BRIAN 

I looked Deekins in the eye and told him what he needed to do, but he's has this tiny problem, he's fucking honest. It makes me question why he got into politics. 

“I want voters to know they can trust me to be honest with them. I don't want to win through mudslinging.” He tells me.

“You want honesty?” I ask him. 

“Yes, and to keep my integrity.” He tells me.

“My only suggestion is for you to get out of politics, because if you think Stockwell is going to back away from making you look like a weak candidate, you don’t belong in this game.” I tell him.

“I think voters are ready to vote for someone they can trust.” He tells me.

“Voters look for someone who can lead, trust is well and good but it doesn’t win elections.” I tell him.

“I came because you offered your advice free of charge and I wanted to see what you were bringing to the table. I just don’t think we see the kind of campaign that I envisioned.” He tells me. 

“You don’t seem to have a campaign. You want to let your record speak for you. Well Stockwell is turning the streets upside down and is willing to fight any way he can, and if you back away from that fight, he’s won without having to work for it. Here’s something you aren’t aware of, Jim Stockwell isn’t cleaning up the streets, he’s targeting one neighborhood. The one where the voters will stand in line for days to protect their way of life. Look around and see if he stopped kids from spray painting walls and destroying property, or has he targeted only one segment. Because Stockwell isn’t gay friendly, he’s a homophobic prick who is depending on votes from people like my mother, who want us sinners to disappear. He dresses it up with wanting to bring back ‘Family Values’. Just a nicer way of saying that Pittsburgh should round up the queers and lock them in a gas chamber, because we are ‘anti family’.” I tell him.

“I just don’t understand why you want to help me.” He tells me.

“Because you wouldn’t sit by and let a murderer walk the street, just because the victim is gay. Stockwell has padded his arrest recorded to hide the fact that he was telling his officers to let the gay crimes go unsolved because no one is going to complain that a hustler was found in a dumpster behind the diner on Liberty Avenue. The police never even found out who the kid was, a waitress had to find out his name for them. I have a feeling I could bring all the proof they needed to make an arrest and they would tell me that it wasn’t enough. I don’t think you would look the other way, so unless you are willing to listen to me, you’ll never manage to convince the voters you have what it takes to lead this town.” I tell him.

“I want to still like myself at the end of this, and I know that you're asking me to do something I feel is unnecessary to win.” He tells me.

“No, what I am doing is making you tell the truth, even if it means slinging a little mud. I want the hustler, who’s name was Jason Kemp, to get justice and know that if my partner or I call the police, they won’t take hours to answer because Liberty Avenue is on their ignore list. You want to be honest, we can, but you have to let go of the Pollyanna routine; loved the pigtails but doubt that she could win a mayoral seat.” I tell him.

“Tell me how you think I can stay honest and still fight dirty?” He asks me.

“I’m not telling you to find out Stockwell’s kid cheated on an exam. I’m telling you not to back away when you know something the voters have a right to know about their candidate. That Stockwell could turn into Hitler’s twin if elected, and instead of killing Jews, he’s willing to let queers die. He’s counting of the fact that no one ever pushed to find out who killed a man, because we don’t matter to his target voters.” I tell him.

“Everyone matters, Brian.” He tells me.

“Then prove that you want to help, let me work with your campaign manager.’ I tell him.

He agreed to let us promote him, because ole Gardner will just tell Stockwell to use the arrests to show how Jimmy is cleaning up the streets. 

I grab my next file and start making notes. Justin and I are going to dinner tonight at Ted’s apartment, we got roped into couples night with Ted and Blake, which will be all kinds of fun, and yes that was sarcasm. I want to get Deekins to stay ahead in the polls, so we are camping out in the loft for a few days. 

The receptionist buzzed me and told me that Michael wanted to come up. I could say no to him but then he would just stay until I came down. I just keep working, and figured Michael would ramble.

“Ben is acting strange.” He tells me.

“And?” I ask him.

“It’s just, one minute he’s super happy and then the littlest thing seems to piss him off. It doesn’t help that Ma is acting like Ben is unwanted around her house.” He tells me.

“Vic must love that.” I tell him.

“He’s been staying with Emmett lately. I tried to tell her that it was shitty of her to say in front of Uncle Vic that she didn’t want me with someone with HIV.” He tells me.

“Have you asked Ben what’s up with him?’ I ask him.

“One of his friends is dying.” He tells me.

“Tell him to stop acting like he is too.” I tell him.

“He too busy running to the gym all the time.” He tells me.

“Hey, Brian, Blake invited Emmett to come tonight too.” Ted really needs to look up from what he’s reading.

“Come where?” Michael asks Ted.

Ted looks at me to see if he should answer, lately we all have given the Novotny’s a wide berth. I shrug because if Ben is on steroids he isn’t going to be happy Michael has made plans for them.

“I started seeing Blake again and we are all going out together tonight.” Ted tells Michael.

“You should have talked Ted out of that.” Michael tells me.

“Blake cleaned himself up and is getting a degree, so no need for Brian to worry.” Ted tells him.

