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 Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2023 6:22 pm
It seemed okay to leave, so Luke had convinced Julian to come with him and now they were a few blocks away at one of the fancier all purpose stores around the city. “God, this place always…it has a smell, even back in Bailey…it’s good that they all smell the same, it’s kind of comforting…oh! Do you want something to drink?”
He nodded to the cafe at the front of the store and grabbed a cart. “There’s nothing that says we’re independent than having a fancy cafe drink as we shop, right?”
This was…kind of exciting. Normally all of his shopping was done with Jason whispering in his ear about what they should get…and this time? This was just himself and his new roommate who didn’t really seem to be in the mood or mindset to argue about anything which…
Was kind of wild.
“Everything’s on me today, like the drinks and stuff, and I’ll be buying whatever we decide to get, but really, Julian, I want your opinions since it’s going to be stuff for our space, okay?” For some reason. Luke felt the need to reiterate that to his soft spoken new friend.
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Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2023 4:40 pm
Julian had never been to this store before. He didn’t know if it had a smell, and he certainly didn’t know if it had the same smell as the one in Bailey, but it was easy to trust Luke’s observation. Luke seemed so bold, so confident.
Julian couldn’t ever remember grabbing a shopping cart for himself, nor could he recall a time he had a fancy cafe drink when he went shopping. He wasn’t even sure he’d ever had any drink while at a store. Luke made it sound so easy, made it look so easy.
“Oh, okay,” he said, which seemd rather plain consider how much Luke had been talking during this trip. He tugged at the already worn and stretched sleeve of his sweater and worried, again, about making a bad impression.
He didn’t have much of an opinion about most things–or, at least, not a strong enough one to voice it. Luke seemed friendly, though. It made him want to open up. It just also made him worry about opening up a bit too much.
He walked next to Luke and the cart and looked around, trying to take in as much as he could as quickly as possible.
“I’ve never been here,” he confessed after a moment. “If you want a drink, we can stop by there real fast. I’m not thirsty, but thank you.”
He tugged at his sleeve again but did his best not to fidget. He smiled, because he was enjoying this trip out. Luke seemed kind–and generous–but Julian couldn’t imagine taking advantage of that.
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Posted: Wed Oct 04, 2023 7:31 pm
“Well if you’ve never been here, then we have to do this right! Are you allergic to strawberries or apple juice? Or just…berries in general?” Luke made his way to the cafe, eagerly scanning the menu. “It’s absolutely the law of being a teenager that we have to get something, and I can’t handle being the only one drinking something, if you’re not thirsty, I’ll get two small ones, but I promise, Julian, this drink is amazing. It’s all berry like but…apple juicy….ah. Wow it sounds like a kids drink when I explain it like that, and…”
He trailed off and finally shrugged. “I guess it’s just an adult kids drink , but there’s nothing wrong with that, really!”
Luke was babbling, and that…well, it wasn’t really normal. Still.
“I won’t get you one if you’re allergic, but if you’re just shy, I really want to insist!”
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Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2023 6:19 pm
Julian couldn’t lie and he worried that putting up much of a fuss to refuse such a kind gesture might just give the absolute wrong impression. “I’m not allergic to any of those things. I didn’t know that was a law.” Well, metaphorically speaking. He knew Luke was being metaphorical.
His face felt a little warm. Maybe it was just because it felt a little warmer inside than it had outside? No, that was such a stretch. It was still too warm to think that was a valid excuse.
“It sounds good,” he suggested, trying to reassure Luke that he didn’t mind if it was an adult or a kid’s drink. A drink was a drink! All that mattered was that it tasted good. “A small one would be nice, thank you. But you don’t have to get a small if you want something bigger, I don’t want to hold you back.”
He just didn’t want to be greedy! He didn’t have any way to repay Luke. Who had called him out on being shy. But, he was trying! It was just hard. He liked it when Luke talked, even if he was rambling. He wanted to listen to what he had to say, and he didn’t want to discourage him by being a stick in the mud.
Besides, Luke seemed so excited about it, Julian didn’t want to deny him something that seemed to make him so happy.
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Posted: Thu Oct 05, 2023 6:27 pm
Luke grinned and nodded eagerly, going up and ordering the two drinks, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited and held out the pink drink, jiggling it slightly so that the freeze dried strawberries floated around. “I really hope that you like it, it’s my favorite.” He had said that already but, now that Julian was going to get to try it, he was terribly excited.
