C Heat Waves || Closed

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(You definitely don't have to do a little character/photo reference but I did because it just helps keep characters in order in my brain. :) Sorry in advance, he ended up being kinda a shitty person right now.... But he'll change! ✧character growth✧ Also don't think you have to match my reply length! I wasn't joking when I said I word vomit lmao)


Name: Virgil Fleming
Age: 27
Appearance:
   
(~Character image made by me on Artbreeder~)

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Waking up after a night of heavy drinking and bar hopping was never an enjoyable experience. Eyes squinting against the morning sun illuminating the room, Virgil reaches his hand out and fumbles for his phone to check the time. He wants nothing more than a few extra hours of sleep and yet finds himself growing more and more awake as his search turns up empty and the familiar feel of his bedside table is missing. Prying his eyes open once again he can now see that these are definitely not his sheets. Rolling over onto his back, digging his head into the pillow he curses quietly under his breath, rubbing his hands heavily across his face.

Weekend bar hopping wasn't exactly a rarity for Virgil and so it wouldn't be that much of a surprise to say this wasn't his first hit it and quit it. Still, it was always an awkward situation to wake up to. There were a few bars he'd crossed off his list to avoid any unnecessary run-ins with past hook-ups. Curiosity getting the better of him, Virgil moved his self-criticizing gaze from the ceiling to the woman beside him. She was mostly covered, her back facing him, but from what he could see she was attractive. It was a relief to see that he'd at least kept some taste during his drunken stupor.

Trying to will away his headache, Virgil sat up as silently as possible, swinging his feet out of bed. Not exactly as easy at it seemed; trying to being silent when hungover. He wants nothing more than to crawl into bed and pull the covers over his head but knows he's gotta get out of there before she wakes up and they have to have a weird talk where he ends up having to admit he doesn't even know her name.

At least his boxers are close enough to the bed that he can get those on quickly enough, though he almost fumbles trying to keep his balance enough to get his second foot in, but the process lets him catch a glimpse of his jeans by the doorway. Heads to them next, pulling them up to his hips before hastily reaching into his pocket for his phone. Bypasses checking the time and goes right to the battery to make sure he's got enough to get himself a ride out of there.

[Whoknows]

Name: Amelia Adams
Age: 25
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Amelia slowly awoke to the feeling of the bed moving around, she opened one eye and took a peek at the man who obviously thought he was being quiet, however she couldn't be bothered to actually say anything and closed her eye once again to catch up with her sleep. She was used to bringing over men and was almost an expert at pretending she could remember their names- this was usually done by avoiding the use of names the morning after.

She sighed and moved around, trying to get comfortable but quickly found that she couldn't, due to the duvet cover bunching up in some areas; probably caused by the wild night she could barely remember. All she remembered was seeing an attractive man at the bar and walking over to him, clearly one thing had led to another and now she was watching him check his phone. Amelia's eyes followed him as he opened the door and walked the wrong way, she cursed at herself before peeling herself away from the bed and chucking on her dressing gown.

Amelia watched his as he looked around, almost like he was confused as to where he was going but she couldn't blame him, her house was huge. Eventually she called out to him,"this is the way out!" whilst pointing in the opposite direction, "you should be able to find the stairs round there".

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Virgil continues his search for his shirt, Uber already on the way according to the phone. He takes a left out of the bedroom, keeping an eye out for the shirt he'd been wearing last night- he was pretty sure it was grey. Maybe a navy blue. A groan as he's stopped by the hallway ending in a bathroom; way too fancy and tidy. The whole decorated room probably cost more than his rent payment. Letting out a quiet curse- he remembered nothing about the layout of the house. Can't imagine he'd paid much attention at the time.

He's just about to turn around and guess again when he hears her voice carrying through from the direction of the bedroom. Another curse and a glance towards his phone. Ten more minutes, but it was starting to feel like forever. Running a hand through his hair as if it could improve the disheveled state that came with a hangover and a long night in the bedroom, Virgil started back towards the way he came.

Stopping, he finally gets a good look at the woman standing in the doorway and is more satisfied with what he saw than his previous glance beneath the covers. Standing there in a soft looking dressing gown, for the first time in awhile, Virgil was the one feeling out of her league. "Appreciate that," he comments with a glance towards the direction she pointed to before his eyes dart back down to his phone. Time had never seemed so slow. "You wouldn't happen to have a guess as to where my shirt ended up, would you?" A long shot- she probably remembered just as much as he did and he immediately waved the question off.

"Forget it. I'm sure I won't be the first shirtless customer."

