BLAKE

After everyone settled around the pool to play with the kids, I sat with Brian. I didn’t understand what he was planning, because I've never known Brian to be anyone but the man who took care of everyone. He was straight and to the point, but not cruel about it. So I wondered what he meant about showing Michael a side of him that he protected him from seeing. I knew he never told Michael about the cancer episode, but in a way it was probably because he knew Michael would somehow turn it into everyone needing to be there for Michael while Brian was going through radiation and puking his brains out. 

I've never had a great opinion of Michael, but tolerate him for Ted’s sake. I like Ben, but there are times when I don't get some of the things he puts up with. It's not that Michael is horrible, it's more that he thinks his life is an example of how all our lives should be. He doesn’t get why I don't run into the clubs and preach to the guys getting high about how they are ruining their lives. I don't think he gets that they aren’t ready to listen. It's a step you have to take when you're ready, otherwise it's a waste of everyone's time. Which I know from my own experience.

“Thanks,” Brian says, breaking me away from my thoughts.

“You would have done it for Ted,” I tell him. 

“Not just for Ted,” He tells me.

“I know, and it leads me to a question,” I tell him. 

“Ask,” He tells me. 

“Why does everyone think what you're planning on doing will get Michael to understand anything?” I ask. 

“I've never directed my inner asshole directly at Michael,” He tells me. 

“Ted’s mentioned that in the past there were times you could be blunt, but you still are, so I don’t understand,” I tell him. 

“Blunt is a nice way of saying it. It's more that I didn’t hold back, regardless of anyone's feelings. If it embarrassed you, too bad. Michael spent his teens being the geek people made fun of, beat up, and in general, ignored, until we became friends. After we became friends, he became popular through me,” He tells me. 

“What are you planning to do to him?” I ask. 

“Nothing he hasn’t done to you or anyone else,” He tells me. 

“It's something about him I don't get. He's always seen as the one who takes care of his friends and family, but if they'd paid better attention, they would've realized it was you,” I tell him. 

“Right now all I care about is the man sitting next to our children,” He tells me, smiling at Gus’s hero worship of Justin.

“He's easy to like,” I tell him. 

“Just as easy to love,” Brian says, under his breath.

I got up to go help Ted with Poppy, but the whole way over, all I could hear was that Brian admitted to loving someone. “Make sure to do what you can to set Michael straight,” I tell Ted, kissing the man who gave me my life.

BRIAN 

Blake and Ted came over to drop Poppy off with Justin. We'd planned to arrive at Deb’s together. Before we could leave Blake said he'd rather stay with Justin and the kids. Then Emmett and Drew arrived with Jenny, which wasn’t something we discussed.

“Bine,” She squealed, running to me.

“Explain,” I ask, while picking up Jenny.

“Walter told Mel and Lindsay that Michael was bringing Eli and Monty, along with Eli’s cousin, who’s a surgeon. We thought it would be better for Jenny not to be there, so I let Mel know about everything,” He says, putting Drew in front of him.

“Why is Walter helping?” I ask. 

“Mel and Lindsay were worried about you,” He tells me. 

“Which doesn't explain anything, Lindsay always worries,” Ted tells him.

“They set Walter up with Phillip. Apparently they did what Michael couldn’t, find someone to date Walter. So he is sort of ‘team lesbian’ now. Which means he's team whatever Lindsay wants, which is Brian and Justin making up,” Emmett tells us. 

“It's fine, Jenny and I are buddies, aren’t we Sweetheart?” Justin catches Jenny as she easily goes to him. “Have fun, call if you need me,” Justin kissed me, and Jenny puckered up, waiting her turn.

I kissed both, then rolled my eyes at Emmett for keeping Drew between us. Like he couldn't hold his own in a fight. “It wasn’t like I expected you to manage to keep anything a secret,” I glared.

“Did you really think Jenny being there was a good idea?” He asks, running to his car.

“You have to give him some credit, he only told Mel,” Drew points out.

“Everyone else already knew,” I pointed out.

“Just look at it as he kept it from Michael. Which for Emmett isn’t normally possible,” Ted tells me. 

