AN: Okay, here's what it is. I've read like all the screenplays for season one and a lot of season two. I'm poor and can't afford showtime so, I'm SOL on seeing it. Takepon is responsible for this… It's all his fault for reading over my shoulder! Anyway, please review! And Thanks!
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Yep, here I am… sitting at the bar with my best friend in the world as he tells me his woes of not finding any ass. I laugh at him and he tells me my tongue makes it obvious I'm a Honeycutt. I merely smirk and tell him to fuck off.
"Come on Dez. Lighten up babe!" Gus tells me as he squeezes my shoulder. There are guys EVERYWHERE! How in the name of Artemis did he drag me the hell in here with him? Oh wait I remember, he's helping me fool the folks over for a while. Homophobes, why was I born to homophobes? Well, to tell the truth I didn't stay long either really. My 'folks' are the fosters I ended up with. Damnitall! I left two days before mum got Uncle's letter. So I was stuck in the Pitts without a friend in the world till I stopped some guys from getting at a boy 'bout my age. Me and Gussy started there. I'm switchin' fosters soon though, thank the gods. They were homophobes too. Right you think that me being in a gay bar makes me some guy? All girl, baby and ready to take on any that come my way too. Oh yeah…. I'm about five seven or so. I got brown-blonde hair with pale gray-blue eyes. I got a really small nose; it really does look like a freaking button too. Some say my mouth is small, but other's say it's bigger than the Grand Canyon. Gus and Seth say I don't look half-bad. Fairly hot actually. Anyway! After a few years, Uncle said the Babylon wasn't quite the same as it was when he started going. It was more open to all types of gays you could say, though lesbians like myself are very rare still.
"DEZI!!" Gus speaks in my ear loudly.
"Yeah, wha?" I snap back at him.
"Some older couple jus' walked in! Lookit!" he says. I do turn to look. As a general rule, older guys don't come often. Gus, though, has to point them out and usually gets all starry eyed when they dance all close and seemingly have only eyes for each other. Gus, might I just tell you now, has TERRIBLE 'club sight' as I call it. This means stick him in a club and his vision just ain't right, at least if he got in a few puffs which he almost always manages to get in before I knock him a good hit to the head and drag him to our look-out spot by the bar.
"Holy SHIT Gussy!"
"Wha? Who is it?"
"Lemme go check it out, all right?" I ask him. He nods. I just hope Seth gets here soon. Seth has sense to only do shit he gets from people he knows and keeps Gus out of some of the troubles that a certain man I know is said to of had. Okay on a tangent, now off the tangent. I am now cleanly following this couple and I see the younger man's face. Yup. That has got to be him! I got Seth and Gussy to hack in an' get some info on my next victim, I mean guardian and that is him! That's Justin Taylor!! I mean SHIT! That's gonna be my new guardian. Oh wait glimpsing dance partner…… I have one fucking major face-vault here kiddies. I mean in all my seventeen years, I have never been this shocked. No way in hell I tellin' Gussy that! We all knew his dad was a Queer, and damn proud about it too thank you!, but no way in hell… I better get back to Gussy and tell him it's a bust…just a bust Desiree Honeycutt.. JUST A BUST!!
***
There it is, the house I'm gonna stay in now. I like it so far. Neighborhood gets marks since its near Gussy's mums' house. Though by the looks, this Justin either just moved in here or he's gonna tell me to not settle in cause we're moving. And there is Gussy waving at me from his window as his mothers are outside. I give him the finger quickly and discretely. My GOD! Can his mothers, yes it is meant to be plural!, not notice their kid is as queer as they are? They still think he's freaking straight and me hanging with him damn near 24/7/365 ain't helping none. Though if he gets it out to his Dad, the two of us could have a laugh. The lady notices my hesitation and takes it as I'm scarred. Gus mocks shooting her with his hands. God Gus quit playing around! FUCKING DO IT ALREADY! Here comes Mister Justin Taylor… He reminds me of someone, not just because of Babylon recently though…..
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"Hello, Mister Taylor!"
