Part Two

Clark owed Brian a favor, so he went to tour the library the next day and then Justin and Brian sat down with him and determined that, since they weren't making any major structural changes, just adding in some walls and a kitchen, they could indeed complete the renovation in the time before the baby arrived. They would be cutting things close with the decorating, but the architect thought that they could work it. And since Brian and Justin both loved the space, it would be worth it in the end. The location of the library was perfect, not far from either Kinnetik or Liberty Ave, yet on a quiet side street that wouldn't be unsafe for their child. And the space itself was modern and yet had the potential to be very homey. So Justin agreed, the purchase was rushed through at record speed and the work began.

Not long after the contractors began work on the library renovation, Justin realized for the first time that his pants were getting too tight.

"Brian," Justin whined as he tried for the third time to button up his jeans. "Help me with this."

Brian walked up to the bedroom with a frown. He hadn't noticed Justin's body changing all that much, but as he tried to help Justin button up his pants, he realized that his lover's once flat belly was now protruding. Rather than worrying about buttoning the pants, Brian ran his hand over the small bulge and then leaned forward to kiss it. That was their baby in there.

"We just need to get you some new clothes." Brian finally said. "Put on some sweats for now and we'll go out to the mall in Ross Park. There's a maternity shop there that carries a line for men."

Justin huffed in annoyance—he did not like the idea of getting so big that he outgrew everything he owned—but did as Brian suggested. He was not looking forward to wearing whatever fashion was deemed appropriate for pregnant men. But he figured anything was better than wearing sweatpants every day. Soon, even his sweats wouldn't fit comfortably any longer. "I don't want to get fat," Justin said with a pout.

"Too late to worry about that now," Brian said with a smirk. "You should have thought of that before you got knocked up."

Justin stuck his tongue out at his lover in response.

Soon they had driven to the mall and were browsing through the men's section of the maternity shop. Brian held up a very unfashionable red and green striped rugby shirt with stretchy side panels and cringed. "We'll get you a couple things here, but then we're going home to look online. There has got to be something better than this out there somewhere."

Justin had to agree with him as he pulled out a pair of jeans with a stretchy insert at the belly. He ended up buying a couple pairs of jeans along with a few long sleeved t-shirts from that store and figured that they would be good enough to paint in once they got something better online. Once they had left the store, Justin dragged a protesting Brian over to the food court and ordered a dozen chocolate chip cookies and a dozen sugar cookies. He ate three from the bag while they waited for a table at the steak house that was located just outside the mall.

"No wonder your pants don't fit anymore Sunshine," Brian muttered as Justin reached for a fourth cookie.

Justin frowned and put the cookies away. "Fuck you. I'm eating for two."

Brian rolled his eyes.

BJBJBJBJBJ

"More coffee?" Debbie asked Justin. They had gone to the diner for breakfast a few weeks later. It was a Saturday morning and Brian and Justin were both rather tired from a late night at Babylon. Of course, Brian was hung over and so felt worse than Justin, but Justin was still tired and cranky and couldn't drink his usual six cups of coffee. He had been limited to one cup a day and he'd already had it.

"Can't," Justin pouted.

Debbie raised her eyebrows at that. "Why not?"

Brian and Justin, both still slightly out of it, realized at the same time what Justin had said. They shared a long look. They were only a week from Justin's arbitrary deadline for telling their news.

"Justin's doctor said he can only have one cup a day," Brian said after their silent conversation.

"Doctor? Is there something wrong, Sunshine?" Debbie asked with concern. She shoved Brian to the side and sat down next to him before grabbing Justin's hand.

Justin put his other hand on top of hers and smiled. "Nothing that won't right itself in a few months."

Debbie looked confused so Brian said, "Justin's pregnant."

"He's what?" Debbie all but screeched.

"Hey, keep it down," Brian muttered as he rubbed his abused ear. "We haven't told anyone yet, so don't go spreading it about."

