By the time Friday rolled around, Roman was still depressed, but now with red hair. The first time Virgil saw him after the dye job, he did a double take. The color brought out the natural reds and pinks of Roman's cheeks when he laughed. His blush was far easier to spot now, and Virgil felt a little weird whenever he noticed it. If Roman came home angry, his face was as flushed as a volcano. And a secret part of Virgil wanted to know what Janus saw, when he got to take Roman up to his room, and his face flushed in a different way. Virgil didn't think a simple hair change would make him sit up and notice Roman like this but he couldn't stop. It was infuriating, since Roman never thought twice about him.
Virgil had been watching the others since they moved in. It was hard not to, living together and everything. And Roman never sat near him, never started conversations, never really looked at him. Why would he? There were three better options in the same house. Janus had clearly won Roman's full attention. Virgil didn't care, he had enough to worry about. Roman would get over the break up. Everyone does. Virge did.
He hadn't thought about him in years.
Virgil was sitting on the couch in the livingroom when Roman came home for the day. He looked up from his phone to see Roman's pout.
"Where's Janus?" Roman asked.
"He left a couple minutes ago." Virgil said. "Took my car."
"Did he say where he went?" Roman asked. "Or when he'd be back?"
Virgil shook his head. Roman sighed and went into the kitchen, sulking the whole way. Virgil figured that would be the end of it, but a few minutes later, Roman returned with a water bottle. Astonishingly, he sat down on the couch, only a foot or two from Virgil.
Virgil studied him for a moment, before he asked. "Doing ok?"
Roman glanced at him before shrugging. His eyes matched his new hair, red and glowing.
"Is it your first break up?" He asked, not really knowing why he cared. Maybe Patton was rubbing off on him.
Roman hesitated, then said, "It's so much worse than I imagined."
"It sucks even more when you love them." Virgil agreed, and Roman looked up at him with understanding.
"Did our little emo get his heart crushed?" Roman said; but it lacked all the confidence he usually had, leaving him sounding defeated.
"To pieces." Virgil smiled, small and sad. "Well, it was high school, so definitely not as serious as this. But." Virgil's throat felt tight at the memory. "God, do I miss him."
"What was his name?" Roman asked.
"Maxx." Virgil said. "Or, Insecurity." Roman shared a noise of understanding. "Yeah, you see why it didn't work out."
"Anxiety and Insecurity. How'd you meet?"
Virgil shrugged, "Manners class."
"Manners class?"
"You know," Virgil felt a little insecure himself then, "where all the bad kids go during study hall. It was full of Negatives and Sides like me."
Roman's frown grew bigger. "What was it for?"
"I dunno, I sat in the back and drew on the desk." Virgil shrugged. "Maybe to teach us to sit still and be quiet? But Maxx and I met in, like, 5th grade."
Roman sat back and rested his head on the couch. He was watching Virgil expectantly, so he kept talking. He liked having Roman's eyes on him, and he wanted to keep it that way.
"We became friends because we were the quietest in Manners, so we sat together. He liked to draw too, and we liked the same music." Virgil smiled, thinking about the boy. "We stayed friends in high school, realized we were both gay, and," Virgil blushed, averting his gaze. "Experimented. With each other. Together."
"Go on." Roman teased, practically purring. Virgil threw a pillow at him, earning a delightful squeal.
Virgil tried to calm his warm face and racing heart. He cleared his throat and continued. "We dated during junior and senior year. He would be worried. I would be worried. It … just was never going to work out." Virgil shrugged, staring at the wall now. His shoulders sank as he added, "We stopped speaking. He was my best friend."
It was quiet for a moment. Then Virgil heard a sniffle. He looked up to see Roman wiping tears from his eyes.
"Why are you crying?!" Virgil asked, leaning closer to him.
"It's so sad."
"It's really not."
"You have no friends."
"Okay- well-"
Roman rubbed his face and asked, "Was he hot?"
