5 Times Someone Stopped Virgil From Self-Harming and 1 Time He Stopped Himself

Patton

It's a little bittersweet today to see Virgil putting his all into the timed laps on the track field. Bittersweet, as in, the previous day he'd been quite down and unmotivated while today he's energised and ready to challenge Roman to some relays, but Patton knows that he's trying to run on empty again.

The evidence is in how Virgil had nothing but a granola bar for breakfast, then turned down Patton's offer for lunch because he had an art project to start planning. Even now, as Patton sits down in the grass a few meters away from the track in the afternoon sun, he can see the fatigue in Virgil's movements and how he's actually a little further behind Roman than usual. He's sure that, with something more than just a snack, his partner really could beat Roman's time.

He continues to observe as Roman slows down a little just to run alongside him, telling, or maybe asking him something then raising an eyebrow as Virgil makes some dismissive hand-wave gesture and starts to sprint faster. He eventually finishes before Roman (by throwing himself across the finish line - Patton can hear Roman exclaiming, 'Hey, this isn't long jump!') and lays there for a few moments, catching his breath, before pushing himself up to his feet. There's a little more conversation, then Virgil waves to Patton and jogs over to sit next to him, Roman continuing on his way around the track.

"You beat Roman!" Patton grins as Virgil practically flops backwards and rests his head in the grass for another moment.

"He went easy on me, but yes." Virgil smiles back; his voice gives away just how parched he is. He eventually props himself up on his elbows and gratefully takes the water bottle offered to him. "You still have music later, right?"

"Yep, I have an hour to go. I just came here to give you something." As Patton rummages through his backpack, Virgil sits up fully with curiosity. "I noticed you haven't eaten much today, so I got you this. It's important to refuel."

He hands him a sandwich, something simple like Virgil always prefers when he does eat. It's then that he suddenly realises, with a cramp squeezing at his stomach, just how hungry he really is. "Thank you, Pat."

"It's no problem, Virge." Patton presses a quick kiss to his cheek. "With all the sports and the dancing that you do, you probably need to eat more than the rest of us."

That's true - in his first year of college he bought an old second-hand fitness watch, just to see if he liked it, and since it was old he couldn't rely on its accuracy entirely, but the numbers of calories burned every day including respiration were definitely much higher than the usual number he'd expected. By the end of the year, the watch was too old to really function and Virgil had never gotten a replacement since, but his routines haven't changed very much since then. Even so, he just finds himself not having time to eat. He'll oversleep a little bit, have some coffee and a small snack and head to his first class, then he may as well run through some of his dance routines between classes when he has an hour or more of free time, and when he's not dancing or in class he's likely trying to beat various records on the track field or with other sports equipment. He's always on the move, always anxious, never resting, not even to replace some of that lost energy.

He always thought that he may not fill out his old clothes as much anymore.

Patton smiles sadly as he watches Virgil finish the entire thing like it's his first meal in days - then again, perhaps it is. "Eating enough is important, especially when you exercise as much as you do."

"It is." Virgil lays back in the grass again, appearing to be in thought for a moment. "Just... I tend to forget. Like, I'm always busy, or I just don't realise when I'm hungry."

"Well, it may be helpful to set some reminders for yourself around meal times. Try to listen to your body more - if you're feeling unfocussed or tired, maybe you need to eat something." Patton repositions himself so he's laying on his stomach, then touches his nose to Virgil's as the smile grows on his face. "If you start ignoring your hunger on purpose, I'm going to have to physically fight you."

That last comment elicits a fond laugh from Virgil. "Can you fight?"

Patton hums in thought. "I'll get Roman to physically fight you." He then sits up again so he can call out towards the track. "Hey, Roman!"

Their athletic friend perks up at Patton's calling and swiftly runs over to join them on the grass. "Hey, Patton, what's up?"

"Can you promise Virgil you'll physically fight him if he keeps ignoring his hunger?"

Virgil groans exasperatedly, but there's still a smile on his face at his partner's antics. He wouldn't admit it now, but he feels quite a bit better physically after eating something. It could help to remember this moment whenever he's fatigued or considering running on empty again, so when he and Roman quickly start play-fighting in the name of self-care, with Patton cheering them both on, Virgil finds himself feeling almost better than ever.