Random Scene with No Plot
Oct. 21st, 2003 03:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
josselinIn which what might have been a plot slowly fades into the sunset, and Justin gets progressively more and more out of character.
Really Dumb Fic
by Josselin
On Tuesday, Ethan was looking through the mail on the counter, and there was a large envelope addressed to Justin. The envelope was already opened, and what he assumed to be the contents were lying next to it—a brochure for Dartmouth College and a yellow post-it note saying, “Check out their website, too. www.dartmouth.edu”
“Should I be worried about you investigating other colleges?” Ethan called out absently to Justin, who was working on his computer.
“Huh?” Justin replied, distracted. He was biting his lip that cute way he did when he was concentrating really hard on his drawing, and it made Ethan smile.
Ethan walked over to wrap his arms around Justin’s shoulders, noting that Justin was drawing a picture of a giant apple with a worm in it.
“What’s the only thing worse than finding a worm in your apple?” He asked Justin, burying his face in Justin’s hair, which always smelled so good.
“Finding half a worm,” Justin replied dryly. “What were you saying?”
“I was just worried about why you’re getting brochures all about Dartmouth College.”
“Oh, that,” Justin snorted. “That’s just my dad’s wishful thinking.”
“Your dad wants you to go to Dartmouth? Why the fuck would you go there?”
“That’s what I said,” Justin replied, biting his lip again and staring intently at his computer screen.
Ethan turned Justin’s face towards him gently. “No, seriously. Why’d he send you a stupid brochure?”
Justin laughed. “Seriously, I don’t know. He’s got this lame-ass fantasy that I’ll go to Dartmouth and be a business major and follow in his shining footsteps, and he just can’t give it up, no matter how many times I tell him I’m destined to be a gay artist.”
“A gay bohemian artist,” Ethan added, nuzzling Justin’s neck. “A true child of the revolution.”
“Okay,” Justin said laughingly, pushing Ethan away, “You’ve been watching Moulin Rouge one too many times again.”
“I can’t help it,” Ethan said throatily. “Christian’s just too hot.”
Justin raised an eyebrow. “I kind of have a thing for the Argentinean, myself. But I’ve always been a sucker for a good dancer.”
“Do you want me to dance for you?” Ethan offered.
“Mmm…” Justin said, turning his head back towards the computer screen. “Later. I have to finish this.”
Ethan sighed and let go of Justin’s shoulders, turning back towards the kitchen and the mail. “Still,” Ethan added, “he must be starting to get used to the idea of you becoming an artist now that he’s paying your tuition again.” Ethan began to piece through the rest of the mail There were two credit card offers—discount, for students!—and a bill that they probably couldn’t afford to pay (enter the credit cards), and a letter from Justin’s pen pal in Romania forwarded from Justin’s mother’s condo. Also, there was an ad from the local grocery, and Ethan noted that free trade coffee was on sale this week.
“Yeah,” Justin said, and something in the tone of his voice made Ethan’s head snap up. “About my tuition,” Justin continued.
“What about it?” Ethan asked sharply. “It is paid, isn’t it? The bursar told us it was, dammit—"
“It’s paid,” Justin interrupted him. “But my father isn’t the one paying it,” Justin continued, wrinkling his nose slightly.
“Well, who is?” Ethan asked.
Justin opened his mouth, and then closed it, and then opened it again. “I managed to get a loan.”
“How’d you do that?” Ethan asked. “We talked to the financial aid officer ourselves, and she said no way when your dad makes so much cash. And if you got a loan, why didn’t you know that the tuition already been paid when we were at the bursar’s office?”
Justin looked uncomfortable for a moment, and Ethan got a sinking feeling in his stomach.
“Don’t tell me your father paid it and you refused to accept it and managed to rig up some stupid loan deal instead. You should milk that fucker for all he’s worth, and—“
“Brian paid for it,” Justin said, and that shut Ethan up real fast.
“Brian paid for it?” Ethan echoed.
Justin nodded firmly.
“But you’re not together anymore,” Ethan protested.
“Obviously,” Justin agreed. “But my dad wouldn’t pay for it, and as you and I know, I didn’t have a lot of other options, and he was willing to loan me the money to finish my education, and when I graduate, I can pay him back, with interest.” Justin pointedly avoided thinking about how he was also supposed to have started working at the diner to pay back all the debt he accrued on Brian’s credit card in New York, and yet somehow, Brian had distracted him from any attempts to actually write out a check.
Ethan just kind of collapsed onto the sofa. “Christ,” he said finally. “It must be nice to be so fucking rich that you can just pay out thousands of dollars of tuition for your ex-fucks.”
Justin made a noise of protest. “It’s not like that.”
“It’s not?” Ethan poked his head up over the top of the sofa to look at Justin. “So how is it, then?”