Virgil didn't know how to answer that. "I mean, we were teenagers-"
"But was he hot?"
Virgil sighed. "Yes, Roman. He was super hot." He thought for a moment, then added, "Actually, he kind of was. I don't know what he looks like now, really. But he had glasses as a kid, and dark hair."
Roman smiled, "Oh, is that why you have a crush on Logic?"
"I do not have a crush on Logic!" Virgil said, startled. His face felt hot all over.
Roman leaned forward and whispered, "I know you want my boyfriend."
"Would that make you cry for a week, too?" Virgil whispered back. Perhaps a dirty punch, but he wanted the topic dropped.
"No." Roman said simply, leaning back again and smiling. "Not if it's you."
"Uh-"
Virgil was saved by the front door opening and closing behind Roman. They turned to see Janus, pulling a large bottle out of his pants.
"What'cha got there, buddy?" Roman asked. Janus startled, holding the bottle close to himself. He relaxed when he saw it was just Roman and Virge.
He approached them with a wide smile. "Just the men I wanted to see."
"That doesn't sound good." Virgil muttered.
"Oh, love, I'm never Good." Janus said with a wink. He showed them the bottle with all the performance of a wine snob. "For tonight's festivities."
Roman took the bottle, inspecting it with a pleased nod. Virgil leaned closer to read the label. A type of flavored vodka that would be certain to get him drunk after a shot. Virgil thanked the Gods he didn't work tomorrow.
"I'm not drinking that." He said.
"Don't worry, it's delicious." Janus said, twisting the cap off. It was only then Virgil realized a bit of the drink was already gone.
"Janus! You did not drink and drive!" Virgil almost shouted.
"Relax, firstly, it was just a sip. Secondly, I tried it when I got to our driveway. I'm not an idiot."
"And then you stuck it back in your pants?" Virgil raised an unimpressed eyebrow.
Janus pursed his lips and said slowly, "Yes."
"JANUS!"
"No need to alert the police." Janus crossed his arms and muttered as thundering footsteps came down the stairs. Both Logic and Patton rounded the corner to stop before the three of them.
"Is everyone OK? We heard shouting." Patton said.
"What did you do?" Logic asked Janus.
Janus waved him off and threw an arm over his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. How would you two feel about a night out on the town?"
Patton hesitated, "Like … shopping?"
"Like a bar." Roman said, glancing up from the bottle.
Janus winked at Roman, gesturing to him as he spoke. "Our beloved Roman has been through a rough week. He deserves a wild time out with his Sides. Don't you agree?"
Logic shook his head slowly, "Certainly. But the intoxication levels a Logic can handle are very miniscule. I would not 'fit in' at a bar, as I could only have a drink or two without dying."
"Wait, like a real death?" Roman asked.
"As opposed to a fake one?" Virgil interjected.
Logic nodded, "Studies have shown Logic's have a much lower alcohol tolerance and a much higher rate of alcohol related deaths. The current theory is that more blood flow is directed to our brains which makes intoxication faster and-"
Roman stood up, now looking Logic in the eye. "You can die. From alcohol."
"Everyone can, yes."
"And you let me play a stupid fucking drinking game with you?" Roman declared.
At this, Logic glanced away shyly. He smiled as he said, "I wanted to impress you."
Roman bit his lip to keep from smiling. Virgil glanced between them, his gaze sliding from Logic's kind eyes to Roman's firey hair. He bit the inside of his cheek and wondered if he was a fool.
Patton spoke up then. "Thank you for the invitation, um, Janus, but I don't want to go to a bar."
"Oh." Logic said, blinking, finally looking away from Roman. "I didn't realize that was an acceptable response. I also do not want to go."
Janus didn't seem surprised. "That's fine. More drinks for the rest of us."
Roman grinned, but Virgil didn't. He glanced between them. "Hey, I don't really want to go either."
