KYLE

Justin told me Gus would pick me up at the diner and bring me to the his house. I figured I could ask Gus some questions about growing up in his family. I got to the diner and Elle is sitting in a booth with Gus. Brian must have left early with Ted and Emmett.

“Hey Kyle, ready to go?” Gus is smirking at me. This boy is going to be the death of me. I know he’s sixteen, but he looks like he’s in his twenties.

“You got Elle duty?” I ask Gus.

“No, Daddy said if we left Gus alone with you, we might repeat history.” Elle tells us.

“I like history. Want to get a Liberty Avenue history lesson?” Gus asks me.

“Truthfully, a real history lesson and not a reenactment would be nice.” I tell Gus.

“Well it could have been fun. Let’s hop in the car and I can tell you about the gang.” Gus tells me. Gus checks to make sure Elle put her seatbelt on.

“Actually, I’d really like to ask some questions, no offence, but you guys start a story and it ends up somewhere beyond what I want to know.” I tell Gus.

“Ask, and if I can answer, I will.” Gus tells me.

“Why aren’t Brian and Justin getting married?” I ask. They seem to me like the couple who should be.

“Pop wanted to before he left for New York, but they talked and decided against it. They did file for Legal Domestic Partnership, and while they were traveling back and forth, decided to adopt Elle. I think Dad will eventually marry Justin, but neither cares to make a big deal out of it.” Gus tells me.

“You lived with your moms, but visited with your dads?” I ask him.

“My moms moved us to Canada when I was five, and I visited on school breaks and summers. I did live with Pop for six months when I was seven.” Gus tells me.

“What happened at seven? I’m just curious, nothing about the article.” I ask him.

“I was angry at my moms and wanted to live with my dads. They compromised and let me stay with Pop. At the time, Pop was staying in New York, instead of both places, because he wanted Elle not to have to travel all the time. Dad had to run Kinnetik, so he was with us on weekends. I got over it and moved back with the moms.” Gus tells me.

“Was it hard growing up with two moms and two dads?” I ask him.

“It’s the same for kids whose parents divorce and remarry. You get extra parents, but in my case they were all the same parents I’ve had since I was born.” Gus tells me.

“Did you feel pressure to be gay or straight?” I ask him.

“No, my identity is just that, mine. If I was straight the family wouldn’t care, you met Hunter, he’s straight.” Gus tells me.

We pull up to the drive of this enormous house. “Everyone calls it Britin.” Elle tells me.

“The house?” I ask.

“It was a joke between the dads, but Michael overheard so now everyone calls it that.” Gus tells me. I really want to ask him about Michael.

“Elle, tell Pop we’re here.” Gus tells her. Elle runs into the house.

“Go ahead, everyone asks it.” Gus tells me.

“I just wonder why everyone placates him?” It really puzzles me.

“Michael is a nice guy, but he’s likes to be the center of attention. Dad and the guys are always protecting Michael, kind of the way they do with Elle. Michael is the kind of guy who will give you the shirt off his back, but then you get to listen to him complain about being cold.” Gus tells me.

We walk into the house, Gus tells me we can change together in the pool house. I told him we could do that when I didn’t fear being murdered by his family. I walked with him to the patio and find Blake and Justin. Theo is sitting on Justin’s lap, the other kids are swimming.

“We came straight here Daddy. Gus told Kyle they could reenact history.” Elle runs to jump in the pool.

“Pop nothing happened, I promise.” Gus tell Justin.

“Gus go swim with the kids.” Justin tells him.

“Yeah Gus, why don’t you cool down, before Kyle figures out you're all talk.” Jenny yells.

“Well Junior, it’s better than showing off your goodies to the football team.” Gus tells her.

“What is JR showing to the football team?” Michael for the first time sounds like a father.

“NOTHING DAD! Gus is just pissy because Kyle won’t play Pop to his Brian in his fantasies.” Jenny tells him.

“I couldn’t live through another Brian and Justin marathon.” Michael tells us.

“It wasn’t that bad. If you weren’t so jealous at first, it would have been easier between you and I.” Justin tells Michael.

“You were a brat, telling me I was still waiting for the unfinished hand job, the first time we talked.” Michael tells Justin.

“Well you sat there talking out of your ass, ‘Brian doesn’t do relationships, you need to move on’.” Justin says imitating Michael.

“At the time, he didn’t. I mean all it took was you stalking his ass, he ended up giving in.” Michael tells Justin.

“Well it never worked for you. So the moral of the story is that you were a stalker, I was the guy he kept taking home.” Justin tells Michael.

“I found more mature partners. You and Brian were to busy having date night at the Baths.” Michael tells Justin.

“At least we called it a date, didn’t your ‘mature partner’ Dave call it a ‘business function’?” Justin asks Michael.

“We hadn’t defined our relationship yet.” Michael tells me.

“Look, if going to the Baths wasn’t a big deal, he would have told you. Instead he lied to you. Just saying.” Justin gets up and takes Theo into the pool. I almost want to cling to Blake.

“Well Kyle we can talk here. I should tell you about how my mother had to tell me I was gay. I was thirteen and …” Michael should really have to listen to himself talk.

“Mikey, are you telling Kyle about the time you were looking in the Sears catalogue at the men in their underwear?” Brian comes out. Guess they’re back.

“No Brian, I was telling him how Ma explained to me that I was gay.” Michael tells him.

“Well Michael, I figured I liked looking at boys, not girls, and that meant I was gay. What was so hard to figure out about it?” Emmett comes out.

“I was confused, okay.” Michael tells everyone.

“I think it was more along the lines of not wanting to give Deb another queen in the family. I mean your father was a drag queen, your Uncle Vic dated other queens, and you were on your way to being the high queen of drama.” Brian says to Michael.

“Just because you were practically born knowing doesn’t mean other people couldn’t be confused.” Michael tells Brian.

“Hey Kyle, when did you figure out you were gay?” Emmett asks me.

“I think I was twelve.” I tell them.

“Yeah, I was kind of in the Brian category, just always knew.” Emmett said.

“Emmett, you came out of the womb yelling fabulous.” Ted says to him.

“Baby, what about you?” Emmett ask Justin.

“When I was like eight. Unlike Michael, I was an early bloomer.” Justin tells us.

“I had to hide it because of my job.” Michael tells us.

“It’s the Big Q Mikey. Kyle you're a journalist with the New York Times. Did you hide your sexuality?” Brian asks me.

“No, but nobody really cares in the newspaper business.” I tell them.

“None of them cared at Big Q, except for Fat Marley, who set Mikey up on a date with Tracy.” Brian tells us.

“My boss Andrew treated me like shit when he found out.” Michael tells us.

“Andrew was still mad you got the manager position over him. When you came back he wanted to show everyone he should have gotten the position. It wasn’t about you being gay.” Ted tells Michael.

“Emmett, did you find a suit?” Blake asks.

“After having to be at Armani at eight this morning, which meant leaving here at six this morning, Brian made me try on ten suits. I tried to add a little flame to the outfit, but no can do, God Kinney told me to go to the Gap if that is what I have in mind.” Emmett tells everyone.

“Um Emmett, did you get a suit?” Blake asks. I wanted to ask too.

“Yeah, didn’t I just say that?” Emmett looks at everyone.

I need a drink, lots of them, just to hang out with these guys.