Dyson of the District

“I’m not your brother” Seth said matter-of-factly “me and my parents lived in South Africa until I was 11 and my father and I share the same birthmark. It’s the shape of a crabapple” and he pulled the top of his pants down  to show them “my pubic hair covers it for the most part, but when I shave you can see ot better”

Bear shrugged, “I guess that’s fair. Dad might’ve been in south Africa though.” Bear responded and Rocket nodded in agreement, “you really should save your pubes, that’s a whole lot.”

Rhys laughed softly and cuddled up close “I mean, at the very least, this should be a ringing endorsement for Chapstick” he said and then nodded “Yeah, I mean I still wanna know how this happened, but you still…feels like you even if the outside doesn’t match so that helps a lot”

“Is this your way of telling me my lips are chapped?” he chuckled, kissing the top of Rhys’ head, “you think you’d be able to hold out on the sex thing while we figure this out?”

wesleyfinn‌:

Wesley had been very nervous about this whole ordeal. He wasn’t sure why, he had no reason to, they were just some adults navigating life with special circumstances but it didn’t help that they had the history they did. To help the situation he decided to take a run, it was the best thing to do to help clear his head. He had ran through the scenario a couple times, and only when he felt ready to tackle it he decided to head back home. 

Home. Weird to think about that this was his new home, he promised not to get too comfortable but it was hard not to. “Hello?” he called out as he step inside, “I’m not too late, right?” he asked and then stopped when he spotted Julian standing next to Kevin and Victor, “oh. Guess I am. Welcome”

It was actually a relief for Julian to have the kid there, something he could focus on that wasn’t dramatic, didn’t make him uncomfortable, and he knew how to interact with. It showed in his warm smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. “No way, forreal? How much will that cost me?” He made a show of patting his pockets down as he glanced at Victor. “I hope you’re right, because I need to stress eat right now and I don’t have time to get hate crimed.”

Julian was just moving to follow Kevin when he heard a familiar voice, and his visceral response to it reminded just how complex all this shit was gonna be. “Hey, Wes.” He found a casual tone and wave for the man. “I was just following my tour guide…concierge? Host. Just following my host to my room.”

Victor knew this was a minefield and any small thing could set this whole thing off, but he had been given another shot and it was only fair Julian got one too. Seeing how he reacted to Kevin did make him feel a bit relieved. The kid had a gift of pushing past all the awkwardness that the adults around him got bogged down with. Laughing, the little boy shook his head "No, you just got to sit next to me and Binky for dinner" he told him as he reached for Julian's hand.

"It's essential everyone meets Binky" Victor chuckled before he saw Wesley enter and that small knot in his stomach appeared again. "He's going to meet Binky!" the boy said happily "you can come with us too if you like" he suggested and held out his other hand for Wesley to take.

Julian was definitely nervous, that much was true, but he’d devised a fool proof backup plan if shit went south: run. If he got a week, two weeks in, and wasn’t feeling it, he’d up and take off to New Orleans or someplace and disappear. Maybe he’d even pick up a significant drug habit or something significant, the world was his oyster.

Unsure if he should ring the doorbell or try to walk in, Julian settled on the ring for politeness sake, and rung his hands while he waited to be let in. “I did. Barely.” Offering a smile, he hefted a duffel onto his shoulder, gathering the other carry on and roller suitcase in his other hand; luckily he didn’t own much. “This is the furthest I’ve been from home by about….” He squinted in thought. “1700 miles. Pretty weird.” More than weird, the queasy feeling of homesickness was already settling in his belly, but he pushed it down and pushed on.

Victor knew he had to be careful around Julian. Just because the two had managed to find some sort of common ground didn't mean that everything was fine between the two. It was still a lot of bad history and that history could pop back up quickly if they weren't careful. Still, he couldn't see the guy out on the street. Even if he didn't do it for Julian he wanted to do it for Romeo. A last good act for the man he loved and had lost.

Stepping aside with a smile Victor held the door open so Julian could walk in, Kevin standing there with "Hi Junian" he said and waved "Vic said I get to show you to your room" Victor laughed softly "He's excited" he told Julian "for some reason he likes playing host" As he closed the door he nodded "I won't lie, Texas takes some getting used to, but I've found that no place I've ever been to is more welcoming. I was thinking if you like you can rest up and we'll go out to dinner"

Lincoln came into the office looking worried, and a little confused at what kind of urgent crisis Victor might have that would be his responsibility. “Hey. What’s up? Everything okay?” Coming closer, his gaze was settled on Victor’s face, not veering to his feet, and thus not understanding the true meaning of the meeting. 

