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Author's Chapter Notes:

Being around Lily makes Justin realize how much he would like to have a kid of his own one day.

Splashes of red, black, grey and white decorate the canvas. Justin hasn’t been this immersed in his art in months. He hasn’t suffered a block by any means but he feels so fucking passionate to the point where he both knows exactly what he wants on the canvas but can’t foretell what the result will be so he keeps at it until the desire leaves him. He loses all track of time and just does what he loves to do.

 

Distantly, he’s aware that there’s a knock on the door but he can’t pull himself away. He physically can’t. His parents always got annoyed when he got like this as a kid but he likes the hyperfocusing because it allows him to shut everything else out.

 

“Justin.”

 

“Justin!”

 

Justin turns around, aggravated that he’s been interrupted, only to find that Nathan let himself into his studio. He calms down and shakes himself out of it.

 

“Hey! What time-”

 

“Midnight. You missed our set. I looked for you after and couldn’t find you.”

 

Justin looks up at the clock. Shit.

 

“Fuck, Nathan. I’m really sorry. I just got into this painting and lost track of time.”

 

Nathan’s lips form into a grim line, “I tried calling you before and after the show.”

 

Justin goes over to where his phone is charging and sees three missed calls and several texts, “It was on silent. I guess I never switched it over after I had dinner with Grant earlier this evening. That went well, by the way. He wants to book a show this coming November.”

 

“I’m glad your career is going swimmingly.”

 

Justin purses his lips and looks away, “How was your set?”

 

Nathan shrugs, “Great. But you wouldn’t know that.”

 

“I said I was-”

 

“Sorry,” Nathan finishes for him, “Yeah, I heard. I just really would have liked it if you had been there.”

 

Justin doesn’t really know what else to say so he doesn’t say anything. Nathan has every right to be pissed and he also knows that his boyfriend isn’t up for any groveling Justin could throw at him.

 

He expected Nathan to leave but instead he comes closer to Justin’s painting, crosses his arms over his chest, stares at the piece, and shudders.

 

“It’s really unnerving, Justin,” Nathan admits grimacing as his eyes take it in.

 

“It’s supposed to be.”

 

“It’s good. More than good, you know that. But I don’t want it in the apartment. It makes me feel sick. I know it’s personal to you and it’s your way of dealing but I don’t want it.”

 

Nathan turns around and starts to walk out of the room before pausing.

 

“Are you coming?”

 

“In a little bit,” Justin tells him, “We only live a few blocks away so I want to stay here and work on it longer.”

 

Nathan stays silent for a few seconds until he clears his throat and says, “You should get to bed soon. You’re meeting Brian tomorrow for lunch.”

 

“I’ll set my alarm,” Justin says distractedly, “I won’t be late.”

 

“Of course you won’t,” Nathan mutters, “Not for him.”

 

Justin closes his eyes with guilt, “Nathan, I didn’t mean-”

 

“I’ll see you back at home, Justin.”

 

Justin hears his studio door shut and he stands there, still in the silence. He is such a fucking asshole.

 

He shakes himself out of his self-disgust. He missed his boyfriend’s set because of this fucking painting so he might as well make it look good.

 

Dipping his brush into the red, he adds a stain to the white scarf.

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He gets home at almost 2 in the morning. The apartment is mostly dark but Nathan kept the light in the foyer on for him.

 

He changes out of his paint smeared clothes, takes a quick shower, brushes his teeth, and curls up behind Nathan’s form. He can tell that his boyfriend isn’t sleeping so he gently puts an arm around him and lets his face rest against his shoulder.

 

“I really am sorry, Nathan,” he says quietly, “Getting wrapped up in my painting is no excuse. I should have been there.”

 

Nathan sighs, “You come to a lot of my performances. It’s not a big deal.”

 

“It is. I said I would be there, I wanted to be there, and I wasn’t. You have every right to be mad.”

 

Nathan stays quiet. After a minute or so Justin realizes he isn’t going to say anything else.

 

“Goodnight. I love you,” he tells as kisses his shoulder.

 

“You too,” Nathan croaks out.

 

Justin catches on to the distress in his boyfriend’s voice and sits up to get a better look at him but all Nathan does is squeeze his eyes shut and pretend like he’s asleep.

 

With a sad sigh, Justin lies back down and tries to force himself to fall asleep as well.

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Like he has a few times before, Justin goes to meet Brian at Kinnetik so that they can walk to lunch together. He chats with Malia when he passes by her new office before he says hello to Diana, Brian’s new assistant. Brian comes out within a few minutes, sees him, and, to Justin’s surprise, looks guilty.

 

“Diana, I’m leaving the office for the day. I know I said I wasn’t leaving until 5 but something came up. Have Malia take my 4 o'clock and look for an email from me in the next few hours. The art department just sent digital copies of their storyboards to me for the Springtime in the Park Coke Commercial. I’ll send you as well as Evan a list of what’s good and what isn’t. Your job is to make sure they change everything I make a negative note about on the list before they leave here today.”

 

Diana shrugs, “Alright. Have a good day, boss.”

 

Brian leads Justin to the elevator and says, “I have to go pick up Lily. At least one major pipe burst at her preschool and the place is flooded. They just called me a few minutes before you came and that’s why I kept you waiting. I would send Jess to get her but she sprained her ankle a couple of days ago when I was walking her to the train.”

 

“That sucks. Do they think it is going to be an easy fix?”

 

“The pipe or the ankle?”

 

“The pipe, Brian. Wait, is Jess’s sprain that bad?”

 

“Jess should be back to normal in a week. Eric’s been going to pick her up in the car before getting Lily so that he can drop them off at the house and get back to work but he’s busy and hands-on with the renovations uptown today. It’s not a big deal for me to get her. Today is a day where I can work from home. I don’t know how quickly they can get the pipe fixed. All I know is that Lily, her teacher, and a few other girls from her class were in there when it happened and it was basically like a tropical storm. She’s soaked.”

 

“Where does she go to preschool?”

 

“Park Slope. It’s this place called Beansprouts.”

 

“I know Beansprouts. I lived a few blocks away from it about six years ago. My boss at the time took her son and daughter there. It’s really hard to get into, isn’t it?”

 

Brian huffs, “Yeah. It was a bitch to get her in since she started in January. We brought her in last August and made them realize she was brilliant. I’m pretty sure the whole private preschool bullshit is about the parents feeling good about their financial status rather than the kids though. Lily’s an exception of course but I don’t see what’s so special about half of her classmates. We thought about just waiting until the fall so that we could get her into the Montessori School near our apartment but that place is $20,000 a year. Beansprouts is half as much but it’s definitely fucking enough to have decent pipes in the joint.”

