CHAPTER 7 - SQUEAKING AND STIRRING LEADS TO SLEEPING

DINING ROOM

LINDSAY

"Where have you gotten this idea about Loretta from, Blake?" 

"From the toilet paper, she wanted Justin to sign."

"He had no right to show that to you." Michael declares. "Besides, I thought it was really reasonable. As usual, he wanted more than he deserved."

"Exactly." I return, reaching for the cocktail jug. "Which one is this?"

"What do you mean, Michael?" Ben frowns, handing me the other jug. "This one's boozy. Michael, explain the reason to me?"

"What's there to explain?" He frowns, holding his glass up for refilling, I wink and pour, sadly not able to empty the jug.

"I think he means, how do you both know the contents?" Mel bitches, again. "Why would she risk her licence on something so silly? Jesus, once Justin finds out he will gun for her!"

"I never said that she showed it to me, she knows better than that. I found it at home, called Lindsay, we read it together." 

"You read it where?!" Ben snarls.

He frowns at him. "At home. What's the big deal?"

"What's the big deal?! Once more, your - no, no. I'll let him sort you out." He pours the remains of the boozy cocktail into his glass.

"Why have you swapped drinks?" Michael scowls, having been drinking quickly. 

"What's the big deal?" He returns coldly. "Is there anymore, Carl? Wonder what they're doing up there?"

MICHAEL'S ROOM

JUSTIN

I lick his palm, the taste, like his smell, calms me down. I slowly peel his hand away. Whilst a door was slammed, it wasn't this one.

"He might be staying here tonight!" Brian fumes. "If Ben has any sense anyway."

"Are they really having that many problems? He's never said that."

"After you refused to be his best man, do you think he would? You have a particular way of saying, I told you so." I roll my eyes; he knows the reason. My age-old wound begins to open, he holds my chin. "Why not let me tell Michael you figured out he was coming in when I wasn't there?"

I pull myself free. "Because he had to see that you would get mad. But no matter what he did, or who he did it to, you wouldn't!" 

He sighs. "You're right. I'm very sorry that I allowed them, especially him, to rule over you like that." He takes advantage of my jaw drop to kiss me. It's our first since I returned, not because he's horny, but because he's sorry! 

Brian has never apologised, except, as was oft said, to very special people. The times Michael would tell me when Brian said sorry for this, Brian said sorry for that were too numerous to count. When, during one of our last blow-ups, I found out, again, he lied, I was too hurt and tired of fighting to care.

As the kiss deepens, I pull him closer. He moans in relief. Gently, we separate, licking our lips. "Forgive me?"

"Yeah." I nuzzle his throat. "Shall we go down?"

"Absolutely." He declares, starting to kick off his shoes, gesturing I should do the same. "Quick! The last person to be on that bed was Michael, after a row with Ben in Woody's. He was so pissed when Ben didn't ask where he stayed."

"I'll bet, but who else would take him in when he's behaving like a wounded martyr?"

He pauses. "That's exactly what Ben said. Anyway, your shoes are Gucci. Debs never touches anything in here, especially the sheets, so fuck knows when they were last changed." 

"As are my socks. I'm not the Barefoot Contessa! Think of something!" I say, glowering at his cheeky smile.

"Wait a second." He heads to the chest of drawers and pulls out two pairs of bed socks. "I'm sure she won't mind us using them to piss off her son!" 

Giggling, I put them on, then take his hand. "Okay, Stud, let's make some noise."

BEN

"Was that a squeak?" I frown. "Yep, definitely a squeak."

"I need the bathroom!" Michael declares, but Blake sprints past him. "Use the one down here!" 

"Can't!" He shouts, as is gone.

"Are you going then?" I prompt. 

Gritting his teeth, he sits down. 

"You're not peeing at the table!" Debs exclaims, her advance gives him no choice but to go relieve himself, cough-cough! "Think it will be the quickest piss on record!"

"In a john, yes, Justin off, no." Ted drawls. Sure enough, Michael's out in less than a minute, doing up his zip.

"Gotta get paper and a clean towel." He calls, dramatically shaking his hands.

"First time ever!" Debs drawls. 

"Stop behaving like a flag-waver. Besides, Blake's still up there!" I point out, he pauses. "In the bathroom where both those items are kept. When he's finished, we'll get him to bring them down. Come and eat, your food is getting cold." He pigeon steps back to us. "So, Ted, can you tell us anything else about how you're going to get Rage to these shores?"

"Shouldn't we wait for Justin? Apparently, it's his business too." Lindsey growls, watching the stairs.

"There's no apparently." Ted covers up their plates. "Apologies Ben, I don't feel comfortable talking about Rage with those two present." He takes their plates and heads to the kitchen, then to the foot of the stairs. "Take your time, boys, the food's in the oven!" He yells. "Blake! Michael needs you to bring down some toilet rolls and a fresh towel - he's used the last of both!" He tops up his and Blake's glasses and resumes eating. 

"Until they're finished, what shall we talk about?" Blake asks, coming down with the items, which he puts in Michael's lap.

"For God's sake, what's wrong with you?! Put them in the john!"

"After you've been in there, no way!" Blake declares, retaking his seat. 

"Michael, you wanted them so bad, put them away!" Debs orders, her glare making him get up. "What two?" She looks at Ted, who frowns. "Which two make you uncomfortable?"

"Michael and Lindsay?" Carl replies, Ted nods, whilst Lindsay tries to look confused. I catch Michael's brief look of triumph, before stalking to the bathroom. "How do you two put up with them?" 

