BRIAN

I was learning something about Ted that surprised me. He finally figured out he was in a position of power, because he had something I wanted. Ted put the condition that he could work for not only me but Wes too. Ted wasn’t going to do both the job of CFO and account exec for me when I had others who I should be expecting more from. Justin and Emmett took off, saying they were going to get something to eat, but I really think they both knew Ted and I needed to do this on our own.

“Why does it bother you now, but didn’t when we started?” I ask.

“I want a life that doesn’t have you calling me in the middle of the night to fly out and talk to accounts about campaigns. If it was about the budget or possible renegotiations because of cost issues, then I could understand why I would need to go, but lately it’s to deal with changes they want to campaigns, which is why you hired the other execs, but tend to rely on me for them. Cynthia would be better than sending me.” Ted tells me.

“Why do you want to work for Wes too?” I ask.

“Wes also helped me get my life in order, not just Justin. I happen to like and respect the man who helped me see that who I am. He showed me part of what got me into the whole crystal scene. It wasn’t Emmett being successful, but me letting my self-esteem get in my way, like I always do. He left the offer to work for him open, so that if when I got back, the people I hurt couldn’t forgive me for what I did, I would have something. When you offered me the job at Kinnetik, it showed that even after what I did, you still trusted me. It also gave me a chance to know there was more to you than the reputation that we all believed was the only thing important to you. Until you pulled that shit tonight with Justin, I liked the Brian Kinney I was getting to know.” He tells me.

“Where was Wes when Justin got hurt?” I ask, because for the way Ted makes him sound, he would have been here.

“Being ignored by his family, the way they ignored Justin.” He tells me.

“Jen didn’t ignore Justin.” I tell him.

“Brian, Wes is Justin’s cousin through Craig, not Jen. Although he wishes it was the opposite, because he shares your feeling about Craig and the rest of the assholes in his family. Wes didn’t find out what happened to Justin until he showed up in Palm Springs.” Ted tells me.

“Why didn’t Justin ever mention him?” I ask.

“For what purpose? It wasn’t like you and Justin were sharing anything personal with each other. Hell Brian, the only reason Justin ever met anyone beyond us was by accident. So why mention a cousin that he really only knew before Wes moved away from his family. Jen looked up Wes when Justin told her he was offered an internship near where Wes lives, she wanted to make sure there was someone Justin knew in California.” He tells me.

“How did Justin afford it? When he left I was paying for him to go to college.” I ask.

“Is there a reason you're asking me and not Justin?” He asks.

“When Justin’s around, my mind tends to be on how to get him naked.” I smirk.

“Wes paid for him to go, even offered to pay for everything so Justin could focus on college.” He tells me.

“Which Justin most likely said no to, unless he could pay it back.” I tell him.

“Yes, and the job he’s being offered in Australia will pay back a huge portion of what he still owes Wes. Justin’s been working nonstop for the last six years, to not only pay Wes back, but you as well.” He tells me.

“I never wanted him to pay it back.” I tell him.

“Then you shouldn’t have fallen in love with Justin, if you didn’t want someone who was your equal in independence.” He tells me.

“If you want to work for both of us, then we need to sit down and decide how exactly to King Solomon you.” I tell him.

“I let Wes know you want to meet him, but really, he's curious about you anyway.” He tells me.

“I’m sure he’s dying to meet me.” I tell him.

“Only because he doesn't get what keeps Justin from forgetting you.” Ted tells me.

JUSTIN

We got to the diner and I went to say hi to the people who still worked here from when I did, and put in Emmett and my order, before sitting down with Emmett.

“I’m sort of jealous of your and Teddy’s friendship.” Emmett tells me.

“Why?” I ask.

“We normally tell each other everything, but he has this whole part of his life I never knew about.” He tells me.

“I asked him not to tell everyone where I was, which is most likely why he didn’t talk about it.” I tell him.

“When he came back I was still so angry at the way he left that I told him I didn’t want to know anything about the vacation he took on our relationship.” He tells me.

“Nothing about the rehab he did was a vacation, but he also knew he had to earn each of your friendships back. It’s what we talked about when he wanted to leave the rehab, that he was doing it so he could prove to you that he wanted to be the person you loved.” I tell him.

“Why did you help Teddy?” He asks.