"What?" Roman looked surprised, clutching his bottle of alcohol closely. "You have to!"
"I do?" Virgil frowned.
"It wouldn't be the same without you." Roman said.
"It wouldn't?" Virgil couldn't believe his ears.
Roman placed a hand on his arm, and Virgil had to focus to listen. "If you don't come, he'll probably drag me to some Negative bar and I'll be kidnapped and never seen again."
Virgil shouldn't have expected any more than that, honestly. He rolled his eyes and said, "What makes you think I wouldn't also take you to a Negative bar?"
Roman tisked, "Come on, Virge. You're smarter than that."
Janus crossed his arms. "And what's wrong with Negative bars?"
Patton cleared his throat, avoiding anyone's gaze. Roman waved his hand at Janus, letting him go. Virgil let out a breath he can't remember holding.
"Nothing! I just want to go somewhere, where I won't get robbed just by walking in the door!" Roman said.
Janus scoffed, "Oh, please. Pick-It is a great guy when you get to know him. He's going through some stuff. If you let him keep a dollar he'll give you the wallet back."
Roman tilted his head. "I was joking. Is there- is there really a guy that'll pickpocket me at your bar?"
"...No." Janus said, slowly uncrossing his arms and sliding his hands into his pockets. "I was also joking."
Virgil spoke up then, to keep them focused. "I don't want to go to any bars, regardless of customer demographic."
"Oh. A pity." Janus said, twirling Virgil's keys on his finger, "And after you were just lecturing me about safe driving habits. Anyway, are you ready to drink, Roman? I certainly am."
Virgil groaned, glaring directly at Janus' smug, innocent expression. "Ooooh, you're a bitch."
Patton gasped. "Virgil!"
"No, he's right." Janus said with a wide smile. "So, my dear, would you like to go out with us? We're in desperate need of a designated driver."
Virgil grit his teeth and nodded.
It took them another hour to get ready, as they kept stopping to drink. Virgil waited in his spot on the couch, frantically trying to think of a way to get out of this adventure. Logic and Patton seemed sympathetic, but unwilling to switch him spots. And Roman and Janus were determined to have a night out, safety be damned. Virgil bounced his leg as he waited, scrolling through his phone just to have something to do with his hands.
Finally, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Janus appeared first, wearing high boots and a black tank top with the sides ripped out. It left nothing to the imagination, giving Virgil quick flashes of skin. Janus removed his hat to gesture at the stairs.
"Introducing the prince of the evening," He said in a theatrical voice, "Our dearest Roman."
Roman came down the stairs, wearing a sparkling red sleeveless crop top. The jewels on the top reflected the light, projecting tiny red stars on the walls. Roman twirled and the stars scattered. He wore the tightest black pants Virgil had ever seen. They both looked at him expectantly, so Virgil clapped. Roman smiled and took a bow.
When he stood back up straight, he looked at Virgil and asked, "Is that what you're wearing?"
"Yes." Virgil hadn't changed out of his own (less tight) black pants and his favorite black hoodie. He didn't want to blind anyone with his shirt, thanks.
"Excellent. I simply adore your jacket." Janus said as he pulled Virgil up by the front of his hoodie. Virgil grit his teeth as he found himself very close to Janus. His pupils were already wide from the alcohol he'd consumed. Janus leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to his nose. "It suits you."
Then he was gone. Virgil scrubbed his face with his sleeve, trying to rub away the sensation of Janus' lips. He heard Roman laugh.
"Alright you hooligans." Virgil muttered, grabbing his keys from the table. He had confiscated them from Janus when they started really pre-gaming. He walked to the door. "Let's get this over with."
"You're not even gonna show a little skin?" Roman asked from behind him. And Virgil felt hands on his hips. He glared over his shoulder at Roman's wide grin. He ignored the tsunami in his stomach and pushed Roman's hands off him.
"I think you two have that department covered." He opened the door and practically pushed the two of them out. "Come on, hurry up and make mistakes so we can go home."