 

Justin laughs but agrees with him as they step out of the elevator before he turns to Brian.

 

“Well, I understand. Maybe we can have lunch in a few days if you aren’t busy. Tell Lily I said hello-”

 

“I was actually thinking of inviting you back to the house to eat and hang out. If you wanted to, that is.”

 

Justin is taken aback by that and it must show on his face because Brian shrugs and says, “I mean, if you don’t want to that’s fine. Lily will probably make you watch Beauty & the Beast anyway so I can’t blame you if-”

 

“I like Beauty & the Beast,” Justin says quickly.

 

Brian smirks, “Into beastiality now, are you Sunshine?”

 

Justin playfully gives a light shove to his shoulder, “I was never even into bears, Brian.”

 

Brian laughs at that, “Alright. We need to get on the F to pick up Lily and you can watch my kid with me until Eric gets back. Maybe you can call Nathan around then and the five of us can have dinner.”

 

Justin blinks a few times. Having what is essentially a double date with Brian and Eric is daunting enough but it has been done a couple of times before. Spending several hours with Brian by himself beforehand? That has never happened. Not in the last 8 years, that is.

 

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

 

The two of them get on the F and take it to the 7th Avenue stop in Park Slope. When they get there, they see several mothers and a couple of fathers with their kids in hand. Brian and Justin go inside the building and already see water in the hallways. They enter the office, wait in line, and get to the front so that Brian can request his child.

 

“I got a call saying my child had been completely soaked by your faulty plumbing system?” Brian says, mouth turned into a frown. Justin himself couldn’t completely tell whether or not Brian was actually pissed about it.

 

“Oh, um yes. Mr. Kinney, right?” the secretary nervously asks as she flips through the book and crosses off a name.

 

“That would be me.”

 

“We gave her a spare shirt we had leftover from summer camp. One of the adult shirts since she was wearing a dress and tights. We have her clothes bagged up and she’s ready to go.”

 

“How long are you all planning to be shut down? I am paying this school good money so that she gets a good education. The kids can’t come as long as the water is shut off.”

 

“Yes, Mr. Kinney, you are completely right to be upset. We are hoping that this is a problem that can be fixed quickly. A plumber will be here first thing tomorrow so the school will be closed then. After we find out what time frame is needed for the labor, we will give every family a personal call to discuss the matter further. Should we find out that it will take more than a couple of days to fix the plumbing, we have called several schools in the Brooklyn area to see if they can take temporary placements until the issue is resolved.”

 

Brian nods, satisfied, “Thank you for the explanation. Is she in Miss Thompson’s classroom right now? I can go up and get her.”

 

“Yes, but please be careful and watch your step. The flooding is up to a few inches in some parts of the hallway. Miss Thompson’s classroom is on the second floor. Just go to the end of the hall, take the stairs on the right, and it’s the second door on the left when you get upstairs.”

 

“I know where it is. Thank you for the call. Come on, Justin.”

 

Justin follows Brian out to the main hall. They walk carefully and he hears Brian groan.

 

“I should charge them for my dry cleaning,” Brian grits out, looking down at his wet ankles.

 

“What kind of suit is that?” Justin asks, “Prada? Armani?”

 

“Hugo Boss.”

 

“Still a label queen.”

 

“Absolutely. And here you’d think that your taste would have gotten more refined as you built your fortune.”

 

“Why would I want to wear something expensive if I am just going to get paint on it?”

 

“Touchè.”

 

Despite the pond in the hallway, they make it to Lily’s classroom and find her over with a few other girls talking animatedly with very wet hair and a large green t-shirt on.

 

“Hi, Mr. Kinney,” Lily’s teacher greet him before looking at Justin, “I don’t think I’ve met you. I’m Caroline Thompson.”

 

“Miss Thompson, this is my old friend, Justin Taylor. He was meeting me for lunch when I got a call from downstairs.”

 

“Yes, I really do want to apologize, Mr. Kinney. Lily, Viola, and Margaret were on the stools washing their hands one second and getting sprayed and soaked the very next. It is from the sink though so it is clean water. Thank god it wasn’t the sewage line. Anyway, here are her clothes. When I get word from the principal about what the deal is, I will give you a call.”

 

“I would appreciate that.”

 

Brian walks over to his unsuspecting daughter and taps her on the shoulder while Justin hangs back by the door. Lily turns around and sees her father and dives into her exciting day. She’s projecting so it makes it easy for Justin to hear her.

 

“Daddy, the CRAZIEST thing happened today! We planted flowers outside and came back in to wash our hands because lunch time is coming up soon. So I’m just there, washing my hands like I always do and THEN water is spraying EVERYWHERE!!!! I got wet, see? And I got new clothes! I have been so busy that I just forgot about lunch!”

 

“Maybe it is because your lunch is not until 12:45 and it’s only 12:30. I decided to go ahead and get you now. You mind eating at home today?”

 

Lily sighs, “I guess I can come with you.”

 

Lily turns to the kids she was talking to.

 

“Bye! My daddy is taking me back home before lunch because I’m all wet!”

 

“Bye, Lily!”

 

“Bye Lily’s daddy!”

 

“Bye!”

 

Brian smiles and takes her hand before bringing her over by Justin.

 

“Hi, Justin! I got all wet today!”

 

Justin smiles, “I heard you got all wet! You must have quite a story to tell.”

 

“Uh huh! I’ll tell you all about it! What are you doing at my school?”

 

“I tagged along with your dad to see you. That okay?”

 

“Yes, I can show you around!” Lily says, pulling her hand out of Brian’s to take a hold of Justin’s.

 

“Lily?” Brian interrupts, “Why don’t you just show him to your cubby hole, get your coat, and wait until your school’s not flooded to give a tour? We need to get home.”

 

“Ugh, fine! Come on, Justin!”

 

Lily leads Justin over to her cubby hole to get her coloring pages and worksheets then points to her coat so that Justin can get it for her while she chatters away.

 

“-It was crazy and scary at first but so much fun! It was like a pool in there!”

 

“And you aren’t mad that your clothes got all wet?”

 

Lily shrugs, “Nuh uh. They’re just clothes. Anyway, Miss Thompson was like-” Lily breaks off to check and make sure Miss Thompson is distracted, ‘Oh no! Girls, stop!’ But me and Margaret and Viola laughed so much because it was so funny!”