[Whoknows]

Amelia turned around to look back into her room to see if she could find the shirt, before she paused and turned back around. “Excuse me, customer?” She asked, with squinted eyes. “What are you trying to say?” Amelia was offended by the tall, handsome- ugh, jerk! She shook her head to rid of those thoughts before walking back into her room for the shirt; which happened to be next to her side of the bed. “Well here it is anyway” she murmured and threw it over his head.

She went around him and carried on downstairs to get a coffee, she felt was desperately needed. She was aware of the man following her so she stopped at the front door to her house and opened it for him. She gave him a fake smile,”here we are, this is where you can leave”. Amelia wanted to push him however decided that it would be as bad as his behaviour, and she wouldn’t stoop that low.

Amelia had recognised the Uber app on the nameless man’s phone, so she didn’t really feel bad about chucking him out, he had a ride home. She just hoped not to see him ever again, or maybe if she did, then he was a lot more kinder towards other people.

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"Oh yeah? And what do you mean calling me a customer? That's not reassuring you know." Virgil watched as the shirt brushed back his hair as it flew over his head. He assumed she'd been aiming at his face but bi-passed a comment and was just thankful his wardrobe had been completed. "I hope I'm not getting a bill for this," he muttered his comment under his breath, following the woman down the stairs- gown practically flowing around her thighs as she descended.

Virgil couldn't help himself, looking about the large house as he trailed after her. The house was large, larger than anything he'd spent the night in before, and for a brief moment wondered whether or not she lived there by herself. His question went unanswered and he found himself shaken free from thought as she stopped at the front door going so far as to opening the door for him to usher him out of her house. Strange- it was usually the other way around. Being on this side of the fence definitely felt more awkward.

"Alright then," he started, a wave of his hand as he stepped around her and out of the doorway. "Thanks for the good night, probably." Pointing a finger down the length of her driveway as if to confirm the direction, he shrugged and began walking in that direction. "Toodles."

[Whoknows]

Amelia shut the door and leant against it with a sigh, chuckling at her mistake. She thought that the man was saying that she had nighttime customers, she didn’t even consider that he was talking about the Uber driver! What’s even funnier is that he thought she was calling him one! She let out a little cackle, which echoed around her lonely house before she quietened. She was alone again. It was nice being rich and owning a nice, fancy home but it meant that you couldn’t trust people as they could take advantage of your kindness.

As the coffee machine started, Amelia pulled out her phone and contacted her assistant to let them know she would be at work, even though it was her day off. Work kept her distracted, it gave her meaning, she was a ceo of a chain of restaurants and so there was always something to do.

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A glance towards his phone showed he still had a few minutes until the driver would be pulling up, taking the opportunity to try and fix his clothes so it didn't look like he'd just thrown them on in a tizzy. Running his hand across his face, trying to rub his eyes enough to function properly, Virgil wanted nothing more than to get home and crawl into his own bed in his own tiny apartment. It was back to work tonight but he could sleep until at least well into noon before he had to get ready. Thankfully the bar he worked at wasn't one of his weekend stops- and he'd yet to run into someone he'd gone home with there.

Pulling up to the driveway is a car that matches the app's description and he gets into the back without a word. It was times like this where he could really appreciate modem technology- not having to talk to the driver in his hungover state was a relief. He spends the majority of the trip home drifting in and out of sleep, head pressed against the cool window of the car.

The door slams behind him when he gets out, loud enough to make him wince and his head throb before he starts towards the door to his apartment building. He's not usually around at this time of the morning and usually for good reason- like the one currently standing at the door to the basement, hollering down orders to someone working on the boiler down there. Spotting Virgil moving quickly towards the staircase, his landlord take the opportunity to chase after him asking about rent. Virgil just waved him off like he had been doing the past two months. "You'll get it, you'll get it. I'll call you tomorrow with a time." A lie, like always, ignoring whatever was said next as he made it to his apartment on the third floor.

[Whoknows]

Amelia sighed as the people around her were failing to do their job, she needed them to organise another opening for her newest restaurant, why are they making it so difficult?! “Alright everyone, go home for now and come in tomorrow, refreshed!” She finally exclaimed. All she wanted right now was to go home and crack open a bottle of red wine and rewatch ‘Mama Mia’. But she couldn’t, she had a ton of paperwork to get through and about 5 months until she opened the new restaurant.

By the time she had given up for the day, it was around 9pm and when she got home she just wanted to sleep. She ignored her rumbling stomach and flopped down onto her bed, she hated the silence though, perhaps she should adopt a puppy. Even though she worked, it’s not like she couldn’t bring the dog to her office and hired a dog walker, it seemed a good idea.

