Lindsay and Mel told us they enjoyed having Gwen over and offered to watch her anytime Brian and I wanted time to ourselves. Jenny came home before we left, talking a mile a minute about how much fun she had with her daddies. Michael and Ben seemed to be doing better after this weekend. All of us were really just thrilled to hear Jenny’s speech improve so quickly. It was a good sign that the tubes were doing what they were supposed to do. Gus and Jenny ran off with Gwen to play outside while we talked to everyone. Michael was practically exploding with how much fun he had with Ben and the kids, describing all the things we all missed by not going. Only stopping when Mel asked if Jenny had felt okay the whole time, which I could understand, since they’d been dealing with Jenny’s ear infections since she was baby. Michael let her know that he checked on her all weekend and if there had been anything to worry about he would have called me to see if he needed to bring her home. Mel was about to say something, likely that maybe the first call should be to her or Lindsay, but Brian interrupted to tell everyone he was moving in with me. That seem to stop any argument from starting, likely because Michael lost all power of speech at that announcement.

Brian and I talked about whether to tell everyone our news, but thought it over and decided telling everyone we were moving in together was really the most we wanted to do right now. The other news wasn’t something either of us wanted to share yet. We didn’t plan it, just sort of did it because we could. It’s the first time in my life, other than going home with Brian, that I did something without thinking it completely through. It felt right, even if everyone else would think we were crazy for doing it.

“If you need help, either having us to watch the kids or moving just let us know,” Lindsay tells us, staring at Michael.

“I don’t mind helping if you need someone to for the heavy lifting,” Ben tells us, not even looking at Michael.

“Most of my things are already at Justin’s, other than my computer and the rest of my clothes. Most of the other stuff can stay at the loft. We both talked about it and I might rent the loft furnished, since it’s paid for. Justin’s mother is willing to handle leasing it out for me,” Brian tells them.

“I have a friend who’s coming to town who was looking for a place to stay short term. He’s only here to teach for a semester, and didn’t need to be stuck on a lease for a year,” Ben tells him.

“Give Justin’s mother a call, I should be moved out by next weekend,” Brian tells Ben, as Michael gets up and leaves the house.

Brian ignored Michael, as did Ben, why I couldn’t probably only makes sense to me. I can’t see someone in pain and not want to help them. It’s why I became a doctor, because I wanted to help people. I went out the front to see Michael sitting on the steps with his head in his hands.

“He really loves you,” He tells me, looking upset.

“I love him, but it’s not something you couldn’t have seen if you wanted to,” I tell him.

“It would make it real, and then I’d have to admit that it hurt that it wasn’t me. Which I can’t do because Ben would get hurt, thinking that I still want Brian the way I did when Ben first met me. It’s not that I want Brian, no matter what anyone wants to believe. It’s knowing that being in a relationship wasn’t his problem, but that he didn’t want one with me. It feels like I wasn’t good enough, only I don’t know what I did that made him not want me,” He tells me.

“Michael, there are always going to be people who don’t feel the way you do. It’s not anything other than the chemistry wasn’t there. If you think about it, can you really see a life that doesn’t include Ben in it? Would you have given up everything you built with Ben for what Brian might have been able to give you?” I ask.

“No. No one is worth giving up Ben for,” He says smiling.

“If you feel that way, then Brian not wanting to be with you should be a good thing,” I tease.

“I’m sorry for the way I’ve been acting, change isn’t easy for me. I know Ben’s not happy with everything I’ve been doing, but I feel like I lost part of myself when Brian met you. It’s not that I don’t want him to be happy, but I wanted him to still remember we promised to always be there for each other, it’s what he said every time something scared me, ‘Always have and always will’. Only lately it’s like his world is centered around you,” He tells me.

“Isn’t that how you and Ben were when you first met? I would hope that you didn’t include your friends in everything you did,” I tell him.

