slow down, you crazy child. you're so ambitious for a juvenile. but then if you're so smart, then tell me... why are you still so afraid? where's the fire? what's the hurry about?
austen and roman hadn’t gotten a chance to hang out for most of the day, so roman wanted to take the other girl to stargaze with him. he opted to grab two cups, a bottle of wine, and made a plate of s’mores for them to share. he laid out a blanket and filled the cups with wine - it wasn’t as good as her spa day, but it was something. once the wine and s’mores were set out, he skipped back to the main part of the campsite, holding out a hand to austen, “babygirl, c’mon. we’re stargazing tonight, whether you like it or not, but i know you’ll like it because it’s me.”
most of the group had been filtering in and out of the campsite - leaving in groups and pairs to do various fun activities. he had spent his morning lounging in the sun before changing into a favorite outfit of his - it was a strange mix of stripes that most people would hate, but roman loved it. spotting winnie by her tent, roman got to his feet and moved to stand in front of her with his hands on his hips, “win, babe, i think you should come horseback riding with me. because we haven’t spent time together in awhile and i really feel like horseback riding is an activity best enjoyed with a friend.”
after spending the day doing various activities with alfie and addison, roman had asked shiloh to do a picnic with him, opting to stay in the same thing he wore with addison. he’d changed after hiking because he got so sweaty but the cactus garden didn’t require as much physical exertion. he wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to make for said picnic, but he assumed he’d figure it out. when they picked a spot near the campsite, he wrinkled his nose as they laid out a blanket, “so, i sort of figured we’d grill something? i didn’t really think ahead, if i’m honest, but i feel like we can figure it out. we’re smart and capable.” he moved over to the grill that was on the campsite, “god, i wish my parents had taught me this shit. we just like... put the charcoal in and lighterfluid and light it, right? it’s actually that simple?”
“come on, loser! we’re going to that cactus garden thing-y,” roman told addison, bouncing on the balls of his feet excitedly. he was beyond ready to get off the campsite to do something other than hiking. while he enjoyed spending time with people, the physical piece of hiking was not his favorite. he didn’t like to sweat or get dirty, and hiking usually made both of those things happen - somehow he always ended up with dirt on his arms and legs. what was he doing wrong? he was dressed in patterned shorts with a random white tank paired with a bucket hat. “i feel like we need to do an impromptu photoshoot because it sounds like this place is cute as hell.”
“so, i sort of figured our first real trip as new friends would be me dragging you to new york, but hiking is bound to be fun too,” roman told alfie as he sat at a picnic table to pull his tennis shoes on. he glanced back up at him as he tied his shoes, “can i be honest though? hiking isn’t, like, naturally my thing. ya know? i mean, look at me...” he gestured to himself: he was wearing light makeup with short green shorts and a blue button down. he wasn’t exactly someone who often did outdoor, physical activities - he was more of a guy who liked to be pampered.
LOCATION → Huntington Beach, CA - The Holland’s Beach House
TIME FRAME → Tuesday, June 1, 2027
NOTES → The first time @lexharris and Roman have seen each other since their break up… five years ago.
LEX
lex was a man that had many amazing skills. he could make a bonfire in the middle of nowhere under ten minutes. he could run pretty fast, and he was charming as hell. there was however one thing he could never seem to get right, and that was how to arrive on time. there were times when he was a very punctual person, but that was in middle school, but that was before he met roman. the two of them were always late.
lex would never admit that, but roman was a reason for him being late this time. it was not like he did not want to see him, god, there wasn’t a thing he wanted to do more, he was just not sure he could handle it. he knew it was a little pathetic to still have feelings for your ex after five years, especially if you were the one to end the relationship, and he knew seeing roman will only make it worse, but lex still agreed to meet everybody. roman being both the person he looked forward to see the most, and the least.
but now it was a little to late to change his mind, since he was already in front of a room they will share with two other people, which was both a blessing, and a curse. he took a deep breath, and entered the room.
and there he was, roman, as beautiful as in the photoes he posted on social media, that lex checked a little more often than needed, and lex just couldn’t help, but smile. he was still stressed, but finally seeing roman in person after so many years made him happy. he went over this in his head so many times, but he couldn’t remember any of them now. “it’s so good to see you.”
