Here we go again. Over a decade ago, I wrote (and thought I completed) a story called "Breaking Through." It was the height of "Brokeback Mountain"'s influence and there were a slew of other Jake Gyllenhaal-related stories here on Nifty. The old story isn't on the archives any longer, but the characters haven't escaped my mind, even after all this time. So, I decided that in the light of "Call Me By Your Name," another great short story that's sweeping the world, I decided that it was time to revisit the narrative that I'd started. There will be some continuity issues, but that's to be expected since I can't bear to reread my own work. There will also be some artistic license taken, so real life may not match up with the fictions herein. This is in no way a representation of these characters and their true sexuality. Usual disclaimers apply.
Please send any feedback, complaints, and correspondence to breakingthroughstory@gmail.com. I'm looking forward to continuing this creative endeavor in the new year and hope to rebuild the sense of community that had been established the first time around between readers and writers. The chapters will be shorter, I'm not sure if there will be explicit sex scenes this time around and I'll probably use too many commas and em dashes. I don't have a proofreader. You've been warned. Happy reading!
A quick primer for the uninitiated: Jake Gyllenhaal and fictional character Christopher Lewis, a novelist, began a somewhat turbulent relationship. This new story will take place in a loose version of the present day and most of the main ideas from the first go-round will remain, for the most part. Jake is still an actor and Chris is still a writer, but with a 10-year jump in time, some things have changed. The new story will do away with a lot of the tertiary characters in the old narrative, as well.
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Chapter 2
"A few more guys have entered the running," Diablo said through the phone. Chris was walking along the Venice canals. It wasn't Santa Barbara, but it was definitely closer to L.A. and he'd decided it was far enough away from the main parts of the city that he could deal with it. Plus, he loved walking along the water. There were a lot of people walking their dogs and he liked being able to look into peoples' houses at night, when everyone leaves their lights on and forgets to close their drapes.
"I think that you should have them test with Elizabeth before we get everyone together again. It's tough to get Jean-Marc down here," he explained. "I don't want to waste his time." There were other perks of living outside of the usual celebrity spots, too. If studios were still willing to have him stay in hotels so things would be more "convenient" for everyone, he'd play along with that, too. During rush hour, which was basically all day, he could always use traffic as an excuse to get out of anything. It was equal parts rude and reclusive.
"Agreed," he heard, even though he was being distracted by a pair of corgis sitting at the front of their owners' paddleboards.
He and Jake hadn't sold the house in Santa Barbara, though. He used it as a sort-of writer's retreat, heading there when he really needed to get away from Los Angeles. Jake used it as a crash pad, but so did most of the Gyllenhaal family. Chris didn't mind, since it always seemed to work out for everyone. It meant he'd run into Maggie's kids, Gloria and Ramona, once in a while, too, so it was all the better.
"I still like the guys we've seen so far, but chemistry is important, so I don't think we can really jump on anyone yet. Plus, don't we have to talk about money? What if the movie can't afford them?"
"That's not for you to worry about," Chris heard. That was a relief. He always forgot that he was just consulting on some parts of the project. He was glad that other aspects of movie making were completely out of his hands. The studio executives were probably glad of that, too.
It was a change in his normal routine, this whole movie ordeal, but for once, Chris didn't mind. While he usually stuck to a very regimented schedule, which kept his writing in check and his editors happy, being bombarded with a new project, a new house, and plenty of other change should have given him a nervous breakdown. Instead, it was a welcome distraction.
Chris' new house wasn't exactly an architectural marvel, but it was more modern --Êand smaller -- than anything he'd ever lived in. With an entire wall of windows on two sides, every room had a view of the canals. It wasn't homey in any way he was used to, but it was a new-to-him home and he was happy for it. He'd read so much about how messy and angry divorces were. He was lucky in a lot of ways. Lucky he could go for jogs along the beach. Lucky that he hadn't been completely blacklisted from the publishing industry for being extraordinarily mediocre and the movie industry for being a perpetual letdown. His agent had always said that he was only as good as his last book, but it looked like fate had managed to prove that adage wrong. At least for now, he was still as good as his first one.
"I didn't think you came out during the day," Chris heard a familiar voice just as he reached one of the bridges that spanned the canals.
"I didn't think you were back in California," Chris said back.
The friendship between Chris and Sebastian Stan was unlikely, since Jake and Sebastian didn't work in the same circles. But thanks to awards season, Chris did bump into Sebastian once or twice. Then, Chris moved to Venice, which he thought was celebrity-free; only to find out that it was teeming with them, including one Winter Soldier.
Sebastian shrugged before leaning against the bridge's guardrails. "I'm here and I'm glad to be. Do you still have my wok?"
"I do," Chris said, taking a spot on the bridge right across from Sebastian. "And I still don't have one of my own."
"Take your time. I'm probably not stir-frying anything soon."
