Friday morning, Pittsburgh, Vision Clinic, 11:15 a.m...

Justin and Daphne were both sitting in Dr. Lewis's spacious waiting room with a couple of other patients. Justin was losing patience, as they had arrived at nine forty-five a.m. and had filled out a medical history before giving Justin's medical records to the doctor's receptionist. They were now waiting for him to be called.

"Could you fucking stop already?" Daphne's exasperated voice resonated in Justin's ears as he kept agitatedly tapping the floor with his foot.

"I'm nervous," Justin snapped, rubbing his hands on his thighs.

"You're annoying," Daphne corrected him quietly, glancing around to make sure no one was looking at them.

Justin countered defensively, "I'm entitled to be annoying since we've been waiting here forever. If you don't allow me to express my impatience with my foot, I can always throw up on your shoes instead because, yes, I'm fucking nervous. I mean, this is just a meeting that could change my future or just dash my hopes for good. No big deal, right? So why don't you..."

"Mr. Taylor?" A woman called his name, interrupting Justin's queen-out.

"Here," Justin responded, standing up immediately.

"Dr. Lewis will see you now. Please follow me," she asked, leading the way to Dr. Lewis' office.

"I'm coming too," Daphne interjected. Despite threatening to vomit on her shoes, Justin knew better than to try further to stop his best friend from mothering him to death.

They followed the woman - Justin supposed it was the doctor's medical assistant - and finally entered an office.

"Mr. Taylor, Miss... Chanders? I'm Dr. John Lewis. Please have a seat," a rough voice welcomed them as they walked over to the doctor's desk. Daphne had given her name to the doctor's receptionist earlier, when she helped Justin complete his medical history. Justin therefore wasn't surprised that the doctor knew Daphne's last name.

"Your office is very... bright," Daphne commented. Justin chuckled since her statement could only mean she hated how the space was decorated.

Dr. Lewis ignored her. "So, Mr. Taylor, your records are very interesting."

"Uh?" Justin eloquently replied.

"I was talking about your medical records," Dr. Lewis clarified, visibly amused.

"Oh, yes! Sorry," Justin said. "I gave them to your receptionist."

Daphne intervened, "Everything is in that folder."

"I studied them briefly after you handed them in," Dr. Lewis revealed. Justin heard him rifling through some papers, probably his medical records. "Our common friend told me you suffered a trauma about a year ago?" the man inquired eventually.

"Yes," Justin confirmed, his heart skipping a beat at the allusion to Brian. Their conversation on the phone the previous Sunday was still weighing heavily on his heart. While he should be happy Brian cared enough to ask for the doctor's help and therefore had answered his call, the brunet claiming their relationship had been a mistake still hurt deeply.

Moreover, Justin couldn't keep from pondering how well Brian knew Dr. Lewis. He had a pretty good idea of how they'd met, which in all honesty, pissed him off.

"I will need to study your records more closely and have you take some tests. I won't be able to assess your case any further until I have the results."

"Of course," Justin answered with a nod.

"From what I've read so far, you suffered a post-traumatic hyphema, resulting in corneal blood staining?" Dr. Lewis questioned.

"Yes," Justin confirmed before clearing his throat uneasily.

"Corneal blood staining typically occurs after significant and prolonged hyphema - usually the result of ocular trauma, and especially in cases of chronically elevated intraocular pressure. The opacification consists of old blood that has become embedded in the corneal supportive tissue. My colleague explained all that to you, right?"

"Yeah. Probably," Justin volunteered. Honestly, the memories from his long recovery were foggy. The only thing he remembered was his doctor's announcement during his last visit. "My doctor at the time told me that the gravity of my injury precluded additional surgery. He advised me to enter a trial or go to a renowned ophthalmologist for a second opinion; unfortunately, I didn't have the money for private care, and I was unaware of any trials."

Dr. Lewis mumbled quietly, while obviously still reading the file. Justin was pretty sure he heard the word ‘moron' in reference to his former doctor.

