EMMETT

I wanted Michael to see that Brian would never return his feelings, but did Brian have to do this to Michael? Once again, he doesn’t care that Michael wanted to at least have a chance with a guy, just takes what he wants. 

“You really had to do that when Michael told you he was interested in Justin?” I ask Brian after I pull him out of the room.

“He’s not interested in Michael. And I’m not setting aside what I want because you and Michael tell him that I’m an ass-chasing selfish prick. It’s really interesting what you hear when no one knows you’re there. I found out what kind of friends I have,” Brian tells me, sneering.

“Brian, Michael needs to move on, and saying that you care and would be there for all of us if we needed you wasn’t going to make him see you differently. You don’t really make it easy for us to see you differently either,” I tell him. 

“You don’t seem to want anyone else to, unless it benefits Michael. I’m not going to step aside so Michael can be happy,” He tells me.

“Brian, if all you're going to do is have fun with Justin and then drop him, then think about Justin and don’t make him spend years hoping you're going to want more,” I tell him, because I really like Justin.

“I’ve spent the last month thinking of nothing but Justin. He wouldn’t be like Michael, wishing for something I never gave him any indication that I wanted from him. I know that if I want a future with Justin, I’m going to have to work for it,” He tells me.

“You met him once and now want a relationship with him?” I ask because this is not the man I know.

“I don’t know what it is, but when I was leaving the next morning, for the first time I didn’t want to. He’s different, and I want to see if he’s someone I could have something with that I’ve never wanted before,” He tells me.

“I’ll deal with Michael, just make sure you don’t make me regret thinking you’re sincere with this,” I tell him.

“Whether or not I am, he’s not interested in Michael at all. I have to wonder about the 'adorable Ted' comment though,” He tells me, walking back in the kitchen.

“I’m going to see how Michael is,” I tell them, passing by to follow in Michael’s wake.

I found him sitting on the sand and I could see he was still angry about what happened in the house. I sat down and looked at the water.

“Michael, they met before now. Brian wasn’t doing this to hurt you,” I tell him.

“I just need to make Justin see what Brian is like,” He tells me.

“I don’t think it will matter one way or the other,” I tell him.

“Brian isn’t going to take this from me, I know Jen would prefer me to Bria,” He tells me.

“It doesn’t matter what Jen wants, Justin makes that decision,” I tell him.

“I want him to make an informed decision, and I’ll spend the week letting him see what Brian is really like,” He tells me, getting up and heading back to the house.

“Michael, he’s your best friend, don’t do that to him,” I tell him.

“You said it, he’s a shit and no one will ever change him from who he is. I can’t see him as a friend when he went after the one guy I told him I wanted to see. Friends don’t do that to you,” He tells me.

Fuck, I should have stayed out of the ‘bash Brian to save Michael’ game. Now Michael thinks that he’s going to make himself look better by telling Justin about Brian? Ted should have slapped tape over my mouth, because in a way, I started this.

TED

Justin sat at the table looking through menu’s like nothing was going on. Really, there shouldn’t be any issue here. He doesn’t owe Michael anything.

“I don’t understand why Emmett is so harsh on Brian,” Justin tells me.

“Brian and Emmett are not the best of friends, but I think Emmett is trying to make Michael see that Brian isn’t the person he builds up in his head,” I tell him.

“You don’t see Brian as the ultimate playboy?” He asks me.

“I didn’t like Brian for years, but it was when we started working together that I realized that my perception was clouded by my feelings for Michael,” I tell him.

“Michael didn’t take you up on it? You’re adorable. Not my type, but still you have ‘cuddle with me’ written all over you.” He tells me and really I hate that I still blush at my age.

“Michael couldn’t see anything but Brian. He was excited because you interested him, which means he isn’t going to take you and Brian being anything together well,” I tell him.

“He needs to get used to me, because regardless of Brian, I’ll be around,” He tells me.

“I was hoping more because of Brian,” Brian tells him, walking in.

“Like I said, show me that you aren’t what I keep hearing, and we can talk,” He tells Brian.

“I plan to show you everything, and a few things you couldn’t imagine,” Brian tells him, kissing his lips.

Michael comes in scowling at Brian, and Emmett looks at me as if to say ‘Help’. Emmett dug this hole and he is going to have to see what he did wasn’t the way to go about it.

“Justin, you mentioned being hungry, why don’t I cook for us? It would be better than the usual take out, which is all Brian knows how to do,” Michael tells Justin.

Really, Michael thinks his cooking is going to make anyone see him as relationship material? I like my food ‘not charcoal’ style.

“I was hoping to try some seafood in the area. How about I pay for us to go out and eat?” I ask Michael.

“I just thought Justin might like some home cooking, but if you insist. It will give us time to get to know everything about each other,” Michael tells me.

