MICHAEL

I lied to Lindsay and Mel and told them we decided to start dinner an hour earlier. They’d been avoiding my calls all day. The same way I’d been ignoring Ben acting like an ass lately. When they arrived forty-five minutes late, it didn’t save them from Ma or me. Carl told us he’d play with Jenny outside while we talked. Which took away any excuse for them to avoid answering our questions. Lindsay really tried to avoid it. Only, Ma pointed her to a chair the way she use to do to Brian and me when she knew we were about to do something stupid. I’m still trying to figure out that skill, since I need it with Hunter, who is proving I have a lot to learn about teenagers. Hunter is being patient and helping me figure out how to raise him. 

“Deb, we’ll figure it out. There’s no need to help us,” Mel told her.

“Obviously there is, since Jenny told me Gus is angry at you two, instead of at Brian. If what we’ve been told is the truth then why is Gus angry at you?” Ma asked, well, demanded, to know.

“He’s just upset because we didn’t welcome Brian coming to the house the way we did with Michael and Ben,” Lindsay told her.

“Wait a minute, you have both been telling us that Brian was the one who couldn’t be there when Gus asked him. Which isn’t what it sounds like you’re saying now,” I told them.

“When he wanted to see Gus, he had to ask us first. We didn’t want Gus to be hurt, since Brian barely played much of a role in his life when we were here,” Mel commented.

“You didn’t act like you wanted him around Gus, even I know that. I know I agreed with you that he would at best be an absentee father, but it’s not like I know everything,” I told Mel and Lindsay, only to turn when Ben laughed, and smiled at me. “Hell, it took me this long to stop thinking Brian was the problem,” I told Ben, as he laughed harder. It felt good to see it.

“We know we made a mistake and we’re trying to make it right. We might as well get it all out. We only let Brian see Gus when he put money in Gus’s account. We didn’t use it, just made sure he knew there was more to being a father than showing up and doing the fun things,” Mel admitted.

“Are you fucking kidding me? I tried to defend you two to Justin. Good God, no wonder he acted like I shouldn’t have,” Ben said, standing up and walking to stand over the girls. Lecture time. At least it wasn’t me this time. “I hurt my friendship with Justin because of the things I said about Brian and his lack of interest in Gus. Do you know that it made Justin doubt that Brian would want his baby? This whole time you both let us all believe that Brian treated being a father like something he ignored, unless you made him show up. Instead, now we’re finding out that you made him pay for time with Gus, and even then I have a feeling he still had to jump over whatever obstacles you put in his way. I guess Michael and I should be glad you couldn’t do that to us,” Ben told them.

“He agreed to give up Gus, so he knew it was up to us when he could see Gus,” Mel said, weakly.

“He wanted to see Gus, and Gus wanted to see him. Anything else shouldn’t have mattered. What the hell is wrong with you two? I know I always say nothing can replace mother’s love, but having an interested father is important too,” Ma told them.

“We know, and we’re trying to make this right. Can you guys back off and let Brian and us figure this out?” Lindsay asked.

“Apparently you two haven’t figured it out, since Gus isn’t talking to either of you,” I commented.

“If it has to do with Jenny then we’ll talk to you about it, but since it’s about Gus and Brian, stay the hell out of it,” Mel told me.

“This is Justin’s life too, and as his friend, I think Michael is right, you two need help. It bothers me that neither of you saw anything wrong with making Brian pay to be with Gus,” Ben told them.

“We weren’t using the money,” Lindsay stated in their defense.

“That changes what? So you didn’t use it. You still let all of us believe Brian was the problem,” Ma told them. 

“Good God, after dealing with you and the hundred and one phone calls, we were stupid not to agree to Brian again,” Mel said, shaking her head.

“It’s called 'interest in my child'. You asked me to let her go with you, and I agreed. Well it didn’t mean I forgot she exists and didn’t want to know what I was missing, since apparently Canada was the answer to every gay person’s prayers,” I told them.

“It was so you and everyone else wouldn’t show up at our house! Something Brian actually respected, and at least made sure to call!” Mel yelled.

“What the hell was wrong with us wanting to help you with Jenny?” Ma screeched.

“Nothing, if you had bothered to tell us you planned to spend all day every day at our house!” Mel yelled back.

“Are we interrupting?” Ted asked, as he, Blake, and Emmett came in.

“They act like anyone wanting to show the kids attention should be done only when they want us to!” Ma yelled.

“You’re sorry you asked, aren’t you?” Blake asked Ted.

“Everyone thinks we owe them an explanation about something that has nothing to do with them!” Mel told him.

“Definitely sorry,” Ted answered. 

“I brought dessert,” Emmett said, like that was going to stop Ma or Mel.

“I practically raised Brian, so yes, it’s my business that you two lied to us about what’s been going on. How could you not let him see his son?!” Ma was really reaching ear bleeding levels.

“OUR SON. The one Brian signed over to us!” Mel yelled, not really up to Ma’s level.

“What does it matter now? Brian is getting to see Gus,” Lindsay yelled over everyone.

“It matters because it makes me worry what would have happened if Michael hadn’t been insistent that he be allowed to be more than a cup of sperm!” Ma glared at Lindsay.