"Look," Dr. Lewis eventually resumed, "we'll administer some tests now, and my receptionist will schedule another appointment for you next Tuesday."

"So fast?" Justin inquired, surprised. He had thought he wouldn't have another appointment for at least a couple of weeks.

Daphne poked him in the ribs to make him shut up.

"I had a series of appointments already scheduled with another client, but he canceled," Dr. Lewis disclosed. "So, yes. Is that too soon for you?"

"No, it's just..." Justin's voice trailed off. He sighed heavily, before admitting, "I'm not sure I can afford your services."

"Brian warned me you would say that," Dr. Lewis revealed. "So I took the liberty of asking the clinic's board to handle your case pro bono, if I can do anything for you, that is."

"Why would you do that?" Justin questioned, frowning. Dr. Lewis didn't even know him.

"Well, your type of injury - post traumatic hyphema leading to corneal blood staining - is part of a research program I've been working on for five years. For the technique to be validated by the board, we need volunteers to enter the program. And considering your financial situation, I figured you would be interested," Dr. Lewis explained. "And well, Brian is... a good friend, too."

"I bet he is," Justin sardonically muttered. Although he should be thanking the doctor profusely - maybe even kissing his ass - he wanted to snarl at him for his obvious involvement with Brian.

Dr. Lewis pretended not to hear him, though, and volunteered, "I know Brian well enough to realize that he wouldn't have asked for my help if this wasn't important to him. I can safely say that he cares about you a great deal."

Justin frowned, surprised by the doctor's declaration.

He didn't have a chance to respond, however, since Daphne blurted out, "Justin cares too. In fact, if Brian would stop being stubborn, annoying, stupid, and..." She sighed dreamily. "Have you seen his attributes? It's so unfair that he..." She paused, suddenly realizing she'd confessed that out loud, not just to Justin but also to Dr. Lewis.

Justin suspected that Dr. Lewis was now staring at her, equally puzzled and bewildered by her unexpected intervention. Honestly, Justin was probably looking at her the same way.

Obviously remembering the point she'd been trying to make, Daphne resumed quietly, seemingly addressing Justin this time, her tone taking on an irritated edge, "What I wanted to say is, if Brian would stop letting his fucking, ‘oh sooo bruised' ego rule his life, my life would be much easier."

"Daph!" Justin chastised, annoyed by her boldness.

"You're not the one who has to live with a flaming drama queen because of him," Daphne stated firmly.

"Okay," Dr. Lewis curtly interrupted their squabbling. Justin suspected the man wasn't interested in hearing them argue about his relationship with the escort. "Mr. Taylor, we'll do the tests now; they'll take about an hour. Stop at the front desk on your way out so that the receptionist can tell you the time for your appointment for next Tuesday."

"I can do that," Daphne interjected. Addressing Justin, she clarified, "I'll get the card for your appointment from the receptionist, then meet you in the waiting room. You'll be okay without me, right?"

"Yes, Mom," Justin mocked. He knew she had surmised his mixed feelings about the doctor.

Fortunately, the hope that his sight would ultimately improve with Dr. Lewis's assistance exceeded the irrational jealousy he felt toward the man. He therefore squeezed Daphne's hand to indicate he was okay and followed Dr. Lewis.

A few hours later, Jennifer's apartment...

"That's such wonderful news, honey!" Jennifer gushed, holding her son snugly in her arms. He had just informed her that he'd had tests which would hopefully show he could receive treatment to partially or fully restore his sight, thanks to one of Brian's acquaintances. "I'm so happy, Justin," she added joyfully, the perceptible quiver in her voice indicating that she was on the verge of crying.

Justin could barely breathe, with the tightness of her embrace matching her emotional reaction. She finally released him and sat back down on a bar stool at her kitchen counter, while Justin did the same, facing her. "Don't get your hopes up too high. We're only doing tests for now," he reminded her, but even he couldn't contain his excitement as a bright smile graced his lips.

