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Joel was bored. And his stupid connect 4 game was not satisfying his boredom.
What he really wanted to do was scroll through Instagram or something, but he can’t because Etho’s new movie just came out and it was all anyone was talking about.
That was the real pain about dating other people in the industry, they’re always everywhere.
If you had asked Joel six months ago if he was excited for Etho’s movie, he would’ve said yes, but that was only cause he was still dating Etho at the time.
Now he was moping in his apartment as his ex did promotional interviews for the “movie of the summer” with fricken Bdubs.
“America’s perfect couple” or some bullshit
As much as Joel wanted to, he couldn’t blame Bdubs for the break up. It wasn’t his fault that the internet assumed him and Etho were dating.
And for the first part of their relationship, people shipping “Ethubs” didn’t bother Joel. Mostly because Bdubs had a husband, the couple just wanted to keep that a secret. But when Bdubs accidentally slipped and mentioned his long term partner, everyone had assumed it was Etho.
What had bothered Joel was them playing into it in public.
Sure, Bdubs was Etho’s best friend, closeness comes with that. And Joel was not going to be the jealous boyfriend who ends the friendship. But after a while Joel just couldn’t take it. So Joel took himself out of the story. No harm, no foul and Etho could keep up Bdubs’ charade with no guilt.
And now all Joel wanted was to not think about any of it, so he shot a text off to Jimmy saying “bored. bring food, will pay” and figured he had at least an hour before Jimmy would come to entertain him.
Later that night, during their post-movie phone scroll, Jimmy sat straight up on the couch. “Shit, Joel, did you see this?” to which Jimmy showed him a TikTok Etho’s movie’s promotional team had made.
The video showed Bdubs and Etho giving a tour of their individual trailers, made months prior while they were still filming. Joel looked up at Jimmy, “so Etho made a TikTok. Why are you showing this to me?”
“Keep watching”
The video continued until a certain part of Etho’s tour when the image stopped and the green screen outline of some random girl’s head in the bottom popped up.
“Guys, if you look in the background of this shot you can clearly see this picture”
The background changed from being the full shot of the video, to a zoomed in semi-blurry shot of one of the picture frames in the background.
A frame with a picture of Joel in it.
“Shit”
“You may be asking, who is in this photo? Well it’s non other than the famous British actor, Joel Beans” the video cut to the previous framed picture and another shot of Joel, his green streak full on display in both.
His agent was right when she said that’d come back to bite him in the butt.
“Why does Etho have a picture of Joel in his trailer? I say they’ve got to be dating”
Then the video cut off and restarted.
“Jimmy?”
“Yeah?”
“How many people have seen this video?”
“Ummm, maybe like 2 million?”
“Fuck”
Joel opened his phone to twitter, which showed him a flooded inbox.
Half of it filled with posts that had tagged him, all pointing out other objects in Etho’s trailer that related to Joel or moments from older interviews that accidentally hinted at them dating each other. One particular interview caught his eye.
It was from recently. During some interview, Bdubs was asked about the movie he just recently announced. A movie that he was doing with Joel.
When the interviewer brought it (and Joel) up, Etho had made a face. And, even though Joel couldn’t place the expression, the internet had a lot to say about it.
And the internet had a lot to say about their thoughts on Joel’s relationship, most of those being how they didn’t like it.
The other half of his inbox was filled with threats and mean comments about how he was getting in the way of Etho and Bdubs.
Joel honestly didn’t care. All he wanted was to not hear about his ex, not to be bullied for a relationship almost half a year after it had ended.
He threw his phone away. Internet people cared to much.
——
There Joel sat on the couch of some random Tonight Show, next to Bdubs, promoting his own “movie of the summer”
“So Bdubs, how is it to be in the ‘most anticipated movie of the year’ two years in a row?” The host, Jack, asked
“It really is an honor! And Joel has been so lovely to work with.” Bdubs praised “He’d be even more lovely to work with if he took the horse thing out of his contract”
“Oh come on, that’s the best part of the industry!” Joel argued
“The horse contract?” The host questioned
Bdubs leaned in close, like he was telling a secret “In every movie Joel’s in, a horse dies”
The audience gasped, Joel just jumped straight to defense, “It’s a trademark! An Easter egg of sorts! No actual horses get hurt”
“I still think it’s sad” Bdubs pouted
“You think it’s sad that not all buses get to park in a garage”
“I just think they get lonely!”
“Okay” the host laughed “your relationship sure is strong, and that’s exactly perfect for the brothers you play in this movie. But Bdub’s, your last co-star, was someone you both had a seemingly romantic relationship with, did that affect you and Joel’s ability to work together on this project?”
“Well Jack,” Joel answered “Bdubs and I have been friends for a long time. And even if we did have some personal conflicts, which we don’t, we’re both professionals and can get over it”
“Also, I never had a romantic relationship with Etho” Bdubs added
“You didn’t? But back in 2017 you mentioned him as your long term partner?” Jack questioned
“Actually, the internet just assumed that. I’m actually married, and have been for the last five years” Bdubs said nonchalantly
The entire room gasped, shocked by this news. Jack quickly recovered “Well you heard it here first folks, famed actor Bdubs is married! And not to Etho Slab!”
