BRIAN

I picked up a happy Justin from his SAT’s. I was taking him and Daphne out to lunch to celebrate. Daphne was picking up Mark and meeting us at the diner. She was thrilled to have another young gay man to show around. I just hope the kid finds someone to obsess over other than me. Justin is the only one I want.

“Mom wants to come to the party tomorrow.” Justin tells me.

“You think it’s a good idea? I’m not sure how Lindsay is going to react to Mel and I undermining her.” I tell him.

“It can’t be any worse than the women in Mom’s circle trying to get back at the cheating husband.” Justin tells me.

My phone rings, I look at the display and I throw it to Justin, after the shit with Lindsay, I’m just not in the mood for Michael.

“Hello Michael. ...Brian’s driving and asked me to answer. ...Well you're just going to have to talk to me.” Justin puts the phone down and turns to me. “Michael said it’s urgent, and wants you to talk to him.” I shake my head no. “He doesn’t want to talk to you right now. ...Whatever Michael, tell me and I’ll tell him and see if he wants to talk to you.” Justin rolls his eyes and switches the phone to his other ear. I grab his free hand and let him feel what’s waiting if he gets Micheal off the phone.

I pull over, stop the car and push my seat back. Justin needs to get off that phone, without me having to talk to Michael. 

“What did the doctor say? I doubt it’s life threatening.” Justin leans in and kisses my neck and starts unbuttoning my pants.

“Right, give me a second.” Justin tells Michael and puts the phone on the dashboard. 

He leans over and is licking around my crown. I wait for him to swallow me. Jesus, I love Justin’s mouth. Justin starts massaging my cock with his tongue. Hmmm, yesss. 

MICHAEL(and what he hears)

“Hmm, yesss?” I can barely hear him, the connection must be bad.

“Brian, I thought you would want to know, I’m at the hospital. I fucking hate nature, I got swarmed by bees and fell off a cliff. I could have been killed. David told me to stop acting like a baby.” I tell him.

“Jesus… OOH FUCK… um yes… Fucking A... .” He seems shocked.

“I know, he could at least have felt bad for acting like a jackass. He told me to stop acting like it was so bad, I almost fell to my death.” I yell through the phone. I hate the way the connection is in the country.

“Yeah… God yes…don’t stop… ummm…” Brian tells me.

“See you understand. He told me that if I need to complain to call someone who would listen. I called my best friend.” I tell him.

“OOH… Yeah… that’s exactly what I want.” Brian tells me.

“I knew that you would, so I called. I’m coming home tonight and thought you might want to come over to my apartment and see me.” I tell him.

“Shit… I’m... cumming… right… fucking… now.” Brian yells. I knew he cared about me.

“Brian I’m still in out of town, but I’m so glad you want to see me. I’ll call you when I get home, we can spend time with just each other. I think David is going to break up with me.” I tell him.

“Come here.” Brian said it so sweetly.

“You want me to come to the loft?” I ask him. 

“Want me to take care of you?” Brian asks.

“Of course, it would be nice to have someone look after me.” I tell him.

“Why not?” I hear Brian say.

“I SAID YES.” I yell in the phone.

“Come on, no one will see.” He tells me.

“Brian, I said yes, why does it matter if anybody sees?” I ask him.

“I want to take care of you.” Brian tells me. I wonder if he is finally ready to be with me.

“I want to take care of you too, I have to go, the doctor is coming. I’ll make David drop me off at the loft. I miss you so much.” I tell him.

“Later?” He questions me.

“Anytime, I can’t believe it. I have to go, I love you Brian.” I tell him and hang up.

JUSTIN

Brian wanted to take care of me but we needed to get to the diner. I whispered in his ear that  Daphne was waiting.

“Why did we pull over again?” Brian looks so confused.

“So I could blow you.” I tell him.

Brian gets back into his seat and starts the Jeep. As he pulls out his phone slides off the dashboard and I remember Michael. I check to see if he’s still on, oh well, guess he hung up. We pull up to the diner to Daphne starring with a raised eyebrow.

“You know, I had to go pick up Mark, you two were supposed to just head here. Care to explain how I beat you here?” She asks me.

“Do you really want an explanation? It involves exchanging bodily fluids.” I tell her.

“No, well maybe, you know what, just keep it to yourself. I’m jealous enough as it is.” Daphne tells me.

“How about we eat so I can take your best friend home and exchange some more.” Brian tells Daphne.

“Brian, when aren’t you two trying to exchange things?” She tells us.

“Daphne, Justin better be willing when I’m using a walker.” Brain tells her.

