CHAPTER 1 - HOMECOMING

BRIAN KINNEY’S - FRIDAY EVENING

BEN BRUCKNER

I look at the building and smile. Only Brian Kinney could live here! I head inside take one look at the elevator and decide to take the stairs. As I approach the door it is pulled open abruptly.

“You may be a great fuck but you’re a lousy person!” A half dressed man shouts as he stumbles out.

“You don’t know how great a fuck I am...since I did the fucking!” I laugh at the familiar but not heard in a long time drawl.

“You didn’t waste your time!” He glares at me.

“Just fuck off will you?! I need to shower your stank off of me!”

I watch the guy tear up and dash down the stairs pulling on his top as he goes.

“Door’s still open!” I shout and wait.

“What?!”

“I said...Kocky...that your door is still open!” I shout back stepping inside.

“Holy fuck no! It can’t be!” He yells and the next thing I find myself being embraced by a laughing Brian Kinney, my best friend of many years!

“Oh jeez, seriously shower!” I shout and shove him in the direction of the bathroom. “Where’s the Beam?” He continues to stare at me incredulously. “Over there Bucky.” He points at the cart. “Won’t be long! Unless you want to join me?”

“Yeah why not.” I smirk and follow him to the bathroom.

An hour later I am sighing as he, yet again, tweaks one strand of hair. “Can we get going?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’d fuck me!” He laughs and grabbing his jacket we head out. “But no tricking tonight. Deal?”

“Deal.”

WOODY’S - TWENTY MINUTES LATER

MICHAEL

“What time is Brian getting here?” I ask Emmett who shrugs a shoulder.

“You know the Stud, he will get here when he gets here and you’ll know when he does.  Hey Teddy! Over here!” He yells and waves at Ted. I still don’t get this relationship the three of them have. Okay Ted and Emmett I get because they’re Ted and Emmett but why Brian socialises with Ted outside of work is just odd. He is the most boring man in the world, he’s an accountant after all!

“Hey sweets, how is that gorgeous daughter of yours?” Emmett kisses his cheek.

He smiles. “Adorable and this is for you…” He hands him a clumsily wrapped package.

“She spoils me!” He squeals and puts it carefully in his bag. “Stud’s here and…” Emmett stops talking. In fact everyone has stopped talking as Brian comes in with an equally hot man beside him. “...who the fuck is that?!”

“Evening boys.” Brian drawls as him and his friend saunter up. “Hey Ems. Thought you had the Master Dinner tonight?”

“The bitch has moved it again, but this time not at the last minute!” Emmett hisses and Brian sighs. “I know, I know but there you go.”

“Kocky, table’s free.” His friend announces and walks over to it. “Want to play?”

“Oh Kocky is it?” Emmett trills smirking at Brian who just rolls his eyes and then heads to join him.

I have known Brian for years, since we were 14. We’re not best friends but we are very close, well I think so. I follow them over and watch as he and his friend set up the table.

“So Kocky this is…” Ted smirks and I wonder if Ted wants to keep his job.

“Fuck off Schmidt. This is Bucky, or Ben Bruckner. These reprobates are Emmy, Ted and his partner Blake and that’s Michael.”

“That’s Michael?” He asks just as a guy stops in front of me. “You sure?”

“No, he is definitely not Michael!” Emmett laughs...he laughs! “Where’d...oh there you are! This is Michael!”

“Oh yeah that’s more like he described him!” Ben laughs and everyone joins in...I smile but while part of me seethes on the inside; I feel smug that he’s described me to one of his friends!

“So why does he call you Bucky, Ben?” I ask.

“Because he bucks.” Brian replies with a smirk.

“Bucks what?” I ask again.

“The trend and that’s all you’re finding out for now. I need to get to know people first before I give away my secrets.” Ben replies and scowls as Brian jolts him causing him to miss the shot.

“So how do you two know each other?” Ted asks.

“Went to college together before I transferred to Penn State but I have come back to teach Gay Studies on Carnegie. Don’t start for the next two months, so am crashing at Kocky’s until I find a place.”

“What?!” I laugh. “Clearly you haven’t been in touch with Brian for a while. He doesn’t share his loft!”

“Are we going to Babylon? I need to dance away my misery!” Emmett exclaims.

I roll my eyes at his dramatics and then grimace as Cyril, my boss, comes up to me. “Ah Michael, you’ve recovered I see.”

“Recovered? What was wrong?” Ted asks.

“I had a headache...I’m better now.”

“Clearly, well that means you can do manage the breakfast shift tomorrow morning. Since Miley has done five night shifts in a row. See you bright and early at six!”

“Well…” Brian looks at his watch. “Come on boys let’s show Bucky here how we do things, you coming Michael?!”

“I should really go home…”

“Okay see ya.”

And with that they leave me standing there.

BABYLON - AN HOUR LATER

TED

Brian and Ben have attracted inquisitive and admiring looks...admiring because they are both beautiful...but inquisitive because they are turning down trick after trick. Ems has been rendered temporarily muted, before he can bear it no longer!

“Okay what’s going on...Michael! I thought you went home!” Ems gasps.

“Changed my mind.” He retorts.

Ah he had to queue again!

“Well anyway, what is going on with you two?” Ems demands.