ROMAN
when roman heard lex’s all too familiar voice, his stomach began doing flips. how could something as simple as his voice make him feel so fluttery still? it had been five years and roman was still pining after lex. it was pathetic. he was in new york city with millions of people and for some reason his heart was still stuck on his high school boyfriend. he gently closed his journal, tucking it under his left thigh and looking to meet his eyes, “it’s... wonderful to see you. it’s... do you want to come up here and sit with me? we can catch up. or maybe we could go on a walk or something? get some fresh air?”
it felt so weird to be talking to lex again. maybe coming to the house was a mistake. maybe he shouldn’t do it. maybe he should just leave and never turn back. maybe austen would just come with him and they could catch up literally anywhere but in the same house as lex. he forced himself to take a slow breath, “we just... have a lot of catching up to do.” it was true - roman had hidden lex’s posts from his instagram feed long before.
Kinley laughed in response to the male’s words about trying to be scary for her and only shook her head lightly. “Oh no, you don’t have to do that. Thank you for offering though, that’s really kind of you. Me and this person go way back as I tend to swipe some items from their store every so often,” she explained with a casual shrug as if that was normal. The female was very honest and didn’t see the point in lying. “I’m glad that you’re good though. I’m perfectly okay as well. No injuries on my end. Are you really? Maybe we can go for a bike ride someday? It might help you with your pedaling,” Kinley suggested teasingly. “I’m Kinley, by the way,” she introduced herself as she offered him a hand to shake.
roman laughed softly, placing his hands on his hips, “i mean, hey, to each their own. i would probably never do that, but more power to you.” he wrinkled his nose slightly, nodding, “i’m all good, i promise. no scratches or anything. i mean, i’m okay at it, it’s just... difficult to pedal uphill. i’m basically a princess, leave me be!” he took her hand and shook it, “i’m roman. it’s nice to meet you. are you from here?”
Addison followed suit with a soft laugh of her own as her gaze fell upon the male next to her. She knew that she shouldn’t get too worried because it wouldn’t help the situation at all, but she couldn’t help but still freak out internally just a little bit. The female licked her lesser lip before nodding her head at Roman’s suggestion of calling Austen. “Yeah, try calling her and see if she picks up. She might be able to tell us what’s going on and if she thinks we should stay or leave,” Addison commented as she peered around the restaurant to see others remaining in their spots. “I hope we can get through to her,” she added as she glanced down at her phone to see if she had gotten any service yet but was still unsuccessful.
roman moved to hit the call button on austen’s contact, holding the phone to his ear. after about thirty seconds of waiting, it was clear to roman that the phone lines were totally jammed - he’d never get through. he hung up and sighed softly, “okay, so the phone lines... calls aren’t gonna happen. but i think we’re gonna be just fine. i’m... confident everyone is okay. we can probably get up...” he crawled out from under the table, stretching as he stood, “wow, it’s... a mess in here. drinks has spilled and plates shattered on the floor.
“ ha ha, “ shiloh retorted, her tone flat but joking all the same. “ well, either way, i’m glad you found a home in new york. it’s not for everyone, but it seems the city was truly made for you and i love seeing you get so happy about it. “ she nodded along to his words, feeling the sentiment completely. “ i understand one hundred percent. after living in pittsburgh and traveling to all of these other cities with the team, i don’t think i could ever live in a place like naperville again. i’d rather move to siberia than do that, “ she agreed with a laugh, but offered roman a sheepish smile. “ you’re too sweet. “ at his questioning about evie, shiloh let out a sigh. she guesses that no one from their group actually knew about the two girls’ falling out, so she’d have to do some explaining. “ yeah, we kinda’ had a falling out right before graduation. it was enough for us to not talk to each other again. but honestly, it was in high school, so i can just let it go, right? we’re different people now – i hope. “
“it’s definitely not for everyone, but hey. i don’t think anything is ever for anyone. everyone has different preferences in life,” roman commented softly. new york was the first place he’d really loved - he’d never totally loved london or naperville/chicago. he loved the people in naperville but he really just wanted to pull the people out of naperville and to new york. “siberia over naperville? i don’t think i’d go that far. fuck siberia. but naperville isn’t it either. it’s just so small and... i dunno. boring?” he reached up to rub his hands over his face, “oh, i mean... same. but it was more my fault in our case. can i ask what happened?”
