground rules.â Thomas said, frowning at Roman as he pulled out the eggs. âMy apartment is a safe zone. There will be no threats, no insults, and no shaming. Sound good?â
 âAnd here I thought my apartment was supposed to be a safe zone.â Logan pointed out. âAnd yet, look what occurred.â
 âLogan, what did I just say?â Thomas sighed, cracking some eggs into a pan.
 Virgil closed his eyes tight to stop any tears from falling before he pushed himself off the counter. âMaybe I should just go.â Virgil muttered, already walking towards the living room.
 Patton bit his lip. âVirgil, wait.â Virgil froze, waiting for Patton to continue. âIâŠâ Patton didnât know what to say and after another few beats of silence, Virgil sighed.
 âRight.â He mumbled, before continuing.
 Thomas pushed the eggs around in the pan a bit, contemplative. The only sound in the kitchen being the eggs frying. âSo...do we want to talk about the scroll?â
 âNo,â Logan answered immediately.
 âWhat about it? It isnât like itâs actually helped us at all.â Virgil muttered, having paused for another second when Thomas said that.
 âWell, I think itâs important,â Patton spoke up. âMaybe if we look at it again, it will give us another way to fix everything?â Patton suggested but Virgil scoffed.Â
 âYeah, I highly doubt that.â He should just leave already.
 âThe scroll is our best bet,â Roman argued. âWe just have to keep doing as it says.â
 âItâs a scroll, itâs not like the message is going to change!â Logan threw his arms up in exasperation. âAnd there is no doubt in my mind that it requests an impossible outcome.â
 Virgil growled. âWe all get it, Logan! Iâm a monster! This is all my fault!â Virgil yelled before realizing he was letting his anger get the best of him again. He let out a deep sigh. âIâll be in Loganâs apartment, in case you wanted to continue this whole avoiding me thing.â Virgil turned around and started walking out of the kitchen.
 âSTOP!â There was a loud voice suddenly echoing through the apartment. Everyone froze, heads snapping to look in the direction of the front door as it suddenly burst off its hinges, lying on the living room floor.Â
 Two girls stood each leaning on one side of the doorway, arms crossed and looking smug. Both girls were adorned with long flowing robes and pointy hats to match. The girl on the right wore a robe that was a beautiful ombre of violet to teal, with her hat sharing a similar hue. The girl on the left had a more brash pattern, her robe split down the middle with half being a bright red and the other a dark blue. Her hat was split in the same fashion but with the sides of the colors swapped. From both hats, several charms hung, a series of symbols whose meanings were not immediately transparent.Â
 âBetcha didnât see that one coming.â The girl in red and blue smirked.
âEr, sorry about the door.â The girl in purple and teal said. âIt was her idea.â She pointed to the other girl.
âI...whuâŠâ Thomas dropped the spatula in his hands with wides eyes, the utensil clattering to the floor.
âIâm Mandy, this is Arc.â Mandy, the one in red and blue gestured to herself and then her companion with her thumb.
 Arc waved with a smile. âHi!â
 Virgil simply stared at them, as everyone else was. âI-Iâm sorry, what? How did you evenâŠâ He glanced down at the door.
 Arc grinned. âWeâre witches!â She said as if that explained everything.
âAnd weâre here to make things write.â Mandy smirked, making a quill appear briefly in her hand. The others didnât seem to catch her drift, so with a sigh Mandy made the quill disappear.
âWhat does that even mean?â Thomas looked confused.
âAww, donât read into it.â Arc teased, playfully elbowing Mandy. The two witches giggled at their own inside joke, not caring to explain their multi-dimensional, fourth wall-breaking humor.
âThe witches are real.â Roman said breathlessly, torn between wonderment and terror.Â
âThat...that isnât possibleâŠâ Logan sat there, trying to comprehend what was happening as he gaped like a fish.Â
At the sound of their voices, Mandy let out a gasp, taking a step forward and grabbing Arcâs arm. She pointed at Pattonâs hands. âOh my goodness, look at them. Theyâre cuter than I imagined.â
 Patton held the two closer to himself as the two witches came closer. Looking at them both warily. Arcâs eyes widened. âOh my gosh, youâre right.â She sent the two of them a smile. âHello Roman, Logan. Itâs nice to finally meet you two.â She paused. âOh, and itâs great to meet you guys too!â She said, looking between Patton, Virgil and Thomas.
âHow do you know who we are?â Logan asked warily.
âAnd whyâd you curse us?â Roman got straight to the point.
ââCurseâ is a strong word.â Mandy put her fingers in a steeple formation. âThis is more like⊠a gift gone awry. Have any of you seen the movie âElla Enchantedâ? Itâs about a girl whoâs fairy godmother gives her the gift of obedience. Sounds like a great idea, but ends up backfiring. Repeatedly.â
 âIn other words, we really were just trying to help you guys.â Arc finished and Virgil let out a humorless chuckle, bringing attention to himself.Â
 âYeah, well, fat load of good all this did.â He waved towards all of them, indicating their sizes. âYou know, none of this would have happened if you had just left us alone.â Virgil growled through grit teeth.Â
 Arc frowned. âWe can still fix this.â She walked over to Thomas and held out her hand. âThe scroll, if you could, please Thomas.â
â...I left it in my bedroom.â Thomas said, almost in a daze.
