Chapter 8

Three days later Brian and Justin were getting ready to attend Brian's first family dinner. Debbie had invited them after their dinner at her place and had insisted that Brian had to meet the other members of their little family.

At first Justin hadn't been sure if that was a good idea and if Brian was already ready to meet everyone else as well and at first it had also seemed as if Brian had felt reluctant to attend, but in the end the brunet had surprised him by saying that he wanted to go and wanted to meet the rest of the people Justin now considered family.

Michael had been over twice to visit them at the loft and once Justin had taken Brian to Michael's comic book store on Liberty Avenue to show him Michael's business. The two friends had quickly reconnected and to Justin it almost felt as if no time had passed between them. Of course time had passed and a lot had happened since they had last seen each other, but Michael in his kind way had continued treating Brian as he had always treated him in the past – just as a friend and for that Justin had been immensely grateful. He knew that that had been just what Brian had needed and he had felt as if Michael's treatment and the conversations they had had in recent days had played a huge part in changing Brian's opinion about this family dinner.

“Are you ready to head over to Debbie's?” Justin asked his boyfriend as he closed the programme on his computer he had been working with on a client's account.

“Do I look okay?” Brian asked from the top of the steps in the bedroom, looking at Justin at his desk.

Justin smiled widely and walked over to where Brian stood and started nibbling on his bottom lip. “Good enough to eat.”

“Careful... We might be late if you start something now.”

“I don't care. You look hot,” Justin grinned, now licking his tongue down Brian's neck.

“Debbie will kill you if we're late again,” Brian chuckled, not really doing much to stop Justin. He loved it when Justin got into a playful mood like this and he loved when Justin showered him in love and affection. Who wouldn't?

“Don't care... I'll just blame you. You still have your lost boy bonus,” Justin smirked, grabbing Brian's hand and pulling him over towards the bed, pushing him down on it.

“Lost boy bonus?” Brian raised an eyebrow, looking at his boyfriend in amusement.

“In the beginning she always feels sorry for people when they first come into our family and they can get away with anything and she will forgive everything because she feels sorry for them. She still feels sorry for you, so will forgive you everything at the moment.”

Brian laughed out loud at that, allowing Justin to unbutton his pants and slide down his body, leaving gentle kisses all over his stomach and slowly trailing down to where his penis was starting to feel painfully hard.

“It's true... She will forgive you.”

“What about everyone else?” Brian panted, by now totally aroused by Justin's ministrations, needing to feel the younger man close.

“They'll just go along with everything she says,” Justin smirked at Brian, before he leaned down and took Brian's hard member in his mouth, making quick work of Brian's erection.

Once Brian had come and had ridden the waves of his orgasm, he felt that it was only right if he repaid the favour to his boyfriend and they quickly switched places so he could show Justin how much he loved him and appreciated his earlier actions.

In the end they both needed a shower and turned up at Debbie's house almost an hour late.

“She is gonna kill us,” Justin fidgeted before he rang the bell.

“What happened to the lost boy bonus?” Brian asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I think that would have saved us for the first 30 minutes of being late, but almost an hour... I am not sure,” Justin admitted, grinning at Brian from shining eyes. “But I don't care. It was so worth it.”

“That it was,” Brian agreed, leaning in to catch the younger man's lips with his own. Their kiss quickly deepened and neither of them noticed when the door was opened and an annoyed teenager looked up at them.

“Dudes, really? Can't you do that at home?” Hunter asked, turning back to the kitchen without another word.

“We did,” Justin only threw after him before he and Brian entered the house. When they hung up their jackets, Justin noticed that Brian had become tense and Justin could understand why. This would be the first time Brian would meet the whole family, more people he didn't know.

Justin smiled up at his boyfriend in encouragement and pulled his face closer so that their foreheads touched. “Just remember, they're all friends and all anti-slavery. Otherwise they wouldn't be my friends and wouldn't be welcome in Debbie's house. Okay?”

Brian nodded slowly, though his eyes were still showing some doubt.

“And Michael, Debbie and Carl and Ben will also be here. It will be just like the dinner with them. All will be okay,” Justin gave Brian one last kiss, then took his right hand in his, carefully covering his slave tattoo.

Justin had come to realise in recent days how much that simple display of affection seemed to calm down Brian. His slave tattoo apparently made him really nervous as it immediately outed his status and whenever they were outside the loft and Justin could, he would hold Brian's right hand and would cover the tattoo with his own hand and he had noticed repeatedly in recent days how much that little gesture calmed down Brian. It had the same effect now and Justin smiled as he felt some tension leave his boyfriend. Together they made their way into the kitchen and were on their way over to the two empty seats at the table, Justin all ready to make his apologies for them being late when a surprised gasp stopped all conversation around the table. “Brian!”