In the passing days, she couldn’t help but think about the stranger she woke up next to, he wasn’t bad looking, she just hoped she wouldn’t start crushing on a guy she would never see again.

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[22 Weeks Later]

It had certainly been a tough few months for Virgil; first losing his job, then his apartment, and slowly but surely everything else. He'd tried to apply at other jobs, hell even as a cashier or an overnight stock personal, but his last job wasn't exactly going to provide a good review. All because he'd taken a few bottles of liquor here and there. Everyone did it- but after being sick and late for nearly a month straight it was a good enough excuse for them to get rid of him. Then of course once his job was through with him it wasn't very long before he got kicked out of the apartment complex, having already been months behind on rent. At least they weren't pursuing the money he'd owed them, happy enough wiping their hands clean of him.

Shaken out of his thoughts when his back hit the brick wall behind him, Virgil was immediately brought back to the present- staring at the glassy-eyed drunk who had a hold of his hoodie. "Didn't you hear me?" the man rumbled, breath reeking of booze. Virgil's stomach churned. "I asked what'd you do for twenty bucks, bum."

"Go fuck yourself," Virgil answered back, eyes a narrow glare. That earned him another shove against the wall, knocking the air from his chest and causing the man's buddies watching from the sidelines chuckle with leering comments. Frustrated and sore, Virgil's eyes felt hot with tears as he struggled to push the heavier man away. "Get the hell off me!"

[Whoknows]

Amelia had just gotten home from work, it was really busy at the moment especially as they were so close to the opening of the new restaurant and all she wanted right now was some red wine. But when she checked the wine cellar she realised she had none left, which is why she decided to go and buy some.

As she left the store and was about to unlock her car, she heard someone yelling, being the nosey person that she is, she decided to investigate. She peered around the corner and saw the nameless guy from a few months ago being harassed by a few drunk guys. Amelia really hated drunk men, they always thought they had the right to do whatever they want. And so she ran at them, pushed them off of the poor guy and grabbed his arm,” can you run?” She gasped out, panting from the strength she had to use,”quick they are coming!” Amelia exclaimed and half dragged the guy back to her car and pushed him into the backseat. She jumped in the drivers side and drove away from the scary men.

“That was close” she murmured after a moment or two. She looked into her mirror and saw how dirty he was, before moving her eyes back onto the road,” what’s your name?” She asked.

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Everything seemed to happen so fast; between the tugging release of his hoodie as he watched the drunk stumble a few steps to the side and the firm but slim grasp around his arm, Virgil was nearly dizzy with the flurry of activity. Still, his brain is quick enough to processes the woman's words and he turns to follow, being tugged along as she drags him towards a vehicle. It's almost embarrassing how quick and steady she is on her feet compared to him right now- and she's even wearing heels if the sound against the pavement is anything to go by.

It's not until he's being pushed into the backseat the he realizes he recognizes this person. A brief flash of her standing in a doorway in a dressing gown passes through his mind just as the car door shuts and a moment later she's in the driver's seat and they're taking off. Moving to peer out the window, he watches as the drunken men shouting and flipping them off as they drive away, waiting until they're nothing but dark shadows before he sits back.

"Yeah," he answers quietly, still trying to catch his breath after the rather frightening experience. Virgil looks forward towards the woman behind the wheel, meeting her familiar gaze in the mirror. Suddenly uncomfortable, he shoves his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, keeping the loose fabric away from his body. He'd been sure he'd never run into the woman again, let alone in the state he was in, and yet here they were in a car together. "Virgil," he answers, keeping his gaze out the window, though it flicks back to the mirror for a moment. "And you?" An awkward clear of his throat. "Sorry, I guess I should have asked the first time. Didn't think I'd ever see you again."

[Whoknows]

Amelia smiled when she heard Virgil’s name,” that’s cute” she commented. She couldn’t help but chuckle when he awkwardly asked for her name, it was kinda adorable,”I’m Amelia”. Throughout the drive- she decided to take him back to hers for the night because of how late it was getting, she couldn’t help but notice how skinny he seemed now, his eyes had massive bags under and he was pale. “So-“ she cleared her throat,”how have you been doing recently?”

Amelia looked back into her mirror, making eye contact with him again, before realising she hadn’t told him her plan of taking him back to his place in the morning. That must’ve been a part of why he looked so uncomfortable,”oh and you can sleepover at mine tonight, I’m too tired to drive elsewhere- sorry”, with him now looking suddenly nervous, she added,”don’t worry so much, I’m sure you’ll be fine now”.

