Trigger warnings for this chapter include non-consensual kissing and touching in the beginning, a bit of a mental breakdown, and persistent feelings of helplessness. Anyways, as always take care of yourselves and thank you for reading.

"This isn't right. All of this was a lie!"
"Honestly do you think you're the first?"
"I'll tell them. I'll tell everyone the truth about all of this nonsense!"
"And you honestly think they'll believe you?"
"I- I don't..."
"If you know what's good for you, stay in your place."
Virgil burst awake, his heart hammering in his chest. He could feel the stiff tear stains on his cheeks. He couldn't remember why he was crying. A dream? A flashback? He couldn't remember. He let out a breath and sank deeper under the warm comforters. The bed shifted slightly by his legs and the comforter shifted back down his chest.
"Princy?" Virgil hummed in a quiet, groggy voice.
He blinked up to find the room unnaturally dark even for it being night time. He could barely make out the silhouette of a figure kneeling over him. Virgil tried to sit up but the figure pushed him back down and crawled further forward.
"W-wha-"
Virgil's question was cut off by a mouth planting itself against his in a sloppy kiss. He didn't like it, it was gross, it didn't give him the nice feeling it had been giving him recently. Virgil let out a muffled protest and tried to push back on the person above him but his hands were quickly pinned down over his head. Virgil could feel fear twisting at his gut along with a chilled hopeless that began clawing at his chest. He didn't want this. He didn't even know what was going on. His attacker kept his hands down pinned with one of his own while the other moved down his side slowly, removing the comforter as it went. Virgil let out another muffled whimper. The hands on him felt gross and foreign, making him involuntary shiver. His mind was reeling in panic, he didn't know what to do; kick, scream, run. He couldn't do anything; he was frozen. He was strong now, he should be able to fight back, but he couldn't. When it really mattered he couldn't even move an inch.
The hand snaked under his shirt pulling it up and rubbing along his stomach and chest, seemingly exploring every small curve. Virgil whined and closed his eyes, not wanting to look at the unseen face any longer. The hand crept upwards again moving to his neck. The strong fingers began to press lightly against his vulnerable throat, adding more pressure with each passing second. The sensation was the final adrenaline kick Virgil needed to get out of the freeze portion of his terror. Without pausing to think Virgil began kicking his legs up and slamming them back down loudly trying to dislodge the person on top of him.
In the span of a few seconds the figure's presence over him was gone and he could hear a light being turned on off to his side.
"Virgil? Are you alright, Stormcloud?" Roman asked worriedly.
Virgil opened his eyes and looked over at Roman, a lump building in his throat. Roman was barely able to open up his eyes as if he'd only just woken up. He was still under the covers and his hair was sticking up at an odd angle where it had, up until recently, been pressed against the pillow. Roman was a good actor but there was no way he would have been able to get himself back under the covers and looking so groggy in that amount of time, especially when the weight had disappeared heading off the bed instead of towards Roman's side. As much as Virgil had hated the situation, he really had hoped Roman had been the one who did it.
"Virgil?"
Virgil couldn't stop the wave of confused and frustrated tears that fell down his face. If Roman hadn't done it then who had? Was it even real? It very well could have been a nightmare or flashback, on more than one occasion he had momentarily confused them with reality.
"My sweet ebony prince, what is bringing you these tears? What monster has done this?" Roman asked, reaching out his hand to touch Virgil.
The anxious side let out a high pitched whine and shied away from his hand. He knew Roman wasn't the one who had been touching him, it was impossible, but a shred of doubt still clung in his mind.
"I-I don't know," Virgil replied, trembling slightly as he looked away from Roman.
"Do you want me to call the others?" Roman asked, trying his best to make his voice as calm and soothing as possible.
Virgil bit his lower lip nervously and nodded. If all three of them were there, things had to start making more sense. Roman didn't wait a second longer to send a gentle summons to both of their other boyfriends. The two of them rose through the floor, both clearly groggy and having just woken up. Patton was the first to realize how distraught Virgil looked, instantly waking up and rushing over to him.
