The Melting Pot Complex

Chapter Fifty-Three ~ Virgil

Virgil stood up, peering out over the crowd. He didn't see anything helpful a for a few moments, then someone stepped to the top of the stairs and crouched, revealing bright hair tucked under a backwards snapback.

"YO PICANI!"

Emile whipped around and grinned, waving. "Hi Kai!"

Kai motioned for him to come that way. "C'mon, we're getting the game set up!"

Virgil heard cheers from upstairs. He glanced at Emile.

"Yeah, they're a little wild. But I'll keep you safe." Emile laughed. "You can hang out on... the verge."

Virgil snorted before he could stop himself. "That was awful."

"I'm the master of bad puns. Disney related, mostly."

"Oh, boy." The two of them started to make their way upstairs as Virgil smiled a little. "You haven't met my roommate."

~~~Four Hours Later~~~

"You guys go back to the hotel, I'll be along in a little while!" Emile laughed as the group all reconvened on the sidewalk outside the pub. "Elliott, don't let Sloane convince you to stay up all night again!"

Elliott waved a hand in his general direction.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kai frowned.

"I'm going to make sure Virgil gets home safe." Emile grinned. "Go, I'll be fine."

Virgil raised his eyebrows as the rest of the group began to head off. "I live in town, and I'm 6'2. I think the one who needs to get home safe is you."

Emile crossed his arms, smiling. "I'm not really the kind of person to let someone having a bad day just disappear on me. I'll walk home with you, then figure out what to do from there."

Virgil nodded and turned towards the apartment. He was surprised to feel Emile grab his hand, and felt his cheeks heat up.

A bubbly personality, cute giggles and laughter, an ungodly amount of puns. The kind of person who wormed their way into a heart.

Well f*ck, Virgil realized, I really do have a type.

"My friends really liked you... and I think that's the first time I've seen Kai lose at Smash in years."

Virgil shrugged. "I'm uh, good at games."

"Oh yeah. Kai actually yelled at me for bringing a professional gamer up to the group when we planned on playing."

Virgil froze up.

"You knew?"

"Yep, Corbin and Kai recognized you in like five minutes, but I told them not to say anything."

Virgil paused and looked at Emile. "You all knew? And you didn't say anything?"

"Well I figure it's like being a celebrity." Emile shrugged. "People act like you don't deserve to be treated like a person."

"That's really nice of you... thank you."

Emile nodded and they walked in silence for a few minutes. 

"Is it raining?" The shorter man suddenly asked.

"I don't think so- oh sh*t-" Virgil quickly pulled Emile under a nearby awning as it began to rain.

Emile laughed, leaning against Virgil's chest as they stared out at the sudden downpour. 

"Well that's something." Virgil ran a hand through his hair. "Now what? You're not gonna be able to get home, and your friends shouldn't drive to get you with how many people are out. We're not far from my apartment, let's awning-hop to try to stay out of the rain, then you can stay over at mine."

Emile nodded and Virgil grabbed his hand again, pulling him along as they sprinted to the next awning.

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Emile asked suddenly as they paused under one, looking up at him.

He blinked, answering automatically. "Uh, no."

"Neither do I... but I believe that sometimes people are drawn to each other, in ways that make them more compatible... does that make sense?"

"Yeah." Virgil nodded, staring at Emile. Where the hell was this going? "But it can still take a lot of spontaneous action..."

The man grinned and grabbed his hands. "Spontaneity is one of my strong suits."

Virgil didn't even fight it when Emile pulled him out into the rain, and into a kiss.

{slow-burns juxtaposed with a quick-start relationship... although the other couples weren't really that slow-burn}