Pairing: Julian/Clark, Juliark. I have several other stories in progress, but I couldn't seem to make them move forward until I got this out of my head. My Juliark-shipping began when I was blown away by Shan at Warblerland's fabulous Juliark-trilogy. Go ahead and read it if you haven't already. It is beautifully written.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to the amazing CP Coulter, and are part of her incredible story "Dalton". I thank her for letting us all play with them. The song is "Stolen Hearts" by Dashboard Confessional, and the version that inspired this was by Boyce Avenue.

I was hoping that this would turn out a bit more emotional, but this is how it went. I hope all Juliark shippers will enjoy. I might make a sequel if anyone's interested.

AN: I credit Clark's nickname for Julian (J) to "CP Coulter Writes My Canon" (go read her stories - awesome), as I first saw it at her tumblr, "forgivemeannabelle" and found it adorable. I hope you don't mind, annabelle, but let me know if you do.


We watch the season pull up its own stakes

And catch the last weekend of the last week

Before the gold and the glimmer have been replaced.

Another sun soaked season fades away

The music flowed easily from the grand piano where Clark Saywer let his slender fingers move over the keys. The pop star/actor had walked around in the large mansion looking for one of his cast mates when he had spotted the shiny black instrument in the middle of the spacious and tastily decorated music room. His mission immediately forgotten, Clark found himself moving towards the piano. The tall blonde had a lot on his mind this evening, and was hoping that music would help him sort through his feelings.

"Something Damaged" had wrapped shooting the upcoming season today, and this was the last weekend the cast and crew were all spending together for a while, as they were moving on to do other projects. Clark would be working with his band on a new album, while a few of the other actors had upcoming movie shoots. Julian was going back to Dalton. He was the only one of them that replaced the gold and glimmer with a somewhat normal life. Although from what Clark knew about the students at Dalton, it was far from normal.

Clark was jealous. He was jealous of Julian for leading that semi-normal high school life. But more than that he was jealous of the other students at Dalton, his own step brother included, who got to spend time with the brunette actor.

Clark was going to miss Julian. He always did. Whenever Julian went back to Dalton, Clark felt as if the sun faded away. He wouldn't be able to play video games with him in his trailer in between shooting scenes. He wouldn't sit next to him during lunch break. He wouldn't party with him. They wouldn't share their thoughts over morning coffee (Julian stayed at Clark's house when they were shooting the show). Most of all; he wouldn't see Julian's beautiful smile every day.

You have stolen my heart.

You have stolen my heart.

Clark wasn't sure how long he had felt like this about Julian. They had been friends from the first day on the set. Over time that friendship had developed into a really strong one. They were the closest among the cast and could talk about anything. Clark told Julian about how he missed going to high school and leading a normal life, and how he considered taking some classes so he could go to college. Julian told Clark, after a break down his friend wasn't supposed to witness, about Logan.

They brought their closeness to the screen, and critics had made a point of the fact that they had astonishing friendship chemistry. They were often requested to do interviews together, and to represent the show even though they weren't the main characters. Somewhere along the course of this, Clark realized that what he felt for Julian went beyond simple friendship.

Invitation only, grand farewells

Crash the best one, of the best ones

Clear liquor and cloudy eyed, too early to say goodnight

Lately the two actors had walked together down the red carpets at premieres and award shows. The ones they couldn't get out of that was. If they could choose, they would rather stay at home chilling. But their agents demanded that they went out from time to time, and then they would always attend these things together without dates. Julian because he could do without the hassle of someone always demanding his attention, and because the threats from his crazy fan seemed to worsen whenever he was seen with a date. Clark because he simply didn't want anyone else at his side, though he would never tell anyone that.

However much they enjoyed staying in, the two friends always had a blast whenever they went out. They could choose between the best parties in tinsel town, and if they happened to not be invited to one, they'd just crash it. No guards would ever dare say no to them.

While Julian tended to drink a lot at these parties, Clark made it a point to stay more or less sober. He was called the last saint in Hollywood, and it wasn't an act. He saw it as his duty to take care of Julian, and to make sure he didn't do anything stupid, like hooking up with whoever blonde boy or girl he met at those parties. It had crossed Clark's mind that he himself was blonde, and that he probably could have easily ended up in Julian's bed. But "Saint" Clark always kicked in and reasoned that it wouldn't be real. So he stayed sober and brought his friend safely home night after night.

You have stolen my heart

Julian was wandering around the vast mansion of their director looking for Clark, when he heard the soft tones of a piano playing and a voice singing. He felt himself being pulled towards the room the music drifted from. The door was slightly ajar and Julian stopped at the threshold when he saw the back of a blonde head. He knew he had found the very person he had been looking for. Clark Sawyer really was the embodiment of a pop star cliché; tall, blonde, insanely handsome and radiating talent. But the single most extraordinary thing when it came to Clark was his personality. He was compassionate, kind and caring. He was beautiful on the inside and on the outside, and Julian felt honored that this saint wanted to be his friend.

Julian Larson led a double life of sorts. He had his glamorous, though crammed with work, life in Hollywood, and then he had his safe haven at Dalton. Whenever the gold and glimmer became too much, he would run off back to school. He considered Derek and Logan his best friends at Dalton, and Clark his best friend in Hollywood. But if he had to choose one best friend it would be Clark, hands down.