"I'm great at those." Roman said as he stumbled on the step. Virgil mentally prepared for a long night.
Roman demanded going to some queer Side bar near the college campus. Virgil had never been there, but had driven past it many times. He allowed the other two to sit in the back to whisper and giggle like middle schoolers.
There was a bouncer at the door, but he was letting everyone in. Roman assured them Negatives were allowed inside. No one had asked.
Inside the bar, the lights were dim with colorful flashes thrown in for the Epileptics. The loud music made it hard for Virgil to think. There were Sides and Fusions everywhere, adding to the noise of the place. Virgil wanted to go home.
Before he could, Roman grabbed his hand, warm fingers pressed against his. Virgil blinked down at their combined hands, going wherever they led him. Which happened to be a booth in a corner near the dancefloor.
Roman slid into one side, letting go of his hand. Virgil awkwardly took the spot across from him, not surprised when Janus sat beside Roman.
"Do they have food here?" Virgil asked, picking up a menu that stayed at the table. It showed off some fancy drinks on one side and, thankfully, fried food on the other.
"Pick anything you want, dear," Janus said, leaning heavily on Roman to gesture at him. "Tonight's on me."
"Doubtful, considering I'm the only one here with a job." Virgil muttered, deciding the soft pretzel sticks looked good.
"We should do shots." Roman said, "And then, more shots."
"A perfect plan, my dear." Janus said. And with that, Virgil was sent to the bar to place their order. He didn't want to have this job, obviously; but he didn't trust either of those two to not order a drink for the whole bar.
The bartender was a cute man about his age. He had a scar on his nose shaped distinctly like a fingerprint. The more Virgil looked, he saw three more, small circular scars across his face. Like someone had pushed him away by his cheekbones. He nodded at Virgil expectantly. Something Virge liked about bartenders, they don't do small talk.
Virgil opened a tab and ordered his pretzels and the shots. The man winked and the finger-scars jumped.
Virgil went back to the table to find Roman and Janus whispering. Their heads were pressed close together, their glazed eyes barely focused on one another. They jumped apart when Virgil sat down.
"It's fine," Virgil said, "I know you're together. You've always been together."
"But I don't want you to feel like a third wheel." Roman said.
Virgil felt that was rather thoughtful of Roman. He shrugged and said, "I'm already the DD."
"Yeah, but don't you want to kiss too?" Roman asked, blinking slowly.
Virgil wasn't sure he heard that right. "What?"
"You kiss at bars." Is all Roman said. In that moment, the waiter came up and delivered their drinks and food.
"And drink." Janus said, sliding Roman a small glass. "You kiss and you drink."
They clicked their drinks and threw them back with practiced ease. Roman coughed which caused them both to giggle. Virgil picked at his pretzel.
Roman started some nonsense conversation about musical theater that neither Virge nor Jan understood. But they nodded along and Roman didn't need more encouragement than that to keep talking. They drank more and with each shot, Roman's words grew looser and more slurred.
The music shifted and Virgil heard the opening lyrics to a Kesha song. He wasn't necessarily a fan of Kesha, but it was impossible to not know the lyrics of her work.
I hear your heart beat to the beat of the drums-
Apparently Roman was a Kesha fan, as he screamed when he recognized the music.
"Oh my gods, we have to dance!" He said, urgently pushing Janus out of the booth. Janus laughed, an easy, genuine sound as he slid across the smooth fabric.
"Virge, dance with us!"
"I'd rather not." Virgil said. Roman shrugged and ran to the dancefloor.
Janus leaned close, pressing his hand against Virgil's cheek. Virgil leaned away, then immediately hated the loss. Janus huffed a small laugh that could barely be heard over the music.
He said, "You could be a part of this."
"Why?" Virgil challenged. "Because you're drunk and he's depressed?"
"Why not because we're young and beautiful?" Janus said in response.
