Tiny Virgil Headcannons? Buckle up, friends!
- After the incidents with the other three, to say Virgil was living up to his title would be a vast understatement.
- Seeing the others as kids had been cute and all (Dad’s four week stint as a kid had been worrying towards the end) but it was NOT a thing he wanted for himself.
- He refused any and all Roman Adventure Invitations, even if he really did enjoy playing the snarky villain with Princey from time to time.
- They still had no idea what had caused Dad’s bout of littleness, and frankly Virgil found that far more worrying. How do you protect yourself from something if you don’t know anything about it???
- So, when he woke up and realized his hoodie was way bigger than it should be, he did not handle it well.
- The terrified screams brought Patton bursting into the room, and he stopped short at seeing Tiny Virgil crying and screaming on the bed, his tiny hands buried in his hair, knees pulled up to his chest.
- Virgil slowly became aware of strong arms holding him, a familiar scent, that particular shade of blue that always signaled safety and home to him.
- “It’s going to be okay, Virge. Breathe. In for four, hold for seven, out for eight. That’s good, sweetheart, you’re doing amazing!” Patton’s soothing voice spoke softly to him. He slowly started to calm. A hand carded through his hair, and he let out a small whimper before burrowing deeper into Patton’s arms.
- Patton kept up the soothing litany of words, but inside? Screaming. His sweet, emo child was cuddling him, and look at how adorable the giant hoodie was??? It was enveloping Tiny Virgil and LOOK AT THE SWEATER PAWS!!!!
- Patton scoops him up and brings him to the commons, and Roman immediately jumps to his feet with a loud “I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT THIS TIME!!!!”
- “We know, Roman.” Logan rolled his eyes, slowly closing the book he’d been reading and putting it aside.
- Tiny Virgil squirmed until Patton put him down, then toddled over to Logan. The evil smirk that crossed his face should really have been the logical side’s first clue what he was about to say.
- “NOT AGAIN!!!” Logan groaned before heaving a long suffering sigh and picking up the now beaming Virgil to sit on his lap.
- Tiny Virgil has retained more of his adult mind than the others, and he’s not sure why. On the one hand, it helps lessen the panic knowing that he can still keep Thomas safe. On the other hand, every time the others are kind to him, cuddle him, do things for him, he feels this very sharp pain in his heart because he just knows they will never like him this much as an adult.
- That doesn’t mean he’s above using this situation to his advantage, however. He’s always wanted to be hugged, to be cuddled, just to have some friendly physical contact in his life. The others never did anything like that in the past, but being little gives him the perfect opportunity to indulge, and nobody has to know.
- Tiny Virge is always making grabby hands, asking for “up” and “snuggles”, and Patton IS SO HERE FOR THIS, YES, MY LITTLE SHADOWLING YOU CAN HAVE AS MANY SNUGGLES AS YOU WANT!!!!
- Tiny Virgil prefers grape juice in the purple sippy cup, whereas Tiny Patton needed only apple juice (NEVER GRAPE) in the blue sippy cup. When Logan made that error the first time, he cringed expecting a Patton Level Tantrum. Instead, he got a shrug from Tiny Virgil who just said “Is okay, Momma. You twy.” Logan decides right then and there that he LOVES Virgil and devotes an inordinate amount of time to making absolutely certain that he is happy.
- Patton finds this precious beyond measure.
- Roman isn’t on the best of terms with Virgil, even after they’d gone to get him back in Accepting Anxiety. So, he’s not surprised when Tiny Virgil is very wary around him. He is a little hurt, but he understands.
- One day, while Tiny Virgil is coloring with Black Cauldron on the TV, Roman sits down on the couch next to him. Virgil glances at him, but doesn’t stop what he’s doing.
- “What are you drawing, my dark little Prince?”
Tiny Virgil pauses for a moment, regarding him with surprisingly adult eyes, almost like he’s taking his measure.
- “Favit aminal. Trash panda! See?” When Tiny Virgil shyly holds up his adorable drawing of a black and purple raccoon, looking for all the world like he expected the prince to laugh at it, Roman felt his heart break a little more.
- “Virgil! That’s incredible! Truly, I love it. It reminds me of your new jacket.” Now Virgil frowned, hiding behind his bangs.
- “Too ittle for jacket now. Don’t fit.” His voice sounded so sad, and Roman simply could not stand it.
- With a flourish of his hands, he produced a small version of Virgil’s jacket. “How about this one? Will it do until we can make you big again?”
- Tiny Virgil dropped his crayon, his mouth falling open in shock. He started to reach for it, then visibly stopped himself, looking up at Roman uncertainty.
- “Why? You hate me. You just being nice cuz I’m small. You’ll hate me again when I’m big.”
- Oh, something inside Roman’s heart just shattered at that sad little statement. What on Earth had he done to his Dark and Stormy Knight?
- Roman sat forward, a very serious look on his face. “Virgil, I have NEVER hated you. I have disagreed with you, disliked how you made Thomas feel from time to time, but I have never hated you. I misunderstood you, and it was easier to paint you as a villain than to admit I had misjudged you. That was my failing, not yours. If I ever made you feel lesser or unwanted, you have my most sincere apologies. You are quite extraordinary, Virgil, and I assure you, I will like you even more when you’re big again.”
- Tiny Virgil’s lower lip quivered, his brown eyes swimming with emotions. “… Promise?”
- Roman extended his pinky finger, face still serious. “I give you my most solemn vow.”
- Virgil hooked his pinky with Roman’s, then launched himself into Roman’s arms. That tiny hoodie became his favorite piece of clothing, and he absolutely refused to be parted from it.
- Two weeks later, when Virgil wakes up normal sized, he is fully expecting everything to go back to the way it was.
- Logan greets him with a warm smile, Patton envelopes him in a warm hug before cheerfully ruffling his hair and grabbing the grape juice from the fridge. Roman gives him a fierce hug that lifts his feet off the ground.
- Virgil acts embarrassed, but nobody misses how he has to duck his head to wipe happy tears away or the small smile on his face.