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Virgil whistled as he lightly swung his bag back and forth at his side, the items colliding into each other making a crinkling and clank sound. He had gotten off of work early and he couldn’t wait to get home and surprise his friends by getting back early.
He had stopped by the nearby gas station by the train station, getting some crofters for everyone, as well as some things of pasta and some premium coffee grounds. He knew what all his friends liked and he was sure there was something special for all of them.
For the first time since he got his new job, he felt like he was ahead of the curve, not behind or resting right on it, but snug set ahead. With his job in engineering, he always felt like he was drowning in everything he had to do or his head was just above water, able to see the future better without having to worry about what he needed to do next.
Virgil was nearly skipping, his body feeling light and airy. A part of him wished he could feel like this forever, work hard enough to stay that one step ahead, but another part told him that if his job was that easy, he wouldn’t feel as good when he did get a little more room to breathe.
In any case, he thanked his lucky stars Patton had known someone to put in a good word to, Patton had a little experience in engineering enough to have that ethos that Virgil was qualified and would be a good fit for the job. In fact, nearly every day Virgil thanked Patton when he was leaving for his job.
Lately, Virgil noticed that Patton looked just a little... off when he mentioned that, though Virgil was usually distracted with him hugging Virgil. He was going to mention it when Virgil thanked him agains, but he always forgot as he had been too fixated on getting ahead, being behind for a few days.
But not today!
Virgil bounded up the steps, the action feeling nearly effortless. He glanced at the communal cars in the driveway, seeing the triplets car in the driveway, which felt off, as Virgil was sure they each had a shift today. Virgil always took the train as his workplace was only a block away from one of the stops, and it was really about 5 minutes faster on average as traffic was usually heavy when Vigil needed to get to work.
Cool! Everyone’s off today, that just means I can surprise them all at once! Score!
Virgil shook off the uneasy feeling brewing at the back of his mind and produced his keys from his pocket. Everyone would no doubt be in their rooms or relaxing in the living room, which Virgil did not want to disturb them from doing. So he had decided after seeing the twins car to open the door himself.
Nearly dropping his keys as his hands shook going for the lock, which perplexed Virgil, Virgil slid his key into the lock, hearing some muffled conversation from the living room through the front door. He knew the moment he slid his key in he would be announcing his presence and the surprise wouldn’t be as effective, so he unlocked and opened the door as fast as possible, ready to shout surprise to his friends in the living room as you could see the front door from there.
“Sur...!”
Instead, the words died on his lips as he saw Thomas and Patton already standing in doorway of the living room, something felt immediately off. Their expression were a bit too cheery, a bit too nonchalant.
“Oh.. hey Thomas... Patton. I’m home early...” Virgil greeted. Patton’s smile got unnaturally wider as he excitedly replied to Virgil, Thomas still standing unnaturally still, blocking Virgil view of the living room.
“That’s great Virgil! What’s in the bag there? Something special?” Patton gazed curiously at the bag dangling at Virgil’s fingertips, the gaze felt natural, but Virgil still sensed something... artificial in the way Patton was acting.
“Yeah, I got something... for all of us... Uh... what’s- what’s happening? Why are you blocking the living room?” Virgil tested the tension, hoping it wouldn’t snap and things turn... bad? Well... maybe not bad, but it felt like something not right was going on and Virgil didn’t understand it and most certainly didn’t like how he couldn’t understand why his friends were acting the way they were.
Thomas spoke this time, his facial expression nonchalant and a bit excitedly curious, but something felt flat in Thomas’s eyes.
“Oh, no we aren’t, we just heard you coming in and we were excited so we stopped relaxing on the couch to come greet you!” Patton nodded, the shift of his head, revealing a little bit more of the living room behind them.
Virgil heard a muffled sound from behind them, seeing them stiffen just a little at the sound. and if Virgil wasn’t used to being around them, he wouldn’t have even noticed the change, but he was and so he did notice.
“What was that? If you aren’t blocking the living room then can I-?” Virgil asked, getting cut off as he walked forward by Thomas grabbing his wrist, gently but forcefully trying to turn Virgil towards the kitchen.
“Why don’t you go put away what you got first? And you look tired, why don’t you go to your room upstairs instead? It’ll feel better than lounging on the couch.” Thomas interrupted, that same offness creeping into his voice.
Virgil had half a mind to squirm out of Thomas’s grip, but he was a little tired and he didn’t want to disturb anyone sleeping the living room. Maybe that’s why Thomas. and Patton were... but why wouldn’t they just say?
In any case, Virgil did as he was told, placing the pasta, crofters, and coffee grounds on the kitchen counter in little pile on top of the bag. He was well aware of Thomas nearby, still subtly blocking Virgil’s view, but as he was finishing laying out what he got, he managed to sneak a glance towards the living room only to see Roman standing where Thomas was.
Acting as if he saw nothing, Virgil turned around, his task complete, feigning muffled surprise at Roman standing there. Hoping to lighten the mood, he attempted to make a pun, though was sure he was failing when no one even chuckling.
“Uh... we building the Great Wall of China in doorway of the living room or what?” Virgil weakly chucked as his own joke, the tension not even loosening a bit, in fact, it only got thicker.
Virgil wanted to just barge past his friends to see what they were being so off-putting about, but then he got a brilliant idea.
“Well, whatever you’re doing, I’m beat, you were right about how exhausted I am Thomas, I guess excitement does that to me? I’ll be going, you guys keep doing... whatever you’re doing and I’ll be up there if you need me.” Virgil hoped his curious but resigned expression was convincing enough as he stretched to emphasize his exhaustion.
Glancing fleetingly at his friends as he passed, he sauntered past the living room dow the hall towards the stairs. But instead of turning towards the stairs, Virgil bolted the other direct to the other entrance to the living room, hoping they didn’t expect him to do that.
What he didn’t expect was to find Remus in the doorway expression unsettlingly stern, as Remus was never stern, always goofing off with him. Virgil hated all these unsettling expressions everyone was giving him, but what pulled his attention was the clear leg of one of the kitchen chairs as well as an unfamiliar set of shoes that Virgil could see beyond Remus from between Remus’s legs as he backed up in surprise.
Just like the others, Remus spoke, his voice just wrong, stern and inflection way too serious for Remus.
“I want you to go upstairs and lock the door, okay? Don’t come out until I tell you to. None of this should concern you.” Remus instructed, placing a hand on Virgil’s shoulder.
The touch snapped Virgil out of the slight stupor he was in, trying to figure what has happening. Something that was louder than the voice telling him to find out what was happening told him that he likely shouldn’t or couldn’t see what was actually in the living room.
So Virgil did as he was told, hearing another muffled sound from behind him, mind still racing on what could be happening in there. But was interrupted by Remy coming down the stairs, “Hey babes I heard you guys talking what-” Remy faltered majorly when he saw Virgil coming up the stairs, Virgil telling even behind his sunglasses that Remy’s eyes were wide.
Not wanting to deal with whatever bullshit was happening, Virgil simply brushed past him, ignoring the sound of Remy continuing to the bottom of the steps and rushing to the living room. He heard muffled speaking, but he was already at his bedroom door before he could think about eavesdropping.
He did as he was told, locking his door and laying down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he listened to the distant speaking through the floor, unable to tell what they were saying but knowing that it was likely about him.
But at this point, Virgil didn’t want to know. Sure, he was curious and wanted to know why they were acting that way, but even with how weird they were acting, he knew his friends well enough to know they wouldn’t hide something without very good reason to, so Virgil repeated 3 words to himself, trying to forget how weird the situation was.
Ignorance is bliss.
Ignorance is bliss.
Ignorance is bliss.