The Dark Life

Warnings: drugs, sexual force, bad lifestyle, murder

It took a lot for Virgil to leave his home for college. He was abandoned as a baby and grew up in the streets until he stumbled across a few older boys that called themselves a family and took him in. They pretended to be homeless to scam people out of their money and learned to make and sell harmful substances. In his younger years, Virgil had a nagging feeling at the back of his head, but he took it as the norm just like his lifestyle. It wasn't until he was able to purchase a phone and confide in some friends online that lived a few towns away that he was starting to realize that this lifestyle wasn't exactly normal. It went from Virgil believing it was normal to him believing there was no way for him to escape.

When he was a teenager, he watched as one of the older boys, Remus, partook in routines of moaning, cursing, and other forms of physical activity that he seemed to enjoy before being given a lot of cash afterwards. After watching those actions happen from another room, he realized that he'd rather have a man on him than a woman. However, when he told the older boys he lived with, they had coaxed him into doing the same thing Remus did, but without Virgil being given any options.

He quietly cried as he told those same online friends about it, but, just like when he mentioned his lifestyle, they didn't log off. One of the friends, Patton, urged Virgil to leave his home, but he responded that he's never even gone to high school. Another friend, Logan, suggested getting a GED and offered to help teach him. The third friend, Roman, offered to pick Virgil up in his car so he could leave the town. Virgil wasn't sure if he should leave the life he knew, but talking to his friends made him realize that he always wanted a better life for himself even if he didn't know if he deserved it. Pretty soon, when the older boys he lived with expected him to panhandle or sell his body, he snuck off to the library so that he could study to get a GED right from under their noses. There were a few times where he felt brave and would video chat with his friends so that he wouldn't feel alone.

Pretty soon, he was able to take his test without the knowledge of his housemates and, even though he didn't get the top score, he still managed to pass. He made arrangements with Roman that night and tried to sneak out of the house without making much noise. When he thought someone heard him, he ran faster until he saw the car described. He got in the car and saw all three of his friends were in there; Roman was in the driver's seat, Logan was riding shotgun, and Patton was in the back. When Virgil saw and recognized them, he broke down into tears and continued to do so as Patton hugged him tightly before putting his seatbelt on.

It wasn't long before they were able to provide Virgil with the help he needed; they gave him the guest room of their home to sleep in, they helped provide him with proper help from a therapist, took him to a doctor to treat his physical lacerations, and even did everything they could to teach him about the world around them. While unlocking memories he didn't know he had, Virgil noticed that he didn't wasn't even given the money he "earned" by his old housemates and there were new additions to the house and new drug smells every once in a while. After a really long time, Virgil felt close to his friends and they cared about him more and more, so they confided in him that the three of them were in a relationship and asked Virgil if he wanted to join, to which he accepted.

Even when he found a college and job he could manage, Virgil found himself having nightmares of his former life. There were times where his boyfriends would either take turns each night to comfort him or they'd all cuddle at once, but he still couldn't get rid of the nightmares. His therapist told him that closure would be ideal for him, but the years of being used and lied to and trapped made Virgil feel like it wasn't enough. He borrowed a book from Logan on chemicals and found some that he realized were ingredients in the drugs his old housemates liked to do and sell. Logan came in the living room and curiously asked about what he was reading and that was all it took for Virgil to panic and reveal his dark thoughts about what he wanted to do. Patton and Roman came in as Logan was consoling Virgil, but none of them were terrified about what he revealed. They knew Virgil enough to know he wouldn't randomly harm innocent people or hurt those who love him.

After some discussion, they agreed to bring him back to his old town and he walked to the old house. He had so many flashbacks as he approached where he remembered the house was. As half-expected, the house looked different on the outside and when he peeked into the window. He didn't think it would be farfetched for the group to make renovations for the sake of eating enough, smoking enough, and bringing in enough clients. He remembered that he wasn't the only one that had to panhandle, so he knew he'd be alone.

Virgil went to a hole in the wall where he remembered being small enough to sneak through and took off his shoes before he entered that way. He looked around the inside of the house and saw a fireplace that looked new. He thought that Remus must've suggested it for the sake of the clients that would pay to have their way with him. He knew what he wanted to try and remembered that they would associate any smell with a new drug to experiment with. After causing a gas leak, he made sure he left no finger prints as he exited the house and grabbed his shoes before running back to his boyfriends. After he heard that the house exploded in his old neighborhood due to a "freak accident" with no survivors, Virgil no longer had nightmares.