"We need to celebrate!" Jennifer exclaimed, standing up. "What about going to that violin recital at the Apostrophe Gallery tomorrow? I read about it in the paper and, apparently, this violinist... Ethan Gold is going to play at eight in the main room of the gallery. Plus, the painting exhibit is receiving wonderful reviews! What do you say?"

"Sure," Justin agreed, although he really didn't care about violin music.

He heard his mother pouring coffee into a couple of cups, the sweet aroma of the beverage filling the air.

"Perfect!" Jennifer enthused, guiding Justin's hand toward a hot cup she had placed on the counter.

Justin tasted it carefully.

"All you need to do now is call Brian. It's going to be a great night!" Jennifer declared, over the moon with joy.

Justin froze. Shit. "Brian is out of town," he lied thoughtlessly, knowing Brian would never agree to go with him whether Justin paid for his presence or not.

"He is? That's unfortunate," Jennifer complained. "Well, since your sister is with her father, I guess it will be just you and me."

"I guess so." Justin shrugged, blowing on his coffee. "What is this Ethan Fraud going to play tomorrow night?"

"It's Gold. Not Fraud," Jennifer replied with a chuckle.

"Fraud rings better to me. I mean, violin? Really?" Justin playfully inquired.

"You teenagers... Aside from Christina Aguilera and Moby, you don't know anything about music," Jennifer mocked, probably remembering Justin listening to those singers constantly during his last year in high school.

"Oh, please, Mom, the Moby reference is so two years ago!" Justin jested.

"And the violin is a wonderful instrument. You will love it. You'll see." Jennifer insisted.

"Does the player have a nice bow?" Justin smirked.

"Justin!" Jennifer reprimanded loudly, even though Justin knew perfectly well she too was amused.

"I guess I'll have to check it out myself," Justin added, earning a playful swat on his arm from Jennifer.

In truth, he was actually looking forward to spending a night out with his mother. But he would be damned before admitting it to her.

Saturday night, Pittsburgh, Apostrophe Gallery...

Ethan Fraud was nothing like Justin had expected him to be. According to his mother, he was a PIFA student, the institute Justin would have joined if Chris Hobbs hadn't destroyed his chance to attend the school. Justin talked to the musician briefly before the recital, immediately noticing he was not the subtle type. Within a couple of minutes, Ethan tried to serenade him with his bow, producing a few notes on his violin. Justin politely pretended to be impressed, when in truth, he didn't like it much.

Jennifer must have surmised Ethan's interest in her son because she mentioned Brian's name at least ten times in less than two minutes, making sure Ethan understood Justin already had a boyfriend. Justin had to laugh at his mother's protective behavior, even though he felt his chest constricting at her assumption. He needed to come up with a plausible lie to explain Brian's estrangement from him, but so far, he hadn't wanted to. He couldn't give up on Brian yet.

The recital lasted forty-five minutes. Justin enjoyed it for the most part although he needed to pee desperately. Jennifer led him toward the restroom as soon as the applause died out, and refusing to let his mother enter the men's restroom, he went in on his own. Fortunately for him, the area was easy to navigate and Justin managed without any assistance.

When he returned, however, he froze. Someone was talking with his mother, and as he listened to her conversation to figure out who that person was, he realized, flabbergasted, that it was not Ethan Gold this time.

It was Brian.

Brian was bored.

When Matthew had asked him a couple of weeks ago to attend a recital with him, Brian initially refused but eventually relented. Maybe he shouldn't have since Matthew's crush seemed to have strengthened even more of late. Brian had never lied about his feelings for the businessman, however, Matthew knowing exactly what to expect from him or - more accurately - not to expect. They weren't going to sail away into the sunset anytime soon.

He arrived fashionably late - the violinist already lost in the midst of a lyrical piece - and he spotted Matthew sitting in the third row, wearing an elegant dark blue suit brightened by a light brown silk scarf.

"Sorry I'm late," Brian murmured as he took the seat next to Matthew. When the man gave him a look, he asked in mock offense, "What? I'm a civilized man. I can apologize if I want to."