“Teddy, let’s go change,” Emmett tells me pulling me out behind him.

Following Emmett upstairs, all I can think is that Michael hasn’t got a clue what he’s up against. 

“I’m an asshole,” Emmett tells me. 

“I'm not going to disagree, but what made you see that?” I ask him. 

“Michael’s thinks he's going to get Justin to see that compared to him, Brian isn't going to look good,” He tells me. 

“Emmett, Brian wants to try a relationship with Justin. To me that says something is different about how he's going to react to the snide comments everyone makes about him. Michael isn’t going to get away with his shit,” I tell him.

“He really had high hopes that Justin could be the one who gets him over Brian,” He tells me. 

“Which should have happened when Brian never encouraged Michael. Brian has gone out of his way to get Michael to see that he couldn’t return his feelings. It's not Brian’s fault that Michael kept seeing it differently,” I tell him. 

“I shouldn't have been encouraging Michael to think that Justin could be a possibility,” He tells me. 

“Michael should be able to see that he has to be the one to show he’s worth more. You and I aren’t going to make him more than he is. It’s like at the airport, Justin made me realize that hanging my head down and thinking that no one saw me wasn’t getting me anywhere but alone. I’ve been looking around and seeing that guys do look at me. It was me that didn’t have the courage to see that.” I tell him.

“I’ve always seen it, I just didn’t know how to make you see it,” He tells me.

“I had to be the one, not my friends doing it for me. Let’s go before Michael makes a complete ass of himself,” I tell him.

JUSTIN

You know, I was really set to like Michael after what he said about my stepmother, but if I have to listen to what he thinks of my work for another minute, I might start acting like the asshole I’ve been lately.

“You must be so thrilled that people see that painting as brilliant,” Michael tells me.

“I guess there’s no accounting for taste,” Brian whispers to me, making me smile.

“I would have loved to see you create it. I always thought that it was amazing how you take paint and change it into something mind blowing,” Michael rattles on.

“Blowing, you did that well,” Brian whispers, putting my hand in his lap.

“This is the first time I’ve ever heard you interested in art,” Emmett tells Michael, who glares at Emmett.

“It was time for me to see there was more to the world than tricking, drinking, and drugs. Brian still hasn’t figured that out,” Michael tells us.

“Since you never could get a trick without me getting one for you, it wasn’t a big leap for you,” Brian tells him.

“I just don’t see the point in what you do. I guess for you it doesn’t matter, since you never want them around for more time than the time it takes to kick them out of your loft once you’re finished,” He tells Brian.

“Until I found someone worth keeping, then it was easier than pretending I could be more to someone. You know, like Dr Dave was for you. I won’t lie to myself when I know the relationship isn’t going to go where I want it to,” He tells Michael and me.

“You’d have to be able to care about something other than yourself in order to have a relationship. I cared about David, but you were the one hitting on him to get me away from him,” Michael tells him.

“If you wanted him I couldn’t have stopped you,” Brian tells him.

“At least with David I saw how immature and selfish you are,” Michael tells him.

“Interesting that you say that. Did you forget prick? Or like Ted said, you just can’t say it to my face,” Brian glares.

“Ted, I can’t believe you told him,” Michael hisses at Ted.

“He didn’t have to, I heard firsthand all the wonderful things you and Emmett seem to think of me,” Brian tells him.

“It’s the truth, you don’t give a shit who you hurt as long as you get what you want for ten minutes,” Michael tells him.

“As nice as this is, can we have dinner and not argue so the whole restaurant hears it,” I interrupt them before this goes any further.

“Brian wouldn’t care as long as he has every eye in the room on him. Look to your left Brian and you can see your next trick. Why not go and take care of it so we can see you in action?” Michael asks him.

“I’m fine where I am, maybe you could finally score with more than your hand if you tried,” Brian sneers.

“Justin, how about you and I order a pizza and let Brian see that we are above his childishness? It’s not making me see anything but that this friendship should have ended years ago,” Michael tells me.

“I’m sorry, but when I invite people to visit, I don’t abandon them,” I tell Michael.

“I won’t sit here and see you get pulled in by Brian,” He tells me getting up and walking out of the restaurant.

“I hope I can clear up something for everyone, and maybe you could find a way for Michael to understand it. My only intention when I invited you here was to get to know you guys, I wasn’t looking for a relationship with anybody,” I tell Emmett, because Ted hasn’t been happy with them.

“Then why start one with Brian?” Emmett asks me.

“I figured the father of my child deserves a chance,” I tell them.

I look at Brian who grins, then to Emmett and Ted who both seem to be in shock. 

“I decided that if we got it out in the open, then hopefully Michael will see that he never had a chance,” I tell them.

“It was over for anyone else when I stepped off the plane,” Brian tells me.