âThen go get it.â Mandy waved him off with an eye roll, watching the human trip over himself to get the scroll. âHonestly, you all keep leaving your props in the most bizarre places. You didnât even put away the ice cream yesterday.â
Roman blinked. âWe didnât?â Not that it was his responsibility, being only a few inches tall, but...still. That was a lot of ice cream wasted.
âHereâs the scroll, your majesty.â Thomas panted, running back into the room to hand it to Arc.
 Arc laughed. âArc is fine, Thomas, neither of us are royalty.âÂ
âSpeak for yourself.â Mandy preened, looking pleased.
Arc ignored her. She looked down at the scroll moving it so Mandy could see it too. âAlright...Iâm thinking we change that?â She pointed.
âPerfect.â Mandy pulled the quill out from thin air again, crossing out the text and scribbling something else down. âAll set, the terms of your contract have been changed.â
âChanged how, exactly?â Logan pressed, always a stickler for details.
âAll of you are no longer required to be friends.â Mandy explained, her quill disappearing. âBut in exchange, you do have to live together.â
 Virgil blinked. âIâm...Iâm sorry, what?â
 âBasically,â Arc continued. âYou donât have to be friends but you have to be civil and agree that you, Virgil, wonât move when you return to your original height.â
âAny questions?â Mandy asked, taking the scroll and shoving it back into a flustered Thomasâ hands.
âWell, actually-â
âGood!â Mandy cut Roman off. She raised her hand, and with a puff of smoke both witches were gone as quickly as they appeared.
 âWhat...What the hell was that!â Virgil exclaimed.Â
 âVirgilâŠâ Patton warned at the language and his tone. Virgil shook his head, trying to calm himself down. But it wasnât really working.
 âThis is insane, how does this even help us?!â
âIt gives an opportunity for redemption.â Roman huffed. âNow suck it up and make up already you two.â
 Virgil bit his lip, looking over at Logan, knowing Roman was talking about the two of them. Or, really, more specifically himself. He sighed. âYouâre rightâŠâ He took a step closer to the human turned borrower and found himself unable to meet his eyes as he began to speak. âLoganâŠâ He thought back to his previous conversations with both Roman and Patton. âI messed up.â
âIndeed.â Logan agreed.
âLogan.â Thomas gave a warning tone, still clutching the scroll.
Logan sighed. âI have committed many errors as well.â
 âI want to be clear that I really donât want you dead.â Virgil said, closing his eyes for a moment. âI just...I let my anger get the best of me and I did things to you and-and you, Roman, that Iâm not proud of. That I regret.â
 Patton smiled, his heart welling up inside his chest. âAww, kiddoâŠâ He was proud of him for trying to make things right.
Roman didnât meet his eye.
âThat is...welcoming to hear.â Logan admitted. âThough I hypothesized such a mindset, your actions at times made me suspect otherwise. It is at least of benefit to know that your actions were not intentionally fatal.â
â...but they were fatal.â Roman couldnât help but mutter.
âI beg your pardon?â Logan turned to him.
âVirgil, you still-â Roman took a deep breath. âYou could have killed Logan. Me. Us. And I really do think that wasnât your intention, but⊠it just kept happening. And I just want to know why I wasnât enough to stop it.â
 Virgilâs eyes widened and he could already feel the tears start to roll down his cheeks. âRoman...I-â Virgil bit his lip as he looked down at the ground. âNone of this is your fault Roman. And you shouldnât blame yourself for not being able to stop me, Iâm not your responsibility.â He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
 âI think, the truth is...Iâm still scared.â Virgil admitted quietly.
 âKiddo?â Patton asked but he already knew what Virgil meant.
 âIâm still scared and I forced it to turn into anger because I could finally do something about it.â Virgil added on, possibly even quieter this time.
âItâs a survival mechanism.â Loganâs eyes widened in realization. âA side effect of the âŠ. Traumatic events.â Logan paused. âFor which I am responsible.â
âI scared him too.â Roman admitted.
âYou didnât resort to cages.â Logan sighed, knowing he was fully responsible. âAnd you didnât mistreat Virgil as I did.â
 Virgil finally looked up and met Loganâs eyes. âA large part of me is still scared that youâll put me back in that cage.â Virgil closed his eyes. âEspecially...after what Iâve done today.â
 Patton felt his eyes water at the sight of Virgil so scared. He knew all too well what Virgil was dealing with in terms of feelings.
âI understand your fears.â Logan admitted, knowing he still felt a similar fear that Virgil would reach out and grab him at any moment. âBut Virgil, I can assure you that is not the case. I do not feel a need for revenge against you, at any size. I simply want safety and peace between us. I am sympathetic towards your plight and already intended to return that device at my earliest convenience, once I can again lift the contraption unassisted.â
 âI...want to believe you.â Virgil admitted but his heart still beat rapidly inside his chest. âItâs just hard.â
âI...think thatâs what this is for.â Thomas spoke up, looking again at the scroll. âPerhaps thatâs why you two are meant to agree to be roommates- so you can have time to understand each other.â
 âThat makes sense.â Patton agreed, looking over Thomasâ shoulder to see the scroll too. âRemember guys, those witches changed the rules. You donât have to be friends and make up right this minute. You just have to agree and promise youâll live together.â
 âI...guess you do have a point.â Virgil admitted. Still, the thought of interacting with Logan at his normal size again was giving him anxiety already.
