EMMETT 

While throwing the party for Michael together, it dawned on me that we haven’t seen him much lately. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone and buy some of the supplies at Big Q, while inviting Michael to his surprise party. Brian told us that Michael knew it was for him, but pretended it was a surprise. 

Walking in, I see Michael standing with a clipboard and talking to that girl Tracy. I walk towards them. Michael looks up and sees me, he smiled and I took it as, come over. I walked over and Michael starts to look nervous.

“Tracy, why don’t you go get the aisles straightened, that way we won’t have to stay late tonight.” He tells her.

“Are we still meeting up with everyone tonight?” She asks him. 

“I might have something to do tonight.” He tells her.

“You could meet me later at my apartment.” She tells him.

“Not tonight, let's talk about it later? I think this customer might need some help.” He tells her. He was pointing at me.

“Sure, just call me if you change your mind.” She tells him as she walks off.
Michael grabs my hand and yanks me down an aisle. He keeps going until we reach an office and he shuts us in.

“Oh God Emmett, I really screwed up.” He tells me, while he leans his back on the door.

“It can’t be that bad.” I tell him.

“Tracy thinks we’re dating.” He tells me.

“Okay, care to explain why she would think that?” I ask him.

“When you moved out, and then everyone was barely speaking to me, I started hanging out with people at work. It was fun, but every time we go out, I get stuck with Tracy.” He tells me.

“That explains why you two are around each other, but why does she think you're dating?” I ask him.

“I might have… invited her out to dinner, a few times. I was pissed at all of you, but I hate eating alone, so we were going out every night.  I kind of let her… um … kiss me.” He tells me.

“And now you two go shopping together and are attached at each other’s hips. I wonder why the poor girl would think you two are dating?” I tell him sarcastically. 

“It's not like I said we were dating. SHE asked me if I was interested in her. I told her I thought we had fun together. I didn’t mean it like I want her, just that I like hanging out with her.” He tells me.

“Michael did you add ‘as a friend’, and that being gay makes a relationship with her impossible?” I ask him.

“I just got promoted. I was afraid that if anyone found out I’m gay, they would find a way to fire me. So I have been letting everyone think we're dating. I never told her we were.” He tells me.

“She deserves the truth,Michael.” I tell him.  

“I want to tell her, but I don’t want her to hate me.” He tells me.

“Were you going to wait until the 2.5 children were born?” I ask him.

“That’s the other thing, she keeps trying to get me in bed. What should I do?” This is why everyone helps the idiot, because left on his own, he gets a girlfriend.

“Fuck her, when you disappoint her, she’ll run for less gay pastures.” I joke.

“You think that would work? Maybe I could get Viagra. I tried to get hard, but unless I pretend she’s a hot guy, my dick isn’t cooperating. Even then, all it takes is thinking of her naked and I go soft.” IS HE SERIOUS?

“Michael, I was kidding. Maybe I have a solution. The gang wants to throw a party for your birthday, let’s invite her. We could help you break it to her.” I tell him.

“Everyone wants to give me a party?” He asks excitedly.

“Yes and we even included Captain Astro in the theme.” I tell him.

“Where are we having it?” I guess he forgot Tracy.

“Brian’s loft, he’s the only one who had the space.” I tell him.

“Brian is throwing me a party. Maybe he wants me to know he misses me. God he could be ready...” Did he miss the part where I said the GANG? He'll probably convince himself that Brian wants him.

“Just act surprised when we arrive, and invite Tracy, so she can see you’re a waste of time.” In more than one way. Lord, Brian can't win.

“Crap, I just hope she doesn’t start bad mouthing me to people. I could get Marley to tell people that Tracy’s jealous because I wasn't interested in her. But if everything works out, I don’t know if I care.”  He tells me.
Brian could hire her, and get her away from these morons. 

“Don’t do something like that, she'll end up quitting.” I tell him. 

“But she does all the work around here.” He tells me. 
I want to tell him to do himself a favor, don't open his mouth and insert his foot, but that's how we ended up throwing this party. 

“Just invite her, I'll do the rest.” I tell him. 

“It’s supposed to be a surprise party. You should invite her, I'm not supposed to know. How is it going to be a surprise if I tell her I know.” He tells me. 

Good God, it’s like taking care of a five year old. 