Joel patted Bdubs on the leg. While the man acted cool about announcing it, revealing his marriage was something that was not easily decided.
“So Bdubs, any hints on your husband?”
“I’m sorry Jack, you’ll have to get me back for another interview to learn that” Bdubs laughed
“Darn! Well if Etho wasn’t dating Bdubs does that mean the ‘scandal’ from last summer was true Joel? Are you and Etho Slab dating?” Jack turned his attention to Joel.
Joel hesitated, choosing his words carefully, this was live television “Sorry but I’m not quite the dating type! Etho and I are not are not romantically involved, and I don’t see us ever being involved.” Joel looked straight into a camera “He’s not responsible enough for me to even think about it!” Joel laughed
“Ah a real shame for all those Boat Boy fans out there! Maybe next year, you’ll be here to announce your secret marriage!” Jack joked
Both Bdubs and Joel gave a semi strained laugh “Maybe!”
God talk shows sucked.
——
Joel woke up by a knock on his New York apartment door. He checked his clock ‘5:14 am’. Too early for any reasonable thing.
He had gotten out of that horrid talk show way too late, and now he wanted to only be in bed for the next 3 days.
But again, who knocks on the door at five in the morning if it’s not urgent.
Joel dragged himself off his warm, cuddly bed and to his front door. He opened his door, prepared to see some fireman telling him his apartment building was burning down, but instead it was a very frazzled looking Etho.
“Joel did you really mean what you said?” He frantically asked.
Joel looked at him groggily “what did I say?”
“On the talk show last night. Did you mean it?”
“Did I mean what? Etho do you know what time it is?”
“No?” Etho looked down at his watch “Oh my god, I’m sorry, I just got off a plane and came straight here. You don’t want to talk to me, I’ll go.” Etho rambled
“No, no” Joel grabbed his sleeve, dragging Etho into the apartment. “I’m awake now, come in. I just need some coffee, do you need anything?”
“No, I’m fine.” Etho said quietly
“Great. You were on a plane? What’d you come in town for?” Joel asked as he bustled his way through the kitchen
“I-It was sort of a last minute trip? I came after I saw the interview” Etho admitted
“Why? You knew Bdubs was married already” Joel said as he made his was to sit next to Etho at the table
“Well it was more after what you said.”
“What I said?” Joel thought for a moment “about the horse thing?”
“No. When he questioned our relationship”
“About you not being responsible enough? Ah sorry if that ruins any other relationships for you, I’ve was just trying to dodge, y’know”
“No Joel, I don’t really care about future relationships” Etho looked so sad, and so sincere “did you mean it when you said you would never consider dating me?”
“Oh”
Oh
Joel was a little taken back. He’d like to say that he had moved on from Etho, but he really hadn’t. He missed almost everything about dating him, and Joel hadn’t dated anyone since.
But Joel wasn’t about to cave. He and Etho were just friends, and they needed to stay that way.
“O-Oh come on, we’ve already dated. Been there, done that.” Joel let out a weak laugh, turning away “Right?”
“Joel, I still love you.” Joel turned back, wide eyed, to see Etho’s expression that told him it was the truth
“We- no, you can’t” Joel pleaded
“I know I messed up in the past, but I’ll be better, I want to be better for you”
“But are you just saying that because there’s no Bdubs to defend? Because you don’t need to keep his secret anymore?” Joel accused
“I didn’t want to keep his secret anymore! Four months before we broke up, I told Bdubs that I didn’t want to be caught up in the lie anymore. That the only one I wanted to be associated with was you.” Etho took Joel’s hands in his, “I love you Joel”
Joel stared down at their entwined hands “No. if you still love me that means I went through all of that for nothing”
“All of what?”
“Don’t act like you didn’t see it Etho. All the hate comments, the attacks, them accusing me of being a ‘home wrecker’. I didn’t deserve that Etho.”
“You’re right, you didn’t. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect you. But please let me protect you now. I want to be someone you can rely on.”
Joel looked at the man, the man who was his everything, the man he had spent months trying to get over, the man he loves.
Was it worth it doing this again?
Joel stood up, Etho’s eyes following him and Joel stood in front of the seated man. He reached down and kissed him.
Their lips slotted together exactly like they had a year and a half ago, as if nothing had happened between them.
When they parted, Etho let out a soft “Joel” as Joel kept their foreheads together.
“I still love you too. I never stopped.” Joel admitted “I want you to protect me, I want to be someone you can rely on as well. I want you.”
Etho hugged Joel’s sides, pulling him onto his lap, before kissing him again.
And it really felt like home.
Etho pulled away, cuddling into Joel’s side “I really missed you”
“I missed you too. So much so I even started to watch your movies” Joel teased
“You did? You watched my new one?” Etho asked surprised
“Yeah, it wasn’t very good.”
“Hey!”
Joel laughed, this really was home.