ABSOLUTELY NOT
"You've gotta be kidding me"
Brian looked at Justin, then went over and opened the door by sliding it across and to his horror, Brad Maloney was standing there.
"What the FUCK are you doing here? How did you get my address?"
Brad pushed his way inside, "I followed you from your work place. Look, I've come here to ask you nicely to keep your trap shut"
Brian looked at him, "For what exactly? The truth? I'll do or say what I fucking well want"
Brad seemed to notice Justin for the first time in the foreground, "Oh, I get why you are attracted to my nephew, you have a thing for blonde boys?"
Justin came forward, "Is this Nathan's uncle? What you did to him was disgusting. Nobody should have to put up with that from their own family. Just because you are a closet fag yourself..."
Brad saw red and went to lunge for him, but Brian managed to man-handle him and keep him in check, "Wh'oa...If you want a piece of him, you're have to get past me first"
Brad straightened up, "Look...it's simple...you just need to stay away from me...Nathan...the garage. Just stay away from that side of town, period, okay?"
Brian looked at Brad. Brad looked at Brian. Brian looked as if he was mulling over what Brad had just said, and then broke the silence,
"You know what? If I want to go to that side of town, then I will, buddy..."
Brad scowled at him, "You're no buddy of mine, pal"
Brian smirked at him, "and you are no pal of mine, now...if you don't mind, I need to go get a shower and then, I've gotta go and FUCK the ass of my lover, isn't that right Justin?"
"that's right, and I can't wait to feel you inside me"
Brad shook his head in sheer disgust, and moved to the door and pointed at Brian, "If I see you anywhere near the garage, then you will be sorry...don't say I didn't warn you"
And then Brad slammed the door shut behind him.
Brian had his hands on his hips and looked at Justin, "he's bluffing"
Justin wasn't so sure and his face betrayed him, "I hope so..."
XXxx
The next day, Brad drove to the garage and parked up. Patrick was approaching him, and glancing at his watch as he did so.
"It's about time you turned in"
Brad shrugged at his brother like he wasn't bothered, "I'm here now"
"Well, I hope the drink was worth it Brad, because you are always doing this, poor Nathan had to cope on his own yesterday"
Brad laughed at him, "Really? Your son's so great, huh?"
Patrick was proud of his son, "I think so"
Brad wanted nothing more then spill his guts. The truth had to come out now, " You wanna know something? Your son's a fag, Pat"
This of course wasn't news to Patrick, he knew his son was gay, but he wasn't so sure how Brad had found out. Had Rhona said anything?, "I know...and...homosexual is a better phrase"
Brad dismissed all that and stepped up to corvette that needed working on, "Whatever, a fag nevertheless, through and through...and I'd watch him around that Kinney guy as well"
The name escaped him, "Who?"
"Brian Kinney...me and him used to go to high school together"
Patrick instantly knew who is brother was going on about now, the older guy Nathan had been going out with, "You and Brian were in the SAME year?"
Brad smiled at him, "You heard"
Patrick pulled a big frown, and scratched his head, "That makes him 42...Nathan is only 22..."
Brad felt like that all his problems were settled, "Yes sir'ry...too young to know what he wants...that's WHY fags like Kinney prey on them"
Stony faced, Patrick marched off back inside the garage and Brad smugly lifted the hood of the car and set to work on the engine.
XXXx
At the park, Justin and Danny strolled in their T-shirts in the hot sunshine, "...and that's when the Uncle came around last night, he pushed his way into the loft"
Danny was open mouthed in horror, "Fucking hell Justin. This Nathan might become a permanent fixture if you're not careful"
Justin frowned, "I hope not, his uncle is a nasty piece of work. Brian went to high school with him"
Danny looked at him,"...so you say that this Brad is a closet fag?"
"Ha-huh"
Danny shuddered, "Sounds to me that Brian should do as this Brad says, and stay the hell away from him!"
Justin led the way to the street and turned, "That's easier said than done. I think that Nathan will start to become a face around here"
Danny thought about how he felt about Nathan, "I don't like him"
Justin had to be honest, it was only fair, "Jury's still out for me...with an uncle like that, I do feel kinda sorry for him...anyway, I'm gonna grab a coffee at the diner, I'll catch you at Babylon tonight"
XXxx
At liberty diner, Nathan came in and closed the door. He saw the nosy woman behind the counter looking at him.
"Hi..."
Debbie came forward with her notepad, "Hi, you're the guy from the other day, you know Brian"
Nathan shook his head at her, "Has he been in?"
