A/N: This is a really long chapter. Longer then I expected. Well, this is the Christmas Update. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. What's to come? Only the author knows. Please enjoy. *bow*
Richie groaned as his phone rang in that annoying way that told him it was one he needed to pick up. Backpack bleeped happily when a beloved voice spoke, "Richie?" the blonde was awake in an instant.
"Virgil."
The silence was deafening until Backpack beeped again, this time to bring both males back to reality, "Richie… I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just… I wasn't sure if I was going to take the offer." Richie smiled faintly, but didn't speak, "I wanted to tell you, not have you find out." Richie glanced at his clock before tapping Backpack to reveal his schedule.
"It is two in the morning, far to early for me to be mad or understand why your apologizing. Look, I have a free space from two to seven tomorrow, meet me for coffee and possibly a walk. I have someone I want you to meet and I have a small present for my favorite super hero." Virgil paused for a moment before making a noise in agreement, "Remember that shop that Frieda and Daisy always tried to get us to go in?" Virgil made another agreement, "There's a coffee shop next to it. Be there by two. I might be a little late, but nothing to bad."
Virgil swallowed and let out a shaking breath, "Rich… I'm sorry." Richie squeezed the bridge of his nose, "I want you back."
"We'll talk tomorrow. I've got a lot of work and very little time to sleep." Virgil made a sound of agreement and Richie hung up the phone. The blond laid back and let himself drift off to sleep.
Hotstreak rested back on the green coach that Teresa had picked out. She smiled at him and the child in his lap, "She missed her Daddy." Hotstreak chuckled and lifted his little girl into his arms to put her to bed, "I missed you, Stone." he shuttered lightly. Only she called him that. It was the last name she had taken, but she hated his childish aliases and he refused to be called by his first or middle name. Stone was all that was left and she found that she liked calling him that. Hotstreak laid his little girl in her bed before tucking her in and tucking her stuffed Phoenix under her chin.
"I've been busy… Virgil was getting worse." Teresa slid her arms around his waist and smiled at their sleeping daughter.
"I know. I'm not mad, I just missed you. Muse has missed you more. It's been three weeks since she's seen you last. Is Virgil really worth the trouble?" Stone smiled as he turned to face his wife. Teresa smiled faintly and slid her arms around his neck, "Is he?" Hotstreak pressed their foreheads together.
"Resa, how much has Static, Virgil, done for us? How many times has he saved my skin for Muse's sake and yours?"
Teresa giggled and pulled her husband towards their room, "Your right, but I'll need more convincing." both ex-breed members enjoyed their night while the rest of the world rested away from the romance of the young parents.
Virgil was nervous. Really nervous and scared and worried and… god he didn't know. This was the first time they'd see each other in two years. Ages for Virgil, but not long for others. Richie had been so angry that day, it had broken Virgil to pieces at Richie's tone.
"I love you, Virg, but this isn't going to work. I do have to ask: why do we love… if we know loosing it is going to hurt like this. Goodbye, Virgil."
Virgil knew that Richie loved him, but what if this meeting was just for Richie to eat him out more about actually taking the offer? Virgil bit his lip, "Can I get you more coffee?" Virgil blinked and looked up at waitress who had brought him his first order of coffee, "Coffee?"
"Oh! Oh, no, thank you. I'm still working on this cup." the girl smiled and set down a fruit filled pastry in front of him, "I didn't-"
"I know. Jack's wild-berry strudel makes everything better. Just eat it." Virgil looked the girl over again. Her brown hair fell to her waist in a slightly wavy sheet, her bangs were feathered around her face to create a frame of innocents. Great green eyes smiled at him from under thick, long lashes that would make any model jealous. She looked stunning in the café's tight black tee and black slacks; the black apron took away from nothing. She looked much like an angel, but something was different about her that he couldn't put his finger on.
"Thank you."
The girl laughed softly, "You have that heartbroken look, did your wife file for a divorce?" Virgil glanced down and the girl gasped, "Oh god! I'm so sorry! Boo is always telling me I need to keep my mouth shut. I didn't mean-"
"I meeting my ex for lunch. We're suppose to talk about why he left me." the girl sat down and smiled at him, "What?"
