Epilogue
Justin opened his eyes and wasn't surprised when he felt a small body press into his side. Ever since he and Brian had reunited more than six months ago, it had become a Kinney-Taylor family tradition that both their sons would join them in bed on Saturday morning and they would all enjoy a good cuddle together to start the day.
Justin also wasn't surprised when he found that the body pressing into his was Gus' small frame. Forcing his eyes to open, he smiled when he saw the small boy leaning into him. Even though Gus was Brian's son, he was more like Justin than either of them cared to admit. Where Brian and Luke loved getting up early and would be up at the crack of dawn, Gus enjoyed sleeping in even more than Justin did and most weekends Brian and Luke would get bored waiting for their Papa and Gus to wake up and would desert the bed before either of them woke up again. It was a tradition that Brian and Justin would talk and cuddle with their sons when they came into their bed, but it was also a well known fact that Gus and Justin liked to go back to sleep for an additional hour or two afterwards. Many times Brian and Luke would just get up at one point and already prepare breakfast for the sleepyheads as Luke liked to call them.
Therefore Justin wasn't surprised when he saw that Brian's side of the bed was empty and he and Luke couldn't be found anywhere. They were probably already down in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the whole family.
Justin gently shook his son's shoulder and spoke to him quietly. “Gus? Hey, buddy... Time to wake up or your Daddy and Luke will hate us.”
The small boy reluctantly opened his eyes and turned to Justin. “Just one more hour? Please, Papa?” Gus tried, batting his hazel eyes at his father, knowing that he was pretty much helpless when Gus did that.
However today Justin knew that they didn't have time for that and could only chuckle at Gus' obvious attempt of getting his way.
“Not today, buddy. You know we'll have a full house later on. There's still lots to prepare. Tomorrow, I promise,” Justin smiled as he slowly climbed out of bed. He picked up his robe and watched as Gus sat up as well.
“It's Luke's birthday party, not mine. I think I can sleep some more. You don't need me,” the boy dramatically sighed, before falling back onto the mattress.
Justin laughed at Gus' antics and pulled the blanket away from the bed. “Not gonna work. Let's head down to breakfast. I think I can smell your Daddy's waffles.”
It had been Luke's birthday earlier that week and today all their family and friends would come over to celebrate with a nice barbecue and party in their garden.
As they made their way into the kitchen, Justin smiled at what he saw there. Luke was helping Brian transfer the waffles from the waffle maker to a plate and they were having a serious discussion about what kind of toppings would work best with the waffles.
Justin couldn't help but be amused as he saw Brian discuss the pro's and con's of peanut butter, cream and Luke's favourite Nutella as if he was discussing a contract with a client. Brian was dead serious and listened to whatever Luke had to say, pointing out flaws in his son's arguments whenever he saw one.
Seeing Brian with Luke and Gus always warmed Justin's heart. Brian was the embodiment of a good father. While Justin had always known that Brian had it in him to be the best father a kid could wish for, Brian had been more doubtful of himself and still was at times, but thanks to many long conversations and the smiles on their happy sons' faces, Brian had slowly accepted that he might have done something right as a father. His sons loved him and so did Justin.
They had come a long way since they had made up after Valentine's. For the first couple of months Brian had continued talking to his therapist and often Justin had joined him for sessions, both of them feeling the need to get their relationship right this time and to make it work for their sons' sake as much as for themselves. Seeing the therapist had helped Brian cope with his issues of guilt and self-doubt and had made him a better partner as far as Justin was concerned.
It had taken him some time to accept that Brian wasn't the man anymore that had cancelled a wedding with him five years ago, but that now he had a better, improved version of that man as his partner. Brian now talked about his feelings and together they would talk about their fears, their dreams and their wishes for themselves and their family. They had quickly realised that for both of them their sons' happiness was the most important thing in life and it had been easy to focus on that and build from there.
Justin was still amazed when he thought back to the boys' summer break and how they had spent a week at Disney World in Orlando. He had expected Brian to balk at the idea of going to the 'happiest place on earth', but much to his surprise Brian had agreed and had stated that it would probably be a nice vacation for the boys. At first Justin had been too shocked to say anything, but then he had realised that he needed to stop judging his partner by an image that he had embodied years ago. Brian wasn't the stud of Liberty Avenue anymore, quite on the contrary. Brian was now a father first and foremost and loved his sons beyond anything. Even enough to take a trip to Disney.