Virgil nodded to Roman. "Go dance with your boy."
"If you insist." Janus said, taking his hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles.
Virgil watched him disappear into the crowd, absentmindedly rubbing his hand. He wouldn't let himself forget who he was dealing with. Virgil couldn't fall for Janus' pretty words or Roman's pretty lips. If they were interested in him now, it was because they were drunk. No one wanted Virgil like that, he just wasn't a sexy Side. Not like them.
He could see the two of them now, as the crowd shifted about.
Young hearts, out our minds
Runnin' till we outta time-
Janus had his arms around Roman's neck, with Roman gripping his hips like a lifeline. Virgil tried to forget how it felt having Roman's hands on his own hips. He was just here to make sure they didn't get alcohol poisoning or drive recklessly. He wasn't here to party or flirt or whatever it was they wanted him to do.
Like it's the last night of our lives
We'll keep dancing till we die-
Virgil tried to tear his eyes away from the dancing duo, but no matter where he looked, nothing was as interesting as his Sides. Janus's real smile was a rare sight, and Virgil knew envy when he felt it - Roman better treasure such a gift.
Oh, what a shame that you came here with someone-
Roman leaned down and kissed Janus, while they were moving, pressed close together. Janus practically melted against Roman, visibly enjoying himself, even from Virgil's viewpoint across the room. Virgil realized he was staring and forced himself to look down. His face felt warm, but who would catch him? It wasn't like they were paying any attention to him.
Regardless, Virgil played with the leftover salt on his tray for a minute to distract himself. It was fine, everything's fine. He told them to go have fun and he didn't mind being the third wheel. It didn't matter that he kind of hated being here right now.
Virgil glanced up again, witnessing the colors wash over Roman's face, shades of pink and blue swirling to the beat. His lidded eyes locked on Janus' face. His hand moved across Jan's back and grabbed his ass. They continued dancing.
It's pretty obvious that you've got a crush
That magic in your pants, it's making me blush-
He could do this. Not just survive tonight, but whatever crazy situation he was fated to be a part of. He was starting to learn more about his other Sides. And he didn't hate them. Wildly, insanely, he didn't hate them. Virgil hates most people; most people activate his trait and he panics. But these four weirdos weren't like that. They've never made his trait react, and they've even helped him a few times. Patton, obviously, helps him a lot. But Virgil had confided in Logic his need for a prescribed Anxiety inhaler, and it had actually helped? Logic was able to find it for him when he had an attack. Nothing exploded? Wild.
Virgil lived alone before. And didn't have his medication for long before that. This entire time, he could only rely on himself. But he at least had Logic and Patton to help out now.
Looking for some trouble tonight
Take my hand I'll show you a Wild Side-
Janus laughed, and it was loud enough for Virgil to hear over the music and crowd. He looked over to see Roman's face pressed into the crook of Janus' neck. Jan's gorgeous face flushed. Virgil could feel his hesitancy around the other Side begin to slip away. He wasn't sure how smart that was. Janus had the ability to really hurt them. Virgil wouldn't be able to survive his relationship being a lie.
He pondered the possibility of Janus' sincerity. Logic seemed to trust him. Or maybe he just didn't care. Looking at Janus' smile, he wondered if someone could be that good of an actor.
Surely his and Roman's flirting were just fun distractions? Or maybe a gay, societal expectation? It wasn't a guarantee that your Sides would want to date you. Most didn't. Virgil didn't know. And more importantly, he couldn't figure any of this out with them drunk. Virgil would just have to mope and pine the night away. To be fair, he was pretty good at that.
We're gonna die young
We're gonna die young
Let's make the most of the night like we're gonna die young.
The last of the song faded out and another pop song replaced it. Virgil sat up and tried to look like he wasn't being the world's most depressed voyeur. Janus led Roman back to the table, practically falling into the booth.
"More drinks!" Roman cheered, snatching up one of the remaining shots.