"I ask myself that every day." Ted returns. 

DEBS

"Well, I wouldn't. They're given far too much leeway." Carl sighs, as Michael and Brian come back at the same time. "I'll get your food, Brian, will Justin be very long?"

"Thanks. No, no he won't. Leave mine, I'm no longer hungry." Brian smirks. "Debs, you got a box I can use for mine?" I smile and nod as Justin plops onto his chair. When Brian picks his teeth, Michael grimaces and Lindsay shudders. "You wanna go? Forgot how tired you get after I have my protein shake."

Michael almost snaps his fork, air whistles through Lindsey's nose. I'm struggling to remain po-faced.

Justin rubs his eyes then slaps his cheeks. "You'd think I'd remember how you make me feel after. It's okay, Stud, I'll be fine once I've eaten."

"Which is what I said." Brian snickers.

Michael gurgles, Lindsay grinds her jaw, as for Mel, she is smiling. "Carl, let me get the food, you've done enough. Would coffee help, Justin? You know, put a bit more pep in your step?" She laughs.

"Hmm. Please." He leans against Brian, closing his eyes. 

Brian's chair scrapes loudly, and he pats his lap. "Put your head here instead. We'll wait for the food and coffee. Take a quick nap, Sunshine."

Michael side-eyes me, I ignore him.

"Was it all you remembered?" Ems asks, sniggering as Justin disappears. 

"And more," Brian replies, making a show of stroking Justin's hair.

"Helping him to sleep?" Ben smiles at Brian then peers at Justin.

"Yep. Can you get my jacket, please, Mel?"

"Now it's Ben's turn to explain, don't you think, Michael?" Lindsay simpers. As usual, stoking the fire. "That's such an intimate thing, how do you know about it?"

BRIAN

I risk a glance. His sunshine smile beams up at me. He muttered and stroked my hair as he lay down, now he's mouthing, I knew she would say something!

"Well, Ben, care to explain?" Michael snipes, slamming his glass down.

"Very simple." He takes his time wiping his mouth, both protagonists are on tenterhooks, one smiling assassin, the other smouldering asswipe. "He's been like that since I've known him."

"Define known?" Michael seethes.

Ben shrugs, before leaning across again "He's out." Whatever Michael is about to spout is cut off by Ben's phone. "Hey, Brandon, are you having fun?!"

He smiles and chuckles for a good ten minutes whilst Michael is almost combusting, and Lindsay, who thinks that Ben and I don't know she doesn't like either him or Brandon, looks disapproving. 

"Okay, see you in the morning. Play nicely, boys!"

"What do you mean, play nice boys?!" Lindsay exclaims. "You're not letting him have people around again?!"

"First, he's my brother." Ben retorts. "And second..."

"There is no second! Brandon staying is one thing, him screwing in our home is another!" Michael fumes. "Call him back and tell him no! And how fucking dare you give him permission before?!"

"This is what I mean, Michael, the disrespect he and his brother have for you. I would never, ever do that to Mel. Allowing him to sully your home with such sluttery." 

Ben's laugh is bitter. "First, is that another Dusty-inspired malapropism? And you two are fine ones to talk about disrespect. You know full damn well that Brandon would never ever ask that."

"But, but he brought someone back, and he did say that. He said that you said he could!" Michael babbles, Lindsay quails under Mel's glare. 

"I can vouch for Michael on that." Emmett declares. "Brandon did bring someone back twice."

"See what I mean!" Lindsay's relief floods over her.

"And that was me." Emmett rails. "We didn't fuck. However, you'll never know what we did!"

"As is your right, Ems, and aren't you being a hypocrite, Michael, since you were more than fine with Brandon screwing in our home, especially when it was Brian doing the screwing? I heard you two on the phone earlier, conniving and conspiring a way to casually drop the bomb that Brian and Brandon fucked in the backroom, and I quote, if he assumes that we mean Babylon, then that's his choice."

"Why do you two get involved in things that either don't concern you or try to meddle in jealousy?!" Ted roars. "First you run Justin off, then you scare Blake away by bringing up my past. Thank God for Justin!"

Justin takes my hand; I push my anger back down. I wondered why they had abruptly split, but he wouldn't tell me.

"Thank God for - oh, did he get you two back together?" Emmett sniffs. He beams when Ted nods, and I feel so proud at how much stronger he's gotten in the intervening years. "So, Michael and Lindsay, how are you going to apologise to them?" Their silence and shifting speak volumes. "Anybody got any ideas?" He looks around the table.

"Yes, I do." Debs declares. "Apology notes, as in you two are going to write them."

There it is again, that quick flash of petulance/hatred/jealousy/insert crappiness here, before their agreeableness kicks in. "Sure, Lindz, let's go to see Dusty and she can help too!"

"She's on a date, remember? You set it up, Lindz dear!" Mel snipes, before a sly smile wreathes her face. "Brian, wake Justin up. Blake and Ted, you take them for a livener. Shoot some pool, the breeze, or whatever." Mel starts to shoo us from the table. "The rest of us will stay here and help, since you're so keen for assistance." 

"Excellent idea, let me put the coffee on. Ben, can you help Debs clear?" Emmett asks, he nods. "And, Carl, you grab pen and paper, only handwritten will do for an apology of such magnitude. They will give them separately, at times that Blake and Ted decide." He glares them back into their seats. "Get comfortable, as you're not leaving until we all are happy with what you've written!"