Time After Time

Another month passed.

Sometimes Young Guns minus Gustav worked as a band, performing for a singer on some local clubs and bars. On the meantime, they all worked with casual jobs and for Rose, it was really interesting to see the guys were trying to be normal people who do casual job. They did job like counting the number of car that passed certain traffic light for certain amount of time, cashier on a supermarket, and even clerk at office supplies store.

Once in a while, some people recognise them.

Like a blond girl who talked to Rose when he work on a discount shop with Fraser and John. Rose was sorting out a bucket of glow in the dark pillows after Fraser asked her whether it was okay for him to take a small break now in the back. Rose nodded and then that blond girl stared at her for a while. Rose stared back at her, “Can I help you?”

“Haha, sorry, your friend there... looks like Fraser from Young Guns—it's a band, from UK and they're pretty much on hiatus now, but... yeah...”

Rose chuckled, “Really?”

Fraser came to them as he told Rose, “They need you in the back or something.” He looked at the girl who was talking to Rose and greeted her, “Hey, how're you doing?” Rose chuckled. “He said you look like Fraser from Young Guns,” she said as she made her way to the back. Fraser nodded, “Really? I look like him?” The last sight that Rose saw was Fraser saying, “I'm actually Fraser Taylor from Young Guns—yeaaah, I know, it's weird, I'm kind of working here now.” while the girl was trying so hard not to jump abnormally like hyperactive bunny and screaming 'Oh God, I met Fraser'.

Overall, everyone felt pretty satisfied with their current situation. They talked about it when Rose made the guys sit and eat dinner on the table instead of eating outside and getting drunk. Si said that he forgot how does it feels to being unable to doing whatever you want, because you're attending a shop and you need to serve people who go shopping there. Everyone experienced almost the same thing and Ben told a funny story where sometimes he fed up with some stupid customer and all he wanted to say is, 'I'm Ben from Young Guns and I'm not taking your shit!'

After dinner, everyone went to sleep because the guys had to work in Sydney tomorrow while Gustav and Rose were going to work in an office supplies shop not far from the city. Everyone went straight to bed except Fraser and Gustav who followed Rose home. Fraser want to spend more time with Lestat so all he did once three of them got into Rose's house was playing with the Samoyed. Gustav, on the other hand, followed her sort their schedule with their workplace.

When they done, it was already eleven at night and Fraser was sleeping with Lestat on the couch. Gustav and Rose laughed at Fraser who slept in the same pose with Lestat and they were attempted to draw Fraser's face with Rose's old Sharpie before they remember that Fraser is going to play guitar on public tomorrow in Sydney.

They sat together on the couch next to Fraser, tired but didn't want to sleep.

“I'm so happy for you,” Rose mumbled before she yawned. “Oh. Excuse me.” But then she looked a bit serious when she stared at Gustav, “Would you be angry if I'm being truly honest with you?”

He shook his head. All she could feel at that moment was fear. Fear that Gustav would eventually disgusted by what was she thinking about the current situation.

“Do you remember when we went to Gilbert's restaurant? Do you remember the times before that? Do you remember when there were only three of us, you, Lestat and me, living happily like there will be no future at all? I know that you were sad at that time and it was incurable. But I had you. You had me. And it was... everything. Just everything. I was so happy but sad that you would never be happy again.”

Rose looked up. She was filled with guilt.

“And now we know that you're going to sing again. Back being Gustav Wood before you met me. And that's magnificent. That truly is. I'm very happy for you but I... you know how human always tend to be selfish. Well, maybe not human. Maybe it's just me. It's like I've never taste happiness and it was just another word that someone in the past made up for something I don't understand before I met you. And then you need to go...”

She chuckled sadly.

“'It is scary to find someone that makes you happy, you start giving them all of your attention because they're what makes you forget everything bad that's going on in your life. They're the first person you want to talk to in the morning and the last one before you sleep just so you can start and end your day with a smile. It all sounds great to have that someone, but it's scary to think about how easily they could just leave and take that happiness away too when they go.' Have you heard about something like that? I have. And I never thought such thing would actually happen to me...”