"Yes, yes, yes." Janus nodded, accepting his own. "And for you."
Virgil glanced down at the glass slid his direction. "I'm not drinking, I'm the DD."
"Shh, don't worry," Janus whispered, wagging his finger across the table at him. "We'll be here all night."
Roman nodded, having already drank his shot. "You'll have plenty of - hic - time to sober up!"
Virgil didn't enjoy that news. He figured they'd get tired after an hour or so and they could leave. But Roman grabbed another shot, and didn't seem ready to slow down any time soon. Virgil considered it. He shouldn't. But if they're going to be here all night anyway…
Roman thumped the table, "You have to get over your ex too!"
"That was in high school." Virgil said flatly.
"Exactly! Drink with me!" Roman raised his shot for a toast. Virgil sighed and relented.
"Fine. One drink."
He clicked his glass against Roman's.
One turned into three, which wasn't Virgil's fault. They just appeared in front of him, and he couldn't stop himself.
"No matter how drunk you get me," Virgil said, already feeling a warmth in his tummy and a fuzziness in his head. "I'm not going to dance with you."
"That sounds like a bet." Janus grinned over his drink. He had ordered something fruity with an umbrella. Virgil wanted to try it, but he didn't want to get completely wasted. The night was young, but Virgil was by no means a heavy drinker. He had to remember to pace himself, that he was supposed to be the voice of reason here. Janus licked his lips, "Are you a betting man, Virgil?"
"Not with these odds." Virgil replied.
He was watching the other Sides in the bar. Many of them were his age, with the college being so close by. Roman had even recognized a group of people by the pool tables.
"Not even one dance?" Roman pouted. "It's my birthday!"
"It's not your birthday, dear." Janus said, patting his shoulder. "That's next year."
"I'm not a dancing kind of Side." Virgil said, shrugging easily. "I'm awful."
Janus covered Roman's ears and stage-whispered, "It's not really dancing over there. It's all in the hips."
"Yeah, I got that. Thanks."
Roman swatted Janus' hands away. "Well I'm not leaving here until I get a dance with you."
"I can do the chicken dance." Virgil laughed when Roman looked offended.
Janus rested his head on Roman's shoulder, and Virgil was struck once again with how close and touchy they were. He supposed he and Patton looked like that, but it wasn't the same.
"No means no, love." Janus said, his eyes on Virgil. "We'll have to catch him another time."
"Another time." Virgil repeated. He smiled. Janus smiled back. It felt like a promise.
"Then will you dance with me again? I wanna-" To finish his sentence, Roman began sensually dancing from his spot in the booth. Janus laughed, and Virgil couldn't stop his smile.
The two of them left again. This time the dancefloor was less crowded. Roman grabbed Janus by the hips and twisted him around until they were pressed together, back to chest. Virgil's cheeks burned at the intimate position. He couldn't watch them grinding. That was perhaps too much for Sides that weren't dating.
Virgil took a deep breath and stood up. He looked around the bar before finding an open pool table. He could waste some time messing with that.
He found a pool stick and began half-heartedly hitting balls around the table. A red one rolled into the pocket. He hit the Q ball and it knocked into a yellow one, dropping both of them into a pocket. Virgil walked over to that corner to get the white ball back.
As he reached his hand into it, someone else grabbed for the ball at the same time. Virgil jerked away and looked up to see a man with reddish-brown hair. He smiled at Virgil, an adorable gap between his front teeth.
"Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to startle you." The guy said. "I just saw that shot. Do you want some pointers?"
"I'm good. Thanks." Virgil said, leaning away from him. He was attractive, but something about him made Virgil's skin crawl. He tried to swallow down his trait. It only left his throat feeling dry and tight.
"No worries. Want to play a round?" The man said, moving over and grabbing a pool stick from the stand on the wall. "Loser buys the winner a drink."