"Oh, Kitten! What's wrong, baby?" Patton asked, sitting down on the bed by Virgil's feet.
Virgil found himself flinching instinctively at the fast movements. Logan took notice of this and made his way over a little more slowly, kneeling down beside the bed, making himself as small and non threatening as possible.
"Is everything alright, Darling? Is there anything I can get for you?" Logan asked softly.
Virgil shook his head and hugged himself, his tail moving to curl around his waist.
"Roman?" Logan inquired, looking to the princely figure for more answers.
"Don't look at me. I just woke up to Virgil being really restless and when I turned on the lights Virgil like he had seen a ghost and seemed scared of me so I offered to summon you two and here we are," Roman replied trying to hide his exasperated sigh.
"Baby, can you please tell us what happened? We want to help you," Patton said, his hands twitching as he tried to resist his urge to hold Virgil in a protective hug.
"I-I don't know what happened. M-maybe a nightmare? I guess it could have been a flashback but it wasn't like the normal ones?" Virgil replied quietly.
"I know it might be difficult for you, and you do not have to if you do not wish to, but do you think you could tell us a bit more?" Logan asked.
Virgil squeezed his eyes shut suppressing a full body shudder. He felt uncomfortable but he wanted answers.
"Well I woke up from a nightmare that I can't really remember or… at least I thought I had? T-the room was so dark, I could barely see, but there was someone on top of me. Then they… Their hands... and the kiss… and… I'm sorry can I go to the restroom first?" Virgil whimpered, shaky sobs choking out his voice.
"Go ahead honey, do you want one of us to go with you?" Patton asked.
Virgil shook his head and quickly slipped off the bed, snatching his ring off of the nightstand as he went. He slipped out of the sight of his three concerned boyfriends and walked over to the sink. He pulled his ring over his head and held it, counting his breaths, he was fine now. He was safe. He still couldn't clear his head. There were so many thoughts and questions racing around and he wanted to break down more than he already had but he couldn't burden the others like that. He'd been doing so much better. They were kissing, that was a big step for him. He was happy, everyone was happy, he had to keep things happy.
Virgil took a breath and turned on the sink. He closed his eyes and splashed the cold water on his face. He kept his eyes closed as he patted around the counter top for the hand towel he knew was somewhere nearby. His hand landed on something odd and he peaked open his eyes, ignoring the water that clung to his eyelashes. What he saw made the water the least of his concerns.
Meanwhile in Roman's bedroom the other three were trying to figure out what was going on.
"Did I accidentally do something to him in my sleep?" Roman asked worriedly, chewing on his thumbnail.
"As much as you have a tendency to cuddle while sleeping I have never heard of or experienced you engaging in anything similar to what Virgil seemed to have been trying to describing," Logan replied.
"But what did happen then? A flashback? He said he thought he was awake so it couldn't really be a dream, could it?" Patton hummed.
Logan was about to reply when a horrified shriek erupted from the bathroom and a second later Virgil shot straight out of the bathroom. He crashed into Logan clinging tightly to the front of his shirt. Patton leapt off of the bed, hovering over Virgil worriedly and Roman did the same on the opposite side of the bed, sword already in hand.
"What is wrong, who must I slay?" Roman asked.
Virgil let out a whimper, trembling against Logan.
"Bathroom counter," Virgil whined.
"Virgil, stay here with Patton. Roman and I will go have a look," Logan said lightly rubbing Virgil's shoulder before pushing him into Patton's arms.
Virgil curled into Patton's warm arms letting out a scared purr that made Logan's brow furrow. He got up and looked to Roman nodding to the restroom. Roman walked in before Logan kicked the door fully open. The room was well lit and nothing seemed to be unusually out of place. Logan looked over to the bathroom counter that held little splashes of water, the sink still running. The only item on the marble surface was a neatly folded white hand towel. Roman lifted up the towel, nothing there.