As she pulled up to her house, it was almost like she realised what had actually happened, it was probably the adrenaline leaving her body but she noticed she had never checked on Virgil, “hey” she murmured,”are you alright?”

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A warm flush came over his cheeks at the woman's comment towards his name, rubbing his face with the sleeve of his hoodie as if to wipe it away. Emotions were difficult to deal with these days. "Well it's nice to meet you, Amelia. Officially I mean." Virgil shuffles slightly in his seat at her question, however. "Well you know," he starts with a shrug and lets out a heavy sigh. "Pretty bad." He was sure his appearance gave that much away, surely. He'd been able to get showered up at the community sports center's locker room- the overnight janitor was nice enough to let him in and Virgil sometimes helped him keep up on the pool maintenance. Still, that certainly didn't help the state of his clothes.

He felt bad letting her take him home with the state he was in, felt dirty in compared to her. Still- having a roof over his head was too good a deal to pass up and Amelia seemed nice enough. Especially considering the way they'd parted ways the first and last time they'd seen each other. So he nodded despite his nervousness and prayed to whatever deity would listen that she wouldn't find out. The last thing he wanted to do was guilt trip her into helping him out. Amelia reappearing in the cards had never been put on the table, Virgil had never even considered it. Yet here they were.

Pulling up to the house, it was just as big as Virgil remembered it being, and again found himself gawking a little. Gaze pulled away only when he hears her speak again. "Oh," he starts, almost having forgot the incident that had just occurred. Amelia had been preoccupying his thoughts most of the drive. One hand coming out of his pocket he touched at a sore cheek. "It's not bad. He punched like a kid." He clears his throat again. "Thanks for that, by the way. Sorry you had to get involved."

[Whoknows]

Amelia gasped,”don’t apologise! It’s completely fine”, she got out of the car and walked round to Virgil’s side and as she opened the door, she saw him touch his cheek. “Are you sure you’re ok?” She asked as she gently cupped his face, she brushed over the most painful looking part with her thumb,”does that hurt? I think it’s going to swell” she murmured softly. She held out her hand for him to take before helping him out of the car,”we should Ice it” she said,”did you get injured anywhere else? Or would you try to hide it? Like you said your cheek didn’t hurt that much” Amelia frowned at him. “Anyway let’s go inside”.

Amelia led Virgil over to her couch before rushing off for some ice,”here”,she whispered” put it in your cheek”. The next thing she did was order some plain pizza so they could both finally eat. Amelia looked over at his rugged appearance again,”what happened to you? Since we last saw each other,I mean, I know it was brief but you looked a lot better than this” she asked, trying not to upset him further.

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Amelia's hand against his cheek was warm, and he almost wanted to press his face against it but instead winced slightly when he thumb brushed a certain spot. "I'm pretty sure," he answered her honestly. "He only got the one punch in." His back was a little sore from hitting the wall, his hoodie absorbed at least the roughness of the bricks but his shoulders were probably bruised if the ache was anything to go by. Wouldn't want her to try and examine anything under his clothes, things were a little different than their last encounter. A sheepish grin at the frown she shoots him, taking her hand as she helps him out of the car. "It didn't really hurt at the time," he admits. "It was probably the adrenaline rush."

The house is just as large and glamourous as he remembered it, following the pull of her hand through the door and into the living room where he was lead to the couch. Taking the opportunity to look around more closely than he had during their rushed first meeting. Accepting the ice from Amelia, he sets it against his cheek, a hiss of air leaving his clenched teeth. "Thanks," he said, watching her face as she runs her gaze over him. "I never really had that much money," he admits with a small shrug. "Blew it all on stupid shit. When I lost my job I was already months behind on rent so it wasn't long before I got kicked out." Moving the ice away from his cheek for a moment, he fiddles with it before meeting her gaze. "Sorry I was kind of rude to you that day."

Virgil coughs, awkward at his own apology. "You seem well, though. You, ah, look good anyway."

[Whoknows]

Amelia sighed, "I'm sorry that happened to you, you're always welcome to stay here" she told him genuinely. She watched as he played with the icepack before taking it away from him and holding it back onto his face, "promise me you aren't hurt anywhere else" she stated, watching him for a reaction, "I just want to help". She, however, couldn't help but giggle at Virgil's awkwardness before replying, "It's fine, you looked totally hungover anyways".

Amelia blushed, saying "thanks" before changing the subject and grabbing the remote and switching on Netflix. "You can choose, I just need to get something" she told him before leaving the room and returning with a glass of water, she handed it to Virgil, telling him to "take some sips".