Virgil really didn't want to. But he couldn't think of a way to say no that wasn't 'fuck you'. So he played. He wasn't very good at pool, which only made the annoying guy even more annoying. He would get close to Virgil, like really close. Practically breathing in his ear close. And then he'd make little comments like "oh, maybe next time" and "almost had it". Virgil lost his shit at the last one.
The guy, still too close, muttered, "Lean forward a little more, there you go," As he placed his hand on Virgil's lower back. He could feel the pressure through his jacket, and instantly he swirled around. Between this jackass and the alcohol, his heart was racing.
He pointed the stick at him like a sword and said, "Stop. Touching me."
"Hey, no need to be like that." The man said, pushing the stick out of his way. He approached Virgil with a lopsided smirk. "Come home with me, handsome. I can show you a good time."
"I'm actually here with my boyfriends, so if you could just-"
He was even closer, his fingers gripping Virgil's wrist, his nasty breath in his face.
"They can come too, I'm not picky."
"Fuck off!" Virgil said as he stomped on the man's shoe with his heavy boot. Without waiting for a reaction, he smacked the guy with his pool stick and ran. As he made his way through the thick crowd, his heart hammered in his chest. He could feel sweat roll down his back. His mind was a useless mess of panic and fear. His breathing was too quick, too shallow.
At a flash of light, the crowd burst into drunken cheers and wolf whistles. It was too much, too loud. Virgil pushed his way into a clearing. He saw a familiar sparkly red top, but his mind couldn't register why he knew it. He stormed past, directly towards the exit. He couldn't breathe. God, what if something had happened in there? He couldn't breathe.
"Little dude, wait up!" Someone shouted as he burst through the front door and out into the cold night air.
Virgil did not, in fact, wait up. He ran blindly until he saw a break in the buildings. He stumbled to a stop in the alleyway, pressing his back against a brick wall. His knees shook. He tried to breathe, tried to remember how to. But the world was sideways, slowly tilting towards upside-down. Virgil felt too hot, his chest too tight. Maybe he was going to die.
"Little dude? Little du- oh." Someone rounded the corner, finding his hiding spot. Virgil swayed. "There you are. Why'd you- whoa, shit-!"
Virgil fell forward, his vision blurring. He anticipated hitting the ground, but was instead met with a warm embrace.
"It's okay little dude, I got ya." The voice said.
Virgil blinked, his vision cleared enough for him to see a Fusion with four eyes. They were wide with concern, staring at him, unblinking. Virgil shuddered.
"Wha- who?" Virgil pressed his cheek against hard, red jewels. If he could breathe properly, he might have been able to squirm out of the Fusion's lap. Now all he could think to do was hide closer.
"Shh, it's okay bro. It's okay if you don't remember me, but I'm one of your dudes. You're my man. I've got you." The fusion said. Virgil barely registered the words. "I'm sorry dude, I didn't mean to drag you out to a scary bar. I thought it was a sexy bar."
Virgil made a choked, groaning noise.
"Aw, fuck, I'm not doing this right." The Fusion muttered. Virgil felt himself being shifted, and then he was held more securely, pressed firm against the other. Virgil closed his eyes and tried to focus on the weight, the sensation of the embrace.
"It will be alright, my love." The voice sounded completely different, entirely unrecognizable. Virgil froze up for a moment, but the voice was deep and smooth. "I'm here to protect you. You're not alone. You don't have to face anything alone."
Virgil opened his eyes to look up at him. His panic had ebbed as his curiosity grew. Even the Fusion's body language was different, seeming more graceful and self-aware.
"That's it, there you go. Let's take deep breaths now." They breathed together. The fusion smiled and said, "Did you know deep breathing was the most important key to resetting your nervous system?"
"I-" Virgil gasped.
"Shhh, love." The fusion pressed a tiny kiss to Virgil's forehead. "Breathe."
Virgil blinked, surprised to find his eyes were wet. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he pressed his face against the ruby chest again.