Matthew chuckled quietly. "Yeah. As if you didn't do it on purpose."

"Of course I did it on purpose," Brian countered with a scowl. "Believe me, you didn't want me to be on time. I would have drunk all the champagne so I could forget you'd made me attend a classical recital in the first place." He peered at the violinist. "Is the chin rat supposed to help hold the violin?"

Matthew peered at him disapprovingly although his lips turned upward against his will, and Brian leaned closer, placing his hand casually on his friend's shoulder. They focused on the musician for a while, but after a couple of minutes, Brian yawned, bored to death. As a result, his interest shifted, his gaze sweeping around the other people in the audience.

He would never have expected to see Jennifer Taylor sitting on the other side of the room, and he stilled as he recognized Justin's mother. The person sitting next to her was hidden by a large column, but no matter who it was, Brian needed to think fast. There were quite a few people attending, but not enough to make sure she wouldn't spot him during the course of the evening.

As soon as the recital ended, Brian informed Matthew that he would rejoin him in a few minutes and walked in the direction of Jennifer's seat, only to realize she had already left. He paused, looking around the spacious main room of the Apostrophe Gallery, and his eyes landed on her again, standing alone in front of a painting.

Brian sauntered over and just stood there, waiting for her to realize he was standing next to her.

"Brian?" Jennifer asked in an astonished voice.

Brian greeted her with a small smile. "Jennifer, it's nice to see you again."

"I thought you were out of town! Don't tell me; you're here to surprise Justin, aren't you?"

Brian's smile faltered as he understood what she was implying. Justin was here somewhere.

Well done, Kinney. What the fuck are you going to do now?

"Yes. I will surprise him for sure," Brian replied. It wasn't a lie.

"You've heard the good news, haven't you?" Jennifer continued, assuming Brian knew what she was talking about.

"Of course," Brian answered, chastising himself for still playing Justin's game. But he didn't know what the fuck else to do. He hadn't anticipated his former client being there when he accosted Jennifer. Even though Justin was no longer a part of his life, he didn't want to jeopardize the blond's relationship with his mother by telling her the truth about their supposed great romance.

"I think I need to thank you for that, right?" Jennifer inquired. At Brian's puzzled expression, she clarified, "Your friend said he will try to help him. Who knows? Maybe Justin will get his sight back! And if he does, we will have you to thank for this miracle. Really, Brian, I know I was a little cautious at first considering your age difference, but you've done so much for my son. You're... part of the family now."

"Jennifer..." Brian wanted to stop her, feeling more and more uncomfortable with this conversation.

Jennifer ignored him and resumed, "Has Justin demonstrated how grateful he is for your help?" she questioned, too happy on her son's behalf to notice Brian's bewildered stare. "I'm being silly. Of course he has!" she assumed, winking at him.

Brian Kinney had a supposed mother-in-law who was his number one fan. The thought made him want to burst out laughing.

"Brian?" Justin's shocked voice interrupted them. Brian turned around, a rush of adrenaline coursing through him as he peered down at his former client for the first time in a month. Justin glanced in his direction and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Brian heard Justin's voice quivering, as well as hints of anger and pain lacing his words.

"He wanted to surprise you! Isn't it wonderful?" Jennifer volunteered, totally clueless about the drama unfolding before her eyes.

Justin snorted, ignoring his mother's enthusiasm. "Brian. A word?" he inquired sternly.

Brian flashed Jennifer an apologetic smile before grabbing Justin's arm and leading him toward a more secluded spot at the back of the gallery. The simple touch caused a shiver to run along his spine. He ignored it.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Justin questioned curtly as soon as Brian had stopped walking.

"What do you think?" Brian sardonically retorted. "I'm working."

"Great," Justin muttered. "Who is it this time? A creepy dude? A young stud? A fucking ophthalmologist?"

Brian ignored Justin's angry tone. "Jennifer told me John is going to help you if he can."

"Oh, yes. John is such a wonderful man," Justin mocked, enunciating Dr. Lewis' first name derisively.

