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wl_fanfiction2009-04-04 02:30 pm
beccierocks.livejournal.com) wrote in wl_fanfiction2009-04-04 02:30 pm
Entry tags:
Those Good Old Days - [Secret Astronomer]
Title: Those Good Old Days
Author(s): Beccie
Character(s): Greg, Josie, Jen
Rating: PG
Summary: Sometimes you have to hurt the ones you love
Authors’ Notes: For the lovely![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fbrobey for Secret Astronomer. A bit of Greggy/Josie angsty fluffy goodness! Yippee!
Greg pulled his coat tighter around his middle-aged body as he walked along the path in his favourite park. He had always loved parks. They were quiet, serene places that helped him to wind down after a stand-up gig in The Purple Onion or an improv gig at The Comedy Store. The chilly British air bit but Greg didn’t care. He hadn’t felt for years.
Don’t get me wrong! He had an amazing life. A successful stand-up comedy career; exclusive membership to The Improv All-stars with Drew and co.; a beautiful wife. Yeah...his life was pretty much perfect...to an outsider. But to Greg, he lived for his time in England. He loved it here. The understated beauty of the place that you could only find if you looked for it. He loved performing with The Comedy Store Players as it reminded him of the old days. The days when he lived off a dime a day and loved every minute of it. And then there was Josie...
He sat down on a nearby bench that was situated on the top of a hill. The sun was setting in the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the horizon. The swans were swimming towards their little island to call it a day with their families. Perfect life. Pretty much like his really. Really? The thing is, he loved Jennifer. Really loved Jennifer. She was his best friend and could understand him better than anyone. But it wasn’t the same. Not the same as 15 years previous when he was a young buck in London. There was only one girl for him back then and, sadly, it wasn’t his wife.
Someone sat down on the bench next to him but he really wasn’t interested. His mind was swamped. His wife knew about his feelings for that auburn haired beauty. She had heard him mumble her name in his sleep. She had seen a couple of ‘secret’ kisses backstage in the ‘Britline’ days. Heck! She received the wrong Valentine from Greg once. An ornate card written in a calligraphy pen. A far cry from the cheapo Clintons card Greg usually bought for herself. But she put up with it. All the way until they moved back to America. She asked for a divorce and he reluctantly agreed. They still lived together to this very day; in separate beds of course. Anyone would believe they were still married. Just the way Greg wanted it.
The person sat beside Greg shifted and he looked across for the briefest of seconds. The person was most likely a man but was quite small in build. They wore a top hat and beige trench coat. Their face was obscured by shadows. They looked very similar to Rorschach from the ‘Watchmen’ comics. Something mysterious yet unnerving about them. They caused him to shiver but he was unsure why. He decided to disregard the person all together and turned his attention back to the sunset. The sun had shifted lower in the sky and now was emitting a deeper pink colour. That colour always reminded him of the ‘Whose Line’ logo under bright lights. Oh how he wished he could turn the clocks back to 15 years earlier. He missed the UK ‘Whose Line’. They were such simple days of Clive bashing and being considered a star of the show. Not something Drew had decided to buy and ’refurbish’. It was raw. It was gritty. It was controversial. It was perfect. He had never wanted things to change. All he wanted was the early days and Josie. He sighed in upset.
The person next to him looked across at him. He felt the eyes burning into his skull. “Tough night eh?” The person in the coat had spoken up and this took Greg by surprise. He looked up and his eyes met sunglasses; at 7:30 in the evening? That was odd, even for the British. But then again, they wore socks and sandals as a combo. He shrugged it off and sighed again. “You could say that...” Greg said, a hint of sadness in his voice. The person turned their body slightly so that they were facing in his direction completely. He took a good look. Curves? He was starting to wonder if this was actually a man. As a matter of fact, those curves looked almost familiar. “Lady problems?” Greg thought it nosey of this person to pry but for some reason, he wanted to open up. He wanted to talk. He grabbed a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. He offered the stranger a cigarette but they refused. Shrugging, he lit up and started to tell his story.
