Brian and I held each other’s gaze for a long moment while a small smile played on his lips.  Damn….the kid was even more gorgeous than I remember. His eyes were low and glossy, his faded blue jeans and button down shirt looked as if they had been slept in for a week, and his hair was sticking up in all directions taking on a freshly fucked appearance. Even in his current disheveled state he was absolutely breathtaking. I knew was beginning to stare, so I quickly broke the contact and looked away unwilling to give him the opportunity to laugh at me and dismiss me again the way he had that night at St Thomas. Our little silent exchange didn’t go unnoticed though.

“You can tell me if it’s none of my business Justin,” grandma leaned into me and whispered “But do you happen to know that young man over there?” In my mind I was jumping up and down screaming and throwing a kindergarten tantrum, pouting with my arms crossed asking her how she could even think something so ridiculous.  Bringing myself back to reality, I slightly lowered my head and muttered “Sort of,” under my breath. Grandma nodded and smiled and thankfully, didn’t press the issue further. After everything that had happened with Craig I was in no mood to try and explain Brian to her…..not yet anyway. I mean, what was I supposed to say? I couldn’t very well tell her that said young man just happened to tell me to fuck off after I offered my friendship and support. (I’m still pissed off about that one by the way)

I was relieved when after several minutes had passed, the county building staff announced that it was safe for everyone to carry on with their intended business as usual. I was anxious to get the hell out of there and as far away from Brian Kinney as I possibly could before I did something stupid like, tell him how much of a crush I have on him like some giggling love-sick school girl (even if it’s true) or punch his smug ass right in the fucking face. I realized that neither of these actions would have a positive outcome, so I gently guided Grandma through the throngs of patrons littering the lobby area with every intention of walking out the door and going home to watch the latest rerun of The Cosby Show.  However, the conversation the two desk sergeants were having stopped me dead in my tracks.

Apparently they were at a crossroads as to what course of action they could take with Brian. On the one hand, they could treat him like Otis the wino and incarcerate him long enough for him to sober up. The other option would be to release him into the custody of a family member or other responsible party that would be willing to oversee his care for the evening.

‘Shit! Why did I have to be blessed with such a kind, fucking heart?’ I immediately thought to myself as I couldn’t with good conscience let Brian spend the night in jail. I figured that I could put up with Brian being in my home for one night, but I didn’t think my grandmother would be so accepting. I could tell by the way she pursed her lips so tight they almost disappeared and the accusing eye she cast my way that she knew exactly what I had in mind.

“Justin Cole Taylor you get that fool idea out of your head right now. As much as I would like to help your friend, you know very well that Diane would never allow it.”

“Who says she has to know?”

“Justin please…” Grandma pleaded. I tried everything I could think of short of groveling on my hands and knees, to get her to agree to let Brian come home with us. When all attempts failed I resigned myself to at least going over and talking with him before leaving. I excused myself and walked over to the incapacitated brunet only to be greeted with a string of drunken curses and a very off-key serenade.

“You are my sunshine my only sunshine you make me happy when skies are grey….”

Oh my god, somebody please shoot me already.

Biting my lip and wishing desperately that someone would find a gag to stuff in Brian's mouth, my mind rapidly tried to churn out some logical reason why a sane person would actually want to help rescue this messed up, drunk brunet singing at the top of his lungs as he continued with the rest of his song...

"You'll never know, Dear, how much I, I..."

I noticed Brian seemed to stumble on the next part, either accidentally or intentionally I didn't know, but his face took on a type of perplexed look as he emitted a loud hiccup instead and flashed me a sort of sheepish, apologetic, lopsided grin; a gesture which made my heart skip a beat in its almost endearing quality.

I sighed softly; I knew there was no way I could let him spend the night here in this cold, barren, Godforsaken place, even if it WAS just for several hours in a holding pen.  It seemed much too much like my own situation – only I didn't have the bars holding me in place.  The feelings of unworthiness and emotional pain, however, felt the same.  We both had lived through hell at the hands of a pair of heartless parents who put their own needs and selfishness above our own, and I was going to do everything I could to see that we both didn't wind up going down the same, desolate path.  At least I had my grandmother; Brian, however, had no one.  No one but me.

I had to try to win my grandmother over; she wasn't the most affectionate person, but at least she HAD taken me in; that was more than Brian had ever been given.  Perhaps I could try and rectify that now, however; at least I had to give it my best shot.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out – and trying hard not to pay attention to the large distraction still humming under his breath nearby – I walked back over to my grandmother who had sat down on a wooden bench next to the water cooler.  I took a moment to take a sip of water, more for stalling tactics, before I joined by grandmother on the seat next to her.

"Ready to go?" she asked me.

"Grandma, I can't do it," I told her softly.

"You can't do what, Justin?"

"I can't just run off and leave him here, no matter WHAT you – or Diane – thinks.  I mean, look at him!  He's normally so meticulous about his appearance and so articulate."

She snorted at me.  "Justin, he's drunk!  That's what drunks do!  Let him sleep it off; it's the best thing."

"How can you say that?" I asked her sadly.  "Take a good look at him, Grandma!  Doesn't he remind you of me?  Don't you see?  He's just like me, only I had YOU to fall back on when my parents dumped me like yesterday's trash!  Brian has no one.  Has never really HAD anyone.  He told me his father wanted his mother to get an abortion when she became pregnant.  Sometimes I think he feels that it might have been better for him if he hadn't been born, because his father beat him on a regular basis while his mother tried to drink the truth away and pretend it wasn't happening – kind of my like my own mother," I added, not realizing until then just how true that was.

I could hear my grandmother's sharp intake of breath as I told her about Brian childhood, and I noticed a glimmer of tears in her eyes.  Before I lost my courage – and my advantage – I pressed on.  "Grandma, we have a chance to maybe help him turn his life around; to show Brian that someone cares about him.  Maybe tomorrow he'll be a jackass about it when he gets sober – he's not the most gracious person," I admitted, which was a vast understatement.  "But we have a chance to show him that someone DOES give a shit."

"Justin, language," was the soft reproach.

I rolled my eyes.  "Okay.  But don't you understand?  If we leave him here, we'll be no better than his parents are – or mine."

Suddenly grandma stood up and walked over to the booking desk and informed the sergeants that Brian would be going home with us to sober up for the night.

Brian managed to sleep the entire way home and was confused as to where he was when he awoke the next morning.

“Rise and shine sleeping beauty,” I teased as I stood in the doorway of the spare bedroom he’d been resting in.

“Aaahhh,” he moaned holding his head, he must have had one bitch of a headache. “Where the hell am I? And what the fuck am I doing here?”

I let out a small chuckle before replying “First of all, you are in my home,” I stated matter-of-factly. “Second, what or should I say who brought you here is simple.” He looked at me quizzically for a moment and let me continue.

“But if you want the answer to that one, then I suggest you hop your ass in the shower, get changed and come down to breakfast pronto.” I said and smiled as I made my way downstairs to join Grandma Annie, all the while feeling a little anxious about the changes the next few days would bring.