therumjournals: (Philly love)
therumjournals ([personal profile] therumjournals) wrote2010-07-07 09:53 pm
Entry tags:

46th and Pine: A West Philadelphia Love Story (6/6 - Epilogue)

Title: 46th and Pine: A West Philadelphia Love Story
Author: [livejournal.com profile] therumjournals
Word Count: Epilogue - 700 (Total - 35,500)
Previous: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5
(Header details at the Master Post)

Photobucket




Chris locked his bike to the bike rack and squinted into the early evening light until he spotted Zach's familiar form on the other side of Franklin Square. He jogged toward him, watched his face light up as he spotted Chris, and let himself sag happily into Zach's embrace.

"Hey, hottie," Zach said, kissing him on the cheek. "How was your day?"

"It was okay," Chris said, trying and failing to contain his excitement.

"What, what? Tell me, come on, what are you so happy about?"

Chris beamed, clutched Zach by his shoulders. "How do you feel about the intersection of 12th and Lehigh?"

Zach thought about it and frowned. "I feel terrible about it. North Philly, right? Isn't that, like, a really shitty neighborhood?"

"Uh huh, well, that may be true, but there's an elementary school there with a big ugly wall just waiting to be beautified - say, you don't happen to know any artists who might fucking flip their shit at the chance to work with that kind of canvas, do you?

"Shut up." Zach's jaw dropped a little.

Chris grinned. "I talked to the mural coordinator today. I may have suggested a certain local artist who would love the opportunity to 'light up young faces and old places'."

"Are you quoting marketing materials to me?"

"I made that one up. You like it?"

"Chris, don't fuck with me, are you serious?"

"Nothing's set in stone yet, but yeah. They are looking for an artist and I did give them your name. They asked if you'd like to come into the office next week to talk about your vision and some place-based design concepts and - yeah, you know, I kinda lost them after that, but I know you should do it. You'll do it, right?"

"Fuck yeah, I will. Oh my god, Chris, that is amazing," Zach said, wrapping his arms around Chris's waist and attempting unsuccessfully to spin him through the air.

"Better work on those arm muscles, Quinto. You're gonna be working with bigger brushes soon," Chris said, laughing.

"Whatever. You're heavy."

"Sorry, but someone keeps feeding me delicious pasta on a nightly basis."

"We need it to keep our stamina up!"

"Everything comes back to sex with you, doesn't it? Speaking of which, I'm starving." He grabbed Zach by the hand and dragged him across the square to the burger stand. They sat on a picnic bench as Chris ate.

"Give me a bite," Zach said, nudging his shoulder.

"Hell no," Chris said through a mouthful of burger.

"Come on," Zach whined. "It smells good."

"No." Chris wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I don’t want to be a bad influence on you. And I don’t want to deal with the consequences.”

Zach rolled his eyes and took a sip of Chris’s milkshake instead. He played with the straw for a few seconds. “Summer’s moving out,” he said, finally.

Chris looked at him in surprise. “Really? Damn. Where’s she going? To live in a giant redwood or something?”

“Close,” Zach said, laughing. “You know that show, Whale Wars?”

Chris’s mouth dropped open. “You’re shitting me.”

Zach shook his head. “Nope.”

“So should we start collecting her bail money now?”

“I know, right?” Zach laughed.

Chris noticed his expression turning serious. “What?”

“So, I was thinking, since Lily and Cho have moved in….and since Cho is now an actual contributing member of society, we were thinking…instead of getting another roommate, maybe you and I could move into the front room. I could keep the third floor as my studio. And maybe we could even get-“

“No…” Chris said, a smile starting on his face as he realized what was coming.

“Yeah. A real bed.”

Chris threw his arms around Zach and faked a sniffle. “Zach. You’re all grown up.”

Zach smiled and shook him off. “Shut it, you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, asshole. Now come on. All these adult decisions are making my head spin, and I need to seriously kick your ass in mini-golf.”

“Wanna make it interesting?” Chris asked, standing up from the bench.

Zach shook his head as Chris took his hand. “You’re getting sexual favors either way.”