“You don’t think it’d be weird?” Deep down, Julian really hadn’t thought Victor would agree. It was all too surreal. Maybe people really did grow up. “I guess it wouldn’t really be that long. Once 2020 rolls around we’ll all be scattered again. I guess you’re going back to Texas?”

Shaking his new friend’s hand, Julian nodded. “Sure. Though literally anything would be fine. I’m not picky. I’ll probably end up in a box after this, so it’s downhill from here no matter what.” He had said that a bunch of times in the last month, to a bunch of people, with varying levels of humor in his voice, but each day that went by made it that much more of a real possibility. He was really putting off some important shit.

“I mean, probably, but considering some of the things we’ve survived in this place I think a little weird is easily manageable,” he told Julian. Nodding, he confirmed “Yeah, Kevin starts school next year and I still need to decide where he’s going”

Victor feels guilt eat at him knowing that years ago he was so lost in his own pain a declaration like that would have little effect on him, but now hearing it, he can only see how lost he had been when he first left, and even then he had a cushion to fall back on with the money Estevan left him.

Julian cleared his throat. “Funny you should offer, because…” He trailed off, not sure if he had the courage to continue, then said fuck it. “Because Wes offered for me to stay with you guys for a while, until the hotel goes under anyway, and I felt like you wouldn’t actually agree to that. Now, I don’t know.” The pressure of the question and situation made it hard to meet Victor’s eye.

“Yeah, I felt like I hated you too, but like you, I’m sure that was more self-loathing than anything else.” Julian nodded with a kind of finality. “That settles it then, squashed.” He took a few steps closer, and held out his hand to shake on it: closure.

"Oh" Victor said at finding out Wes' offer "No, I mean yeah, you see how this place looks. It's more than enough for all of us and if you're up for it I can put you in the room next to Wesley. Can't promise it's much in the way of decoration though"

“Well, to be fair, I’ve never been there…or off the east coast, so I wouldn’t really know.” Julian was slightly offended that Victor would compare NYC to literally anywhere else, let alone a Texan city, but he had to let it slide for the moment.

Julian was very still as he listened, eyes wide and trained on Victor’s face, searching for sincerity. But eventually he relaxed and nodded. “Yeah I didn’t want to fight either. I just assumed you still hated me. Sometimes that just feels better, even though no amount of hate will ever bring…anyone back.” Weird how saying Romeo to Victor felt like calling a ghost: too heavy. “I’m sorry too, though. I probably said some mean shit, not that I remember all of it.”

"I mean if you ever feel up to visiting I'm happy to offer a spare room," Victor said "I can't promise it will be like this..." he gestured around the apartment "but it's nice"

"I get it" Victor responded "I hated myself for a long time and it was easier to imagine that other people felt the same" It was hard being this honest and the reference to Romeo still stung badly "We weren't our best selves and like you said it won't bring back the things we lost"

Julian would have really commiserated with that tension if Victor had brought it up, but instead he just stewed in it, trying to keep it from boiling over into his expression. Another thing he would have agreed on: their problems were (at least partially) Victor’s fault. He took a juice and started to walk toward the nearest chair, thought better of it, and paused to lean against the wall instead, twisting off the cap for a sip.

“Sounds very busy, yeah. Probably some culture shock too. Can’t imagine I’d fare well in Texas, where everything is bigger, including the homophobia.” Having suppressed any memories of that period of his life, except in therapy, Julian was very deliberately not thinking of showing up here and arguing over Romeo. “Oh me?” His brows shot up, hand going to his chest. “I look good? Damn Victor, I–I really thought I was gonna have to fight at least a little today.” Julian just let fly what he was thinking, too thrown off to be coy, dropping the bullshit. “Are you killin em with kindness these days or what?”

Victor could see that Julian was uncomfortable and now he was the one that was purposefully avoiding what was so obviously their issue. "It took some getting used to" he admitted "everything runs slower, but that's a good thing. Then you get to a city like Austin and it's no different than New York. Just as progressive even"

He took a breathe "Look, I know that we have our issues and pretending we don't won't do anything" he said "Getting some time and distance gives you a clear head. I didn't come here to fight with you, Julian. We both were going through the worst times in our lives back then and it was just easier to take that out on one another and for that I'm sorry"

Shocked. Julian was more than surprised that he got an actual smile from this man, let alone a genuine-looking one, and an immediate invitation in. Maybe Victor was just more mature, less petty and grudgy than Julian. Maybe he was like a real adult. 