Justin frowned and turned to Lindsay who had spoken out and he felt even more confused when she looked as if she had seen a ghost and was staring at Brian. He felt Brian tense up behind him and turned to look at his lover as he looked at the woman in surprise.

“Lindsay,” the older man whispered and everyone at the table looked from Brian to Lindsay and back.

“Wait... you also know each other?” Justin couldn't help but ask, wondering if this was a bad joke.

“Oh my god, Brian! I can't believe it's you. It has been years!” Lindsay exclaimed and then walked around the table, giving Brian a hug. It was obvious that Brian didn't quite know how to react, but in the end he just hugged her back.

“Yeah... it's been a long time. How are you?” The older man asked, looking at Lindsay from gentle eyes, totally ignoring Justin and his earlier question.

“I... I never thought it would be you. Oh my god... Brian, you have to meet my partner Melanie and our son Gus,” Lindsay pulled Brian over to their side of the table and made the introductions. Brian immediately recognised the woman that Lindsay introduced as her partner Melanie. She was the lawyer that had picked him up at Sapperstein's estate and had taken him to Justin's loft.

“It's good to see you again, Brian. I hope Justin has been taking good care of you. Excuse me not getting up, but he has just fallen asleep,” she nodded towards the small boy in her arms who couldn't be older than 9 months and was now sleeping peacefully.

Brian just nodded in understanding and smiled at the little baby. “I take it this is Gus?” He asked and both Melanie and Lindsay nodded.

“He's our son.”

“Congratulations,” Brian said sincerely, his eyes locking with Lindsay's as she smiled at him.

“God, I can't believe it's you... I... I thought I'd never see you again,” Lindsay said once more and at that point they were reminded by Debbie that they were not alone, but that there were other people in the room as well.

“And how do you two know each other exactly?” The redhead asked, looking from one to the other.

Brian looked away from Lindsay and his gaze quickly found Justin's before he started speaking. “Lindsay's family... they were the first family I was sent to as a tutoring slave...Before I came to your family. We... we kind of became friends during my time there.”

Justin just nodded and then plopped down in his seat at the table. Another blast from the past or so it seemed. “That's just crazy...”

“Anyone else at this table that you know?” Debbie asked, cackling madly. She apparently loved this revelation and had her fun with it. “Ted, Emmett, do you know Brian as well from somewhere?”

Everyone at the table just watched the two and Brian quickly figured out that they had to be the only two men he hadn't been formally introduced to yet.

When they just shook their heads, slightly confused by the question, Debbie sounded rather disappointed. “Ah well... too bad.”

Noticing how everyone was just staring at him, Brian quickly made his way over to his seat next to Justin's and was glad when he felt the younger man grab his hand and squeeze it. Brian didn't like being the center of attention and this was not how he had imagined his first family dinner to go.

“Then let me make the introductions,” Michael started, pointing at Brian and then Emmett and Ted. “Brian here is Justin's boyfriend as we all know, my best friend from high school and apparently an old friend of Lindsay's as well. Small world, huh? Those two are Emmett and Ted. Emmett used to be my roommate and Ted is an accountant who's been in our family for years and years.”

“Nice to meet you,” Brian offered, looking at the two, who returned the greeting.

“Well, this was exciting!” The man called Emmett clapped his hands together as if he was a small overexcited child and then turned his gaze on Justin. “Baby, you didn't tell us your boyfriend was this hot. How could you keep that a secret?”

“Didn't want to make you jealous,” Justin replied without having to think about it and everyone at the table started laughing which released the tension that had settled in the room.

Everyone returned to their dinner and it was Debbie who once again started the conversation. “So why were you almost an hour late?”

“We got held up,” Justin answered evasively, a blush creeping up his cheeks and betraying his excuse.

“Again?” Michael asked wide-eyed and Justin just shrugged.

“Well, if I had a boyfriend that hot, I'd get held up a lot as well,” Emmett muttered which made Brian blush as well.

“Thanks... I guess...,” Brian quietly replied, not quite sure what to make of that statement.

“Oh sweetie, that was a compliment. Believe me!” Emmett nodded widely, revealing a toothy grin.

After that conversations returned to normal topics again and once again Brian felt welcomed by this group of people without any prejudice or hesitation about his status as a slave. He had a good time at the dinner and was secretly glad that Justin had insisted on introducing him to his little family he had found for himself.