Chris grinned. “Then I will totally let you win.”


THE END




Author’s Notes:
First of all, thanks so much to everyone for reading, and thanks to everyone for encouraging me and for bearing with me as I taunted you throughout the writing process.

Most of the places mentioned in this fic are real. Fuego is a real place with a fake name where I spent many drunken Thursday nights when I was 24 and 25 (and yes, Citywide Specials are real too…unfortunately, they’re not actually city-wide). There are lots of localisms and references throughout the story, so let me know if there's anything that makes you go "huh?!" :-) And if you ever visit Philly, let me know, and I'll take you on the grand tour (Chris and Zach not included).

ext_397938: (Default)

[identity profile] ashleyj28.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 02:15 am (UTC)(link)
Seriously, everything about this story was perfect. Again, I'm SO glad you posted it all in one go. Reading this just makes me love Pinto AND Philly even more. I cannot WAIT until I graduate this fall and can finally move into the city and not be stuck in lame ass Cherry Hill anymore. Now, if only this were real, and I could just move in right next to them...

It's been too long since we all went out drinking, it needs to happen again soon, ESPECIALLY after reading this epic Philly fic.

[identity profile] vapid-wastrel.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
wow...just...wow
I can't find the words to describe how much I loved this. I can tell that this is going to be one of those stories I read over and over again. I loved it. If more Pinto stories were like this, I would never do anything.
Wonderful writing as always. I seriously cannot express how much I loved this so ya... I am going to stop rambling

[identity profile] withthepilot.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, man. That was too awesome. I loved every word of it and it was totally worth waiting for. And while I'm not a Philly native, I actually have a new appreciation for my new city after reading this! Now, if only I liked Jim Beam.

I agree with Ashley that an actual Chris+Zach in Philly would be A++++ and would certainly make our lives a lot more interesting.

[identity profile] lindarella123.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
Oh what a treat to discover this when I returned home after a 12-hr. work day to find this fabulous story. I had already decided to unwind with some Pinto Porn, but this was truly a treat. I read it in one sitting and the troubles of the day just melted away. There is so much to love here == the characters (Summer, Harvest and Cho were a hoot); the slow, steady development of there relationship, their fights were so believable, the sex was hot, and on and on! i loved it. Well done and worth the wait. :D

[identity profile] leighblack.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 05:09 am (UTC)(link)
omg, this story is...is...amazing. just amazing! I kind of want to curl up in it forever. =)

[identity profile] halfbreedchild.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 05:10 am (UTC)(link)
“Funny. And I don’t know why you think you can talk, Pine, you flip a shit if the prof doesn’t jerk off to your latest essay.”

Ahahah, this is completely ME. Random tl;dr ahead: I went to an absurdly small highschool where I DOMINATED every English class. So, I went a to big, scary university in the big bad North and thought it would be easy. WRONG. My papers were so weak compared to what others were writing and I got really, REALLY discouraged because I was used to being exonerated and praised for my papers. So, I threw myself into the work and did everything I could to make myself a better writer. I sort of got there - eventually - and I loved being back at the top but god-forbid if I got a A- instead of an A. I completely related to Chris in this.

tl;dr? I used to be an asshole.


“Chris, oh my god, I thought I would never see you again!” Zach said excitedly,
Zach should always greet Chris in this manner.

"Oh motherfuck," Chris said into his hands. He looked up at them. "How drunk was Zach?" he asked hopefully.
"Not drunk enough to forget that you told him you liked his hat approximately fifteen times," Karl said.

Oh my god - is this a story about me? Jesus, I am totally Chris in this story!! I'm a repetitive drunk.

“I have no idea. But, I’ll go with you, and mock you relentlessly for being a hipster, and you won’t look as lame as you would standing there by yourself.”
Zach laughed. “Well shit, how could I turn down an offer like that?”

Ahh, true friends.

You guys have got kind of an epic bromance going, haven’t you?” Karl asked cheekily.
Truer words have never been spoken. And by Karl too!

But Zach was looking up from his book and grinning, yelling “Choseph!” and leaping down the porch steps into the arms of a grinning Asian guy with a messy mohawk and a beat up duffel bag across his back.