"Just until I get a chance to tell my mom," Justin said.

"Shit, baby! This is the best news I've heard in forever," Debbie said with a huge smile. "How far along are you? How long have you known?"

"I'm at 18 weeks," Justin said. "And we've known for a couple months now. I just wanted to wait a little while before we told anyone. I wanted to get used to the idea first." Brian thought that he had wanted to give him time to adjust to the idea as well, and he was grateful for that.

"So that's why you are renovating and getting ready to move," Debbie said. "Jennifer and I had wondered."

"Seriously Deb," Brian said. "Keep this under wraps until we get a chance to tell Jennifer?"

"Alright, alright," Debbie said with annoyance. "I won't say anything. But you better tell her soon. We've got a shower to plan!"

Debbie wandered off when another table started complaining about their check and Brian turned to Justin. "You know she's not going to be able to keep this to herself, right?"

"Yeah," Justin sighed. He grabbed his cell phone and dialed his mother's number. "Hey mom, I was wondering if you had a few minutes to have lunch with me and Brian today? We have something we need to tell you."

BJBJBJBJBJ

Jennifer took the news well. In fact, she was ecstatic at the prospect of becoming a grandmother. She had even hugged Brian in her joy and she was already on the phone with Debbie planning for the baby shower before lunch was finished. Not everyone was quite as happy for the couple, however. Michael, as usual, deemed it necessary to point out every perceived flaw in both men and every stumble their relationship had taken over the years. And he wasn't even the worst.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Lindsay to Justin over dinner a few days later. "Brian isn't… Brian just isn't cut out to be a full time father."

Justin held back his immediate anger and said, "I think you're wrong. I think Brian is more than capable of being a wonderful full-time father. He's been great with Gus and you have no idea how difficult it is for him to let Gus go every time he takes him for a day. You have no idea how much time he spends worrying about his son and trying to make sure that Gus will know how much he cares about him. You have no idea how much he loves that little boy."

"If he loved him so much, he never would have given up his rights," Melanie said coolly.

Justin glared at her. "He did that for you. I would think you would be a little more grateful and a little less bitter about the whole thing. It would certainly be better for your son if you could at least pretend to respect his father—a father Gus happens to love. And Gus is going to have another sibling soon. Brian is already trying to make sure that Gus understands that it won't change how he feels for him. It would be helpful if you were just as encouraging."

"Justin, we don't doubt that Brian cares about Gus," Lindsay said in a placating tone, though Justin noted she didn't say loves. "We are just concerned that neither of you have given any real consideration as to how this is going to affect your lives. Brian is not known to give up his… diversions… for anything or anyone."

Justin snorted in disgust. "You really don't know him at all, do you?"

"Justin," Lindsay said and her voice was suddenly like nails n a chalkboard to his ears. "We just don't want you to be disappointed when Brian can't live up to your expectations."

"Save it," Justin said as he rose from the table. "The truth is neither of you have ever had faith in either Brian or our relationship. But we've been together for six years now, despite the negativity from you and everyone else. And we'll prove you wrong again with this baby. I just hope you refrain from poisoning Gus's mind against Brian with all this shit."

Justin walked out without finishing his meal. He was so angry with those two women right then. He knew that things would be hard for him and Brian. He knew that Brian had a difficult time with changes. He knew that Brian was already filled with insecurities about his ability to be a father. But the fact that his friends couldn't be more supportive, couldn't have faith even when Brian had doubts, pissed him off. He knew that Brian was a wonderful father to Gus. He knew that Brian would be a wonderful father to their child. Even if no one else did.

Rather than heading straight back to the loft, Justin headed for the grocery store. He had barely touched his dinner at the munchers' and he was starving. It was probably a bad idea to go shopping when he was that hungry, because an hour later, Justin walked into the loft with bags filled with more junk than Brian could ever remember seeing in one place before.