Once dinner was over, small groups built and people started moving away from the table to the living-room or the porch and conversations continued in smaller groups. Brian and Justin had gone outside into the garden for a bit of privacy, Justin having felt that Brian needed a moment to take everything in that had happened that evening.

“So... you know Lindsay as well, huh?”

“Yeah...Another person I thought I would never see again,” Brian whispered, looking out at the dark garden.

“Are you happy about seeing her again?” Justin asked, wondering what their relationship had been like when Brian had been her tutor.

“Yeah... yeah, I guess I am... When I was staying with the Petersons, she was hardly younger than myself and we kind of bonded. She... she didn't agree with her parents about slavery and she seemed really interested in how I had ended up a slave. We connected and... I considered her a friend.”

“I considered you a friend as well,” a soft voice interrupted and both Justin and Brian turned around to see Lindsay walking over to them with Gus in her arms. The small boy was now awake and was happily playing with his mother's long blond hair.

“Lindsay,” Justin started, but then didn't really know what to say. What was he supposed to say to her?

“Sorry for interrupting you guys, I... I just wondered if maybe Brian and I could have a moment. It's been so long,” Lindsay said quietly, eyeing them both.

Justin looked to Brian first and when Brian nodded, he nodded as well and left them alone in the garden, returning back inside the house to help Debbie with clean-up.

“I am glad to see you again, Brian. I... I have often wondered how you were and where you had ended up after my father had...sold you...”

Brian just nodded, not quite sure how to reply to that. “Justin and Melanie told me some of the story of where they found you and about Sapperstein and... Are you okay, Brian?” Her voice was gentle and concerned when she asked the question.

Brian just shrugged. “I am getting there. I am now that I am with Justin.”

“That is good. You deserve all the happiness you can get,” Lindsay said sincerely. “And Justin is a good man.”

“That he is,” Brian agreed with a gentle smile.

“You love him, don't you?”

Brian only nodded in reply.

Lindsay was about to say something else when the baby in her arms started to get fussy and started to reach out to Brian, apparently wanting to be held by the man.

“Shhhhhh, it's okay, Gus. Mommy is here,” Lindsay soothed the child, but Gus only fought harder in her arms, holding out his small arms in Brian's direction, reaching for the man.

“Would you mind?” Lindsay asked, as she handed over the small boy.

Brian awkwardly took him into his arms, never having held a baby before, watching as the boy immediately settled down and started grabbing for his face. He touched his nose, his lips, his cheeks and was smiling and giggling the whole time he did so.

“That is so weird... he normally hates to be held by someone other than me or Melanie,” Lindsay said, rubbing a gentle hand across her son's back. “He must really like you.”

“I guess,” Brian said awkwardly as he watched the small boy and held him carefully.

“I am glad you're part of our family now, Brian. It's... it's a crazy group of people, but everyone is really nice. You will love them.”

“That's what Justin said as well.”

“You should come over and visit me and Melanie at our house. We could catch up,” Lindsay suggested and Brian shrugged non-committedly.

He wasn't officially allowed to go anywhere without his master's express permission, but seeing how she was a friend and part of Justin's family, he didn't think Justin would object.

“Sure. So...,” Brian looked at her with a raised eyebrow which made the boy in his arms giggle madly for some reason and made Lindsay and Brian smile at him. “You and the lawyer... Your parents must have loved that...”

Brian remembered the Petersons and how stuck up in their Wasp ways they had been and how often Lindsay and her parents had argued back in the day. He couldn't imagine them being happy about their daughter turning out to be a lesbian.

“I haven't spoken to them in years... they're not part of my life anymore,”

“I am sorry,” Brian offered, but his words were waved away by Lindsay.

“It's okay. Really. They never accepted me or Melanie and... they're not people I would want around Gus,” she said quietly, watching the boy in Brian's arm that had now nestled his head on Brian's shoulder and looked to be falling back asleep once more.

“He's really cute,” Brian said, as he carefully handed the baby back to Lindsay once he had indeed fallen asleep.

“Yeah, he is. I have never thought I could love someone as much as I love him, but... he has shown me otherwise.”

With a smile on her lips, she turned towards the door again. “We should head back or everyone else might start to gossip.”

“What about?” Brian frowned.

“You and me,” she winked, her voice filled with laughter.

“You are lesbian and I am gay. You have a girlfriend and I have a boyfriend.”

“That has never stopped that bunch before,” Lindsay chuckled and then led the way back inside where Hunter greeted them with a knowing smirk.