Deb was standing outside when we got to her house. The gang barely tolerates ‘the perfect neighbors’, Deb doesn’t even make that much effort, but for me she was willing to deal with them. It's one thing I no longer worry about with Deb, since she and Carl got together she's stopped rushing to defend Michael.

“Do me a favor and give Eli and Monty a reason to not want to come here again,” She tells me, taking a deep breath before going back in.

It took two seconds to figure out what pissed her off. Michael let his friends take over Deb’s kitchen. Something no one who wants to live would ever consider doing. 

Michael saw me and with Ben pushing him to the living room, he came to talk to me.

“Look I know what I did was wrong, but when you think about it, he obviously wasn’t as into the relationship as you were,” Michael tells me. 

“Michael.” Ben practically growls.

“Sorry, okay. I shouldn't have done it,” He grumbles.

“I'm sure Ben is sorry you did it, but then he's the brains in this marriage,” I tell him, leaving him standing there. “Who do we have here tonight? Marvin and Eddy, long time no see, but then I try to make a point of not seeing either of you unless I have to,” I quip.

It's Monty and Eli,” Eli grits out.

“Why would I care? But hey, who's the victim you brought?” I ask, looking at the guy with distaste.

“Just a friend I wanted everyone to meet. Robin is a surgeon, and Eli’s cousin,” Michael says, as if we should be bowing at the guy's feet.

“Hey everyone, sorry we're late,” Mel comes running in, dragging Lindsay stumbling behind them.

“Where’s my Honeybun?” Michael asks, upset not to see her.

“Poppy wanted to have the kids over, so Blake decided to stay home with the kids,” Ted tells him. 

“You should have called and let me know, I might have wanted to see her,” Michael chastised Mel.

“Honeybun?” Robin asks.

“Mikey never realized that calling someone a pet name really shows how little you respect them,” I comment, seeing Michael frown.

“Brian, can we talk outside for a minute?” Ben asks.

“Why Zenny Benny, going to coach me on how to be an adult? It hasn't done much for Mikey,” I tell him, smiling.

“What's wrong with you Brian? I apologized,” Michael pouts.

“Seriously Brian, he did,” Emmett says, assuming the same position as Michael.

“I must have missed it. But then I tend to tune out when Michael talks about most things. I find it hard to listen when he only seems to talk about plots to bad comics,” I tell Emmett.

“I can see that, I usually play ‘tops and bottoms’ while he talks,” Emmett tells us.

“Blake just makes me dance to avoid those conversations,” Ted adds.

“Guys come on, my Honeybun can't help that he still gets a hard on for Captain Astroglide,” Deb says, while patting Michael on the head.

“Astro. Not… never mind. How about we ALL sit down and try the meal that Robin so nicely made for us,” Michael growls when we all ignored him.

“Robin?” I ask. 

“Yes. You know, the guy I just introduced you to,” He says, barely refraining from yelling.

“Sorry, I try to forget anyone Michael introduces me to, but then they're all pretty forgettable. Mikey’s taste in men, and mine are… well, let's just say I'm more discriminating in mine. Well, there was Ben, but that was just a one off for me. I'm surprised they didn’t bring Walter to meet you, he's always the first one you get victimized with,” I tell Robin. 

“Apparently he's taken now,” Robin says smiling.

“Don’t tell me Michael is trying to hook you up with Emmett? Drew tends to get pissed about that, but maybe Ted, since Blake won't get involved in the ‘saving the queer from sin society’,” I tell him, kind of liking the guy.

“I was told that Eli wanted me to help cheer up a friend of his. Apparently he got his heart broken recently,” He tells me, not flirting at all.

“Ben, are you and Michael breaking up? At least with Robin you can use big words,” I tell him. 

“We're not… Brian knock it off. Everyone let's sit down. Robin why not sit between Brian and Ted since they're both partner-less tonight,” Michael says, getting upset. 

“Mikey, do us a favor tonight and let Ben show you how to hold your fork,” I say, sitting in my designated seat.

“I really just came to meet the man that got Justin to agree to a date,” Robin whispers, causing Michael to smile at us.

