Part Six

"Are you sure she won't say anything," Brian asked after Debbie had left the loft.

Justin just shrugged. "No. But she didn't say anything about us still being together even though she knew."

Brian nodded and walked to the kitchen. He pulled out a bottle of water and drank about half of it down. "I need to go to the gym. Why don't you come with me?"

Justin gave Brian a long look. "Because that's the place you meet up with your friends."

"Justin," Brian growled.

"Brian, we live together now," Justin explained patiently. "You are going to see me all the time. You don't go out nearly as often as you used to, and you don't see your friends that often. If they come here, I'll be here, too. You and they need some place you can talk and be friends without me around."

Brian shook his head and walked over to hug Justin. "There is no place I want to be that I can't be with you."

"I know that," Justin smiled up at his partner. "And I want to keep it that way. Besides, what's the point in paying for a gym membership for me when I can work out on campus for free?"

"You are such a tight wad at times," Brian laughed. "Okay, so what will you do while I work out?"

"You could drop me off at my apartment and I can start to pack," Justin said. "I'll need to give the landlord notice and make arrangements to move my stuff."

"Justin, the only furniture you own is that fucking futon and it's not coming into our home," Brian told him. "The rest we can box up and move in my jeep. We have two weeks before the end of the month. I doubt it will take more than three trips."

Justin nodded. "Okay. But I want to get my art supplies together and moved today, if we can. There are two or three ideas I've been mulling over since our trip that I want to work on this afternoon if I can."

"That we can do," Brian agreed. "And if I run into any of the guys, I'll make them come and help carry boxes."

"Sounds like a plan," Justin smiled. "Now tell me about Michael."

BJBJBJBJBJ

"Brian, welcome back," Ted said as Brian walked up to the bench press where Emmett was making a feeble attempt to lift forty pounds. "Emmett said he saw you last night. How was your trip?"

Brian gave Ted a glare that made the shorter man uneasy and amused Brian. Finally smiling, he said, "It was good."

"Em also said that Mikey told him that Justin went with you?" Ted asked warily as Emmett stood up from the weight bench.

Brian ignored the question for a minute while he placed more weight on the bar and lay down on the bench. "You girls sure know how to get the rumor mill grinding. And yes, Justin was with me."

Brian hefted the weights from their resting place and slowly lowered it to his chest before smoothly pushing it back up into the air. Eight times he did this before settling the weights back in the resting place. He looked up and caught Ted and Emmett locked in a silent battle of mouthed words and shaking heads.

"Go ahead and ask," Brian sighed and sat up. "You caught me at a good time, since I'm going to demand a favor of you later."

Ted glanced warily at Emmett who just crossed his arms and waved for Ted to go ahead. Obviously Emmett knew enough not to push the subject. Ted cleared his throat and asked, "So, um, are you back together, then?"

"We were never broken up," Brian told them. "Justin was busy and has an aversion to large crowds since the attack, so he hasn't been around our usual haunts, but that doesn't mean we didn't find other places to go and meet."

"Oh," Ted said. "I never realized...and you never really mentioned..."

"No I didn't," Brian said as he leaned back on the bench to start another set. "Does it surprise you that I wouldn't discuss my personal affairs?"

"Well you never hid your tricks," Emmett muttered.

"Justin isn't a trick," Brian huffed as he hefted the weights again. "He's...well, he's moving in."

"Again?" Ted asked. "That didn't go so well last time, did it?"

Brian finished his second set before sitting up to answer. "Mostly because I wasn't ready for that kind of commitment. Things are different now."

"I can see that," Emmett said thoughtfully.

"Well, congratulations, I guess," Ted shrugged still looking wary and confused.

"Yes," Emmet agreed. "We're happy for both of you."

"Glad to hear it, because I need you two to help me move some of Justin's shit when we finish up here," Brian smirked and began his third set.

Ted groaned. "I knew there was going to be some form of punishment."

Brian ignored the two bickering fags while he finished his third and fourth sets. Then he walked over to the leg press and adjusted the weights and did four sets of eight repetitions there. An hour later, he had done the full circuit along with a couple miles on the treadmill and went to search out the other two in the locker rooms. He found them in the sauna and told them they had fifteen minutes to shower and get dressed if they wanted him to buy them lunch for helping out Justin. Both men jumped up, not even considering refusing to help.