"Hello," Justin's response was short, yet polite to the woman from the offices. He turned to the girl who looked like she wanted to be elsewhere. Her file said she'd been a runaway. That is until they tried to return her to her parents, they'd refused. Her Uncle who she ran away to be with was unreachable. He had a feeling that he wasn't and just that she didn't want to go wherever he was now. "Hello, Desiree."
**
"Dez." I say it quietly yet sharply. I really don't like to be called by my full name. My real parents never called me anything BUT Desiree… I don't like thinking about them much anymore.
"Now, shape up!" the woman hissed at me for the millionth time and I scowled. Duh, I mean what else would I do snap back at her and have another person turn me away at the beginning. Justin smirked. I think this might work, MIGHT! Okay so I'm still looking for family. With Gus and Seth nearby mind you. Ain't leaving them. Brothers they are to me ya'know.
"Hello, Dez. So, are you going to scowl or come in?"
"In I guess…" I say hefting up a gym bag and grabbing another bag before Justin's hand grabs it. My stuff, I just don't trust you yet. Nothing personal really. One family went through ALL my stuff and threw out some of it… I set fire to the garage. So I'm drastic. It pissed me off. I'd shrug at you, I don't feel like it.
"Well… Thank you for bringing her!" he said and placed a hand on my shoulder directing me in the house as the woman sputtered. Okay this guy now has three points…let's see him get ten before tomorrow and I'll be good for a month. "Care to tell me about yourself?"
"Not much to tell…" I say truthfully setting down my bags and looking at the pictures and sketches and such around on the walls and the tables. "You drew them?" I asked looking awed. These are so too cool for words…
"Yes, I did. You have any talents?" Four points baby!
"Music I guess… I'm real good at sports though…" I'm responding absently as I come across a photograph and recognized the three men. Justin, obviously younger; and well, my uncles: Emmett and Ted. I now know the Gods were planing to torture me as I continued a look around.
"Umm I didn't know much about you so all bedrooms other than mine are well bare. Thought I'd let you pick one and then we could work on decorating it." I turned to face him.
"You ain't done this before, huh?" So I'm giving you some weird eyeing. Fuck off if you don't like it. He shook his head. "You, you're not gonna make me try and be a certain way or anything? Tell me not to hang with my friends cause of what they look like or how they act? Not gonna tell me to be a lady and stop trying to get on the football team? Are you sure you shoulda taken my case and not some goody kid?"
"Slow down there! My parents wanted me to be something I wasn't when I was about your age. That's when I moved out, I ran away to New York once too… That is irrelevant. You seemed to be a case that no one could crack-"
"You like a challenge?" Justin nodded with a small smile. "They took to calling my guardians victims…. You sure? You can trade me in ya'know."
"No. Now, about your room… this way you can settle in a bit. Upstairs, downstairs, or basement? I'd ask garage, but it's not in living conditions yet."
"You got the room with the round in it?" A headshake. "Lemme at it!"
***
Dinner was, different. He took me out to a casual yet classy place. I had to admit I kinda liked this guy. Seeing him at Babylon gave him bonus cookies. I did dress appropriately. See I'm there in the cargo shorts and FCUK T-shirt. A present from my loveable Gussy. We talked a bit and I found out a lot about him, minus the fact he goes to the Babylon. I have to find a way to bring it up! But I feel that he's not gonna be upset with me for being me. He seems to want to know more about the music stuff. When we got home, man its home al-fucking-ready? Guess who came running down acting all surprised to see me? Gus! My main man. God I love this guy like a brother. He gave me a hug and I got Justin to let me 'catch up' with him for a few minutes.
"Spill."
"It might work… Football Saturday?" I asked. I felt as if I could talk more then. Now, Justin could come out any sec.
"Umm about that…." Wait. Football Saturdays. That's the way it's always been. Football Saturdays, Basketball after school in the fall, soccer in spring, and well other stuff at other times. He never skips out on an FS. NEVER!
"You're skipping out on me?!" I asked. He looks like I'm gonna kill him or something. We both know I'd take him down. Never gonna though. Never. This is my little brother here people. He saved me from certain death… LONG STORY!