 

Justin laughs, “Yeah, possible structural damage is hilarious. I think your daddy is getting impatient.”

 

“We better go back to him,” she concedes before walking back over to her father.

 

Brian looks down at her feet.

 

“Looks like you’re getting carried. No socks with dress shoes means blisters and I don’t want your feet hurting.”

 

Brian lifts her up and they walk out of the room and back down the hall, only for Brian to stop by the stairs.

 

“Lily, you didn’t pee yourself, did you?”

 

Lily gasps in absolute outrage, “No! Daddy, I would never do that!”

 

“Okay, okay! You just feel wet down there,” he says, gesturing where his hand is propping her up on his waist.

 

“My undies are still wet. I told you how wet I got.”

 

“Jesus, what did you do? Take a bath in there?”

 

“No, me and Margaret and Viola danced around and jumped in the puddles before Miss Thompson told us to stop.”

 

“I’m not surprised at all,” Brian snorts before sounding a little hopeful, “Are you friends with Margaret and Viola? You haven’t really mentioned them before.”

 

Lily shrugs, “They’re nice. We eat snack together and nap by the books. But I still want a baby sister.”

 

Justin does a double take while Brian flushes, shrugs, and looks away.

 

“Let’s not talk about that now, Lily. I was just asking about them because I know you’ve been missing your friends in Chicago. Maybe Margaret and Viola can come for your birthday if you like them.”

 

“Oooh oooh! I want that! I want them over for my birthday! They can meet Duncan!”

 

“Great, I’ll see if I can get their contact information. Now don’t go talking about who you are inviting to your birthday. It’s just going to be a small get together at home. Your papa doesn’t want any kids in your class feeling left out.”

 

“I know,” Lily says, exasperated.

 

Brian winks and Justin knows it’s because Lily doesn’t have a clue about the big surprise birthday party that he, Eric, Emmett, and Drew have planned in Central Park for her and Duncan. Justin knows about it since he and Nathan were invited. Nathan had been a little put on the spot when Justin gave Eric their RSVP and had said, “I can shop for Duncan. That’s fine. But I don’t even know what little girls like, Justin. She’ll hate whatever I get her.”

 

Lily seemed pretty open to things though. Justin could tell that a present was a present in her eyes. He was sure he and Nathan would figure out something.

 

When they get outside Lily starts to whine and shiver, “Daddy, I’m cold!”

 

Brian sets her down and looks at her to see what he can do.

 

“My legs and hair are cold!”

 

“I’ll sue them.”

 

Justin snorts, “Brian, please. We can get her more comfortable.”

 

Justin takes off his own jacket, then takes off Lily’s. He bends down, throws his jacket over her body, zips it up, and makes sure it goes past her knees before he takes her sweatshirt jacket to wrap it around her hair like a towel.

 

“Justin, she looks ridiculous.”

 

But Lily doesn’t seem to mind, “I feel so much better, Justin! Thank you!”

 

Lily launches herself at him to give him a big hug and he finds himself hugging her back. She is so damn sweet.

 

When they let go, Justin looks up from his squatting position to see Brian looking down at them with soft, fond eyes but quickly shakes himself out of it.

 

“Come on, little girl! Back in the air we go!”

 

“Daddy, I’m NOT little!” she scolds him as she is lifted back up on Brian’s hip.

 

“Of course not. I mean, you were in the front row in your class picture because you couldn’t be seen anywhere else but that doesn’t mean you are little,” Brian smirks.

 

And the look Lily gives him. The silent, intense stare that says, “you hit below the belt, Daddy” is both frightening and hilarious.

 

“...But you’ll grow really soon. I bet you’ll almost be as tall as Papa,” Brian finally says, alarmed by the intense stare.

 

Lily shakes her head, “No, I’ll be taller than you!”

 

“Okay, we’ll see.”

 

“I know I will be taller than Justin. I know that for sure,” Lily says snidely.

 

Justin looks at her, shocked by the jab, while Brian tosses his head back and laughs.

 

“Hey! I gave you my coat!”

 

“Thank you for giving me your coat. But I am still gonna be bigger than you.”

 

“It’s best to not argue with her. She usually gets the last word when it comes to topics such as this one,” Brian tells him.

 

“I figured. I also figure there’s a good chance that she’s probably right. Molly was right when she told me she would be taller than me. It’s only by an inch but she still won’t let me live it down.”

 

The three of them hop back on the F so they can make it to their transfer. It’s not crowded so they all get to sit down. Brian sits Lily between them and turns to speak to Justin over his daughter’s head.

 

“How is Molly, by the way?”

 

Justin sighs, “I don’t know. She’s been a bit closed off. She’s been checking on our Dad to keep an eye on him. She might be mad that I'm bugging her to do it. She semi-cut him off when she turned 18. She’s been weird in general though so I think maybe there’s some stress with her job. She also might be seeing someone but she won’t tell me anything. She made some hints but her lips are sealed whenever I try to get anything out of her. It’s weird. We became close after she came here for her internship and haven’t been on the outs since so for her to pull away, especially now, hurts.”

 

“I’m sure she’s not pulling away on purpose. She’s probably just dealing with her own problems since she lives closer to your father. As for her seeing someone, she’s seeing Hunter.”

 

“Wait, WHAT?!”

 

Lily looks up at Justin’s outburst, “Why’d you shout, Justin?”

 

Justin shakes his head, “No reason.”

 

“Kay.”

 

“Are you fu-messing with me? How do you know that?”

 

Brian shrugs, “I’m not messing with you. I talk to Michael a lot. Michael is his father. Apparently the little ex-hustler is quite taken with her and is staying with her in Morgantown for a few weeks now that filming has wrapped up on that show he works for.”

 

“He lives all the way across the country. She’ll end up with her heart broken.”

 

Brian looks away, “Distance does do that, doesn’t it?”

 

Justin glances over to Brian and sees the sad and far away look on his face. Before he can say anything, Brian says, “Here’s our stop.”

 

They wait for the the train to Brian’s house and Justin can’t let the subject go.

 

“Why wouldn’t she say anything? Why wouldn’t she tell me? She told me when she was dating Jeff and Nick. She told me when some insane asshole she had a few dates with was stalking her. Why wouldn’t she tell me about Hunter?”

 

Brian smirks, “Maybe because she thought you would be weird about it.”

 

Justin scoffs, “I’m not being weird about it.”

