MICHAEL

I was pissed that they all wanted to come home. When we got to the diner, I figured they could at least have breakfast with me. Nope. Everyone wanted to go home.

I got to the house and Ben looked surprised to see me. Well, it wasn’t my choice.

“I thought you were going to be gone all week.” Ben tells me.

“The guys were whining to come home. Brian has to have Boy Wonder around. Justin probably told Brian he should stay home.” I tell him.

“Michael, it wasn't a great idea to start with. I really didn’t want you to go. They all seemed reluctant.” He tells me.

“They should have at least tried to have fun. Instead, it was complaining the whole time.” I tell him I'm going to bed.

I need to get Kevin and Brian to meet. I know that once they do, Boy Wonder will be a memory. Maybe I could find someone for Ted too, so he can be rid of Blake.

JUSTIN

I get up and start coffee for Brian. We slept the afternoon away. Linds called while we were sleeping. I need to call her.

“Hey Linds, did you need something?” I ask her.

“I wanted to tell you our news. Mel got offered a partnership from a firm in the Pitts. We are moving back.” She tells me.

“You're serious? This isn’t just you fucking with me?” I want to run upstairs and wake up Brian.

“We're ready to come home. Three years of being in Canada sucked. Mel said the we should have thought about it longer before running away. I got a job teaching again. I'll start with the new school year. The reason I was calling was to see if we could stay with you till we find a house.” Linds asks.

“You really think we'd turn down a chance to keep Gus and JR with us?” I ask her.

“No. But you and I have to put up with Mel and Brian bickering. When Brian gets back tell him to call us.” Linds tells me.

“They’re already back. P-Town was a bust, and Michael whined because they wanted to come home.” I tell her.

We discussed Sunday night, then hung up. I ran to the bedroom to tell Brian.

BRIAN

Justin was excited that Linds called. Then he told me they're planning to move back. It will be great to have Gus closer. I asked Justin what he wanted to do tonight.

“We could go out to Woody’s tonight and then stay at the loft. It will make picking up the girls easier tomorrow.” Justin suggests.

“It will also make it easier for Michael to be a pain in the ass.” I tell him.

“We don't have to tell him. Ted and Blake don't want to spend time with Ben and Michael anyway. Michael is embarrassed to bring his little friends around the sinners.” Justin tells me.

I won't deal with the wannabe straight fags in Michael’s new circle. Eli likes Justin, hates me. Justin tells Eli to fuck off, but Eli seems to think it's just a joke. Justin thinks they don't like him but they see him as a social climbing step. It’s a ‘we know a famous artist’ kind of thing.

BLAKE

Ted tells me Brian and Justin are going to Woody’s tonight and wanted to hang out together. I told him I was good with that. Em called and said Drew wanted to go too. We didn't call Michael.

We meet up to play pool and generally have fun. We were all laughing at Emmett trying to shot from behind his back, when a familiar whine came at us.

“Why didn’t you call me, Brian. Ben and I were meeting our new friend for dinner. We could have met you guys.” Michael was in full drama queen mode.

“I’d rather put my dick in a shredder then deal with Monty.” Brian tells Michael.

Justin snorts and hides his head in Drew’s back. Drew laughes, and I can’t control it either. Brian doesn’t let Michael get away with forcing the Eli and Monty show on him.

MICHAEL

I was talking to Ma at the diner when I saw the guys going into Woody's. They didn’t mention it to me. I figured why not at least get Kevin to come and meet Brian. I told Kevin that Ben and I were going out, and why not meet us at Woody’s and we would introduce him to people. Kevin told me he would be there in half an hour.

I called Ben and told him the gang was going to Woody’s. He said he would be there in a little while. I waited for a few minutes then walked over. I was a little put out they didn’t call. I wasn't happy when Brian made fun of Monty.

“You know Boy Wonder, you need to be nicer to my friends. They don't laugh at you,” I sneer at Justin.

Everyone looked at me. Drew gave me the look he must get before he tackles a guy.

“You know Michael, why is it that no matter what anybody else does or says, you attack Justin or Blake?” Drew asks me.

“I was just kidding. Shit, no one can take a joke anymore,” I don’t need Drew pissed at me.

