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Virgil could feel Remus pulling the dye through his hair. Virgil wasn’t a particularly… touchy person but something about Remus’ touch made him feel safe. And… taken care of. I mean, it was funny. Like, Remus was so far from safety. He was… actually fucking crazy. But as the two sat in the bathroom with hair dye strewn across the floor at 3AM, well. Virgil felt about the most safe and at home that he’d ever been.
“Are you sure about this, Virgin?” Remus said, chuckling, “I mean it’s a pretty bright purple.”
Virgil breathed deeply and stared in the mirror. “I’m absolutely not sure at all and I know I’m going to regret this in the morning.”
Remus snorted and came around front to look Virgil in the eyes. “That sounds fucking perfect then.”
Virgil pushed the other playfully. “You dork! Finish my hair or I won’t do yours.”
“Fiiiiiine,” he got back behind Virgil and continued to gently put the dye in. The emo, calm as he was acting, felt his heart fluttering with every movement Remus made. He just wanted to fall back into the other’s arms and lay there forever. Of course, he’d completely mess up his hair and Remus’ clothes if he did that, so he resisted.
“Hey, once you’re done with my hair, I’m gonna wait a bit. You know, cause there’s only one shower, we can’t both be needing to wash our hair at the same time.” Said Virgil, trying not to move.
“What, you shy?”
“Remus!!!” The soon-to-be-purple-haired teenager blushed furiously at this.
“What, I’m just saying. It’s more convenient. Wastes less water.”
“You aren’t trying to seduce me darling, are you?” Virgil turned around, smirking flirtatiously.
This time it was Remus’ turn to be flustered. He’d always made sexual and romantic jokes towards the others, but for them to flirt back was unheard of. I suppose 3AM does funny things to your head.
“What, Virgin? Are you flirting with me?”
“Ahaugh! No!” Virgil’s face lit up red, “Just fucking finish the hair you flirt.” The emo chuckled and turned back, hiding his blush to the best of his ability. Remus just smirked and went back to working.
After a few minutes, Virgil’s hair was all wrapped up and ready to soak. Remus took off his gloves and washed his hands.
“Now I have to wash out this bleach, then you’ll do my streak, right?”
“Yes, sir. Do you want me to leave?”
“Nah, it’s fine, shower curtains exist for a reason.”
“Remus that’s… not the reason shower curtains exist.”
The other teenager just shrugged, stepping behind the curtain and throwing his clothes on the floor. Pretty soon the shower started.
“Say, Remus?”
“Hm?”
“How– when do you feel most safe. I mean. Like. Auaugh, nevermind, I can’t articulate.”
Remus paused, “That’s a good question, Virgin. I think… Well. Tell me yours, you’re always so anxious, I can’t imagine you ever feeling safe.”
Virgil chuckled, “Well… It’s, surprisingly, with you.”
There was a long pause.
“Me?” Remus poked his head out from the curtain. “Why?”
“I don’t know. I just… I know you’d never hurt me. Not on purpose and… I know you’ll do anything to protect me. And… I… I can tell you anything. I know you’ll listen. I know you’ll never laugh when I’m being serious about something. You joke about so much but you just… respect my boundaries so… so firmly. I… I want to lie in your arms forever because that’s the place that I’m safe.”
The shower curtain fell back, and Virgil could hear Remus lean against the wall. “Virgil… I… I’m so… You…”
The emo chuckled softly. “God you can’t even process it you dork.”
“Shut up! That’s… The nicest thing I’ve ever heard. Everything I want to be to you… I am. Do you realize? Virgil I want more than anything to be the person there to take care of you and fight for you and hold you in my arms and I everything you just said is what I want to be! I want… to be there! For you!” Quiet sobs could be heard over the shower.
“Remus, are you crying?” Virgil shuffled over. “Can I open the curtain?”
“Ye-yeah.”
Remus was sitting down, smiling softly. “Virgil… I care about you so much.”
“You’re such a dork,” Virgil reached out his hand, pulling Remus’ face forward. “You really… care about me.”
“God yes, I do.”
The emo let his hand fall to Remus’ shoulder. “You need to finish your shower… I…”
“It’s okay, just hand me a towel.” Remus wiped a tear from his eye and took a towel when Virgil handed it to him. In a few moments he was dry and in clean-ish clothes. Virgil gently began working on Remus hair, preparing to dye his streak silver. The two were blushing, but the flusteredness was gone, it was… a sort of peace they’d come to.
“Virgil?”
“Yeah?” The emo gently placed more dye in Remus’ hair.
“I… love you. It’s kind of dorky to say but I’ve already passed that mark tonight. I care about you… so much. I love you.”
The two locked eyes, and Virgil, Mr. Cannot Talk to Anyone, The Socially Anxious Wreck, leaned in and pressed his lips to Remus’. His dye covered hands found their way to Remus’ jaw and shirt, but neither of them cared. Remus returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around Virgil. They kissed until they ran out of breath, and then leaned into each other’s shoulders, hearing nothing but the other’s heartbeat. Their arms were wrapped tightly around each other’s torsos and stood like that for what seemed like forever, and even that wasn’t enough.
Is this… what being safe is like?
In the end, the dye came out alright, although if you look closely you’ll notice some purple in Remus’ streak, and a small grey bit in Virgil’s purple hair.