Hey people 3 important things to mention. The first thing is that this chapter is very loosely based on my experience at the Pride parade, but most is not. Second this chapter is somewhat of a stepping stone and the events may or may not be referenced much further down the line, so don't forget too much from it. Lastly as I said earlier this takes place 1o years after the show ended making it 2020 unless my math is off, which means technology that doesn't exist now might exist later. The main example for this chapter is the cellphone that wrap around people's wrists and can morph into different things. Look up the Nokia morph phone if you wanna know what I'm talking about. Anyway that's all to say so comment and enjoy =).
At the crack of dawn Justin was woken from his sleep by the pleasant smell of Italian sausages, eggs and other foods he couldn't put a name to, but was drooling over regardless. He laid in his bed half sleep absorbing the smells until he realized he wasn't sleeping and it was coming from his kitchen. Justin bolted up straight getting to his feet immediately to see who had gotten into his house this time.
He wasn't surprised to see it was Andrew again only he was lying down on the couch.
"I thought I told Sam not to let you in again."
"That was before he gave me a copy of the key the first time." He replied twirling the key card in his fingers. Justin rolled his eyes at the thought of his landlord Sam.
"Who's in the kitchen?" He questioned slightly irritated.
"It's Dina." Andrew answered sarcastically.
"Hardy har har, get out." Justin declared pointing at the door.
"But we haven't even said sorry yet." Plead Andrew.
"Fine, say it already so I can throw you out faster."
"Is Juse awake?" Austin asked, poking his head out from the kitchen. "Breakfast is almost ready. Set the table."
Andrew got up and finished setting up the table as Austin emerged from the kitchen with a platter filled with sausages, Belgian waffles, strawberry crepes, eggs and orange juice. As the other two sat down to eat Justin stood reluctant.
"Come on Juse we just came to say sorry. We didn't mean what happened in the club to happen. It was just an accident and we're sorry." Austin placed a hand on Justin's arm.
"We're really sorry about what we did to your face." Andrew tossed in.
"It's not even about that. At first I was pissed because of what you did to my face, but what really irked me about the whole thing is because you two did it trying to outdo each other." Justin crossed his arms before he continued. "You are grown men. Act like it. I'm too old to deal with this kind of foolishness; I'm not here for that."
"Well we're trying to make up for it now. We came together didn't we?" Andrew responded moving next to Justin as he said it. "This is us trying to show how sorry we are and how much we want to move pass this."
Justin eyed both of them before he sighed. The other two motioned him into his seat and they sat down to eat together. As they ate Justin eyed them carefully to see their face expressions as they ate across from one another.
"So I was thinking." Andrew spoke breaking the silence. "We should go to Pride tomorrow." Justin raised a curious eye.
"I haven't been in 4 years." Justin answered. "I haven't really had time since working at Mode."
"I can't remember the last time I went." Austin spoke, still chewing his sausage.
"That's why we should go. Come on what do you got to do tomorrow?" Austin and Justin shot each other questioning looks, before shrugging and agreeing to Andrew's plans for the next day.
"Over here there's a spot in the bus stop." Justin alerted to his companions. As two other spectators moved out the three slid between the other parade watchers to secure their spot. The three stood cheering with Austin and Andrew on either side of Justin. They all cheered and danced at the passing floats blasting loud music.
"How come they keep skipping over us with the free stuff all they bring over here is pamphlets?" Austin groaned. Justin just shrugged until his attention was pulled back to the street by something unsightly. An older woman sat on a float with her breasts hanging down, holding beads.
"You work those goods grandma, shake for me!" Andrew yelled into the street. She turned towards him and shook her chest at them before tossing three rainbow necklaces their way. "That's how you get free stuff." He said smirking fiercely.
"I'll show you how to get free stuff." The woman behind them said smiling. She was short and petite with a rainbow masquerade mask and booty shorts on. As a group of Lesbians marched by with random knickknacks she got on the bus stop seat and twerked towards the street.
One of the women came over and tossed candy over at her as she shook her waist and thighs to a passing float's music. "That's right mami that's what we came to see." She yelled at the twerking woman from the barrier. When men from the other side of the bus stop's glass back started howling and recording her, the three companions couldn't stop laughing.
"I could do that too." Andrew joked. The parade continued with the woman, whose name they learned to be Thalia attracting attention and thus more free stuff. As one of the more exciting floats went by, muscled men in speedos skated past; one of them slowed down and turned back around toward Justin.
"Hey cutie" He said leaning toward Justin over the barrier. The two next to him tensed and got slightly closer to Justin. He responded with an intrigued look. "Are you going to the after party at the pier?"
"Maybe, why?" He questioned.
"So I can see you again after this." The stranger responded resting lustful eyes on Justin.
"If you can find me in all those people" Justin responded with a cynical eye.
"Silly me" He said smacking his forehead and grinning. "I guess you'll have to give me your number so I can find you later."
Justin giggled. "You're awfully ballsy." The two bumped their phones together, to the chagrin of his companions. Austin and Andrew each had a mix of irritation and anxiety plastered across their faces. The stranger's name and number appeared on his screen before he hooked it back around his wrist. "Leon, I like that name." He smiled.
Leon leaned in and kissed Justin on the lips, surprising him but not being pushed awa. After about 15 seconds they broke off. "See you later Justin." He blew a kiss at him before skating back to the rest of the group. Austin's mouth lay open in shock while Andrew had almost punched the skating Adonis in the face.
Before anyone of the three companions could comment on the act, Thalia the twerking beauty behind them spoke. "Damn boy you get yourself some." Justin laughed at her remark, but his companions remained silent not knowing how to respond.