“See?” Lindsay just shrugged her shoulders and then moved over to where Melanie was sitting on the sofa with Ted. Brian made his way over to the table where Justin was in a conversation with Michael, apparently talking about their comic. When he walked over and Justin noticed him, their conversation stopped immediately and Brian just knew what they had been talking about.

“Hey,” Justin smiled up at him, urging Brian to sit down next to him. “You okay?”

“Hmmm,” Brian nodded, watching from Justin to Michael and back. “What are you talking about.”

“Oh, nothing,” Justin quickly said and Michael only frowned in reaction to Justin's answer.

Brian burst out laughing at their antics. “You are a terrible liar.” He sat down next to Justin and allowed the younger man to give him a quick kiss.

Brian eyed him and only asked one question. “The cattle drover?”

Justin's guilty expression was answer enough and he just nodded to himself. If he had been honest with himself, he knew they had been talking about Justin's idea for a new villain for their comic. He wondered if Michael knew where Justin had gotten the idea from.

Raising an eyebrow in unspoken question, Justin just shook his head. Okay, so Michael didn't know that the cattle drover was based on Brian's experiences with Sapperstein. Brian honestly felt relieved about that. It was one thing if Justin knew in detail what his life in recent years had been like, but Brian didn't know if he was ready for everyone else to know all the dirty details about his past as well.

“Justin came up with this great new villain and we're just talking about story ideas and how to get him into the story in a way that makes sense. Do you want to brainstorm with us?” Michael offered eagerly, not seeing the look Justin was giving him, begging him to stop talking.

“Nah... I'll leave you two to it. That's your thing,” Brian said quietly, getting up from his chair. He frowned when he felt Justin's hand hold him back and when their eyes met, he could see the concern in the younger man's eyes. Brian leaned down with a smile and left a kiss on Justin's cheek, close to his ear, whispering into it before he left. “I am okay. Really!”

Brian felt more than saw that Justin was looking after him as he made his way over to where Debbie was in a conversation with Ben. He sat down on a chair close to her and quickly found out that they were talking about an upcoming event at LAAS.

“Brian, honey, Ben was just mentioning how much interest there is in his anti-slavery class at CMU and how supportive the university is of him.”

Brian nodded, not quite sure how to respond to that.

“I was wondering...maybe you'd like to speak to that class?” Ben suggested and looked at Brian from sincere eyes.

“Me?” Brian frowned, not sure he had understood correctly.

Ben nodded, starting to explain. “You obviously know the system... better than any of us, I am afraid and you would be able to give my students a first hand account of what life as a slave is really like. You could tell them about your experiences as a tutoring slave and... more if you felt like it. I think the class would really benefit from getting a real account from someone that knows the system.”

“From a slave, you mean,” Brian answered.

“I...yes,” Ben sighed, having a feeling that this conversation was not going to go the way he had wanted it to. “But that's not what I meant.”

“What did you mean?” Brian asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It's just... You are a slave and you know the ins and outs of the system.” When Ben noticed the expression on Brian's face change, he immediately stopped talking and then started to apologize. “I am sorry. That came out wrong. I... you know what, forget it. It was a bad idea. And... now that I think about it, I realise how disrespectful of me it was to even ask that. I am sorry. I... really meant no disrespect.”

“Well, you'll have to ask Justin. I am sure that giving a slavery class you know that he's the one to make that decision. Not me.”

“Brian,” Debbie said sadly, looking at the young man at her table from pained eyes. “Sunshine would never...”

“Brian, I... I have offended you and I am sorry. I didn't mean to. Please, accept my apologies,” Ben offered, looking at Brian from saddened eyes.

“No need to apologise to a slave, I am sure you know that as well,” Brian muttered as he got up and moved from the table back outside into the garden.

Brian wasn't surprised when he heard the door to the house a few minutes later, being sure that Justin would come out and talk to him, demanding that he apologise to his friends and family for having been disrespectful.

“Are you alright?” Michael asked and Brian was surprised when he heard his friend's voice and not Justin's.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came out to check on you. You looked upset when you left the kitchen.”

“Where is Justin?” Brian asked, turning to look towards the house as if to expect his boyfriend coming out any second.

“He was taking a bathroom break, I think.” Michael shrugged as he wasn't absolutely sure. “What happened in there? One second you're talking to Ma and Ben and the next you're running out here as if stung by a bee. And Ma and Ben look as if in total shock.”

“Don't worry. I will apologise.”

“That's not what I asked. I asked what happened,” Michael repeated, looking at his friend from worried eyes. “Are you okay? You look tense and... I don't know... just... like something is really off.”

“I am fine,” Brian hissed, turning around towards the house.

