Virgil Hawkins (shock2ursystem) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2017-03-06 20:28:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, richie foley (gear), virgil hawkins (static) |
Who: Virgil and Richie
What: Talking about feelings, burning pizza (the humanity!)
When: After these texts.
Where: Their apartment
Rating/Warning: Low/none
Status: Complete
Richie was admittedly kind of nervous about Virgil coming back home, they really hadn’t spent much time together since that incident at Christmas. Richie felt bad about not knowing how to fix things, maybe this was a step. He hadn’t had time to process what happened when he initially responded to the kiss. Physically it was great, but emotionally he was fucked up. It had nothing to do with Virgil’s kiss at all, and maybe if he told him things would improve-but this wa a subject he wasn’t great about putting into words. His father lived by the ‘just suppress it’ rule if it was considered taboo or unsavory. In his father’s book this was probably considered an instant ticket to hell. Sure Richie had made up his own mind on not to choose the man’s close minded views, but that didn’t mean it was easy to ignore his family. He would always want to please them even though he knew logically it was unlikely he stood a chance at doing so..
Richie was off earlier than Virgil these days, so he had time to cook. It wasn’t like he wanted to sit around and mull over things anymore than he already had, so doing something with his hands was productive and distracting. He had some sort of video game soundtrack playing quietly in the background while he added various toppings to a pizza dough. That kiss still replayed in his mind sometimes, honestly it wasn’t an unwelcome thought. The only bit that was unwelcome was his ridiculous reaction after the fact. He should have done something more than stare like a moron. If he was honest it wasn’t the first time he’d ever thought about kissing Virgil and definitely wasn’t the last since then.
He had no idea what he was going to say to him about it, or how to respond, but maybe that was half his problem. Putting too much thought into everything. Richie put the pizza in the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes.
Virgil was lucky that he had a lot to occupy his mind these days. Between working for Stark and helping get the gaming floor set up, volunteering at the Ranch, and doing the superhero thing at night, he was able to distract himself from both the kiss and the weird distance that had opened up between he and Richie. Despite that though, he found his mind going there more often than it really should. He’d see something funny and immediately want to tell Richie, but had held back. It was weird not being able to talk about everything with Richie, but Richie seemed to want his space and Virgil would give it to him if he needed it.
He’d been glad when Richie had texted him. He’d rushed through some of his project, and had even decided to skip some other things. He’d just have to show up to school extra early to fix any mistakes his haste may have caused. Nearly as fast as he could, he flew home on his Static Saucer, with only a brief stop at Stark Tower to pick up the game he thought Richie would enjoy. He touched down a couple of blocks away from their apartment, quickly ran into the convenience store near their place to pick up a couple of bottles of pop, and practically ran to the front door. He stopped before the door, took a couple of moments to catch his breath, and then walked in.
“Hey Rich,” he said casually. “I’m home. And I grabbed that game I mentioned. And some Mountain Dew.”
Richie had a lot of issues to deal with, many more than Virgil could have even imagined one kiss could have brought up. He hadn’t wanted to burden Virgil with them, but needed to think about some things nonetheless. He’d been glad at first for the space, but now he hated it. It worried him, he missed Virgil. Sure they still saw eachother but some things were undeniably different. He wanted that to change.
He was leaning against the small kitchen island their apartment had, it wasn’t much but at least it had a good kitchen for various things when he heard the door unlock. “Hey.”Virgil’s presence alone made him happy without even having done anything, he just felt better with him there. “Caffeine is always welcome. In the five major food groups. Caffeine, sugar, pizza, hamburgers, and international if you’re feeling a bit adventurous.” He grinned at him and motioned to wherever he wanted to put his stuff, there wasn’t much on the counter.
Richie was healed completely now, it was nice. Not getting tired at random points during the day anymore or having to as careful as he did when said bandages limited him previously when they last did something like this. “Feels like it’s been forever since we’ve had time to do this.”
“Great,” Virgil said, grinning. “Does Mountain Dew count as two of the five then,” he joked. Virgil put his goods on the counter, then using his electricity he opened the cupboard doors and levitated a couple of glasses toward him.
“It’s been way too long,” Virgil said. “I’ve been way too busy with work and school and the rest of it.” Of course, he could and would make time for Richie whenever he asked for it, but he was more than willing to take the blame himself. “How’s tricks?” he asked, opening the pop bottle and beginning to pour.
“Duh.” Mountain Dew was basically life blood. “Hey, remember that old one Surge that Mountain Dew made when we were kids? The one they banned that Mountain Dew tried to pass off as practically Red Bull or whatever? They revived it. It’s got a short term run going on right now. Check the fridge.” Richie may have gone a bit overboard with it but nostalgia factor was high and had hit him in the feels.
