The Great Bahamas Getaway presents: Everybody Deserves a Second chance, Except for Austin
Rating: T but may approach M. I blame Amanda.
Pairings: Justin/Randy, past Justin/Austin
Background pairings: Cliff/Marc, Betty/Daniel, and Amanda/Tyler
Author's Note: Heather and I have teamed up for another story in this fabulous universe.
Summary: Thanks to a spectacular breakup with Austin, Justin has decided that he's just not cut out for relationships. Justin does well avoiding all things relationship related until September Fashion Week 2013 and his pseudo-niece and godson bring him face-to-face with the ghost of crushes past, a.k.a. Randy. Now it's up to Daniel and Marc along with their respective spouses to convince Justin to give love a second chance.
For those of you reading this story on or A3O this story is based in the same universe as the Great Bahamas Getaway by dnbmeade. The story is only available at the members only LiveJournal Community: betty_daniel. However, if you want to read this story and many others, please join the community. I believe the story can stand alone with minimal confusion which is why I'm posting to other places.
You can follow this story with the following items of information: this story takes place in a Ugly Betty Universe where everything goes AU during the episode the Bahamas triangle. In this universe, Betty and Daniel got together in the Bahamas, which resulted in her getting pregnant. However, neither had any clue that he got her pregnant until their beautiful daughter, Ariel was born due to vast quantities of alcohol. A year later, they had another son together named Eric. They are now happily married, raising their two children together in New York.
Also in the Bahamas, due to the lethal combination of alcohol and broken hearts, a Kinsey five Marc had sex with Amanda, resulting in the conception of their son, Zachary without in vitro. Amanda is now married to Tyler, and in this story you will find out how Marc convinced Cliff to give him a second chance.
Disclaimer: if I owned Ugly Betty Daniel and Betty would have ended up together and Marc would have gotten to at least kiss Cliff once on screen. Obviously, I don't own anything. Not even all the original characters are completely mine in this story.
Part One: Broken Gingerbread People
December 24, 2012
"Justin, it is Christmas Eve. Please come out. You promised Ariel and baby Christina that you would help her design the outfits for the gingerbread people that they were planning to leave for Santa. Your cousin and sister need you." His aunt pleaded through the locked door of her and Daniel's guest bedroom.
Christmas has always been of very big deal in the Suarez house, and it usually lasted from Black Friday to the day after Christmas sales. It was even crazier at the Suarez-Meade house, especially with the cousins and siblings that feel more like his nieces and nephews. Ariel was just getting to the age where she could participate in some of the Christmas traditions like designing your own ornament.
His aunt was probably mad that he was ditching a very happy, Betty and Daniel Christmas, but Justin was not in the mood for low-fat eggnog. Although, some rum would be nice, especially if he had to see one more happy couple making out under the mistletoe. Amanda and her husband Tyler were just as inappropriate as ever, and Justin is pretty sure he heard them having sex in the bathroom next door.
Even his 2 ½-year-old niece kissed her BFF Zach. Then add in the fact that today was Marc and Cliff's second wedding anniversary, and it was enough to make him throw up. Happy couples and love, in general, made him sick.
He has been locked in the guest bedroom since three hours earlier after having his heart shattered in 1 billion little pieces by the bastard. Everything fell apart when he and his baby cousin Eric were forced to go to Target for last-minute Christmas decorations, stocking stuffers, and things for the anniversary party. Despite being forced to go to a Target, everything was going good until he saw his ex-boyfriend of 38 hours making out with some skanky cheerleader wannabe dressed in an outfit that would make Nikki Minaj blush.
If Eric wasn't with him, he would have punched the guy out. Instead, Justin left the store without even bothering to purchase anything and locked himself into his aunt's guestroom. For the last three hours, various family members have been unsuccessfully trying to coax him out of the room.
When Austin broke up with him two days earlier, it had allegedly been because their long distance relationship just was not working anymore. He accepted it. Austin was at Ohio University because out-of-state tuition in Ohio was cheaper than in-state tuition in New York and his stepfather refused to pay for college if Austin was only going to major in the performing arts.
Justin was now the assistant of the new Creative Director of Mode, Marc St. James-St. Paul and taking online classes. (Marc took over for Wilhelmina in June after she took over MODE Australia, just so she could be closer to her husband Connor, who was deported to the country after his prison time was over.) Justin still went on the occasional audition, but it was becoming more likely that his future was going to be in the fashion industry, not Broadway.