“I wanted my friends to get to know Ben, and approve of him. It’s not like we spent every second with my friends, but I at least called them and include them when we were going out,” Michael tells me, which I can honestly say left me holding back, ‘so Ben had to date your friends too’.

“I’m different. I don’t see the reason anyone has to approve of who I love. I don’t think Brian sees the reason he needs your approval either,” I tell him.

“I guess you wouldn’t, but you don’t seem to understand the friendship I have with Brian. I’m really trying to accept you and Brian as a couple. I just don’t see how you call it a relationship, when the only thing you two seem to like is screwing each other. I don’t think you see that there has to be more to make a relationship work than fucking. It’s why I wanted to include you guys with the people Ben and I know, to show you relationships are more than what happens in the bedroom...” Stopping his lecture when he heard Ben clear his throat.

Ben walked over from the side of the house, leaned down only to throw Michael over his shoulder. “You know what Michael, maybe that’s our problem, that we spend too much time talking about how immature relationships are all about sex. Or in our case, the infrequency it ever happens in our bed or home,” Ben says, slapping Michael’s ass.

“We talk about things that help the community, which is more than I can say about them,” Michael says after yelping at the sting of Ben’s spanking.

“It’s likely because, unlike us, they don’t need to use the community to fill in for everything else lacking in their relationship. Which I’m about to remedy. Nice seeing you Justin,” Ben yells, before dumping a stunned Michael in the car.

“That was kind of hot,” Mel comments from the doorway. “What do you think Lindsay?” She asks, laughing when Lindsay looks at her like she’s lost her mind.

“If it was Justin’s ass he was spanking, yeah that would have been hot. Not that I wouldn’t have kicked his ass, but yeah, hot none the less,” Brian says thoughtfully, which only caused the girls to laugh.

We left with Gwen, and made plans to pick up Gus and Jenny for the girls tomorrow. It was our hope that Michael and Ben would be otherwise entertaining themselves, so Michael could get off the soap box and into real life.

I dropped Brian off to get stuff he needed together, thinking we could deal with all the things he wanted to move into my… our house, in the next couple days. Brian and I talked about his loft and he was willing to sell it but had been talking to my mom about investing in real estate too. Which had Ted and Drew saying it would be something they wouldn’t mind doing themselves. Brian liked the idea of not only owning two businesses but branching out to new things.

It was something I was learning about the man who at one time seemed to only care about playing hard, from the way Michael described him. Brian might have played, but he was always working just as hard. He liked change and welcomed challenges, to prove to himself he wasn’t just the ‘it boy’ in only advertising. My grandfather told me it’s why I’d never have to worry about Brian, because if there was a problem between us, he’d work to find a way to solve it. Which Brian did, the night of his birthday. He didn’t hide what he did, just faced it and me, not willing to lose us. It’s why I didn’t try to find a reason to wait last night when he asked.

I was unpacking our bags when the envelope fell out of his jacket, I opened it just to look at it, only it wasn’t in the envelope. I searched all the bags, through all the clothes, and then called Brian to see if he put the paper somewhere else. He called back after looking around saying he couldn’t find it. Then he asked if I took it out when we snuck back into my grandparents cabin that night. Which is when I remembered pulling it out and taunting him to chase me for it. When he caught me, I honestly didn’t think of anything other than the mouth around my dick. Then of course it got sort of frantic, and well, hello, who cared about a piece of paper when Brian was slamming into me.

“Shit, did we leave it at the cabin?” I ask.

“I can drive back and find it,” Brian tells me.

“I’ll call my grandfather. He’ll at least keep it quiet,” I tell him, not wanting him to have to take the day to go back and pick it up. When we were both still tired from last night.

Grandma had to pick up the phone and I really considered hanging up and running for another country. “So Mr Taylor-Kinney, is there something you forgot to tell your poor disappointed Granny?”

“Surprise! We got married,” I say weakly.

“Surprise, the hens and I are on our way a week sooner,” She cackles, hanging up.