onereyofstarlight asked for the 30 Gentle Prompts list: 18 and Virgil please! :D "Can I Join You?"
His eldest brother was all motion. Perpetual motion, in stark contrast to himself. But they balanced each other out perfectly.
Usually
Today, though, had been one of the rare occasions when they had clashed, leaving both of them feeling off-kilter.
Virgil had retreated to his outside studio - the largest of the beach huts - ostensibly to sketch, but his Muse was unhappy. He sat at his easel with charcoal in hand, poised and ready, but nothing was happening.
A knock at the door had him internally sighing, but he'd known Scott would come down at some point. His face twitched with a suddenly-recalled memory. Virgil took a deep breath in and thundered:
'Who dares to disturb my sanctuary!'
There was a pause, and Virgil found hims hard-pressed not to giggle like the five-year-old he'd been when this had been a habit encouraged by their Mom. He could almost hear Scott's eye roll at the requisite answer.
'It is I - Sir Scott-a-lot.'
'What do you want, Sir Scotty-lotty?'
'Can I join you?'
'Enter at your own peril!'
If course Scott entered, and he was carrying a peace offering in the form of two giant mugs of steaming coffee.
Virgil took the one offered him and sat on the couch, and Scott joined him. Nothing was said as they drank.
Calm once more descended and Virgil felt something shift in his chest.
Eventually Scott pulled out the tablet Virgil knew he'd have with him and settled down to write the report for the rescue, so Virgil left him to it and returned to the easel.
Without thinking about it charcoal flew over paper, and once he was happy with the image he picked up the coloured chalks and carried on.
Neither brother noticed the sun setting as they reorientated themselves around each other.