The Melting Pot Complex

Chapter Seventy-Two ~ Roman

{Possible trigger warnings: swearing, some fighting (boxing)

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

"Where on earth are you going?"

Roman leaned against the kitchen doorway as Virgil turned around to face him.

"What are you, my mom?"

"Virgil, it's like, eleven at night." Roman shook his head. 

Virgil rolled his eyes and Roman sighed, making a vague gesture of apology. "I was just curious. You don't seem like the type to go out drinking or partying, and I know Emile's out of town because you complained about it at breakfast."

"Didn't sound like you were just curious."

Roman shrugged. "Wrong tone. Sorry."

Virgil paused for a moment, then adjusted his bag on his shoulder. "I'm going to the gym."

"Oh sh*t, really?"

"Yeah." He gave Roman a flat look. "Can I leave now? Am I supposed to report to you now like I have a curfew?"

"Can I come with you?" Roman shot back.

Virgil looked taken aback. "What? Why?"

Roman shrugged. "Been meaning to start hitting the gym. Never got around to it. I won't be annoying."

"You're always annoying." There was a twitch of a smile as he said it, which was the only reason Roman didn't jump on it. "You serious about coming along?"

"Yeah!" He nodded. "I want to get rid of some flab."

"Dump Logan." Virgil chuckled, then shook his head. "Sorry. Automatic reaction, don't tell him I said that."

"He heard you just fine." A voice called from down the hall. Virgil made a face and Roman snickered.

Finally the gamer turned and walked into the living room. "Ten minutes, Roman. I'm meeting someone."

"Alright alright." Roman darted off to his room. He changed and threw some essentials in a duffel bag, then headed back to the living room.

"Hey loser." Virgil was standing by the door. "You ready to be in intense amounts of pain in a few days?"

Roman fiddled with the zipper on his bag for a moment, then nodded. "I am, I guess. No pain no gain, right?"

"Say that again tomorrow morning." Virgil tugged on his jacket. "Let's go."

~~~ Fifteen Minutes Later ~~~

There were a few people in the gym when they got there, and Virgil made a beeline across the building to a separate room that had a dozen or so punching bags and a mat area. Roman followed him, holding onto his bag tightly.

"What's up Dee?" Virgil shrugged his jacket off and tossed it on a bench, offering a hand to a rather attractive young black man with vitiligo. Roman put his things next to Virgil's jacket and approached.

'Dee' clapped Virgil's hand in one of those bro handshakes. "You're late."

"Yeah, well. Had to drag the baggage along." Virgil jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Roman protested, crossing his arms.

Virgil snickered and his friend turned to regard Roman. His one hazel and one brown eye flicked over him in a pretty obvious once-over, and he smirked.

"Not too bad as far as baggage goes. I'm Dorrian, and you are?"

Roman raised his eyebrows, feeling his cheeks heat up a little. "Flattered, but taken. I'm Roman."

"Nice to meet you." Dorrian's flirty expression disappeared, and he turned to Virgil. "Is he sparring too?"

"Nah. I was just going to show him the basics of what I do for a workout, then leave him to it while we beat the sh*t out of each other."

Dorrian nodded. "I can handle that. Just let me know when you're ready for the a** whooping to commence."

"Yours, not mine." Virgil shot back before turning to Roman. "Alright, I'll show you my warm-up."

They started with some stretches, then what Virgil called a low level core workout. By the time he had done his third set, Roman was aching all over.

"Told you it was gonna hurt like hell." Virgil teased, offering a hand to help Roman off the mat. Roman batted it away and shook his head.

"Leave me to suffer." He threw an arm over his face. "Go fight Dorrian or whatever you were gonna do."

"I'm not gonna say no to that."

Virgil began to walk away and Roman shifted so he could see the boxing ring that was set up. Dorrian was waiting inside, leaning against one of the corner poles.

Virgil hopped over the ropes with one hand on a different corner pole, and grabbed the helmet and gloves that were sitting on the ground inside the ring. Dorrian glanced up and nodded, then grabbed his own set and began to put them on.

"Don't go easy on me." Roman heard Virgil say as the two met up in the center of the ring, tapping their hands together. Dorrian grunted and they each backed off a pace.

It very quickly became apparent that Dorrian was doing as Virgil asked. The sound of boxing gloves hitting flesh rang out more times than Roman expected, and he jumped when a body suddenly crashed to the ground.

"Oh my god, Virgil!"

"He'll be fine." Dorrian backed off, taking off one of his gloves with his teeth. "I just clocked him in the jaw. He'll be sore as sh*t, but I pulled the punch last second so he's not unconscious and I didn't break anything."

Roman stopped at the ropes to the ring as Virgil groaned and rolled onto his back, tossing his gloves to one side and his helmet to the other.

"Godd*mn you need to do this professionally." He announced, rubbing his jaw. "Ow."

"I'm working on it." Dorrian shrugged. "How's the rest of you?"

"Hurts too, but not any worse than usual." Virgil sat up slowly, blinking a few times. "Nice hit."

"Thanks." Dorrian offered a hand to him. Virgil took it and got to his feet slowly.

"You wanna try, Roman?"

Roman's eyes widened and he shook his head quickly. "No. No thank you. Not at all."

Virgil snickered and went to pick up the helmet and the gloves. "Aw c'mon. He'd go easy on you. Probably."

Dorrian shrugged.

"No. I'm quite sure that I am okay with not doing that." Roman pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Everyone needs a good hit to the head once in a while, it keeps you from being a prick." Virgil grinned. "That's how I know you've never been punched in your life."

"Hey!"