Glass Houses

Chapter 6






Ben opened his eyes and looked over at his husband. Last night had been a good reunion. The sex was good, but the closeness was better. Ben had truly missed Michael while they were apart. Studying Michael’s sleeping face, Ben had to wonder what was up with the man he loved. There had been … closeness last night, but also hesitation, maybe even reluctance, when they had finally made love. No matter how gentle Ben had been he could still feel Michael holding back, not letting them truly unite. He had to get to the bottom of what was going on.

Ben was tempted to shake Michael awake and hogtie him to the bed until he spilled his guts about what was going on. With a sigh, Ben knew he wouldn’t do that. That wasn’t his style. He threw back the sheet that covered him and got out of bed. Maybe a morning walk would clear his head and help him devise a plan of attack. He knew they couldn’t keep on the way things were.

Ben walked up the lane stopping at the food cart for a cup of coffee. The man wouldn’t let him pay once again. Just as Ben turned to leave he saw Brian coming down from Edna’s Treasures on his crutches.

“Morning, professor,” Brian said. He nodded to the man who ran the food truck and got a smile back. Their deal was apparently still on.

“Care to join me for a coffee?” Ben asked.

Brian nodded. “We’ll have to drink it here unless you want to carry it for me,” he said regretfully. He hated the fucking crutches.

“I think I can handle a coffee for you,” Ben replied using his imitation of the Kinney smirk. Brian glowered at him.

The food cart man made Brian’s coffee just the way he knew his best customer ever liked it. Ben took the coffee once it was ready.

“I’d suggest going to the big rock,” Ben said as they headed towards Edna’s Treasures, “but…”

“The coffee will be cold by the time I get there,” Brian finished the statement. He hated how the crutches slowed him down.

“Let’s sit under the big tree in your backyard,” Ben suggested.

Brian nodded as they made their way around the house. Ben pulled a couple of lawn chairs into the shade of the big tree and they sat down.

“So what’s up?” Brian asked after a sip of his coffee. “Did you and Michael talk?” Ben shook his head. “Fuck! Did you fight?”

“No, we made love … sort of,” Ben replied slowly.

“Sort of?”

“He’s holding back. He’s hiding something that he doesn’t want me to find out.”

“And you still have no idea what that might be?”

“I’m going to get it out of him today one way or another,” Ben stated firmly.

“Tie him to the bed till he talks.”

Ben laughed heartily. “I contemplated that this morning before I got up. He’s still sleeping, so I could…”

“Do whatever you need to,” Brian told him firmly. “Michael’s a drama queen of the nth degree, but make him tell you.”

“My sentiments exactly,” Ben added.

They sat in silence sipping their coffee.

“We’re going to have a new face around here starting today,” Brian said after a while.

“Oh, who’s that?”

“His name is Gerald McQueen.”

Ben raised an eyebrow and looked at Brian. “Is that for real?”

“Another drama McQueen to add to the mix,” Brian said with a chuckle. “Mr. McQueen’s a physiotherapist. I have no idea if he’s gay or straight. I’ve arranged for him to start working with Justin today. If we like him he can take two weeks from his regular practice and stay out here fulltime. He thinks that might be enough to really make a difference with Justin’s shoulder.”

“Can he do anything with your ankle while he’s here?” Ben asked.

“Thanks for thinking of me, professor, nobody else seems to.”

Ben studied Brian’s face. It wasn’t self pity that he saw there, just a statement of fact that everyone seemed far more concerned about Justin’s injury that they did about Brian’s. Ben knew what it was like to be the strong one, the big one, the invincible one. When you needed comfort, no one ever thought you did. “How much longer?” he asked looking at Brian’s ankle.

“The doctor said maybe I could start putting some weight on it the beginning of the week.”

“Maybe this guy can help you with that.”

“I’m hoping,” Brian said tersely.

They continued drinking their coffee.



*****



As Brian and Ben were finishing their coffee, Michael came storming around the side of Edna’s Treasures. “I knew I’d find you here,” Michael said, a sharp edge to his voice.

“I thought I’d let you sleep,” Ben replied innocently.

“I came out here to be with you, and you’re up here with…him!”

“I think that’s my cue to gracefully disappear,” Brian said standing up and getting his crutches under his arms. “Thanks for the coffee, professor.”

“No problem,” Ben said with a smile, before Brian headed for the sun porch with Michael glaring at him the whole way. “Come and sit down, Michael,” Ben said gently.

“I don’t want to sit down. I want breakfast,” Michael said petulantly.

“Then let’s get you some.” Ben stood up to accompany his husband back to Emmett’s cottage.

“Ben…”

“Yes?”

“I…I don’t want to fight,” Michael said weakly.

“Neither do I, so tell me what’s wrong.”

“I…”

“Michael, our relationship has always been based on honesty, right from that first night when I told you I was HIV positive. You can trust me.”

Michael shook his head. “It’s ironic that you should mention HIV,” Michael said with a funny look on his face.