“Yeah, same. I’ve been made accountant for the Ranch. All official and everything. It needs a little work but I thought maybe you might want to help me set up the AV portion..” Maybe it would be something to help them get over the awkwardness, a project was always good. Richie really wanted to be able to move forward with things. “Tricks? Huh?” He’d spaced a bit for a moment there, glancing at the spot where the kiss had happened, not too far from the kitchen, every time he passed that spot he couldn’t help but get that same tingly feeling all over again and it wasn’t unwelcome now. It hadn’t even been then, he’d just been so confused in the moment. “...Virg..about before.” He didn’t really know how to say it so he didn’t give Virgil any time to respond to him negatively or positively. He just needed to say something and soon before he froze up again. “I wanted to do that..with you for years and then I acted like an idiot.”
With a burst of electricity, he pulled the fridge open. “No way,” he said, grinning. “So much for getting any sleep tonight, huh?”
“That’s great,” he said, in response to the news of Richie being made accountant. “I’m still bummed you’re not gonna be at Stark anymore, but you’ll do a lot of good at the Ranch and I’ll see you there too. They’re lucky to have someone as good at numbers as you at the helm. You know I’d be happy to help. Stark’s got me working on the Stark Tower gaming room right now too, so it will hardly be any extra work at all.” And it would be able to work with Richie setting up something like an AV room. It sounded like a great idea.
But then Richie was moving on to the talk about the other night, and Virgil felt his heart jump up into his throat. He knew that the talk was coming. In fact, he had been determined to have it once he and Richie had some time to sit down together. He hadn’t, however, been expecting Richie’s confession the way that it came. He’d always suspected that Richie had been more interested in men than women, and had been waiting for Richie to tell him. He had thought that Richie’s weirdness about the kiss had been a general kind of thing, not about Virgil at all, but more about how to deal with his pops. “You did?” he asked stupidly, not knowing what else to say.
“Who needs it, heh.” He responded to his friend, watching him with that bit of electricity like a mystified child. “Yeah, Neal doesn’t liken numbers much anyway and I do-so it works out.” He responded a bit distractedly. This apartment had been hard for him to be in lately since he hadn’t quite figured out what he should do since the kiss, but Virgil was here finally. Richie wanted to tell him everything, and if they just started doing something else he feared he may not be able to. Richie fidgeted with the sleeve of his hoodie awkwardly and nodded. “Sounds fitting. I haven’t even set up the computers yet in my office..I thought maybe we’d do it together.” Assuming they survived this conversation anyway. He hoped they would. He’d been afraid of it all this time, afraid of losing Virgil, but lately it seemed like he already had anyways. They were apart so often it felt like he barely saw him and he didn’t like it especially with the things weighing on his mind.
“Yeah. I guess I was just in denial. It wasn’t bad though. It was.actually the complete opposite of bad.” He confessed as he rubbed at his neck awkwardly and looked anywhere but his friends eyes for the moment. “I think I’m gay..No, I am gay.” He hadn’t said the words out loud before. It felt awkward and a little awful, like he was letting people down somehow by being who he was. He didn’t want to have anyone let down by him. “I didn’t want to lose you..” Because of being gay, he wasn’t sure if Virgil would look at him the same again.
“Yeah, sounds tight. I’d love to help,” Virgil said. And if there was anything Richie and he could do together, it was set up computers.
“I know you are, bro,” Virgil said softly. “If you think you’d lose me over something like that, then you don’t know me.” But of course, Richie did know him. Richie knew him better than anyone in the world, and he knew that it was just his anxiety over the whole situation that would make him think as much. He stepped closer to Richie, to wrap him in an embrace. “You’re never going to lose me, Rich.”
What science geek didn’t love computer projects, it would be like denying eachother the opportunity to see Space if it came along. He was actually a little envious he hadn’t stuck around at Stark’s to help with that game center thing, but he couldn’t stay there. Too much anxiety, and when shit went to hell Richie practically froze up. He couldn’t make much happen at a place like Stark’s if he froze every time something went batshit.
“You knew?” Did everybody but him know? Even Hazel seemed less than surprised when he told her about certain feelings for Virgil that confused his brain. He was good at numbers and science, feelings though? Not so much. They couldn’t just be translated like that. He seemed to relax a little at that statement and leaned into the hug. He’d wanted to be close since that kiss, he’d wanted to touch him again but had been afraid. “I know, I mean logically I knew..my brain just doesn’t like to listen to logic sometimes.” Where did that leave them now? Sometimes he hated how confusing his brain could be.
