TW: Very excessive swearing; Self-Harm; Continuing off the misgendering; lack of consent

This book is just going to be really angsty for awhile

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"fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!" With every word, Virgil kicked the stone wall of his previous cellblock harder until he was sure he'd broken a toe. He then moved to slamming both his fists hard into the wall with a final, "FUUUUCK!" Before collapsing onto the floor and curling in in himself, digging his nails into his head while slamming it into the side of the wall until he fell to the floor in a tight ball with quiet sobs.

"When you're done with your tantrum-" Lea was interrupted by a bloodshot glare from Virgil who continued to dig his fingernails now in his shoulders.

"What the hell happened to- ya' know what, I don't give a fuck!"

"Really? Because you just gave...what, nine? Nine fucks, just a second ago." Lea hummed, sitting on the bottom bunk that he and Tom shared.

"Are you trying to help? Because you're doing just wonderful at that." Virgil snapped sarcastically.

"Tom just told me to keep you and sir royal punch over there separated and make sure you don't hurt yourself- I mean, too late on the second part, god your knuckles bleed easy." Lea tutted.

"My apologies for my abundance of blood." Virgil slumped against the wall, sinking down against it slowly before his head hit his knees that he had drawn to his chest.

"So...why's your man hitting on mine?" Lea cocked an eyebrow, lifting his glasses up onto his head and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why would I know that? I- " Virgil grumbled in confusion before standing up and beginning to pace, "That's not the Roman I once knew, I guarantee you that- he's...he's changed and I'm not sure why." He paused to look at Lea who simply shrugged, "What could they have done to him?"

"Have you tried asking?" Lea cocked his head.

"Ah, of course! What a perfect solution!" Virgil gasped dramatically, "Not like he didn't just break down at the sight of me!" He snarled angrily.

"Chill dude- I didn't mean you had to ask him-"

"Tom...right, we can use Tom.." Virgil mumbled.

"Well, I mean, I don't know exactly how-"

"Roman's obviously got something going on for him right now..." Virgil mumbled.

Lea sighed in frustration, "What I meant by that, is-"

"And it's clear that Tom isn't going to-"

"You can't use Tom!" Lea snapped, standing up.

Virgil flinched.

Lea sighed sharply, "Just because you've lost your boyfriend, doesn't mean I'm losing mine." He emphasized the last word through taking a thumb to chest chest in a pointing manor.

Virgil's shoulder's sagged and he mumbled a sorry.

Lea pace a bit before rubbing his temple, "Emotions aren't exactly my forte.."

"I can tell." Virgil grumbled.

"But, this is important to Tom, I suppose." Lea groaned.

"I'm not forcing you to help." Virgil shrugged.

"No, you're not, that's Tom's job." Lea smiles slightly before reassuming a blank expression, "But I'm not using him in any seductive manor with Roman."

"Who's to say it's seductive? They were friends before they were...lover things.."

"Lover things?" Lea sniffed.

"I don't know," Virgil groaned, "Them liking each other but not that much and-"

"Roman clearly has those feelings present right now." Virgil paced.

"Why is that? Didn't he hate Tom?" Lea leaned back down into the bed.

"He did, Yeah, beyond anything- the guy temporarily deafened him, for Pete's sake." Virgil snorted.

"So why is he head over heels for him versus you? Did he get shot in the head?" Lea scoffed.

"He's alive, so that's a no." Virgil rolled his eyes.

"Did he hit his head falling down?" Lea frowned.

"No, his head was clear of any damage." Virgil shuttered as the scene of Roman being shot replayed in his head.

"Where'd he go after he got shot?" Lea inquired.

"Not sure, I never found that out-" Virgil was interrupted when Tom busted in, slamming the door behind him, getting a sharp call from the guard.

Lea cocked an eyebrow curiously at Tom.

Tom had his back plastered to the door with a violet red face.

This seemed to erk Lea who began to run a dug in finger nail along the edge of the mattress.

"The hell happened?" Virgil squinted.

"He just- obviously thinks we have the same intimacy that we did wh-when we were in school." Tom cleared his throat.

Lea stood up sharply along with Virgil who straightened up sharply.

"Not that it's reciprocated." Tom hissed.

Both parties relaxed momentarily.

"What did you find out?" Virgil asked desperately, stalking towards Tom.

Lea stayed where he was.

"Nothing and a lot." Tom sighed, letting his back relax against the door.

"So?" Virgil pressed.

"He seems to remember everything about me until I broke your leg- he doesn't remember that. He...actually seems to have mixed some of the memories of me with you and some memories of you with me.." Tom mumbled.

Virgil's fists clenched, "So, he thinks I'm you and you're me?"

"Essentially." Tom winced.

"Wonderful." Virgil moved his hand to his forehead with a sigh, "How'd that happen?"

"I don't think he can remember- all he's aware of is he got put in here for conflict with you and he was unrightfully accused when you two got into a fight." Tom shrugged, "He doesn't want to talk about it."

"Unrightfully-" Virgil scowled, "What happened to him?"

"Don't know, seems to have something to do with wherever he was between being shot and now because he locks down whenever I touch his bullet wound." Tom frowned.

"What did-" Virgil began but was interrupted by Lea.

"Where's his bullet wound?" Lea glared slightly, though hardly visible through the sunglasses that he'd put back on his face.

Tom scratched the back of his head, "Um, his...shoulder?"

Lea squinted before muttering a string of incoherent words and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Stop pouting." Virgil rolled his eyes before looking to Tom, "Obviously something happened-"

"And he doesn't seem to be getting better." Tom sighed.

"Clearly." Virgil chewed on the inside of his cheek.

"He-" Once again, Lea interrupted, this time interrupting Tom.

"Why was your face red when you entered?" Lea looked up.

"Wh-what?" Tom asked shakily.

"Why was your face red?" Lea repeated.

"Why does it matter?" Tom squinted.

"I'm considered what measures are worth it." Lea shrugged.

"Measures? What are you on about?" Tom folded his arms self-consciously over his chest.

"I'd like to know the answer to that question too, actually." Virgil mumbled.

Tom gritted his teeth, "Look, it wasn't my fault- he just kind of- and then he...well like, his lips and-"

"His lips!?" Virgil yelled, beginning to walk towards Tom, pinning him up against the wall with a strong glare.

"Yeah, he did this that's why." Tom winced, turning his face away from the glaring Virgil.

Tom was shoved to the ground by Virgil who clasped his hands to his mouth.

"I didn't consent to any of that, that's why I left-"

"He didn't force you to." Lea croaked.

"Wh-what? Of course he did!" Tom yelped.

"N-No, no. Lea's right...Roman isn't that forward- me being you or you being me- he's not that forward-" Virgil choked, turning on Tom, "You ass, you lead him on!"

Lea dug his nails into the mattress.

"I was getting information like you wanted! Why not listen to my story, you-!"

"Brian." Lea stood up.

"What?" Virgil and Tom both said in unison, looking at Lea.

"Measures- Brian. We're going to Brian." Lea said as if this were fact, which it might as well have been.

"But, you said-" Virgil began.

"This is different. Let's go." Lea headed towards the door.

Virgil paused before following.

Tom got up to follow as well.

"Not you." Lea didn't look back as he knocked for the door to be opened, the guard obliging begrudgingly.

"But-" Tom argued.

"You're in the doghouse." Lea exited the cellblock.

Virgil forced himself not to look back at Tom before exiting the cellblock.

Could life just not be complicated for three seconds?

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Wow, this chapter is, whew, salty salt salt
I love Lea
More to come in the future, this book might go over 20 chapters, might not, we'll see
-Jay💓