 

Brian’s smirk turns into an ornery smile, “Of course you aren’t. It’s still pretty new. Michael said they hooked up a few times when they were both here for Christmas. A couple of times in Hunter’s hotel room and once in a bathroom stall at your gallery on New Year’s-”

 

“Oh my god, stop! Don’t tell me anything! Does Hunter tell his parents everything?! Jesus, that little shit better not keep running his mouth about my sister!”

 

“But if he loves her then he should talk about how much!” Lily pipes in.

 

Both of them look at her and are reminded that she takes in a lot more than she lets on. Brian clears his throat.

 

“I think he was overwhelmed with the distance and how strongly he feels for her so he ended up spilling about their whole relationship. Apparently Ben and Michael have known about it for a while, but Hunter was freaking out or something and had a case of word vomit. You know that Hunter has never been one to shy away from certain topics but I don’t think he has been boasting. I guess he respects her a lot. Michael and Ben both thought Molly was great when they saw her but they're concerned about the distance. Anyway, Hunter’s been worried about her so he decided to stay in Morgantown for a few weeks.”

 

“I’ll call her about it later. Let her know that I know. Make sure she’s being safe.”

 

Brian’s expression gets serious, “Hunter would never put anyone in that type of danger. He’s very careful about it because he would be devastated if he passed it along to even a hookup, let alone someone he cares about.”

 

Justin lets out a breath, “I know he’s careful. I’m just worried, don’t mind me. And you should be worried too for running your mouth.”

 

Brian shrugs, “None of them live here. What are they going to do to me?”

 

Justin huffs out a laugh and they step onto the crowded train, “You’re more talkative than I remember you being.”

 

“Hey, you were were worried about her. I was just trying to placate you by getting you pissed off.”

 

Justin looks at him and raises an eyebrow and Brian just raises one back. They are practically chest to chest in the train and Justin stumbles into him when the train lurches. He tries not to blush about it when Brian looks down at him with slightly dilated pupils. He shakes himself out of the moment and stands back up straight.

 

The walk back to Brian’s house is filled mostly with chatter from Lily. They get inside and Justin waits downstairs while Brian takes Lily up to her room to get changed. Brian wasn’t kidding when he said Justin could come by and help him watch his kid. As soon as Lily comes running down the stairs, she takes Justin’s hand and says, “Come on, Justin! You haven’t seen OR played with Bianca and Vernon yet!”

 

Brian passes them on his way down the stairs and says, “I’m going to make lunch. We have leftover chicken breast from last night so do you want that with fresh basil, tomato, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic vinaigrette? I can do it on a sandwich or in a salad.”

 

“Sounds fancy. Whichever is fine. You know I like carbs,” Justin offers before being pulled up the stairs by Lily.

 

“Watch out for Vernon! He likes to run around!” Brian calls out before going into the kitchen.

 

Lily tells him to sit on the floor while she opens the door to the cage to hand him a white rat.

 

“That’s Bianca. He’s really cute, huh?”

 

Justin looks at the rat and he’s cute enough so he goes along with it.

 

“So cute. He’s the friendly one, isn’t he?”

 

“Uh huh! And this is Vernon. He’s nice too but he’s shyer than Bianca. He loves me though.”

 

“Of course he does. Who wouldn’t love you?” Justin grins.

 

“There’s a boy at my preschool who pulls my hair and says I’m a sissy. He’s really mean and never leaves me alone.”

 

Justin frowns, “You tell your parents about him?”

 

Lily shrugs, “No. I don’t like him either. He’s really mean.”

 

Justin leans in, “You know, boys can be dumb. Especially when they like a girl. A lot of times they’ll tease a girl because they are too dense to tell a her that they like her. It sounds like he may have a crush.”

 

Lily gets a disgusted and horrified look on her face, “Ew ew ew ew! I will NEVER like Joseph! Yuck! That’s stupid anyway. If he likes me then he should be nicer and let me play with the blocks.”

 

Justin nods, “I agree. He sounds like a piece of work.”

 

“Uh huh! If you like someone, you should give them flowers and play with them like Duncan does. Here! I think Vernon wants you to hold him now!”

 

They switch rats and after a couple of minutes Lily takes both of them so they can run on the obstacle course. Lily giggles at their shenanigans and Justin stays with her until Brian comes back upstairs to fetch them.

 

“Bianca and Vernon need to eat too. I’ll bring them down,” Lily tells her father as she picks up the rats.

 

“They can eat in their cage,” Brian tells her sternly, “Now, come on. Put them away. Maybe you can bring them downstairs later when Papa’s home.”

 

Lily pouts and stomps over to the cage to put them back in and follows her father and Justin downstairs. Brian made him a sandwich and himself a salad while he gave Lily a lunchables and a Gogurt. Brian looks at the tube of yogurt and says, “I did their ad campaign and got their sales back up. They send me coupons for free boxes all the time. Lily loves them.”

 

He sits Lily in her chair and opens up her meal to put her pizza together then motions for Justin to sit down by him at the island.

 

“So what have you been up to since we saw each other last?”

 

Justin shrugs, “I’ve gone to a few of Nathan’s shows. Painted last night. Set up some upcoming exhibits up in the city. I’m working on a solo show at my gallery with an up and coming artist in Bed Stuy. He’s really good.”

 

“Sounds like you’ve been busy. I haven’t been to the last couple bookings The Accidental Natives have had but I always send someone. I think they’re more than ready for the show. I put out some feelers and hear that there are some labels interested in signing them once their contract with the show ends. Don’t say anything to the band yet.”

 

Justin looks at him, “You aren’t their manager. Why are you taking so much interest?”

 

Brian shrugs, “I like things I am involved in to do well. Just because I’m pulling back a little now that everything is set up doesn’t mean I’m not going to check in and make sure they are doing their best. I’m impressed with them.”

 

“Can you tell him that when you see him? Because he’s been working his ass off. Between the performances you have them doing on the weekends and what they pick up during the week, he’s lucky to get a night off. I know you don’t throw around praise but I think he would appreciate it.”

 

Brian purses his lips and looks as though he is holding back a grin, “We’ll see. Or I’ll make you a deal. Help me out with some of the storyboards once I put Lily down for her nap and I’ll tell your boyfriend how wonderful he is.”

 

“Deal,” Justin agrees.

 

Justin asks about the Coke Campaign how many commercial shoots they have set up at the moment so far and they talk about Kinnetiks projects abroad and possible expansions.

 

“If you expand to LA, will you move there or let someone else take the reigns?” Justin asks, queasy about the possible answer.

