Chapter Text
“Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan!” Jasper chimed with a wave as David’s parents got out of the car, walking towards where the campers were waiting to be picked up. “It’s so nice to meet you. I have to tell you, Davey has been a dynamo this summer. Color war champion, tidiest tent three weeks in a row…”
“I’ll explain all of that later,” David excused, turning to Jasper. “Jas, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure,” Jasper replied nonchalantly, though inside his heart was beating fast and he was fighting back giving the most wonderful person he’d ever met a great, big kiss.
David pulled the two of them aside, making sure his parents were out of earshot before he began talking. “So--uh, Jas, since this is the last day of camp--”
“Yes. Yes, it is. Where does the time go?” Jasper sighed lovingly with a smile, “Oh, David Buchanan, my lil’ Davey, Session B has been a whirlwind and you... you’ve been my rock. You know, up until this summer, I didn’t really know I was ever destined to love someone.”
“It… has been a really great summer, but--” He was cut off by Jasper’s mom honking her car horn impatiently. She’d arrived, and she didn’t want to wait any longer than absolutely necessary, as per usual.
Jasper groaned, turning to project his voice towards the car. “One second , mom!” He turned back towards David. “Let’s talk schedule! I can use my dad’s frequent flyer miles to visit you during Yom Kippur break--”
“--that’s great, but uh, what I was gonna say was…” he now had Jasper’s full attention, and it wasn’t easy. “Um, I got a lot of commitments coming up. Soccer, babysitting, I’m taking a few extra classes next year…”
“Mhm,” Jasper nodded obliviously, making things all the more difficult for David.
“Also, I just think we’re really different. You’re like… really dramatic and like… weird?” David said. When he was met with a confused glance, he breathed in deeply and sighed, resting a hand on his neck. “What I’m saying is, maybe we should take a break.”
“But… but I love you…” Jasper whispered, feeling his heart sinking into the deepest pits of his stomach.
“What’s going on?” Jasper’s mom exclaimed, marching up to the two wearing a look that read ‘I didn’t have coffee this morning and my patience is at zero’ . “Jasper, it’s time to go. I’m not going to just wait around like I’m your chauffeur.”
“Mom, hold on , conversation in progress!” Jasper retorted in frustration, gesturing between himself and David. Maybe the anger was misplaced, but David was trying to break up with him and Jasper wanted the time to show David that he could still be a good boyfriend. Even outside of camp, even with busy schedules, even miles apart… he could still be there for him. This didn’t have to be the end of it.
“That’s okay, I gotta go,” David excused, taking a step back towards his parents wearing a polite smile that was customary for strangers, or friends… not for people who shared the best summer of their life. Jasper’s frustration melted into desperation--David just wanted to end the conversation like that, he really did.
“No, no, you don’t gotta go,” Jasper said hurriedly. He could see the awkward gaze in David’s eyes, and knew he had to act quick, pointing to his mom with one hand, other hand flexed in anxiety. “ She gotta go. We--we’re still talking, right?”
“You’re a great kid, take care,” David replied softly, tentatively, backing away a few steps before turning and walking off as Jasper’s mom began dragging him to her car.
“What? What is he-- I’m not a kid! We’re the same age, Davey!” Jasper called desperately after him, struggling against his mom. He just needed the chance. He just needed to show David--to prove to David, he just needed five more minutes, five more minutes--
As the car departed from the camp’s parking lot, his mom began bombarding him with angry questions. Who is that boy? Why were you so desperate to stay? You didn’t get into any trouble, did you? Are you still a virgin? Jasper didn’t answer any of them. His head only spun, and his mind raced as the car puttered further and further away from Camp Campbell.
Ten years later, Jasper’s life was much different than he had ever thought it would be. Living in New York, working for a high-class law firm. His mom always wanted him to be a lawyer, and he was. Everything was great and fun.
However great and fun, Jasper’s apartment was possibly the most depressing sight, under-furnished and lonely. No curtains, no wall-coverings, no one bothered to take the time to make it look nice or presentable or anything but bland necessities. On the nightstand sat a row of prescription meds, along with a half-empty glass of water and sleeping pills. In the bed next to him was his computer, laying where another person might if his love life ever got better.
He looked over at the computer screen, hazily scanning over his dating profile: the one with a picture of a forced smile as the profile photo, with the rest of it blank. No interests, hobbies, and no notifications. He closed the page, revealing a medical site he’d kept open in the background just in case, titled ‘How long can a person go without sleep?’ before closing the lid of his laptop in defeat, expression as depressed as his apartment.
The television caught his attention, when one advertisement seemed a little louder than the rest. “Silky ribbons of butter with only 90 calories an ounce…” he wasn’t sure exactly why his gaze was attracted to the butter commercial, but he couldn’t help it, turning his head to watch as a giant knife spread butter on a bagel with a dreamy blue sky backdrop. “What are you waiting for? Spread it… indulge… ask yourself, when was the last time you were truly happy?