Justin was sad when Austin suggested the breakup, but he realized that Austin was right. They couldn't keep going the way they were. Justin loved his job in New York and didn't feel like giving it up just to go to the same school as his boyfriend, even if his uncle Daniel would pay for him to go to any school in the country. Maybe, Justin should have realized something was really wrong, by the simple fact that Austin just expected Justin to give everything up to follow him to Ohio.
Then again, maybe the fact that Justin didn't want to compromise was a sign that; maybe, things were not meant to last forever. Even Wilhelmina Slater gave up being EIC of Mode NYC, just so she could be with Connor. Also, Uncle Daniel considered moving to London when Aunt Betty was offered her dream job at a magazine there.
Of course, her aunt turned down the job because she felt it was wrong to force Daniel to relocate to another country. Aunt Betty is now the managing editor of Parenting World.
Okay, Daniel was not happy that his wife now worked for the enemy at Isabella Press all the way in Newark New Jersey, but it was still a lot closer than London.
So, he should've known that the long-distance relationship thing is just an excuse and Austin was ending things from out of nowhere for some other reason. The signs were there such as Austin was calling and texting him, less and less as the semester went on. Sometimes, the only things he knew about his boyfriend came from his Facebook page. Yet, Justin still did not see this breakup coming. He definitely did not see the blonde sucking on Austin's tongue coming either. After that particular revelation, he couldn't exactly pretend that he was perfectly okay with losing his boyfriend because it wasn't okay. He was nowhere near okay.
Because of that, Justin didn't feel like making happy gingerbread people with Ariel and Christina or watching Marc and Cliff being sickeningly sweet on their two-year anniversary. There was just no way he was leaving this room until the day after Christmas sale started, and even then, he wasn't sure if 80% off designer clothing and the giant gift card that Daniel always gave him for Christmas was going to motivate him to leave.
"Not right now Aunt Betty. Marc can do it. He is the creative director of a fashion magazine. I realize that this is his wedding anniversary, but I'm sure he can break away from molesting Cliff for a few minutes." Justin said sarcastically.
He adores Marc. The man is Justin's best friend, as well as his boss, despite the fact there is a larger age difference between the two of them, then between Justin and his aunt. He's glad that Marc got his happy ending two years ago at a beautiful wedding at the Smithsonian Castle (The couple had to get married in DC because same-sex marriage wasn't recognized in New York for another seven miserable months. Wilhelmina made it the cover for the wedding issue that year.) He was even the best person at Marc's wedding because Amanda gave Marc away instead.
"I know you're upset about Austin…" his aunt started.
"Of course, I'm upset about Austin. We've been together longer than Ariel has been alive. He was my first everything and then not only does he dump me, but he lies about the reason. He should've told me the truth. It's obvious that he fell in love with somebody else or at the very least, decided that he preferred breasts again because nobody moves on that fast. Cheating bastard," Justin cursed under breath. Maybe the fact that Austin left him for a girl just made everything a little bit worse.
"I don't know, it is possible that Austin just met someone and he did not cheat on you." His aunt said trying to be her normal optimistic self. "Remember everything that happened in the Bahamas three years ago? Your mom went there with Daniel and left with your wonderful future stepfather. Matt went there with Amanda, and he left with Savannah and Amanda was pregnant with Zachary Tannen-Sommers-Cannon St. James."
Justin couldn't help rolling his eyes when she mentioned that exercise in relationship swapping. She also forgot to mention that she and Daniel left together. No one bought Daniel's lie that Betty was just his gestational carrier and that was before baby Ariel came out with Daniel's eyes, but Aunt Betty's eyesight. Ariel was not even three yet and was already sporting Dora the Explorer glasses.
"You're not helping Aunt Betty. Those are really bad examples. Savannah asked Matt for a divorce last month in the middle of the Cal Hartley Charity Thanksgiving extravaganza because she got tired of him changing careers every six weeks." That dinner was a disaster. Justin was only there because he had babysitting duty. His job was to bring Zach down when Cal wanted to show his grandson off, but keep the toddler occupied at all other times.
"We are not supposed to mention the Matt getting a divorce thing," His aunt said in a conspiratorial whisper.
"He's not even here, although if he was, he would understand why I just want to be alone right now. Look, I just can't do a family Christmas/Happy Anniversary party right now. You don't understand. You're happily married to a man who adores you." Justin practically yelled at his aunt. She's been happy with Daniel for the last 2 ½ years, there's no way she can understand how horrible he feels right now.