âWell, what do you say?â Roman looked between the two. âCan you two suck up your pride for once?â
Logan rolled his eyes at Romanâs comment, but took a step forward. âI am willing to coexist.â Logan declared, sticking out his hand. âI promise to be understanding to the best of my ability and provide a safe living environment.â
 Virgil hesitated before reaching out and gently taking Loganâs hand between his two fingers. âAnd-And I promise to give you a chance and to not move away.âÂ
 âAww, this is so pure.â Patton whispered in glee.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
Warnings: Mentions of Past Trauma, Revenge, and Panic, Fear, Crying, and Guilt
(Check the reblog for the links to the previous chapters and the prequel!)
This is a sequel to A Third Perspective! Read that first or you will be confused!
 âV-Virgil!â Logan quickly tried to grasp onto Virgilâs fingers so that if Virgil let go he wouldnât immediately fall. Logan didnât dare look down at the drop that might be his fate, instead staring only at Virgilâs face. Virgil wouldnât really do it...would he? His face was unreadable, especially in the dark. Virgil had said he only wanted to scare Logan, but that was before the phone call with Dee. Logan gulped. The shrunken human had noticed a change in Virgilâs behavior, almost as if Virgil had fully snapped in half. Perhaps Virgilâs end game had changed.
 Virgil raised an eyebrow. âWhatâs wrong Logan? Scared?â He smirked.
 âYes.â Logan all but screeched. If all it took for this to end was for Logan to admit he was scared, Logan would do it in a heartbeat. And he just did. âVirgil, please, think about this. I thought you didnât want to hurt me. W-what if your fingers slip?â
 âWhat? You mean like this?â Virgil let his pointer finger and thumb grip the fabric of Loganâs shirt, before letting the rest of his fingers loose. Logan was now hanging over the edge by just his shirt.
 âNo!â Logan cried out, desperately trying to swing his legs up or reach his arms back to get a solid grasp on Virgilâs digits. It was no use, and with a jolt, Logan felt himself slowly starting to slip out of his shirt.
 âVirgil, please!â Quickly Logan switched tactics, clinging to the garment because his life depended on it. Loganâs eyes began to water. Tears began to stream down Loganâs face as he began to desperately plead for his life as if he had any control over whether or not Virgil released him to plummet to the cement several stories below. âVirgil, I donât want to die. Iâm sorry, okay? Iâm sorry Iâm so sorry Virgil please donât kill me please no VIRGIL-!â
 Virgil should have been happy, having finally broken Logan, having finally shown him the fear he had gone through, but...he didnât. It felt bad. No, it felt worse than bad, he felt-he felt absolutely awful. Loganâs cries were painful to listen to, absolutely heartbreaking.
 What on earth was he doing?
 He quickly but carefully brought Logan to his chest and backed several feet away from the edge. Now that he was thinking more clearly...what had he been thinking?! What if his hand had slipped? What if Logan managed to slip out of his shirt? What then? Logan would haveâŠ
 âShh, itâs okay, Iâm sorry. Iâm not going to hurt you, Iâm sorry, Iâm sorry.â Virgil tried to reassure Logan. Wanting to get away from the roof, Virgil started back downstairs and back to Loganâs apartment, still cradling Logan close to his chest.
 The tear stains on Loganâs cheeks had frozen in the chilly rooftop air, creating an unpleasant sensation on his skin. Of course, this was hardly a problem, as the new tears just washed away the tracks once they were inside the building. It seemed once the tears started, Logan couldnât stop them. Almost as if his many years of not expressing emotions had been bottling up tears for this very moment.
 Youâre alive. Logan tried to comfort himself. The tears kept falling.
 Virgil shut the door behind him and raced to the bedroom. Logan was feeling cold, which made sense seeing as how it had been very cold outside, and so he placed him on the bed. Moving the covers so Logan could use them and then ran to the bathroom real quick, grabbing a tissue and coming back. He winced at Loganâs tears, looking away as he placed the tissue near Logan. He didnât say anything.
 Logan tucked himself into the small crease in the blankets, allowing them to fall around him and begin to warm up his shaking limbs. Logan pulled the tissue closer, using the corner to wipe at his eyes. Slowly it seemed Logan ran out of tears, and with a slight hiccup, Logan wiped his face one final time with the tissue.
 Virgil didnât know what to say. What could he say? What he did had been awful. He had been so blinded by his anger that he had really almost killed Logan. All it would have taken was a simple mistake and the former human before him would no longer be here.
 Not even Logan deserved that.
 First Roman and now Logan⊠âMaybe I did deserve everything that happened to me.â He muttered. And then, a little louder, he said, âbecause I was wrong. That was wrong and I am...so sorry.â
 Logan only nodded, still clearly in shock as he stared at a spot of nothingness in the distance. He shuddered, pulling the edges of blankets tighter around his chest as if they could offer some form of protection.
 Virgil sighed but hadnât expected Logan to talk. â...Do you need anything?â He asked, echoing what he had said this morning to Roman.
 Logan paused in consideration before giving another nod.
 âOkay, umâŠâ Instead of trying to get Logan to tell him what he wanted, he left the room a got a little of everything. Just as he had done for Roman. He placed the pile he had gathered at the end of the bed, looking back at Logan.
