57 - waxrose
This should have been continued a long time ago. I can't offer any excuses, only the reassurance that I haven't given up on this universe, and hope that I can continue writing for it - sooner rather than later.
Sometimes, you just need a little push. ♥
This takes place after Part 51.
PS: Updated the masterlist! We are exactly 1,003 words away from 70,000 words!.
The truck is still the same as Jun remembered, although the bright green paint seemed faded, hidden beneath a layer of dust and dirt. There didn't seem to be anyone in the car, but as Jun rounded the back, he saw two bare feet dangling off the open tailgate.
Jun leaned on the edge of the truck, a bit unsure of what to say. His feet had carried him over here before he could even process what he was doing; he wanted to see Shun, but he had no clear idea why.
It was definitely Shun lying on his back in the cargo hold of the truck, stretched out for a relaxed catnap. He was more tanned than Jun remembered, and his hair was darker - it has been bleached blond when Jun had met him, two years ago.
Shun's eyes blinked open lazily, and he smiled. "You're blocking the sun. Why don't you come lie down with me?"
"You shouldn't be lying in the sun," Jun said automatically. "Your brains are scrambled enough," he adds, trying to feel less lame. Shun should be surprised to see him.
Shun's smile widened. "Maybe you can help me unscramble them?"
Jun gave up. He climbed into the back of the truck, uncomfortably aware that the others could probably see him across the parking lot. "Your pick-up lines haven't improved."
"They seem to still work on you." Shun shrugged as if to say good enough. He rolled onto his side, propping his head up on one hand as Jun slipped in beside him. "You're an awfully long way away from home, Jun."
"You don't seem surprised to see me here."
"I recognized your car," Shun said. "You came with some friends?"
"Ohno," Jun said, and Shun nodded in recognition. "And Nino - you know him?"
"From awhile back," Shun said. "He's an interesting guy."
"Did you two - wee you -?"
"Yeah," Shun said. "Nothing serious, though - not like you." He poked Jun playfully in the cheek. "I've missed you."
Jun scowled, hoping that his cheeks didn't look as hot as they felt. "You're still wandering around?"
"Here and there," Shun shifted closer, and his breath puffed against Jun's face as he spoke. "What about you? Leaving home for good?"
"Just a short trip," Jun says. "With Ohno, and Nino - and Sho, a guy that Aiba met on the road."
Interest seemed to spark in Shun's eyes. "Your Aiba came home, did he?"
"He's not my Aiba," Jun said.
"You want him to be, though," Shun said mildly. "You were waiting for him, remember? Seriously, I never thought I'd have to compete for someone with a guy who wasn't even there -"
"That's the past," Jun said shortly. "I was younger."
"Yeah, you've grown." Shun's fingers brushed lightly over the curve of Jun's cheek. "Still, you haven't really changed."
Jun bit his lip against the urge to lean into Shun's touch. "Shun," he said, unsure how to begin. It was awkward, but he needed to explain. He didn't want Shun to misunderstand. "I liked you - I was waiting for him, and you were there, but -"
He had given this apology hundreds of times in his head, even though he had thought he would never see Shun again. If Aiba hadn't called home that week - if Jun hadn't heard him laugh about meeting strangers, learning to love and find his way around people that Jun would never know or meet, strangely blank canvasses that Jun could only paint with his jealousy.
Maybe then he could have said 'no to Shun. He could have kept waiting.
"Jun," Shun's voice was gentle and patient, but not condescending. "I knew what I was going into. You have nothing to be sorry for. Feelings aren't finite - it's possible to love more than one person. It's possible to love people differently."
"But it's possible to love someone most," Jun said.
"Like you love him." Shun tucked Jun's hair behind his ear. "Jun, you know that I wasn't proposing marriage. I just wanted to show you that loving someone else didn't mean you stopped loving another person. You can't turn it on and off so easily. It's the same for him." It took Jun a second to realize that Shun was talking about Aiba.
"I know that," Jun said.
"But do you really believe it?" Shun asked.
"There might be a time when he doesn't come home," Jun said. "It will be okay, if that time comes."
Shun sighed. "You really haven't changed." He rolled away from Jun, sitting up. "I'd better get back on the road. I need to make it to Eureka County by the weekend."
"You're not staying the night?"
Shun shook his head. "I remember when I was the one asking you that question. God, Jun - it was good to see you. Tell Nino I said goodbye." He climbs out of the back of the truck, heaving for the cab.
"If you ever come back to the town-" Jun said uncertainly, following Shun.
"I don't think so." Shun caught him off guard, but the kiss was as chaste as it was quick. Jun found himself gripping Shun's arm as they broke apart.
Shun grinned, taking off his ball cap and stuffing it on Jun's head. "Stay out of the sun - wouldn't want to scramble your brains."
"They'd still be more functional than yours," Jun said.
Shun's truck left a cloud of dust in it's wake, thick and white from the gravel of the parking lot. Jun rubbed at his stinging eyes, and watched the green truck rumble out of sight. He could go find the others when his eyes stopped watering from all the dust.