Since I'm writing this after reading the entire thing I will now say "ahahaah, Oh Cho, you make me laugh" but at the time I was like "FML HE RUINS EVERYTHING!!!"

“Whatever. Just, when you guys do it, do it in the science stacks, okay? I don’t want your jizz all over my literature.”
“I’m gonna come on Keats, just for you.”
“I’m going to vomit on your pillow.”


Classic. Love it.

He shrugged apologetically, but Zach just smiled and looked impressed that he had other friends. Finally, they managed to make their way to the beer pong table.
“Do you want to be on my team?” Chris asked loudly enough to be heard over the pounding music.
Zach smirked at him. “Do you want to be on mine?”


Hngh!! This was pretty much my favorite part. I loved this. I WANT TO BE ON ZACH'S TEAM.

Fuck no. Just…nngh…so hot I think my brain might explode.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, just…fucking get up here and kiss the fuck out of me with your hot, filthy mouth.”


*brain ded*
Yeah, you and your cumsluttery can have the Internet.

and it made Chris so fucking happy every time he took a bite that he was surprised to find himself holding the last nub of bun before he realized it.
“Oh my god,” he groaned, after he’d finished the final bite. “Please don’t tell anyone I ate that. Fuck, please don’t remind me that I ate that.”


ahahah awww, truuuu wuv right there.

“Oh whatever, like you’re not about to go home and give thanks for some fine ass, too.”
Karl stared at him. “That’s a very disrespectful way to talk about my girlfriend.”
Chris snorted. “Give me a break. It’s Zoe.”
Zoe wandered up to them. “What’s me? Hey Karl, let’s get out of here. Are you gonna take me home and give thanks for this fine ass, or what?” she said, smacking her butt with a wink. Chris didn’t even try to stifle his laughter as Karl turned on his heel to follow Zoe out of the house.


Too cute. I really love that you made the star trek cast Chris' friends. Too often (I think it's basically a trope now) we see Zoe as strictly Zach's friend and I found it really weird and refreshing that she wasn't one of the hipsters living in the house. I really liked that.

[identity profile] agraylamb.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 05:21 am (UTC)(link)
Oh my god, this story is amazing! One of my friends is going to philly for college, and now I'm kind of jealous, ha ha. Really, though this story is so lovely and your Zach and Chris are so believable. I could really understand both of them too, Zach because I'm going to school for art and Chris because my entire high school life was trying to be perfect for my parents. Their dichotomy was perfect. Oh god the part with the cheesesteak! I was majorly grossed out by it, ha ha, but at the same time I loved that Zach ate it. And god, I want to be their roomate, seriously. And god, I really loved the decision about Berkeley, because like at first I was like Chris, you have to do it. Its such a great opportunity, don't throw it away! And then I realized that fuck that! He should damn well do what he wants to and what's going to make him happy, and I'm so glad that he stayed in Philly with Zach.
And just, this is perfect. I want life to be like this, with amazing vegan hippy friends, and it was just amazing.
(also, omg, I'm so sorry for how long and rambly this comment is, but seriously, this story is just gorgeous!)

[identity profile] the-deep-magic.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 05:26 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, this whole thing was so much fun! The OCs were great and the story was really well-paced. The scene on top of the oil drum broke my heart. Chris' dilemma really hit close to home, as (if I'm being honest) I'm currently kinda-sorta using my thesis as an excuse to put off living in the real world and making decisions. Let's hope someone IS willing to hire an English major!

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. And I've only been to Philly once, something like ten years ago (fuck, I feel old), but if I ever go again, I'm taking you up on that tour!
ext_367923: (Chris and Zach)

[identity profile] easilymused1956.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 05:37 am (UTC)(link)
Now that I've read the whole thing, I want to jump the first jet to Philly and move into the house next door to the boys.

Marvelous story about growing up. Great use of canon and your own characters. The dialogue is fantastic.

Brava!

