Chapter 20

“What is it, Theodore? Why are you lurking like that next to my office door?” Brian asked in exasperation when he saw Ted standing next to the door but not move any closer to his desk.

“That was quite some drama you and Justin caused last night,” Ted said as he slowly made his way over.

Brian rolled his eyes as he replied. “Well, you know me. Better get it over with quickly and then be done with it.”

“I don't think that's going to happen here... at least not anytime soon. You have quite surprised certain people.”

Brian sighed. “So what? Michael doesn't like that I am moving in with a man that he knew nothing about and thinks is just a trick, Lindsay isn't happy that I didn't mention the house and the fact that I was planning for Gus to have a room there, Melanie hates that I introduced Gus to a trick without checking it with them first and Emmett is most likely already planning a royal wedding in his head and hoping to meet Prince William soon. They'll get over it and will hopefully move on once they realize that Justin isn't a trick.”

“Prince Harry. Other than that you were pretty spot on,” Ted said impressed.

“What?” Brian frowned, now slightly confused.

“Em wants to meet Prince Harry, not Prince William. Other than that, you were pretty spot on.”

Brian shrugged, then held up his phone and showed the information on the display to Ted. 27 missed calls.

“Well, he's the only one that hasn't been leaving messages ever since we left last night, so that was a wild guess.”

Ted nodded, not surprised to see all those calls on Brian's phone. “Will you talk to them?”

“What about? They have all the facts. Now it's on them to accept them and move on.”

“You surprised them quite a bit, Brian. You've never been in a relationship and now you're moving in with a man they've only heard about last night. And a prince to boot. That's a lot of unexpected information.”

“Well, they better accept it and get used to it. It's my life and I don't owe them any explanations. And I don't plan to kick Justin out of my life just because they can't get over the fact that he's a prince, something he has hated being all his life anyway...”

“I am just saying that maybe... you should give them a bit of time... maybe explain a bit more about the circumstances,” Ted said carefully.

“Theodore,” Brian started slowly. “The circumstances are private and between Justin and me. Half his private life has been exposed in gossip rags over the last month. I am not sure that anyone is owed any more information about his life at this point. He is my partner and he will move to Pittsburgh. We will move into the new house together and will try to build a life together. For now, that's all anyone needs to know.”

“I am just saying that maybe you should at least talk to Lindsay and maybe Michael... they're your best friends.”

Brian sighed and ran a hand over his face. “They'll get over it. Once they'll see that Justin is here to stay, they'll hopefully get over whatever has bitten them in the ass.”

“Are you sure? You know them...both of them.”

“They won't have any other choice. Justin comes first. He always will from now on. Either they accept it, or they don't.”

Ted watched Brian intently and nodded. He had been surprised by that last statement, but actually felt rather impressed that Brian had made his point that clear. As far as Ted was concerned, Lindsay and Michael had had way too much influence over Brian at times and for him to clearly state that Justin would come first from now on was just how it should be now that Brian was in a relationship. Ted just hoped that they would accept it and wouldn't destroy this new relationship for Brian. He really wanted things to work out between Brian and Justin, he had hardly ever seen Brian as happy as he had been when he had been with Justin.

“Gus seems to really like Justin,” Ted said next, trying to change the topic away from Brian's best friends. “As does Debbie. I think she has already adopted him and made him a member of the family.”

“Justin ate her food and complimented her on it. That was all it took,” Brian shrugged. “And Gus adored Justin ever since he promised to paint that Iron Man mural for him in his new room.”

“Justin just has a way of making people feel at ease around him. It's almost like he makes them forget about who he really is,” Ted said, knowing that it had been like that for him when he had met Justin for the first time.

Brian took a deep breath and carefully considered his words before he spoke next. “That is who he really is. He's the most down to earth person you'll ever meet. Being a prince... it's something he has hated all his life. It's almost like a job for him that he had to do because it was expected of him, not because it's who he really is or wanted to be. He just wants to be treated like everyone else, wants to live his life like everyone else. That's who he is: Justin. And that's who he wants to be seen as.”

Ted nodded, watching Brian carefully. “If there's anything Blake and I can do to help,” he offered, but his offer was waved away by Brian immediately.

“Just treat him like you treat everyone else as well. That's all we're asking for.”

“We can do that,” Ted said, nodding once more. “Do you already know when he's coming back from New York?”

