"the home that awaits us" | huntershipping
His lover's stare burned when they lingered on Silver's damp hair, curiosity guiding his hand forward to reach and play with the split ends, and Ethan took his silence as an approval to brush higher from the tips. Despite the tremendous growth they underwent, Ethan was still the same, shy teenager that Silver loved when he asked, "Can I wash your hair, Silver?"
Or: after their Valentine's day date went wrong, Ethan and Silver were forced to return to the former's hotel room to clean up and change. What should be a quick shower and drying before they resume their date derailed into a much-needed moment where they learned more about trust, vulnerability, and how the universe brought them together.
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thoughts on britin in 2x19 / 2x20?
Me sad.
I genuinely think the break-up is equally both their faults, and there are serious insecurities on both ends generating this unraveling. Brian is generally called out for failing Justin, by like every character, but only Michael ever calls out Justin for what he did to Brian, which is why again I will say Michael is a necessary component of what makes Justin and Brian ultimately find their way to each other again work as a relationship.
Both Justin and Brian both needed time to grow. They're two sides of the same coin, and both need to accept opposite truths: Brian needs to accept the best of himself (season 3's arc will be all about this), and Justin needs to accept the worst of himself (season 3's arc for him). Because without accepting both the best and the worst of yourself, you'll settle for the closest thing to what you think you want... but it won't satisfy.
Brian was pushing Justin away. That's his arc in season 2, which is a somewhat tragic arc (but necessary to build up his happy ending in later seasons). He truly doesn't believe he deserves love or happiness or anything, so he denies the best parts of himself. He never tells Justin that he visited him in the hospital every single night--in fact, he tells absolutely nobody this. He pisses on an image of himself as a hero, because he sees himself as a terrible person. He's always expected Justin to leave him (which he finally states in season 4).
Justin's arc is no less a tragic arc in season 2. He's just less obviously self-destructive. Justin, from the very start of the season, is upset that he isn't perfect and needs help (as represented, symbolically, in his physical disability). But even as he starts to overcome that, his internal flaws start to show themselves... but Justin ignores them because he doesn't want to face himself (because, at the root, just like Brian, he fears he's worthless). While Justin sets the rules for their relationship--rules Brian never once breaks, even after they break up--Justin breaks them pretty much immediately, even before cheating with Ethan. But Justin still says Brian is the chief issue for fucking around, when Justin's the one who can't keep a promise. He has issues with the truth, preferring idealized images of not just Brian but himself, and so he falls for a lie... who turns out to be his worst self in Ethan.
Brian failed in not fighting for Justin--when Justin explicitly asked him to--because Brian's afraid to go after what he really wants: by the end of the season, he's settling for random hookups when he knows he should be pursuing Justin (and he didn't have to commit to monogamy to do this!). Justin, too, settles for not what he really wants in Ethan.
(I'd also argue Ted and Emmett's getting together in this episode signifies they're settling too.)
Justin always kind of knew Ethan wasn't what he wanted; he just tried to convince himself he was. The fact that Justin literally keeps searching for Brian at the Rage party says it all. Lindsay tells Justin Brian wants to see him, and Justin is excited.
Lindsay: Well, Brian is happy for you.
Justin: He is?
Lindsay: Of course!
Mel: It's your big night, sweetie. He wants to be with you.
Excited Brian "wants to be with" him, Justin immediately goes looking for Brian. He wants Brian, not Ethan. But then he finds Brian in another man's arms, distracting himself from the fact that Justin is cheating, and by the time Brian does go to find Justin, Justin settles for Ethan--forcing Brian to feel what he felt when he walked into the backroom and saw Brian and the trick.
The ending is technically a tragic one, just like season one's ending, but fortunately it's the final tragic season finale.
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"today, i love you" | huntershipping
Silver's hands captured his flailing ones right away, easily fixing his balance as he turned into an anchor for him. The yelp that was about to escape from Ethan's lips were replaced by a gasp instead. Astonished, he asked, "And since when did you skate?!"
Ethan swayed once more, and Silver tightened his hold in return, the gap between them a good breath away.
Since when did his words become as distant and elusive as the faraway galaxies, Silver wondered.
Or: after a long day of running after Suicune, Silver wounded up at an ice rink on Pasio at Sneasel's request and bumped with his long-standing rival, Ethan. Their meeting brought forth an answer to the question that has been bothering Silver for the longest time.
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