“Uh…” He really started to say no even though that was exactly why he’d come. “Yes, yes I would like to come in. How’ve you been?” Julian tried to give a smile back, but it was more nervous than he’d have liked. This reaction had thrown him off his game a little, showed some awkward cracks in the facade as he followed Victor inside. “Real nice place here.”

It was tense being alone with Julian after all these years. It was like like Lincoln, but a hundred times worse. Still, with Julian at least he shared equal blame in this and that made it so he wasn’t about to take whatever past pain he had out on the guy. After letting him in Victor closed the door and walked over to the fridge to pull out a couple of juices and handed one over.

“I’ve been good. Busy” he said “moved to Texas and adopted my little brother so it’s been a quite a time” At his comment about the place he looked around, remembering that the last time the two had been here was just after Romeo’s death when Julian showed up drunk and angry at 2 a.m. and the shame hit him all over again “Yeah, it’s nice. Almost seems a shame to let it go” he cleared his throat “How have you been? You look good”

“It is the holidays, and they didn’t cost me anything. These people want a chance for me to name drop them whenever I can in interviews so they send me boxes of this stuff. I packed a lot of it in case someone hinted they were interested. My intuition strikes again,” Lester said with a chuckle. He leaned against his friend and gave a nod. “I wish this place would stay up and open. I would move back for good,” he sighed thinking about it. He looked over at Vic and gave a nod. “Yeah, I’m good. We just grew apart. I was the one making the money, I was also working all the time. Traveling. Absence also makes the heart grow weaker. We left on good terms, there is no bad blood between me and Hayden.”

"Still, I'll have to give you something nice" Victor chuckled "the very least I can do" He couldn't believe how long it had been since he had seen and talked to Lester and Victor made a promise to himself that he wouldn't let it go this far again. "Yeah, I mean I know It's not always brought me happiness, but I have met some of the best people I've ever known here, present company included" With an arm around Lester's waist it felt like old times in the best way, at least until he heard about Hayden "I didn't mean to bring that up. I can't imagine it's the easiest thing in the world to talk about, but at least you two managed to not make it ugly and stay friends" he smiled "you're going to have to teach me how to be that mature one of these days"

Julian was really not thinking of taking Wesley up on his offer, that he’d obviously made without consulting Victor first. There was just no way he would be able to push his still-bruised ego to the side, forget all the feelings he’d had about Victor over Wesley (and before that, Romeo) and want to share an intimate space with him. He really, a hundred percent, would rather live on the fucking street, not even being dramatic.

But. Julian couldn’t deny that he did want to spend more time with Wesley, in some capacity, and he did want to see what Victor would say, what he’d been up to, if he still hated Julian, if he was cold and alone at night. The usual catching-up stuff. 

“Hey, Victor! Vic, it’s your old friend!” He was laughing a little as he knocked on the door, covering all the jangling nerves with humor and false confidence.

@thelostdyson​

Victor was thankful for the peace and quiet. With Wesley taking Kevin out for the afternoon he got to finish and submit his last paper of the semester. Now, sitting back on his couch watching some Hallmark Christmas movie he took a sip of the lemonade in his hand.

He was almost about to doze off when he heard a knock on the door and sitting the glass down he stood up and made his way over. Of all the people he expected to see Julian was about the least. He was almost positive that the guy had been avoiding him, not that Victor made too much effort on his end either. There was still a bit of shame there seeing their history.

"Hey," he said and smiled "I...it's nice to see you. You want to come in?"

Lester laughed and gave a nod as he had the same idea, coming back just to see the old faces and maybe a couple of new. “My skincare routine, I actually could give you some bottles of stuff I use, I have way too much,” he said with a nod. “But you should test it out, I would hate to give you something that would break your pretty face out,” he said with a wink. He put an arm around Victor as they walked, he was excited to be looking around his new place. “Wow, I want to live here,” he said as they walked. “I’ve been busy too, working mostly. Hayden and I divorced a year ago,” he said casually, not wanting to make a big deal of it.

Lester is just like Victor remembers and for once that was a good thing. A ball of sunshine and affection. “I mean you don’t have to, but that would be amazing. I’m as inept with all that stuff as you can get” Victor laughed and then blushed a little at the compliment “says the model” As they walked through the apartment he showed Lester around “It’s mostly just spacious and sadly won’t be here for very much longer the way it’s going” He was about to offer Lester something to drink when he heard the news “Wait, what? What happened? Are you okay?”