Jess, 23, nerd

currently:

GAME OF THRONES
Vikings / The Americans
Southland / Hannibal

but why don't you recommend something

The End Comes First 

I’ve decided that I want to write a bunch of Chustin stories revolving around the relationship I imagine in Prefect Meeting.

So this is probably the latest in the timeline that I would write, but I make no promises about what order they’ll be in.  Or even what moments it’ll include - unless someone actually requests something.

Also, please tell me I’m not the only one who has considered the possibility of Laura and Dwight?  Maybe I missed some memo about them thinking of each other as siblings.  

[for more of my Dalton stories]

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When Justin tried to imagine life after graduating Dalton, he usually had trouble.  He knew his parents would want him engaged and he knew that at best he would only be able to continue with Charlie in secret.  An affair.  So he never thought about it.  But somehow time had run out and it sounded even worse when he and Charlie, sitting side by side on the edge of Justin’s bed, finally said it out loud.  It sounded dirtier.  It sounded so much more painful.  It sounded completely stupid.

Justin took a deep breath.  “I just – what if – We can keep pretending all we’d like, but I can see it now.  We’ll tell each other that everything will be the same and we’ll keep seeing each other secretly despite our public romances.  I’ll get married to some royal bore that my parents set me up with and I’ll hate her, but it’ll be okay because I’ll still have you.  But then you’ll find some girl and you’ll fall in love with her and you’ll keep seeing me out of obligation, but I’ll feel all the love slipping away and you’ll regret that you ever made such a stupid promise.”

He took another breath and Charlie could see a tear fall from his eye.  He reached toward Justin’s face, trying to wipe away the tear, but Justin turned his head.

“It’s cool, Charlie,” Justin whispered, avoiding Charlie’s gaze.  “I, uh, I’m leaving tomorrow anyway.  So we can just say good bye, and maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”

“Justin, stop it.” Charlie grabbed Justin’s upper arm and pulled him into a hug.  “Laura brought home Dwight.  You don’t think I’m an improvement?”

“All they see is that he’s wealthy.  And appropriately gendered.  They’d just pretend it wasn’t happening and force me into some arrangement.”

“What if we go public?  What could they do then?”

“Charlie, this is my fucking family.  I don’t want to exile myself.  I don’t want my life to be this dramatic.”

“Well, what do you want, Justin?” Charlie let his arms drop and scooted away a little bit.  “Because I’m trying really hard.  You think I’m the one who is going to give up on us and find someone else?  You’re the one giving up here.  There’s got to be a way we can make this work.”

“There isn’t, Charlie.”

“Stop calling me that.”

Justin finally let himself look at Charlie and felt a little guilty at how hurt his friend looked.  “What?”

“You keep saying Charlie.  Is…” Charlie looked away until he finished speaking.  “Is this it?”

“Chaz…”

And Justin knew he couldn’t do it.  He couldn’t leave the boy in front of him.  He brought his hand to Charlie’s face, but let it continue to wrap around until it landed at his neck.  He pulled the boy toward him and just as he brought their lips together he began to cry.  

Maybe sobbing into a kiss didn’t sound particularly romantic, but Justin decided this was the most passionate kiss he’d shared with Charlie and even though everything was very very wrong, somehow it was also okay.

He pulled away slowly, but locked his eyes with his boyfriend.  “Chaz, I have no idea what to do.  But I’m not giving you up.”

“Well, what do you want to do?” Charlie asked, and Justin couldn’t help but resent how he made it sound as if it was the easiest question in the world.  The boys leaned back and sat facing each other.  “If you didn’t have to worry about anything, what would you do?”

“I’d want to take you to meet my parents,” Justin sighed.

“So let’s go.”

“Years of living in Windsor have ruined your sanity,” Justin joked, letting himself warm up a little.  “That’s got to be the least practical solution – meeting my parents is the problem.”

“Why’s it have to be a problem?” Charlie shrugged.  “Maybe they’ll love me.  My family is rich too, you know.”

“They run a trucking company, Chaz.”

“And the Middletons run a party supply company,” Charlie smirked.

Justin grabbed Charlie’s right hand in both of his before he spoke with mock grief.  “It concerns me greatly that you know this.”

“What? I’m trying to keep up with British royalty and society for you,” Charlie murmured, clearly embarrassed at having to state this aloud.

“Awwww,” Justin laughed, as he reached, unsuccessfully, to pinch Charlie’s cheek.  “I can’t believe you’re such a sap.”

“Yea, okay, pot calling the kettle black.  What are we here talking about?” Charlie sneered.

“We’re talking about how I love you,” Justin smiled sweetly, as if to prove just how hypocritical he had been.  “And how I’m going to try to get my parents to do the same.”

“I love you, too, Justin.”

The kiss that followed was far softer than their previous kiss.  And maybe it was far less passionate as well, but for the first time in the years they had dated, Justin let himself imagine a future together.  A future full of sweet kisses and passionate kisses.  A future full of double dates with his sister.  A future full of love and happiness.  And he had no trouble imagining it.