The Melting Pot Complex

Chapter Six ~ Patton

{Possible trigger warnings: minor swear, second-hand embarrassment maybe?

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

"I know why you've been avoiding me."

Patton looked over his shoulder to see Roman leaning in the doorway of the kitchen, smirking at Virgil.

Everyone was officially moved in. Both Patton and Virgil had the day off from their part-time jobs, Logan had suggested they meet at some point to discuss the lease and anything that needed to be added.

Patton shook his head and turned back to what he was doing. This conversation could go two very different directions and he didn't particularly want to be involved either way.

Virgil grunted and Patton glanced over at him. His friend was sitting at the island, eating the bowl of cereal that he hadn't wanted but had been told to eat. 

Roman sauntered over to the island and leaned his elbows on it, still smirking. Patton picked up a plate and began to dry it, turning to watch in case he needed to intervene.

"You aren't going to say anything?" 

Virgil stuffed another spoonful of cereal in his mouth, raising his eyebrows silently.

"I'll take that as a no... well, I know why you're avoiding me, and I think it's cute."

Patton raised his eyebrows. "Roman-"

Virgil brought a hand up, swallowing his food. "No, Pat, let him talk."

"Virgil."

He didn't know what was happening either way but he could feel in his gut that it wasn't going to go well. Virgil could be very antagonistic and Patton just wanted his roommates to get along with each other.

"Go ahead, Princey." Virgil leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. "What do you know?"

Roman grinned.

"You have a crush on me."

Patton nearly dropped the plate. For a moment the room was silent, then Virgil snorted.

"Man, you're lucky as hell that you didn't vlog this, embarrassing yourself on camera doesn't seem like your usual brand."

Roman's face turned nearly as red as his shirt. "Excuse me?"

Virgil pushed his chair away from the island, standing and scooping up his now empty bowl and taking it to the sink. Patton shifted out of the way, absentmindedly drying the plate in his hand.

"I don't have a crush on you, Guyliner, get over yourself. I've been avoiding you because you're loud and I have chronic headaches. Speaking of," Virgil held up a hand as Roman tried to express his irritation. "I feel one coming on now. See you all in a few hours."

"All?" Patton questioned, a bit confused. The dark-haired gamer nodded his head towards the kitchen doorway on the left as he headed out the one on the right.

"Oh, hiya Logan!"

"Greetings." Logan nodded, blinking blearily.

"Gosh, you look like you could use some coffee." Patton smiled. "Good thing I made a pot a few minutes ago!"

The other man grunted, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. "Caffeine is an extremely addictive substance, Patton."

Patton grinned and glanced at Roman. "Well someone has a coffee maker here and I know it wasn't one of us who just moved in."

Logan just crossed the room to said coffee maker, getting out a mug and filling it. Patton giggled.

"Not much of a talker in the mornings, are you Google-Man?" Roman leaned on the counter, grinning.

"Google-man?" Logan raised his eyebrows as he raised the cup of coffee to his lips. He took a sip and paused in surprise, looking at the cup. "This is not my coffee."

"Oh- I hope you don't mind, when I went grocery shopping yesterday there was some very good quality stuff on sale- I guess they over-ordered and wanted to upsell it. I bought a bag." Patton shrugged, smiling.

Logan took another slow sip, seeming to contemplate the flavor. He finally sighed and shook his head.

"I'm going to end up buying this regularly, and it will be your fault." He cupped the mug with both hands and held it close. "Roman, I would appreciate it if you explained the nickname you just applied to me."

"Oh!" Roman stood up fully, waving a hand around in a haphazard manner. "Well, it seems like every time I've asked a question in the past few days, you have an answer immediately. You're sort of your own search engine. So Google-Man. Not my best, but they can't all be winners."

Logan hummed. He was quite attached to his coffee, Patton noted with a smile.

"Am I the last awake?" He asked, glancing at the others. "I believe I heard Virgil just a moment ago, correct?"

"Retreated to his room right as you walked in." Roman grunted, nodding. "I'm sure we can drive him out one way or another."

Patton snapped him lightly with the dish towel. "Be nice. I can get him back out here if you want to talk about the lease, Logan."

"I believe that would be beneficial." Logan nodded, rounding the kitchen island and pulling a chair out with one of his feet. Patton smiled and set the dish towel down.

Virgil was just stepping into the hallway when he left the kitchen. He saw Patton and nodded, shuffling a few scraps of paper in his hands. "I've been writing down what I want to talk about with the others. Figured Logan would appreciate the forethought, and then I won't have to fight through my ideas to present them."

Patton smiled. "Sounds good. He's recharging right now, so I think he'll be ready to talk in a few minutes."

"Is Princey still out there?"

As he opened his mouth to answer, Patton heard a door close on the other end of the apartment. He leaned back and peered into the kitchen.

"Not anymore." He could see the back of Logan's head as their roommate hunched over his coffee.

"Good." Virgil muttered, pocketing the papers and shuffling his way into the kitchen.

Patton sighed softly and crossed the living room to go to his own room. He grabbed a notebook off of his desk and returned to the kitchen, sitting down by his roommates and beginning to absentmindedly scribble to pass the time.

"What are you working on, Pat?" Virgil leaned over the counter to look.

Patton looked down and smiled at the doodle that had come to life on his page. "Look, it's Doxie!"

He'd drawn his mother's new puppy so many times that he could do it from memory.

Virgil's lip twitched up into one of those smiles only Patton could ever really see. "So it is."

{I'm playing with original nicknames, but for the most part I think I'm going to use the ones that have been recorded/written down on the Sanders Sides Wikias}