“You… it's not… never mind I'll go invite her.” Anything to get away from him.

BRIAN 
Justin has been trying to get out of attending the party tonight. I told him if I couldn't get out of it, as my loving partner, neither could he. Justin rolled his eyes.

“It ended up a Superhero themed party, all we need now is pin the tale on the donkey and my third birthday party is coming back to haunt me.” Justin tells me. 

“We tried, but it's Mikey, he never had a party a three year old wouldn’t love.” I joke.

“You know, someone once told me that you can tell a lot about a person by who their friends are.” Justin tells me. 

“And Mr 1560?” I ask him. 

“Just that my friend would have castrated anyone who gave them a Superhero party at thirty. Your friend, on the other hand, is going to think it's super duper awesome. What does that say about you?” He tells me. 

“How about that unlike you, my party will get rid of Mikey, and that's all I care about.” I tell him. 

“OR as Emmett seems to think, Mikey thinks his bestest friend wants to show how much he cares.” Justin tells me. 

“Well when we announce our sort of marriage, I can guarantee he isn’t going to think that after he hears the news.” I tell him. 

I wasn’t going to do it originally, but when Emmett came back from inviting Michael, he told me I better think of a way to keep Michael from thinking the party was me, showing everyone my love for him. 

The engagement had nothing to do with Michael. It was after some amazing sex on our picnic, I proposed. I wanted to tie us up in so many knots that we could never get out of them.

“Justin, marry me?” I  asked him. 

“Um, it’s not legal, yet.” Was the twat’s answer.

“We can go the Legal route.” I tell him. 

“Pennsylvania doesn’t recognize it.” He tells me.

“Then we jointly own everything together. It doesn’t matter what it's called by law, we'll know. And when it's legal, I'll marry you again. I want this, because we should have done it the first time.” I tell him. 

“Since you went through all the trouble of asking so nicely, YES.” Justin tells me. 
After that we started working around Pennsylvania laws, and as of today are as married as the state allowed.

“We should get a video, Michael will probably go all Stephen King ‘Carrie’ on us.” Justin tells me. 

“I was hoping it would have him running for David.” I tell him. 

MICHAEL 

I was excited, Brian was throwing me a party. All day at work, I had been acting like I didn't know. Tracy and the girls got a strip-a-gram girl, it was awful. I tried to pretend it was great, but the woman seem to get the drift when she felt my softy.  

I told Emmett, he and Ted should bring me to Brian’s, so I could act surprised. I haven’t hung out with Brian lately, and it would look weird if I just happen to show up on the night he threw my party. We were standing outside the loft and I was so ready to see Brian. 

“Should we buzz, or maybe you could give me your key, that way I could have a few minutes alone with Brian. “ I tell them.

“Well considering it's a surprise party, you realize people are already here. I doubt he's alone up there.” Ted tells me. 

“It was just an idea, but I guess I'll make sure he knows I appreciate that he thought of me.” I tell them. 

“Can we go, the party is up there.” Emmett tells me, pointing up to the loft. 

Emmett lets us in and I'm trying to look surprised when the loft door opens. I was hoping Brian was going to greet me. Instead it was Ma.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL.” She yells.

As I walk in, people are yelling SURPRISE.  I looked for Brian, and wasn't very happy to see Justin in his lap. I had hoped Brian would have understood, it was my birthday, and that only my friends should attend.  

“How do you like it, Mikey?” Brian asks me. 
Maybe he didn’t know how to tell Justin he wasn’t invited.

“It’s nice that MY FRIENDS thought to invite people, even if they’re barely acquaintances.” I tell him. 

“If I only invited your FRIENDS, there might not have been anyone here.” Brian tells me. 

“At least I would have wanted them here.” I stare at Justin. 

“Michael, you haven’t even looked around, YOUR FRIENDS, worked hard to celebrate your birthday.” Ma tells me. 

I look and see someone adecorated with Superheros, in the corner, there was Captain Astro. Why didn’t they put him front and center? 

Someone puts the music on and Brian instead of dancing with me, is all over Justin.  

“Happy Birthday, Mike. Want to dance?” Tracy asks me.   

“That would be different, Michael dancing with a girl.” Uncle Vic tells everyone.

“Um, Michael, what does he mean by that?” Tracy ask me. Why did they have to say it in front of her?