“He only left this morning,” Brian said with a shake of his head. “Most likely a week or two. Daphne has already started to prepare moving to Pittsburgh, so it shouldn't be too long.”

“And you're really okay with her moving into the house with you?” Ted asked, still not sure he really believed that. He was trying to imagine if Michael were to move in with Brian and Justin and just couldn't see that working at all.

“They have a small daughter together. Justin loves her and she's his best friend. And he would never leave Lizzie. He loves her more than anything... I don't know how this is going to work out exactly, but Daphne doesn't hate me and I don't her, so that's a good start. Other than that... we'll see when we're at the new house. She'll have her own apartment away from us, but still close enough so that they can raise their daughter together. We'll figure it out.”

“So, you're not just getting a partner but a stepchild as well,” Ted pointed out.

“They come as a package,” was all Brian said. “And it's not like he's expecting me to raise her.”

“Those are just a lot of changes...,” Ted said. “Good changes, but still... changes. And some of them rather unexpected.”

“Well, I have been told for years that it's time to grow up and move on from my wild days. So here I am doing just that.”

“I am happy for you, Brian. I really hope that things will work out for all of you. You all deserve it,” Ted said sincerely, then headed over to the door. “And not just Justin after everything he has been through recently. You as well.”

With that he left the office and left Brian alone.

***

“So, how did it go?” Justin asked, curious to hear how family dinner had been this week. He knew that Brian had mostly focused on work over the last week and had pretty much ignored Lindsay and Michael.

Brian shrugged, even though Justin couldn't see him over the phone. “Okay.”

“Come on, Brian. What did they say?” Justin went on, knowing that they would have said something now that he hadn't been present for this dinner.

“Nothing that I didn't expect,” Brian just muttered in response.

“So, Lindsay and Michael are still pissed?”

“They feel like I should have told them about you earlier and feel left out,” Brian said, not really wanting to talk about his two best friends. “Apparently, I should have told them about you from the moment we started seeing each other in New York.”

“Well... they are your best friends... I told Daphne about you,” Justin pointed out reasonably.

“I don't owe them any explanations about my private life. It's my life,” Brian said and Justin could clearly hear the anger in his voice.

“I am just saying that I can kind of understand where they are coming from. We've been seeing each other for years and you never even mentioned me.”

“Because it didn't concern them. That concerned you and me.”

Justin sighed. “I just don't want you to lose any friends because of me.”

“Stop it, Sunshine!” Brian said, his voice now rising slightly. “Don't even go there.”

“Brian, they are angry with you because of me, because of who I am.”

“That has nothing to do with it. They would have been just as angry if I had planned to move in with Joe from Legal,” Brian immediately pointed out. “Don't make this about something it isn't.”

“I am sure it's not helping though,” Justin said quietly.

“Sunshine,” Brian sighed. “They're angry because they feel like I owe them an explanation for whatever I do with my life. And I don't agree. That's what this is about. The fact that you're a fucking prince doesn't matter. Michael doesn't really understand what that means anyway and Lindsay is probably creaming her pants that Gus will get to know a real royal. You can't get any waspier than her.”

“I just don't want this to cause any problems with your friends.”

“They'll get over it,” Brian said, sounding absolutely sure. “And if not, Debbie will slap some sense into them. She loves you and considers you one of her lost boys now,” Brian chuckled, happy to hear when Justin chuckled in response as well. “You should see the amount of food she made me take home for you. After you ate her food last week and complimented her on it, you'll be forever in her heart.”

“It was good food,” Justin said honestly.

“Well, it will all be here for you when you come back to Pittsburgh,” Brian pointed out.

“Only two more days,” Justin muttered, his voice sounding more excited now. “I am just waiting to get the studio packed up tomorrow and then the movers will pick everything up on Tuesday.”

“I can't wait for you to be back here. You'll love the changes at the house,” Brian said seriously.

Brian had kept him updated on deliveries of furniture and he knew that most stuff had arrived by now and the house was pretty much ready to move into. And he was really excited to come back and move into their new home with Brian. He couldn't wait to start this new chapter of his life. A chapter that would hopefully be calm, peaceful and most of all happy.

“I hope that's not the only reason you want me to come back,” Justin said with a smile in his voice.

“Don't worry... I have plans for you the moment you get out of the car,” Brian whispered, his voice now lustful.

“I am counting on it. I miss you, Brian,” Justin whispered back, his voice full of longing.