“Well, yeah sort of. I made a huge mistake years ago and London always reminds me of what a fool I was...” He couldn’t believe he was telling a stranger his problems on a park bench. All he needed was some stubble and a whiskey bottle in a paper bag. The stranger nodded their head. “Elaborate.” Greg was taken aback by this. Now this was delving too deep. “Umm...I really don‘t know you. Why should I tell you?” The stranger shrugged their slim shoulders and presumably looked him in the eye through their sunglasses. “I’m curious.” Greg wanted to slap this wise guy’s mouth, stupid nosey bastard. However, Greg did the exact opposite. He threw his cigarette butt to the ground and exhaled the last bit of smoke before continuing.
“Well, about 15 years ago, I bought a Valentines card for my wife. At the same time, I bought one for another girl. A beautiful red one with ribbon and shit. Anyway, she never received that card. Maybe it was fate interfering, telling me I was married and had no right to lead this other girl on. Five years later, that girl practically disappeared out of my life and my wife presented me with divorce papers. Now here I am. I see my girl every so often but it’s not nearly enough. I still live with my ex-wife who is my confidante and all I live for is my work and that yearly week.”
The stranger had nodded and listened carefully. Greg felt a little bad for dumping his problems on this person but they had asked. The fucker deserved everything he heard for being a nosey English person. It wasn’t his fault he had a messed up life. The stranger took a breath and smiled. “Mate, why did you let her go?” Greg creased his brow and moved his glasses up his face. This was getting more personal than he could handle. Greg didn’t like personal all that much. “Because she handed me the divorce papers. Didn’t have much choice...” The stranger shook their head. “No. Not your wife. The other girl. The one you let slide.” Greg took a deep breath. For some reason, that comment had winded him. It hurt to think that he gave up such a great prize. Oh shit...he had given her up. “I don‘t know. I guess sometimes, you have to hurt the ones you love. I loved her and I hurt her.”
A silence hung over the pair. The sky was now purple in colour and the sun had almost disappeared. The moon was rising to the east but it was barely visible. Greg coughed and then broke the silence. “Well, on that note...” He went to get up from the bench but the stranger stopped him by reaching out a hand. A hand with scarlet coloured nails. That nail polish sent wheels turning. It was so familiar. He sat back down. “Don‘t run away. It hurt enough the first time.” At that point, the strangers voice changed into a much more familiar accent. A soft British accent that sounded innocent even in middle age. Like butter wouldn’t melt. Like the mewing of a tiny kitten. Greg’s breath caught in his chest. “J...Josie?”
The stranger lifted her hands up to her face and removed the dark glasses, revealing beautiful brown eyes that twinkled in the twilight. She then reached up for the top hat and pulled it off. Her shoulder length hair unravelled and rested neatly on upper back. It was Josie all along. Greg was speechless. “Josie...what are you...Josie?” Josie giggled and took hold of Greg’s left hand that had been resting on his thigh. “Jen called me. No idea how she got my number but we had a long chat. She told me that she hated to see you so depressed and that you only wanted me.” Josie felt tears well up in her eyes as she spoke. Everything she had wanted for 20 years was finally coming true. “She also mailed me this.” Josie then let go of Greg’s hand and reached into the lapel of her trench coat. She pulled out a Valentines card. Red with ribbons and shit. It was the Valentines card!
Greg couldn’t believe it. Jen had outdone herself for him and he loved her for it. He would thank her when he got home but right now, he had to say something or she might think him mute. “That card was intended for you 15 years ago. I learned calligraphy and everything.” Josie giggled at his tone as more tears of joy poured out of her eyes. Greg felt himself start to well up. No more words were needed. Josie placed both hands on either side of Greg’s face and pulled him close. Greg cupped Josie’s smaller face between his large hands and leaned in. Their lips met softly and they kissed sweetly yet longingly. This kind of kiss had been a long time coming and neither was going to waste it.
Greg caressed his lips with hers and swept his tongue over her mouth. She opened her mouth for him and their tongues met in the middle, dancing together in sweet harmony. Their tears ran down their faces in streams and mingled in the middle, creating a shimmering pool of emotion between them. When they parted, Greg placed his hand behind Josie’s head and pulled her into his chest. She laced her hand with his and their fingers intertwined between them. They played with each other’s fingers and the sun finally bowed out to reveal the moon, bathing the two in a silvery glow. ‘Now’ Greg thought, ‘my life is perfect.’