Soon enough the pizza's arrived and Amelia couldn't have been more happy, she was starving, so she made sure to tip the delivery person and then rushed back inside, "we have the pizza!" she exclaimed whilst giggling and handed Virgil a box.

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Virgil looked at her with wide eyes as she offered to let him stay with her, heat rising to his cheeks as she took the icepack and placed it back against his cheek. "I couldn't do that," he said quietly, looking away from the genuine kindness in her eyes. It had been awhile since someone looked at him like that. "I wouldn't want to impose." Not to mention that he'd have to explain the whole situation if he stayed for too long. Guilt settled heavily in the bottom of his stomach. "My recklessness shouldn't be a burden on you, but I really do appreciate the help. Just getting out of there, even for a night, is practically a miracle."

Amelia hands him the remote, and he's drawn to the size of the TV while she flutters off somewhere about the house. Virgil flips through a few things but can't decide on anything- Netflix had been a luxury he couldn't really afford even before his life spiraled downhill. When she returns holding out a glass of water, the remote is set down as Virgil thankfully accepts it. He does his best not to gulp it down like he wants and settles for a mouthful. Pizza was the next to arrive and the whole room fills with the smell of it as soon as she walks in. Thankfully not upsetting, his stomach instead growls audibly at the promise of food.

There's a plate in his hands and he's just about to take a bite before he glances up at her and rubs at the back of his neck awkwardly. "Hey, you wouldn't mind if I used your shower after this would you? I'll, um, clean it down afterwards." Everything in the house felt so clean and pretty, he almost felt guilty just sitting on the sofa with how dirty he was sure his clothes were.

[Whoknows]

Amelia giggled, “you honestly don’t need to ask and there’s no point in cleaning it afterwards, I have a cleaner who comes in every Saturday”. She took a bite of pizza and groaned, “sorry about that, I haven’t had pizza in ages”, she then gasped after hearing his stomach rumble, “eat the pizza, you must be starving!”

After she had finished her pizza, she found herself thinking about Virgil’s situation, “you know you wouldn’t be a burden right?” She said, “if you stayed here, I mean”. Amelia stood up and began tidying up the mess they made before pausing, “and you’d be doing me a favour too, I’ve always been lonely here, don’t think I’m bratty, I mean, I’m grateful to have a lovely house and all”.

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A sigh of relief left Pierce at her permission to use her shower, grateful for the kindness she was showing despite how brash he'd been during their first encounter. "Thank you." Virgil felt like he'd been saying a lot of 'thank you's this evening. "So, a cleaner every Saturday," he repeated with a curious gaze towards Amelia. "What exactly is it that you do for a living?" Clearing his throat he looked away for a moment. "You don't have to answer- it's just this house is so big and everything looks so....expensive." Not wanting to ramble on, Virgil finally took a bite of the still warm pizza and nearly groaned himself. It was good, better than what he'd had in far too long.

Her explanation brought him back to the first night he was there and he remembered wondering if she'd lived there alone. It had seemed rather lonely to him; big and quiet in an almost intimidating sense. Waving her off quickly, not wanting to speak with a mouth full of pizza, he swallowed it down quickly enough. "I don't think you're bratty," he nearly interrupted her. "I mean... I was a bit harsh to you before and you've been more than kind and accommodating for me tonight. I feel kind of bad, really, I don't have anything I could repay you with."

Virgil chews at the corner of his lip for a moment, going back to avoiding her gaze. "Plus I've got some, um, health issues lately," he starts awkwardly. Virgil knows he ought to tell her, that Amelia probably deserved to know, but it feels wrong saying it when she's already helped him out so much- going so far as to offering him a place to stay. If she knew now she might feel forced to take him in and he already felt like he was intruding into her life. "So I don't think I'd make the best roommate."

[Whoknows]

Amelia brightened up in response to being asked about her job, “I’m the Ceo of a chain of restaurants, I’ve actually got a new one opening up soon!” She exclaimed rather enthusiastically, “I love working there!” She watched amused as Virgil rambled, “don’t worry, you can ask me anything, I’m a pretty open person”.

She listened to Virgil, nodding along to show and started to bite on the insides of her cheek, “Virgil, calm down” she said, “you don’t need to repay me with anything, just your company would do”. She smiled, encouraging him to open up, “don’t worry about health problems, I can adjust the house the suit your needs, please just let me help you”. Yes, she was begging, she didn’t feel right letting someone go back onto the streets especially after they were attacked by drunk men.