I spot Ben and Kevin coming in. Thank God they didn't get here earlier. Well, let’s see how Boy Wonder likes this.

“Kevin, hey let me introduce you to my friends. This Drew Boyd, the football player. Emmett is his boyfriend. This is Ted, and Blake. This guy is my best friend Brian Kinney, he owns Kinnetik. Brian this is Kevin, he is the manager of Liberty Bank and Trust,” Brian nods and returns to his game.

“It’s nice to meet you. I didn’t get your names, or what you guys do,” Kevin said to Justin, Ted, and Blake.

“I guess it depends on who you ask. Michael would tell you I live off Brian and pretend to be an artist. Ask anybody else and they’ll tell you I’m a painter and my name is Justin Taylor,” Justin jokingly says.

“I’m a Drug Abuse Counselor, or like Justin said, if you ask Michael I live off Ted and hang out in a rehab. Ted is CFO of Kinnetik.” Blake tells Kevin.

“Let’s play pool with Brian, Kevin,” I tell Kevin. Ben is looking at all of us.

“You two have at it. I think I’ll go play sugar daddy to Justin. Or maybe it should be the other way around. I mean Justin makes between 20 and 50 thousand a painting. What did you make at the comic shop last month Mikey?” Brian asks me.

“Michael, play with Kevin. I’ll get us drinks.” Ben tells me.

JUSTIN

I was sitting with Blake, we talk amongst everyone but Michael. Michael is trying to talk Kevin up to Brian. Brian walks over and sits with us. I get up and to go to the bathroom. Kevin follows me in.

“Are you and Brian together, I mean like committed?” Kevin asks me.

“Yes. We’ve been together for 8 years.” I tell him.

“I’m sorry, but Michael made it sound like you guys were breaking up. I think I was invited here to meet Brian. I would have rather asked you out. I think I’m going to head home. Tell Michael to lose my number, this is embarrassing. It was nice to meet you,” Kevin tells me and walks out of the bathroom.

Ben comes in and asks if I’m okay. I tell him that I guess I’m fine, but that I don’t appreciate that Michael invited Kevin here to get Kevin and Brian together. Ben tells me that Kevin must have misheard Michael. I tell Ben it must be nice to live on his planet. I walked out of the bathroom and straight to Captain Whine.

“Mikey, Mikey, Mikey. Kevin wants you to know he was embarrassed that you lied to him about my relationship with Brian,” I tell him. Then I tell the others “Apparently Michael wanted Brian to go out with Kevin. Kevin told me he would rather date me. Ben, instead of taking ten steps over to the bar and asking, would rather believe that Kevin misunderstood Michael,” I look at Michael.

We all get up and leave the bar. I tell Kevin we're going to hit Babylon for a couple of hours and he is welcome join us. Emmett tells Kevin that he does have a single friend who just moved here that he could meet. Emmett has been trying to find a nice guy for Calvin.

BEN

I walked over to Kevin after Justin’s speech and asked him why he thought Brian and Justin were breaking up. He told me that Michael told him about Brian at the dinner at our house. He called tonight and made it sound like the perfect time to meet Brian. Kevin told me that he was going to meet the others at Babylon, but would prefer Michael leave him alone.

I tell Michael that we are going home and we can talk there. He tells me as soon as he gets through the door that he only meant that they should meet because they are professionals. That it had nothing to do with Brian and Justin. Michael tells me that he thinks that Blake and Justin try to cause trouble for him.

I don’t know what to believe. Michael needs to just worry about his daughter and leave Brian to his own relationship. Justin is pissed at me because I didn’t assume Michael was in the wrong. I think that if Justin would invite us to their outings Michael wouldn’t feel so left out.

Lately, we hear about their outings, but are not invited to them. I told Em that it feels intentional. Em told me that everyone wants to have a good time and Michael pisses and moans about how we should do things Eli and Monty would want to do. I know that Michael likes to include our new friends in events and I think the guys could at least try to be nice.

I like that Eli and Monty are mature and want to do things other than Babylon and Woody's. I wanted us to move from Liberty Avenue for two reasons. The partying at all hours at our apartment was getting out of hand. I also wanted to distance Michael from Brian. I need us to have a real relationship, like adults.

I like Justin and Brian, but they still act like kids and it drags Michael down with them.