Chapter Text
Ro, Lo, and Pat were always so excited to talk to each other. They spoke every day, at any time possible. They really didn't like washing off the pen so they typically kept it on until there wasn't enough room to write. So, it really wasn't a shock when Pat wrote to the others, informing them that he was moving. Ro was the first to reply, writing on his arm, "Moving? Why? And where to?" which is when Lo's attention was drawn from his schoolwork to the tingling on his arm that he had grown so addicted to.
It had been two years since Pat joined the duo, and closer to three since Ro, and Lo couldn't lie, he was genuinely happy with those two, yet it still always felt incomplete, like he wasn't whole.
Lo then saw Pat write in his usual messy handwriting, “idk somewhere down south i think? I didnt really ask”
This shocked Lo, he had for some reason never seemed to think that his soulmates wouldnt live around him.
Lo read that and raised a brow. He looked around his station, grabbing his usual black pen, and beginning to write as well, "You don't live down south? I do.”
That's when Ro replied to him, “I live in Nyk :(“
That shocked the shit out of Lo. it shocked him even more when Pat wrote back, “I live in Illanoise . ilinoise ? Illinois? Illinois!”
Lo and Ro thought that was absolutely adorable, but Lo felt the need to press on, “Can you ask where you're moving? I live in Arizona.”
There was a long wait but soon Pat wrote back, “My mama said Gorga.”
Lo stared at the message in shock, he lived so far away from there, “You mean Georgia?”
“Yup!”
That would make it a lot harder for them to meet- though both Lo and Ro were part of wealthy families. Lo hated using his parents' money and typically preferred to make his own money, Ro on the other hand was so used to just having money that he didn't care. Money was nothing to him. His life was already set, he would be set. And at this point in his life, he had been outside of his home country so much that he didn't see a problem with the distance- he could just go see them whenever, and there wouldn't be an issue.
"That's pretty inconvenient. How are we supposed to meet if we live in different countries?" Lo wrote, apparently confusing Ro, "Wdym? It's not that expensive to travel, my dad just bought another jet??"
Pat was packing his boxes and was only looking at his arms every few minutes, but upon reading that, he paused and dropped the empty box in his hands, quickly reaching out and grabbing his pen and writing on his arm, "Your dad has a JET?????"
Ro read it and cocked his head, "3 actually, don't your guys' parents have jets?" he wrote quickly, "My parents have one, but I'm not allowed on it" Lo wrote, kind of bored of the conversation, "NO?????????" Patt wrote, "My mama can barely afford the house were moving to plus the plane tickets???? :("
"Jeez, how big is your house??" Roman wrote in disbelief, it was obvious that he had had so much money for so long that he was ignorant of poverty, and money was borderline worthless to him.
"It's a 2 bed, 1 bath :((" It hadn't been his intention, but the constant mentions of money were starting to upset Patton, having been both under the poverty line and just now getting to the middle-class line after getting adopted by his mom.
Lo had also gotten a bit aggravated at the conversation, as he had a very strained relationship with money, as it was a big reason that he hardly ever saw his birth parents and a reason he started calling Karyn, "mom" about a year ago by both the encouragement and approval of his two soulmates. This caused Lo to put down his pen and return to doing his school work, now only half paying attention to the writing appearing on his arm.
Ro and Patt continued to talk for a long while before deciding that it would probably be best for Ro to go to sleep, much to the displeasure of Ro, who really wanted Patt to go to sleep too, but Patt insisted on staying up and packing.
Virgil read the first message, "Fuck… Why here of all places…? I hope she don't run into us… Please just move up to Atlanta or something…" He mumbled to himself, sitting on the floor next to his mattress, which didn't have a bed frame or box spring, his parents never cared enough to get one, nor really had the money.
Virgil also secretly got addicted to the tingles in his skin when his hidden soulmates wrote. Yet, he was relieved to note that they didn't see the scars in his skin.
He knew Emile’s scars appeared on Remy’s skin, and vice versa, so it was apparent to him that you’d only start seeing the scars once you meet your soulmate.
Once the topic of money came up, Virgil read in interest. His parents weren't quite poor, but they just spent all the money as they got it, they'll set out just enough for rent and a little bit of food for Remy to cook, which really wasn't enough to actually feed a growing 11-year-old and a 17-year-old who couldn't leave even when he turned 18, as he couldn't leave his brother.
Soon, however, Virgil heard the door open and immediately identified the footsteps as his fathers as well as someone else who he didn't know- though he could tell it was male. Typically, when people came into their house, Remy and Virgil were ordered to stay in their rooms and not to leave or make any noise, this time was different.
Virgil was getting ready to not make any noise for the foreseeable future before he heard his dad call him by his name, which terrified Virgil. His father's voice was so much softer than it typically was, and his dad only called him by his name when he was in trouble.
Virgil was pulled from his trance when he heard his dad call his name again, which is when Virgil peaked his head out of the door and looked at the man. He was pretty pale with orange-y red hair and wore half circle glasses.
Virgil hesitantly went downstairs, holding the railing closely, "Y-Yes sir...?" The 11-year-old asked cautiously, holding his own hand behind his back nervously. His dad wore a bright feigned smile and gently placed his hand on top of his head, "He's a beauty, right?"
The strange man gave Virgil a bad feeling, but he stood there nervously.
The strange man nodded, “Oh yes, he’ll do perfectly …”
What is he talking about…?