And even though he had never admitted it to Justin, Justin had seen in his eyes that deep down Brian had loved the trip as much as he himself and the boys had.
Over time Brian and Justin had managed to build a new level of trust and brought their relationship to a level it had never been on before. Justin could honestly say that he had never been as happy before as he was now with Brian and their two sons. This was the family he had always dreamed of and unlike in his wildest dreams where Brian had always needed to be forced into having a family in some way, Brian was with him voluntarily and loved their family just as much.
He knew that he had broken off his earlier engagement with Brian because he had been scared of Brian changing into someone he was not for Justin's sake and because Justin didn't want him to become someone he was not, but seeing now that Brian had actually changed all of his own because he had realised that love didn't make a man weak, but gave him strength and courage when needed, that love didn't only make vulnerable, but also made strong and made Brian a better person, showed to Justin how far his partner had really come in recent years.
The Stud of Liberty Avenue was a legend, a myth almost, a story older men told newcomers when they came to the Avenue for the first time, but it had actually been years since anyone had seen the Stud in action.
Yes, occasionally Brian and Justin liked to go out and Debbie or his mom would watch the children so the two men could enjoy a night out on town, but even on those nights they behaved relatively tame compared to their younger years. They weren't tricking anymore which hadn't really been a conscious choice on their part, but more something they had grown into. With two sons, a house outside the city boundaries and two hugely successful careers they just didn't have the time to trick and go out on the hunt for men to blow them or to fuck. And Justin knew that he didn't miss it, he was happy having Brian. He was all that Justin would ever need and more than knowing that he was happy, he knew that Brian was happy too and that Brian didn't seem to miss tricking either. It had taken Justin some time to believe Brian when he had insisted on not wanting to trick when they went to Babylon and once it had even ended in an argument when Brian had accused Justin of pushing him into tricking with his constant nagging, but after a night apart, with Justin sleeping on the sofa in the loft – Brian had been right, a place in the city would come in handy at times - they had had a long heart to heart the next day and Brian had explained to Justin that he didn't need tricking anymore and that Justin was all he ever wanted and needed. Tricking had been a way to portray an image to the outside world and to fill a void deep inside of him, but that void had now been filled by Justin and his sons and Brian didn't give a shit how anyone but his family saw him.
That argument had been eye-opening to Justin and ever since that day Justin had accepted Brian's sincerity when it came to their relationship.
They had been happier than they had ever been in the past and their family fulfilled them. Being with their sons was all either of them needed to have a happy day.
“Sunshine, sonny boy, it's about time you showed up,” Brian exclaimed when he saw two of his three favourite boys in the doorway to the kitchen. “I was about to send a search party for you. Or sic Luke on you,” he chuckled.
Justin walked over and wrapped his arms around Brian's waist, smiling when his partner turned in his arms and greeted him with a good morning kiss.
Both boys made gagging noises which made the men smile into their kiss. It was fun to annoy Luke and Gus with their public displays of affection.
“Can you please not do that before I have even had my breakfast?” Gus urged, heavily sighing as he sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. He was eleven now and parents could be so annoying.
“What can I say? I love your Papa so much, I could eat him for breakfast,” Brian chuckled as he playfully nibbled on Justin's earlobe.
“Daddy! You can eat waffles. Not Papa,” Luke admonished, looking sternly at his father.
Brian and Justin smiled in amusement before Justin pulled back and gave his son a kiss as well. “You're just jealous that I went to Daddy first,” Justin teased and tickled his son's belly, making the small boy squirm as he was laughing.
“Am not...,” he giggled, before everything calmed down and Justin poured himself a cup of coffee. Stealing one more peck from Brian's lips, he moved over to sit down at the table next to Luke.
“Are you excited for later?” He asked his small son, smiling at him.
“I can't wait to see what Auntie Em got me. He said I would love it more than anything,” Luke said seriously as he climbed over to his Papa and settled in his lap. “Do you know what my present is?”
“I don't, I've told you before. You'll just have to wait, but I am sure he's right and you'll love it,” Justin smiled as he ran his hand through his son's hair.
Brian brought the plate with the waffles and some juice over and settled down at the table as well once it was set completely.
“Do you know, Daddy?” Luke tried with his other father, but didn't have any more success there.
