"So, how long have you two known eachother?" Nate inquired, leaning back against the worn brick wall. Julia furrowed an eyebrow, looking up at Dave from the plastic crate she sat upon, serving as a makeshift chair.
Dave tapped his finger against his lighter, a quizzical expression on his face, eyebrows furrowed in hard thought. "Hm, about four years now?" He questioned, looking over at Julia for confirmation. She nodded, smiling quaintly.
"How'd you guys meet?" Nate further questioned, crossing his arms over his chest. Julia let out a breath, tapping her cigarette, ashes crumbling to the wet pavement.
A rouge tint arose in Dave's face. He thanked his lucky stars for the dim night, which hid his blush from Julia and Nate. He considered the moment he met her the best one of his entire life. Reminiscing on that day made his heart flutter as he remembered the way he instantly felt drawn to her.
"I was interviewing Nirvana, and Dave and I really hit it off I guess." She recalled, her lips quirking up into a smile. This specific memory that had shaped the past few years of her life saddened yet dazzled Julia.
She was so young, so happy during her blossoming relationship with Dave, and bonding with Kurt and krist. Those years filled with excitement and growth were the best she had ever lived through. But any thought tied to those times forced her to reminisce on Dave's infidelity, and the pain she experienced, that still hadn't washed away after nearly three years. She had realized it would never stop hurting her.
"You were so smart. How'd a dumbass like me and a whiz like you become so close?" He asked, laughing, smoke spilling from his lips. She giggled, her quaint smile growing into a bright toothy grin. "Exactly!" Nate agreed, earning a nudge in the side from Dave.
"He really isn't that stupid," the teased, taking a drag of her cigarette, before tossing it on the gravel street, and smushing it with the sole of her sneakers. Dave narrowed his eyes at Julia, nudging her the same way he had to Nate.
The platonically soft impact of Dave's elbow against her side caused her breath to hitch in her throat. The action was blank of any romantic intention, but any physical contact with him made her heart stop beating momentarily.
The same blush that had fallen upon Dave pricked Julia's cheeks, the same embarrassment also falling upon her.
"Let's go get drinks," Nate suggested, straightening his posture. "Sounds good." Dave agreed, then raised an eyebrow, looking to Julia for approval. "I could use one." She muttered, rising from the crate, her back stiff from the less than satisfactory seating.
The three traveled in their small pact, moving swiftly back towards the cramped, stingy bar.
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Julia tipped her beer back, giggling as Pat Smear recalled stories from his days with The Germs. The three sat perched on wooden stools in front of the bar, chatting easily, and knocking back beers. Her head was resting on Dave's shoulder, tendrils of her honey blonde locks ticking the side of his face.
Julia normally wouldn't have so casually laid her head on his shoulder, but the copious amount of alcohol in her system coerced her into clinging by his side. It had done the same to Dave, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, forcing the two together, their bodies warm against one another.
The closeness was the best comfort Julia had felt in what felt like an eternity. He was like a safe blanket, cozy and snug against her. The inexplicable security she felt with Dave had been tucked away in the dark corners of her mind, but began to show itself once again.
She shut her eyes, inhaling his scent as if it were the oxygen she needed to live. The bittersweet scent of cigarettes and fresh laundry lingered on him, and Julia pressed her face against his shoulder, breathing in as much of it as she could.
It reminded her of those simpler times, when life had its troubles, but the joyous moments served as atonement for the bad. His scent filling her nostrils was like a breath of fresh air, that she had been craving for so long.
Dave too felt the same sense of security and true happiness. The familiar sensation of his arms wrapped around her waist made him feel warm and fuzzy at his core, but deep down, made him long for more. He wanted to kiss her, hold her hand, make love to her.
He wanted to be with Julia Kassel, but that wish felt unobtainable.
Some day, he thought.
