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Brian was looking for a house large enough for the twenty of them. Looking for at least six bedrooms, according to his math it was the least about of rooms they could live in. He had already made a chart according to age and gender. It was a lot of mixing of both families though, which could mean trouble. He had found one he loved, it was a six bed, nine bath, house. The kitchen had three dishwashers, double side fireplace, huge pantry, offset media nook with wrap around porch that extends to the family room. There was also the most amazing laundry chute that was designed into the house. All the rooms had walk-in closets. Not to mention a sauna, gym and workout room with deck. On the outside it had a pool and tennis court, because if he was going to spend a mint, he might as well make it for the best.

It was a dream home. He owned his house outright and had learned from Justin he had owned his too. The new house was more than he wanted to spend but if both he and Justin sold their houses; it could be worth it. Hell, it could work even if they didn’t sell. He was never going to live in squalor. He had to work ten times as hard to get as far as he did in life. Then there was Lindsay’s trust fund from her grandparents. It was something she wouldn’t have gotten if she had told them she was a lesbian. She spend her whole life trying to the daughter and granddaughter they wanted but she never could live up to their standards.

It’s why he donated as much as he did to LGBTQ+ charities. They didn’t know because he didn’t want them to cause problems with the kids, Lindsay’s sister did know but she kept it quiet. But after Lindsay died, her trust went to him. In truth with the amount it was he didn’t have to ever work again and still could send all his children to ivy league schools. But he had never been one for resting on his laurels.

He was meeting the realtor tomorrow and hoped he could get Justin to go with him. If this were going to work, he would need Justin on board with him.

His cell phone rang as it sat on his desk. Grabbing it, he answered it without looking. “Kinney speaking.”

“Hi Brian, this is Justin, I was wondering if you and your kids would like to come to dinner over at my house tonight. My kids would like to meet Bea’s other father, and Freddie has said you’re alright. That from him is a shining endorsement.”

“Sure, there are some things I’d like to talk to you about. What time?”

“Say five? That will give enough time for them to play and get to know each other before dinner.”

“Alright, text me your address and we’ll be there.”

“Great, see you then.”

 


He couldn’t believe what he had done. Asking Brian and his kids to the house, it was insanity. The sad thing was, he had thought about Brian’s offer and decided to take him up on it. He didn’t want to be alone for the rest of his life. One day his kids would grow up and leave, then he would be all alone. But if he married Brian, then he wouldn’t be alone. There wasn’t love or anything like that, but he was attracted to him and they did share a daughter. Not only that, he thought a second parent would help with his children.

But then he remembered that Brian wasn’t coming into the relationship empty handed, the man had ten children he was bringing with him. What would his older children think about this? He hadn’t brought the subject of marriage up to his own children. He hoped that this get together would work well and his kids and Brian’s younger ones got along.

Krista and Freddie were making the dinner. It was funny, he was an alright cook but both Krista and Freddie were great cooks. They could make delicious meals out of next to nothing. While George made sure he and the kids had enough money never to worry about it again, he didn’t want his kids to fall back on that. He didn’t want spoiled children and was thankful he didn’t have them. He had been spoiled his whole life until he had Krista and was thrown out. He had no survival skills or work ethic when he found himself out on his ass, he wouldn’t make the same mistake. He wanted them to be independent people.

“They’re here!” Lucas yelled, jumping up and down.

Justin looked out the window and sure enough a car had pulled into his driveway. Brian got out along with three kids, two girls and a boy. They were all dressed like they were going out to an expensive dinner. Justin looked at his kids in their summer clothes, spaghetti strap tops and shorts and felt like they were underdressed. Then he looked around his house and saw toys out, nice but old furniture and a few spots on the walls that had his children’s artwork on against his wishes. This wasn’t good, Brian Kinney was a refined man. Justin was a little boy playing house, just like his ex said.

While he had to put on an act at the gallery, it never felt real, like a mask he wore. When he left work, he left that attitude there. He never liked to dress up but had to for work. Every time he’d seen Brian, the man was dressed to kill, even when he showed up at the hospital. They weren’t compatible. Who had he been kidding?

The doorbell rang and Nina ran to the door to let their guests in. Nina had been the one the most excited to meet Bea’s other father. She told him that she was happy one of their other father’s was worth a damn. It made him feel bad, he had saddled her with Ethan, a man who didn’t care to know the amazing children he fathered.

“Good evening,” Nina greeted Brian his children.

“Hi,” he said with that smirk that made Justin’s stomach flutter.