"I know you were only 12 at the time, but the first guy that I thought I love cheated on me with our next-door neighbor. I've been there. I think I ate an entire tray of brownies." His aunt said trying to be sympathetic, but it just wasn't the same thing.
"The bastard did you a favor. You were always too good for him. Also remember that was the same week that you met Daniel, it just took you three years and a lot of alcohol to realize that you belong with him. Maybe, some people are meant for love, but I'm not," Justin told her sadly.
"Justin just because Austin did not see how good of a person you are doesn't mean that you don't deserve love. You're 18. You have your entire life in front of you. I didn't even have my first boyfriend by that age. Your mom was in her mid-30s before she found Bobby. Just give it time," his aunt said through the door.
"They also met when they were 15, it just took them nearly 20 years to get it together," Justin said sarcastically.
"I give up." Justin is positive his aunt is literally throwing her hands up. "I'll send Daniel up later with a cookie just for you."
With that his aunt left him to his misery. If he was at his own apartment, he would be literally ripping up every single hardcopy picture he had of Austin. Instead, he was occupying himself by removing his ex-boyfriend from his Facebook page. It seemed like every single picture on there was one of him with Austin, unless it was a picture that Justin took with a celebrity.
An hour later, his Facebook page was Austin free (mostly) when he heard a knock at the door.
"Aunt Betty, I'm not leaving here to make designer gingerbread people. I also don't feel like hearing the story of how Marc convinced Cliff to give him a second chance." This was not the day to hear that story because Justin is sure he will never be that kind to Austin. "Just let me be alone until the after Christmas sales start."
"I actually love that story, but I told Marc to never include that again in his anniversary toast." Justin heard Cliff, Marc's husband of exactly 2 years, say through the door.
"I'm not your Aunt Betty, but I did bring cookies, the low-fat type. I also brought the entire second season of American Horror Story on iPad. Zachary Quinto can make anyone feel better." Justin could not believe Cliff was bribing him with low guilt cookies and Zachary Quinto. Okay, that last part is possible because Cliff loves the entire horror genre, especially when it is executed properly although he doubts that the particular choice was pure coincidence. Justin is pretty sure that Marc told his husband about his little tiny Zachary Quinto crush, much to his annoyance. He adored Cliff, but they weren't exactly best friends. He was just his friend's husband and therefore, he was shocked that Cliff was the one trying to talk him out of the bedroom. Obviously, Cliff got the short straw.
"I think the picture I took at Fashion Week with Zachary Quinto is the only thing left on my Facebook page that doesn't have family in it. Seriously, how did I get so many pictures of Austin on my Facebook page? The idiot was like in every picture." He couldn't exactly get rid of pictures like the one of him and Austin holding baby Eric for the first time, but everything else was gone.
"I see you decided to remove him from your Facebook account first. I can airbrush Austin out of all the family pictures. If you want I can actually replace him with any cute celebrity of your choice." That actually made Justin laughed just a little.
"That's okay, maybe you can just blur his face. Did Marc make you come up here?"
"It was either this or washing green frosting out of Zack's hair." That statement caused more laughter from Justin.
"If I unlocked the door, do you promise not to tell me stories about how you survived Marc cheating on you, only to fall madly back in love with him?" Justin said as he walked towards the door.
"I promise. You're not ready to hear that story yet. Also, I don't think it applies to the situation. Marc knew that he fucked up, and by the time we reconnected he was genuinely sorry and not the same person anymore," Cliff told him.
"He was scared," Justin said in Marc's defense. "I don't know if you realize this, but Marc is a little relationship-o-phobic. Also, by the time you guys reconnected, you could actually shop in the regular section."
"I don't think it matters much to Marc, except for the fact, that he can buy me nicer clothes now. After burning or deleting every picture I ever took of Marc and sending that ridiculous girdle that he got me back to him, I decided that I needed to do something to help me get over it. Boxing was therapeutic, but you're not ready for that yet." At this point, Justin was not sure he would ever be ready to let go.
"You're still in the movie marathon and junk food stage of the seven stages of break ups. I volunteered to help you through this because I'm not touching the small children covered in frosting."
"I don't blame you. Okay, bring on the Zachary Quinto goodness." Justin said unlocking the door.
To Be Continued.
Let me know if you want more.