Justin looked uncomfortable again, for a minute, and then he raised his chin stubbornly. “Brian takes care of his friends,” Justin said firmly. “And that’s how it is.”
“So Brian just loans any of his friends thousands of dollars when they need it,” Ethan surmised.
Justin frowned, thinking about Michael. “Well, no,” he said, and Ethan had a moment of triumph before Justin continued, “usually he just gives them the money outright.”
“But he’s making you pay him back.”
Justin nodded. “We have a loan agreement in writing, with all the terms stipulated.”
Ethan nodded slowly, and he can bet he knows whose idea the loan agreement was. “Did Brian offer to give you the money?”
Justin tried to shrug him off. “It was a long time ago,” he began.
“He did,” Ethan concluded, and Justin didn’t contradict him, which was as good as a yes. “Jesus.” He flopped back down on the couch. Ethan could almost *hear* Justin being torn between coming to talk with him and going back to his drawing. Ethan wondered if maybe the whole generosity thing was the only reason the fucker had any friends. Though that still wouldn’t explain the whole loaning money to the ex thing. Just, habit? Or he really was trying to get Justin back, after all.
* * *
What can I say? It was four in the morning and I was trying really hard not to write my paper about William Blake.
Really Dumb Fic
by Josselin
On Tuesday, Ethan was looking through the mail on the counter, and there was a large envelope addressed to Justin. The envelope was already opened, and what he assumed to be the contents were lying next to it—a brochure for Dartmouth College and a yellow post-it note saying, “Check out their website, too. www.dartmouth.edu”
“Should I be worried about you investigating other colleges?” Ethan called out absently to Justin, who was working on his computer.
“Huh?” Justin replied, distracted. He was biting his lip that cute way he did when he was concentrating really hard on his drawing, and it made Ethan smile.
Ethan walked over to wrap his arms around Justin’s shoulders, noting that Justin was drawing a picture of a giant apple with a worm in it.
“What’s the only thing worse than finding a worm in your apple?” He asked Justin, burying his face in Justin’s hair, which always smelled so good.
“Finding half a worm,” Justin replied dryly. “What were you saying?”
“I was just worried about why you’re getting brochures all about Dartmouth College.”
“Oh, that,” Justin snorted. “That’s just my dad’s wishful thinking.”
“Your dad wants you to go to Dartmouth? Why the fuck would you go there?”
“That’s what I said,” Justin replied, biting his lip again and staring intently at his computer screen.
Ethan turned Justin’s face towards him gently. “No, seriously. Why’d he send you a stupid brochure?”
Justin laughed. “Seriously, I don’t know. He’s got this lame-ass fantasy that I’ll go to Dartmouth and be a business major and follow in his shining footsteps, and he just can’t give it up, no matter how many times I tell him I’m destined to be a gay artist.”
“A gay bohemian artist,” Ethan added, nuzzling Justin’s neck. “A true child of the revolution.”
“Okay,” Justin said laughingly, pushing Ethan away, “You’ve been watching Moulin Rouge one too many times again.”
“I can’t help it,” Ethan said throatily. “Christian’s just too hot.”
Justin raised an eyebrow. “I kind of have a thing for the Argentinean, myself. But I’ve always been a sucker for a good dancer.”
“Do you want me to dance for you?” Ethan offered.
“Mmm…” Justin said, turning his head back towards the computer screen. “Later. I have to finish this.”
Ethan sighed and let go of Justin’s shoulders, turning back towards the kitchen and the mail. “Still,” Ethan added, “he must be starting to get used to the idea of you becoming an artist now that he’s paying your tuition again.” Ethan began to piece through the rest of the mail There were two credit card offers—discount, for students!—and a bill that they probably couldn’t afford to pay (enter the credit cards), and a letter from Justin’s pen pal in Romania forwarded from Justin’s mother’s condo. Also, there was an ad from the local grocery, and Ethan noted that free trade coffee was on sale this week.
“Yeah,” Justin said, and something in the tone of his voice made Ethan’s head snap up. “About my tuition,” Justin continued.
“What about it?” Ethan asked sharply. “It is paid, isn’t it? The bursar told us it was, dammit—"
“It’s paid,” Justin interrupted him. “But my father isn’t the one paying it,” Justin continued, wrinkling his nose slightly.
“Well, who is?” Ethan asked.
Justin opened his mouth, and then closed it, and then opened it again. “I managed to get a loan.”
“How’d you do that?” Ethan asked. “We talked to the financial aid officer ourselves, and she said no way when your dad makes so much cash. And if you got a loan, why didn’t you know that the tuition already been paid when we were at the bursar’s office?”
Justin looked uncomfortable for a moment, and Ethan got a sinking feeling in his stomach.
“Don’t tell me your father paid it and you refused to accept it and managed to rig up some stupid loan deal instead. You should milk that fucker for all he’s worth, and—“
“Brian paid for it,” Justin said, and that shut Ethan up real fast.