“Let me introduce my children,” Justin said, coming up behind Nina. All his other children were milling awkwardly around behind him. “This is Nina, she was the editor of her school’s newspaper, only freshman ever given that position.”

“She caused massive anarchy,” Freddie said, smiling.

“IT WAS A TYPO!” Nina screamed.

Justin couldn’t believe Brian and his children had been there less than five minutes and this was happening.

“You have to admit, it was funny,” Krista said quietly.

“I have to know what it said,” Brian told him.

Nina huffed. “There was an opinion section, I was running short on time. So, I may have just skimmed the opinion an idiot junior submitted. I just made sure it didn’t have bad language, but this idiot decided to put his sexual exploits using euphemisms. I had four girls and four very pissed off boyfriends wanting to know the identity of the writer. Mr. Young already told me that I’ll never be editor again. But in all fairness, Mr. Young was supposed to look over my work.”

“As you can see there are a lot of feelings about this subject. Anyway, you know Freddie, Mitch, Lucas, Hannah and of course Baby Bea,” Justin said, taking Bea from Krista and handing her to Brian. “And this is my oldest Krista, she’s been on the A honor roll since she started school,” he said, going back to his eldest.

“She’s the one that looks the most like you,” Brian said.

“I know, she hates it.” Justin smiled at her, she really did hate that looked so similar. Mitch looked a little like him when he was a child, but Krista very much had his likeness. “Mitch why don’t you and the others show Alicia, Logan and Hannah the playroom. You can play until dinnertime, make sure you’re on your best behavior.”

“Do I have to play?” Mitch asked pouting some.

“Yes, now go.”

Mitch didn’t really like making friends, unlike Lucas who was a talkative little boy who loved everyone. The kids ran off for the playroom with Hannah and Leia trailing behind. Krista went back to the kitchen as did Freddie. Nina went in there too, but she wasn’t a cook, probably just wanted to leave the adults.

“Do you want to sit?” Justin asked Brian, cringing as he looked at his sofa. It wasn’t new or pretty. He didn’t think he should buy new or pretty with so many little kids. Drinks spilled, food dropped, and kids got sick.

“Sure,” Brian sat down, not commenting on the sofa. He still held Bea in his arms but as soon as he sat, she started to wiggle to get out of his arms.

“Sorry, she likes to be high up. The only time I can get her to cuddle is when she’s going to sleep.”

“Sounds like Leia when she was smaller. She’s very headstrong like her mother.”

Justin smiled, Brian had only talked a little bit of his wife and some of it wasn’t particularly good. He was glad Brian didn’t seem to just feel resentment to his wife, from the little that he had heard he knew that Brian had felt trapped into the marriage.

Justin could hear his teenagers giggling in the kitchen. Bea was toddling around; she would pick up a toy and bring it to Brian then go get another one. Brian would just smile and say thank you, Justin thought it was adorable. Justin started seeing features of Brian on her that he hadn’t noticed before. Her chin was all Brian’s, also the shape of her eyes.

“Have you decided?” Brian asked suddenly.

“Decided what?” Justin asked, confused.

“The marriage thing?”

“I don’t know, Brian. We’re such different people. You seem very Park Avenue and Green Acres.” Sue him, Baby Bea was enthralled with the show. He thought it might be the colors.

Brian shocked him by laughing. “What the hell kind of bullshit is that? I was raised by alcoholic parents in a house that should have been condemned. I’ve worked fucking hard for everything I’ve gotten. Nothing was ever handed to me, even Lindsay’s trust fund had strings attached. Now tell me, where the hell did you grow up? With your WASPish attitude I’m guessing gated community, private school and anything your heart desired. That was until you committed the sin of getting pregnant. How close am I?”

Justin could feel his blood pressure rising. “This was stupid, this whole thing was a waste.”

“What? Thinking I wouldn’t call out bullshit when I hear it? That’s not me. If we do this, you have to have a thick skin. I have the ten worst kids on the planet and they don’t hold any punches. They are mean, spiteful and crude little fuckers but they are also the ten most hard working, bright, ambitious ten kids you’ll ever meet. Alright maybe the nine most, Leia ate dog food at my friends house yesterday.”

Against his will Justin laughed. “Why do you even want married if I’m am a pampered brat?”

“You’re not, not anymore. I just don’t want you thinking this is going to be easy if we do this. We will be putting together twenty vastly different personalities, that includes us, into one house. I want to marry  you, yes a part of it is because you have my child but I think if anyone can survive a marriage with my asshole self and my kids, I think it’s you.”

“Why the not.”

“What?”

“Let’s get married.”

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