“Brian,” Michael called after him, making the brunet stop and turn around. “I know they're a lot to take in at times and... sometimes they can all be a real handful, but... they are good people. And they all care about you a great deal.”

“Why?” The question had escaped Brian's mouth before he could stop himself.

“Why what?”

Brian just stayed quiet and looked at the dark sky, avoiding Michael's questioning gaze.

“Why do they care about you?” Michael finally ventured to ask and moved over to where Brian was standing. “Is that what you're asking?”

Brian just shrugged.

“Because you're my best friend from school and you're Justin's boyfriend and Lindsay's friend and mom's surrogate son and... we're your family. We all care about you. We always did and now... now we finally have a chance to show you again. You're a part of this family and... that is enough reason for everyone else to care as well.”

“I am nothing but a slave,” Brian muttered, still not looking at Michael.

“Didn't you listen to me?” When Brian didn't respond, Michael walked over and shook the taller man. “Didn't you listen to what I have just said.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Then you know that you're not a slave. Not here... Here you're my friend, Lindsay's friend, Justin's boyfriend, mom's surrogate son. You're a part of this family. That's what you are. Brian Kinney – part of this crazy, little family on Liberty Avenue. Do you honestly think that anyone here gives a shit about you being a slave? Has... has anyone said anything? Who? I will kick their ass,” Michael started and Brian couldn't help but chuckle when he saw his friend go all into attack mode.

“Calm down, Michael. No one said anything.”

“Then... then why are you saying that? Why do you think it matters to us?”

“Because it always matters. That's a simple truth of life.”

Michael eyed his friend sadly, nodding to himself. “It might have been, but... it's not anymore. We don't care! Not a single person in that house cares. All they care about is Brian Kinney, their friend and member of their family.”

Brian stayed quiet for the longest time then finally lowered his gaze to meet Michael's eyes. “ I... I guess I just...,” he started, but was interrupted by his smiling friend.

“I get it. I do! I can only imagine how hard this must be for you. We... we all can only imagine, but... we're here to help. Just talk to us. We're your friends and family. You can trust the people in there,” Michael said, pointing towards the house. “They are good people, Brian.”

Justin had told him the same and he knew that neither Justin nor Michael would lie to him, yet Brian still had a hard time believing what they were saying.

“I... I just need time.”

“Then take all the time you need.”

“It's just a lot to wrap my head around,” Brian whispered, looking at Michael from sad eyes.

“You want to talk about it?” Michael offered, running a hand over Brian's shoulder in support.

“Not really... maybe... another time.” Brian felt as if for the last two weeks he had done nothing but talked to Justin and by now he felt rather talked out. Like he didn't want to go over it all again and again.

“Alright. Just know that I am here whenever you need me. And so is Justin and everyone else in that house,” Michael offered.

Brian nodded, allowing his friend to engulf him in a hug. “I am glad to have met you again, Mikey.”

“Me too. You have no idea how much I missed you.”

“You just missed someone you could copy your homework from,” Brian joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

“That too,” Michael agreed with a chuckle, squeezing Brian's shoulder. “Ready to go back in?”

When Brian nodded, they headed back inside the kitchen. Brian saw that Justin was now sitting with Melanie and Lindsay and had Gus in his arms and smiled over at him. He also saw Debbie and Ben still sitting at the table, deep in conversation. He knew he had to apologise to them for his behaviour, so he slowly made his way over and sat back down next to Debbie.

“You okay, honey?” she asked in obvious concern which Brian knew he didn't deserve.

“I am sorry. I... I shouldn't have reacted the way I have.” He turned his gaze to Ben and apologised to the man as well. “I... I am sorry I blew off at you like that. That was totally uncalled for.”

“No apologies needed, Brian. I was totally out of line.”

“No, you were not. I was and... I just...,” Brian sighed, looking from Debbie to Ben and back. In the end he settled his eyes on his lap. “You have been nothing but kind and nice to me and it's been a long time since I've experienced that.” Raising his eyes to look at Ben, Brian smiled carefully at the other man. “I will think about it. I... for now that's all I can offer. I am not sure I can really do it, but... I will think about it.”

“Brian... I... thank you,” Ben smiled at the man with sincerity. “That's all I could hope for.”

“Crisis over?” Debbie asked, smacking her gum and when both Brian and Ben nodded, she laughed and started telling a story about one of the patrons in the diner she had served the day before that made all of them laugh.

In the end the evening had been nice even despite Brian's queen out and overreaction and he had been glad when nobody had mentioned it to Justin apparently. Or at least the younger man had chosen not to comment on it, if he had been told about it.