Renee

[identity profile] zjofierose.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 06:15 am (UTC)(link)
ohhh, so so so good.

and i will join the crowd in saying THANK YOU for sitting on this until it was done. THANK YOU. it was SO nice to be able to read it through in one go. so satisfying.

i adored your characterizations (and, as a berkeley-ite, i have lived with summer and harvest. and i eat quinoa. lol). chris and zach are so good, their chemistry is so sweetly heartbreaking, their dialogue is so easy. i had my heart in my throat through the whole damn thing.

and THANK YOU for giving it a real, honest to goodness, happy ending. that totally made my week.

*swoon*

amazing.

[identity profile] humdrumtown.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 06:57 am (UTC)(link)
This was perfect. Perfectly awesome characterizations. Philly was just as awesome in writing as it is to live in and around. YOU MADE A JOKE ABOUT A HIPSTER FROM THE MAIN LINE (which killed me dead considering I was in Honors with a girl just like that).

It is hilarious how much I'm like Chris Pine in this. I angst and agonize and I'm still a mostly unemployed (unless you count professional tutoring) gal with a B.A. in English.

The dialogue in this story is like magic. Sweet, buttery magic.

I can't think of a think that I don't love in this story. I'm not going to both copying and pasting any more lines because I'd end up reposting your fanfic which would get me no where (because I'd have to reread it AGAIN and its already 3AM and I totally need sleep).
Edited 2010-07-08 06:57 (UTC)

[identity profile] 17edwardc17.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 07:39 am (UTC)(link)
I love you I love you I really really love you (sung to it's raining it's pouring.....yeah.... I WROTE YOU A SONG....with 4 words.....and a borrowed tune O_o...but A SONG NONETHELESS!!) anywho so this fucking rocked my upper darby-ian? world. And this ... I think my brain is semi-melted due to the extreme awesomeness of this story...I'm literally struggling to find words good enough to describe how in love with this I am.

So as it seems you know philly I haz questions.

1.Have you ever had Pica's Pizza (an upper darby restaurant yet SO AMAZING)

2. are you a Phillies fan?

3. and sad....did you hear that today the philly duck boat failed in the delaware river....was floating...and got split down the middle when a barge hit it...2 ppl are still missing.?

sorry to be a downer with the last question. HOWEVER I SHALL NOW REITERATE MY EVER EXPANDING LOVE FOR THIS STORY! and might I add i can see them hanging in northern liberties....lol. wow...this....this.....it blew my mind.
ext_101084: (Love; Pinto)

[identity profile] placebobitch.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 01:55 pm (UTC)(link)
This was totally wonderful. Very realistic characterisation, lovely dialogue and a joy to read. I do love long AU fics!

Where do I start?

[identity profile] molleo.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 02:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow.So much to say. Guess I'll start with the fact that my dad went to grad school at Penn (undergrad at Villanova), and my mom really wanted me to go there, but I nixed the idea cause I didn't want to live in Philly or at home. I did have a friend in college who did grad school at Penn, and I visited her once in a place that sounds remarkably like 4609.

You have so much in there that reminds me of home, college & grad school. South St., cheesesteaks,Russian finals (my college bf did really badly in it because of me).

Also, "How the fuck am I supposed to know how many light bulbs there are in New York City?" made me crack up! It brought back horrid memories of b-school job interviews, esp. the urban myth that circulated about one interviewer who asked the interviewees to open a window, which was nailed shut unbeknownst to them, just to see how they would handle the situation! Plus "going down the shore"...oh my, that phrase definitely hits the mark!

I guess I should also mention how much I loved the story itself. After a week of mourning my mil's death, I really needed some schmoop, and you came through big time! Thanks for helping to start my day off the right way, bb! :)

[identity profile] aliassmith.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 03:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Dude... EPIC.
I thought that reading this I was bound to be alienated by at least some of the references or places mentioned, but that didn't happen at all. I mean, you've left me with a strong desire to see it all for myself in person, but you wrote this in such a way that I never felt lost, or like I was missing out on an inside joke or anything that wasn't at least partially explained or inferred. So thanks for that.
Also, as someone who finished a degree in Literature only to follow it up with Honours, Masters and (almost) PhD in the same, I was really feeling Chris' situation with the whole fail-at-making-life-decisions dilemma. I'm just gonna say I was twelve types of jazzed that you helped him figure out his happy ending there, coz hey, if it happens in Pintoland, it can happen in RL, right? Right. Glad we got that sorted.
So basically, thanks for making me feel welcome then messing with my head-- it was one hell of a journey and I'm so glad you did it :) Also, I want me some Philly cheesesteak, like STAT.