Their friendship had grown into something so strong that one knew the other better than he himself did. They were teased mercilessly on set for acting like an old married couple, finishing each other's sentences and always knowing the other's need. When Julian had had a break down in his trailer a few weeks back over his unrequited love for Logan, Julian had been mortified when Clark had walked in. But his friend hadn't asked questions, just sat there comforting him. When Julian hadn't been able to hold it in longer, and the whole three year long history came bursting out, he didn't think he would ever live it down. But Clark just continued comforting him. That's when Julian realized that Clark was a force to be reckoned with. He was the rock Julian knew he needed in his life.

You have stolen my heart

Clark's soft, wonderful voice brought Julian back from his thoughts. He didn't think he had ever heard the pop star put that much emotion into his singing, and he wondered who had stolen his friend's heart. As far as he knew Clark hadn't been on a date for ages, though he didn't lack offers. Between the two of them they could probably have lined up their fan girls and made a string from coast to coast.

Settling in to listen to Clark's beautiful song, Julian leant his head on the door frame, accidentally making the door creak. Clark stopped playing and turned around.

"J"

"Clark, that was amazing. Mind telling me who you where singing about?"

"I'm not really ready to tell anyone yet. But I assure you, if I ever am, you'd be the first to know."

"Okay," Julian decided not to push it. "I was looking for you. They're about to make a toast down in the ballroom."

Clark rose from the piano. Julian let his eyes subtly travel up Clark's toned body. He had shucked his jacket, and the sleeves of his crisp white button down were rolled up to just beneath the elbows, showing off lean tanned forearms. When Julian's gaze reached the blue depths of Clark's eyes, he was met with an intense expression. For a second the noises coming from the party going on downstairs faded away and all that mattered were the two of them, both of them trying to read the other's mind.

"Hey guys, hurry up." The voice of one of their cast mates brought them out of the reverie, and they found their way to the ballroom still in a slight daze.

And from the ballroom floor we are in celebration

One good stretch before our hibernation

Our dreams assured and we all, will sleep well

It was early morning when they left the ballroom to return home. As per usual Clark had to support Julian all the way up to his bedroom. Normally the task wasn't too tricky, but this particular morning Julian was especially clingy and clumsy. Eventually Clark managed to drop him at his bed fairly gracefully. The sun had already started to fight its way through the heavy, dark blue drapes in the room, and Clark moved over to close them. When he turned back around he saw Julian stretching lazily. One ray of sun had managed to get through the carefully arranged fabric, and grazed Julian's abs in a way that made Clark's breath hitch. Oh, how he longed to let his hands roam that luscious body. As he made his way back over to the bed to finish the task he now considered a routine, the brunette let out a loud snore. Clark chuckled while he went on to take off Julian's shoes and tuck a blanket around him. Usually he took off his clothes as well, but he didn't trust himself to keep his distance today.

Will sleep well

Sleep well

Will sleep well

Clark gave the sleeping form in the bed one last lingering look before making his way out. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Julian shuffling.

"Clark?" Julian's sleepy, sexy voice did nothing to keep the butterflies inside Clark at bay, and he turned around, carefully masking his expression in case Julian was more conscious than he thought.

"Yeah…"

"Thank you. Just… thank you."

"For what?"

"For always taking care of me. For always making sure I don't do anything stupid. For always being the most amazingly kind person I know. You know I wouldn't survive without you, right?"

"Hey, that's what friends are for."

"It's just… I know you think I am wasted senseless right now, and hell, I probably am, I just need you to know that you are my rock. You are the sunshine of my life…," when Julian began singing Stevie Wonder's classic dreadfully off key, Clark snorted.

"Okay you, I hear you. Just go to sleep now."

"G'night Clark. Love you."

"Love you too, J." Clark's heart ached.

You have stolen my

You have stolen my

You have stolen my heart

Sleep didn't come easily to Clark that morning. He was going to miss Julian. He always did.

A good ten hours later both boys sat at the counter sipping scalding hot newly brewed coffee. Julian's hang over wasn't too bad. Let's just say he'd had a lot of practice dealing with them, and had found a recipe that made him recover rather quickly. The two friends shared their thoughts about the weeks and months ahead.

A little while later they made their way out to Clark's car. It was perfect California weather; the sun warming and a light breeze. Julian stretched his arms out and spun around like a five year old. Clark smiled softly at his friend's happy manner. He was going back to Dalton.

I watch you spin around… spin around…

You are the best one, of the best ones.

We all look like we feel.

Clark was going to miss Julian. He always did. He was the best friend he had ever had. If Julian hadn't been so blinded by his own happiness he might have noticed Clark's sad expression as they drove off to the airport.

You have stolen my

You have stolen my

You have stolen my heart

Whenever Julian went back to Dalton, Clark felt as if the sun faded away.


AN: So, I know the bedroom scene and the taking care of a drunk Julian has been done before. I've had no intention of stealing anyone's ideas. I guess those scenes are the ones that immediately pop up whenever this ship is written. I hope I managed to make them my own. I also had to change the spin around-line to fit being about a boy.