 âAlright, so I have some water, food, I found a heating pad? If you want that?â Virgil asked, holding it up.
 Logan shook his head. He didnât want any of those things. Instead, he motioned to himself and then whooshed his arms in another direction just as Virgil had done back when they first met.
 Virgil deflated, recognizing the gesture and knowing exactly what it meant. â...You want to leave, donât you?â
 Logan gave a simple nod. He now understood why, as a borrower, Virgil had been so desperate to get away. When the adrenaline brought on by fear was still fresh in your veins, a human presence felt overwhelming no matter what their intentions.
 âWell, okay, but umâŠâ Virgil looked from Logan to the floor. âNo offense but uh...how are you going to get down?â
 Logan gave Virgil a glare, feeling offended anyways. Since his limbs were warmed up, Logan decided to prove himself. He moved out from under the covers over to where the comforter draped all the way to the ground. This way, even if he fell a pile of blankets were beneath him. Logan grabbed onto the thick fabric, jumping off the edge of the bed and sliding down.
 It took everything in Virgilâs power not to dive over there to grab Logan, to stop him. But he didnât, he simply watched, though he did move closer a few steps just in case.
 After a few moments Logan landed safely on the ground, the only injury gained was a slight rug burn on his hands. Logan tried to look smugly up at Virgil, but the further back he craned his neck the less confident he felt. The shrunken human crossed his arms, hoping to look more confident and hide his shaking as he stepped back against the bed frame.
 For Loganâs benefit, Virgil ignored the shaking. âHuh, impressive.â He knew that had been quite the distance for the shrunken human. Especially since he had no borrower skill.
 Logan gave him a nod in acknowledgment.
 Virgil nodded back as he fidgeted slightly. âSo, uh...Where are you gonna go?â If Logan wanted to get away for a little while, sure, that was fine. But it would make Virgil a little too anxious not knowing where Logan was.
 Logan paused, having not thought this far ahead. Where did a borrower go to get away? Should Logan go there, too? He wanted somewhere far away from Virgil, someplace safe and out of a humanâs reachâŠ
 Getting an idea, Logan began to walk towards the doorway, taking the long way around where he pressed himself up against the wall to keep as much distance from Virgil at all times as possible.
 Virgil didnât move but continued to watch Logan closely as he walked. âUmâŠ?â
 Logan didnât bother answering as he entered the hall, turning the corner to get out of Virgilâs line of sight.
 Virgil bit his lip. Logan wanted to be alone, so he really shouldnât be following him...but at the same time, a number of things could happen if Virgil let Logan go off on his own completely. If Logan had been born a borrower, it would be fine. But a human at that size, having only very little idea on how things were...yeah, no. Virgil didnât want to take any chances.
 Virgil walked until he was in the doorway, scanning the floor until he saw Logan still walking.
 Logan knew where he wanted to go and didnât let the trembles of Virgilâs footsteps deter him. Logan wasnât sure if Virgil would try to stop him, so he began to walk more quickly towards his target: the trapdoor in the floor.
 The wood plank was still slightly uneven from when Patton had lifted it this morning, which reminded Logan that this was not a perfect safe haven. No, Logan did not plan on staying there. It was the only entrance Logan knew of into the buildingâs wall tunnels. Logan would borrow what he needed from Virgilâs own borrowing supplies and set off where no human had gone before.
 Thus decided, Logan lifted the trapdoor and began to climb down.
 Virgilâs eyes widened as he realized what Logan was about to do. âUh, Logan!â He took a few steps forward but stopped himself halfway. âLook, I know you want to be alone and stuff. I get it, but the walls-the walls arenât the best place for a human. You donât know the layout, itâs like a maze in there!â Virgil spoke, trying to convince Logan. He knew taking any sort of action wouldnât be good at the moment
 Logan frowned. How dare Virgil act as though Logan was an incapable innocent when moments ago Virgil was dangling him over the roof like an active transgressor. Logan had already guessed the layout would be winding and difficult to navigate, but he also had the foresight of the human layout of the building on his side. If he kept in mind what the tunnels would appear as outside the walls, surely Logan could find his way around.
 So, in response to the humanâs words, Logan stuck a single finger out at Virgil before pulling the trapdoor shut behind him.
 Virgil found himself confused by the gesture but didnât have any time to think about it as Logan disappeared from his view. Shoot! Welp, so much for not taking any action.
 Virgil ran to where Logan had been, dropping to his knees harshly as he gripped the loose floorboard and pulled up, easily lifting it from the floor.
 Logan froze, watching the roof disappear from above and flood the entire room with light. Quickly abandoning the idea of looking for supplies, Logan took off into the closest borrower-sized doorway.
 Virgil tried to reach out his hand to grab Logan, but it was too late. Logan was gone, off into the walls.
 This wasnât good.
 Putting down the board he still held off to the side, Virgil stood up and started to pace, hand running through his hair. This was all his fault, if he hadnât been so overcome by the idea of revenge this wouldnât have happened. And now Logan was in the walls, probably getting lost. He just hoped the shrunken human didnât run into any spiders...or rats.
 He had to get him out of there. But how? It wasnât like Virgil could go in...after himâŠ
 Maybe he couldnât, but Roman could!
 As quickly as he could, he ran off to Romanâs apartment.