Ben stopped in his tracks. He had been starting towards Michael. “Michael?” he asked with worry etched on his face.

“I think I’m positive, Ben,” Michael whispered.

“Are you sure?” Ben asked as he pulled Michael against his body. “Have you been tested?”

Michael shook his head again. “I should have been tested a few weeks ago. It’s three months since the last test, but … I’ve been putting it off.”

“But you shouldn’t do that. If…If you are, you should get treatment right away.”

“I don’t think I can face it,” Michael whimpered. “I’ve seen all you’ve gone through.”

“Things have changed a lot since we first met, Michael. The drugs are better, more reliable, less side effects.”

“I know,” Michael whispered. “But after all this time, I don’t see why…”

“Why you would be positive?”

“Yeah.”

“We don’t even know for sure that you are,” Ben reminded him. “You need to get tested.”

“Remember that time when you were doing steroids and I had that needle you’d used?” Michael asked.

“Yeah.”

“I was so fucking stupid.”

“You were so brave. You made me see the truth about what I was doing.”

“Did I?”

“Yes, Michael, I love you … however you are. Just … don’t shut me out.”

“I didn’t mean to,” Michael whispered as he clung to Ben. “I’ve just been so scared.”

“Let’s go back to Emmett’s cottage and finish talking about this. I’ll make you a great breakfast,” Ben suggested with a small smile.

“Okay,” Michael agreed. They started walking towards the side of Edna’s Treasures.

“What makes you think you’re positive?” Ben asked gently.

“I haven’t been feeling well.”

“Then we definitely need to get you to a doctor for some tests.”

“Okay,” Michael agreed.

Justin came up behind Brian who was standing in the shadows of the sun porch watching Michael and Ben. “Do you think they are finally being honest with each other?”

“I fucking hope so,” Brian retorted.

“I wonder what’s wrong?” Justin asked as Ben and Michael disappeared from view.

Brian knew what his worst fear was, but he didn’t want to burden Justin with that until they knew for sure. “I’m sure we’ll find out eventually,” Brian said softly. “And we’ll deal with whatever it is. They’ll deal with it too.”

“I love you,” Justin said putting his good arm around Brian’s waist.

“You ready for therapy?”

“I guess so,” Justin said with a sigh. “But I know it’s going to hurt.”

“No pain, no gain, so they say,” Brian told him.

Justin shook his head. He was not a big fan of pain. “The next few days are going to be … tense.”

“Ya think?”

“Bree will be done with school, we’ll have the therapist here, and Michael and Ben will be making up.”

“Scary,” Brian joked.

“Very,” Justin agreed with a smile.



*****



“Gerry?” Bobby said as he entered through the front door of the cottage.

“Bobby! How the heck are you?” the big man asked as he stood up to greet his old friend.

“I thought I recognized that voice. I’m good, real good and I hear you’re the man of P.T.!”

“Hey, when you’re good, flaunt it,” Gerry stated with pride.

“A man after my own heart,” Brian said with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek as he hobbled into the living room. Gerry had been meeting with Justin; Brian decided to stay out of sight to give them more privacy.

“Whoa, a man like this could just sway me over to the dark side,” Gerry teased, playfully looking Brian up and down as he elbowed Bobby in the ribs.

“Really?” Brian said with an arch of his brow and a smirk on his lips.

“Down boy,” both Justin and Bobby said. For some reason Justin didn’t find the big man threatening. Gerald McQueen looked more like a linebacker than a therapist, whatever a therapist is supposed to look like. But he had a way about him that immediately put Justin at ease and his obvious strength only added to Justin’s confidence that this man would get him back to normal. Gerald wouldn’t let Justin fall or fail.

“Gerry, this is Brian Kinney, Justin’s partner,” Bobby made the formal introductions.

Gerry approached Brian so that Brian wouldn’t have to struggle with his crutches. “Ah, the man with the offer I couldn’t refuse,” Gerry said in his best ‘Godfather’ imitation as he shook Brian’s hand.

Just then Gus sailed through the door, hard hat on his head, camera equipment hanging around his neck.

“Hey, Pop, what’s for dinner, I’m starving!” Gus asked.

“Twins?” Gerry asked doing a double take between father and son but before anyone could explain, John came through the hallway into the living room.

“Hey, where is everyone?” John asked looking around.

“Bobby, my man, did you corner the market?” Gerry laughed. “You know the dark side isn’t looking so dark!”

Gus and John looked at each other then at the men in the room. Bobby broke out into a fit of laughter then made further introductions. It was getting close to dinnertime so the men convinced Gerry to stay so he could get a feel for the dynamics of his potential patients.
John and Gus excused themselves to get cleaned up while Bobby started to prepare dinner.