"What is all this shit?" Brian asked as he took some of the bags from Justin.

Justin shrugged. "I was hungry."

Brian set his bags on the counter and pulled out a bag of Oreos followed by three different kinds of chips. "Justin."

Justin ignored him and continued to put the food away. "I refuse to starve just because your friends are bitches."

"My friends?" Brian stepped up behind his lover and wrapped his arms around him. "What did the munchers say to piss you off enough to buy all this shit that you know isn't good for you or the baby?"

"I wasn't going to eat it all at once," Justin sighed as he leaned into Brian's embrace. "And they just spouted more of the same bullshit as usual."

Brian nodded and kissed Justin's temple. "Well, if you know it's bullshit, why let it upset you like this?"

Justin shrugged before turning in Brian's arms and burying his face in his shoulder. "I just hate how little faith they have in us, in you. Them, Michael, Ted… Only Debbie and Emmett have really been supportive about the baby. They are supposed to be our friends, but they act like… they act like we're candidates for the worst parents in the history of the world."

"So we'll prove them wrong," Brian said. He kissed Justin's forehead and held him a little tighter. "Come on, go get dressed. We're going out tonight while we still can. We'll get something to eat and then we're going to dance and fuck and forget all about the munchers."

Justin gave Brian a wry smile. "You think a few tricks will take my mind off everything?"

"Of course," Brian said with a smirk. "Now, let's go out while we can still be spontaneous and don't need a babysitter."

Justin nodded and rushed off to the bedroom to dress for a night at Babylon.

BJBJBJBJBJ

Pregnancy certainly wreaked havoc on Justin's sexual appetite. He was a hormonal mess. Not only was he more emotional than usual—he literally cried over spilled milk, much to Brian's amusement—but he was so horny that even Brian was getting tired of the constant sexual demands. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy sex with Justin every time; it was just that even the Stud of Liberty Avenue could only fuck so many times in one day. And the two times Brian had tried to plead exhaustion, Justin had wound up in tears, declaring that Brian must think he was hideous now that he was showing more. It was for that reason more than anything else that Brian began dragging the blond to Babylon on an almost nightly basis.

Despite Justin's belief that he was getting too fat to attract tricks, the men at Babylon seemed willing and eager to blow him or let him fuck them. Perhaps it was the novelty of being fucked by a pregnant man. Brian didn't believe that was the reason, however; Justin looked really fucking hot with his rounded belly and still gorgeous ass. Thankfully, between the dancing and the sex, Justin was almost always tired out enough to actually sleep when they got home. At least he was after one final round of sex with Brian.

"Dancing and physical exercise are okay, right?" Brian asked the obstetrician on their next visit. "Because Justin's been really active and energetic lately. So we've been dancing and fucking like mad. Justin's been a lot hornier than usual, and that's saying something."

The man chuckled at Brian's peculiarly worded concern. "It's quite normal for a person in their second trimester to become more sexually active. It will slow down as the pregnancy progresses. Right now, Justin simply has an excess of hormones and it's increasing his sexual appetite. Sex, dancing—really any sort of physical exercise—is okay as long as he feels up to it. But Justin, if you begin to feel tired or sore or at all uncomfortable, slow down and assess how you are feeling, okay? And if you feel any pain at all, stop altogether."

"I will," Justin said. "I'm just glad that I'm not tired all the time like I was before. The afternoon naps are okay, but falling asleep at the dinner table was embarrassing."

The doctor chuckled again and brought the sonogram machine over to the exam table where Justin was sitting. "So you ready to find out the sex of the baby?"

"More than," Justin said. "My mother has been hounding me since the last appointment. She wants to start buying things for the baby."

A few minutes later, they had their answer. "A boy?" Brian said with awe as he watched the little monitor. He couldn't really make out what the doctor was seeing. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," the doctor said with a smile.

"We're going to have a son," Justin whispered.

"And Gus will have a little brother," Brian said.