Warnings: Mentions of Past Trauma, Mention of death/almost killing someone, Arguing, and Guilt
(Check the reblog for the links to the previous chapters and the prequel!)
This is a sequel to A Third Perspective! Read that first or you will be confused!
(Totally didnât forget to post this yesterday...)
                        _______________
 Virgil entered back into Loganâs apartment with Roman in hand, seeing Logan and Patton already in the living room. He smiled at Patton but avoided eye contact with Logan. Things might have gone well with Roman, but Logan was an entirely different story.
 He looked around the room. âWhereâs Thomas?â
 âOh, Iâm in here!â Thomas popped in briefly from the kitchen. âI figured Iâd make everyone dinner while you were busy working out your feelings.â He dried his hands on a small towel. âSo, howâd it go?â
 âWonderfully!â Roman said enthusiastically.
 âSatisfactory,â Logan said, less enthusiastically.
 âIt was...good. Really good, I think.â Virgil said.
 âAmazing!â Patton exclaimed, even more enthusiastic than Roman.
 âSee? I knew you could do it!â Thomas began looking between them. âSo, whoâs next?â
 âI want to talk to Virgil next,â Patton said, causing Virgil to worry. Virgil could guess where this was going.
 âI suppose I can talk to Logan, then.â Roman offered.Â
 âOh, you suppose?â Logan muttered to himself, rolling his eyes. Thankfully no one seemed to hear him.
 âOkay, well how about you two just talk out here?â Thomas offered, gesturing to the coffee table where Logan already stood. âThen Patton and Virgil, you two can take Loganâs bedroom.âÂ
 Virgil nodded. âAlright.â He put Roman on the coffee table before following Patton into the bedroom.Â
 Virgil stood awkwardly in the middle of the bedroom as Patton shut the door behind him. His friend then came over to stand in front of him, crossing his arms. Virgil found himself receiving the disappointed look from before. âIâm really sorry Pat, I-â
 âI know Virgil.â Patton cut him off, dropping his hands to his sides and looking at Virgil sadly. âI know. I know you and I know you regret it, right?â
 Virgil nodded furiously. âYes, I do, so much.â Virgilâs earlier self-deprecation and thoughts came back to him and tears welled up in his eyes. âI-I almost killed them, Pat.â
 âOh kiddo.â Patton came forward and captured Virgil in a hug, holding him tight. âShh, itâs alright. The important thing to remember is you didnât kill anyone, okay?â Virgil sniffed against Pattonâs shoulder.
 âYou sound like Roman.â Virgil let out a watery chuckle. Patton, for his part, looked intrigued.Â
 âOh?â He had to assume Roman and Virgil were friends now, with how they responded to Thomas before, but he wanted to know what happened exactly. Virgil nodded.
 âYeah, he...forgives me. Told me not to worry about it and that Iâm only a bad human because I was never meant to be human.â Patton hummed, nodding.
 âSounds right to me,â Patton said and pulled away a little to be able to see Virgil. âLook kiddo, weâre already friends, so this talk isnât about that. And I forgive you for everything as well, butâŠâ Patton sighed. âIâm sure you know.â
 âLogan.â Virgil sighed and Patton nodded.
 âYeah. I already talked to him about you. And I asked him to at least hear you out about things. So Iâm going to ask the same to you, okay? I know what Logan did to you, to us, was wrong. But Logan knows that now, and heâs apologized.â
 âI-I know,â Virgil said after a moment of hesitation. Patton looked at him.
 âVirgil, both of you are feeling some of the same things right now. I can tell. You both regret what you did but youâre not sure if you can forgive the other for what theyâve done.â Virgilâs eyes went wide, thatâs exactly how he felt. Even though he regretted his actions and didnât feel like Logan deserved them, he was still...upset at Logan for everything he did before.
 But Patton was right, as always. They were in the same boat here, and if he wanted Logan to forgive him, he needed to work on forgiving Logan.Â
 âIâll try, I promise,â Virgil said and Patton grinned.
 âGood. Iâm proud of you kiddo.â They hugged again before pulling away fully this time. They stood there for a moment.
 âShould we...go back out now?â Virgil asked, motioning towards the door. Patton chuckled.
 âSomething tells me they arenât done yet. We should probably wait for Thomas to come to get us.â Virgil nodded, looking around the room.Â
 âSo, whatcha wanna do until then?â Patton thought for a moment, before snapping his fingers.
 âOh! I never got to really tell you about my trip out with Thomas! It was great, okay, so, we get in his car, right? And then-â Virgil took a seat on the bed, listening to Patton speak with a smile on his face as they both waited to be called back.
***
 Thomas waved goodbye to the borrowers, heading back into the kitchen. The two looked at each other, not sure what to say.
 âSoooâŠâ Roman tried to start off the same way he had with Virgil, but Logan cut him off.
 âDonât.â Logan shook his head, turning away.
 âWha- donât?!â Roman looked offended, jogging over to where Logan stood so the nerd couldnât ignore him. âExcuse me, did you just tell me to shut up? Did you forget the whole point of this?â
 âWeâre neighbors, not friends,â Logan said, putting a hand on Roman and gently pushing him away to keep the prep from invading his personal bubble.
 âYeah, but we have to become friends to appease the writer witches, remember?â Roman reminded him.