She laughed lightly, "A friend of mine, she was seeing this guy and was head over heels for him. She got a job offer in NYC, and she took it without asking him if it was okay, she didn't even tell him. What he found out he broke up with her. She called me and asked what she'd done wrong. So I asked her why she would fall in love is she would only get hurt. She couldn't answer me." Virgil watched this girls soft pink lips move, "I told her that we love to know we aren't alone. We put our whole hearts into one person because I think they will always be there."
"That's a nice way to see it."
"True love will always be there. Even when the world goes dark and we seemingly have nothing left, those we truly love will always be there to remind us that we aren't alone. I know that much." Virgil raised an eyebrow, "If he's truly the one, he'll get it and take you back, if he's not, I know a drop dead sexy blonde whose been single way to long. He's a bit of a space case and way to smart, but he's always there, even if he hates you." Virgil laughed and sipped his coffee.
"So, do you always give advise to random people?" the girl smiled and traced a heart on the back of Virgil's hand.
"No. Just people who hold a very precious heart in their hands. Especially a heart that has already suffered to much." Virgil felt something pull him to this girl, but he couldn't name her, "Richie is really lucky to have someone like you." Virgil's heart stopped.
"Amy?" the girl smiled and wandered off to help other customers. He knew Amy Cross very well. After the second Bang she'd taken on the name Lilith, the mother of demons. The girl could get into your head and see your deepest fears like she was looking at a word on a page. She had run with another girl who called her self Apparition; that girl could make those fears real. They had been a team that even Ebon didn't mess with. Amy had had enough after Apparition had turned Ebon, Gear and Static into frightened children. She'd been sick of hurting people, especially those who had been so kind to her.
"She's grown up, hasn't she." Virgil turned to see Richie smiling at the brunette girl.
"Yah, she's grown up to be a real looker. I'm shocked that she's got a Boo."
Richie took his seat and cocked his head lightly, "Well, the bigger surprise is who her boy toy is." Virgil blinked, unsure if he wanted the answer. Richie chuckled, "Don't look so scared. Ebon grew fond of her, cleaned up his act and everything for her. They… they look good together. He ever took the cure." Virgil smiled faintly and looked into his coffee.
"Richie… I… I meant to tell you. I was gonna go to college with you and then take the offer. I wanted to have a few years with you before I went to be the big hero." Richie sighed and watched as two little boys raced down the street and grabbed onto the light post shouting about who had won the race. It was a bit of a cliché, but Richie remembered that he and Virgil had done that a million times, even in their late teens. They were boys, so no one cared.
The blonde ran a hand through his hair, "Virg, I'm not here for an explanation. I know that I over reacted and that it was stupid of me to act like that. I was hurt, scared and… worried." Virgil blinked, "We'd made so many promises, I though you'd made them to humor me, to make me stay with you. Hell, most of the time I couldn't understand why you liked me, Virgil. You weren't gay, bi curious maybe, but not gay. I was a one in a million chance for you. There were girls that were by far better to look at and I always felt you would leave me.
"That letter just made it worse. What I saw it, hidden in your Static jacket no less, I thought you were just going to leave me. I left you first. I can't tell you how happy Dad was, he practically cheered when I came home and told Mom. He just patted my back and told me it was for the best. So I choose to believe him." Virgil moved to talk, but Richie held up a hand, "I was hurt, and angry. I wanted to forget how much I loved you so I choose to believe him. I wanted to believe it was just a stupid phase."
Virgil shook his head, "Rich… you know I don't say anything unless I mean it. When I told you I loved you, I meant-"
"You meant every word. I know."
"Then why doubt me!?" Richie didn't speak, "If you knew that meant it, but you still thought I was just using you!?" the blonde stood up and motioned Virgil to follow. The great hero followed like a lost puppy, scared to hear what Richie was going to say to him. It was summer, and the air was warm, but not ridiculously so. Virgil loved summers in Dakota, they were the perfect time of year, he'd wanted to take Richie out to the country before college and propose. That had ended after their fight with Hotstreak and Ebon.
Richie stopped by a bridge that was hidden by trees and traveled twenty feet across the small river that ran through Dakota, "Do you know what this place is?" Virgil shook his head. Richie grabbed his hand and lead him to the middle of the bridge, "It's twenty feet deep and it's a strait drop to the rocky bottom… if you jump from right here." the hero watched his ex carefully, "I knew about the letter for two weeks before I blew up. The last two days of the first week were spent planning my suicide." Virgil felt his throat constrict.