Debbie smiled at him, "No he hasn't...", she then couldn't take her eyes off the young blondes shiner, "...ohhh honey, that black eye looks real nasty, who did that to you?"
Of course Debbie did know who after her conversation with Michael and Justin the other day. Before Nathan could answer her, the door opened and Justin breezed in.
"Hey, Deb", he sung and then his eyes immediately fell upon Nathan.
"Remember me?", the boy smiled at him.
"Nathan hi..."
Nathan turned on the stool, "look, thanks again for letting me stay over"
Justin leaned on the counter and nodded his head at him, "You're welcome...so, did you call the cops?"
The other guy was on the defensive, "No"
"You should...your uncle can't treat you like that...", told Justin trying to sound concerned for his welfare.
Nathan pulled a huge sigh in response, "I'd rather sooner forget about it"
Justin screwed his face up, he really couldn't understand why Nathan would let himself be treated like this by a family member, "But why? What if he hits you again?"
Nathan laughed it off, "He won't...he'll be sorry if he did"
Justin knew that only Nathan could decide how he was going to handle his problem,"well, keep Brian out of it..."
Nathan wasn't going to let that one go, "Why? I think my uncle is running scared of him...I feel mighty safe around him looking out for me"
Justin waved his hand out to him, and hissed,"Your uncle came to our place last night!"
Nathan was surprised to hear this, "He did? What did he want...?"
Justin leaned forward, "To warn Brian off going near your place...Brian wasn't taking any shit from him, though"
Just what he thought, "See...Brian can stand up to him"
Justin shook his head, "I just don't want him in any trouble over all this"
Nathan was getting pissed at him now, "That's up to Brian NOT you...",and before the onset of raised voices of opinion, Nathan's cell phone rang, he answered it, "Hey dad? What? You wanna see me now? Okay, okay, I'll be right there"
Justin was gentler in his tone, "What's up?"
Nathan pocketed his cell, "My dad wants me at the garage, he sounded real stressed"
Justin shrugged at him and saw this as a goodbye, "You best go see what he wants then"
"Yeah I will, catch you later"
As Nathan flew out the door in a hurry, Justin stared out after him and muttered, "Not if I see you first...", the jury was no longer out.
Debbie was just then mopping the floor nearby and looked over to him, "You know what sunshine? I don't know what to make of that young man"
Justin settled back down on a stool and agreed with her, "You know what? I'm starting to think...trouble with a capital T..."
Xxxx
Nathan jumped off the bus and hurried across the street towards the garage. Brad looked up form the car he was working on and called over to him.
"Hey, I see that your dad knows about your dirty little secret"
Nathan frowned at him, "You what?"
But before his Uncle could answer him, his father was approaching from the office, "Nathan"
Nathan hurried up to his father, "dad? What's up, why did you want to see me, it's my day off"
Patrick scratched his head and looked at him, "Nathan, I've been thinking son, I think you should stay away from this Brian fellow", he glanced at Brad as he said it.
"But why? I really like him", protested Nathan failing to understand the problem.
"He's 42...way too old...and far too inappropriate", told his father.
Nathan had already guessed that Brad had blabbed to him, "So what if he went to high school with Uncle Brad"
"I'm just worried about you, son"
Nathan laughed this all off, "You think Brian is out to hurt me? Try looking closer to home, dad"
It was Patrick's turn to fail to understand, "What's that suppose to mean?"
Nathan's mind was working overtime and he was getting to the bottom of his father's undue concern, "hey, wait a minute...do YOU think Brian did this to me? Attacked me?"
"If I'm honest, it did cross my mind"
Nathan was frustrated, "Fuck! You wanna know who did this to me...do you, huh?"
"Hey! That's enough!", Brad said, wading in to stop anything else being said.
Nathan glared at his Uncle, "Why? You afraid that something's gonna spill out?"
"That's enough I said", Brad snapped back.
Nathan could see that his father was looking at Brad puzzled of why he was getting involved in all of this, "Go to hell...the lot of you"
As Nathan stormed off, Brad shook his head and looked at his brother in the early afternoon sunshine, "Jesus Pat, you are gonna have to tell him how it is"
Patrick was puzzled by his son's attitude, "he seems to be venting his anger on you...why's that Brad?"
Brad didn't want to sound too rattled, "I don't know...beats the hell outta me"
"I don't know...but I'm damnedest gonna find out, and get to the bottom of this..."
Xxxxx
Author's Chapter Notes:
Continues from the last chapter...