"Not that I want to Dezi!" And I swear anyone who not be Emmett, Gus, or Seth say that-
DIE!!
"I'm waiting, babe!"
"Okay it's Dad. Dad's picking me up at four tomorrow and taking me to his place. A friend is coming and bringing a teen with him about my age and Dad was all like I'd get along with them and stuff and well…"
"As long as you ain't blowing me off bro…" Gus smiled brightly when I said it and he hugged me. Now tell me, you know how the guy and girl will be talking and the girl will just up and hug him and he's all what do I do right? Me and Gus are that only I'm in the guy seat half the time.
"Look, if I had a choice I'd be here when you run out Saturday morning so you can hop on the bars of my bike! And we'd head out like we always do!"
"And have me out throw you as usual…"
"Precisely… HEY!" he slugs my arm playfully and I laugh. I see Justin out of the corner of my eye watching me with a small smile from the living room window.
"Look… I guess you can't be here so, yeah… See ya at school then I guess?"
"Yeah… tomorrow at school…. You tell Seth?"
"Nah, he's yours to fill in this time… I've gotta, well… Figure this one out some more…."
"Did he make ten?"
"Yeah… He made ten.." Gus' eyes are so big at the moment. I laugh again and run up the steps and call night to him as he takes off down the street to his house a mom, Melanie?, out front looking pissy. What else is fucking new?
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Dad… This is so weird. He says his old friend Justin is coming over with the kid he's watching. I'm hearing Justin everywhere now… I'm lying in the hammock around back of the house he lives in and just getting into my music when I hear my dad yelling at me. Heh, I'm asleep Dad go the hell away. Other people talking. A GIRL VOICE! God, Dad doesn't know! I groan inwardly. Suddenly, the hammock is turned upside down and I go down cursing.
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"HEY BABY!" Dez cried as Gus went falling.
"Dezi?" he asked with a laugh. "And I owe this pleasure to what?" he asked getting up and the two of them sit in the hammock.
"Justin, knows yo' Daddy. And by the looks they throwing… I don't want to be where I can hear them tonight, get my drift hun?"
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Dear, Fucking GOD! Who gave her sugar? She only gets this way when she is a) drunk b) sugar happy or c) had a seriously good fuck. I'm going sugar.
"Dad and your Justin?"
"You don't believe me!" she's pouting at me now and I all out laugh at her. "I didn't want to tell you earlier!"
"What do you mean?" Oh the IMP! She's been hiding something…. What though?
"That couple you spotted…. Was THEM!! I couldn't believe it myself so I thought I'd cooked up your dad or been mistaken or something… No such fucking luck."
"DESIREE! GUS!" We both groan. My father calling us in for god knows what…. "SORRY, DEZ!" We now just laugh. We walk to the house joking nonchalantly about this and that. We also have the customary arm around each other's shoulders. The quick look we gave each other said 'play it up, play it loud'. That is going to be the title of our joint autobiography. As told to the aspiring writer Seth. Knock those thoughts before Dad and Justin think I got a major thing for Dezi.
"You called?" she asks in her sweet voice. Man Justin knows we're up to something by THAT look.
***
Oh shit, what's up their sleeves?
"We didn't know you two knew each other," Brian starts and my mouth already went with-
"Well no one ASKED." Gus is giggling. I mean all out giggles and Justin is snickering, and of course Brian looks really annoyed yet pleased. I'm just smiling like I'm getting a lollypop.
"Yeah, well you never gave any hints either, Gus." He gave a look at bubby. I got that 'leave him' look.
"Hey, he's the one that lives down the street!" Gus shot back at his father gesturing to Justin. "Seriously! I saw Miss Bitch-Queen drop Dez off from my bedroom window."
"And she wasn't hit with anything why?" Both adults were about to say something I could feel it. "She's got it coming from all sides and I don't mean relationships in that sense."
"Cool it Dezi. Don't blow the roof off…" Gus mutters in my ear, but I can tell Justin heard it. I give a small nod. They got a call… Michael needs them for a few… We're stuck here at the house, Gus waves them off and I've already got the phone.
