Once Flames Now Flowers

Chapter Two

Morning came much too soon for Virgil's liking. As the sun rose into the air, he got up to make breakfast for Carlos. The blonde liked to have his breakfast as soon as he woke up.

"Where are you going?" Carlos asked sleepily as Virgil exited the warmth of their bed.

"I was going to make you breakfast and being it to you in bed. You deserve a treat. Do you want coffee or orange juice?" Virgil asked kissing Carlos' head.

"Mmm Coffee," the male said before snuggling back into his pillow and falling asleep.

Virgil went to the kitchen and began to make pancakes, eggs, and bacon. He spent twenty minutes making it and then spent another ten minutes setting up the tray so that it looked pretty. With the tray in his hands he carefully walked to the bedroom.

"Hey, Car, wake up," Virgil whispered in the sleeping males ear.

"Five more minutes," he groaned.

"I made you breakfast," Virgil taunted in a sing song voice.

Immediately Carlos' eyes shot open and a grin slowly began to creep up his face. Virgil giggled lightly and put the tray down on Carlos' lap then went to go and get ready for work.

Virgil worked as a manager at the café in town. The owner was prepping Virgil for taking over the shop when they retired. Virgil was the best employee and he felt that his job was the only place where he could escape.

Virgil put on his solid black uniform and his purple apron. The owner liked the idea that people could personalise their uniforms, so they all got to pick the color of their apron. It was Virgil's favorite part about working there, and why he started working there.

"Where are you going?" Carlos asked as Virgil grabbed his wallet from the nightstand.

"I am working a double shift down at the café. I will be back at around midnight if I'm lucky. If you swing by, I can make you anything you want," Virgil offered with a smile.

"Why don't you call in and spend the day with me? I miss you," Carlos stated quietly.

"I miss you too, but you know that Paul wants me to take over someday and I have to set a good example," Virgil frowned sadly.

"Fine then, leave me. I knew you didn't love me," Carlos yelled.

"I do love you, I just can't call in," Virgil tried to reason.

"No, you always do this. I do everything for you and you just leave me alone. Whatever go and make out with your other boyfriend!" Carlos screamed.

"Why is it always a screaming fight when we talk Carlos? Why can't we talk like civilised human beings," Virgil calmly reacted.

Virgil tried to stay calm when Carlos got mad. If he overreacted things could get bad fast. But, it was looking like it was going to get bad anyway.

"I just don't understand why you hate me! You leave for the entire day and when you come home you don't even come sleep with me you sit on the couch and read. Do you realise that I could get anyone I wanted. I am all you have and you treat me like shit!" Carlos screamed.

"Right, ok, I got up at the ass crack of dawn this morning to make you breakfast in bed. Quit being ungrateful I'm sorry I have a job," Virgil scoffed.

"What the fuck did you just say?" Carlos growled.

"Wait, no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it," Virgil tried to stop the upcoming events.

Carlos stood from where he was sitting and slowly approached Virgil, his eyes held a glint of something evil. He stood straight and stared down at the shaking Virgil.

"You're not sorry. You meant what you said so tell me what you think is about to happen," Carlos stated in a calm tone.

"I am going to be taught a lesson. I shouldn't have disrespected you," Virgil answered as if he were a robot.

It was as if he had switched and he was now an obedient child who was about to get in trouble for coloring on the walls. He was stood still like a skyscraper, that seemed like it was about to crumble to prices but holding it's ground. That was until the first hit came.

After the first hit, Virgil always began to dissociate. He would feel like he was flying. He would feel like he was drowning. He would feel free. He would feel incarcerated. It was the most amazing yet terrifying feeling ever.

~~~

Patton woke up with a smile on his face. Logan was actually in bed and Roman was still sleeping. Patton giddily got up and skipped into the kitchen so he could make muffins. It was a plan the group had decided on in the car.

Patton was going to make muffins for their neighbors so that they could meet them and get to know the neighborhood. The chipper male began to make the muffins with a smile on his face.

It was super lucky that Roman got the part in a huge theatre play that was going to train in Florida and I lay be on Broadway for a week. It was an exclusive show that they were excited to have front row seats to. Logan had managed to convince his superiors to switch him to the Florida department and he got promoted to supervisor. Patton had grown up in Florida so he was going to be taking over the family bakery. It was pure luck that they could all switch over so seemlessly and that showed the true strength of their relationship.

Patton loved to bake and because of that Logan made sure their house had two ovens, meaning that Patton would be able to bake more. With the size of the ovens Patton was able to put all of the muffins into the oven at once.

After setting the timer for the muffins, Patton went into the front yard so that he could unload the rest of the stuff that was in the car. They had driven Patton's car to the house, Logan and Romans would be there in a few days. But they would share Patton's can until then.

"I just don't understand why you hate me! You leave for the entire day and when you come home you don't even come sleep with me you sit on the couch and read. Do you realise that I could get anyone I wanted. I am all you have and you treat me like shit!" Patton heard a voice.scrwam from the house across the street.

Patton didn't hear the response. Actually he didn't hear anything, so he assumed that the couple had decided to work out the problem civilly. Patton room that moment to look at the house.

It was a beautiful house made of brick with a white picket fence that lined the front yard. The lawn was perfectly cut with green grass. Perfectly trimmed flower gardens lined the walkway to the front door and it just looked beautiful. It was almost eery.

"Patton?" a voice startled Patton out of his thoughts.

When Patton turned he saw Logan standing in the doorway with his shoulders sagged and eyelids low. Obviously the man was still tired, but he wouldn't go back to sleep.

"Hey, Logie! I was just going to get the stuff out of the car that we didn't get last night. Will you check the muffins for me?" Patton chirped, distracted from the house across the street.

"Yeah," Logan nodded and walked back into the house.

Patton grabbed a few bags and stumbled inside, dropping the bags in the living room floor, then going back out and repeating the process three times before having all of their bags were in the living room. When he finished he headed to the kitchen to see that Logan had taken the muffins out of the oven and placed them on the counter.

"Logan, can you go wake up Roman so he can get ready? I am going to wrap these muffins and put them into the baskets," Patton smiled over at Logan who was drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Of course," Logan nodded and walked up the stairs.

Patton got started on the task before him.