“You know Justin?” Ted asks, loud enough for Michael to hear.

“I work with his best friend. Unfortunately Justin wasn’t interested,” He shrugged.

“I'm sure you'd have more in common with Brian,” Michael tells him.

“Why?” I ask Michael.

“Well, um, you both are... “ Michael seemed to stop when he couldn’t find anything to say.

“Tall?” Emmett offers.

“Graduated college?” Lindsay tries, ruining it by giggling.

“Both want the same man?” Drew offers.

“Guys, apparently since Brian seems to be into doctors. Michael probably thinks they’re interchangeable,” Ted says.

“Maybe, but normally I go for well... not anything that Michael would choose. Wait let's not forget Ben,” I said, while Ben bowed his head trying not to laugh.

“It was a long time ago, and can we not bring that up,” Michael says, practically breathing fire.

“It didn’t want Marve, Eddie, and Robin missing out on a real dinner at Deb's. Which normally includes listening to Michael talk about how to get a swing set for Stepfordville, and how little I'm doing to show straight people how much Michael is just like them. How's that going by the way? Have they figured out yet that just because you like Ben to slip it to you doesn’t mean you're really gay,” I ask.

“Brian, it's about getting respect,” Monty tells me.

“Is it? Because kill me if I ever decide to become a dickless fag. Michael’s already doing that for me, since he's the epitome of best friend,” I tell him.

“Brian.” Michael growls.

“What? I was just treating our friendship the way you do,” I tell him. 

“I've always treated our friendship as if it's the most important thing in our lives. Which you haven't done since you met Justin. I don't forget the people who were there for me. While I'm defending myself, you really need to think about the fact that he could be some deranged stalker who used us to get to you,” Michael tells me. 

“Justin?” Robin whispers to me.

“Got me on this one,” I whisper back.

“Are you still… REALLY?” Mel asks.

“Think about it. Brian dumped the kid after tricking with him. Somehow he ends up being my Honey… Jenny’s doctor,” Michael says, like it explains anything.

“Shit Brian, you think Justin somehow tricked Blake and I into calling him? I know guys tend to do crazy shit to get your attention. Like the shit Michael did, but Justin must be really devious. I mean, to wait all these years plotting, you know, like Astroglide,” Ted says, looking scared.

“Astro!” Michael yells.

“If he'd had been Astroglide, we might have listened more,” Emmett says, trying not to giggle. 

“You think Michael was trying to keep you from Justin’s evil clutches? I mean, it only took a month for us to get an appointment with Justin. All that time, he was plotting to get to you,” Mel tells me, rolling her eyes. 

“And I cooked dinner for him, shame on me,” Emmett says. 

“I'm serious!” Michael yells.

“There's a scary thought, Michael actually thinking without help,” Ben joins the fray.

“Did it hurt to have to think?” I ask. 

“Monty, maybe we should go,” Eli tells him, starting to get the picture.

“But I haven't gotten to you two yet,” I smirk.

“Enough! Don't you get that he wasn’t the one for you?” Michael asks me. 

“What did Justin do to make you think that? Was it that like all of you, I spent time with him when we first got together. Could Mel be right? Were you pissed because our friends were invited by me to meet the man I was falling in love with, while you were at dinner discussing how nothing is your fault where your daughter is concerned? Was I too happy with someone that wasn’t part of your cult? Give me one fucking reason that you had for fucking me over, while claiming you know anything about what's best for me! Because right now I'm not even sure why I once thought you were the best friend you claimed to be,” I tell him. 

“I… it… you were…” He stutters.

“He made me fucking want to wake up in the morning, just to feel him next to me. I spent my entire life hating anyone touching me while I slept, because it's the one time I couldn’t defend myself. But with Justin, I couldn’t get close enough. Thanks to you I almost lost him, because you know me best!” I tell him, losing control.

“I'll talk to him. I'll make him see it was my fault,” Michael rushes out.

“Do not go near him. Your brand of help is the last thing I need,” I tell him, getting up and going to the one person who could ground me.

“I didn’t mean…” Was the last thing I heard before slamming the door.