"No Seth you aren't here which, babe, is quite frankly the fucking problem!" I say to his standard 'Seth here' greeting. Gus laughs as he goes through the CDs we brought and what his dad has. Seth asks where and I fill him in and, from Gus' groans, tell him to bring the good beats. He says he'll meet us soon.
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"So, Dezi… Dad and Justin?" he asks me as we're drinking soda. Seth will be here soon but we need to get this out real quick.
"Scale of one to ten?" a nod. " I think on the looks, ten. Compatibility? High rolling baby.. What else?" I ask.
"I like the idea too… What's Emmett say?" I don't answer just look at my can and blink. "You haven't told him you got a new house?"
"It goes through Seth you know that… And he just hasn't gotten the letter yet…" I'm one of the few that still write actual letters because it is safer really. As we're waiting it's beginning to storm and I mean storm. Gus smirks as I walk to one of the huge windows and look out. He can tell exactly what's on my mind. PJs, hot cocoa, music, guitar, friends, and candles. I am not a pyromaniac!
"Looks real bad out there huh?" he asks looking out beside me.
"Yeah and Seth said he had the VW bug…" I sigh as the phone rings. Gus answers and it's Seth. With the house where it is, he can't get here in the little bitty car. Damn the fact that we're on the outskirts of the city in a kinda hilly like area! Well there went that idea but we just take the game systems and put them on the big screen and play a bit. (He cheated the little butt cheated! He can never beat me at Bio F.R.E.A.K.S.!!) Anyway, at like ten we change for bed and have snacks out and we're still being stupid with the games. We're wondering where the parental units are, marginally. You know, it's amazing how much Gus can eat and seemingly not gain a pound…
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"He kept us out that fucking late for that?" Brian complains. I know he loves Michael like a brother but he seems to get annoyed with him a lot.
"Brian, you know that you being there helped him out greatly…." I say. Poor Michael, he just had a really messy breakup again. I've never seen him so shook up…. At least he let me help.
Brian nods and sighs, "But we do have two teenagers at my house without supervision. Needless to say, I'm a little worried about Gus.. And Desiree…"
"I'm worried about them too in this storm. But, I'm sure they haven't done anything that they would regret or would make us mad. Unless you don't want them eating in the living room." It was a drawled comment made to show I was joking with him. He is still as hard to read as ever.
"You never did answer my question Justin.."
"What question?" There have been so many recently… which one?
"What made you take in the girl?" he asks me again, glancing at me. "You never said anything about taking in a kid."
"I felt I needed to do something, so I chose foster care Brian. She happened to be a case where she never stayed anywhere long and had a list of problems following her…. I like to take in a challenge." We both share a small smile here and Brian takes my hand and kisses it.
"Pretty big challenge, Justin… A teen isn't anything like Gus was as a baby and think of what happened to most of us as teens…."
"She's had her share of problems yes. She ran away and when the city went to return her to her parents in Mississippi, they flat out refused her and slammed the door in the faces of her and the officials. Desiree needs someone who's willing to let her be her a bit unlike all the strict families she's been in."
"Justin, are you sure you aren't in over your head?"
"No more than Gus is," I shot back. "He came over the day she got to me. It's obvious they know each other well…." Brian nods, still not releasing my hand for a few more moments before returning his to the wheel.
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"DEZI!" Gus whines as the death tune plays from the game. Desiree sits and laughs heartily.
"Okay so next game!" she declares looking at him as he sighs and gets up. She's hanging upside down over the couch, her feet over the back of the couch swinging slightly. She glances at the clock, eleven twenty.
"That was the last game. Period."
"Look again, Gussy! There has got to be another game! There has to be something!" she said stubbornly.
"Are you sure you don't want to watch a movie?" he asked.
"What do you have?"
"Uh…" Gus' head disappeared into the cupboard the DVDs and tapes were in. He started to rattle some off as Dez flipped through stations.