"Me either, unless Blue Apron wants me to."
Chris appreciated the fact that one of his neighbors was such a nice guy. He simply appreciated the fact that one of his neighbors actually talked to him. It was pretty common for people to basically ignore people who lived just a few yards away from them, which wasn't the case in Santa Barbara.
"I heard from my agent that you're working on something," Sebastian said, pulling his sunglasses to the top of his head. He looked tired, Chris noted.
"It was in 'The Hollywood Reporter,'" Chris said. "You might want to get a new agent."
"I thought we were friends," Sebastian said as he offered up a pout.
"You've got six Marvel movies to make," Chris said, rolling his eyes. "Do you want to come over for the wok? I have leftovers, too, if that's appealing."
"Leftover Blue Apron or leftover take-out?"
"You wouldn't be able to tell the difference, I'm that good when everything comes pre-measured. It's the Ikea of food."
Chris liked having Sebastian around. Not only was he a great guy, he was a great sounding board. Asking Jake things now and then was fine, but sometimes, having a neutral body was a very good thing. Sebastian may have a big Marvel contract, but he was still flying under-the-radar, so he saw things differently. Chris found himself picking Seb's brain pretty often.
"I don't think you're being too picky," Sebastian said just before they reached Chris' front door. "I just think it's a good idea to forget about those kids. Why waste your time? They're wasting their time, too."
Nodding, Chris unlocked the door and welcomed Sebastian inside. They'd hung out plenty of times before, right at the kitchen island. Very rarely had Chris' personal life come up, which was a relief to him, and the same went for Sebastian's. All Chris knew was that he had a girlfriend, liked to jog in the morning, and really enjoyed Stella Artois. Chris kept a six-pack in the fridge just for Seb after he brought it up during an impromptu grilling session. The Santa Maria-style barbeque should have been easy for Chris, who grew up eating it, but it proved to be more of a challenge for both of them than they'd expected. At least their neighborhood had good restaurants. They discovered that night that nothing brings two guys together like the combination of failure and hunger.
Being that they were new friends, Chris didn't know whether or not bringing up his situation with Armie Hammer would be appropriate. Instead, he sat back and enjoyed hearing about Sebastian's latest adventures with his "Avengers" friends. With big names and even bigger budgets, it was far more exciting than anything he'd ever worked on, even when he tagged along to Jake's projects. It was a whole different world.
"I can introduce you to the whole group one day. Maybe you can come to the wrap party," Sebastian suggested. "It's a good time, even if you're just watching from the sidelines."
"I'd like that," Chris said, even though he was sure an invite to something that big would never materialize. Now that he wasn't Jake Gyllenhaal's plus one, big-ticket events weren't really filling up his iCal.
"Can I get a copy of the book," Sebastian asked. "I like to read them before I see the movie."
"You've got a while to read it, then," Chris said. "But, yes. I can get one to you. I probably have one upstairs somewhere."
"I've never seen your upstairs," Sebastian said.
"Only my cleaning lady has," Chris said quickly. "But you're more than welcome. It's a pretty exciting bedroom and office setup up there. Shall I lead the way?"
"Don't get fresh with me, Lewis."
"I would never," Chris said. "Straight guys aren't my thing. Grew out of that in high school."
"Our loss," Sebastian said, following Chris up the stairs. The house was pretty open downstairs, with the living room flowing into the kitchen and a smaller family room. But upstairs, it was a more standard setup. There was a small landing at the top, where Sebastian saw a classic Eames lounger and a tiny table before Chris stopped.
"That's my bedroom," Chris said, pointing down one side of the house. "And this is the office," he said as he led Sebs into the other room. "Where there should be a book I can give you."
"No boys allowed in the bedroom?" Sebastian asked.
Chris rolled his eyes. "Don't tease me."
"Honestly, I just wanted to know if I could see my house from up here," Sebastian said, grinning. Chris motioned towards his closed door and Sebastian took it as an okay to step into the hallowed ground. Just like Sebastian imagined, it was neat and tidy. He swung open the floor-to-ceiling drapes and peered out over the canals. While his own house faced towards the ocean, Chris' faced inland. And there it was: across the canal and a few houses down, he saw his own home. The angle didn't allow for either one of them to see anything, but he could clearly see his house.
"I never thought to look for your house," Chris said. "Am I going to have the honor of seeing your bedroom?"
"It's not as exciting as you think," Sebastian said, "if you think about it at all."
"Who hasn't thought about Sebastian Stan's bedroom?"
"You just said you weren't into straight guys."
"Touche."
In addition to the bed, Sebastian noticed a smaller armchair. He walked over to it and angled it so that it was facing toward the window, aimed right over at his house. "Now you can see when I'm home. We don't have to keep meeting on the bridge."
"I was about to put a padlock on the bridge to commemorate the love we share," Chris said. "And now that you've succeeded in creeping me out, let's get you that book."
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