Finding The Write Words

Chapter 22

Virgil sat at the table in silence, fiddling with the sleeve of his hoodie while he waited for Roman to come back with the food. The two of them had decided on lunch first and then going roller skating at the roller den across town.

This was insane, right?

The three of them hadn't shown even a hint of romantic attraction towards Virgil in all the time they had known him.

They had kept everything strictly platonic.

What if Roman only agreed to this being a date because he didn't want to hurt his feelings?

Virgil's heart was racing in his chest.

He could feel the pulse of it in his fingertips.

In every part of his body.

This was crazy.

He shouldn't have asked him.

Stupid.

Stupid.

Stupid.

Why did he ask him?

When Roman turned around and approached their table, setting the tray of food between them, he remembered. The warmth in his smile was enough to set every inch of Virgil on fire, and he ducked to hide his own smile, though there was no hiding the pink that flushed across his cheeks.

Roman chuckled softly, setting Virgil's drink in front of him and grabbing his own. "Happy to see the food, are you?"

"Not the food I'm happy to see, princey," he mumbled, the blush on his cheeks darkening.

He stuttered his response, eventually giving up on getting any legitimate words out and taking a fry from the tray instead.

The two of them sat in contented silence for a few minutes, eating their food, and eventually, Roman spoke.

"Can I ask... what made you change your mind about wanting this to be a date?"

Virgil shrugged. "I've wanted it for a while now, I guess. Seeing you guys interact with each other, how much you three love each other. I wanted that."

"Well why didn't you say anything sooner? Pat's been going crazy trying not to make a move on you."

"Wait." He blinked in shock. "What?"

Roman laughed, nodding. "Me and him both, honestly. And I think probably Logan, too, but they're much better at controlling themself than Pat and I are."

Virgil stared blankly at him for a long moment before blinking again. "What?"

"Yeah, like last week when you were about to fall asleep in the armchair and the three of us were all cuddled up on the couch, Pat would've called you over to join the cuddles if Logan hadn't stopped him."

"I thought... I thought you guys just weren't interested in me that way because you kept everything strictly platonic."

"We only kept it strictly platonic because you were so insistent at first that no romance be involved. Trust me, Virgil, we're very interested."

Roman reached across the table and hesitated only a moment before grabbing hold of Virgil's hand. He flinched away from the contact before settling his hand in Roman's, doing his best to ignore the butterflies that sparked to life in his stomach when Roman's thumb stroked idly against his knuckles.

"Question," Roman said softly after a minute of silence. Virgil looked away from their hands and hummed in response. "Would you like to tell Patton and Logan, or would you prefer me to tell them?"