“I miss you, too,” Brian admitted. “Only two more days and then you'll be back. And I swear, before the week is over, you'll probably be annoyed by my ass and will curse me to hell and back.”

“Never,” Justin said, his voice full of amusement.

***

And it turned out that Justin had been right. Once he had returned to Pittsburgh, he had helped Daphne and Lizzie settle into their new home and had then allowed Brian to whisk him away to their part of the house for the better part of the next 24 hours. According to Brian there was a lot of new furniture that they had to christen and after they had started with the bed in the master bedroom, they had quickly moved through the rooms where furniture had already been delivered.

Justin had indeed loved the changes to the house, now that furniture had been delivered and once their stuff from New York had arrived, he had busied himself unpacking boxes and decorating their new home.

He and Daphne had decided to keep their apartment in New York, knowing that it might come in handy when they had to go to New York for business, an art show or whatever, so the move hadn't been too big and stressful. They had only taken their personal things and some items they couldn't do without with them to Pittsburgh but had mostly left furniture in New York and had bought new one for their new home.

Over the next two weeks delivery after delivery arrived at the new house and with each day it became more and more of a home.

Brian and Justin, as well as Daphne and Lizzie settled into a rhythm quickly which mostly consisted of Brian leaving the house in the morning to head to the office, Justin spending some time with his daughter while Daphne worked on her applications to university.

Now that she wasn't officially a princess anymore and she and Justin would be divorced in a couple of months, she was pretty much free to do what she wanted with her life and she was no longer forced to follow the rules of a royal. Much like Justin who had pretty much been kicked out of his family anyway.

Daphne had always dreamed of becoming a doctor and now she finally had the chance to go for it and was starting to take the first steps in that direction. She would be a lot older than most other students, but that didn't stop her. It was never too late to follow your dreams and this was something she was really excited about. Justin supported her as well as he could, knowing that it was the least he could do after everything Daphne had done for him.

In the afternoon they would spend some time with Lizzie together before either Justin or Daphne started preparing dinner. Brian would usually be home in time for dinner and after Justin had helped getting Lizzie into bed, they would settle in their part of the house and work some more on making the house a home before they went to bed for some adult fun.

So far, this rhythm worked for them and Brian loved to see how happy Justin was. He was smiling, was carefree and seemed really happy which in return made Brian happy.

It didn't seem like anyone had noticed that Justin and Daphne had moved to West Virginia and on their property, they had a lot of freedom to move and do what they wanted which the whole family enjoyed.

Daphne had started looking into getting some horses and Justin had started painting again. Everyone was happy and life was good.

***

Brian and Justin just came down from another orgasm after a round of wild, frenzied sex in their living-room.

“Wow,” Brian exhaled, looking at Justin with a bright smile. “That must be in our top 10.”

Justin blushed slightly but nodded.

“I have one question,” Brian said next, his voice now turning quite serious. “After we've settled down and things have calmed down, will we still fuck like this?”

“Ever the romantic,” Justin chuckled, shaking his head. “That depends. If you still fuck me in every room of...uhm... What are we gonna call it? Mandalay? Xanadu? Wuthering Heights?” He frowned.

“I'll leave the christening up to you,” Brian smirked. After all Justin had done pretty well with Gus' name.

“Britin,” Justin announced then, his face now showing a big smile.

“Britin?” Brian mulled it over for a few seconds, then nodded appreciatively.

“It's amazing, isn't it?” Justin now said, moving closer to Brian and resting his head on his chest.

“I wouldn't go that far...,” Brian said, still smiling though.

“I mean that it's really happening,” Justin said, burying his head in Brian's chest. “You... me... us, here. In our house.”

Brian nodded, pulling Justin closer and holding him tight. “I love seeing you this happy.”

Justin moved to sit up and looked down at Brian's face from his sitting position. “I am happy. You make me happy. This,” he said, waving his arm around the house, “makes me happy.”

“That's good,” Brian said seriously, now sitting up as well. “That's all that matters.”

He then pulled Justin closer until their lips met and they kissed. “I love you, Sunshine. You deserve all the happiness you can get.”

“I love you, too,” Justin responded, before he closed the distance and kissed Brian once more. And he did. He loved Brian more than anything and would do anything for this man who had given him so much. Who had pretty much given him the chance at a new life, a life he had always dreamed of, but had never thought he could have. And now here he was and Brian had made it all possible. He would always love him for that.