 

“It’s way too early to tell if we will expand over there. I don’t want to spend that much again for at least another few years. I also don’t want to keep moving Lily around. Emmett, Drew, and Duncan are here...you’re here. I want her around people who care about her. The only places where she’s going to get that are here, Toronto, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and D.C. since Eric’s best friends live there and go out of their way to see her. I don’t want her to keep having to form new relationships just because she has to. I think we’re here to stay.”

 

“What about Eric’s family? I’m sure they care.” Justin won’t ask about Brian’s family. He knows the answer there.

 

Brian shakes his head, “Eric’s brother and sister care. His brother is actually in the Venice Beach area so I guess that would be a plus when it comes to Southern California but his parents...I’ll explain that situation to you maybe when Lily’s asleep.”

 

They go outside in the garden area behind Brian’s house after lunch. Brian gets Lily to run off some energy on the swing set Brian said Eric built over the weekend.

 

“You know how long it took me just to assemble Gus’s swingset? It probably took just a few hours more for Eric to build a sturdy and far more superior one from scratch. Such bullshit.”

 

“Designing and building is his job,” Justin comments as he watches Lily go up the spiral staircase into the tower, “But he did all of this in a day?”

 

Brian nods, impressed, “Yeah. He needed to take his mind off of some things. He got up ridiculously early on Sunday, went and got supplies from his office and IKEA then brought it back in one of the work trucks. He worked on it all day. He was hyperfocusing, sort of like you used to sometimes. He wouldn’t have stopped to eat if I hadn’t reminded him.”

 

“Daddy, watch this!” Lily exclaims right before she goes down the slide.

 

“Wow, I’ve never seen that before!” Brian says with subtle sarcasm as his daughter climbs back up to the top.

 

“I’m gonna show you again! Watch this!”

 

Lily goes down the slide once more before asking Brian to push her on the swings.

 

“Remember how I told you to pump your legs? You can do it yourself.”

 

“Yeah, but I’ll go higher if you push me,” Lily informs him then sits there and waits.

 

Brian gives her an exasperated look before getting behind her to push her.

 

“Higher, Daddy! I wanna go higher!” Lily giggles.

 

Lily does go higher and seems content on the swing until Brian tells her it’s time to go inside for her nap. Lily complains but he stays firm. Justin sits on the couch and as Brian takes his daughter upstairs, he hears Lily ask, “Will you sing me a song before I go to sleep?”

 

“If it helps you fall asleep, then sure,” Brian tells her quietly.

 

He hears her bedroom door close. Justin lets out a breath and, even though he’s been around Brian on occasion in the last few months, it’s still awe-inspiring to see him like this. It’s so obvious that Brian is so fucking happy even if at times they stare at each other for a little too long or text late at night. He never wants to ruin what Brian has with Eric and Lily. He would never wish for Brian to lose this kind of happiness.

 

But being around Brian and Lily makes him realize how much he wants something like this as well. That he could have had it with Brian if he had settled down despite not being ready for it then.

 

Justin tries to be rational about it. Nathan is young. He won’t even be 24 until August and Justin can wait a few years for him to be ready for something like this. He was once in the same position as Nathan is. But it is something that probably should be talked about sooner rather than later. He needs to see if Nathan would be open to it in the next few years. See if he wants a kid of his own or if he wouldn't mind raising Justin's biological child. Considering how up and down they've been, Justin doesn't know how to bring something like that up or when the right time to do it would be.

 

Brian makes his way back downstairs about ten minutes later and comes over to sit next to Justin on the couch.

 

“She fall asleep?”

 

“Yeah. The excitement caught up with her. I hope she didn’t get on your nerves or anything. Sometimes she can be a bit much for some people-”

 

“She’s amazing,” Justin says, cutting him off right there, “You’re really great with her, Brian.”

 

Brian purses his lips and looks away, “I’m okay.”

 

“Don’t sell yourself short. She’s crazy about you.”

 

Brian’s lips form into a small and subtle smile. Justin is glad that he knows that much.

 

“So are you going to do it?”

 

Brian looks confused, “Do what?”

 

“Give her what she asked for?”

 

It takes a few seconds for recognition to appear on Brian’s face but once it does, his eyes widen.

 

“Shit, I don’t know. Eric and I just started talking about it because Lily asked a couple of weeks ago. We haven’t decided on anything. We’ve been so busy with the wedding planning and Eric’s been hung up on his asshole parents even though he swears that he isn’t. So it’s just been thrown around a few times. I can tell Eric wants another kid...I’m not against it.”

 

Justin stays quiet and looks at Brian. Stares at this man who has grown vast amounts in the last ten years and changed so much from the man he met outside of Babylon. It was so strange but Brian has taken on this role so well.

 

“What? You shocked?”

 

Justin finds himself shaking his head.

 

“No. Not anymore. You’re a changed man and that’s okay.”

 

Brian gives him a soft smile, “You’re good with Lily. You’ve always been great with kids. When are you having one?”

 

Justin flushes and Brian smirks.

 

“Now you know what it feels like to be put on the spot, don’t you?”

 

Justin laughs at Brian’s comment, “I don’t know. I’ve been wanting a kid more and more the past few months. Maybe it is because I’m around Duncan and Lily but I want it and it’s getting to the point where I am wondering when I will actually have one.”

 

Brian tosses up his hands, “That’s one of the many beauties of being rich. Just pick an egg and pick a womb, jizz into a cup and outcomes baby Taylor nine months later. Or you can go Emmett and Drew’s route and adopt.”

 

“I know that. And I’m ready for either option. But I don’t think Nathan is. I can wait a few years but I don’t know if that’s what he wants at all.”

 

Brian’s gaze becomes more knowing, “Ah. The talk. I had it with Eric two years in. Let him know I was okay with it if he wanted a baby.”

 

That does take Justin by surprise, “You brought up having kids? Not Eric?”

 

“Yeah. It wasn’t something I thought that hard on but he had mentioned wanting a family when we became friends in the beginning and it stuck with me, especially since he stuck with me through a bunch of shit. I thought on it and I knew I wanted him to have the family that he wanted. I knew that a kid would be lucky to have him as their dad so I brought it up, we talked to Cynthia, and now we’re here. If another kid would make him happier than he already is, then I’m for it. Especially after what his parents pulled.”

 

“Are they homophobic assholes?” Justin asks, already knowing the answer.