"Am I supposed to be seeing something?" Roman whispered to Logan who took one last look around the room and left without a word.
He headed out and knelt beside Virgil rubbing his back comfortingly.
"Virgil, can you please tell us what you saw in the bathroom?" Logan requested.
Virgil looked up at Logan in confusion, his purrs dwindling slightly.
"M-my collar, it's right on the counter. I was looking for the towel but found that… that thing instead," Virgil whined.
"Virgil, the only thing on the counter is a towel," Roman said, leaning against the bathroom door frame.
Virgil tensed in Patton's arms, his eyes getting a distant look in them.
"But it was there, I know it was…" Virgil whispered.
"I believe you baby, I'm sure there is a logical explanation as to what is going on," Patton said, looking to Logan for answers.
Logan himself was a bit stumped. He supposed that Virgil's emotional stress could be causing hallucinations but he didn't want to make any assumptions before he was sure. However it seemed to be the most realistic answer in their current situation.
"It's them, isn't it? They found a way back into this house," Virgil said, his voice heavily with hopelessness. "I'm so stupid. I… I should have known they'd come back eventually. I don't want it, I don't want to go back."
Logan looked at the teary boy slumped in Patton's arms. Despite the tears, his eyes seemed emotionless, dead.
"Kitten?"
Another flinch, however, Virgil made no move to escape Patton's grasps.
"Virgil, would you be willing to do a grounding exercise with me?" Logan asked.
Virgil looked up at him without an answer.
"Can you tell me five things you see?"
"I… I can see you, and Roman, and Patton, and the bed, and the grandfather clock."
"Four things you can feel?"
"Patton's arms, the floor, my clothing, and my heartbeat."
"Three things you can hear?"
"Your voice, my breathing, and the clock ticking."
"Two things you can smell."
"That weird forestry scent Roman's room always has and that bakery smell Patton normally has."
"Finally, one thing you can taste."
Virgil's face turned a little red.
"T-that I need to brush my teeth."
"You did very well Virgil. Do you feel any better?"
Virgil was still visibly tense and trembling however his eyes seemed a little more focused on the world around him.
"A little."
"Can I help you relax a bit more?" Patton asked, hand reaching up to Virgil's head.
"You promised you wouldn't tell them," Virgil complained.
"We all just want to make you happy and comfortable. I won't if you don't want me to," Patton replied, ignoring the curious look Roman was giving him.
Virgil pushed himself deeper into Patton's chest, his ears folding back slightly as his tail swayed against the floor behind him.
"Well I never said I didn't want you too," Virgil muttered.
Patton let out a soft chuckle and began rubbing one of Virgil's ears, his other hand reaching up from the hug to pet the base of Virgil's neck. Virgil squirmed to get more of the pleasant touch a happy but relaxed purr rumbling in his throat. Roman was silently cooing and mouthing to Logan about how cute Virgil was while Logan gave a grateful nod to Patton.
"Hey Virgil," Logan said gently, trying his best to not break his peaceful trance. "Why don't you hang out with Patton while Roman and I look around and make sure all of the entrances are still sealed?"
Virgil looked up at Logan for a moment, not leaving Patton's pets.
"Thank you Logan," Virgil replied with a weak smile.
"No problem Darling," Logan replied, getting up and signaling Roman to follow him out of the room.
Once the door had closed behind them Roman looked over to Logan with a raised brow.
"Do you really think the Dark sides were here?" Roman asked.
"No, I sealed every known entrance and double checked just to make sure the same day I even became suspicious that even one of them had been responsible for Virgil's injuries. However I also know that Virgil is scared and thus I will endeavor to do everything in my power to reassure him that he is safe and we all take his fear seriously," Logan replied.
Roman looped his arm around Logan's waist, kissing his temple.
"What brought that on?" Logan asked with a raised brow.
"I was just thinking about how much I love you, Starlight."