“What do you mean Emmett?” Michael frowns.

“See! That’s the 12th between the two of you! Explain immediately!”

“Wanna dance Bucky?” Brian grins and hauls Ben to the dance floor by his belt.

The other dancers part and Ems clutches his pearls to his throat as Brian loops his arms around Ben’s neck and Ben puts his hands on his hips; and they dance in perfect rhythm with each other and the music.

“Oh my!” Ems gasps and grins before finishing off his Cosmo. “Well there’s a first, wonder how long it has been.”

“What?” Michael demands still looking incredulously at Brian and Ben.

“You don’t dance like that, unless you’ve got jiggy with it!”

“Brian and him! No way! He’s not even his tricking type!” He shakes his head vehemently.

They head back towards us and it doesn’t take a genius to work out what Michael is going to say.

“Brian. Emmett reckons that you and Ben have messed around, as in with each other. I call bullshit! You don’t fuck your friends.”

They exchange looks and Ben shrugs. “You’re right Michael, I don’t fuck my friends…” Michael looks smug. “But he’s my best friend and him I have fucked. Ready to go?” Ben nods and with matching smirks they amble out, with Ben holding onto Brian’s back pocket.

“I can’t believe it!” Blake snickers.

“Told ya so!” Ems crows and orders another Cosmo. “That seems the way to get fucked by the Stud and stay in his life, become his best friend!”

“Michael where are you going?” Blake calls at Michael’s retreating back but he doesn’t answer.

THE LOFT - AN HOUR LATER

BEDROOM

BEN

We laughed all the way back to his place.

“Did you see their faces?!” He guffaws lighting up and handing the blunt to me.

“Yeah. So what’s Michael’s deal?” I hand it back. “He...um... is cute is a boy next door kinda way.” He looks thoughtful before shrugging. “You know he’s kinda keen right?”

“On who?” He smirks with eyes closing “Want to finish?” He snickers.

“Come on.” I order taking the blunt off him and carefully putting it out. “Get in and try not to snore or do that wheezy thing you do!” He slides under the sheet and then grabs my wrist. “No funny business.”

“Who me?!” He waggles his eyebrows and I climb in.

LIBERTY AVENUE FAST FOOD - SATURDAY MORNING

MILEY

“Finally! Where have you been?”

“I overslept. My headache came back.” He grumbles putting on his badge.

“Of course it did.” I snipe and grab my stuff, smiling as I think about the mess he will have to clean up as there is nobody else in at the minute, and Cyril will watch over him like a hawk while he does so!

LIBERTY AVENUE

“Hey gorgeous boy!” Kiki calls out and I wait for her to catch up and when she does, she frowns. “Oh don’t tell me you pulled a late one last night again?”

“He had a headache!”

“Of course he did. It’s such a shame that Deb moved away, as much as I love Vic, he doesn’t have her firmness where it comes to Michael. He’s too nicey-nice...oh wow!”

“What?” I look where she’s looking.

“They’ve got a buyer for it!” We stare at what used to be Liberty Diner but with the retirement of Debs and then the new owner sacking Kiki, because she wouldn’t dress as a man during her shifts, people boycotted it and it eventually closed down.

“Hopefully this next owner has a more enlightened attitude.” Kiki sighs. “God I miss working here. Wonder what it’s going to be.”

“Fine dining diner.” A voice pipes up from behind us and we turn around and there is a pretty as a China doll young woman. “My brother and I bought it…”

“Hate to burst your bubble darling, but fine dining is not going to work here.” Kiki smiles kindly at her.

“You’ve not tasted my brother’s cooking. High class trash food! We’re going to have this side for the families and the other side for the adults. I’m Molly by the way.”

“Kiki and this is Miley.”

“Kiki!” A familiar voice bellows and we both grin at the gangliness that is Gus running down the street, he is still to grow into his legs! “Hey!” He kisses Kiki on the cheek and grins. “So I was…”

“Honey I have asked, there is nobody hiring for weekends only.”

“Worth a try thanks anyway.”

“Can’t tempt you to…”

“No. God no! Miley you are a men among men working with him!”

“We’re hiring, how old are you?” Molly interrupts. “If you know of anyone else who…”

“Me! Me!” Kiki cries out. “I used to work here when it was the diner.”

“Really?!” Molly grins and then grabs her hand. “Consider yourself rehired!” Then she frowns. “Um are you going to dress like that all the time?”

“Yes. Why?” Kiki bridles.

“Come on let me show you something.” She lets us into the diner, which has been redecorated and looks incredible! “Take a seat I will be right back. I bet he’s been moving things again!”

There is a squeal of triumph and she comes out with a roll of material. “So you’re going to need this!” She plonks it on the table and we just look at her. “This is what the uniforms are going to be made out of, we’ve got men’s and girls but you’d obviously be better placed to do your own uniform.”

“Oh. I thought…” Kiki looks a little tearful. She strokes the roll of black silk with an iridescent sheen to it with awe. "So beautiful, so beautiful."

“What? What? Have I done something wrong?”

“No.” I smile at her. “You’ve done the best thing in the world.”

“And that is?” She hands Kiki some napkins.

“Accepted her for who she is. I’m Gus by the way and I will be your weekend busboy.”