“At first it was for Brian. He might have acted like he could care less about Ted, but he let Ted stay around him. Which made Brian someone Ted respected. After Ted and I got to know each other it was because I like the man Ted is, but could see he felt like he was on the outside of the group, the same way I did. It's why I told him I was leaving, because he understood what it was like to not know your place in Brian’s life. When I saw him being wheeled into an ambulance, I didn’t want him to be alone. I stayed so he would at least wake up to someone he knew. Not that he looked anything like the guy I knew. When he woke up and tried to act like he hadn’t hit rock bottom, it was because I cared that he was throwing away everything that mattered to him. I also knew he’d give up on rehab, unless there was someone to remind him why he needed to do it.” I tell him.

“I didn’t know how to get him to stop.” He tells me, when we got up to leave.

“Wes and I didn’t give him a choice if he wanted us to help him.” I tell him.

“It still makes you sound like a better friend than I was, but it also shows me the friend I missed out on in you.” He tells me, hugging me.

I felt Emmett’s hands be taken off of me and was being pulled back into Brian’s arms. “Why does he always hug you?” Brian growls.

MICHAEL

Walking around Liberty Avenue seeing groups of friends wandering around reminded me of when my friends and I did this. Brian always had his arm on my shoulder, never leaving anyone in doubt that I was the one he cared about. Brian could deny the truth, but his actions were there for everyone to see. Justin even saw it when I was around and Brian would ignore him in favor of me. I didn’t expect him to settle down with me now, but eventually, doing what we always talked about, growing old together. He never broke a promise, and everyone knew that. Then Justin turns Brian’s world upside-down and it's like Brian loses what makes him Brian.

The whole time Brian was spouting shit about my relationships - which really was hilarious, since he never once admitted Justin was more than an occasional fuck - I wanted to tell him that he forgot he's been in a relationship with me most of his life. We had an emotional bond that he isn't seeing is better than anything Justin ever had to offer. I never cheated on Brian, but found people to fill the parts that Brian wasn’t ready to give me.

I stopped when I saw Ted and Emmett coming out of the diner and thought of all the times it was usually me and Brian following them, with Brian hanging all over me before he'd peck my lips and we'd be off to the club or on our way home. I know he stopped it when Ben and I started dating, but only because he was knew it wasn't fair to Ben to have to witness our bond with each other.

Brian came out, followed by Justin, and I watched as he turned Justin against the building and was all over him. Then my nightmare happened.

“I've never said it before, but I love you.” Brian announced, without sounding sarcastic.

I ran, because it changed everything, those were the words he only ever told me. It made everything he did with me in the past look superficial in comparison. I ran faster, thinking of all the times Ben said it to me, looking at me the way Brian was looking at Justin. It was then that I realized I threw away Ben on a future Brian owed me for loving him all my life. What did Justin give Brian that had him willing to give me up? That thought kept circling my head as ran, and wasn’t paying attention when I knocked a kid over.

“Michael are you okay?” Ben asks as his boyfriend, Gavin helped the kid up.

“Is he okay?” The kid asks.

“Can you guys go ahead while I make sure?” Ben asks.

“We’ll see you at home, don't be too late. We have to take Hunter to school.” Gavin kisses Ben before walking away with the kid.

“Why were you running like hell hounds were chasing you?” He asks.

“Why didn’t we work?” I ask, wanting to hear it was about Justin.

“It's been years now, why ask now when you didn’t bother to then?” He asks.

“I need to know.” I tell him.

“I didn’t want to live in the place that was reserved for Brian. Our relationship centered around Brian, as if I was there to give you what Brian wasn’t. It's why I almost left you when you practically glued yourself to Brian’s side when Justin left, as if nothing was important but showing Brian you gave him things that made you better than Justin. I thought we were getting back on track, but then there was the second issue of Rage. Justin didn’t stop you from continuing and your thanks for that was to kill off JT. When you said Brian should have left him to die, there was the proof you really meant that about the person who never did anything but help you, and I no longer saw you as someone I wanted to be with.” He tells me.

“How I felt about Justin had nothing to do with us.” I tell him.

“It did when it also showed me you were still in love with Brian. I wanted a relationship where I came first to the man I loved. Which you couldn’t give me, because you were still waiting for Brian.” He tells me.

“Why can’t Brian see Justin for what he is, a cheating asshole who had Brian paying for everything?” I ask.

“Why would it matter, Justin’s been gone for years?” He asks me.

“He came back.” I tell him.

“We could talk all night, but I have a family to get home to.” Ben tells me, walking off.

“What aren’t you saying?” I ask.

“It’s not something you ever wanted anyone to tell you.” He tells me.

“What?”

“If Brian loved you the way you wanted, Justin coming back wouldn’t change that.” He tells me, as he follows his family.