Well, I might have said cone, since that’s how I delivered the goods, but I don’t think they cared about being exactly right at this moment. I looked at my watch and realized this was not the impression I wanted to make on Justin. 

“If only that was all he was!” Mel yelled. 

Oh well, it’s not like he shouldn’t get the full family dinner, since he’s standing at the door with Brian.

BRIAN

Justin and I waited outside when Ted, Blake, and Emmett decided to brave what was going on inside. I really tried to convince Justin we should have just stayed home. Carl came to the front and told Gus that he and Jenny were playing in the back, not that they couldn’t hear what was going on in the house from the back. Gus took off to the back, not really in a hurry to see his mothers. Meaning we would be staying until Gus was ready to go.

Justin ignored what we were hearing and seemed to think we should continue what we stopped to get ready to come here. Only, when his stomach started going off, I decided to get this over with. Michael saw us first, shrugging at Mel and Deb standing toe to toe, shouting at each other. When Ben spotted Justin, he seemed to forget whatever he was angry about and came over and bear hugged Justin, earning a glare from me.

Deb stopped to see what Ben was doing and came over and took over the hugging, which I could deal with. Of course, she had to check him from head to toe, then slapped his ass to show she approved. Then it was back to Mel.

“Before this night is over, you two will apologize to Brian for the things you made us all believe. AM… I… CLEAR?” Deb asked, making each word louder than the next.

“Maybe Lindsay and I should go where we don’t have to defend ourselves,” Mel told her quietly, when Carl came in with the kids.

“Then don’t do something you would need to defend,” Ben adds, before dragging Justin off with him.

“Is this what it’s always like?” Justin asked, when I caught up to him.

“Sweetie, if you can’t yell at family, why bother having one?” Deb told him, pinching his cheeks as if he was Gus or Jenny.

“I’ll have to try that on my mom, since nothing else seems to work,” Justin told her, not even bothered by Deb invading his space.

“I made pretty much everything, since no one told me what you like,” Deb told him, handing him a plate for the mountain of food on her counters.

“Brian, can we talk?” Lindsay asked me.

Justin waved me off, piling two plates. I was almost going to ask where he planned to put it all, but he handed one to Gus. One thing he and Gus seemed to have in common was, as long as it was food, they ate it. He started on another plate but went lighter on the portions, and looked to see if I wanted anything else. 

“Less carbs, but good,” I told him, so he took the bread and added it to his plate. I followed Lindsay outside, to get whatever she wanted to talk about over with.

“Has Gus said anything about Mel and me?” She asked.

“I talked to him and made him understand we all thought we were doing the right thing. He’s still bothered that the right thing meant not seeing me. Which hopefully you and Mel won’t repeat,” I told her.

“Do you think he’ll agree to spend the day with us before we go back? We’re staying for two more days,” She asked.

“Ask him. If it’s what he wants, then he gets it. See what it’s like to be reasonable?” I asked her before going inside.

“You should come to my comic store,” Michael told Justin, looking eager to spend time with Justin.

“I was going to see if Justin wanted to come sit in on one of my classes,” Ben told him.

“You really think anyone would go to school if they didn’t have to?” Michael asked him.

“People sometimes like to hear what I have to say,” Ben told Michael.

“I really didn’t get half of what he said,” Michael shrugged.

“It was fun debating if there was hidden gay subject matter in common things,” Justin told him.

“Justin always came up with a new point of view,” Ben said, like a proud teacher.

“I’m sure he did, but right now I’m interested in Justin, not you and Michael,” Deb told them.

“What do you want to know?” Justin asked, not answering either Ben or Michael.

“Where are you from and why hasn’t Brian brought you here before? When are you due? What made you and Brian not tell anyone you two were together?” Deb threw at him.

“I’m actually originally from here, but I left when I didn’t like what my family expected of me. Until recently Brian and I hadn’t really established what we were doing, so he didn’t have a reason to bring me here,” Justin told her, stopping when Gus asked for a drink; getting up to go get it while continuing to answer Deb. “I’m just over two months, so seven more to go. Like I said before, we didn’t exactly define our relationship, but when I told Brian about the baby, he didn’t want to keep doing what we were doing. He said he wanted to see the things he missed with Gus,” Justin said, smiling at Gus, while the rest of the group glared at Mel and Lindsay.

At first I thought Justin didn’t realize how everyone would react to what he was absently saying as he took care of Gus, but when he sat down he joined in the with the the group, only smiling.

“We get it okay, we shouldn’t have thought what we were doing was the right thing,” Mel sighed.

“Sorry, I guess I didn’t realize how it sounded,” Justin told her.

“Didn’t you?” Lindsay asked.

“I was just answering Deb. Which, by the way, anything that doesn’t include tofu or meat substitutes work for me. Having the real thing versus what’s good for me is all that matters to me,” Justin told her.

“Honey, don’t get me started on the shit Michael brought over to make dinner for Ben. I’m still trying to understand what’s wrong with cheese. They seem to think we aren’t helping the cow by using the milk that would kill their tits if we didn’t get it out of them,” Deb told him.

“You said you made it,” Ben told a guilty looking Michael.

“They aren’t so bad. Actually, they’re rather entertaining,” Justin told me, kissing me.