She breathed heavily and she moved her face closer to his.

“But please do understand me when I say that I'm not going to hold you back. You should get that surgery and you should go back and doing what makes you happy—what you're supposed to do. You must, for the sake of your fans and everyone else. I already got more part time job starting next week and I'm gonna give that extra money to Young Guns so you can get the surgery as soon as possible. Let's do this, Gustav.”

Rose then stared down. She felt like she just said embarrassing thing, but then she felt his fingers on her chin, pulling her face up so they stare at each other again.

“I don't think I can be more impressed by you, Rose Lette. You just said one of the bravest thing I've ever heard. And I'm so glad that you said it—because I feel the same way. It is one fantastic life just to live here, having home, doing nothing but have fun—but I can't have two life and I know what's the right thing to do. Hey, we'll still be friend. I'll visit you when we have break. I'll visit you when we're touring in Australia. I'll call you. I'll send you email. I'll let you know that I'm happy and perfectly alright. I'm just... I'm glad that you said that—do you know what happens to things that you don't tell other people when you want to, Rose? You keep them inside and you let those words hurts you. You don't do that if you respect yourself—and that is why I'm glad you tell those words to me.”

Slowly, they moved closer to each other and when they both closed their eyes, a moment before their lips met, Fraser making sound in his sleep and they immediately pull back.

Gustav chuckled, “Almost forgot that Fraser's here.”

“Yeah,” Rose chuckled, trying to look as not disappointed as she can because she really wanted to kiss him. They both finally stood up. After Rose changed into one of her weird pyjama, Gustav was lying on the couch as mumbling, “I'm too weak to move. I'll just sleep here with Fraser and Lestat.”

Rose nodded and chuckled, “Good night, Gustav.”

“Good night, Rose.”


A week after that night, they were having their breakfast on the living room—that day was one of the day where they just eat cereal—when Rose announced.

“I'm going to meet my friend Michael today.”

“Who's this Michael?” asked Ben.

Rose shrugged. She looked a bit unwilling to explain further, “Oh, he was a friend of mine back in university. He did postgraduate on medical surgery and he told me he was interested in Gustav's case—the first in the world, right?”

Gustav nodded and he swallowed his cereal before he spoke, “You don't look like you're just meeting an old friend.”

Rose laughed nervously, “Do you remember the grey pyjama that I was wearing the other day? Michael is the... grey pyjama guy. I was going to give him that pyjama when we were still together, but then we broke up so... and he's a really great man now. He's a surgeon on a hospital in Sydney now and he said he won't mind driving all the way here just to talk about Gustav's unique case.”

“How old is he?” Si asked, rather curiously.

Somehow, Rose looked like she was guilty, “Uh... 31.”

Rose stared at the guys' expression (Si's mouth was hanging open, John looked like he was confused or angry—it was hard to tell, Fraser raised his eyebrows, Ben made that uh-oh-you're-in-big-trouble expression, and Gustav looked slightly annoyed) before she said, “I just realised that you guys have no idea all my ex-boyfriends are thirty something now.” Gustav looked more annoyed somehow, but then Rose was distracted by Si's question.

“Why are you dating grown men, Rose?” Si chuckled.

Rose shrugged, “I don't really know. They like me, I like their company, so I gave it a try.”

Fraser nodded, “And that explains the mother aura.”

“Yeah. Totally,” Ben nodded in agreement.


Somehow, they ended up deciding that they will see Michael together. They wait on a quiet cafe a couple street away from mall before he finally arrived in his cool black car.

Michael Jones-Andretti wasn't the most handsome person in the whole New South Wales state, but he sure had charm who made people whom he talks to listen to him closely, carefully. There was a similarities between Michael Jones-Andretti with blonde Gustav, except that they have different kind of face structure, Michael has more pointy nose, light coloured beard and moustache and he had heterochromia; his left eye was olive green but his right eye was light brown. His hair and blonde Gustav's hair was almost identical and they had almost same body structure, even though Michael was slightly more muscular. He was wearing dark suit with coat that falls perfectly into his broad shoulders. When they saw him coming, Rose mumbled.