Jasper stared at the advertisement with his head tilted to the side, like a dog who’d heard an odd noise, wondering to himself; why was he so deeply struck by that butter commercial? Something inside him seemed to stir at that, but he couldn’t tell exactly what it was, or… why it was.
Jasper strode into the office as he always did--well-dressed, on time, staring at the paperwork he picked up from his box, and always walking as if he was late for something. His assistant stood from her desk, striding to keep up with him as he made his way to his office.
“‘Morning,” he greeted, stopping outside of the office as he shuffled the papers in his grip around, “Have the guys from Corcoran called back about the loan approval yet?” When he received no response, he looked up to see his assistant smiling brightly. He narrowed his eyes slightly--less so in concern, more so in (slightly) annoyed curiosity. “What? What’s wrong?”
“Laura wants to see you,” she said, clearly holding back some sort of laughter that Jasper had a difficult time identifying.
Jasper sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Oh god. Why?”
“You’re getting promoted. To partner ,” She said with glee, gesturing to where Laura stood with her company partner, smiling at Jasper. “ Right now. ”
Jasper looked over towards Laura, who waved. Even through the exciting news, he found himself not smiling, and instead he only felt emptiness in his chest, gut, and mind. “Now?”
“It’s a surprise, sorry, but I couldn’t help it,” the assistant admitted guiltily with a smile.
Jasper did a quick recap of the situation--he was working for one of New York’s most successful law firms, and he was about to be promoted to the highest position in the company--before he forced a smile. “Wow. This is so great! This is fantastic, right?”
The assistant nodded vigorously, failing to hide her bright smile. “Mh-hm!”
“I mean, this is just objectively fantastic--Like, on paper fantastic, right?” Jasper’s grin spread, and he laughed softly, face crinkling in thought. His gaze fell to the magazine in the assistant’s hands, and the advertisement on the back of it stood out to him. When was the last time you were truly happy?
Jasper looked at Laura, who seemed to be setting something up in the conference room, then back at the assistant, who was expectantly waiting for Jasper’s next words. Which… were nothing like what she thought. Jasper shook his head, starting to walk away. “I’m sorry. I just need to go get a smoothie.”
He began to walk more quickly out of the office--no, he almost ran out of the office, with an audience of confused lawyers, interns, and assistants watching after him. His assistant called out, “Where are you--”
“Didn’t eat breakfast. Need some quick protein,” Jasper lied, exiting the offices and taking the elevator to the ground floor.
When he’d left the building, he found himself almost jogging, breathing shallow as his mind racing. He traveled down to the alley, smile on his face, shaking his head at himself with a laugh. “I’m happy. I’m so happy. Mom’s gonna be so happy. This is what happy feels like. It’s great. Happy feels great and amazing.”
Jasper pressed his back against the wall of the miscellaneous building behind him and reached into his jacket, grabbing a bottle of prescription pills. He tried to open them, but his hands were shaking so badly that when the bottle opened, the pills scattered across the ground like so many pearls from a broken necklace. He groaned in frustration, throwing the empty bottle at the ground where it bounced once until it rolled to a stop at the gutter. He took a deep breath, sliding down the wall, clasping his hands together.
“Dear God, I don’t pray to you because I believe in science, but I don’t know what to do. Give me guidance. Please. I just need a sign.” Jasper took another deep breath in, and exhaled it out for good measure. When he opened his eyes, he looked up, and the first thing he noticed was a giant billboard plastered against the side of the building across the way, advertising imagery of a knife spreading butter on a bagel. When was the last time you were truly happy? read the billboard. Jasper furrowed his brows in confusion, exhaling the breath he didn’t know he was holding in. “What a weird ad campaign.”
The arrow-shaped sign beneath the billboard read ‘PARKING’ in faded, peeling letters. It twitched, catching itself for a moment, then one end fell, pointing down towards the street. Jasper followed the arrow, and… it seemed to be pointing to someone. Someone with red hair, and what looked like a cheery disposition… and… familiar. He looked really familiar. “Davey?”
Jasper picked himself off the ground and ran after him, slowing down to make sure he was presentable and didn’t seem like a creep running at him from the alley. He was sure it was David, so he smoothed down the front of his suit and made sure his hair was perfect before he called out the name again. “Davey!”
David turned back and it took him a moment before he recognized the well-dressed blonde in front of him, smiling broadly. “Jasper Martens, oh my god.”
“David Buchanan, appearing out of nowhere after ten years,” Jasper said with the broadest, most genuine smile he’s given in a long time. He felt his phone vibrate from a text message, but he ignored it. David was here. “That is so weird. So weird, right? So weird , haha!”