Author(s): Beccie
Character(s): Greg, Josie, Jen
Rating: PG
Summary: Sometimes you have to hurt the ones you love
Authors’ Notes: For the lovely
fbrobey for Secret Astronomer. A bit of Greggy/Josie angsty fluffy goodness! Yippee!Greg pulled his coat tighter around his middle-aged body as he walked along the path in his favourite park. He had always loved parks. They were quiet, serene places that helped him to wind down after a stand-up gig in The Purple Onion or an improv gig at The Comedy Store. The chilly British air bit but Greg didn’t care. He hadn’t felt for years.
Don’t get me wrong! He had an amazing life. A successful stand-up comedy career; exclusive membership to The Improv All-stars with Drew and co.; a beautiful wife. Yeah...his life was pretty much perfect...to an outsider. But to Greg, he lived for his time in England. He loved it here. The understated beauty of the place that you could only find if you looked for it. He loved performing with The Comedy Store Players as it reminded him of the old days. The days when he lived off a dime a day and loved every minute of it. And then there was Josie...
He sat down on a nearby bench that was situated on the top of a hill. The sun was setting in the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the horizon. The swans were swimming towards their little island to call it a day with their families. Perfect life. Pretty much like his really. Really? The thing is, he loved Jennifer. Really loved Jennifer. She was his best friend and could understand him better than anyone. But it wasn’t the same. Not the same as 15 years previous when he was a young buck in London. There was only one girl for him back then and, sadly, it wasn’t his wife.
Someone sat down on the bench next to him but he really wasn’t interested. His mind was swamped. His wife knew about his feelings for that auburn haired beauty. She had heard him mumble her name in his sleep. She had seen a couple of ‘secret’ kisses backstage in the ‘Britline’ days. Heck! She received the wrong Valentine from Greg once. An ornate card written in a calligraphy pen. A far cry from the cheapo Clintons card Greg usually bought for herself. But she put up with it. All the way until they moved back to America. She asked for a divorce and he reluctantly agreed. They still lived together to this very day; in separate beds of course. Anyone would believe they were still married. Just the way Greg wanted it.
The person sat beside Greg shifted and he looked across for the briefest of seconds. The person was most likely a man but was quite small in build. They wore a top hat and beige trench coat. Their face was obscured by shadows. They looked very similar to Rorschach from the ‘Watchmen’ comics. Something mysterious yet unnerving about them. They caused him to shiver but he was unsure why. He decided to disregard the person all together and turned his attention back to the sunset. The sun had shifted lower in the sky and now was emitting a deeper pink colour. That colour always reminded him of the ‘Whose Line’ logo under bright lights. Oh how he wished he could turn the clocks back to 15 years earlier. He missed the UK ‘Whose Line’. They were such simple days of Clive bashing and being considered a star of the show. Not something Drew had decided to buy and ’refurbish’. It was raw. It was gritty. It was controversial. It was perfect. He had never wanted things to change. All he wanted was the early days and Josie. He sighed in upset.
The person next to him looked across at him. He felt the eyes burning into his skull. “Tough night eh?” The person in the coat had spoken up and this took Greg by surprise. He looked up and his eyes met sunglasses; at 7:30 in the evening? That was odd, even for the British. But then again, they wore socks and sandals as a combo. He shrugged it off and sighed again. “You could say that...” Greg said, a hint of sadness in his voice. The person turned their body slightly so that they were facing in his direction completely. He took a good look. Curves? He was starting to wonder if this was actually a man. As a matter of fact, those curves looked almost familiar. “Lady problems?” Greg thought it nosey of this person to pry but for some reason, he wanted to open up. He wanted to talk. He grabbed a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. He offered the stranger a cigarette but they refused. Shrugging, he lit up and started to tell his story.
