"So, you're brothers?"
Virgil stared at the socialite. She had obviously had enough to be happy and a little loud. "Yes, ma'am. We are brothers."
"You don't look like brothers."
Beside him, Scott shifted his feet. Give him any excuse and his older brother would be gone. It was late and to be honest, the only reason they were still here was because of Penelope.
Virgil dipped his head a little. "Yet we are." He pushed a half-hearted smile onto his face.
"Prove it."
He blinked. His hand was halfway to his wallet before the ridiculousness of the situation hit home. He pushed more energy into his smile, as always wondering why Scott could have women melting at his feet at the mere hint of a curl to his lips, yet Virgil received responses just like this. "I'm afraid you'll have to take our word for it."
"Your word? What about his word? Tall, dark and mysterious hasn't even said hello." Her eyes literally simpered up at Scott and Virgil was hard put not to roll his eyes.
Every time. Every single time.
But then he was quite grateful he wasn't the focus of the offer of a hand that was shoved in Scott's direction. Virgil wasn't sure whether the woman wanted to shake his brother's hand or have him eat hers.
Snapping to reality as if out of a dream, Scott straightened just slightly before bowing in the socialite's direction. As if a switch had been flicked, his brother was suddenly oozing charm.
His lips curved into one of those smiles. "I am so sorry, Mrs…?" He took her limp fingers in both of his hands.
"Lady Sarah de Pomple-Praite." Her emphasis on the word' Lady' was extreme.
"Oh, I am sorry, my Lady. You will have to excuse us, it has been a tiring day." He followed that with another simmering smirk.
Virgil wanted to kick him in the ankle.
"It can be excused, if…" And she actually booped Scott on the nose with a long-nailed finger. "…you tell me what such a tall and handsomely dressed man such as yourself is doing at a party like this."
"Charity work, m'lady. Raising money for victims of natural disasters."
Virgil may as well not have been there. The bug zapper standing next to him was taking all the moths. Though, in this case, Scott was welcome to the fuzzy, furry and flappy thing.
It wasn't that Virgil was jealous. It was more a case of puzzlement. They were brothers. They were wearing very similar suits, adjusted on the colour wheel just enough to offset their best features. But every time. Every single time there was a choice, the choice was Scott.
It was a mystery of the cosmos.
Maybe he should throw the equation at Brains and see what the genius could come up with. Or maybe John.
Just the imagined expression on John's face at the request was enough to drop that train of thought. John was not Gordon, but he was still a brother.
By this time, Lady Pump-Ready - he honestly wondered if she knew the translation of her name and if she did, whether she would be so willing to laud it - was hanging off Scott's arm.
Virgil didn't know whether to leave the two of them alone or rescue his brother.
He took a small step away.
His wrist was grabbed in an iron grip.
Virgil bit back a smile.
Turning to face his brother, he was pinned by blue eyes, like those of a drowning man…
On dry land.
Virgil straightened a little. "Lady Pomple-Praite, have you donated to tonight's worthy cause?"
"What?" She looked at Virgil as if she had forgotten his existence…which, considering his track record, she probably had.
"The Charity, ma'am. The purpose of this evening's gala."
"Oh, um, not as yet." She was clinging to Scott's arm like some of the creatures that Virgil had helped Gordon scrape off Four not two days ago.
"May I escort you to the donations table? I hear they are offering some attractive perks to the highest contributing patrons."
She sparked up. "Really?"
He held out a hand. "Shall we go see?"
She looked up at Scott, obviously reluctant. "Is he really your brother?"
His brother's smile was a fond one. "Very much so."
Virgil waited a moment longer, beginning to wonder if he needed to go out to the car and grab a crowbar.
But Scott looked down at her and said something Virgil didn't quite hear.
The woman actually melted, sliding off his brother like some kind of super active slime mould.
Okay, now he was just getting snarky.
The hand that finally clasped his was small and soft and he led her regally across the floor as if he was in a scene from Cinderella.
Really, the things he had to do to save his brother.
Fortunately, Lady Penelope was at the donations table and fully capable of tackling Lady Pump-Ready and Virgil was able to make a quick but polite escape.
He didn't fail to notice the longing look as he left…that flew straight past him and towards the bug zapper in the distance.
For the love of….
Well, Scott, really.
Damn it.
Maybe he was caught in the zapper as well.
That thought just curdled his brain.
Either way, he found himself making his way back to his brother.
Back to the place he felt most comfortable.
Damn it again.
By the time he stepped up beside Scott, who had found a balcony complete with a night sky and a moon to escape to, he was resigned to his fate.
"You suck."
Scott snorted. "Thanks for the save."
"It's what I do, big brother."
What I do.
-o-o-o-