“It means sweetheart, that my Michael prefers his dance partners to be more of the masculine variety.” Ma and her big mouth.

“Until recently MY NEPHEW, was dating David here.” Uncle Vic tells her.

“You could have told me, I wouldn’t have held it against you. Do you know how embarrassing it is to find out that I'm dating a gay man? “ Tracy asks me. 

“I didn’t mean for you to think we were dating.” I tell her. 

“What was I supposed to think, you invited me out all the time. We were… never mind.” Tracy turns and runs out the door.

“I thought you were going to help me Emmett.” I tell him. 

“At least now she knows, sorry, I meant to take her aside but your mom and Vic beat me to it.” He tells me. 

“Michael, how about we just celebrate your birthday.” David tells me. 

I sit with David and watch Brian ignore me. It’s my birthday, I thinks it's time for him to pay attention to me. I got up to go butt in on their dance, but Emmett tells everyone it's time to open presents. At least this was about me.

I go through them and find Brian’s first. I know I'll like it. I open up a flat box and he gave me a shirt, I look for the real present, but all that's in there is the shirt.

“I thought since you let Emmett turn you into ‘twinks are us’, I'd get you something better.” Brian tells me. 

“Here open David's.” Ma tells me.
I open the box and inside is a watch. I was really disappointed, but at least he got me something.

“Michael, I got you this too.” David hands me a bag.

In the bag was a Captain Astro action figure and the first edition of Captain Astro. 

“Oh my God, I’ve wanted these all my life. Thank you David.” I give him a kiss. I can’t believe it.

“I just wanted to make you happy on your birthday.” He tells me.

“Well, I wanted to tell my son Happy Birthday and hope you get everything you want tonight. Michael, you need to apologize to that girl, you understand me?” She tells me.

“Yes, Ma.” I tell her. It wasn’t my fault she wanted me, but I really didn’t want to get smacked so I didn’t say it.

“Happy Birthday, Michael.” I get from everyone.
I walked up to where Brian was, hoping he was going to say something.

“So you and Justin made it as legally binding as Pennsylvania allows?” Jen asks Brian. What is she talking about?

“I couldn’t marry him, but this way everything belongs to both of us. It’s the most married we can be right now.” Brian can’t be serious.

“Justin, let me give you the money as a wedding present.” Jen tells them. I want to scream for Brian to stop lying to her.

“Mom, use it for you and Molly, we’re fine. Brian is doing extremely well with Kinnetik. We don’t need it.” He tells her.

“I’d tell you to buy a car, but Brian already did that for your birthday.” I hear her tell him. He bought that fucking brat a car? All I got was a fucking shirt, at least David did something better.

“We can let Ted invest the money and keep it in all your names.” Brian tells her.

“Well, let me give you a hug. You became my son today.” She and Brian hug. I watch as he lets her, and seems to be hugging her back. No this isn’t happening.

“Michael, do you want to get out of here? I wanted to take you out tonight.” David asks me.  

“Let me thank Brian and I’ll be down in a minute. Have the car waiting.” I tell David.
I watch until David leaves and then turn to Brian.

“Brian, can we talk before I go?” I walk into his bedroom and wait for him to come in.

“Hope you had a good time, everyone wanted to make sure to celebrate with you.” He tells me. Like he didn’t just rip my fucking heart out.

“Please tell me you didn’t give that kid half of everything you own.” I tell him.
Brian stands there and says nothing. 

“Well, say something.” I tell him.

“You said to tell you I didn’t do it, I can’t.” He tells me.

“Brian, what is going to happen when you decided you want someone else. Justin is going to own half your life.” I need him to see what he did.

“That isn’t going to be a problem, I NEVER plan to let him go.” Brian tells me.

“You are making the biggest mistake of your life. His ass can’t be that good.” I sneer.

“What’s wrong Mikey, is it that I wouldn’t go near your ass.” He sneers back.

“FUCK YOU, I HOPE JUSTIN FUCKING LEAVES YOUR ASS. THEN YOU’LL WISH YOU’D LISTENED TO ME.” I yell and run to get to someone who isn’t going to play games with my love.

JUSTIN

“Well it could have been worse, Michael could have said Brian leaving my ass. It’s an improvement, not much, but some.” I tell Emmett and Ted.