Sometimes, you just need a little push. ♥
This takes place after Part 51.
PS: Updated the masterlist! We are exactly 1,003 words away from 70,000 words!.
The truck is still the same as Jun remembered, although the bright green paint seemed faded, hidden beneath a layer of dust and dirt. There didn't seem to be anyone in the car, but as Jun rounded the back, he saw two bare feet dangling off the open tailgate.
Jun leaned on the edge of the truck, a bit unsure of what to say. His feet had carried him over here before he could even process what he was doing; he wanted to see Shun, but he had no clear idea why.
It was definitely Shun lying on his back in the cargo hold of the truck, stretched out for a relaxed catnap. He was more tanned than Jun remembered, and his hair was darker - it has been bleached blond when Jun had met him, two years ago.
Shun's eyes blinked open lazily, and he smiled. "You're blocking the sun. Why don't you come lie down with me?"
"You shouldn't be lying in the sun," Jun said automatically. "Your brains are scrambled enough," he adds, trying to feel less lame. Shun should be surprised to see him.
Shun's smile widened. "Maybe you can help me unscramble them?"
Jun gave up. He climbed into the back of the truck, uncomfortably aware that the others could probably see him across the parking lot. "Your pick-up lines haven't improved."
"They seem to still work on you." Shun shrugged as if to say good enough. He rolled onto his side, propping his head up on one hand as Jun slipped in beside him. "You're an awfully long way away from home, Jun."
"You don't seem surprised to see me here."
"I recognized your car," Shun said. "You came with some friends?"
"Ohno," Jun said, and Shun nodded in recognition. "And Nino - you know him?"
"From awhile back," Shun said. "He's an interesting guy."
"Did you two - wee you -?"
"Yeah," Shun said. "Nothing serious, though - not like you." He poked Jun playfully in the cheek. "I've missed you."
Jun scowled, hoping that his cheeks didn't look as hot as they felt. "You're still wandering around?"
"Here and there," Shun shifted closer, and his breath puffed against Jun's face as he spoke. "What about you? Leaving home for good?"
"Just a short trip," Jun says. "With Ohno, and Nino - and Sho, a guy that Aiba met on the road."
Interest seemed to spark in Shun's eyes. "Your Aiba came home, did he?"
"He's not my Aiba," Jun said.
"You want him to be, though," Shun said mildly. "You were waiting for him, remember? Seriously, I never thought I'd have to compete for someone with a guy who wasn't even there -"
"That's the past," Jun said shortly. "I was younger."
"Yeah, you've grown." Shun's fingers brushed lightly over the curve of Jun's cheek. "Still, you haven't really changed."
Jun bit his lip against the urge to lean into Shun's touch. "Shun," he said, unsure how to begin. It was awkward, but he needed to explain. He didn't want Shun to misunderstand. "I liked you - I was waiting for him, and you were there, but -"
He had given this apology hundreds of times in his head, even though he had thought he would never see Shun again. If Aiba hadn't called home that week - if Jun hadn't heard him laugh about meeting strangers, learning to love and find his way around people that Jun would never know or meet, strangely blank canvasses that Jun could only paint with his jealousy.
Maybe then he could have said 'no to Shun. He could have kept waiting.
"Jun," Shun's voice was gentle and patient, but not condescending. "I knew what I was going into. You have nothing to be sorry for. Feelings aren't finite - it's possible to love more than one person. It's possible to love people differently."
"But it's possible to love someone most," Jun said.
"Like you love him." Shun tucked Jun's hair behind his ear. "Jun, you know that I wasn't proposing marriage. I just wanted to show you that loving someone else didn't mean you stopped loving another person. You can't turn it on and off so easily. It's the same for him." It took Jun a second to realize that Shun was talking about Aiba.
"I know that," Jun said.
"But do you really believe it?" Shun asked.
"There might be a time when he doesn't come home," Jun said. "It will be okay, if that time comes."
Shun sighed. "You really haven't changed." He rolled away from Jun, sitting up. "I'd better get back on the road. I need to make it to Eureka County by the weekend."
"You're not staying the night?"
Shun shook his head. "I remember when I was the one asking you that question. God, Jun - it was good to see you. Tell Nino I said goodbye." He climbs out of the back of the truck, heaving for the cab.
"If you ever come back to the town-" Jun said uncertainly, following Shun.
"I don't think so." Shun caught him off guard, but the kiss was as chaste as it was quick. Jun found himself gripping Shun's arm as they broke apart.
Shun grinned, taking off his ball cap and stuffing it on Jun's head. "Stay out of the sun - wouldn't want to scramble your brains."
"They'd still be more functional than yours," Jun said.
Shun's truck left a cloud of dust in it's wake, thick and white from the gravel of the parking lot. Jun rubbed at his stinging eyes, and watched the green truck rumble out of sight. He could go find the others when his eyes stopped watering from all the dust.