“All right, now that we are supplied with the juice, onwards to the dorm fixers, I am pretty sure there’s a whole section here…if we’re not too late, and if we are…well…”
He wrinkled his nose and took a long sip, shrugging. “We’ll just go through the whole store instead. Nothing wrong with that. I’m really glad we’re getting to do this, it’s fun! And I’m like, not feeling as awkward as I am with my brother. He likes to tease me about some of the things I like, but he is good about letting me get it, still…” He shrugged again and started walking, glancing up at the signs on the ceiling, grinning and pointing as he saw ones that said ‘Back to School!’
“Let’s try over here!”
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2023 5:16 pm
Julian nodded as he accepted the drink carefully. He offered another soft word of thanks and seemed reluctant to sip his drink too quickly. He held it in both hands as he trailed after Luke and nodded along with what he said.
He was no trailblazer; he was content to follow along and let Luke lead the way.
“You talk about him a lot,” he noted, but it took only a second for him to convince himself that it could have come out wrong. “You two must be close,” he corrected. “I can’t imagine being so close to someone and then going off on your own, is what I mean. I hope you two still get to spend time together at school.”
He cleared his throat and only then seemed to find it in himself to sip the drink. It was a good excuse to stop talking, and–oh!
His face lit up with obvious surprise, and given how he took another sip it might have been obvious that he seemed to be enjoying it.
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2023 5:22 pm
“I mean, we are close, absolutely so. He’s my twin so like…” Luke made a face, trying to figure out how to say what he was thinking without sounding like some kind of a jerk. “I guess…we’re always just thrown together. Ever since we were little it’s been the ‘Jason and Luke’ show, and there’s never really…Jason and Luke…us as separate people, I suppose…so like…as much as I dislike the being apart from him…I’m kind of excited to see where my life gets to go…if that doesn’t sound awful. It kind of feels awful and that’s not…”
He looked back at Julian and saw the expression when he tried the drink, and Luke absolutely beamed. “I told you it was delicious! I’m so glad that you like it, Julian!”
Honestly, that was the best thing to have happened today.
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2023 7:01 pm
Julian pulled off of the straw and tucked his hair behind his ear with a bit of embarrassment. “You were right, it’s good. Thank you.”
He must have said it a dozen times already, his ears were burning.
“I don’t think–what you said earlier, I mean, I don’t think it sounds awful. I think it’s okay to want a little bit of space. And you still clearly care about him a lot. I don’t have any siblings so I don’t exactly know what it’s supposed to be like. What, um. What do you want to be, as a separate person?”
He didn’t care much about talking about himself but he was trying to carry a conversation and convince Luke that he was actually interested! Being social was just a bit difficult and he was only very slowly coming into himself now that they’d spent a bit of time together. So far this didn’t seem performative, or like it was leading up to a prank, and he really wanted to believe that Luke seemed as nice as he appeared. He liked listening to him, he just hoped Luke didn’t get tired of talking.
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2023 7:09 pm
For a moment, Luke stared blankly at Julian, surprise and some confusion on his face with the question. “Um. Wow. I…” Luke had no idea what to say in answer and he frowned slightly, trying to mull it over but feeling as though there was a wall between him and whatever answer was supposed to be given.
“...I…honestly, I’ve never thought about it or been asked that so far as I can recall and…I…I have no idea. I’ve…I’ve been a we for so long…I’m not honestly sure that I really have any plans for just…being a me.” Luke faltered and shrugged helplessly.
“Ah…what are your like…short term life goals?”
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Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2023 8:51 pm
Oh no, the topic was back to him.
He couldn’t keep sipping this drink to buy himself time and an excuse to keep quiet.
“Uhm, school, I guess. I’m sort of just doing day by day. I’m waiting for a few things to sort out. But I don’t know what I can do but wait and keep trying my best. I’m sorry, that’s probably not very helpful. I’m kind of just here.”
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2023 3:50 pm
Luke thought over the words for a moment and then just nodded, giving a slight grin. “Hey, you know, being here is better than not being here. So…I’m glad that you’re here. I hope that the things sort out well, you seem like the type of person who deserves nice things, and I hope that you get them.”
Finally looking towards the various different things suited for dorm rooms, Luke gave a soft, half laugh. “I think the best part of you being here though is that we get to be here together, so let’s make the most of it!” There was a lava lamp just sitting on the shelf, and honestly?
It kind of felt like fate.
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