Shopping
Shopping didn’t go quite how Virgil expected. Specifically when it came to baby clothes. Almost all clothes from newborn to three were dresses; for diaper changing and potty training ease, apparently.
Then there was the lack of gender division. There were no pink cribs for girls or blue high chairs for boys, there were just cribs and high chairs. Sure, they came in different colors and different patterns, but none in any way targeted towards one sex.
Sure, Virgil remembered what Ellie said about raising children without gender until they revealed it themself, but he still wasn’t expecting this. He bought it all though, everything he thought he might need for Harry, and stuff for the house too.
Shopping for himself though, that made no sense. Fine, children aren’t put into boxes, that’s fine, but the adult stuff was the same.
There were no men’s clothes, no women’s clothes. All clothes just came in different sizes and slightly different shapes to fit all bodies. There was no perfume for women or cologne for men, just perfume and cologne, only separated by name for scents. The more musky deodorants for men and women, the more floral type for women and men. And everyone else.
He wasn’t entirely sure what to buy as a result. Typically, he would just go to the men’s section and get whatever there was, but here….There were actual choices to make, he could be….He could be anyone.
No one would blink if he wore a dress or makeup or perfume, no one would question his masculinity if he had pink bed sheets, no one would—no one would care, or judge, or harass.
It was nice, but surely he wouldn’t want anything like that, right? He’d just get black and green like he always had before.
And yet, that light pink headboard and white-and-lime-green checkerboard pattern bedspread called to him. All those different colors and shapes and patterns of hair clips, bows, and bands hypnotized him like a pile of shiny gold. Dresses were just so comfortable.
He tried hard to force himself to like what he deemed to be more masculine, but he wasn’t really fooling himself. He had always been uncomfortable with plain white or black sheets. He had always hated his hair just being there, not doing anything or looking anything special. He had never liked pants all that much.
Who cared anyway? Who was going to see his bed? Who could be mad at him for wanting to smell good? Or feel good?
He was Virgil now. Severus was never happy or comfortable, Severus did his best to blend in and avoid even more pain than he already went through. But, Virgil?
Maybe Virgil could finally have it all. Everything Severus always wanted or needed but didn’t get. Maybe he could finally be himself.
Maybe, just maybe, things could be better.