The Melting Pot Complex

Chapter Forty-One ~ Virgil

{Possible trigger warnings: swearing, mention of anxiety

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

Virgil rolled his eyes. "Logan I don't know why you didn't expect that. It's kind of your fault for even agreeing to do the video in the first place."

"I am aware." His roommate said from where he was lying face-down on the couch. 

"Did you say anything to him about it?"

"No."

Virgil snorted and walked into the kitchen. "Oh, right. You weren't going to act on it until after the court date... when is that?"

"Tomorrow." Logan still didn't move.

"So you go to that, kick a** and win, come home, ask him out."

Logan just made an incoherent groaning noise.

"Oh come oooon, Logan." He leaned on the counter and looked into the living room. "You're a competent adult, and you're probably the most logical person I've ever met. If anyone can out-think their nervousness about something like this it would be you."

"I don't even want to think about it." Logan turned his head to look at him. "Every time I even think about him I suddenly can't think straight- don't even."

Virgil grinned and plopped into the armchair. "What?"

"I know exactly what you were going to say."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Virgil shrugged.

Logan just groaned again and face-planted himself into the couch cushion.

"Okay c'mon." Virgil got up.

"What?"

"C'mon. Lets go visit Patton and see if he's got any suggestions for lunch."

Logan lifted his head to look at Virgil.

"Alternatively, we could order takeout."

Virgil paused and looked at him. "If you want... you good?"

He just sighed and pushed himself into a sitting position. "Tired and overworked. I'll get through it."

"Takeout it is. We can watch a movie while we eat... You can pick."

Virgil went to his room and grabbed a few takeout menus he had stashed from various places. 

"Any preference?" He fanned the menus out and offered them to Logan when he returned to the living room.

"Is the Thai any good?" His roommate asked after a moment, sitting up to take the menu. Virgil shrugged.

"Only place I've ever had Thai, so I can't really judge. I like it."

Logan hummed in response, looking it over. Virgil dropped onto the couch next to him and pulled out his phone.

"Why don't we order from here? It's the closest of the group to the apartment, and they deliver." Logan handed him the menu after a minute. "I know what I would like."

Virgil nodded and flipped the menu over. "I usually just get the same thing."

They ordered and Virgil got drinks while Logan picked a movie. He forked over a couple dollars to pay for his food when the delivery guy got there, and Logan went downstairs.

"Pineapple fried rice for you, triple delight for me." Logan handed him the box when he returned.

"Thanks." Virgil sat up, tucking his legs up under himself to sit cross-legged. Logan sat next to him and he started the movie.

For a while they watched in silence. Virgil had to admit, hanging out with Logan and just sitting around was pretty nice. At least the two of them both understood how nice silence could be.

Or not.

"Virgil, do you feel... left out, in any way?"

Virgil paused, looking at Logan. "Left out? What do you mean?"

Logan leaned forward to put his empty takeout container on the coffee table. "In attempting to understand my feelings for Roman, I've come across quite a bit of information about single friends in a friend group."

Virgil snorted and leaned back. "I'm not lonely, Logan. I've got you losers."

"Virgil."

He stopped and looked at his roommate.

Logan played with his hands as he spoke. "Patton clearly harbors affection for Remy. Roman and I have... whatever it may be, between us. Do you feel any resentment that you are the only one in our apartment not... clicking? With someone?"

Virgil snorted. "Clicking? Who taught you that?"

"Roman used it to refer to Patton and Remy the other day." Logan crossed his arms. "You're avoiding the question."

"I'm not avoiding it so much as trying to think it through before I answer." Virgil got up and took their empty containers to the kitchen to throw away. "Because the answer is no, but I have a feeling you're looking for more than that."

Logan shrugged.

"I don't feel left out. I'd love to have a partner, yeah, but I'm not that kind of guy."

"What do you mean?"

Virgil blew his fringe out of his eyes. "I'm not... adventurous. I have a bubble. It's nice in the bubble - or at least it's calm. So I don't leave the bubble."

He sat down on the couch again. "For someone like me, with the... social anxiety I have, going out and trying to find someone is insanely daunting. Too much pressure on me. So I'd rather just stay in my bubble."

Logan nodded slowly. "So if love came to you...."

"Maybe it would work out, maybe it wouldn't." Virgil stared at the TV, not really paying attention to the movie. "But I'm not going to go looking for it because I don't feel like it's something I need."

"I see."

Virgil pulled a pillow over and hugged it to his chest. "Let's talk about something else... how's your casework going?"

Logan groaned and shook his head. "Topic change again. I don't want to think about it."

"That bad?" Virgil frowned.

"I feel so out of my depth, it's an incredibly uncomfortable feeling for me to experience."

"Well you've been practicing your arguments for weeks and I'd vote in your favor, so I think you'll get through it."

Logan snorted and tucked himself farther into the couch.

It struck Virgil suddenly how relaxed he seemed. He couldn't remember the last time he even saw Logan's feet off the ground while he was in the living room, much less the other man hunched into a ball with a blanket wrapped around himself.

It probably wasn't a big deal to Logan, but the realization that this was... trust?

Virgil hid a smile.

{Well that got sappy at the end wow}