“the dream?” evie asked, laughing a little. there’s not one ounce of her that is even a little bit shocked by the question coming from her old friend. he always seemed to be a fan of reaching for the stars. having a plan, goals he wanted to achieve. and it wasn’t that she didn’t - evie just wasn’t sure that sharing those with roman was the right idea. “you should really be a life coach if all else fails,” she cooed, smiling a little. “the dream is to love what i do and that’s that. more specific than that and i feel locked down,” evie shrugged, opting for an easy response to be able to hold some control over the situation. “have you been to the desert? it’s so odd to have a constant lull in the background. it’s much quieter in the nature in arizona.”
“the dream! there’s gotta be a dream. i’m a big believer in having a dream, but... i think everyone knows that about me,” roman commented softly. if only he could actually make his own dreams come true. he felt like a fraud preaching about dreaming to everyone from high school when he wasn’t accomplishing his at all - he was bartending in new york city. he laughed, “i’ll think on that one.” maybe life coach would be the next trial after bartender. “that’s fair. you gotta have a dream that fits you. but what are you loving right now?” he shook his head gently, “i haven’t. maybe i need to check it out.”
“are you addressing me like i’m my mother now?” austen asked, wrinkling her nose and shaking her head. “always has been, always will be. if it isn’t a game and i can’t win - what’s the fucking point?” she inquired with a light lilt of a laugh. the redhead was always needing roman around. living so far apart for so long made her lonesome for her best friend. so, she was trying to keep her wits about her. to stay strong in her desire to be around him without drowning in the knowledge that all they had was three months before they went back to their ldr. “you’re so dumb,” she rolled her eyes, handing him a face wipe to prep his skin for the mask before taking one for herself. as she wiped over her face, she spoke. “winnie took me to LA with her,” she spoke sweetly, an easy smile on her lips. “like woke me up from a dead sleep with jelly and took me to LA to see her teach a dance class and - ro - she’s fucking talented as shit.”
“i mean, if the shoe fits, baby girl,” roman joked softly, looking over to meet austen’s eyes with a small grin on his lips. “but also when you scare the shit out of me, i’ll address you however i want,” he cooed, the playful smile still on his lips. he rolled his eyes, “what’s the point? damn, i’m hurt! i’m fabulous and incredible. having me in your life is the point!” talking about the point of their friendship, even jokingly, worried roman - what was the point? because all he was doing was lying to her. he forced himself to take a deep breath, taking the face wipe from austen and wiping it over his skin, “she did? how was that? am i planning a wedding? say the word and i’ll have the whole thing planned. i’m thinking a destination wedding. maybe the bahamas? how do we feel?” he stopped joking to actually respond to her words, “you’re smiling while you talk about her. your face is all cute and bright.”
“I mean, if you must.” Mason chuckled. “I won’t say no.” He didn’t know much about theater or those that made a life in it and show tunes aren’t in his wheelhouse but he’d try to listen to this Ben Platt guy that Roman was talking about. “What’s got you disappointed in life?”
“i can’t believe you’ve never heard of him. he’s pretty well know, even outside of the theatre community, but hey! i can expose you to all things theatre,” roman joked softly. he shrugged, “when you dream big, you also... fail big. that grammar sucks, but the sentiment stands.” he needed to be careful - mason wasn’t friends with all of his friends but it didn’t mean he was safe to spill his secrets to.
“But it’s more humid. I mean, I guess I shouldn’t complain about humidity, Chicago and Boston can get pretty bad with that.” Ji-Ho shrugged.·“I’ll just visit whenever you have a part in a Broadway show that I’m dying to see. That sounds like a better plan.”
“new york is humid, but i feel like chicago was always so much worse humidity wise. it gets sticky there,” roman pointed out. he laughed softly, “what shows are you dying to see? let me make sure i get auditions for them, yeah?”
