It was a somewhat regular day in the mindspace.

Logan was reading, Roman was fighting with Remus, Janus was in his room, and Patton and Virgil were talking. Their conversation centered around the small fairy, that Patton had unofficially named Sugar. "Thomas checked her wing. She's healed!"

Virgil sighed at the dismayed tone in Patton's voice, like being healthy was a bad thing.

"That's good. Soon she can go home, and then, well... she probably has family or someone that needs her. Patton, it'll be ok."

"But... I don't want her to go! Thomas needs someone in his life!"

Virgil sighed, looking down at the ground and off into space, in a way that signaled he was probably thinking about the 'what-ifs'.

Patton just watched helplessly as he watched Virgil descend into the poison in his head, wishing he could help. He felt Thomas begin to panic a bit, and knew he had to do something to break Virgil out.

"Virge?"

He didn't respond, and Patton could see tears begin to form in his eyes.

"Virge?!"

Virgil's head suddenly moved up as he clicked back into the real world. It took a few seconds, and Patton could see the lingering shadows.

"Sorry. Just... I can't lose them."

"Lose who?"

"Yes. We live in a delicate balance, Pat. Even one factor could tip the scale. We hold onto fragile beliefs, putting more faith than they deserve in them."

Patton just blinked at him, unsure what he was talking about. Virgil met his eyes, and could see Patton's confusion.

"Never mind."

Patton really wanted to keep up with his dark son, but some of the concepts were just... a bit out of his reach. He figured it was fine. He was here to serve a purpose, and intelligence did not play a role in it, unlike Logan's role. He refocused on Virgil, remembering Sugar.

"I don't want her to go."

"It's for the best, Pat. It really is."

Patton just nodded, putting it aside. He didn't want to lose Sugar, but he couldn't hold on to her forever.

People were like flowers. You can hold them gently, but if you squeeze too tight, you can crush them. And fairies. Fairies were also like flowers, with that same... analogy? Metaphor? Simile? Patton wasn't sure what the term was, but he knew what he meant, and that was enough.

He just smiled at Virgil. He couldn't know the horrors inside his head. The most he could do was be there for him, keep him safe, and make sure he was loved. And it didn't matter if some people thought Virgil was bad, Patton knew that he wasn't. And he wouldn't give him up for anything.

*flash forward* -brought to you by the Hamilton soundtrack that has been stuck in my head the entire day-

The Fairy was almost ready. She was leaving today. She was leaving just about now, in fact. She saw the giant who's taken care of her. She hated to leave him, but she had a life, and so did he. Their crossed worlds had to drift apart as they always did. She flew over to him, testing her wings yet again. They were working well enough. Little fragments of pain pricked at the base of her pulled wing, but they were minor and she had dealt with far worse before. The giant lifted his hand, as if pulled by instinct, and she landed in it, dreading the goodbye that they both knew was coming.

His eyes looked sad, in a way she understood. He didn't want to say goodbye. She looked around at the home he lived in. All those days she had been there, so few others had come to him. She knew why, she recognized it a hundred different ways. He was alone. He had some people, but they wouldn't be enough. He needed something to hold on to. She wished she could be that thing, but it was time for her to go. She couldn't stay here, and no amount of delaying would make it any better. She could see the doubts crowding his eyes, that same sickness she felt in his mind. She had not forgotten her unspoken oath, to cure him of this poison. She could relieve his pain. She would do it as soon as she left.

She looked up at his gargantuan features once more, for the last time. She felt his worry, his concern, and his kindness. She wished she could tell him it would be alright. He'd just have to understand. She stood up from where she had crouched. She pulled a petal out of her hair. It was a small white one, one she usually wore as a hat. It was made from the flowers of the meadow she lived in. If he ever needed to find her, this was the best clue she could give him. She placed it gently in his hand, imbued it with the magic necessary to keep it alive, and looked up at him once more. His face was so sad. He met her eyes, and she smiled. He nodded. She nodded. She took flight, casting the enchantment she had prepared. The human could rest easy now; he was cured.