Thirty minutes later, the three men were on their way up to Justin's apartment with takeout Chinese, beer, and packing boxes. Brian didn't bother to knock. When they walked in, Justin was bent over a box by the window placing his art supplies carefully into the box. Brian had a nice view of the ass he adored. When he heard Ted sigh, he realized that his friends also had a perfect view.

"Eyes to yourself, Theodore," Brian growled.

All at once Ted jumped, Emmett chuckled, and Justin stood up and turned to face them with a smile. "Hi."

"Hey baby!" Emmett crooned and swished his way over to give Justin a hug. "How are you? It feels like ages since we caught up. And naughty you! Keeping secrets from me!"

Justin blushed and said, "I never lied."

"No, you just let me feel sorry for my poor baby," Emmett sighed and, with his arm still around Justin, turned toward Ted and Brian. "I would ask if he was seeing anyone and would say no one new. I would tell him he should find a new man and he would say there's only one man for him. I'd hang up the phone and practically cry my eyes out, I felt so bad for the poor twink. Now I find out he's had his man all along. Naughty, naughty Justin."

"Justin, I packed your toiletries, but I'll need another box..." Jennifer stopped as she realized that there were other people in the apartment. "Oh! Hello Ted, Emmett, Brian. I didn't realize everyone was coming."

Brian smirked. "You didn't actually think I wanted to haul all of Justin's shit alone, did you? I brought lunch."

"Great, I'm starved," Justin said and headed for the counter where Brian was setting out the cartons of food.

"And we brought extra boxes," Ted offered.

As they all ate, Brian took the opportunity to look around the apartment. Jennifer and Justin had accomplished a lot in the short time they were there. The entire kitchen was packed already, except for the few things in the refrigerator. There was a stack of boxes by the dresser that Brian assumed were Justin's clothes. The book shelf was empty of all of Justin's textbooks. And Jennifer had obviously made headway in the bathroom. It looked like all that was left were Justin's art supplies and canvases, and his computer.

"I thought it might take a few trips, but between the jeep, Ted's car and your SUV, Jennifer, I think we'll be able to get it all today," Brian remarked.

"I let the landlord know that I'm moving out," Justin said. "And we negotiated for the furniture. I won't pay a fee for breaking the lease and he keeps the furniture so he can rent the place out as furnished."

"You are such a con artist," Brian laughed and kissed Justin on the forehead. "This furniture is not worth a month's rent."

"No, but he can charge more for a furnished place," Justin shrugged. "It all works out. Besides, he's always got college students clamoring to get into the building, since it's so convenient to school, so it won't sit empty."

Emmett finished his lunch and wiped his mouth. "So, what's left to pack?"

And with that, they all went to work. Within an hour, they had carried the boxes down to the vehicles. While Justin dropped the keys off with the landlord, Brian took one last look around to make sure they hadn't missed anything. The only personal item left was the empty laundry basket in the bathroom.

"You have a much better hamper system at the loft, so I thought I'd just leave it," Justin told him when Brian asked about it.

"So you packed your dirty clothes?" Brian asked aghast.

Justin laughed. "No, my mother decided to collect my laundry while we were away. She had it laundered and delivered it back before we got home."

"Good thing," Brian nodded. "I'll lay odds on the fact that you tossed a damp towel into the hamper before leaving for a week."

Justin blushed. "Well, we were in a hurry."

"So that's everything?" Brian asked.

"That's everything," Justin sighed as he looked around the apartment with a faraway look.

Brian wrapped his arms around his partner from behind and whispered, "Ready to start new?"

Justin nodded and turned in Brian's arms. "With you." And then they kissed.

BJBJBJBJBJ

When they got to the loft, everyone started picking up boxes to bring upstairs. Once they had the elevator filled, Justin hit the button for the third floor instead of the fourth. Ted and Emmet both looked surprised, but said nothing.

"Everything but the boxes marked clothes and toiletries should come in here," Justin directed as he stepped off the elevator and opened the studio door.

"What's this?" Ted asked as they all wandered in.

"This is Justin's studio," Brian informed them. "Art supplies up here, books and computer in the back area, kitchen supplies in the kitchen."

"You bought this?" Emmett asked.

"I had to," Brian smirked. "Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to rip a hole in the floor and put those in." Brian indicated the spiral stairs in the corner.

Ted set their loads down in the appropriate areas and took a minute to look around before going back out to get another load. This continued for the next half hour. Then the three old friends collapsed in the sitting area while Jennifer helped Justin unpack his clothes and toiletries in the other room.