“That’s really great, I guess Ben and I will see tonight, where are we going?” He asks us.

“Blake want to have dinner with Brian, Justin, and Emmett and then go out to Babylon together. Emmett and Justin have really made an effort to get to know Blake.” Ted tells him.

“Where’s dinner?” Michael asks Ted.

“Blake is cooking at my apartment.” Ted tells Michael.

“What time should be get there?” Michael asks Ted.

“I think it would be better if we meet a Babylon later. Blake already started dinner and I don’t want to start inviting more people.” Ted tell him.

“I thought we were friends Ted, just tell Blake to add two more plates.” He smiles but I can see he is pissed that Ted wasn’t including him.

“Why don’t you go have dinner with your mother and Carl?” Ted suggests.

“I refuse to support that relationship, he’s an asshole. You should tell Blake that it was rude not to include all your friends.” Michael tells Ted.

“Then you better make Ben dinner, because I am not going to ask Blake to do anything for you.” Ted tells him.

“Brian you should skip out on them, we can go out to eat somewhere.” Michael tells me.

“See you at Babylon Michael, because I like sleeping with Justin. He might not be very receptive if I took off to listen to you rant about your mommy issues.” I tell him.

Michael stomps out of my office, glaring at Ted.

“What did Blake think of Michael?” Ted asks me.

“That your taste in men sucked, like a dipshit you told Blake about Michael.” I tell him.

“Let’s hope I’m smarter this time around.” He tells me.

JUSTIN

After dinner we went straight to Babylon. Brian was surprised that we had a good time with Blake and Ted. I think the fact that we ate where we were and not formally at the table was a big plus to Brian. I just needed to get the recipe for the the Chile Lime Ground Turkey because Brian was really eating it, instead of just picking at it.

Blake was explaining the recipe to me and told me how he always makes extra that he packs and takes for lunch. Michael stood in front of us and was glaring at Blake.

“I wasn’t happy that you forgot to invite Ben and me.” Michael tells Blake.

“Sorry?” Blake tells him.

“You should be for not inviting ALL of Ted’s friends to dinner.” Michael tells him.

“No, I was asking why you think I should invite you somewhere.” Blake tells him.

“Ben and I are Ted’s friends too, and it’s was really rude that you didn’t invite us.” He tells Blake.

“Why, I don’t know you, but I do know Emmett and Justin so I invited them to have dinner before we dance tonight, rude is telling Ted to tell me to set plates out on the table for you when no one invited you. Ready to dance, Justin?” Blake asked me, ignoring Michael. 

“He can be hard to take.” I tell Blake.

“I don’t plan on being his doormat.” Blake tells me.

“Then don’t, I just walk away when he really pisses me off. It’s a waste of time talking to him. He has HDD.” I tell him.

“What is HDD?” Blake asks me. 

“Hearing Deficit Disorder, gets it from his mom.” I tell him. 

We were  dancing, when Ben showed up. I watched him walk up to Michael all smiles then he seemed to get pissed at Michael. Brian was watching to see if Ben got out of hand. We hoped he'd just leave Michael, like the last time, but Instead he was pushing Michael against the bar. Michael can drive people up a wall, but Ben is twice Michael’s size. 

“What is Ben on?” Blake asks me.

“Steroids.” I tell him.

“We need to get Ben off Michael. Steroids cause the user to not be able to control himself.” Blake tells me.

“Ben never hurt Michael before, hopefully he’s just being an ass.” I tell Blake as we hurry to rescue Michael, never thought I would do that.

“Fuck you Michael, can’t we have one night where it doesn’t involve your friends.” Ben shouts at Michael. When Michael tries to get around him, Ben shoves him back.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Lately it’s like you're constantly pissed off.” Michael tells him.

“Maybe I’m tired of listening to you fucking piss and moan that your mom won’t talk to you.” He sneers at Michael. Michael really needs to learn impulse control, because you don’t shove someone with roid rage. 

I stopped thinking and jumped on Ben’s back and held my arms around him to get him off balance. Blake grabbed Michael and shoved him at Emmett. I thought I had a good hold but Ben lifted his arms and I lost my grip and ended up on the floor. I was sitting up when I saw Brian headed for Ben and I got up quickly and ran to keep Brian from killing Ben. I jumped in front of Ben but the fucker doesn’t realize I was trying to save his life and shoved me off to the side and I end up landing on my ass. At this point nothing was going to stop Brian. 

“Emmett, Brian is going to kill Ben, do something.” Michael tells him.

“He fucking deserves whatever Brian wants to do.” Emmett wasn’t going to be any help.

Maybe if Michael hadn’t hit the security guy for manhandling Ben, or Brian hadn’t tried to get through them to Ben. It could have been Ted getting mad because Blake got shoved by Michael but all of it ended up with Emmett and I having call Carl to help the jailbirds. Which in turn gave Michael a reason to be nice to Carl and make peace with his mom. 

“Maybe it was a ‘have to happen’.” I tell Brian.

“It's still boring as shit in jail.” Brian tells me before he falls asleep.