Some of the rough sketches, including an unused hug. :D The first try Virg was too low, so I tried take two... but Bro suggested she just write Virgil was still sitting when he got hugged to account for the weird position and stuff... SO. That solved that.
Bro wrote me this years ago... I still love it so much. I wrote this kinda based off it... including my attempt at matching the style a bit... though I am awful at present tense, so uh yeah. I never posted it, but came across it again recently and realized it was perfect with Day 3′s theme, SO. Here it is. lol There’s some headcanons here Bro and I have toyed with too... like the Academy... which is located in Colorado Springs (where I lived for awhile XD)... which is just a little over an hour drive south of Denver. :Db There’s a lot more about this headcanon’d time I’d like to write one of these days. XDa ANYHOO...
It hasn't been since Christmas that Virgil's spoken to his brother. It's not really surprising as they haven't really spoken a whole lot over the past few years. Once almost inseparable, it now feels a bit like there’s a chasm between them.
It seemed like life had conspired to draw them apart ever since Scott had been accepted into the Air Force Academy. The last years of high school weren't the same without Scott being there. His brother called him every day at first, but days became weeks and weeks stretched to months. He came to hear more about how his brother was doing secondhand. Scott was busy. Scott was top of his class. Scott wasn't coming home for the summer. He never heard these things from Scott.
Then Virgil went to the Denver School of Advanced Technology.
He saw Scott a few times then, but couldn’t forget the first visit when he'd first been settling in. It had been then that he'd realized that the something that had always existed between them felt like it was missing. Perhaps it was one of those things that became lost when childhood came to an end or maybe the time apart had something to do with it. He hadn’t been sure, but either way he mourned it’s absence. He buried himself in his studies, concentrating on graduating and his plans for the future.
Now here he is, in Dad's jet with Scott at the controls, flying them home. All of Virgil's belongings from Denver packed in the hold, because he’s moving back home. He's a mechanical engineer now and will soon be a member of International Rescue. He's excited to finally begin to learn to fly the ship he'd long ago told their dad he’d pilot one day, but that’s not what's on his mind as he sits in the cockpit.
He'd been surprised it was Scott waiting to take him home instead of their Dad. The reunion had been happy at first, but now an uncomfortable silence had dropped over the cockpit. Attempts at conversing just feel awkward. It’s all so wrong. It had never been like this before.
Here he is finally having to face what he couldn't years before. Soon they’re meant to be partners, going into dangerous situations together to rescue those in need. How can they pull that off? They feel so disconnected from each other. It barely even feels like they’re best friends anymore, at least to him. Virgil isn’t sure if Scott has felt it too. Could it be just him who feels this way? He can’t bring himself to broach the topic, deciding instead to hope it just needs time.
He just doesn’t know what to do or say the whole rest of the trip home. Things feel a little easier once they arrive, but their dad, unsurprisingly, seems to catch on pretty quickly that something isn't right. Virgil notices the way he watches them. They've been home only a few days before he suddenly has them pack up and sends them off to the family ranch for training — just the two of them.
Their first exercise set out for them has them not in the training rooms, but outside, scaling one of the large rock formations not far from the ranch. 'No talking,' is the one rule their dad has imposed. Once that wouldn’t have been a problem at all, but that's not the case now; he’s barely able to read his brother.
Virgil’s now absolutely certain their Dad knows as he pauses his ascent, trying to interpret the slightly worried look Scott’s throwing down at him. He can’t work out what Scott’s worried about.
They’re using new gear Brains sent with them to test. Virgil's been pretty impressed with the multifunction version of the grapple gun Scott's making use of several yards above him — at least he is until unexpectedly the pack releases from the tool, sending Scott falling backwards with an unusually startled cry.
Their panicked gazes meet for the briefest second and Virgil knows Scott needs him. Virgil doesn’t think, he just moves, reaching out and grabbing for his brother's wrist as he falls past. With no chance to brace at all, growing shoulder muscles are put to the test as they're wrenched from the sudden weight of his falling big brother.
Suspended by Virgil’s own grapple line, they simply breathe for a moment, trying to recover from the scare. It's Scott who breaks the rule of silence first.
"So... what do you say we pause this exercise?"
"Agreed," Virgil responds eagerly.
Finding Scott a purchase, he's able to climb down a short ways to a wide ledge and Virgil soon joins him, sitting down beside each other, both still shaken.
"I'll pull the grapple apart when we get back," Virgil offers, worried since it's not often something Brains creates has a flaw.
"Good plan," Scott agrees distractedly, blue eyes locking with his suddenly. "Virgil..."
Virgil raises a questioning eyebrow, but doesn’t get a chance to respond. A hand hooks around his neck and Scott closes the distance between them, forehead pressing against his.
The last time Scott did this — when his brother left for the academy so long ago — is what first comes to mind. Then all the feelings and words come like a rush. The flood of relief, gratitude, trust and love. 'You saved me,’ ‘You’re amazing,’ and 'Thank you.'
He hasn't felt their bond like this in so long; suddenly it feels stronger than ever. Overwhelmed in the best of ways, tears form in Virgil's eyes. 'Anytime,' he replies, echoing his brother's feelings with much the same.
Scott pulls away only long enough to briefly get a look at him before closing the gap once more, this time to draw him into a tight hug that Virgil returns just as tightly. Tucking his face into his brother's shoulder, he feels for a moment like a boy again, finding comfort and safety in his brother's arms.
"I've missed you, Scotty," he admits out loud, knowing Scott can feel just how much, just as he can now sense how much Scott has been missing him. It’s like the door that had closed between them has been thrown wide open. He hopes it never closes again.
"Me too, Virg."
They sit on the ledge a little longer before mutually agreeing their done and head back to the ranch. Sitting on the porch side by side after dinner to watch the stars appear in the darkening sky, Scott makes the executive decision that they're going to head home in the morning.
They're already halfway home when they finally contact their Dad to let him know they're on their way home. At first he doesn't seem very happy with them, but as they try to explain, there's a change in his expression as he watches them talk — he knows and Virgil can see he’s relieved.
Taking over the controls for a while to give Scott a break, a silence falls between them, but this time it could not be more comfortable. While they still have a lot of catching up to do, every one of Virgil's doubts are gone. He has his best friend back and something feels complete in a way it hasn't in a long time. They aren't back at the island yet, but now he really feels like he's home.