“Nope, he didn't tell me a thing. Which has me slightly worried, if I am honest,” he smirked and was rewarded with a chuckle from Gus and Justin.
Emmett was known for his outrageous presents for the boys and Brian would never forgive him for the princess dress he had bought for Luke when the boy had exclaimed his love for Frozen. With the blond hair and blue eyes he had looked like Elsa in drag, or so Brian had claimed which had made his son so angry at him that he had refused to talk to his Daddy for two days. It had needed Justin's gentle coaxing and some of Luke's favourite cookies to get him to forgive his daddy. Five minutes after they had made up, it had been as if they had never disagreed on anything which had amused Justin to no end.
Thinking about Emmett and everyone else who would come by for their barbecue later, made Justin think back to the time when he and Brian had first announced at a family dinner that they were back together and working on their relationship. Of course Debbie and Carl had pretty much known about their reunion after they had been on babysitting duty during their date night, but everyone else had been beyond surprised when Brian and Justin had walked in hand in hand and had kissed in front of them all.
Jennifer had actually burst into tears, a reaction that had scared both Brian and Justin, but she had calmed down after a few minutes and had then explained to both men that she had just been so damn happy about them finally making up and being together like they always should have been. It had amused Justin greatly how his mum had turned from a woman who had thought his gay lifestyle was just a phase that he would grow out of and had refered to Brian as 'that Brian' into their staunchest supporter.
Everyone else had pretty much reacted as Brian and Justin had expected them to. Emmett, much like Jennifer had needed several tissues to calm down and had later claimed it on just being so ecstatic for their sons, but Justin knew that even though Emmett still had doubts about Brian's sincerity where Justin was concerned, he had been happy for Justin more than anything because he had known how important their reunion had been for him. Justin had been beyond grateful that he hadn't made a scene about what he thought were Brian's inadequacies as a partner or family man.
Drew and Blake had pretty much just accepted their reunion as a given and hadn't said much except for how they had always known this day would come and Ted had actually come over and given them both a hug, wishing them all the best for their future together. He hadn't really seemed as surprised as Justin would have expected from him, but Justin had learned with time that Ted had turned into Brian's closest friend over the years and he figured that Ted had probably known more about their reunion than he was aware of.
All in all telling their family had gone better than Justin and Brian had expected. Daphne had been a slightly different story though. She had still been angry at Brian for what he had put Justin through and it had taken Justin quite some time to convince her that he wasn't thinking with his dick but his heart and head and that a reunion with Brian was what he wanted. In the end Brian had suggested inviting her over and much to Justin's surprise that had done the trick. Spending some time with them, Daphne had seen the sincerity in Brian's eyes and his behaviour and had slowly but surely accepted him as a part of Justin's life. Though Justin still to this day believed that she had threatened Brian with bodily harm in case he ever hurt Justin again. Both Brian and Daphne would only laugh at him whenever he voiced his assumption, but he saw the slightly uncomfortable look in Brian's eyes that told him there was more to it than either Brian or Daphne were admitting. Deciding that that was between them and not between him and them, he had however decided to accept their newfound truce for what it was. Daphne and Brian got along and to Justin it seemed as if they were almost back to the way they had been in the past before their break up.
He was pulled back to the here and now and smiled when he felt a hand on his thigh, squeezing slightly. He looked up and his shining blue eyes met questioning hazel ones. “What are you thinking about, Sunshine?”
“Just about how happy I am,” he replied truthfully and felt blessed for how his life had turned out in the last twelve months since he had come back to Pittsburgh and had found out about the existence of his son. As Justin said it, he realised it was the truth. He was happy. More than he could have ever wished for growing up. He was a successful artist, had a loving partner that loved him more than anything and wasn't afraid to let him know and he had the best sons a man could wish for. Luke and Gus made him prouder than he ever thought he could be.
Brian smiled back at him, leaning in for a quick kiss. “Must be a whole damn lot, judging by that dreamy expression you had on your face.”
“It is. More than a whole damn lot,” Justin chuckled and kissed the man back. “Love you, Brian.”
“Love you, too, Sunshine. More than you know.”
They could hear two boys groan and had to chuckle into their kiss when Luke asked his bigger brother if they would ever stop kissing. Gus sighed dramatically and said solemnly, “Not likely.”
The End