Hours later they all went to the pier for more celebrations, Andrew and Austin still not saying anything about earlier. "It was nice meeting ya'll, but I gotta go meet my girlfriends." Thalia said.
"So long sweetie, it was nice meeting you too." Justin called out as she waved and ran off towards her friends. Soon after Justin felt his wrist vibrate and saw it was a text from Leon.
"I hope u can recognize me with my pants on"
"I hope u can recognize me with my shirt off" Justin mused.
"How enticing is that an invitation I hear?"
"Don't get too ahead of urself; we'll have to see wat happens later."
"Awwe ur such a tease"
"Ik, but things r more fun that way ;)" He smirked.
"If u want fun, then meet me on the dance floor" Justin paused for thought at this idea. Given his previous experience on dance floors he was somewhat reluctant to go into the heart of a dancing crowd.
"It's an awfully big pier how can I find u?"
"I'm right in front of the stage."
"I hope I can make it that far."
"You will you want me too much not to."
"Wow u really r cocky"
"And the word doesn't just apply to my personality;-)" Justin felt the blood rush to his face as he read the message.
"Is that your boyfriend?" Andrew questioned with an unusual harshness in his voice.
"It might be soon." Justin replied teasingly. Andrew narrowed his eyes.
"I don't trust him." He remarked. Justin just rolled his eyes.
"I don't either." Austin agreed.
"Why?" Justin asked cynically, already knowing the answer.
"He looks shady and obnoxious too." Andrew replied.
"Why do I feel this is a biased opinion?" Justin snapped crossing his arms at his two ex-lovers. "I'm going."
"We won't let you." Austin said sternly. Justin turned an enraged eye at him causing the man to tighten his muscles.
"Excuse me, but last time I checked you're not my father. So I'll do whatever I damn well please!" He exclaimed.
"No we won't let you." Andrew reiterated stepping in front of him receiving a glare from him that could burn a hole through steel.
"I dare you to try and stop me." Justin spat. He shoved past them with less resistance than he expected. Before he could escape into the crowd of shirtless men Austin grabbed his arm. "Get your hands off me, now!"
Austin noticed the fury in his eyes and decided to relieve the situation rather than escalate it. He sighed and softened his gaze on Justin. "Listen, can I just say something and if you still want to go through I won't stop you." Justin relaxed his arm a little and agreed. "We're sorry for trying to get in your way and tell you what to do, we had no right. We just don't really trust that guy."
"That isn't your judgment to make." He snapped with renewed harshness.
"Just stay with us for a little while longer and after an hour if you'd still rather go off to see him we won't get in your way." Austin released his hand from around Justin's arm and watched his expression with the hopes that his words swayed him. "Please"
Justin eyed his two ex's with suspicion, but decided to stay with them.
"Come on let's get twisted and dance." Andrew interjected.
True to Andrew's word the 3 now shirtless companions, as appropriate for the function, danced drunkenly amongst themselves in the crowd of thousands. They sloppily flailed their arms and bodies to the beat of the music rubbing against everyone else around them. "I bet you're glad you stayed with us huh." Andrew yelled over the sound of their surroundings.
"I guess." Justin responded with poorly masked amusement. In truth he was having the time of his life and hadn't noticed the earlier vibrations on his wrist, texts from Leon. It had only taken a few good songs and two lemon shots to change his aura from pissed to complete elation, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to feign irritation.
He had started in on his 4th shot and he was drunker than he'd been in years, losing his coordination and inhibitions as well. Justin felt familiar arms wrap around his waist and could feel someone's chest rub against his back. He swayed with the familiar body for what seemed like an hour to throbbing bases and beats.
"Come on Juse don't try to pretend. We all know you're having fun." Austin said into his ear with alcohol heavy on his breath.
"He ain't the only one." Andrew mused pointing to the bulge in Austin's shorts. He turned a beat red, but Justin continued to dance with him seemingly un-phased.
"You're just jealous it's not you." Austin retorted with drunken satisfaction. Andrew turned redder than Austin and Justin laughed at his display.
"You two are like jealous puppies, there's enough of me to go around." Suarez giggled. He stuck his arm out and pulled Andrew closer to him so that the three companions were dancing together, Justin in the middle of course. They danced and drank for a few more hours until the pier started to clear and Justin saw it was 3:30.
At about 4:20 am the three stumbled into Justin's apartment pissy drunk. Justin the drunkest of the three was carried to his bed propped up on his friends' shoulders. They helped him onto his bed and out of his clothes, but he caught their Austin's arm before they could stumble into the living room. "Don't leave guys. Stay in here with me." He begged while patting his mattress roughly.
"Juse we're tired we're just gonna just sleep out there and sleep." Austin slurred.
"You two sleep in the bed with me." His two friends gave each other sideways glances before slowly working their way into his bed. "No!" He yelled.
"But you told us to sleep with you." Andrew answered.
"Take your clothes off. The sheets is thousand count 'Gyptian cotton and I don't know if you got bed bugs. So clothes off." He slurred out. The other two discarded their clothing and fell into bed on either side of Justin. Before they could fall asleep Justin mumbled something. "I love you so much. I wish we never broke up."
Both companions immediately snapped to attention first staring at Justin then each other. "Hey what did you just say?" Andrew questioned, in a sobered voice.
"Goodnight guys." Juse said before passing out.
"Juse wake up!" Austin yelled at his sleeping form.
"Come on what did you say?" Andrew yelled while shaking him in a futile effort to wake him. It was no use. Justin was out like a light and they were left feeling clueless.
TBC