The Melting Pot Complex

Chapter Seventeen ~ Virgil

DAY TWO OF OVERLOAD WEEK

{Possible trigger warnings: death threat (its a joke but still), couple mentions of knives cause the boys are making dinner, one (1) swear censored in my manner and at my discretion

If I miss something, I apologize and please let me know}

"Virge, can you hand me that wooden spoon?"

Virgil reached over to the little ceramic crock full of utensils and grabbed the spoon in question, offering it handle first to Patton. He went back to peeling carrots with a small smile when Patton took it and waved it at him like a flag.

It was the night that they all worked together to make dinner. Patton had insisted that it would be a good idea to do that once a week, so they could 'bond' and 'work together'.

Virgil was pretty sure the man was just trying to get himself and Roman to stop arguing.

They had been better in the past two weeks or so, after Roman's little apology - was it an apology? Probably not, but Virgil chose to see it as one - in the hallway. Most days they were cordial, and they'd decided that if one really didn't think they could be nice to the other that they were fully allowed to use the cold shoulder.

"Roman, can you grab that rotisserie chicken out of the fridge for me?" Patton asked. "Then chop the celery please."

Roman slipped between Patton and Logan, who was currently straining a pot of noodles, and went to the refrigerator. He got out the chicken and set it on the counter for Patton, then grabbed the bundle of green vegetables. He nudged Virgil with his hip as he walked back past him.

"Watch it, Princey, I've got a knife."

"I'm terrified." Roman said sarcastically, grinning.

Virgil rolled his eyes and reached into the bag of carrots to grab another, counting up the ones he had already peeled.

"Holy sh*t-"

"Virgil, language- whoa, that's a huge carrot!"

Virgil turned to his roommates, holding up said carrot. It was nearly a foot and a half long, and the larger end was as thick around as a lemon.

He shifted his grip on it and pointed it at Roman. "En garde."

Roman gasped dramatically and grabbed the nearest thing that he could use. He brandished the stalk of celery at Virgil.

"Back, foul villain!"

"Aw come on. How come I'm the villain?" Virgil complained, making a face.

Roman shrugged, lowering his celery for a moment. "Well you are kind of the standard for dark edginess in the apartment."

"But an emo Disney prince would be awesome."

Virgil smirked as Roman paused, considering this.

"You're... not wrong."

"Just let him be the hero, Roman." Patton laughed. "You could be an amazing villain if you wanted to be."

Virgil hid a laugh as he saw Logan roll his eyes. Their serious roommate could put on the facade of being annoyed all he liked, they could all see the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Fine." Roman sighed dramatically and brought the celery stalk up again. "Attack me if you dare, Jack Smellington!"

"Clever, but I expected better from a knock-off Gaston cosplayer."

Roman gasped. "How dare you!"

Virgil grinned. "What are you gonna do about it, Princey?"

"Yah!" Roman jumped forward, swinging the celery. Virgil smacked the carrot against it.

The celery stick snapped in half and the part that broke away sailed through the air... crash-landing against the back of Logan's head.

Roman covered his mouth quickly, and Virgil did his best not to burst into laughter.

Logan turned around slowly and picked up the broken celery piece, looking at it and then at Roman.

"Logan I'm so sorry-"

"That's not how you use a sword, Roman."

For a moment the kitchen was reigned by shocked silence. Then Patton burst into wild giggles.

His laughter set Virgil off, and Roman began to laugh as well. After a few moments, Logan began to chuckle.

"Oh my god- Roman your face!" Patton gasped for air, holding his stomach.

"I thought he was gonna yell at me!" Roman tried to explain between fits of giggles. "The man has the demeanor of an English professor!"

"I am capable of enjoying humor." Logan interjected, still smiling.

Virgil poked Roman in the side with the carrot, spurring another bout of laughter from the man. "I win."

Roman leaned heavily against the counter. "Agh! I've been hit! You win this time, Hot Topic." He put a hand on his head, then ruined the dramatic image with another giggle.

"As amusing as this is, we should finish cooking so we can eat." Logan suggested once they had all calmed down. 

"Virge if you peel that carrot it should work as two." Patton said, opening the rotisserie chicken container and getting out a knife to cut it up. Virgil nodded and grabbed the carrot peeler again.

They all went back to work, but within moments Roman was distracted again.

"It is entirely too quiet in here. I'll be right back."

He set down the knife he was using and darted out of the kitchen, heading towards his room. Virgil rolled his eyes.

Music began to play down the hallway, getting louder by the moment. Roman returned to the kitchen, holding his phone and a portable speaker.

"Any requests?" He grinned, holding it up.

"Ooh! I have a Spotify playlist for baking, we could use that!" Patton suggested.

Roman nodded and went over, putting his phone down next to the rotisserie chicken so that Patton could talk him through finding the playlist. After a few moments, the music changed from the showtune Roman was playing to a bouncy song by Fitz and the Tantrums.

Patton grinned and began to sing along, picking the chicken apart. "Ooh crazy's what they think about me, ain't gonna stop cause they told me so! Cause 99 miles an hour baby, is how fast that I'd like to go!"

Virgil hummed along. He knew the song, but not all the words, so he wasn't going to embarrass himself by trying to sing. Roman put the speaker and his phone in the center of the kitchen island and went back over to the vegetables. Patton bounced up and down in place, lighting up the room with his excitement.

"I'm requesting My Chemical Romance after this." Virgil announced loudly when the song ended, the next one starting with a fun piano riff. Patton giggled.

Roman rolled his eyes. "You are an Emo Nightmare, y'know that?"

"I'm so glad you noticed."

{I've had The Walker by Fitz and the Tantrums in my head for five days}