"Oh, come on, Justin! Stop being such a princess!" Brian was beginning to get pissed off. How dare Justin be angry with him? He wasn't the one who had suffered the biggest blow to his ego of his entire life.

"I'm the princess?" Justin repeated incredulously. "What about you, huh? Ignoring me as if I meant nothing to you at all! I made one fucking mistake, Brian! I was wrong, but so what? How was I supposed to know you wanted me to acknowledge that what was happening between us was real?"

"I didn't..." Brian began, ready to deny any connection with Justin at all, but Justin didn't let him, as he pointed with his index finger and then pushed him, making him step backward.

"Oh no, you don't! Don't try to pretend that it wasn't real. It was, Brian! Ever since that night, I haven't been able to eat or sleep because I'm thinking about you all the time, berating myself for what I did to you, replaying what happened over and over, constantly reminding myself of what an idiot I am! I'm driving my best friend so nuts that she has tried countless subterfuges to get me out of my fucking funk; I'm lying to my mother; and I've become a pathetic, insufferable stalker. So if you dare tell me now what happened between us wasn't real, I swear I'm going to kill you."

Before Brian could respond to Justin's outburst, however, he heard someone calling his name in a low voice.

Brian let out a heavy sigh as he recognized the man's voice. "Matthew..." he acknowledged, taking a step sideways to gaze at the man standing right behind him. He wondered how much of his and Justin's conversation the man had heard. From his closed-off expression, he'd say Matthew had heard more than enough.

"I'm..." Brian stammered. Fuck. Now what? "This is Justin Taylor. Justin, Matthew Gallagher, my..." he cringed "...date."

Neither man moved. Brian wanted to dig a hole and disappear into it.

"Couldn't you date an old, disgusting woman for once?" Justin asked. He couldn't see Matthew, but the businessman had a deep, velvety voice. He was certainly not a woman.

"One Life is a gay male escort agency, Justin," Brian reminded him. "No old women for me."

"What are you talking about? Not me, I hope!" Jennifer quipped, choosing that exact moment to join them.

"Jesus!" Brian couldn't help but curse, rubbing his face nervously.

"Is everything alright?" Jennifer inquired, sensing the three men's uneasiness.

Justin chuckled cynically.

"Excuse me, who are you?" Matthew questioned.

"I'm Justin's mother, Brian's mother-in-law," Jennifer answered with a smile, which faltered when she noticed the man's expression and the way her son flinched.

"Brian's mother-in-law..." Matthew echoed, staring at Brian questioningly. Brian shot him a pointed look.

"I'm sorry; who are you?" Jennifer asked, noticing something obviously wasn't quite right. She kept gazing between Matthew and Brian.

"Okay. Let's stop with this farce," Justin finally declared.

"Justin..." Brian cautioned, not liking what was happening. "You don't have to do that."

"I shouldn't have lied in the first place," Justin countered with a shake of his head. "I've learned my lesson, believe me," he added.

Brian swallowed. No matter how furious he was with Justin, he hadn't wanted any of this to happen.

"Mom," Justin murmured as Jennifer grazed his arm with her fingertips.

"Honey, what's wrong?" she inquired, the concern evident in her voice.

"Brian is not my boyfriend," Justin disclosed. "He is an escort I booked to go to Dorian's wedding."

Jennifer froze. "But..." she stammered when she recovered her voice.

Justin didn't let her speak. "I was desperate for you to stop worrying about me, so I paid Brian to come with me. He's here tonight, not to see me but because he's with a client."

"That can't be," Jennifer refuted, not ready yet to accept the truth. "I've seen the two of you together, and I know you, Justin. You can't lie to save your own life! I know you love that man!" she exclaimed, pointing at Brian before turning toward him. Brian held her gaze.

He could barely breathe, however, his heart hammering in his chest. Justin hadn't denied his mother's words.

"You're an escort?" she asked incredulously.