“Well, I guessed,” Virgil admitted. He took a breath, and looked up over Richie’s shoulder, trying to get his thoughts together to say what it was that he had to say about the whole thing. He pulled away from Richie, and took a step back. “I don’t think feelings are logical though. Look, Rich, you’re my best friend. You’ve always been my best friend, and I hope you always gonna be my best friend. You’ve always been like a brother to me. That’s why this is all so whack.” He took a breath, not sure if what he was wanting to say was coming out exactly right and sure that it wasn’t. “I haven’t been able to get that kiss outta my head,” he said. “Not in a bad way.”
“Jeeze pal, shoulda clued me in, man.” He teased him slightly with a nudge as he pulled away and frowned again awkwardly as he watched Virgil talk. Virgil had let him talk, so he ought to grant him the same, and yet all he could think of doing was holding him again. “I know...I guess that’s why I thought it was all just this place..I know weird stuff happens here all the time...I didn’t..” He looked away from him as he leaned on the counter to figure out the right words himself. “I didn’t want to be just that weird thing.” He looked over at the pizza oven timer and frowned a little more, he was getting hungry and really wanted something to do with his hands that wasn’t going to be awkward as hell. Instead he just put them behind his back for the time being and let his expression soften a bit. “You know we’ll always be bros. Which is why I didn’t do anything in the first place but now..” He kind of wanted to do it again, he took Virgil’s hand in his and gave it a light squeeze. “Ever Since then I’ve had this crazy idea of doing it again.”
“I knew you’d figure it out,” Virgil said, grinning.
He looked down at his hand when Richie took hold of it, and then swallowed. He’d been thinking about the kiss, and about possibly having others himself. But he didn’t have to say all of that. Not with an invitation like that. He leaned forward, kissing Richie’s lips.
Richie gave him a look at that which was half amused and partially exasperated. “Only five years ahead of schedule.” He could finally touch Virgil and not feel completely awkward, just a little awkward. He wondered briefly if being gay meant he had to be clingy all the time like in most of those gay movies? He just didn’t see that as their kind of relationship. Whatever their kind was. He wanted to touch him sure, but arm and arm through a flower field or something to that detail? He wasn’t sure. His confused thoughts were silenced though when Virgil moved in. He met him halfway and returned that kiss. Gentle at first but then a little more heat as he realized he was allowed. His hand moved from his hand up to his shoulder where it rested gently and he just let himself enjoy the moment until air was required. Which he hoped wasn’t very soon.
Virgil felt as though his heart would burst. Kissing Daisy had been great, but it hadn’t been anything like this. He felt completely comfortable, yet at the same time totally nervous. Like this was something that he’d been waiting for, when before Christmas he was sure that the thought had never crossed his mind. At least, not consciously.
He could have kissed Richie all night, but eventually a beeping permeated his brain. He was totally willing to ignore it, and even managed to for a little while, not thinking to place where the beeping was coming from, even if he had heard the oven timer a million times before. At least, he was willing to ignore it until the smell hit him. He pulled away from Richie. “Do you smell smoke?” he asked.
Richie hadn’t felt this happy in ages. He honestly couldn’t even remember the last time an airy feeling of lightness filled him up like this. It was something h was going to cling onto for a long time even if they didn’t do anything else. Just kissing gave him that wonderful floaty feeling he’d heard talked about in movies but never thought he’d experience. When they parted for a moment Richie let his fingertips brush against the caramel colored skin of his neck.
“Probably.” He said with a sort of spacey look until the scent of real smoke hit his nose and he turned to look at the stove. “Shit.” That was going to set off all the annoying fire alarms in the apartment now, Richie reluctantly jumped to turn it off and open the oven, trying to wave some of it away as if it would help.
Virgil coughed in the haze of smoke, but he thought quickly, sliding open the windows with some static cling, and with a jolt of electricity he got the ceiling fan going as well. How had he ever lived without his powers to help him out? It seemed hard to imagine now. Then he pulled his shirt up over his nose and mouth to help filter some of the smoke.
He used another burst of electricity to bring the metal pizza pan, and the pizza with it, out of the oven, and he placed it on the counter. He peered at disc of blackened pizza and frowned. “I think this ‘za is toast, Rich.”
“Aw man.” He looked it over with a bit of annoyance as he tried to see if there was even anything salvageable, but it all looked like it’d been bitten by the black plague. “Somewhere there’s a place for me in special hell for wasting pizza. RIP.” He wandered back over toward Virgil, not bothering to pick up the monstrosity. It was too hot, not only had it just come out of the oven but Virgil had used electricity on it too. He just let it smoke pathetically on the counter.
“Wanna just go grab something? Or we could just stay in.” He was torn, partially hungry and mostly wanting to be close to Virgil.
“I like the idea of staying in,” Virgil said, and he moved to take Richie’s hand in his own. “Maybe we can order in or somethin’.”