Who: Justin Taylor and Max Trevelyan When: Backdated: Early January Where: Sushi Restaurant What: Max wants the deets on Justin's new man Rating/Warnings: Mostly Family Friendly Status: Complete
The last couple of weeks, since Justin and Royston’s pictures had appeared in the gossip columns, had been interesting for Justin. No one besides people he actually knew had recognized him from the pictures, which aside from his friends who had already known about Royston, consisted of his parents and a few co-workers and all anyone really wanted to know was whether or not he and Royston were dating. His sexuality had never really been much of a secret at work so the publication of the story hadn’t hurt him there, which was lucky. Then again, he was hardly the only gay person in his department at the studio.
Speaking of friends who wanted details about his and Royston’s relationship, Max wanted all the details and Justin was more than happy to give him most of them. After deciding on getting lunch, they had decided on sushi and were currently waiting for their orders, “Okay, so what do you want to know?” He asked, smirking.
Sushi, a perfect thing to gossip over. Max liked to be a little bold in his choices but so bold as to order something like amaebi - best served still kicking (no thanks), their antennae fried in tempura that resembled dew drops a bit too much. No, he’d gone with the usuals - spicy tuna, avocado, sesame this, “dynamite” that. It was going to be a food coma kind of lunch but that was alright, he’d just take his leftovers back with him in a to-go bowl with a lid as big as a hubcap.
And he was happy for Justin, definitely. He knew that the last breakup hit the guy hard - and though Trevelyan hadn’t been here for it, he could see the effects and it had taken a long time for the heart to heal. But that was the thing about the heart - it always did heal.
“Everything,” Max decided - which didn’t really narrow it down, but. “I have to hand it to you. That’s some nice eye candy you snagged yourself.” Royston was good-looking; he and Justin made a good-looking couple in general. “Planning to introduce him to your family? And I guess the dirty question is, enjoying the carnal pleasures?”
Yes, do tell. ‘How’s the sex?’ was always an important question.
His break up with Billy had taken a toll on Justin and it had taken him awhile to get over it. Sure, Justin had had breakups before, but it was the nature of the breakup that had really affected Justin this time around. Some people thought that he had spent too much time pining over his ex, but considering his relationship with Billy had been his longest, to Justin it felt like he had a right to mourn the end of his relationship the way he had. Eventually though, he had moved on and now he was on the verge of something new.
“I will eventually. We’re kind of taking things more or less slow.” Justin said, taking a sip of his complimentary water, “Don’t wanna rush it since it’s been awhile since he’s had more than a fling.” At Max’s next question, Justin sighed and ran a hand through his blond hair, “We’re also taking things slow in that department too.” Justin had never shied away from talking about his sex life so he didn’t mind the question. “So we haven’t actually had sex yet.”
“Slow is completely fine, nothing wrong with that,” Max nodded. “I think he’s worth taking it slow for sure.” Good things came to those who waited - and every relationship moved at a different pace. He was a little surprised to hear that Justin and his new paramour hadn’t done the do yet, but then again, not jumping into bed right away helped things build and build.
He’d definitely been guilty of jumping into bed with people - but those were flings, and he didn’t try to look at them as anything else or push for anything more. With Nasir, given his past, Max had always let him call the shots so as not to rush. “Things kind of happen naturally anyway,” he added. It was hot tea for him, which he sipped on, the green kind typically served at Japanese restaurants, in those ceramic cups. Green tea helped wash away the oils in one’s mouth after consuming certain kinds of sushi - it was his go to during lunches like these.
“I only just introduced Nasir to my aunt Lucille in December, and we’ve been together for almost a year,” he grinned. “So, you know. Different strokes for different folks.”
“Don’t get me wrong; you have no idea how badly I want to.” Justin wasn’t really used to waiting to have sex with the exception of with Billy since his ex had been a virgin when they had started dating, “And judging by certain responses when we’re making out, I know he does too, but like I said, I think it has to do with his last fling. He’s also worried that I’ll decide that dating an actor is too much and bail.” Justin had known from the time they had started hanging out that there was a chance that they could get found out and that meant paparazzi like at The Grove and he had been ready for it. He wasn’t going to let that stop him from being with Royston.
“How’d that go? She tell him embarrassing stories about you when you were a kid?” Justin grinned and glanced up at the approaching waiter, “I think that’s our food.”
Max had the utmost in confidence that Justin wouldn’t just run off because of the stress of dating someone who had paparazzi after them all the time. He’d grown up in Beverly Hills, hadn’t he? He was probably used to all that bullshit, to some degree. “Well, as soon as he realizes you’re more than a fling and of a stronger character than to leave for such a weak reason, then lock yourselves in the bedroom. The whole house,” he chuckled. That sexual tension must be able to be cut with a knife, if they both wanted to and hadn’t yet.
