BRIAN 

Justin stood behind Michael, not even trying to sound like he gave a shit about Captain Astro dying. Just like the rest of us, he had a hard time understanding Michael’s overreacting to a comic hero being killed off. A lot of it had to do with us having to sit back and let a person who was living and breathing die, and get tossed in a dumpster. It messed with Justin’s sense of right and wrong.

I wish we could do something, but what? Marilyn spent last night arguing with him that sometimes things have to happen.

“Justin, if he survives, it doesn't change Jason's life. He still continues to hustle and dies later of an overdose. His life doesn’t get better.” She tells him. 

“What if we tried to help him change his life? We did it for Hunter.” Justin tells her.  

“Hunter was part of your timeline, the only change is that he will be raised by your mother, and not Michael and Ben.” She tells him. 

“So because he isn’t part of my life, I have to let him die?” He asks her.

“No, you need to because Jason’s life was always going to go in this direction.” She tells him.

“It sucks.” Justin tells her.

“Do you think I like this any more than you do?” She asks him.

“You must, because the kid is going to die.” Justin snaps at her.

“Justin, it’s not her fault, or yours, or anyone’s. Try to remember that.” I tell him.

“It’s too late anyway.” She tells him.

Justin turns into me and grieves for a kid he didn’t know. So when this morning came and we were having breakfast, he didn’t realize this was the day Captain Astro died. Michael was of course turning this into a three part tragedy. Deb of course saw a glum Michael and the mom gene kicked in.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong.” She ask him.

“They killed him.” Michael sat next to us almost crying.

“Who?” She asked deeply concerned.

Justin stayed silent because he would probably prefer to be the one to deliver the slap that was coming.

“Captain Astro.” I tell her.

“Oh honey I’m so sorry.” And the slap. “Don’t ever fucking scare me like that again.” 

After she walked away, Michael continued to complain that Captain Astro was a hero. I think it was more than Justin could stand.

“Then fucking buy Batman, or Spider Man, anything but sit here and act like a comic hero dying is the world's greatest tragedy. Shit Michael, there are people out there dying on the street from starvation and other things that shouldn’t happen to them. Since you’ll be saving the money you spend on fucking Captain Astro, maybe you could buy one of those people a sandwich. Fucking grow up and realize the only thing the Captain’s death is going to do is save the trees they cut down to print the shit with.” Justin tells him.

“You of all people wouldn’t understand what it’s like to need a hero, sorry if my sadness is upsetting your day.” Michael tells him.

“Justin, is everything okay?” Ben asks Justin.

“Just fucking great, why don’t you leave me the hell alone. Do yourself a favor and hit on a guy you have a chance with, like Michael.” Justin tells him.

I take my princess out of there before he grabs a coffee pot to dump on the people pissing him off. 

“You have to let this go.” I tell him.

“Just keep the fucking petition away from me.” He tells me.

I realize that the only thing to do is let Justin deal with this his way, nothing I say is going to change how he feels.

When the body was discovered by Deb, I know Justin wanted to tell Carl the kid’s name, but he didn’t. 

JUSTIN

I was finally feeling better when Deb was able to give the kid a name. The only upside to this was that Ben was now dating Michael, so he got to help Mikey grieve. I was sitting at the loft working on my panels for the new idea I had, when someone buzzes. 

“Hey Justin, it’s Michael, can I come up?” He asks me.

“You know Brian isn’t here, right?” I ask him.

“I wanted to talk to you.” He tells me.

I let him in and wait to see what he wants, because it’s the first time he wanted to see me without Brian being around. I let him in and he has all these notebooks in his arms.

“I’ve been thinking about how you want to do a comic, but you really don’t know much about them. I like the idea of a gay superhero but I was thinking of a hero who watches over a city and keeps gay children safe.” He tells me. So, Rage is trying to make a comeback.

“Why is he going to save just gay kids?” I ask him.

“Well, Ben said the reason your comic interested him was because you put it all out there, no subtext. He thinks that as a writer you have to put your soul into the story or don’t bother to do it at all.” Michael tells me.

Here’s the thing, Ben has been jerking Michael around. He acts like he cares then goes out with another guy, even brings the guy around the diner for Michael to see. Michael has been making the guys help in his stalking of Ben. Michael is showing up anywhere he knows Ben is going to be to try to get Ben’s attention. God help us when Ben decides to give Michael time, because all we hear is ‘Ben says this’ or ‘Ben thinks that’. Whatever Ben is doing, it’s caused Michael to only call Brian when he needs a reason to show up somewhere Ben is, so I can put up with Michael quoting Ben.

“He’s right, it’s how I paint. I just think you're limiting your audience when you say your hero is only going to save gay kids.” I tell him. It’s really that I don’t want to draw Rage with Michael.

“We could work together on your’s, you could use someone who knows comics.” He tells me.

Brian comes in the loft and I can tell he would rather turn around and walk out. I mouth Rage and he relaxes, because he’s tired of the whole ‘Ben this, Ben that’. Raising his eyebrow to see if I plan to do it with Michael, I roll my eyes. 

“Hey Brian, since you're here, you want to go to Woody’s with me tonight?” Michael asks him.

“Ted and Emmett are already there, why don’t you hang out with them?” Brian tells Michael.

“That would work, Ben keeps acting like me showing up where he is, is getting in the way of his dates.” Michael tells us and rushes out of the loft.

“Your mom told me that the judge is allowing her to be Hunter’s legal guardian. Child services didn’t like what they found at Hunter’s mother’s apartment.” Brian tells me.

I love being able to talk to Mom about everything, she told me about her relationship with Tucker and that Brian was the one who gave her away at her wedding. I love that they stayed in touch and developed a relationship. I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I’m a little jealous of Hunter for getting to spend more time with her than me, but he needs to see that all mothers don’t hurt their kids.

“Hey, we should go to Woody’s.” I tell him.

“Why?” He asks me.

“Michael making a jackass of himself is fun to watch.” I tell him.

 “I’d rather stay home and watch your ass.” He tells me.

“That could be arranged.” I walk up and start taking off his tie. The phone rings and we both ignore it. 

“BRIAN, I NEED TO TALK TO YOU. I’M ALMOST TO THE LOFT, OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR AND LET ME IN WHEN I GET THERE.” Deb yells through the answering machine.

“No one bothered us this much the first time.” I moan into Brian’s chest.

“Let’s turn off the lights and not answer.” Brian tells me.

“You do know Deb, right? She’d find a way in.” I tell him.

Brian didn’t even let the buzzer go off, he just went down to let her in. I wonder what has her in a tizzy now.

“Oh God, what am I supposed to do? I don’t know how to handle this and Michael.” Deb paces around the loft.

“Deb, Ben having HIV isn’t the end of the world.” Brian tells her.

“WHAT!” Guess we let that one out by accident.

“Um, so Deb why are you upset if that wasn’t it?” I try to save us.

“On no you don’t, Michael can’t be with a man who has that disease. You have to help me convince him to not pursue Ben anymore.” Deb begs Brian.

“I don’t think there is much we can do to stop him.” I tell her.

“I don’t care, I won’t let Michael get involved with someone who could kill him one day. I have to go find him.” Deb starts to leave.

“What was wrong earlier?” Brian asks her.

“I got asked on a date, and I know Michael is going to have a problem with it.” She tells us and runs out slamming the door behind her.

“Now about watching your ass.” Brian tells me.