“You know, I always hoped I’d run into you one day,” David laughed a little, pocketing his phone as he turned to fully face Jasper. He looked the same as he did in summer camp, only much taller, and… much more handsome. His face had matured. Jasper could only wonder what else had matured. “We had such a great time that summer. You probably don’t even remember it…”
“I remember some…” Jasper started, not wanting to seem too eager, but he paused before laughing, admitting, “All of it. I remember all of it. Of course I do!” The two smiled for a moment, almost awkwardly, before Jasper continued. “So… you live in New York?”
“Yeah, for the past year or so,” David confirmed, shifting his weight from one side to the other..
“I can’t believe that. I had no idea you were here, we could have been hanging out…” Jasper trailed off breathlessly, exhaling, smiling. Cool it. You’re losing the cool.
“Yeah, we totally could’ve been,” The redhead agreed, .
“So, let’s campe that diem,” Jasper said, raising his arms in a shrug and wavering for a moment with a laugh. Maybe referencing the camp in such an obscure way wasn’t the best course of action, but it seemed like David got it. “The firm gave me tickets to the premiere of Rigoletto on Thursday--”
“Oh, man, I love plays but I’m…” David’s face cringed slightly, shrugging with an awkward smile. “This is kinda weird, I’m actually moving, like, this week.”
“New apartment, cool.” Jasper ignored a second phone vibration--longer, he missed a call--since he was much more invested in the man in front of him.
David shook his head. “No, I’m actually moving back home. “
It took Jasper a second to process this. Here was the love of his fifteen-year-old summer life, reunited after ten years, and he was moving out of town. “What?”
“Yeah, I have been trying to make it work here in the Big Apple and it’s been so tough, then one day I realized, why get stuck in a rat race? I mean, what’s the point, right?” David smiled, and his whole disposition cheered up when he imagined it. It made Jasper smile just to see him like that. “The thing is, it’s so awesome back home. So calm, so relaxed. Out there, everyone is like... I don’t know, it’s like they’re.... happy.”
“Happy…” Jasper echoed, glancing back to where the butter billboard was for a split second before he refocused everything on David again. “Where are you from, again?”
“Sleepy Peak!” David said with pride.
“Sleepy Peak. I remember that, right…” Jasper didn’t remember it. At all. “It’s near that one lake, right?”
“Exactly. I’m really excited to just take it easy, breathe for a while, get in touch with some old friends...” David trailed off, smiling, happy.
“Oh, friends! Fun,” Jasper commented. I don’t have friends.
“Man, if I’d known you’d turn out to be so successful and hot,” David gave a little laugh, looking to the side slightly, tilting his head at an angle while he rubbed his neck with his hand, “I let a good one get away, huh?” Jasper had to do everything in his power to keep himself from swooning. David was smiling. He continued, dropping his hand, “We really did have a lot of fun that summer, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, I was so… what’s the word…” Jasper was distracted by the sound of banging, and looked up into the office building, where his assistant was frantically gesturing for him to come back. “Alright, guess I gotta go, but let’s get a drink one night!”
“Uh. Moving,” David said sheepishly.
“Oh. Right.” Jasper reminded himself to die later for saying that.
“But if you ever head out West, look me up, okay? Here’s my number,” David said, and Jasper typed it into his phone with glee.
“Yeah, I’ll do that… it’ll be great,” Jasper said with a smile.
“Jasper, you are the hardest working young lawyer we’ve ever seen. You work 24/7, have never taken a sick day,” Laura said, and her partner nodded. “We know this job is your whole world. These are just some of the reasons we’d like to offer you the position of... Junior Partner.”
Jasper beamed at that, but it was empty. His gaze drifted out the window for a moment before it snapped back onto Laura, staring. “Laura, you are… so kind. Thank you.”
Laura smiled, and seemed as though she was going to say something more before Jasper continued.
”You know, time is a funny thing... Sometimes time itself tells you it’s time to move on to other moments in time…” he had no idea what he was saying, and ended up confusing himself as he rose from the stiff chair in the conference room, “And when that time arrives you can’t really predict it or explain it, you just have to obey the ticking clock that is destiny. And I think that this is that time.”
“What?” Laura asked, confused.
“Another opportunity has knocked on my door…” Jasper began, thinking of how to beat around the bush, nodding, “So I respectfully decline, I’m so sorry.”
“Is it another firm?” The other partner asked, furrowing his brows in confusion, folding his hands in front of him.
“...It’s best if we don’t talk about it,” Jasper dodged, “Goodbye.”
“Wait, just tell me, is it Cromwell?” Laura asked.
“It’s not in New York.”
“Boston, Chicago?” She was getting desperate, and she stood as well, taking a few steps towards Jasper.
“No, Laura…” Jasper grabbed his messenger bag, leaning in with the biggest smile on his face. “It’s where dreams live.”