“Brian paid for it?” Ethan echoed.
Justin nodded firmly.
“But you’re not together anymore,” Ethan protested.
“Obviously,” Justin agreed. “But my dad wouldn’t pay for it, and as you and I know, I didn’t have a lot of other options, and he was willing to loan me the money to finish my education, and when I graduate, I can pay him back, with interest.” Justin pointedly avoided thinking about how he was also supposed to have started working at the diner to pay back all the debt he accrued on Brian’s credit card in New York, and yet somehow, Brian had distracted him from any attempts to actually write out a check.
Ethan just kind of collapsed onto the sofa. “Christ,” he said finally. “It must be nice to be so fucking rich that you can just pay out thousands of dollars of tuition for your ex-fucks.”
Justin made a noise of protest. “It’s not like that.”
“It’s not?” Ethan poked his head up over the top of the sofa to look at Justin. “So how is it, then?”
Justin looked uncomfortable again, for a minute, and then he raised his chin stubbornly. “Brian takes care of his friends,” Justin said firmly. “And that’s how it is.”
“So Brian just loans any of his friends thousands of dollars when they need it,” Ethan surmised.
Justin frowned, thinking about Michael. “Well, no,” he said, and Ethan had a moment of triumph before Justin continued, “usually he just gives them the money outright.”
“But he’s making you pay him back.”
Justin nodded. “We have a loan agreement in writing, with all the terms stipulated.”
Ethan nodded slowly, and he can bet he knows whose idea the loan agreement was. “Did Brian offer to give you the money?”
Justin tried to shrug him off. “It was a long time ago,” he began.
“He did,” Ethan concluded, and Justin didn’t contradict him, which was as good as a yes. “Jesus.” He flopped back down on the couch. Ethan could almost *hear* Justin being torn between coming to talk with him and going back to his drawing. Ethan wondered if maybe the whole generosity thing was the only reason the fucker had any friends. Though that still wouldn’t explain the whole loaning money to the ex thing. Just, habit? Or he really was trying to get Justin back, after all.
* * *
What can I say? It was four in the morning and I was trying really hard not to write my paper about William Blake.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-10-21 04:48 pm (UTC)Put off homework and write more, er, uh, no, homework, homework is best.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-21 08:05 pm (UTC)I'm not sure what's wrong. I think it just seems kind of boring. There was supposed to be drama and everything but it never happened. I guess that's okay, like you say, but I still don't care for it particularly much. I'm just in an angsty drama mood today, I think.
Put off homework and write more, er, uh, no, homework, homework is best.
Haha. I hardly need any encouragement to put off my homework and write fanfic. :) But I appreciate the sentiment. Thanks for commenting.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-21 05:07 pm (UTC)Justin frowned, thinking about Michael. “Well, no,” he said, and Ethan had a moment of triumph before Justin continued, “usually he just gives them the money outright.”
Ha! I love.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-21 08:08 pm (UTC)Haha. I actually like Ethan. But I absolutely the adore the scene in 3-2 when Justin announces that he's dropping out school and Ethan realizes that Brian's been paying for his education. Because it's just a moment when the enormity of what Justin's sacrificed to be with him hits home to Ethan. And I think Ethan's intimidated by that--he's certainly constantly threatened by Brian's looming presence. He tries to do what he can for Justin, with his mother and the bursar, etc, but he can't be to Justin what Brian can be to Justin, and they both know it.
Thanks for commenting.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-21 08:31 pm (UTC)And isn't that the true essence of season three? :D
no subject
Date: 2003-10-21 05:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-21 08:11 pm (UTC)Thanks. I'm flattered you think so. Maybe it was good I posted it after all. I'm still...hazy on it, though. I think I personally just don't care for it very much. Or maybe I'm just disappointed because it seemed so much better in my head and none of it came out on paper.
And somehow, the idea of Justin having a Romanian pen pal is just so...right.
Isn't it? That just came to me out of nowhere, but I had to go with it. 'Cause Justin's the type who would actually keep writing to the penpal he got assigned back in eighth grade or whatever. Or he could be that type, maybe.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-21 07:31 pm (UTC)“Brian takes care of his friends,” Justin said firmly. “And that’s how it is.”
I liked that line, because Justin's refusing to take sides. He's not really defending Brian so much as refusing to let Ethan badger him into admitting something that isn't true. I love Firm!Justin.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-21 08:12 pm (UTC)Me too! :) Thanks for commenting.
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Date: 2003-10-21 09:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-22 02:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-22 07:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-22 07:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-22 02:48 pm (UTC)“Do you want me to dance for you?” Ethan offered.
*goes blind*
no subject
Date: 2003-10-22 03:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-22 03:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-22 03:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-22 03:39 pm (UTC)