The not commenting on the kitchen incident didn’t last.

In the following morning, they had to eat at the diner because the power wasn’t restored. And there was no team sent out to check the struck pole.

Brian was on the phone with the electrical company when they reached Liberty Diner.

Debbie was in her element, running around, but thankfully, she had Kiki with her.

Justin had Nick in his arms, when the boy was too sleepy to wake up properly during the car ride.

Debbie joined them just as Brian was wrapping up a heated discussion with some underpaid person from the call center of the electrical company.

“Assholes. It will be a few days, because it was a big storm,” he explained.

“Shit. That sucks,” Justin protested.

“What’s wrong?” Debbie could smell trouble from miles, as usual. “How’s the pumpkin?”

Justin snorted. “That’s how the nurse called Nick when he was born. Anyway, we stayed up pretty late. He’s tired.”

Nick rubbed at his eyes. “If I didn’t forget my water…maybe I would have slept longer.”

“Can’t sleep without your water?” Debbie chuckled.

Justin caught Brian’s eyes, suddenly dreading the way the conversation was going.

“Yes! I found Daddy giving Brian CPR when his pants dropped.”

“Someone kill me,” Justin groaned, pressing his forehead to the table in front of him.

“That sounds serious,” Debbie said, playing along. Her eyes told a different story, apart from mirth, there was a silent judging.

“Yes! Brian sounded in pain.”

“Nick, shut up,” Justin snapped.

“What?”

“Shut. Up.”

“Why?”

“To me it sounds like Justin needs to check on Brian’s condition again, soon,” Debbie insisted.

“Don’t encourage him,” Justin hissed, feeling his ears burning in embarrassment.

He peeked at Brian, curious why he wasn’t interfering. Brian was busy on his phone, but there was a smile on his lips, which meant he was half listening to them.

“Are you going to be okay taking Nick to school? The guys who are coming to cut the tree are on their way,” Brian said after a minute. “I have to go back home.”

“What tree?” Debbie asked, confused.

“Later.” Brian came to Justin’s side and kissed the top of his head, before leaning over to ruffle Nick’s hair, and lastly, he planted a loud kiss on Debbie’s cheek.

Debbie took his abandoned seat. “What the hell is going on?”

“I’ve never been home long enough for the poplar tree outside the master bedroom to trigger my allergies…before…in the past,” Justin stumbled over his words. “Brian called a company to have the goddamn tree cut when I woke up with my allergies throwing a party. It happened earlier this week, and it wasn’t the first time that tree decided to test me.”

“That’s terrible, Sunshine.”

“Yeah, and last night…after Nick found me giving Brian CPR…” Justin chuckled “…the power went out because a lighting hit the electrical pole near the house. And that happened when Nick was telling me how ghosts could communicate with us. We had a fun evening.”

“It’s true! You’re just a sissy.” Nick rolled his eyes. “I’m hungry.”

Debbie laughed loudly, making Justin cover his face with his hands.

“I swear I’m trying to teach him to be polite.”

“Brian must be a bad influence,” Debbie joked. “Pancakes? Chocolate milkshake?” She lifted a brow at Nick.

“Yes, please,” Nick said pointedly, as if to show them he could be polite.

“And for you?” Debbie got up, going to Justin’s side and combing her fingers through his hair.

“Coffee. Nothing to eat.”

“Mr. Wonderful is a terrible influence on you, too.”

“I’ve gained five pounds since I returned to Pittsburgh.”

“The horrors. You were skin and bones in February.” She squeezed his shoulder, before heading toward the kitchen.

“You were mean,” Nick declared seriously.

“Sorry?” Justin turned his attention to his son.

“You demanded for me to shut up. You heard Grandma Debbie. Brian wasn’t well, and you are very…ins-sens-sible.”

Justin had to throw his head back and laugh loudly. “I think the word you’re looking for is insensitive.”

“Whatever.” Nick rolled his eyes. “What time is it?”

Justin checked his phone. “Still forty minutes until you have to be in school.”

“Just checking since Brian didn’t leave the car keys.”

Justin gasped, patting his pockets, then cursed loudly. He called Brian, who answered laughing.

“I know what I did. I’m on my way back. I realized I shouldn’t be driving home since you were supposed to have the car.”

“Oh. Thank God. Nick just pointed out you left with the car keys, and I wanted to cry. I hate public transport.”

“I know. I’m almost back. I also called the guys coming to cut the tree and they said they would be there in an hour. Plenty of time to take Nick to school then we can go home together.”

“Our food is almost ready. I’m not sure we can fit in this tight schedule.”

By the time Brian returned, Nick was eating his pancakes happily, while Justin sipped from his coffee. He was focused on his phone, exchanging messages with his sister, who said she was returning in July.

Until then, Justin had to concentrate on his show and make plans for their trip South during Gus’s annual stay with Brian.

“Hey, Hot Stuff.”

Justin looked up from his phone, ready to say something about the uncalled for comment, only to notice Brian grinning.

