8.30pm


       "All alone?"

Malachi Reid found him just outside Death & Co, lighting a joint. It was Monday-night-quiet but every now and then the din inside would spill onto Diagon, where cobblestones enjoyed a brief reprieve from the evening's rain. Virgil drew in a bit of smoke to get the kelp going.

"What, I have to be a social butterfly everyday?" he passed the joint with a dry smile. "Just thinking of heading out."
       "That's not like you," Mal glanced through the windows to espy the rowdy Alliance crowd inside. "Looks cosy."

What did that even mean? Not like him. V huffed, annoyed for some reason, and changed the subject before he could figure out why. "You weren't at the sit-in[1]," he accused mildly.

They puffed and passed in the light coming through the window.

       "My exhibition opened today."
"Oh."
       "You'll come?"

As if he wouldn't.

"Obviously," Virgil rolled his eyes and couldn't help catching sight of Robin inside, getting up from the bar. He quickly looked back to Mal. "I'll bring Angela, shall I? And Cynthia, too. Some of the Stardust lot even..."

1.	22nd Jan - Rock Steady, Baby

Malachi Reid, Artist.

Malachi sighed slightly, handing off the joint with finality. That was so Virgil - you ask for a slice of cake and he'll offer you the whole thing. Or nothing at all. It was charming but a whole cake was a lot for one person.

"You don't have to," he stepped close and brought a hand up to pat his cheek. "Just bring yourself. We can catch up."

They hadn't seen much of each other since V got back into town. Now wasn't the time.

Raucous laughter and music started up abruptly, causing both to look over as Robin Louvelle stepped out into the night. He was wearing one of those long coats that made him look even taller than he already was. The werewolf smiled warmly.

       "Interrupting?"
"Yes." Mal replied, deadpan, but pulled away from Virgil anyway. "Alright, Rob?"

He didn't mind Robin so much but he didn't like to watch the way his friend behaved around the older wizard. That whole brat routine. They exchanged the usual pleasantries and Malachi had enough manners to express support for today's sit-in.

"Right-o," he muttered then, settling into his high. "That's me off. Watch yourselves, you two."

Virgil caught his hand, absently, and squeezed it. "Later."

"Mal's always checking in on you, huh?" Robin remarked thoughtfully after they watched the Reid wizard leave.

Funny guy. All artists kind of were.

       "That's what friends do," Virgil replied, yawning. "Aren't you checking in on me right now?"

He turned to face the younger man and gave him the once over. V's recent affection for capes and buckled shoes really suited him. He was in usual form tonight, not much different from his appearance at the sit-in. There was a reticence there, though.

"Have you been avoiding me?" Robin asked outright because he was almost drunk and also too old not to be direct.

       "I literally saw you just this morning."
"I mean since then."

That deflection said a lot. They didn't interact much socially so he hadn't expected the blonde to be hanging off his shoulder all night but Virgil usually found a way to drop a kiss or shoot him a look. Especially after what happened.

"Hey," Robin felt for the slender waist beneath his cape and tugged him in. "Talk to me."
 
V looked up, red mouth pressed into a sullen line.  "It's nothing. You were wonderful today."

His hands had found their way to Robin's chest - palms laying flat against the sweater.

"But...  not wonderful enough?" he joked and raised his eyebrows at him.

Virgil made an incredulous sound, irritated by how easily the Healer could wrench a laugh out of him. "No! Don't be ridiculous..." he slid his hands around Robin's chest for a hug so that he could hide his face in his shoulder.

This was bad. The thing was, he was sure he would let it slip. What he'd done. Partly because he wanted to tell and knew he should definitely not tell. It would come out if he ended up in the other wizard's flat later.

       "You didn't get hurt, did you?" A light pressure on his crown. Robin had kissed him.

When they first started doing this on the regular, he would accuse Robin of coddling him with a statement like that. But this was asked in a very matter-of-fact tone, searching for an answer.

"No," Virgil sighed and leaned back enough to stare up at him. "You?"
       "Larry took it on the chin for me."

He snorted, remembering Larry with his head in Eta's lap. Robin smiled. "Were you worried?"

The truth was no. Thinking about the possibility now though... choking to death was too good for Cynthia Bombay. The world did not need Cynthia Bombays.

"Yes," he released Robin from the hug so that he could throw his arms around the taller wizard's neck instead, cape falling open. "Very. I don't know if you've noticed but I sort of like you? A lot?"

V kissed the corner of his mouth, itchy with scruff. "Mm, you don't say?" Robin laughed.

"It's inconvenient," he replied haughtily. "Don't go dying on me now. I have needs."
      "I'll see what I can do about that."

It was a proper kiss then, Virgil opening himself to it without thinking. He could taste cider on the other man's tongue and he chased after that until he was pulling away, breathless. Robin looked smug.

"I have an early shift tomorrow," V forced out his excuse. "I should... I should go."

He really really didn't want to go. He wanted to stay and watch his sort-of boyfriend get drunk as fuck with everyone else. And then he wanted to go back to Hiraeth with him and smoke more kelp and get on his knees and swallow down something much much nicer than secondhand cider.

      "Walk you home?" Robin asked.

Virgil, who knew himself better than to say yes, kissed him more chastely and loosened his arms.

"I can't kidnap the man of the hour," he let go altogether, suppressing a sigh. "Go back in."
        "Today was the very definition of a group effort..." the other wizard reminded him dryly.

Cute.

"And so modest!" V exclaimed softly. "Stop it, alright? I'm a sure thing, nevermind the seduction!" he stepped back, hands in his cape, slowly turning away to head down Diagon to his flat.

He heard Robin call out good night in a laughing voice, lifted his hand in casual goodbye.