“Only Justin could find his soulmate on his first try.” Daphne tells us. 

BEN

I sat with Kira as she was watching her fathers. It must be hard to be able to see them, but not be with them. Justin wanted us to help Kira after he left, he told me that he didn’t want her to get lonely. Carl and I tried to get her to do anything. She just wanted to talk about Brian. I just about choked, it was like listening to Michael all those years.

I distracted her when Brian and Justin were in the Jeep, there are some things she doesn't need to see. When we looked back they were pulling up to the diner.

“I wasn’t around when they first met, but they were always looking at each other.” I tell her. 

“They were?” She asked looking at me.

“They couldn’t not be together, even when they broke up.” I tell her. 

“Daddy wouldn’t let me see that.” She tells me.

“I don’t think he wanted you to know that they weren’t always together.” I tell her.

“I just don’t understand why people keep trying to break them up.” She tells me.

“I think that it was because they couldn’t be happy, and Brian being happy without them scared them.” I tell her.

“Is that why Michael pretended to be Vic?” She asks me.

“Michael believed the wrong person.” I tell her.

“Why are you defending him?” She asks me.

“I’m not, I promise. I loved Michael, but it was like there was this hole in Michael, one that only Brian could fill. I tried to be that for him, but he couldn’t let go of your father.” I tell her.

“You never had my father, it was always going to be Daddy.” She tells Michael. 

“No, he didn’t.” I stare at my husband.

“Ben, I…” Michael stops talking.

“Don’t Michael, nothing you say will change what you're doing.” I tell him.

“Can I at least tell you I was wrong. I got here and found out about Ma, and it was like Justin ruining my life again.” Michael tells us.

“What is with you? Why are you trying to blame my dad for other people making their own mistakes?” Kira asks him.

“Your dad always got what he wanted, it was hard to watch.” Michael tells her.

“Then close your eyes.” Kira glares. She runs away until we see her disappear.

“You want to know what was hard for me to watch, Michael? It was hard to watch you telling Brian that it was your chance to be with him, three days after my funeral. It was hard to watch you practically crawl in the coffin with Brian. You couldn’t even live for Jenny, you just let go, because Brian wasn’t there. Did you ever really love me?” I ask him. 

“Ben, you were the best man I knew. Of course, I loved you.” Michael tells me.

“I’m not so sure, if I was, wouldn’t you be happy to be with me again? Instead, you’re trying to change your past so we wouldn’t be together. That’s what you’re doing, whether you admit to it or not. I don’t want to hear it, whatever excuse you're thinking up. You need to stop what you’re doing because in the end, those two will never love anyone else. Nothing you or Lindsay think up will change that, no matter what the result, they wait for each other. While you and Lindsey keep each other company in hell.” I tell him.

“Brian was supposed to be with me. We always said we would grow old together. You left me and I didn’t know how to be alone.” Michael tells me.

“I have a theory Michael, the reason you were never going to have Brian was because Brian couldn’t respect a man who kissed his ass. You didn’t want him to change because he would have left you behind to stay a child. It worked for years, until Brian met someone who wouldn’t let him get away with being forever fourteen with you. You always thought Brian liked Justin’s youth, but I watched, and that couldn’t be further from the truth. You need to watch what they were like when we weren’t there to see it, it’s eye opening Michael. It wasn’t all sex, drugs and tricks, they cared about each other. Justin didn’t do things to get Brian’s attention, he did them because he wanted to make sure Brian was happy, and Brian did the same for Justin. I have a feeling if you had been the one who proved Brian’s nephew was lying, you would have made sure to tell the whole world. So that Brian would have owed you for helping him. Just how fucking selfish are you? Did I even know you? ” I leave him before I hear his answer.

MICHAEL

I stood in the nothingness that Ben left behind. I wanted to tell him that I was sorry for everything I did since dying. I don’t know how to get out of this. Uncle Vic walked into Purgatory and I was sure they would come out, but they are still there. Lindsay told me they could get out, but they haven’t. I hid from Ben because I knew he was going to find out what I was doing. I need help, but everyone is turning away from me. 

“You want help?” Carl asks me.

“I don’t know how to fix any of this Carl.” I tell him.

“Go to your mother and let Vic come out of Purgatory to help Brian and Justin. Vic volunteered to go in your place to Purgatory, he hoped that you would remember Ben, the man you married, and forget this shit you and Lindsay are trying to do. For once in your life, sacrifice yourself for your family. If Brian and Justin succeed, this life won’t exist. Which means this whole mess will no longer have happened.” Carl tells me.

“How do I do it?” I ask him.