Disclaimer: I don't own Static Shock. Beta Plusle.
Splash
If Virgil didn't stop laughing soon Richie was going to push him back into the pool.
How was any of this funny?
Richie could feel his face burning with humiliation under the staring the two of them were being subjected to. Friends and strangers alike were watching, scrutinizing, judging him.
Everything had been working out fine. He had his feelings under control, his stupid hormones were settling down and he could look at his best friend again without feeling like a perv. For the first time in so long he could truly relax around Virgil again; no calculating safe distances or predicting cause and effect while hiding it all in plain sight. It was easy to be at Virgil's side all hours of the day, to spend all night getting sweaty and dirty and not feeling ridiculously self-conscious about it.
But now it was all ruined.
Virgils laughter had become contagious. Everyone was laughing. It rang out loud and never ending. It closed in around him, trapping him, cornering him. Paralyzed by mortification and embarrassment he couldn't think. If he couldn't think he was powerless. Helpless. He never wanted to be helpless; Helplessness inspires panic. Panicking meant losing control.
"Richie?"
Virgil's hand on his shoulder helped fend off the panic and anger raged in its place. It was all ruined and it was all Virgils fault. With one push the hand was gone and Virgil's indignant squawk drowned out the laughter. Ignoring the splashing and sputtering he pushed through the crowd of party goers.
Virgil, his best friend and partner, his family, had just nova blasted everything that had been easy to particle dust.
With a damn Kiss.