Title: Closing The Distance…
Story Type: AU
Word Count: 2011
Warnings: Love, Passion, Romance…
Beta Queen: BigJ52


Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, plot, etc. are property of their respective owners, including, but not limited to Russell T. Davies, Cowlip, and Showtime. The author of this story is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended…

Summary: Sometimes when we’re fighting, Brian can be so headstrong. He can’t see that we really want the same things…



Closing the Distance…


I hate it when Brian is in one of his moods, talking like he knows best. He won’t listen to reason, and just keeps insisting that I stay in New York, even though we’re both miserable. He can’t seem to hear me when I tell him that I’m uninspired and lonely. I hate my job and don’t make enough money to support myself. But Brian insists that I keep plugging along trying my best, as if some opportunity is just going to drop of out the sky. I mostly hate that we’re wasting my last day together fighting, instead of having fun and enjoying each other.





Finally I give up and stop arguing with him, so we head to the diner for breakfast. The gang is already there, holding down the fort when we enter. Emmett starts clapping, acting like he hasn’t seen us in months, even though we saw him last night at Babylon. The mood is still tense between the two of us, as Brian drinks his coffee in silence. I order the lumberjack special; eggs, bacon, pancakes and hash browns. I always eat when I’m stressed or depressed and right now I’m both. Em’s relaying the highlights about his hot trick from last night. Michael and Ben are giving us the details about their landscaping plans, while Ted drones on about how it’s almost his five-year anniversary from rehab.


Brian’s blocking out all the conversations, lost in his own thoughts about the current fight between him and Justin. He hates that Justin is living in New York and he knows how unhappy Justin is, but he wonders if his big break is just around the corner. If Justin were to move back home it would ruin everything he’s worked so hard for. Yet he can’t help daydreaming if Justin hadn’t moved away, and they had gotten married. But now he wonders if Justin will ever really move back home, he seems to think not. Because it’s really just a matter of time before Justin is discovered, and then he won’t ever want to move back.


His mind wanders to how it used to be when Justin was working here at the diner. Brian would sit, drinking countless cups of coffee, reading the newspaper, waiting for Justin’s shift to end. Sometimes when he thinks back upon those times he only remembers the good days, and blocks out the bad days when he was acting like a total jerk. Nowadays, he works long hours at Kinnetik and looks forward to his nightly phone conversations with Justin. He rarely goes out, except when Justin is home for the weekend or he visits him in New York.


“Brian, Brian…”


He’s drawn out of his internal rant by Michael.


“I asked you if you still wanted to go to the comic book convention with me next month.”





Brian just stares at him thinking, no I never want to go to that comic book convention again.


“What? Yeah, sure… When is it again?”


“Three weeks from Thursday. What’s wrong with you? You seem really distracted.”


“I’ve got a lot on my mind, that’s all.”


Brian puts his arm around Justin’s shoulder and pulls him into a kiss, letting him know that everything’s fine, that his moodiness has passed. Justin smiles and tries to keep his own irritability at bay. He really doesn’t want to go back to New York tonight, and his emotions are close to the surface, thanks to their current argument. After breakfast they go and pick up Gus for the afternoon, they’re taking him to the park to play. While at the girls’ house, Lindsay mentions that she and Mel are thinking about having another child, and they want Brian to be the father again.



Justin’s POV

Both of our heads reel at Lindsay’s request; they haven’t been back from Canada more than a few months, but they’re ready for another child and Lindsay really wants Brian to be the father. Apparently they both now realized that Michael wasn’t the best choice to father Mel’s baby, because he hasn’t provided any child support since JR was born. I can tell Brian’s really considering it, as he seems distracted, pushing Gus on the swings. He was really hurt last time after he finally agreed and said yes, then Mel rejected him for Michael. Hell, he could have told them that Michael wouldn’t have been able to help with supporting a child, he can barely pay his own bills.


I’m not surprised that Brian is so consumed with his thoughts. I just worry that they’ll jerk him around like they have in the past. They say they’ll be open to an arrangement more like the one they have with Michael. They’ve even considered restoring Brian’s parental rights to Gus. He looks so optimistic and I really hope they mean it this time. It took him a long time to accept that they chose Michael over him last time. I know how much he really wanted another child, so if he goes along with it, Gus and the new baby will be true siblings.


Sometimes I think he wishes we were at a place in our relationship where we could raise a child together. He’s getting older and has really changed his outlook on life. But as long as he insists that I live in New York, I know that’s not going to happen. I just wish I could make him see that New York’s not what I want. It was never what I really wanted.