 

“Yeah. I can’t stand them. I’ve only been around them a few times but they suck. They love Lily, even though they don’t come around enough to really get to know her. She looks a lot like her grandmother, except her skin is a little lighter and she’s a much better person. But I can even tell that deep down Eric’s parents still love him but they treat him like dirt. They usually act like I’m not in the room. It’s a shame. He was really close to his mother. His dad too but they always had different views on politics. But his mom and her family were the ones Eric hated losing. He still had his grandfather but he died last year from a plane crash. He and his friend were flying in some tiny junker. He was 90 and in perfect health. But other than Eric’s grandfather, his mom’s family is religious and his father’s family distanced themselves from his dad when he married a Mexican woman.”

 

Justin feels pissed on Eric’s behalf, “You’d think his dad would understand what it feels like for your family to shun you because of the person you love.”

 

Brian snorts, “Believe me, we have both pointed the irony out to them before. They still refuse to come to the wedding. Eric’s mother said she won’t support our lifestyle by attending and she especially won’t see her innocent granddaughter raised in such an awful living situation.”

 

“That is bullshit!” Justin fumes, standing up, “Anyone who has seen you and Eric with Lily knows that that’s bullshit.”

 

“Justin,” Brian says, putting a hand on his wrist, “I love your passion and support but remember that Lily is sleeping and I do not want to have to deal with her hyperactivity for at least another hour.”

 

“Right. Sorry.”

 

Justin sits back down next to Brian and a thought suddenly comes to him.

 

“Why are you telling me all of this?”

 

Brian shrugs and looks away, “You have been sharing with me these past few weeks so I thought I would share something with you. Do you mind?”

 

“No,” Justin says quickly, “I actually really appreciate it. I guess this Open Brian Kinney is something I have to get used to.”

 

“I used to be open about stuff,” Brian points out, “I was always honest.”

 

“Yeah, when it came to logic or reality checks, you were the guy to go to. But verbally expressing affection or any problems that were going on was never something you did. I’m glad you do now. Your old way was unhealthy. Tessler must have helped you a lot.”

 

“She did,” Brian admits, “But not as much as Gus and Eric and Lily. Not as much as you.”

 

And there they are, caught in that damn stare again. The one that almost dares the other one to move just a little closer. The one that forces Justin to control himself and not think solely of himself. It lasts for about fifteen seconds until Brian turns away and clears his throat.

 

“You said you’d look over the storyboards with me. I’ll go get my laptop so we can judge how competent my art department is.”

 

Justin knows that Brian is looking for a way out of their deep conversation and he’s almost grateful for it. Justin watches the older man get up and go to his office to get his computer then plop back down beside him and sign into his email.

 

Right off the bat Justin can tell that, while there are some good ideas here, the coloring and the angles aren’t as well executed. So he points them out to Brian and offers alternatives to him. He sees the anger rise in Brian so Justin is quick to point out the good things his art department has done as well. Brian starts typing up corrections that Justin suggested as well as his own before he sends out the email to Diana and Evan.

 

“Are you looking for a job? I might be hiring a new art department head soon,” Brian proposes suddenly.

 

Justin snickers, “Maybe when the rest of my year isn’t filled up with three upcoming shows to paint for, four exhibits at my gallery, and drawing Rage. Maybe then I will take you up on it.”

 

Brian sighs, “I suppose Evan will have to do for now. So what’s going on with Rage?”

 

“Michael and I settled down and got two issues finished. The first issue is coming out this summer.”

 

“You know I know that. Red Giant hired Kinnetik to handle the promotions for it. But I’m asking how Rage is doing.”

 

Justin tilts his head, confused, “He’s fine, I guess.”

 

“...Don’t make me ask,” Brian says under his breath.

 

Justin closes his eyes. He thought Brian was aiming for a lighter conversation route after moving onto the storyboards. Apparently not. So Justin bites the bullet and comes out with it.

 

“It took a while to decide what to do when it came to Rage and JT. On the one hand they are ultimately fictional characters so their path could go anywhere. The publishers were initially pushing to open up with Rage and JT together with their son but since several years have passed we figured that the old audience might appreciate something a little more unexpected. Someone mentioned to us that Rage or JT should be broken up and have double agent love interests who were just after hurting them in the long run. I told Michael that I wouldn’t draw that. So what we finally came down to is that Rage and JT were done as a couple. They went their separate ways because it was for the best. They weren’t in sync anymore. After the break up, Rage fell in love with this amazing man, a hero in his own right. Despite refusing love for so long he found it again rather quickly and it was so right for him. JT was sad at first. Hurt. But eventually he became happy for Rage as well. JT ends up finding his new partner by chance. A young man who has a dark past but a bright future. JT takes him under his wing and he ends up slowly falling for him. And soon, Rage and JT realize they are living completely separate lives but they are miraculously still happy. They don’t see each other but still hear how the other one is doing with their mutual friends and family.”

 

Justin is glad he isn’t looking at Brian. He does think he could say the next part if he was.

 

“They’ll always love each other. They’ve gone through too much to ever stop. They know each other too well despite how much the years have changed them. But they love each other enough to let the other be happy and in love with someone else.”

 

Justin finally looks back at Brian and...fuck. Brian’s crying. The man is looking away and he isn’t making a sound but the tears are leaking over before he swipes a hand across his eyes and sniffles. Justin stays silent and lets Brian quickly gain back his composure.

 

Brian clears his throat, huffs out an embarrassed laugh, and says, “That sounds way too deep for the Rage fanbase, Sunshine. Whatever happened to making guys choke themselves to death on their own cocks?”

 

Justin grins, “Don’t worry. That kind of stuff is in there too. I just didn’t want to spoil you on the real drama.”

 

Brian hmmms before asking, “So are Rage and JT destined to have separate storylines in this reboot? Will it go back and forth, issue to issue, to cover their lives?”

 

Justin shakes his head, “Rage and JT join forces again after a few issues. With their partners. They learn to work together and enjoy each other’s company again. The four of them, plus Zephyr and the Professor, are a team. I guess we’re forming a gay justice league...Despite all of the drama and the problems brought on by Gayopolis, I think that they are all really happy with their lives and everything turned out for the best.”

 

Brian looks at him with kind eyes, thankful eyes, and reaches over to grab Justin’s hand. Justin finds himself lacing his fingers with Brian’s in return. They end up just sitting there like that until Lily wakes up.