Food, wonderful. He thanked the waiter for bringing all this raw fish, and unwrapped his chopsticks. Only a little soy sauce would be necessary, since the flavors were so good on their own, and he mixed some wasabi in there too. “With Lucille? Yeah, it went well. Plenty of embarrassing stories though,” Trevelyan winced jokingly. “She luckily only has them from when I was a teenager onward though that’s plenty of ammo anyway. At least I got a bunch in return when we spent Christmas with Nasir’s parents.” Max completely loved Nasir’s parents, his mother especially - she was just too adorable, really the sweetest woman on Earth.
Justin laughed and unwrapped his own chopsticks, “When that happens, you may not hear from me for a few days.” He grinned and went in for his first roll. Growing up in Beverly Hills, Justin had seen celebrities here and there on occasion and there had even been a small handful of kids at his schools who had famous parents, so when he’d become friends with Royston, he hadn’t seen him as anything other than a person. A person who deserved more than to be followed around and gossiped about.
“But some of the best stories happen when you’re a teenager. At least, that’s what my mother says.” Justin knew that his mother had plenty of stories, both from when he was a kid and when he was a teenager. “Why is it that parents like embarrassing their kids in front of their significant others though?”
“I’m not sure, I think it’s just in the rulebook or something,” Max snickered, popping something with both cream cheese and tempura crackles into his mouth, and crunch. Maker’s balls, that one was good. Anything was vastly improved by cream cheese. “Though if I ever went the children route, I’d be embarrassing them in front of their significant others too.” That was kind of a scary thought, since he couldn’t even think of proposing without seizing up - at least it was less and less these days, and Max had been considering popping the question. He knew that Nasir was ‘the one,’ that he was completely free from whatever lingering feelings he had for Dorian, but getting to the marriage part? What he wasn’t sure of was whether it was the right time or not. Guess he’d see.
Another roll went into his mouth, chased by a sip of green tea. Spicy tuna. Couldn’t go wrong. “We should all go out and do something, sometime, sometime,” he added. “If you two want, that is. I really hate the term ‘double date’ though, so we’ll just call it a group outing.”
“I don’t think my mom ever told Billy anything too embarassing from my childhood. I know there were baby pictures one of the times we were at my parents’ house.” The fact that Justin was able to talk about Billy without feeling like he needed a couple of drinks was proof that he had moved on, “Hopefully when I eventually introduce Royston to them, she won’t decide that’s a good time to bring up the stories.” Not that Justin really minded, but there were some things he’d prefer to stay more or less between him and his parents.
Justin picked up a shrimp tempura roll and placed it into his mouth before responding to Max’s suggestion, “That could be interesting. I’ll mention it to Royston.” With a slightly bigger group, it was possible that the paparazzi might not notice the four of them, not that they had been noticed too much since the one time in December. Of course Justin knew that eventually more paparazzi would find them when they were out.
Max was proud of Justin, really. He didn’t know Billy but that whole situation was heartbreaking - but moving on to a handsome actor, well, that seemed like good medicine. May most of it be smooth sailing (though there were always bumps along the road, here and there -a part of life). “Oh, I’m sure your mom will conveniently remember the funniest stories and will have conveniently found the funniest pictures too,” he grinned, dunking a spicy tuna roll into the soy sauce briefly. “What about Royston, does he have family?” It was always so nervewracking, meeting a significant other’s kin. Maker, he’d been plenty nervous when he met Nasir’s parents. Even if that was kind of a unique circumstance.
“I wouldn’t put it past her,” Justin knew that if anyone had stories that he might not have heard before or about things he’d forgotten about, it would be his mother. He just hoped that there wasn’t anything too embarassing that she could tell Royston. “He has a brother. They don’t really get along, I think.” Royston had talked about his brother both in and out of the dreams and while it could get confusing on which was real and which wasn’t, he was pretty sure that their relationship was more or less the same when it came to both.
“Ah,” Max nodded. “Family’s complicated. I get that. Not like I talk to my own parents anymore - I just can’t. After multiple attempts to reconnect, they’re still hung up on the fact that I’m bisexual and refuse to accept it.” And the toxicity was strong there; he had plenty of clients who also had toxic parents; finding the will and strength to move on from that was very, very difficult. We, as humans, clung to the ones who raised us, who made us - desperately wanting them to love us in the way parents should.
Trevelyan’s did not, however. He struggled with that dissonance, but eventually for the sake of his own mental health, had made a sort of peace with it.
“But hey, I wish you both luck.” Not wanting to dwell on the situation with his own family, he’d focus on the happy couple instead. “I think you’re onto something great, you two crazy kids.”
Justin hated hearing about parents that couldn’t accept their kids for being gay or bisexual. He was lucky that both of his parents had accepted him when he’d come out, but since he’d started dreaming he could relate to those people since his father had basically disowned him once he’d found out that Justin was gay. “Parents like that fucking suck.” He would say that things might get better, but wasn’t going to attempt to bullshit Max. “People in general like that suck.”
He couldn’t help but grin though as Max spoke about him and Royston, “We’ll see what happens. So far so good.” He hoped that Max was right though, because while he’d survive, he really didn’t want to go through another breakup.