Julian and Fred (Backdated to After Prom)

[x-nothungry.livejournal.com]

Julian mopes about the dorm, and Fred tries to talk him through his own head





With the blinds down, you would think that it was midnight in the room that Fred and Julian shared. Soft and melancholy music was hanging in the air, permeating from Keller's laptop. The boy himself was curled up on his bed, dressed in black- replaying the events of the last twenty-four hours in his head.


Fred entered the room, a large smile on his face as he hummed his favorite song to himself. He made a beeline for the large pile of unopened RedBulls that sat at the foot of his bed, but stopped dead when he spotted Julian. His face fell to a look of concern, "Jules?"


Julian looked up from his fugue state at his large roommate, who appeared to be in an excellent mood. "Hey, Fred, how's it goin' man?" Sitting up he ran a hand through his already mussed hair.


"Better'n it looks like it's goin' for you, Jules." Fred grabbed two of the energy drinks and tossed one to his roommate as he pulled a chair away from one of the desks and over to Julian's bed. He sat as he opened his drink and sipped, before he gave Jules another concerned look, "No lights, sad bastard music that gives mine a run for it's money...what's up?


"I'm not going to argue that your choice in music sucks," Julian said, barely cracking a smile. He popped the can and took a swig, wincing as the harsh mixture burned his singed his sinuses. "And I'm fine, thank you very much."


Fred smiled broadly, and looked to the door, making sure the coast was clear before he lit a cigarette in his room. He looked back back to Julian, and gave him a commiserating grin that bordered on maternal, "Alright, I'll tell you what: either you tell me what's botherin' yah, or I sing every Conway Twitty song I know back to back, at the top of my lungs."


Immediately, Julian spilled his troubles- facing a fate worse than death, he had no choice. "Angel broke up," he couldn't finish the sentence without taking another pull from the can, "with me."


Fred winced. He'd heard murmurs of some drama go down, but hadn't been sure about what exactly said drama was. Now, he kinda wished he hadn't been hypnotized by Callie all night (that was a lie; he'd never wish that).

"Jeez, Jules...I'm sorry, man. What happened?"


Julian shrugged and chugged down the rest of the energy drink, "Dude, it's so fucking stupid." Putting a little telekinesis behind it, he crumpled the can and tossed it toward the basket of Rubik's Cubes near the door. "Long story short, I kissed Esme, Angelica walked in on it, the end...of everything," his foot still hurt. Under normal circumstances he would have gone to the med lab to get it checked out, but the pain was all he had left of her.


Fred frowned deeply, and didn't want to make the situation worse, but the words seemed to come out of their own volition, "You kissed Esme!? Dammit, Julian, what were ya thinkin'?"


"Fred, come on! You really think I'd do something like that? She kissed me...sorta." A hand motion accompanied the final word, conveying his uncertainty in the situation.


Fred sighed, "I can see why Angel's pissed man...have ya talked to her?" Fred would've been more pissed at Julian for his transgression, but how would his anger help the situation?


"I tried, man. She wouldn't even open the god damned door." On his feet now, Julian started to pace. "I brought her chocolate and flowers, but she told me to go away. Can't say that I blame her one bit either."


"Naw, can't say I blame her either..."Fred cursed a little under his breath, then looked back to his roommate, "Do ya...like Esme?"


That was the million dollar question. Did he have feelings for Esme Stepford? The simple answer was yes, but all the last twenty-four hours had proven was that things were never simple. He had a crush, mixed with lust, but that was nothing compared to what he felt for Angel. "No."


Fred spoke more bluntly to Julian than he'd spoken to anyone before in his life, "Does your dick like Esme?"


Had Julian been drinking, there would have been a spit-take. After taking a moment to process what Fred had said, "Um...yeah, I guess so. But-"


"If that's it, if it's just lust, then tell that to Angel. If it's not the same as the real feelings you have for your girlfriend, tell her that. Tell her it even if she won't listen, and then prove it," Fred guzzled down the rest of his drink and dragged off his cigarette, "It sounds simple, but it's not, and it's entirely doable."


"I already tried to tell her that," 'Or something like that,' "she wouldn't open the door." He sat back down, staring at the carpet, "She was crying."

"Then try again, and again, and again...if it matter," Fred shrugged and took another drag from his cigarette, "Or don't if it ain't worth it. Do you think Angel'll forgive you? And will it be worth it if she does?"


These weren't questions he'd thought about. All he knew was that Angel had abandoned him, just like everyone else. He wanted her back because...why? "I don't know, Fred."


"Don't take this the wrong way, Jules: But do you want Angel back to assuage your ego? Do you want her back because being with her is familiar or safe or comfortable? Do you want her back...just for the sake of wantin?" Fred hoped he wouldn't have to brace for a MindBlast, but he had learned a lot about the way people worked together, and knew sometimes the hardest questions were the most important.


There was no sudden burst of telekinetic energy, instead Julian just sat on the bed and thought for a long moment. Why did he want her back? "Yeah...hey, man, I'm gunna go think some stuff over." He stopped at his dresser on the way out, grabbing the bottle of Captain Morgan stashed beneath his socks.


"Thinkin' and drinkin' rarely go together, brother," Fred put his hand on Julian's shoulder, but made no move to take the bottle or anything, "I know it helps lube up the brain, but...just take a swig and leave the bottle here, man. You don't need to be puttin' that much of it in ya,"


Julian offered Fred a smile, "Don't worry about it, Fred." Letting the bottle drop to his side, Keller left the room, shrugging the hand off his shoulder. "I may not be back tonight, just...don't worry about me, okay?"


Fred sighed heavily as Julian left, at a loss for what else to do.