Richie couldn't speak before Virgil pulled him close and held him tight; Virgil embraced the only person keeping him sane. Richie returned the tight embrace and nuzzled into Virgil's neck. At nineteen they had discovered Richie would be shorter then Virgil, and Richie had put it to good use those four months they'd been together. Virgil twisted his hand into Richie's hair, "Slicked back doesn't suite you." Richie laughed and snuggled closer.
"Job shit. We're kinda working together… the Justice League and I, I mean."
"What?"
"The Siren program. I'm one of the scientists that the League hired to build new tech for them. It's partially government controlled so we end up making things that are for Earth as well." Richie pulled away from the intimate hug and rested against the rail of the bridge. Virgil wanted nothing more then to pull Richie back into his arms, "I didn't know what it was for until I was told where the final meeting would be. I'm one of nine scientists and I'm the smartest, even with their IQ's combined don't match me."
Virgil rolled his eyes, "Why doesn't that surprise me?" Richie laughed. It was like they were teenagers again. He could remember Virgil taking him to the old city square for their first date, it had been before Quake had made a new river run through Dakota, it seemed like all the city was lit up just for their date. Virgil had taken him flying later, something Richie hadn't expected, and showed him the town from clear skies. Dakota was a gem compared to the cities around it.
Richie leaned back on the rail and scanned Virgil. The boy he'd fallen for was now a man. His jaw was square and strong, all of his muscles developed to the perfect mass, he was now a head taller then Richie, and his dreads had gotten longer and brushed his shoulders. Virgil had grown up, but that didn't mean he'd matured much. His coco colored eyes were still alive with play, mischief and childishness. Virgil's eyes were Richie's favorite part of him. While Virgil didn't show emotions like most people, unless the emotion was extreme, his eyes could tell you his life story and Richie was the only person who could read them in such a way.
Virgil moved to speak but another voice cut through, "Virgil." both turned to see a handsome young man standing at the end of the bridge. His eyes were a gorgeous, stormy blue and his hair was blacker then pitch. Richie felt jealousy rise in his chest, "Dakota needs Static. You need to hurry." Virgil nodded and bolted into the woods around the bridge. Both men heard the charge and saw Static zoom off to where he was needed. Richie glared at the past Robin.
"Hey, Dick, how's it going?" he tried to keep his tone even. Nightwing smirked and strode towards Richie with a clam façade that pissed Richie off even more.
Richard Grayson folded his arms and leaned towards Richie, "Who do you think your kidding?" Richie calculated the chances of him getting away with hitting the boy wonder, "Your only doing this out of guilt. You really don't care for him at all, do you?" Richie smirked and stared Richard in the eyes.
"What's his favorite color?" Nightwing gave Richie an odd look, "What movie does he cry at no matter how many times he's seen it? Who was his first crush? His first love? What color dress did he want his prom date to wear? Do you really know anything about Virgil? Or is it just Static your into?"
Dick rolled his eyes and brushed a fallen bang from Richie's eyes, "He's not Virgil anymore, Richard Osgood Foley. He's Static Shock. What more should I know to bang him?" it was Richie's turn to smirk.
"If you knew anything, you would know that Virgil won't have sex with anyone he's not committed too, or who's not committed to him. Second, the name is Richie, Richard is my grandfather. My name had been Richie Osgood Foley for three years, according to the legal paper work anyway." Dick backed away slightly, "Learn facts before you speak, you'd think Batman would have taught you that."
Richie moved to walk away when Dick spoke again, "Oracle and I both left Batman for a reason. He isn't our father, just a mentor. We became Nightwing and Oracle to escape his shadow. Only the League and civilians like you know that we were ever under his wing. Then again, your not really a civilian, are you? When are you going to tell him?"
Richie felt his insides freeze, felt his heart clench. Dick had caught him, he knew the secret, "Never. I don't use my powers, not unless I really need to. Even you should know that, Richard."
"Call me Dick, Richie. Rivals or not, we're still friends."
Richie shook his head, "No. We were never friends."
a/n: Richard Rivalry! Hehe. I've always wanted to make them, yah know, rivals for Virgil's heart. I think it's a fun twist. Virgil completely idolised Dick in those episodes with Batman and Robin, and his best friend is Richie so it makes for an interesting comparison. Thank you for reading. *bow*