"Thanks," Brian said. "We could have done all this ourselves, but it would have taken a lot longer. And I want Justin to feel settled here as quickly as possible."

"That studio space downstairs ought to go a long way towards making that happen," Ted commented. "By the way, why didn't I know about that? I thought I was your accountant?"

Brian looked away. There were several reasons that he had decided to change accountants-privacy and setting up joint accounts with Justin being primary-but there was only one he could share with Ted. "Things are a bit tense with Michael right now. I decided that if things go south, it would be better to eliminate possible points of contention."

"In other words," Emmett explained to a confused Ted. "Brian thinks if he and Michael aren't friends anymore, you will side with Michael and it will make things complicated."

"I'm not saying that will happen," Brian continued. "But if it does, I think it would be better for all of us to keep business separate from our friendships. So, I've found another accountant."

"Who?" Ted asked.

"James Manning," Brian said. "Of Manning, Walker, and Goldman."

Ted whistled. "He's good."

"He better be for what he charges," Brian groused. "He's also Jennifer and Justin's accountant. With our new living arrangements, it seemed easier to have one accountant familiar with both of our situations."

Ted nodded. "I understand. I'll miss the extra income, but I understand."

"Yeah, well, I've given your name to a couple colleagues," Brian said. "It was the least I could do. Just remember, I work with these people. So don't fuck it up."

"Thanks," Ted said brightly.

Emmett went to the kitchen to get beers for each of them and when he returned, Brian asked him, "How was Mikey last night?"

Emmett shrugged. "He's coping. I'm not sure if he's ready to face the cold hard truth yet, and he's hurt. He went to cry on Debbie shoulder today."

"I'm not sure how sympathetic she'll be," Brian said. "I talked to her last night and she came by this morning to see Justin. She knows what I said, and she agrees with me."

"What did you say?" Ted asked. Brian didn't answer; he just played with the label on his beer bottle.

Emmett looked at Brian for a minute before answering for him. "He told Michael that he needed to stop putting Justin down and trying to interfere in their relationship. And if Michael couldn't find a way to accept that things had changed, then they had little choice but to part company."

"Wow," Ted said.

"Yeah," Emmett agreed. "Michael blames Justin. For things changing, for Brian changing, for... for everything."

"But things change; that's just life," Ted said.

"Yes well, it's all very complicated," Emmett said.

"Aren't things with me and Mikey always complicated?" Brian asked humorlessly.

"No more so than with you and...anyone," Emmett teased. "You are a very complicated man, Brian Kinney."

"I'll say," Ted groused.

"You'll look out for Mikey for me, though, won't you?" Brian asked.

"We'll look out for him," Emmett agreed. "And we'll look out for you too."

"But I'm not alone," Brian said. "I've got Justin."

"So he knows what's going on with Michael?" Ted asked.

Brian nodded. Just then Justin and Jennifer came back out carrying empty boxes and laughing.

"I have to go pick up Molly," Jennifer said. "I'll see you later Brian. And thank you Ted and Emmett for your help." She left almost immediately.

"I should make dinner for you guys to say thank you," Justin mused.

"Not tonight," Brian forestalled. "I thought you wanted to get your easel and stuff set up so you could paint?"

"Oh, yeah," Justin smiled. "Can we do it another night? Any night but Thursday. I baby-sit for Gus then."

"How about Friday," Brian suggested. "Then we can go to Woody's and see how you do with that crowd?"

Justin thought about it for a minute then nodded. "I'll make French onion soup with homemade croutons and panini."

"Since when do we have a panini grill?" Brian asked.

"Since Mom said she'd get us one for a housewarming gift," Justin smiled. Justin turned to Emmett. "You should tell Michael he's welcome to come, if he feels up to it."

Brian wasn't sure that was the right thing to do. If Mikey was still feeling hurt and angry, Friday night could be a disaster. But Emmett nodded.

"I'll only ask him if he seems like he can handle it," Emmett said.

"We should get going," Ted said. "I promised Michael that I'd meet him for drinks tonight, and I am in dire need of a shower and a nap."

Emmett nodded and gave Justin a hug. "You'll call me soon? If you don't want to call the apartment, call my cell, okay?"

"I'll call," Justin laughed as he promised.

The other men left and Brian grabbed Justin's hand. "Come on, I'll help you set up the studio."

"And will you pose for me when we're done?" Justin asked slyly.

"Only if you want to paint porn," Brian said. "I plan to be naked and hard very soon."

"Sounds inspiring," Justin said and followed Brian down the stairs.