We watch Gus sliding down the slide, running around the park, having a blast. He wants us to push him on the swing, even though he’s getting a little old for it. I watch the two of them playing as I daydream about us having a family. I wonder what our child might look like, knowing how much we would love them. It’s getting late and we have to get something to eat before my flight leaves. We’ve already decided that I will take a taxi to the airport, as Brian needs to review and finalize his presentation for tomorrow.


We stop by the deli on the way home to get some sandwiches, and end up having a picnic on the floor in the living room. Gus is pretty worn out from all the running around we did earlier, so he curls up on the sofa between the two of us. Brian mentions the girls’ request for another child and it’s so obvious he really wants this. I just hope they really do restore his parental rights for Gus. We both look up at the clock and know it’s time for me to call a cab. It’s so hard leaving one another after spending the weekend together, and it only gets harder every time I leave.


It isn’t long before we hear the cabbie honk his horn, letting me know he’s here. We kiss each other passionately, even though I will be back again next weekend. We finally break our embrace, looking into each other’s eyes, saying so much without saying a word. Neither one of us wants to be apart, but it’s just the way things are these days. I finally pull back and look him in the eyes, then I kiss him on the cheek. I reach down and grab my duffel bag and open the door. I leave without looking back, because if I did, I know I’d just run back into his arms.


I’m sitting in traffic on the way to the airport and I hate the waiting, it drives me crazy. That’s when I notice the next exit and I tell the cabbie to make a detour, that there’s something I need to do. It’s only another twenty minutes before we get to my new destination. I pay the taxi driver and walk up to the mansion that we call Britin. Thank God I still have the key on my key ring. It’s been so long since I’ve been here, but I can tell that he’s been here recently. Surprisingly, there’s a little food in the refrigerator. I take out a beer and go and sit in front of the fireplace. There’s even wood to build a fire, so I do.





I sit, watching the flames, drinking my second beer when I decide that I’m moving home. He just doesn’t have to know, at least not until he comes by for a visit. He tells me he never comes here, but it’s so obvious that he does. There’s new furniture in the living room, and a table and chairs in the dining room. I walk around the house, giving myself a tour to see how much has changed since we first bought the house. There’s sheets and towels in the linen closet and the master bedroom’s bed is made and he even has clothes in the closet. But what surprises me the most is my studio, he’s furnished it with all the supplies an artist would ever want, complete with a drafting table and painter’s easels. I’m totally shocked, and wonder when he did all this, and why he never told me.


I feel inspired for the first time in months. I love our house and wonder why he’s been keeping it a secret from me, but there are just some things I’ll never understand about him. I go back downstairs to get another beer and walk around the yard, it’s so beautiful here. It’s late winter and some of the crocus are starting to come up through the snow. I look back at the house and know I’ve made the right decision, even if we end up fighting about it. I’m finally home.





I pull out my cell phone and call my roommate Janice, asking her to ship all my things, which isn’t much, considering how long I’ve been in New York. Just a couple of boxes and a suitcase full of clothes. She already knew I was planning on telling Brian that I wanted to come home. We talked about it and she understood that I was really unhappy living in New York. I just wish Brian understood. The second phone call I make is to the small diner where I work. After talking to my manager, it seems we’re both on the same wavelength. It’s been slow, and he can’t keep me on the schedule anymore. I tell him I understand, and that I was calling to give notice anyways. I take this as sign that it’s meant to be.


I’m standing in my studio, prepping a canvas for painting when my cell phone rings and it’s Brian, asking me how my flight was. I tell him how the traffic to the airport was a nightmare, and how much I already miss him. That I just found out I lost my job, and he says I shouldn’t be working anyways. He reminds me I have credit cards and our joint checking account at my disposal. He’s very firm that I should just concentrate on my artwork until I can get a job in a gallery or start showing my artwork. I can’t help smirking a little bit, knowing that’s exactly what I plan on doing. I love that he always wants to take care of me.


He tells me he’ll be traveling for business in a couple of days. He has to meet with the owner of some chain of family restaurants, but he should be home late Friday night, and how much he looks forward to seeing me then. He tries to put a positive spin on our separation, which is the closest thing I’ll get to an apology for our fight this morning. I tell him that I’ll be home by the time he arrives on Friday night, and thank him for being so understanding about me losing my job. There’s no need to tell him I’ve already decided to move home. He’ll find out the next time he comes here to escape Pittsburgh.


“Surprise! Honey, I’m home…”


The End