 âThat whole idea was preposterous to begin with.â Logan pushed up his glasses. âWhile I had no problem strengthening my relationship with Patton, I see no reason to do the same for you or...Virgil.â
 âOkay, Virgil, I get.â Roman put his hands up in surrender, knowing Logan was still traumatized. âBut why not me? What have I done?â
 âOh, where do I begin.â Logan looked too gleeful for someone about to list off negative traits about his fellow human. âFor starters, the very first interaction the two of us have ever had in person was you running into me and harming our respective borrowers, as well as myself, in the process.â
 âThat was an accident-!â Roman tried to protest.
 âAh ah ah, I wasnât finished.â Logan waved his finger back and forth. âEven before I met you I disliked you. Frankly, you donât even make a good neighbor. Youâre rude with how loudly you blare your âtunesâ and disrespectful in keeping me awake late into the night. I havenât had a good nightâs rest since you moved in.â
 âYou never even tried to talk to me about this,â Roman argued.
 âI left many strongly worded letters in your post box,â Logan informed him. âBut after a period of time, it became clear that receptacle was never checked.â
 âSo what, you wonât be my friend because I forget to check my mail?â Roman crossed his arms. âReally?â
 âHardly.â Logan was far from finished. âLet us fast forward to after that incident. I learn you traumatized Patton,-â
 âI already apologized to him for that.â
 â-break into my apartment, repeatedly insult me, and then insist that Iâm a villain for trying to protect my friend.â Logan ignored Romanâs outburst.
 âI didnât call you a villain for trying to âprotectâ Patton.â Roman huffed, getting annoyed. âI called you a villain because you were trying to keep two people captive. Again.â
 Logan rolled his eyes. âThen letâs fast forward to today, shall we? When you repeatedly took Virgilâs side despite the fact that he was actively trying to torture me.â
 âI wasnât on Virgilâs side, I was on your side.â Roman insisted. âI came to rescue you. Thatâs why I climbed off this table to go after Virgil!â
 âOh really?â Logan raised an eyebrow. âThen why did you insist I didnât tell Patton? Whyâd you insist I lie and hide the nature of my injuries? What possible benefit could that have for me?â
 âI was trying to keep everything civil,â Roman argued. âI wanted to keep the peace between everyone. I thought Patton deserved some happiness, and I thought Virgil deserved a chance to ...change.â
 âYes, and that worked out so well.â Logan sneered. âI almost died because of your foolish redemption thoughts. Next time, leave the thinking to those of us with a brain.â
 âHey!â Roman knew Logan had every right to be angry at him, but that was just rude. âYou werenât innocent as a human, either.âÂ
 âI didnât dangle anyone off a building.â Logan hissed, looking extremely tense as he began to shake.
 âOkay, yes, fair enough.â Roman backed up a few steps, giving Logan space. âYou didnât do that. But I talked to Virgil, and he knows he screwed up. Big time.â
 âStop saying that!â Logan pulled at his hair slightly, tears forming in his eyes. âStop talking about him like heâs changed or or like heâs not just waiting in there to be alone with me again and- and-â
 âLogan!â Roman rushed over, rubbing at Loganâs shoulders comfortingly. A few tears began to fall from the nerdâs face, but Roman tactfully ignored them as he pulled Logan into a hug. Roman began rubbing circles into Loganâs back.
 âLogan,â Roman said firmly. âVirgil is not going to kill you. Patton and I will stay in the apartment, okay? Thomas is here, too. You have nothing to worry about.â
 âI-I know.â Logan winced, hearing a hiccup come out with his words. He hated appearing weak, but at least Roman wasnât mocking him for it like Logan would have expected. âLogically, it makes...sense. Virgil wonât try anything with everyone around.â
 â...but?â Roman prompted.Â
 âButâŠâ Logan sighed, pulling away from the hug to take a seat on the wooden surface. He pulled his knees to his chest. âItâs just...difficult not to feel afraid of impossibilities at this size.â
 âI know what you mean.â Roman sat down beside him. âI have been scared soooo many times today. By Virgil, by Patton...and by a certain giant rat.â
 âThat thing was atrocious.â Logan shuddered.
 âYeahâŠâ Roman paused, finding the timing right to ask a question he had been wondering ever since that incident. âHey Logan, why did you save me from that thing, anyways?â
 âIt was the right thing to do.â Logan shrugged.
 âWell, that doesnât seem like a very âyouâ answer.â Roman teased.
 âI havenât been feeling very âmeâ today,â Logan admitted. âAlthough I suppose thatâs the problem, Iâve been feeling far too much today. Itâs exhausting.â
 âDoes that include feelings...for me?â Roman said hopefully. âBecause, yâknow, logically, I think saving someone from a giant rat is less of a neighborly thing and more of a...friendly thing?â
 Logan chuckled. âI suppose it...could be classified as such an act, yes.â
 âAnd does that mean weâre friends?â Roman leaned very close to Logan, eyes sparkling.
 âAh, not quite.â Logan pushed him back. âI still have one last question for you.â
 âGo ahead, bestie.â Roman winked, elbowing him lightly.Â
 â...Why do you hate me?â Logan asked, looking down at his lap.
 âWait, what?â Roman frowned, leaning back slightly. âIâm trying to make you one of my best friends, why on earth would I hate you?â
 âBack when Virgil was trying to scare me,â Logan winced, âthe first time, he asked you for one good reason to not hate me. And youâŠâ Logan looked at his hands, clenching them into fists. â...you came up with nothing.â
 â...oh.â Roman suddenly remembered that he did, in fact, say that.