“I think you’re on to something there, Roe.” Alfie nodded letting this words sink in. It really was a lovely notion, one Alfie hadn’t considered before until the moment Roman mentioned it. A smile then tugged at the corners of his lips as the conversation turned towards exploring the city. “No plans at all, I’m down!“
“yeah? i just think... i dunno. people get so caught up in home needing to be a fixed location when... i don’t think it needs to be that way. i could live in the same house my entire life and be absolutely miserable,” roman commented softly, wrinkling his nose slightly. he let a grin spread onto his cheeks, “then lets go. i’m starving, so i vote our first stop is food.” it would be nice to get out of the house with alfie - they weren’t the closest in the bunch so it would let roman get out of his head and maybe even focus on alfie.
LOCATION → Huntington Beach, CA - The Holland’s Beach House
TIME FRAME → Tuesday, June 1, 2027
NOTES → The first time @lexharris and Roman have seen each other since their break up... five years ago.
ROMAN
after being in the house for a few hours, roman knew he needed to go talk to lex. he couldn’t avoid him - and he didn’t want to avoid him. the other man was the man he’d loved for so long. he couldn’t just... ignore him. their breakup didn’t change the appreciation and respect he had for lex. besides, after five years, roman was still hung up on lex. he’d slept around a little in new york but nothing ever stuck the way lex had for roman. he’d sort of figured that lex was his romantic soulmate and he’d fucked it up. he’d lost the best thing that’d ever happened to him. but it was over and done with and he was okay with that. he’d likely be alone forever.
he opted to go sit on the top bunk he’d chosen to wait for lex to wander back in. they were in a room with two other people so he figured he’d have to wander back in at some point. he sat up against the wall, sitting crosslegged and facing the other bunk as he penned in his journal. his journal was his safe space. what better way to clear his head than to write in it. he was nervous - so much had changed. he was covered in tattoos that lex had never seen before, he had a new septum piercing, and he’d ventured into wearing more feminine earrings. in many ways, he’d stayed the same - his style was similar (with a few more feminine touches). (outfit: here ; piercings/earrings: here)
“maybe,” evie shrugged. school sort of felt like it was a bit of a block for her sometimes. like it wasn’t all that needed, but that she loved too much to give up. perhaps that was sort of how roman felt with his dreams. that until he reached the very stop of his dream board, he didn’t quite have a reason to be proud of himself. she understood that. there wasn’t much pride running through her blood either. the girl quirked her head to the side, forcing her brows to remain down, an unbothered look on her face. a weird note? that was an understatement and roman had to know it. “i feel like it’s going to just be nice to be away and somewhere calm and serene. not that the desert isn’t those things, but this? I mean… you can’t beat the sound of these waves,” she nodded, opting to stay positive and to avoid any conflict. they didn’t need to talk about high school.
“what is the dream, evie? what makes you tick? why are you getting that degree?” roman questioned softly. it was his favorite conversation to have with people, but it always seemed like most people didn’t think as deeply about dreams or the future. it wasn’t that people didn’t care, but most people liked to focus on the present - in his experience. he wondered if evie felt that way - did she live in the present or in the clouds? “these waves are fucking incredible. i love being here... these beaches are like... unbeatable. nothing on the east coast compares.”
“you should definitely be doing this for me,” austen teased with a shimmy of her shoulders. “but i beat ya to it and that, my friend, is the only fucking way to win at friendship. be ahead of the game,” she joked. the two of them had been attached at the hip for over ten years. their love for each other was something out of a fairytale. not many people could keep the same best friend they’d had since they were that young. “life without me is meaningless,” she teased again, skipping over to the area with the sushi and various spa-like activities. “ you have my permission to always wear just this outfit,” austen hummed, laughing easily. the girl settled on one side, clapping her hands together and drumming her fingers against one another. “i got your favorite sushi and i figured we could start with a face mask?”
“listen! i didn’t get a chance. you surprised the shit out of me, ms. holland,” roman cooed softly, a giggle tumbling from his lips. “oh, is friendship a game we’re trying to win now, aus?” austen was the only constant in his life - through everything, she’d always been there. in some ways, he was the most terrified of disappointing austen. he could handle anyone else, but austen? he’d be lost without her. he nodded, “life without me if always meaningless, babe. we’re a package deal, eh?” he moved to sit across from her, frowning dramatically, “dammit, austen, this is fucking cute. marry me. no boy will do things like this for me. but yes, always start with a face mask.” he wished he could go back and tell younger roman to just be honest - austen wouldn’t give a fuck if you aren’t successful, young roman.”
