Justin was sitting at his computer reading his email. It was a lazy afternoon in the middle of the week and he really should have been working on a project, but today he simply wasn't in the mood. Or maybe it was that he was in the wrong mood. He was homesick, plain and simple. He hated feeling that way, like such a baby, but he couldn't help it, he missed Pittsburg.

He was reading an email from Emmett. Of all his friends back home, Emmett was the most faithful with his communication. Daphne emailed fairly often, but with her college classes she didn't always have the time. Brian and he emailed, but not the chatty kind like he got from Emmett. Emmett would go on and on about all the latest gossip and keep him up to date on anything going on at Babylon, the diner, or anywhere else on Liberty Avenue.

Justin was almost to the end of Emmett's email when his Instant Messenger popped up saying Brian was online. It was a little early for Brian to be home, and he seldom logged on from work.

The IM screen popped up over Emmett's email.

BrianKinney: Hey

Justin typed in his answer.

BlondBoyAss: Hey

BrianKinney: Have you noticed how small the world is getting?

Justin smiled.

BlondBoyAss: *L* I don't know, New York seems pretty f'ing big. Why? What's up?

BrianKinney: Well, first I run into Kip on my flight a couple weeks ago, then today you'll never guess who I ran into at lunch?

BlondBoyAss: Um, I don't know, I give. Who did you run into?

BrianKinney: Ian.

BlondBoyAss: ??? You mean Ethan?

BrianKinney: Yeah, the fiddler himself.

BlondBoyAss: Where?

BrianKinney: The Diner.

BlondBoyAss: No way. He hated that place.

BrianKinney: Whatever, he was there today. Looked like a bunch of PIFA people with him.

BlondBoyAss: Don't tell me he came over and talked to you.

BrianKinney: Like I said, the world is getting very small.

BlondBoyAss: OMG, What did he say?

BrianKinney: Duh! He asked about you.

BlondBoyAss: What did you tell him?

BrianKinney: That you were taking NY by storm. But I think he really wanted to know if we were together.

BlondBoyAss: And? What did you tell him?

BrianKinney: I told him I had just gotten back from seeing you, and that Yes, we were still together.

BlondBoyAss: Did he shit his pants, right there?

BrianKinney: He didn't seem surprised. Listen, I gotta go. Client here. Later

BlondBoyAss: Later

Justin sat staring at his computer screen for a few minutes. He hadn't thought about Ethan for months. It all seemed like a lifetime ago. He had changed and grown so much since those days. He wanted to groan when he thought back to that time, how he had fallen for Ethan's pretty words when Brian had seen right through them.

Later that night the fiasco with Ethan was still on his mind. That is how he thought of it now, the fiasco. The ring of his cell phone brought him from his thoughts. "Hello."

"Hey," Brian's low voice always sounded so good in Justin's ear.

"Hey," Justin answered. "How was it with your client?"

"Hmm? Oh, fine. How's your project coming?"

"Fine." Justin hoped Brian's client was in better shape than his project, but there was no point discussing it.

"Brian…" Justin started.

"Hmm?"

"I ah, I never…" he sighed, not sure how to put his thoughts into words. "About Ethan, I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I hurt you."

Brian paused for a beat, the said, "You don't have anything to apologize for. You were always free to leave, still are. There are no locks on our doors."

"Yeah, but I fell for all his bullshit. Why didn't you tell me it was all lies, all a façade?"

"I tried, but some things you have to learn for yourself. You thought that was what you wanted. There's no shame in that. It's a fairy tale we're told from the time we're lying in our cradles and our mothers are reading us Snow White and Cinderella. We're all brought up to believe that we should grow up, fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. We have to find out for ourselves what a load of crap that is. I could have told you, but you wouldn't really know until you tested it out for yourself."

"So you loved me enough to let me go?"

"That's not how most people saw it. I think the more popular opinion was that I wouldn't give you what you wanted."

Justin winced realizing that was what Brian finally did just months ago, only for Justin to decide it wasn't really what he wanted after all. Or was it? He shook himself from that line of thinking. "I still should have seen through his smoke and mirrors."

"You were young."

"And dumb."

"More like naive."

"So how did he look?"

"Who? Ian?"

"Yeah? How did he look?"

Brian chuckled. "Why? You thinking of reviving the fantasy?"

"What? Augh. No. I just wondered, you know… was he with anyone?

"He was with a whole group of people… I don't know, Justin, I really didn't notice."

"Yeah, you wouldn't."

"No, I wouldn't."

"So," it was time to change the subject. "Where are you right now?"

"Lying on the sofa, waiting for you get quit talking about Ian so we can have us some phone sex."

"Ah, okay… hang on… I'm getting undressed."