"That's it, love. You're alright." They rubbed his back. Virgil let out a deep, shuddering breath.
When Virgil looked up again, his mind was clear enough to remember the Fusion's name.
"Jason." He whispered.
"Hello, gorgeous." Jason kissed his head again. "How do you feel? Can you breathe?"
Virgil shakily nodded. He asked, still feeling a bit stupid, "How did you do that?"
"Do what, love?" Jason asked, still rubbing his back.
"Change like that. You- you say 'bro' and 'dude'." Virgil shook his head. A small, hysterical laugh escaped him. "You told me a fact!"
"Oh." Jason said. Then he laughed. Just like that, he was back to slouching. Every muscle in his body relaxed, and every thought in his head vanished. When he spoke again, his voice was back to its usual pitch. "I don't know, dude. It's called acting? Or maybe lying. But I just thought…"
At this Jason grew shy. He rubbed the back of his neck, two eyes glancing away. He continued, "I thought you would, uh, appreciate being, like, comforted by someone, you know… better than me."
"Better at what?" Virgil asked. He could feel his pulse calming down, his body slowly relaxing. His trait retreated for another day.
"I dunno, bro. Like. I'm not good at words." Jason shrugged, "so I pretended to be someone who was. Someone you'd want to comfort you." Before Virgil could desect any of that, Jason asked, "Are you okay, dude? What happened?"
Virgil sighed and said, "Nothing. Just some asshole that wouldn't listen to 'no'."
Jason's expression grew very dark. Virgil didn't think the cheery, bumbling idiot could look that threatening. His voice was low. "He touched you?"
"Barely. It's fine." Virgil didn't want to think about it anymore.
"It's not. Who was it? Describe him." Jason had the energy of someone about to start a bar fight. "I want to talk."
Virgil shook his head. "Jason, I'm okay. I'd rather we just go home."
"You deserve a bro who respects you." Jason said, glaring down at Virgil's hands on his chest. "I would respect you."
Virgil, brain still swimming from alcohol and adrenaline, decided to be stupid. He reached up, cupping Jason's chin in his hands. Every cell in his body was vibrating.
"Thank you." He whispered before pressing their mouths together. Jason's lips were soft and warm against his own. His strong arms surrounded Virgil, engulfing him in a sense of safety. Virgil expected to feel his nerves spike again, adrenaline flaring with a newfound purpose. But he didn't feel jittery by the kiss. His stomach did a twirl, but instead of being sickening, it was nice.
Virgil pulled away slowly, his breath coming out in small pants. He licked his lips and felt his cheeks burn. "Um- sorry."
"Don't be sorry, dude." Jason said, tilting his chin up so they made eye contact. Virgil's skin felt hot where they touched. "I've been trying to get your attention all night."
Virgil laughed. "What? You were?"
Jason pouted, looking far too adorable for his own good. "You didn't notice."
"I noticed something, that's for sure." Virgil replied, now feeling giddy. Light headed in a different kind of way.
Jason gasped when Virgil kissed him again. Virgil shuddered pleasantly as the strong embrace around him returned. He slid his hands up Jason's chest to cup his neck and jaw. Everything felt hot, completely unlike before. Instead of burning alive, Virgil wanted nothing more than to sink into the heat.
So he did.
When he opened his eyes again, he was breathing heavily. Sitting in the mud of a dirty alleyway, lungs expanding for the first time, he came to be. Someone new. Someone exciting.
A wide, crooked grin spread across his lips. He stood, fresh hands scraping against brick for the first time. The slight pain shot a tingle through his arms.
All at once; he clapped his hands together, smoothed down his hair, and adjusted his pants around his junk. Someone down the street left the bar, and as the door swung open, the music and noise grew for a moment before quieting again. The fusion began walking back to the bar, his grin only growing with each step.
"Alright, boys. You know the line." He said, cracking his many knuckles. "What time is it?"
Tell me what you think!