 âAll you could think to say was that Iâm manipulative, selfish, and generally unpleasant to be around.â Logan gritted his teeth. âBut now that some old piece of paper says weâll be human again if weâre âbest friendsâ, youâre suddenly acting all buddy-buddy.â
 âLoganâŠâ Roman sighed. âI only said those things because I was trying to say what I thought would make Virgil listen. Anything good I said about you wouldnât have been good enough for him, heâd just shoot it down.â
 âWhat, so you werenât even willing to try?â Logan scoffed.
 âI pandered to my audience,â Roman admitted. âI talked about you in a way that I thought would make Virgil agree so that heâd see my point. I was trying to protect you.â
 âWell, you have a funny way of showing that.â Logan pointed out.
 âOkay, fair enough.â Roman conceded. âBut you do have to admit that, before, you were all of those things.â
 âI was not âgenerally unpleasant to be aroundâ!â Logan said in a huff.Â
 âThat one was harsh!â Roman put his hands up in defeat. âIâll admit, not my best work. I could have phrased it better. But you were, in the beginning, cruel to both of our borrower friends.â
 âBut youâve changed.â Roman continued. âYouâre not those things anymore. I know we havenât spent much time together, but weâve had our share of good moments. And youâre clearly listening to others, being empathetic, and using your knowledge for good. Youâve made a terrific borrower.â
 â...I do try.â Logan adjusted his glasses.Â
 âAnd you saved me.â Roman reminded him. âDespite the fact you thought I hated your guts, you saved me. You really did do it just because it was the right thing, didnât you?â
 âWell, yes,â Logan said. âAfter all, I donât lie.âÂ
 âLogan, Iâm...Iâm sorry.â Roman apologized. âIâm sorry I ever called you the bad guy. Youâre a good person.â
 Logan looked over at him. âReally?â
 âReally.â Roman nodded. âYouâre a good person, who deserves a decent sleep schedule. So Iâm sorry about my music, too, and when everything switches back I promise to fix that.â
 âAnd I shall promise to approach you with my problems rather than allowing them to accumulate in your mailbox,â Logan promised.
 Roman stuck out his pinkie, wanting to make it official.
 âReally, Roman?â Logan raised an eyebrow. âWeâre not twelve.â
 âCâmon, I want to make it official.â Roman gave a small whine. âBesides, Iâve kind of got a thing going right now.â
 âFine.â Logan entwined his pinkie with Romanâs.Â
 âExcellent!â Roman stood up, offering Logan a hand to help him stand. âFriends?â
 âFriends,â Logan confirmed, taking Romanâs offer. He wasnât sure exactly what a friendship with Roman would look like, but Logan was at least willing to find out.
(Check the reblog for the links to the previous chapters and the prequel!)
This is a sequel to A Third Perspective! Read that first or you will be confused!
 âAw,â Thomas commented, walking in on them as Roman was still holding Loganâs hand. âLook at you two, being all friendly.â The two stepped away from each other, looking embarrassed.
 âThomas,â Roman asked. âIs dinner almost ready? Iâm starving.â It was at this moment Roman realized that, other than the ice cream earlier, he had not eaten a proper meal all day.
 âYup!â Thomas nodded. âI just finished, Iâll go get the others and we can eat.âÂ
 âOh, wonderful.â Roman watched Thomas go down the hall, pausing to knock on the bedroom door.
 âPatton? Virgil?â Thomas called out. âFoodâs done.â
 Both Patton and Virgil turned to Thomas with a smile, Patton having just finished his story. They followed the human out to the living room. Stopping real quick to pick up a borrower. Roman with Virgil and Logan with Patton, of course. Before heading to the kitchen as letting them off on the table.
 âOh! What are we having?â Patton asked Thomas as he sat down.
 âWell, I was going to make you all a delicious meal from scratch,â Thomas said with a smile, bringing plates to the table. âAnd then I remembered I canât do that. So instead hereâs the best I could manage.â Thomas began to set down plates of frozen pizza in front of each person. He had cut some ultra-tiny slices for Roman and Logan, which were served on teacup saucers.
 Virgil looked at it for a moment, trying to remember what the food in front of him was. âOh, itâs pizza, right?â Heâd seen plenty of humans having some, but it was one of those foods that were almost impossible to borrow, so he had never had it.
 Patton looked excited. âIt looks so good! Thank you, Thomas!â
 âAw, youâre welcome Pat!â Thomas sat down at the head of the table, digging into his own portion.
 Logan looked at his plate, trying to decide how to best go about this without losing his dignity.Â
 Meanwhile, Roman seemed to have abandoned that train of thought a long time ago. He picked up the slice from the middle, taking a large bite and getting sauce all over his face.Â
 Virgil was about to take a bite out of his pizza (after watching how Thomas did it) but had to stop to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. âRoman, what the heck?â He asked.
 Patton had already taken a bite, eyes wide with how good it was, when his attention was turned to Roman as well. He chuckled.Â
 âWhaaaat?â Romanâs words were a bit muffled as his mouth was full. He chewed and swallowed. âIâm hungry!â
 âClearly.â Logan gestured to Thomas. âI do believe weâll need a napkin over here.âÂ
 Thomas hid his own smirk, placing a napkin between them.