[identity profile] listensostill.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 03:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh jesus, this was just about the best lazy-morning-spent-in-bed-reading-fic ever. I love that you had them fighting so often, instead of going into the trend of 'one big fight' that happens so much in fic. I love that this wasn't just a 'hey I am in college and dating a hippie and here I will throw in things about a city'! It was so, so real, and god, I loved this so much -- when my older sister was finishing up her senior year in college she shared a house with roommates and they totally had parties and probably cooked tempeh and drank local beer and this brought back so many memories of middle school me being entranced by the whole idea of city life, haha.

Also, I know I said it before, but Chris quoting Edith Wharton in an interview is juuuuuust about my favorite thing ever.

Thank you so much for this! ♥

[identity profile] oanja.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
\0/ <--- me right now. There are way too few long fics in this fandom so I adored this story just from seeing the wordcount (I'm a little ashamed to admit) but seriously I loved this. Thank you so much for writing it. =)

[identity profile] roseandheather.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 06:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Make hot, sweet love with me right now.

[identity profile] littleboycalico.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
This was such a wonderful story! I enjoyed it so much. Chris's struggle with trying to realize what his true passions and goals were really resonated with me.

You have this amazing way of making me absolutely giddy with joy for these boys, and then breaking my heart before putting it back together again, both in this fic and in the Coffee Fix universe, which I also love! Thanks for writing this and sharing it!

[identity profile] carmanne.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 08:25 pm (UTC)(link)
WOW. I am super, super happy that this was posted all in one go, because I would have been a mess waiting for the next update; I've really enjoyed getting to work my way through it and really enjoy each chapter without that "HURRYREADNOW" pace that always seems to happen when a WIP has a new chapter uploaded.

I have never even been to Philly, ever, but reading this makes me want to go! I love that you worked in the culture, landmarks, and quirks of a city into your story-- it just amped up the vibrancy of the whole story. :) I loved your version of Zach and Chris, and the hodgepodge of supporting characters was really awesome.

All in all-- lots of fun all around, and a great read. Thanks for sharing!

[identity profile] inpurity.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 08:32 pm (UTC)(link)
I have spent the past 2 hours reading this story, lying on my childhood bed, summer's calls outside my window.
It was like stepping inside a magic time machine for me, something that allowed me to live through someone else's life, to see a city I have never been to, to experience that feeling of intense, stabbing fear when future comes knocking and you are ready.
I have never had that type of love in my time in University, and I will never have, but that's another story.
The story I want to tell you is one of awe and joy, the avid desire of reading more, seeing more of these two people. To see more of how their hearts were going to grow and beat, and expands the horizons of their lives.

For two hours I visited a city, met two people, fell in love, lived.

I lived through your words the eternal story of human happiness.
Find someone, find yourself.
LOVE.
LIVE.

Thank you.
Edited 2010-07-10 07:05 (UTC)
ext_2087: SGA (Farscape dreamy)

[identity profile] tharaist.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)
I really enjoyed this and the relaxed hipster atmosphere of it all!

[identity profile] elise-the-great.livejournal.com 2010-07-08 10:54 pm (UTC)(link)
This was epic and I loved it and oh my god, do people really eat Cheeze Wiz on cheesesteaks, ewwwwwwwwww

and I may have responded to this fic out loud because it is completely amazing. I am appalled at how awesome it is.

[identity profile] shiny-starlight.livejournal.com 2010-07-09 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
I should totally be writing a fic for a challenge right now, but I couldn't NOT read this. It was awesome and sad and heartbreaking and squeeful. There arenot enough good things to say about this fic!

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