"Happy Thanksgiving, Julian!" Between a loud voice ringing in her ears, a bouquet of flowers lightly bouncing off her head, and rays of sun illuminating her eyelids, Blair nearly bolted up in place. Memories from the previous night rushed back, bundled in one, as fast as lightning. Once her eyes cleared from a blur, the brunette recognized her friend standing feet in front of her, and a just as panicked Julian awake to her right. "Clay?" She murmured, still in shock and without budging from her spot in bed. Clay's expression had shifted fast from hurt and equally shocked, to angry and irritated. "Needed time, Blair?" Clay gave another sarcastic smile, this time in her direction, hands stuffed in his dress pant's pockets. An immediate frown pulled down on her lips, and the same guilt from the previous night settled in, only heavier.
Julian pulled himself out of bed without hesitance, perfectly rested and therefore clean, toward his best friend. He was in only boxers, now wide eyed and bushy tailed. Blair only watched as Julian scrambled to pick up clothes on the floor beside the bed, and pulled on black pants to cover up more, as if it would remove the wrong of the situation. Clay's eyes remained on Blair, almost shaming her over Julian. "How much time it take you to fuck my best friend, Blair, huh?"
Finally Blair scrambled out of bed, and pulled her bath robe on over a simple t-shirt before she took any steps. Julian was rambling on and on, feeding Clay many different excuses and reasons why he'd come home to this. "Julian!- Julian, let me handle it, okay?" The brunette laid a hand on her lover's arm, and looked him directly in the eyes until he backed away. Though she knew Clay was no happier with her, Julian may be far more effected than she by any scolding and yelling. As she let go of his arm, Blair's expressive brown eyes pleaded with Clay to leave her friend alone, and beckoned him to the next room.
"I leave for- what, a few months- and I'm welcomed home by you in bed with Julian?"
"You were gone, Clay! Did you expect me to seclude myself while you were away?"
"And it had to be Julian, right?"
"Clay, I–"
"Forget it, Blair."
With a wave of his hand, Clay turned and rejected her pleas. Her frown only pulled on the corners of her lips as Blair watched him shuffle down the loft's stairs, and she stood hopeless for a minute. She listened as the door opened, slammed, and then a car's engine started. The air went silent, empty, and suddenly Julian stood behind her. A hand took hers and turned the brunette to him, and with tears welling in her eyes she simply leaned against his chest. Julian had a natural, relaxing smell to him, which now engulfed the brunette and caused her to silence. Limp and defeated she rested her head in his neck, while Julian closed his eyes on her shoulder, jaw clenched. There were no tears from him, though it was still apparent by the look in his eyes that he felt the same sadness and guilt which overwhelmed Blair.