Chapter Text
Marvin stared down at the wooden bar in front of him, picking at a loose thread on his sleeve. He took a drink of his beer, grimacing at the taste. He hated beer - the taste made him nauseous - despite this, he always chose it. It was the "manly" drink. His father, grandfathers, uncles... They all drank it, so naturally, he should too. 'It's an acquired taste, Marvin,' he remembered his father telling him, 'you'll grow to like it.' He tried not to overthink it, and just drink.
Marvin took another drink and mumbled, "Acquired taste, my ass."
He looked up from his drink, glancing at the exit. He debated whether he should stay or if he should just leave and wander the streets, waiting out the time left until midnight. Part of him was saying "You know this isn't right. You can't do this to Trina and Jason. Get out of here before you make a mistake you know you'll always regret."
But another, stronger part of him was telling him "There's no way they'll find out. You need this. The problem won't go away if you just keep ignoring it, so just do this, and you'll be done for good."
He glanced around the room and locked eyes with a man that made the decision easy. The pit of his stomach felt like it was on fire. The other man cocked an eyebrow and sauntered over to where Marvin was, taking the seat next to him.
"What's your name?" Marvin barely gave him enough time to sit before he choked out the question, saying the first thing that came to his mind.
"Someone's eager." The man laughed slightly, taking a sip of the cocktail in front of him. "Whizzer Brown," At Marvin's questioning eyebrow, he added, "Yes, that's my real name."
Marvin laughed and replied, "I'm Marvin."
Marvin hadn't even noticed the hand that had been placed on his thigh until it started moving, slowly inching upwards.
The touch startled him, causing him to jump. "Woah! I'm-I'm not-"
"Not gay?" The man raised an eyebrow, taking his hand away. Marvin couldn't help but feel disappointed at the loss of contact. "Alright then." He stood up, the barstool scraping against the floor.
"Wait, you're just going to leave?" Marvin questioned, slightly offended.
Whizzer shrugged, and replied, "There's no point to me staying, and I'm not going to waste any more of our time." He turned to leave but stopped when he felt a hand grab his wrist, a smirk growing on his face.
"Just... stay." Marvin tried not to sound desperate, but he was betrayed by the tone of his voice.
Whizzer sat back down and knocked back the rest of the cocktail in front of him. "Buy me another drink."
Marvin grinned and waved down the bartender.
After a few minutes, the hand returned to Marvin's thigh, but this time he couldn't commit to pushing it away.
The invitation was a lot less subtle than Marvin would have liked, but it was clear.
He couldn't find it in himself to refuse.
Warm summer air blew through the car's open windows as the two drove through the streets of San Junipero. The driver, having driven these same roads a million times before, was completely calm. The wind pushing his hair back and eyes fixed on the road, a cigarette hung from his lips. The passenger, on the other hand, felt like he couldn't breathe. Repeatedly, he went to twist the ring on his left hand - a nervous habit of his - and was met with nothing but his finger, a constant reminder that he shouldn't be doing this . He stared out the window, trying to focus on anything but his life outside of San Junipero.
Music played through the car's speakers, though neither of the men was paying any attention to it. Apart from that and the hum of the car itself, the car was silent. One found the silence comforting - an excuse to focus on the task at hand - but the other felt like he was underwater, unable to even breathe.
Usually, Marvin's nervousness would have him laughing his head off, unable to stop. His seizures never lasted long, but they definitely weren't something he needs now, of all times. Marvin cleared his throat, drawing Whizzer's attention.
"So... how long have you been in San Junipero?" He asked, unable to take the silence any longer.
"A few months." Whizzer replied, not taking his eyes off of the road. "I had started coming here in the early days when it was available to everyone in hospitals - rather than just the elderly - and ended up staying." His fingers drummed against the steering wheel. "What about you?"
Marvin stopped staring out the window and looked over at him. "Oh, I'm just passing through."
Whizzer snickered. "Wow. A closet case and a part-timer. I guess I hit the jackpot."
Marvin could feel the sarcasm of the other man's words, and while he wasn't completely sure of what the other man was saying, but he laughed along anyway.
Silence once again filled the car, the tension still remaining, but at least Marvin had his head above the water.
The two laid together, breathless and sated. Another cigarette rested between Whizzer's fingers. Marvin stared blankly at the ceiling, struggling to keep his eyes open.
"You really haven't slept with another man before?" Whizzer asked, taking a quick drag from his cigarette. after a beat, he rushed to add, "That wasn't a critique, by the way. That was great ."
Marvin laughed, and replied, "Yeah. That was my first time, I guess. I mean, I've only slept with anyone one other time."
Whizzer turned his head towards Marvin. “Really?”
Marvin nodded, rolling his head to the other side to glance at the clock. "It's almost midnight." He pointed out.
"I know," Whizzer replied, looking back up at the ceiling.
Marvin paused, turning his head once again and looking over at the man next to him. "Am I going to see you again?"
If he was being honest, Whizzer wasn't sure how to answer that. Usually, the answer was a flat-out no. But this guy wasn't going to stay, so what's the harm?
He smirked and responded, "We'll just have to see."
Whizzer didn't know how wrong he would be.
The two laid in silence as the remaining minutes ticked by, both staring at the ceiling above them. In the distance, they could hear the waves crashing on the ocean and the hum of the city.
As the clock flickered to 12:00, the world faded to black around Marvin and Whizzer was left alone in an empty bed.