Justin Taylor (jstn_sunshine) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-04-17 01:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, gaz membrane, justin taylor |
Who: Justin Taylor and Gaz Membrane
When: Backdated: Monday, April 13th. Afternoon
Where: Coffee Shop
What: Friends Reunited
Rating/Warnings: Family Friendly
Status: Complete
It had been a few weeks now since Billy had left and a few days since Justin had gotten his own body back and while the first thing he’d felt like doing was going out and getting drunk again, during the time he’d been in Emma’s body, he’d come to the conclusion that drinking his feelings away would ultimately lead to him becoming a drunk. Yes, he missed Billy greatly, but he knew that he needed to move on. Maybe Billy would come back someday, but Justin couldn’t hold out hope and not move on with his life.
Work was wrapping up for the season, which meant Justin needed to find another job for the summer and was currently on his way to his friend’s art studio to see if there was anything he could do there over the summer when he stopped into a Starbucks to grab a drink.
Gaz hated Starbucks, but she loved Frappucinos. It was a struggle. Normally she conducted her Starbucks business like she would conduct illegal doings - get in, act casual, and then flee the scene. She went into a Starbucks and joined the queue, sighing as she stood in line behind a blond guy.
A blond guy she recognized. “Hey.”
Justin’s eyes widened slightly at the sound of the familiar voice and a smile spread across his lips as he turned to face his old friend. “Gaz! What’re you doing here?” His smile brightened now that he was looking at her, the first real smile since Billy had left. He’d missed her a lot and seeing her felt like it filled one of the holes that had been in his life lately.
“I just moved back.” Gaz gave Justin one of her tiny, lopsided smiles, and reached out to give him a brofist. “What’ve you been up to?”
Justin returned the brofist, but then wrapped Gaz in a hug. He couldn’t help it. The last couple of weeks had been so crappy that seeing his friend made him extremely happy. Still smiling, he released her, but his smile faltered when he remembered her question before he’d hugged her, “Not much. Except that Billy and I broke up.” It still hurt to say it, but he didn’t feel the immediate need to grab a drink to numb the pain.
She sort of patted his back awkwardly, never sure what to do in non-sexual hugs. But she was smiling when he released her, and she hadn’t tried to rip his arms off. Both were good indicators that she was pleased with the hug, all things considered.
“That fucking sucks. Do you want to uh. Talk?” Hey, she was trying!
If this had been a few weeks earlier, Justin would have said no, but things were different now and if he could talk to anyone, it was Gaz, “Yeah. If you have the time that is.” He didn’t want to keep Gaz if she was going somewhere. Realizing that they had reached the front of the line, he glanced at her and gestured towards the counter, “What do you want? It’s on me.”
“Sure. And you don’t have to, really. Just going to get a hot chocolate.” Gaz liked hot chocolate at all times, and she couldn’t help it. It was just fucking delicious. “I want a cookie too, so I’ll get it.” She patted him on the back, and moved forward.
“I want to though.” Justin said, turning to the barista to give her Gaz’s order then his own before paying. Once their drinks were in hand, Justin led the way to a table in the back and sat down. He was silent for a moment, taking a sip of his drink before speaking, “Billy’s boyfriend from his dreams showed up in October. He’s actually an actor and Billy was assigned as his PA.”
Gaz blinked. “So he dumped you? Fuck that shithead.”
Justin shook his head, “No. Not then.” Justin had been worried that that would happen then, but it didn’t. “Billy was fine, for the most part, until Teddy started dreaming. Teddy believed that this was a dream and that the dreams were real life.” He had only told this to James while Billy had been in New York in February, “I guess in the dreams Billy’s mother had made an alternate universe at some point and Teddy believed this was like that. Then Billy started having more dreams and started having feelings for Teddy.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “So Billy went to New York for a week to see his parents and think. We went on a break after that, which was in February and then a few weeks ago he said he was moving back to New York.” And that was it. There was no working things out at that point.
Her nose hadn’t unwrinkled. “I reiterate: fuck that shithead.”
“I…” Despite the fact that Justin was still hurt by what had happened, he thought that that was a little harsh. “Part of me understands. I mean, I keep thinking about what would happen if Brian or Ethan showed up and while I want to say that I wouldn’t want to deal with Brian’s shit, who knows how he’d be in real life. Who knows how I’d feel. I was really upset about Billy not being able to separate his real feelings from his dream feelings, but these dreams fuck with us and make that really difficult.” He still didn’t like the fact that things had happened the way they did, but he understood a little better now.
“Yeah, but he should try, you know?” Gaz balled her hands into fists. She was probably upset because of her own shit too, but still - what kind of dick didn’t at least try? Plus, the going on a break thing? Always the actual worst. “Sorry. You probably don’t need to hear it from me.”
Justin shook his head, “No, it’s okay. I appreciate it. Most people have just said that if it’s meant to be then it’s meant to be, or that I’ll find someone else. So, I appreciate you being honest.” He knew that Wendy had been trying to help a drunk stranger by trying to make him feel better when they had run into each other, but he still didn’t understand her reasoning that she thought that everyone had more than one soulmate.
“Better you know he’s a quitter now, I guess, then when you’re married and shit.” Her fingers drummed idly on the table, her nails clicking quietly. She’d left a man, done the same thing, but at least she’d tried first.
Justin sighed, nodding slightly, “I know. I just don’t understand how after over a year and a half, he could have let his dream feelings get in the way.” He was trying not to dwell on it too much and despite everything, he didn’t want to hate Billy.
“Dreams are ... yeah, they can change who we are here, but I don’t know. I don’t think I’d fall out of love with someone.” Gaz sighed. What did she know? She’d only been in love the one time, and that didn’t work out well.
“That’s the thing. He didn’t fall out of love with me. He was in love with both of us.” It was pretty complicated and if Gaz wasn’t also a dreamer it’d be even more complicated, but luckily she understood. “But enough about my crappy love life. What have you been up to? Are you back for good?”
“Oh.” Gaz’s nose was still wrinkled. “That’s fucked up.” And would be hard to deal with for anyone. She leaned back and nodded. “Yep. Single, back for good, back at school.” She wasn’t going to go into the whole ‘hey, divorce is a thing and it sucks’ story because to her it was always the same.
“It’s too bad I’m gay otherwise I’d say we should hook up.” Justin had never been with a woman in real life, but having had sex with Daphne in the dreams and just being in Emma’s body, that was more than enough for him, “Since we’re both single and all. Maybe when we’re both ready, we can be each other’s wingperson though.”
Gaz blinked. “You’d hate it anyway, we’re friends.” Even if Gaz was a dude, she doubted Justin would see her that way. “I have no idea how to be someone’s wingperson.”
“Dating friends isn’t always bad, but I’m glad that we’re friends. And I’m glad you’re back,” A smiled spread across Justin’s lips, “And as each other’s wingperson, we’d help the other pick up guys when we’re both ready.”
“Oh. Well, I can try?” Gaz would probably just yell WHO LIKES DICK JUSTIN’S IS AWESOME OR SOMETHING really loud. Not super helpful.
“I’ll give you an A for effort.” Justin might still have been upset about Billy leaving, but he was extremely happy that Gaz was back and he was starting to feel like everything was going to be alright.