 âBesides, I donât see you doing any better.â Roman pointed out, wiping his mouth off before going in for another bite.
 Logan eyed his meal. âI donât think Iâll be eating tonight.â
 âAww, come on Logan! We havenât eaten anything all day! Unless you want to count the ice cream, but Thomas told me it was more of a snack.â Patton said, shrugging. Virgil didnât say anything, but he did glance in Loganâs direction.
 âWell, I donât particularly want to make a fool of myself.â Logan glanced briefly at Roman. âBesides, if we truly are going to change back soon, surely I can just eat then.â
 Roman looked back and forth between Virgil and Logan, not so sure. âUh...I think you should eat, Logan.â Roman advised. It would likely be a while before everything changed back.
 âYeah...you should really eat. Besides, none of us will think that.â Patton assured, smiling at Logan gently.Â
 Virgil took another bite of pizza, looking away. He wasnât really surprised about Patton and Romanâs thoughts on how things might go...but he was surprised with Logan. Did he truly believe they could work things out?
 âI can...get you something else to eat?â Thomas offered, feeling like this might be his fault. He hadnât really chosen a dinner plan with borrowers in mind.
 âThat would be appreciated, Thomas.â Logan gave a small nod. Thomas went to the kitchen, returning with a few slices of cheese and lunch meat.Â
 Logan began to rip some smaller pieces off, eating them. Roman tried to take some as well, but Logan swatted his hand away.
 Virgil finished his slice and sat back. He tried turning his gaze anywhere else, but he couldnât help but look at Logan. Knowing what was coming next. And he was sure Logan was dreading it just as much as he was.
 Patton went to take another slice, noticing Virgilâs gaze. Patton bit his lip, even though he knew Virgil wouldnât try anything now, he was still a little worried.
 The tension in the room was palpable. Even Thomas, who was oblivious to just how out of hand the situation had gotten, could feel it.
 Logan could feel Virgilâs eyes on him. Logan grimaced, finishing off his food but keeping his eyes locked down on his empty plate. Only now did Logan realize he should have eaten slower. Perhaps then he could have delayed the inevitable.
 Roman glanced between them, wincing. âSoooâŠ.â Roman looked around at everyone, trying desperately to break the silence.
 âIâm done,â Virgil spoke, picking up his plate and standing. âWhere should I put this?â He asked Thomas.Â
 Patton frowned, while Virgil was no longer looking at Logan, the air was still tense. And kind of awkward.
 âOh, Iâll just take it.â Thomas offered, wanting a chance to escape back into the kitchen. He began to gather up the other empty plates as well.
 Virgil handed his plate over but didnât sit back down, instead stuffing his hands into his pockets as he watched Thomas take the plates to the sink.Â
 âVirge, kiddo, maybe you should sit back down and rest for a bit-â
 âI just want to get this over with, okay?â He was sick and tired of how everyone was looking at him. âI mean, ughâŠâ He rubbed his face. Right, he couldnât get angry, not again.
 âI just think we need to start now because it might...take us a while.â
 âAgreed,â Logan said, although his eyes were still looking down. Now that Thomas had removed the plate, Logan was just staring at the graining on the wooden table.
 âOkay, but first, letâs all just take a second to calm down.â Roman stood up, putting his hands out towards Virgil and Logan as he stood between them looking back and forth. As if he could keep them apart. âWe donât want to do anything we regret here.â ...again.
 Roman did have a good point. Virgil took in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. He thought back to what both Roman and Patton told him.Â
 He opened his eyes and nodded. âOkay.â He simply said.Â
 Patton smiled at him, knowing he was really trying. âAlright, now...how do we want to do this?â Patton asked. He was sure Logan didnât want to be picked up by Virgil.
 âAhâŠâ Roman glanced at Logan, remembering his promise to stay nearby. âWell, Patton and I could just go to the bedroom and you guys stay here?â
 âIâll go with you!â Thomas added on hastily, wanting to leave this awkward situation before he got roped in.
 â...Sounds good, I guess.â Virgil said and Patton grinned.
 âGreat!â He offered his hand to Roman and as he got on, Patton leaned it close to Virgil. âRemember to hear him out, alright?â Virgil nodded and Patton gave him a more gentle smile before walking towards the bedroom with Roman in hand.Â
 âCome on Thomas!â
 âGood luck, guys!â Thomas waved at them, shutting the bedroom door.Â
 â...okay, so how long until we hear yelling?â Roman asked, raising an eyebrow.
 âIf weâre lucky not at all,â Patton answered, setting Roman down on the desk. âBut...probably in the next five minutes.â
 âAnd weâre all good here, right?â Roman raised an eyebrow, gesturing between himself and Patton.
 âHuh? Oh! Oh, yeah! Of course!â Patton paused for a moment. âUnless thereâs anything you want to talk about?â
 âJust one thing,â Roman said, sticking out his pinkie finger.
 Patton tilted his head in confusion. â...What?â
 âA pinkie promise,â Roman explained. âYou touch your pinky to mine, and it makes our friendship promise unbreakable.â Roman gave a small shrug. âI did it with Logan and Virgil, so I figured Iâd complete the set.â
 âOh!â Patton grinned. âAww, thatâs so cute! Humans come up with the best stuff!â He held out his pinkie.Â