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Eric gets home around 6 and Nathan makes it over just a little bit after since he caught a movie with Sebastian in Cobble Hill and was close by. Nathan seems to be mostly over what happened the night before. Justin greets him with a hug that’s a little too long and Nathan looks at him with fondness before they both go into the kitchen to help Brian with the meal while Eric reads with his daughter at the kitchen table. They talk and they laugh and, even though Justin can tell that Nathan is still not that comfortable around Brian, he still seems to be enjoying himself. Justin’s glad. He really wants them all to get along.

 

They all sit down for dinner and make conversation with one another. Justin asks Eric about the hotel since the building and history of the place always fascinated him. Brian praises Nathan like he promised to, even if it is in his own Briany way. Lily talks about how much fun she had at preschool and Nathan surprisingly laughs with her and is entertained by her story. It’s a good night.

 

“So Justin, are you working on any paintings right now?” Eric asks as he puts down his fork.

 

Nathan visibly shudders and Justin glances at him before answering Eric.

 

“Yeah. Nathan hates this one but I have all but the finishing touches done on one.”

 

Brian tilts his head, “What don’t you like about it?”

 

Nathan looks at Brian, “It’s not that I don’t like it. I just am not a fan of the subject matter.”

 

“What’s the subject matter?”

 

Justin realizes the possible conflict and interrupts, “Nathan, let’s not-”

 

“Justin’s prom night. The parking garage.”

 

The silence is deafening and even Lily knows to be quiet. Brian pales at the words before he finally looks to Justin and says in a low voice, “Why the fuck would you paint that?”

 

Nathan is the only one who actually knows why he started painting the parking garage again. He used to do it to try to get himself to remember the dance. He thought that maybe if he painted what he did remember, he could trace his steps and maybe remember the dance.

 

When he started painting it again a year ago, that wasn’t the reason. With a completely straight face, he tells Brian what the true reason is.

 

“Chris Hobbs called me about a year ago from his death bed. He had a brain tumor and was genuinely was trying to make amends. He moved to Maine a few years after I left for New York, went into therapy, and eventually met a guy at church. I guess he found God and his gayness around the same time. .I’m not sure how hypocritical that is. A few more years pass and he’s diagnosed with an inoperable malignant brain tumor. He starts calling the people he’s hurt in the past and the last person he called was me. I listened to his apology and I told him to go fuck himself. He died the next day. So Brian, sometimes when I’m feeling a bit strange about that, I paint things related to Chris Hobbs. Sometimes I paint him in a hospital bed, looking like death with a bloody baseball bat in his limp hands. And every once in a while I paint myself in the parking garage. I find it therapeutic.”

 

Brian stares at him with anger and fear before getting up.

 

“Nathan, I need to talk to you.”

 

Nathan looks up at Brian in surprise, “...Okay?”

 

Nathan follows Brian out of the room and Justin, Eric, and Lily are left alone. Eric turns to Justin and actually looks understanding.

 

“I get it.”

 

Justin raises and eyebrow, “You do?”

 

“Of course. And I know Nathan gets it too, even if what you are creating scares him. You’re an artist. That’s how you emote when it comes down to it. You put all of your focus into what you are doing and you create something new. I did the same with that swing set out there this weekend. I was pissed at my parents and wanted to prove that I would be a better one then they could ever be. So I put my focus into doing something I loved to make my daughter something that she would love. You feel pain over what Chris Hobbs did to you and confusion over his somewhat ironic death so you put those feelings into creating something vivid and physical to help get it out. Every time Nathan gets on stage he puts every single emotion he has into what he is singing. Brian is a very creative man but advertising doesn’t give him the same outlet. He can throw himself into work when he’s feeling a certain way but the result isn’t something that represents healing. He doesn’t completely get our methods.”

 

Justin’s eyes are wide with shock before he asks, “So you’re a psychic, right?”

 

Eric snorts, “Far from it.”

 

Brian and Nathan come back in and sit back down at the table. Justin looks back and forth between the two of them and they both act like nothing had been said. The rest of the night goes smoothly.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The get home around 9, fuck in the shower, then go sit in the living room to watch True Detective.

 

“How was your day with Brian?” Nathan asks him, halfway through the episode.

 

Justin shrugs, “It was fine. We talked about the wedding and Rage but mainly watched Lily.”

 

“She’s hard to keep up with. Cute though.”

 

Justin nods, “Yeah. She’s adorable. And she’s so smart. Literally just keeps you on your toes with the things she says.”

 

Nathan huffs out a laugh, “It sounds like you want one.”

 

Here it is. The topic he has been worried about trying to find a way to bring up is now presenting itself.

 

He might as well ease into it.

 

“I do. I would like to have a kid.”

 

He feels Nathan freeze next to him. Shit.

 

“Nathan, I’m not trying to put you on the spot. I know you’re young. I can wait.”

 

Nathan nods slowly, “Okay. I don’t know if I want that.”

 

“Oh. What about in a few years?”

 

“Maybe. I don’t know. I’ve never been around kids.”

 

“Neither had Brian and he did okay with Gus and Lily.”

 

“My upbringing was a lot different from Brian’s.”

 

Justin sighs and rubs Nathan’s back, “I know, baby. I know it was so fucking hard.”

 

“I refuse to end up like him.”

 

“You won’t,” Justin hisses firmly, “You are nothing like that sorry excuse for a father.”

 

Nathan takes a few shaky breaths, “The only way to make sure I don’t end up like him is to make sure I don’t have a kid to abuse, torture, r-rape-”

 

“Babe, don’t go there. Pull yourself away. Don’t think about him right now. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for making you think about him.”

 

Nathan takes several more breaths before he finally calms down, “It’s not your fault. You were talking about something normal. Something a lot of normal people want. I’m not normal though, Justin. I don’t know if I will ever be ready for that.”

 

Justin closes his eyes and nods his head, “Okay. That’s okay. It doesn’t matter.”

 

Nathan looks at him closely, “You’re sure it doesn’t matter?”

 

“Yes. You’re more important to me, okay?”

 

Nathan nods, “I’ll try to think about it more. Work harder on myself and maybe the idea will appeal to me more one day. It just doesn’t now.”

 

“I understand.”

 

“Can we go to bed? I want to lie down with you.”

 

Justin nods as he gets up and holds out his hand for Nathan to take then leads him to their bed. They hold onto each other until they are both fast asleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On April 4th, Justin wakes up to an empty bed and goes out into the living room to find Nathan finishing wrapping up a present in a decent sized box.

 

“Hey,” Justin yawns, “What are those for? I got presents from us last night and some gift bags to put them in.”

 

Nathan looks up before shrugging.

 

“Duncan and Lily are family, right? And they only turn four once. They deserve a present from each of us.”