"Wait! Back up there, bud. Did you just say Robin Hood, Men in Tights? That so sounds like porn man…" Gus laughed and handed her the case, which she had to flip in order to read. "Comedy…. Classic Lit meets Mel Brooks' direction? Pop this thing in, Anna and Jack liked Mel Brooks' and I saw some of his other movies, Blazing Saddles you know…"
"Kay, babe…" Dez swung back to a normal viewing position as Gus sat down and started the movie. They just got to where Robin and Achoo were fighting the sheriff's men with 'praying mantis' when Justin and Brian walked in.
"What the hell happened?" Brian asked when he saw all the snacks lying out.
"Shhh!! We were hungry! Now sush! This is funny!" Dez said looking briefly away from the screen. Brian opened his mouth to say something, but Justin placed a hand gently on his arm and shook his head.
"We're going to head to bed, you might want to do the same thing soon…" Brian said kissing Gus' head.
"Night dad! Night Justin."
"Night Justin, Brian," Dez said with a smile that Brian couldn't help but return. Justin bade her goodnight as well as Gus. When they were gone Gus leaned over and whispered to her,
"You look kinda weirded out, Dezi… what is it?"
"It's like he wanted to kiss me goodnight… like your dad does you…"
"So? You know he won't for a while at least… You kinda wanted him to, don't ya?" he asked amazed.
"He's been more of a dad to me in the past couple of days, then mine was in all the years I lived with him!" she told Gus with a pained look. Gus sighed and turned off the movie then hugged her.
"Hey, don't worry babe… It's okay…"
"I know that…" she muttered returning the hug. They headed upstairs to towards the room Dez was supposed to stay in, but one look in there at the plain décor she shook her head and rolled her eyes. Her stuff had been put in Gus' room when she got there and she had changed in there. They looked at each other, raised an eyebrow, and then went and crashed in his room. Dez on the bed and Gus on the floor.
The next morning, Justin went to wake up the two teens and found them both in the same room. He felt Brian come up behind him. "Should we wake them up?" Brian asked quietly as he hugged his sunshine.
"You tell me… We don't know when they went to sleep last night… I told you they were close…" Justin murmured as he leaned back against the strong body behind him. Dez started to stir and the two let go of each other.
"I'll go start breakfast…" Brian whispered to Justin and pecked his cheek. The girl continued to toss and turn. Her brownish hair twisting over her face. Justin went to take a step into the room when Gus stirred and saw Dez and woke her up. The blonde man slipped away unnoticed as the boy comforted his friend. He stepped in the kitchen and smiled at Brian. "Well?"
"They woke up on their own… they should be down soon I'd think.." he said walking over to him. "Need any help?"
"Actually I don't think so…" he said. Justin smiled at him and looked up when Dez came downstairs still in her PJs. Pajama bottoms and an old jersey looking shirt.
"Morning, Justin… Brian.." she said, looking a bit nervous.
"Morning Dez… You okay?" Justin asked coming over to her.
"Yeah! 'm fine…" she said quietly flinching away from him. Brian caught the look that Justin gave; he looked really hurt. Gus came down and sat by her with a small smile.
"Morning Dad. Morning Justin."
"Good morning," they said. Justin helped to set the table. Gus looked over at Dez who was staring at her hands and seemed deep in thought.
"You sure you're cool, Dezi?" he asked as he served himself some of the pancakes his father had set out. Frozen kind of course. 'Dad doesn't really cook…'
"Huh? Oh, yeah… I'm fine really…" she said as she served herself as well. After breakfast she went up to change, but Brian held Gus at the table.
"What Dad?"
"What's wrong with Desiree?" he asked his son.
"She said she was fine!"
"She's obviously not fine, Gus…" Justin said. "She flinched away from me when I asked. What happened?"
"She's the one that needs to tell you guys… Not me… It's not my place to say…" he said before getting up and leaving to change.
Justin sighed and sat back down at the table. "Don't worry Justin… She maybe having some problems readjusting to this kind of life… You know, being able to be her as you put it last night…" Before Justin could answer Gus came running down the stairs.
"Dezi's gone!"
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