“Sit.” He waved to his previous seat. “Do you want coffee? Debbie didn’t make yours since you left.”

“It’s fine. I’ll drink at home.” Brian threw himself in the booth across from Justin. He pulled his ringing phone from his pocket. “Good. You’re awake,” he said, satisfied. “Okay, whatever. I might not make it to the office today. Hold my calls and help Cynthia get a hold of the Chinese restaurant manager…yes, that one…Okay. Don’t call me unless there is an emergency.”

“The new kid?” Justin guessed when Brian ended his phone call.

“He’s alright. I like it that he learns fast and he hasn’t run to the little boys’ room to bawl his eyes out…yet.”

“Jesus! Has that happened before?”

“The woman who helped Cynthia before I sent her to the branch in Chicago…she spent most of her time in the bathroom, crying, during her first month.” Brian shrugged, looking amused.

“You’re the worst. Where are your manners?”

“My mother must have skipped that lesson. She fast forwarded my lessons to how to hold my drink and still look like a lady.”

Justin grimaced, reaching over to touch Brian’s hand. “Despite everything, you turned out alright. Sometimes.”

Brian laughed, squeezing Justin’s hand.

“You’re back,” Debbie gasped, returning to their table.

“Very yummy pancakes,” Nick declared, patting his tummy.

“And I’m failing his manners lessons miserably,” Justin mumbled. “Can’t you just say ‘thank you’ like a normal person?”

“Saying ‘thank you’ is overrated. Don’t teach him to become a people-pleaser.” Brian rolled his eyes, taking his chances and stealing Justin's coffee. It didn’t have enough sugar, but it would do until he had a cup of his own.

“Kindly…fuck off,” Justin muttered. He noticed Nick was done with his food, so he stood, fishing in his wallet for a few bills. “We’re leaving.”

Brian downed the rest of the coffee, meeting Debbie’s eyes, and grimacing. She was watching them with an anxious expression.

“Later, Deb.” Brian added a few more bills of his own, even though Justin had covered their wage, before he sprinted after Justin and Nick.

He caught them close to the Jeep, in a heated argument.

“…have to learn. I swear, I don’t understand why you’re such a thick-head about acting properly,” Justin gritted.

Brian placed his hands on Justin's shoulders, peering down at Nick, who looked about ready to start crying. “How about we continue his manners lessons after school? We’ll be late.”

Justin huffed, getting in the passenger seat and slamming the door shut.

Brian opened the back door and helped Nick inside and into his seat.

“Thank you,” Nick mumbled, sniffing loudly.

“You’re welcome.” Brian smiled, ruffling his hair, before going around the car and getting behind the wheel. “Do you want to come home after we drop him off?”

“Yeah, I have to get everything ready for the show. By which, I mean…I need to finish painting.”

They drove in silence, and when they reached Nick’s school, Brian offered to take Nick inside.

Justin stared at them through the windscreen, and realized how terrible he had acted. He had to remember that despite the fact Nick was a child, he was his own person, with his own personality.

Brian returned ten minutes later, lighting himself a cigarette when he took his seat. “God knows I’m not in any position to give you advice how to raise your kid, but you could lay off his back. Nick just told me that you scared him, and that he doesn’t like how you insist for him to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’…and whatever other WASPy things you might have tried shoving down his throat. You fucking hate being a WASP, so stop.”

“Brian, I only want him to know what is polite to do…say.”

“He already knows,” Brian groaned. “If you’d pay attention, you might hear him use these words you love to hear…when it’s necessary.”

Justin folded his arms across his chest, as Brian started driving.

“Now it’s the time he defines his personality, how he views the world, how he views you…me…everyone around him. Don’t turn your child against you with these hetero stereotypes.”

“I had no idea if you were gay, being polite didn’t abide to you,” Justin sneered.

“What I mean, is that you have to lay off his back.”

Dread filled Justin, because the way Brian worded his statement, meant that Nick might favor Brian. Justin couldn’t handle losing his son’s respect and attachment just because he believed being polite was the right thing to do.

Brian had lived all his life without saying such things, unless the situation called for, which meant Nick would survive. And he would learn the hard way, when he was confronted with a situation where in order to get what he needed, he would have to be polite.

“You’re right,” Justin said when they left Pittsburgh. “You’re not the first person to tell me to lay off Nick’s back,” he admitted. “Our old neighbor, the guy we used to leave Nick with, when we had to attend some event together…he told me numerous times to leave the kid be. I always prompted Nick to thank him for keeping him at his place.”

Brian met his eyes, his lips pressed tightly. “See? Even a virtual stranger told you what I’m telling you.”

“Okay, okay. I won’t turn into my parents.”

“Good.” Brian placed the cigarette between his lips, reaching out to take Justin's hand. “We don’t want me to become the role model.”

“I turned out alright with you as a role model,” Justin jested.

“You are a valedictorian in Fuckology 101.”

Justin laughed, leaning closer to kiss Brian's cheek.