"I am," Brian confirmed quietly. Matthew was going to be furious with him for ruining their night together, but at the moment, Brian couldn't care less. The only thing that mattered was that he felt like his heart was going to explode out of his chest. He could see Justin was barely holding it together, and it was killing him.

So much for being an insensitive shit.

"I still don't understand," Jennifer stated with a shake of her head. "If you're an escort, why did you help my son get that appointment? It doesn't make any sense, unless..." her voice trailed off. She suddenly stared directly at Brian, and the brunet felt like she could see right through him.

"Mom," Justin captured her attention, Jennifer turning back to him. "It doesn't matter, does it?" he uttered sadly.

"Justin," Brian whispered his name.

"Brian, we should go," Matthew grabbed Brian's elbow.

"I..." Brian hesitated, but before he could say anything, Justin left, using the nearby wall to guide his steps. Jennifer directed one last glance at Brian before following her son.

An hour later, Brian was lying on Matthew's bed, smoking a cigarette. They hadn't had sex yet, his friend having gone downstairs a little while ago, supposedly for a business call with Japan. Brian therefore had gone to lie down, his mind replaying the events that had taken place earlier that night. He was confused, truthfully.

He had done all he could to forget Justin, but it didn't work. Seeing him tonight had completely thrown him off his game, but more than that, he realized he couldn't forget Justin. His feelings ran too deep for that.

He was the first to be surprised by the revelation. Never once had he felt anything like this for another man. Sure, he had experienced a couple of crushes when he was a young, naive teenager, but falling in love? It hadn't been a part of his plan, ever.

"You look wistful," Matthew's voice brought him back from his musings, and he turned his head toward the still fully clothed older man standing next to the bed, staring at him.

Brian turned to crush out his cigarette in the ashtray on the nightstand - another thing that showed him Matthew cared for him a bit too much since the man didn't even smoke.

"I think we should stop seeing each other for a while," Matthew stated softly.

Brian didn't move or reply. He knew Matthew was right.

"You love him, don't you?" the man then questioned.

Again, Brian stayed silent. He didn't know how or what to answer, truly having no clue how to explain something he didn't understand himself.

Matthew's calm demeanor crumbled. "For God's sake, Brian, answer me!"

"What do you want me to say?" Brian snarled. He hated feeling like he'd been pushed into a corner, but as much as he wanted to be annoyed at the businessman for demanding answers, he also hated himself for what he was putting Matthew through. Brian might not care about Matthew the way the man would like him to, but he did care nonetheless. Matthew didn't deserve any of this.

"I don't know! Maybe just try being honest with me?" Matthew exclaimed, glaring at Brian. "I mean, it's not like you don't know how I feel about you, right?" he asserted, his voice cracking slightly.

Brian couldn't stand to hear his friend's pain. He stood up from the bed and moved toward him.

Matthew raised his hand to stop Brian from approaching any closer. "Don't..." he warned, taking a step back.  

Brian stilled. He refused, however, to avert his eyes from Matthew's face. "I didn't mean for it to happen. Justin..." he tried to explain, but the words died out in his throat. Breathing heavily, he gazed down, feeling himself becoming more and more frustrated at his inability to understand why he felt the way he did. He hated this situation, hated himself for not knowing what to say or do to fix this.

Matthew stared at him, his previous agitation seemingly vanishing, a disturbing calmness descending upon him. "So, you admit that you were full of shit when you claimed that you would never get romantically involved with a client or anyone else?" he eventually stated quietly.

Brian swallowed. He closed his eyes briefly before confessing, "I believed it then."

"I know." Matthew nodded, resigned. "This is just..." he began with a wave of his hand, but he never finished his thought. He shook his head instead, professing, "It doesn't matter anymore." Then, peering at Brian one last time, he intentionally put an end to their conversation, declaring, "I'm going to take a shower."

Brian held his gaze for a few seconds, until Matthew looked away and left the room.

Brian kept staring at the door for a moment before finally moving. He headed downstairs, noticing the money on the entryway table. He didn't stop to take it, though, and walked out the front door without looking back.