And Everything In Between... How It Ended - G/R RPS
by Phobosgirl

Ok, lemme explain a tad, first. This is part of a Gale/Randy story that is told in three sections- somewhere during the filming of the first season, the hiatus between seasons 2 and 3, and sometime in the future.

Because each part could hold its own as a stand-alone, I've sort of been writing all three simultaneously over the last couple of days. Then I hit a snag. I finished the middle section (the part that takes place between season 2 & 3) but the other two parts stalled. Badly. As in, may never recover. I love a lot of each of them, but one of them started to get fucking BORING and the other one just sort of... I dunno, trailed off into nothing.

So, I'm posting the middle part as a stand-alone. Perhaps one day, I'll find what's needed to finish the other 2 sections and post the whole thing as a complete story. The Story title was called, "And Everything In Between". The first section, the part that takes place in the future, was called, "What Came After", the last part, that took place in the middle of season 1 filming, was called, "How It Began" and the part you're about to read is called "How It Ended".

WARNING: ANGST AHOY! Remember when Gale "came out" as a straight man for the first time, in a magazine article? And remember how, (EDIT) two months later, Randy met Simon when he interviewed him for New York Magazine? And remember how, when season 3 started again, the chemistry between Gale and Randy had changed? Yeah, I remember, too...



How It Ended

"Did you fuck him?" Gale's soft voice floated through the darkness between them.

"Gale, it's late," Randy sighed, "not tonight, ok?"

"The writer. Did you fuck him? If you did, just tell me. I'd rather have the truth."

Randy was silent a long time, making Gale wonder if he'd simply chosen to ignore the question and had gone to sleep. Finally, Randy rolled to his back, eyes wide and staring at the ceiling lit faintly by the streetlamp outside.

"We don’t have to have this conversation." Randy sounded tired. Gale was, too. Tired of the same argument they'd been having for months, tired of never having a solution that didn't rob him of one of the two things in his life that meant the most to him, tired of waiting for this particular shoe to drop.

Gale knew the truth.

"Why him?"

Randy turned his head, knowing that Gale was watching his profile in the dark. He looked back at him, let him see the why.

"New York Magazine, even. He's famous," Gale conceded.

"You're famous, " Randy countered gently.

"He's an intellectual," Gale prodded.

"Gale, you're the smartest person I've ever met."

"He looks like a troll, Randy."

Randy laughed softly and reached out a hand, stroked the backs of his fingers down Gale's face.

"He doesn't look like a troll."

"Then why?"

"You really want me to say it?"

"Yes, I want you to say it."

"He's out, Gale." Randy's tone expressed his frustration.

"You always said it was my decision when I should come out."

"I did."

"Then what?"

"It's my decision how long I can live with that."

Gale rolled to his back, turning his face away from Randy.

"And you can't, anymore."

"No. Maybe. I don't know, Gale."

Gale breathed quietly, in and out, in and out, trying to calm his frightened heart.

"Are you in love with him?"

"No." Gale could tell he meant it. "But I could be, one day."

Gale felt tears sting the backs of his eyes and he fought to keep them from emerging.

"Ok," he said, and turned his back on Randy, rolling towards the window and staring out of it at the empty street beyond.

"Gale, I'm in love with you. I have been since day one. But I don't want to be hidden away, anymore. You can understand that, can't you?" Randy placed a gentle hand on Gale's shoulder, a small attempt to reassure the man. Gale didn't react, didn't reach up and clasp the small fingers in his much larger ones, couldn't accept comfort.

"Everyone who's important knows," Gale reminded him.

"But I can't kiss you in public. I can't take your hand when we walk down the street. I can't go to your premiers or sit next to you in a restaurant when it's just the two of us, or lay my head on your shoulder in the movie theatre."

"You have me in all the ways that count the most." Gale's voice had gone so quiet that Randy had to lean close to hear him.

"Except the one where you take pride in acknowledging our relationship to the rest of the world."

"It's not the rest of the world's fucking business!"

"Then why did you tell that magazine reporter you were straight?"

A direct hit. Gale drew his knees up to his chest, closing in on himself.

"You're asking me to choose between you, and everything else in my life. How fair is that?"

"Not everything, Gale."

"Yes, everything! You and my career, that's all I have in the world, Randy!"

"Oh my god, that's not true, you big drama queen," Randy's gentle voice chided affectionately. He rolled towards Gale, spooning up behind him, ignoring the uninviting stiffness of Gale's body. "You have family, and friends, and a home. Those things aren't nothing."

Gale didn't speak. Randy wrapped his arms around him, warming him against his will.

"I'm going to lose you, Randy. I already have." The flat statement hung in the air.

"Not yet," Randy whispered into his hair. He reached around Gale's waist, sliding his hand lower. "I'm still here right now."

Later, Gale refused to hate the way he took every last second Randy offered him. It had been worth it.

fin