"So, uh... Sharon... You got a minute?" Virgil fidgeted slightly, mentally bracing himself for the conversation. He didn't want to talk to her about this, really he didn't.
But it was better to let her know and clear the air, then having her stumble into it and do her impression of Mount Vesuvius.
She looked up at him, lips pursed as her eyes narrowed, taking in his nervous appearance. Virgil really should know better than to show weakness in front of her, one hint of baring his belly and she'd be after him like a lioness on the hunt, not letting go until she had glutted her fill and was satisfied.
"I, uh, just wanted to let you know, so you don't freak out about it later-"
Sharon put one hand on her hip, cocking it dangerously to the side. Which was better than if she'd crossed her arms and stuck her hip out to the side like that. "Is this about you bein' a Superhero?" She demanded.
"Uh..." Virgil felt the blood rushing from his head. "What?"
"Static." Sharon continued. "Oh, don't bother arguing, I know it's you. Got Adam and Daddy to confirm it, was just waiting for you to admit it too. And it's fine, was actually a relief to know that you weren't just being a slacker all the time."
"Oh. Well, yeah, it's true." Virgil ran a hand through his dreadlocks. "But that wasn't what I wanted to-"
"Ooooh." Comprehension seemed to dawn on her face and she smirked. "You finally ask Richie out on a date?"
"... Bwuh?" Wait, what?!
"You've only been head over heels for the guy since, what? Sophomore year of High School?" She stepped forward, patting him on the shoulder. "Glad to see you're not totally oblivious. He's a good catch too. You're not gonna find some girl more devoted to you than he is."
Which was true, but totally not where he had been going with this. He just stared at her and squeaked.
Sharon smiled, one of her sweet non-calculating smiles that was scary because she meant it. "No matter what choices you make in your life-" She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a fierce, tight hug. "-just remember that I'll always be proud of you, Baby Bro."
"Thanks, Sharon." He managed to get out past his extreme confusion, hugging her back.
"So how'd Sharon react when you told her you got a tattoo?" Richie asked, goggles over his face as he welded something onto a motherboard.
Virgil watched him, highlighted by the glow of the small welder. Richie had the best hands of anyone he knew, strong and big for building, yet nimble enough to work on fine details. He wondered what kind of callouses Richie had on his fingers. If they would be smooth or rough if Virgil touched Richie's pale skin.
Of course, he probably wouldn't have been noticing such things if it hadn't been for that strange conversation with Sharon. He closed his eyes and rolled the other way on the sofa in their private Gas Station of Solitude. Sharon didn't care much for tattoos, but Virgil hadn't been able to resist getting the 'Static' logo, which would be clearly visible the next time they all went to the pool together.
He had a bad feeling that she was still going to smack him when she saw it.
"Nothing much." Virgil said, deciding to wipe as much as their conversation from his memory as soon as possible. "She said she's 'supportive of what choices I make in my life'."
He already knew that Pops was proud of what Virgil did, the path he'd chosen for his life. In retrospect, now that the shock was fading, it was nice to know that Sharon felt the same. That his family was cool with him being a Superhero.
Possibly a gay superhero, now that he thought about it. Pops had been dropping some not-so subtle hints the past couple years.
It kind of made his head hurt in a way that complex scientific calculations didn't.
"Huh." Richie paused, turning to glance at Virgil. There was an absentminded black streak of soot on one cheek, giving him a lopsided, asymmetrical appearance. It was oddly endearing. "Well, that's good at least."
Unlike Richie's parents, who could barely accept that Virgil was Richie's Best Friend, much less anything else he did in his life.
"Yeah." Virgil said, absentmindedly rubbing his chest where it ached a little. "I guess it is."
Static Shock - Life Choices
But it was better to let her know and clear the air, then having her stumble into it and do her impression of Mount Vesuvius.
She looked up at him, lips pursed as her eyes narrowed, taking in his nervous appearance. Virgil really should know better than to show weakness in front of her, one hint of baring his belly and she'd be after him like a lioness on the hunt, not letting go until she had glutted her fill and was satisfied.
"I, uh, just wanted to let you know, so you don't freak out about it later-"
Sharon put one hand on her hip, cocking it dangerously to the side. Which was better than if she'd crossed her arms and stuck her hip out to the side like that. "Is this about you bein' a Superhero?" She demanded.
"Uh..." Virgil felt the blood rushing from his head. "What?"
"Static." Sharon continued. "Oh, don't bother arguing, I know it's you. Got Adam and Daddy to confirm it, was just waiting for you to admit it too. And it's fine, was actually a relief to know that you weren't just being a slacker all the time."
"Oh. Well, yeah, it's true." Virgil ran a hand through his dreadlocks. "But that wasn't what I wanted to-"
"Ooooh." Comprehension seemed to dawn on her face and she smirked. "You finally ask Richie out on a date?"
"... Bwuh?" Wait, what?!
"You've only been head over heels for the guy since, what? Sophomore year of High School?" She stepped forward, patting him on the shoulder. "Glad to see you're not totally oblivious. He's a good catch too. You're not gonna find some girl more devoted to you than he is."
Which was true, but totally not where he had been going with this. He just stared at her and squeaked.
Sharon smiled, one of her sweet non-calculating smiles that was scary because she meant it. "No matter what choices you make in your life-" She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave him a fierce, tight hug. "-just remember that I'll always be proud of you, Baby Bro."
"Thanks, Sharon." He managed to get out past his extreme confusion, hugging her back.
"So how'd Sharon react when you told her you got a tattoo?" Richie asked, goggles over his face as he welded something onto a motherboard.
Virgil watched him, highlighted by the glow of the small welder. Richie had the best hands of anyone he knew, strong and big for building, yet nimble enough to work on fine details. He wondered what kind of callouses Richie had on his fingers. If they would be smooth or rough if Virgil touched Richie's pale skin.
Of course, he probably wouldn't have been noticing such things if it hadn't been for that strange conversation with Sharon. He closed his eyes and rolled the other way on the sofa in their private Gas Station of Solitude. Sharon didn't care much for tattoos, but Virgil hadn't been able to resist getting the 'Static' logo, which would be clearly visible the next time they all went to the pool together.
He had a bad feeling that she was still going to smack him when she saw it.
"Nothing much." Virgil said, deciding to wipe as much as their conversation from his memory as soon as possible. "She said she's 'supportive of what choices I make in my life'."
He already knew that Pops was proud of what Virgil did, the path he'd chosen for his life. In retrospect, now that the shock was fading, it was nice to know that Sharon felt the same. That his family was cool with him being a Superhero.
Possibly a gay superhero, now that he thought about it. Pops had been dropping some not-so subtle hints the past couple years.
It kind of made his head hurt in a way that complex scientific calculations didn't.
"Huh." Richie paused, turning to glance at Virgil. There was an absentminded black streak of soot on one cheek, giving him a lopsided, asymmetrical appearance. It was oddly endearing. "Well, that's good at least."
Unlike Richie's parents, who could barely accept that Virgil was Richie's Best Friend, much less anything else he did in his life.
"Yeah." Virgil said, absentmindedly rubbing his chest where it ached a little. "I guess it is."
-fin-