Once Flames Now Flowers

Chapter Four

Virgil hated sunlight. He had naturally pale skin that never got any color unless it was sunburned. After the sunburns went away he would always be left with the same porcelain skin, so Virgil avoided it when he could.

But he was outside sitting with his boyfriend beside him and the three neighbors across from him. The sun was beating down on them and the only other person who seemed bothered by it was Logan. Virgil assumed it was because Logan also had pale skin.

"Virgil would you mind showing me where your bathroom is?" Logan suddenly asked.

"Of course!" Virgil said a little to happy to be getting out of the sunlight.

Virgil led Logan inside but Logan didn't go to the bathroom he went and he sat on the couch, sighing in content. Virgil, rather confused, followed in suit. He wasn't complaining he just didn't know what was happening.

"You looked like you needed to get out of the sun and I did too. If they ask we can just say that I was hot and you didn't want to leave me alone. You're boyfriend seems to like to have you with him all the time," Logan stated.

"Yeah, he's clingy. We don't usually fight, but when we do, it's because I have to leave him for work for a long time or something. He hates being alone," Virgil explained.

"Speaking of work, you said that you were the Co-owner of a café, right?" Logan asked leaning forward to show that he was genuinely curious.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I never really left Florida. I lived a town over but nowhere was hiring so I looked for places in this town and got hired at the café. Carlos wasn't completely honest about us going to the same college, I chose to take online classes for business in hopes that I could someday make my own business with clothing but then the caféprovided a better career so I switched to cooking and- I'm so sorry you probably don't care about any of this," Virgil laughed.

"No, no, I really do. It's interesting to me when people like more than one thing. I think that if you want to be a fashion designer then that's what you should do. Maybe design clothes in your free time. When you've accumulated enough to create a line, start making the clothes. People are always willing to be models. Then you just have to show it off. I think you could do it," Logan explained.

"I don't know, I'm not really good at it,' Virgil shrugged.

"Who told you that?" Logan asked.

"Ca- No one," Virgil answered.

Logan caught the slip up. He heard Virgil almost say Carlos and it made his blood boil. Although the nerd hadn't seen the boys design skills yet, he believed they were amazing. How could Virgil's boyfriend tell him they were bad?

"Well, we should go back outside then. You should think about it though," Logan smiled through gritted teeth and the duo went back outside.

"Where were you?" Carlos asked.

"I felt really hot and faint so he stayed with me so I didn't pass out. Apparently I didn't drink enough water today. I'm fine now though, sorry for keeping him," Logan answered before Virgil could.

"Logie are you ok?" Patton asked running over to Logan.

"Do you need to go home? We can go home!" Roman offered.

Virgil felt a pit of jealousy form in his gut. Why was Carlos never like this when Virgil was sick? Logan wasn't even really sick and they were worried sick! It wasn't fair.

"Hey, babe, what's wrong?" Carlos whispered in Virgil's ear.

"Nothing, let's just spend this time together. I have work tomorrow," Virgil mumbled as he snuggled into Carlos.

"Double shift again?" Carlos growled out.

"Yeah, I have double shifts for the remainder of the week," Virgil quietly answered. He hoped that Carlos wouldn't make a big deal out it like he did last time.

"Seriously Virgil? Why do you never want to spend time with me? You could tell your boss that you want less hours why do you take on so many?" Carlos growled, his tone raising.

"I have more responsibility. I can't just abandon everything I have worked for because you want to cuddle with me. I know we don't get to see each other all the time but we don't have to. I will love you no matter what, we don't have to see each other all the time," Virgil countered.

"Oh, so you're just going to make a virtual relationship then? I want you to tell your boss you want less hours!" Carlos demanded.

"You can't tell me what to do," Virgil snapped.

"Do you forget that I am the only one that pays attention to you. I am the only one that could ever love you. I could leave whenever I want but I choose to stay because I pity you. I give you my love because no one else will. So why don't you listen so I don't leave you," Carlos basically shouted.

"I'm sorry," Virgil stated bowing his head in defeat.

The trio watched the events in shock. Carlos didn't seem like the manipulative type, but he definitely was. It didn't seem like Virgil realized he was being manipulate me either. It seemed like this was a common occurrence and Virgil knew when to stop. But the trio wouldn't stand for it.

"I do believe that it would benefit Virgil to take less hours for his own health, but I feel that your relationship is not to affect his growth in any way shape or form," Logan stated as he stood and walked over to Virgil.

"If you love him, you should let him do what he thinks he needs to do. Whenever Logan was working on becoming a supervisor he was in the office a lot and we worked around his schedule. It worked out really well, maybe the two of you should try it," Roman suggested as he wrapped and arm around Logan.

"No, he's right. I should stop with the double shifts," Virgil stated and left with defeat weighing on his shoulders.

Patton followed after Virgil. Roman and Logan stayed behind to prevent Carlos from following the two of them. They were going to let Carlos know what he had done, so they could make sure he was aware of the situation.

In the past their friend Janus used to be manipulative on accident. He would just say whatever got him what he wanted. Whenever he was informed of the situation he began to stop. The two males decided that they could try the same method on Carlos.

Patton planned on telling Virgil that what Carlos had done was wrong. He was going to inform him that he shouldn't let himself be manipulated like that. So, he took Virgil across the street and over to his house so they didn't have to worry about Carlos.