*****



“Between you and me,” Gerry said, “you guys were real lucky that your injuries weren’t worse.” Gerry commented as Brian and Justin catalogued the injuries they each sustained during their honeymoon. “I took the liberty of consulting with your doc, with your permission, and I took a look at the x-rays from Hawaii. Your arm wasn’t totally dislocated. If it was, the doc probably would have recommended surgery to repair it. That’s a good thing, it means you’ll recover quicker and have a decreased risk of popping your shoulder out again,” Gerry explained to Justin while Brian listened in. Bobby was taking out the salad fixings and several pork loins.

“Here, let me help,” Gerry asked as he jumped up to assist Bobby. “You were nice enough to invite me, it’s the least I can do.” Brian and Justin smiled at the big man that was soon becoming a friend.

“Well, who is this handsome couple?” Gerry asked as Bree and Patrick snuck in. It had been the last day of school and only a half day. Gus had the honor of picking the kids up from school since neither Brian nor Justin were cleared to drive, and John and Bobby were working. The kids had amused themselves in the yard and Wendy house for their first afternoon of freedom. Beau made it a point to supervise.

“My name is Briana Victoria Kinney-Taylor!” Bree announced succinctly as she held out her hand.

“My name is Gerald McQueen and I’m very happy to meet you.” Gerry squatted down to shake Bree’s hand which garnered him an approving smile from Bree.

“Are you going to fix my daddies?” Bree asked in all innocence as Bobby snickered and Brian crossed his legs as he sat on a kitchen stool.

“I’m going to try. Would you introduce me to your friend?” Gerry asked as he turned toward Patrick. Patrick extended his hand.

“This is my Patrick. Patrick Rowan Morrison-Anderson,” Bree said formally.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Patrick,” Gerry said with a smile. He took a good look at the kids’ faces trying to connect the dots.

“Baby girl, can you and Patrick get washed up then start setting the big table. Mr. Gerry is staying for dinner,” Justin asked.

“Okay, Daddy,” Bree answered with a sunny smile. “Are Unca Ben and Unca Michael coming too?”

“Maybe, set a place for them just in case,” Justin said as Brian nodded. They had a feeling the boys would be back for dinner.

She and Patrick left the kitchen to perform their assigned chores.

“They’re beautiful,” Gerry said as he straightened up. “The boy, that hair. Bobby, is there something you’re not telling me?” Gerry teased.

“John is the biological father, my sister was our surrogate,” Bobby explained with a soft smile.

“She gave us the greatest gift,” John said as he strode in, catching the tail end of the conversation.

“And Briana?” Gerry looked at Brian and Justin.

“We found a wonderful woman who was our surrogate,” Brian stated. “Justin is the biological father.” Brian lifted one arm ever so slightly but just enough for Justin to sidle under it. Brian kissed Justin’s cheek.

“She may look like Justin but be warned, Bree has Brian’s personality,” John advised.

“Ah, forewarned is forearmed. I shall remember that,” Gerry said as he added some dressing to the salad then began to toss it in a large serving bowl. “I envy you. I never found Miss Right or Mister Right, for that matter.”

“Ha! I knew I heard a ping!” Brian crowed, proud of himself.

“Gerry?” Bobby stared at his friend who had the good grace to blush.

“I don’t know, Bobby, I really don’t know,” Gerry said softly.

“And we won’t push,” John stated as he gave each man a poignant look. “Gerry, Bobby says you’re one of the best therapists in the state. That you come highly recommended and have tended to many of our major teams. I hope you decide to take on these two as clients. It’s about time they get back to work. They’re turning into lazy bums.”

“Hey!” Brian and Justin protested. Gerry laughed.

“If they hire me, I promise I’ll get them back to work,” Gerry swore.

“I’ll hold you to that,” John and Bobby said as they both pointed a finger at the therapist.

“Ya know, Sunshine, I’m beginning to sense a conspiracy,” Brian said as he glared at John and Bobby.

“Ya think?” Justin asked.

As dinner was just about ready to be served, the front door opened and in walked Ben and Michael.

“Um, we forgot to shop,” Michael announced giving the family of Edna’s Treasures his best puppy dog eyes. Beau moaned and Brian rolled his eyes.

“Come on, Mikey, professor, we set a place for you,” Brian said. “But you guys are doing the dishes!”

Considering the number of drama queens that were sitting in the sun porch, dinner was surprisingly calm. Conversation went leisurely around the table with everyone describing their day. Gerry was especially interested in Gus and how he was enjoying Penn since it was also Gerry’s alma mater. He also enjoyed hearing about the latest Rage issue. Gerry admitted to following several comics since childhood and had also become a fan of Rage.

When it came time for dessert, Ben and Michael got up to help John and Bobby clear the table and bring in the sweet treats.

“What’s wrong with your friend?” Gerry leaned in to ask Brian.

“Who, Ben?” Brian automatically assumed.

“No, his partner.” Gerry had been watching Michael. There was something about the twinges that splayed across Michael’s face when he was doing something as simple as lifting a fork or cutting up his dinner that tweaked Gerry’s suspicions.

“Michael?”

“Yes. Is he okay?” Gerry whispered. Before Brian could answer, the boys came back into the room.