 

Justin grins and gets on his knees to kiss him, “What did you get them?”

 

Nathan smirks, “I’ll let you be surprised. You need to go get ready. I let you sleep in because you were up late painting last night but it’s time to get a move on.”

 

After Justin hops in the shower and brushes his teeth, he gets the presents in their respective gift bags. He got them both a children’s canvas set as well as a Furby for Lily and the Toy Story Trilogy for Duncan. He meets Nathan by the apartment door and wonders how his boyfriend is managing to carry whatever he got them. Then they both head out and hop on the train to 59th Street. They’ll have to do some walking since they are having it by the castle in the park. He can’t imagine his parents throwing him a birthday party this expensive, let alone at the age of four. But Lily’s and Duncan’s parents can afford it and they were great kids so he was excited to see the looks on their faces.

 

They get there a little early. Eric and Emmett are there to help the crew set things up and Emmett calls them over to show them where to put the gifts.

 

“Hey, babies!” Emmett squeals as he hugs both of them, “I’m so glad you could make it! This is such a great day!”

 

Eric walks up smirking at Emmett’s enthusiasm, “Emmett has been on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.”

 

“My baby’s growing up so fast! I can’t believe it!”

 

Justin squints, “Emmett he has only been your baby for a few months.”

 

“Yes, but it feels like I have known him my whole life. He’s grown almost two inches since his first night with us, can you believe that? He’s going to be a tall one, just like me!”

 

“I’m happy for you, Emmett,” Justin smiles, “Do you need any help from us?”

 

“Actually, yes. If you could help us set up this extra table, that would be great. We took a lot of precautions but we wanted to surprise Brian and have Gus, JR, Lindsay, Mel, Michael, Ben, Debbie, Carl, Ted, Blake, and Cynthia come to the party. Since Brian was a part of the preparations, we had to take a few matters into our own hands and get the extra supplies from somewhere other than ThemeKids. But we worked something out and they should be here soon.”

 

“All of them? That’s great!”

 

“Hunter couldn’t make it but sends his love.”

 

“Yeah, he’s too busy loving on my sister,” Justin says, semi-disgusted.

 

“Oh my god, Molly’s the long distance girl he’s seeing?! That is too cute for words,” Emmett sighs.

 

“She hasn’t told me too much but did confirm that he was there and they were...I don’t know, something. How do you want this done?”

 

Emmett showed them the way the napkins needed folded. He was lucky that Justin’s an artist because Emmett was really going all out with the napkin oragami. The performers started to come in, stands were set up, a couple of ponies were brought in. People started to arrive and eventually all the guests were there for the kids’ party. Justin hugged everyone in the gang as soon as he saw them, even Ted and Blake who he hadn’t really talked to all that much in years. It was definitely already a great day.

 

“Brian just texted me,” Eric announced, “He and Drew are walking with the kids now. They’ll be at the park in five minutes. So everyone be ready to greet them enthusiastically by singing Happy Birthday when they get here.”

 

Everyone in the party kept a sharp eye out for them and anxiously waited for their arrival. When they made out their forms, they waited for the kids to stop in their tracks in suspicion before singing at the top of their lungs.

 

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday, Duncan & Lily!
Happy Birthday to you!

 

“What-What is this?!” Lily squealed as she ran around to everything and everyone while Duncan takes in the exciting party in wonder, “Wha-You said-I thought-”

 

“It’s a surprise party, baby. We wanted you and Duncan to have a memorable birthday.”

 

“It’s….It’s-”

 

“Eric, I think she’s short circuiting,” Brian says, amused.

 

“AUNT CYNTHIA!!!!”

 

Brian actually takes a look at the guests and sees his family. Justin sees the moment when he spots his son because he gets a huge grin on his face and strides over to the teenager to wrap him up in a strong embrace. Brian pulls a smiling Eric into the hug as well. They look so happy.

 

The rest of the party goes smoothly. Pony rides, balloon animals, magicians, and sword swallowers keep the kids occupied until it’s time to open presents. It takes a bit of time to get Duncan and Lily to settle down enough to sit in one place to open them but the lure of wrapped gifts does eventually win over. People grab their presents so they can bring them to the children one by one and soon enough it is his turn.

 

Justin goes over to them and knees down in front of them to hand them their gifts.

 

“Happy Birthday, you two. You both deserve the best in life, you hear me?”

 

“My birthday was on Wednesday,” Duncan tells him.

 

“And my birthday is next Wednesday. You are all giving us presents and it’s not even our birthday!”

 

Justin stifles a laugh as they open their gifts. Apparently they didn’t hear the most important message in his greeting to them.

 

“Thank you, Justin!” Lily gasps as she pulls out her Furby and canvas set.

 

“Thank you!” Duncan exclaims very sincerely as he hugs the movies to his chest.

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

Justin goes back and nudges Nathan to get him to go up and give his presents to the kids. Nathan nods in understanding and takes the gifts up to the little boy and girl before he squats down.

 

“Having a good birthday?”

 

“Uh huh! It’s the best birthday ever!” Duncan grins.

 

“I’m glad it’s a good one. I hope you like the present I got each of you. My mom got me one when I was eight years old. It was the best present I ever got in my entire life and even though you are both a bit younger than eight, you’re both a lot smarter than I ever was. I think you’ll be able to figure out this gift.”

 

The kids open up take the wrapping off the boxes and get the boxes open only to find high quality childrens’ guitars in the cases inside. Justin knew as soon as Nathan said the age but to actually see how much thought Nathan put into what to get them actually gets Justin a little emotional, knowing the backstory of it all.

 

“THIS IS SO COOL!” Lily yells, “Thank you thank you thank you!”

 

“I’m gonna learn to play it right now!” Duncan says before strumming the strings and singing nonsense with the noise.

 

Nathan pats them both on the knees and is stopped by Emmett, Eric, Drew, and even Brian telling him he did good.

 

“I think you won them over,” Justin laughs as he watches the kids play their guitars and ignore their other gifts, “The rest of the gifts will pale in comparison.”

 

Nathan blushes, “Well, I don’t want that to happen.”

 

“And here you said you didn’t know how to act around kids,” Justin says fondly, “You were great with them.”

 

“Yeah, I guess,” Nathan answers, closing off again. Damn it.

 

It’s not the reaction he was hoping for, especially when he sees Brian holding Eric from behind while they watch their child bask in happiness and pure joy. They love her so fucking much. They’re a real family.

 

He just wants to know what that’s like.

Chapter End Notes:

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