Disclaimer: I do not own Static Shock. I am not making profit from this story so no one sue me, please. Any characters whom are not from Static Shock are rightfully owned by me.
Summary: Virgil and Richie haven't been friends for nearly 20 years. They have gone their separate ways and lived their successful lives through work. However, how have their personal lives suffered since their failed friendship?
Saturday mornings for Richie normally consisted of black coffee, a newspaper, and a piece of nearly burnt buttered toast. During the week off for winter vacation, Richie spent his Saturday morning sleeping. Except on this particular morning, he was not doing either of those things. The blond super-genius was found sitting on his living room, sorting through old photos to put in frames.
Several months ago, Richie had finally moved back to Dakota after being away from his hometown for nearly two decades. After undergraduate at Dakota University, he pursued a graduate program in Physics at University at Albany. Once graduated, he immediately was offered a job as a Graduate Research Assistant, making roughly $30,000. Going for a Ph.D. finally led Richie to a career as a professor.
If any Jane or John Doe were to ask Richie why he accepted a job at Dakota University, he would tell him that it paid more. While the job did pay more, there were details he hid. Richie liked working at University at Albany; everything about the atmosphere was generally lighter and freer than Dakota University. However, he took the job because it was convenient.
Fifteen years ago—a year after he began teaching—Richie met a man named Michael Tabby. Mike, as most knew him by, was an art instructor at the same university Richie taught. One afternoon, Richie let his class out early because he was hungry. He went down to the cafeteria where he happened upon Mike, who was picking through pieces of lettuce at the salad bar.
"What are you doing?" Richie had asked as he eyed Mike's odd behavior. When brown eyes met Richie's blue eyes, he was instantly smitten.
"These pieces," Mike replied, holding up an example with the tongs, "are wilted, and I don't like them." The explanation was paired with a humeral bout of facial expressions.
The two thusly introduced themselves, and sat down to enjoy their lunches together. It had not been until later that Richie finally worked up the nerve to ask Mike out to lunch. When that went well, a few more lunches led to a couple of dinners which eventually led to some 'after dinner desert,' and eventually the two became an item a year later. They dated for almost fifteen years.
In his sort through the pictures, Richie came across the last picture he and Mike took together. It was the two of them, looking happier than ever at an amusement park. There was nothing about the picture that showed unhappiness. Being the super-genius he was, Richie stared at the picture, examining every square inch, in an effort to find any kind of foreshadowing. He saw nothing. Where had their relationship started to go wrong? The thought planted itself as he drew his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his knees. Just as his chin met his kneecaps, tears met his cheeks. Why had Mike cheated on him? What had Richie done to deserve that?
So, when the job offer from Dakota University arrived in his email a month later, Richie took it as a sign that he needed to start fresh; especially since taking the job meant also getting condo. Of course it was bribery, but it was a bribe that Richie needed, since he had been living out of a hotel for a month. In his pained and tearful fury, Richie collected everything that was his, threw the 'promise ring' at Mike, and stormed out. He was not one to talk things like that out. Richie was a realist, and realistically, he did not want to be with a cheater. No matter how much it broke his heart.
Flicking the picture away, Richie reached into the box for another one. This one caused the same flow of tears and a little added anger.
The picture Richie grasped between his fingers was taken right after his graduation from Dakota University. This one was a lot like the previous one, with him and Mike: it was a last. Right before the picture had been taken, Virgil jumped on Richie's back, making the 'rock on' sign. Richie's face was barely caught by the camera because he had been about to fall over. Despite the fact that you could barely see him, Richie had loved the picture. He loved it because of Virgil.
Richie loved it because he had loved Virgil. Perhaps still did.
After twenty years, Richie was still furious. He had every right to be. Two months after graduation, Richie finally came out. Much to Richie's absolute delight, the whole experience went better than a dream. Virgil loved him, too. That night was a memory he would have for the rest of his life. He was with his best friend, the man he loved, in every sense of the term. He had completely given himself to Virgil, and vice versa.
Richie squeezed his eyes tightly shut, not managing to stop the tears from flowing. He dropped the picture as he thought of everything that happened a week later. After they had sex, Virgil disappeared and no one knew where. A week later, Virgil returned, married to a woman named Angelica. Richie was devastated, mortified, and pissed. The fight in their HQ had been ugly, to say the least.
"How COULD YOU?" Richie had screamed at Virgil, standing face-to-face with his soon-to-be ex best friend. "I thought you loved me! Virgil, WE HAD SEX!"
"I do love you, Richie, but it was just sex! Yes, there were emotions, but… you didn't honestly expect us to be a couple, did you? Richie, I don't love you like that…"
"Oh my, Go—YES! YES I DID! Are you fucking kidding me right now?" Richie bellowed, almost causing the abandoned to rattle. Then the realization of Virgil's words hit, and Richie became absolutely irate and started yelling. "You fucking used me, you ass; how fucking dare you use me!"
The fight became really ugly, really fast. In his fury, Richie began picking up things while screaming and hurtling them at Virgil, who simply ricocheted them with his static powers without exerting much energy. When the items being hurtled became heavier, Virgil replied by shooting bolts of lightning at Richie. It was at that moment they began screaming at one another. The blond successfully dodged the bolts, a skill he picked up after years of fighting crime. During Virgil's last attempt to throw a bolt at Richie, the super-genius managed to somehow collect water without the other boy noticing, and dowsed Virgil with it, causing him to quickly loose his charge.
Virgil had a hurt look on his face that nowhere near compared to the one Richie had. Richie's features could have put a sad puppy to shame. "We're supposed to be best friends, Virgil. How fucking dare you take my virginity and then run off and marry someone else without even talking to me first!" he said, bending over and getting in Virgil's face. Virgil had fallen after the sudden discharge. "I'm not sure what hurts more, honestly. The fact that you broke my fucking heart or you went off and got married and didn't even fucking tell me." Richie stood and threw the bucket at Virgil, glaring down at him. "Have a nice life. I don't want to be part of it anymore."
Then he was gone, and it had been twenty years since Richie saw Virgil. Never once had Richie figured he overreacted. Richie had done the same exact thing with Mike when he discovered the man was cheating. Richie did not let people play with his heart. However, the only difference with Virgil… was that Richie didn't still miss Mike. Every thought of Virgil was still as painful as it was the day Virgil came back with Angelica. How could Virgil honestly have expected Richie to be happy for him? Of course Richie understood that maybe Virgil was scared to be with a man, but running off for a week and then coming back married without so much as an explanation was what had pissed off Richie.
Richie supposed, perhaps, Virgil would have said that had Richie given him a chance.
Not that Richie felt Virgil deserved one; a chance, that is. They were supposed to have been best friends. If Virgil had been scared, then he could have said something about it. Sometimes Virgil's lack of expressive emotion had been a piss off. After everything with Virgil and Mike, Richie really was done trusting people.
A/N: I know I did a pretty successful job of making Virgil seem like a complete and total ass. Though, if I remember correctly, he can be pretty thoughtless sometimes. This time just destroyed his friendship! Also, this chapter is more background, but it's also a transition into the rest of the story. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this!