“Yeah, he was almost always dressed in suit. He'd still look really formal even though he wears jeans and shirt.”

Gustav chuckled, “Is it just me or he kind of looked like me when I was blonde?”

“Not just you,” Fraser looked amused when he said that.

When Michael was finally close, Rose stood up and the hugged each other for a couple of second. “Rose Julie,” he said, his mouth was on her hair. “Michael,” Rose said as she pulled back. She inhaled deeply after that. Michael was still the same; he smelled the same, he felt the same and he still behaved the same.

Michael faced his body toward Young Guns who sat on the chairs.

“And this must be Young Guns that you told me about,” he smiled, or smirked, it was hard to tell. “I believe that Rose already told you who I am. I'm Michael Jones-Andretti. Surgeon.” He shook his hand with Gustav, then John, then Si, then Fraser, then Ben. “Gustav, John, Simon, Fraser and Ben,” Michael nodded. “Shall we get straight away to the case?”

For the next twenty minutes, Michael was interviewing Gustav about his condition, his medication and his experience that concern his condition of not being able to sing regularly. He was professional. He was able to guess what kind of drugs that Gustav got from what the doctor told him and also what kind of side effect that was happen, currently happened and will happen.

In the end of interview, Michael put the palm of his hands together in front of his mouth, his fingers were on one another and he smirked. It was easy to tell that he was fascinated.

“Thank you so much for bringing this matter to my attention, Rose Julie,” he nodded to Rose who looked uncomfortable. “This is really interesting. Do you realise that there is a chance you can get a huge amount of money by proposing your case to a research project? The research group will pay for everything as long as you let them take your data and you share their experience with them.”

“Really?” everyone gasped and responded in the same time.

Michel nodded, “Now all you need to do is find the right research group. I believe that would be my part. I know a lot of university with medical faculty that would be interested in your case, Mr Wo—Gustav,” Michael nodded at Gustav.

Gustav nodded back.

Rose stared at them.

They looked like complete opposite. Both of them were really attractive in their own way. Gustav was shaved, dark-haired, with white A-shirt, jeans and Converse shoes. His expression was hard and cautious. Michael, on the other side, didn't shave, with pale blonde hair, expensive looking dark suit and black leather shoes. He looked amused, calm and in control. And they both have interesting eyes to look at; pale, icy blue on Gustav's eyes and stunning different colour on Michael's eyes.

“It's been a pleasure to see you again, Rose Julie,” Michael smirked at Rose. “I need to get going now, I have article to finish today, but I'll contact you guys soon, okay? Don't forget to have proper break between your work.”

And by after those words, Michael went back to Sydney.

The first thing that Si said after Michael left was, “Man, he was scary.”

“Scary? No, he's really nice. He's just a really serious person,” Rose chuckled.

“I feel like a child now comparing to him—all grown up, great suit, great car and great professional way to talk...” Ben added.

“Then I think it makes me weird, I guess,” Rose chuckled. She was happy because Michael said that they might not have to fully work to collect all the money before two years passes.

“I kind of feel like he has still feeling for you, Rose,” Gustav said, his face was stiff.

Rose chuckled, “He needs to find some kind of grown up postgraduate lady, not me. I've been telling him that for a while now. Whatever that is, I'm not interested in him anymore.”

“How'd you met him, though?” Gustav asked.

“It was on a party in university. I tried this sparkling wine and I don't like it and he asked me why I made funny expression—as you guys know, somehow I don't like anything with alcohol on it. We ended up talking about what kind of sector of Australia should be seriously improved but before I left, he confessed to me that he doesn't really like wine either. I thought he was funny and then we met quite a lot after that—but... enough about me. Now we can relax a little, I'd say. I'm still don't know whether Michael will find a research group that would pay for Gustav's surgery or not—although I believe that he will, because he's so powerful it's a bit scary—but when he does, why don't we have a van trip somewhere? I can guide you to Canberra or even Melbourne.”

“That sounds great,” Fraser responded. “I really want to see, you know, the real Australia—bushes and everything.”

“Yeah. And plenty of kangaroo,” Rose added.

Gustav smiled at her by those words.