“Well, yeah sort of. I made a huge mistake years ago and London always reminds me of what a fool I was...” He couldn’t believe he was telling a stranger his problems on a park bench. All he needed was some stubble and a whiskey bottle in a paper bag. The stranger nodded their head. “Elaborate.” Greg was taken aback by this. Now this was delving too deep. “Umm...I really don‘t know you. Why should I tell you?” The stranger shrugged their slim shoulders and presumably looked him in the eye through their sunglasses. “I’m curious.” Greg wanted to slap this wise guy’s mouth, stupid nosey bastard. However, Greg did the exact opposite. He threw his cigarette butt to the ground and exhaled the last bit of smoke before continuing.
“Well, about 15 years ago, I bought a Valentines card for my wife. At the same time, I bought one for another girl. A beautiful red one with ribbon and shit. Anyway, she never received that card. Maybe it was fate interfering, telling me I was married and had no right to lead this other girl on. Five years later, that girl practically disappeared out of my life and my wife presented me with divorce papers. Now here I am. I see my girl every so often but it’s not nearly enough. I still live with my ex-wife who is my confidante and all I live for is my work and that yearly week.”
The stranger had nodded and listened carefully. Greg felt a little bad for dumping his problems on this person but they had asked. The fucker deserved everything he heard for being a nosey English person. It wasn’t his fault he had a messed up life. The stranger took a breath and smiled. “Mate, why did you let her go?” Greg creased his brow and moved his glasses up his face. This was getting more personal than he could handle. Greg didn’t like personal all that much. “Because she handed me the divorce papers. Didn’t have much choice...” The stranger shook their head. “No. Not your wife. The other girl. The one you let slide.” Greg took a deep breath. For some reason, that comment had winded him. It hurt to think that he gave up such a great prize. Oh shit...he had given her up. “I don‘t know. I guess sometimes, you have to hurt the ones you love. I loved her and I hurt her.”
A silence hung over the pair. The sky was now purple in colour and the sun had almost disappeared. The moon was rising to the east but it was barely visible. Greg coughed and then broke the silence. “Well, on that note...” He went to get up from the bench but the stranger stopped him by reaching out a hand. A hand with scarlet coloured nails. That nail polish sent wheels turning. It was so familiar. He sat back down. “Don‘t run away. It hurt enough the first time.” At that point, the strangers voice changed into a much more familiar accent. A soft British accent that sounded innocent even in middle age. Like butter wouldn’t melt. Like the mewing of a tiny kitten. Greg’s breath caught in his chest. “J...Josie?”
The stranger lifted her hands up to her face and removed the dark glasses, revealing beautiful brown eyes that twinkled in the twilight. She then reached up for the top hat and pulled it off. Her shoulder length hair unravelled and rested neatly on upper back. It was Josie all along. Greg was speechless. “Josie...what are you...Josie?” Josie giggled and took hold of Greg’s left hand that had been resting on his thigh. “Jen called me. No idea how she got my number but we had a long chat. She told me that she hated to see you so depressed and that you only wanted me.” Josie felt tears well up in her eyes as she spoke. Everything she had wanted for 20 years was finally coming true. “She also mailed me this.” Josie then let go of Greg’s hand and reached into the lapel of her trench coat. She pulled out a Valentines card. Red with ribbons and shit. It was the Valentines card!
Greg couldn’t believe it. Jen had outdone herself for him and he loved her for it. He would thank her when he got home but right now, he had to say something or she might think him mute. “That card was intended for you 15 years ago. I learned calligraphy and everything.” Josie giggled at his tone as more tears of joy poured out of her eyes. Greg felt himself start to well up. No more words were needed. Josie placed both hands on either side of Greg’s face and pulled him close. Greg cupped Josie’s smaller face between his large hands and leaned in. Their lips met softly and they kissed sweetly yet longingly. This kind of kiss had been a long time coming and neither was going to waste it.
Greg caressed his lips with hers and swept his tongue over her mouth. She opened her mouth for him and their tongues met in the middle, dancing together in sweet harmony. Their tears ran down their faces in streams and mingled in the middle, creating a shimmering pool of emotion between them. When they parted, Greg placed his hand behind Josie’s head and pulled her into his chest. She laced her hand with his and their fingers intertwined between them. They played with each other’s fingers and the sun finally bowed out to reveal the moon, bathing the two in a silvery glow. ‘Now’ Greg thought, ‘my life is perfect.’